Walk This Way - FUMCR

252 Groups

May 3, 2015, Week 1 Small Group, 4-5

Walk This Way

Bible Story: Walk This Way (Integrity Principle) ? Proverbs 10:9, NIrV Bottom Line: Being truthful helps you stay out of trouble. Memory Verse: "Keep me from cheating and telling lies. Be kind and teach me your law." Psalm 119:29, NIrV Life App: Honesty--choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do. Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.

Plug In: Focus the Energy (Small Groups, 10-15 minutes)

Focus the energy on today's Bible story in a Small Group setting with an engaging discussion question and an interactive opening activity.

Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group for the first time. Pray for the kids who have trouble being honest. Pray that they would walk away challenged and empowered to start being more truthful, not just in order to avoid getting in trouble, but to protect their relationships with those around them. For the kids who don't have trouble being honest, ask that God would help them not to "check out." Pray that they would be encouraged to keep being honest, even if it means they might be embarrassed or could possibly get in trouble for something they did.

1. Early Arriver Idea What You Need: Offering container, paper, pencils, timer

What You Do: Invite kids to put their offerings in the offering container as they arrive. Ask them to make a list of things people are sometimes untruthful about, such as grades, how tall they are, how well they can play a sport, when they do something wrong, etc. Ask them to write down as many as they can. You can give them a time limit (one to two minutes). See how many ideas they can write down before time is up. Then go through the lists as a group. Similar to the game Scattergories?, if there are any duplicates, kids should mark those off of their lists. The person with the most "lies" remaining on their list is the winner!

2. Human Knot What You Need: No supplies needed

What You Do: Form a circle with the kids facing each other. Ask everyone to raise their right hand and grab the raised hand of someone across the circle from them. Now ask everyone to raise their left hand and grab the hand of a different person. Check to make sure everyone is holding the hands of two different people. See if the kids can untangle themselves without breaking the chain of hands. If time is running out, simplify the problem by letting them break one grip and asking the group to form a single line instead of a circle.

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If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by Cheryl Bishop, FUMCR, April 2015

252 Groups

May 3, 2015, Week 1 Small Group, 4-5

What You Say: "It was difficult to untangle yourselves from the human knot we made. [Transition] Let's head to Large Group and see what else can entangle you and get you in trouble."

Lead your group to the Large Group area.

Catch On: Make the Connection (Small Groups, 25-30 minutes)

Make the connection of how today's Bible story applies to real life experiences through interactive activities and discussion questions.

1. Web of Lies (review the Bible story / application activity) We'll provide supplies What You Need: Ball of string, paper or a whiteboard, pencils or dry-erase marker, Bible

What You Do: Sit in a circle with the kids. Write out Proverbs 10:9 on a piece of paper or a whiteboard and put it in the center of the circle so the kids can see it. Explain that one kid will hold onto the string and gently toss the ball to someone else in the group. Before they toss the ball of string, the group will need to answer a question concerning today's Bible story. Some of the questions may have more than one answer; so pass the ball of string after each answer the kids make. When you are finished reviewing the lesson, you will have created "a web" in the center of the circle. Review questions are listed below:

What were some of the lies Grayson told? (He liked to hike; he knew how to read a map; etc.) Why did Grayson lie? (Because he was new to town; he wanted to fit in; he wanted to be liked) What popped up on Grayson's phone when he tried to use his phone's GPS? (A Bible verse) Can anyone tell me the verse or what the verse was about? (Proverbs 10:9; being truthful helps

you stay out of trouble.) Telling all those lies definitely got Grayson into trouble. What did Grayson do once he realized

how trapped he was with all his lies? (He `fessed' up and told the truth) What is our Bottom Line today? ([Impress] Being truthful helps you stay out of trouble.)

5-6 Challenge: Instead of asking the questions above, ask each kid or pair of kids to come up with two review questions for the story.

What You Say: "We created quite a web with our string. Just like a spider creates a web to trap insects, when you are not truthful you create a `web of lies' that will trap you. Grayson certainly was trapped by the lies he told his friends. God wants you to live safely and not be trapped by lies. Being truthful will help you stay out of trouble. Let's see if we can untangle our web of lies. (Challenge kids to toss the ball of string in reverse order in order to untangle it. Before a kid tosses the ball, he or she needs to say a word of Proverbs 10:9.)

"When you are tangled in a web of lies, your best option is to 'fess up, tell the truth, and begin to untangle the web that traps you. Sometimes being truthful is not easy. It took us a long time to untangle the web we created, and the same is true when you have to untangle the lies you have told. Being

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252 Groups

May 3, 2015, Week 1 Small Group, 4-5

truthful, while not always easy, will help you stay out of trouble." [Make it Personal] (Share an ageappropriate story of a time you got tangled up in a lie, such as exaggerating how good you are at a sport or lying about liking scary movies.)

2. Which Path Will You Take? (application activity) We'll provide supplies What You Need: Painter's tape, cotton balls, straws

What You Do: There should be two paths marked out on the floor. If not, quickly create them Path #1 is a straight line about 5-10 feet long and about 3 inches wide. Path #2 is zigzag line the same length and width as Path #1.

Instruct kids to take turns moving the cotton ball along each of the paths by gently blowing air through a straw. Make sure the kids move the cotton balls along both paths.

Depending on the size of your Small Group, you could give each kid 30-60 seconds and see how far along each path they go. You can use tape to mark the distance.

What You Say: "Which path was easier to move your cotton ball along? (Pause for responses.) Why was the crooked path harder? (It was harder to keep your cotton ball on the path; you had to keep changing direction; etc.) [Apply] When you choose honesty--choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do-- you are choosing the straight--or right--path for your life. When you lie, you are choosing a crooked path; you will have more trouble staying on the path and your life will be harder. [Impress] Being truthful helps you stay out of trouble."

