He is Risen - He is Risen Indeed!

The Death and Resurrection of the Saviour of the World
The Gospels, Psalm 34:8, Isaiah 1:18
Main Teaching Point: Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for my sins and rose from the dead so that I can have Eternal Life.

He is Risen - He is Risen Indeed! Those words give me joyful goose bumps and never fail to bring tears to my eyes. In our family on Easter Sunday morning we greet each other with these words. It's fun to see who says it first. I love to be able to say to my children, "He is Risen" and then hear their joy-filled response, "He is Risen Indeed!" The words sound old fashioned, who says indeed like that anymore, but I love to say it. I love the way the phrase feels in my mouth as it bubbles up from my heart. Now that my kids are almost all grown they often beat me to the greeting announcing to me that He is Risen and then I have the privilege of repeating the announcement of this amazing eternal Truth - My Savior, my friend, my Lord is Risen Indeed!

This Easter activity is so meaningful and fun that I thought that it was worth posting again:
I came across this wonderful object lesson while visiting the blog
4 Reluctant Entertainers. It beautifully and effectively pairs sight, taste, touch and smell with scripture to illustrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Thank you Sandy!

Easter Cookie Story

You will need:
1c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1c. sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

1. Preheat oven to 300
2. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, that the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3.
3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
4. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
5. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
6. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.
7. Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
8. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.
9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt.27:65-66.
10. GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. (my note: Matthew 28:5 & 6 and John 20:1-8)


My note: If you are using the cookie story in a classroom setting. Take the children to the church kitchen to put the cookies in the oven and seal it. Then explain to the children that the cookies would need to sit over night to be done and have a pan of finished cookies ready to give the children to complete the story.

Godly Sorrow Leads to Salvation

Peter betrays Jesus; Jesus reinstates Peter
Luke 22:54 - 62 and John 21:1-17
Teaching Point: God's forgiveness is demonstrated by Jesus as he forgives Peter's betrayal and reinstates him as a leader of the church.
Memory Verse: Psalm 86:5

As we approach the Easter season it is common to teach the stories in the Bible that lead up to the crucifixion and resurrection. The story of Peter's betrayal is at the top of the list of well known often told stories. Personally, I love this story. So many times I am Peter, so cold that I'm willing to stand at the fire with the unbelievers, yet so frightened that I keep my identity as a follower of Christ hidden. Though I may not deny Jesus with my words, as Peter did, too many times I deny him with my silence. Even though I (and you too?) can identify with Peter's experience in the courtyard what I really love is the conclusion to this story that leads to the beginning of the rest of the story.

So often when we talk about Peter we tell the betrayal part of the story and not the forgiveness part. As a child in Sunday school, I thought that the betrayal part of Peter's story was the end. Poor Peter, left outside weeping bitterly. I was so relieved for Peter, and myself , when I learned the amazing scope of God's forgiveness exemplified in the Risen Jesus' seaside conversation with Peter in John 21. When you put these two stories together you get a wonderful lesson in God's forgiveness.

As always, read these stories straight from God's word. The text if full of passion and emotion. Though all four gospels have the story of Peter's betrayal, I chose the account in Luke because when I read in verse 61, "The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter..." it always makes the story so personal. After you read the stories retell them with the kids using your imaginations to fill in some this-might-have-happened or might-have-felt-like kind of details.

Bible Lesson
Write 2 Corinthians 7:10 on a white board or a large piece of paper.
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Today we are going to talk about God's amazing forgiveness. When you forgive someone you stop being angry at them for something that they have done. You don't want to punish them anymore. God's word the Bible says that God loved us so much that he sent His Son Jesus to take the punishment for our sin. Sin is when we do things our way instead of God's way. When we are God's children, when we love and believe in Jesus, we can come to God and ask Him to forgive us, not be angry anymore, for doing things our way instead of His way. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7:10 that there is a difference between the ways that we can feel sorry. There is worldly sorrow - which means that we are just sorry that we got caught - and Godly sorrow - which means that we are sorry that we broke God's heart by not doing things His way and that we never want to do that awful thing again. Let's read this verse together. (Read 2 Corinthians 7:10)

Today I'm going to read you two stories about one of Jesus' followers named Peter. Jesus chose 12 men to be his special followers. We call them the 12 disciples or the apostles. Peter was one of these special men. (If your children don't know about Peter, give them some background before you continue) In this first story we read how Peter really goofed up. This story starts in the courtyard of the high priest so lets get in a circle and pretend that we are sitting around the fire with Peter. (Read 22:54-62)

• Why do you think that Peter said that he didn't know Jesus?
• How do you think that Peter felt when Jesus turned and looked at him?
• Why do you think that Peter was crying?
• Did Peter have worldly sorrow or Godly sorrow?

