Mary and Joseph

Passages

Familiarize yourself with this passage

Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25
One day, while Mary was at home, the angel Gabriel came to her with a message from God.  She was going to have a baby and she was to name him Jesus, because he would save the people from their sins.  Mary was confused.  “How can this be,” she asked “because I am a virgin?”  The angel told her that with God, all things are possible.  Mary believed the angel and she became pregnant by a miracle from God.
Joseph was engaged to Mary.  He found out that Mary was pregnant, and he knew the baby was not his, so he decided he would break up with Mary.  Before Joseph could do this, an angel came to him in a dream and told him that the baby inside Mary was from God.  The angel told Joseph that he should still get married to Mary, and so he did.  When baby Jesus was born, he had a physical mom and dad, both of whom loved God.

Object Lesson

Before you tell the story, have the children open their bibles to Matthew 1:1-16. This is the genealogical record of Jesus. It shows how Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, was a descendant of King David. Have the children read through the verses, perhaps one small section at a time, and see how many of the names they recognize. Explain to the children that this genealogy is important because the Bible say that the Messiah, Jesus, would be a descendant of Kind David, and this record shows us that he was.

Memory Verse

Luke 1:30-31
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.”

Jesus Connection

This is the first time in the Bible that we see the name of Jesus mentioned.  The angel Gabriel tells Mary, “you will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) Names are important in the Bible, and if we look at the name of Jesus, we see that it means ‘Savior’. This is a fitting name for the one who would one day die in our place to save us from our sins.

Songs:

Peace Like a River

1st verse:
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Peace like a river in my soul (In my soul!)
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Peace like a river in my soul (In my soul!)

2nd verse:
(Joy like a fountain)

3rd verse:
(Love like the ocean)

4th verse:
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Joy like a fountain
I’ve got Love like the ocean in my soul (In my soul!)
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Joy like a fountain
I’ve got Love like the ocean in my soul (In my soul!)

Game/Activity

Wheel of Fortune (verse memory game)

Supplies needed:
• The wheel
o Template with wheel and arrow
o Paper brad
• Dry erase board/chalk board
• Dry erase marker/chalk
• The Bible verse
• Coins (or beans, or buttons)
Directions:
1. Assemble the wheel by cutting it out of the template and fastening the arrow with a paper brad. For more stability you may wish to glue the wheel to a piece of cardboard or print it on thick paper.
2. In the same fashion as Hang Man, draw lines on the board to correspond to the letters and words from the Bible verse. You may add the numbers from the reference, or leave out the reference all together.
3. Divide the class into three teams.
4. Starting with the first team, have them spin the wheel and guess a letter. If the team guesses a correct letter, fill it in on the board. Give the team the number of coins their earned in respect to the number of letters that they found on the board. (ie: They spin 4 and guess the letter T. There are 7 Ts in this verse so they would get 28 coins.)
5. After the first team has one spin, pass the wheel to the next team.  Repeat this process until all the letters in the verse have been discovered.
6. The team with the most coins at the end wins!

Craft

Angel Craft:

Supplies needed:
• Angel template
• Scissors
• Pom-poms
• Colors
• Decorating supplies (glitter, gems, sequence, pipe cleaners…)
• Tape
• glue
Directions:
1. Give each child and angel template and scissors. Cut out the angel.
2. While the angel is flat, decorate one side of the paper using colors and other decorating supplies that are available.
3. Twist the paper into a cone shape so that the cone is held together by the cuts that were made near the wings. You may wish to secure the wings with a piece of tape.
4. Have the children choose a pom-pom as the head of their angel and glue it in place on the tip of the cone
5. Optional: Using a small section of pipe cleaner, bend a circle and glue in place on top of the pom-pom as a halo.

Family Tree

*This is a good craft for older, school aged children.
Supplies Needed:
• White paper
• Colored pencils
• Regular pencils
Directions:
1. Have the children draw a picture of their family tree, going back as far as they can remember. Have them start with their name at the bottom and work their way up the tree the further into their family history they go.
2. Encourage the children to take their tree home and talk to their parents about more names they can add to the tree. You may even ask them to bring it back next week to share with the class if they were able to add any more names.

