Romans 7:1-6

[This is part 3 of a series on Romans 5-8 which was taught at our church in the summer]

Romans 7:1-6 for 3-5s

Theme: Jesus helps his friends to do good.

Intro and crafts:

Similair to last week, sticking on a Ronny and some good and bad things but perhaps put a sticky label saying ‘Spirit’ on Ronny.

Story:

[Continuing the story of Ronny the Roman, which we began last week, using either Roman wooden spoon character or picture on lollypop stick]

Some of you may remember meeting Ronny the Roman last week. Let’s all say hello to Ronny.

Ronny is going to help us think a bit more about what it means to be a friend of Jesus. And Ronny is going to show us that Jesus helps his friends to do good.

Ronny wasn’t always a friend of Jesus. But he always wanted to do good things. But before He was a friend of Jesus, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t do good things.

So one day, Ronny’s Mum had left out a big chocolate cake [put out a chocolate cake] and had very clearly said to Ronny ‘Whatever you do, don’t eat the chocolate cake.’ She even put a sign next to it, to remind him, ‘Ronny, Do not eat!’

Ronny doesn’t really like chocolate cake. If his mum had left it out he wouldn’t have dreamed of eating the chocolate cake. But because of what his mum had said and because of the sign, suddenly he had this really strong urge to just stick his face in the cake and go ‘bleeeuurgh!’

But no he mustn’t. Oh, but he so wanted to. No, he mustn’t. Go on just once, quickly. And as soon as he had started to think about it, he couldn’t help himself but stick his face in the chocolate cake and go ‘bleeeuurgh!’ [Rub Ronny’s face in chocolate cake!]

Do you see, before Ronny was a friend of Jesus, even though he knew how to be good, he couldn’t do it, no matter how hard he tried.

But since Ronny became a friend of Jesus’ the same thing has happened again: His mum made a chocolate cake [put out another chocolate cake] and put out a note telling Ronny not to eat it [put out note]. This time Ronny found it hard to do what was right. But because he’s a friend of Jesus he had extra help: Jesus, by His Spirit, came and helped Ronny to do what was right. [put label saying ‘Spirit’ on Ronny]. And because of Jesus, Ronny managed to do what was right! Let’s all say ‘Hooray for Jesus!’

The same is true of us, we’re like Ronny: Jesus helps his friends to do good. Let’s say that out loud together.

Paper chain dolls – stick on fruit of the Spirit

Roman Soldier colouring with theme sentence at bottom

Romans 7:1-6 for 5-11s

Theme: We’re free from the law and now belong to Jesus. He has enabled us, by His Spirit, to bear fruit for Him.

Intros: Temptation game

Talk:

Let’s meet Ronny the Roman again. Remember last week, our big question was, ‘Now that I’ve been rescued, can I do whatever I want?’ Well, Paul, the man who wrote this letter carries on answering this question. But he answers it in a slightly different way. Let’s see how:

Firstly, Paul says that Ronny used to belong to the law, it’s like he was married to it. That’s the rules and regulations that God gave His people. [put up the 10 commandments]. But all that did was make Ronny behave worse.

So one day Ronny walked past a cake shop. And there was a beautiful chocolate cake sitting outside. [Put out a cake and a sign] It looked delicious, and Ronny was going to walk past the cake. But a little sign caught his eye. The sign said, ‘Do not steal.’

Well, Ronny hadn’t even considered stealing the cake, he wouldn’t have dreamed of it. But that sign put the thought in his head, and suddenly Ronny was thinking about stealing a chocolate cake, I mean really thinking about it. He couldn’t think about anything else. And, although he tried not to, he suddenly found himself picking up the cake and scoffing it.

That’s how God’s law works, whether you were a Jew and had the 10 commandments or whether you were a non-Jewish Roman and you just knew what was right and wrong. When you know what is wrong it makes it even harder to do what is right. [put up v5 on the screen]

But do you know what, now that Ronny has been forgiven by Jesus and become Jesus’ friend, it’s like he’s died to the law. He’s no longer married to the law. Ronny now belongs to Jesus.  Look at v4 [have it up on the screen]

So what does this mean? Well look at v6 [put v6 up on the screen]. If we’ve trusted in Jesus, we’ve died to that law that used to control us telling us to do wrong. Now Jesus has helped us by giving us His Spirit [put Spirit on Ronny]. That means our lives can now be useful to God! Isn’t that an amazing thing to say?

So here’s how it works: Ronny walks past the cake shop and again the chocolate cake is out and there is a sign there saying do not steal. This time Ronny has been freed from these rules. But that doesn’t mean to say he’s free to steal. Instead now he longs to do what God wants, it’s a joy and a delight to him. And even though he thinks, ‘I could steal that chocolate cake,’ actually he’d rather do what pleases God. And so he prays and asks God for help, and God’s Spirit gives him strength to do what is right and good.

We, too, are like Ronny if we trust Jesus; his Spirit will help us to do what is good.

Table time: They draw themselves on paper then stick on fruit of the Spirit. Get them to talk about what they need to work on.