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Putting God First: Serving

Week 8: God Says Don’t Give Up

This includes:

Leader Preparation

Lesson Guide

LEADER PREPARATION

BIBLE BASIS

In this passage, Paul compares the Christian life to a race to be won. Following Jesus takes hard work and self-discipline, practice and self-denial. Use this passage to help kids understand that with God’s help they can be winning members of God’s team. The familiar sports metaphor can help kids realize that they can work at following Jesus, just as they work at doing well at soccer or math.

DISCOVERY POINT

God says don’t give up.

BIBLE FOCUS

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

KEY VERSE

“So run to win!” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

TEACHING PREP

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

Supplies You’ll Need: Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, Bibles, “That’s a Pigsty!” handout, “Nehemiah Bible Bio” handout, paper lunch bags, newspapers, tape, and markers

Before This Lesson

• Print the “That’s a Pigsty!” handout. You’ll need one half of a copy per crew of four kids.

• Print the “Nehemiah Bible Bio” handout. You’ll need one handout for each crew of four kids.

• Assemble Bible Exploration Kits (one per four kids): one Bible, “That’s a Pigsty!” handout, • Review 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

• Cue "Into the Bible" (Track 1) on the Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD or (Quarter 12/Track 1) on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD.

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

PARENT EMAIL

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

So we’ve given you two options:

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

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

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

Putting God First: Serving

Week 8: God Says Don’t Give Up

LESSON GUIDE

WELCOME!

Supplies: Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player

1. Play “Into the Bible” (Track 1) from the Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD or (Quarter 12/Track 1) from the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD as kids arrive.

• “Into the Bible”

Makes me wanna jump!

Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!

Makes me wanna sing! Hallelujah!

It’s the greatest book.

Come and take a look.

Makes me wanna shout!

Shout! Shout! Shout! Shout!

So that everyone will see

I’m getting into the Bible

And the Bible...is getting into me!

We’re discovering a brand-new world

As we dig a little deeper (deeper),

Finding out about who God is.

Open it up and see it (see it)!

There’s nothin’ like

God’s Word, and I get

So excited.

It makes me wanna,

Makes me,

Makes me wanna jump!

Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!

Makes me wanna sing! Hallelujah!

It’s the greatest book.

Come and take a look.

Makes me wanna shout!

Shout! Shout! Shout! Shout!

So that everyone will see

I’m getting into the Bible

And the Bible...is getting into me!

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

2. Have kids form Bible Crews of four kids. Tell each crew to agree on a favorite sports star, and then pretend that they’re the sports star’s personal trainers. Give kids a minute or two to devise a training regimen for their star. Provide examples such as 50 push-ups and 100 jumping jacks.

Then say that to make sure the training will be effective for the star, the sports trainers will have to perform the workout themselves! When you give the signal, groups should try to perform the workout themselves. For example, if they said their football star should do 50 sit-ups, then that’s what they need to do.

Give the starting signal, and encourage kids to perform the exercises they devised. They’ll probably groan, but hold kids to their workouts. Periodically call out encouragement to kids, telling them to keep going, they can do it, and so on.

3. After a few minutes of rigorous exercise, start the “Stopwatch Countdown” (Quarter 12/Countdown Track 1) on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD, and turn the volume way up. Lead kids in counting along. Then gather everyone near you, and SAY: I’m really glad you’re here today! We’re going to have fun learning about our amazing God. But you guys look sort of tired. Why don’t you sit down for a while?

Let kids sit as you continue. Have them answer the following questions with their crew of “trainers.” After each question, invite a few crews to share their answers with everyone.

ASK:

• How did you feel toward the end of your workout?

• Why is it important for professional athletes to work out so hard?

• What do you think keeps athletes from giving up when they get tired during a workout?

SAY: Athletes have to practice and train hard so they can be in the best shape possible. When they’re in the best shape, they have the best chance to win at their sport. Even when they get tired, the thought of winning keeps them going. You may not realize it, but it’s kind of the same when you’re working hard on God’s team and God says don’t give up. Let me show you what I mean.

LET’S EXPLORE!

