Lesso 2 17 God Dwells With Us Joh 1:1-14 T hird- ad fourth-graders are begiig to grasp that people have depth. They ca uderstad that the people they meet thik, feel, ad act o their ow. It ca be very easy to oversimplify who Jesus is. Fight the urge to oversimplify, ad help kids uderstad that Jesus was a ratioal ma who lived for a purpose. Use this lesso to help childre grasp the fact that Jesus has thoughts ad feeligs, both as God ad as a ma. LESSON WHAT CHILDREN DO SUPPLIES EASY PREP 1 Gettig Started 2 Bible Exploratio Livig Sculptures (about 15 mi.) Form livig sculptures by shapig clay kids ito various thigs. Act It Out (about 15 mi.) Explore Isaiah s prophecy about what the Messiah would do. Dough for It! (about 15 mi.) Create sculptures portrayig a prophecy about Jesus, ad the discuss their sculptures. Bible, copy of the Livig Sculptures hadout (at the ed of this lesso), scissors Bible, Bible Truth Sleuth, pes Teacher Pack: Act It Out cards Bibles, clay for each child, pes, CD player, Bible Truth Sleuth, several pairs of scissors Teacher Pack: CD, Bible Timelie Cut apart the slips from the Livig Sculptures hadout. Tear out the Lesso 2 pages from each Bible Truth Sleuth studet book. Bible Poit Jesus is God. Key Verse The Word became flesh ad made his dwellig amog us. We have see his glory, the glory of the Oe ad Oly, who came from the Father, full of grace ad truth (Joh 1:14). Weavig Faith Ito Life Childre will discover that Jesus is God i huma form. Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter
18 LESSON WHAT CHILDREN DO SUPPLIES EASY PREP 3 Weavig Faith Ito Life 4 Lastig Impressios Star Power (about 10 mi.) Liste to a drama, ad the discuss how Jesus set aside his glory to be o earth. Daily Challeges (about 5 mi.) Choose a Daily Challege to apply God s Word. Weavig Faith at Home (about 2 mi.) Talk about how to share what they leared with their families. Bibles, CD player, Bible Truth Sleuth Teacher Pack: CD Bible Truth Sleuth Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4
19 God Dwells With Us Joh 1:1-14 BIBLe BACKGROUND FOR LEADERS I the Begiig the Word Was With God The first setece of the book of Joh recalls Geesis 1:1. I this first sectio of his Gospel, Joh outlies the topic he explores throughout the etire book: The Word Jesus was huma, was divie, ad came to provide salvatio for all who believe. Eve i the origial Greek, the emphasis i the first setece is t o the subject, the Word. Istead it s o the begiig. Joh wated to make it clear that Jesus himself was preset i the begiig, before the creatio of the world. The fact that Joh says Jesus was with God makes it clear that he is distict from the Father, but Joh the says that Jesus was God, also makig it clear that he is fully divie. The Word is a title give to Jesus i the Bible oly by Joh. Joh sees Jesus as the ultimate revelatio of God the Word of God i huma form. However, i becomig flesh, the Word did ot cease to be God. Jesus was fully God ad fully huma. For the beefit of doubters, Joh essetially says We kow it s true because we ve see him. Jesus revealed the glory of God himself to people o earth. God has doe it all for us. All we eed to do is believe. The Jesus Coectio Fully God ad fully ma, Jesus lived with people o this earth 2,000 years ago. He died, he came back to life, ad he lives with us today. That s reaso to celebrate! God is t far off from our cocers ad our daily lives. Jesus Christ lives withi us. Are you livig with the full awareess of Jesus presece i your life? Thak Jesus for beig your fried, ad seek ways you ca be more fully aware of his compaioship ad cousel. You ca write your prayer here. Jesus Was Active i Creatio I emphasizig that Jesus is God, Joh poits out i verse 3 that Jesus was active i Creatio. Thus we have a picture of the Triity at work i Creatio: The Father spoke, ad through the actig of the Word, his words were carried out as the Spirit moved upo the waters. Though Jesus, as God icarate, was physically bor at a poit i time, the Word exists eterally as God. Joh leaves o doubt i his readers mids that Jesus is fully divie. I Jesus, God Became Flesh ad Blood I verse 14, Joh poits out that the Word, God himself, did t come to earth just to teach people or to live amog people, but he came as flesh a huma beig with all the struggles ad temptatios we face. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter
20 GETTING STARTED Livig Sculptures Supplies Bibles copy of the Livig Sculptures hadout (at the ed of this lesso) scissors Livig Sculptures Easy Prep Cut apart the slips from the Livig Sculptures hadout. Livig Sculptures What You ll Do Welcome kids warmly as they arrive, ad ask them how their week wet. Whe everyoe has arrived, have kids form trios ad give each group oe of the slips from the Livig Sculptures hadout. Tell the groups to keep what s o their paper secret from other groups. If a group wats to choose a differet optio ad you have extra slips, that s fie. Say: With your groups you ll make livig sculptures. Oe perso will be the clay ad the other two will be the sculptors. The sculptors will form the clay ito the object listed o your slip of paper. Whe you have fiished makig your sculptures, we ll have the sculptors from the other groups try to guess what you ve made. Ready? Pause. Go! After kids have created their sculptures ad have take turs guessig, have them alterate roles util each perso has had a chace to be the clay. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. Whe you were the clay, what was it like to have someoe move you aroud ad make you be somethig else? Whe you were the sculptor, what was it like to make someoe ito somethig else? Make sure everyoe has a Bible, ad help kids fid the Key Verse, Joh 1:14. Ivite a willig child to read the verse aloud: The Word became flesh ad made his dwellig amog us. We have see his glory, the glory of the Oe ad Oly, who came from the Father, full of grace ad truth. Say: This verse calls Jesus the Word, ad it says he became flesh, meaig he became huma to live with us. Jesus took o the huma form sculpted by God so he could be like us ad live with us. What about the sculptig game we played helps you uderstad how Jesus took o a differet form so he could live like us ad with us? Why do you thik it was importat for Jesus to be huma i order to live with us? Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4
21 Say: JESUS IS GOD i huma form, ad his comig to earth to live amog us shows us how much he loves us. Let s look further ito the Bible to discover more! 2 BIBLE EXPLORATION Act It Out What You ll Do Say: Jesus huma life started just like ay of ours did. He was bor a baby ad grew up like ayoe else i Bible times. JESUS IS GOD i huma form but he lived a very humble life as the so of a carpeter amed Joseph. Jesus did t grow up i a palace or i a rich family. Let s look at thigs people commoly do today to get a idea of what Jesus life might have bee like if he d started his miistry durig our lifetime. Have kids form pairs, ad give each pair oe of the Act It Out cards. Istruct pairs ot to let ayoe else see what s writte o their cards. Say: Watchig what someoe does for a livig is oe way we ca tell who someoe is. If the perso is a barber, sooer or later he or she will cut someoe s hair. If the perso is a pizza delivery perso, evetually he or she will deliver a pizza. If the perso is a doctor, sooer or later he or she will take care of someoe. Act It Out Supplies Bible Bible Truth Sleuth pes Teacher Pack Act It Out cards Act It Out Easy Prep Tear out the Lesso 2 pages from each Bible Truth Sleuth studet book. I your pair, decide together how to siletly act out the job that s writte o your card. The the rest of us will try to guess what job you re doig. For example, if you act out the job of a fisherma, oe of you might preted to fish ad the other might preted to be a fish. Move to a part of the room where you ca pla together without ayoe hearig you. Be sure to keep what s writte o your card a secret! You ll have 90 secods to pla what to do. Go! Whe 90 secods have passed, gather everyoe s attetio. Have pairs take turs actig out the jobs o their cards while the other kids guess what job the pair has. Say: The prophet Isaiah described what the Messiah the Savior would do while he was here o the earth. The truths Isaiah spoke are called prophecies. They re predictios about what would happe i the years after they were writte. This passage is Isaiah prophetically speakig for Jesus. Ivite a willig child to read aloud Isaiah 61:1-4. Say: These verses tell us about the promises of what the Savior would do for humaity. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter
22 Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What makes the descriptio of what this perso would do soud like someoe who would come to save us? I our game, we looked for actios that demostrated a role. What sigs are there that Jesus was the Messiah the Savior that Isaiah wrote about? Say: Jesus did t wat there to be ay doubt that he was the Messiah, God s So. So whe Jesus first spoke i frot of a large group of people, he made sure everyoe uderstood who he was. Jesus read the same passage from Isaiah that we just read. Liste as I read Luke 4:16-19. Read Luke 4:16-19 aloud. Distribute pes ad this week s Bible Truth Sleuth pages. Say: Fid a parter, ad together fid the Fulfilled Prophecy sectio. Discuss the questios with your parter, ad the write your aswers. Allow childre a few miutes to work, ad the ask for some pairs to share highlights of their discussio. Sice God set Jesus to save us, what does that tell us about God? Say: Jesus tells us he s God s So. Aother way to put it is JESUS IS GOD i huma form. Durig his miistry, Jesus proved he was God s So by fulfillig Isaiah s prophecies, performig miracles, ad eve risig from the dead! Uderstadig that JESUS IS GOD is a difficult thig to uderstad. Eve may adults struggle to uderstad it. Let s look at what Joh the Baptist said to people durig Bible times to try to help them uderstad. Dough for It! Supplies Bibles clay for each child pes CD player Bible Truth Sleuth several pairs of scissors Teacher Pack CD: Ito My Heart (track 4) Bible Timelie Dough for It! What You ll Do Show kids the picture of Joh Baptizes Jesus o the Bible Timelie. Say: This is the Joh we re readig about. He baptized Jesus at the begiig of Jesus miistry as God wated. As I read this Bible passage, close your eyes ad just liste. Whe you first hear the word light, I wat you to keep listeig, but slowly ope your eyes as I cotiue. Whe I get to the ed, ope your eyes completely. Read Joh 1:1-14. Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4
23 Why is light so importat whe we re i darkess? Have kids form two groups, ad give each group several Bibles ad eough clay for each child to have a small chuk. Have available scissors ad pes. Group Oe will create sculptures based o Isaiah 61:1-4, ad Group Two will create sculptures based o Joh 1:1-14. To Group Oe, say: May years before Jesus was bor i Bethlehem, the prophet Isaiah predicted what Jesus would do while he was here o earth. You ll each have five miutes to create a small sculpture with clay that describes oe thig Isaiah predicted Jesus would do. For example, you might create a heart ad make a small dough badage to put o it to show that Jesus bids up the brokehearted. Look at the Bible verses for help. Help kids as eeded to fid Isaiah 61. To Group Two, say: Joh talks about who Jesus is i this Bible passage. You ll each have five miutes to create a small sculpture with clay that shows oe of the thigs Joh says about Jesus. For example, you might make a su because Jesus is light shiig i the darkess. Look at the Bible verses for help. Help kids as eeded to fid Joh 1. As kids work, softly play Ito My Heart (track 4 o the CD). Whe kids are doe sculptig, they ca cut out ad complete the Art Notes card o their Bible Truth Sleuth pages. After kids have fiished their sculptures, have them form pairs with a perso from the other group. Say: Briefly explai to your parter what you ve sculpted ad why it shows somethig about Jesus. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What thigs did you lear about who Jesus is from your parter s sculpture? What did you wat other people to kow about who Jesus is through your sculpture? Say: JESUS IS GOD, ad he came to earth to live with us, to show us love, ad to have a relatioship with us. Jesus birth, his life, ad everythig he cotiues to do for us is why we celebrate Christmas. Remember that this year as you re preparig to celebrate Christmas. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter
24 3 WEAVING FAITH INTO LIFE Star Power Supplies Bibles CD player Bible Truth Sleuth Teacher Pack CD: Jack Jackso (track 5) Star Power What You ll Do Say: I order to help us uderstad a little bit better what Jesus did by comig to earth to live with us, we re goig to liste to a coversatio betwee two kids at school. The we ll talk about it. Play the Jack Jackso segmet (track 5 o the CD). Have kids form trios ad take five miutes to imagie a ed to the story of Jack Jackso. If kids eed help gettig their discussio started, use these questios. What would happe if Jack Jackso really did show up ad do a assembly, eat luch, ad the move ito tow to sped time with kids at the school? Do you thik he d have frieds? Explai. Do you thik kids would like him? Explai. What could happe to his job of makig movies ad TV shows? Have groups share the ideas they came up with. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. Who s the most famous perso you ve met or see? What makes a perso famous? Why do you thik it would be hard for a rich ad powerful perso to give up his or her moey ad power? Ivite a willig child to read the Key Verse, Joh 1:14, aloud: The Word became flesh ad made his dwellig amog us. We have see his glory, the glory of the Oe ad Oly, who came from the Father, full of grace ad truth. Say: This verse from today s Bible passage tells us that Jesus came to earth to live with us. JESUS IS GOD, ad he gave up all the power ad glory of beig God i heave to live with us o earth! As you imagied what could happe to Jack Jackso, what about that story remided you of Jesus? Why does kowig what Jesus gave up to live with us o earth help you appreciate more what Jesus has doe? Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4
25 What do you thik is special about Jesus ad made so may people excited to meet him? What ca we do to help others kow about Jesus ad what he s doe for the world? Say: It s importat that we kow JESUS IS GOD, because he came to earth to have a relatioship with us ad to be our Savior. He died to take the puishmet for our sis. That s icredibly importat ews for us to kow ad to tell others. Let s do that this week. 4 LASTING IMPRESSIONS Daily Challeges What You ll Do Say: Let s thik about how we ca share the good ews this week that JESUS IS GOD. Daily Challeges Supplies Bible Truth Sleuth Have kids fid this week s Daily Challeges o their Bible Truth Sleuth pages ad choose oe to do this week. They ca choose oe or more of these three optios: Tell a fried or family member about the way Jesus fulfilled the predictios about the Savior. Ask some of your frieds what they believe about Jesus, ad share with them about your faith i him. Sped some time thikig through the idea that Jesus is also God. Make sure you write dow ay thoughts or questios you have as you thik about this. The talk to your parets or your leader about them. Make sure you choose a Daily Challege as well, ad tell kids what you chose. Kids will be more iclied to follow through o their commitmets whe they see you doig the same. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What s a practical way you re goig to do your Daily Challege? Iclude a time, a place, ad other ideas. Say: Remember that JESUS IS GOD, ad we ca ask him for help as we follow through o our Daily Challeges this week. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter
26 Weavig Faith at Home Ecourage kids to talk with their parets about the Daily Challeges they chose ad what they leared about why Jesus is God. Kids ca also do the activities i the HomeCoect sectio of their Bible Truth Sleuth pages with their families. Talk to your Director about emailig the FREE FamilyCoect to all your church s families. Available at group.com/digital. Take a couple of miutes to pray with your kids. Say: Let s close i prayer by tellig Jesus who we thik he is. I ll start, ad the ayoe else who wats to pray ca pray after me. Have kids close their eyes ad begi. Pray: Jesus, [say what you believe about Jesus]. Give everyoe a opportuity to add to the prayer. Close with: I your ame, ame. Witer Quarter Lesso 2 Grades 3 & 4
27 Livig Sculptures bear tree tiger bike cellphoe rock flower cat star moo ocea wave spider guitar pair of scissors bell stapler paper clip otebook toaster desk chair roller coaster door mokey curtai car skateboard puzzle piece stoplight McDoald s! OK TO COPY Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 2 Witer Quarter