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!