The Kings Men Bible Study Leader s Guide

Transcription

1 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8: 37 The Kings Men Bible Study Leader s Guide 1

2 Bible Study Leaders Guide For Royal Ambassador & Boys Camps The Kings Men Bible Study was written by Jack & Cassandra Smallwood Logo and design by South Plains College Graphic Design Copies are available for download on the Texas Baptist Men Website see the RA section then go to summer camps. Call Jack with any questions or comments or 2

3 The Kings Men Bible Study Leaders Guide Day 1 The Armor of Light Bible Story: The Roman Commander (powerful soldier lays down his authority and trusts Jesus) Matthew 8:5-13 (key verse is verse 8) Aim: Boys will learn how to respond in faith to Jesus our Savior through the plan of salvation. Memory Verse: Romans 13:12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Getting Ready: (Here s everything you need to get ready for this session. Underlined items are enclosed in this packet. You will need to provide italicized items.) Meeting Opener: Meeting Feature: Meeting Closing: Tape Military Service Signs to walls Mark the passage in Matthew in your Bible and be familiar with the Day 1 Bible Story so that you will be able to tell it, rather than read it. Be familiar with the Road Markers Poster and be prepared to answer questions about it. Be prepared to explain each piece of Roman Centurion s armor according to the enclosed handout. Examples or pictures of piece of armor would be a bonus! Teach the Lesson: Meeting Opener: As the first Bible Study of the week, this is a great time to introduce yourself to the boys and have the boys introduce themselves to each other. Have the boys choose a favorite branch of military service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines). Divide the boys by chosen branches (under signs), then explain that in both Medieval times and in Jesus time, there were no different branches of military life, but that all soldiers fought together under powerful leaders. Remind the boys that military life was a life-long commitment and that a soldier s family would usually follow him from battlefield to battlefield, outpost to outpost. Have the boys come together in formation of your choice and 3

4 request that they listen carefully to the story of the Roman Centurion and his encounter with Jesus. Meeting Feature: Open your Bible to Matthew 8:5-13 and tell the Day 1 Bible Story. Point out to the boys that even though the Centurion was very powerful (in charge of 100 men) and rich (able to build a church) he put his faith in Jesus to heal his friend. Remind the boys that verse 8 says the Centurion believed that if Jesus just say the word, and my servant will be healed. Ask the boys if they ve ever heard of the Roman Road. Explain that the Roman Road is a pathway through the book of Romans that shows us the way to eternal life with Jesus. Show the boys the Road Markers Poster and explain that this same information is in their Camp Books. Go over each Marker with the boys, taking time to answer questions. Remind the boys that if they want to make a decision for Jesus like the Roman Centurion did or if they want to learn more, they can ask YOU, their LEADER or any other ADULT at this camp. Meeting Closing: Tell the boys the Roman Empire grew so quickly because of its large and skillful army. Explain that a soldier s life was very tough; they were well armed and trained for dangerous battles. Describe each piece of the Roman Centurion s armor and then remind the boys that his strongest weapon was his faith in Jesus. Voice a closing prayer, praying specifically for each boy s salvation. 4

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10 Day 1 Bible Story - The Faith of the Centurion Background Scripture Matthew 8:5-13 After healing the many people, Jesus returned with his disciples to Capernaum. News of his coming reached the city before he arrived, and his friends were glad to hear that he would be with them again. Other people besides those who knew him were glad to hear of his coming. One of them was a Roman, a captain of a band of one hundred Roman soldiers. He was called a centurion. This centurion was friendly toward the Jews. He treated them kindly, and was never rough to them. He even built for them a church and because of his kindness to them the Jews respected him although he was a Roman. One day a servant of the centurion became sick. On the next day he grew worse, and soon it seemed that he could not live much longer. The centurion loved this servant and grieved because he was ill. Then news came that Jesus had returned to Capernaum. Now, the centurion had heard about the sick people whom Jesus had cured. He knew Jesus could heal his servant, but he felt too unworthy to go to Jesus and ask him to do this. He was a Roman, and he knew that Jesus was a Jew. He may have feared that Jesus would not be quite willing to heal his servant because he was a Gentile. But he loved his servant very dearly and he was willing to try some way to have Jesus come and heal him. So he called for the Jewish teachers in the synagogue which he had built and asked them to go to Jesus and ask him to heal the sick man. And they gladly went. When these Jewish teachers came to Jesus they told him about the centurion's desire that he come and heal the servant. They told him also about the kindness of this Roman captain, and how he had built their synagogue. "He is a worthy man," they said; "for he loves our nation." And Jesus went with them. As they were nearing the centurion's home they saw some men coming to meet them. These men were friends of the centurion, whom he had sent to tell Jesus that he need not come into the house to heal the sick man. The centurion did not feel worthy to have such a great person as Jesus enter under the roof of 10

