LESSON 2: WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDER

Transcription

1 The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location. LESSON 2: WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDER Large Group Leader Guide Classroom: PreK-2 Matthew 7: /09/2016 Teachers Dig In Dig In to the Bible Read: Matthew 7:24-27 In This Passage: Jesus tells a story comparing building houses to following his teaching. He says people who follow his teaching are like people who build their houses on rocks a firm foundation. But people who don t follow Jesus teaching are like people who build their houses on sand. The houses will fall when storms arise. This illustration shows that Jesus is trustworthy; a firm foundation for our lives. Bible Point: Jesus is trustworthy. Summary Verse: For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does (Psalm 33:4). Dig Deeper You ll Be Teaching: Jesus is trustworthy. There s one thing we know for sure about this world: Kids will face storms like the ones Jesus talks about in his parable. They need to be prepared to stand firm in their faith, knowing that they can trust Jesus to help them through anything. Use this lesson to help kids build their lives on Jesus the trustworthy foundation. Think About: Why do you trust Jesus? What storms has he helped you through? Dig In to Prayer Pray for kids in your group who are facing storms right now. Ask Jesus to be their firm foundation. Quick Tip Create a trustworthy environment. When having group discussions, set positive expectations. Say: We don t use put-downs, teasing, or bullying. We show love here. There might be some who make fun of the things that others say or do. Model kind and respectful words and actions so kids can follow your lead.

2 - Games / Clean Up - Lord s Prayer / Offering OPENING Kids share about a topic related to the lesson. Bible Easy Prep Do an online search to learn how to say "Happy birthday" in sign language. CORE BIBLE DISCOVERY Kids build houses and test them against rough weather. Bible drinking straws (at least 20 for every small group) masking tape (1 roll for every small group) box fan(s) or blow dryer(s) spray bottle(s) of water paper wads Easy Prep Determine the area of your room where kids will build based on how far you can go with the fan or blow dryer. You ll want each group s house to be within range so you can blow on it. Mark the area with masking tape. Then set the fan, spray bottle, and paper wads out of sight. TALK-ABOUT VIDEO Kids watch a video and discuss the Bible Point. Truthbusters teaching video

3 (watch or download here) CRAFT paper lunch bags (2 per child) colored construction paper plain white paper (2 sheets per child) Glue Dots or glue sticks cotton balls (about 5 per child) river rocks (about 5 per child, depending on the size) crayons stapler LIFE APPLICATION Stomping Prayer HIGH ENERGY GAME Masking tape (rather than hula hoops) MUSIC VIDEO Kids sing songs of praise to God. I Will Not Be Afraid music video (watch or download here)

4 OPENING Welcome [5 min] Bible Easy Prep Do an online search to learn how to say "Happy birthday" in sign language. Welcome Thank kids for coming. Just for fun, have kids give a foot-five (a high-five with a foot) to two friends. Make announcements. Introduce new kids. Celebrate birthdays by having kids say Happy birthday in sign language. Collect the offering. Introduce the Lesson Say: Today we ll learn about a time Jesus told a story about a wise builder and a foolish builder. He told the story to help people understand that Jesus is trustworthy. Share Tell kids about the person you trust the most (other than Jesus), and why. Have kids get in pairs and tell about the person they trust the most (other than Jesus), and why. After a couple of minutes, invite a few kids to share with the larger group what they talked about with their partner. Summarize Open a Bible, and say: It s great to have trustworthy people in our lives. Today we ll learn that Jesus is trustworthy. We ll dig into the Bible to find out what makes Jesus trustworthy. The Bible is special because it tells us about things God has done and still can do. God can talk to us as we read and hear what he says in the Bible. Let s listen to God as we hear from the Bible today. Pray, thanking Jesus that he s trustworthy.

5 [20 CORE BIBLE DISCOVERY Wise and Foolish Builder (Matthew 7:24-27) min] Bible drinking straws (at least 20 for every small group) masking tape (1 roll for every small group) box fan(s) or blow dryer(s) spray bottle(s) of water paper wads Easy Prep Determine the area of your room where kids will build based on how far you can go with the fan or blow dryer. You ll want each group s house to be within range so you can blow on it. Mark the area with masking tape. Then set the fan, spray bottle, and paper wads out of sight. Have a Circle of Trust Say: Today we re going to learn that Jesus is trustworthy. But what does it take to trust someone? Let s find out by having a circle of trust. This is a great chance for you to show your trustworthiness and kindness by being careful with your friends! Have kids form circles of no more than eight kids. Have one child stand in the middle of each circle while the other kids stand shoulder to shoulder with their hands in front of them. The kids in the middle of the circles will each fold their arms over their chest and lean back without bending their knees. The kids forming each circle will pass the child in the middle around by the shoulders. Have kids take turns in the center until everyone has a turn. Ask: How did you have to trust the kids around you? Say: In your circle, you had to trust the kids around you to hold you up so you didn t fall. If they did that, they earned your trust! We re going to look at the Bible and see why Jesus is trustworthy he s earned our trust! Build a House Have kids get in their small groups. Have small-group leaders give their groups at least 20 straws and a roll of masking tape. Say: Our Bible story talks about building houses, so we need a lot of houses or towers. Use your straws and masking tape to make a house or a tower.

