Respond:: 5 minutes. Connect:: minutes

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1 date: LESSON OVERVIEW Josiah Receives God s Word 2 Kings 22 23:23 Explore:: min. Discover:: min. Respond:: 5 minutes Bless:: 5 minutes Connect:: minutes Ponder Point: God s Word Has Power Josiah became king at the young age of eight. He was a good king and did what was right. The Word of God had been neglected for so many years that it was missing from the temple. When King Josiah found it he made sure the people were taught the ways of the Lord. The people of the kingdom made a promise to follow God s Word. They destroyed their idols and fixed up the temple where they would worship the one true God. God s Word is full of powerful things.. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children s ministry leaders.

2 Inspire The summer sun was making it particularly hot that day. Mom and Dad were away on vacation, and I had two glorious weeks to spend with my grandparents. Why don t you put on your suit and go over to the Martellos? I flew out of my chair and changed as quickly as I could. The Martellos had been best friends with my grandparents for years. When I reached her house, Mrs. Martello opened the door before I could ring the bell. She greeted me warmly and invited me inside. As I entered, I noticed some things were different since my last visit. There was a wooden fish with some weird-looking letters on the inside hanging on the wall. On the kitchen counter sat a ceramic loaf of bread with the words daily bread. Francis? Why do you have a fish on your wall, and what do the letters inside mean? I asked. She smiled, and for the next couple of hours we sat and talked about Jesus. You see, I grew up in a Catholic family and had heard about Jesus. I went to Mass with my grandparents from a very young age and marveled at the beauty that surrounded me. My soul understood there was something sacred about the candles, music, prayers, incense, holy water, crucifix, and stained-glass windows, but my heart didn t connect with why. I would ask my Grams endless questions throughout the service, and she patiently answered while trying to participate. But on this summer day, I heard from God s Word that He created me to be in a relationship with Him! A verse from the book of Matthew spoke of God knowing every hair on my head. This God knew everything about me everything and loved me with a fierce and eternal love. This same God wanted me to know Him! That afternoon in Mrs. Francis Martello s living room, I prayed and told Jesus that I wanted to know Him. I asked Him to be my God and my Savior. I was eight years old that summer, and I knew even then that everything had changed, forever! As I look back to that afternoon, I see how people who knew God were instrumental in my life, and how they helped me to know Him. They shepherded my heart to connect in relationship with God through the power of His Word. To all these faithful followers, I am grateful. They knew the power of God s Word Cristi Thomas TruBlessings Team 2

3 Equip King Josiah understood the power of God s Word. Becoming king at the age of eight years old, Josiah chose to abandon the idolatry of his father and grandfather who preceded him. Instead, he looked to the example of the great kings of the past. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left (2 Kings 22:2). Josiah had a heart like David and a rule like his great-grandfather, King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18 20:11). At the age of 26, this young king put a team of people together to clean out and restore the temple so it would once again be dedicated to the worship and service of the one true God. During this reconstruction, the high priest found the Book of the Law and had it sent to King Josiah. When he heard the words written in the book, Josiah tore his robes and began to grieve for himself and the people. He saw how the actions of their fathers had grieved and angered the Lord. With this newfound knowledge, King Josiah called together the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets. All the people from the least to the greatest were gathered together at the temple of the Lord. In the presence of this assembly, Josiah read all the words in the Book of the Covenant. He then renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord vowing to follow the Lord and keep His commands, regulations, and decrees with all of his heart and soul. Following the lead of King Josiah, the people then did the same. The celebration of Passover was once again reinstated. King Josiah ordered that idols and anything associated with the worship of the pagan gods be destroyed. Under the rule of King Josiah, Israel would follow the law of the Lord. Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses (2 Kings 23:25). 3

