Receiving Jesus Personally
Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: Ephesians 2:12-22; Jeremiah 29:10-14; Ezekiel 18:30-32; Ezekiel 36:24-28; John 3:16
Memory Verse: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13 (Pre-K to grade 3)
The first theme is to remember how much God has done for us in Jesus. In Ephesians 2, Paul is reminding these Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians, and us, of how much God has done for them and us. Salvation, new life in Christ is a gift of God, which we receive by grace (unearned favor and kindness). Without Jesus Christ we are "without hope and without God in the world" (vs.12). Word received: I and I alone can bring hope to a dying world. There is no other way to be saved, to receive this new life. God wants us to remember what it is like without him. Word received: I want you to remember what your life was like without Me. If you already know Me and My love for you, then I want you to recommit your life to Me. Remember and see how you are different now. Rejoice--rejoice in the new life you have. Rejoice that you have been given the opportunity to live a new life.
Not only are we now inheritors of the promises to Abraham but we are no longer outsiders but fellow citizens and members of God's household/family, by adoption (Romans 8:15). We have peace with God and are brought near to Him through the blood of Christ.(Ephesians 2:13) Now we are not divided from each other but made one body through the cross of Christ. He has broken down the dividing wall of hostility and through Jesus, we and those who were formerly hostile, are both given access to the Father through the one Spirit. (note reference to Trinity). PRAYER: Thank you Jesus, for all that you have done for us at such great cost to yourself.
A second theme is repentance. God is pleading with His sinful people. (Ezekiel 36:24-28) Word received: Read My WORD. Over and over again I call you back to Me. Over and over again I tell you that I love you and want to renew you. I AM saying it again today. Repent, receive a new heart, come back to Me. Repentance is not only something we need to do at the start of our Christian life but something we need to do regularly since it is so easy for us to slip off of the narrow path of following Christ. Listen to these passages from Ezekiel. "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. (18:30) Word received: Turn to Me. I will judge you fairly and I will know if you are covered by My blood. Those who have been washed clean by My blood have nothing to fear. Turn to Me and be saved. We cannot save or clean up ourselves (Romans 8:1-6) Only God can give us a new heart and a new spirit and cause us to walk in his ways. Ezekiel 18:31 " Cast away from you all transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? ( or the church!) Now look at Deut. 30: 19-20. "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey his voice, and that you may cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Word received: I want you to choose life. In order to do that you must cast away all that leads to death. You must confess your sins and repent. Remember My call to My people through John the Baptist. Remember My call to My people through Peter on the day of Pentecost. The choice is still the same: repent, return to Me and I will bless you.
(Ezekiel 18:32) "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,' says the Lord God. 'Therefore turn and live.'" Word received: Do not believe the lies that are told of Me. Do not believe them. I want My people to live, but only they can make that choice. I will not force it on you; you must turn to Me to live. Word received: I mourn when you do not repent and come back to Me. You are My children and I love you. You do have a choice----repent! Then just as I promise, you will receive a new heart and a new spirit. Repent and live!
God has a plan for us, his people, he longs for his wandering sinful people to return/repent, make the choice to come back to their first love. "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols." (Ezekiel 36:25) Word received: I long to wash you , I long to bind up every wound. Come to Me, turn to Me, and I will refresh you. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26) Word received: I AM the only one who can do this: no science, no religion can restore a heart of flesh where there was a heart of stone. Turn to Me--I AM the living God and I will make you whole and new.
"I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them." (Ezekiel 36:27) Word received: You can only keep My judgments with the help of My Holy Spirit. Turn to Me, ask to be filled up with My Holy Spirit. (STOP and give your life to Jesus or recommit and ask to be filled up anew with his Holy Spirit. The surrender to the Lord has to come before Jesus will pour out his Spirit.)
"Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God." (Ezekiel 36:28) Word received: I long for you to enter into all My promises.
