Unit: God Will Help Me

Session Title: Elisha and the Widow

Life Point: God wants people to obey Him.

Unit Verse: “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1

Weekly Bible Verse: “My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Bible Passage: 2 Kings 4:1-7

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Object Lesson: Water That Does Not Run Out
The website below shows you how to do this activity. It would be great to do while telling the Bible story.
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Craft: Oil Jar Watercolor
The link below shows a craft that is pretty cool. It is very involved and you may want to test it out before doing with children. There are other ideas on this link as well. The watercolor picture is near the bottom.
Click here for more info

Object Lesson: How Many Jars?
Bring from home as many different and unique containers as you can find. These will represent the different jars that the widow collected. You will want to pick out about five or six (probably small ones) and use glass or metal containers to get a musical tone when tapped.

Show the class the different kinds of containers that you have. Next put different amounts of water in each “vessel.” Then using a pencil or something similar, tap the different vessels. Each vessel will make a different sound. With the different tones, you will come up with a tune. If you would like, allow the children to take turns playing your vessel instruments.

Elijah and Elisha were both powerfully anointed by God for His service; yet, their ministries were different in direction and purpose. We are vessels of the Lord. Each one of us is different in the body of Christ. But when we use the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us we can make something wonderful (like music) that can honor the Lord.
** You could also add on to this activity and use a bathroom cup to see how many cups it takes to fill each jar. **
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Unit: God Will Help Me

Session Title: God Protected Elijah

Life Point: God has the power to protect people

Unit Verse: “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1

Weekly Bible Verse: “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1

Bible Passage: 1 Kings 19:1-8

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Craft: Where is God?
A craft to show where God is when we need Him. All the instructions and templates are on the link below.
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Object Lesson: Elijah in the Whirlwind
The link below shows an object lesson that I think the kids will really enjoy. They give you all the instructions. I will admit it involves shaving cream and could get messy. If you choose to this please cover the tables and carpet so they are not stained.
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Craft: Still Small Voice
Materials needed: 9″ x 12″ white paper, crayons.
1. Hand out paper.
2. Fold paper in half.
3. Fold paper in half again.
4. On the outside of the paper, completely folded, write ” Elijah stood on Mt. Horeb and…” and “1 Kings 19.”
5. Open up the paper once and write “The LORD passed by, but…”
6. Open the paper to full size and draw a line on the folded places.
7. In the first box, write “The LORD was not in the wind.”
8. Draw the wind blowing in Box #1.
9. In the second box, write “The LORD was not in the earthquake.”
10. Draw a picture of an earthquake in the Box #2.
11. In the third box, write “The LORD was not in the fire.”
12. Draw a picture of a fire.
13. In the last box, write “The LORD was in the small, still voice.”
14. Write “What are you doing here, Elijah?” in a speech bubble in Box #4.
15. Fold paper up to take home.
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Food: Fire Treats
Cute little snack for the kids. Will take some preparation but with the older kids you could have them build them. If you choose to do these please put up an allergy alert.
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Unit: God Will Help Me

Session Title: God Cared for Elijah

Life Point: God has care and concern for all people.

Unit Verse: “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1

Weekly Bible Verse: “You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God.” Psalm 86:15a

Bible Passage: 1 Kings 17:8-24

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Object Lesson: Widow’s Oil Jar
This is a fun object lesson to demonstrate how the oil jar kept filling up like in the Bible story. All the instructions are on the PDF link below.
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Craft: Oil Jar Watercolor
The link below shows a craft that is pretty cool. It is very involved though and you may want to test it out before doing with children. There are other ideas on this link as well. The watercolor picture is near the bottom.
Click here for more info

Craft: Jar of Oil
Elijah was wasting away from hunger at the brook of Kerith when God told him to go stay with the widow to receive his food. Problem was that the widow’s cupboards were almost empty. Both Elijah and the widow learned a lesson about trusting God to provide for their needs when Elijah prayed and God made the little bit of flour and oil that the widow had to offer last until the rains returned to the land. Students can decorate their own oil jars to help them remember that God will use whatever paltry offering they have and make it more than enough when they give it to Him. Use baby food jars, canning jars or clean, leftover food jars with lids. Paint the outside of the jar or cover it with cloth or colorful tissue paper decoupage. Pour in one cup of oil in, then seal the lid tightly.
Click here for more info

Object Lesson: How Many Jars?
Bring from home as many different and unique containers as you can find. These will represent the different jars that the widow collected. You will want to pick out about five or six (probably small ones) and use glass or metal containers to get a musical tone when tapped.

