12.1 Large Group Lesson

Transcription

1 3, 2, 1 Blastoff The Book of James: Wisdom in Times of Trouble BIG IDEA: God calls us to seek Him for wisdom in times of trouble. BIBLE BASIS: James 1:2-5; 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 KEY VERSE: If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. James 1:5 (NIrV) Scripture marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scripture marked NIrV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader s Version, Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. All scripture references are taken from NIrV unless otherwise stated. User Agreement: The GO! curriculum by Mooblio is intended for download and print by subscribing entities only. It may not be transferred electronically to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. If the GO! curriculum is cost prohibitive for your organization, please contact us about assistance. We are awesomely generous! All use must be in accordance with the Terms of Use agreement as described on the website Mooblio. All rights reserved. 1

2 Space it s the final frontier. It s also the backdrop for 3, 2, 1 Blastoff, an out of this world voyage through the Book of James. Kids will have to buckle up as CHIP takes them through the galaxy s toughest training course and prepares them for the adventure of a lifetime one that will help them put their faith into action. These space cadets may not be NASA certified by the end, but they ll certainly know how to live long and prosper. Do the following ahead of time: Optional: provide a fun astronaut costume for the teacher. Place 3 shower caps, a can of shaving cream, and 3 bowls of cheese balls in the teaching area. It might be helpful to create a training area for the first training mission game. Lay two perpendicular tape lines about 5 ft. from each other on the floor. The tape lines should be long enough for 3 kids to stand side by side with a little room in-between them. Place a king s crown and a robe in the teaching area. If the robe is too big for a kid, that s okay. The kids will get a kick out of it. Print the Speech Bubbles on 8½ x 11 cardstock and put them in the order they ll be used. (See Resource Folder.) Place them in the teaching area. Optional: Cut the speech bubbles out so the excess paper does not show. Use tape to create four large quadrants on the floor. In each quadrant, use the tape to create one of the following letters A, B, C, and D. Place 2 deflated balloons per service in the teaching area along with a needle. Choose which of the GO! DEEP Reflect and Respond stations you would like to make available. Set out the appropriate materials for each of those stations Mooblio. All rights reserved. 2

3 Sound: 3, 2, 1 Blastoff title graphic PLAY upbeat music as kids move to large group area 3, 2, 1 BLASTOFF INTRO Large Group Leader: Greetings Space Cadets and welcome to the first week of 3, 2, 1 Blastoff! Let me ask you a question. Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what it would be like to travel through space? (Kids respond.) I have too! Space travel is the adventure of a lifetime, but it s not easy. Astronauts train for years before they can ever blast off. For the next 5 weeks, that s exactly what we ll be doing training for the adventure of a lifetime. With the help of CHIP, I ll be taking you through one of this galaxy s toughest training courses. CHIP, why don t you introduce yourself? VDO: PLAY CHIP VDO1 CHIP: Greetings space cadets. My name is Computer Human Interface Project, but you can call me CHIP. I am programmed to prepare you for blastoff. When traveling through space, small alien creatures might try to attach themselves to your face. When this happens, it is important to stay calm. If you practice this on Earth, it will help you avoid disaster while in space. Great idea, CHIP! It sounds like we have our first training mission. Let s get started! Invite 6 kids to the training area. Divide them into 3 crews of 2 kids. Place a shower cap on one kid in each crew and squirt a pile of shaving cream on top of their head. Have the other kid from each crew stand about 5 ft. away and give them a small bowl of cheese balls. On go, have the kids with cheese balls throw them at their partner s head. VDO: PLAY 30 Second Countdown Timer. At the end of 30 seconds, determine which crew landed the most balls in the shaving cream. Applaud for kids and dismiss. VDO: PLAY CHIP VDO2 CHIP: Congratulations. You stayed calm in the face of trouble. This is an important skill to have. When traveling through space, you will face all kinds of troubles. Your next training mission is to discover what to do when those troubles occur. You will find instructions in the ultimate training manual the Bible. Look up James 1:2-5, then read the story of Jehoshaphat to complete this mission. Thanks CHIP! (To kids.) We have our second mission and it starts in the Book of James. Let s turn to James 1:2-5 and see what it says. Listen carefully and see if you can tell what the verses are saying. Encourage kids to open their Bibles to James 1:2-5 and follow along as you read aloud slowly. The verses say: My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. Your faith will be tested. You know that when this happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. And you must allow this strength to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need. If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone and doesn t find fault. What do you think those verses were talking about? (Take answers.) Great thoughts maybe the story 2015 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 3

