GRADES 1 3 & 4 6 SPRING 2015 LEADER GUIDE RONNIE FLOYD GENERAL EDITOR LIKE NO OTHER: THE LIFE OF CHRIST BEING A FRIEND. Kids

Transcription

1 GRADES 1 3 & 4 6 SPRING 2015 LEADER GUIDE RONNIE FLOYD GENERAL EDITOR LIKE NO OTHER: THE LIFE OF CHRIST BEING A FRIEND Kids

2 A note from Jeff Land, Publishing Team Leader Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; There s just something about that name! I have so many memories from my childhood church back home in Mississippi. Many of the memories that I cherish include hearing the voices of my grandparents, parents, cousins, and uncles singing hymns. We often sang the hymn There s Something About That Name. It s a powerful song that speaks to the majesty and glory of our Savior. During our first unit this quarter, you will have the opportunity to teach kids about the life of Christ. Encourage them to understand the glory of our Savior. During the second unit, kids will learn what it means to be a friend. I m so thankful for the friends that God has given me, and I need to treat them right. God gave us good instructions for learning how to treat each other. During this unit you will have the opportunity to help kids know how they can love, encourage, forgive, serve, and accept their friends. This is a 14-week quarter, so if you are just joining the Bible Studies For Life family, we encourage you to use the Noah session on March 1. If you were with us in the Winter quarter, the March 1 session was printed there. Need additional lessons or ideas? Download 3 free lessons here: Use Promo Code: BSFLSPRING 2

3 CONTENTS BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 & 4 6 UNIT 1. LIKE NO OTHER: THE LIFE OF CHRIST Suggested for the week of March 8 SESSION 1: Name Him Jesus... 4 March 15 SESSION 2: A Fierce Storm March 22 SESSION 3: The Triumphal Entry March 29 SESSION 4: Jesus Last Days April 5 SESSION 5: Jesus Is Alive! April 12 SESSION 6: The Ascension UNIT 2. BEING A FRIEND April 19 SESSION 1: The Good Samaritan April 26 SESSION 2: Esther May 3 SESSION 3: Jacob and Esau May 10 SESSION 4: The Antioch Church May 17 SESSION 5: Jesus Example May 24 SESSION 6: Ten Lepers SPECIAL FOCUS May 31 March 1* SESSION 1: Creation SESSION 2: Noah * Note: Please use this session first if you are just joining Bible Studies For Life: Kids this quarter. If you used the Winter edition of Bible Studies For Life: Kids, the March 1 session is in the Winter curriculum. Bonus teaching helps are available at biblestudiesforlife.com/extra. Eric Geiger Vice President, Church Resources Ronnie Floyd General Editor David Francis Managing Editor Jeff Land Publishing Team Leader Jana Magruder Director, Kids Ministry Publishing Jeffrey Reed Director, Kids Ministry Send questions/comments to Publishing Team Leader Bible Studies for Life: Grades 1 3 & 4 6 One LifeWay Plaza, MSN 172 Nashville, TN Make comments on the Web at www. lifeway. com. Printed in the United States of America. Spring 2015 Volume 2, Number 3 Bible Studies for Life Grades 1 3 & 4 6 Leader Guide (ISSN X; Item ) is published quarterly by LifeWay, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President LifeWay. For ordering or inquiries, visit or write LifeWay Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, MSN 113, Nashville, TN For subscriptions or subscription address changes, subscribe@lifeway.com, fax , or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax , or write to the above address. Bible Studies for Life Grades 1 3 & 4 6 Leader Guide is designed to provide Bible study for older children which is foundational to their spiritual awareness and growth and which is developmentally appropriate. Bible Studies for Life Grades 1 3 & 4 6 Leader Guide provides Bible study and teaching suggestions for workers who teach first through sixth graders. The Bible stories printed in this magazine are based on Scripture and are written in words children can understand. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit Scripture quotations marked HCSB are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Levels of Biblical Learning is a registered trademark of LifeWay. Made in the USA. COVER IMAGE COPYRIGHT: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM AND istock.com. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 & 4 6 3

4 UNIT 1 LIKE NO OTHER: THE LIFE OF CHRIST LIFE POINT Thank God for sending His Son, Jesus. Name Him Jesus LEADER BIBLE STUDY BIBLE PASSAGE Matthew 1:18-24; Luke 1:26-56; Luke 2:1-20 LIFE VERSE Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:16 (KJV) Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God! Matthew 16:16 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Matthew 1:21 Print a One Conversation Placemat for each child ( com/extra). What s in a name? Good question. Have you ever thought about how people name their children? Many parents name their babies for members of their families. Maybe you know guys who are juniors. Sometimes fellows are nicknamed Trey often meaning they are the third in line with their given name. In any case, naming a child is an important step, as it will stay with them the rest of their lives. Names may also have meanings that are not apparent in English. For instance, the name Stephen means Crown or Reward in Hebrew. When the angel announced to Mary and Joseph that she would miraculously give birth to a son, he instructed them to call him Jesus. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua. It literally means God is Salvation. birth. They ran to see Him and rejoiced knowing that God had sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Do you know the literal meaning of your name? If not, look it up in a name book or on the Internet. You may be surprised. What are full implications of Jesus name in light of His life, death, and resurrection? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: God sent Jesus to earth because He loves us. Grades 4 6: Jesus came to earth in human form. Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. Certainly that was the ideal name for the Messiah whose purpose was to save mankind from their sins. Mary and Joseph willingly did as they were commanded, and when the child was born, they named Him Jesus. The angels then informed the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem, which means House of Bread, of the Savior s Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: THINKSTOCK.COM 4 SeSSion 1 DATE OF USE

5 BIBLE STORY NAME HIM JESUS God sent the angel Gabriel to talk to a young woman named Mary. Mary, the angel said, God is pleased with you. But, Mary was afraid. Do not be afraid, Gabriel said. God has chosen you to be the mother of His Son. His name will be Jesus. Then the angel told Mary that her cousin, Elisabeth, also would have a baby, even though she was very old. The angel said, Nothing is impossible with God. Mary said, I will do what God wants me to do. Mary went to visit Elisabeth. When Elisabeth heard Mary s voice, the baby inside of Elisabeth jumped. Elisabeth realized that Mary s baby would be the Savior of the world. Both Mary and Elisabeth sang songs of praise to God. Mary had promised to be married to a man named Joseph. He was concerned about Mary and the baby since he was not yet married to her. One night God sent an angel in a dream. The angel said, Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is going to have a baby. The baby is God s Son. You will name Him Jesus. He will save people from their sins. When Joseph awoke, he did what God said. Joseph and Mary were married. Review Questions Who was the angel who talked to Mary? (Gabriel) What did Gabriel tell Mary? (God has chosen you to be the mother of His Son.) What did the angel tell Mary to name the baby? (Jesus) Who did Mary go and visit? (her cousin, Elisabeth) What happened when Elisabeth heard Mary s voice? (Elisabeth s baby jumped inside of her.) What did the angel tell Joseph in a dream? (Take Mary as your wife. She is going to have a baby, who is God s Son. Name Him Jesus.) What did the angel tell Joseph that Jesus would do? (Jesus will save people from their sins.) The leader of the country, Caesar Augustus, decided to take a census. Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted. Because so many people had come to Bethlehem for the census, the inn was full. Joseph found a stable where they could spend the night. While Mary and Joseph were there, Baby Jesus was born. Mary wrapped the baby boy in soft cloths. She laid Him on hay in a manger. BASED ON MATTHEW 1:18-24; LUKE 1:26-56; LUKE 2:1-20 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 & 4 6 5

6 Grades 1-3 Pack Item 5: Matthew and Luke Verses Option: Name Him Jesus coloring page (CD) PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Form two groups. Give the first group a Matthew 1:21 card and lead the group to open the Bible to the reference. Explain that this verse is what the angel told Mary. Give the second group a Luke 1:31 card and guide the group to open the Bible to the reference. Explain that this verse is what the angel told Joseph. Guide kids to match and place the verse words on top of the verse. Help groups compare the Matthew and Luke verses to see which words from the two verses are the same. Explain that God told both Mary and Joseph what the baby s name would be. CD packing box DVD Click on the missions tab on the DVD menu to find the video Let the Children Come. International Missions: Mozambique (CD) Print and photocopy Eyes Open (1 per child). INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Direct kids to form a circle and pass the box from person to person as you play Love You More (track 3). Pause the song. Give a marker to the child holding the box and ask him to print a G on the blank side of the box. Start the song again. At your next pause, ask the holder of the box to print an O anywhere on the same side of the box. Continue until kids write the letters for the words GOD SAVES. Encourage kids to work together to unscramble the two words. Lead kids to guess whose name means God saves. (Jesus) Comment that God sent Jesus to save people from their sins. Show the Name Him Jesus: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Distribute copies of Eyes Open and markers or stickers. Show the missions video Let the Children Come. Lead kids to mark or cover each item when they locate it in the missions video. Call for volunteers to tell where they saw each item in the video. Invite a volunteer to pray that kids in Mozambique will feel welcomed and loved at church. 6 SeSSion 1

7 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Print two New Testament book names in order on each card (Matthew-Mark, Luke-John, and so on.) Tape cards to a wall in any order at heights ranging from 6 to 18 inches from the floor. Place a tape mark on the floor about three feet from the wall. Kids will stand behind the tape and gently bounce the balls on the floor until the bounced ball touches the Matthew-Mark card. Explain that the skill needed is accurate aim, not strength. When a player successfully touches the Matthew-Mark card, he may begin aiming for the Luke-John card, and so on. To reinforce learning New Testament book names, lead kids to say the names on the cards they aim for each time they bounce a ball. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Grades 4-6 markers or stickers index cards small super-bounce balls masking tape Tip: You also can use this game to teach Bible verses. Print on the cards verse words or phrases. Option: Name Him Jesus coloring page (CD) Play this game using fictitious names: My name is Sue, but you can call me Vern. The person to your right must begin a similar sentence that begins with the last letter of the last name mentioned: My name is Norman, but you can call me Harold. Keep the pace quick and silly. When someone cannot think of a name to begin a new sentence, he should shout: No name! and players should quickly move to a new chair. Comment that Jesus earthly parents were given the proper name to call Him because His name described why God sent Him to earth. Show Name Him Jesus: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Distribute copies of Eyes Open and markers or stickers. Show the missions video Let the Children Come. Lead kids to mark or cover each item when they locate it in the missions video. Call for volunteers to tell where they saw each item in the video. Invite a volunteer to pray that kids in Mozambique will feel welcomed and loved at church. DVD Click on the missions tab on the DVD menu to find the video Let the Children Come. International Missions: Mozambique (CD) Print and photocopy Eyes Open (1 per child). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 & 4 6 7

8 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes markers or stickers Pack Items 1, 2: Like No Other Banner, Matthew 16:16 Life Verse Note: Display the Unit 1 banner carefully. The banner for Unit 2 is on the reverse side. Teaching Picture 1 Kids Activity Pages CD 2015 calendar showing holidays clothespins (1 per child) Weekly Bible Verse Matthew 1:21 1. BIBLE STORY Form two groups (boys and girls). Explain that the girls will represent Mary and Elisabeth and the boys will represent Joseph. Open your Bible to Luke 1 and tell the Bible story. Stand next to the girls as you tell about Mary. Invite the girls to pretend to be Mary and make facial expressions to appear afraid. Stand next to the boys as you tell about Joseph s dream. Invite the boys to pretend to sleep as you talk about Joseph s dream. Display the Teaching Picture. Ask: What were Mary and Joseph supposed to name the baby? (Jesus) Explain that the name Jesus means God saves. Ask: What did the angel tell Joseph that Jesus would do? (Jesus will save people from their sins.) 2. LIFE VERSE Display Matthew 16:16 Life Verse. Explain the words to the verse: Thou (or You in HCSB) refers to Jesus. Christ (or Messiah in HCSB) is the One whom God promised to send to save the people from their sins. Divide the verse into two parts. Invite the girls to say the first part when you point to them. Guide boys to say the second part when you point to them. Lead both groups to say: Matthew 16:16. Say the verse several times, getting faster each time. Sing Like No Other (track 1). Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Matthew 1: LIFE ACTION Discuss how we can thank God for sending Jesus at any time of the year (not just at Christmas). Distribute Kids Activity Pages as you guide kids to complete Celebrate Jesus! Invite kids to pray silently with you, thanking God for sending Jesus. Show the Name Him Jesus: Life Action video. 4. REVIEW Guide kids to stand in a circle. Distribute a clothespin to each child. Ask one child to clip the end of her clothespin to the handle of the next child s clothespin. Continue until the clothespins fall. Ask a review question to the child who added the last clothespin. Gather the clothespins and begin again with the child who answered the question. Repeat until each child clips on a clothespin. 8 SeSSion 1

9 LIFE POINT Thank God for sending His Son, Jesus. Grades BIBLE STORY Comment that it was clear from the moment Mary and Joseph knew Jesus was coming that He would be an extraordinary baby. Open your Bible to Luke 1 and display the Teaching Picture. Tell the Bible story in your own words. Emphasize how Mary sang songs of praise to God and how Joseph was obedient and followed God s plan. Explain that the name Jesus means God saves and that Jesus came to earth to save people from their sins. Scatter the Gave Thanks/Give Thanks cards. Challenge kids to choose and arrange cards that accurately represent the Bible story in as many ways as possible. 2. LIFE ACTION Lead kids to pose this interview question to at least two other people in the room: Why are you thankful Jesus came? After a few minutes of interaction, lead each interviewer to share the opinions of his interviewees. Show Name Him Jesus: Life Action video. Allow kids a few moments to express silent thank-you prayers to God. Sing Like No Other (track 1). 3. LIFE VERSE Display Matthew 16:16 Life Verse. Lead kids to read it aloud with you. Guide kids to stand around a table. Give the ball to a child who will bounce the ball while saying the first word of the Life Verse. The child to his right will catch the ball before it hits the table a second time. The next player will say the first two words of the Life Verse, bouncing/ catching the ball on the first word, and bouncing the ball to the next person on the second word. Continue play around the circle. If someone drops the ball or it bounces off the table, the next person starts from the beginning. Challenge kids to say the entire verse without missing a bounce or catch. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Matthew 1: REVIEW Hide the super bounce ball in your hand and extend closed fists to a volunteer, who will guess which hand is holding the ball. If he is correct, he may ask a review question to the person on his right. If he is incorrect, the person on his right will ask him a review question. Continue until everyone asks or answers a question. Notes Pack Items 1, 2, 17: Like No Other Banner, Matthew 16:16 Life Verse, Gave Thanks/ Give Thanks Note: Display the Unit 1 banner carefully. The banner for Unit 2 is on the reverse side. CD super-bounce ball from Practice Bible Skills Weekly Bible Verse Matthew 1:21 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 & 4 6 9

10 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 Pack Item 6: Puppet Pal Pieces DVD large craft sticks (4 per child) small pieces of colored paper (1 per child) Choice 2 DVD paper plates hand sanitizer small sticky note pads (1 per child) pretzel sticks ziplock bag Place a handful of pretzels in each bag (1 per child). CHOICE 1: PUPPET PALS Guide each child to make a Puppet Pal using the following steps: * Tape the four craft sticks together as shown on the pack item. * Guide kids to make a puppet of themselves by adding facial features, coloring the Puppet Pal Pieces, and cutting them out. * Assist kids with attaching the pieces to the craft sticks with glue. Direct kids to sit in a circle with their puppets. Give each child a colored piece of paper and talk about possible locations that are similar to the color of the papers they are holding. Offer suggestions such as a grassy park for green, a swimming pool for blue, a brick house for red, a school for brown, and so forth. On Go, instruct kids to pass the papers, one at a time, to their neighbor while using their puppets to say this sentence (one word for each paper pass): Thank You, God, for sending Your Son, Jesus. On Stop, encourage a few kids to share a location (according to the color of their papers) and what they could thank God for at that location. Share how we can thank God for sending His Son, Jesus, no matter where we are. CHOICE 2: PRETZEL NAMES Lead kids to use the hand sanitizer. Give each child a plate, a bag of pretzel sticks, sticky note pad, and marker. Guide kids to use the pretzel sticks to make uppercase letters and then write those letters on sticky notes. Gather all the kids sticky note letters. Find and display the following letters in a jumbled order: * S, J, U, S, E (Jesus) * E, A, I, B, R, L, G (Gabriel) * P, O, S, H, J, E (Joseph) * Y, M, R, A (Mary) * O, G, D, and E, S, V, A, S (God saves) Allow kids to eat the pretzels as you review the Bible story. Guide kids to put the sticky note words in order. Encourage kids to remember to thank God for sending His Son, Jesus, to save people from their sins. WRAP UP Show Name Him Jesus: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 10 S E S S ION 1

11 LIFE POINT Thank God for sending His Son, Jesus. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: CHRIST FOCUS COLLAGES Distribute Bible translations and help kids locate Luke 1: Explain that these verses are Mary s expression of praise to God for sending Jesus. Invite a volunteer to read aloud one or two verses. Call for other kids to highlight phrases that are worded differently in other Bible translations. Continue the comparison process for the entire passage. Comment that no matter how the verses are worded, the truth is the same God did a great thing when He sent Jesus! Distribute scrapbook paper and magazines. Lead kids to cut out magazine letters to spell out names, words, or phrases from the Bible passage and glue them to the scrapbook paper. Note: If magazines are not readily available, guide kids to write the words on colored pieces of scrap paper, cut them out, and glue them to their collages on the scrapbook paper. Encourage kids to use the collages to prompt thank-you prayers of praise to God for sending Jesus. CHOICE 2: I HAVE A CODE! Comment that there are many ways to thank God for sending Jesus praising Him with music, serving others, and giving offerings are examples. Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Guide each child to choose one of the Bible verses in Got Your Numbers to read aloud. Lead the group to identify the method of giving thanks each verse describes. Guide the kids to look at the blank graph and write a number code for the first letter of each method. Then instruct kids to draw the letter on the graph using the coded numbers. Distribute graph paper for coding other ways to thank God for Jesus. Challenge each child to choose a way he plans to show thanks this week and encode its description. Urge kids to go public with their coded secrets this week and carry out the expression of thanks they chose. WRAP UP Show Name Him Jesus: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 several Bible translations 12-by-12-inch scrapbook paper assorted magazines Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages graph paper BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

12 LIFE POINT Jesus performed miracles and humans cannot. A Fierce Storm BIBLE PASSAGE Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25 LIFE VERSE Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:16 (KJV) Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God! Matthew 16:16 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Mark 4:41b Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. LEADER BIBLE STUDY Red sky at night, sailor s delight! Red sky at morning, sailors take warning! That is an old adage supposedly coined by ancient mariners to predict the weather on their voyages. It is so old that even Jesus was familiar with it (see Matthew 16:2-3). Certainly sailors on ships and boats must be concerned about weather conditions. In ancient times there were no weather bureaus or media meteorologists to inform them what to expect. We are fortunate in modern times to have scientific methods utilizing radar and satellites to forecast conditions days or even weeks in advance. Jesus once told His men to set sail across the Sea of Galilee. While they were on their way, a fierce windstorm arose that threatened to sink the boat. Jesus disciples were experienced sailors, so the storm must have been extraordinarily severe. Jesus was sound asleep, so the anxious disciples woke Him to tell Him about their plight. Jesus then demonstrated His divine power. The storm ceased immediately at His command. He gently admonished the men for their lack of faith. Needless to say they were astounded. They talked among themselves asking each other about the man who commands the wind and the sea. Do you think Jesus suspected a storm was going to arise? If so, why did He order them to sail? Is the amazed men s question still relevant today? Why? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: Jesus performed miracles, healed the sick, and restored life. Grades 4 6: Jesus performed miracles because He is God s Son. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 12 SeSSion 2 DATE OF USE

13 BIBLE STORY A FIERCE STORM One day Jesus and His disciples sat in a boat by the sea. Jesus had been teaching His disciples and the crowds who gathered there. When night came, He told the disciples to cross to the other side of the sea. Jesus lay down in the back of the boat and fell asleep. Suddenly, a windstorm came up and caused huge waves to crash over the boat. The boat was filling with water, and the disciples feared they would sink. Meanwhile, Jesus slept. The disciples went to Jesus and woke Him. They asked, Don t You care that we are going to die? Jesus stood up in the boat and spoke to the wind and the sea, Peace! Be still! Immediately, the storm stopped, and all was peaceful and calm. Jesus asked the disciples, Why are you fearful? Where is your faith? The disciples were still scared. They asked each other, What kind of person is this? He can make even the sea and the wind obey Him! Review Questions When night came, what did Jesus tell the disciples to do? (cross to the other side of the sea) What did Jesus do when He was in the boat? (Jesus fell asleep.) What did the disciples ask Jesus when they woke Him up? (Don t you care that we are going to die?) What did Jesus say to the wind and the sea? (Peace! Be still!) What did Jesus say to the disciples? (Why are you fearful? Where is your faith?) Why were the disciples amazed? (that even the wind and sea obeyed Jesus) BASED ON MARK 4:35-41; LUKE 8:22-25 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

14 Grades 1-3 Option: A Fierce Storm coloring page (CD) PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Invite the children to find a seat around the table or boat. Explain that the Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament. Say: We can find Jesus miracles in the Gospels. Call out the name of one of the Gospels. Guide each child to find the book in his Bible. Once everyone finds the book, shout: Sinking ship! The children must then scramble quickly to another seat in a different part of the boat. Continue the activity until the children are familiar with all four books. Lead boys and girls to find the following Scripture passages: Matthew 16:16; Mark 4:37; Luke 8:24; and John 3:16. Print each word on a 2-inch circle: Jesus, performed, miracles, and, humans, cannot. Create 2 sets. Option: Circles (CD) 12 plastic cups Tape each circle in the bottom of a cup. International Missions: Mozambique (CD) Print and photocopy Map to Mozambique (1 per child). INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Scatter the cups upside down on the table. Invite kids to slide a cup to the edge of the table so that part of it hangs over the edge. Guide them to try and flip the cup over so it lands right side up by hitting the edge hanging over the table. Once kids flip over all the cups, lead kids to match the cups and place them in order. Tell kids that today s Bible story is about a miracle that Jesus performed. He did something none of us could do. Show A Fierce Storm: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Distribute copies of Map to Mozambique and markers. Help kids draw a line from where they live to the country of Mozambique. Remind kids that even though missionary Sally Hamrick did not know where Mozambique was, she was willing to travel there to tell kids about Jesus. Encourage kids to display the maps at home as reminders to pray for Sally and the kids she teaches. 14 SeSSion 2

15 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Lead kids to draw four-by-four grids on construction paper. Inside each grid square kids should print the name of any New Testament book. The books can be in any order, and each book name should be different. Put a pile of beans or buttons on the table. Identify a New Testament book, either by content or by the books that precede and follow it. (Do not mention the book name.) Challenge kids to put a bean on the book name if it appears on their grids. The first player to mark four books horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins the game. Direct kids to swap grids and play additional rounds if time permits. Grades 4-6 construction paper dried beans or buttons Option: A Fierce Storm coloring page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Attach a sticky note to each person s back. Choose a volunteer to arrange her friends in order from the least terrifying to most terrifying weather condition. Allow other volunteers to rearrange the line-up based on their own opinions about threatening weather. Tell kids that severe weather made it possible for Jesus disciples to witness a miracle! Show A Fierce Storm: Introduction video. sticky notes On separate notes write tornado, ice, thunder, lightning, blizzard, hail, flood. If you have more than 8 kids, repeat the words on additional notes. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Distribute copies of Map to Mozambique and markers. Help kids draw a line from where they live to the country of Mozambique. Remind kids that even though missionary Sally Hamrick did not know where Mozambique was, she was willing to travel there to tell kids about Jesus. Encourage kids to display the maps at home as reminders to pray for Sally and the kids she teaches. International Missions: Mozambique (CD) Print and photocopy Map to Mozambique (1 per child). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

