God Has a Big Story, and I Can Be Part of It!

April, 16, 2017 DATE God Has a Big Story, and I Can Be Part of It! PONDER POINT Bible Passage: Genesis Revelation (The Big God Story/Easter) THE BIG GOD STORY Worship & Welcome (5 minutes): Begins class creating an inviting atmosphere for kids to feel welcome and to worship in song. Celebrate (10 minutes): Establishes community and engages kids, drawing them in and preparing them to hear God s word. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:5 REMEMBER VERSE Because this is Easter Sunday.We will be switching times with small group and Big God Story. So we will do our opening just like always, but when it is normally time to do our Big God Story, we will dismiss to small groups 10 to 15 min. And gather back in for the Big God Story. The Big God Story (15 minutes): Creates space for children to hear God s word. Small Groups (20 minutes): Kids respond in small groups to what they heard in the Big God Story. Remember Verse & Bless (5 minutes): Allows children to practice their memory verse and be sent out with a sense of peace so they can be a blessing to others. GOAL: Worship & welcome is all about engaging kids and helping them enter into worship, letting them know that class has begun preparing their minds for what they are going to hear. WELCOME: IMAGE: Welcome We are so glad you are here at Critter Land today. If you brought offering, you can go put it in the squirrel feeder right when you come in. OPENING WORSHIP SONG: VIDEO: (9:00, 10:15 and 11:30) Happy Day VIDEO: (9:00, 10:15 and 11:30) 1,2,3 1

GOAL: Establishes community and engages kids, drawing them in and preparing them to hear God s word. Kids get to participate in various worship elements such as offering, scripture memorization and their curiosity is peaked as they discover what will be in the wardrobe of wonder. RULES MAIL TIME VIDEO: CHLOE S RULES VIDEO: Mail Time Intro IMAGE: Remember Verse Great is our Lord: Make L with right index finger and thumb. Move the L from right shoulder to left hip. and mighty in power: Bring arms up to strong man pose. his understanding: Place open palm at forehead and move outward. has no limit: Shake head. WORSHIP IN SINGING VIDEO: (9:00, 10:15 and 11:30) God of Love VIDEO: Wardrobe of Wonder Intro Choose 1 volunteer. Volunteer picks two hats from wardrobe one for himself, one for host. Tell other kids to put on their imaginary thinking caps. Volunteer peeks in the What s It box. Host gives 3 clues, kids get to vote on what they think it is. WARDROBE OF WONDER What sit: 9:00 Empty 10:15 Then as host you say. If you think our clue is a, raise your hand. If you think our clue is a, raise your hand. If you think our clue is a, raise your hand. Let the child volunteer tell which answer is correct! ASK: (Insert child s name), did you see what s inside the Wardrobe of Wonder? (Encourage child to whisper it in your ear.) It s empty? What do you mean? Are you sure? (Allow child to answer.) Why don t you check one more time? (Child will check the wardrobe and again see that it s empty.) Okay, (insert child s name), now tell everyone what you saw in the Wardrobe of Wonder. (Child will announce that it s empty.) Empty?! (Open the wardrobe to show all the children.) Friends, what do you think? I think we d better find out why the wardrobe is empty because, do you know what time it is? 2

Point out that what kids are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along as you storytell. Children respond to what the Holy Spirit is teaching them as they reflect on the day s portion of The Big God Story. The Prayer of Release allows children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. Before you pray, you might ask the kids to hold out their hands, palms up, in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them today. Then encourage the kids to quiet their voices, take a seat, and pray with you. The Big God Story: 15 eggs with items to go through BGS Video: The Big Story Intro (Welcome children and lead them in a Prayer of Release.) I want to show you something. (Hold up a Bible.) Do you know what book this is? (Allow children to respond.) Yes! It s the Bible. It s filled with God s Word for us and helps us to know God. All the words inside the Bible are true. We call the stories we read from the Bible The Big God Story because God is big, His story is big, and He invites us to be part of it! But before we begin, we are going to bow our heads and close our eyes and Ask God to help us be still and to listen to what He would like to tell us today. (Lead children in a Prayer of release) (Egg# 1- Show Snake). Raise your hand if earlier you found an egg containing a snake. Remember, the Big God Story began in a beautiful garden that stood between four grand rivers. (Tech: Cue Garden sound effect.) The very first people God made to live in the garden of Eden with Him were named Adam and Eve. Tech: Show image #1 Adam and Eve.) It was not long before Adam and Eve disobeyed God; they sinned. Sin is what happens when we make bad choices and we do something that doesn t please God. The snake reminds us that because Adam and Eve disobeyed God and made a bad choice, they weren t allowed to be in the garden anymore. God made a promise that someday, there would be a Savior. This promised Savior would forgive us, and all people, of our sins the bad choices we make and the things we do wrong so we can know God and be with Him forever. And so it began the people on earth began to wait for this Promise to come. (Egg# 2 Show animal) Who found the egg with an animal? As time passed, the people of the 3

