. UNIT 1 BE A LEADER / PRESCHOOL SESSION 3 - JOSHUA AND JERICHO BIBLE PASSAGE: Joshua 6:1-21 LIFE POINT: God always knows what to do. CHRIST FOCUS: Jesus always obeyed God. BIBLE VERSE: God can do anything, His plans neer fail. Job 42:2 (Paraphrase) I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (HCSB) I know that thou canst do eery thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Job 42:2 (KJV) I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (NIV) I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (ESV) I know that You can do eerything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. Job 42:2 (NKJV) Production Notes p From simple to inoled, you can tailor Worship for Life to your kids and leaders: Short on supplies and leaders? For an easy prep, enlist a host, a music leader, and prepare the Connection Point game. Then show the ideos for the worship songs and other segments. Do you hae musicians who would like to lead worship songs? Check out the lead sheets on the DVD-ROM or substitute your songs! This symbol denotes that the segment or song is aailable on ideo. h This symbol indicates props that will be needed for today s session. 1
Schedule and Props This symbol indicates that a ideo is proided on the DVD-ROM. p This symbol indicates that the actiity is host or leader-led no ideo for this actiity. Ups (Optional) p Huddle People: Small Group Leaders Supplies: Joshua and Jericho Coloring Sheet (DVD-ROM), crayons or washable markers Intro Backstage 1-2 minutes People: Stage Manager Props: headset, dominoes Countdown and Welcome 1-5 minutes People: Host Props: none Worship Song 3 minutes People: Worship Leader and/or Worship Team Point Game p Connection 5-10 minutes People: Host, two teams of two or more players Props: building supplies (toy bricks, cardboard boxes, shoes boxes, or paper cups), beach balls (multiple per team) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL Story Bible 5-6 minutes People: Storyteller Props: Bible Song Worship 3 minutes People: Worship Leader and/or Worship Team Set-up, Host Briana and Friends Video 2 minutes People: Host p Closing 2 minutes People: Host Props: none Outro Backstage 1-2 minutes People: Stage Manager Props: headset off ears and around neck, dominoes from Backstage Intro Ups (Optional) p Huddle People: Small Group Leaders 2
t TECH m music Video and/or audio capabilities Be a Leader Microphones for singers Eerywhere I Go Lights (optional) God s Loe Optional sound effects aailable (see sound effects file) I Gie All My Thanks to You Jesus Is Alie We Can Loe Jesus Need help planning your session? Additional training for Worship for Life: Kids is aailable at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 3
p HUDDLE UPS (OPTIONAL) Optional huddle ups are for churches that hae a drop-off time before the session begins. There are multiple ideas for interaction during this time, such as simple games that preschoolers can play on the floor or within whateer arrangements you gather your kids. (Print the following for your small group leaders.) Duck, Duck, Goose This is the classic game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Inite the kids to sit in a circle and pick one person to be It. The kid who is It will walk around the outside of the circle, lightly tapping each child on the head and saying Duck duck duck until they find one person to be the goose. The goose jumps up and chases the person, trying to tag them before they arrie back at the acated spot. Tell kids that today we ll be talking about a group of people who went around and around in a circle outside a city! Color Joshua and Jericho Coloring Sheets Tell preschoolers that today they will hae the opportunity to learn that God always knows what to do. Distribute coloring supplies and coloring sheets to the preschoolers. Allow them to color on their pages while they wait for the session to begin. If the kids prefer to use blank paper, they can color on the back of the page. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 4
BACKSTAGE INTRO c Estimated time: 1-2 minutes Tech: Video option aailable, t Session Title slide p People: Stage Manager Props: headset, dominoes h Create a domino maze that can be knocked down. (Show ideo or act out the following.) STAGE MANAGER (Show Session Title slide.) (places last domino in maze; realizes he/she is lie) Hey, eeryone! I e been working on this all morning. How many of you loe dominoes? Me, too! You hae to be so careful, right? One wrong moe, and they all can fall down. Today we will talk about a wall that comes down in a ery different way than this one will. So are you ready to see this wall (points to dominoes) come down? OK, let s see how it goes (pushes first domino to start the fall of other dominoes) Whoa! That was pretty cool, huh? But I hae a feeling that the wall we re talking about today didn t look like these dominoes. Let s get right to it and hear more about Joshua and that wall around Jericho! (speaks into headset) Is eeryone ready? Awesome. PLACES! (runs offstage) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 5
COUNTDOWN AND WELCOME c Estimated time: 1-5 minutes Tech: Countdown ideo, Life t Point slide, Bible Verse slide p People: Host h Props: none HOST (Play Countdown ideo. Host walks out at around 30 seconds.) Hi, eeryone! It s about that time! Let s say it out together! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Great countdown as usual! Wow, that dominoes thing was awesome, wasn t it? Watching all those dominoes fall really makes me think about our story today. Does anyone know which wall we re talking about today? The wall of Jericho! When Joshua and the Israelites came to the wall of Jericho, God gae them some ery special instructions. We ll hear more about that in our story a little later, but first, today we want you to know that God always knows what to do. (Show Life Point slide.) Let s say that again together. (Repeat with slide.) God always knows what to do. God is neer confused like we sometimes are! He always knows what to do! Our Bible erse today tells us that God can do anything! Can you say that with me, too? God can do ANYTHING! (Show Bible Verse slide select preferred ersion.) Let s say our Bible erse together! God can do anything, His plans neer fail. Job 42:2 (Paraphrase) I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (NIV) I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (HCSB) I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (ESV) I know that thou canst do eery thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Job 42:2 (KJV) I know that You can do eerything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. Job 42:2 (NKJV) Let s stand and sing praises to God together! (Host leaes as worship team gets in place.) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 6
