Lamentations

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

 The Book of Lamentations

The word lamentation, or lament, is an expression of grief when someone faces a loss or death. The book of Lamentations is a song of lament over the fall of the precious city of Jerusalem. While no one knows for sure who wrote this book, it is believed that is could have been Jeremiah, who witnessed firsthand the destruction of his beloved city. This book shows us that it is ok for us to grieve a loss. It also reveals that the messages of destruction from all the prophets had been true. Even though this is considered one of the most depressing books in the entire Bible, God does not leave us without hope here. The writer of Lamentations reminds us that, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great of Your faithfulness!” (3:22-23).

Object Lesson:

Supplies Needed:

• Toys that may be considered favorites of the children
• Stuffed animals
• Legos
• Phones
• Books
• Etc…
• An empty trash can

Directions:
1. One at a time bring out the favorite items and show them to the class. Describe how beautiful and wonderful the item is. Ask how many of the children would really like to have it. Ask who would spend the most time playing with it. Set the item aside and repeat this process for each item you brought.
2. If you have just studied the book of Jeremiah, remind the children that sometimes our favorite toys can become idols if they become more important to God.
3. Explain to the children that when our toys become more important than God, God will sometimes take away the idol.
4. Take each item you just showed the children and very dramatically throw them in the empty trash can. Watch for their reactions.
5. Ask the children how they felt when you threw away the toys.  Explain that God did the same thing in today’s story when he destroyed Jerusalem. They also felt sad, and that is why we have this book in the Bible today.

Memory Verse:

Lamentations 3: 40-41
Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven.

Jesus Connection:

The book of Lamentations shows us how God poured out His wrath on Jerusalem, the city He loved, the same way he poured out His wrath of Jesus, His only begotten Son. Although Jerusalem was destroyed, Jesus overcame sin and death so that he could be our great helper (Romans 5:21). Now Jesus can help us overcome the temptation of having idols in our lives, and when we do fall into this sin, Jesus is right there to forgive us and help us make things right with God.

Songs:

“Great is Thy Faithfulness”

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest no, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
 Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faitfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strenght for today and a gright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with then thousand beside!

Games/Activities

We All Fall Short

Supplies needed:

• Tape
• marker
• Prizes (candy, stickers, shapes rubber bands, etc…)

Directions:
1. Place the prizes on the floor against the wall on one side of the room.  Starting on the other side of the room place small pieces of tape on the floor, writing numbers on each piece (1, 2, 3, 4 ,…). Place the tape so that each following number is farther away that then previous one. Make sure that the final number is too far away for the children to reach by walking, but not too far for you.
2. Have the children line up on the side of the room with the piece of tape marked 1.
3. One at a time, allow the children the chance to retrieve a prize from the pile. They must WALK, (not jumping) and step on each piece of tape in numerical order.
4. None of the children will be able to retrieve a prize! Take a turn yourself, retrieving a prize for each child.
5. Explain to the children that our sin makes it impossible for us to reach the best prize ever, that is to be with God in heaven! When Jesus came and died for our sins, He made a way for us to be with God. All we have to do is believe in Him!

Crafts:

Hands and Hearts

Supplies Needed:

• White paper
• Red paper
• Markers
• Scissors
• Wooden clothes pins
• Glue

Directions:
1. Give each child a white paper, a red paper and a marker. Instruct the children to draw a small heart on the red paper. The heart has to be small enough to fit in their hand. On the white paper have them trace their hands, but have their fingers all touching each other, not spread out. Have them cut out their hearts and hands.
2. Give each child a clothes pin. Put a little glue on the bottom of the heart, near the point, and only on one side. Pinch the clothes pin open and put the heart in so that the glue will adhere to the inside of the clothespin.
3. Put glue on the top half of the clothes pin. Place one of the hands on the glue and position so that the heart cannot be seen. Flip over the clothes pin and repeat on the other side.

