Jesus Explains Why God Sent Him John 3:12-21

Session 3 Jesus Explains Why God Sent Him John 3:12-21 Worship Theme: God saves us. Weaving Faith Into Life: Children will worship God for the gift of salvation. Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Praise God! (about 25 minutes) Sing Crown Him With Many Crowns Worship Christ (1 Peter 3:15) God Loves Us So Doin It for the Lord (Colossians 3:23) Because of His Mercy (Titus 3:5a) Create in Me a Pure Heart (Psalm 51:10) KidsOwn Worship Kit: KidsOwn Worship DVD Video equipment, large sheet of newsprint or poster board, tape, large glass dish, water, pepper, dish soap, paper, marker Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Learn the Point! (about 25 minutes) * Rescued Play a game similar to Musical Chairs. Jesus the Rescuer Play a game of saving cotton balls, and create a craft. God So Loved Sing a song and receive hugs to experience God s love. Pack of construction paper, black marker, tape, audio equipment, upbeat music Yarn; scissors; glue; 1 emery board, several cotton balls, marker, and small bag per child 30 KidsOwn Worship Spring Quarter

Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Learn the Point! (about 25 minutes) * Rescue! Watch a video about rescuers. * It Can t Be Earned Play a game of doing something that s impossible. From Death to Life Experience being in the darkness, and talk about sins. KidsOwn Worship Kit: KidsOwn Worship DVD Video equipment 1 plastic jug, 1 spoon, and 1 bucket per 10 children; hobby knife; water Blankets, flashlight Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Pray! (about 10 minutes) The Offering Offer their gifts to God. God Loves Us So Sing God Loves Us So as a prayer. Thank You, God Repeat a prayer aloud to thank God for salvation. Offering bowls KidsOwn Worship Kit: KidsOwn Worship DVD Video equipment * Starred activities can be used successfully with preschool and elementary children together. Customize your session to fit your needs. You can separate preschoolers and elementary children for Section 2. Or, if you keep the children all together for the entire worship session, we suggest you choose from the starred activities. Session 3 KidsOwn Worship 31

Bible Background for Leaders Jesus Explains Why God Sent Him John 3:12-21 In this passage, Jesus is talking with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus had come to Jesus under the cover of darkness to find out for himself who Jesus really was. Nicodemus believed that Jesus was from God (John 3:2), but he didn t want people to think he was one of Jesus followers. Jesus launched into the conversation by making it clear that new birth is the only way to God s kingdom. For Nicodemus, a strict follower of the Law who thought obedience to a set of rules was his ticket to heaven, the concept of a new birth was tough to grasp. He had trouble accepting that all his good works and intentions wouldn t get him into God s kingdom. So in this passage, Jesus clearly states what it takes to get to heaven and why God sent him to earth. Why did God do it? Why did he send his own Son to die an agonizing death on the cross? The answer is clear in verse 16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. In this sentence, Jesus summarizes God s entire plan of salvation. The Greek word used for love in this verse is agape, the highest type and form of loving described in the Bible. When one stops to contemplate the magnitude of God s sacrifice, it seems nearly incomprehensible. A normal human father might give up his life to save his own child s life. A mother might even give up her life to save another mother s child. But for a parent to give the life of his or her child for the sake of others who don t even care seems out of the question. And then to think of God, the creator, sustainer, and owner of the universe, giving up his only Son for sinful, rebellious people that seems truly unimaginable. But God did it. For me. For you. For them. What amazing love! Perhaps Nicodemus was thinking that Jesus presence in the world condemned it. Jesus seemed to be pointing out that the religious leaders were doing everything wrong. No doubt Nicodemus felt condemned by things Jesus had said. But in verse 17, Jesus makes it clear that the condemning part of his presence was only to help people to an awareness of their sin. The real purpose for Jesus coming was to save those who saw their need for him and who responded to him in faith. Jesus message for Nicodemus and for us today is that following all the religious rules won t win us God s favor. God has a different plan, because all the good we can ever do won t wipe out a single sin. Only Jesus sacrifice on the cross, paying the death penalty for us, makes it possible for us to enter heaven. And only our response in faith to that offer and to the Holy Spirit s working in our lives will seal the deal. Devotion for Leaders There are many awesome benefits of a relationship with Jesus, but this is the ultimate: We can be born again! A new life, a fresh start, a clean slate! Weaving Faith Into Your Life: John 3:16 is so familiar that it s tempting to skim it without taking its full meaning to heart. So stop for a moment to reread it. Now imagine you re Nicodemus. How would Jesus words impact you? What would your questions be? What would you want to say to Jesus? Go ahead and say it in prayer right now. 32 KidsOwn Worship Spring Quarter

