God's Sheep Visuals: Shepherded Sheep (Leading and Following)

Images are copyright 2013, Mary Beth Frey. Permission is granted to display these visuals as a presentational aid when presenting the corresponding Bible lesson. All other rights are reserved. Contact Mary Beth Frey or the Grace Brethren Church for other permissions.

God's Sheep Visuals: Lamb of God (Isaac and the Ram)

Images are copyright 2013, Mary Beth Frey. Permission is granted to display these visuals as a presentational aid when presenting the corresponding Bible lesson. All other rights are reserved. Contact Mary Beth Frey or the Grace Brethren Church for other permissions.

God's Sheep Visuals: Going Astray (Moses and the Rock)

Having had a closer look at Google's storage limits, and the scanned file sizes, I have concluded that it is reasonable to post this year's visuals in full. We printed these visuals on overhead transparencies and projected them up on the screen that way. (This puts the visuals directly in the hands of the teacher, who does not need to know how to work a computer projection system; anyone can figure out an overhead.) However, it would also be possible to print them on paper or to project them using a computer projection system.

Images are copyright 2013, Mary Beth Frey. Permission is granted to display these visuals as a presentational aid when presenting the corresponding Bible lesson. All other rights are reserved. Contact Mary Beth Frey or the Grace Brethren Church for other permissions.

Updated: Little Lamb Lessons, God's Sheep Snacks

The Little Lamb auxiliary lessons for preschool have been significantly improved and updated:

• Day 1: We All Sin
• Day 2: Thanking the Creator
• Day 3: Obey the Shepherd
• Day 4: The Shepherd Knows His Sheep
• Day 5: Jesus Wants to Be Your Shepherd

We've also enhanced and updated the God's Sheep snacks. All five days now have a scripted lesson tie-in:

• Day 1: Popcorn
• Day 2: Cross/Sheep Cookies
• Day 3: Donuts
• Day 4: Jell-O Jigglers
• Day 5: Salad

Beginning of the Church, Preschool Lesson

Friday:	Beginning of the Church
Story Passage:	Acts 16:9-15
Other Passages:	Acts 16:40, Philippians 1:1
Objective:	The church is made up of people.

Introduction: The Early Church

After Jesus left the world to go back up to Heaven, his followers went all around to many other places to tell people the good news about Jesus. They told how Jesus is God and how he came to earth to die for our sins so we could be forgiven.

One of Jesus' followers was Paul. He went on many trips. Sometimes he walked. Sometimes he went on a boat. But however he traveled and wherever he went, he told lots of people about Jesus.

Story: Philippi

One day Paul was in a city called Philippi. He went down by the river. There he found Lydia. She was a woman who sold purple cloth. She was by the river with some other people. The Bible says she worshiped God. But she had never heard of Jesus.

So Paul told Lydia and the others about Jesus, and God helped them to know it was true, and they believed. Lydia and other people in her family believed in Jesus and were baptized. Lydia and her family and friends told other people about Jesus too. After a while there were many people in their city who believed. They met at Lydia's house to learn more about God and to pray. They choose leaders to help. And so, they became one of the first churches.

Application: What Is the Church?

Did you know that a church is not a building? It's not. Our church has a building, where we can meet together, but a church is a group of people who believe in Jesus and get together to read the Bible and pray. They tell others about Jesus too. Lydia's church got together in her house. We have too many people in our church to go to someone's house, so we have a building; but the building is just a building. We are the church. God wants us to learn about him and tell others about him too.

Copyright © 2004—2012, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions.

Abraham's Faith (Preschool Lesson)

Thursday:	Abraham's Faith
Story Passage:	Genesis 15
Other Passages:
Objective:	We should have faith in God, just as Abraham did.

Introduction: Abraham

Has anyone here heard of Abraham before? Who was Abraham? Abraham lived in Bible times.

God ask Abraham to leave his home land and go to a new place that God would show him. He had never been there before. But he took off walking. God took him through several different places before he finally got where he was going.

Did you ever get in the car and go all sorts of places and not know where you would end up? Abraham wasn't worried. He trusted God, just like you probably trusted your parents when they took you places in the car.

Abraham finally came to the place we now call Israel. God promised Abraham that his family would live there. It would belong to them.

Story: Countless Offspring

One day, Abraham was complaining. He said, My wife, Sarah, and I don't have any children. When we die, all our land and all our stuff will go to my servant, Eliezer.