Show the class the different kinds of containers that you have. Next put different amounts of water in each “vessel.” Then using a pencil or something similar, tap the different vessels. Each vessel will make a different sound. With the different tones, you will come up with a tune. If you would like, allow the children to take turns playing your vessel instruments.

Elijah and Elisha were both powerfully anointed by God for His service; yet, their ministries were different in direction and purpose. We are vessels of the Lord. Each one of us is different in the body of Christ. But when we use the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us we can make something wonderful (like music) that can honor the Lord.

* You could also add on to this activity and use a bathroom cup to see how many cups it takes to fill each jar. *
Click here for more info

Unit: Love and Obey God

Session Title: King David

Life Point: God wants people to live in ways that please Him.

Unit Verse: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me.” Psalm 17:6

Weekly Bible Verse: “Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.” Exodus 18:20

Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 5-8

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Review Game: Crown Toss
The website below shows how to construct this game but the basic premise of the game is the review questions will be in crowns and the children will try and toss the ball into a crown to answer a question. This would probably work better with a smaller class or if you break your kids up into groups.
Click here for more info

Devotional: Oh the Places You’ll Go
This devotional pairs the Dr. Seuss book Oh the Places You’ll Go with Jeremiah 29:11. I think it does a good job of explaining the plan God has for our lives at a younger level. You will need to open the PDF to read the devotional part.
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Devotional for Jer 29:11

Craft: Oh the Places God Will Take Us
Print off balloon PDF below on colored sheets of paper. Have kids think about what God may have them do in the future and the plan God may have for their lives. You can suggest thinking about the talents God has already given them and what kind of job they would be best at or maybe where God may have them live someday. You then could hang them all together on the wall. You could pair this craft with the Dr. Seuss devotional above.
Balloon PDF

Craft: What’s in your heart?
With this activity students will cut out a heart shape from construction paper. On one side of the heart students will write words that describe a heart that does not please God (lying, stealing, disobedience, cheating, bullying, etc.). On the other side students will write words that describe a heart that pleases God (obedient, honest, faithful, kind, serves others, joyful, etc.). Have Scriptures available to direct them to Godly attitudes.
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Unit: Love and Obey God

Session Title: David and Jonathan

Life Point: Good and bad things happen to people, but God always love them.

Unit Verse: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me.” Psalm 17:6

Weekly Bible Verse: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.” John 13:34

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-4;20

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Craft: Arrows and Quivers
The kids can make their own arrows and quiver. The quivers made on the below website were made out Pringles cans but you could do it with other types of containers as well. This looks like a fun activity. Note: The idea is towards the bottom on the below website.
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Craft: Mini Bow and Arrows
Kids will love this craft. Please let us know by tomorrow if you need notched popsicle sticks, dental floss and Q-tips for this craft because we do not have them in stock in the resource room and we’ll need time to purchase them before Sunday.
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Review Game
This review game will be very exciting; the kids have the opportunity to shoot an arrow! Have the kids answer one of the question from the lesson (you could print them on ARROWS to go along with the lesson) and then they will get the opportunity to shoot an arrow at the target! (The bow and arrow are a Nerf style product. You could purchase at Walmart.)
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Craft: Friendship Wreath
Have each kid make their handprint on a wreath made out of paper. You could have them sign their name on the handprint after it is dry. On the wreath write “friendship wreath” and hang it in the class to display.
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Food: Breakfast Arrow Skewers
This is for cupid’s arrows but will work for this lesson. Kids will love making these and eating them as you tell the lesson.
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Unit: Love and Obey God

Session Title: David and Goliath

Life Point: People can use their talents and abilities to please and honor God.

