THE LAMB AND THE RESCUE PLAN - BibleLessons4Kidz



The Lamb and the Rescue Plan

Table of Contents:

Introduction page 2-3

Day One page 4-7

Day Two page 8-14

Day Three page 15-20

Day Four page 21-26

Day Five page 27-31

Final Review page 32

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The Lamb and the Rescue Plan

Introduction

This material is based on the excellent book The Lamb written by John Cross with full permission ().

As a Bible teacher, it will be important that you bathe your study in prayer as you prepare each lesson to share it with the children. The Lord will teach your heart the simplicity of each day’s gospel message. Allow Him to fill you with His truth so that His message will shine and in doing so, you will experience confidence that each lesson you teach will be understood and will change lives.

In order to be prepared for the layout of this curriculum, you are encouraged to read the following resources: AND BEGINNING WITH MOSES: a booklet which gives a brief background and rationale for the curriculum and THE STRANGER ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS: the adult version of this curriculum which studies the Bible in depth.

THE LAMB is available in several versions. First the CD, which is available in two layouts, the first which divides the lessons into 10 sessions, each lasting approximately 4-6 minutes for a total of 55 minutes. Each session includes a review of the previous material. The breaks allow time for questions which help give you an idea how well the material is being understood. These questions are provided in the curriculum. When the material is understood, you can feel confident to move onto the next section. The second layout tells the entire story in 45 minutes. This would make a wonderful gift for the children who attend BYBC, a sweet end to a memorable week.

THE LAMB comes as a fully illustrated written book. The paintings in the book help children better understand the biblical stories. It comes with an accompanying audio CD that follows the text word for word and also includes songs that tie in with the story.

THE LAMB also includes a booklet containing the complete text with questions at the end of each lesson.

GENERAL TEACHING INFORMATION:

Although THE LAMB is written out word for word, the included lesson plans give you a general outline for you to go by, allowing you to teach in your own words. These plans are only meant to be a guideline. Object lessons and props have been added to the lesson plans.

The program is divided into five days. You will teach two chapters each day. The lessons/chapters are brief. Your daily teaching time will be about 25-30 minutes, followed by a review. This review time can be in the form of a game, and should not be counted in your 25-30 minutes of teaching time.

TEACHING SCHEDULE

Monday Creation/What God is Like CD #1 and 3

Tuesday Effects of Sin/Fall of Man CD #3, 4, and 5

Wednesday Trusting God, the Rescuer CD # 7, 8, and 10

Thursday The Promised Savior CD #11, 13, and 15

Friday Living Like Our Perfect Lamb Not on the CD

PROPS

Visual aids have been prepared for each Bible teacher. These aids will make your lesson come to life and will encourage your listeners to pay attention. Please use your props! They are your friend! You will notice on some of the lessons, you will need to bring some props from home. Be sure to plan ahead so that you have what you need to successfully communicate God’s TRUTH to our kids each day.

REVIEW

Review questions have been included in THE LAMB. We have typed them up and included them in the Teacher’s Guide. Reviewing each lesson will give you an idea of how well the children listened as well as what they have understood. Be sure to review each lesson. Creating review games will ensure attentive listeners and make learning fun!

DAY 1: MONDAY

THE LAMB, CD # 1 and 3

GOD’S MESSAGE: CREATION / WHAT GOD IS LIKE (Genesis 1 and 2)

Extra props to bring from home: Superman costume/t-shirt (if you have one), a craft that you have made, stuffed animals (to enhance the days of creation props), construction paper

Props provided by Grace: yellow envelope, attributes of God signs, creation signs, creation props, play-doh

A LETTER TO YOU:

Each day you will pull out the large yellow envelope (“To the kids of (neighborhood’s name) and “from God” are on the front). Inside, place a children’s Bible for you to remove and teach with. You will use this prop each day to remind the children that the Bible is a special letter written for them and comes directly from God! And like a letter that comes to them in the mailbox, they should take this letter and read it all the time. Even though it was written long ago, it is still true. It will ALWAYS be true.

GOD IS ETERNAL

In the very beginning of the Bible, it tells us that God was here before anything else. Before the plants, animals, and humans. He was never born, and He will never die. We have a birthday, but God does not. He has always been here.

GOD IS ALL POWERFUL & HE IS EVERYWHERE AT ONE TIME!

God can do anything! God can be with you and with me at the same time. God knows everything. He even knows what you are thinking! He even knows how many hairs are on your head and how many grains of sand are on the beach.

Support Activity: Show the children a Superman costume. Ask, “What is this? What happens to the person who wears this costume? Does it make him more powerful?” God’s power is much greater than anything we can even imagine.

GOD CREATED / MADE EVERYTHING

God created everything we can see (trees, grass, dirt, sky …) and even the things we cannot see (air, wind, heat …)

God created angels. We cannot see them just like we cannot see God. They are both called spirits. They do not have skin and bones like we do. God gave the angels a special job- to be His messengers.

GOD SPOKE HIS CREATION INTO BEING

When God created the world, He did it in a very special way. When God made the world, He didn’t use any tools. He made the world out of nothing. He didn’t use play-doh, hammer, nails, or construction paper. He just SPOKE it! He said, “Let there be light” and there was light.

Prop: Show the kids a craft that you have made. Explain how it was made and what materials were used to make it. Remind them that God made the world and that He didn’t use ANY tools! God spoke– and there it was!

Support Activity: Have construction paper available and invite a volunteer to come up. Talk about creating something. Challenge your volunteer to create a something on the page the way God can, by speaking and making it happen. Let him/her speak and what happens? Nothing! No one but God can do this. Then give him/her crayons and paper to make a drawing. Give some direction such as “draw a picture of a house, or draw a picture of a heart”. Tell the kids how powerful God is that He could create simply by speaking. Then you could use the drawing to talk about ownership. Ask, “Whose picture is this?” (The answer is the name of the child who made it). He/she owns the picture because he/she made it.