I believe that it was Godly sorrow. The reason that I believe this is because of this next story.
This time the story takes place at the seaside after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. Let's pretend that we are sitting with Peter and the disciples eating the fish breakfast that Jesus fixed for us. (Read John 21:1-17)
Jesus not only forgave Peter for betraying him but he gave Peter the very important job of being a leader of the followers of Christ.

Verse: You are forgiving and good, Oh Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Psalm 86:5
Verse Activity - Sing the verse
Write on a white board or large sheet of paper:
You are forgiving and good
Oh Lord, you are forgiving and good
Abounding in love to all who call to you
Oh, Lord you are forgiving and good.
(the actual words to the verse are in blue)

• Have the children hold hands in a circle.
• Choose one child to stand in the middle.
• Sing the verse to the tune of "The Farmer in The Dell"
• Walk around the circle as you sing the verse.
• When you come to the end of the verse, stop walking and have the child in the middle close his/her eyes, spin and point to someone.
• The child that is pointed to should close their eyes and say the reference to the verse, Psalm 86:5. Then that child takes the middle position and the child in the middle joins the circle.
• Continue with the game until everyone gets a turn to say the reference.
• If you have a large class put two or three children in the middle.

Scripture from the New International Version Zondervan Publishing
Image from stock.xchng.com

Reaching Through the Crowd for Jesus

A Sick Woman is Healed
Matthew 9:18-22, Mark 5:21-34, Luke 9:40-48
Teaching Point: Jesus wants us to reach out to Him in faith.

Do you ever want to talk to Jesus about something important but you feel that he must be too busy to listen? Maybe you feel like your problem is not important enough for him to pay attention to and that you should probably just take care of things yourself? This story, found in 3 of the gospels, might have started out with that kind of hesitation. A woman who had been ill from a bleeding sickness for 12 years came to see Jesus. She had been to see so many doctors and no one could help her. But she heard that this man Jesus was healing people she wanted him to help her. She felt positive that he could, but when she got to the place where Jesus was a huge crowd was all around him. Luke says that the crowds almost crushed him. If I put myself in this woman's place, I think I would feel very inconsequential. I would probably think, "Who am I that Jesus should pay attention to me out of all of these people? How can I even get close to him? Look, there's that synagogue ruler, Jarius. I heard his daughter is dying. He's so much more important than I am. I'm sure that Jesus would want to help him and not me." She may have had that kind of fear and reservation, but she was desperate and she really believed that if she could just get close enough, if she could just touch him, Jesus would heal her. So, despite her fear of the crowds and the important people, she sneaked toward Jesus squeezing past people, ducking under arms, crawling between legs until she could reach out and touch his cloak. Jesus and the crowds moved on but she stopped still and felt something that she hadn't felt in 12 years - freedom from suffering.
I often wonder what Jesus felt at this point. The Bible says that he realized that power had come out of him. He looked around and said, "Who touched me? Who touched my clothes?" I can picture his disciples shaking their heads while they explained that everyone was touching him. But Jesus kept looking around he knew that power had left him. I think that he knew exactly who touched him but, remember in Romans 10:9 it says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord'...", I believe that Jesus was waiting for the woman to confess in front of all of those people that he had healed her. Not for his benefit but for hers. Because when we declare our faith out loud it changes us. This was probably the scary part for this woman, as it would be for so many of us. We think that we can do the faith thing quietly and in secret but Jesus asks, "Who touched me?" and demands an answer. The woman came, fell at his feet and trembling with fear confessed the whole story. What was she afraid of - That Jesus would be angry with her, that the disciples would yell at her, the crowd laugh at her? Her fear didn't matter. Jesus said come and she came.
Then Jesus calls her, daughter.
What a joy to be called the Master's daughter. He tells her that her faith has healed her and to go in peace and be freed from her suffering. Jesus moves on with his disciples and Jarius; he has another miracle to do. But this woman, because of a touch and a confession, moves on to a new life as a daughter of the King.

