a family-aligned curriculum for every generation GRADES 2-3 Kids teaching guide old testament have faith

Transcription

1 a family-aligned curriculum for every generation GRADES 2-3 Kids teaching guide old testament have faith

2 TEACHING GUIDE Welcome to the New Discovery Kids Teaching Guide...2 Discovery Kids Components...4 Welcome to the Winter Quarter...5 Talking With Children About Spiritual Matters...6 Special Topic God Within Us December 6, 2015 Lesson Who Is the Holy Spirit? December 13, 2015 Lesson The Holy Spirit Guides Me December 20, 2015 Lesson Jesus Is Born December 27, 2015 Lesson The Holy Spirit Is Our Helper Old Testament Have Faith January 3, 2016 Lesson Noah Built An Ark January 10, 2016 Lesson The Rain Came Down January 17, 2016 Lesson God Scattered the People January 24, 2016 Lesson God s Promise to Abraham January 31, 2016 Lesson Abraham Makes a Choice New Testament Lessons From the Early Church February 7, 2016 Lesson We Are the Church February 14, 2016 Lesson The Church Stands Together February 21, 2016 Lesson The Church Grows February 28, 2016 Lesson The Church Is Persecuted

3 Welcome to the NEW Discovery Kids Teaching Guide! Discovery Kids Teaching Guide is a leader s guide for those who teach grades two and three. This teaching guide will help you connect with the students in your class and challenge them to learn and apply the truths of God s Word. Discovery Kids is part of the D6 family of Sunday School/Bible study curriculum for all ages. D6 is a reference to the Scriptural teaching that says parents are to be the primary spiritual leaders for their children (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). D6 curriculum provides a six-year study of the story of the Bible, helping lead the entire family to interact around the same biblical theme. For more than a decade now, Discovery Kids teaching resources have been the arm of D6 curriculum for upper elementary students. However, you hold in your hands a new generation of Discovery Kids Teaching Guide! What s New? The More You Know...This section on the front page of every lesson provides helpful information with regard to the rationale for teaching that unit s lessons, or interesting background information about the Scripture text being taught. Timeline Many lessons will include a graphic that helps you understand the period of history (both biblical and secular) in which the lesson is set. This is a good reminder that the Bible is not a book of stories or fables, but rather an accurate historical record. D6 Doorposts Each lesson will address key principles that frame a biblical worldview. We will identify how the passage being studied supports a biblical worldview so teachers will be able to reinforce these foundational concepts in age-appropriate ways. D6 Digital For the first time, D6 curriculum is available in a digital format! Now you can study from your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Go to d6curriculum.com or call for more information. Despite the many exciting changes to Discovery Kids Teaching Guide, the curriculum continues to be built around the CLEAR Learning System, which uses five important steps to help students participate in every lesson. These five steps are: Connect These opening activities help capture the learners attention to help them transition to class time and be ready to learn how the lesson relates to their lives. Two options are provided so teachers can choose the activity that best fits their students and their classroom setting. Learn What does the Bible say? The Learn section answers this question by digging into the biblical text and explaining it in ways students can understand. Explore The Explore section of each lesson provides additional teaching and reinforcement of biblical truths presented in the lesson. It provides a helpful perspective for understanding God s Word. Apply The Apply section provides interaction that encourages students to do more than learn facts and details. It provides emphasis on the application of God s Word in personal ways. 2 Respond The final section in each lesson encourages students to consider specific responses they can make to the lessons learned. Students are challenged to response from their hearts and take practical action.

4 Application Verse: D6 curriculum has always emphasized a memory verse for elementary students. However, there is a more intentional focus for students to apply the verse to their lives and not just memorize the words (James 1:22). Lesson Objectives: It s hard to know if you ve hit the target when you re not sure what you re aiming at. That s why ever lesson now includes three objectives that identify the lesson s threefold target. Know The biblical knowledge you want your students to learn. Think A biblical worldview you hope your students will adopt. Do The practical understanding of how to apply biblical truths to daily life. Preparation Checklist: This lists the items needed for the different parts of the lesson whether it is a Teaching Essential or items needed for activities. The More You Know... This provides the teacher with background information on a section of Scripture, rationale for teaching this topic to students, or even suggestions for creative additions to the lessons. Sometimes the more you know, the better you can prepare. D6 Doorpost: It is important to instill a biblical worldview to students of all ages. The D6 doorposts give an explanation of how the lesson supports a biblical worldview and helps emphasize the relevance of the principle for the world today. Take Note: These are additional tips and information you will find helpful when preparing and teaching the lesson. Are you making a Home Connection with your kids? Home Connection is a FREE download that gives parents a simple way to practice faith at home by providing: A weekly Bible passage to read together as a family Suggestions to help you pray together as a family Suggested activities to do as a family to put your faith in action It s a great tool for parents who want to pass their faith on to their children! Also, if your church uses D6 Curriculum, Home Connection will let you know exactly what each member of the family is learning in small group, Life group, or Sunday School each week. Try it this week by downloading it at: 3

5 Discovery Kids Components Discovery Kids Teaching Guide Application Verse Poster Teaching Essentials Discovery Kids Teaching Essentials provides the resources needed to most effectively teach grades two and three. Each kit includes one Discovery Kids Teaching Guide, teaching pictures and posters, reproducible sheets, application verse posters, an attendance poster, and reproducible take-home piece, Field Notes. Teaching Pictures Discovery Kids Field Notes These are a weekly link between class and home. These reproducible sheets are designed to reinforce weekly lessons and themes through the use of age-appropriate activities that are used in the class and home. One side offers a worksheet activity related to the lesson to be used in the classroom. Reproducibles Field Notes Field Notes Field Notes are reproducible worksheets provided in the Teaching Essentials to be used in class and at home. This side is to be used at home. Includes a weekly activity for families to do together. This can be completed in class or at home. Part of this side is completed in class. Observations students will write what they learned in class. Response students will write possible verses for what they have learned. 4

6 Welcome to the Winter quarter! Special Topic God Within Us Having a proper understanding of the Trinity cannot happen without a proper understanding of the Holy Spirit. Over the course of these lessons your students will learn of the vitally important role the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of believers who seek to live God s way. He is truly the day-to-day God who offers us guidance and comfort. He is the God who dwells within us, and we should work to get to know Him better than we do. Jesus made it possible for Holy God to live within sinful man. The Holy Spirit is the one who claims the residence. This unit also contains a lesson about the birth of Jesus and celebrates Him the greatest gift of them all! Old Testament Have Faith This five-week unit explores the lives of two celebrated Bible heroes, Noah and Abraham. Though Noah was not a perfect man, he was a man who was willing to obey God when it mattered most. It s easy to focus on the building of the ark and all the animals with the children, but the more important lesson for them to learn is that Noah was obedient to God s instructions even when it didn t make sense to him; even when all the people who knew him made fun of him for his choices. The biblical account of Noah and the ark is a story that balances grace and judgment. God made salvation available to all men, but no one but Noah s family listened before it was too late. Through Abraham God began building a nation that would one day bring the Messiah the Savior of the world. Like Noah, Abraham had to be willing to go against the expectations his family, his community, and even the desires of his own heart to follow God s plan. Also like Noah, he made many poor choices along the way. See a pattern? Willingness to follow goes a lot further in God s book than our attempts at perfection. New Testament Lessons From the Early Church Discovery Kids Guide Discovery Kids Guide is the devotional study guide for students in grades two and three. It is a tool designed to help the student establish the habit of spending daily time with God in His Word. This magazine features 13 weeks of daily Bible studies, which help reinforce the themes of the lessons they learn each Sunday. It also includes puzzles, age-appropriate jokes, and short stories and articles to help them grow as Christ followers. When the Holy Spirit empowered believers on the day of Pentecost, nothing could stop them from spreading the Good News of Jesus death and resurrection and all the implications of those events. This unit explores the early days of the church, its leaders, and its tenacity through imprisonment, danger, and even death. Some of their biggest challenges, though, came from within the people, who had many differing opinions about what made a person godly. But through all the challenges it faced, God s church was available to all people and began to spread across the world. 5

