Faith Kids

OT 34 Wandering in the Desert Part 2

2012-01-23T12:34:00.003-05:00

Reference: Num. 11:4-35, 20:1-13, 21:4-9

Big Idea: Believe in Jesus to be saved.

Verse: Acts 16:31 - And they said ,“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...”

Motions For the Big Idea:
Believe: hold your hands together and put an earnest look on your face
Jesus: make a cross with your arms
Saved: make the baseball “safe” sign with your arms

Motions For the Verse:
They said - move your hand like a puppet
Believe - fold your hands in front of you as if pleading
Lord Jesus - make a cross with your forearms
You - point to another person
Saved - make the baseball “Safe!” sign

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What did Israelites want to eat instead of manna? // Meat
How did God feel about their complaining? // Angry
What meat did God send to the Israelites? // Quail
What was their punishment for complaining and not trusting God? // Plague
What else did the Israelites complain about needing? // Water
What did God tell Moses to do to find water? // Speak to a rock and God would make water come
What did Moses do with the rock and what happened? // Hit it with a stick and water came out
What was Moses’ punishment for not listening to God? // Can’t go to the promised land
What punishment are we supposed to get for sin? // Death, being apart from God
How did God save us from that punishment? // His Son, Jesus, died for us
What is today’s big idea? // Believe in Jesus to be saved.
What is today’s Bible verse? // Acts 16:31 - And they said ,“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...”

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OT 33 Wandering in the Desert Part 1

2012-01-16T07:11:00.000-05:00

Reference: Exodus 15:22 - 16:36

Big Idea: Don’t complain. God will take care of you.

Verse: Psalm 107:1 - Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (ESV)

Motions For the Big Idea:
Don’t complain: pretend to be a crying baby
God: point up
Take care: hug yourself
You: Point to another person

Motions For the Verse:
Oh - Make the Letter “O” with your hands above your head
Give thanks - Place your hands together and bow
Lord - Point up
Good - Two thumbs up
Love - Place both hands over your heart

Endures forever - draw circles in the air with your index finger
Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

Where were the Israelites wandering? // Wilderness, desert
What was wrong with the water they found? // It was bitter, tasted bad
What did the Israelites do when the water tasted bad? // They complained
What did God tell Moses to do with the water? // Throw a stick into the water
What happened when Moses threw the stick into the water? // It tasted sweet, it was good
What did the Israelites do when they were hungry in the wilderness? // They complained
What did God give them to eat in the wilderness? // Bread from heaven, manna
What does the word “manna” mean? // What is it?
What happened to the manna when people tried to save extra? // It smelled and was filled with maggots
Why did the people collect twice as much manna on the sixth day? // Because God wanted them to rest on the seventh day
What is today’s big idea? // Don’t complain! God will take care of you
What kinds of ways does God take care of us? // He saves us from sin, gives us food and clothes, etc.
What is today’s Bible verse? // Psalm 107:1 - Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (ESV)

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OT 32 Spies in the Promised Land

2012-01-10T14:54:00.002-05:00

Reference: Numbers 13-14

Big Idea: Trust in God with all your heart.

Verse: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (ESV)

Motions For the Big Idea:
Trust - make a “T” with your hands
God - point up
All - gesture your arms out in a big circle
Heart - tap your chest with your hand

Verse:
Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (ESV)

Motions for the Verse:
Trust - Make a “T” with your hands
Lord - point up
All - Gesture your hands in a big circle
Heart - tap your heart
Do not - wag your finger “no”
Lean - cross your arms and lean
Understanding - tap your temple

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What did God tell Moses to do? // Send some men to check out the land of Caanan
How many men did Moses send? // Twelve
Name two of these men. // Joshua and Caleb
What was the soil and fruit of the land of Canaan like? // It was good.
What were the people like? // Big and scary.
When the men came back, who did they report to? // Moses.
What did the ten spies say about the land? // The people are too big to defeat. We can’t do it.
What did Joshua and Caleb say about the land? // We can defeat the people with God’s help.
Who did the people of Israel listen to, the ten spies or Joshua and Caleb? // The ten spies
How did God punish the people of Israel for not trusting him? // Can’t enter the promised land, wander in desert for 40 years
What is today’s big idea? // Trust in God with all your heart.
Who do we need to trust in to save us? // Jesus
What is today’s Bible verse? // Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (ESV)
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OT 31 The Golden Calf

2011-11-06T08:35:00.003-05:00

Reference: Exodus 32

Big Idea: Worship God, not stuff.

Motions For the Big Idea:
Worship - bow down
God - point up
Not - wag your finger no
Stuff - rub your fingertips together

Verse: Matthew 4:10b - You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. (
ESV)

Motions For the Verse:
You - Point a finger at someone else Worship - hold up your arms and bow forward
Lord your God - point up Only - wave both your hands in front of you
Serve - cup your hands together and gesture out

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

How long was Moses on the mountain? // 40 days.
Who was Aaron? // Moses’ brother
What did the people ask Aaron to do? // Make a god to worship.
What did Aaron use to make an idol for the Israelites? // The metal from their earrings.
What did Aaron’s idol look like? // A calf
What did the Israelites do for their idol? // They had a feast, danced, and partied
What did God tell Moses he was going to do to the Israelites? // Destroy them.
What did Moses ask God? // Not to destroy the Israelites.
Did God do what Moses prayed? // Yes, he did.
What did Moses do when he saw the idol? // Became angry and destroyed the stone tablets.
What is today’s big idea? // Worship God, not stuff.
What is today’s Bible verse? // Matthew 4:10b - You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. (ESV)
What are some things people worship instead of God? // Friends, money, fun things

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OT 30 The Ten Commandments

2011-10-30T14:24:00.005-04:00

Reference: Exodus 20, 2 Peter 2:22

Big Idea: Only Jesus obeys God perfectly.

Verse: Romans 5:8b - ...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)

Motions For the Big Idea:
Jesus - Make a cross with your forearms
Obeys - make a letter “O” with your arms above your head
God - point up
Perfectly - two thumbs up

Motions For the Verse:
While, we, were - make a “W” with your arm
Still - freeze, holding your body still
Sinners - two thumbs down
Christ - make a cross with your forearms
Died - close your eyes and hang out your tongue
Us - point to yourself

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

What is today’s big idea? // Only Jesus obeys God perfectly.
Do you and I obey the 10 Commandments perfectly? // No.
What does it mean to measure up to the glory of God? // To follow God’s commandments perfectly.
Who is the only person who measured up to the glory of God? // Jesus
Since we’re not perfect, what did Jesus do for us? // While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Name one of the Ten Commandments. // See Exodus 20 for a list.
What is today’s Bible verse? // While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (ESV)

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God Gives Moses the Law

2011-10-22T18:54:00.000-04:00

OT 29 God Gives Moses the Law
Reference: Exodus 19-20

Big Idea: To love God, obey his commands.

Motions for the Big Idea:

Love - hold your hands over your heart
God - point up
Obey - make a large letter “O” over your head with your arms
Commands - Wag your index finger as if instructing someone

Verse: 1 John 5:3a - For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

Where did the Israelites camp? // In the desert, near a mountain
Who went up the mountain? // Moses
Why did Moses go up the mountain? // To talk to God
What did God ask the Israelites to do? // Obey him completely.
What would the Israelites be if they obeyed God completely? // God's special treasure.
What did people hear and see when God came down the mountain? // Thunder, trumpets, smoke, fire
What do we call the 10 special rules God gave Moses? // The Ten Commandments.

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God Parts the Red Sea

2011-10-16T21:09:00.005-04:00

Reference: Exodus 13:17-14:31

Big Idea: Don’t be afraid! God is powerful!

Verse: Jeremiah 32:27 - Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

What was the name of the water that the Israelites walked to? // Red Sea
What did God appear to the Israelites as during the day? // A pillar of clouds
What did God appear to the Israelities as during the night? // A pillar of fire
What did Pharaoh decide to do? // Chase after the Israelites
What did the Israelites do when they saw the Egyptian soldiers? // Cried out to God
What did God have Moses do? // Hold out his staff
What happened when Moses held out his staff? // God made the waters part into two.
What did the Israelites do when God parted the water into two? // They walked across on dry land.
What happened when the Egyptians chased after the Israelites? // The waters came back down and swallowed them up.
What is today’s big idea? // Don’t be afraid! God is powerful!
What is today’s Bible verse? // Jeremiah 32:27 - Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (ESV)

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God Rescues Israel From Egypt

2011-10-08T20:52:00.005-04:00

Reference: Exodus 5:1 - 12:42

Big Idea: Jesus came to rescue sinners.

Verse: Romans 5:8b - ...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What did Moses and Aaron ask Pharaoh to do? // Let the Israelites go.
Did Pharaoh want to let the Israelites go? // No
What happened when Aaron threw his staff on the ground? // God turned it into a snake.
Why did God send plagues to Egypt? // To make Pharaoh let the Israelites go.
How many plagues were there before Pharaoh let them go? // 10.
What did God rescue us from? // Slavery to sin
Who did God send to rescue us? // Jesus.
How can we be saved from sin? // Believing that Jesus died for us.
What is today’s big idea? // Jesus came to rescue sinners.
What is today’s Bible verse? // Romans 5:8b - ...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Name one of the plagues. // Blood, Frogs, gnats, flies, animals, boils hail, locusts, darkness, death

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OT 26 Moses and the Burning Bush

2011-10-02T07:52:00.005-04:00

Reference: Exodus 2:11 - 4:20

Big Idea: When we are weak, God is strong

Verse: Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

True or False Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Moses ran away because he hated Egypt. // F, Because he attacked an Egyptian
Moses took care of sheep. // T
One day, Moses saw a burning tree. // F, A burning bush
God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. // T
God told Moses to go rescue the Egyptians. // F, The Israelites
Moses decided to obey God right away. // F, He said, “Who am I to go?”
God did two miracles to help Moses believe that he would be with him. // T
God turned Moses’ staff into a chicken. // F, A snake
God make Moses’ hand off. // F, He made it covered in a disease
Moses didn’t want to go because he wasn’t a good speaker. // T
God said that Moses’ sister Andrea could go with him and speak for him. // F, His brother, Aaron
Today’s big idea is “When you are weak, God is weak, too. // F, God is strong.
Today’s verse is “Philippians 4:13 - I can do no things through him who strengthens me.” // F, All things

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The Birth of Moses

2011-09-24T21:44:00.004-04:00

Reference: Exodus 1 - 2:10

Big Idea: Don’t worry. God will take care of you.

Verse: Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week:

Why was the king of Egypt worried? // The Israelites were growing and they might attack him.
What was the king’s first plan? // He made the Israelites into slaves.
What was the king’s evil plan? // To throw all the Israelite boys into the water.
When the woman couldn’t hide the baby, what did she do? // Float him in a basket in the river.
Who hid and watched the baby float in the river? // His sister
Who found the baby? // The king’s daughter.
Who did the sister find to take care of the baby for the king’s daughter? // The baby’s mother.
When he grew up, where did the baby live? // With the king’s daughter.
What did the king’s daughter name the baby? // Moses.
What is today’s big idea? // Don’t worry. God will take care of you.
What can we do when we’re worried? // Pray to God.
What is today’s Bible verse? // Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)

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Joseph Forgives His Brothers

2011-09-17T21:14:00.001-04:00

REFERENCE: Gen. 41:41-45:15

BIG IDEA: Forgive others like God forgives you.

