9/16/18 TruWonder Lesson 3 - Bible Passage: Genesis 17:15 22; 21:1 7 (Isaac s Birth)

Transcription

1 9/16/18 TruWonder Lesson 3 - Bible Passage: Genesis 17:15 22; 21:1 7 (Isaac s Birth) God Is Powerful Remember Verse The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. Psalm 145:13b Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives It s human nature to try to work by our own strength. This mindset can become dangerous, especially when we re in positions of responsibility shepherding God s people. Human beings were intentionally designed to live in community with God and others. It s in the times when I forget to rely on God s power that everything seems to fall apart and I waver on the edge of physical and emotional burnout. I feel tremendous guilt and wonder why I can t just be better. In these moments I need to be reminded that this is not my burden, but the Lord s. It s His ministry and I m His servant. He has given me gifts and talents to use for the building up of the faith community, to function in unity with the gifts and talents of my brothers and sisters. Therefore, since through God s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart (2 Corinthians 4:1). It s a humbling reminder that the church isn t about our work, what we can do, or us. It s about His work and ministry. It s about His people experiencing His transformation in a way that they wouldn t be able to experience alone. Because of His mercy we re blessed to participate in His ministry together. To me, that s truly evidence of God s power. Erika Abdelatif ROCKHARBOR Church Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson s Bible passage Genesis, the book of generations, documents not only the start of human history, but also the plan for the redemption of all mankind. Throughout the Bible, God refers to Himself in a number of ways. For instance: God Eternal, I AM, and Yahweh. Each time, He reveals a significant attribute about His character. In the first verse of Genesis 17, just before He reaffirms His covenant with Abraham, God reveals Himself as El Shaddai. In English, this translates to God Almighty. Surely, Abraham was shocked that God would promise him a child at the age of 100. Using this name, God was informing Abraham of His ultimate power; He alone is God. He alone is able to accomplish everything He has planned. This moment holds great significance in our lives. God made an amazing promise to Abraham. His covenant with Abraham led to one of the most important moments in history: The starting point for the family line of Jesus is His unconditional promise to bless and is the anchor of our salvation. It is because of this family line that we can have a restored relationship with God the Father. We are ushered into God s family, grafting us into a faith community that stretches through time and around the globe. We have brothers and sisters from every tribe and nation. This family, our family, has the unique opportunity to walk alongside one another in true worship of God Almighty. We can live in such a way that the world will desire to be in relationship with our God El Shaddai.

2 Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God s Word In Genesis chapter 17, God meets with Abraham to remind him of various aspects of their covenant. Upon hearing this, Abraham is so moved that he falls facedown in awe. This reaction is elicited in other places in Scripture when God reveals His power and glory to His people. Abraham s posture of worship demonstrates reverence and submission before a holy God. This week, before you participate in your weekend worship service, ask God to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to free you from distraction so you may hear His voice. As you join with your faith community in a time of corporate worship, be aware of how God is directing you to respond to Him. What is the posture of your heart? What is your physical posture before Him? How does worshipping together with fellow believers impact your time of worship and experience with the Lord? Children engage in fun, creative activities designed to pique their curiosity about the day s portion of The Big God Story. I Can Wait Abraham and Sarah waited and waited for the covenant God made with Abraham to come true. To begin today, children will manipulate a variety of timers to more clearly understand the concept of waiting. Timers (1 per child; examples: hourglass, digital, kitchen egg timer, etc.) SET UP Place a variety of timers on the table. Welcome children to the room and invite them to the table. Friends, waiting can be a very hard thing to do. Timers can help us when we re waiting for something by signaling the waiting is over. Explain how the different timers work. Encourage children to play with the variety of timers offered. Sometimes we have to wait for something to come out of the oven or for something special to start. Can you tell me some things you might need to wait for? Interact with responses. I wonder what waiting has to do with the part of The Big God Story we re going to discover today. Children participate in discovering God s Word through Bible verse memorization, interactive storytelling techniques, and worship as response. Ponder Point: God Is Powerful Chloe s Rules Host/Worship Leader Chloe s Rules videos

