INFANT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS YEAR 3 LESSONS 1 20

INFANT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS YEAR 3 LESSONS 1 20

Infant Syllabus General Teaching Notes Bibles Have an open Bible, even if you are telling the story or using a book so that the children understand everything we teach is based on the Bible. The NIV has been used unless otherwise stated. Encourage the children to bring Bibles to Sunday School. A good incentive is to use stickers or points, with a small prize when an agreed number has been collected. Worksheets There is a worksheet to go with each lesson. This need not always be done at the end, but can sometimes be partly used during the lesson to consolidate what has been taught, and give children a break from listening. You are the judge of when and how to use the worksheet. Please note that the lesson notes are guideline suggestions only they are not prescriptive texts. THERE ARE REVISION WORKSHEETS EVERY FEW WEEKS. These can be used as revision lessons, which would be helpful especially of someone in the class had been absent or if the story was quite new to the class. There are no lesson notes for revision lessons as previous notes apply. The group working on the junior syllabus suggests that these are used as lessons and that on the Sundays on which they are being used The Instructor could be given out and the children encouraged to do the magazine with the help and encouragement of the teacher. Alternatively, revision lessons can be given to the children to do at home.

Lesson 1 QUEEN ESTHER Esther 1 and 2 Lesson Aim: To remind the children that God works out His plans in the lives of His people. Visual Aids: Pictures of kings, queens, palace, gardens and feasts of the time, if available. Point 1 Introduce King Ahasuerus and Queen Vashti and give a brief description of the richness of the palace and the feast. Explain that the men and women attended separate feasts and that in that country at that time women always had to obey their husbands. Go on to describe how Queen Vashti refused to obey the king when he commanded her to appear before him and his guests wearing her royal crown. Point 2 The queen s punishment was that she would never again be allowed to come before the king. Later the men who attended the king suggested that he should gather all the beautiful young women of the land, have them looked after and given food and cosmetics in the palace and then choose a new queen from their number. Point 3 Tell the children that there were many of God s people, the Jews, in the land. Explain that they had been carried away captive from their homeland by an earlier king. Among them was a man named Mordecai, who was looking after a relative, a young woman called Esther, since her parents had died. Point 4 Esther entered the palace with the other beautiful young women and, because she pleased those who were looking after them, she was quickly given her food and cosmetics and moved to the best place. Mordecai had told her not to tell anybody that she was Jewish. Mordecai was able to walk past the palace every day and hear news of Esther. Point 5 After a year of beauty treatment in the palace, the young women were ready to be taken to the king, one at a time. The king loved Esther more than all the other young women. She was made queen and given a royal crown. There was a great feast in the palace to celebrate Queen Esther. Point 6 Mordecai continued to sit at the palace gates. While there he overheard two of the king s men plotting to harm the king. Mordecai was able to get a message to Esther, who, in turn, was able to inform the king. The king s loyal men investigated the plot and the men were arrested. What Mordecai had done for the king was written in a special book along with all the other important events, so that it would not be forgotten. Conclusion: God s name is not mentioned in the book of Esther, but God s plans for Esther and all the Jewish people are clearly worked out in the story.

Lesson 2 ESTHER, MORDECAI AND HAMAN Esther 3 and 4 Lesson Aim: To show that God has made Esther queen for a purpose. Visual Aids: Photographs of gates, e.g., farm gates, school gates and the impressive gates of Holyrood Palace. If appropriate a game of "Do this Do that" to show that Haman was used to being obeyed. Point 1 Recall the main points of lesson 1. Introduce Haman, the chief of the king s officials. All the king s servants at the gate of the palace were expected to bow to Haman and honour him, because of his position. Explain that Mordecai, as a Jew, would not bow down and honour a man in this way. He worshipped God alone. Point 2 Explain that the other servants noticed that Mordecai did not bow down to Haman and that they spoke to him every day about it, until at last they went to tell Haman. Tell of Haman s anger at Mordecai and of his decision to plot to kill, not just him, but all the Jewish people in the kingdom. Remind the children that Queen Esther was Jewish and that the king and everybody in the palace did not know this. Point 3 Haman waited until he felt the time was right to go to the king. He told the king that throughout the kingdom there was a people whose laws were different and who did not keep the king s laws. He did not tell the king who the people were, but he persuaded him that it would be better for him if he got rid of these people and he also promised to give the king a large amount of money, if he allowed him to go ahead with his plan. The king agreed and gave Haman his signet ring to put his seal on the orders which Haman would send throughout the kingdom. Point 4 Help the children to understand how Mordecai felt when he heard that all his people, men, women and children were to be killed. Esther s servants soon told her that Mordecai was in mourning at the palace gate and she sent one of the men to find out what was troubling him. Mordecai gave him a copy of Haman s orders and asked him to tell her to go to the king to beg him to spare the lives of the Jews. Point 5 Describe the situation at the time, explaining that nobody could go to the king unless he commanded them to do so and, if they did, the punishment was death. So Esther let Mordecai know that she was afraid to go to the king. However, his reply to her was that she would not be safer in the palace than any of the Jews anywhere in the kingdom. Read Esther 4 verse 14 or explain it in your own words. Point 6 Esther agreed to go to the king, but she asked Mordecai to gather all the Jews in the city together to pray and fast, not eating or drinking anything for three days. She promised to fast for the three days too and then to go to the king. Conclusion: Discuss simply with the children the fact that it can be difficult to stand up for what is right.

