A Playbook for Life

STICKY STATEMENT

When you know, you can grow.

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Children will learn that by reading and applying God’s Word, they can avoid sin and make decisions that are pleasing to God.

LESSON OVERVIEW

We should all strive to live in such a way that brings glory to God. We can learn how to bring glory to God from the Word of God, but we don’t always have a Bible in front of us. That’s why it’s important to learn God’s Word and treasure it as something of great value.

KEY VERSE

Psalm 119:11

DEFINITIONS

Sin: “anything we think, say, or do that disobeys God”Favoritism: “the unfair practice of treating some people better than others”

TEACHER’S CHECKLIST

1. A PowerPoint is available for this lesson.2. Three 25-piece jigsaw puzzles (Hook)3. Three tables (Hook)4. A sleep mask (Hook)5. Bibles (enough for each child to use one) (Lesson Content)6. Two easels (Younger Adaptation)7. Large paper (Younger Adaptation)8. Two pens or pencils (Younger Adaptation)9. Two copies of the “Learn to Draw a Dog” instructions (Younger Adaptation)

GENERAL LESSON INSTRUCTIONS

Teacher’s Note: Prior to teaching the lesson, set three small tables in the front of the room. On the first table, place the lid of a puzzle, the pieces of a puzzle, and a sleep mask. On the second table, place the pieces of a puzzle. On the third table, place the lid of a puzzle and the pieces of a puzzle. It is recommended that all three puzzles be a different picture but all of them have 25 pieces each.

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If you have chosen to use the Younger Adaptation, it is suggested you use two easels and large pieces of paper. If easels are not available, you could tape butcher paper to the wall.

HOOK

Teacher’s Note: If you are choosing to use the Younger Adaptation, use it instead of the suggested Hook.

How many of you like puzzles? [Allow for a show of hands.] Well, to begin, we are going to need three volunteers to help us with these puzzles. [Select three children, and direct each to a different table.]

Each table has a 25-piece puzzle on it. You will have two minutes to put the puzzle together.

[Insert the name of the child standing at table #1.], please put the sleep mask over your eyes.

[Insert the name of the child standing at table #2.], are you all set? [If the child at table #2 mentions that he/she doesn’t know what the puzzle looks like because there is no picture, simply acknowledge that truth.]

[Insert the name of the child standing at table #3.], are you ready?

Okay, you have two minutes to put your puzzle together, and your time starts ... now!

Teacher’s Note: Have the other children encourage the volunteers while they are working. Announce when two minutes is over. You may want to do a countdown from ten to one as the time runs out. It might be helpful to play some background music while the children are working on their puzzles.

Alright, time is up!

[Insert the name of the child standing at table #1.], you may take the sleep mask off. How many pieces did you put together? [Pause for the answer.] Was it hard to put a puzzle together when you couldn’t see anything? [Allow for a response.] Thanks for trying.

[Insert the name of the child standing at table #2.], how many pieces did you put together? Do you think it was easier to work on the puzzle when you could at least see what you were doing? [Insert the name of the child standing at table #1.] couldn’t even see. At least you didn’t have to wear a sleep mask, right? [Pause for an answer.] Good job.

[Insert the name of the child standing at table #3.], you had it a lot easier than the others. How many pieces did you put together? [Allow for a response]. Good job.

Let’s give all of our volunteers a round of applause as they return to their seats.

Trying to put a puzzle together when you can’t see it, or when you don’t know what it’s supposed to look like when it’s finished, is really hard. This is also true when we are trying to live in a way that pleases God. Just like you need a picture to instruct you in how to put the puzzle together, we need an instruction book to help us as we live our life. God has given us one: His Word, the Bible.

Teacher’s Note: If you chose to use the Younger Adaptation, begin teaching with the paragraph below.

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Tonight’s lesson is the final lesson of a four-part series called, “Timeless Truths.” The four lessons in this series are about four important topics from the Bible. The first lesson taught us a timeless truth about God the Father. The second lesson taught us a timeless truth about Jesus Christ. The third lesson taught us a timeless truth about the Holy Spirit. This lesson will teach us a timeless truth about the Word of God.