16 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 1, 2: Like No Other Banner, Matthew 16:16 Life Verse Teaching Picture 2 CD On separate cards write: Get in the boat and start rowing. Rock back and forth in the boat. Pretend to be frightened. Pretend to be sleeping. Pretend to wake someone. Hold out your hand and pretend to say: Peace. Be still. Option: Boat Full of Action (CD) index cards (8-9 per child) See Pack Item 20: Gospel Presentation Poster for helps in talking to kids about God s plan of salvation. Weekly Bible Verse Mark 4:41b 1. BIBLE STORY Invite kids to define miracle. Say: A miracle is an unusual event that only God or Jesus can do. Today s Bible story is about a miracle Jesus performed to help the disciples. Sing More Than Just a Good Man (track 2). Display the Teaching Picture. Invite kids to describe what they see. Guide kids to create storm sounds: wind blow air or whistle rain snap fingers quickly thunder stomp feet and pat knees crashing waves clap hands Open your Bible to Mark 4:35 and tell the Bible story in your own words. As you tell about the storm, invite kids to mimic the storm sounds. 2. LIFE VERSE Give each child a pencil and eight to nine index cards (one card for every two words of the verse and a card for the reference). Lead each child to make a set of Life Verse cards by printing two consecutive words of Matthew 16:16 on each card and the reference on one card. Lead kids to place the cards in order. Guide kids to say aloud the verse. When you say: Lightning strike! tell kids to remove one card from the set. Lead kids to mix the cards and then place the verse in order without the missing card. Guide kids to say the verse. Repeat the process until the children remove all of the cards. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Mark 4:41b. 3. LIFE ACTION Lead kids to think of other miracles Jesus did in the Bible. (walked on water; fed the 5,000; healed lepers; healed the blind; and so on) Explain that Jesus performed miracles because He was God s Son. He has power over all of creation. Show A Fierce Storm: Life Action video. 4. REVIEW Invite two kids to select one of the Boat Full of Action statement cards and to silently pantomime the Bible story actions. Encourage the other children to identify the actions and who (Jesus, the disciples, or both) did them. Sing Love You More (track 3). Share that Jesus had power over creation because He created everything. 16 SeSSion 2

17 LIFE POINT Jesus performed miracles and humans cannot. Grades BIBLE STORY Provide poster board and shopping bags. Let kids experiment making rain and storm noises by waving the poster board, rustling the shopping bags, and using other objects in the room. A child can use the flashlight to simulate lightning. Open your Bible to Mark 4:35. Tell the story slowly and dramatically, allowing kids to add sound and lighting effects at appropriate times. (If you have a large enough cast, allow some kids to pantomime the parts of Jesus and the disciples.) Define a miracle as an unusual event that only God can do. Invite kids to identify the miracle in the story. Remind kids that Jesus performed miracles because He is God s Son. He has power over all of creation. Invite a volunteer to read aloud Colossians 1: REVIEW Display the Teaching Picture. Ask: Why were the disciples so afraid? What did Jesus prove to the disciples that day? (answer varies; that He is God s Son and can perform miracles; He has power over creation) Make true or false statements about the Bible story. Prompt kids to make rain sounds for true and thunder sounds for false. Invite volunteers to make true/false statements for kids to respond to. Allow everyone to participate. 3. LIFE VERSE Display Matthew 16:16 Life Verse. Guide kids to read it a few times. Lead kids to create a litany (a poem with a recurring line). Reader 1 will compose and say a sentence of praise (You are strong and mighty, Jesus!), and the rest of the group will respond with the final phrase of Matthew 16:16 (words that Simon Peter said to Jesus). Reader 2 will compose a new sentence (You are more powerful than any storm!), and the rest of the group will respond with the same phrase from Matthew 16:16. Allow all kids to compose a sentence, then close with a prayer of praise. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Mark 4:41b. 4. LIFE ACTION Sing More Than Just a Good Man (track 2). Lead kids to help you construct an acrostic of the word MIRACLE using words that fit this sentence: Miracles help us know that Jesus. Show A Fierce Storm: Life Action video. Notes Pack Items 1, 2: Like No Other Banner, Matthew 16:16 Life Verse Teaching Picture 2 CD heavyweight poster board Down the center of the poster in a vertical line write MIRACLE. plastic shopping bags flashlight Be sensitive to kids who have questions about God s plan of salvation. For help in talking to kids, check out Pack Item 20: Gospel Presentation Poster. Weekly Bible Verse Mark 4:41b BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

18 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 knife or ice pick (leader use only) 16 oz. plastic cup (1 per child) Poke a hole in the bottom of each cup. colored plastic tablecloth Cut six 1-by-24-inch strips for each child. tape yarn Cut 2-foot lengths (1 per child). permanent markers Choice 2 Pack Item 2: Matthew 16:16 Life Verse Kids Activity Page letter tiles Option: Don t have letter tiles? Create some by writing uppercase letters on 1-inch squares of heavyweight paper. CHOICE 1: WINDSOCK Guide each child to make a Windsock using the following steps: Take the yarn and poke both ends through the hole toward the inside of the cup. Tie the two ends in a knot. Pull the string out of the cup to make a handle. Around the outside of the cup use a permanent marker to write Peace! Be still! Tape six plastic strips to the inside of the cup. Remind kids how the windstorm caused huge waves to crash over the boat in today s Bible story. Invite kids to hold on to the handle and walk quickly around the room to see the plastic strips fly in the wind. Gather the kids together and explain that Jesus performed miracles that humans cannot because He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Talk about some of the things we can learn from the Bible story and Jesus miracle in the storm. (Jesus is in control of all things. We can trust Him when tough things happen.) Encourage kids to remember that Jesus has power over creation because He made everything. CHOICE 2: LETTER GRIDS Display Matthew 16:16 Life Verse. Distribute Kids Activity Pages as you direct their attention to Spell It. Guide kids to point to each letter as they spell out the Scripture reference, Matthew 16:16. Challenge kids to find other words from the letters on the grid. (Suggestions: waves, rain, thunder, still.) Guide girls and boys to discover missing letters for the following words from the Bible story: (Each letter may be used more than once.) MIRACLE (grid does not have a C) JESUS (grid does not have a J) BOAT (grid does not have a B) SLEEP (grid does not have a P) Challenge boys and girls to find Colossians 1:16-17 in their Bibles. Pull out letter tiles and find matching letters in the Life Verse and on the Letter Grid. Invite kids to say: Lightning strike! when they find a matching letter. WRAP UP Show A Fierce Storm: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 18 SeSSion 2

19 LIFE POINT Jesus performed miracles and humans cannot. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: SUPER-SIZED SELFIES Assign each person one of the Miracle-ogical Reports passages. After reading the stories, give kids the choice to answer the questions either orally or in writing. Show a selfie phone picture you have taken recently or invite volunteers to describe the last time they posed for a selfie with friends or family. Distribute poster board. Encourage kids to draw a frame that resembles a smartphone. Challenge kids to imagine they were present at the scene of the miracles they investigated and to draw a giant selfie, illustrating the miracle. Call attention to the definition of miracle on the Kids Activity Page. Suggest that in the margins of their artwork, kids write a hashtag, a phrase beginning with a number sign, no spaces, that describes what the miracle reveals about God. Examples include: #Jesuscaresaboutpeoplesneeds or #YoucantrustJesus. Tell kids that because Jesus did and still does miracles, they can be confident that He is in control of all things. CHOICE 2: MIRACLE-OGICAL REPORTS Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Guide everyone to choose and read one of the Miracle-ogical Reports passages and answer the related questions either orally or in writing. Tell kids they can convert the information they discovered into a live report, summarizing the questions they just answered. Provide scratch paper or index cards. Help kids compose brief summaries of each miracle. Ask one or more volunteers to prepare a simple studio backdrop on the poster board or marker board. Allow each reporter an off-air rehearsal before she shares the report with the group. If possible, videotape each miracle report, leaving enough time for playback of the reports. Remind kids that none of these events were staged or faked: Jesus accomplished things that no one but He and God can do! WRAP UP Show A Fierce Storm: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 Kids Activity Pages half-sheets of poster board (1 per child) Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages marker board or poster board scratch paper or index cards video recording device BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

20 LIFE POINT The people praised Jesus. I can too! The Triumphal Entry LEADER BIBLE STUDY BIBLE PASSAGE Luke 19:28-40; Mark 11:1-10 LIFE VERSE Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:16 (KJV) Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God! Matthew 16:16 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Luke 19:38 Do you feel comfortable sharing God s plan of salvation with kids? Pack Item 20: Gospel Presentation Poster can help. Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. Everyone loves a parade! People arrive early to get the perfect spot for viewing a parade. The bigger the parade, the earlier folks will arrive to seek out a spot. It is hard to imagine an impromptu parade, or at least one that appears to be impromptu to us. Jesus knew the events that happened on that last trip into Jerusalem before they took place. As Jesus and His disciples neared Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of the disciples ahead to the next village and told them they would find a young donkey that had never been ridden tied there. Jesus told the disciples to bring the donkey to Him. If anyone should ask why they were taking it, the disciples were to simply reply that the Lord needed it. When the two disciples approached the village, they found the donkey just as Jesus had said. Folks standing nearby asked the disciples what they were doing. They gave the answer Jesus told them to give. The folks standing there let the disciples leave with the donkey. The disciples took the donkey back to Jesus and threw their robes on the back of the donkey, and Jesus sat on top of the robes. As Jesus rode along, people lined the way and began to spread their robes and leafy branches along the path for the donkey to walk upon. It was a festive day of celebration! The celebration caused the Pharisees a lot of concern. They demanded that Jesus rebuke His followers. Jesus replied that if the people were silent, the rocks would cry out instead! Have you ever followed a word from God, even though it made no sense to you at the time? What was the result? How would you respond if someone in authority told you to be quiet instead of worshiping Jesus? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: Jesus shows me through His life and teachings what God is like. Grades 4 6: Jesus taught about faith, trust, and obedience to God. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: THINKSTOCK.COM 20 Session 3 DATE OF USE

21 BIBLE STORY THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem. As He came to the Mount of Olives outside of a town called Bethany, He gave a very special task to two of His disciples. Jesus told them to go into the village and find a young donkey that had never been ridden. The disciples were to untie the donkey and bring it back to Jesus. He told the men that if anyone asked what they are doing, they should say that the Lord needs it. The disciples did what Jesus told them and found the donkey. While they were untying the donkey, the donkey s owners asked what they were doing. The disciples answered as Jesus had told them and said that the Lord needed it. Then the disciples laid their robes on the donkey for Jesus to sit on. As Jesus rode along the road, many people spread out their robes on the road in front of Him. Other people spread leafy branches cut from trees. They were honoring Jesus the same way they would honor a king. They joyfully praised God. They shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! Some of the Pharisees in the crowd were upset by what was happening. They told Jesus to tell His followers to stop shouting. Jesus replied, Even if they stopped shouting, the stones would cry out! Review Questions What did Jesus tell two of His disciples to do? (go into the village and untie a donkey that had never been ridden) What were the disciples supposed to say if someone asked what they were doing? (The Lord needs it.) What did the disciples put on the donkey? (their robes) What did the people shout? (Hosanna! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!) What did the Pharisees tell Jesus? (to tell His followers to stop shouting) How did Jesus reply to the Pharisees? (He said even if the people stopped shouting, the stones would cry out!) BASED ON LUKE 19:28-40; MARK 11:1-10 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

22 Grades 1-3 index cards On 5 separate cards print Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Make enough sets for each child to have 1 card. bags or baskets (1 per group of 5 kids) Drop 1 set of the index cards in each bag or basket. painter s tape Option: The Triumphal Entry coloring page (CD) green, brown, and other assorted colored chenille stems Cut the stems in half (1 stem per child). bag or basket Place the cut stems in a bag or basket. International Missions: Mozambique (CD) Print and photocopy 1 Umake gameboard for every 2 players. colored buttons or stones PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Place painter s tape on a start line on the floor. Place each bag or basket containing Bible book cards at the far end of the room. Form teams of five kids. Instruct teams to line up behind the start line. On Go, the first child in each team will race to his bag, grab a card, and return. After a team gathers its five cards, the team will put the books of the Bible in order. Kids may use the list of Bible books in the fronts of their Bibles as a reference. After each team puts the Bible books in order, invite kids to find and read Zechariah 9:9 in their Bible. Next, help kids find Luke 19:35-38 in their Bible. Explain that the verse in the Old Testament book of Zechariah was a promise of something that happened many years later as explained in Luke 19: INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Invite kids to choose (without looking) a chenille stem from the bag. Tell each child to find something in the room that is the same color and hold the chenille stem next to the item. Lead kids to find the friend holding the matching colored stem. Instruct pairs of kids to think of two things in nature that are the same color (such as green trees and grass, blue sky and ocean water, yellow sun and flowers). Hold up the green stems as you encourage kids to name green leaves or branches. Mention that leafy branches are important to today s Bible story. Hold up the brown or gray stems, comment that rocks are part of today s Bible story. Place the chenille stems back in the bag. Play again, allowing kids to choose new stems. Show The Triumphal Entry: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Explain that Umake means the coast. It also is a kid s game from Mozambique. Guide kids to find partners and use the gameboards and tokens to play the game according to the instructions on the CD item. Recap the missions story. 22 SeSSion 3

23 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Play this game competitively in teams or individually. Hide the Bible Skills Tasks cards around the room. As kids arrive, give them a sheet of paper and a pencil. Challenge kids to find the cards and complete all eight tasks, recording their answers on their papers. When a child completes a task, she should leave the card in its hiding place for others to locate. After everyone completes the tasks, compare answers. Grades 4-6 Pack Item 18: Bible Skills Tasks Option: The Triumphal Entry coloring page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Choose a volunteer who believes he is a good listener. Show him the noises listed on the Make Some Noise spinner. Direct the listener to turn his back to the group. Lead the rest of the kids to spin the spinner to determine the sounds they will make. At your signal, kids will simultaneously make noises. Challenge the listener to determine which sounds are which. Option: Delegate one child to spin the spinner and make the designated noise for the entire group to guess. Comment that today s Bible story is about an event so noisy, some listeners complained! Show The Triumphal Entry: Introduction video. Pack Item 19: Make Some Noise foam or paper plate MISSIONS EMPHASIS Explain that Umake means the coast. It also is a kid s game from Mozambique. Guide kids to find partners and use the gameboards and tokens to play the game according to the instructions on the CD item. Recap the missions story. International Missions: Mozambique (CD) Print and photocopy 1 Umake gameboard for every 2 players. colored buttons or stones BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

24 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 1, 2, 7: Like No Other Banner, Matthew 16:16 Life Verse, Triumphal Entry Cards Teaching Picture 3 CD chenille stems from Introductory Activity pieces of paper, fabric, or tissue paper (1 per child) painter s tape On the floor tape 2 parallel lines 1 foot apart. Make several pairs of lines for a larger group of kids. Weekly Bible Verse Luke 19:38 1. LIFE VERSE Invite kids to make rocks by forming chenille stems together into circles. Make one rock for each word of the Life Verse plus one for the reference. Place the rocks on the ground. Invite kids to hop across the rocks quickly or jump with two feet onto each rock as they say the Life Verse. Share that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. He is like no one else. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Luke 19: BIBLE STORY Read Zechariah 9:9. State that many years before Jesus was born, God used a prophet named Zechariah to tell the people that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. Distribute a piece of paper, fabric, or tissue paper to each child. Instruct kids to lay them in a path on the floor when they hear you mention robes. Open your Bible to Luke 19:28-40 and tell the Bible story. Remark: When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He did exactly what Zechariah had said would happen. Talk about how the people shouted praises to Jesus. Invite kids to praise Jesus. Sing More Than Just a Good Man (track 2). 3. REVIEW Guide kids to review the sequence of events in the Bible story. Scatter the Triumphal Entry Cards along the path in any order. Invite kids to toss a chenille stem rock on a Triumphal Entry Card and tell how the information relates to the Bible story. 4. LIFE ACTION Invite a child to demonstrate as you explain the following jumping steps: IN Both feet jump inside the lines, ON Both feet jump on top of the lines (left foot on left line and right foot on right line), OUT Both feet jump outside of the lines (straddle the lines). Form groups at each set of tape lines. Call out a three to six part pattern of jumps (such as, In, On, Out, On! ) as all kids jump the pattern. Lead kids to suggest phrases to go along with the pattern of jumps. (For example: I can praise Jesus or I can praise Jesus at home. ) Guide kids to say the phrase while repeating the pattern of jumps. Invite kids to take turns leading patterns of jumps and phrases. Show The Triumphal Entry: Life Action video. Invite a volunteer to pray and thank God that we can praise Jesus. 24 SeSSion 3

25 LIFE POINT The people praised Jesus. I can too! Grades BIBLE STORY Lead kids to find Luke 19:28-40 in their Bibles. Assign half the group verses and half the group verses Give each group several papers. Guide kids, working together, to find the quotes in the Bible story and print them on separate sheets of paper. Assist as needed. Open your Bible to Luke 19: Read aloud the Bible story, pausing at each quote so that the person holding those words can stand and read them aloud. Lead kids to determine which of the printed quotes best fit the content of the Teaching Picture. Invite kids to find Zechariah 9:9. Help kids recognize that Jesus entry into Jerusalem fulfilled Zechariah s prophecy. 2. REVIEW Sing More Than Just a Good Man (track 2). Call attention to the definition of praise. Invite a volunteer to read it aloud. Prompt kids to explain how the people in the Bible story praised Jesus with their worship, words, attitudes, and actions. Ask additional review questions as time permits. 3. LIFE VERSE Lead boys and girls to read aloud Matthew 16:16. Direct everyone except one child to face away from the poster. The child will spin the Make Some Noise spinner and then read aloud Matthew 16:16, substituting one word with the designated noise. The first person to identify the missing word may be next to spin and read the verse. Continue until everyone participates. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Luke 19: LIFE ACTION Focus attention back to the praise definition. Comment that people often incorrectly assume that a person can only praise God through music and corporate worship. Tell kids that they can find ways to praise Jesus that perfectly suit their personalities and talents. On the back of the papers used with Step 1, challenge kids to draw or describe creative ways to praise God. Tape the papers to the wall near the praise definition. Show The Triumphal Entry: Life Action video. Invite girls and boys to silently finish this prayer: Jesus, I praise You because. Notes Pack Items 1, 2, 19: Like No Other Banner, Matthew 16:16 Life Verse, Make Some Noise (spinner only) Teaching Picture 3 CD On a sheet of paper write Praise is expressing honor and gratitude to God through worship, words, actions, and attitudes. Option: Praise Definition (CD) construction or drawing paper Weekly Bible Verse Luke 19:38 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

26 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 Kids Activity Pages straws (same number of straws for each team plus 1 additional straw for each team member) painter s tape Ping Pong balls plastic cup fabric or colored paper scraps Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages straws Cut into 1-inch segments (8 segments per child) chenille stems (3 per child) pony beads (7 per child) wooden beads (1 per child) Note: For additional help in how to make stand-up people, check out biblestudiesforlife.com/ extra. CHOICE 1: STRAW MAZE Distribute Kids Activity Pages as you encourage boys and girls to complete A-MAZE-ing Journey. Form two teams of kids. Give each team the same number of straws while setting aside one straw for each team member to use later. Invite each team to work together to make a maze by taping straws on a table from one end of the table to the other. Teams must use all of their straws. Distribute one straw to each team member. Guide teams to use their straws to blow a ball down the path. Challenge teams to race against each other to see who can get their ball through the maze the fastest. Lead one child to hold a plastic cup at the end of the path to catch the balls. Add fabric or paper scraps to the path to create obstacles. Ask review questions as kids play. For each correct answer, allow kids to remove one fabric or paper scrap along the path to make it easier. Talk about how Jesus rode the donkey along the path and the people praised Him. Remind kids that they can praise Jesus, too. CHOICE 2: STAND-UP PEOPLE Make chenille and straw stand-up people using the following steps: Bend one chenille stem in half and wrap around the other two stems to create two arms. You will have two stems for legs and two straight up for the head and hair. Slide three pony beads onto both legs and twist to make the body. Slide a straw segment, pony bead, and second straw segment onto each arm and each leg. Twist the leftover chenille stems into the hands and feet. Slide a wooden bead down over the two chenille stems for the head. Twist them together and use the excess as hair or cut it off. Draw a face on the wooden bead. Assist the kids in making the people. Talk about ways people praise God. Remind kids how Jesus said if the people did not praise God, then the rocks would shout out praises. Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Show kids how to use their stand up people to walk through the maze. WRAP UP Show The Triumphal Entry: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 26 SeSSion 3

27 LIFE POINT The people praised Jesus. I can too! Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: AN EVENTFUL GAME Distribute five index cards per person and pencils. Lead kids to find Luke 19: On each card direct kids to write one event from the Bible story. (If desired, allow kids to include any event from Luke 19.) Direct kids to play any card by placing it in the center of the table. The player whose card describes the event that happened first collects all the cards and sets them aside. In case of a winning tie, leave the cards on the table. The winner of the next round will collect them all. When players use all of the cards, instruct the player with the most cards to find one of these Bible verses and tell who or how someone praised Jesus: Luke 2:20 (shepherds); Matthew 26:6-7 (woman with oil); Luke 2:28 (Simeon); Luke 19:37-38 (people); Luke 18:35-43 (blind man and people); Luke 19:8 (Zacchaeus); John 4:22,28-29 (Samaritan woman). Play additional rounds as time permits. Encourage kids to follow the example of the people in the Bible who praised Jesus with their words, attitudes, and actions. CHOICE 2: ENTER WITH PRAISE Distribute Kids Activity Pages and lead kids to complete All Mine. Invite volunteers to read aloud the Bible passages. Acknowledge that people may have more than one praise style and that there are other ways to praise God not suggested in the activity. Explain that kids will decorate a doorway to encourage others to praise God. Provide art supplies, poster board, and markers. Guide kids to decorate the posters with verses or phrases from the Bible verses they read. Lead the kids to the designated doorway and help them decorate it with the finished posters and the items you brought. Urge kids to praise Jesus daily in the way that is most meaningful to them. WRAP UP Show The Triumphal Entry: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 index cards Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages poster board assorted party decorations (balloons, streamers) Obtain permission to decorate a high-traffic church entrance. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

28 LIFE POINT Jesus came to earth to be the Savior. Jesus' Last Days LEADER BIBLE STUDY BIBLE PASSAGE Matthew 26:17-30; 27 LIFE VERSE For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (KJV) For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Luke 23:47 All religions are the same. Aren t they all really about peace and beauty? I have often heard people make these kinds of comments. The truth is, all religions are not the same, and Christianity is not just about peace and beauty. In fact, Christianity is a violent and ugly faith. Why? Because it involved the horrible crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all recount the events in the week leading up to Jesus death. Luke started with Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of donkey. The people greeted Him with shouts of praise, believing He would restore the earthly kingdom of Israel. Matthew told how later that week peaceful or beautiful about any of it! Why was Jesus suffering and death necessary? Could God have used a different, more peaceful way to provide salvation? Why or why not? When you participate in the Lord s Supper, what goes through your mind? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: Jesus died on the cross, and God raised Jesus from the dead. Grades 4 6: Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin. Jesus met with His disciples for the Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. last supper. He commissioned them to remember Him by eating bread that symbolized His broken body and drinking the cup that symbolized His shed blood. Matthew provided details about the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, His unjust trial before Pilate, His beatings by soldiers, His cruel crucifixion between thieves, His death, and His burial. There was nothing Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 28 SeSSion 4 DATE OF USE

29 BIBLE STORY JESUS LAST DAYS Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. While He and His twelve disciples were eating, Jesus said, One of you will betray Me. It is the one who dips his hand in the bowl with Me. That person was Judas Iscariot. During the supper, Jesus prayed, broke the bread into pieces, and gave it to the disciples. He said, Eat this bread. It is My body. Jesus took the cup and prayed. He passed it to the disciples and said, Drink from this cup. It is my blood that is shed so that your sins can be forgiven. After they ate, they went to the Mount of Olives. While they were there, Judas arrived with an armed crowd, who arrested Jesus. They took Jesus to Caiaphas, the high priest and to Pilate, the Roman governor. The crowd wanted Jesus to be crucified. Pilate s soldiers mocked Jesus by putting a robe on Him, a crown made of thorns on His head, and a reed in His hand. They spit on Him, beat Him, and led Him to Golgotha, where they crucified Him. It became dark as night in the middle of the day. Jesus cried out to God, Why have You forsaken Me? Jesus cried out again; then He died. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked for Jesus body. Joseph took the body and placed it in a new tomb. He rolled a large rock in front. The chief priests asked Pilate to put guards at the tomb. Review Questions Who betrayed Jesus? (Judas Iscariot) What did the bread represent during the Passover supper? (the body of Jesus) What did the cup represent during the Passover supper? (the blood of Jesus) What happened when Judas arrived with an armed crowd? (They arrested Jesus.) What did Pilate s soldiers put on Jesus? (robe, crown of thorns on His head, and a reed in His hand) What did they do with Jesus body after they crucified Him? (Joseph of Arimathea took the body and placed it in a new tomb. Then Joseph rolled a large rock in front of the tomb.) But that is not the end of the story. Next week, we will talk about what happened next and the hope that we have in Jesus Christ who came to be Savior of the world. BASED ON MATTHEW 26:17-30; 27 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