Lesson 3 ESTHER S BANQUETS Esther 5-7 Lesson Aim: To show how God saved His people. Visual Aids: Photos or magazine cut-outs of different kinds of food. Perhaps a selection of invitations to different events. Point 1 Recall the situation at the end of the last lesson. When Esther thought the time was right, she decided to try to approach the king. Explain simply what she had to do to approach the king and how the king showed that he welcomed her. He asked her what her request was and he promised to give it to her, even up to half his kingdom. Point 2 Esther asked the king and Haman to attend a banquet with her and at the banquet, he repeated his offer to grant her request. This time she asked the king and Haman to attend a second banquet the next day. The king agreed. Point 3 Discuss Haman s feelings about being honoured so greatly by the king and queen and the complete change when Mordecai ignored him at the gates. Haman went home, told how he had been honoured by the king and queen and explained how it was all spoiled by Mordecai. His wife urged him to prepare to kill Mordecai and to ask for the king s permission to carry this out before the banquet. Point 4 That night, the king could not sleep and so he asked for the book recording all the important deeds to be read to him. Remind the children of the plot Mordecai discovered. (Lesson 1) When this part of the book was read to the king, he wanted to know how Mordecai had been honoured. He discovered that nothing had been done for Mordecai, so he decided to do something that day. Point 5 Tell of Haman coming into the palace early in the morning to see the king and of the king immediately sending for him. Help the children to imagine Haman s thoughts when the king asked him what should be done for the man the king delighted to honour and go on to tell what Haman suggested. Again, help the children to imagine Haman s reaction when the king told him to do all he had said for Mordecai! Point 6 Describe Esther s second banquet held later that day. Describe the king s surprise to hear Esther asking him to spare her life and the lives of her people and his shock to hear that Haman was responsible for the plan to kill all the Jews. The king gave orders for Haman to be killed, as Haman had planned to kill Mordecai. Conclusion: The Jews were saved because of Mordecai and Esther. LESSON 4 IS A REVISION LESSON USING THE NOTES FOR LESSONS 1 3

Lesson 5 JEREMIAH Jeremiah 1 Lesson Aim: To show that God has work for both young and old to do. Visual Aids: Some of the different ways we send messages - postcards, letters, texting, e-mails etc. Point 1 Introduce Jeremiah. He was a young man at the time God called him to take his message to the king. Explain that God told him He had chosen him as His messenger before he was born. Help the children to enter into Jeremiah s feelings he was very young and he did not feel he was good at speaking to important people like kings. Point 2 God encouraged him not to be afraid, because God was always with him. God touched his mouth and told him that He had given him the words he was to say and he assured him that he would bring God s message to the countries. Point 3 Jeremiah s message was not a happy one. At first there was a good king, but he then brought God s message to kings who were wicked and turned away from God. God s people had sinned. Jeremiah is often known as the weeping prophet because he was very sad that the people were not honouring God. Point 4 God showed Jeremiah two things to help him to understand the message. First he saw the branch of an almond tree. The almond tree is one which blossoms very early in spring time, usually before any other trees. Explain that God s message for the people through Jeremiah was that He was ready to punish them because they kept on sinning against Him. Point 5 The next thing God showed Jeremiah was a large pot and what was in the pot was bubbling and boiling. He saw that the pot was facing away from the north. Again, explain God s message that trouble would come from the north. The kings and tribes from the north would attack Jerusalem and all God s people because they were not honouring Him. Point 6 God told Jeremiah to get ready and start his work. He was to say everything God told him and he was not to be afraid when the king and the people did not believe him and turned against him. God assured him that He would always be with him. Conclusion: Jeremiah had a very difficult job to do and, because the king and the people did not like his message, they fought against him. But God told him that He was with him and that He would protect him in all the difficulties he would face.

