God’s Awesome Plan – Grace (Module 1 – Beginnings) - 15

3. God’s Awesome Plan – Grace

KEY VERSE

Ephesians 2:8

STICKY STATEMENT

Grace is God finding you

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Children will see God’s grace to Adam and Eve and learn the plan God made to deal with sin through Jesus, the woman’s seed.

CHECKLIST

1. Video: “Grace La De Da” https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly17/3-1/ (3:09)

2. Visuals 1-3

3. Items for the Younger Adaptation

*Two large garbage bags (at least 13-gallon size, preferably clear)

*Bag of real or paper leaves, enough to cover two children for illustration

*Tape or glue to attach the leaves/paper to garbage bags.

*Optional: Fig Newtons for the winning team

4. A PowerPoint is available for this lesson.

LESSON OVERVIEW

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, did God strike them dead immediately? No, God showed them grace. Today we will learn what grace is, and why it’s important. We will see God’s perfect plan through Adam and Eve even though they disobeyed God and sinned. When they sinned, they immediately tried to hide and cover themselves with leaves. A sacrifice was required for their sins, and God made them clothes out of animal skins. This is the first death on our planet. God shows man grace through the sacrifice of animals. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus, the perfect sacrifice of grace, on the cross.

Younger Adaptation

Make large shirts out of the garbage bags by cutting out holes for the neck and arms. Choose two teams. The teams will be boys versus girls. Give each team a garbage bag, a bag of leaves, and tape or glue. (If you choose glue, use a floor or table covering.) Instruct the teams that they have five minutes to cover their bag with leaves like

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Adam and Eve who clothed themselves with leaves. Remind them to do the back side of the bag as well as the front side. After the allotted time (no more than 5 minutes), have each team choose their Adam or Eve to wear their leaf outfit over their own clothing. Vote for the team that has created the best leaf clothes. INTRODUCTION Last week we saw Adam and Eve in a perfect garden with everything they could possibly imagine. What was the one thing God asked of them to obey? [Allow children to respond.] Do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We read the true account of how Adam and Eve chose to disobey a holy God. This is when sin entered the world. Remember sin is anything you say, do, or think that displeases God.

As Adam and Eve ate the fruit their eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked. [Read Genesis 3:7-9.] [Show Visual 1.] They felt immediate shame for their nakedness and tried to make clothes out of fig leaves. Really, fig leaves!

Teacher’s Note: Use this activity for your younger children. Younger Adaptation

Make large shirts out of the garbage bags by cutting out holes for the neck and arms. Choose two teams. The teams will be boys versus girls. Give each team a garbage bag, a bag of leaves, and tape or glue. (If you choose glue, use a floor or table covering.) Instruct the teams that they have five minutes to cover their bag with leaves like Adam and Eve who clothed themselves with leaves. Remind them to do the back side of the bag as well as the front side. After the allotted time (no more than 5 minutes), have each team choose their Adam or Eve to wear their leaf outfit over their own clothing. Vote for the team that has created the best leaf clothes.

BODY

Let’s see how well making clothes out of leaves will work. [Explain and do the activity.] Can you imagine trying to make clothes like this all the time? Adam and Eve had to make their own patterns and tools to create their leafy wardrobes. Teacher’s Note: If you are not using the activity continue teaching from here. That evening, God walked through the garden calling out, “Adam, Adam! Adam where are you?” Didn’t God know where Adam and Eve were? He sure did because as we said in the last lesson, God knows all and sees all. Do you remember what the punishment was for disobeying God? [Allow children to answer.] They would surely die! But are Adam and Eve dead? No, they are alive and hiding from God. God could have let them die instantly because death was the punishment, but God gave them grace. Grace is receiving something good from God that we don’t deserve. Adam and Eve deserved to be separated from God. They deserved immediate punishment; instead, God went looking for them! Grace is God finding you. When someone hurts you, do you chase after them and try to spend more time with them? Probably not. Why do you think God was calling for them? [Allow children to respond.] I believe God gave Adam and Eve a chance to tell Him about their disobedience. Adam and Eve did what most of us do when someone confronts us about our sins—blame someone else! Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. However, God did not hurt them, yell at them or even ignore them;

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He was there for them! What a beautiful picture of grace in action. Even when you sin, God will always be looking for you! So if a result of sin is hiding from God, Grace is God finding you. When God found Adam and Eve, they were wearing make-shift clothes out of leaves. Clothes made from leaves aren’t exactly the best choice for a wardrobe. [Rip some of the leaves up in your hand, and show them how easy it is to ruin or damage leaves.] Most likely, the leaves would get mushy when they got wet, or after a few hours they would get brittle and crunchy and fall right off! Either way, clothes made out of leaves wouldn’t work. [Show Visual 2.] God knew they would need something more permanent as a covering. He chose to sacrifice one of His precious animals in order to cover Adam and Eve’s sin. God killed an animal so Adam and Eve could live. This was the first death in the history of the world. Animal skin clothing was a picture of God’s grace. Even though they disobeyed, Adam and Eve were covered by God’s grace. God warned them that the punishment for sin is death. Someone or something had to die to pay for Adam and Eve’s sin. God chose the animal and allowed Adam and Eve to live. But animal sacrifice would not last forever. [Show Visual 3.] [Read Romans 6:23.] The payment for sin is death, but God offered everyone a gift of His Son Jesus. From that point on, man was looking forward to when the Son of God, Jesus would come to Earth as a son of man to die for the children of men so we could become the children of God. God covered Adam and Eve by sacrificing an animal. Jesus sacrificed Himself by dying on the cross to cover our sins permanently. Jesus did not stay dead. After three days, He rose from the grave and lives today.

APPLICATION

Just like God provided a solution for Adam’s sin problem, God also offers His grace to everyone. [Read Ephesians 2:8.] Here is a music video to help you to remember this very important verse about grace. You can sing along if you like. Teacher’s Note Show Grace (La De Da) Ephesians 2:8 from Seeds of Family Worship (3:09). https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly17/3-1/ Grace is receiving something good from God that we don’t deserve. God willingly sent His only Son, Jesus to take your sin upon Himself and die on the cross. What an amazing God we have to sacrifice His Son for us! If you have some questions about how you can receive this amazing gift of grace that God offers to everyone, please see one of the leaders. Teacher’s Note: If you have time, consider sharing your testimony with the children in an age appropriate way. Describe when God’s grace became an active part of your life and when you received Christ as your personal Savior.

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PERSONAL TRAINING TIME

Goal of this Personal Training Time

Help children to see that the story of grace began in the garden with Adam and Eve and continues today through Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions

1. How did Adam and Eve receive God’s grace? (Even though the punishment for their sin was death, God killed an animal to clothe them in His grace.)

2. How would you describe grace after hearing this lesson? (Grace is receiving something good from God that we don’t deserve. Grace is God finding you.)

3. Have you received God’s grace by putting your faith in Jesus dying on the cross for your

sins? Have you shared God’s grace with others? (Allow children to respond.)

PARENT CONNECTION

This week your child learned how Adam and Eve chose to disobey God knowing that the punishment was death. However, God offered His grace to them and covered their sin. We described grace as receiving something good from God that we don’t deserve. God sent His Son, Jesus, to Earth to be a son of man to die for the children of men so we could become the children of God. Just like you passed your DNA down to your child, in a spiritual sense, Adam passed his sin nature to everyone after him. [Romans 5:12.] God offered His own Son Jesus to die on the cross to take your sin upon Himself. Look for ways to extend grace to your child this week. Have them practice using grace with their words and actions.

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Visual 1

Visual 2

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Visual 3