CHILDREN S SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIAL

Transcription

1 CHILDREN S SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIAL One Page Lessons Book 1 Authors: Shirley Wu Joy Carr Adapted and revised by: Jodi Cataldo (Acknowledge your team here.) This book is not for sale. It is not permissible to copy without permission. Copyright 2006 General Board of Discipleship and the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. All rights reserved. A part of the material is adapted from New Invitation, Grades 1 & 2; 3 & 4. Winter , Copyright 1997 by Cokesbury, adapted by permission.

2 CHILDREN S SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIAL One Page Lessons BOOK ONE PART I: THE BOOK OF GOD S PEOPLE THEME: The Bible is a special book of stories, songs, wisdom and History that tell about God and God s people. LESSON 1: LESSON 2: LESSON 3: LESSON 4: THE BIBLE IS A SPECIAL BOOK THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF STORIES THE BIBLE HELPS US KNOW ABOUT GOD THE BIBLE HELPS US KNOW JESUS PART 2: JESUS IS BORN THEME: Let us celebrate Jesus birth. LESSON 1: LESSON 2: LESSON 3: LESSON 4: THE PROMISE OF THE SAVIOR THE BIRTH OF JESUS ANGELS BRING THE NEWS TO THE SHEPHERDS WISE MEN WORSHIP THE KING PART 3: THE PARABLES THEME: We can discover what Jesus wants us to do by hearing the parables Jesus told. LESSON 1: LESSON 2: LESSON 3: LESSON 4: THE GOOD SAMARITAN THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK THE SOWER THE FORGIVING FATHER

3 BOOK 1, PART 1, LESSON 1 THE BIBLE IS A SPECIAL BOOK THE BIBLE: Psalm 34:4, Psalm 119:105, Psalm 121:1-2 MEMORY VERSE: Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk. Psalm 119:105 CEV (Teacher holds Bible.) Today we are going to learn about a very special book. Does anyone know what this book is called? (Invite answers.) It is called the Holy Bible. It is holy because in this book we can hear what God wants to say to us and many stories God wants us to know. Our memory verse today is from the Holy Bible and it says, Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk. Since the Bible is like a guidebook for our lives, it is like a lamp or light that you would use to see your way in the dark. If you let the lamp give you light as you walk down a path at night, you won t have to stumble along. You can see and be confident as you walk. You can know whether to turn left or right and how to avoid harmful things that can stand in your way. The Bible is like this. It helps us to understand what God wants us to do and how God wants us to live our lives. STORY: Samuel was a young boy about your age. He was playing outside his house with some other boys and girls. They were playing with an old box, kicking it around like a ball. Everyone was having fun. Then one of the other children got really angry at Samuel because he had not kicked the box to her. She began speaking to him in a very loud voice and saying things that hurt him. (Have the children act out the story.) What happened in this story? What would you have said if you were the little girl? What could the little girl do differently? What should Samuel have done? As we learn more stories in the Bible, we will understand how this wonderful book will help us make better decisions about things in our lives. 1. Have everyone stand up straight and act out the movement of a tree and then a bird as you read: You are a tree with the wind blowing softly. Now the wind is blowing harder. Now the wind is blowing so hard that you nearly touch the ground. Now the wind is calming down, blowing very slowly and growing still. Now your arms move like a bird flying gently through the sky. As you fly, you begin to flap your wings faster and faster. You have flown to where you want to go and your wings slow down. Now you are where you want to be and you lower your wings, turn your body around and then sit quietly down. 2. Create a lamp or lantern from available materials. Print the memory verse on the lantern. Practice saying the memory verse and allow each child to recite it to you. What have you learned about the Bible today? How can it be like a lamp? One of the ways we can let God know what we are thinking is by praying like this: Thank you, God, for the Holy Bible. Thank you that this special book tells us how much you love us. Help us to learn more about you and what you want us to do as we hear stories from the Bible. Amen.

