Sunday School Lessons for Kids

Jacob Wrestles With God - Lesson on Persistence

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:51:00 +0000

Kids, have you done anything that was really hard to do? How about an assignment in school? a test in Math or Science? Do you simply give up? Let's see at a story of Jacob and a lesson about never giving up.

In the last lesson, Jacob just married Leah and Rachel. He worked for another 7 years for Laban and had many children. Afterward, he decided that he wanted to finally take his whole family and possessions and go back to his homeland. At first, they fled from Laban but Laban caught up with them. At the end, they agreed that they would part peacefully.

Jacob wrestles with a man. Wikipedia.

Jacob sent messengers to his brother Esau that he is coming home. When they returned, they told Jacob that Esau is coming with 400 men. In great fear, Jacob divided into groups all the people with him including the flocks, herds and camels and sent them ahead of him. He also sent ahead of him his wives, maid servants and children. So, he was left that night in the camp.

When Jacob as alone, a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Do you know what to wrestle mean? It's like fighting and overpowering another person by holding.

When the man saw that he cannot overpower Jacob, he touched the socket of his hip and it was dislocated. Who do you think is this man that he could do that to Jacob's hip by just touching it?

Though Jacob is now limping, he did not let the man go. So the man said, "Let me go for it is daybreak." Jacob answered, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." The man then said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

Jacob called that place "Peniel" because he saw God face to face and yet lived to tell about it. As he went to be with his family, he walked limping.

Read this story in Genesis 32:24-32.

KIDS DISCUSSION

What did Jacob want to do after working for Laban for a very long time?
Do you remember what happened between Jacob and Esau in the past?
Why was Jacob afraid when the messengers returned from Esau?
What did Jacob do to the people with him?
What happened when Jacob was left alone in the camp?
Who is the man Jacob wrestled with?
What happened to Jacob while they were wrestling?
Why is it that Jacob still doesn't want to let the man go?
Did Jacob receive what he wanted? Why? (Jacob knew what he wanted; he did not give up)
What lesson can we learn from this story of Jacob? (We should not give up; God is always there to help)

MEMORY VERSE: Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.

KIDS' ACTIVITY

Coloring page: Jacob Wrestles with God
Jacob Wrestles with God worksheet: This is for bigger kids who know how to read and write.
Can you do this? This is a simple activity that the children can do. Ask them to do some action like: stand on one foot; say his or her name extending the last syllable as long as he or she could; balance a book on the head, etc. The purpose is to show that if they can't do it the first time, if they do not give up and try again, they could do it especially with the help of God.
Name game: Remembering that the angel asked Jacob his name, ask the children what is their name. Then, describe each child and let the children guess the name of the person being described. Example: I am short, with black hair, my father is a fireman, my mother is a nurse. I am ____. You can also do this name game with Bible characters previously learned by the children.

Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:22:00 +0000

The stories in the whole Bible, including both Old and New Testament stories, is connected to Jesus in some way. As we teach our children the different stories and poems, different characters and different events in the Bible, I hope we could pinpoint them to Jesus. If we could connect Jesus to every story they hear, they would understand how the plan of God unfolds from Genesis to Revelation.

I did not receive a review copy of this book The Gospel Story: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments, but when I saw the preview pages (embedded below), I thought of sharing this with you. This new beautifully illustrated Bible Story book does what I have mentioned above - connect Jesus to every story. In addition, at the end of every story, the author has put in simple questions for the kids to explore. This is certainly a wonderful resource for every Christian family who wants to teach their kids the Bible at home, for every Sunday School class or Christian school.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Marty Machowski

Illustrated by:

A. E. Macha

and the book:

The Gospel Story Bible:

Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments

New Growth Press (December 5, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings – The B&B Media Group – for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for twenty-three years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the children’s ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He is also the author of Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the forthcoming Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Visit the author's Facebook Page.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

I have never been the best at anything. This has given me the freedom to really enjoy alot of things; perfection is not on the line. So my drawing is not clean, my patchwork corners don’t really match up, and my cooking is always an adventure. I was raised by a single mom who has an exhausting amount of creative energy. My brother and I were taught how to create our own entertainment and seek adventure in the everyday.

When I was in Jr High, both my parents remarried and let’s just say things have never been boring. A foster brother, two step sisters, and a half brother were added to the mix. I have aunts and uncles who have been beyond generous and helped raise me in many ways. I have been blessed to travel overseas and even live in Prague for six months. My dad and stepmom run a special needs home in Guatemala where I have spent time and really fallen in love with the culture. My brother and his wife run a shoe company out of Guatemala. Everywhere I have been, even a dirt floor hut in the hills of Guatemala, there has been art: design and color. I believe as humans we are created in the image of The Creator, and so we all have some creative effort to put forth.

I have a BFA in Illustration because after all the studio classes one takes to finish an Art Education degree, I found what I really like to do is draw. I doodle. Alot.

Presently, I am married with two little ones, living in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. I teach art part time at a sweet little christian school, grow tomatoes and beets, and sew or draw when I get the chance.

My first illustration project is coming out in the fall, 156 illustrated Bible stories in the “Gospel Story Bible” by Marty Machowski, published by New Growth Press.

Visit the illustrator's Website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Sometimes it’s easy to forget Jesus in the midst of frantic schedules, family squabbles and conflicting priorities. For many Christians, God often becomes little more than an afterthought after days absorbed and depleted by the busyness of life. But the truth is that he is the hero of every story—including the mundane, ordinary ones we experience on a regular basis. That is why Marty Machowski beckons families to take time out from the daily grind to be transformed by the message of the Good News in his latest release, The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments (New Growth Press, November 2011).

Based on the ESV Bible, this uniquely illustrated Bible storybook uses 156 stories to present God’s plan of salvation in Christ from its opening narrative in Genesis to its finale in Revelation. This easy-to-read storybook written for children from preschool to high school introduces readers to many captivating people, places and events from the Bible’s Old and New Testaments. At the same time, Machowski skillfully connects the individual stories to the overall gospel narrative of how God redeemed a broken world through sending his son Jesus to save his people. Each story ends by connecting to Jesus and his gospel of grace. By sharing these Bible stories with each other, young and old will learn together the life-changing habit of recognizing the presence and workings of Christ in every moment of their day.

“The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to change the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read,” says Machowski. “That’s what makes The Gospel Story Bible ideal as a storybook for a preschooler, a devotional for a grade school student, a refresher for the adult believer or an introduction for the new one. Parents and children will learn together to read the whole Bible as one story, with one hero—Jesus Christ.”

