God s Unfolding Story - PDF Free Download

Bible Story: Mary s Story (Luke 1:26-56) Bible Phrase: Mary will be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:31). Bible Truth: God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. Old Testament Unit 4: Christmas Lesson 2: Mary s Story God s Unfolding Story 1. God created everything. 2. People disobeyed God. 3. God chose a special people. 4. God sent Jesus to help us. 5. Jesus began the Church. Suggested Schedule: Arrival Centers 25 minutes Clean-up Time 5 minutes Bible Story Time 15 minutes Craft Time 10 minutes Snack Time 10 minutes Game Time/Dismissal Hour A 6. Jesus is preparing heaven for us. Unfolding God s Story for Teachers Think for a moment about things for which we wait. We wait to have children, and that is just the beginning of a lot more waiting. We wait for medical test results, wait in traffic, and wait for our computers to transfer information. We wait for our food at restaurants, and we might wait for an important phone call. For most of us, waiting is difficult, and yet a significant part of each day is spent waiting on something or someone. Waiting causes us to linger, stop, delay, pause, or, as my mom would say when I was growing up, Hold your horses! On a spiritual level, we wait for God to answer our prayers; we wait to sense His presence or His power. We wait for God s perfect timing on a matter or for divine direction regarding a decision. Waiting certainly can test our faith and character. Waiting involves anticipation of someone or something. The Israelites were waiting for the promised Messiah. Hundreds of years passed as they waited for God s Son, Immanuel. The wait ended when God chose a simple Galilean girl named Mary as the object of His grace to be the favored one to bear His Son. This greatest favor was not bestowed on a queen or one of royal lineage, but on a humble Jewish maiden. The angel Gabriel made it clear to Mary that her child would be Israel s Messiah, the Son of the Most High. One can only imagine Mary s shock and awe. Think about it. Mary may have been sweeping the dirt floors or washing dishes and thinking about Joseph and their wedding day when suddenly an angel entered the room and announced she would become pregnant with God s Son! Fainting would not have been inappropriate! Apparently Mary somehow managed to remain vertical and asked, How can this be? (Luke 1:34). Gabriel s response was that the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (v. 35). Christ existed already, but God s Spirit would be active in His conception and birth, active in bringing forth a new creation, a new humanity, a new Adam (see 1 Cor. 15:45). The angel told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth also was pregnant. Yes, God can do what otherwise would be impossible! Mary humbly responded to God with submission and trust. She hurried to Elizabeth s home and found everything to be just as the angel had said. Can you imagine the joy she must have felt, the confirmation in her heart when she saw Elizabeth? Elizabeth spoke words of hope and assurance to Mary. As we wait, God works! Hear Mary s words from Luke 1:50 in The Message: His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. 1 As we anticipate Christ s second coming, let s make sure our awe includes a willingness to wait on His timing and purpose, and let s surrender to His plan. 1 Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Lesson Plan Arrival Greet children at eye level and express how happy you are to see them. Be sure each child has a name tag and the security measures of your church are followed. Label all coats and personal belongings. Strongly encourage children who have brought items from home, such as toys and books, to place them on a shelf while they are working with other materials. Assure children their items will be safe and they can take them home at the end of the session. Help each child make a choice where he or she would like to begin his or her Center Time. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT04 Lesson 2 Hour A Page 1

