Winter 2016 ~ Beginners Lesson #6 Learning Objectives Timothy 1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 1:5-8 1. The children will explore and explain what it means to share their love for God and Jesus with others. Memory Verse: Let your light shine. --Matthew 5:16 (NIRV) Getting Started (Choose One Activity) Tangram Puzzle Activity: As for Me and my house we will serve the Lord. See: www.kidssundayschool.com Grade school Puzzles Other Puzzles Me and My House You will need to print out one puzzle for each child, and cut it apart, placing the pieces in small envelopes (one complete puzzle in each). The children will first turn the pieces upside down to see if they can make a house without the help of the verse on the front. Then let them try it with the pieces right side up. Play Pictionary Before class or draw the following items, one each, on index cards: Lantern, flashlight, light bulb, sun, headlights, candle, lighthouse, lightning, night light, fire, lighting bug, match, moon, torch, lamp, fireworks, and glow worm. Break the class up into two or more teams. If you have only one or two children in your class, they can just work together as one team taking turns. Divide the cards according to how many teams you have. Draw a house on a piece of paper for each team. Have one child from each team pick a card with a picture and put it either on the house (representing something that would go inside the house) or next to the house (representing something that would go outside of the house). Continue to take cards and place them until all the cards are placed on the board. The team finished first with all the correct placements wins. Or have one team play at a time and set a timer. The team with the most correct placed cards on the board wins. NOTE: This Pictionary game would also work great as a Bible Balloon Relay. You put the pictures in balloons and blow them up. Each player or team gets the same amount of pictures. Place the balloons on one side of the room, the board with the house picture on the other side. Have the players run back and forth, getting a balloon, popping it (by stepping on it or sitting on it) and putting the picture in the right place. The team finished first wins. This is great to play outside. NOTE: You can modify this activity according to the number of children you have. Feel free to recruit extra adult volunteers to help make this activity more successful. **After the game is completed and the pictures have been sorted, ask the children what the pictures all have in common? (They all make light so we can see). Today we will talk about our faith. It is like a light. If we live a life that makes God happy, this light in us will shine really bright and show all the people around us how much God loves us and how much He cares for us.
Getting Started Continued Tent Time Create a tent with a table and blanket over the table, so that it is very dark. (You could also take a field trip to a room in the church, even the bathroom that has no windows and would be very dark with the lights off.) Have the children come into the tent with you in the dark. Ask the children if they can see anything. How does the dark make them feel? (scared, nervous) Then bring out a flashlight and turn it on. Ask the children what happened when the light was turned on? (Answers will vary discuss together. For example, the dark is pushed to the side and the light stays here. The light fills the corners of the tent and we don t feel scared anymore.) Today we are going to talk about us being the light. If we are happy, we shine like the light and show people around us how much God loves and cares for us. Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions Message: Let your light shine bright. Paul writes to Timothy: 1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young. Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love and in what you believe. Show the believers how to be pure. 2 Timothy 1:5-8 I remember your honest and true faith. It was alive first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. And I am certain that it is now alive in you also. That is why I remind you to help God's gift grow, just as a small spark grows into a fire. God put his gift in you when I placed my hands on you. God didn't give us a spirit that makes us weak and fearful. He gave us a spirit that gives us power and love. It helps us control ourselves. So don't be ashamed to give witness about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, his prisoner. Instead, join with me as I suffer for the good news. God's power will help us do that. Discussion Questions: 1. This Bible story is a letter to someone. Who was Paul writing his letter to? (Timothy.) 2. What does it mean to be an example? (Discuss, especially how being a true example means acting/doing exactly what we say.) 3. In the Bible text today, Paul is talking about Timothy s family. Discuss the concept of a family with the children. What kinds of people are in families? (Aunts, Uncles, Brothers, Sisters, Grandparents, Parents, etc. make it personal according to each child s family circumstances.) 4. Who do we believe in? (God, Jesus and the Apostles.) 5. How can you share the joy of your faith and your beliefs with others? (By doing good things for others, for example: praying for others, offering meals, sharing your home with others, comforting others with a card/hug/kind word, etc Discuss together.)
