God our Father Creed #2

God Our Father

Entrance Craft for Kids: We made Father’s Day crafts with the kids as they came in.

Opening: Have notecard with quote and instructions to make a list on a clean sheet of paper the thoughts, words or images shared around the table: AW Tozer said, “The most important thing about you is what you think when you think about God.”

Our thinking is influenced by the world around us – our culture – our parents – our experiences and our church

Share what each table put on paper.

Transition: Our task today is to see God as OUR Father based on what the Bible tells us. A good place to start is to look at WHY it was controversial in the first place that not only Jesus but Christians called God “Father”.

When OT Jewish children were taught to pray, they were given 32 different titles to call God, and Father was NOT one of them…in fact it wasn’t until 10AD do we find a Jew calling God Father in Hebrew!

Matt:3:13-17 God claims Jesus

John 5:16-18 Jesus claims God

Table Time: Tables will work thru What Kind of Father worksheets – adults and older children will read the verse while children of all ages can draw the kind of father the verse shows us.

Large Group: What does it look like to accept God as our Father? Have various tables look up the following verses.

1.    1 John 3:16 Realize and Cherish the thought that God sent His Son Jesus for us

2.    John 3:16-17 See the Cross where God redeems our mess; where we KNOW God’s love for us

3.    Galatians 4:4-7 Receive our share as His children who will inherit His kingdom and love

4.    1 John 3:17-20 Love Others so as to pass on God’s blessings so other’s can see Him.

Take Homes:

Recommend Louie Giglio’s Seeing God as the Perfect Father

Journal on Giglio’s quote – “Remember God isn’t a bigger version of your earthly father. We are worshipping a PERFECT father.”

Craft for kids- Child of God necklace from Oriental Trading (their craft kits rotate so any Child of God craft project would work.)

Jesus is Christ - Creed #3

Opening: Jesus is the Best Gift Ever Object Lesson (based on pin from Group Publishing)

            Each table will have a tray with a large glass and then 4 Dixie cups with and labeled: honey, milk, dish soap and vegetable oil.

            The Bible tells us we should love Jesus Christ more than anything else – so He should always be the first thing in our life and hearts…someone at each table pour the vegetable oil into the glass

            There are other things in our lives that take our time and attention though – what are some? What do you think happens when I add other things to my life or glass? Someone at each table can pour in a second cup of their choice. Note that no matter what liquid we put in, the vegetable oil will rise and settle on top…this is the way our life is supposed to be also.

            Then there are the things other people in our families like to do with us and around us…sometimes these things change what I get to do with my time. Have someone else at the table pour in a cup of their choice. Again note the oil will rise to top.

            So why do you think the vegetable oil or Jesus always rises to the top of our hearts calling for our attention and wanting to be first?

Transition: Today we are going to learn about the title that is most used for Jesus in the NT and the first reference to Him in our Creed – One Lord Jesus Christ

            Jesus was the name given to Him at birth – Jesus of Nazareth

            Christ is His title – in Greek it means Messiah or the Anointed One

Read 2 verses: Philippines 2:10-11 and Matthew 16:16

Table Time: At our tables today we are going to play the Portrait of Christ game. Your goal is to collect one of each of the 5 Portrait Cards.

The writers of the NT and job of the disciples was to show people that Jesus was the Christ, and so they often referred to the prophecies in the OT. There are 5 basic traits of Jesus Christ the Messiah.

1.    Mediator of the New Covenant

2.    Suffering Servant to bear our sins

3.    Descendent of David to restore the Kingdom of Israel

4.    Heavenly Being sent to earth to judge

5.    High Priest to represent us before God

As you play the game, someone will read a Bible verse to you, and you have to decide which trait it represents.  If you guess correctly, you get that trait card.

Closing Time: Which Portrait was easiest for you to identify? What was something new that caught your attention today?

Take Homes: Life of Christ Kit for kids from Oriental Trading

                

Why a Creed of Faith - Creed #1

Opening: Have index cards on each table and as a group write down your top 3 things a Christian needs to believe

Groups have Creeds so all members are on the same page - ask for examples from groups they have been in. 

Example: Girl Scouts

1.    To serve God and my country

2.    Help people at all times

3.    Live by the GS Laws

Share table lists

Transition: So why are creeds important? We need to know what our Faith is in and all believe in the same thing to keep the church pure and true to Christ.

Faith T-Chart on white board or poster board

            Faith on top with Knowledge on bottom left ant Experience on bottom right

1.    Knowledge is what we know with our mind – There is a God but James 2:19

2.    Experience is what we experience with our senses – This becomes our testimony John 20:29

3.    These result in what our Faith is in – Believe not just IN God but believe GOD – Faith Hebrews 11:1

Nicene Creed

1^st written in 325 AD in Nicea in a meeting called by the Emperor Constantine (this was before the NT was even finalized) and then revised in 381 AD in Constantinople

Table Time: Creeds in the Bible

Have verse cards on each table and as a group write down the must-beliefs from each on a sheet of paper

            Jews used the Shema – Deuteronomy 6:4-9

            Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 8:6 and 1 Timothy 3:16

Have Believe color sheets for the younger children

Large Group Time: Why Study the Creed?

Peter warns us – 2 Peter 2:1-2

Paul warns us – Romans 16:17

Jesus warns us – Matthew 24:23-24

Take Homes

            Tetris Creed (color before making copy) http://looktohimandberadiant.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-creed-tetris.html

            Journals – What do you believe about God, about Jesus, about the Holy Spirit and about the church?