Don t Be A Baby MEMORY VERSE: TAKE HOME POINT: I Peter 2:2, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow... (KJV) God wants us to grow up spiritually. TO THE TEACHER: We will be talking about types of growth: physical growth and spiritual growth. There are other types of growth such as intellectual growth and emotional growth, but to simplify things we will just talk about spiritual growth and physical growth. The purpose of this lesson is to establish that there are two types of growth: physical and spiritual, and to challenge children to do the things that will cause them to grow up spiritually. There are two types of growth: physical and spiritual. When we are born again we start out as a spiritual babe, however God does not want us to stay a baby Christian. He wants us to grow up. He wants us to learn how to stand on our own and begin to help other people. What can I do to cause myself to grow up spiritually? Most of us know what to do to grow up physically. We tend to think primarily about physical growth. When someone asks, How old are you? They are talking about physical growth. We don t have real good ways of measuring spiritual growth, however there are things I can do that cause me to grow up spiritually and there are things I can do that will cause me to shrink spiritually. Continued on next page GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 1
What are some things I can do that will cause me to grow spiritually? A. Read the Bible B. Go to church C. Pray D. Minister to other people GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 2
Don t Be A Baby large group SCHEDULE Today s Date: Lead WHO lesson OUTLINE WHAT 1. Participation Awards 2. Praise & Worship 3. Announcements 4. Offering 5. Motion Comic: Adventures of the Masked Hero #1 6. Bottom Line: God wants us to grow up spiritually 7. Memory Verse: I Peter 2:2, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow... 8. Drama: Dr. Rubenstein: Spiritual Growth Detector 9. Object Lesson: Milk or Meat? 10. Short Film: Don t Be A Baby 11. Inter-Active Lesson: The Amazing Baby Food Race 12. Altar Call 13. Digital Review Questions 14. Small Groups GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 3
Motion Comic The Adventures of the Masked Hero Episode #1 Panel 1 TO THE TEACHER: Goal: get the kids to laugh and introduce the lesson. At the conclusion of the Digital Comic Book, Johnny asks the question What is the Bottom Line? Words pop up one at a time. Encourage your kids to guess the Bottom Line as the words pop up. Next Commisioner Thornton asks the question What is the Memory Verse? Again words pop up one at a time. Panel 2 Panel 3 It is motivating to reward the first child to guess the Bottom Line and Memory Verse. Panel 4 GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 4
Drama Take Home Point: Characters: props: Dr. Rubenstein: The Spiritual Growth Detector There is power in the prayer of agreement. Dr. Rubenstein Tommy Stethoscope Giant plastic syringe filled with water Pad of paper and pen Drama Script: (Teacher at front of class teaching; a young boy, named Tommy, walks in very sickly.) Tommy! What is wrong? I have no idea, I just woke up today feeling really gross. Are you sick? I don t know. We should call the doctor, Dr. Rubenstein. He will know exactly what to do! (Picks up phone to call Dr R.) Dr. Who? (Dr. Rubenstein enters upon hearing his name and interrupts Tommy.) DR R: Dr. Rubenstein! How did you get here so fast? Continued on next page GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 5
Dr. Rubenstein: The Spiritual Growth Detector Drama Script Continued It s one of my new inventions, but we don t have time for that! Tommy, I heard you are not feeling vell. Are you sick? No, I don t think so. I don t have a fever or anything. Have you been eating vell? Like did you eat all of your fruits and veggies? And have you been drinking enough vater? (This whole time Dr Rubenstein is writing something down on his note pad.) Of course! Have you been exercising? Almost every day! Now wait a second, who are you? I am Dr. Rubenstein, and I am an internationally known doctor for my new break through technology vat I have invented. Dr. Rubenstein, I am a huge fan (shaking hands). I am just amazed by your work, like the Spiritual Growth Detector. I have read all about it! What does it do? Dis invention can detect de spiritual growth of one s heart. How much time you spend veading your Bible, praying and listening to God. The SGD can tell exactly how much a person has grown spiritually. Dr. Rubenstien, it is this kind of brilliance that will take any person s spiritual walk with God to the next level! (gushing) And I am honored to be in the presence of such an amazing individual. So how will this help me? Continued on next page GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 6
Dr. Rubenstein: The Spiritual Growth Detector Drama Script Continued Vell, Tommy, The Spiritual Growth Detector can see if you have been getting enough of de Vord of God inside of you. Vould you like to try it out? Ok, sure. Ok ven, come over here and I vill detect how you have spiritually grown. (Put the end of the stethoscope on Tommy) Oh my goodness! Vat in the vorld? I cannot detect anything at all! What?! Maybe it s broken, (looks around nervously). Try it on her (pointing to some random kid in the audience, could be girl or boy). Okay svettie, lets take a look. (Puts the stethoscope up to listen to the second kid.) Your vitals are very strong, you have been in your vord, I can tell. So what does this mean for Tommy? Vell, I vill have to give Tommy an emergency dose of the Vord of God. (Professor pulls out giant syringe and accidentally squirts the kids in the class.) Oh I am very sorry. Dis won t hurt one bit. Open your mouth, sonny. (Squirt the syringe in his mouth.) Do you feel better? Continued on next page GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 7