Lesson 6 JEREMIAH AND BARUCH Jeremiah 36 Lesson Aim: To show the importance of obeying God, even when there are difficulties and problems. Visual Aids: A scroll or picture of a scroll. Point 1 Jeremiah served God faithfully for many years and he suffered a great deal because the king and the people did not like the message God was sending with Jeremiah. They were told that if they continued to turn away from God, their enemies would defeat them. They did not turn away from their sins and ask God to forgive them. Point 2 Up to this point, Jeremiah had spoken all the messages from God, but now God told him to write them all down so that the people could hear them again. This would give them another chance to turn to God. Jeremiah himself did not do all the writing of the many messages of God. Introduce Baruch, who worked like a secretary for Jeremiah and show how a scroll was used. Jeremiah dictated the words and Baruch wrote them down. Point 3 When all the writing was finished, it was time to read all God s messages to the people. Remind the children that the king did not like what he had heard and used many means to try to stop Jeremiah speaking about God. One of the ways he did this was to ban him from going to the temple. As a result, Jeremiah asked Baruch to go to the temple on the day of a special fast (called by the king because of the suffering at the hands of their enemies) and to read all the words to the people. Jeremiah hoped the people would see their sin and ask God for forgiveness. Point 4 After Baruch read the words from the scroll, an account of all that had happened was brought to the king s officials. They sent for Baruch to come and read all the messages to them. They knew they had to take the scroll to the king and they were afraid of what he might do, so they advised Baruch that he and Jeremiah should go away and hide. Point 5 The king asked for the scroll to be read to him. Describe the scene, with the king on his throne, a fire burning to keep the room warm, the official reading the words and the king cutting off each section as it was read and throwing it into the fire. The king was not afraid when he heard God s message. He ordered his men to go and arrest Jeremiah and Baruch, but they could not find them, because God had helped them to hide. Point 6 While in hiding, Jeremiah dictated all the words again and Baruch wrote them on another scroll. More words from God were added to this new scroll. Jeremiah did come out of hiding, he carried on warning the king and the people that God would hand them over to their enemies and so he was still in danger. Conclusion: Jeremiah obeyed God from the time he was a very young man and he continued to do so, even though this meant that his life was in danger. He knew God was with him at all times and through all the suffering.

Lesson 7 JEREMIAH AND EBED-MELECH Jeremiah 37 and 38 Lesson Aim: To show that God cares for His people and sends help and friends when needed. Visual Aids: Pictures of prisons from long ago and of more up to date ones. Point 1 Jeremiah continued to warn the king and the people, telling them that if they did not believe the message they would be defeated by their enemies. When there was a quiet spell in the fighting, Jeremiah decided to leave the city and go to the country. He was arrested on the way, falsely accused of deserting to the enemy and put in prison. Think about how small the space would be and discuss what might be scary about prison. Point 2 The king sent for Jeremiah and asked if there was a message from God. Jeremiah gave him the same message as before and he pleaded with the king not to send him back to the prison. The king gave orders for him to be kept under guard in the courtyard of the prison and for him to be given bread every day. Point 3 Jeremiah continued to speak God s message at every opportunity. Explain the angry reaction of the officials who persuaded the king that they feared this message would weaken the soldiers in their fight for the city. The king agreed to hand Jeremiah over to them. Describe how they had Jeremiah lowered with ropes into a dungeon with no water in it. Point 4 Introduce Ebed-melech from the country of Ethiopia, one of the men who worked in the king s household. He went to the king and spoke out against what had happened to Jeremiah, although this could have been a dangerous thing for him to do. The king agreed to his request to save Jeremiah and told him to go with three men to rescue him. Point 5 Tell the story of Jeremiah s release vividly, using chapter 38 verses 11 to 13. Point 6 The king arranged to meet Jeremiah in the temple. He asked him to be honest in answering his questions and to hide nothing from him. Jeremiah s response was that if he did that, the king would probably not believe the answers and would surely have him killed. The king agreed not to have Jeremiah killed or handed over to the officials, but he did not promise to obey God s message. Conclusion: Jeremiah told the king that the only way to save the city was to surrender to the enemy. The king did not heed the advice and after some time, the city was captured and destroyed. LESSON 8 IS A REVISION LESSON USING THE NOTES FOR LESSONS 5-7

