2025-11-16 God makes a way for sinners to come to Him

Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)

(Gather children close for reflection.)

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Discussion Questions:

Question 1: "DoCan youwe thinkfix thatour youown sinful hearts by being good or Idoing couldnice solve such a big problem like our sinful hearts?things?"

(Wait for responses.)

Expected Response: "No!"

Teacher Follow-up: "That's right! WeJust like a broken toy can't fix it ourselves becauseitself, we arecan't allfix helplessour sinners.sinful hearts. Only God can help us!"

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Question 2: "ButWho couldreally believed God fix a big problem likein our sinfulstory hearts?today, Cain or Abel?"

(Wait for responses. Encourage children to think about God's power.)

Expected Response: "Yes!" or "God can do anything!Abel!"

Teacher Follow-up: "Yes! IsAbel therehad anythingFAITH. tooHe hard fortrusted God toand do?obeyed God. That's what faith means, trusting God and doing what He says."

Expected Response: "No! Nothing is too hard for God!"

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Question 3: "CanIn youthe thinkOld ofTestament, a time when you sinned? Whathow did youGod do?cover people's sin?"

(Give children time to think. This isquestion personal,reviews sothe bekey gentle. Some children might share, others might not. That's okay.point.)

Expected Response: Answers"With like "I was mean to my brother,blood!" "IBy didn'tkilling listenan to my mom,animal!" "I took something that wasn't mine," etc.

Teacher Follow-up: "ThankExactly! youGod forcovered sharing.their Wesin ALLwith sin.blood Evenfrom teachersan sin.animal Evensacrifice. yourThis parentsshowed sin.how That'sserious whysin is and how much we ALL need God'sGod help.to save us."

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Question 4: "IfWhy Godcouldn't isthe angryanimal atsacrifices ourtake sin,sin canaway we be truly happy?completely?"

(This is aharder, harder question. Helphelp children understand.)

Expected Response: "No"Children might look confused or confusedsay looks"I don't know."

Teacher Follow-up: "You'reAnimal right.sacrifices Wecould can'tonly beCOVER trulysin, happylike ifthe rug covered the dirt. But God ishad angrya atbetter us.plan That's why we needcoming! God was going to solvesend thisa problemPERFECT forsacrifice us!that would take sin away completely. That perfect sacrifice is Jesus!"

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Closing Thought

Teacher:
"TheToday storywe islearned justsomething beginning!so important: God loves us even though we are sinners. He made a way for us to come to Him. In the Old Testament, He covered sin with animal blood. But that was only temporary. God had a much better plan coming!"

(Hold up your Bible and open it to Genesis 4, showing it to the children with enthusiasm.a big smile.)

Teacher:
"GodGod's hasperfect manyplan was to send Jesus, the Lamb of God, to take away our sins completely! We'll learn more wordsabout that in the coming weeks. But today, remember: God made a way because He loves us. We come to tell us about His GREAT PLAN to solve such a big problem. God didn'tby leaveFAITH, usby hopeless.trusting HeHim hasand aobeying wonderfulHim, planjust tolike saveAbel us from our sin!did."

(Smile warmly. Let this hope sink in.)

Closing Prayer for Bible Story

(Invite children to bow their heads and fold their hands.)

Teacher leads prayer:

"Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for teaching us thetoday truthabout today.Your amazing plan. Thank You for showing us that even though we are all sinners, bornsinners with sinfulbroken hearts.hearts, You love us and made a way for us to come to You.

We knowlearned thistoday that in the Old Testament, You covered sin with blood from animal sacrifices. This helped us see how serious sin is serious,and God.how Wemuch knowwe need You to save us.

Thank You that sin makes You angry,didn't andleave weus deserve Your punishment.

But God, we also thank You for being PATIENT with us.hopeless. Thank You for notmaking punishinga Adamway through faith. Help us to be like Abel, to trust You and Eveobey right away. Thank You for Your kindness.You.

We can'tknow fixthat ouranimal sinfulsacrifices heartscould byonly ourselves.cover Wesin, neednot You,take God.it We'reaway. soBut gladthank You that You havehad a perfect plan coming, sending Jesus to savebe us!the perfect sacrifice.

Help us to understandremember morewhat aboutwe Yourlearned greattoday. plan.Help us to have faith in You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Memorizing Verse: RomansHebrews 3:239:22b & RomansHebrews 5:19a11:6a

RomansHebrews 3:239:22b
"...forwithout allthe have sinned and fall shortshedding of theblood glorythere is no forgiveness of God,sins."

