Reference: 2 Chronicles 34
Story Summary:
Josiah became king when he was just 8 years old. He did what was right in God’s eyes. He tore down the poles and altars that the people used to worship false idols. He also paid men to fix God’s temple. It had been left to fall apart by the kings before him.
While they were fixing the temple, a lost scroll was found by a priest. They brought it to Josiah and read it to him. It was the scroll of God’s Law. When Josiah heard it, he tore his clothes and cried because he realized his people had disobeyed the laws written in the scroll.
He asked the prophet Huldah what was going to happen. She shared a message from God: he was angry because the people had disobeyed him. He was going to bring them great trouble. But, because Josiah had repented of his sin, God wasn’t going to bring trouble to the people of Israel until after Josiah had grown old and died.
After this, Josiah had the scroll read to the people. He promised to obey God’s Laws and made sure that his people did the same.
Big Idea and Motions: Jesus came to save lawbreakers like you and me
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Save - make the baseball “safe” sign
Lawbreakers - cross your wrists behind your back like you’re in handcuffs
You and me - point to someone else, then yourself
Verse / Motions: Psalm 119:105, ESV - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Word - open your hands like opening a book
Lamp - hold up your index finger and circle it around like a candle
Feet - stomp your foot
Light - pull your eyes wide-open with your fingers
Path - march in place
Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was the king in today’s story? // Josiah
How old was Josiah when he became king? // 8 years old
What evil things were the people doing when Josiah became king? // Worshipping other gods
What did Josiah do to the Asherah poles, idol statues, and altars? // Tore them down and smashed them
What building did Josiah have his men fix? // The temple
What did Hilkiah find in the temple? // The scroll of God’s law
What did Josiah do when they read God’s law to him? // He cried and tore his robes
What did the prophet Huldah say would happen to the people? // God will bring trouble upon the Israelites
What did Huldah say would happen to Josiah? // He’d die before the trouble came
What did Josiah and the people promise to do? // Obey God’s law with all his heart and soul
Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/2p8f7H
Resources - https://goo.gl/aRBzXN
February 28, 2016
February 21, 2016
OT 68 Jonah and the Big Fish
Reference: Jonah 1-4
Story Summary:
God told the prophet to go to the people of Nineveh. But because the people there were so evil, Jonah decided to sail on a boat the other way.
God was not pleased what Jonah had done. He sent a great windstorm as Jonah's boat sailed. All the men on the ship called to their gods to rescue them. They finally woke Jonah, who was sleeping in the boat, to ask him to pray to his God. Jonah told them about how he was disobeying God. He told them to throw him over the side of the boat and the storm would stop.
The men struggled to control the boat, but nothing they tried worked. So, they tossed Jonah over the side of the boat. Immediately, the storm was over.
God provided a great big fish to swallow Jonah, where he spent three days and nights. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to God to save him. And God caused the fish to spit Jonah out on dry land.
Jonah then went to Nineveh. He told them that God was going to destroy their city. But the people of Nineveh felt sorry for their sins, so God decided to save the city from destruction.
Big Idea and Motions: Just like Jonah was in a big fish for three days, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.
Big fish - press your palms together and wiggle them like a fish
Three days - hold up three fingers
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Rose from the dead - gesture down towards the ground, then lift your hands above your head
Third day - hold up three fingers
Verse and Motions: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, ESV - that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day...
Christ died - cross your forearms in an “X’ over your chest
Sins - two thumbs down
Scriptures - pretend to open a book
Buried - pretend to dig with a shovel
Rose - gesture upward with both palms
Third - hold up three fingers
Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Where did God tell Jonah to go? // Nineveh.
What were the people of Nineveh like? // Very mean
What did Jonah do instead of going to Nineveh? // He went the other way, on a boat
What happened on Jonah’s boat trip? // God sent a terrible windstorm
What did Jonah tell the soldiers to do to stop the windstorm? // Throw him overboard
When they threw Jonah into the water, what two things happened? // Storm stopped, fish swallowed Jonah
How many days was Jonah in the big fish? // Three days and nights.
