1st-2nd Grade (10:15am) September 21, 2014
Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of: When the Babylonians took God s people to Babylon, they destroyed Jerusalem. God s people returned years later to rebuild the temple, but when they faced opposition in rebuilding the rest of Jerusalem, they stopped. Some 70 years passed, and the walls and gates around the city were still ruined. 2 City walls and gates were very important in Bible times. Walls were built to be several feet thick. They protected a city from its enemies and provided a sense of safety and security. Gates were the center of city life, the meeting place for commercial and social transactions. Without these structures, the surviving remnant of God s people struggled and was vulnerable to attack. Nehemiah traveled from Persia to Jerusalem to lead the effort in rebuilding Jerusalem s walls. Nehemiah s leadership was effective. Nehemiah 3 describes all the people working together to rebuild the gates and walls. But it wasn t long before Nehemiah met opposition. Sanballat and Tobiah were local governors who strongly opposed Nehemiah s helping the Jews. The two mocked God s people and tried to discourage them. Sanballat and Tobiah planned a surprise attack against God s people, but God s people found out. They kept working with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. God s people completed the wall in just 52 days. Note how their enemies reacted: All the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God (Neh. 6:16). Now God s people were protected from their enemies. God provided the way for us to be protected from our enemies, sin and death. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. When we repent and trust in Jesus, He frees us from sin and death. We still sin, but we are no longer slaves to sin. (See Rom. 6:17-18.) We will die a physical death as a result of sin, but we have eternal life. (See John 11:25-26; Rom. 6:23.) Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 22 Session 2 1
Younger Kids Bible study OVERVIEW Session Title: Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt Bible Passage: Nehemiah 3:1 6:16 Big Picture Question: How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. Key Passage: Malachi 4:2 Unit Christ Connection: God restored a faithful remnant and reminded them of His promise of a new covenant through Jesus Christ. U N I T 22 2 Small Group Opening Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Large Group Leader Countdown Introduce the session (1 minute) Timeline map (1 minute) Big picture question (1 minute) Sing (5 minutes) Key passage (4 minutes) Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Discussion starter video (3 minutes) The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Prayer (5 minutes) Small Group Leader Key passage activity (5 minutes) Bible story review (10 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal and prayer (5 minutes) Jerusalem Was Rebuilt 2
The BIBLE STORY Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt Nehemiah 3:1 6:16 Nehemiah (nee huh MIGH uh) was in Jerusalem to help the people rebuild the city walls. The people started working together to fix the walls and the burned-down gates. The walls and gates had special names. Some of the people worked on the Fish Gate. The Fish Gate was the entrance to the fish market. Some people worked on the Sheep Gate; this gate led to the place men gathered to sell sheep. Others worked on the Valley Gate, the Old Gate, and the Horse Gate. The people worked on the walls, and other workers repaired the towers along the walls. The workers put in doors, bolts, and bars. They cut stones and lifted them into place on the wall, and they filled in gaps and holes. All around the city, people worked side by side. Soon the wall was half as tall as it had once been! Not everyone was happy that Jerusalem s walls were being rebuilt. Some men who lived nearby were angry. Sanballat (san BAL uht) and Tobiah (toh BIGH uh) mocked the people. Sanballat said, What do these people think they are doing? These walls are just piles of trash and dirt. They can t be rebuilt! Nehemiah prayed. God s people kept working on the walls, but their enemies made a plan to attack them and stop their work. God s people prayed and assigned men to guard the walls all day and all night, but they were discouraged. Our enemies are everywhere, they said. Nehemiah reminded the people that God was with them. Do not be afraid. God is great and powerful! Nehemiah said. Be ready. If our enemies attack us, God will fight for us! Sanballat and Tobiah could threaten God s people, but they couldn t make God s people stop building. Sanballat and Tobiah were not in charge of rebuilding the wall; God was! So God s people went back to work. Some stood guard with weapons, and others worked on the wall. Some men worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other. They were always ready to fight, just in case. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 22 Session 2 3
Nehemiah was a wise and good leader of God s people while they worked. He helped them solve any problems they had, and he did not give in to their enemies. The people kept working very hard. In just 52 days, the wall was complete! The gates were repaired, and the wall was restored. When all of Jerusalem s enemies heard that the wall had been rebuilt, they were afraid because they knew God was with His people. Christ Connection: Nehemiah led the people to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem to protect them from their enemies. Jesus came to protect us from our enemies. He died on the cross and rose from the dead to rescue people from sin and death. Jerusalem Was Rebuilt 4
Small Group Opening Session Title: Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt Bible Passage: Nehemiah 3:1 6:16 Big Picture Question: How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. Key Passage: Malachi 4:2 Unit Christ Connection: God restored a faithful remnant and reminded them of His promise of a new covenant through Jesus Christ. Welcome time Arriving Activity: Through the gate Invite two volunteers to form a gate by holding hands. Give the gatekeepers a secret word. If given the secret word, they must open the gate and let the kid who said it through. Give the other kids a hint about the password. Choose a kid to walk to the gate and say her guess. If she fails, provide another hint and let another kid try. Once a kid passes through the gate, play again. Say Nehemiah continued his work on the wall in today s Bible story, including several gates. We ll see if he and the Jews were able to finish the wall. Word Wall activity page, 1 per kid crayons or markers Activity page (5 minutes) Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say Walls were very important in Bible times for protection. What are some things we use to protect ourselves? Transition to large group Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 22 Session 2 5
