Kingdom Quest. YMI Here? Series. Introduction: Why Are We Here? God Made Us for a Purpose. Worship: We Are Here to Love God

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1 Kingdom Quest 5 th -6 th Grade YMI Here? Series Lesson 1: Lesson 2: Lesson 3: Lesson 4: Lesson 5: Lesson 6: Introduction: Why Are We Here? God Made Us for a Purpose Worship: We Are Here to Love God Fellowship: We Are Here to Be Part of God s Family Discipleship: We Are Here to Become Like Christ Ministry: We Are Here to Help Others Evangelism: We Are Here to Help Others Meet Jesus 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 1

2 Kingdom Quest Kingdom Quest Lessons Copyright 2003 Kids Kount Publishing I Street, Omaha, NE All rights reserved. Written by Dr. Roger Theimer Shepherd s Paths written by Ted Heil Contributors: Mike Heinz Sally Roland Cheryl Theimer Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture verses are from God s Word and are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God s Word to the Nations. All Rights reserved. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 2

3 Date: Series: YMI Here?(Special Series) Lesson 1 Introduction: Why Are We Here? Take Home Point: *God made us for a purpose. *Repeat this phrase throughout the lesson. Bible Event: Ephesians 2:8-10 Key Verse: Ephesians 2:10: God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives with good works that he has prepared for us to do. We will help kids know: God made them. God has a purpose for each of them. They find their purpose in life by seeking and following Christ Jesus. Life is like a trip or a journey. We will help kids feel: They are capable of finding their purpose in life. Encouraged to learn more about their purposes in life. Prepared to take life s journey with Christ as their guide. We will help kids do: Follow directions to find a mystery gift box. Make guesses about what God s purpose for their lives are. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 3

4 THIS LESSON S ROADMAP DESTINATION PAGE # DISCOVERIES ON YOUR JOURNEY Small Group Have you ever gotten lost on a Warm-Up 5-6 trip? If life is a journey that will some day end up in heaven, do you think people can get lost on their journey? God promises to guide us and give direction for our life. *God made us for a purpose. SUPPLIES NEEDED magnet needle cork or some other type of floating device, such as a Styrofoam coffee cup or the cap from a milk jug. A piece of cork is recommended. glass of water Large Group Overview Audience Participation Activity: Which Way Is Up? Dramatic Presentation: Nocanfindit Guide Service sack of candy large map drawn on poster board that shows how to find the hidden candy marker compass magnet taped to Mr. Nocanfindit costume and props for Mr. Nocanfindit (see dramatic presentation script) Small Group Application 7-9 Go on a treasure hunt to find a hidden gift box. Clues will help your group. When taking a journey, it s easier when you know where you want to end up before you start a trip. If our life is a journey, it s good to know God s directions for you. compass for each group three envelopes with directions to find the location of the treasure box for each group treasure box for each group Life Savers for each child Bible marked at John 3:16 strips of paper pencil 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 4

5 Small Group Warm-Up: 15 minutes Purpose: Get pointed in the right direction! Build relationships and help guests feel at ease. Do the learning readiness activity that will point your group in the right direction for the lesson. Make a simple science experiment: turn a cork and a needle into a compass. Let s all share a brief story about ourselves today. Can you remember a time when you were on a trip somewhere and you got lost? Maybe when you were younger you got separated from your parents on a trip or at the mall. Or maybe you got lost when you were hiking or riding your bikes. Maybe your whole family got lost when you were driving somewhere. How did you feel? Were you scared? Confused? Lonely? Let kids share stories of getting lost. If your group is more than eight, divide into two smaller groups so everyone has a chance to share. Keep the stories brief so you have enough time to finish the activity. While you are talking, stroke a needle with a magnet approximately 30 times. Place the needle on top of a cork floating in a glass of water. The needle will face north. (If the needle does not point north, the needle may not be magnetized enough. In this case, you will need to stroke the needle with the magnet some more.) Let s talk about another a trip. That s the journey of our life. Did you ever think of your life as a journey? If your life is a journey, where do you think you will end up? (Don t look for right or wrong answers. Let children discuss openly. Likely, someone will suggest that his destination is heaven, which is a great answer. In that case, the end of our journey would be to be with God face to face in perfect friendship.) If your life is a journey that will some day end up in heaven with God, do you think people can ever get lost on that journey? How do we make sure we don t get lost? One thing helpful for your life s journey would be a map that shows you how to get to heaven. That map is the Bible because the Bible clearly tells us how to get to heaven. We receive heaven as a free gift because Jesus paid the way for us when he gave his life for us on the cross. Through faith in Jesus, we receive the gift of heaven. There is something else that will help us find the way through life s journey. It has to do with this needle and magnet. Does anyone know what I ve been making here? Right. It s a compass. By rubbing the 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 5

6 needle on the magnet, it has become magnetized. I will float it in the glass of water. Demonstrate. Now it always points north. If we know which way is north, then we can know which way is east, west and south. That way one can know which direction to go. God has given us something like a compass. He promises to guide us and give us direction for life. When we know what he wants us to do, then we know what our purpose is. Some people don t know what direction to go in life. They seem lost because they don t know their purpose. They don t even know why they are here. Do you know why God made you? Do you know why you are here? Knowing the answer to these questions and understanding God s directions for you is like a compass for your life. Let s explore that today. Let s remember *God made us for a purpose and he will lead us in the direction he wants us to go. Large Group: minutes Purpose: Help kids observe what the Bible says. Present the Bible Event in creative fashion. Help kids begin to interpret what it means. Offering Songs Prayer Introducing Take Home Point: *God made us for a purpose. Audience Participation Activity: Which Way Is Up? A student is called forward and given a map telling her where to find a treasure for everyone. The only problem is that the map isn t labeled so one can tell which way is up or north. The leader labels the map, but the student may still not know how to use it if she doesn t know which way is north. A compass helps. Dramatic Presentation: Nocanfindit Guide Service Visitor Mr. Nocanfindit thinks he is an expert in finding life s destination, yet he only looks to himself to discover his purpose. The Bible event answers the question that our purpose originates with God and not ourselves. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 6

7 Small Group Application: minutes Purpose: Help kids map out the meaning of the Bible event in their lives. Use the questions to stimulate discussion, but don't feel tied to them. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Include personal examples from your own faith journey. The example of Christ at work in your life will leave lasting impressions of how Christ can work in the children's lives. Use your Bibles! Children need to learn how to look up references and follow along when scripture is read aloud. Allow for quality time of prayer at the close of the lesson. Observation Questions: What happened? Read Ephesians 2:8-10. What is the gift God gave to you? (Verse 8 He saved us.) What did you to earn this gift? (Verse 8-9 Nothing.) Who made you what you are? (Verse 10 God.) For what purpose did God make us? (Verse 10. To do good works.) NOTE: Be sure the children understand that we are not saved by good works, or that good works alone will earn us a place in heaven. Also, be sure the children realize that this is just the beginning of discovering what God s purposes for our lives are. Interpretation Questions: What does this mean? What do you think it means to be created in Christ? (God made us to be like him. He wants us to have a relationship with Jesus, to be friends with Jesus.) Application Questions: What does this mean to me? Application Activity: Treasure Hunt You will take a treasure hunt using clues in envelopes prepared beforehand. The hunt will be divided into three different stretches so that more children have hands-on participation, but the group will all travel together. Consider using different parts of your facility or the outdoors as you prepare the hunt. Today we re going on a treasure hunt. Somewhere in the building, there is a gift box hidden with some surprises inside of it. In order to find the box, we will all have to work together. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 7

8 Divide your group into three smaller groups. Each group will take a leg of the journey, but the whole group will travel together. Give the first smaller group a compass and the first envelope with directions for the first leg of the journey. No other children can give advice or talk when it is not their turn to be searching. Once the group has reached the first destination, give the next team the envelope with the directions for the next leg of the journey. Likewise, the third team receives the compass and envelope with the directions to the treasure box. In the treasure box is a roll of Life Saver candies and a Bible marked at John 3:16. Optional: The first envelope contains directions to locating the second envelope with directions to locate the third envelope, which has directions to the treasure box. Example for clues found in envelopes: Start at Go north for tiny steps. Turn east and go 21 large steps. There should be an object right in front of you. Pick it up. You will find Envelope 2 beneath it. When you find the treasure box, return to your area, open the box, read the verse, and enjoy the Life Savers as you do. Ask: Where does the Bible say we will end up if we believe in Jesus? (We will not die but have eternal life. That means we will be with God forever in heaven. ) Ask the children these open-ended questions to get an idea of where they are in their faith life. What do you believe about Jesus? Who was he? How does he become your savior? Ask questions about the treasure hunt. What was hard about the treasure hunt? What was easy? Why? How did the directions help? How did the compass help? When taking a journey, it is easier when you know where you want to end up before you start a trip. If our life is like a journey, it s nice to 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 8

9 know that we want to end up in heaven with God and have a perfect life there forever. Where do we find God s directions for us? (The Bible.) God s purposes for our lives are like directions on the compass. Who is the best one to give us purposes for living? God or us? (God.) Why? (Because God made us and made us for his purposes.) Hand out two or three strips of paper and a pencil for each child. Now that we ve found the treasure box, we are going to put something back into the box for us to use in the next lesson. I want you to write on this piece of paper the answer to this question: What do you think could be some of God s purposes for your life? Have kids write their answers on the strips of paper, put their names on the back of the papers, and put the papers into the box. Place the lid back on the box and save it for next week s lesson. This week we learned that *God made us for a purpose. Next week we will begin to discover what those purposes are. Prayer Time: Thank God for creating us and loving us so much that he would send us his son, Jesus, so that if we believe in him, we can have eternal life. Pray that God would begin to show us the purposes for which he created us. Thank him for giving us direction for our lives. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 9

10 Which Way Is Up? Audience Participation Activity Before class, hide a sack of candy somewhere in the room. Make a large map on a poster board showing how to find the candy by taking so many steps in one direction, then another direction and then finally in a third direction. The problem with the map will be that the directions for north, south, east, or west are not marked; nor are any furniture items labeled. The effect should be that one cannot determine which way is up on the map. When designing the map and hiding the candy, make the hiding place as hard as possible to discover so that a map and directions are necessary. Ask for a volunteer from the audience and say: Here is your job. I would like to give you a journey to accomplish. Your journey s destination is a bag of candy hidden somewhere in this room. If you find it, everyone here gets some. You are the only one able to look for it. However, you just can t go around searching. You need to take a specific journey to find it. Are you ready? Go! Obviously, she will not know how to set out immediately toward the destination. Hold it! I can tell you need help. Take this map. It will help. Show everyone the map so they can see what you are working with. Now off you go. After letting her experience some confusion or frustration, give her the following clue. Perhaps this will help. I will show you which way is up on this map. By that, I mean that I will label the map with a north. Then this map might make more sense. She will still have difficulty if she doesn t know which way in the room is north. It s much more effective if she doesn t. Don t let the other kids give her clues. Instead, let her experience some confusion. Offer the use of a compass by saying: Let s offer her something that might help. Let s use the compass that we made in small group. It is pointing north. Now can you tell which direction in this room is north? Does the map make sense now? See if you can you find the candy and share it with everyone. After distributing the candy to everyone say: Let s listen to an expert on finding the way, share how not to get lost. Let kids enjoy the treat while you present, Nocanfindit Guide Service. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 10

11 Nocanfindit Guide Service Dramatic Presentation Mr. King will introduce and interview Mr. Nocanfindit of Nocanfindit Guide Service. Mr. Nocanfindit is a comical character that can be dressed in traveling or hiking clothes, even wearing a backpack, traveling hat, or carrying a suitcase. Use your own creative interpretation to make this character come to life. The two items this character must have to make this skit work are a large road map and a magnet taped inside his shirt. This magnet is taped to an under shirt and covered by an outer shirt. This magnet must be strong enough to pull the magnet of a compass when held close. The following storyline is given in dialogue form. At this point, feel free to adapt according to your setting. Mr. King will need a compass. Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Boys and girls, I would like to introduce to you Mr. Nocanfindit of Nocanfindit Guide Service. Mr. Nocanfindit, can you come forward please? Where? Over here? Sure, here I am. How do you do? Mr. Nocanfindit, we have a few questions for you since you seem to be an expert on taking trips. Maybe that would also make you an expert on the purpose of life as well. If you want an expert, then you have one. As a matter of fact, I m an expert on experts! But I can see that you re probably not even an expert, so you wouldn t understand what I m talking about. That means you d be lost! You must need Nocanfindit Guide Service. Uh whatever. Let me just ask you some questions. You re a guide. That means you re in the business of finding your way to a final destination. What is your first secret to being a guide? What do you need to take with you to help you find your way? Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Well, you have to know where you want to end up. It s called the destination. So where do you want to end up? Well, I don t know. That s not my business. I just know that one is supposed to know where one wants to end up. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 11

