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Zacchaeus

Games/Cooking Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will learn about the importance of believing that God loves them through a simple object lesson with cookies. They will also review the story of Zacchaeus with a modified version of the game Concentration.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 19: 1-10

Memory Verse:

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10

Lesson Objectives for rotation:
At the end of the rotation, the students will

  • Be able to identify Luke as one of the four Gospels.
  • Be able to locate and read the text.
  • Begin to understand that Jesus loves us no matter what mistakes we have made.
  • Begin to understand that our love for Jesus causes us to make changes in our lives .
  • Repeat the memory verse.
  • understand that God's love is always there for us, all we have to do is accept Jesus and receive His love.

Teacher preparation in advance:

  • Read the scripture passages and lesson plan and attend the Bible Study, __. It will be very important for you to attend this study.
  • Learn the memory verse.
  • Prepare a closing prayer.
  • Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located. This will be our first month in the new church building. We will discuss the set-up process and the new morning schedule at the Bible Study.
  • Make index cards for the Concentration memory game: write the words to the Bible memory verse on index cards (one word or phrase per card). Make two matching sets of cards. Mix up the cards and number the backs of the cards from 1 to ???? (however many there are).

Room set-up:
Tables covered with plastic table cloths will be needed for the cookie activity.

Supply List:

  • Plastic table cloths,
  • wet wipes,
  • sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies cut in the shape of a person,
  • icing,
  • sprinkles (heart shaped if possible),
  • plastic knives,
  • paper plates,
  • paper towels or napkins,
  • baggies,
  • permanent marker,
  • index cards,
  • Bibles.


Presentation

Opening - Welcome and Introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your name-tag. Make sure the children are wearing name-tags. If not, ask the shepherd to supply a temporary badge. Remember you are interacting with a different group of students each week who may not know you.

We had an opening prayer during the gathering time, but you may open with prayer if you feel led to do so.

Explain the purpose of this workshop. Use kid friendly words to give a brief overview of what the children are going to learn and do.

Scripture/Bible Story:
Read the scripture: Luke 19:1-10. (Encourage the children to use their Bibles in looking up verses. While they are opening their Bibles, review the names of the first four books of the New Testament and that they are the Gospel—the Good News about Jesus. Ask for volunteers to read a paragraph at a time.)

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:

Application:
What facts about Zacchaeus are in the passage we just read? [chief tax collector in Jericho, rich, short, sinner]

Do you know anything about tax collectors during the time Jesus lived on earth? [If this is the first week of the rotation, they may not be aware how unpopular tax collectors were at this time. Make sure they know what a Publican is. (See Teacher Background Notes.)]

The Bible doesn't tell us anything about Zacchaeus before this meeting with Jesus. Do you think God was watching over Zacchaeus and loving him before Jesus saw him in the tree?
I wonder what things God might have done to show Zacchaeus that God loved him?
I wonder why Zacchaeus saw God's love this time?

"We are going to do an activity to illustrate how God made a difference in Zacchaeus' life."
[Have the children move to tables and clean their hands. Each child should have a cookie (preferably cut in the shape of a person) in front of them.]

"The cookie represents Zacchaeus." [Give each child a few heart shaped sprinkles.] "These sprinkles represent things God did before Zacchaeus met Jesus to show Zacchaeus that God loved him. What are some of those things?" [Review earlier answers.]

"Put the sprinkles on the cookies."
"What is the problem?" [The sprinkles won't stick to the cookie.]

Explain that the sprinkles represent God's love for Zacchaeus before met Jesus. All the loving things God "sprinkled" on Zacchaeus fell off because Zacchaeus didn't believe God.
"What does the cookie need to make the sprinkles stick?" [Frosting. Give the children the frosting on a paper plate and let them spread it on the cookie. Then try adding the sprinkles again. They stay on the cookie this time.

"What did Zacchaeus need for God's love to "stick" to him?" [He needed to believe that God loved him no matter what he had done.]

Repeat the activity with a second cookie but this cookie is the child. Again, discuss how God loves us, even before we invite Him into our homes and hearts.
Let the children eat one cookie! While the children are eating, talk about how they can take the other cookie and give it to a friend or family member and tell them about Zacchaeus, and how we, like Zacchaeus need to accept God's love that he pours on us and it will stick. [Put one of each child's cookies in a baggie with their name on it in permanent marker.]

Tell the children that they are going to play a game to see how well they remember the story.
This is a game of Concentration. Divide the class into two teams and appoint a spokesperson for each team.
Mix up the Concentration cards and place them word side down in an organized pattern on a table. Determine which team will go first by some fair method. Allow the children to use their Bibles to look up answers. Ask the first team a question. The team must agree on an answer and have the spokesperson give the answer to the teacher. If a team answers correctly, a member of the team may turn over two cards to check for a match. If the words match, then take the cards off the board. (Make sure the team members take turns turning the cards over.)
Suggested Questions: (Some of these review information from the other two workshop rotations we have done recently and general Bible knowledge. If you print these questions on cards you can shuffle them and ask them again if necessary. Or make up more questions.)