Coloring Page:

Jacob's Family

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with this passage:

Genesis 29:1-30:24;35:16-19

When Jacob arrived in the land of Paddan Aram, he saw a beautiful young woman named Rachel. Jacob fell in love with Rachel. Rachel brought Jacob home and introduced him to her family, including her father, Laban, who was Jacob’s uncle. Jacob agreed to work for Laban 7 years if he would be able to marry Rachel. Laban agreed, but when the 7 years were completed, Laban tricked Jacob, giving him Rachel’s younger sister, Leah, instead of Rachel. So, Jacob worked another 7 years and married Rachel as well. In addition to these two women, when they became married to Jacob, they each received a maidservant from their father. So, there came to be four women in Jacob’s house. Over the course of time, and with a competitive spirit between them, the sisters and their maidservants began having children. Jacob would eventually have 12 sons to his name. Jacob’s sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Ashe, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.  God has begun to keep his promise to make Abraham, Isaac and Jacob into a great nation.

Object Lesson: Seven Minutes of Silence

Supplies Needed:
1. A clock with a second hand
Directions:
1. Have the class try to imagine what seven years is like. Hold up a clock with a second hand and tell the children that they are going to watch the clock for seven minutes and they must be completely silent. As the second hand rounds the clock, have them put up a finger to count how many minutes have passed.
2. At the end of seven minutes ask the children if it seemed like a long time to them.
3. Tell them that you forgot, but to finish the lesson, they must watch the clock for another seven minutes in silence. After you give them a chance to respond, tell them you are only joking.
4. Explain to the children what is must have been like for Jacob to wait seven years for Rachel, only to discover that he must work for another seven years to get her. Ask the class how that would make them feel.

Memory Verse:

Psalm 127:3
Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.

Jesus Connection:

Jacob was later renamed Israel by God. Jacob’s 12 sons would become the 12 tribes of Israel. Of all the children, Jacob’s son Judah would become the line of Jesus. Through the descendants of Judah, Jesus would eventually be born.

Songs

“Father Abraham”

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord
Right arm!
….Left arm!
….Right foot!
….Left foot!
….Chin up!
….Turn around!
….Sit down!

‘Jesus Loves the Little Children’

Jesus love the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Games/Activities

Guess Who!?!

Supplies needed:
• A large, dark blanket or sheet
• Two shawls (optional!)
Directions:
1. Divide the class into two teams. With the blanket in the middle of the room, have one team sit on either side of the blanket.
2. Lift the blanket so that the teams are divided and can no longer see each other.
3. Have the teams take turns sending one person at a time up to the blanket. When you drop the blanket, the two children on either side have to say the name of the other child as fast as they can. The fastest child wins the round.
4. Raise the blanket and call two new children forward. Play until all children have had at least on turn.
5. An optional alternative: Bring two shawls with you to class and have the two children cover their heads so you can only see their eye and then have them guess.

Crafts:

Jacob’s Sons Folding Craft Sticks

http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/Bible-Themes-Abraham.html
Supplies Needed:
• Craft sticks, cut in two, varying the sizes (so you have a round end and a flat end)
• Masking tape
• Crayons or colored pencils
Directions:
1. Place two sticks together, side by side, and tape them together, making sure to cover the whole stick but not the rounded ends. Turn these sticks over.
2. Take two more sticks and place them on either side of the first two. Tape the two new sticks to the first sticks. Make sure you only place each piece of tape on two sticks, just as you did in step one. Turn these sticks over.
3. Repeat step two until all twelve sticks have been taped together.
4. You may wish to cover the ends of the last two sticks with tape, as it is easier to color on the tape than on the sticks. (This is optional.)
5. Use the crayons or colored pencils to draw hair, faces and clothes on each of the sticks, making the 12 sons of Jacob. You may even have them write the names of the sons on the backs of the sticks.