SONG c Estimated time: 3 minutes Music or lyric ideo, mics t fortech:singers, lights (optional) People: Worship Leader p and/or Worship Team h Props: none Music: Be a Leader (lead sheet m aailable on DVD-ROM) or worship song of your choice (Show ideo or gie the following to your worship leader.) LEADER (Music begins.) OK, guys, can you repeat after me? God always knows what to do! Let s say it again. God always knows what to do! Let s sing together to Him and praise Him that een if we don t know what to do, He always does! (Show the music or lyric ideo.) (Lead kids to sit as song ends.) Now, let s get ready for Connection Point! FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 7
p CONNECTION POINT GAME c Estimated time: 5-10 minutes Tech: Connection Point slide, t Connection Point theme music Host, two teams p ofpeople: two or more players Props: building supplies (toy h bricks, cardboard boxes, shoes boxes, or paper cups), beach balls (multiple per team) Game Instructions This game will be played by two teams of two or more players at the front of the room. The object of the game is for each team to build a wall (use timer for this), using any building supplies. Then while standing behind their own walls, the teams (one at a time and as directed) will attempt to knock down the other team s wall with the beach balls. The first team to knock down the opposing team s entire wall wins. host (Play Connection Point theme music and show Connection Point slide.) (enters after theme music plays) Hi, eeryone! Welcome to Connection Point! Today I need two teams who are really good at building! (The Host will choose two teams and assign a leader to assist each team. The Host will introduce the teams and ask them to stand on opposite sides of the playing area.) OK, I know that you can all see the building blocks (or material you chose) we hae for our teams. Teams, we ll gie you 1 minute to build the best wall you can. Are you ready? On your marks, get set, go! (Leaders can help teams build the walls. The Host can hae the audience cheer them on.) Wow, those are some great looking walls! Now, let s see how strong they are. We will let both teams, one at a time, launch a beach ball at the other team s wall. Let s see how long it takes to knock down these walls! Team #1, are you ready with your first beach ball? All right, here we go (Play fun music while the kids are playing. The teams will only launch one beach ball at a time, when instructed by the Host.) Great job! Gie our teams a big round of applause! That was kind of hard, wasn t it? Today we re learning about a really big wall that fell down and no one een threw anything! (Theme music/slide to transition. Host leads into next segment.) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 8
BIBLE STORY c Estimated time: 5-6 minutes Tech: Christ Focus, Life Point, and t Bible Story slides; Bible Story ideo p People: Storyteller h Props: Bible (Play the Bible Story ideo or tell the following Bible story.) STORYTELLER (Show Bible Story slide.) I am so happy to be with you today! I can t wait to share God s Word with you! Let s get ready to hear a true story of God s amazing power! God always knows what to do! After Joshua led God s people across the Jordan Rier, it was time for God s people to take oer the city of Jericho. When Joshua and the Israelites reached the city of Jericho, there was a problem. The whole city was surrounded by big stone walls. The walls were high; let s stretch up as high as we can. The walls were wide; let s stretch our arms wide. The Israelites probably thought they needed to hae all of their weapons ready and needed to prepare to climb the walls and attack! But God had a different plan. God always knows what to do! Let s say God always knows what to do! (allows for responses) Great job! God told Joshua to hae the Israelite army and seen priests carrying trumpets made of ram s horn march around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days. Let s stand up and march in place. Very good! Now let s hae a seat and see what happened next. God s people marched around the city just like God told them. God told Joshua on the seenth day to hae the men march around the city seen times and then hae the priests blow the horns. Let s stand up and pretend to blow horns. Can you make a horn sound for me? (allows for responses) Fantastic! When God s people heard the trumpets, they gae a loud shout. God performed a miracle! Let s sit down and listen to what God did. (Open the Bible and read Joshua 6:20.) So the people shouted, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gae a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The people adanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. Friends, what did God do? (allows for responses) Yes, God made the walls of Jericho fall down! God always knows what to do! Let s shout God always knows what to do! (allows for responses) (Show Christ Focus slide.) God knew what to do when the world needed a Saior. He sent Jesus. Jesus is powerful and when He died on the cross, there was a way for all of us to be with Him foreer! God knew what to do! Let s pray. God, we celebrate that You always know what to do! There is nothing too hard for You. Help us to follow Your plans, God. We loe You. Amen. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 9
