God Is the One True God. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Moses Leads)

Transcription

1 October 8, God Is the One True God DATE PONDER POINT Exodus 3 12; 13:17; 15 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Moses Leads) Proverbs 3:5 THE BIG GOD STORY REMEMBER VERSE Welcome (6 minutes): Begins class creating an inviting atmosphere for kids to feel welcome and to worship in song. Worship & Connect (17 minutes): Establishes community and engages kids, drawing them in and preparing them to hear God s word. The Big God Story (15 minutes): Creates space for children to hear God s word. Small Groups (20 minutes): Kids respond in small groups to what they heard in the Big God Story. Remember Verse & Bless (3 minutes): Allows children to practice their memory verse and be sent out with a sense of peace so they can be a blessing to others. 1

2 GOAL: Worship & welcome is all about engaging kids and helping them enter into worship, letting them know that class has begun preparing their minds for what they are going to hear. WELCOME - 3 minutes (Host) IMAGE: Welcome We are so glad you are here at Critter Land today. Personalize your welcome. Relate to what s happening such as holidays, school year, church camp, etc. Pique the curiosity about today s Ponder Point/Story, tell a joke, do something to draw in the attending of the kids and mention any announcements! RULES VIDEO: Sherriff Hawk with Kids Church Rules MAIL TIME - 3 minutes (Host) VIDEO: Mail Time Intro IMAGE: Remember Verse Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 Motions: Trust: Make fists and bring together with left fist under right fist (like climbing rope). in the Lord: Point up with pointer finger. with all: cross both hands palms up then pull apart hands leaving palms facing up. your heart: Place both hands over heart. and lean not: take both hands and use pointer fingers and pull apart hands while shaking head no. on your own understanding: Point to head with right index finger. 2

3 GOAL: Establishes community and engages kids, drawing them in and preparing them to hear God s word. Kids get to participate in various worship elements such as offering, scripture memorization and their curiosity is peaked as they discover what will be in the wardrobe of wonder. WORSHIP - 7 minutes (Worship Leader) If you brought offering, go put it in the squirrel feeder while we worship! VIDEO: (9:00 & 11:30) Hosanna Rock (10:15) Jesus By My Side VIDEO: (9:00 & 11:30) Bye, Bye to Fear (10:15) God of Love (Direct kids to get with their groups and circle up with their small group leader before sitting down) SMALL GROUP CONNECT QUESTIONS - 5 minutes (Host) VIDEO: 4 minute countdown What do you think it would be like to pack up your things and move to a new place? Would you be afraid if you heard God speak out loud to you? Would you obey God and do what He asked you to do if you heard Him talk to you? WARDROBE OF WONDER - 5 minutes (Host) What sit: 9:00 - Tambourine VIDEO: Wardrobe of Wonder Intro 10:15 - Staff Choose 1 volunteer. Volunteer picks two hats from wardrobe one for himself, one for host. Tell other kids to put on their imaginary thinking caps. Volunteer peeks in the What s It box. Host gives 3 clues, kids get to vote on what they think it is. Then as host you say. If you think our clue is a If you think our clue is a If you think our clue is a, raise your hand., raise your hand., raise your hand. Let the child volunteer tell which answer is correct! ASK: 9:00 (Child s name), what s this? Yes! It s a musical instrument. It s called a tambourine. Listen to the wonderful noise it makes when I shake it! Why do you think the What sit is a musical instrument? Give children a moment to answer. When do people play instruments like this? Children answer. When they re celebrating or having a party? Hmm I wonder how today s What sit relates to The Big God Story I guess we re about to find out! ASK: 10:15 What would we do with this? I wonder why was behind the wardrobe? Do you know what stories in the Bible have a staff in them? Those are all great ideas! Well we are about to find out because it s time for the Big God Story. 3