"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ". (Ephesians 2:13) Word received: After being so far away you now have opportunity to live in My love--because of the blood shed by My Son. (vs 14-18) Word received: See everything I have done to draw you near to Me again. See, receive and believe. I gave the very best I had for your life. How are you going to respond?
Think what John 3:16 actually says about God's love for us , for you and me. "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." We can scarcely imagine that kind of love, by the Father and by Jesus himself!
The third theme is what God is building. God is building a dwelling for Himself to dwell in,(vs21) "In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord (vs22) and in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit."
This temple is built on the "foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone ( the stone on which everything rests and which ties things together.) Word received: I want you to make Jesus the chief cornerstone in you life. I want your body to be the temple for My Holy Spirit. I long to have you near Me. I long to have you back. Respond and come to Me. Confess. I will forgive. Receive My love and joy. There is nothing like it anywhere else.
Word received: I do have great and wonderful plans for you. You need to surrender yourself, your heart and your plans. Then seek Me and call on Me. I will hear you and you will follow Me.
"See I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. The one who trusts will never be dismayed." (Isaiah 28:16) Without a good cornerstone the foundation will not hold up. Without Jesus our lives will crumble. " As you come to him, the living Stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Note to teachers: This lesson is one of those times when we invite the children to give their hearts to Jesus--for the first time or again. Because we all stumble and fall into sin we need to choose to turn back to the Lord again and again.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 18
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1.God wants us to REMEMBER what he has done for those who love him and invite him into their hearts. Because of Jesus' death and shed blood we are adopted into God's family and are not outsiders anymore.
2. We need to stop doing those things that make God very sad (sin) and do things God's way and give our lives to Jesus again.. This is called REPENTANCE.
3.God wants to build us (as living stones) into a place of worship for God to live in. Jesus is the chief CORNERSTONE of God's building.
4. To meet Jesus, come and talk to him (prayer), tell him about what you did wrong and ask him to forgive you and come live in your heart as your best friend. Say thank you!
THEN, talk to Jesus every day. You can hear him in your mind and as you read the book God wrote--the Bible. Get to know others who know Jesus. He has wonderful plans for you. Life will not always be easy or without trouble but Jesus will give you peace, strength and will walk with you and lead you.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 17 January 27, 2008
Jesus Seeks the LORD as a Child
Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: Luke 2:41-52; Jeremiah 29:13; John 16: 13-14; John 14:25-26
Memory Verse: "After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions." Luke 2:46 (Pre-K to grade 3)
Look at the way Mary and Joseph raised the child Jesus, God's Son. "Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover." Word received: This family worshipped Me using the feasts that I set up. It provided a framework on which they could build their faith and grow. God commanded his people to celebrate certain feast and fasts every year so that they would remember what God had done and who they were. God does the same for his church -- lest we forget! " Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7, 10a & 12) "When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you…then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD (the I AM) who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." Also look at Deuteronomy 8: 2-5. Remember how the LORD led you all the way in the desert these forty year, to humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands -- to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD...Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you."
This is part of the reason we celebrate the Christian year so that we will not forget what God has done, to bring us back if we have strayed and/or to bring us closer to the LORD.
When Jesus was twelve, the age when a Jewish boy does his Bar Mitzvah (Son of the Covenant) and takes his place as a man in the synagogue, the family went to Jerusalem as usual. What Jesus did was both his single mindedness about learning more about "his Father's business" and the thoughtlessness of a child -- to not tell his family what he was doing. It was not sin but it certainly was thoughtless and caused Mary and Joseph a lot of grief. Mary rebukes him and the boy Jesus is surprised that they didn't know what he was doing. Jesus goes back to Nazareth and "was obedient to them". Look at Hebrews 5:8-9. "For though he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and being make perfect/complete/finished he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him." See also Hebrews 2:17-18. "He had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest -- Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Word received: I want My people to take Me as a model of Sonship. I want them to see in Me the pattern for their relationship with My Father. Jesus experienced the growing up process, not just temptation. He knows what it is like! His main focus, even as a teen was to learn more about his Father in Heaven and His will. He obeyed his human parents because that was the will of his Heavenly Father.