Large Group LEADER Session Title: Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt Bible Passage: Nehemiah 3:1 6:16 Big Picture Question: How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. Key Passage: Malachi 4:2 Unit Christ Connection: God restored a faithful remnant and reminded them of His promise of a new covenant through Jesus Christ. countdown video rope harness helmet paper marker Timeline Map Countdown Show the countdown video as your kids arrive, and set it to end as large group time begins. Introduce the session (1 minute) [Place a sign on the climbing wall that says Opening Delayed! Large Group Leader enters with a rope, a harness, and a helmet.] Leader Hello again. I heard the climbing wall will be opening today. I will finally get to climb. I ve got all my gear, so I m ready to go. I just need to put on my helmet and my harness. Then I attach my rope. Wait a minute. Here s another sign. This time it says Opening delayed! I don t understand. What could have happened to stall the repair? Speaking of repairs, that reminds me of last week s Bible story. Timeline map (1 minute) Leader Last week, we learned how Nehemiah heard sad news about the people who had returned to Jerusalem. Nehemiah was cupbearer to the Persian king. What did Nehemiah want to do? Nehemiah wanted to rebuild Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 22 Session 2 7
Jerusalem s walls. Nehemiah prayed to God before asking for the king s help to rebuild the walls. He led the Jews to start the rebuilding process. We didn t find out if they completed the wall last time. Today, we ll see if they ran into any problems. Big picture question (1 minute) Leader A wall was a symbol of a city s power, but most importantly, it was a means of protection. That brings us to the big picture question for today, How did God protect His people? We Won t Be Shaken song Sing (5 minutes) Leader Protection for a city was very important during Bible times. It was not uncommon for neighboring nations to attack an unprotected city and take control of it. We trust God to protect us, and God often uses things and other people to keep us safe. Our homes protect us from bad weather. Our parents help protect us from bad decisions. No matter what comes our way, we can trust God to protect us. That reminds me of our theme song. Let s sing. Sing together We Won t Be Shaken. Key Passage Slide or Poster Celebrate song Key passage (4 minutes) Leader Nehemiah remembered God s promise of blessing if God s people repented and followed only Him. We are promised God s blessings too when we trust in Jesus. That s the message of our key passage. Show the slide or poster of the unit s key passage, Malachi 4:2. Lead the boys and girls to read the verse together. Sing Celebrate. Jerusalem Was Rebuilt 8
Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Leader It s time to see if Nehemiah was able to finish what he started: rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. We will also find the answer to the big picture question, How did God protect His people? Show the Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt video, or choose to tell the Bible story in your own words using the script provided. For a shorter version of the story, read only the bolded text. Leader Neighboring nations didn t believe the Jews could rebuild the walls because they were so badly damaged. They even made fun of God s people for trying. It was a big job, but God was with His people. Nehemiah and the Jews did rebuild the walls. They completed them in only 52 days. Nehemiah trusted God to take care of His people. He understood that God would use the wall to protect them. How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. Ask the following review questions: 1. What did Sanballat do when he heard the Jews were rebuilding the wall? (made fun of them, Nehemiah 4:1) 2. How did the Jews protect themselves from those who wanted to stop them from rebuilding the wall? (some stood guard while others worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other, Nehemiah 4:9-17) 3. How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. 4. How many days did it take to rebuild the wall? (52 days, Nehemiah 6:15) Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 22 Session 2 9
5. Why were the enemies of the Jews afraid after the wall was rebuilt? (They knew God was with the Jews, Nehemiah 6:16) Unit 22 Session 2 discussion starter video Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Leader Can you think of some ways God protects us? Does that mean nothing bad will ever happen to us? Watch this video. Show the Unit 22 Session 2 video. Leader Have you ever broken a bone or hurt yourself some other way? Even when we trust in God, bad things will still happen sometimes. We may not understand why those things happen, but we can trust that God never leaves us. He helps us through, and He uses bad times to help us trust Him even more. When we repent and trust in Jesus, we don t have to worry about the worst thing ever: sin. Jesus perfect life, death, and resurrection protects us forever from the punishment we deserve. We don t need a wall to protect us because Jesus paid for our sins. The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Use Scripture and the guide provided with this session to explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Assign individuals to meet with kids who have more questions. If this is not possible, encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other Christian adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian. Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Prayer (5 minutes) Show the big picture question slide or poster. Leader Let s take a few moments to review the big picture question and answer, How did God protect His Jerusalem Was Rebuilt 10
