Bible Passage: Exodus 16; Numbers 11:7 9; Psalm 78:23 24 (Manna Provided) God Is Provider

Transcription

1 November 1, 2015 Bible Passage: Exodus 16; Numbers 11:7 9; Psalm 78:23 24 (Manna Provided) God Is Provider REMEMBER VERSE The Mighty One has done great things for me holy is his name. Luke 1:49 SERVICE SCHEDULE Explore It and Discover 10 min Big God Story 20 min Small Group 15 min Bless 3 min 1

2 Inspire When a sudden rain shower offered relief from the sweltering Indian heat, the people danced and splashed in the water overjoyed by the respite granted by the cool rain. Knowing her birthday was around the corner, a young missionary prayed aloud: God, if it s possible, will You send rain on my birthday? One week later, on her birthday, India was just as hot and humid as ever not a cloud in the sky. She was slightly disappointed, assuming God had forgotten. Then she noticed the sky turning gray outside. Within moments, it began to rain. She ran screaming through the house, gathering her teammates. One by one, they scurried outside to enjoy the rain and thank God for this birthday gift. Then one of the girls noticed something unusual. It was completely dry across the street, with clear blue skies as far as they could see. However when they looked up, they noticed one single, solitary rain cloud directly overhead. They each knew, without question, that God had answered their friend s prayer. As I listened to this young woman recount her experience, I was reminded that even though God holds eternity past, present, and future in His hands, He cares about each of us. The God of all creation takes delight in His children. He sees all that needs to be done, and yet takes the time to provide a little rain cloud to bring joy to His daughter. This God, our God, He is Father. We are His children and He provides for us, even in the seemingly little things. Erika Abdelatif ROCKHARBOR Church I pray that the kids in our ministry understand God as provider even if they don t feel provided for, that they understand God as Father and provider. First Baptist Church of Hemet Equip God is our Father. He takes care of us. He provides for us. When we see how God took care of His people in the wilderness, we can see how much God loves, cares, and provides for us today. Every morning God provided manna for His people to eat that day (Exodus 16:4). He provided enough for the day and not any more. So daily, the people would learn the lesson that God gives us what we need. He gave them water from a rock (17:6). God even miraculously allowed their clothes and shoes to not wear out for the entire 40 years (Deuteronomy 29:5). Not only did God provide enough on the sixth day so the people could sabbath and rest on the seventh and not need to gather food, this was a preview of how God provided in the sixth year, instructing His people to not work the land every seventh year. In Exodus 23:10 11, God commanded the people to let the land lie fallow every seventh year. He would provide enough in the sixth year for the two that followed. It may be hard to imagine how the people of Israel could doubt that God would provide for them. After seeing the waters of the Red Sea parted; after seeing the miraculous, terrifying encounter with God on Sinai; after seeing Him provide for them day after day, with even a double portion before the Sabbath (16:29) it s hard to imagine they still doubted. But it s human nature to doubt. Even though we ve seen God provide in the past, we doubt He will provide today. Even though He provides today, we doubt He will do it again in the future. God cares, guides, protects, and provides for us in numerous ways. Because of this, we re motivated to seek out how to help others. When we fully rely on God as our Father, we have no reason for worry. This frees us to move out in faith to share with and care for others. Having God as our Father drives us to look for ways to serve and care for others. 2

3 Support As followers of Jesus, we ve been adopted into His family as His children. Occasionally, accepting God as our Father can be painful especially for the fatherless or those who have negative experiences with their earthly father. Regardless of how varied our individual experiences may be, one thing remains the same: God desires an intimate relationship with each of us. He is our Father and He is good. He can restore what is broken and heal what is hurt. Spend a moment thinking and praying to identify someone in your ministry or community who is fatherless. If you re praying for yourself, spend a few minutes silently asking God to reveal Himself to you as Father. If you re able to think of fatherless children in your ministry, spend some time praying for them. Ask that God would bring healing and comfort to these children through this message. Pray that God will restore and heal His children this weekend. Further Resources Wiersbe, Warren The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament. Colorado Springs: David C Cook. Smith, Lawrence B., L.C.S.W. - C., L.I.C.S.W. Erik Erikson s Theory of Development. attachment.adoption.com/. Remember Verse Motions Inspired by American Sign Language; demonstrated at and 3