6 Allow about seven minutes for kids to build. Say: Here s what our Bible story says about building houses. It s a story Jesus told to give us an example of what he does for us. Read Matthew 7:24. Say: These verses help us see why Jesus is trustworthy. His teaching is wise, and following what Jesus says helps us stand strong when hard times come! Trusting in Jesus shows wisdom, like building a house on a good foundation. Let s see if your houses have a trustworthy foundation. Test the Houses Read Matthew 7:25. Get out the spray bottle of water, and spray the houses. You may want to have small-group leaders help with this. Say: The storm is coming! It starts out with a little rain. Most of the houses should withstand the spray. Say: But storms aren t just rain; sometimes there s wind, too! Turn the fan or blow dryer on low and point it at the houses, seeing which ones fall. Gradually turn it up and hold it very close to each house, trying to knock each one over. Again, you may wish to have small-group leaders help. Say: Sometimes storms even include hail! Throw paper wads at houses, and let kids help you make the hail storm. If any houses remain standing, that s okay. Say: A lot of our houses didn t withstand the storm. Here s what the Bible has to say about that. Read Matthew 7: Ask: What do you think made your house weak? What could make your house stronger? Say: Jesus story about building houses shows the importance of a good foundation. Jesus is a good foundation for our lives because Jesus is trustworthy. We know he ll be there for us when storms come. He won t wash away like sand. We can stand strong on Jesus. Talk About It Say: We ve seen how well our houses withstood the storm. Let s think about what that might have to do with realizing that Jesus is trustworthy. Ask: What are some storms that can happen in life? Why can we trust Jesus when those storms come? What can happen if we don t have strong faith in Jesus when the storms come? Say: We re all going to face storms in our lives. It might be a fight with a friend,

7 your parents divorcing, or failing a test even though you studied a lot. When those storms come, we can count on the fact that Jesus is trustworthy. If we stay close to Jesus even when there aren t storms, we ll have a firm foundation when the storms come. And we can trust Jesus to be there for us.

8 TALK-ABOUT VIDEO Truthbusters [10 min] Truthbusters teaching video (watch or download here) Discuss and Watch Truthbusters Say: Have you ever heard someone say something and wondered if it was really true or not? Here are some things that a lot of people say are true but they re all false. The moon is made of cheese. Spinach gives you super strength. If you swallow a watermelon seed it will grow in your stomach. If you eat bread crust it will make your hair curly. If you touch a frog you ll get warts. If you swallow gum it will stay in your stomach for seven years. Ask: Which of these have you heard before? What are other crazy statements you ve heard that you ve wondered whether or not they re true? Invite kids to call out different things they ve heard that they re not sure are true or not. With each one ask: How could you test to see if that s true or not? After a few kids have shared, say: The Bible tells us that Jesus is trustworthy, which means that we can trust that what he says and does is true. Let s watch a video about two kids who tested what the Bible says. Watch Truthbusters. Say: Victor and Lauren put the Bible to the test to see if what they were reading is true or not. They learned that Jesus is trustworthy. The Bible also tells us in Psalm 33:4, For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. This means we can trust what the Bible says and what Jesus does. It s the truth! The Life of Jesus, Lesson 2: Wise and Foolish Builder, Design and base content Copyright Group Publishing, Inc. Licensed for use with students. Permission to reproduce granted for local church use only.

9 OBJECT LESSON A Solid Foundation [10 min] baking pan with sides foaming shaving cream bricks (1 for every 4 kids) small toy figures (1 per child) wet wipes cup of water Set Up Two Foundations Say: Today we heard about two places to build a house. Place a brick on one side of the baking pan, and spray a pile of shaving cream on the other side of the pan. Say: Let s pretend that these are two different places to build a house. Invite children to tell which place seems stronger. Then invite one child to place a toy figure on the brick and another child to place a different toy figure on the pile of shaving cream. Help the children talk again about which seems stronger based on what happened. Ask: What just happened? Which place seemed stronger to build a house on? What do you think will happen if it rains here? After children have shared their ideas, pour water over the brick and then over the shaving cream, and talk with children about what happened. Explore the Two Foundations Say: It seems like the brick is a much better place to build a house. But now it s your turn to explore which one seems better! Spray a pile of shaving cream in front of each child, and place a brick in between every four or so children. Give each child a toy figure. Encourage children to explore the two foundations using their hands and the toy. Talk About It

10 Point at a brick and a pile of shaving cream and say: In the Bible, Jesus told about a safe place to build a house. He said to build your house on a rock. Ask: Why is it smart to build your house in a safe place? Say: It s smart to build a house in a safe, trustworthy place because then we can trust and know that we ll be safe. But Jesus wasn t just talking about houses. He wants people to know that he is like a strong rock that we can depend on every day, too. He won t be wiggly or melt away like the shaving cream. We can have Jesus as our friend every day and we can know that he will always be there for us and that we can trust him because Jesus is trustworthy!

