Session 9 FOR THE LEADER Trust in God Psalm 146:1-10 The theme of Psalm 146 is praise. It teaches that praising the Lord is worthy of a lifelong pursuit (Psalm 146:2) based on seven irrevocable truths: Only God can save (v. 3). Man s wisdom is faulty because it lacks permanence (vv. 3-4). True joy and hopefulness are found in God (v. 5). As Creator, God can be trusted since He is permanent and faithful (v. 6). God knows and cares for those who hurt (vv. 7-9). Those who obey God experience His love (v. 8). God s reign is eternal (v. 10). God is both transcendent (above His people) and immanent (with His people), which is demonstrated by His faithful acts among the poor and strangers. God, the King of the universe, is immortal, and humans are mortal. For the Christian, praising God is not an option; it is an imperative based on God s character portrayed in His faithful acts for His people. In our human frailty, trusting God is not always easy, but when we exercise faith, the Holy Spirit empowers us to trust the Lord for help because the Holy Spirit is our paraclete or helper (v. 5). As believers, we don t naively trust in the Lord simply because we are told to do so. We trust God because His faithfulness proves we can trust Him (v. 6). God, as promised, faithfully delivered to Jacob a new land in which to dwell (Gen. 35:1-7). Likewise, God faithfully provided for Elijah during the famine (1 Kings 17:1-16). Psalm 146 not only celebrates God s faithfulness to the people of that day, but it speaks of God s promised faithfulness to future generations (v. 10), fulfilled with the coming of Jesus. Our Lord came to do what was promised, not only by the psalmist, but also by Isaiah the prophet (Ps. 146:7-9; Isa. 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19). Session 9: Trust in God 69
OVERVIEW SESSION FOCUS CORE PASSAGE: Psalm 146:1-10 CONNECTION PASSAGE: 1 Kings 17:1-16 FAMILY MEMORY VERSE: Psalm 146:6 TEXT TRUTH: God can be trusted because He is always faithful. GET STARTED 10 MINUTES BIBLE STUDY 35 MINUTES SMALL GROUP 30 MINUTES GET STARTED TOOLS Basket of Needs: table tennis balls, basket, permanent markers BIBLE STUDY TOOLS Jumping In: Family Cards Examine the Text: Bibles, Christ in Context: Psalms (Poster Pack) The Bible Story: Bible Times Cooking and Text Truth Strips (Poster Pack) Video: Explore the Bible on Location videos Memory Verse: Psalm 146:6 (Poster Pack) Prayer: Text Truth Strips (Poster Pack) SMALL GROUP TOOLS Explorer Guides: Bibles, Explorer Guides, pens Move: tape Explore: Bible Book Cards (enhanced CD), baskets Make: TRUTH (enhanced CD), pens, buttons NOTE: Downloadable versions of DVD items are available in the Digital Video Bundle. Downloadable versions of enhanced CD items are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. For free online training on how to lead a group, visit ministrygrid.com/web/explorethebible. 70 Explore the Bible: Older Kids
BIBLE STORY GOD WAS FAITHFUL TO ELIJAH CONNECTION PASSAGE: 1 Kings 17:1-16 King Ahab worshiped false gods and he lead the Israelites to worship false gods. God was not happy. The prophet Elijah went to talk to King Ahab. He had a special message from God. There will be no dew or rain during these years unless I command it. Then God told Elijah, Go and hide by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there. Elijah obeyed God. He lived by the Wadi Cherith. The ravens brought Elijah bread and meat in the morning and the evening. Because there was no rain, the wadi dried up after a while. God again spoke to Elijah, Go to Zarephath and stay there. I have commanded a widow woman to provide for you there. Elijah traveled to Zarephath and arrived at the town gate. He saw a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah asked her, Please bring me a little water in a cup. As the woman went for the water, Elijah asked, Please bring me a piece of bread. The woman replied, I don t have any bread baked. I only have a handful of flour and a little bit of oil. I am gathering wood in order to bake the bread for my son and I. After we eat it, we will die because we do not have any more food. Elijah told the woman, Don t be afraid, go and do what you have planned, but first make me a small loaf of bread. After that, you can make some bread for you and your son. God has said that the flour jar will not become empty and the oil will not run out until the day God sends rain again. The woman did as Elijah told her. For many days, Elijah, the woman, and her son had food. The flour jar did not become empty and the oil did not run out, just like God promised. CHRIST IN CONTEXT: The Book of Psalms reveals our need for a Savior. Psalms includes prophecies about Jesus, the Messiah and Savior. Jesus explained in Luke 24 that the Book of Psalms taught people about Him. Psalms highlights our need for salvation and that God, our Redeemer, provides salvation to those who trust in Him. CONNECTION STATEMENT: God was faithful to Elijah. He provided everything Elijah needed during the famine. KEY CONNECTIONS TO PSALMS CORE PASSAGE: Psalm 146:1-10 We can trust God in good times and tough times. God takes care of His people. Session 9: Trust in God 71