Unit Verse: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me.” Psalm 17:6

Weekly Bible Verse: “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:2

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 17:1-50

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Craft: Painted Stones and Sack
This site has a great craft for children and is pretty easy to do. There are also other ideas on this site for this lesson.
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Game: David Goliath Stone Game
The site below has all the instructions for this very easy game for your children to play. This would be a great early arriver game or closing activity while waiting for parents. You may want to make two sets if you have a bigger class.
Click here for more info

Activity: Hit Goliath with Marshmallows
Have the kids draw a large drawing of Goliath and then use marshmallows to try and hit him in the head. The site below has the easy instructions for this activity.
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Food: Stone Cookies
Very easy snack to put together. Instructions on the site below. * Don’t forget to post an allergy alert if you make these cookies. *
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Craft: Overcoming Obstacles Stones
The site below has all the instructions and the template for this craft. (This craft is more suited for older grades.)
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Conversation: IMPACT
Talk to your kids about IMPACT (our Wednesday night program). Explain that IMPACT is where they get to do exactly what our bible lesson is talking about this week, using your talents for God. Have the kids in your class that have been to IMPACT share what they have learned and how they have used their talents for the Lord.

Unit: Love and Obey God

Session Title: God’s Plan for David

Life Point: God has a plan for each person.

Unit Verse: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me.” Psalm 17:6

Weekly Bible Verse: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me.” Psalm 17:6

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 16

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Craft: Crown
Make a crown and then you can act out the story or crown each of your children to be king or queen like David was anointed to be king.
Crown PDF

Game: Guess What You Hear?
In this game students will guess what is making the sound they hear. This game will reinforce the idea that God hears when we pray to him. Instructions are on the website below
Click here for more info

Game: Telephone
Have the children sit in a circle, or around the table. Start with one child and whisper one of the phrases shown below into his or her ear. Have that child whisper the same phrase into the ear of the child to his or her left, and continue around the circle until the last child is told the phrase. Then have the last child say what he or she heard out loud to see how close it was to the original phrase.

Phrases:
God will always hear our prayers
It makes Jesus very happy when we pray
If we ask anything in Jesus’ name, He will do it
We can pray anytime morning, noon, or night

Compare this game to how when we pray, God hears exactly what we mean to say, even when we don’t say it exactly the way we want.
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Food: Sheep Cupcakes
This site shows how to make really cute sheep cupcakes. * Don’t forget to post an allergy alert. **Note it is from a catholic website**
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Craft: Paper Plate Sheep
Kids make sheep out of paper plates, cotton balls and clothes pins. The picture below should show you pretty well how to make this craft. This would be best for younger grades.
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Craft: Make a Harp
Website below shows how to make a harp like David would play! Easy craft to put together with template on the website.
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Craft: Candy Cane Staff
I don’t know if you will be able to find candy canes this time of year, but if you can this a really cute craft! We should have twine in the resource room but I am not sure how much.
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Food: Cheerio Sheep
Fun little sheep to make for the kids to eat. * Don’t forget to post an allergy alert.
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Unit: Love and Obey God

Session Title: King Saul

Life Point: God holds people responsible for their choices.

Unit Verse: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me.” Psalm 17:6

Weekly Bible Verse: “The Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and under-standing.” Proverbs 2:6

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 9-10;11:12-15;13:1-15;15

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Craft: Crown
Make a crown and then you can act out the story or crown each of your children to be king or queen like Saul was anointed to be king.
Crown PDF

Craft: Paint Stick King Saul
A cute activity for kids to make to a King Saul. We do not have a large supply of paint sticks so you will need to go to a paint store and see if they will donate. * This craft is originally for the three wise men but you can adapt it for this lesson. *
Click here for more info

Game: Guess What You Hear?
In this game students will guess what is making the sound they hear. This game will reinforce the idea that God hears when we pray to him. Instructions are on the website below
Click here for more info

Game: Telephone
Have the children sit in a circle, or around the table. Start with one child and whisper one of the phrases shown below into his or her ear. Have that child whisper the same phrase into the ear of the child to his or her left, and continue around the circle until the last child is told the phrase. Then have the last child say what he or she heard out loud to see how close it was to the original phrase.

Phrases:
God will always hear our prayers.
It makes Jesus very happy when we pray.
If we ask anything in Jesus’ name, He will do it.
We can pray anytime morning, noon, or night.

Compare this game to how when we pray, God hears exactly what we mean to say, even when we don’t say it exactly the way we want.
Click here for more info

Unit: From the Start

Session Title: Abram and Lot

Life Point: God created people able to think and solve problems.

