OT 44 Samson

Reference: Judges 13-16

Big Idea: Because Jesus died for our sin, we can have God’s Spirit.

Verse: 1 Corinthians 3:16 - Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Died - form an “X” with your arms over your chest
Sin - two thumbs down
We - point to yourself with two thumbs
God’s - point up
Spirit - hover your palm in a circle over your heart

Motions for the Verse:
Do you not - shake your finger “no”
Know - tap your brain
You - point to another person
Temple - form a “roof” over you head with your arms
God’s - point up
Spirit - hover your palm over your heart and make a circular motion
Dwells - hug yourself

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who were the people who conquered the Israelites? // The Philistines
What were God’s rules for Samson? // No wine, special foods, no hair cuts
Why was Samson able to defeat the lion with his bare hands? // Because God’s Spirit made him super strong
What did Samson use to defeat 1000 men? // A donkey’s jawbone
Who was the girl Samson fell in love with? // Delilah
When did Samson lose God’s Spirit, and his strength? // When he let his hair be cut
What did the Philistines do to Samson? // Poked out his eyes, put him in prison
What did Samson do to the temple? // Knocked it down by pushing over the pillars
Who died to take away our sins? // Jesus, God’s Son
What does Trinity mean? // There is one God who exists in three persons.
What is today’s big idea? // Because Jesus died for our sin, we can have God’s Spirit.
What is today’s Bible verse? // 1 Corinthians 3:16 - Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (ESV)

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OT 43 Gideon

Reference: Judges 6-7

Big Idea: If God is on our side, nobody can be against us!

Verse: Romans 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Motions for the Big Idea:
God - point up
Side - poke your sides
Nobody - wave your hands and shake your head
Against - punch your fist
Us - point to yourself

Motions for the Verse:
What then - Shrug your shoulders, tilt your head, and hold out your hands
Say - touch your lips
God - point up
For us - point to yourself with two thumbs
Who - place a hand above your eyes as if looking for someone
Against - punch your palm

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Why did God let the Midianites defeat Israel? // They disobeyed God and worshipped pretend Gods
Who did God send to rescue Israel from the Midianites? // Gideon
Did Gideon think he could rescue Israel from Midian? // No
What two things did Gideon destroy at night? // The stone altar and the pole of the pretend gods
Why did Gideon ask God to do miracles with the wool and the dew? // So he’d know that God would keep his promise
How many soldiers did Gideon have to fight with? // 300
Why did Gideon and the Israelites defeat the Midianites? // Because God was on their side
How do we know God is on our side? // He sent Jesus to save us from sin
What is today’s big idea? // If God is on our side, nobody can be against us!
What is today’s Bible verse? // Romans 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (ESV)

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OT 42 Ehud

Reference: Judges 3:12-30

Big Idea: Jesus rescued us from sin.

Verse: Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God...

Motions for the Big Idea:
Jesus -form a cross with your forearms
Save - make the baseball “Safe!” sign
Us - point to yourself with two thumbs
Sin - two thumbs down

Motions for the Verse:
Iniquities - two thumbs down
Separation - hold your forearms together, then pull them apart
You - point to another person
God - point up

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Why did God let King Eglon of Moab defeat Israel? // They did evil, loved pretend gods
Who was the judge God sent to rescue Israel? // Ehud
Name one special thing about Ehud. // He was left-handed
What did Ehud make and where did he hide it? // A sword. He hid it under his clothes on his right leg
Who defeated evil King Eglon? // Ehud
Why did the servants wait so long to check on King Eglon? // They thought he was using the bathroom
While the servants were waiting, what did Ehud do? // He escaped
Who did God sent to rescue us from sin? // Jesus
What did Jesus do to rescue us from sin? // Died on a cross and rose from the dead.
What is today’s big idea? // Jesus came to save us from sin.
What is today’s Bible verse? // Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God...

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OT 41 The Sun Stands Still

Reference: Joshua 10:1-14


Big Idea: God is in control of the whole universe.


Verse: Psalm 121:1-2 - I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (ESV)


Motions for the Big Idea:
God - point up
Control - pretend to use a video game controller
Whole - gesture widely with your arms
Universe - hold your hands above your head and wiggle your fingers (the twinkling of the stars)


Motions for the Verse:
Lift - lift up your hands, palms up
Eyes - point to your eyes
Hills - Form a “hill” above your head with your arms
From where - shrug, with your hands out
Help - make a “thumbs-up” on one hand, rest it in the other palm, lift both of them up*
Lord - point up
Heaven - both hands above your head
Earth - tap the ground with both hands
*This is the ASL sign for “help.” Watch a video for further explanation.


Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was the leader of the Israelites? // Joshua
How many kings attacked the city of Gibeon? // Five
What did the people of Gibeon do when they were attacked? // Sent a message to Joshua
Who came to help fight for the people of Gibeon? // Joshua and the Israelites
While they were fighting, what did God send from the sky to fight the soldiers? // Hailstones
To keep fighting the battle, what did Joshua ask God to do? // Make the sun stand still in the sky
Who won the battle between the Israelites and the five kings? // The Israelites
Why did Israel win the battle? // God was fighting for them
What is today’s big idea? // God is in control of the whole universe
What happened in the story to show us how God is in control of the universe? // He sent hail, made the sun stand still
What is today’s Bible verse? // Psalm 121:1-2 - I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.