world began to ignore God and His words. God caused a flood to cover the entire earth. Tech: Show image #2 Noah. The only people left alive were Noah and his family and the animals that were on the ark. After the flood, God made a covenant, a very special promise, with Noah. God said He would never destroy the earth with a flood. God puts a rainbow in the sky after it rains to remind people that He always keeps His promises. ( Egg #3 Show star) Who found an egg with a star in it? Many years passed, until one day God spoke to a man named Abraham. Tech: Show image #3 Abraham. The Lord God made a covenant with Abraham. He promised Abraham that his family would grow and grow and grow. God said there would be more people in Abraham s family than there were stars in the sky! (Tech: Cue Star sound effect.) His family would grow so big that it would become a nation a very special nation, and be as many as the stars in the sky. His family would be God s people. They would know God and His great love. God also told Abraham that someday the promised Redeemer, from way back in the very beginning, would come from Abraham s family. Abraham listened carefully to God s words. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, waited many years for God to fulfill His promise. Then it happened. Sarah had a baby just as God promised. God was doing just what He told Abraham He would do. Abraham and Sarah named their son Isaac. When Isaac grew up, he had a son named Jacob. When Jacob grew up, he had 12 sons. One of those sons was named Joseph. (Tech: Show image #4 Joseph.) (Show Egg #4 coat of colors) Who found the egg with the coat of many colors in it? Do you remember what Joseph s brothers did? (Allow children time to answer.) They were very jealous of Joseph and sent him far away to the land of Egypt. (Tech: Cue Booing sound effect.) But God was with Joseph. He made a way for Joseph to have a very important job working for the king of Egypt. During a time when no one in the land had any food, Joseph s entire family came to Egypt to get grain from the king s storehouse. Because God was with Joseph, his entire family survived and stayed in Egypt. Joseph s family continued to grow and grow. Time passed and there was a new king, or pharaoh, in Egypt. Pharaoh didn t like that this family, the Israelites, had gotten so big, so he made them his slaves. The people cried out to God for help. God heard their cries and chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness. (Show image #5 Moses.) (Show Egg #5 - ten commandments) Who found the egg with the Ten commandments in it? God always stayed very close to His people. He guided them and taught them how to live with the Ten Commandments and led them through the desert to their new home in the Promised Land. He protected them when they fought with other countries. Tech: Show image #6 Kings.) ( Show egg #6 crown) Who found the egg with the crown? God told the Israelites that He wanted to be their King, but the people didn t listen. They wanted to have an earthly king just like all the other countries and nations. (Tech: Cue King sound effect.) So, God gave them kings. Who found the egg with the crown in it? There were good kings and there were bad kings. Because of some bad choices the kings made, God s people were taken to a land that was not their own and had to leave their homes. But God never left His people alone. He remembered His promise. God used faithful people who listened to His words and obeyed His directions. God brought His people back to their homeland of Israel where the Savior would be born. Then something happened (Show egg #7 - black paper) Who found an egg with black paper in it? (Show image #7 Silence.) God was silent. He was still working in the lives of His people, but He chose not to say anything to the people through a prophet, a priest, or a king. Not one word. And so the people waited, and waited, and waited for The Promise. 4

