Timothy Club (P1-3) Year 3

Transcription

1 Small Group Leader s Guide Theme: Gratefulness Date: 23 & 24 July 2016 Character Focus: Gratefulness Lesson 4 of 4 I will count my blessings rather than my burdens. Series Overview We are starting on our new series on the character value of Gratefulness. Gratefulness is letting others know by my words and actions how they have benefitted my life. Gratefulness is not dependent on one s circumstances; rather it is a matter of choice. Part of gratefulness is realizing that everything a person has can be attributed to another s investment in his or her life. Furthermore, gratefulness seeks ways to honour those who are responsible for one s success. Gratefulness is not an attempt to repay others for what they have done, but to demonstrate how much their investment is appreciated. Many people feel thankful for the benefits they receive but never express their appreciation. A truly grateful person recognizes the investment of others and makes a deliberate effort to show his or her appreciation. Being grateful is not a passive state of thinking, but an active role of expression. The children will learn to demonstrate self-control through the 5 I will s namely:- 1. I will show my parents and teachers that I appreciate them 2. I will take care of my things (note: #1 and #2 will be combined into one week s lesson) 3. I will write Thank You notes 4. I will be contented with what I have 5. I will count my blessings rather than my burdens Memory Verse: Lord, I will give thanks to you with all my heart. I will tell about all the wonderful things you have done. Psalm 9:1 (NIRV) Bible Passage: Psalm 100:1-5 Introduction We are going to teach the children on the performance values on the character Gratefulness. There will be 4 lessons on Gratefulness. Copyright 2016 by GKidz, FCBC Page 1

2 Date Lesson Character Action Point/ Bible Passage 2/3 July Lesson 1 I will show my parents and teachers that I appreciate them. I will take care of my things. Exodus 17:1-7: Whining about water again. Numbers 11: God fed Israelites with manna and quail. 9/10 July Lesson 2 I will write Thank You notes Luke 17:11-19: The ten Lepers 16/17 July Lesson 3 I will be contented with what I have. Philippians 4:11-13; Acts Paul s demonstrated contentment even though he went through difficult time in his life. 23/24 July Lesson 4 I will count my blessings rather than my burdens. Psalm 100:1-5 Psalm of thanksgivings Family Devotion Parents help your child to make Round of Applause craft by writing down on the hands cut out from construction papers a note of gratefulness and staple the thumb of one hand to the little finger together to form a circle. Remind and teach your child how to take care of their personal things as one way to appreciate you. Parents to read the story of the ten lepers again and discuss with your child the importance of expressing our gratefulness to people who have done good to us. Unless you or your child has dietary restrictions, experience a short fast. Agree to skip one meal this week along with your child. Also encourage your child to fast from their favourite things/tv movies/videos/games for a week or more. So that they will appreciate and be contented with what they have. Parents help your child to complete the Gratitude Journal given in GKidz for the week. CONNECT (15 mins) We Have Been Given Many Blessings activity Logistics: 1 tree with bare branches (1 per group) and pre-cut out leaves (5 per child) Copyright 2016 by GKidz, FCBC Page 2

3 1. Display the bare tree in the middle of the group. 2. Ask the children to think of the many blessings God has given to them, and write the blessings on the leaves. 3. When they are done they will take turns to hang the blessing leaves on the tree. Before that they explain the blessings. 4. Make sure every child has at least 3 chances to hang their blessing leaves. If you have time let the children do more. 5. You may want to use the following questions to help the children think of what to write as the blessings God has given to them: What are some of the beautiful creations our Heavenly Father has given us? Who are some special people He has blessed us with? What things can our wonderful bodies do? 6. Leader explains that our Heavenly Father loves us and has given us many blessings. When we think of these blessings, we are thankful and filled with love for our Heavenly Father. There are so many blessings that or lives can be overflowed with abundance of love, just like the tree is overflowed with abundance of leaves. 7. Take a photo after you are done to show the abundance of blessing leaves on the tree. Copyright 2016 by GKidz, FCBC Page 3

