Lesson: Explorers: Hold up each item and allow students to pass it around as you read the following. Collect each item before proceeding to the next.

Transcription

1 Explorer & Trail Blazer Plans October 2, 2016 Memory Verse: Psalm 119:151 You are near, O Lord, and all your words are true. Topic: S- Salvation Story Today s Key Point: The Bible tells us how to be saved. Bible Passages: John 3:3&16, Romans 3:22-23, Romans 10:9-10 Today s Snack: Ritz Crackers Video: During Snack show Buck Denver DVD Chapter 3 One Big Story. Stop at 15:32. Introduction: Remind the cadets that they are in BASIC Training. Tell them we are having a close encounter with God s Word! Very briefly review B and A from BASIC. Tell children that today we will find out what the S stands for. Lesson: Explorers: Hold up each item and allow students to pass it around as you read the following. Collect each item before proceeding to the next. 1.EARTH (globe/earth beachball) God made the earth. In the beginning it was a perfect place. God made two perfect people: Adam & Eve to live in a perfect garden. 2.SERPENT (toy snake) Everything was going just fine until a sneaky snake came along. This evil serpent or snake told Eve she should not obey God. Even though God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from one tree in the garden, they disobeyed God. They ate the fruit. Disobeying God is called sin. 3.BIBLE Adam and Eve are not the only ones who have ever sinned or disobeyed God. The Bible says, We all sin. Any time we do or say something that is wrong, we sin. Can you give me an example of sin? (elicit answers or give examples children can relate to) The Bible also says that all sin is punished with death. 4.CROSS (small cross) Jesus was punished for us. He died on the cross so that we won t be punished for our sins. Jesus never did anything wrong, but He loves us so much that he took the punishment that we should get. 5.GIFT OF GOD (small gift wrapped box or gift bag) Jesus took our punishment and He gives us a gift. The gift is called salvation. Salvation means to be saved. What did Jesus save or rescue us from? Jesus saved us from being punished in a place called hell. When we believe in Jesus, we get

2 the gift of salvation. Instead of going to the place of punishment called hell, we will go to the best place ever called Heaven. Just like any gift, the gift of salvation must be received. Would YOU like to receive this gift of salvation by believing in and following Jesus? (Lead children in the acceptance prayer.) Finally, point to the S poster and say, The S in BASIC stands for Salvation Story. The Bible tells us the way to be saved! Trail Blazers: Give each student a cross pattern sheet with numbered boxes. Look up the verses together and read them aloud. Next, share with students the explanations below. Finally, have the students color the corresponding box with the color listed. Say, The S in BASIC stands for Salvation Story. Salvation means to be saved or rescued. The Bible tells us The Salvation Story. Let s read the salvation story and color our cross. 1.Genesis 1:1 & 1:37 God made the earth just right. God made the sky, land and water. God made the first people: Adam and Eve. Everything God made was perfect. (Box 1 GREEN) Color box 1 green to remind you of the green garden. 2.Genesis 3:1, 3:6 & Romans 3:23 Everything was just right on the earth until the devil came in the form of a snake (serpent) and tricked Eve. The devil used the same trick on Eve that he uses on us. He lied to Eve and got her to doubt God and His Word. That s when sin entered the world. Sin means to disobey God. Adam and Eve are not the only people who sinned. We all sin. Who can give me an example of sin? (Box 2 BLACK) Color box 2 black to remind you of the darkness of sin. 3.Genesis 6:11-13, 7:17 & 7:23 People on the earth continued to sin until God decided to start over. God sent a worldwide flood to destroy the earth. Only Noah and his family were saved. (Box 3 BLUE) Color box 3 blue to remind you of the worldwide flood. 4.Geneis 11:7-9 After the flood, the world filled with people again and they too began to disobey God. They became prideful and decided to build a tall tower to make themselves famous. But, God caused confusion. They all began to speak different languages so they could not build the tower. (Box 4 GREY) Color box 4 grey- use your black crayon very lightly to remind you of the confusion at the Tower of Babel. 5.2 Corinthians 5:21 & 1 Peter 2:21-22 People continued to sin. God made a plan to save us from the punishment of our sin. He sent his son who never sinned to die for us. Jesus was perfect! (Box 5 WHITE) Leave box 5 white to remind you that Jesus never sinned.

