Bible Hiding tessonsObjectlve

Each child will learn what the Bible teaches about hiding from danger, the importance of memorizing God's Word,and God's command to not hide sin nor hide from Him.

Memo,y Ve,se

l'lalllllllg Tips

Psalms 17:8; 27:5; 32:5; 119:11; Psalm 119:11Jeremiah 23:24

(What the Bible says to hide)

IfFor the First Meeting of the Week, collect six different items (make identical sets for each child), and make a list of the

items for each child. Cut red felt hearts and print the memory verse on them. For the second meeting, you need to put anapple, a rock, a small Bible, a piece of paper with SIN printed on it, and a pair of eyeglasses in a paper sack. Also, you needto fill a plastic bucket with foam packing "peanuts."

o Song TimeSing I'M GONNA HIDE GOD'S WORD IN-

SIDE MY HEART, BE STRONG (opt.), and WHENWE TALK TO HIM (opr.) from All the Best SongsforKids. Optional songs are on the Early Elementary CDs .

o Theme IntroductionBring a small ball and three paper cups to the

meeting. Have an older child use Baldy EaglePuppet tohelp playa variation of the "shellgame" with the children.Baldy brings the ball with him and asks the children toplaya game. Place the paper cups on a table. Let thechildren rake rums hiding rhe small ball under one ofthe cups and then sliding the cups around on the rable

Spring All-Srars for Jesus Explorers MULTI-USE™ Meeting 2

& Late Elementary CDs, CD playerOptional Early Elementary CDsArchie and Baldy Eagle PuppetsSmall ball, three paper cupsPrepared paper sack, marked BiblesPrepared bucket, blindfoldPrepared memory verse BiblesPencilsCraft: paper bookmark for each child,colored paper strips, scissors, pens ormarkers (opt.), tape, rulers

o Game: bedsheeto Refreshments: pita pockets, jam,

cheese spread, honey, plastic knives,paper cups, napkins

. ~ Second Meeting Options f}: _OPTIONS I...............

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o Bible Teaching Resources sheet 1 oo Bookmarks, Bibles, pencils oo Prepared felt hearts, flannel boardBIBLE APPLICATION 0o Pencils 0BIBLE LEARNING 0o Scissors, glue, crayons 0o Hole punch, yarn pieces 0

o_OPTIONSIo All-Stars Bible News for Meeting 2o Student Award Book for each childo All the Best Songsfor Kids Songbook

o Bible Journeys for Meeting 2 for eachchild

o All-Stars Bible News for Meeting 2 foreach child

o Archie and Baldy Eagle PuppetsGETTING STARTEDo Chalkboard or whiteboardo Prepared sets of items, paper sackso Lists of hidden itemsBIBLE LESSONo Construction paper, glue, scissors

o Prayer TimeAsk, pausing for responses after each question, Have you ever tried

to hide something? Did someone eventually find out about what youhid? Did you know God's Word teaches us about hiding? As you openin prayer, ask God to help the children learn what things are all rightto hide and which things should not be hidden. Then ask for prayerrequests. Have an older child write them on a chalkboard or whiteboardand assign each request to a volunteer.

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~ Second Meeting Options ~

OPTIONSJ. Getting Stafted (Cont.)

to mix them up. Have Baldy see if he can guess whichone of the cups has the ball hidden under it. After eachchild has a rum to hide the ball say,We had fun tryingto trick our friend Baldy by hiding his ball. The Biblegives us some lessons in hiding (which are not tricks)that we are going to hear about today. Let's listen andsee what they are.

_OPTIONS Io Explore the Bible Lesson

(Before the meeting, put the following items in apaper sack: an apple, a rock, a small Bible, a piece of paperwith the word SIN written on it, and a pair of eyeglasses.Pull each item from the sack as it is mentioned in thelesson and have a child hold it. Have today's Scripturesmarked in Bibles so the children can find them easily.)

