Lesson 8 God Redeems Based on: Genesis 37; 39 41 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 TruStory CRE: 5th 6th Grade Lesson Prepared by Bill Stahler Tru Sun, Wedgwood Baptist Chuch
2 Leader Preparation Each week you'll find a list of resources along with encouraging articles that help you prepare your heart to present the lesson. Further Resources A Small Group Enhancement is available for this lesson. Download the following resources to help you plan and lead TruStory lessons: Customizable copy of Lesson 8 2016 17 Scope and Sequence TruStory How It Works document HomeFront Weekly: Lesson 8 is provided for this lesson. The weekly for the next lesson to be sent home for preteaching by parents is found in BLESS. If you have questions about Tru curriculum or are looking for great training, blogs, and other support resources, visit truministry.com. (!) Allergy Alert When you see a (!) listed next to a resource or activity, note that potential allergens are suggested that may affect children with particular sensitivities. Please check with parents before their children participate. Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives In junior high, I had an amazing youth group leader named Alex. At the time, I was doubting my faith, and Alex took my questions seriously and provided thoughtful answers.
3 When I was in college I saw Alex less frequently. When we did talk, he shared feelings of discouragement, frustration, and loneliness. He had stopped working with youth and was doubting God's calling. Then, one day, he suffered an aneurism that left him in critical condition. For six months, Alex lay unconscious in the hospital. At first the doctors gave him hours to live. They were amazed when he continued to live for days, then weeks, until he finally woke up. In their words, his recovery was miraculous. Today, when I talk with Alex, his voice is full of joy and thankfulness. The effects of the aneurism left him unable to play basketball and reliant on daily medication, but Alex is more optimistic and joyful than ever. Through a devastating experience that left his body broken, God restored his spiritual life. Praise be to God, the One who redeems. Asriel Medina ROCKHARBOR Church Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson's Bible passage God redeems. In the life of Joseph, we see this man being captured by his brothers, sold into slavery, framed by the wife of Potiphar, forgotten in jail and yet God redeemed him out of every one of these situations, no matter what role Joseph played in each one. First, Joseph wore the coat of many colors given to him by his father, Jacob. Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved Joseph's brothers because Joseph was the firstborn son of Jacob's beloved wife, Rachel. The first garment change occurred when Joseph's brothers took the coat from him, tore it into pieces, and soaked it in goat's blood to convince Jacob that Joseph was dead. But we see in Scripture that "the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success" (Genesis 39:23). Because of this, Joseph was appointed to be an attendant instead of a slave in the house of Potiphar. His clothing changed from that of a slave to that of an overseer. This garment was taken from Joseph when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. He left his garment in her hand when he fled from her advances. Next, Joseph wore the garments of a prisoner. Later, after he interpreted Pharaoh's dream, Joseph was rewarded and put "in charge of the whole land of Egypt" and "dressed in robes of
4 fine linen" (Genesis 41:41 42). God not only redeemed Joseph from his imprisonment, but also dressed him in fine robes and gave him a position of responsibility. What a change from the days of wearing the garb of a slave! As God's children we're clothed in Jesus' righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). God sees us as redeemed, although we sometimes can't see ourselves that way. No matter what we may think or feel, Scripture says "we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). God sees us as holy like Christ. The redemption we have received from Christ is extravagant; it is redemption we do not deserve and did not earn. Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God's Word When we choose to be in leadership, our stories cease to be ours alone. Instead, God uses our stories for the sake of the people, or the children, whom we lead. Because we've answered God's call to be in leadership, we're now living to bring the lost to Jesus. We're living with our whole lives personal and public, internal and external to share the message that God redeems. God redeems souls from destruction and gives them eternal life. God redeems hearts from suffering and gives them joy. God redeems situations from hopeless to full of hope. How has God redeemed you your soul, the pain in your heart, the difficulty of a situation in your life? How is God redeeming you right at this moment? What stories could you share this week with your kids about how God is a God who redeems? Share these stories with the faith that God will use them to transform the hearts of the kids you lead.
