God’s Complements: A Great Bible School Activity For Your Elementary Kids
What are some things you would like to add to your life? What about kindness or integrity? Or maybe patience and peace? I think all four are traits worth adding to our growing character. II Peter 1:5-7 says this: “…strive to add to your faith goodness; to goodness, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, (brotherly kindness); and to (brotherly kindness), love.” That is a list that every Christian should aspire to add to his life, including children. Here is a fun Bible school activity to help your children learn this super verse. It’s called “God Complements”.
This is what you do:
For this activity, you will need to prepare 2 sets of 8 circles in 2 different colors. One game will go to each of the 2 teams. In each set of circles, write the following sentences from the verse:
1. Do your best
2. add to your faith goodness
3. and to goodness, knowledge
4. and to knowledge, self-control
5. and to self-control, perseverance
6. and to perseverance, piety
7. and to pity, (brotherly kindness)
8. ya (brotherly kindness), love.
Laminate circles for long term use. Hide all the circles around the classroom. They must be well hidden. You will also need a timer with a second hand. You are now ready to play this activity.
Before playing, say the following to your class:
Raise your hand if you would like to add anger or rudeness to your life? (Wait for response.) Or what about fear and meanness? (Wait for response.) Of course not! None of us want those things in our lives. We should only want to add good things to our life. Who would like to read 2 Peter 1:5-7? (Have a child read this verse.) This verse gives a wonderful list of characteristics that every Christian should want to add to his life. Let’s make a fun game that helps us learn a little more about each of these features. It’s called “God Complements”.
Explain the following rules to your class:
We will divide our class into 2 teams. In the whole class, I have hidden 16 circles. Eight circles are “yellow” (or whatever color you choose) and eight circles are “blue.” Each of the circles has a portion of 2 Peter 1:5-7. The first team to put all 8 fists in their circles together is the winner. Before anyone has a chance to find a circle, they must answer a true or false question about one of the features found in our verse. If you answer the question correctly, you will have 10 seconds to search for a circle that is your team’s color. If he succeeds, he will give me the circle and I will show it. If it does not find a circle, the play goes to the next team. You can help your team members find a circle just by giving verbal instructions. Only the seeker can search the circle. Here we go!
24 True or False Questions:
I have provided you with 24 True or False questions that you can ask your students based on each of the main words in 2 Peter 5:7. I gave you more than 16, because it can take them multiple times to find a circle. You can order them in any order you like.
1. Matthew 9:2 says this:
And behold, they brought him a paralytic, lying on a bed; And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic; Son, be of good cheer; your sins be forgiven.
This verse talks about some friends who brought their sick friend to Jesus for healing. True or false? Jesus said that this man’s friends did not have faith. (Fake)
2. Matthew 9:21-23 says this:
…If I can only touch his cloak, I will be healed. But Jesus turned her around, and when he saw her, he said: Daughter, take heart; your faith has saved you. And the woman was saved from that hour.
This verse tells of a woman who had been sick for a long time, but when she touched the hem of Jesus’ robe, she was healed. True or false? Jesus said that it was her faith that made her whole and whole. (Real)
3. Ephesians 2:8-9 says this:
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God: not by works, so that no one can boast.
True or false? This verse says that we are saved by doing many good works. (Fake)
4. Romans 15:14 says this:
And I myself am also sure of you, my brothers, that you are also full of goodness, full of all knowledge, capable also of admonishing one another.
Paul wrote this to his friends in Rome to encourage them. True or false? Paul said that his friends were full of beans. (Fake)
5. Ephesians 5:8-10 says this:
For in another time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, justice and truth;) proving what is pleasing to the Lord.
True or false? This verse says that the fruit of the Spirit is found in all goodness. (Real)
6. Exodus 33:19 says this:
And he said: I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you; and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.
This verse was spoken by God to Moses. True or false? God said that he would pass all his goodness before Moses. (Real)
7. Luke 1:76-77 says this:
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation to his people through the remission of his sins…
This verse talks about John the Baptist and the special work he had to do. True or false? John the Baptist was going to give the knowledge of how to get to Disneyland. (Fake)
8. Romans 11:33 says this:
O depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and how unsearchable are his ways!
True or false? God’s knowledge and wisdom are incredibly deep. (Real)
9. 1 Corinthians 1:4-5 says this:
I thank my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given to you by Jesus Christ; That in everything you are enriched by him, in all speech and in all knowledge…
True or false? Paul was grateful to God for blessing his friends with grace and knowledge, which is given by Jesus Christ. (Real)
10. 1 Corinthians 12:8 says this:
For one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another, word of knowledge by the same Spirit…
True or false? This verse says that we get a word of knowledge through the Tooth Fairy. (Fake)
11. Galatians 5:22-23 says this:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
True or false? Self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit. (Real)
12. Proverbs 25:28 says this:
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a person who lacks self-control.
True or false? This verse shows that not having self-control is a bad thing. (Real)
Before sharing the next 3 questions, please give a simple definition of perseverance, such as staying strong even when the going gets tough.
13. Romans 5:3 says this:
Not only that, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance…
True or false? Suffering will bring us lollipops and sugar cookies. (Fake)
14. 2 Thessalonians 1:4 says this:
Therefore, among the churches of God we boast of your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
True or false? This verse shows that some people were persecuted or mocked because of their faith in God. (Real)
15. Hebrews 12:1 says this:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us get rid of everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us. And let us run with perseverance the race that is appointed for us…
True or false? We must run the race of life with much perseverance. (Real)
16. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says this:
I urge, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all men;
by kings and by all who are in authority; so that we can lead a calm and peaceful life in all piety and honesty.
True or false? This verse says that we should pray for all the animals in the world so that we can live peaceful and godly lives. (Fake)
17. 1 Timothy 6:6 says this:
But great gain is godliness accompanied by contentment.
True or false? This verse says that godliness with French fries is great gain. (Fake)
18. 1 Timothy 6:11 says this:
But you, O man of God, flee from these things; and follow justice, mercy, faith, love, patience, meekness.
True or false? This verse encourages Christians to pursue good things like godliness and patience. (Real)
19. Colossians 3:12 says this:
Put on, then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,… goodness, humility, meekness, patience…
True or false? According to this verse, Christians are to clothe themselves in meanness and rudeness. (Fake)
20. Acts 14:17 says this:
… He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and harvests in his seasons; he provides you with food in abundance and fills your hearts with joy.
True or false? According to this verse, God has shown us his goodness in many different ways. (Real)
21. 2 Samuel 22:51 says this:
“He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing goodness to his anointed, to David, and to his descendants forever.”
True or false? This verse shows that the goodness of God will never fail. (Real)
22. Matthew 5:43-44 says this:
You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…
True or false? This verse shows us that we are allowed to hate our enemies. (Fake)
23. Matthew 22:37 says this:
Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
True or false? This verse says that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. (Real)
24. Matthew 22:39 says this:
‘You love your neighbor as yourself.’
True or false? This verse says that we are to love our neighbor as we love our pets. (Fake)