Vibrant illustrations by A. E. Macha, child-friendly discussion questions and Scripture references accompany each story to help lead families in exploring the Bible. Parents and teachers will be delighted to discover how easily even a young child can understand the original text of a story that he or she has already come to love. A companion to the family devotional Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the soon-to-be-released Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum (February 2012), The Gospel Story Bible is also a great resource for churches, Sunday school classes, home-schoolers and Christian schools who want to teach their children to apply the gospel to every situation and make Jesus the most important part of their everyday lives.

Product Details:

List Price: $29.99
Hardcover: 328 pages
Publisher: New Growth Press (December 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936768127
ISBN-13: 978-1936768127

AND NOW...Some Sample Pages (click images to see them larger):

Teaching Children the Symbols of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:59:00 +0000

Hello everyone. It's Christmas time once again. and I would just like to greet you a very Merry Christmas.

Image by Harmon Fisher, Stock.xchng

Let me just say that I admit that I've not been able to post much in this blog. I've been busy with a lot of things lately. But I would certainly try to do better updating this blog in the coming days of the new year 2012.

I have not made a new post about Christmas lessons this time but allow me to point you to one article I did on Hubpages which teaches how to make a Christmas craft for kids and use it to tell the Christmas story. Aside from the easy to do art and craft project described, there is a guide on how to use the Christmas symbols like the angels, candy cane, the star, the cross and the Christmas tree to tell parts of the Christmas story.

You can find the article here: Christmas Craft for Kids that Tells a Christmas Story.

More Ideas on How to Use this Christmas Symbols Craft:

Let me just add that you can use other Christmas symbols like the crown, heart, baby or the trumpet for this craft to make up and tell the Christmas story. You can also improvise the art and craft idea. You can just show the children how to draw the different symbols and let them follow. You can use play dough to make the different symbols. You can do origami if the children can follow more advanced instructions. Then, instead of you telling the story, you can let the children tell the Christmas story.

That's it for now. I would just like to mention that you can find some old Christmas lesson plans in this blog and there are plenty more in the Ministry to Children blog. They have more new lessons and Christmas ideas to share this year.

Enjoy the remaining days of 2011. God bless you!

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:14:00 +0000

Are you a patient person? Or are you someone who wants to get what you want right away? It is difficult to wait sometimes especially when you really, really want something or when you really, really need something done.

Jacob and Rachel. Image from Wikipedia

Well, remember Jacob? After he got the blessings from Isaac, his father, he went away from his family because his brother, Esau, was so furious that he wanted to kill him. On his way to his mother's relatives in Canaan, he had a dream of the ladder to heaven where God told him that he will be blessed. Then, off he went to Canaan.

This is the what happened to Jacob (Genesis 29) ...
When he arrived in Canaan, he saw a well and there met Rachel, the second daughter of Laban. Laban is his mother's, Rebekah's, brother. Jacob helped Rachel water the sheep and told her that he is the son of Rebekah, his father's sister. So, Rachel ran back home and told him father who welcomed Jacob to his house.

Jacob stayed and worked in Laban's house for a whole month. Then, Laban said he will pay Jacob for working for him. Now Jacob was in love with Rachel so he said, "I will work for you 7 years in exchange for Rachel's hand in marriage." Laban agreed.

Seven long years! But to Jacob it seemed like only a few days because he loves Rachel. When Jacob completed his work, he asked for Rachel's hand. So Jacob got married but when he woke up the next morning, he saw that it was not Rachel whom he married, but Leah, the older sister of Rachel.

He's been tricked! It was kinda like when he tricked his father, Isaac. He went to Laban and asked why he tricked him. Laban said that it is their custom for the older daughter to be married first so he gave Leah. But after the bridal week, he will also give him Rachel in exchange for another 7 years of work. Jacob agreed, got married to Rachel and worked for another 7 years for Laban.

KIDS DISCUSSION
1. Who were the relatives of Jacob whom he met in Canaan?
2. What pay did Jacob agree to receive for working 7 years for Jacob?
3. Why was he willing to wait that long? Do you have the patience to wait that long? (Jacob loved Rachel. If you want something really good, you ought to be willing to wait for it like when mommy is cooking a delicious meal).
4. What happened on the day Jacob got married?
5. Why was it that he did not do something bad in return for Laban's trick on him?
6. Would you have done as Jacob did?
7. What lessons can we learn from this story? (Patience, willing to wait for the best thing, not to reciprocate evil for evil...)

MEMORY VERSE: 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

KIDS' ACTIVITY
1. Jacob and Rachel coloring page from Biblewise.
2. Jacob and Rachel worksheet. You can ask bigger kids to read the text and answer the questions.
3. Playing with Clay. You can give the children some clay and let them make a boy (Jacob) and a girl (Rachel) clay. You can also make the other characters. Then, retell the story using these clay figures.

To give you an idea of how to make the people clay figures, you can check out the two videos below

Jacob's Dream of the Ladder

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:12:00 +0000

Has any one of you ever had a dream? What did you dream about? Was it scary? Was it adventurous? Was it a beautiful dream? (Let the kids tell some of their dreams.)

Our story for today is also about a person who had a dream. Do you remember Jacob? In our last lesson, we learned that after Jacob Got Isaac's Blessings, his brother, Esau, was so angry and wanted to kill him. So Jacob, as advised by his mother, Rebecca, decided to go away from their home in Beersheba to Haran.

When he reached a certain place, he was so tired. He just took a stone as his pillow and fell asleep. Then, he had a dream. He dreamed that there was a ladder from the ground that reaches to heaven. Then he saw angels going up and down the stairs. Above it, he saw the Lord who said "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and Isaac. I will give and your offspring this land. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth and all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you and your people. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised."

Jacob woke up and said "Surely the Lord is in this place. How awesome is this place!" Early in the morning, Jacob took his stone pillow and set it up as a pillar. Then he called the place Bethel which means house of God.

This story is found in Genesis 28:10-22

KIDS DISCUSSION:
1. Who is Jacob? What happened to him on his to Haran?
2. What was his dream about? What did God tell him in his dream?
3. Is God also with you and watches over you just like He did to Jacob?
4. If He is watching over us, how should we feel? (safe, protected, not afraid).
5. What are God's promises to Jacob? What is God's promises to you?
6. Do you think God can help you fulfill your dream? Pray to Him about it.

MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 28:15
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.

KIDS ACTIVITIES
1. Coloring pages: Jacob's ladder

2. Role playing: Pretend that you and the kids are like Jacob on a journey. Then, you get a small piece of crumpled paper (the children would love to crumple the paper by themselves and use scratch paper) and use it as your pillow. Then, let someone pretend as angels and the Lord who spoke that "I am the Lord of Abraham and Isaac. I will increase your descendant. I will be with you and watch over you wherever you go." After hearing this, let all the children wake up and say together "Surely, the Lord is in this place."

