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Hebrews 11:6

Thursday:	Hebrews 11:6
Bible Lesson:	The Beginning of the Promise: We should have faith like Abraham.
Memory Verse:	Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him, Hebrews 11:6

Explanation: Hebrews 11:6

[Needed]

Explanation: Hebrews 11:6

Let's look at today's memory verse. [Show the verse and read it aloud.]

What's faith, anyhow? What does it mean to have faith in God? The rest of the verse talks about it. Look, it says right here, “anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” What did [name of volunteer] have to believe about the chair? That it was there? That it would hold [him/her] up? What do we have to believe about God? That he's there? That he's real? What else? That he rewards those who earnestly seek him. What does that mean?

What does it mean to seek God? [Accept a couple of answers from the children.] Sure, you're trying to find out about God, trying to find God. What does it mean to do something earnestly? It means you're not just playing around, you're really trying to do something, really working at it. If you're earnestly seeking God, you really want know God, and know about him. The verse says we have to believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek him. What's a reward? [Accept a couple of answers from the children.]

Game: Hot Potato

Read the verse through a couple of times, as a group, then introduce an object that you call a potato. Explain that each person must say the next word of the verse, before they can pass on the hot potato. Run through the verse one time for practice, passing the potato around, then introduce the timer.

The goal for each child is to avoid having the potato when the timer goes off, but you have to say the next word of the verse before you can pass the potato on to the next person. (At the end of the verse, say the reference, and then the next person starts at the beginning again.) Use short times on the timer and run through the verse as many times this way as possible. (If the group is too large, split it up with a potato for each group; you can still have just one timer.) Leave the card with the verse displayed until you think the kids know the verse, then try removing it. If someone has trouble with a word, you can help them after a few seconds.

Announcement: Verse Points

Tomorrow, when you come to Bible School, if you can say your memory verse without looking, you can earn points for your team's score. Each person who can say the verse can earn 200 points. So, if you want to help your team win more points, go home and practice your verse a few times. Don't forget the reference! On your way out the door tonight, you will be given a slip of paper with your verse on it. Don't lose it, because if you learn your verse, your team gets 200 more points!

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Noah and the Flood (Preschool Lesson)

Wednesday:	Noah and the Flood
Story Passage:	Genesis 6-9
Other Passages:	2^nd 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.

Who Can Be a Missionary?

Monday:	Who Can Be a Missionary?
Bible Lesson:	The Finish Line: Rewards in heaven await believers who finish the race. (John on Patmos)
Memory Verse:	2^nd Timothy 4:7-8
Missions Concepts:	Foreign missionaries are sent out by the church, but any believer can do the work of a missionary locally.
Missions Examples:	[personal, from the group]
Bible Passages:	Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 13

Introduction: Missions Marathon

[Perform the Missions Marathon Skit by way of introduction.]

In the skit, Earnest was confused about who could be a missionary. He wasn't sure if just anybody could be. Kristina helped him to realize that part of following God for every Christian is to teach other people about how to follow Jesus.

Explanation: Full-Time Missions versus Everyday Missions

While some people are missionaries full-time: it's their job, and they travel to far-away places and spend all day doing just missions, all of us are responsible to help share God's teachings with other people who don't know.

Application: Being Sent

For people who want to be missionaries all the time and move far away, they probably have to be sent by a church, or sometimes by a group of churches. If the churches are going to send offering money to help pay for the work that they're doing, then they definitely have to be sent by the churches.

However, all of us can do a little missions work right where we are: telling people about how to follow Jesus. Nobody has to tell us to go tell our neighbors and our friends. Jesus already told us to do that.

[As time allows, let some of the kids give examples from their own lives, of people that they have shared with or would like to share with about Jesus.]

Invitation: Missions

Invite any children who want to do missions work to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Why Do We Send Missionaries?

Tuesday:	Why Do We Send Missionaries?
Bible Lesson:	Daniel and the Satraps: God expects faithfulness.
Memory Verse:	1^st Corinthians 15:58
Missions Concepts:	We work together with other believers to fulfill the great commission.
Missions Examples:	The Macedonian Call
Bible Passages:	Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 16-17

Introduction: Missions Marathon

[Perform the Missions Marathon Skit by way of introduction.]