Coloring Page:

Elizabeth and Zechariah

Passages

Familiarize yourself with this passage

 Luke 1:5-25; 57-80
Elizabeth and Zechariah are old and they have no kids. Zechariah was a priest. It was Zechariah’s turn to serve inside the temple.  While he was inside praying, the angel Gabriel came to him and told him he would have a son and that he should give him the name John.  Zechariah did not believe the angel, and so the angel told him he would not be able to speak until the baby was born, since he did not believe the word of the Lord.  Soon, Elizabeth became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy.  They named him John, just like the angel had said. It was at this time that Zechariah was able to speak again.  When he started speaking, he began by praising God.   John grew up and prepared the way for the coming of Jesus.

Object Lesson:

When Elizabeth and Zechariah’s baby was born, everyone was anxious to hear what they would name their little baby boy.  A name can tell us a lot about a person. Some parents choose to name their children based on the meaning of the name.  Spend some time researching the meanings of your children’s names. Ask the kids if any of them know the meaning of their names. Share the results of your findings with the kids. Explain to the children in the story they will hear today the people were surprised to find out the name of the baby because it was not what they expected.

Memory Verse

Luke 1:13
But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.”

Jesus Connection:

In Luke 1:76, Zechariah prophesied over his new born son, John. He said, “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.” Finally, after all this time, God was going to give the people of Israel the Lord and Savior that they have been waiting for. Jesus was about to be born! And in the spirit of Elijah, John would prepare the way for the redeeming work of Jesus, according to the prophecies of old.

Songs:

Days of Elijah

These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the Word of the Lord, yes
And these are the days of his servant, Moses
Righteousness being restored
And these are the days of great trial
Of famine and darkness and sword
So we are the voice in the desert crying
Prepare ye the way of the Lord

CHORUS:
Behold he comes
Riding on a cloud
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet's call
Lift your voice
It's the year of jubilee
Out of Zion 'till salvation comes

And these are the days of Ezekiel
With dry bones becoming as flesh
And these are the days of his servant, David
Building the temple of praise, yes
And these are the days of the harvest
The fields are all white in the world
And we are the laborers that are in your vineyard
declaring the word of the Lord

CHORUS (2x)

There's no God like Jehovah…….

CHORUS (2x)

Game/Activity

Charades

Zechariah had to talk with his hands or write on a piece of paper to communicate with people after he had seen the angel.  Have the kids take turns acting out different words from the story (or from Christmas in general, if you are doing this lesson during the advent season).  Make sure each kid has had at least one chance to act. Remember, NO TALKING!!   Game can be repeated if time permits.
Word list:
• Angel
• Baby
• Zechariah
• Elizabeth/pregnant lady
• Temple
• Praying
• Speak
•
• Snow
• Christmas tree
• Presents
• Santa
• Reindeer
• Sledding
•

Crafts:

Snowflakes!

*This craft is intended to be in a winter/advent season.
Just like Zechariah, snowflakes are silent.  (It is a stretch I know!)  Have the kids cut out several of their own snowflakes.  Show them how they can fold the paper and make different kinds of cuts to get different designs in their snowflakes.  No two snowflakes are alike, so encourage creativity. (Feel free to replace this craft with one that may better fit with the story.  I have found that all children love making snowflakes.  I am also taking advantage of it being winter, and there being an over abundance of fun and exciting crafts for this time of year.)
Supplies:
• Paper (any color, but white blue and silver are best snow colors)
• Scissors
Directions:
1. Make your paper into a square. (This can be done before class if your kids are little and would have trouble doing this on their own.)
2. Fold your paper in half once, and then in half again.  Fold this small square into a triangle.
3. Make several cut outs in your folded paper, being careful to never cut all the way through your paper.
4. Unfold your paper to reveal you snowflake.