3. Kids Draw. Let the children draw about their dream or what is their dream in life like having a beautiful house, or becoming a doctor or a teacher. Then, let the children write on their drawing, God can help me fulfill my dream.

Jacob Gets Isaac's Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Have you ever played tricks or jokes on your brother or sister or any of your family members? How did that make them feel? This time, we will study the story of Jacob and Esau when their father, Isaac was already old and his eyes were already so weak.

One day, Isaac called his favorite son, Esau, and told him that he is already old and do not know when he will die. So, he told Esau to go out and hunt some wild game. Afterward, he will cook it into a tasty dish and give it to Isaac. Then he will bestow his blessings on him. Esau quickly went out to do what is asked of him.

Now, Rebekah, Isaac's wife heard what he told Esau. She immediately told her son, Jacob, about the conversation and instructed him to bring two young goats so she can prepare the tasty dish which he will bring to Isaac, that he may receive the blessing.

But Jacob told his mother that his brother Esau is hairy and he is not. His mother told him that she will take care of that. After preparing the dish, Rebekah took Esau's clothes and put them on Jacob. She also put goatskins on his hands and the smooth part of his neck. Then, off he went to Isaac's tent.

This is how the conversation between Isaac and Jacob went. (This can be done by two people who will role play as Jacob and Isaac).
Jacob: My father.
Isaac: Yes, my son. Who is it?
Jacob: I am Esau. I have done as you told me. Please sit up, eat some of this tasty dish so that you may give me your blessing.
Isaac: How did you find it so quickly, my son?
Jacob: The Lord your God gave me success.
Isaac: Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.
(Jacob went close to Isaac who touched him)
Isaac: The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. Are you really my son Esau?
Jacob: I am.
Isaac: My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.
(Jacob brought it to Isaac and he ate. He also gave some wine and he drank.)
Isaac: Come here, my son and kiss me.
(Jacob went and kissed him. Then Isaac blessed him.)

After Jacob received the blessing and left Isaac's tent, Esau arrived. When Esau went into his father's tent and learned that Jacob has acted deceitfully, he cried bitterly. He held a grudge against Jacob and said to himself that he will kill his brother Jacob after his father dies.

This Bible story can be found in Genesis 27:1-42.

KIDS DISCUSSION
1. What did old Isaac tell his son Esau?
2. What did Rebekah tell his son Jacob?
3. How did Jacob disguise himself to get the blessing from Isaac?
4. How did Esau feel when he learned that Jacob got the blessing?
5. What can we learn from this story? (We should not tell lies. Lies and trickery can hurt other people)

MEMORY VERSE: Colossians 3:9
Do not lie to each other.

KIDS ACTIVITY:
1. Coloring pages: Jacob Gets Isaac's Blessings; Memory Verse
2. Review the story by letting the kids answer this Crossword puzzle.
3. Role playing. Let the children do the role playing of the conversation between Isaac and Jacob.
4. Playing Disguise. Make an easy paper plate mask. This can be done at the beginning and the children can play "guess who" before telling the story of Jacob Gets Isaac's Blessings.

Lesson on Growing Up With Your Siblings: Jacob and Esau

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 05:05:00 +0000

Do any of you have a brother or a sister? How are you getting along with him or her? Do you have the same likes and dislikes or different? Today, we will study about twin brothers.

Remember Isaac and Rebekah? Isaac prayed to the Lord for Rebekah and she became pregnant. When she gave birth, she had twin boys. The first to come out was red and hairy so he was named Esau. The second was holding to Esau's heel so he was named Jacob. When they grew up, Esau became a hunter while Jacob was quiet and home bound. Esau was Isaac's favorite, while Jacob was favored by Rebekah.

One day, Esau came home from hunting very hungry. Jacob was cooking some stew so Esau asked for some. But Jacob said, "First, sell me your birthright." (Birthright means a double share of the father's property upon his death. Usually, the oldest son gets this status or privilege.) Because Esau was very hungry, he said "What good is birthright to me if I am about to die." So, he sold his birthright to Jacob. Jacob, then gave Esau some bread and stew.

The story is taken from Genesis 25:19-34

KIDS DISCUSSION:
1. How do you describe Esau? Jacob? Are they the same or different?
2. Do your father or mother have favorites among your siblings? How do you feel about it?
3. If you were Jacob, would you ask for your brother's birthright? Why?
4. If you were Esau, would you sell your birthright? Why?
5. What can you say about the relationship between Esau and Jacob? good or bad? with jealousy? with fighting?
6. How is your relationship with your siblings? Do you love your brother or sister even if he or she is different from you? How can you show your love?
7. What lesson have you learned from Esau and Jacob?

MEMORY VERSE: John 13:34
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

KIDS' CRAFT:
Origami heart: Since this lesson teaches about loving siblings, the kids may like to learn how to make an origami beating heart. There is a YouTube video of how to make this in this link.

Origami Photo frame: The kids can make this simple origami photo frame where they can put a picture of themselves and their siblings.

Jacob and Esau coloring page: Find on this page coloring pages telling the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for stew.

Finding a Bride for Isaac

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 05:37:00 +0000

In the last two lessons about Abraham, we learned of the birth of Isaac, his son. Then, when Abraham's loyalty to God was tested, he willingly sacrificed his only son, Isaac. Though Isaac's sacrifice did not push through because an Angel of the Lord spoke and said that Abraham was found faithful. What then happened to Isaac after that?

When Abraham was old, Isaac was also grown up too. When he still did not have a wife, Abraham asked his chief servant to go to back to his country and his relatives and look for a wife for Isaac. He specifically told him to bring the woman back with him immediately and will not bring Isaac to her. That is a tall order. Would a woman really come with him and marry Isaac even if she has not seen the man she's going to marry?

Abraham's servant then went on with the journey taking with him 10 camels bringing all kinds of goods on its back. When they reached the home town of Abraham, he had the camels kneel near the well outside of town. Then, he prayed:

"O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this, I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

When he finished praying, Rebekah, the granddaughter of Abraham's brother, came out with her jar. The servant asked her, "Please give me a little water from your jar." Then Rebekah answered, "Drink, my Lord." After he had a drink, she also said "I'll draw water for your camels too."

The servant was excited looking closely at what happened. He asked about the family of Rebekah and learned that they were Abraham's relatives. He stayed in their house, explained the purpose of his journey and what happened at the well. He also asked for the hand of Rebekah in marriage for Isaac.

Laban (Rebekah's brother) and Bethuel (Rebekah's father) then said, "This is from the Lord. Here is Rebekah; take her and go and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed." Rebekah also agreed to go.