Dr. Rubenstein: The Spiritual Growth Detector Drama Script Continued I think so. Let me check you out again. Oh, I still cannot hear a thing! Vell, dis is a Code Blue Emergency! What does that mean? Do you think he will make it doctor? Ve vill have to take him to our Spiritual Growth Clinic. I don t know about this What happens at this Spiritual Growth Clinic? Ve vill vead to you the Bible twenty-four hours a day. Just the Bible, huh? Well I guess that won t be so bad. Come on Tommy, lets get you some help. Ok, guys lets get the stretcher. (Have two adults come and carry Tommy out) Buh Bye for now. Vemember, I am only a call away. Now, go vead your Bibles so you can grow! The End GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 8
object lesson Scripture Reference: Take Home Point: What You Need: Milk Or Meat? Hebrews 5:12, You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God s Word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. (NLT) What can I do to grow up? Pint of milk Small steak SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: During this lesson you will create a list of things that you can do to grow up spiritually. Object Lesson Application: (Read Hebrews 5:12 to the class.) The Apostle Paul is writing a letter to some people that have been Christians for years, to tell them you guys should be teaching others right now. But you still need people to teach you the first steps of Christianity. In other words, they should have graduated from high school, but they are still in first grade. (Hold up milk.) You are like babies who still need milk, and you should be able to eat solid food. (Hold up steak.) When you are first born again you are what the Bible calls a spiritual babe. Nobody is born a full grown Christian. When Peter says, As newborn babes he is Continued on next page GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 9
Milk Or Meat? Object Lesson Continued not talking about babies in the hospital, or pretty girls (like Hey, Babe ), he is talking about baby Christians. God does not want you to stay a spiritual baby (hold up milk). He wants you to grow up spiritually so you can eat the meat of the Word. (Hold up steak.) We all know what to do to grow up physically. We need to eat healthy food and exercise. But what can we do that will cause spiritual growth? Ask children to respond and create a list of action points. 1. Read the Bible 2. Go to church 3. Pray: talk to God and listen to God 4. Pray for other people 5. Witness to others 6. Teach other people about the Bible GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 10
Inter-active OBJECT lesson The Amazing Baby Food Race WHAT YOU LL LEARN: It s time to stop being a baby and grow up. WHAT YOU NEED: 4 jars of banana baby food 4 plastic spoons 4 blindfolds 8 volunteers PREPARATION: Place baby food and spoons on table in front of room. Select 8 participants. Divide into 4 teams. INSTRUCTIONS: 1 person on each team is blindfolded. The blindfolded team member will feed the baby food to the other team member. The team that finishes first wins. Spiritual Application: Can you imagine what it would be like if you could not feed yourself? If you were 10 years old and could not eat solid food, but had to eat baby food your whole life and someone else had to feed you. That would be embarrassing. This is how a lot of Christians are. They are still baby Christians. They have never learned to feed themselves. What are symptoms of spiritual babies? 1. Easily offended 2. Can t pray for themselves 3. Selfish, don t pray for others 4. Never read the Bible for themselves 5. Self pity, always thinking about their own problems How do I feed myself? Read the Bible for yourself. Some of you know all the Bible scriptures. You have watched all the Veggie Tales videos, but you don t read the Bible for yourself. You think it is too hard. Just pick up a Bible you can read (like NIV, NLT, The Message) and start to read in Genesis or Matthew. Another thing that causes you to grow is to begin to teach other people. Tell your friends about God. Get involved in serving at church. Don t keep it to yourself. Start teaching others to feed themselves. Read the Bible Go to church Pray everyday Don t stay a baby. It s time to grow up. GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 11
Don t Be A Baby DIGITAL Review Questions Needed: Review Prizes (penny candy for right answers) TO THE TEACHER: The Digital Review Questions are a part of The Masked Hero download. Once you get to the Memory Verse, then PAUSE the video. After you have done your teaching then PLAY the Digital Review Questions. You can turn this into a Review Game by rewarding kids for correct answers. 1. I Peter 2:2 says, As, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow A. little soldiers B. newborn babes C. baby elephants D. grown ups 2. God wants us to. A. fold our hands B. go to Walmart C. grow up spiritually D. stay baby Christians 3. What can I do to grow up spiritually? A. Read my Bible for myself B. Talk to God and listen to God C. Teach others about God D. All of the above 4. What are characteristics of spiritual babies? A. Selfishness B. Easily offended C. Never read the Bible for themselves D. All of the above 5. Hebrews 5:12 says, You have been believers so long you ought to be. A. potty trained B. really good at math C. teaching others D. running fast GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 12
Don t Be A Baby PROP LIST (Props, supplies, costumes and characters) Participation Awards (Large candy bars or prizes) How many needed? Review Prizes (penny candy) Dr. Rubenstein: The Spiritual Growth Detector Pages 5-8 Characters Dr. Rubenstein Tommy Props Stethoscope Giant plastic syringe filled with water Pad of paper and pen Object Lesson: Milk Or Meat Pages 9-10 Pint of milk Small steak Inter-Active Lesson: The Amazing Baby Food Race Page 11 4 jars of banana baby food 4 plastic spoons 4 blindfolds 8 volunteers Small Group Club: Are You A Baby or Growing? Paper and pen How many needed Activity page How many needed Special Edition: Pastoring Your Kids How many needed GROW UP 2.0 LESSON 1 PAGE 13