Dec. 18th Lessons

9:00am DiscipleLand 

1st-2nd grade 
At Work with God Lesson 4--Builder
God builds strong character into His people just as a builder builds a grand construction.

Genesis 6 (Noah Builds the Ark)
God Is Faithful

Verse : 

1 Corinthians 3:9
" For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building."

Focus:

~God is faithful.
~Building a project takes materials, careful planning, and hard work.
~Because Noah's faithful life that pleases God, God saved Noah and his family.
~God builds godly character qualities in the lives of His people.

Missionary Biography: Gladys Aylward--The Inn of Eight Happiness

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9:00am DiscipleLand

3rd-4th grade 

Amazing Words Lesson 4—Go in Peace

Luke 7
Everyone must respond to Jesus.

Verse: 

Luke 7:50
"Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'"

Focus:

~People respond to Jesus in different ways; some accept Him and rejoice, others reject Him.
~Proud religious leaders rejected God's messenger, Jesus and God's message.
~Those who come to Jesus with humility and faith will be forgiven.

Missionary Biography: Jackie Pullinger—The Western Way

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10:45am TRU

1st-4th grade

Main Focus: Jesus Is King
3 Wise Men (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2)

Anticipate: Holiday themed 20 Questions

Many people were waiting for a Messiah but didn’t understand God’s plan because they already had a fixed idea of what a Messiah would look like and what he would do. Most of those ideas aren’t from prophecies in the bible but from their own desires and hearts.

Memory Verse: 

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."--Isaiah 9:6

God foretold the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, through many Old Testament prophecies.   When the 3 wise men from the east saw the star, they followed it to Jerusalem.  They visited King Herod and asked where they might find this new born King.  King Herod's chief priests and teachers of the law found the clue from Micah 5:2 that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.   The wise men followed the star again to the manger where Jesus was.  As they saw Jesus, they bowed down and worshiped Jesus.  They also brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Though those were strange gifts for a baby, those gifts tell who Jesus is, a King, a Priest and the perfect Atoning Sacrifice (a Savior) for the sins of the world.   Jesus is still King today in our lives.  Let us recognize His Kingship and worship Him with who we are.

Respond: Truth Teller and Dove Ornament 

 

It is easy to get mixed up about Christmas if we only pay attention to the media (TV, Internet etc.). We need to remember the truth even when everybody else is focusing on different things.  The truth teller game helps us remember what is important. The Dove reminds us that Jesus is our hope for the future.

Bless: May our children know that Jesus is King—over the world and over their lives.  May our children praise and worship Him and trust Him to guide them.

Dec. 11th Lessons

9:00am DiscipleLand 

1st-2nd grade 
At Work with God Lesson 3--Potter
God molds His children to be righteous like Him just as a potter shapes soft clay.

Jeremiah 18 (Jeremiah and the Potter)
God Is Righteous

Verse : 

Isaiah 64:8
"Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand."

Focus:

~God wants His children to be righteous just like Him.
~God sent prophet Jeremiah to learn a lesson from a potter.
~Our hearts must be willing to be molded into the image of God like soft clay ready to be molded. 

Missionary Biography: Gladys Aylward--The Escape

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9:00am DiscipleLand

3rd-4th grade 

Amazing Words Lesson 3—One with Authority

Matthew 7
Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount and taught people the best way to live.

Verse: 

Luke 6:31
"Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Focus:

~God teaches His people the golden rule.  He wants His people to treat others the way they want to be treated.
~When our ideas contradict God's, God's way is always right. 
~Reflecting on God's words and doing what He says is always the best way to live.

Missionary Biography: Jackie Pullinger—Teacher by Day, Slums by Night

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10:45am TRU

1st-4th grade

Main Focus: God Is Hope
Joseph and Mary (2 Samuel 7; Matthew 1; Isaiah 7:1-14)

Anticipate: Ringing Bells

Hope is a very powerful emotion.  And for us as Christians, our hope is focused on one person--Jesus, His life and death.  In many cultures, bells are a celebration of hope, too.  As we get ready for both Christmas and today's Bell concert, we remember that celebrating Christ is what Christmas is all about.  