Name Plaques

Supplies needed:
• Air drying modeling clay
• Glitter
• glue
• Sequence
• Markers
• Toothpicks
• Straws
• Sting
• Rolling pins/cylinder blocks
Directions:
1. Give each child a portion of air drying modeling clay.  Have them roll the clay out into a small rectangle (or something that closely resembles a rectangle!)
2. Using toothpicks have the children etch their names into the clay.
3. Have the kids decorate their name plaques using markers, glitter and sequence.
4. Using a straw, poke a hole in the top center of the plaque. Tie a string through the hole. Set aside and allow to dry according to the clay packaging instructions.

Coloring Pages:

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage: 

Daniel 2:1-48
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a troubling dream. He called all his wise men to him and asked them to explain his dream, but so that he knew that they were telling him the truth about the explanation, he also required that they tell him what he saw in his dream first. If the wise men could not do this, he would kill all of them. The wise men said this was impossible to do, but the king insisted. When Daniel and his friends heard that the king was going to kill all the wise men, he came before the king and asked for time so that he may tell the king his dream and give its meaning. The king agreed, and Daniel and his friends prayed to God for mercy and revelation. God granted this request to Daniel. When Daniel returned to the king, he told him that his dream was a vision of a statue made from different metals. The golden head was Nebuchadnezzar, because he was the greatest. Every metal after this was less precious and more fragile, and each respectfully represented a lesser kingdom that would follow Nebuchadnezzar. Finally a rock was cut, but not by human hands. It was thrown at the statue and the statue was destroyed. Only the rock remained, and it represented a Kingdom that would come and will never be destroyed. When Nebuchadnezzar heard his dream and its explanation, he bowed down and declared that God is the only true God. Daniel and his friends were placed in high positions of honor.

Object Lesson:

Supplies Needed:
• Several picture of various scenes
o People talking
o Someone walking a dog
o Other simple scenes
o Some scenes that are not so easy to understand
Directions:
1. Show the children the pictures one at a time, beginning with the simple scenes. Ask the children to describe what they see in the pictures.
2. Everyone should be able to figure out the simple scenes. Ask the children if anyone can figure out what is going on in the more difficult scenes. If necessary, explain the pictures.
3. Explain to the children that today’s story will talk about a king who had a difficult dream and needed someone to explain it.

Memory Verse:

Daniel 2:47
The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery”

Jesus Connection:

We know that the different parts of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue represent different kingdoms that have already passed. The cut stone is often believed to represent Jesus. There are several scriptures in the New Testament that show us that Jesus is the Rock (1 Corinthians 10:3) and the corner stone (Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20) Revelation 11:15 shows us that these kingdoms will pass away with the return of Jesus and the establishment of his eternal kingdom.  When Jesus returns, everyone will be witness to the fulfillment of this prophetic dream. All the kingdoms of the earth will shatter with the coming of Jesus!

Songs:

Dare to be a Daniel

http://www.childrenssonglyrics.com/b/86-bible-songs/359-dare-to-be-a-daniel-lyrics.html
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone;
Dare to have a purpose firm,
Dare to make it known!

Standing by a purpose true,
Heading God’s command,
Honor them, the faithful few! All hail to Daniel’s Band!
Chorus
Many mighty men are lost
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel’s Band!
Chorus
Many giants, great and tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall
If met by Daniel’s Band
Chorus
Hold the Gospel banner high!
On to vict’ry grand;
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel’s Band!
Chourus

Games/Activities:

Knock it Down

Supplies Needed:
• 5 or 6 different types of items (sponges, wood blocks, mega blocks, Lincoln logs, rocks, etc…)
• A soft ball
Directions:
1. Ask the children to work together to build as strong of a tower as they can. (You may divide into two teams if you have enough building materials.
2. Give the children a few minutes to build.
3. Using your soft ball, knock down the towers.
4. Explain that no matter how strong our towers are, they can be knocked down, just like the strong statue in the story was destroyed.