30 Grades 1-3 sticky notes On 12 sticky notes write each letter of these Scripture references: J, o, h, n, 3:, 16, and L, u, k, e, 23:, 47. Option: Jesus Last Days coloring page (CD) PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Randomly attach the sticky notes for John 3:16 to the wall. Invite one child to pull off the first adhesive note for the Bible verse reference. (J) Lead the child to hand the first letter to a second child and ask him to stack the second letter (o) underneath. The second child will then hand it to a third child who will stack the third letter underneath, and so forth until they form one stack with the reference. Direct kids to find John 3:16 in their Bibles. Explain how the verse tells that Jesus came to earth to be our Savior. Randomly attach the notes for Luke 23:47 to the wall and guide kids to play again. After kids stack the verse, help kids find and read the verse in the Bible. Kids Activity Page hand mirrors marker board or large sheets of paper erasable markers INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Encourage kids to read the different emotions. Invite kids to use the hand mirrors to make faces that represent the emotions. Show kids how to move their eyebrows, mouths, and eyes to represent different emotions on their faces. Guide kids to mimic your facial expressions. Lead kids to draw faces on the page that represent the different emotions. Talk about things that happen that make us feel certain ways. Explain that Jesus disciples felt many different emotions during Jesus last days on earth. Show Jesus Last Days: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Remind kids that Sally Hamrick, missionary in Mozambique, believes that kids can learn about Jesus and tell others about Him. Guide kids to think of things that they can do to participate in church or in missions. Select a word and print one blank for each letter of the word or phrase on the board. (pray, worship, give) Lead the rest of the group to take turns guessing the letters. The first person to guess the phrase may choose the next word. Option: Draw pictures for younger kids instead of spelling words. 30 SeSSion 4

31 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Lead kids to examine the study helps in their own Bibles or the references you brought. Discuss with kids how to use available resources to find the illustrated stories in their Bibles. Guide kids to look at the pictures and make up possible titles. When kids find the Bible reference that matches a picture, they can write the title and reference on a decorative tag and tape it to the Teaching Picture. Option: Jesus Last Days coloring page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Scatter the items on a table. Give the group 30 seconds to examine the items, then direct kids to turn their backs. Remove one item, and challenge kids to remember which one is missing. If desired, increase the difficulty by rearranging the items or separating them into piles before removing an item. Allow kids to take turns removing and rearranging items for the memory game. Announce that today s Bible study focuses on remembering what Jesus did to save people from sin. Show Jesus Last Days: Introduction video. Grades old Teaching Pictures with events from the Gospels Trim off Bible references or conceal with removable tape. Option: Gospel Search (CD) decorative tags or die cut memo paper Bible study reference books or searchable Bible app small random objects (paper clips, small tools, craft items) MISSIONS EMPHASIS Remind kids that Sally Hamrick, missionary in Mozambique, believes that kids can learn about Jesus and tell others about Him. Guide kids to think of things that they can do to participate in church or in missions. Select a word and print one blank for each letter of the word or phrase on the board. (pray, worship, give) Lead the rest of the group to take turns guessing the letters. The first person to guess the phrase may choose the next word. marker board or large sheets of paper erasable markers BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

32 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 1, 2: Like No Other Banner, John 3:16 Life Verse Teaching Picture 4 CD On separate cards write each name: Jesus, Judas, Joseph, Disciples, Caiaphas, Pilate, Passover, Jerusalem. Option: Names (CD) 8 brown lunch bags Place each name card in a bag. Fold bags to close. marker board and makers Note: In Step 2 Review, suggestions for things Jesus did can include: * Jesus was born in Bethlehem. * Jesus helped people. * Jesus calmed the storm. * Jesus performed miracles. * Jesus loved people. * Jesus went to church. Weekly Bible Verse Luke 23:47 1. BIBLE STORY Sing Like No Other (track 1). Help kids locate Matthew 26 in their Bibles. Invite each child to open a lunch bag and read aloud a name on a card. Guide kids to play a version of I Spy by finding the names in their Bibles. Invite kids to listen for each of the names as you tell the Bible story. Emphasize the names as you say them as part of the Bible story. Comment that Jesus died on the cross to save people from sin. Invite a child to pray, thanking God for Jesus. 2. REVIEW Talk about the people and action in the Teaching Picture. Gather the lunch bags and distribute one to each child. Tear the bags in half or in thirds as needed so each child will have a piece of paper. Invite each child to answer a review question or recall something from the Bible story. As kids answer, guide them to wad up the paper bag. Encourage each child to recall and name something Jesus did in His life. As a child names something, instruct her to toss her paper wad to you for a later Live It Out activity. Explain that Jesus came to earth to be our Savior. 3. LIFE VERSE Sing We Stand Forgiven (track 4). Display John 3:16 Life Verse. Guide boys and girls to think about the phrase the world. Invite kids to say the Life Verse, inserting names from the Bible story (such as the disciples, Judas, Caiaphas, and Pilate) in place of the phrase the world. Encourage kids to insert their own names in the verse in place of the phrase the world. Tell how God loved each person so much that He sent Jesus to save us. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Luke 23: LIFE ACTION Guide children to stand in a circle. On the board write Savior. Lead a volunteer to say the first letter of the word (S) and the child to his right to say the second letter (a) and so forth. When children completely spell the word, the next child will say: Savior, and sit down. Play until each child sits. Use other words or phrases such as last supper, Jesus, or cross. Remind kids how Jesus came to earth to be our Savior. Show Jesus Last Days: Life Action video. 32 SeSSion 4

33 LIFE POINT Jesus came to earth to be the Savior. Grades BIBLE STORY If weather and safety permit, lead kids outside to a sidewalk and distribute chalk. (If you are indoors, spread black paper on a table.) Open your Bible to Matthew Tell the Bible story, encouraging kids to draw chalk thought doodles that represent major events in the story. When you finish, invite kids to share what they drew. Read 1 Corinthians 11: Ask: Why do we continue to observe the Lord s Supper today? (Jesus commanded it as a reminder of His death until He returns.) Emphasize that Jesus did not simply come to be a Savior for the people who lived thousands of years ago. Through His death on the cross, He took the punishment for every sin that every person would commit. 2. LIFE VERSE Display John 3:16 Life Verse. Guide kids to sit next to a partner. Lead partners to say the verse popcorn-style (alternate standing and saying one word at a time). Conduct races to determine the fastest pair of poppers. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Luke 23: LIFE ACTION Show Jesus Last Days: Life Action video. Display the Gospel Presentation Poster. Summarize the sections labeled God Rules, We Sinned, God Provided, and Jesus Gives. Help kids know what they can do if they are ready to respond to the Gospel and accept Jesus as Savior. (See Admit, Believe, and Confess sections of poster.) Lead kids to pray, asking God to make it clear to them if it is time for them to accept and follow Jesus. Invite kids to talk to you privately if they are ready to respond or have questions about accepting Jesus as Savior. Sing We Stand Forgiven (track 4). 4. REVIEW Place the Introductory Activity objects back on the table. Form two teams. Explain that after correctly answering review questions, team members will take turns removing one, two, or three items from the table. The object of the game is to not remove the last item. Play until everyone answers a question, and then determine a winning team. Notes Pack Items 1, 2, 20: Like No Other Banner, John 3:16 Life Verse, Gospel Presentation Poster Teaching Picture 4 CD sidewalk chalk black construction or bulletin board paper (indoor option) small random objects (paper clips, small tools, craft items) (from Introductory Activity) wipes Weekly Bible Verse Luke 23:47 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

34 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 Pack Item 8: Croquet Strips CD 8 pieces of heavy paper Tape each Croquet Strip to a piece of heavy paper. Make an arch for a ball to roll through by bending down 2 of the sides and taping them to the floor. painter s tape paper wads from Study the Bible or small balls wrapping paper tubes or swim noodles Choice 2 CD plastic plates erasable markers paper towels CHOICE 1: CROQUET Guide kids to read each Croquet Strip and determine the correct sequence according to the Bible story. If needed, number the strips with a marker in the correct order. Invite kids to use tubes or swim noodles to hit the wadded paper balls through the paper arches. Guide kids to read the Croquet Strip and hit the balls through the arches in the correct sequence according to the Bible story. Remind kids how Jesus died on the cross to save people from sin. Sing We Stand Forgiven (track 4). CHOICE 2: ERASE RACE Distribute plates and markers to kids. Provide dry paper towels for kids to use as an eraser. Guide kids to write or draw the answers to questions. Give 2 points to the child who answers the question first and 1 point to each child who answers correctly. Use the following: What is the name of the special meal Jesus ate with His disciples? A. Passthrough, B. Passunder, C. Passover (C) Draw the food item that Jesus broke and passed around to the disciples. Hint: Jesus said, This is my body. (bread) Draw the item Jesus passed around and everyone drank. Hint: Jesus said, This is my blood. (cup) Where did Jesus and the disciples go after the supper? (to the Mount of Olives) Who was the disciple who betrayed Jesus? A. John, B. Judas, C. James (B) True or False: Jesus was never arrested. (False, Jesus was arrested.) Draw one item that Pilate s soldiers put on Jesus. (robe, crown, or reed) True or False: The crowd wanted Jesus to be crucified. (True) What time was it when darkness fell on the earth? (noon) Who died on the cross to save people from sin? (Jesus) Draw the item that was rolled in front of the tomb where Joseph of Arimathea put Jesus body. (stone) Talk about how God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, so that anyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. Sing We Stand Forgiven (track 4). WRAP UP Show Jesus Last Days: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 34 SeSSion 4

35 LIFE POINT Jesus came to earth to be the Savior. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: SPELLING SCRAMBLE Remind kids that Jesus death on the cross makes it possible for everyone to have eternal life. Display the Gospel Presentation Poster. Talk with kids about each outline point. Invite volunteers to find and read aloud the Bible verses related to each point on the poster. Dump the letter tiles in the large bowl. Give everyone a mitten, glove, or sock to wear on one hand. Players should hold their un-gloved hands behind their backs. At your signal, kids will race to grab tiles and arrange them to correctly spell any of the outline points on the Gospel Presentation Poster. Leave unused tiles on the table so any other player can claim them. Kids should raise their gloved hands over their heads to signal completion. When you identify a winner, challenge kids to explain the significance of the completed phrase. Encourage boys and girls to explain to others the significance of Jesus death on the cross. CHOICE 2: CROSS WREATH Explain: In New Testament times, death on the cross was painful and horrible. The cross was made from wood. The tallest piece of wood remained upright in the ground, and the person to be crucified carried the crossbeam. Today, we see the shape of the cross in jewelry and hanging on walls. Ask: Why has such a gloomy item become a symbol of hope to Jesus followers? Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Lead kids to complete Cross Words. Compare answers. Provide each child with a cardboard wreath and a cross shape from the Cross Wreath Pattern. Lead kids to trace and cut cross shapes from scrapbook paper and glue them to the wreath. The shapes can overlap or dovetail as kids desire. Tape a bent paper clip to the back of the wreath to make a hanger. Encourage kids to display the wreaths and remember that because of the cross, they can be saved from sin. WRAP UP Show Jesus Last Days: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to parents. Notes Choice 1 Pack Item 20: Gospel Presentation Poster letter tiles or letter beads large bowl thick socks, mittens, or gloves (1 per player) Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages Answers: 1d, 2a, 3e, 4b, 5c, 6f poster board or heavy cardboard Cut large wreaths (or circles) and small cross shapes (1 of each shape per child). Option: Cross Wreath Pattern (CD) printed scrapbook paper in complementary colors Option: If you own or wear a cross pin, bookmark, or other item, show it to the group. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

36 LIFE POINT Jesus has power over death. Jesus Is Alive! BIBLE PASSAGE Matthew 28:1-10 LIFE VERSE For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (KJV) For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Matthew 28:6 Print a One Conversation Placemat for each child ( com/extra). Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. LEADER BIBLE STUDY In recent decades biologists have made incredible discoveries about the complexity of life on earth. The complexity is so great that even many skeptical scientists conclude that life could never have begun by chance. Christians, of course, assert that life had a creator and designer. In other words, life is a miracle of God. When we proclaim the historical reality of Jesus resurrection, we make the same assumption. If God miraculously created life (and the whole universe for that matter), then we can assume He was capable of miraculously raising Jesus from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. Each year during the Easter season, we commemorate that crucial historical occurrence. The four Gospels present various facets of the resurrection story. Matthew s account relates how Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to Jesus tomb on the first day of the week. There they felt an earthquake and saw an angel sitting on the open tombstone. The angel announced to them that the tomb was empty because Jesus had risen from the dead. As they were preparing to leave, Jesus Himself appeared to them and told them to go and tell His disciples what they had seen. Why is it so important that Jesus resurrection was an actual historical event? (See 1 Corinthians 15:14-16.) What would have happened to the women and the disciples if Jesus had remained dead? Where would you be today? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: Jesus died on the cross, and God raised Jesus from the dead. Grades 4 6: Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: STHINKSTOCK.COM 36 SeSSion 5 DATE OF USE

37 BIBLE STORY JESUS IS ALIVE! After the Sabbath, early in the morning, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and another Mary went to view the tomb where Jesus had been buried. Suddenly, a strong earthquake shook because an angel came down from heaven. The angel rolled back the heavy stone from the entrance of the tomb. The angel, who looked like lightning and was wearing a robe of purest white, sat on the stone. The guards standing at the tomb were so afraid they were like dead men and could not even move! The angel told the women not to be afraid. He knew they were looking for Jesus. The angel told them the best news ever. He said that Jesus was alive just as He had promised. The angel told the women to go quickly to the disciples to tell them the good news. Tell them Jesus has been raised from the dead! The women left quickly and joyfully. They ran to tell the disciples the good news that Jesus was alive. Suddenly, Jesus met the women and said, Good morning! The women ran to Him, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him! Then Jesus told them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. They will see Me there! BASED ON MATTHEW 28:1-10 Review Questions Who went to the garden early in the morning to visit the tomb? (Mary Magdalene and another Mary) What happened before the women arrived at the tomb? (A strong earthquake shook because an angel came down from heaven, rolled back the heavy stone, and sat on it.) What happened to the guards standing at the tomb? (They became like dead men and could not move.) What was the angel s good news? (Jesus was alive just as He had promised.) What did the angel tell the women to do? (Go quickly and tell the disciples.) Whom did the women meet as they were going to find the disciples? (Jesus) What did Jesus tell the women? ( Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. They will see Me there! ) BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

38 Grades 1-3 painter s tape On tape strips write John 3:16; Matthew 16:16; Matthew 28:1; Matthew 28:6; Matthew 28:7; Matthew 28:10; Book of Matthew; Book of John. 2 paper plates Cut out the middles of plates. Option: Jesus Is Alive! coloring page (CD) index cards (3 per child) painter s tape PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Place two chairs upside down on the floor so the chair legs are sticking up. Attach one reference to each leg of the chairs. Invite kids to toss the paper plate ring around one of the legs. When a child rings one of the legs, guide him to find the verse or book of the Bible. Help kids read aloud the verses. Play until each child rings one of the chair legs at least one time. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Distribute three index cards and markers to each child. Guide each child to write a color on the first card, a letter on the second card, and alive or not alive on the third card. Invite kids to tape their cards to items around the room with the correct label. For example, a card with red on it could be taped to a red book, p could be taped to a pencil, and not alive could be taped to a table (or alive could be taped to any person.) Allow children to gather their cards and make new labels on the backs of them. Guide boys and girls to tape their cards to new items around the room. Share how last week the Bible story ended with Jesus in the tomb. He was not alive. However, this week, kids will discover something very exciting! Jesus is no longer in the tomb! Show Jesus Is Alive: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS International Missions: Mozambique (CD) Print Mudding the Church. chocolate cookie crumbs and chocolate pudding disposable cups, spoons, and napkins Show kids the Mudding the Church picture. Explain that kids helped build a church in Mozambique by throwing clumps of thick mud against a wall of wooden poles. Let kids mix their own mud (cookies and pudding). While they eat, encourage kids to discuss how your church is similar to/different from small churches in Mozambique. Ask: How can kids help our church grow? How can kids share the story of Jesus with others? 38 SeSSion 5

39 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Tell kids that certain jelly bean colors signify certain directions (adapt to the candy colors you have): yellow find the book; purple tell how many chapters; pink stand and read the last verse in the book; red name the books before and after. Hand the envelope to a volunteer. Invite the volunteer to name any New Testament book and shake one jelly bean out of the envelope. The first person to carry out the designated task gets the envelope and will name another New Testament book for the next round of play. Grades 4-6 manila mailing envelope yellow, purple, pink, and red jelly beans Seal several jelly beans inside the envelope. Tear off a small corner of the sealed envelope. Option: Jesus Is Alive! coloring page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Hold up an index card as you tell kids: Although it seems impossible, they can cut a hole in the card large enough to walk through. Distribute index cards and scissors. Lead kids to follow the Impossible Card Trick steps and carefully unfold a large accordion-shaped loop to ease over their heads, shoulders, and torsos. Comment that, although it seemed impossible, Jesus promised that on the third day after His death, He would rise again! Pack Item 21: Impossible Card Trick index cards (4-by-6-inch works best) MISSIONS EMPHASIS Show kids the Mudding the Church picture. Explain that kids helped build a church in Mozambique by throwing clumps of thick mud against a wall of wooden poles. Let kids mix their own mud (cookies and pudding). While they eat, encourage kids to discuss how your church is similar to/different from small churches in Mozambique. Ask: How can kids help our church grow? How can kids share the story of Jesus with others? International Missions: Mozambique (CD) Print Mudding the Church. chocolate cookie crumbs and chocolate pudding disposable cups, spoons, and napkins BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

40 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 1, 2, 9: Like No Other Banner, John 3:16 Life Verse, Paper Bag Puppet Script Teaching Picture 5 Kids Activity Page CD 11 brown lunch bags Use 6 bags and markers to create and label puppets: Mary Magdalene, Mary, Angel, Guards (make 2), Jesus. Open the remaining 5 bags. On the bottom of each bag write 1 word of the following: Jesus has power over death. 5 beanbags Weekly Bible Verse Matthew 28:6 1. BIBLE STORY Sing We Stand Forgiven (track 4). Guide boys and girls to open their Bibles to Matthew 28. Challenge kids to read the name of the woman in the first verse. Guide kids to repeat the name Mary Magdalene (MAG-da-leen). Direct kids to listen to what happened to Mary Magdalene in today s Bible story. Open the Bible to Matthew 28 and tell the Bible story. Invite four kids to act out the Bible story with the puppets as you read Paper Bag Puppet Script. As time allows, enlist other kids to act out the story with the puppets. Display today s Teaching Picture. Invite kids to describe what is happening in the picture. 2. REVIEW Invite six kids to hold the puppets and stand in front of the group. Read a review question. Ask the kid(s) holding the puppet(s) mentioned in the question to step forward. Encourage the rest of the kids to help answer the question. Continue with the other review questions. Remind kids that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead. He has power over death! 3. LIFE ACTION Sing Like No Other (track 1). Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Place the kids into seven groups and assign each group a Move It action. For smaller numbers of kids, omit some of the motions and words. Invite each group to say its phrase and perform the action. Guide the groups to say the two sentences as they perform their actions. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Matthew 28:6. 4. LIFE VERSE Invite kids to sit in a circle. Randomly scatter the lunch bags with words on the floor inside the circle. Give kids the beanbags and guide kids to pass them around the circle as they say John 3:16. Periodically shout: Earthquake, and invite kids who have beanbags to toss them at the paper bags to try to tip them over. Continue until kids tip over all of the bags. Encourage kids to arrange the words on the bags in order. Set up the bags and play again, leading kids to say John 3:16 as they pass around the beanbags. Show Jesus Is Alive: Life Action video. 40 SeSSion 5

41 LIFE POINT Jesus has power over death. Grades LIFE VERSE Sing Like No Other (track 1). Display John 3:16 Life Verse. Lead kids to review it with you. Form groups of three to four kids. Give each group a time limit to prepare a rap or creative motions while saying John 3:16. Allow kids to applaud enthusiastically after each group shares. Acknowledge that God s great love for the world is something to be excited about! Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Matthew 28:6. 2. BIBLE STORY Sing We Stand Forgiven (track 4). Remind kids that Jesus died on the cross for our sins but the story does not end there! Open your Bible to Matthew 28 and tell the Bible story. Remark that writers use punctuation marks to indicate pauses, dialogue, and emotion or excitement. Arrange the Punctuate the Punctuation cards in order. (Card 1 is on the card back of Card 2 and so on.) Guide kids to read aloud the statements on the Punctuate the Punctuation cards and make the designated motions each time they see a punctuation mark. Instruct kids to complete the sentences after the ellipses. As you show the Teaching Picture, encourage kids to demonstrate the punctuation and motion that best describes the illustration. 3. LIFE ACTION Ask: Why is it important to know that Jesus is alive? Instead of requesting immediate answers, give kids a few thinking moments before inviting volunteers to respond. Help kids recognize that because Jesus is alive, they can have an ongoing relationship with Him one that will last forever. Use the Gospel Presentation Poster to review the plan of salvation. Invite a volunteer to pray aloud, praising Jesus for His power over death. Show Jesus Is Alive: Life Action video. 4. REVIEW Read the review questions. For fun, invite kids to devise a motion for a question mark that you will use as you ask the questions. Lead kids to signal with the motion for an exclamation mark (jump, then stomp one foot) if they know the answer. Notes Pack Items 1, 2, 20, 22: Like No Other Banner, John 3:16 Life Verse, Gospel Presentation Poster, Punctuate the Punctuation Teaching Picture 5 CD Weekly Bible Verse Matthew 28:6 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

42 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 Pack Item 10: Cross Template jewels and stickers Choice 2 brown paper bags (3 per child) index cards (at least 3 per child) colored paper CHOICE 1: STAND UP CROSS Distribute Cross Templates and supplies. Invite kids to cut out and color the pieces. Guide boys and girls to cut on the dotted lines on each piece and slide the cross down onto the rectangle slit to make the cross stand. Encourage kids to decorate the stand-up cross. On the cross lead kids to write JESUS IS ALIVE! Talk about how Jesus died on the cross to save people from sin. He has power over death and is alive! Share how kids can have a personal relationship with Jesus because of what He did on the cross. Be sensitive to the kids questions about the cross. CHOICE 2: PAPER BAG JOURNAL Make journals using these steps: Stack three paper bags together, alternating the side of the open end. Fold the paper bags in half. Staple the left hand side to keep the pages together. Invite kids to glue a piece of colored paper on the cover of the journal. On the cover encourage boys and girls to write the words or reference for John 3:16. Guide kids to find the three pages with the open ends. On the first page tell kids to write Who. On the second page write When and on the third write Where. Challenge kids to think about who, when, and where they can tell people that Jesus is alive. Distribute index cards to kids. On cards tell kids to write names of people they can tell about Jesus and insert the cards in the Who page. On cards direct kids to draw faces of people with different emotions (happy, sad, scared, and so forth) and place the cards inside the When page. Guide kids to draw places on cards and place them inside the Where page. Allow kids to decorate the remaining pages of the journal. Talk about how kids can tell others that God gave His Son, Jesus to die on a cross for our sins and that He is alive! WRAP UP Show Jesus Is Alive: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to parents. 42 SeSSion 5

43 LIFE POINT Jesus has power over death. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: WHO SAW JESUS? Tell kids they will play a game to learn the identities of multiple people who personally saw Jesus alive after His death on the cross. Hand the basket of rocks to a player who will guess a letter. Invite another volunteer to choose a card and on the board draw one blank for each letter in the name on the card. If the guessing player is correct, the player in control of the board will write the letter in the appropriate blank(s). If he is not correct, he must remove a rock from the basket before handing it to a new player. Players must guess the name before they remove all of the rocks from the basket. If kids do not guess the name before the basket is empty, write the remaining letters in the blanks. Lead kids to find and read the related Bible passages. Mary Magdalene John 20:11-14 Cleopas Luke 24:18, Simon Peter Luke 24:34 Disciples Luke 24:36-43 Thomas John 20: people 1 Corinthians 15:6 Explain that because so many eyewitnesses saw, touched, and heard Jesus, kids can be confident He is alive and has power over death. CHOICE 2: HOW GREAT! JESUS ART Distribute Kids Activity Pages and pencils. Guide kids to complete Becauses. Invite kids to share their responses. Help kids understand that Jesus resurrection proves He has power over all. Distribute art supplies. Lead kids to create original paintings that express ideas from one of the Bible verses from the Kids Activity Page. Encourage girls and boys to display their artwork as a reminder that Jesus is alive and wants to be the Lord of their daily lives. Tip: Prefer another art medium? Adapt this activity to fit your favorite: torn paper collages, yarn art, dough sculptures, or chalk drawings. WRAP UP Show Jesus Is Alive: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 marker board and erasable markers or poster paper and markers basket 8 rocks Place the rocks in the basket. index cards On separate cards write these names: Mary Magdalene, Cleopas, Simon Peter, disciples, Thomas, five hundred people. Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages heavyweight white paper craft paint or watercolors brushes paper plates cleanup supplies BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

