God's Children

This week for my Monday and Thursday clubs, I taught the lesson in last week's blog (God is Dishonored).  These kids received Jerusalem Journal Issue 4.

The Tuesday club learned about God's children.   This group received Jerusalem Journal Issue 5. Next week, all the clubs will be learning the same lesson. 

 Our craft this week was tea lights using baby food jars, tissue paper and Mod Podge.  I forgot the baby wipes (Oops!)  Fortunately, Campbelltown United Christian Church had a bowl, water and paper towels.  Although this is an easy, but messy craft, I love seeing the creativity.  Some kids are very particular of what colors and shapes of tissue paper they glue on their jars.  Other kids just grab tissue paper and glue.  Yet the finished project is always pretty. 

For playground time, we threw rice filled neck ties.  For a while, we just threw the ties back and forth.  Then, we saw who could throw their tie the farthest, who could hit a target, etc.  Finally, we played tag with just one tie.

 To make the neck tie snakes:

Preparation

1.      Sew up tie about 1/8 from the wide end (so nothing will fall out of it).

2.      Sew the back of the tie close to create a tube.  The wide end of the tie will be filled with beans/rice/pellets. 

Instruct each child in the following procedures:

1.      Pour beans, rice or polypropylene pellets into the tie.

2.      Sew the wide end of the tie so that no beans, rice or pellets fall out.

3.      Cut a forked tongue out of the red felt.

4.      Sew or glue it to the wide “v” end of the tie.

5.      Sew or glue on a pair of eyes at the widest part of the tie.

To throw your snake:

1.      Hold snake by the tail.

2.      Swing your snake in a clockwise circle by your side.

3.      When the snake’s head points down, release your hands and watch it fly. 

* You can play catch with this toy or put a hoop on the ground for a target.  Just make sure you fly the snake in an open area. 

Our Memory Verse for this lesson is Matthew 5:16.  We played Crazy Stand ups to repeat this verse over and over again.  To play crazy stand ups, a kid will choose a card.  Each card describes who needs to stand up and say the verse.  A card might read, "Those who love watermelon, stand up and say the verse."  Or maybe, "Those who ate breakfast this morning, stand up and say the verse.  I usually have about seven to ten cards.  The kids make sure we do ALL the cards.  

I also used a neat Gospel Object lesson called "SEAS which help you SEE" (by Sam Doherty).  

VISUALS:
You can use a large world globe if you have one, and point out the four seas as you speak about them. Or you could use a large map of the world. (I used a beach ball globe.)

LESSON:
I want to invite all boys and girls everywhere to accompany me for a long journey on board a ship called “Imagination.” In our good ship “Imagination” we will cruise over some of the real seas of the world, and try to learn some lessons from their names and colours. One good thing about this cruise is that we need not be afraid either of sea-sickness or shipwreck, for the good ship “Imagination” does not move. Now, then, all aboard!

First Stopping Place – Drop the anchor! Dear me, what a dreadful place! No trees, and no flowers! What is the name of this place?

THE DEAD SEA
Now, who knows where the Dead Sea is situated? It is in Israel; it is inland but our ship is a very special ship which can get right into this sea. This sea is called the Dead Sea because fish cannot live in its waters and plants cannot grow around it. The river Jordan flows into this sea, but nothing flows out of it, and so the sea not only remains dead itself but also puts to death every living thing near it.
The Dead Sea is a picture of sin, because the Bible tells us that, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6 v23). This sea is dead and so are we if we have not trusted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. Sin always results in death - and the person who lives in sin will be separated from God forever and ever.

Second Stopping Place – Ah! Yes, this looks nicer. Let me see: What is its name?

THE BLACK SEA
Where can we find this sea? It is found between Russia and Turkey. It is called black because sometimes its waters are very dark. This is a very deep sea. At its center it is over 1000 meters deep.
I know that seas cannot speak but let us use our imagination and listen to this sea speak, “I am black or dark and so are you. I am a picture of sin – the darkness of sin.”  Yes! Sinners are not only dead, but are also dark. Sin not only kills, it also dirties.

Here is our third Stopping Place. It’s hotter at this sea! What is the name of
this sea? It is: 

THE RED SEA
This is a very good name to give it because it is so hot here. It might even be called the Red-hot Sea. Who knows where this sea is to be found? It lies midway between Africa and Arabia. The children of Israel passed through this sea when they were travelling from Egypt to Canaan. The colour red reminds us of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and the Blood He poured out as He died for our sin. He took the punishment for our sin so that we can be saved. So the Red Sea reminds us of what Jesus Christ did to save us from our deadness and darkness.

And now our fourth Stopping Place. After a long, dreary sail we reach:

THE WHITE SEA
It lies away north between Lapland and Russia. It probably owes its whiteness and its name to its being often covered with snow. The Bible tells us about a special prayer, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51 v7). Would you like to pray that prayer today? If you ask the Lord Jesus to save you He will make you perfectly clean and white in the sight of God. 

What do these four seas teach us? They teach us that we are dead in sin, and black or dark through sin. But if we come to the Lord Jesus, Who poured out His blood for our sin and trust Him, our death will become life, and our darkness will become the whiteness and purity of Jesus Christ.

 Next came the Bible lesson from Acts 5:12-42.  The word of the day was "persecution".  The main point was "The Holy Spirit will give you courage, so speak up for God no matter what!"  Because this was a shorter lesson, I reviewed the previous lessons before going into Acts 5:12-42.  This helped the kids see the Holy Spirit giving the apostles power to speak in many different languages, the ability to heal the lame man, discern when someone was lying and now the boldness to speak up for God even in the midst of persecution.  The Holy Spirit really helps us live for Jesus every day.

This week, we played with the parachutes for group games.  We played two favorites (popcorn and Sharks & Lifeguards).  I love these pictures they are so colorful!  Since my Monday morning group is so large, my Mom made me an extra large parachute out of fabric table clothes  (bottom picture).  Tents and Events donated the table clothes. 

This week's missionary story was about John Bunyan. John spent 12 years in jail for preaching about Jesus in England.  While in jail, he also wrote "Pilgrim's Progress."  This story tied in well to today's Bible Lesson and word of the day.

 

Our review game was called Button, Button.  I took an egg carton and wrote point values in each hole.  Then I placed a button inside.  When a child answered a question correctly, they got to shake the carton.  When I opened the carton, their team got the points listed in the spot where the button was resting.  This is a simple, cheap, but fun game. 

Well, this was an overview of my Tuesday club.  I will only teach this lesson to this group.  Next week, all my clubs will learn about "God's friend" (Acts 6-7).