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Flexible Children’s Curriculum3 Lessons with Activitiesfor Preschool through Elementary-aged children

Ideal for: Sunday School Curriculum

Mid-week Bible Clubs

Weekend Children’s Outreach

Mini-holiday Vacation Bible School

LESSON 2: “SAVED BY GRACE – GETTING WHAT YOU DON’T DESERVE”

Copyright ©2005 Steve and Cora Alley. Published by permission. All rights reserved.

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By Steve and Cora Alley

“Kings Queens”

1L E S S O N 2 • “ S A V E D B Y G R A C E ”

. . . . . . . G E T T I N G W H A T Y O U D O N ' T D E S E R V E

“Saved By Grace”

2L e s son

Christian Truth:G r a c e m e a n s t h a t y o u g e t w h a t y o u d o n ’ t d e s e r v e .

Objective: The children will demonstrate their understanding of grace by playing the Grace Game and assembling the Saving Grace Rebus Puzzle, in which they connect Jesus saving us from the results of sin (death) in the same way as Aslan saved Edmund from death at the hands of the White Witch.

Story References: The Grace Game and the Saving Grace Puzzle will ask a series of questions that recall the details of the story as well as focus on the central event in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: the sacrifice of Aslan on Edmund’s behalf. Questions will center on the following topics:

Edmund’s crime• “The Deep Magic”• “The Deeper Magic Before Time”

The sacrifice of Aslan to pay the price for Edmund’s crimeThe repentant response of Edmund as a result of being savedEdmund’s transformation from repentance to becoming a warrior in the army of the Aslan

Scripture Passage: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Memory Verse: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

Materials List:Items for the Optional Grace Banner (See detailed materials list on page 3 of this lesson.)Items for the Grace Game (See detailed materials list on page 4 of this lesson.)Items for the Call Upon the Lord Megaphone Craft (See detailed materials list on page 5 of this lesson.)Items for the Saving Grace Rebus Relay (See detailed materials list on page 7 of this lesson.)Items for Jesus Is My Life Saver (See detailed materials list on page 7 of this lesson.)Items for the Q&A Matching Game (See detailed materials list on page 8 of this lesson.)Items for the Grace Banner Craft (See detailed materials list on 10 of this lesson.)Activity pages 18-39

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Lesson Description: NOTE: This lesson can be made shorter by:

Increasing the number of puzzle pieces given for a correct answer during the Saving Grace Rebus RelaySelecting simpler questions during the Grace GameSelecting fewer learning activities from those listed below

Also, the Interactive Engagement Elements listed below may be substituted for some parts of this lesson in order to better tailor it to the population of children or the time-constraints of this lesson.

“Save Me!”Before the lesson begins, the teacher will select a student to role play this “attention-getter.” The student will agree to interrupt the teacher’s opening remarks with a loud scream, yelling, “AHHHH! A spider! Save me! Help!” The student will stomp his/her feet, throw hands up in the air, shake the head, and run around near where he/she is seated.

The teacher will hurry over to the child’s seat, take off her shoe and slam it down hard. There is, hopefully, no spider present to be killed; however, this commotion will make the point that when we are in danger, we need to be saved by someone who is stronger.

This opening activity segues into the discussion that Edmund was in terrible trouble because he betrayed his brother and sisters, and he needed to be saved by someone stronger.

Optional Grace BannerSummary:

Make a set of large Medieval tournament banners that hang from a pole and roll down, one banner at a time. Each banner is headed up by a large letter at the top. When all the banners are rolled out they spell out the word:

“G R A C E.” Going down from each large letter are five words: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. (See the Grace Banner illustration on next page.)

After the Grace Game, transfer the concept of Aslan’s grace toward Edmund to God’s grace for us. Define God’s grace by rolling one banner down at a time while discussing the meaning of each part of the word, “GRACE.”

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Part 2: Content Discovery

Part 1: The Attention Getter

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Materials List:1 pole5 banners that spell out “G R A C E” (See illustration below.)