VERSE: Colossians 3:13b “ as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

What was Joseph's job? // To collect the extra food for Egypt.
Why did Jacob send his sons to Egypt? // They had run out of food.
Who did the brothers see when they went to buy food? // Joseph
Did the brothers know it was Joseph? // No.
Why did Joseph call his brothers spies? // To see if they had changed.
Who did Joseph send his brother to go get? // Their brother, Benjamin.
Did Joseph decide to get revenge on his brothers? // No, he forgave them.
Why did we have to be forgiven by God? // We disobeyed his commands.
What is today's big idea? // Forgive others like God forgives you.
What is today's Bible verse? // Colossians 3:13b “ as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (ESV)

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Pharaoh's Dreams

2011-09-11T20:22:00.004-04:00

Reference: Genesis 41:1-40

Big Idea: Don’t worry, God knows the future.

Verse: Jeremiah 29:11a- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord... (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week:

- Who was Pharaoh? // The king of Egypt
- How many dreams did Pharaoh have? // Two
- What kind of animal was in Pharaoh’s first dream? // Cow
- Describe Pharaoh’s first dream. // Seven sickly cows ate seven fat cows
- Describe Pharaoh’s second dream. // Seven sickly heads of grain ate seven fat heads of grain
- What did Pharaoh ask his people to do after he had his dream? // Tell him what it meant.
- Who told Pharaoh about Joseph? // The wine taster
- Why was Joseph able to tell Pharaoh what his dream meant? // Because God helped him.
- What did Pharaoh’s dreams mean? // There would be seven good years then seven bad years
- What did Joseph tell Pharaoh to do? // Find someone to save the food during the good years
- Who did Pharaoh put in charge of the food? // Joseph
- What is today’s big idea? // Don’t worry, God knows the future.
- What are some things we can do instead of worry? // Pray, read our Bibles
- What is today’s Bible verse? // Jeremiah 29:11a- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord...

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How Faith Kids Works - 2011

2011-09-10T15:39:00.000-04:00

What is the Bible?

2011-09-02T10:30:00.002-04:00

REFERENCE: 2 Tim. 3:16-17

BIG IDEA: The Bible is God’s word to us.

VERSE: 2 Tim. 3:16a - All Scripture is breathed out by God... (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

- The Bible is people’s word to us. // F, People’s should be God’s
- The Bible teaches and trains us to follow God. // T
- The Bible has three halves called Testaments. // F, Three should be Two
- The most important person in the Bible is Moses. // F, Moses should be Jesus
- The Bible is 66 smaller books made into one. // T
- It’s not important to read our Bibles. // F, We need to read our Bibles to know God’s word.
- When we read from our Bibles, we should ask, “What does this verse teach me about airplanes?” // F, Airplanes should be God
- Today’s Bible verse is “All scripture is breathed out by God...” // F
- God has breathed death into all of scripture. // F, Death should be Life
- Everything in the Old Testament happened before Jesus was born. // T

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What is the Church?

2011-08-31T07:53:00.000-04:00

REFERENCE: Various

BIG IDEA: The church is the body of Jesus.

VERSE: 1 Corinthians 12:27a - Now you are the body of Christ... (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

1. The church is just a building. // FALSE, It’s the body of Jesus
2. The church is not just a club. // TRUE
3. The church is made up of people who belong to Jesus. // TRUE
4. The church is the body of Moses. // FALSE, It’s the body of Jesus.
5. The church is the body of Christ because Jesus lost his body. // FALSE
6. The church’s job is to do what Jesus wants it to do. // TRUE
7. The body of Jesus is made up of many parts. // TRUE
8. The parts of the body of Christ don’t need each other. // FALSE, They do need each other.
9. Today’s Bible verse is “1 Corinthians 12:27a - Now you are the body of Christ... // TRUE
10. Kids can’t be a part of the body of Jesus. // FALSE

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Joseph in Prison

2011-08-21T15:19:00.000-04:00

REFERENCE: Genesis 40

BIG IDEA: God will never forget about you.

VERSE: Hebrews 13:5b - ...for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

- Name the two guys Pharaoh threw into prison // The wine taster and the baker.
- Why were they thrown in prison? // They did something Pharaoh didn’t like.
- What did the baker and wine taster have in prison? // A dream from God.
- Why did Joseph think he could tell them what their dreams meant? Because God could help him.
- Tell me about the wine taster’s dream. // He saw a vine with grapes. He squeezed the grapes in Pharah’s cup.
- What did the wine taster’s dream mean? // Pharaoh would give him his job back in three days.
- Tell me about the baker’s dream. // He had three baskets of bread on his head and the birds ate the bread.
- What did the baker’s dream mean? // Pharaoh would punish him in three days.
- What is today’s big idea? // God will never forget about you.
- What are some things we can do when we are waiting on God? // Praise him, pray to him, obey him
- What is today’s Bible verse? // Hebrews 13:5b - ...for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (ESV)

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Joseph Works for Potiphar

2011-08-13T22:13:00.000-04:00

Reference: Genesis 39

Big Idea: God can make good out of bad.

Verse: Genesis 50:20a - As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good... (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week:

Where can you find today’s story in the Bible? // Old Testament, Genesis
Who bought Joseph as a slave? // Potiphar
Why was Joseph good at the things he did? // God was with him
What job did Potiphar give Joseph? // In charge of his whole house
What happened to Potiphar and his house after Joseph was in charge? // God blessed Potiphar
Did Potiphar have to worry with Joseph in charge? // No, not at all
Why did Potiphar become angry? // Mrs. Potiphar told lies about Joseph
What did angry Potiphar do? // He sent Joseph to jail
Who helped Joseph in prison? // God
What did the prison guard do for Joseph? // Put him in charge of everything
What is today’s big idea? // God can make good out of bad.
What is today’s Bible verse? // Genesis 50:20a - As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good... (ESV)
What can we do when bad things happen to us? // Ask God for help, remember that God can make good out of bad

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Joseph is Sold By His Brothers

2011-08-08T10:35:00.000-04:00

REFERENCE: Genesis 37:12-36

BIG IDEA: When you’re jealous, remember that God is with you.

VERSE: Hebrews 13:5b - ...be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week (True or False)
Jacob sent Joseph to go check on his brothers. // T
The brothers saw Joseph coming and wanted to hug him. // F, They wanted to hurt him.
The brothers threw Joseph into a bag. // F, They threw him into a well.
The brothers sold Joseph to some traders. // T
The brothers cleaned Joseph's coat and gave it to their dad. // F, They messed the coat up.
Jacob cried because he believed Joseph had been attacked by an animal. // T
Today's big idea is "When you're jealous, forget that God is with you. // F, "Forget" should be "remember"
It's better to have stuff than to have God. // F

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Joseph's Dreams

2011-07-31T21:15:00.001-04:00

REFERENCE:
Genesis 37:5-11

BIG IDEA:
God has a plan for everybody.

VERSE:
Jeremiah 29:11a- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord... (ESV)

Review Questions To Ask Throughout the Week
1. Where can you find this story in the Bible? (Genesis)
2. Name as many people as you can from today's story? (Joseph, brothers, Jacob, Rachel)
3. Describe Joseph's first dream. (His brothers' bundles of grain bowed down to his.)
4. Describe Joseph's second dream. (The sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to Joseph.)
5. How did the brothers feel about Joseph's dreams? (They hated him for them.)
6. What was today's big idea? (God has a plan for everybody.)
7. What are some things God knows? (Our thoughts, our future, our words, when we sit down/get up, etc.)

Curriculum Links
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Joseph and His Brothers

2011-07-27T21:35:00.000-04:00

REFERENCE: Genesis 37:1-4

BIG IDEA: Be kind to all. Forgive everybody.

VERSE: Ephesians 4:32a - Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another... (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

- The book of Genesis is at the end of the Bible // F, The beginning
- Jacob had twelve sons // T
- Joseph looked after a flock of cows with his brothers // F, Flock of sheep
- Joseph told his father about the good things his brothers were doing // F, He told on them
- Joseph’s brothers were probably happy when Joseph told on them. // F, They were probably mad.
- Joseph was his father’s favorite child. // T
- Jacob bought Joseph a new video game to show him how much he loved him. // F, A beautiful robe
- Jacob bought beautiful robes for all of his sons // F, Just Joseph
- After receiving his robe, Joseph’s brothers couldn’t say a kind word to him. // T
- Today’s big idea is “Be kind to all. Forgive nobody.” // F, Be kind to all. Forgive everybody.
- Today’s Bible verse is “Ephesians 4:32a - Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another...” // T
- God forgave us, but we don’t have to forgive others. // F, Because God forgave us, we should forgive others.

Curriculum Links
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Jacob's Dream

2011-07-18T10:38:00.000-04:00

Reference: Genesis 27:41 - 28:22

Big Idea: God loves us, even when we don’t deserve it.

Verse: Romans 5:8 - But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Why did Jacob have to run away? // He tricked his father and brother.
What did Jacob use as his pillow? // A stone
What did Jacob see in his dream? // Angels ascending and descending a staircase to heaven
What did God promise to Jacob? // Big family, land, to be with him
What did Jacob say about the place where he had this dream? // This is the house of God
What did Jacob do with the stone he slept on? // Set it up as a pillar
What did Jacob promise to God? // To give him a tenth of all he has
What is today's big idea? // God loves us, even when we don’t deserve it.
How did God show his love for us sinners? // He sent Jesus to die for us
What is today's verse? // Romans 5:8 - But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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Jacob Steals Esau's Blessing

2011-07-10T19:52:00.001-04:00

Reference:
Genesis 27:1-41

Verse:
Ephesians 4:25 - Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor. (ESV)

Big Idea:
Tell the truth like God.

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week:

What instructions did Isaac give Esau? (Hunt some wild food, prepare it, and bring it back)
What did Isaac plan to do for Esau? (Give him his blessing)
Who overheard what Isaac said to Esau? (Rebekah)
What did Rebekah and Jacob plan to do? (Dress Jacob up like Esau and trick Isaac)
Why couldn’t Isaac just look at Jacob and see who he was? (Isaac was blind)
Did Jacob lie to his father or tell the truth? (He lied)
Who came to see Isaac after Jacob left? (Esau)
What did Isaac tell Esau? (Jacob tricked me and stole your blessing)
How did Esau react to this news? (He was angry and decided to get revenge)
What is today’s big idea? (Tell the truth like God)
What is today’s Bible verse? (Ephesians 4:25 - Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor)

Curriculum Links
[Lesson Plan]
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Jacob, Esau and the Birthright

2011-07-04T14:58:00.000-04:00

Passage: Genesis 25:27-34

Big Idea: Disobeying God now costs you later.

Verse: 1 John 5:3 - For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. (ESV)

Review Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

1. What two things did the Bible tell us about Esau? // He was a good hunter, liked the open country.
2. What two things did the Bible tell us about Jacob? // He was quiet, liked to stay at home.
3. What kind of food was Jacob cooking? // Stew
4. How did Esau feel when he returned from hunting? // Tired and hungry
5. What did Esau ask Jacob to give to him? // Some stew
6. What did Jacob want Esau to sell him before he gave him some stew? // His birthright
7. What did the birthright mean? // Esau would get twice as much of their parents’ money/stuff.
8. How hungry did Esau tell Jacob he was? // So hungry he could die.
9. Before giving him some stew, what did Jacob make Esau do? // Promise to sell his birthright.
10. What was today’s big idea? // Disobeying God now costs you later.
11. What is today’s verse? // 1 John 5:3 - For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

Curriculum Links
[Lesson Plan]
[Resources]

Jacob and Esau are Born

2011-06-27T15:02:00.001-04:00

Passage: Genesis 25:19-26

Big Idea: God’s words are true.