4 THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF STORIES THE BIBLE: Genesis 6:9, Genesis 12:4-5 BOOK 1, PART I, LESSON 2 MEMORY VERSE: Everything in the Scriptures is God s word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. II Timothy 3:16 CEV (Teacher holds Bible.) The Bible has two sections. The Old Testament has 39 books in it and each book has stories about God s people. The New Testament has 27 books in it and also has stories about God and about the beginning of the church. The Bible gives us stories about people who loved and obeyed God. Today we are going to hear about two of those people and both of them are from the Old Testament. How many books are in the Old Testament? (39) Both of these stories are from the very first book in the Bible and this book is called Genesis. Genesis actually means The beginning. One of the people that loved God and did what God told him to do was Noah. Do you remember a time when it has rained so much that it took a long time for the sun to dry up all the water? Well, in this story of Noah, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. There was going to be so much water that it would flood the whole earth. God told Noah that he needed to build a really big boat, called an ark, and to bring every kind of animal inside this boat so they would be safe from this huge flood. Noah and the people in his day had never seen it rain before, so they thought Noah was pretty crazy and they laughed and laughed at him. However, Noah was a good man who trusted God and he did what God told him to do even though other people laughed and made fun of him. He built the ark and God kept him, his family and the animals safe from the flood. Another story is about a man named Abram. God asked Abram to take his wife and everything he owned and would need (his clothes, his dishes, his tent, his bed) and travel to a faraway land where he had never been before. Have you ever had to travel faraway somewhere, to someplace you had never been before? Was it scary? God asked Abram to do just that. It was probably pretty scary for Abram but God told Abram to go on this long journey, to start a new nation of people and because Abram trusted God, he took his wife and he went. When God told Abram and Noah to do something special for him, they did it. What do you do when your mother or father tells you to do something? Do you do it without complaining? That is what these two special people from the Bible did. 1. Have each child take a small rock and examine it. Then have each child come forward and add their rock to one pile like an altar. When you looked at your rock, did you notice that it was different from the other rocks that others have? Maybe it was a different shape or a different color? Together, with our different rocks, we built one altar to God. By doing that, you were doing something special that I asked you to do. God often uses all our differences for one special purpose. God used Noah to save the people and animals from the flood. God used Abram to start a new nation of people in a different land. God told them what to do, they obeyed and great things happened. 2. Play a mimic game, Teacher says (touch your nose, touch your toes). The children do the action only if the teacher adds please. They have to sit down if they do the action and the teacher does not say please. 3. Practice saying the memory verse. Sing a song about the Bible. Dear God, Thank you for the Holy Bible. Help us always to think about how you would want us to behave. Help us to listen to you and to do what you want us to do. Amen.

5 BOOK 1, PART 1, LESSON 3 THE BIBLE HELPS US KNOW ABOUT GOD THE BIBLE: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 121:1-2 MEMORY VERSE: My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 NASV When you are outside, what do you see? Where did they come from? In our Bible reading today, God is called the Creator. What is a creator? (Invite answers.) The Bible helps us to understand that God, the maker of heaven and earth, cares about what was created. We are a part of that creation and that means God cares for us very much. Sometimes it is hard to know that God cares and that God is ready to help us because we cannot see God. Close your eyes real tight and keep them closed. I see something the color of red. Can you also see it with your eyes closed? When you open your eyes, can you now see it? God created the light out of the darkness. God separated the light from the darkness. When your eyes are closed, it is dark and you can t see anything. When your eyes are opened, it is light and then you can see. But just because you cannot see the light with your eyes closed, does that mean the light is not there? What are some things that you know about but cannot see? (wind blowing, thunder, smell of rain, someone standing in the dark) STORY: Once there was a little girl named (insert name). She was the only one at home with her mother one day when it was beginning to get dark outside. Everyone else her brothers, her sisters, and her grandmother were outside. She was not in the same place as her mother but she knew she was not alone. All of a sudden, (name) heard a loud noise that made her jump. She was afraid that it was something that would harm her. She was just about to cry when she heard her mother s voice say, It is okay. The noise you heard was just a door banging and not something that will hurt you, (name). She could not see her mother but she could hear her voice and she knew that her mother was there. She knew her mother would help her if there was a need. (Name) was so happy that her mother was nearby even though she could not see her. God is like that. We cannot see God with our eyes, we cannot touch God with our hands, we cannot smell God with our noses, we cannot taste God with our mouths, and most of us won t hear God with our ears, but God is there. We can know that God wants only the best for us and that God will be there to help us. The Bible tells us that God is good and that God cares for us, just like the mother in the story. 1. Say this poem to the children and have them repeat after each line: The Bible is a special book, It tells us of God s care. We cannot see God when we look, But we know that God is there. 2. Play I see something (red, green, blue, purple, and so on). The teacher finds an object in the area that they can see and says, I see something (name a color). The children then guess what it is that you are seeing. The winner then takes a turn saying, I see something (name a color) and the rest of the group guesses what it is that the child is seeing. CLOSING WORSHIP/PRAYER: Sing a song about God and nature. Dear God, We are thankful that you are a caring God and that you are always there even though we cannot see you. Thank you for hearing our prayers. Amen.