Notice that the boy Jesus already knows God/Yahweh/ the I AM as his Father even though it is not a frequent title for God in the Old Testament! Look at John 3:34 for the role of the Holy Spirit in his life. "For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure (unto him)." Word received: My Spirit was working in My Son even as a boy. God wants our children to know God as Father, to have a personal relationship with him (Stop and pray for our own children and Christ Church children.)
Part of the result of a close relationship is that Jesus had a hunger to learn more and more about God's word and he sought out the teachers of God's word to lean more. He was not afraid to ask questions. Are we hungry for more of God?
Jeremiah 29:13 says "And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Word received: Search for Me with an undivided heart. Search for Me as I AM. Search for Me, call upon Me, pray to Me, and I will listen to you. Word received: I want you to seek Me with all your heart as My Son did at the temple.
Mary and Joseph didn't understand what Jesus was telling them but Mary remembered it and pondered it in her heart. Word received: Mary paid attention to what Jesus said and did. She remembered. I want you to remember what My Son has said and done. And I want you to remember when I speak to you and work in your life.
This wasn't the only time Mary was puzzled by Jesus but at least at the wedding at Cana she had the right response to her puzzlement, "Do whatever he tells you."
Word received for teachers: I want you to come to Me with your questions, (underscore you). I want you to wait on Me for My answers..
There is no disobedience in asking questions, especially when asking God. The very process of asking God questions can begin to form a relationship--you are talking!
Jesus is a model, as he was making choices that helped him grow into a sonship relationship. He was making the effort to get to know his Father and his Father's ways.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 17
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1. God always provided ways for the people of Israel to stay close to Him. One of the ways was to celebrate the days He appointed as feast days (or fasts) In this way the people could remember what He had done for them God also provides ways for us today to stay close to Him and remember what He has done;. Can you think of any ways?
2. Jesus as a boy was seeking and learning about His Father in heaven. He was also getting to know Him personally. Jesus is a good model for us of what it means to be a son or daughter of God the Father.
3. Jesus, as a boy, clearly had an undivided heart. God wants us to be that way too. He wants us to seek more of Him and seek Him with ALL our hearts.
4. The Jesus wants us to pay attention to everything He does, just as Mary did. God wants us to remember what Jesus has done for us and remember the times He speaks to us and works in our lives.
Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: Luke 2:41-52; Jeremiah 29:13; John 16: 13-14; John 14:25-26
Memory Verse: "After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions." Luke 2:46 (Pre-K to grade 3)
Look at the way Mary and Joseph raised the child Jesus, God's Son. "Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover." Word received: This family worshipped Me using the feasts that I set up. It provided a framework on which they could build their faith and grow. God commanded his people to celebrate certain feast and fasts every year so that they would remember what God had done and who they were. God does the same for his church -- lest we forget! " Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7, 10a & 12) "When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you…then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD (the I AM) who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." Also look at Deuteronomy 8: 2-5. Remember how the LORD led you all the way in the desert these forty year, to humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands -- to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD...Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you."
This is part of the reason we celebrate the Christian year so that we will not forget what God has done, to bring us back if we have strayed and/or to bring us closer to the LORD.
When Jesus was twelve, the age when a Jewish boy does his Bar Mitzvah (Son of the Covenant) and takes his place as a man in the synagogue, the family went to Jerusalem as usual. What Jesus did was both his single mindedness about learning more about "his Father's business" and the thoughtlessness of a child -- to not tell his family what he was doing. It was not sin but it certainly was thoughtless and caused Mary and Joseph a lot of grief. Mary rebukes him and the boy Jesus is surprised that they didn't know what he was doing. Jesus goes back to Nazareth and "was obedient to them". Look at Hebrews 5:8-9. "For though he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and being make perfect/complete/finished he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him." See also Hebrews 2:17-18. "He had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest -- Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Word received: I want My people to take Me as a model of Sonship. I want them to see in Me the pattern for their relationship with My Father. Jesus experienced the growing up process, not just temptation. He knows what it is like! His main focus, even as a teen was to learn more about his Father in Heaven and His will. He obeyed his human parents because that was the will of his Heavenly Father.
