date: June 25, 2017 Bible Passage: 1 Kings 17:1 6 (Elijah and the Ravens) God Takes Care of Me Schedule CHECK-INS 15 MINUTES GATHER 15-20 MINUTES RESPOND 15 MINUTES WORSHIP 9:25 AND 11:55 BLESS UNTIL CHECK-OUT Elijah had a message for King Ahab from the Lord God. A drought was coming to the land of Israel. There would be no rain or dew for a few years. Then the Lord told Elijah to leave and hide himself. God told Elijah to drink water from the brook and to watch for ravens that would bring him food. Elijah obeyed God s words. Everything happened just as God had said. The ravens brought him bread and meat to eat and he drank from the brook. God took care of Elijah.
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. Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives A few years ago, my husband and I were leading a church youth group. We truly loved the ministry God had given us. Though challenging, the relationships we were building with our young students were incredibly rewarding. God allowed us to see life change and healing in ways we never dreamed. We looked forward to the years of ministry we saw ahead. But then, suddenly and unexpectedly, everything changed. A disagreement with some of the other leaders within the church made it clear that it was time for us to leave the ministry we loved so much. The next few months were more difficult than I could have ever anticipated. Though I knew what we had done was right, that didn t make the good-byes and hurt feelings any easier. At first, we had almost no contact with the ministry we left behind. Then, slowly, we began to receive calls and visits from people who had been touched by the ministry. Parents of some of our former students came forward with stories we d never heard before. Students themselves visited and encouraged us. I was blown away. What began as a dark and difficult period of time became an uplifting experience I d never expected. God used this difficult season to show me just how much He cares for me. Alyson Crockett ROCKHARBOR Church Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson s Bible passage The prophet Elijah was sent to Israel during the reign of King Ahab, Israel s sixth king. Scripture tells us that Ahab was a wicked man who did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him (1 Kings 16:30). Under Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, the worship of the one true God was completely abandoned for Baal and the wicked acts his worshippers practiced. God sent Elijah to tell Ahab of the judgment for his sins: For three and a half years, Israel would see a severe drought. After speaking God s words to Ahab, Elijah was then directed by God to leave the land and retreat to a place called Kerith. At Kerith, God cared for Elijah in a most unusual way. While his water was provided from the naturally occurring brook, ravens brought Elijah s daily bread and meat. Though God could have chosen another way to care for Elijah, every bit of food he ate during this time came from birds that would have been deemed unclean. Elijah s traditions would have been shaken by this provision, and perhaps God used this time to prepare Elijah to care for those involved in the unclean practices of idol worship. Whatever the reason, God cared for Elijah. And though He may choose to use the most unlikely means to display His care, God cares for us too.
Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God s Word The Lord God doesn t always show His care for us in ways we expect. Sometimes we have periods of drought in our lives. It s during these droughts that we re brought to a place where we rely on God to provide for our daily needs, whether physical or spiritual. And He may choose to do that in ways we never would have considered. This week, meditate on Elijah s experiences while in hiding. In what ways did God s use of the ravens make His care for Elijah that much more evident? Consider some times in your life when God has used an unexpected circumstance or person to show His care for you. Where might God be asking you to challenge your traditions or to move beyond your comfort zone so He can show you just how much He cares for you? CHECK-INS:: 15 min. Children develop relationships with their leaders and one another through simple activities and conversation starters. Playtime and Coloring Pages GATHER:: 25 min. Children experience and learn more about God through traditions, song, and storytelling from The Big God Story. Welcome Bible Story Spots Hamilton puppet Collage supplies Cut out pictures of food, clothes, families, and homes from the magazines. Glue some pictures to a sheet of paper ahead of time to use as an example and for Hamilton to use later. Ponder Point: God Takes Care of Me Hi, everyone! Welcome! I m so excited to be here with you. It s time to hear a part of The Big God Story. Have you seen Hamilton the Hedgehog? Children will answer. Shall we call him and ask him to join us? Children respond. On the count of three, let s call him together. Are you ready? One, two, three. Hamilton, where are you? Encourage kids to call for Hamilton. Hmmm Maybe he s hiding. Let s try again. Hamilton, where are you? Hamilton the Hedgehog comes out of his house holding the collage from CONNECT.
