Session 5 Joseph Takes His Family to Safety in Egypt Matthew 2:13-23 Worship Theme: God works in our lives. Weaving Faith Into Life: In their everyday lives, children will look for ways God is working for good. Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Praise God! (up to 25 minutes) Sing King Jesus Is All (track 11) He Is Good (Nahum 1:7) (track 13) For the Son (Luke 19:10) (track 7) The Plans I Have for You (Jeremiah 29:11) (track 22) I Will Give You Rest (Matthew 11:28) (track 20) Everybody Come Along! (track 14) KidsOwn Worship Kit: Songs From FaithWeaver CD player, 1 small rock per child, bucket, butcher paper, crayons, scissors Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Learn the Point! (up to 25 minutes) Treasure Hunt Experience a treasure hunt with and without directions. * God Works in Our Lives Participate in a dramatic reading of the Bible story. * Stick With Me Play a game with stickers to remember that God sticks with us. 2 bags of treats Photocopy of script (p. 68) Sticker sheets, scissors 60 FaithWeaver Winter Quarter
Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Learn the Point! (up to 25 minutes) * Foiled Again Listen to Herod s son, Archelaus, tell the Bible story. God Works Create a character, and talk about how God works through different life events. Puzzle of Life Put together a puzzle that shows possible life events. Photocopy of Foiled Again script (p. 72), Bible-times king costume KidsOwn Worship Kit: Jumbo Puzzle Pieces Poster putty, white board and marker KidsOwn Worship Kit: Jumbo Puzzle Pieces Bible, poster putty, paper, markers Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies Let s Pray! (up to 10 minutes) The Offering Give their offering and pray for one another. The Plans I Have for You Sing about God s plans in their lives. Rock Prayers Use the boulder drawings to write and draw prayers of thanksgiving to God. Offering bowls KidsOwn Worship Kit: Songs From FaithWeaver: The Plans I Have for You (Jeremiah 29:11) (track 22) CD player Boulder drawings from the start of worship, markers * Starred activities can be used successfully with preschool and elementary children together. Customize your session to fit your needs. You can separate preschoolers and elementary children for Let s Learn the Point! Or, if you keep the children all together for the entire worship session, we suggest you choose from the starred activities. Session 5 KidsOwn Worship 61
Bible Background for Leaders Joseph Takes His Family to Safety in Egypt Matthew 2:13-23 This passage describes the execution of Herod s brutal backup plan. He had hoped to single out the baby born in Bethlehem and kill him, but the Magi didn t return to Jerusalem to report the baby s whereabouts. So in an attempt to get rid of Jesus, Herod ordered the killing of all the boys in Bethlehem who fell within the age span suggested by the star s first appearance. Jesus safety was of utmost importance to Joseph. His faith in God made him realize this child s significance, and he didn t hesitate to obey God s command to flee to Egypt. It appears that as soon as he awoke from his dream, he awoke Mary so that they could set out. The order in which the names are mentioned in verse 14 the child and his mother indicates that Jesus was more important than his mother. Some suggest that the Magi and Joseph received the warning from God and departed the same night. It s doubtful that Mary and Joseph told anyone of their flight for fear that Herod would find out where they were going and chase them down as they traveled slowly with the baby. In verse 15, Matthew once again refers to Old Testament prophecy, suggesting that God would call the Messiah out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1). This passage from Hosea refers to God s deliverance of his people, Israel, from Egypt. But Matthew wanted to prove to the Jews that Jesus was indeed the one they d been waiting for. Matthew viewed the salvation that God brought to the people of Israel in freeing them from Egypt as a foreshadowing of the supreme salvation that would come through Jesus. As Moses went to Egypt to bring his people out of bondage, so Jesus went to Egypt before freeing people from the bondage of sin. Imagine the terror in the village of Bethlehem as infants were torn from their mothers arms and murdered! No number is given, but in a town the size of Bethlehem, some estimate that there would have been as many as 30 male infants under the age of two at any given time. In verses 17 and 18, Matthew once again refers to Old Testament prophecy. In Jeremiah 31:15, Jeremiah prophesied that sorrow would overwhelm Israel as God punished Israel for its sins by allowing the Assyrians to take the kingdom of Israel into captivity. In referring to that passage, Matthew may be suggesting that the tragedy in Bethlehem was ultimately brought on by the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel. It appears that Herod died not long after his brutal act in Bethlehem. Herod was dead, but the child he had tried to kill would live forever! As Joseph and Mary returned to Israel in response to God s direction, they heard that Herod s son, Archelaus, had taken Herod s place. Joseph was apprehensive at the prospect of settling in Judea. God again spoke to Joseph in a dream and directed the little family to go to Nazareth. Thus Jesus survived the evil intentions of wicked kings and grew up in obscurity in a small town in Galilee. Devotion for Leaders Jesus life shows us that God is always faithful to guide us according to his plans and promises. Praise God for his unfailing love and guiding hand! Weaving Faith Into Your Life: Reread Matthew 2:13-23. Then think of a time God led you through a tough situation. How did that affect the way you lived your life afterward? See, that s the cool thing about God. We re afraid to trust him, we do it, and he shows us an absolutely beautiful view of life as we learn to trust him. It s something we shouldn t ever forget. 62 FaithWeaver Winter Quarter
