SonWorld Adventure Park VBS Day 4 Teaching Tips

School is out and summer is here and that means it’s time for Vacation Bible School!

Here are some great lesson tips to super charge your Gospel Light SonWorld Adventure Park VBS! These ideas are for middler and preteen students and are intended to supplement the lesson plans in the Gospel Light Bible Story Center Guides.

Living in small town rural America, our Congregational Church joined with our neighbors at the United Methodist Church. We had 60 kids evenly divided into three groups—Pre-K to K, 1-3rd grade, and 4-6th grade—and shuffled them between 7 stations.

Day 4 Lesson
The Rich Young Ruler

Day 4 Scripture
Luke 18:18-27

Day 4 Teaching Tips
Lesson
Pass out Monopoly money as students walk into the room. Ask the introductory question, “If you could go to the store and pick out anything you wanted, what would you choose?” “If you were rich and had lots of money, what kinds of things would you do with it?”

Since the rich man asked what he had to DO to inherit eternal—in other words, to earn eternal life—Jesus recited the Old Testament commandments. When the rich man claimed he kept all those, Jesus took dead aim to expose the man’s heart. Jesus tells the man to sell all his possessions, give them to the poor, and follow him. When the rich man walks away sad, Jesus exposes the man’s idolatry and covetousness—in other words, the man’s failure to keep the commandments. The incident illustrates that none are righteous. Everyone falls short. Salvation is not by works, but by grace. When Peter asks whether his sacrificial efforts will be rewarded, Jesus assures him that God rewards those who follow on Him. Salvation by grace welcomes effort, but opposes earning.

At the lesson’s conclusion, put an offering plate in the center of the room and invite students to trust Jesus as their Savior. If they're already a believer, challenge them to put Jesus first in their life.

In our class experience, as soon as the teacher put out the offering plate, the students immediately put their money in the plate.