SAMPLE SESSION FOR 5-8-YEAR-OLDS
SESSION 1: I Am Special, Safe, And Accepted
Download this week's ACTIVITY SHEET
Download INTRODUCTION and ORIENTATION
GETTING STARTED
WORSHIP
PRAYER
PRAISE
WORD
I Am Special, Safe, And Accepted.
John 10:10
I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full.
EXPLORE THE BIBLE: Genesis 1-3
In order to find out “where did I come from?” we need to go back to the very start of the Bible – to the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 1-3.
When Adam and Eve were created, they had everything that they needed – all their needs were met by God. Adam had a purpose (to rule over the animals), everything was provided for, and they knew they belonged to God. Verses 26 and 27 (Genesis 1) tell us that God created human beings in God’s image and therefore Adam and Eve had a spiritual connection with God. But, when Adam and Eve were tricked by the devil into eating the fruit (what the Bible calls sin) they lost that connection with God. For the first time they began to have negative emotions, feeling fearful, depressed, and rejected (Genesis 3:10).
So, God sent Jesus to undo the work that the devil had done when he tricked Adam and Eve. God sent Jesus to bring us life and restore that connection with God (John 10:10).
Dig deeper
Adam and Eve had everything they needed – create a collage or draw a picture together of what you think it would have been like if Adam and Eve hadn’t disobeyed God? Chat together as you do this using the questions on the activity sheet.
God Shaped Hole
Inside every one of us is a God shaped hole in our hearts. It’s a bit like this mint. This is how we were created – with a hole in the middle! Do you remember our Bible story session about Adam and Eve? Sin separates us from God.
So how do we get our God shaped hole filled?
Without Jesus we are empty but when we ask Jesus into our hearts He fills this hole with His Spirit, we are no longer separated from God, and we can have that connection with God. It’s really easy – we just have to ask!
STORYTIME - THE ADVENTURES OF LILLY PEPPER
CHAPTER 1 – TROUBLE AT SCHOOL
Welcome to The Adventures Of Lilly Pepper! Are you ready? Let’s go!
Lilly Pepper was seven years old. She lived with her Mom and her baby brother, Jake, and a very scruffy dog called Mop. A strange name, but that’s what Lilly wanted to call him when she was just two, so Mom had agreed. That was the other thing about Lilly Pepper she was very determined. In fact, her second name wasn’t really Pepper at all. She’d been called that once by Mom - because she liked eating raw peppers, green, yellow, red, she liked them all – and now she refused to be called anything else.
In the first weeks of any new school year when her real name was called on the school register she would stand up, put her hands on her hips, and proclaim:
“Mr Edwards, my name is Lilly Pepper.”
And after she did that a few times Mr Edwards – like every teacher before him – gave in. Anything for a peaceful life, but deep down Mr Edwards knew that this class were not going to give him a peaceful life. They were approaching the summer break, and every morning for the whole year, with a sigh, Mr Edwards had called, “Lilly Pepper.”
And Lilly would stand, smile and announce,
“Here I am Mr Edwards, ready for action.”
Lilly was definitely “lively”. That was the word Mr Edwards used at parents evening in describing Lilly to her Mom. But, in the staff room he simply rolled his eyes and said, “She’s wild!” She wasn’t wild. She simply liked to think for herself and she didn’t do things just because everyone else did and she wasn’t that keen on believing everything Mr Edwards showed on the whiteboard unless he could prove it, and that is why, today, Lilly found herself standing outside the Principal’s office, waiting to explain what she’d done in class!
It had started when Mr Edwards had shown the class a picture of a tadpole on the whiteboard. A tiny wriggly tadpole. And told the children that this is how all life once began. And then the next picture showed the tadpole with legs, and then it got bigger and bigger and by the end of the pictures it had changed into a monkey. Then more pictures of monkeys changing to eventually look like people. And Mr Edwards concluded his talk with the words,
“And that’s where all people came from. Now, let’s write that down in our books.”
But Lilly burst out laughing. She was laughing so loud it was hard to hear anything else. And then she said it, the line that was going to get her sent straight to the Principal.
“I don’t think that’s right, Mr Edwards. We do look a bit like monkeys, but that shouldn’t make us think we came from them! God made you, Mr Edwards, just like He made everyone.”
Well, Mr Edwards didn’t know what to do. Lilly was still laughing because she had found the whole thing so ridiculous. The other children were now making monkey sounds. Mr Edwards was getting more and more cross, desperately trying to explain that we all came from monkeys. And with Lilly Pepper’s giggles still echoing in his head he got far too angry and shouted at the top of his voice:
“You’re all monkeys.”
The class stopped and stared. But Lilly Pepper called out, “No we’re not. We’re children. God made us children, not monkeys.”
And that was the last straw. Lilly was sent to see Mrs Stevens, the principal, to explain her actions.
What will Mrs Stevens do? We’ll find out next time.
Take a moment to talk about what you think about the story.
RESPONSE
Thank You Lord for sending Jesus so that I can know You and have life!
What does God say is true? Now let's read together the list of “I am Special, Safe and Accepted” truths from the activity sheets or on the screen.
Special, Safe, And, Accepted
I am SPECIAL because God says:
His Holy Spirit lives inside me (1 Corinthians 3:16)
He has made me to do good things (Ephesians 2:10)
I can always come to God and talk with Him (Ephesians 3:12)
I can do things I find hard because God gives me strength and helps me (Philippians 4:13)
I am SAFE because God says:
I am not guilty or bad because God has forgiven me (Romans 8:31-34)
Nothing can come between God and me (Romans 8:35-39)
He will finish the good work He started in me (Philippians 1:6)
I am safe with Jesus and in God (Colossians 3:3)
I am a child of God and I am safe from evil (1 John 5:18)
I am ACCEPTED because God says:
I am His child (John 1:12)
Jesus chose me to be His friend (John 15:15)
I am a saint – a special person set aside by God (Ephesians 1:1)
I have been forgiven for all the things I’ve done wrong (Colossians 1:14)
Does anyone want to share which truth was particularly special for you?
Let's spend some time completing the activity sheet. We can always come back to it during the week to finish it off.