God Helps Us All the Time Lesson 8 Bible Point God Helps Us Bible Verse God will help us (adapted from Genesis 21:22b). Growing Closer to Jesus Children will n learn how God helped Joshua by making the walls of Jericho fall, n know that God helps them all the time, and n realize that God helps them because he loves them. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n God helps us all the time. Joshua 6:1-20 In real life, great leaders are rare. But without faithful and effective leaders, people falter. And that s exactly what had been happening to the people of Israel. For 40 years, they had wandered in the wilderness because they refused to obey God and conquer Canaan. But finally the time had come. Having distinguished himself as a man of faith and courage, Joshua was chosen to lead the people across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. The key to Joshua s success was his submission to God. When God spoke, Joshua listened and obeyed. And Joshua s obedience has served as a model ever since! Prayer Read Deuteronomy 13:4. How often do you insist on your own way, rather than seeking God s way? What pattern of consequences have you seen as a result? Pray: Dear Lord, help me to obey you without question, and follow you without fail. Help me to be a model of trust and obedience to the children I teach. Before the Lesson n Collect items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed in the chart on the next page. n Pray for the children in your class and for God s direction in teaching the lesson. 107
Lesson 8 This Lesson at a Glance Arrival Activities Direct children to one or more of the optional activities until everyone arrives. What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Welcome Time Receive a warm welcome from the teacher and Cuddles the Lamb. Option 1: Phone Friends Talk on pretend telephones to their friends. Option 2: Music March Wave flags and play pretend instruments as they march in a parade. Name tags (p. 8), marker, tape or safety pins, scissors, CD player Toy telephones or paper cups and yarn Construction paper; scissors; tape; drinking straws; items such as pot lids, paper cups, plastic spoons, plastic bowls Bible Story Time Pick-Up Time Sing a song as they help clean up the room. Bible Song Sing about the Bible. CD player Bible, CD player God Helps Us Interact with the StoryBoard as they hear the Bible story from Joshua 6:1-20. God Helps Us Song Sing a song about God s help. Small decorated box from Lesson 6 CD player Bible Activities Interactive Bible Bulletin Board Review the Bible Point with Cuddles the Lamb as they create a bulletin board together. Sing It Out Sing a song about God s help. Horn patterns (p. 119), tape, scissors CD player Bible Craft Sing a song about the Bible, and make special ears to wear. Ear patterns (p. 118), scissors, crayons, CD player Closing Bible Game Play a fun game, and tell each other that God helps them. Gobble Down Say a prayer and have a snack. Paper plates, tape, paper ears from Bible Craft Graham crackers, plastic knives, marshmallow creme, napkins, wet wipes *See the end of this lesson for extra-time ideas and supplies. 108
Arrival Activities n Welcome Time SUPPLIES: name tags (p. 8), scissors, marker, tape or safety pins, CD player Play God Helps Us (adapted from Genesis 21:22b) (track 8) track 8 from the CD as children are arriving. Use Cuddles the Lamb to help you greet each child by name and with a warm smile. Tape or pin a name tag to each child s clothing. Say: Today we re going to learn that God helps us. Place Cuddles out of sight so the children won t be distracted by him during the next activity. God Helps Us All the Time Repeating the Bible Point over and over will help the children remember it and apply it to their lives. Help children learn one point that will stay with them for days and even years to come. n Option 1: Phone Friends SUPPLIES: toy telephones or paper cups and yarn Set out several toy telephones or make phones by stringing yarn between two paper cups. As children arrive, invite them to call each other on the phones. Circulate among the children and make pretend phone calls. Make comments such as It s fun to talk to our friends on the phone and Who do you talk to on the phone? Explain that they can talk to their friend God, too. When they pray, they talk to God. Tell children that they ll hear a story about how God listened to Joshua and helped him. Remind toddlers that God helps us and hears our prayers when we need help. n Option 2: Music March SUPPLIES: construction paper; scissors; tape; drinking straws; items such as plastic bowls for drums, pot lids and plastic spoons for cymbals, and paper cups for horns Before class make several colorful flags by cutting triangles from construction paper. Tape the flags to drinking-straw flagpoles. Set out the flags and a variety of musical instruments. Include items such as plastic bowls for drums, pot lids and plastic spoons for cymbals, and paper cups for horns. Let children hold flags and play musical instruments as they march around the room in a special parade. Then have them pretend they re Joshua and the priests marching around the walls of Jericho. Remind children that God helps us just as he helped Joshua by knocking down the walls of Jericho. 109
