PRETEEN TEACHER GUIDE (ISSN 1524-4687) is published quarterly by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802-1894.
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THE ABCs of SALVATION
Leading a Child to Christ †
Evangelism is a privilege. There’s nothing quite so exciting as helping a child accept Jesus as Savior. As you teach, look for opportunities to lead children to Christ. When children respond to a salvation invitation, use this plan to guide them as they accept Jesus as Savior.
Admit you are a sinner.
• Read Romans 3:23 (NLT) with the child:
“Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
• Say, “Everyone disobeys God. That is sin.”
• Ask, “Do you understand that you have sinned?”
Believe in Jesus.
• Read John 3:16 (NLT) with the child:
“This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
• Say, “God hates sin but loves each of us—even though we all sin. He loves us so much that He gave Jesus, His Son, to die and take the punishment for our sins.”
• Lead the child in the sinner’s prayer:
“Dear Jesus, I am a sinner. I have disobeyed You. Please forgive me. Come into my heart and life. Help me love and follow You. Thank You for the gift of salvation. Amen.”
Confess (or declare) that Jesus is your Lord.
• Read Romans 10:9 (NLT) with the child:
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
• Say, “Asking Jesus into your heart is the start of a new life—a life where Jesus is your Leader, your Lord. He will never leave you alone.”
• Ask, “What has happened to you?” and let the child respond.
• Encourage the child to tell someone about his or her new life with Jesus.
• Tell the child’s guardian the good news of the child’s salvation. Ask if the child would like to be baptized in water as a sign of his or her decision to live for Jesus.
Steps to a Successful Sunday School Class 5
1 Start with Curriculum
You’ve made the right choice in choosing this curriculum. It provides solid biblical teaching at a level your preteens will enjoy and understand. The lessons are designed for easy preparation, and the activities will keep your students interested and reinforce your lesson. As you begin your preparation, use the following checklist to keep track of the curriculum pieces you will be using.
PreTeen Teacher Guide — 13 easy-to-use lessons, plus helpful hints and tips
PreTeen Resource Packet lesson helps for your classroom, downloads information
PreTeen Student Guide — activities that coordinate with your lessons
Next, consider what you already know about your class.
Time How much class time do you have? Be sure to consider total time as well as actual teaching time (after greeting, transitions, etc.). Estimating the time it will take for each activity will help you decide which ones to use.
Setting —What is your classroom setting like? Is your classroom arranged in lecture-style? Do you have a table? Don’t be afraid to get creative in your classroom arrangement. Arrange the chairs in a circle, or bring pillows and have everyone sit on the floor one week. If you have a small space, adapt activities to better fit your needs.
Teachers —How many teachers and helpers do you have? Divide responsibilities among them and choose (or modify) activities accordingly.
Students —Who are your regular attendees? How do they learn best? Do you frequently have visitors? It’s a good idea to plan your lesson for the regular attendees, but be prepared in case of visitors.
Now consider what you know about your regular attendees. You may want to keep notes (see sample) on each student describing how he/she learns best and his/ her attention span.
Nate—boy, 11 years old
Learns by hearing. He’s always getting in trouble for talking, always the first to answer a question, and loves to listen to stories.
Michaela—girl, 12 years old
Learns by seeing & touching. She always looks “put together,” matching from head to toe. She loves to write, has beautiful handwriting, and remembers things she writes down.
Austin—boy, 12 years old
Learns by moving. He’s athletic, enjoys energetic—even rough—play, rarely sits down, etc.
Amber—girl, 11 years old
Learning style is undecided. She’s always moving, talking, and touching! It’s difficult for her to remain focused on the task at hand. She has ADHD.
If your regular students cover all the learning styles* (like the sample note), you won’t have to plan other activities for less frequent attendees. If your class has primarily one or two learning styles, you may want to have variations or additional activities ready for visitors.
*To learn more about learning styles, see page 5.
A. Music (as students arrive) Seeing & hearing
As students arrive and get settled, you may want to take a little extra time to talk to your students about what is going on in their lives as well as reviewing last week’s lesson. Asking questions about last week’s lesson will prepare their minds to focus on this week’s lesson.
C. The Living God—Poster 1 Seeing
Visual activities will target preteens who learn best by seeing. This particular activity will also reinforce the story and help students apply the lesson to their lives.
B. Baal Fact Search Moving, seeing, & hearing
An activity that gets students out of their seats and moving at the start of class will boost their energy, making them more alert to learn. This specific activity will appeal to students who learn by moving, seeing, and hearing. It is a good choice since it covers so many learning preferences.
(downloadable)
The “Teacher Focus” will help you become familiar with the lesson and how it relates to your students. “Life Application” and “We Believe” will show you how to apply to students’ lives the doctrine within the lesson. D B
KJV and NLT verses
D. The Living God—drama Hearing & moving
Drama is an excellent tool in teaching preteens. Most preteens love acting; plus, acting out the Bible story helps them learn it better by experiencing it.
Plan Your Lesson
At this point, sit down with your PreTeen Teacher Guide and adapt the lesson to fit the needs of your class. Highlight, circle, or mark the activities that your preteens will enjoy and, most importantly, will meet their learning styles.
Plan Your Lesson (cont.)
KJV and NLT verses
HGE. Applying God’s Word Do Bonus Option
Seeing & touching
Using activities from the Bible Explorer will reinforce the lesson for your preteens who learn by seeing and touching. Since there is only one visual/tactual learner in this class, you might opt to provide an alternative activity for the others or choose another activity altogether.
G. Memory Verse Do “The True God” in student guide
Seeing & touching
Learning the memory verse by using the PreTeen Student Guide activity will help students learn the verse while reinforcing their problem-solving skills.
Have additional activities prepared in case you finish early or need to fill time. Review questions are a great time filler. Make it even more interesting by bringing candy or gum to toss to each student who answers correctly. Also, optional review activity ideas are provided in the back of the PreTeen Teacher Guide
F. Living God’s Word Hearing
Reading or telling stories and discussing lifeapplication questions will engage your preteens who learn by hearing, plus the discussion will help students learn how to apply the biblical principles to their everyday lives.
H. Making Christ My Savior
If you have students who have not made a commitment to Christ or if you have visitors and you don't know them well, it’s a good idea to present the plan of salvation. This gives everyone the opportunity to accept Christ. You never know when a student might be ready to make a life-changing decision.
4 5
Teach the Lesson
As you teach the lesson, constantly evaluate:
• Your students —What things are you discovering about them and how they learn?
• Your lesson —Are the students grasping the concept and objective presented in the lesson?
• The activities —Are they working well? Is the order flowing like you’d hoped?
• The time —Do you have extra activities or games planned? Are you keeping your students’ attention? What fun activities can you do to reinforce the lesson?
Evaluate
After each class, evaluate the lesson as a whole using the questions from step four.
Take a closer look at … HOW YOUR STUDENTS LEARN
SEEING (visual)
Miguel likes to “see” his world. He enjoys colors, contrast, bulletin boards, and videos. He gets bored when there are no visuals.
HOW TO TEACH MIGUEL:
• Display posters from the resource packet
• Do student guide, Bible Explorer, and copy master activities
• Use object lessons
HEARING (auditory)
Allison “hears” her world. She loves to hear stories and listens when you tell her to do something. She becomes bored when she hears information she already knows.
HOW TO TEACH ALLISON:
• Tell Bible and life-application stories
• Use listening and sharing activities
• Sing songs and listen to skits from the downloads (resource packet)
Evaluation:
* The lesson went well.
* Glad I had the bonus option activity!
* The students loved the baseball game. Note: Any option to get them up and moving is a winner!
There’s no set formula for a successful Sunday School class, and there’s no guarantee that all your preteens will remember what you teach them and make the life applications. But God promises that His Word will not return void. And by following these five simple steps, you can teach biblical principles so that many of your students will remember and apply them. And that’s what teaching is all about.
TOUCHING (tactual*)
Stephanie likes to “feel” and “feel good about” her world. She needs to “get in touch” with new concepts and learns best when she can feel and compare information.
*a lso known as tactile
HOW TO TEACH STEPHANIE:
• Use interactive posters from the resource packet
• Make lesson-related objects or crafts
• Draw and create lesson-related pictures or collages
MOVING (kinesthetic)
Zack loves to experience his world through movement. He moves a lot during class and loves participating in things like dramas, action songs, and plays.
HOW TO TEACH ZACK:
• Act out the Bible story
• Utilize dramas and skits
• Play movement games for review or memory work
All children at this age grow through similar stages. Some characteristics will occur earlier or later. Knowing how children think, feel, and act in general helps you relate to them so that you can plan lessons to help them in their spiritual growth.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS WHAT THIS SAYS TO THE TEACHER
SPIRITUAL
Have a good memory; eager to learn
Many accept Christ at this age
Many receive the Holy Spirit baptism
They seek heroes
Aware of their need to please God through prayer and Bible reading
Can help others
Provide them with foundational Scripture verses.
Provide opportunities to accept Christ. Give doctrinal training also.
Provide instruction and opportunity to receive this gift.
Provide them with stories, books, or videos of Christian heroes.
New Age-Level Characteristic spread
Are influenced by teachers
Let them pray. Encourage daily devotions. Explain Bible stories simply, and honestly try to answer questions.
A class project of helping someone encourages this.
Be a good example. Live a life consistent with what you teach.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS WHAT THIS SAYS TO THE TEACHER
Have a strong sense of justice
Are influenced by their peer group
Ready to discuss simple social problems
Keen competitors; will often compete with others to gain recognition
Preteens watch how the teacher acts. Be a good example. Teach them that God is faithful and just. Show what the Bible says about these things.
Group acceptance is important and should be recognized. Allow times for them to work with others who may not be part of their group.
They are aware of their world. Discuss ways your class can help in the community.
Provide for team competition. Show them the right and wrong ways to compete. Discuss what the Bible says about competition.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS WHAT THIS SAYS TO THE TEACHER
Are in the healthiest time of life
May be restless and tired at times
Girls are more developed physically
Expect them to attend Sunday School on a regular basis.
A physical change is beginning. Provide a variety of activities.
Girls are typically more mature than boys by about a year. Some girls will be self-conscious. Be sensitive to individual needs.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS WHAT THIS SAYS TO THE TEACHER
Are good readers
Like challenge
Developed sense of time and distance
Like to take part in group planning
Respond to visual stimuli
Enjoy creating stories, poems, drama, and art
Provide Christian books to be borrowed and returned.
Stimulate interest through such things as puzzles, contests, quizzes, and codes.
Discuss more Bible facts and places. This is a good age to introduce the use of maps when explaining biblical places.
Allow groups to participate in planning socials and class events.
Use posters, charts, and pictures.
Direct their creativity into drama, songs, art, and other participatory methods. Be sure these relate to the lesson.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS WHAT THIS SAYS TO THE TEACHER
Able to make choices
Can get absorbed in doing something and won’t hear you talking
Experience unsteady emotions and may be moody
Give them things to do. Offer choices of activities when possible.
Channel their energy into creative things. Let them become absorbed in these. Do not insist on a strict schedule. Be flexible.
Accept them. They are undergoing emotional changes and at times cannot help themselves. Your understanding will help.
Teacher Skill Builders SUNDAY SCHOOL CAN BE A GOOD EXPERIENCE
You reach your classroom on Sunday morning with high hopes for an interesting class where everyone is involved. Your hopes are dashed when your lesson presentation is lost amid classroom chaos. As the last student leaves, you wonder what happened. Did you make a mistake by agreeing to teach?
If this sounds familiar, the following tips are for you.
Use variety.
An interesting presentation is crucial for maintaining student attention. An interested class has fewer behavior problems. Practice your presentation during the week. Don’t read the entire lesson to the students. If you do,
• your students will think you don’t know the material,
• you won’t have eye contact, • you won’t see signs of potential misbehavior.
As you study your lesson, select activities to provide variety and evoke interest and understanding. Lecture has a place among teaching methods, but any method used all the time becomes monotonous. Students will be more interested in the lesson if variety is used in its presentation.
Let the students help set behavior boundaries.
Have an informal class discussion and let the students suggest what behaviors should or should not be permissible in Sunday School. List their suggestions on the marker board. Some students may try to be funny or shocking in their suggestions, but you will probably get several excellent ideas. Help the students understand that their conduct shows how much they love and respect God. You
God wants you to be a successful teacher.
He wants Sunday School to be a good experience for you and your students.
may be pleasantly surprised at how well the students respond to forming their own guidelines for behavior.
Communicate your own behavior expectations.
Tell the students what kind of behavior you expect from them.
Explain, for example, that you want them to read their lesson before class or that you don’t want them to interrupt while you or someone else is talking. Telling them what you expect lets them know if their behavior is acceptable.
Reinforce the positive.
A misbehaving student receives attention while the well-behaved students are often ignored.
Children like to feel they are noticed and that they are pleasing the people who are important to them. By complimenting positive behavior, such as contributions and attentiveness while others are speaking, you are providing examples of how you want all the students to act.
Make your room cheerful.
A bright room filled with interesting items is inviting. Although you may face limitations in decorating as you wish, you can still do things to brighten a room.
• Add brightly colored posters. Purchase inexpensive posters or let the students make them to give them a sense of ownership.
• Work out arrangements with leaders of groups who share the
Teacher Skill Builders
room. Decorate portions of the walls assigned to you.
Enjoy your students.
Children can sense if you want to be their teacher. When they know you want to be with them, misbehavior, apathy, or chaos is diminished and interest and involvement increases.
• Like your students for who they are.
• Consider the strengths or talents of each student.
• What is particularly likable about each student?
• Ask God to help you see positive characteristics in difficult students.
The more you enjoy your students as people, the more you will enjoy your teaching ministry. Your students will also sense they are accepted for who they are and will begin to relax and enjoy the class—and you.
ESSENTIALS FOR I M PROVE M ENT
There will be days when it seems nothing works. Children are naturally more energetic during holidays or drastic changes in weather (the first snowfall or the first few days of warm weather after winter). It is also impossible to know all the events happening in each student’s personal life. As a teacher who wants to improve, do these things:
Pray
Ask God to help you be the teacher He wants you to be. Ask Him to show you ways to improve your teaching ministry. Seek to be open to the Holy Spirit’s direction as He convicts and deals with students in your class.
Pray for each student individually. You may not know every need each student has, but God does. Pray in your classroom before the students arrive. Dedicate your class time to God to be used for His glory. God can work through your prayers.
Evaluate progress
After every class, evaluate it.
• How did the students react to the lesson topic?
• Did the students identify how the topic related to them?
• Did your presentation keep them interested?
• Did you give the students a chance to respond to the lesson topic?
• Did you begin to lose control of the students? If so, when? By evaluating each lesson, you will become more aware of which ideas work with your particular students and which ideas don’t. This will give you guidelines for future lessons.
Depend on God’s help
You are not alone in your teaching ministry. God wants you to be a successful teacher. He wants Sunday School to be a good experience for you and for your students. Let God help you be the teacher He wants you to be.
Teacher Skill Builders
GROWING SPIRITUALLY
Daily prayer and Bible study are essential for both you and your students. Daily Bible study and prayer can benefit you as a teacher by
• helping your own life to grow spiritually stronger, making you a better role model.
• providing spiritual help for your teaching ministry.
If you have a hard time developing a consistent pattern of Bible study and prayer, perhaps the following points will help.
1. Make an appointment with God. Develop a habit of having your devotions at the same time every day when you can be alone with God. Remember, God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11–13). Hearing God speak is easier if your mind is uncluttered with the day’s activities. If necessary, keep a notepad handy. When something you need to remember comes to mind, jot it down, then return to your devotions.
If you begin to have your devotions at the same time each day, this will soon become a normal, yet special, part of your day’s schedule. The day may even seem incomplete if you fail to have time with God. It is a spiritually uplifting habit.
2. Find a “secret place.” This may be nothing more than sitting beside a certain window or in a favorite chair during your devotions. In your secret place, you can shut yourself away from the problems and trials of daily life and spend quiet and special moments with God.
3. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Jesus knew we could not understand His Word by using our minds alone. We need His help to understand spiritual truths. The Holy Spirit provides that help.
As you prepare to read God’s Word, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what it says and how you can apply it to your life. Then be sensitive to the Spirit’s direction.
4. Come just as you are. Prayer is a privilege God has given us to express our deepest feelings to Him. Talk honestly with God. He knows how you feel. Psalm 139:4 says, “You know what I am going to say even before I say it, L ord” (NLT). God wants you to come to Him as you are. He understands you because He created you.
5. Incorporate praise. Prayer is also a time to praise God for who He is. God deserves our praise and adoration. God can do great things in and for us as we praise Him. He commanded the army of Jehoshaphat to let the singers lead them into battle. When they obeyed, they found their enemy completely destroyed. There is power in praise (2 Chronicles 20:20–24).
6. Include your teaching ministry. As you spend time in prayer, ask God to prepare you for the coming Sunday. Let the Holy Spirit guide you into a deeper understanding of the truths you teach your students. The Holy Spirit may also reveal other passages of Scripture that will be useful in teaching your class. Then pray for each student in your class.
7. Share your devotions. Tell your students about some new things you have learned from God’s Word or an answer to prayer you have had in your personal devotions. You will be setting a good example of daily devotions for them to follow. They need to know you practice what you teach.
Use personal devotions as a time for growing in Christ. Let God speak to you as you, in turn, speak to Him. Then minister to others through your growing, maturing spiritual life.
God the Father
In this unit of study, you will be looking at the nature of God in His relationship with us. His nature is to be true to His word. He will keep His promises to love us, to help us, and to provide a home in heaven for us. We can trust this God above all gods. He has made a way for us to know Him and to become part of His family forever. No other god could do that.
UNIT VERSE
KJV: Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. Isaiah 44:6
NLT: This is what the L ord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the L ord of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God.” Isaiah 44:6
The unit memory verse is provided for those teachers who prefer that the students learn one verse each unit rather than a new verse each week. The unit memory verse can be learned over the course of an entire unit.
By the end of this unit, your students should be able to
discuss how Noah showed confidence in God’s faithfulness, explain how God showed himself a living God by the sign He gave Israel, and summarize how God’s love for them should affect their relationships with others.
UNIT REVIEW
Give each student a copy of the review from Copy Master 1 at the beginning of the quarter to see what they need to learn. Give the review again at the end of the quarter to see what they learned. See below.
CLASS PROJECT IDEA
Graffiti Wall
You will need a large sheet of paper, markers, and tape.
Post a large sheet of paper on the wall of your classroom. Tell the students this is a graffiti wall where they can jot down things they’ve learned in class, encouraging messages to friends, prayer requests, and praise reports. It gets students involved and encourages interaction and communication. You may even start things out by writing your own encouraging note to the class. Leave the paper up for this unit, allowing the students to add to it each week. At the end of the unit, use the graffiti poster to review the lessons and talk about answered prayers.
The numbers referenced in the lessons refer to the Bible Fact-Pak Question Cards used with Junior Bible Quiz. These questions correlate with the lessons. For more information, visit www.MyHealthyChurch.com.
God Is Faithful
UNIT 1: GOD THE FATHER
Objective
The students will be able to discuss how Noah showed confidence in God’s faithfulness.
Life Application
Confidence: To encourage the students to name ways they can show confidence in God’s faithfulness
Memory Verse
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
We Believe
The Bible: We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is the revelation of God to humankind, giving us absolute rules of faith and conduct.
God: We believe there is one God, existing in three Persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the creator of heaven and earth.
Bible Text
Genesis 6:5 to 8:22; Matthew 6:25–34
Teacher Focus
Noah faced a big problem. God was sending the Flood and, in order to survive, Noah had to put his trust completely in God. God is faithful to keep His promises. We can have the same confidence Noah had in God’s faithfulness if we seek after Him with all our hearts. We don’t have to worry about the troubles of life. We can trust God to take care of us because He is faithful.
Sing “Who Is God?” and “Glory to You” (downloadable). See the resource packet.
Review L ast week’s Lesson
? What are the last three events of the end times? (Satan’s final destruction, the Great White Throne Judgment, and the New Jerusalem)
? What decisions did you make this week based on the fact that the body is mortal (it dies) but the spirit is immortal (lives forever)? (Answers will vary.)
Learning God’s Word
animaL shuffLe
Write on slips of paper the names of several different animals (e.g., cow, parrot, horse, cat, whale, fish, snake, lizard, jellyfish, dog, deer, bear, lion, hippo, squirrel). Seat the students in a circle. There should be one less chair than the number of students. Instruct a student to stand in the center of the circle. Have each student draw an animal name. The person standing in the center of the circle now names an animal characteristic. (Examples: I am a mammal; I can fly; I swim in the ocean; I lay eggs; I am covered in scales; I eat plants; I have horns; I eat meat; I have fur.) All the students whose animals have that characteristic need to get up and find a new chair. The student in the center needs to find a chair as well. Then the student left in the center must name another characteristic. Continue playing until several students have been in the middle of the circle. Then ask the following:
? What man from long ago had to put many animals in a small space? Hint: He built an ark. (Noah)
? What do you know about Noah and his story? (Possible answers include these: He built an ark, survived the Flood, gathered all the animals; it rained for forty days and nights; he had three sons; God sent a flood.)
Write the words confidence and faithfulness on the board. Can you tell me what these words mean? You may need to help students formulate their definitions. Definitions are provided in the sidebar. In today’s lesson, we will discover how Noah showed confidence in God’s faithfulness.
Definitions
Faithfulness—being reliable or trustworthy; a person who is faithful does what he says he is going to do.
Confidence—assurance, being certain, having faith or believing that you or another person will act in a right, proper, or effective way.
These Bible Fact-Pak Question Cards are relevant to this lesson: 33–37, 530, 539
This segment presents students with the Bible lesson.
Teacher Tip
Activities that allow the students to move around rather than sit appeal to preteen students. They also respond well to lessons that are broken into short segments of teaching in different styles, such as interactive, lecturing, and discussion groups. This change of activity also helps the student who has a hard time staying focused for long periods of time.
ConfidenCe dRiLL
An alternative way to introduce the lesson topic is to give a small sponge ball or beanbag to a student. When you get this, you must name something or someone in whom you have confidence. Confidence means “being certain, having faith or believing that you or another person will act in a right, proper, or effective way.” Each of you will pass or toss the ball to another student who then must name something in which he is confident, such as the sunrise, a teacher, a parent, a light switch, or a chair. Continue this until all the students have shared.
? How do you show your confidence in the things or people mentioned? (Possible answers: Confidence in athletic ability is shown by playing a sport with gusto or walking around with pride; confidence in a parent's love is shown by asking for their help or by giving them a hug.)
? When is it important to have confidence? (Possible answers: When you have to rely on someone else, when you have to perform to a certain degree of excellence.)
Note to Teacher:
Students may have many worries in their lives, and they have probably been let down at times by people they trusted. Whatever their circumstances, students need to know they can trust God to take care of them. He supplies our physical needs, and He provides for our emotional, social, and spiritual needs as well. God doesn’t promise to keep us from trouble, but He does promise to help us through it.
Confidence helps us achieve goals, put our trust in others, and affects our relationship with God. Today’s lesson is about how Noah showed confidence in God’s faithfulness.
Learning God’s Word
noah’s stoRy
Genesis 6:5 to 8:22; Matthew 6:25–34
Have students take turns reading aloud the story, taken from Genesis 6:5 to 8:22 and Matthew 6:25–34, on pages 1 and 2 of the student guide. As one student reads, the rest are to listen for ways Noah showed confidence in God’s faithfulness.
• God’s heart was filled with pain. The people He had created had turned their hearts away from Him. They were doing wicked things. God was sorry He had made humankind because of their wickedness. He decided to send a flood to wipe out all the wicked people. But one man, Noah, was a righteous man. He loved and obeyed God.
• God wanted to save Noah and his family from the Flood. God told Noah He was going to destroy people because of their evil. He gave Noah detailed instructions on how to build a boat that would save his family and many animals. Noah believed God would be faithful. He did everything just as God commanded.
• When finished, the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. (That’s about one and a half football fields long, as
This segment presents students with the Bible lesson.
wide as the length of a basketball court, and as tall as a fourstory building.) The ark Noah built was huge. It took a lot of hard work and about 100 years to build. But Noah had confidence in God, so Noah obeyed.
• Then God told Noah to take into the ark one pair of every kind of animal and seven pairs of those that were good to eat. Noah believed and obeyed God. Then God told Noah to go into the ark with his family and the animals. Noah had confidence that God would be faithful. He did all that God had commanded.
• Then God shut the door and it rained for forty days and forty nights. The land was completely flooded just as God had promised. Everything was destroyed. But Noah, his family, and the animals were safe on the ark. God had been faithful to His promise to take care of them.
• Noah, his family, and the animals lived on the ark for over a year as they waited for the water to dry up. When the water was gone, God told Noah to come out of the ark with his family and animals. Noah obeyed. He showed his thankfulness for God’s faithfulness by building an altar to the Lord.
• Noah didn’t worry about his needs or even his life. He knew God would take care of him. In the New Testament, Jesus says to us, “I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear” (Matthew 6:25). God took care of Noah’s needs and He will take care of our needs too. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need. He will provide for us. He will be faithful.
• When we seek God’s kingdom and concentrate on the things that matter to Him, we will become more aware of God’s faithfulness. We can have confidence that He will do what He has promised.
Ask the students the following discussion questions, then read the “Noah’s Ark” facts from the sidebar (right).
? What are some ways Noah showed his confidence in God? (Every time he did what God commanded, he was showing his trust that God would do what He said.)
? If you were Noah, what might have shaken your confidence? (Building the ark was a big job; people probably criticized Noah for believing there would be a flood, etc.)
? What was Noah’s response to the challenges? (Read Genesis 6:22; 7:5.)
? What challenges might we face that take a lot of confidence? (Answers will vary.)
Noah’s Ark
For a wooden vessel, the ark was enormous. By modern standards it is comparable to a small cargo ship.
The ark was constructed with three stories, or decks, of “rooms” or separate compartments. It had an opening for light and a door in its side.
Ship builders today still use the dimensions God gave Noah to build the ark. It is the ideal size and shape for a large vessel to withstand a rough sea.
The ark could have held some 7,000 kinds of animals. (Adapted from Full Life Study Bible, Zondervan)
Preteen Problem
Keira’s friends have stopped sitting with her at lunch and have stopped inviting her for their weekend sleepovers. Keira doesn’t understand why they don’t want to be her friend anymore. Maybe they are doing things she wouldn’t approve of. Keira’s tired of doing things by herself, waiting for them to come around.
• What do you think Keira should do?
• How can she show confidence in God’s faithfulness in this situation?
Applying God’s Word
This segment helps the students connect the Bible to their lives.
noah’s ConfidenCe
Matthew 6:25–34
Ask the students to complete “Noah’s Confidence” on pages 2 and 3 of the student guide to see how well the students understood the point of the story. (Answers: Page 2—A. Noah and his family got in the ark before the Flood; C. Noah took one pair of every kind of animal and seven pairs of the kind he ate onto the ark; E. Noah built a very large ark; H. Noah built an altar to God; Page 3—1. God promises to take care of our needs; 2. God takes care of the birds and the grass. He will take care of us. We need to have faith. Don’t worry; 3. Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness; 4. All the things we need.)
? How do we know that God will be faithful to us and meet our needs as He did Noah’s? (Jesus promised that He would. See Matthew 6:25–34.)
? How did Jesus say we could show our confidence in God’s faithfulness? (By not worrying and by doing things that are important to God.)
We can put our confidence in God’s faithfulness because He has always been true to His word. God keeps His promises. We can have faith that He will take care of us.
Bible Explorer, page 1
Option
PaRt one
If time allows, have the students complete Part One on page 1 of the Bible Explorer to help the students review what Jesus said we can do to show our confidence in God. (Answer: Don’t worry, seek God.)
Living God’s Word
This segment helps students use God’s Word in daily living.
ConfidenCe in aCtion
Divide the students into small groups. Have each group act out a scene in which one of the students shows he or she has confidence in
God’s faithfulness. Discuss the importance of attitude when it comes to showing confidence in God. (Some suggested situations are these: Family has no money for food; Dad has lost his job; person wants to be baptized in the Holy Spirit; preteen needs new shoes to play soccer; grandmother is in the hospital; preteen has a big test the next day) You may read the Preteen Problem in the sidebar on page 16 and discuss the questions.
Closing AC tivities
memoRy veRse
Divide the class into three groups and divide the verse into three phrases. Assign each group a different phrase. Have the first group say the first phrase, the second group say the second phrase, and the third group say the third phrase and reference. Do this several times until the class can do it smoothly and quickly.
KJV: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
NLT: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33
Option seek fiRst
An alternative way to study the memory verse is to have the students complete “Seek First” on page 4 of the student guide. (Answer is shown—NLT.)
m
aking ChRist my savioR
When we try to go through life without God, we have no one to go to with our worries. We all need God’s forgiveness and help. Pray with any who desire to accept Christ into their lives. See “The ABCs of Salvation” on page 1 for further guidance.
Review
Review Questions
1. Why was God’s heart filled with pain? Because of the people’s great wickedness
2. What did God plan to do because of the people’s great wickedness? Send the Flood
3. How was Noah described? He was righteous.
4. What does it mean to be faithful? To do what you say
5. What is confidence? Being certain about something
6. What is one thing Noah did to show he had confidence in God’s faithfulness? He obeyed and built the ark; he took in the animals; he stayed on the ark during the Flood; he built an altar of thanks to God.
7. What did Jesus say to us about worry? Don’t worry; God will be faithful to meet your needs.
8. What should we seek? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
See activities on pages 94–95 to use with the questions in the sidebar.
PaRt two
If time permits, have the students complete Part Two on page 2 of the Bible Explorer to review the lesson and find out what kind of man Noah was. (Answers: 1. tar, 2. side, 3. eight, 4. high, 5. forty, 6. wide, 7. long, 8. hundred, 9. cypress; RIGHTEOUS)
Hand out
Self-Evaluation
Welcome to Holsom comic ICON here, David
• Did the students explain how Noah showed confidence in God’s faithfulness?
• Can they say what they will do this week to show confidence in God’s faithfulness?
Review Activities
Candy Collection Review
You will need review questions and a bowl of individually wrapped candies.
Divide the class into groups of two or three. When a team answers a question correctly, each team member may choose a piece of candy. When an incorrect answer is given, each team member forfeits a piece of candy. Ask the missed question again later.
Review Bee
You will need a list of review questions.
Line up the students along a wall. If a student answers correctly, he remains standing. If he answers incorrectly, he sits down. The last one standing wins.
Bible Baseball
You will need a scorekeeper, a baseball diamond, and a list of questions marked for levels of difficulty.
Divide the group in half. Let the first team member select a single question (easy), double (harder), triple (very hard), or home run (nearly impossible). If the person gets the answer right, she then moves to the appropriate base. If wrong, she is out. Three outs and the next team comes to bat.
Drop the Clothespin
You will need clothespins, two widemouthed jars, and tape.
Divide the class into teams. Each team gets its own jar. When a member from a team answers a review question correctly, he can try to drop a clothespin into the jar. When a member answers incorrectly, a strip of tape is placed across the mouth of the jar. The more incorrect answers given, the harder it becomes for that team to get a clothespin into the jar. See how many clothespins they can get into their jars.
Domino Review
You will need review questions and a set of double nine or double six dominoes.
Divide the class into two teams. Hand out three to five
dominoes to the students, depending on the number of students in your class and how many dominoes you have. Have the student with the double nine or double six start first. She must answer a review question. If she answers correctly, her team gets the number of points on the domino she put down. If she answers incorrectly, the other team gets a chance to answer the question for the number of points on the domino. If no one answers correctly, the points go to neither team. Allow the teams to take turns putting down dominoes that match end to end. Make sure all the team members from each team get a chance to answer a review question. Play until a team runs out of dominoes or you run out of review questions. See how many points each team can get.
Happy/Sad
You will need markers and a marker board.
Draw two circles on the board representing a smiley face and a sad face. If the class answers a review question correctly, add an eye or a smile to the smiley face.
Review Activities
When the smiley face is complete (two eyes and a smiley mouth), give the class praise. If the class misses a question, add an eye or a frown to the sad face. If the sad face is completed (two eyes and a frowning mouth), add a tear to the smiley face. To erase the tear and complete the smiley face, they must answer an extra review question.
Pyramid Knock Down
You will need ten (or more) disposable foam cups and a rolled-up sock. Stack the cups to form a pyramid (4-3-2-1) on a table or desk against a wall. Write point values on each cup. Divide the class into teams. When a team answers a review question correctly, one of their team members gets to throw a rolled-up sock at the pyramid. His team gets the number of points written on the cups he knocks down. If the team misses the question, the other team gets a chance to answer the question. See how many points each team can get.
Candy Toss
You will need numbers written on pieces of individually wrapped candy.
Toss the candy toward the students, and let them try to catch a piece. Each student must correctly answer the review question that corresponds with the number on her piece of candy before she can eat it.
Penny Toss
You will need a bucket of water, a glass measuring cup, several pennies, paper, pencils, and a list of review questions.
Matching Game
You will need two sets of review question cards, one question per card. Mix the two sets of cards together and lay them facedown on a table. Let students take turns picking a card and reading it out loud. No answers may be given until the matching card has been read. When the matching card has been read, those two students may confer, then answer. If the question is correctly answered, the cards are removed from the game. If answered incorrectly, both cards are put back on the table facedown. Continue until all the questions have been answered.
Before class, fill the bucket with water and put the glass cup in the bottom of the bucket. Divide the class into two or three teams. Allow students from each team to take turns answering a review question. If the student answers correctly, he may have three tries to drop a penny from waist level into the cup at the bottom of the bucket. If he answers incorrectly, he gets one try. Give each team a point for every penny they get into the cup. See how many points each team can get.
Coming Winter 2024
January
January
January
January
February
February
What’s Ahead What ’ s Ahead
Scope & Sequence
Winter 2024–25
Unit 1 God the Son
Unit 2 My Church and Me
Unit 3 Books of History
Spring 2025
Unit 1 Life in God Unit 2 Pictures of Jesus
Unit 3 Books of Poetry
Summer 2025
Unit 1 God the Holy Spirit
Unit 2 The Armor of God
Unit 3 Books of Major Prophets Unit titles may be changed.
