Teacher's Manual Teen ALL SCRIPTURE NKJV

Transcription

1 Le ss on e pl m Sa Teacher's Manual Teen Consultants: David Hall, Judy Hall Contributing Illustrators: John Jordan Jonathan Edelhuber Published by 21st Century Christian, Inc th Avenue South Nashville, TN by 21st Century Christian, Inc. This publication may not be copied or reproduced in any form. from 21st Century Christian, Inc. ALL SCRIPTURE NKJV Scripture taken from New King James Version 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 Dedication Jesus Calls Four Fishermen (Luke 5:1-11) Lesson Two 11 Repentance Jesus Forgives a Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50) Lesson Three 17 Humility Jesus Teaches About Greatness (Luke 9:46-48) Lesson Four 24 Mercy Jesus Tells About the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) Lesson Five 30 Generosity The Widow Who Gave All (Luke 20:45 21:4) 2

3 Introduction For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart, (1 Samuel 16:7b). Are you ready to EXCAVATE and discover the world s greatest hidden treasure? Within these pages you will uncover an exciting, informative, and challenging series of lessons that will help your students discover the treasures on the inside as they seek to see themselves and others as Jesus sees them. This archaeological excursion will take you and your students into a deep study of what makes them truly valuable. Grab a shovel, and dig into this eye-opening adventure as we learn to see value through the eyes of Jesus! Most of us have been conditioned to admire and esteem outward appearances and physical value, but Jesus digs much deeper. He has the unique ability to look beyond the exterior and unearth the treasures of inner beauty and spiritual depth. In the same way, archaeologists look for valuable treasures that others have left behind, often hidden under layers of dirt and rubble. Though much of the world only sees a pile of debris and dirt, archaeologists have the ability to look deeper, knowing that something better is hidden beneath. By digging into and clearing away the dirt and debris, archaeologists uncover the hidden treasures for everyone to see. In fact, archaeology has revealed a lot to us about the world in which Jesus lived. By digging through the layers of time, archaeologists recently uncovered myriad artifacts within the ruins of ancient cities that now help us to learn about the cultures and lifestyles of the people with whom Jesus came in contact. Jesus, however, didn t need pick axes and shovels to know the people of His day. He knew things they didn t know and could see things they couldn t see, and He urged them to join His kingdom by looking at them and the world from His point of view. First Samuel 16:7 reminds us, the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. Jesus had and still has the ability to look deep inside each of us and discover many wonderful treasures. As His followers, Jesus also wants us to be able to discover true value inside ourselves and others. He wants us to become archaeologists, eager to dig a little deeper and brush away the rubble that hides the true treasures in our lives. Are you ready to discover the world s greatest hidden treasures? If so, then you must EXCAVATE with us. Upon closer examination, you will notice that this manual is presented in outline form. This is to enable a teacher of any skill level to present an informative and interesting lesson with minimal preparation time. The outline provides you with all the basic points, Scripture, and illustrations without stifling your creativity. Each lesson is divided into learning blocks, each of which provides a separate learning experience in a short time period. The purpose of the block system is to break up the one, long session into shorter segments, giving you more flexibility and allowing you to move freely and easily through the lesson as you see best. Each block is designed to convey the lesson to the student either by instruction, reinforcement, or application, and some blocks contain activities that allow the student to learn, firsthand, the principles being taught. Depending on your teaching style, there is enough material in each lesson to last easily an hour or more. Determine in advance the amount of time you will have your students in class, and choose the blocks or activities within the blocks that best serve your needs. In addition to the many learning experiences provided in this manual, this VBS provides many activities to be completed outside the classroom, such as crafts and skits. Each activity outside the classroom is there for the purpose of reinforcing what is learned inside the classroom. Check with your VBS Director to learn the proper time schedule for such activities and for what your responsibilities are when your students are engaged in them. Before class begins, be sure you have assembled all the items called for in the lesson and have properly studied each block of instruction. With proper preparation and motivation, we hope this series will provide a positive experience for all. 3