6 BOOK 1, PART 1, LESSON 4 THE BIBLE HELPS US KNOW JESUS THE BIBLE: Luke 4:16-20; Mark 10:13-16 MEMORY VERSE: Let the children come to me! Don t try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God. Mark 10:14b CEV Today we are going to talk about someone that the Bible tells us loves children very much. He was a man who lived a long time ago whose name is Jesus. He had a family, just like you do, and he was another man who loved God and helped us see how God wants us to live. In our Bible reading today, it says that Jesus went back to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read He read that he was chosen by God to tell people that God loves them even if others don t and wants to help them. Do you know anyone who lives here that needs to be loved and taken care of? (Invite responses.) What are they like? Jesus taught us that God wants us to love everyone and to help take care of the world even those people that we sometimes forget need our help. What are some ways that we can care for these people? In Bible times, children were not always listened to but Jesus became angry when others tried to keep the children from coming near to him. Jesus thought children were important people to care for also. He welcomed them to come and sit together with him to talk. Do you know anyone who welcomes children like that? The Bible tells us that Jesus was someone whom God sent to love all people and to care for those who were often forgotten in their world like the children. Jesus blessed the children with his love. Isn t it wonderful that Jesus thinks we are so special? Isn t it wonderful to be loved like that? What a gift it is that we can joyfully say, I am somebody special because Jesus loves ME! 1. Make gift cards from things of nature, such as rectangles cut from banana leaves folded like a book. Inside can be attached a symbol of love from coconut, flower petals or other natural material. The children, after they leave the class, then give these gift cards to someone special who needs to feel God s love telling them that Jesus loves you and I love you also. 2. Teach the children to sing Jesus Loves Me. (Have all the children join hands and in a circle walk around several times singing Jesus Loves Me. Remind them of how much Jesus loved children and how special they are to you.) Wouldn t it be wonderful for us to be able to sit with Jesus and talk with him? It is true that Jesus is no longer living on our earth as a man, but we know that God is still with us and wants to talk with us. We can talk to God and God can talk to us through prayer. When we pray, we feel closer to God like when the children came near to sit with Jesus. Let s all close our eyes and imagine that we are sitting with Jesus right now, talking with him. (Have the children repeat each line of the prayer after you.) Thank you, God, for Jesus. Jesus helps us know how to love others. Thank you that I can show others how much I love them. Help me this week to show love to someone in a special way. Amen.