12 Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Our destination is to spend forever with God in heaven when our lives on earth are over. That s a pretty good place to end up. I don t know if I was ever a guide for anyone going there. Hmm Mr. Nocanfindit, you can help us with another question. What s your second secret? Get ready for this It s an expert fact. Experts take a map! (Takes out and shows a large road map.) Yes, here you have it. I find my way by using this handy map. But what kind of map would one use to get to heaven? I would use a Bible. A Bible? I don t know if I have ever used that to take a journey before. For this kind of destination we will need it. Let me read to you. (Reads from Bible.) Ephesians 2:8-9, God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. What does that mean exactly? Being saved means that we are saved from being punished for all the wrong things we ve done. When we are saved we can live with God in heaven after this life. This verse also says that being saved is a gift from God. We receive this gift when we have faith in Jesus as our savior. So your destination is heaven. And you get there because this Jesus fellow saved you? That s it. But on our journey through this life we want to stay on the right path. Maybe there is something you can give us to help us do that? Mr. Nocanfindit, is there anything else you take besides a map to go on a journey? Absolutely! It s a good thing you have me, an expert, to tell you. You will need a compass. A compass will tell you which direction to travel. It will help make sense out of your map because then you ll know which way is north, south, east, and west. Fantastic! Can you show me your compass? 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 12

13 Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Yes, it s right here. (Searches pockets and finds nothing.) Oh, where is it? It just so happens that I have one right here. (Holds up a compass.) Can I have a volunteer from the audience come up here and hold this compass for me and show me how it works? (Asks the volunteer to move and turn about to demonstrate that the arrow on the compass always points north.) Let s just pretend that we wanted to go home. Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Okay, I can get you there. Home is straight north. Yeah, it would be right where that little compass arrow is pointing. So if we follow that direction (Starts to move in that direction.) And the map! and the map, we know we could get home. Absolutely. Let me tell you what that compass is like. That compass is like having a purpose for your life. (Talks to child volunteer.) Did you know God made you for his purposes? No matter what you do throughout your life, you can always head in the right direction when you re living your life for the reasons God made you. Wait a minute! What do you mean? What kind of reasons? For example, God made us to love him. God made us to be part of his family. God even made us to be like Jesus and live with Jesus power. God made us so we can serve others and even tell them about Jesus. Wow! That s a lot of things we can do for him. It sure is. Those are examples of the purposes that God made us for, and that s like following this compass. When we follow God s direction, we re following the one who is always steady and doesn t move or change. We re following God. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 13

14 Mr. Nocanfindit: Wait a minute! I m a tour guide. I know a better way. I don t know if I always want to do his purposes. I think I should be able to make up some of my own. (Takes the compass from the child and holds it close to his chest.) See?! I can use this and I find my way fine. All I need to do is follow the arrow and Wow! Look at this. (Calls attention to the fact that the arrow is pointing right at him no matter where he stands.) Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Uh-oh. I see that the compass no longer points north. The compass only points to you. Why is that compass always pointing to you? Maybe it s because I have this magnet taped here to my shirt. (Shows magnet.) Of course. That s the reason. Why do you have that magnet there? So the compass always points to me. I like to be the one who is in charge of my life. I want to decide what my purpose in life is. If you do that, you re going to get lost. You will only be able to follow yourself. You will miss being able to follow God s plan. Let me help you. What do you suggest? Let s take off the magnet. (Pulls off magnet.) Ow! Now where does the compass point? North. That s what God wants. He wants you to follow him. As a matter of fact, what we are going to learn in the next five weeks is the answer to why God made us, why we are here. Why are we here? 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 14

15 Mr. King: Mr. Nocanfindit: Mr. King: God made us for his purposes. It even says it right here in the next verse of our Bible reading: God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10.) Okay, can I borrow your compass? I think I m going to take a trip. I wonder if I can find home Bye! Bye, Mr. Nocanfindit. Kids, I d like you to picture yourself on a journey through life. Do you know where you are going or where you will end up? I hope you see yourself ending up where you get to spend forever with God as your friend in a perfect place. That s heaven. While you re on that journey now, God has some important purposes for you. God made you for his purposes. It s so very important to learn what they are so you will have direction in your life. It s the best way to live and you will find that God will use you to do things for him in wonderful ways. Over the next five weeks, we will discuss five of these purposes. Let s begin this week by opening our hearts to him and asking that he will show us his purposes. Let s pray. Dear God, thank you that you gave us Jesus as our savior so we can have a destination to be with you in heaven. Thank you for making us new in him and making us for your purposes. Please open our hearts to learn what purposes you made us for so we would be eager to live them out for you. In Jesus name. Amen. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1 15

16 God Talk At Home This Week s Kingdom Quest Lesson: Why Are We Here? Introduction Take Home Point: God made us for a purpose. FOR STARTERS: Gather everyone together and show him a compass, gyroscope, or another type of direction-finding device. Have each family member tell about a time he was lost and didn t know the direction home or to safety. Where was it? What happened? What did it feel like? How would not knowing your purpose in life or why God made you, be similar to not knowing which direction to go if you were lost? Why? READ THE BIBLE: Read Ephesians 2:8-10 to discuss the following questions. A KEY VERSE: Ephesians 2:10: God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives with good works that he has prepared for us to do. TALK ABOUT IT: What gift does God give us? (Verse 8. He saved us.) What did you to earn this gift? (Verses 8-9. Nothing.) For what purpose did God make us? (Verse 10. To do good works.) What do you think it means to be created in Christ? (God made us to be like him. He wants us to have a relationship with Jesus, to be friends with Jesus.) Where does the Bible say we will end up if we believe in Jesus? (John 3:16. We will not die but have eternal life. That means that we will be with God forever in heaven. ) When taking a journey, it is easier when you know where you want to end up before you start a trip. If our life is like a journey, it s nice to know that we want to end up in heaven with God and have a perfect life there forever. Where do we find God s directions for us? (The Bible.) God s purposes for our lives are like directions on the compass. Who is the best one to give us purposes for living? God or us? (God.) Why? (Because God made us and made us for his purposes.) PRAYER POWER: Thank God for creating us and loving us so much that he would send his son, Jesus, so that if we believe in him, we can have eternal life. Pray that God would begin to show each member of your family the purposes for which he created them. Thank God for giving us direction for our lives. FAMILY TIME OPTIONS: Your family can make a plan to set aside a certain time and place for family devotions if you are going through the 40 Days of Purpose campaign. Talk to your church about more devotional resources. Will your goal be to meet nightly or weekly or perhaps three nights a week? Make a plan now, and pray that God would help clarify his purposes for your entire family. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 1

17 Shepherd s Path A Shepherd s Personal Devotions Lesson 1 Lesson Title: Why Are We Here? Take Home Point: God made us for a purpose. Warm-Up: Have you ever wondered why there are so many types of common household articles? Take paper for example. I look around my room and see writing paper, tissue paper, computer printer paper, school paper, napkins, magazines, books, note cards, envelopes, sticky notes, newspapers, and more. Why so many different types of paper? Because each one performs a unique function. Each is designed with a specific purpose in mind. And while some substitutions can work, it would not be wise to use a napkin as an envelope to mail a letter, or to use a magazine to wipe your hands after eating finger food. It works best when we use items as designed for their intended purpose. Read: Ephesians 2:8-10 Observation (What happened?): How much of what we do is part of our rescue from sin and death? Whose workmanship are those created in Christ Jesus? Interpretation (What does it mean?): What do you think it means to be created in Christ Jesus? How does God prepare us to do good works? Insight: A number of years ago, it was popular for Christians to wear a button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for Please Be Patient; God Is Not Finished With Me Yet. As Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV) The Greek word translated workmanship is also used to describe a work of art." We are God s work of art, and each of us is an individually created masterpiece designed specifically for his purpose. In our competitive culture it is sometimes easy to see only what we consider our weaknesses or inabilities. Satan uses that to discourage us from pursuing and accomplishing the good works for which God has prepared us. But as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. " (NIV) Everything about you is an essential part of God s masterpiece, to be prepared and used for his purpose. Application (What does it mean to me?): Think of one good work you have done this past week to please and serve God and others. Spend some time thanking God for making you just the way you are and preparing you to do good works for him.

18 Date: Series: YMI Here? (Special Series) Lesson 2 Worship Take Home Point: *We are here to love God. *Repeat this phrase throughout the lesson. Bible Event: Mark 12:30 Key Verse: Mark 12:30: So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. We will help kids know: Love is a natural response to being loved. Worship is God saying, I love you to us and us saying to him I love you, too! Worship is a daily activity of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We love God because he first loved us, not because we re forced to do so. We will help kids feel: Awed by God s love for them. Inspired to love God with all their being. We will help kids do: Grapple with the question, What is the one thing we can give God that he does not already own? (Our worship.) Identify things they can do in everyday life to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Make a 3-D box as a reminder of their love for God through worship. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 1

19 THIS LESSON S ROADMAP DESTINATION PAGE # DISCOVERIES ON YOUR JOURNEY Small Group Play a game called I Love It Warm-Up 3-4 with the kids listing things they love. This will start the group thinking about things they really love. Ask the kids to think about the difference between loving something and someone. SUPPLIES NEEDED watch with a second hand or Scattergories game timer one I Love It category card for each child (see page 13 pencils Large Group Overview Attention Grabber: Riddles Interactive Presentation: What Worship Looks Like! overhead transparency that reads: FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS. four cut-out hearts that can be affixed to a child Small Group Application 5-8 God s love for us is very deep and very wide, and we can love God with all of ourselves our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Children will make a threedimensional box to remind them of God s love for us and our love for him. box pattern printed on cardstock for each child (See page 8 for pattern.) scissors glue sticks crayons and markers 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 2

20 Small Group Warm-Up: 15 minutes Purpose: Get pointed in the right direction! Build relationships and help guests feel at ease. Do the learning readiness activity that will point your group in the right direction for the lesson. I Love It! - A Word Game Determine who in your group has a birthday closest to today. Have that person pick any consonant besides Q, X, or Z. Once he has announced his choice, give the following instructions. We are going to play a game called I Love It! that is similar to Milton Bradley s Scattergories game. People often say, I love ice cream or I love football. Everyone will create a list of ten things they love. Each item on your list will match a category printed on the category cards I m about to give you. Each card has the same ten categories as all the other cards. Each item on your list will start with the letter our birthday celebrity just chose. Remind the group what letter was chosen. Your goal will be to choose one item that no one else will choose for each category. When the time is up, we ll stop writing and each person will read his list. Anyone who wrote down the same item as someone else has to cross it off his list. Once everybody has read through the items on their lists, count the number of items on your list that did not get crossed off. The person with the highest number wins. The item you write down has to legitimately connect to the category you write it for. If there s any disagreement about whether an item fits the category, I will be the judge. For example, if the category was oceans and somebody wrote Mississippi River, I would decide whether Mississippi River is a legitimate oceans item. You will have 60 seconds to complete as many I love it items as possible. Write one item for each category. When you receive your category card, turn it face down until I tell you to turn it over. Distribute the category cards and pencils, making sure kids keep their cards face down until everyone has one. Answer any questions. Then have the kids turn their cards over and start writing. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 3

21 Categories on Category Card: 1. Things you can climb 2. Things you eat 3. Things you play with 4. Things at school 5. Pets 6. Sports 7. Things people drive 8. Things that fly 9. Things you plug in 10. Things people have in their bedrooms After 60 seconds, call time and have everyone put his pencil down. Have each child read from his category card this way: The category is things you can climb. I LOVE. After each item is read aloud, see if anybody else wrote the same thing for that category. If so, everyone who did crosses the item off his list. If no one else wrote that item for that category, the reader gets a point for that item, unless you disqualify it as not being legitimate. After you have completed the game, ask: Which of the things on your list do you really love? Then talk about the concept of love for a few minutes. What is the difference between loving something (like on your list) and someone? 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 4

