March 10, 2019 Bible Passage: Matthew 3:13 17; 4:1 11 (Temptation in the Wilderness) God Leads REMEMBER VERSE Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 SCHEDULE CONNECT GATHER RESPOND BLESS 1
Leader Prep Each week you ll find a list of resources along with encouraging articles that help you prepare your heart to present the lesson. Further Resources A Small Group Enhancement is available for this lesson. A Storytelling video is available for this lesson. Download the following resources to help you plan and lead TruStory lessons: Customizable copy of Lesson 2 2016 17 Scope and Sequence TruStory How It Works document HomeFront Weekly: Lesson 2 is provided for this lesson. The weekly for the next lesson to be sent home for preteaching by parents is found in BLESS. If you have questions about Tru curriculum or are looking for great training, blogs, and other support resources, visit truministry.com. Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives For the first four years after I became a Christian, I don t think I ever heard about the Holy Spirit. Not surprising, because most of the first year of my walk with Christ I found myself utterly disgusted with who I was and continued to struggle to perfect myself. On my own, I was just not strong enough. A friend sent me a podcast of a Francis Chan sermon, and he encouraged me to listen. The message was about our neglect of the Holy Spirit the member of the Godhead who gives us power and direction. This message was so powerful that I could not hold back tears. I realized for the very first time that God had never intended for me to fight this battle on my own. He sent the Counselor for a reason to lead me and guide me. Right then I prayed fervently for God to send the Holy Spirit. And for nearly two weeks straight, sin was not an issue in my life. Seriously. It was like every temptation, every struggle I d ever had, was nonexistent. I was completely dependent upon the Spirit. Since then, I have had a few very moments when I ve completely yielded myself over to the Holy Spirit and trusted Him to guide me. But if I m honest, I usually find myself believing that I ve got it now. That s always when I find myself stumbling and begging God to help me once again. And in these moments the Spirit of God meets me with great power. Erika Abdelatif ROCKHARBOR Church Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson's Bible passage Because there is no direct reference to baptism in the Old Testament, we often falsely believe that baptism is 2
solely a Christian practice. However, in Jesus day, baptism was seen as nothing unusual. According to Jewish tradition, baptism was one of many ceremonial purification rites. Known as mikvah in Hebrew, ritual immersion was performed to purify an individual after being defiled for instance, being in contact with the dead or an outcast or after giving birth. Without undergoing this custom, individuals would be considered unclean and therefore not allowed to enter the temple. Unlike some Christian customs, in which individuals may be baptized only once, those in Jewish society might be baptized many times depending on the circumstances. In addition, mikvah was performed by those converting to Judaism. This baptism ensured that new converts were purified, restored to God, and made fit for participation within the Jewish community. The baptisms John performed were somewhat unique. Jewish baptism is a self-immersion, an unassisted tradition, while in many Christian traditions, someone assists the person in and out of the water, as John did. This makes some sense when we consider that an unclean or defiled individual could not be touched without making the other person unclean as well. Aside from simply baptizing those who required outward purification, John invited those who needed baptism for inward purification. In Matthew 3:11, John proclaimed, I baptize you with water for repentance. He asked his audience to repent, turn from their sins, and be baptized. This led the way to a wholly new baptism, one that symbolized dying to one s old life and being born again. Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God's Word After Jesus was baptized, the Bible says the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness. During His 40-day-and-40- night sojourn, He spent time fasting, praying, and communing with the Father. Often, our day-to-day lives become so full and hectic that we don t make time for ourselves to commune with the Father. This week, schedule time to fast and pray. Perhaps you will fast from food, the Internet, your cell phone, or television. It can be anything from one meal to an entire week s worth. Identify one place of weakness or temptation in your life that you simply cannot battle on your own, and spend time with God to ask Him for help. Invite the Holy Spirit in; ask for His strength and power to overcome this struggle. Ask Him to show you freedom and, ultimately, peace. Keep a journal of your experience; log when you feel freedom or relief from the struggle. Take note of where you see God at work in your life. Keep that with you as a testament to and reminder of the Holy Spirit s transformation in your life. CONNECT// 10 min. Children develop relationships with their leaders and one another through simple activities and conversation starters. Unique Sayings In hard times, it helps to have someone helping and encouraging us. In this activity, students will write down 3