4 Point out that what kids are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along as you storytell. Children respond to what the Holy Spirit is teaching them as they reflect on the day s portion of The Big God Story. The Prayer of Release allows children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. Before you pray, you might ask the kids to hold out their hands, palms up, in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them today. Then encourage the kids to quiet their voices, take a seat, and pray with you. The Big God Story: STORYTELLING - 15 minutes (Storyteller) Video: The Big Story Intro RELATE Hello, friends. Before we start, let s pray and ask God to speak to us. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. What s the name of the baby who floated down a river in a basket in The Big God Story? Children answer. Yes, Moses. God kept Moses safe and he grew up to be a man of God. After many years passed, Moses moved away from the palace to the desert and became a shepherd. What s a shepherd? Interact with kids answers. Yes, a shepherd takes care of sheep, goats, and other animals out in the field. A shepherd looks a little something like this Tech: Cue Shepherd image. What do you see in the picture? Children answer. Yes! A shepherd carries a staff that looks like a big stick. Tech: Cue Shepherd s Staff image. The shepherd uses his staff to help the animals in his care. If an animal is trapped, or if it goes the wrong way, the shepherd can use his staff to protect it and put it on the right path. One day when Moses was out in the fields watching over his animals, he noticed something strange. There was a bush and it was on fire! The bush didn t burn up. It kept burning and burning! Moses was curious, so he walked toward the bush. When he got closer, a voice spoke to him! Who do you think it was? Children respond. It was the voice of God! God was talking to Moses from a burning bush! Tech: Cue God s Voice sound effect. (He said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ) God was telling Moses who He 4

5 is. He was telling Moses that He is the one true God! God heard the cries of His people in Egypt. He saw how cruel Pharaoh was. Tech: Cue Pharaoh image. God had a plan to free them from slavery and bring His people to a land of their own. God told Moses to take his brother, Aaron, and go speak to Pharaoh. God promised to be with Moses the entire time. Does God keep His promises? Children answer. Yes, God always keeps His promises! God also told Moses He would do amazing miracles and wonders so everyone in Egypt would know He is the one true God. When Moses and his brother arrived at the palace, they told Pharaoh the one true God had sent them. Every time I put my hand out toward you (extend hand toward children), I want you to shout, Let my people go! Okay, let s practice. Give children a chance to shout. Great job! So, Moses looked at Pharaoh and said (extend hand), Let my people go! Well, Pharaoh thought about it but he refused to let the Israelites go, and instead sent Moses and Aaron away. Several times, Moses went before Pharaoh and said (extend hand), Let my people go! When Pharaoh said no, God sent a plague to the land of Egypt. A plague is a big event that destroys things or causes problems. One time God sent many, many frogs out of the river to cover the land! Can you imagine all those icky, sticky frogs jumping all over the place? Let s hop up and down like frogs! Encourage children to hop in place and ribbit like frogs. Moses went before Pharaoh again and said (extend hand), Let my people go! Pharaoh said no. So God sent tons and tons of flies to cover the entire country of Egypt. God even sent lots and lots of bugs called locusts, kind of like big grasshoppers, that came and ate all the Egyptians food! Let s make our best buzzing bug sounds! Encourage children to buzz like bugs. There were seven more plagues, and Pharaoh still said no! Finally, after the tenth plague, Pharaoh had enough. He told Moses and Aaron to gather the Israelites and leave Egypt. They were free! God led His people out of Egypt by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. The one true God made sure His people knew He was with them all the time. When the Israelites reached the edge of the Red Sea (Tech: Cue Red Sea image), they turned and saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them. Pharaoh had changed his mind and wanted the people back! With the Red Sea on one side and the army on the other, there was no place for them to go. But they were following the one true God, and nothing can stop Him! God put Himself between His people and Pharaoh s army using the pillar of cloud and fire. God told Moses to lift his staff up over the sea. When Moses did this, God made the entire sea split in two! The people walked across on dry land! When the Israelites were safe on the other side, Moses lifted his staff again and God sent the walls of water tumbling down. The Egyptian army never reached God s people God saved them! The people were amazed! The Israelites took out their instruments and began to dance and sing praises to God! They worshipped Him for being the one true God. God is still the one true God. There s no one like Him. We can trust Him. He shows us the best way to live, just like it says in our Remember Verse. Let s say it together. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Our God is the one true God!! 5

