1. family and parenting
2. children

252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
Week 1 - 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:
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.
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.
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
REWIND
* 1. Web of Lies (review the Bible story / application activity)
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:
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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.)
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
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.)
POWER UP
2. Which Path Will You Take? (application activity)
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.
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
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.”
MEMORY VERSE
3. Twist It Up (memory verse activity)
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 Twister™ 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.
• 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
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
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.”
©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
Week 2 - Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Bible Story: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow (Jacob tricks Isaac) • Genesis 27:1-45
Bottom Line: When you are not truthful, you can hurt the people you care about.
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 should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Plug In:
1. Early Arriver Idea
What You Need: An offering container, paper, pencils
What You Do:
Invite kids to put their offerings into the offering container as they arrive. Ask kids to write the word
“HONESTY” in a column along the left side of a piece of paper. Challenge the kids to use each letter in
the word “HONESTY” to form a phrase that relates to honesty. For example:
H – Honor your parents
O – Obey God’s truths
N – Never lie
E – Everyone should never lie
S – Simply be truthful
T – Truth always
Y – Yes to being truthful
2. Domino Fall
What You Need: Dominoes
What You Do:
Create a domino track by standing up the dominos and placing them about a half inch apart so when
one domino falls it will knock the next domino over.
What You Say:
“You made some great patterns with the dominos. What happened when you knocked over the first
domino? (Pause for responses.) That’s right. It started a chain reaction and all the dominos were
affected. [Transition] Let’s head to Large Group and see the effect one lie can cause in the lives
of others.”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
POWER UP
* 1. Climbing Tower of Lies (application activity)
What You Need: Paper towels, clear drinking cups, water, felt-tip water-based markers
What You Do:
Divide kids into group of 4-5. Give each group a paper towel. Instruct the kids to fold the towel in half
from side to side multiple times until the towel is about one inch wide. The kids will use a marker write
the word “LIE” across the width of the towel about two inches from the bottom edge. Above the word
“LIE,” the kids will make an X for people they care about. As the kids make their X’s, ask them to say
the name of the person each X represents, such as their mom, dad, sister, brother, friend, cousins, etc.
Give each kid a clear plastic cup with about an inch of water in it. Instruct the kids to stick the bottom of
their paper towel into the cup and observe.
What You Say:
“What happened when you put the towels in water? (As the water was absorbed by the towel, the ‘LIE’
blended with the X’s.) How many of the X’s were affected? (If you leave it in there long enough, ALL of
the X’s will be affected.) When you decide not to be truthful, you don’t just hurt yourselves but you
affect the people you care about. [Apply] Just like the water transferred the color from the ‘LIE’
and blended with the colors you used for your X’s, when you choose to lie, the effect of your
lies blends into the lives of the people you care about. In our story today, Jacob lied to Isaac, but
his lies affected his brother, his mother, and his father. God wants you to remember He didn’t create
you to hurt others but to treat others the way you want to be treated, and [Impress] when you are not
truthful, you can hurt the people you care about.”
REWIND
2. What’s in the Bag? (review the Bible story)
What You Need: Paper bags filled with items
What You Do:
Sit in a circle with the kids and place the bags in the center of the circle. Starting with Bag #1, identify
the item in the bag and discuss how the item relates to the story. For a challenge, see if the kids can
identify the item without looking. Example questions for discussion are listed below for each of the
bags.
Bag #1: A Bible – Why a Bible? (Because the story about Jacob tricking Esau is from the Bible
and without the Bible, we wouldn’t even know the story) Does anyone remember what book of
the Bible contains this story? (Genesis 27:1-45)
Bag #2: Bandana – Why a bandana? (Because Isaac was blind) Who was Isaac? (Jacob and
Esau’s father) Can anyone tell me what their mother’s name was? (Rebekah)
Bag #3: A spoon or bowl – What is up with a spoon (or bowl)? (Isaac asked Esau to prepare a
tasty meal for him) What would happen after Isaac ate the meal Esau prepared? (Isaac would
give a blessing to Esau) A blessing? What is the big deal about receiving his father’s blessing?