Why We Worship for Leaders Jehovah, Creator, Mighty God, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father Have you ever stopped to consider who it is who cares so much for us? who walks with us and talks with us? who directs our lives through the quiet seasons, the times of joy, and in the midst of disturbing circumstances? It s none less than the all-powerful Creator and Master of the universe! That s reason to worship. Use this session to help kids see that God is involved in their lives day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute he never changes. Then lead them to worship God for his care and direction in their lives and for being their counselor, director, adviser, and Savior. Easy Prep for Leaders Let s Praise God! Set out large sheets of butcher paper, markers or crayons, and scissors so kids can make boulders as they arrive. You ll need a small rock for each child. Place a bucket or basket in the front of the room. Foiled Again Enlist a volunteer to play the role of Archelaus, Herod s son. Give the volunteer a photocopy of Foiled Again on page 72, and ask him to rehearse it. Encourage the volunteer to play the role with plenty of emotion. Find a Bibletimes king costume for the volunteer to wear. Puzzle of Life Write the following on sheets of paper, one phrase per sheet: something fun, something sad, something difficult, something rewarding, something good, something bad, something little, something big, something exciting, and something boring. Preschool Activities Refer to the preschool pages for preparations. Web Help Get bonus leader tips and ideas at kidsownworship.com. Let s Praise God! Play Songs From FaithWeaver, Winter 2010-2011 as children arrive. Greet children by name, and say to each one, God is our rock! Direct children to the area with drawing materials. Have them work together to draw boulders on the butcher paper and cut them out. It s not necessary to have a cut-out boulder for every child. When everyone has arrived, gather children and begin worship. Welcome, everyone. Today we re going to worship God because he works in our lives. We re going to talk about how God works in our lives and why he works in our lives. When you came to children s church today, some of you made big rocks. Give each child a small rock. With someone sitting next to you, discuss how we use rocks and stones in our lives. Think about ways we use big, huge rocks and how we use small stones and pebbles. Be ready to share your answers with the group. Session 5 KidsOwn Worship 63
Allow a few moments of discussion, and then have a few groups share what they discussed. Rocks can be used for so many things because they re strong. They don t change, and the big boulders and rock formations don t move. The Bible describes God as a rock many times because God is strong and mighty and unchangeable. Psalm 18 says, The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge. Let s worship our mighty and unchangeable God. Sing King Jesus Is All. Lyrics are in the back of this book. Track 11 The Bible verse we just heard says we can take refuge in God. A place of refuge is a safe place, a place where we don t need to be afraid. God is strong and powerful, and we can go to him when we re afraid or confused. Let s sing about our God who loves us and gives us refuge. Sing He Is Good (Nahum 1:7). Lyrics are in the back of this book. Track 13 We can never be separated from God, because God is like a rock. God is unchangeable and cannot be moved. The Bible says that nothing can separate us from God s love. The next song says that God loves us so much he came for us. Let s praise God for that. Sing For the Son (Luke 19:10). Lyrics are in the back of this book. Track 7 God has plans for you, and he knows how to accomplish them in your life. God will stick with you and help you know what to do. God will give you guidance and direction, because he is strong and powerful and will always be there for you. Sing The Plans I Have for You (Jeremiah 29:11). Lyrics are in the back of this book. Track 22 It s great knowing that God has plans for our lives and works in our lives. What are some things you worry about? Do you worry about your family? your friends? school or sports? Do you try to figure out your life by yourself? The good news is that God wants to help you! God doesn t want you to be burdened with worries. God wants to help you and guide you. Let s praise him for taking our burdens for us. As we sing our song, give your burdens the things you worry about to God. When you give a worry to God, come put your rock in the bucket to show God that you re letting him be the rock of your life. Sing I Will Give You Rest (Matthew 11:28). Track 20 64 FaithWeaver Winter Quarter
