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The story of Jesus' Temptation in the Wilderness is found in Matthew 4:1–11, Mark 1:12–13,  and Luke 4:1–13. In addition to this public forum of lessons and ideas, supporting members can view the Writing Team's creative set of lessons on The Temptation of Jesus. Its lesson summaries and Bible background are open to all.

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Originally posted by member "Nansi" February 28, 2008 in the Exodus forum.

This game was moved into this Tempation in the Wilderness forum from it's original location in the Golden Calf forum. Why? Because the lesson writer has intriguingly LINKED the two concepts/stories. The story of the Golden Calf is the story of false worship. And in the NT, Satan tries the same trick.

We also thought Nansi's lesson works as a STORYTELLING concept as well. But by adding something to 'play' at each altar, it becomes a Game workshop activity!

The concept of "tempting altars" is very intriguing, and we hope someone will develop this lesson idea further and post it here.




Temptations in the Wilderness / Worshiping the Golden Calf

Games Workshop Idea

Scripture Reference:
(Exodus 32:1-40:38. Gospel resonance: Matthew 4:1-11- Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness)

Have 5 different altars, with different things to worship: 4 things have a ‘golden calf’ on the altar; the fifth has a hand holding a heart on the altar. Each altar has a different ‘priest’, trying to convince the students why they should worship at that altar. The students move from one altar to the next. At the end, have all the students ‘vote’ for their altar by gong over and bowing before it; each gets an appropriate prize.

Prizes: Money altar- one money sticker
Gun altar- one mean face sticker
Friends altar- one happy face sticker
God altar- MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS! (cookies!)

4 priests: 3 in bright, gaudy ‘priest’ clothes with lots of flashy jewelry
1 with a staff and a plain, simple white robe like Jesus might have worn; hold a big red heart.
4 altars:

  1. (with golden calf)- a big money jar with lots of change in it (or a big dollar bill)
  2. (with golden calf)- a toy gun
  3. (with golden calf)- lots of people dolls (or Beanie Babies)
  4. (with hand holding a heart)- Bible verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

 

Script Outline for Each Altar:

(‘priests’- ad lib as the Spirit moves you: you are trying to convince the students to worship what is on your table. Encourage them to get on their knees and bow down to your altar.)

1) Money jar: Worship of money and power
If you have enough money, you can have whatever you want! You can make people do whatever you want! Money is power! If you just bow down and worship this money, you will always be happy, because you can buy anything. You can even buy friends! People will always want to be around you, because you’ll be the one with the big swimming pool, and the carousel, and the trampoline, and anything else you want!

And if you kept making money until you had all the money in the world, you could buy things for everyone else in the world too. You could buy food for all the hungry children, and homes for all the homeless people. And you could dig wells for all the people who don’t have any water, and you could give medicine to all the people who are sick.

And if you had all the money in the world, people wouldn’t ever dare to say ‘no’ to you, because you could take away their homes and their jobs. You could make people serve you.
All you have to do is bow down and worship this money…

2) Toy gun: Worship of security and power
Sure it would be nice to have all the money in the world, but who would stop someone from stealing it from you? Money is nice, but you need an army to make sure it isn’t stolen. And you need guns to scare people so they couldn’t take anything from you. And if everyone else is afraid of you, then you won’t every have to be afraid of anyone else. They wouldn’t dare try to take your house, or your pool, or your trampoline, because you could throw them in jail or just kill them.

And if you had all the armies and all the power in the world, you could help people who were being bullied or cheated. With your gun, you could be like a superhero, gong around and forcing people to be good and kind to each other. And if anyone wasn’t good or kind, you could shoot them, or put handcuffs on them and put them in jail.
All you have to do is bow down and worship this gun…

3) Lots of friends: Worship of being popular
Sure you can have money and power, but can that make people really love you?

  • Who thinks that love is more important than money?
  • Who thinks that love is more important than guns?
  • Well, how do we get love? By having lots of friends and by being really popular! Because the worst feeling in the world is being left out. But if you always do what everyone else does, then you won’t ever be left out. If you always do what all your friends do, they will love you.