5 10 minutes CONNECT Children develop relationships with their leaders and one another through simple activities and conversation starters. My Highs and Lows Supplies -Pens -Highs and Lows Template TruStory 5th 6th CRE Year 1 Fall Lesson 8 Kids will think back over the previous week and chart their highs and lows on the provided template. Prepare Ahead Print a copy of the Highs and Lows template for each child. Relate CONNECT QUESTION: Welcome and greet children. Open your time by asking this question: What's your favorite part of the day? We all have favorite parts of the day and other parts we don't like as much. We also experience both good and difficult things in our lives highs and lows. In The Big God Story, Joseph experienced highs and lows in his life times of excitement and times of disappointment. Give a Highs and Lows template to each child. Let's think back over the past week and consider the highs and lows you've experienced. Go through each day of the week and chart a different high or low point you experienced on each day. For example, on Monday you might have failed a big test, so that was a low. On Tuesday you might have gone out for pizza with a friend, so that
6 was a high. Once you've finished your charts, connect the dots to chart your ups and downs during the week. Then you can break into smaller groups and share your charts with one another.
7 30 minutes GATHER Children experience and learn more about God through memorizing Scripture, storytelling from The Big God Story, prayer, and discussion. Remember Verse Supplies -Lessons 6 9 Remember Verse Image: Phil 1:6 TruStory Year 1 Fall Each week children will spend time memorizing a portion of Scripture together. The Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that's highlighted in today's portion of The Big God Story. Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 Game: Colorful Verse Supplies -Index cards (26) -Tape -Markers (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) Prepare Ahead Write each word of the Remember Verse and the verse reference on an index card. Use alternating colors of markers to space out the colors among the words of the verse. Tape the index cards to the wall, keeping the words of the verse in order.
8 Relate Encourage your children to learn the Remember Verse by using color elimination. To begin, invite kids to read through the verse a few times together. Then remove all of the words written in one color, such as red. Next, have kids take turns trying to say the verse. After that, remove another color and allow students to see if they can still say the verse. Continue until each word from the verse has been removed. Storytelling Supplies -Bibles -Construction paper (1 sheet of each: blue and yellow) -Scissors -Tape -Props: colorful coat or robe, apron, crown (plastic or made from paper), fancy ring -Lesson 8 Investigate TruStory 1st 6th CRE Year 1 Fall Bible Passage: Genesis 37; 39 41 Storytelling Technique: Acting with Props God Redeems Prepare Ahead Use the yellow construction paper to create a sheaf of grain by forming it into a cylinder, taping it together near the bottom, and cutting vertical strips down to the tape. Cut a star out of the blue construction paper. Relate Just like we talked about earlier, everyone goes through good times and difficult times highs and lows. Do any of you remember Jacob? What were some of his highs and lows? Allow responses. Good thoughts. God was with Jacob through the hard times, redeeming them for good. God also knew He had made a promise to Jacob's grandfather, Abraham. God had promised Abraham that he would have a son, and through that son, Abraham would have a big family. God also told
9 Abraham that the whole world would be blessed through his family. Well, God started to fulfill this promise by giving Abraham's grandson, Jacob, 12 sons. What would be the best thing about having 11 brothers or sisters? Your least favorite thing? Allow and interact with responses. Let's pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us today. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to allow children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. In The Big God Story today, we'll hear about some sad things that God redeems. Does anyone know what redeem means? Pause for responses. To redeem something is to buy it back. Many times when bad things happen to us, God buys back what happened and changes it into something good. This happened in the life of one of Jacob's sons: Joseph. Invite the kids to open their Bibles to Genesis 37. Let the kids know you'll need their help to act out today's portion of Scripture, and invite a child to come to the front of the room to portray Joseph. Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. Does anyone know what gift Jacob gave to Joseph? Invite the kids to respond. Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 37:3 aloud. That's right a beautiful, colorful coat! Help the child portraying Joseph put on the colorful coat or robe. While Joseph enjoyed his coat, Joseph's brothers didn't get anything. They felt jealous and angry. Then Joseph began to have dreams. He dreamed that he and his brothers tied up stalks of grain into big bunches called sheaves. Invite a volunteer to come up and stand next to Joseph. Give him the sheaf of grain In the dream, all of Joseph's brothers' sheaves bowed down to his. Joseph also dreamed that the sun, moon, and 11 stars bowed down to him. Invite another volunteer to come up and hold up the star. All of this made his brothers very angry so angry that they wanted to kill him! But the oldest brother Reuben said they could not kill their own brother, so they took his colorful coat and threw him into a well. Have the student portraying Joseph take off the colorful coat and sit down. Have the other students sit down as well Later, a group passed by, and the brothers sold Joseph to the group. He would become a slave in Egypt! Things looked very dark for Joseph. But God never left Joseph, and He had plans to redeem Joseph's life. Invite another volunteer to come stand near you. God knew He would use Joseph for great things so the whole world could know God. Joseph was sold to a man named Potiphar. Ask the student portraying Joseph to put on the apron. Joseph was a good worker and quickly became the head servant in Potiphar's house. But one day Potiphar's wife became
10 very angry with Joseph. She told lies about him and made sure he went to jail, even though he'd done nothing wrong. Have the student take off the apron and invite a new volunteer to come up and stand next to Joseph in a position like a soldier or guard But God knew the plans He had to redeem Joseph, and He stayed with Joseph even in jail. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 39:21 aloud while kids follow along. Joseph was soon put in charge of the other prisoners, and God gave him a special gift he could interpret people's dreams. That means he could tell people what their dreams meant. One day Pharaoh the king of Egypt had a dream that upset him. He was confused and didn't know what his dream meant. Pharaoh dreamt that seven skinny cows ate seven fat cows. One of Pharaoh's servants brought in Joseph to interpret the dream, and Joseph told them that he couldn't tell them what the dream meant but God could! Joseph told Pharaoh that the dream meant there would be seven years of plenty of food in Egypt and seven years of famine, meaning a time with hardly any food. Pharaoh was shocked! Invite a couple of volunteers to read Genesis 41:39 40 aloud. Pharaoh was amazed by what God did through Joseph! Then Pharaoh took Joseph out of jail and put him in charge of his kingdom. Ask another volunteer to come up. Put the crown on his head and the fancy ring on his finger. Pharaoh gave Joseph nice clothes and put him in charge of storing up food so the people would have enough to eat during the famine. God took Joseph's bad situation and turned it into something good. He redeemed it. Jesus paid the price for our sin so we could have eternal life. That means Jesus redeemed us! God also redeemed Joseph's difficult situations. He was sold into slavery and then thrown into jail terrible things. But God used these things to make Joseph a leader in Egypt so he could save up lots of food to save many lives! Something even bigger happened through Joseph. Through Joseph's family line, Jesus came to earth. Jesus was one of the descendants of Abraham, his son Isaac, and Jacob and his sons. God knew the famine was coming, so He made sure Joseph was in Egypt at just the right time to save his family. God worked through The Big God Story to make sure that Jesus would be born so that we could know God. And Jesus is the true Redeemer. When we choose to trust and obey Him, we're forgiven from our sins and brought into relationship with God.
11 Joseph faced some tough situations, but God redeemed those situations and through them made the way for us to know Him! God still redeems today. Share a personal story about a time God redeemed you or a situation in your life. Discussion Questions - How did Joseph's brothers feel about him? Why? Genesis 37:4, 8 - What happened to Joseph after he was sold into slavery in Egypt? Genesis 39:1 - Why did good things happen to Joseph while he was in Potiphar's house? Genesis 39:2 5 - How did God care for Joseph when he was in prison? Genesis 39:21 22 - What does redeem mean? - How did God redeem all of the hard things that happened to Joseph? Genesis 41:39 40, 54 - What are some things that are hard for you right now? - How does what God did for Joseph help you? Developmentally Speaking During fifth and sixth grade, children's brains become more developed and able to handle abstract thinking. Encourage your class to use these thinking skills as they investigate Scripture and find more connections within The Big God Story.