7 THE BIBLE: Luke 1 THE PROMISE OF THE SAVIOR BOOK 1, PART 2, LESSON 1 MEMORY VERSE: He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. Luke 1:32 CEV What kinds of things have you waited for? (Invite answers.) How does it feel to wait? What do you do while you are waiting? Today we are going to hear about a story of people who waited for the coming of someone very special. This story is called, A Wonderful Promise! Mary lived in the town of Nazareth with her mother and father. Mary helped her family around the house. She went to the well to get water. She helped make meals. She did the weaving and the mending. Mary would soon marry a man named Joseph. Joseph was a carpenter in the town. One day while Mary was sweeping the floor, a bright light filled the room. God sent an angel to bring a message to her. Greetings, Mary, said the angel. The Lord is with you. Mary was frightened. Do no be afraid, Mary, said the angel. I bring you wonderful news. You are going to have a child, a son. He will be a special baby. You will name him Jesus. But how can this be? Mary asked. I do not have a husband. With God anything is possible. This child will be God s only Son, the angel said. I do not understand what you are asking of me, Mary said, but I will do what God wants. And then the angel left. Mary wondered what Joseph would say and if Joseph would still want to marry her. She was excited but she was also a little afraid, but she new God would be with her. Mary was very anxious to share the good news with her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth s husband, Zechariah, was a priest at the temple. Even before the angel came to Mary, the angel visited Zechariah to tell him that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a baby even though they were very old. The angel told Zechariah that this baby would be very special because he would help the people get ready for Jesus. When Mary came to visit Elizabeth to tell her the good news, Elizabeth knew right away that Mary was going to have a special baby too. Mary stayed three months with Elizabeth. There she helped Elizabeth with the cooking, cleaning and sewing. They must have had a wonderful time dreaming together of what their babies would be like. When it became close to the time where Elizabeth would have her baby, Mary went back to Nazareth to be with Joseph and his family. God had a plan for Elizabeth and Zechariah s baby. Their baby, John, would tell everyone that God s Son, Jesus, was coming. 1. Read each line doing the suggested actions. Have the children mimic you. Mary was sitting all alone. (Fold hands, look around.) Suddenly, someone stood before her! (Look up startled, hands raised.) The angel said, God is pleased with you. (Look surprised and point to self.) Mary didn t know why the angel said this. (Look puzzled, afraid.) The angel said, Don t be afraid, Mary. (Nod okay, smile.) You are going to have a baby, and the baby will be the Son of God. (Point up and then fold hands prayerfully.) Mary asked, How can this be? (Look surprised and a little confused.) The angel said, God will be with you, and your baby will be the Son of God. (Clap hands or express joy in some way.) 2. Talk about how it feels to hear good news. What do we do? Have the children make happy faces, draw happy faces or have teams create movement that expresses joy in hearing good news. Have them share their creations. Sing a song of joy. Have each child pray telling God what they are thankful for.

8 BOOK 1, PART 2, LESSON 2 THE BIBLE: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-7 THE BIRTH OF JESUS MEMORY VERSE: She gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 CEV Today we will hear a story about Mary and the birth of Jesus. Usually, people are really happy when a baby is born, aren t they? Everyone comes to see the new baby and to show their happiness. But the birth of Jesus was a little different. When it was nearly time for Mary s child to be born, the King (or Emperor), Augustus Caesar announced a law. He said that a list of people in his country must be made. The head of each family was required to go to the native town of his family or clan and be counted. So Joseph, Mary s husband took Mary to Bethlehem from Nazareth, where they lived. They were both descendants of King David and David was from Bethlehem. It must have been a long, tiresome journey for them. It was over 100 kilometers. I am sure they were very happy when they finally arrived in Bethlehem. Imagine what disappointment they must have felt when they began to look for a place to sleep and could find no room. All the rest houses were crowded with other people who had also come to Bethlehem to be counted. They were so tired and must have been ready to cry but finally an innkeeper took pity on them and offered them room in his stable where the animals were kept. At least they would have hay to lay down on to rest. While everyone slept, Mary s baby was born and they called him Jesus. Mary wrapped Jesus in cloths and laid him in a manger. A manger is the place where food was put to feed the animals. What a place for the Son of God to be born! The people of Bethlehem had no room for Jesus, the Son of God, except with the animals. 1. Read each line doing the suggested actions and have the children mimic you. Joseph was all alone. He was asleep. (Lay head on hands, asleep.) An angel told him, Mary will have a baby. (Look up startled.) Call His name, Jesus, for he is the Savior. (Give hand signal for okay.) Joseph believed the angel and took care of Mary. (Make hugging motion.) Later Mary and Joseph had to make a long trip to Bethlehem. (Make motions as if lifting up food and water jugs, placing them on a donkey s back.) When they reached Bethlehem, Joseph looked for a place for Mary to stay. (Look around carefully.) Finally, they found a stable and Mary lay down to rest. (Lay head on hands, asleep.) That night, Baby Jesus was born. (Make motion as if rocking baby in arms.) How Mary and Joseph loved Jesus, God s Son. (Continue rocking and smile.) Today who else knows that Jesus is God s Son? (Point to self, then to each child.) 2. Play Who, Where, Why and How? quiz game. You can do this as contest between teams giving points for the correct answers. Sample questions are: Who were the parents of Jesus? ; Why did they go to Bethlehem? ; How did they travel? ; Where was Jesus born?. What are some ways we can make room for Jesus in our lives this week? Jesus wants to come and live with us even now but he is waiting for us to invite him. God gave us His Son, Jesus, as a gift so that we can live with God forever but there needs to be room in our hearts and lives for him. It is our choice and decision to make room and receive this special gift. Do you want Jesus to be in your life? Dear God, thank you for your gift of Jesus. Help us to make room for him in our lives today and always. Amen.

