Get Ready - Vacation Bible School

Transcription

L E A D E R ’ S
TA RY
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EN
& PRETE
ISBN 978-0-7847-7798-5
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03 0096
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VacationBibleSchool.com
020903016
G U I D E
BIBLE STORIES
LEADER’S GUIDE
for S.S. Discovery
What Happens at S.S. Discovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Setting Up and Decorating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Additional Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Getting to Know Elementary and Preteen Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Leading Kids to Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
SESSION 1
SESSION 2
SESSION 3
SESSION 4
SESSION 5
God KNOWS Me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
God knows Noah’s heart.
Genesis 6–9
God HEARS Me!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
God hears Jonah pray.
Jonah 1–3
God STRENGTHENS Me!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Jesus strengthens Peter in the storm.
Matthew 14
God LOVES Me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Jesus loves the disciples—and everyone!
John 21
God SENDS Me!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
God sends Paul to tell His story.
Acts 13 & 14
Bible Stories Leader’s Guide for S.S. Discovery is published by Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio,
www.standardpub.com. Copyright © 2015 by Standard Publishing. All rights reserved. Printed in the United
States of America. Permission is granted to the original purchaser of this material to
reproduce this book for ministry purposes only—not for resale.
Deep Sea Discovery Team: Lindsay Black, Karen Cain, Laura Derico,
Standard Publishing Creative Services Team, Phil VanMilligan—theme design,
Kristina Fenimore—cover design, James Bernardin—illustrations.
What Happens at
S.S. Discovery
S.S. (Scripture Search)
Discovery helps kids experience each exciting Bible story
in a new and relevant way. Kids
take an active role in everything
that goes on, from the minute
they arrive until they move on. They’ll be challenged to KNOW, EXPLORE, and
SERVE as they see God’s presence in the lives of Bible people—and their own!
GET STARTED
Look through this guide and get an idea of how things will work at your site. You will
want to select a room or area that is large enough to allow kids to move around and
participate in the activities. Your area should also be small enough that the decorations
are effective, and not too spread out. Find a spot that works for what you want to do.
GET HELP
Team up with creative volunteers who love to be around kids. You’ll need helpers to
plan, prepare, and pull off the activities. Crew leaders will also be present to engage
kids during the small group time. Talk early and often with your team. The more
prepared you all are, the more smoothly things will go.
GET A PLAN
S.S. Discovery is set up so that kids dive right into the
action. When they arrive, kids will mark their Diver’s
Logs and begin to explore an ancient shipwreck. You
will start out with a Welcome and Intro Activity that
helps them relate to the characters and main idea of
each Bible story. This part of the session should only
take 5 minutes.
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
Next comes the Bible Story Activity. Kids will be involved in a wide variety of roles
to hold their attention and engage their imagination. You’ll need to allow about 10
minutes for the Bible story.
Point to Jesus is a quick connection between each Bible story and the gospel message. It is also a great transition to the optional Application Activity, which can be
done with crew leaders at any time during the day, if time is short.
You’ll wrap up with a 10-minute Crew Review
with Student Pages. During this time, kids will
huddle up in small groups to talk about what
it means to know that God is with them.
Crew leaders will use Elementary and/
or PreTeen Student Books to lead kids in
reviewing the Bible story, talking about
God’s presence and what it means to
them, and challenging them to choose
a way to serve God by serving others.
Discovery Wristbands are a great take-home
reminder of each day’s theme.
End each session with a Closing Prayer, reminding kids how and why they can
always count on God.
GET GOING!
Read through the rest of this guide to help you with decoration ideas, additional
resources, and more. Get familiar with what you’ll
do and say each session. The more secure you
are, the more you can focus on the kids,
helping them discover that God is with
them wherever they go!
BIBLE STORIES LEADER’S GUIDE
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Setting Up . . .
Once you’ve chosen a room or area for S.S. Discovery, make the most of your
space by:
• Eliminating extra clutter. Remove anything you won’t be using (books, toys,
desks, etc.). These extra items are just a distraction. Take them out of the room until
VBS is over. (If you are at all worried about returning things to their proper spots,
take pictures to use as a reference.)
• Organizing your supplies. Think about the things you’ll need for every session
(Bibles, pens or pencils, etc.). Get more than you think you’ll need, and keep them
together in a convenient place.
• Looking for safety hazards. This seems obvious, but many people overlook things
like dangling cords on blinds, extension cords on the floor, or bookcases that can
easily tip over. Take a few extra minutes to rid your area of anything that could be
even potentially harmful.
• Praying! OK, this isn’t really under the “setting up and decorating” category—but it’s
by far the most important thing you can do to prepare. Pray every day for the kids
you’ll reach, the team you’ll work alongside, and for the message you’ll share.
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
. . . and Decorating
When your area is clear and organized, transform
it into an underwater adventure by:
• Clearly marking the entrance. Use the S.S.
Discovery poster from the Site Names Poster
Pack to direct crews to your site.
• Decorating the room. Have a box of snorkels, flippers,
masks, and goggles for kids to try on. Use furniture, chairs, and cardboard boxes
to create parts of a wrecked ship (like a shipwreck-themed blanket fort using
blankets in shades of dark green, blue, and black). Use pool noodles and crepe
paper to create seaweed-covered ship masts. Include a treasure
chest of some kind where you can store Bibles and other props.
See the Decorating Resource Pack and digital Decorating Guide for
specific ideas and instructions. Be sure to check out our Standard
Publishing VBS Pinterest boards for these ideas and many more.
• Adding sound effects. Maybe not a true
“decoration,” but sound effects definitely
enhance any experience. Find underwater
sound effects on the Decorating & Publicity CD (or find your own on YouTube). The
Elementary & PreTeen CD from the Age-Level
Resources Disc Set contains sound effects
that will be used during the presentation of
each day’s Bible story.
• Illustrating the Bible story. Give kids a
concrete image of each day’s story by
displaying the artwork in the Bible Story
Poster Pack.
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Additional Resources
for S.S. Discovery
DIVER’S LOGS
As they arrive each day at S.S. Discovery, kids will track
their deep sea discoveries with these colorful, interactive
pieces. As kids experience God’s presence throughout
the Bible, they can record where they went, who they
saw, and what they learned. There’s even space for their
names and photos! Use with Daily Theme Stickers.
STUDENT BOOKS AND
WRISTBANDS
After experiencing each Bible story, kids will
break into small groups for some life application. The Elementary and PreTeen Student
Books will help crew leaders make the
most of this crucial time together, helping
kids use the Bible story to make their own
meaningful real-life discoveries.
Crew leaders will use the student books to
lead kids in:
• reviewing the Bible story,
• understanding God’s presence and what it means in their lives, and
• challenging them to choose a way to serve God by serving others.
When crews are done or time runs out, ask
kids to fold both student book pages and put
them in their 3-in-1 Lanyard pouches to keep
until they go home. Discovery Wristbands are
a great take-home reminder of each
daily theme, and should be distributed
during application time.
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
TEACHING RESOURCES
The Elementary & PreTeen CD in the Age-Level Resources
Disc Set (found in your Deep Sea Discovery Kit) contains
TONS of extra teaching resources for the S.S. Discovery site.
These include:
• PDFs of Elementary/PreTeen Leader’s Guides and Cards
• Bible story sound effects
• Bible monologues for each session
• patterns and signs
• family newsletters
• options and adaptations for teaching kids with special needs
• Bible memory games, age level characteristics, and additional
teaching resources
BIBLE STORY POSTERS
The Bible Story Poster Pack contains beautiful, full-color images to engage kids as
they learn from God’s Word.
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Getting to Know
Elementary and Preteen Kids
Everyone is different, of course; but as you interact with kids who visit your site,
keep these things in mind:
ELEMENTARY KIDS . . .
• touch, handle, and explore everything.
• are eager to learn and ask a lot of questions.
• think in concrete terms, not abstract.