(A blessing meant that Esau would inherit everything when Isaac died; Esau would get all the
land and money and livestock)
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
Bag #4: A piece of fur (felt) – Why fur? (Jacob was going to pretend he was Esau so Jacob
would get the blessing. Esau was hairy and Jacob was not. In order to trick Isaac, Jacob put
animal skin on his hands so he would appear “hairy”) Did it work? (Yes, Jacob got Esau’s
blessing) What happened when Esau found out? (He was mad and wanted to kill Jacob)
Bag #5: Backpack – Why a backpack? (Rebekah found out Esau wanted to harm Jacob so she
sent Jacob away; Jacob had to leave and hide far away from home)
Bag #6: A Band-Aid® – Why a Band-Aid®? (Jacob and Rebekah’s lies hurt the people they
cared about) When do you use a Band-Aid? (When you are hurt) Who was hurt in the story?
(Isaac: because he was deceived; Esau: because of Jacob’s lies, his blessing was stolen from
him; Rebekah: her dishonesty affected her relationship with her sons and husband; Jacob:
because of his lies he had to run away from his home and his family and friends)
What You Say:
“Jacob and Rebekah were not being honest in our story today. Not only did they tell lies, but their
actions were dishonest too. Their dishonesty affected their lives AND the lives of Esau and Isaac.
[Apply] What you choose to do and what you choose to say impacts the world around you. That
is why it is so important to be honest and choose to be truthful in whatever you say and do. God
wants you to make the wise choice. When you are honest, you impact the world in a positive way, but
[Impress] when you are not truthful, you can hurt the people you care about.”
[Make it Personal] Share an age-appropriate story about a time when it was hard for you to be
truthful, and when you were, it had a positive impact on someone. For example: I was buying
groceries and the cashier forgot to charge me for an item. I didn’t notice until I left the store but
I went back to pay for the item. The cashier was so grateful and because I was honest, she
didn’t get in trouble with her boss.
MEMORY VERSE
3. Path to Honesty (memory verse activity)
What You Need: Bibles, “Domino Verse Words” Activity Pages, dominoes, tape
What You Do:
Divide kids into two teams. Give each team a set of the “Domino Verse Words” and help them tape the
cards onto the dominoes. When both teams are done, the teams will race to see who can get a domino
track set up without falling. The teams must make sure the words along their track are in the correct
order of the verse. Once you confirm the dominoes are in the correct order, the kids can knock them
over to start the chain reaction.
What You Say:
“When you knocked down a domino on your paths, you created a chain reaction and all the standing
dominos fell. [Apply] Your actions and your words can also create a chain reaction. When it is
hard to be honest, you can say our Memory Verse in your head asking God to keep you from cheating
and telling lies. It is a wise to choose to be truthful in whatever you say and do because [Impress]
when you are not truthful, you can hurt the people you care about.”
If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions:
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252 Groups
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May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
The second part of our Memory Verse says, “Be kind and teach me your law.” In this part of the
verse, “your” refers to whom? (God, Jesus)
What are some of God’s laws? (The goal of this question is to go beyond listing the 10
Commandments and to help kids realize God’s laws are instructions how to live. Encourage kids
to think of ways God asks them to live: treat others the way they want to be treated, be honest,
make wise choices, show gratitude, be thankful, etc.)
What are the benefits of learning God’s laws? (You can live the way God asks, you can share
God’s laws with other through your words and actions, learning about God is a way to thank
Him for all He has done for you, etc.) Can you think of a specific example of a time when you
have seen someone live out one of these things? Is that a person you enjoy being around? Why
or why not?
Pray and Dismiss
What You Need: Dominoes
What You Do:
Sit in a circle with the kids and give everyone a domino. Explain that you are going to start the prayer
circle. You will begin by asking God to help you to be truthful in whatever you do and say and to treat
others with honesty. When you are done, you will place a domino in the center of the circle. Once your
domino is in place, the kid next to you will pray, and when he is done, he will place his domino next to
yours. Explain to the kids the dominos are to form a circle. (Note: Some kids may be uncomfortable
praying aloud, guide them to say a prayer quietly and place their dominoes piece in the circle.)
What You Say:
“Your honesty is like this domino circle. [Apply] What you choose to do and say affects others just
like one falling domino affects the dominos around it. (Knock over one domino and watch as they
all fall down.) When you are honest, you have a positive effect on others and [Impress] when you are
not truthful, you can hurt the people you care about. When you struggle with being honest,
remember to ask God for help.”