And if that means turning your back on other kids who don’t fit in, then that’s okay, because it’s more important to fit into the group than anything else, right? Because that’s the only way that you’ll be accepted and loved, is if you fit in and are popular.

And if you REALLY fit in, and are REALLY popular, you can be the one who decides who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’. And if you don’t like someone, you an make sure that no one else will like them either. And if you’re the most popular person in the whole world, then no one will ever dare do anything you don’t like, because you can make sure that no one will ever speak to them again, because everyone else will be afraid of not being your friend.
All you have to do is bow down and worship all your friends.

4) God: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,
and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
Well, worshiping God is sort of hard. When Moses was up with God on Mt. Sinai, Moses told all the Hebrew people to stay behind and wait for him. And don’t get into mischief! But then Moses was on a mountain for 40 days. That’s a really long time to wait for someone, and the Hebrews started to wonder if this God was really someone they should trust, or if they should find a god they could control easier. A God who would be there when they wanted a god to be there, and do the things that they wanted a god to do- right then! But the Lord God isn’t like that. The Lord God is different. You can’t control God, and you can’t make God do anything. You just have to trust.

And besides which, God isn’t anyone you can see; God isn’t anything you can hold, or eat, or play with. It’s much easier to worship something you can touch, like money and houses and trampolines. It’s much easier to worship something that makes other people obey you, like guns and soldiers. It’s much easier to worship someone who is popular, like a rock star or the coolest kid in school. But God isn’t like that. God is different.

Discussion:

  • How do you think we can worship God?

(praying, caring for the poor and hungry, singing hymns, trusting that God loves us even when
other people don’t think we’re popular, having the courage to stand up for another person if they’re being bullied, other)

  • Why would you want to worship God?

(because God is the only person who will always be there and love us no matter what; because God made us in the first place; because God is the only One big enough and wonderful enough and kind enough to deserve our worship; because God is there when we’re scared or hungry or nervous or sick, and will never let us go)

  • What could keep you from worshiping God?

(Being worried when God didn’t talk to me when I was worried, or not making things happen that I really want to happen, like bringing my grandma back from the dead when she died. Wanting to have all the money-power-strength-popularity myself, so I wouldn’t have to share, and I wouldn’t have to depend on God to give it to me. Asking forgiveness is easier than asking permission)

Nobody trusts God all the time. Sometimes, we just want what we want, and we don’t want anyone to say ‘No’ to us. When we do that, what do you think God feels?
(Happy? Sad? Angry? Disappointed? Doesn’t care?)

  • Will God stop loving us if we stop loving and trusting God? Will God love us if we won’t worship God? (No!)
  • So why does it matter if we worship God or not, if God will always love us anyway?

 


Written by member "Nansi" February 28, 2008

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

Last edited by Luanne Payne

The Temptation of Jesus

Games Workshop - A Lesson Sketch

We used our Games Workshop to 'wrap up' the Rotation on the Wilderness Temptation to burn into their memories the KIND OF "Super Hero" Jesus truly was, compared to Superman.

Point: Jesus chose love, obedience, worship and service to others as his "super powers".

(Editor's Note: See Neil's Art lesson in this forum for notes on their rotation's "Super Hero" theme.)

Game 1. The Superman Relay

This was a "warmup" relay game to kick off the lesson.
Each team had to have a team members one at a time put on a superman costume, fly to rescue a babydoll, fly the doll to a saving spot, at which they had to toss the doll into a chair from about 8 feet. If it stayed in the chair, Superman could fly and give his/her costume to their next teammate. The superman costume was a white plastic bag with a large superman emblem on the chest, and holes cut for arms/head. The costume was supposed to include red-slippers but we ended up using furry animal slippers instead which the kids thought was very funny. The cape was a towel. Like many relay games of this type, the humor is in seeing the kids try to get the costume on and off.