• can have trouble controlling their behavior.
• love attention and will show off or act silly to get it.
• think prayer is important.
• think of Jesus as their friend.
• understand that they can choose right or wrong.
PRETEEN KIDS . . .
• need activity and opportunities to move.
• are beginning to understand abstract and
symbolic thinking.
• see themselves as young adults.
• crave respect and empowerment
from adults.
• desire to have their opinions
heard and respected.
• are highly sensitive to peer
pressure.
• are receptive to God’s offer of salvation.
• need caring, consistent adult role models
to disciple them and help them grow in
their faith.
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
ELEMENTARY AND PRETEEN KIDS WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS . . .
• have many of the same characteristics as other kids
their age, yet are limited by their disability.
• can become easily frustrated by their limitations.
• can be lonelier than average kids because they have
fewer social opportunities.
• may have difficulty expressing loneliness and frustration because of
language or cognitive delays.
• desire a place where they can be appreciated for who they are.
• need a space where they can make social mistakes with grace and
acceptance.
• have gifts and abilities that aren’t as easy to recognize as in
typically functioning kids.
• oftentimes, more than anything, they need a friend.
SO TEACH THEM BY . . .
• getting to know them and finding out about their special interests.
• surrounding them with a feeling of love and friendship.
• planning ahead for a teen or adult volunteer to serve as a Diving Buddy
to that child. (See the Elementary & PreTeen CD from the Age-Level
Resources Disc Set for more info.)
• modifying suggested activities or offering alternatives as described on the
Elementary & PreTeen CD from the Age-Level Resources Disc Set.
• talking ahead of time with kids about their disabilities and the needs they
might have.
• making group discussions concrete and simple by asking short questions
and allowing kids to answer last or not at all.
• telling them at every opportunity that they are made in God’s image and that
you are glad God brought them to your group.
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Leading Kids to Christ
One of the greatest joys of teaching is the opportunity to participate with kids
as they begin thinking about salvation decisions. These suggestions will help
you discuss salvation with them:
• Use concrete terms. Kids don’t think abstractly. Use words that are
accurate, comfortable, and appropriate.
• Talk and listen. Talking, questioning, thinking, and praying together
will help you know a young person’s desire and readiness for this
important step.
• Share with parents. The best person to determine if a kid
is ready to make a decision is the Christian parent.
• Seek direction from the Holy Spirit. He knows every kid’s heart.
• Share Bible verses. Consider John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31-33;
Romans 10:9, 13; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:36-38; Ephesians 2:8, 9;
Revelation 2:10; Matthew 24:13.
• Talk to kids individually. Avoid situations in which peer pressure
can influence this vital decision.
You will, of course, have kids in your program who don’t come from Christian homes.
As you nurture the faith of these kids, don’t forget to include their parents as well.
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
Session 1
LIFE FOCUS God
God’s
KNOWS
Love IsMe!
INCREDIBLE!
BIBLE STORY God
Godknows
hears Israel
Noah’sand
heart.
sends an
unlikely hero.
(Genesis
6–9)(Exodus 3:1–4:17)
BIBLE MEMORY Psalm
Psalm139:1
86:5
Bible Story Overview
The world God created had become full of wickedness
and sin. God’s heart was broken as He looked across
His masterpiece and saw only darkness—except for
one righteous man named Noah.
Noah “walked with God,” and God had a plan to save
him. God told Noah to build an ark and to fill it with
two of every kind of animal. For 40 days, the heavens
poured forth to cleanse the earth and bring a new
beginning. But “God remembered Noah” and cradled
the ark in His hands. Months later, Noah, his family,
and the animals walked off the ark onto a newly restored world.
A rainbow lit up the sky as a promise that God would never again destroy the earth
through a flood. Noah worshipped the God who saved him, the God who saw him,
the God who knew him.
And God KNOWS us too! The good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful . . . He looks into
our hearts and sees it all. Some of it pleases Him. Some of it hurts Him. But He loves
us just the same, walking with us wherever we go.
USE THESE ACTIVITIES TO HELP KIDS:
• KNOW that God knows them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God sees everything they do.
• SERVE God by doing the right thing.
Today you’ll help kids begin to understand God’s presence in their lives. Even in the midst
of life’s chaos, confusion, and struggle, God’s eye is on them—not because He’s waiting
for them to mess up, but because He cares about even the small things in their lives. Take
the time to help kids feel seen and valued. Call them by name, look them in the eye, and
offer encouraging words. Show them they are special to you—and to God.
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Session 1 • God KNOWS Me!
Get Ready
• Mark a Bible at Genesis 6 and hide it in your Bible story area.
• Print from the Elementary & PreTeen CD the If You Build It printable file, which
consists of three sheets of instructions. Gather the supplies for each sheet.
• Plug in the fan, using an extension cord so that it can move about the room.
Clear an empty space on one wall and a large
area on the floor.
• Cue the Elementary & PreTeen CD to track 1
(thunderstorm). Have it ready to play during
the Bible story. This will be most effective if
you have an assistant starting and stopping
the sound effects.
YOU’LL NEED
m Bible
m Elementary & PreTeen CD from
Age-Level Resources Disc Set
m CD player (or laptop computer)
m Daily Theme Stickers
m Diver’s Logs
m large sheets of cardboard
m scissors
m duct tape
m masking tape
m brooms
m mops
m colored ribbon
m colored card stock
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
m washable markers
m yarn
m small paper plates (red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, purple)
m cardboard boxes labeled “food”
m spray bottle of water
m large fan
m extension cord
m Elementary and/or PreTeen Student
Books
m pens or pencils
m session 1 poster from Bible Story
Poster Pack
m Discovery Wristbands
m (optional: diving gear)
Welcome And Intro
If You Build It . . .
As kids arrive, greet them with enthusiasm, calling out names whenever possible. Remain outside your room until indicated. ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery?
(God KNOWS me and is with me!) Great job! Welcome to the Scripture Search
Discovery—or S.S. Discovery, for short. Just inside these doors lies an ancient
shipwreck filled with mysteries and clues. Who wants to help me explore it? Let
kids respond. Awesome! What do you say we dive in and check it out? But first
we need to mark your Diver’s Logs! Distribute today’s stickers and let kids add
them to the appropriate spot in their Diver’s Logs. If kids would like, let them put on
various pieces of diving gear (flippers, goggles, etc.) before going inside the room.
Special Needs Tip: For kids with anxiety or other special needs, reassure
them that they will not have to dive or go underwater. They are pretending, and
everyone will be safe.
Enter the room together and encourage kids to “discover” the Bible somewhere in the
wreckage. Open it and invite a volunteer to read aloud Genesis 6:5-8. SAY: Noah . . .
that name sounds familiar. Has anybody heard of Noah before? Kids respond by
showing hands or making brief comments. The Bible tells us that out of the whole
wicked world, God had His eye on Noah. He saw what Noah said and what he did.
In fact, God saw right into Noah’s heart. God knew that Noah was a good man
who followed Him. The Bible says that Noah walked with God. That means Noah
did his best to live the way God wanted him to. God had a special plan for Noah—
and I have a special plan for you!
Divide kids into three groups. Give each group an instruction sheet from the printable
file, as well as the supplies listed on each sheet. Then send each group to a different area of the room, but don’t tell kids what they will be making! Simply tell them to
follow the instructions. (For your reference, one group will be building a boat. Another
group will be constructing animals. The last group will be making a rainbow.) Let kids
work for several minutes, helping them as needed, but always referring them back
to the instruction sheets. SAY: You did a pretty good job of following the instructions you were given. Let’s see how well Noah followed the instructions God
gave him.
