Caution False Teachers Group
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Caution! False Teachers Ahead"

Scripture Reading: Mark 13:1-8

WARNING SIGNS: Have a large designated area where the children will run to various warning signs that the teacher has placed around the area. When the teacher says, GO, the children will run from sign to sign — reading each sign aloud before going to the next sign. (EXAMPLES: SLOW DOWN; DANGEROUS CURVES AHEAD; WATCH FOR WILD ANIMALS; BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS; ETC.) When they reach the final WARNING SIGN, it will have today's Bible verse written on the sign and they must read the Bible verse aloud and then take a seat to listen to the Bible story.

OBSTACLE COURSE RELAY: Divide the class into 2 teams. Blindfold one player on each team and let them walk through an obstacle course that the teacher has set up before class time (Put chairs, stools, boxes, a water bucket, etc. around the area.) The other team members can shout out directions to their blindfolded team mate to help them navigate the obstacle course. Let each child try to run the obstacle course while blindfolded and being directed by their team mates. Children can shout warnings such as BEWARE OF THE BIG CHAIR, or WATCH OUT FOR THE BOX ON YOUR RIGHT, CAUTION - WATER BUCKET, or THE END IS NEAR!!!

NEWSPAPER WARNINGS: Give children a page of a newspaper and have them find and circle WARNING WORDS, such as watch out, danger, the end, beware, panic, war, caution, or any other words that would help to explain today's lesson. Let children share some of the words that they circled and why they circled those words.

WARNING SIGN: After the children have heard the lesson, give them a poster board, markers, and other supplies to create their own warning signs. Hang the signs around the class room. The warning signs should be signs based on today's lesson so that the children can tell what their warning means and how that sign would keep them safe.

BIBLE SWORD DRILL: Have a Bible drill with the children, using simple Bible books to find easy verses, if the children are not used to finding verses in the Bible. Let children know how important it is to STUDY God's Word every day and to know where the Bible verses are in the Bible. Make sure that one of the verses is March 13:5-6 and that the children can ALL find that verse and read it together.

FALSE TEACHERS AHEAD CAUTION SIGN: Provide a long banner on the classroom table or across the classroom wall. Let the children paint with brushes or finger paint a caution sign from the things from today's story that the false teachers will try to use to deceive us, such as being foolish, claiming to be the Messiah, claim they know what God knows, deception, and misleading. When the banner is finished, have the children draw or paint a large RED line through the entire banner — from one top corner to the opposite lower corner, to signify that they should NOT listen to the false teachers!

BIBLE HEART: Give the children an outline of a Bible to glue onto a piece of construction paper. Provide them with a heart tracing to cut out and to glue in the middle of the Bible. Use die cut letters for children to write STUDY GOD'S WORD, on the Bible and then use red markers to write "KEEP GOD'S WORD IN YOUR HEART" around the edge of the heart.

FEET WALKING: Follow the "feet" cutouts that the teacher has stuck to the floor along a path around the church - inside and/or outside. Let children have a leader who will give them phrases to shout out loud, such as, FOLLOW JESUS; WALK AWAY FROM FALSE TEACHERS, etc. Let the FEET WALKING lead the children to a basket of treats to share.

SNACK TREATS: If available, Smarties® would be an appropriate treat. You could tell the children that if they are smart, they will watch out for false teachers.

SING A SONG: O Be Careful Little Eyes What You See.

Song:  "O Be Careful Little Eyes"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track