Notice that the boy Jesus already knows God/Yahweh/ the I AM as his Father even though it is not a frequent title for God in the Old Testament! Look at John 3:34 for the role of the Holy Spirit in his life. "For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure (unto him)." Word received: My Spirit was working in My Son even as a boy. God wants our children to know God as Father, to have a personal relationship with him (Stop and pray for our own children and Christ Church children.)
Part of the result of a close relationship is that Jesus had a hunger to learn more and more about God's word and he sought out the teachers of God's word to lean more. He was not afraid to ask questions. Are we hungry for more of God?
Jeremiah 29:13 says "And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Word received: Search for Me with an undivided heart. Search for Me as I AM. Search for Me, call upon Me, pray to Me, and I will listen to you. Word received: I want you to seek Me with all your heart as My Son did at the temple.
Mary and Joseph didn't understand what Jesus was telling them but Mary remembered it and pondered it in her heart. Word received: Mary paid attention to what Jesus said and did. She remembered. I want you to remember what My Son has said and done. And I want you to remember when I speak to you and work in your life.
This wasn't the only time Mary was puzzled by Jesus but at least at the wedding at Cana she had the right response to her puzzlement, "Do whatever he tells you."
Word received for teachers: I want you to come to Me with your questions, (underscore you). I want you to wait on Me for My answers..
There is no disobedience in asking questions, especially when asking God. The very process of asking God questions can begin to form a relationship--you are talking!
Jesus is a model, as he was making choices that helped him grow into a sonship relationship. He was making the effort to get to know his Father and his Father's ways.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 17
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1. God always provided ways for the people of Israel to stay close to Him. One of the ways was to celebrate the days He appointed as feast days (or fasts) In this way the people could remember what He had done for them God also provides ways for us today to stay close to Him and remember what He has done;. Can you think of any ways?
2. Jesus as a boy was seeking and learning about His Father in heaven. He was also getting to know Him personally. Jesus is a good model for us of what it means to be a son or daughter of God the Father.
3. Jesus, as a boy, clearly had an undivided heart. God wants us to be that way too. He wants us to seek more of Him and seek Him with ALL our hearts.
4. The Jesus wants us to pay attention to everything He does, just as Mary did. God wants us to remember what Jesus has done for us and remember the times He speaks to us and works in our lives.
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 16 January 20, 2008
The Flight to Egypt-Living Out our Life in the Spirit in our Daily Lives
Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: Matthew 2:13-23; Jeremiah 31:15
Memory Verse: " an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt." Matthew 2:13a-14 (Pre-K to grade 3)
The main theme in this lesson is obedience, prompt obedience, and the various ways God guides His people. This doesn't mean that the way will be smooth but that God will be with us and guide us if we seek His guidance and listen to Him.
The wise men were "warned in a dream not to return to Herod" so "they departed to their own country by another way." (vs.12) They trusted God and obeyed His Holy Spirit.
After the wise men had gone, Mary and Joseph went to bed and God woke Joseph up with a dream and an angel, telling him to get up and flee to Egypt with Mary and the baby Jesus and to stay there "till I tell you" (a.s.a.p.!) because Herod is going to try to kill the baby. So Joseph got up and fled with Mary and Jesus that very night. Bethlehem is not very far from Jerusalem! (Probably it didn't take Herod long to figure out he'd been tricked.)
This is the second dream God gave Joseph. God speaks to him twice more in vs.19 and 22 in dreams. Each time Joseph waited for that guidance, listened and obeyed promptly. The result of his obedience is protection for him and his family. (What are some of the other ways God guided his people in this whole story in Matthew?)
