Names of God #12 - Pinna - Cornerstone

Ro’sh Pinna/Kephale Gonia – Chief Cornerstone

Open

Each table receives a bag of blocks which they will be using throughout the class. One block is a triangle. Ask each table to try to make a square using the triangle as one of the corners…does it work? Now have them replace the triangle with a square.

Explain the purpose of a Cornerstone – kept things straight when building.

Group Activity: Building Blocks

(As the leader takes the group through the following scriptures they will be creating a corner and 2 walls of a building. Start with the block that has “Pinna” on the left side and “Gonia” on the right

Ro’sh Pinna – Hebrew used in Psalms 18:22, Isaiah 28:16-17 and Zechariah 10:4

Kephale Gonia – Greek used in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10 and Luke 20:17 (all same), Acts 4:11, Eph 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6-7

                Some Greek translate to Capstone – discuss difference

Psalm 118:22 to Luke 20:17 and Acts 4:11

Psalm is celebrating God’s love and the everlasting security found in it – His love endures forever. Read Psalm 118:19-23

                Jesus quotes this as He is explaining the Parable of the Evil Farmer in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke – Read Luke 20:0-19

                Note: Ideally your build on a cornerstone (or use a capstone to hold it all together) But some trip and fall on it…You have a choice: Confess your sins and place them on the Cornerstone/Jesus or you can Stumble on Him…resulting in receiving His judgement/being crushed. Leaders saw the Truth and so they wanted to Silence him!

                Peter and John use this same quote when they are testifying on where their power comes from after they were arrested for healing – Read Acts 4:1-12

Isaiah 28:16-17

                Background to Isaiah 28 – Judah was afraid of the Assyrians so they had turned to other sources for security…Is it work selling out what you believe in for temporary protection against evil?

                Read Isaiah 28: 14-19 – discuss

Pulling them together with 1 Peter 2:6-7

                Prophecies fulfilled in Jesus – Read 1 Peter 2:4-10. Each of us is a stone on the wall – write your names in a stone

                

            Each bag of blocks has 4 rectangle blocks with the words Justice, Righteous, Mercy and Judge. Tables need to decide which wall of their building, Old Testament or New Testament, illustrates these characteristics of Jesus.

Take Home Names of God Crossword Puzzle http://www.biblewise.com/kids/fun/and-his-name.php

Names of God #11 - Immanuel - God With Us

Opening Skit:

Option 1: Missing the point of Christmas (From Tony Evans video) Man walks in and sees his cousin sitting at the bar with a glass of alcohol. He walks up and orders a glass of water. He takes out a tube with 2 worms, putting one in each cup. He asks his cousin how his week has been, etc. After about 2 minutes he notes that the worm has died in the cup of alcohol but is still alive and well in the cup of water. He asks his cousin if he understands what this mean. His cousin replies – YES! If I keep drinking alcohol I won’t get worms!!

Option 2: Mother and Daughter – Daughter is singing secular Christmas carols on the floor waiting for mom. Mom walks in with an arm full of presents and the daughter jumps up all excited saying presents presents presents! Mom talks to her about why we give presents at Christmas, to show our love, to remember the gift God gave us, etc. The daughter pauses and then asks for the mother’s hat (which she is wearing). She runs from the room and comes back with a present for the mom. When the mom opens the present it is her hat!

Immanuel – means “God with us”

                Used in Isaiah 9:6 and Matthew 1:23

Group Activity: 3 W’s of God with us all year round

(Children get to make candles of their choice…fun to see different versions…and they will be writing on each one. With each candle the group will sing a Christmas carol. Take time to look at the words – the meanings in each one.)

                Candle #1: Welcome – Sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

Behind “Welcome” write  “Baby AND the King” (point –many come to church on Christmas because they are in awe of Jesus as a baby, yet they don’t want to submit to Jesus the King or let Him be Lord of their life.)

                Candle #2: Worship – Sing “O Come All Ye Faithful”

Behind “Worship” write “Today and with my life” (point – we are to worship Christ all year long with everything we do – have people share ways they do this)

                Candle #3: Witness – Sing “Go Tell It on the Mountain”

Behind “Witness” write “Action and Words”and share ways that people have witnessed to others recently.

Take Home: Have Nativity scene craft from Oriental Trading (changes from year to year their options) and write “Immanuel” on the hay in the manger.