44 LIFE POINT Jesus is alive in heaven. The Ascension BIBLE PASSAGE Acts 1:4-11 LIFE VERSE For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (KJV) For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Acts 1:11 Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. LEADER BIBLE STUDY In the previous session, we affirmed the absolute historical truth of Jesus resurrection. Consequently, for 40 days afterward, Jesus appeared at various times and places to His disciples and many other people. (See 1 Corinthians 15:5-7.) At the end of that period, He met for the last time with His followers in Jerusalem. On that occasion, Jesus made several important statements that would affect them and the future of the Christian movement. First He made His disciples a promise. Jesus told them to remain in Jerusalem to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit to fall upon ( baptize ) them. Apparently, they still did not get it. They then asked Him if He would restore the kingdom of Israel at that time. Jesus told them not to worry about when He was coming back. Rather, He commanded them to busy themselves by being His witnesses in an ever-expanding radius of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth. Then Jesus was taken up into heaven out of their sight. Two angels appeared who stated that Jesus would return someday. It was as if they were asking the disciples, What are you looking at? Get busy! He ll be back when He is ready. Why was Jesus ascension as important of an historical event as His resurrection was? In light of the ascension, what is our present responsibility? Should we be concerned about when Jesus will return? Why or why not? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: Jesus is in heaven. Grades 4 6: The ascension describes Jesus return to heaven. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 44 SeSSion 6 DATE OF USE

45 BIBLE STORY THE ASCENSION After Jesus appeared to the disciples, He talked with them and told them to stay in Jerusalem. Jesus told them to wait for God to keep His promise to send the Holy Spirit to be with them. The disciples were confused. They wondered about God s plan and when everything would be made right. Jesus told His followers not to worry about knowing what was to happen. He explained that only God knew those things. Instead Jesus told them what to do as they waited for Him to return. Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came to them and that they were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and all over the world! As soon as Jesus finished talking with the disciples, He was taken up into heaven right before them. The disciples watched Jesus rise up until a cloud took Him out of their sight. As they gazed up into heaven, two men in white clothes stood next to them. The men said, Why do you stand looking up into heaven? Then the men explained that Jesus had been taken to heaven but that He would return someday in the same way that He left. BASED ON ACTS 1:4-11 Review Questions Why did Jesus tell the disciples to wait in Jerusalem? (God would keep His promise and send the Holy Spirit to be with them.) What did the disciples ask Jesus? (Are You going to restore the kingdom to Israel?) What did Jesus say the disciples would receive from the Holy Spirit? (power) Where were the disciples supposed to be witnesses? (Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and all over the world) What happened when Jesus was finished talking with the disciples? (He was taken up into heaven.) What took Jesus out of the disciple s sight? (a cloud) What did the two men in white clothes say? (They explained that Jesus had been taken to heaven but would return someday in the same way that He left.) BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

46 Grades 1-3 Pack Item 11: Paper Helicopters paper clips 5 foam bowls On each bowl write 1 book of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts. Option: The Ascension coloring page (CD) masking tape cotton balls (1 per child) plastic spoons (1 per child) painter s tape Divide the playing area in half with a tape line. DVD Click on the missions tab on the DVD menu to find the video Let the Children Come. International Missions: Mozambique (CD) PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Distribute the Paper Helicopters and bowls to the kids. Invite boys and girls to find the child with the matching book of the Bible. Invite the child with the helicopter to toss it in the air and encourage the second child to use the bowl with the same book name to catch it. Prompt kids to find the book in the Bible. Change items with a friend and repeat the process until kids look up all five books of the Bible. Share how the first four books of the New Testament tell about Jesus birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. The first chapter of Acts tells about when Jesus ascended to heaven at the end of His ministry on earth. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY On strips of masking tape write kids names and direct kids to tape them around a cotton ball. Form two teams, each sitting on a different side of the tape line. Explain that while staying seated, kids will use plastic spoons to launch the cotton balls to the other side of the tape. Kids also will launch any balls that land near them until you say: Stop! Then, each child will pick up the cotton ball nearest him, find the child whose name is on the ball, and tell that person his favorite thing to do at school. Play again with kids telling others their favorite food to eat. Encourage kids to listen today to discover what Jesus wanted people to tell. Play The Ascension: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Review the missions story by showing the video, Let the Children Come. Remind the kids that Sally does not have a lot of supplies to teach the children. She often will tell a Bible story and encourage kids to draw a picture about it. Encourage children to illustrate and then describe their favorite Bible stories. Suggest that boys and girls share their pictures with people who might not know the Bible stories. Invite a volunteer to pray that children in Mozambique will learn to love and follow Jesus. 46 SeSSion 6

47 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Guide kids to place their Bibles several feet away from the tape line. Guide kids to stand shoulder to shoulder behind the tape line. Each child should stand across from his Bible. Draw a New Testament Book Card from the bag and call out the name of the book to the kids. On Go, each child will race to his Bible and find the book. Encourage kids who find the book easily to assist kids who may need help. The child who correctly finds the Bible book first will draw a card for the next round. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Lead kids to find partners. Quickly volunteer to partner anyone left out due to odd numbers. Give each pair a ball. Challenge partners to successfully toss and catch (or bounce and catch) the ball three times in a row while both partners are looking up at the ceiling. If a pair succeeds quickly, increase the required number of bounces or catches. Tell kids that because they looked up, they missed some catches; but because Jesus followers looked up, they saw Him ascend into heaven! Play The Ascension: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Review the missions story by showing the video, Let the Children Come. Remind the kids that Sally does not have a lot of supplies to teach the children. She often will tell a Bible story and encourage kids to draw a picture about it. Encourage children to illustrate and then describe their favorite Bible stories. Suggest that boys and girls share their pictures with people who might not know the Bible stories. Invite a volunteer to pray that children in Mozambique will learn to love and follow Jesus. Grades 4-6 Pack Item 13: New Testament Book Cards gift bag Drop New Testament Book Cards in the bag. Create a tape on the floor. Option: The Ascension coloring page (CD) foam balls, playground balls, or balloons (1 per 2 kids) DVD Click on the missions tab on the DVD menu to find the video Let the Children Come. International Missions: Mozambique (CD) BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

48 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 1, 2: Like No Other Banner, John 3:16 Life Verse Note: After this session, be sure to save the banner. The banner for Unit 2 is on the back. Teaching Picture 6 Kids Activity Pages CD cotton balls (at least 7 per child) paper clips (1 per child) 2 large bowls large spoon blindfold Weekly Bible Verse Acts 1:11 1. LIFE VERSE Display John 3:16 Life Verse. Distribute a Kids Activity Page, pencil, and paper clip to each child. Read aloud the verse several times. Guide kids to make Spin and Say spinners on their Kids Activity Pages with pencils and paper clips. Encourage kids to spin the paper clip and say the verse beginning with the phrase they land on. Invite partners to see if they can land on the same phrase. Continue play until kids become familiar with the entire verse. Sing Love You More (track 3). Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Acts 1: BIBLE STORY Invite kids to find the Book of Acts in their Bibles. Guide kids to sit on the floor. Scatter cotton balls around them. Instruct kids to gather one cotton ball each time they hear the word Jesus in the Bible story. Open your Bible to Acts 1 and tell the Bible story. Lead kids to count the number of cotton balls they gathered and make a cloud shape on the floor with their cotton balls. Read Acts 1:9-11 and talk about how Jesus went up to heaven in a cloud. 3. REVIEW Place two large bowls side by side on a table and place all of the cotton balls in one of the bowls. Invite a child to answer a review question. If he answers correctly, guide him to put on a blindfold, grab a large spoon, and scoop a spoonful of cotton balls from the bowl to the empty bowl. (This can be difficult to do because the balls are so light.) Ask review questions until each child has a turn. 4. LIFE ACTION Sing Like No Other (track 1). Distribute a paper clip to each child. Read Acts 1:8 and recall how Jesus told His disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the all over the world. Invite kids to name a town, state, or country where they can be witnesses for Christ. Lead each child to slide a paper clip onto the Teaching Picture after naming a place. Encourage kids to think of places other than where they live. Pray, thanking God that Jesus is alive in heaven and will come back someday. Show The Ascension: Life Action video. 48 SeSSion 6

49 LIFE POINT Jesus is alive in heaven. Grades BIBLE STORY Open your Bible to Acts 1 and tell the Bible story. Pause every few sentences and guide kids to freeze in a pose that reflects the posture and facial expressions of Jesus followers at that time. When you finish, invite kids to find Acts 1 in their Bibles. Display the Teaching Picture. Call attention to Acts 1:11. Ask: Do you think Jesus followers were surprised to see Him go into heaven? Why or why not? What promise did the angels make? Tell kids that Jesus is alive in heaven with God, and He will come back someday a promise that should make them excited, not afraid! Pray and thank Jesus that kids can eagerly anticipate His return. 2. LIFE VERSE Review the John 3:16 Life Verse. Guide kids to identify a phrase from the verse that describes being with Jesus forever. (everlasting/eternal life) Lead kids to stand in a circle and look at their feet. When you say: Look Up! kids may lift their heads and look directly to the right, to the left, or across the circle. (trying to avoid looking another player in the eye.) Direct kids who made eye contact with someone to raise their hands and say John 3:16 from memory. Play again; this time, kids who did not make eye contact should say John 3:16. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Acts 1: LIFE ACTION Lead kids to stay standing in a circle. Prompt kids to think about their answers to the following question: What should Christians do while they wait for Jesus to return? Begin a game by calling on the child to your right to answer the question and make a motion or gesture. The next child in the circle will answer the question, repeat the first player s motion, and add a motion of his own. Continue the game until everyone participates or the list becomes too long to remember. 4. REVIEW Sing Love You More (track 3). Toss the balls into the circle. Lead kids to throw/catch or bounce/ catch the balls simultaneously. Blow a whistle and identify one of the balls by color. Its owner should answer a review question. Repeat until everyone participates. Show The Ascension: Life Action video. Notes Pack Items 1, 2: Like No Other Banner, John 3:16 Life Verse Note: After this session, be sure to save the banner. The banner for Unit 2 is on the back. Teaching Picture 6 CD whistle several different colored foam or playground balls Example of Life Action Game * Player 1: We should pray. (clap) * Player 2: We should tell others about Jesus. (clap, stomp) * Player 3: We should not get tired of doing good. (clap, stomp, snap) Weekly Bible Verse Acts 1:11 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

50 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 magazine or gift wrap paper strips Cut into 3 4-by-5-inch lengths. 1-inch paper clips Option: Use 3 4-inch wide strips of colored tape. Note: For additional help in how to make paper clip jewelry, check out biblestudiesforlife.com/ extra. Choice 2 lined 3-by-5-inch index cards (10 per child) Cut cards in half to make 3-by-2½-inch cards. small binder clip (1 per child) CHOICE 1: PAPER CLIP JEWELRY Invite kids to wrap a strip of magazine paper or gift wrap tightly around a paper clip. Help kids tape or glue the end. Show kids how to attach a second paper clip to one end of the first clip. Guide kids to wrap the second paper clip. Assist kids with adding and wrapping clips until kids have enough for a bracelet or necklace. Show kids how to leave the outside wire of the last clip unwrapped so they can join to the first clip to hook the bracelet or necklace together. On the paper clip beads guide boys and girls to write key words of John 3:16. Lead kids to define everlasting or eternal life. (being with Jesus forever) Remind kids that they can have everlasting/eternal life with Jesus when they believe that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Be sensitive to kids who may have questions about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus. CHOICE 2: FLIP BOOKLET Guide kids to make a flip booklet using the following steps: Stack 24 cards together. On the first card guide kids to write Jesus Is Alive! and draw a dot on the upper right hand corner. Instruct boys and girls to use the lines on the index card to draw a dot down one space on the second card, down three spaces on the third card, and so forth until they reach the bottom card. Guide kids to draw dots going back up the next cards until they have a dot going all the way down and all the way back up. Guide kids to stack the cards and clip them together on the left hand side with a binder clip. Invite each child to hold the clip and flip the cards to see the dot move down and up the page. Talk about how God sent Jesus from heaven to earth and how Jesus ascended (or rose up) to heaven. Remind kids that Jesus is alive in heaven with God and will come back someday! WRAP UP Show The Ascension: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to parents. 50 SeSSion 6

51 LIFE POINT Jesus is alive in heaven. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: WACKY PICK-UP STICKS Concede that there is much God does not not reveal to Christians about heaven, but the Bible does provide some vivid descriptions of heaven. Distribute Kids Activity Pages and pencils. Lead kids to complete What ll You Spot? on their Kids Activity Pages and compare answers. Drop your makeshift pick-up sticks in a pile on the table or floor. Begin a traditional game of pick-up sticks with this variation: if a player removes a stick without disturbing the others, she should share something she is certain the Bible says about heaven. (Lead kids to refer to their Kids Activity Pages.) If a stick moves, she should share a question or something she has always wondered about heaven. Respond to kids questions as honestly as you can. (See Answering Kids Questions for practical advice.) Play as many rounds as time permits. Invite kids to find and read John 14:2-3 with you. Assure kids that Jesus is in heaven and is preparing amazing and awesome things for those who love Him! CHOICE 2: RING STRINGS Distribute Kids Activity Pages and pencils. Lead kids to complete What ll You Spot? and discuss their answers. Distribute paper strips and markers. On the paper strips lead kids to print words or short phrases that reflect what the Bible says about heaven. (eternal, with Jesus, no sadness) Tape the strips into loops. Help kids carefully thread their needles with fishing line or thread and tie firm knots at the end of the thread. Push the needle through one edge of each paper loop. Secure with a square knot. Continue adding loops to the ring strings, leaving several inches of thread between loops. Tie the end of the thread to a paper clip to create a hanger. Encourage kids to display the ring strings at home and to thank Jesus for preparing a wonderful place where believers can be with Him forever. WRAP UP Show The Ascension: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to parents. Notes Choice 1 Kids Activity Pages CD improvised pick-up stick set: foam swim noodles, bent chenille stems, or a jumble of plastic kitchen utensils Option: Answering Kids Questions CD. Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages printed scrapbook or colored paper Cut into 1-inch-by-6-inch strips. fine point markers or gel pens clear tape fine fishing line or white thread darning needles BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

52 UNIT 2 BEING A FRIEND LIFE POINT God loves people no matter what happens. The Good Samaritan LEADER BIBLE STUDY BIBLE PASSAGE Luke 10:25-37 LIFE VERSE As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:9 (KJV) As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. John 15:9 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE 1 John 4:7 Have you ever felt compelled to offer someone emergency assistance? It is not uncommon to hear about people who risk their lives during catastrophic accidents or events to attempt to save the lives of others. What happens if someone tries and fails? Most states have laws that protect people from legal liability if they attempt to help others in crises. They are known as good Samaritan laws. Jesus parable of the good Samaritan is one of His best known. Most people understand Jesus point was that we should offer assistance to those in need Jesus Himself called the two greatest commandments. (See Matthew 22:36-39.) The unsatisfied lawyer quizzed Jesus further, And who is my neighbor? Jesus then told the parable. Did Jesus actually answer the lawyer s question? Why or why not? What question did Jesus ask at the conclusion of the parable? What command did Jesus give? just as the Samaritan did for the man Be sensitive to kids who have questions about God s plan of salvation. The Gospel Presentation Poster (Pack Item 20) provides help in talking to kids. Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. beaten by robbers. We should not do as the priest and the Levite did both ignored the man and walked by on the opposite side of the road. That was, of course, the main point of Jesus story. But we must consider why He told it to begin with. An expert in Mosaic Law asked Him a pointed question about inheriting eternal life. Jesus replied with a question of His own (as He often did when confronting sarcasm). He asked the lawyer what was in the law. The lawyer answered correctly with what LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: People are God s most important creation. Grades 4 6: Each person is unique and of value to God. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 52 SeSSion 1 DATE OF USE

53 BIBLE STORY THE GOOD SAMARITAN A lawyer who was an expert in the Law of Moses stood up to challenge Jesus. He asked, Master, what do I need to do to inherit eternal life? Jesus asked, What is written in the Law? The lawyer answered, Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Jesus said the lawyer was correct. Then the lawyer asked, Who is my neighbor? Jesus told a parable to help everyone understand. Jesus said, There was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. Thieves attacked him, beat him, and took everything he had. They left him there to die. A priest came walking down the road. When he saw the injured man, this priest crossed to the other side and walked on past. A Levite also came upon the injured man. When the Levite saw him, he passed on the other side, as well. A Samaritan came down that same road. When the Samaritan came upon the injured man, he stopped. The Samaritan treated and bandaged the man s wounds. He put the man on his donkey and took him to an inn. There, he took care of the man. The next day, as the Samaritan was leaving, he gave the innkeeper two pence to take care of the injured man until he returned. The Samaritan promised to pay anything extra once he returned. Review Questions Who challenged Jesus? (a lawyer who was an expert in the Law of Moses) What did the lawyer ask Jesus? (What do I need to do to inherit eternal life?) How was the lawyer supposed to love his neighbor? ( as you love yourself ) Who walked past the injured man on the road? (a priest and a Levite) Who stopped and helped the injured man? (a Samaritan) What did the Samaritan give to the innkeeper? (two pence) What did the lawyer say that the Samaritan showed to the injured man? (mercy) When Jesus finished, He asked the lawyer which of the three men acted like a neighbor to the injured man. The lawyer answered, The man who showed mercy. Jesus told the lawyer to go and do the same. BASED ON LUKE 10:25-37 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

54 Grades 1-3 masking tape Tape a hopscotch grid on the floor. half sheets of paper On separate papers print: Jerusalem, Jericho, Levite, Samaritan, denarii, pence, Father, love. Option: Good Samaritan Words (CD) Option: The Good Samaritan coloring page (CD) 2 chairs Place the chairs on 1 side of the room. masking tape Tape start lines on the floor several feet from each chair. 2 rolls of toilet paper PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Invite kids to open their Bibles to John 15:9. Encourage children to pronounce the words on the hopscotch papers. Identify which words are the names of cities (Jerusalem, Jericho), which ones are people groups (Levite, Samaritan), which ones are types of money (denarii, pence), and which ones are from the Bible verse (Father, love). Guide kids to take turns playing hopscotch. Each child will choose one word to tape on the hopscotch grid. He will say the word each time he hops through the grid, avoiding the space containing his word. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Form two teams. Invite one child from each team to be the injured person. Each injured player sits in a chair and holds a roll of toilet paper. The other team members will stand behind the lines. On your signal, Runner 1 from each team behind the line will speed walk to his injured player, take the toilet paper, and wrap his injured player s hand, foot, wrist, ankle, or head three times. Runner 1 will then speed walk back and tag the next team member in line. The injured player may help by holding the toilet paper in place. If time permits, repeat the relay with a new injured player for each team. Share how today s Bible story is about an injured man. Play The Good Samaritan: Introduction video. DVD Click on the missions tab on the DVD menu to find the video Families Reaching Families. International Missions: Czech (CD) Print and photocopy Czech Out This Camp! (1 per child). MISSIONS EMPHASIS Distribute copies of Czech Out This Camp! and pencils. Show the missions video, Families Reaching Families. Together guide kids to solve the puzzle one word at a time. Tip: For beginning readers, copy the word search grid on a large poster and solve it together. Invite volunteers to pray that Czech families make plans to attend summer camp this year. 54 SeSSion 1

55 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Give each person three blank cards. Challenge kids to explore their Bibles and find the name of a New Testament person, a New Testament place, and a New Testament event. Direct kids to write one name on each card. (For very small groups, prepare some cards before the session to add to the stack.) Place the cards facedown on a table in any order. Encourage kids to turn over two cards at a time, attempting to match two people, places, or events. For example, Peter and Paul would count as a match (two people). Prompt kids to use the Bible dictionary to locate names they do not recognize. Grades 4-6 Bible dictionary index cards Option: The Good Samaritan coloring page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Lead kids to find partners one doctor and one patient. Direct the first set of partners to choose an Owies! card and stand in front of the group. Give partners 60 seconds to pantomime the injury or illness and a way to treat it. The first person to guess the injury may act out the next owie with her partner. Comment that Jesus told a parable about someone with a serious owie to teach about God s unconditional love. Play The Good Samaritan: Introduction video. gift bag or basket index cards On separate cards write broken arm, nosebleed, sprained ankle, flu, bee sting, toothache, stubbed toe. Option: Owies! (CD) MISSIONS EMPHASIS Distribute copies of Czech Out This Camp! and pencils. Show the missions video, Families Reaching Families. Lead kids to solve the puzzle. Invite volunteers to pray that Czech families make plans to attend summer camp this year. DVD Click on the missions tab on the DVD menu to find the video Families Reaching Families. International Missions: Czech (CD) Print and photocopy Czech Out This Camp! (1 per child). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

56 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, John 15:9 Life Verse Teaching Picture 7 Kids Activity Pages CD index cards (4 per child) Weekly Bible Verse 1 John 4:7 1. BIBLE STORY Direct kids to locate John 15:9. Ask: What does God tell us to do in the verse? (love) Instruct kids to show a thumbs up when someone shows love for another person or a thumbs down when someone does not. Open your Bible to Luke 10: Encourage kids to repeat the words they learned in Practice Bible Skills while you tell the Bible story. Display the Teaching Picture as you lead kids to identify the people. Sing Jesus Is (track 6). 2. REVIEW Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Invite kids to Break the Code on their Kids Activity Pages. Assign each question on the Kids Activity Page to a child or small group of children. Ask each question and guide the assigned kids to answer it as they move (such as hop on one foot, fall on the ground, five jumping jacks, or another type of movement). Recall how Jesus told the man to show mercy to other people. Explain how mercy is being kind, gentle, and loving to people no matter how they treat you. Talk about how God loves people no matter what happens. 3. LIFE VERSE Challenge kids to make up motions for the words of John 15:9. For example, invite the kids to cross their arms over their chest to make the sign language for the word love each time they say it. Guide kids to say the verse with the motions several times. Then lead kids to do the movements without saying any words. Share how God cares about how we show love to other people. Sing Friends for Life (track 5). Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, 1 John 4:7. 4. LIFE ACTION Give four index cards to each child. Ask boys and girls to name four people who need love such as a sick relative, a lonely classmate, a poor neighbor, and so forth. Guide each child to draw on each card a picture of the child showing love for the person he chose. Invite the children to pray silently, encouraging them to ask God to help them show love for others. Comment that God showed His love for us by sending Jesus to rescue us from sin. Show The Good Samaritan: Life Action video. 56 SeSSion 1

57 LIFE POINT God loves people no matter what happens. Grades LIFE VERSE Display John 15:9 Life Verse. Lead kids to read it aloud with you. Guide kids to choose partners (girls with girls, boys with boys). Partner 2 should stand behind Partner 1, toes to heels. Partner 1 will say the first word of John 15:9. Partner 2 will move to the front of Partner 1, heels to toes, and say the second word. Repeat until partners say the verse. Combine two sets of partners. Kids will move and say every fourth word. Continue combining groups until all girls are in one line and all boys are in another line. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, 1 John 4:7. 2. BIBLE STORY Invite kids to find Luke 10: Read verses and ask: Who challenged Jesus? (lawyer) How did Jesus respond? (He asked the lawyer what the Old Testament law said.) Explain that after Jesus pointed the lawyer back to the Old Testament Scriptures, He told a parable. Remind kids that a parable is a story Jesus told to help people understand a truth about God and His kingdom. Continue telling the Bible story, encouraging kids to follow along in their own Bibles. Stop when Jesus completes the parable. Read aloud verses Lead kids to speculate whether the lawyer understood that people should be neighbors to anyone who is in need. God loves people no matter who they are or what happens to them. Sing Friends for Life (track 5). Explain that God showed His love for everyone by sending Jesus to rescue all of us from sin. 3. LIFE ACTION Lead kids to discuss situations that could make a person think God has forgotten him or does not love him. Ask: What evidence could you give this person that God loves him, no matter what happens? Show The Good Samaritan: Life Action video. Invite kids to pray silently, thanking God for His unconditional love. 4. REVIEW Form two teams. Place the cup in the center of a table as kids form a circle around the table. Give everyone a cotton ball. Kids will take turns tossing their balls toward the cup. When a player s ball lands inside the cup, she may answer a review question for her team. Keep score if desired. Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, John 15:9 Life Verse Teaching Picture 7 CD cotton balls (1 per child) large disposable cup Weekly Bible Verse 1 John 4:7 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

58 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 Pack Item 12: Bandages painter s tape Tape start and end lines on the floor. basket Place Bandages in the basket at the start line. Choice 2 stickers empty cans with plastic lid Cut a slit in the middle of the lid. Option: Make 1 bank for the group. Invite kids to bring coins to fill the bank. CHOICE 1: LOVE BANDAGES Form two teams. Each team will form a straight line behind the start line. Explain the actions and motions: Talk walk as you talk to people on either side of you Smile skip while you are smiling Listen take giant steps while cupping your ear Serve walk sideways with your arms out as if to say: After you Pray walk with your hands clasped as if you are praying Guide the first player in line to choose a bandage from the basket, read it, toss it back in, and walk from the start to the end line and back, performing the motion. Lead players to tag the next person in line. The second player will choose a card from the basket, read it, toss it back in, and perform the action in the same manner. Continue the game until all children participate twice. Guide kids to share at least five ways they can show love for others. (talk, smile, listen, serve, and pray) Remind kids that God loves people no matter what happens. Encourage kids to follow Jesus example of loving others by showing love to others using the five ways. CHOICE 2: CLASS BANKS Help kids cut papers to completely cover the cans. On their papers lead kids to write God loves people no matter what happens. Invite kids to decorate the paper with markers and stickers and tape the paper around the can. Recall how the Samaritan gave two pence to the innkeeper to pay for the injured man. Challenge boys and girls to apply what they learned by taking their banks home, filling them with coins to give to people in need, and bringing them back to the class in a few weeks. Talk about special ministries that your church does to reach out to people in need. Lead kids to pray, asking God to help the boys and girls as they give and show love to others. Give the coins to a special ministry or to your church at the end of the unit. WRAP UP Show The Good Samaritan: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 58 SeSSion 1

