Many times when you are going to be punished, you’re warned ahead of time: “When we get home…”, “Go to your room and wait for me…”, “Just wait ’til your father gets home…”, “Go to the principal’s office…”   You may not know exactly what’s coming, but you know it can’t be good.  Many times you feel like crying because you know that something bad is coming.

            Jesus grew up His whole life reading about the punishment that He was going to have to face (Psalms 22, Isaiah 55).  He knew that He was going to be beaten, bruised and nailed to a cross.  He knew that He was going to die.  So on this night He cried out to His Father, knowing that He was about to suffer.

            When we are punished, it is because we’ve done something wrong.  Jesus was punished for us.  He took what we should have had.  We did wrong, and he suffered for it.  Because of Him, we don’t have to be punished.  Jesus’ obedience was hard at first, but He obeyed the Father knowing that He would be blessed and that we would be blessed with eternal life through His death.  It was the hardest thing He ever did, but it brought the greatest blessing. 

            There will be times when God calls you to do something hard.  And you may look ahead and think, “This is going to be tough.  I don’t know if I can do this.”  But if God calls you to it, He will give you the strength.  And He will bless you for obeying.

Props: rope 

            Adam is the great, great, great, great grandfather of us all. (Hold the rope and have a helper hold the opposite end, showing the connection between you).  We are all connected to him.  So when Adam chose to sin (do what was wrong), he passed on a sinful character to his children, and to their children and to their children.  For thousands of years, that sinful character has been passed along until it finally has reached us.  You got a sinful nature from your parents, who got it from their parents…all the way back to Adam.  The Bible says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  So each of us have sinned.  If we stay connected to the sin, it will lead us to hell.  Doesn’t look very good for us, does it? 

            The good news is, Jesus came and lived a perfect life; he never sinned.  He was not connected to the “chain of sin.”  Because he lived a perfect life and died for our sins, he broke the “chain of sin.”  Now you and I have a choice.  We can stay connected to sin or we can turn from our sins and connect with Jesus.   

            Today we’re going to begin talking about the price that Jesus paid for the forgiveness of our sins.  It’s easy to talk about what Jesus did for us, but we have to understand that Jesus paid a high price—He gave up His life.  And He chose to do it, no one forced Him to.  But He knew the lesson we must learn: Obedience brings blessings.  Jesus chose to obey God’s will, and He was blessed.  In fact, we are all blessed through Jesus’ obedience.  If you obey God, you will also be blessed

 The death Jesus died was very shameful.  In Jesus’ time, only criminals were crucified.  So when Jesus was praying in the garden, He knew that He—the King of Kings, God’s Son—was about to die a shameful death and be put in a low position.  The soldiers would mock Him and spit on Him.  The people would laugh at Him and call Him names.  Jesus would be put into the very lowest place there was.  (Point—or step up—to the lowest place on the ladder). 

People talk about moving up the “ladder of success.”  People say you need to try to climb up that ladder to become as powerful and rich as possible.  They say it doesn’t matter what you have to do to get there.  You can hurt other people along the way.  You can lie, cheat, steal…whatever.  Is that true?  Of course not! 

God’s ways are completely different.  He says that true success is obedience to Him and serving others.  In the world’s eyes, that would put you at the bottom of the ladder.  But God says to humble yourself, or make yourself lower, and let Him lift you up to the top.  Obey Him and He will take care of the rest.  

            Today’s lesson is all about obedience, and what Jesus’ obedience means to us.  Let’s look at what the scripture says about Jesus’ obedience to God:

“[Jesus] humbled himself
      and became obedient to death—
            even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
      and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
      to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:8-11 (NIV)

 Because of Jesus’ obedience, God moved Him from the lowest place to the highest place.  (Point—or climb—to the top of the ladder).  James 4:10 says: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”  If you obey God—even when it’s difficult—He will take you to the top and make you successful in His Kingdom.  He will turn things around if you obey Him.  

            Obedience always brings blessings.  God will tremendously bless your life and the lives of those around you if you choose to obey Him.  Remember Jesus’ example and obey God!

 Props: backpack, heavy objects (rocks, weights, etc.)

             Jesus knew that He would not only be hurt in his body, but that He would have to carry our sin.  Jesus had never sinned in his life, so he did not know what it felt like.  When you do something wrong, it is like a heavy weight wrapped around you.  (Put on backpack).  You know the feeling: you tell a lie and then you have to think about it for days.  “Oh, boy.  I shouldn’t have said that.  I feel so bad.  I wonder if anyone is going to find out.  Then they’re going to think I’m a liar.”  Or maybe you’ve hurt someone’s feelings before and you think, “He really looks upset.  I really need to watch what I say.”  It feels terrible to know that you’ve done something wrong.  It’s like carrying a heavy weight around until you make it right. 

