NT 02 An Angel Visits Mary and Joseph

Reference: Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38

Story Summary:
   God sent the angel Gabriel to a young girl named Mary. He gave her a message from God: she was going to have a baby. Gabriel said the baby would be God's Son, would be kind like David, and would rule his people forever. Gabriel said Mary's baby must be named Jesus.
   Mary asked how this could happen. Gabriel told her that God's Holy Spirit would come down to Mary and she'd become pregnant. Mary said, "May this happen to me as you said it would." And so it did. The Holy Spirit came down to Mary, and she became pregnant.
   Before all this happened, Mary had promised to marry a man named Joseph. When Joseph saw that Mary was pregnant (and knew that he wasn't the father), he planned to divorce her quietly. But before he could do this, God's angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. He told him to not be afraid to marry Mary, that the baby was from God's Holy Spirit. The baby must be named Jesus because he was going to save his people from their sins.
   When Joseph woke up, he obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife.

Big Idea and Motions: Jesus came as a human to save us from sin.
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Human - touch various parts of your body
Save - make the baseball “Safe!” sign
Sins - two thumbs down

Verse and Motions: Matthew 1:21 - She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (ESV)
Bear - squeeze your belly
Son - pretend to cradle a baby
Call - pretend to call on a phone
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Save - make the baseball “Safe!” sign
Sins - two thumbs down

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was the girl in today’s story? // Mary.
Who appeared to her? // The angel Gabriel.
What did Gabriel say Mary was going to have? // A baby.
Name one thing Gabriel said about the baby. // Son of God, King, rule forever, name him Jesus.*
What happened to Mary when the Holy Spirit came down to Mary? // She became pregnant.
Who was promised to be married to Mary? // Joseph.
When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, what was he going to do? // Divorce her.
What did the angel in Joseph’s dream say? // Marry Mary; her baby is from the Holy Spirit.
What does Jesus’ name mean? // Savior.
* You can ask this question multiple times.

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/rcPyQ4
Resources - http://goo.gl/xeZJ2A

NT 01 Zechariah and Elizabeth

Reference: Luke 1:5-25, 57-75

Story Summary:
     Zechariah was a priest who did what was right in God's eyes. He and his wife Elizabeth were old, but they had no children.
     One day, Zechariah was chosen to light incense in the temple of the Lord. In the temple, an angel appeared to Zechariah and told him, "Elizabeth will have a son. You must name him John." The angel said this child would be full of the Holy Spirit and prepare the way for the Lord.
     Zechariah could hardly believe this news and said, "How can this happen? My wife and I are old!"
     Because Zechariah didn't believe the angel's message, God made him unable to speak until baby John was born. When Zechariah left the temple, the people there wondered what had taken so long. But Zechariah was unable to speak to them.
     A little while later, Elizabeth became pregnant. Mary came to visit. She was pregnant with Jesus. When she came, baby John jumped for joy inside his mother.
     Elizabeth had a boy. Zechariah wrote that his name was to be John. Suddenly, Zechariah could speak again. He gave praise to God.

Big Idea and Motions: God always means what he says.
God - point up
Always - throw your arms in a wide circle
Means - hold one palm facing up; pound the bottom of your other fist into your palm.
Says - make your hand talk like a puppet

Verse/Motions: Numbers 23:19a, ESV - God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
God - point up
Is Not - wag your finger “No”
Man - flex your muscles to look “manly”
Lie - point to your lips
Son of man - pretend to cradle a baby
Mind - tap your brain

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who were the two old people in today’s story? // Zechariah and Elizabeth.
As the story began, how many kids did Zechariah and Elizabeth have? // Zero
What was Zechariah’s job? // Priest
What was Zechariah going to do in the temple? // Light incense
Who appeared to Zechariah in the temple? // The angel Gabriel
What was Gabriel’s message? // You’ll have a son
What happened when Zechariah didn’t believe the angel? // He couldn’t speak
Who came to visit Elizabeth when she was pregnant? // Mary, Jesus’ mother
What did baby John do in Elizabeth’s belly when Mary came? // Leaped for joy
What did John grow up to be? // A prophet who helped people get ready for Jesus

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/1e72kR
Resources - http://goo.gl/PkAayB

OT 28 God Parts the Red Sea

Reference: Exodus 13:17-14:31

Story Summary: 
      After Israelites left Egypt, God told them to camp by the Red Sea. He appeared to them during the day as a pillar of cloud and, at night, a pillar of fire. Whenever the pillars moved, the Israelites would follow.
     When they stopped by sea, God knew that Pharaoh would see think, "They're lost! I'm going after them." Just like God said, Pharaoh sent his army, with 600 chariots, after the Israelites. God wanted to show his glory, to let the Egyptians know that he was the one true God.
     When the Israelites saw Pharaoh's army coming, they thought they were doomed. But God told Moses that he would fight for them.
     That night, God had Moses hold up his staff. As he did, God sent a great wind that split the Red Sea into two, with a wall of water on each side. The Israelites walked down the middle of the Red Sea on dry ground. As they reached the other side, the Egyptians chased them into the middle of the Red Sea.
     God had Moses reach his hand out again. This time, the waters went back down. All of Pharaoh's army was caught as the waters rushed in.

Big Idea and Motions: God is all-powerful.
God - point up
All - gesture in a wide circle
Powerful - flex your muscles

Verse / Motions: Jeremiah 32:27, ESV - Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Behold - cup your hands around your mouth
I am - point to yourself with two thumbs
Lord - point up
Flesh - squeeze the skin on your arm or cheek
Anything - wave your arms back and forth
Too hard - pretend to lift a heavy weight above your head
Me - point to yourself with two thumbs

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 Israelites as during the night? // A pillar of fire
What did Pharaoh decide to do? // Chase after the Israelites with his army
Why did God have Pharaoh chase after the Israelites? // Show his glory, so they would know he’s God
What did the Israelites do when they saw the Egyptian soldiers? // Complained, thought they would die
What did God tell Moses to 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.

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/VYojrv
Resources - http://goo.gl/qPvGc1

OT 27B The Tenth Plague and the Passover

Reference: Exodus 11-12

Story Summary: 
     After nine plagues, Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go. God then told Moses about the tenth plague. After this plague, he said, Pharaoh will change his mind. So Moses went and told Pharaoh what the tenth plague would be: the firstborn son of every family in Egypt would die. But Pharaoh still would not listen.
     Moses told the Israelites about the tenth plague, that God would be sending an angel and the firstborn son in each family would die. Moses told them to take the blood of a lamb and spread in on the top and sides of their door. When the angel saw the blood, it would pass over their houses and they would be saved. He also told them to eat a special meal of lamb meat, bitter plants, and unleavened bread. So, the Israelites did what he asked.
     That night, God's angel went through Egypt. The firstborn son in each family died, but those who placed the lamb's blood on their door were saved. When Pharaoh saw that his own son had died, he finally let Moses and the Israelites go. The Egyptians were kind to the Israelites. They gave them silver and gold items as they left.

Big Idea and Motions: God wants us to remember how he saved us.
God - point up
Us - point to yourself
Remember - tap your brain
Saved - do the baseball “safe” sign

Verse / Motions: Deuteronomy 5:15, ESV - You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand...
Remember - tap your brain
Slave - cross your wrists over top of each other
Egypt - form a pyramid over your head with your arms
Lord your God - point up
Brought you out - pretend to reach down and help someone up
Mighty hand - hold out your hand

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
When Moses told Pharaoh what the tenth plague would be, did Pharaoh let the Israelites go? // No.
What was the tenth plague? // The death of the firstborn son of each family.
Who was God going to send to do the tenth plague? // A destroying angel
What did Moses tell the people to do to make the angel pass over their house? // Spread a lamb’s blood on the top and sides of their door
What did God tell the Israelites to eat that night? // Lamb meat, unleavened bread, bitter plants
What was the name of this special meal? // The Passover
How often were they to eat the Passover? // Once a year
Why did he want them to eat the Passover? // To remember how God saved them
During that night, what happened? // The oldest son in each family died
What did Pharaoh do after the tenth plague? // Let the Israelites go
What did the Egyptians give the Israelites while they left? // Silver and gold items

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/8S8IKb
Resources - http://goo.gl/8kXKYG