Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum by Nicole Tom

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

Keep God’s Temple Clean • Lesson 1

Scripture: Matthew 5:20; Luke 11:37-40; I John 1:9

Objective: Each child will learn that the Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that it is important to keep God’s temple clean.

Bible Memory Verse: I Corinthians 6:20 Supplies OPENING q Toothbrush, soap, towel, comb, fingernail file, nail clippers, washcloth q Visuals 1A BIBLE LESSON q Bible q Visuals 1B-1D q Activity Sheets 1A q Pencils q Two prepared sheets of construction paper q Scissors, glue or tape BIBLE MEMORY VERSE q Bible q Prepared “God” Circle and Cross from Visuals 1E q Flannel or felt q Flannel board

q One-dollar bill BIBLE ACTIVITY q Activity Sheets 1B q Crayons CRAFT q Prepared Activity Sheets 1C and 1D q Visuals 1A copied for each child q Crayons or markers q Construction paper q Scissors, glue, tape OPTIONAL CRAFT q Bars of bath soap cut in half, one half for each child q Plastic knives, newspapers GAME q Ball for each team

Planning Tips Cut out the Action Strips, Clean Heart, Pockets, and Sin-Stained Heart from Visuals 1C and 1D. Glue or tape three edges of the red pocket to the Sin-Stained Heart, and three edges of the white pocket to the Clean Heart. For the memory verse activity, cut the Cross and “God” Circle from Visuals 1E and back them with flannel or felt for use on a flannel board. Print the activity sheets for each child. Pre-cut the four lettered slits on each Activity Sheet 1C. Also prepare two sheets of construction paper, printing a large A on one and a B on the other. Read through this lesson for additional preparation instructions.

Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum Downloads Copyright © 2011 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531 ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson. Not for resale.

Summer Lesson 1 • Page 1

Lesson 1

Opening (10-20 minutes) GATHERing Follow your regular opening ceremonies: attendance, offering, announcements, and prayer. Look each child in the eye and welcome him as he arrives. Take this time to get to know your students on a personal basis. Song Time Sing TEACH ME, LORD and I AM A PROMISE. Then sing KIDS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Theme Introduction Begin by asking, What do you call the building in which you live, eat, and sleep? That’s right, you call it a house or a home. Did you know that the Bible says that everyone who has received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior has God’s Holy Spirit living in him? Now that doesn’t mean that God’s Holy Spirit lives inside you the same way you live inside your house. But it means that God’s Holy Spirit is an invisible part of your life (you can’t see Him but He has great power in your life). Our bodies are special houses for God’s Spirit. They are places where the Holy Spirit lives. These special houses are temples for God (holy places where the Holy Spirit lives). How do you think we should take care of our bodies, which are God’s temples? Pause for discussion. Have several students hold up the pictures or objects indicated as you talk about each one, and pantomime the action indicated, if they wish. A boy and a girl will be the objects for the first object lesson. Boy and GirL Jesus is not on the earth anymore where people can see Him. But they do see us, Jesus’ temples. We Christians should want to look nice, be nice, and smell nice to those around us so they will want to be Christians, too. Toothbrush When we eat, tiny pieces of food get caught between our teeth. A toothbrush can help to get them out. Swishing hard with water helps to get them out. How should we brush our teeth? (Pause for responses.) We should brush our teeth carefully to keep them healthy.

Summer Lesson 1 • Page 2

Lesson 1 Soap and Towel We use the bathroom many times a day. Sometimes you are in a hurry to get back to your work or play. You should not be in such a hurry that you forget to wash your hands before you leave. Why do we need to use soap and water? (Pause for responses.) Comb How nice it is to sit down at a table where everyone has clean faces and hands and their hair is combed neatly. Why is it important to comb our hair instead of not combing or brushing it? (Pause for responses.)