Crafts:

Foil Statue

Supplies Needed:
• Aluminum foil (about 3 feet per child)
• Tape
• Paint (gold, bronze black and brown, or similar colors)
• Paint brushes
• Dish soap
Directions:
1. Give each child about 3 feet of aluminum foil.
2. Crumple the foil and shape it to form a person. If additional pieces of foil are used, join the pieces with tape. The person will look best, however, if made from only one piece of foil.
3. Mix the pain colors with a few drops of dish soap to help the paint stick to the foil. Paint the statues as follows:
a. Head – gold
b. Chest and Arms – leave silver (do not paint)
c. Legs - black
d. Feet - brown

Coloring Page:

Daniel's Exile Begins

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Daniel 1:1-21

Judah has been besieged by Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has issued an order that young me from the royal family and families of nobility who showed great potential be brought to his palace and trained for service to the kings. Daniel was a young man from the royal family or nobility of Israel. He was taken captive to the king’s palace along with three of his friends who were renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men were given the best that the king had to offer, from education to food. Daniel and his friends love God and wished to continue practicing obedience to Him. Part of this obedience included what they could and could not eat. They asked the king’s chief to feed them food that was acceptable to God. The chief agreed to a ten day test, allowing Daniel and his friends to eat their food, while the other young men at the king’s food. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his friends looked healthier and stronger than the other young men. So, the chief took away the kings food and gave all the young men the same food as Daniel and his friends. At the end of their time of training, Daniel and his friends were found to be far superior to all the other young men and were taken into the service of the king of Babylon, where they stayed for many years.

Object Lesson:

Supplies Needed:
• A piece of candy
• A vegetable or fruit
Directions:
1. Ask each child to choose which item they would rather have, the candy or the fruit/vegetable. Perhaps divide the group according to who chose which item.
2. Explain to the children the health consequences (pros or cons) of each item.
3. Inform the children that in today’s story they will hear about a young man who had to make a similar choice that affected the rest of his life!

Memory Verse:

Daniel 1:8
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

Jesus Connection:

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Throughout our life we will be presented with many choices. For most of these choices the world around us will be going one way, leaving God’s way looking not so popular. Before these choices need to be made, we need to determine to live the words of Jesus and seek Him in all we do. In this way God will honor us and grant us the favor of those around us, just as He did with Daniel.

Songs:

Dare to be a Daniel

http://www.childrenssonglyrics.com/b/86-bible-songs/359-dare-to-be-a-daniel-lyrics.html

Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone;
Dare to have a purpose firm,
Dare to make it known!

Standing by a purpose true,
Heading God’s command,
Honor them, the faithful few! All hail to Daniel’s Band!
Chorus
Many mighty men are lost
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel’s Band!
Chorus
Many giants, great and tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall
If met by Daniel’s Band
Chorus
Hold the Gospel banner high!
On to vict’ry grand;
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel’s Band!
Chourus

Games/Activities

Change-A-Name Word Game (for older kids)

Supplies needed:
• 4 pieces of paper with one of the following names on each pages:
o Belteshazzar
o Shadrach
o Meshach
o Abednego
• Pencils
Directions:
1. Remind the children the part of this story when the king of Babylon changes the names of Daniel and his friends. There new names became Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Today you will use these names to play a word game.
2. Divide the class into four groups of equal numbers (if possible). Give each team a name and see who can come up with the most new words from the name they are given. For example:
a. Belteshazzar – harsh, star, beat, test, belt, sale, share, etc.
b. Shadrach – had, dash, harsh, car, hard, has, etc.
c. Meshach – me, he, she, chase, shame, mesh, etc.
d. Abednego – be, no, go, bed, done, ago, need, gone, etc
3. Allow the children 5 minutes, then say stop. Count up the number of words from each group and declare a winner.

A New Way to Say the Same Thing

Supplies Needed:
• 10-15 words in English
• 10-15 words in another language (a direct translation of the English words)
• paper
Directions:
1. In the story, Daniel and his friends had to learn a new language, Babylonian. This game will teach children words from another language.
2. Write the English and foreign words on paper and cut the words out.
3. Spread out the words in front of the children.
4. Ask the children to work together to make matches that they think are correct.
5. After the children have finished making matches, go over the words with them to see how many they got correct
6. *For younger children make the words simple. For older children, make the words more complex, or even consider using phrases.