22 Large Group: minutes Purpose: Help kids observe what the Bible says. Present the Bible Event in creative fashion. Help kids begin to interpret what it means. Offering Songs Attention Grabber: Riddles Prayer Introducing Take Home Point: *We are here to love God. Interactive Presentation: What Worship Looks Like! Small Group Application: minutes Purpose: Help kids map out the meaning of the Bible event in their lives. Use the questions to stimulate discussion, but don't feel tied to them. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Include personal examples from your own faith journey. The example of Christ at work in your life will leave lasting impressions of how Christ can work in the children's lives. Use your Bibles! Children need to learn how to look up references and follow along when scripture is read aloud. Allow for quality time of prayer at the close of the lesson. Again ask the riddle: What is the one thing God does not own that you own, and the only way he can receive it is if you give it to him? (Your worship. Worship is the way we show God we love him.) Observation Questions: What happened? Ask students to look up Mark 12: Have one or two kids read it aloud. Jesus tells us to love the Lord our God with our whole self. What four things does Jesus list to describe our whole self? (Mark 12:30. Heart, soul, mind, and strength.) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 5

23 Interpretation Questions: What does this mean? Why do you think Jesus says to love God this way? (We are to love God with the whole breadth and depth of our being.) Can you make someone love you? (No. Discuss.) Why do you love the people you do? Have kids identify the two or three people in their life they love more than anyone else. Ask them why they love those people. Most of their reasoning will probably be because the people they identified have shown love to them. How can you get someone to choose to love you? (By being kind to them, doing things for them, by loving them first) Application Questions: What does this mean to me? What has God done that leads you to choose to love him? This is a great opportunity to review the Apostle s Creed, which is a wonderful summary of all the things the Bible tells us God has done for us. The Father created us and gives us everything we need to survive and thrive. Jesus died for our forgiveness and rose to assure us of eternity. The Holy Spirit brings us to faith and strengthens us for daily living. Application Activity: Make a three-dimensional box In today s activity, kids will make a three-dimensional box to show how we are to love God in our full dimension. Each of the four sides of the box corresponds with the four dimensions of our love for God: our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This box can also be described as a gift box. It then becomes a reminder of God s gift of love to us through the death of his Son, Jesus Christ, and the gift of love we give back to him. Today we are going to make a box to remind us how deep and wide and high God s love is for us and how we can, in turn, love God with all of ourselves our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Pass out the box pattern, scissors, and glue sticks. Have children look at the pattern and ask: What does this pattern look like? (A cross.) Yes. God loves us so deeply that he sent his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. In response to his love, we can worship God with our whole being. We 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 6

24 can love him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all of our strength. Explain to the kids to cut only on the solid lines along the edges of the pattern. Have kids wait to fold and glue it until after they ve had a chance to put an illustration on each of the four sides: heart, soul, mind, and strength. Use glue sticks on the lettered flaps and glue them to the inside of the box. The words and heart will also be on the inside of the box. Do not glue the flap without lettering. This will become the lid that can be opened and closed. While making the boxes, ask these open-ended questions: If you could take a picture of loving God with all your heart, what would it look like? What would it look like to love God with all your soul? Describe how you could love God with all of your mind. With all of your strength. Going Deeper: When we look at our box, we don t see a flat square but a fuller threedimensional cube. Something that is three-dimensional has length, height, width, and depth. We worship God when we love him to our fullest, when we love him with all the height and depth we possibly can. Open the lid and look inside your box. What is the first thing you see when you look inside at the bottom (or depth) of your box? (The heart and cross.) What does that make you think of? (God s love for us in sending Jesus to die on the cross.) At the very depth of our love for God is believing that he first loved us. Notice that the sides of your box (its height) have the words: heart, soul, mind, and strength. Out of our response to God s love for us, we love him back with our whole self. That is our act of worship. If time is available, have kids decorate the outsides of their boxes. They might write phrases such as: Love the Lord your God will all your, I love God because he first loved me, YMI here? I am here to love God, etc. Encourage the kids to take their box home and place it somewhere they will see it everyday. This is a reminder to worship God by loving him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Today we learned that *we are here to love God. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 7

25 Prayer Time: Before prayer point out that all aspects of worship, or loving God, come together when we pray. We think about what we are saying to God, our desires are for God, our posture is humble and helpful, and the very deepest part of ourselves comes out when we pray. Then pray about ways we can show our love to God throughout the week and beyond. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 8

26 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 9

27 Large Group Attention Grabber IQ Test You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. In what position do you finish? (Second.) If you overtake the last person, then you arrive in what place? (You can t overtake the last person. You re not very good at this, are you?) Very tricky math! This riddle must be done in your head only. Do not write it down. 1) Take 1000 and 2) Add 40 to it. 3) Now add another ) Now add 30. 5) Another ) Now add 20. 7) Now add another ) Now add 10. 9) What is the total? (Most will say 5,000. the correct answer is 4,100) Riddle of the F s Here's a quick test of intelligence. There are no tricks to this test and it looks pretty simple. But let's see how you do! I will show you a sentence. Count the F s in the sentence as you read it to yourself. Count them only once. Then close your eyes until I tell you to open them. Do not go back and count them again. On an overhead show the following for ten seconds or less: 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 10

28 FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS. How many F s did you see? (Six. Many people don t see all six because they fail to hear the F sound in the word of. ) Riddle of the Day The point to all the riddles is to get us ready to answer one riddle that is very important. What is the one thing God does not own that you own, and the only way he can receive it is if you give it to him? Kids might answer love or praise. Tell them they are correct, but there is a word that describes God saying I love you, to us and our saying, I love you, God. Hint: It is a type of a boat but it does not float. (Worship.) What Worship Looks Like! Interactive Presentation Ask for a volunteer. Have the volunteer stand in the middle or in front of the group. We are asking, Why is (child s name) here on earth? God made him and put him here for a purpose. (Child s name) is so important to God that he sent his own Son, Jesus, into the world so that Jesus could give his life for (child s name). When (child s name) believes that Jesus gave his life for him, he is so filled with God s love that he wants to worship God. We worship God when we show him how much we love him. As you continue to teach that we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, use paper cutout hearts that the volunteer can affix to himself to help visualize heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let s see how (child s name) can worship God with his entire person. He can worship, not just one time of the week but the entire week long. The Bible says, Love the Lord your God with all your heart. (Have the volunteer attach a heart to the chest area.) The heart refers to the 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 11

29 place where you have your feelings and desires. (Child s name) worships God with his heart when going to church on Sunday morning, singing songs, and talking to God. This is a way of telling God, I love you with all my heart. (Have the volunteer attach another heart to his chest.) God also tells us we should love him with all our soul. Our soul is the very deepest part of our thoughts and feelings. This is the deepest part of our desires. (Child s name), have you ever had deep secrets that you wanted to talk to God about? You can love God with all your soul by praying to him and having Jesus fill up your soul. (Have the volunteer attach a heart to his head.) Loving God with our mind means we can think about him and learn more about him. What book would you read to learn more about God? Right, it s the Bible. You can love God by reading the Bible and learning his word. Anytime you use your mind or what you think to serve God, it s a way of loving him with your mind. (Have the volunteer attach a heart to his biceps.) What does it mean to love God with all of your strength? Can you think of ways you can serve God by using your body? Are there things you can do to help at church by using your strength? What about things you can do to help at home? These are some ways to show you love God with all your strength. Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is loving him with all that you have. It is giving him everything. This is worship; giving everything you have and are to God. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2 12

30 Word Game Category Card 1. Things you can climb: 2. Things you eat: 3. Things you play with: 4. Things at school: 5. Pets: 6. Sports: 7. Things people drive: 8. Things that fly: 9. Things you plug in: 10. Things people have in their bedroom: Word Game Category Card 1. Things you can climb: 2. Things you eat: 3. Things you play with: 4. Things at school: 5. Pets: 6. Sports: 7. Things people drive: 8. Things that fly: 9. Things you plug in: 10. Things people have in their bedroom: Lesson 2 13 Copyright 2003 by Kids Kount Publishing, Omaha, NE 68137

31 In Kingdom Quest, the kids made a threedimensional box to show how we are to love God in our full dimension. Each of the four sides of the box corresponds with the four dimensions of our love for God: our heart, soul, mind, and strength. God Talk At Home This Week s Kingdom Quest Lesson: YMI Here? Worship! Take Home Point: We are here to love God. FOR STARTERS: What are some of the ways people in your family say, I love you? For example, a mom plays a word game saying, I love you more than all the in the world. Or a dad says, I love you by doing special acts of kindness. Discuss how members of your family say, I love you. Then say, Worship is God saying, I love you to us and us saying, I love you, God. This is why we are here so we can love God. READ THE BIBLE: The Bible event for this week is the same as the key verse: Mark 12:30. A KEY VERSE: Mark 12:30: So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. TALK ABOUT IT: Jesus tells us to love the Lord our God with our whole self. What four things does Jesus list to describe our whole self? (Mark 12:30. Heart, soul, mind, and strength) Why do you think Jesus says to love God this way? (We are to love God with the whole breadth and depth of our being.) Have your child show you his box. Open the lid and look inside. What is the first thing you see when you look inside at the bottom (or depth) of your box? (The heart and cross.) What does that make you think of? (God s love for us in sending Jesus to die on the cross.) At the very depth of our love for God is believing that he first loved us. When we look at our box, we do not see a flat square but a fuller three-dimensional cube. Something that has three dimensions has length, height, width, and depth. We worship God when we love him to our fullest, when we love him with all the height and depth we possibly can. God loves us so deeply that he sent his Son to die on the cross for us. In response to his love, we can worship God with our whole being. We can love him with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength. Out of our response to God s love for us, we love him back with our whole self. That is our act of worship. PRAYER POWER: Pray about ways we can show our love to God throughout the week and beyond. FAMILY TIME OPTIONS: Make your own worship box. Decorate a box to hold some of the things you use in family devotions. This might include your Bible, a candle, a special picture, or whatever object lesson you secretly place inside pertaining to that evening s topic. Discuss how you can set aside a special time and place for regular God talks at home. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 2

32 Shepherd s Path A Shepherd s Personal Devotions Lesson 2 Lesson Title: Worship Take Home Point: We are here to love God. Warm-Up: When my children were younger, every once in a while they would make something for me or maybe do something special just to show that they loved me. Occasionally they still do. And when I was a child I did the same thing for my parents. Today I do it for my wife or my children. Just because I love them and want to show them my love. Could I require or force my young children to do those things to show their love? No. I might be able to make them do it, but that would not be a show of love. It would demonstrate submission or perhaps even fear, but not love. The expressions of love I received meant that much more simply because they were done voluntarily, from a happy heart. Read: Mark 12:30 Observation (What happened?): What does God want us to do? What are the four elements of our lives with which we are to love God? Interpretation (What does it mean?): What does it mean to love? Why do we love God? Does Jesus limit loving God to a particular form or time or place or activity? Insight: (Hymn of St. Francis Xavier, translated from Latin by Edward Caswall) My God, I love Thee not because I hope for heaven thereby, Nor yet that those who love Thee not are lost eternally. Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me upon the Cross embrace; For me didst bear the nails and spear, and manifold disgrace, And griefs and torments numberless, and sweat of agony, And death itself and all for me, who was Thine enemy. Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, should I not love Thee well? Not for the sake of winning heaven, nor of escaping hell; Not with the hope of gaining aught; nor seeking a reward; But as Thyself has loved me, O ever-loving Lord. Even so I love Thee, and will love, and in Thy praise will sing, Because Thou art my loving God, and my eternal King! Application (What does it mean to me?): What are some ways you show God your love for him? Think of a new way to love him and show it. Put it into practice this week.