Hi, Hamilton! I m so glad you re here with us today. Friends, look what Hamilton brought with him. Hamilton shows the collage. Hamilton, did you make that? Hamilton nods. Some of us made collages like that today too! They show some of the ways God cares for us and you too, Hamilton. Are you ready to hear this part of The Big God Story? Hamilton nods excitedly. Me too! But before we get started, do you know where we can find The Big God Story? Hamilton nods his head and gestures to the Bible. That s right the Bible! God gave us the Bible so we can learn about Him. We read the Bible to learn about God and about His Son, Jesus. And I know that you love to dig, dig, dig right into God s Word to find out what He has to say to us. Isn t that right, Hamilton? Hamilton nods. Let s all stand up and sing our Bible Song together. Bible Song (sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb ) Now it s time to hear God s Word Hear God s Word Hear God s Word Now it s time to hear God s Word So let s look in the Bible As the song ends, have children return to their Story Spots. Hamilton can model this for children by sitting quietly as he listens to The Big God Story. The Big God Story The Big God Story is written for a three-year-old audience. It can be told in its entirety or shortened if the class is on the younger side. Elijah Fed by Ravens God Takes Care of Me 1 Kings 17:1 6 The Big God Story images #1 5 (see Resources) Whiteboard Magnets Scissors Hamilton puppet Hamilton s collage Optional: glue, craft sticks PREPARE AHEAD Print and cut out The Big God Story images. You should have the following five images: Heart, Mouth, Ear, Water, and Food. Attach a magnet or felt to the back of each image, using glue if necessary. If you prefer, you could also cut out the images and glue each one to a craft stick. You can then hold them up, or give them to children to hold, rather than placing them on the storyboard.
Okay, friends, before we get started, let s all pray together and ask God to teach us. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. In The Big God Story, we learn that God loves us and cares for us every day. God knows us, and He always gives us what we need! Earlier, we made collages. What did we put on these collages? Allow children to respond. That s right they re filled with pictures of clothes, houses, and family. We also put together yummy plates of food. These are all ways God shows He cares for us. Today in The Big God Story, we ll remember how God took care of Elijah too. God loved Elijah, and Elijah loved God. Place The Big God Story image #1 (Heart) on the storyboard. Friends, can you say, God loves Elijah with me? Say, God loves Elijah with children. God also likes to talk to us. Did you know that God can talk to you and me? In The Big God Story, we learn that God talks to people all the time. Place image #2 (Mouth) on the storyboard. Can you say, God talks to Elijah with me? Say, God talks to Elijah with children. God told Elijah that there would be no rain for a long time. Do we need rain? Invite responses. Yes, we do. Do you remember why we need rain? Allow kids to respond. Right! We need it to give us water to drink. And rain helps yummy fruits and vegetables grow from the ground. There was a king named Ahab who didn t love God. He didn t like the words God gave to Elijah about the rain. The king was very mean. So God told Elijah to go and hide. Elijah listened to God and hid. Place image #3 (Ear) on the storyboard. Can you say, Elijah listens to God with me? Say, Elijah listens to God with children. When Elijah was hiding, he had no food or water. God told Elijah to go to the river and drink water. God also sent some ravens to bring Elijah some bread and meat to eat. Place both image #4 (Water) and image #5 (Food) on the storyboard. God took care of Elijah. Can you say, God gave Elijah water and food with me? Say, God gave Elijah water and food with children. Hamilton pops out with his collage. Hello, Hamilton. The collage you made was our clue to this part of The Big God Story! The Bible tells us that we don t ever need to worry about anything, because God loves us and cares for us. Hamilton nods excitedly. God took care of Elijah when he had no water or food. Do you think Elijah knew God loved him? Allow answers. Yes, he did. Elijah didn t have to worry about anything, because God was with him. It makes my heart so happy to know that God loves us. God cares for me, and He cares for you! Have the children say good-bye to Hamilton as he goes back into his house and thank him for coming to be a part of The Big God Story. RESPOND:: 15 min. Children reflect on what the Holy Spirit is teaching them and respond through worship, creative activities, and games. Craft: Feather Rubbing To help them remember how God sent birds to bring food to Elijah, children make crayon rubbings of feathers. Feathers (large)
Crayons Paper (1 sheet per child) PREPARE AHEAD Peel off the wrappers from the crayons. SET UP Place a sheet of paper at each child s seat. Set the feathers and crayons in the middle of the table. Invite children to join you at the table. We learned about some ravens that brought Elijah food. What do birds have all over their bodies? Allow responses. That s right feathers! We re going to make a feather rubbing. First, you can put a feather under your sheet of paper. Then, you can choose any color crayon you like. Next, you can rub the crayon back and forth on the paper over the feather like this (demonstrate for children). When you re finished, what will you see? Allow children to respond. That s right it s a picture of your feather! Game: Can You Find It? Children search around the room for items that remind them of ways God cares for them. Jacket Bread (1 slice) Shoes Baby doll SET UP Hide the items around the room. Invite children to join you on the floor. God cares for us in so many ways. Can you think of different ways God cares for us? Encourage children to answer. That s right! God gives us family, food, homes, and clothes everything we need! I ve hidden some things God gives us around the room. First, can you help me find a jacket? Allow kids to look around the room for the jacket. After the first item is found, gather your group again before asking them to find the next item. Continue until all of the items have been found. WORSHIP:: 9:25 and 11:55 BLESS and SNACK:: Until check-out Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Invite children to gather in a circle, either standing or sitting. Put a hand on each child s shoulder as you go around and
speak this individual blessing, inserting each child s name: (Child s name), may you remember that God will always care for you. Open a Bible and read 1 John 4:8b: Send home the At Home Weekly with your kids. God is love.