Third- and fourth-graders are very familiar with what it means to be kids. The thing

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Lesso 6 59 The Word Became Flesh Joh 1:1-18 Third- ad fourth-graders are very familiar with what it meas to be kids. The thig they may ot uderstad is just how much parets love their childre.

ad especially loved. Lesso What Childre Do Supplies easy prep 1 Gettig Started 2 Bible Exploratio Family Resemblace (about 15 mi.) Look at differet ways they re like other members of their families.

1 Lesso 6 59 The Word Became Flesh Joh 1:1-18 Third- ad fourth-graders are very familiar with what it meas to be kids. The thig they may ot uderstad is just how much parets love their childre. They may feel as if God wats to tell them what to do sice that s ofte what kids recogize from their parets, but you ca use this lesso to help kids see that beig oe of God s childre meas beig deeply ad especially loved. Lesso What Childre Do Supplies easy prep 1 Gettig Started 2 Bible Exploratio Family Resemblace (about 15 mi.) Look at differet ways they re like other members of their families. God Made a Way (about 25 mi.) Discover how the passage shows that God provides for us to become his childre. Bible Truth Sleuth, pes Bibles, costructio paper, tape, scissors (several pairs), markers, 7 blidfolds Teacher Pack: Joh or Jesus poster Tear out the Lesso 6 pages from each Bible Truth Sleuth studet book. Hag the Joh or Jesus poster i a promiet place i your room. Bible Poit We ca be God s childre. Key Verse Yet to all who received him, to those who believed i his ame, he gave the right to become childre of God (Joh 1:12). Weavig Faith Ito Life Childre will realize the excitemet ad importace of beig God s childre. Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 6 Witer Quarter

2 60 Lesso What Childre Do Supplies Easy Prep 3 Weavig Faith Ito Life I m a Child of God! (about 20 mi.) Celebrate beig childre of God, ad create ivitatios for their frieds. Bibles, CD player, scissors, balloos, streamers, crayos, permaet markers, evelopes, craft supplies, 1 copy for every 2 kids of the You re Ivited! hadout (at the ed of this lesso) Teacher Pack: CD Cut out the 2 ivitatios o each of the You re Ivited! hadouts. 4 Lastig Impressios Daily Challeges (about 5 mi.) Choose a Daily Challege to apply God s Word. Weavig Faith at Home (about 2 mi.) Talk about how to share what they leared with their families. Bible Truth Sleuth Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Witer Quarter Lesso 6 Grades 3 & 4

3 61 The Word Became Flesh Joh 1:1-18 BIBLe BACKGROUND for Leaders Livig Word To avoid cofusio, it s importat to ote that the writer of Joh s Gospel was the Apostle Joh, oe of Jesus disciples who apparetly was closer to Jesus tha may of the other disciples (Joh 19:26-27). He is ot to be mistake for Joh the Baptist, who is metioed i this passage. The term repeated i this passage carried special sigificace i both Greek ad Hebrew cultures. Greek philosophers used the Greek word logos (which meas word ) to refer to the mid of god, whatever god they were referrig to. To the Jews, word carried with it the actios of God i their world, God s persoal ivolvemet. Thus, whe Joh referred to Jesus as the Word, he was clearly idetifyig him as God i actio i our world! who receives Jesus ad believes i him ca become a child of God! Absolutely ayoe ca receive the ew life Jesus offers! The Jesus Coectio A glorious beefit of puttig our belief i Christ is that we ca be childre of God. This relatioship brigs us all the advatages grated to a child of the Kig the Kig of the uiverse. Dwell o Joh 1:12. What are the implicatios i your life of beig a child of God? Live your life as if you are the child of the Kig of the uiverse. Say a prayer of thaksgivig to your heavely Father for adoptig you ito his royal family. You ca write your prayer here. Jesus Existed at Creatio Notice that i Joh 1:3, Joh emphasizes Jesus deity by poitig out that he was active i the very creatio of the world. Jesus did t come ito beig whe he was bor i the Bethlehem stable; he existed as God with the Father from the very begiig. A Sacrifice for All Joh 1:10-11 reveals the sadess Jesus must have felt whe he came to earth. The very people he had created who had bee told of his comig by Old Testamet prophets as well as by Joh the Baptist, to whom he had come to reveal God, for whom he had come to sacrifice his life did ot recogize or ackowledge him. The good ews is that Jesus loved them (ad us) ayway! He did t withdraw his offer of salvatio. I fact, he made it broader tha the Jews could have believed. Joh 1:12 declares the joyous truth: Ayoe Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 6 Witer Quarter

