This Sunday’s lesson was from Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve commit the first sin.
Opener
I began by asking the kids to name as many types of fruit they could think of. They named way more than I thought they would, but we did end up have a few side-debates on whether certain items were a fruit or a vegetable. Kids seem to have very strong feelings on this issue!
Lesson
As I told this lesson, I had two children stand next to me for most of the story and play the parts of Adam and Eve. I have a bunch of different kinds of plastic fruit that I handed to various child, who were playing the part of trees.
We walked around the room and “ate” from the “trees.” We labeled two of the trees “The Tree of Life” and “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”
I had purchased a rubber toy snake from the dollar store and did my best ssssssssssnake voice when the serpent talked to Eve.
When the time came for God to hand out curses, I had red cards printed up that described each curse. I handed them out in the order of the story and explained what they meant. Thankfully, I was able to explain the curse of pain in childbirth without any tough questions about what that actually entailed!
Application Activity
The big idea of the day was, “Sin is disobeying God.” I wanted to help the kids understand that God has given us things to obey in the Bible and it’s a sin to disobey them.
We looked up various Bible passages. For each passage, we asked two questions:
1. What is God’s rule?
2. What would it look like to sin?
Verse Activity
Our verse was Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” I created a hopscotch grid out of carpet squares ($1 a piece at your local carpet store!) and placed cards with words of the verse on each square. We then had a kid hop up and down the grid while we said the verse. Whatever verse word they ended up on, we erased from the board.
This worked pretty well. I had toyed with the idea of the kids saying a word of the verse for each hopscotch jump, but it wouldn’t have worked well, especially at the beginning when the children really don’t know the verse at all yet. Plus, there is a tendency when doing it that way for the children to focus so much on the jumper that the children forgot to say the verse with you.
Review Activity
This was, by far, the kids’ favorite part of the day. I set up bowling pins, labeling two of them as “The Tree of Life” and “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”
I divided the kids into two teams and asked review questions. Based on how much help they needed for an answer, a team could earn up to three balls to roll.
Standing about ten feet away, they rolled the balls toward the pins. Each pin was worth one point, but the Tree of Life pin was worth five. But, if they hit the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,” the tree Adam and Eve weren’t supposed to eat from, they lost all of the points they earned in the round.
I had a giant playground ball as well and gave the teams the option of swapping the three balls for one giant ball. This especially helped the younger kids, since the giant ball required very little aim.
Lesson Download link: OT 03 The First Sin
You’ll find the complete text of the lesson after the jump, but you’ll want to download the actual file if you want access to any resouces mentioned, as well as any of the activities mentioned above. Lesson
Materials Needed:
Resources (Tree of Life, Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Curses), various pieces of fruit (pear, apple, lemon, banana), rubber toy snake, yarn/string, hole punch
Setup:
1. Use a hole punch to place two holes on the top of each of the signs. Tie a piece of string to the holes on each sign so that they can be worn around a child’s neck.
Lesson:
Notes:
1. The dialogue listed here, in most cases, is given as an idea starter. Feel free to fill out what is there by adding your own questions (when appropriate), hamming it up (not always appropriate, but always fun!) or filling out the content wherever you deem necessary
2. Have a Bible handy to read from, preferably the New International Reader’s Version. This version uses much simpler language easily understood by children.
1. Ask “How did God create the universe?” Pause for responses. Explain:
The last couple of times we’ve met, we talked about the very beginning of everything, when there was only God. Do you remember where we can find that story in the Bible? Answer: At the beginning, in the book of Genesis.
The story of God creating everything is in the beginning of the Bible, in the book of Genesis. Genesis is a just a fancy word for ‘beginning.’ We learned how God created the entire universe with just the sound of His voice in just six days, and rested on the seventh.
We also learned that on the sixth day, God made his most special creation, people. He made a man, Adam, out of some dust, and a woman, Eve, out of one of Adam’s ribs. He created them in his image, to be a reflection of what he is like. Our Bible story today is the very next story in the Bible and we can find it in the book of Genesis.
2. Read (or have a child read) Genesis 2:8-9, 15. Explain:
God put Adam and Eve in a garden called Eden and their job was to take care of it. Eden was pretty much the perfect place to live. There were beautiful trees everywhere, and on those trees were all kinds of delicious fruits. Show and name the pieces of fruit one at a time.