God was ready to end the silence. (Tech: Show image #8 Zechariah.) He sent an angel to a priest named Zechariah. The angel told Zechariah that the promised Messiah was coming. Zechariah did not believe the angel at first, and the angel made it so Zechariah could not speak until the day of his son s birth. (Show Egg # 8 zipper face ) Who found the egg with this picture in it? (Zipper face) Zechariah was going to have a son who would help prepare the people to meet the Savior. Soon after the angel visited Zechariah, the angel Gabriel visited a young woman named Mary. (Show image #9 Mary.) He told her she was going to have a baby God s Son who would be the Savior for all people. ( Show Egg #9 baby) Who found the egg with a baby in it? This was it! The Promise God made in the garden to send a Savior had come! Who is this baby? Jesus! Right! The promised Savior. On the night Jesus was born (Tech: show image #10 Shepherds), God sent angels to announce His birth to shepherds in a field nearby! (Tech: Cue Sheep sound effect.) (Show Egg # 10- Sheep) Who found the egg with the sheep in it? The shepherds were so excited they went to see the baby Jesus. They then went and told everyone what they had seen and heard. The promised Savior was born in Bethlehem! Jesus grew up in a way that was pleasing to God. (Tech: Show image #11 Jesus.) He never made a bad choice or did anything wrong. Not even once! Jesus lived His entire life teaching people the best way to live. He cared for people who were hungry, healed people who were hurt or sick, and even brought people who had died back to life! (Show egg# 11 heart) Who found the egg with the heart in it? Jesus showed His power and showed that He is God! Isn t that amazing? God became a man so He could be the Savior. Then we could live closely with Him. Because remember people didn t get the chance to experience being really close to God after Adam and Eve were disobedient to God. Jesus is The Promise! He is the Savior whom God promised to send! We are forgiven from our sin because of Jesus sacrifice! (Tech: Show image #12 Three Crosses That s right! Jesus came to earth and gave His life on the cross, so that we could be forgiven of our sins and live forever. (Show Egg #12 cross) Who found the egg with the cross in it? When we choose to believe that Jesus, God s only Son, died for our sins and accept His love, we get to be with God forever! (Tech: Show image #13 Tomb.) After He died, Jesus friends took His body, wrapped it in linen cloth, and placed Him in a tomb. Then they closed the tomb by rolling a very large stone in front of it. (Show # 13 egg rock) Who found the egg with the rock in it? They rolled the large stone in front and placed guards all around it. Jesus died for you and me to take away our sins..but did He stay dead? No!!!! When they came back on the third day The stone had been rolled away and Jesus wasn t there! (Tech: Show image #14 Empty Tomb.) The tomb was empty! (Show Egg # 14) Who found the egg with the linen cloth in it? An angel was sitting on top of the tomb and told Jesus friends that He was no longer there, He had risen! (Show Egg # 15 Risen Jesus) Who found an egg with a picture of Jesus? (Tech: Show image #15 Risen Lord.) He came back to life, just like He promised. He went back up to heaven! Jesus is alive! Friends, what was in the Wardrobe of Wonder? Nothing, you re right! The wardrobe was empty to remind us that the tomb was empty too. It was God s power that brought Jesus back to life! The Big God Story doesn t end there. Do you know why? (Children will answer.) You re right. God loves us and wants us to know Him and His great love. God wants us to be part of His big story! 5

GOAL: Kids respond in small groups to what they heard in the Big God Story. The Big Egg Hunt SUPPLIES: 15 numbered eggs 10 unnumbered eggs with candy Easter Basket Have the kids look and find 2 eggs each. Tell them they are to find an egg with a number and an egg without a number. Have kids place their eggs in the basket and then sit at the table. Once all the eggs are found (there should be 25 of them) Pass out an unnumbered egg to each child and let them enjoy their treat then pass out all the numbered eggs, (don t worry about the numbered order) just let them open them one at a time and discover what is in the egg. Ask them if they know a story from the Bible about that item in the egg. Make sure you open all the numbered eggs. Tell them to look for the items they opened in the Big God Story because they are going to learn how each of the items found in the eggs are going to fit in the Big God Story today! Please leave all the numbered eggs and any unopened unnumbered eggs in the basket for the next small group to discover. (If time allows, pass out the sticker sheet and scene sheet, if time is not allowed make sure kids take home sticker sheets with their cross necklace as Easter gifts from you.) He Is Risen! Supplies: Sticker sheet (one per child) Scene sheet (one per child) Dog tags: one per child Children will get to create their own picture of the first Easter Morning when Jesus rose from the dead! Celebrating we can be reconnected to God because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us! Also each child can take home a dog tag necklace of the cross as an Easter gift from Northside. This week because they get small group first there are no wonder questions...however, please to ask questions about the items found in the eggs to see if the kids can make any connection to stories from the Bible. 6

