NT 04 Shepherds Visit Jesus

Reference: Luke 2:8-20

Big Idea: The good news of Christmas is Jesus is Savior.

Verse: Luke 2:11 - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
Good - two thumbs up
News - cup your hands around your mouth, as if shouting
Christmas - form the letter “C” with your arms
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Savior - make the baseball “safe” sign

Motions for the Verse:
For unto you - point to another person
Born - pretend to cradle a baby
City of David - touch your fingertips together to form a “rooftop,” separate them, then form a rooftop again*
Savior - make the baseball “safe” sign
Christ - form a cross with your forearms (for Jesus)
Lord - point up (Lord is a word the Bible uses to say that Jesus is God)
*This is the ASL sign for city.

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who were out in the fields, watching their sheep at night? (Shepherds.)
Who appeared to the shepherd? (An angel.)
What good news did the Angel tell the shepherds? (A savior is born.)
What did the Angel tell the shepherds to look for in Bethlehem? (A baby, in cloths, lying in a manger.)
Who appeared with the first angel? (A large group of angels.)
Who did the shepherds find in Bethlehem? (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, in a manger.)
Who did the shepherds go tell about Jesus? (Everyone.)
What did Jesus come to save us from? (Sin.)
What is today's big idea? (The good news of Christmas is Jesus is savior.)
What is today's Bible verse? (Luke 2:11 - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ESV)

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NT 03 The Birth of Jesus

Reference: Luke 2:1-7

Big Idea: God sent his Son, Jesus, to save us from sin.

Verse: Matthew 20:28 - ...even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
God - point up
Son - pretend to cradle a baby
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Save - make the baseball “safe” sign
Sin - two thumbs down

Motions for the Verse:
Son - pretend to cradle a baby
Man - flex your muscles like a manly man
Not - wag your finger "no"
Be served - pretend to take an object from someone else
To serve - pretend  to give an object  to someone else
Give his life - hold your arms out like Jesus on the cross
Ransom - pretend to swipe a credit card
Many - gesture your arms in a wide circle

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What did Caesar Augustus make everyone do? (Go and sign a list so they could be taxed.)
What town did Mary and Joseph need to travel to? (Bethlehem.)
What happened to Mary while they were in Bethlehem? (Time for the baby to be born.)
What did they place Jesus in when he was born? (A manger.)
Why did they have to place Jesus in a manger? (Because there was no room in the inn.)
What does Jesus’ name mean? (Savior.)
What did Jesus come to save us from? (Sin.)
How did Jesus pay the price to save us from sin? (By dying on a cross.)
What is today’s big idea? (God sent his Son, Jesus, to save us from sin.)
What is today’s Bible verse?  (Matthew 20:28 - ...even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. ESV)

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OT 61 Israel is Split in Two

Reference: 1 Kings 11-12

Big Idea: Jesus died to take the curse of our sin.

Verse: Galatians 3:13a - Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Died - cross your arms over your chest and bow your head
Take - reach out and pretend to grab something with your hand
Curse - put both hands on your cheeks and look scared
Sin - two thumbs down

Motions for the Verse:
Christ - form a cross with your forearms
Redeemed - cross your fingers on both hands, then cross and uncross your forearms*
Curse - place both hands on your cheeks and look worried
Law - pretend to open a Bible (since God’s Law is in the Bible)
For us - point to yourself with two thumbs
*This is the ASL Sign for “redeem”; describe the motion to them as being “set free”

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What did God promise to those who obeyed his good Law? (Blessings.)
What did God promise to those who sinned, or disobeyed, his good Law? (Curses.)
What did Solomon do to disobey God’s Law? (Obeyed other pretend Gods.)
What was God’s curse, or punishment, for Solomon’s sin? (The tribes of Israel would be split up.)
What did the prophet Ahijah tear into pieces to show how God would tear up the country of Israel? (A shirt.)
Who was Solomon’s son, who was king after him? (Rehoboam.)
What did the people ask Rehoboam? (Make our work easier.)
The old people told Rehoboam to make the work easier; the young people told Rehoboam to make the word harder. What did Rehoboam decide to do? (Make them work harder, promise to use whips.)
Ten tribes left Israel and picked another king. What was that king’s name? (Jeroboam.)
What is today’s big idea? (Jesus died to take the curse of our sin.)
What is today’s Bible verse? (Galatians 3:13a - Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... ESV)

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OT 60 Solomon Builds a Temple

Reference: 1 Kings 5-8

Big Idea: Because Jesus died to make us holy, we don’t need a temple.

