Oftentimes, I take my own sin too lightly. Yes, I am covered by the grace of Jesus, but sin is an awful thing that separates me from my God. Thankfully, when I confess my sin He is faithful to forgive my sin and restore my fellowship with Him. Stop for minute. Is there any sin in your life you need to confess to the Lord right now? If so, do it and then read 1 John 1:9. Walking out authentic confession and repentance in our own lives is a critical step to teaching our kids how to do the same.
HIGHLIGHTS from the Weekend…
This week your child learned that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and that sin separates us from God. God had created the heavens and earth as well as Adam and Eve. God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent came along and told Eve it was really okay to eat from that tree. Eve gave Adam a piece of fruit, and they ate it. Instantly, Adam and Eve knew they had done something wrong and were afraid. They hid from God. God came looking for them, however, and found them. Adam and Eve told God they had eaten the fruit but were tricked by the serpent. God forgave Adam and Eve, but because they had disobeyed God, Adam and Eve were no longer able to live in the garden with Him. Their sin separated them from God, and now they had to work the land for food and shelter. God also promised that someday He would send Someone Special to rescue the world from sin.
Teaching Truths:
1. Sin separates us from God.
2. God had a plan to rescue the world from sin.
Memory Verse:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
3 Activities that Help Us Learn This Week's Teaching Truths:
1. Ring Snake
To make a ring snake, cut strips of construction paper about 2 inches wide. Help your child turn one strip of paper into a ring and staple, tape, or glue it together. Take another strip of paper and slide it through the previously made ring and staple it into a ring. Repeat the process until you have a long chain of rings. On the first ring, add eyes and a tongue for the head of the snake. Using red construction paper, cut one more strip and make a single ring. Make this ring into a fruit by adding a stem to it. Have your child grab some dolls or stuffed animals and act out the story using the paper snake and fruit.
2. Jesus is the Plan
Fold a sheet of construction paper in half. On one half, have your child draw Adam and Eve and on the other half, draw a heart to stand for God’s love for us. Let your child dip his finger in a cup of water and then run his wet finger along the fold in the paper. He may have to do this several times. When the fold is sufficiently damp, have your child rip the two pages apart. Talk about how the water is the sin that separates us from God just like it separated Adam & Eve from God. Cut out a large cross from construction paper and glue one side to the picture of Adam and Eve and the other to the picture of the heart. Talk about how Jesus is God rescue plan to save the world from sin.
- What is sin?
- What was the first sin?
- What should we do when we sin? (Ask God to forgive us.)
- Will God forgive you when you ask Him?
3. Happy & Sad Face
Our goal for toddlers is to understand right and wrong. Draw a happy face and a sad face on two paper plates. Tape them together with a pencil or popsicle stick in the middle. Talk about how sin is anything we think, say, or do that is not pleasing to God. God is sad when we choose not to obey Him. Give your child examples of good deeds and behaviors or bad deeds and behaviors. As you give them examples, have them show a sad or happy face depending on whether they think God would pleased or not pleased with that behavior.
Good examples: obey parents, pick up toys, share, help others, smile, happy attitude, loving brother or sister
Bad examples: throw a fit, pushing, not sharing, being unkind, yelling “no” at parents, being mean to brother or sister
Pray
Pray a short, simple prayer thanking God for having a plan to rescue the world from sin. Thank Him for his grace and love that He has for us and has forgiven us for the sins we have done against Him because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.