59 LIFE POINT God loves people no matter what happens. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: WHAT (NOT) TO SAY Call on kids to find and read aloud these verses: Deuteronomy 31:8; Joshua 1:9; Lamentations 3:25; John 16:33; Romans 8:31; Romans 8: Comment that talking about God s unconditional love can encourage people who are sad or worried. Set out the What (Not) to Say Gameboard. Let each player select a token and place it on the Start circle. Kids will take turns tossing the numbered cube and moving accordingly. Each space contains a difficult situation a friend might encounter. If the player moves an even number of spaces, he should share an encouraging thing to tell the person experiencing that situation. If he tosses an odd number, the player should share an inappropriate way to respond to the designated person. Then lead kids to briefly discuss how to handle the situation if someone responds in the inappropriate manner mentioned. Continue play as time permits. Urge kids to carefully and compassionately choose their words when speaking to someone experiencing difficult times. CHOICE 2: LIKES AND UNLIKES Lead kids to respond to Define and Decide on the Kids Activity Pages and share their conclusions. Explain that the definition of neighbor that the lawyer desired could have been someone who was just like himself. Tape a 6-foot line on the floor. Give everyone 2-3 sticky notes. Challenge kids to write descriptions of someone just like themselves or someone unlike themselves on separate notes. (Examples: a disaster victim, someone who plays a musical instrument, an 80-year-old.) When they finish, kids should place the notes on the tape line. Direct kids, in turn, to stand about three feet from the end of the line and toss the beanbag or jar grip. Kids should share a way to show God s unconditional love to the person described on the note nearest the beanbag. Encourage kids to actively seek ways they can show God s love to people who are least like themselves. WRAP UP Show The Good Samaritan: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 Pack Item 23: What (Not) to Say Gameboard coins or colored candies for game tokens numbered cube Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages pencils or fine point markers sticky notes masking or painters tape beanbag or rubber jar grip BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

60 LIFE POINT God has a plan for every person. Esther BIBLE PASSAGE Esther 2:2-18; 4:5-17; 5:1-14; 7; 8:8-17 LIFE VERSE As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:9 (KJV) As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. John 15:9 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Psalm 32:8 Print a One Conversation Placemat for each child ( com/extra). Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. LEADER BIBLE STUDY Each year Jewish people around the world celebrate the Feast of Purim. Usually held in March, it is a time of costume parties, eating, and drinking. Some call it the Jewish Mardi-Gras. Purim commemorates the life of the Hebrew heroine Esther (Hebrew: Hadassah) who thwarted a deadly plot against the Jews in ancient Persia. Esther was a beautiful Jewish woman who was brought into the palace of Persian King Ahasuerus. He chose her to become his wife and queen. Meanwhile, Haman, the king s evil prime minister, had the king issue a decree that everyone bow down to him or die. Haman knew that the Jews would pay homage to no one but God and would be exterminated. Neither the king nor Haman, however, knew that Queen Esther was Jewish. Her guardian, Mordecai, quietly informed Esther of the plot. When she heard the terrible news the queen risked her life by going in to see the king even though he had not called for her. She invited the king to a banquet. At the banquet Esther exposed the scheme by Haman to kill her people. The king was outraged, and had Haman hanged. Since the original decree could not be revoked, the king allowed Esther and Mordecai to write another decree that would be far worse for those opposed to the Jews. The new decree granted the Jews special favor and allowed them to destroy their persecutors. What does the story of Esther say about the providence and care of God for His people? Does God still work through unseen circumstances to bring about His purposes? How? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: God has a plan for my life. Grades 4 6: God s plan for my life is that I accept Jesus as Savior and obey Him. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 60 SeSSion 2 DATE OF USE

61 BIBLE STORY ESTHER King Ahasuerus needed a queen. Esther was a young woman being raised by her cousin, Mordecai. He sent her to the palace to see if she could be queen. No one knew that she was a Jew. Mordecai told her not to tell anyone. The king crowned Esther as his queen. A servant of the king, Haman, planned to kill the Jewish people. One day, Queen Esther sent for her helper. Find out why Mordecai is crying in the streets. Mordecai said, Esther, you must help your people. Haman has tricked the king into making a law that all Jews must be killed. Go to the king. Beg for our lives! Esther sent a message to Mordecai, Go and assemble all the Jews you can find and fast for me. Don t eat or drink for three days. My servants and I will do the same. Then I will go to the king even though he has not sent for me. If I die, I die. On the third day, Esther went to the king. The king stretched out his scepter to Esther. What do you want? I will give you anything I have. Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. The king may have been surprised at Esther s request, but he and Haman came to the banquet. Again, the king asked, What do you want, Esther? Esther invited the king and Haman to another banquet the next day. At the second banquet, the king said, Whatever you ask will be given to you. This time, Esther answered. Please spare the lives of my people. This evil Haman wants to kill the Jews! The King was angry and had Haman killed. He promoted and honored Mordecai. The people were so happy that they had parties all across the whole land. Review Questions What did Mordecai tell Esther not to tell as she went to the palace? (not to tell that she was a Jew) What did Haman plan to do to the Jewish people? (kill them) Why was Mordecai crying in the streets? (Haman had tricked the king into making a law that all Jews must be killed.) What did the king do and say to Esther? (The king held out his scepter and offered to give her anything he had.) What did Esther ask the king? (for the king and Haman to attend two banquets; then, to spare her life and the lives of the other Jews) What happened to Haman? (The king had him killed.) What happened to Mordecai? (The king promoted and honored him.) BASED ON ESTHER 2:2-18; 4:5-17; 5:1-14; 7; 8:8-17 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

62 Grades sheets of 11-by-17- inch paper Cut into 9 strips (11-by-33/4- inches). Fold each strip in half. Write one book (or books) on the right side of the fold of each strip: 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes. 15 feet of yarn Option: Esther coloring page (CD) gift wrap paper cardboard tube foil Wrap the tube with foil. Option: Attach a foil ball to 1 end. 200-plus pennies 2 large bowls Pour 100-plus pennies into each bowl. PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Hide the strips around the room. Guide kids to find the hidden slips and then find the Bible books in the table of contents of their Bibles. Note: For larger groups, guide two kids to work together. Tell two kids to hold the piece of yarn tightly. Lead kids to hang the books of the Bible papers on the yarn in the correct order. After kids correctly place the books, practice saying the books. Remove each paper one at a time until the Book of Esther remains. Remark that today s Bible story is from the Book of Esther. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Stand at the other side of the room. Explain that when you point your scepter at a child, she will walk to you in a manner she chooses (heel to toe, crab walk, hopping, jumping, slow motion). Tell kids they must freeze when you point the scepter at them. Point the scepter, giving each child a turn. When a child reaches you, she will tell you what she is going to do when she goes home today. Say: It is fun to hear about your plans. Today we will learn that God has a plan for every person. Play Esther: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Form two teams of kids. Tell kids that each penny stands for one person in the Czech Republic. At your signal, teams will race to count one hundred pennies. Lead kids to show you one percent of the pennies (or one penny). Explain that less than one percent of the people in the central Czech Republic know and follow Jesus. Challenge kids to pray that the Johnsons ministry will lead many Czech people to know and follow Jesus. 62 SeSSion 2

63 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS For fun, lead kids to make headbands from construction paper. Lead kids to wear their headbands while they stand with their Bibles at their sides. One at a time, read each Scripture reference below, challenging kids to be first to find the famous, faithful female named in the verse. The first finder of the famous female gets a gem on his headband! Famous Faithful Females Joshua 6:23 (Rahab) Genesis 21:1-2 (Sarah) Genesis 24:15 (Rebekah) 1 Samuel 1:20 (Hannah) Judges 4:4 (Deborah) Esther 2:7 (Esther) Ruth 1:16 (Ruth) 1 Samuel 25:3 (Abigail) Grades 4-6 package of self-adhesive gems (or non-adhesive gems with double-sided tape or stickers) construction paper masking tape (optional) Option: Esther coloring page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY On cards guide kids to write silly ways to walk or move. Place the cards in a bag. Choose a king/queen to sit on a throne at the end of the room. The remaining kids are temporarily the subjects. Place the bag of cards near the subjects. Subject 1 begins: May I approach the throne? The king replies: You may draw a card, read it aloud, and approach the throne. If Subject 1 approaches the throne in that manner, he becomes the new king. Play until everyone enjoys a brief reign. Then comment that in today s Bible story, the proper manner of approaching the throne was a matter of life or death. Play Esther: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Form two teams of kids. Tell kids that each penny stands for one person in the Czech Republic. At your signal, teams will race to count one hundred pennies. Lead kids to show you one percent of the pennies (or one penny). Explain that less than one percent of the people in the central Czech Republic know and follow Jesus. Challenge kids to pray that the Johnsons ministry will lead many Czech people to know and follow Jesus. gift bag index cards 1 per child 200-plus pennies 2 large bowls Pour 100-plus pennies into each bowl. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

64 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, John 15:9 Life Verse Teaching Picture 8 Kids Activity Pages CD name tags On each name tag print 1 name: Esther, King, Mordecai, Haman. name tags (1 per child) soft foam ball For larger groups, gather more than 1 ball. Weekly Bible Verse Psalm 32:8 1. BIBLE STORY Sing Friends for Life (track 5). Guide kids to find the Book of Esther. Invite one girl and three boys to stand at the front of the room. Give name tags to the kids, assigning each child a person from the Bible story. Lead the actors to step forward when they are a part of the story and step back when they are not. Open your Bible to Esther and tell the Bible story. 2. REVIEW Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Guide kids to fill in the blanks to review the Bible story. Invite children to sit in a circle. Guide kids to pass the wrapping paper scepter around the circle and say: God has a plan for you. Tell the child holding the scepter on the word you to point it toward another child. Invite the two children to answer a review question together. Repeat for each review question. Display the Teaching Picture. Recall how Esther saved her people because God had a plan for her and her people. Remark: Jesus is God s plan for bringing people back to Himself. Lead the group to pray, thanking God that Jesus is His plan. 3. LIFE VERSE Invite one child to be the tosser and hold the foam ball. Guide boys and girls to stand in a straight line (across from the tosser) and hold their arms out in front of them like basketball hoops. Assign a John 15:9 Life Verse word or phrase to each remaining child. Encourage the tosser to toss the ball through the hoops in order. Direct the child with the assigned word to say his word as the ball goes through his arms. Lead the tosser to trade places with another child and take his assigned Life Verse word or phrase. Play until everyone has a turn to toss. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Psalm 32:8. 4. LIFE ACTION Sing Let My Actions Match My Passion (track 7). Distribute a name tag to each child. On their name tags guide children to print God has a plan for (child s name). Invite kids to put their name tags on. Go around the circle and read each child s name tag. Emphasize how God has a plan for every person. Show Esther: Life Action video. 64 SeSSion 2

65 LIFE POINT God has a plan for every person. Grades BIBLE STORY Show the Teaching Picture and give a brief overview of the Bible story. Distribute copies of Reader s Theatre. Explain that a reader s theater is a play with audio only, so readers should be expressive and dramatic. Assign parts (double up if your group is small) and lead kids to read aloud the script. Guide kids to examine Esther 4:14. Ask: Why did Mordecai tell Esther she had become queen? Do you agree with him? Why or why not? Comment that just as God had a plan for Esther to save her people, He had a plan to save all people to send Jesus to bring everyone back to Him. 2. REVIEW Toss a beanbag to a child. That person will describe any event from the Book of Esther. He may use his Bible if needed. The person on his left should identify something that happened before the named event; the person on his right should identify something that happened after it. Repeat until everyone participates. Option: Toss the beanbag and ask review questions. Challenge kids to read the entire story of Esther on their own. 3. LIFE VERSE Sing Friends for Life (track 5). Display John 15:9 Life Verse. Lead kids to read it aloud a few times. Conceal the verse or lead kids to turn their backs. Say the verse, swapping the position of any two words. (As Father the ) Challenge kids to edit your mistake. Repeat several times, or allow volunteers to swap words for the rest of the group to correct. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Psalm 32:8. 4. LIFE ACTION Assert that God has a plan for all people and that the plan is made clear in His Word. Lead kids to find these Bible verses and identify what God has planned: 2 Peter 3:9 (repentance from sin); John 3:17 (to be saved through Jesus); Ephesians 2:10 (to do good works). If appropriate at this time, review God s plan of salvation with kids using the Gospel Presentation Poster as a guide. Show Esther: Life Action video. Lead girls and boys to pray. Ask God to daily reveal His plan to kids and to help them follow it. Notes Pack Items 3, 4, 20, 24: Being a Friend Banner, John 15:9 Life Verse, Gospel Presentation Poster, Reader s Theatre Teaching Picture 8 CD beanbag Weekly Bible Verse Psalm 32:8 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

66 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 4 chairs paper On each piece of paper write a point value: 5, 10, 15, 20. Tape each paper to a chair. Choice 2 heavy paper strips Cut into 2-by-11-inch strips. various colors of heavy colored paper Cut several right-angled triangles that are 3-inches (base) by 5-inches (height). CHOICE 1: RACE TO THE THRONE Place the kids into four teams. Set up four chairs (thrones) with point values in the front of the room. Call out a Bible book (such as John, Esther, Psalm, and Genesis). For more advanced kids, call out Bible verses (John 15:9; Esther 2:17; Psalm 32:8; and so forth). On Go, each team will find the book in a Bible and give the opened Bible to an assigned runner. The runner will race to the throne, carrying the Bible, and try to sit in the chair with the highest point value. Once each team has a player in a chair, check the open Bibles. If the team found the correct Bible book (or verse), the team earns the point value of the chair. (It is possible for all teams to earn points.) If the team s book (or verse) is incorrect, the team does not earn the point value of the chair. Play several times, giving each child a turn to be a runner. Tell kids that the Bible tells about God s plan for us through Jesus. By reading it every day, we can know how to follow Him. CHOICE 2: CROWNS Guide kids to make a crown using the following steps: Measure a paper strip around the child s head. Staple two strips together, if necessary. Guide kids to line up the base of a right-angled triangle even with the bottom of the strip and tape it. (The 5-inch side of the triangle will extend straight up vertically.) Overlap the next triangle (facing the same direction as the first triangle) and tape it to the strip. Tape the triangles around the strip. Invite kids to count the number of points on their crown. Guide kids to name the same number of people for whom God has a plan and write each name on one of the points of their crown. Suggestions can include parents, siblings, grandparents, neighbors, teachers, and friends. Remind kids that the Jewish people were saved because Queen Esther trusted God and had courage. Encourage kids to not be hesitant to tell people about God s plan through Jesus. WRAP UP Show Esther: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 66 SeSSion 2

67 LIFE POINT God has a plan for every person. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: EGG SCRAMBLE Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Lead kids to complete Good Clean Fun and compare answers. Explain that as kids follow God s general plan for all people (trust Jesus, obey parents, give, pray), God will help kids discover the plans that are unique to each person. Assign everyone a type of cooked egg (fried, hard-boiled, omelet, poached). Ensure that there are at least two players per egg description. Direct kids to form a large circle. Place a knotted bandana in the center of the circle. Call out an egg name: Omelet! Those players will race to grab the bandana. The player who grabs the bandana will try to run back to her spot before the other Omelet player tags her. If the player with the bandana returns to her place in the circle untouched, the chasing player will name a way he can follow God s plan. If the chasing player tags her, the tagged player will name a way she can follow God s plan When you call: Scramble! everyone will race for the bandana. Supervise for safety. Immediately, end tug of wars and call for a re-do. Encourage kids to daily follow God s plans. CHOICE 2: LIFE PLANNERS Lead kids to complete Good Clean Fun and compare answers. Comment that discovering God s plan requires effort on the part of His followers. Lead kids to identify ways to pursue God s plan for themselves (Bible study, prayer, obedience, attention to pastors and other Christian leaders and teachers). Tell kids that some people find it helpful to write down prayers, Bible verses, or words of wisdom from pastors and other Christians about following God s plan. Provide planners, stickers, and markers. Instruct kids to decorate the covers of their planners. Encourage children to begin their journals by writing one of their favorite Bible verses on or inside their front covers. Urge kids to make time with God a priority so that He can reveal His plan through prayer and Bible study. WRAP UP Show Esther: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 Kids Activity Pages bandana Clear space for an active game or, weather permitting, play outdoors in a safe space. Choice 2 weekly planners or notebooks with blank covers Tip: Check dollar stores for inexpensive options. alphabet stickers permanent markers BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

68 LIFE POINT God wants people to forgive others. Jacob and Esau LEADER BIBLE STUDY BIBLE PASSAGE Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-45; 32:1-23; 33 LIFE VERSE As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:9 (KJV) As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. John 15:9 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Matthew 6:14 The grim faced lawyer glared at the anxious people in his office. We will now proceed with the reading of your father s will. Sadly, many siblings have been torn apart by conflicts over final disposition of their parents estates. Isaac was the younger son of Abraham through whom God promised a great nation would be formed. Isaac had two twin sons by his wife Rebekah. Esau was born first followed immediately by Jacob gripping Esau s heel as they exited the womb. It foreshadowed the rivalry to come between the boys and their Years later, Jacob returned to seek reconciliation with his brother. Thinking Esau might take vengeance he approached cautiously. Esau, however, had already forgiven Jacob and received him without bitterness, even though he had been cheated out of his inheritance and rightful benediction. In your opinion who was the hero of this story? Why? How and why did Esau forgive his brother? Why should we forgive others? Do you feel comfortable sharing God s plan of salvation with kids? The Gospel Presentation Poster can help! Look for item 20 in the leader pack. Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. descendants. Esau was the eldest son and, by law, was to receive the greater share of his father s inheritance. However, the boys conflict kindled when Esau literally gave it away to Jacob for a bowl of porridge. (See Genesis 25:22-26.) The discord further ignited later when Jacob outright stole something else from Esau. Disguising himself as his hairy brother, Jacob approached his aged and blind father and received the blessing that was rightfully Esau s. Furious, Esau threatened to kill Jacob, who fled the country. LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: When I hurt others, I can ask them to forgive me. Grades 4 6: I am able to admit that I have hurt others and ask them to forgive me. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: THINKSTOCK.COM 68 SeSSion 3 DATE OF USE

69 BIBLE STORY JACOB AND ESAU Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons named Esau and Jacob. Esau had hairy skin while Jacob s skin was smooth. Esau liked the outdoors, and Jacob liked to stay home. One day Esau came in while Jacob was cooking. Esau was starving and said he would give Jacob anything if he could just have some stew. Jacob knew what he wanted Esau s birthright. Since Esau had been born first, he would receive an extra part of what their father owned when Isaac died. Esau was so hungry that he sold Jacob his birthright for some stew! When Isaac was old and could not see well, he wanted to give his blessing to Esau. He asked Esau to go hunting and make one of his favorite meals. While Esau was gone, Rebekah helped Jacob trick Isaac so that Jacob would get Isaac s blessing. She made Isaac s favorite food. Jacob pretended that he was Esau by dressing in Esau s clothing and putting goatskins on his hands and neck. Isaac would think Jacob was Esau. The trick worked! Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau. Jacob would be the ruler over his brother and his other relatives. When Esau returned, he was so angry that he wanted to kill Jacob! Rebekah sent Jacob far away to protect him. Years later, Jacob returned home. He sent a message to his brother Esau. He offered Esau animals, hoping Esau would be kind to him. When the messenger returned, he told Jacob that Esau was coming with four hundred men to meet him. Jacob was afraid that his brother was coming to attack him and his family. Instead, Esau ran to meet Jacob! Esau hugged him and kissed him, and the brothers cried! They were glad to be together again. Review Questions Who liked the outdoors? (Esau) Who liked to stay home? (Jacob) Who was hungry and traded his birthright for a bowl of stew? (Esau) Why did Jacob want to trick Isaac? (to receive the blessing that Esau should get) How did Jacob and his mother, Rebekah, trick Isaac? (Rebekah cooked Isaac s food while Esau was away. Jacob dressed in Esau s clothing and pretended to be Esau.) What did Esau do when he found out that Jacob had tricked him? (He was so angry that he wanted to kill Jacob.) What did Rebekah do to protect Jacob? (sent him far away) What happened when Jacob returned home years later? (Esau ran to meet him. The brothers hugged and cried.) BASED ON GENESIS 25:27-34; 27:1-45; 32:1-23; 33 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

70 Grades 1-3 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Option: Jacob and Esau coloring page (CD) Invite kids to play I Spy Letters by finding letters around the room. Kids may look at posters, signs, books, or the Bible to find the letters. Allow kids to shout the name of the letter and point to it when they find it. Call out the following letters (one at a time): E, P, H, E, S, I, A, N, S. Challenge kids to name the book of the Bible you spelled. Guide boys and girls to find Ephesians 4:32 in their Bibles. Invite kids to read aloud the verse. Explain that forgive means to stop having hurt feelings or want to get back at someone who has hurt you. Kids Activity Pages INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Guide kids to follow the Maze and Match paths to find people they can forgive. Challenge the children to stand or lie on the floor and form the letters FORGIVE with their bodies. Encourage each child to be a part of forming the letters. As time allows, encourage kids to spell names of the people we can forgive, such as BROTHER, MOM, or DAD. Explain how today s Bible story is about a man who forgave his brother. Play Jacob and Esau: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS cotton balls or Ping Pong balls 2 plastic cups Review the missions story of the Johnsons and the family camps they lead. Guide kids to play a game like one at the family camp. Form two teams. Set the cups upside down about six inches from the end of a table. At Go, the first player on each team will blow the cotton ball along the table, around the team s cup, and back to the next player. If the ball falls off the table, the player must start again. Allow each child to have a turn. Talk about how playing wacky games together provides opportunities for the Johnsons to share truths about Jesus. 70 SeSSion 3

71 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Guide kids to use the Bible resources you brought to research each name. When kids find a family connection between any two names, direct the kids to connect the cards with a piece of yarn. Multiple connections are possible. (Example: Isaac was Rebekah s husband and Jacob s and Esau s father.) Explain that the Old Testament contains many stories about family situations that required forgiveness. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Lead kids to find partners. Partner A will hold the ruler in mid air with the one-inch side down. Partner B will hold his hand at the bottom of the ruler, ready to pinch it with his thumb and index/middle fingers when Partner A drops it. At your command Partner A should drop the ruler. The distance the ruler drops is an indication of Partner B s reaction time the quicker the reaction, the smaller the number of inches the ruler drops. Allow kids to switch roles and try again. Observe that people are sometimes quick to grab onto an insult or offense and slow to let it go or forgive! Play Jacob and Esau: Introduction video. Grades 4-6 Bible dictionary, concordance, or searchable Bible app 11 index cards On separate cards write: Rebekah, Laban, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Miriam, Aaron, Moses, Joseph, Reuben, Judah. Option: Family Connections (CD) Tape the cards to a wall in random order. yarn Option: Jacob and Esau coloring page (CD) several 12-inch rulers MISSIONS EMPHASIS Review the missions story of the Johnsons and the family camps they lead. Guide kids to play a game like one at the family camp. Form two teams. Set the cups upside down about six inches from the end of a table. At Go, the first player on each team will blow the cotton ball along the table, around the team s cup, and back to the next player. If the ball falls off the table, the player must start again. Allow each child to have a turn. Talk about how playing wacky games together provides opportunities for the Johnsons to share truths about Jesus. cotton balls or Ping Pong balls 2 plastic cups BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