4 62 gettig started Family Resemblace Supplies Bible Truth Sleuth pes Family Resemblace Easy Prep Tear out the Lesso 6 pages from each Bible Truth Sleuth studet book. Family Resemblace Tip This activity deals with family traits. It will work just fie for kids who are adopted, but you may eed to help them focus o the traits they ve leared from their families. Be sesitive whe poitig out similarities, ad be sure to list persoality traits alogside physical traits. What You ll Do Welcome kids warmly as they arrive, ad ask them how their week wet. What do people tell you is similar about you ad other people i your family? Say: There are thigs we do that we lear from the people we live with, ad the way we look might resemble what our parets look like. Certai traits are iherited, such as hair ad eye color, height, ad shape of ose ad chi. Other thigs we lear by example, such as the way we laugh, our facial expressios, or the thigs we like to do. Let s fid out ways you re like your parets. Distribute pes ad the Bible Truth Sleuth pages, ad have kids form groups of three. Have kids tur to the Family Traits activity ad make lists of all the ways they re like their parets or sibligs. For example, maybe a child has the same hair color ad eyes as his or her dad, has a ose like his or her mom s, or talks just like a brother or sister. Kids could also iclude similarities such as food prefereces ad dislikes, activities they have i commo with a paret, or persoality traits. Oce their lists are created, have group members share with each other what they ve writte. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What are your favorite traits that you share with someoe i your family? What thigs do you like about beig part of your family? I what ways do you thik God s family is like or ulike your family? Say: We are like our families i may differet ways. It s part of how we kow we belog i our families. There are all kids of families, ad each oe is special. Beig i a family is special. Today we re goig to look at beig a part of God s family ad lear that we ca be God s childre. Witer Quarter Lesso 6 Grades 3 & 4

5 63 2 Bible Exploratio God Made a Way What You ll Do Say: Now we re goig to look at how God made a way for us to become his childre. Our Bible passage tells us about two me: Joh the Baptist ad his cousi Jesus. Sometimes it might take some time for us to really uderstad which of these guys the passage is talkig about, so let s get ready to make sese of the whole thig. Makig sure all the kids have a Bible, have kids form seve groups ad tur to Joh 1:1-18. If you have fewer tha 14 kids, have some groups work together, readig their assiged passage but aswerig questios together. Assig the followig verses to groups: Group 1 Joh 1:1-3 Group 2 Joh 1:4-5 Group 3 Joh 1:6-9 Group 4 Joh 1:10-11 Group 5 Joh 1:12-13 Group 6 Joh 1:14-15 Group 7 Joh 1:16-18 God Made a Way Supplies Bibles costructio paper tape scissors (several pairs) markers 7 blidfolds Teacher Pack Joh or Jesus poster God Made a Way Easy Prep Hag the Joh or Jesus poster i a promiet place i your room. Give each group three sheets of costructio paper, a marker, ad scissors. Have each group make a large arrow out of the costructio paper. To do this, have each group tape two pieces together ed to ed to make oe log sheet. The have each group cut the third sheet at a agle to form a triagle ad tape it to the ed of the log sheet to create a arrow. Have kids write their group s Bible referece o their arrow with marker i large letters. It does t matter what directio the arrows poit whe kids write o them. For all the questios that follow i this activity, have kids discuss i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. Ask a willig child from Group 1 to read aloud Joh 1:1-3 for everyoe. What details help you kow who was with God i the begiig? Have kids discuss the questio i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. The ask a willig child from Group 1 to read Joh 1:1-3 agai, this time sayig Jesus ay time the Bible says the Word. What s differet about this sectio of our passage whe you realize that the Word is Jesus? Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 6 Witer Quarter