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Bible Story Activity
God Knows Noah’s Heart
Have kids sit down in the center of the room. Invite a volunteer to read aloud Genesis
6:13, 14. SAY: An ark is a giant boat. Many of us already know about Noah and
the ark. We know what’s coming—a flood! But Noah didn’t know that. He had
never seen a flood before! But Noah followed God’s instructions. Why? Let
kids respond. God was right about Noah. He did love God, and he did what God
said. Noah worked nearly 100 years on that boat! His friends and neighbors
must have thought he’d lost his mind. Who builds a giant boat in the middle of
nowhere? Pause for just a moment. Noah. And God was with him every moment.
Invite kids to go inside the boat that the first group built; then continue.
SAY: When the ark was finally finished, God had more instructions for Noah. Invite
a volunteer to read aloud Genesis 7:1-5. Imagine what that would have looked like!
Animals as far as you could see, coming together and boarding this boat! Noah
didn’t have to roam around and chase them—they came on their own! And it took
seven days for all of them to get inside. Lions and sheep, tigers and deer, cats
and dogs—animals that are usually enemies lined up together peacefully to climb
aboard their new home, just as God had planned. Have kids bring the broomstick
animals inside the ark. Add cardboard boxes labeled “food” until kids are packed in
pretty tightly. Then ASK: So now what? Ah, yes! The flood.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud Genesis 7:17, 18. SAY: This wasn’t just any rain
shower! The skies opened and springs from the deepest parts of the oceans
burst forth. It was loud and probably pretty scary! Let’s imagine what it might
have sounded like. Have kids slap the tops of their own legs repeatedly to make the
sound of driving rain. Play track 1 (thunderstorm). Then use the spray bottle to squirt
kids with water (being aware of those kids who might not want to get wet).
SAY: Rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights. The whole earth was flooded. And it
stayed like that for five long months! What do you think it was like inside the ark?
How do you think Noah and his family felt? Let kids respond. Noah didn’t know
what was going on. His family didn’t know either. Were they going to live like this
forever? What if they ran out of food? What if the tigers decided to eat them
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
for dinner? Noah didn’t have all the answers—in fact he didn’t have any of the
answers. But he knew what he needed to know. Noah knew God was with him.
Invite a volunteer to read aloud Genesis 8:1. SAY: God remembered Noah. Not in
the “Oops! I forgot that guy was there!” kind of way. God remembered Noah in
the “My man, Noah. He sure does love me” kind of way. God loved Noah too.
And He wasn’t finished yet. Turn the fan on high, aiming it at the kids inside the ark
(being sensitive to kids who may not enjoy this). After a few moments, turn off the fan.
SAY: By the time the water dried up, Noah, his family, and all the animals had been
on the ark more than a year! The ark settled in the mountains of Ararat. Have kids
repeat the word Ararat. God told Noah to bring his family and the animals out of the
ark. Do you think they were ready to get out? Let kids respond. I bet you are too!
Have kids leave the ark and take a seat close to the rainbow made earlier. ASK: How
do you think Noah and his family felt as they walked onto solid ground? Let kids
respond. Then SAY: I’m sure they were thrilled to get out of that cramped, smelly
ark. But I wonder if they were also sort of sad for all the people who weren’t
on the ark with them—people who didn’t know and follow God. We don’t know
everything that they felt. But we do know they were grateful that God was with
them and that He saved them. Noah built an altar to thank God and show Him
how much he loved Him.
SAY: And God showed His love for Noah too. Invite a volunteer to read aloud
Genesis 9:13-15. Then refer to the Bible story poster as you continue. God made a
promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood. He told Noah to remember that promise every time a rainbow stretched across the sky. And we can
remember too! When we see a rainbow, we can think about Noah and how God
saw his heart. We can think about how Noah followed God’s instructions, even
when he didn’t understand them. We can think about how God was with Noah
during a long and probably scary time. And we can think about how God never
stopped thinking about Noah. God knew Noah inside and out—and He knows
you too! God KNOWS you and is with you wherever you go.
POINT TO JESUS
Tie today’s story into the gospel message. SAY: God knows us and sees everything we are and everything we do—including the wrong things we think, say,
and do. But He loves us anyway! God loves us so much that He sent His only
Son, Jesus, to come to earth and take the punishment for our sin. If we accept
Jesus as our Savior, God doesn’t see or remember the bad things we’ve done.
We get a brand-new start!
15
APPLICATION ACTIVITY
(If you don’t have time for the application activity, crew leaders can do this with kids
during another free part of the day.) Have kids sit in a circle and play a game to
see how well they know you. Start off by asking a simple question, such as “What’s
my name?” Let kids respond. Then ask a few questions that kids can easily guess.
(“What color is my shirt?” “Do I wear glasses?” “What state do I live in?” etc.) Then
move on to a few harder questions. (“What’s my favorite TV show? etc.) Next, ask
questions that only a close friend would know. (“What makes me sad?” “Why couldn’t
I sleep last night?” “What’s my biggest fear?”) Lastly ask kids, “What am I thinking
right now?” Obviously nobody can know what’s in another person’s brain! Explain that
God knows! He knows our thoughts, feelings, fears, joys—He knows it all because
He made us and loves us. And He’s with us wherever we go.
Option: Search online for games in which you guess what items are, based on
extremely close-up pictures. Explain that God sees us close-up too—right into
our hearts.
CREW REVIEW WITH STUDENT PAGES
Have kids get together in crews for small group time. Crew leaders should use the
Elementary and/or PreTeen Student Books to help kids:
• KNOW that God knows them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God sees everything they do.
• SERVE God by doing the right thing.
Remind crew leaders that kids can start choosing their serving challenge now, but
should complete their challenge and journal pages at home. When crews are done or
time runs out, ask kids to fold both student pages and put them in their 3-in-1 Lanyard
pouches to keep until they go home.
Read aloud Psalm 139:1 and ask crew leaders to distribute today’s Discovery Wristbands. ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God KNOWS me and is with
me!) SAY: God knows all about you and loves you just the same! And you can
show your love for Him by following His instructions. You can serve God by
doing the right thing.
CLOSING PRAYER
PRAY: Father in Heaven, thank You for each person here today. Thank You for
loving us and knowing us. Help us to know You better and to love You more
each day. Then help us to serve You by serving others. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
Session 2
LIFE FOCUS God HEARS Me!
BIBLE STORY God hears Jonah pray.
(Jonah 1–3)
BIBLE MEMORY 1 John 5:14
Jonah was a prophet. His job was to speak to the
people on God’s behalf, delivering His messages. But
the people didn’t always want to hear God’s messages,
and God’s prophets didn’t always want to deliver them.
One such message was for the people of Nineveh:
“Stop sinning!” But Jonah had no compassion for
Nineveh, and he wanted no part of this mission.
Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah boarded a ship
headed in the opposite direction. He went below deck
and fell into a deep sleep. But God sent a great storm,
and the ship and its sailors were in grave danger. The captain asked Jonah to call on
God. Jonah knew this calamity was his fault, and he instructed the crew to throw him
overboard to certain death in the sea. But God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah,
and Jonah stayed in its belly for three days. There he prayed, thanking God and
promising to obey Him. And God heard Jonah.
God HEARS us too! Our praises, our tears, our cries too deep for words . . . They
fall on His ears and He treasures them. Whatever we’ve done, whatever we say,
wherever we go, God is with us.
• KNOW that God hears them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God answers their prayers.
• SERVE God by praying for others.
Today you’ll help kids understand that God never leaves them. They can count on
God to be with them wherever they are and whatever they’ve done. Each of us matters to God. Be a loyal, loving friend to kids today, especially those who are hurting.
Remind kids through your words and actions that God never gives up on them, and
neither will you.
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Session 2 • God HEARS Me!
Get Ready
• Mark a Bible at Jonah 1 and hide it in your Bible story area.
• Print from the Elementary & PreTeen CD the Which Are You? printable file. Use
colored paper to make two signs with the letters A and B. Hang the A sign on one
side of your room, and the B sign on the other.
