PRE-K K SUNDAY SCHOOL Year B Spring Week 1 First Sunday in Lent GOd s COvenant with NOah Genesis 9:8 17 Big Idea: God made a promise to Noah and every living creature to never again destroy the earth with a flood. In fact, his plan was to one day save the world through Jesus. MemOry Verse: God said to Noah, The rainbow is a sign of my covenant. Genesis 9:17a LessOn Overview God judged the world because of sin, but showed mercy and grace to Noah and his family, giving the rainbow as a sign of his promise. God has not broken his promise to Noah and will never break his promises to us. Through his Son Jesus, God has given us a new covenant. He promises that those who believe in Jesus and follow him will be saved, not judged. God shows us mercy and grace. Baptism and the Lord s Supper are signs of this covenant of grace. We celebrate Christ s death; we rejoice in his resurrection. The rainbow reminds us that God will keep his covenant of salvation with us just as he kept his covenant promise to Noah. ALIVE 9
Week 1 Lesson Plan Activity and Supplies To Prepare 1 Lesson Introduction (10 minutes) Genesis Account of the Great Flood Noah s Ark toy set or a toy boat, people, and animals with which to tell the story. Alternatively, use an ageappropriate children s storybook Bible. 2 Welcome Activity (10 minutes) Rainbow Scavenger Hunt Printables: Rainbow Rainbow colored items (stacking toys, plastic blocks, ping-pong balls any colored toys or child-safe items) Colored 8½- x 11-in. paper (one sheet each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet) Clear tape Timer Read the game instructions. Find several toys or child-safe items for each color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Place the items around the classroom. Take the colored pieces of paper and tape them onto a section of the classroom floor or on a wall at the children s eye level. Space out the papers. (If you have an assistant, have them set up this activity during the Lesson Introduction.) 3 Scripture Story (5 minutes) God s Covenant with Noah Printables: Rainbow Bible Optional: Laptop and projector or overhead projector Make one copy of the Rainbow printable. 4 Discussion (5 minutes) 5 Memory Verse Activity (5 minutes) Verse with Hand Motions Practice the hand motions. 6 Snack (10 minutes) Rainbow Treats A rainbow-themed snack such as rainbow layered cake, frosted cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles, or rainbow colored breakfast cereal Small water bottles or juice boxes Paper plates and forks (one set for each child) Napkins Make or purchase a rainbow-themed snack. (Have a gluten-free option available if needed.) 7 Craft (10 minutes) Paint the Rainbow Printables: Promise Strips (one strip for each child) Large white or off-white paper for painting (one piece for each child) Rainbow visual from Scripture story Watercolor or washable paints in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet (As an alternate: use crayons) Small cup of water and paintbrush (one for each child) Paper towels Print, cut, and glue a promise strip to the bottom-middle of each child s painting page. (Position the page horizontally.) The children will draw their rainbow above and around the strip. 8 Closing (5 minutes) Make a Rainbow Printables: Take-home page (one for each child) Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. ALIVE 10
Bible BackgrOund for Leader In today s lesson, the Lord spoke to Noah and his family, proclaiming a covenant between God and mankind, and extending that covenant to protect birds, livestock, and wild animals. Never again would God destroy the earth with a flood or bring mankind and animal life to the verge of extinction. This covenant would last through every generation. God told Noah that every rainbow after a storm would become a sign of the covenant, a reminder that God remembers his pledge. When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it. I will remember that my covenant will last forever (Genesis 9:16). Old Testament. Today s story takes place after God brought judgment upon the earth. God saw that sin had completely corrupted mankind. He planned to send a flood to destroy the sin on the earth. Simultaneously, God spoke to a righteous man, Noah, and gave him a task to build an ark and take representatives of all birds and land animals into the ark. Noah built the ark and filled it with the animals and supplies. Then God sent a great rain to destroy mankind. The ark drifted and Noah s family looked for land. In the seventh month, they found dry land and God told Noah to release all the animals, allowing them to produce offspring and become numerous. After leaving the ark, Noah built an altar and made a sacrifice to the Lord. God was pleased and blessed Noah s family, encouraging them to have children and fill the earth. Jesus. This passage shows us that God has always wanted peace with mankind. But because he is holy and mankind is sinful, the two became enemies (Romans 5:10). Peace between God and mankind required a sacrifice because without the spilling of blood, no one can be forgiven (Hebrews 9:22). Even so, it isn t possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4), so it became necessary for Jesus to die in order for God to be at peace with mankind. The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God s anger (Romans 5:9). The peace that God promised Noah looked forward to a day when God would send his own Son to die on a cross and the angels would proclaim, may glory be given to God in the highest heaven! And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth! (Luke 2:14). The Church and the World. God told Noah that every time a rainbow appeared in the sky, it would be a witness of God s covenant with mankind. God also said that he himself would see it and remember his vow to spare the earth. Of course, we know God cannot forget his promises, so we should read this part of the passage as an underscoring of God s faithfulness as if God renews his promise every time a rainbow appears. Indeed, God told Noah that he had set [his] bow in the cloud (Genesis 9:13 ESV). In the Ancient Near East, a bow was the weapon of kings. Thus, the rainbow becomes a vivid metaphor of the highest King putting away his weapon of war and seeking peace with mankind. Notice the direction the rainbow points, away from the earth and not toward it. The bow has thus turned from a weapon of wrath toward mankind to an arc of God s loving protection. ALIVE 11