But God said, No. Eliezer will not get your land and all your stuff. You and Sarah will have a child.

Now Abraham and Sarah were already very old. Old people don't have babies. But then God showed Abraham all the stars in the sky. God said, Count them, if you can. There were too many to count. God told Abraham that someday his family would have as many people as all the stars in the sky. And Abraham believed God. Would you believe God if he told you that you would have that many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren? Abraham believed God.

One day Abraham and Sarah did have a baby. They had a little boy and they named him Isaac. After awhile, Abraham's family did get very, very big, just like God had promised.

Conclusion

We can always believe what God tells us in the Bible.

Copyright © 2004—2012, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions.

Noah and the Flood (Preschool Lesson)

Wednesday:	Noah and the Flood
Story Passage:	Genesis 6-9
Other Passages:	2nd Peter 2:5
Objective:	God expects us to obey him. God takes care of those who love and obey him.

Introduction: Sinful World

After God made the world, people began disobeying God. They did not remember, or did not care, what God said. They were being very, very bad. God looked around and saw that people were thinking up bad stuff to do all the time. God was very sad. He was sorry he ever made people. The Bible says his heart was filled with pain. So God said, I will wipe men from the earth, men and animals and birds. I am sorry I ever made them!

Story: Noah and the Flood

BUT, Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. That means that God was happy with Noah, because Noah obeyed God and did what was right.

God told Noah that he was going to get rid of all the bad people. he told Noah to build an ark. A BIG box. He told him exactly how big to make it. (450ft. long, which is 1½ times as long as a football field, by 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.) He told him to put a roof on top, a big door in the side, and to make three floors, like a basement, a main floor, and an upstairs. He told him what kind of wood to use, and he was to cover the wood, inside and out with tar so that it wouldn't leak. God also told Noah that he would send animals to put on the ark. Noah was to take his wife, his three sons, and their wives.

So Noah and his three sons began to build the ark. They made it just like God told Noah. They had to cut down trees, make boards, put it all together and cover it with tar. It was such a big boat that it was a BIG job. It took Noah and his sons 100 years to build it. While he was building it, Noah told other people about God. He told them they should obey God, but they would not listen.

When the ark was finished, God sent every kind of animal and bird. He sent a boy and a girl of each kind. God told Noah to get on the boat with his family and all the animals. They had to take food for themselves and for the animals too. It took a whole week to get everything on the ark.

Then God shut the door. Boom. After God shut the door it was too late for anyone else to get on. God had made a way for Noah and his family to be safe in the big storm because they obeyed God, but nobody else got on the boat: only Noah and his family.

After God shut the door, it began to rain, hard, and lots of water came up from inside the ground. It rained hard for 40 days and 40 nights. The whole world was covered with water, all the houses, all the trees, even the highest mountains were covered with water, but Noah and his family were safe because Noah obeyed God. Is it important to God that we obey him? YES! It's very important.

Noah and his family stayed on the ark for a long time. They had to take care of the animals by giving them food and cleaning up the messes they made. The earth was completely flooded for 150 days. Then God sent a wind to dry up the water. It took a long time, but finally it got dry enough that they could get off. They had been on the ark for a year. I bet they were glad to get off! Noah and his family thanked God for taking care of them.

Conclusion

When we remember Noah, we remember that God takes care of people who obey him. Sometimes there are troubles. Noah had to work hard to build the ark. It probably wasn't fun to have the flood. But God took care of them and he'll take care of us too.

Copyright © 2004—2012, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Adam and Eve Sin (Preschool)

Tuesday:	Adam and Eve Sin
Story Passage:	Genesis 3
Other Passages:	Revelation 12:9
Objective:	Adam and Eve sinned. We all sin. Sin is when we disobey God.

Introduction: The Garden

When God made people, he put them in a beautiful garden called the Garden of Eden. They were to be in charge of all the animals. There was lots of good food to eat in the garden, and every evening God came and talked to them.

Story: The Fall

But there was one rule. Only one. I bet at your house there are lots of rules. Don't play in the street. Obey your mom and dad. Don't be sassy. Don't hit your brother or sister. There are lots of other rules. Adam and Eve only had one rule. God said, "Don't eat from that tree in the middle of the garden, or you will die." That doesn't sound too hard to remember, does it? Just that one tree.

