Week of August 25, 2013 Lessons for the Leader What has God done for you? Take a few minutes to write out your testimony. Include what your life was like before you became a Christian, how you came to know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, and what God has done for you since you became a Christian. What difference is He making in your life right now? When was the last time you shared your testimony with someone? What impact did it have on the person? In Acts 26 we find Paul taking another opportunity to share his testimony. Read Acts 26:1-3. Paul had been arrested for sharing about Jesus and was brought before King Agrippa to speak in his own defense. How did Paul flatter the king? Why did he do that? Read verses 4-23. Paul shared his testimony with King Agrippa. What was Paul's life like before he became a believer? How did he come to know Jesus as his Savior and Lord? What had God done in his life since his conversion? Compare your testimony to Paul's. Every person's testimony is unique, but the results are the same: When we place our faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord, we receive the free gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven! Read verses 24-32. After Paul was accused of being crazy, he declared he was speaking the truth and indicated the king knew about the matters of which he was speaking. Do you think King Agrippa's question was spoken in anger, in jest, or out of concern? How do people respond when you share your testimony? Think about the desires God has placed on your heart. Do you have a desire to tell people about Jesus? In what ways do you fulfill the calling to teach children about Jesus? Are you ready to share what God is doing in your life? What do these symbols mean? Living It Out Focus Passage: Acts 26 Key Bible Verse: Luke 8:39a Life Application I can tell people what God has done for me. Session at a Glance Introduction to Worship (6 to 8 minutes) Greet the Children Play "Salesman" Worship (30 minutes/45 minutes) Sing "95" Sing "Remarkable" Call to Worship/Receive Offering/Pray Introduce the Session Learn the Key Bible Verse Share Your Testimony/Tell the Bible Story Review the Bible Story Show "Kaycee and Casey" Video #2 Sing "Wake Up the World" Make Life Application/Pray Application Activities (20 minutes) Wrap-Up (10 minutes) 1a Application Activities Format: Follow the numbers with arrows for a 30-minute, large group plus 20-minute Application Activities format. 1 Follow all the numbers for a 45- to 60-minute large group only format. OK to copy. Page 1 of 12
Introduction to Worship 1aGreet the Children 2aPlay "Salesman" 3 paper bags, 3 rolls of toilet paper, 3 toothbrushes, 3 pairs of socks, table Place the toilet paper, toothbrush, and socks in the bags (1 item per bag). Fold the tops of the bags over. Display the bags on the table. Guide the children to be seated. Select three children to play the role of "salesmen." Explain: "The 'salesmen' will describe the item they want you to buy. They cannot use any hand motions or name the items. Your task is to guess the items and decide if you would buy the items or not. Raise your hand when you think you know what the items are." Assign each "salesman" to a bag. Allow the "salesmen" to look in the bags. Select a "salesman" to begin. Pick a child to state what he believes the item is. If the child is correct, allow him to hold the item. Continue for each item. Ask: "Why is it difficult to describe something we use or see every day?" Say: "We just saw how difficult it can be to describe something. Let's discover what God wants us to tell our friends about what He has done for us." Living It Out Worship 3 Sing "95" (DVD, 3 minutes) 4aSing "Remarkable" (DVD, 3 minutes) 5aCall to Worship/Receive Offering/Pray (4 minutes) Enlist 2 children to share what Jesus means to them and the difference He has made in their lives. Select a child to read aloud Luke 8:39a. Introduce the volunteers and allow them to share. Receive offering. Select volunteers to pray. 6aIntroduce the Session (3 minutes) Worship Guides, pencils Lead the children to complete "What Would You Say?" on their Worship Guides. Invite the children to share their answers with two people. 