Leader Guide
Active Game
- Poster board or large sheet of butcher paper
- Marker
- Optional: masking tape
- Scissors
- Two small boxes––shoeboxes are ideal
- Saved From Sin Page
- Optional: paper grocery bags, one per child
- Bible or the Superbook bible App
Make copies of the Saved From Sin Page, one for every three children plus extras.
Cut out the individual cards.
Make a cross about 3 feet tall from poster board.
With the marker, write “Jesus Saved Me” on the cross.
Write “Sin” on one box and “Forgiven” on the other box.
Tape or lean the cross against the wall.
Mark or tape a line about 15 feet
from the cross.
Optional: children may hop to the “Sin” box in paper grocery bags, then discard them when they take “Forgiven” cards.
Because of His love for us, Jesus endured persecution and death to save us. Let’s close our eyes and say our SuperTruth together on the count of three; 1, 2, 3: “Jesus endured persecution to save me.”
Have you ever shared the Good News with someone, and he/she asked, “What exactly is Jesus saving me from? Or, why do I need to be saved?” What would you answer? From our sins, from sin and death.
Jesus took
the punishment for our sin so we can be forgiven and live forever with Him in
heaven someday. Isn’t that wonderful?
Jesus said in John 8:34–36:
The truth is that when we sin, we are bound to sin like slaves. The Good News is that Jesus—God’s Son—sets us free from our sin so we can have hope and peace and joy!
Let’s play a game about being forgiven and set free from our sin!
Divide the class into two equal teams. Have each team form a line behind the mark or taped line. Put the “Forgiven and Set Free” cards in the “Forgiven” box and place it at the foot of the cross. Place the “Sin” box next to that box and give each child a “Bound by Sin” card. The game is a relay race. Each player must keep his/her own ankles tightly together—as if bound or tied—and hop to the cross while holding the “Bound by Sin” card. Optional: each player hops to the “Sin” box with both feet in a paper grocery bag. The child then places the sin card in the “Sin” box and takes a “Forgiven and Set Free” card from the other box. The players then are set free and run back to the line so the next player can begin. Play until everyone is completely set free from sin!
Optional: return the cards to the appropriate boxes and play another round. Preface this by explaining that in our walk with Christ, as hard as we try, we are “bound” to make mistakes, give in to temptation and make unwise choices. When we do, we can always return to the cross and ask Jesus to forgive, cleanse, and set us free! (See 1 John 2:1.)
Conclusion:
Good job everybody! You are all set free! How did it feel to exchange
your sin for forgiveness and be set free to run again? Children respond.
Remember what our verse said in the book of John—
“If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”