4 Support Throughout Scripture, we clearly see how faithfulness to God s Word is a blessing to the generations that follow. Think about those who came before you. How did these individuals, or their experiences, shape how you know God? What have you come to know about God s Word, or known about Him in greater ways, through His Word? Spend time reflecting on what you know to be true of God and offering thanksgiving to God for the ways He has revealed Himself to you through His Word and through others. Take a journey through your family tree. Whether it s a short or a long journey, look at the people who came before you. Do you know their stories? How did they know God in their lives? How did their relationship with God mold who they were and who their children became? Then take a look ahead to the empty spaces on your family tree. Whether you re from a long line of faith or you re the spiritual pioneer, how do you want your faith to impact future generations? This week, take a few moments and pray for a strong and relentless faith for those who will come after you. May they know, love, and follow the one true God with all of their heart, with all of their soul, and with all of their strength. And may God use the faithfulness of your life as a blessing to the generations that follow. 4

5 Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare Explore:: Small Group min. Exploration stations create space for children to engage in hands-on activities as they begin their time of worship. Option 1: Knock Them Down plastic tray blocks Option 2: Building Tools plastic tray several pieces of Styrofoam, small enough to fit on the plastic tray yellow golf tees toy hammer Transition Song: The Cleanup Song from TruBlessings Worship Discover:: Large Group Respond:: Large Group min. Facilitate interactive games, songs, and storytelling, allowing children to participate in discovering God s Word. 5 min. Create space for children to celebrate God together in worship through music. Welcome Bible TruBlessings Theme Song from TruBlessing Worship Hamilton puppet Hamilton s house crown (available at or a local party store) The Big God Story crown Bible blocks toy hammer, from Explore Option 2 Song of Celebration Suggestion: B-I-B-L-E from Favorite Bible Songs: Sunday School Songs, Songs of the Bible & Hymns of Praise from Wee Worship Bless:: Small Group 5 min. Bless the children that they may experience God fully. Bible (for the blessing) snack 5

6 Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare Connect:: Small Group min. Games, songs, manipulatives, sensory and art activities are used to help children reinforce what they experienced in large group. Option 1: What Do You See? 2 sheets of card stock scissors white liquid glue paper inkpad Option 2: Musical Crown music MP3 or CD player chairs, 1 per child crown (available at or a local party store) Option 3: God Made Me, Loves Me, and Is with Me! none Hamilton s Box of Fun God s Word Has Power coloring page (see Resource Folder) box or basket to hold objects large floor puzzle 5 to 6 piece puzzles play dough large wooden lacing beads small parachute and foam balls The Cleanup Song from TruBlessings Worship 6

7 EXPLORE DISCOVER RESPOND BLESS CONNECT Explore:: Small Group SECTION min. Host and Small Group Leaders Exploration stations create space for children to engage in hands-on activities as they begin their time of worship. Option 1: Knock Them Down 2 s Supplies plastic tray blocks Set up Place the blocks on the tray. Engage Invite one child at a time to join you at the table. Today in The Big God Story we are going to hear about a king named Josiah. He did what was right. Some people built things that made God sad. King Josiah said, Knock them down! We are going to build some tall towers and then knock them down. Let s see how tall we can make the towers! Option 2: Building Tools 3 s Supplies plastic tray several pieces of Styrofoam, small enough to fit on the plastic tray yellow golf tees toy hammer Set up Place the Styrofoam, golf tees, and the toy hammer on the plastic tray. Story Spots Story Spot refers to an item used to mark the place where each child sits. Consider using carpet squares, small circle-shaped rugs, or large sturdy place mats. When children hear the transition song, cue them to choose a Story Spot, place it in the large group gathering space, and sit down. At the close of your time together in The Big God Story, encourage children to return their Story Spots to their original location. Engage Invite one child at a time to join you at the table. Today in The Big God Story we are going to learn about a king named Josiah who told workers to fix the temple. What are some tools that people use to fix things? Allow children to answer. We have a hammer and some nails. Let s hammer the nails into the Styrofoam together. Allow each child to hammer a couple of golf tees into the Styrofoam before inviting another child to join you. Children move into a large group setting and participate in discovering God s Word through storytelling, worship, and interactive experiences. Transition Song: Choose a fun song to cue children to find their Story Spots. 7