Now think of all the guilt you’ve ever felt in your life.  Imagine having to carry around the guilt of every person in the whole world.  That’s what Jesus did when He went to the cross.  He knew He was going to carry that weight for everyone.  And He had never felt that guilt before; it was a crushing feeling.  That’s part of the reason He was in such agony in the garden when He prayed.  His obedience to God’s plan wasn’t easy.  He suffered more than we’ll ever know.  But He did it because He loves God and He loves us.

(Remove backpack).  When Jesus took our punishment, He took all the guilt we feel for doing something wrong.  He carried that guilt for us, so that we wouldn’t have to.  

His obedience brought us blessings.  Obedience isn’t always easy, but it does always bring blessings.  Choose to obey God like Jesus did, no matter what it costs you.  It’s always worth it.

 Props: mirror; costume accessories

 Teacher: James chapter one says that the Bible is like a mirror in which we see ourselves.  What do you use a mirror for in the mornings?  (Allow for response).  You can use the Bible in the same way!  No, you don’t use the Bible to help you brush your hair, but you should use the Bible to see how you really look—on the inside. 

 (Helper enters and begins “dressing” while speaking.  She should comb her hair haphazardly, put on mismatched shoes or accessories, etc.)

 Helper: I don’t need a mirror!  I know how to get dressed.  I’ve been getting dressed for years.  Besides, the mirror is way too hard on me.  It shows me every little flaw and it only makes me feel worse. 

 Teacher: Freeze!  (Helper freezes in position.)  This is like people who don’t want to read the Bible.  They think they know how to live and what to do.  Some people don’t want to read the Bible because they know that it will show them what they’re doing wrong.  Not reading the Bible is like getting dressed without a mirror in the morning. 

 (Helper continues getting dressed.  She applies lipstick around the outside of her lips, puts on her jacket inside out, etc.) 

 Helper: I tell ya’, I know what I’m doing.  The mirror wouldn’t do me any good.  I am perfectly capable of putting on everything without help. 

 (Teacher holds up mirror to helper and shows her what she looks like). 

 Helper: (Gasps.)  Oh, my.  Well, I have seen worse, you know.  Maybe if I just straighten this and fix that (doesn’t change much) it will be okay. 

 Teacher: Freeze!  (Helper freezes).  Kids, does she need to change quite a bit?  Of course!  She looks ridiculous.  James 1:23, 24 says, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”   In other words, if you see something about yourself that you need to fix, fix it.  If you read (or hear) that the Bible says don’t lie, and you’ve been lying, you need to change and start telling the truth.  If you read (or hear) that the Bible says to love others, and you’ve been fighting with your family, you need to change and start showing love to them. 

 Teacher: (to helper) Now, don’t you think there are a few more things you need to fix?

 Helper: I guess I do look silly.  (Reaching out for mirror).  Hey, could I use that? 

Teacher: Be my guest.  (Helper exits).  The Bible will tell you what to change about yourself so that you can look more like God.  So remember, obey the Bible!

             Set up a large tic-tac-toe board and begin playing with a helper while you teach.  Don’t really pay attention to the game.  Allow yourself to be distracted by the lesson.  Instruct the helper ahead of time to position his letters in such a way that he forces you to lose. 

             Oh, no!  I wasn’t even paying attention and now there’s no way I can win.  (Allow the helper to place his final letter on the board).  I wasn’t really watching what I was doing, so I fell into my friend’s trap. 

            The devil has lots of traps that he likes to set for us.  He is waiting for a moment when we’re falling asleep in our spirit and not paying attention to what’s going on around us.  Jesus warned His disciples about the devil’s traps and told them to “watch and pray” so they would not fall into temptation.  They were tired in their body and couldn’t stay awake to pray.  They were falling for the devil’s tricks. 

The devil sets traps for you all the time; if you’re not paying attention, you will fall.  But God says that He will give us strength if we call on Him.  Wake up and seek the Lord!  Don’t let the devil trick you.  Stay alert; stay awake in your spirit.  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  Call on God and He will give you the strength you need.

Props: “One Way” street sign and other street signs

If you have your driver’s license, raise your hand.  I didn’t think too many of you boys and girls have your driver’s license yet.  It would be pretty scary if you did!  But today we’re going to talk about some rules of the road. 

            One of the biggest rules of the road is to follow and obey the signs.  There are many signs on the road.  (Display different signs and ask the kids what they mean.  Then display the “One Way” sign.)  What does this sign mean?  (Allow for response).  That’s right, it means that on this street you can only go __________ (allow the kids to complete the sentence for you).  It means that you will only be safe if you go this ______________.  It means that there is no other way except this ____________.  If you go any other way, you will put yourself and others in danger.  Someone may get hurt or even killed. 