Read this story straight from the Bible. The accounts in Mark 5 and Luke 8 have the most detail. Retell it with the kids using your imagination to fill in some this-might-have-happened kind of details.
Ask questions to get the class thinking about the people involved in the story:

• How many people do you think were following Jesus?
• Why were so many people wanting to see Jesus?
• How do you think that the disciples felt?
• Why do you think that the woman believed that Jesus could heal her?
• How do you think that Jarius must have felt when Jesus stopped to talk to the woman?
• How do you think that Jesus felt about the woman?
• What do you think the crowds said when Jesus stopped and said, "Who touched me?"
• If you were part of the crowd what would you tell your family and friends about the events that you witnessed?

Story Activity: Act it out

• After you have read the story and discussed it, lead the kids in a creative drama activity.
• Choose people to play the role of Jesus, Jarius, the disciples and the woman and then have the rest of the kids be the crowd.
• Start with Jarius rushing up to Jesus and the disciples, who are surrounded by the crowd, and telling Jesus about his sick daughter.
• Have the woman stand at the outside of the crowd and work her way in to Jesus and touch him.
• Jesus, his disciples and the woman should respond according to scripture but encourage them and the crowd to react in a way that they think that their characters might really have reacted.
• After you act out the story once switch actors and do it again.

Verse: Daughter your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. Mark 5:34.
Verse Activity:

1. Choose 3 children to line up shoulder to shoulder at one end of the class.
2. Everyone else line up shoulder to shoulder at the opposite end of the class.
3. Each of the 3 children give the class a movement direction to guide them across the room. For example: #1 says: 3 big steps - the class takes 3 big steps, #2 says: 2 hops - the class hops twice, #3 says: 5 baby steps - the class takes 5 baby steps, then back to #1.
4. When the class has moved all the way across the room until they reach the 3 giving directions, everyone says the verse and the large group runs back across the room to their starting point.
5. The first 3 to make it back get to be the new direction givers.
6. Play until everyone has had a chance to give directions and the verse had been said several times.

Image by stock.xchng
Scripture from the New International Version Zondervan Bible Publishers

A Journey Down the Romans Road - Destination Five

Destination Five
Romans 5:1, 8:1, 8:38&38, 12:1&2
Main Teaching Point: When you are saved by Jesus you become part of God's Kingdom and must live like a Kingdom Kid.

This is our fifth and final destination on our trip through the verses in the book of Romans that tell the story of sin and salvation, often called the Romans Road.
Here is what we have learned so far from the posts Destination 1 -4.

• On our first stop we learned that ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against God - did things their way instead of God's way - every person after that is a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
• Our second stop took us to Romans 6:23a. From this verse we learned that God hates sin. It's not a part of Him, so if we insist on doing things our way instead of God's way we will be separated from God forever- no light, no joy, no hope, no love - death. The payment or the "wages" of sin is death.
• The third stop on this scriptural trip is Romans 6:23b. This is the Good News. We don't have to be separated from God forever. God give us an amazing Gift, "But the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
• Romans 6:23 leads us to ask, How do we get this gift?. The answer is on the fourth stop in the book of Romans, 10:9, "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved."

Romans 10:9 tells us how to receive this gift of salvation that allows us to be part of God's Kingdom. But what does it mean to be part of God's Kingdom and how do we live like Kingdom Kids? This final stop actually is a group of verses that teach the truths of God's Kingdom and what we need to do to be good citizens as we live in the Kingdom.

Lesson Activity: Kids of the Kingdom
You will need:

• A cardboard crown for each child. You can often get Burger King to donate enough crowns for your class or go to the Dollar Store or a party supply store and look for crowns in the children's party section.
• Pencils
• The signs from the last lesson
• A new sign that has these verse references, addresses, written on it: Romans 5:1, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:38 & 39, Romans 12:1 & 2.

