YEA Lesson Library
In God’s House
About This Lesson
The lesson teaches about Jesus overturning the money changers’ tables and driving the animals out of the Temple. There is right and wrong conduct in God’s house.
Scriptures
Psalm 23:6; 84:10
Psalm 122:1
Isaiah 2:3
Haggai 2:7
Matthew 21:12
Mark 11:15
Luke 19:46
John 2:13-17
1 Timothy 3:15
Hebrews 2:12
Words to Know
GREEDY - taking more of something than you should and not considering others
WORSHIP - honor, devotion or reverence for God
RESPECT - to feel and show honor for someone
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Luke 19:46
Monday - Hebrews 2:12
Tuesday - 1 Timothy 3:15
Wednesday - Psalm 84:10
Thursday - Isaiah 2:3
Friday - Haggai 2:7
Saturday - Psalm 23:6
YEAH — At-Home Activity
1. What’s Appropriate in God’s House. Bring some kids’ toys to class (the kind that other people buy for your kids, the ones which drive you nuts after 10 minutes). After welcoming the students to class, start playing the loud toys. These toys are designed to capture attention. Then put the toy out of reach (back in a bag or behind you). Read the lesson to the students. Talk about how loud and noisy the temple would have been with the merchants (selling lambs and doves) and the money changers. Talk about what should have been going on in the temple. Then talk about what is appropriate behavior at church today.
2. Distractions. Begin reading the lesson to the students. Have a helper who can start singing, dropping coins into a container, or playing with toys while you’re reading. The students will be distracted. Talk with them about the distractions of having money changers/merchants in God’s house. But also talk about reverent and appropriate behaviors in God’s house - back then and today.
3. Learning Styles. Read the lesson to the students. Have a bag of toys. Let the students decide which would be appropriate for church. The noise-makers wouldn’t be appropriate, but neither would balls or frisbees. Coloring books, crayons, puzzles, quiet activities are okay. But talk about the attitude of everyone who comes to church. Even puzzles and crayons can be inappropriate if the students are not using them quietly. Emphasize the importance of coming before God with reverence to worship Him. These students will understand this; they should be very used to their parents telling them to be quiet. What they might not understand is why. (Additional note: For those students whose learning style is not auditory, manipulating puzzle pieces, drawing, or coloring can actually improve their ability to listen. A very tactile learner benefits from keeping their hands busy. Too many times adults see a child coloring and think they’re not paying attention. They are often amazed at how very much the child heard and understood. Similarly, for an adult whose learning style isn’t auditory, they can get a lot more out of a sermon if they doodle in the edges of their church notebook.) After this discussion, have them complete the activity in their student workbook (legacy lesson) of circling what they would find in church.
4. Role Play. Read the lesson to the students. Role play the lesson. Take turns letting the students be Jesus, the merchants, money changers, worshippers, and priests. Then talk about how each would have reacted to what happened. Switch roles. Do it several times. (Note: Students this age don’t need the physical props to be able to role play, although having coins might help, i.e. coins flying everywhere as the table is overturned has a huge impact.)
5. The Right Way and the Wrong Way. Create a two-sided coloring page for the students. (There’s a lot of clip art that can be easily accessed online.) On one side, print lambs, doves, piles of money, lots of activity and people. On the other side, print a church scene where people are praying, singing, listening to a sermon, etc. On the second side, also print the memory verse in bubble letters. After reading the lesson to the students and talking about it, let the students choose their favorite coloring tools to color the two sides.
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Tell how Jesus made the greedy men leave the Temple.
2. Name at least one right behavior they should do at church (in God’s house).
3. Name at least one wrong behavior they should not do at church.
4. Recite their memory verse.
Topics & Themes
Anger, Jesus
Fulfillment of Prophecy
Holy Conduct
Jesus, Without Sin
Temple
Temple, Cleansing
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students’ and Teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, pictures of animals, modeling dough, crayons, can with coins in it, rope, animal puppet, songbook, CD, CD player
Preparation
This lesson gives an opportunity to teach appropriate behavior at Sabbath worship service. God has standards of conduct, and we displease Him if we cross these boundaries. There are some things we should not do in God’s house. There is a time and place for everything. But, inside the building where Sabbath worship services are conducted is not the place for running and playing.
Since animals are a part of this lesson, let your students tell about pets they have or their friends have. Ask them questions like: Who feeds your pet? What is your pet’s name? What kinds of things does your pet do? Allow them to shape an animal out of the modeling dough.
Place a few coins inside a can with a plastic lid. This will be used to make the sound of the money changers.
Review Questions
Use an animal hand puppet to ask the questions. Practice using the puppet before class.
1. What did Jesus find when He went to the Temple in Jerusalem?
2. What did He do to the animals that were there?
3. What did Jesus do to the greedy men who sold the animals?
4. Can you tell some things that you should not do in God’s house?
5. Name some good things that you can do in God’s house?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Enlarge and copy two sets of pictures below onto light colored construction paper. Cut them apart, forming 18 individual cards. Turn all of the cards face down on the table. Mix them up. Now, allow one child at a time to turn over two of the cards. If the cards match, they can be removed. If they do not, turn them back over and go to the next child, repeating the procedure until all the cards have been matched. Remember to point out which items belong in God’s house and which do not.
REACH Activity
Letter: H
Words: house, here, He, happy
Sentence: IN GOD’S HOUSE WE SING HYMNS. HE IS HAPPY TO HAVE US IN HIS HOUSE TO LEARN AND SING!
Song
“Come and Go With Me” is on page 83 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Dear Father, We love you and our Friend Jesus. We want to please you. Help us always remember to do good things in your house. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Printable Pages
