13 minute read
Lesson 4: A Flood Covers the Earth
Bible Discovery
Hold up a Bible. Today our Bible story tells about a man named Noah and a
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big flood. A flood happens when the ground is covered with water. God sent a flood to wash away sin. Sin happens when we want to be in charge. We choose our way instead of God’s way. I’ll show you what I mean.
● Have kids walk around the perimeter of the room in one direction.
Sin is choosing to go our own way. Walk around the room in the opposite direction. Gently bump into kids as you weave among them, going the wrong way. What happened when I went my own way? Invite a few responses from the whole group.
Like going my own way messed up our walking, sin messed up God’s world. God doesn’t like sin because it hurts us and our friendship with him. He wanted to get rid of sin.
God’s friend Noah chose to go God’s way. The Bible says he was righteous. That means what he did was right and he stayed close to God. When the flood came, God kept Noah and his family and two of every kind of animal safe. Let’s get in a close circle and talk with our Connect Crews.
●
Get comfy and sit in knee-to-knee circles with Connect Crews. Which kinds of animals have you seen this week? Invite Crew Guides to share first.
Crew Guides give thumbs-up when everyone has shared.
Show the Bible Story poster.
Identify some of the animals on the poster.
God made sure Noah brought every one of those animals on the big boat before the earth was covered with water! Wow, God!
Read aloud Genesis 6:17-19.
Supplies
• Bible • “A Flood Covers the
Earth” Bible Story poster • 12-inch streamers in a variety of rainbow colors (1 per child) • spray bottles of water (optional)
We call helpers Crew Guides. If you lead a small class, you can be the Crew Guide. Simply gather kids in a cozy circle around you. If you have helpers, form smaller groups so each child can be known—and so kids can befriend your helpers, too!
Read the verse from the Bible. You’re showing kids that God’s Word is special. Don’t worry— we’ve kept the verses short for young attention spans.
Now’s a great time for Apply-It Options. Choose one or more that fit your time frame to support today’s Bible discoveries before the closing Goodbye Circle.
God told Noah exactly how to make the big boat that could hold all his family members and two of each kind of animal. Let’s pretend to build a big boat.
● ● ● ● Pretend to chop down big trees. Pretend to carry all the trees to an empty space. Pretend to hammer nails into the wood. Pretend to climb a ladder onto the boat.
God always loves us. (Wow, God!) He loved Noah and his family and protected
them from the water.
● ● ● ● Pretend to be on a boat that’s floating on big waves. Make rain and storm sounds. Use spray bottles with water to mist kids with “rain” (optional). Make animal sounds or motions to show how animals might react to a storm.
The Bible says it rained for 40 days and 40 nights!
● Count aloud to 40.
When it stopped raining, the whole earth was covered in water—even the tops of the mountains. Noah’s family and the animals waited on the boat for
months and months! God kept them safe the whole time because God always loves us! (Wow, God!) ● Have kids huddle together on the “boat” and pray, thanking God for loving us and keeping us safe.
Let’s read about how they knew it was okay to leave the boat.
Read aloud Genesis 8:6-9.
At first the birds didn’t find any dry land. But Noah tried again and again until a bird came back with a leaf from a tree. Then God told Noah it was safe to leave the boat. God had kept Noah and his family safe and gave the world a fresh start.
● ● Pretend to be birds by flapping arms. Cheer to show excitement about leaving the boat. Have kids shout and echo
“God always loves us!” (Wow, God!) Pretend to be animals and people leaving the boat. Shout “Thank you, God!” as you move. God made a promise to Noah—and to us!
Read aloud Genesis 9:14-15.
After the storm, God sent a rainbow and promised to never again wash away sin with a flood.
● Have Crew Guides give each child a streamer to represent a rainbow color. As they give each child a streamer, have them say: “[Child’s name], God always loves us.” (Wow, God!) When everyone has a streamer, make a “rainbow” by waving the streamers above your heads.
Apply-It Options
Choose one—or all—of these activities to support kids’ learning after Bible Discovery.
