Fall of Mankind (Genesis 2-3) The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28 THE BIG GOD STORY REMEMBER VERSE September 3, 2017 God Is Redeemer DATE PONDER POINT Welcome and Worship (15 minutes) The large group room will be divided into three sections. Please help kids find which section they should sit in according to their grade: 1st2nd, 3rd-4th & 5th-6th. Toward the end of small group time, A/V Tech will play the 2 minute warning sound followed by a song. During or immediately following the song please regroup in the large group meeting space (not before). 5th & 6th graders can go directly to Snack Shack after small group time, rather than regrouping in the large group space. Begins class creating an inviting atmosphere for kids to feel welcome and engage kids in worship through singing and communion. The Big God Story (18 minutes) Creates space for children to hear God s word and prepare respond to the Holy Spirit in small groups Small Groups (20 minutes) Kids will build relationships with each other and their leaders, and respond to what they learned in the Big God Story as well as how to apply it to their lives Bless & Dismiss (4 minutes) Bless kids to send them out with a sense of peace so they can be a blessing to others. SCHEDULE Large Group Small 2 Min Group Warn. Regroup/ Dismiss 5th-6th 1st Service (9:00) 9:00 9:30 9:57 10:00 2nd Service (10:15) 10:15 10:45 11:12 11:15 3rd Service (11:30) 11:30 12:00 12:27 12:30 Host Administrative To Do s: Make sure no group is too large Make sure each group has enough supplies Close curtains and divider wall for small groups at 9:00 and 10:15 (and re-open after 9:00) Give a 3 minute warning knock to groups Open doors when it s time to dismiss groups Call names for dismissal after blessing 1
GOAL: Worship & welcome is all about engaging kids and helping them enter into worship, letting them know that class has begun preparing their minds for what they are going to hear. WELCOME (Host): Stage Lights On VIDEO LOOPS: Welcome Loop, 5 Min Countdown, Welcome Image We are so glad you are here today. Welcome the kids in your own words and finish by saying, Let s all stand and hear God s word and sing our praise to Him OPENING WORSHIP SONG (Worship Leader): Turn out main overhead lights REMEMBER VERSE VIDEO (Host should pass out connect question cards during worship: one to each SG leader) WORSHIP VIDEO 1: This Amazing Grace WORSHIP VIDEO 2: Because of Your Love (Direct kids to get with their groups and circle up with their small group leader before sitting down) CONNECT QUESTIONS (Host): 4 MINUTE COUNTDOWN VIDEO If you could spend the whole day with anyone who would it be? Why? Of all of the animals God created, which is your favorite? What s your favorite thing to see when you look out the window at home or at school? TIMELINE VIDEO (Storyteller) The Big God Story: Point out that what kids are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along as you storytell. Children respond to what the Holy Spirit is teaching them as they reflect on the day s portion of The Big God Story. The Prayer of Release: This allows children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. Before you pray, you might ask the kids to hold out their hands, palms up, in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them today. Then encourage the kids to quiet their voices, take a seat, and pray with you. 2
The Big God Story: Images inside poster boards that open like windows: (1) Earth, (2) Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, (3) Adam and Eve in Garden, (4) Adam and Eve Leaving Garden Storyteller Script Earlier you shared in your small groups, your favorite thing to see when you look out the window at home or at school. Today we re going to peek through these windows (motion to poster board panels) and get a glimpse of the very beginning of the greatest, most exciting story ever told. It s called The Big God Story. It s about God s love and how He sent a Redeemer. Before we hear more, let s pray together. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Let s peek through our first window to see where the story begins before everything and everyone existed. Invite children to turn to Genesis. Ask a volunteer to come up and open window one (Earth). What do you see? Invite responses. Our story begins when God created our world. The Bible says that in the beginning God created the (Tech: Cue Heavens audio) heavens the stars and planets and the earth. Let s read in our Bibles to see what God did next. Invite kids to turn to Genesis 2:4 and follow along as you read vv. 4 10. Here is the story of the heavens and the earth when they were created. The LORD God made the earth and the heavens. 5 At that time, bushes had not yet appeared on the earth. Plants had not started to grow. The LORD God had not sent rain on the earth. And there was no one to farm the land. 6 But streams came from the earth. They watered the entire surface of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God formed a man. He made him out of the dust of the ground. God breathed the breath of life into him. And the man became a living person. 8 The LORD God had planted a garden in the east in Eden. He put in the garden the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made every kind of tree grow out of the ground. The trees were pleasing to look at. Their fruit was good to eat. There were two trees in the middle of the garden. One of them had fruit that let people live forever. The other had fruit that let people tell the difference between good and evil. 10 A river watered the garden. It flowed out of Eden. From there the river separated into four other rivers. God made man out of dust and (Tech: Cue Blowing audio) breathed life into him. Wow! God also made a beautiful garden (Tech: Cue Garden audio) called Eden. Think of the most beautiful place you ve ever visited. Maybe you ve been to a tropical island, a national park, or a snowcovered mountain. (Tech: Cue Beautiful Places images.) God created these beautiful places, and we can be sure the garden was also beautiful. Let s check out the clue in our next window. Invite a volunteer to open window two (Tree). What do you see? Invite responses. Yes, a tree. (Tech: Cue Tree audio.) Let s go to verse 15 in Genesis 2 to see what kinds of instructions God gave to Adam about this tree. Invite kids to follow along as you read Genesis 2:15 17. 15 The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden. He put him there to farm its land and take care of it. 16 The LORD God gave the man a command. He said, You may eat fruit from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you do, you will certainly die. We re not exactly sure what this tree looked like, but we know God didn t want Adam to eat its 3
