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Sticking With God: Knowing His Love

Week 9: God Wants the Best for Us

This includes:

Leader Preparation

Lesson Guide

LEADER PREPARATION

BIBLE BASIS

Abram’s faith in God is an example to us all. Not only did he leave his homeland and all that was familiar when God called him, he also felt close enough to God to express his fears and frustrations. In this passage, he tells God what’s really bothering him—his lack of children. God assures him that all will be well and seals his promise with a covenant. Use this passage to encourage kids that God wants the best for their lives, and he has a plan to work out the best for their futures.

DISCOVERY POINT

God wants the best for us.

BIBLE FOCUS

Genesis 15:1-18

KEY VERSE

“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11).

TEACHING PREP

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

Supplies You’ll Need: Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 1) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, “Pick a Day, Any Day” handout, white paper, scissors, rolls of tape, Bibles, sand, small resealable bags, paper, card stock, pens, newsprint, and markers

Before This Lesson

• Print the “Pick a Day, Any Day” handout. You’ll need one copy per team of four kids.

• Pour sand into a small resealable bag for every four children.

• Assemble Bible Exploration Kits (one per four kids): one Bible; “Pick a Day, Any Day” handout; one bag of sand prepared above; pens; markers; roll of tape; and one pair of scissors, one sheet of card stock, and 10 sheets of white paper per child.

• Draw a line down a 4-foot length of newsprint. At the top of the left section of the newsprint, write “Abram” in large letters. At the top of the right side, write “Kids Today” in large letters. Post the newsprint where kids can see it.

• Review Genesis 15:1-18.

• Cue "Into the Bible" (Track 1) on Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD or (Quarter 3/Track 1) on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 1) 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 Love

Week 9: God Wants the Best for Us

LESSON GUIDE

WELCOME!

Supplies: Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 1) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, assembled Bible Exploration Kits

1. Play “Into the Bible” (Track 1) from the Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD or (Quarter 3/Track 1) from the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 1) 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 children arrive, ask them to form Bible Crews of four. Give each crew a Bible Exploration Kit. Explain that kids will have about five minutes to cut out as many paper stars as they can. Tell them that the stars should be about the size of the palms of their hands.

3. After about five minutes, start the “Sticky Note Countdown” (Quarter 3/Countdown Track 2) on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 1) DVD, turn up the volume, and lead children in counting along.

4. SAY: Thank you for coming today. You’re all stars in my book! Speaking of stars, it’s time to put your stars in the sky.

Have each group line up single file, with its pile of stars at the front of the line. Explain that at your signal, kids should take turns running across the room and taping the stars to the opposite wall, one star per person.

5. After the relay, SAY: Wow, look at all those stars!

ASK:

• How many stars do you think we all made together?

• How many stars do you think are in the real sky at night?

• Why do you or don’t you think it would be possible for anyone to count all the stars in the sky?

6. SAY: There are so many stars in the sky—I think it would be impossible to count them all. You know, that huge number of stars in the sky is important in today’s Bible story. Let’s dig into our Bibles to explore what it means that God wants the best for us.

LET’S EXPLORE!

Supplies: assembled Bible Exploration Kits, prepared newsprint, marker

1. Have crews remove the Bibles from their Bible Exploration Kits. SAY: In today’s Bible story, a man named Abram was worried about what would happen—or not happen—in the future. Let’s see if we can discover more. Have a child on each crew read aloud Genesis 15:1-3.

ASK:

• What worried Abram about the future? Write kids’ answers on the left side of your newsprint under “Abram.”

• What are some things kids your age worry about today? Have kids come up and write their answers under “Kids Today.”

SAY: Abram was worried because he had no children. When he died some day, there would be no one in his family to receive everything God had given him. Like Abram, there are things we worry about in our lives, too. But we’ll find out in our story that we really don’t need to worry, because God wants the best for us.

Abram was worried, but he didn’t need to be. God had a plan! Let’s discover what it was. Have crew members read aloud Genesis 15:4-6. See? The stars did come into the story! Let’s try something to get a better idea of what this passage means.

2. Have crews take a piece of paper and the sand out of their kits. Tell kids to slowly pour the sand onto the paper. Say that they’ll have three minutes to count the grains of sand. Time kids as they count.

SAY: You didn’t count all the grains of sand, did you? It can’t be done! Now think about how many grains of sand there are on a whole beach. Then think about how many beaches are in the United States. In North America. In the whole world!

Too many grains of sand to count—that’s for sure. But that’s how many descendants God told Abraham he’d have. And guess what! If you believe in Jesus, you’re one of those descendants.

ASK:

• Why couldn’t you count all of the grains of sand?

• How did God’s plan take away Abram’s worries?

• God had a plan for Abram’s future; why do you or don’t you think God has a plan for your future, too?

3. SAY: God could have just told Abram that he was going to take care of the future for him. But he did more than that. He made a covenant with him. A covenant is like a contract or a very special promise. God made a special promise to Abram, and God always keeps his promises!

God wanted the best for Abram, so he made a special promise to give him hope and a future. God wants the best for us, too. There’s a great verse in the Bible that talks about God’s plan for your future. Grab your Bibles and we’ll look it up!

Have kids read Jeremiah 29:11. Then have kids take the “Pick a Day, Any Day” handout out of their Bible Exploration Kits. Have kids use the card stock and markers in their kits to create a calendar page for this week only.

SAY: Take your calendars home to complete the activity. At the end of the day that you drew a star on, write what God already knew was going to happen that day. Then thank God for knowing what will happen every day of your life!

ASK:

• The Bible says that God has good plans for your future; what do you think some of those plans might be?

SAY: We don’t know what will happen in the future, but God does! I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel really good. I can trust God because God wants the best for us.

LET’S PRAISE!

Supplies: Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD or LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 1) DVD, CD player or TV/DVD player

1. SAY: Let’s praise God together because God wants the best for us and has good plans for our future.

2. Set up the Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD or the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 1) DVD. PLAY:

• “Go and Make Disciples” (CD Track 3) (DVD Quarter 3/Track 3)

The Bible says: “Therefore, go

And make disciples of all the nations” now.

The Bible says: “Therefore, go

And make disciples of all the nations” now.

Baptize them in the name of the Father,

The name of the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Baptize them in the name of the Father,

The name of the Son and the Holy Spirit.

(Repeat from the beginning.)

“Therefore, go

And make disciples of all the nations” now.

The Bible says: “Therefore, go

And make disciples of all the nations” now.

The Bible says: “Therefore, go

And make disciples of all the nations” now.

The Bible says: “Therefore, go

And make disciples of all the nations” now.

“Go and Make Disciples” (Matthew 28:19) by Ben Glover. © 2005, 2010 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

• “His Great Love” (Romans 5:8) (CD Track 5) (DVD Quarter 3/Track 5)

God loves us.

God sent his Son to die for us

Because of His great love.

God loves us.

God sent his son to die for us

Because of His great love.

(Chorus)

His great love,

God showed his great big love

By sending Christ to die for us

While we were still sinners.

His great love,

God showed his great big love

By sending Christ to die for us

While we were still sinners.

(Repeat)

His great love,

His great love,

His great love,

His great love,

His great love.

“His Great Love” (Romans 5:8) by Ben Glover. © 2005, 2011 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

• “The Lord is Merciful” (CD Track 7) (DVD Quarter 3/Track 7)

The Lord is merciful and compassionate,

Slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

The Lord is merciful and compassionate,

Slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

There is nothing that I could do

That you would not forgive.

Your grace is more than enough,

More than enough for me.

The Lord is merciful and compassionate,

Slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

There is nothing that I could do

That you would not forgive.

Your grace is more than enough,

More than enough for me.

The Lord is merciful and compassionate,

Slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love,

Slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

“The Lord Is Merciful” (Psalm 145:8) by Jay Stocker. © 2011 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

3. SAY: Thanks for praising God with me! I’m so glad that God wants the best for us.

LET’S PRAY!

Supplies: stars from Welcome!, markers, Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD, CD player

1. SAY: As part of this active prayer to God, quietly go up to one of the stars on the wall and write your name on it. As you do, thank God for wanting the best for you. Then sit down again. Play the instrumental version of “The Lord is Merciful” (Track 15) from the Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD as kids pray. Encourage kids to take turns if the wall is crowded.

2. When kids are sitting again, SAY: Now think of someone who needs to know more about God. Go to the wall again, and write that person’s name on another star. Ask God to help you tell that person about him.

3. When kids are sitting again, SAY: Finally, think of a word that tells God how you feel about the fact that he wants the best for you. Write that word on another star. When kids are sitting again, close the prayer by thanking God for wanting the best for us.

HIGH FIVES

Supplies: none

SAY: God wants the best for us today, tomorrow, and every day! When I give the signal, run to the wall and grab your three stars. Then give three people high fives and tell them the word you wrote to describe how you feel that God wants the best for us.

FOR-EXTRA-TIME ACTIVITIES

Stick With God!

Supplies: self-adhesive paper, scissors, fine-tipped markers

Let kids make stickers that remind them of what they’ve learned today. They might cut out a star or draw a calendar page. Tell kids to leave the backing on the stickers until they get home.

Star Snacks

Supplies: star-shaped cookies (or round sugar cookies), icing, plastic knives, colored sprinkles, small paper plates

Set out your supplies, and let kids decorate cookies to look like stars. As kids work, let them tell the Bible story in their own words. Before kids enjoy the snacks, pray to thank God for wanting the best for every person in your group.

Create a Bible Dictionary

Supplies: paper, markers, dictionary, CD player, Sticking With God: Knowing His Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) 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—plans and future 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 Love (Year 1/Quarter 3) CD while kids work. Add each page to a three-ring binder, and watch the dictionary grow!

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