April 24, 2016 Bible Passage: John 4:43 54 (Royal Official s Son) Jesus Is Awesome REMEMBER VERSE May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Psalm 119:76 SERVICE SCHEDULE Explore It and Discover 10 min Big God Story 20 min Small Group 15 min Bless 3 min 1
Inspire In a little nook behind a house just outside of Cape Town sat a big blue trampoline. It was rarely used. In fact, it was neglected by most. But for me, this little spot provided a safe haven. During my stay in South Africa, there were many times I took refuge on this trampoline to think through events of the day. This night was different. Earlier that day, I d heard that a young girl in our ministry was diagnosed with AIDS. The effects of the brutal disease were weighing heavy on my heart. While my team slept, I crept outside and into South Africa s crisp winter air. I quickly made my way to my safe haven. I wrapped myself in my blanket, crawled up onto the trampoline, and lay down. I began to unpack all of my questions with God. After nearly an hour of asking, I was finished. I just lay there looking up at the stars. I was completely still, but I couldn t hear God. After spending several minutes in silence, my heart sank. Feeling quite alone, I uttered one more request. God, I just need to know You re in this. Please let me see a shooting star. Seconds later, as I turned my head, I saw a bright yellow star amidst millions of twinkling lights, soaring across the sky. Tears filled my eyes. I had never felt so small and yet so safe. At that very moment, God commanded creation to move, simply so I would know His love. Our God is awesome. He is absolutely holy and set apart. He is big enough to create and sustain the heavens and the earth. Yet, amidst His majesty and grandeur, it is His desire that His children know Him. This realization has allowed me the space to look at the suffering and pain of this world from a new perspective knowing God is sovereign in and through it all. He has given me the ability to trust that, in every situation, Jesus is awesome. Erika Abdelatif ROCKHARBOR Church Equip Only God can truly be described as One who inspires awe or is worthy of awe. While today the word awesome is often used to describe anything cool or hip, the original meaning is much more significant. The Hebrew word for awesome is the verb yârê. Its meaning is to fear, revere, or to be afraid. The psalmist uses yârê to describe God, For the LORD Most High is awesome [yârê ], the great King over all the earth, and You answer us with awesome [yârê ] and righteous deeds, God our Savior (Psalm 47:2; 65:5). To know God is to know that both He and His works are holy and worthy of awe. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). Jesus performed many awesome signs and wonders so we would know that He is the Son of God the Holy One. The healing of the royal official s son was one of the signs, or proofs, confirming Jesus deity. While all the signs and wonders performed by Jesus were awesome, in this miracle Jesus healed someone from a distance. The royal official trusted Jesus when He said his son would live. However, it wasn t until after the miracle was confirmed that he realized the authority of Jesus. There is only one response to the power and awe in the situation faith. The truth couldn t be denied this man, Jesus, is the Christ. As a result, the royal official and his entire household believed and put their faith in Jesus. Did You Know In the 1590s, the word awesome was understood to mean profoundly reverential. 2
People of the 1670s used awesome as a means to describe something that was inspiring awe. Nearly three hundred years later, in the 1960s, the meaning of the word was weakened to mean simply impressive or very good. By the 1980s, awesome had declined further still to become a word used within popular culture as just another trendy exclamation. Once used in reference only to that which was deserving of the highest respect, the word was keeping company with terms such as cool, tubular, and bodacious. Support Knowing that Jesus is awesome changes everything. When we know that God is the only One truly worthy of awe and worship, there s nothing left to fear, no one else to please, and nothing else to search for. Often we forget this truth. Instead of standing in awe of God and His power, we stand in awe of the things of this world: money, governments, charismatic leaders, technology, or ourselves. We begin to worship false shadows instead of God in all His awesome glory. God is holy and awe inspiring. There s no one and nothing that can compare to Him. No one can grasp or comprehend how great, how big, how awesome God truly is. Still, God makes Himself known to us and calls us into a living relationship with Him. This week, sit down and write about the last time you were truly in awe of God and His deeds. How did God make Himself known to you through that particular situation? Was it through intercessory prayer, while hiking in the mountains, or through a special act of provision by God? Share the story with another leader, and together praise God for how awesome He is. 3