GET STARTED TOOLS: Basket of Needs: table tennis balls, basket, permanent markers GET STARTED (10 MINUTES) BASKET OF NEEDS Say: We understand what it means to need something. There are some things, such as food and water, without which we can t survive. Other things are lifestyle needs. You might need a certain book for school or a glove to play baseball. Although some are more critical than others, God is aware of all your needs. Give a table tennis ball and permanent marker to each kid to write a need on the ball. If the group is small, have them write on several of the balls. They can discuss it while they write. Allow them to include anything from genuine individual needs to general hypothetical needs. Once they have written their needs, have them take turns tossing or bouncing the balls several feet away to attempt to land them in a designated basket. When the basket is full, take it to one of the kids and show him a few of the needs. Ask: Can you take care of everything in here for us, please? Clarify that no one in the room is capable of handling all the needs represented in the basket. Assure the kids that even if we have the opportunity to help fulfill a need, we can t fulfill every need in the basket. Say: The only one who can provide for all of our needs perfectly is God. So, instead of feeling overwhelmed or helpless, we can trust God. Gather the kids around the basket to pray. Ask the kids if they have any specific needs they want to ask the group to pray about. Enlist a few volunteers to offer brief contributions to the prayer. Transition to Bible Study. 72 Explore the Bible: Older Kids
BIBLE STUDY BIBLE STUDY (35 MINUTES) JUMPING IN Distribute the Family Cards and describe the object. It has a heavy bill. The feathers have a purple or blue tint to them. One of these birds can have a wingspan of 4 feet. It can grow to 26 inches tall. It is a very intelligent animal. It can imitate a human s speech. Some have even been known to mimic a car s engine. These birds use sticks, pinecones, and other items to play games with other birds like them. Ask: What kind of bird is this? (Allow kids to share their guesses.) Say: This is a raven. A raven is an important part of our Bible story today. God used ravens to help someone understand that God is faithful. God has already given us everything necessary to know Him and trust Him. But often He will do something extra to encourage our confidence in Him. We will discover more about God s faithfulness in the Book of Psalms. EXAMINE THE TEXT Encourage the kids to open their Bibles to Psalm 146. Say: Life is not predictable. Sometimes circumstances change suddenly or people do unexpected things. It can be disappointing or even unsettling when things don t go as planned. This passage reminds us that even though people will sometimes let us down, God never fails. He can always be trusted. Read or have the kids help read Psalm 146:1-10. Say: These verses not only encourage us to praise the Lord, but they also assure us that we can trust Him. You might ve noticed that verses 3 and 4 warn us not to put our trust in people even if they re in charge. Ask the kids to explain in their own words what they think that means. Clarify: God is perfect. People are definitely not perfect. Even the nicest, smartest, funniest person is not able to be all that we need in life. These verses remind us that we can depend on God. Reference the Christ in Context: Psalms poster. Say: There s another very important thing to remember about Psalm 146. It mentions setting prisoners free. We are set free from sin by trusting in Jesus. Praise the Lord! TOOLS: Jumping In: Family Cards Examine the Text: Bibles, Christ in Context: Psalms (Poster Pack) The Bible Story: Bible Times Cooking and Text Truth Strips (Poster Pack) Video: Explore the Bible on Location videos Memory Verse: Psalm 146:6 (Poster Pack) Prayer: Text Truth Strips (Poster Pack) OPTION: Display the Raven visual from the DVD-ROM when you discuss the object. THE BIBLE STORY Place the Text Truth Strip on the wall and enlist a volunteer to read it to the group. God can be trusted because He is always faithful. Say: It s amazing the many ways God proves His faithfulness. Our study today includes some examples in the life of Elijah. Session 9: Trust in God 73
BIBLE STUDY Tell the Bible story using the included script as a guide. Ask: Did you notice Elijah s obedience? Challenge the kids to identify the many ways Elijah obeyed God, such as taking the message to King Ahab and hiding by the brook. Discuss how a relationship with God always inspires obedience. Say: Elijah trusted God. By the time he encountered the widow, God had already shown His authority to stop the rain and use birds to deliver breakfast. Elijah had no doubts of God s provision. Continue: Notice something else that happened. Elijah asked the woman, who had been expecting to die because there was no food left, to make him a loaf of bread first. As far as she knew, there wouldn t be enough for a last meal for herself. Yet she was asked to sacrifice her food for the sake of God s prophet. Display the Bible Times Cooking poster. Encourage the kids to imagine what it must have been like for the widow. Say: Elijah wasn t making a selfish request. He assured the woman that God would provide, and he was giving her a chance to trust God. God might not ask you to sacrifice your last meal, but each day you have the opportunity to trust Him. PLAY THE VIDEO Play the Session 9 video. Ask: Did any of Joel s theories work? Who was he putting his trust in? Who should we put our trust in? How did God show Elijah that God is faithful? MEMORY VERSE Say: Today s Memory Verse and our verse from last week show that God can be trusted because He is always faithful. Review the previous week s verse, Psalm 136:1, by enlisting volunteers to recite it. Display the Psalm 146:6 poster. Offer someone the opportunity to lead the group in reading it together. Ask the kids to use their own words to describe what this verse tells us about God. PRAYER Say: Life can be complicated. Sometimes it gets confusing to know what s right and true. It can even be difficult to know who to depend on. Those are the times it will help to remember today s Text Truth: God can be trusted because He is always faithful. Close in prayer and dismiss to Small Group. 74 Explore the Bible: Older Kids