Today we're going to talk about why we send missionaries. In the skit, Earnest wasn't sure at first why he was going to run the Missions Marathon, but he learned that we send missionaries because Jesus said to go and make disciples from every nation. The church works together as a group to fulfill this commission, because every person can't go to every place.

Example: The Macedonian Call

In the Bible, when the apostle Paul was traveling as a missionary, he had a vision of man from Macedonia (a place north of Greece) saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us! Paul and his companions went to Macedonia, because God wanted them to, and they shared Jesus with the people there and started several churches.

Paul went to Macedonia because there were people there who needed to hear about Jesus, and God sent him as a missionary to tell them. If Paul hadn't obeyed, they might never have heard.

Application: Today

So today we decide to send missionaries based on the fact that people need to hear the gospel. If they need to hear, then somebody needs to tell them. God told us to tell people all over the world, to make disciples from all nations, and to teach them to obey everything he has commanded. That's why we do missions.

Invitation: Missions

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

What is a Missionary?

Monday:	What is a Missionary?
Bible Lesson:	David and the Lord's Anointed: Jesus should be Lord and Master of our lives.
Memory Verse:	1^st John 2:3
Missions Concepts:	Missionaries tell people about God, what he expects of them, and how they can be forgiven for their sins.
Missions Examples:	Paul in Athens
Bible Passages:	Acts 17

Introduction: Missions Marathon

[Perform the Missions Marathon Skit by way of introduction.]

In the skit, Earnest didn't seem to be real sure exactly what missions is. That's what we're going to talk about today: what is missions, and what is a missionary?

A missionary is a Christian who tells other people the good news of how Jesus came so that we could be forgiven of our sins and go to heaven.

Example: Paul in Athens

In the book of Acts, we read about a time when the apostle Paul came to a city called Athens, which is in Greece. He found a whole city full of people who had never heard of the true God. They didn't know who Jesus was, or how they could be forgiven of their sins. They didn't even know that God had created the world.

So Paul got up and told them about God, about how he had created the world, and about how God expected certain things of them, and that they needed to change their beliefs, change the way they were acting, and follow God. Some of the people did believe, and Paul helped to start a church.

Paul was being a missionary in Athens. He was running his missions marathon for God.

Application: Today

If you are going to be a missionary, you might not have to go to Athens, but you do have to find people who don't know about God and about what he expects of them, and tell them.

Invitation: Missions

Invite any children who want to do missions work to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Elisha and the Shunammite

Friday:	Elisha and the Shunammite
Story Passage:	2^nd 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.

Running the Race: God's Word

Wednesday:	Running the Race: God's Word
Story Passages:	2^nd Kings 22-23, 2^nd Chronicles 34
Other Passages:	1^st Corinthians 9:23-27, 1^st Timothy 4:7-10, 2^nd Timothy 3:16-4:8
Objective:	The Bible is God's word; we should study it and apply it to our lives.
Memory Verse:	1^st Thessalonians 2:13, When you received the word of God... you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

Introduction: The Bible

How many of you have a Bible? [Show of hands.] How many of you at least know where you can find a Bible? [Show of hands.] How many of you know someone who has a Bible? [Show of hands.] Would you believe, that there was a time in Israel when nobody could find a Bible?

Story: Josiah and the Book

There was a King in Israel named Josiah. Josiah's father, the king before him, was a bad man, and the people had not been worshipping God. They were worshipping pretend gods, idols. When Josiah was king, he changed that. Josiah wanted to bring the people back to God. He spent a lot of money – his own money, and money that he collected from the people – getting the temple fixed up, so that they could worship God.

While the temple was being fixed up, a man named Hilkiah found a book in the temple. It was probably pretty dirty. It had been lost for a long time. He sent it to King Josiah. Do you know what book it was? It was the book of the law, the first five books of the Bible. Who can name the first five books of the Bible? [Let the children answer.] Those are the books written down by Moses, and those are the books that had been lost, and they found them when they cleaned up the temple.

