LESSON 2 Personal God Bible Basis: Psalm 23; Matthew 6:25 34 Key Verse: Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the LORD. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. Key Question: Does God care about me? Key Idea: I believe God is involved in and cares about my daily life. Resource: Believe Storybook Bible, Chapter 2, Personal God Master Supplies List Believe Storybook Bible PowerPoint slides or printable posters of illustrations Small stuffed lamb Family Page (one per child) Optional Supplies You will need the following supplies based on which option(s) you choose in STEP 3 Explore More: OPTION 1: Cotton balls, glue, black construction paper (one piece per child), white crayons OPTION 2: Cotton balls, basket, words to Psalm 23 OPTION 3: Mary Had a Little Lamb lyrics OPTION 4: Crayons or markers, Let s Color! sheet (one per child)
STEP 1 Come Together (5 min) GATHER the children. HOLD your stuffed lamb in your arms, and tell the children that you want them to gather around very quietly so that they do not wake your little baby lamb. Let each child pet the lamb before they sit down. ASK, Do you know what a person is called who watches over sheep? (Shepherd) SAY, Today we are going to hear about how we are like this little lamb and God is like our Shepherd. KEY VERSE REVIEW this week s Key Verse. You may want to repeat the verse slowly a few times until the children are able to say the verse from memory. NOTE: You may also choose to review last week s Key Verse together. Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord. (point up to heaven) He is the Maker of heaven and earth. (make a circle motion with hands) STEP 2 Hear the Story (10 min) Supplies: Believe Storybook Bible, PowerPoint slides or printable posters of illustrations INTRODUCTION SAY, Today we are going to hear about how God is our Shepherd. ASK, Did you know that we are a lot like sheep? Can you all make a sheep sound? (Children baa) Do you all usually sound like that? (No) CONTINUE, Okay, so maybe we don t sound like sheep, but we do have more in common with the animals than you might think. We need someone to watch over us, take care of us, and give us the things we need. Isn t it amazing that God cares for each and every one of us like that? SAY, We re going to hear more about what the Bible says about our Good Shepherd. READ CHAPTER 2 READ aloud the story script below or chapter 2, Personal God, from the Believe Storybook Bible. SHOW the illustrations included with this curriculum on PowerPoint slides or printable posters. LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL 2
THE STORY OF PSALM 23 Do you like to sing? David was a shepherd boy who liked to sing. He spent a lot of time out in the field with his sheep. He looked after them and cared for them. He also thought about his good, loving God. David wrote many songs, or psalms, about God. This one compares God to a shepherd: The Lord is my shepherd. He takes care of me. He loves me and guides me. He helps me do what is right. Even when I am afraid, he comforts me. He is always with me. The Lord gives me everything I need. I will be with him forever. David wrote a beautiful song about God. It was true for him and it is true for you, too. God is always with you and he will always take care of you, just like a good shepherd. THE STORY OF OUR CARING GOD Jesus loved to teach people about God. One day he told his followers, Don t worry so much, God will take care of you! He pointed to the birds around them. The birds do not worry about what to eat. God takes care of them and he will take care of you. Then Jesus pointed to the flowers. The flowers do not worry about what to wear. God has made them beautiful and he will make sure you get what you need. Jesus said, Don t spend time worrying about what to eat, drink, and wear. God knows you need those things. You should spend your time following God. Love God and obey his rules. Then he will take care of your needs. Our wonderful God cares about every one of your needs. He loves you and wants you to love him, too! REVIEW PSALM 23 ASK, What is a shepherd? (A person who cares for sheep) ASK, What kinds of things does a shepherd do? (Feeds the sheep, watches over and protects them) ASK, Why does the Bible say that the Lord is our Shepherd? (He takes care of us, watches over us, provides for our needs) LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL 3