7 Learn the Key Bible Verse (4 minutes) Scissors, poster board, marker, building blocks Print "I Can Tell..." (CD) (1 card per child). Cut apart. Build a house out of building blocks at the end of the room. Place the cards inside. Write the words and reference for Luke 8:39a on the poster board. Display near the house. Instruct the children to line up on the opposite side of the room from the house. Say: "One at a time, run to the house and read the words of Luke 8:39a. Then pick a card from inside the house to discover whom you could tell about Jesus. Think about something God has done for you this week that you could tell the person." Direct the children to run back and tag the next person in line. Ask: "What are some things we can tell people God has done in our lives?" Say: "Listen to how Paul told King Agrippa what happened in his life." 8aShare Your Testimony/Tell the Bible Story (8 minutes) Bible times costume Enlist a male volunteer to play Paul. Teacher Tip Enlist the same volunteer who played Paul earlier in this unit. Say: "Before we learn what God did in Paul's life, let me tell you what God has done in my life." Share your testimony. Continue: "Telling what God has done in our lives is a great way to tell people about Jesus. Let's listen to Paul's amazing story." Introduce "Paul." Page 2 of 12
It's My Story Based on Acts 26 Hello. My name is Paul. Thank you for letting me tell you about some incredible things God has done for me. Many years ago, I was arrested for sharing what Jesus had done for me. I was brought before King Agrippa (uh GRIP uh) to defend myself and my actions. Standing before the king was quite an experience! I explained why I was brought before him. I told him I was telling the Jews and Gentiles about Jesus and was arrested. Then I told him my story. I used to persecute (harm) believers of Jesus for telling what they believed. One day, a remarkable event happened to me on the road to Damascus. While traveling on the road, a bright light appeared and blinded me. Then I heard a voice ask me, "Why do you persecute Me?" When I heard the voice, I asked, "Who are You, Lord?" The voice replied, "I am Jesus, the One whom you are persecuting." Needless to say, Jesus got my attention. He told me to be a witness for Him by telling people about Him. People need to hear about Jesus so they can receive forgiveness for their sins. A man named Festus did not like what I had to say to the king and accused me of being crazy. Festus accused me of reading too many books. I asked King Agrippa if he believed in the prophets. King Agrippa asked me, "Are you trying to make me a Christian?" I told him yes. I wanted everyone who heard me speak to know Jesus and start a relationship with Him. 9aReview the Bible Story (5 minutes) Print "Testimony" Teaching Picture (CD). Display. Call attention to the teaching picture. Invite children to recall events from the Bible story. Lead the children to complete "Whose Story Is It?" on their Worship Guides. Review responses. 10a Show "Kaycee and Casey" Video #2 (DVD, 7 minutes) Ask: "If I asked you to make a list of all the things God has done for you, what would you write down? Is there anything God does that you take for granted? Let's discover how God reminds Kaycee of the things He does for her." Show the video. Ask: "If you were Vivian's father, how would you have responded? Do you think Vivian understood how God provided for her? What tone of voice did Kaycee use when talking with Vivian? How do you think the situation would have been different if Kaycee had not been so calm? How did God remind Kaycee of the things He does for her? If Kaycee made another list, what do you think she would have included this time?" 11a Sing "Wake Up the World" (DVD, 3 minutes) 12aMake Life Application/Pray (6 minutes) Teacher Tip Help children understand that everyone has a story God can use. Ask: "Does everyone have a story to tell about his relationship with God?" Say: "Everyone has a story to tell. People who have not asked Jesus to be their Savior can tell about their lives. God wants us to tell these people about our relationships with Him. Everyone who has accepted Jesus can tell what his life was like before becoming a Christian, how he became a Christian, and what his life has been like since becoming a Christian. Is everyone's story the same?" Continue: "Everyone has his own story. Have you experienced the same things Paul experienced? No. God works in each of our lives in different ways. God wants us to tell what has happened to us." Lead the children to complete "My Story" and "Who Needs to Hear My Story?" on their Worship Guides. Pray for opportunities to tell people about Jesus. 13aTransition to Application Activities or Wrap-Up Week of August 25, 2013 Page 3 of 12