6 64 Have kids discuss the questio i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. Have a willig child from Group 1 write a very short summary of these Bible verses o Group 1 s arrow. Say: These verses help us kow that Jesus has always bee with God from the very begiig ad that everythig that was ever created was created through him. Ask a willig child from Group 2 to read aloud Joh 1:4-5 for everyoe. What i this passage helps you figure out who is the light that shies i the darkess? Why do you thik the darkess did t uderstad the light, Jesus? Have kids discuss the questios i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. Have a willig child from Group 2 write a very short summary of these Bible verses o Group 2 s arrow. Say: Because people did t uderstad, God set someoe to tell them about Jesus. Ask a willig child from Group 3 to read aloud Joh 1:6-9 for everyoe. What do you thik of Jesus plaig to come to earth from the very begiig of time? explai how you kow who verse 7 is referrig to whe it says so that through him all me might believe? What ca you lear about the way God speaks to us based o the job he gave to Joh? Have kids discuss the questios i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. Have a willig child from Group 3 write a very short summary of these Bible verses o Group 3 s arrow. Ask a willig child from Group 4 to read aloud Joh 1:10-11 for everyoe. I what ways do you sometimes ot recogize Jesus i your life? Have kids discuss the questio i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. Have a willig child from Group 4 write a very short summary of these Bible verses o Group 4 s arrow. Say: Eve after Joh had told people about Jesus, people still did t recogize him or believe him. Ask a willig child from Group 5 to read aloud Joh 1:12-13 for everyoe. Witer Quarter Lesso 6 Grades 3 & 4

7 65 how do these verses show God s heart for you ad all people? What do you thik it meas to be oe of God s childre? Have kids discuss the questios i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. Have a willig child from Group 5 write a very short summary of these Bible verses o Group 5 s arrow. Ask a willig child from Group 6 to read aloud Joh 1:14-15 for everyoe. What does it mea that The Word became flesh? What do these verses show you about Jesus? What does it mea to you to kow that Jesus was willig to leave heave ad come live o earth for us? Have kids discuss the questios i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. Have a willig child from Group 6 write a very short summary of these Bible verses o Group 6 s arrow. Ask a willig child from Group 7 to read aloud Joh 1:16-18 for everyoe. What does it mea that the So has made the Father kow? What are these verses talkig about whe they say From the fulless of his grace we have all received oe blessig after aother? What do these verses show you about Jesus? Have kids discuss the questios i their groups ad the share highlights with the etire group. Have a willig child from Group 7 write a very short summary of these Bible verses o Group 7 s arrow. Next, show kids the Joh or Jesus poster, ad help them see that Joh is o the left ad Jesus is o the right. Say: Whe Jesus came for us, people could t recogize him, so God set Joh first to show us the truth. Let s illustrate that for ourselves. Blidfold oe willig child from each group, ad give him or her the group s arrow. Oe group at a time, have the o-blidfolded group members help the blidfolded child tape the group s arrow by the poster so that the arrow poits to Jesus. After all groups have placed their arrows aroud the poster, have kids remove their blidfolds ad all sit together. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 6 Witer Quarter

8 66 Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What does the way we placed the arrows show you about Jesus? I what way were the blidfolded people like all the people i the world ad the other people like Joh, guidig them to Jesus? What does it mea to you that Jesus wet through everythig he did just so you ca be God s child? Say: As we saw, all the words i this Bible passage poit to Jesus, just as our arrows do. Next, we re goig to look at oe of the verses we just read ad fid out how we ca be God s childre. I m a Child of God! Supplies Bibles CD player scissors balloos streamers crayos permaet markers evelopes craft supplies 1 copy for every 2 kids of the You re Ivited! hadout (at the ed of this lesso) Teacher Pack CD: Are You Goig to Praise the Lord? (track 12), His Blessigs Go Rollig Alog (track 13)! balloo warig To avoid chokig hazards, be sure to pick up pieces of ay broke balloos promptly. Balloos may cotai latex. I m a Child of God! Easy Prep Cut out the 2 ivitatios o each of the You re Ivited! hadouts. 3 Weavig Faith Ito Life I m a Child of God! What You ll Do Make sure each child has a Bible. Say: Our Key Verse today is i our Bible passage. It s Joh 1:12. Have kids fid the verse i their Bibles. Say: Our Key Verse says, Yet to all who received him, to those who believed i his ame, he gave the right to become childre of God (Joh 1:12). Have kids repeat the verse with you. Say: Whe people receive someoe ito their homes, it meas they welcome them ad ivite them i. They re happy to have them there. We receive Jesus ito our hearts i much the same way. We welcome him ad ivite him i gladly. By believig i Jesus ame, we re sayig that we kow he s the way God provided for us to be childre of God. We believe that Jesus is God s So, ad we ca receive him ito our lives. we ca be God s childre. Give kids each a balloo, ad have them blow up the balloos ad write o them with permaet markers Welcome, Jesus! Help kids drape streamers aroud the room ad scatter the balloos. Say: Now let s have a party to welcome Jesus ad receive him gladly. Play Are You Goig to Praise the Lord? (track 12 o the CD) ad His Blessigs Go Rollig Alog (track 13 o the CD), ad have kids jump ad throw balloos ad say thigs they wat to celebrate about God. As kids jump ad celebrate, remid them that they ca be God s kids. Witer Quarter Lesso 6 Grades 3 & 4

