Psalm 23 Bible Verse Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey. (Psalm 119:105) Session 10 August 9 Bible Story Psalm 23:1-6 Leap of Faith I can learn and share God s Word. Before You Begin The Psalms (the song book of the Bible) are sources of comfort and help in dealing with difficult situations. They are also appropriate for periods of quiet contemplation. Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved psalms in the Bible. It is a song of simplicity. Very few poems say so much in so few words. Psalm 23 (attributed to David) compares the special relationship between a shepherd and his sheep to the relationship of God and God s people. Sheep have an unwavering trust in their shepherd. God s people likewise should never waver in their trust in God. As the children hear this psalm-story, they will get a glimpse of what it meant to be a shepherd in Bible times. A shepherd spent the greater part of the year outdoors day and night, in all kinds of weather. It was a very responsible job since the sheep and goats were a source of food, clothing, and income for the family. Sheep are not very smart. They depend exclusively on the shepherd for food, water, shelter, and safety an awesome responsibility. The similarity between Jesus (the Good Shepherd) and us (sheep) is very obvious. We often think the worries and anxieties of children are trivial, but they are not. How reassuring to a child to understand that God knows them inside and out. God knows what they need. God knows their hearts. Like the sheep of Bible times, they are God s children loved, treasured, and cared for. Requires preparation. Summer 2015 Session 10 GrowProclaimServe.com 85
Grow Together The following activities may be done in interest centers as the children arrive or may be done with the entire group. Welcome Supplies: Attendance Stickers and Chart (Resource Pak pp. 12 & 13, 23), Bible, offering basket, CD player, CD-ROM Greet each parent and child. Play music (CD-ROM). Show the children where to place their offerings on the worship table. Have the Bible open to Psalm 23:1-6 on the worship table. Give each child the Sticker of the sheep to put on the attendance chart. Fun Pak Center Supplies: Fun Pak 10; crayons or markers, clear tape, glue sticks (Optional: stapler and staples Punch out the sheep ears and the headband strips for the child. Invite the child to color the headband strips any color she or he chooses. Tape or glue the headband strips together so the headband fits the head of the child. Tape or staple the sheep ears to the headband. Cover the staples with tape. SAY: Psalm 23 says that God takes care of us just like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. Coloring/Activity Page Center Supplies: Bible Story Pak 10; cotton balls; small bowls of glue; black markers (non-permanent) or black crayons Activity A: Have the child make a Psalm 23 banner. Read the psalm to the child, and let her or him decorate around the psalm with cotton balls. Encourage her or him to add black legs and a round black head to each cotton ball to make them into sheep. (There is no Activity B today.) Psalm 23 Center Supplies: Reproducible 10a, brown construction paper, white paper, crayons, scissors, glue sticks Use the pattern on Reproducible 10a to trace and cut out shepherd s crooks from brown construction paper. Photocopy the three geometric shapes onto white paper and cut out a set of the shapes for each child as well. Invite the children to lightly color the geometric shapes. Have the children glue the shapes onto the shepherd s crook in this order from top to bottom Circle: The Lord is my shepherd. Triangle: God will give me everything I need. Square: God takes care of me like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. (Read aloud the words to the children.) SAY: This is the Twenty-third Psalm. It is in the Bible. This psalm is a very important part of the Bible. 86 August 9 GROW Proclaim Serve Preschool Leader s Guide
Love God Center Supplies: old, clean sheets If possible, take the children outside on the church lawn. Let the children lay on their stomachs on a bedsheet; tell them to make a circle with their arms and put their arms on the grass (instead of on the sheet). Have the children name the things they see within the grassy circles. Thank God for each item the children mention. Matching Hearts Center Supplies: Matching Hearts Cards (Resource Pak p. 20) Encourage one or two children to match the hearts. SAY: Last week our Bible verse told us to love God with all our heart, all our being, and all our strength. This week we learned that God loves us and takes care of us just like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. Come Together Time Supplies: none Draw the attention of the children by baaing like a sheep. When the children ask what you are doing, SAY: I am a shepherd, and I want my sheep to follow me. You are one of my sheep, so come and follow me. Encourage the children to follow behind you in a line around the room as you sing and move to the following song several times. SING: (to the tune of B-I-N-G-O) Oh, won t you come along with me? We ll dance around the whole room. Clap, clap, stomp, stomp, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp, stomp, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp, stomp, stomp. Now sit and hear the story. End up at the Bible Story Circle. TIP Don t be surprised if the children begin to baa like you. Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD player, Grow! DVD (Ages 3-6) Play the theme song Talkin bout Faith on the DVD, and encourage the children to do the motions. SAY: Furleen tells Rosie how she cares for her pet rabbit. Watching Furleen with her rabbit reminds Rosie of Psalm 23. Show the children the GROW, Proclaim, Serve video for today s session. Summer 2015 Session 10 GrowProclaimServe.com 87
