Lesson 25 Acts through Revelation Ages 6-11

Transcription

1 Lesson 25 Acts through Revelation Ages 6-11 Unit 5 The Promise of Guidance Camp Venture Counselor s Guide Letters About Forgiveness Aim: To know we are forgiven because Jesus is the perfect High Priest who saves us and prays to God the Father in our defense. PROPHETS AND PROMISES PART 1 At the Campfire Worship the Spirit Who Teaches Us Camp Critter: Little Lamb Tent Time New Testament Letters: Hebrews 7:24-27; 1 Timothy 2:1-6 GOT TIME? Letter: 1 John 2:1-2 Christ Connection: Exodus 32:20-32 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, 39b THE WORSHIP, THE WORD, & THE WAY 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: Note cards, four large sheets of sturdy paper or poster board, four markers [] At the Campfire: Lesson 25 Worship Illustration or Storybook, Bible Memory Verse Song Yahweh: Love The Lord Your God and other related music [] Mailbag: Create a list of today s New Testament letter scripture references, fold it and place it in the Counselor s Bible. Put the Bible, Pen Pal Letter, pencils and a blank prayer card (note card) for each camper in any bag. [] Got Time Gear: Bread, drinks, napkins, plates, cups, non-helium inflated balloon or beach ball, permanent black marker, box, scissors, paper in multiple types and colors, glue or tape, markers or crayons, assorted craft supplies, New Testament Overture song and player, 27 sheets of paper, marker, clothesline or thin cord, 27 clothespins or paperclips, Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse song, player and poster [] Today s New Testament Postcard with a stamp or sticker of a cross [] Daily Way Lesson 25 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 Jesus. (Pray.) Today, our New Testament letter teaches us about forgiveness. Jesus prays to God the Father asking for our forgiveness. It is like Jesus sends a message to God and delivers our prayers to Him. Let s play a camp game where we can send a message! GAME: MESSAGE MEDIATOR PURPOSE: Campers will race to pass a message through a mediator to begin understanding how Jesus acts as their mediator with God. SUPPLIES: Note cards, four large sheets of sturdy paper (poster board), four markers PREPARE: Write a message asking for forgiveness using one word per card. Create one card for each camper. The length of the message will depend on the number of campers on each team. (For example, using the message, Dear King, we are sorry. Please forgive us. would create eight cards.) Create four identical message sets; one set for each team. SAY> Oh no! The townspeople have disobeyed the king! The mediator is the only who always obeyed the king, so he or she is the only one who may speak to the king. The townspeople want to say they are sorry, but they can only send their message through the mediator. Let s see which team of townspeople can send their message the fastest! 1. Divide campers into four teams of equal size. 2. Have teams select a mediator and a king. Remaining campers on each team are the townspeople. 3. Give one card with one word of the message to each townsperson on each team. Have the townspeople sit in a line in the correct order of the message. 4. Seat the kings in chairs at equal distances from their team s line of townspeople. 5. Give a large sheet of paper and a marker to each king. 6. Each team s mediator begins standing next to the first townsperson in his or her team s line. 7. On your signal, the first townsperson in line whispers the word on the card to the mediator. (Counselor may assist campers who are non-readers.) 8. The mediator races to the king and whispers the word. 9. The king writes the word on the large paper. (Counselor may assist younger campers in writing.) 10. The mediator races back to the next townsperson to hear the next word. 11. The goal is to be the first team to have the entire message written down and read aloud by the king. SAY> Jesus is like the mediator in our game. He goes to God the Father to ask God to forgive us when we sin. Let s find out more about what the Bible says about that. Option: Limited Space? Have all campers play the game as one team playing multiple rounds with a different message each time. Time the campers using a watch or timer. Challenge the campers to better their best time with each round of play. Choose different campers to be the mediator and king each round. *Counselor Clues: For added fun, be very generous with points (For example: 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.) Prizes for points can range from a round of applause to a grand prize for the team with the highest total points at the end of camp. The grand prize can be an ice cream party, pizza party, etc. Before closing on the last day, have the winning team invite all of the other teams to join the party. Always encourage good sportsmanship and cheering for each other. 2