The servant was overjoyed and bowed down to the ground before the Lord and praised Him. Then, he gave gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing to Rebekah. He also gave gifts to her brother and her mother. The next day, they immediately went on their way back to Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah got married and Isaac loved Rebekah.

You can find this story in Genesis 24.

KIDS DISCUSSION (Hear what the kids have to say.)
1. Aa arranged marriage is common in Isaac's time, would you agree to marry someone you do not know someday?
2. What made the servant's mission successful? Why was he able to find a willing bride for Isaac? because of the servant's faith? because God answers prayer?
3. What do like most about this story? What did you learn? be prayerful, trust God always
4. Can you trust God in everything? in your family? finding your future husband or wife? in your school?

MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

KIDS ACTIVITY:
1. Ask the children to dramatize or make a simple play from the story of Finding a Bride for Isaac.
2. The 10 camels were instrumental in the servant's knowing how to find the right girl for Isaac. Print this paper camel masks which the kids can also use during the play.
3. You can find a lot of other camel crafts from Artists Helping Children website.
4. Coloring page of Isaac and Rebekah.

Lesson on Prayer - That's When I Talk to God

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 06:39:00 +0000

This book "That's When I Talk to God" is another story book for children I got as a member of the First Wild Card Tour. I'm sharing the book here because I used it some time ago in teaching kids Sunday School. The children actually like it and I also included some accompanying kids activity and memory verse (Please see below after the book description and sneak preview).

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card authors are:

Dan and Ali Morrow

and Illustrated by

Cory Godbey

and the book:

That's When I Talk to God

David C. Cook (April 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Dan and Ali Morrow are parents of two wonderful daughters. When they’re not writing children’s books, they like to go on adventures around their Colorado home. They are the authors of That’s Where God Is (2010), their first children’s release.

Visit the authors' website.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Cory Godbey illustrates, animates, and writes for Portland Studios, a creative firm dedicated to telling great stories and pursuing excellence in art.

He has contributed to projects such as Zune Arts, Flight graphic novel anthologies, and has worked with many major publishers.

Recently, Cory was accepted in the acclaimed Society of Illustrators Annual.

Cory seeks to tell stories with his work.

He also likes drawing monsters.

Visit the illustrator'swebsite.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Targeted to children four to eight, That’s When I Talk to God mirrors the day of the typical child, creating an opportunity for readers to put the practices in the story to use in their own lives. Through beautiful illustrations and an engaging, familiar character, readers can relate to That’s When I Talk to God. Children will learn to go to God with their fears, their joys, their questions, and their desires. They will also learn the hows, whens, and whys of praying to the Lord in a way they can easily apply to their own experiences. And adults will be reminded to communicate the benefit, simplicity, and beauty of prayer.

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook (April 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434700186
ISBN-13: 978-1434700186

AND NOW...THE FIRST FEW PAGES (Click on the pictures to enlarge them!):

REFLECTION: You can use simple questions to ask the children as the story goes along. Like for example, ask them what is shown in the picture. Then, from time to time, ask questions that would relate the story to the lives of the children like for example in the first few pages you can ask them "When do you pray? Do you know that you can pray to God any time and any where?" It is important to let the children see how the story relates to their life. I like the portion when the girl in the story prayed for her friend. Then, I asked the children "Who is your friend?" and immediately after, I ask them to pray a simple prayer for his/her friend i.e. Lord, bless my friend Janel, in Jesus name, Amen.

MEMORY VERSE: 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

KIDS SONG: God is Only a Prayer Away (This is just the chorus of a song which I heard in the TV program for kids Cherub Wings) Click this link to hear the song.
God is only a prayer away, a prayer away, a prayer away.
You can call on Him night and day.
He's only a prayer away.

KIDS ACTIVITY:
Coloring pages on prayer - Girl/Boy praying where they can write a prayer on the quote bubble above his/her head.
Itsy Bitsy Prayer Book - Shows pictures of the Lord's Prayer.

Lesson on Loyalty - Abraham's Big Test

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 04:53:00 +0000

Abraham's Big Test (Genesis 22:1-19)
Isaac grew up to be a fine boy. Abraham was very thankful to God that He gave him a son whom he really loves. One day, God spoke to Abraham and said "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

The next day, Abraham, Isaac and two other servants went on a journey. They brought with them enough wood for the burnt offering. They walked 3 days and when they were near Moriah, only Abraham and Isaac continued onto Mount Moriah.

Isaac brought the wood for the burnt offering on his shoulders while Abraham carried the knife and fire. Probably wondering, Isaac asked "The fire and the wood are here,but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham only replied "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." When they reached the place, Abraham built an altar, laid the wood on it, bound Isaac and laid him on the altar.

Abraham was about to strike Isaac with the knife when he heard the voice of the angel of the Lord call his name "Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Then Abraham saw a ram caught in the thicket and he sacrificed that ram instead of his beloved son, Isaac. God again spoke to Abraham "because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you..." How happy Abraham must have been when he, his son and his two servants went back home.

KIDS DISCUSSION
1. If God (your mom or your dad) asks you to do something difficult, would you do it? Why?
2. What did God tell Abraham to do in our story? Was it easy or difficult?
3. How did Abraham respond? Did he follow God? Was it easy? What do you think Abraham felt?
4. What is loyalty? (complete devotion/faithfulness/staying by someone no matter how difficult things are) How did Abraham show his loyalty to God in the story?
5. How can you be loyal to God?

6. How did God reward Abraham's loyalty?

MEMORY VERSE: James 2:23
"Abraham believed God ....and he was called God's friend."

KIDS' ACTIVITY
Abraham Sacrifices Isaac coloring page.
Memory Verse Puzzle. You can print this puzzle, color it yourself and cut along the lines. You can alternatively glue a cardboard at the back of the cut pieces to make them more sturdy. Make 2-3 sets depending on the number of students. Then play a game by letting 2 or 3 groups race each other in building the puzzle.
Dramatize the story of Abraham Sacrifices Isaac. Find in this page a sample Abaraham Sacrifices Isaac drama script. You may have to scroll down to find the script.
Word Search Puzzle. You can try this word search puzzle for the big kids.

Lesson on God's Faithfulness - The Birth of Isaac

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 04:52:00 +0000

We will continue our story with Abraham. When God first called Abraham, He promised that He will make Abraham into a great nation. He also told Abraham that his offspring will be as many as the stars in the heavens (Genesis 15:4-5). Can you count the stars in the sky at night? When Abraham heard this, he believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness.

But the problem is, Abraham was already old, in fact he's already 99 years old and his wife Sarah is barren and past the age of childbearing, and they still don't have a child. Do you think God can fulfill his promise to Abraham?