3 6.Hebrews 9:22 & Romans 10:9-10 The Bible tells us that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. Jesus, who never sinned, died on the cross. His blood was shed so that we could be forgiven. Jesus took the punishment for our sins on the cross so that we are saved from hell. When we believe that Jesus died for us and rose again and we say it out of our mouths, we are saved. Have you made the decision to follow Jesus and receive His free gift of salvation? Invite students to pray the Prayer of Acceptance. Pray together. (Box 6 RED) Color box 6 RED to remind you that Jesus shed His blood on the cross so that you can be saved. 7.Revelation 21:3-5 The Bible tells us that if we make Jesus our Lord, we will get to spend eternity with God in Heaven. Someday, when our body stops working, our spirits (the real us) will go to live with God in the perfect place called Heaven! It s a beautiful place where the streets are paved with gold! (Box 7 YELLOW) Color box 7 yellow or gold to remind you that Jesus is The Way to Heaven. Finally, point to the S poster again and remind students that the Bible tells us the Salvation Story! Activities: Explorers: Playdough- Give each child a small portion of playdough and encourage them to make 3 of the objects from today s salvation story lesson: the earth (a round ball of playdough), a serpent or snake (long, thin tube of playdough) & a cross (two strands of playdough in shape of a cross) Game- Moon, Moon, Star (Play like Duck, Duck, Goose) Trail Blazers: BASIC Training Manual Drills: Give each child a Bible and demonstrate how to locate a Scripture address. Break down a Scripture Address into it s 3 parts: Book (the word at the top of the page), Chapter (the Big number) & Verse (the Little number). Explain how to locate each. Have all the cadets look up and read the memory verse: Psalm 119:151. Finally, hold a formal drill. All cadets close their Bibles and place one hand on the Bible. Call out a Scripture address from the list below. Cadets repeat the address aloud and then begin searching for it. The first cadet to locate the Scripture stands and reads it aloud. Scriptures for drills: Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 3:5, John 1:1, Matthew 6:33, Ephesians 2:8 Game- Moon, Moon, Star (see above) Closing/Dismissal: When church is over, hand out any coloring papers etc., and close in prayer. Then, escort the children into the sanctuary. Be sure to leave the room neat and clean. Put any unused items in the appropriate bin in the metal cabinet. Thank you!

4 Explorer & Trail Blazer Plans October 9, 2016 Memory Verse: Psalm 119:151 You are near, O Lord, and all your words are true. Topic: I- Incredible Impact Today s Key Point: The Bible changes people s lives. Bible Passages: Acts 9:1-30 Today s Snack: Pretzels **Please show SAUL becomes PAUL video for children on the flashdrive while students eat their snack. Introduction: BRIEFLY review the B, A and S from BASIC Training. Next, tell the children today s letter is I which stands for Incredible Impact. Hold up a Bible and explain that just like the Bible is the Book of Books, the Absolute Authority and tells the Salvation Story, the Bible also makes an Incredible Impact on our lives. That means the Bible makes a big change in our lives. Ask for a volunteer to participate in a special cadet operation: Butterfly Burst. Have the volunteer stand with hands at sides. Bring out a roll of toilet paper. Give all the other cadets a chance to wrap the tp around the volunteer. Tell the students that we are making a chrysalis. After the volunteer is wrapped up, count to 3 and have the volunteer burst out of the chrysalis as a butterfly! Lesson: Explorers: Tell the children that just like a caterpillar changes into a butterfly, God s Word, the Bible changes people. Let s read about a man who was changed by God. Read aloud pages The Family Favorites Bible. Add some dramatic effects such as turning off the lights and shining a flashlight, having the children shout, boo, when Saul is mentioned and, hooray! when Paul is mentioned. After the story, ask children to explain how Saul changed. What was he like before and after meeting Jesus? Finally, point to the letter I poster and declare, The Bible makes an Incredible Impact! God and His Word change us! Trail Blazers: Ask the students, Have you ever been in a really dark place? (elicit answers) Say, If you were camping in the woods and the moon was not shining, you would need a lantern or flashlight to find your way in the dark. Hold up and turn on the lantern. Say, The Bible is like a light in our lives. God s Word shines in our lives and shows us the way to go. Today we are going to read in the Bible about a man who was completed changed when God shined His light in this man s life. Read together Acts 9:1-30. As you read the passage, add some dramatic effects (see above.) Next, ask children to explain how Saul changed. What was he like before and after meeting Jesus? Finally, point to the letter I poster and declare, The Bible makes an Incredible Impact! God and His Word change us!