Puzzle Center: Work Puzzles Offer a variety of non-fantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for children to work. Optional: Peg boards, geo boards, and/ or other manipulatives What to Do: Invite preschoolers to work puzzles. Encourage children to finish puzzles before leaving the center. Give guidance rather than working a puzzle for a child. Peg boards and geo boards offer additional opportunities for problem solving and small motor development. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, look for opportunities to say the Bible phrase or to briefly tell the Bible story. Home Living Center: Care for the Baby Doll Small rocking chair, sink and stove unit and small table and chairs; plastic dishes, child pots and pans; doll items such as doll, doll bed, doll bag, blanket, clothes, bottles, and diapers. What to Do: Place the doll care items on the table. These items may encourage preschoolers to attend to the baby doll. Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers play with the baby doll, call attention to the Bible Phrase, Mary will be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:31). Center Time Art Center: Straw Painting Green and red washable tempera paint, several cups White construction paper Plastic straws What to Do: Print today s Bible Phrase at the bottom of each paper, Mary will be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:31). Dilute paint slightly with water. Invite children to straw paint by spooning small amounts of each color on their papers. Demonstrate to children how to hold the straw close to the paint and blow. The colors run together and create interesting designs. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, read the Bible phrase and share that God had promised His special people that one day He would send His Son, Jesus. Express that Mary was a young woman who loved and obeyed God. God chose Mary to be the mother of His Son. Bible Learning Center: Dot to Dot Copies of Activity Page: Dot to Dot, Bible Phrase Angel (Reproducible) Washable markers or crayons What to Do: Ask each child to use a crayon or marker to trace the outline of the angel around the Bible Phrase. Link to the Bible Story: Express to children that in today s Bible story they will hear about an angel named Gabriel whom God sent to tell Mary she would be Jesus mother. Block Center: Build with Blocks Wooden blocks Child-friendly nativity set What to Do: Provide a small carpet if possible. Blocks are best located in a corner of the room away from the traffic flow. Encourage preschoolers to work together using the nativity figures. Link to the Bible Story: As children play in the Block Center, use the nativity set as a tool to share that God sent an angel to Mary to tell her that she would be the mother of God s Son, Jesus. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT04 Lesson 2 Hour A Page 2

Clean-up Time Encourage preschoolers to help at clean-up time. Assign specific tasks for preschoolers to do such as placing all the crayons in the basket, throwing away the trash, gathering all the glue sticks, etc. Guide children to the Bible Story Time area. Bible Story Time Bible Teaching Picture Mary s Story (Reproducible) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Reproducible/Cardstock) Introduction Show the God s Unfolding Story Cube. Express to the boys and girls that even though we find many stories in the Bible, the Bible really tells one big story, and all the little stories are a part of the big one we can call God s Unfolding Story. Tell children that each picture represents a part of God s Unfolding Story. Turn the cube and talk about each point of the story. (Refer to page 1.) Today s story is from the point; God Sent Jesus to Help Us. Express the following in your own words. Have you ever had to wait for something? What are some things we wait for? We wait for our birthdays and Christmas. Perhaps we wait to go on a special vacation. Maybe we wait in line or wait for mommy to fix our lunches. We might wait our turn to swing or play with a toy. Is waiting always fun or easy? No, often it is hard to wait. In our Bible story today, God s special people, the Israelites, had been waiting too. They were waiting for God to send His Son, Jesus. They had been waiting for hundreds of years, but the wait soon would be over! Bible Story Mary s Story (Luke 1:26-56) Mary was a young woman who lived in the town of Nazareth. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, and they were waiting to be married. Mary loved and served God. Her people, the Israelites, also were waiting for something they were waiting for God to send His Son, Jesus. One day when Mary was at home, an angel came to visit her. This special messenger of God was Gabriel. When Gabriel saw Mary, he greeted her with these words, Hello Mary, God is pleased with you. You show your love for God by serving Him, and God is with you! Mary was troubled by the angel s words. Then Gabriel said, Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has something very special for you. You will give birth to a son and you will call his name Jesus. He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High God. Gabriel helped Mary understand how this would happen. Mary told Gabriel, I am pleased to serve the Lord in this way. Mary was so excited! She went to tell this good news to one of her closest friends, a relative named Elizabeth. Elizabeth was going to have a baby, too. God was going to use Elizabeth s son, John, to tell people that Jesus was coming. Elizabeth was so happy to hear Mary s news. She praised God and told Mary that Jesus would be blessed of God. Mary also praised God and spoke words of joy and gladness that the wait soon would be over! God s Son, Jesus, finally would come! Talk Time 1. Show the teaching picture for today s Bible story and ask these questions. Whom was Mary waiting to marry? Whom were the people waiting for God to send? What was the angel s name? What did the angel tell Mary? Did Mary agree to what God wanted her to do? With whom did Mary share her good news? 2. Read the Bible Phrase on the teaching picture. Say the phrase together, Mary will be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:31). How do you think Mary felt about the news of Jesus birth? Do you think she was surprised that she had been chosen to be Jesus mother? 3. Close the Bible Story Time by inviting children to join you in prayer. Thank God for sending Jesus. 4. Direct children to Craft Time. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT04 Lesson 2 Hour A Page 3

