Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Obey Memory Game
Materials: index cards
Before class, write down ways to obey God onto index cards, one way per card. Create two sets. In class, jumble the cards and lay them facedown down on the floor in a grid. Form two groups with your class. Each group will take turns flipping over two cards to see if they match. If they don’t match, both cards will be turned back over. If they do match, that group gets to keep the cards. The activity will continue until all the cards have been claimed. Tell the kids that in today’s lesson, they will see King Saul have the opportunity to obey or disobey God.
Live It Out
Game – Word Search
Materials: paper squares, marker, tape
Print the words of the Life Point on paper squares, one word per square. Make two or more sets of words, depending on the number of teams. Mix the words and tape them around the room. (You can tape them in one area or in all areas of the room.)
Form teams. Say: “I will say a word in the Life Point. A player from each team will search for that word. Each player should search until he finds a square with that word. Then he comes back to the team and I will call another word.” Start the game by saying the word: “God.” Continue until teams have found all the words of the Life Point. Challenge teams to put the Life Point in order. Say it together.
Craft – Obey Magnet
Materials: Wide craft sticks, thin-line markers, stickers or other art supplies, self-stick circle magnets (or magnet tape)
Invite kids to make magnets. They can print Obey God on craft sticks. They can use the markers, stickers, and other art supplies to add to the magnet. As they work, talk about the Bible story and the Life Point. Ask: “How did Saul disobey God? How do you disobey God? How can you obey Him?” When a kid completes her design, provide circle magnets or pieces of magnet tape to attach to the back at both ends.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – To Obey or Disobey
Materials: no materials needed
Form two groups with the kids. Tell the groups that Group 1 will develop a short skit about a child who obeys directions, and Group 2 will develop a short skit about a child who disobeys instructions. Give them time to develop and practice their skits. Allow both groups to perform their skits. Write the Weekly Verse on the board and say it together.
Live It Out
Game – Divided Letters
Materials: Paper squares, marker
Print these letters on the squares, one grouping per square: GO DEX PEC TSO BED IENC EAN DWI LLA CT WHE NPE OPL DISO BEY. Make two or more sets of letters.
Group kids into two or more teams. Give each team a set of letters. (Mix the squares first.) On your signal, guide kids to try to put the letters together and create a sentence. Tell them that words will be next to one another and not separated; they will need to determine where the spaces would be. After a couple of minutes, stop the teams. Ask them to tell you what they have. Tell teams to stand and move to the other team’s group of letters. Start the game again, with teams working on the new set of letters. Stop when one team completes the sentence or after a few minutes. Help teams assemble the Life Point and read it. As time permits, mix all the sets of letters together and challenge teams to race to complete the Life Point by finding the necessary letters and putting them in order.
Craft – Obedience Journal
Materials: construction paper, markers, decorative items such as stickers, glitter, and glue
Give every child a piece of paper and ensure they have access to the other supplies. Instruct them to write OBEDIENCE JOURNAL across the top of the page. Tell them they will create a one-page journal to record all the ways they obey God this week. Encourage them to decorate the sheet in any manner they please, but to be sure to leave space to write down their obedient acts. Tell them to place the journal in a prominent place in their home and record their obedient actions throughout the week.
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