Josiah was excited, but when they read the books, Josiah was upset. Why do you suppose Josiah was upset? He was upset, because the people had not been following what was written in the Bible books that they found. While the books were lost, the people had forgotten what they said. Josiah wanted to get the people to follow God, but he had a big job, because they'd forgotten everything, because they weren't reading God's word.

One of the things Josiah had to do was to get rid of all the idols and pretend gods. They were everywhere in Israel, and the Bible said that the people must only worship God, so Josiah had to get rid of all the evil idols. He did a good job, and God said that Josiah was a good king.

Transition: Training

Josiah had to do hard work, to retrain the people to follow God. They had to read the book of God's word that they found and study it, so that they would know what to do. We are supposed to study God's word too, to know what we are supposed to do. 1^st Corinthians 9:25 says that everyone who runs in a race goes into strict training. Racers can't eat just any food they want to eat. They have to eat healthy food, so that their bodies can run fast. They can't sit around and watch television all day, because they have to keep their body exercised. We have training too, for the race of life.

Application: God's Word

Studying the word of God is like eating healthy food: it prepares you to run a good race. Just like runners wouldn't eat cookies all the time, we can't waste all of our time on whatever we want – playing video games, going to the mall, ... those things are okay, but we have to keep some time set aside to study the Bible, to train, so that we can run a good race. You can't win the prize if you're not in good shape.

Invitation: Winning the Prize

[Invite the children to stay after the lesson to learn how to win the prize.]

Now What?

Friday:	Now What?
Bible Lesson:	Fishers of Men
Memory Verse:	Matthew 4:19
Missions Concepts:	Missionaries disciple new believers, plant churches, and train pastors.
Missions Examples:	Project Timothy (Uberlandia, Brazil)
Bible Passages:	[needed]

[Start with the skit, Unprepared Fishermen V.]

Introduction: Fishing

In the skit, what did Bob need to do with the fish, after it was out of the water? That's right, he needed to put it in the bucket, with the other fish.

Did you know, after people come to know Jesus, they need something similar? Do we put them in a bucket? No. But they do need to be with a group of other believers, who are learning about God. What do we call a group like that? (A church.)

Example: Project Timothy

In Uberlandia, Brazil, Pastor Sebastian is Fishing for Christ. But now, he's not doing it alone, because he has other men working with him – men who are trained in the Bible, and are planting churches. Do you know where these men came from? They came from Pastor Sebastian's church. When these men heard the good news about Jesus, he didn't just send them on their way. He continued to teach them, everything that they needed to know, about Jesus, about God, and about the Bible. Now, some of these men are ready to go fishing themselves, and they are planting more churches.

The Point: Discipleship

[needed]

Application: Now What?

This week here at Bible School, some of you may have received Jesus, or maybe some of your friends heard the good news about how to be saved. Should you quit coming once that happens? Should you quit bringing that friend who got saved? No! Once we're a part of the body of Christ, we still need to be learning, everything God wants us to know, so that we can grow in our faith and be able to share with others.

Invitation: Missions

Invite any children who want to do missions work to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Reel 'em In

Thursday:	Reel 'em In
Bible Lesson:	Following God (Fishing All Night)
Memory Verse:	2^nd John 1:6
Missions Concepts:	Missionaries must present the gospel to unbelievers.
Missions Examples:	[needed]
Bible Passages:	Romans 2:12-13, 3:20-24, 5:15-18, 6:10-18, 7:22-8:11, 10:10-15, 12:1-8.

[Start with the skit, Unprepared Fishermen IV.]

Introduction: Fishing

In the skit, Bob reeled in the fish using his rod and line. When we're fishing for Christ, how do we reel people in for salvation? The Bible asks a question: how can people believe in Jesus if they've not heard of him, and how can they hear if nobody tells them?

So, after we use our bait and start talking to people, to our friends, how do we reel them in? What do we tell them about Jesus?

Example:

[needed]

The Point: Share the Good News

Once you have someone's interest, and they want to know about God, what can you tell them? What do they need to know to be saved? [Accept some answers.]