Coloring Page:

Jacob's Dream

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Genesis 28:10-29:1

Jacob is running away from home. He has deceived his brother, Esau, two times, stealing the firstborn blessing that rightfully belonged to Esau. Now Esau is comforting himself with the thought of killing Jacob, so Jacob has been sent away in a hurry by his mother to her family in the land of Paddan Aram. Late one night, when he was tired from all his travels, Jacob found a large stone to use as a pillow and lay down to sleep. Jacob then had a dream. In his dream, Jacob saw a staircase that went up to heaven. Angels were going up and down the stairs and at the top of the stairs was God. God spoke to Jacob, renewing the covenant of Abraham and Isaac with him. God promised Jacob that he would return to the place he was sleeping and that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth (or grains of sand, depending on your translation).  When Jacob awoke and realized what he saw in his dream was real, he set up his stone pillow as a memorial. He declared that place to be the house of God and the staircase the gate to heaven. Then Jacob promised that if God was faithful to him, he would be faithful to God. At the end Jacob promised to give one tenth of all he had to God.

Object Lesson:

Supplied Needed:
• A pile of sand
• Paper plates
• Magnifying glasses (optional)
Directions:
1. If possible, ask the children to sit or stand around a table. Give each child a paper plate. Place a spoonful of sand on each plate. If you have magnifying glasses, you can give them to the children now as well.
2. Ask the children to count all the pieced of sand that is on their plate. Note their reactions.
3. After about 30 second or a minute, ask the children how many pieced of sand they counted. Mention to them some of the reactions they gave when you gave them the command to count. (Surprised, overwhelmed, amazed….)
4. Tell the kids that there is a lot of sand in the world. There is no way that we could ever count them all. In the story they are about to hear, the main character may have similar reactions when presented with the idea of counting all the sand in the whole world!

Memory Verse:

Genesis 28:15
“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Jesus Connection:

In his dream, Jacob saw a stairway reaching to heaven. This stairway is a connection between heaven and earth, with God at the top, taking the initiative to reach down to man. The stairway is a representation of Jesus, who is God come to earth to save man. Jesus is the only connection we have to God. Jesus says of himself in John 1:51, “Very truly I will you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” We know that the Son of Man is Jesus. The passage being referenced here is none other than Genesis 28 and Jacob’s dream. Through Jesus, God offers us great blessing, just as he did to Jacob .

Songs:

Jacob’s Ladder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OQjuzAH2Ys
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder (3x)
Soldiers of the cross.

Every round goes higher, higher (3x)
Soldiers of the cross.

Sinner, do you love my Jesus (3x)
Soldiers of the cross.

If you love Him, why not serve Him? (3x)
Soldiers of the cross.

Rise and shine and give God glory, (3x)
Soldiers of the cross.

Games/Activities

One Tenth

Supplies Needed:
• 100 of some item (pennies, buttons, paperclips, ect...)
• possibly more of that same item if you have more than 10 kids in your class
Directions:
1. Put your item in a pile in the middle of the group. Ask each child to get 10 pieces from the pile.
2. Using a pile of your own, demonstrate how to make one tenth. Count your items, setting one of them aside to represent the one tenth.
3. Give the children a bigger idea of what one tenth looks like by putting all the items in piles of ten. Emphasize that all the piles are the same. When you have ten piles of ten, count the piles, setting one pile aside to represent the one tenth. Tell the children that Jacob gave one tenth of all he had to God. So, if all of the item that you brought represents all that Jacob had, then that one pile would be what he gave to God.
4. Tell the children that today many people still give one tenth of what they get to God. Ask the children what they get for allowance, if they get any. Ask them what one tenth would be. Encourage them to consider bringing one tenth of their allowance to church to give back to God, just like Jacob did.

Stair Climbing

Supplies needed:
• several pieces of paper
• a pen
• tape
• a set of stairs
Directions:
1. Pre-class prep: On several pieces of paper, write sections of today's bible verse so that when all the pieces of paper are collected and placed in order, you have a complete verse. Tape these pieces of paper to the stairs.
2. Bring the children to the stairs and let them take turns climbing the stairs, finding the pieces of paper taped to each stair.
3. When all the paper has been found, bring the children back to the classroom and have them work together to put the verse in order.
4. This game can be made more competitive by having two sets of paper (differing colors) and allowing the children to race to get the paper and assemble the verse. First one with the verse assembled correctly wins.