4 In Preparation for Class Before VBS begins, read this book in its entirety. Gather all the materials for each lesson in advance. Last-minute preparation only adds to the stress level. Each lesson has its own materials list for your convenience. There are Visual Aid packets available to help you decorate your classroom and present your lessons. You may also choose to decorate your room with the overall theme for this series. Your students are learning to be archaeologists during this VBS. Consider making your room resemble an excavation site so that your students feel as if they are far beneath the surface of the ground. Your walls could be covered with artwork depicting old cut stones that appear to be hundreds of years old. Columns could be placed around the room to provide dimension and artifacts or broken pieces of pottery could be placed in certain areas. Perhaps you could frame your classroom door with our Ancient Archway or use the Relic Stand-Ups either as single pieces or in groups. Or you could create your very own dig site. Set up tents over tables used to sort artifacts. Hang the walls with the Desert Sky Backdrop. You could also set up sand tables where your archaeologists can sift through the sands to find their very own artifacts. And don t forget the Jumbo Cutouts of our archaeological team: Professor Carver and his daughter, Ella; university student, Fiona and her brother, Finn. And of course, Bea, the camel. Let our ideas be a starting point for your own creativity. Tap into those creative minds in your congregation early, and give them a chance to create a memorable setting for these lessons. Strive to go into this teaching opportunity with a positive attitude. You will likely have many of your congregation s students in class, along with friends and neighbors who get invited. You never know who God might bring to your class or the lasting impact you might have on students and their families. Early preparation will help your confidence and increase your effectiveness. Be flexible and have fun! Most importantly, prepare for yourself a good attitude. Teaching can be a stressful experience, especially during Vacation Bible School, when attendance is up and your class is overflowing with students with whom you may not be familiar. Remember that preparation reduces anxiety, and the happier you are, the happier your students will be and the more they will learn. Good luck! Have fun! Be sure to check out our Pinterest page for some great decorating and snack ideas! pinterest.com/ promisevbs 4

5 ONE LESSON Memory Verse: Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Bible Story: Jesus calls four fishermen (Luke 5:1-11) Service Project: Tell someone about Jesus. DEDICATION Reproducible Pages Available on the Multi-media CD! Preparatory Considerations: 1. This class is divided into seven blocks of instruction. To ensure that all the material is covered, you will want to consider carefully each block of instruction in preparation for class. 2. Read all the Scripture referenced in the lesson. 3. Make sure that all materials are prepared for the students use. The following materials will be required for this class: Student Books Visual Aids Ancient Artifacts; Pillars of Value Visual Aids marked Ruins and Artifacts Bible several small balls, bean bags or other soft objects to pass (Block Five) paper and tape; small containers like box or hat (Block Five) optional Multi-Media CD Printable File John 3:16 Verse slips (Block Five) 5

6 ONE BLOCK Welcome students. Record attendance. Introduce the theme. A. Begin by welcoming the students to class. Be sure to introduce yourself and each of your co-teachers as Site Supervisors. If time permits, allow each student to introduce himself to the class and tell something special about himself. Ensure that visitors are recognized. B. Ask the students if they can tell you what makes a person valuable or important. Ask them to respond by telling you some of the characteristics of an important or valuable person. If you are able, write their responses on a board. They may offer a wide variety of answers such as wealth, fame, power, beauty, or intelligence. They may also offer answers such as kindness or honesty. Accept all answers without judgment. Upon conclusion, ask the students to choose which of the listed characteristics they believe are important in God s eyes. Conclude that God does not always see things as we do. C. Read Matthew 5:1-10, the beatitudes. After reading the passage, ask the students to think about the characteristics that Jesus conveyed as important, valuable, or blessed. Jesus did not list such characteristics as beauty or athletic ability. Instead, He listed such characteristics as poorness of spirit and meekness. The people who heard His words were probably as bewildered by them as we are today. We tend to determine value by what we see on the outside, but Jesus offered a deeper method of discovering value, by Marking THE GRID looking beneath the surface. By this point, you should have placed the 3-D visual aid titled A Deeper Look on the wall at the students eye level. Direct the students attention to the Visual Aid at this time. Allow the students to try to look deep inside the picture and discover where true value can be found. Do not tell the students what they will see. Allow them to attempt to discover it on their own. Some students will see the 3-D image immediately. Others will not. That is okay. Leave the Visual Aid on the wall during the entirety of the VBS, allowing students future attempts to see the image. The 3-D image inside the visual aid is a heart. Allow the students a few moments to look at the picture and then have them take their seats. D. Explain that archaeologists are people who search for valuable treasures that are often hidden far beneath the surface of the ground. Although others see only a mound of earth, an archaeologist has the ability to know that something far more valuable lies beneath. Introduce the VBS theme verse: For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart, (1 Samuel 16:7). Explain that God wants us to become like archaeologists. He wants us to discover the greatest treasures in life by looking beneath the surface. He wants us to be able to discover true value inside ourselves and the others with whom we come in contact by looking at the heart. 6