And the fruit on these trees were perfect: no rotten spots, no worms or bugs. And the weather in the garden was perfect, too. No rain or thunderstorms, not too hot, not too cold. In fact, the weather was so nice, you didn’t need to wear any clothes.
And that’s what Adam and Eve did. Now, that seems kind of funny to us today that Adam and Eve walked around naked, but that’s the way God created them and they weren’t embarrassed one bit.
I’m gonna need a few volunteers to help me tell the rest of the story. Don’t worry, you don’t have to walk around naked like Adam and Eve. But, I’ll need an Adam, an Eve, and some people to be trees.
3. Select children to come forward to play the parts of Adam, Eve, and one tree for every different kind of fruit you brought. Give a piece of fruit to each of the “trees.” Explain to ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’ that their job is to do their best to act out as you explain:
Now, as we said, the garden God created was full of trees, and those trees were full of delicious fruit. Those of you holding fruit, you are going to be playing the part of trees. Spread out around the room, and pick a spot to stand. Stand there and hold out your piece of fruit, so we know what kind of tree you are. Have the children do so. Walk around the room and state which kind of “tree” each child is representing.
4. Explain:
Now that our Garden of Eden has some trees, we can pick up the story. When God created Adam and Eve… (Point to each of the children playing Adam and Eve.) …there was nothing wrong with them.. Not only was nothing at all wrong with their bodies, they also had never, ever done anything wrong. Unlike all of us here, including me, they had never disobeyed God. And, since they had never disobeyed God, they were allowed to spend time with Him every single day.
The Bible says that God would walk around the garden (ref. Gen. 3:8). Adam and Eve probably got to walk around the garden with him sometimes. Have ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’ walk around the ‘trees’ with you as you speak.
They could walk and talk, and occasionally eat a delicious piece of fruit. Adam and Eve could ask Him questions about the stuff He’d created like, “Why’s a giraffe got such a long neck?” or “Would it be alright if I ride a hippo?”
5. Explain:
However, God did have one rule He wanted Adam and Eve to follow. You see, in the garden of Eden, God had placed two very special trees. One tree was the tree of life. Place the “Tree of Life” sign on one of the “trees.”
The other was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Place the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” sign on one of the “trees.”
God only had one rule for Adam and Eve and it had to do with one of these trees. Let’s see what the Bible says. Read Genesis 2:16-17.
So, let’s review with our Adam and Eve just to make sure we’re absolutely clear. What’s God only rule for you two?” Pause for Adam and Eve to respond.
6. Explain:
Some time later, a strange visitor slithered out from behind one of the trees. Pull out the rubber toy snake. Speak the serpent’s lines in a sssssnake-style voice.
It was the ssssnake, who was sssssneakier than all the other animals God had made. He said to Eve, “Did God really ssssay, ‘You musssst not eat from any tree in the garden?”
Wait a minute. The snake talked? How in the world did that happen? Animals don’t talk! Does anybody have a guess about how the snake was able to talk? Pause for responses.
We learn in another part of the Bible, the book of Revelation, that this snake isn’t just an ordinary snake (ref. Rev. 20:2). The devil, Satan himself, was inside this snake, making him talk. The devil is a bad angel and God’s biggest enemy. He hates God and he had a plan to trick Adam and Eve. Let’s hear his question again.
The snake asked Eve, “Did God really ssssay, ‘You musssst not eat from any tree in the garden?” Ask Eve to respond.
Eve knew the serpent was exaggerating. God hadn’t said they must not eat from any tree. He just said not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if they did, they would surely die.
7. Explain:
But the serpent wasn’t done with his tricks. He said, “You won’t die. God just told you that because He knows that if you eat it, you’ll become just like Him, knowing good and evil.”(ref. Gen. 3:4-5).
Eve thought the serpent had a good point. She looked at the fruit on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Have Eve walk over to the tree and look at the fruit.
It looked fine to her. It didn’t look like some poison fruit that’d kill her if she ate it. She also thought about what the serpent had said: if she ate some of it, she’d become just like God.
8. Explain:
What do you think Eve did? Did she believe what God said would happen or did she believe the snake? Pause for responses.
