10 MINUTES. ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, and it is 100% accurate, reliable, and authoritative.

Transcription

1 PRELUDE SOCIAL WORSHIP GROUPS HOME Chief Executive Officer Reggie Joiner Creative Team Kristen Ivy Mike Clear Molly Bell Elloa Davis Elizabeth Hansen Jessica McKee Brandon O Dell Greg Payne Phil Pierce Dan Scott Jon Williams Contributing Writers Jodi Blackwell Becky Jarrett Cara Martens Kelly Nishi Julie Tiemann Mike Tiemann John Tillman Adam Walsh Editors Molly Bell Elloa Davis Dana Wilkerson Illustrations & Graphic Design Brian Bascle Mike Davis Joe Goode Technical & Web Support Hadley Brandt Orange Specialists Amy Grisham Abbey Carr Amy Fenton Leslie Galema Misty Phillips Stephanie Porter Courtney Templeton Statement of Faith ABOUT GOD God is the one and only true God, yet He exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator, so everything belongs to Him and is under His control. God is holy, so He is righteous, majestic, and loving. God is all knowing and purposeful, so He s at work to bring about His will. No person, thing, or idea compares to God. ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, and it is 100% accurate, reliable, and authoritative. ABOUT PEOPLE People are made in God s image and for His pleasure. But everybody falls short of God s intention, or ideal, for people. In other words, everyone has sinned. As a result, we are all separated from Him, even though He wants an intimate relationship with each of us. ABOUT SALVATION That s why Jesus God s Son came and lived on this earth, died, and rose again. God offers His free gift of salvation to all who believe in Jesus and accept Him as Savior the only way to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Anyone who accepts this gift is adopted as a son or daughter into God s family and will live with Him forever in heaven. User Agreement Orange gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licensees to tailor 252 Basics materials to fit their unique leadership requirements, locale and format preferences, and physical environment needs. However, if you wish to edit the content substantively, including Bible stories, learning activities, scripts, and any other content in which biblical principles and concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we ve expressed in our Statement of Faith. These resources are intended to be downloaded and printed for use by the subscribing entity only and may not be electronically transferred to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. Any unauthorized reproduction of this material or incorporation into a new work is a direct violation of US copyright laws The rethink Group. All rights reserved. 252 Basics and the 252 Basics logo are trademarks of Orange and the rethink Group. Scripture marked NIrV is taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL READER S VERSION. Copyright 1996, 1998, 2014 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scripture marked NIV is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

2 PRELUDE SOCIAL WORSHIP GROUPS HOME BIBLE The Comeback Jesus is Crucified, Buried, and Resurrected John 18:12-20:23 BOTTOM LINE I can put others first because Jesus put me first. MEMORY VERSE Don t do anything only to get ahead. Don t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. Philippians 2:3, NIrV LIFE APP 15 MINUTES 25 MINUTES 10 MINUTES 25 MINUTES PRELUDE: Setting the tone for the experience For Leaders Only Create the Environment SOCIAL: Providing time for fun interaction Ideas for Early Arrivers Give Away More : Communicating God s truth in engaging ways Opener Worship Bible Story Prayer Closer WORSHIP: Inviting people to respond to God What a Savior from Turn It Up Generation for You from Alive Good Good Father from Kidmin Worship Vol. 4 GROUPS: Creating a safe place to connect Worth Saving? How Far Will You Give? Knocked Out Prayer HOME: Prompting action beyond the experience GodTime Parent Cue Humility putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve. BASIC TRUTH I should treat others the way I want to be treated. PAGE 2

3 PRELUDE SOCIAL WORSHIP GROUPS HOME BIBLE The Comeback Jesus is Crucified, Buried, and Resurrected John 18:12-20:23 BOTTOM LINE I can put others first because Jesus put me first. MEMORY VERSE Don t do anything only to get ahead. Don t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. Philippians 2:3, NIrV LIFE APP Humility putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve. BASIC TRUTH I should treat others the way I want to be treated. GETTING READY 1. OPENER/CLOSER WHAT YOU NEED: Host Soccer uniform for Host (all month) Soccer ball 30 balloons; three different colors ten each, filled with air (not helium) Three laundry baskets Basket of loose Peeps Three boxes of Peeps Amazing soccer goals video (see What You Do ) Music and Sound Effects (SFX): High-energy sports/stadium music to use as kids enter and exit the room (such as Get Ready for This, Kernkraft 400 from 1:56-3:04, Eye of the Tiger, Rock and Roll, Pt. 2, Gonna Make You Sweat karaoke version) High-energy music for the game (can be one of the above) Buzzer Large Group Visuals (downloadable from the website): Goal! Theme Slide Humility Slide Bottom Line Slide WHAT YOU DO: Download the slides and have them ready to use. If you do not have CG capabilities, you have Orange s permission to enlarge and print the slides on paper. Google a video of a few amazing soccer goals (about 30 seconds worth) and have them ready to play. Fill 30 balloons with air and put each color in its own laundry basket. Have them onstage and ready for the Host to use during the Opener. (NOTE: Be aware of possible latex allergies in your children s ministry.) 2. BIBLE WHAT YOU NEED: Four different Storytellers (see What You Do ) Bible Floor markings so the Storytellers know where to stand in their spotlights PAGE 3