4 Conclusion: Leader: God our Heavenly Father loves us and has given us many blessings. When we think of these blessings, we are thankful and filled with love to our God. God our heavenly father has given us so many blessings that we can be filled with abundance of love, just like the tree is overflowed with abundance of leaves representing only some of the blessings. I am sure if we have time we would have filled up more blessings leaves on the tree. Thus we must learn to count our blessings daily so that our lives can be filled with abundance of joy and love. CHARACTER REVIEW (10 mins) Logistics: 5 I will s poster (1 per group) Leader: For these 4 weeks, we will be learning the what, why and how to be Grateful. What is Gratefulness? Can you remember the meaning of gratefulness? (Ans: Gratefulness is Letting others know by my words and actions how they have benefitted my life ) Leader: There are 5 ways to practice Gratefulness, children can you tell me what are the 5 I will s? 1. I will show my parents and teachers that I appreciate them 2. I will take care of my things (note: #1 and #2 will be combined into one week s lesson) 3. I will write Thank You notes 4. I will be contented with what I have 5. I will count my blessings and not burdens Leader: Today we will learn and apply the fifth I will that is, I will count my blessings and not burdens. Let us learn from King David who is always thankful to God no matter what situation he was in. Even at the time where Saul tried to kill him. David knew and was contented with what he had from God. Let us read one of the Psalm that King David wrote. BIBLE STORY (20 mins) Logistics: 3 Posters of the Psalms of David: Psalm 100:1-5 per group (in 3 different versions). Copyright 2016 by GKidz, FCBC Page 4

5 1. ESV Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 2. NIRV Shout for joy to the Lord, everyone on earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come to him with songs of joy. Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him. We are his people. We are the sheep belonging to his flock. Give thanks as you enter the gates of his temple. Give praise as you enter its courtyards. Give thanks to him and praise his name. The Lord is good. His faithful love continues forever. It will last for all time to come. 3. NLT Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. a) Leader to read the 3 versions to your group. b) Then give them 2 minutes to list down all the adjectives and verbs that they can find in all 3 versions. (Ans: joy/joyful, gladness, come, thanks/thanksgiving, good, praise, love) c) Leaders do reward the child that can find all repeated words in the shortest time. Conclusion: Leader: Gratitude is an attitude that comes out of the habit of giving thanks. All through the Psalms, no matter what David was facing, we read his outpouring of gratitude to God. As he encountered good times and bad times, David always turned back to the truth of God s goodness. This attitude often carried him through the hardest of situations. (Use this example to teach the children that gratitude is a habit that is Copyright 2016 by GKidz, FCBC Page 5

6 learned through practice. Just as we teach little ones to say please and thank you through repetition and relentless reminders, we learn to express our thanks to the Father through consistency.) Yet, while gratitude is a habitual attitude, we want our thanksgiving to come out of a genuine heart. The more we meditate on God s goodness and practice our thanks no matter what our circumstance, the more it will naturally flow out of a heart that loves him. Leaders read this verse together with the children: Lord, I will give thanks to you with all my heart. I will tell about all the wonderful things you have done. Psalm 9:1 APPLICATION (5 mins) Material: video on The Gratitude Experiment, Gratitude Journal (provided by GKidz) Show the video below: 1. Leader to give the children their Gratitude journal. 2. Ask the children to write down things that they are grateful for under the three categories of people, places and things. 3. As a homework ask the children to bring this home to fill up for one week and bring the Gratitude Journal back the following week. Closing Prayer Father, I thank you for giving me (let children fill up the blank). In Jesus name I pray, Amen! REVIEW MEMORY VERSE (10 mins) Memory Verse: Lord, I will give thanks to you with all my heart. I will tell about all the wonderful things you have done. Psalm 9:1 (NIRV) Copyright 2016 by GKidz, FCBC Page 6

7 Logistics: Bean Bags (2 per group) 1. Divide the children into 2 rows facing each other. 2. Tell the children that they are to recite one word from today s Bible verse as they throw the bean bag to their friends until the whole verse is completed. 3. After that dive them into 2 teams to compete against each other to see which team is able to complete the fastest is the winner. References 1. Character First Education, Family Connection 2. Kidshealth 3. Smart Parenting Copyright 2016 by GKidz, FCBC Page 7