3 At the Campfire (15 Minutes) Today we worship the Spirit who teaches us about forgiveness. Each time we ask for forgiveness, Jesus goes to God the Father asking Him to forgive us and He does! Believers can boldly approach God s throne because Jesus has made a way for us to be forgiven. Let s celebrate the fact that God the Father hears our prayers because of Jesus! (Sing: As The Deer while collecting the offering.) Worship Elements: Designate a special corner or area for worship. Collect and lead prayer for an offering. Perform Worship Illustration or read Storybook: Prophets & Promises Unit 5, Lesson 25 Say the Camper s Code together. Today s camp critter is a little lamb. Little lambs are pure and innocent. That is how God sees us after He forgives us. God forgives and forgets our wrongdoings it s as if we are pure and innocent as little lambs! Camp Critter Song I spied a LITTLE LAMB overhead. Here is what that LITTLE LAMB said, Thanks to Him we re forgiven and forever we ll be livin! I spied a LITTLE LAMB, who followed the SERPENT, who followed the MEERKAT, who followed the LOVEBIRD, and the LOVEBIRD hollered, Yippee-kigh-yay! At Camp Venture today! Praise Song Suggestions Select songs containing that focus prayer and forgiveness. As The Deer Praise The Lord O My Soul I Love You Lord Worship Jamz (Volumes 1, 2, 3) 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. Bible Memory Verse Song Yahweh: You Shall Love The Lord Matthew 22:37, 39b (NIV) 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! Yahweh! I know I can go to...yahweh! She can, he can go to...yahweh! We know we can go to Yahweh every day! Repeat two times getting faster each time. 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 campers sit on mats or sit-upons.) New Testament Letters Welcome to Tent Time! Last time in our mailbag we found letters about sin, or doing wrong in God s eyes. We learned that if we admit our sins to God, He will always forgive us. (Counselor holds up mailbag.) Today in our mailbag, we have letters about forgiveness. We will learn how Jesus asks God the Father to forgive our sins. Back in Bible times, before Jesus came to die on the cross, there was a man called the High Priest. Once a year, he would go into the temple s Most Holy Place to ask forgiveness for all the sins of God s people. For complete forgiveness, God s people needed a perfect High Priest to speak for them, but no one among the people was ever perfect. So, God the Father sent His perfect Son Jesus to replace the people s High Priest so all believers could be truly forgiven forever. Let s see how the Bible explains it in the letter to the Hebrews. If you brought your Bible, open it now and share with others. (Hand out spare Bibles. Counselor opens mailbag and removes Bible, opens Bible and takes out list of today s New Testament letter scripture references: Hebrews 7:24-27 and 1 Timothy 2:1-6.) Before we read, let s stand and ask God to open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to His Word today. Who d like to pray that for us? (Camper prays aloud.) Be seated. Let s read the first letter about forgiveness found in the book of Hebrews. (Read Hebrews 7:24-27.) Because of this, Jesus became the mediator or connector between us and God. Just as Jesus keeps praying for us, we should keep praying for each other. Let s see what Paul said about that in his letter to his friend Timothy. (Read 1 Timothy 2:1-6.) 4

5 Tent Time continued (15 Minutes) Mailbag (Print the Pen Pal letter on a sheet of paper. Fold the paper and place it in an envelope.) Let s open our mailbag to see if our Pen Pal will give us a clue about what today s New Testament letter has to do with your life. (Remove Pen Pal Letter from mailbag, open the envelope. Remove the letter and read.) Hey Pals, The Bible has many great names for Jesus. He is called the Good Shepherd, Savior, King of kings, and many more! What is your favorite name for Jesus? In the letter to the Hebrews, I found another name for Jesus: the Mediator. That means He is the one who connects us with God. It works like this: each time we pray to Jesus about something wrong we have done, Jesus prays to God the Father for us. Because Jesus already paid for our sins on the cross, God always forgives us when we admit doing wrong in God s eyes. Over 1,500 years before the letter to the Hebrews was written, Moses served as a mediator for the Hebrews (the Israelites.) Let s check it out. (Read today s Christ Connection: Exodus 32:30-32.) As a mediator, Moses asked God to forgive the Hebrew people for the sin of worshiping an idol. As our mediator, Jesus is always asking God the Father to forgive us each time we sin. It is pretty amazing to know that Jesus is always going to God the Father for each one of us. It reminds me that we can always pray to Jesus everywhere, every day! He always hears us and prays for us. We can pray right now! Okay, everyone close your eyes and take seven second of silence to pray to Jesus about your needs. Whether you need forgiveness for something you have done, or if you need help with a problem you are having, pray to Jesus and He will go to God the Father to plead for your need. (Campers close eyes and pray silently for seven seconds. Counselor closes by saying Amen. ) Just as Paul urged Timothy in his letter, now I am urging you in this letter to pray for our leaders and for one another. Who are some leaders in our town and nation that we can pray for? (After campers respond, counselor reaches into the mailbag and gives each camper a pencil and a blank prayer card.) Now, write your first name on the card. Draw a picture or write something you d like others to pray about for you. When you are finished, put your prayer cards back in the mailbag. Let everyone reach in the mailbag and choose a prayer card. (No peeking!) Now pray for whatever the prayer card says. Take the prayer card home and keep on praying for one another just as Paul said! Believe and Be Forgiven, Your Pen Pal 5

