Introductory Activities (15 minutes) Set up the two activities below before class begins. Greet children warmly as they are entering the classroom and ask them how they re doing. When several children have arrived, begin the first activity. One or two teachers can lead activities in the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door. 1. Activity Page What You Need: Activity/coloring page, crayons or markers What You Do: Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page and/or coloring page (Note: most kindergarteners will not be able to write about how they would glorify God. Instead, have them draw a picture of something they enjoy that they can use to glorify God in the box provided.) What You Say: Each of the items on the page could be used to bring glory to God. And remember, Why did God create the world? God created the world and everything in it for His glory. In our story today, Cain and Abel brought an offering to God to bring Him glory. Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd. How do you think they could have used their jobs to give glory to God? We ll see what happens! 2. Books of the Bible Practice What You Need: Books of the Law memory cards What You Do: Before class, cut out the sets of Books of the Law cards (just Books of the Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy cards). Show the cards to the children and explain what the image on each of them means. Then, divide the kids into groups of five or so, and place a set of memory cards face down in front of each of them. Have kids take turns turning over two cards at a time in an attempt to find a match. When a child gets a match, have them hold it up and read the name on it (help the children who can t read sound it out). Repeat game several times or until kids lose interest. What You Say: We are going to play a memory game with the Books of the Law, from the Old Testament in the Bible. These are the cards we are going to be looking at. This is Genesis, and it has an ark on it because a huge flood happens in Genesis. Repeat after me: Genesis! Next is Exodus, which has a picture of a burning bush on it because Exodus is the story of God telling Moses to free his people from slavery! Say Exodus with me. The third book of the Bible is Leviticus, which has someone praying because Leviticus is full of laws about how God s people can live good lives before Him. Can you say Leviticus? Next is the book of Numbers, which has buildings on it because it tells some of the history of God s chosen people. Finally, the last law book is Deuteronomy, in which God gives His people the 10 Commandments. Say Deuteronomy! Great job. Now, let s play a memory game with these and do our best to find matches! 1
Worship (20 minutes) This month s songs are on the 2 s / PK Worship DVD. Kids and teachers should play instruments during the verses and then do the motions during the chorus. The motions for the verses are provided if you find them helpful, but we encourage you just to dance around in worship. 1. Music Chose 3 4 songs from the PK Worship DVD to be played through the computer or TV located in your classroom. Before singing, ask the children: Why do we sing to God? Answer: To honor Him with our worship! 2. Verse LEADER: This is God s Word, the Bible! (Hold up a Bible for children to see). Before working on the verse, ask the children: Why do we read the Bible? Answer: To know God s Word in our hearts! Are you ready to learn this month s memory verse that comes from the Bible? There is one God (hold up index finger in a 1 ) the Father (point to the sky) and one Lord (hold up index finger in a 1 ) Jesus Christ. (point index fingers at palms) 1 Corinthians 8:6 (open your hands like a book) Let s do it together. Are you ready? Do the verse with the kids two or three times 3. Offering Pass around the offering bag or bucket to collect any offering for today. Before offering, ask the children: Why do we collect offering? Answer: To pass the good things God has given us to others! 4. Review of Previous Week Who can remember what we learned last week? (Allow several children to attempt to answer). That s right, we learned that Adam and Eve broke God s rule and sinned. It was very sad. We have all also sinned, but God sent Jesus to save us from our sin. In this week s story, we see more sin when one of Adam and Eve s sons makes a horrible choice. 5. Video Play this week s Gospel Project Bible video. 6. Prayer Ask for one or two children to volunteer to pray before you pray, and see if any children are interested in sharing their prayer requests. Before praying, as the children: Why do we pray? Answer: To pour out our hearts to God! 2
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Small Group Time (40 minutes) Divide the children into smaller groups if possible, and have each group sit at a table with a teacher for discussion time and activities. 1. Bible Lesson Review What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do: Ask the following review questions. If a kid knows the answer, she should raise her hand: Who were Adam and Eve s first sons? (Cain and Abel, Gen. 4:1 2) What jobs did Cain and Abel have? (Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd, Gen. 4:2) What did Cain and Abel bring to God as a sacrifice? (Cain brought some of the produce he grew, and Abel brought the firstborn of his flock; Gen. 4:3 4) Whose offering did God accept? (Abel s, Gen. 4:4 5) What did Cain do to Abel? (Cain killed Abel, Gen. 4:8) What was Cain s punishment? (Cain s sin separated him from God and people. He would spend the rest of his life wandering the earth. Nothing would grow for him; Gen. 4:11 12) How did God show mercy to Cain, even after his sin? (God put a mark on Cain to protect him, Gen. 4:15) What is sin? Sin is breaking God s law, and sin separates people from God. What You Say: Cain and Abel brought offerings to God. We don t know exactly why God didn t accept Cain s offering, but we do know that he was jealous of Abel s offering being accepted. Cain killed Abel and faced tough consequences. Cain s sin separated Him from God and people. 2. Control Bubbles What You Need: Colored dot stickers, bubbles with wand What You Do: Place several dot stickers on a wall or floor. Blow bubbles and invite kindergarteners to take turns using their breath to attempt to make a bubble land on a specific color sticker. What You Say: Bubbles are hard to control! These bubbles remind us of sin. God told Cain to be careful to control his sin. Cain did not control his sin, and he sinned again when he killed his brother. God punished Cain for his sin.our sin deserves to be punished too. Controlling our sin is hard because we are sinners. We need someone to rescue us from our sin. That someone is Jesus! Jesus saves us from our sin and helps us control our sin. 4
3. Fruit Basket Turnover What You Need: One fruit sticker per child What You Do: Return to a larger group, and gather children in a circle with a chair for each child. Give each child a fruit sticker. Determine how many different fruit stickers to use based on the size and ability of your group. Explain to children that when you call out the fruit on their sticker, they must get up and find an empty chair. Children must wait until you call out their fruit before they move. If you call out fruit basket turnover, everyone must get up and find a new chair. Play as time allows. What You Say: You had to wait until your fruit or fruit basket turnover was called out before you could move. In our Bible story today, Adam and Eve were waiting for someone in their family to take away sin. God punished Cain for his sin, but God would send His Son, Jesus, though Seth s family to rescue sinners. 4. Snack and 10 Commandment Review Review the first commandment with the children in your small group while they eat snack. Use the 10 commandment print out or read from the text below: You should have no other gods but the one true God (hold up index finger). God lives in heaven (look and point up). He made the universe and rules over it! Some people try to make their own god but there is only ONE (hold up index finger) true and living God. Repeat 2 3 times. 5. Playtime and Dismissal Bring out a few toys and let the children play for a little while if time allows. Have one teacher ready to greet parents at the door and send the following home with each child: Activity Page 5