LESSON CONTENT

If there is one item that is present every time a lesson is taught here at Olympians, what is it? [Pause for responses. If no one guesses the Bible, pick yours up as you begin to speak.] Here is a hint for you. That’s right; we always talk about and read from God’s Word. Why do you think we open and read God’s Word? [Pause for a few responses.] We open the Bible because it is God’s Word to us; it is an instruction book for life. We don’t want you to be blind to the truth from God or wander around trying to figure out what God wants from you. In God’s Word, we have God’s message to us.

Take out your Bibles. If you don’t have one, raise your hand so one of the leaders can get you one. [Pause while Bibles are distributed.] Turn in your Bible to Psalm 119:11. If you need help finding that verse, raise your hand and someone will help you find it.

Teacher’s Note: Pause long enough for everyone to find the verse in their Bible. Then, read Psalm 119:11.

This verse says we should hide God’s Word in our hearts so we will not sin against God. We need to read, memorize, and hide it in our hearts.

Tonight, we are going to talk specifically about how God’s Word can help us to avoid sin and direct us to the right path.

If I asked you if it was okay to steal, what would you say?

Teacher’s Note: Pause for answers. Children may say that the Bible says not to steal; it’s one of the Ten Commandments.

Stealing is a sin; that is pretty common knowledge. [Show visual #1: the definition of sin.] “Sin” is “anything we think, say, or do that disobeys God.” While not everyone can say where to find it in the Bible, that is a pretty widely accepted truth. Even people who don’t believe the Bible think that stealing is a sin. God told us in Exodus 20:15 that we should not steal. Listen to this verse; it is really clear. [Read Exodus 20:15.] Because of what we read in God’s Word, now we know that stealing is wrong! We don’t have to just assume that stealing is a sin; we know it is a sin. When we learn from the Bible, we can grow in our relationship with God. When you know, you can grow.

Here’s a question for you. Is using bad language a sin? [Pause for a few answers.] Yes, using bad language is a sin. Open your Bibles to Colossians 3:8. When you have it, raise your hand so someone can read it for us. [Pause while the children locate Colossians 3:8, and then select a child to read it.] We might have guessed that bad language is a sin, but now we know; and when you know, you can grow. Now that we know that bad language is a sin, we need to avoid it.

Ready for another question? What about favoritism? Is favoritism a sin? Does everyone know what that means? [Pause for several responses, and then show visual #2: the definition of favoritism.] “Favoritism” is “the unfair practice of treating some people better than others.” Do you think it is a sin to show favoritism? [Pause for answers.] Yes, it is a sin to show favoritism.

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Open your Bibles to James 2:8-9. When you have it, raise your hand so someone can read it for us. [Pause while the children locate James 2:8-9, and then select a child to read it.] The word partiality means favoritism. When I gave you the definition of favoritism, it included the word unfair. That was probably a pretty good hint that favoritism might be a sin. But now we know for certain, and when you know, you can grow.

We could do this all night, but let’s do just one more. Is saying unkind things about a person a sin? [Pause for several answers.] Yes, it is. Open your Bibles to James 4:11. When you have it, raise your hand so someone can read it for us. [Pause while the children locate James 4:11, and then select a child to read it.] The Bible tells us not to “speak evil of one another.” Telling hurtful lies about someone or saying unkind things are both speaking evil. That kind of talk is a sin. Now that we know saying unkind or false things about people is a sin, we need to avoid it. When you know, you can grow. When we listen and obey God’s Word, we can grow because the Bible exposes sin, and it shows us how we are supposed to live.

Isn’t it great that from the Bible we can know what is right and what is wrong? But we have a couple of problems here. First, we don’t have our Bibles with us 24/7, do we? How many of you carry a Bible around all the time? Probably not too many of you. Second, even if we did carry our Bibles with us at all times, we can’t always stop to see what God’s Word says when we are faced with a sin. So, what can we do?

