Children's Teacher: January- March 2022

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation

Children’s Teacher is a teacher’s quarterly for children 11 and under. In addition to the exposition of the printed text, each of the thirteen lessons includes the purpose of the lesson, extensive teaching plans, lesson introduction, background of the lesson, meaningful insights, and related activities.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Dec 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781681679174

Book preview

Lesson 1 for Week of January 2, 2022

JUSTICE FOR TWO BROTHERS

UNIFYING TOPIC

A Just and Merciful God

LESSON SECTIONS

I. The First Family of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:1–7)

II. Cain Commits the First Murder (Genesis 4: 8–16)

KEY VERSE

The LORD said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? He said, I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper? (Gen. 4:9, NRSV)

BIBLICAL EMPHASES

1.To understand there are differences even among brothers.

2.To realize God only wants our best offerings.

3.To admit when we fail to do what is right.

4.To accept the consequences when we fail.

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

Some people become angry when their best efforts don’t result in the anticipated outcome. How do people deal with their anger and disappointment? God punished Cain because he allowed his anger to turn to rage and then to murder.

LESSON EMPHASES

•We can learn to live together even though we are different.

•We must grow beyond being our brother’s keeper to becoming our brother’s brother.

Target Emphases

PRESCHOOLERS: Preschoolers are aware of their different emotions, but they are quick to change.

YOUNGER CHILDREN: Young children respond to different experiences using their emotions but can learn to respond as Jesus did.

OLDER CHILDREN: Older children often allow their anger to rule but can learn to be forgiving.

Materials Needed to Teach

For further reference, see today’s lesson from Boyd’s Commentary and The New National Baptist Hymnal, 21st Century Edition.

Need more teacher helps?

Visit rhboyd.com.

Suggested Teaching Plan

GROWING WITH JESUS

MATERIALS NEEDED: music player, red hearts, smiley face, frown face

GETTING STARTED: Greet each student and introduce visitors. Play a familiar children’s song as they gather and take seats. Begin the lesson with prayer.

A GREAT BEGINNING: Give each student a red heart and ask them what the heart represents. Explain love is one of our emotions and we should use it often. Today we will learn of a brother’s lack of love for his brother.

AN IMPORTANT LESSON Read the lesson story for today. Explain Cain got angry (show frown face) at his brother Abel because of jealousy. Cain invited Abel to follow him in the field (show smiley face), but he killed him instead (show frown face). God searched for Cain and asked him about his brother. Cain excused himself for failure of being his brother’s keeper (show frown face). God already knew what happened, so He decided to punish Cain (show frown face). Cain was afraid someone might harm him, but God promised him no one would ever harm him (show smiley face).

KEEPING IT GOING: Guide the students to complete the other activities in their student books. As you close in prayer, encourage students to always respond in love.

JUST FOR YOU: This week, pray your students who come from blended families will share God’s love.

YOUNG LEARNERS

MATERIALS NEEDED: music player, cards printed with Love, Anger, Jealousy, I’m Sorry, Forgiveness

GETTING STARTED: Greet each student and introduce visitors. Play a familiar children’s song as they gather and take seats. Begin the lesson with prayer.

JUMP START: Ask students how would they respond if someone mistreated them. Allow time for responses. Explain that in today’s story we will meet two brothers in a difficult relationship.

THE LESSON STORY Read the lesson story for today. Select several students to hold up the printed cards. Direct students to hold up a card to match the emotion shown in the lesson story. Ask students which emotion they would have changed. Explain how God gives us guidance in making good choices concerning our emotions.

TAKING IT HOME: Guide students to complete the other activities in their student books. Gather the students in a circle and take prayer requests. Dismiss with prayer.

ENERGY TO EDUCATE: With so much brutality and murder in the world, take time to pray for your students, especially those living in challenging neighborhoods.

ADVENTURERS WITH JESUS

MATERIALS NEEDED: music player, picture of vegetables, picture of lamb, big stick

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Greet each student and introduce visitors. Play a familiar children’s song as they gather and take seats. Begin the lesson with prayer.

‘NET CHECK: Discuss and complete the activity from www.rhboyd.com. Bring extra copies to class for those who do not have one. Allow time for both the ‘Net Check and Bible Quiz sections. Check and discuss the answers together.

INTRODUCTION: Invite a couple of students to tell about their first fight and how the fight ended. Explain today we will learn about the conflict between Cain and Abel and the results.

TODAY’S LESSON STORY: Ask for several volunteers to read sections of the lesson story. Select several volunteers to play the parts of Cain, Abel, and God. Using their imagination and the props, allow students to role-play the story focusing on Cain’s attitude and the consequences for his action.

LESSON REVIEW: Guide the students to complete the activities in their student books and review the key verse.

CLOSING: After taking prayer requests, close the class in prayer.

— Lesson Overview —

Introduction

The book of Genesis tells the story of the first family on the earth. This family had a perfect beginning, but because of sin, they were cast out of their perfect home to live in a challenging world. Although God promised to be with them, they had to take care of themselves. They had to provide the basic needs of life in order to raise a family. They began to expand the family and have children. They had no doctor to give them advice on how to raise their children, nor did they have schools to provide an education for them.

Chapter 4 begins with Eve giving birth to two sons, Cain and Abel. Immediately their different talents were exposed. Abel, who was a shepherd, chose to take care of his own flock. Cain became a gardener, working with the soil to produce fruits and vegetables. Now both brothers did well in their work, and soon it was time to present an offering to the Lord. God had not revealed the laws of worship and offerings yet. Those came later in the book of Leviticus. But apparently these brothers knew that whatever they produced, they needed to bring an offering to God for His blessing.

Cain brought God some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. Scripture does not describe exactly which fruit he brought or how much he brought. It seems he just went out into the field and brought something as an offering to the Lord. Abel, on the other hand, brought the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.

In the book of Leviticus, God revealed that fat was pleasing to Him. Also, God delighted in being given the firstborn as an offering. It seemed like Abel took care to give God his best while Cain just brought anything.

CREATE INTEREST: Ask the participants why siblings argue sometimes.

I. The First Family of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:1–7)

The Lord was pleased with Abel’s offering because he chose to bring his best. However, the Lord was not pleased with Cain’s offering. Instead of Cain perhaps making a substitute offering, he chose to become angry and saddened. Because God is a caring God, He was concerned about Cain’s attitude. He wanted to know why he was upset. God taught Cain a valuable lesson when He pointed out Cain’s wrong choice. If he had done what was right, his offering would have been accepted. The same sin of disobedience that got Adam and Eve thrown out of the garden soon possessed Cain. God warned him that if he were to ever grow, he must learn to master sin.

Cain chose to follow the path of sin and planned to get rid of his only bother. Good and evil are in all human beings, but the decision to follow either one is a choice. Instead of following God’s advice, Cain decided to solve his jealousy of his brother by committing the world’s first murder. He approached his brother, luring him into the field. Abel was the innocent one because he had no idea what Cain was planning. Once in the field, Cain attacked his brother and killed him.

Just as Adam and Eve committed a sin and tried to hide from God, so did Cain. God came to him asking, Where is your brother? Of course, God already knew Abel was dead, but He was giving Cain a chance to admit his sin. Cain lied to God, saying he did not know, declaring he was not his brother’s keeper. He was saying to God that he was not responsible for keeping up with his brother. Since God reads hearts, He already knew what Cain had done. He pushed Cain to admit what he had done to his brother.

God revealed that He could hear the cries of blood from his brother Abel. God pronounced a curse upon Cain for the murder of his brother. Because the ground received his brother’s blood from his hand, that ground would never produce any more crops for Cain. Cain was cursed to be a