Why We Worship for Leaders It must trouble and sadden God to see us ignoring him and choosing our own way rather than choosing to love and follow him, especially when God knows so well that we ll never find satisfaction or happiness outside of a relationship with him. God, with all his power and perfection, could have looked on the waywardness of humanity and decided to do away with us all. But because God loves us so much, he chose to provide a way for us to restore our relationship with him. God sacrificed his Son to rescue us from the terrible punishment we re due for the sins we commit each and every day. It isn t God s choice to condemn us. Rather he longs for all people to come to him and find salvation. God saves us! And God s salvation is free, complete, and lasts forever. Let s praise God for salvation! Easy Prep for Leaders Let s Praise God! Make sure your video equipment is ready. Write Psalm 98:1-3 on a large sheet of newsprint or poster board, and tape it to the wall. Then, on each of eight slips of paper, write one of the following phrases from the Scripture. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Rescue! Watch the video segment titled Rescue! before showing it to the children. It Can t Be Earned You ll need one plastic milk jug or plastic 2-liter soda bottle for every 10 elementary children. Use a hobby knife to poke 1/4-inch holes in the bottom of each jug. From Death to Life Darken part of the room. An easy way to do this is to cover several tables with dark blankets or black plastic. If you use black plastic, set up a fan to keep air moving. Preschool Activities Refer to the preschool pages for preparations. Let s Praise God! Play the music videos on the KidsOwn Worship DVD as children arrive. Greet them by name, and say to each one, Welcome to children s church. God saves us! When you re ready to begin the session, Session 3 KidsOwn Worship 33

Hello, everyone! Welcome to children s church. Let s begin our time together by singing Crown Him With Many Crowns. Sing Crown Him With Many Crowns. Today we re worshipping and serving the King who came to earth 2,000 years ago. His name is Jesus. The most important reason we have for coming to church is that this is where we come together to worship Jesus. We can worship God and sing praises to Jesus no matter where we are. But the Bible tells us that it s important to come together regularly to worship God. Let s sing together about worshipping God. Sing Worship Christ (1 Peter 3:15). Today we ve come to church because of love. The love of God doesn t fade, and God has loved us from the very beginning. Isn t God good? Today we ll talk about the best thing God does for us. Today we ll worship God because he saves us. Let s celebrate that right now by singing God Loves Us So. Sing God Loves Us So. God s salvation is a wonderful gift. Let s see what happens when God saves us. Put a large, clear glass dish or bowl on the floor or a table, and fill it with water. Have kids gather around the bowl; make sure everyone can see. (If you have a large group, consider using more than one bowl.) Let s imagine that this dish is your life. Each time you do something wrong, your life gets a little dirtier. Let s think of some things people do wrong. Have volunteers call out wrong things people do. Have each child who calls out a wrong thing sprinkle a little pepper onto the top of the water. Continue until several kids have shared their ideas. When we do wrong things, our lives get messy and dirty. But God sent Jesus to save us. Watch what happens when Jesus comes into our lives. Squeeze a drop of dish soap into the pepper water. The pepper will scurry to the outside edge of the dish. What happened to the pepper? (It moved away; it separated.) What happens to our sins when Jesus comes into our lives? (They move away; we re separated from our sins.) Jesus forgives us and gives us eternal life. That s what salvation is. Let s praise God for salvation and commit to living for his glory by singing Doin It for the Lord. 34 KidsOwn Worship Spring Quarter

Sing Doin It for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Jesus is the one the Father s one and only Son. The Bible tells us that God sent his Son to die for our sins so that we might be saved. Let s use a psalm from the Bible to help us praise God for salvation. Have kids form eight groups. If you have fewer than 16 children, do this activity with the entire group. Give each group one of the Scripture phrases you wrote before the session. Give each group 30 seconds to come up with an action based on the Scripture phrase. For example, the group with the first phrase might pretend to direct a choir. Then show kids the Psalm 98:1-3 poster you taped to the wall. Have everyone read the psalm aloud. As kids read, have each group do its action. Let s sing a new song to God right now. Sing Because of His Mercy (Titus 3:5a). Yes, God saves us. And it s not because we ve done good things. We learned today that we all sin. But God still saves us because he is merciful and loving. Because of Jesus, we all can be saved. We can have a friendship with Jesus by inviting him to be a part of our lives, to make his home in our hearts. When we do that, we can be sure that Jesus will bring us joy, peace, and forgiveness. That s because Jesus loves us. Let s sing about that. Sing Create in Me a Pure Heart (Psalm 51:10). God, we thank you for saving us through your Son, Jesus. Thank you for sending him to us. We know that Jesus takes away our sin. We know that he lives in our hearts. Thank you, God, for salvation. Help us to learn more about Jesus and your precious gift of salvation. Amen. Let s Learn the Point! Preschool Activities, pages 37-38 At this time, have the preschool leader invite the preschoolers to go to their own room for this section of activities. Tear out the Preschool Activities page, and give it to the preschool leader. Have the preschool leader bring the preschoolers back to participate in Let s Pray! with the older children. If you prefer to keep all the children together, do the starred (*) activities. They will work well with both elementary and preschool children. Session 3 KidsOwn Worship 35

