YEA Lesson Library
What Do You Want?
About This Lesson
This lesson describes coveting, gives Biblical and real life examples, and shows how breaking this tenth commandment can lead to breaking other commandments.
Scriptures
Exodus 20:17
Joshua 7:20
2 Samuel 11
Matthew 6:19-21, 25-33
John 15:11
Philippians 4:7
2 Timothy 2:22
James 4:1-3
1 John 2:15-17
Words to Know
COVET - to want something very much
SCENARIO - sequence of events; a situation or story
CONSEQUENCES - the results of actions
TEMPORARY - will not last long
The Lesson
Nikki and Nathan could hardly wait! They had been invited to spend Friday night with Michael and Sarah - another brother and sister in their church. The four were very close friends and usually had a lot of fun together.
Friday night started with Bible Trivia. Sarah and Nikki teamed against Nathan and Michael. Lots of soda and popcorn later, the boys finally conceded defeat and suggested they all go to bed. The girls grinned at each other, knowing that the boys could hardly stand it when they were beaten by their little sisters! But the girls agreed. Sarah told Nikki she wanted her to see what she'd gotten for her birthday anyway.
Sarah's parents had bought her a delicate Black Hills gold necklace, shaped like a rose. Nikki thought it was beautiful. She went to bed thinking about that necklace and how much she wished it was hers. Nikki was still thinking about it the next morning as the girls got ready for church. While Sarah was showering, Nikki thought she'd try the necklace on, just to see how it looked. Sarah suddenly came into the room surprising Nikki. Nikki was embarrassed and didn't want Sarah to see her with the necklace on, thinking she might get mad. So she slipped the necklace under her clothes. Nikki thought Sarah would probably want to wear the necklace to church, and she didn't know what she was going to do. Then Sarah's mom called the girls, telling them they were going to be late. So the girls left the room before Sarah remembered her birthday present. And Nikki didn’t have another opportunity to take the necklace off and put it back on Sarah's dresser.
Nikki didn't hear much of the sermon that Sabbath because she was busy thinking about the necklace. She worried about how she was going to return the necklace. Finally Nikki decided she would just keep it. After all, it was a beautiful necklace. If Sarah ever asked her, she would just say she didn't know anything about it.
Nikki didn't have long to wait. That evening, Sarah called Nikki to ask if she'd seen the necklace. Sarah had looked everywhere and couldn't find it. Nikki lied, just as she had planned.
As in the story with Nikki, coveting can lead to one sin after another. First, Nikki coveted the necklace. Then she stole the necklace. And she lied about it. This is not a new scenario. Think about what happened to King David in 2 Samuel 11. He saw Bathsheba. He coveted her. He committed adultery. Then he killed Uriah to cover it up. Breaking the tenth commandment often leads to breaking others of the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, there are many examples of coveting.
One example of coveting is found in Joshua 7:20. When the Israelites took Jericho, God commanded that everything in Jericho be dedicated to Him. The gold, silver, bronze, and iron was to go into the Lord’s treasury and everything else was to be burned. Achan saw a beautiful robe, some silver and gold. He coveted them, took them, and hid them. God was angry with all of Israel because of what Achan had done. He allowed Israel to be beaten by their enemies because of Achan's sin. When Joshua found out what Achan had done, he and all Israel stoned Achan, his family, and all of his animals, and burned all of his possessions. Achan's sin of coveting caused his death and the death of his entire family. Coveting what does not belong to you has serious consequences. One of the consequences is the problems coveting causes between people.
James 4:1-4 says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." We want lots of things! That's why the commercials on television are so successful. They show us all kinds of wonderful things, and try to make us believe we can't be happy unless we have those things. We want happiness. We want to be satisfied.
God created us with an emptiness. He wanted us to be unsatisfied with what we have - no matter if we're the richest man in the world. Why would He do that? Because He wants us to realize that we need Him. We need God to fill that emptiness inside. He alone can give us the peace which passes all understanding. He is the giver of joy. God is the one who gives us contentment, no matter how much we have.