Application to Real Life Light up the World activity See: www.kidssundayschool.com Grade school Object Talks Light up the World This is a short illustration about lighting up the world, one match at a time. You will need make a large match using a stick or straw and red yarn for this activity, and you will use it to compare a match to being one of God's Children. As a match is used to light something that is more important (like a candle, or a fire to keep us warm), as God's children we are also used to reach others for Jesus and to help light up the world. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. Remind the children that as God s children, we must use the time he gives us to light up the world for Jesus. We can do this by our actions and our words, by serving others in His name, and by praying for all who need Him. When we do this, the light continues on and on and grows brighter and brighter in our hearts. However, if we remain silent, it would be like a striking a match and letting it burn out without doing anything good with it. (Imitate striking the match and then blowing it out) What a waste! You have a light too. Let your light shine bright. (Review message and memory verse.) Memory Work Fun 5 minutes 1. Name the two main parts of the Bible and tell what the difference is. (Old Testament before Jesus, New Testament Jesus & After Jesus) 2. Where is the book of Timothy located? In the Old or New Testament? Practice finding it together. 3. What fruit of the spirit did you practice this week? Share together which one, and how it was practiced. 4. Recite the memory verse. 5. Lead the class in a short prayer and ask God to help you to shine your light for others to see Jesus in them. Activity Ideas Song: This little light of mine
Activity Ideas Continued Faith that God s in me Action Verse The teacher reads the verse and shows the action, the kids follow the hand motions: This is my body, fingers and toes, (Hold arms out, wiggle fingers, toes) Big round eyes, one little nose. (Point to eyes, then nose) This is my body, where is my soul? (Hold arms out, then shrug) Deep in my heart where no one sees, (Cross hands over heart, wag finger) But there I know my God loves me! (Hug yourself) Letter Activities Before class write a letter to each student including words or phrases from parts of the letter Paul wrote Timothy. Give the letters to the students as they walk in. As an introduction to your lesson have each child open up his letter (help him to read it) and then tell the children that in the Bible story today Timothy received a letter from Paul that said much of the same things that their letters said. Read them the letter Paul wrote from the Bible. Some examples: Dear Jimmy, I thank God for you and remember you in my prayers. I know your parents and the faith they have in Jesus and know that you also have is faith in Jesus. OR Dear Rebecca, I pray for you often that you may have the peace that comes through Christ. I thank God for you. You have been a source of joy to me. If you have younger children (in which case you do since this is beginners class) write a simple message and write their names on the outside of the envelope in big letters. Hide them around the room. See if the children can find the envelope with their name on it. If they don't know what their name looks like, write their names on sheets of paper so that they can compare the name on the paper to the one on the envelope. When a child finds his envelope let him open it and help him/her read the message. Another idea: Children can also write letters to their parents (especially their mothers and grandmothers) or other people who have taught them about God or bring them to church. They can decorate their envelopes, address them, and mail them. If you have children who can't write, write a short thank you letter for them and have them sign their name on the envelope and letter. They can also draw a picture for the person. They will enjoy placing a stamp on it and look forward to seeing their moms and dads get it in the mail. A Shining Star Craft See: www.kidssundayschool.com Preschool Crafts A Shining Star A week ahead, ask the parents to bring a small picture of their child to the next class. Explain that the face of the child will be cut out from the picture, and the children will be using them to make an ornament in class. If pictures are not available, stickers or faces cut out from magazines will also work. You will also need fun foam and the star template, a hole puncher, ribbon and scissors for this activity. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. (You may also wish to use glitter and glue be prepared for potential messes.) After you complete the activity, tell the children that as believers in Jesus, we should shine for Him. If we can shine in this way people who don't know Jesus can find Him by our shining light. The Bible says: "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Remind the children of the message and memory verse.
Homework Ideas - Read at home with a grown up: Joyful Saul (Acts 9:1-22). - Learn the memory verse for next week: He makes all things new again. --Mark 9:12 (NIRV) - Work on memorizing commandment #. - Color the handout Joyful Saul. Return the coloring page for a sticker. Other Resources www.kidssundayschool.com Grade school Topical Index K-L Light (Scroll down to find various ideas to support this theme of being the Light to the World around us.)