72 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, John 15:9 Life Verse Teaching Picture 9 CD foam bowls wide tape On tape pieces write each word of John 15:9. Make 2 sets of Bible verse words. Tape 1 word inside each foam bowl. Option: Print 2 copies of John 15:9. (CD) business sized envelopes (1 per child) Weekly Bible Verse Matthew 6:14 1. BIBLE STORY Distribute envelopes and scissors. Invite kids to seal the envelopes then cut them down the middle to make two halves. On one half instruct kids to draw one plain face (Jacob) and on the other draw one face with a lot of hair (Esau). Lead kids to slide their hands into the cut portions of the envelopes and place one on each hand. Invite kids to raise the correct puppet as they hear the name during the Bible story. Open the Bible to Genesis 25 and tell Esau and Jacob s story. Encourage kids to act out parts of the story as you tell it a second time. Comment how God wants people to forgive others, just as Esau forgave Jacob. 2. REVIEW Ask review questions, guiding kids to respond with the puppet that represents the correct answer. Display the Teaching Picture. Recall how Jacob had done something wrong but was the one who received forgiveness. Remind kids that we can forgive others because God forgave us through Jesus. Sing We Stand Forgiven (track 4). 3. LIFE VERSE Display John 15:9 Life Verse. Discuss how forgiving people is one way to show love to them. Turn the bowls upside down and place them in a circle. Invite a child to stand in the middle of the circle, spin around two times, and turn over two bowls. If the bowls match, he can keep the bowls. If the bowls do not match, tell him to turn the bowls back over. Guide kids to put the verse in order. Sing Friends for Life (track 5). Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Matthew 6: LIFE ACTION Stand and place your hands on your hips as you give an example of forgiveness. For example, without mentioning names say: I can forgive someone who makes me sad. Invite a child to link arms with you to make a human chain while repeating the sentence and then stating his example, such as cheats. Continue until each child joins the chain. Offer suggestions as needed (is a bully, makes me mad, doesn t tell the truth, is mean, and so on). Pray, asking God to help kids forgive others. Show Jacob and Esau: Life Action video. 72 SeSSion 3

73 LIFE POINT God wants people to forgive others. Grades BIBLE STORY Display the birthright and blessing definitions and the Teaching Picture. Instruct kids to wave a hand or foot when they hear the corresponding name mentioned in the story: Jacob right hand; Esau left hand; Isaac right foot; Rebekah left foot. Open your Bible to Genesis 25 and tell the Bible story. Pause for kids to respond to names and to discuss the significance of birthright and blessing. Next, direct each child to wave her hand or foot that represents the person who needed forgiveness. Mention the possibility that each person in the Bible story committed a forgiveness-worthy offense. Guide kids to name the offenses. Remind kids that they should forgive others because God forgave them through Jesus. 2. REVIEW Whisper one of the following words in a volunteer s ear: Jacob, Esau, birthright, stew, Isaac, gifts, forgave. The child will give a one-word clue each time until the group guesses it. (Example: twin, oldest, hunter Esau.) The first person to guess the word may give the next clues. Count the number of clues each child gives and congratulate the person who gave the least clues. 3. LIFE VERSE Display the John 15:9 Life Verse. Lead kids to say the verse, standing on one foot when they say oneletter words, both feet for two-letter words, sitting for three-letter words, and standing with both hands raised for words of four letters or more. Practice in slow motion, then increase speed as kids master the Life Verse. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Matthew 6: LIFE ACTION Sing We Stand Forgiven (track 4). Call for a show of hands to indicate kids who have had to practice forgiveness in the past week. Call for kids to indicate who has had to practice forgiveness in the past 24 hours. Invite willing volunteers to share their experiences. Comment that kids should be willing to forgive quickly and often! Show Jacob and Esau: Life Action video. Ask kids to consider if they have failed to extend forgiveness to a friend or family member. Pray, asking God to give kids the courage and grace to forgive as completely as He forgives them. Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, John 15:9 Life Verse, Teaching Picture 9 CD colored paper Write the following definitions. Birthright The oldest son of a family had special privileges called the birthright. The holder of the birthright would receive twice as much of his father s estate as any of his brothers when his father died. Blessing A father often gave a blessing to his oldest son. The blessing included good things that would happen and ways God would bless the son in the future. Option: Birthright and Blessing (CD) Weekly Bible Verse Matthew 6:14 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

74 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 bandanas Cut into 1½-inch wide strips (1 strip per child) bowls of water wooden beads permanent markers Choice 2 beach ball CHOICE 1: BANDANA BRACELET Guide each child to make a bracelet using the following steps: Lead kids to find and work with a partner. Instruct kids to write on separate beads each letter of the word F-O-R-G-I-V-E. Invite each child to choose one bandana strip. Guide children to place the strip into the bowl of water. Instruct one child to hold one end of the strip while the second child twists the bandana strip. Guide the child to slide wooden beads onto the strip. Tie the strip loosely around the child s wrist. Guide the kids to switch places so they each can make a bracelet. Talk to girls and boys about the meaning of forgiveness. Invite kids to share experiences where they forgave a friend. Explain how Esau forgave Jacob. Guide children to use the bracelet as a reminder to show forgiveness to others. CHOICE 2: TEAMWORK RELAY Designate a starting point on one side of the room, then set two chairs on the opposite side. Form two teams of kids. Instruct each team member to find a partner (girl/girl or boy/boy).explain how partners from each team will carry a beach ball to a chair and back. Kids may place the ball between their backs, heads, shoulder, or hips (or other creative ways). Tell boys and girls that they may not use their hands. Challenge kids to work together to walk to the chair and back. Before they pass the ball to the next two kids in line, lead children to name a time/event where they should show forgiveness. Comment how God wants us to be loving and forgiving to others. Remind girls and boys how Esau forgave Jacob. WRAP UP Show Jacob and Esau: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 74 SeSSion 3

75 LIFE POINT God wants people to forgive others. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: STUFF I LIKE ABOUT YOU Lead kids to complete Go Fly a Kite! on the Kids Activity Pages. Invite volunteers to share their responses. Observe that the people we are closest to (such as siblings or good friends) generally require forgiveness the most often. Guide girls and boys to find and read Genesis 33:4-10. Help them compare and contrast the twins attitudes toward one another at the beginning and at the end of today s Bible story. Call attention to the positive comments Jacob made to Esau in verse 10. Encourage kids to make Stuff I Like About You acrostics using their siblings or friends names. On drawing paper direct kids to vertically print the name of a sibling or friend. Beside each letter, they can print a positive word or phrase that describes that person. (Lisa laughter, individual, sister, academic.) Guide kids to decorate the acrostics with pictures or fancy borders. Encourage kids to give the acrostics to their namesakes and to practice loving and affirming that person instead of holding grudges when conflicts arise. CHOICE 2: LETTER GO! Lead kids to complete Go Fly a Kite! on the Kids Activity Pages. Comment: Sometimes, if we aren t careful, we can develop unforgiving habits. Remember, God tells us to forgive others. Developing a collection of let it go phrases will help us when we are tempted to be unforgiving. Form two teams. Divide the available tiles/beads into two piles. Set the timer for three minutes. Challenge each team to form as many appropriate words or phrases of forgiving habits as possible with their tiles. (Examples: let it go, chill, not worth it, forgive, doesn t matter) Lead kids to explain or justify their words as necessary. Score 100 points for each relevant phrase. Scramble the tiles and divide into new piles. Play additional rounds as time permits. Encourage kids to ask God to help them make forgiveness a habit. WRAP UP Show Jacob and Esau: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to parents. Notes Choice 1 Kids Activity Pages drawing paper or halfsheets of poster paper Choice 2 Kids Activity Pages letter tiles from a board game or lettered plastic beads Option: Don t have letter tiles? Create some by writing uppercase letters on 1-inch squares of heavyweight paper. stopwatch or timer BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

76 LIFE POINT The church helps meet the needs of people. The Antioch Church LEADER BIBLE STUDY BIBLE PASSAGE Acts 11:19-30 LIFE VERSE For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Galatians 5:14 (KJV) For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. Galatians 5:14 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Galatians 6:10 Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. What comes to mind when you hear the word church? Dictionaries gives several definitions: a building for public worship; an organization of believers; public worship. Many young girls heard: Pretty is as pretty does from their mothers as they grew up. That statement could be modified to describe the church: Church is as church does! A church is a powerful, active, and generous body of believers in Christ. One example of that kind of church was in Antioch. In Acts, Luke reported that many persecuted Jewish followers of Jesus scattered. Some went to Antioch in Syria. They preached the gospel and many people were saved including Gentiles! When the Jerusalem church heard what was happening, they sent Barnabas to investigate. Barnabas was impressed by what he found. He also recognized the growing pains of the young congregation. He went to Tarsus to enlist Saul (Paul), and together they taught the new believers at Antioch. But the Antioch church was not just concerned about itself. A spirit-filled prophet from Jerusalem named Agabus predicted a famine would soon hit the Roman Empire. When the famine came, the prosperous Antioch church took up an offering for the financially strapped believers in Jerusalem. Later, they generously supported the mission work of Barnabas and Saul. (See Acts 13:1-3.) Why was Barnabas specifically sent to Antioch? In what ways did Antioch model what a genuine church should be? How does your church follow their example? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: My church meets the needs of other people in my community and around the world. Grades 4 6: God uses the church to accomplish His purposes in the world today. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: THINKSTOCK.COM 76 SeSSion 4 DATE OF USE

77 BIBLE STORY THE ANTIOCH CHURCH The believers in Jerusalem were being mistreated because of their faith in Jesus. Many scattered to other parts of the world. They spoke about Jesus to the people around them, and many more people believed. Some believers shared about Jesus only with the Jews. The believers in Antioch began telling the good news about Jesus to people who were not Jews. A large number of people believed. Word of what was happening in Antioch reached the church in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem church sent Barnabas to help the church in Antioch. Barnabas was a good man who listened to God and had great faith. When Barnabas saw that many people had trusted in Jesus, he encouraged the people to stay strong and remain true to God. Barnabas left Antioch to search for Saul (later called Paul). Once he found Saul, they went back to Antioch. Barnabas and Saul stayed with the church for a year and taught large groups of people. Antioch is the place where believers were first called Christians. Prophets also came from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of the prophets named Agabus told the Antioch Christians that a famine was coming to the whole Roman world. A famine meant that crops would not grow and that many people would be without food. Review Questions Why were the believers in Jerusalem being mistreated? (because of their faith in Jesus) To whom did the believers in Antioch tell the good news about Jesus? (people who were not Jews) Whom did the church in Jerusalem send to help the church in Antioch? (Barnabas) Where were the believers first called Christians? (in Antioch) What did Agabus tell the Christians in Antioch? (a famine was coming to the whole Roman world) How did the church in Antioch respond to the news about the famine? (Each person gave what he could to help the churches in Judea.) The church in Antioch got together and decided to help the churches in Judea. Each person gave what he could. Barnabas and Saul brought the aid to the elders in Judea. BASED ON ACTS 11:19-30 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

78 Grades 1-3 Pack Item 13: New Testament Cards Kids Activity Pages 5 lunch sacks Label each as follows: Gospels, History, Paul s Letters, General Letters, Prophecy. Line up sacks across the room. basket Place the New Testament Cards in the basket Option: The Antioch Church coloring page (CD) serving tray items: apple, socks, ruler, winter gloves, diaper, card, bandage, spatula Option: On index cards write apple, socks, ruler, gloves, diaper, card, bandage, spatula. International Missions: Czech (CD) Print and photocopy Speak Czech (1 per child). PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Invite children to take turns selecting a New Testament Card from the basket. Guide the child to decide which New Testament division the Bible look is located, run to the sacks, and place the card in the corresponding sack. Guide her to go back to the group and tag the next player, who will go to the basket and repeat the actions of the first player. Provide assistance as needed using The Books of the Bible chart on the Kids Activity Pages. If time allows, guide kids to put the cards with Paul s Letters in order. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Display the items on the serving tray. Ask kids to define serve. (work done for other people or for God) Guide kids to tell how they could use each item on the serving tray to serve others: apple food for hungry socks clothes for families ruler school supplies for kids winter gloves warm items for families diaper baby supplies for new families card birthday cards for neighbors bandage help people who are sick spatula bake cookies for an elderly person Explain how a church in today s Bible story helped another church who was in need. Play The Antioch Church: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Display Speak Czech and help kids practice pronouncing the basic phrases. Remind kids that Czech families learn English at the camp where the Johnson family serves. Pray together for the Czech families who will be learning English at family camp this summer. 78 SeSSion 4

79 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Lead kids to find their Bibles tables of contents. Briefly review the New Testament divisions. (Gospels, History, Paul s Letters, General Letters, Prophecy) Choose someone to stand behind the tape line and toss the beanbag at the cards. The remaining kids will race to find the Bible book that is described on the sheet nearest the beanbag. Allow another volunteer to toss the beanbag. Tell kids that today s Bible story is from the second New Testament book written by Luke and the only New Testament book of History. (Acts) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Grades 4-6 Pack Item 25: New Testament Descriptions painter s tape Place a tape line about 5 feet from the New Testament Descriptions. beanbag Option: The Antioch Church coloring page (CD) Secretly assign each child a number. Announce that kids are to arrange themselves in numerical order without speaking. Kids may only clap their hands the number of times equal to their assigned numbers. When kids successfully complete the activity, make new numerical assignments and challenge children to arrange themselves using another non-verbal signal (stomping, nodding heads, turning around). Comment that cooperation was important to achieve the goal, and that today s story features a group of Christians who cooperated to help a group of Christians. Play The Antioch Church: Introduction video. Option: For small groups, write numbers on several different colors of construction paper. (Write the color/number combination on scratch paper for a volunteer.) Place the papers facedown on a table. Challenge kids to arrange the papers in order while the volunteer signals yes or no non-verbally. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Display Speak Czech and help kids practice pronouncing the basic phrases. Remind kids that Czech families learn English at the camp where the Johnson family serves. Pray together for the Czech families who will be learning English at family camp this summer. International Missions: Czech (CD) Print and photocopy Speak Czech (1 per child). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

80 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, Galatians 5:14 Life Verse Teaching Picture 10 Kids Activity Pages CD colored paper Write 1 location on each paper: Jerusalem, Antioch, and Judea. Attach the papers to 3 different walls. Option: Locations (CD) cardboard tubes Cut tubes in half vertically to make troughs (1 per child). marble or Ping Pong ball See Pack Item 20: Gospel Presentation Poster for helps in talking to kids about God s plan of salvation. Weekly Bible Verse Galatians 6:10 1. LIFE VERSE Distribute the Kids Activity Pages. Lead kids to complete Lots of Love and discover the key word for the Life Verse. Display Galatians 5:14 Life Verse. Invite kids to share what the Life Verse tells them to do. (love neighbor as themselves) Guide kids to say the Life Verse several times. Explain: Jesus meets our greatest need: to be saved from our sin. Invite a volunteer to lead the group as they pray and thank God for Jesus sacrifice on the cross to meet our need to be saved from sin. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Galatians 6: BIBLE STORY Call attention to the locations posted: Jerusalem, Antioch, and Judea. Open the Bible to Acts 11. Stand and invite kids to face Jerusalem with you as you begin telling the Bible story. Guide the kids to change directions with you and face the next city as you mention it. Show the Teaching Picture and talk about ways churches can meet the needs of people. Sing Let My Actions Match My Passion (track 7). 3. REVIEW Lead kids to stand in a circle. Encourage kids to listen to statements and meet in the middle if the statement is true. Once they are in the middle, lead kids to work together to answer a review question. Make statements such as: I am wearing blue. I have a sister. I have a cat. I like to swim. I do not like popcorn. I was born in this state. I have never ridden in an airplane. Sing Jesus Is (track 6). 4. LIFE ACTION Guide kids to stand in a circle as you distribute one cardboard tube half to each child. Place a marble in one of the tubes and guide the child to roll and pass it to the next child. Challenge kids to roll the marble around the circle. Comment that working together is a way we can serve and love others. Lead boys and girls to think of and state ways they can serve others each time they pass the marble. Show The Antioch Church: Life Action video 80 SeSSion 4

81 LIFE POINT The church helps meet the needs of people. Grades BIBLE STORY Open your Bible to Acts 11. Guide kids find the passage in their Bibles. Allow kids to determine how to divide your group roughly in half (boys vs. girls, tie shoes vs. slip-ons, one shirt color vs. another shirt color). Direct half the group to listen for needs early churches had. Direct the other half to listen for ways early churches met needs. Display the Teaching Picture. Tell the Bible story. Prompt each group to share its observations, explaining the purpose of the gift from the church in Antioch. Remind kids that Jesus meets the greatest need of all: to be saved from sin. 2. LIFE VERSE Display Galatians 5:14 Life Verse. Lead kids to read it aloud with you. Tell kids to find partners. Fill in as a partner if you have an odd number of kids. Direct partners to play Rock, Paper, Scissors. Call for the winner of each round. (Rock beats scissors. Scissors cuts paper. Paper covers rock.) Lead the winner of a round to name a way kids can love their neighbors as they love themselves. Switch partners and repeat several times. Challenge kids to explain how the Antioch church loved their neighbors. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Galatians 6: REVIEW Sing Jesus Is (track 6). Invite kids to sit in a circle on the floor. Place the Antioch Story Cards in random order in the middle of the circle. Lead kids to place the events in the correct order, referring to the Bible story in Acts 11:19-30 as needed. 4. LIFE ACTION Explain that churches meet people s needs through tithes and offerings. A tithe is 10 percent of the money a person earns. Distribute Kids Activity Pages and pencils. Help kids complete Get to Work, providing arithmetic assistance as needed. Show The Antioch Church: Life Action video. Pray. Ask God to help your kids be generous and cheerful givers. Sing Let My Actions Match My Passion (track 7). Notes Pack Items 3, 4, 26: Being a Friend Banner, Galatians 5:14 Life Verse, Antioch Story Cards Teaching Picture 10 Kids Activity Pages CD See Pack Item 20: Gospel Presentation Poster for helps in talking to kids about God s plan of salvation. Weekly Bible Verse Galatians 6:10 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

82 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 Pack Item 27: Paper Plate Cookie Basket lightweight paper plates (1 per child) ribbon or yarn Option: Provide fruit or cookies to fill kids baskets. Wrap baskets with clear plastic wrap and secure with ribbons or yarn. Choice 2 paper plates (1 per child) large craft sticks or paint sticks (1 per child) balloons Option: Pour a small amount of rice in each balloon to make it heavier and more difficult to float in the air. CHOICE 1: FOOD BASKETS Guide boys and girls to make a food basket using the following steps: Distribute paper plates. Guide kids to turn their plates over and use markers or crayons to decorate the backs. Assist kids in cutting their plates according to the instructions on the Paper Plate Cookie Basket. On the middle section of the plate lead kids to print Jesus loves you. Show kids how to fold the four sections of the plate like a taco with a flat bottom, making the plate into a basket. Fold the edges around the basket and staple in place. Lead kids to wrap the basket with ribbon or yarn. Remind boys and girls how the church at Antioch gave everything they had so the people in Judea could have food. Challenge each child to take the basket home, put a piece of fruit or cookies it in, and give it to a neighbor. CHOICE 2: LIFE VERSE SERVE Distribute paper plates. On the plates guide kids to write Love your neighbor as yourself and decorate them. Assist each child with stapling a craft stick to the plate to create a paper plate racquet. Help kids find and read Galatians 5:14 in their Bibles. Lead children to form a circle and hit the balloon while saying the Life Verse (one word for each balloon hit). Challenge girls and boys not to let the balloon hit the floor until they say the entire Life Verse. As time allows, guide kids to find partners and continue hitting the balloon back and forth while saying the Life Verse. Encourage boys and girls to name other Bible verses to look up and say as they hit the balloons. WRAP UP Show The Antioch Church: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 82 SeSSion 4

83 LIFE POINT The church helps meet the needs of people. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: DON T FORGET! BIBLE SLIDERS Invite girls and boys to find and read Hebrews 13:16 with you. Explain that it is important that Christians meet others emotional needs as well as their physical needs. Hand a coin to a volunteer and invite her to toss it. For heads, prompt her to name a way she can help meet a person s physical needs. For tails, tell her to name a way she can meet a person s emotional needs. Allow everyone a turn to toss a coin. Distribute sheets of paper. Each child will fold the paper in half vertically, then unfold and cut on the fold line. Lead kids to decorate one strip with pictures and captions, such as Serve! Remember to give! or Meet needs! Fold the decorated strip vertically around the front cover of a Bible. Use the second strip as a splice so that the strip wraps completely around the cover and is not taped to the Bible. Tape the second strip to the top of the first. Then place it around the front cover of a Bible and tape to the bottom of the first strip, cutting off any excess for a firm fit. Encourage kids to follow the advice on the sliders and meet needs by giving to the church and serving others. CHOICE 2: GIVING A-Z Lead kids to recall today s Bible story. Guide kids to think about what the churches in Judea might have done with the money from the Antioch church. Comment that money given to a church may be used for mission trips, giving food to someone, or paying the church s electric bill. Form teams or allow kids to work individually. Give each team a sheet of paper. Direct a team member to print vertically down the left side the letters A-Z. Share your expectations for behavior and then lead kids on a walk around your church building and grounds. Each team should notice and record things people give or things that happen because people give. Challenge teams to locate an item beginning with each alphabet letter. Lead kids back to the room and compare lists. Encourage kids to give regularly and generously to the church. WRAP UP Show The Antioch Church: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 coins colored pencils or markers copy paper Choice 2 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

84 LIFE POINT Follow Jesus example of serving others. Jesus' Example BIBLE PASSAGE John 13:1-17 LIFE VERSE For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Galatians 5:14 (KJV) For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. Galatians 5:14 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Matthew 20:28 Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. LEADER BIBLE STUDY It is common to visit a home and see multiple pairs of shoes lined along the wall. Some cultures expect guests to remove their shoes just inside the door. Let s face it, shoes are dirty. It shows respect when guests remove their shoes in someone s home. In biblical times people walked everywhere they went on dusty roads, wearing sandals. Needless to say, by the end of the day their feet were filthy. Traditionally, a host provided water and towels for their guests to wash their own feet. Washing someone else s feet was considered so demeaning that Hebrew slaves could not be required to do it. So the fact that Jesus stooped to wash His disciples feet astonished them. How could their master lower Himself that far? Jesus made an important point about service. If He willingly humbled Himself to wash their feet, then why could they not do the same for each other? His meaning was that, just as He took the place of a servant, so should they (and so should we). In fact, Jesus would soon be dishonored even more by His arrest and crucifixion. The disciples, too, would face hardships and humiliation as His followers, but such was necessary for the preaching of the gospel. In your opinion, is footwashing as a church ritual appropriate? Why or why not? Name some ways to follow Jesus servant example daily. LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: Jesus wants people to follow Him. Grades 4 6: Jesus wants people to trust Him. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: THINKSTOCK.COM 84 SeSSion 5 DATE OF USE

85 BIBLE STORY JESUS EXAMPLE Jesus knew He was eating His last supper, the Passover meal, with His disciples. After a while Jesus stood up, took off His robe, and put a towel around His waist. He poured water into a bowl and began to wash each disciple s feet. Then He dried them with the towel. Peter asked, Lord, are You going to wash my feet? Jesus answered, What I m doing you don t understand now, but afterward you will know. Peter insisted, You will never wash my feet! Jesus explained that if Peter did not let Him wash his feet, he would have no part with Jesus. When Peter heard this, he said, Then wash not just my feet but my hands and head too! Jesus told him that was not needed. After Jesus finished, He sat down and asked if the men knew what He had done for them. Jesus told them it was right for them to call Him their Master because He was. He told them that because He was their Master, and He had washed their feet, they should wash each other s feet. Jesus explained that He was their example, and they should do what He had done. Review Questions What did Jesus do after the Passover meal was complete? (Jesus began to wash each disciple s feet.) Who asked Jesus Lord, are You going to wash my feet? (Peter) How did Jesus explain that He should wash Peter s feet? (Jesus said that if Peter did not let Him wash his feet, Peter would have no part with Jesus.) What name did Jesus tell his disciples was right for them to call Him? (Master) Who was the example of service for the disciples? (Jesus) Jesus said God would bless the disciples if they did what? (followed Jesus example and served others) Jesus said, You call Me Master and Lord, and I am that. Even though I m your Master and Lord, I washed your feet just as a servant would do. Follow My example and serve others. That is the right thing to do. You will be blessed if you do. BASED ON JOHN 13:1-17 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

86 Grades 1-3 paper strips (5 per child) Option: Jesus Example coloring page (CD) PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Encourage kids to place a bookmark between the Old and New Testaments. Lead boys and girls to place another bookmark in John 13. Guide kids to place bookmarks in the Books of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. Remark that all the books are in the New Testament. Explain the Book of John is the Gospel according to John. John also wrote three letters or epistles called 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. Explain that today s Bible story is from the Gospel according to John. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Kids Activity Pages Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Invite kids to color in tiny feet to answer each question. Place kids into groups of four. Call out numbers from 4-16, inviting each group to place that many feet or hands on the floor. For example: 8 hands: 4 kids with both hands on the floor 7 feet: 3 kids with both feet and 1 child standing on 1 foot 13: could be 4 kids with both feet, 3 with 1 hand, and 1 with 2 hands Discuss how today s Bible story involves both hands and feet. Explain that a custom during Bible times was to remove your sandals and wash your feet when you went into someone s home. Play Jesus Example: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS International Missions: Czech (CD) Print and cut apart Trust Builders. Review the missions story. Explain that missionaries in the Czech Republic want to build trust with the Czech people. Talk about what it means to build trust with people. Scramble the Trust Builders cards and arrange them facedown. Invite a child to select a card, read it, and determine if the action builds trust. Guide kids to change the incorrect actions into trust building actions. Continue until each child has an opportunity to select a card. 86 SeSSion 5