Elementary Activities * Rescue! Let s watch a video that will help us understand more about God s salvation. Show the video segment titled Rescue! It looks at a group of rescuers practicing a mountain rescue. What did you learn from this video? (I learned that rescuers practice; how they rescue people.) How is Jesus like the rescuers in the video? (He looks for us; they risk their lives to save people, and he gave his life to save us.) Why do you think not everyone wants Jesus to rescue them? (No one has told them; people think they have to do something to be saved, but it s a free gift.) Jesus came 2,000 years ago to rescue us. Some people have thought Jesus was just a good man who taught people how to live good lives. Other people have thought Jesus came to punish people for their sins. But we rely on what the Bible teaches us. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much that he sent his Son to save us from our sins. The Bible tells us that if we believe in Jesus, we ll have salvation, or eternal life. Let s learn more about God s salvation. 36 KidsOwn Worship Spring Quarter * It Can t Be Earned Have children form teams of up to 10. For each team, place one of the plastic milk jugs you prepared before the session in a bucket on the far side of the room. Have kids line up for a relay game. Next to each team, place a bucket of water. Give a spoon to the first person in each team s line. This relay race will help us learn more about salvation. Your job is to get as much water as you can into the jugs in three minutes. Here s what you do: The first person in each line will fill a spoon with water, hurry across the room, and pour the water into the team s milk jug. Then that person will hurry back, pass the spoon to the next person in line, and go to the end of the team s line. We ll keep running the race for three minutes, and then we ll check the water levels in each jug. Ready? Here we go. Have kids do the relay. After three minutes, call time. Check the water level in each jug by picking it up over the bucket. The water will spill out, and the jug will be empty. Show kids the holes in the bottom of each jug. What do you think about this game after working so hard trying to fill up the jug? (It s impossible; there s no way to fill up the jug.) (continued on page 39)

Preschool Activities Jesus Explains Why God Sent Him Worship Theme: John 3:12-21 Using Theo Session 3 God saves us. Easy Prep for Leaders Rescued Tape a variety of colors of construction paper pieces in a random pattern on the floor, making sure there are four or five pieces per child. Set up a music player and lively praise music. Consider using Theophilus the FaithRetriever puppet today in these ways: Have Theo lead the preschoolers from the main worship area to the preschool room. Have Theo hug the children in the God So Loved activity. See the KidsOwn Worship Kit for a puppet skit written for today s worship session. * Rescued Hello, preschoolers! Let s play a game. Everyone find a piece of construction paper to stand on. Let s pretend that the papers on the floor are steppingstones. You have to stay on the papers, or you ll be eaten by hungry crocodiles. Walk around the room while I play the music. When the music stops, stand still on one paper. Play music for a few seconds, and then stop it. Oh no! The crocodiles have swallowed all the pink steppingstones. If you re on a pink steppingstone, move to another color quickly! Quickly mark a black X on all the pink steppingstones. Explain that the children may not step on a stone with an X on it; they must step over it or around it. Play the game again. Continue stopping the music and eliminating colors until a number of the children are trapped on their papers. Stop the music. Uh-oh. It looks like some of you are trapped. You need a rescuer. I m a rescuer. If you hold my hand, you ll be saved from the hungry crocodiles. Escort the children out of danger one by one. If there are still quite a few children who aren t trapped, continue playing. If most of the children were trapped and rescued, end the game. Have the children sit with you. What did it feel like to be trapped? Were you frightened by the crocodiles? How did it feel to be rescued? The Bible tells us that Jesus is a rescuer. We get trapped by the wrong things we do. Have you ever gotten in trouble for doing something wrong? What happened? Getting in trouble feels a little bit like being trapped. When we do wrong things, we feel bad. But Jesus can rescue us by forgiving us. God sent Jesus to us because God loves us so much. Jesus saves us. Let s all say thank you to Jesus for saving us. Thank you, Jesus. Session 3 KidsOwn Worship 37