2. The In-Between Bible Study

While the second relay was being set up, the group read the Bible story, answers some questions, then prepared some of the relay game pieces for the JESUS RELAY.

3. The Super Jesus Relay

Teams sent individual players to one of three stations where they had to quote the verse from the story, from memory (close enough). You'll go over the verses in the story as you read and discuss it prior to playing this game.

  1. Run to the table where they put peanut butter on small piece of bread, after finishing it, they recited "People do not live by bread alone, but by...."Of course they could only move on when they said it right, which the peanut butter and crackers didn't help.
  2. Run to and climb the Pinnacle of the Temple (a chair on top of a table, with an adult spotter) and recite "Do not Tempt..."
  3. Run to the Riches and Glory vs True Treasure area. --This is what the kids prepared ahead of time during the Bible study...writing the key verse on some paper and crumpling it with a lot of blank sheets as well. When the individual players get to this area, they found about 50 pieces of crumpled paper on the ground (the riches). They had to pick and toss 5 onto a table (the high mountain, which was about 5 feet away, so it wasn't easy to get the paper to stay on it) and then go open the riches (crumpled paper) to see if they had found "true riches." If they didn't, they had to go back and throw 5 more up on the table.

The "true riches" paper had the words "worship the Lord and serve him only" written on it.

The kids made some "false riches" papers too. This was important to the gameplay because if only "true riches" had printing on their paper, then the kids would LOOK FOR the crumpled pieces that had printing on it.

Pretty simple games, and they had a blast with them. Wide age group and everyone could play the games at their level.

4. Concluding Remarks and Matching Quiz 
--about how Jesus choose The Word of God, Obedience, Love, Worship and Service as his powers, and that we can have these same powers too.

Below you will see two paired facts: one about Jesus, one about Superman. Copy them from this post and mix them up so the kids have to draw lines to match them.

Here they are Jesus vs Superman pairs correctly matched:

Son of Yahweh
Son of Jor-El

Son of Joseph and Mary of Nazareth
Son of Jonathan and Martha Kent of Smallville

The Gospel According to St. Mark
Action Comics

As a child, amazed his parents by disputing Torah with scholars
As a child, amazed his parents by lifting a car

Comes like a thief in the night
Faster than a speeding bullet

The Transfiguration on a high mountain top
A quick change in the Daily Planet broom closet

Mary Magdalene
Lois Lane

"He descended into Hell."
"He was in The Phantom Zone"

Walks upon the water
Leaps tall buildings

Lamb of God
Man of Steel

Martin Luther
Lex Luthor

The Heavenly Host
The Justice League

Wanders around Palestine, curing the ill and eating with sinners
Flies around Metropolis, aiding the weak and incarcerating criminals

Can turn Water into Wine
Can turn Coal into Diamond

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
Strikes Fear in the hearts of evil doers everywhere!

Desert of Judea
Fortress of Solitude

Carpenter's Son
Mild mannered reporter

King of the Jews
Last Son of Krypton

Peter
Jimmy Olsen

Godliness, Righteousness, and the Kingdom of Heaven
Truth, Justice, and the American Way

E'-Li, E'-Li, la'-ma sa-bach'-tha-ni?
Up, up, and away!

Rose from the dead once
Could not be killed

Real
Fictional

Can give you Eternal Life
Can only save you from evil villains


An idea originally posted by Neil MacQueen

 

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

 

Last edited by Rotation.org Lesson Forma-teer

Temptation of Jesus

Games Workshop

 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will play a relay race and a word game to look at the differences between Superman and Jesus.

 

Scripture Reference:

Luke 4:1-13.


Outcome Objectives

  1. To teach children the kind of "Super Hero" Jesus truly was, compared to Superman.
  2. To teach that Jesus chose love, worship and service to others as his super powers.