RomansHebrews 5:19a11:6a
"ForAnd aswithout byfaith theit oneis man'simpossible disobedienceto theplease many were made sinners...him,"

Introduce the Verses

Teacher:
"TheseWe arehave ourtwo special memory verses fortoday! today!These verses teach us the most important things from our lesson. Let's learn what they mean beforefirst, wethen we'll memorize them."

Teacher: "Let's look at RomansHebrews 3:239:22b first."

"All...without havethe sinned"shedding" - This means EVERY"without personpouring hasout." doneWhen wrongan things.animal Notwas justkilled grown-ups,for butsacrifice, childrenits too.blood Everyone!was "shed" or poured out.

"Fall short" - Think about trying to jump across a big river. You jump and jump, but you can't make it to the other side. You "fall short." It means we can't reach something, no matter how hard we try.

"Glory of God"blood" - This is the blood from the animal sacrifice. Remember, blood represents life. Without blood, we die.

"there is no forgiveness" - Forgiveness means showingbeing howpardoned wonderfulor having your sin covered. This phrase means you cannot have forgiveness without blood.

"of sins" - These are our wrong actions and specialthoughts that make God is. Remember when we talked about mirrors? Our hearts are supposed to be like mirrors that reflect God's glory, showing everyone how amazing He is. But our sinful hearts are like dirty mirrors. They "fall short" - they can't reflect God's glory the way they should.angry.

Teacher: "So this verse means: EveryoneYou hascannot sinned,have andyour nobodysins canforgiven showunless God'sblood gloryis theshed. wayGod werequires should.blood to cover sin. This shows us how serious sin is!"

(Pause. Let this sink in.)

Teacher: "Now let's look at RomansHebrews 5:19a.11:6a."

"OneAnd man'without faith" - Faith means trusting and believing God. It means doing what God says because you believe He's disobedience"right.

"it is impossible" - This ismeans talkingit aboutCANNOT Adam!happen. Remember,There's Adamno disobeyed God by eating the fruit.way!

"Theto manyplease were made sinners"him," - "The many"This means all of Adam's children, and their children, and their children - all the way down to us!make BecauseGod Adam sinned, we are all born as sinners.happy.

Teacher: "So this verse means: BecauseIf Adamyou disobeyeddon't have faith in God, allyou hiscannot childrenmake (includingHim us!)happy. wereYou madecannot sinners.please ThisGod iswithout exactlytrusting whatand weobeying learnedHim."

in

Teacher: our"Remember storyAbel? today!He had faith! He trusted God and obeyed God. That's why God was pleased with him. Cain did not have faith. He didn't trust or obey God. That's why God was not pleased with Cain."

Teach Hand Motions

Teacher: "Now let's learn hand motions to help us remember these verses.verses! We'll do RomansHebrews 3:239:22b first. Watch me,me carefully, then we'll do it together."

(Demonstrate each motion slowly and clearly. Then have children do it with you.)

RomansHebrews 3:239:22b - Hand Motions

"...forwithout all"the shedding" - SpreadHold armsboth wide,hands gesturingup, tothen everyonepour inthem thedown roomlike liquid pouring

"haveof sinned"blood" - CoverPoint to your arm where blood flows

"there is no" - Shake your head "no" and wave hands side to side

"forgiveness of sins." - First cover your heart with both hands,hands head(sin), bowedthen slightlyopen arms wide showing freedom (forgiveness)

"andHebrews fall short" - Jump forward slightly, then shake your head "no" to show you didn't make it

"of the glory of God," - Point up to heaven with both index fingers

"Romans 3:23"9:22b" - Hold up 39 fingers,fingers (both hands), then 2 fingers (pause), then 32 fingersfingers, then say "B"

(Practice this verse with motions 3-4 times. Go slowly at first, then speed up. Make it fun!)

Teacher: "Great job! Now let's learn the motions for RomansHebrews 5:19a.11:6a. ThisWatch one is a little longer, but you can do it!carefully!"

RomansHebrews 5:19a11:6a - Hand Motions

"ForAnd aswithout byfaith" the- oneHold man's"your hands over your eyes like you can't see

"it is impossible" - Make an X with your arms in front of your chest

"to please him," - Point up to heaven with both index fingers, then smile and give two thumbs up

"Hebrews 11:6a" - Hold up one finger (for "one man")

"disobedience" - Shake your finger side to side, like saying "no, no"

"the many" - Spread arms wide again, showing lots of people

"were made sinners..." - Cover your heart with both hands again

"Romans 5:19a" - Hold up 5 fingers, then 1 finger, then 910 fingers (both hands) then 1 finger (11), then show 6 fingers, then say "A"

(Practice this verse with motions 3-4 times. Be patient! It's okay if children don't get it perfect.)