33 Date: Series: YMI Here? (Special Series) Lesson 3 Fellowship Take Home Point: *We are here to be part of God s family. *Repeat this phrase throughout the lesson. Bible Event: Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 Key Verse: Romans 12:5: In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other. We will help kids know: When we place our faith in Christ, God becomes our Father, we become his kids, other believers become our brothers and sisters, and the church becomes our spiritual family. We need each other and need to treat each other with love. We will help kids feel: Significant as part of God s spiritual family. Challenged to use their gifts to help show God s love to others. We will help kids do: Learning games that teach them to rely on one another. Value each member s contributions. Identify ways that help encourage and build up others as part of God s spiritual family. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 1

34 THIS LESSON S ROADMAP DESTINATION PAGE # DISCOVERIES ON YOUR JOURNEY Small Group As a church, we need each other. Warm-Up 3-5 God fit us together as a spiritual family. Play a game to learn how we work together well when we have a common goal. SUPPLIES NEEDED Option 1: one or two hula-hoops per group Option 2: no supplies are needed Option 3: no supplies are needed Large Group Overview Dramatic Presentation: We Are the Body of Christ sheet large enough for four kids to stand behind with holes cut to reveal an eye, an ear, a nose and a hand (one from each of the kids). Label the holes where the parts are exhibited (See script for dramatic presentation for details.) Small Group Application 6-9 The group will together make a creature with each child pretending to be one part. This creature is like the church. God put us together so that each one of us can do an important part. two glasses of water for each group six blindfolds for each group (optional) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 2

35 Small Group Warm-Up: 15 minutes Purpose: Get pointed in the right direction! Build relationships and help guests feel at ease. Do the learning readiness activity that will point your group in the right direction for the lesson. Choose one of the following game options to begin today s warm-up. Option 1: Hula-Hoop Hoopla Have kids hold hands in a circle. Undo the handhold between two kids just long enough to place a hula-hoop on to one kid s arm. Now challenge the student to pass the hulahoop to the next student without breaking the handhold. That student is then challenged to step through and duck inside the hula-hoop so that he can pass the hula-hoop to the next kid in the circle. All the kids need to work together to bring the hula-hoop all the way around the circle in the same way, never breaking their grip. For additional fun, start two hula-hoops at the same time at different parts of the circle. See if they can catch each other. Option 2: Group Stand Select two kids to begin the game. Have the kids sit on the floor with their backs together. Direct them to lock their elbows while back-to-back. Now challenge them to try to stand. They will need to work together so they can push up at the same time. After demonstrating with two kids, invite the rest to partner up and give it a try. Do the same activity using three kids all locking elbows with backs against one another. Can you do it with more than three? How about trying it with the whole group? Option 3: Pass the Bod This game can only be played if no one is wearing a skirt or dress. It also requires at least seven or eight kids, and it won t work if you have so many kids that the circle isn t tight in the middle (see directions below). But it s well worth the effort kids love it! Start by asking for a brave volunteer. (Pick a small one.) Do boards bend? (No.) Then neither can you bend. You are a board. You are not allowed to bend. When I say, fall, you fall backward and I ll catch you, okay? Have the volunteer cross his arms over his chest. Stand behind the volunteer and ask if he is ready. When he is ready say, Fall! You might do this several times, starting very close and then moving a little farther back each subsequent time. Each time, emphasize the importance of the child keeping his arms tight against his chest and his hips stiff as a board. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 3

36 We have just observed the stiff as a board falling technique. Now we re going to use this technique in a game. Have everyone remove his shoes and sit in a circle on the floor. Have your previous volunteer stand in the middle of the circle. Then everyone tightens up the circle by sitting up, extending his legs toward the center, and scooting inward while bending his knees. Stop scooting when your knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Each person s feet should brush lightly against the middle kid s ankles. All feet stay on the floor during the entire game. Finally, have everyone lift his hands toward the volunteer, as if to catch him if he should fall. In a moment, I m going to ask (child in center) to fall. He will fall just like he did with me, stiff as a board, and it s your job to catch him. This part is important: You must help each other. If he starts falling toward the person next to you, get your hands up there and help out. So every time someone in the middle falls, there will be at least three of you with your hands up ready to work together. The name of this game is called, Pass the Bod. Once the person in the middle falls, pass his bod gently to the person on your left or right, always helping hold him up until he s too far away and you can t help support him anymore. As he comes back around the circle, reach out and help the person next to you catch him and then pass him along. When everyone is ready, emphasize once more how important safety is. We don t want any broken elbows. Then have the volunteer fall toward you (assuming you re sitting in the circle). Gently catch him, then pass him to one side, and watch him float around the circle. You ll probably need to encourage him to stay stiff. Kids often tuck in fear and fall onto the group s shins. Watch for kids to not help each other, and urge them to work together. After a little insistent coaching on your part, they should work together pretty well. If you have time, ask for someone else to be the faller. Hopefully everyone in the group will try it. Debriefing Questions: Discuss the following questions with your group. The questions are intended to prepare them for learning that, as the church, we need each other. God fits us together as a spiritual family. We will work together well when we all have a common goal. We should listen and respect one another. We can help one another in our weaknesses and celebrate one another s strengths. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 4

37 What was hardest about doing this activity? What was the most helpful thing that someone did for you? Did he help by talking or encouraging you? What would have made this easier to do? How do you think this might be like the family of God? Today we will learn that *we are here to be part of God s family. Large Group: minutes Purpose: Help kids observe what the Bible says. Present the Bible Event in creative fashion. Help kids begin to interpret what it means. Offering Songs Prayer Introducing Take Home Point: *We are here to be part of God s family. Dramatic Presentation: We Are the Body of Christ Volunteers display an eye, an ear, a nose and a hand as 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 is read. See script for this in appendix. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 5

38 Small Group Application: minutes Purpose: Help kids map out the meaning of the Bible event in their lives. Use the questions to stimulate discussion, but don't feel tied to them. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Include personal examples from your own faith journey. The example of Christ at work in your life will leave lasting impressions of how Christ can work in the children's lives. Use your Bibles! Children need to learn how to look up references and follow along when scripture is read aloud. Allow for quality time of prayer at the close of the lesson. Observation Questions: What happened? Read Romans 12:4-8. The church is like one body with many parts connected together. Who makes us one body connected together? (Verse 5. Jesus.) God has given different gifts to people that they can use to help others. Name some of these gifts. (Verses 6-8. Speaking God s word, serving, teaching, encouraging others, sharing, leadership, and helping people in need.) Interpretation Questions: What does this mean? One way to think of the church is to think of one body with many parts, all working together. Another way to think of the church is to think of it as God s family. How is the church like a family? (God is our Father. Jesus is our brother. Family members don t all do the same chores. They depend on each other to accomplish household tasks. Similarly, it takes lots of different people to do all the things that are needed in the church.) Are kids an important part of God s family? Why? What can they do that is special? (They have special gifts just like adults. They can do some things better than adults, like helping other kids. They can share God s love with others by listening to them, talking with them, and sharing activities together.) Application Questions: What does this mean to me? Application Activity: Do-A-Part Creature The kids will each pretend to be one part of a creature called Do-A-Part. Each student will do a part as together the entire group makes this creature. The purpose of the activity is to demonstrate that we are all part of God s family and each of us has been given special talents and skills, but we need to work together, each using our talents to help do God s work. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 6

39 Today we are going to make a strange creature called a Do-A-Part. Everyone will have to do a part in making this Do-A-Part Creature. You will pretend to be only part of the creature s body. For example, some of you will pretend to be a leg, an arm, eyes, ears, or a mouth. But altogether you will make a whole new creature. The purpose of your creature will be to move across the room and get a glass of water for your thirsty mouth. Then you will see if you can carry another glass of water back here so you can give me a drink. Choose four kids to be the LEGS of the body and blindfold them or have them close their eyes. They should be strong enough so that together they can carry the MOUTH. Choose one student to be the MOUTH and blindfold him or ask him to keep his eyes closed. Have the MOUTH sit on the floor with his legs slightly extended. Two of the LEGS will each lift the MOUTH up under a knee. The other two LEGS will each help lift by placing one of the MOUTH s arms over their shoulders. Help make sure the student is safely picked up and won t be dropped. Pick a student to be a HAND. This person attaches to the creature by placing the front left leg of the MOUTH over his right shoulder. The HAND s job will be to pick up the water and get it to the MOUTH when they arrive at their destination. Then he will have to carry another glass of water back to the shepherd. Pick one student to be the EARS and blindfold him. This person will stand behind the MOUTH and attach to the creature by having both hands on the shoulders of the MOUTH. The EAR S job is to listen to the directions the EYES whisper in his ears and then whisper that same message to the MOUTH. Choose one student to be the EYES. This student attaches to the creature by holding an elbow of the EAR. This person s job is to give directions to the entire creature as to where to travel. The challenge will be that these directions cannot be spoken to the group, but must be whispered to the EAR, who then whispers to the MOUTH, who then tells everyone what to do. Extra body parts can be made for others if more kids are in the group. For example, add extra legs and arms. You might even 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 7

40 add a brain that could give directions for the group to better work together. Once the body is made, have the kids go to a table or counter to get a glass for their thirsty mouth, then return with an additional glass of water for the shepherd. After the activity, debrief with the following: What worked well with our Do-A-Part Creature? Why? What didn t work so well with our Do-A-Part Creature? Why? How do you think it could work better? How was our Do-A-Part Creature like the church? What was the purpose of this Do-A-Part Creature? (Get a drink and then bring a drink to the shepherd.) What is the purpose of the church? (Let kids respond. Affirm every answer as best you can.) Those are all good answers. The primary function of the church starts with drinking what the Bible calls living water. That s the same thing as having trust in Jesus and getting filled up with his love. What did the Do-A-Part Creature do after it had a drink of living water? (Brought water back to the shepherd.) How is that like the church? (The church needs to bring this living water to a thirsty world.) Who do you think needs a drink of living water? Or another way to say it, who do you think needs to be filled up with Jesus love? (Those that don t know Jesus.) Jesus gave his life for you by dying on the cross to pay the punishment for your sins. If you trust him as your Savior, then you are part of his family or a member of his body. As members of Christ s body, we are his hands, his feet, his eyes, and his heart. He works through us in the world. We each have a contribution to make. (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: Why On Earth Am I Here? Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002, p. 135.) What are some ways you can serve God with your hands? (Making things like cards to encourage others, helping with chores around the house, giving hugs to people who need love.) What are some ways you can serve God with your feet? (Do errands for people, visit people who are lonely or sad or sick.) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 8

41 What are some ways you can help serve God with your ears? (Listening to others, trying to understand and feel for those who are sad or lonely.) What are some ways you can help serve God with your mouth? (Singing, talking to others who might be lonely, inviting others to church, telling others about Jesus, encouraging others at church.) Many of the things you do as part of God s family may not happen just at church but could happen anywhere. Since we are part of God s family, how shall we treat each other? In other words, think of some of the ways you have liked being treated by other members of God s family. What other special talents or abilities do you have that you could use to serve God? Today we have learned that *we were made to be part of God s family. Remember that he has given you a special ability as part of God s family to reach out to others! Prayer Time: Pray for some things the kids can do to help build the family of God and support one another as members of God s family. If you have time, play another round or two of Pass the Bod. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 9

42 We Are the Body of Christ Dramatic Presentation This dramatic presentation teaches with the object lesson found in the mystery box a sheet that has several holes cut out of it. This sheet is just large enough for four kids to stand behind. One student has his hand showing through a hole in the sheet, another student has a nose shown through a hole, another an ear, and another has an eye revealed. On the side of the sheet that faces the audience, the holes can be labeled for the body part that will be seen through it. For example, largely write EAR and point an arrow to the small hole through which an ear will be poking out. Display the sheet for all to see. Hand the following directions to two volunteers who are excellent reader. Have them take turns reading, paragraph by paragraph. Stop the readers as necessary to highlight what they read or to assist with the action called for. Directions: Volunteer 1: First, ask two volunteers to tightly hold the corners of this sheet so four kids can go behind it. (Call two volunteers forward to hold sheet.) Volunteer 2: It says here that this sheet is called a We need each other sheet. Now we need four kids to stand behind the sheet and get ready to show a small part of their bodies through one of the holes. (Have the two kids holding the sheet work together with four new volunteers to match the right body part with the appropriate hole in the sheet.) Volunteer 1: (Continue after the kids are set.) It says here that I am supposed to read the Bible verse Romans 12:5. It says, In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other. I suppose that means we all need each other. Volunteer 2: In 1 Corinthians 12:20 it is explained like this. So there are many parts but one body. The same thing is true with the body of Christ, which is God s family. We were all baptized into one body and we need each other. Volunteer 1: For example, in the human body an eye cannot say to the arm, Since I can t lift stuff or grab things, I m not important. If that were the case, how could the body see? Or suppose the ear said, Since I can t see, I m not part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? What if the whole body were an ear? Can you imagine trying to smell through your ear? It wouldn t work. Or how about seeing through your nose? Of course not. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 10