7 6 Talking With Children About Spiritual Matters One of your most important roles as a church leader to elementary students will be to encourage and guide them in their spiritual journey. God has given parents the most important and influential role when it comes to influencing a child s path to salvation, and leaders at church have the responsibility to support and encourage this process. Ideally, parents will be the ones to help their kids navigate a decision to follow Christ, but children s ministry leaders should be prepared and ready when needed. Kids will have questions about faith at random times, so it s important for everyone on your team to be trained about leading them to Christ and answering questions they may have. Sometimes kids respond to an invitation for salvation, but when you talk with them you can tell what they really need is assurance of salvation, help understanding how to fight temptations, or some other aspect of navigating their walk with Christ. See #4 below for help with those situations. There are many methods that are effective, but the following provides general guidelines and principles with regard to leading a child to Christ. Whenever a child responds, it s important to discern the reasons for the response and the readiness of the child. Ask the child why he responded today (came forward, raised his hand, went to the back of the room, etc.). Don t make the assumption the child is responding to a need for salvation. Sometimes kids just want to tell you about an injury or a pet that is sick. Be careful not to ask leading questions like, Did you come to become a Christian? Ask questions that allow the child to word his reason for responding. If the child provides enough feedback to show readiness for this important step of faith, proceed with the next steps. If you do not feel the child fully understands, listen to why she came and pray with her about her need, but do not proceed. Walking a child through that decision before she is ready can lead to much confusion and provide a false sense of security in salvation. Here are some guidelines for talking with children about salvation: 1. We have a problem we all sin and there s a penalty for sin. What is sin? Sin is anything we think, say, or do that goes against God s Word. Sin breaks our relationship with God. Have you ever sinned? Encourage the child to recognize he has sinned and use the Bible to show that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). Do you know what punishment is? Allow the child to respond. The Bible teaches us the punishment for sin means that at some point everyone will die and be separated from God. It s a punishment earned because of sin (Romans 6:23). 2. God has a solution to the problem Jesus took the punishment for sin and made a way to fix our relationship with God. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins (Romans 5:8). God offers the free gift of salvation and all who choose that gift can live with Him forever (Romans 6:23b). God wants to be our friend and guide us every day! 3. You have a choice to make Will you receive the free gift being offered to you? Nobody can make this choice for you. It s a personal decision to follow Jesus (Romans 10:9, John 3:16). Discuss with the child what these verses mean and ask if she believes these things and wants to receive the gift of salvation. Pray with her, but encourage her to use her own words to tell God what she is feeling and wants to do. Children are literal thinkers, so using phrases like, ask Jesus into your heart, or give your heart to Jesus can be confusing to them. Be simple and clear when choosing your words. 4. The choice to become a Christian is just the beginning of an exciting journey with the Lord. He is ready to help His children grow and learn every day. Use these five-word promises from Gods Word to encourage kids along their journey. Encourage them to use the fingers on one hand to be reminded of these truths. God will always forgive me (1 John 1:9). Children need to be reminded that becoming a Christian doesn t mean they will never sin again. Some kids think they need to become a Christian all over again every time they sin. God will never leave me (Hebrews 13:5b). Sometimes kids just need assurance of salvation and a reminder that God is with them even when they cannot physically see Him. The Lord is my helper (Hebrews 13:6). It s not easy to fight sin nature and follow Christ. Children often get discouraged if they feel alone. I can talk to God (Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7). Children need to be reminded that God cares about everything they are going through and they can talk to Him about anything. The Bible is God s Word (Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16). Children need to know the Bible is not just a book about God or His teachings. It is actually God s Word to us and very useful for learning to follow Him every day.

8 Old Testament Have Faith Lesson 1 January 3, 2016 Noah Built an Ark TEXT: Genesis 6:5-22; 7:1-5 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: Think: Do: Noah followed and was obedient to God, even when it didn t make sense. Remember God is merciful, and He loves and cares for us. Demonstrate your faith to God by obeying His Word. APPLICATION VERSE: Psalm 145:8 THEME: Noah Obeyed God THE MORE YOU KNOW: Don t do your students the disservice of oversimplifying Bible heroes like Abraham, David, Mary and Noah. The sin we glimpse in some of these people is so scandalous it s not suitable to discuss with elementary school kids, but you can focus on why God chose them as the instruments of His plan even though they were sinful just like we are. God saw something special in the hearts of these individuals, but it certainly wasn t perfection. It was far more likely to be humility, teachability, and a bravery to go against the grain, among other things, but they were all far from perfect and saintly, which the Bible makes a point of showing us. God s story, above all other things, is a story of love and grace. When you skip over the sin of the ones that God held in high esteem, you miss the chance to explore the truth that God loves our hearts even when we don t make good choices; an invaluable truth that all children need to rest on. PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 1 q One blindfold LEARN q TE 2-2 q TE 2-3 q TE 2-4 EXPLORE q Yarn q Scissors q Tape measure q Pencils APPLY q TE 2-21 q TE 2-22 q TE 2-1 q Field Notes OT-1 q Scissors q Hole punch q Yarn q Whiteboard q Markers RESPOND q Field Notes OT-1 DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Genesis 6:5-6, 8-11 Day 2 Genesis 6:13-16 Day 3 Genesis 6:17-22 Day 4 Genesis 7:1-3 Day 5 Genesis 7: Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you.

9 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 Items Needed: One blindfold Choose a volunteer to come to the front of the class. Select an animal and its sound and tell everyone the name of the animal. Next, blindfold your student volunteer. Discreetly (perhaps by tapping the student on the shoulder), pick another volunteer to make that same sound while instructing all the other students to make other animals sounds. The object of this activity is for the first student volunteer to listen and find the student making the same noise. Be sure he or she does not peek over the blindfold. After he or she is successful in finding his or her match, pick another student volunteer and another animal sound and continue as time allows. It sounds like a zoo in here today! This reminds me of today s Bible story where we will learn about Noah s ark, which was kind of like a floating zoo! Most importantly, we ll see how God saw something different in Noah. God sees everything. Listen carefully to find out what God saw in Noah that pleased Him. Option 2 Read aloud the following story aloud to the students. C.J. and his friend Britt were going to the store with his mom. Normally he did not like to go shopping, but he had some birthday money and he wanted to look at the video games. As soon as they got into the store he said, Hey Britt, let s go to the games first, and then we will look at the action figures. C.J. wasn t sure he had enough money for a video game and an action figure. As soon as he picked out the video game, the two boys went over to pick out his favorite action figure. Oh no, C.J. said with disappointment. I don t have enough money to get them both. Britt immediately told him, Just put it in your coat. I won t tell and nobody will know. Besides, they have a row full of action figures; the store won t even miss that one. C.J. pulled his friend aside and told him to look up at the ceiling. Don t you know about all the hidden cameras in this store? The security camera sees everything and everybody throughout the entire store. No they don t and besides, how would you know that? Britt asked him. Because my dad is a policeman, and he has seen where the security people work and how many cameras they have everywhere. They even have some people dressed normal but they are really security guards or police watching. 29

10 C.J. looked at his friend and said, Besides that, God sees. Britt quickly said, I don t believe God sees everything. He is too busy to look at all the people in this world doing what they do all the time. Notes C.J. responded, Well, you are wrong. From the Bible, we know that God sees. So even if there were not security cameras watching, I know God sees and I don t want to get caught in sin. About that time C.J. s mom came up to the boys, Oh C.J., I forgot to give you the five dollars auntie sent for your birthday. C.J. quickly counted up his money and grabbed the action figure because now he would have enough to buy them both. He turned again to his friend and whispered, I told you. God sees. He sees the right and the wrong. Wow, I m glad He was watching! Let s go home and play this video game and we ll see who wins. C.J. had a choice to make with the action figure. What did his friend encourage him to do? Allow time for response. What choice did C.J. make? Allow time for response. C.J chose to obey God. From this short story, we know that C.J. made the right choice by obeying God s command not to steal. In today s Bible verses, we will look at Noah and his choice. The Flood is another example of how sin brought death and destruction into the world. Items Needed: TE 2-2 TE 2-4 In the book of Genesis, we learned God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. We learned sin had messed things up. People chose to follow their own selfish ways instead of God s way. Fast-forward many years to Genesis chapter 6. As God saw the people on earth who kept doing the wrong things over and over, He was saddened. Wickedness had become so common on the earth that God was sorry He even made man. Display TE 2-2. But God saw someone who was different; a man named Noah. Read Genesis 6:8-9 to the students. God saw how Noah obeyed and loved Him, and that made God happy. But God could not ignore the sin of disobedience of those around Noah and all on the earth. In Genesis 6:13, God told Noah His plan. Because the whole earth was filled with sin and violence, God would destroy it. He instructed Noah to build an ark a giant boat. God was going to destroy the world by bringing a flood of water upon the earth. He told Noah that every person on the earth would die, except for him, his wife, his sons and their wives. He also told Noah to bring two of every kind of living creature onto the ark. God gave Noah very specific instructions to follow. Read Genesis 6:22 to the students. Display TE 2-3. Noah obeyed God and built the ark just like God told him to. God then told Noah and his family to go into the ark. Display TE 2-4. Noah was to take seven pairs of every kind of clean animal and one pair of every kind of unclean animal. Noah was also to take seven pairs of every kind of bird. God said that in seven days, He would send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Through this flood, God would destroy the world. Read Genesis 7:5 to the students. Noah obeyed God even though people made fun of him for doing so. 30 TE 2-2 TE 2-3 TE 2-4