11 his house, and he felt himself too unworthy to go out to meet Jesus. So he had sent his friends to carry his message to Jesus. And this was the message: "Lord, do not trouble yourself to come into my house, for I am not worthy to receive so great a man as you are. Just speak the word, and my servant will be made well. I know you have power to command sickness to depart, just as I have power to command my soldiers to obey me." When Jesus heard these words he was greatly pleased. He turned about and spoke to the curious people who were following, hoping to see another miracle. He said to them, "Nowhere among the Jews have I found such great faith in me as this Gentile captain has shown." Then he told the friends of the centurion that the servant would be made well. When they returned to the house they found the servant healed. And they saw how great was the power of Jesus to heal the sick, even when he did not come near to the place where they lay. 11

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13 Roman Centurion Armor Tunic: this was made of rough wool and reach to the thigh. It was not until later that short trousers were worn. Metal Jacket: this flexible armor was made of metal strips. They were so heavy the soldiers had to help each other put them on. A Belt: the decorated leather strips gave protection during a battle. These belts jangled as the army marched to scare the enemy. Sandals: these sandals were designed to help the Romans march very quickly. They were strong, light and well ventilated. Helmet: centurions and other officers wore crests on the top of their helmets so that the other men could follow them in battle. Pack: each man had a heavy pack with a tool kit, a dish and a pan. The pack held personal items and three days food rations. Javelin: these had a sharp point to pierce shields and armor. Javelins would be thrown through the air to break the enemies charge. A Sword: this short sword was called a Gladius and it was a terrible stabbing weapon. The soldiers could use them easily in the crush of a battle. 13

14 The Kings Men Bible Study Leaders Guide Day 2 The Full Armor of God Bible Story: David and Goliath (a young boy eschews the armor of the army and chooses thearmor God has for him) 1 Samuel 17 (key verse is verse 47) Aim: Boys will learn that if we put on the full armor of God we will be able to stand against evil. Memory Verse: Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Getting Ready: (Here s everything you need to get ready for this session. Underlined items are enclosed in this packet. You will need to provide italicized items.) Meeting Opener: Become familiar with the rules to Arkansas Rocks game. Space rock sets randomly placed around room for play. Meeting Feature: Mark the passage in 1 Samuel in your Bible and be familiar with the Day 2 Bible Story so that you will be able to tell it, rather than read it. Be familiar with the Armor of God Poster and be prepared to answer questions about it. Meeting Closing: Make 10 copies of the Armor of God Crossword for each Bible Study session and sharpen pencils. Teach the Lesson: Meeting Opener: Pair the boys for an Arkansas Rocks tournament. Explain the rules, encouraging fair play. Inform the boys that during times of peace, soldiers often held tournaments to keep their fighting skills sharp. Such games included chariot and horse racing, javelin throws, jousting, sword fighting and wrestling. Also important to soldiers were strategy games similar to Arkansas rocks and chess that kept the mind sharp. 14

