God wants us to live for him.

Praise Jesus! Noah Obeys God and Builds the Ark Lesson 4 Bible Point God wants us to live for him. Bible Verse As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15b). Growing Closer to Jesus Children will n explore why living for God is important, n find out how Noah was rewarded for living for God, and n commit to specific ways to live for God. Teacher Enrichment The Bible Basis n Noah obeys God and builds the ark. Genesis 6 7 The sin begun by Adam and Eve, and then continued by Cain and their other offspring, must have multiplied even more in the generations that followed. God s statement in Genesis 6:7 may seem as if it stemmed from anger or a desire for revenge, but instead it grew out of his pain and was a sorrowful acknowledgment that to make things better, most of the earth s population would have to die. The people who God had created had so turned against him that he had to start over with the few who remained faithful. Fortunately, one righteous man still loved God. The word translated righteous in Genesis 6:9 indicates that Noah sought both to worship and obey God and to live in fairness with his human neighbors. The ark Noah built was half again the length of a football field, as wide as a basketball court is long, and as tall as a five-story building. There were to be three decks inside and many rooms to house all the different animals. Modern shipbuilding experts have confirmed that the dimensions given in the Bible would be ideal to ensure that a large wooden vessel would remain intact and upright while adrift in heavy seas. Noah lived for God and did everything exactly as God had commanded him. What a great example of faithful obedience for all of us! Prayer Read Hebrews 11:7. How do you show your kids that you are living for God in daily life? Pray: Lord, help me show how I live for you by 47

Lesson 4 Before the Lesson n Collect items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed in the chart. n Make photocopies of the Growing Together handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for your students and for God s direction in teaching the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance Welcome What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Welcome! Receive a warm welcome from the teacher, and make name tags. Tree Name tags (p. 23), scissors, markers, tape Attention Grabber Decisions! Choose who to listen to in order to win a game. Bible Exploration & Application Noah s Reward Listen to the story, based on Genesis 6 7, of Noah building the ark. Bible, CD player Secret Kindness Do kind things for a partner who can t see, and then hear Matthew 6:6b to discover that God sees everything. Bible Closing Capture the Bird Work against one student who s seeking a prize, and then listen to Ephesians 2:10a to see how God wants them to live. Way to Live Decorate the classroom with ways to live for God. Bible, treats Newsprint, tape 48

Welcome Noah Obeys God and Builds the Ark SUPPLIES: Tree Name Tags (p. 23), scissors, markers, tape Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile. Thank each child for coming to class today. As children arrive, ask them about last week s Growing Together activities. Use questions such as What songs did you sing about God s love? and Who did you send valentines to? Say: Today we re going to learn that God wants us to live for him. Hand out the name tags children made during Lesson 1, and help children attach the name tags to their clothing. If some of the name tags were damaged, or if children weren t in class that week, have them make new name tags using the photocopiable handout. Tell the children that the attention-getting signal you ll use during this lesson will be blowing the bird whistle. Ask children to respond by raising their hands. Rehearse the signal with the children, telling them to respond quickly so you ll have plenty of time for all the fun activities planned for this lesson. Attention Grabber n Decisions! SUPPLIES: none Before class, unlink the linked hearts and stars. Have the children sit on the floor. Show them the links, and say: I ll hold one link at a time behind my back. Your job is to decide if I m holding a star link or a heart link. If you guess correctly, the class gets to keep the link during the game. If you guess wrong, I get to keep the link. Whoever has the most links at the end of the game wins. I ll also choose two students to be persuaders. They ll try to convince you which kind of link I m holding up. But watch out! One of them may not be telling the truth! Choose two volunteers to be persuaders. During the game, show the persuaders the link you re holding in your hand. Quietly tell one of the persuaders to always tell the truth about the links, and tell the other persuader to say the opposite about the links. Start the game. After two or three links, the children should figure out who s telling them the truth and be able to get possession of the rest of the links. After the game, ask: How did you know you could trust one persuader more than the other? (One always told the truth; one always lied.) What would ve happened if you d decided to believe the persuader who was misleading you? (We would ve lost the game; we wouldn t have gotten any links.) In real life, have you ever listened to someone who told you to do the wrong thing? Tell me about that. (Yes, once my friend told me to sneak some cookies right before dinnertime, and I did it; no, I always do the right thing.) It s important to say the Bible Point just as it s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point over and over will help children remember it and apply it to their lives. 49