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
Week 3 - Liar, Liar
Bible Story: Liar, Liar (Naaman and Elisha’s Servant, Gehazi) • 2 Kings 5
Bottom Line: When you are not truthful, you lose trust.
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:
1. Early Arriver Idea
What You Need: Offering container, paper, pencils
What You Do:
Invite kids to put their offerings in the offering container as they arrive. Give kids paper and pencil and
challenge them to see how many words they can make using the letters in “HONESTY.” Examples
include: stone, yes, ten, tone, oh, no, nest, yet, and yen. For an added challenge, see who can come
up with the most amount of words in a certain amount of time.
2. Truth or Lie?
What You Need: Painter’s tape
What You Do:
Make a tape line on the floor and have the kids stand on it. On one side of the line, make a “T” with
tape and on the other side of the line make an “L.” Tell the kids they will get a turn to say a statement
about themselves. The rest of the group will have to decide if the statement is the truth or a lie. If they
think the statement is true they jump to the “T” side and if they think it is a lie they jump to the “L” side.
Start with an example about you. Have one statement be a “Truth” about you (I have a horse) and one
statement be a “Lie” about you (I have never been on a plane).
Note: You will play this game again, so leave the tape on the floor.
What You Say:
“We should always try to tell the truth. [Transition] Let’s head to Large Group and hear a story
about what can happen if you make telling lies a habit.”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
POWER UP
* 1. Squeeze On (application activity)
What You Need: Toothpaste, craft sticks, paper plates
What You Do:
Pair up kids into groups of two or three. Give each group a tube of toothpaste, a craft stick and a paper
plate. Have kids squirt some toothpaste onto a plate. Then instruct the kids to use the craft sticks to put
the toothpaste back into the tube. Let them work at it for a bit. Ask them what toothpaste has to do with
trust. Give them time to answer. If they need more direction, ask them more specifically what
toothpaste and selecting your words have in common.
What You Say:
“Lying is like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube. Once you squeeze the tube, the tube of toothpaste
won’t be the same; you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube the way it was. [Apply] When you lie
you can’t unsay your words. Once the words are out of your mouth you can’t put them back in
your mouth and if you lie, people will remember your dishonest words. [Impress] When you are
not truthful, you lose trust, and people will begin to expect lies from you. That is why it is so important
to be honest. When you talk about how awesome Jesus is, if you can be trusted, people will believe
you.”
REWIND
2. Truth or Lie? (application activity / review the Bible story)
What You Need: Painter’s tape
What You Do:
Play another round of “Truth or Lie” as a way to review the Bible story. If you did not play this game in
Plug In, see the instructions there for how to set up the game.
Review Questions:
• We can trust God no matter what. Truth or Lie? (Truth)
• Naaman had a horrible skin disease called leprosy. Truth or Lie? (Truth)
• Naaman was poor and didn’t have enough money to pay for a doctor to cure him. Truth or Lie?
(Lie – Naaman was not poor. However, there was no known cure for leprosy so no matter how
rich you were you could not pay to be cured.)
• A prophet is someone chosen by God to represent God on earth. God gives words to the
prophet to speak truth to God’s people. Truth or Lie? (Truth)
• Gehazi was a prophet. Truth or Lie? (Lie – Elisha was God’s prophet; Gehazi was Elisha’s
servant.)
• Naaman was instructed to wash in the Jordan River seven times to be healed. Truth or Lie?
(Truth)
• Naaman was so grateful to be healed he wanted to give Elisha silver and Elisha accepted
payment. Truth or Lie? (Lie – Elisha refused to accept payment for God’s work. Elisha was the
messenger of God. It was God who healed Naaman.)
• Gehazi thought Elisha was wrong to reject Naaman’s offer and so Gehazi lied to Naaman to get
riches. Truth or Lie? (Truth)
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252 Groups
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May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
When asked where he was, Gehazi confessed his lie to Elisha, and he asked Elisha for
forgiveness. Truth or Lie? (Lie – Gehazi continued to lie about his actions.)
Gehazi had serious consequence for his lies. Truth or Lie? (Truth)
When you are not truthful, you lose trust. Truth or Lie? (Truth)
What You Say:
“You did a great job remembering the Bible story today. There is always a consequence when you
choose to lie. When you are not truthful, you lose trust. God can be trusted no matter what, and we
want to reflect who God is to the world. [Apply] If people can’t trust you, they won’t believe you
when you share with them how incredibly awesome Jesus is. If you are in a situation where you
want to lie, remember, God needs you to be someone who can be trusted. [Impress] When you
are not truthful, you lose trust.” [Make it Personal] (Tell your group about someone in your life
you trust and why you trust them. Maybe it is someone who taught you about Jesus. This would
be a great segue into the discussion questions if you have a group of fifth graders.)
If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions:
• Who are some people in your life you trust? Why do you trust them? (They are reliable, they do
what they say they will do, they care for me, they love me, they tell me what they believe God
wants me to hear and not just what I want to hear, etc.)
• If someone lost your trust, what would it take for you to trust that person again? (Be prepared to
discuss that you can forgive someone but still not trust them.)
MEMORY VERSE
3. Re-Verse Limbo (memory verse activity)
What You Need: Bibles, a piece of yarn or rope
What You Do:
Ask kids to open their Bibles to Psalm 119:29. When everyone finds the verse, ask someone to read it
out loud. Play “Re-Verse Limbo” by selecting two kids to hold the piece of yarn close to the ground. Ask
each child to say each word of the verse in order as they jump back and forth over the string. Raise the
string each time a kid completes the verse. Switch out the kids holding the string so that everyone has
the opportunity to jump.
What You Say:
“When you cheat and lie, what can happen? [Impress] When you are not truthful, you lose trust.
[Apply] You know God can be trusted no matter what, so you should learn what He has to teach
you in His Word. Studying God’s laws will help you make wise choices and choosing be truthful in
whatever you say and do is definitely a wise choice.”
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252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
Pray and Dismiss
What You Need: No supplies needed
What You Do:
Remind kids of the Bottom Line: [Impress] when you are not truthful, you lose trust. The opposite is
also true. When you ARE truthful, you gain trust. Ask the kids to think of someone in their lives they
trust. [Apply] Explain that when you pray, they will have a chance to thank God for the honest
people in their lives. Pray with the kids.
What You Say:
“God, You never lie! And we can trust You no matter what! Help us to be like You. Help us to speak the
truth so when we tell people how awesome You are they will know we are telling the truth. God, we
thank You for putting people in our lives we can trust. Thank You especially for (go around the group
and have kids say the name of someone they trust). Amen!”
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12
252 Groups
May 2015
Small Group, 4-5
Week 4 - Backfired
Bible Story: Backfired (Haman’s Plot Against the Jews) • Esther 3; 4:8b; 5:6-10; 6:6-11; 7:1-6,
9b-10
Bottom Line: When you lie to help yourself, you hurt yourself instead.
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 can trust God no matter what.
Plug In:
1. Early Arriver Idea
What You Need: An offering container
What You Do:
Take up the offerings and ask the children questions that will get them thinking about the lesson, such
as:
What You Say:
“Sometimes we are hurt by things that we don’t expect. Some examples are getting a shock off a
doorknob, or getting a friction burn from going down a slide. Have you ever done something that hurt
when you didn’t expect it to?”
2. Simon Says
What You Need: No supplies needed
What You Do:
Challenge the group to play Simon Says. Use every Simon Says trick you know to fool them. But focus
on one of the best ways, which is to say one thing but do another. For example: say, “Simon says put
your hands on your head,” but put your hands on your shoulders or belly instead. Many kids will be
fooled by this method, especially when combined with going very fast and switching back and forth
between similar motions.
Note: Simon Says gets boring very fast if led poorly. Make sure you never pause or slow down after the
words “Simon says.” Make sure to have plenty of ideas. It is okay to repeat motions often and go back
and forth between them. In fact, that is a tried and true way of getting people out. Never stop talking
and moving. Pausing is death in Simon Says.
What You Say:
“In this game, one of the main ways I fooled you was to say one thing but to do something else. Today
we are going to learn about some people who didn’t technically lie with the words they said, but they
were lying with their actions, like I did in the game. [Transition] Let’s go into Large Group and learn
more about how lies, even without words, can end up hurting us.”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
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REWIND
1. Story Tower (review the Bible story / application activity)
What You Need: Building supplies
What You Do:
Tell kids to work together to build a tower. With each building block they add to the tower they will make
a statement about the story, such as: Esther was queen, Haman was mad Mordecai wouldn’t bow,
Haman lied to the king, etc. Be prepared to ask leading questions to help kids think of statements about
the lesson, such as: What was Haman’s consequence for dishonesty? Why did Queen Esther invite the
King and Haman to dinner? As the number of blocks increases, the tower will become more and more
unstable until it eventually crashes down around them.
5-th grade challenge: Instead of letting the kids make statements about the story, for each block they
add, let the kid who added it ask the group a question about the story. If the group gets the question
right, the block stays. If they get it wrong, they have to remove the block. This should challenge them to
ask tougher questions, wanting to stump their friends.
What You Say:
“You remembered a lot from the story today. When we started building our tower, it was very stable but
as the tower got taller it started to get wobbly. Sometimes when you lie there aren’t any immediate
consequences. Tell a little lie to make people like you—how can that be harmful, right? [Apply]
Eventually, though, your lies about yourself will catch up with you and, just like the blocks in
this tower, they will come crashing down on you. Haman’s lies certainly came crashing down
around him, didn’t they?! [Impress] When you lie to help yourself, you hurt yourself instead.”
POWER UP
* 2. Balancing Lies (application activity / great for active learners)
What You Need: “Hopscotch Pattern” Activity Page, beanbags, painter’s tape or carpet squares
What You Do:
The kids will play a game of “Balancing Lies” hopscotch. If it hasn’t been done already, create a
hopscotch game on the floor using carpet squares or by taping the lines and numbers on the floor.
Have kids hop through the game at least once to practice. Give the kids a beanbag and explain that
each beanbag represents a lie. The object of the game is to see how many “lies” they can balance on
their head and still be able to play the game. As the number of “lies” on their head increases, the harder
it is to balance them and still play the game. For the first round, give the kids one beanbag to balance
and instruct them to hop through the hopscotch squares. For a challenge, place a beanbag on one of
the squares. When a kid (with a bean bag on their head) hops to the square with the beanbag, she
must bend down and pick up the beanbag, place it on her head, and continue through the hopscotch
squares. Play several rounds.
What You Say:
“Playing a game of hopscotch is easy, but it gets much harder when you have to think about balancing
the beanbags. [Apply] When you are not honest, keeping track of the lies you tell is so much
harder than simply being honest. You don’t have to lie about yourselves to feel important. Each of us
is important to God! We know we can trust God no matter what, and we can trust God’s plan for each of
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our lives. You don’t need to lie to be popular or so people will like you. [Impress] When you lie to help
yourself, you hurt yourself instead.”
Memory VERSE
3. Memory Verse Toss (memory verse activity)
What You Need: Beanbag
What You Do:
Sit on the floor in a circle with the kids. Say the first word of the Memory Verse as you toss the beanbag
to one of the kids. Guide him to say the next word of the verse and then toss the beanbag to another
kid. Continue tossing the beanbag around, saying the next word of the verse as the beanbag is caught.
You can’t toss the beanbag to the person who tossed it to you. Be ready to prompt the kids with the
words of the verse if needed. For a challenge, you can time how long it takes to get through the verse
and see if you beat your time.
What You Say:
“Haman clearly didn’t listen to what God had to say about cheating and telling lies. He found out the
hard way that [Impress] when you lie to help yourself, you hurt yourself instead.”
If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions:
• What are some reasons people would lie about themselves? (To feel important, to be liked, to
be popular, to get something, for recognition)
• What might be some of the consequences of those lies?
• Haman thought he was doing a great job deceiving the king and Haman thought he was getting
exactly what he wanted, but that wasn’t the case, was it? When we lie about ourselves, it may
seem like we are getting what we want, but what really happens when we deceive people to
make ourselves look better? (We disobey God, we sin, we aren’t recognizing the “true” gifts God
has given us, we lose trust with our friends and family, we look foolish when the truth is
revealed, etc.)
Pray and Dismiss
What You Need: Beanbag
What You Do:
Stand in a circle. Give one kid a beanbag. Explain that in a minute, that kid will thank God for a gift or
talent God has given her. She will pass the beanbag to the next kid, who will do the same, all the way
around the circle.
What You Say:
“God has a plan for each of us. Each of us will have a different path in life. Some of us may be teachers
or doctors. Some of us may play sports or play musical instruments. Some of us may love to read and
others love to draw. We don’t need to make up things and we don’t need to lie about our lives. Instead,
we need to thank God for the lives we have, knowing we can trust Him no matter what.”
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[Make it Personal] Tell the kids about a gift a friend of yours has that you admire. Tell them
about a gift God gave you and how you use the gift. For example: My friend Susie sings
amazingly. When she sings you just want to stop what you are doing to listen to her. I wish I
could sing like Susie, but I can’t. God gave me different gifts. I love to cook, so I have friends
and family over and I cook them dinner, or if I know someone is struggling I make a meal and
deliver it to them.
(Allow time for kids to pray and pass the beanbag.) “God, thank You so much for all You have given
each of us. When we feel the urge to be dishonest, help us to remember all the blessings You have
given us. We don’t need to lie to help ourselves or make ourselves look better to the world. We know
You have a plan for each of us and we can trust that Your plan is better than any lie we could tell. Help
us to be honest in all situations. Amen.”
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Week 5 - Tangled Up in God
Bible Story: Tangled Up in God (Confession/Being Honest with God) • 1 John 1:9
Bottom Line: Being truthful with God keeps you close to Him.
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 can trust God no matter what.
Plug In:
1. Early Arriver Idea
What You Need: Offering container, “What’s the Difference?” Activity Pages, “Answer Key” Activity
Page, markers
What You Do:
Invite kids to put their offerings in the offering container as they arrive. Give kids a copy of “What’s the
Difference?” and see if they can circle the differences between the two pictures.
2. I Spy
What You Need: No supplies needed
What You Do:
Play a game of “I Spy.” To play, pick a kid to be the spy. He picks an object in the room visible to
everyone playing and gives the group a clue what the object is by telling them the color of the object.
For example, if he picks an apple, he says, “I spy with my eye something red.” The kids take turns to try
to guess what the object is. Whoever guesses correctly becomes the spy. If nobody guesses correctly,
or if kids give up, the spy wins the round. You can either have him take another turn or give another
player a turn. If you want to keep games short, set a limit on the number of guesses the kids can have.
What You Say:
“There are a lot of things we can see with our eyes, but no matter how good our vision is, we can’t see
all that God sees. [Transition] Let’s head to Large Group to hear about what God spies with His
eye.”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
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POWER UP
1. The Big Cover-Up (application activity)
What You Need: Clear glass of water, quarter, pennies
What You Do:
Explain that the quarter represents a truth we want to hide. Ask kids if they have an example of a truth,
such as failing a spelling test. Drop the quarter in the clear glass of water. Explain that the pennies
represent lies we tell to cover up the truth. Give an example of a cover-up lie, such as failing a test, but
telling everyone you did well on it. Ask kids to guess how many cover-up lies (pennies) it will take to
cover up the truth (the quarter). Give each kid a turn to drop their penny into the clear glass and try to
cover up the quarter with their penny. As they do so, they should give an example of a cover-up lie.
What You Say:
“No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t completely cover up the quarter. [Apply] That is how it is
with lies; no matter how many lies you tell, you can’t completely hide the truth. And you can
never hide the truth from God. So make a wise choice and choose to be truthful in whatever you say
and do. [Impress] Being truthful with God keeps you close to Him.”
REWIND
* 2. As God Sees (application activity / review the Bible story)
What You Need: Orange and blue crayons, paper, a re-sealable plastic bag of blue water (we’ll send a
bottle of water, bag and blue food coloring)
What You Do:
Sit in a circle with the kids. Tell kids to pretend they’re at a sleepover at a friend’s house, and the friend
takes their phone and downloads an app their parents haven’t given them permission to download. The
friend downloaded it, but it’s your phone. Ask kids who should delete it until they get permission to
download it—them or their friend. Write the word “YOU” on a piece of paper with an orange crayon. Tell
kids that the next day their mom uses the phone and notices the new app. Pass the paper around the
circle and ask the kids to give a lie they could use to cover up what they had done. As each kid tells his
cover-up lie, instruct him to scribble over the “YOU” on the paper using a blue crayon and pass the
paper to the next kid. When the paper makes it around the circle, the “YOU” should be completely
covered up with blue.
What You Say:
“We came up with a lot of lies to cover the fact we downloaded an app without permission. As we look
at the paper, we can no longer see who was responsible for the app being on the phone. However, God
can see through lies. (As you talk, take the blue bag of water and place it over the paper. The “YOU”
should be visible now.) [Apply] It is impossible to hide anything from God. He can see everything.
You will mess up, but God doesn’t want you to lie about it; He wants you to talk to Him about it.
[Impress] Being truthful with God keeps you close to Him, and that is exactly where you want to
be—close to God!”
[Make it Personal] (Share an age appropriate story about a time when you were struggling and
focus on how you shared your struggles with God. For example, maybe you realized you
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needed a rescuer, or you were scared or unsure of yourself and you didn’t want anyone to
know. Explain how you shared your struggles with God and how it brought you closer to Him.
Maybe God gave you a verse from the Bible to focus on, or He put someone in your life to help
you, or you had peace just knowing God was with you.)
MEMORY VERSE
3. Memory Verse Race (memory verse activity; optional large group activity)
What You Need: Band-Aids® (or “Bandages” from the Activity Pages), markers, Bibles, timer, tape
(optional; if using “Bandages”)
What You Do:
Tell kids to look up Psalm 129:19. Hand out a bandage to each kid. Tell them to divide up the verse into
as many words or phrases as there are kids in your Small Group. Each word or phrase should be
written on a bandage. Then collect bandages and mix them up.
Stick or tape a bandage kids’ elbows or the back of their shoulders, so they can’t read their own. Then
see how fast they can get themselves in order. If you have time, switch the bandages and challenge
them to do it again even faster.
If you wish to make this a large group activity, Small Groups can race against each other to see who
can get in order the fastest.
What You Say:
“Let’s say our Memory Verse together. ‘Keep me from cheating and telling lies. Be kind and teach me
your law,’ Psalm 119:29. (NIrV) You use Band-Aids® when you get hurt, but when you hurt yourself by
lying, Band-Aids® can’t help you. [Apply] The only way to fix hurts caused by dishonesty is to talk
to God about it. Confessing to God when you lie and [Impress] being truthful with God keeps
you close to Him.”
If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions:
• When do you feel close to God? (when I am praying, when I play sports, when I am journaling,
when I am having a good time with friends, when I am at church, when I am reading the Bible,
etc.)
• When do you feel far from God? (when He doesn’t answer my prayer, when I don’t understand
why something is happening, when I am scared, when I am mad)
• What can you do when you feel far from God? (tell Him truthfully what is on my mind, remind
myself I can trust God no matter what, ask a trusted friend or family member to pray for me)
Pray and Dismiss
What You Need: No supplies needed
What You Do:
[Make It Personal] Share with the kids about your experience of becoming a follower of Jesus.
Tell them about how nothing else could help you escape your sins and that you realized Jesus
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was the only way. Share how confessing your sins to God now helps remind you of how much
God loves you and keeps you close to Him.
What You Say:
“Today we learned that we should not just be honest with those around us, but honest with God as well.
[Impress] Being truthful with God keeps you close to Him. [Apply] Being honest and confessing
our sins to God is the only way to escape the trap of sin and become a follower of Jesus. And
after we become a follower of Jesus, confessing our sins to Him keeps us close to Him and reminds us
of how much God loves us.
Ask the kids to get into pairs or small groups. Guide the kids through this prayer with their partner or
groups.
“Dear Jesus, thank You for sending Jesus. We know He is the only way for us to escape from sin. Help
us to confess our sins and be honest with You, God. Please help us to remember that when we feel far
away from you because of wrong things we have done, we need to confess those to You and You will
be right there to forgive us. Help me to always keep my relationship to you close by being honest and
confessing my sins. Amen!”
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