We’re talking about sinful anger this week—hate. Whenever we let anger cause us to sin, to remain inside of us, or to make us stop loving others, we are letting anger turn into hate. Though it starts small inside our minds, hate grows into an ugly emotion that makes us want to hurt instead of help. In the Bible, Cain allowed hate into his heart, and he went on to kill his brother, leading to terrible things for Cain and his family. Learn from Cain: hate makes a stain!

• Ephesians 4:26-27 - "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil."

• James 1:19-20 - "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."

Schedule

1. Registration in the foyer, Activity in Truth Group room

2. Truth Group Opening - Songs & Rules, Dismiss Tiny Trackers

3. Truth Group Bible Lesson - Cain & Abel

4. Game Time - Kickball

5. Restroom Break

6. Training Time & Snack

7. Special Story & Review Questions

8. Dismissal

Lesson - Cain & Abel

• Show picture of a family

What sorts of memories make you close to your family—brothers, sisters, cousins?

Whenever God does something, He does it right. When God created the world, He made it absolutely perfect. And His perfect plan was that the first family would fill up His perfect world with children. But something terrible happened that made God’s world not perfect anymore—Adam and Eve sinned, and now everyone would be a sinner.

Their first kids were no exception. Cain and Abel were sometimes selfish, mean, and angry—like some of you. What’s so bad about getting angry with your brother or sister or cousin?

• Show picture of a flock of sheep

But God would forgive them when they asked for forgiveness. He’d told Adam and Eve that they needed to give Him the right offerings to show that something had to pay for their sins. They would kill “clean animals” like sheep and burn them on piles of rocks called altars — it was a big reminder to them that one day God would take care of all their sin. Do you know who was called “the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world”?

Offering, after offering, after offering. The boys grew up and became men. They started working (which is what God expects you to do when you grow up). Cain became a farmer, who grew plants and harvested them. Abel became a farmer, who raised animals and took care of them. Do you think that Cain and Abel stopped sinning just because they grew up? No way. They still had to offer animal sacrifices to God for forgiveness.

• Genesis 4:3 “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.”

• Show picture of Cain & Abel and their offerings

The Bible goes on to say that Abel brought one of his very best sheep as a sacrifice to God. And God liked Abel’s offering, but He didn’t like Cain’s offering. Why do you think God didn’t like it? How do you think it made Cain feel?

• Genesis 4:4-5 “And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”

God cared about Cain. He spoke to him. “Why are you angry? Why is your face like that? Don’t you know that you can do the right thing, ask for forgiveness, and be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin lieth at the door.”

What God said to Cain was true. When we are upset and don’t take care of it God’s way, the devil is waiting at the door to get you to do some terrible, terrible things. Don’t open the door to sin! That’s why God says that you should take care of anger before the sun sets. Don’t hold anger in. Don’t let it explode out. You have to believe that God’s way is best — and that your way isn’t. But Cain didn’t listen to God’s way. He wanted things his way.

• Show picture of Cain striking Abel

Cain talked with his brother, and they went out together into the field. Then Cain came up behind his brother and killed him. His hate let the devil in, and he became violent. Immediately, God spoke. “Where is your brother, Cain?” God asked.

God knew where Able was, but He wanted Cain to confess his sin. Instead, Cain lied and said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain’s sin just kept getting worse. His anger caused him to even lie to God!

God cursed Cain and punished him. God told him that he wouldn’t be able to grow things as a farmer anymore. He’d have to leave the place where they lived, and where God spoke to people. Cain was upset, but he still didn’t ask God to forgive him. He was afraid that his dad or his other brothers would kill him because he killed Abel.

• Genesis 4:15 “And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.”

God cared about Cain, and He put some sort of mark on him, like a stain, so everyone would know who he was. No one was allowed to kill Cain, or else God would punish them. People saw the stain, and they knew what Cain had done. God saw the stain, and promised that he wouldn’t be killed even though he deserved it. But because Cain didn’t deal with sin God’s way, he was under God’s wrath.

Cain allowed sin and anger to control him. His anger became hate and exploded into envy, murder, and even lying. Watch out for hate! It can destroy you and others! It will separate you from God. Learn from Cain: hate makes a stain!

Training Time

Group Activity: Have the kids tell a story about a kid who gets angry and holds hate in his or her heart. Tell the first kid to give one sentence, then have the next kid give another sentence, and so on around the table until the story is finished. But tell the kids that whenever you (the teacher) slap the table, the first kid to say, “Learn from Cain: hate makes a stain” wins the round. The kid with the most points by the time the story ends is the winner.

Group Discussion: Go through Genesis 4 and try to answer the questions:

• Why did Cain and Abel have to give offerings to God?

• What did Cain offer to God? (Genesis 4:3)

• What did Abel offer to God (Genesis 4:4)

• What was Cain angry about? (Genesis 4:5)

• What did God want Cain to do instead of opening the door to sin? (Genesis 4:7) to do well, which means to offer the way God wanted instead of his own way

• How did Cain’s hate hurt Abel? (Genesis 4:8)

• How did Cain’s hate hurt himself? (Genesis 4:10-12)

• What did God think of Cain’s hate?

• How does it hurt other people if you have hate in your heart?

• How does it hurt you if you have hate in your heart?

• How can you get rid of a hate stain on your heart?

Group Prayer: Pray and ask God to help you love people instead of holding hate in your heart.