Lesson Overview Leader Title Explanation All Leaders TRANSITION Welcome to Worship K 1 Kids will watch a fun DVD. Welcome and Opening Prayer Welcome Kids. Song 1 - Movin Me Offering Offering Slide Kids put their offering in the squirrel feeder. Worship K1 Rules G. O. D. MAIL TIME Memory Verse Play Mail Time Intro Video Choose a child to retrieve the mail from the mailbox, to give to for Memory Verse. Show Memory Verse Image WARDROBE OF WONDER What s It Giant clock Storyteller THE BIG GOD STORY Video Intro BGS Play Wardrobe of Wonder Intro Video Choose 1 volunteer Volunteer picks two hats from wardrobe one for himself, one for host. Tell other kids to put on their imaginary thinking caps. Volunteer peeks in the What s It box gives 3 clues, kids get to vote on what they think it is SMALL GROUP BREAK OUT Dismiss kids to go with their small group leaders for response, connect, and create. Small Group Leaders CREATE: One O Clock Kids will make a clock. REGROUP FOR WORSHIP Play Worship Songs Song 2 The Lord Our God Song 3 In This Life BLESSING Say a prayer of blessing over the children Review Memory Verse Slide /Small Group Leaders DISMISS Start DVD of Funny Videos Small group leaders listen for their students names. 4
Welcome Kids & Opening Prayer Song 1 Movin Me Offering Goal: $ Current: $ Kids will worship by placing their offering in the squirrel feeder Offering Fact: Discover (10 min) Create space intended for wonder to pique children s curiosity and allow them to engage in hands-on experiences as they begin their time in worship. Ponder Point Jesus Is Awesome Worship K1 Rules > GOD G-et out your listening ears O-bey your teachers D-on t get in your neighbor s space 5
Mail Time May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Psalm 119:76 Remember Verse Definitions Unfailing: Never stops. > Remember Verse Motions May your: Point left index finger to the sky. unfailing love: Create a heart using both hands, by placing the thumbs down together and curling other fingers together for the top arch of the heart. be my comfort: Hug self. according to your promise: Place right index finger at lips and open left palm. Move right hand away from lips and make a fist. Place fist into middle of open left palm. to your servant: Palms facing up, in front of body. Slide one hand forward and then slide the other hand forward. Wardrobe of Wonder What sit: Giant Clock A royal official begged Jesus to come to his house and heal his sick son. Jesus sent the official home saying that his son would live. Trusting the Lord, the official went home and found his son healed. When he asked at what time the fever left the boy, his servants told him one in the afternoon, the same time that Jesus had said that his son would live. A giant clock set at one o clock will be used as a prop to help remind us of the awesome miracle Jesus performed. > The What sit connected to The Big God Story is hidden in the wardrobe. Pick a volunteer, allow them to choose a hat for you and one for themselves. Let them take a peek at the hidden object. Have the other kids put on their imaginary thinking cap. Tell them they get to vote to see what they think is in the What sit. They vote by raising their hand for the object they think is hidden the Wardrobe. Then as host you say. If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, Let the child volunteer tell which answer is correct! What did you find in the wardrobe? Children will answer. A great big clock, that s right. What do clocks tell us? Children answer. Yes! They tell us what time it is. If the clock you re using has arms, consider moving the arms to different positions. Then read the new time to the children. When the arms of the clock are on and, we know it s o clock. I wonder What does a clock have to do with The Big God Story? Children answer. 6
Those are good ideas. I think we re ready to find out. Friends, do you know what time it is? It s time for 7
