God s Unfolding Story - PDF Free Download

Bible Story: God Made a Promise to Noah (Genesis 8:1 9:17) Bible Phrase: God placed the rainbow in the sky (Genesis 9:13). Bible Truth: God always keeps His promises. Old Testament Unit 2: Noah Lesson 3: God Made a Promise to Noah God s Unfolding Story 1. God created everything. 2. People disobeyed God. 3. God chose a special people. 4. God sent Jesus to help us. 5. Jesus began the Church. 6. Jesus is preparing heaven for us. Suggested Schedule: Arrival Centers 25 minutes Clean-up Time 5 minutes Bible Story Time 15 minutes Craft Time 10 minutes Snack Time 10 minutes Game Time/Dismissal Hour A Unfolding God s Story for Teachers Please read this week s Bible story from Genesis 8:1 9:17. Our passage begins with the words, God remembered Noah (Gen. 8:1). Often to us, remembering something implies having forgotten it earlier but this is not the biblical meaning of the word in this context. God never forgets! When God remembered Noah, He didn t just have Noah on His mind; He also expressed concern and care for him. God s remembering compels Him to act. In this case, the Lord was gracious to Noah and the animals. He caused a mighty warm wind to blow over the earth to help dry up the floodwaters. God created people and animals to live on the earth, and by God s grace the waters would recede. Once again breathing creatures would inhabit the land the place where God designed them to live. Noah, his family, and the large number of animals had been aboard the ark for 150 days when the large ship finally rested on the mountains of Ararat. Located in modern day eastern Turkey near the border where Turkey, Armenia, and Iran meet, Mt. Ararat has two major peaks, the higher of which is 17,000 feet above sea level! The ark had rested, but the waters still were high. Noah would have to wait another 220 days for the waters to recede enough to make it possible for everyone to exit the ark. During that time Noah sent out a raven; then he sent out a dove three times. After he released the dove the second time, she returned with an olive leaf in her beak. Thus, the modern day symbol of a dove and an olive leaf has its roots in the Genesis account of the flood. The third time Noah released the dove, she didn t return. Soon it would be time to leave the ark. Finally the wait was over. God commanded Noah and his family and the animals to exit the ark. One can only imagine their expressions as they stepped into the new world and took their first breath of the clean, delicious air! God had kept His promise! Noah and his family did exactly what they should have done; they worshiped God Almighty. Expressing among other things his gratitude, Noah offered sacrifices to the Lord, who smelled the pleasing aroma (Gen. 8:21). Never again would God destroy the earth with a flood. The Lord voiced this important promise to Noah and placed a beautiful rainbow in the sky. The rainbow was a reminder not only to Noah but also to God of the divine covenant. Seeing a rainbow today, we should remember God s promise and act accordingly worshiping Him and thanking Him for remembering us and working graciously in our lives. His most gracious act of remembering, of course, was sending His Son, Jesus! Preschoolers can know that God is faithful in keeping His promises, that He knows each one individually and holds every boy and girl close to His heart. Lesson Plan Arrival Greet children at eye level and express how happy you are to see them. Be sure each child has a name tag and the security measures of your church are followed. Label all coats and personal belongings. Strongly encourage children who have brought items from home, such as toys and books, to place them on a shelf while they are working with other materials. Assure children their items will be safe and they can take them home at the end of the session. Help each child make a choice where he or she would like to begin his or her Center Time. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT02 Lesson 3 Hour A Page 1

Puzzle Center: Work Puzzles Offer a variety of non-fantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for the children to work. What to Do: Encourage each child to finish a puzzle before leaving the center. Offer guidance rather than working the puzzle for the child. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, take advantage of opportunities to say the Bible Phrase or to briefly tell the Bible story. Home Living Center: Role Play Small rocking chair, sink and stove unit, small table and chairs; plastic dishes, child pots and pans, plastic food items; and doll items such as baby doll, doll bed, doll bag, blanket, clothes, bottles, and diapers. Optional: Add cleaning items such as: feather duster, dust pan, small broom, spray bottle, and paper towels. What to Do: Provide home living items. These will encourage children to role play home activities such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for the baby. If cleaning supplies are available, encourage children to clean the Home Living area. Link to the Bible Story: As children play, look for opportunities to engage in conversations about the Bible story, Bible Phrase, or Bible truth. Center Time Art Center: Rainbow Art White construction paper Several colors of washable tempera paint What to Do: Make arches from the paper by folding the sheets in half and rounding the top corners. Next cut a half circle at the bottom on the fold line, when the paper is opened it should appear as an arch. Invite each child to select two or three colors of paint and to squeeze a drop or two of each color in the center of the arch. Ask children to fold their arches and gently rub the palm of their hands over the paper to spread the paint. Open the arch to see a colorful design. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, express that when God places a rainbow in the sky, He does so to remind us of the promise He gave to Noah. Continue, explaining that God promised Noah He would never again destroy the earth in a flood. Bible Learning Center: Picture Search Copies of Activity Page: Picture Search, God Made a Promise to Noah (Reproducible) Crayons or washable markers What to Do: Children should look at the pictures at the bottom of the page and search to find the same objects in the larger picture. Offer them crayons or markers so they can circle objects when they locate them. Encourage children to color the Bible story picture. Link to the Bible Story: Express to each preschooler that in today s Bible story, Noah and his family worshiped God when they came off the ark. Comment that God placed a rainbow in the sky as a promise to Noah. God promised He never again would destroy the earth by a flood. Block Center: Build with Blocks Wooden blocks Plastic animal figures What to Do: Provide a small carpet if possible. Blocks are best located in a corner of the room away from the traffic flow. Encourage children to build an ark with the blocks and to put animals in it. Link to the Bible Story: As children build, listen for opportunities to share the Bible Phrase or to tell a part of the Bible story. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT02 Lesson 3 Hour A Page 2

Clean-up Time Encourage preschoolers to help at clean-up time. Assign specific tasks for preschoolers to do such as placing all the crayons in the basket, throwing away the trash, gathering all the glue sticks, etc. Guide children to the Bible Story Time area. Bible Story Time Bible Teaching Picture God Made a Promise to Noah (Reproducible) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Reproducible/Cardstock) Introduction Show the God s Unfolding Story Cube. Express to boys and girls even though we find many different stories in the Bible, all of them are a part of one big Bible story we will call God s Unfolding Story. Tell children that each picture represents a part of God s Unfolding Story. Turn the cube and talk about each point in the story. (Refer to page 1.) Express that every story from the Bible is from one of the six main points of God s Unfolding Story. Today s story is from the second point, People Disobeyed God. Express the following in your own words: Has anyone ever seen a rainbow? What are some of the colors in a rainbow? When does a rainbow appear? Rainbows are made when the sun shines through drops of rain. Today we will hear the Bible story that tells about the very first rainbow and the promise the rainbow helps us remember. Bible Story God Made a Promise to Noah (Genesis 8:1-22; 9:1-17) Noah and his family and all the animals had been in the ark for a very long time. Noah, his sons, and their wives had worked hard caring for the animals and for one another. Now the rain had stopped but all around the ark was water. There was not a spot of land or the top of a tree to be seen. So God sent a warm breeze to help the water dry up. Slowly the waters began to get lower and lower. One day Noah decided to see if there was any dry land outside. He opened a window and sent out a bird called a raven. The raven flew back and forth until the floodwaters dried up. Next he sent out a dove, but the dove returned because she couldn t find a place to land. Noah waited seven days and sent out the dove again. She came back, but this time she held an olive leaf in her beak. Noah knew that the water had gone down. He waited another seven days and sent out the dove again, and this time she did not return. Not long after that, Noah opened the cover of the ark and saw that the ground was almost dry. Then God said to Noah, Come out of the ark with your family and the animals. What a happy day that must have been! It was so good to see dry land, the beautiful blue sky, and the sun! At last, Noah and his family walked on solid ground again! Also, it was good for all the animals to be able to run and play in the grass. When everyone was out, Noah and his family worshiped God and thanked Him for taking care of them during the flood. Then God made a promise to Noah, I will never again destroy the earth with a flood. I am putting a rainbow in the sky as a reminder of my promise. God placed a beautiful rainbow in the sky, and every time Noah and his family saw one, they were reminded of God s promise. The rainbow reminds us of the same thing that God will never again destroy the earth with a flood. Talk Time 1. Show the teaching picture for today s Bible story. Here are questions you might consider asking. Why did Noah send out a dove from the ark? What did Noah and his family do when they got out of the ark? What did God promise? What did God send to remind Noah and you and me as well of that promise? 2. Say today s Bible Phrase together: God placed the rainbow in the sky (Genesis 9:13). Express to preschoolers that each time they see a rainbow, they can remember God s promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood. Assure preschoolers: The rainbow also can remind us that God keeps all the promises that are in the Bible. 3. Close the Bible Story Time in prayer, thanking God for the beauty of rainbows and that each one is a reminder He always will keep His promises. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT02 Lesson 3 Hour A Page 3

Craft Time Rainbow Bible Phrase Reminder Copies of Rainbow Bible Phrase Reminder (1 per child, cardstock recommended) Crayons or washable markers Glue, cotton balls (six per child), hole punch, yarn What to Do: Cut out the rainbows prior to the activity. Give each child a rainbow to color and several cotton balls to glue on the clouds. Assist children in punching holes in their rainbows where indicated and tying short pieces of yarn them for hanging. Link to Bible Story: As children work, read today s Bible Phrase. Remind children that the rainbow will always remind us of God s promise not to flood the earth again. Express to children that God always keeps His promises. Snack Time Be sure to wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Say a thank-you prayer to God for the snack. When snack time has ended, encourage preschoolers to help with cleaning up. Game Time/Dismissal A Color Game 6 colors of construction paper red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple Beanbag What to Do: Ask children to join you in a circle in the Game Time area. Form a large rectangle with the pieces of construction paper three colors on top and three on the bottom. Invite a child to toss the beanbag on a color. Ask the child to identify the color and to name something God made that is that color. Play until each child has had a turn. At the close of the activity, tell boys and girls these colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple are the colors in a rainbow, and the rainbow reminds us that God will never destroy the earth again with a flood. Dismiss children when parents arrive. Be sure to follow your church s security guidelines. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT02 Lesson 3 Hour A Page 4

Resources and Supplies Old Testament Unit 2: Noah Lesson 3: God Made a Promise to Noah Hour A Standard Art Supplies (Supplies that are generally in the room) Washable markers Crayons Child scissors Playdough and accessories Drawing paper Easel (optional) Glue/glue sticks Tempera paint, 4 colors Tape/masking tape Pencils/colored pencils Hole punch Teacher scissors Stapler/staples Permanent markers Watercolors Paintbrushes Yarn Standard Equipment (Equipment that is generally in the room) Bible Small beanbag for Bible Story Time Assorted wooden/cardboard puzzles Set of wooden blocks Small cars and trucks Doll bed Baby doll (soft plastic) Stove/sink unit Play dishes/pots and pans Small table and chairs Small carpet for block area Play food items Storage shelf for blocks Tables and chairs for art, puzzles, and Bible Learning Center CD player/children s Worship CDs Reproducibles (Included with the lesson plan downloads) Activity Page: Picture Search, God Made a Promise to Noah (1 copy per child) Rainbow Bible Phrase Reminder (1 copy per child, cardstock recommended) Teaching Picture: God Made a Promise to Noah (1 copy per class) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Cardstock 1 copy per class) Parent Page (1 copy per child) Additional Art and Bible Learning Materials White construction paper (1 sheet per child) Additional Block Materials Plastic animal figures Additional Craft Materials Cotton balls (6 per child) Additional Homeliving Materials Optional: Cleaning items such as: feather duster, broom, dust pan, paper towels, spray bottle Additional Game Time Materials 6 colors of construction paper (1 each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT02 Lesson 3 Hour A

Picture Search Activity Page: Picture Search, God Made a Promise to Noah Instructions: One copy per child. Identify the pictures at the bottom of the page. Search the larger picture to find the OT02 Lesson 3 Hour A Bible Learning Center matching objects. Circle the objects and color the picture. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com

Rainbow Bible Phrase Reminder red orange yellow green blue purple red orange yellow green blue purple God placed the rainbow in the sky. Genesis 9:3 Craft Time: Rainbow Bible Phrase Reminder Instructions: Copy 1 sheet per child. Cardstock recommended. Color the rainbow according to the color words. Glue cotton balls on the clouds. Punch a hole in the top of the rainbow and tie a small length of yarn for hanging OT02 Lesson 3 Hour A Craft Time God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com