Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, August 29, 1998 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author Cyndi Long) Date: August 1, 1998 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, JESUS USES A METAL SNAKE Lesson Aim: Only Jesus can save me from sin. Memory Verse: "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32, NIV. GETTING THEIR ATTENTION: EVERY DAY MIRACLES Materials needed: Write on/ wipe off board OR a piece of newsprint paper OR a large posterboard WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Ask the children to think of things that God provides for them on a regular basis that they might normally forget about. Examples might be things like, food, clothing, safety, good health, and money. Frequently we forget that God is in charge. If it wasn't for His provision, things could be much worse. In our story today, the Israelites had become so use to the things God provided, they forgot He was in charge. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE: BIBLE STORY MOVIE POSTER Materials needed: A large posterboard (1 per each small group of 4-6) Colored pencils Crayons Markers Pencils WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Review the lesson story. Ask the children if they have ever seen a movie poster or the back of a video where the actors/actresses are named? Usually there is a picture from the scene of the movie and a list of credits which tell us who did what job. On a movie poster it will make an announcement like, "Coming in October 98" which tells when it is available for viewing. The children will design a video cover about the bible story today. It needs to be something that would catch children's eyes if they saw it in a video rental shop. They will choose one particular scene that they would like to illustrate together. They draw it on the upper part of the poster. On the very lower portion they write who stars in the story. Encourage them to think about the story and remember who was in it and what they did. God will be listed first. Then Moses followed by Aaron, etc. They put today's date and the words, "showing at" followed by the Bible text where it's found. Help them think of a catchy name to call the story and use it as the title of the video. (Example - Poisonous Snakes and Water From Rocks.) GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE: BALLOON LIFT-OFF Materials needed: 8-16 blown-up balloons, helium or regular style (8 for a small group, 16 for a large group with more than 8 children) Permanent marking pen Bibles WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the children look up the memory verse in their Bibles and read it. Give them each a turn printing a word of the verse on a balloon. (A small group using 8 balloons would print 2 words to a balloon) When the balloons have all been printed, everyone says the verse in the correct order in unison. Let one or two of the balloons go. Repeat the verse saying the missing words. Release one or two more balloons. Again repeat the verse saying the missing words. Continue until all the balloons have been let go. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE: MEMORY VERSE ACROSTIC PLACE MATS Materials needed: A piece of card board or posterboard for each child Scissors Markers Contact paper (opt) WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Cut each piece of card board or posterboard to a place mat size. Leaving spaces where I have drawn lines, print the following verse onto each place mat. " _____ when ____ am lifted ____ from the _____ will ______ all _____ _____ myself." John 12:32, NIV. Across the bottom of the place mat print the words, "Only Jesus can save me from sin." WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Give each child a place mat. Have the children draw pictures in the blank spaces to represent the missing words of the memory verse. (Examples are: An eye for "I", or an arrow pointing up for "up", or a world for "earth".) The edges of the place mat are decorated using markers and the place mat may be covered with contact paper to preserve it. Explain that the mat is to remind them that only Jesus can save them.