ACTIVITY:

"Let’s bake some chocolate chip cookies today. Just let me get out all of the ingredients . . . well, most of them. I discovered that I’m out of a few things. But, no big deal, right?  I am sure I can find some adequate substitutions. I am out of butter. However, when I scan my kitchen, I notice a large amount of bacon grease, leftover from the big breakfast I made this morning. I look in the cupboard for my vanilla, but to my surprise, I am out. Hmm… Worcestershire sauce looks pretty similar. You know, I bet it wouldn’t hurt. After all, it IS the same color, so what’s the big deal?  So, I mix it in with my bacon grease and eggs. Since 1-1/3 cups of sugar is good, 3 cups has got to be even better. Add 3 cups sugar to mixture. I put in the baking soda, salt, and flour. It is only after I finish stirring them in that I realize that I used the tablespoon instead of the teaspoon for the soda. Oh well, what’s the difference? Finally, only one thing left: chocolate chips. Of course I have plenty of those. When I add them all together, I can’t resist that delicious looking dough. I take a bite.
 

Euuugggghh! That wasn’t what I wanted! I wanted chocolate chip cookies, .... not whatever THIS is! But, looking back, I should have realized that if I REALLY wanted chocolate chip cookies, I should have followed the directions. The ingredients and amounts are listed to help me attain the desired results. If properly followed, the recipe will yield a sweet and desirable treat. The further I strayed from the recipe, the further I got from the result I wanted. 

We have a book of recipes for helping us know what God expects of us.  What book is it?  (The scriptures). 

STORY OF NOAH:

Tell the story of Noah using a Remembering Jar.  Use a large clear jar, like an old peanut butter jar, that has some water in it, some toy animals, a small stick of wood to represent the Ark (maybe a Popsicle stick), some toy people, a toy rainbow, and so on. You want to stack each thing in the jar so that you can easily take them out of the jar in the correct order. As you take each piece out of the jar, you tell how that piece reminds you of the story of Noah. Think of it as a kind of show and tell.  There is a script below but you could certainly tell the story in your own words or have the children help you tell the story.
 

Contents of the Jar:

     - Toy People
     - Bible or something to remind you of Heavenly Father talking to Noah (microphone, etc.)
     - A boat or picture of a boat or the Ark
     - Ruler or tape measure
     - Wood, Popsicle stick

(Show the toy person / doll)

This person reminds me of the story of Noah. A long time ago there was a man that was very dear to God, and his name was Noah. Noah loved God and did everything that God wanted him to do. God watched over and protected Noah. But God was not happy with everyone else that lived on Earth. In fact, when God looked down on Earth all He saw was sin in all its forms. And God was very unhappy with all of mankind and everything that He had created except for Noah and his family. And God was so sorry that He repented of even making His creation because everything was evil all the time. God decided to destroy almost every living thing on the Earth. The only living things that God was going to save were the things that were in the Ark. They were precious to God and God protected them. Just like God protects and watches over the people that love him and do what He says to do today.

(Show the Bible or microphone)

So God talked to Noah and told him to build the Ark.

Why did Noah decide to build the ark?  (Because he loved God and wanted to be obedient)

(Show a boat)

It was a very big boat because God was going to make it rain and He was going to destroy everything on Earth.
 

What kind of a man was Noah?  What characteristics must he have had to respond to the assignment to build an ark? What qualities can you develop that will help you do what Heavenly Father wants you to do?

Noah was a very smart man. He knew that when God tells you something, you had better listen. He was obedient.  Because God only tells the truth, if God says it is going to rain, it is going to rain. You may not understand how that could happen, but it will. Even today, God tells us things and we just don’t understand how they could come true, but God does not lie. God made a covenant with Noah to protect Noah and his family if Noah did what God told him to do. A covenant is a vow, a promise to do something, but both people have to do their part or the covenant is broken. God’s promise to protect him and his family burned strong in Noah’s heart. He was determined to do what God wanted him to do no matter what happened. He didn’t care what other people said about him or what they thought. He was going to follow God.

(Show the ruler)

God told Noah to make the Ark 300 cubits long x 50 cubits wide x 30 cubits high.

(Show the wood/popsicle stick)

While they were building the Ark God sent animals and birds of every kind to them, and they cared for everything that God had given them. They knew that God would respect them if they respected God. When Noah and his family finished building the Ark, God told him to load all of the animals and his family on to the Ark. It must have been very hard to get on the Ark knowing that God was about to destroy the world.  Even though it was hard, he was obedient.

MUSIC:  Choose the Right Way

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Noah's Ark - You could enlarge game board onto butcher paper if your library has any and work out answers as a group.

Obedience Ark - Craft Project

Noah's Ark Fingerplay - Possibly use for Junior Primary
 

SUMMARY:

Just like earlier with our cookie recipe, our lives have a recipe for happiness and success. Heavenly Father has provided these directions in the scriptures and through instructions from his prophets. These directions are also known as the Gospel. Unlike a recipe, which can be changed a little bit and still turn out well, the Gospel must be followed exactly if we want the promised joy. We are told in the scriptures that the way back to God is a strait and narrow one which must be followed without deviation. I know that when we follow the Gospel and obey God’s commandments, we will have a happy life. The further we stray from God’s plan for us, the less happy we will become.

TESTIMONY: Close with your testimony and/or personal experiences of how you have felt when you have chosen to follow Heavenly Father and how He in turn has blessed your life.
 

MY SOURCES:

-  Applesauce Kids (Christian Website)
- Primary 6 Manual
- Scriptures
- Teaching, No Greater Call