REVIEW OUR CARING GOD ASK, How does God take care of birds? (God gives them enough to eat) ASK, How does God take care of flowers? (God makes them beautiful) ASK, How does God take care of us? (He blesses us with food and clothes and a house) PRAY, Thank you, God, for caring for us just like a good shepherd cares for his little sheep. Thank you for caring even about the birds and flowers. Help us to remember not to worry because you care about us so much. Amen. STEP 3 Explore More Choose from these activity options, depending on your available time frame, to help the children explore the lesson further. Option 1: Handprint Lamb (15 min) Supplies: Cotton balls, glue, black construction paper (one piece per child), white crayons Teacher Prep: Create a sample handprint lamb to show the children and for volunteers to use as a guide. GIVE a piece of black construction paper to each child. TRACE each child s hand onto the paper in white crayon. Try spreading their thumb (the lamb s head) apart from their fingers. TURN the paper around so the fingers (the lamb s legs) face downward. DRAW a connecting line across the palm to complete the lamb s back. HAVE the children create a face for the sheep on the thumb of the hand. GIVE each child a pile of cotton balls. HELP the children apply glue to the handprint. PLACE cotton balls into the glue to create a sheep s soft, white coat, and don t forget the tail! SAY, This is your little lamb to care for today, just as Jesus cares for you. Option 2: Cotton Ball Toss (10 min) Supplies: Cotton balls, basket, words to Psalm 23 Teacher Prep: This is a memory game to help the children memorize the beginning of Psalm 23. Choose a few of the first lines to begin memorizing. (Using just the first verse is a great idea for preschoolers with short attention spans.) LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL 4
GATHER the children in a circle around the basket on the floor. CHOOSE a few of the first lines of Psalm 23 to begin memorizing, and recite it slowly for the children. For example, you might choose Psalm 23:1, The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need. GIVE each child a handful of cotton balls, and explain that as you say each word together, the children will one by one toss a cotton ball into the basket. This will create a rhythm to the words. PLAY the game until the children have run out of cotton balls, or until you ve said the verse(s) two to three times. Option 3: Mary Had a Little Lamb (10 min) Supplies: Lyrics to Mary Had a Little Lamb, stuffed lamb from Step 1 EXPLAIN to the children again that Jesus is often called the Lamb of God. REMIND them that Jesus mother s name was Mary, so when they sing this song, they can think of Mary being the mom of Jesus, the Lamb of God. SING the song several times, each time letting a different child hold your stuffed lamb throughout the song. Option 4: Let s Color! sheet (10 min) Supplies: Crayons or markers, Let s Color! sheet (one per child) Teacher Prep: Print and photocopy the Let s Color! sheet (one per child) GIVE each child a coloring page. PROVIDE a selection of crayons and/or markers for the children to share. DISCUSS this week s Key Idea as the children color. Option 5: Praise and Worship (15 min) I Just Wanna Be a Sheep, by Brian Howard 1974 by Mission Hills Music CCLI #454057 The Lord Is My Shepherd, public domain CCLI #2867827 LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL 5
Option 6: Act It Out (15 min) Shepherds and Sheep Setting: A pasture Characters: Narrator Shepherd Sheep teacher student leader, class helper, or child remainder of class Narrator: Sheep depend on their shepherd for everything. They are helpless without the shepherd s protection. You, little sheep, will learn today how much you need your shepherd. You (point to the CHILDREN) will be the sheep, and you (point to SHEPHERD) will be the shepherd. Now sheep, when you hear the word scared, hug yourselves. (NARRATOR hugs self as an illustration for SHEEP and waits for SHEEP to imitate) Narrator: Act like you are scared and go to the Shepherd as quickly as you can. When you hear the word hungry, rub your tummy and go to the Shepherd as quickly as you can. (NARRATOR rubs tummy as an illustration for SHEEP and waits for SHEEP to imitate) Narrator: When you hear the word lost, put your hands to your eyes like you are searching, and go to the shepherd as quickly as you can. (NARRATOR puts hands to eyes as if searching as an illustration for SHEEP and waits for SHEEP to imitate) Narrator: Remember, as a flock of sheep, you must stay in a group because sheep like to move together. (brief pause) Narrator: Now we will begin our story. Once upon a time there was a kind shepherd. (SHEPHERD waves to SHEEP while walking to the other side of the room away from them) Narrator: This shepherd loved his sheep very much. The little sheep did not know how to hunt, so they needed the shepherd when they were hungry. (NARRATOR reminds SHEEP to rub their tummies by leading the motion. LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL 6
SHEEP gather around SHEPHERD. SHEPHERD pretends to feed SHEEP, walks to another area of the room while SHEEP graze) Narrator: The little sheep did not know how to fight, so they needed the shepherd when a big animal made them feel scared. (NARRATOR reminds SHEEP to hug themselves by leading the motion. SHEEP gather around SHEPHERD. SHEPHERD pretends to comfort and pet SHEEP, walks to another area of the room while SHEEP stay) Narrator: The little sheep also had a habit of wandering away. They needed the shepherd when they got lost. (NARRATOR reminds SHEEP to put their hands to their eyes like they are searching by leading the motion. SHEEP gather around SHEPHERD. SHEP- HERD pretends to be counting to make sure he or she has all of the sheep and that none are lost) Narrator: Good job, little sheep. This story helps us remember that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, takes care of us, his sheep. He helps us when we are hungry, scared, or lost. STEP 4 Going Home (5 min) Supplies: Family Page (one per child) GIVE each child a copy of this week s Family Page. SAY, Give this page to your family when they pick you up. It will remind you to tell your family about God, our Good Shepherd. HAVE children practice telling you about God as our Shepherd. REVIEW this week s Key Verse as well as today s story and Key Ideas from the Believe Storybook Bible as you wait for the children to get picked up. MAKE sure each child remembers to take home any activity sheets or craft projects and the Family Page. LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL 7
Lesson 2
Lesson 2
Lesson 2
Let s Color! Name: [Coloring page to come] Include simple line art of Jesus the shepherd with his sheep. LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL
FAMILY PAGE Lesson 2: Personal God Bible Basis: Psalm 23; Matthew 6:25 34 Key Verse: Psalm 121:2: My help comes from the LORD. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. Key Question: Does God care about me? Key Idea: I believe God is involved in and cares about my daily life. Resource: Believe Storybook Bible, Chapter 2, Personal God How to Use This Page This week, your family can read the story from the Believe Storybook Bible or read the Bible Basis verses from your Bible to help your child remember it. Use the Table Talk questions below to start a discussion around the dinner table, while driving in the car, or just about anywhere. The Living Faith activity is designed to remind your child of the Bible lesson through a drama or other engaging activity. The Extra Mile idea provides interactive ways for your child to connect with the story. Table Talk 1. How is God like a shepherd? 2. David took care of his sheep and God takes care of us. What are some things you take care of? How do you care for those things? 3. When are some times that you are the most worried? How can God help you not to worry? 4. Why do you think God cares for you so much? Living Faith Option 1 A fun activity to help your child remember today s lesson would be to take turns pretending to be sheep and a shepherd. You can use sheets to make a shepherd s robe. Let your child act out both parts to help him or her remember the shepherd s role of caring and the sheep s role of following. LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL
Option 2 Visit a farm, zoo, or petting zoo, where your child can see real sheep. Talk with your child about what the sheep look like, act like, sound like, and feel like (if the child is able to pet the sheep). Talk with your child about whether they think a shepherd s job would be easy or hard, and why. If you are not able to visit a place with real sheep, find some books at the library or look up some pictures and facts about sheep on the Internet. You and your child can learn about sheep and discuss how people can be like sheep. Extra Mile Take some time to explain to your child about lost sheep, or people who are not Chris tians. Make sure that your child knows that Jesus always takes the time to look for his lost sheep. Play hide and seek together, taking turns pretending to be a lost sheep and a shepherd looking for lost sheep. Explain the importance of sharing the news of Christ with others. Make a picture with your child and write Jesus Loves You! on it. Have your child share it with a friend or family member or even someone they don t know very well, like the cashier at the grocery store or a neighbor down the street. As a family, think of a person your child knows who is not a Chris tian. Pray together for that person and think of ways to encourage them and let them know they are loved. LESSON 2: Personal God PRESCHOOL