 

Supplies Needed:
For each team:

  • Superman costume (below)
  • Doll
  • Chair

Advance Preparation:

  • Cut apart and paper clip the pairs of statements for the opening game. Have large pictures of Jesus and Superman for opening game. [These don’t have to be artistic, but they should be large]
  • Superman Relay: Come up with two identical costumes based on supplies you have. The costume does not have to be fancy or particularly accurate. In fact, it will be funnier if it is not. Some ideas: T-shirt with an S on it, Plastic bag cape, Large red socks to put on over shoes. Try to have things that can work with a wide range of children’s sizes. For the relay, you will need some tables or chairs to crawl under and over and a doll to “save” from a burning building.
  • Jesus Relay: Three signs “One does not live by bread alone”; “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him”; and “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Bread and butter (or peanut butter); crumpled papers and baskets for each team (attached papers); chairs on top of tables or ladders.


 

Presentation

 

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:
Opening Activity:
How is Superman different from Jesus?
Have a picture of Jesus and a picture of Superman taped to the wall. Have children draw out a pair of statements and decide which applies to each person.
[Time management hint: Use this game for a few minutes, stop for the first relay. Play a few more rounds of the game with the shepherd while the second relay race is set up.]

 

Open with a prayer.

 

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Divide into two teams.
Relay race #1 “Superman”
Have children put on a costume, run through a maze, toss a doll to a chair a few feet away (saving someone from a burning building) and run back, undress and give the costume to the next child in line.

Relay race #2 “Jesus”
Children race to three different spots and call out the memory verse on the card. Helpers should stand by for younger children to help them with the words.

  1. Table with bread and butter (or PB if there are no allergies). After swallowing, say “One does not live by bread alone.”
  2. two baskets per team with 8 pieces of crumpled paper in the middle (attached handout) Children must divide the pile accurately into “love God” and “love of worldly things.” And shout out “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him ” [Note: the papers should be re-crumpled and set in the middle between each player.]
  3. SPOTTER NEEDED Children climb on a chair on top of a table and shout out “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Then they run back and tag their next teammate.

Life Application:

  • What makes Superman great?
  • What makes Jesus great?
  • What do you think – could Jesus have done all the things that Superman did if he wanted to? [If “yes” then the follow up is: Why didn’t he? In “no” then the follow up is: Why didn’t God give Jesus Superman powers?]

Look at Luke 4:1-13. [NOTE: Even pre-readers should be taught to find the book, chapter and verse to help with future Bible literacy]. Read each section and after each ask: What kind of “Superman” power is the devil trying to get Jesus to do? What is Jesus saying about “Superman” powers?

Journaling:
Ask children to write or draw their answer to this statement: “Why Jesus is better than Superman.”

Adjustments for age levels and abilities:
For pre-readers go over the papers for part 2 of the Jesus relay and separate them out before the game. You might want to have another copy of the right answers next to each basket so they can match up the pictures.

If you have extra time…
Ask the children which relay they would like to run again. Why did they pick that one?

 

Closing:

End with a prayer.


 

A lesson from Lisa Martin and credits Neil's Game lesson idea and presents it with some additional detail.

 

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

 

Last edited by Rotation.org Lesson Forma-teer

Jesus’ Temptation - Alone in the Desert?

Games and Bible Skills Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The purpose of the Games workshop is two-fold: to develop Bible skills and to reinforce that knowledge by having fun with games. The games are not frills and fluff! Playing games helps to cement the knowledge and reinforce the skills you introduce during the Bible lesson. Please do not skimp on the games portion of the lesson! Use the time guidelines above to keep your lesson on track. Remember -- children are spending 4 weeks on this story, so if you can’t cover every single aspect of the story, it’s ok!

Scripture Reference:

Luke 4:1-13


Preparation and Room Set Up:

  • Review the background information sheets and lesson materials.
  • Gather necessary materials for games- listed below

Start on time!