5 Activities: Explorers: -Song: Very briefly remind children that the Bible has 2 parts: The Old Testament (all about BEFORE Jesus was born) and the New Testament (all about AFTER Jesus was born). Each part has books. Listen to and sing along with The Books of the Bible song on cd. -Moon Rock Relay Race: Create 2 teams. Teams line up on one side of the room and place a pile of scrap paper balls (moon rocks) on the other side. The first person in each line puts on the oven mits and goes to the other side of the room, picks up one moon rock and returns to the line. The next person goes. Continue until all moon rocks have been transferred. You can do this as a competition or a cooperative effort- your choice! -Color sheet Trail Blazers: -Song: Very briefly remind children that the Bible has 2 parts: The Old Testament (all about BEFORE Jesus was born) and the New Testament (all about AFTER Jesus was born). Each part has books. Listen to and sing along with The Books of the Bible song on cd. -Moon Rock Relay Race (see above) -Sword Drills Closing/Dismissal: When church is over, hand out any coloring papers etc., and close in prayer. Then, escort the children into the sanctuary. Be sure to leave the room neat and clean. Put any unused items in the appropriate bin in the metal cabinet. Thank you!

6 Explorer & Trail Blazer Plans October 16, 2016 Memory Verse: Psalm 119:151 You are near, O Lord, and all your words are true. Topic: C- Cadet Challenge Today s Key Point: In order to have a real, close encounter with God s Word, we must READ and OBEY the Bible. Bible Passages: Luke 10:38-42 NOTE: Please do the following introduction BEFORE snack today. Introduction: BRIEFLY review the B, A, S & I from BASIC Training. Next, tell the children today s letter is C which stands for Cadet Challenge. Give each child a squirt of hand sanitizer. Then, explain today s first challenge: Astronaut Eating. Give each student a zip-lock snack bag with 10 mini marshmallows inside. In pairs have students take turns trying to toss a mini marshmallow into their partner s mouth. Clean up the mess and then give each cadet 10 more marshmallows to eat with his/her graham cracker snack. While cadets are eating their snack, please read aloud: What would you think if I told you that this snack you are eating is the last food you will eat until next Sunday? Do you think you could go a whole week without eating any food? (briefly discuss) Our bodies need food every day. We would get very weak and very sick if we didn t eat for a whole week! We need to eat good food everyday so that we stay strong and healthy. Guess what? Sometimes people go a whole week without reading their Bibles! God s Word is like food for our spirits. If we go many days or weeks without reading the Bible, we will become weak and sad. Just like we need to eat food every day, we also need to read our Bibles every day! That s what the letter C in BASIC is about: Our Cadet Challenge is to read the Bible every day. Lesson: Explorers: Ask, What is your favorite meal? Let s read about a time when 2 sisters prepared a meal for Jesus. Read aloud pages from the Family Favorites Bible. Tell children that God wants us to be like Mary. Since Jesus is in heaven now, we can t sit down at his feet and listen to him. But, we do have The Bible, God s Word! Just like we eat every day, we need to sit down and listen to the Bible or read the Bible every day! That s our Cadet Challenge: Read & obey the Bible! Trail Blazers: Ask, What is your favorite meal? Let s read about a time when 2 sisters prepared a meal for Jesus. Read together Luke 10: Then, give each Trail Blazer a Launch into God s Word Cadet Challenge sheet. Tell children for the next 2 weeks, we challenge them to read God s Word every day.