The Big God Story 20 min John 4:43 54 Storytelling Technique: Images, Props PRAYER OF RELEASE The Prayer of Release is a time for children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. If you d like, encourage kids to hold their open hands in front of them in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions, to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them. After the children quiet their voices and still their bodies, ask them to pray with you. SUPPLIES The Big God Story intro clip and image (See Resources) Box or gift bag (colorful) Awesome Letters template (see Resources) The Big God Story images: #1 Parting of the Red Sea, #2 Rainbow, #3 God s Creation (see Resources) Prop box: Tape, Royal Official s Badge template, Giant Thermometer template (see Resources), coat or jacket PREPARE AHEAD Print The Big God Story images, the Royal Official s Badge template, the Giant Thermometer template, and the Awesome Letters template. Cut out the badge and place a loop of tape on the back. SET UP Place the letters in the box or gift bag and the badge, thermometer, and coat in the prop box. Set the boxes near the Storyteller. RELATE Tech: Cue The Big God Story intro clip and image. Welcome the children and lead them in a Prayer of Release. Begin to take letters out of box one at a time and place on storyboard in no particular order while addressing children. Friends, what am I taking out of this box? Allow children to respond. Letters, that s right. How do we use letters? Children will answer; interact with their responses. Yes! We use letters to spell words. What letters are on our storyboard? Interact with kids as they call out letters. Right now the letters don t spell anything. But if I put them together like this (move letters on board to spell AWESOME ) they form a word. Can you tell me what word is on our storyboard? Let s sound it out together. Sound out word with children. Awesome, that s right! Can you tell me what the word awesome means? Interact with children and their responses. Each time you say the word awesome in reference to God during the storytelling section, encourage children to say it with you while doing an exaggerated sign representing awesome. Consider lifting your hands above your head, palms up, and pumping them heavenward with each syllable. Sometimes we say, Oh wow, that s awesome! when we see or hear about something exciting or cool. But awesome is a word that really best describes God and the things that only He can do. When God parted the Red Sea to save the Israelites (Tech: Cue image #1: Parting of the Red Sea), that was awesome! Encourage children to say it with you while doing an exaggerated sign representing awesome. Or when He saved Noah in the ark and sent a rainbow (Tech: Cue image #2: Rainbow), that was awesome! Do awesome action with children. When we see the work of God s hands in creation, like the sun, moon, stars, mountains, animals, and people (Tech: Cue image #3: God s Creation), that s awesome! Do awesome action. Or, when God came to earth as a man named Jesus as the way for us to be with Him 8
forever that is awesome! Do awesome action. Jesus, our God, is awesome! Lead children in awesome action. Can anyone tell me what part of The Big God Story we heard last week? Allow children to respond. That s right, Jesus called His special disciples to live with Him, follow Him, and do God s work together. While Jesus was on earth, He did many awesome miracles. He calmed the storm, fed five thousand people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, and even gave a blind man his sight. Jesus did these things and so much more. He performed all of these miracles so He could show us He is God s Son the promised Savior. When the people saw all the awesome (lead children in awesome action) things Jesus was doing, they began to believe and follow Him. Jesus is God, and He is awesome! Do action with children. One of the miracles Jesus performed was for a royal official who worked in the king s court. Open prop box; put on coat and place royal badge on front. He had a son who was very sick with a fever (take giant thermometer out of prop box). When the royal official heard that Jesus was in Galilee, he decided to go find Jesus. It was one o clock in the afternoon when the man found Jesus. Take clock out of Wardrobe of Wonder. What time does the clock say that it is? Kids respond. It says one o clock, the exact same time the royal official met with Jesus! Well, the man told Jesus about his son and begged Jesus to come to his house and heal his son. Get down on knees and pretend to beg. Jesus loved the royal official and the royal official s son. He knew what the man and his son needed. So Jesus said, You may go. Your son will live. What do you think that meant? What do you think happened when Jesus said those words? Allow children to answer. Let s keep going in this part of The Big God Story and find out. When the man heard those words, he trusted that Jesus was speaking the truth. So he got up (get up from knees) and began to walk home (walk in place). On the way home, the man s servants came running toward him. Sir, sir, your son he is healed! He is no longer sick with a fever! What time was he healed? the royal official asked. At one o clock in the afternoon, they replied. Point to the What sit clock with look of awe. Friends, that s exactly the time it was when Jesus said, Your son will live! Wow! Jesus is awesome! Lead children in awesome action. When the man realized that Jesus had healed his son, he was filled with awe! This was something only God could do! As soon as Jesus spoke the words, the boy was healed. Jesus wasn t anywhere near the boy. He didn t have to see him, listen to his heartbeat, or take his temperature. Jesus just knew what the boy needed, and He healed him. When the royal official realized everything that had happened, he was amazed. He knew that Jesus is the Son of God. He knew that God is unlike anyone or anything else. That day, he and his whole household chose to believe and trust in Jesus. Friends, Jesus is so awesome! Do awesome action. And we know that Jesus loves faith. Come back next week to hear what happens when a faithful soldier meets Jesus. Our great, powerful, and holy God knows you and He knows me. And, because of Jesus, we can know Him. In the Bible, Jesus tells us that when we see Him and everything He does we re seeing God! Why? Because Jesus is God! He came to earth so we could know Him the one true God! 9
Dismiss into Small Groups Kids will go with their small group leaders for response, connect, and create. Small Group Respond 15 min Small Group Leaders Your small group time is designed to encourage conversations between you and your children about what God is doing in them. Some children will be more responsive when they re engaged in something artistic. Others will be more open once their bodies get moving. The Wonder Questions may be used to start conversations during any of these activities or in a quieter, more contemplative time. One O Clock SUPPLIES (per small group) clock template, one per child, two strips of card stock for arrows (one short, one long) pom, poms, 2 per kid, brad one per kid, crayons RELATE Hi, friends! Today we are going to make a clock today. We want our clock to say 1:00. Do you know why we want that clock to say 1:00? Our bible story today says that when Jesus told the Royal Official, to go, his son would be healed. It was exactly One in the afternoon. We will make our clocks today to remind us that Jesus knows everything. All He has to do is speak it and it will happen! Wonder Questions RELATE In this part of The Big God Story, Jesus helped a royal official whose son was very sick and about to die. Jesus knew without even going to see him what the boy needed in order to be healed. Jesus is awesome! I wonder How did the royal official feel when his son was healed? I wonder How did God know the man s son and what he needed to be well again? I wonder Why did the official and his family choose to believe in God and get to know Him? I wonder Does God want to know me? I wonder How can I know God? 10
Worship in Singing * Song 1 Movin Me * Song 2 The Lord Our God * Song 3 In this life Bless 3 min Children are encouraged and guided through a blessing of a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture or words asking God s Spirit to overflow from the child s life, for the purpose of declaring God s protection, joy and wisdom. SUPPLIES Remember Verse cards (see Resources) HomeFront Weekly (see Resources) Friends, we have spent today talking about how Jesus is awesome. Raise hand and do the same awesome action that was used during The Big God Story. As I say your blessing, I want you to listen to each word, and when I say awesome, let s raise our hands up just like we did during The Big God Story. This will help us remember that Jesus is awesome! Repeat action with children. Children, may you know that Jesus is awesome. Do awesome action. May this truth be something that s always in your mind. Walk out today and share with others how awesome ( awesome action) Jesus truly is! HomeFront Weekly is provided as a parent resource with each week s lesson (see Resources) and can be emailed out or printed and distributed. This preteaching tool encourages families to spend time in God s Word together before children arrive at church. The best part is that parents are first to introduce their kids to the Bible content they ll hear at church. In this way, the church is supporting families as they spiritually nurture their children. 11