Lesson 27 The Life of Jesus Ages 6-11

Transcription

1 Lesson 27 The Life of Jesus Ages 6-11 Unit 5 The King Who Teaches: Parables Part One Camp Venture Counselor s Guide The Great Banquet KINGS & KINGDOMS PART 1 THE WORSHIP, THE WORD, & THE WAY Camp Games Everyone s Invited At the Campfire Worship Jesus as our Teacher Camp Critter: Turkey Parable Point: When fools refuse there s no excuse! Bible Memory Verse You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 Tent Time Kingdom Parable: Luke 14:15-24 CAMPING SUPPLY CHECKLIST [] Set out mats or sit-upons in a semicircle, Counselor s camp chair [] Camp Venture Counselor s Guide on a clipboard and a Counselor s Bible [] Camp Games: One paper plate for each camper [] At the Campfire: Lesson 27 Critter Kingdom Sketch or Storybook [] Camp Cooler: Parable Pal s Letter, blank slips of paper and Invitations [] Got Time? Gear: Party snack (cake or cupcakes), punch, napkins, plates, cups, ribbon, large wood bead, glue, tape, markers, scissors, hole punch, paper, 27 paper plates, Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse poster, colored paper [] Parable Poster Project: One piece of poster board, pencil, crayons, markers or paint, Bible Memory Verse Song. [] Extra Kingdom Parables Books for children just joining camp [] Kingdom Parable Card: The Great Banquet [] Bonus Kingdom Parable Card: The Wise Builder [] Daily Way Lesson 27 ADD-A-VENTURE Use additional items to create the Camp Venture experience. For example: set up a camp tent, Camp Venture Photo Board or photo album including photos of each camper, fire logs surrounded with stones as a flameless campfire, etc.

2 Camp Games (30 Minutes) Welcome to Camp Venture! Each time before we worship, we get to know each other better and have some fun with our camp games. First, let s dedicate this day of camp to King Jesus. (Pray.) We are learning some of Jesus parables. Why did Jesus tell parables? (To teach lessons about God s Kingdom.) In our Bible Story, we will hear Jesus parable about the great banquet. A banquet is a fancy dinner party. Let s pretend we are having a banquet. Listen for your banquet invitation so you can hurry to your seat! EVERYONE S INVITED PURPOSE: Play a game to introduce that Jesus invites everyone to life forever with God. GAME GOALS: To be the first team seated in a circle with plates after each round and to be the first team to have all team members seated before the game ends. SUPPLIES: One paper plate for each camper PREPARATION: Place all of the paper plates in a stack in the center of the room 1. Have campers sit with their assigned teams. 2. Number the corners in the room 1, 2, 3 and Designate another part of the room as the great banquet hall. 4. Choose a helper to be the Banquet Host. 5. The Banquet Host closes his or her eyes and counts to ten while all of the campers run from corner to corner in any order. 6. When the banquet host gets to ten, he or she calls out a corner number by saying: Corner number [fill in number], you are invited to my banquet! 7. All of the campers in that corner run to pick up a plate from the center of the room and sit in a circle with their team in the great banquet hall. 8. Continue playing until only four campers remain standing. Invite those four campers to join their respective team at the banquet. When you heard your invitation, what did you do? (Raced to sit with your team.) In Jesus story about the great banquet, many people were invited to the banquet. Some people decided they had better things to do than go to the banquet. They did not get to enjoy the banquet. Other people accepted the invitation and got to go to the great banquet. Let s find out what why Jesus told this parable. *Counselor Clues: For added fun, be very generous with points. (For example: award 100,000 points for 1 st place, 75,000 points for 2 nd place, 40,000 points for 3 rd place, 30,000 points for 4 th place. The teams will end up with point totals in the millions at the end of camp.) 2