• Make a huge fish that suits your room, supplies, and group size. See the Make a
Fish printable file from the Elementary &
PreTeen CD for several different options.
• Cue the Elementary & PreTeen CD to track
2 (gurgling). Have it ready to play during the
Bible story. This will be most effective if
the sound effects.
YOU’LL NEED
m Bible
m Diver’s Logs
m 2 sheets of colored paper
m marker
m tape
m blue plastic tablecloth
m large plastic laundry basket (or tub)
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
m items to make the huge fish of your
choice
m background music
Books
m pens or pencils
Poster Pack
Welcome And Intro
Which Are You?
As kids arrive, greet them with enthusiasm, calling out names whenever possible.
Remain outside your room until indicated. ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God HEARS me and is with me!) Great job! Welcome back to the Scripture
Search Discovery, an ancient shipwreck filled with mysteries and clues. Let’s
dive in and explore! But first we need to mark your Diver’s Logs! Distribute
today’s stickers and let kids add them to the appropriate spot in their Diver’s Logs. If
kids would like, let them put on various pieces of diving gear (flippers, goggles, etc.)
before going inside the room.
wreckage. Open it to Jonah 1 and invite a volunteer to read aloud verses 1, 2. SAY:
Jonah was a prophet in Bible times. Does anyone know what that means? Allow
for responses. A prophet delivered God’s messages. And this time, God had a
message for the people of Nineveh. So God told Jonah to go to that city and
talk to them. After hearing what God said, Jonah had a choice to make. And his
choice would say a lot about the kind of person he was—just like your choices
say a lot about you! Let me show you what I mean.
Have kids stand in the center of the room. Show them the A and B signs on opposite
sides of your room. You will read pairs of choices from the Which Are You? printable
file, and kids will move to either the A side or the B side. For example, when you ask:
“Which are you, milk or Mountain Dew?” the kids who identify with milk will move to
the A side (since it was read first) and the kids who identify with Mountain Dew will
move to the B side (since it was read last).
Have kids return to the center after each question, occasionally asking one of them
to explain the choice made. SAY: These choices weren’t all that hard, but they
did challenge you to think about yourself in a different way. Let’s find out more
about the choices Jonah made and what he was probably thinking about!
Special Needs Tip: For kids with more literal language skills, phrase the
questions a little differently: “Do you like milk or Mountain Dew?”
19
Jonah Prays Inside A Fish
Have kids sit down in the center of the room. SAY: We know that God told Jonah
to go to Nineveh. Choose one person to be Jonah and at least two people to be the
people of Nineveh. The people of Nineveh were BAD NEWS! They didn’t follow
God’s ways and they were wicked and mean. Have the people of Nineveh make
mean faces, pound their fists, etc. So you can probably guess why Jonah might
not want to go there. Let’s see what Jonah did.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud Jonah 1:3. SAY: Jonah ran away! Have Jonah run in
place and respond as you continue. Jonah ran fast. I mean really fast. I mean really, really fast. (To Jonah) OK, Jonah, you can stop. (To the group) Jonah got on
a ship. Choose someone to kneel on hands and knees and be the ship. Have Jonah
sit on the ship’s back. This ship wasn’t heading toward the people of Nineveh
(have them shake their fists and make faces). This ship was heading in the opposite direction! Have the ship crawl away carefully with Jonah on its back.
SAY: Maybe Jonah thought God wouldn’t notice him. But God knew exactly
what was going on. God sent a great wind to blow on Jonah and the ship.
Choose three or four kids to be the wind, and have them huff and puff in the direction
of the crawling ship. Waves crashed all around. Choose two kids to be the waves.
Give each of them one end of the blue plastic tablecloth. Have them kneel and shake
the tablecloth as they yell, “CRASH! CRASH!”
SAY: Everyone on the ship was terrified! Have all but one of the remaining kids
gather around the ship and pretend to be scared to death. Everyone, that is, but Jonah. He was fast asleep. Jonah pretends to sleep. And he snored. Loudly. Jonah
snores. And he drooled. A lot. Pause for effect. OK, never mind about that part,
Jonah. Wake up!!! Shake Jonah’s shoulder, and then have him stand. The wind
was blowing stronger (pause for the wind) and the waves were crashing harder
(pause for the waves). Jonah knew that this storm was his fault.
SAY: Jonah asked the people on the ship to throw him overboard so God would
stop the storm. At first, they didn’t want to. But as the winds blew stronger
(pause) and the waves crashed harder (pause), the people gave in to Jonah.
20
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
They picked him up—gently—and tossed Jonah into the sea. Allow kids to
CAREFULLY act out. Immediately the wind and the waves were silent, and the
ship and all the people sailed on. Wind and waves stop. Ship crawls away, and
people go with it.
SAY: The people on the ship were safe. They shouted “Hooray!” and gave high
fives. Have kids do so. And they all lived happily ever after. Right? WRONG!
Jonah was about to drown! He was kicking his arms and legs, gasping for air
(have Jonah do so), wondering what would happen next. But God had a plan that
nobody saw coming. God sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Have the remaining
kid be the fish and push the plastic laundry basket over to Jonah. Jonah hops inside
as the fish says, “Gulp!” Play track 2 (gurgling) as you continue.
SAY: So there he was, inside a fish. Hey, Jonah, what’s it like in there? Jonah
responds. (To kids) What do you think Jonah did next? Let kids respond, and then
ask a volunteer to read aloud Jonah 2:1, 2. Stop gurgling sound effects.
SAY: Jonah prayed. That’s not too surprising, is it? Lots of people pray when
they’re scared or in trouble. But what IS surprising is that God listened to
Jonah! Even though Jonah had disobeyed God and done his own thing, he
was still important to God. After three days and nights, God answered Jonah’s
prayers. God told the fish to spit Jonah out onto dry land. Have the fish push the
basket to one side of the room and gently tip it over so that Jonah rolls out. Let the
fish give a nice “Burp!”
ASK: So what do you think Jonah did? Allow responses. He marched straight to
those mean people of Nineveh. Have the people of Nineveh make faces and growl.
Jonah gave them God’s message: “Straighten up or you’re done for!” And
guess what? The people of Nineveh listened and obeyed! Have the people of
Nineveh make happy faces, pat Jonah on the back, etc.
Refer to the Bible story poster as you continue. SAY: God had given the people of
Nineveh a second chance—just as He’d given Jonah a second chance, and just
as He does for us. Even when we go in the opposite direction of where God
wants us. Even when we do things our way instead of His, God always hears
us. He never leaves us. And He can use us to bring other people to Him.
POINT TO JESUS
Tie today’s story into the gospel message. SAY: God forgave Jonah. God forgave
the people of Nineveh. And God forgives us too! Because Jesus came to die on
a cross to pay for our sins, God says we don’t have to take the punishment that
21
we deserve. God listens to our prayers, no matter where we are or what we’ve
done. And He forgives us, as if the whole thing never happened.
during another free part of the day.) Give kids the opportunity to go inside the huge
fish that you’ve created. If you have a large group, you may need to have several
kids go inside the fish together. Encourage kids to make this a time of reflection and
prayer. Have kids sit inside the fish, close their eyes, and imagine that each of them is
Jonah. Talk about how Jonah probably felt far from God, but God heard his prayers.
Have kids say a short prayer to God, telling Him whatever is on their heart.
Option: Let kids decorate smooth rocks with paint or permanent markers. Encourage
them to use words or symbols that remind them of today’s story. They can put the
Prayer Rocks under their pillows at home and use them as reminders to pray each
morning and night, knowing that God HEARS them and is with them!
• KNOW that God hears them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God answers their prayers.
• SERVE God by praying for others.
Read aloud 1 John 5:14 and ask crew leaders to distribute today’s Discovery Wristbands. ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God HEARS me and is with
me!) SAY: God hears your prayers and He answers them because He loves you!
And you can show your love for Him by caring about people who need Him.
You can serve God by praying for others.