11 Notes Items Needed: Yarn Scissors Tape measure Pencils Before class, cut a 18 piece of yarn. God told Noah to cover the inside and outside of the ark with pitch. Do any of you know what that is? Allow time for response. Pitch was substance made from plants that Noah used to make the ark waterproof. The ark was designed to float. The Bible measured the size of the ark in cubits. A cubit was the length from a man s elbow to the tip of his finger typically 18 inches. We don t know exactly how big a cubit is, but this is a pretty good guess. Hold up the piece of yarn. This piece of yarn is 18 inches long. Using this measurement, the ark would have been 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Let s measure how wide our classroom is to compare. Have students help you measure the length and width of your classroom. Choose a few students to help with the tape measure, while others write the measurements on a piece of paper. Look how much smaller our classroom is compared to the ark! It had a roof and three levels. The floor space of the ark would have been more than the length of 21 basketball courts or one and a half football fields. Each level had many rooms to house all the animals that were on the ark. Some people argue that there s no way the ark could have held all the animals because some of them, like dinosaurs and elephants, were so big. More than likely, Noah took baby animals, which would have allowed for plenty of room. There could have been several thousand animals on the ark but there was plenty of room for them all. There were only landdwelling, air-breathing animals on the ark; fish and other sea creatures were not on the ark. Remember, Field Notes are labeled by unit (ST, OT, or NT) and by lesson number (1, 2, 3, etc.). Items Needed: TE 2-21 TE 2-22 TE 2-1 Field Notes OT-1 Scissors Three-hole punch Yarn Whiteboard Markers Before class, cut apart the strips from TE 2-22 and place facedown on a table. Also, make a copy of Field Notes OT-1 for each student. Cut apart TE 2-1a-e. Use the three-hole punch to make holes and tie the sections together with yarn to form a book. In Genesis 6:22, it says Noah did everything just as God said. Did I say Noah did everything or part of the things? Allow time for response. Noah did everything. His obedience was a result of his trust. God told him the plan to save, not only the animals and Noah, but also Noah s family. Noah 31

12 believed God when He said He was going to destroy the earth as the judgment for man s sins. What if Noah had asked God to show him the rain before he started building? There is no way he would have finished the boat in time. It took 100 years to build the ark. Again in Genesis 7:5, the Bible says that Noah did everything just as God said when it was time to load up the animals and his family onto the ark. To build such a big boat and to get inside it without ever having seen rain certainly took a lot of trust! This is a very familiar story. Even people who never read the Bible usually know about Noah and the ark. But this story was not given for us to focus on Noah or his ark. It was given to show us what God is like. Display TE 2-21 and introduce it to the students by reading it aloud. What qualities do you see? He is gracious. He is full of compassion, which refers to His amazing love and care for us. Despite how wicked and violent the people were in Noah s day and even today, God is slow to anger, which shows His patience. He has great mercy; He doesn t give us the punishment for our sin that we deserve. We deserve to be forever separated from Him because of our sin, but He showed mercy and sent His Son Jesus to take our punishment for sin. Wow! No wonder Noah obeyed God. Noah trusted a God bigger than any ark. He trusted a God who is big enough to rescue Noah and his family. The more we know about God, the more we should choose to trust Him. Point to the pieces of paper. These pieces of paper give us instructions on how to say our application verse or what to do before we say our verse. Choose a strip from TE 2-22, read the directions, and have the students say the verse as directed. What can we learn from the story of Noah? Allow time for response. It reminds us that we should obey God, even when it doesn t make sense. For example, when God s Word commands Christians to tell others about Him, we must obey by sharing the story of God s love, inviting others to come to church, and helping others like our missionaries to be able to go to places where we cannot. We are to do it every time an opportunity is presented, not just when we want to. When God s Word commands us to love Him and love others, we must obey. This love includes people who are different than we are and people who are mean to us. Display TE 2-1a Each week this month, we will learn more of God s story. Turn to display TE 2-1b. This week, we are learning that God sees the things we do. Just as God saw and rewarded Noah for his obedience, God sees and rewards obedience to Him today. Perhaps you are thinking of a time you obeyed God and you did not receive a reward. In fact, maybe you told the truth and it caused more trouble than a reward. You may or may not see it right away; you may not see it until months or years or even until Heaven, but it will come because God said it. Distribute Field Notes OT-1 to students along with pencils. One reward of our obedience to God is peace. We know we are doing what is right. Another reward is trust others will trust us because we are truthful. We have the reward of joy in knowing we are pleasing God. Application Verse Poster TE 2-21 TE 2-22 TE 2-1a TE 2-1b Field Notes OT-1 32

13 Bad things happen because the world is a sinful place. All the bad things happening when Noah lived made God so sad. He wanted the people to love Him. Instead they made the world an ugly place full of hurt and pain, and He had to stop it. Field Notes OT-1 Items Needed: Field Notes OT-1 Have you ever wondered what you would have done if you lived during Noah s time? Would you have obeyed God and spent 100 years of your life building a boat? Think about how much people made fun of Noah. What if one of your parents quit a job and spent ten years building a space ship to prepare for an alien invasion. Would you be concerned? Allow time for response. All the people who knew Noah were probably concerned about him. Would you have stood alone just as Noah and his family did so that you could do what was right and pleasing to God? It takes courage to say, Even if my friends and family make fun of believers, I am going to go to church and believe God, or Even if making bad choices is cool, I will make godly choices. Even if you feel alone, you will never be alone, because just as God was with Noah and his family in the ark, He will be with you (Hebrews 13:5c). Faith is when we believe God will do what He says, even though it may not have happened yet. Noah had faith and believed God when He said He was going to destroy the world with a flood. Noah demonstrated his faith in God with his complete obedience, and he was rewarded. It is exciting to think about how God sees and rewards obedience, but it would be wrong to not warn you that God punishes disobedience. Be quick to confess your sin to God and turn away from it. Refer to the Next Step section on the Field Notes. Your Next Step is to demonstrate your faith to God by obeying His Word. Next week, as we continue God s story, we will see the bad result and punishment that comes from disobedience. Close in prayer, praying specifically for you and the students to make right choices to obey God to please Him even when it seems too hard. Pray you will all be reminded that God sees everything and rewards obedience. Encourage students to complete the Explore Together section of their Field Notes with their families this week. Are you on Facebook? Join the D6 Curriculum Teachers group, a place of community for you to share stories, ask questions, get advice, and engage in conversations with other D6 curriculum teachers. 33

14 Old Testament Have Faith Lesson 2 January 10, 2016 The Rain Came Down TEXT: Genesis 7:11 8:22 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: God flooded the earth, but He spared Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark. Think: Remember God showed grace to Noah and his family, and He does the same for us. Do: Follow Noah s example, and be obedient to God. APPLICATION VERSE: Psalm 145:8 THEME: God Delivered Judgment and Grace THE MORE YOU KNOW: Judgment and grace are very difficult to balance in your theology. Those in Christian communities who overemphasize judgment risk being dishonest about the sin they struggle with. The focus is far too often on outward works over inward connection to the Lord. Those in Christian communities who overemphasize grace risk abusing it and using it as an excuse to continue living their way. Jesus always forgives, sure, but He expects believers to be engaged with the Holy Spirit as a guide to inward change and outward expression of that change. Finding this balance is as old as the church itself. James, the brother of Jesus, addressed the balance of judgment and grace in reference to faith and works in verses of chapter 2 of his letter. Consider spending some time with this passage before you teach so that you can express the balance of God s judgment and grace to your class. PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 2 q Whiteboard and marker LEARN q TE 2-3 q TE 2-4 q TE 2-5 q TE 2-6 q TE 2-7 q TE 2-8 q TE 2-9 q TE 2-10 EXPLORE q TE 2-1c q Field Notes OT-2 q Pencils APPLY q TE 2-21 q TE 2-23 q Colored Pencils q Scissors q Tape RESPOND q Field Notes OT-2 DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Genesis 7:11-16 Day 2 Genesis 7:17-21 Day 3 Genesis 7:11-8:4 Day 4 Genesis 8:5-11 Day 5 Genesis 8:13-18, Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you.