Crafts:

3D Apples

Supplies Needed:
• Apple template (each template has enough parts for three apples) printed on thick paper
• Colors
• Scissors
• Glue
• Seeds
Directions:
1. Give each child a section of the apple template. They should get two apple parts, one with a stem, and one with a leaf.
2. Allow the children to color their apples.
3. Cut out the apples on the outside black line. Then, cut the dotted lines, being careful not to cut past where the dotted lines end.
4. Slide the apples together where the dotted lines were cut.
5. Next, put dots of glue in the center of the apple. Place seeds on the glue. Allow time to dry.

Coloring Page:

Joseph's Dreams

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Genesis 37

At this point in the life of Jacob, he has 11 sons (Benjamin comes later), only one of whom came from his favorite wife, Rachel. Because of this, Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son. This causes a great deal of jealousy between Joseph and his brothers. To make matters worse, Jacob wanted to give Joseph a token of his love by making a special coat of many colors for him. It is around this time that God gives Joseph two dreams. In his dreams, Joseph sees 11 sheaves of grain  and the sun, moon, and stars bowing down to him. Joseph shared his dreams with his brothers, who became indignant. Not long after these dream, Joseph’s brothers went out to tend the sheep. Jacob sent Joseph to check on them and bring him back a report of their actions. When Joseph was nearing his brothers, they purposed to kill him. When he arrived, Joseph was grabbed by his brother and thrown into a dry well. Later that day, rather than kill him, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the well and sold him as a slave to some traders headed to Egypt. They took Joseph’s coat, tore it and covered it in blood. When they returned home, the brothers showed the coat to Jacob, who assumed that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Despite all this, God was Joseph and continued to be with him in Egypt.

Object Lesson:

A Chosen Few:
Supplies Needed:
• Snacks, enough for everyone
• 3 or 4 plates
• Two different colors of paper
Direction:
1. Before class, cut your colored paper into small squares, making only 3 or 4 out of one color and all the rest out of the other color. Make sure there are enough pieces for each child to have one.
2. Set a table with 3 o 4 plates with snacks.
3. As your children enter the class, have them select one of the colored squares. After everyone has a piece of paper, tell the ones with the minority color that today they are extra special and they can go to the table and enjoy a snack. Instruct all the other kids to stay where they are until the others are done eating. When the snacks are finished, have everyone join you for a discussion.
4. Ask the kids who got the snack what it felt like to be chosen for something special. Ask the kids who did not get a snack what it felt like to be left out. Bring out the idea of being jealous. Ask if it was fair for you to give only a few people a snack. Ask the children when they have felt jealous in real life.
5. Tell everyone that today they will hear a story about some brothers who were jealous, but first it is snack time for everyone!

Memory Verse:

Proverbs 19:9
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.

Jesus Connection:

Joseph is considered one of the best types of Christ in the Old Testament. It is very easy for us to see many parallels between Joseph and Jesus in this story. Joseph was loved by his father (vs. 3) and God says that Jesus is “My beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17). Joseph was sent by his father to his brothers (vs. 13-14) and Jesus was sent to His brother, (first) to the children of Israel (Hebrews 2:11). Joseph was hated by his brothers (vs. 4) and Jesus was also hated by His brothers (John 7:5). There was a plot against Joseph (vs. 20) as well as Jesus (John 11:53).These are just a few of the connections that can be made between Joseph and Jesus and there will be many more as the story of Joseph unfolds in later chapters of Genesis.

Songs:

Joseph’s Song

*This is a great son to do over the course of the Joseph stories. Sing only the parts that cover that week’s story and build the song up week by week until you are singing the whole song!
(To the tune of London Bridges)

Joseph's father had twelve sons,
Had twelve sons, had twelve sons.
Joseph's father had twelve sons,
Oh, what a family.

Joseph's father loved him best,
Loved him best, loved him best.
Joseph's father loved him best,
Oh, what a family.

A coat of many colors was his pride,
Was his pride, was his pride.
A coat of many colors was his pride,
Oh, what a family.

All his brothers were so jealous,
Were so jealous, were so jealous.
All his brothers were so jealous,
Oh, what a family.

His brothers threw him in a pit,
In a pit, in a pit.
His brothers threw him in a pit,
Oh, what a family.

