Faith Books Week 3: Path of Life

Opening Activity:
     Encourage everyone to make their best parachute for their bendy person as they come into the class.  After parachutes are made, have everyone stand on their chairs to see whose parachute works the best.  Ask one volunteer to stand on their chair again with their parachute while another volunteer stands on their chair with a bendy person with no parachute.  Discuss what happens when they drop their person at the same time.
     Have a volunteer to read Psalm 1:6 "For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction."
     The Lord watches over us like our parachutes hovered over our bendy people.  The Lord helps us from falling when our path becomes troubled.  What are some ways the Lord is a parachute for us?

Scripture Tie-In:
    Pass out cards with four different scriptures to read and discuss as a group:  Luke 2:21-24, Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 4:1-11, and Philipines 2:5-11

Scrapbook Page Intro:
    Our scrapbook pages today will help us illustrate our Path of Life in Christ.  We start with a pine cone on our path.  Jesus' parents took him to the temple to be dedicated.  In this square we will describe what our parents did to help up on our path of faith.
     Our second and third squares are a watering can and a sun for us to fill in with things that helped us grow or things that showed how we were stepping out in faith.  We saw Jesus be baptized by John as a symbol of the start of His ministry.
     Our fourth square has a hoe beside it because sometimes God allows our path to be hoed up as we are tempted by Satan.  Jesus was an example how to deal with temptation as He continually responded to Satan with Words from Scripture.
     Our fifth square has a full grown tree to show us that as we grow into mature Christians we not only flourish but also can help create new pine cones for God's family.

Studying the Bible: Caution!

Opening Discussion (5 mins)

                 Stunt Man video

What are some problems we face when we go to read the Bible?

When we read the Bible, we need to read it for all it’s worth. Some people think that reading a verse or two is enough. It may be better than nothing, but it’s not the best way to study. Let’s test that theory.

Open your Bibles to Matthew 18:20. Whoever gets there first, wins a pair of our special Bible Explorer glasses!.

                What does that verse mean?

                How do you know it means that?

Most people quote that text as meaning that if Christians are together, then God is there with them. While that’s true, that’s not what the verse is talking about.

Instead, this text is talking about confronting people who sin. The essence of what Jesus is saying is, if a few of you gather to confront someone, and you are doing it in the way He's told you. You are doing it with His authority too. He says essentially: I’m there with you.

So…you see, taking one verse and picking it out of the ones around it can distort the meaning of the text. This is called taking a verse out of context. Another way of putting that is by saying we need to be able to understand where the author is coming from to get the full meaning of each verse. 

Let's do a visual example. I want one artist at each table to draw HALF a leaf. Now let's have all the artists come up front and see if anyone else's leaf will match up to yours? What are some of the problems we have? What are some of the different portrayals of leaves up here?

Break out (30 mins)

Tables with adults only can go through “How to Avoid Falling for Lies” sheet.

Tables with kids will work on two steps.

First the children at the table will each receive a Half a Monster sheet. They are to finish the drawing of the monster while the adults talk.

While the children draw, the adults will do the top section on the above "How to Avoid Falling for Lies" sheet.  Once they are done with that, they should invite the children to join them. First the children can share their monsters and talk about why they drew what they did. Discuss how they each drew something different because they all have different things/colors they like and want in a monster. Some are scary! while others are friendly.

Select an adult to lead the children through looking at Phil 4:13 by itself – I can do all thing through Him who strengthens me. Discuss what they think this means? How can they use it in their lives?  Then ask the children to open up their Bibles and read the section this verse was taken from. Ask: Who is speaking?  What is he speaking about? What does the verse really mean?

 If there is time, parents can lead their children thru the Exodus 14:10-18 exercise  on "How to Avoid Falling for Lies" on a level their children understand, or they can do this at home also.

Take Home: -  Summer Scripture Color By Number

Hall of Faith Lessons #7: Joshua

Lesson for Life: Following God or Men?  Joshua 24:15b – But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Faith Lesson:  Faith is following God into the impossible.  Hebrews 11:30 – By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.”

Intro Activity – Gravity Goo

How would you define a miracle?  What are some miracles you have read about in the bible?

Are we capable of defying the laws of nature on our own? Gravity Goo experiment (purchase via Amazon or Ebay)

Do experiment – does liquid normally do this? No because of gravity. When we see something like this that defies gravity, we are amazed because gravity is one of those things that we are powerless over. I’d love to fly like Superman – think I can?! No! Gravity keeps my feet on the ground. I’d like to keep this water from spilling (tip over a cup) but I can’t because I am not in charge of gravity. But someone in can and that’s God. He gave the creators of this Gravity Goo the recipe to defy gravity, and in our bible story today we will learn how he gave Joshua a surprising recipe to defy gravity today too.

Whole Group Activity: 

Flashback to before Joshua was a leader: the Israelites decide to follow men rather than God

Numbers 13:25-14:11

What were the miracles the people had seen so far as Moses helped them escape Egypt…? Remember last week

The result of the people’s lack of trusting God was God punishing all those present and said that only Joshua and Caleb would see the Promised Land

Fast forward 40 years later when Joshua is now leading the Israelites:  Who are the Israelites going to follow now?

God had just led this new group of Israelites through a flooded river so that they could experience an earth-defying miracle like their grandparents who passed through the Red Sea.

            Joshua 5:13-6:5

            Well what do you think? Are they going to listen to Joshua THIS time? Let’s break into groups and finish the story…

Following God’s Plan for our lives – Table Game Time

Each table has game materials and Instruction Sheet

Game cards will be copied on colored sheets:

Blue - Young Children Front and Young Children Back

Yellow - Adult and Older Front and Adult and Older Front

Green - All Ages Front

(for game board there are tons of free gameboards available online. Here is one.