9 67 What about this party would help Jesus feel welcomed? What are some ways you ca show Jesus is welcome i your life? Allow time for several resposes. Ecourage kids to sit quietly for a few secods ad reflect o the words as you slowly say the Key Verse for them. Say: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed i his ame, he gave the right to become childre of God (Joh 1:12). Distribute a You re Ivited! ivitatio to each child alog with a evelope. The have kids decorate the ivitatios with craft supplies. Ecourage kids to each make a ivitatio for a fried or family member who might eed to kow about this ope ivitatio to become a child of God. While kids work o their ivitatios, say: If ay of you do t kow if you re oe of God s childre, I m here to talk to you about that oe o oe. Privately talk ad pray with ay kids who have questios or wat to talk. While other kids are workig o ivitatios, this is a perfect time for a oe-o-oe coversatio. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What was the best part of our party? What s the best thig about beig oe of God s kids? What ca you do to help other people wat to be part of God s family, too? Say: We celebrated because Jesus came to earth so we could be part of God s family. We ca all make the choice to believe i Jesus, ad we ca be God s childre. Jesus has bee watig you i his family sice the begiig of time. He loves you. Let s always remember to be thakful for God s love ad kidess to us. 4 Lastig Impressios Daily Challeges What You ll Do Say: Let s cosider this week how we ca be God s childre as we choose our Daily Challeges. Daily Challeges Supplies Bible Truth Sleuth Have kids fid this week s Daily Challeges o their Bible Truth Sleuth pages ad choose oe to do this week. They ca choose oe or more of these three optios: Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 6 Witer Quarter

10 68 Tell a fried, family member, or eighbor that you re God s child ad that he or she ca be God s child, too! Give your fried the ivitatio you made. read Joh 1:1-18, ad the sped five miutes beig quiet with God. The thak him for sedig Jesus to earth to make you part of his family. God s family has certai traits just like your family does. Choose oe thig you d like to do differetly this week so people ca tell you re part of God s family. You might say oly kid thigs about other people, or you might do somethig kid for a fried or family member without expectig to be thaked. Read Joh 1:1-18 whe you eed ecouragemet about how to show that you re part of God s family. Make sure you choose a Daily Challege as well, ad tell the kids what you chose. Kids will be more iclied to follow through o their commitmets whe they see you doig the same. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What s a practical way you re goig to do your Daily Challege? Iclude a time, a place, ad other ideas. Say: God ad Jesus have bee together sice the begiig of time. Ad God set Jesus to earth so we ca be God s childre. Let s act like part of God s family by followig through o our Daily Challeges this week. Weavig Faith at Home Ecourage kids to talk with their parets about the Daily Challeges they chose ad what they leared about God s family. Kids ca also do the activities i the HomeCoect sectio of their Bible Truth Sleuth pages with their families. Talk to your Director about ig the FREE FamilyCoect to all your church s families. Available at group.com/digital. Have kids separate ito two groups boys ad girls. Have kids i each group stad i a circle with their arms aroud each other s shoulders. Remid them that sice we re all part of God s family, they re all brothers ad sisters i Jesus. Pray: Dear God, thak you for sedig Jesus to provide the way for us to be your childre! Help us remember what it meas to be part of your amazig family. Thak you for each brother ad sister i these circles. Allow time for kids to thak God for each other if they wat to. I Jesus ame, ame. Break the huddles. Witer Quarter Lesso 6 Grades 3 & 4

11 to be oe of God s childre! Who are God s childre? Yet to all who received him, to those who believed i his ame, he gave the right to become childre of God. (Joh 1:12) Name: Date: Time: Where: b to be oe of God s childre! Who are God s childre? Yet to all who received him, to those who believed i his ame, he gave the right to become childre of God. b (Joh 1:12) Name: Date: Time: Where:! ok to copy Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 6 Witer Quarter

Third- and fourth-graders are old enough to understand the difference between right

Third- and fourth-graders are old enough to understand the difference between right Lesso 2 15 Zechariah Prophesies About Jesus Luke 1:68-79 Third- ad fourth-graders are old eough to uderstad the differece betwee right ad wrog. However, kids this age may ot completely uderstad the cocepts