Lesson 9 PETER AND JOHN Acts 3:1-10 Lesson Aim: To show God s greatness and power over illness. Visual Aids: Picture of the temple, if available. Point 1 Build on what the children know about the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Some of them will know the names of some of the disciples. Remind them of how afraid all the disciples were, that they deserted Jesus before the crucifixion, that He made Himself known to them again after the resurrection and promised to be with them always. Point 2 Jesus was with His followers in a special way and instead of being afraid, they stood up and told people, often in huge crowds, about Jesus and explained that He died to save His people from their sins. It was a special feast time and there would have been lots of people in the city and in the temple. Point 3 Describe the scene as Peter and John joined the people going to the temple to pray. A man who had never been able to walk was carried to the temple every day and laid down beside the entrance called the Beautiful gate. Explain that he had to beg for money from the people who came to the temple because there was no other way for him to get food. He couldn t work and there was no system at the time to provide for people in need. People going to worship God usually gave some money to those who were not able to look after themselves. Point 4 The poor man was lying at the temple gate when Peter and John, two of the disciples of Jesus, came to pray. He asked them for money. Peter and John did not have any money to give to the poor man, but they did stop beside him. The man looked up when they stopped and he expected them to give him some money. Point 5 Help the children to imagine how disappointed the man would have been when he heard Peter saying that he had no silver or gold and then how he would have wondered what Peter meant when he said that he would give him what he did have. Peter then said, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Point 6 Peter took the man by his right hand and helped him to stand up. The man immediately felt strength in his feet and ankles, something he had never experienced before. Read verse 8 to the children. The man was probably a bit disappointed when Peter said they had no money, but his joy when God healed him was so much greater. He was jumping, not just walking, and he was praising God all the time. Conclusion: The people who saw the man walking into the temple with Peter and John were amazed, because they knew the man and they knew he had never been able to walk. Explain that this miracle gave Peter the opportunity to tell many people about Jesus.

Lesson 10 PAUL S SHIPWRECK Acts 27 Lesson Aim: To show God s greatness and power over creation. Visual Aids: A map of the area and a picture of a sailing ship of the time. Point 1 Introduce Paul and explain that he was a Christian who went on several missionary journeys to bring the good news about Jesus to many people in many different places. Explain that some of the Jews were not pleased when Paul preached about Jesus and they plotted against him. He was taken as a prisoner and it was decided that he would go on trial before the Roman Emperor. Point 2 Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to the Roman soldiers and they were taken on to a ship ready to sail to Rome. During the long journey the weather turned very stormy and the ship was tossed about in the huge waves. The ship, all the passengers and the cargo were in great danger. The sailors tried everything they knew to save the ship. Verses 13 to 20 describe the storm, the darkness, the efforts of the sailors and the loss of all hope of being saved. Point 3 For a long time during the storm, nobody on the ship had anything to eat. Paul had been praying and God spoke to him. God sent an angel with a message that Paul would reach Rome in safety and go on trial before the Emperor. The angel told Paul that all the people on the ship would be saved too, but that the ship itself would be lost as it ran aground on an island. Paul bravely stood up and passed on the good news to all on the ship. He explained that he trusted God and believed that all God promised would take place. Point 4 After fourteen nights in the storm the sailors were measuring the depth of the water. When they found that it was getting shallower, they realised that they were coming near land. They were afraid there might be dangerous rocks, so they put down the anchor. Some of the sailors decided to try to escape in the small boat they used to go ashore when there was no harbour big enough for the ship. Paul told the centurion who was in charge of the soldiers that, if the sailors left the boat, they would not be saved. The centurion believed Paul and ordered the soldiers to cut the ropes which were keeping the small boat attached to the ship. Point 5 Paul encouraged the sailors and soldiers to eat some food to build up their strength again so that they would be able to get safely on to the island. They did as Paul suggested. When daylight came, they saw the beach and tried to take the ship as near as possible to it, but the ship struck rocks. The soldiers thought they should kill all the prisoners, but the centurion wanted to save Paul, so he ordered the soldiers not to kill anybody. Everybody reached the island in safety. Help the children to think about how all those on the ship would have felt when they were in the water and when they were safe again on dry land. Conclusion: Think briefly of God, the Creator of the universe, and of His love and care for all who trust Him, even when they face huge difficulties.

