4. Praise and Worship (10 Minutes) End with CG:Transition Slide

Transcription

1 I m Working on a Building Bible Story: I m Working on a Building (Nehemiah Plans to Rebuild the Wall) Nehemiah 2:11-18 Bottom Line: Don t wait for someone else to do what needs to be done. Memory Verse: Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord. Colossians 3:23a, NIrV Life App: Initiative Seeing what needs to be done and doing it Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice. 1. Countdown 2. Announcements 3. CG:Transition Slide then Host Opener (5 minutes) Host Two kid contestants Three laundry baskets Socks in lots of different colors and styles; as many pairs as possible - Put all the socks in one of the laundry baskets. Mix them up. Media Upbeat music to use as kids enter and exit the room Upbeat music for the game Theme Slide Initiative Slide Blank Bottom Line Slide Bottom Line Slide Optional Videos (available for purchase through the 252 Media Package): Theme Loop Video Countdown Video Theme Video Life App Video Theme TransBack Video 4. Praise and Worship (10 Minutes) End with CG:Transition Slide 5. CG: Word Video and CG:Transition Slide 6. Bible Story (15 Minutes) Storyteller Host Bible About 15 banker s boxes with lids, including the four from last week Sandals Flashlight Megaphone Icons of what s inside the three new boxes, either printed or drawn on the side of each box: o Box Five: Sandals o Box Six: Flashlight o Box Seven: Megaphone Hard hat Safety vest Tool belt Fake beard 2018 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. Adapted by Ginghamsburg Church

2 Print the box icons (8.5x11-inch size) and attach them to the sides of four of the boxes. Or you could draw the icons on the sides of the boxes with a permanent marker. Scatter the banker s boxes on stage. Make sure the icon sides of the three new boxes are facing away from the audience at the beginning. (The icon sides of the four Week One boxes can be visible.) NOTE: Be sure to keep these boxes and props, because you ll use them again in future weeks. Keep the wall intact on stage so you can pick up where you left off in Week Three. Media Blank Bottom Line Slide Bottom Line Slide Box Icons On the Road Again instrumental Mission: Impossible theme Freedom /The Execution Bannockburn from Braveheart (starting at 6:04) At the end the Storyteller should pray for the group and dismiss kids to Small Group 7. Small Group (20-30 Minutes) 2018 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. Adapted by Ginghamsburg Church

3 Bible Story Outline Week 2 I m Working on a Building (Nehemiah Plans to Rebuild the Wall) Nehemiah 2:11-18 SETTING UP THE STORY If anyone knew about initiative, it was Nehemiah Recap: Nehemiah was the king s drink taster He didn t live in Jerusalem, but he heard a report from his brother that Jerusalem was in ruins Jerusalem was important; Nehemiah cried when he heard the news He prayed, asked the king to go rebuild Jerusalem He asked for letters of protection, wood for building; the king said yes JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM Nehemiah set off for Jerusalem, to see the damage for himself It took a while to get from Susa to Jerusalem (probably months) Finally he arrived, stayed for three days NEHEMIAH INSPECTS THE WALLS Nehemiah s secret mission: to scout out the city At night, he took some people out to check out the city walls It was just like he had feared: broken walls, burned gates NEHEMIAH RALLIES THE PEOPLE Nehemiah would have to rally the people to fix what was broken Inspirational speech: Nehemiah 2:17 He told the people how God had helped him along the way The people were excited, began the work of rebuilding the wall WRAPPING UP THE STORY Nehemiah had seen that the city was in bad shape He didn t wait for someone else to take action He knew God had chosen him to lead the people, make the city safe and strong again BL: Don t wait for someone else to do what needs to be done. Don t wait; don t assume someone else will take care of it When God wants you to take something on, you can do it because He s with you 2018 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. Adapted by Ginghamsburg Church