Verse: 2 Samuel 7:28 - And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true... (ESV)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

1. Name a person in today’s story. // Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, Jacob, Abraham, Sarah
2. What was Isaac’s wife name? // Rebekah
3. What was God’s promise to Abraham? // His family would become a great nation.
4. What problem did Rebekah have? // She couldn’t have children.
5. What did Isaac do to get Rebekah help? // He prayed to God for her.
6. What were the babies doing inside of her belly? // Struggling against one another.
7. What did God tell Rebekah about the babies in her belly? // They will become two nations.
8. What was the first baby’s name? // Esau
9. What was the second baby’s name? // Jacob
10. What was Esau like? // Red and hairy.
11. What was Jacob doing when he was born? // Grabbing Esau’s heel.
12. Did God keep his promise to Abraham? // Yes, he did.
13. What is today’s big idea? // God’s words are true.
14. What is today’s Bible verse? // 2 Samuel 7:28 - And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true...

Curriculum Links
[Lesson Plan]
[Resources]

Isaac and Rebekah

2011-06-13T10:52:00.000-04:00

PASSAGE: Genesis 24:1-67

BIG IDEA: God listens when we pray.

VERSE: Psalm 145:18 - The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (ESV)

Review Questions *Indicates questions you can ask multiple times.

* Name a character from today’s story. (Abraham, Isaac, Servant, Rebekah)
What did Abraham ask the servant to do? (Find a wife for his son, Isaac.)
Where did the servant and his camels rest? (By a well.)
What did the servant ask God to do for him? (Have a girl offer to give him a drink and water his camels, too.)
What happened right after the servant finished praying? (Rebekah showed up at the well.)
What did Rebekah say after the servant asked for a drink? (I’ll get you some water and some for your camels, too.)
Did Rebekah agree to marry Isaac? (Yes.)
What is prayer? (Talking with God.)
* What are some things we can talk with God about? (Talk about what he’s like, ask for forgiveness, ask for him to meet our needs, give thanks for what he’s done.)
What is today’s big idea? (God listens when we pray.)
What is today’s Bible verse? (Psalm 145:18 - The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.)

Curriculum Links
[Lesson]
[Resources]

The Last Supper

2011-06-04T13:33:00.000-04:00

Passage: Luke 22:14-20

Big Idea: Jesus died to save us from sin.

Verse: Romans 5:8 – But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

Review Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
1. What was the name of the special meal Jesus and his disciples shared? (Passover)
2. When the disciples ate the bread, what did Jesus want them to remember? (His body, broken for them)
3. When t he disciples drank the wine, what did Jesus want them to remember? (His blood shed for them)
4. When we celebrate this special meal in our church, what do we call it? (Communion, Lord’s Supper)
5. Why do we still celebrate this special meal today? (To remember what Jesus did for us.)
6. Why did Jesus have to die for us? (To pay the price for our sins.)
7. How can our sins be forgiven? (By believing that Jesus died and rose again for our sins.)
8. What is today’s big idea? (Jesus died to save us from sin.)
9. What is today’s Bible verse? (Romans 5:8 – But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.)
10. What part of the Bible was today’s story from? (New Testament)

Curriculum Links
[Lesson]
[Resources]

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

2011-05-30T21:46:00.003-04:00

Passage: John 13:1-17

Big Idea: To be great, serve others.

Bible Memory Verse: Mark 9:35b - If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.

Review Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What was the name of the special meal Jesus and the disciples were celebrating? (The Passover)
What did Jesus do to show his disciples that he loved him? (Washed their feet)
Why did people need their feet washed back then? (They wore sandals/were barefoot. The roads were dirt.)
Was washing dirty feet a job for someone important or a servant? (A servant)
Which disciple told Jesus to stop washing his feet? (Simon Peter)
When Jesus said he needed to wash their feet, what did Peter say? (Wash my whole body.)
What lesson was Jesus trying to teach the disciples by washing their feet? (They need to serve others.)
What is today's big idea? (To be great, serve others.)
What is today's Bible verse? (Mark 9:35b - If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.)

Curriculum Links

[Lesson]

[Resources]

The Triumphal Entry

2011-05-23T08:59:00.000-04:00

Passage: Mark 10:13-16

Big Idea: Worship Jesus the King.

Verse: Philippians 2:10 - So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

Review Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

1. What did Jesus send his two disciples out to find? (A donkey)

2. What did he tell them to say if someone asked what they were doing? (The Lord needs it.)

3. Who rode the donkey? (Jesus)

4. What did the people put on the road when they saw Jesus coming? (Their coats and some leaves.)

5. Why did they lay their coats on the road? (To treat Jesus like a king.)

6. What kinds of things did the people say when Jesus came by? (Blessed is the king! May there be peace!)

7. What does it mean to worship someone? (To treat them like they’re worth more than anyone else.)

8. Who does the Bible tell us to worship? (God.)

9. Why is it okay to worship Jesus? (He’s God.)

10. What is today’s big idea? (Worship Jesus the King.)

11. What is today’s Bible verse?

Jesus and the Children

2011-05-16T11:37:00.000-04:00

Passage: Mark 10:13-16

Big Idea: Believe that Jesus can save you.

Verse: John 14:1 - Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (ESV)

Story Review Questions
1. What were the parents bringing to Jesus? (Their little children.)
2. What did the parents want Jesus to do with the children? (Lay his hands on them and pray for them.)
3. What did the disciples do when the parents started bringing their children to Jesus? (They told them to stop.)
4. How did Jesus feel when he heard the disciples tell the parents to stop bringing their children? (He was angry.)
5. Did Jesus want the children to come to him or not? (He wanted them to come.)
6. True or false: Jesus said God’s kingdom doesn’t belong to little children. (False)
7. How did Jesus say we need to believe in him to enter God’s kingdom? (Like a little child believes.)
8. What does the Bible say we need to believe to be saved? (That Jesus is Lord and that he died and rose again for our sins.)
9. What is today’s big idea? (Believe that Jesus can save you.)
10. What is today’s Bible verse? (John 14:1 - Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.)

What Your Kid Learned This Week

2011-05-09T10:39:00.001-04:00

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

Passage: John 9:1-34

Big Idea: Tell others about Jesus.

Verse: Matthew 28:20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... (ESV)

Story Review Questions

Who did Jesus meet as he was walking? (A blind man)

How long had the man been blind? (Since he was born.)

What did Jesus put on the man's eyes? (Mud made from spit.)

What did Jesus tell the man to go do? (Wash off in a pool.)

What happened after the man washed off the mud? (He could see.)

What did the people who saw the blind man say? (Is that the same person who was blind?)

Was was the name of the group of people who asked the blind man questions? (The Pharisees)

When the Pharisees didn't believe the man, who did they ask next? (The blind man's parents)

Each time he was asked what happened, what did the blind man do? (Told the truth about what Jesus did.)

What is today's big idea? (Tell others about Jesus.)

What has Jesus done for us? (Died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead.)

What is today's verse? (Matthew 28:20a - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...)

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

2011-05-09T10:38:00.000-04:00

Passage: John 9:1-34

Big Idea: Tell others about Jesus.

Verse: Matthew 28:20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... (ESV)

Story Review Questions

Who did Jesus meet as he was walking? (A blind man)
How long had the man been blind? (Since he was born.)
What did Jesus put on the man’s eyes? (Mud made from spit.)
What did Jesus tell the man to go do? (Wash off in a pool.)
What happened after the man washed off the mud? (He could see.)
What did the people who saw the blind man say? (Is that the same person who was blind?)
Was was the name of the group of people who asked the blind man questions? (The Pharisees)
When the Pharisees didn’t believe the man, who did they ask next? (The blind man’s parents)
Each time he was asked what happened, what did the blind man do? (Told the truth about what Jesus did.)
What is today’s big idea? (Tell others about Jesus.)
What has Jesus done for us? (Died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead.)
What is today’s verse? (Matthew 28:20a - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...)

Jesus and Nicodemus

2011-05-02T11:08:00.000-04:00

Story: Jesus and Nicodemus

Passage: John 3:1-16

Verse: John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The Wise and Foolish Builders

2011-03-31T10:22:00.001-04:00

Passage: Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:47-49

Big Idea: Following Jesus is best.

Verse: Matthew 6:33a - But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...(ESV)

If you'd like, you can take a look at this week's lesson and activities.

What Your Kid Will Learn This Month

2011-02-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

Here's a list of the Bible stories and verses we'll be covering in Faith Kids during the month of February:

February 6: The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22.34-37

Big Idea

Love God with all you've got.

Bible Verse

Matthew 22.37 – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (ESV)

February 13: The Good Samaritan

Luke 10.25-37

Big Idea

Good neighbors are kind to everyone they meet.

Bible Verse

Matthew 22.39 - And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (ESV)

February 20: Jesus and Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10

Big Idea

Jesus came to save sinners.

Bible Verse

Luke 19:10 – For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. (ESV)

February 27: The Lord's Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15

Big Idea

Prayer is talking with God.

Bible Verse

1 Thes. 5:16-17– Rejoice always, pray without ceasing... (ESV)

Faith Kids Weekly Update

2011-01-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

What your Kid Learned This Week

Sodom and Gomorrah

Genesis 18:16-19:29

Big Idea

Run to God, flee from sin.

Bible Verse

1 Timothy 6:11a – ...O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righeousness... (ESV)

Faith Kids Weekly Update

2011-01-02T17:39:00.001-05:00

What Your Kid Learned This Week

The Call of Abram

Genesis 12:1-9

Big Idea

Obey right away.

Bible Verse

Luke 11:28 - He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (ESV)

What You Can Do Together

1. Repeat this week's verse activity. (See attached PDF file.)

2. Take an online quiz reviewing the content of today's story.

Faith Kids Weekly Update

2010-11-27T21:46:00.000-05:00

What Your Kid Learned

Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-9

Big Idea

Make God look great.

Bible Verse

1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (ESV)

What You Can Do Together

1. Review the story by taking an online quiz.

2. Do this week's verse activity (see attached .pdf)

Faith Kids Weekly Update

2010-11-27T21:45:00.001-05:00

What Your Kid Learned

Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-9

Big Idea

Make God look great.

Bible Verse

1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (ESV)

What You Can Do Together

1. Review the story by taking an online quiz.

2. Do this week's verse activity (see attached .pdf)

Individuality: Epaphroditus

2009-10-13T21:20:00.003-04:00

Virtue: Individuality—discovering who you are meant to be so you can make adifference.

Memory Verse: “How you made me is amazing and wonderful.” Psalm 139:14, NIrV

Bible Story: THE Epaphroditus (Epaphroditus, a fellow worker) • Philippians 2:25-30

Bottom Line: When you take care of others, you can make a difference.

Individuality: Onesimus

2009-10-04T17:07:00.001-04:00

Virtue: Individuality—discovering who you are meant to be so you can make a difference.
Memory Verse: "How you made me is amazing and wonderful." Psalm 139:14, NIrV
Bible Story: THE Onesimus (Paul's letter to Philemon about Onesimus) • Philemon 1:1,8-21
Bottom Line: When you belong to God, you can make a difference.

The Word on Wisdom

2009-09-30T15:04:00.000-04:00

Virtue: Wisdom—finding out what you should do and doing it.

Today’s Memory Verse: “A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs 22:3, NIV

Bible Story: The Word on Wisdom (benefits of wisdom) • Proverbs 22:3

Bottom Line: Wisdom is knowing AND doing.

Faith Kids: John the Baptist

2009-06-01T23:16:00.001-04:00

Story

John the Baptist prepares people for Jesus. (Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-8, John:19-28)

Big Idea
Tell the good news about Jesus.

