Getting Started Circle Time Lesson 13: Jehoshaphat Trusts God for Victory November 27/28 Bible Point: God helps us Key Verse: So do not fear, I am with you Isaiah 41:10 10 min Getting Started: Welcome As the children arrive, greet each one and welcome him or her with a smile. Allow the children to choose a free play station for the first ten minutes. At 10 minutes after service start let the children know in 1 minute you will start cleaning up. Start clean up time with the clean up song: Say, I Am! (tune of If You re Happy and You Know it ) If you are cleaning up, say, I am. If you are cleaning up, say, I am. If you are cleaning up, If you are cleaning up, If you are cleaning up, say, I am. Teachers: Prepare you class for Community Time. 5 min Circle Time Once children are seated on the carpet, greet each one by name. Free Play Stations: 1. Toys 2. Books 3. Paper/ Crayons Worship 8-10 Minutes Pray for your time together and walk to community. Community Time: Worship Song Sheet Lead the kids in 2-3 of the following songs (see attached song sheet for direction if needed) Jesus Loves Me Jesus Loves the Little Children This Little Light of Mine I ve Got the Joy The Bible Lesson As the teacher don t be 15-20 min Community Time: Lesson LL: Last week we learned how to be a good friend. Today s Bible story tells us that God helps us. Passage: 2 Chronicales 20:1-30
afraid to add your own voice, props and interacti ons to the story! In this teaching you are acting as King Jehosha phat. So act the story out- use different voices, move around as if fighting, worship ping, etc. In our Bible today, we re going to be reading about a man named Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was a very good king of the Israelites. Put on the paper crown. One day someone told him that a huge army was coming to fight the Israelites. Jehoshaphat was worried and scared, because he knew that he didn t have many people to fight back! Let s pretend you re the Israelites and I m Jehoshaphat. There aren t very many of us to fight a big army! What should I, King Jehoshaphat do? (call his army, get ready to fight) Hey- I know what I can do! I can pray. I can pray to a great, big God and give him my worries. Can we all pray for this together? God will hear all of our prayers! Lead children in kneeling and folding hands. Pray about your own fears and worries, things that are too big for you to handle on your own, but that you are asking for God s help. Well that is exactly what King Jehoshaphat did! He prayed. And he got the Israelites to pray too! Well, God heard them. And God told the people, Do not worry, I will help you. King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites were so thankful that God would help them when they were scared that they sang songs and worshipped him. Now, you re about to hear what happened next, and what I will say truly did happen! I, King Jehoshaphat, left with my army the very next day to go meet the HUGE army that wanted to fight. As me and my men marched towards battle, we sang and praised God. Sing a couple lines from a praise song for reenactment. We reached the other army, but while we were singing, the men in the mean army began fighting amongst themselves! It was the strangest thing. The soldiers in that army got confused. They fought each other and took down their own army. They lots! By the time we were able to fight, there were no soldiers left to battle! God had taken care of our fears. We knew we did not have the strength or courage or people to fight the giant army. We prayed, and God helped us! And do you know what they told people? They said Give thanks to the Lord, for his love is forever. Let s repeat that! Take off the crown and just be the teacher now. We all have different fears. King Jehoshaphat and his people were fearful of the great, big army. What are some things that you re fearful of? Listen to answers. What can we do the next time we re afraid? What did King Jehoshaphat and his army do? Pray. Ask God for help. God answered King Jehoshaphat prayers, and he will answer our prayers, too. Any time you re worried you can pray and sing to God. Close in prayer and then dismiss back to rooms for Key Verse Activity and Center time. Paper crown
Circle Time 10-15 min Circle Time: Key Verse Activity Have the children form a circle and sit down. Open your Bible to Isaiah 41:10 Our key verse this month from the Bible says, So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. This means that we should not fear because God is with us. Let s day, Do not fear, for I am with you together. Lead children in repeating shortened verse. Coat of Arms sheet copies- enough for each child crayons Who can tell me what a shield is? Listen to answers. A shield was what knights used in the middle ages for protection. A shield was their helper in battle and kept them safe and strong. God is your shield against the things you are afraid of. We re going to make our own shields. Explain to each child to draw things about God that help them feel safe against their fears. They can draw anything about God that helps them feel safe, but if they need suggestions- God s love (a heart), God as mighty creator (stars, earth, mountain), God s son (a cross). Centers 20 Minutes Ask each child what they are drawing and write that on the back of their sheets- so the parents can know what the picture is of. Center 1: Praise Shakers King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites praised God for helping them through their fears. You will make praise shakers that you can use to praise God when He helps you. Have children put a verse label on the bottom side of one paper plate. Have children draw things they are thankful for on the bottom of the paper plate. Once they are done decorating, staple the edges of the paper plates together so that they are almost all the way closed, then have the child help pour in a handful of beans. Finish stapling so all the way closed. Center 2: Play Dough Place dough out on a table. Encourage children to mold something they remember from the story of King Jehoshaphat- an army, a king, God, prayer. Center 3: Thankful Tree Have children color the Thankful Tree coloring page. Then ask them what things they are thankful to God for helping them with. Write each of these things on a separate leaf that the child can glue to their tree. Tell them that this is the Thankful Tree. If they have more things they are thankful for at home, they can keep adding more leaves. Center 1: Paper Plates- 2 per child Dried Beans Stapler w/staples Crayons 2 Chron20:21 Sticker Labels Center 2: Enough Play Dough for 8-10 children to use at once. Center 3: red, green and yellow leaves- small 1 2 Thankful Tree coloring page Crayons Gluesticks
Snack *Option al* 10 minutes Snack Prepare the snack for the children before class. Take time to stop and pray before the children eat. Graham Crackers Water/Cups Closing 10 Minutes This is also a good time to ask children if they need to go to the restroom. At the end of snack time have children help with the clean up using the song below for clean up and closing. Start clean up time with the clean up song: Say, I Am! (tune of If You re Happy and You Know it ) If you are cleaning up, say, I am. If you are cleaning up, say, I am. If you are cleaning up, If you are cleaning up, If you are cleaning up, say, I am. Gather everyone for closing at your classrooms circle. LL: Today we learned that God can help us. And when he does help us, we respond by being thankful! Paper Towels/Napkin s Closing Prayer Have the children sit down, fold their hands and repeat this prayer with you. LL: Dear God, Help me to be kind and good. And love all people as I should. In Jesus name, amen.
Song Sheet The BIBLE The B-I-B-L-E, yeah that's the book for me I stand alone on the word of God The B-I-B-L-E This Little Light of Mine This little light of mine, This little light of mine, This little light of mine, Let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No! Hide it under a bushel? No! Hide it under a bushel? No! Let it shine. Don't let Satan blow it out, Don't let Satan blow it out, Don't let Satan blow it out, Let it shine. Jesus Loves Me Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so. Jesus Loves the Little Children Jesus loves the little children All the children of the world Black and yellow, red and white They're all precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children of the worl I ve Got the Joy I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart down in my heart to stay. I ve the got love of Jesus, love of Jesus Down in my heart, Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! I ve the got love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.
Do not fear, God is with you Isaiah 41:10