Beware of the Dark

Teaching Goal: What we do in secret will become known.

Scripture:   Luke 12:2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

Materials:

• Baby monitor (borrow if needed) or Walkie-Talkie set
• Gavel
• Sheet or graduation robe
• Identify mall or store with surveillance cameras (Activity #2)

In Advance: Turn on the monitor and place in the room you’ll be using. Make sure the complementary receiver is in the room where the Judge will be (See Activity #1 below.)

1. Play theme song
2. Pray
3. Review last lesson
4. Lesson and discussion

• Words written in bold are when the leader is speaking. Feel free to use your own words.

Why do people go to prison? Listen to answers. Doing bad things: stealing; fighting; drugs; drinking and driving; forgery. Most people in prison didn’t think they would get caught! They thought they could break the law and get away with it. When people make bad choices, they never think they are going to get caught.

God knows everything we do—good or bad. He also knows every thought—good or bad. Listen to what it says in Luke. Invite a volunteer to read Luke 12:2.  

ACTIVITY #1: Pick an adult to be the “Judge.” The Judge will wear the graduation robe or wrap the sheet around their shoulders like a robe and carry the gavel in one hand. The Judge does not go with the rest of the group. The Judge is going to stay here but the rest of us are going to another room to do a special activity. Lead the group into another room or closet where the activated baby monitor is located. The Judge needs to have access to the other end of the monitor so he can hear what the group is saying.

In the other room: Leader, be sure to speak loudly enough so that the Judge can hear what you are saying through the baby monitor. If people whisper, repeat the important information so that it is heard. We are going to pretend that we have been taken to court for a crime. The Judge has got to figure out what we did wrong. If the Judge can figure out what we did wrong, then we will go to jail. I wanted us to get away from the Judge and into this closet so that we could come up with a story that will be hard for him to figure out. The Judge will get to ask us three “yes” or “no” questions to try and figure out what we’ve done.

Help the kids come up with a good story. Not too much detail. Examples:

The crime could be driving a car without a driver’s license and hitting another car while being chased by the police.

Getting in a fight: You hit someone with a stick. You didn’t mean to hurt the other person but now he is in the hospital.

A friend of yours stole a bike and asked you to keep it in your garage for a few days. The police find the stolen bike in your garage and now you are in trouble, too, for helping with the crime.

After you agree with the kids on a story, go back into the room with the Judge. Have everyone sit facing the Judge like they are in a courtroom. The Judge then asks three questions that have nothing to do with the crime such as: Were you wearing a red shirt? Was it a sunny day? Etc. After a pause, the Judge tells the crime that was agreed upon in the other room or closet, bangs the gavel, and gives them a jail sentence.

Repeat the activity if the children want to do it again.

When you are finished, show the kids how you used a monitor to listen in on a private conversation. Remember when it said in the book of Luke that everything said in the dark would be heard in the light? You may think that no one will see what you are doing, but God sees and hears everything. He knows everything that we do, good or bad.

When you take something that isn’t yours—God sees it.

When you do something nice for someone else—God sees it.

When you pick up a piece of trash and throw it away without anyone around—God sees it.

When you have thoughts that make fun of someone for how they look or act—God knows it.

When you say a silent prayer for someone who is sad or sick—God hears it.

When you go out of your way to be kind to someone who needs a friend—God knows it.

 Even if mom, dad, your teacher or friends don’t see what we do, think or say, we need to make good decisions because God is always watching and listening. He loves it when we obey Him and make good choices!

ACTIVITY #2: Go to a mall or large department store for a snack. Walk around and point out difference surveillance cameras. Be sure to point out cameras at intersections that you may see on the way to the mall and explain that this can be a reminder that God always sees us.

 Close in Prayer