First, they need to know that they need to be saved! Why do we need a savior? Why do we need Jesus? [Accept answers.] Our sin separates us from God. Because God is perfect, the bad things we do make us unacceptable to him. He can't take us in, if we're like that! Can we change, and be good on our own? No, we can't. Our sin traps us, and keeps us from God.

So after our friends know that they need to be saved from their sin, what else do they need to know? Don't they need to know where salvation comes from? So, what do you tell them? How can our sins be forgiven? [Because Jesus paid the penalty for us.]

Application: Reeling in Your Friends wiht the Wordless Bracelet

[Explain how the wordless bracelet (which they will be making in crafts the next night) can be used to share the good news. Talk about the meaning of each of the five colors and how these five things add up to make a gospel presentation.]

Invitation: Evangelism

Invite any children who want to share the good news with their friends to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

The Right Bait

Wednesday:	The Right Bait
Bible Lesson:	Raised from the Dead
Memory Verse:	1^st John 4:10
Missions Concepts:	Missionaries look for opportunities to interest people in the good news.
Missions Examples:	Peter Bejenke makes bread. In India they maintain orphanages and build houses.
Bible Passages:	[needed]

[Start with the skit, Unprepared Fishermen III.]

Introduction: Fishing

In the skit, what did Bob need, in order to catch fish? That's right, he needed bait.

Did you know, missionaries use bait too? Now, they don't use worms, and crickets, and minnows, and they're not trying to trick people into getting caught, but missionaries do have to get people interested in what they're talking about. They need bait.

Example: Bread Ministry

In Germany, Peter Bejenke was having trouble getting people to come to his church. He wanted to tell people about Jesus, but they didn't know they needed to hear, so they didn't realize they should come. Do you know what he did? He started baking bread. Now, Pastor Peter used to bake bread before, before he was a pastor. But now he's baking bread again, and people come into his bakery store to buy bread. Now, people are coming to Pastor Peter. Now, he has an opportunity to talk to people. And now that he's talking to people, he can tell them about Jesus.

Example: Orphanages

In India, Paul Rajan builds orphanages, to help young boys who have no good place to live. While they're there, he can tell them about Jesus. Sometimes they build houses for people who have lost their homes. And they can tell them about Christ. At one of the orphanages, the children are very excited about Jesus. They sing songs, and they worship. And now, some of the families from the communities come and see the orphanage, see what is being done for the children, and [become interested].

The Point: Bait

Here, sometimes we need a way to tell our friends about Jesus. Sometimes we need bait.

One thing that we use for bait is Bible School. Your friends will want to come have fun at Bible School – and they will have fun, but while they're here, they can also here the good news about Jesus.

What else can you use as bait? [Accept some answers.]

Invitation: Missions

Invite any children who want to do missions work to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Fishing Gear

Tuesday:	Fishing Gear
Bible Lesson:	The Sign of Jonah: Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin.
Memory Verse:	Romans 6:23
Missions Concepts:	Missionaries must be properly equipped for missions.
Missions Examples:	Vermont (Tom Ricker)
Bible Passages:	[needed]

Introduction: Fishing

[Start with the skit, Unprepared Fishermen II]

In the skit, what did Sally find out she needs, in order to catch fish? That's right, she needed a fishing rod, and a line, and a hook. The rod and reel and line and hook are the equipment that fishermen use to catch fish.

The Point: Missionaries need to be equipped.

Did you know, that if you're fishing for Christ, you need to be equipped for that, too? You don't need a fishing rod or a hook, but you do need to know your Bible, so that you know the message that you're giving to people, and you do need prayer support from others, and if you have to leave the country to be a full-time missionary overseas, you would need financial support and other things.

Example: Vermont

Last month, Pastor Tom Ricker, and his wife Janelle, left their home in Ohio and went to Vermont, to try to start a church in Burlington. In order to do this, they had to be ready. They needed fishing gear. What do you suppose they did, to get ready to go? They studied maps of Vermont, so that they would know the geography of the area. They studied the culture: what the people in the area are like, and what's important to them, so that they would know what kind of people they're going fishing for. They had to know what things cost in Vermont, so that they could be prepared and have a plan for how to live there. They talked to churches and gathered prayer support, and also financial support.