43 Volunteer 2: Each one of the parts of the body is important to each other. Together they make up one unit. Volunteer 1: The same is true of you. If you trust Jesus as your Savior, then Jesus lives inside you and joins you together with other believers. Together you are God s family. Volunteer 2: Because one of you might be good at singing and helping worship, does that mean everyone should be able to do that? Of course not. Someone would have to be able to help others by teaching. Another would help by encouraging others. Someone else would help by serving others and getting our supplies ready. Each person in God s family needs other people so they can help the whole body of Christ function together. Volunteer 1: Remember *you are here to be part of God s family. Each one of you has an important part in it. (Return these notes to your leader.) Thank all the volunteers and have them return to their seats. That sheet was kind of goofy looking with all those different parts poking through, wasn t it? We look a lot better when we re all attached to one body instead of each part by itself. But it reminds us that we need each other and we need to be connected to the body of Christ. And the body of Christ is like us here at church, and in churches all over the world. The church includes everyone who is part of God s family. We all need each other. Each of us has an important part we can do. For example, God commands us to love each other. We show our love for each other when we pray, encourage, serve, teach, accept, honor, forgive each other, and comfort others when they are sad. These are your family responsibilities. And there s even more that you can discuss in your small group. So why are we here? (To be part of God s family.) Dear God, thank you for letting us be part of your family. And thank you that you give us a purpose here on earth. You made each of us to be part of your family so we could help each other. Show each one of us how we are part of your family. In Jesus name. Amen. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3 11

44 God Talk At Home This Week s Kingdom Quest Lesson: YMI Here? Fellowship! Take Home Point: We are here to be part of God s family. FOR STARTERS: There are two different kinds of families. One is the family of God. Everyone who trusts in Jesus as their savior is be part of this family. The other family we have is our earthly family. It is a special gift from God as well. In both kinds of family, the members work together to help each other. Imagine your family is one big body. Decide which body part would best describe how each person fits into your family. For example, mom might be the ear because she does such a great job of listening. READ THE BIBLE: Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 and Romans 12:4-8 from an easy to understand translation. A KEY VERSE: Romans 12:5: In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other. TALK ABOUT IT: The church is like one body with many parts connected together. Who makes us one body connected together? (Romans 12:5. Christ) One way to think of the church is to think of one body with many parts, all working together. As members of Christ s body, we are his hands, his feet, his eyes, and his heart. He works through us in the world. We each have a contribution to make. (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: Why On Earth Am I Here? Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002, p. 135.) What are some ways you can serve God with your hands, your feet, your ears, and your mouth? Why do you think it is important for God s family to work together? God has given different gifts to people that they can use to help others. Name some of these gifts. (Romans 12:6-8. Speaking God s word, serving, teaching, encouraging others, sharing, leadership, and helping people in need.) PRAYER POWER: Pray for things individuals in your family can do to help build the family of God and support one another as members of God s family. FAMILY TIME OPTIONS: Remember that God has given you a special ability as part of God s family to reach out to others. As a family, discuss how every person can use their special gifts to help build up the body of Christ. Make a plan for how they can use these gifts this week. Have family members report back in a week and tell how God used them in the body of Christ. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 3

45 Shepherd s Path A Shepherd s Personal Devotions Lesson 3 Lesson Title: Fellowship Take Home Point: You are here to be part of God s family. Warm-Up: I have some friends who have adopted children to raise as their own. In every case, regardless of the age at which the adoption occurred, the parents treat the adopted child as a full member of the family, with the same responsibilities and privileges as their biological children. In a way it is remarkable how well they usually fit in and find their role as a part of the family. Occasionally the adopted child rebels against the adoptive parents and rejects the family entirely. (Of course, this occurs with biological children, too.) But even when this happens, the parents don t reject the child. They believe God gave them that child for a purpose and they love the child, and act in love, as best they can. Read: Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 Observation (What happened?): As members of one body, to whom do we belong? Are any parts less or more important than others for the body to function well? Who has arranged the parts of Christ s body, and for what purpose? Interpretation (What does it mean?): What happens when you use one part of your body to perform the function of another part? What must the different parts of the body do in order to accomplish what needs to be done? Insight: Why did God make the family? There are purposes for families, and each purpose provides a picture of a spiritual truth God wants us to learn. For example, a family provides an environment of love and acceptance in which to live. This is like the church, where fallen and forgiven sinners are loved and accepted. The family provides a nurturing place for a helpless newborn to grow to healthy maturity. This is also like the church, which offers teaching, guidance, and experience in service to prepare believers for spiritual adulthood. Parents can provide examples of God s character such as love, holiness, patience, compassion, and honesty. The relationships and working together of a family are like the spiritual fellowship enjoyed in God s family. Certainly sin has marred the example of the family, but it is still God s plan for modeling how we belong to the family of his Son. Application (What does it mean to me?): What part do you play in the successful functioning of Christ s body? Think about all the different people in your church. What does your church do particularly well? What areas can you pray for?

46 Date: Series: YMI Here? (Special Series) Lesson 4 Discipleship Take Home Point: *We are here to become like Christ. *Repeat this phrase throughout the lesson. Bible Event: 2 Corinthians 3:18b, Philippians 2:5 Key Verse: Philippians 2:5: Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. We will help kids know: We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to change us. We learn from the Bible what Jesus is like. Others can help us be more like Jesus by being good examples of what Jesus did. Jesus lives within us so we might become more like him We will help kids feel: Excited to follow Jesus as someone they want to become like. Awed that Jesus himself wants to live in us. We will help kids do: Identify heroes they have tried to imitate. Play an imitation game that will help illustrate how they can imitate Jesus. Identify and share practical ways they can imitate Jesus. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 1

47 THIS LESSON S ROADMAP DESTINATION PAGE # DISCOVERIES ON YOUR JOURNEY Small Group What makes a superhero super? Warm-Up 3 What was the most heroic thing Jesus ever did? Do you want to be a superhero? God created you to be like Jesus. Large Group 4 Overview 9-10 Small Group Application 4-5 Object Lesson: Becoming Like Christ Kids will partner up to put a puzzle together. One partner knows the solution and tells the other how to solve the puzzle. It s hard to solve the puzzle when you can t see the design. The same is true with the purpose for our lives. We need the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and other people to show us the design for being like Jesus. SUPPLIES NEEDED superhero comic book or some other superhero novelty item mystery box (box wrapped to look like a gift) the script for dramatic presentation an empty clear two-liter bottle with a screw on cap two-liter bottle covered with paper that reads Holy Spirit and is filled with one-half isopropyl alcohol and one-half water funnel envelope filled with metallic confetti (Especially effective would be cross shaped confetti.) Bible candle in a candle holder match tangram pattern (see page 6) printed on card stock scissors tangram puzzles tangram puzzle solution for every two children envelopes or paper clips to take tangram pieces home People I Know Who Have the Fruit of the Spirit for each child (see page 7) pencils 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 2

48 Small Group Warm-Up: 15 minutes Purpose: Get pointed in the right direction! Build relationships and help guests feel at ease. Do the learning readiness activity that will point your group in the right direction for the lesson. To grab the kids attention, hold up a superhero comic book or some other superhero novelty item. Discuss the topic of superheroes. Who s your favorite superhero? What is it that makes your superhero so super? (Stronger than most people, saves others, rescues people.) Would you say Jesus is or was a superhero? Why or why not? (He calmed storms, healed the sick, raised the dead, died for our sins, rose from the dead; he DIDN T fly through the air, fight crime, wear a mask.) When Jesus was a year old, do you think he showed any signs of being a superhero? If he were in your class at school as a year-old today, how do you think he would stand out what kinds of things would he do? (Help kids get along, be helpful with teacher, defend kids who are picked on, invite unchurched kids to church, confront evil.) What would you say was the most heroic thing Jesus ever did? (Died on the cross, rose from the dead.) What was heroic about that? (He sacrificed his own safety/comfort to suffer in my place so I don t have to suffer the penalty for my sin.) Would you be surprised to know that God wants you to be like Jesus? Does that mean you could be a superhero in the way Jesus was? Do you want to be a superhero too? How can we be superheroes? (Use the events in our daily lives to do God s work and help others.) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 3

49 Large Group: minutes Purpose: Help kids observe what the Bible says. Present the Bible Event in creative fashion. Help kids begin to interpret what it means. Offering Songs Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:18b and Philippians 2:5 Invite two excellent readers forward to read these verses. Prayer Introducing Take Home Point: *We were created to become like Christ. Object Lesson: Becoming Like Christ Small Group Application: minutes Purpose: Help kids map out the meaning of the Bible event in their lives. Use the questions to stimulate discussion, but don't feel tied to them. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Include personal examples from your own faith journey. The example of Christ at work in your life will leave lasting impressions of how Christ can work in the children's lives. Use your Bibles! Children need to learn how to look up references and follow along when scripture is read aloud. Allow for quality time of prayer at the close of the lesson. Observation Questions: What happened? Read Philippians 2:5. What kind of attitude should we have? (The same as Jesus.) What was Jesus attitude? (Read Philippians 2:7. Become a servant.) Let s go on to read 2 Corinthians 5:17. Who is a new creation? (A believer in Christ.) What new thing has come into existence? (New way of living.) Read 2 Corinthians 3:18. What are you being transformed into? (The likeness of Jesus.) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 4

50 Interpretation Questions: What does this mean? What are people like when they are new creations in Christ? (Look at the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5: In Christ we have the power to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and selfcontrolled.) Application Questions: What does this mean to me? Application Activity: Tangram Puzzle Everyone partner up with someone in the group. Sit on the floor with your partner with your backs together. While the kids get organized, pass out a set of tangram pieces to each child and a solution page to only one child in each pair. Here s what we are going to do with our shapes. One of you has the solution to the puzzle along with the puzzle pieces, and the other partner only has the pieces. Turn your pieces over so you can t see any printed words. When I tell you to start, I want the people with the solutions to give directions to their partner to tell them how to use the pieces to make the picture. No peeking allowed! You can only tell your partner how to put the shapes together; you can t help your partner or show them the picture. Okay, everyone start! Allow about three to five minutes. What happened? (It s frustrating when you can t see the design.) Why was this so hard to do? (It s easier to get a clear picture when you can see what you re trying to make.) How is this puzzle game like Jesus Christ in our lives? (We are being shaped into the likeness of Jesus. God s Holy Spirit does that, but we need a clear picture. We get that clear picture from the Bible. Also, other people can show us great examples of being like Christ.) Give each student a copy of the handout People I Know Who Have the Fruit of the Spirit. Have them complete the sheet, then lead a discussion about the people they listed. Then reinforce take home point. *We were created to become like Christ. Prayer Time: Pray for some things the children can do to be filled with Christ with the attitude of service and love for one another. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 5

51 Small Group Application Tangram Pattern: Tangram Solution: Illustration A Illustration B 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 6

52 People I Know Who Display the Fruit of the Spirit But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. --Galatians 5: Love 2. Joy 3. Peace 4. Patience 5. Kindness 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Gentleness 9. Self-Control 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 7

53 Becoming Like Christ Dramatic Presentation Inside the mystery box (a large box wrapped to resemble a gift) are the following objects: An empty clear two-liter bottle with a screw on cap A two-liter bottle filled with one-half isopropyl alcohol and one-half water (This bottle needs to be covered with paper that reads The Holy Spirit.) A funnel An envelope filled with metallic confetti (Especially effective would be cross shaped confetti.) Bible Candle in a candle holder A match The following script is pulled out of the mystery box and read like directions. Presenter: This is directions for how someone is to become like Christ. First, begin with the empty bottle that s you. Our lives are empty until God fills us with his presence. He does that by sending his Holy Spirit into our lives. (Places funnel into opening of the empty two-liter bottle, and pours in the Holy Spirit mix. ) The Holy Spirit comes to us so we can believe and trust in Jesus. (Pours the confetti into the two-liter bottle and replaces cap.) The Holy Spirit fills us with Jesus, who gave his life for us and now lives in us. When you trust in Jesus as your Savior, you believe that he died on the cross to take away your sin. You also believe he is alive and will live in your heart. Then you start to change. You begin to look and act more like Jesus. This is just like this confetti in the bottle. The Bible says, We are being changed into his image with everincreasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18b.) Sometimes God will shake us up to make us more like Jesus. (Shakes the two-liter bottle.) He might shake us up with problems. God has a purpose behind every bad thing that happens to us. He can use these things to develop our character. God wants us to turn and run to him when we have bad times. But God does not allow any problem without his permission. He uses problems for good even when Satan or others want to hurt or harm us. God can bring good out of the ugliest or worst problems. He proved this when Jesus rose to life again after he died so horribly on the cross. Jesus had an attitude of being a servant and being obedient to 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 8