3 At the Campfire (15 Minutes) We gather at the campfire to worship the Lord. Let s start our worship time by giving our offering. (Collect offering.) We celebrate that God invites us all to come join His Kingdom. We can come to God everyday! One day we will all celebrate together in heaven. Imagine what that will be like! Jesus gives everyone a way to get to heaven from wherever they are He is the Way to God the Father. Today we ll hear the parable of the great banquet. A banquet is a special dinner with many invited guests. Today s Camp Critter is the turkey. Turkeys are very tasty and often served at special dinners. Meet and Greet Question: What is your favorite party food? Worship Elements: Collect and lead prayer for an offering. Read Critter Kingdom Storybook or perform Sketch which includes the Camper s Code and Critter Kingdom Song. Camper s Code I will love God with all my heart. I will love my neighbor as myself. I will be a light wherever I go. Praise Song Suggestions Select songs containing lyrics about staying close with God. I Have Decided To Follow Jesus God Is So Good You Are Good I Am The Way Give Thanks Praise The Lord O My Soul Critter Kingdom Song I spied a turkey overhead. Here is what that turkey said, When fools refuse there s no excuse! I spied a TURKEY who followed the ANT, who followed the BEAR, who followed the EARTHWORM, who followed the FALCON, and the falcon hollered, Yippee-kigh-yay! At Camp Venture today! Bible Memory Verse Song Yahweh Everyday: You Shall Love The Lord Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV) Verse You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself: the best commandments you ll find. Chorus Yahweh! I know I can go to Yahweh! She can, he can go to Yahweh! We know we can go to Yahweh everyday! Repeat Verse and Chorus faster. Repeat Verse and Chorus faster. Sheet music and recordings available at 3

4 Tent Time (15 Minutes) (Tent time should take place in a corner of the classroom, under a tent or any covered space. Remove chairs and have children sit on mats or sit-upons.) Kingdom Parable Welcome to Tent Time. At the Campfire, we heard about the parable of the great banquet. A banquet is a special formal dinner with many invited guests. Let s read the parable for ourselves. You ll find it in Luke 14: If you brought your Bible, you may read along silently with me. (Read Luke 14:15-24.) What did the first people that were invited to the banquet do? (They made excuses to not come.) The next group of people the host invited were people that might not usually be invited to a banquet. These guests were poor and unable to give a banquet to repay their host. The guests who come to the banquet stand for all who come to heaven. The ones who make excuses stand for those who won t come to heaven because they refuse to follow Jesus. Just like the man in the story, God invites everyone to come to Him, no matter who they are or what they have done. He invites us even though we can t repay Him. We come to God by following Jesus everyday. Later, we ll be with Him in heaven, where God has prepared a great banquet for all who follow Jesus. Praying, reading the Bible, and doing things His way are ways we can follow Jesus. What are some excuses we give for not doing those things? (Too busy, tired, will do it later, activities, homework, plans with friends, etc.) 4

5 Tent Time continued (15 Minutes) Cabin Cooler Let s open our Cabin Cooler to see if our Parable Pal will give us a clue about what the Great Banquet has to do with our lives today. (Volunteer opens cooler and reads the letter. Cooler also contains blank slips of paper and Invitations.) *Counselor Clue: Instead of writing excuses on blank paper, fill a box with familiar items that represent excuses (such as actual toys, books, balls, cards, computers, electronic games, etc.) or campers cut pictures of such items out of magazines. Each camper chooses an object to discuss an excuse and a solution. Dear Campers, Did you know that Jesus has invited you to come to His great banquet in heaven? Inside this cooler is an invitation for each one of you. Make sure everyone gets one right now. The invitation reminds us that we re all invited to come follow Jesus. We follow Him by doing things His way. That means doing things like praying, reading the Bible, loving others and doing what is right. Later in heaven, we will enjoy a wonderful banquet a feast with many guests! How cool is that?! Now your counselor will give each of you an excuse card. Sometimes we make excuses for not following Jesus everyday. We focus on doing other things instead. On your excuse card, write or draw an excuse you use for not following Jesus everyday. My excuse is that I sometimes forget to pray until the end of the day and then I m too tired! Do you have any ideas that could help me with that? If we try, we can always find a way to put Jesus first no matter what we are doing! Will one of you volunteer to tell the group your excuse? Everyone can brainstorm ways to overcome that excuse. Then, that camper can throw their excuse into the campfire or trash bin. Be sure everyone gets a turn to throw away their excuse! It seems like God always provides a way for us to come to Him, so there are no good excuses not to follow Him. Following Jesus is our way to come to God. If you are already following Jesus, keep this invitation as a reminder to follow Him everyday. Or you can give it to a friend. If you have not yet decided to follow Jesus, keep it as a reminder that you are always invited to come to Him. Keep cool, campers! Your Parable Pal 5

