Freedom Isn't Free
Group Activities
Sermon Title: "Free At Last"
Scripture Reading: John 8:34-36 (NIV)
ROPE PULL:
Divide the children into pairs. One child in each pair will be designated to gently tie a light weight rope around the other child's wrists and lead that child around a designated area until the "roped" child gets free. That child will RUN to the FREE area to be protected. Continue to play until all the children are FREE. Change partners and play once again. When all the children have been freed and in the circle, they will all shout FREE AT LAST!
SIN LINK CHAIN:
This will be like a hide and seek game. One child will be the "leader" and as he/she will catch or find each child, when a child is found, they will join arms in a chain link and be "bound" to each other until the teacher calls out "BE FREE INDEED" and then they will scatter again. Another child can be chosen to do this chain link again if time allows.
SIN CHAIN:
Provide the children with strips of paper. The children will write sins that keep us from being free on each strip. They will then make a paper link chain as long as time allows! Tell today's story and following the story, the children can spread out into a LONG line while holding the chain of sin. When the teacher calls out FREE AT LAST, the children will pull the links apart and "break the chain that binds us."
SIN BINDING:
Let the children cut a large black plastic trash bag into a few strips. A child or the teacher (as a "sinner") can stand or sit in a chair and as SINS/bad habits are named that BIND us (ones that we do over and over again), the children can use the black strips to wrap around the "sinner". When all the strips are used up and wrapped around, children will begin reading or quoting Bible verses (or today's memory verse). Each Bible verse that is said can FREE one of the black strips until all the strips are FREE and gone!
FREEDOM CUBE:
The teacher will provide a small square box for each child. The children will color small pieces of paper cut into squares and glue or tape them to the sides of the box. They will then write words from today's lesson. Examples: We are Free Indeed, No Longer Slaves, Freed from Sin, Jesus Sets Us Free.
BALLOON RELEASE:
The teacher will provide each child with a helium-filled balloon. Take the children outside and let the children let their balloons go and float away. Tell the children that this is a picture of how Jesus sets us FREE from those things that hold us down when we invite him into our life.
SIN WORDS:
Let the children suggest some habits, both bad and good, that the teacher will write on a chalk board. After they have been written on the board, let the children discuss each habit. As each BAD habits is discussed, the teacher will erase it. After a good habit has been discussed, the teacher will circled it. After all of the habits have been discussed, the teacher will explain that Jesus can free us from the bad habits and help us to focus on the good habits.
SING A SONG:
COME INTO MY HEART
Song: "Into My Heart"
Words and music (pdf)