Bible Verse
Romans 10:15b- "It is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" (NIV)

What We Did
1. We traced the outline of Kaleb's body on a large sheet of paper hung on the wall. We then used this outline to draw John as we learned different things about him. We gave him a hairy camel robe and drew some bugs and honey for him to eat. We added some people in the crowd and a big speech bubble from John's mouth saying "Repent!" We talked about how John dunked people under the water (baptized them) to help them understand that they needed to live a new life: they needed to repent, to stop doing all the bad things they were doing and start doing all the good things God wanted them to do. We talked about how John's job was to tell people the good news about Jesus, and that he was successful. When Jesus came, people started leaving John and following Jesus. And just like John's job was to tell people that Jesus was coming to save them, our job is to tell people that Jesus has already come to save us from our sins.

2. Our memory verse taught us that the people who bring the good news of Jesus have beautiful feet (because their feet are what they use to help bring the message to others). So, as we learned the verse, we traced the feet of each child on a piece of construction paper and wrote a word of the verse inside their foot.

3. We talked about what the good news about Jesus actually was by going over the wordless book: a book made up of only colored construction paper with no words. The first page, which was black, stood for sin and death because we've all sinned and the punishment for sin is death and being apart from God forever. The second page was red and stood for Jesus' blood. God's perfect Son, Jesus, died on a cross to pay the punishment for our sins. The third page was white, which stood for the fact that our sins could be forgiven and the "dirt" of our sins could be washed white as snow if we believe that Jesus died for us and make him our Master. The fourth page was green, which stood for the fact that God wants us to grow to be more and more like him. The last page was gold, which reminded us of the streets of gold in heaven and that one day we can spend forever with God in a perfect place.

4. To help us remember what the colors of the wordless book stood for, we played a modified game of Uno, where the regular cards were replaced by cards that corresponded to the colors from the wordless book. Each time we played a card, we had to say what that color represented in the story of the good news about Jesus.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

4. Wordless Book Activity

Faith Kids: Young Jesus at the Temple

2009-05-25T23:39:00.001-04:00

Story

Young Jesus spends time at the temple. (Matthew 2:39-52

Big Idea
Nobody's perfect, except Jesus.

Bible Verse
Romans 3:23 - "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. " (NIV)

What We Did
1. To understand that perfectly obeying God's laws is like perfectly following instructions, we created a list of instructions on how to create a peanut butter sandwich.

2. As we told the story of Jesus spending time at the temple as a kid, we doodled out the different parts of the story on a really big mirror (a change of pace from the chalk board.)

3. Our verse, Romans 3:23, taught us that we've all fallen short of God's glory and have not followed all his commands perfectly. To understand what what it means to "fall short," we each did a long jump as we learned our verse and marked where we landed on the ground, measuring the length of each jump with a measuring tape. We then talked about how obeying God perfectly our entire lives, from a little baby to an old person, would be like trying to jump a million miles. It's impossible, and we'd always fall short. Only Jesus could obey God perfectly his entire life because he's God, and God can do the impossible.

4. In small group time, we put together puzzles that taught us about sin and what God has done about it. Romans 3:23 taught us that everyone has sinned. Romans 6:23 taught us that what our sin earns us is death. Romans 5:8 taught us that God sent Jesus to pay our penalty for sin by dying for us. And John 3:16 taught us that our sins can be forgiven and have new life in Jesus if we believe that Jesus died for our sins.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

4. Handshake Activity
5. Resource: Verse Puzzles

Faith Kids: Magi Visit Jesus

2009-05-19T00:22:00.000-04:00

Story

Magi visit Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-2)

Big Idea
Jesus is King of the Universe

Bible Verse
Matthew 28:18 - "Then Jesus came to them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. " (NIrV)

What We Did
1. We talked about the stars since the magi were people who looked to the stars for wisdom. We talked about how scientists estimate that there are around 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in the universe. We showed the kids different constellations and had the children guess what kind of animal or person they were supposed to represent.

2. We told the story of the magi visiting and worshiping Jesus by packing a bag as if we were going on a trip. Each item in the bag told us a little bit about the magi and what they did. We talked about how the magi gave Jesus gifts that were more for a king than a little kid because that's what they thought he was. We finally talked about how, though the magi were impressed by the stars and believed in them, Jesus is King over everything: Israel, America, England, planet Earth, and all of those 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars.

3. As we learned our verse, we talked about that, since Jesus is King of the universe, he's in charge of everything. He has authority over us. It's like he holds the keys to the universe. As we learned the verse, each kid picked a key from a big bowl of keys. Only one key opened the locked door in the Faith Kids room, and that one was selected by Libby!

4. To make sure the kids didn't forget the big idea, with played a game with a laser pointer as we worked on memorizing "Jesus is King of the Universe." We darkened the room and had two kids hide glass pitchers of water while another kid left the room. When he/she returned, we gave him/her a laser pointer to move slowly around the room until it hit one of the glass pitchers, which would really light up in the dark room. We then asked the same questions after each round: Who is the person with the laser pointer? The magi. What do the pitchers of water represent? The stars. Who is the king of the universe? Jesus.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

4. Activity: Laser Stars
5. Resource: Super Mind Map

Faith Kids: The Shepherds Visit Jesus

2009-05-11T23:18:00.001-04:00

Story

An angel tells the shepherds Jesus is born. (Luke 2:8-20)

Big Idea
Jesus came to save us from sin.

Bible Verse
Luke 19:10- "The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them." (NIrV)

What We Did
1. We talked about the kinds of trouble we'd find ourselves in where we'd need a savior. We came up with things like hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, and bad guys.
2. We told the story in the dark around a fake campfire to try to recreate the night when the angels appeared to the shepherds. We fake-roasted marshmallows and made little figures out of them and toothpicks to help tell our story, things like a marshmallow sheep, marshmallow angel, and marshmallow baby Jesus.
3. As we learned our Bible verse about Jesus looking for the lost and saving them, we played the shell game, where the children looked for a lost marshmallow hidden beneath one of three moving cups. Apparently I'm really bad at moving the cups or the kids are really good at this game because they guessed correctly every time!

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

4. Activity: Tennis Savior
5. Resource: Super Mind Map

--
Please forgive the brief nature of my emails. I'm currently experiencing wrist problems.

Faith Kids: Angels visit Mary and Joseph

2009-05-05T00:17:00.001-04:00

Story

God's Son, Jesus, is born. (Luke 2:1-7

Big Idea
God's Son, Jesus, came to live with us.

Bible Verse
John 1:14a - "The Word became a human being. He made his home with us." (NIrV)

What We Did
1. Since our story was about a baby being born, we talked about all the things we'd have to buy if we were going to take care of a baby.
2. To tell the story of Jesus' birth, we threw Mary, Jesus' mom, a baby shower. Her baby shower gifts were all things that helped us tell the story of how Jesus was born. A few of these gifts were a key for the hotel room that they were unable to find, a little barn animal for the place they stayed, and a baby blanket for the swaddling clothes Mary wrapped Jesus in.
3. As we learned our Bible verse about the Word (Jesus) becoming a human being, we took a lump of playdough and slowly turned it into a playdough person. See the attached picture for the progression of our playdough man.
4. We answered True/False questions about the story by swatting True and False cards with fly swatters.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

4. Resource: Census Sheet
5. Resource: Ticket

Faith Kids: Angels visit Mary and Joseph

2009-04-27T22:49:00.001-04:00

Story

Angels visit Mary and Joseph. (Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38)

Big Idea
When God asks, say "Yes!"

Bible Verse
Luke 11:28 - He replied, "Instead, blessed are those who hear God's word and obey it." (NIrV)

What We Did
1. Because, in our story, the angel was going to give Mary and Joseph news that some might have thought bad news and others might have thought good news, in the first small group time we discussed the phrase, "I've got good news and bad news" and which news they'd rather hear first. A majority of our kids said they'd rather hear the bad news first and get it out of the way!
2. As we told the Bible story, we played a game called Noisy Choices. During key parts of the story, we stopped and gave our contestant (Carter) three choices as to what happened. To indicate his answer, he had to play one of three musical instruments: a maraca, a recorder, and a ukelele. Carter chose the correct Noisy Choice almost every time. He correctly decided that Jesus' parents weren't named Big Bertha and Billy Bob, as well as determining that the angel didn't appear to Joseph to deliver him a pizza.
3. During the story, we focused on the fact that, when God sent his messengers to Mary and Joseph, they both said "Yes" to God by agreeing to do what he asked them to do.
4. In the second small group time, we talked about how the way we can say "Yes" to God now is to read his Word (the Bible) and do what it says. We played a board game where we drew cards with God's commandments and instruction for us written on them and flipped a coin to judge whether or not our game character said "Yes" to God. We then discussed what it would mean to say "Yes" to God in regards to that commandment. If our game character said "Yes" to God, he/she was allowed to move forward, but if he/she said "No," then they had to move backwards.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

4. Resource: Game Board
5. Resource: Game Cards
6. Resource: Choice Cards

Faith Kids: Zechariah and Elizabeth

2009-04-20T22:14:00.001-04:00

Story

Zechariah and Elizabeth have a baby. (Luke 1:5-25, 57-75)

Big Idea
God means what he says.

Bible Verse
Psalm 105:8 - "He will keep his covenant forever. He will keep his promise for all time to come. "(NIrV)

What We Did
1. As we told the story, we hung paper strips from the ceiling in a long chain. We added a new strip to the chain each time we came to a new fact in the story. We started with blue and pink paper strips for Zechariah and Elizabeth, added a yellow strip when the angel appeared to Zechariah, and so on until the entire chain was as tall as me (Mr. Andy)!
2. We played a game of Win, Lose, or Draw on wipe board tablets to simulate how Zechariah had to communicate with others when God rendered him unable to speak.
3. We all did our best impersation of what it would like if an angel appeared to us. We all fainted dramatically onto the floor. Luckily, we had a nice big mattress to land on.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Easter Sunday

2009-04-15T00:38:00.001-04:00

Story

Jesus comes to earth to die for our sins, and rises from the dead.

Big Idea
God's Son, Jesus, beat sin and death.

What We Did
1. We basically told the entire story of the Bible. We had two punching bags covered with bedsheets. As we told the story, we attached cards to each punching bag to show what they stood for. One punching bag was covered in a white sheet and it stood for God. We talked about how God is love and God is life. He made a perfect world and gave life and love to the people he put on it. But they disobeyed God, and sin and death entered the world. That's what our second punching bag, the one covered with the dark sheet stood for.
     Sin leads to death. Sin and death are the opposite of love and life. After the first people sinned, people kept on sinning and people kept on dying. Finally, God sent Jesus to save us from sin and death. Since Jesus is God, he was full of life and love and offered both to those who'd follow and believe in him. But some people, who were full of sin and death, didn't like what Jesus had to say, and when they couldn't shut him up, they had him killed.
     It looked like sin and death had one and God, full of life and love, had lost. But Jesus was much stronger than sin and death, and though he was killed on a Friday, he rose from the dead on a Sunday. He beat sin and death (at this point, we gave the "Sin and death" punching bag quite a kick!) because God is much stronger than either of them. And we can leave sin and death behind, too, if we believe that Jesus died to take the punishment for the sins we've committed and follow him.
     We finally talked about how God will one day make a new heaven and a new earth, and sin and death will be no more. For those who believe in and follow Jesus, we'll spend forever enjoying God's life and God's love.
2. We played a game where we drew popsicle sticks from a jar. There were seven sticks, each with a day of the week written on it. The person who drew the "Friday" popsicle stick ended up stuck in "sin and death" (the center of the circle), since Jesus died on a Friday. He/she then had to find the kid with the "Sunday" stick in order to leave "sin and death" and receive God's "love and life," since Jesus was raised on a Sunday.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Game

Faith Kids: Promises

2009-03-23T22:53:00.001-04:00

Story

Jesus teaches about making oaths. (Matthew 5:33-37)

Big Idea
Be a believable person.

