Scripture: 2nd Kings 5:8-14
Learning Objectives:
- Students will review the story of Elisha and Naaman.
- Students will learn God expects us to obey Him even when His plans don’t always make sense.
- Students will learn God uses scriptures to communicate with us.
- Students will learn that the Bible gives us direction for the right choices to make in life.
Guiding Question: Why is it important to obey God no matter what?
Materials: Two bells, game show scenarios (listed at the end)
Procedure: Have the students watch the play about Elisha and Naaman. Tell the students that after Naaman washed, his skin was clear of leprosy. Explain that sometimes God may ask us to do things that don’t make sense to us, but He still asks us to obey him. God knows things we cannot know or understand which is why the Bible says some things about God are mysteries. We don’t always have to understand God to obey God but we need to believe God knows what is best for us and obey Him.
Introduce the Family Feud game. Divide the students into two teams. One person from each team will come up. Read the scenario. Whoever rings his or her bell first gets to answer the question. If he or she gets it wrong, the other person has a chance to answer and can get help from his or her team. Once a correct answer has been determined and/or if there is a debate, read the scripture attached to the question. Continually emphasize that God gives us the answers to our problems in the Bible.
Additional Questions: How can disobeying God lead to negative consequences?
Supplemental Activity: Bring in two batches of cookies – one that was a flop and the other one that turned out well. Ask the students why they thought one batch did not turn out well but the other did. Explain that by not following directions, the cookie batch did not turn out well just like when we do not obey God and make poor choices, there will be negative consequences. Have the students come up with scenarios where they would have to choose to obey God. Have the students come up with positive consequences of obeying God and the negative consequences of not obeying.
Game Scenarios:
Questions for Younger Group:
1. Mike is the class bully. He is always calling people names and shoving them when the teacher isn’t looking. He brags all of the time because he is the only person in your school who has a Falcons jacket signed by the entire team. He also has a way of getting everybody else in trouble when it was really his fault. One of his favorite people to be mean to is you and you are really tired of it! You are late to school one morning and you are the only person in the hall. As you get near your classroom, you notice Mike’s Falcon’s jacket has fallen on the floor near a trash can. Nobody is around to see what you do next. What do you do? (Luke 6:27-36)
2. You have a rule in your house that you are not allowed to watch television until your homework is finished. Lately, you have had so much homework you haven’t gotten to watch any tv at all. Your mom and dad are going out for the night and are in such a rush they forget to give the new babysitter any instructions other than “He/She knows what to do.” You sit down to work on your homework some more, when the babysitter asks if you want her to make your favorite snack and join her in watching your favorite show. You know your parents won’t be home for hours and babysitters never tell parents what you did as long as you go to bed and are nice. What do you do? (Colossians 3:20)
3. You are in the middle of playing your favorite video game. You are about to reach the next level. If you can hang on for two more minutes, you will finally get past this level you have been stuck on for six months now. Suddenly your Mom calls and tells you to come right this second and take out the trash. What do you do? (There is no way to pause the game) (Ephesians 6:1)
4. You walk into your class and notice everyone is being really loud and goofing around. You wonder what is going on and then notice you have a substitute teacher. He has a hard time getting the class’ attention and it is obvious he hasn’t taught before. He says the teacher left a note he can’t really read and wants to know what chapter you are working on in math. A few boys immediately try to convince him it is the chapter from last week so they won’t have any homework. Everyone in the room is either confirming what the boys are saying or saying nothing at all. What do you do? (I Corinthians 13:4-5)
5. Michael (or Michelle) is probably the most annoying kid in your grade and maybe even the whole school. She is too loud, wears weird clothes and is just plain rude to everybody. You don’t know her very well, but what you have seen doesn’t make you want to be around her very much. Today at recess she came up to you and asked you to come over to her house later in the week after school for a play date. What do you do? (Ephesians 4:2)
6. You like to watch a certain show on tv. It is your absolute favorite show, ever. You are sitting on the sofa and your show has been on for five minutes. You get up during a commercial to get a drink and when you come back your Dad has come into the room and is now watching a basketball game. What do you do? (Proverbs 17:14)
7. One of your friends at school is having trouble in a subject that is easy for you. He/She has asked if you would come over after school today and help her study for the test. You have told her you would. During recess another one of your friends comes up to you and says she has an extra ticket for today after school for something you have been dying to see. You weren’t able to get tickets for yourself because they sold out. You know you promised to help your friend study for the test tomorrow, but this is a once in a lifetime chance. What do you do? (Proverbs 12:22)
8. You always get to sit with your friends at lunch. Today your group got to the table a little late and there is a new kid sitting next to your group. You find out the kid just moved here from another country so his English isn’t very good. Your friends start teasing the new kid. The new kid starts to look upset. What do you do? (Psalm 82:4)
