Going the Wrong Way?

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Upper Elementary

Lesson 7
Fall 2024
By: RLD Editorial Team
October 13, 2024

Lesson Focus:

Sin grieves God, but following God pleases Him.

Bible Basis:

Genesis 6:5—7:24

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Internet access

Step 4:

Pens/pencils
Which Way Will You Go? printouts (1 per student; template found here)

Summary & Links:

Students will watch a short video about trying to get someone to follow as they discuss doing the right thing even when it’s unpopular.

Memory Verse:

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
—Psalm 145:17

Students will watch a short video about trying to get someone to follow as they discuss doing the right thing even when it’s unpopular.

Materials Needed:

Internet access

If you’ve ever been on a long road trip, you’ve probably spent a lot of time on divided highways, where everyone on your side travels one way, and there’s a separate roadway for everyone traveling the opposite direction. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

Have you ever thought about what it would be like if someone accidentally headed in the wrong direction on a highway? (Possible answers might include: there could be a big crash; it would be really scary.)

Every now and then, someone makes a wrong turn and ends up on the wrong side of the road. It’s really, really dangerous! It’s difficult and very hazardous to try to fix the problem. When some police officers recently encountered a woman driving the wrong way, they jumped in to help solve the problem. Let’s take a look.

Play this video for the students [0:57]: Elderly woman drives car onto second floor of mall, escorted out | USA TODAY

In their efforts to help the elderly driver, the officers helped guide the confused elderly woman to back up and drive back down to the road. While they may have been concerned the woman would back up into them, they finally got the woman to follow their directions.

How would it feel to be driving on the second story of a shopping mall as people were walking around and shopping? (Possible answers might include: Scary, terrifying.)

None of you are driving yet…but that doesn’t mean you’ve never been in a situation where you see another driver doing something dangerous or reckless. There are lots of times when you are going one way trying to do the right thing, and everyone else is going the opposite way. It is really, really hard to go against the flow.

While the shoppers all got out of the woman’s way to be safe, the officers jumped right in to help her. Have you ever done something opposite of what everyone else was doing because you felt it was the right thing to do? Tell us about it. (Allow brief discussion; be prepared to share your own examples.)

Our lesson today is about a person who obeyed God even when everyone else in the whole world was going in the opposite direction. Let’s find out what happened.

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.

Materials Needed:

Pens/pencils
Which Way Will You Go? printouts (1 per student; template found here)

Before class, print out a Which Way Will You Go? worksheet for each of the students. The template can be found here. (If your class is meeting online, you can email the template for families to print ahead of class.)

Today’s lesson showed us two things: how serious sin is to God, and how important it is to do what God says even if you’re the only one willing to do it.

What do you think would have happened if Noah hadn’t obeyed God? (Allow brief discussion.)
Why do you think no one else obeyed God and followed Noah? (Possible answers might include: they were too distracted; they didn’t believe Noah; they didn’t want to go against everyone else.)

There are a lot of reasons why it might be difficult to obey God when other people are doing exactly the opposite. Think about a situation in your own life where you knew the right thing to do, but found it challenging to follow through. Maybe you didn’t want to feel left out from the group, or maybe it would have been embarrassing to be the only one standing alone.

Today, let’s think about situations in your life where you might have difficulty remembering to obey God. Distribute supplies (or invite students to have them ready at home). Pick a situation in your life where you know it might be difficult to obey God. On the left side of the “highway” on your worksheet, write what it would or might look like if you went the “wrong way” and disobeyed God in that situation. On the opposite side, write what would or might happen if you go the “right way” and do the right thing.

Give students time to complete their project; offer assistance and suggestions as needed. Students can write either the specific actions or inactions associated with right or wrong choices, or they can summarize the probable outcome.

As class time draws to a close, encourage your students to use the roadmap they have created to remind them to obey God and follow Him no matter what.

Close in prayer.

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David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Upper Elementary