Activity:

• Pass out the crowns and have the children write the verse references on the inside of the crown. (If you have non-readers print the verses out on strips of paper and have them attach the verse strips with a glue stick.)
• Have everyone put the crowns on their heads. The crowns will remind them that they are a part of God's Kingdom and when they take the crown home they will have all of the verses for the Romans Road.
• Pass out a Bible to each child or have 2 or 3 share. It is important that you use the same version so that you can read the verses together in unison. (If you have a class of non-readers mark each verse with a different color ribbon so that the children can turn to the verse and put their finger on it as the teacher reads to them)
• Ask: What is it like to be a citizen of God's Kingdom?
• First - When you are part of God's Kingdom, you have peace with God. Remember sin separates us from God, basically puts us at war with Him. But when we are saved, "confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead", we are brought back into relationship with God and now we have peace with God. Read Romans 5:1 together.
• Second - Remember that the "wages of sin is death"? When you become a citizen in God's Kingdom you are no longer condemned to death. Jesus died in our place. He took the punishment for our sins. Read Romans 8:1 together.
• Third - We learned that sin separates us from God because God hates sin. It is not a part of him. So, if we insist on doing things our way instead of God's way we are separated from God. But when we are part of God's Kingdom through loving and believing in Jesus we aren't separated from God anymore. In fact nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Read Romans 8:38 together.

So when we are part of God's Kingdom, we have peace with God, we are not condemned for our sins and we are with God forever - nothing can separate us from His love.

What does a citizen of God's Kingdom look like? How do we act? What do we do?

• Read Romans 12:1 & 2 together.
• Verse 1 says that we worship God by living His way, in a way that is holy and pleasing to Him.
• How do we know what is holy and pleasing to God?
• Verse 2 says that we can live God's way by renewing our minds or learning to see things the way that God sees them. That means that we need to get to know God by reading his word every day and be memorizing his words so that they will be written in our hearts and our minds. We also get to know God better by talking to him through prayer. Another great way to get to know God better is to be with other people who are part of God's Kingdom in church and Bible studies and through our friendships.

When you love and believe in Jesus you become a citizen of God's Kingdom, you are a Kingdom Kid!

Verse Activity - Sing Your Way Home:
Whew! It's been a long journey along the Romans Road. Now it's time to head back home knowing that we are Kingdom Kids.
Find a group of friends or another Sunday school class that you can visit and sing for them the verses in Romans that you have learned.

Romans 3:23 to the tune of London Bridges Falling Down
For all have sinned and fall short
fall short
fall short
For all have sinned and fall short
Of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

Now sing Romans 6:23 to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell
For the wages of sin is death
The wages of sin is death
but the gift of God is eternal life
through Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 6:23

Sing Romans 10:9, to the tune of Bingo. (Remember? "There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name, oh. B-I-N-G-O, ect.)

Fit the words with the tune like this:
There was a farmer had a dog
If you confess with your mouth
And Bingo was his name, oh.
Jesus is Lord
B-I-N-G-O
And Be-lieve in your heart
B-I-N-G-O
that God raised him from the dead
B-I-N-G-O
You will be-e saved
And Bingo was his name
Romans 10 verse 9.

image by stock.xchng
Scripture from The New International Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers

A Journey Down the Romans Road - Destination 4

Destination Four
Romans 10:9&10, Matthew 10:32, John 3:16-17
Main Teaching Point: To receive God's gift, you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart.

This is the fourth post on our journey down the Romans Road in scripture. On our first stop we learned that ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against God - did things their way instead of God's way - every person after that is a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Our second stop took us to Romans 6:23a. From this verse we learned that God hates sin. It's not a part of Him, so if we insist on doing things our way instead of God's way we will be separated from God forever- no light, no joy, no hope, no love - death. The payment or the "wages" of sin is death.
The third stop on this scriptural trip is Romans 6:23b. This is the Good News. We don't have to be separated from God forever. God give us an amazing Gift, "But the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23 leads us to ask, How do we get this gift?. The answer is on the fourth stop in the book of Romans, 10:9&10.