Key Verse: I Corinthians 6:20 “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (KJV) “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (NIV)

Fingernail File and NAIL ClipperS When you play hard you don’t notice the dirt that gets underneath your fingernails. What do you suppose could be hiding in that dirt? How can we keep our nails clean and neat? (Pause for responses.) Washcloth The parts of us that we don’t wash in the sink need to be kept clean, too. When we take a bath or shower we should soap up our washcloths and scrub all over, then rinse the soap off. How does your bathroom look after a bath or shower? How can you help your mother keep the bathroom clean? (Pause for responses.) Pictures of Food (Show Visuals 1A.) When we eat the foods that are good for us, our bodies stay healthy. When we eat right our skin stays smooth and healthy, our eyes keep bright and clear, and we feel good. Have the children name some healthy foods they enjoy eating. Say, As Christians, we should want to take care of our bodies because God made them and God’s Holy Spirit lives inside them. Read I Corinthians 3:16. Say, We should want to keep our bodies clean and healthy on the outside and the “inside.” But how do we keep our bodies clean on the inside? Is there a new scrub brush to clean inside? What does it mean to be “clean” on the inside? Listen to our Bible Lesson today and you will see!

Bible Lesson (10-15 minutes) STudy the Lesson Beforehand, print Visual 1B. Hold it in your Bible until indicated at the end of the story. Choose one child to play the Pharisee in the story. Have the “Pharisee” pretend that Jesus visits him, and

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KEEPING GOD’S TEMPLE CLEAN (Matthew 5:20; Luke 11:37-40; I John 1:9) (With hands on his hips and his head held high, the “Pharisee” walks proudly back and forth across the front of the room.) This man is a Pharisee. He is a religious leader in the templechurch during the time Jesus lived. He is proud of himself. He follows all the rules of the church, being careful to do everything just exactly right. He keeps himself clean on the outside. In his own eyes, he thinks he is good. One day the Pharisee invited Jesus home to dinner. (The Pharisee pretends to open his front door and welcome Jesus into his home.) As usual, he followed the rules of his religion and washed in a special way for dinner. (The Pharisee pretends to wash.) Jesus said to him, “You are washing on the outside just like you would wash the outside of a cup and a dish, but inside you are still dirty. You are greedy and wicked! Don’t you know that God made the inside as well as the outside?” (The Pharisee pretends to scrub his hands, looking in surprise at “Jesus.”). You see, Jesus could see inside the Pharisee. (Show Visual 1B.) On the outside, the Pharisee appeared to be a clean, good person. But he really wasn’t! On the inside, he was filled with sin. I imagine this Pharisee was quite surprised at Jesus’ words. Jesus knew this Pharisee was like the other Pharisees in the temple-church. They acted holy, but were not holy inside. Everything they did was a big show to impress people — not God. They tried to look good on the outside, but on the inside their lives were dirty with sin. Of course, Jesus could change the inside of the Pharisee if he had chosen to follow Jesus. Jesus came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. Anyone who invites Jesus into their lives as their personal Savior has their sins forgiven. Jesus makes that person clean and new inside! (Invite any children who would like to make this decision to stay after the meeting so you or another leader can talk to them. See “Leading a Child to Christ” on introductory page 5 for suggestions.) Review the Lesson Before the lesson, print a large A on one sheet of paper, and print and a B on another sheet of paper. Call on two students to hold the letter posters at the front of the room. Hand out pencils and Activity Sheets 1A to the children at

e a ch r T

pantomime the actions indicated in the story. Explain that this is a true story from the Bible. Hold your open Bible as you tell the story.

Lesson 1

ACT OUT THE LESSON Let your students practice ways to keep God’s temple (their bodies) clean. Choose two volunteers to role play as you describe each situation. Say, “Jeremy had a friend spend the night and stayed awake all night long. Matt went to bed at 10 o’clock and slept until 7 o’clock the next morning, Which person is caring for his body, the temple of God?” Pause for the children to respond. Mention that getting a good rest is one way to care for your body. Then present the next skit with two new actors. Say, “Theresa ate a bag of candy she had hidden in her room before she ate dinner. Now she isn’t hungry when she is supposed to eat her meal. Jessica had a dinner of meat, potatoes, veggies, and fruit. Which person is caring for her body, the temple of God?” Pause for the children to respond. Talk about how Jessica is eating healthy food, which is a great way to care for your body. Then present the next skit with two new actors. Say, “Nicole has been outside jumping rope. Her brother, Joe, didn’t want to get up this morning. In fact, it’s noon and he’s still sleeping. Which person is caring for his or her body, the temple of God?” Pause for the children to respond.