Time Guidelines:
Introductions/Opening Prayer: 10 minutes
Bible Passage/Discussion Focus: 15 minutes
Game: Tempted! 25 minutes
Reflection/Closing Prayer: 10 minutes



Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:
Welcome and Introductions: Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Remember that all of the children may not know who you are! Make sure you are wearing your name tag and that the children have picked up their nametags. Always begin each class with introductions. Tell the children that today you will be learning about what happened to Jesus, right after he was baptized. Jesus spent a long time in the desert, where he was tempted by the devil.

Opening Prayer: Pray something like this: “Dear God, Thank you for this day and for all the people who are here today. Thank you for sending Jesus and the Holy Spirit to show us the best way to deal with temptation. Help us to grow more like Jesus every day. ” AMEN

Bible Passage: Gather the children at the TEMPLE AREA with their Bibles. If children did not bring a personal Bible, use the classroom Bibles. Encourage children to bring their Bibles to Sunday School each week.

Each workshop begins with the Bible passage. One of our primary goals is to improve the children’s Bible literacy! Always tell the children where in the Bible the story is found. This rotation’s story is found in three gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) Be sure to walk the children through the process of locating the scriptures. The handout “Helping Children Use Bibles in the Classroom” will help you guide the children.

For Younger children: Read the story “Jesus is Tempted in the Desert,” on pages 295-296 of The Little Kids’ Adventure Bible. Be sure to read the Did You Know and Let’s Live It notes on those pages and discuss with the children. Use the classroom maps to point out some of the important locations for this rotation. (Jordan River, Jerusalem, picture of Temple) Make sure children understand the meaning of the words: fast and temptation.

For Older children: Tell the children that this Bible story is found in three places (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Choose either the Matthew or Luke version to read, but older children can practice locating both stories. Have the children locate the scripture and follow along as you read, or let the children take turns reading aloud. After reading the text, find the Let’s Live It note in Matthew 4:1-11 and the Did You Know note in Luke 4:4. Read these together and discuss briefly.
Use the classroom maps to point out some of the important locations for this rotation. (Jordan River, Jerusalem, picture of Temple) Make sure children understand the meaning of the words: fast and temptation.

NOTE: as the rotation progresses, the children will become more familiar with the story. Use your discretion, but encourage the children to tell YOU what they know of the story. You can then fill in the gaps and take the discussion to a deeper level using the discussion questions below.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

After reading the Bible lesson together do the following activity to facilitate discussion:

A Magnetic Message from Jesus!
(adapted from Ready-to-do Children’s Messages, Group Publishing, 1997)

This introductory activity is designed to help children understand what it means to be tempted and how the Bible can help them resist temptation.

Memory Verse: Review the verse with the children and encourage them to memorize it over the next several weeks:

“It is written: Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.”
Luke 4:8 (p. 296 Little Kids’ Adventure Bible)

Tempted! Life-sized Board Game

giantBoardGame

Supplies:

  • Life-sized board game (see attachment for instructions on creating a life-sized board game)
  • Large die
  • White board and dry erase markers
  • Bucket with several cups of sand in it and three small stones for each group playing
  • Basket of large cardboard building blocks
  • Typing paper or construction paper
  • Bible for each team

Preparation:

  • Unfold the game tarp in the large open playing area of the room.
  • Place the game cards face down in the appropriately marked spaces on the game board.
  • Be sure to put out the appropriate age level cards for the class (game cards are made for grades 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6)

To Play:

  1. Gather the children around the game board.
  2. Tell them that we will play the game “Tempted!” to review the story we’ve been learning and to think about ways we can resist temptation in our own lives. (This is similar to many board games that children play, but this one is life-sized! Instead of having playing pieces, the children will BE the playing pieces!)
  3. Divide the children into teams of 3-4 children.
  4. Each team will play together and answer questions as a team. Children should work together to come up with answers. If they’re unsure, have them use their Bibles to look up an answer.
  5. Team with the youngest child goes first.
  6. First team rolls the die and moves ahead the specified number of spaces.
  7. Specially marked spaces (Questions, Crosses, Dynamite) have accompanying cards. If a player lands on one of these spaces, the team must draw the top card from the stack, read it out loud (teacher or shepherd can help the younger group by reading the question to them) and follow the instructions on the card. (either answering the question, performing the challenge, or going back the designated number of spaces) All questions answered and challenges performed must be done as a team!
  8. There are two shortcuts on the board. If a team lands on a shortcut space, they must first correctly answer the question or perform the challenge within the allotted time, and then they may proceed through the shortcut.
  9. To finish, a team must land exactly on the “Finish” space and correctly answer the question or perform the challenge.
  10. First team through the Finish space wins!


