7.3 Large Group Lesson Elementary

Transcription

1 February 17 th, 2019 Hide-n-Seek Do Not Judge Others BIG IDEA: Jesus wants us to think about our own mistakes before pointing out others. BIBLE BASIS: Matthew 7:1-5 KEY VERSE: First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend s eye. Matthew 7: minutes minutes 7 15 minutes minutes Scripture marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scripture marked NIrV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader s Version, Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. All scripture references are taken from NIrV unless otherwise stated Mooblio. All rights reserved. 1

2 User Agreement: The GO! curriculum by Mooblio is intended for download and print by subscribing entities only. It may not be transferred electronically to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. If the GO! curriculum is cost prohibitive for your organization, please contact us about assistance. We are awesomely generous! All use must be in accordance with the Terms of Use agreement as described on the website I hated the red pen. You know the one I'm talking about. The red pen that marked all my wrong answers. That brightly proclaimed every grammatical error. The red pen that smugly declared the value of my half-hearted efforts at the top of the page. The red pen judges me. A 2010 study led by a Tufts University graduate student named Michael Slepian tested the difference between using a red pen and a black pen. Participants in the study were given incomplete words and had to fill in missing letters. For example, fai_ could be completed as fail or fair ; 'wro_' could be wrong or wrote. Those using red pens completed 28 percent more word-stems with words related to errors and poor performance than did people using black pens. 'The idea is if you are holding a red pen, the failure-related words come to mind more easily,' says Slepian. Isn't that interesting? And other studies have produced similar results. That got me thinking. Am I a "red pen" person? Do I look for opportunities to call out the weaknesses of the people around me? Do I enjoy correcting their every error? Am I the self-proclaimed expert in too many conversations? Do I enjoy the bright red strokes a little too much? Often, I do. Not always, but too often. I tend to see shortcomings before I see strengths. Quicker to criticize than to compliment. The problem is "red pen" people never seem to run out of ink. I don't want to be that way. I'm putting my red pen down. Casey Jordan GO! Contributor 2018 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 2

3 The Basics of Blocking: Movement, Planting, and Stillness One of the most effective tools in a communicator s tool belt is blocking. No I m not talking about preventing anyone from scoring or obstructing anyone s view. Blocking is a drama term and it refers to the movement and positioning of people on the stage. Skilled actors and communicators know how to use their body to bolster their message and to create visual interest. Here are a few tips to get you started. Be intentional with your movement. Communicators without a blocking plan often wander aimlessly around the teaching area. To prevent this, come up with a plan ahead of time for when and where you re going to move. If you write it into your lesson, it can even help with memorization. Create reasons to move. Effective movement has purpose to it. If you simply move back and forth across the teaching area without purpose, you look more like a caged animal than anything. To fix this, create reasons to move. Place your Bible to the side of the teaching area or even the back of the room. This gives you a reason to move to those areas. Do the same with any other materials or props that you might use during the lesson. Create different areas to serve different purposes. Learn to plant yourself. Pacing and other repetitive motions are distracting. When you ve made a purposeful movement to a new area, plant your feet. Keep them planted until you re ready to make another purposeful movement. Be still. Movement and stillness are the yin and yang of teaching. They both need each other and complement each other. Whereas planting is about the feet, stillness is about the whole body. After a series of purposeful movements, choose a moment to cease all movement. This is especially effective during tender moments when you want your words to sink deep into your audience s heart Mooblio. All rights reserved. 3

4 Where oh where could it be? Hide-n-Seek is all about revealing that which is hidden and making truth easy to see! Jesus loved to help blind people see. Not just physically blind people, but spiritually blind people too! During the Hide-n-Seek series, elementary kids will look high and low for hidden pictures and objects while simultaneously uncovering the not-so-hidden truth about the forever love of Jesus. Place a bandana with a sizeable stick in the teaching area. The bandana will be tied around the leader s head to hold the stick over their eye. Be careful that the stick doesn t have any protrusions that might poke the leader in the eye. Gather the necessary story props for today s story. We have also included printable story pictures (see Recourse Folder) in case there is a prop that you do not have access to. Today s story props/pictures include: o Newspaper o A-frame ladder (No story picture for this one. Must be a real ladder/stepstool/chair.) o Bible (No story picture for this one. Must be a real Bible.) o 2x4 board (approx. 3 feet long) Hide the story props/pictures around the room ahead of time. For the sake of time and group management, try to hide them in places that are at least partially visible from the seating area so that kids don t have to get up and search around the room. Hide them in somewhat challenging, but not impossible, locations. Place a small speck of wood in the teaching area. (Be sure not to lose it.) It could be a small splinter from the 2x4 or from a toothpick. Choose which of the Reflect and Respond stations you would like to make available. Set out the appropriate materials for each of those stations Mooblio. All rights reserved. 4

