Lessons for the Leader. People Prayed for Peter

Transcription

1 Week of July 8, 2012 Lessons for the Leader Is prayer a part of your daily routine? Do you often let life take over and forget to pray? The early church people believed in the power of prayer. Read Acts 12:1-3. This Herod was of Jewish lineage. He kept Jewish customs to win the favor of the people. The Christians were not following Jewish customs, which made many angry. Herod chose to make a statement. What did Herod do to James and Peter? Read Acts 12:3-11. Peter had been in prison before. He had a history of mysteriously disappearing from captivity. Herod made sure Peter had extra chains and guards to keep him in prison until he was to be executed. Imagine what Peter thought while in jail. Was this really the end of his life or would God intervene again? Do you think Peter was OK with whatever was to come? Peter slept soundly the night before his planned execution. The angel had to hit him on his side to wake him up. Was this a dream? What happened next? Freedom. God intervened once again. Does God often intervene on your behalf? Read Acts 12:12. Where did Peter run first? He ran to his church family. Do you run to tell your church family your ups and downs? Read Acts 12: Have you ever had to take a second look at someone to believe it was who you thought it was? Imagine Rhoda's surprise at seeing someone she knew was to be executed the next day. Everyone was amazed. God had heard the people's prayers and they had the physical evidence to prove it. Peter told the people to tell others what had happened. How often do you tell people the exciting stories in the Bible? Begin with the preschoolers today. What do these symbols mean? 1aApplication Activities Format: Follow the numbers with arrows for a 30-minute, large group plus 20-minute Application Activities format. 1 Follow all the numbers for a 45- to 60-minute large group only format. People Prayed for Peter Bible Passage: Acts 12:1-17 Key Bible Verse: James 5:16 Life Application I can pray for people. Level of Biblical Learning (Community and World) I can pray for people in my community and world and for missionaries. Session at a Glance Introduction to Worship (6 to 8 minutes) Greet Children Play "Whom Shall I Pray For?" Worship (30 minutes/45 minutes) Sing "Whoa!" Welcome Children Present Offering and Pray Sing "Serve the Lord with Gladness" Sing "I Know Jesus Loves You and Me" Use Worship Guides Talk About the Word Pray Practice Bible Skills Tell the Bible Story Make Application Review the Bible Story Learn the Bible Verse Transition Application Activities (20 minutes) Wrap-Up (10 minutes) OK to copy. Page 1 of 16

2 Introduction to Worship 1aGreet Children Offering container Show children where to place offerings. 2aPlay "Whom Shall I Pray For?" CD player, Worship KidStyle Preschool Music CD** Instruct: "We'll move about the room while the music plays. When the music stops, find a partner to stand with. I'll call out a role such as 'parent' or 'teacher.' Partners will name someone in that role whom they can pray for during the week. If I say 'parent,' tell your partner your mother's or father's name." Play and stop the music as kids move about the room. Call out different roles such as mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, grandparent, teacher, and so on. Conclude: "We can pray for people." People Prayed for Peter Worship 3aSing "Whoa!" (DVD, 2 minutes) 4aWelcome Children (2 minutes) Greet: "I am happy to see you today! Our word for the day is pray. We'll learn what it means and do it." Acknowledge all visitors. 5aPresent Offering and Pray (2 minutes) 6aSing "Serve the Lord with Gladness" (DVD, 2 minutes) 7 Sing "I Know Jesus Loves You and Me" (DVD, 2 minutes) 8aUse Worship Guides (7 minutes) Worship Guides, pencils or markers Distribute Worship Guides and writing utensils. Explain: "Find the number 1 on your Worship Guide. Draw lines connecting the dots." Assist children as needed. Ask: "What did you draw? Sometimes we put our hands together like this [display like on Worship Guide] when we pray. We can pray for people every day." Direct children to complete the remaining activities on the Worship Guides. 9aTalk About the Word Pray (3 minutes) Paper, marker Print Pray on the paper. Display and read aloud the word. Say: "We played a game about praying and traced a set of praying hands. What does pray or praying mean?" Encourage responses. Comment: "To pray means 'to talk with and listen to God.' God wants us to pray for people. We can pray for our families, friends, people in our church and community, missionaries, and people around the world. We'll learn about some people who prayed for their friend Peter." 10 Practice Bible Skills (3 minutes) Print "Acts" (CD). Display and read aloud title. Say: "Our Bible story is in the Book of Acts. Acts is in the New Testament. Open your Bibles to the Book of Acts." Encourage adults to assist the children. 11aTell the Bible Story (7 minutes) Motions Chains: grasp own wrist Pray: hands together in front of face, head bowed Slept: head tilted to side and down on hands Hit: touch side Dress: pretend to put on clothes Follow: walk in place Knock: pretend to knock on door Quiet: put index finger in front of lips Instruct: "For our Bible story, everyone will do motions as I tell the story. Let me teach you the motions." Demonstrate the motions. Open your Bible to Acts 12. Tell the story, pausing at words in brackets to lead kids to complete the motions. Page 2 of 16