One day, Abraham saw three visitors nearby his tent. These visitors were really angels from God. He hurriedly went to them and invited them over and prepared something for them to eat and drink. While eating, they asked "Where is Sarah?" Abraham said, "There in the tent." Then, they said that "Surely at about this time next year, Sarah will have a son." When Sarah heard this, she laughed to herself thinking how can that be when she and Abraham are old. Then the angel said, "Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Sarah then lied and said "I did not laugh." But the angel said, "Yes, you did laugh." (Please read this account in Genesis 18:1-15)

Soon, the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son. Abraham gave the name Isaac. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. (Read from Genesis 21:1-7)

Kids Discussion
1. What did God promise to Abraham?
2. Why can't Abraham and Sarah have a child? How can God's promise be fulfilled?
3. What did the angels from God tell Abraham?
4. Why did Sarah laugh?
5. Did God fulfill his promise? How?
6. What can we learn from our story today? (God fulfills his promise. When He makes a promise, He is faithful to fulfill it. We should believe what God says.)

MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 18:14
Is anything too hard for the Lord?

KIDS ACTIVITY

Abraham coloring pages. Abraham looking at the stars.
Simple foam star on Popsicle stick. See the video tutorial here. Alternatively, you can use yellow colored paper (or any colored paper you like) and draw stars on them which the kids can cut. Help them in drawing a face on the stars then glue the stars on a Popsicle stick. If you wish, you can glue the stars first on cardboard, cut and paste them to the Popsicle stick.
Kirigami simple star. You can also make this simple paper star - similar to origami.

Lesson on Handling Conflict - Abraham and Lot

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:32:00 +0000

Do you remember our lesson last time when God called Abraham? Do you remember what God told Abraham to do? What did Abraham do? Do you remember who are the people that went with him? One of those who came with Abraham was his nephew, Lot. Our lesson today will be about him found in Genesis 13:1-18.

Abraham and Lot are both shepherds and as they traveled, their animals like sheep and goats went with them. The time came that their flock grew in number and the land could not support them altogether. The helpers of Abraham and the helpers of Lot started quarreling because of this.

Then Abraham said to Lot "Let's not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. There's much land around us. Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right. If you go to the right, I'll go to the left." Then. Lot made his choice of the land to the East and Abraham went to the West. They parted ways peacefully.

KIDS DISCUSSION
Ask the kids after telling the story
1. What do Abraham and Lot have in common?
2. Why did their herdsmen/helpers quarrel?
3. What did Abraham do to stop the quarrel?
4. What good quality did Abraham show in this story?
5. Do you quarrel? Is it good to quarrel? What should you do when you're in quarrel with your siblings or friends or playmates?

Teach the children to handle conflicts. This is a good time to teach about sharing, giving and forgiving. Ask the kids to make a choice by giving examples of familiar situations like
1. You have a new toy, what should you do with it when you see your friend? (Share the new toy with his friend.)
2. Your friend doesn't want to lend you her new toy, what should you do? (Learn to wait for your turn)
3. Your friend doesn't want to do what you want when you are playing, what should you do? (Don't feel bad because he may not want to play the game. Think of other games you can play together.)
Think of other situations the kids can relate to.

MEMORY VERSE: Romans 12:18
"Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone."

KIDS ACTIVITY
Abraham and Lot coloring page.
Make a sheep craft. You will find lots of simple craft ideas for kids making sheep on this page. You can follow the instructions or just improvise. This can be done prior to telling the story or afterward. You can also choose any of the sheep coloring pages here and instead of coloring, you can ask the kids to glue cotton on the sheep.

Lesson on Faith and Obedience: God Calls Abraham

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 06:15:00 +0000

The Bible lesson for this week is about "God Calls Abraham." In this lesson, we will explore how Abraham demonstrated his faith and obedience to God. Though there are many stories that have happened along the life of Abraham that shows his faith, we will focus for now only on the account in Genesis 12:1-7.

Would anyone of you kids dare to do something you are not sure of? How about walking the tightrope? Would you walk a tightrope? Sometimes, it is difficult to do something when we are not sure of what the results would be. But, being able to do so is a demonstration of one's faith or belief or trust.

Our story for today is about a man who did something because he believed. The man's name is Abram. One day, God told him to leave his country, his people, his father's household and go to a place He will show him. Then, God promised to bless him. He said "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing."

Do you think that was easy for Abram to do? Would you go to a place you do not know? Why or why not? Would you leave your family and friends? Is moving all your stuff easy?

It may not be an easy decision but the Bible says Abram left as the Lord had told him. Abram was 75 years old then and he brought his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and all the possessions he owned and the people he acquired. When Abram and his companions reached Shechem, the Lord said "To your offspring I will give land." So Abram built an altar to the Lord and thanked Him.

Because Abram obeyed God, God truly blessed him in the land where God told him to go.

KIDS DISCUSSION
Who did God talk to? What did He say?
How did Abram respond to God's command?
What lessons can we learn from the story of Abram? (Mention: We must believe and obey God. If we obey God, He will bless us. Sometimes, it's not easy to do what God asks us to do, but we must obey.)
How can we show our obedience to God? (Mention: Know what the Bible says. Do what the Bible says. Obey our parents, etc.)

MEMORY VERSE:

By faith, Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ~ Hebrews 11:8
For we walk by faith not by sight. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7

KIDS ACTIVITY:

Abraham leaving coloring page. Abraham built an altar coloring page.
Color, Cut and Scramble the Bible Verse. Page 1. Page 2. The kids can play a game using these. Two groups of children can arrange the words to form the verse. Each child will have one piece and one by one they will put their piece in the right place. The first to finish wins.
Role playing. The kids can do a role play of the story of Abraham. The kids can bring their things (like their bags, water bottle), then they go round and round and round the room until they stop at a certain place and there rest and thank God as Abram did when he reached Shechem.

The Story of the Tower of Babel

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:27:00 +0000

What are the different languages you know? English, Spanish, German, Chinese, Italian, Filipino? Why do we have different languages? We can find the answer to this question in Genesis 11:1-9.

After the flood, God told Noah to be fruitful, increase in number and fill the earth. But when they have increased in number, the people decided to stay in one place, in the plain of Shinar. Then the people said to each other that they will make bricks and build a tower. They said that they will build a tower that reaches up to the heavens so that they will make a name for themselves and not be scattered over all the earth.

But the Lord did not approve of this plan of theirs. During this time, the people still speak one common language. Then God confused the language of the people so that they did not understand each other. They stopped building the tower and began to scatter throughout the earth. Thus, the tower was called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world.

KIDS DISCUSSION
1. What did God command Noah and his descendants?
2. Did the people obey this command? What did they do?
3. What is wrong about building the tower? shows man's rebellion and pride
4. How did God feel about the men building the tower?
5. What did he do about it and what was the result?