God's Word gives us some special lessons about• hiding. (Remove the apple from the sack and ask an olderchild to read aloud Psalm 17:8.) God's Word says we arelike the apple of the (your) eye. "The apple of the eye"means we are like the "pupil" of an eye - the black centerof an eye - to God. Without the pupils of our eyes, wecould not see anything. This Bible verse means that weare valuable to God. Becausewe are so valuable, God willprotect us by hiding us under the shadow of His wings.That is a word picture to help us understand that God'sprotection is like what a mother hen does to protect herlittle chicks. A hen will hide her chicks under her wingswhen a hawk fliesover looking for food. (Remove the rockfrom the sack and have a child read Psalm 27:5.) God saysthat when we are in trouble, He will hide us from danger.The Bible says that He will put us out of reach on a rock.We know a rock is a solid and safe place to be, so this isa word picture of God's protection for us.

(Take out the small Bible and have a child read Psalm119: II.) Now that we know God will hide us, there issomething we need to hide. We need to hide God's Wordin our hearts. "Heart" in the Bible means "mind." We cando this by memorizing and srudying verses from God'sWord, the Bible. That way they are safely rucked awayuntil we need them. God will help us remember the verseswhen we need [hem to help us know what to do.

(Take out the word SIN and ask a child to read Psalm32:5. Be sure the children understand [he bi~ words inthe verse that are other words for sin.) The Bible also tellsus about something we must not hide - [hat is SIN. Weall make wrong choices and do wrong things sometimes.We need to confess those things, and God will forgive us.(Take out the eyeglassesand have someone read Jeremiah23:24.) God does not need glasseslike these to see us.TheBible says that He can see us at all times and in all places.There are no secret places we can go to hide from Him.His presence fills [he heaven and the earth.

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~(Allow 15-20 minutes) Pap.r.

o Explore the Bible LessonBefore the meeting, prepare the Door Panel using the directions

given on Bible 'Teaching Resources sheet 1. Bring five Bibles. Have fiveolder children look up and mark the Scriptures and five children beprepared to read aloud the Scriptures you will be using in the lesson.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT HIDING(Psalms 17:8; 27:5; 32:5; 119: 11; Jeremiah 23:24)

God Hides UsGod's Word tells us there are times when hiding is good and times

when it is not good. (Have a child read Psalm 17:8, and have a volunteeropen door 1.) Do you know what the "apple of the (your) eye" means?That is talking about the pupil of the eye - the black spot in the middleof the colored part of your eye. The pupil is a very valuable part of theeye because without it you would not be able to see. So when the Biblesays "keep me as the apple of the (your) eye," it is telling us that we are avaluable part of God's creation. And because we are so valuable to Him,God will protect us from danger. He will hide us under His wings justlike birds protect their babies by covering them with their wings. Whenwe are covered by God's protection, we are safe from danger. We aresafe when God hides us. (Have a child read Psalm 27:5. Ask someoneto open door 2.) Here again, God's Word is telling us that when weare in trouble, we can call on God and He will hide us. God's Worduses comparisons - or what we call "word pictures" - so that we canunderstand what His protection is like. It says that God's protectionwill be like putting us in a secret place where no one can harm us. Orit's like setting us on a rock. We know a rock is a solid and safe place tobe, right? (Pause for responses.) When we are in trouble, it is good toknow that God will hide us.

o Theme IntroductionBefore the meeting, hide six simple items around the room such

as spoons, buttons, pencils, paper clips, rocks, etc. Hide one of eachobject for each child in your class. For example, if you have 10 stu-dents, put 10 spoons in the same hiding place. Give each child a listof the objects you have hidden and a paper sack. Tell the children tohunt around the room and find one of each item on the list. Instructthem that, when they find an object's hiding place, they should takeonly one item and not tell other children where the hiding place is.When all the children have found all the items on the list, have themsit down. As you read the list aloud, have the children show you theobjects they have found. Say, Today I had you hunt for some hiddenitems. Now, we are going to have a treasure hunt through God'sWord and learn what the Bible has to say about hiding.

All-StarsforJesusExplorersMULTI-USE™ Meeting2

o Apply the LessonHand out pencils and All-Stars Bible News for Meeting

2. The children may complete the activities on pages 1 (for• younger children) and 4 (for older children) at this time.

(Page 1answer: Hide God'sWOrdinyour heart!; Page2 answer:God's Holy Spirit speaks to the heart of each believer, helpinghim understand the Bible.)