Egypt bought him as a slave,
As a slave, as a slave.
Egypt bought him as a slave,
Oh, what a family.

God caused a famine in the land,
In the land, in the land.
God caused a famine in the land,
Oh, what a family.

By then Joseph was a mighty man,
Mighty man, mighty man.
By then Joseph was a might man,
Oh, what a family.

His brothers came to him for food,
Him for food, him for food.
His brothers came to him for food,
Oh, what a family.

Joseph forgave and fed them all,
Fed them all, fed them all.
Joseph forgave and fed them all,
Oh, what a family.

Games/Activities:

A Coat of Colors

Supplies needed:
• Two large paper bags (or two large pieces of butcher block paper)
• Colorful paper torn into strips
• Glue sticks
Directions:
1. Before class, tare the colorful paper into strips. Cut holes in the bottom and sides of the paper bag so that it can be put over a child’s head and worn as a coat. (If using butcher block paper, cut a hole in the middle for the head so that it is like a poncho.)
2. Divide the children into two teams. Ask for one volunteer from each team. Put the paper coat on the volunteer and have those two children stand on one side of the room.
3. On the other side of the room have a table with all the color paper and several glue sticks. When you say go, have one child from each team put glue on a piece of paper, run to their team member with the paper coat on and stick the paper to the coat. At the end of a certain amount of time (5-10 mins) or when the paper runs out, judge the two coats to see who is most covered. The team with the most covered, colorful coat wins!

Crafts:

A Coat of Colors

Supplies Needed:
• Colorful paper torn into pieces
• Plain white paper
• Joseph’s coat template
• Glue sticks
• Scissors
Directions:
1. Give each child a plain white piece of paper. Have them glue colorful pieces of paper all over. Cut the excess off with scissors.
2. Cut the coat out of the coat template. You will be using the paper that has a hole in the shape of a coat, so try to cut in such a way as to keep all 4 sides intact.
3. Put glue all over the cut template. Apply the glued template to the colorful paper. You can now see a colorful coat through the hole in the template.

Coloring Page:

Ezekiel

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

The Book of Ezekiel

Ezekiel was a prophet, a younger contemporary of Jeremiah. Ezekiel was not in Jerusalem, however. He was already with a group of exiles in Babylon, delivering God’s messages to the people in captivity. While Ezekiel warned people of the pending destruction of Jerusalem, he did so in unconventional ways. One time, God told Ezekiel to lay on his side, tied up, facing a little model city for almost 400 days, to symbolize the number of days that Babylon would lay siege to Jerusalem. Another time, God told Ezekiel that his wife would die, but he was not allowed to mourn for her. This was done to show the people that they would not be able to mourn for Jerusalem’s destruction in the normal fashion. Probably the most famous prophetic moment in this book is when God commanded Ezekiel to speak over a valley of dry bones. When Ezekiel told the bones to come to life, they pieced themselves back together, forming muscles and skin, and stood before Ezekiel, an entire army! As the book closes, Ezekiel also brings reason for hope, prophesying of a return from exile.  Even though the people listened to what Ezekiel had to stay, they still did whatever they wanted.

Object Lesson:

Directions:

1.       Tell the children that they will hear a bible story today, but first, you have something you want them to do.

2.       Ask the children to do several strange things, such as standing on their head, walk in a straight line while covering one eye, or do the crab walk while balancing a book on their belly.

3.       Explain to the children that adults sometimes ask children to do things that seem a little bit strange. Most of the time, the adult has a very good reason for asking us to do these things. God sometimes asks people to do things that may seem strange to us. We must remember that God always has a reason for what he is doing, even it if seems strange to us. Today’s bible story will talk about many strange things that God asked a man named Ezekiel to do.

Memory Verse:

Ezekiel 36:26

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Jesus Connection:

Just like the people of Jerusalem, we have sinned against a holy God. God cannot stand with this sin, and thus we must be exiled for it, eternal punishment (Romans 6:23a). God loves us and longs for restoration with us. He has promised us that if we believe in the restoring work of His Son, Jesus, that we can have eternal life (John 3:16-18)

Songs:

Dem Bones

Intro 1

Ezekiel connected dem dry bones,

Ezekiel connected dem dry bones,

Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones,

Now hear the word of the Lord.