7 SSEMBLING A BLOCK TWO YOUR TOOLS Le ss on Introduce the lesson topic, Dedication. Explain Dedication. Discover the importance of Dedication. we can assume that the trade of fishing was pivotal to this village. Archaeologists, however, have verified the importance of fishing to this city and others along the northern shore of Galilee. Many artifacts, such as fishing hooks and weights used on fishing nets, have been uncovered there and have fishing weight helped us learn more about the fishing industry of Galilee, but the most significant find to date was made in In January of that year, a boat (shown in poster) was found along the northern shore of Galilee that is believed to be a first-century fishing boat. Measuring over 26 feet long and over 7 feet wide, the boat would have been a fit for up to 15 men, making it the perfect size for Jesus and His disciples. Although a fisherman living on the northern shore of Galilee could produce a suitable income, it was not the easiest of occupations. For these first-century entrepreneurs, fishing was not something that was done leisurely. It took a great deal of work and dedication. They fished for long hours during the hottest of days and the darkest of nights to provide income for themselves and their families. The work did not end, however, when the fishing was done. A profitable fishing career required as much time preparing to fish as it did in the act of fishing. Fishermen spent as much time repairing their nets as they did casting them. In fact, this is what Peter, Andrew, James, and John were doing when Jesus first called them to follow Him. Fishing was not merely an occupation; it was a way of life; and to be a successful fisherman, one had to be dedicated to the lifestyle. The life of a fisherman required a person who would not give up after a failed night of fishing. The life of a fisherman required someone who was dedicated to casting his net continually, even when no fish had been caught. The life of a fisherman required something more than a quest for prosperity. It required dedication. Could it be that this is exactly the thing for which Jesus was looking? Perhaps Jesus knew that treasure was not found in the length of one s resume but in the depth of one s zeal. e A. Before VBS begins, you may decide to place all five of the Ruins and Artifacts Posters on the wall for decoration. If not, remove the poster marked from the Visual Aid Packet before class begins, and place it on the wall where the students can easily see it. ASK: If you were going to start a brand new company, church, or organization, who would be the first four people you would want to join you and why? Allow them to respond. They may conclude that they would want their best four friends, people who had certain talents, or people who were influential in some way. Explain to them that, in this lesson, they are going to learn about the first four men that Jesus chose to join Him and be His disciples. We don t know much about them except for the fact that they were fishermen. Why did Jesus choose them? What did Jesus see inside them that fishing weight equipped them for the tough road ahead? Sa m pl B. Direct the students attention to the previously mentioned poster at this time, and give them the following information: Much of Jesus ministry took place along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Other than being associated with Jesus ministry, the Sea of Galilee has long been known for two things: its beauty and its fish. The northern shore of the sea has always been an especially fertile fishing spot, and it was there that Jesus called His first disciples. This area was neither a highly populated area or an important center for trade and industry. It was not a significant location for government or religion. So why did Jesus choose this spot to begin His ministry? Why would He not choose His first disciples from among the movers and shakers of the world that might be found elsewhere? Why Galilee? Perhaps Jesus knew that He would find something there that would be instrumental to the fulfillment of His ministry: fishermen. Archaeologists have uncovered many artifacts that give us insight into the people who lived and worked along Galilee s north shore. One thing that is certain about this geographic region is that it was home to many fishermen. Among the villages that were once located in Galilee was Bethsaida, the hometown of Peter and Andrew (John 1:44). Bethsaida means house of fishermen. From its name alone, 7