MEMORY VERSE: James 4:6
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

KIDS ACTIVITY
Tower of Bable coloring page.
Using Building blocks. If the kids have building blocks to play with they can play a game. Two or three groups of kids can be given the same number of blocks and they build the tallest tower they can as fast as they could. The one who finishes first is the winner. Alternatively, if you don't have building blocks, you can just use plastic cups in playing the game.

The children can also review the lesson by role playing. They can retell the stories by doing what the people in the story did. There should be a narrator and someone who will do the role of God. They can also use the building blocks or stacks of cup as props.

The Story of Cain and Abel

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:22:00 +0000

Next to the story about the Disobedience of Adam and Eve is the story of Cain and Abel found in Genesis 4:1-12.

Cain is the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. He grew up to be a farmer. Later, Cain had a brother named Abel and he grew up to be a shepherd. Then came the time when both Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord. Cain brought some of the fruits of his harvest while Abel brought the best of his sheep. God was pleased with Abel's offering but not with Cain's.

Because of this, Cain became very angry and jealous and sad. God told Cain that if he had done what is right, he will be accepted. But Cain did not listen. He called Abel and they went to a field and there Cain killed his brother Abel.

When God asked Cain where is his brother Abel, he said he did not know. But God knows that he killed his brother, so He punished Cain. When Cain tills the ground, it will no longer yield fruit and he is to become a wanderer all his life.

KIDS DISCUSSION
Ask the kids questions to review the story to know if they understood the lesson.
1. Who are the sons of Adam and Eve? What do they do?
2. When offering to God, what did Cain and Abel give?
3. When God was not pleased with Cain's offering, how did Cain feel? What did he do afterward? (You may also ask the kids if they have ever felt the same when their brother or sister is favored over them. Did Cain do what is right? In the same way, what should we do when we feel angry, sad or jealous?)
4. Can we hide anything from God? So, if we lie does God know it?
5. What lessons can we learn from the story of Cain and Abel? (The kids may say stuff like obey God, love your brother, we cannot hide from God, do not lie, do not kill, do not be jealous, angry and the like.)

MEMORY VERSE: 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.
(When Cain sinned he should have asked forgiveness for his sins and God will forgive him. In the same way, when we do something that is not right, we must ask for God's forgiveness and He will forgive us).

KIDS ACTIVITY
Cain and Abel coloring pages. You can also make out of these your visual aids for telling the story.

To remember what Cain does for a living, make this basket of fruits as an art activity for the kids. Just follow the directions for making a basket from the preschool for all page. For the fruits to be colored and pasted on the baskets, just draw some fruits or find some free fruit coloring pages online.

The kids may also like to do this toilet paper roll craft of Cain and Abel. This is one activity that kids enjoy doing, but you have to be ready with the materials which includes toilet paper roll. (As an alternative, you can just use any old cereal box or soft cardboard. Cut in rectangular shape and roll and staple or tape when the ends meet to form a tube.)

The Disobedience of Adam and Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:07:00 +0000

Last week, the children learned about the Beginning of Creation. They saw that God created everything man needed first then He created Adam and Eve. For this week's lesson, the children will learn what happened to Adam and Eve.

(You can use the story sequencing card of the story of Adam and Eve from DLTK as visual aid. Then, read Genesis 2:4 - 3:24)

Tell the story how God created Adam - Gen 2:7. (You may use clay to demonstrate how it was like for God to form man from the dust of the ground then breath on it.)

Tell what God told Adam after He put him in the garden - Gen 2:15-17.

Tell what God did when He saw that Adam was alone - Gen. 2:18-22.

Tell about the day when the serpent talked to Eve. What did they talk about? - Gen 3:1-5.

Tell what happened to Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God. - Gen. 3:7-24.

Ask the children what lesson they learned about the story of Adam and Eve. Emphasize that we should always obey God and that sin has its consequences. Ask also the children how they can practice what they have learned from the story.

It would be good also to let the children retell the story. Let them use the story sequencing cards.

MEMORY VERSE: Psalm 119:10
I will seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

KIDS ACTIVITY :
God Made Me. Let the children draw a portrait of themselves and let them write below their picture "God Made Me" or "I am Special".

Role Playing. For older children, they can also do a role playing of the story.

Snake paper chain. For some handicraft, the kids can make this snake paper chain and use it as a reminder that they should listen to God and not to the serpent.

KIDS SONG: Sing this song to the tune of A Hunting We Will Go

God made the bird
God made the bird
God made everything
God made the bird.

Then substitute "the bird" for names of other animals or the names of the kids.

Related Lesson: The Mark of Disobedience

A New Beginning - The Creation Story

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 06:23:00 +0000

It is the beginning of another year - A BLESSED NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! This January onwards, I'll be sharing Sunday School lessons for kids that teach about the Genesis stories.

When thinking about the word "New", the first Bible story that comes to my mind is the story of the beginning of life, that is the creation story as narrated in Genesis 1:1-2:3.

When telling the story, you can either use a story book with attractive pictures or make your own pictures as follows

for day 1 - darkness, in contrast to light; or you can ask the children to close their eyes as you begin telling the story.
for day 2 - sky
for day 3 - land and seas, plants and trees
for day 4 - sun, moon and stars
for day 5 - living creatures like the fish in the sea and birds of the air
for day 6 - living land creatures (elephants, tigers, lions, bears, monkey, etc) and man.
for day 7 - none God rested

You can also find some coloring pages of the creation story here, color and use them when telling the story.

Then, you can end the story by asking the children are they thankful that God created all these things for us? Take note that God created everything man needs before creating man. It is important to teach the children that God is the Creator of everything and to be thankful for all the things that He has created for us to enjoy.

Review the story and let the children participate in telling the story.

KIDS' SONG: If I Were a Butterfly
Since the children are learning about the different creatures God created, why not learn about this song.

MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

KIDS' ACTIVITY:
Creation Story Book. You can use the coloring pages of the creation story above for the children to color and create their own Creation Story Book. You can find and print an alternative mini-book version of the creation story here.

To let the children use their imagination and creativity, you can also make mini-books with empty pages where the children can draw and color to tell the creation story. Just fold about 3 pieces of bond paper and staple them together in the middle to make a mini-book.

Creation Mobile. The children can also create a creation mobile. The instructions can be found from DLTK-Bible's Creation Mobile page. You can also substitute other pictures that you want to hang on your mobile if you want to.

Christmas Lesson Plans for Sunday School

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 07:49:00 +0000

Free Christmas Lessons
It is Christmas and it is a great opportunity once again to share with our little children the Good News about why Jesus came to earth. I've found this page from Ministry-to-children.com wherein they list a lot of Christmas lesson plans they've used over the years and are 100% free to download for teaching in our respective Children's Sunday School. Here is the link: http://ministry-to-children.com/christmas-ss/

Here's also a page where you can download for free the Read and Share Bible featuring the Christmas Story from Tommy Nelson. It is a nice story to share with our little children.