If we have God’s Word hidden in our hearts by knowing it and memorizing it, then we will know how to avoid sin and how to stay on the right path. Remember the first verse we read? [Re-read Psalm 119:11.] When you hide God’s Word in your heart, you will know the truth; when you know, you can grow.

CONNECTION

All of the actions we identified today (stealing, using bad language, showing favoritism, saying unkind things), you probably already knew were wrong, even if you don’t read the Bible. Even the world’s standards of right and wrong would say those things are wrong.

But we’re not trying to measure up to the world’s standards, are we? We are not just trying to be moral people. As Christians, we have been called to a higher standard, and God gave us those standards in the Bible.

Our goal needs to be to grow more like Christ. To do that, we need to know what sin is. Because when you know, you can grow. Thankfully, God gave us the Bible. Sometimes, God tells us directly that an action is a sin, like when we read James 2:8-9, and it says, “But if you show partiality, you commit sin.” Sometimes, God tells us directly not to do something. A good example of this is in Exodus 20:15, when God said, “You shall not steal.” So, if we want to learn how to not sin against God, we need to read God’s Word. Memorizing it helps us to use the truth of God’s Word, no matter where we are.

Think about your typical day. Where do you spend your time?

Teacher’s Note: Allow for several responses. Possible Answers: school, sports practice or games, the park, backyard, in front of a screen, etc.

You may not be able to have your Bible with you all the time. It would be kind of hard to hold your Bible while trying to play basketball. It’s not too easy to take a test and keep your Bible tucked up under your arm.

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If you have hidden God’s Word in your heart through memorization, the Word of God is always available to you because you’re just carrying it around with you in your brain. During your day, are there times when you are more likely to sin, either in an area we talked about today or another area you know to be sin?

You may not have your Bible in the locker room, but if the language starts to become inappropriate, it would be helpful to already know what the Bible says about unkind words.

You may not have your Bible with you when a bad scene pops up in a video game, but if you already know what the Bible says about wicked things, it would help keep you from sinning. When you know, you can grow.

CHOICE

So, you have a choice to make. Will you learn what God’s Word tells you is sin so you can avoid it, or will you just hope you do things right? God’s Word tells you how to avoid sin and live in ways that are pleasing to God. It’s your choice.

Let’s spend a few minutes in prayer. Ask God to help you specifically in the area where you struggle most. Acknowledge that you desire to live in a way that is pleasing to God and ask Him to help you.

[Allow time for the children to tell God their desire to learn and obey God’s Word.]

NEXT STEPS

Built into the Olympians program are a couple of great steps for hiding God’s Word in your heart: the Daily Quiet Time and Scripture memorization. This week commit to completing your Daily Quiet Time at least five out of the seven days. We are not talking about getting all of the work done right before you come to church! We’re talking about doing your Quiet Time each day for at least five days. Also, commit to memorizing one verse this week. Bring your Quiet Time in for your Personal Training Coach to check next week to see if you did it.

If you are up for a bigger challenge, identify a topic you would like to know more about, and ask your parents to help you do some research in the Bible on that topic.

YOUNGER ADAPTATION: (Hook)

Teacher’s Note: On opposite sides of the room, set up two areas for drawing. You may tape butcher paper to the wall or use easels with blank paper. You will select two children to be the artists. One artist will have the “Learn to Draw a Dog” instructions within sight of his/her blank paper. The other artist will have someone looking at the “Learn to Draw a Dog” instructions, who will provide verbal instruction but without telling what the picture is supposed to be. For instance, the instructor would say, “Draw a circle.” The next instruction might be, “Using the bottom of the circle, make an oval that goes up into the circle.” This will be a timed activity.

In order to begin, I need two volunteers to help me, but they should be good artists. [Select two children and send them to the papers.] Now, I need one more volunteer. Who thinks they are really good at giving instructions?

Teacher’s Note: Select another child and send him/her to help artist #2. If you feel an adult volunteer would give the instructions better, feel free to recruit an adult prior to the lesson time.

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Here is how this will work. We have two sets of instructions for drawing a dog. I’m going to give one of the instructions to [Insert the name of Artist #1.]. The other set of instructions I’m going to give to [Insert the name of the helper.], who will help [Insert the name of Artist #2.]