87 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Grades 4-6 Lead kids to find partners and sit back to back. Prompt Partner A to choose one of the four Gospels and read the name of an event (story or chapter heading) found in the book. Partner B has two minutes to locate the same event. He will call out his current location, such as Mark 5, Luke 2, John 14. Partner A will call out: Before! or After! to guide Partner B to the correct event. Switch roles and repeat the activity as time permits. Tell kids that today s Bible story appears only in the Gospel of John. stopwatch Option: Jesus Example coloring page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Direct kids to remove their shoes. Challenge kids to complete the following silly foot tricks using their feet only: Wrap the yarn around one ankle. Arrange the yarn into a square. Arrange the yarn into the first letter of your name. Tie a knot with the yarn Announce that feet play an important role in today s Bible story. Play Jesus Example: Introduction video. 16-inch pieces of yarn (1 per child) MISSIONS EMPHASIS Review the missions story. Explain that missionaries in the Czech Republic want to build trust with the Czech people. Talk about what it means to build trust with people. Scramble the Trust Builders cards and arrange them facedown. Invite a child to select a card, read it, and determine if the action builds trust. Guide kids to change the incorrect actions into trust building actions. Continue until each child has an opportunity to select a card. International Missions: Czech (CD) Print and cut apart Trust Builders. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

88 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 3, 4, 14: Being a Friend Banner, Galatians 5:14 Life Verse, Serving Others Cards Teaching Picture 11 CD Weekly Bible Verse Matthew 20:28 1. BIBLE STORY Sing Love You More (track 3). Open your Bible to John 13. Mimic the movements of Jesus as you tell the story, encouraging kids to do the same. For example, begin by sitting on the floor, then stand, kneel and pretend to wash feet, then sit as directed in the Bible story. Show the Teaching Picture and remark: Jesus came to serve and to give His life to save sinners. 2. REVIEW Guide kids to sit on the floor with both feet straight out. Explain that each child will wiggle his left foot for a yes answer and his right foot for a no answer. Say: The statements I make may be true, but are they from the Bible story? Read key sentences from the Bible story for yes answers. For no answers, say sentences that are not from the story such as: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Peter was a fisherman. Jesus loved children. Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus. Jesus healed many sick people. Peter was a missionary. Ask the review questions. Guide kids to raise one foot in the air to answer. 3. LIFE VERSE Display Galatians 5:14 Life Verse. Guide kids to stomp from their left foot to their right as they say aloud each word of the Life Verse. Encourage kids to jump with both feet on the word love. Invite kids to say the verse again as they tiptoe in place. Tell kids to think of other ways to say the verse and do a different action with their feet. Share how we can show love to our neighbors by serving them. Comment that we can follow Jesus example of serving others. Sing Let My Actions Match Your Passion (track 7). Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Matthew 20: LIFE ACTION Lead kids to think of ways they can serve other people. Guide each child to choose a partner. Partners will choose a Serving Others Card, pantomime the act, and invite the group to guess what they are doing. Encourage boys and girls to think of other ways they can serve people and pantomime the actions. Show Jesus Example: Life Action video. 88 SeSSion 5

89 LIFE POINT Follow Jesus example of serving others. Grades BIBLE STORY Sing Love You More (track 3). Display the Teaching Picture as everyone opens their Bibles to John 13. Tell the Bible story in your own words. Stop when you reach the content of John 13:12 Jesus finishes and puts on a robe. Lead kids to independently read the remainder of the Bible story (verses 12-17). Explain that in Bible times, foot washing was needed for people who walked on dusty roads wearing sandals. A host often provided guests with water to wash their own feet when they arrived at the house. Foot washing was thought to be such a lowly task even a Hebrew slave would not be required to do it. Ask: Why did Jesus wash the disciples feet? What did Jesus want to teach the disciples? Remind kids that Jesus came to serve and to give His life to save sinners. 2. LIFE VERSE Display Galatians 5:14 Life Verse. Direct kids to hop from their left foot to their right as they read each word of the verse. Lead kids to repeat the foot work, but omit the first word of the verse on the first hop. Next, omit two words of the verse on the first two hops. Continue omitting words until kids silently hop through the entire verse. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Matthew 20: LIFE ACTION Sing Let My Actions Match Your Passion (track 7). Emphasize that Jesus washed His disciples feet to set an example. Call for two volunteers to pull a piece of yarn from the gift bag. Prompt the one who drew the shortest piece of yarn to name a way kids can follow Jesus example of serving others. Repeat until everyone participates. Return the yarn to the gift bag. Show Jesus Example: Life Action video. 4. REVIEW Form two teams. Ask a review question to a player from Team 1. If she answers correctly, she may draw a piece of yarn and place it on the floor or table. Repeat with a player from Team 2. Continue asking review questions. Team members will combine their yarn pieces to make one long line. The team with the longest end-toend yarn line wins the game. Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, Galatians 5:14 Life Verse Teaching Picture 11 CD yarn gift bag Cut several pieces of yarn in various lengths and drop them in the gift bag. Weekly Bible Verse Matthew 20:28 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

90 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 Ping Pong balls Print random letters (1 letter per ball). wooden yardstick small plastic cup Tape a cup to 1 end of the yard stick. coffee can or similar container painter s tape Option: If several teams play at the same time, each team will need a set of game props. Choice 2 large sheets of paper (1 per child) washable markers CHOICE 1: LAUNCH, CATCH, ROLL GAME Set up the game props. Tape a 6-foot line on the floor. Lay the can on its side. Place the middle of a yardstick over the can a few feet away from the tape line. Form teams of three kids. Assign each child on a team a job. The stepper will quickly step down on the tip of the yardstick with one foot, which will send the ball flying through the air. The catcher will catch or retrieve the ball and toss it to the roller. The roller will roll the ball along the length of the painter s tape. The catcher will run to the other end of the tape and stop the ball. Demonstrate and then allow teams to play by taking turns. (Consider setting up multiple games, to allow teams to play at the same time.) To play, a team will select a ball, name a way they can serve others (according to the letter on the ball), and place the ball in the cup on the yardstick. On Go team members will do their jobs. When the team completes the jobs, they will shout: SERVE LIKE JESUS! If time allows, team members may rotate jobs and play multiple times. Remind kids how we can follow Jesus example to serve others. CHOICE 2: DRAW WITH YOUR FEET Distribute a piece of paper and marker to each child. Invite boys and girls to use their toes to hold the marker and try to draw on the paper. Talk about places where kids can serve others, such as at church, at home, at school, on sports teams, and so forth. Assist kids as needed to hold the markers with their hands and trace around one of their shoes. Guide boys and girls to incorporate the foot shape into a drawing of a place where they can serve other people. For example, the foot shape could become a football on a sports field, in a swimming pool, or standing beside a hospital bed. Talk about how Jesus served the disciples by washing their feet. Encourage kids to follow Jesus example and look for ways daily to serve others. WRAP UP Show Jesus Example: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 90 SeSSion 5

91 LIFE POINT Follow Jesus example of serving others. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: DIRTY JOBS Call attention to Foot Notes on the Kids Activity Pages. Remind girls and boys that Jesus actions set a servant standard for His disciples to follow. Lead kids to complete The Greatest Servant Ever on the Kids Activity Pages and compare responses. Form two teams or allow kids to compete individually. Set the timer for three minutes. Announce a category below. Lead teams to list jobs that fit each category you name. When time expires, compare lists. The team with the least repeated answers wins the round. Categories Jobs that are stinky or smelly Jobs that take most of the day to finish Jobs that people often forget to do Jobs that elderly people cannot do without help Challenge kids to prayerfully consider the jobs that you named in each round and choose one they can do this week to follow Jesus example of service. CHOICE 2: SERVING A SERVANT Lead girls and boys to find and read Hebrews 6:10 with you. Explain that people who love Jesus and follow His example of humble service do not expect recognition. Propose that kids prepare a treat for someone who faithfully and quietly loves Jesus and follows His example of service. Invite kids to describe people they know who are godly and humble servants. Distribute paper plates, scissors, and copies of Paper Plate Cookie Basket. Help kids follow the instructions to create cookie baskets. Decorate with markers, stickers, or ribbon as desired. Lead each child to fill her basket with cookies or candy. Encourage kids to present the baskets as thank-you gifts to someone who serves Jesus by serving others. WRAP UP Show Jesus Example: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 Kids Activity Pages stopwatch or timer Choice 2 Pack Item 27: Paper Plate Cookie Basket lightweight paper plates tape or stapler packaged cookies or candies plastic wrap stickers or decorative ribbon BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

92 LIFE POINT God values people of all nationalities. Ten Lepers BIBLE PASSAGE Luke 17:11-19 LIFE VERSE For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Galatians 5:14 (KJV) For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. Galatians 5:14 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Romans 15:7 Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. LEADER BIBLE STUDY What is the worse disease diagnosis you can imagine for someone? Cancer? Multiple Sclerosis? ALS? Alzheimer s disease? Those are all terrible ailments, but would we ostracize or banish victims of them? Some diseases require quarantine to prevent epidemics, but we don t despise the patients. Such was not the case in the ancient world for sufferers of one dreaded disease: leprosy. Leprosy was a general term for what we now understand to be a variety of skin aliments. The disease was so feared that those who contracted it were forced to isolate themselves in colonies away from the main population centers. The Hebrew law stated that anyone with the disease was deemed ceremonially unclean and could not participate in worship. (See Leviticus 13:3.) Even someone coming into contact with a leper was considered unclean. These facts make Jesus encounter with the 10 lepers more interesting. The 10 men were desperate to find relief from their torment. Knowing Jesus reputation as a healer, when they saw Him they begged Him to cleanse them. Jesus did as they asked, but Luke records something noteworthy afterward. Nine of the ten ran to get certified clean, but one returned to thank Jesus. That one was a Samaritan, a people the Jews despised. Jesus, nonetheless, commended his faith and blessed him. Why was Jesus unafraid to touch people who were sick or unclean? Why was Jesus praise of the Samaritan s faith doubly significant? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: People are God s most important creation. Grades 4 6: Each person is unique and of value to God. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifeway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: THINKSTOCK.COM 92 SeSSion 6 DATE OF USE

93 BIBLE STORY TEN LEPERS One day Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem. As Jesus came to one of the villages, ten men who had a terrible skin disease called leprosy were standing some distance away. They called out to Jesus, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! Jesus looked at them and said, Go. Show yourselves to the priests. The ten men started to travel to see the priests. As they were going, they realized something had happened. Each one of them was healed! The leprosy was gone. One of the men immediately turned around and ran back to Jesus. The man began to praise God with a loud voice. He fell at Jesus feet and began to thank Jesus. The man who had returned was a Samaritan. Jesus said, Were there not ten men who were healed? Where are the other nine? Are you the only one who came back to give glory to God? Then Jesus told the man to get up and go on his way. Jesus said, Your faith has made you completely well. BASED ON LUKE 17:11-19 Review Questions What disease did the ten man have? (leprosy) What did the men ask Jesus? (to have mercy on them) What did Jesus tell the men to do? (go and show themselves to the priests) What happened as the men went to the priests? (God healed them.) Who ran back to Jesus? (a Samaritan) What did the Samaritan do? (praised God with a loud voice, fell at Jesus feet, and began to thank Jesus) What did Jesus say to the Samaritan? (Your faith has made you completely well.) BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

94 Grades 1-3 Pack Item 13: New Testament Cards Option: Ten Lepers coloring page (CD) PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Scatter the New Testament Cards upside down on the floor. A few feet away, set chairs around a table. Place Bibles on the table. Give an instruction. Then guide kids to race to the cards and turn them over until they find one that matches the instruction. Kids will go to the table and find the book of the Bible on their cards. Share instructions such as: Find a book of the Bible that has at least one letter from your name in it. Find a book of the Bible that begins with a consonant. Find a book of the Bible in the New Testament. Find a book of the Bible that has at least one letter from the month when you were born. Find a book of the Bible that has at least three syllables. pads of small sticky notes construction paper Make 6 signs labeled nature, church, home, school, my community, and me. Tape to the floor in a large circle. numbered cube INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Invite kids to find and attach small notes to ten of the same items in the room. Guide each child to find ten of one of the following items: blue items, legs, things that are shiny, things with numbers, things with letters, flat items, pencils, Bibles, crayons. Add other types of things to find as needed. Challenge kids to think of others items and find them. Share that today s Bible story is about the number ten. Play Ten Lepers: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Tell kids that the Czechs with whom the Johnsons work are largely athiests (do not believe in God). Invite one child to stand beside any sign in the circle, toss the cube, and move the corresponding number of spaces. Guide kids to talk about how they can know that God is present in the person or place on the sign. Continue until everyone participates. Lead kids to pray that the Johnsons can demonstrate God s love in ways that lead Czechs to understand God is real. 94 SeSSion 6

95 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Review New Testament divisions with kids. Remind kids that a Bible book s division is a preview of the kind of stories and information that is within it. Name any New Testament book and lead kids to swat the appropriate division name. The first player to correctly swat a division name may step back and name a book for the next round. Challenge kids to describe what kind of information is in the Gospels (stories about Jesus life and ministry). INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Lead kids to play a game of sticker tag. Give each child a set of stickers. Explain the rules: When you say: Go, kids will attempt to put as many stickers as they can on the backs of other kids. Stickers put on other parts of the body will not count. When you say: Stop, kids will stop. Count the stickers on each child s back. The winner is the person with the least number of stickers on his back. Explain that when kids run out of stickers, they will want to keep moving so that others cannot put stickers on their backs. Say: Go. After two to three minutes yell: Stop! and count stickers. Instruct kids to remove their stickers. Comment that in today s story kids will hear about some people with a serious skin disease and how their spots were removed. Play Ten Lepers: Introduction video. Grades sheets of paper Label each as follows: Gospels, History, Paul s Letters, General Letters, Prophecy. Tape papers in order to the floor. rolled-up newspapers or clean fly swatters (1 per child) painter s tape Option: Ten Lepers coloring page (CD) dot stickers or other scrap stickers (10-15 per child) MISSIONS EMPHASIS Tell kids that the Czechs with whom the Johnsons work are largely athiests (do not believe in God). Invite one child to stand beside any sign in the circle, toss the cube, and move the corresponding number of spaces. Guide kids to talk about how they can know that God is present in the person or place on the sign. Continue until everyone participates. Lead kids to pray that the Johnsons can demonstrate God s love in a ways that lead Czechs to understand God is real. construction paper Make 6 signs labeled nature, church, home, school, my community, and me. Tape to the floor in a large circle. numbered cube BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

96 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, Galatians 5:14 Life Verse Teaching Picture 12 Kids Activity Pages CD half-sheet papers On separate papers write each word of Galatians 5:14. Wad up each paper. Option: Galatians 5:14 (CD) straws (1 per child) painter s tape Tape start and finish lines on the floor about 4 feet apart. Place paper wads on the start line. hand sanitizer candy coated chocolates Weekly Bible Verse Romans 15:7 1. LIFE VERSE Tell each kid to use a straw to inhale, pick up a paper wad, and walk with it from the start line to the finish line. If the wad drops, the child must stop, inhale and pick up the wad again, and continue to the finish line. When all of the paper wads are at the finish line, lead kids to straighten the wads and read the words. Help children put the words in order. Option: Young children may blow the paper with the straws. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Romans 15:7. 2. BIBLE STORY Sing Jesus Is (track 6). Display today s Teaching Picture. Open your Bible to Luke 17 and enlist a child to read aloud verse 11. Explain that the Samaritans were a group of people who lived in Samaria. The Jews and Samaritans had been enemies for a long time. Many Jews looked down on the Samaritans. When Jesus came, He showed the people that God loved and valued everyone, including the Samaritans. One of the men in today s Bible story was a Samaritan. Tell the Bible story. Relate that people with leprosy were not allowed to touch other people or be near them. Before they could go back to their families, they had to go to a priest to be declared clean. 3. REVIEW Give kids a piece of candy when they correctly answer review questions. Guide kids to examine the colors of the candy. Some may be red, blue, orange, yellow, or brown. Comment that people may look differently on the outside, but every person is important and someone whom Jesus died to save. Relate that people may be young, old, rich, poor, friendly, unfriendly, similar to you, or nothing like you. Pray, asking God to help kids tell and show His love to everyone. 4. LIFE ACTION Sing Friends for Life (track 5). Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Guide kids to look at the map and name countries they know. Challenge kids to copy the names of 10 countries in the blanks. Remind kids that God loves people from all over the world. Invite kids to name people they know who may be from a different country or to tell about a country they may have studied or visited. Show Ten Lepers: Life Action video. 96 SeSSion 6

97 LIFE POINT God values people of all nationalities. Grades LIFE VERSE Display Galatians 5:14 Life Verse. Review the verse and then remove it from view. Allow kids to hunt for the hidden cards in your room. Challenge kids to arrange the Bible verse cards in order and say the entire verse from memory. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Romans 15:7. 2. BIBLE STORY Display the Teaching Picture. Open your Bible to Luke 17:11 and tell the Bible story. Allow kids to choose roles and dramatize the Bible story. Ask: How would Jews in Jesus day treat lepers? How would Jews treat the Samaritan leper? What does this Bible story teach about responding to people who are different? Remind kids that the Jews and Samaritans were two different nationalities. Many Jews looked down on the Samaritans and avoided associating with them. Most Jews refused to travel through Samaria and went out of their way to avoid the region. Emphasize that the gospel the good news that Jesus came to save people is for everyone! Sing Jesus Is (track 6). 3. REVIEW Form two teams. Announce that teams can earn 50 points by answering review questions stated forward (How many lepers did Jesus heal?) and 500 points by answering them backward (Heal Jesus did lepers many how?). Allow the first player to choose forward or backward. Continue, alternating teams, as time permits. 4. LIFE ACTION Sing Friends for Life (track 5). Ask kids if racial, ethnic, or geographic prejudice still exists. Challenge kids to give examples from the news, from their communities, or from personal experience. Encourage girls and boys to repeat Galatians 5:14 from memory. Invite them to discuss how the verse applies to prejudice or discrimination of any kind. Show Ten Lepers: Life Action video. Urge kids to prayerfully examine their own attitudes, and if they are guilty of favoritism or prejudice, ask God to help them love everyone as He does. Lead girls and boys to pray. Notes Pack Items 3, 4: Being a Friend Banner, Galatians 5:14 Life Verse Teaching Picture 12 CD index cards Write each word of Galatians 5:14 on a card. Hide the cards around the room. Option: Galatians 5:14 (CD) Weekly Bible Verse Romans 15:7 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

98 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 large piece of paper Trace a body outline, color red dots on the arms and legs, and attach the paper to the wall. bandages (3 per child) bandana Choice 2 Pack Item 15: Spots straws Tape each Spot to a straw. Cut slits in the bottom of each straw. tape Open up the slits on the bottom of the straw and tape them to the floor. ball Note: For additional help in how to make Spot straws, check out biblestudiesforlife.com/ extra. CHOICE 1: PIN THE BANDAGE Give each child three bandages. Tell kids to write their names on the bandages. Guide kids to remove the plastic strips from one of the bandages. Place a bandana blindfold on a child, spin him around, and guide him to place the bandage on top of a red dot. Allow each child to attach a bandage. Then continue with the second and third bandages after each child places his first bandage and as time permits. Recall how Jesus healed ten men, but only one man ran back to Jesus to thank Him. Mention that while the Jews looked down on the Samaritans, Jesus did not look down on them. In this Bible story we learn that Jesus valued the Samaritan man and healed him because He loved him. Jesus loves and cares about everyone. Remind kids how we can follow Jesus example and love others. CHOICE 2: BOP THOSE SPOTS Invite kids to stand behind the line and toss a ball to knock over one of the spots. Lead kids to read both sides of the spot to discover the Bible verse reference. Guide kids to find the verse in their Bibles. Read aloud the verse. Call on kids to name the place or region mentioned. Remind kids that God uses the Gospel to save everyone who believes, no matter what nationality they are or where they were born or live. WRAP UP Show Ten Lepers: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 98 SeSSion 6

99 LIFE POINT God values people of all nationalities. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: SHINE THE LIGHT Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Lead kids to complete Not Leftovers! activity using the Not Leftovers! pack item. Invite volunteers to identify the big idea that all five Bible verses have in common. (God loves and values all people. We should do the same.) Encourage kids to be considerate, kind, and loving to all people, even those who are most unlike them. Form two teams and give each team a flashlight. Guide the first person on each team to spin around three times, and then shine her flashlight on a Shine the Light Card. Give points to a child who states why the person on the card is of value to God and in need of Jesus love. Give bonus points to the child for stating a way she can show love and respect to that person. Alternate teams as time permits. Encourage kids to show love, courtesy, and respect for all people. Kids Activity Page Answers 1 Samuel 16:7 God does not look at outward appearances. Acts 10:28 God doesn t show favoritism. Romans 10:12 God is rich to all who call on him. James 2:9 Showing favoritism is a sin. 1 John 4:21 Someone who loves God must also love his brother. CHOICE 2: BEANBAG KICK Form no more than five small groups. Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Assign each small group a Scripture to complete on the Not Leftovers! page. Share answers. Guide kids to make Beanbag Kicks according to the instructions. Kids may choose to work with a partner. Offer assistance as needed. Encourage kids to use green permanent markers to draw countries on the beanbags. After making the beanbags, guide kids to find a partner and kick the beanbag back and forth. Each time the beanbag falls to the floor, instruct partners to name someone they know who needs to experience Jesus love. When kids master volleying the beanbag, encourage partners to say a sentence together as they kick (one word for each kick). (Examples include: God values all people. Love all people. People are God s most important creation.) WRAP UP Show Ten Lepers: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 Pack Items 28, 29: Not Leftovers! Shine the Light Cards Kids Activity Pages flashlights (1 per team) Choice 2 Pack Item 30: Beanbag Kick Kids Activity Pages 11-inch light blue balloons (2 per child) dried lentils (½ cup per child) funnels (several for kids to share) green permanent markers balloon pump (optional) BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

100 SPECIAL FOCUS CREATION LIFE POINT Praise God for His creation. Creation BIBLE PASSAGE Genesis 1 2:3 LIFE VERSE As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:9 (KJV) As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. John 15:9 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Psalm 33:9 Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. LEADER BIBLE STUDY Sometimes atheists and secularists argue that the Bible conflicts with modern science. They maintain that the miracles recorded in Scripture didn t happen because they violate the laws of nature. Of course, by definition, that s what miracles do. In any case, at least one biblical miracle has gained enormous support in the past several decades from the sciences of astronomy and physics. In the mid-1960s, several astronomers discovered evidence that the entire universe had a beginning from nothing. That is, something caused all of time, space, matter, and energy to suddenly spring into existence. That now established fact squares well with what is in the Book of Genesis. It clearly declares that God created the heavens and the earth, which is everything! The first chapter of Genesis traces the process that God followed in creating the cosmos, the earth, the seas, the land, and all the creatures that inhabit them. The culmination of His creation was found in verse 27: So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. Unlike any other plant or animal, we were created in the image of God. We have the abilities to reason, to love, to make moral choices, and to worship God. Why can atheists and secularists give no answer to how and why the universe exists? Because we are made in God s image what does that say about our value to God? How does the Holy Spirit work in us to witness for Jesus today? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. Grades 4 6: God created the world from nothing. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. Need a large-group worship option? Find out more at lifelway.com/worshipforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: THINKSTOCK.COM 100 SeSSion 1 DATE OF USE

101 BIBLE STORY CREATION In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was shapeless and empty. Darkness covered the waters. When God began to create, all He did was speak. Whatever God said happened. On the first day, God said, Let there be light, and light appeared. The light was good. God separated the light, which He called day, from the darkness, which He called night. On the second day, God commanded a large space to appear between the waters. He called the space heaven. On the third day God said, Let the dry land appear. He called the land earth, and He called the waters, which He had gathered into one place, seas. God told the earth to produce plants, fruit, and seeds, and it did. God saw that it was good. On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars. He made the sun to give light for the day and the moon and stars to give light for the night. On the fifth day, God spoke again and created fish, all the sea animals, and the birds. On the sixth day, God spoke and made animals to live on the earth. God s final creation was man, whom He created in His own likeness. God made a man and a woman. He blessed them and told them to have children. Review Questions How did God create things? (All God did was speak. Whatever God said happened.) What did God create on the first day? (light) What did God create on the second day? (heaven) What did God create on the third day? (earth, seas, plants, fruit, seeds) What did God create on the fourth day? (sun, moon, stars) What did God create on the fifth day? (fish, sea animals, and birds) What did God create on the sixth day? (animals who lived on earth, man, and woman) What did God do on the seventh day? (God rested.) After six days God s creation was finished. On the seventh day, God rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. BASED ON GENESIS 1:1-2:3 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