Teacher: "You're doing wonderful! Let's try saying both verses together now, with all the motions!"

(Lead children through both verses 2-3 times. Be encouraging! Celebrate their effort!)

Summary

Teacher: "Let's say together in one sentence what these verses mean:"

"AllWithout peopleblood, aresins borncannot sinnersbe becauseforgiven. ofWithout Adam, andfaith, we allcannot failplease to show God's glory.God."

(Have children repeat this summary sentence after you.)

Teacher: "ThisThese connectsverses connect to whateverything we learned today about God! Remember:

• God is JUST:HOLY: He sees ourhates sin and must punish it. That's whatwhy weblood deserve.must be shed.
• God is PATIENT:LOVING: Even though we're sinners, He didn'tmade punisha Adamway andfor Eveus rightto away.come Heto has been patient with all sinners, including us.Him!
• God hasis a PLAN:MERCIFUL: EvenHe thoughcovered sin with blood sacrifices so we can'tcould fixbe ournear sinHim.
problem,
• God can!wants HeFAITH: hasWe amust wonderfultrust planHim toand saveobey us.Him, like Abel did.

Teacher: "Before we move on, let's say our verses one more time - as loud as we can! Ready?"

(Lead children enthusiastically through both verses with motions one final time. Celebrate their effort with applause!)

Craft & Game (10 mins)

Craft: Paper"Covered Dollby ChainBlood" Heart (5 minutes)

Materials Needed:

• PaperPrintout dollof chaindarkened printoutheart (one 5-personper chainchild, about 4 inches)
• Red construction paper (one sheet per child)
• Scissors
• Glue sticks
• Crayons or markers (various colors)
• Small heart stickers or stamps (optional)

Teacher: "Now we're going to make something special to help us remember today's lesson! I'm giving each of you a paperheart dollwith chain.a dark color on it."

(Distribute one paperdarkened dollheart chainprintout to each child.)

Instructions:

1. FoldColor theyour paper:darkened heart: HelpHave children folduse thedark papercrayons along(black, thegray, dashedbrown) linesto likecolor antheir accordion,heart soto themake dollit onlook theeven fardarker. leftThis isrepresents facing them on top.sin.

   (Walk around and help children whoas are struggling. Younger children will need more help.needed.)

2. ColorCut theout dolls:a red heart: Help each child trace and cut out a slightly larger heart from red construction paper. This represents blood covering sin.

   (Have pre-cut red hearts ready for younger children who struggle with cutting.)

3. Glue hearts together: Have children colorglue their darkened heart in the papercenter dollsof usingthe crayonsred orheart, markers.so Theythe canred giveheart eachshows dollall differentaround colorsthe foredges clothes,like hair,a etc.frame.

   (EncourageHelp creativity! Let them have funchildren with this.glue as needed.)

4. Write yourthe name:verse: HaveOn eachthe child write their name on ONEback of the dollred figuresheart, help children write "Hebrews 9:22b" (theyor choosewrite whichit onefor representsthem them)if they're too young).

   (HelpFor childrenvery whoyoung can'tchildren, you may pre-write yet by writing their name for them.this.)

5. Optional - Heart stickers: If you have heart stickers, let children place one small heart on each doll's chest area.

Teacher says while children are working:

"ThisYour paperdarkened dollheart chainrepresents showsyour sinful heart. It's broken and can't show God how allspecial peopleHe areis. connectedBut -look fromwhat Adamhappens andwhen Eve,we to their children, to their grandchildren, allput the wayred downheart toaround us! Each doll represents a person, and they're all holding hands because they're all part of the same family.it!"

"Remember,The justred likeheart horsesrepresents haveblood. horseIn babiesthe Old Testament, God covered sin with blood from animal sacrifices. When God's people had faith and dogsobeyed haveHim, dogGod babies,covered sinfultheir human parents have sinful human children. That's why one of these dolls has YOUR name on it! We are ALL sinners, born with dark hearts.sin."

"ButThis craft reminds us that we cannot fix our sinful hearts ourselves. We need God isto patientcover withour us,sin. andAnd Heone hasday, aGod wonderfulwould plan!send Jesus, whose blood would not just cover sin, but take it away completely!"

Connection to Lesson: The paperdarkened dollheart chainrepresents our sinful condition, while the red heart surrounding it visually representsshows how God's plan covered sin haswith beenblood. passedThis downreinforces fromthe Adamkey and Eve to all their descendants, including us. It helps children seeconcept that weGod aremade alla connectedway infor thissinners problemthrough ofblood sin.sacrifice, foreshadowing Jesus' perfect sacrifice.

