Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Unit 31 Session 1 – Younger Elementary Sunday, April 19, 2015 1 TEACHER BIBLE STUDY The Rich Young Ruler Matthew 19:1630; Mark 10:1731; Luke 18:1830 Jesus had set out on a journey. He and His disciples were likely heading to Jerusalem. (See Mark 10:32.) Suddenly, a man ran up to meet Jesus. The man knelt before Jesus and asked Him a question. “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus reminded the rich young ruler of the commandments. Perhaps the man had kept the commandments relating to others, but Jesus revealed the man’s failure to keep the first commandment—“Do not have other gods besides Me”—by asking him to give up his wealth. The man went away sad because his wealth was his god. Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were surprised. Wasn’t wealth a sign of God’s favor? Wealthy people could freely give in the synagogue and make sacrifices. If a rich person could not enter God’s kingdom, who could? Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” What was Jesus saying? Pushing a piece of thread through the eye of a needle is hard enough, but a several hundredpound mammal? Impossible! Being wealthy is certainly not a sin in itself; everything we have is a gift from God. But as the rich young ruler shows, wealth can be a great hindrance when a person loves his wealth more than he loves the One who gave it to him. But Jesus pointed out that all things are possible with God. God has the power to change people’s hearts. Salvation comes by His grace, which enables sinners to repent and follow Jesus. Then Peter said, “We have left everything and followed You.” The disciples sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus, but Jesus assured them that anything they left behind would pale in comparison to the fellowship of believers and the treasures that awaited them in heaven. Jesus is better than anything He asks us to give up to follow Him. Not only does He offer us Himself, He offers eternal life. YOUNGER KIDS BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: The Rich Young Ruler Bible Passage: Matthew 19:1630; Mark 10:1731; Luke 18:1830 Big Picture Question: Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God. Key Passage: Luke 18:31 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus’ life and teachings are examples for His followers of true holy living.
Transcript
Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group
Unit 31 Session 1 – Younger Elementary
Sunday, April 19, 2015
1
TEACHER BIBLE STUDY The Rich Young Ruler
Matthew 19:16-‐30; Mark 10:17-‐31; Luke 18:18-‐30 Jesus had set out on a journey. He and His disciples were likely heading to Jerusalem. (See Mark 10:32.) Suddenly, a man ran up to meet Jesus. The man knelt before Jesus and asked Him a question. “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus reminded the rich young ruler of the commandments. Perhaps the man had kept the commandments relating to others, but Jesus revealed the man’s failure to keep the first commandment—“Do not have other gods besides Me”—by asking him to give up his wealth. The man went away sad because his wealth was his god.
Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were surprised. Wasn’t wealth a sign of God’s favor? Wealthy people could freely give in the synagogue and make sacrifices. If a rich person could not enter God’s kingdom, who could?
Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” What was Jesus saying? Pushing a piece of thread through the eye of a needle is hard enough, but a several hundred-‐pound mammal? Impossible!
Being wealthy is certainly not a sin in itself; everything we have is a gift from God. But as the rich young ruler shows, wealth can be a great hindrance when a person loves his wealth more than he loves the One who gave it to him. But Jesus pointed out that all things are possible with God. God has the power to change people’s hearts. Salvation comes by His grace, which enables sinners to repent and follow Jesus.
Then Peter said, “We have left everything and followed You.” The disciples sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus, but Jesus assured them that anything they left behind would pale in comparison to the fellowship of believers and the treasures that awaited them in heaven. Jesus is better than anything He asks us to give up to follow Him. Not only does He offer us Himself, He offers eternal life.
YOUNGER KIDS BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: The Rich Young Ruler Bible Passage: Matthew 19:16-‐30; Mark 10:17-‐31; Luke 18:18-‐30 Big Picture Question: Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God. Key Passage: Luke 18:31 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus’ life and teachings are examples for His followers of true holy living.