Support Activity: Use the provided play-doh and invite a volunteer to come up. Talk about creating something. Let your volunteer make something out of the play-doh. Then challenge your volunteer to create the same object the way God can, by speaking and making it happen. Let him/her speak and what happens? Nothing! No one but God can do this. Then you could use the creation to talk about ownership. Ask, “Whose creation is this? (The answer is the name of the child who made it). He/she owns this object because he/she made it.

GOD OWNS US BECAUSE HE HAS MADE US. HE IS LORD.

Because God made everything, He owns everything. This is why we call Him LORD and KING.

Now we are going to take a look at all the wonderful things God made…

GOD SPOKE

*READ GENESIS 1:1- Have an older child continue to read the days of creation from Genesis. Pause after each day to demonstrate what God did.

Day 1 Gen. 1:3-5 Darkness (choose a child wearing a dark t-shirt)

Light (choose a child to hold up a flashlight)

Day 2 Gen. 1:6-10 Separation of the Water

1 water bottle held up high = waters above

1 water bottle held down low = waters below

Day 3 Gen. 1:11-13 Land, Plants, Fruits, and Vegetation

Flower lei and inflatable tree

Day 4 Gen. 1:14-19 Sun, Moon, and Stars

inflatable sun, cardboard moon and stars

Day 5 Gen. 1:20-23 Fish and Birds

inflatable fish and cardboard bird

Day 6 Gen. 1:24-27 Land Animals and HUMANS

Inflatable monkey

Boy to represent Adam

Girl to represent Eve

*God created Adam and Eve. God created man in His own image (and not in the image of a monkey)! God used His hands and breath to create Adam and Eve- He didn’t speak them into creation.

GOD IS LOVING (Good and Very Kind)

God made things beautiful to look at. Who can tell me something beautiful that God made? God also made things that taste good. Who would like to tell us something that tastes good to them? God cares for us, so He made things look, smell, and taste good.

GOD IS ORDERLY & GOD MADE RULES

God made rules because He loves us, and He knows what is best for us.

He is orderly. He wanted everything to fit together, so the world would work in the right way. He made the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening. It does this every day without changing. God gave people rules too to protect us. Sometimes we don’t like rules, but what would it be like without them? What if there were no stop signs and traffic lights? Our world would be chaotic. If things are done in the right way, we are happy and safe.

GOD IS PERFECT

God created a perfect world because that is just the way He is. God is perfect. He can only be with perfect people and perfect things.

Day One Questions and Answers

1. The Bible is a very important letter sent to us. Who is it from? God

2. The Bible says God was never born. Will He ever die? No

3. What word do we use to describe that God was never born and will never die? Eternal

4. Was there anyone else living with God in the beginning? No

5. Who created the angels? God

6. What does the word create mean? To make something

7. You cannot see God. You cannot see angels. They do not have bodies of muscle and bone. What are they called? Spirits

8. What special job were the angels given? To be God’s messengers

9. We need a hammer and nails to make something, but when God made the world, how did He do it? He just spoke.

10. God made everything simply by speaking. What does this tell us about God? He is very, very powerful.

11. God made the world in how many days? Six

12. Who made Adam and Eve? God

13. In whose image were Adam and Eve created in? God’s

14. If God can be with you, your family, and your friends all at the same time, what does that mean? God is everywhere at the same time and very powerful.

15. When you look around the world and see all that was made, you can see that God is very powerful. How much does God know? Everything

16. To whom does the world belong? God

17. Why does the world belong to God? He made it.

18. God could have made the world very ugly, but He made it beautiful. Why did God make such a beautiful world? He loves us.

19. God made rules so that the world would work in the right way. What sort of place would the world be without any rules? Unhappy, confused, upset, unsafe

20. What do we call something that has nothing wrong with it and is good in every way? Perfect

21. Why was God only able to create a perfect world? He is perfect.

DAY 2: TUESDAY

The Lamb, CD #3, 4, and 5

GOD’S MESSAGE: EFFECTS OF SIN/THE FALL OF MAN (Genesis 3:1-5)

Extra props to bring from home: A can of Coke/or cup of milk, vinegar, a tree (fichus, palm, real or fake), a $1 bill, weeds/thorns, a live plant

Props provided by Grace: newspaper, dark fabric, garden basket, black snake, scissors

REVIEW

• Days of Creation and how it was done

• God’s power

• God owns everything

• God made rules because He loves us and knows what is best for us.

• God is perfect

HEAVEN

God is perfect and lives in a perfect place called Heaven.

He can only be surrounded with perfect people and things.

The Bible tells us that Heaven is a perfect place, where perfect people and perfect angels live with a perfect God. It is very beautiful. Like a huge park with lots of trees and a river. There is a city right in the middle where nothing is broken. It is so beautiful that it has streets of gold and gates of pearl. There is no sickness, sadness or death. Heaven is full of beautiful music. There is no darkness or night, so there is no sleeping. Heaven is a perfect place where perfect angels and perfect people live with a perfect God.

When God created the world, it was just like Heaven. There was no sin and nothing died. The world was just like how God wanted them to be. The people He created were also perfect.

LUCIFER REBELS

God’s most important angel, Lucifer, became unhappy.

Lucifer did not want to be an angel anymore.

He didn’t like the job God gave him. He thought that he deserved something better. He didn’t want to be an angel. He wanted to be God.

He convinced others to join. They hated God and wanted to ruin everything. Heaven was not a happy place anymore.

SIN

Sin is a choice not to live God’s perfect way. Sin is disobedience to God. Sin can be doing bad things or saying wrong things. Even bad thoughts are sin. Sin is a way of telling God that you know better than Him.

SIN ALWAYS SPOILS THINGS (newspaper prop)

Just a little bit of sin ruins everything!

Support Activity: Hold up a cup of milk. Take a sip. Now, open the vinegar and allow several children to smell it. Pour a small amount of the vinegar into the milk and ask, “Who here would like to drink this milk with the vinegar in it? Why wouldn’t you?” Remember- just a little bit of sin ruins everything. Say, “You don’t want to drink this milk because it is ruined. The milk was fine until I added the vinegar. Just a little bit of the vinegar has ruined the WHOLE glass of milk.”

Support Activity: Hold up a can of Coke. Take a few sips and tell the kids how much you LOVE Coke. Ask them if any of them like Coke. Now, SPIT into the Coke. Say, “NOW, who would like a sip of my Coke? No one wants this Coke now because it is ruined. Just a LITTLE bit of spit has made this Coke yucky.”

SIN=SADNESS AND DEATH (newspaper prop)

Isaiah 59:2 tells us that sin separates us from God. But, worst of all, sin brings death. Romans 6:23 tells us, “the wages of sin are death but the gift of God is eternal life”.

Support Activity: Hold up the $1 dollar bill. Ask a child to do something for (like bring you a prop). Tell the group that because this child did this for you, you are going to give him a “wage”. A wage is something you earn.

Say, “The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. What we “earn” by sinning is death.”

Prop: Dark Fabric Activity

The Bible describes sin for us in many different ways. This cloth reminds me of SIN.

*Put dark cloth over your eyes. Sin leaves us in darkness. The Bible says men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Sin blinds us. *Put the dark cloth over your ears. Sin Stops up our ears. *Put the dark cloth over your mouth. Sin keeps us from speaking words of life. *Put the dark cloth around your neck. Sin chokes us. *Put the dark cloth around your hands. Sin binds us. It entangles us. Sin makes slaves of us. *Put the dark cloth around your ankles. Sin trips us up.

GOD IS FAIR All bad things deserve to be punished. It is not fair when someone does something bad and they are not punished. When we do something bad, we should expect to get punished. God is always fair. He punishes just the right amount.

BAD NEWS: ALL SIN MUST BE PUNISHED (newspaper prop)

BAD ANGELS Because God is perfect, these bad angels could not stay with God. God threw them out of Heaven. They cannot come back. Lucifer’s name was changed to Satan, which means enemy. Satan was now an enemy of God.

A TERRIBLE HOME CREATED FOR LUCIFER AND HIS ANGELS Because Satan and the bad angels were being terrible and bad, the new home was terrible and bad. Their home was full of heart and unhappiness. God created a place for Satan and his followers called the Lake of Fire. The people who live there do so forever and ever. (Rev. 20:10 and Matt 25:41)

GOOD ANGELS The good angels still leave and serve God in Heaven. They are still His messengers. They continue to live there today with God.

BACK TO ADAM AND EVE Adam was perfect. Eve was perfect. God had placed them in the Garden of Eden and it was perfect. (Use basket) Full of beautiful animals and plants Enjoyed walking with God God gave them ONE rule because He knew what was best!

Support Activity: Show a tree that has some fruit hanging on it. In Genesis 2:16-17, God said, “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’”

Why didn’t God want Adam and Eve to know about evil? God loved them

It’s kind of like when your parents won’t allow you to watch really bad stuff on TV. They don’t want you to know things that will hurt you or harm you. They are not being “mean”, they are protecting you.

If Adam and Eve obeyed God, it showed that they trusted Him and believed in what He said. There were lots of other trees to eat from, so they just had to trust God. That’s how it was in the beginning- perfect people living in a perfect world trusting a perfect God.

Then Satan, disguised as a serpent, visited Adam and Eve in the garden. He told Adam and Eve that God was hiding something good from them. He told Eve a lie to get her to eat the fruit and disobey God’s one rule. He did not want Eve to be on God’s side. In Genesis 3:1-5, the serpent says to Eve, “You will NOT die; you will be like God” (Use snake to represent Satan).

God or Satan? Who should they trust?

If they believe Satan, they will eat the fruit. If they trust God, they won’t! If Adam and Eve obeyed God, they showed God that they trust Him.

A WRONG CHOICE/DISOBEDIENCE

Adam and Eve decided that living in a perfect garden wasn’t good anymore. They decided that they wanted to be like God. Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie. Adam and Eve had sinned. They had disobeyed God’s ONE rule! They took sides with Satan against God. When people don’t do what God asks them to do, it always brings sadness.

NO LONGER PERFECT

When Adam and Eve decided to trust Satan, everything changed! The Bible says that Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened. Now, they know what evil really was.

The perfect garden changed

Weeds and thorns sprung up (show weeds)

Animals began to kill each other

Sickness, selfishness and sadness were experienced

Adam and Eve thought they were making the best choice, but they weren’t. Their choice ruined everything. It ruined their special friendship with God. Sin always spoils things!

Support Activity: Show the children the live plant you brought from home. Cut off part of that plant using a pair of scissors. Ask, “Is this part of the plant living or dead? Say, “Apart from God, man is in the process of dying.”

God told Adam and Eve that the punishment for not following his ONE rule was death. There were two kinds of deaths- PHYSICAL DEATH and A SECOND DEATH.

PHYSICAL DEATH

Because Adam and Eve sinned, their bodies would one day stop working, they would one day die. People die because sin is in this world. Death is being separated from a friend. When you are separated from a friend, you are lonely and sad. When someone dies, the real them no longer lives on Earth and will never return.

A SECOND DEATH

Adam and Eve were separated from their friend, God, forever because of their sin. The friendship was over. They were all alone. Because He is perfect and Adam and Eve sinned, they cannot be together. They had joined Satan’s side, so they would have to go live in his terrible home, the Lake of Fire (this was created for Lucifer and his fallen angels, but people who do not trust God will also be separated from God here.) It is not God’s plan that ANYONE go here; it is man’s choice. Adam and Eve were separated from the best friend. This was such sad news it was like a second death.

GOOD NEWS! GOD’S RESCUE PLAN!

God had a plan to make them perfect again so that they could be with God in a perfect place with Him forever. God made a way! God loved them so much that He wanted them to live with Him. They had to come His way. Only perfect people can live with a perfect God. They had to choose. Would they come to God His way?

Day Two Questions and Answers

1. God lives in a perfect home. What is it called? Heaven

2. Name three things the Bible tells us about Heaven? It is very beautiful, there is no sickness, sadness or death, Heaven is a perfect place, where perfect people and perfect angels live with a perfect God.

3. What was the name of God’s most important angel? Lucifer

4. Did God give Lucifer a special job? Yes

5. Was Lucifer happy with the job God gave him? No

6. What did Lucifer want? He wanted to be God.

7. The Bible uses a special word to describe Lucifer’s choice to disobey God. What is that word? Sin

8. Why did Lucifer want to be God? He thought he was smarter than God, that he knew better than God.

9. What are bad thoughts and doing wrong things called? Sin

10. Why isn’t it right for someone to get away with doing bad things? It’s not fair. All wrong should be punished.

11. Is God fair all the time or just some of the time? All the time

12. Because God is perfect, He could not have the bad angels living in His perfect home. What did He do with them? He threw them out of Heaven.

13. God changed Lucifer’s name to Satan. What does the name Satan mean? Enemy

14. What is the name of the home that God made for Satan and the bad angels? The Lake of Fire

15. Many angels still obeyed God. Where do these good angels live? Heaven

16. Because God loved and cared for Adam and Eve, what special place did He make for them to live in? A garden

17. How many rules did God give Adam and Eve? One

20. What rule did God give Adam and Eve? He told them not to eat the fruit from one tree.

21. What did God say would happen to Adam and Eve if they disobeyed this one rule? They would die.

22. Who did Satan say Adam and Eve would be like if they ate the fruit from that one tree? They would be like God.

23. Was Satan telling Adam and Eve the truth or a lie? A lie

24. Did Adam and Eve obey God’s one rule? No

25. What came into the world because of sin? Death

DAY 3: WEDNESDAY

The Lamb, CD #7, 8, 10

GOD’S MESSAGE: TRUSTING GOD, THE RESCUER

Extra props to bring from home: A clear drinking glass, motor oil, paper, stone

Props provided by Grace: big silver coin, stuffed lamb, plastic knife, red cloth, 10 Commandments poster, Play-Doh, 10 Commandments Rope, scissors, masking tape

REVIEW

• God made the world

• God is perfect

• Satan’s lie

• Sin bring death

• Separated from God

GOD HAD A PLAN

Adam and Eve weren’t perfect anymore, they had sinned.

God must punish sin; He couldn’t pretend that it never happened.

God wanted to rescue them.

God wasn’t stuck, He had a plan!

God was going to send a SAVIOR

God didn’t tell them HOW. He just told them to trust Him.

Would they TRUST GOD?

JUST TRUST ME

Do you know what TRUST means?

In a country called Indonesia, they don’t have words for believe or trust. The closest phrase they could come up with was “leaning with your whole weight”. (Ask a volunteer to come up and ask him if he would trust you to fall back and let you catch him at the count of three. Make sure you don’t let him fall!)

When you trust, you may say it with your mouth. However you also prove your trust with your actions. It’s easy to say that you trust me to catch you. However, your actions are what prove that you really trust me.

A STORY: A Boy, A Tree, and A Snake

One day, a father and his son were taking a hike deep into the woods. They discovered the perfect climbing tree. The little boy began to climb the tree while his dad prepared their picnic lunch. The little boy called to his dad. When his dad looked up to answer his son, he saw a large, poisonous snake just limbs above where his son was playing. The snake was slithering down the tree towards the boy. The father immediately told his son to COME DOWN. Now remember, the boy had no idea that there was a snake in the tree; he was just having FUN!

Should he come down?

Should he whine and complain and say “Why Dad?”

Should he OBEY his father even though he was having fun?

Who knew what was best here? (The father)

Did the little boy know what was best for him? (No)

How can the little boy show that he trusts his dad? (If he obeys, he shows that he trusts his dad.)

Now think about Adam and Eve- Who knew what was BEST for Adam and Eve? (God) Who knows what is best of us? (God) God wanted Adam and Eve to TRUST Him. He didn’t tell the people everything, but He had made a promise. He promised that if people trusted Him, He would send a savior.

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION

God couldn’t make Adam and Eve perfect and let them go to Heaven without doing something about their sin. He couldn’t let sin go unpunished. God couldn’t pretend that it they had never sinned. All wrong must be punished. How could God punish sin without punishing people?

VISUAL DEMONSTRATIONS:

Hand Motions:

God is Loving

God is Just

On the one hand, we are separated from God because of our sin

On the other hand He loves us and wants us to be with Him.

Support Activity: Oil and Water

This demonstration will need a glass of water and a bottle of car oil. Label the water “HOLINESS”. Label the oil “SIN”. Hold up the glass of water as you begin. Say, “I have a fresh glass of water here. It reminds me of the purity and holiness of God. Now watch what happens if I mix some oil into the water. The oil represents our sin. No matter how much we try and mix them together, you will see them separate. Sin and holiness do not mix and will remain separate. The Bible tells us that God is Holy; in fact, His eyes are too pure to look upon sin. It also tells us to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect.”

Support Activity: Coin Illustration

Hold up a coin. This coin reminds me of God. It is shaped like a circle, and a circle has no beginning and no end. God is from everlasting to everlasting, no beginning, no end. It is one coin, yet it has two sides, each side is different. That’s just like God. He has two sides to His nature. One the one hand He loves us and doesn’t want to punish us, and on the other hand He is just and must punish sin. This coin also isn’t worth very much. It reminds me of the good works I do. No matter how much I try, I can’t pay the debt I owe because of sin. The price of sin is death and must be paid by a perfect sacrifice. God loved me so much He sent His Son Jesus to pay for my sin so that I could be with Him in heaven one day. How do I receive the gift of eternal life God offers? Well, the answer is on the coin. IN GOD WE TRUST. We trust fully on the sacrifice God has provided for us and invite Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior.

A PERFECT LAMB/PUNISHMENT FOR SIN

People did not understand how bad sin was. He asked them to do something that would help them understand. It would make them see that sin had to be punished. He told them to find an animal. It had to be a lamb (perfect, without spots, no sickness, a male). The man bringing it had to put his hand on the head of the lamb and bring it to the altar. Then God would look at it as if all the man’s sin was being placed on the lamb.

A SUBSTITUTE

A substitute is something that takes the place of the real thing, but can still do the same job. Think about if your teacher from school is sick; you have a substitute teacher come in for the day. She isn’t your REAL teacher, but she still teaches you and fills the void that your teacher left.

It’s the same with God’s plan. He didn’t want us to have to die, so He had to find a substitute. That substitute was the lamb. It would take our sin and die for us, so we didn’t have to.

Props: Stuffed lamb, plastic knife, red cloth (to represent blood). Sin had to be paid for. What was the punishment for sin? Death. Something sad had to happen. Since the lamb now had man’s sin, it had to die. The lamb was punished instead of man.

Teacher’s Study on the “Blood”

Hebrews 9:22 “And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

1 John 1:7 “…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

We can know life because God sent His only Son Jesus to pay the price of our sins with His precious blood. Jesus’ blood washes us “white as snow”, and now when God looks down from heaven He no longer sees our sin but Christ’s righteousness which was given to us when we believed in Him. As a review, our sins are washed white as snow and it is by the blood of Jesus who takes away our sin so that we can have a relationship with God.

TOO SIMPLE

Some people didn’t believe God’s plan. They thought God’s plan couldn’t be right. They didn’t believe that trusting God could really take away sin.

They came up with their own way (being nice, doing good things, etc). They made up their own rules. They thought if they did more good things than bad things then they would be good enough to live in Heaven.

SOME RULES

God explained just how perfect they would have to be to show how they could never measure up to God’s perfect standard. If they stole something, no matter how little, then they couldn’t live in Heaven. If they lost their temper, that was sin.

Read to the kids the Ten Commandments to show them that no one could possibly keep all 10 rules. These rules were written on stone tablets. Then no one could add their own rules or rub one out. The stone tablets were given to Moses. God wanted everyone to understand that they could never obey God’s rules perfectly. They were sinners. They needed a savior.

Support Activity: Hold up a piece of play dough. If the rules had been written on play dough, they could have been changed. Hold up a piece of paper. If the rules had been written on paper, they could have been re-written. Hold up a stone. The words written on the rock could NOT be changed by man’s hands or efforts.

Support Activity: String with 10 knots and a pair of scissors

Teacher can read and explain the following verse, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” James 2:10. The ten knots visualize the 10 rules. If you break just one, you have broken them all. Then demonstrate what happens when you use the scissors and cut one of the knots. The rope falls into two pieces.

GOD IS PERFECT

Support Activity: Masking tape- write the word “Perfection” on a strip. Place the masking tape strip at one end of an area designated as your “jumping activity” area to be your goal. You will want to make the goal IMPOSSIBLE to reach. Give each child a chance to try to jump and reach the goal. Ask, “Do you think if you had had a running start, you would have been able to reach the goal? If you had had more practice, or were taller, would that have made a difference? No! The goal was impossible to reach.”

What standard, or ideal, does God hold us to? In His Word, He tells us, “Be perfect, therefore, as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). No matter how good we try to be, we can’t measure up to God’s standard of perfection.

THEY NEEDED A LAMB

Everyone needed to understand that no matter how hard they tried, they could never be good enough to live with God.

They were sinners. They couldn’t save themselves.

Day Three Questions and Answers

1. Did God tell Adam and Eve His entire plan? No

2. God promised that He would send a special man to save them from the Second Death. What would this man be called? A Savior

3. Should Adam and Eve believe what God promised? Yes

4. Did Adam and Eve have to promise that they would never do one bad thing again before God told them He would save them? No

5. Did God mean it when He told people, “Trust me, and I will make you perfect when you die?” Yes

6. Why do people need to be made perfect to live in Heaven? Only perfect people can live with a perfect God

7. Why didn’t God want to punish Adam and Eve? He loved them

8. Could God pretend Adam and Eve never sinned? No

9. God showed people how He would punish sin without punishing them. What sort of animal were they told to bring? A lamb

10. Did the lamb have to be a boy or a girl lamb? A boy lamb

11. Could the lamb have a broken leg or have wool falling out? No

What sort of lamb did it have to be? Perfect

12. To what special place of death were they to bring the lamb? Altar

13. Where on the lamb was the man to place his hand? On the head

14. What happened to the man’s sin when he put his hand on the head of the lamb? The man’s sin was moved on to the lamb.

15. What had to happen to the lamb because it carried the man’s sin? It had to die.

16. The lamb didn’t do anything wrong. Did it deserve to be punished? No

17. The Bible says that death is the punishment for sin. In whose place did the lamb die? The man’s place

18. Why was the lamb punished if it hadn’t done anything wrong? It carried the man’s sin.

19. How many things could a person steal and still be perfect? None

20. What does the Bible call it if people love money more than God? Sin

21. Is it okay to tell a lie, as long as it is a little lie? No

22. Does telling just one lie make a person a sinner? Yes

24. What does the Bible say children are doing when they talk back to their mother or father? They are sinning

25. Other people don’t know what we are thinking inside our heads, but how much does God know? Everything

26. If we try to be very good and not do or think bad things, will we be perfect enough to live in Heaven? No

DAY 4: THURSDAY

The Lamb, CD 11, 13, and 15

GOD’S MESSAGE: THE PROMISED SAVIOR

Extra props to bring from home: Nativity Set, sheet

Props provided by Grace: lamb, newspaper, nails, crown of thorns, king’s crown

REVIEW

• God couldn’t ignore sin. He had to punish sin

• Did he want to punish the people?

• He told the people he would provide a substitute.

• What is a substitute?

• What kind of animal was used for the substitute?

A perfect, male lamb!

• What did they do to the lamb? Hands on the head of the lamb to demonstrate the transfer of sin.

• Who had the sin now? The lamb now carried all of man’s sin.

• What had to happen to the lamb? It had to die

IN MAN’S PLACE

How must all sin be punished? (Show newspaper from Tuesday)

The lamb was punished instead of the man.

A LOVING SAVIOR

For years, people looked FORWARD to the day the Savior would arrive.

Support Activity: Getting Across the Big Cavern

Play a pretend game of traversing a big cavern, one so deep that you can’t see the bottom. And there are piranhas at the bottom! (Use a sheet to represent the cavern). The object of the game is to jump to the other side without falling into the cavern. The other side represents “heaven”. Since the cavern is too wide to jump across by themselves, each child will need a “savior” to help get across. Only ONE person can bridge this gap. Invite the BYBC host father to carry each child on his back to the other side, serving as the “savior”. Invite each child to ASK to be carried to the other side. When they get there, congratulate them on their arrival into “Heaven”. Ask them if they got over there by their own strength. Remind them that it is impossible to get to Heaven without a Savior. No amount of strength can enable them to get there alone. God is so good to save us!

GOD HIMSELF IN THE FLESH

Finally, the day arrived.

The Savior came to earth in the form of a baby- just like us! The Savior was God Himself. He came to Earth.

Prop: Use the Nativity Set to explain the birth of Jesus in Luke 2. Talk about Mary, Joseph, the stable, and shepherds.

JESUS

“Jesus” means God is the One who saves. He came from Heaven. He was 100% God and 100% man. He never stopped being God. The most important thing about Jesus that made Him different from everyone else is He never sinned. He lived a life just like us- playing games with His friends, spending time with His family, learning, and growing older, but He NEVER sinned.

He lived an ordinary life in an unordinary way. He lived with an ordinary family. He was PERFECT! He never sinned; not even one time!

AMAZING GRACE

Jesus did many wonderful things while on Earth. These things do not normally happen. They were called miracles. Jesus performed these miracles to show people how powerful He really was and to show the world that He really was the Savior sent from God.

Share the following miracles and remind the children that they all come from the Bible:

Blind to see (Bartimaeus) Mark 10:46-52

Lame to walk Mark 2:1-12

Dead to life Mark 5:21-43

DON’T BE AFRAID

Read the kids the story of Peter walking on water- Matthew 14:22-32

The disciples saw something walking on the water. Jesus called out to them. Peter said, “If it is you, tell me to come to you.” He told Peter to walk on the water. Peter became scared. Peter began to sink because he takes his eyes, focus, and trust off of Jesus and begins to look at the huge waves.

What should Peter focus on? The sea or the Savior? Should he struggle to save himself?

He cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus reached out His hand to save Peter. Just as Peter could not save himself, we cannot save ourselves! We need a Savior.

GOD’S PLAN

Because Jesus lived a perfect life, He had no sin to punish. People only die because of their sin. Jesus did not have to die; He had no sin. He did not deserve that punishment. Jesus told people that He would die.

Jesus’ friends did not believe this could be true.

Explain the crucifixion and resurrection

Props: Nails and Crown of Thorns

THE LAMB OF GOD

It was all about the promise --- it was all about THE LAMB.

Compare Jesus and the Old Testament lamb

Were they both male?

Were they both perfect?

Were they both lambs?

Jesus was called THE LAMB OF GOD who came to take away the sins of the world in John 15:5

ONE LAMB

Were they both brought to the altar? Jesus was taken to a cross, which was recognized as a place of death. Just like the altar. When Jesus was nailed on the cross, all of our sin was taken off us and placed on Him. He took EVERYONE’S sin. He knew it all and felt it all. Jesus was the lamb – our Lamb.

THE FINAL LAMB/OUR SAVIOR

Jesus had to die now because all our sins were placed on Him. Jesus willingly chose to die. He chose to take our place.

Now…We don’t have to face the Second Death.

No more lambs are needed! Jesus was the FINAL Lamb!

DEAD

Jesus’ friends put Him in a tomb and rolled a big stone in front of the tomb.

Explain the resurrection, the tomb, and the stone.

The men who killed Jesus put soldiers in front of the tomb.

ALIVE!

The amazing part of the story is that it doesn’t stop there…

The soldiers could not stop God.

The stone could not stop God.

Nothing can ever stop God’s plan. He rose from the dead!

Jesus spent 40 days with His friends here on Earth, telling them more about God’s plan for us.

A PROMISE

That was God’s rescue plan. With His amazing power, He conquered death. Now we have no more fear. We don’t need to be afraid of the Second Death. We still are going to sin, but Jesus has already paid the penalty for that sin. Jesus was strong enough to bring us back to life. He isn’t going to bring us back to life on Earth, which is spoiled by sin. Instead we have a promise of a wonderful eternal home: HEAVEN!

JUST THAT SIMPLE

If you believe that Jesus died in your place, you can go to live with Jesus in Heaven. All you need to do is BELIEVE that Jesus is YOUR Lamb – that He has been punished for your sin. When you TRUST JESUS, He makes you perfect so that you can live with Him in Heaven.

God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life – abundant and eternal.

A Story: The Good King

A long time ago, in a far off land there was a wise and just King. The King was known for his fairness, love, mercy and justice. A famine came to the land, but because the King was wise, they had stored food for at time such as this. One day, his servant came to him and said, “Good King, someone has been stealing our food!” The King was outraged! How could someone do such a thing? He told the servant to go and tell the people, “Whoever is caught stealing food will be punished severely and given 40 lashes”. So the servant went and told the people. Just a few weeks later they caught the thief and dragged him to the King. “Oh King, the good news is that we have caught the thief! The bad news is that it is your mother!” Oh no. What would the King do? He had a problem. You see, he loved his mother very much and if he punished her she would surely die. But, on the other hand, if he didn’t punish her, he would no longer be seen as a fair and just leader of his people. What would he do?

The King made a decision and called for his servant. He said, “Get the whip. The punishment will take place.” The servant did as he was told. Just as he raised the whip to strike the mother, the King said, “But it is not my mother you will punish.” He took off his robes and his crown and his shirt and he bent his back to the whip. “I will take the punishment”.

Day Four Questions and Answers

1. Who left Heaven to become the Savior? God

2. To be the Savior, God became a man. Did this mean He stopped being God? No

3. The Lord knew that the only way to save us was to become like us. How did He come to earth? He came as a baby.

4. The Lord was born as a baby in a stable – a place where sheep and little lambs are sheltered. Who were His first visitors? Shepherds

5. What name was God given when he came to earth? Jesus

6. Why did Jesus make blind men see, heal those who could not walk and bring dead people back to life? So people would know that He was God. To show how powerful He was.

7. Who did Peter and his friends see walking on the water? Jesus

8. When Peter began to look around at the wind and waves, what happened? He began to sink.

9. Peter could struggle on his own or he could call out to Jesus to save him. What did he do? He called out to Jesus to save him.

10. Jesus lived on earth just like any other man. How was Jesus different? He never sinned.

11. Because Jesus never sinned, did Jesus have to die? No

12. Jesus said that men would beat Him and nail Him to a wooden cross to kill Him. After being dead for three days, He would come back to life. How could Jesus know these things before they happened? He was God. God knows everything.

13. What was Jesus called that reminded people of the lambs? The Lamb of God.

14. The lambs were brought to an altar, a special place of death. To what special place of death was Jesus taken? A wooden cross

15. Because all our sin had been moved onto Jesus, what had to happen to Him? He had to die.

16. Why don’t we bring lambs to an altar? Jesus was the final lamb.

17. After Jesus died, His body was put in a special grave. What was this type of grave called? A tomb

18. What happened after a Jesus had been dead three days? Jesus came back to life.

19. When Jesus said that He would bring people back to life in Heaven, what did they need to do so that they could live in His perfect home? Trust Him or believe Him.

DAY 5: FRIDAY

The Lamb

GOD’S MESSAGE: LIVING LIKE OUR PERFECT LAMB

*DO NOT DO A REVIEW AT THE BEGINNING TODAY! INSTEAD, DO A MASSIVE REVIEW OF THE WEEK AT THE END OF TODAY!*

Extra props to bring from home: poster board, marker, watering can,

Props provided by Grace: soil, cup, seed, inflatable sun, gift box

Today, we will be talking about what to do once we believe and trust that Jesus is our Savior who came and conquered death for us.

*Draw The Bridge illustration on a poster board. Start with just two cliffs drawn. One labeled “God” and one labeled “us”. Make sure there is a substantial gap in between the two cliffs. Write the word “sin” in the gap.

Remember God’s rescue plan. With His amazing power, He conquered death. Now we have no more fear. We still are going to sin, but Jesus has already paid the penalty for that sin. Now we have a promise of a wonderful eternal home: HEAVEN! There is nothing we can do to be perfect, so we must believe that Jesus died in our place. Then we can go to live with Jesus in Heaven. All you need to do is BELIEVE that Jesus is YOUR Lamb – that He has been punished for your sin. When you TRUST JESUS, He makes you perfect so that you can live with Him in Heaven.

God did this for us because He loves us and wants us to experience peace and life – abundant and eternal.

Why don’t most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have?

The Problem: Our Separation

God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice. Remind them of Lucifer, Adam, and Eve.

We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NIV)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23(NIV)

Our Attempts to Reach God

People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God. Some people tried to be perfect by making lots of rules. Some people think that they can be “good” enough. No bridge reaches God … except one.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; you sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)

God’s bridge: The Cross

Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” 1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans5:8 (NIV)

God has provided the only way. Each person must make a choice. We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John1:12 (NIV)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans10:9 (NIV)

Where are you? *This is the same question God asked Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned.