The families with children are welcome to take a game home.

Bulletin Insert

Hall of Faith Lesson #6: Moses

Lesson for Life:  Building a foundation of faith.  Matthew 7:24-25  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

Faith Verse:  Hebrews 11:23 “It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.”

Moses Brainstorm:

Each table will have a Moses sheet of some kind.  As a group they are to fill the shape with as many thoughts about Moses as they can.  Discuss how many different stories we have learned about Moses.

Baby Moses Picture

Moses Splitting Water Picture

Moses with Commandments

Intro by sharing Life and Faith verse: Today we are going to see how important it is to be rooted in Christ is

Results of Building a Foundation of Faith : Breakout Time

 Do the  Tree of Faith Activity as a table. Here is a picture of a tree to use or they can draw their own.

End as a Whole Group

Share the different fruits the tables drew in step #5. Hang up the trees and close in prayer.

Bulletin Insert

Hall of Faith Lesson #5: Jacob

Lesson for Life:  Shake off your sins and change your ways to the rest of your life for God.  2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Faith Verse:  Hebrews 11:21 “It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.”

Lesson Activity Instructions:  (15 mins)

Today we are going to study Jacob. Anyone know what his name means?  Deceiver

What does that mean?

Well it took Jacob a LONG time to stop his destructive path of deception.

There is a lot of scripture to cover today and most of it is familiar, so we are going to have some fun and portray them for each other in skits.  You will notice there are 3 (or 4 depending on number of people present) doors labeled with a scene and the number of people needed for that scene.  In the room you will find costumes and copies of skits.  You have 10 minutes to practice and get ready to share your scripture in play-form.

Skit Part 1

Skit Part 2

Skit Part 3

Skit Part 4

(all rights for skits belong to Tanis Harms – refer to www.church-skits.com)

Whole Group Visual Activity: (20 minutes)

Groups will come out and watch/perform skits in order.  After each skit make a list of Deceptions and Who did them on a poster board as a whole group.

Game:  Shaking Off Sin Game  (10mins)

            Ask for 12 people who are willing to get their nose dirty to win for their team.  Divide into two groups. At one end of the room are two tables with a bowl of Vaseline and a pile of 12 cotton balls.  At another spot in the room is an empty table with a sign – Faith in God.  One person from each team will hold their hands behind their back, stick their nose in the Vaseline, stick their nose into the cotton balls and run to the other table, SHAKE OFF the cotton ball and kneel down behind the table/sign.  At that point the next person may go. The first team to get all their cotton balls to the Faith table wins.

Bulletin Insert

Faith Books Week 2: Mountaintops and Valleys

Opening Act : Popcorn Toss – Getting Closer to God

                Break group up into groups of two and give each group a bowl of popcorn. They start several feet apart and have to toss a piece of popcorn to their partner. After each toss they may step one step closer to each other until they are within arm’s reach.

                Discuss – what made it easier to reach your target: your partner? (getting closer) In what ways is this like trying to lean on God? (If you aren’t close to Him, you can’t feel His presence as well.) So in what ways can we draw closer to God?

Video: 9/11 Clip – Trading Bitterness for Peace

                Watch movie clip (4:12)  Link to purchase movie clip. Also available on Right Now Media

                Discuss questions at each table 5 mins ( handout)

Scrapbook Pages 2 and 3 – Drawing Close to God (James 4:8 printout)

                God’s Presence in your life – write down times when you felt the realness of God’s love – Mountaintop experiences – and share them with the people at your table

                God’s Absence in your life – write down times when you felt distant from God – Valley experiences – and share them with the people at your table

Hall of Faith Lesson #4: Abraham

Lesson for Life:  Keep your eyes on God and worship Him alone.  Romans 12:1-2a “ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Faith Verse:  Hebrews 11:8 “ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

Opening Game:  Going on to an unknown place 

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-3 (have a volunteer read)

God asked Abram to leave his home and to move. He didn’t tell Abram WHERE he was going. Let’s see how you do with a challenge like this. 

In the orange room there is a pile of things you could take on a vacation. Choose one person from your team to run into the room and select as many things as they can to take with your table. When you get back to your table, you have to dress up ONE of your team members to be ready to go on the trip we are going to send them on. You only have 10 seconds though to get your items and 1 minute to prepare your person– GO!

When everyone is back, have them pick up the number card in the middle of their table and look at a poster you now have visible – 1. Hawaii  2.  Alaska  3.  The Sahara desert  4.  The Amazon Rain Forest.  Have the room evaluate how prepared their traveler is.

Moving deeper into our Lesson: 

Remember last week we learned about Noah?  Why did God send the flood?  God had promised not to kill everyone again but He needed to bring His worshippers out to create a nation devoted to him.

Why do you think God asked Abram to do this? (There were too many distractions around him…even people in Abram’s FAMILY worshiped other gods so he would need to leave them too.)  Now even though Abram obeyed God, he did take someone outside his immediate family with him – Lot, his nephew.  Lot was a grown up…and God had NOT chosen him to leave because Lot had a weakness: he loved the things of the world sometimes more than God.

Whole Group Visual Activity: Skit with Abraham and Lot

Table Activities  

            Tables with elementary children: What is Important

      Tables with teens or no children: Worship Jenga & Jenga Slips

Bulletin Insert To put in bulletins for families and other members of congregations to participate at home with.