Lyrics are in the back of this book. We ve talked about how God is like a rock because he is faithful and can t be moved. God will never fade away or leave us, and God will help us every step of the way. God works in our lives. How does knowing that God is always there help you? What do you think would happen if people everywhere knew that God was like that? The next song is about people all over the world finding the life Jesus wants them to have. God is working in the world to help people understand who he is. Let s sing. Sing Everybody Come Along! Lyrics are in the back of this book. Track 14 Let s pray! Let s be very quiet and sit as still as rocks for a moment. While it s quiet, I d like each one of you to thank God for being with you every day. Thank him for helping you with everything you need. (Pause.) Thank you, God, for caring so much that you help us and guide us every step of the way. Help us ask for your help and trust that you will give it. We love you and worship you, God, for working in our lives. In Jesus name, amen. Let s Learn the Point! Preschool Activities, pages 67-68 At this time, have the preschool leader invite the preschoolers to go to their own room for this section of activities. Tear out the Preschool Activities page, and give it to the preschool leader. Have the preschool leader bring the preschoolers back to participate in Let s Pray! with the older children. If you prefer to keep all the children together, do the starred (*) activities. They will work well with both elementary and preschool children. Elementary Activities * Foiled Again Ask the volunteer you ve invited to play Archelaus (ahr kih LAY uhs) to present Foiled Again. When Archelaus leaves, What made Archelaus so mad? (God foiled his and his father s plans; God was in charge instead of him.) How was God at work in this situation? (God warned the wise men and Joseph; God knew the kings plans.) Session 5 KidsOwn Worship 65
How did God take care of Jesus? (God told the wise men not to go back to Herod; God told Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt.) Have you faced a difficult situation that God worked out for you? Tell us about it. (Answers will vary.) God never left Joseph, Mary, or Jesus. He was at work in their lives every day, in every situation. He helped Joseph know what to do to keep his family safe. God told them where to go to be safe. God knew every prophecy about Jesus, and he made it all happen just as it was written in the Bible. God works in our lives, too. God Works Let s see how God works in our lives every day. I have here 10 puzzle pieces. Let s pretend that these puzzle pieces represent the things that happen in a person s life. To help us see what that s like, let s make up a person and see how God works through the puzzle pieces of his or her life. First, let s come up with a name for our made-up person. Draw a stick person on a white board. What should we call this person? Write the name the children come up with above the stick person s head. For the rest of the discussion, use that name as you speak about the made-up person. [Name] is pretty much a normal person living a normal life. But something amazing is going on in [name s] life God is working in his [or her] life every day. Do you know for sure what s going to happen tomorrow? next week? next year? in 20 years? Neither does [name]. Let s see what happens to [name]. Hand out the 10 Jumbo Puzzle Pieces to 10 children. What s something that might happen to [name]? Help the children come up with a life event, such as going to college or getting married. Have a child bring forward one of the puzzle pieces to represent that life event, and attach it to the wall with poster putty. How might God work through that event in [name s] life? How might God direct what happens next in [name s] life? What do you think is the next event in [name s] life? 66 FaithWeaver Winter Quarter Continue asking children to come up with events that happen in the character s life until you ve used all 10 puzzle pieces. Encourage the children to think creatively about what will happen to the character. Encourage them to think creatively, too, about how God might be involved in each event. The puzzle (continued on page 69)
Preschool Activities Joseph Takes His Family to Safety in Egypt Matthew 2:13-23 Worship Theme: Using Theo Session 5 God works in our lives. Easy Prep for Leaders Treasure Hunt Hide two bags of candy treats in two separate areas of the room where children won t likely find them on their own. God Works in Our Lives Photocopy the script on page 68 for an adult or teen helper. Ask the helper to read the Volunteer lines in the script. Consider using Theophilus the FaithRetriever puppet today in these ways: Have Theo lead the preschoolers from the main worship area to the preschool room. Have Theo give the instructions in Treasure Hunt. See the KidsOwn Worship Kit for a puppet skit written for today s worship session. Treasure Hunt Help preschoolers form two groups. We re going to have a treasure hunt today. I ve hidden some treats for you, so they re like hidden treasure. Tell the first group to look for the treasure. Give children a few minutes to search, then have them sit near you. The lesson will be clearer if they don t find the treasure on the first try. But it s OK if they do; just hold onto the treats until the second group has had a turn. Have the second group look for the treasure, but this time give children specific and brief instructions to help them find it. The instructions should be given in steps. For example, Open the big toy box. Look for the red purse. Look inside the purse. Have children bring the treats to you and then join the first group. Why did the second group find the treats so easily? They had help, didn t they! If the first group didn t find the treasure, give children instructions to help them find it. Why was it easier to find the treasure when I helped you? It was easy to find the treasure because I knew ALLERGY ALERT Be aware that some children have food allergies that can be dangerous. Know your children, and consult with parents about allergies their children may have. Also be sure to carefully read food labels, as hidden ingredients can cause allergyrelated problems. where it was. I helped you find the treasure. God helps us, too. God works in our lives every day. God helps us know what to do. And God guides us to the real treasure himself! Session 5 KidsOwn Worship 67
Preschool Activities * God Works in Our Lives Gather the children in a group, and have them sit close together. Have the volunteer sit a few feet away from the children and read his or her part while you stay close to the children and say the Leader lines. Last week we learned about the wise men who brought wonderful gifts to baby Jesus and his family. The wise men went to King Herod to find baby Jesus, but the king became angry and told the wise men to find the baby. King Herod meant to hurt the baby. Let s find out more about that story and what happened next. Volunteer: There was trouble! The king was jealous. He wanted to hurt baby Jesus! The king told the wise men to tell him where Jesus was. Leader: (Whispering) God was with Jesus, just like I am right here with you. God kept Jesus safe. God told the wise men to go home a different way. God told them not to tell the king about Jesus. (Leader whispers to the children to follow to a different spot in the room. Volunteer moves near the group but still a few feet away from the children.) Volunteer: There was more trouble! The king figured out that the wise men had tricked him! The king sent his soldiers to find Jesus. Leader: (Whispering) God was with Jesus. God sent an angel to tell Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt so they would be safe from the king. (Leader leads children to a different spot in the room. Volunteer moves near the group.) Volunteer: There was still more trouble! After the bad king died, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus moved back home. But then another bad king was there. Leader: (Whispering) God was with Jesus and kept him safe. He told Joseph to move to a city called Nazareth. (Leader leads children to a different spot in the room, and the children sit down.) Copyright FaithWeaver. kidsownworship.com God was always with Jesus, working in his life. God helped Jesus grow up safely. God is right here with you, too. God wants to help you and work in your life, just as he did with Jesus. God gave you parents and teachers who love you and take care of you. They keep you safe and happy. Those are some of the ways God works in your life every day. How did God take care of Jesus? How does God take care of you? * Stick With Me God works in our lives. He is always with us, just as he is always with Jesus. What does it mean that God is always with us? How does God work in your life? God works in our lives every day. That s because he loves us and sticks with us always. God never leaves us. Give each child three or four stickers. Try to cut apart the sticker sheets so you can give children stickers that are still on the backing. Have each child put one sticker each on three or four different children. When children put a sticker on another child, have them say, God sticks with you. Thank you, God, for loving us. Thank you for working in our lives. Thank you for never leaving us you always stick with us! In Jesus name, amen. 68 FaithWeaver Winter Quarter
(continued from page 66) pieces are all alike, so they ll fit together in any way and can make many different patterns. Encourage the children to make an interesting pattern on the wall. When all 10 puzzle pieces have been placed on the wall, give a brief recap of the character s life and how God is working in it. Do you think [name] had any idea at the beginning what would happen during his [or her] life? Explain. (He/she might have had ideas, but only God could know for sure; she/he could make decisions about things like going to college.) Do you think [name] was surprised to find out all the ways God worked in his [or her] life? Why or why not? (Yes, because he/she couldn t see how one thing leads to another; no because he/she looked for God s direction.) Do you have any idea now what s going to happen in your life? Explain. (Yes, I plan to go to college and then make lots of money; yes, I want to be a missionary; no, I don t know what will happen.) Do you think you ll be surprised about all the ways God works in your life? Why or why not? (Yes, I think God will lead me to exciting things; no, I think I ll do what I plan.) The Bible tells us God works in our lives. Let s think about some of the things that might happen to us. Puzzle of Life Take the puzzle pieces off the wall, and place them on tables around the perimeter of the room. By each puzzle piece, place several markers and one of the phrases you wrote before