15 Award the tourney winner a bag of rocks (to be picked up after the lesson) to practice with at home and ask the boys to get into formation for a story about a boy who won a war singlehandedly. Meeting Feature: Open your Bible to 1 Samuel 17 and tell the Day 2 Bible Story. Point out to the boys that even though the David was young and very small, he put his faith in God. Remind the boys that in verse 47 David reminds the victorious Israelites that the battle is the LORD's. Ask the boys if they remember all the gear and weapons the Roman Centurion from yesterday s story had to wear? Explain that soldiers in David s time wore armor like that, but that David felt it was too heavy. Instead he wore the armor of God. Show the boys the Armor of God Poster and explain that this same information is in their Camp Books. Explain each piece of the Armor of God, taking time to answer questions. Remind the boys that through Jesus, we can all have this armor for ourselves. Meeting Closing: Pass out pencils and have the boys find the Armor of God Crossword in their Camp Books. Pass out copies of crossword to those boys who do not have their Camp Books. Remind the boys that the description of the Armor of God can be found in Ephesians 6:11. Either work the puzzle as a group or in original tournament teams of two. As the boys are working, remind them that although most boys don t fight wars anymore, we all face battles in our lives. Some boys face battles at home and others at school. Sometimes the battles are within us. Emphasize that God has won all battles and with Him, so can we. Voice a closing prayer, praying specifically for each boy to have the courage to take up the armor of God in everyday battles. 15

16 Arkansas Rocks Arrange 15 rocks in the following pattern 3 rocks in the first row, 5 rocks in the second row, and 7 rocks in the third row. Two players take turns removing one or more rocks from one of the rows. A player can only remove rocks from one row at a time and if a player decides to remove more than one rock, those rocks must be adjacent to one another. During his turn a player has to remove at least one rock but he can choose to remove several or all of the rocks in one row. The object of the game is to force your opponent to pick up the last rock. This game goes quickly once the rules are explained. 16

17 Day 2 Bible Story David & Goliath Background Scripture 1 Samuel 17 (key verse 47) All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." Saul had been king, but he kept disobeying God so God asked Samuel to find a new king. God said to Samuel, "Go to Bethlehem and there is a man named Jesse with eight sons. One of them will be the next king." When Samuel first met the sons he automatically thought that the oldest son named Eliab would be the king that God had chosen. But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at the way he looks or how big he is. Eliab is not the one I have chosen, the way he looks doesn't matter to me, I look at the heart." Jesse brought more of his sons to meet Samuel but none of them were the one God had chosen either. Samuel asked Jesse, "Have I met all your sons?" Jesse replied, "I have one son left named David, he's the youngest, and he's out looking after the sheep. I will bring him here to meet you." As soon as Samuel saw him the Lord spoke to him and said, "He is the one." So Samuel anointed him with oil which was a special way of promising him that he would be the next king. And from that day on the power of the Lord was with David. David continued to take care of his father's sheep in the fields. When he didn't have much to do in the field he played instruments, and wrote songs and poems that you can find in the book of Psalms in your Bible. Meanwhile Saul was still king and he ruled people called Israelites. David and his family were Israelites too. The Israelites weren't getting along with people named the Philistines. The problem with the Philistines was that they had many giants living in their land. One of the strongest and biggest giants was named Goliath. He was over nine feet tall, which is taller than any person recorded in the Guinness Book of World 17

18 Records. He would've had to bend way down to get through a regular door. Goliath was covered with armor to protect him and he carried a big spear. Every morning and every evening for forty days he shouted to the Israelites in his big deep voice, "Hey, you guys! I dare you to find one man to fight me. If he can beat me we will become your servants, but if I win you will all become our servants." When Saul and all his men heard this they were very afraid. Three of these men were David's three oldest brothers. They were the only ones in David's family that could go fight because they were old enough. Now David's father Jesse heard about the giant and was worried for his sons. He called David out of the fields and asked him to take some food to his brothers and report back how they are doing. So David set off to visit his brothers. As he approached them he heard Goliath shouting his challenge like he did every morning. "Isn't someone going to stand up to this man?" David asked the men in the army. "Then I will fight this giant Philistine." One of the men overheard this and ran to Saul and told him what David said. Saul approached David and said, "You can't fight Goliath, you're only a boy and he has been fighting for many years." But David said to Saul, "I have had to fight lions and bears to protect my father's sheep. God helped keep me safe then and he will help keep me safe now." It was too bad that Saul the king wasn't trusting in God to help him; he didn't know what to do to beat Goliath. Then this young boy named David came and he knew in one day exactly what to do, and trusted that God would help him. That's why God loved David's heart and wanted him to be king. 18