Matthew 19:16-‐30; Mark 10:17-‐31; Luke 18:18-‐30 One day, Jesus was leaving on a journey. All of a sudden, a young man ran up to Jesus. The man was a Jewish ruler. He knelt down and said, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except for God.” Jesus was testing the young man to see if he believed Jesus is more than just a good teacher. Jesus is more than a good teacher—He is God the Son. Then Jesus reminded the man of some of the commandments God had given to Moses long ago. These commandments were part of God’s law: “Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”
The man said, “I have kept all of these commandments since I was a boy.”
When Jesus heard this, He said to the man, “You are still missing something. Sell everything that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
The young ruler was very sad about what Jesus said. He was very rich; he had a lot of possessions. The young man decided not to follow Jesus.
Jesus saw that the man was sad, and He said to His disciples, “It will be hard for people who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”
Then Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus’ disciples were surprised. They said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God.”
Then Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, said, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”
Jesus said, “I promise you that anyone who leaves behind his house or family to follow Me will
Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group
Unit 31 Session 1 – Younger Elementary
Sunday, April 19, 2015
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get more in this life than he left behind, and he will get the reward of eternal life.”
Christ Connection: The rich young ruler loved his possessions more than he loved Jesus. Jesus asks us to be willing to give up everything and follow Him, because He is ultimately the only One worth following. Jesus is better than any treasure on earth. As people who know and love Jesus, we receive eternal life.
SMALL GROUP OPENING Session Title: The Rich Young Ruler Bible Passage: Matthew 19:16-‐30; Mark 10:17-‐31; Luke 18:18-‐30 Big Picture Question: Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God. Key Passage: Luke 18:31 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus’ life and teachings are examples for His followers of true holy living. Welcome time:
Print the concentration cards onto heavyweight paper and cut apart. Mix up the cards and place them facedown on a flat surface. Allow kids to take turns flipping over two cards to find a match. Read the commandments on the cards as children turn them over. If a child discovers a match, she may keep the cards and play again. Continue until kids discover all the matches. Play again as time allows.
Say • In today’s Bible story, a rich young man said that he had kept all of God’s commandments. I have not kept all of God’s commandments. Have you?
Activity page (5 minutes) • “Search for Treasure” activity page, 1 per kid
• pencils
Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. (Answer key: Jesus is the greatest treasure.)
Say • In today’s Bible story, we will discover that Jesus is the greatest treasure of all!
Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group
Unit 31 Session 1 – Younger Elementary
Sunday, April 19, 2015
4
Session starter (10 minutes)
Option 1: Follow the leader Select one child to be the leader. Encourage other children to follow the leader around the room, mimicking his or her movements. The leader may dance, hop, walk, skip, jump, bear crawl, crab walk, and so forth.
After a minute or two, guide the leader to move to the back of the line, and the next child in line becomes the leader. Play as time allows.
Say • In today’s Bible story, Jesus told a young man who was a wealthy Jewish leader to follow Him. Listen to find out if the rich young ruler followed Jesus.
• items for an obstacle course: tables chairs hula hoops balance beams pop-‐up tunnels
Create an obstacle course in your classroom using various objects you have available such as tables, chairs, hula hoops, balance beams, pop-‐up tunnels, and so forth. Instruct kids to take turns going through the obstacle course. Add or remove items to make the course more or less challenging. Repeat as time allows.
Before time is up, tell kids they may run the obstacle course one last time but with a special challenge at the end. Hold up the blunt-‐tipped needle. Tell kids the final obstacle is to go through the eye of the needle.
Say • It is impossible for you to fit through this needle! Could you imagine an animal trying to fit through this needle? In today’s Bible story, Jesus said something is harder than a camel going through the eye of a needle.
SMALL GROUP LEADER Session Title: The Rich Young Ruler Bible Passage: Matthew 19:16-‐30; Mark 10:17-‐31; Luke 18:18-‐30 Big Picture Question: Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God. Key Passage: Luke 18:31 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus’ life and teachings are examples for His followers of true holy living.