9 BOOK 1, PART 2, LESSON 3 ANGELS BRING THE NEWS TO THE SHEPHERDS THE BIBLE: Luke 2:8-38; Psalm 23:1-2; John 10:3-4 MEMORY VERSE: But the angel said, Don t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. Luke 2:10 CEV If something really wonderful happens to you, how do you show it? Do you shout? Clap your hands? Dance? Today we are going to hear about some shepherds. Shepherds take care of sheep. Usually, they were men or boys but sometimes they were also women or girls. Shepherds were poor and people didn t think they were so important. But shepherds had an important job. They had to make sure the sheep had enough grass to eat, that they stayed safe from wild animals like wolves, and to keep the sheep from wandering off from the group and getting lost. The same night that Jesus was born, not faraway from Bethlehem, the shepherds were out in the fields watching their sheep. It was a dark night when suddenly a bright light shown and an angel appeared to them. The shepherds were filled with fear and began to tremble. They had never seen anything like this before. Then the angel said, Don t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay. Then another group of angels appeared and these angels were singing, Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God. So they said to each other, Let s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about. They went as fast as they could and found Mary, Joseph and the baby lying in the manger. After they had seen Jesus, the Son of God, with their own eyes, they told everyone about it. When they returned to their work watching the sheep, they must have spent many hours just remembering and talking about the wonderful things they had heard and experienced. Everything was just as the angel had told them. 1. Have each child create a sheep out of available materials and write their name on the sheep to remind them that they are like sheep and that Jesus takes care of them like a shepherd. 2. Play Gathering the sheep. One child runs to catch another and then they hold hands. These two children then run together (with hands clasped) to catch another child and then this child joins hands with the other two. Then the three run to catch another child who then joins hands with the other three. This continues until the last child is brought into the group and they are all joined by holding hands. Who were the first persons to hear about Jesus birth? Who told them where to find the baby? Why were the shepherds excited? What did they do after they saw the baby? Why do you think the shepherds were chosen to see Jesus first? God shows us that Jesus is like a shepherd. Jesus knows each one of us by name. Jesus calls us by our own name. Jesus takes care of our needs. Jesus keeps us safe from evil. Jesus leads us in the way we should go. Jesus is always there for us. Isn t this good news? Dear God, we thank you so much that you gave Jesus to us to be our shepherd. Thank you that we don t have to worry because our shepherd is watching over us like a precious sheep. Thank you for this good news and help us to share what a great gift God has given to us with others just like the shepherds did. Amen.