15 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 This simple activity will allow each student to individually judge each statement. Instruct the students to point their thumbs up for right or point their thumbs down for wrong. To ensure they are not going by what friends do, read the statement first and then on go, they will quickly indicate their answer by thumbs up or down. Emphasize that their judgment is to be based on what they believe! Use the first statement as practice, if needed. The best pizza topping is pepperoni. The easiest subject in school is spelling. Basketball is the best sport. Cleaning my room is fun. Homework is always quick. Cartoons are great. Splink is a simple way to link your family together spiritually. Through FREE weekly s packed with ideas, Splink helps you and your family engage in conversation. Whether it s making memories or having fun together, Splink allows you to capture those teachable moments to impress spiritual truths and life lessons on your kids. No matter where you are, there s always time to Splink! Sign up for Splink at D6family.com/Splink. You judged these statements to be right or wrong based on what you thought about each one. Do any of you know what a judge in a court does? Allow time for response. He or she decides who is wrong and who is right. In today s lesson, we will learn about God s judgment on the sins of the people in Noah s time. Does God change the rules for some people? Does He let some people get away with some sins? No, He doesn t. Hold up your Bible. God s judgments are always right. What is right and what is truth is found in God s Word, and we base what we believe on His words. The true things we learn from the Bible will never change, and we can always trust God s Word. Today s story about Noah reminds us that although God judged the people, He also had a plan to save Noah and his family. Option 2 Items Needed: Whiteboard and marker Write the following words on the whiteboard: hydrant, hose, truck, ladder, hatchet, and fire extinguisher. What do all of these words have in common? Allow time for response. They are all things fire fighters might use to save people in a fire. Just as a firefighter uses certain things to save people from dangerous fires, God uses certain things to save us from dangerous situations. Last week, we learned God used an ark to save Noah, his family, and animals from death through a flood. Today we will learn God continues to save us every day with His rescue plan of salvation. 35

16 Items Needed: TE 2-3 TE 2-10 In last week s lesson, our Bible verses took us to the point where Noah obeyed God and built the ark. Display TE 2-3. He gathered the wood and hammered day and night for many, many years. Display TE 2-4. When it was time, Noah loaded up his family and the exact number of animals just like God said. Display TE 2-5. After seven days, the rain began. The Bible says it rained for 40 days and 40 nights and water even came up from the ground. The waters flooded everything on the earth, and then the rain stopped. Display TE 2-6. There was so much water the mountains were covered, and the ark floated above them (Genesis 7:19). It all happened just like God said. Creatures that breathed air did not survive on the earth, only the two of each kind that Noah took on the ark were saved. And of all the people on earth, only Noah s family was saved. That may seem like a harsh judgment or punishment, but the people chose to sin against God and ignore His offer to be saved inside the ark. God would not have destroyed the earth like He did if there had been another way to make the wickedness go away. After it stopped raining, Noah and his family were on the ark for another 150 days. Then, God caused a great wind to pass over the earth, and all the water started to go away (Genesis 8:1-3). As the water went away, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. Display TE 2-7 and point to the different pictures. Noah opened the window and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth. Noah also sent out a dove to see if the waters had gone down enough for it to find dry ground, but it came back. Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again. This time the dove came back with an olive leaf in its mouth, which meant some of the plants were out of the water. Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time the dove never returned, which meant enough of the water had gone away for the dove to find a new home. Next, Noah listened to God s instructions. Read Genesis 8:16-17 to the students. Display TE 2-8. It was time for every person and every living creature to leave the ark. The dry land was once again available to them. It is estimated they were in the ark for one year and ten days. What would you have done when you finally got off the ark? Would you have rolled around in the dirt? Would you have run laps around the ark? Allow time for response. More importantly, what do you think Noah did after all those days in the ark? I cannot save myself, I need a Savior God saved Noah and his family from death and Jesus saves us from eternal death. TE 2-3 TE 2-4 TE 2-5 TE 2-6 TE 2-7 TE 2-8 TE 2-9 Display TE 2-9. After Noah obeyed God and got everyone and everything out of the ark, he built an altar. On that altar, he offered a special sacrifice to God. By doing this, he was praising God. He showed God that he knew they were only saved from the flood because of His grace. God was very pleased with Noah when He saw the altar and the offerings (Genesis 8:21). Obedience pleases God. God promises good things for those who obey Him. Because of their violence and wickedness, He destroyed every person except those in the ark. 36

17 Judgment and punishment come to those who sin against God, but God also gives grace to those who trust and obey Him. Display TE God gave Noah and us a wonderful promise that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood, and He put a rainbow in the sky as a symbol of that promise. TE 2-10 TE 2-1c Items Needed: TE 2-1c Field Notes OT-2 Pencils Before class, copy Field Notes OT-2 so each student will have one. Distribute Field Notes OT-2 along with pencils to students. Allow time for them to read the sentences and fill in the blanks and complete the crossword puzzle. Display TE 2-1c. Today we learned God saves. When Noah and his family got on the ark and shut the doors, they were saved from the flood. You and I do not need an ark because God promised to never destroy the earth again by using a flood. However, we still need saving. We need to be saved not from a flood, but from sin. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned. We have all ignored and disobeyed God s commands. But God made a way for us to be saved through Jesus. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to take our punishment for sin. Jesus was the only one who could have been the sacrifice because He was without sin and is the only person who ever lived who accomplished that. God showed grace to Noah and his family and He does the same for us. Field Notes OT-2 Items Needed: TE 2-21 TE 2-23 Colored Pencils Scissors Tape Application Verse Poster TE 2-21 Application Verse Activity Pieces TE 2-23 Before class, copy TE 2-23 so each student will have one. We should praise and thank God that He is a God who saves! Let s say that again together, Thank You, God! We may not know what God looks like but we know from the Bible, His story, what He is like. Display TE 2-21 and say the verse together. From this verse we know four things about God that would make Him want to save us. Over and over in the Bible, God shows who He is by what He does. For example, we know the Bible says God is gracious, loving, and merciful, but it is also exciting to see how He showed that He really is gracious, loving, and merciful when He saved Noah and his family. Distribute TE 2-23 to students along with colored pencils, scissors, and tape. Have the students write the words listed in the word bank in the different sections of the cube. Then have them cut the solid lines and fold the dotted ones to create a cube. Allow them to tape the cube together. Have them, one at a time, roll the cube to see what word appears. Explain they will say the verse, and when they get to 37

18 the words that were rolled on the cube, they will alternate saying them loudly and saying them softly. For example, if the first person rolls the words, slow to anger, they will say those words loudly. If the next person rolls the word, gracious, the students will say those words softly. If the student cube lands on a direction instead of a word of the verse, the students will say the entire verse following the directions given. Repeat the activity until each student has had a chance to roll. What are some things can we learn from the people in Noah s time? Allow time for response. Why do you think they ignored God s instruction to get in the ark? Allow time for response. Do we ever ignore God s instruction or warnings? Allow time for response. Let s look at two important truths to remember. Be ready, and remember that God judges sin! In 2 Peter 3, Peter compared the time of the flood where people ignored God s way and were destroyed to Jesus return. There will be people left behind because they reject and ignore God. God saves, but He does not force Himself on anyone. It is a choice everyone must make. Notes Item Needed: Field Notes OT-2 Put God first! The people in Noah s time and even people in our time make other people and things more important than God. Read Luke 17: In Jesus own words, the things the people were doing were everyday things. The problem was they ignored the truth and command to put God first. Think about what you spend most of your time doing. Is God part of your life every week or only part of your Sunday? If you had lived back in Noah s time, would you have been on the ark, or would you have been one of the ones that made the choice to ignore God and make fun of Noah? You may think no one knows about your sin or that you can have your own way and ignore God s truths, but you will not be able to escape His judgment except through the blood of Jesus. That is how God saves. Although God does not want anyone to ignore Him, each person must make his or her own choice. God loves every person and, He wants all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). If you would like to know more about this, please come to me after class, and I will tell you more about how God saves. For those who have accepted and trusted in Jesus, what can you do this week to demonstrate God has first place in your life? Do you spend some time each day praying and talking to God? Do you need to set aside a special time to read God s Word or a devotional study guide? Do you have a loving and kind attitude that makes God happy? Our relationship with God grows as we spend time with Him. Noah put his hope in God, and we should too. Refer to the Next Step section on the Field Notes. Your Next Step for this week is to follow Noah s example, and be obedient to God. As teachers, our responsibility is to tell God s story; it is the Holy Spirit that convicts. Be sensitive to His guidance. Close with a prayer, asking God to make each student aware of his or her need for a Savior and to follow Noah s example of obedience in his or her life. Encourage students to complete the Explore Together section of their Field Notes with their families this week. 38 Field Notes OT-2