6 Tent Time continued (15 Minutes) Share A Prayer Let s thank God for sending us His Word, the Bible! We can pray for each other and all who live in this world for them to hear His Word, too. (Ask campers for individual praise and prayer requests.) Father in heaven, thank you for sending us Your Word. 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.) New Testament Postcard As you leave today, you ll receive a New Testament Postcard. I m giving you this stamp or sticker of a cross to remind you that you are forgiven because of Jesus. (Place stamp or sticker in the corner box on the back of the postcard.) Take it home and add it to your postcard collection. On your postcard, list where to find today s New Testament letters in the Bible. You ll find the scriptures listed in the Daily Way. Read these scriptures again to help you answer the postcard question. Camper Challenge (Hand out Lesson 25 Daily Way.) Complete your Daily Way at home and bring it back next time to win points here at Camp Venture! Letter From Camp Write a Letter from Camp to someone in your home to let them know what you did today. Write your favorite thing about today and something special about the letters from the New Testament you just learned. Or draw a picture about that. Sign it and take it home. Prayer Requests How can I pray for you this week? (As campers work on their Letters from Camp, write individual requests in your counselor s prayer notebook.) Bible Memory Verse Song Play the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse song or the New Testament Overture background as campers wait to be dismissed. 6

7 Got Time? (If time remains, choose from the connected activities in this segment.) SNACK: TEMPLE BREAD SNACK PURPOSE: Campers will eat a snack while discussing the temple and the High Priest from Bible times. SUPPLIES: Bread, drinks, napkins, plates, cups ASK> In Bible times, where did the High Priest go once a year to ask for God to forgive all the people? (Behind the curtain into the Most Holy Place of the Temple.) In the Temple had many special and holy treasures in it. One of those treasures was some special bread that reminded God s people of when He provided manna as food for them when they were in the wilderness. As our snack, let s have some bread that God has provided for us today. ASK> Who acts as the High Priest for believers now? (Jesus.) Jesus asks God to forgive us when we sin. Jesus can do this because He has never sinned. He is perfect! 1. Serve the snack and drink. 2. Camper prays to thank God for the snack. 3. Ask the Snack Discussion Question: What is one thing you have had to ask forgiveness for? GAME: DISAPPEARING SINS PURPOSE: For campers to see how Jesus takes their sins to God the Father who then forgives them. SUPPLIES: Non-helium inflated balloon or beach ball, permanent black marker SAY> (Hold up balloon or ball.) We want to do what is right, but sometimes we choose to do wrong in God s eyes, which is sin. Let s pretend this balloon (or ball) is full of our sins. We can each write our name on this balloon (or ball) to remind us that we have all sinned and need forgiveness. 1. Campers, counselor and helpers each write their name on the balloon or ball. 2. ASK> When we tell Jesus we are sorry for our sins, what does He do? (Prays to God on our behalf and asks Him to forgive us.) Let s bat the balloon (or ball) full of sins up to heaven. When you bat the balloon (or ball), imagine you are sending up your prayer asking for forgiveness. Once you have touched the balloon (or ball), sit down in place. 3. Campers bat the balloon or ball until all have had a turn and are seated on the floor. 4. After all campers bat the balloon or ball, choose a camper to carry the balloon (or ball) to the counselor. 5. SAY> Just as (insert camper s name) brought this balloon (or ball) to me, Jesus as our Mediator brings the sins of each one of us to God the Father. He asks God the Father to forgive us. (Pop the balloon or deflate the ball.) When God forgives your sins, they disappear from his memory forever just as the air has left this balloon (or 7

8 Got Time? continued... CRAFT: CARE PACKAGE DELIVERING GOD S LOVE PURPOSE: For campers to act as mediators by giving a care package that relays God s love to others. SUPPLIES: Box, scissors, paper in multiple types and colors, glue or tape, markers or crayons, assorted craft supplies (buttons, sequins, craft gems, feathers, ribbon, yarn, etc.) PREPARE: Determine the individual or group to whom the campers will send the care package. You may choose to let the campers suggest and/or decide on the recipient(s). (Some examples: nursing home residents, home-bound persons, hospital patients, grieving families, college students far from home, single parent families, etc.) ASK> Today we learned what the New Testament letters say about forgiveness. Who forgives our sins? (God.) What does Jesus do for us when we are sorry for our sins? (He goes to God the Father and asks Him to forgive us.) Jesus is the Mediator because when we sin, Jesus connects us to God so that we can be forgiven. We can be a different kind of mediator for God. We can help connect people around us with God s love. We can take God s love and give it to them! SAY> For the next few weeks we will care for others by making care packages that we can deliver or mail. Today we will make a package to connect other people with God s love. You can each make a special gift to share God s love. (Share information about the care package recipient(s) with the campers. Allow them to ask questions so they truly understand where and to whom their gift will be delivered.) 1. Help campers decide what type of craft they would like to make to show God s love to the recipient(s). Choose from the following ideas, create your own options, or let the campers come up with their own ideas. 2. Bible bookmarks 3. Cards 4. Decorate plastic bags or gift wrap and enclose a tasty treat 5. Bake and decorate cookies 6. Booklets filled with Bible verses about love 7. Decorate socks, shirts, or blankets with fabric paint 8. Paint, color or draw pictures 9. Make a card to deliver with the gift with a message encouraging the recipient(s) and telling them God loves them. You may choose to include printed Bible verses, such as Psalm 86:15, John 3:16, and Romans 8: Deliver the gifts! *Counselor Clue: Bring some or all of the campers with you to deliver the care package to the recipient(s). Take photographs of the campers delivering the care package to share with other campers. 8

