June 5, 2016 DATE Jesus Is the Good Shepherd PONDER POINT John 10:1 18 (Shepherd and His Flock) THE BIG GOD STORY Worship & Welcome (5 minutes): Begins class creating an inviting atmosphere for kids to feel welcome and to worship in song. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. Acts 2:28 REMEMBER VERSE New Remember Verse this week. Celebrate (10 minutes): Establishes community and engages kids, drawing them in and preparing them to hear God s word. The Big God Story (15 minutes): Creates space for children to hear God s word. Small Groups (20 minutes): Kids respond in small groups to what they heard in the Big God Story. Worship & Bless (10 minutes): Allows children to respond in worship and be sent out with a sense of peace so they can be a blessing to others. GOAL: Worship & welcome is all about engaging kids and helping them enter into worship, letting them know that class has begun preparing their minds for what they are going to hear. WELCOME: IMAGE: Welcome OPENING WORSHIP SONG: VIDEO: What Do You Know? ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1
GOAL: Establishes community and engages kids, drawing them in and preparing them to hear God s word. Kids get to participate in various worship elements such as offering, scripture memorization and their curiosity is peaked as they discover what will be in the wardrobe of wonder. OFFERING MISSION: Bundles of Hope RULES IMAGE: Offering Goal IMAGE: Bundles of Hope Founders Kids put their offering in the squirrel feeder. Offering Fact: This week we are collecting items and money for a ministry called Bundles of Hope. Bundles of Hope was started by two kids, Mackenzie and Mason. As adopted children, they learned that most children taken into foster care are not able to bring any of their own belongings with them. The duo decided they would find a way to make bundles of items that the children may need during their first night in foster care. After enlisting the help of friends, Abby and Mati, the organization Bundles of Hope was born! Next week we ll hear more about Bundles of Hope, and if you are going to summer camp at MBC, you will get to hear even more there. Pass out flyers about Bundles of Hope, encouraging kids to bring supplies next Sunday IMAGE: G.O.D. Rules G-et out your listening ears O-bey your teachers D-on t get in your neighbor s space MAIL TIME VIDEO: Mail Time Intro Video Choose a child to retrieve the mail from the mailbox, to give to Host for Memory Verse. IMAGE: Remember Verse You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. Acts 2:28 WARDROBE OF WONDER What sit: Shepherd s Staff VIDEO: Wardrobe of Wonder Intro Choose 1 volunteer. Volunteer picks two hats from wardrobe one for himself, one for host. Tell other kids to put on their imaginary thinking caps. Volunteer peeks in the What s It box. Host gives 3 clues, kids get to vote on what they think it is. Then as host you say. If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, If you think our clue is a, raise your hand, Let the child volunteer tell which answer is correct! ASK: What did you find in the wardrobe? Encourage responses. How does a shepherd use his staff to help the sheep? Kids will answer. Those are really good ideas. Hmmm How do you think a shepherd s staff fits into today s portion of The Big God Story? I think it s time we found out. Do you know what time it is? 2
Point out that what kids 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. Children respond to what the Holy Spirit is teaching them as they reflect on the day s portion of The Big God Story. The Prayer of Release allows children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. Before you pray, you might ask the kids to hold out their hands, palms up, in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them today. Then encourage the kids to quiet their voices, take a seat, and pray with you. The Big God Story: Cotton balls (one per child) Storyteller Script Welcome children and lead them in a Prayer of Release. Have you ever seen a sheep? Tech: Cue Herd of Sheep image. Aren t they cute? I brought some cotton balls with me today. I m going to give each of you a cotton ball. You ll get to use your imagination to pretend that these are really, really small baby sheep, okay? Give each child a cotton ball. Be very gentle with them! How does your sheep feel? Children answer. Is it fluffy? Soft? Furry? Interact with their responses. Now, make sure to hold your little sheep close to your ear and listen very carefully! Model for children. What sound does a sheep make? Allow children to answer; interact with their responses. Right! Sheep say, Baa! Great job! Hold on to your sheep, but please make sure it stays in your hands or in your lap. Pretend sheep, much like real sheep, like to run all over the place. Friends, who takes care of sheep? Children will answer. A shepherd! That s right. Shepherds look after the sheep in their flock. They love their sheep. When you hear me say the word sheep, can you please make a heart shape with your hands? Using both hands, connect the tips of your thumbs and fold your fingers over, creating a heart shape. Invite kids to practice and then proceed with the story. They carry a big stick called a staff. I think we ve found the What sit! They re used to help the shepherd gather his sheep (create heart shape), protect them from harm, and lift them up when they fall over. Do you remember the parable we heard a couple of weeks ago where Jesus told about a man searching for his lost sheep (create heart shape)? What happened? Allow answers. Yes! The lost sheep (create heart shape) was found! In today s part of The Big God Story, Jesus used an3