10 BOOK 1, PART 2, LESSON 4 WISE MEN WORSHIP THE KING THE BIBLE: Matthew 2:1-12; Psalm 95:6 MEMORY VERSE: Bow down and worship the Lord our Creator! Psalm 95:6 CEV How many of you look at the stars at night? Did you notice if any star was different from the others? Long ago people also watched the stars. They knew that certain lights in the sky moved from place to place. They knew that the sun was a bright light in the sky, and that the moon was not as bright. They watched the stars for a sign that something very important had happened. Let s hear what the Bible tells us about such people. At the time the Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there lived in a faraway land in the East, Wise Men. They were rich kings. They knew a great deal about the holy books. The holy books told them that it was time for a king to be born to the Jews. One night, they saw a beautiful star in the sky. It was not like other stars. It was very bright and beautiful. The star seemed to speak to them. They said, Let us take our best gifts and follow the star. Surely, it will lead us to the Promised One, the King. So they took their camels and traveled a very long way. It took a long time because camels don t move very quickly. They are a little slow. At last, they came to Jerusalem. To show respect to the local leader, they went first to King Herod and asked, Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. But King Herod did not know, so he called the priests and the teachers of the Law and asked them, Where will the Messiah be born? They told him, He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote. Herod called the Wise Men from the East to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too. The Wise Men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star. They went into the house where they saw the child with Mary and they knelt down and worshiped him. Then they took out their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and gave them to him. The stars the Wise Men watched were the same stars we watch today. When they saw the special star, they followed it until they found Jesus and worshiped him. Today, God gives us the Bible and other people who love Jesus, and they are like a special star leading us to Jesus, the King and Savior of the world. When we seek Jesus, we will find him. Then we can bow down and worship him too giving him a special place in our lives. Then it is up to us to tell others about the wonderful gift of God s Son. 1. Have the children make stars. These can be made from palm leaves or other available materials. 2. Play Who Am I?. Describe different characters present at the time Jesus was born and let the children guess who you are describing. (Sing a song about the birth of Jesus.) Dear God, thank you for Jesus who came for all people everywhere. Thank you that you give us special stars in our lives like the Bible and other Christians to help us find your wonderful Son, Jesus. Help us to give Jesus a special place in our lives. As we learn more about Jesus and what Jesus taught, help us to follow his example. Amen.

11 BOOK 1, PART 3, LESSON 1 THE BIBLE: Luke 10:25-37 THE GOOD SAMARITAN MEMORY VERSE: Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself. Luke 10:27b CEV (Ask the children these questions.) Do you like to play with your neighbors? What do you play together? How many friends live in your neighborhood? Has your neighbor ever helped you? How? Have you ever helped your neighbor? How? Have you ever needed help but no one came to help you? What happened? Today s story is about being a neighbor. One day, when Jesus was talking to his disciples, a teacher of the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to receive eternal life? Jesus answered him, What do the Scriptures say? How do you understand them? The man answered, The Scriptures say, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. They also say, Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself. Jesus said, You have given the right answer. If you do this you will have eternal life. But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, Who are my neighbors? Jesus answered by telling him this story: As a man (a Jew) was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side. A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return. Then Jesus asked, Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers? The teacher answered, The one who showed pity. Jesus said, Go and do the same! (Based on Luke 10:25-37 CEV.) Who is our neighbor? Anyone who is in need is our neighbor. It doesn t matter what race or class they are. Jesus was saying that if we truly love God, we will also love our neighbor. The Samaritans and the Jews lived in countries right next to each other but they were not good neighbors because they were different and actually hated each other because of their differences. How do we sometimes treat people just because they are different? Why? How can we be good neighbors and show love to others? 1. Role play: Have the children act out this story and then talk about their feelings both watching and/or acting. How did it feel watching someone needing help but no one would stop and help? 2. Recreate the drama but using a modern day situation and modern day characters that are familiar to the children. There should be a problem and a resolution. Ask again about how the children felt playing the different parts. We learned from the Bible today that if we truly love God, we will also love our neighbors even if they are different from us. We are all unique and different but we are all God s children and God loves each and every one of us. Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to be our friend and example. Help us to be a good neighbor because that is what you want us to be. Amen.

