The heart of Gods plan for mankind GOD'S E Edited by Brian Dowler Published by 21st Century Christian, Inc.
INTRODUCTION This book contains the Youth level (2-year-old to grade 5) curriculum for God s Love Story. This is Part One of the three-part quarterly curriculum. Although designed to be used on a convenient quarter (13-week) teaching schedule, the first quarter of the Middle School and High School curriculum, as well as the adult curriculum, contains an Introduction to the Bible overview that many churches will incorporate into their teaching schedules. Thus, many groups have chosen to spend two weeks in the Chapter One youth material. To aid in this, we have included extra material for Chapter One in the Youth Curriculum. Enough content is provided to allow the instructors to teach in a single session (Sunday mornings, typically) or in two classes (adding a mid-week Bible class). In general, our goal was to give you more than enough material, no matter the approach you desired to use. It is up to the instructor to pick and choose what material to cover given his teaching style and time provided. The curriculum parallels the teaching material for the other age levels, giving everyone the opportunity to cover the same material each week. May God bless each of you as you seek His will and strive to find your own place in God s Love Story. III
EXPLANATION OF THE CURRICULUM GOD S LOVE STORY 2 YEAR OLD TO 5th GRADE CURRICULUM HOW TO USE THIS CURRICULUM: Memory Verse: Throughout this curriculum, you will see memory verses for each chapter. The underlined portion is the suggested memory work for most readers, including children. The entire passage may be looked at as a theme verse that goes well with the chapter material, and may also be used as a challenge memorization for those who wish to take on this longer passage. Virtue: In each chapter of God s Love Story, we will point out a virtue or life lesson that summarizes or can be pulled from the text. Poster: Each week, a new poster will be revealed. Each poster contains a simple image, designed to help you remember a key event, person, or theme of the chapter. In this way, viewing all 39 posters over time will allow you to visually gain a mental timeline of the story of the Bible. Major Points in the Chapter: Major Points is simply the lesson for the chapter in a numbered format (this could be taught in one or two class periods). Each chapter is presented to expand the children s understanding of the Bible and the chapter s theme. All you need to do is teach the major points and incorporate the other materials with lots of excitement and encouragement Weekly Reviews: * Picture Cards Each week, a new picture card will be revealed. Each picture card contains a simple image, which is designed to help you remember a key event, person or theme of the chapter. In this way, viewing all 39 posters over time will allow you to visually gain a mental time-line of the story of the Bible. * Timeline This timeline worksheet shows your students the progression of several commonly known stories and events through the Bible. The pictures are shown in an alternating pattern, varying from the top to bottom of the page. On the opposite tile is the description of the event and the approximate time period in which it occurred. We suggest you display the time line worksheet where the children can see the timeline and review the events previously discussed. When the 39 weeks of lessons are completed the students will be able to see the chronological order of the Bible through the timeline worksheets. V
CONTENTS Chapter Title Page Timeline 1 1 The Beginning 2 The Seed of a Nation 3 Dreams and Deliverance 4 Israel in Bondage 5 Out of Egypt 6 The Covenant 7 Desert Wanderings 8 Preparing for Conquest 9 Finally Home 10 Before the Kings 11 Your God, My God 12 Great Prophet, Disobedient King 13 The Anointed Shepherd VIII
Timeline This worksheet shows your students the progression of several commonly known stories and events through the Bible. The pictures are shown in an alternating pattern, varying from the top to bottom of the page. On the opposite tile is the description of the event and the approximate time period in which it occurred. We suggest you display the timeline worksheet where the children can see the timeline and review the events previously discussed. When the 39 weeks of lessons are completed, the students will be able to see the chronological order of the Bible through the timeline worksheets. One approach might be to cut out the pictures and connect them by a string or ribbon. You can post these on the wall of the classroom or hang them on a string. There are many creative ways that you might use this timeline to convey the time period in the Bible narrative. 1
Days of Creation light, moon, stars light sea-sky plants birds, fish animals, humans God rested The Seven Days of Creation The Downfall of Man 4,000 B.C. Noah and the Ark 2,350 B.C. 2