Bible Verse
Matthew 5:37 - "Just let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes.' Let your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more than this comes from the evil one. " (NIrV)

What We Did
1. We talked about the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf to see what happens to unbelievable people.
2. We played the game "Two Truths and a Lie."
3. To understand what Jesus was talking about when he said things like "Don't swear on heaven" or "Don't swear on your head," we acted out a little made-up story. We had my friend, Kaleb, hold an Xbox 360. I then spent the whole lesson trying to convince me to let me borrow it for the weekend. I made a promise. I swore on my mother's grave. I did the "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." I did a pinky swear. I even had a stack of Bibles to swear on. But after each one of these, Kaleb said "No!"
     And that's because I also described how I was a person who tended to break things. Like the time I broke my dad's laptop when I tried to use it as a frisbee. Or the time I broke the telephone because I tried to see if it would work underwater. (Remember, this is a made-up story!)
     So, the kids saw how, even though I made all sorts of crazy promises, Kaleb wouldn't let me borrow his Xbox 360 because I wasn't a believable person. I was just a person who broke everything I touched. If I wanted to someday borrow his Xbox 360, I'd have to prove that I was a believable person by not breaking things for a while.
     This is just what Jesus taught. We don't have to make crazy promises and swear on stacks of Bibles to get people to believe. We just need to be people whose "Yes" means "Yes" and our "No" means "No."

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Friends

2009-03-16T22:06:00.001-04:00

Story

Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)

Big Idea
A Jesus follower is everybody's friend.

Bible Verse
John 15:13 - "No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends." (NIrV)

What We Did
1. We acted out the story of the Good Samaritan. Evan was our traveller. He was "beaten up" slow-mo movie style, complete with movie-action music. We then had three people pass by (Kaleb the priest, Raven the Levite, and Carter the Samaritan). Although the priest and the Levite were supposed to be good guys, they walked right on by poor Evan. But Carter the Samaritan stopped and helped him up, tied bandages on his wounds, and dragged him to a hotel to stay.
We discussed how the Samaritan was a good friend to the traveller, even though he didn't know him at all. If we want to be a good follower of Jesus, we need to be kind and a good friend to everyone, not just those we like.
2. Our verse was about the greatest act of friendship possible: giving your life for your friend. So, as we learned the verse, we pretended to save each other's lives. We had a giant blue ball which represented an oncoming truck. We had one child pretend to stand in the street, oblivious of the oncoming danger. We then had a third kid, as the "oncoming truck" came near, say "Watch out!" and push his/her friend out of danger, who went flying out of the way and landed on our stunt mattress (for a nice, soft landing).

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Contentment

2009-03-09T23:03:00.001-04:00

Story

Jesus teaches a rich young ruler about loving God most. (Luke 18:18-27)

Big Idea
Love God more than your stuff.

Bible Verse
Philippians 4:11b - "I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me." (NIrV)

What We Did
1. We made a list of stuff we'd buy if money was no object. The list ranged from ice cream and Wii games to a rocket ship and the entire country of France!
2. We acted out the story with Brianna playing the story of Rich, the rich young ruler. When Jesus said that it was harder for a rich man to enter God's kindgom than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, we handed a stuffed animal to Brianna to represent our camel and had her try her best to get it to go through the eye of a needle.
3. As we worked on memorizing our big idea, we played a game where we tried to through a stuffed animal (representing the camel) through a hula hoop (representing the eye of the needle.) We kept backing the throwers up to the point that the kids said, "It's impossible to throw the stuffed animal that far!" I told them, "If you think that's tough, it's even tougher for us to enter God's kingdom if we love our stuff more than we love him!"
4. We realized that one way we can be content whatever the circumstances is to stop thinking about what we don't have. To do this, we took the list of stuff we'd buy if we had all the money in the world and ran it through a paper shredder. We then listed all the things that God's blessed us with (food, family, toys, etc.) and went around the room, praying and thanking God for them.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Anger

2009-03-02T21:15:00.001-05:00

Story

King Saul becomes so angry with David that he eventually attacks him (1 Samuel 16:14-25, 17:1-18:11)

Big Idea
When you are angry, don't lose control.

Bible Verse
Ephesians 4:26 - "When you are angry, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." (NIrV)

What We Did
1. We described things that "pushed our buttons" while taking buttons and pushing them into playdough.
2. We acted out the story of Saul and David, with Brianna playing beautiful music on the harp (actually, a ukelele) and Kaleb throwing a spear (a foam swimming noodle).
3. As we learned our verse, we took turns throwing play darts at a dart board (with extreme adult supervision, rest assured!) This helped us remember our story, where Saul got so angry he started tossing spears at people. When we tallied up the points, Leiah was our dart throwing champion!
4. We discussed things we could do when we become angry to help us keep under control, including praying, going for a walk, and listening to music.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Obey All the Way

2009-02-23T22:36:00.001-05:00

Story

Jesus tells a story about a father asking two sons to work in his vineyard (Matthew 21:28 - 32)

Big Idea
Obey all the way

Bible Verse
Matthew 22:17 - "Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (NIrV)

Misc
1. To see how it's not a good idea to do things only halfway, we tried to say common nursery rhymes skipping every other word. We also created new names for ourselves by spelling our real names and skipping every other letter.
2. Since Jesus didn't give the names of the two sons in the story, we let the kids give them each a name to refer to them by as we told the story. Brianna A. called the first son, George, and Kaleb named the second son, Shilgur!
2. As we acted out the story, we had Brianna plant and water some real sunflower seeds to demonstrate how George obeyed his father and worked in the vineyard. Also, we had Kaleb relax on the floor with a pillow and blanket to show how Shilgur didn't obey his father and didn't work in the vineyard.
3. As we learned our verse, we played a game of Chutes and Ladders to help us remember that we need to obey completely. In the game, if you "disobey," you end up sliding down the game board, and away from the goal.
4. To remind us that all of God's rules for us are just pieces of everything we're supposed to do in order to obey God, we labeled blank puzzle pieces with different things God has asked us to do (tell the truth, pray, be kind) and fit the pieces together.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Stand Out (Matthew 5:13-16)

2009-02-16T21:41:00.001-05:00

Story

Jesus teaches his followers to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16)

Big Idea
When you follow God, you stand out.

Bible Verse
Matthew 5:16a - "In the same way, let your light shine in front of others." (NIrV)

Misc
1. We darkened the windows and told the story by candlelight. We paid special attention to how the candle stood out in the darkness, as it reminded us that we stand out when we follow God.

2. We played "One of these things is not like the Other," complete with musical cameos from Big Bird and Cookie Monster. Natalie was our contestant, and she had to, after viewing how three different people reacted to a situation, figure out which one stood out because they obeyed God. Natalie was three for three!

3. We lit a birthday candle for each word of our Bible verse as we learned it. In the end, we had Claire come up to blow them all out.

4. We used action figures and a digital camera to create scenes where people stood out because they decided to follow God. See the pictures below to see the results of this. (The first two were made by the K-2nd kids, the third was made by the 3rd-6th kids)

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Blessed are the Persecuted (Matthew 5:10)

2009-02-09T22:08:00.001-05:00

Story

Sometimes people will be mean to us when we do the right thing. (Matthew 5:10)

Big Idea
Follow God, not the crowd.

Bible Verse
Matthew 5:10 - "Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. " (NIrV)

Misc
1. We talked a lot about cool kids and the good and bad things they like to do. We talked about how sometimes the "cool" kids at school like to pick on and make fun of less cool kids. We acted out several situations and looked at how a "cool" kid and a God follower might respond.

2. To help us remember to follow God, not the cool kids, we did several activities with ice cubes. One thing we did, during our verse activity, was to see how fast we could melt an ice cube. In addition to helping us learn our verse, this helped us remember that being cool is something that doesn't last very long (like the ice cube melting), but obeying God is something that lasts forever. By the way, our fastest ice cube melter was Claire!

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Blessed are the Peacemakers (Matthew 5:9)

2009-02-02T23:53:00.001-05:00

Story

Jesus is arrested. Peter cuts off a servant's ear, but Jesus fixes it. (John 18:1-12)

Big Idea
Be a peacemaker, not a peacebreaker.

Bible Verse
Matthew 5:8 - "Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called sons of God." (NIrV)

Misc
1. To understand the difference between a peacemaker and a peacebreaker, we listed all the superheroes and supervillains we could think of.

2. As we told the story, we had our "Peter" cut off our "servant's" ear with a foam sword, in super-slo-mo movie style. During the lesson, we learned that Jesus was a peacemaker, and allowed himself to be arrested because he trusted that God had a plan. Peter, on the other hand, decided to be a peacebreaker, and trust in his sword instead of God.

3. While learning our verse, we slowly dressed up Carter as a superhero. He wore super pajama pants, a super blue tank top, super fuzzy slippers, super sunglasses, a super winter cap, a super bandana, and a super bath towel cape.

4. We talked about situations we could find ourselves in at home and at school, and how we could choose to act as a peacemaker instead of a peacebreaker.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Faith Kids: Blessed are the Pure in Heart (Matthew 5:8)

2009-01-28T16:59:00.001-05:00

Story

We learned about being pure in heart, loving God more than anything else. (Matthew 5:8)

Big Idea
Love God Most.

Bible Verse
Matthew 5:8 - "Blessed are those whose hearts are pure. They will see God." (NIrV)

Misc
1. To understand what "pure" means, we looked at two different glasses of water. The pure glass was filled with only water. The impure glass was basically dirt-flavored Kool-Aid.

2. We learned that "heart" can stand for the word "love." When Jesus said to be pure in heart, he wanted us to love Him more than anything else.

3. We learned that the pure in heart will see God and spend forever with Him. We wore three pairs of sunglasses to remember that the pure will see God. One pair of glasses was pure (clean lenses). Another was a little impure (stick syrup on the lenses). Another was completely impure (lenses covered with tape.) We noticed that it was easiest to see with the pure glasses. This helped us remember that it's easiest to "see" God with a pure heart.

4. As we learned our verse, we shot a dirty plate with a squirt bottle to help the plate become more "pure."

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Rehearsal

2008-12-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

Although Leiah won't be able to make it, we're going to try and go ahead with practice tonight at 6:30. The church parking lot has been plowed. The main roads are getting better (although I know they're far from perfect!)

If you are unable to make it, please email me back as soon as you can or leave a message at my parents, 530-8525, as I will be out running errands and won't be near a phone.

Thanks!

Christmas program etc.

2008-12-02T00:05:00.001-05:00

Our Christmas program this year will be on December 21 during the Sunday morning service. For the next few weeks we'll be preparing for it during Faith Kids.

A couple of notes and questions:
1. Please let me know if your child is not going to be able to be there that Sunday morning so that we can plan accordingly.

2. Our program will feature a few videos starring the children. One of the videos will have Mary and Joseph knocking on doors, looking for a place to stay. We think it'd be funny if those doors we knocked on were the doors of our parents. So, if you are willing and able to do the following:
     -open a door
     -say "No rooms!"
     -close a door
then, please send me an email back, and we'll try to schedule a time to film this.

3. We've begun printing out Children's Worship Bulletins and placing them on the table in the back of the auditorium. They feature a few activities and things to color, and are designed for the K-2nd change child. They're printed out on white paper, and oddly enough, say "Children's Worship Bulletin" across the top! Feel free to take one for your child to use during the service.