6 GOAL: Kids respond in small groups to what they heard in the Big God Story. God Does Miracles for Moses SUPPLIES Moses template, staff and snake (one per child) Crayons Glue Sticks RELATE We learned today in the Big God Story that Moses was afraid pharoh would not listen to him so God told moses to throw is staff to the ground and the staff turned into a snake. Today we are going to color this page and glue the staff and snake to the paper to help us remember all the great miracles God did for His people. Pass out Moses Template and have kids put their names on it and allow them to color Moses. While they are coloring their picture pass out to each child a staff and a snake. Allow kids to color their staff and snake. Then let them glue them to the Moses page. While kids are working on their picture ask wonder questions to them to get them talking about the Big God Story and how Great and Powerful our God is. In this part of The Big God Story, we heard how God first appeared to Moses in the burning bush and told him to go speak to Pharaoh. God showed that He is the one true God through the plagues on Egypt and by parting the Red Sea to get His people safely to the other side. I wonder What did the Israelites feel when they saw all the wonders God performed? I wonder What did it look like to walk through the sea on dry land, with a wall of water on each side? What did the people see? I wonder What do I think about God right now? 6

7 GOAL: Kids respond in small groups to what they heard in the Big God Story. Pillar of Cloud and Fire Fire template (one per child) Cloud Template (one per child) Jumbo Craft Stick Tissue paper Cotton Balls Crayons Glue Sticks Stapler RELATE When Pharaoh s Army was coming after the Israelites, God placed a Pillar of Fire at Night,and a Pillar of Cloud during the day between His people and Pharaoh s army. God protects and provides for us! Today we are going to make a Pillar of cloud and Fire to remind us that God is always with us and protects us just like he did many years ago.! Pass out the Cloud and Fire template and let the kids color them. Then set out cotton balls and tissue paper and let kids glue them to the cloud and Fire Tape or staple cloud to the craft stick, flip over and tape or staple the fire on the other side. Now kids have a pillar of cloud for the day and a pillar of fire for the night. I wonder.what would it be like to see God protect us in a Pillar of Cloud and Fire? I wonder.if Pharaoh s Army feared God at all? I wonder..what is would have been like to be a slave and then set free? 7

8 Review the Remember Verse: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 Motions: Trust: Make fists and bring together with left fist under right fist (like climbing rope). in the Lord: Point up with pointer finger. with all: cross both hands palms up then pull apart hands leaving palms facing up. your heart: Place both hands over heart. and lean not: take both hands and use pointer fingers and pull apart hands while shaking head no. on your own understanding: Point to head with right index finger. BLESSING God, thank You for who You are. We know You are the one true God, and we re so blessed to be called Your children! God, thank You for guiding us and caring for us, just as You did for the Israelites Children, may you trust in the Lord with all your heart, all the days of your lives. VIDEO: In This Life 8

9 For the past several years, my friends and I have engaged in something we like to call restaurant ministry. We ve built amazing relationships and engaged in great conversations about God and faith. One of our new friends believes in Jesus, but she also worships hundreds of false gods. Recently her husband became very ill. One night she came to us begging for prayer. We laid hands on her and began praying aloud in the middle of the restaurant. Since then, God has been revealing Himself to her family in powerful ways physically healing her husband! I ve noticed her begin to attribute those miraculous works to Yahweh alone the one true God! We are children of an incredible God one who has healed and transformed individuals in unexplainable ways. God used His power to correct my friend s path. He alone is the one true God! Erika Abdelatif ROCKHARBOR Church Undoubtedly the mighty hand of the one true God was demonstrated in contrast to the powerlessness of the Egyptian false gods. Prior to the Passover, God declared, I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord (Exodus 12:12b). Many scholars believe the plagues were directly attacking the ancient Egyptian gods. (For a table demonstrating the correlation between the plagues and the Egyptian gods, see Resources.) In the Bible, even the number of plagues was significant. To the Israelites, the number 10 represented wholeness and completion. For instance, the Ten Commandments are the complete, divine perfection of the Law. By sending 10 plagues, God was stating the Egyptians were completely plagued and completely judged. He was demonstrating His total power as the one true God. After being set free from slavery, the Israelites celebrated and worshipped the power of the one true God. From this point forward in history, Israel set aside time each year to remember the Passover. At every annual celebration, the people retold how God rescued them. They knew that a crucial part of maintaining faith was remembering the ways God had guided them. We don t need to wait for Passover to celebrate God s power and deliverance. This week, take some time to remember God as your deliverer, as your one true God. How has God set you free? What have you been freed from? How has the one true God changed your life? As you remember Him, how does your heart want to respond? Be still, listen, and respond to the prompting of God s Spirit as you celebrate Him. 9