Preschool Activities Jesus the Rescuer You ll need an emery board and several cotton balls for each child. You ll also need yarn, scissors, glue, markers, and small bags. Jesus is the one who rescues us. What do you think Jesus rescues us from? The Bible tells us that God saves us. God sent Jesus to rescue us from sin, the wrong things we do. Jesus forgives us for the sins we do. When we re forgiven, we get to live in heaven with Jesus forever. Let s play a game to remember that Jesus rescues us. Scatter cotton balls on the floor or a table. Let s talk about the kinds of things Jesus saves us from. What are some wrong things we might do? As the children mention different sins, have them use the emery boards to pick up rescue the cotton balls. The cotton balls will stick to the sandpapery surface of the emery boards. Why do you think Jesus saves us? Jesus saves us because he loves us. Let s make these emery boards look like Jesus to help us remember that God saves us. Take the cotton balls off the emery boards. Help the children draw eyes on the emery boards. Then help children snip the yarn into little bits and glue the bits onto the emery boards to look like hair. Put several cotton balls in a little bag for each child to take home. Set aside the emery-board figures to dry. You might want to put the children s names on the backs of the figures. God So Loved Have the children stand in a circle. Sit in a chair outside the circle. Have the children walk around the circle and sing the following to the tune of This Old Man. God saves us. God saves us. I m so glad that God saves us. God sent Jesus here to take away our sins. That s because God loves us so. When the children stop singing, give the child nearest you a big hug. Play the game until every child has had a chance to be hugged. You may want to modify the game by having the children hug each other. God saves us because he loves us so much. God sent Jesus to Preschool Leader Tip The safest way to embrace a child is to keep the child at your side and wrap one arm around the child s shoulders in a warm, loving hug. earth to help us find out about God s love. God s salvation feels like a big, warm hug. 38 KidsOwn Worship Spring Quarter

(continued from page 36) How was filling these jugs like trying to earn our salvation? (It s impossible to earn our salvation; no amount of deeds can save us from our sins.) This game shows how some people work to earn salvation from God. They do lots of good deeds. But listen to what the Bible says about work and salvation. Read the following version of Ephesians 2:8-10a. It s from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. Saving is all [God s] idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It s God s gift from start to finish! We don t play the major role. If we did, we d probably go around bragging that we d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. What do we do to get God s salvation? (Nothing; just ask; trust him to give it to us.) Why can t the work we do bring us salvation? (Because people would brag about it; because God wants to give it to us for free.) Why do you think God gives us a gift as wonderful as salvation? (He loves us; God wants to have a relationship with us; God wants to be with us forever.) God saves us. There s absolutely nothing we can do to earn salvation. We can t earn salvation by following every rule. We can t earn salvation by getting perfect grades. We can t earn salvation by being the perfect friend. We all need God s salvation, but there s not a thing any of us can do to earn it. It s a gift from God. That s all the more reason to praise God for salvation. Let s find out more about what happens when God saves us. From Death to Life There s a passage in the book of John that describes what salvation is like. Let s explore that description. Lead kids into the darkened area, and sit down. Turn on the flashlight. The Bible uses a word picture to describe what the world was like before Jesus came. Before Jesus the world was dark. The Bible says Jesus is the light. But even when Jesus, the light, came into the world, many people still liked the darkness better. Why do you think some people like the darkness better? (They can hide their sins; it s easier to get away with things in the darkness, because they can t be seen.) The Bible says people liked darkness because it was easier to hide their sins in the dark. Session 3 KidsOwn Worship 39

Why do you think some people would rather hide their sins than let Jesus forgive them? (They don t realize that Jesus forgiveness is a free gift; they want to keep on sinning.) Turn off the flashlight. What would it be like to live in the dark all the time? (Lonely; boring; hard to get around.) The Bible tells us that before we re saved, we re dead in our sins. We have no hope because, when we sin, the punishment is death. In a way, death is like this little dark space we re hiding in. But the Bible has good news for us. Let s move out of this darkened place and find out about the good news. Lead kids out of the darkened area, and have them sit on the floor. What s it like to be in the light after being in the dark? (Refreshing; it s a relief; it feels better.) Would you rather live in the light or the dark? Explain. (Light, because I don t feel as cramped; light, because I don t feel like I have to be as careful; dark, because no one can see me.) The Bible says when we hear Jesus words and believe in him, he gives us eternal life. When we have eternal life, we cross over from death the little dark space to life in the light. Let s praise God for his salvation with our offerings. Let s Pray! The Offering God saves us! Because of God s salvation, we can live forever with him. All God asks is that we trust and believe in him. As part of our offering today, let s offer God our belief. While we take the offering, talk to God, and tell him you believe in Jesus. Thank God for his gift of salvation. Take the offering. God Loves Us So Because of God s salvation, we have crossed from death to life. Christians have eternal life. Christians look forward to spending eternity with God. Let s thank God for his gift of salvation and eternal life by singing God Loves Us So as a prayer. Sing God Loves Us So. 40 KidsOwn Worship Spring Quarter

Thank You, God Have the children repeat this prayer after you. God, thank you for saving us. Thank you for sending Jesus to save us. Thank you for forgiving our sins. Thank you for giving us eternal life. Thank you for this good gift. Amen. Session 3 KidsOwn Worship 41