Psalm 51:1-9 Juniors Class, 30 Circles, Sin Sign Tally, Memory Verse: Psalm 51:7b, Snow Mobile

Welcome activity: 30 Circles

30 Circles Creativity Challenge

This is something I learned during a creative thinking training session. Introducing this activity to the kids for them to enjoy doodling. You can learn more about the 30 Circles activity here.

Goal: turn as many of the blank circles as possible into recognizable objects in three minutes.

Share and discuss.

Ice breaker activity: Sin Sign Tally

Sin Signs Tally Board 

Adopted from Ministry-to-children.com, this activity is done through:
1. Group class into two.
2. Each group is to be given a tally board with the words sin, iniquity, transgression and evil. The goal is to count all of the words as they are read in the Bible text that will be read.
3. Read Bible text:
Psalm 51:1-9

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 

Lesson discussion
Discuss the Bible passage with the following guide questions:

1. How many times were sin, iniquity, transgressions and evil mentioned?
2. What can you say about these four words?
3. What must we do with our sin according to what we read?

At this point, stress how Jesus alone has washed away our sins clean. I would like for the class to pause and pray to Jesus.

Memory verse

Psalm 51:7b:  “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.”

Craft activity: Snow Mobile
Materials

Cloud printout

Snow printouts

1. Cloud printout
2. Snowflake printouts
3. Strings
4. Glue
5. Puncher

Steps

• Glue together the cloud so you have back-to-back of it.
• Glue together the snowflakes so you have matching back-to-back too.
• Punch holes on the cloud to tie a string.
• Punch a hole on the snowflake to connect the other end of the string from the cloud.
• Display at home.

James 4:1-6a Warning Against Worldliness

Arrive before the official start of the class.
Set-up the chairs and tables according to the first activity.

Remembering students' name TIP: As the students come in, and since each Sunday sees new faces, I always have a ready activity for the students to do which involves writing their name.

Name Mnenomic
Hand out pieces of paper for the children to form an acrostic out of their name letters. This happens while the Worship Team inside the Worship Hall sings, and serves as an ice breaker for the class. At the same time, this allows late comers to still join in the main part of Sunday class.

Source: http://www.acrosticnamepoemsforboys.com/

Credit: http://appliedexpressions.com/

Credit: http://www.acrosticnamepoems.com/

Class Prayer

Ask student volunteer to be the prayer leader, or call on someone to start the session with a prayer.

Welcome Remarks

Quick introduction of who I am, our church, and our rules which basically are getting permission from teacher before leaving the group to go to the rest room, get water, etc; participate quietly and respectfully; and any other student suggestion the students they may have.

Scripture

Warning Against Worldliness What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[a] are at war within you?[b] 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people![c] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace.

Main points (Discussion)

Credit: https://pixshark.com/

Source: https://ekouponer.wordpress.com/

Credit: http://www.christianitytodayads.com/

• As sons and daughters of God, we are not of the world. Worldliness is not a kingdom attribute. We must live in this world, but not like this world.
• But how do we apply that in our lives every day?
• To do this, all of our actions must:

1. Pursue God
2. Be in communion with God and the Holy Spirit
3. Bring me closer to Jesus Christ
4. Not make me self-centered, appetite-driven, God-hating
5. Not disobey God
6. Not make me proud

• These are all difficult, and our human nature makes it doubly hard. We need a helper.

Activity: Kingdom of God Passport

Credit: http://www.biblecraftclub.com/blog/2017/4/29/kingdom-passport-craft

Add Lazada/Nuffnang

Putting God's Words First in My Life

After a half-month break from volunteer work for Sunday School, back again with the lesson about God's blessings to those who put His Words first in their lives and what will become of them compared to those who don't.

Bible Verse

Psalm 1 1 Blessed is the one who obeys the law of the Lord. 

      He doesn't follow the advice of evil people. 

   He doesn't make a habit of doing what sinners do. 

      He doesn't join those who make fun of the Lord and his law. 

 2 Instead, he takes delight in the law of the Lord. 

      He thinks about his law day and night. 

 3 He is like a tree that is planted near a stream of water. 

      It always bears its fruit at the right time. 

   Its leaves don't dry up. 

      Everything godly people do turns out well.

Psalm 1 Tagalog: Ang Dating Biblia (1905)
 1Mapalad ang tao na hindi lumalakad sa payo ng masama, ni tumatayo man sa daan ng mga makasalanan, ni nauupo man sa upuan ng mga manglilibak. 2Kundi ang kaniyang kasayahan ay nasa kautusan ng Panginoon; at sa kautusan niya nagbubulaybulay siya araw at gabi. 3At siya'y magiging parang punong kahoy na itinanim sa siping ng mga agos ng tubig, na nagbubunga sa kaniyang kapanahunan, ang kaniyang dahon nama'y hindi malalanta; at anumang kaniyang gawin ay giginhawa. 4Ang masama ay hindi gayon; kundi parang ipa na itinataboy ng hangin. 5Kaya't ang masama ay hindi tatayo sa paghatol, ni ang mga makasalanan man sa kapisanan ng mga matuwid. 6Sapagka't nalalaman ng Panginoon ang lakad ng mga matuwid: nguni't ang lakad ng masama ay mapapahamak


Message

1. God's Word is given as a direction to life, it is life's manual.
2. When we read God's Word, we should reflect about it and apply in our lives.

Lesson Introduction

Will bring extra Bibles for those who don't have and will ask them to race to Psalm 1. First to get there will get to be the class leader. What does the class tycoon do? Will ask them, whatever additions they will choose, the class tycoon will be in charge of counting all the students and watching who will not behave properly.

Lesson Time

Psalm 1 talks about a strong tree planted with a steady supply of water - healthy and fruitful. Will show them photos of the world's tallest trees, and finally the Philippines' Millenium Tree:

Photo copyright of owner from xcitefun.net

Sequoia trees in South Africa - Photo copyright of http://sequoiagardens.wordpress.com/

Philippines' Millenium Tree, a 600-year old Banyan Tree (Balete) in Aurora Province Photo copyright of Michael Sinjin Pineda

Ask the kids how these trees became as big and strong.

After acknowledging their answer, will point out that just like this tree, people also need a lot of things to be strong and healthy. Count in my hand the answers.

Go back to the word, the part that says a righteous man is like a tree. Ask what is a righteous man. Following Ministry-to-Children.com's lead, will draw a bare tree trunk and let the kids paste the leaves with the virtues of a righteous man.

Conclude that righteousness is only possible through Christ. That's why once we receive Him in our hearts, we instantly - like magic, become aright! Pray with the kids to accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Bare tree trunk copyright of craftscope.com