102 Grades 1-3 sticky notes Stick notes on a table. Option: Creation coloring page (CD) PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS After you call out a Bible book name, invite kids to name the book that comes before it and the book that comes after it. If the kids answer correctly, direct them to write their initials on a sticky note. Guide kids to place their notes on the floor or wall in a long path. Continue naming books until kids create a long trail of sticky notes around the room. Allow kids to use the table of contents in their Bibles for help. Tip: To help young learners, repeat some of the books that you called out. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY sturdy paper plates (1 per child) Instruct kids to place the paper plates upside down on their heads. Lead them to draw on the plate using the following instructions: Draw a line for the ground. Draw a tree on the ground. Draw a stick figure standing on the ground next to the tree. Draw a sun in the sky. Draw a cloud in the sky. Invite kids to remove the plates from their heads and see their finished drawing. State that in today s Bible story kids will learn about all the things God created. Play Creation: Introduction video. DVD Click on the missions tab on the DVD menu to find the video Families Reaching Families. International Missions: Czech (CD) Print and photocopy Family Camp Photo (1 per child). envelopes (1 per child) MISSIONS EMPHASIS Show the missions video, Families Reaching Families. Distribute scissors and copies of Family Camp Photo. Guide each child to cut a photo into puzzle pieces and place in an envelope. On the outside of the envelopes suggest that kids write ways they can pray for the Johnsons and Christian Czech leaders. Encourage boys and girls to pray for the Johnsons while assembling the puzzles at home. 102 SeSSion 1

103 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Review the divisions of the Old Testament with the kids. Partially open the umbrella. Drop the labeled paper scraps inside and close the umbrella. Hand the umbrella to a volunteer, who will hold it over his head and open it, scattering the paper. For every paper that lands name side up, prompt the volunteer to name a Bible book from that division. Repeat the process with other kids as time allows. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Lead kids to work in groups of two or three. Provide each group with a stack of newspaper and a roll of masking tape. Give kids five minutes to convert the newspaper pile into a sculpture of a living creature. One at a time, call on groups to display their sculptures while other kids try to guess what it is. Comment that for people to create something, they must have raw materials or tools in hand. On the other hand, God has the power to make living creatures with nothing but His words! Play Creation: Introduction video. Grades 4-6 Bible Books Chart (back of Kids Activity Pages) small umbrella small pieces of paper On each paper write Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets. Option: Creation coloring page (CD) newspapers rolls of masking tape MISSIONS EMPHASIS Show the missions video, Families Reaching Families. Distribute scissors and copies of Family Camp Photo. Guide each child to cut a photo into puzzle pieces and place in an envelope. On the outside of the envelopes suggest that kids write ways they can pray for the Johnsons and Christian Czech leaders. Encourage boys and girls to pray for the Johnsons while assembling the puzzles at home. DVD Click on the missions tab on the DVD menu to find the video Families Reaching Families. International Missions: Czech (CD) Print and photocopy Family Camp Photo (1 per child). envelopes (1 per child) BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

104 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Pack Items 4, 16: John 15:9 Life Verse, Creation Cards Teaching Picture 13 Kids Activity Pages CD Weekly Bible Verse Psalm 33:9 1. BIBLE STORY Sing Like No Other (track 1). Distribute the Creation Cards. Prompt kids to hold their cards in the air when they hear you mention either the day or the object that God created. Open your Bible to Genesis 1 and tell the Bible story. Show the Teaching Picture. Invite kids to name as many items as they can in the picture. 2. REVIEW Invite kids to act out the answers as you ask review questions. Lead kids to think of movements for each thing God created and perform the movements as a group. Tell kids to face a partner. Guide one child to hold up fingers on his hands from one to seven and the other child to tell what God created that day. If needed, display the Creation Cards for kids to use as a help. Encourage kids to switch roles. Pray, thanking God for creating the world and everything in it. 3. LIFE VERSE Invite kids to sit in a circle. Whisper an animal sound to the child on your left. Guide him to whisper the same sound to the next child. Continue around the circle to the last child. Invite the last child to make the sound. Play again and whisper a different sound to the child on your right. Continue to play as you whisper words from the Life Verse. Lead the kids to say the John 15:9 Life Verse. Talk about how everyday when we see God s creation, we should praise Him for His love and care for us. Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Psalm 33:9. 4. LIFE ACTION Sing Love You More (track 3). Distribute Kids Activity Pages. Explain that kids can praise God for all of creation. Call on volunteers to share something they are thankful for that God made. Invite kids to fill in the Creation Crosswords answers on the Kids Activity Page. Comment: God is King over all creation. Lead the group to pray, praising God for His creation. Show Creation: Life Action video. 104 SeSSion 1

105 LIFE POINT Praise God for His creation. Grades BIBLE STORY Sing Like No Other (track 1). Comment that in order to provide a home for God s most precious creation people He put other things in place on earth in perfect order so that people would have everything they needed to survive. Distribute pieces of paper. Without referring to their Bibles, lead kids to make a list, in order, of what God did to prepare the earth for people. After kids construct their lists, lead them to open their Bibles to Genesis 1 and follow along as you tell the Bible story in your own words. Prompt kids to compare their lists to the actual creation account. Ask: Why do you think God created plants and trees before He created fish and birds? Why do you think light was God s first creation? Remind kids that God is King over all creation. Help kids recognize that no man-made creation will ever surpass God s engineering skill and creativity. 2. LIFE VERSE Display John 15:9 Life Verse. Observe that one way God shows His love to people is through the beautiful world He created. Lead kids to say the Life Verse while pretending to be too hot. Lead kids to say the Life Verse while pretending they are freezing. Lead kids to say the Life Verse while pretending they are out in the rain. Conceal the Life Verse, then lead kids to change the method each time they say a word of the verse (such as hot/freezing/wet). Option: Teach the weekly Bible verse, Psalm 33:9. 3. REVIEW Lead kids to sit in a circle on the floor. Hand a numbered cube to a child, who will toss it into the center of the circle. The first person to name a specific item God made on that day of creation may toss the cube next. (3 roses; 4 sun, and so on.) 4. LIFE ACTION Display the poster on a focal wall. Lead kids to take turns choosing a Creation Category from the bag and naming one of God s creations that fits the category. Show Creation: Life Action video. Sing Love You More (track 3). Remind kids that God controls everything He created. Lead kids to pray silently, thanking God for His creativity, His power, and His control. Notes Pack Items 4, 31: John 15:9 Life Verse, Creation Categories Teaching Picture 13 CD gift bag Drop the Creation Categories into the bag. numbered cube Weekly Bible Verse Psalm 33:9 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

106 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 white envelopes (6 per child) index cards (at least 6 per child) yarn or ribbon Option: Envelope Booklet Instructions (CD) Choice 2 Pack Item 16: Creation Cards kick ball painter s tape CHOICE 1: ENVELOPE BOOKLETS Distribute the supplies for each child to make an envelope booklet consisting of six envelopes she sticks together in one long vertical strip. Follow these steps: First, lead each child to moisten the flap portion of one envelope. Take a second envelope (flap up) and place it on top of the moistened adhesive of the first envelope. Press firmly to adhere the envelopes together. Repeat with the other envelopes until kids attach all six envelopes in one long vertical strip. (Pockets of the envelopes should be facing the same way.) Guide kids to lay out the envelope booklet. Explain how each envelope represents a day of creation, from day 1 to day 6. Using the index cards, invite kids to draw things that represent what God made on each day and place in the correct envelope. Accordion fold the booklet to close it. Decorate or write words from the Life Verse on the first envelope. Tie the book together with a piece of yarn or ribbon. Remind boys and girls how we can praise God for His creation. CHOICE 2: TOSS AND TELL Invite kids to stand on their knees in a high kneeling position approximately three feet from the wall. Guide a child to toss the ball with a chest pass and hit a numbered card on the wall. Then encourage the child to find the matching card of the item God made on that day and toss the ball to hit that card. Continue play, leading kids to take turns and encourage one another. Invite boys and girls to open their Bibles to Genesis 1 to recall the order in which God created the world. Recall how God made everything and Jesus is King over all creation. WRAP UP Show Creation: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 106 SeSSion 1

107 LIFE POINT Praise God for His creation you. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: SCAVENGER HUNT Distribute Kids Activity Pages and pencils and form two teams. State your expectations for safe and appropriate behavior outdoors. Designate one member of each team to carry a Bible and lead kids outside. Explain that teams will compete in a creation scavenger hunt. Instruct team members to take turns locating a Bible verse from Hunt for It! on their Kids Activity Pages. (Watch that no team member is left with the task of finding every verse.) When kids find a verse, they will identify the creation mentioned in the verse, locate it outdoors, and take a picture of it. (If the creation cannot be seen outdoors, teams will run to a leader and shout the answer together.) Continue until the kids find all the verses. Note: Because of differences in Bible translations, accept any insect instead of just a beetle or grasshopper. Declare a winning team, return to the room, and review the photos. Distribute sheets of paper. Guide everyone to make a 10-item scavenger hunt list of things God created, then swap lists to take home. (If desired, offer a small prize to anyone who returns next week with a completed list.) Challenge kids to make an effort to spend time outdoors this week, enjoying and praising God for the things He made. CHOICE 2: PAWS AND PRAISE Tell kids to find and read Genesis 1:28. Assert that people have a responsibility to care for the things that God created. Spend a few minutes brainstorming ways kids can take care of God s creation. Ensure that caring for pets and livestock is mentioned. Lead kids to make pet toys that will help them and others appreciate and enjoy one of God s creations. To make a cat toy, guide kids to loop a strip through the plastic ring and knot securely. Instruct kids to continue looping and tying until they completely cover their rings. When kids or others use the toys to play with their pets (or share the toys with other pet owners), they can pause and praise God for everything He made. WRAP UP Show Creation: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. Notes Choice 1 Kids Activity Pages 2 cameras/camera phones Indoor option: Bring magazines with nature pictures. Challenge kids to find pictures of the designated items. Choice 2 plastic rings from milk jugs or 2-inch plastic rings from a craft store felt Cut ¼-inch-by-5- inch strips. Dog Toys: Use an old terrycloth dishtowel or cut-off jeans leg per toy. Cut the towel into 3 equal strips, stopping about an inch from the end of the towel. Braid the strips, then tie knots in each end of the towel to make a sturdy tug-ofwar rope. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

108 LIFE POINT God s work always has a purpose. Noah BIBLE PASSAGE Genesis 6:5 9:17 LIFE VERSE With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men. Ephesians 6:7 (KJV) Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men. Ephesians 6:7 (HCSB) WEEKLY BIBLE VERSE Colossians 3:23 Downloadable versions of items identified as CD are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. Items identified as DVD are available in the Digital Video Bundle. LEADER BIBLE STUDY In 2005 the city of New Orleans and the neighboring Gulf Coast were devastated by one of America s worst disasters. Hurricane Katrina smashed into the area bringing winds, rains, and floods. More than 18 hundred people died and estimated damage was over $80 billion. Disaster Relief teams rushed in with food and water, saving thousands of lives. Early in the history of the world, God saw that people had become morally corrupt. Therefore, He decided to destroy everything on earth, except for the family of Noah. Because of Noah s relationship with God, God commanded Noah to build an ark large enough to preserve his family and animals from the great flood He would send. Noah did as God commanded him, taking decades to finish the job. Finally, when Noah was 600 years old, God sent Noah, his family, and the animals into the ark. They rode out the flood until the waters subsided. Can you imagine the difficulty Noah faced when God called him to build the ark? He labored for over one hundred years to cut and haul wood for the ship. Despite it all, Noah was obedient to God s directive. Thus, Noah saved the human race from total destruction along with thousands of species of animals. Has God ever given you a job to do even though you did not feel equipped to do it? How does Noah s example demonstrate the long-lasting effects of our obedience to God? LEVEL OF BIBLICAL LEARNING Grades 1 3: God is Creator. Grades 4 6: As Creator, God is to be praised. Additional training for Bible Studies for Life: Kids is available at ministrygrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife. IMAGE CREDIT: THINKSTOCK.COM 108 SeSSion 2 DATE OF USE

109 BIBLE STORY NOAH God saw that the people were wicked and had evil thoughts. God was sad and sorry that He had made people. He planned to destroy all living things because of sin. However, Noah was different. He did what was right and tried to follow God in all things. God told Noah about His plan to destroy the earth with a flood. God told Noah to make an ark a large boat from gopher wood. The ark would be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It needed rooms, three levels, and a door. God told Noah to enter the ark with his family. Noah also took two of every kind of animal on the ark one male, one female. Noah took seven pairs of some animals, as God told him to do. Then God shut the door. Seven days later, rain fell. It did not stop for 40 days and 40 nights! The ark floated on the water. Soon the highest mountains were covered with water. All living things died, except those inside the ark. For 150 days, water completely covered the earth. Then God sent a wind to dry up the water. After another 150 days, the ark landed on a mountain. After 40 days, Noah sent out a raven. The raven flew back and forth until the waters dried up. Then Noah sent out a dove, but the dove came back because it could not find a place to rest. After seven more days, Noah sent the dove out again, and it came back with an olive leaf. A week later, Noah sent the dove out again, and this time it did not return. That meant the dove had found a dry home! God told Noah to bring his family and all the animals out of the ark. Noah built an altar and gave an offering to God. God promised that He would never again destroy the earth by flood. God put a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise. BASED ON GENESIS 6:5 9:17 Review Questions How was Noah different from the rest of the people? (He did what was right and tried to follow God.) The ark was made out of this type of wood. (gopher) Who and what did God tell Noah to take with him into the ark? (his family, two of every kind of animal, seven pairs of some animals) How long did it rain? (40 days and 40 nights) What did Noah send out of the ark first? (a raven) How many times did Noah send out the dove? (three; first time it could not find a place to rest; second time it came back with an olive leaf; third time it did not return to the ark) After the flood, what did God promise? (that He would never again destroy the earth by flood) What kind of symbol did God give as a sign of His promise? (a rainbow) BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

110 Grades craft sticks On Notes separate sticks print Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. cup Option: Noah Worked Hard coloring page (CD) PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Lead kids to find the books of Old Testament Law in their Bibles. Place the sticks in a cup. Allow a child to shake the cup and spill the sticks on the table. Challenge him to identify the books on the sticks that fell name side down. Score one point for every correctly identified book. Guide kids to place the books in order. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Guide the group to stand in a circle and play Noah Says. Say: Noah says to and add an action Noah might have done (sweep the deck, feed the bears, walk the dogs, hammer some nails, saw some wood, and so on). All the kids must pantomime that action until you name the next. Explain that if you name an action without saying Noah says everyone must freeze. Call two or three actions; then choose someone else to be the leader. Continue to play, choosing another leader after every two or three actions. Explain that the work the kids did in the game was just for fun, but God s work always has a purpose. Show Noah: Introduction video. CD Print photos of Sally Hamrick, missionary to Mozambique and the Johnsons, missionaries to the Czech Republic. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Show the photos of the missionaries and briefly review their stories. Lead kids to pray for these missionaries and the work they are doing to tell people about Jesus. 110 SeSSion 2

111 PRACTICE BIBLE SKILLS Prompt kids to briefly explore the Books of Genesis and Exodus, noting the chapter headings as well as the names of people whose stories are in each book. Form two teams. Lead kids to gently volley the balloon back and forth. When the balloon drops, name a person or story found in either Genesis or Exodus. (See the story list below.) Challenge the player who last touched the balloon to identify which book contains the story. Story List: * Genesis: Adam and Eve, the tower of Babel, Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Esau, Joseph * Exodus: Moses, Miriam, the burning bush, the Ten Commandments, God parts the Red Sea, manna, building the tabernacle. Grades 4-6 inflated balloon or Notes beach ball Option: Noah Worked Hard coloring page (CD) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Form a girls team and a boys team. Instruct each team to weave a length of string from one child to the next by running it through belt loops, around kids backs, behind knees, and other places. Do not tell kids why they are doing this. Give each team a washer. Explain that at your signal, the team members must work together to move the ring from one end of the string to the other. The first team to complete the task wins. Note that the kids had to work together to move the washer and that moving the washer was sometimes hard work. Show Noah: Introduction video. MISSIONS EMPHASIS Show the photos of the missionaries and briefly review their stories. Lead kids to pray for these missionaries and the work they are doing to tell people about Jesus. long length of string (or yarn) metal washer (or other ring) for each team CD Print photos of Sally Hamrick, missionary to Mozambique and the Johnsons, missionaries to the Czech Republic. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

112 Grades 1-3 STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Teaching Picture 14 CD 2 large sheets of paper On the first sheet of paper, write the Life Verse, Ephesians 6:7. Leave the second sheet blank. 1. BIBLE STORY Sing Love You More (track 3). Display the Teaching Picture. Open your Bible to Genesis 6 and tell the Bible story in your own words. Ask: Why do you think God chose Noah to build the ark? Do you think Noah was a hard worker? Why? Why was it important for Noah to follow God s instructions exactly? Help children recognize that Noah s obedience kept him and his family safe. 2. LIFE VERSE Display Ephesians 6:7 Life Verse. Lead kids to form a circle. Choose one child to stand in the middle, close her eyes, and become a human spinner with one arm and index finger extended. The child to whom she points should read aloud the verse, then take the spinner s place. Continue until everyone has a turn. Lead kids to explain what it means to work with a good attitude. Sing Let My Actions Match My Passion (track 7). 3. LIFE ACTION Display the large sheet of paper. At the top of the sheet write Help me be faithful and obey. Make a list as kids discuss times when it is difficult to be a hard worker. (when I would rather play, when the work is very hard, when I am tired, and so forth) Convert the list to a litany. Lead girls and boys to read aloud the first line and then add: Help me be faithful and obey. Guide the group to read the litany to God as a prayer. Show Noah: Life Action video. 4. REVIEW Lead each child to choose a partner. Partner 1 should think of a sentence about today s Bible story and say aloud the first few words. (God was sad God told Noah to It rained for ) Partner 2 should correctly finish the sentence. Switch roles and repeat. Prompt kids with sentence completions as needed. Weekly Bible Verse Colossians 3: SeSSion 2

113 LIFE POINT God s work always has a purpose. Grades BIBLE STORY Sing Love You More (track 3). Open your Bible to Genesis 6. Tell today s Bible story, pausing when you reach the dimensions of the ark. Give the tape measure to two volunteers who will measure the length and width of the room. Challenge kids to calculate how many rooms, long and wide, the ark would have been. Show the Teaching Picture. Encourage kids to estimate the amount of supplies it would take to construct the ark and how long it would take to build using only hand tools. Resume storytelling: Noah followed God s building instructions exactly. 2. LIFE VERSE Display Ephesians 6:7 Life Verse. Ask children to describe how Noah worked with a good attitude. Direct kids to find partners. Partner A should say the first half of Ephesians 6:7, then take a standing broad jump from the tape line. Partner B should say the second half of Ephesians 6:7, then jump from the point partner A s jump ended. Measure the combined length. Direct partners to switch verse halves. Sing Let My Actions Match My Passion (track 7). 3. REVIEW Call for two partners to kneel on the floor, facing each other. Their knees should stay on the floor at all times. Toss the foam ball in the air. Direct the kids to reach up and grab the ball as you toss it. The player who grabs the ball first may answer a review question. Call for two new challengers and repeat until everyone participates. 4. LIFE ACTION Whisper one of the following words to a volunteer: truthful, reliable, punctual, lazy, disrespectful, dishonest. Give the volunteer 30 seconds to describe a worker, not a person s name, who fits the description. Challenge the other kids to guess the descriptive word. Ask whether the description fits a good worker or the opposite of a good worker. Repeat the activity as time permits with new volunteers. Prompt kids to silently complete these prayers: God, help me be a more worker. Help me be less in my work. Show Noah: Life Action video. Notes Teaching Picture 14 CD tape measure masking tape Place a long tape line on the floor. large sheet of paper On the paper write the words of Ephesians 6:7. foam ball Note: If weather and church setting permit, take kids outside and let them measure the ark s actual dimensions. Weekly Bible Verse Colossians 3:23 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

114 Grades 1-3 LIVE IT OUT Notes Choice 1 Kids Activity Page animal crackers pennies Choice 2 tool box or bucket 4 toy tools (such as a hammer, screwdriver, ruler, saw) On separate index cards print 1 Bible reference: Ecclesiastes 10:18; Ephesians 4:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:13; Hebrews 13:17. Tape a card to each tool. CHOICE 1: FILL THE ARK Distribute Kids Activity Pages and pencils. Lead each child to choose an animal cracker and place it on Start Here space on her Kids Activity Page. In turn, each player will toss a penny and advance two spaces for heads, one for tails. Use questions from the list below that matches her landing space. The first player to reach Enter Here wins the game after he says Ephesians 6:7 from memory or with minor prompting. Play multiple rounds if time permits, allowing kids to choose another animal cracker for each round. Encourage kids to follow Noah s excellent work example. Allow kids to enjoy the animal crackers when the game ends (being mindful of any food-allergy issues). Questions: * For whom do kids work? (parents, teachers, coaches, and so on) * What is a job you do often? * When is it hard to be a good worker? * Where can you be a good worker? * How can you be a better worker? * Why is it important to be a hard worker? CHOICE 2: TOOL TIME Distribute Bibles. Display the tool with the Ecclesiastes 10:18 card. Help each child locate the verse in his Bible. Invite someone to read it aloud. Lead kids to say this three-word summary: Don t be lazy! Repeat with the other three tools, using these summaries: do honest work and share (Ephesians 4:28), do good work (2 Thessalonians 3:13), and obey your leaders Hebrews 13:17). Choose a foreman. The foreman should place three tools on the table. The work crew (remaining kids) should determine which tool is still in the box and call out the related summary. (Example: If Hebrews 13:17 is in the box, kids should say: Obey your leaders! ) The first worker to answer correctly may be the next foreman. Challenge kids to be dependable, respectful workers at home and at school. WRAP UP Show Noah: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to their parents. 114 SeSSion 2

115 LIFE POINT God s work always has a purpose. Grades 4-6 CHOICE 1: FINDERS KEEPERS Distribute Kids Activity Pages and pencils. Help kids complete Nuts and Bolts on their Kids Activity Pages. Share answers. (WORKER can be formed from these words: strength, obedience, kind, worthy, knowledge, diligence, truth.) Give a Finders Keepers Game to each child. Direct kids to cut out the tools and place them anywhere on the grid. Lead kids to sit back-to-back with a partner. Describe game play: Player 1 names a grid space, such as C4. Player 2 replies yes or no to indicate the presence of a tool on his gameboard. If the response is yes, Player 2 gives Player 1 the tool to place on Player 1 s gameboard. If the response is no, Player 1 must name a characteristic of a good worker before play continues. The player with the most tools on his gameboard wins. Switch roles and play again as time allows. Challenge kids to name good work characteristics they need to develop. CHOICE 2: FAST TALKERS Distribute Kids Activity Pages and pencils. Lead kids to complete Nuts and Bolts on their Kids Activity Pages. Share answers. (WORKER can be formed from these words: strength, obedience, kind, worthy, knowledge, diligence, truth.) Prompt kids to name difficult jobs they must often do. On separate slips of paper write their responses. Place them in a paper bag. Call for kids to name excuses and obstacles that prevent people from tackling the difficult jobs. Record their responses and place them in the other bag. Call on a volunteer to draw one slip from each bag. Challenge the volunteer to tell a short story about a worker who overcame the obstacle. Award 50 points if she can do so in 30 seconds or less, add 50 bonus points for using one of the words from Nuts and Bolts. Continue with the next volunteer. Encourage kids to practice their job skills at home and at school. WRAP UP Show Noah: Wrap Up video. Remind kids to give their One Conversation pages to parents. Notes Choice 1 Finders Keepers Game (CD) Kids Activity Page Choice 2 Kids Activity Page 2 paper lunch bags scratch paper BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE GRADES 1 3 &

116 Bible Studies for life Want to use Bible Studies For Life with other age groups? Preview Bible Studies For Life for students and adults at biblestudiesforlife.com Check out these additional study options to meet all of your programming needs throughout the week: Worship For Life: Kids Solid biblical teaching, engaging worship, group games, and take-home family resources all wrapped in a fun, energetic experience that your kids will love! Use it as a stand-alone large group program or hand-in-hand with Bible Studies For Life: Kids. lifeway.com/worshipforlife Coming Next Quarter The Gospel Project for Kids The entire gospel story like kids have never seen it before! Each week, through videos, music, activities and more, kids connect biblical events to God s ultimate plan of redemption through Christ. gospelproject.com/kids Explore the Bible: Kids Book-by-book studies for groups of all ages. This book-by-book Bible study for groups of all ages takes kids on a journey into Scripture where they see the Bible in a way that makes them want to dig deep building a foundation for life transformation. Kids aren t just learning the Bible they re experiencing it! Preview the first month: LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible In Be a Leader, kids will hear that God s plan is for every person. Through the study of leaders in the Old Testament, kids will discover that God is powerful and helps people make right decisions and choices if they let Him. God wants people to be involved in His work in the world. Life in Christ will help kids understand their need for a personal and growing relationship with Jesus. Sessions also will explore key truths about prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the role of the church. HCSB SPRING 2015