Make sure the key passage, Luke 18:31, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together.
Say • Jesus’ disciples still did not understand what was going to happen to Jesus, but they would understand soon enough. Jesus was about to accomplish what He came to earth to do: die on the cross and save people from sin. Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God.
Write the key passage on a dry erase board if it is not already. Invite the kids to read the key passage. Erase a few words and ask the kids say the key passage again, filling in the missing words. Continue erasing a few words each time until the kids say the key passage from memory.
Bible story review (10 minutes) • Bibles, 1 per kid
• Small Group Visual Pack
• Big Picture Question Slide or Poster
Encourage the kids to find the Book of Matthew in their Bibles. Help them as needed.
Say • Matthew is the first book of the New Testament. It is one of the Gospels. The Gospels tell about Jesus’ life on earth. Today’s story is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Can you find Mark and Luke in your Bibles? Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today’s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. As you review, invite the kids to make a sad face when they hear the rich young ruler mentioned.
Say • The rich young ruler thought that he had to do something to earn his way into heaven. He did not understand that eternal life is a gift from God. We receive eternal life when we put our trust in Jesus. Jesus did everything necessary to rescue us from sin by dying on the cross. We do not have to earn His love, we love and treasure Him more than anything else!
Show the big picture question slide or poster.
Say • Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God. A gift is something given freely, not something that can be earned. A gift only costs the one who gave it. God’s gift of salvation was the most costly gift of all because the cost was His very own Son!
Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group
Unit 31 Session 1 – Younger Elementary
Sunday, April 19, 2015
6
Activity choice (10 minutes)
Option 1: “Not good enough” game • gray construction paper
• step stool • masking tape
• calculator
Select two or three tasks for the kids, making each one impossible to complete. After children attempt the impossible tasks, provide a solution. Tasks and solutions may include:
• Tell kids to jump from one line to the other, but place the lines too far apart. Provide “stones” to step across.
• Ask kids to touch a mark on the wall well above their reach. Provide a step stool for them to stand on. • Stretch arms to reach something far away. Then allow them to use a partner side-‐by-‐side to stretch and reach it.
• Ask kids to solve a difficult math problem such as the square root of 473,981. Give them calculator.
Say • Completing those tasks was impossible for you to do without help. It is impossible for us to earn eternal life. We cannot keep God’s commands perfectly. We need Jesus to do that for us and to pay for our sin on the cross. Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God.
Option 2: Jesus mosaic • different colors of construction paper, 3 per kid
• pencil, 1 per kid
• glue
Use construction paper to create a Jesus mosaic. Write Jesus in large block letters across the front of one sheet of construction paper for each child. Encourage kids to choose a piece of construction paper. Guide them to rip the sheet into small pieces and glue those pieces onto the letters. Add other mosiac pieces of different colors around the letters as time remains. Encourage kids to write some of their possessions on the extra pieces. Note that Jesus stands out.
Say • God has given us possessions to enjoy, but no possession should ever take the place of Jesus in our lives. Jesus gave His life to save us. Jesus deserves to be at the center of our lives. Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God.
Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group
Unit 31 Session 1 – Younger Elementary
Sunday, April 19, 2015
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Journal and prayer (5 minutes) • Journal Page, 1 per kid
• markers or crayons
• Bible Story Coloring Page
Distribute each child’s journal page provided with this session. Instruct the kids to draw a picture of their favorite possession. Writers can list possessions they love. As they complete their drawings or lists, guide them to draw a large cross on the journal page.
Say • God may never ask us to give up any of these things up, but He wants us to be willing to give up anything to follow Him. Can a person earn his way into heaven by doing good deeds? No, salvation is a gift from God.
If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Pray, thanking God for Jesus, who gave His life to save us from our sin—even our sin of not putting Him first. Pray for each child by name, asking God to help the kids to put their trust in Jesus—not their own good deeds.
Dismiss to parents – Make sure to check security tags when dismissing children.
