LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Genesis 2:15-17, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to work and care for it, giving him freedom to eat from every tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God clearly warned that eating from this forbidden tree would result in death. This command was not restrictive but protective, as God knew what was best for His creation. The Garden of Eden was a perfect place where Adam and Eve enjoyed a close relationship with God and had everything they needed for a wonderful life.
In Genesis 3:1-24, we witness the fall of mankind through Satan’s deception. The serpent, who was actually the devil in disguise, approached Eve with cunning questions designed to make her doubt God’s goodness and truthfulness. Through temptation, both Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s single rule, bringing sin, shame, and death into the world. However, even in judgment, God showed mercy by promising a future deliverer who would defeat Satan. This story teaches preschoolers that God’s rules are given out of love to protect us, and that Satan still tries to tempt us today, but God is always stronger and we can choose to obey.
PLAY ROOM 10:15–10:30
Children will be dropped off in the playroom between 10:15–10:30 a.m. Allow them to play freely as they arrive. Transition them to the classroom at 10:30 a.m.
OPENING ACTIVITY 10:30–10:45 | Apple Mosaic Craft
Items Needed
- Apple outline template printed on cardstock
- Colored construction paper or tissue paper pieces (pre-cut into small squares)
- Glue sticks
As children arrive at their seats, give each child an apple template and a small pile of colored paper pieces. Show them how to glue the paper pieces inside the apple outline to create a colorful mosaic. While they work, say, “Today we’re going to hear a story about how Satan used a piece of fruit to trick Eve. God had given Adam and Eve a rule to keep them safe, but they chose to disobey.”
WORSHIP IN SONG 10:45–10:55
PRAYER 10:55–11:05
Gather children in a circle on the floor. Say, “Let’s talk to God before we hear today’s Bible story. God loves us so much, and He gives us rules to help us and keep us safe.”
Pray: “Dear God, thank You for loving us so much. Thank You for giving us Your Word and for teaching us what is right. Help us to listen to You and obey You today. We love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Allow children time to go around the circle and pray, too.
BIBLE STORY 11:05–11:15
[Hold up your Bible] Boys and girls, this story is found in the very first book of the Bible. It’s called Genesis. [Point to Genesis] This is in the Old Testament, at the very beginning of God’s Word.
A long, long time ago, God made the very first people. [Hold up two fingers] Their names were Adam and Eve. God made a beautiful garden for them called Eden. [Spread arms wide] This garden had everything they needed! Yummy fruits, pretty flowers, and friendly animals. Best of all, God would come and walk with them every day because He loved them so much!
God gave Adam and Eve just one rule. [Hold up one finger] He said, “You can eat fruit from any tree in this garden except one. Do not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. If you eat from that tree, you will die.”
Why did God give them this rule? [Pause for responses] Yes! God made this rule because He loved them and wanted to keep them safe.
But there was a sneaky snake in the garden. [Make slithering motion with hand] This snake was really the devil pretending to be a snake. The devil doesn’t like God, and he wants to trick people into doing bad things.
The snake slithered up to Eve and asked, “Did God really say you can’t eat from any tree?” [Say in a sneaky voice]
Eve said, “We can eat from all the trees except the one in the middle. God said we’ll die if we eat from that one.”
But the tricky snake lied to her! [Shake head] He said, “You won’t die! God just doesn’t want you to be as smart as Him!” The snake made the fruit look really, really good.
Eve looked at the fruit. She wanted it more and more. [Pause] Finally, she picked it and took a bite. [Pretend to take a bite] Then she gave some to Adam, and he ate it too.
Right away, Adam and Eve felt very sad and ashamed. [Make sad face] They had disobeyed God! They tried to hide from God when He came to the garden. But God knew what they had done.
God was sad that they disobeyed, but He still loved them. [Put hand over heart] He had to give them consequences for their bad choice. They had to leave the beautiful garden. But God was kind. He promised that someday He would send someone to defeat the devil. And do you know who that someone is? [Let children respond] Yes! Jesus!
THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONS
- Who made the rule about not eating from one tree? (God did)
- Why did God make that rule? (Because He loved Adam and Eve and wanted to keep them safe)
- Who was the snake really? (The devil/Satan)
- Did Adam and Eve obey God’s rule? (No, they disobeyed)
- Does God still love us even when we disobey? (Yes, God always loves us)
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
- When someone tells you to do something you know is wrong, what should you do? (Say no and choose to obey God/our parents)
- Why does God give us rules? (To help us and keep us safe because He loves us)
- Who can help us obey God’s rules? (God can, Jesus can, the Holy Spirit can)
- If we make a bad choice, what should we do? (Tell God we’re sorry and ask for forgiveness)
BIBLE CRAFT 11:15–11:30 | Spiral Snake Craft
Items Needed
- Snake and Apple Template (Cardstock)
- Crayons
- Scissors
Give each child a precut snake to color. When they are finished, help them cut it out into a spiral snake. Then give them their apple and remind them of the memory verse for the week and the Bible story.
SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 11:30–11:40
Give each child a snack and allow time to watch the Bible story video.
BIBLE STORY GAME 11:40–11:55 | Garden Treasure Hunt
Items Needed
- Paper fruits (apples, bananas, grapes, oranges) hidden around the classroom
- One special “forbidden fruit” apple marked with an X
Before class, hide colorful paper fruits around the classroom. Mark one apple with a big X to represent the forbidden fruit.
Explain the game: “God gave Adam and Eve many good fruits to eat in the garden! But there was one fruit they were not supposed to eat. Let’s see if you can find all the good fruits and avoid the forbidden fruit.”
Send children around the room to find the paper fruits. If they find the forbidden fruit marked with an X, they must leave it there. When all the “good fruits” have been found, gather the children and count how many good fruits God gave them.
Say, “Look at all the good things God gave to Adam and Eve! God is so generous and kind. He only had one rule to keep them safe. We can trust that God’s rules are always good for us.”
BONUS ACTIVITY | Seeds Inside
Items Needed
- Apple or other fruit (cut in half)
- Magnifying glasses (optional)
- Paper towels
Cut a piece of fruit in half. Let children examine the seeds and count them. Explain: “Look at all these tiny seeds inside! Just like these seeds can grow into big apple trees, one small choice to disobey God grew into a big problem called sin. But God had a plan! He promised a Savior would come and that Savior is Jesus! One good seed (Jesus) can overcome all the bad.”
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE | Genesis 2:15-17 and 3:1-24 (ESV)
Genesis 2:15-17 “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'”
Genesis 3:1-6 (Key verses from the fall) “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”‘ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”
Genesis 3:8-9, 21-24 (God’s response and mercy) “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ … And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—’ therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.”
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Lesson: God Makes Rules
Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17 and 3:1-24
What We Learned: God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden and gave them one rule to keep them safe: do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan, disguised as a snake, tricked Eve into disobeying God’s rule. Even though Adam and Eve had to leave the garden, God still loved them and promised to send a Savior. God’s rules are good and help us!
Talk About It:
THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONS
- Who made the rule about not eating from one tree? (God did)
- Why did God make that rule? (Because He loved Adam and Eve and wanted to keep them safe)
- Who was the snake really? (The devil/Satan pretending to be a snake)
- Did Adam and Eve obey God’s rule? (No, they chose to disobey God)
- Does God still love us even when we disobey? (Yes, God always loves us and forgives us when we ask)
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
- When someone tells you to do something you know is wrong, what should you do? (Say no and choose to obey God and my parents)
- Why does God give us rules? (To help us and keep us safe because He loves us)
- Who can help us obey God’s rules? (God can, Jesus can, the Holy Spirit can help us)
- If we make a bad choice, what should we do? (Tell God we’re sorry, ask for forgiveness, and try to obey next time)
- What are some rules God gives us to keep us safe? (Obey our parents, tell the truth, be kind, share, etc.)