4 I m Working on a Building Bible Story: I m Working on a Building (Nehemiah Plans to Rebuild the Wall) Nehemiah 2:11-18 Bottom Line: Don t wait for someone else to do what needs to be done. Memory Verse: Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord. Colossians 3:23a, NIrV Life App: Initiative Seeing what needs to be done and doing it Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice. 1. Countdown 2. Announcements 3. CG:Transition Slide then Host Opener (5 minutes) SFX: Play high-energy music as kids enter. CG: Theme Slide Optional CG (Media Package): Theme Loop Video Optional CG (Media Package): Countdown Video Optional CG (Media Package): Theme Video Host is on stage, welcoming the kids as they enter. HOST: Hey, everybody! Are you ready to have some fun? I know I am! All month long we re talking about initiative. CG: Initiative Slide Optional CG (Media Package): Life App Video What s initiative? It s seeing what needs to be done and doing it. You look for the things around you that aren t the way they should be, and then you jump into action to make them right. You aren t afraid to fix the problem, no matter how dirty the job might be. Optional CG (Media Package): Theme TransBack Video Here s a dirty job we all LOVE to do: laundry! Pick up the laundry basket full of socks. I brought in some of my socks, because I figured, what better way to practice our initiative? But don t worry. They re clean. I promise. Set down the basket. Raise your hand if you ve ever put your clean clothes away when they came out of the dryer. (Pause for response.) Okay, good. Raise your hand if you ve ever tried to match up a bunch of SOCKS. (Pause for response.) It s basically impossible, right?! Where do they all go? Why is it so hard to find a match? If you ve ever folded socks, you ve probably thought to yourself, Ugh. This is the worst! Can t someone else do it? But you can t just lie there in the middle of that nice, warm laundry (pick up some socks and hug them close)... even though it feels so, so good. You ve got a job to do! (Drop the socks.) That s what our game is about today. I need two contestants who are all about initiative. Who wants to Fold... My... Socks? Choose two kids and bring them up on stage. Set down an empty laundry basket next to each of them The rethink Group. All rights reserved. Adapted by Ginghamsburg Church

5 (To contestants) [Kid s name] and [kid s name], Fold My Socks is very simple. When I say, Go, I ll dump out all these socks right here. You ll dig through the pile of socks and try to find a match. (Pick up two matching socks and demonstrate.) When you do find a match, put the two socks together, fold them up, and then toss them in your laundry basket. (Demonstrate.) At the end of 60 seconds, we ll count and see which one of you has the most matches in your basket. (To contestants) Contestants, are you ready? (To audience) Audience, are you ready to cheer them on? Let s go! SFX: Upbeat music Dump the basket of socks in front of the two contestants. Give them 60 seconds to play. Cheer them on along the way. Amazing! Both of you are sock experts, but it looks like [kid s name] is today s champion. Let s give both of them a big hand! Dismiss both contestants to their seats. Now everyone stand up. Let s get loud and sing to our God! Worship Leaders enter. Host exits. 4. Praise and Worship (10 Minutes) End with CG:Transition Slide 5. CG: Word Video and CG:Transition Slide 6. Bible Story (15 Minutes) Storyteller enters as Worship Leaders exit The rethink Group. All rights reserved. Adapted by Ginghamsburg Church

6 CG: Blank Bottom Line Slide SETTING UP THE STORY STORYTELLER: Hi there! Who was here last week and remembers who we re talking about this month? (Pause for response.) Yes! Nehemiah! If anyone knew about initiative, it was Nehemiah. He saw what needed to be done, and he DID it! Let s pick up his story where we left off. You might remember that Nehemiah was the king s drink taster. He made sure that no one was trying to poison the king. Point to the box with the icon of the goblet. Nehemiah didn t live in Jerusalem, but he heard a report from his brother that Jerusalem was in ruins. The walls were in ruins and the gates had been burned to the ground. Point to the box with the icon of the clipboard. This was a big deal because Jerusalem was God s city. It was supposed to be beautiful! Plus, a city with broken down walls was an easy target for enemies. Jerusalem was also where Nehemiah s family had lived in the past, even though he had never seen it himself. Nehemiah was so upset that he cried when he heard the news. Point to the box with the icon of the tissue box. But then Nehemiah decided to act. He prayed and asked God to help him. He bravely went to the king and asked for permission to go rebuild Jerusalem and really, its walls. He asked the king to write letters to the people in charge of the land he d be traveling through so he could have a safe journey. He also asked the king for a letter that would provide the wood he would need to build. Amazingly, the king said yes to all of those requests! Point to the box with the icon of the firewood. JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM STORYTELLER: Nehemiah set off for Jerusalem. Soon, he would be able to see the damage for himself. (Pause.) In fact, I think I see him now. Host enters, in the back of the room, walking behind the kids. He s wearing a hard hat, a safety vest, a tool belt, and a fake beard. SFX: On the Road Again instrumental HOST: Howdy, pardners. I m Nehemiah. (Singing to the music) On the road again. Leaving Susa for Jerusalem. The king, he told me to rebuild it with my friends. Yeah, I can t wait to get on the road again. STORYTELLER: It took a while to get from Susa to Jerusalem, probably months, but the long journey was totally worth it! Eventually FINALLY Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem. He stayed there for three days. NEHEMIAH INSPECTS THE WALLS STORYTELLER: Nehemiah s long journey was over. Hold up the sandals. Put them into banker s box five. Put the lid on the box, and turn it around so the audience can see the icon of the sandals on the side. But his job was just beginning. His mission should he choose to accept it was to scout out the city and check out the walls. It was a secret mission, because he hadn t yet told any of the people or officials why he had come. No one knew that he had come to rebuild the walls The rethink Group. All rights reserved. Adapted by Ginghamsburg Church