19 So Saul dressed David in heavy armor to protect him from Goliath but David took it off. It was so heavy he could hardly walk and he knew that God would keep him from harm. Instead David went to a stream nearby and found five smooth stones, put them in a pouch around his waist, and with his sling he went to Goliath. As David approached Goliath, Goliath looked at David and thought it was a joke. Goliath thought that he could easily beat David and it was funny that Saul would send a small boy to fight him. But David said to him without fear, "You fight with a sword and I come with God on my side and today everyone will know that there is one true God in this land." Goliath didn't care what David said and he moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly to meet him. Reaching into his pouch he pulled out a stone, put it into his slingshot and shot it at Goliath. The stone had hit him right between his eyes and suddenly Goliath started to lose his balance. He fell with a loud thud right on his face. David had done it, he beat the giant Philistine! When the rest of the Philistines saw this they ran away and David became a hero to all the people in Israel. 19

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22 The Kings Men Bible Study Leaders Guide Day 3 We Are More Than Conquerors Bible Story: The Kings Men (Jesus heals a soldier to press the cause of peace) John 18:1-11 (key verse is verse 9) Aim: Boys will learn that the battle is over; Christ has already won the war. It is not our job to conquer, but to show those we are contact with that faith in Jesus is the only true freedom. Memory Verse: Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Getting Ready: (Here is everything you need to get ready for this session. Underlined items are enclosed in this packet. You will need to provide italicized items.) Meeting Opener: Familiarize yourself with the rules to Chinese Whispers and the Day 3 Memory Verse. Meeting Feature: Meeting Closing: Mark the passage in John in your Bible and be familiar with the Day 3 Bible Story so that you will be able to tell it, rather than read it. Be familiar with the Great Commission question/answers (within teaching outline) and be prepared to answer questions about them. Familiarize yourself with the rules to Dark City in the Camp Book and be prepared to share with the boys. Teach the Lesson: Meeting Opener: Have the boys form a circle for the Chinese Whispers game. 22

23 Explain the rules of the game and begin with a simple phrase such as Jesus loves you. Continue the game as more boys arrive, increasing the difficulty of the phrase by passing the Memory verse for today. When the Memory verse has passed to approximately 1/4 th of the group, Make the passing more difficult by distracting the boys with funny faces, hand claps, finger snaps, etc. Explain to the boys that messages are difficult to pass, but become especially difficult when the giver and receiver are distracted. Ask the boys to return to formation for a story about how Jesus message of peace was nearly derailed by Peter s sword action. Meeting Feature: Open your Bible to John 18 and tell the Day 3 Bible Story. Point out to the boys that even though Peter cut off a man s ear, Jesus was able to salvage the situation by healing the man and going with the guards peacefully. Remind the boys that all this week we ve talked about soldiers and battles, but that today we re gonna talk about peace. Ask the boys to give you some examples of reasons men fight wars. Some examples might be land/property, to protect and share beliefs, money, etc. Remind the boys that Jesus fought a war with Satan and that He won. Share John 19:30 with the boys, placing special emphasis on the phrase it is finished. Explain to the boys that Jesus death and resurrection was the final battle in the war and anyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior can share in that victory and the peace that comes with it. Remind the boys that today s Memory verse says we are more than just conquerors. By Jesus death and resurrection the battle has been won; our job is to share that Good News with the world. Ask the boys if they ve ever heard of the Great Commission. Explain that the Great Commission was a new mission given by Jesus to all Christians. Read Matthew 28: to the boys and use the following questions/answers to explain ways the boys can complete the new mission: o What s the first step in completing the mission? You must become a Christian. Just like you can share whether or not you like Funyuns until you ve tried them, you can share Jesus love until you ve experienced it. o What s the easiest way to complete the mission? The easiest way to share Jesus love with others is to be a good example in your home, in your school and in your community. People believe what they see much more easily than what they hear. Always be a good picture. o What s the most extreme way to complete the mission? The most extreme way to complete the mission is to go out into the world and share God s love with those who haven t heard it. Sometimes that means going down the block in your own town, but other times that means going across the world. This week you ve met missionaries who ve done both. Be sure to ask them how they re completing the mission. 23