CLOSING PRAYER
PRAY: Father in Heaven, thank You for each person here. Thank You for loving
us and hearing our prayers. Help us to know You better and to love You more
each day. Help us to serve You by praying for the needs of others. In Jesus’
name we pray. Amen.
22
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
Session 3
LIFE FOCUS God STRENGTHENS Me!
BIBLE STORY Jesus strengthens Peter in the storm.
(Matthew 14)
BIBLE MEMORY Psalm 28:7
Jesus was born to save the world, and His life was
already making a difference. He healed the sick, raised
the dead, fed the hungry, and taught the multitudes.
Though He had compassion on the crowds, sometimes
He needed to be alone.
On such an occasion, Jesus sent His disciples out in a
boat while He went up on a mountain to pray. During the
night, as the boat was blown about by the wind, the disciples saw what they thought was a ghost coming toward
them. And they were terrified! They called out, and the
figure immediately reassured them, “It is I.” When Peter heard his master’s voice calling “Come,” he mustered his courage, got out of the boat, and walked on the water to
Jesus. But when fear got the better of Peter, he began to sink. Without hesitation, Jesus
reached down, caught Peter, and gave him the strength he didn’t have on his own.
God STRENGTHENS us too! When the darkness seems overwhelming. When the
winds of doubt whisper in our ears. When we can’t quite keep our eyes on Jesus. In
the midst of our triumphs and our failures, God is with us wherever we go.
• KNOW that God strengthens them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God helps them do hard things.
• SERVE God by encouraging others.
Today you’ll help kids understand that God is with them, even when things seem
hopeless. Kids may never find themselves on the brink of drowning like Peter, but
their everyday situations can certainly be just as daunting. Help them understand that
in any situation, God is with them. God will help them. God will give them the strength
to do things that seem impossible. Make an effort today to help kids take courage in
knowing God is with them, no matter what they’re facing.
23
Session 3 • God STRENGTHENS Me!
Get Ready
• Mark a Bible at Matthew 14 and hide it in your Bible story area.
• Just prior to the session, mix batches of blue oobleck. Recipes can be found online,
but basically it is 2 parts water to 1 part cornstarch. Add food coloring to make the
oobleck blue. Someone needs to be constantly stirring the mixture until it is ready
to use. This activity is a lot of work, but it is SO MUCH FUN! If you can pull it off,
please do! But do not pour the mixture down the drain! It will clog your pipes.
Instead, pour it into plastic trash bags and discard. If you cannot make oobleck
(or if you have kids with sensitivities to food
coloring), substitute another item for kids to
walk across, such as shredded blue paper,
large wet sponges, or pillows in blue cases.
(wind blowing). Have it ready to play during
the Bible story. This will be most effective if you
have an assistant starting and stopping the sound
effects.
YOU’LL NEED
m Bible
m Diver’s Logs
m snorkel
m 3 aluminum baking pans
m 6 lbs. cornstarch
m blue food coloring
m water
m stir stick
m plastic trash bags
m old towels
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DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
m wet wipes
m large fan
m plastic tarp (preferably blue)
m tub of water
m items that sink or float
Books
m pens or pencils
Poster Pack
m (optional: diving gear, shredded blue
paper, large wet sponges, pillows in
blue cases)
Welcome And Intro
Pass The Snorkel
As kids arrive, greet them with enthusiasm. Remain outside your room until indicated.
ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God STRENGTHENS me and is with
me!) Welcome back to the Scripture Search Discovery, an ancient shipwreck
filled with mysteries and clues. Are you ready to dive in? Me too! But first we
need to mark your Diver’s Logs! Distribute today’s stickers and let kids add them
to the appropriate spot in their Diver’s Logs. If kids would like, let them put on various
pieces of diving gear (flippers, goggles, etc.) before going inside the room.
Enter the room together and encourage kids to “discover” the Bible somewhere in
the wreckage. Open it to Matthew 14 and invite a volunteer to read aloud verse 22.
SAY with excitement: Yes! Today we get to learn about Jesus! Tell me a few
things that you know about Him. Allow for responses. But did you know that, as
much as He loved the people who followed Him, even Jesus needed some time
alone? When today’s story takes place, Jesus had just finished feeding 5,000
men—plus women and children. He loved every one of them, but He needed to
rest and recharge. He had to do some quick thinking to get some time alone.
Let’s see what quick thinkers you are.
Have kids sit in a circle. (If you have a large number of kids, form smaller groups and
play simultaneously.) Give one person a snorkel. He is It. You will call out a directive
such as, “Name five breakfast cereals” and then, “Pass the snorkel!” The person
holding the snorkel passes it to the right as he begins to call out names of breakfast
cereals. Kids quickly pass the snorkel around the circle. If it gets back to It before he
can name five breakfast cereals, he is It again. Otherwise, the person holding the
snorkel when It finishes his list is the new It. Other possible topics: ocean animals,
sports teams, vegetables, cartoon characters, cities in your state, candy bars, or
bands. If naming five items is too difficult, decrease the number to three. If it’s too
easy, increase the number to seven. Play as time allows. Then SAY: You are some
pretty quick thinkers! As I said, Jesus had to do some fast thinking in today’s
story. But He wasn’t the only one. Let’s check it out!
Special Needs Tip: Some kids may have trouble retrieving words quickly.
Allow them extra time, or allow volunteers to play so nobody feels put on the spot.
25
Walking On Water
As you begin the Bible story, have some adult helpers prepare the activity. Lay down a
tarp. Pour the oobleck into the pans and line them up next to each other in a path on the
tarp (long edges of the pans together). Place some old towels and wet wipes at one end
of the path. Position the fan so it will blow directly on kids as they walk across the path.
Have kids sit down in the center of the room. SAY: Jesus sent the crowd away and
told His disciples to get on a boat and start traveling to the other side of a very
large lake called the Sea of Galilee. Jesus went up on a mountain to pray. By
the time He was finished, it was well into the night and the boat had drifted far
from shore because it was so windy. Play track 3 (blowing wind).
Ask a volunteer to read aloud Matthew 14:25. SAY: It was very dark. The water
was very rough and stormy. And the wind was blowing very hard. How do you
think the disciples felt when they saw somebody walking toward them out in
the middle of the water? Allow responses. Then SAY: They were scared to death!
They thought it was a ghost!
Ask a volunteer to read aloud verses 27-29. Hopefully your path of oobleck is in place.
SAY: Jesus walked through the storm, out to His disciples. He came to show them
His power and to help them believe. So He called Peter out of the boat and onto the
water. Can you imagine what that felt like? Let’s give it a try!
Have kids stand and take off their shoes. Line kids up next to the end of the path
without the towels. Turn the fan on high and aim it at the kids. Then let each of them
take a turn walking across the oobleck, if they would like. Because it is neither solid
nor liquid, it will give at first and then support their weight. Use towels and wet wipes
to clean kids’ feet. When everyone has had the opportunity to walk the path, have
kids put their shoes back on and take a seat as your helpers clean up. (Remember
that when the oobleck is ready to be discarded, DO NOT pour it down a drain. Rather,
empty it into plastic trash bags.)
Special Needs Tip: For kids with sensory sensitivities, offer the option of
tapping a toe in the oobleck, or touching it with a finger.
26
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
SAY: So Peter did what nobody else in the boat would do. He got out and
stepped onto the waves with Jesus. He must have been SO EXCITED! I mean,
who does that? Just Jesus—and now Peter! What do you think Peter did next?
Allow kids to respond, and then ask a volunteer to read aloud verse 30. Jesus had
just shown Peter and the rest of His disciples that He could feed thousands of
people from one boy’s lunch. He could walk across the water to a tiny boat in a
storm. He could help Peter walk on water! And yet, Peter was overwhelmed and
afraid. Why? Allow kids to respond.
