FAITH QUEST
The Ten Commandments
HOLYWOOD
Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17
Memory Verse:
"I will write my laws on their hearts and minds. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Jeremiah 31:33b CEV
Concepts:
1. God wants to be in a special relationship with us.
2. God is active and present in all parts of our lives.
3. People are precious to God so we should love and care for other people.
4. God gives us rules to show us how to live with God and with others.
5. When we obey God's laws we show that we love God.
Objectives:
1. Children will see a video clip from the Ten Commandments.
2. Children will recall events leading up to God giving Moses the Ten Commandments.
3. Children will discuss why we need rules.
4. Children will reenact the 10 Commandments under a black light.
Procedure:
Welcome and Introductions:
1. Greet the children and introduce yourself.
2.
What kind of rules do you have in your household? (make
my bed, do the dishes, don’t fight with my sibling, go to bed at 8:30, etc) Who
makes most of the rules at home? (parents) Why do parents have rules?
(because they love us, because rules make life easier, rules keep us safe, they
tell us how to behave, what is right) What happens when you don’t obey the
rules? (get into trouble, make parents mad) Do parents still love you if
you break the rules? (yes) then why do we have to follow the rules?
(because we need to know how to live together and it shows love for our parents
(and God) when we behave.)
God gave the Israelite rules for the very same reason our parents make rules for us. God loved the Israelites so much that God wanted to be a part of their lives. God’s rules - the 10 Commandments - show us how to live with God and with others. When we obey God's laws we show that we love God.
3. Today we are going to see part of a movie about when Moses went up the mountain to get the 10 Commandments.
Bible Story:
1. Provide the background story to what the children are about to see. Show the children the strips of poster board identifying the events of the Moses story. They are all mixed up. As you quickly review the story, put the strips in order. Older children should be able to sequence them. What happened first? Then what happened? Etc. Younger children will need more help in being told the story.
2. Distribute the popcorn with help from the Shepherds or volunteer children. (Popcorn should already be made.) Start the video The Ten Commandments. Watch the last 15 minutes of the video. Cue it just after the Red Sea event and the scene with Yul Brenner back at the palace.
3.
Discuss with the children, how the Israelites disobeyed
Moses’ orders not to build an idol. What happened when they disobeyed? (chaos)
Do they need the 10 Commandments? Do we? Why? (because the rules show us how
to love God and to love and care for others) Which commandments tell us how
to love God? (the first 4) which tell us how to love and care for
others? (the last 6)
Say the memory verse together: "I will write my laws on their hearts and minds. I will be their God, and they will be my people." God wanted a special relationship with the Israelites and God wants a special relationship with you!!
Application:
1. Act out the 10 Commandments. Divide the children into groups of 2 or 3 and give each group one or 2 commandments written on a strip of paper. They are to decide how to act out their commandments in pantomime (no voice) for the other children who must guess which commandment it is. Give the children about 2 or 3 minutes to talk quietly about what they plan to do.
2. Darken the room. Use extra covering on the windows if necessary to make the room as dark as possible. Turn on the black light. Children will be excited at how white glows.
3. Ask a group to come forward to pantomime one commandment. First, give the children white gloves to wear. This will enhance their hand movements. When they are finished, ask the other children to say the commandment out loud. Give gloves to next group.
4. Continue for each group as time permits to enact a commandment.
Reflection Time:
Say the memory verse together: "I will write my laws on their hearts and minds. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Jeremiah 31:33b CEV
Hand out the journal sheets. Ask each child to write down the commandment that he/she needs to work on. Draw a picture of you obeying this commandment. Promise to try hard to keep this commandment all week. Show your parents the journal sheet and ask for their help.
Prayer: Dear God. Thank you for loving us so much that you gave us rules so we would know how to love you and care for others. We want to keep the commandments Lord. Help us remember to keep these rules in everything we do and say. Write them on our hearts and minds. Amen.
Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help clean up popcorn as they wait for their parents to arrive. Turn out the lights and lock the doors to Holywood.
Teacher preparation in
advance:
1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Workshop Leaders Bible Study.
2. Prepare a closing prayer.
3. Preview the video and have it cued to the correct starting place. The video will be given to you at the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study. Be sure to ask for it.
4. Gather your props.
5. PRACTICE OPERATING THE POPCORN MACHINE.
References
Video. The Ten Commandments, Cecil B. DeMille, 1956. Starring Charlton Heston and Yul Brenner. Ordered from Vision Video 1-800-523-0226.
Supplies
· Sequence of events on strips of poster board. Sticky tape to hang them
· Strips of paper with the 10 commandments
· Black light bulb (available in a hardware store, Target, Walmart, etc)
· Lamp ( an inexpensive floor lamp with a goose neck is best for directing the light at the performers)
· White cotton gloves (cotton shows up best)
· Journal sheets
· Pens, pencils
· Display of the 10 Commandments
Sequence of Events
leading up to Mount Sinai
1. Baby Moses is rescued from the Nile River by an Egyptian princess.
2. Moses, a Hebrew, grows up as an Egyptian prince.
3. Moses kills an Egyptian who is beating up a Hebrew slave. Moses escapes to the desert.
4. Moses sees a burning bush and God calls him to rescue the Israelite slaves from Pharaoh.
5. The Pharaoh refuses to let the people go.
6. Moses uses God’s mighty power to bring plagues to the Egyptian people.
7. Pharaoh agrees to let the people go.
8. Pharaoh goes after the escaping Israelites with all his chariots and men.
9. Moses uses God’s power to divide the Red Sea so the Israelites can escape.
10. Moses leads the Israelite people to Mount Sinai.
11. God gives Moses the 10 Commandments
1. Do not worship any god except me.
2. Do not make idols.
3. Do not misuse my name.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day.
5. Respect your father and your mother.
6. Do not murder.
7. Be faithful in marriage.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not tell lies about others.
10. Do not want anything that
belongs to someone else.