Any other questions about the Christmas program or Faith Kids in general, feel free to let me know!

The Tabernacle, the Ark, and the Priests: Exodus 25:10-22, 26:1-37, 28:1-2, 41

2008-11-25T00:29:00.001-05:00

Story

We discussed three things God asked Moses to make/do in order to demonstrate to the Israelites how holy He is: the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Priests. (Exodus 25:10-22, 26:1-37, 28:1-2, 41)

Big Idea
God is holy: perfect and special.

Bible Verse
Leviticus 11:45b - "Therefore be holy, because I am holy."

Misc
-To remember the three things God asked Moses to make/do in order to show the Israelites how holy He is, we used three "P" words and three props:
     1. The Tabernacle was God's special place. (We used a fancy bedsheet to represent the cloth of the Tabernacle.)
     2. The Ark of the Covenant was God's special package. (We used former Pastor Hadley's fancy, old cigar box.)
     3. The Priests were God's special people. (We used the most person-like action-figure I could find!)

-As we learned our verse, we played a game of Limbo. Why limbo? Well, in our lesson, we had discussed how the Ark was so special and represented God's presence that no one was allowed to touch it. The priests had to carry it using long wooden poles. So, mix the no-touching with the wooden poles, and you get Limbo!

-We discussed ways we could treat God as holy and special, such as giving Him our time, our things, and our talents.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity

Wandering the Desert, part 2: Be full of thanks, not complaints.

2008-11-17T23:19:00.001-05:00

Story
Various stories about the Israelites wandering and complaining in the desert, Num. 11:4-35, 20:1-13, 21:4-9
-God provides lots of quail to eat
-God provides water from a rock, Moses
-God sends snakes and helps those bitten by them

Big Idea
Be full of thanks, not complaints.

Bible Verse
Philippians 2:14 - "Do everything without arguing or complaining."

Misc
-We talked about how no one wants to be around a complainer. Hearing complaints constantly can fill us with frustration and anger, like a balloon filled with air until it pops! We wrote out things we complain about on a balloon and then popped it. (Those in in the community next door probably heard it!)

-In the three parts of our story, the Israelites complained about something. To find out what they complained about, we inflated balloons that had the Israelites' complaints written on them. ("I'm soooo sick of manna!", "We're going to die before we find water!" and "No food, no water, and I'm still soooo sick of manna!"

-As we learned our verse, we played musical chairs. Instead of using a normal song, we listened to a really goofy song I made that helped get today's verse stuck in the kids' head. You can listen to it here (it's a Youtube video with only sound and a still image) or you can click the link below.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity
4. Verse Activity Goofy Song (WARNING: You cannot un-hear this song!)

Wandering in the Desert: God Takes Care of Us

2008-11-10T23:57:00.001-05:00

Story

God provides water and manna for the Israelites, Exodus 15:22 - 17:7

Big Idea
God takes care of us.

Bible Verse
Philippians 4:19 - "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Misc
- We played a game-show-style game called "Mystery Bag." We'd tell part of the story and then stop to select one of three "mystery bags." Each bag held a possible answer for the next part of the story, but only one was correct. The kids then picked which answer they thought was correct and which ones they though were false.

- The kids earned "valuable" prizes for each round of "Mystery Bag," including:
     - Pop Rocks (for when Moses struck the rock and water came out)
     - Gummy Worms (for when the manna went bad and became covered with maggots)
     - Popcorn (the Bible describes manna as white, flaky, and sweet, so popcorn is pretty close)

-We listed ways God has taken care of us. Some of the things the kids mentioned were: food, water, air, shelter, beds, parents, friends, the Bible.

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity
4. Mystery Bag Answer Cards
5. Answer Cards

The Golden Calf: Ex. 32:1-33:6

2008-10-28T00:15:00.001-04:00

Story

The Golden Calf: Ex. 32:1-33:6

Big Idea
Love God, not stuff

Bible Verse
Matthew 6:24b - "You cannot serve both God and money."

Misc
-We made "golden rings" out of yellow playdough. We gave our "rings" to Aaron, who smushed them together and made a golden calf.
-The boys and girls faced off in our coin flipping verse activity. The girls won.
-We filled out sheets to "Make Time for God." Each kid was encouraged to pick a time, a place, and an activity to spend time with God each day.
-We dropped two large bricks to represent when Moses dropped the stone tablets. To my surprise, the bricks actually broke!

Materials We Used
1. Lesson Plan
2. Small Group Leader Sheet
3. Verse Activity
4. Make Time for God Sheet

The Ten Commandments - Godś rules are good!

2008-10-20T09:35:00.001-04:00

Story
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:1-20:21)

The Big Idea
"Godś rules are good!" Sometimes we think rules just keep us from having fun and doing what we want. But God has given us rules because they are good for us and allow everyone to live better together. His rules help us please Him.

Bible Verse
Psalm 139:9b - "For your laws are good."

Misc
For each of the commandments, I printed a picture that I thought represented the idea of it. (Example: A picture of a mouth for ¨Do not give false testimony.¨) I then had the children guess which commandment the picture was referring to.
During small groups, we played ¨Swat the Commandment.¨ I placed cards with a commandment written on them. I then read a scenario that applied to one of the commandments, and they used fly swatters to swat the commandment they thought applied.

Materials We Used
Lesson plan
Verse activity
Small Group guide
Commandment pictures

God parts the Red Sea: God is on our side

2008-10-12T22:57:00.001-04:00

Story: God parts the Red Sea (Exodus 13:17-14:31)

The Big Idea: "God is on our side!" Though the Israelites felt trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea, God fought for them. Those of us who follow Jesus can take solace in knowing that that same God fights for us today.

Bible Verse: Exodus 14:14a - "The Lord will fight for you."

Misc: We used plastic army men to represent the Israelites and Egyptians as we acted out the story, and used play dough coated popsicle sticks to represent the pillar of fire and pillar of cloud.

Moses and Pharaoh Part 2: When God speaks, listen

2008-10-05T20:41:00.000-04:00

Story: Moses and the last five plagues (Exodus 9:8-12:30)

The Big Idea: When God speaks, listen!

Bible Verse: Luke 11:28 - "He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'"

Moses and Pharaoh Part 1: God is all powerful

2008-09-28T20:39:00.000-04:00

Story: Moses and the first five plagues (Exodus 6:28-9:7)

The Big Idea: God is all-powerful

Bible Verse: Job 42:2 - "I know that you can do all things: no plan of yours can be thwarted."

Moses and the Burning Bush: God can use anybody

2008-09-21T20:37:00.000-04:00

Story: Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 2:23-4:17)

The Big Idea: God can use anybody.

Bible Verse: Philippians 4:13 - "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Moses Loses Control: Don't be bad when you get mad

2008-09-14T20:34:00.000-04:00

Story: Moses attacks an Egyptian and flees (Exodus 2:11-25)

The Big Idea: Don't be bad when you get mad.

Bible Verse: Proverbs 14:17a - "A quick-tempered man does foolish things."

The Birth of Moses: God Always Has a Plan

2008-09-09T00:25:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody, we're back from summer hiatus! I'll be updating this blog each week with some info that might help you any of you who have a child in Faith Kids reinforce what we learned on Sunday morning.

Some things I'll include each week are:

1. The Story Title and Bible Reference: pretty self-explanatory
2. The Big Idea: This is a short, hopefully memorable lesson from the story that we focus on.
3. Bible Verse: Each week, we spend a few minutes learning a Bible verse that supports the big idea.

Story: The Birth of Moses (Exodus 1:1-2:10)

The Big Idea: God always has a plan.

Bible Verse: Jeremiah 29:11a - "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord."

Joseph Meets His Brothers Again

2008-05-26T15:47:00.000-04:00

For the past couple of week, we've covered the story of how Joseph met his brothers again in Egypt.

To tell the story of the story of how Joseph collected Egypt's food during the seven good years, we each had bowls of Fruit Loops. We got to eat half of them; the rest we took up to 'Joseph' and deposited in a large bowl. That way, during the seven years of famine, we had some food left to eat.

When we got to the part of the story where Joseph met his brothers for the first time in years, we played a choose-your-own-adventure game. At various points in the story, we gave our kids threes choices as to what would happen next. One of them was the real choice, what actually happened in the Bible. The other two were completely ridiculous and funny choices. We acted out all three, choosing the correct one at the end.

As we finished the tale of Joseph reuniting with his brothers, we assigned a crazy motion for each character involved in the story and performed them each time their name was mentioned (which happened a lot!)

Pharaoh's Crazy Dreams

2008-05-12T08:49:00.001-04:00

Our story this week centered around Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and his crazy dreams.

To tell the story, we had one of our kids lie down on a cot with a pillow and blanket to represent Pharaoh. Then we used an overhead projector to shine a 'dream bubble' over 'Pharaoh's' head. Then we placed a bunch of different shadow shapes inside the dream bubble.

One night, Pharaoh had not one, but two crazy dreams! In the first, seven fat cows appeared by the Nile river, followed by seven skinny cows. The skinny cows then walked on over to the fat cows and ate them!

In the second dream, seven fat heads of grain were eaten by seven skinny heads of grain.

Needless to say, after having such strange dreams, Pharaoh was concerned. He asked the smartest people in Egypt what these dreams could possibly mean, but no one could tell him.

Finally, Pharaoh's cupbearer remembered Joseph from the time they had spent together in prison. Joseph had interpreted his dream correctly for him back then. So, the cupbearer told Pharaoh about Joseph, and Pharaoh sent for Joseph immediately.

After hearing Pharaoh's dreams, God helped Joseph understand what they meant. He told Pharaoh that Egypt would experience seven really good years, followed by seven years of severe famine. Joseph told Pharaoh that, during those seven good years, he needed to find someone smart to make sure they saved enough food to last during the seven bad years.

Pharaoh thought Joseph looked smart enough for the job, so he put him in charge of Egypt's food supply. Not only that, he put him second-in-command over all of Egypt. Only Pharaoh would have more power than Joseph.

A Joseph, a baker, and a cupbearer

2008-04-29T09:47:00.000-04:00

This week, we told the story of Joseph's time in prison in Egypt. Mrs. Jessica read the story and I (Mr. Andy) played the parts of Joseph, the baker, and cupbearer, wearing different costumes and speaking in different voices as I tried to switch between characters as fast as possible.

Two men who worked for Pharaoh, his baker and his cupbearer, were thrown into the same prison Joseph was in because they had somehow angered Pharaoh.

While they were there, they had strange dreams, dreams they knew meant something. But, they were bummed out because they had no idea what they actually meant.

Joseph asked them, "What's wrong, guys?" They told him about their dreams, about how they didn't know what they meant.

"God can help me understand what they mean. Why don't you tell me them?" Joseph said. And so the cupbearer and baker did so.

When they were finished, God helped Joseph understand exactly what the dreams meant.

Trying to Smooch the Wrong Person

2008-04-06T22:28:00.000-04:00

This morning, we told the story of Joseph working in Potiphar's house.

We told the story by acting out a courtroom-style drama, with three of our kids playing the part of Joseph, Potiphar, and Mrs. Potiphar, Mr. Andy acting as the lawyer, and the rest of the kids as the jury.

We learned that Mrs. Potiphar tried to get her servant, Joseph, to give her a smooch. When he refused, she lied to her Potiphar, her husband, saying that Joseph had tried to smooch HER!

Potiphar believed his wife's story, and had Joseph thrown in prison.