Crafts/Projects

Jacob's Ladder Toilet Paper Roll Craft

Supplies Needed:
• Angel template
• colors
• scissors
• tape or glue
• toilet paper rolls (2 per child)
• large popsicle sticks (three per child)

Directions:
1. Give each child one angel template to color and cut out.
2. Tape or glue the templates to the toilet paper rolls
3. Use the scissors to add the slits in the sides of the roll where it is marked on the template.
4. Insert the large popsicle sticks into the slits in both rolls, so that the rolls are connected by the sticks.

Coloring Page

Jeremiah

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the passage:

The book of Jeremiah

Jeremiah was a prophet of God. A prophet is someone who delivers God's messages, both the good and the bad. Jeremiah became a prophet at a young age and most of the messages he delivered to the people of Judah were messages of warning and calls to repentance. Jeremiah told people that the heart is a wicked thing (17:9) and they should turn and repent. Jeremiah warned the people that God's wrath was coming, that he was going to break them like an unwanted piece of pottery and remold them into something he could use (18:1-6).  Unfortunately for Jeremiah, the people of Israel did not listen to his messages. The people hated Jeremiah for the things he was saying, and they did mean things to him, including throwing him in a muddy pit and trying to kill him! God would not leave his people abandoned, however, and Jeremiah prophesied to the people that God was in control and He had plans for a hope and future for the people of Israel (29:11).

Object Lesson:

Idol Recognition

Supplies Needed:
• paper
• pencils
Directions:
1. Have the children number their paper 1-10.
2. Ask the children to list their favorite 10 toys. If they cannot write yet, have them draw a small picture of the item.  Tell the kids that adults have toys too. Give them some examples of your toys. (You can even have your top 10 list prepared in advance to show them.)
3. Ask the children, "How often do you play with your first toy on the list?"
4. Have the children circle the toys on their list that their parents take away for disobedience (or even for when they are supposed to be doing something else).
5. Tell the kids that the people of Israel and Judah were always getting in trouble because they had idols (an obsession that was not God). Tell the kids that just like our parents have to take away our toys when we disobey, God had to punish Israel and Judah for having idol. He took their idols away by sending them into captivity, to a place where they no longer had their idols.

Memory Verse:

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, pans to give you hope and a future."

Jesus connection:

When we do not confess our sins to God and seek his forgiveness, we are under God's full wrath. Romans says the punishment for sin is death (6:23). God seeks to provide restoration. He does not want any of us to suffer death because of our sins (2 Peter 3:9), so he sent his only Son, Jesus, to pay the punishment for our sins (John 3:16).

Songs:

Potter and Clay

Written by Carolyn Warvel

For the lyrics of this song, please follow the link below. Thanks :)
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/Bible-Crafts-Jeremiah.html

Games/Activities:

Clay Pot Catastrophe

Supplies Needed:
• 2 copies of the clay jar template
• review questions (with answers) from the story
• a black marker
• scissors
Directions:
1. Prep: Before class, print out two copies of the clay jar template. Print one on a tan or brown (or some other colored) paper. On the colored jar, write the answers to the review questions. Put each answer in a separate piece of the jar. On the second jar, write the review questions, each question in a separate piece of the jar. Make sure that these questions are covered in your story time. Cut out the answers. You now have a puzzle!
2. Lay the jar full of questions on the table or floor. Spread out the answer pieces for all the kids to see. Have one child pick a question and read it out loud. Have all the kids search of the answer to that question and put the piece on the puzzle in the matching section of the jar.
3. Continue doing this until the entire questions jar has been filled with answers and the puzzle is complete.
Sample Questions:
1. How long was Jeremiah a prophet? 40 years.
2. What is a prophet? Someone who delivers God's messages.
3. Who was Jeremiah? A prophet.
4. Who did Jeremiah prophesy to? The people of Judah.
5. What city was captured during Jeremiah's time? Jerusalem.
6. Who attacked Judah? Babylon.
7. Who wrote Jeremiah? Jeremiah's scribe, Baruch.
8. Why was Jerusalem destroyed? God was punishing the people for the sin of idol worship.
9. Where did people flee after Jerusalem was destroyed? Egypt.
10. When did Jeremiah become a prophet? When he was a little boy.

