Third- and fourth-graders are old enough to understand the difference between right

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Third- and fourth-graders are old enough to understand the difference between right"

Lauren Anabel Summers
5 years ago
Views:

1 Lesso 2 15 Zechariah Prophesies About Jesus Luke 1:68-79 Third- ad fourth-graders are old eough to uderstad the differece betwee right ad wrog. However, kids this age may ot completely uderstad the cocepts of si, repetace, ad forgiveess. Use this lesso to help kids uderstad that they eed Jesus ad he loves them. Lesso What Childre Do Supplies easy prep 1 Gettig Started 2 Bible Exploratio Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Surprise Gifts (about 10 mi.) Give ad receive white elephat gifts, ad discuss thigs they eed versus thigs they wat. Zechariah s Sog (about 15 mi.) Explore Zechariah s prophecy, ad write poems or sogs about Jesus based o Zechariah s sog. 1 small paper bag per child, pes Bibles, paper, pes Bible Poit The world eeds Jesus. Key Verse For God did ot sed his So ito the world to codem the world, but to save the world through him (Joh 3:17). Weavig Faith Ito Life Childre will lear that they eed Jesus ad will thak him for comig to save them. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter

2 16 Lesso What Childre Do Supplies Easy Prep 3 What Jesus Does (about 20 mi.) Lear the Key Verse, create a jail cell, ad be set free from jail. Bibles, cardboard, roll of black crepe paper, scissors (several pairs), tape Weavig Faith Ito Life Light i Darkess (about 15 mi.) Sig the Key Verse sog, ad write a letter to God to ask for forgiveess for the wrog thigs they ve doe. Bible Truth Sleuth, CD player, pes, flashlight, copies of the lyrics page (at the ed of this lesso) Teacher Pack: CD Tear out the Lesso 2 pages from each Bible Truth Sleuth studet book. 4 Daily Challeges (about 5 mi.) Choose a Daily Challege to apply God s Word. Bible Truth Sleuth Lastig Impressios Weavig Faith at Home (about 2 mi.) Talk about how to share what they leared with their families. flashlight Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4

3 17 Zechariah Prophesies About Jesus Luke 1:68-79 BIBLe BACKGROUND for Leaders God Promises a Child to Zechariah ad Elizabeth i Their Old Age The priest Zechariah doubted a agel s message to him that his agig wife, Elizabeth, would have a so who would prepare the way for the Lord. Because of his ubelief, Zechariah was struck with a iability to speak util the baby was bor. Joh the Baptist Is Bor Whe Joh was bor, Zechariah was suddely able to speak agai. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah delivered the prophecy cotaied i Luke 1: This proclamatio is kow as the Beedictus, which is Lati for praise be, the first words of the prophecy. much, the Jews loged for peace. Our world is o differet. Caught up i the hectic schedules of livig, most people year for the peace Jesus ca offer. Ad thaks to our merciful God, that peace is available to all who believe i Jesus. The Jesus Coectio We ca ask God to help us see the ways that he wats us to live i the full reality of our eed for him. Whe we ackowledge that we eed Jesus, we ca take actio o our eed for him i our ow lives. Thik about ways you re i eed right ow. Ask for Jesus help, ad trust him to meet your eeds. You ca write your prayer here. Luke 1:76 idicates that Joh would be a prophet who would prepare the way for Jesus. He would be the Elijah figure metioed i Malachi 4:5-6 who was to appear before the comig of the Lord. Joh was to give people the kowledge of salvatio. They had drifted so far away from God that they had lost eve that kowledge. Joh was to prepare them for Jesus by remidig them of what that salvatio was all about the remissio of sis. How would the forgiveess of sis be possible? Through the mercy of God. The words of Luke 1:78-79 are remiiscet of Isaiah 60:1: Arise, shie, for your light has come, ad the glory of the Lord rises upo you. The comig of Jesus would brig light to a dark world through the mercy of our lovig God. Zechariah Also Promises Peace The fial promise of peace metioed at the ed of verse 79 might have brought a sigh of relief to the average Jew. Havig suffered ad struggled so Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter

4 18 gettig started Surprise Gifts Supplies 1 small paper bag per child pes Surprise Gifts What You ll Do Welcome kids warmly as they arrive, ad ask them how their week wet. Gather kids for a gift exchage. Say: Today we re goig to have a white elephat gift exchage. I m goig to give you each a paper bag. Secretively choose somethig to put i that bag to give to someoe as a gift. It could be aythig from pocket lit to a paper clip you foud or eve a spare article of clothig. You ll get this item back at the ed of this activity if you eed it back. Give each child a paper bag ad a pe. Istruct kids to each write their ame o the bottom of the bag ad drop i their chose item. Give them a miute to do so. Have kids place the gift bags i the ceter of the room, ad have kids take turs choosig a gift from the pile. After all the kids have chose a gift, have them take turs opeig their gifts. As childre ope their gifts, they may give their gift to ayoe with a opeed gift ad take that gift. Go aroud the room util everyoe has opeed a gift ad exchages have bee made. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. Ask: Do you like your gift? Why or why ot? What s it like to receive somethig you really wat? How does that compare to receivig a gift you really eed? Explai whether you thik Jesus is a gift you wat or a gift you eed. Say: Today we ll lear about a ma amed Zechariah. He prophesied about Jesus, eve before Jesus was bor. We just gave ad received some gifts that were t too great, but we ll lear about a gift that met the eeds of the etire world. Together we re goig to discover that the world eeds Jesus. Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4

5 19 2 Bible Exploratio Zechariah s Sog What You ll Do Say: Before we read our Bible passage today, let me give you a little backgroud. The agel Gabriel visited a very old ma amed Zechariah. Gabriel said that Zechariah ad his wife, Elizabeth, who was also very old, were goig to have a baby boy, ad that they were supposed to ame him Joh. Zechariah s Sog Supplies Bibles paper pes Gabriel told Zechariah that this so would do great thigs for God ad would help people get ready for the Lord. Zechariah had a hard time believig Elizabeth would have a baby, because both he ad Elizabeth were so old. Because Zechariah doubted, God made it so Zechariah was uable to speak util the day Joh was bor. Whe Joh was bor, Zechariah could speak agai! The first thig he did was praise God. All Zechariah s eighbors were amazed ad kew that this baby was special. The people believed God had a special pla for this baby amed Joh. Let s read about what else happeed after Zechariah was able to speak. Have kids fid parters, ad make sure each pair has a Bible. Have pairs ope their Bibles to Luke 1: Say: This passage is called Zechariah s Sog. I his sog, Zechariah sigs a birth aoucemet about two babies. Have kids read the passage i their pairs. Whe pairs read somethig that praises God, they ca shout that out ad ed the lie with Praise God! Whe kids fiish readig the passage, distribute paper ad pes ad tell them they ll be workig together with their parters to write a sog or poem for Jesus that tells about the fulfillmet of Zechariah s prophecy i the world today. Say: Zechariah s sog was sayig that Jesus would come to save us, ad Zechariah s ow so, Joh, would help people get ready for Jesus. Ad we ve see what Jesus does i the world today. Braistorm with your parter about thigs that are i Zechariah s sog that you ca praise God for today i your ow sog or poem. Ad cosider focusig your sog or poem o today s Bible Poit: the world eeds Jesus. Allow time for kids to write their sogs or poems. Whe they re fiished, have kids who are willig perform their sogs or read their poems aloud to the group. Do t require ayoe to do so if they do t wat to. Say: After moths of Zechariah ot beig able to talk, it s pretty special that Zechariah s first words were a sog to God to praise him for the thigs he was goig to do through Zechariah s ow so, Joh, ad through Jesus. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter

6 20 Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. Ask: What does it mea that Jesus is still doig what Zechariah talked about more tha 2,000 years ago? What do you thik of God sedig Joh to help people get ready for Jesus? Why do you eed Jesus? Say: Because Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, he kew his so, Joh, would grow up ad prepare other people for Jesus comig. Zechariah kew that because everyoe sis, or does wrog thigs, they would eed Jesus. Jesus came to save us from our sis. Whe we believe i Jesus, we ca have forgiveess for our sis. the world eeds Jesus. 3 Weavig Faith Ito Life What Jesus Does Supplies Bibles cardboard roll of black crepe paper scissors (several pairs) tape What Jesus Does What You ll Do Make sure each child has a Bible. Say: Zechariah s sog said Jesus would come to redeem, or save, his people. Our Key Verse today, Joh 3:17, talks about that, too. Have kids fid the verse i their Bibles, ad ask a willig child to read Joh 3:17 aloud: For God did ot sed his So ito the world to codem the world, but to save the world through him. Ask: What does codem mea? What are some thigs people could be codemed for? Say: Whe people are codemed, it meas that they ve bee accused ad foud guilty of doig somethig wrog. I our society, whe people are codemed, it usually meas they go to jail. So let s make a jail cell for codemed people. Have kids form four groups, ad explai that each group will make a sectio of the jail. Set out the supplies, ad have each group cut three 2x12-ich strips of cardboard. Have kids tape their pieces of cardboard together ed to ed. Have kids cut 3- to 4-foot legths of crepe paper. The have kids tape the streamers to the cardboard strips so they hag dow at 2-ich itervals. As kids work, say: The jails that Jesus came to set us free from are jails that we make ourselves. We re ot perfect, ad we ca ever reach God o our ow. Our sis keep us from God. So God set Jesus to help free us from the jail of our si. Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4

7 21 After each group has fiished its sectio of the jail, ask for oe willig child from each group to hold up its sectio of the jail. Have the rest of the group stad iside the jail cell. Say: the world eeds Jesus, ad we eed Jesus because we ve all sied. Without Jesus, it s as if we re trapped i a jail of si. But God did t sed Jesus ito the world to tell us all the thigs we do wrog. God set Jesus to save us from all the thigs we do wrog. Say the Key Verse with kids a few times: For God did ot sed his So ito the world to codem the world, but to save the world through him (Joh 3:17). Each time you say it, have at least oe child i each group burst through the bars of the jail cell. After the fial time you say this as a group, have the four kids holdig up the jail cell walls drop them to the groud. Talk With Kids Have kids form pairs. Lead pairs i this discussio. How was beig trapped i jail like beig trapped i si? Tell about a time you did somethig that made God sad. What ca you do whe you realize you eed Jesus? Say: God kew that we would t ever be able to reach him o our ow. He loves us ad he wats us to be with him, so he set Jesus. Ad he did a buch of thigs to help us realize we eed Jesus. He gave Zechariah words to tell what Jesus would come to do, ad he gave Zechariah a so who would tell people about Jesus. God kew that the world eeds Jesus, so he set Jesus for us. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter

8 22 Light i Darkess Light i Darkess Supplies Bible Truth Sleuth CD player pes flashlight copies of the lyrics page (at the ed of this lesso) Teacher Pack CD: To Save the World Through Him (Joh 3:17) (track 2) Light i Darkess Easy Prep Tear out the Lesso 2 pages from each Bible Truth Sleuth studet book. What You ll Do Distribute copies of the lyrics page. Say: Let s thak Jesus by sigig a sog. Play To Save the World Through Him (Joh 3:17) (track 2 o the CD), ad lead kids i sigig the sog. For God did ot sed his So ito the world To codem the world. For God did ot sed his So ito the world To codem the world, oh o, But to save the world through him, But to save the world through him. For God did ot sed his So ito the world To codem the world. (Repeat from the begiig.) To Save the World Through Him (Joh 3:17) by Dea-o. 2003, 2006 Group Publishig, Ic. All rights reserved. After the sog eds, have kids each fid a place i the room to sit quietly by themselves. Distribute pes ad the Bible Truth Sleuth pages, ad have kids tur to the I m Sorry, God activity. Say: Thik about somethig you ve doe that you eed to apologize to God for. Ecourage kids to draw or write somethig iside the letters spellig SIN i the first box o their pages to express how this wrog thig ca leave us feelig empty ad far from God. Say: Now thik about what it would be like if you kew you could ever be forgive for that wrog thig. Direct kids to the secod box i the activity. Allow a few miutes for kids to express their reactios to the idea of ever havig forgiveess for that wrog thig by writig iside the letters spellig SIN. Say: Now let s talk for a miute about your reactio to God s forgiveess ad how that covers your sis. Allow a miute or two for kids to discuss this, ad the ecourage them to express their reactios i ay way they d like; but this time, they ll completely cover up the letters i the word SIN i the secod box to show how God s forgiveess covers up our sis. Say: Now express your eed for Jesus to help you with the si you thought about. Fid a way to decorate the words I NEED YOU i the fial picture so they highlight your eed for Jesus. You ca use words, pictures, or ay other artistic represetatio. Allow a few miutes. Whe everyoe has fiished writig, tur out the lights ad sit o the floor. Have the flashlight close by. Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4