Wrap-Up (Large Group Only Format) 14 Making My Story Known (7 minutes) White, self-adhesive paper; permanent markers; scissors; ruler Cut paper into 3-by-10-inch strips (1 per child). Teacher Tip Allow the children to make additional bumper stickers to share with friends. Ask: "Have you ever seen a bumper sticker on a car? What did the bumper sticker say about the person who owns the car? Do you think the person believes what the bumper sticker says?" Call on children to describe bumper stickers they have seen. Say: "Let's make bumper stickers to help us tell what God has done for us." Distribute strips and markers. Guide the children to design bumper stickers that tell about their relationship with God. Assist as needed. Say: "Ask your parents where you can place your bumper sticker. When you read it, ask yourself, 'Am I living out what I believe about God? Can people tell by my actions what I believe? Who can I tell about God?' " Allow volunteers to share their bumper stickers with the group. 15 Sing "Lifesong" (DVD, 3 minutes)/pray 16 Dismiss the Children to Their Parents Wrap-Up (Application Activities Format) 14aShare Application Activities (3 minutes) Invite children to share their Application Activity experiences. darts d and Crafts "My Story" Billboards ddramatic d Play Paper Bag Puppets dgames Mixed-Up d Messages dexploration d and Discovery Story Starters 15aLearn the Key Bible Verse (4 minutes) Scissors, poster board, marker, building blocks Print "I Can Tell..." (CD) (1 card per child). Cut apart. Build a house out of building blocks at the end of the room. Place the cards inside. Write the words and reference for Luke 8:39a on the poster board. Display near the house. Instruct the children to line up on the opposite side of the room from the house. Say: "One at a time, run to the house and read the words of Luke 8:39a. Then pick a card from inside the house to discover whom you could tell about Jesus. Think about something God has done for you this week that you could tell the person." Direct the children to run back and tag the next person in line. Ask: "What are some things we can tell people God has done in our lives?" 16aSing "Lifesong" (DVD, 3 minutes)/pray 17aDismiss the Children to Their Parents Week of August 25, 2013 Worship KidStyle Children's Edition Leader Guide 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Page 4 of 12
Application Activities Select from the following choices. Each choice is designed for 20 minutes of small group time. Large sheets of paper (1 per child), markers, tape Teacher Tips Make a billboard based on your story to use as an example. Allow the children take the billboards home, or display them in your room or a hallway in your church building for a few weeks. Worship Through Arts and Crafts "My Story" Billboards Ask: "If you designed a new video game, how would you tell people about it? Would you use television ads? What about billboards?" Say: "Some businesses use billboards to tell you about their products. You see billboards as you travel around town. Let's design billboards to tell what God has done in our lives." Distribute supplies. Guide the children to design billboards about their lives. Assist as needed. Display the billboards on the focal wall. Invite each child to tell about his billboard. Ask: "If we designed a billboard for Paul, what should we include?" Review the Bible story. Select a volunteer to read aloud Luke 8:39a. Challenge: "This week, show your billboard to a friend. Ask him to tell you what he thinks the billboard says. Take a few minutes to tell your friend about your relationship with God and what He is doing in your life." Pray for each child by name, asking God to give him the courage to be like Paul and tell what he believes. Table, paper bags, markers, construction paper, glue, scissors, decorative items (googly eyes, chenille stems, buttons, etc.) Teacher Tips The corners of the "mouth" section of the bag can be folded under to create a more rounded chin/mouth area. Prepare a paper bag puppet that looks like you to use an example. Worship Through Dramatic Play Paper Bag Puppets Ask: "If someone wrote a movie about your life, what would he say about you? What would he include about your relationship with God?" Continue: "What would people say about the life of Paul?" Review the Bible story. Guide each child to select a partner. Place the supplies on the table. Say: "Use the supplies to make a puppet that looks like your partner." Assist as needed. Continue: "Place your puppet on your hand. Use your puppet to tell us about your partner. Tell us what your partner likes to do, what her favorite food is, and what she believes about God." Allow each child to present his puppet show. Continue: "How do our friends know about what we believe? How did people know what Paul believed?" Say: "People knew what Paul believed because his actions matched his beliefs. They also knew because Paul was not afraid to tell people. Let's pray for courage to be like Paul." Pray for each child by name, asking God to give him the courage to be like Paul and tell what he believes. Week of August 25, 2013 Page 5 of 12
