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This summer our chidren's/elementary age Sunday school has focused upon the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5). Have you ever taught children the 7th Commandment: Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery?  Not a hot topic for adult or children's Christian education! Earlier today when asked for ideas, I patched together the below material from a variety of sources (not to mention some thoughts of my own).  Would anyone else have suggestions of ideas/material/exercises/illustrations to add?  Note:  Maybe another post should focus just on the significant value of teaching this commandment -- anyone have a comment? 

Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery

An important feature would be to emphasize that our first love is God, i.e., do NOT love another above God.  Our second love is to neighbor/other, i.e., to be lived out in intended/proper relationships with family, friends, self, institutions, etc.  In Matthew 5:27-30 Jesus' emphasizes that to even look at another improperly, i.e., for your own advantage, is to lust/sin/commit adultery.  When do you take advantage of another at school or in family? 

So we love God first (Matthew 22:35:40), finding our primary satisfaction/joy/completeness in Him and NOT computer games, our best friend, and what we may learn from TV shows.  Second, we are to treat and look at other boys and girls in a proper manner.  Unlike what we see on TV, at school, in our neighborhood, etc, we keep our bodies pure so that we might truly love/bless the one to whom God might call us to raise kids just like you (I Peter 3:1-7).  We are to respect bodies, which is a temple of God in which we reproduce the likeness of Christ Jesus as we were intended at creation (Genesis 1:27, I Cor. 3:16, I Cor. 6:19, 20, Rom 12:1), and relationships (a follower of Christ with others and the Body of Christ/people of God). 

Expanding the main theme even further, seeing the world/others with a pure heart is a gift of God, enables us to see the world properly, and gives us a glimpse of God ... Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8).  When we are tempted to long for things other than God and the ways of God flee (E.g. Biblical story Joseph and Potiphar's wife, Genesis 39 would be helpful.  E.g. David & Bathsheba in II Samuel 11-12 also comes to mind.  This has been told by VeggieTales as King George and the Ducky).  When we and others fall, as we and others in this room will, remember Jesus brings forgiveness (John 8:3-11).  This is not an excuse to sin, but a statement that if one acts/sees improperly, God and the people of God bring forgiveness/not anger.

Another angle would be to have parents give testimony to their promise to love one-another by God's way of life.  E.g., Have you ever been to a wedding, did you know Mommy and Daddy are to love another as God loves his people, that they become some close that they are One Person and are to give their whole life to one-another (Eph 5:22-33, I Co. 7:3,4)?  When Moms and Dads choose their own loves, over God, spouse, children, this breaks families and all feel the pain.  Similar, each one of us is to love God first and live lives which bless, i.e., properly relate to mom/dad, siblings, neighbors, classmates, etc.  This is only accomplished through prayer, Scripture, accountability in the Body of Christ, and grace of God.  Such a direction could use terms such as loyalty or keeping promises.  Ask kids about how they keep promises, remain steadfast in family/friendship when tempted to betray another as the relationship game occurs around them at school, in the community, the family, or even the local congregation.

An example of impurity could be adding dirt to a cup of water and asking why we would want to drink 'pure'/clean water.  As such we desire to be pure before God in our relationships.  Adding dirt, violates/darkens/dirties our relationship.  Too much dirt may end our walk with God, family, others ... filter the dirt out through forgiveness/God's Word. 

Other tasks to attend to, but I'd love to have feedback and additional ideas for material to assist in the creation of material for teaching elementary school aged children (not adults). 

Be embraced by God, embrace God, and properly embrace others ;-)