Game: SinFaith Pass-AroundObedience Simon Says (5 minutes)

Materials Needed:

• Soft ball or beanbag
• Open space for children to sitstand
in
• No aother circlematerials needed

Setup:

• Have all children sitstand in aan circleopen onarea where they can move freely
• Teacher stands at the floorfront where all children can see
• Make sure there's enough spaceroom for thejumping, ballspinning, to be passed around
• Teacher stands or sits as part of the circleetc.

Teacher: "We're going to play a special game that helps us remember howwhat sinFAITH getsmeans! passedFaith frommeans parentstrusting and obeying God. In our game, you'll need to children.listen Thiscarefully balland representsobey sin.only when I say the special words."

(HoldMake upsure theyou ball.have everyone's attention.)

Teacher: "Here's how we play:"

How to Play:

1. The Special Words: Explain that you'll give commands, but they should only obey when you say "God says" first (like Simon Says). If you don't say "God says," they shouldn't do the action!
2. Start with "Adam":Examples: Teacher

   "Let's holdspractice! theGod ballsays touch your nose!" (Children should touch their nose.)

   "Jump up and says,down!" (Children should NOT jump because you didn't say "IGod amsays.")

   Adam.

   "Good! IYou're sinnedlistening againstcarefully!"

   God.
3. Play Several Rounds: Give 8-10 commands, mixing "God says" commands with commands without "God says." ThenUse passsimple theactions: ball
   to
   • "God thesays childclap your hands!"
   • "God says stomp your feet!"
   • "Spin around!" (No "God says" - they shouldn't do it!)
   • "God says put your hands on your right.head!"
   • Pass"Touch toyour toes!" (No "Eve": That child says, "I am Eve. I sinned against God too." Then they pass the ball to the next child.says")
   • Pass"God tosays thegive children:your The next child says, "I am [Cain/Abel/or their own name]. I was bornneighbor a sinner.high five!"
   Then
   they pass the ball to the next child.
4. Keep going:it Fun: ContinueIf aroundchildren themake circle.mistakes, Eachdon't childeliminate says,them. Just say "IOops! amRemember [theirto name].listen Ifor was'God born a sinner,says'!" and passeskeep theplaying. ball.The goal is learning, not competition.
5. LastEnd round:with Everyone Winning: WhenAfter the8-10 ball gets back to the teacher,commands, say together"God assays give yourselves a class:big "Weround areof ALLapplause! sinners!You Butall Goddid is patient and has a plan!great!"

Important Notes:

• Keep the pace quick and fun
• IfUse asimple, childsafe doesn'tactions wantappropriate to say the words, they can just pass the ball - don't force them
• For veryfor young children
(K-1),
• Don't simplifyeliminate tochildren just- sayingkeep "I'meveryone aplaying
sinner"
• Focus on listening carefully and passingobeying when appropriate
• Emphasize that EVERYONEFAITH ismeans inlistening theto sameGod situationand -obeying no one should feel singled outHim

Discussion Prompts:

After the ball goes around once,game, Teacher asks:says:

Teacher: "Great job, everyone! Now let's talk about what we just learned."

Question 1: "TheIn ballour wentgame, fromdid person to person, just like sin went from Adam and Eve to their children. Did anyone CHOOSE toI get theupset ball?when you obeyed what I said?"

Expected Response: "No!" "You were happy!"

Teacher: "That's right! JustI was happy when you listened and obeyed. That's what FAITH is! When we trust God and obey what He says, God is pleased, just like youHe didn'twas choosepleased towith receive the ball, we didn't choose to be born sinners. We were BORN that way because we're Adam and Eve's children.Abel."

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Question 2: "CouldWho anyin ofour usstory stoptoday thehad ballfaith? fromWho beinglistened passed?to God and obeyed?"

Expected Response: "No!Abel!"

Teacher: "You'reYes! right!Abel Justtrusted likeGod weand couldn'tobeyed stopHim. theHe ball,had weFAITH. can'tThat's stopwhy beingGod sinnerscovered byhis ourselves.sin Weand needAbel GODbecame toGod's help us!friend."

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Question 3: "What didhappens ourwhen memorywe versedon't say?have Canfaith, EVERYONEwhen saywe they'redon't atrust sinner?and obey God?"

Expected Response: "Yes!God is not pleased!" Some"Like might quote: "For ALL have sinned!Cain!"

Teacher: "Exactly! ALLThe haveBible sinned.says, Every'Without singlefaith person.it We'reis allimpossible into thisplease together!him.' We cannot make God happy without trusting and obeying Him."