3 People Prayed for Peter Based on Acts 12:1-17 King Herod hurt the people of the church. King Herod put Peter in prison. Peter had chains [chains] put around his wrists. The king put soldiers beside Peter and outside the door. Peter's church friends gathered at Mary's house to pray [pray] for him. This Mary was the mother of a man named John Mark, not Jesus' mother. While Peter slept [slept], a light shone in the prison. Peter felt something hit [hit] him on the side and he woke up. An angel stood before Peter and told him to get up. The chains [chains] fell off Peter's wrists. The angel told Peter to get dressed [dress]. Peter obeyed. Peter followed [follow] the angel past two sets of guards and up to the iron gate into the city. The gate opened by itself and Peter followed [follow] until the angel left. Peter knew God had rescued him from Herod. He went to Mary's house, where the people were praying [pray] for him. Peter knocked [knock] on the door and Rhoda came to see who it was. She was so excited to see Peter that she ran back to tell the others. The people did not believe her. Peter continued to knock [knock] until someone opened the door. Everyone was excited that God had answered their prayers and protected Peter. Peter quieted [quiet] the people. He told the people all about the angel who rescued him and asked them to tell other people. Peter left for a different place. 12 Make Application (7 minutes) Paper; markers; photos of missionaries, community leaders, or staff members from your church Choose 4 or 5 stations in or around your church or classroom for the group to stop and pray. Post pictures or print the names of people for whom you will pray at each station. Lead children on a prayerwalk. Say: "We are to pray each day for people. Let's go on a prayerwalk around the church (classroom). When one or more persons walk and pray that is called a prayerwalk. We'll walk together to a station, stop, and pray for people in our church and community." Lead children on the walk, stopping at each station. Tell about the person you will pray for at each station, including how the person serves in the church, community, or world. Invite a child to pray for the person. Continue process through the stations. Say: "We can pray for people in our church, community, and world. We can also pray for missionaries as they tell people about God." 13aReview the Bible Story (4 minutes) Print "Teaching Picture 6 Peter" (CD). Display the teaching picture. Ask: "What are the people in this picture doing? (praying) Whom were they praying for? (Peter) For whom can we pray? (all people) We can pray for all people. Let's remember to pray every day for people." 14 Learn the Bible Verse (4 minutes) Paper, marker Print James 5:16 from your preferred translation. Learn the motions for the section of verse about prayer [see Motions]. Teacher Tip Print "James 5:16 Paraphrase" (CD). Motions Pray: palms together in front of body For: display 4 fingers in front of body One: display index finger in front of body Another: palms up in front of body; push hands out and away from each other Display and read aloud the verse. Teach children the words and motions. Conclude: "We can pray for people all around the world." 15aGo to Application Activities or Wrap-Up Week of July 8, 2012 Page 3 of 16