fruit. (Tech: Cue Genesis 2:19a and Genesis 2:19b 20b images.) Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 2:19 20b aloud while the rest of the kids follow along on the screen. Could God have given the animals names all by Himself? Invite responses. Sure. He s the Creator. But, verse 19 says, He brought them to the man to see what he would name them. God could have named the animals on His own, but He chose to include Adam. Why? Because God created us to be in relationship with Him. So, Adam named the animals. Animals have some funny names! Think about a giraffe. (Tech: Cue Giraffe image.) Stand up and do your best giraffe impression. Encourage kids to imitate a giraffe. What about a hippopotamus (Tech: Cue Hippopotamus image) and invite kids to imitate a hippo. or an iguana (Tech: Cue Iguana image) and invite kids to imitate an iguana? Adam must have had fun naming these animals. Have kids sit down. Let s see we ve heard how God made the heavens and the earth, man, animals, trees, and food. What s missing? Let s look at our third window to find out. Invite a volunteer to open window three (Adam and Eve in Garden). That s right: woman! (Tech: Cue Genesis 2:21 and Genesis 2:22 images.) Invite kids to follow along in Genesis 2:21 22 as you read these verses aloud. God created Eve. This must have been such a wonderful life for the first people. They lived in a beautiful garden. They never felt pain, sadness, or fear. But, sadly, something happened to change all of this. What did God tell Adam about the fruit of one tree in the garden? Invite responses. That s right God told Adam that he could eat anything except the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Well, one day, while Eve walked in the garden, an evil snake spoke to her. The snake told her it wouldn t be a big deal if she ate some of the fruit. Eve was tempted by the fruit from the tree and confused by the snake s words, so she disobeyed God and took a bite. Then she gave some to Adam, and he took a bite too. At this moment, sin entered the world. Sin is when we disobey God and turn away from Him. Adam and Eve felt ashamed right away. They sewed leaves to cover themselves and hid because they heard the sound of God walking in the garden (Genesis 3:8). Although God knew where they were, He asked, Where are you? (v. 9). Adam and Eve told God they were afraid. God asked them, What is this you have done? (v. 13). God already knew they had eaten the fruit from the forbidden tree; He knew they had sinned by disobeying Him. God is holy. That means God is perfect and unlike anyone or anything else. He knows everything and controls everything. Though He created people to be in perfect relationship with Him, He is too holy to live with them in their sin. Because of this, sin separates people from God. Sadly, because they had chosen to disobey God, Adam and Eve had to leave the garden. Wait, wait, wait a minute God created us to be with Him. How were Adam and Eve and all people going to be with God if He couldn t be with people in their sin? Invite responses. Good thoughts. Let s keep going and see what the Bible says about this. Even though they had sinned, God didn t leave Adam and Eve alone. Before they left the garden, God made them something. What do you think God made? Pause for responses. Great thoughts. Let s open up window four to see what God did for them. Invite a volunteer to open window four. What do you see? Invite responses. Yes, God made warm clothes out of animal skins for Adam and Eve before they left the garden. The warm clothes weren t all that God gave Adam and Eve. He gave them a promise. You see, God created us to be with Him. When sin came into the world, it separated us from Him. For us to be with Him again, the debt of our sin had to be paid. So, God promised to send a Redeemer who would pay the price of our sin the debt we owe and heal the broken relationship between peo- 4
ple and God. Imagine if you owed a million dollars and could never pay it back. A redeemer would be someone who would pay that back for you so you wouldn t have to. And the debt of our sin is so much greater than a million dollars! The debt of our sin is spending eternity, or forever and ever, away from God. Who is the Redeemer whom God sent? Pause for responses. That s right: God s Son, Jesus Christ! When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He paid for our sin so we can have a restored relationship with God. God created us to be with Him. Even when sin entered the world, God had a plan to make the way for us to be with Him once again. Who is the way? Invite responses. Jesus! God loves us and created us to be with Him. Share the story of how you came to be in relationship with God. Tell the kids we are going to close the Big God Story by worshipping him. Tell kids during worship they can give offering or take communion if they have made Jesus their savior and been baptized. WORSHIP VIDEO 3: What a beautiful name. Fade out song slowly at Worship Leader s prompting. (As the song comes to a close Worship Leader tells groups to head to their small group space. Say something like, Let s continue responding to what God is teaching us as we dismiss to our small groups. Please follow your small group leader at this time. ) IMAGE: It s time for small groups Turn main overhead lights on Dismiss for small groups refer to map for small group locations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the end of small groups... Tech cue: 2 minute warning with exit song, using ceiling speakers, at the host s prompting Turn speakers back to wall speakers for blessing, closing song and dismissal. 5