1 LessOn IntrOductiOn Genesis Account of the Great Flood Gather children together around a table or have them sit on a classroom rug. Say: Let s start our lesson today with a familiar Bible story. Tell the story of Noah and the great flood (Genesis 6:9 8:18) by using a toy Noah s Ark set or a collection of toys (boat, people, animals). You can also read the story aloud from a children s Bible storybook. When telling the story, stop before the part about God s covenant with Noah to never again destroy the earth by flood. After completing the story, say: This is not the end of the story. After Noah and his family and all the animals got off the ark, God spoke to Noah and made a very important promise to him. The Bible calls this promise a covenant. Today, we are going to learn about God s promise to Noah and discover the reason God made rainbows! Before we hear this part of the Bible story, we are going to go on a search for rainbow colors! 2 WelcOme Activity To Prepare: Read the game instructions. Find several toys or childsafe items for each color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Place the items around the classroom. Take the colored pieces of paper and tape them onto a section of the classroom floor or on a wall at the children s eye level. Space out the papers. (If you have an assistant, have them set up this activity during the Lesson Introduction.) Rainbow Scavenger Hunt Direct the children s attention to the colored papers taped along the wall or on the floor. Point out each color and ask the children to identify it. Say: These are the colors that make up a rainbow. Show the children the picture of a rainbow. Say: We are going on a color hunt! You are going to search in this room and find things that are the same color as the colors in the rainbow. Once you find something that is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or violet, pick it up and place it on the floor under/on the matching paper. These are all small items you can carry not tables or chairs or anything large! Set a timer for five minutes and send the children off on the rainbow hunt. When the hunt is over, say: Great job, everyone! Now let s find out what God promised Noah and why the rainbow is so special. Leave the items in their sorted piles for the Closing Activity. ALIVE 12
3 Scripture StOry To prepare: Make one copy of the Rainbow printable. God s Covenant with Noah Have the children sit around a table or on the rug. Place an open Bible and the following simplified version of the text on your lap as you read aloud. Have the rainbow printable close at hand. Say: God spoke to Noah and his family. He said, I am making a promise to you today. This promise is a covenant that I am making with you and all your children. My covenant is also with all the creatures that were with you in the ark. This promise is with the birds and the cows and the wild animals. In fact, this promise is with every living thing on the earth. Here is the promise I am making: I will never again destroy the whole earth with a flood. I am going to give you a sign of this promise. Ask: Can anyone tell me what the sign is? (a rainbow) Show the rainbow illustration. God continued: It is the rainbow. I will see the rainbow in the clouds and remember forever this promise that I am making with you today. I will never break my promise. Never again will water flood the whole earth and destroy all life. Again God said, The rainbow in the sky is a sign of my promise. I am making this covenant between me and all life on the earth. Say: That s right, the rainbow was a sign. Say: Every time we see a rainbow, we know that God will always keep his promise. He will never again destroy the whole earth with a great flood! God saved Noah, his family, and the animals from the flood. After the flood, they had children and those children had children and soon many people lived on the earth again. But those people sinned as well we all do. That is why God always had a plan to save people from their sins. God s plan was a new covenant. This covenant was going to require a Savior for the world. Does anyone know what our Savior s name is? (Allow children to guess.) Yes, Jesus! God promises that everyone who believes in Jesus will not be judged, but will live forever with God. That is because Jesus was punished for our sins. He saves us. God has kept his promise to Noah, and he will keep his promise of salvation to us. Did you know that God has given us signs of this new promise, too? Just like the rainbow reminds us of God s promise to Noah, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord s Supper (Communion/Eucharist) are signs of God s covenant with us through Jesus. They remind us that when we trust in Jesus as our Savior, our sins are washed away. Jesus died for us, and God made ALIVE 13