Lesson 11 PAUL ON THE ISLAND Acts 28 Lesson Aim: To show that God is in control in all situations. Visual Aids: A map might be useful. Point 1 Recall the last lesson, briefly thinking about the events of the shipwreck, the safe landing on the island and the fact that Paul probably would not have come to the island if he had not been blown there by the storm. God had work for him to do there. Point 2 Help the children to think about the cold, wet weather and about the time the men were in the sea before reaching land. Discuss how they would all be feeling, also considering the fact that they did not know if the people of the island would be friendly or not. Remind the children of God s promise to Paul on the ship that no lives would be lost. Point 3 Describe the welcome they received and set the scene with the islanders and the men from the ship gathering dead wood and lighting fires. Vividly tell of the snake biting Paul. Explain that the islanders thought he, a prisoner, must have done something really terrible and since he was saved from drowning, the snake bite was his punishment catching up with him. They waited, expecting Paul to become ill. Point 4 Explain simply that God had a plan for Paul on the island and that the snake bite served to draw the attention of the islanders to Paul in a new way. They looked on him as a god now, instead of as a prisoner. They would not have listened to him, if they still thought he was a prisoner. Point 5 Introduce Publius, the chief man of the island the man who was providing for Paul and all the sailors and prisoners from the ship. Paul learned that the father of Publius was ill, so he visited him, prayed for healing and laid his hands on him. Describe the result. The father of Publius was healed and many sick people from the island then came to Paul and they were all healed too. The people honoured Paul and three months later, when the weather improved and another ship was available to take them on their journey, the people provided them with all the things they would need for the voyage. Point 6 From there Paul was taken to Rome and, although still a prisoner, he was allowed to stay in a house with a soldier to guard him. He was able to call the Jews who were in Rome to visit him and from the Bible (the Old Testament), he taught them about Jesus. Tell how some believed and others did not, and explain that he then had the opportunity to teach the Gentiles, people who were not Jews, the good news about Jesus. Conclusion: Although Paul was a prisoner, he was still able to tell people about Jesus.

Lesson 12 TIMOTHY Acts 16:1-5, 1 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Corinthians 16:10-11 Lesson Aim: To show the importance of learning about Jesus when young. Visual Aids: A map showing Paul s journeys. Point 1 Recall the last lesson on Paul and the shipwreck. Remind the children that Paul was a Christian who went on several missionary journeys to bring the good news about Jesus to many people in many different places. Other people helped Paul and often travelled with him. Point 2 Introduce Timothy, who was sometimes one of Paul s companions on his missionary journeys. Timothy was a very young man when Paul first met him in the city of Lystra and Paul speaks about Timothy s mother, Eunice and his grandmother, Lois, who both believed in the Lord Jesus. Timothy learned about Jesus from these two women. Point 3 Describe Timothy, a young man with a very good reputation among the people of the city of Lystra and the surrounding area. Paul saw that Timothy would be a very good helper in his work, so he spent time with him, taught him more about Jesus and trained him in the work of bringing the good news about Jesus, the Saviour, to others. They travelled together, preaching the good news about Jesus and supporting the people in the churches they visited. As they taught, more people believed in Jesus and the churches grew every day. Point 4 Explain that Paul later sent Timothy to help the church in the city of Corinth, one of the cities he himself had visited earlier. The people in the church had forgotten some of Paul s teaching and they were sinning against God. Point out that Timothy was still very young and that the people who were doing wrong might not want to listen to what such a young man had to say. Paul emphasised that Timothy was there in Paul s place and that they should listen to him, just as they would listen to Paul himself. Point 5 Look at the New Testament with the children and show that many of the books are letters written by Paul, some to churches and some to individual people. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy. Describe briefly that in the letters, Paul advised, encouraged and supported Timothy in his work in the churches and also asked Timothy to visit him, as he was in prison and feeling lonely. Timothy did visit Paul. He brought news from the churches (1 Thessalonians 3:6) and he helped him write letters (Philemon 1:1). Point 6 A passages from one of the letters could be highlighted in conclusion. 2 Timothy 3:15-17, for example, because Timothy knew the Scriptures from childhood. LESSON 13 IS A REVISION LESSON USING THE NOTES FOR LESSONS 9-12