PRAYER: Thank you Lord, that you protect your own. Word received: Just as I told Joseph what he needed to know, I will always tell you what you need to know for each situation. I AM always watching over you and I will protect and guide you as I did My own Son.
Word received: Obey Me with trust just as Joseph did.
If we read God's word and listen to what the Lord may be saying to us, trust and obey, we too can be guided by His Holy Spirit. God will often us whatever we respond to most. Evidently for Joseph it was dreams. Reflect on John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command and I will ask the Father and He will give you another counselor/helper to be with you forever …the Spirit of Truth."
Look back at verses 11 and 12. God uses the faithfulness of the wise men to provide for the needs of the Holy Family in Egypt---right on time.
Now look at the tragic wickedness of King Herod (vs.16-19), a sad, new fulfillment of the verse from Jeremiah 31:15, the scene of earlier national grief after the fall of Jerusalem. Rachel, Jacob's wife, also died in childbirth near Bethlehem. Satan tries to outdo God but he never can, so he takes out his fury on human beings. Satan and men may kill our bodies but he can never kill the soul or spirit. Word received: "Comfort, comfort My people, says your God." (Isaiah 40:1) I want you to bring comfort to those who mourn. Comfort My people.
In this lesson three prophecies are fulfilled! (vs.15, 18, 23). Word received: As you see I always accomplish what I set out to do. I want you to see that I AM who I AM--all through time. My word is true from the beginning into eternity.
God wants us to see that by looking at prophecy fulfilled.
Word for teachers: Look at 1 Samuel 15:22-23. Obedience IS better than sacrifice. I want My people to obey Me, to obey what I have said to them.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 16
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1.. God promises to guide his people if we will ask, listen, trust and obey.
2. God told Joseph what to do to protect his Son, and Joseph listened and obeyed. God wants us to be as obedient as Joseph.
3. What are some of the ways God guided his people in this lesson?
4. God is always faithful to his WORD.
Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: Matthew 2:13-23; Jeremiah 31:15
Memory Verse: " an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt." Matthew 2:13a-14 (Pre-K to grade 3)
The main theme in this lesson is obedience, prompt obedience, and the various ways God guides His people. This doesn't mean that the way will be smooth but that God will be with us and guide us if we seek His guidance and listen to Him.
The wise men were "warned in a dream not to return to Herod" so "they departed to their own country by another way." (vs.12) They trusted God and obeyed His Holy Spirit.
After the wise men had gone, Mary and Joseph went to bed and God woke Joseph up with a dream and an angel, telling him to get up and flee to Egypt with Mary and the baby Jesus and to stay there "till I tell you" (a.s.a.p.!) because Herod is going to try to kill the baby. So Joseph got up and fled with Mary and Jesus that very night. Bethlehem is not very far from Jerusalem! (Probably it didn't take Herod long to figure out he'd been tricked.)
This is the second dream God gave Joseph. God speaks to him twice more in vs.19 and 22 in dreams. Each time Joseph waited for that guidance, listened and obeyed promptly. The result of his obedience is protection for him and his family. (What are some of the other ways God guided his people in this whole story in Matthew?)
PRAYER: Thank you Lord, that you protect your own. Word received: Just as I told Joseph what he needed to know, I will always tell you what you need to know for each situation. I AM always watching over you and I will protect and guide you as I did My own Son.
Word received: Obey Me with trust just as Joseph did.
If we read God's word and listen to what the Lord may be saying to us, trust and obey, we too can be guided by His Holy Spirit. God will often us whatever we respond to most. Evidently for Joseph it was dreams. Reflect on John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command and I will ask the Father and He will give you another counselor/helper to be with you forever …the Spirit of Truth."
Look back at verses 11 and 12. God uses the faithfulness of the wise men to provide for the needs of the Holy Family in Egypt---right on time.
