10 Commandments: Keep the Sabbath Day

Read: Exodus 20:8-11; Genesis 2:1-3
In This Passage: God says to observe a Sabbath day and keep it holy. A Sabbath is one day each week that we set aside to rest, recharge, and focus on God. This commandment was so important to God that he set an example by resting on the seventh day of Creation.
Bible Point: We have a special day for God.
Summary Verse: “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind’ ” (Matthew 22:37).

Naps help us feel rested, and they can remind us why we have a special day for God. When we work and play hard all week, it’s good for us to stop and sit back like God did on the seventh day. And when we do, we can remember that God is our friend. One way we rest and spend time with God is by coming to church each week. Whenever we rest and take time to think of God, it’s a good thing.

Activity:

In the Bible, God rested, and we can rest and spend time with him, too. Find a comfy place to lie down and listen to some quiet music about God.

Pray:

God, we thank you for allowing us to rest.  This kind of rest gives us energy and joy for all the other parts of our lives!  Help us to learn to rest and spend time with you. Amen.

Activity Sheet:

Bible Study:

Read Genesis 2:1-3

In the Bible, God showed us how to have a special day to rest. When God made the whole world and everything in it, he worked for six days. Then on the seventh day, he stopped and looked at the wonderful world he’d created, and he rested.

Have kids stand. Lead kids through the following parts of God’s creation and the corresponding motions:

On day one, God made the heavens and the earth. And he made light so there was day and night. Make an “O” shape above your head to show a round world.
On day two, God separated the waters on earth from the waters in heaven so that there was a sky in between. Make waves by moving your arms up and down.
On day three, God made dry ground and all the plants. Reach your hands above your head and sway back and forth to show a tree or other tall plant.
On day four, God made the sun and the stars. Show a rising and setting sun by making an “O” above your head, then lean to the left and make an arch motion by moving to standing position and then over to the right.
On day five, God made the fish and birds. Touch your thumb to your fingers on the same hand to make an opening and closing mouth.
On day six, God made all the animals and us—the people! Stand with your legs wide and your hands on your hips.
After God finished making his whole creation, he rested on the seventh day. He’d worked really hard, and he wanted to sit back and enjoy his creation.

God said the seventh day was holy, or special. And he says we have a special day for him, too. It’s a day we rest and spend time with God. God says work is good—he worked six days in a row to make the world. And God says after you work, take some time to rest, too.