Game
Sit in a circle and play a game like Doggie, Doggie, Where’s Your Bone? One child closes eyes while the group decides who’ll hide a “leaf”—a small classroom object like a green marker or crayon. Kids all ask, “Birdie, Birdie, where’s the leaf?” and the child opens eyes and guesses who’s holding it. Play several rounds.
In our Bible story, a bird found a leaf to show Noah there was dry ground. God loved Noah and his family and had kept them safe. Now they could leave the boat!
God takes care of us, too. God always loves us. (Wow, God!) Tell about a time God kept
you safe. Food-n-Friendship
Supplies: snack, napkins, hand cleanser, Music CD, media player
Give a napkin to a friend and say, “God always loves us.” (Wow, God!)
“God, You Are So Good”
(Music CD track 3)
Eat snack together. When we pray, we talk
with Jesus. Who has something we can talk with Jesus about?
Pray together. God always loves us. (Wow, God!) His love protects us like
it protected Noah and the animals. Let’s pretend to be our favorite animals as we clean up! Coloring Creation
Supplies: “A Flood Covers the Earth” Coloring Creation pages (1 per child), crayons, glue sticks, wet wipes, streamers from Bible Discovery (1 per child), Music CD, media player
God always loves us. (Wow, God!)
God promised to never flood the earth again, and he wants to be forever friends with us!
● Identify parts of the Bible story on the picture. Color the picture. Use glue sticks to attach the streamer given during Bible Discovery to look like a rainbow in the sky. Play music as kids create.
(Music CD track 5)
Supplies • Music CD
“Goodbye, My
Friends”
“How Wide?” (Ephesians 3:18) • media player • Savanna Bible
Memory Buddy stickers (1 per child)
(Ephesians 3:18) “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”
Copyright © 2020 Group Pu b l is h i n g , I n c .
Goodbye Circle
It’s almost time to say goodbye! Let’s sing our goodbye song as we join hands and make one big circle!
God always loves us. (Wow, God!) But God does not love sin. We sin when we
choose our own way instead of God’s way. Sin keeps us from being close to God. And sometimes it comes between us and the people we love.
● Have kids stretch out their arms and make the circle so big that they can’t reach and touch the people beside them.
But God always loves us. (Wow, God!) God wants to be close to us so we can be
good friends. He doesn’t want sin to keep us away from him. He sent Jesus to wash away our sins, so we can be close to God again.
● ● Take several steps forward until your circle is small enough for a group hug. Pray, thanking Jesus for loving us and being our friend.
Because of our friend Jesus, we can always be close to God. God always loves us. (Wow, God!) ● Show the Bible Memory Buddy poster, and remind kids that Savanna helps us remember God always loves us. (Wow, God!) Invite Crew Guides to give each child a Savanna sticker and say, “[Child’s name], God always loves you.” Kids may wear the sticker or take it home.
Do Bible Memory Verse motions and move to the music!
God Calls Abram
God Has a Plan Genesis 12:1-8; 15:1-6
Bible Point We can trust God.
Purpose
Do you ever wonder what’s coming next? Or do you find yourself advising God on how to carry out his plans? Abram did. He’d obeyed God’s call and believed his promises. But that doesn’t mean Abram didn’t wonder at times. So as Abram waited, God painted a starry-night portrait of his plans. And after some stargazing with God, Abram’s trust in God was renewed.
Trust isn’t generally hard for young children. They’re often eager to try something new and explore new places. Even though you don’t know God’s plan for their lives or what will happen to them in the future, you can look for ways to bless them today with the truth that they can trust God’s plan for them.
“For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.”
(Psalm 33:4)
Copyri ght © 2020 Group Publishing, Inc.