54 what God wanted when he went to the cross. We can become like Christ and do the same. The Bible says in Philippians 2:5, Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Since God intends to make us like Jesus, we may have to go through some of the same things Jesus did. Jesus was tempted, was lonely at times, was criticized and rejected. But even when God allows bad things to happen to us, he promises to always be with us. God will give us the power to respond to circumstances like Jesus would. Jesus focused on God s plan not his pain. That is how he could endure the cross for us. (Takes the Bible from the mystery box and sets it on display table.) Third, we learn from the Bible how we can become like Christ. What s really cool is that since we ve been filled with Jesus on the inside, we can start to become more and more like Jesus on the outside. We learn how to do that as we follow the Bible. (Sets a candle on the Bible and lights it.) Let me give you an example. The Bible says that Jesus came into the world and said I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have a life filled with light and will never live in the dark. (John 8:12.) How many of you are following him? Guess what he says about you. You are the light for the world. (Matthew 5:14.) This means that Jesus lives inside you and shines out for all to see. Remember *we are here to become like Christ. If he is the light of the world and he lives in you, then you become a little light as well. Let s review what we ve learned. (Refers to the objects.) We have a purpose. *We are here to become like Christ. First we have learned that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, who gives us the power to believe in Jesus just like this bottle is filled. (Points to bottle.) Second, we learned that God might shake us up with circumstances to cause us to depend on him and to develop our character. (Shakes the bottle.) Third, the Bible tells us all about Jesus. For an example, just like Jesus said he id the light of the world, what did he say about those who believe in him? Right! We are the light of the world, too, because Jesus is living in us. (Points to candle on Bible.) *We are here to become like Christ. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4 9

55 God Talk At Home This Week s Kingdom Quest Lesson: YMI Here? Discipleship! Take Home Point: We are here to become like Christ. FOR STARTERS: Dig out some old pictures of Mom and Dad when they were young or even the kids when they were a few years younger. Think back to when you were an earlier age and wanted to be just like your mom or dad. Have each person share one thing they wanted to do when they got older to be just like a parent. After discussion, say, Each one of us has a purpose that God has given us, and that is to become like Christ as we grow spiritually. READ THE BIBLE: Read Philippians 2:5-8 and 2 Corinthians 3:18b. A KEY VERSE: Philippians 2:5: Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. TALK ABOUT IT: What was Jesus attitude? (Philippians 2:7. To be humble like a servant.) Share an example of a way that you can become more like Christ and demonstrate a humble attitude? How does the Holy Spirit help us be more like Christ? (The Holy Spirit helps us believe in Jesus and fills us with his presence. Then our image begins to look more like Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18b We are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. ) In Kingdom Quest, the children made tangram puzzles. Have your child put the tangram together. Ask how the candle reminds him to be like Christ. (When you resemble Jesus you will be a light to the world.) PRAYER POWER: Thank God for the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and circumstances in our lives that teach us to be more like Jesus. Pray for humble attitudes like Christ to show service and love to one another. FAMILY TIME OPTIONS: A fun family project is to take old crayons, peel the paper, and melt them over the flame of a taper candle. The drips add color and decorate the candle. (Obviously, use caution and adult supervision.) Each family member can make a candle to be used as a devotional candle. This candle lit during devotions will remind all that Jesus is the light of the world but lives in each one of us. Family devotions help Jesus light to burn bright! 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 4

56 Shepherd s Path A Shepherd s Personal Devotions Lesson 4 Lesson Title: Discipleship Take Home Point: We are here to become like Christ. Warm-Up: A popular symbol for Christians the past few years has been WWJD on bracelets, bumper stickers, t-shirts, Bible covers, and other places. WWJD, of course, is the acronym for What Would Jesus Do?. It s a good thought, and has been a source of inspiration for many people, but frankly it doesn t go far enough to the root of things. What always happens inside of us before we act, even if we are not aware of it? Thought. Decision. So perhaps instead of WWJD, we should insist on What Would Jesus Think?, WWJT, as a symbol of our devotion to Christ. For if we learn to think like Jesus, we will certainly learn to act like him. Read: Philippians 2:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17 Observation (What happened?): Whose attitude are we to emulate? What is left of our old life once we are in Christ? Interpretation (What does it mean?): How do you know what attitude(s) Jesus had? What were some of his attitudes? What do you think it means to be in Christ? Insight: It is sometimes a point of confusion for new and mature believers alike if, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, the old way of living has disappeared, why do we struggle with sin and our desires? Why isn t living the new life in Christ easier? Because we have a misunderstanding of God s perspective. Remember when Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1 that, You were once dead because of your failures and sins? You were not literally physically dead yet, but your spirit was, and in God s eyes that meant you were dead. The same is true in today s verse. From God s perspective, the old is gone and we are a new creature, but since we have not left this life, we must still battle sin and its effects on us and in us. As a friend of mine once said, The old nature will not politely excuse itself from your life. It will hold on as long as it can as tightly as it can. That could be depressing except for one thing we are alive in Christ, and he has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We can be like him because he leads the way! Application (What does it mean to me?): What activities are you participating in that encourage your attitude to become like that of Christ? How do you know if you are becoming more like Christ? Think of some ways you can measure this and keep track of your spiritual progress.

57 Date: Series: YMI Here? (Special Series) Lesson 5 Ministry Take Home Point: *We are here to help others. *Repeat this phrase throughout the lesson. Bible Event: Luke 10:30-37 Key Verse: 1 Peter 4:10: Each of you as a good manager must use the gift that God has given you to serve others. We will help kids know: Other people have the need for help now and then. Kids can help serve others too. We will help kids feel: Aware of the needs of others. Empathy for others needs. Capable of helping others. Empowered to minister to the needs of others. We will help kids do: See that other people have the need for help and support. Identify ways they can help serve others. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 1

58 THIS LESSON S ROADMAP DESTINATION PAGE # DISCOVERIES ON YOUR JOURNEY Small Group Have a Rock, Paper, Scissors Warm-Up 3 tournament. We can use our hands to play fun games, but we can also use our hands to help others. Today you children will learn how God created us for ministry. SUPPLIES NEEDED no supplies are needed Large Group Overview YMI Here? Review Interactive Presentation: The Good Samaritan piece of paper with I Love It Game in large, bold print hula-hoop or fake ear and/or other body parts tangram candle pattern from Lesson 4 large eyeglasses oversized heart and some way to attach it to a volunteer s shirt pair of large work or rubber gloves Small Group Application 4-6 Who may need your help this week? What are some ways you could use your gifts to help them? Write a reminder on your hand to help you remember to use your helping hands. construction paper pencils or markers scissors tape or glue sticks poster board for each group 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 2

59 Small Group Warm-Up: 15 minutes Purpose: Get pointed in the right direction! Build relationships and help guests feel at ease. Do the learning readiness activity that will point your group in the right direction for the lesson. Explain to the kids that you re going to have a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament. Review the following procedure for the game then have kids pair up with a partner. The winner of each round will move on to the next round by partnering up with a neighboring winner. The losers will sit down. Play will continue until only one person remains, or until time runs out (about three to four minutes). Rock, Paper, Scissors game: 1. Partners each make a fist with their right hand and consecutively tap it three times onto the palm of the left hand while counting aloud to three. 2. On the fourth tap partners should, at the same time, both make or "throw" their choice of Rock, Paper, or Scissors. 3. A rock is made with a fist, paper is made with the hand flat, and a pair is scissors is made with first two fingers extended out. 4. The winner for each round: A rock breaks scissors, defeating it. A piece of paper covers the rock to prevail over the rock. A pair of scissors cuts paper sending it scampering to the nearest garbage can. Ties result in replaying the round. After finishing the tournament discuss the following: We can use our hands to play fun games, but God also designed us to have helping hands. We can use our hands to help others. Share a personal story about a time a friend helped you when you were in need. Then ask kids if they can tell about a time someone helped them or their family when they were in need. Today we will learn that God created us for ministry. * We are here to help others. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 3

60 Large Group: minutes Purpose: Help kids observe what the Bible says. Present the Bible Event in creative fashion. Help kids begin to interpret what it means. Offering Songs Prayer Introducing Take Home Point: *We are here to help others. YMI Here? Review Interactive Presentation: The Good Samaritan Volunteers help act out the Bible event of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10: Small Group Application: minutes Purpose: Help kids map out the meaning of the Bible event in their lives. Use the questions to stimulate discussion, but don't feel tied to them. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Include personal examples from your own faith journey. The example of Christ at work in your life will leave lasting impressions of how Christ can work in the children's lives. Use your Bibles! Children need to learn how to look up references and follow along when scripture is read aloud. Allow for quality time of prayer at the close of the lesson. Observation Questions: What happened? Have kids refer to Luke 10:30-37 in their Bibles. How did the priest and the Levite (religious men) treat the hurt man? (Luke 10: They went around him and continued on their way.) Why did the Samaritan stop and help the man? (Luke 10:33. He felt sorry for the man.) What did the Samaritan do to help him? (Luke 10: He cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Then he took him to an inn and paid for the innkeeper to take care of him.) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 4

61 Interpretation Questions: What does this mean? How do you think the priest and Levite felt as they walked by and didn t help? Let kids respond. When people don t do what they obviously should, they usually have a reason. What might have been some reasons why the priest and Levite didn t help? Some possibilities: Busy schedule. Hypocrites who truly didn t care. Late for church. The road was notoriously dangerous maybe it was a trap to rob them. They may have thought the man was already dead if so, they didn t want to touch the body because that would have made them ceremonially unclean and that would have barred them from public worship for seven days. If Jesus were telling the story today, right here in our church, whom would he have put into the story in the place of the priest and Levite? (Whatever the kids think - Maybe the pastor and KQ shepherd or DCE or ) Application Questions: What does this mean to me? The Bible says, The Samaritan saw him, he felt sorry for the man, went to him, and cleaned and bandaged his wounds. In large group we learned three ways we can help someone in need. Remember the glasses, the heart, and the gloves. What do they remind us to do? (See the need, feel for who is in need, and do something to help.) How is it possible to feel the pain of others? (Understand how we would feel if we were in the same situation.) Who are some people who need help? Take a minute to think of someone you know who is sick or lonely or sad. Every person at some time has needs. What can we do to help? (Visit lonely people in nursing homes, do things for kids with special needs, make cards or cookies for sick or sad people, etc.) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 5

62 Application Activity: Helping Hands For this activity your group will need construction paper for each child, pencils or markers, scissors, glue sticks, and a poster board. Have any of you ever written on your hand to remind yourself about something? That s just what we re going to do today; only we are not going to write on our real hands. We are going to write on paper cut outs of our hands so we can remember our plan to help someone else this week. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, Each of you as a good manager must use the gift that God has given you to serve others. God made us for the purpose of ministry. *We are here to help others. Think of someone who may need your help this week. What are some ways you can you use your gifts or talents to help that person? Have kids pick a partner. They help each other by tracing each other s hands on a piece of paper. Then cut out the hands. Have kids write the name of a person who is hurting, sick, or needs help and what they will do to help that person. Write this information on both of the hand cutouts. Then explain: Next week when we meet again, we re going to share what we did to help others during the week. We will glue one of your hands on this poster (your preference of design) and you will take the other one home as a reminder. What today did we learn is our purpose? God made us for ministry! *We are here to help others. Prayer Time: Pray for ways the children can help build the family of God and support one another as members of God s family. Pray they would have eyes to see those in need, a heart to feel their pain, and the hands to do something to help. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 6

