Ten Commandments Sharing Time

We are Blessed When We Keep the Ten Commandments

September 2012 - Week 1

Keep the Commandments, Bowl a Strike in Life Sharing time

 Anyone know what bowling is?  “Seventeen hundred years ago bowling was a religious ceremony in Germany.  In those days if a person bowled the ball and knocked a pin down, he was leading a good life.  But if he did not knock a pin down, it meant that he needed to be better.” http://www.lds.org/friend/1975/02/how-bowling-began

The goal in modern bowling is to keep the bowling ball on the lane for the entire length and hit as many of the ten pins as possible.  If the bowler knocks all the pins down on the first ball it is considered a strike.  That is the best you can do! http://www.helium.com/items/853781-basic-bowling-rules

We are going to play a game of bowling today and learn about the Ten Commandments.  Each pin will represent a commandment or one of God’s rules that was revealed to the prophet Moses; from God to us. (show picture http://www.lds.org/gospellibrary/artbook/images/ArtBook__014_014__TheTenCommandments_Sm___.jpg )

These Ten Commandments, if we follow them, will help us lead a good and happy life.  So for our bowling activity, when we knock down a pin, it will represent that we have conquered that commandment.  Our goal is to conquer all Ten Commandments, to bowl a strike each day and reach our goal of celestial glory.

(Point to large bowling ball on board. The bowling ball was cut from a black trash bag and the circle categories were taped on)  

 If you look at a bowling ball, use your imagination, haha!, there are three holes on it.  The ten-commandments can be separated into three categories.  RESPECT AND WORSHIP GOD, HONOR PARENTS, RESPECT OTHERS (each category is written inside one of the three holes on the bowling ball) 

We will invite one of you to come up and roll this bowling ball down the lane to the ten pins. Your goal is conquer all the commandments (to knock over all the pins). 

After you’ve bowled, we will choose one of the commandments that you have conquered (select one pin you have knocked down) and learn about it.  There is an object and information inside each pin to help us learn more.  Some pins also have a song that we will sing and decide which one of the three categories it should fit in.  We will continue until we have conquered all Ten Commandments. (Bowling pins were made from empty water bottles that have been cut in half.

Remove water bottle top half so that the objects can be inserted in the “pin”, replace top. Source for craft http://www.creativedish.com/2011/08/lets-bowl-make-a-bowling-pin-set-from-recycled-plastic-water-bottles/)

*if time is running short, open a couple of conquered pins on the same roll.  Note: For each pin conquered and commandment is learned, remove the pin from the lane.

Commandment pins-
(picture do not show the included slips of paper that have the below information on them

1.    “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). “We should do “all things with an eye single to the glory of God” (D&C 82:19). We should love and serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength (see Deuteronomy 6:5; D&C 59:5)”

     OBJECT- Gold medal representing that we should not place worldly achievements above God, but that He should be number 1 above all!!

2.      “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” (Exodus 20:4). “In this commandment, the Lord condemns the worship of idols. Idolatry may take many forms. Some people do not bow before… statues today, but instead replace the living God with other idols, such as money, material possessions, or [fame].” 

OBJECT- bag filled with coins with $ sign

3.      “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Exodus 20:7).  We should keep our mouth clean by using Heavenly Father’s name reverently just as toothpaste keeps our mouths clean.

OBJECT- Small toothpaste

4.      “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

OBJECT- Small calendar or old sacrament program

SONG - “REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY” (CS, 155).  Match with category on bowling ball- Respect and Worship God

5.      “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). … “we should be grateful to the father and mother who provided our earthly bodies; we should honor those who raised us in the knowledge of the truth. Above all, we should honor our Heavenly Parents. The way we honor all these fathers and mothers is by keeping the commandments.”

OBJECT- Picture of a mom and dad- picture of mom and dad with child came from February 2008 Ensign http://www.lds.org/churchmagazines/EN_2008_02_00___02202_000_000.pdf

SONG-“QUICKLY I’LL OBEY” (CS, 197).  Sing just the 1^st verse for the sake of time.  Match with category on bowling ball- Honor Parents

6.      “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13).

OBJECT- Plastic/pretend knife

7.      “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14) Husbands and wives are supposed to stay true to each other forever and love each other always.

OBJECT- Broken heart made out of red felt or construction paper

8.      “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15). Take things that do not belong to us is an example of stealing, like candy from a store.

OBJECT- Hand made out of construction paper with candy taped on it

9.      “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). “Be honest and tell the truth with others.”

OBJECT- Floss with “lie”, “LIE”, “LIE” attached to it. representing one white little lie can grow into bigger lies

10.  “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17). You should be happy for other people’s blessings and not be mad that you don’t have the same things.

OBJECT- Bracelet or jewelry

SONG - “KINDNESS BEGINS WITH ME”, (CS, 145).  Match with category on bowling ball - Respect Others

***Source for ten commandments/AND all additional quotes taken from http://www.lds.org/topics/ten-commandments?lang=eng)

CONCLUSION

I hope as we journey through life, we will bowl a strike daily and conquer all Ten Commandments. We will receive blessings from keeping the commandments and can have a good life.  In the name of Jesus Christ,  Amen.