Most of all, Pastor Tom had to be trained. He took Bible classes, and theology courses, and other kinds of training. He spent years doing his. Then he practiced under another man, an older pastor, in Ankneytown, so that he would be ready. Now Pastor Tom has been a pastor on his own for several years, and he's been tested by other pastors and approved, so that all the churches who are supporting him can know that he is qualified.

So now Pastor Tom is equipped to take the good news about Jesus to the people in Vermont. He's got his fishing gear, and he's ready to get started.

Application: Equipped for Missions

When you're fishing for Christ, at school, or in your neighborhood, you need to be equipped too. How do you get that training? [Accept some answers.] That's right. You should be coming to church, to learn the Bible. You should be reading your Bible, and praying. Those things are your fishing equipment. Make sure you go home and memorize your Bible verse tonight!

Invitation: Missions

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

Goin' Fishin'

Monday:	Goin' Fishin'
Bible Lesson:	The Fish with the Coin: Jesus is God
Memory Verse:	Matthew 16:16
Missions Concepts:	Missionaries go where the people are, but they need consent to come.
Missions Examples:	India (no missionary visas)
Bible Passages:	[needed]

Introduction: Fishing

[Start with the skit, Unprepared Fishermen I]

In the skit, what were the two things that Bob and Sally learned they need to do in order to catch fish? [Accept answers.] That's right. They needed fishing licenses, and they needed to go where the fish are.

Did you know being a missionary is a lot like being a fisherman? Missionaries are fishing for Christ.

First Point: Where the People Are

Just like Bob needed to leave the swimming pool and go to a place where fish would be, like a stream or a lake, missionaries need to go to a place where there are people. They can't go be missionaries in the middle of the woods, or an empty cave, or the middle of a lake. If they're going to tell people about Jesus, they need to go where there are people. There are lots of different places where there are people. Some people can be missionaries right where they are at home, telling people about Jesus in their neighborhood, or at school, or at the mall, ... but there are other places too, and some missionaries go to a place far away from home, because they know that there are people there in that place who need to hear about Jesus.

Second Point: Permission to Go

The fisherman's license gives him permission to fish. Just like a fisherman needs permission, a missionary needs permission too. Now, in this country, we don't need special permission from the government, because we already have freedom of speech. But sometimes, even though there's no law against telling people about Jesus, we still need permission in another way. If I'm going to bring children to Bible school, I have to have their parents' permission. I can't just go take kids from the playground, tie them up, and bring them here. I have to have permission. Missionaries also need permission from their church. If their church doesn't agree with them going, who will provide their prayer and financial support for the missions work? Missionaries have to be sent by a church. And if you're going to be a missionary in a foreign country, you have to get permission to go to that country. You need a visa stamp from the country you're going to on your passport, or they won't let you into their country without a visa. So you have to have permission to come.

Example: India

One country we'd like to send missionaries to is India, but India doesn't give visas to missionaries just so they can come and tell people about Jesus. If you want to go to India, you have to have another reason, a reason that is approved by the government of India, or they won't let you come. In May, Tom and Janelle Ricker, and Ike and Nancy Graham, went to India. They were sent by our churches, but they could only go for a short time, because they only had a tourist visa, which doesn't last very long. You get a tourist visa if you're going on vacation in a foreign country, but you can't stay for a whole year. So our missionaries that went to India are back here now, in the United States.

Application: Parental Permission

Just like fishermen need a license, and foreign missionaries need permission to go into the country, if we bring our friends to Bible School, we need their parents' permission to bring them.

Invitation: Missions

Invite any children who want to do missions work to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Polished Aluminum Scene

Monday:	Polished Aluminum Scene
Bible Lesson:	The Fish and the Coin: Jesus is God
Memory Verse:	Matthew 16:16

Age Groups:

teens

Note: We've not actually tested this one for practicality yet, so caveat lector.

Supplies Needed:

cardboard
string, yarn, or fishing line
tape (transparent or masking tape will work)
aluminum foil
shoe polish

Instructions:

Draw or trace a line drawing of a scene from the lesson onto the cardboard. Tape down string or yarn along the lines.