Bell Choir Concert: 11-11:30am  

Memory Verse: 

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."--Isaiah 9:6

God gave us many clues in history about sending the Messiah to the world to save His people from the bondage of sin.  When God's people first received this promise of the coming Messiah, their hearts were fill with joy and hope.  When this promise was fulfilled in the lives of Joseph and Mary, they gave God thanks for His work and the hope He's bringing through baby Jesus.  We, today, also receive this same hope through Jesus, His life and death.  Besides being thankful, we have a responsibility to share this hope with the world.  If believers do not share the hope of Jesus, we are no different than a bell that can not make a sound. Let's share the hope of God.

December 04 Lessons

9:00am DiscipleLand 

1st-2nd grade 
At Work with God Lesson 2--Farmer
God cares for His children just as a farmer patiently watches over and takes care of the young plants. 

King 19:19-21; Mark 4:3-20 (Elisha and the Four Soils)
God Is Patient

Verse : 

Mark 4:8
"Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times."

Focus:

~God is patient with His people.
~God called Elisha, the farmer, to be a prophet.
~When people's hearts are good soil for God's Word, they will produce good fruit.  

Missionary Biography: Gladys Aylward--Train Through Siberia

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9:00am DiscipleLand

3rd-4th grade 

Amazing Words Lesson 2—God's Kingdom

Matthew 6
God rewards those who do the right things for the right reasons.

Verse: 

Matthew 6:33
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Focus:

~God rewards those who do the right things for the right reasons.
~God will give those who seek His Kingdom all they ever need.
~As God's people, we can trust God instead of worrying about things.

Missionary Biography: Jackie Pullinger—The Walled City

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10:45am TRU

1st-4th grade

Main Focus: God Claims His People
Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19-21; 24)

Anticipate: What Is It?

Its hard to figure out what a person is describing when they give you a few descriptive words or phrases. That is what the Israelites would have to do to figure out that Jesus was their Messiah. And only those who knew the prophecies and who had eyes and hearts opened to God ever figured it out.

Worship with Singing: led by Youth Band
Singing: Claim Your Shoe

Memory Verse: 

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."--Isaiah 9:6

To claim something is to say it belongs to you.  God claimed the Israelites to be His own, His children.  He gave them the 10 commandments so that they know how to live for God's special purposes.  God is claiming us to be His very own today.  He calls us His treasured possession and He desired for us to be set apart and live a life that's honoring Him.

Respond: Ornaments!

The Israelites had to put together lots of pieces of information to understand that Jesus was the Messiah. In the church we are also made up of a lot of different people from different backgrounds and with different personalities. Today we are going to create some Christmas Ornaments with lots of different things that make sense or are simply better and more beautiful when put together.  Have your heard it said “Jesus is the Reason for the Season?” This phrase reminds us the Christmas is about Jesus who is God’s greatest present to us!

Nov. 27th Lessons

9:00am DiscipleLand 

1st-2nd grade 
At Work with God Lesson 1--Work
Workers use their skills for God and to serve others.

Exodus 35:30-36:7 (Bezalel and Oholiab)
God Is Good

Verse : 

1 Corinthians 10:31
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Focus:

~God is good.
~Bezalel and Oholiab helped build the tabernacle with their special skills.
~God gives everyone abilities to use for work.
~God wants everyone to use their skills to honor Him and serve others.

Missionary Biography: Gladys Aylward--Everyone Says "No"

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9:00am DiscipleLand

3rd-4th grade 

Amazing Words Lesson 1—Shine!

Matthew 5
God blesses those who honor Him.

Verse: 

Matthew 5:16
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Focus:

~God blessed those who live to honor Him.
~The road to happiness is to live God's way instead of the world's way.
~When our actions follow God's laws, we become godly examples to the world.