Lesson 8 n Pick-Up Time SUPPLIES: CD player As Arrival Activities draw to a close, gently mention that it will track 2 soon be time to clean up. Encourage children to help you pick up things in the room as you lead them in singing Let s Pick Up All Our Things (track 2). Use the CD and sing the song to the tune of Looby Loo. Let s pick up all our things. Let s pick up all our things. Let s pick up all our things And put them all away. Everyone here can help. Everyone here can help. Everyone here can help. Let s put it all away. Let s pick up all our things. Let s pick up all our things. Let s pick up all our things. It s time to stop our play. Bible Story Time n Bible Song SUPPLIES: Bible, CD player Say: Who will help us? God will help us. How do we know? tracks 3, 11 The Bible tells us in Genesis 21. Show the Bible. The Bible is God s special book. It tells us about God. Let s sing a song about the Bible. Using the CD, lead children in singing God s Special Book (track 3) to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. This is God s special book. Yes, it s God s book you see! I learn about all God has done And his love for me! (Repeat.) Bible! Say: The Bible is God s special book. In the Bible, we can read all about how God helps us. God helps me read the Bible and God helps me come to church. Ask: How does God help you? Pause as children respond. Say: It s important to learn about the Bible, because the Bible is God s special story. Let s sing a fun song all about the Bible! Lead children in singing 110
God Helps Us All the Time The Bible Is God s Special Book (track 11) with the CD. Play the song several times, if possible. Lyrics are on page 24. Say: God helps us, and we can learn all about how God does that in the Bible. Let s learn more! n Bible Story: God Helps Us SUPPLIES: small decorated box from Lesson 6 Before class begins, please check to make sure the sensory items are still securely attached so the children can touch them without danger of pulling off the items or putting them into their mouths. Before the activity, set the StoryBoard beside you. Place the decorated box from Lesson 6, the teacher s horn, and the figures of Joshua and the priests behind the StoryBoard. Pop out the seven StoryBoard bricks and place them beside the StoryBoard. Say: Today we ll learn about how God helps us. The Bible tells us about a brave soldier. Can anyone tell me his name? Hold up the StoryBoard figure of Joshua. His name was Joshua, and Joshua loved God. Let s play a game called Peekaboo Joshua. When you see Joshua peeking through the wall, say, Peekaboo, Joshua! Hold the figure of Joshua behind the StoryBoard and make it peek through one of the brick openings. When children say, Peekaboo, Joshua, move the figure to another opening. After you ve played a few times, set the figure of Joshua in front of the StoryBoard. That was fun! Joshua was God s mighty soldier. He marched wherever God told him to. Let s march like soldiers! Lead children in a high-step march once around the room. Step, step, step! We re brave soldiers like Joshua, and we re marching to Jericho. Step, step, left, right, left, right! Step, step, step, stop. Soldiers, sit down! When the children are seated by the StoryBoard, continue the Bible story. Joshua marched with the other soldiers and the people who loved God. They marched to a town called Jericho. Let s say that together. Jericho. Lots of people lived in Jericho. But they were wicked. Have children shake their heads and fingers. They didn t love God. God didn t want wicked people in Jericho, so he decided to give the town to Joshua and the people who loved God. But there were big walls around the town of Jericho. How big? It was a big (arms straight out to the side), tall (arms above head), brick (arms above head and hands clasped) wall. (Bring clasped hands down in front of you.) Let s say that rhyme together. Repeat the rhyme a few times slowly and encourage children to follow the actions. Point to the StoryBoard and ask: What were the walls made of? Say: Bricks! Hand the bricks to the children. You can put the bricks back in the wall. Help children count the bricks and then replace them. If there are more than seven children in your class, remove the bricks again and allow other children to replace them. 111