Suggested Teacher Script:Did (insert the name of the child whom you saved from the killer spider) do anything special to deserve my helping him/her? No! I jumped into action, ready to save (child’s name) because I am so much older and bigger, and I knew just what to do to solve (child’s name) problem. I care about all of you, not because of something you did, but because of who I am. (Child’s name) did not do anything special to deserve my help, but I saved him/her anyway. That is called “grace.” Grace means you get something wonderful even though you didn’t do anything special to earn it.

Aslan saved Edmund because of Aslan’s grace toward Edmund, not because of something Edmund did to deserve it. As a matter of fact, Edmund should have been punished, but Aslan took the punishment instead because of his great love and grace for Edmund.

The Grace GameSummary:

The Grace Game is a review of the main events of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, with an emphasis on the crime of Edmund, the love of Aslan, and the result of Aslan’s sacrifice that set Edmund free from the tyranny of the White Witch. The game is played in teams. Each team will select a category and a point value for their questions each time their turn comes around. They discuss the answer as a team, then present their consensus when the time is up. If they are correct, the team earns the point value of that question. Play this game as long as you like, or until the major events of Aslan’s sacrifice have been reviewed.

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4L E S S O N 2 • “ S A V E D B Y G R A C E ”

Materials List:Overhead projectorMake a transparency of the Grace Game categories (Activity page 18)

NOTE: If you do not have an overhead projector, draw the categories on a white board or on a chalkboard.

Some type of a timing device, a buzzer, a “ring-for-service” bell, etc.

Step-by-Step Instructions:Divide the children into 2-4 teams (2-8 kids on a team)Project the Grace Game categories via an overhead projector, or draw them out on the board.Explain the general content of the Grace Game categories: NARNIA, ASLAN, CRIMES, SACRIFICE, BATTLESExplain that the higher the point value, the harder the question.Keep score on the board by listing each team’s number with a running tally of their points under their number, so the kids can see which team is winning at any moment in the game.Tell them that they have only 15 seconds to answer the question once you ask it. They may confer as a team, but they don’t have much time to argue.If they cannot decide, then one member of the team should try to answer the question. Children can take turns being the “final answer” person on their team.If the team answers correctly, the points are added to its tally; if the team is wrong, no points are awarded, and the next team gets a chance at the same question.If the next team answers correctly, they earn those points, plus their rightful turn as the next team to play.Work in a clockwise pattern with the teams, so that they all get an equal opportunity to earn the error-points if the team just before them didn’t give a correct answer.When you are out of time or out of questions, the team with the most points, wins.

Questions and Answers for The Grace Game:The teacher reads the questions from the categorized listings on Activity pages 19-28. Each category is organized by point value, ranging from the easiest questions at 100 points, to the most difficult ones at 300 points. (NOTE: Be sure to mark off the question as you ask it in each category, so you do not get confused and ask the same question twice.) Transition from The Grace Game to the concept of the grace of God.

Transition from The Grace Game to the Concept of the Grace of God

Suggested Teacher Script:God feels exactly the same way about us as Aslan felt about Edmund. God loves us so much that He became a human being and came down to earth. Who remembers what God’s name was when He came to earth in a human body? (Jesus.)

God loved the world so much that He died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins, just as Aslan took the punishment for Edmund. When we believe in Jesus, we accept that wonderful gift of His sacrifice for us. When we believe in what Jesus did for us and we try to live our lives to please Him, we are “saved” from being punished for our own sins. God’s gift of grace to us by dying for our sins, opens up the door of Heaven to us, so we can live forever with God after we die.

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5L E S S O N 2 • “ S A V E D B Y G R A C E ”

We did not do anything to deserve God loving us that much. We are saved by God’s grace. Remember, grace means getting something wonderful that we don’t deserve. Let me explain it this way:

(Use your own words as you pull down each one of the five banners on the Grace Banner to explain God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. If you are not choosing to use the banner, write the word GRACE in large letters on the board, and write the words: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense under each one of the respective letters that begins those words. See the Grace Banner illustration on page 3. Cover these important theological connections between the work of Aslan and the work of Jesus.)