6 Tent Time continued (15 Minutes) Invitation Directions (Invitations available for download at or create your own according to the following directions.) Using ¼ of a standard size sheet of sturdy paper, print or write the following on the front: YOU ARE INVITED! On the reverse side of the invitation, print or write the following: You are invited to the Banquet of the King! Come follow King Jesus now and get ready for the great banquet one day in Heaven! 6

7 Tent Time continued (15 Minutes) Share A Prayer Let s thank Jesus for finding and loving each one of us! We can pray for everyone to accept the invitation to follow Jesus everyday! (Ask campers for individual praise and prayer requests.) Father in heaven, thank you for inviting us to Your Kingdom in heaven. You know our needs the ones we just shared out loud and the ones that we hide in our hearts. We lift all these up to Your throne now. (Pause of silence.) We can t wait to see the way that You will answer each one. Together, we close this prayer with the words Jesus taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Final Five (When only five minutes remain, begin this segment.) Kingdom Parable Card As you leave today, you ll receive The Great Banquet Kingdom Parable Card. Put it in your Kingdom Parable Book at home. Collect ten cards by joining us here each time we meet at Camp Venture. Plus, each time you complete a Daily Way, you ll receive a Bonus Kingdom Parable Card, too! (This week s Bonus Kingdom Parable Card is The Wise Builder.) Prayer Requests How can I pray for you this week? (As campers work on their Letters from Camp, write individual requests in your teacher s prayer notebook.) Letter From Camp Write a Letter from Camp to We someone can also in your thank home God to for let creation them through know what prayer. you did We today. can pray Write for each your favorite other and thing all who about live today in this world and something He has given special us. about (Ask campers the for parable individual you praise just learned. and prayer Sign re-iquests.) and take Let s it home. pray. Camper Challenge (Hand out Lesson 27 Daily Way.) Complete your Daily Way at home and bring it back next week to win points for your team here at Camp Venture and you ll receive a Bonus Kingdom Parable Card! 7

8 Got Time? (If time remains, choose from the connected activities in this segment.) THE GREAT PARTY FOOD SNACK PURPOSE: Children will eat a snack to help them remember that Jesus invites everyone to life forever in the Kingdom of God. SUPPLIES: Party snack (cake or cupcakes), punch, napkins, plates, cups Have you ever been invited to a party? How did you feel? (Happy, excited.) Jesus invites all of us to life forever in the Kingdom of God. When we accept His invitation to follow Him, we will one day get to live with Him in Heaven. What do you think Heaven will be like? (Children respond.) 1. Pass out juice. 2. Camper prays to thank God for the snack. 3. Ask the Meet & Greet Question: What is your favorite party food? PARABLE POSTER PROJECT CAMP CRAFT (10 LESSON PROJECT) PURPOSE: Campers collaborate to create a picture of each parable to hang around the room or to create an oversized book. SUPPLIES: One piece of poster board, pencil, crayons, markers or paint, Bible Memory Verse Song. PREPARE: Place the piece of poster board where all the campers can reach to have a turn drawing or coloring. Camp Counselor may draw a pencil outline of the following words in large bubble lettering: COME FOLLOW JESUS! 1. Campers take turns adding to the giant invitation by filling in the bubble lettering, adding decorative boarders, rainbows, clouds, footprints, etc. 2. Play Bible Memory Verse Song as campers wait for their turn to draw. 3. Assign one camper to print The Great Banquet on the poster. 8