him alive again! God forgives us and gives us eternal life. Next time you see a rainbow, remember that God always keeps his promises and thank him for sending Jesus to save us and give us eternal life. 4 DiscussiOn Let s see if you can help me answer these questions from our story: Who did God speak to about his promise? (He spoke to Noah and his family.) Do you remember what the word covenant means? (It means promise.) What promise did God make? (He promised to never again flood the whole earth and destroy all life.) Was God s promise just to Noah? (God s promise was for all living things, including us.) Will God ever break his promise? (No, God will never break his promise.) Why did God put the rainbow in the sky? (He put it there as a sign and reminder of his promise.) 6 MemOry Verse Activity To Prepare: Practice the hand motions. Verse with Hand Motions God said to Noah, The rainbow is a sign of my covenant. Genesis 9:17a Ask the children to stand facing you. Read the memory verse aloud. Repeat the verse using the hand motions. Ask the children to copy what you do. God... said to Noah, The rainbow... is a sign of my covenant. Point one or both index fingers upward. Draw a rainbow shape (arc) with one finger. Join your pinky fingers together. Genesis 9:17a Ask the children to face the person next to them and repeat the verse as a class. They can do a pinky promise together when they say the word covenant. ALIVE 14
7 Snack To Prepare: Make or purchase a rainbowthemed snack. (Have a gluten-free option available if needed.) Rainbow Treats Serve one of the suggested rainbow snacks with bottled water or a juice box. Provide paper plates, napkins, and a fork if needed. 8 Craft To Prepare: Print, cut, and glue a promise strip to the bottom-middle of each child s painting page. (Position the page horizontally.) The children will draw their rainbow above and around the strip. Paint the Rainbow Distribute the paper and paints or crayons. (If using paints, hand out paintbrushes, small cups of water for rinsing brushes, and folded paper towels for dabbing.) Show the rainbow visual. Have the children paint the rainbow from the inside out: violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. 9 ClOsing To Prepare: Make enough copies of the Take-home page for each child. Make a Rainbow Gather the children to the area of the classroom where the rainbow-colored items were left. Ask the children to work together to form a rainbow on the floor using the colored items. Help them to form the rainbow properly: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Ask a child volunteer to share with the class the promise that God made to Noah. Remind the children of the new covenant of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, and that Share with the children that next week they will be learning about another covenant, the covenant that God made with Abraham. Dismiss the children with a prayer of blessing. Ask the children to close their eyes as you pray for them. Say: May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. May you believe God and all his promises. May you receive his forgiveness and gift of eternal life. Amen. Children line up to meet their parents. As the children leave, hand out their Take-home pages and remind them to bring home their crafts. ALIVE 15
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ALIVE WEEK 1 Live It All WeeK Pre-K K Take Home Paper for Families What Your Child Learned Today God judged the world because of sin, but showed mercy and grace to Noah and his family. He set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of his covenant to never again destroy the earth with a flood. He has not broken his promise to Noah and will never break his promises to us. Through his Son, Jesus, God has given us a new covenant. He promises that those who believe in Jesus and trust him as Savior will be saved, not judged. God shows mercy not giving us what we deserve (punishment) and he shows grace giving us what we don t deserve (forgiveness and everlasting life). The sacraments of baptism and the Lord s Supper (Eucharist) are signs of this covenant of grace. We celebrate Christ s death; we rejoice in his resurrection. The rainbow reminds us that God will keep his covenant of salvation with us just as he kept his covenant promise to Noah. God never breaks his promises. Try This Write out the memory verse at the top of a piece of paper. Then draw a picture to remind you of God s faithfulness. Think of one way that God has kept his promises, either in the Bible or in your own life. Display this picture in a place where you will see it throughout the week. Thank God for always keeping his promises! Table Talk What promise or covenant did God make with Noah? Who made the rainbow? Discuss how the rainbow can serve as a reminder to us that God always keeps his promises. Who loves us and died for our sins? God s Covenant with Noah }} Scripture: Genesis 9:8 17 }} Big Idea: God made a promise to Noah and every living creature to never again destroy the earth with a flood. In fact, his plan was to one day save the world through Jesus. }} Memory Verse: God said to Noah, The rainbow is a sign of my covenant. Genesis 9:17a Something Else to Do Prisms are a fun and inexpensive way to brighten any room. You can purchase child-safe plastic/ acrylic or crystal prisms at craft stores or online. Your child will have fun making rainbows by holding the prism up to the sunlight. Prisms often come with a hole at the top for easy hanging. Use a ribbon or fishing line to hang the prism in front of a sunny window. The entire family will enjoy seeing the beautiful rainbows that splash on the ceiling and walls. Give your child white paper and a colored pencil for each color in the rainbow so they can make their own rainbow while observing the rainbows made from the prism. ALIVE 18