Learn the Bible Verse Supplies: Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 2), tape, (Optional: Grow! DVD, Ages 3 6) Point to the Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 2), and SAY the Bible verse with the children: Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey (Psalm 119:105). Teach the children the American Sign Language for the words: God (Your), Word, and Light (Lamp). Encourage the children to sign the Bible verse as you say it with them. Play the Bible verse section of the DVD. Hear the Bible Story Supplies: Bible Story Pak 10 Pass out and read Bible Story Pak 10 to the children. SAY: Our Bible verse tells us that the Lord is our shepherd. That means that God takes care of us just like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. Ask the children the following questions after you ve read the Bible story aloud. ASK: Does God want you to love Him? ASK: Does God always love you? SAY: Say this with me: I love God, and I will always follow God. Together say: I love God, and I will always follow God. PRAY: Thank you, God, for always taking care of us and always loving us. We will follow you all our lives. Amen. Experience the Bible Story Supplies: Bible Story Pak 10 Read Bible Story Pak 10 to the children again. Tell the children that every time you pause, they should say: baa-baa like a sheep. SAY: There is a special poem in the Bible. It is called Psalm 23. It says: The Lord is my shepherd. (Pause for the children to say: Baa-baa) God will give me everything I need. (Baa-baa) When I am tired, God will let me rest. (Baa-baa) When I am thirsty, God will let me drink. (Baa-baa) God wants me to love Him. (Baa-baa) Even when I am scared, I know that God is with me. (Baa-baa) God takes care of me like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. (Baa-baa) Even if people are mean to me, God still loves me. (Baa-baa) God is good to me and always loves me. (Baa-baa) I love God, and I will always follow God for as long as I live. (Baa-baa) SAY: You are good little sheep. I know you will always follow God. GOD Point the index finger of your right hand, with the other fingers curled down. Bring the hand down and open the palm. WORD Hold the left index finger up with the palm facing right. Place the thumb and index finger of the right hand against the left finger. LIGHT (LAMP) Hold your hand above your shoulder with your fingers pointing down. Open your fingers apart one time. 88 August 9 GROW Proclaim Serve Preschool Leader s Guide
Serve With Love Psalm 23 Supplies: Reproducible 10b, Sticker, crayons or markers During this quarter, the children will make a Bible Verse Book. Each week the children will add the Bible verse they have learned that week to the book. This week, the children heard about the 23rd Psalm. Make a copy of Reproducible 10b for every child. Locate the smiling sun Sticker. Give every child Reproducible 10b, and invite him or her to color the picture of the shepherd. Give each child a sun Sticker, and encourage her or him to stick it in the sky of their coloring page. Say the Bible verse, Psalm 23:1, together. Write the child s name on his or her paper. Put the papers in a safe place where they will not get lost or destroyed during the coming week. SAY: This week you have learned a very important Bible verse. We will save it, and each week we will make a new Bible verse page. When we have finished making all our Bible verses pages, we will put them together in a book. The Lord Is My Shepherd Supplies: Reproducible 10c, cotton balls (5 per child), glue and glue sticks, construction paper, markers or crayons, small paper plates Photocopy Reproducible 10c for every child. Pour glue onto small paper plates and set them on a table in front of the children. Provide cotton balls. Give every child Reproducible 10c, and invite her or him to color the page. Tell the children to glue Reproducible 10c onto a sheet of construction paper. Tell the children that wherever they see a sheep on their paper to glue a cotton ball on the sheep. SAY: The 23rd Psalm tells us that God takes care of us just like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. Hang your pretty picture somewhere in your home to remind your family that God takes care of them also. Sheep Snack Supplies: pretzel sticks, marshmallows (large and miniature), napkins Have the children wash and dry their hands. Invite one child to pass out two napkins to every child. (One napkin will be used for a place mat and one will be used for wiping sticky hands.) Give the children several pretzel sticks and several marshmallows. Encourage the children to make sheep out of their pretzel sticks and marshmallows. Before eating, PRAY: The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; he keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name. Amen. Summer 2015 Session 10 GrowProclaimServe.com 89
Worship Grassy Meadow Mural Supplies: Grassy Meadow Mural (Resource Pak pp. 8, 9 & 16, 17), loop of tape Gather the children around the Grassy Meadow Mural that has been posted on a wall or bulletin board. SAY: Each week we add a sheep to our Grassy Meadow Mural to remind us of that week s Bible story. The mural and sheep remind us that God loves us and takes care of us just as if we were his own little sheep. This week we add the sheep with a little sheep on it to remind us of the Bible verse we learned this week: The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1). Sing and Pray Supplies: CD-ROM and CD player, or Grow! DVD (Ages 3-6) and DVD player Play Love One Another on the CD-ROM or DVD. Let the children lie down and listen to the song. The words to the song are found on p. 126. After the children have listened to the song once, encourage them to sing along with the song. If they would like, let them dance to the music. Gather the children into a prayer circle. Pray for each child by name. PRAY: Dear God, be with (child s name) this week. Help him (or her) to remember that you love him (or her) and that you will always take care of him (or her.) Amen. Plan for Next Week Next week the children will be introduced to John 3:16. Photocopy: Reproducible 11a for each child. Find the plain heart Sticker for 11a. Make copies of Reproducible 11b. Cut out the hearts. Use pinking shears (or scrapbooking scissors) to give the hearts a different look. Each child will need two hearts. Make a copy of Reproducible 11c for every child. Cut the heart apart on the lines to create puzzle pieces. Be sure that the children save this heart puzzle of John 3:16 to add to their Bible Verse Books. Make a copy of Reproducible 11d for each child. Provide paper cupcake liners, blue and green crayons, and black construction paper. Make a sample craft using 11d to show to the children. 90 August 9 GROW Proclaim Serve Preschool Leader s Guide