Briefly remind the children of the sacrifice of Aslan to pay for the sin of Edmund, just like Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary pays for the sin of all mankind. Emphasize that sin freezes our lives, just as the stone statues were frozen when the evil White Witch touched them. We can’t enjoy our lives when we allow evil to touch us; in other words, we become dead in our spirit and our joy is gone. Sin makes us turn into living dead people, with stone hearts that cannot love. Explain to the children that Jesus’ death was a sacrifice for their sins and a wonderful gift from Him. They have to choose to accept it by being sorry for their sins and by telling God that they believe that Jesus is the Son of God.Remind them of the change in Edmund’s life when he realized that Aslan rescued him from the White Witch when she was about to kill him. The rescue changed him from a coward to a warrior. Aslan not only saved him from death at the hands of the White Witch, but he gave Edmund’s life new meaning as well. Aslan also saved the creatures who were turned to stone by the White Witch when he breathed new life into them, just like Jesus gives us new life when we become Christians. Jesus gives our lives new meaning as well when we ask Him to save us and make Him the Lord of our lives. Jesus gives us a job to do that takes our whole lives to accomplish. He asks us to join His Church and become warriors in His Good Army and fight against the Devil and the forces of evil here in the real world. Read John 3:16 and emphasize the amazing love God has for us. Open the Bible and read the memory verse: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13Ask the children to repeat the memory verse with you.

Call Upon The Lord Megaphone CraftSummary:

The children will write the memory verse, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13), down the center of a piece of construction paper, then curl the construction paper up into a megaphone. They will tape off the paper to hold the megaphone shape and shout the memory verse through it.

Materials List:One piece of construction paper for each child A piece of cellophane tape, or transparent packing tape, for each childCrayons or markers for each childScissors for pairs of children to share

Step-by-Step Instructions:Make a sample Call Upon The Lord Megaphone to show the children.Write the memory verse on the board: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13Give each child a piece of construction paper, a crayon or marker, and a pair of scissors to share.Instruct them to write their memory verse down the center of the piece of construction paper. Tell them to use several lines if they want to write it in big letters. (See illustration on next page.) Curl the construction paper up into the shape of a megaphone and tape it to hold its shape.

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6L E S S O N 2 • “ S A V E D B Y G R A C E ”

Cut the hard edges of the paper’s end into softer round edges in keeping with the shape of a megaphone. (See illustration below.)

Have the child raise their megaphones and shout the memory verse through it.

The Invitation(This may be done now or after the Saving Grace Rebus Relay.)

(NOTE: Handle this salvation/invitation moment in whatever way is considered appropriate with your congregation. Change the wording to suit your needs and the needs of the children.)

Are you frozen in your sins like those statues, or are you alive because you let Jesus breathe new life into you? Will you accept the new life Jesus brings? Will you accept His sacrifice to save you from your sins?

Saving Grace Rebus RelaySummary:The children will compete, in two or more teams, to assemble their rebus. They will run up to the Quiz Master and answer a question about the sacrifice of Aslan for Edmund and the biblical parallel of Jesus’ sacrifice for the sins of mankind. If the child gets the answer correct, he/she will be given a puzzle piece to the Saving Grace Rebus Relay. Gradually, the team will return with piece after piece of the puzzle. The first team to assemble the entire puzzle and interpret its meaning, wins. (Note: There should be one adult Quiz Master for each team.)

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Part 3: Interactive Response

7L E S S O N 2 • “ S A V E D B Y G R A C E ”

Materials List:Make as many copies of the Saving Grace Rebus Puzzle as you have teams. (Activity page 29). NOTE: Either run the puzzle on heavy construction paper or laminate it before you cut it up. Clear contact paper on both sides of the paper works very well as a way to laminate ordinary copy paper. Cut the puzzle pieces along the lines and store the sets of pieces for each team in envelopes.Copy a list of the Quiz Master Questions for each adult Quiz Master (Activity page 30 & 31).One piece of tagboard or cardboard per team, on which they can each assemble their puzzle.