Lesson 4 Say: Today we re going to talk about a man who did what was right even though everyone around him did what was wrong. He didn t listen to the people who did wrong. This man lived for God even when it was hard. God wants us to live for him, too. Put the linked hearts and stars away for use in future lessons. Bible Insight Noah was chosen by God not only to build the ark and save his family but also to act as a preacher of righteousness. God had resolved to destroy the human race but gave humans a respite of 120 years before the Flood came. During this time, Noah tried to bring humans to God by acting on his faith in the face of adversity and public scorn and by condemning the world through his blameless life. Bible Exploration & Application n Noah s Reward SUPPLIES: Bible, CD player track 5 Cue the CD to track 5, Noah s Ark. In this CD segment, Noah explains what it was like to build the ark. Gather children in an open area of the room, and sit on the floor with them. Explain that Noah is going to tell the story of the ark and the Flood. Tell the children to listen carefully because Noah will ask them questions and they ll need to know the answers. Open your Bible to Genesis 6 7, and show the passage to the children. Say: Today s story comes from the book of Genesis. It s the first book in the first part of the Bible, the Old Testament. The Old Testament tells about what happened from the beginning of the world until just before Jesus was born. Start the CD. Allow children to call out answers to Noah s two questions as the CD continues to play. When the story is over, turn off the CD player. Then ask: What made it hard for Noah to live for God? (He was all by himself; no one else wanted to live for God.) Why do you think Noah did what God wanted him to do? (Maybe Noah thought God would punish him; maybe Noah knew that what God thinks is most important.) When is it hard for you to obey God? (It s hard when others make fun of me; sometimes I don t want to obey God; it s hard because I don t know how to obey God.) Say: God wants us to live for him. Noah obeyed God even when no one else did. And he obeyed God when it was hard. We can do that, too. Let s find out more about living for God. HANDS-ON BIBLE Bring bags of popped popcorn to class, enough for each child to have some. You may want to serve it in paper cups with napkins. Have children line up in a row at one end of the room. When you say go, have them hop on one foot across the room to the other side, tag the wall, and hop on the opposite foot back to their starting point. After they have completed the relay, have them gather in a circle on the floor. Say: That was harder than it looks, wasn t it? Maybe it took you longer to hop across the room than you thought. We are learning today about the ark that God told Noah to build. The ark was big enough to hold large and small animals and people, too. It was bigger than this room. In fact, it was bigger than a football field. Just think how far you would have to hop in a boat that size! 50