One day, a snake came and talked to Eve. It was really the Devil. He was being very bad and sneaky. He asked Eve, Did God really say that you must not eat fruit from any tree in the garden? [That's not what God said, is it?] Eve answered, We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. But God did say that we must not eat from that tree in the middle of the garden, or we will die.

The snake (who was really Satan, the devil) said, Oh, you won't die. God knows that when you eat from that tree, you will be like him, knowing good from evil. Eve thought about that. She looked at the fruit on that tree. It looked nice. It looked like it would taste good, and she wanted to be wise like God. So she ate some. And she gave some to Adam and he ate some too. And then they knew they had done wrong. They had disobeyed God.

That evening, when God came to talk to them, they hid. God called to Adam, Adam, where are you? (God knew where he was, didn't he?) Adam said, I heard you coming and I was afraid, so I hid.

God said, Why are you afraid? Did you eat from the tree that I told you not to eat from?

Adam said, Well, that woman you put here with me, she gave it to me, so I ate it. Do you ever blame someone else when you do wrong?

God said to Eve: What is this you have done?

Eve answered, Well, the snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.

God said to the snake, Because of what you have done, you will crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life.

Adam and Eve were punished too. Because they had disobeyed, they had to leave the beautiful garden and never go back. Now they would have to work harder to get their food. There would be weeds and ouchy thistles and things to get rid of, and someday they would die.

Application:

We need to be careful, because Satan, the devil, wants us to disobey God too. He can be very tricky. He doesn't come as a snake to talk to us. But he can trick us in other ways. So we need to be careful and remember to always obey God.

Copyright © 2004—2012, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions.

Creation (Preschool Lesson)

Monday:	Creation
Story Passage:	Genesis 1
Other Passages:	Ephesians 2:8-10, Col. 1:15-16, Romans 1:16-21, Romans 8:18-25, Acts 17:16-33
Objective:	God created the world and deserves our worship.

Introduction: Where Did it Come From?

Out in the back yard, there's a big tree. Was it always that big? How did it get to be that big? How long has it been there? What did it come from, before it was a big tree? It was a little tree, once, but what about before that? [A seed.] Where did the seed come from? [Another tree.] Well, where did that tree come from? Where did all the seeds, and all the trees, come from? [God created them.] The world hasn't always been here. There was a beginning. Let's go back to the beginning, and explore where things came from...

Story: Creation

God created the world. The book of Genesis, in the Bible, tells us all about it. The Bible says that in the beginning, when nothing was around, God started by creating light and darkness. Did you know that there wasn't even light or darkness before God made it? He made it out of nothing, just by speaking. He can do that, because he's God. On day two, he made the sky and the ocean, and on the third day he made the dry land that we live on. Aren't you glad he made dirt for us to walk on? Do we just have dirt, though? No, we have that tree out back, and what else is in the dirt? [Accept answers – grass etc.] God didn't stop after dirt: he also made plants on day three: all the ones that we eat from, and all the ones that look pretty and smell beautiful, and the Bible says he made them all just for us.

God had already made the light and the darkness on day one, but now on day four he made the sun, the moon, and the stars, both to give us light, and so we can tell what time of day it is by looking at them. The sun and moon also make the seasons: summer, fall, winter, and spring. He made the sun so that we would have light in the day and the moon so it wouldn't be quite so dark at night. Then on day five God was ready to put something in the sky and the oceans. They were empty until then. Do you know something that lives in the water? [Accept answers.] God made them. He also made birds to fly in the sky. Finally, on day six, God was ready to make something to live on the land: in the woods, and in the grass, and all over the land. What lives there? [Accept answers.] Animals! God made all the animals – and he also made people. The first person he made was a man, and God named him Adam. Later he made Eve, to be Adam's wife.

Conclusion:

Some people haven't read the Bible, and they try to decide how the world got here, and they come up with all kinds of ideas about that, some sillier than others. Aren't you glad that we know what God says? And God is the only one who was there, so he's the only one who really knows. Everybody else is just guessing, or making stuff up.

Copyright © 2004—2012, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions.

Visual: Jesus on the Cross

After I posted most of the Following the Footsteps lesson visuals, we received this last-minute addition, a third visual for the third lesson. We originally weren't sure if this one was necessary to do (on the grounds that everybody already has a picture of Jesus on the cross), but Marybeth ended up having time for it, and it's nice to have one that goes with the rest of the set. So here it is. As with the others, you can contact us and request you can now download a higher resolution version suitable for printing.