OPTION: Prizes for the winning team.

Step-by-Step Instructions:Find a large area in which to play this game: a field or a large yard.Place Quiz Master adults at least 30 feet away from each team of children.Divide the children into two or more teams.Line up the teams so that the first child in the line becomes the first runner to run up to the adult Quiz Master to answer a question.Give each team a piece of tag board or cardboard on which to assemble their puzzle as the pieces arrive.Tell the rest of the children, especially those near the back of the line, to prepare to assemble the puzzle as the pieces arrive. The kids at the back are always changing as the next one advances to the front to run up to the Quiz Master and answer the next question.The Quiz Master asks questions concerning the sacrifice of Aslan to pay for the crime of Edmund, as well as asking questions about the biblical parallels in which Jesus was sacrificed to pay for our sins.If the child answers the question correctly, he/she gets a puzzle piece to take back to the team. More and more pieces of the puzzle are brought back as each child on the team takes a turn at being a runner.The rest of the team hurries to assemble the Saving Grace Rebus.The first team to get all the puzzle pieces assembled correctly wins the game.

NOTE: This game can be made shorter by cutting the rebuses into fewer puzzle pieces.

Summarizing the Saving Grace Rebus RelayAfter each team has completed its rebus, say the memory verse all together. This would be a good time to issue an invitation or have a time of prayer, thanking God for His gift on our behalf.

Jesus Is My Life SaverSummary:

String LifeSaver® candy on a piece of yarn or a piece of lanyard and have the children wear them as necklaces or bracelets to remind them that their life has been saved, but a LifeSaver® candy is meant to be enjoyed, not worn as jewelry. Similarly, you have to invite Jesus into your heart to be saved. Just knowing about Him doesn’t save you.

Materials List:Lanyard, yarn, or leather laces for each child (either necklace or bracelet length)One LifeSaver® candy for each child

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Part 4: Application of Biblical Truth

8L E S S O N 2 • “ S A V E D B Y G R A C E ”

Step-by-Step Instructions:Measure out a stack of necklace-length lanyard, yarn, or leather laces as well as a stack that are bracelet-length.Let the children choose which type of reminder they will make.Give each child a LifeSaver®.Instruct them to string the LifeSaver® on the cord and tie it off. NOTE: Remind them that LifeSaver® candy is meant to be eaten and not just worn as jewelry. Similarly, you have to invite Jesus into your heart to be saved; just knowing about Him doesn’t save you.

Q & A Matching GameMiddle and upper elementary

Summary:

Half the children will have questions on their cards, while the other half will have answers to those questions on their cards. They mingle, asking each other questions and giving answers until they have paired up as a team, with one child holding a question and the other child holding the answer to that question. The teacher conducts a discussion by asking for team #1 to read their question and their answer; thus, permitting the children to advance the discussion with the teacher periodically filling in the information.

Materials List:A large tub for the Questions and Answers so each child can draw one out.Question and Answer Strips for the Q & A Matching Game (Activity Pages 32-37) cut into strips with the Questions on one set of strips and the Answers on another set of strips. CAUTION: Count the children and the Q & A strips carefully. The numbers must match! Be sure that you place matching sets of Questions and Answers into the tub, so that for every child who grabs a question, there is a child with an answer to that question as well. You cannot have left over Questions or Answers in the tub. Teacher’s Master/Answer Key for the Q & A Matching Game (Activity page 38 & 39).

Step-by-Step Instructions:Divide the children into two equal groups.Have each child reach into the Q & A tub and take out a strip of paper. Tell them that they have either a question or an answer on their paper.Instruct them to mingle, asking each other questions and giving answers until they have paired up as a team, with one child holding a question and the other child holding the answer to that question.Once they have found their match, have the children sit down in pairs.Consult Activity page 38 & 39 for the Teacher’s Master/Answer Key for the questions and answers to the Q & A Matching Game. Conduct a discussion by asking for team #1 to read their question and their answer; thus, permitting the children to advance the discussion with the teacher periodically filling in the information.