  • What city was Jesus passing through?
  • What was the name of the tax collector that lived in Jericho?
  • Why couldn't Zacchaeus see Jesus?
  • What did Zacchaeus do so he could see Jesus?
  • What did people say about Jesus when he went to eat with Zacchaeus?
  • How did Jesus change Zacchaeus' life?
  • What is the name of book of the Bible where the story of Zacchaeus is told?
  • In which chapter of the book of Luke is the story of Zacchaeus told?
  • In Luke 19:10 Jesus says "The Son of Man came to _____ and to _____ what was _____."
  • Name the first four books of the New Testament. (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
  • What do we call the first four books of the New Testament? (The Gospels)
  • What does "gospel" mean?
  • What is the name of the first book of the Bible?
  • What is the name of the last book of the Bible?
  • Recite John 3:16.
  • What book of the Bible has the story of the Holy Spirit coming to Jesus' disciples after Jesus went back to Heaven?
  • Find Acts 1:8 and read it aloud.
  • Name the two parts of the Bible.
  • What does the first verse of the Bible say?
  • What does the last verse of the Bible say?

Alternate Game: Inside/Outside (adapted from No Matter What)
Remind the children that Zacchaeus was thought of as an "outsider" by other people because he was a tax collector. His height could have kept him on the outside of the crowd waiting for Jesus, but he chose to work at getting to see Jesus by climbing the tree. Challenge the children to think of C but not name aloud C people who are considered "outsiders" today (the homeless, poor, kids who dress differently, etc.).

Have the children form a tight circle, linking elbows. Ask a volunteer to name an outsider today and then to step out of the circle and turn his or her back on the others. Instruct the others to keep the outsider out of the circle, no matter what he or she does. Quietly select another child to be Jesus — the one ready to let in the outsider. Instruct "Jesus" to break the link in the circle and let in the outsider, just as soon as the outsider makes an attempt at that spot in the circle. Instruct the outsider to try to get into the circle, with the assurance that when they find Jesus, they=ll find their way in.

Repeat the game as many times as possible, each time identifying persons considered as outsiders today. Select a different player to be Jesus each time. Afterward, ask those who played outsiders how it felt being kept out of the group and how it felt when Jesus let them in. Ask those who played Jesus how it felt to let the outsiders in. Ask how it felt to keep others on the outside.

Pulling it all together (closing discussion):

  • I wonder why Jesus picked Zacchaeus to go to his house and eat with?
  • I wonder how God might have shown Zacchaeus that he loved him before Jesus came to Jericho?
  • How does God show He loves you?

Review the memory verse.
Using the cards from the concentration game, give each team a set of the cards, but take one word card out of each set. Tell the children to put the cards in the correct order and find out which word in missing. If time allows, repeat this activity several times, taking out a different word each time.

At 11:50 a.m. ask the Shepherds to pass out the journals and pencils/markers. Suggestion: You may wish to give the children a sticker or some memento to paste in their journal as a reminder of the story or activity.

Shepherd Time:
What are some ways that God shows you that he loves you? Write a prayer thanking God for the ways he shows his love for you or draw a picture of something that shows God's love for you.

You may want to provide an extra activity or worksheet for children who finish their journals quickly, such as crossword puzzles, word search, games. See the Teacher's Background Notes or http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/ and rotation.org for ideas.

At noon, ask the students to close their journals and sit quietly for prayer.

Closing:
Prayer: Ask if anyone wants to share their prayer from journaling time. Otherwise, lead a prayer thanking God for the ways he shows his love.

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help tidy up. Give any specific instructions for clearing the workshop room.
Give everyone the parent take-home flyer the first week of the rotation; give it only to children who were absent and have not yet received it the other weeks of the rotation. Remind the children to take their cookie and share it and the story with someone.

Additional Suggestions:
You will need to decide how best to adjust the lesson for older and younger students. Keep the children active and involved in activity. Do what works for you and the children. Some ideas:

Younger Children:

  • For the Concentration cards: Use a different color ink for each word or phrase to help the K-1 grade match the words. For younger children you may choose to use pictures of things from the story on the cards rather than words (tree, road, little man, Jesus, coins, bread, sandals, eye, etc.).
  • The younger children may need help looking up answers in the Bible. Help them and also adapt the questions as necessary.

Resources:

  • Carver, Karen. Cooking workshop suggestion at rotation.org: https://www.rotation.org/topic...n-lesson-set-outline
  • Dixon, Michael E., editor. No Matter What: Outdoor Ministry Resources for 2001. Christian Board of Publication and The United Methodist Publishing House on behalf of the Cooperative Publication Association, 2001.
  • The concentration game idea came from http://www.fishersofkids.com/game_1.htm
  • Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
  • NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of International Bible Society.

This lesson was written by Jamie Senyard for River Community Church in Prairieville, Louisiana.

Copyright 2003 Jamie Senyard. Permission granted to freely distribute and use, provided the copyright message is included.

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Last edited by Luanne Payne
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