Tempted! Game Cards
(Listed below are the situations, questions and challenges that are found on the game cards. NOTE: some of them are designed specifically for certain grades, so, be sure to sort accordingly when setting up the game before class)

Cross Cards
These cards show positive response to temptation and allow teams to advance more quickly through the game.

Grades 1-4

  1. You broke your neighbor’s window by accident. No one was home so you are tempted to just pretend that you don’t know what happened. Instead you tell your neighbor about it and pay to have it fixed. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  2. All your friends went to see a PG-13 movie that your parents didn’t allow you to see. You were tempted to go with them, but you didn’t. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  3. A new kid moved into your class and he wears really thick glasses and different looking clothes. All your friends made fun of him. You were tempted to do the same thing, but you resisted. You stood up for the new kid to your friends. Move ahead 3 spaces!
  4. You didn’t study for your spelling test. You could easily see the paper of the person next to you -- you were tempted to cheat. You resisted the temptation and didn’t look. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  5. It’s the last game of the soccer season and you are undefeated. The game is tied. The other team is about to score. The referee is looking the other way. You are tempted to trip the player so he can’t score. You resist the temptation. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  6. Your mom made homemade cookies and they smell delicious! She said you couldn’t have any until after supper. You are tempted to have just one itty, bitty cookie . . . but you resist the temptation and obey your mom. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  7. Your teacher sent a note to your parents about your grades at school. You were tempted to throw the note away, but you resisted! Move ahead 2 spaces!
  8. Your best friend had a party and didn’t invite you. You were tempted to say bad things about her, but you didn’t. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  9. You and your friends wrote on the bathroom walls at school and you got caught. You were tempted to say you didn’t do it, but you told the truth. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  10. You don’t agree with one of your parents rules, so you are tempted to just disobey it. You don’t. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  11. You found some money lying on the floor. You were tempted to keep it, but instead you take it to the office and turn it in. Move ahead 2 spaces.
  12. The cashier doesn’t charge you for all the stuff you bought. You are tempted to just be quiet. Instead you tell her she made a mistake and pay what you owe. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  13. Your little brother is so annoying! He is always bugging you. You are tempted to punch him, but you don’t. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  14. You are supposed to do your chores before you go out to play. You are tempted to tell your mom that you forgot and go play first, but you decide to do your chores. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  15. You are supposed to clean your room before watching TV. You are tempted to just close the door and hope your parents forget about it, but instead you clean your room. Move ahead 2 spaces.

Grades 5-6

  1. You are at a sleepover and everyone wants to watch an R-rated movie. Your parents do not allow you to see R-rated movies without their permission. You are tempted to just watch it -- after all, your parents will never find out. Instead you suggest a different movie. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  2. You didn’t study for your history test. You could easily see the paper of the person next to you -- you were tempted to cheat. You resisted the temptation and didn’t look. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  3. You are invited to a sleepover with some of your friends. One friend starts talking about someone who isn’t there. You are tempted to say some things too, but you resist the temptation to gossip. You change the subject. Move ahead 2 spaces!
  4. You don’t agree with one of your parents’ rules, and you are tempted to disobey. Instead you talk with them about it. Move ahead 2 spaces! 

Challenge/Question Cards
These cards have a question taken from the lesson that must be answered or an actual challenge that must be accomplished by the team in order to advance on the game board.