Footsteps Lesson Visuals

We are enormously pleased to be able to offer a cohesive set of visuals for the Following the Footsteps Bible lessons, courtesy of Mary Beth Frey. The set is available on request (Update) now available for download as a thirteen-megabyte PDF. (The preview above shows reduced versions of all the pictures, but you'll want them at higher resolution for printing, so click that link and download the PDF. We took them to Staples and had them printed on overhead transparencies, but you could also print them on paper, or whatever.)

Update:

One last-minute addition ((also available for download)).

Elisha and the Shunammite

Friday:	Elisha and the Shunammite
Story Passage:	2nd Kings 4:8-13
Other Passages:	[NEEDED]
Objective:	God is pleased when we help other people
Visuals	Available (updated 2016)

Introduction:

[Needed]

Story: Elisha and the Shunammite

Elisha was a prophet of God. (Show picture of Elisha walking to a town.) He traveled to lots of places telling people what God wanted them to know and to do. One day he went to a town called Shunem. (Show picture of lady's house.) A lady there invited him to stay at her house for a meal. So after that, whenever he was in Shunem, he would stop and eat with her and her husband.

One day the lady said to her husband, I know that this man who often comes here is a man of God. Let's make a small room up on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay here whenever he comes. (Show picture with added room on roof.) So that's what they did. They built a nice room for him on the top of their house. The next time Elisha came to town he had a nice surprise. (Show interior of the room.) The people were very kind to him, weren't they?

Application: Helping

We have been learning this week about "following the footsteps." That means to do what someone else did that was a good thing to do. The Shunammite woman and her husband built a special room for Elisha when he came to visit. Do you think God wants you to build a special room for Elisha? (NO) Well then, what can you do that they did? There are other ways to be kind and to be a helper. (Show pictures). Look at these boys. They are sharing their toys. Do you think God likes us to share? Here's a girl setting the table. She is helping her mom. That's a good thing to do, isn't it. What are some other ways you can be a helper? (Let kids come up with ideas, or suggest picking up toys, watching your baby brother, or whatever.) Another way to make God happy is just by being nice to people, any way that you can. We can all share and be nice helpers.

Invitation: Helping Others

Invite any children who want to be good helpers to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Copyright © 2004—2010, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Hannah Prays

Thursday:	Hannah Prays
Story Passage:	1st Samuel 1
Other Passages:	Matthew 6:24-34, James 5:13-20, Luke 18:1-8, Philippians 4:6-7
Objective:	When we have problems, we should pray to God.
Visuals	Available (updated 2016)

Introduction: Hannah Wants Kids

Did you know that there is a woman in the Bible named Hannah? There is. Our lesson today is about her. Hannah was very sad. Even though she had been married a long time, she did not have any children. She wanted children very badly. She wanted to be a Mom.

Story: Hannah's Prayer

One day, when she was at the Temple (which was kind of like church) she began to cry because she was so sad. She was crying and praying to God. Eli, the priest (kind of like a pastor) saw her crying and wondered why she was crying.

She told him, I am very upset and am pouring out my soul to God. That means she was begging God for something. She was begging God to give her a baby, wasn't she?

Eli said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for. When she got up and left, she wasn't crying anymore. She did not look sad. She had a big smile on her face.

The Point: God Answers Prayer

Does God answer prayer? Yes, if we ask for good things, he does. (He doesn't always say yes though, does he?)

Do you think God answered Hannah's prayer and gave her a baby? Yes! He did. She named her baby boy Samuel, which means, God heard me. Hannah said, There is no one like the Lord. He is a God who knows. Hannah was very thankful to the Lord for answering her prayer.

Epilogue: Samuel

Samuel grew up to be a very important man who served God. There are two books in the Bible about him.

Application: Prayer

When there is something you need, do you just wish for it, or do you remember to ask God? God doesn't always answer with a Yes, OK. If we just ask for candy and ice cream for every meal, do you think He would say Yes? Why not? God wants things that are good for us. We should ask carefully, but we know that God always hears us, and He will give us what we need.

Invitation: Prayer

Invite any children who want to learn to pray to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Copyright © 2004—2010, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions.