Lesson 8 When everyone has had a turn replacing a brick, say: Joshua had to find a way to get the walls down. Let s see how God helped him. Set the figures of the seven priests in front of the StoryBoard. Say: The priests and the people and Joshua looked and looked at the big walls. God knew that Joshua needed help. So God told Joshua what to do. God told him to march with the priests and the other people around the walls once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, they d march around the walls seven times and blow their horns. First came the soldiers. Then came the seven priests with their seven horns. Hand the priests to seven children, and have them stand in line. Then came the box with God s book in it. Hand the box to a child, and have him or her stand behind the priests. Then came Joshua and the others. Hand the figure of Joshua to someone. If there are more children, have them be soldiers. God told them to march around the walls seven times. Then they could shout and blow the horns, and the walls would fall! Let s march around our wall. You can help me count to seven. Ready? March! Lead the children in your special parade around the StoryBoard. Count to seven slowly. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Now clap and say, God helps us! Lead children in saying the Bible Point. As you blow the teacher s horn, tip over the StoryBoard wall. Oh, my! The wall fell to the ground! Let s sit on the ground like the bricks. When children are seated, say: God helped Joshua by knocking down the walls of Jericho. When we ask for God s help, God helps us. Let s march Joshua and the priests back to the Learning Lab. Let children place the StoryBoard, the figures, and the teacher s horn in the Learning Lab. Set the decorated box aside until the next lesson. Important: Put the StoryBoard away and out of reach of children. n God Helps Us Song SUPPLIES: CD player Using the CD, lead children in singing God Helps Us (adapted track 8 from Genesis 21:22b) (track 8) to the tune of The Old Gray Mare. God helps us. He helps us every day, Helps us in every way, Helps us to learn and pray. God helps us. He helps us every day. God helps us! (Repeat.) Say: God hears us when we ask for help. That s because God loves us. If we need help, God helps us. When Joshua needed help, God helped him. God helped by telling Joshua to march around the walls seven times and to have the priests blow seven horns. 112
God Helps Us All the Time God helps us in lots of ways. The best way God helps us is by sending Jesus to be our forever friend. Jesus came to earth to save us. When we believe in Jesus, he ll be our best friend and we can live with him someday in heaven. I m so glad God sent Jesus! Let s bow our heads and thank God for sending Jesus to be our friend. Lead children in a short prayer thanking God for sending Jesus. Bible Activities n Interactive Bible Bulletin Board SUPPLIES: horn patterns (p. 119), scissors, tape Before class photocopy the patterns of the seven horns found at the end of this lesson. Cut out the horns. Last week you added Joshua and the priests to the bulletin board. This week you ll add the priests horns. 113
Lesson 8 Cuddles: Teacher: Cuddles: Teacher: Cuddles: Teacher: Cuddles: Teacher: Cuddles: Teacher: Cuddles: Bring out Cuddles the Lamb, holding the teacher s horn from the Learning Lab. Toot! Toot-tootle-tootle-TOOT! Hi, boys and girls. Do you like my horn? That s a very nice horn, Cuddles. It reminds us of our Bible story. Horns? In a Bible story? Yes. And not just one horn. Children, how many horns were there? (Help children tell Cuddles there were seven horns in the Bible story.) Did they toot as loud as I toot? TOOT! TOOTLE-TOOT! They sure did! They tooted and shouted to God, and the walls came tumbling down. We ve been learning that God helps us and that he hears us when we need help. Would you like to help us with our bulletin board? (Nodding) I like to help. Today we re going to add seven horns to our bulletin board. Then we ll count them. Have children tape the horns to the priests hands. As each horn is taped in place, help children repeat the Bible Point. Then point to the horns as you count to seven. Encourage the children to count along. ( Blowing the horn) Toot-toot-toot! Can you hear me when I toot my horn? Yes, and God hears you, too. God hears us when we ask for help. That makes me so happy I could hug everyone! Have Cuddles give each child a warm hug. Then tell Cuddles goodbye and put him and the teacher s horn away. Permission to photocopy this script from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Toddlers & 2s granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 114