GOAL: Kids build relationships with each other and their leader as they respond to what they heard in the Big God Story. Freedom From... SUPPLIES: 5 cups labeled as follows: Guilt, Sin, Fear, Shame and Worry Each cup has 8 strips of each key verse inside of it ENGAGE: Today we talked about how God sent the Redeemer, Jesus, to heal the broken relationship between God and people caused by our sin. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid for our sin so we can have a restored relationship with God. Because Jesus loves us so much, He doesn t want us to hide from Him when we feel like we ve done something bad. He knows about it anyway! God wants us to come to Him with our worries, our fears, and our sins and give them over to Him. God wants to free us from the things that keep us from having a relationship with Him. Today, I d like to invite you to spend some time talking with God. What hard things are you dealing with? What things do you need Jesus to redeem in your life? Maybe you need to ask Jesus to forgive you from sin. Maybe you know He s forgiven you but you need Him to take your guilt. Or maybe you re struggling with fear, shame, or worry. Talk to God about these things. He wants to hear from you. After the children spend time talking with God, set out the five cups and tell the kids each cup contains a Bible verse that speak about the truth of Jesus freeing them from guilt, sin, fear, shame, or worry. Encourage each child to come forward, as the Holy Spirit leads, and take the verse that speaks most to her life right now. (For younger kids, you may want to read each verse out loud after child have chosen a verse and maybe explain the more difficult words.) Here are the verses: Guilt: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God s grace (Ephesians 1:7). Sin: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Fear: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Shame: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Worry: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). If time allows, choose a few questions to discuss together: 1. What kind of relationship did God want for the people He created with one another and with Him? 2. What did the first people do to break the relationship between God and people? Genesis 3:6 3. What is a redeemer? 4. Who is the Redeemer whom God sent, and what did He do for us? John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 1:7 5. What is The Big God Story, and how can we be a part of it? Romans 10:9 6
GOAL: Bless kids to send them out with a sense of peace so they can be a blessing to others. CLOSING REMARKS/ANNOUNCEMENTS (Host): Wall Speakers On VIDEO LOOP: Thanks, glad you were here. BLESSING (HOST): Close your eyes and think about God s creation: the stars in the night sky, the fish in the sea, the beauty of a sunset. Then listen to the following Scriptures as I read them. But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. (Jeremiah 10:12) The earth is the LORD s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. (Psalm 24:1 2) Now, with your eyes still closed, make these verses prayers to God. You, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14) Close with the following blessing asking kids to extend their hands open as a posture of a willingness to receive God s blessing. May you know that God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, also created you. May you find peace knowing that He has made the way for you to be in relationship with Him. DISMISSAL (HOST): Choose some transition videos to play in Easy worship or play Spotify playlist Call names of kids as parent come to pick up and welcome kids who are being dropped off. Encourage parents to enter the room and encourage kids and parents to exit out the middle door (103) 7
The gym was packed with children, many of whom knelt in front of the bleachers. Others stood with their hands in the air, faces turned upward with looks of joy and sorrow. The soft, melodic strum of the guitar and the low hum of voices filled the air. As I looked around, my heart swelled with a realization: This might be what heaven will be like. I felt swept up in joy. And being with God Himself will be a million times better! It s amazing when God s people worship in unity. In these moments, I know He created us for this. He created us to live in unity, worshipping the God who made us. And because we re supposed to live this way, Jesus, our Redeemer, provides the way to this life. Through His death and resurrection, He made it possible for us to live someday face-to-face with Him. Tori Funkhouser Tru Team God created us to live in the garden, to be in perfect relationship with Him, and to worship Him with our hearts, minds, and souls. He didn t intend for us to live in a broken world. But with disobedience came consequences. In Genesis 3:15, God said to Satan, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. Jesus would be Eve s offspring, and He would have victory over Satan. These words are called the protevangelium, the first gospel, because they were God s first promise to send the Redeemer Christ. And Jesus did come just as God had promised. Galatians 4:4 5 says, When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Christ humbled Himself to be born as a human (the offspring of a woman [Genesis 3:15]) and die on a cross to destroy the power of sin that separated His people from Him. When Jesus died and rose again, He crush[ed] [Satan s] head. But Jesus physical agony on the cross was how Satan [struck] his heel (Genesis 3:15). Even though Christ has already won the victory over death, we re still living in the time before Christ vanquishes evil forever. Even so, we can 8
be assured, as Romans 16:20 says, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under [our] feet. We can have hope that someday God s people will all together worship the victorious Christ. At the beginning and the end of the Bible, we get glimpses of what it will be like to be with God, face -to-face. In the beginning, we see a picture of Adam and Eve living in harmony with God in a perfect garden. Take some time to read Genesis 2 3 and Revelation 21 22. Imagine what it must have been like to live in the garden with God. Look forward to what it will be like to be with Him in heaven, worshipping Him with all believers for all eternity. Pray the children will rejoice in the fact that God wants to be with them and has made the way for this to happen. Pray God will show them how sweet it is to know Him and how wonderful it will be to someday see Him face-to-face. 9