The Bronze Snake

Wednesday:	Snakes in the Desert
Story Passage:	Numbers 21:4-9
Other Passages:	John 3 (especially v.14-15)
Objective:	We should look to Jesus to save us from our sin.
Visuals	Available (updated 2016)

Introduction: People are Whiners, Did You Know That?

Remember what we said Monday when the people wouldn't listen to Caleb and Joshua? They had to wander around in the dessert for 40 years.

They didn't like it. And even though God took care of them, they fussed. They fussed at Moses and they fussed at God. God got tired of their fussing, so he sent a punishment.

Story: Snakes in the Desert

God sent poisonous snakes to bite them. When someone got bit by one of these snakes, they got so sick that they died. So the people ran to Moses and begged for help. We're sorry! We were wrong. Pray to God and ask him to make the snakes go away. Moses did pray, but God didn't take the snakes away.

Instead, God told Moses what to do to keep the people from dying from the snake bites. He told Moses to make a metal snake and put it up high on a pole where everyone could see it. God said that if someone was bitten by a snake, they should look at the metal snake on the pole, and then they wouldn't die. And because God said it, it worked: when people who were bitten by the snakes looked at the metal snake, they didn't die. But the people who wouldn't look at it, did die. It was their choice.

Application: Trusting God

There was nothing magic about the metal snake. But the people had to trust God and obey Him. They had to believe that he could save them. Looking at the snake was how they showed God that they trusted Him and would obey Him.

Story: Nicodemus

Many years later, when Jesus was on earth, he told a man named Nicodemus that he needed to be born again. He needed to be saved from sin. But Nicodemus didn't understand. So Jesus told him, Just like when Moses lifted up the metal snake in the dessert and people were saved from snakebite, someday I will be up on a cross, so that people can believe and have their sins forgiven.

Application: Salvation

Just like the people who got bitten by the snake had to believe God and look at the snake to be well, we must believe that Jesus died for our sins and ask Him to forgive us.

Invitation: Salvation

Invite any children who want to be forgiven to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Copyright © 2004—2010, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions.

Ezra Reads the Bible

Tuesday:	Ezra Reads the Bible
Story Passage:	Nehemiah 7-8
Other Passages:	James 1:22
Objective:	We should hear the Bible and obey it.
Visuals	Available (updated 2016)

Introduction: Ezra & Nehemiah

Ezra and Nehemiah were two men long ago who loved God. They were part of God's people, the Israelites. The Israelites had been away in another country for a long time. They had been slaves. While they were away, they had not been able to study the Bible. Now they were back in their own country. Nehemiah was their governor and Ezra was their priest (pastor). Ezra and Nehemiah knew that reading the Bible was important. They wanted the people to know what God said. And they wanted the people to DO what God said.

Story: Reading the Bible

Back then people didn't have their own Bibles. Many of them didn't know how to read. So a day was planned when Ezra would read the Bible to all the people. They built a big platform for him to stand on. He was up high so everyone could see and hear him. On that day, everyone came to hear Ezra read the Bible. Even the children who were old enough to understand came. Ezra read all morning. All the people stood very still and quiet so they could hear. It would be hard to stand still and quiet all morning, wouldn't it?

While Ezra read the Bible, the people started to cry. There were things in the Bible that that they didn't know about. They had not heard the Bible for many years. They were sad because they found out they had not been obeying God.

Ezra and Nehemiah told them to stop crying, because this was a GOOD day. They had heard the Bible now and could begin to obey God. So the rest of the day they ate and celebrated. They were glad to find out what God wanted them to do.

Application: Doing What the Bible Says

But even more important that finding out what God wanted, was for them to DO it. So the very next day, they began doing the things that God wanted them to do. We should listen to the Bible too. We want to learn what God wants us to do. Then we need to DO it.

The Bible says, Don't just listen to the Bible... Do what it says. This week at VBS, we are learning some of the things God wants us to do. Now we will be able to do what God wants. What did we learn yesterday? (We learned to trust God and obey Him.)

Invitation: Obedience to the Bible

Invite any children who want to learn to listen to what the Bible says and obey it to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Copyright © 2004—2010, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions.

Caleb and Joshua Obey

Monday:	Caleb & Joshua Obey
Story Passage:	Numbers 13-14
Other Passages:
Visuals	Available (updated 2016)
Objective:	We should learn to trust and obey God.