NOTES THAT FOLLOW FOR LESSONS 14 TO 16 WILL BE USED EACH YEAR, HENCE THE LENGTH AND DETAIL OF THE NOTES. THE TEACHER SHOULD CHOOSE WHICH ASPECTS OF THESE STORIES TO TELL EACH YEAR, PERHAPS BEING GUIDED BY THE WORKSHEETS. Lesson 14 THE SAVIOUR IS BORN Luke 2:1-7 Lesson aim: To teach the narrative of the birth of Jesus the Saviour. Visual aids: You could concentrate on telling the story simply and then use the worksheets provided. You could use a flannelgraph. You could make a scroll from a rolled up sheet of paper for each child in the class - write on each scroll 'Jesus is born!' - use large letters. Point 1 Caesar Augustus was a very powerful kind of a king. He ruled many countries and lots and lots of people. He decided he wanted to know how many people he ruled. Point 2 Books were kept to count all the people. These books were not like ours. They were scrolls. Show how a scroll is made and how it can be opened at different places, just as we open books at different pages. Point 3 In Nazareth there was a young woman called Mary. An angel had told Mary that she was going to have a special baby. God's own Son! Try to show just how special and exciting this was by the tone of your voice. Caesar told all the men to go back to where they came from. Joseph came from the small town of Bethlehem so he and Mary had to travel all the way from Nazareth (where he was a joiner) to Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a special town. It was called the town of King David. Point 4 The journey took a long time. There were no trains or buses. Ask the children what else hadn't been invented then (bikes, cars, planes). At last they reached Bethlehem - no doubt very tired. Explain that all the houses were already full of people and Joseph couldn't find anywhere for them to stay. The children could be divided into twos with one knocking on the underside of his seat to sound like a door being knocked and the other answering and saying there was no room for any more people in the house. Even though the time had come for the baby to be born the only place Mary and Joseph found to stay was a stable. Explain what it would have been like. Point 5 Tell how Mary would have cleaned the manger (you may have to explain what a manger is) and that she would have prepared long strips of cloth with which to wrap her baby. Tell how that night the Saviour was born. Explain that King Jesus came from all the glories of heaven to a poor stable to be our Saviour. Give the children the scrolls, if you have made any and help them to unroll them and read what is written on them.

Lesson 15 16 SHEPHERDS AND WISE MEN Luke 2:8-20 and Matthew 2:1-12 Lesson aim: To show how different people recognised Jesus when He came. To show the change in the shepherds from fear to faith in God's Word, to praise for God, to witness to others. Visual Aids: You could concentrate on telling the story simply and then use the worksheets provided. You could use a flannelgraph. You could use pictures of shepherds and sheep. Cards with the following words: wise men, east, star, desert, camels, Jerusalem, Herod, Bethlehem, gifts, worship. Point 1 Ask who cares for the sheep. Show a picture of a sheep with a shepherd (ancient or modern). Try to get the children to tell you where shepherds work and the kind of things they will do for the sheep. Tell the story. It was near Bethlehem and there were shepherds watching over their sheep. It was night. Speak in a quite matter of fact voice. Explain that these men stayed all night with the sheep because there was danger from robbers and wolves. The hillside could be quiet and still and fairly dark. Point 2 Suddenly there was a great light - one of God's messengers stood there. Ask who can remember what God's messengers were called - Angels. Bring into your voice the fear that the shepherds would have felt. The angel's first words were "Do not be afraid". By your voice show the calming effect the words must have had so that the shepherds listened and remembered the next words. "I bring you good news and it is for all the people". Explain how they would listen eagerly because everyone loves good news. The Saviour has been born in Bethlehem. He is Christ the Lord". Use the word "Saviour" to convey the meaning. Bethlehem was just down the hillside from where they were at that moment. Imagine, with the children, the growing interest and wonder of the shepherds. Point 3 The angel went on to tell how they would know the child, because there could be other new babies in Bethlehem that night - but only one lying in a manger. Show the shepherds' surprise at the place where the Saviour, the long-awaited King, could be found. The angel was then joined by a big group of angels singing praises to God for His goodness in sending His Son as the Saviour. Tell the story simply. Ask if this reminds the children of anything they heard last week. Now recall last week's lesson and give the children the opportunity to tell you about it. Encourage each child to take part. If a child is wrong, listen and gently explain what is wrong - and don't discourage them. Point 4 The angels went away and all was dark and quiet again. The shepherds showed they believed the angels. Show how seriously they took this wonderful news and how at once they went to Bethlehem to see for themselves this wonderful thing. They arrived at the right stable and it was just as the angels said. Build a word picture of the scene. The happy Mary and Joseph and this tiny baby wrapped in cloths (swaddling bands), who was God's own Son. The