Unit Verse: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

Weekly Bible Verse: “Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters.” Romans 12:10

Bible Passage: Genesis 13

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Activity: Circle of Love
Give each child a piece of paper and have them draw a circle on it and write My Circle of Love around the edge. Challenge them to make their circles larger by including someone who may have been shut out of their circle. Encourage the children to talk to their families about their circles of love and together think of a person to whom they have not shown love. Suggest that they write the person’s name outside the circle. Challenge the children to treat that person with love no matter how he or she acts, as Abram did for Lot, and see if by next week they can put the person’s name inside their circle of love. (If you use this activity, be sure to follow up next week to see if the children accomplished their goal.)
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Object Lesson: Tea
To illustrate how we become “desensitized” to sin, bring a clear glass of water, and a tea bag. Share how the water is clean and pure. Now put the tea bag in the water. Notice how the water starts to become cloudy and dirty. When we are around sin a lot, we become used to it and over time, we begin to sin also. Share how we must try to do right and follow God all the time—at church, at school, at home, everywhere! Talk about how we need to walk away from it right away so we don’t become desensitized to it.
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Memory Verse Game: OOPS
Write the verse on the board. Then line the students up shoulder to shoulder. If you have a bigger class you might want to get them into two groups. The point of the game is to be kind to each other and let one person speak at a time. Any one in the line can start the verse then the idea is to get all the way to the end of the verse one word at a time, but no one can say two words in a row, and no two people can say a word at the same time. If two people speak at the same time, we’ll all say “Oops!” and say the whole verse together and then start again. Play until the group makes it through the verse at least once.
Source: Making Scripture Memory Fun

Game: Kindness Toss
The PDF gives you all the instructions on how to play this game.
Source: Big Book of Bible Games #2
Kindness Toss PDF

Way to Introduce the Lesson
Have cookies for the class. Make sure that there are some cookies that are crushed or broken. They should be obviously worse than the rest of the cookies. Pass the plate to each child and let him/her choose one. Then discuss why they chose the cookie they chose. Why didn’t they choose the crushed ones? “In today’s lesson, Abram and Lot had to make a choice. One got to choose first and he chose the “best” thing. Let’s see what happens.” Don’t forget to post an allergy alert!
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Craft: Get Along Cups

• Remind children of ways Abram and Lot got along. • Say: “We will make ‘Get Along Cups’ to take home. When you get along with your brother, sister, parents, and other family members or friends, you can get a bean from your parents to place in the cup. Try to fill your cup to show you are getting along with people.”
• Give each child a plastic cup and label. • Instruct: “Glue the label to your cup. Decorate your cup with the foam shapes and construction paper. Do not cover the label. Cut or tear pieces of construction paper to glue to your cup.” • Set materials on the table and allow children to decorate the cups. • Give each child a resealable sandwich bag as he finishes decorating. • Say: “Scoop 1⁄2 cup of beans into the bag to take home.” • Help each child close his bag and place it in the cup.
• Review: “When can you put a bean in your cup? (when you get along with someone) Who got along in our Bible story? (Abram and Lot) With whom can you get along? (Answers will vary.) With whom does God want us to get along? (everyone)
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Unit: From the Start

Session Title: Noah

Life Point: God loves and cares for families in all situations.

Unit Verse: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

Weekly Bible Verse: “Noah did everything that the Lord commanded him.” Genesis 7:5

Bible Passage: Genesis 6:9-8:19

Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): Click here

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Science Experiment: Rainbow in A Jar
This looks like a fun thing to do with the children and something they would enjoy watching you do. You maybe could do it with 2 groups if you have a larger class so everyone could see. All the instructions are on the website.
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Craft: God’s Promises Rainbow Craft
As your class reads and learns about Noah’s ark, you can make this simple craft to help your children make some of their own covenants. They can be promises between them and God, or between them and their parents.
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Craft: Ark Paper Plate Basket
The Noah’s Ark Paper Plate Craft is the perfect way to learn about Noah, his ark, the animals, and the lessons behind the story. Paper plate crafts are inexpensive ways to get creative, and this frugal find is beneficial in more than one way. Stay interested in this important lesson by designing your ark as you listen to the key plot points. You can even fill your craft project with animal crackers to make this a deliciously educational experience.
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Craft: Rainbow Ribbon Dancer
A fun craft for kids and they will love playing with it. All the instructions are on the website. (Disclaimer: Idea is from a Catholic website.)
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