Here’s the rule for [Insert the name of the helper.]. You may not tell your artist what the final picture is supposed to look like; you may only give instructions. For example, if I were giving instructions, I would probably tell my artist to draw a circle near the top of the paper to begin. Does that make sense?

[Address the crowd.] Okay, how long do you think we should give our artists to complete their drawings? [Pause for answers.] Let’s give them two minutes. I have my timer ready. Do you all understand what to do? Alright, go!

Teacher’s Note: Have the other children encourage the volunteers while they are working. Announce when two minutes is over. You may want to do a countdown from ten to one as the time runs out. It might be helpful to play some background music while the children are drawing.

Okay, time’s up. Let’s look at how our artists did with their drawings. Let’s start with [Insert the name of Artist #2.]. He/she might have had a slightly more difficult time, since he/she was relying on verbal instruction, rather than seeing what the finished picture was supposed to look like. [Allow time for viewing the picture, and compliment where appropriate.]

Now let’s look at [Insert the name of Artist #1.]’s drawing. It looks much more like the dog was supposed to look, doesn’t it? Let’s give all of our volunteers a round of applause as they return to their seats.

Trying to copy a picture when you can’t see it, or when you don’t know what it’s supposed to look like when it’s finished, is really hard. That is also true when we are trying to live in a way that pleases God without instructions. We need an instruction book to help us—and God gave us one—His Word, the Bible.

PERSONAL TRAINING TIME

The Goal of the Personal Training Huddle: To help the children see that the Bible has all of the answers for life and that when they know what the Bible says, they can grow.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important for you and me to read and know the Bible? (Help the children understand that the Bible is God’s instruction book for life. God tells us to meditate on it. It helps us avoid sin. It is important to know His plan.)

2. Based on today’s lesson, what are some of the things we can learn from reading the Bible? (The Bible helps us know what sin is. When we know what sin is, we can avoid it. Help the children identify other areas where the Bible can help them.)

3. What will you do this week to learn how to avoid sin and choose paths that are pleasing to God? (Read the Bible, complete at least five days of Quiet Time, memorize Scripture. Ask the children if they have ever had a topic where they wondered what the Bible said about it. If so, remind them of the extra challenge to ask their parents to help them research the topic and find out what the Bible says.)

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PARENT CONNECTION

Tonight’s lesson was the fourth of a four-part series called, “Timeless Truths.” The four lessons in this series have discussed four important topics from the Bible. We learned a timeless truth about God the Father in the first lesson, a timeless truth about Jesus in the second lesson, and a timeless truth about the Holy Spirit in the third lesson. In this lesson, we learned a timeless truth about the Bible itself.

Specifically, your child learned the importance of hiding God’s Word in their heart. This truth is highlighted in Psalms 119:11. The Bible can help them avoid sin in their daily life if they take the time to read and memorize it. When they are unsure, they can look in the Bible to find the answer, and when they know what the Bible says, they can grow to be more like Christ. This week help your child set a routine to be in God’s Word daily, by completing their Quiet Time and practicing their memory verse. They were challenged to do one of these things: Do their Quiet Time at least five times this week, memorize Psalm 119:11, or ask you to help them research what the Bible says about a topic of their choice. Take the time this week to help your child get to know the Bible.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Where in the Bible can we find the commandment to not steal? (The Old Testament, the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:15)

2. What is referred to as God’s Word? (The Bible, Scripture)3. True or False: The Bible is God’s Word. (True)4. True or False: The Bible never says favoritism is a sin. (False)5. What is favoritism? (The unfair practice of treating some people better than others)6. What does it mean to have Scripture hidden in our hearts? (To have Bible verses

memorized)7. What’s the best way to hide Scripture in our hearts? (Read the Bible daily or memorize

verses)8. True or False: God gave us an instruction manual for life. (True, the Bible)9. True or False: Hiding God’s Word in your heart can stop you from sinning. (True)10. Finish the Sticky Statement: When you know, … (you can grow.)

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