4 of Jehoshaphat (pronounced juh-ho-suh-fat) will help us understand it more. THE BIG BIBLE STORY BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE JUDAH In the Old Testament, there was a king named Jehoshaphat who loved and followed God. One day, some people came to him a told him that trouble was on its way (point to the distance) a huge army was coming to destroy him and the people of Judah. The Bible says that King Jehoshaphat was alarmed, but like a good space cadet, he stayed cool in the face of trouble. I want everyone to show me your best I m cool face. (Choose the best cool face and invite a kid to the teaching area. Place a crown on their head and ask them to do their cool face again.) Now that is cool! Instead of freaking out, Jehoshaphat decided to pray and ask God for wisdom, but he didn t pray alone. The people of Judah traveled from every town to pray with him. When all of the people were together, Jehoshaphat stood among them. He folded his hands. (Direct king to fold hands.) He cleared his throat. (Direct king to clear throat.) And he prayed in a loud, kingly voice, Lord, you are the God of our people. (Direct king to repeat each line in a loud, kingly voice. For each phrase hold the appropriate speech bubble over the king s head.) We will cry out to you when we re in trouble. (Kid repeats.) And you will hear us. (Kid repeats.) We don t have the power to defeat this army. (Kid repeats.) We don t know what to do. (Kid repeats.) But we re looking to you to help us. (Kid repeats.) I want everyone to show me your most excited ah ha face. (Choose the best excited face and invite that kid to teaching area. Place a robe on them.) When Jehoshaphat finished praying, God s Spirit whispered to one of the people. In his most excited voice, the man said, King Jehoshaphat, listen! (Direct person to repeat each line in an excited voice. For each phrase hold up the appropriate speech bubble over the person s head.) The Lord says Prepare for battle. (Kid repeats.) But you will not have to fight. (Kid repeats.) The Lord will fight for you. (Kid repeats.) The next morning, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah marched out to face the enemy army. (Begin marching in place. Invite kids to march with you.) As they marched, Jehoshaphat had the people sing songs of praise to God. (Sing a line from one of your ministry s favorite worship songs.) Then the people shouted, Give thanks to the Lord. (Direct the audience to repeat each line. Hold up speech bubbles.) His faithful love continues forever. (Kids repeat.) When the people of Judah came to a high place, they halted. (Prompt everyone to stop marching.) They looked down at the desert floor and saw a miracle the entire enemy army had already been destroyed. Not one person had escaped. God had confused the enemy army so that they turned on each other and destroyed themselves. The people of Judah erupted in cheers. (Prompt kids to cheer.) And they marched back to Judah filled with joy and praising God. (Have kids take a seat.) 3, 2, 1 Blastoff title graphic 2015 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 4

5 SPACE CADET REVIEW CHALLENGE Now that you ve heard the story, I think it s time to see how well you were listening. Are you ready for the Space Cadet Review Challenge? (Kids respond.) Here s how the challenge works. I m going to ask you some multiple choice questions. When you think you know the answer, move like you re walking on the moon to the correct letter on the floor. (Illustrate a weightless walk on the moon.) Here we go Give the kids about 8-10 seconds to move before revealing the correct answer. The correct answer is indicated below in italics. At the end, have the kids take a seat. Music: (Optional) Play upbeat music during game The Book of James says that when you face troubles to consider it pure what? A. Pure agony B. Pure gold C. Pure joy D. Pure pain What did Jehoshaphat do when he found out the enemy army was coming? A. He asked his wise men for advice B. He prayed to God for wisdom C. He thought about it quietly D. He Googled it What did the people of Judah do as they marched toward the enemy army? A. They shouted insults B. They shook with fear C. They complained D. They sang songs of praise How was the enemy army destroyed? A. They destroyed themselves B. A disease destroyed them C. Judah defeated them in battle D. A tornado destroyed them VDO: PLAY CHIP VDO3 CHIP: Way to go. You have successfully completed your second training mission. When faced with trouble, the people of Judah asked God for wisdom. Instead of freaking out, they were filled with joy and sang songs of praise to God. Whenever you face trouble, you can do the same. If you ask God for wisdom and remain joyful in trouble, you will live long and prosper. Be sure to return next week for another training mission. Until then, don t you fret space cadet. BUILDING YOUR FAITH MUSCLES 2015 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 5

6 Wow that verse in James seems kind of crazy at first! (Take answers.) Great ideas! Let me show you why we should be joyful. (Hold up a deflated balloon.) Faith Muscles graphic What happens when you lift weights? (Take answer.) That s right your muscles grow stronger (blow a puff of air into balloon), and stronger (another puff), and stronger. (Continue saying stronger and blowing puffs of air into balloon until it s about the size of a baseball. Tie the balloon off and place it in the sleeve of your shirt like a bicep. Have fun while your flex for the kids.) Lifting heavy weights helps you to build muscles. In the same way, when you face troubles in life, it helps you to build your faith muscles. (Hold up a second deflated balloon.) When you see how God helps you in times of trouble, your faith in Him grows stronger (blow a puff of air into balloon), and stronger (another puff), and stronger. (Repeat the instructions from first balloon. Place balloon in your other sleeve and flex.) If you don t lift weights, your muscles grow puny. (Use a needle to carefully pop first balloon.) And if you never face any troubles in your life, your faith grows puny too. (Carefully pop second balloon.) Whenever you have trouble in life, be joyful like the people of Judah were, because you know that God will help you and your faith will be strengthened. Whenever you have trouble in life, ask God for wisdom like Jehoshaphat did, because you know that God will give it to you. That s what our Bible verse for today says. Let s read it together in our best CHIP voices. (Read verse with kids in a robot voice.) If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. James 1:5 That s our verse for today, but we have another verse we ll be learning over the next 5 weeks. Listen to this one: Don t just listen to the word. You fool yourself if you do that. You must do what it says. James 1:22 So, let s do that. Right now, let s do what our verse in James 1:5 says let s pray together and ask God to give us wisdom for some of the trouble we have in our life. Close the GO! TELL IT Large group time by praying for the kids in whatever way the Holy Spirit prompts you. Following the prayer, explain to the kids which of the GO! DEEP Reflect and Respond Stations will be available. Remind them to move about the stations very quietly. Tell them they are free to respond to God in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads them, but if they need suggestions, some of the stations will give them ideas for how to pray, write, or draw. Give each child one GO! Home sheet and instruct them to take it with them to the stations. Place small group leaders at the different stations to quietly help the kids. The stations listed below are just the ones that have prompts that are specific to today s lesson. For more instructions on how the GO! DEEP Reflect and Respond Stations work as well as a full list of possible stations, see the GO! Guide. Music: 3, 2, 1 Blastoff title graphic (Optional) Play quiet reflective music 2015 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 6

7 2015 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 7