Scissors Print and cut apart "Mixed-Up Messages" (CD) (1 set per team). Shuffle cards. Teacher Tips Print each set on a different color paper. Make the game more interesting by removing a key word from each message and see if teams can figure out which words are missing. Answers I can tell others what God has done for me. God wants me to tell others about Jesus. Everyone has a story that God can use. My story can help others become Christians. 8-10 items (basketball, rock, MP3 player, Bible, cell phone, cross jewelry, book, soft drink can, bottle of water, candy bar, etc.), sticky notes (at least 1 per child per object), markers, stopwatch Display the objects in different areas of the room. Place sticky notes and pencils or markers with each object. Teacher Tip Be available to help younger children write their ideas on the sticky notes. Worship Through Games Mixed-Up Messages Ask: "How do you understand what people say? What if I said, 'People for done I tell has can God what me.' Does that make sense? No. The statement does not make sense because the words are out of order. The correct order is, 'I can tell people what God has done for me.' Does that make sense? Let's see how well you can put some statements in order." Form teams. Give each team a set of "Mixed-Up Messages" cards. Say: "When I say 'begin,' see how quickly you can put the cards in order. When you think you have them in the correct order, let me know and I will check them. Let's see which team can complete the statement first." Allow the children to place the cards in order, then check for accuracy. Read aloud the correct statement. Continue for additional statements. Ask: "What do these statements tell us about what God has done for us? How can we tell people about God's actions? How did Paul tell about his relationship with God?" Review the Bible story. Say: "People knew what Paul believed because his actions matched his beliefs. They also knew because Paul was not afraid to tell people. Let's pray for courage to be like Paul." Pray for each child by name, asking God to give him the courage to be like Paul and tell what he believes. Worship Through Exploration and Discovery Story Starters Ask: "How do you know the purpose of a basketball? Can a basketball be used to draw a picture? No. A basketball is used to play the game of basketball. Can a basketball be used to tell someone about Jesus? Yes." Call attention to the items around the room. Say: "Around the room are several items. Beside each item are sticky notes and markers. Think about how you can use the item to tell someone what God is doing in your life. Write or draw the way on the sticky note." Guide each child to an item. Say: "You have 30 seconds to write how you can use the item." Assist as needed. Direct the children to place the sticky note on the floor beside the item. Rotate the children to different items as time permits. Recap the ways the children listed for using the items. Ask: "What did Paul use to tell people about God?" Say: "Paul used his life's story. He told what had happened to him and how God was working in his life." Review the Bible story. Say: "People knew what Paul believed because his actions matched his beliefs. They also knew because Paul was not afraid to tell people. Let's pray for courage to be like Paul." Pray for each child by name, asking God to give him the courage to be like Paul and tell what he believes. Worship KidStyle Children s Edition Leader Guide 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. OK to copy. Page 6 of 12
Ralph Pallen Coleman It's My Story 1944 The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in the USA. Acts 26 Page 7 of 12
MOM SISTER GRANDMOTHER NEIGHBOR COUSIN DAD BROTHER GRANDFATHER FRIEND TEACHER I Can Tell... (August 25) Worship KidStyle Children s Edition, Summer 2013 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 8 of 12
I can tell others what God has done for me. Mixed-Up Messages (August 25) Worship KidStyle Children s Edition, Summer 2013 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 9 of 12
God wants me to tell others about Jesus. Mixed-Up Messages (August 25) Worship KidStyle Children s Edition, Summer 2013 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 10 of 12
Everyone has a story that God can use. Mixed-Up Messages (August 25) Worship KidStyle Children s Edition, Summer 2013 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 11 of 12
My story can help others become Christians. Mixed-Up Messages (August 25) Worship KidStyle Children s Edition, Summer 2013 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in USA. OK to copy. Page 12 of 12