8 EXPLORE DISCOVER RESPOND BLESS CONNECT Discover:: min. Host, Worship Leader, & Storyteller Children move into a large group setting and participate in discovering God s Word through storytelling, worship, and interactive experiences. Welcome Large Group SECTION Supplies Bible TruBlessings Theme Song from TruBlessings Worship Hamilton puppet Hamilton s house crown (available at or a local party store) Hi, kids! Welcome! I am so excited to be here with you today. Let s all celebrate God by singing and dancing together! (Play the Opening Theme Song from TruBlessings worship and lead kids in dance and celebration.) AS YOU BEGIN STORYTELLING As you begin the storytelling section of Discover, have a volunteer available to be Hamilton the Hedgehog using the puppet you provide. Or you may choose to act as the storyteller and the puppeteer. Encourage Hamilton to come out of his house. Consider having a facade that is part of your stage/teaching area. This facade can act as a puppet stage to conceal puppeteers. However, if this is not an option, if children see the volunteer with the puppet on his/her hand, encourage the volunteer to interact with Hamilton and the children. Their participation will help kids to see the puppeteer and puppet as separate characters. Ponder Point: God s Word Has Power Wow! That was great! Now, everyone, take a seat it s time to hear part of The Big God Story! Boys and girls, do you know who loves The Big God Story? That s right! Hamilton the Hedgehog! Shall we call him and ask him to join us? (Children will answer.) On the count of three, let s call him together. Are you ready? One, two, three. Hamilton, where are you? (Encourage the kids to call for Hamilton.) Hmmm I wonder what he s doing. Let s call him again. Hamilton, are you home? (Have a volunteer available to be Hamilton the Hedgehog and walk the puppet out of his house holding the crown. It s okay if the children see the volunteer with the puppet on her hand.) Hi, Hamilton! I m so glad you are here with us today. Look boys and girls, Hamilton has a crown. (Hamilton nods up and down.) I wonder if someone in The Big God Story wears a crown? Are you ready to hear this part of The Big God Story? (Hamilton nods excitedly.) Me too! But before we get started, do you know where we can find The Big God Story? (Have Hamilton nod his head and gesture to the Bible.) That s right the Bible. God gave us the Bible so we can learn about Him. It s full of things that help us get to know God. We read the Bible to learn about God and about His Son, Jesus! And I know that you love to dig, dig, dig right into God s Word to find out what He has to say to us. Isn t that right Hamilton? (Have Hamilton nod his head.) Let s all stand up and sing our Bible Song together. 8

9 EXPLORE DISCOVER RESPOND BLESS CONNECT The Big God Story is written for a two- to threeyear-old audience and can be told in its entirety for an older audience, but may need to be shortened if the class is on the younger side. Prayer of Release A Prayer of Release is a prayer asking God to remove any distractions that would get in the way of hearing from and responding to Him. As we pray, we dedicate this time to the Lord and ask to be filled with knowledge and understanding from Him, giving God His rightful role as teacher. We can begin to model this posture of prayer with the children in our care. To lead two- to three-yearold children, pray a simple prayer thanking God for His presence and asking Him to teach you as you gather together. For example: Thank You, God, for being with us. We ask that You would teach us today. Bible Song (sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb ) Now it s time to hear God s Word Hear God s Word Hear God s Word Now it s time to hear God s Word So let s look in the Bible As the song ends, have children return to their Story Spots. Hamilton can model this for children by sitting quietly as he listens to The Big God Story. The volunteer can return him to his house with his little face peeking out, or she may choose to sit quietly with him throughout the storytelling section. The Big God Story Josiah Receives God s Word 2 Kings 22 23:23 SUPPLIES crown Bible blocks toy hammer, from Explore Option 2 SET UP Build some towers with the blocks before the story. Have the other supplies next to the story area. ENGAGE Before we get started, let s pray and ask God to teach us today. (Lead the kids in a Prayer of Release as you prepare to hear God s Word.) There once was a king named Josiah. He was only eight years old when he became king. (Hold up Hamilton s crown.) Can you help me count to eight? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Good job! Josiah was a very good king. He loved God and obeyed God s words. One day, one of King Josiah s special helpers came to him with something very important. It was a book a very special book. This book was God s Word. Children, what do we call the book that is God s Word? You re right, it s called the Bible. (Hold up Bible and show the kids.) God s people had forgotten about God s Word for a very long time. It had been so long since they had read from the Bible that they didn t even know where it was! When the king s helper found it, he went straight to King Josiah and read him God s Word. God s Word was filled with God s promises to His 9