12 BOOK 1, PART 3, LESSON 2 THE BIBLE: Matthew 7:24-27 THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK MEMORY VERSE: Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. Matthew 7:24 CEV (Teacher holds a rock.) Tell me all you can about a rock. (hard, solid, will hold a lot of weight, doesn t wash away, can hold something up or hold it in place) (Have someone read Matthew 7:24-27.) The Bible tells us that we are very wise if we live like the man who built his house on solid rock. Even though troubles and storms came his way, his house stood firm and didn t fall like the house that was built on the sand. The house is our life and the solid rock is the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. If we listen to what the Bible teaches and obey God, when we have problems or everything seems like it is against us, we won t fall down but we will be able to stand strong because our life is built on the foundation of God. God will hold us up. STORY: Pretend we are in Africa and hear the Bible story the way it might be told there. Kweisi (KWEE-see), come. I want to tell you a story, Kweisi s grandfather, Boto, called. Boto was old and wise. Kweisi, let s see if you can tell me what this story means. Boto began, One day Jesus was talking to a lot of people. Jesus told the people about two men who wanted to build a house. One man built his house on a rock and another built his house on sand. Then it began to rain and the wind blew hard. Kweisi s grandfather bugged out his eyes and filled his cheeks with air and blew hard. It rained so much that the creeks flooded. Boto s voice became quiet. When the storm was over, the house on the rock was standing but the house on the sand had fallen down. What does this story mean, Kweisi? Kweisi thought and thought. Then he went and sat on a rock so he could think even harder. He jumped up, ran a circle around a tree and then just stood there. He didn t know. He couldn t guess. He made a sad face, hoping that his grandfather would see how sad he was that he couldn t tell him what this story meant. Boto took Kweisi s hand and they walked to a big tree with many branches. On one side was a big, strong branch and on the other was a branch that wasn t strong. Boto lifted Kweisi up so he could reach the big branch. Kweisi swung on the branch. He kicked his feet in the air. It felt good. He laughed. Boto helped him down and lifted him up to the weak branch. This time he held tight to Kweisi s legs. Kweisi grabbed hold of the branch and then the branch broke. Kweisi s grandfather said, That branch is like the sand the man tried to build his house on. The branch couldn t hold you up and the sand didn t hold the house up. The strong branch is like the rock the other house was built on. It held you up no matter how much you swung on it. Boto held Kweisi tight in his arms and said, Jesus loves you just like I love you and that love is like the strong branch. If you listen to stories of Jesus and do what Jesus says, you will be like the house that was built on the big rock, or like a strong branch. Kweisi grinned and hugged Boto. 1. Read each line doing the suggested actions and have the children mimic you: The sand slips between my fingers and toes. (Wiggle your fingers and toes.) The wind blows through my hair. (Run your fingers through your hair.) But a rock is strong. (Pound your fists together.) Like how God loves ME! (Hug yourself.) 2. Divide the children into two or more groups of three or six and have them try building pyramids with their bodies trying not to fall. In Jesus story, the man who built his house on the rock was like a person who listened to God and did what God said to do. How do we listen to God? (Invite answers.) Dear God, thank you for Jesus, our teacher. Help us to listen and grow. Amen.

