Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope



Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope

Week 1: God Gives Us Hope Through His Amazing Works

This includes:

Leader Preparation

Lesson Guide

LEADER PREPARATION

BIBLE BASIS

The miracle Peter experienced in Acts 12 is actually a series of amazing works that brought hope to more than just Peter. The series of events included an angel appearing in Peter’s cell, chains falling off Peter’s wrists, Peter walking right past the guards without a fight, and an iron gate opening effortlessly. All the while, Peter thought it was a dream! When Peter finally realized he was truly free, he went to a home where people happened to be praying for him. What a series of hope-inspiring events! Use this lesson to help kids explore the amazing works God has done in their lives and to understand how those amazing works can bring hope.

DISCOVERY POINT

God gives us hope through his amazing works.

BIBLE FOCUS

Acts 12:6-16

KEY VERSE

“Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them” (Psalm 107:15).

TEACHING PREP

The short overview below is designed to help you prepare for your lesson.

Supplies You’ll Need: Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, “Knock, Knock” handout, tape, scissors, treats, “Investigator’s Journal” handout, pencils, paper, large book for every 4 to 5 kids, construction paper, and pencils

Before This Lesson

• Print the “Knock, Knock” handout. You’ll need one copy per crew of four kids.

• Print the “Investigator’s Journal” handout. You’ll need one handout for each crew of four.

• Assemble Bible Exploration Kits (one per four kids): one Bible, 15 sheets of blank paper, tape, scissors, pencils, “Investigator’s Journal” handout, “Knock, Knock” handout, a heavy book, and 2 sheets of construction paper.

• Create a small edible treat for everyone in your group, and put it somewhere kids won’t see it.

• Review Acts 12:6-16.

• Cue "Into the Bible" (Track 1) on the Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD or (Quarter 7/Track 1) on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD.

• Huddle briefly with your volunteers beforehand. Answer any questions they have. Encourage them and pray.

PARENT EMAIL

We’ve provided you with a “Family Devotion” handout to send the Bible learning and faith discovery home. When kids and parents have faith discussions regularly, kids’ faith multiplies.

So we’ve given you two options:

• Print the “Family Devotion” handout and make enough copies for each child to take one home.

• Email the “Family Devotion” to families before or after the actual lesson.

Or why not do both? That way you’ll double the opportunities for parents to actually get the handout.

Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope

Week 1: God Gives Us Hope Through His Amazing Works

LESSON GUIDE

WELCOME!

Supplies: Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, assembled Bible Exploration Kits

1. Play “Into the Bible” (Track 1) from the Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD or (Quarter 7/Track 1) from the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD as kids arrive.

• “Into the Bible”

Makes me wanna jump!

Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!

Makes me wanna sing! Hallelujah!

It’s the greatest book.

Come and take a look.

Makes me wanna shout!

Shout! Shout! Shout! Shout!

So that everyone will see

I’m getting into the Bible

And the Bible...is getting into me!

We’re discovering a brand-new world

As we dig a little deeper (deeper),

Finding out about who God is.

Open it up and see it (see it)!

There’s nothin’ like

God’s Word, and I get

So excited.

It makes me wanna,

Makes me,

Makes me wanna jump!

Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!

Makes me wanna sing! Hallelujah!

It’s the greatest book.

Come and take a look.

Makes me wanna shout!

Shout! Shout! Shout! Shout!

So that everyone will see

I’m getting into the Bible

And the Bible...is getting into me!

“Into the Bible” by Jay Stocker. © 2006 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

2. As kids arrive, have them form Bible Crews of four. Give each crew a Bible Exploration Kit, and have crews use the paper, scissors, and tape to make the strongest chain they can make. Explain that the goal is to make a chain that no one can break.

3. After everyone has arrived and each crew has made a chain of at least three or four links, have each crew trade its chain with another crew.

SAY: Your goal was to create a chain that no one can break. Let’s see how unbreakable your chains are. When the countdown begins, work with your crew to try to break the chain you have. When the countdown ends, put everything down and focus on me.

Start the “3-D Countdown” (Quarter 7/Countdown Track 1) on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD, to signal crews to start. When the countdown ends, SAY: You are such strong chain-breakers!

4. ASK:

• Why was it easy or hard to break the chains?

• If these were real chains, what do you think it would take to break them?

SAY: Real chains are almost impossible to break without help. We’re going to learn about a man named Peter who was in some chains that were impossible for him to break, but he escaped. Let’s see how he did it and find out how God gives us hope through his amazing works. Have crews return the chains or chain pieces to their original crews, and ask them to keep their own chains for the next activity.

LET’S EXPLORE!

Supplies: chains from Welcome!, assembled Bible Exploration Kits, special treat

1. SAY: In a few minutes, you’re going to get a special treat. But first, you need to answer some questions.

ASK:

• When I told you I’d give you a treat, what was the first thing you thought of?