Lesson Activity:
Preparation

• Be sure to have enough Bibles to go around. It's very important that the children see for themselves that what you are teaching them are God's words.
• Make signs with the verses from the first 3 stops along the Romans Road, Romans 3:23, 6:23a and 6:23b, and a sign for the fourth destination Romans 10:9&10. Write the verse and the address on each sign except for the fourth sign, Romans 10:9&10. On this sign just write the reference. From the bottom of each sign have an arrow pointing to the next sign.
• Place the signs around the room so that each sign leads to the next ending with Romans 10:9&10.

Activity:

• Start the children out at the first sign and read the verse together.
• Follow the arrow to the next sign, read the verse and move to the third sign and then the fourth.
• Make the moving from place to place fun: Skip, hop, walk backwards, etc. You will be happy to have gotten the wiggles out when you sit down for your lesson.
• When you get to the fourth destination, stop and sit down together.
• Review what you have learned about the verses so far (see earlier Romans Road posts) ending with the question: How do we get this gift? What do we have to do to receive, the gift of God that is eternal life through Jesus?
• Have everyone open their Bibles and turn to Romans 10:9&10. (If you have a class of non-readers or early readers, have the passage for this lesson marked with colored ribbons so that they can find it easily).

• Read the verses together, " That if you confess with your mouth,"Jesus is Lord." and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

To confess means to say it to others. Say to God, to yourself, to other people, "Jesus is Lord." But God says that it's more than just saying words. You have to believe it in your heart, believe with everything that you are, that Jesus died to take the punishment, pay the wages, for your sin and that he didn't stay dead. Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and now that Jesus lives we can live with him forever.
Listen to what Jesus says about confessing and believing. Read Matthew 10:32 and John 3:16 - 18 to the children from your Bible. Be sure to emphasize that these are Jesus' own words.

Verse Activity: Sing Your Way Home
Review Romans 3:23 by singing it to the tune of London Bridges Falling Down
For all have sinned and fall short
fall short
fall short
For all have sinned and fall short
Of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

Now sing Romans 6:23 to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell
For the wages of sin is death
The wages of sin is death
but the gift of God is eternal life
through Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 6:23

Sing the new verse, Romans 10:9, to the tune of Bingo. (Remember? "There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name, oh. B-I-N-G-O, ect.)

Fit the words with the tune like this:
There was a farmer had a dog
If you confess with your mouth
And Bingo was his name, oh.
Jesus is Lord
B-I-N-G-O
And Be-lieve in your heart
B-I-N-G-O
that God raised him from the dead
B-I-N-G-O
You will be-e saved
And Bingo was his name
Romans 10 verse 9.

Sing this new verse a few times until everyone knows it. Then retrace your steps stopping at each sign and singing the verse. You will end up singing 6:23 two times at stop 3 and stop 2.
Have a good trip home and don't forget to have a snack after your long journey.

image by stock.xchng
Scripture from The New International Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers

A Journey Down the Roman Road - Destination Three

Destination Three
Romans 6:23b and John 3:16
Main Teaching Point: God gave us the gift of salvation through his Son, Jesus.

This is our third destination along the Roman Road. If you are just tuning in, the Roman Road is a scripture teaching tool that uses verses from the book of Romans in the New Testament to tell the story of the journey from sin and separation from God to the gift of Salvation and Redemption. In this post we progress to the next part of Romans 6:23 which starts out, "For the wages of sin is death,..." and ends with the miraculous statement, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Lesson Activity: The third stop on the journey

• You will need five wrapped boxes. Inside each box place the directions for the children to follow to go on their journey.
• For example: Box one is opened in the classroom. Inside it says walk to the drinking fountain in the hall.
• Box 2 is placed at the drinking fountain and inside is a note that tells the children to skip to the slide on the playground.
• Box 3 is placed under the slide.
• Inside Box 3 is a not telling the children to take giant steps to the biggest tree on the playground.
• Box 4 is hidden is a branch on the tree and inside is a note telling the kids to hop on one foot to the picnic tables.
• On the picnic table is Box 5 and inside the box is a Bible.

Pass out Bibles to each child. Using the same version will make unison reading easier.
Ask everyone to turn to Romans 3:23 and read it together, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (If you have a class of non-readers mark the verses with different color ribbon so the children can easily turn to the correct passage. Ask the children to put their finger on the verse while you read it to them then have them repeat it after you.)
Have the children turn to and read together Romans 6:23a, "For the wages of sin is death,..."

Let's talk about these verses. Remember that God's word says that everyone has sinned, sin is when we do things our way instead of God's way, and that what we get paid for our sin is death- separation from God - no light, no love, no hope, no joy - death. You know, God could have just left us alone. He could have said, "OK, everybody - the wages of sin is death, so there you go." But he didn't instead He gave us the next part of Romans 6:23, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Read all of Romans 6:23 together).
Way back in Genesis Chapter 3 God promises to send someone to defeat Satan. God said that that person would crush Satan (turn in you Bibles and read Genesis 3:15).
So who did God send?
Let's read John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
God sent Jesus to pay for our sin so that we wouldn't have, "the wages of sin is death".
Instead when we believe that Jesus died to pay for our sins and that he rose again from the dead, when believe and trust in Jesus, we receive God's free gift of Eternal Life.

Verse Activity: Sing your way home
Review Romans 3:23 by singing it to the tune of London Bridges Falling Down
For all have sinned and fall short
fall short
fall short
For all have sinned and fall short
Of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

Now sing Romans 6:23 to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell
For the wages of sin is death
The wages of sin is death
but the gift of God is eternal life
through Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 6:23

Sing the verses as you march back home for a delicious snack and a cool drink after your long trip.

image by stock.xchng
Scripture from the New International Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers

A Journey Down the Roman Road - Destination Two

Destination Two
Romans 6:23a and Genesis 6 - 7:5
Main Teaching Point: Sin earns us death.

In my last post Journey Down the Roman Road - Destination One. I told you the reasons that I like to use this teaching tool in Romans that many call The Roman Road. The Roman Road is a set of verses, each verse building upon the other, that leads us down the road from sin to salvation.
Our first stop on this trip was Romans 3:23a, " For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." In today's post we will use the thought in 3:23 to lead us to our next destination Romans 6:23a, " For the wages of sin is death..."

Lesson Activity: Traveling further down the road.

• Make sure that everyone has a Bible (be sure that the Bibles are all the same translation for unison reading) or at least two or three people can share one.
• Remind the kids that no matter what else they may pack to go on a journey, God's true word, the Bible, is the most important thing to take. Younger children will enjoy pretending to pack a backpack for the journey.
• Journey to Destination Two. That may be a different place in your building or outside under a tree or play a follow the leader game around your classroom and end up in the story area pretending that it is a different place.
• When you reach your destination open your Bibles to Romans 3: 23 and read together the first part of Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory God...". Then read together Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death...". ( If you have non-readers or early readers, mark the passages with different colored ribbon so that they can find the verses easily and then ask them to put their finger on the verse as you read it to them.)

To sin is to do things our way instead of God's way and Romans 3:23 says that everyone, and that means everybody no exceptions, has sinned so everyone has sin inside of them. A wage is something that you get paid. For example, when workers get paid money for the work that they do that's called their wage. God says in Romans 6:23 that the wage that we get paid for our sin is death. God says that he hates sin; it's not a part of Him. So, if we insist on doing things our way instead of His way, we will be separated from Him forever. That means without God there is no light, no joy, no hope, no love - there is death.

In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we read about a time when sin was everywhere and so many people were going their own way and not God's way that He said, "Enough."

• Ask everyone to turn to Genesis 6.
• Read to the children verses 5 - 14 and 17 - 7:5.

I know that sounds really tough but God is the Creator. He's the boss. He is the only one who gets to say what is true and right. He is in charge. God could have just left us alone. He could have just said, "OK, everybody - the wages of sin is death so there you go." But he didn't. Next week on the third stop of our trip down the Roman Road we will learn about the free gift that God gave us so that we could have life and not death.

Verse Activity: Sing it all the way home
Review Romans 3:23 by singing it to the tune of London Bridges Falling Down
For all have sinned and fall short
fall short
fall short
For all have sinned and fall short
Of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

Now sing Romans 6:23 to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell
For the wages of sin is death
The wages of sin is death
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death.

March back home for a snack singing Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 as you travel.

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Scripture from the New International Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers