October 18, 2015 Bible Passage: Exodus 12:1 15:21; 19 30; 32 34 (The Golden Calf) God Is Enough REMEMBER VERSE Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24 Tru Mission Statement Tru helps kids and their families connect to God, find their place in His big story, and respond to Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Lesson Path: Seeing the Mission Statement in a Tru Lesson Connecting leaders to God > Inspire, Equip, and Support Connects kids and their families to God > HomeFront Weekly ANTICIPATE His big story > CELEBRATE And invites them to respond to Him > RESPOND Through the power of the Holy Spirit. > BLESS 1
Inspire "How much more money do you need to raise today for the youth retreat?" my co-worker asked me. "We need $252, I replied. It was our last day of fundraising to take our New York City teenagers away for the weekend. Later that afternoon as I counted the dollars, dimes, and nickels we had raised, I gasped with delight to find that the money totaled almost exactly $252. "Lord, You're so cool," I whispered with a smile. This wasn't the first time or the last time for me to see the Lord provide. Each time His creativity amazes me. He pays such attention to the details of our lives. Sometimes it's in big ways... like when I was moving to Harlem to work for a church and needed a place to live and I got an email from a beautiful Christian family inviting me to live with them. Other times it's in small ways, like when I rushed out of my house without breakfast or money and prayed, "Lord, could you put it on someone's heart to offer me coffee and breakfast today?" And sure enough, I showed up at a meeting and was offered coffee and a delicious bagel that just happened to be left over from their last meeting. God is enough. He's enough for our hearts and for our bodies, for our needs big and small... enough to satisfy us, comfort us, and delight us. Kelly Goddard Pasadena, Calif. Equip God was enough for the Israelites, but wandering in the wilderness, they continually reminded Moses that they longed to return to Egypt because it was familiar. They knew what to expect. And once again, at Mount Sinai, the Israelites fell prey to their desire for the familiar. The mountain glowed with the fire of God, and the people were filled with wonder, awe, and excitement as they watched their leader climb to the top of it. However, as time passed, their excitement turned to fear. In their lack of faith they turned to worship a false god they d seen in Egypt: Apis, symbolized by a golden calf. Apis was the Egyptian god of nature. Though the Israelites had seen God separate bodies of water, send manna to the earth, and lead a nation by cloud and fire, they chose to worship a deity they could feel and touch. And to this idol they brought the same burnt offerings and peace offerings they had offered Yahweh when He gave them the covenant at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24). The feeling of uncertainty while wandering in the wilderness may have compelled the Israelites to choose a safe, comfortable alternative a false god who wouldn t (and couldn t) devour leaders by means of fire, demand total obedience, or require committed worship. In doing this, they lost track of the fact that their God was real and mighty and had already provided so much more. They lost track of the fact that the one true God who demanded their trust and dependence would transform them into people set apart for Him. Israel s Compromise Moses brother, Aaron, told the people to bring him their gold jewelry so he could use it to make an image of a golden calf. After making the calf, the people said, These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt. When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD (Exodus 32:4 5). This shows that the people felt uncomfortable with the invisible nature of the one true God and preferred a physical manifestation they could worship, even though God had expressly forbidden them to make one. 2
Support God is enough for us. The story He s writing is much greater than we could ever imagine. However, faithfully obeying Him can be challenging. It s tempting to try to manage our own lives. Yet, when we choose to submit ourselves to God and God alone we re always reassured that He never lets us down. Today spend some time praying in silence. Begin by repeating the first few lines of the Lord s Prayer: This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9 10 As you pray, ask God, Is there a place in my life, at work, or in my home where I have held on too tightly? Where have I focused too closely on my will? Spend some time waiting and listening for God s voice. When you feel He has spoken to you, spend some time releasing that area of your life over to Him. Ask Him to help you through the discomfort of offering these areas to Him and to transform you into someone more like Him. Consider even inserting what He spoke into the last line of the former prayer. For instance: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. your kingdom come, your will be done, ( in my heart, my marriage, my finances, etc.) as it is in heaven. 3
Lesson Overview Time Element Summary & Notes Supplies Provided 5-7 1. WORSHIP & Creates an inviting atmosphere Welcome Slide on the Screen Min Total WELCOME (Host) by worshipping and welcoming kids. Let s kids know class has begun. 3min a. Worship through song Play Easy Worship Song -Happy Day 2min b. Welcome & introduction Welcome kids to Worship and say a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to come and teach us through worship and The Big God Story what God would have for us to learn about Him this day. Welcome kids to Worship and say a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to come and teach us through worship and The Big God Story what God would have for us to learn about Him this day. 2min 15-18 Min Total c. Announcements 2. CELEBRATE (Host) Establishes community and tells stories both personal and biblical in a fun and engaging way. 5min a. Remember Verse Kids can work on the remember verse together as a large group. 5min b. Traditions During Traditions, you are helping the kids work toward a common goal. Award a rock to kids if they: are a first time guest, bring their Bible, bring a friend or can say their remember verse. 2min c. Offering We give our offering as an act of worship to God. 3min d. Communion This is a time that we are quiet before the Lord and we take a few minutes to remember what He s done for us by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. After I pray, if you ve been baptized and made Jesus the king of your life, you may stand and one of our leaders will come around and serve communion to you. Otherwise, stay seated and take this time to talk to God silently. 3min e. Connect Connect is a time to laugh, play, and enjoy each other s company. Encourage them to ask someone Remember Verse Cards Remember Verse slide/animation Rocks/Rockwall Offering Slide/Pics Volunteers (a boy and a girl) to pass around the offering buckets. Communion Tray Connect Question Slide Countdown video 4
20-22 Min Total 15-18 min 3. STORYTELLING AND RESPONSE a. The Big God Story (Storyteller) 5 min b. Worship Response (Storyteller continues) they might not know yet. Creates space for children to hear God s word & respond to the Holy Spirit in worship and community as a large group. Point out that what they are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along as you storytell. Encourage adult volunteers to keep an eye out for kids who need help finding the Scripture passage and allow enough time for each child to locate the passage. Timeline Scripture slide Bibles Story Telling Video Ping-pong balls (1 per child) Thin-tipped permanent markers (1 per child) Bowl, basket or bucket Spotify response playlist 10 min 4. WORSHIP THROUGH SONG (Host/Worship Leader) 1 Min 5. BLESS (Host) Sends the kids out with a sense of peace and blessing so they can be a blessing to others. 6. DISMISS Remind kids to stay seated until their name is called and take off their name tag and be prepared to hand it to the volunteer at the door. Play Easy Worship Songs - Jump Up - We Believe Use your Bible & tell kids that their parents can pick up a HomeFront Weekly at the check-in desk so they can prepare for next week s lesson. Play fun videos while names are being called 5
Worship & Welcome// 5-7 min Host Creates an inviting atmosphere by worshipping and welcoming kids. Let s kids know class has begun. Opening Worship Song: Happy Day Welcome: We are going to learn through the Big God Story today that the Israelites became upset when they saw the fire on the mountain. They didn t understand why Moses wasn t coming back. They were out in the wilderness and hadn t yet reached the Promised Land. They felt afraid and decided to do what they used to do and created an idol, a statue of a calf. In doing so, they disobeyed God and made Him sad. God still asks us to lean on Him during times when we feel afraid. Just like God was enough for the Israelites, He is enough for us, and we can lean on Him and trust that what He says is true. Let s think about this as we learn more today during our Big God Story. Welcome kids to Worship and say a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to come and teach us through worship and The Big God Story what God would have for us to learn about Him this day. Announcements: 6
Celebrate// 15-18 min Worship Leader Children participate in traditions, connect through fun questions and activities, experience The Big God Story through creative storytelling techniques, and respond to God in worship all within the faith community. Ponder Point: God Is Enough WELCOME & TRADITIONS REMEMBER VERSE OFFERING GOAL: $600 CURRENT: See slide COMMUNION CONNECT After everyone is gathered together as a large group, open with Traditions. During Traditions, you are helping the kids work toward a common goal and giving them mementos to celebrate things like memorizing the Remember Verse, inviting a friend, or bringing their Bibles. Once the kids have been awarded their mementos, direct them to put the mementos into the rock wall. When the common-goal tradition is complete, tell the kids are going to have a celebration! This week s Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that s highlighted in today s portion of The Big God Story. Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24 We give our offering as an act of worship to God. Today s Fact: Victory Mission provides food, clothing, household goods, personal care products as well as prayer and counseling as a part of their family ministries program. This is a time that we are quiet before the Lord and we take a few minutes to remember what he s done for us by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. After I pray, if you ve been baptized and made Jesus the king of your life you may stand and one of our leaders will come around and serve communion to you. Otherwise, stay seated and take this time to talk to God silently. 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 and Activity slides, see Resources.) Question What s your favorite activity when you have free time during your day? 7
The Big God Story// 15-18 minutes for storytelling & 5 minutes for response Storyteller Worship 23 1.7 Point out that what they are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along as you storytell. Bible Passage: Exodus 12:1 15:21; 19 30; 32 34 Storytelling Technique: Images, Key Word Response Big God Story SUPPLIES Bibles (1 per leader and 1 per child) Story Telling Video Worship Response SUPPLIES Ping-pong balls (1 per child) Thin-tipped permanent markers (1 per child) Bowl, basket or bucket SET UP Place the ping-pong balls, markers, and container at the front of the room. Let s invite God to help us learn more about Him today. Lead the children in a Prayer of Release. Who remembers what we talked about last week in The Big God Story? Interact with responses. God brought Joseph through many difficult situations because He had a big plan for his life. Invite kids to read Genesis 50:20 together aloud. In fact, God planned to use Joseph to save many lives. We heard how God kept His promises and provided for His people. He provided (point to children) enough to save the family line of the promised Redeemer. Our Big God Story today takes place about 400 years later..let s give our attention to the screens. Cue: Storytelling Video This part of The Big God Story is a sad reminder of how easy it can be to not trust God when things get hard. God called His people to worship Him, the one true God, who is (point to kids) enough for them. Today, God still calls us to worship Him only. Though it may be difficult to worship a God whom we can t see or touch, and to choose God over everything else, we know God is (point to kids) enough. We can trust Him. This means living life with God is so much better than living life any other way! As we put our faith in God, we learn what it means to trust and obey Him even when it s hard. No matter what we face, He is with us. God will give us everything we need to live a life of faith. Through difficult times we can learn to depend on Him. Share a story about God being enough in your life. 8
Storyteller continues into a time of worship response Because God is enough, we can trust Him to take care of us and be with us in hard times. God desires for us to be in relationship with Him. And He desires to transform our hearts through this relationship and makes us into people who want to worship Him only. Let s take a few minutes to talk with God today. You can pray about an area where you need His help or thank Him for being enough. Perhaps you want to confess to Him about not trusting Him. You can do that now. Allow for some quiet moments of reflection. When you re ready, you can take a ping-pong ball and a marker and write about an area in your life where you need God to provide you with enough right now, such as a new friend, a job for your parents, health for someone in your family. Then you can bring it to the bowl and place it in the bowl to share that you trust God and you want His help in your life. Worship// 10 minutes Play Easy Worship Songs 1. 2. Jump Up 3. We Believe 9
Bless// 1 min Host 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. Open a Bible and read Psalm 145:7: They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. Read through Psalm 145:7 again. This time, encourage children to create their own motions to the words in the verse. (For example, for celebrate they could dance in place.) Bless the whole group with these words: May God pour His blessings into your life. May you know that He is enough for you today, tomorrow, and always. HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God s Word together before children arrive at church. 10