Theme: God is the holy, just and gracious creator of all things.
Color Theme: white
Key Scriptures:
- Isaiah 43:15
- Proverbs 17:15
- Titus 2:11
White Thread Memory Verse:
I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
Isaiah 43:15
Items you will need:
- A white item such as a bandana, balloon, piece of card stock, pom pom, etc.
- White item to give to each student such as a marshmallow, white gum ball or sticker
- Foam poster board prepared with the Gospel Threads presentation (link below)
- Appropriate items to create board
Introduction:
During the Bible teaching time, you will create the Gospel Threads outline on a poster board. As the week progresses, you will add a portion of the story to this illustration in a different color each day. For complete instructions on how to make the Gospel Threads presentation board, go HERE.
Ask the students if they have ever heard an adult tell a child, “You ask too many questions.” Why do adults say that? – because kids are naturally curious and inquisitive. They are growing and learning and want to know why things happen and how things work. Encourage the students that today you want them to ask questions. You want them to be curious. But you want them to be curious about certain questions. Questions such as:
- Who is God?
- Who am I?
- Who is Jesus?
- What does it mean to follow Jesus?
- Why is this important?
These may not be questions that children naturally think about. But tell them that these are very important questions to consider, and that the answers to these questions will affect how they live their lives and what happens to them when they die. Explain to the students that this week you will address each of these questions, why they are important, and why they need to be able to answer these questions.
Begin by holding up your white item (white bandana, balloon, etc.).
Ask the students to tell you what they think of when they see the color white. What qualities do they think the color white represents?
Allow students to respond. Answers should include the ideas of clean, holy, pure, righteous, without stain or blemish. While you are having this dialogue, give each child the predetermined white item to remind them of the theme color.
The color white will be used to represent the character of God.
Add in the “GOD” portion of the Gospel Threads presentation as you talk through the information below.
God is holy.
Add the word “holy” inside the white line. Add Isaiah 43:15 under the world “holy” if desired.
Ask someone to read Isaiah 43:15:
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
Ask the students what they think the word holy means? What does it mean when we say God is holy?
It means that God is without sin and absolutely pure. He is without blemish, impurity, or imperfection.
God is just.
Write or add the word “just” under the word “holy”. Add Proverbs 17:15 if desired.
Explain that justice is a legal word that means that an action is right and fair. Ask for two volunteers that will represent and act out two examples of unfair justice:
1) the guilty that go unpunished
2) the innocent accused of wrong
Have child #1 act out a scenario such as pretending to hit or hurt someone or be unkind in some way. Ask children if they would want to see justice – the child being disciplined for this bad behavior? Guide children to say that they would want the child to receive consequences for his/her behavior, but explain that you are not going to do anything about it. Next, act out with child #2 a scenario of something being stolen. You take the item and put it in your back pocket, but then point the finger at child #2 in an accusatory way. Ask the child to respond in innocence – not knowing anything about the situation. Pretend to arrest or find guilty the innocent child.
Help the students understand that we all want justice. We want the guilty punished (point to the first student) and we want the innocent to be free (point to the second student).
Because God is just, He also wants to see the guilty punished and the innocent set free. This truth can be seen in Proverbs 17:15:
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the innocent
are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.
Tell students that because God is holy, he cannot dwell with sin.
And because God is just he must punish sin.
But the Bible also teaches that God is gracious and wants to forgive sin.
God is gracious.
Write or add the word “gracious” under the word “just”. Add the reference Titus 2:11.
Read the Scripture: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people…
Explain to your students the definition of the word grace: it comes from the Greek word “charis” which means the blessing or favor of God, but carries with it the idea that we have done nothing to earn or deserve it.
So God is gracious and loving to us and shows us favor even though we have not done anything to deserve it or earn it.
End by holding up your white item and reminding students of the character of God: holy (without sin, perfect, blameless), just (punishment for the guilty and freedom for the innocent) and gracious (shows us unmerited grace and favor).
Finally, end by telling the children that tomorrow they will see a tension between the character of God and the character of man and the problem this creates.
Download a hard copy of this lesson HERE.
Progress to Sewing Gospel Threads Day 2 HERE.