4 Week of July 8, 2012 Wrap-Up (Large Group Only Format) 16 Sing "I Can Do the Right Thing" (DVD, 2 minutes) 17 Sing a Prayer Song (4 minutes) Guide preschoolers to stand in a line shoulder to shoulder and hold hands. Say: "Let's sing a prayer for [say name of child standing at one end of line]. As we sing, [say child's name] will stand still while I lead the line to wrap around [say child's name]. We'll then unwrap and let [say child's name] move to the end of the line. We'll do the same thing again with the next person." Prayer Song Sing to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." We will pray for [sing child's name] today, [Sing child's name] today, [sing child's name] today. We will pray for [sing child's name] today, We can pray for people. Teacher Tip Sing 2, 3, or 4 names at one time very fast. Lead the line of kids to move as they sing. Repeat the process, time permitting. 18 Review (2 minutes) Lead children to say the Bible verse together. Ask: "When friends prayed for Peter while he was in prison, what happened to him? (angel helped him escape) God heard the prayers of Peter's friends and sent an angel to free him. We can pray for people. God will hear our prayers." 19 Prepare for Next Week (2 minutes) Scissors, marker Print "Canned Goods Letter" (CD). Complete the blank areas on the letter, duplicate, and cut apart, making 1 letter per child. Explain: "We learned we can love and pray for people. Next week, we'll learn about a church who gave to help people. We can give to help others, too. Please bring a canned food item with you when you come next week." Distribute notes to parents as they arrive. 20 Dismiss Children to Their Parents Wrap-Up (Application Activities Format) 16a Sing "I Can Do the Right Thing" (DVD, 2 minutes) 17aHighlight Application Activities (2 minutes) Call on several children to tell what they did in their Application Activities. ddarts and Crafts Make Prayer Cubes dddramatic Play Learn Whom We Can Pray For ddgames Guess Who It Is ddexploration and Discovery Find Puzzle Pieces Conclude: "Our activities helped us learn we can pray for people. We can pray for people all over the world." 18aMake a Prayer Poster (4 minutes) Poster board or large sheet of paper, marker Lead children to say the Bible verse together. Ask: "Who knows someone or something we can pray for this week?" Print the prayer requests on the poster. Tape the poster on the door for parents to see. Say: "Show the prayer requests to your parents. Remember to pray for the requests this week." 19aPrepare for Next Week (2 minutes) Scissors, marker Print "Canned Goods Letter" (CD). Complete the blank areas on the letter, duplicate, and cut apart, making 1 letter per child. Explain: "We learned we can love and pray for people. Next week, we'll learn about a church who gave to help people. We can give to help others, too. Please bring a canned food item with you when you come next week." Distribute notes to parents as they arrive. 20aDismiss Children to Their Parents ** Worship KidStyle Music CD ( SUM) may be ordered through LifeWay Christian Resources Customer Service Center at or online at * Giant Game Floor Mat ( ) may be ordered through LifeWay Christian Resources Customer Service Center at or online at Worship KidStyle Preschool Edition Leader Guide 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Page 4 of 16

5 Application Activities Select from the following choices. Each choice is designed for 20 minutes of small group time. Children's scissors, tape, markers, stickers, scrap paper Print 1 per child of "Prayer Cube" (CD). Teacher Tips Precut a "Prayer Cube" for each child. Check your state convention, or your church office for names of missionaries. Or, list countries where missionaries serve. Scissors, globe or world map, 4 maps (local or state), 4 different colors of sticky note arrows Print "Pray Cards" (CD) and cut apart. Place maps in four areas of the room. Teacher Tips Mark places on globe or world map with arrows. Let kids with Y card look for another letter as well. Print map sections from the Internet. Print maps of Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, or Washington for towns that begin with the letter Y. Worship Through Arts and Crafts Make Prayer Cubes Say: "Just as the church people prayed for Peter, we can pray for one another. Let's make prayer cubes to use as we pray." Distribute materials. Instruct: "Cut out and decorate your cubes. We'll fold our cubes together when everyone is ready. Write the names or draw pictures of people you can pray for this week. We'll help you spell and write." Assist as needed. Talk about the Bible story as kids work. Ask: "Who are some people we can pray for each day?" Encourage responses. Lead kids to assemble their cubes. Invite a child to roll his cube and name a person from his cube he can pray for this week. Allow all children to roll their cubes and tell names. Encourage kids to tell why they want to pray for the people they chose. State the Bible verse (James 5:16). Say: "The people prayed for Peter. We can pray to help people. We should pray for people each day. Use your cubes to pray for people this week." Pray. Worship Through Dramatic Play Learn Whom We Can Pray For State the Bible verse (James 5:16). Say: "We are to pray for one another. People prayed for Peter. God answered the people's prayers. We can pray to help people all over the world. We'll use maps to look for cities, towns, and countries. We can pray for the people in these places." Place children in four groups (even numbers are not necessary). Give each group a map, "Pray Card," and a different color set of arrows. Instruct: "Open your maps. Look at the big letter on your card. Find names on the map that have the same letter in them as on your card. Put arrows on the names you find." Assist children with finding names. Rotate groups through the maps every few minutes, directing groups to take their extra arrows to mark on the next maps. Continue until all kids look at each map. Read aloud some of the marked names. Collect "Pray Cards" and display in order on the floor. Read aloud the places on each card. Say: "The beginning letters on our cards spell pray. We can pray for people all over the world each day." Pray. Week of July 8, 2012 Page 5 of 16