Supplies: assembled Bible Exploration Kits, newspapers, Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD, CD player

1. Have Bible Crews sit in circles on the floor. Give each crew a Bible Exploration Kit, and have kids remove the Bibles from their kits and turn to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. SAY: I want to show you something in the Bible. When you read it, you might think you’re reading the words of a modern-day athlete. But the words are the Apostle Paul’s, and he’s talking about what it takes to be on God’s team. See what you think!

Have kids in each crew read aloud 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

2. When crews finish, have them discuss the following questions.

ASK:

• What surprised you about Paul’s words?

• According to Paul, how is training as an athlete like training to serve God?

SAY: I bet many of you play sports. And some of you play musical instruments. And I hope all of you study for tests in school. Think of the time you spend each week practicing for a sport or an instrument or studying for school. Pause. Now think about how much time you spend each week training to serve on God’s team. Pause.

ASK:

• How do the times measure up?

• Which do you spend more time training for?

SAY: If you’re like me, it’s kind of a new thought to think about being in training for God. It’s not something we hear a lot about. But there are lots of examples in the Bible of people who trained hard and didn’t give up. Because that’s what it’s all about. God says don’t give up.

3. Have kids turn to Ezra 4 in their Bibles. SAY: We’re going to look at a couple of examples of people who trained hard and didn’t give up. In your crew, read Ezra 4:1-5 to see what I mean. Pause while kids read.

ASK:

• What kinds of problems were the leaders of Israel facing?

SAY: Wow! They faced some tough problems. Read Ezra 6:14-15 to see what they did. Pause. The people of Israel didn’t give up, and the Temple was rebuilt. They knew that God says don’t give up.

Have crews read the “That’s a Pigsty!” handout in their Bible Exploration Kits. After crews finish reading, have them decide together on a quick cleanup job they can do. Maybe they’ll straighten the books in your room, pick up the trash in the hallway. If it’s nice outside, maybe they can pull weeds or pick up trash and recyclable waste outside. Allow five minutes for cleaning up.

After they complete the task, SAY: Congratulations! Like the people of Israel, you stuck with it and got the job done. Thanks!

4. SAY: Now let’s look at another example of someone who stuck with it and got God’s work done.

Play “What a Pigsty” (Track 19) on the Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD. Then have kids take the “Nehemiah Bible Bio” handout from their kits.

SAY: After the people of Israel got the Temple rebuilt, Nehemiah turned his attention to the wall around Jerusalem. You can read about it for yourselves. Have kids read the handout in their crews.

ASK:

• What part of Nehemiah’s situation do you think would’ve been the hardest for you?

• Tell about a time you didn’t give up like Nehemiah.

• When is it hard for you to obey God and not give up?

SAY: We all feel like giving up sometimes. But with God’s help, we can keep going and do what God wants us to do. Remember, God says don’t give up.

5. SAY: Let’s make a wall of our own to remind us to never give up when we’re doing God’s work. Have kids read and follow the directions in the “Construction Zone” section at the bottom of the handout. Set out newsprint or newspaper for kids to use to stuff the paper-bag bricks. They’ll find the rest of their building supplies in their Bible Exploration Kits.

After kids have each made one brick, let crews come together to stack the bricks and build their wall. Then gather everyone around the wall, and SAY: Thanks for making this wall to remind us that God says don’t give up. The people of Israel and Nehemiah didn’t give up, and neither did Paul. Like them, we can work hard and discipline ourselves so that we can be productive members of God’s team, too.

ASK:

• How can we stay strong and not give up on our faith in God?

LET’S PRAISE!

Supplies: Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player

1. SAY: Let’s praise God for giving us strength to stay strong! Since we’re talking about staying strong and working hard on God’s team, let me see you make some muscles! Let kids show you their muscles. Now I want to hear that lung power as we sing our praises to God!

2. Set up the Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD or the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD. PLAY:

• “Use Your Whole Body” (Romans 6:13) (CD Track 2) (DVD Quarter 12/Track 2)

So use your whole body as an instrument

To do what is right for the glory of God.

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

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

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

Clap your hands, and keep it tight.

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

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

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

Do it for the glory of our great King.

So use your whole body as an instrument;

To do what is right for the glory of God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clap your hands, and keep it tight.

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

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

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

Do it for the glory of our great King.

So use your whole body as an instrument

To do what is right for the glory of God.