Prep
Opening Options Sing & Play
Option Cards* Felt Starry Skies: felt pieces in various colors and sizes, child-safe scissors (optional) Chalk Homes: chalk, darkcolored bulletin board paper Music CD*
Buddy Video DVD* Music Video DVD*
Rae Bible Memory Buddy poster* media player Bible (bookmark Psalm 33:4)
Prayer
God, please bless the children in my care. May my words and actions show them how much you love and like them. Thanks for allowing me to be part of the plan you have for their lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Discovery & Goodbye Circle Apply-It Options
“God Calls Abram” Bible Story poster* Music CD*
Rae Bible Memory Buddy stickers* (1 per child) media player Bible (bookmark Genesis 12:1-2, 7; 15:1, 5) Game: no supplies Food-n-Friendship: snack, napkins, hand cleanser, Music CD*, media player Coloring Creation: “God Calls Abram” Coloring Creation pages* (1 per child), crayons, glue sticks, wet wipes, glitter, Music CD*, media player
Opening Options
Set up one—or both—of these intro activities to start your time together. Each activity connects kids to the Bible Point and to each other. Cut apart these Option Cards and place one by each activity you choose. Crew Guides will follow the directions and build friendships with kids as they make discoveries together!
•
Felt Starry Skies
Supplies
• felt pieces in various colors and sizes, child-safe scissors (optional) Use chalk to draw your home on the paper.
Hang a piece of dark-colored felt on a wall. Use scissors
away from his friends. But he trusted God would
to cut smaller pieces.
Place small pieces of felt onto the large felt piece to look like stars. Sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” as you add stars to the “sky.”
Where do you go to look at the stars?
The stars shine over us at night. And God
Chalk Homes
Supplies
• chalk, dark-colored bulletin board paper
What’s your home like?
Our home drawings make a nice neighborhood. It’s fun to live near friends! In our Bible story today, we’ll hear about a man who had to move watches over us all the time. We can trust God.
be with him. We can trust God!
Opening
Now’s a great time for Opening Options. Choose one—or both—to introduce today’s Bible discoveries.
Help kids transition by cleaning up before sitting with their Connect Crews. A Connect Crew is a smaller group of kids with one Crew Guide.
Sing & Play
Welcome
Hello, friends! I’m so glad you’re here today. Let’s sing our welcome song.
Let’s say hello to our Crew Guides. They’re our go-to friends who are here to have fun and learn along with us.
● Kids give their Crew Guides a handshake.
Bible Point
Today’s Bible Point tells us we can trust God. Every time you hear the words ”We can trust God!” point up and say, “Trust God!” Let’s try that together.
Every day, in every way, (nod yes) We can trust God! (“Trust God” and point up) When things are new, (look around) We can trust God! (“Trust God” and point up) Every day, in every way, (nod yes) We can trust God! (“Trust God” and point up) Repeat several times.
Supplies
• Bible • Music CD
“Hello, My Friends” • Buddy Video DVD
Rae Bible Memory
Buddy video (Week 1) • Music Video DVD
“We Can Trust Him” (Psalm 33:4) music video
“He’s Got the
Whole World in His
Hands” music video • media player • Rae Bible Memory
Buddy poster
Trust God!
Repetition cements learning, so be sure to say today’s Bible Point A LOT. Have fun with it! Kids will love listening for it and responding with “Trust God!”
“For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.” (Psalm 33:4) “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.” (Psalm 33:4)
Copyright © 2020 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO • group.com • Printed in the United States of America • 1210000316165 Copyright © 2020 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO • group.com • Printed in the United States of America • 1210000316165
Now let’s sing about trusting God!
Bible Memory Buddy & Verse
It’s time to talk to our friend Buzzly Bee. Buzzly will introduce us to a Bible Memory Buddy friend. Let’s call for Buzzly.
● ● Flap hands quickly like a bee. Make buzzing sounds.
Rae Bible Memory Buddy video (Week 1)
Rae is our Bible Memory Buddy, and she’s a giant manta ray.
● ● ● Show the Bible Memory Buddy poster. Explain that giant manta rays are some of the world’s largest fish. Have kids spread out their arms like giant manta ray fins and pretend to glide through the ocean.
Rae reminds us that we can trust God. (Trust God!)
Show the Bible. The Bible is God’s true story of love! Our Bible Memory
Verse comes from the Bible. Let’s say it together. I’ll say a line, and then you repeat after me.
“For the word of the Lord (cup hands around mouth) holds true, (give thumbs-up) and we can trust (pretend to grab on to something with both hands) everything he does.” (spread hands in front of you) (Psalm 33:4)
When we trust, we hold tight to what we know is true. And God holds the whole world in his hands. Let’s sing about that.
“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” music video