Place a piece of aluminum foil overtop and rub it so that it gets creases corresponding to the lines.

Remove the foil and brush it with shoe polish. The polish will accumulate around the creases, creating dark lines on the otherwise smooth foil.

Memory Verse on Heart

Thursday:	Memory Verse on Heart
Bible Lesson:
Memory Verse:	reference

Age Groups:

teens

Supplies Needed:

cardboard
construction paper
spongy-foam shapes
glitter (optional)
gellpens or markers

Instructions:

Make a heart shape out of cardboard. Cover it with construction paper. Make a border by gluing spongy-foam shapes around the edge. Write the verse in the middle with a marker, gellpen, or cetera. Try to make it look like calligraphy. Add glitter as desired.

Fishing for Christ Snacks

Okay, a couple of these don't correlate with the elementary and teen lessons (suggestions welcome), but here are the snacks we are using for the Fishing for Christ theme.

Monday:	Fish Cookies
Elementary Bible Lesson:	The Fish with the Coin: Jesus is God
Memory Verse:	Matthew 16:16
Preschool Bible Lesson:	The Coin in the Fish's Mouth

Snack: Fish Cookies

Make cutout cookies using a fish-shaped cookie cutter. Frost if desired. Serve with punch.

Lesson Tie-In:

The first fish Peter caught had a coin in its mouth, just like Jesus said.

Tuesday:	Cross Cookies
Elementary Bible Lesson:	Sign of Jonah
Memory Verse:	Romans 6:23
Preschool Bible Lesson:	Jonah: Obey God

Snack:

Make cutout cookies using a fish-shaped cookie cutter. Frost if desired. Serve with punch. For preschool, use red punch.

Lesson Tie-In:

Elementary/Teen: Jesus died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin.

Preschool: The cross shape and the red punch fit with the wordless book lesson (red page): Jesus died on a cross so that we could be forgiven.

Wednesday:	Banana Bread
Elementary Bible Lesson:	Raised from the Dead
Memory Verse:	1^st John 4:10
Preschool Bible Lesson:	Feeding the Big Crowd

Snack:

Serve banana bread and punch. (It is best to use a banana bread recipe that does not involve nuts. A large percentage of young children don't like them, and then you have the risk someone will be allergic.)

Lesson Tie-In:

Elementary/Teen: The snack itself does not correlate with the lesson, but review the lesson or the memory verse while they eat.

Preschool: Jesus fed thousands of people from the five little bread loaves (and two small fish), and there was more bread left over after they all ate than when he started!

Thursday:	Goldfish Crackers
Elementary Bible Lesson:	Following God (Fishing All Night)
Memory Verse:	2^nd John 1:6
Preschool Bible Lesson:	Fish in the Net

Snack:

Serve fish-shaped crackers, and punch.

Lesson Tie-In:

How many fish were there in the disciples' net when they counted them? 153 large fish!

Friday:	Cupcakes
Elementary Bible Lesson:	Cupcakes
Memory Verse:	Matthew 4:19
Preschool Bible Lesson:	Fishers of Men

Snack:

Serve cupcakes and punch. The preschool cupcakes should have green icing. For the older groups, the color doesn't matter.

Lesson Tie-In:

Elementary/Teen: The snack itself does not correlate with the lesson, but review the lesson or the memory verse while they eat.

Preschool: The green icing goes with the wordless book lesson (green page): we grow in Jesus when we come to church, pray, listen to the Bible, etc.

Matthew 4:19

Friday:	Matthew 4:19
Bible Lesson:	Fishers of Men: We should tell others about Christ.

Introduction:

[Needed]

Explanation: Matthew 4:19

Matthew 4:19: Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

How can we follow Jesus when we can't see him? (We see his life in the Bible, and we see his commands and obey him.) What does Jesus mean when he tells the disciples he will make them fishers of men? (It means, they will teach other people to obey and love Jesus; instead of catching fish, they will catch men.) How can we catch people? (We tell them about Jesus, and about the Bible.

One way to tell people about Jesus is by using the wordless bracelet, like this one [show one]. You'll be making wordless bracelets for your craft today.