6 Table, paper, marker, inflatable or foam ball Turn the table on its side. Print the Bible verse (James 5:16). Teacher Tips Drape a sheet over a table instead of turning it on its side. Use a cardboard screen (cut open cardboard box) instead of a table. Review Questions Who was the man in prison? (Peter) Who helped Peter leave prison? (angel, God) Where did Peter go? (Mary's house) Who answered the door at the house? (Rhoda) Whom can we pray for each day? (people) Scissors, 2 filled containers (sand, beads, buttons, small blocks, paper wads, etc.), digging tools (for sand), yarn or cording (for buttons and beads), tables Print "Puzzles" (CD). Cut apart pages 1 2. Use pages 3 4 to help kids assemble puzzles. Put teaching picture puzzle pieces in one filled container and set on one table. Put people puzzle pieces in another filled container on a different table. Teacher Tip Place tarps or tablecloths under filled containers. Worship Through Games Guess Who It Is Lead half of the children to sit on the floor on one side of the table and the other half to sit on the opposite side. Review each child's name, inviting each child to pop up when his name is called. Display and read aloud the Bible verse (James 5:16). Lead kids to say the verse several times. Instruct: "Our game is a guessing game. I'll point to one person at a time on one side of the table to say the Bible verse. The team on the opposite side will guess who said the verse." Point to one child to say the Bible verse. Lead kids on the opposite side of the table to guess who said the verse. Allow several on each side an opportunity to say the verse. Give a child a ball and guide him to toss it over the table. Invite a child who caught the ball to answer a question about the story. Lead the child who answered the question to toss the ball to the other side. Continue pattern of tossing and asking for several turns. Encourage kids who catch the ball to name someone or something for which they can pray. Collect the ball. Say: "People prayed for Peter. We can pray to help people also. We can pray for people." Invite a volunteer to close in prayer. Worship Through Exploration and Discovery Find Puzzle Pieces Say: "I have two containers filled with and [name contents]. Hidden inside these containers are paper puzzle pieces. Let's dig out all of the puzzle pieces." Assign children to particular containers to dig. Place the puzzle grids on the floor. Direct children to bring the puzzle pieces to the grids. Say: "Let's put the puzzles together. Fit your pieces on these grids [display]." Help kids put puzzles together. Point to the teaching picture puzzle and say: "Our Bible story was about people praying for Peter. Where was Peter?" Lead kids to review the Bible story. Point to the people puzzle. State the Bible verse (James 5:16). Say: "We learned we can pray for people. Name someone you can pray for this week." Encourage responses. Allow kids to play with the contents of containers. Lead kids to clean area. Pray. Worship KidStyle Preschool Edition Leader Guide 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. OK to copy. Page 6 of 16

7 Dick Wahl 2001 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in the USA. People Prayed for Peter Acts 12:1-17 Page 7 of 16

8 Acts Acts LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 8 of 16

9 Puzzles (July 8) LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 9 of 16

10 Puzzles (July 8) LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 10 of 16

11 Puzzles (July 8) LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 11 of 16

12 Puzzles (July 8) LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 12 of 16

13 Family I can pray for Friends 1. Cut along the outside lines. 2. Fold on the solid lines. 3. Fill with scrap paper. 4. Tape closed. Missionaries Church? Prayer Cube (July 8) 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 13 of 16

14 PPennsylvania Paris Pakistan Peru Poland Puerto Rico Philadelphia Philippines AAlaska Alabama Australia American Samoa Atlanta Argentina Aruba Antarctica RRome Russia Rhode Island Romania Rwanda Raleigh Rawlins Rio De Janeiro YYemen Ypsilanti Yugoslavia Yazoo City Youngstown York Yonkers Yosemite National Park Pray Cards (July 8) 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 14 of 16

15 Pray for one another. James 5:16 James 5:16 Paraphrase (July 8) 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 15 of 16

16 Dear Parent, Next week we will learn how a church can help others. Please send a canned food item with your child. We will distribute the canned food items to. Thank you for helping teach your child everyone can give to help people. Sincerely, Teacher Dear Parent, Next week we will learn how a church can help others. Please send a canned food item with your child. We will distribute the canned food items to. Thank you for helping teach your child everyone can give to help people. Sincerely, Teacher Dear Parent, Next week we will learn how a church can help others. Please send a canned food item with your child. We will distribute the canned food items to. Thank you for helping teach your child everyone can give to help people. Sincerely, Teacher Dear Parent, Next week we will learn how a church can help others. Please send a canned food item with your child. We will distribute the canned food items to. Thank you for helping teach your child everyone can give to help people. Sincerely, Teacher Canned Goods Letter (July 8) 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 16 of 16