7 His secret mission began... at night. LIGHTS: Down SFX: Mission: Impossible theme Hand the flashlight to the Host. Host shines it around, inspecting the room. In the darkness, Nehemiah took some people out to check out the city walls. They went out through the Valley Gate. They looked at the Jackal Well... the Dung Gate... the Fountain Gate... the King s Pool... the Kidron Valley... and then back inside. It was just like Nehemiah had feared. The walls were broken down. The city gates had been burned by fire. LIGHTS: Up SFX: Cut music Put the flashlight into banker s box six. Put the lid on the box, and turn it around so the audience can see the icon of the flashlight on the side. NEHEMIAH RALLIES THE PEOPLE STORYTELLER: It was clear: Nehemiah had to do SOMETHING. If he didn t, who would? He would have to rally all the people to join forces and fix what was broken. Together, they could rebuild the wall! (To Host) What do you think, Nehemiah? Can you give us an inspirational speech? Hand the Bible and the megaphone to the Host. Host opens the Bible to Nehemiah 2:17 and reads (normally). (If you have an actual working megaphone, he can just pretend to speak into it; it doesn t need to be on.) HOST: (Normal voice) You can see the trouble we re in. Jerusalem has been destroyed. Fire has burned up its gates. Come on. Let s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Then people won t be ashamed anymore, (NIrV). STORYTELLER: Hmmm. That was good. But I think you can do even better. (To audience) Do you think he can do even better? (To Host) Let s hear it, Nehemiah. Inspire us! SFX: Freedom /The Execution Bannockburn from Braveheart (starting at 6:04) nice and LOUD! Host reads again from Nehemiah 2:17 this time with much drama! HOST: (VERY loudly and dramatically) You can see the trouble we re in. Jerusalem has been destroyed. Fire has burned up its gates. Come on. Let s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Then people won t be ashamed anymore. STORYTELLER: (Giving him a standing ovation) Bravo! I knew you could do it! (To audience) Nehemiah told the people how God had helped him along the way. He told them how the king had given him the permission to come and rebuild AND had given him the supplies to do it. Do you know what the people said? Let s start rebuilding (Nehemiah 2:18 NIrV). Of course they were so excited to be part of what God was doing with Nehemiah as their leader! They began the work of rebuilding the wall. Put the megaphone into banker s box seven. Put the lid on the box, and turn it around so the audience can see the icon of the megaphone on the side. Let s give Nehemiah a big hand! SFX: Cut music Host exits The rethink Group. All rights reserved. Adapted by Ginghamsburg Church

8 WRAPPING UP THE STORY STORYTELLER: The city was in bad shape. Nehemiah had seen it with his own eyes. But he didn t wait for someone else to take action. He saw what was possible. He took it on himself to rally the people, and together, they began to rebuild. Start stacking the boxes at the back of the stage, assembling the beginnings of the wall. (Stack them from behind the wall, so you don t turn your back on the audience.) Combine blank boxes as well as the seven boxes with icons on the sides. Nehemiah knew that God had chosen him for this important job to lead the people and make the city strong and safe again. (Point to the icons on the boxes.) God had led Nehemiah every step of the way. And even now with a BIG job ahead (point up high to show how tall the wall needs to be) Nehemiah knew that God would give him the strength to see it through. CG: Bottom Line Slide [Bottom Line] Don t wait for someone else to do what needs to be done. When YOU see something that needs to be done, don t wait. Don t just assume someone else will take care of it. After all, maybe the person who should take care of it is you! When God wants you to take something on, you can do it because you know He s with you. If someone s coming over to your apartment and you see a pile of your little brother s toys on the floor, clean them up! Is it fair? No. Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely! If you notice that someone else drew on a desk at school, is it YOUR job to wipe off the ink? Nope. But COULD you be the one to take care of it? You bet! Someone leaves their lunch tray on the table by mistake. Could you let someone else deal with it? Sure. Could YOU deal with it? Sure, you could! All the time, we see things that need to be done. But we think, Someone else will take care of it. That s not my job. I would, but I ve got stuff to do. What if you decided you weren t going to wait for someone else to do it? What if you decided YOU were going to do it even though you didn t have to? Remember, you can point others to Jesus when you serve people. After all, that s what Jesus did for us! You can [Basic Truth] make the wise choice and do what needs to be done even if it s not your job to begin with. You ll talk some more about that back in Small Group. Have fun! At the end the Storyteller should pray for the group and dismiss kids to Small Group 7. Small Group (20-30 Minutes) SFX: Play high-energy music as the kids exit. CG: Theme Slide Optional CG (Media Package): Theme Loop Video 2018 The rethink Group. All rights reserved. Adapted by Ginghamsburg Church