63 YMI Here? Review Ask kids who won their rock-paper-scissors contests. Give the winners a round of applause. What was the point of playing the game? (We can use our hands to help others.) Review the YMI Here? points from the last three weeks, using the following props. Have kids guess/remember what each prop symbolizes in answering the question Why am I here? What s this week s purpose? (Remember the rock-paper-scissors game?) We are here to help others. The word we ll use for this idea is ministry. Hold up a copy of the I Love It Game from Lesson 2 We were made for. (Worship.) Hold up a fake ear and/or other body parts. We were made for. (Fellowship.) Hold up a tangram from Lesson 4. We were made for. (Discipleship.) Our theme this week is ministry. There are three key steps to ministry we need to be aware of. Ask for a volunteer. Put the eyeglasses on the volunteer. What do you think the first step is? (Have kids guess.) The first step in ministry is: We have to see the needs of those around us. Put the heart on the volunteer. What do you think the second step is? (Have kids guess.) The second step in ministry is: We have to feel the needs of those we see. Have the volunteer put on the gloves. What do you think the third step is? (Have kids guess.) The third step in ministry is: We have to do something about it. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 7

64 Let s take a fun look at a familiar Bible event to help us remember these three key steps in ministry. The Good Samaritan Interactive Presentation For this presentation you may want to use the video Miracle Maker: The Story of Jesus (Family Home Entertainment, 1999). Cue the video to the line, Master come sit with us What must a man do to be saved? (46:40). Stop after the line You, go then and do the same (49:02). If this video is unavailable to you, simply continue on with this script. Presenter: The directions say to act out Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan. Use seven children and one adult as characters. Have them listen and act as you tell the parable. Get volunteers now. Give them some props to wear or hold. To save time, these characters can be recruited and costumed in advance. Have an adult get the volunteers ready while everyone else watches the video that tells the story. The following people are needed: A traveler with robe and a bag of money; Two thieves with bandit masks; A priest wearing a fancy robe; A Levite to wear a headdress and robe with a tool belt; A Samaritan with a regular robe, a bag of money, and a First Aid kit; An innkeeper wearing headdress; and A donkey, which is an adult with a good sense of humor wearing donkey ears. Presenter: While they get ready, let s watch this excerpt from the video, Miracle Maker. (Plays video clip noted above. Then continues with the script.) For easier reading, the presenter s commentary is in regular script and the Bible reading is in italics. Place the script in your Bible so kids know the event is found in the Bible. Help direct the volunteers to do the actions while you are reading the Bible event. Presenter: Let s begin with Luke, Chapter 10. A man answered Jesus, Love your neighbor as you love yourself. But the man wanted to justify his question. So he asked Jesus, Who is my neighbor? So Jesus 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 8

65 (Audience boos.) told him this parable. Jesus was going to show him with a story that we are here on earth for the purpose of ministry, that means helping others. To get ready for the story Jesus would tell, we need to imagine this is the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers were often hiding along the road. (Move thieves to positions.) A man went from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way the robbers stripped him, (instruct thieves to remove traveler s robe), beat him (thieves pretend to beat traveler), and left him for dead (traveler pretends to be dead). By chance, a priest was traveling along that road. Now these priests were very religious dudes and in the job of helping to serve God maybe like pastors today. (Priest walks past traveler.) When he saw the man, he went around him and continued on his way. Whoa! What a loser! Did he see the beat up guy? Sure, but he didn t notice. Did he feel sorry for the guy that was almost dead? Wait a minute I think I hear some moans from the beat up guy. I said, I think I hear some moans from the beat-up guy. (Urge actor to moan.) Do you think the priest felt sorry for him now? Nope, he was cold hearted. Did he do anything? Nope, he didn t want to get involved. He didn t want to get his hands dirty. Can I please hear a boo for this clown! Presenter: Then a Levite came to that place. Check out the Levites tool belt. (Point out tool belt on Levite.) That s because Levites did special religious duties, even fixing up the temple and special religious things. Do you think this Levite will see the traveler? Will he feel for him? Will he do something? Let s see. (Levite walks past traveler.) When he saw the man, he went around him and continued on his way. Wait a minute! Let me interrupt to interview this Levite guy. Excuse me, sir, are you blind? Levite: Presenter: No Did you see this beat-up guy? 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 9

66 Levite: Presenter: Levite: Presenter: Yes. Don t you even feel sorry for him? Gulp! You are so cold-hearted! Audience, do you feel a chill here in the room? Me too. It makes me want to shiver. Shiver with me, audience. Brr! (Audience boos.) Well, back to you, Mr. Levite. Let me see your little finger. Nope! You didn t even lift one finger to help. Audience, what do you think about the Levite? Presenter: But a Samaritan, as he was traveling along Okay, these Samaritan dudes, maybe you ve heard about them. All the Jews thought they were low-life scumbags. How low did the Jews think they were? They were lower than the shoelaces on a caterpillar s tennis shoes. A Samaritan came across the man. Oh sure, I bet he ll pretend not to see the traveler, especially since he is a Samaritan. When the Samaritan saw him, he felt sorry for the man. (Samaritan kneels beside traveler.) Wait a minute! He saw the traveler s need, and he felt for the guy s pain! (He) went to him, and cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Wow! He s doing something. Then he put him on his own animal. Can we have the donkey out here, please? Remember, donkeys are animals on all fours. (Instruct donkey to get down on all fours.) That s right. Now maybe we can get that injured guy on the donkey. (He) brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper, Take care of him. If you spend more than that, I ll pay you on my return trip. Check it out. This guy is laying out some cash and he doesn t even know the traveler, except for the fact that he probably told cruel Samaritan jokes. So Jesus asked, Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers? 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 10

67 (Audience boos.) Let s have a vote. You can vote with a yeah or a boo. I ll call them up. (Bring the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan to the front of the stage.) All for the priest? Presenter: All for the Levite? (Audience boos.) Presenter: All for the Samaritan! (Audience says, Yeah!) Presenter: Let s give it up for the Samaritan! Jesus told him, Go and imitate his example! Kids, if you asked yourself, Why am I here, what could we answer? Ministry. *We are here to help others. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5 11

68 God Talk At Home This Week s Kingdom Quest Lesson: YMI Here? Ministry! Take Home Point: We are here to help others. FOR STARTERS: Put some bandages or medicines on the table for a discussion starter. Each person shares: Tell about a time that you were hurt or injured or felt sad and someone in your family helped you. What did they do? How did you feel afterward? After discussion, point out that Jesus told us our purpose was to serve (or minister) to others in our church family. Have you ever felt the love and encouragement from church family like you have from your family at home? Jesus tells a story about two very religious people who chose not to help someone in need. Instead, a hated Samaritan was the one who saw the need of an injured man and helped. READ THE BIBLE: Read the account of the Good Samaritan as found in Luke 10: A KEY VERSE: 1 Peter 4:10: Each of you as a good manager must use the gift that God has given you to serve others. TALK ABOUT IT: Why did the Samaritan stop and help the man? (Luke 10:33. He felt sorry for the man.) What did the Samaritan do to help him? (Luke 10: He cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Then he took him to an inn and paid for the innkeeper to take care of him.) Why do you think the Samaritan helped the man while the priest and Levite walked around him? (The Samaritan was kind. Maybe the priest and Levite were afraid they would get robbed too.) If you had been beaten and robbed, whom would you have wanted to help you? Who are some people who need help? What special gifts or abilities has God given you to minister to others? Take a minute to think of someone you know who is sick or lonely or sad. Every person at some time has needs. What can we do to help? (Visit lonely people in nursing homes, do things for kids with special needs, make cards or cookies for sick or sad people. ) Kids in Kingdom Quest made cutout hands and wrote the name of a person who is hurting, sick, or needs help. They wrote on the back of the hand what they will do to help that person. Ask them about it. PRAYER POWER: Pray that your family members would have eyes to see those in need, a heart to feel their pain, and the hands to do something to help. FAMILY TIME OPTIONS: Look through your church s newsletter or bulletin. What are ways your family members might minister to the needs of others in your church? Can you think of some opportunities yourself? Think of a special ministry opportunity you can do as a family. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 5

69 Shepherd s Path A Shepherd s Personal Devotions Lesson 5 Lesson Title: Ministry Take Home Point: You are here to help others. Warm-Up: Imagine that you own a business that involves a significant customer service function. You find the people with the attitude you desire, then you pay for them to get extensive training so they can do the right job at the right time in customer service. When this is done, imagine those same employees saying, Thank you so much for selecting us and preparing us to be your customer service representatives. We are very grateful and will remain loyal to you for your terrific investment. But we really don t want to serve others. We just want to serve each other and talk about how good you ve been to us. How would you react? Read: 1 Peter 4:10, Luke 10:30-37 Observation (What happened?): According to 1 Peter 4:10, do we have a choice about using what God has given us? Why did Jesus tell the story of the Good Samaritan? Interpretation (What does it mean?): What does God promise in return for serving others? Do you think God expects us to serve beyond the abilities or resources he gives? What does this mean to you? Insight: When my children were little, they would find me doing something and would say, What can I do to help you, Daddy? What is it that makes young children want to help their parents around the house? They like to feel like they are old enough or big enough or strong enough to help a grownup; they like to make mom or dad happy; they like to feel that they made a contribution to the family s welfare. These are good reasons to help. A young child serves so selflessly and effortlessly. So what happens as we grow up? We tend to become more self-centered in how we relate to other people and selfish with our possessions. There are two main reasons why the Lord commands us to serve others. One is for others to see an example of Jesus and be drawn to him. The other reason is for us to put Jesus and others first in the use of our time and resources. He wants us to feel like we are grown up enough in be part of God s work; that we enjoy making another person happy; that we have made a contribution to the family of God. Application (What does it mean to me?): Write down five different ways you are serving others in your family, with friends, or at church. Are the big ones or the spiritual ones more important than the others? Why do you serve others and do things for them?

70 Date: Series: YMI Here? (Special Series) Lesson 6 Evangelism Take Home Point: *We are here to help others meet Jesus. *Repeat this phrase throughout the lesson. Bible Event: John 1:40-46 Key Verse: Colossians 4:5: Be wise in the way you act you toward those who are outside the Christian faith. Make the most of your opportunities. We will help kids know: They can help others meet Jesus. They will know a simple gospel presentation. We will help kids feel: Confident to share the good news of Jesus. Joyful that God would use them to bring others to meet Jesus. We will help kids do: Identify some friends with whom they will share Jesus. Use Friendship Cards to share their faith with a friend. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 1

71 THIS LESSON S ROADMAP DESTINATION PAGE # DISCOVERIES ON YOUR JOURNEY Small Group Friends are important. Do your Warm-Up 3 friends know about Jesus? What will you do to help them meet your friend, Jesus? SUPPLIES NEEDED set of Conversation Cards for each group (see page 7) Large Group Overview Interactive Object Lesson: Candy Find Bible Presentation: John 1:40-46 Teaching Session: We Are Here to Help Others Meet Jesus bowl of candy sign that reads, Want a piece of candy? Great! Have one! Please tell a friend where to get some also. Bible Friendship Card Small Group Application 4-6 Since we care about our friends, we want them to know Jesus as their Savior. God made us for the purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus. The children will make Friendship Cards to help evangelize to their friends. three Friendship Cards for each student copies of Witnessing: What Works Well for You (page 8) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 2

72 Small Group Warm-Up: 15 minutes Purpose: Get pointed in the right direction! Build relationships and help guests feel at ease. Do the learning readiness activity that will point your group in the right direction for the lesson. For this activity you will need a set of Conversation Cards. Many of us have friends with us today in this class, but there are probably some friends of ours who are not here with us today. While we re doing the next activity, I want you to think about what a friend is really like and why friends are special. We re going to draw from this stack of Conversation Cards and answer some questions about friends. Option 1: Use with a group of four to seven kids. Have each participant (including you) take a turn drawing from the stack of Conversation Cards, reading the question, and answering from his perspective. Ask everyone to listen without commenting. Continue going through the stack of cards, expecting kids will draw different cards as the process is repeated. Option 2: Use with a group of eight or more kids. Have kids pair up and give each set of partners a different card. Have kids discuss their answers with their partner. After a few minutes have partners read their question and share their answers with the group. After this activity say: Friends are very important to us. Think about your very best friend or a few of your closest friends. Do they know Jesus? Do you want them to be in heaven with you forever? What will you do to help this happen? Today we will learn that *we are here to help others meet Jesus. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 3