8 IBLE STORY B BLOCK THREE TIME Le ss on Explore the Bible story of Jesus calling His first disciples. Discover what made these four men valuable to Jesus kingdom. JESUS CALLS FOUR FISHERMEN A. Once again, explain that Jesus has the ability to look deep inside our hearts and recognize valuable treasures. One of the treasures for which He looks is dedication. In the Bible story for this lesson, we will learn about a time when Jesus recruited four dedicated men to be His disciples. Instruct the students to turn to page 1 in their Dig Journals where the lesson text has been written and allow them to read the text at this time. Text is taken from Luke 5:1-11. Sa m pl e B. Examine the Bible story with the students by discussing the following questions and answers. Allow the students time to discuss their answers before concluding with the answers that follow each question below. Luke 5:1 tells us that a multitude of people had come to hear Jesus teach. The crowd was so enthralled by Jesus that they pressed about Him. Yet, Jesus took notice of four men who, apparently, were not part of the crowd. One would believe that Jesus could have gathered countless disciples from the crowd that was around Him. What do you believe Jesus saw within these four men that caused Him to focus His attention on them? No doubt, Jesus knew all about the men. He knew the difficulties of fishing as an occupation. He knew that they had fished all night. He knew that they had failed to catch a single fish. He knew that they were tired, yet He saw that they continued to work hard to finish their work. He probably saw in them that they were hard-working men who were devoted to the things in which they believed. He probably knew that they did not easily give up, even when they had spent countless hours without success. He probably knew that they were dedicated to their work. In Luke 5:4, Jesus told Simon Peter to take his boat into the deep water and let down his net. Remember, this was the same net that Peter had just finished cleaning. What was Peter s response and what things can we discover about Peter because of his response? Peter responded by saying that, even though they had failed to catch any fish all night long, he would do exactly what Jesus asked him to do. This tells us many things about Peter. It tells us that Peter never gave up. He was always willing to throw out the net one more time. It tells us that Peter was eager to please. He offered little opposition to Jesus request. Above all, it tells us that Peter was obedient to Jesus, even when Jesus asked him to do something that probably seemed like a bad idea. After all, Peter was a professional fisherman. He knew the best and the worst times to catch fish. He knew the best and worst places to catch fish. He knew his net was clean and it would need to be cleaned again if he threw it out of the boat. In spite of all this, he did exactly what Jesus told him to do. What do you believe some of the skills might have been that helped Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be successful fishermen? How might these skills have helped them to become good fishers of men? They were hard workers. They did not give up because of failure. They had learned to be dedicated to their work and to give all they had. They had to be eager to fish. They had to learn skills that would help them catch fish. They had to be enthusiastic and have a desire to succeed. Any and all of these skills could prove to be helpful in their ministry as fishers of men. Jesus knew that the road ahead was going to be paved with setbacks and heartaches. He would need men who would remain devoted to their task and would not quit at the first sign of trouble. 8

9 NEARTHING U BLOCK FOUR TREASURES Le ss on Stress the importance of pursuing God with dedication. A. Before class, remove and cut apart the three Visual Aids titled Pillars of Value from the Visual Aid Packet. (Make sure to hold on to the instructions and the diagrams included on the Visual Aid. )You will be using these pieces to construct a bulletin board. During each lesson, one stone will be added, the memory verse for each lesson. At the beginning of the first class, you should already have part of the Pillars of Value assembled on the bulletin board: the Title Stones, the tapered stones, and the last three Beatitude Stones, verses 8, 9, and 10. During each lesson, you will be adding the five remaining stones, verses 6, 4, 5, 7, and 3. B. Read the following Scriptures, and discuss the question(s) after each verse: Bring out the Beatitude Stone that contains the memory verse for, and show it to the students. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled, (Matthew 5:6). Ask the students what it means to hunger and thirst for something. Conclude that, when we hunger and thirst for something, we love and desire it badly, and we will be dedicated to trying to attain it. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we work hard to follow Jesus and be what He wants us to be. Place the Beatitude Stone for in the appropriate place on the bulletin board, or allow a student to do so. Romans 10:2 Why is it important that our zeal or passion be led by a knowledge of God s Word? Matthew 6:31-33 What is the result of putting God first in our lives? In what ways can our lives fall out of balance when we fail to put Him first? Psalm 27:4 Why is it important to seek God with our whole hearts? What are the probable results of doing something half-heartedly? 1 Corinthians 15:58 What does it mean to be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord? pl e C. Instruct the students to turn to page 2 in their Dig Journals to the section titled, If I Had My Choice. This section will present each student with a series of questions that will help them to determine how much dedication for God s will they have. Allow them a few moments to answer the questions individually. Tell them to think about each question and answer it truthfully. After they have completed the task, discuss each question as a group. Students may or may not want to share their individual answers. Encourage general discussion while creating a safe environment for students to share their feelings. Upon conclusion, challenge the students to become more dedicated to doing God s will. BLOCK Sa m FIVE RCHAEOLOGY 101 A Reinforce the lesson. Create a hands-on learning process that will solidify the lesson in the students minds. Have fun! The following activities are all designed with the same purpose in mind to reinforce the lesson. They are not listed in any certain order; there are a number of ways you can choose to coordinate them. Depending on the number of students, the number of teachers available, the size of your classroom, and the time allotment, you may decide to perform these activities one at a time with the entire class or separate your class into small groups and rotate through stations. Obviously, you may even opt to pick which activities work best for you and only perform those activities. 9