Game: Sign Gestures

Display posterboard of verse. Read through the verse together.

Teach the children the sign motions together with the words, and have them say the verse and perform the motions at the same time. Either use a real sign language (e.g., ASL), or an improvised set of gestures and motions, like below:

Come	Hand beckons toward self.
Follow	Fingers walk along other hand.
Me	Point to self.
Jesus	Middle fingers point out nail marks in hands.
Said	Hand moves out from mouth.
I	Point to self.
will make	Set left fist on right, then right on top of left, as if building.
you	Point away from self, toward your audience.
fishers	Cast like with a fishing pole.
of men	Point to several persons as if counting.

2nd John 1:6

Thursday:	2^nd John 1:6
Bible Lesson:	Following God

Introduction: Love

Who remembers what the Bible means when it uses the word "love"? (Love is an action, something you do for another person.) Who is the person we are to love in this verse? (It is God.)

Explanation: 2^nd John 1:6

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to God's commands. (from 2 John 1:6)

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

In this verse, how are we to show love for God? What does it mean to walk in obedience to his commands? (It means, we do what he commands.) Where do we find God's commands? (In the Bible.) What commands is it talking about? Is it just the ten commands in the Old Testament? (No, it means all the commands in the Bible.) Who can give some examples of God's commands from the Bible? (Accept answers from the children. e.g., Love the Lord your God, obey your parents, pray continually, preach the gospel, make disciples, etc.)

Game: Faster & Slower

Read the verse through twice together at normal speed. Then, "Let's read it a little bit faster." Go faster, faster, faster until the words are indistinct and the speed absurd. Then, "Let's see how slooooowly we can say it." Read the verse through more and more slowly until this becomes absurd as well. Then take away the posterboard of the verse and say it through at normal speed together.

Announcement: Verse Points

Read announcement about saying the verse the next day:

Tomorrow, when you come to Bible School, if you can say your memory verse without looking, you can earn 100 points for your team's score. Each person who can say the verse can earn 100 points. So, if you want to help your team win more points, go home and practice your verse a few times. Don't forget the reference! On your way out the door tonight, you will be given a slip of paper with your verse on it. Don't lose it, because if you learn your verse, your team gets 100 more points!

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table. Remember, tomorrow is the last day of Bible School, so it's your last chance to score points for your team.

Romans 6:23

Tuesday:	Romans 6:23
Bible Lesson:	The Sign of Jonah: Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin.

Introduction: Wages

Today's verse talks about wages. What are wages? Wages are what you earn for doing something, like if you have a job, and your boss gives you a paycheck.

Explanation: Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23: For the wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

How do you earn the wages in this verse? By sinning. What is sin? Sin is something you do that God doesn't like. How do we know what God doesn't like? He tells us in the Bible.

What do you earn, when you sin? Death. Death is separation. If your body dies, you are separated from your body, and from the people still here on Earth. If you die spiritually, you are separated from God, forever. Who wants to earn death, and be separated from God forever?

What is a gift? A gift is a present. Do you have to earn a gift? No, somebody gives it to you. Who gives the gift in the verse? God. What does he give you? Eternal life. What does eternal mean? Forever. So if you have eternal life, do you get the death that you earned? No, you get to be with Jesus (and other Christians) forever.

How does God give us this gift? Through Jesus our LORD. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the wage of our sin, so that we don't have to receive it. What does it mean for Jesus to be our LORD? It means he is our master, and we follow him.

Game: Every Other Word

Display the posterboard of the verse. Read through the verse together. Explain to the children that you will take turns reading with them: you will say one word, and they will say the next, all the way through the verse. Do this several times, switching who goes first. Select a child to come and take your place, taking turns with the other children. Rotate through several children this way. If you have two children up front at once, each will read every third word. Now, take away the posterboard and continue until everyone knows the verse pretty well.

