OT 44 Samson

Reference: Judges 13-16

Story Summary: 
     After doing evil in God's sight, the Lord handed Israel over to be conquered by the Philistines. An angel told an Israelite woman she'd have a child. who would rescue the Israelites from their enemies. But the child was to never, ever cut his hair. She had a boy and named him Samson.
     Samson was incredibly strong because God's Spirit was with him. He once defeated a lion with his bare hands. When his enemies tied him up with ropes, he ripped them apart and defeated 1000 of them with a donkey's jawbone.
     But then Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines asked her to help them discover the secret of Samson's strength. Samson tricked Delilah several times, but eventually told her he'd become weak if his hair was cut. When Samson was asleep, Delilah cut his hair. The Philistines grabbed hold of Samson, who was now weak because God's Spirit left him, poked out his eyes, and threw him to work in prison, where his hair started to grow again.
     The Philistines had a feast and brought out Samson. Samson prayed to God for his strength again, to defeat his enemies. God answered him. Samson pushed down the building's supporting pillars. It fell on Samson and the Philistines and all who were inside.

Big Idea and Motions: Because Jesus saved us, we can have God’s Spirit.
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Saved us - do the baseball “safe” sign
We - point to yourself with two thumbs
God’s Spirit - point up

Verse and Motions: 1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV - Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
Do you not - shake your finger “no”
Know - tap your brain
You - point to another person
Temple - form a “roof” over your head with your arm
Spirit - hover your palm over your heart and make a circular motion
Dwells - hug yourself

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who were the people who conquered the Israelites? // The Philistines
What were God’s rules for Samson? // No wine, special foods, no hair cuts
Why was Samson able to defeat the lion with his bare hands? // Because God’s Spirit made him super strong
What did Samson use to defeat 1000 men? // A donkey’s jawbone
Who was the girl Samson fell in love with? // Delilah
When did Samson lose God’s Spirit, and his strength? // When he let his hair be cut
What did the Philistines do to Samson? // Poked out his eyes, put him in prison
What did Samson do to the temple? // Knocked it down by pushing over the pillars
Who died to take away our sins? // Jesus, God’s Son
What does Trinity mean? // There is one God who exists in three persons.

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/lM0Ohn
Resources - http://goo.gl/R5e9Tw

OT 43 Gideon

Reference: Judges 6-7

Story Summary: 
     The people of Israel did evil in God's eyes. They worshiped the false gods of Asherah and Baal. God allowed them to be conquered by the nation of Midian, who treated the people very badly. But then God chose a man named Gideon to rescue them. God had Gideon knock down the poles and altars the people used to worship these gods.
     God told Gideon that he would defeat the Midianites. But Gideon wasn't sure. He asked God for a sign: Gideon would set out some wool at night. In the morning, if the wool was wet with dew and the ground dry, he'd know God was with him. And that's what happened! But Gideon still wasn't sure, so he asked God to do the opposite another night: to cover the ground in dew, but keep the wool dry. And God did that, too. Gideon know God was with him.
     God told Gideon to send all but 300 of his soldiers home. Gideon and his small army snuck at night to the enemy's camp. They blew trumpets and smashed jars to scare the enemy. God caused the Midianites to panic and
fight each other. They ran away in fear and Gideon and the Israelites won the battle. They won because God was on their side.

Big Idea and Motions: If God is on our side, nobody can be against us!
God - point up
Side - poke your sides
Nobody - wave your hands and shake your head
Against - punch your fist
Us - point to yourself

Verse / Motions: Romans 8:31, ESV - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
What then - hold your hands out and shrug
Say - make your hand talk like a puppet
These things - poke your index finger into your upward-facing palm
God - point up
For us - point to yourself with two thumbs and nod your head
Against us - punch your palm

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who conquered the Israelites? // Midian
Why did God let the Midianites defeat Israel? // They disobeyed God and worshipped pretend Gods
Who did God send to rescue Israel from the Midianites? // Gideon
Why didn’t Gideon think he could rescue Israel from Midian? // He was the least important member of his family
What two things did Gideon destroy at night? // The altar of Baal and the pole of Asherah
What two miracles did Gideon ask God to do? // Make the wool wet and the ground dry, then the opposite
Why did Gideon ask God to do miracles? // So he’d know that God would keep his promise
How many soldiers did Gideon have to fight with? // 300
What happened at the battle? // The Israelites smashed jars and blew trumpets
Why did Gideon and the Israelites defeat the Midianites? // Because God was on their side
How do we know God is on our side? // He sent Jesus to save us from sin