God Helps Us All the Time n Sing It Out SUPPLIES: CD player track 8 Using the CD, lead children in singing God Helps Us (adapted from Genesis 21:22b) (track 8) to the tune of The Old Gray Mare. The lyrics are on page 112. Say: God loves us, and if we need help, God helps us. He hears when we need help any time, anywhere. Let s make special ears to remind us that God hears us and helps us all the time. n Bible Craft SUPPLIES: ear patterns (p. 118), scissors, crayons, CD player track 11 Before class photocopy the ear patterns, and cut out a pair of ears for each child. Also cut along the dotted line in each ear. Say: God helps us. He hears when we need help, and he s ready to help all the time. The Bible, God s special book, tells us that when we talk to God, he always listens. I m so glad God gave us the Bible so we could know how much he loves us! Let s sing a song about God s special book! Play The Bible Is God s Special Book from the CD (track 11), and lead children in singing. Lyrics are on page 24. Say: I m so glad God gave us the Bible. Giving us the Bible is one of the ways God helps us. Another way God helps us is by listening to us when we talk to him. Let s make something to help us remember that God listens to us. Set out crayons and tape. Hand each child a pair of ears. Let children scribble-color their paper ears. Read the words on the ears to the children. Remind them that God helped Joshua by knocking down the walls of Jericho and that God helps us, too. Slide the paper ears over children s ears. Let toddlers model their ears for each other. Have them wear the paper ears to play the Bible Game. n Bible Game SUPPLIES: tape, paper plates, paper ears from Bible Craft Tape a paper plate to the floor for each child and yourself. Have children find a plate to stand on. Say: It s important to know that God helps us. Let s play a fun game. I ll say, God helps us in someone s paper ear, and then I ll sit on that person s plate. Then that person can hop to another friend and pass the message. We ll play until everyone has heard the message. When everyone has had a turn passing the message, say: I m so glad that God helps us all the time. And I m glad that when we ask God for help, he hears us. Let s wear our ears to the snack table. 115
Lesson 8 Closing n Gobble Down SUPPLIES: three small graham crackers per child, marshmallow creme, plastic knives, napkins, wet wipes Have children wash their hands and gather at the snack table. Say: We ve been learning that God helps us. We can thank God for his help. Fold your hands, and we ll pray. Pray: Dear God, we like to come to you and pray. We know you help us every day. In Jesus name, amen. Hand each child a napkin and three small graham crackers. Say: We can make delicious brick walls to eat. Let children spread marshmallow creme mortar on their crackers and stack the crackers like bricks. When everyone s wall is built, say: We built our walls up, and now we ll gobble them down! When children have finished eating their snacks, have them wipe their hands and throw their napkins in the wastebasket. Let them wear their special ears home. 116
God Helps Us All the Time n Sing-Along Song For Extra Time If you have a long class time or want to add additional elements to your lesson, try one of the following activities. Sing the song children learned during the past two weeks. Without using the CD, lead children in singing Jericho Is Falling Down to the tune of London Bridge. For extra fun, do the actions in parentheses. March around the walls today. (March in place.) Step-step-step (swing arms while you march), Shout hooray! (Continue marching.) March around the walls today. (Continue marching.) God will help us. (Continue marching.) Jericho is falling down (bend over little by little), Falling down (continue bending lower), Falling down. (Continue bending lower.) Jericho is falling down (continue bending lower) To the ground! (Fall to the ground.) March around the walls today. (March in place.) Step-step-step (swing arms while you march), Shout hooray! (Continue marching.) March around the walls today. (Continue marching.) God will help us. (Continue marching.) n Joshua Says Have the children stand in front of a teacher to play this game patterned after Simon Says. Remind children how the people followed Joshua and Joshua followed God. Use the following commands: Joshua says, March in place. Joshua says, Raise your hands above your head. Joshua says, Turn around. Joshua says, Touch your toes. Joshua says, Pat your tummy. Joshua says, Gently fall down like a brick wall. 117
Patterns Cut out a pair of ears for each child. Also cut along the dotted lines of each ear. 118 Permission to photocopy these patterns from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum for Toddlers & 2s granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com
Patterns Cut loosely around each pattern instead of cutting exactly on the outlines. Permission to photocopy these patterns from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum for Toddlers & 2s granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 119