Now look at the tragic wickedness of King Herod (vs.16-19), a sad, new fulfillment of the verse from Jeremiah 31:15, the scene of earlier national grief after the fall of Jerusalem. Rachel, Jacob's wife, also died in childbirth near Bethlehem. Satan tries to outdo God but he never can, so he takes out his fury on human beings. Satan and men may kill our bodies but he can never kill the soul or spirit. Word received: "Comfort, comfort My people, says your God." (Isaiah 40:1) I want you to bring comfort to those who mourn. Comfort My people.
In this lesson three prophecies are fulfilled! (vs.15, 18, 23). Word received: As you see I always accomplish what I set out to do. I want you to see that I AM who I AM--all through time. My word is true from the beginning into eternity.
God wants us to see that by looking at prophecy fulfilled.
Word for teachers: Look at 1 Samuel 15:22-23. Obedience IS better than sacrifice. I want My people to obey Me, to obey what I have said to them.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 16
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1.. God promises to guide his people if we will ask, listen, trust and obey.
2. God told Joseph what to do to protect his Son, and Joseph listened and obeyed. God wants us to be as obedient as Joseph.
3. What are some of the ways God guided his people in this lesson?
4. God is always faithful to his WORD.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 14 January 13, 2008
We used SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 14 for December 16, 2007 today as the orginal Sunday School session on December 16th had to be canceled because of a severe snow storm. Torre
Sunday, January 6, 2008
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 15 January 6, 2008
The Wise Men Directed
Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: Matthew 2:1-12; Isaiah 60:3; Psalm 72:10-11; Micah 5:2
Optional: Numbers 24:17
Memory Verse: "[the Magi]asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. '" Matthew 2:2 (Pre-K to grade 3)
Background: Magi: the wise men/Magi were a class of learned men in ancient Persia. They were like the wise men in the story of Daniel. They advised their king and would have been both astronomers and astrologers.
Time of trip: about four months. For a similar trip see Ezra 7:9.
Date: King Herod died early in 4 BC (according to the present calendar).
Epiphany: The Christian feast of the Epiphany is a celebration of the manifestation (revealing) of Christ to the Gentiles (in the wise men). A more general definition is: a spiritual event in which the essence of a given object is revealed.
When the Magi came "after Jesus was born" Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus had moved into a house. The shepherd arrived at the stable the night Jesus was born. (Not the same night!) We know that Mary and Joseph brought the baby to the temple in Jerusalem while they were staying at Bethlehem. The house was humble because they didn't have much money, but the Wise Men didn't hesitate to give their gifts when they found no palace. Word received: Do not look at the exterior of people--look at their hearts and listen to My words.
After the long journey from Persia the wise men got to the capital, Jerusalem, to ask the king about the one "born King of the Jews", expecting to find him there. "We have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him" (vs.2). Word received: Do you come to worship Me each Sunday? Are you ready to worship Me? How do you need to get ready to worship Me? I want you to prepare yourselves each week to worship Me.
When King Herod heard them he was VERY upset "and all Jerusalem with him." After all he had killed members of his own family lest they steal the throne from him.
We know from our experience in Liberia, also a small country, that a dictator, especially one who murders (or imprisons) anyone who threatens his power, would really upset and scare the whole city and more. Everyone would be worried about his own safety. King Herod called all the religious leader and scholars and asked where the Messiah/King would be born. The answer was Bethlehem. Just because they knew where the Messiah King was to be born did not necessarily mean they thought he had really been born. They showed no interest in going along to see the baby, probably because they were afraid even to check it out.
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." (Micah 5:2) A word received: I spoke to Bethlehem when it was small and unimportant, I will speak to you even when you feel small and unimportant. You don't need to be important in the eyes of the world to hear me speak to you. Word received: I want you to pay attention to My WORD. It is living and active NOW just as it has been since the beginning.
King Herod secretly summoned the wise men to find out when the star first appeared and pretended that he wanted to worship also. "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." (Matthew 2:3) A word received: Many were troubled by my coming among them. Their troubling doesn't equal repentance. I want people to turn to me, high or low, it doesn't matter, I want them to turn to me. The wise men had told the king "We have seen his star" Word received: I made creation, so it's right to say the star belongs to Jesus.
