January 15th 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 7—Faith Rules

Luke 8:22-9:9
Faith in Jesus can conquer every fear.

Verse: 

Luke 8:25

 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Focus:

~Jesus has power over nature, evil, sickness, fear and death.
~Faith in Jesus can conquer all fears and provide for the greatest needs.

Missionary Biography: Jackie Pullinger—A Drug Addict Freed!

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10:45am TRU

1st-4th grade

Main Focus: God Is Strength
Entering the Promised Land (Joshua 1; 3-4)

Anticipate: River Run

It was finally time for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land! But standing between them and the land God promised them were many impossible obstacles, including a flooded river. Water is very heavy and moving water exerts a powerful force which can wash away things as heavy as cars! Last weekend the rain was so heavy we had “flash floods” which can happen when water suddenly overflows the banks of a river.  No wonder the Israelites were afraid to move forward!  In this game, the kids were to be the flowing river that carried the ping pong balls to their destinations.

Worship with Youth Band

Game: My Biggest Fan

Memory Verse: 

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."--Isaiah 40:29

Many times in the book of Joshua, God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous because God knew that Joshua needed to assert himself as the new young leader and that he would have to trust God's leading when facing the many enemies and battles soon after entering the promised land.  God did not mean that Joshua needed to be physically strong, but that Joshua needed to be spiritually strong.  He needed to remember that God is strength.  God is the source of strength and courage for him, for the Israelites and for us today.  When we put our trust in God's strength, God strengthens us and leads us to accomplish His purposes.

Respond: What Is Strength? 

Because He is our creator He knows how to use everything to the best of its ability and to the utmost of its strength. So maybe we need to think about strength from His perspective, if He tells us to be strong he will help us be strong in the way we need to achieve the plans He has for us!

Sometimes we think to accomplish big things like Joshua was asked to do needs us to be big and strong. Not true. All we need is God and He knows how much we can take and can give us more strength than we knew we had no matter how fragile we are or how fragile we feel.

Bless: 

The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?"--Psalm 27:1

May our children know that God alone is the source of their courage and strength.  May they seek him every day of their lives.

Memory Verse Jan 15-29th

January 08th 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 6—Parables

Matthew 13
Jesus discloses secrets regarding the Kingdom of Heaven.

Verse Review: 

Matthew 5:16; 6:33; Luke 6:31; 7:50; Matthew 12:30

Focus:

~Jesus often taught truths about God's Kingdom through parables.
~God can use even small faith in God to do great things.
~Each person's response to God on earth determines his eternal destiny.

Missionary Biography: Jackie Pullinger—The Jesus Way

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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
Game: Bible Verse Dressed Up

 

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

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 Claims His People--Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19-21; 24)
• God Is Hope--Joseph and Mary (2 Samuel 7; Matthew 1; Isaiah 7:1-14)
•  Jesus Is King--3 Wise Men (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2)

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!