Lesson: Is Sin Bringing Me Down?

(Romans 1:21-23)
ministry-to-children.com/lesson-is-sin-bringing-me-down-romans-121-23

Leah Pittsinger March 12,

2016

As the romanticism of sin continues to increase

in our culture, it becomes even more
imperative for teenagers to be equipped to
battle temptation and sin. In this lesson, “Is Sin
Bringing Me Down?” youth will learn that sin’s
fleeting and deceptive nature causes severe
harm to their walk with Christ. Furthermore,
they will be equipped through numerous
scriptures to battle specific sins and move
forward with confidence as believers.

From Pastor Ken Gray’s sermon entitled, “The

Downward Progression of Sin.” (January 10, 2016)

Transcribed for Sunday school with permission.

TARGET AGES: 12-18

OBJECTIVE: To educate the class on the seriousness of sin, how it negatively affects our
lives, and how we can prepare against its destruction.

MAIN IDEA: Sin desires to hinder and destroy our relationships with Christ. We must
battle sin every day and rely on God to help us make good, biblical decisions.

SCRIPTURE PASSAGES: Romans 1:21-23, 28-32

MATERIAL(S): Pitcher of water, red food coloring, drinking glass, white board or poster
board, ten index cards

——————————————————————————————————————-

Introductory Activity (10 minutes)

OPENING PRAYER: “God, help us take our sin seriously. We know our sin puts us in
opposition to you, so we pray that you will open our eyes and give us the desire to fight
against the temptation to sin. Amen.”

OBJECT LESSON: “The Juice Scam”

Explain to the class that sin makes promises it can’t keep (such as having “fun,” gaining
popularity, or getting something you want). Prepare a pitcher of water and use red food
coloring to give it the appearance of fruit juice and pour some into a glass. Ask, “Who
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would like to try this glass of juice?” After the volunteer has taken a drink, have them
describe the taste (e.g. “It just tastes like water”). Help the children understand that while
this is a harmless example of sin’s deception, there is always damage involved with sin in
real life. Ask the volunteer, “How do you feel about being deceived (angry, upset,
embarrassed, etc)? If there had been something harmful in the water, instead of red
food coloring, what could have happened (death, sickness, etc)?” Lastly, reiterate that this
is how sin works – it appears to be something to desire yet leaves us feeling empty,
cheated, and outsmarted!

Lesson (15 minutes)

1. Ask the class to turn to Romans 1 in their bibles. Talk about a time in your life when
personal sin had a very real consequence, such as receiving a speeding ticket or
being grounded for being disrespectful to your parents. Say, “When we don’t learn
from our mistakes, God’s word is very clear that our sinful actions will only get
worse. Sin left unchecked results in denying God’s power over our lives.” Ask for a
volunteer to read verses 21-23 and summarize the verses’ message. Ask, “What
happened to those who ‘neither glorified God nor gave thanks to him (their
thinking became useless and their hearts were darkened)’? What did these people
‘exchange [for] the glory of the immortal God (idols)’?” Emphasize that an idol is
anything we love or give allegiance to over God, so idols are very cheap and
imperfect substitutes. Comment, “These verses are all about pride, so let’s come up
with ways to battle self-reliant thinking.” Make a list of actions on the board – such
as prayer, studying God’s word, repentance, and serving others – that strengthen
us to rely on the Lord and live as humble servants.
2. Next, read Romans 1:28-32 to the class. Ask, “What will happen if we fail to ‘retain
the knowledge of God’ (we will do what’s wrong, be filled with evil, have no love,
etc)?” Point out the warning in verse 32 that approving of others’ sin is a sign of
regressed progress in our relationship with the Lord. Use examples of culturally
acceptable practices (such as homosexuality, gossip, disrespecting authority, and
treating others poorly) that Satan uses to try and alter, or bring down, our
relationship to Jesus Christ. Say, “God takes sin so seriously that he sent his perfect
son, Jesus, to pay the price for sin. Because the price was so costly (Jesus’ life), we
need to make daily efforts to deny sin in every form when it tries to present itself.”
Outline the salvation message for anyone who may not be a believer. Encourage
the class to speak to you or another believer if they have questions about
becoming a Christian.

“Sin and Answer” Activity (15 minutes)

Prepare ten index cards, each with a sin listed on the front of the card and a bible verse
to address the sin on the back of the card. You may use the following table as a guide:

SIN VERSE(S)

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 1 Gossip Proverbs 16:28, James 3:9-10

2 Hate John 7:7, 1 John 4:20

3 Jealousy 1 Corinthians 3:3, Philippians 4:12-

13

4 Pride Proverbs 11:2, Philippians 2:3

5 Rebellion Daniel 9:9, Romans 13:1-2

6 Worship of idols Ezekiel 23:49, Romans 1:22-23

7 Sexual 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

8 Greed Luke 12:15, Hebrews 13:5

9 Anger Proverbs 15:1, Matthew 5:21-22

10 Insults Matthew 5:11-12, James 4:11

Allow each person to choose a card and look up the scripture(s). Then ask the class to
take turns explaining what the verse(s) say about each sin. Have an open discussion
concerning ways to prevent, battle, and eliminate the temptation to sin. Reiterate that no
one is perfect, but we should increasingly desire to please God. Encourage the class by
admitting that sin seems fun for a little while, but there are always consequences that
hinder our relationships with Christ.

Conclusion (5 minutes)

RECAP: Sin’s only goal is to keep us from growing in our relationship with Christ. It leaves
us feeling empty and cheated. However, when we rely on God’s word and earnestly seek
him through prayer, we will be able to battle sin and its negative influence on our lives.

CLOSING PRAYER: “Lord, give us the strength to battle the sin in our lives. Surround us
with other believers who can support and help us grow in our relationship to you. We
desire to please you and ask you to forgive us for the many sins we have committed.
Thank you for Jesus, who gives us the ultimate victory over sin. Amen.”

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