24 o What are some other ways to complete the mission? Some other ways to complete the mission is to pray for and give money to people who are already doing missions. God calls some of us to go, but we can t all go, therefore, God calls some of us to pray and support. Those extreme missionaries can t be extreme without those who pray and support. Remind the boys that all Christians are called to this mission, but if they feel God is calling them to EXTREMES and they want to learn more, they can ask YOU, their LEADER or any other ADULT at this camp. Meeting Closing: Ask the boys if they re familiar with a game called Dark City? Explain that you won t be playing Dark City at Camp this year, but that the rules to the game are in their Camp Books and encourage them to play the game at their home church. Remind the boys that the war is won- Jesus said it is finished- but that we have a new mission that must be completed. Voice a closing prayer, praying specifically for each boy s mission. Chinese Whispers Have the boys form a circle so that they can whisper to their immediate neighbor but not hear any players further away. A phrase will be told by the leader and the first player whispers it as quietly as possible to his neighbor. The neighbor then passes on the message to the next player to the best of his ability. The passing continues in this fashion until it reaches the player at the end of the line, who says to the leader the message he received. 24

25 Day 3 Bible Story Jesus heals the soldiers ear. Background Scripture John 18:1-11 (Key verse Jn 18-9) Jesus and His disciples were praying in the garden. Suddenly they heard voices saw many lights coming their way and they were afraid. Peter saw the religious leaders. They carried clubs and swords. His enemies, Peter gasped at John. Then he hissed, Look! There was Judas. Peter asked, Why would Judas be talking to our enemies? Peter already knew the answer. Judas had just told the religious leaders, Arrest the man I kiss. I ll show you who he is. Judas headed toward Jesus. Teacher! he called out. Judas, Jesus said, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? Judas could not look Jesus in the eye. He hugged the man who had been everything to him, teacher, friend, God. Then Judas turned away without looking back. In a flash, the chief priests and elders grabbed Jesus. He didn t even struggle. I am the One you are looking for. Now let these others go, said Jesus, meaning the rest of His disciples. Suddenly, Peter takes out a sword and cuts the ear of one of the soldiers! Stop it! Jesus cried. Put your sword away. People who hurt others will end up getting hurt themselves! Then Jesus touched the soldier s ear and healed him. Jesus said to Peter. If I had wanted to fight back, I would ask my Father to send thousands of angels to fight for me, but if I did that, I would not be doing what my Father wants. Don t you see? If you fight them, I can t do what I came here to do. When the guards moved in, Peter and the other disciples ran and hid. They were afraid of being arrested with Jesus. When Peter and the others ran away, Jesus was left alone with his enemies. It took a few moments for the soldiers to realize Jesus was not going to fight. Then they pushed Him and Jesus stumbled as they led him away from the garden. 25

26 Dark City Dark City is a large-group form of Hide-and-Seek meant to pantomime the struggle missionaries face in countries and cities where sharing the word of God is illegal and/or otherwise dangerous. While props do create a stronger illustration, they are not necessary to play. This game is played in designated areas only so be sure to communicate which areas of the church/park/home are off-limits. This game is played in the dark, so accidents do happen. Please encourage fair play and safety. Divide the group into two teams, of which, the majority of players will be Missionaries and the only a handful (3-5) will be Enforcers. One leader will be designated as the Pastor. Each Missionary will need a cardboard Bible and Each Enforcer will need a flashlight. Two areas will need to be designated: one near the center of the playing field should be designated the Church and another toward the outer edge of the playing field should be designated the Jail. The area designated as the Church is secret and not announced to either the Missionaries or the Enforcers. The Pastor is stationed in the Church and one Enforcer is stationed in the Jail. Play begins when the Missionaries are released to deliver their Bibles to the Pastor. Enforcers are released to find the Missionaries and place them in Jail before they can deliver their Bible. The Church is considered a safe haven, but Missionaries can leave the Church to rescue one jailed Missionary at a time. The game is over when all Bibles have been delivered to the Pastor. 26