 Verse 1

Toe bone connected to the foot bone

Foot bone connected to the heel bone

Heel bone connected to the ankle bone

Ankle bone connected to the shin bone

Shin bone connected to the knee bone

Knee bone connected to the back bone

Back bone connected to the shoulder bone

Shoulder bone connected to the neck bone

Neck bone connected to the head bone

Now hear the word of the Lord.

Chorus

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.

Now hear the word of the Lord.

Intro 2

Ezekiel disconnected dem dry bones,

Ezekiel disconnected dem dry bones,

Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones,

Now hear the word of the Lord.

Verse 2

Head bone (dis)connected from the neck bone

Neck bone connected from the shoulder bone

Shoulder bone connected from the back bone

Back bone connected from the knee bone

Knee bone connected from the shin bone

Shin bone connected from the ankle bone

Ankle bone connected from the heel bone

Heel bone connected from the foot bone

Foot bone connected from the toe bone

Now hear the word of the Lord.

Chorus

Dem bones, dem bones gonna rise again.

Dem bones, dem bones gonna rise again.

Dem bones, dem bones gonna rise again.

Now hear the word of the Lord.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.

Now hear the word of the Lord.

Games/Activities:

Memory Verse Reveiw

Supplies needed:

·         Bone template

·         Pen

·         Bible verse

Directions:

1.       Print out the bone template and write the bible verse on the bones, putting two or three words on each bone.

2.       Mix up the bones in front of the children. Have them arrange the pieces in order until they have discovered the bible verse.

3.       Other variations of this activity include:

a.       Create two copies of the verse on the bones, split the children into two groups and have them race to complete the verse.

b.      Create individual copies of the verse for each child, have them race to complete the verse, and they can take hope their verse game.

Crafts:

Dry Bones Skeleton Puppet

Supplies Needed:

·         Skeleton bones template

·         Scissors

·         Paper brads

·         Colors (optional)

Directions:

1.       If you would like, have the children color the skeleton bones template. This is optional.

2.       Cut out all the bone pieces.

3.       Push a paper brad through the circles at the joint of each bone piece.

4.       Lay out the bone pieces so that they are in the correct body position.

5.       One at a time, connect each bone to another using the paper brads.

Straw Skeleton Puppet:

*This is a craft geared more toward older children; 3rd and 4th grades and higher!

Supplies needed:

·         Pipe cleaners; 2 full lengths and one half length per child

·         Beads; 5 small white or tan beads and 1 larger white or tan bead per child

·         Straws, cut into 1 inch segments (10 pieces per child)

·         Fine point markers or sharpies

·         scissors

Directions.

1.       Have the children sit at a table or on the floor with plenty of space around them. Give each child all the supplies they will need for this project. (10 straw pieces, 2 full length pipe cleaners, one half length pipe cleaner, 5 small beads and one large bead.) Put the scissors and markers in the middle for everyone to have access to. (Having the supplies presorted saves on time and ensures that you have enough pieces for each child.) Explain to the children that they must watch you as you assemble the craft, doing only what they see you doing, when they see you do it!

2.       Bend the two long pipe cleaners in half. Taking the short pipe cleaner, twist it around the bend of one of the long pieces. This will make an upside down Y. The short piece will be the body and the long, bended piece will be the legs.

3.       On each of the legs put a straw, a small bead, and another straw. Cut off some, but not all, of the excess pipe cleaner. Bend the leftover pipe cleaner into itself, causing the straws and beads to be secured.

4.       Put two straw pieces on the short pipe cleaner. Twist the short pipe cleaner around the bend in the second long pipe cleaner, leaving enough extra on the top to put the large bead and a small bead.

5.       Complete the arms in the same way you did the legs (straw, bead, straw).

6.       Using a marker, draw a face on the large bead. Place the large bead on the pipe cleaner sticking out from the body. Place the last small bead on top and bead the extra pipe cleaner around the small bead to secure them in place.

Coloring Page:

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: