Dear Parents, We hope the following summary of the Sunday School lesson will help you in discussing the lesson with your children and working through this booklet together. SCRIPTURE PASSAGE:
Ezra 3:7-4:24, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Ezra & Nehemiah
BIBLE STORY SUMMARY:
The exiles have now set up their homes, and have begun worshipping around an altar, and next begin to work on rebuilding the temple. They work hard to get the new foundation laid, and then celebrate when that work is done. There is cheering but also sadness from those who remember how grand the old temple was when they see how small this one will be. Soon the people around them begin to oppose them, first trying to pretend to work with them, and then writing to the king to get them stopped. Finally the opposition is successful, and the work is stopped. LESSON FOCUS:
God is pleased when I obey Him in small things. Things are not going to be easy when I am obeying God. Sometimes God makes me wait and be frustrated as part of helping me grow.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT GOD:
God allows trouble in my life, not to harm me, but to help me grow.
RESPONSE:
Exiles Begin To Rebuild The Temple
While we are to work heartily for the Lord, we must also wait for His timing, practicing patience when we are living in difficult times.
This Week’s Memory Verse:
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
What offer of help did they get from the people around them? (Their enemies offered to help them build the temple, Ezra 4:1,2)
2.
Were the people right or wrong to be sad about how small the new temple was? (They were right and wrong—it is OK to be sad about what you lost because you disobeyed God, but the new temple came about because they were obeying God, Zechariah 4:9,10)
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
3.
Do you sometimes feel like you are doing very small things that don’t matter when you are obeying God? Does it seem like it is so small that it doesn’t make any difference? Do you think it matters to God? (Matthew 25:21)
Deuteronomy 31:6
Copyright 2009 Berean Baptist Church 309 E County Road 42 Burnsville, Minnesota 55306 952.432.7168
January 13, 2013
Read Ezra 3:10-13
Monday—Obeying No Matter The Result What did the Israelites do when the foundation of the temple was finished?
___________________________ What song did they sing?
____________ is ________; _______________ _______________ ________________ _____________ “
to forever.”
Some people shouted for Joy and others wept. Why were some people sad?
____________________________________ ____________________________________ They were disappointed that even though they were obeying God, He wasn’t doing something bigger. Think of a time when you obeyed God and were disappointed with the results.
_____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________
Across 3. Christians shoudl not be ___________ to unbelievers. 4. To make fun of. 5. Who tried to distract Israel from rebuilding the temple?
Is God ever disappointed when we obey Him? Yes No
Down 1. resist, combat, criticize or protest 2. What were the israelites rebuilding? 5. What book of the Bible are we studying?
Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Friday– Avoiding Being Unequally Yoked What does it mean to be “yoked”?
____________________________
Tuesday—Dealing With Opposition Look it up: What does the dictionary say the meaning of OPPOSITION is? OPPOSITION [op-us-zish-uh n]
Read Ezra 4:1-3
______________________________________ ______________________________________ How did the Israelites Enemies know they were rebuilding the temple? They read it in the newspaper The King sent a notice They heard the Israelites’ celebration Their enemies tried different tactics to stop the Israelites. What did they try first? (Hint v.2) Oxen used to be yoked together in order to do heavy work. Draw a picture of what it would look like if a big animal was yoked to a small animal. People are “yoked” to those who we spend the most time with. Who should we as Christians be yoked to?
_________________
What will happen if we choose friends who do not choose to please God?
_____________________________________ Name some of your friends who want to please God:
1. ________________________ 2. ________________________ 3. ________________________
______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Did the Israelites fall for it? Across Yes No 3. Christians shoudl not be ___________ to unbelievers. 4. To makeever fun of. Has anyone done something to discourage or distract you from 5. Who tried to distract Israel from rebuilding the temple? following God? Tell about it. Down _____________________________________ 1. resist, combat, criticize or protest
What can you do to keep focused on God? 2. What were the israelites rebuilding?
_____________________________________ 5. What book of the Bible are we studying?
Read Ezra 4:3-7
Wednesday—Enduring Ridicule
After the Israelites turned down the offer to help given by their enemies, their enemies tried all sorts of things to stop them. List two things they did to keep them form building the temple:
1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ DICTIONARY What does the word RIDICULE mean? RIDICULE [rid-i-kyool]:
Thursday—Exercising Your Faith If we are trying to please God, will He make life easy for us? Yes Sometimes Not always
Read Ezra 4:23-24
What difficult thing happened to the Israelites in our verses today?
____________________________________ Why is exercising good for you?
____________________________________
______________________________________ ______________________________________ Lots of people in the Bible were ridiculed for their obedience to God. Write down 1 person you can think of:
_________________
Have you ever been ridiculed for your faith? Yes No If yes, by whom?
______________________
Read Matthew 5:44 and then write we should do for anyone who makes fun of us, or ridicules us.
______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________
Find a picture of you doing some kind of exercise. Was it easy to do at first?
______________
It probably took practice and hard work to get better at your favorite sport. Trials and test that God allows us to go through are like exercise. They help us get: Funnier Stronger Weaker Happier