9. You and your friend are playing in the park. After having fun for a long time, you sit down under a tree to cool off. Suddenly you notice a few feet away is a $5 bill. You point it out to your friend, but before you can do anything, your friend jumps up, grabs the money and says “Finders keepers, losers, weepers.” What do you do? (Proverbs 13:2)
10. You and your friends are playing in the park. You had brought energy bars and water bottles with you. After an afternoon of playing, eating and hanging out, you all realize you are late for dinner and need to hurry home before you get in trouble. Everyone starts running for home when you realize everyone has left his or her trash all over the area. The nearest trashcan is on the other side of the ball field. What do you do? (Gen 1:27-30)
Questions for Older Group:
1. Your parents have strict rules about the movies you are allowed to watch. You are spending the night over a friend’s house and he/she pulls out a PG-13 movie everyone at school has seen, except you. PG-13 movies aren’t allowed, but you are tired of everyone teasing you because you haven’t seen the movie. Besides your parents would never know. What do you do? (Proverbs 3:21-24 and Proverbs 4:3-4)
2. Your friend calls you on the telephone and is really upset. She has had a lot of problems in her family lately and she starts telling you all of them. You really don’t know what to say, because you have never known a family that had so many serious problems before. Suddenly, she tells you she has been so upset that she is starting to do things she knows she shouldn’t do. She admits she was the one her stole the teacher’s iPad. Just as she is asking you what she should do, your dad comes in and tells you to hang up the phone immediately as he has to make an important call. You know your friend will ask you again tomorrow what she should do. What do you do? (Joel 2:12-13)
3. You are in Target spending your birthday money. You pay the cashier; grab the change in your hand and your purchase and head to the car with your Mom. When you get in the car, you start to put your change away and realize the cashier gave you a dime too much. It’s long past your suppertime and the next stop is the restaurant for some food. You are starving to death. What do you do? (Proverbs 11:3)
4. You usually sit with your family in church. Your mom and dad expect you to sing, pray and sit quietly during communion and the sermon. Today, your best church friend asks you to sit with his/her family. Evidently, your friend’s family has no rules, because your friend keeps whispering loudly to you during prayers and communion and passes you notes during the singing. What do you do? (Psalm 29:1-2 and Hebrews 12:28)
5. You and your family are on the family mission trip to Cozumel. You thought going to Mexico sounded like a lot of fun. You had heard other kids talk about the beaches and the snorkeling and of course you love Mexican food. What they didn’t tell you was that it was super hot, you only get to go to the beach on your last day and you have to walk. A LOT. Plus every day you have to help paint all morning when you thought you would just be playing with kids on the playground all day. You know this trip really helps the orphanage and the orphans, but you just want to get to the beach or pool. What do you do? (Philippians 4:12-13)
6. Your class is going to Whitewater for the day. The chaperones tell you that as long as you stay together in two’s, you can just check in with them every hour at a certain spot. The last time your big group checked in, the chaperones told you to be back at 3:30 to leave the park. It is 3:15 and you suggest you start heading back to meet the others. Your friends all decide they can get in one more slide before they have to leave. When you get in line, you look up and see a sign that says 25-minute wait from this point. If you go on the ride, you will be late meeting the others, but if you go by yourself you might get in trouble for leaving the group. What do you do? (Exodus 23:2)
7. You are late for supper. You have your bike and know a short cut you can take that will almost get you home on time. Just as you are about to get on the shortcut, you see an old lady with an arm full of groceries fall. She is obviously hurt and her groceries are everywhere. There is no one else around. Your mom said if you were late to dinner one more time, you would be grounded for two weeks. You don’t want that to happen, because you have plans to do something with a friend on Saturday that you have been excited about for months. What do you do? (Luke 10:30-37)
8. You are walking home from your friend’s house. A car pulls up beside you with the window down. The woman driving the car is crying. “Can you please help me?” she says. “My little girl dropped my hand and ran back towards the park. We just moved here though and I am so upset I can’t remember where it is. Can you please get in the car and show me where it is?” What should you do? (Note: This is a likely stranger danger scenario that “good” kids often fall for – a missing child or pet.) (Judges 16:16-19)
9. Your Sunday School teacher has given your class some scriptures to memorize. She has even said she will take anyone who memorizes them on a special field trip to try and encourage everyone to memorize them. You know everyone at church keeps talking about how important it is to have Bible words in your head so you know what to do, but these are long verses. Besides, you have heard Bible stories you whole life and pretty much know what’s in there anyway, right? What do you do? (Psalm 119:9-11)
10. Your friends at school know you go to church and believe in God. A new kid starts going to your school who just moved here from China. He/she is a lot of fun and has become a part of your group of friends. One day he/she asks you why you go to Church and who this Jesus person is. What do you say?