SAY: Jesus showed His power to Peter and many other people in amazing
ways that day. But when Peter looked around him, he forgot all that. He saw
darkness, crashing waves, and a boat full of terrified friends. It’s easy to get
down on Peter, right? He should have trusted Jesus more or been more brave.
But that’s what happens to all of us when we stop looking to Jesus and focus
instead on all the scary things around us, all the things that might happen.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud verses 31-33. Then ASK: Why do you think Jesus
sent His disciples out in the boat when He knew there would be a storm? Let
kids respond to each question. Why do you think Jesus called Peter to get out of
the boat? Do you think Peter would have gotten out of the boat if Jesus hadn’t
encouraged him to? Do you think Jesus was pleased with or disappointed in
Peter? What do you think the disciples all discovered that day?
Refer to the Bible story poster as you continue. SAY: Jesus had a powerful lesson
for Peter and the rest of the disciples that day. Even though Peter began to
sink, at least he got out of the boat. And when Peter was afraid, Jesus was
right there to help him and to pull him up out of the water. Jesus does the same
thing with us today. He believes in us and challenges us to do things for Him
that may seem scary. And sometimes we may mess up. But God will always be
there to help us, giving us strength to do the things we can’t do on our own. In
the sunshine and in the storms, God is with us wherever we go.
POINT TO JESUS
Tie today’s story into the gospel message. SAY: Peter knew that he needed Jesus.
And so do we! Not to keep us from drowning in a storm, but to keep us from
drowning in our sin. When we reach out and ask Jesus to save us, He is right
there. He pulls us out of our old lives and gives us new life in Him—not because we deserve it, but because He loves us so very much.
27
during another free part of the day.) Set up a tub of water. Gather several random
items that might sink or float (ruler, aluminum foil, can of regular soda, can of diet
soda, spoon, pom-pom, toy figurine, egg, apple, bubble wand, crayon, wooden
block, matchbox car, chenille wire, cork, etc.). Before dropping each item into the
water, let kids guess whether they think it will sink or float. Talk about why different
things respond differently when placed in the very same tub of water. Discuss how
people sometimes respond differently in the same situations. Explain that sometimes
all it takes to keep someone from “sinking” in the problems of life is for a friend to
come alongside them and help them stay afloat. Talk with kids about simple ways to
encourage people around them.
Option: There are several videos of this game online (search “Sink or Float?”). If you
prefer, choose some of them to show to kids instead of setting up this activity.
• KNOW that God strengthens them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God helps them do hard things.
• SERVE God by encouraging others.
Read aloud Psalm 28:7 and ask crew leaders to distribute today’s Discovery Wristbands. ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God STRENGTHENS me and
is with me!) SAY: God loves you and will help you do hard things! And you can
show your love for Him by helping others do things that seem hard. You can
serve God by encouraging others.
CLOSING PRAYER
PRAY: Father in Heaven, thank You for each person here. Thank You for being
near to us and for giving us strength that we don’t have on our own. Remind us
to keep our eyes on You when we are overwhelmed and afraid. Help us to serve
You by encouraging others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
28
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
Session 4
LIFE FOCUS God LOVES Me!
BIBLE STORY Jesus loves the disciples—and everyone!
(John 21)
BIBLE MEMORY 1 John 4:9
Jesus was born to die. He knew it. His Father knew it.
But His disciples weren’t quite there. After His death,
burial, and resurrection, Jesus wanted them to better
understand who He is, why He came, and how they
could share His love with others.
One morning Jesus found some of His disciples fishing.
They’d been up all night and hadn’t caught a thing.
From far off, He told them to throw their net on the
other side of the boat. When they did, their net couldn’t
hold all the fish that they’d caught! Right away the
disciples recognized their Lord, and they joined Him on shore for breakfast.
After they ate, Jesus spoke of love with His friend Peter. Knowing that His death on
the cross was the ultimate example of love, Jesus challenged His disciple to love
God and love others—the same message He’d shared and shown in coming to earth.
Jesus loved Peter and the other disciples enough to die for them. Would they love
Jesus enough to live for Him?
God LOVES us too! More than we realize, understand, or deserve. And He leads us
to live every day in that love. He’s with us wherever we go.
• KNOW that God loves them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God gave His Son for them.
• SERVE God by sharing His love.
Today you’ll help kids discover that God loves them immeasurably—just the way
they are. Make a special effort to extend that same grace and genuine care for kids
today—especially to those who may feel left out, rejected, and lonely. Help kids know
that God values them, so much that He gave His Son for them.
29
Session 4 • God LOVES Me!
Get Ready
• Mark a Bible at John 21 and hide it in your Bible story area.
• Prepare a bag of LEGO® interlocking bricks for each person. (Bricks can be reused
with each group that visits.) Each kid will need a bag of five or six bricks, and the
contents of each bag need to be identical to another bag. Keep the matching bags
together, as kids will partner up for this activity.
• If your bedsheet is disposable, use permanent marker or paint to make lines on it
resembling a net.
• Cook the fish for today’s lesson ahead of time. Plug in a small electric grill in a safe
place away from the kids. You will warm up the
fish during the Bible story.
(beach sounds). Have it ready to play during
the sound effects.
YOU’LL NEED
m Bible
m Diver’s Logs
m resealable sandwich bags (1 per
person)
m LEGO® bricks (5–6 per person)
m large bedsheet
m 153 bottles of water (or any other
beverage)
m flatbread (or pitas)
m cooked fish (breaded fish sticks, fillets, etc.)
30
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
m small electric grill (or griddle, electric
skillet)
m paper plates
m fork
m poster board
m marker
Books
m pens or pencils
Poster Pack
m (optional: diving gear, permanent
markers or paint)
Welcome And Intro
Follow My Instructions
As kids arrive, greet them cheerfully. Remain outside your room until indicated. ASK:
What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God LOVES me and is with me!) Right
again! Welcome back to the S.S. Discovery. Does anyone remember what S.S.
stands for? Allow responses. Yes—Scripture Search! We use our Bibles to
explore this ancient shipwreck. Who’s ready to dive in? Me too! But first we
need to mark your Diver’s Logs! Distribute today’s stickers and let kids add them
to the appropriate spot in their Diver’s Logs. If kids would like, let them put on various
pieces of diving gear (flippers, goggles, etc.) before going inside the room.
wreckage. Open it to John 21 and invite a volunteer to read the verse immediately
before today’s text, John 20:31. SAY: I just love this verse. It tells us why the Bible
was written in the first place—so that people like you and me could believe in
Jesus and have new life in Him! The things in the Bible happened thousands of
years ago, but they were written down so that people everywhere, at any time,
could follow Jesus. When we follow Jesus, it means that we listen to what He
says and we obey. Let’s play a game to see how good you are at listening.
Group kids in pairs. If you have an odd number of kids in your group, you or an
assistant can participate too. Give each pair of kids a set of bags with identical
LEGO® bricks inside. Have pairs stand back to back. One person in each pair should
build something with the bricks in his bag. When he’s finished, he should give his
partner (whose back is still turned) clear instructions for building the same thing.
When his partner is finished building, both kids can turn around and compare the
finished items. If time allows, have kids disassemble their bricks and let the other
partner give instructions. Afterward SAY: Even when you’re listening closely, it’s
sometimes hard to understand exactly what someone else is trying to say.
Jesus gave His friends some instructions in today’s Bible story. Some things
they understood, but other things they didn’t. Let’s check it out!
Special Needs Tip: Have kids with special needs observe and “coach”
pairs as they work, or they can hand bricks to the builders.
31
Breakfast By The Sea
Have kids sit down in the center of the room. SAY: In our last session we talked
about how Jesus saved Peter on the Sea of Galilee. We also talked about how
Jesus saves each of us from our sins. When Jesus came to earth, He knew that
He was going to die on a cross. It was all part of God’s plan. God would raise
Him back to life three days later. That was also part of the plan. Jesus knew it.