Christmas Song to Teach the Kids
Also last time I taught our children this simple song about Christmas which I saw in one Sunday School material. The song is sung to the tune of Yes, Jesus Loves Me.

Christmas is a time of joy
Not because of gifts and toys
But because God gave His Son
Jesus loves us everyone.

Yes, God gave His Son
Yes, God gave His Son
Yes, God gave His Son
He loves us everyone.

You can also check out the previous posts on Christmas lessons in this blog.

Image by Harmon Fisher, Stock.xchng

Object Lesson: How a Little Girl Utilized the Telephone

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:57:00 +0000

This short story teaches the little children about the importance of faith and prayer and that God answers prayer. Note: The telephone conversation in the story can be used for role playing in the Sunday School class. This can be taught along with the story of how Jairus' daughter was healed by Jesus found in Mark 5:21-24; 38-43.

There was mother watching over a sick baby who came down stairs for a moment to take a second's rest. She heard the voice of her little, 4-year old girl in the living room by herself. She went and saw her seated in front of the telephone, and stood upon it, with the piece against the side of her head. The child was so earnest talking on the telephone and this was the conversation the mother heard, while the tears stood thick in her eyes.

"Hello."

"Well, who's there?"

"Is God there?"

"Yes."

"Is Jesus there?"

"Yes."

"Tell Jesus I want to speak to him."

"Well?"

"Is that you, Jesus?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"Our baby is sick, and we want you to let it get well. Won't you, now?"

No answer, and statement and question again repeated, and finally answered by a "Yes."

The little one put the ear-piece back on its hook, went down from the chair, and with a radiant face, went for her mother, who caught her in her arms.

The baby who has been began to mend that day and got well.

~ Elmira Free Press

MEMORY VERSE: Mark 11:24
Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

KIDS CRAFT: How to Make a Simple Telephone

A Beautiful Christmas Story - Little Star by Anthony DeStefano

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 06:20:00 +0000

Little children love Christmas stories. It is part of the Christmas tradition that parents or grandparents tell the story of Jesus' birth to their children. In these days, many seem to have lost this treasured tradition. I pray that we could take the time to meaningfully celebrate the season by reminding our children about the birth of our Savior King Jesus.

In addition to the stories we can tell from the Bible, here's a very beautiful story to tell to our kids this Christmas. The Little Star by Anthony DeStefano is a story telling about what a little star did to share God's love during the birth of the baby Jesus. Watch the video below as Grandfather Pat Boone reads the story of Little Star to little kids. You can also get your copy and tell this Christmas Classic Story to-be to your children.

Cain and Abel

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:50:00 +0000

Cain and Abel. Image by Wikipedia

Kids do you have any brother or sister? How are you getting along with them? Do you fight with your brothers or sisters? Why? What happens when you fight?

Our Bible story for today which is found in Genesis 4:1-8 is about two brothers who had some problems getting along with each other. They are the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, who is older, is a farmer while Abel, the younger, is a shepherd.

One day, they went and offered their sacrifice to the Lord. Cain offered the fruits from his crops while Abel offered a firstborn of his flock. God was pleased with Abel's offer and this made Cain mad.

Then Cain said to his brother, "Let's go to the field" and there he killed his brother.

DISCUSSION WITH THE KIDS
1. What can you say about the two brothers?
2. Why was Cain angry with his brother Abel? What did he do?
3. Do you fight with your brother or sister? Why?
4. Does God like us to be jealous and fight our siblings? How does God want us to deal with our siblings? What should we do to avoid fighting with our siblings?

You may also want to read this Cain and Abel lesson for additional input on how to teach this story.

MEMORY VERSE: James 1:19
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

KIDS CRAFT / ACTIVITY
I like this craft from DLTK-Bible where the kids will use toilet paper roll to make Cain and Abel toilet paper roll craft. Good to use as visual aid as well while telling the story. Find the instructions for making Cain and Abel by clicking the links.

Lesson on Giving: Marbles in the Pocket

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 05:28:00 +0000

Do you know what a Missionary Box is? Well, I will tell you. It is a box sent from a missionary society in a city or town to a mission field. The box contains clothing, bedding, and sometimes toys, dolls and picture books for the children at the mission field.

In a certain city, one Christmas season the children of the Sunday School brought gifts to fill a box. Some brought clothes they had outgrown. Some who had two coats decided they could give one. Others brought books. One little girl brought a beautiful doll. She had other dolls, and this one she dearly loved, but she said, "I want some other little girl to be happy, and I think I can get along without this doll, though I shall miss her dreadfully."

One day the committee came together to sort the gifts and pack the box. One woman picked up a boy's coat. She felt something, hard in one of the pockets. Another woman said, "Better look all through those pockets; you can never tell what a boy will use his pockets for." So she went all through the pockets. In one of them she found a soiled handkerchief tied in a knot. With much pulling, for it was a hard knot, she loosed the little package, and there she found five marbles. With the marbles was a note written in a boy's hand—

"DEAR BOY WHO GETS THIS COAT,

I have eight marbles. First I put in four for you. Then I put in another one. I hope you will like the coat, and the marbles.

From your friend,

JOHN MASON."

Now what do you think of that? Isn't it glorious? To give more to the other fellow than you keep for yourself, especially when that other fellow is someone you have never met, is Christlike.

MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 7: 12

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.

KIDS CRAFT: Shoe Box Gift Box
Ask the children to bring a small shoe box. Then, let the children decorate the top cover of the shoe box using colored pens, colored paper, glitter glue or anything they can use for designs.

Then, this boxes can be filled with a toy, a shirt or a small gift like a comb, toothbrush, candies which the children would like to give to poor children. The gifts need not be new, they can be clothes that the kids have outgrown or toys that still looks nice but they don't want to play with anymore.

Give the children some time to do this but make sure that the gift boxes can be shared with other children before Christmas day.

Lesson on Steadfastness and Integirty: The Young Martyr

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 06:23:00 +0000

Here's another life story from the Public Domain which can be used to teach the children about steadfastness and integrity. Below the story is another Sunday School lesson.

In the afternoon of August 9, 1853, there was a little Norwegian boy named Kund Iverson. He lived in the city of Chicago, Illinois. He was going to the pastures for his cow on that summer afternoon. On his way, he came at a stream of water where there was a gang of idle, ill-looking, big boys. When they saw Kund, they came up to him; and said they wanted him to go into Mr. Elston's garden and steal some apples.

"No," said Kund promptly; "I cannot steal, I am sure."