3. Twist It Up (memory verse activity) If you have a Twister game, feel free to bring it. What You Need: Bibles, "Twist It Up Circles" Activity Pages, "Twist It Up Instruction Cards," a container, tape

What You Do: Give kids a Bible and ask them to look up the Memory Verse for the month, Psalm 119:29.

Finding verses with 4th-5th graders: Our verse is from Psalm. Ask kids to tell you whether that's in the Old Testament or the New Testament. (Old) Psalm is toward the middle of the Bible. When they find Psalm, explain that the big numbers on the page are the chapter numbers. Tell them to find chapter 119. Explain that the small numbers are verse numbers. Tell them to them find verses 29 in chapter 119.

Set up the game board by taping the "Twist It Up Circles" on the floor creating a 4x6 grid; each column will be one color and each row will contain all 4 colors. This will look similar to a TwisterTM game board. Kids will line up along the edges of the game board. Explain the rules of the game to the kids.

Rules: You will draw an "Instruction Card" from the container and read the body part and the color listed on the card, e.g. "right hand, red." The kids, simultaneously, must then try to place the called-out body part on an empty circle on the game board of the called-out color.

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If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by Cheryl Bishop, FUMCR, April 2015

252 Groups

May 3, 2015, Week 1 Small Group, 4-5

Every time a direction is called out, the kids must move the called-out body part to a new circle, even if that body part is already on a circle.

In order to stay on the circle, kids must say the corresponding verse phrase. There can never be more than one hand or foot on any one spot. If two or more players reach

for the same circle, explain you will decide who gets the spot. Any kid who falls or touches the ground with an elbow or knee is immediately out of the game.

The last player left in the game is the winner!

What You Say: "Everyone sure got tangled up playing this game. While this was a fun game, being tangled up in lies is not fun. [Apply] You can trust God no matter what and He wants you to be honest. Not only will being truthful honor God, [Impress] being truthful helps you stay out of trouble. The Bible is one of the tools God uses to teach you His ways. What does our Memory Verse teach us?" (Pause for responses.)

If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions: The first part of our memory verse says, "Keep me from cheating and telling lies." What are some things you can do to help yourself to remember to be honest? (Pray and ask family and friends to pray for you, memorize verses on honesty, you wouldn't want to be lied to so remember to treat others the way you want to be treated, think before you speak and focus on making wise choices ? choices that don't lead to trouble, practice) What are some consequences of being dishonest? (Encourage kids to give specific examples) What are some consequences of being honest? Can you think of a movie or book where one of the characters was dishonest? What happened because of that person's dishonesty? What would you have done in the same situation? How would the movie or book have played out differently if the person had been honest?

Pray and Dismiss

What You Need: Bibles

What You Do: Help kids look up Proverbs 10:9 in their Bibles. Ask the kids what this verse means. What does it mean to live without blame? (Being honest; being truthful in whatever you say or do.) Remind kids that [Impress] being truthful helps you stay out of trouble. Explain that you are going to use God's words in Proverbs to pray they will be truthful and live honestly.

What You Say: "Dear God, You are awesome and we know we can trust You no matter what. Help us to be honest, God. [Apply] Help us to follow Your example because we know when we live like You ask us to--when we live with honesty and integrity--we have the best life possible. God, protect us from evil and the crooked path. We want to live a life pleasing to You. Amen."

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If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by Cheryl Bishop, FUMCR, April 2015

252 Groups

May 3, 2015, Week 1 Small Group, 4-5

FOR LEADERS ONLY

GOD VIEW: the connection between HONESTY and God's character, as shown through God's big story

There's something about the things that we say that kind of stack up one way. Then there's the way we live, or the reality about certain situations that stack up another way. If those all line up, there's strength and balance like a dependable tower. When what we say lines up with what we do, people know they can trust us, because, like a strong tower, our lives are built with integrity.

Honesty really is a big deal. That's why we're spending the month of May to talk about Honesty. Honesty is choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do.

When we're honest, when our words line up with our actions, people know they can trust us. Our relationships grow stronger. God understands the relationship between honesty and trust. This is something God set into motion in the first place.

Since the beginning, God has been in the business of making and keeping promises. God told Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation of people--He was. God told the Israelites that He would provide for them in the desert--He did. God told Joshua that the wall of Jericho would fall if the people marched around it for seven days--it did. God told Mary that she would have a baby boy--she did.

That baby boy was the answer to a promise God had set in motion from the beginning: God kept His promise to send a Savior. When we were lost, He came through and sent Jesus, the Messiah, the One in whom we can ultimately put all of our trust.

That's really it, isn't it? God is honest. He has proven from the beginning that He can be trusted--even to the point of sending His Son. And we're called to reflect the image of God to a world around us that is desperate for people who will live with integrity.

We want kids to begin building the kind of lives that show they can be trusted. Because they know the One who can be trusted above any other.

This week, we're discovering:

We start the month with Proverbs 10:9, "Anyone who lives without blame walks safely." Being honest isn't just about the words you say, it's really about the life you live. Being honest comes much easier when you are an honest person and live your life with integrity.

Bottom Line: Being truthful helps you stay out of trouble. You don't have to worry about what will happen to you if you live life with honesty. We hope kids realize that making the wise choice to tell the truth is a great way to not get tangled up in a lie.

Our Memory Verse is Psalm 119:29. "Keep me from cheating and telling lies. Be kind and teach me your law." Being honest isn't always easy; this verse is a great reminder that God is there to help us when we need the strength to tell the truth, no matter what the situation looks like.

?2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. ?

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If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by Cheryl Bishop, FUMCR, April 2015

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