other story to teach the people. He reminded them all about the many ways shepherds know and care for their sheep (create heart shape). Jesus told the people how the shepherd knows each of his sheep (create heart shape) by name. When the shepherd walks to the gate of the sheep (create heart shape) pen, he calls to the sheep (create heart shape) and they know his voice. He calls their names and they hop right up and come to their shepherd. No matter how many sheep (create heart shape) are in the shepherd s flock, he knows each and every one by name. The sheep (create heart shape) will follow the shepherd wherever he goes. They ll never follow a stranger. In fact, they ll run away from a stranger. Why do you think sheep (create heart shape) run away from strangers? Allow kids to answer; interact with their answers. Good thinking; it s because they don t belong to the stranger. The sheep (create heart shape) know who they belong to and will only follow their shepherd. Jesus told the people that as soon as the sheep (create heart shape) are out of the pen, a good shepherd goes ahead of them so he can show them the very best way to go. He leads them to food and water, and makes sure they all stay together. When it s time to go to sleep, the shepherd leads his flock back to the sheep (create heart shape) pen. He closes the door and lies down right in front. Why do you think he lies down in front of the gate? Allow kids to answer; interact with their responses. Those are really good ideas. Well, there are lots of wild animals, like wolves, that hunt at night. It s the shepherd s job to protect the sheep (create heart shape). The sheep (create heart shape) belong to the shepherd, and he loves them. So, he lies down in front of the pen to fight off anyone or anything that would try to hurt his flock of sheep (create heart shape). The people listened to Jesus. Many of them didn t understand why He was telling them all about sheep (create heart shape) and shepherds. Jesus knew they didn t understand. So He said, I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep (create heart shape) and my sheep (create heart shape) know Me. Friends, who are Jesus sheep (create heart shape)? Children will answer. That s right! We re His sheep (create heart shape)! When we choose to love Jesus and follow Him, we belong to Him, just like the sheep (create heart shape) belong to their shepherd. Jesus is our Shepherd. He loves you and knows you. He knows your name, the things that make you laugh, what you like, and the things you don t like. He even knows the things that make you sad and how many freckles you have. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and He knows everything about His sheep (create heart shape). Does Jesus care about you and the things you need? Children will answer. Yes, He does. Can Jesus protect us from harm? Kids answer. Yes, He can! Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and He loves you very much! Just like the sheep (create heart shape) learn to hear their shepherd s voice, we can learn to hear our Shepherd s voice and follow Him. We belong to Him, and He loves us. Jesus is our Shepherd. Next week we ll hear about a woman who realized Jesus is the Good Shepherd and how she came to worship Him for being her Savior. 4
GOAL: Kids respond in small groups to what they heard in the Big God Story. Engage: Herd Those Sheep SUPPLIES (per small group) Hula Hoops Large Pom-poms (at least 2 per child, 2 different colors) Disposable drinking straws (1 per child) PREPARE AHEAD Use the Hula hoop to create a small, round sheep pen on the floor of the playing area. If you decide to divide children into more than two groups, make enough pens for each group. SET UP Sprinkle the pom-poms around the playing area. Keep the straws with you until you ve finished giving instructions. Friends, today we heard about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Jesus knows each one of us. When we choose to trust and follow Him, we re His sheep. Do you see all the sheep on the floor? You get to be like the shepherd and help the sheep find their pen! I m going to hand everyone a straw. When I say, Go, you re going to use the straw to lead the sheep safely to their pens! You can use your straw like a staff to gently push the sheep along, or try to move them by blowing with the straw. Are you ready? Go! Today in The Big God Story, Jesus told a story about the way a shepherd cares for his sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He loves His sheep, and He knows them. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and we re His sheep. I wonder How did the people feel to know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd? I wonder How does it make me feel to know that Jesus is my Shepherd? I wonder When I hear that Jesus is my Shepherd, what do I want to say to Him? 5