Grades 1-2

  1. Look up page 63 in your Bible. Read #5. Who should children obey? (parents) Move ahead 2 spaces.
  2. Find our Bible memory verse in your Bible. Read it out loud! (page 295) Move ahead 1 space. 

Grades 3-6

  1. How many temptations did Jesus face in the desert? (three) Move ahead one space for every temptation you can name. (turn stones to bread, worship Satan, putting God to the test)
  2. One of Jesus’ temptations was to jump from the top of the Temple. Build a temple in one minute using the blocks in the corner of the room. Move ahead one space.
  3. What did Jesus do to resist temptation? (quoted scripture, prayed, fasted) Move ahead one space.
  4. Recite this rotation’s Bible verse together as a team. When did Jesus say this? (in response to Satan’s asking him to worship him) Move ahead two spaces. Jesus spent how many days in the desert being tempted? (40) Move ahead one space.
  5. Where was Jesus when he was tempted by Satan? (desert) Move ahead one space.
  6. Satan knows the Bible very well. He even quoted the Bible when he told Jesus to jump from the top of the Temple. Who did Satan say would save Jesus? (angels) Team must stand together and flap their arms (like wings) and say, “Angels will save you.” Move ahead two spaces.
  7. What did Satan tell Jesus to turn into bread because he was hungry? (stones) Go to the white board and each team member draw a picture of one of these items. Move ahead one space.
  8. Jesus was tempted in the desert. Go to the bucket in the center of the game board and sift through the sand until you find 3 examples of things Jesus saw in the desert. (stones) Move ahead one space.
  9. What will help you resist temptation? (prayer, memorizing Bible verses, learning what God wants me to do, obeying my parents) Move ahead 1 space.
  10. What happened to Jesus right before he went to the desert? (he was baptized) Move ahead 1 space.
  11. Who helped Jesus in the desert to resist the devil’s temptations? (Holy Spirit - remember, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit after his baptism!) Move ahead 1 space.
  12. What does it mean to fast? (go without food) Move ahead 1 space.
  13. How can knowing the Bible help us resist temptation? (knowing what God wants, learning right from wrong, letting the Holy Spirit guide us and help us) Move ahead 2 spaces.
  14. Who came to take care of Jesus after Satan was done tempting him? (angels) Move ahead 1 space.
  15. Why didn’t Jesus do the things Satan asked him to do? (he wanted to obey God even though it might be harder than doing things another way) Move ahead 2 spaces.
  16. Who should we obey? (parents, God, teachers, law) Move ahead 2 spaces.
  17. It was hot in the desert. Go to the tables and each team member take a piece of paper and fold it into a fan to cool you off! Move ahead 1 space!
  18. Who does Jesus say we should worship? (God) Move ahead 1 space.
  19. If you could not eat for 40 days, what food would each team member miss the most? Move ahead 1 space.
  20. Write this rotation’s Bible verse on the white board. When did Jesus say this? (in response to Satan’s asking him to worship him) Move ahead two spaces.
  21. Look up Ephesians 6:1 in your Bible. Who should children obey and why? (parents, because it is the right thing to do) Move ahead 2 spaces.
  22. Jesus answered the devil with these three words which showed he knew the scriptures. (“It is written) Move ahead one space.
  23. Which Old Testament book did Jesus quote? (Deuteronomy) Move ahead one space.
  24. Jesus was tempted in the desert very soon after he was baptized. Find where Jesus was baptized on the wall map. (Jordan River) Move ahead 1 space.
  25. Jesus was tempted here. Find this place on the wall map (desert area east of Jerusalem) Move ahead 1 space.
  26. Why did Satan want Jesus to worship him? (to wreck God’s plan) Move ahead 2 spaces.

Explosion Cards
These cards indicate a negative response to temptation and require teams to move backward on the game board. When these cards are drawn, players must read the card, answer the question and move BACK the specified number of spaces.