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OT 35 Moses Defeats Amalek

Reference: Exodus 17:8-17

Big Idea: God sent Jesus to defeat sin for us.

Verse: Romans 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
God - point up
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Defeat - punch your palm
Sin - two thumbs down
Us - point to yourself with two thumbs

Motions for the Verse:
What then - Shrug your shoulders, tilt your head, and hold out your hands
Say - touch your lips
God - point up
For us - point to yourself with two thumbs
Who - place a hand above your eyes as if looking for someone
Against - punch your palm

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

• Who attacked the Israelites? // The Amalekites
• Who did Moses send to fight the Amalekites? // Joshua
• Why was Moses’ staff special? // Because it was the one God told him to use
• What kinds of things did God do with Moses’ staff? // Turned it into a snake, split the Red Sea into two parts
• Who were the two men who helped Moses? // Aaron and Hur
• When Moses held his hands up high, what happened? // The Israelites were winning
• When Moses lowered his hands, what happened? // The Amalekites were winning
• How did Aaron and Hur help Moses? // Gave him a rock to sit on and held up his arms
• Who won the battle and why did they win? // The Israelites. God helped them.
• When we sin, who are we fighting against? // God
• Who did God sent to beat sin for us? // Jesus
• What is today’s big idea? // God sent Jesus to defeat sin for us
• What is today’s Bible verse? // Romans 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (ESV)

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OT 40 Achan’s Sin

Reference: Joshua 7

Big Idea: Confess your sin to God and he will forgive you.

Verse: 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
Confess - make your hand talk like a puppet
Sin - two thumbs down
God - point up
Forgive - hold left palm up, brush it off twice with the fingertips of your other hand*
*This is the ASL sign for “forgvive.” See a video here.

Motions for the Verse:
Confess - make your hand talk like a puppet
Sins - two thumbs down
He (God) - point up
Forgive - hold left palm up, brush it off twice with the fingertips of your other hand*
Cleanse - rub your hands together as if you are washing them
All - gesture your arms widely around you
Unrighteousness - two thumbs down
*This is the ASL sign for “forgvive.” See a video here.

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Which city was bigger and stronger: Jericho or Ai? (Jericho.)
What were the Israelites supposed to do with the treasures of Jericho? (Give them to God.)
What was Achan’s sin? (He stole some of the treasures of Jericho.)
How many army men did Joshua send to Ai? (About 3000.)
What happened at the first battle of Ai? (The Israelites lost and were chased away.)
Why didn’t God help the Israelites win the first battle of Ai? (Because Achan stole treasures  from Jericho.)
What did Achan do with his treasures? (Hid them under his tent.)
Instead of hiding our sins, what does God want us to do? (Confess our sins.)
What did Jesus do so our sins could be forgiven? (Died on a cross to pay our punishment, then rose from the dead.)
What is today’s big idea? (Confess your sin to God and he will forgive you.)
What is today’s Bible verse? (1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - ESV)

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EX 04 What is Marriage?

Reference: Gen. 2, Matt. 19:1-9, Eph. 5:22-31

Big Idea: Marriage is when one man and one woman promise to love each other until they die.

Verse: Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
Marriage - clasp your hands together in front of you*
One - hold up one finger
Man - pretend to stroke your beard
One - hold up one finger
Woman - pretend to toss back long hair with one hand
Promise - place your palms together in front of you and bow slightly
Love - hold your hands over your heart
Die - cross your forearms over your chest
*This is the ASL sign for “marriage.” You can watch a video demonstration here.

Motions for the Verse:
Husbands - strike a manly pose, with your fists on your hips
Love - hold your hands over your heart
Wives - use your fingers to make the letter “W”
Christ - form a cross with your forearms
Loved - hold your hands over your heart
Church - intertwine your fingers on the palm side, point them upward and wiggle them for “people”
Gave - cup your hands together and gesture away from you
Up - point up

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

1. How did God create Adam? // Formed a man from dust and breathed life into him
2. How did God create Eve? // From one of Adam's ribs
3. Why did God create Eve? // To be a helper for Adam, so he wouldn't be alone
4. The Bible says that when a husband and wife come together, they become...? // One.
5. What is the husband's job in marriage? // Lead and love his wife.
6. What is the wife's job in marriage? // To follow and help her husband.
7. What is marriage supposed to remind us of? // How Jesus loved the church and died for her
8. Why did Jesus die for the church? // Wash away their sins, save them from sin
9. What is marriage? // When one man and one woman promise to love each other until they die
10. How do we love other people? // Love them like we love ourselves
11. How do we love God? // Doing what he says
12. How did God show he loves us? // Sent Jesus to die for our sins
13. What is today's Bible verse? // Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... (ESV)

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