BIG IDEA: I HAVE SINNED
AIM: The aim of the ‘I Have Sinned’ Childrens Lesson on Peters Denial is to help children see that we have all sinned – therefore we are all in need of a Savior!
SONG IDEAS:
2. ‘Blessed by Your Name’ by Capitol Kids Worship
3. ‘Wake’ by Young and Free
4. ‘Never Too Far Gone’ by Jordan Feliz
GAME IDEAS:
1. Alphabetti Spaghetti. Children compete to create several words out of the letters in a bowl of alphabet soup – one bowl each. They spell the words on a plate next to their bowl.
2. Blind Feeders. Children get into partners. One partner is blindfolded and must put their arms under the arm pits of their partner to feed them. You could try feeding with a banana or make it more difficult with a meal such as cereal or soup.
3. Target Practice. Children could fire arrows at a target and see who can score the most points. Alternatively use a nerf fun and chest targets. Application: to sin or to do wrong means to miss the mark of perfection.
4. Tin Can Alley. Children compete to knock over as many cans as possible in a defined time. Application: Just as the cans were knocked over Jesus defeats sin.
If you have more space you could also put an obstacle course together where children must try to hit the mark tires or hoops to hop or jump through, bean bags to throw.
SET the Scene:
Read Luke 22:54-62.
Peter has been a friend and follower of Jesus for the three years that Jesus has been teaching and performing miracles. He is impulsive and makes big promises to Jesus. He promised that he would not leave or deny Jesus. Yet Jesus had told him at the last supper that he would deny him three times before the cockerel crowed.
VIDEO IDEAS:
1. ‘Jesus Forgives Peter’ by Saddleback Kids (the whole story)
2. ‘Peter Denies Jesus’ by LifeTV (includes restoration)
SPOT the Simple Meaning:
1. X = I HAVE SINNED – I’VE GOT IT WRONG
You will need a big sheet of paper with some maths questions on them and a marker.
Show a Dude Perfect clip off YouTube. You could have your own basketball hoop and ball (mini or full size) ready to give the children a try at making the perfect shot. Alternatively you could put your own quiz together and see who can get the most right answers, however, this may backfire if a child gets all the answers right so you may want to add some ridiculously difficult questions!
Say: The 2nd point, the ‘X’ sign on the 4 points wristbands/tshirts or signs means “I Have sinned’ or “I’ve Got it Wrong.” Don’t you just hate it when you get something wrong in school? Perhaps you had some homework that you tried really hard at but you just didn’t understand. Maybe you did something wrong and the headmaster told you off or told you you couldn’t have playtime (recess). That just feels like the worst!
We’re not the only ones who have got it wrong. Peter got himself into a mess when he did something wrong. Rather than stick with his friend, Peter turned on Jesus. Peter told others that he didn’t even know who Jesus was! Peter was not a good friend at all – he got it wrong – he sinned. Sin is anything that we do that is selfish and goes against others and God. Sin is spelled
S-I-N because it has ‘I’ in the middle – it’s all about me!
Jesus never acted selfishly. Jesus was and is perfect in every way. He never makes a mistake or makes a mess of things – he never does anything wrong. Just as Dude Perfect was able to get the ball in the hoop every time – a perfect shot – Jesus’ every decision was perfect.
2. SIN – MY WRONGS – SEPARATE ME FROM GOD
Have a bottle with both oil and water inside. [Make sure you keep it with you at all times for safety purposes]
Say: God is perfect and I am not. Being perfect means to never ever ever do wrong. When I do wrong it separates me from God because sin and perfection don’t mix. [Show the bottle to the children] Can you see this bottle? What is different about what is inside it? That’s right, the water and the oil inside don’t mix, they stay separated. Just like sin and perfection, they don’t mix. The thing is, that God didn’t want us to be forever separated from Him. He wants us to know Him and to be His friend.
3. JESUS MAKES MY WRONGS RIGHT
Use an iPad sketch app (if using a screen) or a chalkboard or wipeboard to write or draw some of the wrong things that Peter did as you speak. Then as you speak about Jesus forgiving Peter wipe each thing away. (use an eraser tool if using an app).
Say: You know, Jesus lived an absolutely perfect life. He never did anything wrong when he lived on the earth or ever. He died and rose again so that I can be forgiven and I can run to God whenever I do wrong. So I I don’t have to run away or turn my face from Him – I can run to Him and ask for His forgiveness.
The coolest thing about the life of Peter is that although he did wrong his story did not end there. Jesus found him. After Jesus died and rose again he went back to find Peter. He found Peter on the beach. [Read John 21] Jesus asked Peter three times. “Do you love me?” This myst have hurt Peter’s feelings – he really loved Jesus, his friend. Yet he said “yes” each time. Peter said “you know I love you” as Jesus did know that Peter loved his friend. So why did Jesus ask Peter this same question three times?
Jesus asked Peter so that he could show Peter that he was forgiven. He asked Peter so that Peter could stand strong three times, where he once had stood weakly three times and denied him. Jesus restored Peter. That means that he gave him back his place and reminded him of who he really was. Peter was Jesus’ disciple and friend and he was going to help build his church and see many come to know Christ.
Jesus put Peter’s wrongs right and he can also put our wrongs right. He is God and He can forgive everything we have ever thought, said or done wrong.
SEARCH the Scriptures:
SIN IS MESSY!
Hide the sin bible verses in chocolate custard and add some gummy candy worms. Can the children find the bible verses with their fingers in the chocolatey mix?
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.
All people have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory. People are made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23-24.
Guide my steps as you promised. Don’t let any sin control me. Psalm 119:133.
God, be merciful to me because you are loving. Because you are always ready to be merciful, wipe out all my wrongs. Wash away all my guilt and make me clean again. Psalm 51:1-2.
Yes, if you forgive others for the things they do wrong, then your Father in heaven will also forgive you for the things you do wrong. Matthew 6:14.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you think sin is messy? Do you think it is fun or not?
2. How does it feel when you do something wrong?
3. How does it feel to know God forgives?
SENSE How You Feel:
Pick one of the questions below and encourage the children to do one of the actvities below as they think about the question.
How does it feel to do wrong?
How does it feel to know God forgives?
How would you feel if you were Peter and Jesus forgave you?
Activities:
1. Cockrel craft by CraftingtheWordofGod
2. Rooster feather craft
3. Rooster handprint craft – simply take the idea from the activity sheet
4. Cockrel paper bag craft
SEEK God:
You could play Matthew West’s ‘Forgiveness’ in the background during the following activities.
Say: Is there anything that you want to ask God to forgive you from today? The bible says that when we ask Him to forgive, He also forgets! How cool is that?! He casts it into the sea of forgetfulness – that means He never reminds us of it again. If we remember it, we should remember that God has forgiven us and we don’t need to keep reminding ourselves of the wrong we have done.
Activities:
1. Shred It Away: Have children write or draw their wrong on paper and then watch it get shredded in a shredder (with adult supervision)
2. Speak it Out: If you don’t have much time to spare, why not just ask the kids to whisper or speak out the things to God that they would like to be forgiven of?
3. Wiped Away: Encourage children to write or draw their sin on a mini chalkboard or wipeboard and then watch it disappear as they pray and wipe it away.
4. Washed Away: Encourage children to put their hands in soil to remind them of their sin and then to wash it off straight away to show that God has forgiven them.
5. All Gone: Have children draw or write their sin in a container of sand and then wipe it away until it is all gone.
Remind the children that it is because God loves them that they can come to Him. They never have to hide or run away. They can run to Him.
Click here for the ‘I Have Sinned’ PowerPoint image