God knew it. But nobody else understood. And so, after He was raised from the
dead, Jesus went to see His friends. He wanted them to know more about who
He is, why He came, and what He wanted them—and us—to do.
SAY: Some of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen. That was their job. Rather than
fishing poles, they used huge nets that they would throw over the side of the
boat and then pull in. It was hard work, and they had to catch a lot of fish in
order to make money to take care of their families. So when Jesus wanted to
see them, He knew right where to look—the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus found
His friends, they had been fishing all night long and into the morning.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud John 21:4, 5. SAY: So these guys had been up
all night and they hadn’t caught a thing. How do you think they felt? Let kids
respond. They were tired, frustrated, and probably worried. Then some guy yells
from the shore and wants to know how it’s going. How do you think they felt
now? Let kids respond. Well, it gets even worse—or better, depending on how
much you know. Jesus tells them to throw their net on the other side of the
boat—as if all the fish are just hiding over there! What do you think they did?
Let kids respond.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud verse 6. SAY: So all night these guys caught nothing,
and then suddenly their net was too full to pull in! The Bible tells us that there
were 153 large fish in the net. Let’s see what that might have felt like. Bring out the
bedsheet and place the water bottles in the center. Have kids stand around the edges of
the sheet and try to lift the water bottles. Then have kids sit back down.
Bring out the bread, fish, and grill. Heat the fish as you continue. SAY: That was a
lot of fish! Who was this guy on the shore, and how did all this happen? Jesus’
32
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
disciple John knew. He said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” In our last session, you’ll
remember that Peter got out of the boat when he saw Jesus. Well, here he goes
again! But this time he didn’t walk on top of the water—he jumped right in and
swam to shore. Peter just couldn’t wait to see Jesus!
SAY: The rest of the disciples soon came to shore, pulling in that huge catch
of fish. The net didn’t even rip! But it probably took a while. By the time they
arrived, Jesus had built a fire and was cooking fish for them to eat, along with
some bread. They sat down and had breakfast together. It went a little something like this. Play track 4 (beach sounds). Distribute pieces of bread and fish to
kids who would like some. Be aware of kids with gluten or fish allergies.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud verse 15. ASK: Why do you think Jesus would
ask Peter if he loved Him? And why was Jesus talking about lambs? Let kids
respond. Ask another volunteer to read aloud verse 16. Why is Jesus asking this
question again? And why is He asking about sheep? Let kids respond. Then ask
a third volunteer to read aloud verse 17. So what do you think is going through
Peter’s mind by now? Does Jesus not believe him? Is Jesus trying to trick him?
What’s the point? Let kids respond.
SAY: Throughout the Bible, God talks about His people as sheep in a flock.
Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” That means God cares for, protects,
and leads His people—just like a shepherd cares for, protects, and leads his
flock. So when Jesus is talking to Peter here, He’s not talking about actual
sheep and lambs. He’s talking about people! If Peter truly loves Jesus, Peter
will take care of people.
Refer to the Bible story poster as you continue. SAY: This message wasn’t just for
Peter. The things in the Bible are written for all of us. So when Jesus commands Peter to love and care for other people, that goes for us too! After all,
Jesus gave us the ultimate example of love when He chose to die on a cross.
We can show our love for Him by sharing His love with others. And we don’t
have to do it alone! God LOVES us and is with us wherever we go.
POINT TO JESUS
Tie today’s story into the gospel message. SAY: Jesus searched out His friends
on the Sea of Galilee because He wanted to spend time with them, to help them
better understand how much He loved them—and all of us! Jesus loves you so
much that He was willing to die for you. Because He did that, God forgives you
and will always take care of you.
33
during another free part of the day.) On the poster board, draw a large sheep. (Don’t
worry, it doesn’t have to be a great drawing to get the point across.) Next to it, draw
a little lamb. Talk with kids about how Jesus made a point to talk about lambs and
sheep separately. Jesus said to feed His lambs. Discuss things that little lambs might
need in order to grow (milk, shelter, medicine, etc.). Jesus also said to take care of
His sheep. Discuss things that grown-up sheep might need in order to stay strong
and healthy (good food, protection, exercise, etc.). Then ask kids to think about
people in the same way. Have them discuss things that little children need and different ways (big or small!) that your kids can help. Have them discuss things that adults
need and different ways (big or small!) that they could help adults too. Remind kids
that when they show love to others they are showing love to God.
• KNOW that God loves them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God gave His Son for them.
• SERVE God by sharing His love.
Read aloud 1 John 4:9 and ask crew leaders to distribute today’s Discovery Wristbands.
ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God LOVES me and is with me!) SAY:
God loves you enough to send His Son to save you! And you can show your love
for Him by caring for others. You can serve God by sharing His love.
CLOSING PRAYER
PRAY: Father in Heaven, thank You for each person here. Thank You for giving
us Jesus to pay the price of our sins. Help us to always remember the love that
He showed us through His death on the cross. And thank You for the love You
show us each and every day. Help us to serve You by sharing Your love with
others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
34
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
Session 5
LIFE FOCUS God SENDS Me!
BIBLE STORY God sends Paul to tell His story.
(Acts 13 & 14)
BIBLE MEMORY Matthew 28:19 & 20
The church was growing, in large part due to an expersecutor named Paul. As strongly as he’d opposed
the Christians who followed Jesus, Paul now led the
charge in bringing others to Christ.
Paul preached fearlessly in the name of the Lord,
making both friends and enemies for himself. On the
island of Cyprus, a sorcerer confronted Paul, trying to
turn others against their faith. God immediately struck
the man blind, just as Paul promised, and the event
brought people to Jesus. Even in the midst of opposition, God’s plans won out. God blessed and protected Paul as he sailed throughout
the land, boldly sharing what Jesus had done for him. In the synagogues, on the
streets, and inside homes, Paul told God’s story. As a result, countless people heard
and believed the good news of Jesus Christ—all through a man who once hated Him.
God sent Paul to speak. God SENDS us too! With whatever baggage, experiences,
talents, and tools He’s given us, God wants—and expects—us to tell His story to the
world. And whatever He asks, whatever the result, we can rest assured that God is
with us . . . wherever we go!
• KNOW God sends them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God works through them.
• SERVE God by telling His story.
Today you’ll help kids discover that God not only loves them, but He has a purpose
and a plan for every one of them, and it all involves changing lives for Jesus! Encourage kids to look at their lives as God sees them—with special gifts, talents, and
experiences that can be used to bring others to Him. Tell kids about the things you
see in them, and remind them how valuable they are to God—and to you!
35
Session 5 • God SENDS Me!
Get Ready
• Mark a Bible at Acts 13 and hide it in your Bible story area.
• Use masking tape to mark two long lines on the floor, about 20' apart.
• Create a ship for today’s Bible story. Cut open a paper grocery bag and draw a sail
inside. Fold it over and cut out the sail so that it has two layers. Tape the sail to one
end of the wrapping paper tube. Attach the tube (as a mast) to a plastic laundry
basket. Wrap chenille wires around the tube and tie them inside the basket. Cover
any sharp edges on the wires with tape. Tie a rope to one end of the boat.
• Set up five obstacles in your room (folding chair, pylon, stacked paint cans, etc).
Place needed items at each obstacle, as
described in the activity.
(angry crowd). Have it ready to play during
the sound effects.
YOU’LL NEED
m Bible
m Diver’s Logs
m large slips of paper (1 per person)
m pens or pencils
m tennis racket (or badminton racket)
m plastic laundry basket
m wrapping paper tube
m paper grocery bag
m painter’s tape
m chenille wires
36
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
m scissors
m rope
m spray bottle with water
m wooden spoon
m metal pot
m 10 large paper wads
m household tools (hammer, screwdriver,
mixer, can opener, hair dryer, etc.)
m Elementary and/or PreTeen Student Books
m pens or pencils
Poster Pack
Welcome And Intro
On A Mission
As kids arrive, greet them warmly, calling out names whenever possible. Remain
outside your room until indicated. ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God
SENDS me and is with me!) Right, as usual! Welcome back to our last trip to S.S.
