Growing Kids in Grace

Sunday, July 15, 2012

1. Lesson (based on Psalm 23:3)

HOOK

Have you ever messed your room or home up really, really bad? Maybe you didn’t pick up all your toys. Your clothes are all over. Your books area spread out on the floor. You can’t even walk through it without stepping on something. It’s a great big mess!
Some people’s lives are also great big mess. Sometimes they don’t know it’s a mess. But they are feeling lost and lonely, hurt and sad. Unlike the mess in the room, they can’t clean up their lives on their own. They need Someone to come and help them. To take out the garbage, to disinfect and arrange everything back neatly. They need a fresh and brand new start.
Jesus is that Person who can do all that for us. He gives us new life and His right way of living.

1. Lesson (based on Psalm 23:1-2)

Last week, we started looking at Psalm 23. Who can remember the first verse? The Lord is my Shepherd.
Why do you think sheep need a shepherd? <get kids to answer>
People say sheep are a bit dumb. Left on their own, they’ll just walk and eat and walk and eat until they get lost. Even if they are near good food, they’ll just eat whatever is in front of them, even lousy grass.
David tells us that when the Lord is our shepherd, He provides everything for us.

1. Lesson (based on Psalm 23:1)

Today we’re going to look at a psalm of David.
What’s a psalm? A psalm is a Hebrew poem or song, usually played on a harp or a string instrument.
Do you remember who David was? David was the shepherd boy who took down Goliath with a slingshot and some smooth stones.
David became King of Israel. But he was also a musician and liked to write poems and songs. He was a famous psalm writer or psalmist.
This particular psalm is about God being his Shepherd-King.
Psalm 23 is one of the more famous psalms written by David. We’re going to learn and meditate on this psalm in the next few weeks. And by the end of it, all of you will be able to memorise the psalm.

1. Hook:

Ever thought you had such a big problem you couldn’t solve? Maybe someone is giving you a hard time in school eg your classmate made fun of you or your teacher said something that made you sad or angry. Or maybe it’s something that happened at home.
You feel that there is nothing you can do. You don’t even know what to do.
But do you know that there’s nothing too difficult for God. He knows the problem you have and He is with you. He loves you and He will take care of you.

2. Story: (Based on Joshua 6)

God told Joshua that He will give him and the Israelites the Promised Land. God promised that He will be with Joshua and Joshua will be succeed in taking over the land.
The first city that Joshua was to conquer was Jericho. Now the king of Jericho and his people knew that the Israelites were coming to take over their city. So they made sure that the gates of the city were safely locked. No one was allowed to go out and no one was allowed to come in to the city.

1. Hook:

How many of you like to run? Who thinks they can run the fastest?
Imagine you have to take part in a race. It’s a big competition. All the best runners will be there. What do you do?
You exercise every day. [get kids to do some stretching exercises, e.g. right hand over head and bend to the left, 1-2-3-4; the other side, 2-2-2-4; the other side, 3-2-3-4 etc]
You train hard. [get kids to run on the spot for 10 seconds]
You build up your strength [get kids to show you their muscles. Biggest muscles or most creative pose wins prize?]
[get kids to sit down. Give everyone a clap]

Get children into 2 or more groups.
Issue a challenge and each group has to send their best contender. Each kid can only come up once until all have had a chance to participate.
Examples of challenges: the longest hair, the biggest smile, the widest palm, the largest shoe etc.
To make it more exciting (esp for older kids), you can just give the adjective first. E.g. “I am looking for the ‘longest’ … ”. Team contenders come forward. Then only you reveal, “I am looking for the longest hair.”
The winning contender scores one point for his/her team. Team with most points wins.

Yes, when you take part in a competition or race, you want to be the strongest, fastest and the best.
But do you know, children, that sometimes God uses the weakest and the slowest to do His work?
Why would God do that? Why doesn’t He choose the strongest, the fastest and the best?
Because when the weak and the slow win, everyone will know that it’s God who won it for them!
Today we will learn that God fights the battle for you and for me!