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 - make a cross with your forearms
Died - cross your arms over your chest in the shape of an “X” and bow your head
Make - pretend to hammer a nail
Holy - left hand palm up, hold right hand flat and slide down the left hand from palm to fingertips*
We don’t need - shake your head “No”, and wag your finger
Temple - hold your hands over your head like a roof
* This is the ASL Sign for “Holy”

Motions for the Verse:
Do you not - wag your finger “no”
Know - tap  your brain
You - point to someone else
God’s - point up
Temple - form a roof over your head with your arms
God’s Spirit - same as above
Dwells in you - hit your chest one time for each word

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
What is the Bible’s word for the “tent of meeting”? (Tabernacle.)
What was the name of the special wood and gold chest in the tabernacle? (The ark of the covenant.)
Who was the first person in our story who wanted to build a house/temple for God? (David.)
Who built the temple? (Solomon.)
Who promised to meet with the Israelites in the tabernacle/temple? (God.)
Why did the Israelites need a temple to meet with God? (God is holy and we are sinful.)
Is there still a temple building to go to today? (No.)
Why don’t we need to go to a temple or a tabernacle to meet with God today? (Jesus died to forgive our sin and make us holy.)
What is today’s big idea? (Because Jesus died to make us holy, we don’t need a temple!)
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 59 God Gives Solomon Wisdom

Reference: 1 Kings 3

Big Idea: Wisdom is knowing what God says is right and wrong.

Verse: Proverbs 2:6 - For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding... (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
Wisdom - form the letter “W” with your index fingers and thumbs (touch thumbs together)
Knowing - tap your temple
God - point up
Says - make your hand talk like a puppet
Right - two thumb’s up, above your head
Wrong - two thumb’s down, at waist level

Motions for the Verse:
Lord - point up
Gives - cup your hands together and gesture away from you
Wisdom - form the letter “W” with your index fingers and thumbs (touch thumbs together)
Mouth - cup your hands around your mouth
Knowledge - knock on the right side of your head
Understanding - knock on the left side of your head

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who became king after David died? (Solomon)
Who was Solomon’s dad? (David.)
Who appeared to Solomon in a dream? (God.)
What did God say to Solomon? (Ask me for anything.)
What did Solomon ask for? (A wise heart.)
Besides a wise heart, name another thing God gave/did for Solomon? (Riches, Long Life, Great King)*
What is wisdom? (Knowing what God says is right and wrong.)
Where can we find what God says is right and wrong? (The Bible.)
What is today’s big idea? (Wisdom is knowing what God says is right and wrong.)
What is today’s Bible verse? (Proverbs 2:6 - For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding... ESV)

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OT 58 David and Bathsheba

Reference: 2 Samuel 11-12

Big Idea: God took away our sin and gave it to Jesus.

Verse: Psalm 51:3-4 - For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned... (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
God - point up
Took - pretend to reach out and snatch something away
Sin - two thumbs down
Gave - cup your hands and gesture away from you
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms

Motions for the Verse:
Know - tap your temple
Transgressions - two thumbs down
Sin - two thumbs down
Before me - hold your arms out straight in front of you, palms facing away
You - point up
Only - make an “O” with your hands above your head
Sinned - two thumbs down

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

• What was the name of the beautiful woman King David saw? (Bathsheba.)
• What was the name of Bathsheba’s husband? (Uriah.)
• Why was it wrong for David to make Bathsheba his wife? (Both he and she were already married.)
• What did David do to Uriah? (Left him alone in a battle to die.)
• Name one of the 10 Commandments that David broke. (Adultery, murder.)
• Name the other of the 10 Commandments that David broke. (See previous.)
• Who did God send to David to tell him that he sinned? (The prophet Nathan.)
• God took David’s sin away. Who did he give it to? (Jesus.)
• What is today’s big idea? (God took away our sin and gave it to Jesus.)
• What is today’s Bible verse? (Psalm 51:3-4 - For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned...

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OT 57 God's Covenant With David

Reference: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 2 Samuel 7, Luke 1

Big Idea: Jesus is the king of everyone everywhere.

Verse: Philippians 2:10 - so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth (ESV)

Motions for the Big Idea:
Jesus - make a cross with your forearms
King - pretend to put a crown on your head
Everyone - gesture your arms in a wide circle
Everywhere - place a hand above your eyes and look around the room

Motions for the Verse:
Name - point with two fingers on each hand; tap the right two fingers on top of the other*
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Knee - grab your knee
Bow - hold your hands up and bow as if in worship
Heaven - point up
Earth - tap the floor
Under the earth - pretend to dig with a shovel
*This is the ASL Sign for “name”. Watch a video demonstation.

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week

• Who was the second king of Israel? (David)
• What is a covenant? (A super special promise.)
• Who did God make a covenant with in today’s story? (David.)
• Name one of the things God promised to David in his covenant. (Land, peace, famous name, forever kingdom)
• Name another thing God promised to David in his covenant. (See previous.)
• Did David live forever as king? (No.)
• Did David’s sons live forever as king? (No.)
• Who was David’s great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson? (Jesus.)
• Did David’s great-great-great grandson Jesus stay dead after he died, like David did? (No, he rose)
• What is today’s big idea? (Jesus is the king of everyone everywhere.)
• What is today’s Bible verse? (Philippians 2:10 - so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ESV)

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