10 EXPLORE DISCOVER RESPOND BLESS CONNECT people. It told the people how to live and how to take care of each other. It also told them how to love God and how to worship Him. It is a very important book. King Josiah looked around the kingdom and saw that the people were not obeying God. This made him very sad. So he told his special helper to read to the people from God s Word. He wanted them to know all about God. When the man was done reading, the king promised God that he would follow Him with all of his heart. He was going to help the people obey God s words. The people promised to obey God too. Then it was time to get to work. The people began to build a new place to worship God. I have some blocks. Can I get some helpers to come up and help me build a new building? (Choose a couple of children to come up and build.) I need all of my friends to stand up and pretend to hammer and build. (Walk around for a moment with the kids pretending to hammer.) Everything looks great. Let s all sit back down. King Josiah wanted to live his life by obeying God s Word and loving God. He knew God s Word is powerful. God gave us this special book too. (Hold up the Bible.) We can read it to learn about God and how to love and obey Him. Have the children say good-bye to Hamilton as he goes back into his house. Thank him for coming and being a part of The Big God Story. 10

11 EXPLORE DISCOVER RESPOND BLESS CONNECT Respond:: 5 min. Worship Leader Children have the opportunity to respond to God as they celebrate Him within the faith community. Large Group SECTION Song of Celebration Friends, we just learned that God s Word has power. God gave us a very special book called the Bible. We are going to learn a song all about the B-I-B-L-E. Let s stand up and sing our praises to God. Lead kids in a celebratory worship song. Suggested song: B-I-B-L-E from Favorite Bible Songs: Sunday School Songs, Songs of the Bible & Hymns of Praise by Wee Worship. Bless:: 5 min. Small Group Leaders This time is set aside for leaders to spend a few moments blessing the children in their small groups. Small Group SECTION A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement and guidance. A blessing can be offered in order to ask God s Spirit to overflow from the child s life in such a way that blesses others, while it can also be prayed over a child for the purpose of declaring God s protection, joy, or wisdom. Children, God has given us a special book called the Bible. May God s Word help you know God and follow Him. Open a Bible and read Psalm 119:105a: Your word is a lamp to my feet. Snack: If you would like to tie in the snack with the lesson, you can give the kids graham crackers and write BIBLE on them with frosting. As the kids eat, sit down with them and engage them in conversation. Make sure to consider any food allergies or check with parents ahead of time. 11

12 EXPLORE DISCOVER RESPOND BLESS CONNECT Connect:: min. Small Group Leaders Games, songs, manipulatives, sensory and art activities are used to help children reinforce what they experience in large group. Option 1: What Do You See? SUPPLIES 2 sheets of card stock scissors white liquid glue paper inkpad Small Group SECTION PREPARE Cut the card stock in half. Use the school glue to draw a picture on each card. Card #1: A heart; Card #2: The words Bible, Love, and God ; Card #3: A happy face. When the glue dries, a hard design raised above the flat surface of the paper will form, creating a print block. These will be the patterns the children will use for printmaking. SET UP Place the print blocks, paper, and inkpad on the table. ENGAGE Invite one or two children to the table at a time. Cover the designs on the print blocks with ink from the inkpad. Help the kids cover the print block with their blank paper. Then encourage them to use their hands to rub their paper and then lift it up to see the picture that appears on their paper. Help the children to make prints of each of the pictures. What do you see on your paper? Interact with their responses. There are pictures on your paper. In The Big God Story today, King Josiah found God s Word. Point to the Bible, Love, and God print. Did this make him happy or sad? Children will answer. Point to the happy face. Yes. When he found God s Word, he was happy to learn more about God s love for His people. Point to the heart print. Option 2: Musical Crown SUPPLIES music (Suggestion: The Big God Story from Songs From the Playhouse Tru Wonder worship. MP3 or CD player chairs, 1 per child crown (available at or a local party store) SET UP Arrange the chairs in a circle, facing outward. Place the crown under one of the chairs. 3 s 2 s 12

13 E X P LO R E D I S C OVE R R E S P O N D B LE S S C ONNECT N OT E S : ENGAGE Invite the children to stand next to a chair, outside the circle. We are going to play a game called Musical Crown. When the music starts, we will walk around the circle. When the music stops, we will sit down on a chair. Only one person may sit on each chair. Then we will look under our chairs. Whoever finds the crown under their chair gets to wear it. Let the winner wear the crown while you walk around the circle one time. Then, she will put the crown under a different chair of her choice. You can repeat the game as often as your time allows. Option 3: God Made Me, Loves Me, and Is with Me! ENGAGE Invite the children to sit with you on the floor. Friends, what do we call God s special book? Yes, the Bible! The Bible is powerful. It tells us that God made us. It says that God loves us and He is with us. Let s play a game. When I say, God made me, stand up and point to yourself. Show the children how to stand and tap their chests. When I say, God loves me, sit on the floor and give yourself a big hug. Show the children how to do this. When I say, God is with me, stand and twirl in a circle with your arms stretched way out. Show the children how to do this. Sometimes I will say the words slowly, but sometimes I will go super fast! Let s try it! You can play this game as long as the children are engaged. You should do the actions along with them so they remember what to do. Ongoing Connect Option Hamilton s Box of Fun Invite the kids to your circle time area and sing together: Hamilton s Box (sung to the tune of Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? ) Where, oh where is Hamilton s Box? Oh where, oh where can it be? It s full of fun toys that we sure like a lot Oh where, oh where can it be? Pick one or two kids to help find the box or basket. Once it s found, you can place it in the middle of your circle time area and invite the kids to come and explore what is inside. Ask: Come on over, everyone! What fun things can we explore today? Let s take turns playing with things and even play together. When it s time to put the toys away, cue the kids with a Cleanup Song. (Choose a fun song that your children will recognize as the Cleanup Song each week, possibly with a circus theme or other recognizable sound that is different from other music.) Hamilton s Box of Fun This is a fun resource to encourage the kids to interact with each other by sharing toys and using their imagination with different objects. This activity can be utilized at the beginning or end of the service, if time permits. 13

14 EXPLORE DISCOVER RESPOND BLESS CONNECT SUPPLIES Hamilton s box of fun is a reccurring activity that can be used each week. Some options have been provided to help you create your own box of fun. Each quarter the suggested supplies for Hamilton s Box will be refreshed. Be sure to check the Resource Folder every week for the most recent coloring page. God s Word Has Power coloring page (see Resource Folder) box or basket to hold objects large floor puzzle 5 to 6 piece puzzles play dough large wooden lacing beads small parachute and foam balls The Cleanup Song from TruBlessings Worship SET UP Put a variety of fun objects/toys in the box. Hide the box or basket somewhere in the room. Clean the objects each week after use. HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God s Word together before children arrive at church. TruBlessings will spend two weeks on the same part of The Big God Story and Ponder Point, and each Weekly covers four weeks worth of lessons. It is designed to trifold with an editable field that allows you to fill in the dates for the weeks that will be covered. HomeFront Monthly: Every four weeks we highlight one of the 10 environments. For each new environment, parents should receive HomeFront Monthly. This resource gives families ideas for how to create fun, spiritually forming times in their homes setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! 14