19 Old Testament Have Faith Lesson 3 January 17, 2016 God Scattered the People TEXT: Genesis 11:1-9 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: God confused the language of the people allowed pride to influence their choices. Think: Remember that pride leads people away from God. Do: Keep your focus on God by thanking Him for His blessings each day. APPLICATION VERSE: Psalm 145:8 THEME: God Scattered the People THE MORE YOU KNOW: Some speculate that Nimrod was the instigator of the Tower of Babel, since Genesis 10:10 lists Babel as the beginning of his kingdom. He was the grandson of Noah s son Ham, so though he himself wasn t on the ark, His grandfather and possibly one of his parents were, so he certainly had first-hand accounts of God s justice in his life, but it did nothing for his humility or respect for God. Nimrod seems to have been a leader who set himself up against God s desires, and the people willingly followed his ill-advised plan. The Tower of Babel was the manifestation of the selfish mindset of Noah s descendants. Every shred of evidence supports the idea that the people of the world had learned nothing from the flood, so God confused their language before they could further enslave themselves to their own sin. PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 1 q Toothpicks q Mini marshmallows or gumdrops q Ruler (or measuring tape) Option 2 q Package of Oreo cookies q Large plastic bag to put them in and rolling pin or heavy spoon to crush them q 3 (3 oz.) packages of instant vanilla pudding q 4 1 /2 cups milk q 16 oz. Cool Whip q Gummy worms (optional) q Whisk (or hand mixer) q Large bowl q Small paper cups and plastic spoons to serve the dessert q Optional: Plastic gloves or hand wipes would be a good idea to use before starting. LEARN q TE 2-11 q TE 2-12 q Five boxes (Any size will do. They will be used for stacking.) q Tape q Scissors APPLY q TE 2-21 q TE 2-24 q Field Notes OT-3 q Seven boxes (shoe or gift boxes) q Glue RESPOND q TE 2-1c q Field Notes OT-3 DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Genesis 11:1-3 Day 2 Genesis 11:4-6 Day 3 Genesis 11:7-9 Day 4 Isaiah 14:13-14 Day 5 Proverbs 16:18, 25 and James 4:6-8 Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you. 39

20 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 Items Needed: Toothpicks Mini marshmallows or gumdrops Ruler (or measuring tape) Before class, put the toothpicks and mini-marshmallows or gumdrops on the table. Divide the class into groups of three or four. Tell the students that their job is to build the tallest tower with the toothpicks and the marshmallows or gumdrops. The tower must be able to stand on its own. They will have three minutes to complete their creations. There is only one rule: they must do this without talking to one other. Give them a one-minute warning before the time is up. Then measure each tower to determine the tallest one. What was the hardest part of building the tower? Allow time for response. How were you able to work together without using your words? Allow time for response. How would it have been easier or harder had you been able to talk? Allow time for response. Why is speaking the same language important when working together? Allow time for response. Do you think it would be hard to build a real tower if you were not able to speak the same language? Today s lesson is about a time just after the flood when people joined together to build a tower. Option 2 Items Needed: Package of Oreo cookies Large plastic bag to put them in and rolling pin or heavy spoon to crush them 3 (3 oz.) packages of instant vanilla pudding 4 1 /2 cups milk 16 oz. Cool Whip Gummy worms (optional) Whisk (or hand mixer) Large bowl Small paper cups and plastic spoons to serve the dessert Optional: Plastic gloves or hand wipes would be a good idea to use before starting. Give the students the assignment to make a dessert without talking. Put all the ingredients on the table and tell the students to begin. Give them a few moments to try and then stop them to question them. What aren t you finished? Why do you think this is a difficult assignment? What would make this easier? Why don t I take charge and help you complete the assignment? Assign jobs to different students. Divide responsibilities according to the number of students you have, making sure each one is helping in some way. Some suggestions are: one to crush the Oreos; one to measure the milk; one to 40

21 Notes open the pudding boxes; one to mix the pudding and milk together with a whisk; one to whisk the cool whip into the pudding mixture; one to hand out the cups and spoons. Allow each student to layer the Oreo crumbs and pudding mixture. The top layer should be the Oreo crumbs (to resemble dirt ) and then add the gummy worm on top. This should serve students depending on the size of the cups. Allow the students to eat their snack. Why was it so hard to make the dessert without talking? Allow time for response. Why was it good to have someone in charge of the dessert? Allow time for response. Why is it good to have someone in charge of the universe? Allow time for response. God created and is in charge of the universe. He told people to take care of the earth and to have families and teach them God s way. But a group of people wanted their own way. We ll see how God showed He was in charge. Items Needed: TE 2-11 TE 2-12 Scissors Shinar is the plain where Babylon was built in southern Mesopotamia. This area is now modern Iraq. TE 2-11 Before class apart the strips from TE Display each word strip above the previous one to spell out the word PRIDE. Display the E from TE After the flood, God told Noah and his family to multiply and fill the earth, many of the people had settled in a place called Shinar. The people living in Shinar had the idea to build a great city and a tower to make a famous name for themselves. Instead of living to worship God, these people wanted others to see their fabulous tower and praise them. They were eager to get attention focused on them rather than God. Display the D from TE The people in Shinar were not happy to spread out across the world. They were not happy with what God had told them to do. They desired their own way. They wanted to build a tower so tall it would reach to the sky. So they started to make bricks, bake them, and use mortar to make a sturdy tower. Display the I from TE Wait a minute! Why were they so concerned about this tower? What made them think of this whole plan? Why were they not obeying what God said? This city and tower were a direct disobedience to God s instructions. They had no desire to listen to God because they had their own plans. They had no interest in following His way and bringing Him glory. They were interested in their own glory. Display the R from TE They thought they were so awesome because they believed they could do whatever they wanted to do. This tower showed their strength and how smart they were. They thought they would no longer need to listen to God. Having their way replaced obeying God. They worshiped their own efforts instead of Him. Display the P from TE They pushed God away. They thought their plan was more important than His. They were following their selfish ways over God s way. God saw what the people were doing, and He was not pleased. God stopped them before they caused 41

22 more trouble. He confused their language so they were unable to understand one another and would not be able to work together to build the tower (Genesis 11:7). The people had to go find others who spoke the same language they did. Can you imagine trying to work together but not being able to understand each other? They may have been working on the tower when one man asked another for a brick and he could not understand what his co-worker was saying. Because they couldn t understand each other, they might have become frustrated and began arguing. Display TE It only got worse, and the people finally decided to stop building. They called the place Babel, which means confusion. God scattered the people over all the earth. Point to the strips from TE What word do you see when you look at the first letter of each word strip? Allow time for response. What is pride? Allow time for response. Pride is when we are eager to get attention, desire more and more, insist on our own way, replace God in our lives, and push God away. TE 2-12 The people choosing their own selfish goals shows how bad things happen because the world is a sinful place. Pride is a terrible thing because it keeps people from God. People who are filled with pride do not even see their need to know God or ask Him for forgiveness. They don t realize how badly they need God. Their eyes are on themselves, and they only want their own way. Pride leads people away from God s gift of salvation and friendship. If they continue in their own way, they will eventually be separated from God forever. This reminds me of someone who insisted on his own way instead of God s way. Listen to these Bible verses. Read Isaiah 14:13-14 aloud and ask students to listen to Satan s statements to see whose way he wanted. What word do you keep hearing Satan say? He constantly referred to himself, using the pronoun I. Instead of worshiping and following God, Satan wanted his own way. Read or choose a student to read Psalm 10:4. The Bible warns us about pride. When we turn from giving God the worship He deserves and make it about ourselves, we push God away. Eventually it becomes all about us and not God. Items Needed: TE 2-21 TE 2-24 Field Notes OT-3 Seven boxes (shoe boxes or gift boxes will work) Glue Before class, copy Field Notes OT-3 so every student will have one. Cut apart the strips from TE 2-24, and glue one to the front of each box. What is pride? The pride we are talking about is not the good feeling we have when we do something well. It is the attitude that 42

23 we don t need God and want our way more than His way. Proud people may not even realize how badly they need God. They want their own way, so they never call out to Him. If they would just come to Him, He would give them mercy and forgiveness (1 Peter 5:6). Field Notes OT-3 Application Verse Poster TE 2-21 Application Verse Activity Strips One of the ways to understand more about a word is to look at its opposite. What is the opposite of pride? Allow time for response. Humble people know they need God because they understand that, no matter how smart they are, they will never know or understand all that He does. They want to live to please God instead of themselves because they are grateful for Him and know that His way is always best. They are content to follow God s way and are thankful to have God in charge. Let s look at some things proud and humble people might say. Distribute Field Notes OT-3 to students along with pencils. Allow time for the students to follow the paths to see which one leads to God s way and which leads to our selfish ways. Pride leads to trouble with God and with those around us. It distracts us from God s way and focuses our attention on our selfish ways. The Tower of Babel is a perfect example of that. Display TE 2-21 and review the verse with the students. What are the four things this verse tells us about God? Allow time for response. Display the boxes with the words to the verse (from TE 2-24), and have the students say the verse together. Turn one of the boxes around, and say the verse again. Turn another box around, and say it again. Continue with the activity until all the boxes have been turned around. End the activity by saying the verse together. TE 2-24 Pride is one of the main things that pulls us away from God. Pride is the lie we sometimes believe that we can do something better than anyone else even God. I will always want to do things my own way because I am engaged in Spiritual warfare. Items Needed: TE 2-1c Field Notes OT-3 We can learn from the people who turned away from God and started doing what they wanted to do. We can learn from the pride they showed when they were building the great tower and the consequences that resulted because of it. James 4:6 tells us God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. When we really see how great God is, we will see how awesome it is to have a relationship with Him. When we see how much He loves us, we will want to be closer to Him instead of searching for other things to make us happy. When we see how wise and good He is, we will trust Him to do what is best for us. Display 2-1c. This week we learned how God rules. There is only one God and there is no one like Him. He is the Creator, and He rules the universe. We must always remember God is in charge, and He knows what we need better than we do. He will help us if we just believe in Him and follow His way. God saw the people going away from Him and He confused their languages so they would stop building the tower. They were filled with pride and didn t realize how much they needed God s guidance and help. TE 2-1c 43