"Well, but you've got to," they cried.

They threatened to duck him, but the threat did not frighten Kund. So to make their words good, they seized him and dragged him into the river, and in spite of his cries and struggles, plunged him in. But the heroic boy even with the water gurgling and choking in his throat, never changed his mind. For he knew that God had said: "Thou shalt not steal." And he had made God's law to be his law; and no cursing, or threats, or cruelty of the big boys would make him give up.

Provoked by his firmness, the bullies ducked him again, but it still was, "No, no"; and they kept him under water. Was there no one near to hear his distressing cries, and rescue the poor child from their cruel grip? No; there was none to rescue him. Gradually the cries of the drowning child grew fainter and fainter, and his struggles less and less, and the boy was drowned.

He could die, but would not steal.

There was a German boy who had stood near, much frightened by what he saw, ran home to tell the news. The agonized parents quickly came and searched for their lost boy all night. It was found the next morning; and who shall describe their feelings as they clasped the little form to their bosoms? Early piety had blossomed in his little life. He loved his Bible and his Savior. His seat was never vacant at Sunday school, and so intelligent, conscientious and steadfast had he been.

The little boy thought he was only going after his cows that afternoon. His mother, the other boys, and the neighbors, if they saw him, thought so, too. They did not then know that instead of going to the pasture he was going to preach one of the most powerful sermons the country ever heard. They did not know that he was going to give an example of steadfastness of purpose and of unwavering integrity, such as should thrill the heart of this nation with wonder and admiration.

Kund Iverson was only thirteen years old, but his name was soon to be reckoned with martyrs and heroes. And as the story of his moral heroism winged its way from state to state, and city to city, and village to village, how many mothers cried with full hearts: "May his spirit rest upon my boy!" And strong men have wept over it and exclaimed: "God be praised for the lad!" May there be a generation of Kund Iversons, strong in their integrity, true to their Bibles, ready to die rather than do wrong.

BIBLE STORY LESSON: Read Exodus 20:1-17; 24:1-7
This passage is taken from the time when the Israelites reached Mount Sinai and God told the people throught Moses to prepare themselves because He is going to come in a dense cloud and speak to them. Exodus 20:1-17 lists the 10 commandments that God spoke to them. When the people saw the thunder and lightning, they were afraid. So they told Moses that he speak to God himself and they will listen.

The next time Moses went and told the people all the Lord's words and laws, they responded with one voice; "Everything the Lord has said we will do."

Kids Discussion:
1. How did God speak to the people? How did the people feel? What did they say in response?
2. What are the commands of the Lord?
3. What should we do with the Lord's words and laws?
4. How can the children follow the example of Kund Iverson? What is steadfastness and integrity? (loyalty in the face of trouble and difficulty)

MEMORY VERSE: Exodus 24:7
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey."

KIDS ACTIVITY
Ten Commandments Quiz
Ten Commandments Coloring Pages: 1 2 3
Game: Let the children play some games (indoor: chess, snake and ladder; outdoor: relay games, sack race) and see how steadfast they are to the end.

Lesson on Prayer: A Child's Prayer Answered

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 06:25:00 +0000

You can use this story by Parish Register (from the public domain) as an illustration to teach lessons on prayer. The Lesson Proper on Prayer is below this story.

There was a 10-year old boy in the great city of New York. It was one of the coldest days in February and he was standing before a shoe store in Broadway barefooted. He was peering through the window and shivering with cold.

A lady riding in a beautiful carriage saw the little boy in his forlorn condition and immediately ordered the driver to stop the carriage in front of the store. The rich lady alighted from her carriage, went quickly to the boy, and said: "My little fellow why are you looking so earnestly in that window?"

"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the reply. The lady took him by the hand and went into the store. She asked the store owner for half a dozen pairs of stockings for the boy. She also asked him if he
could give her a basin of water and a towel. The man quickly brought them to her.

She took the little boy to the back part of the store, and, removing her gloves knelt down, washed those little feet and dried them with the towel. Then, she put a pair of stockings upon his feet and the pair of shoes she bought him. Patting him on the head she said: "I hope my little fellow, that you now feel more comfortable."

As she turned to go, the surprised lad caught her hand, and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes answered her question with these words: "Are you God's wife?"

KIDS SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON ON PRAYER
Read the Lord's Prayer to the kids (or let them read it) found in Luke 11:2-4. Say that this prayer was the prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him to teach them how to pray. Discuss with the kids what are the things that Jesus taught them in this prayer? Here are some quick points:

Giving praise to God. Why should we praise the Father?
Asking for food / needs everyday. Why ask everyday?
Asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness. Why is it important to ask for forgiveness for our sins?
Asking for guidance and protection. How can we always be safe from evil?

After Jesus taught them this prayer, he told them to pray because he who prays finds answers. Read Luke 11:9-10. Just like the boy in the story above who prayed and received the answer to his prayer, we should also pray and trust that Jesus will answer our prayers.

MEMORY VERSE: Luke 11:10
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

KIDS ACTIVITY
Print and let the kids color this Lord's Prayer coloring pages.
You can make jigsaw puzzles out of these coloring pages by pasting the colored pages on some cardboard then, cut them into 8-10 jigsaw puzzle pieces. Group the children into 2 or 3, and let them race each other in solving the jigsaw puzzle.

Lesson on Trusting Jesus: Jesus Calms the Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Chin chin) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:53:00 +0000

One evening, Jesus and his disciples took a boat to get to the other side of the lake. Then, a storm came up and the waves broke over the boat so that the boat is nearly filled with water. Jesus doesn't seem to be bothered by the storm, he is sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then everything was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid?" Do you still have no faith?" The disciples were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

This Bible story is found in Mark 4:35-41

REFLECTION: (You can use these simple questions to discuss the story to the kids)
1. What happened while Jesus and his disciples were in the boat?
2. How did Jesus feel? How did the disciples feel? If you were in the boat, what would you feel?
3. What miracle did Jesus do in this story? What does that tell us about Jesus?
4. What are some of the things you are afraid of? When you are afraid, what should you do?

KIDS SUNDAY SCHOOL SONG: With Christ in My Vessel. This song is perfect to to with this story. I have taught this to kids in Sunday school and they love to sing this song. We even play a simple game with it. We change words in the song with M. For example, we change all the Christ words with M and sing "With M in my vessel, I can smile at the storm...." Then, we change another word - vessel and sing With M in my M, I can smile at the storm...." We sing over and over until we've changed all these words - Christ, vessel, smile, and storm. The kids enjoy this.

MEMORY VERSE: Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

KIDS ACTIVITY
Free coloring page courtesy of Calvary William Sport dot com.
Make an origami boat. Click the link for instructions.