The Unmerciful Servant



First LookTM

Curriculum for Preschoolers

We want preschoolers to take a first look at who God is and understand . . .

God made me.

God loves me.

Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

Chief Executive Officer: Reggie Joiner

Director of Messaging: Kristen Ivy

Director of Preschool Strategy: Brittany Compton Robertson

Director of Curriculum: Kathy Hill

Design and Brand Manager: Sharon van Rossum

Creative Team: Brittany Compton Robertson, Kathy Hill, Autumn Ward, Ashley Hiers, Donna High, Sharon van Rossum, McKenzie Causey, Deb Springer, Missy Purcell

Curriculum Writers: Donna High, Autumn Ward, Ashley Hiers

Scripture marked NIrV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version™, Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

These resources are intended to be downloaded and printed for use by the subscribing entity only and may not be electronically transferred to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. Any unauthorized reproduction of this material or incorporation into a new work is a direct violation of US copyright laws. ©2019 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. First Look® and the First Look® logo are trademarks of The reThink Group.

“STATEMENT OF FAITH” USER AGREEMENT

Orange gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licensees to tailor First Look® materials to fit their unique leadership 
requirements, locale and format preferences, and physical environment 
needs. However, if you wish to edit the content substantively, including Bible stories, learning activities, scripts, and any other content in which biblical principles and concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we’ve expressed in our Statement of Faith.

May 17, 2020

Bible Story Focus: God loves me no matter what.

Prodigal Son • Luke 15:11-24

Memory Verse: “Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love.”

Romans 8:39, NIrV

Key Question: Who loves you?

Bottom Line: God loves me.

Basic Truth: God loves me.

SOCIAL: Providing Time for Fun Interaction

(Choose one or all of these activities)

1. Food Match

Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn

2. Drive

Made to Play: An activity that encourages preschoolers to follow guidelines while having fun and learning new concepts

3. Money Play

Made to Imagine: An activity that lets preschoolers pretend, imagine, and role play to enhance their learning

GROUPS: Creating a Safe Place to Connect

(Choose as many of these activities as you like)

1. Separate

Hear from God | Memory Verse Review

Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn

2. Story Sequence

Talk about God | Bible Story Review

Made to Explore: An activity that channels a preschooler’s innate curiosity into a discussion of

the week’s crucial concepts

3. Hug it Out

Live for God | Application Activity

Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn

4. Finger Paint

Live for God | Application Activity

Made to Create: An activity that allows preschoolers to review the Bible story, bottom line, or memory verse by creating a craft

May 17, 2020

Bible Story Focus: God loves me no matter what.

Prodigal Son • Luke 15:11-24

Memory Verse: “Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love.”

Romans 8:39, NIrV

Key Question: Who loves you?

Bottom Line: God loves me.

Basic Truth: God loves me.

Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (Small Groups, 15 minutes)

Activities that encourage preschoolers to enter the classroom and begin engaging with peers and Small Group Leaders by providing age appropriate and hands on fun while introducing new concepts they will hear in the day’s Bible story.

Prepare to offer one or more of the following activities as your 2-year-olds arrive. Let one or two teachers lead small groups of children in activities throughout the room while another teacher greets parents and children at the door. At this age not all children will participate, but most will want to be part of the fun.

1. Food Match

Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn

What You Need: “Food Match” Activity Page, copy paper, scissors, wall tape, and play food.

What You Do:

Before the Activity: Copy “Food Match” onto the paper and cut on dotted lines. Tape the food cutouts to a wall at preschooler level and about three feet apart. Place the play food in a pile in the middle of the activity area.

During the Activity: Encourage the children to take play food from the pile and place it under the matching picture on the wall. Continue the activity until all of the food is under a picture.

What You Say:

Before the Activity: “Look at all of that food!” (Point.)

During the Activity: “There are pictures on the wall and food in the pile. Let’s work together and match the food in the pile to the pictures on the wall. (Do activity.) Way to go!”

After the Activity: “Our Bible story today is about someone who did not have money left to buy food! I cannot wait for our Bible story today to find out what happened!”

Transition: Move to Bible story time by pretending to eat as you walk to the story area.

2. Drive

Made to Play: An activity that encourages preschoolers to follow guidelines while having fun and learning new concepts

What You Need: Red butcher paper, pencil, scissors, play cars that have seats for play people, Little People® figures, and floor tape

What You Do:

Before the Activity: Draw a large heart on the butcher paper. Cut out the heart. Tape the heart to the floor in the activity area.

During the Activity: Encourage the children to place the people in the cars and drive them around the heart. Be sure each child has a turn to drive the people around the heart.

What You Say:

Before the Activity: “Let’s drive!”

During the Activity: “Place the people in the cars. You can drive the people all around the heart.” (Point.)

After the Activity: “Today in our Bible story, we are going to talk about a boy who went very far from home. Are you ready to hear a TRUE story from the Bible?”

Transition: Move to Bible story time by pretending to drive a car as you walk to the story area.

3. Money Play

Made to Imagine: An activity that lets preschoolers pretend, imagine, and role play to enhance their learning

What You Need: “Ollie Dollars” Activity Page, cardstock, scissors, and empty wallets and purses

What You Do:

Before the Activity: Copy the Activity Page onto the cardstock and cut on the dotted lines.

During the Activity: Place the money, wallets, and purses in the activity area. Encourage the children to play with the items. Repeat as desired.

What You Say:

Before the Activity: “Wow, look at the neat purses and wallets!” (Point.)

During the Activity: “We have Ollie Dollars to play with, too! You can carry your Ollie Dollars in the wallets and purses.” (Do activity.)

After the Activity: “That was so much fun! We are going to hear a Bible story today about a boy who had money, but he spent all of it. I cannot wait to hear what happened next!”

Transition: Move to Bible story time by pretending that they have purses and wallets and are going shopping as you walk to the story area.

May 17, 2020

Bible Story Focus: God loves me no matter what.

Prodigal Son • Luke 15:11-24

Memory Verse: “Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love.”

Romans 8:39, NIrV

Key Question: Who loves you?

Bottom Line: God loves me.

Basic Truth: God loves me.

.

Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Small Groups, 25 minutes)

Create a safe place to connect through activities that are written to reach every learning style while reinforcing the bottom line that was introduced during the Bible Story and applying it to real life experiences. In addition, these activities provide preschoolers with an opportunity to build relationships with their Small Group Leader.

Prepare to offer one or more of the following activities after the Bible Story. Let one or two teachers lead small groups of children in activities throughout the room. At this age not all children will participate, but most will want to be part of the fun.

1. Separate

Hear from God | Memory Verse Review

Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn

What You Need: Industrial VELCRO® Brand hook and loop closures, scissors

What You Do:

Before the Activity: Cut the hook and loop closures into pieces. You need one piece per child. Each piece needs both top and bottom pieces of the closure that should be stuck together well.

During the Activity: Give each child a piece of hook and loop closure. Say the memory verse with the children, then invite the children to try to separate the closures.

After the Activity: The children should not be able to separate the closures (if industrial strength) and may get frustrated. Watch for this and end the activity before a child gets upset.

What You Say:

Before the Activity: “Let’s say our memory verse together! ‘Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love,’ Romans 8:39.”

During the Activity: “Great job! Our Bible verse tells us that nothing can separate us from God’s love! (Pass out the closures.) Let’s see if we can separate this hook and loop closure. (Demonstrate.) It’s super hard.” (Do activity.)

After the Activity: “God’s love is like this closure! You cannot separate it, and you cannot separate us from God’s love! Who loves you? [Bottom Line] God loves me!”

2. Story Sequence

Live for God | Application Activity

Made to Explore: An activity that channels a preschooler’s innate curiosity into a discussion of

the week’s crucial concepts

What You Need: “Sequence” Activity Pages, cardstock, and wall tape

What You Do:

Before the Activity: Copy the Activity Pages onto the cardstock. You will have three pictures. Spread the pictures on the floor in the activity area.

During the Activity: Have the children sit in front of the pictures. Ask the children to work together to place pictures in order according of the story. The sequence is 1. Father gives boy money. 2. Boy is spending money. 3. Boy comes home and hugs father. Hang pictures on the wall as they are put in order.

What You Say:

Before the Activity: “We heard an amazing story about how God loves us no matter what!”

During the Activity: “I have pictures from our Bible story. (Point.) They are the father hugging his son, the father giving his son money, and the son spending money. Let’s work together to put them in the correct order of the story. Which one do you think is first? (Pause.) The picture of the father giving his son money is first. Great job! (Hang the first picture on the wall.) Which picture is next? (Pause.) You go it! The picture of the son spending all of his money. He did not make good choices, and he ran out of money. (Hang the second picture on the wall.) The last picture is of the son coming home and his father hugging him. Even though he made bad choices, the father still loved the son.” (Hang the last picture on the wall.)

After the Activity: “Our Bible story tells us God loves us no matter what! Even if we make bad choices, God will always love us! Who loves you? [Bottom Line] God loves me!”

3. Hug it Out

Live for God | Application Activity

Made to Move: An activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move to help them learn

What You Need: A teddy bear or stuffed animal

What You Do:

Before the Activity: Have the children stand in front of you.

During the Activity: Ask the children to run to you and give the teddy bear a hug. Repeat several times.

What You Say:

Before the Activity: “Everyone stand in front of me.”

During the Activity: “Now, run to me and hug the teddy bear!” (Hold the bear for them to hug.)

After the Activity: “The son came home and ran to his father, and he hugged him. God loves us even though we make bad choices. He loves us no matter what! Who loves you? [Bottom Line] God loves me!”

4. Finger Painting

Live for God | Application Activity

Made to Create: An activity that allows preschoolers to review the Bible story, bottom line, or memory verse by creating a craft

What You Need: “Paint Label” Activity Page, Avery® #5160 labels or equivalent, finger-painting paper, paint smocks, finger paint, and wet wipes

What You Do:

Before the Activity: Copy the “Paint Label” Activity Page onto the label paper and place on the bottom of the finger-painting paper. Put smocks on the children.

During the Activity: Give each child a piece of the finger-painting paper and the finger paint. Allow the children to paint on the paper any way that they like.

After the Activity: Wipe messy fingers with the wet wipes.

What You Say:

Before the Activity: “We are going to paint today!”

During the Activity: “You can paint anything that you like.” (Do activity.)

After the Activity: “Your painting is amazing! No matter what we do or what messes we make, God will always love us! Who loves you? [Bottom Line] God loves me!”

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