Sometimes we confuse wanting something with needing something. God will give us what we need. We don't need to worry, if our lives are in God's hands. God doesn't want us to focus our thoughts and energies on things of this world. The things around us are temporary. They really don't matter a whole lot. What really matters is our relationship with Jesus Christ and God our Father.
It is a very human thing to covet what belongs to other people. It is not Godly. John tells us, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17).
Activity
Teaching the Lesson:
Legacy Lesson: Student book/Teacher book - TeachingTime: 25 mins.
Lesson Prep - Teacher book - Time: 30 mins.
Ten Commandment Board Games/Recitation - Time: 30 mins.
Song: "Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart" - page 75 of Kids Classics Collection - Time: 5 mins.
The Rest of the Story - Student Book - Time: 20 mins.
Extending the Lesson - REACH Activities:
*Back to the Bible: Ahab and Naboth
*Journal Jot: Making It Mine
*Word Study: châmad
*Just Toolin’ Around: Covetousness
*Did you Know? Covet
*Stretch It Out: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
*Music Notes: I Surrender All
*Questions? - Writing Prompt - 10 mins.
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help me keep my focus on You, not on things of this world.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Exodus 20:17
Monday - Joshua 7:20
Tuesday - 2 Timothy 2:22
Wednesday - Matthew 6:19-21
Thursday - John 15:11
Friday - Philippians 4:7
Saturday - James 4:1-3
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Recite the Tenth Commandment
2. Define the word "covet."
3. Give examples in every day life and in the Bible of coveting.
4. Compare coveting material things vs. godly things.
Topics & Themes
Adultery
Consequences of Sin
Coveting
Lying
Murder
Sin
Stealing
Ten Commandments
Coveting
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher’s books, pencils, pens, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, songbook, cassette tape or CD, music player, chalkboard, chalk, ads, Ten Week Memory Work/Challenge rewards
Preparation
The media bombards us with messages intending to convince us that we need their product - for life, health, happiness, beauty, desirability, etc. We buy (no pun intended) into the advertising. Our homes are full of things we don't really need. They are things we thought we had to have. Unfortunately, the amassing of wealth and possessions can become a great hindrance in our walk with God. It becomes even more of a hindrance when the things we want belong to someone else. Sometimes the line between coveting something and coveting a neighbor's something is muddied. We convince ourselves that it is not really as bad as it might otherwise appear. That's where the lesson story begins for the Juniors this week.
There's probably no way to know how many of these kids have experienced "accidentally" taking a toy home from their friend's home or the flip side of having a toy taken from their home. But doubtless, many will be able to relate all too well. There is something in our carnal nature which gravitates towards coveting (and consequently, stealing).Think about it. You don't have to teach your 14-month old daughter to covet. She very loudly lets you know when she wants what you have or what her siblings have. Our goal, then, is to help the students see and believe that God has something much better for them.
To set up for class, bring in the ads from the weekend paper, the J.C. Penney Christmas catalog, a Wal-Mart circular, etc. Remember to allow time to introduce their new YEA books and get them started memorizing the first memory verse.
How to Teach This Lesson
Open the class with prayer. Show them the newspaper ads and catalog you brought to class and have students decide which of these things they would buy if they had enough money.
Reactions - Observe students' reactions. Be prepared to point out how excited some of them are getting about certain items.
Covet - Define the word. Covet simply means to greatly desire. You can covet someone's prayers for a problem you're having. That's a positive use of the word. It becomes negative when you greatly desire something that belongs to someone else. Have the students recite their memory verse. Ask: What specific things does God tell us not to covet in your memory verse? List these on the chalkboard. What are some good things we can or should greatly desire or covet? These should include such things as prayers of others, to know God's Word better, to become more like our Heavenly Father.
Snowball - Ask: What can coveting something that belongs to someone else lead to? (Stealing, lying, murder, etc.) Read James 4:1-3. Emphasize that just asking God for something will not get you what you want - if you are asking for purely selfish reasons.
Biblical Examples - Refer to 2 Samuel 11 (David and Bathsheba), and Joshua 7:20 (Achan). Ask: Who has a present day example that you would like to share with us?
Temporary vs. Eternal - Read Matthew 6:19-21. Discuss this verse. Remind the students of the things they picked out of the ads. Emphasize that none of those things will matter when Christ returns.