Discovery. We’ve searched the Bible to explore this ancient shipwreck filled
with mysteries and clues. Who’s ready to dive in one last time? Me too! But first
we need to mark your Diver’s Logs! Distribute today’s stickers and let kids add
them to the appropriate spot in their Diver’s Logs. If kids would like, let them put on
various pieces of diving gear (flippers, goggles, etc.) before going inside the room.
Enter the room together and encourage kids to “discover” the Bible somewhere in
the wreckage. Open it to Acts 13 and invite a volunteer to read aloud verse 2. SAY:
Today’s story takes place after Jesus had gone back up into Heaven. He left
His followers with a mission of telling everyone about Him. This verse is talking
about some of the very first Christians. They were worshipping together when
God revealed that He had chosen two of them to deliver a message to a whole
new group of people. And that wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Let’s play a quick
game before we dig in.
Give each person a slip of paper and a pen. Have kids write (or draw) an action that
they would like to see you do (within reason!). Examples could include: sing a song,
hop like a frog, talk like a pirate, etc. Then have kids wad up their papers and stand
behind one of the taped lines. You will stand between the two taped lines, tennis
racket in hand. At your signal, kids will throw their papers and try to make them
land behind the opposite taped line. You will be in the middle, trying to swat down
as many papers as possible. If any papers get past you and land across the taped
lines, you have to open them up and do the action described. After doing so, SAY:
You guys were on a mission! But it wasn’t exactly easy! It’s a lot harder to get
your message across when other people are purposely trying to keep you from
what you’re trying to do. As Paul traveled across the sea teaching people about
Jesus, he ran into the same thing. Let’s find out more!
Special Needs Tip: Model this activity with a small group before the whole
group tries it.
37
Paul Tells God’s Story
Position kids at each of the five obstacles, giving them any needed items. SAY: As
we read today’s story, sometimes Paul is called Saul. Paul started out as Saul.
He grew up in the traditional Hebrew religion, and Saul loved God. He really
did! But Saul didn’t believe Jesus was God’s Son, and he wanted to get rid of
anybody who did believe. So Saul had Christians arrested, beaten, and even
killed. One day, when Saul was going to arrest Christians, Jesus appeared in
a light so bright that Saul couldn’t see. God was showing His power so Saul
would realize that Jesus was real! When God made Saul see again three days
later, his life changed entirely. To show that change in his life, in his heart, Saul
started using the name Paul. And that’s where we pick up today. God wanted
the whole WORLD to know about Jesus and the new life He offers.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud Acts 13:4. Have a volunteer get into the ship. This
person will be Paul. SAY: Paul and Barnabas were being sent to faraway places
where people had never heard of Jesus—or didn’t believe in Him! The church
understood that this was dangerous, so they prayed for Paul and Barnabas.
ASK: What hard things do you think Paul faced as he sailed across the sea? Let
kids respond. Have a volunteer pull Paul’s ship around or through the first obstacle,
where he will be sprayed with water.
SAY: Paul arrived safely on an island called Cyprus. He told people about Jesus
wherever he could, and many people believed. But some people didn’t. One
person who didn’t was a man named Elymas. He was a sorcerer, which means
that he believed he had magic powers. People might listen to him simply because they were afraid. Elymas was angry about Paul’s message, and was telling people not to believe what Paul said. Have another volunteer pull Paul’s ship
around or through the second obstacle, where someone will be banging a wooden
spoon on a metal pot.
SAY: God showed His power by making Elymas blind for a time. There are lots
of reasons why people can’t see—just as there are lots of reasons why we have
other problems like sickness, disappointments, or other tough times. But in
those tough times, God is always with us. And He was with Paul. And God was
38
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
even there for Elymas too! We don’t know whether Elymas decided to believe
in Jesus. But we do know that other people believed. God protected Paul, and
he kept preaching everywhere he went. When Paul was in Antioch, he stood up
and preached about Jesus in the synagogues, right in front of the people who
hated Jesus! Here’s some of what Paul said.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud Acts 13:38. SAY: Paul’s message made a lot of
people angry. But Paul didn’t give up. Have another volunteer pull Paul’s ship
around or through the third obstacle, where kids will boo at him. SAY: People
throughout the whole region believed in Jesus because of Paul’s teachings.
But other people did not. And those people stirred up trouble and had Paul
thrown out of Antioch. ASK: How do you think Paul felt? Let kids respond (sad,
worried, angry, afraid.). Play track 5 (angry crowd). Have another volunteer pull Paul’s
ship around or through the fourth obstacle.
SAY: Paul moved on from city to city, proclaiming that Jesus is God’s Son, that
He died for us, that God raised Him to life, and that He lives in Heaven where He
rules forever. Many people believed, but many did not. In Lystra, some people
even had Paul dragged outside the city walls. They threw stones at him until
they thought he was dead, and they left him there. Have another volunteer pull
Paul’s ship around or through the fifth obstacle, where kids will throw paper wads at
him. ASK: Do you think Paul finally gave up? Let kids respond.
Ask a volunteer to read aloud Acts 14:26-28. SAY: Paul returned home, where
his friends were waiting to hear everything that happened. There were many
reasons for Paul to give up, but Paul kept going. Everywhere he went, people
came to Jesus. Maybe those people figured that if God could use Paul, God
could use them! God can use us too. No matter where we come from, what we
look like, or what we’ve done, God wants to use US to spread the good news of
Jesus. We can serve God by telling His story right where we are. God SENDS
us and is with us wherever we go.
POINT TO JESUS
Tie today’s story into the gospel message. SAY: When Paul chose to believe in
Jesus and serve Him faithfully, God forgave him for all the wrong things he’d
done. And God does the same thing for us. We simply have to ask for forgiveness and accept the new life He offers us through Jesus. And as God changes
our hearts and our lives, we can serve God by telling His story too.
39
during another free part of the day.) Bring out several household tools and talk about
what jobs they are used for. Encourage kids to come up with unusual things that can
be done with each one. (For example, a hair dryer can be used to dry hair and also
to blow dust bunnies under the couch.) Then talk about the job God had for Paul.
Discuss the way that God prepared Paul for this mission throughout his life, and the
tools God gave him to accomplish it. Challenge kids to think about the tools (talents,
opportunities, experiences) God has given each of them, and how they can use those
tools to tell God’s story to the people in their lives.
Option: Let older kids take online strengths/weaknesses evaluations to determine what
their gifts are, and how those gifts can be used to share the good news of Jesus.
• KNOW that God sends them and is with them.
• EXPLORE how God works through them.
• SERVE God by telling His story.
Read aloud Matthew 28:19 & 20 and ask crew leaders to distribute today’s Discovery
Wristbands. ASK: What’s today’s Deep Sea Discovery? (God SENDS me and is with
me!) SAY: God loves you enough to send His Son to save you! And you can show
your love for Him by caring for others. You can serve God by sharing His love.
CLOSING PRAYER
PRAY: Father in Heaven, thank You for each person here. Thank You for giving
us Jesus to pay the price of our sins. Help us to always remember the love that
He showed us through His death on the cross. And thank You for the love You
show us each and every day. Help us to serve You by sharing Your love with
others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
40
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY
L E A D E R ’ S
TA RY
N
E
M
E
L
E
EN
& PRETE
ISBN 978-0-7847-7798-5
01
02
03
FnL1
MAZFQU4tMTMNOTc4MDc4NDc3Nzk4Neo=
E1N0YW5kYXJkIFB1Ymxpc2hpbmcOQmFy
IENvZGUgVXNlcnMAVRPlDQIxMwMxMDAB
03 0096
9 780784 777985
020903016
G U I D E

Get Ready - Vacation Bible School

Transcription

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