4 Large, light-up letters spelling out ALIVE Megaphone Large Group Visuals (downloadable from the website): John 3:16 Slide Bottom Line Slide WHAT YOU DO: Download the slides and have them ready to use. If you do not have CG capabilities, you have Orange s permission to enlarge and print the slides on paper. This week, you will need four different Storytellers. Storyteller #1 will be on stage, and the other three will be around the room. Set up three spotlight locations in different parts of the room. Make sure the location for Storyteller #4 is near the stage so kids can see the ALIVE letters light up. Purchase or borrow large, light-up letters to spell out ALIVE. (They don t have to match.) Once the lights go out, while Storyteller #2 is speaking, you will need to have Worship Leaders or other helpers place them on stage and have them ready to be lit at the end of the Bible story. 3. WORSHIP WHAT YOU NEED: Worship Leader(s) Music and Sound Effects (SFX): What a Savior from Turn It Up* Generation for You from Alive* Good Good Father from Kidmin Worship Vol. 4* *Live lyrics video available from WHAT YOU DO: Download all songs (available on AmberSkyRecords.com) and have them ready to use. Download and print this week s tech sheet for everyone helping with Large Group. 4. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES GET REEL: This month with Get Reel 2.0, kids will work together to practice humility and find that working together can lead to a goooooal! This week, we recommend playing the Live Loud video to inspire the key faith skill of Worshiping with Your Life. Also on Get Reel 2.0, you can enhance your environment with themed audio transitions (instrumental) to help you move between segments in your Large Group production. PAGE 4

5 SFX: Play high-energy sports/stadium music as kids enter. CG: Goal! Theme Slide Host is on stage in the soccer uniform. OPENER HOST: Hey, guys! HAPPY EASTER! We ve got a lot to celebrate today. We have the most amazing news to share! We celebrate Easter big-time at the [your environment s name] United Football Club. But we celebrate as a team because we re all about HUMILITY! CG: Humility Slide Humility is putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve. Jesus gave us the ultimate example of humility. And Easter is the perfect time to talk about that. He made the biggest sacrifice EVER. He won, but He didn t win for himself. He won for US! Now, before we talk about what Jesus did for us, it s time for you guys to get in some practice reps. Let s work on some agility AND teamwork skills. You see, everybody wants to score spectacular goals like these. VIDEO: Amazing soccer goals Now, those guys and girls are awesome. There s some serious talent. But remember, they scored those amazing goals to help the TEAM win not just themselves. And what you don t always see in those clips are all the other teammates who set them up: the players who defend the goal, the ones who make perfect passes, and the ones who cheer from the sideline. They re as important as the person who puts it in the net. It s a team effort. Everyone has to put each other first! So here s what we re going to do today. Let me get three teams of two up here on stage. We re going to compete to determine which team will be our Easter champion! Bring up three pairs of kids. Dump the balloons out of the laundry baskets in front of them. (To contestants) All right, contestants. You re going to have to put each other first and work together. Each team has ten balloons. You guys are orange, you guys are red, and you guys are blue. When I say, Go, one of you will be the kicker. You have to kick your color balloons toward your partner, and your partner will try to catch the balloons in their laundry basket. This is soccer, so you can do a header if you want, but you can t use your hands! Oh, and I almost forgot! Just to make things a little more interesting, I ll be the goalkeeper and try to thwart your soccer efforts by throwing Peeps at you. Let s see how many balloons you guys can get in your basket in 60 seconds. Good luck! On your marks, get set, GO! SFX: High-energy music Contestants try to kick their balloons into their partners laundry baskets while Host throws Peeps at them. PAGE 5

6 SFX: Buzzer (after 60 seconds) WOW! That was crazy! You showed incredible humility and worked well together. But in the end, [kids names] scored the most goals. Way to go! But how about some Peeps for all three teams, because hey, it s Easter! Host dismisses contestants to their seats. He gives each team a box of Peeps. Go ahead and stand up, everybody, because we re about to sing to our God and thank Him for the amazing news of Easter! Worship Leaders enter as Host exits. WORSHIP WORSHIP LEADER: I m so glad that we get to sing and praise Jesus together on this special day. On Easter we celebrate that Jesus is alive! And He gives that life to us so stand to your feet and let s give all we have to praising Jesus our Savior. SFX: What a Savior / track 9 from Turn It Up Yeah. Psalm 13:6 says: I will sing praise to the LORD. He has been so good to me (NIrV). On the count of three I want you to cheer and make some noise to give praise to Jesus. Ready? One, two, get loud, three! (Pause for response.) Jesus is incredible. Let s keep on singing His praise. This song is about choosing to live for Him in all we do. SFX: Generation for You / track 9 from Alive Storyteller #1 enters as Worship Leaders exit. SETTING UP THE TELLER #1: Hey, everyone! I m so glad we get to celebrate Easter today and talk about what Jesus did for us. It is THE most important, most amazing story you will ever hear! We started out the month talking about how Jesus and His friends had come to the city of Jerusalem. (Hold up Bible.) At this point the disciples had been hanging out with Jesus for three years, and they had seen Him do the most amazing things. He had healed people and walked on water. He had fed a crowd with one boy s dinner. He had even brought people who had been dead back to life. And on top of all that, He claimed to be the one and only Son of God! You might remember that when Jesus and the disciples arrived in Jerusalem, they shared the Passover meal. At that meal, Jesus showed what it meant to serve by washing His friends feet. Imagine that! Then they went to a garden called Gethsemane so Jesus could pray. He was troubled, and He asked His Father if there was any other way that He could rescue us without having to die on a cross. In the end, He was willing to say YES to God s plan because He knew what it would mean for all of us. PAGE 6

7 A mob sent by the high priest had come to arrest Jesus, and most of His followers had run away and scattered. They were scared and confused. They knew Jesus had been giving hints and warning them that things were about to change. He had told them He was going away. But what did it all mean? Storyteller #2 enters and goes to her mark on the floor, ready for the spotlight. LIGHTS: Spotlight on Storyteller #2. All other lights dark. Note: Once the room goes dark, Worship Leaders enter and set up the ALIVE letters on stage so they re ready for the reveal. Storyteller #1 can stay on stage to help as well. TRIALS TELLER #2: The people took Jesus to the high priest first to Annas, then to Caiaphas. Peter and John followed at a distance. They were too scared to stand up for Jesus, but they had to see what was going to happen next. Pick up the megaphone. The high priest Caiaphas questioned Jesus. He said (use megaphone): Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God (Matthew 26:63 NIrV). (No megaphone) Jesus said yes, it was true. And this was a HUGE deal. As far as all the religious leaders were concerned, Jesus had just committed the greatest crime imaginable: claiming to be God. They hauled Jesus off to the Roman governor named Pilate. The religious leaders wanted Jesus dead, but when Pilate had interviewed Jesus, and he found no reason to bring a charge against Him. Pilate had Jesus whipped and crowned with thorns to satisfy the religious leaders. But only one thing would please the crowd. They shouted (use megaphone): Crucify him! Crucify him! (John 19:6 NIrV). (No megaphone) Pilate once again interviewed Jesus and tried to set Him free. But the mob was ruthless. So finally Pilate handed Jesus over to the religious leaders. Storyteller #3 enters and goes to his mark on the floor, ready for the spotlight. Storyteller #2 goes onstage after her spotlight is out. LIGHTS: Spotlight on Storyteller #3. Cut spotlight on Storyteller #2. All other lights stay dark. CRUCIFIXION / DEATH / BURIAL TELLER #3: Soldiers took charge of Jesus, leading Him away to be hung on a cross. Jesus could have called on God at any time to send angel armies to protect Him. But He didn t. He let Himself be nailed to a cross between two other men. PAGE 7