Grades 1-6

  1. Your friend said something mean about you, so you said something mean about him. What could you have done? Go back 2 spaces.
  2. You are supposed to stay together as a group when you go to Children’s church. You ran off ahead of everyone. What would help you resist this temptation? Move back 1 space.
  3. You are supposed to put the puppets away after you play with them in the drama room. You left them on the floor. What will help you resist this temptation? Move back 2 spaces.
  4. You aren’t supposed to have drinks in CyberSpace and you spilled a coke on the keyboard. You said you don’t know how it happened. What should you do? Move back 1 space.
  5. You are supposed to clean your room. Instead you shove everything under the bed and tell your mom you’re done. What should you have done? Move back 1 space.
  6. You told your mom that you fed the dog, but you didn’t. What should you do? Move back 2 spaces.
  7. You ate the dessert your mom was saving for company without permission. What should you do? Move back 1 space.
  8. You and your friends talked all during church, disturbing the people around you. What should you do to resist this temptation? Move back 1 space.
  9. Your friends want to go play at a construction site. Your parents have told you to stay away because it’s dangerous. You go with your friends. What could you do to resist this temptation? Move back 1 space.
  10. You told your parents you didn’t have homework and you did. What would help you resist this temptation? Go back 2 spaces.
  11. You pretended to be sick so you wouldn’t have to go to school. What would help you resist this temptation? Go back 1 space. 

Grades 1-2

  1. You took your sister’s game boy when she had already told you not to. How could you resist this temptation? Go back 1 space.
  2. You told your parents you brushed your teeth and washed your hands and you hadn’t. How could you resist this temptation? Go back 1 space. 

Grades 3-6

  1. Your sister told you not to borrow her things without asking and you took one of her favorite CDs. How could you resist this temptation? Go back 1 space.
  2. You made a bad grade on a paper, so you hid it from your parents. What would help you resist this temptation? Go back 2 spaces.
  3. Your friend said something mean about you, so you said something mean about him. What could you have done? Go back 2 spaces.
  4. You copied your book report off the back flap of the book and turned it in as your own work. The teacher hung it up on the wall and gave you an A+ because she thought it was so good. What should you do? Move back 2 spaces.
  5. You are supposed to stay together as a group on a school field trip. You and your best friend went off by yourselves. What should you do? What would help you resist this temptation? Move back 1 space.

Grades 5-6

  1. You went to a party with no chaperones, even though your parents don’t allow that. What could you do to resist this temptation? Go back 2 spaces.
  2. Your best friend stole a cigarette and wants you to try smoking with him. You take just a few puffs. What would help you resist this temptation? Go back 2 spaces.

Reflection Time:

The last 10 minutes of class are reserved for Faith Journals. Ask the shepherds to pass out the journals and pencils/pens from the class box. Reflection questions for each workshop are printed on stickers. Pass out the stickers and have children stick them to the top of a sheet of paper in their journals. Workshop leaders and shepherds should sit down with children in small groups to facilitate discussion and writing in Faith Journals. This time is an opportunity for processing and reflection about what the children have learned. Memory verse stickers are also included for each lesson. Children can copy the memory verse and illustrate it as an alternative to journal questions.

Grades 1-2: Jesus learned about the Bible when he was a little boy. Memorizing Bible verses helped him when he was tempted. Draw a picture of Jesus learning.
Grades 3-6: Jesus learned scripture verses that helped him when he faced temptation. What Bible verse do you know that can help you resist temptation?

Closing:

Gather the children together at the end of class. Share reminders about upcoming events. Remind them to bring their Bibles to class and encourage them to bring their friends to the G.R.E.A.T. Adventure. Ask for prayer requests and pray together.

Clean-up: Gather all supplies and put away in storage cabinet. Place journals, stickers, and pens/pencils in class box. Encourage the children to take responsibility for putting away all materials and supplies and to help keep our rooms neat and orderly.

Release children only to parents after they have signed their child out on the classroom clipboard, unless they have made prior arrangements with you.


A lesson posted by Jaymie Derden from: State Street UMC

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

 

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