1st Timothy Letters to Timothy 63 67 A.D. Letters from John 90 94 A.D. 1st, 2nd, 3rd John Be Kind Help Others Victorious In The End 95 A.D. Written by John Written by Paul SET AN EXAMPLE Be Honest Be Loving Obey my parents Don t steal Worship God 16
GOD S LOVE STORY CHAPTER 1 THE BEGINNING Memory Verse: God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day (Genesis 1:31). Virtue: Obedience Poster: The poster for Chapter One is a simple image of an apple with a heart-shaped bite. Although the Bible does not state that the fruit of Genesis was an apple, the apple has become symbolic of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that was the centerpiece of the downfall of Adam, Eve, and ultimately, mankind. The heart-shaped bite represents that, even though this was a dark time in the history of man, ultimately God had a plan to lovingly restore man and create a path of forgiveness and salvation available to everyone. Major Points: 1. The Seven Days of Creation (Genesis 1:1 4:15) : Day 1: The heavens, the earth, light and darkness. Day 2: Heaven (dividing of the waters). Day 3: Dry land, the seas, and vegetation. Day 4: The sun, the moon and the stars. Day 5: Living creatures in the water, birds in the air. Day 6: Land animals and people. Day 7: God rested. 2. The downfall of man (Adam and Eve cast out of Eden, etc.) Gen. 1:1 4:15. Adam means the ground. This symbolizes that Adam came from the dust of the earth. 18
Eve means living. Adam called her this because she was the mother of all living people. (Matthew. 19:4 Jesus refers to the creation of Adam and Eve when asked by the Pharisees about marriage.) Satan (the serpent) Lied to the woman. 3. Cain slays Abel (Genesis 1:1 4:15). Cain The first murderer in the Bible. He killed his brother Abel. Abel The first death in the Bible. 4. Noah and the ark (Genesis 6:9-7:12; 7:20-8:5; 8:13-9:7; 9:11-9:18; 9:28). Noah Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. Shem, Ham, and Japheth The three sons of Noah, saved with their wives in the flood. 5. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-11:9). Tower of Babel The people gathered to one place, instead of filling the earth. They also wanted to make a name for themselves by trying to be God. Different languages began. Review: * Picture Cards The memory verse, virtue and questions are on the back of the picture card for Chapter One. (Explanation of the Picture Card is under the Poster heading.) * Timeline The events in Chapter One of God s Love Story take us from the creation of the earth, to the time after the flood, setting the stage for the emergence of Abraham in Chapter 2. Although taking up only 11 chapters of the Bible, the events take place over a period of about 2,000 years, from the time of Adam and Eve (~4,000 B.C.), through the great flood (~2,350 B.C.), until the birth of Abraham (~2,000 B.C.) Genesis spans more time than the remaining sixty-five put together. Chapters 1 11 span more than 2,000 years and 1,500 miles. Activity Pages: These are found behind the Chapter One Lesson. 19
Days of Creation sun moon stars birds fish Light sea sky Plants animals humans God rested 21
THE BEGINNING GENESIS 1 2 THE SEVEN DAYS OF CREATION VIRTUE: Obedience God created everything we see, taste, hear, and touch in just seven days! The Bible says, In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. That is amazing! On the 1st day, all was dark, so He created Light. On the 2nd day, He created blue skies, separating sky from under the sky (firmament). Day three brought land and seas, and God put grass, flowers and trees on the land. The sun, moon and stars were created on the 4th day. On the 5th day, God made fish in the seas and made birds to fly in the skies. All of the animals, and a man named Adam, were created on the 6th day. God made the man in His Own image, and man was to be in charge of the animals. When God finished all this work, He looked at the creation and decided that it was good. He decided to bless the seventh day and to make it holy. He rested from all of His work on the 7th day. WORDS TO KNOW Heaven: Where God lives. Firmament: The expanse of the heavens; the sky. Image: To make like something else; a picture in your mind. 22
23
THE BEGINNING GENESIS 3 ADAM AND EVE CAST OUT OF EDEN, ETC. VIRTUE: Obedience Adam, the man whom God created, loved taking care of the animals and the beautiful garden where God had placed him. After a time, Adam became lonely for a partner. God caused Adam to go into a deep sleep. He then took one of the ribs out of Adam and made a woman out of the rib. Adam woke up. Adam named the woman. They lived in the garden very happily and could eat from any of the fruit trees they wished, except for from a special tree called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told Adam and Eve that if they ate from that special tree, they would die. Eve was near the special tree one day, and a very crafty serpent told her how wonderful the fruit of this special tree tasted. He