How Faith Kids Works

2008-03-19T15:25:00.004-04:00

Faith Kids is our program for children K-6th grade. It takes place during our worship service, as well as our adult community hour. Each week, we focus on teaching the children a Bible story or concept, all centered around one "bottom line" (or big idea).
Most weeks we follow a standard format (All times are best estimates):
Worship Service: 10:00 am - 10:10 am
The children begin upstairs in the auditorium with the adults as we open the service with a time of worship through singing. They will then be prompted to head downstairs for Faith Kids.

Lesson Time: 10:10 am - 10:40 am
At the same time the adults are upstairs listening to Pastor Smith's sermon, the kids will be downstairs having their Bible lesson. Usually focused on a particular Bible story, this time shapes up differently each week. Sometimes we act out the story; other times we draw the story or mold it out of clay. Some times we present the story in the form of a game show

Worship Service: 10:40 am - 11:00 am
When Pastor Smith is finished with his message, the children will be lead back upstairs to join everyone in a closing time of worship through song.

Activities: 11:15 am - 12:00 pm
During the adult community hour, the children will spend time doing various activities that reinfornce the "bottom line" (or big idea) of the week's lesson. This time can include games, crafts, discussion, and prayer.

Parent Resource: AWANA Council Time Curriculum

2008-03-19T14:55:00.010-04:00

Note: These lessons are being moved over to our kid's curriculum site, faithkidslessons.blogspot.com. There you'll also find the Sunday lessons we teach, along with a variety of other materials our church generates. Click here to go straight to the master list of lessons.

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

How can we have a relationship with God?

Resource-Letters

Lesson 8

What’s prayer?

Lesson 9

What’s the Bible?

Lesson 10

Does God care who my friends are?

Lesson 11

How Should I deal with mean people?

Lesson 12

Should I tell others about Jesus?

Lesson 13

Should I Talk About My Friends Behind Their Backs?

Lesson 14

Can my words hurt others?

Lesson 15

What is the Golden Rule?

Lesson 16

Does God care what I watch or listen to?

Lesson 17

Should I Listen to My Parents?

Lesson 18

Does God care how I do in school?

Lesson 19

Does God care about the stuff I have?

Lesson 20

Does God Care If I'm Popular?

Lesson 21
What is a Church's Job?

Lesson 22
How can a Christian Grow?

Lesson 23
Year in Review

Parent Resource: Faith Kids Curriculum

2008-03-19T11:01:00.011-04:00

The lessons used each week in Faith Kids are written by our Associate Pastor, Andrew Doane.

Each lesson revolves around a single story from the Bible. Our goal is to focus on the single key idea each Bible story has to teach us about God and how he saved us through his Son, Jesus. While each activity in the lesson varies in it's purpose (personal application, Bible memory, review), they all revolve around helping the children understand and remember this one big idea

All the lessons we teach from are being posted over at Faith Kids Lessons.

Jacob and His Wives

2008-02-10T23:59:00.001-05:00

What We Talked About:
Jacob had to run away from home to live with his mother's brother, Laban. On his way, he ran into Laban's daughter, Rachel. When he saw her, it was love at first sight. He ran to her, told her his story, and they went back to see Laban.

Jacob offered to work for Laban if Laban would let him live with him. Laban say, "Should my sister's son work for me for free? Tell me what you want, and I'll gave it to you." Jacob didn't have to think at all. "If I work for you for 7 years, can I marry your daughter, Rachel?" Laban thought about this and said, "Well, I suppose it's better she marry someone I know that some other guy I don't know, so fine, you can marry Rachel."

Jacob worked for Laban for 7 years, but it only seemed like a day to him because he loved Rachel so much. After the 7 years, they had a wedding feast. That night, Jacob went back to his tent to wait for his bride. But Laban had a trick planned for Jacob. Laban had a daughter named Leah, who was older than Rachel and wasn't married, and he wanted her to get married before Rachel. So, he told Leah to sneak into Jacob's tent, so he would marry her instead of Rachel.

The next morning, Jacob woke up and realized he, the man who had tricked his brother, had been tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. He ran to Laban and yelled, "You tricked me!' Laban told Jacob he could marry Rachel, too, if he wanted, but he had to work for him for another 7 years. So, Jacob married Rachel a week later, and had to work for Laban another 7 years.

What's the Big Deal?
1. We should treat others like we want to be treated.

What We Did
1. We hung balloons from the ceiling. Each balloon had drawn on it something (or someone) that went with our story. We used these hanging balloons of Rachel, Leah, Laban, and others to help tell the story.

Our Memory Verse
Matthew 7:12 - “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you."

Jacob's Dream

2008-02-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

What We Talked About:
Since his brother, Esau, wanted to kill him, Jacob had to run away from home to live with his mother's brother, Laban. As he was travelling, he stopped for the night to sleep. Since he had no pillow, he laid his head on a rock and began to dream.

In his dream, he saw a large set of steps that started on the earth and went all the way to heaven. Angels were walking up and down the steps, and at the very top was God himself. God spoke to Jacob and repeated the same promises to Jacob that he had made to his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham.

When Jacob woke the next morning, he knew that God had spoken to him in his dream. He took the large rock he used as a pillow and stood it up on its end, so he could remember the place where God came to him. He named the place, 'Bethel," which in his language meant 'House of God.'

What's the Big Deal?
1. God keeps on keeping his promises.

What We Did
1. We placed a ladder in the middle of the teaching area. We then turned out the lights, placed candles on the steps of the ladder, and lit them to represent the angels in Jacob's dream. We lit an old-fashioned oil lamp and told the story by lamp-light.

Our Memory Verse
Genesis 28:15 - “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Jacob, Esau, and the Blessing

2008-01-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

What We Talked About:
Isaac was getting old, and he wanted to bless his favorite son, Esau, before he died. He told Esau to hunt for some food, prepare it just the way he liked it, and bring it to him to eat. After eating, Isaac would bless him. So, Esau went out into the field to hunt.

Rebekah overhead this and told her favorite son, Jacob. Together, they hatched a plan to trick Isaac into blessing Jacob instead by pretending to be Esau. Since Isaac was old and could no longer see, Rebekah had Jacob wear some of Esau's clothes, and place some animal skins on his arms in order to smell and feel like his brother, Esau. Rebekah took one of their goats, cooked it up just the way Isaac liked it, and sent Jacob into see Isaac

Isaac was suspicious, but in the end, Jacob was able to fool him and get his father's blessing. No sooner than Jacob had left then Esau walked into Isaac's tent to receive his blessing. Isaac explained to him that he had already given his blessing to someone who he had thought was Esau. Esau knew he had been tricked by his brother, Jacob. He was so made, he planned to kill his brother.

What's the Big Deal?
1. You won't get away with sin for long.

What We Did
1. We created Play-Doh versions of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau and used them to act out the events of the story.

Our Memory Verse
Proverbs 12:22 - "The Lord detests lying lips, but delights in men who are truthful."

Jacob Steals Esau's Birthright

2008-01-20T20:29:00.000-05:00

What We Talked About:
Since Esau was the older twin, he was entitled to the birthright: when they'd divide up the inheritance, Esau would receive twice as much as Jacob. But Jacob was rather crafty, and he began looking for a way to get the birthright for himself.

The opportunity came one when when Jacob was cooking some stew. Esau came in from the field. He had been out hunting and had not caught anything. "Give me some of that soup, bro," Esau said. Jacob said, "Sure, Esau, but only if you give me your birthright." "I'm so hungry, I'm about to die! What does the birthright matter to me if I'm dead?" Jacob made Esau swear to give him the birthright. When he did, Jacob gave him some stew

What's the Big Deal?
1. Impatience can cost you bigtime.

What We Did
1. We talked about how different the two twins, Jacob and Esau, were. We hung two strings from the ceiling: one for Jacob and one for Esau. We then attached word cards to each string to describe Jacob and Esau.

Our Memory Verse
Psalm 38:15 - "I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God."

Jacob and Esau are Born

2008-01-13T23:53:00.000-05:00

What We Talked About:
God continued to keep his promise to Abraham to make his family into a great nation. His son Isaac's wife became pregnant. As her tummy grew, the baby began to move violently inside her. It wiggled around so much that she finally asked God what in the world was going on. God told her that she was actually carrying two babies inside her. These babies would grow up into great nations one day, and the older son would one day serve the younger.

A little while later, the babies were born. The first baby that came out had bright red hair. He was named Esau. As Esau came out, the second baby grabbed onto his heel. He was given the name Jacob.

What's the Big Deal?
1. God keeps his promises

What We Did
1. We talked about family trees - diagrams that show how family members are related to one another. We drew Abraham's family tree to show how his family began to grow into a great nation.
2. We told the story in a chalk talk, drawing images on the chalk board to help tell the story.

Our Memory Verse
Psalm 145:13b - "The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made."

Issac and Rebekah Meet

2008-01-06T16:53:00.001-05:00

This week, we talked about how Abraham found a girl for his son, Isaac, to marry. But, before that, we explored some of the ways Abraham didn't go about it. Check out the video below for a few highlights.

2007 Faith Kids Christmas Program

2007-12-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

For the past month or so, we've been working on our Christmas program. Last Sunday, December 16th, we performed it for the whole church during the morning service. To view it, click one of the links below. (It's been split into two parts due to YouTube file limitations.)

Watch part one.

Watch part two.

Three Visitors/Birth of Isaac

2007-11-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

What We Talked About:
God had been keeping his promises to Abraham. But, Abraham was worried how God was going to keep one of his promises. You see, God had promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation, but they had had no kids, and they were very old.

So, God decided to visit with Abraham, along with two angels. When Abraham saw him, he bowed down, and invited the three over for dinner. While they were eating dinner, Abraham's wife Sarah snuck over out of sight to listen in on the conversation.

After the meal, God said, "We'll be back in a year's time, and your wife Sarah will have a baby." Sarah laughed to herself when God said this. "How can an old lady like me have a baby?" she thought.

But God kept his promise. In less than a year, Sarah gave birth to a baby boy. He was named Isaac, which in their language, means 'laughter.'

What's the Big Deal?
1. God means what He says.

What We Did
1. We had two kids come up front to represent Abraham and Sarah. They stood in front of the chalkboard, and we drew cartoon thought bubbles above their heads. Then, throughout the story, we wrote things in the thought bubbles so we could see what Abraham and Sarah were thinking.
2. Use a tape recorder, we taped ourselves saying today's bible verse in a bunch of silly voices. Click the following link to download an mp3 of our recording. (mp3, 570k)

Our Memory Verse
2 Peter 3:9a - “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise.”

Sodom and Gomorrah

2007-11-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

What We Talked About:
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were full of people who disobeyed God. They were so evil that God decided to destroy the cities. God told Abraham what He was going to do. Abraham was worried because his nephew Lot lived in Sodom and he didn't want Lot to be destroyed with the rest of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

"What if there are 50 people in the cities who obey you?" Abraham asked God, "will you destroy the city then?" God said, "If there are 50 people there who obey me, I won't destroy the cities." Abraham asked God the same thing again, but this time about 40 people. God agreed. Abraham kept asking God the same thing, with the number of people getting lower and lower. Finally, God agreed that if He could find even 10 people who obeyed him in Sodom and Gomorrah, He wouldn't destroy the cities." However, God sent angels to the cities and they were unable to find even 10 people who obeyed God.

The angels warned Abraham's nephew Lot to flee the city before the morning because God was going to destroy it. "Run now, and don't stop running until you reach the hills!" the angels said. So, Lot, his wife, and his two daughters fled the city of Sodom. But, as they were running, as fire began falling from the sky onto Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's wife looked back at the city. When she did, she was instantly turned into a pillar of salt.

What's the Big Deal?
1. God haaaaaaaaaates sin.