worship. Have children form 10 groups, making sure there s at least one good reader in each group. Have each of the groups stand by one of the puzzle pieces. Look at the phrase on the piece of paper next to the puzzle piece at your table. Each person in your group should come up with something that might happen to you that fits that category. For example, if your paper says something exciting, you ll each need to come up with something exciting that might happen to you becoming the president, for example. Each person should write a word or draw a small picture on the puzzle piece to represent the events you think of. Be sure to hurry, you ll only have a minute for each member of your group to think of an event and write or draw it on the puzzle piece. When the groups have finished their drawings, have them bring the puzzle pieces back to the front of the room and hang them on the wall, connecting one puzzle piece to another. Read Romans 8:28 from an easy-to-understand Bible. Session 5 KidsOwn Worship 69
How does God work in our lives through sad events? difficult events? little events? big events? bad events? exciting events? boring events? fun events? rewarding events? good events? The Bible tells us that God works in our lives and will always bring good out of whatever happens to us. We can be sure that God is always with us. He s always interested in what happens to us, and he will always work in our lives. Let s Pray! The Offering When the offering bowl comes to you today, say aloud, God is at work in my life, then put your offering in if you brought one. As the bowl is passed along, pray for the person holding the bowl. Ask God to work out all the things that concern that person today. Take the offering. The Plans I Have for You It s wonderful news that God is at work in our lives just as he was at work in the lives of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. He has wonderful plans for us, and he is working to make sure those plans happen. Let s praise God for the way he works things out in our lives. Sing The Plans I Have for You (Jeremiah 29:11). Lyrics are in the back of this book. Track 22 Rock Prayers Hand out the boulders that the children drew and cut out when they arrived. Have the children who did not make a boulder team up with those who did. Give each group a set of markers. We re learning today that God is at work in our lives. We learned during worship that he is always with us. He never leaves us or fades away. Right now, I want you to write a thank-you to God for the way he is at work in your life. Have kids write something on the boulders to represent what they re thankful for. Older children can help the younger ones, or younger children can simply draw a picture to thank God. Give children a few minutes to complete their thank-you words and drawings. Let s pray together now and thank God for all the wonderful ways he works in our lives. 70 FaithWeaver Winter Quarter
Dear God, thank you for loving us so much! We believe that you are always at work in our lives. Help us trust you as we wait for answers to our prayers. Help us have hope during the times when it seems that nothing is happening. We believe you do great things in our lives. Thank you for sending Jesus to us and for the work you re doing in our lives. In Jesus name, amen. Session 5 KidsOwn Worship 71
Foiled Again Archelaus: After what happened to my father, King Herod, I should have known that my plans would come to ruin. It all began just a few years ago when those supposed wise men came from the East. They asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We want to worship him. A new king? Impossible! My father was the king, and he wasn t about to let anyone take the throne away from him. You should have seen my father s face when the wise men made their request. It turned as red as a beet I thought he would explode with anger. But he was too smart for that. He outsmarted those wise men by pretending to want to worship the new king. He planned to find out where the baby was and to do away with him. But an angel of the Lord warned the wise men about my father s plan, and the wise men didn t tell my father where the baby was. When my father found out that his plan had gone wrong, he was furious! He decided to do away with all the baby boys in Bethlehem. He was going to keep on being king no matter what he had to do to accomplish it. But again an angel of the Lord came. This time the angel warned Joseph, the baby s father, and told him to take the baby king and his mother away. We heard that Joseph took the child and his mother away in the middle of the night to the safety of Egypt. To have our plans thwarted twice was almost unbearable! Then my father died, and I became the king. I quietly planned to honor my father s wishes. But again, an angel of the Lord came. The angel told Joseph it was safe to return to Israel, but the angel also told Joseph to stay far away from me. So Joseph took the child and his mother to a small town in a remote area. Rats! Foiled again! Who is this child that angels come to protect him? (Exits angrily.) Permission to photocopy this handout from KidsOwn Worship Leader Guide, Winter, granted for local church use. Copyright FaithWeaver. kidsownworship.com 72 FaithWeaver Winter Quarter
Encouragement for Leaders Thank you for creating a place where children in your ministry can come and feel loved just as they are.