2 Peter: Second Coming
II Peter 3:10 – The Second Coming
Scripture reference: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…”
Objectives:
- Older students should be able to recite the verse and tell what it means.
- Students should be able to list several examples of Christian behavior.
- Each student should have a personal plan of action for the following week.
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
- Discuss the Scripture verse and have each student recite it.
- From II Peter 2 and Jude, tell several stories of obedience and disobedience and God’s punishment. The Children’s Bible has the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Noah, of Balaam and the donkey, of the golden calf and Moses, and of Cain and Abel. Can the children help you with these stories, as they remember them?
- Ask for examples of things we can do to obey Jesus; see if the children can come up with the examples in the parable of the Last Judgment.
- Tell the parable of the Last Judgment: Jesus said, “When the Son of man comes, he will be like a king sitting on a throne. All around the throne will be angels and in front of the throne will be all the peoples of the earth. Then the King will judge the people. He will separate the good people from the bad people. He will have the good people stand on his right side and he will say to them, ‘ Come, O good children of my Father. Receive the beautiful Kingdom that God created for you in the beginning. You have lived as my Father wanted you to live, for when I was hungry, you gave me food to eat, when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink, when I came as a stranger, you welcomed me, when I was naked, you clothed me, when I was sick, you visited me, when I was in prison, you came to see me.’ Then the people will answer the King: ‘ Lord, when did we see you and do all these things for you?’ And the King will answer, ‘If you were kind or helped anyone who needed help, you helped me. The good things you did to them, you did to me.’ Then the King will say to those at his left side, ‘Because you didn’t help anyone, or weren’t kind or generous to anyone, you didn’t show kindness to me.’ Therefore the King will send them away to be punished forever, but to the good people, he will give life forever in his kingdom.”
6. Make a Wise Virgins Door Hanger: Take a rectangle of foam and cut hole near top for doorknob, or buy ready-cut foam doorknob hangers, usually about 5-6 inches wide and 12 inches long. Cut out Jesus and the wise virgins and glue to one side. To the other glue the foolish virgins with the closed door. You can use any icon, but the one provided divides them up nicely for the craft. While doing so, review the parable of Jesus (Matthew 25: 1-13), again reinforcing the idea that we should always be prepared. This Gospel is read on Holy Tuesday and also during the sacrament of Holy Unction. On the “front” side, write “The Bridegroom Comes!” and on the back side “The door was shut!” When you hang the doorhanger, be sure the front side is visible! Place it perhaps on the door to the dining room, your home chamber of feasts.
No foam? Just print the doorknob hanger, decorate, fold, staple or glue front and back, cut out circle for doorknob.
- Make food bags for the homeless – have each child take 3-4 lunch bags, decorate the outside with stickers or an icon picture, and add cheese crackers, raisins, oatmeal cookies, juice boxes, or other healthy, individually-wrapped snacks. Keep them in your car to give to those who are pan-handling or begging.
- Have each child select something to do this week – collect food for the food pantry, write a get-well card to someone in the hospital or a nursing home, etc. and pray at closing specifically for these intentions.