creative, encouraging sayings and guess who belongs to the phrase being read. Index cards (1 per child) Pens CONNECT QUESTION: Welcome and greet students. Open your time by asking this question: Who in your life encourages you regularly? It s good to have people in our lives who can encourage us on a regular basis and who know us well enough to remember our unique characteristics and sayings. Today invite your kids to guess different phrases often used by their classmates. To begin, pass out an index card and pen to each student, and have the children each write a favorite phrase. For example, one child might often say, That s awesomesauce! When kids finish writing, collect their cards and shuffle the phrases. Then read a card, and invite children to guess who wrote the phrase on the card. Continue until each child s card has been read. GATHER// 30 min. Children experience and learn more about God through memorizing Scripture, storytelling from The Big God Story, prayer, and discussion. Remember Verse Each week children will spend time memorizing a portion of Scripture together. The Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that s highlighted in today s portion of The Big God Story. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Game: Echo Verse None Invite students to learn the Remember Verse by repeating each phrase of the verse as an echo. Have the girls stand on one side of the room and the boys stand on the other side. Then call out the verse in different phrases, having kids echo each phrase you say. When you're finished, have the boys and girls take turns saying phrases of the verse while the other group echoes them. Break up the verse into the following phrases: Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy 4
and find grace to help us in our time of need Storytelling Bible Passage: Matthew 3:13 17; 4:1 11 Storytelling Technique: Writing Main Points on Board God Leads Optional: Storytelling video (see Resources), Investigate Questions (see Resources) Bibles Whiteboard Dry erase marker PREPARE AHEAD On the whiteboard, draw a line down the middle dividing the board into two columns. On the top of the left column, write Satan s Lies. On the top of the right column, write Jesus Truth. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. When we trust and obey Jesus, Someone comes to live inside us Someone who gives us the power to live for God and do things we can t do on our own. Who is it? Pause for answers. Right! It s the Holy Spirit. You may remember that last week we met a man named John who obeyed God s call on his life. John baptized people and helped them to turn away from their sin to prepare for the arrival of Jesus. One day, as John baptized people in the Jordan River, Jesus came to him and asked to be baptized. John tried to tell Jesus no that Jesus should be the One baptizing John. He thought Jesus didn t need to be baptized because Jesus never did anything wrong. But Jesus insisted, and something amazing happened. Invite students to turn to Matthew 3:16 in their Bibles and follow along. Then read Matthew 3:16 17. Wow! At that moment, people knew there was something special about Jesus. God called Jesus His Son! And Jesus had God s power to lead Him. After Jesus baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. What does it mean to fast? Invite answers. It means to go without food. In the wilderness, the devil came to tempt Jesus. The devil, also called Satan, is the enemy of God. The Bible says he prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The evil one wanted to get Jesus to sin. He tempted Jesus three different times. As we read this passage, we ll see how Jesus responded to each temptation and lie from Satan, and we ll write them down on the board (motion toward whiteboard). Let s read about the first temptation. Invite a student to read Matthew 4:3 while the rest of the kids follow along. On the board, write in the Lies column, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Satan knew Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights and was very hungry. So he tried to tempt Jesus with something that would meet His physical needs. How do you think Jesus responded? Pause for answers. Invite a child to read Matthew 4:4. Jesus responded with Scripture. Jesus was so full of 5
God s Spirit that He didn t fall for Satan s trick. Although Jesus was probably very hungry, He chose to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to give Him strength and lead Him. On the board, in the Truth column, write, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. The evil one then tempted Jesus a second time. Read Matthew 4:5 6 while children follow along. Satan told Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God by jumping off the highest point of the temple. Satan even quoted Scripture to Jesus, saying that angels would surely rescue Him. On the second line of the Lies column, write, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. Let s see how Jesus responded this time. Invite a child to read Matthew 4:7. Jesus knew Scripture better than Satan, and Jesus didn t need to prove anything. Jesus relied on God s Spirit to keep Him strong and lead Him. On the second line of the Truth column, write, Do not put the Lord your God to the test. For a third time, Satan tempted Jesus. He took Jesus to a very tall mountain with a view of all of the kingdoms of the world. He told Jesus that he would give Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world if only Jesus would bow down before him. On the third line of the Lies column, write, All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me. How do you think Jesus responded? Invite a child to read Matthew 4:10. Right! Jesus didn t give in to the devil s temptation. On the third line of the Truth column, write, Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Instead Jesus chose to trust in God s plan. And after Jesus sent the devil away, angels came and cared for Him. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, and God s Spirit gave Jesus the power to resist the devil even in the most difficult of temptations. On the fourth line of the Truth column, write, The Holy Spirit helps us. Jesus lived His entire life without sinning, and He died on the cross to make the way for us to live in perfect relationship with God so we too can have the Holy Spirit in us to lead us. God s power is greater than the power of the devil. On the fifth line of the Truth column, write, God s power is greater. We will face temptations in our lives. What are some examples of temptations that you might face in your life? Pause for answers. Good examples! But because we have God s Spirit in our lives, we have power to face temptations and stand up against them. On the sixth line of the Truth column, write, God s power lives in us. In this world, we will hear the lies of the enemy, and we will hear God s truth. Where are some places you might hear Satan s lies? Pause for answers. Where can you go to hear God s truth? Pause for answers. Those are great thoughts! God s power is always greater than any temptation we could ever face, and as you can see from our board, God s truth greatly outweighs any lie the enemy tells us. Share a time when God s Spirit led you and gave you the power to overcome a temptation or a difficult situation. Discussion Questions What happened right after Jesus was baptized? Matthew 3:16 17 Who led Jesus into the wilderness? Matthew 4:1 How did Jesus answer Satan s temptations? Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 Why was Jesus able to say no to Satan s temptations? Why do we need power from God s Spirit? How does God s Spirit give you power? Was there ever a time you had to rely on the Holy Spirit to help you in the face of temptation? 6
RESPOND// 15 min. Children reflect on what the Holy Spirit is teaching them and respond to God through creative activities and games. God s Word Gives Us Strength Students will ponder Scriptures about facing temptation and then pray for one another. Bible When Jesus was in the wilderness, Satan tempted Him three different times. Each time, Jesus responded to the evil one s temptation by using God s Word. Jesus was full of the power of the Holy Spirit and was able to respond in the strength of the Spirit. Jesus is our example of what it looks like to resist temptation and be full of the Holy Spirit. As believers, we have been given God s Word as a way to strengthen us when we face temptation. Invite students to close their eyes and listen to key words or phrases as you read the following verses aloud: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:28 29 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Psalm 119:28 When you finish reading the verses over the kids, invite them to share which words and phrases from the verses spoke to them the most. Then, invite children to break up into groups or pairs and spend time praying for one another, that they might have strength to know God s Word and live in the power of His Spirit. Encourage the children to continue to pray for one another throughout the week. (Optional) What s in the Bag? Temptation appears to offer us something better. In this activity, students will choose between a small item they can see or the possibility of something better. Gift bags (1 per child) Random good gifts (1 for half of the number of gift bags; full-sized candy bar, can of soda, etc.) 7
Random bad gifts (1 for half of the number of gift bags; roll of toilet paper, trash wrapper, etc.) Small items (1 per child; miniature candy bar, eraser, pencil, small rubber ball, etc.) Optional: tissue paper (for gift bags) PREPARE AHEAD Place the random good gifts and random bad gifts in the gift bags. PREPARE AHEAD Set the bags on one side of the room (opposite from where you ll gather with the kids). When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he offered Jesus things that might have sounded very good on the outside: food, riches, and power. But Jesus knew that those things weren t as good as they seemed and instead chose to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptation. Invite students to play a game during which they can choose between a small item they can see or a surprise item that may or may not be better. To play, choose a volunteer to go first. Hold up one of the small items and ask the volunteer if she would like that item or the item in one of the gift bags. If she chooses the gift bag, she must run across the room, grab the bag, and run back. Give each child a chance to choose between a small item or a bag. Developmentally Speaking Fifth and sixth graders are very aware of the different possibilities when solving a problem and are more likely to weigh outcomes. This activity is a great reminder to children that what seems like a good option on the outside may not be the case on the inside. BLESS// 5 min. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Remember Verse cards (see Resources) HomeFront Weekly: Lesson 3 (see Resources) Bible Invite your children to sit in a circle as you read the blessing from 1 Chronicles 29:11: Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Bless the group with the following words: May God fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit. May God s Spirit lead you each day. Once you have prayed the blessing over your kids, invite the kids to bless one another. Choose one child in 8
the circle to go to and say, (Child s name), may you know God s greatness and power. May you be filled with His Spirit. Then that child will go to another child in the circle and say the same blessing over him. This will continue until each child in the circle has been blessed. Send home Remember Verse cards and the HomeFront Weekly with your kids. 9