LESSON 22- READ AND RESPOND
THEME: Gambling and Addictions
VOCABULARY: gamble, casinos, slots, addicted, stress
STORY: There was a boy. His name was William. He comes from a big family. He has a wife and two kids. William grew up in a family where his father loved to gamble. Since his father loved to gamble, sometimes the family did not have all the money they needed. His father would gamble away the rent and other things that the family needed the money for. William never went without food, but he saw the stress gambling put on his mother and his father. William’s father knew that gambling was bad and always regretted it after he lost all their money. However, he loved gambling and was addicted to it. He had so much fun going to the casinos and playing the slots. But every time he came home he would be upset. It was a bad cycle. When William was younger he always told himself that he would never fall into gambling like his father did. William wanted to be the person to break the cycle and the chains that held his family down for so long. (William focused a lot on prayer as a younger man and constantly prayed for his father and for himself so that he would be a better father and husband than his dad was. He knew that gambling had been a problem in his family for generations and many men in his family had struggled with it. As William grew up he continued to focus on being different from his family. He trusted in the Lord and continued to believe the Lord would protect him and help him break the chains that had held his family down for so long.
STORY WITH QUESTIONS: There was a boy. (Is there a boy or girl?) His name was William. (What is his name?) He comes from a big family. (Is he from a big or small family?) He has a wife and two kids. (How many kids does he have?) William grew up in a family where his father loved to gamble. (What kind of family did William grow up in?) Since his father loved to gamble, sometimes the family did not have all the money they needed. (What would happen because his father liked to gamble?) His father would gamble away the rent and other things that the family needed the money for. (What did his father gamble away?) William never went without food, but he saw the stress gambling put on his mother and his father. (How did this affect his family?) William’s father knew that gambling was bad and always regretted it after he lost all their money. However, he loved gambling and was addicted to it. (How did William’s father feel about gambling?) He had so much fun going to the casinos and playing the slots. (Where did he gamble? What did he like to play?) But every time he came home he would be upset. (How did he feel when he would come home?) It was a bad cycle. When William was younger he always told himself that he would never fall into gambling like his father did. (What did William decide when he was younger?) William wanted to be the person to break the cycle and the chains that held his family down for so long. (What did William want to do?) William focused a lot on prayer as a younger man and constantly prayed for his father and for himself so that he would be a better father and husband than his dad was. (What did he focus on?) He knew that gambling had been a problem in his family for generations and many men in his family had struggled with it. (Had gambling been a problem for a long time?) As William grew up he continued to focus on being different from his family. He trusted in the Lord and continued to believe the Lord would protect him and help him break the chains that had held his family down for so long. (Who did he trust in? What did William believe the Lord would do?)
ACTIVITIES:
- Review the vocabulary words. Listen to the Vocabulary File for pronunciation. Look up the meaning of any words you don’t know.
- Listen to Audio 1 as you read through the story.
- Listen to Audio 2 – Story with Questions as you read through the story and answer the questions.
- Discuss the main points of the story:
- What holds us back in our families?
- How can we break the chains in our families?
- What are some things that hold you back?
- Listen to and discuss the song “Break Every Chain”
- Talk as a class about how Jesus can break the negative chains in our families and lives.
- End class with prayer.