~ Second Meeting Options~

«w_OPTIONS I :t,Papere

We need to remember everythingGod's Word saysabouthiding. These lessonswill help us live for God each day.

OPTIONS113ibleApplicatioll

o Review the Bible LessonBefore the meeting, fill a plastic bucket half full of

foam packing "peanuts." Bring a blindfold. Hide the objectsfrom today's lesson among the peanuts. Set the bucket infront of a child. Put a blindfold on her. Call out one of theobjects discussed in the lesson.The blindfolded child mustdig into the bucket and find that object. Review how eachitem relates to hiding in the Bible. Play until each child hasa turn to locate an object.

You may want to have older children read the Biblestory from All-Stars Bible News for Meeting 2. The childrenmay complete the activities on pages 2-3 at this time. (An-swer: IN HEAVEN AND EARTH.)

o Review the Memory VerseBefore the meeting, cut out two sets of "open Bible"

shapes from construction paper. Print one word of thememory verse, including the reference, on each. Put themixed-up "Bibles" in a pile in front of the class.Ask, Howcan we hide God's Word in our hearts? (by memorizingand studying it) Say the verse together several times. Thendivide the children into two teams. The first person in eachteam runs to the front, grabs a "Bible," and runs back. Thenext child runs to grab another "Bible," etc. If a child grabsa word that his team already has, he must run it back andgrab a different one. The first team to have the entire versein order, wins. Say the verse together as a class.

o Bible CraftBefore the meeting, cut a 9 x 12-inch sheet of

construction paper in thirds to make a bookmark foreach child. Draw a pencil line along both long sides of thebookmark, half an inch from the edges. Give each childa bookmark, scissors, and several colors of constructionpaper. First, have the children fold the bookmark in halflengthwise. Have them cut slits, half an inch apart, startingeach slit at the fold and stopping at the pencil line. (Letolder children help younger ones.) Provide tape for childrenwho cut too ('lr. When the children open the bookmark,

A11-Srars for Jesus Explorers MULTI-USE™ Meering 2

o Bible Memory VersePsalm 119: 11 - "Thy word have I hid in mine heart,

that I might not sin against thee. " (KJV)"f have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you. " (NIV)

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We Hide God's Word

(Have a child read Psalm 119: 11. Ask someone to open door 3.) •Another hiding place the Bible mentions is our heart. By "heart," theBible doesn't mean (point to your heart) this heart. It means (point toyour head) this. It means "mind." As we memorize Bible verses, we arehiding them away in our minds. When we are scared or in trouble, wewill be able to remember what God's Word says, and it will help usnot to be afraid and help us not to do wrong things. Here in America[or the name of your country], we have the privilege of reading theBible any time we want, but in some countries the people are not al-lowed to have a Bible. If you have God's Word hidden in your mind,no one can ever take it away from you.Things You Shouldn't Hide

(Have one child read Psalm 32:5. Ask someone to open door 4.)The Bible tells us there is something we must not hide, though, and thatis sin. When we do or say things that God says are wrong, that is sin.When we confess our sin to God (tell Him that we are sorry for doingor saying wrong things), He will forgive us. Sin that is kept secret, orhidden, will only lead to more trouble. God already knows what wehave done, but we need to confess our hidden sins to Him. (Have achild read Jeremiah 23:24. Ask someone to open door 5.) Have youever done something you knew was wrong but thought that it was allright because no one saw you do it? Someone did see you - it wasGod! He sees and knows everything we say and do. He even knowswhen we have a naughty thought! God's Word tells us that we cannothide from Him because His presence fills the heaven and the earth. Itis important to learn the hiding lessons we find in God's Word. (Havethe children re-read the messages behind each door.)

o Study the Bible LessonHand out pencils and the Bible journeys Activity Sheets for Meeting

2 to the children. Have them look at the first page. Read the directionswith the children. Help them find the words that go in the blanks tocomplete the statements. Then see if they can use the words to fill inthe crossword puzzle. (I -wings; 2-secret; 3-conftss; 4-trouble; 5-Bible;6-hearts)

Read the Bible story from the All-Stars Bible News Ttzke-HomePapers for Meeting 2. Encourage the children to read the Bible storyagain at home or have it read to them. If you hand out All-Stars BibleNews at your Second Meeting of the Week, let the children knowthey'll get a copy at their next meeting.