Review the Remember Verse: Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:5 VIDEO: Dance Blessing: Children, may you remember each day to look for ways God provides for you. VIDEO: In This Life 7

There is a small church in Southern California that meets in a nightclub and holds children s church in the green room. This unique church venue reflects the passion of the pastor to reach people who wouldn t normally come to a traditional church service. So, the church is filled with mostly brand-new Christians. Because the parents are brand-new Christians, the kids are brand-new Christians, and The Big God Story is completely new to them. In the green room of the nightclub, a friend of mine has been telling The Big God Story to the kids starting from its beginning relating for them how God promised to send a Redeemer who would eventually restore humanity s relationship with God. Over the months, she unfolded for them how the promised Redeemer Jesus was eventually born as a baby, lived a sinless life, and then died on the cross for our sins. One day when it was pouring rain outside, a little girl sat listening as my friend told the part of The Big God Story in which Jesus, the Light of the World, was born in Bethlehem. Her eyes grew bigger and bigger as she listened. Then, she interrupted: Is this true? she asked. Yes! my friend enthusiastically replied. The little girl s jaw dropped open wide enough to reveal her little molars. As my friend continued to read, the little girl sat there with her mouth hanging open in shock and surprise. Then, she interrupted again: Is this really true? Are you sure? Yes! my friend replied, It s really true. Because we ve heard The Big God Story so many times, we might be tempted to gloss over the wonder and amazement that this story is really true: God really promised to send a Redeemer; He really kept the promise alive throughout the whole story; He really sent His Son to die for us; and He really redeemed us from our sin because He really loves us that much! The Big God Story is amazing and true! And sometimes it takes a new believer a child to remind us how shockingly amazing it truly is. As amazing as The Big God Story is, in the beginning, there was no need for a redeemer. The world was perfect and man was in perfect union with God (Genesis 1 2). In the end, the world will again be free from the ravages of sin and the influence of evil (Revelation 21 22). This journey between these two points is told in The Big God Story; it centers upon the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He is the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of everything hoped for and the basis of any future hope. As the fulfillment of everything hoped for, He is the satisfaction of the Law, the establishment of the new covenant, the fulfillment of prophecy, God come near, the climax of history, the sacrificial Lamb, the great High Priest, the prophet like Moses, the son of David, the suffering servant. He is the Redeemer promised at the beginning of The Big God Story in Genesis 3:15. He is Jesus, Jeho-Shua (JHWH Saves),* the one promised to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). As the basis of future hope, Jesus is the one in whom God s kingdom has come and is yet to come. He is the one exalted and seated at the right hand of God, who has promised to return and 8

gather all believers to Himself. He is the true hope of Israel who will vanquish evil and restore everything to how it is supposed to be. He is, and will be, the victorious Lord of all. This week, spend time immersing yourself in The Big God Story section of the lesson. As you read the story in its entirety, ask God to help you understand anew His amazing love. Ask Him to fill you with thankfulness for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus death on the cross. Ask the Lord to give you a sense of awe for His power and His grace. Before closing your time of reflection and prayer, spend a moment praying for the kids who will gather this week to celebrate Easter. How might God want to reveal Himself His power and His love to them? How will He choose to speak directly to the hearts of the young ones? How will He choose to work through you? May all who gather in your place of worship experience the Lord Jesus in new ways, and may you be compelled by the story of God s love. Through this experience with God, may both you and the children desire more of Him. 9