Names of God #10 - Jehovah Rohi - Shepherd God

Open

Shepherding game with ballons and ping pong paddles (children try to head "sheep" balloons from one end of the room to the other)

Sheep are like balloons: dumb – defenseless – dirty and can’t clean self – dependent (need to be led)

Jokes for kids: 

                Why was the sheep arrested on the freeway? For making an illegal ewe-turn

                What do you get when your pet sheep takes Karate? A Lamb chop

 Jehovah Rohi-  

                                Jehovah Rohi – Sherpherd God

                                VERB – action – TO SHEPHERD; to tend

                                The root = a friend or companion – the Lord is my friend

Psalm 23

                Kids have craft on Psalm 23 (again, the scratch off I used is no longer available, but another option is here from Oriental Trading)

                All of us go through Verse 1; then tables go thru remainder using worksheet

The Lord is my shepherd

                Start by reading it emphasizing one word at a time

The Lord              Who is your Shepherd?

                             What are you letting guide you?

IS                          God is PRESENT

MY                        He’s a personal God – has an individual relationship with me

                               He knows what I need

                               He calls me by name

Shepherd            He takes care of ME

I shall not want – discuss

Table Worksheets – Verse by Verse

Discuss together after

  

Is the Lord Your Shepherd

                How do you know if the Lord is your Shepherd?

                John 10:1-18; 25-28 and 1 John 2:3-6

                Sheep KNOW their Shepherd – they recognize His voice – the Truth

                Sheep FOLLOW their Shepherd – they OBEY him

                What did Jesus say about entering the sheepfold?

                What is a good Shepherd willing to do for His sheep?

                What are we reassured of in vs 28? **note the no one else can snatch you  - yet it’s your decision to follow/stay

Take Home:

Other Shepherd psalms Psalm 22 – Psalm of the Good Shepherd – Laying Down your life and Psalm 24 Psalm of the Chief Shepherd – Jesus coming again

Name of God #9 - Jehovah Tsur - the Lord is My Rock

Open

Option #1: Have cement blocks with rope tied between – the kids try to walk across the valley

                Then kids walk across rocks to reach the other side

                Compare/Contrast…ropes and sand are fun to play in but not secure…rocks are sure footing

Option #2: Have pillows on each table and building blocks. Everyone needs to help build a (hollow) house on top of the pillow. The group leader walks around as visiting and bumps various tables to see if the house can withstand the "storm."

                 Tables can then put the pillow on the floor and build a new house on top of the table.

Jehovah Tsur – the Lord is my Rock

                                First used by Moses in his song in Deuteronomy 32; also used by Hannah in her song of Thanksgiving in 1 Sam 2:2 and in SEVERAL Psalms

Building on the Rock – Matthew 7:24-27

                Read together

                Discuss what it means

                First line – those who “hear these words of Mine and act on them…” So what were Jesus’ words to build on?

Praising the Lord our Rock

                Young kids will go to back room to learn “Jesus is The Rock and He Rolls my Blues Away” (option to have the children sing the song to open the worship service)

                Handout on Songs in the Bible: Hannah’s 1 Sam 2:2 (worksheet answers)

Take Home:

                Craft (I used one from Oriental Trading which is no longer available.) 

Name of God #8 - Jehovah Rapha - God the Healer

Open

Lemon water in pitcher with dixie cups…imagine traveling for 3 days with no water and you finally see WATER – YEAH!!! But…taste it..EWWWWWW! This is what happens to the Egyptians in our story today

                Jehovah Rapha -              

                         First spoke by Moses in Exodus 15:22-26

                         Used 5 other times in OT; while Healer used several times throughout both OT and NT

Exodus 15:22-26

                Background – 3 days since parting of Red Sea; 3 days of traveling with no water

                Read story

1.       Complaining= Bitter Hearts

2.       God was testing them – WHY?

a.       Tests are to see if you paid attention to what you have learned

b.      Opportunity to show something new – We will miss what God wants to show us if we are complaining through the test

c.       What did God ask for BEFORE He would help? (Obedience)

3.       God’s unusual solution

a.       Stick in water (remember Moses raised stick to part waters)

b.      Stir your water with the (sugar) sticks at your table 

God’s Medicine and Reward

1.        When has been a time you have been mad at God for something?

2.       Has there been a time when you were tired of waiting for God or didn’t like what was happening so you took things into your own hands?

3.       Video Clip from Tony Evans, Knowing the Names of God series on Media Shout Jehovah Rapha 35:10-44:05

(children can color during video)

4.       Proverbs 4:20-22 (What is it that will be life and health? How has the Word of God given you health?) and Jer 3:17

5.       Exodus 15:27

6.       Try your water now!

7.       Prayer/Activity to let God heal our bitter hearts

Service Project

          Have cards and names of shut ins from the church family on each table along with handouts with Bible verses for healing. Ask each table to write notes of encouragement on the card while the children draw their own picture or include one of the pictures they colored during video time.