24 Sometimes when things are going well, we can almost forget about God. We make our own plans and do what we want. We shouldn t brag about what we are going to do that s a proud attitude. Instead, we should live every day for God and make Him happy. It is important to trust God and do His will. God loves it when we believe in Him and trust Him to guide us in the right way. There are many things that only God can do for us. We need to humble ourselves before God and ask for His help. What are some things we need God to do for us that we can t do ourselves? Allow time for response. He forgives our sins, helps us obey, and shows us the right way to go, just to name a few. But we have to be willing to ask and accept His help. We should want Him to be in charge of our lives. When we go our own ways, we need God to help us make a different choice and choose what He wants us to do. Even though we won t always get it right, we need to let the Holy Spirit help us. We can praise God because He is in charge. No matter how bad things get in the world, God is still in control. He will still do what is right. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, no matter what happens. We can trust Him to lead us and to take care of us. We need to keep pride out of our lives by keeping our focus on God. Refer to the Next Step section of the Field Notes. Your Next Step is to keep your focus on God by thanking Him for His blessings each day. Close with a prayer of praise to God. Encourage the students to do the Explore Together activity with their families this week. Notes Field Notes OT-3 Are you making a Home Connection with your kids? Home Connection is a FREE download that gives parents a simple way to practice faith at home by providing: A weekly Bible passage to read together as a family Suggestions to help you pray together as a family Suggested activities to do as a family to put your faith in action It s a great tool for parents who want to pass their faith on to their children! Also, if your church uses D6 Curriculum, Home Connection will let you know exactly what each member of the family is learning in small group, LIFE group, or Sunday School each week. Try it this week by downloading it at: 44

25 Old Testament Have Faith Lesson 4 January 24, 2016 God s Promise to Abraham TEXT: Genesis 12:1-9, 15:1-6 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: Abraham trusted God s promise to Him and continued to remain faithful to Him. Think: Remember God s promises to us and trust His faithfulness. Do: Trust God to always keep His promises. APPLICATION VERSE: Titus 1:2 THEME: God s Covenant PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 1 q Sheets or large blankets q Clothespins q Clothesline (optional) Option 2 q Shoebox with a lid q Books to fit inside the shoebox LEARN q TE 2-13 q TE 2-14 q TE 2-15 q A one-dollar bill q Whiteboard and marker EXPLORE q TE 2-16 THE MORE YOU KNOW: Covenant theology, as intimidating as it sounds, is one of the most clear and fascinating ways of seeing God s unfolding plan to mend our broken connection to Him from Genesis to Revelation. So what is a covenant you ask? Simply put, it is a agreement or a promise between two people; like a contract, but more binding and typically between individuals of unequal power, as a ruler with a subject. In Biblical covenants, one of the parties is always God. From the covenant God made with Adam in Genesis 3:15 to the New Covenant He offers us with Jesus death and resurrection, you can see a clear unfolding of the answer to the question, What now? that presented itself when sin became a problem. The big thing that God did in the Abrahamic covenant is outline His plan to establish a nation that would follow Him and be blessed by Him among the people of the world. Read more about the Abrahamic Covenant here: Abrahamic-covenant.html APPLY q TE 2-25 q TE 2-26 q TE 2-1d q Field Notes OT-4 q Colored pencils RESPOND q Field Notes OT-4 DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Genesis 12:1-3 Day 2 Genesis 12:4-6 Day 3 Genesis 12:7-9 Day 4 Genesis 15:1-6 Day 5 Isaiah 41:10, 13 Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you. 45

26 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 Items Needed: Sheets or large blankets Clothespins Clothesline (optional) For this activity, you and your students will be making a tent in the classroom. Drape large sheets over chairs or a table and secure them with clothespins. It is important to allow students to help (at least some) with the project. Make sure that the tent is big enough for your whole class to sit in comfortably. Once your students are seated inside, ask some questions to CONNECT this to today s Bible story. What do most people use tents for today? Allow time for response. Have you ever been camping and slept in a tent? Allow time for response. What do you think would be fun about living in a tent? Allow time for response. What do you think wouldn t be fun about living in a tent? Allow time for response. What do you think a tent has to do with our Bible story? Allow time for response. Many people during early Bible times lived in tents. Usually, they were shepherds, so by living in tents, they could pick up and move to another area where their sheep or goats could find fresh grass or water. These tents were usually larger than modern tents and had two sections. The front section was used for work and was the public area, open to visitors. This front part could be left open in warm weather. The rear part of the tent was private for sleeping and eating and a dividing curtain separated it from the front. The tents were made from goat s hair or sheep s wool. They were woven on large looms and then stitched together. (Information found at bible-archaeology.info/housing.htm) Today s Bible story is about a man and his family who lived in a tent. God told him to pick up his tent and move to a completely different country. Option 2 Items Needed: Shoebox with a lid Books to fit inside the shoebox Before class, fill the shoebox to the top with books and close the lid. Ask for a volunteer to stand on the shoebox, but before he or she does, ask the following questions. Do you think the shoebox will hold you up? Assure the student that the shoebox will hold him or her. Do you believe me? Allow time for response. Next, ask the volunteer to stand on the box. After he or she has stood on it, open the lid and show the contents in the box. I knew this shoebox would hold you up because I knew it was filled with books. I knew something that you didn t know. You could not see how the box would hold you up, but I wanted you to believe me. God knows things that we don t know, and He asks us to believe what He says is true and He will do what He says He will. Today s lesson is about believing God. We ll see how Abraham believed God even though he couldn t see what God was going to do. 46

27 Notes To learn about Abraham s story in Genesis chapters 12 and 15, the students will visit four stations to learn about God s call to him. It would be best if you could set up each station at a different spot in the room or church and move to each one. Talk about Abraham at each station and then move to another station to talk about the next part. Even a simple move can add interest to the lesson. Begin at Station 1. Items Needed: TE 2-13 TE 2-14 Ur is an ancient city in what we know today as Iraq. TE 2-13 TE 2-14 Have you ever played a game and yelled out, pick me, pick me to the people who are choosing teams? Today we are going to learn about the very beginning of God s plan to create a nation that would serve Him. Display TE A man named Abraham lived with his family in a place called Ur. Terah, Abraham s father, and many of the people there worshiped idols (Joshua 24:2). They did not know the one true God. But God had been watching the people in Ur and He saw something good in the heart of Abraham. God knew all about Abraham and loved him. He wanted Abraham to leave the false idols and begin to know Him, the one true God, so He began showing Himself to Abraham so that Abraham would know and trust Him. God told Abraham to leave his country and his people and go to a land that God would show him. Do you think this would be hard to do if God said this to you and your family? Allow time for response. It might have been easier if Abraham knew exactly where he was going, where he would live, or what the place would be like, but Abraham didn t know any of those things! Even though Abraham did not know all of the details, God had a big plan for Abraham and He knew all the details of His plan. Display TE So Abraham made the choice to pack up all his belongings and his family and obey God. Life is filled with choices. Sometimes the choices are simple ones like which flavor of ice cream you d like. Other times the choice we are faced with require us to think about what God s Word teaches. We don t always have to move to a new place to serve God, but we do have to leave sin behind in order to obey Him. We can t serve two masters. We can t follow God and hold on to our sin. God deserves our total loyalty. Move to Station 2. Item Needed: One-dollar bill God told Abraham he would be the father of a great nation, but Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had no children. How could Abraham be the father of a great nation? Abraham did not know how this was going to happen, but he believed God was able to make it happen. God also said that all the families of the earth would be blessed through Abraham. This promise was fulfilled hundreds of years later when Jesus was born from the family tree of Abraham. Because Jesus was born and died for the sins of the whole world, all who 47