3 Welcome children as they re entering the large group meeting area. Tech: Cue Chloe s Rules video. The theme song will play as the Worship Leader/Host enters and makes his way up front, welcoming and greeting children along the way. This should be a high-energy entrance. Tech: Cue preschool program theme song. Choose and play two upbeat worship songs of your choice from a worship album that complements the theme and focus of the lesson. Mail Time Host/Worship Leader Mail Time intro image (see Resources) Remember Verse image (see Resources) Bibles (your personal and large children s) Mailbox Tech: Cue the Mail Time intro clip and image. Choose one volunteer to hide the mail and another to find the mail. Have the Seeker close her eyes while the Hider finds a good place to hide the Remember Verse. Once the mail has been hidden, the Seeker will begin to look for the mail while children give clues to its whereabouts by calling out hot and cold. Once the Seeker finds the mail, the Host invites her to pull out the enclosed Remember Verse. Next, the Host should find the Remember Verse in his Bible and read the words aloud. Talk about the meaning of the verse while interacting with children. Lead children in reciting the Remember Verse several times together using a variety of engaging methods. Hand motions, different voices, various speeds, and character integration are all great ways to help commit the Scripture to memory. For longer verses, approach the verse one section at a time, increasing what the children repeat back each week. Remember Verse The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. Psalm 145:13b Remember Verse Definitions Trustworthy: able to be relied on and trusted; God is always good, and we can trust Him Faithful: God always does what He says He will do. Remember Verse Motions The LORD is: Make L with right hand. Cross right hand over front of body from left shoulder to right hip. trustworthy: Make fists and stretch arms out in front of body at shoulder height. Move parallel fists down to waist height. in all: Spread out fingers on right hand. Place hand at left side of waist and bring palm across waist to right side. he promises: Link both index fingers. and faithful in: Place right index finger at forehead and bring down to a fist on top of left fist. all he does: Spread out fingers on right hand. Place hand at left side of waist and bring palm across waist to right side. Wardrobe of Wonder Wardrobe of Wonder intro clip and image (see Resources) Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect (see Resources) What sit: Baby Doll (see optional image in Resources) Wardrobe of Wonder Small stools or chairs (2) What sit: Baby Doll Abraham and Sarah were shocked to learn God was going to give them a child, as they had both passed their

4 childbearing years. However, God made a promise not only to Abraham and his wife, but also to all of humanity. He promised that a Savior would come and redeem. God s ability to perform this miracle was evidence of His power and a sign of His commitment to keep His promises. Tech: Cue the Wardrobe of Wonder intro clip and image. Invite a child volunteer to spy on the What sit by peeking into the wardrobe. Each time the wardrobe door opens, cue the Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect. Have him whisper the identity of the What sit in your ear to ensure he knows what it is. Invite your assistant to sit on the stools with you. Then lead the group in asking the assistant yes-or-no questions about the What sit. Once the children have guessed correctly, ask your assistant to retrieve the What sit from the wardrobe and bring it to you. Thank your volunteer and encourage him to sit with his small group. ASK What s inside the Wardrobe of Wonder this week? That s right, a baby doll. Babies need lots of special care. Who takes care of babies? Do mommies care for babies? Yes, that s right! Do daddies care for babies? They sure do! Who else cares for babies? Pause for responses. Those are all great answers! Why do you think there s a baby doll in the wardrobe today? Children answer. Hmm I wonder what today s part of The Big God Story has to do with a baby. Friends, what do you think? Let s find out! The Big God Story Genesis 17:15 22; 21:1 7 God Is Powerful Storytelling Technique: Story Boxes Happy and Confused Faces template (see Resources) What sit: Baby Doll (see Resources) Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect (see Resources) Boxes with lids (3; 2 small, 1 medium) Craft stick (jumbo) Glue Timer Additional baby doll Permanent marker PREPARE AHEAD Make a copy of Happy and Confused Faces template. Fold in half on the dotted line and glue the craft stick in the middle. Option: You may choose to make one for each child to hold up, instead of following prompts. Create three story boxes by writing numbers 1 through 3 on each lid. The first will hold the face template on the stick. The second box will hold the timer. The final box will hold the What s It Baby Doll and an additional baby doll. SET UP Set up story boxes on stage or in front of teaching area. Children should be able to easily see all three boxes. Hi, friends! How are you doing today? Wait for responses. That s so good to hear! Before we go any further, let s pray and ask God to teach us today. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Friends, what are some things that we know are true about God? Interact with responses. Good thinking. God is loving, kind, our Savior, and so much more. Today we re going to talk about how God is powerful. Say that with me. Repeat phrase with kids and show hand motions for Ponder Point. God: Point index fingers in the air. Is powerful: Strong arms. Every time you hear me say that phrase, we ll all jump up and do the motions together. Are you ready? Let s practice. God is powerful. Encourage kids to do hand motions with you, then be seated. In the very first book of the Bible, God made a promise to a man named Abraham. God promised He would give Abraham such a big family that if he tried to count all the people in his family, it would be like trying to count the stars in the sky. Friends, could God do this? Kids answer. Absolutely! Because we know that God is powerful. Encourage kids to stand and do the motions with you, and then sit down.