4 Lesson Overview Leader Title Explanation All Leaders TRANSITION Welcome to Worship K 1 Kids will watch a fun DVD. Welcome and Opening Prayer Welcome Kids. Song 1 - Don t Be A Turkey Offering Offering Slide Kids put their offering in the squirrel feeder. Worship K1 Rules G. O. D. MAIL TIME Memory Verse Play Mail Time Intro Video Choose a child to retrieve the mail from the mailbox, to give to for Memory Verse. Show Memory Verse Image WARDROBE OF WONDER What s It Jar of Honey Storyteller THE BIG GOD STORY Video Intro BGS Storytelling Video Play Wardrobe of Wonder Intro Video 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 gives 3 clues, kids get to vote on what they think it is SMALL GROUP BREAK OUT Dismiss kids to go with their small group leaders for response, connect, and create. Small Group Leaders CREATE: Manna Cakes Kids will make Manna cakes with play dough REGROUP FOR WORSHIP Play Worship Songs Song 2 Every Move I Make Song 3 In this Life BLESSING Say a prayer of blessing over the children Review Memory Verse Slide /Small Group Leaders DISMISS Start DVD of Funny Videos Small group leaders listen for their students names. 4

5 Welcome Kids & Opening Prayer Song 1 - Don t Be A Turkey Offering Goal: $ Current: $ Kids will worship by placing their offering in the squirrel feeder Offering Fact: 5

6 Discover (10 min) Create space intended for wonder to pique children s curiosity and allow them to engage in hands-on experiences as they begin their time in worship. Ponder Point: God Is Provider Worship K1 Rules > Mail Time > GOD G-et out your listening ears O-bey your teachers D-on t get in your neighbor s space The Mighty One has done great things for me holy is his name. Luke 1:49 Remember Verse Definitions Holy: to be set apart completely other. There is no one and no thing like God. Remember Verse Motions The Mighty: Make muscle man arms. One: Bring your left arm down to your side while lifting your right arm high and use your index finger pointing in the air as the number one. has done: Make fists with both hands. Start with both arms bent, hands in fists at your shoulders. In a quick motion bring both arms straight down to your waist, while keeping hands in a fist. great things: Extend both arms in front of your body giving a thumbs up with both hands. for me: Bend arms in toward your chest with thumbs pointing to yourself. holy is: Place your left hand in front of your body palm up. Make the peace sign with your right hand, palms up. Swipe your right hand (palm up) over the palm of your left hand away from your body. His name: Point both index fingers in the air toward heaven. SUPPLIES Remember Verse image and cards (see Resources) Bible 6

7 Ponder Point: God Is Provider Wardrobe of Wonder Worship K1 1.9 WHAT SIT: Jar of Honey During their 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites were miraculously fed by God s daily provision of manna. God could have fed the Israelites in any number of ways, but He chose to give them something unlike anything they had eaten. Manna wasn t just any grain it was sweet, like honey. The Israelites used mortars and hand mills to grind the manna, then they patted it into cakes. > The What sit connected to The Big God Story is hidden in the wardrobe. Pick a volunteer, allow them to choose a hat for you and one for themselves. Let them take a peek at the hidden object. Have the other kids put on their imaginary thinking cap. Tell them they get to vote to see what they think is in the What sit. They vote by raising their hand for the object they think is hidden the Wardrobe. Then as host you say. If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, Let the child volunteer tell which answer is correct! 7