5 Sound: Hide-n-Seek title graphic PLAY upbeat music as kids move to large group area HIDE-N-SEEK INTRO Before beginning, tie a bandana or something similar around your head to hold a sizeable stick over one of your eyes. Large Group Leader: Hello everybody and welcome to another amazing week of Hide-n-Seek! Today is going to be so much fun! (Appear to be distracted by one of the kids.) Before we get started, though, (point to kid) it looks like you ve got a little something in your eye. It might be a piece of dust or something. You might want to get that out. You re going to have trouble finding the hidden objects with dust in your eye. (Point to another kid.) Hey! It looks like you have something in your eye, too. You should do something about that. It s really distracting for me! (Notice the other kids in the room.) In fact, it looks like you ve all got something in your eyes. Do you kids ever look in the mirror before you come to church? By this point the kids will be objecting that you have a stick in your own eye. After a short time of denying it, check your clear eye, then tell them there s nothing there and they don t know what they re talking about. After further protests, pick up a handheld mirror and look for yourself. Well, how about that! I DO have something in my eye. (Remove the bandana and stick.) I m curious, how did you feel when I told you to get the dust out of your eye when I had a giant stick in my own eye? (Take answers.) Great answers! It seems silly to point out something small in a person s eye when you have something giant like a stick (hold up stick) in your own eye, but the truth is that we all do that sometimes. Now, you might be wondering, When in the world have I ever done something like that? Great question! I think our Bible story for today might help us figure that out. The Big Bible Story graphic Ahead of time, hide the story pictures/props around the room. For the sake of time and group management, try to hide them in places that are at least partially visible from the seating area so that kids don t have to get up and search around the room. Hide them in somewhat challenging, but not impossible, locations. THE BIG BIBLE STORY DO NOT JUDGE OTHERS To get our story started for today, I need for you to find a newspaper. (Retrieve the newspaper once it s found.) News about Jesus was spreading all over the land of Galilee. When people heard Jesus talk about the Kingdom of God and saw Him perform miracles, they couldn t keep it to themselves. They told people, who told more people, who told more people. And after a short time, Jesus had huge crowds following Him. Now I need you to find a ladder. (Retrieve the A-frame ladder once it s found and set it up.) When Jesus saw the crowds, (climb part way up the ladder) He went up on a mountainside and delivered what is now 2018 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 5

6 called the Sermon on the Mount. A sermon is a message about living God s way and a mount is just short for mountain. Jesus was talking about living God s way while sitting on a mountain that s why it s called the Sermon on the Mount. Let s take a look at one of the things Jesus taught in his sermon on the mount. I need you to find my Bible. (The kids may have a Bible of their own, but insist that they find YOUR Bible. Retrieve the Bible once it s found, then open it to Matthew 7:1-2.) Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 7:1-2. Do not judge other people. Then you will not be judged. You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others. Do you know what it means to judge others? (Take answers.) Great answers! When you judge others, it means that you point out all of the bad things that other people do and you think badly about them. But Jesus says to be careful when you do that. Let s find out why. I need you to find a 2x4 board. (Retrieve the board once it s found.) Jesus went on to say, (read vss. 3-5) You look at the bit of sawdust in your friend s eye. But you pay no attention to the piece of wood in your own eye. (Hold the 2x4 board up to your eye.) How can you say to your friend, Let me take the bit of sawdust out of your eye? How can you say this while there is a piece of wood in your own eye? You pretender! First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend s eye. Big Bible Story Questions graphic BIG BIBLE STORY QUESTIONS At the end of the Bible story have the kids turn briefly to their small groups and discuss the following questions: For Younger Kids: Why do you think so many people followed Jesus? Do you remember what it means to judge people? What does it mean? After a few minutes, draw their attention back to the teaching area. You may want to ask the kids for some of their answers to hear what they were thinking. Hide-n-Seek title graphic JESUS LOVES US NO MATTER WHAT I want you to take a look at something. (Put a small speck of wood on your fingertip. It could be a small splinter from the 2x4 or from a toothpick. Hold it close to the kids.) Can you see what s on my fingertip? It s a tiny speck of wood. It s about the size of a piece of dust. Jesus says this piece of dust is like a tiny sin a little bad thing that someone might do. Can you think of a little bad thing kids do? (Take answers.) Now take a look at this. (Hold up the 2x4 from earlier.) Jesus says this piece of wood is like a really big sin a giant bad thing that someone might do. Can you think of a giant bad thing kids do? (Take answers.) Here s what Jesus was warning us against. He said that sometimes we like to point out when our friends or siblings do something that s a little bit bad (hold up the speck), but we don t stop to think about the really bad things that we ve done (hold up the board). He said that s kind of like telling someone they have a piece of dust in their eye when we have a giant piece of wood in our own eye. That s silly! It s not always wrong to tell someone when they re doing something bad. If we do it with love in our heart, we can help them make a better choice. But Jesus wants us to do something first. Our Bible verse for today tells us what that is. Let s look at it together. (Encourage kids to open their Bibles to Matthew 7:5. Be prepared to give younger kids more time and assistance in finding the verse. When ready, choose a 2018 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 6

7 kid to read it aloud or read it aloud yourself while the kids follow along.) First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend s eye. Matthew 7:5 Before you tell someone that they re doing something bad, Jesus says to think about the bad things you re doing. If you stop doing that bad thing and ask for forgiveness, then you ll be able to do a better job helping your friend make good choices too. In fact, I think we should do that right now. Let s sit very quietly for a moment. While it s quiet, think about one of your own sins something bad that you ve done. Silently tell God about it and ask Him to forgive you. After a moment of silence, close the Large group time by praying for the kids in whatever way the Holy Spirit prompts you. Following the prayer, explain to the kids which of the Reflect and Respond Stations will be available. Remind them to move about the stations very quietly. Tell them they are free to respond to God in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads them, but if they need suggestions, some of the stations will give them ideas for how to pray, write, or draw. Give each child one GO! Home sheet and instruct them to take it with them to the stations. Place small group leaders at the different stations to quietly help the kids. The stations listed below are just the ones that have prompts that are specific to today s lesson. For more instructions on how the Reflect and Respond Stations work as well as a full list of possible stations, see the GO! Guide. Music: Hide-n-Seek title graphic (Optional) Play quiet instrumental music Prayer Station prompt: Tell God about a bad choice that you ve made. Ask Him to forgive you Mooblio. All rights reserved. 7