9 Got Time? continued... DISCUSSION: MORE LETTERS ABOUT FORGIVENESS 1 JOHN 2:1-2 PURPOSE: Campers learn of a third letter about forgiveness from the New Testament. SUPPLIES: Bible opened to 1 John 2:1-2. ASK> God wants us to always do what is right. When a believer does wrong in God s eyes, what do you think happens up in heaven? (Respond.) For the answer, let s see what John wrote in his first letter. (Read 1 John 2:1-2.) ASK> Who can explain what it means to have Jesus speak in our defense? (Respond.) Just as lawyers speak for their clients, Jesus speaks for us and defends us so that God forgives us every time! GAME: NEW TESTAMENT OVERATURE BOOKS ON A LINE PURPOSE: Campers learn the books of the New Testament. SUPPLIES: 27 sheets of paper, marker, clothesline or thin cord, 27 clothespins or paperclips, New Testament Overture song and player, Bible SUPPLIES: Write the name of each book of the New Testament on a separate sheet of paper. Mix the papers so the books are not in order. Hang the clothesline in the play area at a low height so the campers can reach it. 1. Play the New Testament Overture song two times. Encourage the campers to sing along as they become familiar with the words. 2. Challenge the campers to place the New Testament books in order by hanging the sheets of paper in correct order on the clothesline with the clothespins. 3. To help the campers, play the song while they work or leave the Bible open to the table of contents for their reference as needed. 4. As campers learn the correct order of the books, try it without the aid of the list in the Bible or music. New Testament Overture Sheet music and recordings available at Psalm 119:105 and the books of the New Testament sung to the tune of The William Tell Overture: Allegro Vivace Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path! Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path! Go to Matthew, to Mark, go to Luke and John. Go to Acts and the letter to the Romans. Go to First, go to Second Corinthians, to Galatians and Ephesians! Philippians and Colossians, First and Second Thessalonians, First and Second Timothy, then Titus and Philemon! Go to Hebrews and go to James. Go to First, go to Second Peter. Go to First, Second, Third John. Go to Jude, then go to Revelation! 9

10 Got Time? continued... BIBLE MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITIES GAME: LOVE ALL AROUND PURPOSE: Campers learn the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse. SUPPLIES: Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse song, player and poster SAY> Our Bible Memory Verse tells us to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. What does that mean to you? (Respond.) Our Bible Memory Verse also tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Who are our neighbors? (All the people around us.) 1. Campers sit in a circle. 2. Recite or sing the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse one time together. 3. Say the first word of the verse: Love 4. The camper on your right says the next word: the 5. The next camper on the right says the next word: Lord 6. Continue going around the circle, each camper saying the next word of the Bible Memory Verse in turn until the entire verse has been said. 7. As time allows, play again going faster each time. GAME: RACE TO REPEAT PURPOSE: Campers learn the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse. SUPPLIES: Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse poster, Bible 1. Practice saying the Unit 5 Bible Memory Verse together once. 2. Divide the campers into two equal teams. 3. Teams sit shoulder-to-shoulder in two lines, facing each other with several feet of space between the two lines. 4. Give a number to each camper on each team beginning with the number Place a Bible in the center of the space between the two teams. 6. Call out a number. 7. The camper from each team with that number races to be the first to touch the Bible. 8. The camper who touches the Bible first earns point for his or her team by saying the Bible Memory Verse correctly. (Campers may use the Bible Memory Verse poster as a reference.) 9. Continue playing by calling a different number in each round until all campers have had a turn. DISCUSSION: GETTING TO KNOW YOU PURPOSE: Campers get to love their neighbors by talking about forgiveness in their lives. Gather in a circle and discuss some of the following things about forgiveness: Someone you have forgiven. Someone you need to forgive, but are having a difficult time doing so. Something you need to ask forgiveness for. Ways to show forgiveness to someone else. 10