8 Jesus saw His friend John and His mother Mary. He said to her: Dear woman, here is your son (John 19:26 NIrV), Jesus said to her. Then He nodded toward John and said: Here is your mother (John 19:27 NIrV). He was asking John to take care of her like his own mother. Even as He was dying, Jesus was thinking of others and putting them before His own pain. Soon after, Jesus cried out: It is finished (John 19:30 NIrV). Then He bowed His head... and died. (Pause.) John, and all of Jesus friends, were devastated. It seemed like all hope was lost. It seemed that Jesus had given himself up for nothing. Before the sun went down, a man named Joseph took Jesus body and buried it in a garden tomb. Nicodemus, a religious leader who had followed Jesus, helped him. Together, they rolled a heavy stone into place against the entrance. Storyteller #4 enters and goes to her mark on the floor (near the stage), ready for the spotlight. Storyteller #3 goes onstage after his spotlight is out. LIGHTS: Spotlight on Storyteller #4. Cut spotlight on Storyteller #3. All other lights stay dark. TOMB IS EMPTY TELLER #4: For three long days, Jesus friends hid out, afraid the religious leaders would come for them next. But on the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene rushed in at the home where Peter and John were staying. (Enthusiastically) She said: They have taken the Lord out of the tomb! We don t know where they have put him (John 20:2 NIrV). Peter and John burst through the door and sprinted for the garden. And they couldn t believe their eyes. The stone had been rolled away. The tomb was empty! There was nothing left but the cloths Jesus had been wrapped in. Peter and John went back home. But Mary Magdalene stayed behind, crying. When a man approached, she thought at first He was a gardener. But then she heard Him say her name: (whisper) Mary. And immediately, she could see that it was Jesus! He was ALIVE! LIGHTS: ALIVE letters light up on stage Jesus told her: Go tell everyone who believes in Me. And so Mary Magdalene returned to the disciples, saying: I have seen the Lord! (John 20:18 NIrV). John and the others were, of course, amazed and confused. Jesus was ALIVE?! What they didn t know was that they were about to see Him with their own eyes. That evening, Jesus appeared in the ROOM with them, even though the doors were locked! They were overjoyed to see their Friend and Lord and to know without a doubt that He was ALIVE! He had defeated death for everyone who believes in Him. And His friends would dedicate the rest of their lives to telling others about it. PAGE 8

9 Storyteller #4 goes onstage. All four Storytellers should be on stage at this point, next to the ALIVE letters. LIGHTS: Bring regular lights up again. Keep the ALIVE lights on. Cut spotlights. WRAPPING UP THE TELLER #1: It s the greatest news ever. Jesus is ALIVE! He conquered death and came back to life to prove that He really is God s Son and that He really did come to offer us forgiveness for our sins and give us a way back to being friends with God. TELLER #2: John 3:16 says this. CG: John 3:16 Storyteller #2 opens the Bible to John 3:16 and reads. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life (NIrV). TELLER #3: Our sin separates us from God. But God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross to take care of our sin problem so it wouldn t be in the way of our relationship with Him. TELLER #4: All you need to do is BELIEVE. Put your faith and trust in what Jesus has done for YOU. When you do that, you receive the gift of eternal life a personal relationship with God that starts now and goes on until forever with Him in Heaven. CG: Bottom Line Slide TELLER #1: We can follow Jesus example, too. We can show humility and put others first, because we know that s what He has done for us. Remember: [Bottom Line] I can put others first because Jesus put me first. TELLERS #2, #3, and #4: [Bottom Line] I can put others first because Jesus put me first. TELLER #1: Let s pray. PRAY TELLER #1: God, thank You so much for the incredible victory of Easter. Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay for our sins so that we can believe and have a friendship with You that lasts forever. Thank You that we know Jesus is ALIVE and that we have such amazing news to celebrate today. Help us to put others first because Jesus put US first. We love You and we ask these things in Jesus name, amen. All Storytellers exit. Worship Leaders enter. PAGE 9

10 WORSHIP WORSHIP LEADER: Wow, today has been incredible. Stand to your feet and let s get ready to worship. I love joining together to remember and celebrate what Jesus did for us. Through it all, I can t help but give God thanks for His goodness to us. He made a way for us to have eternal life through Jesus. Let s lift up our voices to give thanks for the goodness of God we have experienced. I know you know this one, so sing this with me. SFX: Good Good Father / track 2 from Kidmin Worship Vol. 4 Host enters as Worship Leaders exit. CLOSER HOST: What Jesus did for all of us takes my breath away! Jesus is God s Son. He could have called down angels to save Him when He was arrested, during His fake trial, and when He was up on the cross. But He didn t. He chose to put US first when He gave up His own life. He knew that s what it would take to give us the chance for life forever with Him. Because of what Jesus did, you don t have to live life just focused on yourself and what you want. Because Jesus put others first, He made a way for you to follow His example. You ll probably never be in a place to die for someone else, but you get chances every day to give up something for the people around you. It might be a few minutes of your time. It might be the awesome cookie in your lunch. It might be asking your friends to donate toys to kids in foster care instead of buying you birthday gifts. Whatever the situation, God can give you the strength to put others first. That s why this is the most important thing to remember today. CG: Bottom Line [Bottom Line] I can put others first because Jesus put me first. Jesus lived, died, and rose again! And when you believe that for yourself, an amazing thing happens. God begins to change you from the inside out. He can give you the ability to put others first in everything and to [Basic Truth] treat others the way you want to be treated. And now it s time for you guys to head back to Small Group and talk some more about putting others first. Have a great time! Host dismisses children to their small groups. As they exit, he kicks the soccer ball around. SFX: Play high-energy sports/stadium music as the kids exit. PAGE 10