Introduction: Following the Footsteps

This week we're going to be learning about some people in the Bible, whose footsteps we should follow. What does it mean to follow in somebody's footsteps? (Accept some answers). It means to do what they did, or be the kind of person they were. Today we are going to learn about Caleb and Joshua and how they obeyed God.

Story: Caleb & Joshua

God was leading his people, Israel, to a new place to live. Moses was their leader. Moses picked Caleb and Joshua and ten other men to go look around in the new land to see what it was like. They looked around for forty days. They looked at what kind of people lived there, what the cities were like, what the food growing there was like. Then they went back and told Moses. They told him that the land was very good. They showed him a big bunch of grapes that was so big that it took two men to carry it.

Caleb said, We should go take the land. He knew that God had said he was giving them the land. Caleb trusted God to help them get it. Caleb wanted to obey. Joshua did too. But the other ten men forgot to trust and obey God. The others told Moses and the people, The people there are stronger than we are. They are so big, they make us look like little grasshoppers. But Caleb and Joshua said, We should not be afraid of them. God is with us, we should obey God.

The people would not listen to Caleb and Joshua. God punished the people for not obeying. He made them walk around in the dessert for forty years. None of them ever got to go into the new land that God and promised them. except, Caleb and Joshua did get to go. They had trusted God and wanted to obey. I think they were sad that the others wouldn't obey.

Application: Obedience to God

Have you ever been playing with friends and they started doing something wrong? Maybe they started hitting or calling names. Or maybe they went across the street where they weren't allowed to go. If this ever happens, you can tell your friends to do what is right. But if they will not listen to you, and they disobey, you can still obey. God wants us to obey, doesn't he?

Invitation: Obedience

Invite any children who want to learn to obey God to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Copyright © 2004—2010, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions.

Associating with a Skunk

Friday:	Associating with a Skunk
Bible Passages:	1st Corinthians 15:33-34, 1st John 2:15-26
Objective:	We should be careful about the corrupting influence of the world.

Introduction: Excursions

Zeke likes to go for walks. He likes to go for walks in the woods, and across the fields, around the neighborhood, and through the parks. He's willing to go any time of day or night.

Story: Playing with Skunks

Sometimes Zeke gets to go for a walk in places where there are other animals. He loves to chase bunny rabbits, butterflies, squirrels, and geese. But there are some kinds of animals Zeke shouldn't get too close to.

One time, Zeke got very close to a skunk. That was bad. Do you know why it's bad to get very close to a skunk? The skunk sprayed its stink all over Zeke's face, and he came back smelling like skunk spray. It smelled very bad. Zeke had to have two baths, with special soap, and then he still smelled bad for a month. Yuck! Zeke shouldn't play with skunks.

Application: Bad Friends

Just like Zeke should be careful about getting close to some kinds of animals, there are some people we need to be careful about being around too much, because they don't love God, and they act in very bad ways. Sometimes those people talk us into doing the wrong kinds of things. We start to behave the way they do. We might start talking like they do, or disobeying our parents like they do, or other yucky things. When that happens, God thinks we stink. He still loves us, but he doesn't like the stink.

So we should be careful who our best friends are, to pick people who don't make us stink to God.

Invitation: Picking Good Friends

Invite any children who want to pick good friends to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Unconditional Love

Thursday:	Unconditional Love
Bible Passages:	Romans 5:6-11, Romans 8:29-39, Romans 9:10-16
Objective:	God loves us unconditionally.

Introduction: Mrs. Eady Wants a Dog

Mrs. Eady wanted a dog for a long time. She prayed for a dog to come into the home. One day, when she least expected it, she came home, and there was Zeke! Zeke jumped into Mrs. Eady's arms and licked her, and she was very happy, because she had a doggy. She loved him right away. She even loved him before he came into the family.

Explanation: We Love Our Dogs

Sometimes Zeke isn't as well behaved as Mrs. Eady could want. He tears up Klenex, sneaks food off the counter and stove, and accidentally scratches people when he's playing. Mrs. Eady loves him anyway. She loves Zeke because he's her doggy. She tries to teach him to do better, because she wants him to be a good dog. But even when he misbehaves, she still loves him. She would never get rid of him.