9 Got Time? continued PARABLE WIND CHIMES: THE GREAT BANQUET APPLICATION PURPOSE: Create a wind chime strand to remember the great banquet parable. SUPPLIES: Ribbon, large wood bead, glue, tape, markers, scissors, hole punch, paper PREPARE: Cut one 20-inch and a 4-inch ribbon for each child. To maintain balance, punch today s ribbon hole directly opposite the strand attached on previous lesson, approximately one inch in from the edge. Create a sample craft to display. Today we heard the story of the great banquet. What does the great banquet stand for in God s Kingdom? (Life forever in the Kingdom of God.) Who is the One who invites us to the Kingdom of God? (God.) Who is invited? (Everyone who will accept the invitation and follow Jesus.) Let s make an invitation for our Parable Wind Chimes to remind us that Jesus invites all of us to life forever with Him in His Kingdom. 1. Thread the 20-inch ribbon up through the hole on the edge of the plate. 2. Tie a knot in the 20-inch ribbon on the top of the plate large enough to prevent the ribbon from pulling back through the plate. 3. Tie a bead to bottom of the 20-inch ribbon. 4. Cut a strip of paper and roll into a small scroll approximately 2-inches in length. 5. Tie a 4-inch ribbon around scroll and secure in place with glue. 6. Glue scroll lengthwise to center of the 20-inch ribbon. Option: Before attaching any of the ribbons, decorate the paper plate wind chime base. Knot ribbon above plate around a large bead. Use a color that symbolizes royalty, such as purple, for the ribbon and beads. Substitute beads with any materials available: buttons, shells, stones, small metal objects, etc. *Counselor Clue: Parable Wind Chimes is a craft that will be completed throughout Lessons as the parables of Jesus are taught. Each week, a new strand representing the parable taught that week will be added to the paper plate base of the wind chimes. Photographs of the completed wind chime craft as well as individual wind chime strands are available at 9

10 Got Time? continued BONUS PARABLE: THE READY SERVANT DISCUSSION PURPOSE: To introduce and discuss another parable Jesus taught His followers. SUPPLIES: A Bible open to Luke 12:35-40 Today s bonus parable is the story of The Ready Servant. (Volunteer or teacher reads Luke 12:35-40.) The Son of Man is another name for Jesus. Just as the master will return to his servant, Jesus has promised to come back for us. The Bible says that one day Jesus will come back, riding though the clouds to take us home to heaven! Does anyone know when Jesus will come back? (No. It will be at an unexpected time.) Just as the servants are to be ready for their master s return, we are to be ready for Jesus return. To be ready for Jesus, we must believe in Him and follow Him everyday. We can do that by loving God and loving our neighbors. We can help others be ready too, by inviting them to follow Him. BIBLE MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITIES Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 THE GREAT VERSE BANQUET GOAL: Children will put the words of the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse in order. SUPPLIES: 27 paper plates, marker, Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse poster PREPARE: Write one Bible Memory Verse word on each plate. Mix up plates and place on a table or floor as if setting a table. Turn over the plates to hide words. Display the Bible Memory Verse poster. God invites us all to live forever with Him in the Kingdom of God. When we accept His invitation, we are showing how much we love Him. Think about what our Bible Memory Verse says. How do we love Him? (With all our heart, soul and mind.) When we love God, who do we also want to show love to? (Our neighbors which is all people.) Children work together to put the words of the Bible Memory Verse in order. 10

11 Got Time? continued BIBLE MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITIES continued Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 THE WAVE PURPOSE: To help campers memorize the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse. 1. Assign one phrase from Matthew 22:37-39 to each camper or team. 2. As helper directs, each camper or team quickly stands, says assigned phrase while raising both hands up to the sky and then down to thighs and sits down. 3. Repeat three times, faster each time. COLOR DECODE OBJECT: Campers unscramble and learn the words to the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse. SUPPLIES: Colored paper, scissors, Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse poster PREPARE: Cut each sheet of colored paper into four equal-size cards. Divide the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse into four phrases. Write one phrase on each set of four cards of one color. Create one set of a different color for every four campers. Mix up all of the sets. Display the Bible Memory Verse poster. 1. Say the Bible Memory Verse together. 2. Distribute the cards in random order. 3. Each camper searches for the other three campers with matching color cards. 4. Once together, the campers put their cards in the correct order of the Bible Memory Verse and sit down. (They can use the Bible Memory Verse poster as a reference.) 5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 to play again. How should we love God? (With all our heart, soul and mind.) How should we love our neighbors? (As ourselves.) Jesus told parables to teach us how to live together in God s Kingdom. The parables teach us how to love God and each other. GETTING TO KNOW YOU BIBLE MEMORY VERSE DISCUSSION PURPOSE: Campers get to love their neighbors by learning about their favorite things. Gather in a circle and discuss some of the camper s favorite things. What is your favorite thing about: spending time with Jesus? bringing friends to church? celebrations and parties? 11