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Lesson 1 work tables. Have them look at the first page. Read each statement and have a child come up to the front of the room to point to one of the two letter posters to indicate the correct answer. Afterward, have the children circle either a or b in front of each statement on their page. Have an older child read the statements aloud; then pause for the children to circle the correct one. (Suggested answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-b, 4-b, 5-a, 6-b.) ReSPOND TO the Lesson Cut out the Action Slips, Clean Heart, Pockets, and Sin-Stained Heart from Visuals 1C and 1D. Glue or tape three edges of the red pocket to the Sin-Stained Heart, and three edges of the white pocket to the Clean Heart. Choose two children to hold the two hearts. Explain that the Sin-Stained Heart is the sinful heart, while the Clean Heart represents the heart where the Holy Spirit lives. Say, This is the heart where Jesus lives and rules. Distribute the individual Action Slips to various children and ask them to bring them to the front one at a time. You will then read the slip and ask the group whether the slip belongs in the clean or sin-stained heart. The child in front will then tuck the slip into the appropriate pocket. Ask, If a boy or girl has Jesus living in his or her heart, will he always do right things? No, at times you or I might do something we shouldn’t. The Bible says that we should ask God to forgive us when we sin, and when we do, He forgives us. The stains of sin are washed away. Read I John 1:9.

Bible Memory Verse (5 minutes) I Corinthians 6:20 — “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (KJV) “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (NIV) Cut the Cross and “God” Circle from Visuals 1E and back them with flannel or felt for use on a flannel board. You will also need a one-dollar bill. As you present the verse, have a child come to the front. Then use the following motions: “Ye (point to all the children) are bought (hold up the dollar bill) with a price (point to the cross): therefore glorify God (point to the circle) in your body (point to the child). Allow volunteers to point to the correct pictures and people as you say the verse together.

Summer Lesson 1 • Page 5

Lesson 1 Say, Jesus paid the penalty for our sin when He died on the cross. So Jesus “bought” us with His blood. When we have Jesus as our personal Savior, we can live with Him in heaven some day. When we follow Jesus, we want to do things that please God. To “glorify” God is to honor Him. To “honor” God is to do what makes Him happy. We honor God by taking good care of our bodies, inside and out. We honor God by using our bodies in a way that would not make Christ or other Christians unhappy.

Bible Learning Activities (20-25 minutes) Bible Activity Hand out crayons and Activity Sheet 1B to the children. They will find six pictures of children getting clean. They will distinguish between those who are getting clean on the inside and those who aren’t (1-Y, 2-N, 3-N, 4-Y, 5-N, 6-Y). Bible Craft Before the lesson, print Activity Sheet 1C and 1D for each child. Pre-cut the four lettered slits on each Activity Sheet 1C. Hand out Activity Sheets 1C and 1D along with scissors, crayons, and tape. Read the directions slowly. Demonstrate how to do the craft, step by step, and have the children complete each step with you. The NIV memory verse is on Activity Sheet 1D. Tell the children which version to use. Have the children cut out the three sections of the cup. Demonstrate how to roll the side sections together and slip the A and B tabs through the A and B slits, then place tape over them. Older children can help younger ones assemble the cup. Show them how to fold down the two ends of the handle section and attach flap E to the top and flap F to the bottom of the cup, then place tape over the folded edges. Finally, demonstrate how to place the C and D tabs at the bottom of the cup through the C and D slits on the side of the cup, then place tape over them. Hand out construction paper and copies of Visuals 1A. Say, Draw or cut out pictures of good things to put inside God’s Temple Cup. The students could draw pictures of children praying, a Bible, praise music, etc. Make sure the children put their names on the crafts before they are collected. Compliment the children as they clean up their work tables. OPTIONAL Bible Craft Give each child half a bar of large bath soap. Using plastic knives, the children will carve simple designs in their soap bars. Be sure you

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Lesson 1 show the children how to carve the soap — not cut it. This will be a new experience for many so be sure you instruct them well before the start of the project. The carving may be done on newspapers for easy clean-up. Suggest the children make a simple fish, their initials, a peace sign, or other very simple shapes. As the students work, talk with them about how God wants us to be clean on the inside. Say, Soap will take care of our outsides, but only God can take care of what is inside. Encourage them to keep their bodies, God’s temple, clean. Tell the children they may use their soap sculptures in their baths or for washing their hands at home. Bible Game This game is the opposite of regular tag because the person who is It is chased by the rest of the group. It holds a ball and tries to keep it from the rest of the players. When someone is able to get the ball, It calls “freeze.” Everyone must stop and count slowly to five while the new It (the person who got the ball) tries to move away from the others. If you have more than ten students in your group, have two or more games going at the same time. Say, This game is a keep-away game. The object is to keep the ball away from the other players. But let’s keep away from something else this coming week. Let’s keep away from anything that will harm our bodies, inside or out!