Craft Time: Make an Angel Ornament Copies of Angel Ornament (Reproducible, cardstock recommended) Crayons or washable markers Yellow, gold, or silver chenille sticks, tape White coffee filters round Optional: White, gold, or silver glitter glue; cotton swabs, paper plates What to Do: Cut the angels apart. Flatten the coffee filters. Give each child an angel and a coffee filter. Invite children to color their filters and angels. Each filter will become wings for an angel. To make the wings, pinch the coffee filter in the middle and twist the chenille stick around the center. Form a loop with the ends of the chenille stick; this will be the hanger for the ornament. Tape the wings to the back of the angel figure. If glitter glue is available, children can paint the glue on the angel or the wings. Link to the Bible Story: Practice saying the Bible Phrase, Mary will be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:31), with the children. Review the Bible story and talk about how Mary felt when she saw the angel. Express that Mary was willing to obey and serve God. Snack Time Be sure to wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Say a thank-you prayer to God for the snack. When snack time has ended, encourage preschoolers to help with cleaning up. Game Time / Dismissal Bible Phrase Game Index cards 8 Marker or crayon What to Do: Write each word of the Bible Phrase and the reference on a separate index card. Number the cards on the back in the order of the verse. Hide the cards around the room. Ask children to join you in the Game Time area. Invite children to work together and search the room for the cards. When children find the cards, they are to return them to the Game Time area. Place the cards on the floor and work together to put them in numerical order. Turn the cards over and practice saying the Bible Phrase. Remind children that in today s Bible story, the wait for God to send His Son soon would be over. Mary would give birth to Jesus. Dismiss children as parents arrive. Be sure to follow the security procedures of your church. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT04 Lesson 2 Hour A Page 4

Resources and Supplies Old Testament Unit 4: Christmas Lesson 2: Mary s Story Hour A Standard Art Supplies (Supplies that are generally in the room) Washable markers Crayons Child scissors Playdough and accessories Drawing paper Easel (optional) Glue/glue sticks Tempera paint, 4 colors Tape/masking tape Pencils/colored pencils Hole punch Teacher scissors Stapler/staples Permanent markers Watercolors Paintbrushes Yarn Standard Equipment (Equipment that is generally in the room) Bible Small beanbag for Bible Story Time Assorted wooden/cardboard puzzles Set of wooden blocks Small cars and trucks Doll bed Baby doll (soft plastic) Stove/sink unit Play dishes/pots and pans Small table and chairs Small carpet for block area Play food items Storage shelf for blocks Tables and chairs for art, puzzles, and Bible Learning Center CD player/children s Worship CDs Reproducibles (Included with the lesson plan downloads) Activity Page: Dot to Dot, Bible Phrase Angel (1 copy per child) Angel Ornament (1 copy for every 2 children, cardstock recommended) Teaching Picture: Mary s Story (1 copy per class) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Cardstock 1 copy per class) Parent Page (1 copy per child) Coloring Page, Mary s Story Additional Art and Bible Learning Materials White construction paper (1 per child) Plastic straws (1 per child) Paper cups (several, perhaps 6 to 8) Additional Block Materials Child-friendly nativity set Additional Craft Materials Round white coffee filters Chenille sticks yellow, gold or silver Optional: white, gold, or silver glitter glue Additional Game Time Materials Index cards (8) God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT04 Lesson 2 Hour A

Bible Phrase Angel D F G I J C E H K B A Z Mary will be the mother of Jesus. Luke 1:31 M L Y N O X W P V Q U R S T Activity page: Dot to Dot, Bible Phrase Angel Instructions: One copy per child. Use a crayon or marker to connect the dots to finish the picture. OT04 Lesson 2 Hour A Bible Learning Center God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com

Angel Ornament Mary will be the mother of Jesus. Luke 1:31 Mary will be the mother of Jesus. Luke 1:31 Craft Time: Angel Ornament Instructions: Copy 1 page for every 2 children. Cardstock recommended. Cut out each angel. See teacher pages for instructions. OT04 Lesson 2 Hour A Craft Time God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com