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

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

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

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

• “My Help Comes From the Lord” (Psalm 121:2) (CD Track 3) (DVD Quarter 12/Track 3)

Sometimes I feel afraid;

I need someone to help me find my way,

Someone who holds me up

And gives me strength

To get me through the day.

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

You are all I’ll ever need.

My help comes from the Lord;

I’m trusting in your name.

You are my God;

It will always be true,

My help comes from you.

Sometimes I feel afraid;

I need someone to help me find my way,

Someone who holds me up

And gives me strength

To get me through the day.

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

You are all I’ll ever need.

My help comes from the Lord;

I’m trusting in your name.

You are my God;

It will always be true,

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

You are all I’ll ever need.

My help comes from the Lord;

I’m trusting in your name.

You are my God;

It will always be true,

My help comes from you,

My help comes from you.

“My Help Comes From the Lord” (Psalm 121:2) by Jay Stocker. © 2011 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

• “Get Up!” (Romans 12:11) (CD Track 4) (DVD Quarter 12/Track 4)

Get up!

Get up!

Never be lazy,

But work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Never be lazy,

But work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Get up! Get out!

Get up, and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Get up! Get out!

Get up, and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Never be lazy,

But work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Never be lazy,

But work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Everybody move;

Everybody move around.

Everybody stand up

And break it down.

Everybody move;

Everybody move around.

Everybody stand up

And break it down.

Never be lazy,

But work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Never be lazy,

But work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Get up!

“Get Up!” (Romans 12:11) by Jay Stocker. © 2006 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

LET’S PRAY!

Supplies: assembled Bible Exploration Kits, bricks from Let’s Explore!, Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD, CD player

1. Have kids each take a brick from the wall they made and a marker from their kits. (Kids don’t have to choose the bricks they made.) Have kids spread around the room.

SAY: Let’s take time right now to talk to God, one-on-one. God says don’t give up. Quietly pray to God, asking his help to be disciplined enough to obey the law written on your brick. Then write on the brick another area where you need God’s help to be disciplined—another area where you have trouble obeying God. Ask for God’s help in that area, too.

2. Softly play “My Help Comes From the Lord” (Psalm 121:2) (Track 3) on the Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD as kids pray. Then close by thanking God for being with us and giving us the strength and discipline to obey him.

HIGH FIVES

Supplies: none

As kids leave, encourage them to give each other wall-building high fives. Kids can make pounding motions with their fists as if building a wall and then high five their fists together.

FOR-EXTRA-TIME ACTIVITIES

Keep on Building

Supplies: marshmallows, frosting, plastic knives, small paper plates

Let kids use marshmallow “bricks” and frosting “mortar” to build a yummy wall. As kids work, have them discuss how hard it must’ve been for Nehemiah to keep building the wall with so much opposition. Have kids talk about times it’s hard for them to keep going. Remind them that God says don’t give up.

Medal Race

Supplies: construction paper, scissors, yarn, hole punch, fine-tip markers

Let kids make affirming medals for each other as members of God’s team. Have kids cut out construction-paper circles and then use a hole punch and yarn to make hangers. Kids might write “#1 Helper” or “Never Gives Up” on the medals. Have a ceremony where each child receives a medal.

Hiding It in Your Heart

Supplies: none

Gather everyone together to read and say the Key Verse, 1 Corinthians 9:24, aloud together. Have kids line up at a starting line for a baby-step race. Give the starting signal, and let kids begin baby-stepping toward the other side of the room. Part way through the race, call time. Say, “Never mind; it doesn’t matter who wins.” Then have kids discuss how silly it is to run a race without caring who wins or who finishes. Remind kids that God says don’t give up.

Create a Bible Dictionary

Supplies: paper, markers, dictionary, CD player, Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD

Ask kids to create one or more pages, each with a new word, for a Bible dictionary. Have kids suggest words from today’s lesson—disciplined and cupbearer are two suggestions. Have them write each word on a sheet of paper in fun letters, add a definition, list Scripture references, and make illustrations. Play “The Books of the Bible Song” (Track 8), from the Putting God First: Serving (Year 3/Quarter 12) CD while kids work. Add each page to a three-ring binder, and watch the dictionary grow!

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