Craft:

Clay Pot

Supplies Needed:
• air drying clay (or small tubes of play dough)
Directions:
1. Give each child a hand full of clay.
2. Instruct the children to make a clay pot. They can make it any way they want.
3. After all the children have designed their pots, point out a flaw in each pot and ask them all to make it over again. Tell the children that Jeremiah also had to remake a pot. Also, let them know that just like the potter, they can reshape the new one nay way they want.
4. Ask the children to think about who should be in charge of their pots, since they created them. Tell the children that God told Jeremiah to remind the Israelites that God made them and He is in control of them.

Coloring Page:

Isaiah's Suffering Servant

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Isaiah52:13-55:13
Of all the visions and messages that God gave Isaiah, this passage contains the most famous. It is in this passage that Isaiah describes the coming Messiah, here called the Suffering Servant. Isaiah foretells in great detail the kind of suffering that the Servant would have to go through and the kind of death that he would die. He describes the lowly and non glorious life that he would live, which was contrary to what many people believed the Messiah would be like. Isaiah goes on from this description to explain the nature of the redemptive work of the Servant that is available for anyone who will just believe in Him. It is a free gift that needs no money and has no cost. This is the greatest and most important message that Isaiah receives from God.

Object Lesson:

Supplies Needed:
• A picture of Jesus hanging on the cross (This picture can be more graphic if you are teaching older children.)
Directions:
1. Show the children the picture of Jesus on the cross before you begin story time. Ask the kids who this is. (They will of course answer Jesus.) Tell the kids that today it is easy for us to recognize this as Jesus, but before Jesus came to earth, people did not know what he was going to be like.
2. Explain to the children that Isaiah wrote down a very good description of what Jesus would be like when he came to earth. Instruct the children to look very closely at the picture as you read the passage to see if they can find some of the ways that Isaiah described Jesus.
3. Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12 out loud to the children. (If you have older children, you may have them take turns reading sections out loud.)
4. After the passage has been read, ask the children what they remembered from Isaiah’s description that they can see in the picture.

Memory Verse:

Isaiah 53:6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus Connection:

This passage is one of the most accurate descriptions of Jesus in all the Old Testament. It says that Jesus would not be popular (53:2), and he was not. It said that he would be rejected by men (53:3), and he was rejected, by his own home town! (Mark 6:4) Isaiah even described the kind of death that Jesus would face (53:5), death on a cross (John 19:16-18). Isaiah 53:12 also describes the type of redemptive work that Jesus would do, saving people from their sins. (Romans 6:23) Nowhere else in all of the Old Testament does God so clearly reveal to us His Son, Jesus!

Songs:

Fifty-three Verse Six
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMZ_dTD4xCQ
Fifty-three verse six
A verse we need to hear
Fifty three verse six
Isaiah makes it clear
We all like sheep have gone astray
We’ve turned, each one to his own way
And the Lord has laid on him
The iniquity of us all.

Games/Activities:

Carrying Our Burdens

Supplies Needed:
• A pile of books/magazines
Directions:
1. Gather all the kids at one end of the class room. Have everyone get down on their hands and knees. Place one book/magazine on the back of each child.
2. When you say go, have the kids crawl on their hands and knees to the other side of the room without dropping their burdens. If anyone drops their burden, they are out of the game.
3. Line up the remaining kids and add another book/magazine to their back, increasing their burdens. Continue in this manner until you have one kid left who has carried the heaviest load.
4. Explain to the children that Jesus carried the burden of all the sin in the whole world when he died on the cross.