shepherds praised God. Ask for ideas as to how they would do that (by prayer, song, talking to one another about it). Point 5 The shepherds went away and told others. Ask the children what they do when something lovely or exciting happens at school. You want to find out that they go home and tell someone about it. In the same way, the shepherds could not keep this good news to themselves. They wanted to share it with everyone they met and they did. Point 6 Move on to tell the children about other visitors who came to see Jesus later. Wise men came to Jerusalem. Ask the children if they have been out late at night. Stars in the sky. Sky is dark; stars bright and shining. Tell how long ago in a far country there were some clever men who studied the stars and knew all about them. They saw a very bright star which they had not seen before. They tried to find a reason for the star. They knew this new star must mean something special. They found out that God had promised to send a special King to the earth. The star must be shining because the new King had been born. He must be a very important King if there is a special star. Point 7 As the new baby was to be a King, they thought he would be born in a royal palace, in Jerusalem. Talk about travel. How would they travel; what kind of country would they travel through? They arrived at Herod's palace where they expected the new King would be born. Explain who Herod was. They asked about the king who was promised. Explain that Herod was surprised, angry and afraid, because he thought this new king would take his place. He pretended to be pleased - sent for his own wise men to find out where this new king was. They read in the OT that he would be born in Bethlehem. He told the wise men to go and find the baby king and then come back and tell him where he was so that he could go and worship him. But Herod was a very wicked man and what he was planning now was to kill this new King once he knew where he was. Point 8 The wise men left Jerusalem. Describe how the star guided them to Bethlehem where they found the King - the baby Jesus. The children will know of young babies getting presents. Mention the three gifts presented in this case. Point out their value and significance. They were special gifts for a special baby. The wise men worshipped the baby Jesus. They knew that this was the special baby that God had promised to send to earth. God told them through a dream not to go back to Herod. Ask children if they know why. They went home another way. LESSON 17 IS A REVISION LESSON USING THE NOTES FOR LESSONS 14 16

Lesson 18 SLAVERY IN EGYPT Exodus 1:7-22, Acts 7:17-19 Lesson Aim: To show how the Israelites had God's promise to rely on when they became slaves in Egypt. Visual Aids: Point 1 Many of the children will know the story of Joseph in Egypt. Recall the main points. God was with Joseph and remind them how in the famine, he used Joseph to save the lives of the Egyptians and those of his own family. Joseph explained to his brothers that, although they meant to harm him, God had plans for using him in the famine. His whole family settled in a very good part of the country, Goshen. Discuss how grateful the Egyptians would have been to Joseph. Point 2 Explain that as the years passed, the Israelites increased in number and prospered, until after many years the Egyptians forgot what Joseph had done and their attitude to the people changed. A new king decided he would make the Israelites his slaves, because they were becoming very strong and he persuaded the people that the Israelites could be a problem to them, if they took the side of any enemy attacking Egypt. Point 3 Describe how the Israelites were made to work very hard building cities for the king and also how they suffered at the hands of those set in charge of them by the king. Help the children to think about the kind of work which would have been involved. Point 4 Pharaoh was troubled because the Israelites continued to increase in number and he ordered those in charge to treat the slaves more harshly. Encourage the children to think about the feelings of the Israelites, remembering God s promise to Abraham to give him so many descendents that they could not be counted and considering the way they were being treated by the Egyptians at that point. Point 5 Explain that Pharaoh was becoming angrier because, no matter how badly he treated his Israelite slaves, they still prospered and increased in number. More and more babies were born. Describe simply that Pharaoh thought up the extremely cruel plan to stop the Israelite families from growing by ordering the midwives to throw the baby boys in the river and leave them to drown. Explain that the midwives feared God and disobeyed the king, but that this led the king to order his own men to throw the babies in the river. Conclusion: Discuss the feelings of the Israelites in this hard situation, recall the problems Joseph faced and remind them that God always keeps His promises in His way and in His time.

Lesson 19 THE BIRTH OF MOSES Exodus 2:1-10 Lesson Aim: To show how God protected the life of the baby Moses. Visual Aids: Photos with babies. Point 1 Look at photos of babies and recall the last lesson. Help the children to think about the feelings of the parents in Egypt when the Egyptians were cruelly drowning the baby boys because they did not want the Israelites to become stronger. Many of the children will know the story of the birth of Moses and will be able to join in the telling of it. Point 2 Introduce the family of Moses, his parents and his sister Miriam. Help the children to think about the joy of the new baby and also the concern that the Egyptians would kill him. Explain that the mother of Moses hid him in the house for three months and discuss simply the risks involved in this. Point 3 When Moses was three months old, a new way to save him had to be found. Tell of the plan, the making of the basket and the placing of it in the river, with Miriam watching nearby to make sure no harm came to the baby Moses. Point 4 Set the scene with the daughter of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, coming down to the river with her servants to bathe. Help the children to think about Miriam s feelings when she saw the princess going to the river, near the spot where Moses was hidden. The princess saw the basket and sent her maid to fetch it. The baby was crying. The princess knew he was one of the babies who should have been drowned and she felt sorry for him. Point 5 Turn the attention of the children to Miriam and talk about how she might have been feeling at that point - afraid that Moses would be killed excited about an opportunity for the baby to be saved. Tell how Miriam approached the princess and offered to find somebody to nurse the baby for her. The princess accepted the offer and many of the children will know that Miriam went home and brought her mother to meet the princess. Point 6 Encourage the children to imagine the joy in the home of Moses and his family, now that the baby s life was safe and the special joy for his mother having her own baby back again. Conclusion: When he was old enough, Moses was taken to the palace. It was the princess who named him Moses. Explain that Moses sounds like a word meaning to draw out and the princess thought it was a good name, because she drew the baby out of the water. Moses was a special baby. God s plan was for Moses to be the one to lead God s people out of slavery in Egypt.

Lesson 20 THE CALL OF MOSES Exodus 3:1-15 and 4:1-17 Lesson Aim: To show how God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Visual Aids: Picture of the burning bush. Point 1 Refer to Moses having been brought up in the King's palace where he was given a good education and taught to read and write. When he grew up, he went away from Egypt and worked as a shepherd. He married and his job was to look after his father-in-law s sheep. All this time he was being prepared by God for leading the people out of Egypt. Point 2 Remind the children of the misery of the slaves in Egypt and of God s promise to free them. Moses was to be the man to lead them out from Pharaoh. Point 3 Explain that Moses would have spent his days out looking after the sheep. Describe how, one day, his attention was drawn to a burning bush, with nothing around it burning. When Moses was going over to look at it, he saw that although there was a flame, the bush was not being burned. God called to him from inside the bush. Moses answered and God told him not to come any closer. Explain simply that God told him that the ground around the bush was holy and that he should take off his shoes, which was what people of that time did when they were in a holy place. God then explained to Moses that He was going to take the Israelites out of Egypt and bring them to a new, fertile and prosperous land. He wanted Moses to go to Pharaoh and ask him to let the people go from Egypt. Point 4 Encourage the children to think about how Moses would have felt about going to Pharaoh. Explain that Moses was afraid and did not feel he could do what God asked, but God promised that He would be with him. Moses still was not ready to go. He asked God what name he would give to the people as proof that God had sent him. God gave Himself two names. I Am - meaning eternal and never changing - and The Lord God of Your Fathers - reminding the people of all God had done in the past. Point 5 Moses continued to question God. What if the people did not believe him? Describe what happened when God told Moses to throw his rod on to the ground and when He told him to put his hand in his cloak. Point 6 Still Moses was unwilling to do as God asked. He said he was not a good speaker. God was angry when Moses still refused after He promised to be with him and teach him what to say. He allowed Moses to take Aaron, his brother, with him. God would teach Moses and he would then tell Aaron what he had to say. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh to ask him to let the people go from Egypt. Conclusion: Discuss with the children that when God is with us, we can do all God wants us to do. Although we feel weak, He will make us strong.