13 BOOK 1, PART 3, LESSON 3 THE BIBLE: Matthew 13:3-8; THE SOWER MEMORY VERSE: The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. Matthew 13:23a CEV What kinds of crops do we grow in our farms or gardens? How do we plant the crops? How do we care for the crops? Today we will hear a story about planting seeds. One day, Jesus was talking to his followers. See that farmer over there? he asked. He is sowing seeds. Some of the seeds land on the hard path and the birds are coming and gobbling them up. Jesus continued, Some seeds fall in rocky places where the plants grow fast. But because the dirt is shallow, the roots can t hold on and the plants dry up and blow away. Jesus went on, Other seeds fall among the weeds, and the plants start to grow. But these plants are choked so much by the weeds that they can t grow very much. Jesus finished the story, Still other seeds fall on good soil where they are as happy as can be, and plants grow very well. Now Jesus disciples were confused about this story. They were pretty sure that Jesus wasn t just talking about seeds. So later the disciples got together and got up the courage to go and ask Jesus. What is the meaning of this story? they asked. Jesus smiled and said, I am so glad you want to know. Many people don t even try to understand at all. The seed is like God s love. Some people hear about God, but they don t really think God loves them. They don t pay attention to what the words mean. The seed of God s love just bounces off of them before they get a chance to understand it. That s the seed on the path. Some people care about God but don t take time to really know God and what God wants for them. Then, when trouble comes, when things happen that are hard to get through, their faith just withers up and blows away. That s the seed in rocky places. Some people hear about God but get so tangled up in things, worries, school, trouble with friends, and even family, that these things take all of their attention and they end up forgetting God. That s like the seeds in the weeds. The good soil is the people who hear about God, get to know God and love God. These are the people who follow God during both good times and troubled times. They are the good soil in which God s love can grow. 1. Have the children act out the story as you read the following: Scatter, scatter, scatter the seeds. (Make a scattering motion with the arm.) Grow, grow, grow, said the farmer. (Bend in a ball, then slowly straighten and stretch arms high.) Some seeds fell on the rocks, rocks, rocks. (Knock three times on the floor.) Some seeds fell in the thorns, thorns, thorns. (Say, ouch, ouch, ouch! ) Some were eaten by the birds. (Say, yum, yum, yum! ) Some seeds fell on good ground. (Say, yea, yea, yea! ) Grow, grow, grow, said the farmer to the seeds in the good soil. (Bend in a ball, then slowly straighten and stretch arms high.) Sun, sun, sun. Warm, warm, warm. (Make a sun shape with arms above head.) Rain, rain, rain. Wet, wet, wet. (Make rain with fingers wiggling down.) Grow, grow, grow, said the farmer. And the seeds in the good soil grew. (Bend in a ball, then slowly straighten and stretch arms high.) 2. Plant seeds using the four types of soil mentioned. Water them and have the children watch and see what happens to each of the seeds. God wants each of us to listen to what the Bible has to teach us, to learn more about God, and to pray so that we can grow and the love of God can grow in us. Dear God, thank you for caring for us and for wanting to help us grow into loving persons. Amen.

14 THE FORGIVING FATHER BOOK 1, PART 3, LESSON 4 THE BIBLE: Luke 15:11-32 MEMORY VERSE: You willingly forgive, and your love is always there for those who pray to you. Psalm 86:5 CEV Have you ever done something wrong and had to ask forgiveness from a mother, father, sister or brother? Was it difficult to say you were sorry? Our story from the Bible today is about a son who did not behave well and needed to say sorry to his father. There once was a father who had two sons. The younger son came one day to his father and asked for his part of the property that he would later inherit. The father said okay and gave his son the property. The son sold the property and went to a country faraway where he gambled, had a lot of parties and wasted money until it was all gone. When a terrible famine spread over the country, there was very little food and he had no more money. So he went to work for a farmer who raised pigs. He did not like working with the pigs. They were noisy and smelly but the boy was desperate and it was the only work he could find. In fact, he was so hungry that he wished he could eat the food the pigs were eating but no one gave him anything to eat. At last he said to himself, All my father s hired workers have more than enough to eat and here I am about to starve! I will get up and go to my father and say, Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers. So he got up and he went home to his father. He was still a long way off when his father saw him coming. His father s heart was so sad to see his condition and he ran, threw his arms around his son and kissed him. Father, the son said, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son. But the father called to his servants, Hurry! he said. Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! For this son of mine was dead, and now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found. And so the celebrating began. Meanwhile, the older son was out in the field. When he was coming home, he heard the celebrating and asked one of the servants, What is going on? Your brother has come back home, the servant answered, and your father has killed the prize calf because your brother is home, safe and sound. The older brother was so angry that he refused to go inside the house and his father came out to him to ask him to come in. But the older son spoke back to his father saying, Look, all these years I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! But this son of yours wasted all your property on bad things, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him! My son, the father answered, you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. But we celebrate and are happy because your brother was dead, but now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is found. The younger son left home to live by himself and have fun. What when wrong with his plans? (Invite answers.) The younger son realized he made a mistake. How do you think he felt about coming home to his father? (Invite answers.) The father in the story forgave the son for leaving home and spending all his money. How did the father show forgiveness? 1. Have a Forgiveness party. First have the children ask forgiveness from someone they did wrong to. Then have the children share a snack with each other to celebrate that they are family again. Have a party with music, fun, games. 2. Practice memory verse. Dear God, thank you for your loving forgiveness when we do things wrong. Amen.