Crafts:

Sheep Toilet Paper Tube

Supplies Needed:
• Toilet paper tubes
• Sheep head templates
• Scissors
• Glue
• Cotton balls
• Pipe cleaners
• Masking tape
Directions:
• Place one piece of tape over one end of the toilet paper tube. This will now be the back side of the sheep.
• Cover the tube with glue. Place cotton balls on the glue until the tube is covered. (You can pull the balls apart a little to make the sheep fluffier.)
• Cut out the sheep head template. Glue the head to the cotton balls on the open end of the tube.
• Cut 4 small segments of pipe cleaners. Turn the sheep over and glue each of the pipe cleaners into the cotton balls to make legs for the sheep. Allow the sheep time to dry.

Tender Shoots

Supplies Needed:
• Small plastic zip lock bags
• Paper towels
• Seeds
• Water
• Permanent makers
Directions:
1. Read Isaiah 53:2 to the children. Explain how Jesus is referred to in this verse as a tender shoot or plant coming up out of dry ground.  As your kids are completing the craft, talk to them about how Jesus cam as a root out of a spiritually dry people.
2. Have the kids write their names on a plastic zip lock bag.
3. Give everyone a paper towel to fold into quarters. Make the paper towel wet, being sure to squeeze out most of the excess water. Place the wet paper towel inside the plastic bag.
4. Have the kids place several seeds on the wet paper towel. Seal the bag, pressing out the air. Do not place in direct sunlight.
5. ***Make one sample bag the week before so the kids can see what  a tender shoot is as you are explaining this verse to them.***

Coloring Page:

Isaiah's Vision and Call

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Isaiah 1-6
Isaiah was a prophet. A prophet is a person who speaks on behalf of God, confronting people with their sins and reminding them of God’s promises. This is what Isaiah did for the people of Israel. The book of Isaha is full of his messages from God. It is a long book, 66 chapters, and covers a period in Israel’s history that leads up to the exile of the northern kingdom. At the beginning of his book, Isaiah gives the reader an overview of the sin situation in Israel, and also recounts a vision of reconciliation. The most famous verses in this section of the book is Isaiah’s vision of God and his call to be a prophet. He said he saw God high and lifted up, seated on His throne. Then, in response to God’s greatness, when asked who will go warn Israel of the things to come, Isaiah said, “Here I am, send me!” (6:8) The remaining chapters of this book will cover God’s messages to a sinful Israel as well as an amazing preview of the Suffering Servant.

Object lesson:

Talk to the children about how they describe other people. If you just saw Santa, how would you describe him? (red nose, white beard, red suit, black shoes, big and tall….) We see Santa in pictures, but no one gets to see God like that, so how would you describe God? Allow the kids to all give their input. You may have to ask them why they would describe God that way. Descriptions are very important. In this story you will learn about a man who saw God, face to face, and wrote down his description, allowing us to know more about who God is.

Memory Verse:

Isaiah 6:1b
“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.”

Jesus Connection:

In a vision, Isaiah saw God in all His glory. Many years later, God would send His glory to earth in His son, Jesus. When God called Isaiah to be his prophet, he responded with eager willingness. Jesus has also left us with a similar call. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus calls us all to “go and make disciples of all nations”. And just as god was with Isaiah, so Jesus will be with us to the very end of the age.

Songs:

“Where He Leads Me”

I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
Take they cross and follow, follow Me.

Where He leads me I will follow,
Where me leads me I will follow,
Where he leads me I will follow,
I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.

Games/Activities:

Throw Away Your Sins

Supplies Needed:
·         Paper, one per child
·         Masking tape
Directions:
1.       Divide the room in two with masking tape marking the center line.
2.       Divide the kids in two groups and place on group on each side of the room.
3.       Give each child a piece of paper. Have the children crumple the paper into a ball. Tell the children that this paper ball represents sin. Isaiah was warning the people of Israel that they needed to get rid of their sin, to throw it as far away from them as they could. We also need to throw sin far away from us when it comes our way.
4.       The object of this game is for the kids to throw the paper balls over the line to the other team as fast as they can, returning any paper balls that were thrown by the other team. The team with the fewest paper balls on their side of the line at the end of the time will be the winner.
5.       Repeat this game as time allows, mixing up the children onto different team each time.

Crafts:

Megaphones

Supplies Needed:
·         White disposable paper cups
·         Scissors
·         Crayons or markers
·         Hole punch
·         Yarn
Directions:
1.       Have the children cut out the bottom of their paper cup.
2.       Using the hole punch, make two holes on opposite sides of the bottom of the cup.
3.       Cut a length of yarn for each child. Thread the yarn through the holes and tie the ends together to make a neck strap.
4.       Allow the kids to decorate their megaphones.
5.       The kids can use their megaphones to share God’s messages with the world!

Coloring Page:

Ecclesiastes

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with this passage:

The book of Ecclesiastes
This book was thought to be written by King Solomon. When Solomon became king, he asked God for wisdom, and he became the wisest man in the world.  He studied, taught, judged, and wrote.  All the nations come to Jerusalem to learn from him.  But with all of his practical insight on life, Solomon failed to heed his own advice, and he began a downward spiral.  Near the end of his life, Solomon looked back with an attitude of humility and repentance.  He summed up the world as he experienced it, hoping to spare his readers the bitterness of learning through personal experience that everything apart from God is empty, hollow, and meaningless.  Solomon was not trying to leave us without hope, though.  He was trying to tell us that we can have hope and joy in this life, and that it comes from God alone.

Object Lesson:

A Meaningless Easter Egg Hunt
Supplies needed:
·         A bunch of empty Easter eggs
Directions:
1.       Gather together a bunch of empty Easter eggs.
2.       Close them and hide them around the room.  Leave them empty!
3.       When the kids come into the class room, ask them to find all the eggs, but do not open them yet.
4.       When all the eggs have been found, have the kids open the eggs and reveal their empty contents.
5.       Discussion: Ask the kids how they feel about the empty eggs.  Explain to the kids that many things we do in life are pointless, just like hunting for empty Easter eggs.  It leaves us feeling sad, frustrated and disappointed.  Let them know, however, that they are about to learn what they Bible says about these meaningless things in life.

Memory Verse:

Ecclesiastes 3:1
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

Jesus Connection:

As Solomon concludes his book, he comes to the conclusion that our responsibility in life is to have a right relationship with God (12:13). This is the only thing in life that is not meaningless.  When we look to Jesus, we see that he came into this world as one of us, and experienced the world in all its meaninglessness. We can rejoice because we know that Jesus died, once for all, and did away with the meaninglessness brought on by the curse of sin. (Romans 6:10) We are all now free to live a life full of meaning in Jesus!

Songs:

“Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKz8OOz_UQg
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

Game/Activities

Odd Ball Out

Supplies needed:
·         Nothing :)
Directions:
1.       Tell the kids you are thinking of a time (a season or a holiday).  Tell them what one you are thinking of.
2.       Then tell the kids three thing.  Two of them pertain to the time you told them about, and one does not.
3.       Ask the kids to identify what does not belong to that time, and what time it does belong to.
4.       Pass the lead onto the kids after they get the hang of the game.
Example:
·         Time: Christmas
o   Presents
o   Lights
o   Sand* (sand is for the summer!)

Craft:

Time for Everything Clock

Supplies needed:
·         Paper plates with small slits in the center of each
·         Brads (paper fasteners)
·         Clock arrows print outs
·         Colors
·         Scissors
Directions:
1.       Give each child a paper plate with a small slit in the center.
2.       Explain to the children that Solomon is teaching us that there is a time for everything. Read the beginning of Ecclesiastes 3 out loud for the kids.
3.       Ask the kids to draw “times” on their clocks.  This does not mean drawing the numbers, like on a normal clock.  Rather, have the kids draw pictures of different times in their life, or of the seasons.  For example, they can draw a school, the beach, a graduation hat, a wedding dress, or they can draw the four seasons.
4.       Give each of the kids a print out of the clock arrows.  Have them cut out their arrows
5.       Fasten the arrows to the paper plates using brads.
6.       Explain to the kids that this clock is special, and it reminds them that no matter what happens, there is a time for everything, and God has always been, is now and will always be present whatever time it is.

Coloring Page: