Lesson Summary: During May and June we will be doing a ...



Lesson Truth: Listening to God, I can have the courage to believe God. (All tracks do not lead to heaven, it is important what you believe. The ticket is free, but you do have to ask for one.)

Memory/Scripture Verse: Luke 1:64 - Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. (NIV)

Bible Story: Luke 1:5-25

|WHAT/WHO |DETAILS |SUPPORT/ |

| | |COMMENTS |

|Clean up & Countdown: |A DVD containing Christmas songs is available and should be played starting at 11:00 until |( Name Badges |

|Leaders |you start the countdown for P&W at 11:20 (NLT 11:25). It is a 10 minute countdown and then| |

| |starts into the songs. Encourage the kids to go to the restroom before we start. Also | |

| |have people start cleaning up in the back. | |

| | | |

| |While the Christmas songs and countdown is playing have the kids come to the back to get | |

| |their name badges or register. | |

|P&W: |Insert your format of worship here. |( Worship Tape |

| | | |

|Offering & Announcements: |Following P&W play an intro for the offering. After the intro instruct them to bring their|( Offering bowl |

| |offering up. | |

|Special Activity or Video: |Communion: on the first week of the month we serve communion. Take this time to explain |( Communion |

|Leaders |the significance and importance of this time. Review the scriptures and serve the |Elements |

| |elements. | |

|Introduction: |WELCOME: |Slide 1 |

|Leaders |Good morning & welcome to our Arctic Edge Adventure in KidZone. For the next few months we|Slide 2 |

| |will be learning what the Bible says about courage and some of the things about it. Invite | |

| |them on a journey where we will learn about courage and what the person believes matters, |( Large prize for |

| |it can lead them to heaven! |solving puzzle, |

| |This month we will be talking about “Listening to God” and that I {you} can have the |possibly large |

| |courage to believe God. Each month we are going to have a special word, this month it is |candy tube. |

| |LISTEN. We will also have some skill we can learn about COURAGE! | |

| |Does everyone have a name badge or label. If not please go to the back to get yours. |( Roll of single |

| |Before we get started I have a puzzle for you. During the day I will be putting letters on|Tickets |

| |this puzzle up here (hold up the ticket board (chalkboard), it should have _ _ _ _ _ _ on | |

| |it). I am going to start with giving you the first letter, but before I do that let me |( Ticket board |

| |tell you what you are going to do. I am going to give everyone ONE special ticket (from | |

| |the single roll). When you think you know what the answer is you can turn in your ticket |( Easel to hold |

| |and guess. If you are right you get the prize (hold it up). BUT you only get that one |ticket board |

| |guess. Through out the lesson today I will be filling in the answer one letter at a time. | |

| |So let me give you the first letter: C _ _ _ _ _. Anyone want to try now? Oh ya you have | |

| |to be able to spell the word and tell me the missing letters. | |

| |Well lets have a little fun right now. | |

|Opening Game: |Kid's Church Top 10 – Christmas - Just a FUN Power Point for Christmas Time as a lesson |Slide 3-8 |

|Leaders |opener. | |

| | |( PPT Show: |

| |I have a special list for everyone, this is the top ten items that DID NOT MAKE the |Top Ten |

| |Christmas list. |Christmas List |

| | | |

| |This is simply a FUN (no teaching value what-so-ever!) power point that makes fun of the | |

| |silly kinds of toys that are out there. | |

| | | |

|Video Clip: |Scene 2 - All Aboard. Stop when the train makes next stop after punching the tickets. |Slide 9 |

| | |( Polar Express: |

| | |DVD scene 2 |

|Scripture Verse: |Luke 1:64 - Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to |Slide 10-13 |

|Leaders |speak, praising God. | |

| | |( Gold Coins |

| |[pic] | |

| | | |

|Puzzle: |Fill in the second letter of the puzzle: C H _ _ _ _. Anyone want to try? Remember you |( Ticket board |

|Leaders |have to spell the word and tell me the missing letters. | |

|Bible Story: |Luke 1:5-25 - Zecharias and Elisabeth |Slide 14 |

|Leaders | | |

| |A long, long time ago in a land far away lived a Jewish priest named Zechariah. Zechariah |Slide 15 |

| |was a member of the priestly order and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line| |

| |of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were upright in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the | |

| |Lord's commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was barren, | |

| |and now they were both very old. | |

| | | |

| |One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for it was his time to serve that week. | |

| |As was the custom, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary and burn incense in the | |

| |Lord's presence. |Slide 16 |

| | | |

| |While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. | |

| | | |

| |Zechariah was in the sanctuary when an angel of the Lord appeared, standing to the right of| |

| |the incense altar. |Slide 17 |

| | | |

| |He was overwhelmed with fear. | |

| | |Slide 18 |

| |But the angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! For God has heard your prayer, and your | |

| |wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John. You will have great | |

| |joy and gladness, and many will rejoice with you at his birth, for he will be great in the |Slide 19 |

| |eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or hard liquor, and he will be filled with the | |

| |Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will persuade many Israelites to turn to the |Slide 20 |

| |Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah, the prophet of old. | |

| |He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for his arrival. He will turn | |

| |the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will change disobedient minds to accept| |

| |godly wisdom." | |

| | | |

| |Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I know this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my | |

| |wife is also well along in years." | |

| | | |

| |Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent| |

| |me to bring you this good news! And now, since you didn't believe what I said, you won't | |

| |be able to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly come true at the | |

| |proper time." | |

| | |Slide 21 |

| |Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out, wondering why he was taking | |

| |so long. | |

| | | |

| |When he finally did come out, he couldn't speak to them. Then they realized from his |Slide 22 |

| |gestures that he must have seen a vision in the Temple sanctuary. | |

| | | |

| |He stayed at the Temple until his term of service was over, and then he returned home. | |

| | | |

| |Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five | |

| |months. "How kind the Lord is!" she exclaimed. "He has taken away my disgrace of having no|Slide 23 |

| |children!" | |

| | | |

| |Birth of John ( Luke 1:57-66 |Slide 24 |

| | | |

| |Zacharias Prophesies of John’s Ministry ( Luke 1:67-79 | |

| | | |

| |Summary of John’s Childhood ( Luke 1:80 |Slide 25 |

| | | |

| | | |

| | |Slide 26 |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | |Slide 27 |

TEACHERS NOTES: (use for teacher lesson preparation). Please do not use the material below to teach the children. Use it to help prepare yourself to teach the lesson or personal devotion.

Exposition

This week's lesson is included in Luke's Gospel to show how special and significant is the birth of John the Baptist -- announced in the temple to the boy-to-be's father, a priest. But it also has lessons for us as disciples. Zechariah certainly lives his life to follow the God he loved, but his faith falters. What can we learn from his faith that we can apply to our own?

A Barren Couple (1:5-7)

The story begins carefully placed in geography and time. Luke relates this not as a timeless legend, but as an historical event.

"In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years." (1:5-7)

We meet Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, an elderly, childless couple. "Zechariah" means "Yahweh remembers." It is a very common name, used of 32 individuals in the Old Testament and two or three in the new. "Elizabeth" means "God is (my) oath," that is, a worshipper of God.

That they were "well along in years" (Greek probaino, KJV "stricken") may indicate that they were over sixty, since sixty years was considered "the commencement of agedness."[1]. They were "upright" (NIV) or "righteous" (KJV, Greek dikaios), not meaning perfectly sinlessness here, but "pertaining to being in accordance with high standards of rectitude, upright, just, fair."[2] They were a kosher, respected, priestly couple who took seriously what it meant to obey God in every way that they knew. According to Mosaic law, priests weren't required to marry a wife from the Tribe of Levi (Leviticus 21:7, 13-15), but for a priest to have a wife from Levi's tribe was considered a twofold honor.[3] But Elizabeth is barren, and the honor has turned to shame. They never blamed men for infertility in those days! Elizabeth has no prospect of getting pregnant, since she is well past her childbearing years. It just isn't going to happen, and Elizabeth and Zechariah have resigned themselves to it.

Moreover, they live in dark days during the bloody reign of Herod the Great (37 to 4 BC). Yet life goes on. For most of the year, Zechariah and Elizabeth live in a small village "in the hill country of Judea," south of Jerusalem (Luke 1:39), except when Zechariah's priest-division is on duty in the Temple.

Religious workers in Israel were divided into two groups, priests and Levites. All were descended from the Tribe of Levi, but, additionally, the priests were descendants of Moses' brother Aaron. Priests were set apart for a special ministry in the Temple with regard to the worship of God that took place there. 

Selected to Burn Incense in the Temple (1:8-10)

After introducing Zechariah and Elizabeth, Luke focuses on the particular event that forever changes their lives....

"Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside." (1:8-10)

The priests were divided into 24 groups or divisions (1 Chronicles 10:7-18), of which Zechariah's "division of Abijah" is eighth in the rotation. Priests and their families would live in Jerusalem or in various nearby villages, but when their division was called up for duty for a week, twice each year, the priests would come to Jerusalem to work in the Temple. Each day about 50 priests would have been on duty, with perhaps 300 on duty during a given week.[4]

This day, Zechariah is "chosen by lot" to go inside the temple and burn incense on the Altar of Incense in the Holy Place. It is considered a great honor. Since there were a large number of priests, no priest was allowed to serve as the officiating priest more than once in his lifetime. Sometimes the high priest himself officiated.[5] Jeremias remarks:

"For the incense offering, two priests had to help the officiating priest who was chosen by lot for the office. One brought glowing coals on a silver firepan from the Altar of Burnt Offering to the Altar of Incense in the Holy Place. The second took from the officiating priest the bowl in which the dish of incense had lain until the censing was finished."[6]

As the officiating priest, it was Zechariah's job to place incense on the heated altar and then prostrate himself in prayer.[7] The incense represented the prayers of the people. Outside, the people were reciting this prayer during the incense offering: "May the merciful God enter the Holy Place and accept with favor the offering of his people."[8]

Announcement of the Birth of John the Baptist (1:11-17)

It was at that point that an angel of the Lord did indeed enter the Holy Place.

"Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous -- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (1:11-17)

What an incredible vision to Zechariah and what an amazing promise. Let's look briefly at each point of the angel's message:

1. Don't be afraid (1:13a). Zechariah needs some reassuring just now.

2. Your prayer has been heard (1:13b). Sometimes we pray and pray, and because we don't get an answer, we think God hasn't heard. Zechariah has been praying for a child for many years. Now, when the answer comes, he doesn't really believe it.

3. Elizabeth will bear you a son (1:13c). But Elizabeth is past childbearing age -- like Sarah and Abraham.

4. You are to call him John (1:13d), which means, "Yahweh is gracious" -- which, when you think about it, was John the Baptist's chief message: baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

5. He will be a joy and delight to you (1:14a). A son, after all these years? Yes, a joy and delight!

6. Many will rejoice because of his birth (1:14b). Can you imagine the rejoicing at the birth of a child born to elderly, barren woman? Plus the rejoicing at Zechariah's healing and prophecy (1:65)!

7. He will be great in the sight of the Lord (1:15a). Jesus says of him, "Among those born of women there is no one greater than John..." (7:28).

8. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink (1:15b). That is, he is to be a Nazirite (Number 6:2-4; Judges 13:4-6), taking a special kind of vow before God.

9. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth (15c). Under the Old Covenant, to be filled with the Holy Spirit was rare -- the privilege of a few prophets and kings only.

10. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God (1:16). Many had strayed from true allegiance to the Lord and John brings them back in a genuine revival that immediately precedes Jesus' own ministry. John's message, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:1), is  later picked up by Jesus (Matthew 4:17). The result of this message is "to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous" (1:17b), a quote from Malachi....

11. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah (1:17a). John the Baptist fulfills Malachi's prophecy, "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6). Jesus confirms to his disciples that, indeed, John does fulfill this prophecy (Matthew 17:13).

12. To make ready a people prepared for the Lord (1:17c). John sees himself fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy, "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord...' " (3:4-5, quoting Isaiah 40:3-5).

Mute Because of Unbelief (1:18-22)

If I were Zechariah, my head would be swimming and I would feel shell-shocked by now. What amazing words, what amazing promises about a son who is not yet born! But instead of rising to faith, Zechariah sinks to doubt.

"Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.'

"The angel answered, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.' " (1:18-20)

What a contrast with Mary, who when the birth of Jesus is announced, doesn't respond with "How can this happen?" like Zechariah, but "How will this happen?" and,  "I am the handmaiden of the Lord. May it be to me as you have said" (1:34, 38).

I find it amazing, but true to life, that upright, moral, church-going people -- even ministers -- can be so filled with unbelief, so immersed in a secular, scientific world-view, that they are unable bring themselves to believe that God can work a contemporary miracle. Some even construct elaborate theologies to explain why God can't, won't, or shouldn't perform a miracle today!

At Zechariah's statement, filled with unbelief, you can almost see the angel, who considers himself questioned by this mere mortal, draw himself up to his full height and say:

• I am Gabriel. The name probably means "God's valiant one." He is named twice in the Book of Daniel (8:16 and 9:21) and six months later announces Jesus' birth to Mary (1:26).

• I stand in the presence of God. He is a messenger by appointment from God's himself to Zechariah. How dare Zechariah question God?

• I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. Centuries before, Gabriel had been sent "in swift flight" to Daniel (Daniel 9:21). God has specifically sent him to tell the Good News to Zechariah -- and Zechariah blows it!

During this time, outside the Temple....

"Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak." (1:21-22).

Elizabeth's Pregnancy (1:23-25)

The week is over, and Zechariah returns from his awesome experience in the Holy Place to the small highland village he calls home.

"When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." (1:23-25)

Sure enough, he gets old Elizabeth pregnant. But he can't speak to her about it. For now, she does the speaking. "The Lord has done this for me," she says, with joy written in her face. No more does she feel disgraced and shamed among the women of the village because of her inability to bear a child. Now she is wonderfully pregnant and attributes it to God's favor.  Zechariah who is shamed and Elizabeth is honored.

What Are the Lessons for Disciples?

I see two primary lessons here.

1. John's birth is of vital importance to what God is doing -- so important that it is heralded by an angel in the very Temple itself. We do well to pay heed to John's message for ourselves. Indeed, many of Jesus' disciples were John's disciples initially.

2. We must avoid an attitude of unbelief. We see Zechariah and Nicodemus (John 3), both righteous, godly men, but both spiritually dull. My friend, are you spiritually dull? Are you sensitive to what God would say to you? It is not your religious qualifications that matter, but your heart's openness to God that counts. I believe this spiritual seeking is an important qualification for those who would follow Jesus as his disciples.

What can you do to nurture an attitude of faith, of belief, of spiritual sensitivity and openness? I think it begins with humility, repentance, and prayer. When you see unbelief in yourself, don't excuse it, but be ashamed and ask God's forgiveness.

Read David's prayer of repentance in Psalm 51. Ask God to create in you a pure heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within you (verse 10). Ask for the joy of your salvation. Ask for a willing spirit (verse 12). Ask for a broken and contrite heart" (verse 17). But also read and study the word of God, asking God to reveal his truth to your heart. The Apostle Paul writes, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

Fortunately, God does not leave Zechariah in disgrace forever -- though I expect those nine months seemed like an eternity. When the baby is born, God releases something new and wonderful in his spirit. Zechariah himself is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesies God's words.

We are disciples on a journey with Jesus. We have some faith sumps and some pretty rough edges. But as we walk with Jesus, he is refining and honing us to be worthy disciples. God can make a wonderful disciple out of an old, set-in-his-ways priest and an impulsive fisherman. What can he do for you? 

[pic]

Prayer

Father, forgive me -- us -- for our incidents of unbelief. Sometimes I have mistaken my religious bent for genuine faith. Through this study of Jesus' life and message, build faith in my heart and in my brothers' and sisters' hearts. Replace our unbelief and hesitancy to step out on your promises with a boldness and assurance in God. Changes us, we ask you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Key Verse

"Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.'

"The angel answered, '... And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.' " (Luke 1:18-20)

Questions

|[pic] |

|All lessons now compiled |

|as a 1,025-page book. Get|

|your copy for easy |

|reference. |

1. What do we learn about Zechariah and Elizabeth in 1:5-7. What kind of people are they? What is Zechariah's job?

2. Why do you think it happened that the "lot" fell upon Zechariah to be the officiating priest for offering incense on this particular day? What does the offering of incense represent?

3. The Angel Gabriel's message involves twelve separate points about John the Baptist's birth and ministry in verses 13-17. Which are most important to you? Which do you think would have been most important to the people of John's time?

4. Specifically, which part of this prophecy does Zechariah question and disbelieve? (1:18) Why do you think he can't believe it? What kinds of things are we unable to believe that God does in spite of us today?

5. What are the symptoms of unbelief in a Christian? How does unbelief hurt a disciple's life? What is the cure for unbelief, do you think?

6. Extra credit. What is the difference between unbelief and asking the hard questions? How is the latter necessary to solid faith?

7. Extra credit. Compare and contrast Zechariah's reaction to the angel's announcement to Mary's (1:34, 38). What is the difference between her question and his?

8. Why does God "punish" Zechariah (if that is what you call it)? What effect do you think it has in his life? What effect do you think it has on those observing Elizabeth's pregnancy and birth? How do you categorize this -- as punishment, discipline, rebuke, chastisement, or something else? Though we discipline our children, why do you think we resist the concept that God can punish his servants?

|Lesson: |Choose Your Train Game Show: Pick a volunteer from the audience. Show them a bowl filled |Slide 28 |

| |with pieces of candy. Show TEN cards with a train picture on the front and numbers 1 | |

| |through 10. Explain that on the other side are some ways to WIN or LOSE candy. (see below |( Candy Bowl |

| |for what the cards should say) They are to pick a train and they get (or lose) what is on | |

| |the back. (If they lose and have none, or less than the card says they lose, they just go |( Train Cards |

| |broke) They can stop at any time, BUT there are some GOOD cards! After they are done, | |

| |chose another kid – do this several times. At least 4-5 kids. | |

| |The Point: 1) as you learn, you adjust your choices. 2) which ones you pick matter! 3) | |

| |watching others helps! The same is true in life – we all have ONLY ONE life and ONE | |

| |eternity, what we believe is important. We need to study the Bible, know what we chose | |

| |matters, and look at the lives of others and learn. | |

|Small Groups: |Separate large group into groups of 8-10. Assign a group leader to each and have them |Slide 29 |

| |supervise their group. Use prepared sheets to start with. You may add additional item | |

| |from resources if desired. Try not to go past 20 minutes for small groups. Be sure to |( Small group |

| |collect the portion that they need to put their names on, it is for attentance and |worksheets |

| |prayer/praise report. | |

|Puzzle: |Fill in the second letter of the puzzle: C H O _ _ _. Anyone want to try? Remember you |( Ticket board |

|Leaders |have to spell the word and tell me the missing letters. | |

|ToyBox Tale: |A Galactic Christmas Carol – Part One |Slide 30-31 |

| | |( Toybox Tale |

|Closing: |Finish punching the Heaven Express ticket – finish the word: CHOOSE Talk about how |( Ticket board |

|Leaders |important it is that we choose wisely what we believe. Encourage the children this week to| |

| |LOOK FOR JESUS – not just in nativity scenes and pictures, but in the lives of people – |( Prize? |

| |signs that he is alive! | |

| | | |

|End Game & Snack |Every team should come up with an end game to reward those that have won coins, if used. | |

| |This game should be same every time you teach but different from the other leaders to make | |

| |your week unique for them. I can give you some ideas and assistance if you need it. | |

| | | |

| |Week 1 ( Bucket Shot | |

| |Week 2 ( Wheel of Blessings | |

| |Week 3 ( Balloon Pop (Dart Board) | |

| |Week 4 ( Ball/ring/bean-bag toss | |

| | | |

| |Other possibilities: wheel of fortune (blessings), Frisbee rings/toss, | |

EXTRA ITEMS: The following items may be included and/or substituted for other item above. Use what ever fits into your lesson.

|Object Lesson #1: |GIFT DECISION: Show six gifts – (have one filled with lego or something that shakes well, |( Six gifts of |

| |another should have a heavy rock, another empty, another with a packaged game, another with|varies size and |

| |something valuable. Also have six store receipts to show. Choose one child – ask them how |value. |

| |they would decide which gift to choose IF you were giving them one of the gifts. Shake? | |

| |Feel? Peek? Roll a dice? Would the receipt interest them? You wouldn’t just pick, you’d | |

| |want the best one. But a lot of people, when it comes to what they believe, they just pick | |

| |without checking out the gifts – OR they say, ‘all choices are equal.’ But that isn’t | |

| |true. Today we are going to be talking why it is important what you choose, and that the | |

| |best choice is Jesus! | |

|Object Lesson #2: |3 Things Make a GIFT - Here is a great lesson that helps to teach just what is means that | |

| |SALVATION IS A FREE GIFT. | |

| |3 SKIT: (Act these out in a skit) | |

| |#1 Gift is not taken but not offered. - A person is all excited about a wrapped present | |

| |they have, when another comes by and says, "Hey, cool gift!" They open it ignoring the | |

| |complaints of the person whom it was for. After seeing what it is, (some toy), they say | |

| |"Thanks! I love it!" and leave with it. The first person turns to the audience and says, | |

| |"Hey, what's going on here?" | |

| |#2 Gift is given then a bill. - An adult person (parent/grandparent) gives a gift to a | |

| |child, and after the child opens it and hugs the adult saying "Thanks," the adult gives | |

| |them a bill for it! When they child complains, the adult offers a 12 month payment plan, to| |

| |which the child turns to the audience and says, "Hey, what's going on here?" | |

| |#3 Gift is offered but not taken. - In this one, one person gives a wrapped gift to | |

| |another, who is very grateful - in fact, overly grateful, jumping up and down, hugging, | |

| |profusely saying thanks, but then quickly exits leaving the wrapped gift there - unopened. | |

| |The gift giver walks toward where the recipient exited, they turn toward the audience and | |

| |say, "Hey, what's going on here?" | |

| |3 LESSON POINTS - (3 SALVATION Boo-Boos) | |

| |#1 People try to get salvation in all kinds of ways. That isn’t how God is offering it! God| |

| |is offering it as a free gift. | |

| |#2 People try to “buy” their way into heaven through money, good works, etc. The only way | |

| |to get salvation is to accept God's FREE gift! | |

| |#3 People think the offer of salvation is great - but never actually pray to receive | |

| |Christ! At some point you need to say "YES!" to God and accept Jesus as your Savior. | |

|Wrap-up Game: |CONCENTRATION: a form of concentration is available as an end game for any class. Refer to| |

|Leaders |the end of the Master Lesson Plan Notebook for the sheets. Set up on Chalkboard. | |

| |Simple play ( call up a child, have them select two cards, turn them over, if they match | |

| |they get a large piece of candy (or Kingdom Dollar) if not a small piece of penny candy. | |

| | | |

|GAME #1: |SNOWBALL FIGHT: Every kid is given a ‘snowball’ (sheet of paper balled up) and they race to| |

| |throw them to the other side of the room, they can pick up ones that are on there side and | |

| |throw them back, when the time is up – the side with the least amount of ‘snow’ wins. | |

| | | |

|GAME #2: |Christmas SAY WHAT PowerPoint Game! - This is a 'guess a letter' PowerPoint game that |( SAY WHAT |

| |introduces Christmas and the theme of God's love through the gift of Jesus. Lots of fun |powerpoint. |

| |and EASY to do. Just click straight through, the game screens are all in order. Click! | |

| |Click! Click! That's all there is to it! | |

| | | |

| |NEEDED: PowerPoint game, projector, and LOTS of small candy canes and 6 LARGE ones. (The | |

| |big solid ones, or the plastic ones filled with candy) | |

| | | |

| |INSTRUCTIONS: This is a ‘guess-the-letter’ game, BUT unlike most games where they can guess| |

| |ANY letter in the phrase, they must be guessed IN ORDER, starting with the first letter!! | |

| |Give a giant candy cane to the first child. They guess what they think the FIRST letter | |

| |is. Click to advance the power point to reveal it. If they are correct, they also get to | |

| |guess the next letter. They can keep guessing as long as they are correct. But once they | |

| |guess wrong, usually the first or second guess, they hand the giant candy cane to the next | |

| |child and their turn is over. This continues from child to child until the phrase is | |

| |uncovered. THEY CAN NOT “SOLVE” the puzzle by giving the entire phrase, they MUST SPELL IT | |

| |one letter at a time. This way, even if they know the phrase, if they spell it wrong, they | |

| |will not win. The child who uncovers the last letter gets to keep the candy cane, and the | |

| |next kid gets another to start the next round. | |

| | | |

| |OPTION: (recommended) Give a small candy cane to every child who played. | |

| | | |

| |THE ANSWERS: | |

| |1. Happy Birthday Jesus! | |

| |2. Jesus is the Reason for the Season! | |

| |3. God Loved Us And Sent His Son! | |

| |4. Wise Kids Still Seek Him! | |

| |5. The Greatest Gift to Give is LOVE! | |

| |6. No One Loves You More Than Jesus! | |

| | | |

| |At the end of each puzzle, talk about it that phrase with the kids, take advantage of a | |

| |BRIEF teaching moment before moving to the next puzzle. | |

|Special 1: |A Puppet Routine on Giving - A puppet has a Christmas list of all the things he hopes to | |

| |get for Christmas - but has no shopping list for those he is going to give to. Greet | |

| |puppet (could be dressed with Santa hat, or red and green) | |

| | | |

| |Leader: You look ready for Christmas! | |

| |Puppet: Oh, I am ready. I can't wait! | |

| |Leader: What are you so excited about? | |

| |Puppet: I am going to get a bunch of stuff for Christmas! | |

| |Leader: That's right - getting gifts is an exciting part of this holiday. Speaking of | |

| |gifts, I'm going to be getting you something. | |

| |Puppet: COOL! Really!?!?! | |

| |Leader: Yes, but I wondered if you could help me out. | |

| |Puppet: How? ANYTHING! | |

| |Leader: Well, I need a suggestion of what you might like to get for Christmas. | |

| |Puppet: I'm so glad you asked! | |

| |Leader: Really? | |

| |Puppet: Yes, I've been working on a little list for you. | |

| |Leader: Oh, really, can I see it? | |

| |Puppet: (Gets out the long list.) | |

| |Leader: (Reads it over, a bit surprised at the length.) | |

| |Puppet: Don't feel like you have to get me EVERYTHING on the list, just MOST of it. | |

| |Leader: Most of it? | |

| |Puppet: Yeah - why, don't you love me? | |

| |Leader: Well, yes, you are one of my favorite puppets. | |

| |Puppet: Then, what's the problem? | |

| |Leader: Well, I'm just curious.. | |

| |Puppet: Yeah? | |

| |Leader: Can I see your shopping list? | |

| |Puppet: Shopping list? What shopping list? | |

| |Leader: The one with the list of people you are shopping for, and the gifts you want to get| |

| |them. | |

| |Puppet: Oh, I'm not BUYING any gifts, just GETTING. | |

| |Leader: Really? | |

| |Puppet: Of course, haven't you ever heard the saying, "It is more blessed to receive than | |

| |to give?" | |

| |Leader: I think you got it backwards. | |

| |Puppet: Impossible - why would it be better to give than to receive? | |

| |Leader: I think you need to listen to the lesson today! | |

| |TEACH ABOUT GIVING. | |

| |Verse: II Cor. 9:7 God Loves a Cheerful Giver. | |

| | | |

| |OPTION: I have done a variation of this where my puppet had a giant stocking that he wanted| |

| |me to fill for him (I mean GIANT - it is 5-6 feet tall and 3 feet wide!) and then he offers| |

| |a tiny (and I mean TINY, only inches!) stocking that he will fill with gifts for me. The | |

| |kids love it! | |

| | | |

| |PROP TIP: Take the items listed below, and list on a single 8 1/2 paper that is divided | |

| |into 3 columns. Then simply print about 10 copies of the sheet, cut the columns into slips,| |

| |and tape them all together end to end and roll up. As the puppet unrolls the list to tell | |

| |you what he wants for Christmas, just read 2 or 3 per section and skip through reading | |

| |'samples' never repeating one. The impression is that you have a list 10 feet long of | |

| |things that they want for Christmas! It is very funny. | |

| | | |

| |SAMPLE LIST: | |

| |COOL CARS SOLDIERS Toy Guns | |

| |Buzz Lightyear all the other Toy Story toys | |

| |videos that are cool (NO BARNEY!) | |

| |video game systems Baseball Baseball bat | |

| |Baseball mitt Baseball cards Baseball Field | |

| |Basketball TRAIN SET r/c car | |

| |remote control tank r/c airplane walkie talkies | |

| |LEGO kit (space or pirate) action figures | |

| |T.V. boom box my own phone | |

| |Add other items from toy catalog. | |

Supplies:

GENERAL ITEMS:

□ KidZone: setup as shown in diagram next page.

□ Equipment: check sound system & projection system.

□ Food items:

o

o

o

o

o

o

MEDIA:

□ Arctic Edge DVD

□ Worship Tape

□ Lsn Power Point

□ Toybox Tale: Galactic Carol part 1

□ Polar Express DVD

□ Say What PPT game

LESSON:

□ Name Badges & DB Log

□ Communion Elements

□ Large Prizes

□ Single Tickets

□ Ticket Board

□ Easel

□ Candy Bowl

□ Train Cards

□ Small Group Sheets

□ Six gifts: 3 good / 3 bogus

□ Concentration puzzle

□ Blank paper

□ Puppets: 1 puppet, long list of gifts

[pic]

PARENT LINE

From December to April we will be focusing on five topics: Knowing God, Believing in Jesus, Trusting God, Following Jesus, and Listening to God. The entire series focuses on COURAGE with each month developing one of the above topics, reinforced with weekly lessons.

Today’s central truth was “Listening to God, I can have the courage to believe God.” We took our Bible story from Luke 1:5-25 where Zaqcharias & Elisabeth were told they were to have a child in their old age and that child (John the Baptist) would usher in the Messiah.

We discussed the importance of listening to GOD and that HE can give us the courage to do things we may think are impossible. That with GOD’s help we are capable of anything.

Encourage your child this week to be open to hear from GOD. Especially during this holiday season when it is so easy to be distracted by all the activities and items we would like to have. It is important that we take time and hear from GOD as to what we can do to show HIS love around to others.

Welcome to KidZone!

Some Important Dates to Remember!

➢ Good morning & welcome to our Arctic Edge Adventure in KidZone.

➢ This month we will be talking about “Listening to God” and that I can have the courage to believe God.

Birthdays this Month (DECEMBER)

PLACE YOUR CHILDRENS BIRTHDAY LIST HERE

If we missed your birthday this month please let Mr. Scott

know and he will add it to his data base for next week.

KIDZONE – 12/3/2006

Today: Listening to God, I can have the courage to believe God.

(All tracks do not lead to heaven, it is important what you believe.)

[pic]

Bible Character: Zacharias & Elizabeth

(Luke 1:5-25)

Please complete the following sheet and turn it into your group leader:

Your Name (first & last):

____________________________

Please complete the following sheet and turn it into your group leader:

Your Name (first & last):

____________________________

KidZone Information Sheet

|General Information |

| |

|Name: |

| | | |

|Age: |Birthday: |Grade: |

| |

|Address: |

| | | |

|City: |State: |ZIP: |

| |

|Home Phone: |

| |

|Cell Phone: |

| |

|Email Address: |

| |

|Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? ο Yes ο No |

| |

|Have you been baptized in water? ο Yes ο No |

| |

|Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? ο Yes ο No |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

KidZone Information Sheet

|General Information |

| |

|Name: |

| | | |

|Age: |Birthday: |Grade: |

| |

|Address: |

| | | |

|City: |State: |ZIP: |

| |

|Home Phone: |

| |

|Cell Phone: |

| |

|Email Address: |

| |

|Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? ο Yes ο No |

| |

|Have you been baptized in water? ο Yes ο No |

| |

|Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? ο Yes ο No |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

-----------------------

11:30-12:00 ( Worship

12:00-12:30 ( Offering, Announcements, & Introduction (opening game)

12:30-1:00 ( Scripture Verse & Lesson

1:00-1:30 ( Small Groups & Toybox Tale

1:30-2:00 ( Extra Games & Activities

PRAYER REQUEST:

PRAISE REPORT:

ASK PASTOR JERRI:

PRAYER REQUEST:

PRAISE REPORT:

ASK PASTOR JERRI:

-----------------------

DATE: 12/3/2006

LESSON TITLE: “THE STATION” – Choosing Your Train

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download