• Why did or didn’t my announcement of a treat give you hope?

SAY: I’m sure by now you’re really hoping that treat is coming soon—just a couple more questions. Work with your crew to write the answers to these questions on a section of your chain. Allow 30 seconds for crews to answer each question.

ASK:

• What does it mean to have hope in something?

• What are some things you hope for?

• What do you think God wants us to hope for?

SAY: God gives us hope through his amazing works. Remind kids that hope is the ability to trust that God will do good things in their lives even when bad things happen. Right now, you’re hoping for a special treat. The man we’re going to learn about today, Peter, was hoping for something special, too. Before we get to that, let’s enjoy the treat you were hoping for.

Distribute the treats you prepared ahead of time, and spend a few minutes enjoying them with the children. (Remember that some children have food allergies that can be dangerous. Know your children and consult with parents about allergies your kids may have. Also, read food labels carefully as hidden ingredients can cause allergy-related problems.)

2. With as much energy and suspense as possible, SAY: There’s been a jailbreak! A man named Peter, who was arrested for telling about Jesus, has escaped one of the most secure prison cells in the kingdom. King Herod Agrippa has hired you to be on a crew of investigators to solve the mystery of how he escaped. The answers to the questions we just talked about will help you in your investigation of this escape.

Have crews find the “Investigator’s Journal” handouts and Bibles in their Bible Exploration Kits. Assign a number from one to three to each crew, and have the crews do that section on the Investigator’s Journal. Allow five minutes.

SAY: Your Investigator’s Journal has three parts to it. Your crew needs to solve the section that matches the number I just gave you. When each crew has finished, you’ll have a chance to walk us through the scene you figured out by acting out what you believe happened in that part of the escape.

3. When crews have completed their sections of the Investigator’s Journal, gather everyone in a corner of your meeting area.

SAY: Use your imagination, and let’s pretend this is the jail Peter was in. Usually when investigators are trying to solve a crime, they go to the scene of the crime and walk through what they believe happened. Your crew is going to walk through the escape. When it’s your turn, you’ll act out your section the way you think it happened.

Give crews two or three minutes to practice their scenes, then have the crews assigned to section 1 act out their scenes. Repeat the process for sections 2 and 3. When all the crews have walked through the scenes, ASK:

• Why did Peter have hope even while he was going through a hard time?

• Tell about a time you needed to have hope in the midst of a hard time in your life.

• Tell about an amazing thing God has done in your life.

• How can remembering the amazing things God has done give you hope in the future?

4. SAY: God gives us hope through his amazing works. Peter found hope in the amazing things God did to help him out of jail, and we can find hope when we remember the amazing things God has done in our lives.

You did a great job cracking that case! Now, let’s do an experiment that’ll help us see how Peter got out of jail and how that gave him hope. Have crews find the “Knock, Knock” handout, the heavy books and the five sheets of paper in their Bible Exploration Kits. Have them complete the “Knock, Knock” handout.

When each crew has finished, ASK:

• What amazing things about God give you hope?

SAY: God gives us hope through his amazing works. God sent Jesus to die for us so we could have a relationship with him forever! That’s an amazing work and a wonderful reason to have hope.

Remind kids to take their papers home to share the story with two people this week.

LET’S PRAISE!

Supplies: Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, assembled Bible Exploration Kits

1. SAY: God gives us so many reasons to have hope, because God gives us hope through his amazing works! Let’s praise God for the amazing things he does to give us hope.

Have each crew take one sheet of construction paper out of its Bible Exploration Kit and cut one strip for each person in the crew. Then have kids write on their strips one thing God has done that gives them hope. For example, someone might write, “God gave me a friend when I was lonely.”

2. SAY: As we sing praise to God for giving us hope, hold your strip and remember the amazing thing God has done for you.

Set up the Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD or the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 2) DVD. PLAY:

• “I Will Never Fail You” (Hebrews 13:5) (CD Track 2) (DVD Quarter 7/Track 2)

God has given you everything

You will need,

And you don’t have to worry.

Be satisfied.

Don’t even try to get more,

For God has said,

I will never fail you

Or abandon you.

I will never fail you

Or abandon you.

(Repeat.)

I will never fail you

Or abandon you.

I will never fail you

Or abandon you.

“I Will Never Fail You” (Hebrews 13:5b) by Wallace and Rachel Fa’agutu and Jay Stocker. © 2006 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

• “Use Your Whole Body” (Romans 6:13) (CD Track 3) (DVD Quarter 7/Track 3)

So use your whole body as an instrument

To do what is right for the glory of God.

Everybody’s got one, now whatcha gonna do with it?

Are you gonna use it for good, for the glory of God?

Come on, everybody, let’s do this right;

Clap your hands, and keep it tight.

Come on, everybody, let’s move your feet;

Stomp ‘em real hard, stomp ‘em right on beat.

Come on, everybody, let’s do both things;

Do it for the glory of our great King.

So use your whole body as an instrument;

To do what is right for the glory of God.

Everybody’s got one, now whatcha gonna do with it?

Are you gonna use it for good, for the glory of God?

O-o-oh, o-o-o-o-oh (echo)

O-o-oh, o-o-o-o-oh (echo)

Yea-h-h-h-h (echo)

Ah, ah, ah, ai-oh (echo)

Come on, everybody, let’s do this right;

Clap your hands, and keep it tight.

Come on, everybody, let’s move your feet;

Stomp ‘em real hard, stomp ‘em right on beat.

Come on, everybody, let’s do both things;

Do it for the glory of our great King.

So use your whole body as an instrument

To do what is right for the glory of God.

Everybody’s got one, now whatcha gonna do with it?

Are you gonna use it for good, for the glory of God?

Are you gonna use it for good, for the glory of God?

“Use Your Whole Body” (Romans 6:13) by Jay Stocker. © 2011 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

• “The Spirit Gives Me Life” (Romans 8:10) (CD Track 4) (DVD Quarter 7/Track 4)

God is with me wherever I go.

Christ is in me, and I know that I know

’Cause he gave his life.

He lived and died.

(Chorus)

And now the Spirit gives me life, it gives me life, it gives me life

Because I have been made right, I’ve been made right with God.

The Spirit gives me life, it gives me life, it gives me life

Because I have been made right, I’ve been made right with God. Yeah!

The Spirit gives me life.

God is with me wherever I go.

Christ is in me, and I know that I know

’Cause he gave his life.

He lived and died.

(Repeat chorus.)

“The Spirit Gives Me Life” (Romans 8:10b) by Jay Stocker. © 2007 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

3. Have crews use the tape in their Bible Exploration Kits to make a chain with their strips. SAY: Peter was in chains in a prison cell, but God’s amazing works gave him hope and freed him from those chains. God gives us hope through his amazing works, too.

LET’S PRAY!

Supplies: Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD, CD player, assembled Bible Exploration Kits, chains from Let’s Praise!

1. SAY: We all go through times in our lives when we don’t feel like there’s much hope. We may be sad and lonely, just like Peter must’ve felt in prison. Or sometimes things happen that make us feel like our lives are pretty rotten. Take the other piece of construction paper out of your Bible Exploration Kit and cut it into strips, one for each person in your crew. When kids have their strips, have them write on their strips one time in their lives when they might need God’s hope. For example, someone might write, “When kids make fun of me at school.”

2. When kids finish writing, SAY: We all have times when we need God’s hope, and God gives us hope through his amazing works. As the music plays, you’ll take turns praying for hope in the situations you wrote about. As you pray, add that strip to your crew’s chain. I’ll know your crew has finished praying when you put your chain on the floor, and you’ll know our prayer time is over when the music stops.

Play the instrumental version of “Use Your Whole Body” (Romans 6:13) (Track 11) from the Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD as kids pray. When the music stops, SAY: God gives us hope through his amazing works. Watch for amazing things God does this week, and remember that God gives you hope.

HIGH FIVES

Supplies: chains from Let’s Pray!

As kids prepare to leave, have crews pick up their chains and, on the count of three, tear the chains so each child has a piece as they shout, “God gives us hope through his amazing works.” Then encourage kids to give each other high fives and take their chain links home with them.

FOR-EXTRA-TIME ACTIVITIES

Chains of Hopelessness

Supplies: none

Play a game of chain tag. Have one person start as “It.” When “It” tags someone, that person latches onto “It” to form a chain. As “It” tags more people and the chain grows, it will become more difficult to tag others. When everyone is part of the chain, stop the game.

Chains of Hope

Supplies: construction paper, scissors, tape

Give each person a piece of construction paper, and have kids cut out five strips. Have kids write on each strip one amazing thing God has done, such as create beautiful sunsets or give them friends who care. Then have kids create a chain with those strips and give the chain to someone who needs to remember that God gives us hope through his amazing works.

Hiding It in Your Heart

Supplies: Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD and CD player

Have kids read Psalm 107:15 in the Bible. Then ask each crew to come up with a motion or action to represent “wonderful things” God has done for them. Play “We Can Trust Him” (Psalm 33:4) (Track 6) from the Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD, and encourage kids to do their motions as they praise God for his love and the wonderful things he has done for them.

Create a Bible Dictionary

Supplies: paper, markers, dictionary, CD player, Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD

Ask kids to create one or more pages, each with a new word, for a Bible dictionary. Have kids suggest words from today’s lesson—hope and amazing are two suggestions. Have them write each word on a sheet of paper in fun letters, add a definition, list Scripture references, and make illustrations. Play “The Books of the Bible Song” (Track 8), from the Sticking With God: Knowing His Hope (Year 2/Quarter 7) CD while kids work. Add each page to a three-ring binder, and watch the dictionary grow!

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