The wise men (sometimes called kings) went toward Bethlehem. They already knew the baby king was to be King of the Jews but they didn't know where till they talked to King Herod. So they went their way and the star they had seen before "went before them till it came to rest over the place where the child was." Word received: Imagine following a star for direction. They had no road map, just the star. That is the kind of faith I want you to have. (Before modern inventions, sailors navigated by the stars but it was never this precise!
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him." (Matthew 2:10-11) A word received: Look at the difference between their wisdom and the knowledge of the chief priests and scribes. Their knowledge (Matthew 2:5-6) did not lead them to seek me. The wise men's wisdom led them to seek for me.
They "worshipped him" Word received: Do you know what it means to worship Me? I want you to offer yourselves as a living sacrifice---that's what it means, giving Me your all. Romans 12:1 says "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
This was a humble house, not a great palace, but the wise men didn't hesitate to pour out their gifts, gifts fit for a king! What are we giving to our king this Christmas time? Ask the Lord what he wants you to give him this Christmas time. Joseph and Mary had to give everything to God in order to follow him and do what he asked them to do. Start a list and pray about what God is asking you to give him (for the first time or again). (The children are being asked to make a list, put it in a little box and put it in the offering.) How are we seeking our king in our daily lives? What are our priorities?
That night God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they obeyed and went home another way. They were men of faith and believed the dream. Word received: When I speak to you, however I speak to you, I want you to believe.
"When they saw the star they were overjoyed." Just as God had plans for the wise men, he also has plans for you, maybe great or maybe small but they are his plans. Ask the Lord to show you what he wants to do through you. Word received: The road that the wise men took was not easy, but they were filled with joy and wonder at what I was doing.
Psalm 72:10-11 "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him." A word received: No matter how important someone is, they still have to bow down before my son.
Isaiah 60:3:"The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." A word received: I want you to walk in my light. Those who are outsiders can walk by my light. Even kings can come to my light.
How to teach word received: What are you willing to leave behind and come to me? The wisemen left home, friends, and safety -- all the comfortable things in their lives. Come, follow me.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 15
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1. The wise men were seeking Jesus, a king, and they found him. When we ask God to help us find Jesus, He will help. God is faithful.
2. This event really happened. It's not just a fairy tale.
3. It doesn't matter how much or how little you have. God looks at our hearts to see if we really believe and love Him and listen to Him in His Word.
4. The most important thing we do in church is to worship the LORD. What we get out of it is not the most important thing. He wants our attention on Him!
5. God provided for His own Son, Jesus. He will provide for us too. Just ask.
Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: Matthew 2:1-12; Isaiah 60:3; Psalm 72:10-11; Micah 5:2
Optional: Numbers 24:17
Memory Verse: "[the Magi]asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. '" Matthew 2:2 (Pre-K to grade 3)
Background: Magi: the wise men/Magi were a class of learned men in ancient Persia. They were like the wise men in the story of Daniel. They advised their king and would have been both astronomers and astrologers.
Time of trip: about four months. For a similar trip see Ezra 7:9.
Date: King Herod died early in 4 BC (according to the present calendar).
Epiphany: The Christian feast of the Epiphany is a celebration of the manifestation (revealing) of Christ to the Gentiles (in the wise men). A more general definition is: a spiritual event in which the essence of a given object is revealed.
When the Magi came "after Jesus was born" Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus had moved into a house. The shepherd arrived at the stable the night Jesus was born. (Not the same night!) We know that Mary and Joseph brought the baby to the temple in Jerusalem while they were staying at Bethlehem. The house was humble because they didn't have much money, but the Wise Men didn't hesitate to give their gifts when they found no palace. Word received: Do not look at the exterior of people--look at their hearts and listen to My words.
After the long journey from Persia the wise men got to the capital, Jerusalem, to ask the king about the one "born King of the Jews", expecting to find him there. "We have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him" (vs.2). Word received: Do you come to worship Me each Sunday? Are you ready to worship Me? How do you need to get ready to worship Me? I want you to prepare yourselves each week to worship Me.