            God has given us directions in our life and He wants us to follow those directions and to do things His way.  If you don’t go the way that God has shown you, you will end up getting hurt.  You will also hurt others along the way.  There is no other safe way to go in life except God’s way.  You can’t sneak around it, or run really fast to get by it: If you want to be safe you have to go God’s way.

            If you want to win in life, you must follow God’s plan.  Don’t try to do things your own way, do things God’s way!

Micah 6:8

Props: professor costume, white board or poster board and markers, tripod

 Begin with a skit in which a wacky professor enters and begins energetically teaching new math skills to a group of young students.  He is trying to explain complicated formulas, etc.  Several students try to raise their hand and get the professor’s attention, but the professor insists that there is no time for that; the formulas are too detailed and he cannot be interrupted with silly questions.  Finally, when he is done with the first formula (and out of breath and chalkboard space), he calls on a student to answer his question.  The student explains that he and the rest of the class do not even know how to add, much less follow complicated formulas.  The Professor is quite flustered and says he is going in search of another, more prepared, group of students. 

 Teacher follow-up:  The students in the skit didn’t need a bunch of complicated math formulas; they needed the basics!  The basics are the most important, because if you don’t know how to add and subtract, you won’t be able to learn the harder math.  And even when you do learn the more difficult steps, you still can’t forget the basics.  I remember people in math classes in school who knew all the very hard math, but sometimes forgot to add a simple number at the end, so they got the whole problem wrong.  Everything builds on the basics!

     The same is true with living for God.  Some people memorize lots of scriptures, but never obey the Bible.  Others might spend lots of time and money trying to think of a way to help people around the world, but they do not even help their own neighbor.  Still others might spend their whole life studying the family histories of the Bible, but they never pray for their own family.             

     In the end, it all comes down to the basics: do you love and obey God and do you love others?  There’s no skipping the basics.  They are the foundation of our relationship with God.  So don’t lose sight of the basics.  Keep your eyes on God and your heart close to him.

Props: regular or oversized bottle of medicine

A few months ago I started feeling tired.  So I went to the doctor and he gave me some vitamins to take.  I took the vitamins home and read the instructions.  The directions read: Take one tablet every day.  Simple enough, right?  So that night I took a vitamin.  The next night I got busy.  I didn’t take a vitamin.  The night after that I was too tired.  I went right to bed and didn’t take my vitamin.  On the fourth night I took a vitamin, but on the fifth night I watched a movie and forgot all about it.  Finally, a whole week had passed.  I had only taken two vitamins.  I was still just as tired as before.  I called the doctor and complained that I was still tired.  He asked, “Have you been taking your vitamins?”  When I told him about my week, he said, “The vitamins won’t do you any good in the bottle.  You have to take them to feel better!” 

You know what, he was right.  I wasn’t following the instructions.  I knew the instructions, but I kept coming up with excuses and didn’t do what I was supposed to.  That reminds me of today’s lesson: It’s not enough to know what the Bible says, you have to obey it!  Most of you know that the Bible says to obey your parents, but the important thing is to do what the Bible says and obey them!  You know the Bible says to do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but you have to make a choice to treat others with kindness and respect. 

Just like I had to finally make a choice and take my vitamins—no excuses—you must make a choice to obey the Bible!

Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. Deuteronomy 4:40 (NIV)

Deuteronomy 11; 28

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. Psalm 112:1 (NIV)

            Today we will begin learning about the Ten Commandments.  Long ago, when God brought His people out of a land of slavery, He knew they would need a list of rules to follow.  He loved them so much that He wrote the rules down on stone tablets and gave them to Moses, the leader of the people.  God loved the people so much that He gave them rules.  Many of you may think that rules are mean or unfair.  How can rules be a sign of love? 

            To help you understand, look at this fence.  Let’s say I have young children who like to play in the yard.  I want to put a fence up to make sure they stay in the yard.  Otherwise, they might run out in the street and get hit by a car.  So if I put a fence up in my yard, does that mean I don’t love my children?  (Allow for response).  Of course not!  It’s because I do love my children that I want to put a fence up. 

            God’s commandments are like a fence.  Some people think God is only trying to keep us from doing what we want to and having fun when He gives us commandments.  That’s not true.  God loves us and He wants to keep us from getting hurt.  So He gives us rules to live by; those rules will keep us safe. 

            As we study the commandments, remember that they are God’s fence of protection for our lives.  If we live by them, we’ll be safe.