5 Invite a child to come up and open box #1. Allow her to take out stick face and hold it up to happy side. Friends, is this a sad face, happy face, or angry face? Kids answer. Each time I hold up this happy face, I want you to show me your happiest face. Let s practice. Lead kids in making happy faces. When I hold up the other side, it shows a confused face. Can you all show me your confused faces? Allow time for confused faces to be shown. Great job everyone! When I hold up each picture, you can show me your face that matches. Let s continue with what we were hearing about in The Big God Story. God made a covenant with Abraham. A covenant is a very special promise. When God makes a promise, He keeps it no matter what! Show happy face and allow responses. God s special promise was about Abraham s family. Show happy face. God told Abraham that his wife, Sarah, was going to have a baby. Show happy face. When God made this promise to Abraham, Abraham and Sarah were old. They were way too old to have a baby! Show confused face and allow responses. God was going to do a miracle and give Abraham and Sarah a child and we know that God is powerful! Encourage kids to do motions. Show happy face. Invite a child to open box #2. Show everyone the timer and explain how it works. After God made the promise to Abraham and Sarah, they had to wait a long, long time before they had their son. Have you ever had to wait a long time? Waiting can be very hard! Let s do a little experiment right now and practice waiting. I m going to set this timer for 20 seconds. For these 20 seconds, we ll all need to sit very still and not make any noise. Set the timer and wait quietly for 20 seconds with the children. Exaggerate how difficult it is to be still and quiet while waiting. Wow! That felt like a really long time. But Abraham and Sarah had to wait much longer than that! It must ve been really hard for them to wait. Even though Abraham and Sarah were old, and had to wait a really long time, God s promise still came true. Our God is so big and mighty, and He has the power to do all He promises. Ask a child volunteer to open third box. Ask two volunteers to come forward and pretend to be Abraham and Sarah. When it was time, Abraham and Sarah had the baby God promised. Tech: Cue Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect. Friends, do you know what that sound means? It means we ve found the What sit in The Big God Story! What did you find in the wardrobe today? Children answer. A baby doll, that s right. Hand doll to volunteers. After the baby was born, they named their son Isaac. Did God keep His promise? Children answer. Yes, He did! But God s promise didn t stop. It kept going. Remember God said He was going to bless all the families of the world though Abraham s family. When Isaac grew up, he had kids. Invite several more children up and have them hold hands. When his kids grew up, they had lots of kids. Abraham s family kept growing and growing and growing. All children come up and hold hands. Then one day, a baby was born and placed in a manger. Hand a child other baby doll. This baby wasn t like any baby who d ever been born. Who was that baby? Encourage responses. Jesus! That s right! Jesus was part of Abraham s family! And God used Jesus to bless the whole entire world. Because of Jesus, we get to know God and be part of God s family forever and ever! Our God is big and so strong. Kids do motions and repeat: God is powerful!

6 Wonder Questions Small Group Enhancements, coloring pages, and discussion questions help your group go deeper into today s portion of The Big God Story. Wonder Questions coloring pages (see Resources) In today s part of The Big God Story, God promised Abraham and Sarah a child even though they were very old. Nothing is too difficult for God, because He is powerful! Abraham s family kept growing and growing. Eventually, Jesus was part of Abraham s family! God used Jesus to bless the whole entire world. I wonder Why do people make promises? I wonder What are some promises God has made to me? I wonder How do I know God is powerful? Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing may be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Remember Verse cards (see Resources) When God spoke to Abraham, Abraham fell facedown in worship. There are many ways to receive blessings and to hear God s Word. End your time with your small group today by inviting them to kneel and bow their heads for a blessing. Go to each child, place your hands on her shoulder, and say: May God s amazing love fill your heart and bless you and your family. Consider inviting family members in at this time before giving a final blessing. Join hands, then say: May you go forward this week being thankful that God has the power to make us all a part of His great big family.