SONG c Estimated time: 3 minutes Music or lyric ideo, mics t fortech:singers, lights (optional) People: Worship Leader p and/or Worship Team h Props: none Music: God s Loe (lead sheet m aailable on DVD-ROM) or worship song of your choice (Show ideo or gie the following to your worship leader.) LEADER (Music begins.) (Music begins.) What a powerful God! The same God that collapsed the walls of Jericho is the God who gies us the air that s in our bodies so that we can sing to Him. Let s take deep breaths together in and out in and out Let s use our breath to sing this together! (Show the music or lyric ideo.) (Lead kids to sit as song ends.) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 10
HOST SET-UP, BRIANA AND FRIENDS VIDEO c Estimated time: 2 minutes t Tech: Briana and Friends ideo p People: Host h Props: none HOST Today we learned that God always knows what to do. Our friend, Briana, wants to talk to us about that today. Make sure to say your answers aloud when she asks you a question! (Play ideo.) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 11
p CLOSING c Estimated time: 2 minutes Tech: Session Title slide, t Bible Verse slide p People: Host h Props: none HOST (Show Session Title slide.) You guys looked really good marching and blowing your horns! I think it would hae been awesome to see a whole army of people walking in a circle around Jericho, don t you? God knew exactly what to do! (Show Life Point slide.) Our life point today is God always knows what to do. Let s say that one more time so we don t forget it. (Repeat with slide.) God always knows what to do. Optional Giing Segment: When we loe God and want to worship Him, one of the ways we can do that is to gie to Him! If you d like to gie to God today, (Gie your own directions for how the kids can gie to God. Perhaps you hae buckets in the back of the room, a chest up front, or an enelope that each small group leader passes.) (Show Bible Verse slide select preferred ersion.) Let s go oer our erse one more time to remind us that God always knows what to do. God can do anything, His plans neer fail. Job 42:2 (Paraphrase) I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (NIV) I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (HCSB) I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 (ESV) I know that thou canst do eery thing and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Job 42:2 (KJV) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL I know that you can do eerything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. Job 42:2 (NKJV) 12
BACKSTAGE OUTRO c Estimated time: 1-2 minutes Tech: Video option aailable, t Session Title slide p People: Stage Manager Props: headset off ears and h around neck, dominoes from Backstage Intro (Show ideo or act out the following.) STAGE MANAGER (Show Session Title slide.) (Begins setting all the dominoes back up, presumably to knock them down again.) What a neat day! I loe hearing the Bible story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho. It made me want to set these dominoes back up and knock them down again. I m going to imagine that these dominoes are the walls of Jericho! I m really glad that our God is so powerful and knows what to do! Be sure to grab the One Conersation page on your way out. It will help you talk with your family about what you e learned. Can t wait to see you next week! FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 13
p HUDDLE UPS (OPTIONAL) This time is designed for churches that hae a pick-up time from a large room as parents arrie. It s a great time for follow-up conersations and questions from small group leaders about the session s content. You also can use the missions emphasis (below). (Print the following for your small group leaders.) Where were God s people? (outside the city of Jericho) What did God want the people to do? (March around the city for 6 days.) What happened on the seenth day? (The Israelites marched around the city 7 times, shouted, and the walls fell down.) Did the walls fall down because the people were so loud? (No, they fell because of the power of God.) MISSIONS EMPHASIS (OPTIONAL) Reiew the missionary story of Steen Kunkel and his work in Japan. Read Philippians 4:13, Steen s faorite Bible erse. Say: God helps Steen in his work as a missionary. Pray that Steen would continue to be strong as he ministers to the people of Japan. Missions Story: Stibuno Steen Kunkel works as a missionary in Japan, but Steen has a special story. Steen likes to draw. He draws a manga character called Stibuno. Manga is a style of Japanese comic book that is ery popular. The stories in these comic books usually are about iolence, adenture, romance, and action. But Steen s character, Stibuno, is about the loe of Jesus. In the stories Steen writes, Stibuno s greatest challenge is for him to lie in a world that does not know about Jesus. Stibuno wants to become a leader and share the gospel. Steen s greatest challenge is to share the gospel using his gifts. Steen says: Stibuno reminds me a lot about my childhood and how God has been helping me grow. Steen s parents are missionaries in South America. Steen was diagnosed with autism when he was 1 year old. Autism is a brain disorder. Some people with autism are nonsocial they do not like to talk to people or be touched by people. But God helped Steen. He loes being with other people and sering God. Een though he was told he could neer speak another language, he can now speak fie languages, including Japanese. I would neer imagine that I would really speak Japanese and become a major part of this church in Japan, Steen says. In Japan, Steen works for a Filipino-Japanese church. He translates for the pastor, teaches English to Japanese kids, helps in the youth ministry, and plays keyboard in the church band. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 14
Steen says he is much like his character Stibuno. He has been gien new armor. Being far away from his family, he has learned to depend on God for help. He knows he was made to sere God, tell people about Jesus, and tell people how God helped him. Steen wants people with disabilities to know that they can hae the hope of sering God. Not eeryone is made the same. Steen wants people to neer gie up or lose hope because God is working in their lies. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 15