After Jonah prayed from the fish, what did God do? // Made the fish spit him out onto dry land.
When Jonah told the people of Nineveh God was going to destroy their city, what did they do? // Became sad about their sin and called to God for help
Did God destroy Nineveh? Why or why not? // No, because they turned from their sin and trusted God to save them
Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/H4d06b
Resources - https://goo.gl/eP0BQ2
Story Summary:
God told the prophet to go to the people of Nineveh. But because the people there were so evil, Jonah decided to sail on a boat the other way.
God was not pleased what Jonah had done. He sent a great windstorm as Jonah's boat sailed. All the men on the ship called to their gods to rescue them. They finally woke Jonah, who was sleeping in the boat, to ask him to pray to his God. Jonah told them about how he was disobeying God. He told them to throw him over the side of the boat and the storm would stop.
The men struggled to control the boat, but nothing they tried worked. So, they tossed Jonah over the side of the boat. Immediately, the storm was over.
God provided a great big fish to swallow Jonah, where he spent three days and nights. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to God to save him. And God caused the fish to spit Jonah out on dry land.
Jonah then went to Nineveh. He told them that God was going to destroy their city. But the people of Nineveh felt sorry for their sins, so God decided to save the city from destruction.
Big Idea and Motions: Just like Jonah was in a big fish for three days, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.
Big fish - press your palms together and wiggle them like a fish
Three days - hold up three fingers
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Rose from the dead - gesture down towards the ground, then lift your hands above your head
Third day - hold up three fingers
Verse and Motions: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, ESV - that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day...
Christ died - cross your forearms in an “X’ over your chest
Sins - two thumbs down
Scriptures - pretend to open a book
Buried - pretend to dig with a shovel
Rose - gesture upward with both palms
Third - hold up three fingers
Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Where did God tell Jonah to go? // Nineveh.
What were the people of Nineveh like? // Very mean
What did Jonah do instead of going to Nineveh? // He went the other way, on a boat
What happened on Jonah’s boat trip? // God sent a terrible windstorm
What did Jonah tell the soldiers to do to stop the windstorm? // Throw him overboard
When they threw Jonah into the water, what two things happened? // Storm stopped, fish swallowed Jonah
How many days was Jonah in the big fish? // Three days and nights.
After Jonah prayed from the fish, what did God do? // Made the fish spit him out onto dry land.
When Jonah told the people of Nineveh God was going to destroy their city, what did they do? // Became sad about their sin and called to God for help
Did God destroy Nineveh? Why or why not? // No, because they turned from their sin and trusted God to save them
Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/H4d06b
Resources - https://goo.gl/eP0BQ2
February 14, 2016
OT 67 God Saves Elisha From an Army
Reference: 2 Kings 6:8-23
Story Summary:
The King of Aram was at war with Israel. He told his officers he was going to set up his camp in a place. God allowed the prophet Elisha to hear what he said. He told the King of Israel to be on guard at that place. This happened again and again, and the King of Aram was mad that Elisha miraculously knew all of his secrets.
The King of Aram surrounded Elisha’s house with soldiers to capture him. When Elisha’s servant saw this, he was scared, but Elisha prayed that God would open the servant’s eyes. God did, and the servant saw an army of fiery angels and chariots from God around them that had been invisible. They were sent there by God to save them.
Elisha then asked God to make the soldiers blind. God did, and Elisha led them right into the middle of an Israelite city. They were now surrounded by Israelites!
But instead of attacking Aram’s men, Elisha prayed that God would open their eyes again. The King gave them food and drink and sent them home. From that time on, Aram stopped attacking the Israelites.
Big Idea and Motions: Our invisible, everywhere, and good God is here to save us.
Invisible - cover your eyes with a hand
Everywhere - gesture with your hands in a wide circle
Good - two thumbs up
God - point up
Save us - make the baseball “safe!” sign with your arms
Verse / Motions: Jeremiah 32:24, ESV - Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth?
Man - point to yourself
Hide himself - hide your face behind your hands
Secret places - peek your eyes out from behind your hands (after doing the previous motions)
See him - pretend to look through binoculars
Fill - hold your arms in front of you palms up, then raise them up above your head
Heaven and earth - point up, then slap the ground
Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who heard everything the King of Aram said? Why? // Elisha, God let him hear everything he said.
What did the King of Aram send his soldiers to do? // Capture Elisha.
What did the soldiers do at Elisha’s house? // Surrounded it
Who came out and saw that Elisha’s house was surrounded with soldiers? // Elisha’s servant.
After Elisha prayed, what did Elisha’s servant see? // Angel soldiers with horses/chariots, surrounded by fire
What did God do to the soldiers after Elisha prayed? // They were made blind.
Where did Elisha lead the blind soldiers? // Into the middle of an Israelite city, Samaria
After Elisha led the blind soldiers to the King of Israel, did he hurt them or let them go? // Let them go.
After letting them go, did the King of Aram keep fighting the Israelites or stop? // Stop.
What three things did our big idea teach us about God? // He’s invisible, everywhere, and good.
Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/WEJDDi
Resources - https://goo.gl/d2e4fK
Story Summary:
The King of Aram was at war with Israel. He told his officers he was going to set up his camp in a place. God allowed the prophet Elisha to hear what he said. He told the King of Israel to be on guard at that place. This happened again and again, and the King of Aram was mad that Elisha miraculously knew all of his secrets.
The King of Aram surrounded Elisha’s house with soldiers to capture him. When Elisha’s servant saw this, he was scared, but Elisha prayed that God would open the servant’s eyes. God did, and the servant saw an army of fiery angels and chariots from God around them that had been invisible. They were sent there by God to save them.
Elisha then asked God to make the soldiers blind. God did, and Elisha led them right into the middle of an Israelite city. They were now surrounded by Israelites!
But instead of attacking Aram’s men, Elisha prayed that God would open their eyes again. The King gave them food and drink and sent them home. From that time on, Aram stopped attacking the Israelites.
Big Idea and Motions: Our invisible, everywhere, and good God is here to save us.
Invisible - cover your eyes with a hand
Everywhere - gesture with your hands in a wide circle
Good - two thumbs up
God - point up
Save us - make the baseball “safe!” sign with your arms
Verse / Motions: Jeremiah 32:24, ESV - Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth?
Man - point to yourself
Hide himself - hide your face behind your hands
Secret places - peek your eyes out from behind your hands (after doing the previous motions)
See him - pretend to look through binoculars
Fill - hold your arms in front of you palms up, then raise them up above your head
Heaven and earth - point up, then slap the ground
Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who heard everything the King of Aram said? Why? // Elisha, God let him hear everything he said.
What did the King of Aram send his soldiers to do? // Capture Elisha.
What did the soldiers do at Elisha’s house? // Surrounded it
Who came out and saw that Elisha’s house was surrounded with soldiers? // Elisha’s servant.
After Elisha prayed, what did Elisha’s servant see? // Angel soldiers with horses/chariots, surrounded by fire
What did God do to the soldiers after Elisha prayed? // They were made blind.
Where did Elisha lead the blind soldiers? // Into the middle of an Israelite city, Samaria
After Elisha led the blind soldiers to the King of Israel, did he hurt them or let them go? // Let them go.
After letting them go, did the King of Aram keep fighting the Israelites or stop? // Stop.
What three things did our big idea teach us about God? // He’s invisible, everywhere, and good.
Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/WEJDDi
Resources - https://goo.gl/d2e4fK
February 7, 2016
OT 66 God Heals Naaman
Reference: 2 Kings 5
Story Summary:
Naaman was the commander of the army of Aram. He was very important, but he had a terrible skin disease. His soldiers captured a girl from Israel. She told Naaman that he should see the prophet Elisha to have his skin disease healed.
The King of Aram told Naaman to go see Elisha. He sent gifts with him to give to Elisha.
When Naaman came, Elisha sent his messenger to meet him. The messenger told Naaman to bath seven times in the Jordan River. Then, his skin would be healed. This upset Naaman. He wanted Elisha to come out, pray, wave his hand over him, and heal him. He didn’t want to bathe in the yucky Jordan River!
But Naaman’s servants told Naaman he was being foolish. So, Naaman bathed in the Jordan River seven times like Elisha asked. And when he did, his skin was free of disease. He tried to give his gifts to Elisha, but Elisha wouldn’t take them. Instead, Naaman pledged that he would now only worship the God of Israel.
Big Idea and Motions: Put your faith in our Mighty Savior to be saved.
Faith - pretend to grasp a rope in front of you with two hands
Mighty - flex your muscles
Saved - do the baseball “safe” sign
Verse / Motions: Zephaniah 3:17, ESV - The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.
Lord your God - point up
With you - pat yourself on the back
Mighty - flex your muscles
Warrior - pretend to swing a sword
Saves - do the baseball “safe” sign
Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was the prophet in today’s story? // Elisha.
What was Naaman’s job? // A commander in the army of Aram.
What was Naaman’s problem? // He had a skin disease.
Who told Naaman to go see Elisha? // His servant girl who was an Israelite
What did Elisha’s messenger tell Naaman to do? // Dip in the Jordan River seven times.
How did Naaman feel after Elisha sent his messenger to tell him what to do? // Angry.
Why was Naaman angry at what the messenger told him? // He wanted Elisha to wave his hand around, didn’t want to go into the Jordan River
What happened to Naaman after he dipped seven times in the Jordan River? // His disease was healed.
Who healed Naaman’s disease? // God.
How can you and I be saved: by obeying God’s rules or by faith in Jesus? // Faith in Jesus.
Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/ujO6vJ
Resources - https://goo.gl/HIbbeQ
Story Summary:
Naaman was the commander of the army of Aram. He was very important, but he had a terrible skin disease. His soldiers captured a girl from Israel. She told Naaman that he should see the prophet Elisha to have his skin disease healed.
The King of Aram told Naaman to go see Elisha. He sent gifts with him to give to Elisha.
When Naaman came, Elisha sent his messenger to meet him. The messenger told Naaman to bath seven times in the Jordan River. Then, his skin would be healed. This upset Naaman. He wanted Elisha to come out, pray, wave his hand over him, and heal him. He didn’t want to bathe in the yucky Jordan River!
But Naaman’s servants told Naaman he was being foolish. So, Naaman bathed in the Jordan River seven times like Elisha asked. And when he did, his skin was free of disease. He tried to give his gifts to Elisha, but Elisha wouldn’t take them. Instead, Naaman pledged that he would now only worship the God of Israel.
Big Idea and Motions: Put your faith in our Mighty Savior to be saved.
Faith - pretend to grasp a rope in front of you with two hands
Mighty - flex your muscles
Saved - do the baseball “safe” sign
Verse / Motions: Zephaniah 3:17, ESV - The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.
Lord your God - point up
With you - pat yourself on the back
Mighty - flex your muscles
Warrior - pretend to swing a sword
Saves - do the baseball “safe” sign
Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was the prophet in today’s story? // Elisha.
What was Naaman’s job? // A commander in the army of Aram.
What was Naaman’s problem? // He had a skin disease.
Who told Naaman to go see Elisha? // His servant girl who was an Israelite
What did Elisha’s messenger tell Naaman to do? // Dip in the Jordan River seven times.
How did Naaman feel after Elisha sent his messenger to tell him what to do? // Angry.
Why was Naaman angry at what the messenger told him? // He wanted Elisha to wave his hand around, didn’t want to go into the Jordan River
What happened to Naaman after he dipped seven times in the Jordan River? // His disease was healed.
Who healed Naaman’s disease? // God.
How can you and I be saved: by obeying God’s rules or by faith in Jesus? // Faith in Jesus.
Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/ujO6vJ
Resources - https://goo.gl/HIbbeQ
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