Adam and Eve must have been lonely after God put them out of the Garden of Eden. God no longer walked with them every day as He had done before they sinned, by eating the forbidden fruit. But God had a purpose for Adam and Eve, and one of their purposes, was that they should have children. The very first human being was born to them, and the child was a boy named, Cain. How they must have loved him! Later God gave them another little boy and his name was Abel.
When Cain and his brother were old enough to understand, Adam and Eve told them about the great and awesome God that had made them. They explained to them that God was good, and wanted them to worship Him. After Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden, God had shown them how to sacrifice an animal on an altar as a picture of the forgiveness of their sins. God had used the skins of the animals as clothing for Adam and Eve. Through this He was teaching them how He wanted them to worship.
As the boys grew older, Cain loved to work in the fields with his hands. He loved to see the seeds grow into vegetables and fruits. Abel was different, and he was given the job of tending the sheep and caring for animals. Would you rather work in a garden or take care of animals?
The boys both built altars and sacrificed to God. Cain brought food from the field for his offering, but Abel brought a fat lamb. God was very pleased with Abel's offering for his sin, because Abel had obeyed and sacrificed an animal as God had shown them to do. God was not pleased with Cain, because Cain had chosen to sacrifice what he wanted rather than what God wanted. God being the wonderful, merciful God that He is, gave Cain a second chance and He said, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" (Verse 6) In other words, He said if you sacrifice the right way, I will forgive your sins. Cain became angry with God, and jealous that He would accept Abel and not him. One day when they were in the field, away from everyone else, Cain killed his brother. God saw him, and asked, "Where is Abel, your brother?" Cain lied about killing him, and God punished him by making the ground harder to grow good crops. He also said Cain would be a wanderer here and there with no place to call his home.
Cain wandered far away into a land called Nod. He was separated from God because he did what he wanted, not what God wanted Him to do. God wants you to obey Him, and be saved as Abel was. You must come to Him through Jesus Christ, confessing your sins and putting your faith in Jesus. You cannot come to God by doing good things or doing what you want. You must obey God and do it His way, or you will wander through life with no purpose, as Cain, and not be accepted by God.
KEY VERSE:
Genesis 4:7 "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
Lindsay loved to go over to Brittany's house. Often after school her Mom would take her over there to play with Brittany's beautiful new doll house. Lindsay thought Brittany must be one of her best friends. There was just one problem though, Brittany didn't go to church. Lindsay had invited her, but it never seemed to work out for Brittany to come.
One day as they were watching cartoons on TV a commercial came on the TV about a program on Sunday Morning that showed Bible cartoons. Brittany told Lindsay that she could watch this and didn't need to go to church. Lindsay didn't feel right about this and asked her Mom about it when she got home.
Mrs. Barefield god down her Bible and read a verse to Lindsay. It was Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." She went on to explain that God wants us all to go to church, and to encourage others to do the same, as this is pleasing to God.
The next day at recess Lindsay encouraged Brittany once more to go to church with her Sunday. This time she explained to her that we must all do things the way God says, and that Bible cartoons at home on Sunday are not what God asks us to do. He asks us to be faithful to His church. The church is made up of His people, and there is nothing more wonderful than being with God's people! Brittany finally came to church with Lindsay, and she agreed with Lindsay that it's great to be with God's people and please Him!
We must come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. His way, not our own way.
Also included in the lesson is a word search "Champions of Faith" (Hebrews 11) and a craft idea for a Train Calendar "On Track with Purpose" (each Sunday should be marked to remind them of their purpose to be in church). Artwork is throughout the lessons and are perfect for coloring.
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