73 Large Group: minutes Purpose: Help kids observe what the Bible says. Present the Bible Event in creative fashion. Help kids begin to interpret what it means. Offering Songs Prayer Introducing Take Home Point: *We are here to help others meet Jesus. Interactive Object Lesson: Candy Find Bible Presentation: John 1:40-46 Teaching Session: We Are Here to Help Others Meet Jesus This teaching session explores three simple ways to help friends meet Jesus. Small Group Application: minutes Purpose: Help kids map out the meaning of the Bible event in their lives. Use the questions to stimulate discussion, but don't feel tied to them. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Include personal examples from your own faith journey. The example of Christ at work in your life will leave lasting impressions of how Christ can work in the children's lives. Use your Bibles! Children need to learn how to look up references and follow along when scripture is read aloud. Allow for quality time of prayer at the close of the lesson. Observation Questions: What happened? Have kids open their Bibles to John 1: Who did Andrew bring to meet Jesus? (John 1: His brother, Simon Peter.) Andrew told Simon, We have found the! (John 1:41. Messiah.) What does Messiah mean? (The Anointed One. The Promised One.) What did Jesus say to Philip? (John 1:43. Follow me! ) After Philip followed Jesus, whom did he tell about Jesus? (John 1:45. Nathanael.) 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 4

74 Interpretation Questions: What does this mean? What did Andrew and Philip do before they told their friends about Jesus? (They followed Jesus. They became his disciples.) In John 1:39, Andrew spent the morning with Jesus. How did Andrew change after he heard Jesus teaching? (He became concerned for his friends. He was excited to share the good news with them.) What did he do because he was concerned? (He told them the good news of meeting Jesus, the Messiah, and brought them to Jesus.) Application Questions: What does this mean to me? What also do we need to do before telling our friends about Jesus? (We too must become his followers.) Colossians 4:5 says, Be wise in the way you act toward those who are outside the Christian faith. Make the most of your opportunities. Who are people that are outside the Christian faith? (People who don t know Jesus as their Savior.) What does it mean to make the most of your opportunities? (Be pleasant. Show love to others like Jesus would. Especially be willing to listen to other s ideas about God and Jesus. Then you know better what things to talk about when you share what the Bible teaches.) Application Activity 1: Witnessing: What Works Well for You? Pass out copies of the page Witnessing: What Works Well for You? Have the kids work on them according to the directions on the page. Then as a group, share your answers in the following way. First each person looks where he put a +. Read aloud the alphabet and group members will raise their hand when the letter is read that they have marked with a +. Then each group member can read the activity and briefly tell why this activity is a favorite. For the second round, Read aloud the alphabet while group members raise their hand when the letter is read that they have marked with a.then each group member can read the activity and briefly tell why this activity is one he is uncomfortable with. Finally, continue in the same way reading through the alphabet. The group members do the same as before, only this time for the activities marked with a?. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 5

75 Application Activity 2: Friendship Cards Pass out at least three Friendship Cards to each child. Ask the children to write their own name on a card and keep it on their dresser or tape it to their bedroom mirror as a reminder of God s love for them. Point out that this verse is John 3:16 (NIV), but instead of reading God so loved the world we are replacing a person s name for the word world. The cards will read: For God so loved that he gave his only Son, that if believes in him, shall not perish but would have everlasting life. Ask the kids to write their own name on a card Have them think of a friend they would like to help meet Jesus. This is a person they should then start praying for at this time. They should also pray for an opportunity to talk to them about how Jesus wants a friendship with him. Encourage the kids to think of more than one friend. They should save the cards and use them as tools and fill in their friends names when sharing the good news with them. In conclusion say: God made us for the purpose of evangelism or sharing the good news of Jesus. *We are here to help others meet Jesus. Prayer Time: Encourage each kid to pray for one to three friends or acquaintances that may not have a relationship with Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to help them make the most of their opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 6

76 What is one of the nicest things you have ever done for a friend? What makes a friend special? If you would like to make a new friend, who would it be and why? What are some things friends do for each other? If someone gave you $1,000, how much would you give to a friend? How would you show a friend you really care about them? If you could take a friend anywhere with you, where would you go? Why? What are some things friends don t do? What s one of the nicest things a friend has ever done for you? If you could spend a whole day in Disneyland, who would you take with you and why? 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 7

77 Witnessing: What Works Well for You? There are many different ways we can help others meet Jesus or witness about him. Each person will have his style of doing this. Let s find out what your style is. Read through the following list of witnessing activities. Use the following symbols to mark your witnessing style. + Put a + beside one you best relate to or have already done. Put a beside the one you are most uncomfortable with.? Put a? beside one you haven t tried but you think you might be able to do. A. Wear a WWJD bracelet. B. Give a WWJD bracelet to a friend. C. Carry a Bible to school. D. Memorize Scripture passages, and try to infuse them into conversations. E. Invite a friend to church. F. Invite a friend to Exodus Saturday night or Sunday morning. G. Invite a friend to fun event at church. H. Invite a friend to stay overnight, and have family devotions. I. Invite a friend over for supper, ad pray before and after meal. J. Listen to Christian radio when traveling in car with friends. K. Invite friend to Christian concerts. L. Give friend a Christian CD as birthday gift. M. Wear Christian t-shirts to school. N. Read Christian fiction books, take them to school, and loan or give them to friends. O. Rent a Christian movie at Christian bookstore, and watch it with a friend. P. Wear salvation bracelet you made in first communion class. Pray for God to open a door to share what it means. Q. Ask friends around lunch table at school what they believe about God. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 8

78 Candy Find Interactive Object Lesson Have a bowl of candy in the front of the room with a sign in it that reads, Want a piece of candy? Great! Have one! Please tell a friend to come and get some also. As you begin large group, inconspicuously tell one of the early arrivers about the bowl of candy and invite him to check it out. It might be helpful if the bowl of candy is somewhat hidden. Watch how quickly the kids catch on to telling their friends about the good deal of free candy. Perhaps some people even thought of leaving the room to invite people in the hall to have candy. After all have had their candy, process some observations to the group. Was it hard or easy to invite people to get candy? (Easy.) Why? (Because it was a good deal, and I wanted to share something others would enjoy.) Did you realize you were evangelizing? Evangelizing means giving someone good news. The good news in this case was about free candy, and it wasn t about Jesus. What is more valuable in life? Candy or Jesus? Let s read the Bible event and we ll find out what happened when some discovered the good news of meeting Jesus and how they wanted to share it with their friends. Have an excellent reader come forward to read John 1: Rephrase any sections of the verse to help the children hear it clearly. Just like Andrew brought his brother, Simon, and Nathanael brought Philip, so should be bring our friends to meet our friend, Jesus. Let s talk about some ways we can do that. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 9

79 We Are Here to Help Others Meet Jesus Teaching Session Each child will be given two copies of Tract from Evangelism Explosion International ( or ). How many of you have ever had a conversation with a friend about God? Is it easy or hard to talk about God with your friends? Why? Today we want to help you find that it is easy to help others meet Jesus. This is one of the most important purposes as to why God has put you here on earth. This first thing you do is listen to your friend and ask questions. These questions can be like, Do you believe there is a God? Who do you think Jesus was? Do you believe you will go to heaven? Why? After you have asked questions and listened to the answers, maybe your friend will be interested in hearing what you believe. Sharing Jesus with a friend is always a two-way conversation. We don t need to preach or try to tell people more than they really want to hear. If your friend asks you, How can I get to heaven? what would you tell him. Let me give you some ideas. How to Get to Heaven Tract The first idea is sharing with your friend this little book. We will give each of you a couple of these to take home with you. Let me pass these out right now and show you how you can use it. With a friend you could read this book together, taking turns. As you read the book, let your friend answer the questions that are asked in the book. Let s partner up and do that now. One of you will be the one sharing his faith and the other partner will be the friend. Turn to the first page. One partner reads, If you died tonight Do you know for sure you would go to heaven? The other partner answers the question, and then both can talk about the question. Then turn the page and read the answer. Continue doing this throughout the entire book. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 10

80 Friendship Card A second method uses John 3:16. Let me show you how this works. Ask a volunteer to come forward, introduce him to the group. Place his name in the blanks as you r read the following to him for all to hear: For God so love that he gave his one and only Son, that it believes in him shall not perish but would have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV). Kids, you will have a chance to practice this in your small group. Invite A third method is to simply do what Philip did for his friend, Nathanael. He said, Come and see! (John 1:46) and brought him to Jesus. How many of you have ever invited a friend to church or to our class? It s a great way to say Come and see! If time allows, you might take a testimony from one or more adults or kids about a faith-sharing experience. Then close with prayer and dismiss to small groups. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 11

81 Lesson 6, Large Group Want a piece of candy? Great! Have one! Please tell a friend where to get some also. 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 12

82 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 13

83 Lesson 6, Small Group Application 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6 14

84 God Talk At Home This Week s Kingdom Quest Lesson: YMI Here? Evangelism! Take Home Point: We are here to help others meet Jesus. FOR STARTERS: Have kids display the art project they made at church; a globe craft saying, God so loved the world. Then let the children demonstrate how to use the friendship cards printed with the words of John 3:16 that they received in Kingdom Quest. The cards have several blanks to be filled in with a name so that the John 3:16 verse is personalized. It is an easy way to share the gospel. Then say, Can someone here tell about a time he shared his faith with another person? READ THE BIBLE: Read John 1:40-46 from an easy to understand Bible translation. A KEY VERSE: Colossians 4:5: Be wise in the way you act toward those who are outside the Christian faith. Make the most of your opportunities. TALK ABOUT IT: Who did Andrew bring to meet Jesus? (John 1: His brother, Simon Peter.) What did Jesus say to Philip? (John 1:43. Follow me! ) After Philip followed Jesus, who did he tell about Jesus? (John 1:45. Nathanael.) What did Andrew and Philip do before they told their friends about Jesus? (They followed Jesus. They became his disciples.) In John 1:39, Andrew spent the morning with Jesus. How did Andrew change after he heard Jesus teaching? (He became concerned for his friends. He was excited to share the good news with them.) What also do we have to do before telling our friends about Jesus? (We must also become his followers.) Who are people that are outside the Christian faith? (People who don t know Jesus as their Savior.) What does it mean to make the most of your opportunities? (Be pleasant. Be kind and caring and show love to others like Jesus would. When others ask why we are different, we can share the good news about Jesus and how he died for us so we could go to heaven to be with him.) How can you help others meet Jesus? (Invite friends to come to Kingdom Quest with you.) PRAYER POWER: Encourage family members to pray for their friends by name who are outside of the Christian faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to help them make the most of their opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. FAMILY TIME OPTIONS: Have each member of the family think of three people he could help meet Jesus. Share these names to make a family list. Pray for these people and talk about ways to share friendship with them. When a family member shares his faith with one of these people, then report it back to the family and celebrate! 40 Days of Purpose Lesson 6

85 Shepherd s Path A Shepherd s Personal Devotions Lesson 6 Lesson Title: Evangelism Take Home Point: You are here to help others meet Jesus. Warm-Up: When we moved to the city in which we live, a friend of mine gave me a recommendation for a dentist. He has been a very good dentist for my family over the years, so when someone I know is looking for a dentist, what do you think I do? Do I stay quiet so my dentist doesn t schedule appointments with other people which might affect my ability to get in when I want? Do I tell them they need to find their own way through life s journey so I hope they find one on their own? No! I tell them I can recommend an excellent dentist who gives first-rate care. I believe I owe that to people in need, and I am glad to tell them. Read: Colossians 4:5; John 1: Observation (What happened?): What caused the two men to follow Jesus? What did Andrew do prior to introducing his brother to Jesus? Interpretation (What does it mean?): Do you think the two men had a complete intellectual understanding of the teachings of Jesus prior to telling others? What do you suppose Jesus and the two men talked about during the day they spent with him? Insight: One of God s miracles is that he has as many ways of reaching people with the saving truth of Jesus as there are people. Our tendency is to limit God in how the gospel must be presented that is, we think a verbal explanation is required, even though we know it is God s work in the heart that turns someone to him. But more than our words, it is the truth of his Word powered by the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin. For example, many people accept the gift of life from Jesus only by reading the Bible. Think of that! Men who left this Earth 2,000 years ago still witness! So do others who wrote during the course of those two millennia. Today, our daily attitudes and actions witness as much as our words. Of course, we do need to be prepared to speak clearly, using God s Word as our basis. But our greatest weapon in the witness arsenal is prayer that those who need Jesus will see him in whatever way God chooses. Application (What does it mean to me?): Is there something that keeps you from telling others about Jesus? What is it? What are you going to do about it? Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and courage to speak to someone about Jesus this week.