Mr. Eady loves Zeke too. He didn't know that he wanted a dog. He said he didn't. But he shares his food with Zeke, and lets him sleep on his lap, and sometimes he takes him for a walk. Mr. Eady loves Zeke, even when Zeke is bad.

Application: God Loves Us

Did you know that God loves us? He loves us even more than Mrs. Eady loves Zeke. Now, he doesn't always like everything we do, just like Mrs. Eady doesn't like everything Zeke does. But even when we do things he doesn't like, he still loves us.

The Bible says that God loved us before we were born. Just like Mrs. Eady loved Zeke before he even came to her house, God always loved you.

Invitation: Subtitle

Invite any children who want to love God the way he loves us to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Doggies Don't Like Baffs

Wednesday:	Doggies Don't Like Baffs
Bible Passages:	[Needed]
Objective:	Even though we don't always like the changes God wants us to make in our lives, we still need to do it.

Introduction: Stinky Dog

Zeke is a nice doggy, but sometimes he gets dirty and smelly. Like the time that he ran away on his walk and got sprayed by a skunk, or the time that he rolled in nasty yucky stuff and came home smelling like a swamp. Sometimes he needs a bath.

Explanation: Baths

Now, Zeke doesn't like baths. He doesn't think he needs them.

He doesn't want to get into the bathtub, and when you manage to get him in, he tries to escape. It takes two people to keep Zeke in the tub long enough to wash him and rinse him, to get him clean.

But Zeke needs to obey and stay in the bath until he's clean and rinsed, so he won't stink, and so he can stay in the house (because he can't stay in the house smelling like a skunk), and so he won't have itchy soap all over him when he dries. Zeke doesn't always understand why he needs to stay in the bath. But he still needs to obey and do it.

When Zeke is out for a walk, he doesn't always understand why he needs to wait. He has to be on a leash, because otherwise he might run out into the street. Zeke doesn't understand that the street is dangerous, because he doesn't understand that that's where the cars go. But when the people take Zeke for a walk, they keep him on the leash and make him obey, to protect him.

Application: Obedience

Sometimes your mom or dad, or your teacher, will tell you to do something, or you might even find something in the Bible that God wants you to do. It's not always something you think you want to do. You might not even know why you need to do it. But you still need to do it. You still need to obey.

Invitation: Obedience

Invite any children who want to learn to obey to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

The Misbehaving Doggy

Tuesday:	The Misbehaving Doggy
Bible Passages:	[Needed]
Objective:	Our sin alienates us from God.

Introduction: Nice Doggy

Zeke is a nice doggy. He's cute, and cuddly, and lovable. He has nice doggy ears, and a cute doggy nose, and he does nice doggy things. He eats his dog food, and he likes to go on walks, and he doesn't bite, and he always goes potty outside. He's a good doggy.

Explanation: Misbehavior

But sometimes Zekiel (Zeke) doesn't do what he's supposed to do. Sometimes he does wrong things that he knows he's not supposed to do.

Sometimes early in the morning, when nobody's watching, he sneaks into the bathroom, grabs some toilet paper, shreds it into little pieces, and scatters them all down the hallway. Zeke knows that he's not supposed to do that, and when he gets caught he hangs his head or runs away. He knows that he'll be in trouble. But he does it again the next day anyway.

Zeke also likes to get yucky things out of the trash and drag them around the house, like old butter wrappers and dirty napkins. He knows he's not supposed to. He knows he'll get in trouble. He hides when he does it, so that the people won't find out. But he still does it.

Application: Sin

Zekiel is just a dog. When Zeke misbehaves, that's bad doggy behavior. But dogs aren't the only ones who ever misbehave, are they? Sometimes people misbehave too.

When people misbehave, we call it sin. Sin is the wrong things that we do, and it makes God very sad. Because we're people, and because we can know God, we're supposed to be able to do better than the animals. God made us to be like him. We're not supposed to sin. When we do sin, it keeps us from being with God. We're in big trouble.

When you do something that you know is wrong, even though you know you're not supposed to, you're choosing to sin, to disobey God. Even though most of the time you do the right thing... most of the time you don't hit your brother... most of the time you don't lie to your parents... but when you do, that's sin, and it's bad, and it keeps you from being with God.

In other words, it's because of our sin that we're at the pound, and God had to pay to get us out. Our sin is a big problem, and we need to ask for God's forgiveness.

Invitation: Repentance

Invite any children who want to turn away from their sin to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.