What We Did
1. We told the story with a chalk talk. We drew the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. With the help of all our kids, we drew 50 stick people to represent the 50 people who obeyed God. As Abraham lowered his number of people, we erased stick people. We drew a salt shaker to represent when Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt.
2. We played a rhythm clapping game to learn our Bible verse.

Our Memory Verse
Romans 3:10 - “As it is written: there is no one righteous, not even one.”

Abram and Lot Split

2007-11-04T13:44:00.000-05:00

What We Talked About:
Abram and Lot lived on the land God sent them to. But, as they began to gather more and more stuff, especially animals, things got really crowded. The people looking after Abram's animals began fighting with the people looking after Lot's animals. Abram knew something needed to be done.

He told Lot it would be a good idea if they split up and went separate ways, in order to have more room. "You pick one way to go," Abram said, "and I'll take my stuff and go the other way." Lot looked at the land around him. On one side was the city of Sodom. It was a beautiful place to live with plenty of water. But, the people of Sodom weren't very nice. On the other side was the land of Canaan. It was a good land, too, and it wasn't full of evil people like Sodom was.

In the end, Lot chose to move to Sodom. Abram packed up and moved to Canaan. When Abram settled there, God came to Abram and told him again about the things He had promised Abram. He also gave Abram a new name: Abraham, which means 'father of nations.'

What's the Big Deal?
1. Pick your friends, not your nose. Lot chose to live near an evil group of people, and in the upcoming stories, we'll find out what happened to him.

What We Did
1. We had three kids (Nigel, Brianna, and Bethany) come up front to play Abram, Sarah, and Lot. We make a large square out of carpet squares and made them stand on them to represent the land they lived on. We had a couple of kids come onto the 'land' to represent the animals they owned and the people who looked after their animals. When everybody was up there, it was pretty crowded!
2. We played a game of Twister to know what it feels like when things just feel too crowded.

Our Memory Verse
1 Corinthians 15:33 - “Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character.”

God Calls Abram

2007-10-28T13:41:00.000-04:00

What We Talked About:
Abram lived in the land of Haran with his wife, Sarah, and his nephew, Lot. One day, God came to Abram and said, "I want you to leave your country and go to a place that I will show you." God made a promise to Abram. He promised him a great nation, a great name, a great blessing, and a great land.

Abram obeyed God. Sarah, Lot and he packed up all their things and went to the place God showed him to live.

What's the Big Deal?
1. Obey right away.

What We Did
1. Carter, Leiah, and Claire played the parts of Abram, Sarah, and Lot for us. We had them wear funny, Bible-time robes and pack up all their belongings (pillows, blankets, shoes, pots, pans, silverware, etc.) in a basket. Then we had them carry all their belongings to another part of the room to show how Abram packed up his stuff and moved.
2. We played a game to see how fast we could pack up all the stuff Abram, Sarah, and Lot had to carry.

Abram, Sarah, and Lot after they moved all their stuff.

Our Memory Verse
1 John 5:3a - “This is love for God: to obey his commands."

Extras
Play a game of Hang Monkey about today's story over at the Faith Kids games page.

David and Goliath - The Movie

2007-10-21T13:49:00.001-04:00

Our kids wrote and starred in our own movie adaptation of the story of David and Goliath.

Tower of Babel

2007-10-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

What We Talked About:
During the time after the flood, everyone spoke the same language. In the city of Babel, the people began thinking to themselves, "You know, our city is a pretty great city, and we're a pretty great bunch of people. We should let everyone else know how great we are." So they got together and decided to build a great, big tower that would stretch to the heavens. When people would see the tower, they would think, "Man, the people of Babel sure must be great."

God saw that the people of Babel were so focused on how great they were that they completely forgot about how great and awesome He was. So, in order to stop their work on the tower, God made it so all the people began speaking different languages. When this happened, all the workers on tower could no longer understand each other. It was so frustrating that they just gave up on building the tower, and scattered throughout the area.

What's the Big Deal?
1. Make God look great, not ourselves.

What We Did
1. Built our own tower out of play bricks. As we placed each brick on the tower, we hi-fived each other and said, 'We're awesome!" to show how the people of Babel liked to brag about themselves.
2. We divided ourselves into three language groups: the Ubba people, the Oodle people, and the Eeka people to hear how it must have sounded the day when God changed their language.
3. After we were done with everything, we played the tower building game, Jenga.

Our Memory Verse
1 Corinthians 10:31 - “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Extras
Try to stop the people of Babel from building the tower with a new game over at the Faith Kids games page.

Noah's Ark Part 2

2007-10-14T12:38:00.000-04:00

What We Talked About:
Water had covered the entire earth. Noah, his family, and the animals floated as watered covered even the highest mountains for 150 days. God sent a strong wind, and the waters began to recede. Finally, the ark struck ground on a mountain top.

To see if there was any dry ground out there, Noah sent a dove from the ark. It returned to him because it could find no dry ground on which to land. A week later, he sent out a dove again. This time, the dove returned with a green, leafy branch. Noah knew that trees were now visible. Finally, Noah sent out a dove again another week later, and it did not return. Noah knew there was dry ground.

After Noah, his family, and the animals had left the ark, Noah built an altar to thank God for protecting him from the flood. God spoke to Noah, and made a promise to never, ever, ever destroy the earth with a flood. He gave the rainbow as a sign of this promise.

What's the Big Deal?
1. God keeps his promises.

What We Did
1. Brianna played the part of Noah and sat in a boat. She threw a stuffed bird from the ark to show Noah releasing the dove. Then, Mr. Andy ran around like a crazy man to represent the bird looking for dry ground.
2. We played a popcorn eating game as we learned our memory verse.\
3. Using water in six small glasses, and red, yellow, and green food coloring, we created all the colors of the rainbow.

Our Memory Verse
Genesis 8:22 - “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

Extras
Answer some true and false questions by playing the game 'True or False: Noah's Ark' at the Faith Kids games page.

Noah's Ark Part 1

2007-10-07T14:09:00.000-04:00

What We Talked About:
The people of the earth had become so sinful that God decided it was time to start over. He told Noah, a man who still obeyed God, that He was going to send enough rain to flood the entire earth. He told Noah to build a great big boat, called an ark, so he and his family could survive the flood.

Noah worked on the boat for years and years. While he was working, people would make fun of him and his 'crazy' idea about God flooding the earth, but Noah kept on working.

When Noah had finished the boat, God sent two of each animal to the ark, so they could survive the flood. When Noah, his family, and all the animals were inside the ark, God closed the door.

And then it began to rain....and rain....and rain. It rained for 40 days and nights, until even the highest mountain tops were covered with water.

What's the Big Deal?
1. Sometimes people will make fun of us for obeying God.

What We Did
1. We put a large boat in the middle of our classroom. Bethany played the part of Noah. 'Noah' worked on the boat as people came by and laughed at him. When 'Noah' finished the ark, we placed two of each kind of stuffed animal in the ark. 'Noah' also got into the boat. Then, we used a blue bedsheet to show the water rising up to the ark.
2. Played a game called 'Loading the Ark.' Each team had a large pile of stuffed animals they had to throw into the boat.

Playing "Loading the Ark."

Our Memory Verse
Matthew 5:10 - “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Extras
Try loading the ark yourself by playing 'Filling Up the Ark' at the Faith Kids games page.

Cain and Abel

2007-09-30T15:55:00.000-04:00

What We Talked About
We covered the story of Cain and Abel, two brothers who were the third and fourth people on earth. Cain was a farmer, and looked after things they grew out of the ground. Abel was a shepherd who looked after the animals they kept for meat.

They decided to bring a gift for God. Abel selected meat from his very best animals, while Cain just grabbed some of the fruit he could find.

When God saw their gifts, He accepted Abel's gift, but rejected Cain's. This made Cain jealous and angry. In fact, he was so angry that he attacked his brother Abel.

What's the Big Deal?
1. God wants us to give him our best.
2. It's okay to feel angry, but not to lose control.

What We Did
1. Had two kids, Brianna and Nigel, stand up front and represent Cain and Abel. We gave Cain (Briannai) a garden rake to show he was a farmer; we gave Cain (Nigel) a shepherd's staff. We then hung word cards around their necks that described what each brother was like.
2. Played hot potato while trying to learn our verse.
3. With a bunch of small rocks, we tried to build a tall altar, just like they would use in the Bible to offer gifts to God.

Our Memory Verse
Ephesians 4:26 - “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

Extras
At the Faith Kids games page , try out the new game, "Abel's Gift," to practice giving your best to God.

The First Sin

2007-09-23T23:10:00.000-04:00

What We Talked About
Today we talked about the first sin ever committed. Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden, a perfect place to live: perfect food, perfect weather, and no need for clothes! They could eat the fruit from any tree in the garden except for one: God said if they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would surely die.

While they were walking in the garden one day, a serpent came to Eve. He said, "If you eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you won't die. Instead, you'll become like God." Eve thought it over for a bit, and thought the serpent had a good point. So, she grabbed a piece of fruit, took a bite, and gave it to Adam, who also began to munch.

Immediately after eating, they realized they were naked. They heard God walking in the garden, so they hid. But God found them and asked them, "Did you eat from the tree I said not to?" Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. And the serpent just hissed.

So, God cursed Adam, Eve, and the serpent, and sent them out of the garden, never to return.

What's the Big Deal?
1. Disobeying God is called sin.
2. God really hates sin.

What We Did
1. Illustrated the scene where the serpent tempted Eve. Look for these hanging up in the church basement.
2. Played a cool version of Duck Duck Goose while memorizing our verse.

Our Memory Verse
Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Extras
Check out the Faith Kids games page for a cool computer game to review the story of the first sin.

God Creates People

2007-09-16T23:09:00.000-04:00

What We Talked About
When God created the world and all there is, He just spoke and POOF! it was! But, when He decided to make people, his most special creation, He worked in a different way. To create the first man, He took the dust from the ground and formed it into the shape of a man. Then, He blew the breath of life into the dust-person's nostrils, and he came to life. He named him Adam, which means "from the earth." God knew that it wasn't good for Adam to be alone, and since no helper could be found from all the animals He had made, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. God pulled a rib from Adam's side and formed it into a woman. He woke up Adam and brought the woman to her. Adam named her Eve, which means 'living.'

What's the Big Deal?
1. God created people in His image. We are God's most special creation.
2. God loves people.

What We Did
1. Created a man and woman out of play-doh and did our level best to bring them to life by blowing in their nostrils. Just so you know, it didn't work.

Our Memory Verse
Genesis 1:27 - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

Extras
Try out the review storybook game over at the Faith Kids games page.

God Creates the World

2007-09-09T22:58:00.000-04:00

What We Talked About
Today, we told the story of how God created everything there was in just six days. And when God created, He didn't do it like we do, with our hands. He just spoke, and POOF! it appeared! On each day, God created something new:
Day 1 - Created Light and dark
Day 2 - Separated the sky and the sea
Day 3 - Created dry ground, plants, and trees
Day 4 - Created the sun, moon, and stars
Day 5 - Created birds and fish
Day 6 - Created land animals and people.
On the seventh day, when God saw all the good things He'd created, He rested. Not because He needed to, but to set an example for us.

What's the Big Deal?
1. God is all-powerful. There's nothing He cannot do.
2. God's creation is good.
3. God doesn't make mistakes. That includes you and I.

What We Did
1. We told the lesson using a chalk talk: drawing pictures on the chalkboard to show each new part of the story.
2. We had seven kids come up front wearing signs that described what God did on each day of creation. Then we scrambled them up, and tried to put them back in order as fast as we could.

Our Memory Verse
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Extras
To review the seven days of creation, check out the Faith Kids games page.