10 TRY, TRY AGAIN Materials needed: several small balls, beanbags, or other soft objects This activity will help the students remember the memory verse while also stressing two characteristics of a dedicated person: focus and perseverance. Bring to class several balls or other objects that can be tossed. You should have about half as many balls as students. One of the balls should be the memory ball. It should look different from the rest of the balls (a different color, size, etc.) so that it can be easily recognized. Arrange the students standing in a circle facing inward. Distribute the balls (except for the memory ball) evenly around the circle. Tell the students to begin passing the balls quickly around the circle in a clockwise direction. Stop them after a moment or two. Then explain that you will now add the memory ball. Unlike the rest of the balls, the memory ball will be passed from student-to-student in a counterclockwise direction. Further explain that each student who touches the ball should say one word of the memory verse before passing it on to the next player. For example, the first student holding the memory ball will say the word, blessed, before passing it to the next student who will say, are. When play resumes, several balls will be rotating around the circle in one direction, and the memory ball will be moving in the opposite direction. The students will have a difficult time completing the entire verse at first. However, if they refuse to give up, it will continue to get easier until the point when they can say the memory verse over and over. If the students are really struggling, consider taking out one of the other balls. Upon conclusion, explain the importance of never giving up on being what God wants us to be. It will not always be easy, but if they persevere, they will ultimately succeed. SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS Materials needed: paper and tape small containers like box or hat Optional: Multi-Media CD printable file John 3:!6 Verse Slips 10 Before class, you should write each of the words from John 3:16 on separate slips of paper, one word to each slip. (Or you could print the John 3:16 Verse Slips printable file from the Multi-Media CD, found in the Grades 1-2 folder.) Have one set of the verse slips for each team of students. (Depending on your class size, you may wish to have more than two teams.) Wad each of the verse slips into balls. SAY: As fishers of men, it is our job to spread the Good News. So what is the Good News? (Read John 3:16.) This verse tells us the Good News of Jesus. You will now spread the Good News by passing this message to others. Give each student an 8.5 x 11 sheet of blank paper. Instruct them to roll the paper into a 11-inch tube, and tape the tube so it stays rolled. Divide the students into at least two teams. Each team should stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a straight line. Each team should choose one of its members to be the message decoder. This person stands at the end of the line. Put the wadded verse slips into a small container, and place it at the beginning of each line. Upon the word, Go, the first person in line for each team should pick up one of the wadded verse slips, and insert it into his tube. He should then slide the piece of paper through his tube and into the tube of the next person in line before picking up a second piece of wadded paper. The team should continue passing the wadded verse slip through their tubes until it reaches the end of the line where the message decoder will unfold it. Meanwhile, more wadded verse slips should be traveling down the line. As the message decoder begins to receive multiple wadded verse slips, it is his job to place the verse slips in order, displaying the words of John 3:16. If message decoders are struggling, you may give them an occasional hint, such as reading the verse aloud. The first team to put the verse in order wins. SIX BLOCK Dig JOURNALS Allow the students to complete the activities from in their Student Books.