12 15 minutes RESPOND Children reflect on what the Holy Spirit is teaching them and respond through games and creative activities. Colorful Prayers Supplies -Wood cross (approx. 3' tall) -Colorful sticky notes or squares of paper (3 4 notes or squares per person) -Pens or thin markers -Optional: tape, wood boards (2, 3' and 2') Children will be invited to respond by placing their needs and prayers for God on a wooden cross. Prepare Ahead Optional: If you don't already have a wooden cross, build one by nailing together two wood boards. Ideally the cross should be about three feet tall and two feet wide. Set Up Stand the cross against a wall or place it on the floor or a table. If you place it on the floor or a table, you can stand it up after the activity. Relate Joseph went through several hard experiences in his life. What were some of the hard things Joseph went through? Pause for responses. Yes. He was sold into slavery and thrown into jail for a crime he didn't commit! The Bible says that even in the worst of times, God was with Joseph (Genesis 39:20 21, and God redeemed every
13 hard thing that happened to him. What does redeem mean? Allow responses. Redeem means to buy back. God took the broken and painful things in Joseph's life and bought them back He changed them into good things. Through Joseph's life, God sent Jesus the Redeemer to save us from our sins. When Jesus died on the cross, He redeemed us. We were sinners separated from God, but Jesus died and rose again, giving us the opportunity to know Him and have new life in Him! What areas in your life do you need God to redeem? Maybe it's a broken relationship. Maybe it's something difficult you experienced and you don't understand why it happened. Sit in silence for a moment and talk to God about those things. Give kids several moments to think and pray. Point to the cross The cross is the place where Jesus died where He said, "It is finished." The cross reminds us that God redeemed us from sin and death and that one day, all things will be made right. Invite each student to take a sticky note or small piece of paper and write a word or a prayer to God about what she needs God to redeem in her life. Then have the kids stick or tape their notes to the cross as a symbol of God always being with them, no matter how deeply they might be hurting or suffering. Encourage kids to write as many prayers as they want both for themselves and for others they know who need God's redemption. (Optional) Color Chase Supplies -Construction paper (1 sheet per color, at least 6 different colors) -Scissors (1 pair) -Basket or bowl Joseph's father gave him a beautiful, colorful robe. Today invite your group to play a game involving chasing kids who draw certain colors. Prepare Ahead
14 Cut each sheet of paper into small pieces (about six pieces per sheet). Put them into a basket or bowl. Relate Today we're going to play a game of Color Chase. To begin, I'll choose a person to be "It." The rest of the class will stand on one end of the room, and It will stand in the middle of the room, facing away from you. Everyone will draw a color from the basket or bowl, then It will call out one of the colors in the basket. All the kids holding that color will try to run to the other side of the room without being tagged. If you get tagged, you'll sit down where you're tagged and try to tag others using only your arms. The last person to be tagged will be the next person to be It.
15 5 minutes BLESS Supplies -Bible -Sticky notes (1 note per child, various colors) -Pencils or pens -Lessons 6 9 Remember Verse Cards: Phil 1:6 TruStory Year 1 Fall -Lesson 9 HomeFront Weekly TruStory Year 1 Fall Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing may be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Relate Gather the children into a circle and have them sit down as you read the blessing from Luke 1:68: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. Now give a colorful sticky note to each child. On the sticky note, have her write "God Redeems." Then encourage each child to turn to the child on her right, give him the sticky note or place it on his shirt, and say, "(Child's name), may you know that God has redeemed you." Make sure each child is blessed by another child. Then bless the group with the following words: May you know that the God of Israel redeemed you. May you trust in God your Redeemer. Send home Remember Verse cards and the HomeFront Weekly with your kids.
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