28 believe in Him can live forever in Heaven. Abraham could count on God because He is completely trustworthy. I will give a dollar bill to the first one to come and stand by me. Give the dollar bill to the first one to stand by you. Why did you believe my promise to get the dollar bill? Allow time for response. You know that I am trustworthy, so you believed in my promise. The most important part of a promise is the person making it. Why it is hard for us to believe God will keep His promises? Allow time for response. It is hard for us to understand how someone could keep every single promise they make, but God does just that. We can look at the examples given to us in the Bible of how God kept every single promise He made. We can rely on Him because He always keeps His promises. God made plans for Abraham s family to be the first family of His new nation. God established the home to make disciples and transfer the faith. Move to Station 3. Items Needed: TE 2-15 Abraham had traveled from Ur to Haran with his father, Terah, his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot. They also had many things and servants and workers to help them. We don t know how long they stayed in Haran, but Abraham s father died there. Abraham was 75 years old when they left Haran. They continued traveling into the land of Canaan to a place called Shechem in the plain of Moreh. It was there the Lord appeared to Abraham and told him He was going to give this land to his children. Display TE Abraham believed God and built an altar to worship Him. What is worship? Allow time for response. When we see how awesome, powerful, wise, and loving God is, what should we do? Allow time for response. We should worship Him. Worship is our response to God. How did Abraham worship God? Allow time for response. He obeyed Him, he built an altar to Him, and he trusted Him. How do we worship God? Allow time for response. Some of the ways we worship God are through our praise, through serving others, and by the giving our time and money. There are many ways to worship our great God who deserves our worship! TE 2-15 Move to Station 4. Items Needed: Whiteboard and marker As Abraham continued his journey, God told Abraham He would protect and reward him. He told Abraham to look at the stars. God said that just as Abraham could not count the stars, he would not be able to count all those in his family his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren and so on. He was going to reward Abraham with countless numbers of people in his family. Notes How could Abraham be the father of a great nation if he had no children? God reassured Abraham that it would not just be someone from his household, but that it would be Abraham s own son. Read or choose a student to read Genesis 15:6 aloud. How did Abraham react to God s promises? Allow time for response. Abraham believed 48

29 Notes God. When God said his family would be as plentiful as the stars, Abraham believed God s words. Abraham did not say things like, This is impossible. I am already an old man. God, are You really sure You can do this? or Show me the exact plan of how You are going to make this happen, then I will believe You. Abraham believed God s words and that acceptance and belief made him acceptable to God and was counted as righteousness. Do any of you know what righteousness means? Allow time for response. Write the word righteousness on the whiteboard. What word is within this word? Allow time for response. Circle the word right. Righteousness is a right standing with God. Abraham really believed God s promise. God said that Abraham was righteous because of his faith. Faith is when we believe God will do what He says He will do. Faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Even though it had not happened, even though he didn t see how it could happen, even though he had to wait a long time, Abraham still believed God. The friendship of God and Abraham shows that God is a personal, spiritual being. It was probably very hard for Abraham to continue to believe that God would keep His promise and give him a child. In fact, He had to wait 25 years from the time he left Haran until the promised son was born! We may not always understand when and why God does things, but we can know for sure that He will do what He has promised! Items Needed: TE 2-16 Note to Teacher: If students ask, explain this is pre-incarnate Jesus (Jesus before He was in human form). Remind them Jesus has always been present. TE 2-16a Abraham and his wife had been in Canaan for a long time, almost twenty-five years. Do you think they had given up on God s promise? Allow time for response. Display TE 2-16a and point to the two pictures as you discuss the angels visit to Abraham. One day, Abraham was sitting outside of his tent when Jesus and two angels appeared. They asked where Sarah was, and he told them she was in the tent. Jesus said they would return in one year, and by that time, they would have a baby boy. Do you know what Sarah did? Allow time for response. Point to Sarah laughing on TE 2-16a. She laughed. She had heard what Jesus said, and she laughed. Why do you think she laughed? Allow time for response. She laughed because she was ninety years old, and Abraham was ninety-nine. She thought they were too old to have children. But Jesus told Abraham nothing was too hard for God. Display TE 2-16b and point to Sarah holding Isaac. Sarah had her baby that year, and his name was Isaac. God kept His promise to Abraham, and He is faithful to keep them for us too. TE 2-16b 49

30 Items Needed: TE 2-25 TE 2-26 TE 2-1d Field Notes OT-4 Colored pencils Before class, copy TE 2-26 so each student will have one. Also, make a copy of Field Notes OT-4 for each student. Display TE 2-1d. We can read about God s promises in the Bible. We will discuss four of those promises today. Distribute Field Notes OT-4 to students along with pencils. Have them fill in the blanks as you read and discuss each verse. Read Isaiah 41:10 to the students. God has promised to be with us. But God never promised us that bad things wouldn t happen to us. Some people might feel sad or angry with God when bad things happen. Does it mean God doesn t love us when bad things happen? No, it means that we live in a world of sin and people in this world say and do wrong things. Jesus even said that in this world we would have to go through bad things (John 16:33). But God does promise to be with us no matter what, and He can give us comfort and hope. Read 1 John 1:9 to the students. God has promised to forgive our sins when we confess to Him. God does not want us to keep or hide our sin. He wants us to come to Him so He can take our sin away. God does not want us to be sad or feel shame, so He made a way for us to have our sins forgiven through Jesus death on the cross. All we need to do is confess tell Him we are sorry and ask Him to forgive us. We can be right with God because of this promise. TE 2-1d Field Notes OT-4 Read Jeremiah 33:3 to the students. God has promised to answer our prayers and do good things for us, more than we can imagine. God promises to listen and answer us, and we can trust Him to give us what we need. Sometimes the best answer is yes, and sometimes it is no. Other times the best answer is for us to wait. Just as it must have been hard for Abraham to wait 25 years for Isaac to be born, it may be hard for us to wait for God to answer our prayers. But because of this promise, we must never doubt that He doesn t listen or care when we pray. Read John 14:3 to the students. God has promised to bring those who believe in Jesus to Heaven someday. We feel sad when people we love die, but this promise tells us that those who believe in Jesus will immediately go to live forever in Heaven. It is normal to feel sad when those we love die because we will miss them, but we can have comfort knowing they are with God, and we will someday be with them again. God never promised that there would be no sickness or death here on earth; He has promised that there will be no sickness or death in Heaven. God made many more wonderful promises and we can find them in the Bible. As we find and believe His promises, we can have comfort, joy, and peace. We can get more faith as we read the stories of what God did in people s lives in the Bible. Just as God made and kept His promises to Abraham, God has made promises to us and God never said bad things wouldn t happen to believers. Bad things happen because the world is a sinful place. 50

31 He will always keep His Word. Allow the students to find the words in the word search. Application Verse Poster TE 2-25 Application Verse Activity Pieces Display TE 2-25 and introduce the verse by reading it aloud. This verse tells us God cannot lie, and He promised eternal life before the world began. This is an amazing truth that we can count on. Has anyone ever made and broken a promise to you? How did you feel? Allow time for response. There is no need to be disappointed with God. God is 100% reliable, and we can count on Him to keep His promises. A promise is only as good as the person making the promise. We have an entire Bible full of stories of how God made and kept His promises. Do you think Abraham heard the story of how God kept His promise to judge the world with a flood? Do you think he remembered God s promise every time he saw a rainbow? God kept His promise to Abraham and He will keep His promises to us. The more we learn about God, the more we can trust Him to keep His Word. Have students say the verse with you several times using TE Then distribute TE 2-26 and colored pencils to them. Allow time for them to color the words and decorate the page. Encourage them to hang it somewhere so they will see it often. TE 2-26 Items Needed: Field Notes OT-4 How would feel if you told your friend something important, but then your friend said he or she didn t believe you? Allow time for response. Do you think God wants us to doubt Him? Allow time for response. Of course not! In fact, the Bible says that a man who doubts is like a wave of the sea, being thrown around by the wind. One day he believes, the next day he doubts. That man should not expect God to give him anything (James 1:6-8). God wants us to believe in Him even though we cannot see Him. God wants us to believe that He will do what He says He will do. Field Notes OT-4 God has many good promises for us. We can believe His words and trust Him. Refer to the Next Step section on the Field Notes. Your Next Step is to trust God to always keep His promises. End class with prayer for your students that they will trust God and rely on His promises for their lives. Encourage them to do the Explore Together activity with their families this week. 51

32 Old Testament Have Faith Lesson 5 January 31, 2016 Abraham Makes a Choice TEXT: Genesis 22:1-19 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: Abraham trusted and obeyed God, and God provided a ram to be used for a sacrifice. Think: Remember God provided a sacrifice for us through His Son, Jesus. Do: Show your love to God through obedience to His Word. APPLICATION VERSE: Titus 1:2 THEME: God Provided a Sacrifice THE MORE YOU KNOW: It feels weird to teach children that God asked a man to sacrifice his only son on an altar to Himself, doesn t it? Sure the foreshadowing to Jesus is beautiful, but that doesn t mean it can t make you feel a bit strange. It feels like a joke gone too far, or an emotionally manipulative object lesson. The thing is, sacrificing your first born to the gods of the day was a common thing in the pagan religions Abraham s contemporaries practiced. Though it would have filled Abraham with dread, it wouldn t have hit his ears the same way it does ours today. When God stopped Abraham from moving forward with the sacrifice, He was showing Abraham that He was not the status quo. Not only would He not require Him to do such an abhorrent thing, He would also provide the alternative plan with the ram. Abraham would have seen this as an act of grace, not an inappropriate command. PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 2 q 1 liter plastic bottle (you can find soda pretty commonly in this size now) q 1 ketchup packet q Salt (kosher works best) LEARN q TE 2-17 q TE 2-18 q TE 2-19 APPLY q TE 2-1e q TE 2-20 q TE 2-25 q Field Notes OT-5 q Pencils q Paper bag q Treats (one treat/student) RESPOND q Field Notes OT-5 DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Genesis 22:1-3 Day 2 Genesis 22:4-8 Day 3 Genesis 22:9-13 Day 4 Genesis 22:14-19 Day 5 Hebrews 11: Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you.

