YEA Lesson Library

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. State that the firstfruits are those who have accepted Jesus in this life.

2. State that those who are not among the firstfruits will have a chance to choose God in the second resurrection.

3. Explain that being good is not enough to get you into God's Kingdom; Jesus is the only way.

4. State that the Last Great Day reminds us that there is a second resurrection.

Topics & Themes

Death
Eighth Day
Firstfruits
Holy Days, Eighth Day
Jesus, Savior
Jesus, The Way
Second Resurrection

Materials Needed

Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, songbook, CD and player, light fabric pieces, dowel rods for each banner, string, yarn or ribbon, fabric paint, glue, self-sticking foam letters, newspaper, puppet

Preparation

Right around this age, children start experiencing death. It may be the death of the family pet or the death of a grandparent. It's a difficult concept for them to understand and come to terms with. God's plan--from forgiveness, reconciliation, salvation, and devoting our lives to Him - gives enormous hope as revealed to us in the holy days. Though some students may not have experienced death personally yet, it is coming. Presenting this lesson prior to the actual event won't lessen the impact, but it can change the reaction into one of grief with hope, instead of grief without hope.

Find 18× 20-inch light, solid color, cotton or broadcloth fabric pieces - one for each student. A few days before class, print on each fabric piece using fabric paint: “'For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11). You won't have time for students to do this during class. It must be done ahead of time, early enough in the week to allow paint to dry. Be sure to put plenty of newspaper under the fabric pieces so the fabric paint does not ruin your working surface.

How to Teach This Lesson

Open the class with prayer. Start the lesson by singing the song "I've Got Peace Like a River." Use the puppet to help encourage the students to sing.

Puppet: That was fun! Can we sing it again?

Teacher: A little later. But let's talk about peace.

Puppet: I'd really like a piece of candy right now.

Teacher: Not that kind of piece. What kind of peace are we talking about, children? (Wait for answers.) When do you need peace? (Wait for a few answers, then let the puppet encourage more answers with the following:

Puppet: When I’ve been up too late the night before and my little sister and brother are making too much noise!

Teacher: Sometimes we need peace when something sad happens in our family, like when a pet or family member dies. Does anyone want to tell us about a time when that happened to you? Why are we sad when someone dies? (Wait for answers.) We miss that person, don't we?

Puppet: Sometimes I'm sad because I won't see them again.

Teacher: If the person who died knows Jesus, then you'll see them again when Jesus comes back. Remember: They are among the firstfruits and will be in the first resurrection.

Puppet: But what if that person never accepted Jesus, (hasten to add) but was a really good person?

Teacher: Being good is not what gets you into God's Kingdom. Eternal life is a free gift to anyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior. You can't get into God's Kingdom by what you do, without Jesus.

Puppet: So what happens to a person who dies without knowing Jesus?

Teacher: They have to wait until the second resurrection. Then they are brought back to life and are given a chance to accept Jesus. Revelation 20:11-15 says they are judged out of the books.

Puppet: What a great day that will bel

Teacher: You're right! And do you know which holy day reminds us of that great day?

Puppet: I need help, children. I can’t quite think of what holy day reminds us of that great day.

Teacher: The Last Great Day. We celebrate the Last Great Day after the Feast of Tabernacles.

Puppet: When we are reminded that this life doesn't last forever.

Teacher: Yes. God gives us this holy day to give us hope. When Jesus returns our lives will last forever.

Puppet: What a great day to celebrate!

Review Questions

1. Who are the firstfruits?

2. Will good people who haven't accepted Jesus as their Savior be among the firstfruits?

3. How do we know that Jesus is the only way to live in God's Kingdom and to have eternal life?

4. Which holy day reminds us that there is a second resurrection?

5. What is the second resurrection for?

Teacher-Directed Activity

Make a Banner
Give each student a piece of fabric already printed with the verse from Jeremiah 29:11 (see Preparation). Let them find foam
letters for "Last Great Day" to put at the top. Once the foam letters are attached, fold the top of the banner over a small dowel
rod and glue. Then tie string, yarn, or ribbon to each end of the dowel rod to hang the banners.

REACH Activity

1. Do a sword drill with the daily devotionals. Depending on how many children you are involved, you can either have them compete against each other to see who can get to the scripture first or you can have a child time himself (or herself) and try to better his time each successive scripture.

2. Create a Who’s Who Game based on the holy day lessons in this book. Make a board game. Set up rules like: Draw a person card. Tell who the person is and which lesson and holy day he is associated with. (You will have to keep a small notebook of notes for each person so you can check to see if the answer is correct or not.) If you are correct, roll the dice and advance. If you are incorrect, roll the dice and go that many places backwards. From Lesson One: King Josiah; Lesson Two: Cyrus and Ezra; Lesson 3: Firstfruits; Lesson 4: Angel with the Seventh Trumpet; Lesson 5: High Priest; Lesson 6: Abraham; Lesson 7: the Good Shepherd. Now you have a game you can play on Friday evenings or the Sabbath.