11 CRAFT Trustworthy House [20 min] paper lunch bags (2 per child) colored construction paper plain white paper (2 sheets per child) Glue Dots or glue sticks cotton balls (about 5 per child) river rocks (about 5 per child, depending on the size) crayons stapler Easy Prep Cut the construction paper into small squares, each about 1x1-inch. You ll need to cut at least 2 pieces of each color of paper for each child. Make a sample craft to show kids. Make Houses Have each child make two houses out of paper lunch bags. To do this, kids will use Glue Dots to layer the construction paper squares like bricks on the sides of their paper bags. Children can decorate just one or both sides of each house. Then have children each put five cotton balls in one house and about five river rocks in the other house. Help children fold over the tops of the bags. As you fold the bags, they can color two sheets of paper, which will be the roofs for each house. Children can fold their roofs in half and you can help them secure the roofs to the bags with one or two staples. Test the Strength Say: Jesus said that we can trust in him. Trusting in Jesus is like building a strong house that won t fall down when the wind blows. Jesus is trustworthy. Let s see which of your houses is stronger. Have children blow on their houses, trying to knock them over. The cotton-ball

12 house should fall easily, but the rock house will stand firm. Talk About It Ask: Why was one house stronger than the other one? Say: Jesus is trustworthy. When we trust Jesus, we can be like the stronger house you made. When bad things happen, we can still be strong because we trust Jesus to help us and know he will be with us even during hard times. Have children take their houses home as a reminder that Jesus is trustworthy. The Life of Jesus, Lesson 2: Wise and Foolish Builder, Design and base content Copyright Group Publishing, Inc. Licensed for use with students. Permission to reproduce granted for local church use only.

13 LIFE APPLICATION WRAP-UP Stomping Prayer [5 min] Stomp on Solid Ground Say: Today we learned that Jesus is trustworthy. That means he s strong and we can trust him to always be with us. We know that nothing can break him or take him away from us. Stomp your foot on the ground. Say: The ground is kind of like Jesus. Have the kids stomp. It s strong, and we know it won t break on us. We can trust the ground to hold us up. Jesus holds us up, too, because Jesus is trustworthy. Stomp and Pray Say: Let s stomp while we pray to tell Jesus that we know he s trustworthy. Pray: Jesus, we know we can trust you! Lead children in stomping. Thank you for being strong. Lead children in stomping. You always take care of us. Lead children in stomping. You always hold us up. Lead children in stomping. Help us to trust you even more! Lead children in stomping. If kids have prayer requests, stomp after each request is lifted up to Jesus. Then close: In your name, amen. Say: I m so glad you came today so you could learn that Jesus is trustworthy! Lead children in stomping one more time. I hope to see you again soon!

14 HIGH-ENERGY GAME Hooray! No Way! [10 min] hula hoops Easy Prep Set a hula hoop on either side of your room. If you have a large group of kids, set a couple of hula hoops on each side of your room so there is room for every child to stand inside a hoop. Decide if Statements Are True or False Gather kids in the center of the room. Say: I m going to tell you some things, and you decide if they re true or not true. If you think what I tell you is true, run to this circle and shout Hooray! Demonstrate by running to one of the hula hoops and shouting Hooray! If you think what I tell you isn t true, run to this circle and shout No way! Demonstrate by running to the other hula hoop and shouting No way! Read the fun facts below one at a time and encourage children to run to a hula hoop and shout their response. Cows lay eggs. (Not true.) You can use sand to tell time. (True. People use sand to make hourglasses.) Sand is only brown. (Not true. Sand can also be white, black, pink, and even green in some places.) All rocks are the same. (Not true. There are a lot of different kinds of rocks.) In the fall, some leaves change colors and turn red, yellow, and orange. (True.) Glass is made out of sand. (True. When sand gets very hot, it melts and people can make it into glass.) The sky is green. (Not true.) Water can break a rock. (True. Water can get inside rocks through cracks and cause the rocks to break when the water freezes.) Play for about five minutes or until children have responded to all the statements. You can also add your own true or false statements to extend the game play. Talk About It Gather kids in the middle of the room, and have them sit in a circle on the floor. Say: Some of the things I told you were true and some of them weren t true.

15 Ask: Why was it hard to know if what I said was true? Say: It s not always easy to know if something is true. But we can always trust that what Jesus says is true because Jesus is trustworthy! What Jesus says is always true! Let s shout Hooray! to thank Jesus that he s trustworthy. Lead children in shouting Hooray!

16 MUSIC VIDEO I Sing the Mighty Power of God [10 min] I Will Not Be Afraid music video (watch or download here) Sing Songs to God