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Part 5: Creative Activities Options

9L E S S O N 2 • “ S A V E D B Y G R A C E ”

Stone Statue Freeze TagAll ages

Summary:

The children will run to stay away from the child designated to be the White Witch. If she tags them, they have to freeze. When the teacher calls out, “Aslan is on the move,” the child designated to be Aslan begins to tag all the frozen statues, and they come back to life. The object of the game is for the Witch to identify the Aslan, which is hard to do when so many kids are running around freezing and unfreezing randomly.

Step-by-Step Instructions:Gather all the children into a group.Select one child to be the White Witch. This child will cover his/her eyes, leave the room, or put a grocery bag over his/her head, so that he/she will not see who you appoint to be Aslan.Silently point to one child who will be Aslan. Be sure that all the other children know who he/she is. They must not call him/her “Aslan” during the game because his/her identity is a secret from the White Witch.Have all the children begin running around, and tell the White Witch to tag as many as she can.Once the children are tagged they have to freeze.When about 1/3 of the children are tagged and frozen, call out “Aslan is on the move.”At this command, Aslan’s secret identity is protected by all the other children, who must not look to him for help or call out his name.Aslan must be sneaky. He needs to keep out of the Witch’s eye and move around touching (unfreezing) the stone statues. He can do the touch casually, when it looks like he is innocently running past someone. It should be hard to find the Aslan. NOTE: If Aslan has been tagged earlier, he/she should trick the Witch by freezing at that moment, then coming unfrozen at the command of “Aslan is on the move.” The witch is not likely to remember who he/she has frozen anyway.Once the Witch calls out the name of Aslan, and she correctly identifies the one who is unfreezing people, the game is over, and a new Witch and a new Aslan are chosen.Be sure the new Witch does not know who the next Aslan is to be.

Edmund, Susan, Lucy and Peter RacePre-school Adaption

Summary: This game is a variation of Duck, Duck, Goose. Little ones will love it! It will remind them that Peter chased the wicked wolf in the story. The child who is “it” is the wolf.

Step-by-Step Instructions:The children sit in a circle. One child is designated as the wolf. He/she walks outside the circle and taps the heads of all the others in the circle repeating the names of the four children in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: Edmund, Susan, Lucy, Peter. When the child decides to say “Peter,” Peter gets up and chases the wolf. If Peter tags the wolf, Peter goes to sit down and the wolf has to try again, by repeating the tapping of more heads.If the wolf successfully runs around the circle and sits in Peter’s spot, then Peter has to become the new wolf.

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10L E S S O N 2 • “ S A V E D B Y G R A C E ”

Grace Banner CraftSummary:The children will make miniature versions of the larger Grace Banners used to explain grace in Part 2 of this lesson. (See the earlier illustration of the Grace Banners on page 3 of this lesson)

Materials List:One tongue depressor or small slat of wood for each childFive ribbons, 1-inch wide and 6-inches longA stapler to staple the ribbons onto the woodMagic markers or puffy paint to write the words on the ribbons vertically

Step-by-Step Instructions:Draw a sample Grace Banner on the board if you did not use it in Part 2 (see page 3 of this lesson).Make a sample Mini-Grace Banner.Give each child a tongue depressor or a thin, wooden slat.Give each child 5 ribbons.Attach the ribbons to the wood with a stapler. (Have an adult do this; can also be done ahead of time.)Distribute puffy paint, glitter pens, or markers to write the words on the ribbons.

Preschool Coloring ActivitySummary:Tell the children the story of Aslan breathing new life into the statues that were frozen by the evil White Witch. They came alive again with Aslan. Tell them that Aslan saved them from being dead forever. Jesus saves us from being dead, too, because we get to live in Heaven with Him always.

Because Aslan breathes new life into the statues, the children will color what used to be just black and white, changing it to the vibrant life that God intended for all of us to have.

Materials List:Pictures from the storyCrayons

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