Elijah v. the Prophets of Baal
Art Rotation
Grades 4-6

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Making an "Idol" collage.

Scripture Reference:
I Kings 18:20-45

Memory Verse:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 
“Hear, O Israel. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”

Lesson Objectives: 

• To learn about idolatry. Jesus taught his followers that idol worship happens when material possessions become more important to us than God (Matthew 6:24). Along the same theme, the Apostle Paul stated that we should worship the Creator, not created things (Romans 1:18-25).
• To remember that a strong faith in God helps us to resist having false gods (idols).
• To learn that we are called to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5

Teacher Preparation:

• Read this lesson and the Bible background (I Kings 16:29-18:14).
• Make a sample collage from newspaper pictures of things that can become more important to us than God- modern day idols.
• Gather the materials.

Supplies: 

• A disposable plastic table covering or one piece of waxed paper per student.
• Vanilla extract and liquid dish detergent (one tsp. each per student).
• Waterproof markers; black and white or colored newspaper pictures or comic strips.
• One each per child: spoon, small bowl, small paint brush, piece of white paper. 

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Opening Prayer:
God our Father, thank you for giving us this church where we can come to find out more about you. Bless our time together this morning, as we learn how important it is to worship you, the one true God. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

The Story:
Tell the story (I Kings 18:15-39), with an emphasis on idols and false gods.

Say:
In the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel, we learn that God was angry when King Ahab and Queen Jezebel worshipped idols, and encouraged the citizens of their land to worship idols too.

Ask:
What were the idols in this story? (stone gods named Baal.)

Say:
As we heard in the story, these stone gods were powerless to help people. In the New Testament Jesus taught another definition of “idolatry” to his followers. Jesus said that idolatry (the worship of idols) happens when anything in our lives is more important to us than loving and following God. Matthew 6:24 records Jesus’ words: “No one can serve two masters. . . . . You cannot serve both God and Money.”

One Christian rephrased Jesus’ words this way: “Don’t invest in goods that have a sell-by date; build up your balance in heaven. Don’t let cash boss you around.” (Rob Lacy, The Word on the Street, p. 277)

Think about it. Activities and material possessions that we enjoy all have an “expiration date.” Our relationship with God is the only thing that will benefits us forever!

Say:
Let’s talk about (and make a list on the board) the kinds of things that can become more important to us than God.


Accept ideas from the students from the following two categories:
1) Some things are obviously harmful to us:
Alcohol abuse, illegal drugs, cigarettes,

2) Other things are good and wholesome, but when having/doing them replaces God in our hearts they too can become “idols.” Let’s make a list of some of these activities:
Too much computer time, nice cars, X-Box, sports, the latest fashions, money, etc.

Give each student a sheet of white paper and a permanent marker. Ask them to write this phrase across the top margin of the paper: God is more important to me than:

Say: Here are an assortment of newspaper pictures and comics. 

• Each of you can pick some items or activities that sometimes become too important in people’s lives.
• Cut out several pictures and place them on your sheet of waxed paper.
• Arrange them into a collage that will fit on your piece of white paper.

Art Project: “Idol” Collage:

• Mix 1 tsp. each of vanilla extract and liquid dish detergent together in a small bowl.
• Arrange one or several newspaper pictures on a piece of waxed paper.
• Using your finger or a small paint brush, completely cover the comic or newspaper picture(s) with a thin layer of solution.
• Place a clean sheet of white paper on top of the picture. Firmly rub the back of the paper with a spoon until the picture begins to show through the paper.
• Peel the paper off the picture(s) to see the copy of your creation.

Discussion/Journal Time:
Ask: What does everything on the lists on the board and on our collages have in common? (Accept all answers.)

Say: All these things may make us happy for awhile, but they all have an “expiration date.” Electronic toys and games wear out, or they are replaced by a newer technology. Alcohol and drug abuse eventually makes you sick, or brings an early death.

Pass out the student’s journals.

• Ask the students to write about some things that could become an idol in their lives.
  
  Say: Elijah was a prophet sent from God to warn the people about idol worship and remind them to follow the one true God. What voices do you hear today, encouraging you to love and trust God, and put Him first in your life? (Accept all answers.)
  
  
• Ask the students to write about one or two of these people in their journals.
  
  Say: How did Queen Jezebel and King Ahab respond when God sent his messenger, Elijah, to warn them about idol worship?
  
  (They vowed to kill him and hunted for him for over three years. When Elijah came back King Ahab said “There you are, you troublemaker!” Instead of listening to the warnings and changing their ways, they were very angry with God’s messenger.)
  
  Ask: If a messenger reminds you to love God with all your heart, how will you respond?
  
  
• Encourage the students to write a commitment to love God with all their hearts.

Say: This is a good time to say our memory verse together again. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
“Hear, O Israel. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”

Supplementary Material: A word find and crossword puzzle are available at the Calvary Chapel website.

Pass out the completed collages, clean-up and dismissal:

Closing:

Lord, help us to have a strong faith in God and resist idols and false gods. Help us to love you with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. And all God’s children said, AMEN!

Resources:

• Story theme and ideas taken from rotation.org The Contest on Mt Carmel Art (Creations)
• All Time Greatest Kid Concoctions, John E. and Danita Thomas, p. 16 Comic Copier Solution
• The Word on the Street, Rob Lacy, ISBN 0-310-92268-2

A lesson written by Kirsten from: Augustana Lutheran Church

Saint James, MN

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