33 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 Play a game with the students to introduce the idea of going on a trip. Gather the students in a circle. We are going to play a game where we are sharing different things we are taking on a trip. The first person will say, I m going on a trip, and I m going to take, and that person will say something he or she is going to take. For example, he or she might say, shoes. The next person will say, I m going on a trip, and I m going to take, and that person will say what the first person is taking, as well as what he or she is taking. We will see how far we can go around the circle. Play the game several times to see how far they can get around the circle. If they make it all the way around, have them keep going. Today, we ll learn about a special trip that Abraham and his son, Isaac, went on. Option 2 Items Needed: 1 liter plastic bottle (you can find soda pretty commonly in this size now) 1 ketchup packet Salt (kosher works best) Remove the entire label from the bottle (Goo Gone will help with the glued part). Fill the bottle all the way to the top with water and add the ketchup packet. There needs to be as little air as possible in the bottle. If the ketchup packet floats, then great! If it sinks to the bottom of the bottle, add 3 tablespoons of salt to the bottle and see if that makes it rise to the top. (Kosher salt will keep the water from getting cloudy, but as long as you prep far enough in advance, regular table salt will clear up after it sits a while.) Continue adding salt 1 tablespoon at a time until the packet is floating, just barely, to the top. Now recap it and squeeze the sides. The packet should begin to sink to the bottom. If the bottle is full enough, your squeezes will be imperceptible to your students. Squeeze it again and it will go back to the top. With some practice you can even make it stop in the middle, and go fast and slowly. Learning about God isn t enough. I love that you come to Sunday School every week, but if all you do is about God then you will just end up with a big head full of information! You must also God. Show the students the bottle with the ketchup packet. Do you see Mr. Ketchup, floating in my water bottle? I can make him obey me. Watch. Mr. Ketchup, go down to the bottom of the bottle. Squeeze the sides of the bottle and make the ketchup go down. Then make him come back up. Then make him stop in the middle. Make him go quickly and slowly, all at your command. Now ask your students to try and control Mr. Ketchup, but don t make him follow their instructions. Mr. Ketchup knows who his boss is! He only listens to my instructions! Does it make sense to you why Mr. Ketchup listens to me and not you? Abraham was a man who obeyed God even when it didn t make much sense to other people. I m sure his fam- 53

34 ily thought it was crazy for him to follow God s command to leave Ur when they didn t know God. Today we are going to see an even crazier thing that God asked Abraham to do. Abraham was not perfect, but he tried to live his life obeying God. God was pleased with Abraham. Notes Items Needed: TE 2-17 TE 2-20 Last week we learned God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah. She had a boy and named him Isaac. In Genesis 22, God told Abraham to take a special trip. God told Abraham to take his and Sarah s only son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice on one of the mountains. Do any of you know what a sacrifice is? Allow time for response. A sacrifice is when you give up something or someone really important to you for something else. What do you think he did? Allow time for response. Display TE Abraham obeyed God as he got up the next morning and began their trip. He took his donkey, two of his young servants, wood for an altar, and Isaac. On the third day, Abraham saw the place where He was supposed to make the sacrifice. Abraham told his two servants to stay with the donkey because only he and Isaac would go the mountain and worship God. Display TE Abraham gave the wood for the offering to Isaac. Isaac obviously wondered why they had fire and wood, but no animal for the offering. So he asked his dad, Where is the lamb? Abraham responded that God would provide, and they continued on. When they got to the place God told them to go, Abraham built the altar and laid the wood in order. Display TE Then came the hardest part. Abraham had to lay Isaac on the altar. Abraham took the knife in his hand, and just as he was about to lower the knife to sacrifice Isaac an angel of the Lord called Abraham s name twice. The angel told Abraham not to hurt Isaac. Abraham demonstrated his obedience and willingness to give up his son if that was what God required of him. Point to the ram on TE As he looked around, he saw a ram caught in some bushes by his horns. The ram would be the sacrifice. God provided a ram for the altar so that Abraham would not have to sacrifice his son, Isaac. As the angel of the Lord called out to Abraham a second time, God promised Abraham that his family would be as many as the stars of Heaven and the sands on the seashore. Abraham had just experienced this life and death situation with his son, and now to hear these words from God that Isaac would live caused him to be thankful. TE 2-17 TE 2-18 TE

35 Abraham could not save Isaac, but God did. He provided a ram for Abraham just like He provided Jesus for us. I cannot save myself, I need a Savior. God blessed Abraham because he obeyed. God said it would be through Abraham s family that everyone on earth would be blessed. God s promise was talking about Jesus. Just as God provided a ram for the sacrifice, God provided our sacrifice, Jesus. Before the world began, God knew that man would sin and follow his own way. Adam and Eve chose to do the one thing God told them to do. But God still loved them. Even though we sin, God still loves us. But because God is holy He has to punish sin. God sent His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice as payment for our sins. We will never be good enough to get into Heaven, so Jesus provided the way for us to become part of God s family. Can you tell how Jesus and Isaac are kind of the same in that way? Isaac was Abraham s son. Jesus is God s Son. Isaac carried the wood for the altar for the sacrifice, and Jesus carried the cross for His. God provided a substitute of a ram for the sacrifice of Isaac. God provides a substitute for our punishment of death for our sins in Jesus. We may not always understand God s plan, but we are to trust it and be obedient to it. Items Needed: TE 2-1e TE 2-20 TE 2-25 Field Notes OT-5 Pencils Paper bag Treats (one treat/student) TE 2-1e Application Verse Poster TE 2-25 Display TE 2-1e. This week we learned God provides. Just as the ram took Isaac s place on the altar, Jesus took our place on the cross. Our sin separates us from God, but God provided His Son as a sacrifice. Display TE 2-25 and review the verse with the students by having them read it with you. Last week, we began learning this verse. It tells us that before the world began, God promised that we would have eternal life. We can have eternal life in Heaven because of Jesus. Have students sit in a circle. Give the bag to one student and have him or her say the first word of the verse. Then have the student pass the bag to whoever is on his or her right. That person will say the second word of the verse. Continue passing the bag around until the last student says the Bible reference. That person will choose a treat from the bag, and step out of the circle. He or she will stand outside of the circle. Repeat the activity saying the verse a little faster. Continue the activity until every student has received a treat. Be sure even the students standing outside of the circle continue to say the verse. Distribute Field Notes OT-5 to students along with pencils. Allow them to use the word bank to fill in the blanks as you iscuss how God makes us holy. When we follow Jesus, God makes us holy. He 55

36 makes us more like Him. When He looks at us, He sees Jesus holiness. Even if we try really hard, we can never be holy without Jesus. We are also adopted into God s family. He loves us and wants us to live with Him forever. He is a loving Father who provides what we need. God gives us grace. Display TE One way to explain is by using the acrostic, God s Riches At Christ s Expense. Jesus provides forgiveness for us. He was the only perfect sacrifice God required so every person could have his or her debt of sin forgiven. God provides wisdom through His Word so we will know the right way to live. We have an inheritance in Heaven because of Jesus. An inheritance is like a special and important gift. Just as the children inherit what belonged to their parents, we will inherit all that belongs to our Father. We have the Holy Spirit. This is one of the best things God has given us. When we receive Jesus, His Holy Spirit comes to live inside to help us. He guides, comforts, instructs, and changes us to be like Him. TE 2-20 We have all these wonderful things because God provided Jesus, the perfect sacrifice. Field Notes OT-5 Items Needed: Field Notes OT-5 We know from Abraham s story that God wanted to see if Abraham would obey Him, even though it was hard. We can learn from his example what true obedience to God is. What if Abraham had told God he would obey Him in every other area of his life, except this one? God wants us to fully obey Him and do it with the right attitude. We can t pick and choose which areas and commands we want to obey. We can t just choose the easy ones and not include the hard ones. We can learn from Abraham to trust and obey God even when it s extremely difficult and we don t understand. It is not always easy to obey, but it pleases God when we choose to obey Him and choose to do it with a good attitude. Have students refer to the Next Step section on their Field Notes. Your Next Step is to show your love to God through obedience to His Word. Ask God to help you demonstrate obedience like Abraham s so you can live a life that is pleasing to God. End class with prayer for your students that they will remember the story of Abraham and the difficult sacrifice he was willing to make. Encourage them to focus on Jesus and the sacrifice He made so that they could have eternal life in Heaven. Encourage students to do the Explore Together activity with their families this week. Field Notes OT-5 56