3. Continue constructing a concentration game of God’s Holy Days. For this lesson, create four cards: Last Great Day, Resurrection, the Good Shepherd, Eternity. Now use your concentration game to review God’s holy days and the lessons in this book.

4. Sing: From the Kids Classics Collection, “Jesus Loves Me” on page 6, “My God is So Big” on page 14, “Every Promise in the Book is Mine” on page 15, and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” on page 54;
From the CEM Hymnal, “Day by Day” on page 34, “There’s a Great Day Coming” on page 136, “Some Sweet Day” on page 189, “Tell Me the Old, Old Story” on page 123, “One Day!” on page 54, “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” on page 144, and “I Love to Tell the Story” on page 80;
From The Group Songbook, “By My Spirit” on page 56 and “Do, Lord” on page 74.

5. Jeremiah 29:11 - Did you know that this was a promise that God gave to the exiles in Babylon? Did you know that they were in captivity for 70 years? That means that some of the exiles might have been old when they were taken into captivity. They would never have seen Jerusalem or their homeland again. Even the people who did get to go back (under Nehemiah and Ezra) had to wait 70 years for this promise. What does this tell you about God? What does this tell you about how quickly (in human terms) we might see God work things out in our lives? What does this tell you about how important it is to maintain your faith - no matter what?! Discuss this all with your family and then write about it in your Bible notebook.

6. A Faith Journal. After Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, it was 22 years before he saw his dad again. But Joseph never wavered in his devotion to God. He honored God in all that he did - and God blessed him. Sometimes we have our eyes focused on what we want and we forget to focus on the things the God has blessed us with right now. When something happens in your life, and you KNOW it was God working, write about it in a faith journal. You might think you would never forget, but the human mind has a tendency to forget the details as time passes. Write them all down. Then the next time you’re faced with a struggle and you’re upset, grab that faith journal and read about God’s faithfulness to you - all the things He has done. Now, would you be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that God did that thing? Probably not. But in your heart, you know that it was God’s hand. Writing about these things builds our faith against the times that would rock our faith.

7. Ending and Beginning. Have you ever gone to a graduation ceremony? Do you know the other name that it is often called? It’s a Commencement Ceremony. Does that strike you as odd? The same ceremony has two names that mean almost opposite things! Graduation means you’re at the end of that phase of your schooling. You’re done!! Commencement means you’re at the beginning. You’re just now starting. What’s the deal with this?! Throughout our lives there are times when one phase ends and the next begins. The ending and the beginning are therefore at the same time. Can you think of times when this is true? Graduation/Commencement, moving from one house to another, etc. Try to think of at least three more examples. Write them down. Then spend some time thinking about how, when we step into God’s kingdom, this current life will end and our new life (for eternity) will begin. It’s another ending and beginning. Write about how this makes you feel and why.

8. God’s kingdom. Look up three scriptures which talk about God’s kingdom and what it will be like. Copy them down into your Bible notebook. Then write down three things you are most excited about and are anticipating about God’s kingdom. Then write an essay in your Bible notebook about what God has planned for each of His children, those people who belong to Him.

9. The Good Shepherd. This YEA lesson refers to the Good Shepherd. Look up the Bible passage that talks about Jesus as the Shepherd and the gate. Draw a picture of a shepherd protecting the sheep in the sheepfold. Look at John 10:1-18 and choose one verse to use as a caption for your drawing. Use your favorite color tools to add color - or leave the drawing just black and white, if you prefer. Display where you can see it often as a reminder that Jesus knows where you are and is protecting you.

10. The Valley of Dry Bones. Ezekiel 37:1-14 has a very interesting vision about that time in the future when all of physical Israel - the ones who didn’t have a relationship with Jesus - will be resurrected under King David. They will be taught God’s ways. Listen to and sing the song “Dry Bones” on page 93 of Kids Classics Collection. Even though this is a silly song, it’s talking about a very real time in the future and a very real example of God’s mercy. It’s a good reminder of what will happen at the second resurrection to all of the people who didn’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ and therefore weren’t resurrected in the first resurrection.

11. Death. Many kids your age are starting to experience death. It might be a grandparent or a close church friend. It’s okay to be sad because you miss that person so much. It’s okay to cry. In fact, it’s better to deal with these feelings, acknowledge how the death makes you feel. Maybe you are reluctant to talk about the death with your parents because you don’t want to make them feel bad, but if you’re feeling badly about this person’s death, your parents probably are sad too. Talking about it is a good thing. As you talk about it, include in your discussion ways to help the family feel better: an essay of your favorite memories with this person, planting a flower garden or a tree in their honor, making a donation to their favorite charity in their honor. Be sure to include in your discussion the Bible verses which talk about the resurrection, like Job 19:25-27; Jonah 2:4-9; and John 11:24.

Song

"I've Got Peace Like a River" is on page 63 of Kids Classics Collection.

Closing Prayer

Lead the students in prayer praising God for His holy day and what it teaches us.