Let’s see what the Bible says she did. Read Genesis 3:6.
Eve looked at that fruit, and even though God had told her not to, she reached up and plucked a piece of fruit off of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and took a bite.” Have Eve grab the piece of fruit from the ‘tree’ and pretend to take a bite.
Then, she handed it to Adam, and he also took a bite. Have Adam pretend to take a bite.
9. Ask, “Who do you think was telling the truth, God or the snake?” Pause for responses. Explain:
Let’s see who the Bible says was telling the truth. Read Genesis 3:7.
Immediately after they swallowed their bites, Adam looked at Eve, and Eve looked at Adam… (Have Adam and Eve do so.) …and they both thought, ‘YOU’RE NAKED!’ So, they quick ran over to a fig tree, pulled down a bunch of leaves, and sewed together some leaf clothes.
Just then, Adam and Eve heard a noise, and they knew exactly what that noise was: it was God walking though the garden (ref. Genesis 3:8).
“Quick,” they thought, “we gotta find somewhere to hide!” So, they found a tree and both tried to hide from God behind it.
Have Adam and Eve hide behind one of the trees.
But, do you think anyone can hide from God? I mean, God made everything. He made Adam and Eve, and He made the tree they were trying to hide behind.
10. Explain:
God said, “Adam and Eve, where are you?” Adam knew they were caught, so he stepped out from behind the tree.
Have Adam and Eve come out from behind the tree.
Adam said, “We heard you coming and we were afraid, because we were both naked, so we hid.” (ref. Genesis 3:10)
God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I told you not to eat from?”(ref. Genesis 3:11) Do you think God already knew the answer to that question? Pause for responses.
11. Explain:
Adam knew they were in trouble so he decided to blame someone else. Adam pointed at Eve and said…
Have Adam point at Eve and repeat after you.
“It was her fault! She was the one who gave the fruit to me!” (ref. Genesis 3:12)
Eve knew she was in trouble, too, so she decided to blame someone else. Eve pointed at the serpent and said… Have Eve point at the snake and repeat after you. “It was the snake’s fault! He tricked me!” (ref. Genesis 3:13)
12. Explain:
Do you remember what God said would happen if Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Answer: They would surely die. God told Adam, Eve, and the snake what would happen to them since they had disobeyed him.
He spoke to the snake and said, “You will be cursed greater than all other animals. For the rest of your life, you’ll have to crawl around on your belly.” (ref. Genesis 3:14-15).
Toss the rubber snake on the ground. Set the strip of paper with the snake’s curse next to it on the floor.
Next, He spoke to Eve and said, “Now, when you give birth to a baby, it is going to be very, very painful.” (ref. Genesis 3:16)
Hand Eve her curse paper strip and have her hold it in front of her.
Finally, He spoke to Adam and said, “Because you disobeyed, the ground is going to be cursed. It will produce thorns and weeds, and you’ll have to work very, very hard just to grow enough food to eat. And one day, you’ll die and return to the dust that I created you from.” (ref. Genesis 3:17-19)
Hand Adam his curse paper strip and have him hold it in front of him.
13. Explain:
God took a couple of animals skins and made some clothes for Adam and Eve to wear to replace the clothes of leaves they had made. (ref. Genesis 3:21) Then he gave them one more punishment.
He then sent them out from the beautiful garden He had made and into the harsh, thorny and thistly world (ref. Genesis 3:22-24). And, to make sure they could never go back, He placed an angel at the entrance to the garden with a flaming sword that swished back and forth. Have Adam and Eve stand off to the side of the teaching area.
God meant it when he said that he wanted Adam and Eve to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now that they had done so, Adam and Eve would someday die. They wouldn’t die today or the next day or even the next year. They lived many more years, but just like God said, they died.
Have Adam, Eve, and the trees join the rest of the children.
14. Explain:
The Bible has a special word that means “to disobey God.” Do you know what it is? Answer: Sin.
The word sin means “to disobey God.” Adam and Eve sinned because they disobeyed God’s one rule. And because they sinned, they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and one day had to die. God really doesn’t like it when we sin, and sin is disobeying God.
That’s the big idea I want you to remember from this story: Sin is disobeying God. Say that with me. Have the children repeat the big idea with you.
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