people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. Choose a volunteer to lead the kids in reciting the big picture question and answer. Encourage the volunteer to say the question and answer a few words at a time at a variety of speeds. For example, he might say the first two words slowly and the next three quickly. The kids must try to repeat the leader at the same pace. Before transitioning to small groups, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in prayer. Pray that God will use the kids as great leaders too. Dismiss to small groups Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 22 Session 2 11
The Gospel: God s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means good news. It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. Jerusalem Was Rebuilt 12
Small Group LEADER Session Title: Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt Bible Passage: Nehemiah 3:1 6:16 Big Picture Question: How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. Key Passage: Malachi 4:2 Unit Christ Connection: God restored a faithful remnant and reminded them of His promise of a new covenant through Jesus Christ. Key Passage Slide or Poster dry erase board and markers (optional) Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Key passage activity (5 minutes) Make sure the key passage, Malachi 4:2, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together. Say A calf is a baby cow. A calf is often placed in a small fenced area called a stall. When released from this small place, it will happily run around. This verse talks about Jesus and how those who trust in Him will be like the happy and free calf. Without Jesus, we are trapped by sin, but Jesus frees us from sin. Invite the kids to repeat the key passage together. Encourage them to jump in the air each time they say a word. Then challenge them to recite it faster. You may also choose to allow them to jump forward each time they finish saying the key passage. After about five attempts, see who jumped the farthest. Bible story review (10 minutes) Encourage the kids to find Nehemiah 3 in their Bibles. Help them as needed. Say In which division of the Bible do we find Nehemiah? (History) What rebuilding project does Nehemiah Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 22 Session 2 13
tell us about? (the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem) Nehemiah also led God s people to repent and promise to follow God. Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. Invite the kids to form a circle and hold hands to form a wall. Each time you say wall or walls, the kids must leave their spot in the wall and find another spot to join. Say Nehemiah and the Jews rebuilt the wall and gates around Jerusalem in just 52 days. That s amazing when you realize that it took about 20 years to rebuild the temple. Again, God s people had to trust God for protection when their neighbors tried to stop them from building. These same enemies were amazed when the walls were complete. They knew that God had to be with His people for them to have repaired the walls so quickly. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. When we repent and trust in Jesus, we are protected from the worst enemies ever, sin and death. Jesus defeated both when He lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose from the grave. Jerusalem Was Rebuilt 14
LOW PREP Activity choice (10 minutes) Activity: True gate Choose four volunteers. Send two of the volunteers to one side of the room and the other two to the opposite side of the room. Each pair will form a gate by holding hands above their heads. Several gates were built into the wall around Jerusalem. You will name two possible gates, but only one was an actual gate in the wall. Explain that one pair of volunteers is one gate while the other pair is the other gate. The remaining kids must choose which gate is mentioned in Nehemiah by walking through the actual gate. Here are some examples: Horse Gate and Cow Gate (Horse Gate) Camel Gate and Sheep Gate (Sheep Gate) Open Gate and Old Gate (Old Gate) Valley Gate and Mountain Gate (Valley Gate) Fish Gate and Chicken Gate (Fish Gate) Say Nehemiah led the Jews to rebuild the gates and wall around Jerusalem in only 52 days. How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 22 Session 2 15
journals Journal Page, 1 per kid markers or crayons Bible Story Coloring Page Journal and prayer (5 minutes) Distribute each child s journal and the journal page provided with this session. Instruct the kids to draw a picture of what they think one of the gates might have looked like. Writers can write the key passage. Say Let s take a final look at the big picture question, How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls. Make sure each child puts this week s sheet in the journal, and then collect them. Keep the journals in the classroom so they will be available every week or as often as you wish to use them. If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Pray, thanking God for His protection. Pray for each child by name, asking God to use him to tell others about how Jesus died and rose again to protect people from sin. Jerusalem Was Rebuilt 16
Key Passage: Malachi 4:2 Session 1: Nehemiah Heard News of Jerusalem Nehemiah 1 2 Session 2: Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt Nehemiah 3:1 6:16 Session 3: Ezra Read the Law Nehemiah 8:1-12 Session 4: Malachi the Prophet Malachi 1 4 OK TO PRINT Journal Page Jerusalem Was Rebuilt
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Unit 22 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT Jerusalem Was Rebuilt Malachi 4:2
How did God protect His people? Unit 22 Session 2 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT Jerusalem Was Rebuilt
How did God protect His people? God used Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild Unit 22 Session 2 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT Jerusalem Was Rebuilt the city walls.
Unit 22 Session 2 Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt OK TO PRINT Jerusalem Was Rebuilt
Instructions: Color the bricks of the wall that match those in the key to uncover an important word in today s Bible story. UNIT 22 Session 2 Younger Kids Activity Pages OK to print Jerusalem Was Rebuilt
Jerusalem s Walls Rebuilt Nehemiah 3:1 6:16 OK to print
Today we will be tasting/ touching/sniffing: Please notify the leader if your child should not participate. Instructions: Print this poster. You may laminate it and reuse it throughout the quarter. Use a dry erase marker to fill in the necessary information. Display the poster where parents and kids can see it before class. UNIT 22 Allergy Alert OK TO PRINT Jerusalem Was Rebuilt