Will you trust Jesus Christ?

God’s Assurance: His Word

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 (NIV)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9 (NIV)

By receiving Christ, we are born into God’s family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. This is called regeneration, or the “new birth”.

This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. Now that you are His child, He wants to communicate with you!

1. Read your Bible every day to know Christ better.

2. Talk to God in prayer every day.

3. Tell others about Christ.

4. Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached.

5. As Christ’s representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and concern for other.

John 14:6 says that Jesus is the WAY. He is the only way to Heaven. There is no other way. Jesus is the TRUTH. It doesn’t matter what we “think” is true or what we “feel” is true. Jesus is the TRUTH. Jesus is the LIFE. Before we trust and believe Jesus, the Bible says that we’re dead in our sin (Jesus conquered death – He paid for all the sins of the world – and came to give us life – eternal life!). All He asks of us is to TRUST in Him!

Props: a plastic cup, soil, watering can, an inflated sun, a wrapped gift box

When a person believes and trusts in Jesus as the way, truth, and life, a seed of faith is planted. (Plant a seed in the cup with the soil)

What does this seed need to grow into a mature plant?

A PLANT NEEDS TO BE FED.

1. Read the Bible. This is God’s LOVE LETTER to you

“. . . and how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:15-16

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written on it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

2Timothy 2:15

2. Pray – Talk to God- Every good relationship requires lots of communication. God WANTS you to talk to Him!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

3. Go to a good Bible-teaching church. Your seed of faith can grow as you learn more about God.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42

A PLANT NEEDS WATER.

How often should a plant be watered? Most plants thrive best if watered everyday. It is important to “water your soul” with God’s Word each day. Read the Bible everyday!

A PLANT NEEDS SUNLIGHT. All of you have heard in science class how plants use photosynthesis to make food. As long as a plant has a source of light, it can be fed. The same is true for you. Jesus said that He is the LIGHT of the world. (John 8:12) and that whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

Once the seed is planted, watered, and fed,

the seed begins to grow 3 ways:

ROOTS WILL GROW DOWN…

Teaching Idea: Plant a lima bean seed planted ahead of time in a clear, plastic container. The white roots are easily seen against the dark soil.

“…rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7

“…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.” Ephesians 3:17

“He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8

When a plant is firmly rooted in the soil, it can withstand wind, storms, and heat. The same is true for you. When your seed of faith has developed deep roots into the TRUTH of God’s Word, you can withstand the pressures of life.

THE SEED WILL GROW UP…

The flower or top of the seed is automatically drawn towards the light. If you watch a plan, it leans towards the closest window or light. That’s because it needs the light. Since the light is normally up, you will see the plant stretched out. The same is true for us. God wants us stretched out yearning for His sunlight.

THE SEED WILL GROW OUT…

The flower and leaves also begin to grow out. They begin to take up space and are growing next to other plants. Finally, the grown plant drops seeds of its own. That is what God wants us to do. We should find a place, like our neighborhood or schools, to plant seeds. Then spend some time there and build relationships. Eventually, we can plant our own seeds and watch God work in people’s lives.

WHEN A PLANT IS WELL CARED FOR…

1. The seed will grow into a plant.

2. The plant will grow branches that reach out and bear fruit.

3. It is interesting to note that a tree does not "decide” when to bear fruit. It just happens. Fruit comes naturally when we remain connected to the Vine.

4. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “I am the Vine. You are the branches. If anyone remains joined to Me, and I to him, he will bear a lot of fruit. You can’t do anything without Me”.

Did you hear the last part of John 15:5? “You can’t do ANYTHING without Me!” Our whole existence depends upon God. Just as we cannot give ourselves the gift of eternal life, we cannot give ourselves the ability to live for Jesus. We must stay connected to Him, because without Him, we can do nothing!

FINAL REVIEW:

1. God made everything simply by speaking. What does this tell us about God? He is very, very powerful.

2. Why was God only able to create a perfect world? He is perfect.

3. The Bible uses a special word to describe Lucifer’s choice to disobey God. What is that word? Sin

4. Why isn’t it right for someone to get away with doing bad things? It’s not fair. All wrong should be punished.

5. What is the name of the home that God made for Satan and the bad angels? The Lake of Fire

6. The Bible uses a word to describe Adam and Eve’s disobedience. What is that word? Sin

7. What came into the world because of sin? Death

8. Because Adam and Eve were no longer perfect, when they died they would go and live with Satan in his terrible home. What does the Bible call this sort of death? The Second Death

9. God promised that He would send a special man to rescue all people from the Second Death. What would this man be called? A Savior

10. Why do people need to be made perfect to live in Heaven? Only perfect people can live with a perfect God.

11. Could God pretend that Adam and Eve had never sinned? No

12. God showed people how He would punish sin without punishing them. What sort of animal were they told to bring? A lamb

13. What happened to the man’s sin when He put his hand on the head of the lamb? The man’s sin was moved onto the lamb.

14. In whose place did the lamb die? The man’s place

15. Why was the lamb punished if it hadn’t done anything wrong? It carried the man’s sin.

16. If people trust God—when they die, they go to Heaven. How does God change them so that they are able to live in His perfect home? He makes them perfect.

17. If we try to be very good, will we be perfect enough to live in Heaven? No

18. Who left Heaven to become the Savior? God, Jesus

19. Because Jesus never sinned, did Jesus have to die? No

20. What was Jesus called that reminded people of the lambs? Lamb of God Whose sin was placed on Jesus? Our place

21. When Jesus said that He would bring people back to life in Heaven, what did they need to do so that they could live in His perfect home? Trust Him or believe Him.

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