===================================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, July 11, 1998 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: June 1, 1998 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, GOD'S RULES FOR BEING HAPPY ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: God gave me His commandments so that I can be happy. I keep His commandments because I love Him. Memory Verse: "This is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands." 2 John 6, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - GETTING READY Materials needed: Large box or sack 3 dress-up items (tie, hat and shoes OR dress, shoes and something fancy for hair) Bottle of shampoo and washcloth rubber banded to it Cleaners and sponge rubber banded to it Phone with notepad and pencil rubber banded to it Map Small overnight case WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Put all the above items into a large box or sack. Make sure the children cannot see the contents. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Ask the children to think about an exciting event that is going to happen. They don't know anything about the event, where it is, what it is, or how long it will last. They just know it's going to be great, and they're looking forward to it. There are no other details you can give them about it. They are to think about what they will do to get ready for the event. Select volunteers to come to the front and choose something from the box. If it is clothes, they put them on. If it is bodily cleaners or house cleaners, they pretend to use them. The phone with notepad and pencil is for taking messages and pretending they're making a reservation. The map is for consulting, and the small overnight case is for pretending to pack. As each child displays or uses an item from the box the other children guess what they're doing to get ready for the event. (Answers: Selecting something to wear, cleaning body, cleaning house, making reservations, deciding how to get there, packing) In our story today the Israelites are preparing for a very special event. They're going to meet with God. They don't know what's going to happen when they meet with Him or how long the meeting will last. But they take time to prepare for this event. They know He has something important to tell them, and because they love Him, they want to listen. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - COMMANDMENT CARDS Materials needed: 3 X 5 cards (12 for each child) Sheet of white paper Scissors Glue WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) On the sheet of white paper draw the following symbol or word or find a picture representing each. Each symbol or word will need to be no bigger than would fit onto a 3 X 5 card. Outline of church with steeple # 1 GOD a stick figure father and stick figure mother a knife or gun stick figure father and stick figure mother on half the card with a scraggly line drawn down the middle and a stick figure father and stick figure mother on the other half (represents split family) a toy LIES clothing, bicycle IDOL Xerox the sheet of paper containing the symbols or words so that each child in the class has one. Cut the symbols and words apart and glue them onto 3 X 5 cards. Each child should have a set of these 10 cards. Shuffle the cards thoroughly. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Students sit in a circle. All cards lie face down in the center. Explain to the children that there are 10 different cards in the pile that each of them need in order to win. The ten cards show pictures or words that tells about one of God's rules or commandments. The game begins by each child taking turns going around the circle and drawing cards until everyone has ten. The player to the right of the dealer draws a card from another player of his choice. If it is different from the ones in his hand, he will want to keep it because he needs it to complete his set. If not, he will want to discard it on a discard pile in the middle of the circle. The player after him may choose his discarded card, or choose a card from another player. He in turn discards a card into the discard pile at the end of his turn. No child should ever have more than ten cards in his/her hand after a play. The winner is the first one to collect all commandment cards. Show the children how the 1st four commandments show love for God and the last 6, love for others. Guide the children in understanding that God's rules are given for our happiness! GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE REVIEW Materials needed: Cookie dough Plastic bags Blunt table knives Fine-tip cake decorating icing tubes Bibles WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Provide a floured work surface for each child. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Look up the memory verse in the Bible and read together. Review several times to commit to memory. Lay the Bibles aside so they won't get messed up. Give each child a portion of cookie dough and a blunt table knife. The children will make three shapes with their cookie dough, a heart, a foot and a ten commandments tablets. Bake the cookies for the necessary amount of time. Do the Acting on Scripture exercise while you're waiting for them to bake and cool. After the cookies have cooled, the children write the first three words of their memory verse on the heart shape with the decorating icing. (This is love). On the foot they write the next five words (that we walk in obedience) and on the ten commandments the last three words (to his commandments). The cookies are placed in bags to be taken home and shared with friends and family. (Younger children may choose only to write the text on the three cookies. The number 2 written on the heart, the word, John on the foot and the number 6 on the commandments.) ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - FOLLOWING RULES AND DIRECTIONS Materials needed: Eggs ( 2-3 for each child) Directions (See below) 1 bowl for each child Wet paper towels or wipes for clean up WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Print the following directions on a small piece of paper for each child. Put the directions at each child's place along with an un-cracked egg and a bowl. Directions: 1. Gently tap your egg on the side of the bowl. 2. When a crack appears, place your thumbs on both hands inside the crack and open it wider. 3. Do not let the egg fall into the bowl. 4. As you pull the shell apart, let the yellow yolk fall into the half shell in your right hand. 5. Now pour the yellow yolk into the half shell in your left hand. 6. Continue pouring the yolk back and forth until the clear liquid has all run into the bowl and only the yellow yolk is left. 7. Pick out any leftover pieces of shell that may have fallen into the bowl. 8. Throw the yolk and egg shells away. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: The object of the following activity is to teach the students to follow directions as closely as possible in order to obtain a desired outcome. (In this case, separating yolks and whites) The children may read the directions themselves and move at their own pace, or listen as you read them aloud. Before you begin, tell the children you will not be helping them. They are to read the directions or listen as you read, and follow them as best they can. Undoubtedly most of the children will not be able to complete this activity. Give them a second and third egg to try. Give a little more assistance each time. Follow up this activity with the following discussion questions: 1. Do you think this was a hard activity? Why? 2. Why did I include directions for you to follow? (To help them; to make it easier) 3. Did you feel frustrated at any time? Were you glad when I offered to help? This activity reminds me of God's rules, the ten commandments. God gave them to us to help us. He knew it would make life easier for us if we follow them. He also knows we need help to follow them. He's always happy to give us that help. Sometimes we break His rules on purpose. Sometimes we do it by accident. Just like I gave you another egg to try again, Jesus gives you other opportunities to follow his directions even when you've messed up. God gave us His rules so that we can be happy.