GOAL: Allows children to respond to the Holy Spirit in worship and to be sent out with a sense of peace and blessing so they can be a blessing to others. WORSHIP: VIDEO 1: Shout VIDEO 2: Jesus I will Follow Review the Remember Verse: You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. Acts 2:28 Encourage all of the children to find a partner and place a hand on their partner s shoulder as they take turns giving this blessing to each other: May you know Jesus is your Good Shepherd. Share the following from John 10:11 with the group: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Children, may you know that you belong to Jesus. May you rest in knowing that He is with you and guiding you. 6
For several years I had my dream job. In many ways my position in ministry defined who I was as a person. When an organizational restructure ended my employment, I was completely thrown. It was a major blow to my ego and my identity. Questions rooted in insecurity and doubt flooded my mind. If God had so clearly called me to this ministry, why on earth was He calling me out? Had I failed Him? Why would He have me leave something I had poured myself into? For weeks all I could do was cry and go before the Lord asking, Why? I listened and tried to believe that He had something else in store for me. I searched for comfort from Him because I no longer had a clue who I was and what my purpose was. One day as I sought to hear from God, I read Psalm 23. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. The familiar words spoke to me. The Lord is my Shepherd. He is the One who will take care of me. I m His sheep, His child, and His most important possession. In that moment it didn t matter that my identity as a ministry leader had been stripped away. It didn t even matter that my future was unknown. The only thing that mattered was being in the capable hands of the Good Shepherd the One who never leaves a sheep behind and who lays down His life for His sheep. Suddenly, that truth became my identity. No job could define me or my worth. The only thing that can ever truly define me is who I am in relation to Jesus, my Shepherd. Life is uncertain, but I have comfort in knowing that I don t have to plan my next steps on my own. I know I can trust Jesus, my Shepherd, to lead me to whatever the future may hold. Rae Lynn Lott ROCKHARBOR Church The context in which we find John 10:1 18 helps us understand that Jesus was making a rather radical declaration by the way He phrased the statement, I am the good shepherd. There was incredible contention between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders of the time, who were seeking to have Jesus killed. Jesus was pointing out His divine origin and their hypocrisy both of which made them furious. The book of John mentions several occasions when Jesus life was in danger. Jesus, being a man, made Himself out to be God (John 5:18, 10:33). This message is crystal clear in the book of John. In fact, there are seven statements by Jesus in which He used the name of God (I am) for Himself. These are known as the seven I am statements: I am the bread of life (John 6:35). I am the light of the world (8:12). I am the gate (10:9). I am the good shepherd (10:11). I am the resurrection and the life (11:25). I am the way and the truth and the life (14:6). I am the vine (15:5). In this Good Shepherd passage, there are two of these I am statements. In this greater context, we can see that this isn t just an analogy where Jesus is saying we re like sheep and He s like a shepherd. He s explicitly claiming to be God by speaking these words. And He s risking death by making such statements. This perhaps helps us understand even more clearly what Jesus means when He says that He lays His life down for His sheep. He not only gave His life, but He was constantly risking His life. Portrait of a Shepherd A shepherd lived with the sheep in the pasturelands. He made sure they had enough to eat and protected 7
them from harm. When the sheep came in for the night, the shepherd would lie down across the opening of the pen. By doing so, he made himself a barrier between potential danger and his flock. This is what Jesus meant when He said, I am the gate. Oftentimes more than one flock of sheep was penned together at night. In the morning, each shepherd would call his sheep by name and the animals would come out of the crowded pen to follow him. The sheep knew their shepherd s voice. Jesus said, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27). The message behind the statement, I am the good shepherd, was that of security, safety, and comfort. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood. O to grace how great a debtor Daily I m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson Sheep are prone to wandering and defenseless against predators. They require a shepherd to take care of them and protect them from enemies. According to Scripture, we re the sheep and Jesus is our Shepherd. As the Shepherd, Jesus takes care of His sheep, goes after the lost sheep, and lays down His life for His sheep. We know that life without the shepherd is dangerous. Yet, we re still likely to want control of our own lives, forgetting that we have a Good Shepherd who knows what s best for us. Spend some time reading Psalm 23. Then, in a notebook or on a sheet of paper, make a list. What are the functions of the Lord as a shepherd? Note the various ways Jesus has fulfilled those roles in your life. How has He led you beside quiet waters? How has He restored your soul? Consider who you are as His sheep. How does the Good Shepherd define you? This week, may you remember that as a sheep of the Good Shepherd, you belong to Him and He loves you. 8