Missionary Biography: Jackie Pullinger—The Risk of Faith

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10:45am TRU

1st-4th grade

Main Focus: Remember and Celebrate God as Redeemer
The Feast of Unleavened Bread

God commands His people to keep festivals and feasts so that they'd remember what God has done for them and not forget His goodness. During Moses' time, the people of Israel were slaves in the land of Egypt. They cried out to God to deliver them.  And God did.  God sent plagues in the land of Egypt so that the Egyptians would know that He is the only true God who overcomes all the idols they worshiped.  Right before the very last plague, God commanded the Israelites to eat in haste and to prepare the bread without yeast (unleavened bread).  God answered His people and delivered them from slavery.  He redeemed them to give them freedom and a new start.  Today, God is still our Redeemer.  He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, so that we can have a new beginning, new life, and new hope in Him.

Worship with Singing: led by Youth Band
Singing: Eat in a hurry

Memory Verse: 

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to e still."--Exodus 14:14

Every quarter, our TRU children participate in the review game of ZONK! to help them remember what they've discovered during the past several weeks in the Big God Story.

Review Previous Lessons:

• God Is Faithful (Jacob)--Genesis 27:41-28:17; 32-33
• God Redeems, (Joseph, part 1)--Genesis 37; 39-41
• God Saves, (Joseph, part 2)--Genesis 42-47; 50
• God Is I Am (Moses)--Exodus 1-4
• God Is Warrior (The Exodus, part 1)--Exodus 5-12
• God Is Victorious (The Exodus, part 2)--Exodus 12-15

Memory Verse Dec. 04-Jan. 01

Nov. 20th Lessons

9:00am DiscipleLand

1st-2nd grade 
Family Life with God Lesson 12--School
Deuteronomy 4:1-14 (Moses the Student)

God Is Truth

Verse Review: 

Luke 12:28; Joshua 24:15c; John 6:35; Colossians 3:23; Proverbs 20:11

Focus:

~God cannot lie and His Word is truth.
~Schools in Bible times are different from the ones today.
~God gives people the ability to learn and He wants people to work hard at it.

Missionary Biography: William Carey--A Grandchild Remembers

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9:00am DiscipleLand

3rd-4th grade 

Follow the King Lesson12—The Bread of Life

John 6

Jesus satisfies everyone's spiritual hunger.

Verse Review: 

John 3:16; John 4:14; Luke 4:18; Luke 5:20; John 5:24

Focus:

~Jesus miraculously provided food for 5000 people.
~Jesus walked across the sea of Galilee. 
~Jesus is the bread of life that satisfies those who are spiritually hungry.
Missionary Biography: Hudson Taylor—The Harvest Is Ripe in China Today

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10:45am TRU

1st-4th grade

Main Focus: God Is Victorious

The Exodus, part 2 (Exodus 12-15)

Anticipate: God Says Twister

We are going to find out more about the Moses’ story and one of the most famous scenes in

the bible as we see God part the Red Sea. But as we look at the spectacle we need to remember what God was trying to teach His people: to listen and obey Him.Its hard to understand why God works in a certain way. Harder still to obey when commands make no sense…like step into the Red Sea!!

Worship with music: by youth band

Game: Getting to be Invincible

Memory Verse: 

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to e still."--Exodus 14:14

The Egyptians believed in lots of different deities.  While the Israelites lived in Egypt, they also witnessed the idol worshipping of the land.  The Israelites were also mistreated by the Egyptians and were enslaved.  They cried out to God to help them.  And their Warrior God heard their cry and helped.  God sent 10 plagues to attack each false Egyptian god and to show the Egyptians as well as the Israelites that He alone is the one true God.  God not only delivered the Israelites from their bondage but also deliver their hears and minds from the allegiance to the false gods.  God is Warrior!

Respond: God Is Victorious--Red Sea Puzzle, Where Is Moses?
The BIG part of today’s story is the parting of the Red Sea. Today you are going to make your own puzzle of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.

Bless:

Psalm 98:1, 4-9a

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵ make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
⁶ with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

⁷ Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
⁹ let them sing before the Lord,  for he comes to judge the earth.

May our children know that God is victorious, and He will care for them.  May our children always be aware of God’s victory in their lives and give Him praise.