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/h8lNTV
Resources - http://goo.gl/zwD7Tl

OT 42 Ehud

Reference: Judges 3

Story Summary: 
     After moving into the promised land, the people did evil in God's sight; they worshipped other Gods. God allowed Eglon, king of Moab, to conquer and rule them for 18 years.
     But then God sent a left-handed man named Ehud to save them. Ehud made a double-edged sword and hid it under his clothes. Then, the people sent him to King Eglon along with the money and food the king required.
     When he arrived, Ehud asked to speak with Eglon alone, to give him a secret message. So Eglon's guards left the two men alone. Ehud then said, "I have a message from God for you." He thrust his hidden sword into Eglon's belly. Now Eglon was a very fat man, and his belly closed around the sword.
     Ehud then went and hid. Eglon's guards wondered what was taking so long. They supposed the king was using the restroom. But as time passed, they became too worried and entered the king's chambers. There, they found the king, fallen to the floor from Ehud's sword. And while the guard's were waiting, Ehud fled away. Later Ehud returned with soldiers and defeated the men of Moab. And there was peace 80 years.

Big Idea and Motions: Jesus came to rescue us from sin.
Jesus - form a cross with your arms
Came - march in place
Rescue - pretend to reach down and help someone up
Sin - two thumbs down

Verse / Motions: 1 John 4:14, ESV- And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Seen - pull your eyes open with your fingers
Testify - make your hand talk like a puppet
Father - point up
Son - pretend to cradle a baby
Savior - do the baseball “safe” sign
World - trace the outline of a circle with both arms

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What Bible book was this story from? // Judges
Why did God let King Eglon defeat Israel? // They did evil, loved pretend gods
What was Eglon like? // Very fat
Who was the judge God sent to rescue Israel? // Ehud
What was different about Ehud? // He was left-handed
What did Ehud make and where did he hide it? // A sword. He hid it under his clothes on his right leg
What did Ehud do to Eglon? // Stabbed him with his sword in his fat belly
Why did the servants wait so long to check on King Eglon? // They thought he was using the bathroom
While the servants were waiting, what did Ehud do? // He escaped
After Ehud killed Eglon, what happened to Israel? // They defeated their enemies, had 80 years of peace
Who did God send to rescue us from sin? // Jesus

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/DF0HO5
Resources - http://goo.gl/e9IJ48

NT 38 Jesus Rises from the Dead

Reference: Matthew 28, Luke 24

Story Summary:
   On a Friday, Jesus was nailed to a cross and died. He was buried in a tomb closed with a large stone. Two guards were placed there to keep everyone out of Jesus’ tomb.
   Early on Sunday, two women named Mary went to the tomb to mourn for Jesus. As they arrived, there was an earthquake and an angel appeared! The angel rolled the stone away and said, “Jesus isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Go tell his disciples!” So the women ran back to the disciples.
   On the way, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They bowed down and worshipped Jesus. Jesus told them to keep going to tell the good news to the disciples. When the women finally got there, they told the men what had happened. But Most of the disciples thought these women weren’t making any sense. But Peter got up, ran to the tomb, and saw that it was empty.
   Later that evening, Jesus appeared to the disciples as they met together. They thought he was a ghost, so Jesus showed them his hands and feet. He let them touch him and even ate a piece of fish. The disciples were filled with joy!

Big Ideas and Motions: Jesus rose from the dead
Jesus - make a cross with your forearms
Rose - Gesture upward with both palms
Dead - cross your forearms in an “X’ over your chest

Verse and Motions: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, ESV - ....Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day...
Christ - make a cross with your forearms
Died - cross your forearms in an “X’ over your chest
Sins - two thumbs down
Scriptures - pretend to open a book
Buried - pretend to dig with a shovel
Rose - gesture upward with both palms
Third - hold up three fingers

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Where was Jesus buried? // In a tomb, with a stone in front
On what day of the week did Jesus die? // Friday.
On what day of the week did Jesus rise from the dead? // Sunday.
Who were the first people at the tomb? // The two Marys.
What happened when the Marys went to the tomb? // An earthquake, an angel rolled the stone away
What did the angel say? // Jesus has risen, Go tell his disciples.
Who did the Marys meet on the way to tell the disciples? // Jesus.
Did the disciples believe when the women told them Jesus had risen? // No.
Who ran to the tomb to check it out? // Peter.
When Jesus appeared to the disciples, who did they think he was? // A ghost.
What did Jesus do to prove he wasn’t a ghost? // Let them see his hands and feet, ate a fish.

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/FYV8SM
Resources - http://goo.gl/k9mj