SMALL GROUP SMALL GROUP (30 MINUTES) EXPLORER GUIDES Instruct the kids to open their Explorer Guides to Trust in God and review the Text Truth. Invite the kids to open their Bibles and briefly review Psalm 146:1-10. Guide kids to complete Psalms of Praise. Review the Bible story while kids solve the Elijah Crossword. Ask volunteers to read What Is a Wadi?, What Is Dew?, and What Is a Drought? Ask a volunteer to read about today s object, the Raven. PRAYER TIME Discuss practical needs people have. Give appropriate examples of struggles believers around the world have fulfilling daily needs. Explain that God allows us to participate in how He provides those needs by answering our prayers on their behalf. Select a specific need of a person or group in another part of the world. Pray for God to fulfill that need and comfort the person or people with His faithfulness. TOOLS: Explorer Guides: Bibles, Explorer Guides, pens TECH CONNECT (OPTIONAL) Prior to class, download the Explore the Bible: Kids Family App. Use the activity labeled Explorer Plus on the app. ACTIVITIES Select one or more of the activities to complete as time allows. MOVE BLIND STROLL Tools: tape This activity will require pairs of kids moving around the room. Each pair will need a different starting place and finishing place. Set it up so that half the pairs will have to cross the paths of the others. Use tape to mark where each pair will begin and end. Make sure they are distinct. For example, one pair might be designated by a square and another by a triangle. Attempt to make the distances between each start and finish point as similar as possible for each pair. One partner will keep her eyes closed while the other partner attentively guides her across the room to the designated marker. Depending on the space available and the dynamic of the group, this can happen a variety of ways. Consider whether the guiding team member should stand in one place and call out instructions to the other, or if they should walk beside each other, perhaps even linking arms. Once they have successfully traversed the course, each pair will trade places and repeat the process. Since this activity requires trust, relate it to the trust we have in God by reviewing the Text Truth: God can be trusted, because He is always faithful. Option: Distinguish different paths by using different colors of tape to make each path. Session 9: Trust in God 75
SMALL GROUP EXPLORE MAKE BASKET OF BIBLE BOOKS Tools: Bible Book Cards (enhanced CD), baskets Say: As we know from today s Text Truth, God can be trusted because He is always faithful. One of the ways we can know His faithfulness is to learn what He did through the lives of others. We saw in our Bible story how Elijah and the widow were able to rely on Him. Continue: Any time we spend studying the Bible will show us more about God s faithfulness. That s why it s so exciting to learn all we can from Scripture. Let s play a game to help us understand a little more about how the Bible is written. Place baskets in various locations around the room. Designate each basket as one of the divisions of the books of the Bible: Law, History, Poetry and Wisdom, Minor Prophets, Major Prophets, Gospels, History, Paul s Letters, General Letters, and Prophecy. If there are not enough baskets, have some baskets represent more than one division. Have the kids randomly select Bible Book Cards to toss into the appropriate baskets. If more than one set of cards is available, consider forming teams and making it a competition. Another alternative is to write the books of the Bible on table tennis balls and use those instead of Bible Book Cards. TEXT TRUTH BINGO Tools: TRUTH (enhanced CD), pens, buttons Print a TRUTH bingo card for each kid in the group. Guide the kids to write a single word of the Text Truth in each square on the bingo card. Ensure that the kids are not putting the Text Truth in order or in the same squares as each other. They should all have distinct cards. If the group is small, consider preparing cards ahead of time. Once all the words of the Text Truth are written, add extra words to the remaining squares. The kids can select their own or repeat the Text Truth to give themselves a better chance to win the game. To play, select a letter and word from the printed cards. Announce the selections, and wait for the kids to cover their words using the buttons. For anyone to be able to mark the word, it must be written in the column below the letter that was announced. The objective is to be the first to cover all the words of the Text Truth: God can be trusted, because He is always faithful. As soon as a kid realizes he has covered all the words, he must say the Text Truth aloud to win the game. 76 Explore the Bible: Older Kids