also told Eve that if she would eat the fruit, she would become like God. The serpent kept on tempting her, and she took a piece of the fruit and tasted it. She wanted to see what would happen, and she found out that she did not die right away. She offered the fruit to Adam to eat, and he tasted the fruit. Right away, Adam noticed a difference in him and realized that he was naked. He and Eve covered themselves by sewing big green fig leaves together to wear. When God came to the garden for a visit, they knew they had disobeyed God and knew He would be displeased, so they hid. Of course, God already knew what had occurred, and He was not pleased. He cursed the serpent and made him crawl on his belly the rest of his life and made him man s worst enemy. God disciplined Eve for disobeying Him. When Eve had babies, it hurt a great deal. She also took on the job of being the servant of her husband. Adam s punishment for disobeying God was that he would have to work hard to make anything grow out of the ground. Adam and Eve were forced to leave the beautiful garden. Cherubims guarded the gate of the garden with a sword of fire. WORDS TO KNOW Knowledge: Having ability to know facts. Fig: A tree bearing a sweet pear-shaped, edible fruit. Cherubim: Angels. 24
25
THE BEGINNING GENESIS 4 CAIN SLAYS ABEL VIRTUE: Obedience Adam and Eve worked hard outside of the garden making a life with each other. Eve had two children named Cain and Abel. Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a gardener. When it was time to worship, Abel brought a perfect baby lamb to the altar to sacrifice, and Cain brought only the fruit from his garden. God was not pleased with Cain and his offering, but was very pleased with Abel and his offering. This made Cain angry and very jealous of his brother, Abel. This jealousy caused Cain to hate his brother, and one day, when the hatred was very strong, Cain met Abel in a field, and he killed Abel. Of course, God knew what happened, so He asked Cain, Where is Abel, your brother? Cain answered God, I do not know, am I my brother s keeper? Of course this was a lie, and God punished Cain for his disrespect, disobedience, and sin by forcing Cain to be a fugitive who wandered all over the earth, having no real home ever again. WORDS TO KNOW Altar: An elevated structure where religious ceremonies may be held or sacrifices offered. Offering: A sacrifice. Sacrifice: To give up something of value. Jealous: Resentment or wanting all the love. Disrespect: Lack of respect or reverence. Disobedience: Refusal to obey. Fugitive: Fleeing or trying to escape. 26
27
THE BEGINNING GENESIS 6 9 THE NOAH AND THE ARK VIRTUE: Obedience A long time passed since Adam and Eve left the garden. God saw how wicked most of the people had become, and He became sad that He had even made these people. One man stood out as a godly, obedient man, and his name was Noah. God told Noah that He was going to destroy all of the people on the earth, except for Noah and his family. Noah was given instructions by God to build a large ship, or ark, made of gopher wood to save his family from a terrible flood. The outside of the ark was covered in pitch to keep the rain and flood water out. Noah had three sons who loved God, and these four men built the ark that saved their lives from the flood. Next, God instructed Noah to fill the boat with male and female animals, at least two of every kind, and more of some kinds. When Noah and his sons and their wives, a total of eight people, were safely in the ark with the animals, the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Noah was 600 years old when this happened! All of the mountains of the earth were covered with water. Everyone outside of the ark drowned, including the animals and the birds. When the water finally dried up, Noah and his family came out of the ark, and the first thing they did was to build an altar of worship to God. After they worshiped God, God made a promise to them that He would never curse the earth again with such a terrible flood. He put a lovely rainbow in the sky as a seal to show His covenant. WORDS TO KNOW Obedient: Willing to do what you are told. Fountains: A natural spring or jet of water coming from the earth. Covenant: A promise or a pledge. Pitch: A tarry, sticky substance. 28
29
THE BEGINNING GENESIS 11 TOWER OF BABEL VIRTUE: Obedience Noah was a man who lived a long time ago. He had three sons named Ham, Shem, and Japheth. These sons eventually had many children. The children filled the earth with many, many people. Once again, the people became selfish, sinful and disobedient, like their fathers and mothers before them. In those days, everyone spoke only one language. The people worked together and became skilled builders. They decided to build a great city with a tall tower to make a name for themselves. God decided to teach them a lesson to humble them. He made it so that the people were confused when they heard each other speak, changing the one language into many different languages. The people were confused while trying to talk to one another in different languages, and they were forced to scatter into new groups of people who spoke the same language. The tall tower became known as the Tower of Babel. WORDS TO KNOW Sin: Breaking of God s law; do something that is morally wrong. Language: Words used and understood by people. 30
Cain and Abel Trace the line from Cain to the garden and Abel to the flock of sheep. Cain Abel 32
Noah and the Ark Cut and paste the animal to it s match. C M B E G L S camel monkey bird elephant giraffe lion snake 33
Noah s Ark Color pictures Cut out circles Punch a hole in the center Attach cover with paper fastner Cut out Cover Noah and the Ark 34
Help Noah Find the Ark 35
Seven Days of Creation Cut and paste in the correct order. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 36
Day 4 four Star Moon Sun 37
Creation Story Circle Color pictures Cut out circles Punch a hole in the center Attach cover with paper fastner Cut out Cover God s Creation Story zzz 7 seven 1 7 2 6 3 5 4 38
Tower of Babel Color Purple Color Yellow Color Green Color Blue Color Red 39
The Garden of Eden Genesis 3 God told Adam and Eve that they could eat fruit from any tree in the Garden of Eden except one. The serpent tricked them and they ate the fruit. Adam and Eve sinned. They did not listen to God. God told them they had to leave the Garden because they disobeyed Him. Can you help Adam and Eve find their way through the Garden of Eden? S T A RT 40
The 7 Days of Creation Make a picture for each day to show what God created. Day 1: Light Day 2: Sky and Sea Day 3: Grass, Trees, Flowers Day 7: God Rested Day 4: Sun, Moon, Stars Day 6: Man and Animals Day 5: Birds and Fish 41
Cain and Abel Cain and Abel were sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was a farmer and Abel was a Shepherd. Both brothers made sacrifices at the alter for God. Cain made a sacrificing of fruit while Abel sacrificed some firstborn lamb of his flock. God liked abel s sacrifice instead of Cain s. Cain was jealous of Abel so he took his brother out to the fields and killed him. Make a triangle around the objects that relate to a farmer. Make a square around the objects that relate to a shepherd. Some objects may get both a triangle and a square. 42
Numbers With Noah Directions: Solve the math problems and then draw a line from the answers to the correct question. Use The Flood chart and your Bible to help you. 22 + 18 = How many days did Noah wait to send a dove after he sent a raven? 100 + 50 = How many days did it rain during the flood? 2 + 1 = How many days passed until the ark rested on the Mountains of Ararat? 3 + 4 = How many times did Noah send a dove from the ark? 3 + 5 = How old was Noah when the flood started? Genesis 7:11 205 + 395 = How many people were saved in the ark? Genesis 7:13 43
44
Lesson 1: God s Love Story Genesis Directions: Place the pictures in numerical order. 45
Chapter One Memory Verse DOG WAS 1 WGHERNEIT THTA HE MAED NDA BEOLHD TI SAW 3 2 5 8 ERVY GODO SESGINE 1:31 6 7 4 1 : 3 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Unscramble each of the clue words. Copy the letters in the numbered cells to other cells with the same number. 46
Tower of Babel Men and women after the flood grew proud. They wanted to build a tower so high that it reached the heavens! God did not like this. After the building began, God confused everyone s language so no one would be able to understand each other and He scattered them across the earth. Since the people could not communicate, the tower was never finished Find the words listed at the bottom of the page in the word search below. Circle each word as you find them. L R E W O T R I G O D W E R E T T A C S K W E T B R O C O N F U S E R O A N N B R I C K O C E O B T G E G A U G N A L L E A R T H K K L P Q I S BABEL EARTH SCATTER BRICK GOD TOOLS CONFUSE LANGUAGE TOWER 47
God s Love Story Chapter One Please complete the crossword puzzle below. 14 11 19 27 18 25 26 2 3 20 23 8 9 15 1 13 24 10 4 6 5 17 12 7 21 16 28 22 ACROSS: 1. Where Yahweh confused the language 3. Man s first home three words 4. Killed a young man 7. Third river of Eden 8. Be fruitful and... 10. A righteous and blameless man 15. The flood water prevailed cubits upward 16. The first man 17. Was on the surface of the deep 18. This day was blessed as holy 19. God established a with Noah 22. Third son of Noah 24. The ark was covered with this 26. Wood used to build the ark 28. Fourth river of eden DOWN: 2. Lived to 969 years 3. Second river in Eden 5. The first woman 6. Killed his older brother 7. Second son of Noah 9. First river in Eden 11. Cain became a fugitive and a 12. First son of Noah 13. Woman s pain was multiplied in this 14. Man was given this over the animals 20. Oldest son of the first couple 21. Ham was the father of 23. The father of Abraham 25. A tower was built on this plain 27. Deceiver of the Garden 48