8 The Big God Story 20 min Exodus 16; Numbers 11:7 9; Psalm 78:23 24 Storytelling Technique: Storytelling Video SUPPLIES Storytelling video (see Resources) PRAYER OF RELEASE The Prayer of Release is a time for children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. If you d like, encourage kids to hold their open hands in front of them in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions, to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them. After the children quiet their voices and still their bodies, ask them to pray with you. RELATE Storyteller walks in with an apron on, holding the bowl and using a spoon to stir. Oh, hi, friends! How is everyone doing today? Great! Today we get to watch our Big God Story on the Television Sets, but before we begin, we need to pray. Let s ask God to help us listen to His Big Story. Does anyone remember where we left off in The Big God Story? Allow kids to answer. Yes! God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. That s amazing! God showed the Israelites that He was their leader and that He also loved them very much! Let s give our attentions to the t.v. s. Tech: Cue Big God Story You know what? God loved the Israelites. He loved them so much, in fact, that He fed them each day with sweet, delicious manna. God wasn t a provider just for the Israelites. God cares for each of us too. He loves us and knows exactly what we need. When we need something, we can always go to Him. He wants to hear from us. He loves to give good things to us too because He is good. He also knows when we need something. When we know God as our provider, We can trust Him and follow Him each day Dismiss into Small Groups Kids will go with their small group leaders for response, connect, and create. 8

9 Small Group Respond 15 min Small Group Leaders Your small group time is designed to encourage conversations between you and your children about what God is doing in them. Some children will be more responsive when they re engaged in something artistic. Others will be more open once their bodies get moving. The Wonder Questions may be used to start conversations during any of these activities or in a quieter, more contemplative time. Create: Manna Cakes When the Israelites were given manna, they would grind it up and make cakes with it. As the kids process the lesson, walk them through this faux cake-making activity. SUPPLIES (per small group) Images: Coriander Seeds, Mortar (see Resources) Play dough Note: Please check with parents for any potential food allergies. PREPARE AHEAD Print the Coriander Seeds and Mortar images. RELATE The Bible says that manna probably looked white like coriander seeds, but it was flaky or flat like wafers. Coriander is a green plant, but it produces little yellowish-brown seeds. Coriander seeds look something like this. Show the children the Coriander Seeds image. After they had collected the manna, they would grind it with something called a mortar. A mortar is a type of stone that people use to grind things like seeds or grain. Show the Mortar image. When the white manna wafers were all ground up, they would pat them to form them into cake shapes. Can you show me how to pat cakes? Let the kids demonstrate. Great job! Then, they would cook them and eat them like cakes. As you heard in the story, it tasted sweet like honey! Isn t it nice that God gave the Israelites something so tasty like cake to eat in the desert? Has your mom or dad ever made a cake for you to celebrate something special? Allow answers. Maybe today, during Create, we should decorate a cake for God to thank Him for the ways He is a good provider for us. We don t have any manna or a mortar here! So instead, we re going to use play dough. First, let s all take out the play dough and pat it like the Israelites did. Then, when you re ready, form it into a cake shape. After it s formed, you can use the rest of the dough and other materials to decorate the cake to thank God for everything He has done for us! Encourage kids to create their own special design for their cake. Consider using buttons, chenille wires, and sequins to decorate the cakes. Remind them not to eat the pretend cakes. 9

10 Wonder Questions Worship K1 1.9 In this part of The Big God Story, God knew what His people needed to be cared for in the desert. God wanted to show them how much He loved them, so each day He gave them manna to eat. God loves us as a Father too. I wonder What would it be like to find manna each morning? I wonder Why did God give the Israelites manna instead of any other food? I wonder How has God, as my provider, cared for me and my family? 10

11 Bless 3 min Worship in Singing * Song 1 Don t Be a Turkey * Song 2 Every Move I Make * Song 3 In This Life Children are encouraged and guided through a blessing of a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture or words asking God s Spirit to overflow from the child s life, for the purpose of declaring God s protection, joy and wisdom. Read this Blessing over the children as they hold their hands out in a posture to receive from the Holy Spirit. Children, may you live with a grateful heart this week, knowing that God cares for you. May you trust Him as your provider, and may you always trust in His good plans for you. Once you ve blessed the group, invite the kids to break up into pairs and bless each other. Condense the blessing above and simply have them look at their partner and repeat after you, May you trust God as your provider. The Mighty One has done great things for me holy is his name. Luke 1:49 HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week s lesson! This pre-teaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God s Word together before children arrive at church. 11