TOPIC: THE BLAME GAME

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

OPENING PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me to take responsibility for my actions.

BIBLE PASSAGE: Genesis 3:9-13

[9]And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

[10]And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

[11]And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

[12]And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

[13]And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

MEMORY VERSE: And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. Genesis 3:13.

INTRODUCTION: The blame game signifies accusations exchanged among people who refuse to accept responsibility for some undesirable events or outcomes.

These people shift fault and liability to another person or thing while they paint themselves as flawless. We need to examine some negative effects of the blame game and learn to take responsibility for our actions instead of passing the buck.

TEACHER’S DIARY

LESSON AIM: To enlighten the students on the negative effects of engaging in the blame game.

TEACHING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
a. Know what the blame game means.
b. State some of the negative effects of the blame game.
c. Mention ways to take responsibility for their actions.

TEACHING PLAN: To achieve the above-stated objectives, the teacher should:
a. Allow the students to recite the memory verse, read the Bible passage, contribute to the discussion, do class activities and assignments.

b. Allow the Assistant Teacher to attend to the well-being of the class, mark attendance and assignments.

c. Teach the lesson outline, summarise, conclude, evaluate the lesson, and give an assignment.

TEXT REVIEW: Genesis 3:9-13.

A. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit contrary to God’s command, the following conversation ensued between Adam and God:

I The LORD God called unto Adam, and said, Where art thou? V9.
ii. Adam said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I……………………………….V10.
iii. The LORD God said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou……..?? V11.

B. Then the blame game between Adam and Eve:
I, Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest ……….V12.
ii. The LORD God said unto the woman, What is this ……………………………. V13a.
iii. Eve said, The serpent ……………………..V13b.

OUTLINES:
1. NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE BLAME GAME
2. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
1. NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE BLAME GAME

The following, amongst others, are some negative effects of the blame game:
i Chasing shadows: It makes us leave the main issue and continually look for excuses. For example, a slothful person will rather transfer blame to his boss, colleagues, government, etc., instead of dealing with laziness (Proverbs 20:4).

ii. Stagnation: It keeps us in one spot for a long time. This is counterproductive to human progress.

Some people fold their arms to do nothing about their predicament because they blame and believe others are responsible for their conditions (Proverbs 22:13; Ecclesiastes 11:4).

iii. ‘Never wrong’ syndrome: We get quick at clearing ourselves of any wrong while we see every other person as being at fault (1 John 1:8; Genesis 3:12).

IV. Depression: It births unhappiness and despair, which can degenerate into depression, ill health, hopelessness, etc.

v. Mental blindness: Like a veil, it prevents one from seeing clearly, as the supposed wrong of others is only seen (Matthew 7:3).

vi. Hatred: It produces deep-rooted hatred as the blame gamer condemns or speaks derogatorily about the person being blamed. Hatred is a terrible sin (1 John 3:15).

vii. Pride and Ignorance combined: Pride sets in when we overrate ourselves. It combines with ignorance because we refuse to be sincere with ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

viii. Ingratitude: Blame gamers are unappreciative as they believe their benefactor can do more (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

ix. Bitterness: Blame gamers become offended and allow bitterness to take an evil root in them (Ephesians 4:31; Hebrews 12:15).

x. Destruction of relationships: It tears relationships through suspicion and a lack of trust (1 Samuel 18:8-9).

CLASS ACTIVITY 1: The class should discuss how to correct a blame gamer with love.

2. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
1. Taking responsibility for one’s actions or inactions may not be easy, but it is worth it in the long run. Hence, we must learn to sincerely acknowledge our wrongs when we are at fault (Psalm 51:4a; 1 Kings 21:29).

2. We must show a high level of personal accountability for our actions/inactions even in the face of failure (2 Samuel 12:13).

3. Let us ask God to create the right spirit in us so we are swift to acknowledge that there is a problem when a mistake is made or conflict arises (Psalm 51:10; 2 Samuel 24:17).

4. Identify your role in a blunder and plan on how to avoid a future occurrence (James 1:13-14).

CLASS ACTIVITY 2: Students should share their experiences on what happened when they sincerely own up to a fault.

CONCLUSION: Stop trading blames, take responsibility for your actions/inactions, and be accountable.

QUESTIONS
* Mention three negative effects of the blame game.
* How can believers take responsibility for their actions?

EVALUATION: Mention three negative effects of the blame game

CLOSING PRAYER: Father, I receive the grace not to walk in error in Jesus’ name

ASSIGNMENT: Mention five people in the Bible who traded blame and support it with a scriptural reference (2×5=10 marks).