1 John 2:15-17 - Read this scripture. Ask the students to recite their memory verse one more time.
Review Questions
1. What does the word "covet' mean?
2. What is one biblical example of coveting?
3. What present day example of coveting can you share?
4. What is wrong with coveting something that doesn't belong to you?
5. What are some positive things you should covet?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Ten Commandment Board Games
Today the Ten Week Memory Work and Challenge are due. Plan to spend class time reciting all of the Ten Commandments (individually). Have a reward for the students who successfully accomplish this. Hopefully the students will have also done the challenge. Plan to play their Ten Commandment Board Game during class time. Also have a reward for the students who have completed the Challenge.
REACH Activity
Back to the Bible: Ahab and Naboth
Another example of the sin of covetousness is found in 1 Kings 21:1-24. Read about King Ahab and what he was willing to do because he wanted Naboth’s vineyard. Write a paragraph summary in your Bible notebook. Be sure to include the scripture reference.
Journal Jot: Making It Mine
Is wanting something wrong? When does it cross the line? When does wanting something become a sin? What can you do to guard against the sin of covetousness? Write about this in your Bible notebook. Then write a prayer to God, asking Him to help you guard your heart.
Word Study: châmad
This Hebrew word is translated “covet” in Exodus 20:17. It’s the word used in Joshua 7:21 when Achan coveted the things of Jericho. It’s the word found in Deuteronomy 7:25; Proverbs 6:25; Micah 2:2; and Genesis 3:16. This kind of coveting is “an inordinate, ungoverned, selfish desire.” (Source: Zodhiates’ NAS Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, 1990.)
Write this word, its definition, and the scripture where it’s used in your Bible notebook.
Just Toolin’ Around: Covetousness
Look up Ephesians 5:3. Does the word in the New Testament Greek mean the same thing as the word in the Old Testament Hebrew? Write down the Greek word, its definition, and where it can be found.
Did you Know? Covet
In English, covet can carry the Biblical meaning of wanting something so badly that you’re willing to go to extreme lengths to get it (a negative connotation), or it can mean “to wish for earnestly.” (Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covet) How do you usually think of this word - in a negative or a positive way? Write two sentences in your Bible notebook. One sentence should show the negative sense; one should show the positive definition.
Stretch It Out: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Read this children’s book. Then write a story along the same lines, except show how breaking the tenth commandment leads to breaking other commandments. For example, you might start your story this way:
If you bake a dozen cookies and leave them to cool on your counter, the mouse will smell your cookies. If he smells your cookies, he’s going to want to taste a tiny bit. If he tastes a tiny bit, he’s going to want a bigger bite. Uh-oh. He suddenly realizes he’s eaten the whole thing. He didn’t ask for one, but now he’s stolen an entire cookie. If the mouse has coveted a cookie and has now stolen a cookie, he’s going to have to cover it up. So he sprinkles some crumbs in front of the dog. This is a form of lying because he’s doing it to deceive. . . .
Finish the story or create your own. Plan your ending. Does he repent and make it right? Or does he turn to a full-blown life of crime? Turn your text into a book. Add sketches on each page. Add color. Then share with your family.
Music Notes: I Surrender All
This hymn is on page 95 of the CEM Hymnal.
The author of the words to this hymn is Judson Van De Venter. After graduating from Hillsdale College, he became an art teacher, but he had such a gift for evangelism that he gave up teaching art and started preaching throughout the United States, England, and Scotland. He believes that God gave him the words to this hymn after he surrendered to God’s calling to be an evangelist. It was first published in 1896 after his good friend Winfield Weeden wrote the music. (Source: 101 More Hymn Stories, Kenneth Osbeck, 1985, p. 135-136.)
As you sing this hymn, think about surrendering all of your wants to God. What would make you willing to surrender everything? Think about this and talk about it with your family. Write your favorite line in your Bible notebook.
Questions?
Write down any questions you have in your Bible notebook so that you can remember to ask your parents or your pastor.
Song
"Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart" is on page 75 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer asking God to help them keep their focus on Him and not on the things of this world.
Printable Pages