Connection to Lesson: This game reinforces the concept of inheritedfaith sinas intrusting aand concrete,obeying physicalGod. way.Just Childrenas experiencechildren how sin "passes" from personhad to person,listen just as it passed from Adamcarefully and Eveobey the teacher's commands with "God says," we must listen to allGod's theirWord descendants.and Theobey ballHim. representsThis sindirectly thatconnects weto can'tAbel's stopfaith (trusting and obeying God) versus Cain's lack of faith (not trusting or escapeobeying on our own.God).

(After the game, have children return to their seats for the response song.)

Response Song

"Before we close, let's sing a song to help us remember what we learned today! This song is about faith and trusting God."

Closing Prayer & Snack Time (10 mins)

Closing Prayer

Teacher: "What a wonderful time we've had learning about God today! Before we have our snack, let's thank God for what we learned."

(Invite children to bow their heads, close their eyes, and fold their hands.)

Teacher leads closing prayer:

"Dear God,

Thank You for teaching us today.today about Your amazing plan. Thank You for the Bible that tellsshowing us the truthtruth, abouteven ourselves.when it's hard to understand.

We learned today that we are all sinners. We were bornsinners with sinfulbroken hearts, just like Adam and Eve. We learnedhearts that ourwe sincannot makesfix Youourselves. angry, and weWe deserve Your punishment.

punishment

Butbecause God, we also learned that You are PATIENT. You didn't punish Adam and Eve right away. You were kind to them. You are kind to us too.

We know we can't fix our own sinful hearts. We need YOU, God. Thank You that You have a plan to save us fromof our sin. WeBut can'tGod, waitYou love us so much! You made a way for sinners to learncome moreto about Your wonderful plan!You.

Thank You for lovingteaching us evenabout thoughblood wesacrifices arein sinners.the Old Testament. Thank You for showing us how serious sin is. When animals had to die to cover sin, Your people could see that sin deserves death. But You, in Your mercy, provided a way to cover their sin.

Thank You for teaching us about faith. Help us to be like Abel, who trusted You and obeyed You. Help us not to be like Cain, who wanted to do things his own way. Give us hearts that believe You and follow You.

We know that animal sacrifices could only cover sin, not take it away completely. But thank You that You had a perfect plan coming! Thank You for Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, who takes away our sin completely.

Help us to remember what we learned today, especially our memory verses.verses this week. Help us to have faith in You and trust You with our whole hearts.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."

Snack Prayer

(After the closing prayer, prepare for snack time. Have children stay seated or move to snack tables. Before eating, lead them in the snack prayer.)

Teacher: "Before we eat, let's thank God for our snack."

"Now, let us thank You for the snack we're about to enjoy.
We fold our hands.
We bow our heads.
We thank You, God,
for this daily bread.
Amen."

During Snack Time

Conversation Starters for Snack Time:
While children are eating, you can ask these casual questions to reinforce the lesson:

• "Can anyone tell me what we learned about today?"
• "Who can show me the hand motions for our memory verses?"
• "Who had faith in our story, Cain or Abel?"
• "What does faith mean?" (Answer: Trusting and obeying God)
• "How did God cover sin in the Old Testament?" (Answer: With blood from animal sacrifices)
• "What was your favorite part of ourtoday's lesson?"
• "Can you teach your parents the memory verse at home?"
• "Do you remember what God is like? He is just and patient!"
• "What animal did you like best in our matching game?"

Remember: Keep the conversation light and friendly during snack time. This is also a good time for children to relax and socialize.

Dismissal Reminders

Before Parents Arrive:

• Make sure each child has their paper"Covered dollby chainBlood" heart craft to take home
• Remind children to practice their memory verses at home with their families
• Give each child their "Growing in Faith Together" parent page (if available)

Teacher says: "Great job today, everyone! Don't forget to practice your memory verses this week. You can teach them to your parents! And remember: God made a way for sinners to come to Him because He loves you,us. We come to God by faith, trusting and Heobeying has a wonderful plan!Him!"

Free Time & Children Pickup (15 mins)

Activity Suggestions:

• Free play with toys or blocks
• Coloring pages relatedabout tolambs, today'shearts, lessonor Cain and Abel
• Review memory verses one more time with interested children
• Quiet reading of Bible story books
• Simple puzzles or games
• Drawing pictures of today's story

Parent Communication:
As parents arrive to pick up their children, briefly share one highlight from today's lesson. For example: "Today we learned that all people are born sinners, but God ismade patienta way for sinners to come to Him through blood sacrifice, teaching us about faith through the story of Cain and has a wonderful plan to save us!Abel!" Encourage parents to review the memory verses at home.home and discuss what it means to have faith in God.