When Things Went Wrong
Identify that the serpent tempted Eve to disobey God
Understand that temptation means being encouraged to do wrong
Recognize that God's rules are good and should be followed
Connect this story to times when they face temptation
“Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Has God really said, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, 'You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.'" The serpent said to the woman, "You won't surely die, for God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate. She also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.”
— Genesis 3:1-6 (WEB)This passage shows us how the serpent used sneaky words to tempt Eve to disobey God's clear command about the forbidden tree.
Show the snake puppet and ask children what they know about snakes. Review yesterday's lesson about working for God. Explain that today we'll learn about a sneaky snake who tried to trick Eve into not working for God.
Tell the story of Genesis 3:1-6 using the snake puppet. Emphasize how the serpent asked tricky questions and told lies about God's rule. Explain that God had given Adam and Eve one simple rule to follow, but the serpent made them think God was being mean.
Children will sort pictures of different choices onto red paper (bad choices the serpent might suggest) or green paper (good choices God wants us to make).
Simpler: Use only 4-5 very obvious choice pictures with clear right and wrong options
Challenge: Have children explain why each choice belongs on red or green paper and what the serpent might say
Review how the serpent was sneaky and tried to make Eve think God's rule wasn't important. Practice the memory verse with motions.
Dear God, help us remember that Your rules are good. When someone tries to get us to do wrong things, help us choose to obey You instead. Amen.
Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn about the big choice Adam and Eve made and what happened next.
“The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
— Psalm 24:1 (WEB)🎯 Activity: Create motions: point up for 'Lord's', sweep arms wide for 'everything', make a circle for 'world', and point to each other for 'all who live in it'. Practice with the BibleMouse memory verse song from the Song Collection.
This lesson introduces the concept of temptation in an age-appropriate way. The serpent represents external pressure to disobey God, something children can understand through their own experiences of being encouraged to break rules.
First graders may have trouble understanding why Eve listened to the serpent. Help them connect it to peer pressure situations they might face.
Watch for children to identify when the serpent was being dishonest and to recognize that God's rules are for our good.