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a5eCOlld Meetillg Options ~

OPTIONS -If...•...

1 tiible Applicatioll (Cant.)

o Word Search Answers from the First Meetingof the Week: I B

o RefreshmentsBefore the meeting, cut enough small pita pocket

breads in half so each child will have a hal( Spread jam,honey, or cheese spread (if you do not have children withallergies to dairy products) inside them. Ask someone tothank the Lord for the food. Say, Today we have beentalking about hiding lessons found in the Bible. I havehidden something inside your snack. Taste it and seeif you can identify what it is. Have the children take abite and guess what you have spread inside. Serve juiceor water with the pita pockets.

it should have several slits going across.Next. let the children cut 3-5 half-inch wide strips

of construction paper. the length of the bookmark. Themore colors the better. Show the children how to weaveeach paper strip under and then over, through the slits onthe bookmark. The next strip should weave over and thenunder. etc. Make sure the children push the strips closetogether to make room for the next strip. Say. Use yourbookmarks for your Bibles, and remember to keep God'sWord hidden in your heart. If time allows, hand our pensor markers and let each child print the memory verse onhis bookmark. Make sure names are on the back.

_OPTIONS Io Who's Hiding?

Have the children sit in a circle on the floor. Chooseone child to leave the room. Once he is gone, choose achild to sit in the middle of the circle. Cover him witha bedsheet. As the first child comes back into the room,

• sing this song to the tune of DO YOU KNOW THEMUFFIN MAN.

Can you guess our hidden friend.Our hidden friend. our hidden friend?

Can you guess our hidden friend?Please tell us who it is!

Make sure you introduce all the children by namebefore the game begins, especially if you have visitors. Playuntil each child has had a turn to go our of the room.

~•Papers

~ tIr,"o"'.0..- .t......, ,•....•.

'" r..per6

5TH'2

Before the meeting. cut heart shapes from red felt and use a blackpermanent marker to print one word of the memory verse on each.Make rwo sets. Place one set of the hearts in order on the flannel boardand have an older child point to each word as she reads it. Then mixup the hearts. Divide the children into rwo teams. (You may need aflannel board for each team.) The first team to put the words in thecorrect order and then read the verse, wins. Discuss how important itis to have God's Word hidden in our hearts (minds) so we know whatactions are sinful, and so we know what God wants us to do.

(Allow 10-20 minutes)

o Apply the LessonHave the children turn to page 2 of Bible Journeys for Meeting 2.

Make sure they have pencils. Let an older child use Baldy Eagle Puppetto read the directions aloud. Then Baldy can assist the children infinding the word BIBLE, which is hidden in the puzzle 12 times. Baldycan remind them that he has an "eagle eye" for finding hidden things.(See the puzzle answers in the Second Meeting of the Week.)

~ ~asy ..Tl'a(TMHTst Meeting of the Wee1<~

(Allow 10-15 minutes)

o Bible CraftBefore the meeting. cut a 24-inch piece of yarn for each child.

Provide crayons, scissors. glue, and a hole punch. Have the childrenturn to page 3 of Bible Journeys for Meeting 2. Help the childrenmake a heart message hanger as a reminder to hide God's Word intheir hearts. Have them cut the hearts out, keeping them connected.Each child should cut on the solid line of the door. then fold alongthe broken line so the door opens. Let him put a line of glue aroundthe inside edge of one heart and fold the other heart over it. Then heshould cut out the Bible and glue it behind the door. Have the childpunch a hole in the top, and thread the yarn through the hole. (Letolder children help younger ones.) Then tie the ends together for ahanger and print a message to a friend on the back. Say. This heartmessage will give you a chance to tell another person about Jesusand His Word.

(Allow 5-10 minutes)o Closing Prayer

Pray, Thank You, Lord, for the hiding lessons we learn in the Bible. Help us hide Your Word in our hearts. In Jesus'name, amen. At the close of the First Meeting of the Week, remind the children to bring their award books to the secondmeeting. Hand out All-Stars Bible News, today's craft. and Bible Journeys to each child.

All-Stars for Jesus Explorers MULTI-USE™ Meeting 2 24