7 Tell kids to use the Bible Reading Schedule on the reverse side of the Cadet Challenge page. Explain that all the Operation Space Cadets who complete the challenge, will receive a prize! Go through the S-P-A-C-E questions together. As you read and explain each question, have the students color or highlight each letter in the word SPACE. Activities: Explorers: -Watch video on flashdrive: Luke- Martha and Mary -color sheet -Play Who s Got the Moon Rock? One child leaves the room with the assistant. The lead minister hands a moon rock or small stone to one child. All the children pretend they have the rock. Call the volunteer back into the room and see if he/she can guess who has the rock. Trail Blazers: -Watch video on flashdrive: Luke- Martha and Mary -Play Who s Got the Moon Rock? One child leaves the room with the assistant. The lead minister hands a moon rock or small stone to one child. All the children pretend they have the rock. Call the volunteer back into the room and see if he/she can guess who has the rock. Closing/Dismissal: When church is over, hand out any coloring papers etc., and close in prayer. Then, escort the children into the sanctuary. Be sure to leave the room neat and clean. Put any unused items in the appropriate bin in the metal cabinet. Thank you! REMIND CADETS THAT NEXT SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23 IS BASIC TRAINING GRADUATION DAY!!!

8 Name LAUNCH INTO GOD S WORD! Cadet Challenge: Read the Bible every day! As you read the Bible, think SPACE! Is there a? Sin to avoid Promise to claim Action to take Command to obey Example to follow Cadet Challenge Use the schedule/bible reading plan on the reverse side of this page. Read the Bible every day for 2 weeks. Complete the chart and return this page to Pastor Jen on Sunday, October 30 to receive a prize!

9 Explorer & Trail Blazer Plans October 23, 2016 Memory Verse: Psalm 119:151 You are near, O Lord, and all your words are true. Topic: Operation Space Cadet Graduation Today s Key Point: Even though we have completed our BASIC training, we need to keep reading and obeying God s Word. Bible Passages: 2 Peter 3:18 Today s Snack: Graduation Cake Serve AFTER the introduction & lesson are completed. Introduction: Ask all cadets to stand at attention and recite the memory verse. Next, point to each poster one at a time and briefly review BASIC Training points. EXPLORERS- Give each child a color sheet. As you review each letter in the word BASIC, have students color in the corresponding letter. TRAIL BLAZERS- Hand out The Bible B.A.S.I.C.S. Basic Training in God s Word manuals. Read together the following pages: 4-7, 16-17, 22-23, & Students may keep these booklets. Lesson: Explain that today they will graduate from BASIC Training! Play Pomp and Circumstance as cadets march around the room and back to their seats. Then, one by one, call cadets by name and give them a BASIC Training diploma. Then, have all cadets stand and repeat this oath: I realize that the Bible is The Book of Books. I will respect the Bible as the Absolute Authority in my life. I thank Jesus for saving me and I promise to allow God s Word to impact me each day. Lastly, congratulate all the cadets for completing their BASIC Training. Tell them that they are no longer cadets, but lieutenants. Play Pomp & Circumstance again as children march around the room holding their diplomas! Activities: -Serve graduation cake -Play Asteroid Adventure Game: Blow up some balloons of various colors. Be sure there are more balloons than students. While music is playing, work together to keep all the balloons in the air. Periodically, stop the music and instruct each student to catch a balloon. Call out a color. Whoever is holding a balloon that color must do the action listed below. Continue until all students have had a turn to do an action.

10 Red- Recite the memory verse Psalm 119:151 Orange- Hive-five 3 people and say, The Bible is the Book of Books! Yellow- Shake hands with 3 people and say, The Bible is the Absolute Authority! Green- Jump up and down while saying, The Bible tells the Salvation Story! Blue- Jog in place and say, The Bible makes an Incredible Impact! Purple- Spin around and then say, We took the Cadet Challenge to read the Bible every day! Pink- Do jumping Jacks while saying, The Bible is God s Word! Closing/Dismissal: When church is over, hand out any coloring papers etc., and close in prayer. Then, escort the children into the sanctuary. Be sure to leave the room neat and clean. Put any unused items in the appropriate bin in the metal cabinet. Thank you!