When King Herod heard them he was VERY upset "and all Jerusalem with him." After all he had killed members of his own family lest they steal the throne from him.
We know from our experience in Liberia, also a small country, that a dictator, especially one who murders (or imprisons) anyone who threatens his power, would really upset and scare the whole city and more. Everyone would be worried about his own safety. King Herod called all the religious leader and scholars and asked where the Messiah/King would be born. The answer was Bethlehem. Just because they knew where the Messiah King was to be born did not necessarily mean they thought he had really been born. They showed no interest in going along to see the baby, probably because they were afraid even to check it out.
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." (Micah 5:2) A word received: I spoke to Bethlehem when it was small and unimportant, I will speak to you even when you feel small and unimportant. You don't need to be important in the eyes of the world to hear me speak to you. Word received: I want you to pay attention to My WORD. It is living and active NOW just as it has been since the beginning.
King Herod secretly summoned the wise men to find out when the star first appeared and pretended that he wanted to worship also. "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." (Matthew 2:3) A word received: Many were troubled by my coming among them. Their troubling doesn't equal repentance. I want people to turn to me, high or low, it doesn't matter, I want them to turn to me. The wise men had told the king "We have seen his star" Word received: I made creation, so it's right to say the star belongs to Jesus.
The wise men (sometimes called kings) went toward Bethlehem. They already knew the baby king was to be King of the Jews but they didn't know where till they talked to King Herod. So they went their way and the star they had seen before "went before them till it came to rest over the place where the child was." Word received: Imagine following a star for direction. They had no road map, just the star. That is the kind of faith I want you to have. (Before modern inventions, sailors navigated by the stars but it was never this precise!
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him." (Matthew 2:10-11) A word received: Look at the difference between their wisdom and the knowledge of the chief priests and scribes. Their knowledge (Matthew 2:5-6) did not lead them to seek me. The wise men's wisdom led them to seek for me.
They "worshipped him" Word received: Do you know what it means to worship Me? I want you to offer yourselves as a living sacrifice---that's what it means, giving Me your all. Romans 12:1 says "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
This was a humble house, not a great palace, but the wise men didn't hesitate to pour out their gifts, gifts fit for a king! What are we giving to our king this Christmas time? Ask the Lord what he wants you to give him this Christmas time. Joseph and Mary had to give everything to God in order to follow him and do what he asked them to do. Start a list and pray about what God is asking you to give him (for the first time or again). (The children are being asked to make a list, put it in a little box and put it in the offering.) How are we seeking our king in our daily lives? What are our priorities?
That night God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they obeyed and went home another way. They were men of faith and believed the dream. Word received: When I speak to you, however I speak to you, I want you to believe.
"When they saw the star they were overjoyed." Just as God had plans for the wise men, he also has plans for you, maybe great or maybe small but they are his plans. Ask the Lord to show you what he wants to do through you. Word received: The road that the wise men took was not easy, but they were filled with joy and wonder at what I was doing.
Psalm 72:10-11 "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him." A word received: No matter how important someone is, they still have to bow down before my son.
Isaiah 60:3:"The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." A word received: I want you to walk in my light. Those who are outsiders can walk by my light. Even kings can come to my light.
How to teach word received: What are you willing to leave behind and come to me? The wisemen left home, friends, and safety -- all the comfortable things in their lives. Come, follow me.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 15
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1. The wise men were seeking Jesus, a king, and they found him. When we ask God to help us find Jesus, He will help. God is faithful.
2. This event really happened. It's not just a fairy tale.
3. It doesn't matter how much or how little you have. God looks at our hearts to see if we really believe and love Him and listen to Him in His Word.
4. The most important thing we do in church is to worship the LORD. What we get out of it is not the most important thing. He wants our attention on Him!
5. God provided for His own Son, Jesus. He will provide for us too. Just ask.
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