Noah Obeys God and Builds the Ark Ask children to open their Hands-On Bibles to Genesis 10, and point out the Fun Fact. Hand out popcorn and napkins. As children eat their snacks, have them discuss the following questions: What s the largest room you ve ever been in? (The church sanctuary; the gym at school; the airport.) How many children do you think could fit in this room? (About 100; maybe 1,000 if they re little kids.) How much popcorn do you think it would take to fill up this room? (A whole bunch of bags; maybe two tons; lots!) How many animals do you think it took to fill up the ark? (Maybe 200; as many as there are in a zoo.) Say: The ark was so big that if Noah had filled it with popcorn, it would have taken about 6 million bags to fill it! That s a lot of popcorn! But it had to be big because God told Noah to put in animals of every kind that ever existed, and then Noah and his family stayed on the ark, too. God wanted to make sure they were safe because they loved God and lived for him. God wants us to live for him, too. Ask: What are some ways people live for God? (They do nice things for other people; they work in the church.) What s one way you can live for God today? (I can go to Sunday school; I can tell somebody about Jesus.) n Secret Kindness SUPPLIES: Bible Count off by twos. Have all the Ones line up and then sit on the floor and keep their eyes shut. Gather all the Twos in a corner of the room, and quietly tell them to line up behind the Ones, sit down, and silently scratch the Ones backs. When you blow the bird whistle, have the Ones open their eyes and turn around to see who their partners are. Have partners discuss the following questions. Ask children who had their eyes closed: How did you react to what happened? (I liked it; I wondered who was scratching my back; it surprised me.) What s it like to know that your classmate did a kind thing for you? (It makes me feel good; OK; happy.) Ask the back scratchers: What was it like to do a kind thing for your classmate? (It made me feel good; I liked doing a kind thing.) Does it matter that your partner couldn t see you doing this kind thing? Explain. (Yes, if people don t know I m being kind, why should I be?; no, I m supposed to do good things even if no one notices.) Ask all the children: In real life, do you ever do kind things that no one else sees? Tell me about that. (Yes, once I picked up my stuff in the living room, and my mom didn t notice; no, I always make sure people know I m being kind.) 51

Lesson 4 Even first- and second-graders are pressured to do wrong things by their peers and sometimes even by authority figures. Sometimes it may be difficult for kids to choose to please God. Look for teachable moments in which you can remind kids of who they are and whose they are. Is being good and kind worth it when no one notices? Explain. (Yes, because even when no one sees you, at least you know you ve done something kind; no, people have to know you re being good for it to count.) Say: Listen carefully because I m going to read from God s Word. I want you to tell me what God sees. Read Matthew 6:6b. Ask: What kinds of things does God see? (God sees secret things; God sees everything; God sees what you do in private.) Why is it important that God sees the things we do? (Then God knows if we re doing good or bad; then God knows if we should get a reward.) How do you think God will reward you for the kind things you do? (Maybe God will do good things for me; maybe God will give me things I want.) Say: Our Bible verse for today is from Joshua 24:15b, and it says, As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. Noah loved God, and Noah and his family lived for God by obeying his commands. When we obey God, it makes him very happy. God wants us to live for him. But even when we don t obey God, he still loves us. Let s play another game that will teach us about living for God. n Capture the Bird SUPPLIES: Bible, treats Have children form a circle and hold hands. Put the bird whistle on the floor in the middle of the circle. Choose one volunteer to be Birdman, and have Birdman stand outside the circle. Say: Children in the circle, it s your job to make sure Birdman doesn t get in side the circle to capture the bird. You can move your hands and your bodies up and down, but don t move your feet because I don t want you to step on Birdman. For this game, you must keep your eyes shut, and you can t talk. Whisper in Birdman s ear that if he or she can capture the bird in one minute without touching any of the children, the entire class will get a treat. Tell Birdman not to let the other children know what you said. On go have Birdman try to capture the bird. After one minute, call time. After the game, have children sit on the floor. Ask the child who was Birdman: Why was it so important to capture the bird? (If I captured the bird, the whole class would get a treat; I was told to get the bird.) Ask the other children: How hard was it to keep Birdman from capturing the bird? (It was pretty easy because there were a lot of us; it was kind of hard because Birdman moved fast.) Hand out treats to everyone. If Birdman captured the bird, say, Congratulations, this is your reward. If Birdman didn t capture the bird, say, You worked hard, so you deserve the treat even though you didn t get the bird. While the children are eating, ask Birdman: How did you react when no one would let you inside the circle? (It made me mad because I thought we wouldn t get the treat; I felt like everyone was against me.) Ask the whole class: Have you ever felt like that in real life? (Yes, sometimes when I want to do things, no one will go along with me; yes, sometimes everyone gangs up on me; no, most of the time I go along with everybody else.) 52

