Honor your parents
key words
biblical reference
Exodus 20:12; 1 Samuel 17:12-20; 22:1-4
memory verse
“Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today” (Deuteronomy 27:10, NIV*).
lesson objective
To help your children learn why it is important to honor their parents.
prepare yourself to teach
The fifth commandment is the first commandment that deals with interpersonal relationships, especially family relationships. It shows the importance that God places on the family.
Normally we think this commandment is directed only to children, forgetting that it was given first to the Israelites who were mostly adults.
Adults also have an obligation to their parents to treat them with respect and honor. This is also the first commandment with a promise. God assures a long life to those who honor their parents.
I Samuel 17:12-20 and 22:1-4. David is known as a shepherd who tended his father’s sheep and killed the giant Goliath with a slingshot. Children have probably heard stories where David plays the harp to please the king. However, many are unaware of the story in which David takes care of his elderly parents.
When King Saul pursued David, he hid inside a cave. His parents had to leave home to be near their son during this time of difficulty. But he did not want to expose them to danger, so he took them to the region of Moab and asked the king to give them shelter. It is possible that Jesse, the father of David, had relatives living in Moab. The king accepted the request of David, and his family lived there for as long as David was in trouble.
adaptation
It is important for your children to know about this part of the life of King David because it demonstrates the care and concern we should have for our parents. Children go through stages in which they have conflict with authority, usually parents or guardians.
They need to understand that obeying and loving their parents is not an option but a commandment from God, a commandment that comes with a promise. Encourage children to recognize and value the importance of loving and honoring their parents throughout their lives.
introduce the lesson
Have your children sit in a circle to hear the Bible story and then ask: “Which of the commandments of God do you believe is easiest to break?” (Let them respond and record their opinions.)
Then ask: “What happens when people do not obey the commandments of God?” After hearing their responses tell them that today they will learn how to obey the commandment that is the easiest to break.
teach the lesson
Before class time, study Exodus 20:12, 1 Samuel 17:12-20 and 22:1-4. Be ready to tell the story in your own words.
Also, prepare any teaching resources you will need for this lesson. We suggest that if you have pictures that illustrate this Bible story, you use them. If you do not have an illustration or picture, you can create/ draw your own, using cardboard or paper and markers or colored pencils. In one picture, draw David as a shepherd; in another, David as a young warrior; in another, David as the king; and finally, David as a loving son.
Tell the story of David, showing the class the pictures and emphasizing that from the time he was small he helped his father with the household chores and as a shepherd to his father’s sheep. Then, when he was in conflict with King Saul, he saw to it that nothing bad happened to his parents and took them to live in a safe place.
David wanted to obey God’s command to honor his parents and worried about their safety. For this reason, the Lord fulfilled his promise to him and allowed him to live a long time and to reign for forty years as King of Israel.
connect the lesson
We honor our parents
Give the children Student Activity Sheet #112-A and #112-B. Help them cut out the pictures that go with the activity in SAS #112-B. Talk to them about which pictures show children honoring their parents.
Have them glue the pictures of children honoring their parents in the blank spaces next to the corresponding pictures on the worksheet.
Talk about the remaining pictures and ask, “What are these children doing that does not honor their parents?”
In the empty frame located SAS# 112-A, allow your children to draw a picture of something they can do to honor their parents. Allow time to discuss what they drew.
Then discuss the different ways in which children can honor their parents and make a list on the board.
The Labyrinth of letters
Give the group Student Activity Sheet 112-C. Explain the instructions and give some time for the children to find the words hidden within the maze. When they have finished, read the sentences together.
practice the memory verse
Have your children sit in a circle and give them a ball to pass from person to person while you play music. (You can play a tambourine, ring a bell, play a CD, etc.) When the music ends, the child holding the ball in his hands must stand up and say the memory verse (Deuteronomy 27:10). Continue the game until everyone has had a turn to say the verse.
wrap-up
Pray
Say a prayer and be sure to include the requests of your children. Remember, during this unit, we are asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to give opportunities to present the plan of salvation to your children, and to give the invitation to children who have not made the decision to accept Christ as their Savior. Ask: “Would you like Jesus to be your Savior and best Friend and would you like to begin to live as a child of God?”
It is as easy as A-B-C!
A: Admit that I have sinned and I need God to forgive me and to help me change.
B: Believe that God loves me and sent his only Son, Jesus, so I can be forgiven.
C: Receive Jesus as my Savior and claim my new identity as a child of God.
Encourage
Give your children the work they did. Evaluate the development of your group and look for ways to make the next session better, so that your children are continually learning something that is meaningful.
Invite
Ask the group to be sure and come to the next session and to bring a friend.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™