9 23 Say: Without Jesus, we live i the darkess of our si. Whe we re sorry for the wrog thigs we ve doe ad ask for forgiveess, God forgives us. That s why Jesus came to make that forgiveess possible. the world eeds Jesus. Siletly pray ad thak God that because of Jesus, you ca ow live i Jesus light. Give kids a few miutes to siletly pray, ad the shie the flashlight o each child, oe by oe. Whe you shie the light o a child, have the child come sit with you o the floor. Say: Jesus shies his light o you. the world eeds Jesus. Ad Jesus wats us to grow closer to him. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. Ask: How did coverig up your sis show the way God s forgiveess works i your life? What do you hope might chage i your life if you live by God s forgiveess? I what ways ca you let your eed for Jesus chage your life? Say: Zechariah kew Jesus was goig to chage everythig. He was payig attetio to God, so he kew what was goig o. Whe we pay attetio to God, we ca otice our ow eed for Jesus. Ad it s ot oly us. the world eeds Jesus. 4 Lastig Impressios Daily Challeges What You ll Do Say: Let s cosider this week how much the world eeds Jesus as we do our Daily Challeges. Daily Challeges Supplies Bible Truth Sleuth Have kids fid this week s Daily Challeges o their Bible Truth Sleuth pages ad choose oe to do this week. They ca choose oe or more of these three optios: Make a ivitatio for Jesus to be the light i your life. Put the ivitatio i your Bible, ad pray that Jesus would help you see that you eed him. Write a sog expressig your eed for Jesus, ad sig it for him. The pray, askig God to help you follow him. Sped two miutes readig about Jesus i the Bible. A good place to start is i the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, ad Joh. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter

10 24 Make sure you choose a Daily Challege as well, ad tell the kids what you chose. Kids will be more iclied to follow through o their commitmets whe they see you doig the same. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. Ask: What s a practical way you re goig to do your Daily Challege? Iclude a time, a place, ad other ideas. Say: God gave Zechariah the ability to kow what Jesus was goig to do. Zechariah kew the same thig that s still true today: the world eeds Jesus. Let s recogize our eed for Jesus by followig through o our Daily Challeges this week. Weavig Faith at Home Supplies flashlight Weavig Faith at Home Ecourage kids to talk with their parets about the Daily Challeges they chose ad what they leared about our eed for Jesus. Kids ca also do the activities i the HomeCoect sectio of their Bible Truth Sleuth pages with their families. Talk to your Director about ig the FREE FamilyCoect to all your church s families. Available at group.com/digital. Say: Jesus came to shie his light i our lives so we ca be saved from livig i the darkess of si. Have kids gather i a circle to pray. Tur off the lights i your room, ad pass the flashlight aroud the circle as you pray. Ecourage kids to shie the light aroud the room, avoidig shiig it i people s eyes, as they thik of how they eed Jesus light i their lives. Pray: Dear God, thak you for tellig Zechariah about what Jesus purpose here would be. Please help us remember how much we eed your light i our lives. We re so thakful that you love us. Allow time for kids who wat to pray aloud to do so. We love you, too, God. I Jesus ame, ame. Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4

11 25 Lyrics To Save the World Through Him (Joh 3:17) For God did ot sed his So ito the world To codem the world. For God did ot sed his So ito the world To codem the world, oh o, But to save the world through him, But to save the world through him. For God did ot sed his So ito the world To codem the world. (Repeat from the begiig.) To Save the World Through Him (Joh 3:17) by Dea-o. 2003, 2006 Group Publishig, Ic. All rights reserved.! ok to copy Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter

First- and second-graders have a special desire to know they re loved no matter

First- and second-graders have a special desire to know they re loved no matter 17 Zechariah Prophesies About Jesus Luke 1:68-79 First- ad secod-graders have a special desire to kow they re loved o matter what. It s commo for a child who s misbehaved to ask, Do you still love me?