Accepting God’s Grace • Lesson 11 Bible Point If we believe in Jesus, we’ll receive life. Bible Verse “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Growing Closer to Jesus Students will n experience what it’s like to receive grace—unmerited kindness; n discover how it feels to be helpless to save themselves; n learn that God’s gift of salvation is offered to everyone; and n discover that Jesus offers something to them—eternal life—that they could never win on their own.

Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n Accepting God’s Grace This passage is one of the most remarkable explanations of God’s plan of Romans salvation found anywhere in the Bible. It’s easy to begin to think that God 5:6-9 sent Jesus to die for the good people who have accepted him. But this passage makes it clear that Jesus died for the ungodly—people who are living their lives in blatant sin. People who are like we were before we became Christians—and worse! Every once in a while you hear of someone intentionally giving his or her own life to save someone else. Usually it’s a mother dying to save a baby or a brother dying to save a sister. But you seldom hear of people intentionally giving up their lives for someone they don’t know—or for someone known to be evil. Yet that’s what God did through Jesus. And that’s the point Paul is making in this passage. The Creator of our universe sacrificed his only Son so that a world full of sinners like us could have a relationship with him and eternal life in heaven. He did it at just the right time—when nothing else could possibly save us. And he offers salvation to us for free—all we have to do is confess our sins and believe in him. What God did for us is almost beyond belief. And that’s what God’s grace is all about! Prayer • Read Ephesians 2:8-9. • Think about how grace and faith work together in our salvation. • Pray: God, as I teach my class, help me to share your plan of salvation in a way that will connect with my pupils. Send your Spirit to work in their hearts so that…

Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 5 & 6 129 Lesson 11 Before the Lesson n Collect items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed in the chart. n Make photocopies of the “Takin’ It Home” handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your students. n Pray for your students and for God’s direction as you teach the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance What Students Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies

Attention Amazing Grace—Choose CD player Grabber whether to let losing players stay in a game, and relate the experience to God’s grace.

Bible Catcher’s Up!—Participate in Bibles, 2 ping-pong balls Exploration & a hopeless exercise, and then Application discuss John 8:1-11.

To Die For—Using modeling Bibles, CD player clay, form a symbol representing the one person they’d die for, and then read Romans 5:6-9.

Grab Ball—Perform a difficult Bibles, candy, ping-pong ball task, and then discuss Romans 10:9-13.

Closing Action/Reaction—Create Bibles, markers, tape, paper, CD a sculpture or drawing that player symbolizes a personal reaction to Jesus before offering prayers of thanks for the grace made available through Jesus.

Welcome

When kids arrive, remind them that you’ll sound the slide flute when you need their attention, and you’ll wait for all of them to look at you without talking before you continue. Before you begin the lesson, engage kids in conversation about how they applied last week’s lesson to their lives. Use questions such as “How did knowing God forgives you help you to forgive someone else last week?” and “How do you feel after you’ve forgiven someone?” Let kids share any discussions about the take-home page as well.

130 Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 5 & 6 Accepting God’s Grace Attention Grabber n Amazing Grace SUPPLIES: CD player Form a circle. Tell students you’re going to play a track 9 game that only one person in the group can win. Give the inflatable microphone to one student. Give a pair of rainbow glasses to another student. Cue the song “We Will Live Forever” (John 3:16) (track 9) on the CD. Say: When I start the music, if you’re holding the inflatable microphone, say your name into the microphone, and then pass it to the person on your right. If you have the rainbow glasses, put them on, shout, “I see!” and then pass the glasses to the person on your right. The people who get the items must do the same things. And whenever the music stops, you must freeze. The person who’s caught holding the inflatable microphone is out of the game. But the person who has the rainbow glasses may “save” the eliminated person by shouting “Grace!” after the music stops. If that person shouts “Grace!” the person holding the microphone can stay in the game. If not, the person with the microphone is out. When I start the music again, continue passing the microphone and the glasses. Ready? Start the music, and let it play for 10 seconds or so. Stop the CD, and give the person with the glasses time to decide whether to extend grace. Continue playing the game for a few more minutes or until only one person is left. Collect the Learning Lab items for use in later lessons. Have students sit in a circle. Then ask: • Was this game fair to everyone? Why or why not? (No, some people got extra chances; yeah, everyone got to try it.) • What feelings did you experience when you were caught with the microphone? (Embarrassment; humiliation.) • How did you feel when you were caught with the glasses? (Powerful; important.) • How are those feelings like or unlike the feelings we experience when we realize that God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus is free to everyone? (It seems unfair that some people get more chances to know Jesus; I’m glad this gift is For variation, pass around all the Learning Lab items. The person free because my brother still gets in a lot of trouble and needs God badly.) holding the rainbow glasses when • What does it mean to you to know that through God’s grace you can live the music stops can shout out forever? (I’m happy, but I don’t want to go to heaven yet; I’m only 11, so it’s hard to “Grace!” for anyone caught holding imagine living that long; I think it’s great!) a type of ball (suction-ball or crazy Say: The game we just played is an example of how God gives his gift of bouncer). grace to us. Some of you might think of grace as something you say before dinner. But grace really means to pardon or show kindness to someone. In our game, you could choose who you wanted to extend grace to. But today we’ll discover that God doesn’t have to choose between people. He extends his grace to everyone! How? Through Jesus Christ, who came to save the whole world. If we believe in Jesus, we’ll receive eternal life. God will pardon us and show kindness to any and every one of us—even when none of us deserves it!

Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 5 & 6 131 Lesson 11 Bible Exploration & Application n Catcher’s Up! It’s important to say the Bible Point SUPPLIES: Bibles, 2 ping-pong balls just as it’s written in each activity. Form two teams, and have the members of each team Repeating the Bible Point over and line up single file. Designate the first person in each line to over throughout the lesson will help kids remember it and apply it be a Pitcher in this game, and have the Pitchers move about to their lives. 10 feet away from their respective teams. Give each Pitcher a ping-pong ball. Designate the second person in each line to be the Catcher for that team, and give him or her a catcher from the suction-ball catch set. Instruct Catchers to each place the suction-ball catcher on their left foot with the elastic under their shoe and the shallow bowl sitting on top. Say: The goal of this game is for the Pitcher to toss the ping-pong ball to his or her teammate and for the teammate to catch it. Catchers The ping-pong ball will bounce must each balance on their right foot while attempting to catch the out of the suction-ball catchers ping-pong ball pitched to them. Pitchers will pitch twice to each Catcher. as kids try to catch them. In the After attempting to catch the ball, each Catcher should give the suction- highly unlikely event that a student ball catcher to the next person in line and move to the back of the line. does catch a ball in the catcher, ask Ready? Go! this person an additional question in the debriefing (following the When each Catcher has had two tries, gather students in a circle. reading of John 8:1-11): Ask: • What went through your mind as you tried to catch the ball? (This • How was catching the ball like or will never work; this is dumb.) unlike your ability to forgive your • Would you describe this activity as hopeful or hopeless? Why? (Hopeless own sin? because it can’t be done; it’s kind of dumb.) Say: If it weren’t for Jesus, we would all be hopeless because of our sin. This next story will help us understand that. Have kids look up John 8:1-11 and take turns reading the verses of the passage aloud. Then ask: • How was your inability to catch the ball in our game like the woman’s inability to free herself from her sin? (It was frustrating; neither of us could do it.) • When have you felt like this woman? (When I messed up and got caught; when I took money from my sister’s purse.) • When have you felt like the people in the crowd? (When somebody else got caught; when I saw my brother get punished for something.) Say: In a way, all of the people in this story, except for Jesus, were hopeless in their sin. Not one of them could say he or she had never done anything wrong. We’re the same way—we’ve all sinned. Ask: • Which is worse—doing something you know is wrong or failing to do something you know is right? Why? (Doing wrong is worse because someone usually gets hurt; not doing something right is worse because it’s easier to do right than to stop yourself from doing wrong.) • The Bible tells us the punishment for sin—the wrong we do as well If you have extra time, you could as the good we fail to do—is death. So how does knowing Jesus make a also have students take turns difference? (Jesus took the punishment for my sin so I wouldn’t have to; Jesus helps pitching and trying to catch the me not to sin.) crazy bouncer.

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Say: If we believe in Jesus, we’ll receive eternal life. God is willing to free us from our sins if we’ll let him. But in order for that to happen, we need to be willing to accept the hope Jesus promises. Ask: • How do we accept the hope Jesus promises? (By believing in him; by knowing and loving him.) Say: Just as Jesus knew all about the woman in the story, he knows all about us—and loves us anyway! As we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, we can grow in our confidence that if we believe in Jesus, we’ll receive eternal life. That’s real hope! Bible Insight Return the suction-ball catchers to the Learning Lab. When the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery before Jesus, they were trying to trick Jesus. The HANDS-ON BIBLE Pharisees insisted that Mosaic Set out colored construction paper and pens. Say: It’s hard to law stated the woman must imagine that anyone could love us so much that he would die—Deuteronomy 22:22‑24 willingly give up his only child for our sakes, but that’s what stated that both adulterer God did when he sent Jesus to die for our sins. Please turn to and adulteress must be put John 3:16 in your Hands-On Bible and follow the “God Loves to death by stoning. If Jesus You!” activity using the supplies I’ve provided here. pardoned the woman, the Pharisees could accuse Jesus When students have finished writing out their cards, ask: of failing to follow the law. • Who do you know that needs to know about Jesus today? (My friend If, on the other hand, Jesus Ashley; my father.) agreed she should be stoned, • What will you do about it? (Give her my card; talk to him after supper.) the Pharisees could report Jesus to the Romans for taking the law into his own hands, since only the Romans n could officially administer the To Die For death penalty. SUPPLIES: Bibles, CD player track 9 Distribute modeling clay to each student. Say: Sometimes you hear about people who risk their lives—or even lose their lives—to save others from death. We call these people heroes. Think about one person you’d be willing to die for, and then form a symbolic object that reminds you of that person, using the modeling clay. After three minutes, gather kids together in a circle. Ask for volunteers to identify It’s OK if some kids decide there’s the people by the symbols they created with the modeling clay and then explain why no one they’d die for. In Romans they’d give up their lives for those people. 5:6‑9, Paul says someone “might” Ask: • What do all of these people have in common? (They are good people; be willing to die for a good they are people we care for.) person—but maybe not. • How would you describe a good person? (Someone who does good things; If that happens, encourage them somebody who helps others.) to simply roll the clay into a ball to symbolize the world, which Jesus • How would you describe a bad person? (Someone who cheats; someone who died for. hurts others.) • Would you die for someone you thought was a bad person? Why or why not? (No way! A bad person isn’t worth it; no, it wouldn’t be fair.)

Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 5 & 6 133 Lesson 11

Say: The Bible says that some people—like you—might die for a good person; but who would die for a bad person? Maybe no one would. Have kids look up Romans 5:6-9. Ask for a volunteer to read it aloud while others Understanding the way your follow along in their Bibles. preteens develop spiritually will help you communicate with them Say: God wanted to show us how much he loves us, effectively about what it means to so he sent us his Son, Jesus, to die—not only for the believe in Jesus Christ. Remember, people who seem good but even for the people who they want everything to be fair. seem bad. All of us have done wrong things in our They want to test what they’ve been taught about God against lives. We have all sinned. Even though Jesus knows all their own experiences. And they about our sins, he gave up his life to save you and me are able to make choices about from the consequence of sin, which is death. So if we finding God’s will and following it. believe in Jesus, we’ll receive eternal life. Ask: • If you could use only one word to describe how it feels to know that Jesus was willing to die for you, what would that word be? (Thankful; grateful; humbled.) • Knowing that, how can you show your thankfulness to Jesus? (I can apologize to my sister for teasing her; I can return Zach’s jacket, which I was planning to keep; I can go to youth group next week.) Say: The way we treat others is a direct reflection of the kind of relationship we have with Jesus. The more we love him, the more we will want to do good things for others. We grow in our relationship with Jesus when we acknowledge what he has done for us—that he was willing to die for us so that if we believe in Jesus, we’ll receive eternal life. The song I played earlier today is based on our Bible verse for today—John 3:16. You may wish to recite it with me: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have ete­ rnal life.” Play track 9 from the CD, “We Will Live Forever” (John 3:16), and have students sing along with the CD. Then say: Now let’s find out more about the gift of eternal life.

n Grab Ball SUPPLIES: Bibles, candy, ping-pong ball Have kids form a circle, and place a ping-pong ball in the middle of the circle. Give two kids on opposite sides of the circle snapper hands, and demonstrate how they work. (Pull the hand back with one hand while holding the end of the snapper with the other, and then quickly release the hand so it snaps forward.) Tell kids the object of this game is to use the snapper hand to “grab” the ping-pong ball from the floor. Students must snap the snapper hand at the ping-pong ball to grab it. Two students will play at the same time, but you’ll limit their time by slowly counting to 10. When you reach 10, they must each give the snapper hand to another person. If students don’t grab the ball during their turns, tell them they’re out of the game and have no chance to win the prize you’re offering—a piece of candy.

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Play until everyone has had a turn. Give a piece of candy to those who were able to grab the ball. Say: Well, it’s too bad I couldn’t give more of you a piece of candy. But only those people who deserve the prize should get it, right? I’ll tell you what—even if you didn’t come close to grabbing the ball, I’ll give you each a piece of candy if you ask me for one. Give a piece of candy to each person who asks for one. Collect the ping-pong ball and the snapper hands for use in later lessons. Then ask: • Was it fair that everyone, even those who didn’t grab the ping-pong ball, could get a prize just because they asked for one? Why or why not? (Yes, it was hard for everyone; no, only people who were able to do it should get a prize.) • Did those who did well in the game come out ahead of the rest of us? Blindfold the students before Explain. (No, we all got the same prize; yes, they got to pick candy first.) they start the game. Have them Say: Keep this game in mind as we read the next passage. turn around a few times in Have kids look up Romans 10:9-13. Ask for a volunteer to read the passage aloud place, and then hand them the while others follow along. Then ask: snapper hands to use. Or have • How is God’s offer of eternal life like my offer of candy to those who them sit down on the floor and try to grab the ping-pong ball lost our game? (Jesus died for everyone, not just for some people; everyone who with the snapper hands. For believes in Jesus will be saved.) extra incentive, up the prize • Is it fair that God gives eternal life to anyone—even a murderer—who from candy to coins or fun simply believes in Jesus and trusts him? Why or why not? (No, murderers buttons or other small prizes. don’t deserve it; I guess so, but it doesn’t make sense.) Say: Because of our sins, none of us wins all the time in life. For God to offer us eternal life, Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. So if we believe in Jesus, we’ll receive eternal life. God will make us “winners” if we’ll believe in Jesus and trust in him. And the “prize” is spending eternity with him!

Closing n Action/Reaction SUPPLIES: Bibles, markers, tape, paper, CD player track 9 Say: Let’s repeat today’s Bible verse from John 3:16. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” What does that mean? Jesus died for you and offers you eternal life if you believe in him. That’s an action that demands some sort of reaction. Using Bibles, markers, tape, paper, and Learning Lab items, I’d like you to take five minutes to create a picture or a sculpture that symbolizes your reaction to Jesus’ invitation to believe in him and have eternal life. Give three-, two-, and one-minute warnings so students can pace their projects. Play “We Will Live Forever” (John 3:16) (track 9) from the CD as background music.

Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 5 & 6 135 Lesson 11

When five minutes have passed, ask students to show and explain their creations. Affirm kids for all sculptures and drawings. Ask open-ended questions when appropriate to probe for more insight into your students’ responses to Jesus. Play “We Will Live Forever” (John 3:16) again on the CD, and gather your If kids are honest in this exercise, students in a circle. Say: John 3:16, which is our Bible verse for today, says that you’ll have an insight into their God so loved the world that he gave his only Son for us. And if we believe spiritual lives. Be sensitive to what in Jesus, we will live forever. What a great promise! Let’s offer prayers of your students share, and follow up after your meeting. You may thanks to God for the gift he gave us in Jesus. If we believe in Jesus, we’ll wish to give kids an opportunity receive eternal life. to become Christians. If so, here’s Have kids join hands as you offer a simple sentence prayer. Using each student’s what some teachers do: name, say: Thank you, God, that you promise [name] eternal life. Encourage kids • Lead the student in a prayer to join in with their own sentence prayers as well. of confession and repentance, Keep all the Learning Lab items for later use. asking God for forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ. • Agree aloud with the student that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he has risen from the dead, and then have the student invite Jesus into his or her heart. Growing closer to Jesus extends • Have the student tell somebody beyond the classroom. else what he or she has done. It’s a joyful thing to share with others! Photocopy the “Takin’ It Home” handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your • If the student doesn’t have a kids. Encourage kids and parents to use the handout to Bible, consider giving him or spark meaningful discussion on this week’s topic. her a child-friendly Bible like the Hands-On Bible. The book of John in the New Testament is a great place to start reading. • Choose another student in class to become a prayer partner and friend to the new Christian. Also, encourage the student to get involved in a fellowship group to grow in his or her faith.

136 Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 5 & 6 Accepting God’s Grace, Week 11 The famous hymn “Amazing Grace” has an interesting history. It was written by John Newton, a well-known preacher in England during the 1700s. OK, that’s not • Think of the many people over the centuries who have so interesting. But there’s more. heard and been comforted by Newton’s hymn. Then At the age of 11, Newton left school and joined his read together Ephesians 2:8-9. Using Newton’s life as an father in the life of a seaman. His early years were full example, discuss what the Bible means when it says that of rebellion and wild living. He served on several ships we’re saved by his special favor. and, for a time, worked along the West African coast collecting slaves to sell to visiting traders. Eventually, he became captain of his own slave ship. On March 10, 1748, during a heavy storm at sea, Newton began reading a book called Imitation of Christ. JONAS The book’s message and the frightening experience of the storm turned Newton’s heart toward Jesus. Within a few years, he had not only abandoned the slave trade, but was studying to become a pastor. At the age of 39, *FOR KIDS ONLY: Think of the people in your life who Newton was ordained in the Anglican Church. have shared the good news about Jesus with you. Then He often used the story of his early life and his think of what your life would be like without Jesus. conversion experience in his messages. Even near the Thank those people for guiding you toward the way to end of his life, when his memory was fading, he held fast eternal life! to the message of God’s gift of amazing grace. It is said that during one of his sermons, Newton proclaimed in a Share with your kids the story of loud voice, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember *FOR PARENTS ONLY: two things: ‘That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a when you first believed in Jesus. Discuss with them the great Savior!’ ” difference that faith in Jesus has made in your life. (from 101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck)

* FOR THE FAMILY: Listen to or sing the hymn “Amazing Grace” together. Then, as a family, write another verse expressing your own feelings about God’s gift of “For God loved the world so salvation through Jesus. much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Permission to photocopy this handout from Group’s Hands-On Bible Curriculum® Grades 5 & 6 granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com