Bible Passage: 2 Kings 5 (Elisha and Naaman) God Is the Lord of Life REMEMBER VERSE Isaiah 40:30-31a Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. Schedule ANTICIPATE 5 10 minutes CELEBRATE 35 55 minutes RESPOND 15 20 minutes BLESS 5 minutes 1
Inspire One of my favorite places is the zoo. Following a recent trip to the world-renowned zoo in San Diego, I couldn t stop thinking about the incredible experience. It was like a dream. From the chimpanzee somersaulting on the grass and the polar bear diving backward into the water to the koala hugging the eucalyptus tree, each creature was beautiful and unique. Each animal showed a different facet of the awesome, fearsome, and creative God we serve. It s overwhelming to consider that God is the Lord of all of this diverse life. I stood in awe at every detail, from the orange stripes of the tiger and the fierce gaze of the bald eagle to the pattern on the diamondback and the black lining of the flamingo s pink wings. What s even more amazing is that I get to be in relationship with the creative One who fashioned each creature with its own distinct beauty. Praise God, the Lord of all life, for His majesty, His beauty, His love. Praise God, the One who is more beautiful than anything ever created. Along with the writer of this classic hymn, I sing: Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight, and all the twinkling, starry host: Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, than all the angels heaven can boast. All fairest beauty heavenly and earthly, wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee; none can be nearer, fairer, or dearer, than Thou, my Savior, art to me. Gesangbuch, Münster, Fairest Lord Jesus, 1677; translated by Joseph August Seiss, 1873 Tori Funkhouser Equip In 2 Kings 5 we see an amazing illustration of how God is the Lord of Life. In the passage, we read how God healed a Gentile warrior named Naaman through the prophet Elisha. Naaman was a Syrian general who went to Elisha for healing from his disease of leprosy. This great army commander had no idea with whom he was dealing. A little background on Elisha can help us understand this prophet of God a little better. Elisha learned his trade from the powerful prophet Elijah. While Elijah was still alive, Elisha boldly asked for a double portion of what Elijah had (2 Kings 2:9). In response, Elijah told his successor that if Elisha could see Elijah while he, Elijah, was being taken up to heaven, Elisha would receive that double portion. As Elijah neared the end of his ministry, he told Elisha to hold back and wait for him while he went on. But Elisha refused to leave his master s side. Three times Elisha disobeyed his master in this. Because of his persistence and bold spirit, Elisha saw Elijah ascend to heaven in the chariot, and Elisha received the double portion of blessing. In Scripture, Elijah performed 14 recorded miracles, Elisha 28 and one of them posthumously (2 Kings 13:21)! When Naaman approached the house of Elisha, he undoubtedly expected a great and formal welcome because of his role as a great army commander. But Elisha didn t even bother coming to the door. Instead, Elisha told Naaman through a servant to go wash in a river. Naaman became incensed. Yet God used His prophet to heal the army commander of his leprosy. Elisha was truly a prophet of God a man whom God, the Lord of life, used to heal and give life to others. Support In John 10:10, Jesus says, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. God is the only One who offers us real life, and He offers us the fullest, most complete life in Him. Spend some time in prayer before the Lord. Ask, Where in my life am I not going to You the ultimate Lord of life, satisfaction, comfort, and love? Then take a piece of paper and write down what a full life of knowing God looks like. Put it in a place you see often, such as your bathroom mirror, to give you a constant reminder of the full life Christ offers. 2
Large Group/Small Group Lesson Overview Experience Supplies/Prepare ANTICIPATE CELEBRATE RESPOND BLESS Sources of Life OPTION 1: Make a Shelter Fort supplies (e.g., blankets or sheets, pillows, chairs, clothespins, large boxes) (2-3 of each) OPTION 2: Electricity Experiment (for Older Kids) aluminum pie pan small piece of wool fabric styrofoam plate pencil with a new eraser thumbtack Traditions Remember Verse Connect Question The Big God Story Worship Response Reflect: God Is the Lord of Life Bibles Create: Praying for Others to Know God as Their Lord of Life Construction paper (various colors) Leaf template (see Resources) Scissors Markers Butcher paper Tape or glue sticks Bible (for the blessing) OPTIONAL: Small bowl or bucket Water Cloth or gauze from Worship Response (1 per child) 3
SMALL GROUP ANTICIPATE// 5 10 min. Sources of Life God is the Lord of Life. And He s the Lord of healing for both our souls and our bodies. Naaman found this to be true when he traveled all the way to Israel to be healed (physically and spiritually) by the one true God. Lead kids through an ANTICIPATE during which they engage with the idea of God providing everything we need for life. Making a Shelter (for Younger Kids -1 st -3 rd grades) Fort supplies (e.g., blankets or sheets, pillows, chairs, clothespins, large boxes; 2-3 of each) SET UP Set out the fort supplies RELATE Human beings need basic necessities like food, water, and shelter to survive. Today your kids will have an opportunity to interact with one of these basic needs. Invite the kids to make their own shelter out of blankets, pillows, chairs, and any other creative supplies. Electricity Experiment (for Older Kids 4 th /5 th grades) MATERIALS: aluminum pie pan small piece of wool fabric styrofoam plate pencil with a new eraser thumbtack PROCESS: Push the thumbtack through the center of the aluminum pie pan from the bottom Push the eraser end of the pencil into the thumbtack. Put the styrofoam plate upside-down on a table. Quickly, rub the underneath of the plate with the wool for a couple of minutes. Pick up the aluminum pie pan using the pencil as a handle and place it on top of the upside-down styrofoam plate that you were just rubbing with the wool. Touch the aluminum pie pan with your finger. You should feel a shock. If you don t feel anything, try rubbing the styrofoam plate again. Once you feel the shock, try turning the lights out before you touch the pan again. Check out what you see! You should see a spark!! EXPLANATION: Why does this happen? It s all about static electricity. Lightning happens when the negative charges, which are called electrons, in the bottom of the cloud or in this experiment your finger are attracted to the positive charges, which are called protons, in the ground or in this experiment the aluminum pie pan. The resulting spark is like a mini lightning bolt. 4
LARGE GROUP CELEBRATE// 35 55 min. Ponder Point: God Is the Lord of Life WELCOME & TRADITIONS REMEMBER VERSE CONNECT Take five minutes to open your CELEBRATE time by engaging in Welcome and Traditions. This week s Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that s highlighted in today s portion of The Big God Story. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. Isaiah 40:30-21a Invite the children to ask one another the following question or one of your own. Encourage them to ask someone they may not know. After a minute or two, ask several children to tell the group their friends answers. (For Connect Question slide, see Resources.) Connect Question What is the sickest you have ever been? THE BIG GOD STORY WORSHIP RESPONSE Bible Timeline slide and animation (see Resources) Images: Elijah Going up to Heaven, Map of Israel and Aram, Naaman, 2 Kings 5:8, 2 Kings 5:10, Jordan River, River of Damascus, Naaman in Jordan River (see Resources) Audio: 2 Kings 5:15 (see Resources) Small piece of scrap cloth (approx. 12 x 12 ) Disappearing ink Bowl of water SET UP Cue the slides and audio. Randomly mark up the cloth with the disappearing ink and set it near the bowl of water. Cloth or gauze (approx. 4 x 4 per child) Scissors Verse images (see Resources) Chalk boards or marker boards (4 small, portable) Chalk or dry erase markers Optional: chairs or stools (4) PREPARE AHEAD Cut fabric or gauze to 4 x 4 squares, enough for each child to have one piece. SET UP On each of the chalk boards (or marker boards), write one-word statements about what human beings are like without God healing and giving life (i.e., broken, lost, insecure, ashamed, etc.). Try to write one word per child (feel free to repeat words) and spread these words out so they cover most of the surface of the boards. Place the boards at the front of the teaching area against a wall or optional chair or stool, so they stand up. Leader Tip 5
As the Holy Spirit leads, you may have the opportunity to speak with kids who don t yet know Jesus or His gift of salvation. For help on talking with kids about beginning a personal relationship with Jesus, refer to the resource titled Explaining God s Salvation Plan for Kids found among this week s Resources. Legend: ( ) this symbol indicates an opportunity for you, the Communicator, to ask the kids to open their bibles and follow along as you read the Scripture passage ( ) this symbol indicates a cue for the tech team to play designated audio, video or lighting elements The Big God Story Bible Passage: 2 Kings 5 Storytelling Technique: Audio, Images, Prop RELATE Last week in The Big God Story we heard about the prophet Elijah and two of his unique encounters with God. Do you remember what those were? Allow the kids to answer. Yes! In one encounter, God made a fire blaze from heaven. In the second, He spoke gently to Elijah through the whispering wind. Through these two encounters, God showed He is Yahweh, the Most High God. Today, we are going to hear about the prophet who came after Elijah and how God used him to show that He Is the Lord of Life. But first, let s pray. Lead children in a Prayer of Release. Elijah had a disciple named Elisha who served Elijah in the same way that Joshua served Moses. For fun, every time you say Elijah and Elisha, have the kids say the names with you emphasizing the juh and shuh at the end of their names. Amazingly, when Elijah finished his ministry on earth, God took him up into heaven in a whirlwind! (2 Kings 2). ( )Tech: Cue -Elijah Going up to Heaven image. Can you imagine watching your friend going up to heaven like that? Amazing! When Elijah went up to heaven, he left his job of being a prophet to Elisha. Elisha s job as prophet was to continue the work of Elijah: to warn the nation of Israel against worshipping false gods. Because Israel wasn t being faithful to the Lord, God called Elisha to remind them He is God the Lord of Life. During the time when Elisha lived, Israel was at constant war with the nation of Aram, a Gentile nation. ( )Tech: Cue Map of Israel and Aram image. What s a Gentile? Allow kids to answer. A Gentile was someone who wasn t part of God s original chosen people, the Israelites. The commander of the army of Aram was a man named Naaman. ( )Tech: Cue Naaman image. He was a well-respected man who d won many victories for his country. Unfortunately, he also had leprosy. Who knows what leprosy is? Allow kids to answer. Leprosy is a skin disease that can cover and eat away at the body! And back in Bible times, people didn t know how to cure it. Because Naaman had leprosy, he probably wanted healing pretty badly! Naaman s wife had a servant girl who d come from Israel. She believed in the Lord and talked to Naaman s wife. Have children open their Bibles. Read 2 Kings 5:3 aloud. Because of what the servant girl said, Naaman went to the king of Aram and asked if he might go to Israel. Read 2 Kings 5:4 5 for the group. The king of Aram was desperate for his great commander to be cured and even willing to ask his enemy for help to make this happen! When the king of Israel received the letter from Aram, he got so upset that he tore his robes! That s because the king of Israel knew he didn t have the power to cure Naaman. Only God, the Lord of Life, could cure him. The king may have also been afraid that if he wasn t able to cure Naaman, Israel and Aram might go to war again. Elisha had much more faith that God would be able to heal Naaman. So Elisha said to the king ( )prompt the kids to open their Bibles and follow along; ( )Tech: Cue 2 Kings 5:8 image; Have the man 6
come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. After Naaman left the king of Israel, he went straight to Elisha s home. There, Elisha did not greet Naaman, but instead sent a messenger to tell him ( )Tech: Cue 2 Kings 5:10 image; ( )prompt kids to follow along in their Bibles, Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan ( )Tech: Cue Jordan River image. and you will be cleansed. Naaman was furious! He had traveled a long way to meet Elisha, and he d expected that Elisha himself would come and heal him. Naaman said, Are not the rivers of Damascus better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn t I wash in them and be cleansed? (2 Kings 5:12). ( )Tech: Cue River of Damascus image. Naaman expected a big show from Elisha in order for him to be healed. Since Elisha didn t do that, Naaman left in a rage. But, because one of Naaman s servants convinced him to wash and be cleansed (v. 13), Naaman agreed to dip seven times in the Jordan River. ( )Tech: Cue Naaman in Jordan River image. As you talk, dip the cloth covered in disappearing ink into the water. Just like the ink has stained and covered this cloth, the leprosy covered and damaged Naaman s skin. But, as he dipped in the Jordan river, his diseased flesh continue to dip the cloth in the water, which had likely been covered in sores, was completely restored and made new just like the skin of a child (v. 14). Dip the cloth in the water until it s clean. You know how a baby s skin is really perfect and soft? Well, that s what Naaman s skin was like after he was healed! Show the kids the clean cloth. Even though the cleaning of this cloth was a trick, God s healing of Naaman s leprous skin wasn t a trick, because God Is the Healer, the Lord of Life. After his healing, Naaman went to Elisha and said ( )Tech: Cue 2 Kings 5:15 audio; prompt kids to open their Bibles to the same verse, Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Through this declaration, Naaman showed that it wasn t just his body that had been transformed his heart had been transformed too. His healing had made him believe in Yahweh, the Most High God. Naaman received a new life physically and spiritually as he trusted in God! Through the healing of Naaman, God showed His people that He alone is the Lord of Life. Naaman, a Gentile, was able to know God through his healing the lesser healing of his body, and the greater healing of his soul. Next week, we ll hear how God showed His mercy to a whole city of wicked people through a prophet named Jonah. God wanted the people of Nineveh to know He is the Lord of Life too. God still offers us true life today. That s why He sent His Son, Jesus, to live and die and rise again so we might know Him. When Jesus came to earth, He said He came so that we might have life to the full (John 10:10). He Is the Lord of Life, and He offers us the fullest life that we could ever ask for. There is no other place in this world where we can receive life, except through Him. Share about when you first knew God and how He Is the Lord of your life. Worship Response RELATE Our God is able to heal us in every way because He Is the Lord of Life. He cares about everything in our lives, and He longs to give us full life through Him. Where do you need God to give you life? Do you need physical healing for yourself or someone you know? Or perhaps you need God to lead you in your relationship with Him. Distribute one piece of cloth or gauze to each child. This is your time to talk with God about being your Lord of Life. You may sit quietly and talk to Him about giving you life or about healing you or someone you know. Whenever you are ready, you may come forward with your cloth or gauze and erase one of these words. As you erase one of these broken words, ask God to do a healing in your life. Leaders are available throughout the room to pray with you, if you would like to ask God to give you new life in Him. When you re finished, hold your cloth and thank God for being the Lord of Life. Encourage leaders to station themselves throughout the room to talk with children about salvation and to pray with them. Once the majority of children have had the opportunity to come forward and erase a word, have leaders come up and erase any broken words that still remain on the chalkboards. Tech: Cue Verse slides. Encourage the kids to notice the word life in each verse on the slides. Have children save their cloth or gauze until BLESS. WANT MORE? Invite the children to read aloud together as a group the verses on the Verse slides. 7
SMALL GROUP RESPOND// 15 20 min. Reflect: God Is the Lord of Life During a time when Israel wasn t following God and worshipping only Him, God showed a Gentile man named Naaman that He alone is truly the Lord of Life. When Naaman needed healing from his leprosy, he went to Israel where God used the prophet Elisha to heal both his physical body and his soul. And after Naaman s healing, he acknowledged Yahweh God as the Lord of his life. Leaders: Encourage the kids to open their Bibles and read the suggested passages. Questions for Younger Kids What does it mean to be a Gentile? How did God use Naaman s servant girl to work in Naaman s life? 2 Kings 5:2 3 Why do you think Naaman was mad that Elisha didn t personally come out and heal him? 2 Kings 5:11 13 How did Naaman receive a new life that day? 2 Kings 5:14 15 God became the Lord of Life for Naaman, and Naaman came to understand there was only one true God. Do you have a story of a time you realized our God is the one true God? Allow kids to share stories and, as leaders, share your own. Questions for Older Kids What does it mean to be a Gentile? How did God use Naaman s servant girl to work in Naaman s life? 2 Kings 5:2 3 Why do you think the king of Israel became so upset when he received a letter from his enemy asking him to cure Naaman? 2 Kings 5:7 Why do you think Naaman was mad that Elisha didn t personally come out and heal him? 2 Kings 5:11 13 Naaman was so desperate for healing that he went to his enemy for help. 2 Kings 5:4 6 Have you ever been so desperate for something in your life? What was it and what did you do? How did Naaman receive a new life that day? 2 Kings 5:14 15 God became the Lord of Life for Naaman, and Naaman came to understand that there was only one true God. Do you have a story of a time you recognized how God Is the Lord of Life? Allow kids to share stories and, as leaders, share your own. Create: Praying for Others to Know God as Their Lord of Life Construction paper (various colors) Leaf template Scissors Markers Butcher Paper Tape or glue sticks Optional: Projector, Tree image (see Resources) SET UP Use the Leaf template to cut out leaves from various colors of construction paper. Draw a tree with roots on butcher paper. Hang up the poster board tree, low enough for the kids to be able to interact with it. Have leaders pass out leaves and markers to the kids. RELATE Naaman was a Gentile who grew up not knowing God. God used Elisha to not only miraculously heal Naaman from leprosy (physical healing) but also heal him from sin (spiritual healing). Naaman recognized God as Lord of Life that day. Trees give us great examples of life. The sun helps them grow leaves and fruit. The trees roots grow 8
deep into the ground and tap into water sources. And just like a tree needs to have roots to grow, people need to be rooted in God to be able to know Him. There are many people in our lives maybe friends at school, family members, and other people we know who don t know God as their Lord of Life. Today let s take a few moments to ask God, Who in my life doesn t know You? When you think of someone, write his or her name on a leaf and attach it to the tree. We want to fill this tree with the names of people we ll pray for, that they might know the true Lord of Life God. When the kids finish putting their leaves on the tree, spend some time in prayer as a group for the names on the tree. Pray that God, through His Spirit, would reveal to these people that He alone is the Lord of Life. BLESS// 5 min. Bible (for the blessing) OPTIONAL: Small bowl or bucket Water Cloth or gauze As you bless your kids, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share the joy and love they have received from God. OPTIONAL: Encourage the kids to dip their cloth or gauze in the water seven times, just as Naaman washed himself in the Jordan seven times. Then, have children wring out their cloth or gauze and hold it in their hands as you read. Read from 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! May the Lord of Life meet all of your needs. May your old ways be washed away, and may you live the new life God has for you in Christ. Please remember to hand out the Family First Look each week! 9