What s it like when you know the right thing to do but everyone else wants to do the wrong thing? (It makes me mad; I get upset.) What do you do when you re the only one who wants to do the right thing? (I go ahead and do the right thing; I give up and don t do the right thing.) Say: God made us to do good and right things. Listen closely to what the Bible says. Read Ephesians 2:10a. Noah Obeys God and Builds the Ark Say: God wants us to live for him. Sometimes other people don t want to live for God, and they make it hard for us to do the right thing. Noah did what was right even though he was all by himself. We can do the right thing, too, even when others don t want to do right. That s why God sent Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for all the wrong things we do. If we believe in Jesus and tell God we re sorry for our sins, we can be friends with Jesus forever, and he will help us do right. Keep the bird whistle for use in later lessons. Hands-on, experiential activities are designed to help those who learn through movement understand and apply the lesson for today. Closing n Way to Live SUPPLIES: newsprint, tape Form five groups, and have each group sit around a table. Give each group one washable marker and a sheet of newsprint. Say: God wants us to live for him. In your group, think of ways to live for God. Then use your special washable marker to draw your ideas on the paper. Pass the washable marker around your group so each person has a turn to draw ideas. Give each group a specific situation. For example, have groups think of ways to live for God at home, at school, at church, or on the playground. Give children four or five minutes to draw their ideas. They might think of ideas such as share with others, be kind to friends, or help a teacher hand out papers. When the children have filled up the newsprint, have them hang their drawings around the room. Return the washable markers to the Learning Lab. After four or five minutes, blow the bird whistle to get children s attention. Have the class visit the various pages hung around the room while each group explains its drawings. When the class has visited each drawing, say: Choose one of these ways to live for God this week. Then find a friend and tell him or her what you re going to do. Give children a couple of minutes to exchange ideas. Then have volunteers share their ideas with the rest of the class. Say: God wants us to live for him. You came up with lots of super ideas that you can do this week. Don t forget to live for God this week. Let s pray and ask for God s help. 53

Lesson 4 Pray: God, we know that you want us to live for you. Please help us remember to do that this week and give us help when it gets hard. In Jesus name, amen. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Growing Together handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your children. Encourage children and parents to use the handout to plan meaningful activities on this week s topic. Follow up the Growing Together activities next week by asking children what their families did together. 54

God s Creation 4: God wants us to live for him. Bible Story Noah obeys God and builds the ark. Genesis 6 7 Key Verse No As eye for has me seen, and my no family, ear has heard, we and will no serve mind the has Lord imagined what God (Joshua has prepared 24:15b). for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9b). Today your child looked at Noah s life to find out what it means to live for God. Children discovered that it s worthwhile to honor and obey God even when it s hard and even when it seems that no one notices. Kid Crafts Make an ark full of critters. Cut along the margin lines of lined notebook paper to make an L. Fold the two ends across each other, alternating until all the paper is folded (see illustration). Cut the longer piece, and tape the ends together. Draw a head, paws, a tail, and other characteristics on notebook paper. Then cut them out and tape them to the front and back of the creature s spring body. Parent Talk First- and second-graders want everything to be fair. Their sense of justice demands that good be rewarded and wrong be punished especially when they ve been wronged. Reinforce this lesson by paying particular attention to your child s efforts to honor you and God. When your child disobeys, discuss why fair consequences are necessary. Talking to God Call out the names of animals, and have family members decide what those animals would pray for if they could pray. For example, a lizard might pray that the desert sand is cool enough to walk on. Talk about how God takes care of each animal. Then think of ways God takes care of your family. Have each family member say thank you to God for taking care of your family. Family Fun With your family, brainstorm ways to live for God. Maybe you could do yardwork for a shut-in church member, donate time to a local shelter, or send notes of encouragement to your pastor. Write down all the ideas. Then choose a way your family can live for God this week. Collect the other ideas, put them in a jar, and pull out one every week or every month. Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 1 & 2 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 55