Closing Prayer (5-10 minutes) Close the meeting in prayer, giving the children an opportunity to pray, if they desire. Thank God for each child. Ask Him to help each person stay away from things that will harm their bodies. Hand out the completed crafts and Activity Sheets to the children as they leave.

Summer Lesson 1 • Page 7

Summer Visuals 1A

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

Healthy Food Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum Downloads Copyright © 2011 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531 ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson. Not for resale.

Summer Visual 1B

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

Jesus

Pharisee

Summer Visuals 1C

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

Pockets

Glue pocket here

Clean Heart Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum Downloads Copyright © 2011 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531 ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson. Not for resale.

Summer Visuals 1D

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

Setting the table.

Playing nicely with a brother or sister.

Using Dad’s hammer without permission.

Copying your friend’s answers to a test. Cleaning your room very slowly when your mother asks you to hurry. Shoving your clothes under your bed instead of putting them away. Saying mean things about someone behind his or her back.

Taking flowers to someone who is sick. Helping an older person across the street. Fighting on the playground.

Action Strips

Glue pocket here

Sin-Stained Heart Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum Downloads Copyright © 2011 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531 ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson. Not for resale.

Summer Visuals 1E

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

GOD “God” Circle

Cross Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum Downloads Copyright © 2011 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531 ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson. Not for resale.

Summer Activity Sheet 1A

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

Jesus and the Pharisee Bible Quiz Circle the letter for the correct word or words to complete each sentence:

1. In his own eyes, the Pharisee thought that he was . . . a. a bad man. b. a good man. 2. One day the Pharisee invited Jesus to . . . a. eat with him. b. wash dishes with him. 3. Before eating dinner, the Pharisee washed . . . a. his face. b. in a special way. 4. Jesus told the Pharisee that he was dirty . . . a. outside. b. inside. 5. Pharisees acted like they were holy, . . . a. but inside they were not. b. and they were. 6. Jesus said that the Pharisee washed himself like a person would wash . . . a. his hands and face. b. a cup or dish.

Summer Activity Sheet 1B

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

Name ____________________________

Staying Clean

I CAN STAY CLEAN INSIDE BY . . . (Print Y for yes under the correct answers and N for no under the incorrect answers.)

Reading my Bible ______

Accepting Jesus as Savior ______

Taking a bath ______

Brushing my teeth ______

Combing my hair ______

Confessing my sins ______

Memory Verse to Learn I Corinthians 6:20 — “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (KJV) “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (NIV) Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum Downloads Copyright © 2011 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531 ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson. Not for resale.

Summer Activity Sheet 1C

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

God’s Temple Cup

Print your name on the broken lines. Draw your face on the Outside Section where indicated. Cut out the three sections of the cup. Also cut out the Inside Section on Activity Sheet 1D, and glue it back to back with the Outside Section. A teacher or helper will cut the lettered slits. Roll the side sections together and slip the A & B tabs through the A & B slits, then place tape over them. You will be told what version of the Bible verse to use for the handle. Fold down the two ends of the handle section and attach flap E to the top and flap F to the bottom of the cup. Place tape over the folded edges. Finally, slip the C & D tabs at the bottom of the cup through the C & D slits on the side of the cup, then place tape over them. (The NIV handle is on Activity Sheet 1D.) A

__ __ __ __ __ __ IS CLEAN OUTSIDE

B Outside Section

Draw your face

Bottom Cup Section

__ __ __ __ __ __ IS

CLEAN

“Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” — I Corinthians 6:20 (KJV) Handle Section Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum Downloads Copyright © 2011 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531 ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson. Not for resale.

Summer Activity Sheet 1D

Early Elementary Bible Foundations

JESUS

is INSIDE

Inside Section

ht at a price. The

CLEAN OUTSIDE

uw e

ug bo re

Lisa

“Yo

Completed craft

— I Corinthians 6:20 (NIV) Bible Foundations Sunday School Curriculum Downloads Copyright © 2011 Christian Ed. Publishers • P.O. Box 26639 • San Diego, CA 92196 • 800-854-1531 ChristianEdWarehouse.com • Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson. Not for resale.

“You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”