Announcement: Verse Points

Read announcement about saying the verse the next day:

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Matthew 16:16

Monday:	Matthew 16:16
Bible Lesson:	The Fish with the Coin: Jesus is God

Introduction:

[needed]

Explanation: Matthew 16:16

Matthew 16:16: Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

In today's Bible verse, we find Peter talking to Jesus, and he says, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. What does it mean for Jesus to be the Christ? It means he was the one God sent to save the people. What does it mean to be the Son of the living God? What does it mean to be the Son of someone? That means he is the same as that person. So Jesus was the same as God -- he is God. Who is the living God? The living God is the one and only true God, who really is, not like a fake, made-up idol god.

So, Peter is saying that Jesus is the one true God, come to save the people. In the passage, Jesus answers Peter, saying that Peter is blessed, because he did not get this idea from men, but from God. So if Peter got the idea from God, then it's true. Jesus really is the Son of the Living God, the Christ come to save the people.

Game: Louder

Display the posterboard of the verse. Have the children read through it together twice.

Divide the children according to their red and blue teams. Have the teams sit together. Announce a contest to see which team can read the verse louder. Have the teams take turns reading the verse, until they are loud enough. Then take away the poster, and announce a contest to see which team can say the verse loudest without looking at it, for 50 points. Have them take turns until they are all horse, or you run low on time (save time for the announcement). Award the points to the team that is clearly louder, or if it's unclear, award it to both teams.

Announcement: Verse Points

Read announcement about saying the verse the next day:

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

The Fish and the Coin teen lesson

Monday:	The Fish and the Coin
Main Passage:	Matthew 17:24-27
Other Passages:	Matthew 12:1-8, Matthew 22:15-22, John 5:18, John 1:1-4, John 1:9-14, Hebrews 1:8, Isaiah 9:6, John 5:17-23
Objective:	Deity of Christ
Memory Verse:	Matthew 16:16-17, Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

Introduction: The Fish and the Coin

[Read Matthew 17:24-27]

Discussion: Who is Taxed

Why didn't Jesus have to pay the temple tax? (Because he was God's son.) What does it mean that Jesus was God's son? (It means he was equal with God.) Turn to John 5. [Have volunteers read v.17-23]

Story: Lord of the Sabbath

Another time, Jesus and his disciples were walking through a grainfield. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some of the grain. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, Look! Your disciples are picking grain. They're working on the Sabbath. The Pharisees had many strict rules of things they could and could not do on the Sabbath. They were busy watching everyone to make sure they followed these rules. They included things like not cooking, because that would be too much work, and counting your steps to make sure you don't walk too much. (But even the Pharisees made exceptions to these rules when it suited them, see for instance Luke 14:1-5.) Jesus said, Haven't you read in the law that the priests in the temple work on the Sabbath, but are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here... For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

Main Point: Lordship

What does it mean to be Lord of something? What does it mean for Jesus to be Lord of the Sabbath? Only God could be Lord of that. Who could be greater than the temple? (Only God.)

What did Jesus tell Peter to do about the tax? Catch a fish, open its mouth, take out a coin, and pay it. How likely is it that when you go fishing, you're going to find a gold coin in the fish's mouth? What are the odds? One in a million? One in a billion? Has it ever happened to anyone else besides Peter? There are a lot of more likely ways to get a coin. Jesus could have sent Peter to work for a few hours. Why did he do a miracle? (Same reason he did most miracles: to demonstrate that he is God.)

Closing Point: Who is the Son of Man?

[Read Matthew 16:13-17. If there's loads of spare time, also look at John's testimony about Jesus (John 1:29-34).]

Invitation: Lordship

Invite any teens who want to acknowledge Jesus as God and as Lord of their lives to stay after and discuss it further.

Free Bible School Materials

Complete Themes

Almost Complete

Bits and Pieces

General Information

What's New

Hebrews 11:6

Noah and the Flood (Preschool Lesson)

Who Can Be a Missionary?

Why Do We Send Missionaries?

What is a Missionary?

Elisha and the Shunammite

Running the Race: God's Word

Now What?

Reel 'em In

The Right Bait

Fishing Gear

Goin' Fishin'

Polished Aluminum Scene

Memory Verse on Heart

Fishing for Christ Snacks

Matthew 4:19

2nd John 1:6

Romans 6:23

Matthew 16:16

The Fish and the Coin teen lesson