LESSON 2 | Personal Godstorage.cloversites.com/pinedalechristianchurch/documents... · 2016. 8. 31. · Narrator: Once upon a time there was a group of kind shepherds. (NARRATOR

Bible Basis: Psalm 23; Matthew 6:25 – 34

Key Verse: Psalm 121:2: “My help comes from the LORD. He is the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Key Question: Does God care about me?

Key Idea: I believe God is involved in and cares about my daily life.

Resource: Believe Storybook Bible , Chapter 2, “Personal God”

Master Supplies List ❑ Believe Storybook Bible ❑ PowerPoint slides or printable posters of illustrations ❑ Family Page (one per child)

Optional SuppliesYou will need the following supplies based on which option(s) you choose in STEP 3 | Explore More:

❑ OPTION 1: Craft sticks, 8½” x 11” card stock, cotton balls, glue ❑ OPTION 2: Two canes with a crook (bent end), two plastic or

stuffed-animal sheep, pipe or rod, chair ❑ OPTION 4: Crayons or markers, Let’s Color! sheet (one per child) ❑ OPTION 6: 2–3 Shepherd’s staffs (canes)

LESSON 2 | Personal God

9780310826385_believe_curr_early_elem_1_10_4thpgs.indd 1 3/25/15 10:27 AM

September 11th, 2016

LESSON 2: Personal God | EARLY ELEMENTARY 2

STEP 1 | Come Together (5 min)• GATHER the children together.• SAY, Raise your hand if you have a pet.• SPEND time allowing children to share what kind of pet they have.• ASK, What do you have to do to take care of your pets? (Take

responses)• SAY, That’s right, we have to feed our pets, love our pets, take care of

our pets when they need to go to the bathroom, and more!• SAY, In the Bible, Jesus is called the “Good Shepherd” and we are

called “his sheep”! We’re Jesus’ sheep! Isn’t that kind of funny? (Take responses) Since he’s a Good Shepherd, he takes care of us, just like we take care of the little animals that belong to us. God takes care of us because we are his children and he is our God.

• CONTINUE, You wouldn’t take care of a puppy the same way you take care of a lizard. You have to know what each one needs. God knows what we need because he created us and he is always with us.

KEY VERSE• REVIEW this week’s Key Verse. You may want to repeat the verse slowly

a few times until the children are able to say the verse from memory• NOTE: You may also choose to review last week’s Key Verse together.

Psalm 121:2My help comes from the Lord. (point up to heaven)He is the Maker of heaven and earth. (gesture up then down)

STEP 2 | Hear the Story (10 min)

Supplies: Believe Storybook Bible, PowerPoint slides or printable posters of illustrations

READ CHAPTER 2• READ aloud chapter 2, “Personal God,” from the Believe Storybook Bible.• SHOW the illustrations included with this curriculum on PowerPoint

slides or printable posters.

REVIEW DAVID• ASK, What kind of job did David have before he was a king? (He was a

shepherd)



• ASK, What do you think he did as a shepherd? (He protected the sheep and fed them)

• ASK, How did David know God well enough to write so many psalms, or songs, about him? (reading the Law; praying; spending time in nature; learning from others)

• ASK, Why is it important for us to talk to God, like David did? (God wants us to feel close to him; it helps grow our faith)

REVIEW JESUS• ASK, What advice did Jesus give us for times when we are worried?

(look at the birds; trust God to take care of us)• ASK, What can we do to be sure God will take care of our needs? (fol-

low God’s ways; love God; don’t worry)• PRAY, Thank you, God, that you promise to take care of us, so we don’t

have to worry. Help us to put you first and trust in your kind care for us. Amen.

STEP 3 | Explore MoreChoose from these activity options, depending on your available time frame, to help the children explore the lesson further.

Option 1: The Sheepfold Craft (10 min)

Supplies: Craft sticks, glue, cotton balls, 8½” x 11” card stock

Teacher Prep: Prepare a sample to use as a model.

• SAY, A sheepfold is the place where sheep are kept when they are not out in the field. Today you are each going to build a sheepfold.

• HAND OUT card stock, several craft sticks, and glue.• INSTRUCT children to arrange their craft sticks on the card stock to

resemble a small fenced-in pen, however they choose. (Show them an example previously made so they understand the concept of a pen.) They should then glue the sticks in place.

• HAND OUT handfuls of cotton balls and instruct children to glue the cotton balls inside the pen to represent sheep in the sheepfold.

• SAY, When you look at your sheep in the sheepfold, remember that Jesus takes care of us and keeps us safe too.



Option 2: Shepherd’s Rod and Staff Relay (10 min)

Supplies: Two canes with a crook (bent end), two plastic or stuffed-animal sheep, pipe or rod, chair

Teacher Prep: Make sure you have ample room for this game. Before class, decide where your starting line will be and place a chair about ten feet away.

• ASK, Who here has ever been scared and felt like they needed someone to protect them? (Take responses)

• SAY, In Psalm 23, the Bible says that God’s “rod and staff comfort” us.• HOLD UP the pipe or rod.• EXPLAIN, This rod is used by a shepherd to beat away wolves and

other harmful animals that might attack his sheep.• HOLD UP one of the canes.• EXPLAIN, This staff is used by a shepherd to rescue the sheep. For

example, if a sheep falls into a ditch and can’t get out, the shepherd uses the curved part, or the crook of the staff, to reach in and lift the sheep out of the ditch.

• DEMONSTRATE by pulling a toy sheep toward you with the staff.• SAY, Today we’re going to rescue these poor lost sheep with these

staffs.• DIVIDE children into two teams, and have them line up behind your

starting line.• GIVE the first child in each team a cane and a toy sheep.• EXPLAIN, You will use your cane to pull the toy sheep along on the

floor. Pull your sheep all the way out to that chair, go around the chair, and come back to the starting line. Pass the cane to the next person on your team, who will go next.

• CONTINUE, The first team to have all its members rescue the sheep will win!

• PLAY the game.• SAY, Great job rescuing your sheep!

Option 3: Mary Had a Little Lamb Retold (15 min)

Supplies: Lyrics to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”

Teacher Prep: Explain to the children how this traditional song can also have a biblical application because Mary was the mother of Jesus and Jesus is often referred to as the Lamb of God.



• WRITE the traditional lyrics on a board the children can see.• READ through the lyrics on the board.• SING the song aloud together.• ASK, Who remembers what a psalm is? (A song) Who wrote Psalm 23?

(David)• EXPLAIN, Like David, we can write songs to God too.• ASK the children to help you write another verse to the song that will

tell more about Jesus. For instance, his coming to save us, or how much he loves us, etc.

• ALLOW the children to make up as much as they can, but if they get stuck, suggest words or ideas to help them along.

• Example 1: “ Jesus was that little Lamb, little Lamb, little Lamb, Jesus was that little Lamb, and he loves us so.”

• Example 2: “He died to save us from our sin, from our sin, from our sin, he died to save us from our sin, because he loves us so.”

• Example 3: “We are God’s little lambs, little lambs, little lambs. We are God’s little lambs, he cares for us so.”

• SING the new version(s) of the song with the children when you are done.

Option 4: Let’s Color! (10 min)

Supplies: Crayons or markers, Let’s Color! sheet (one per child)

Teacher Prep: Print and photocopy the Let’s Color! sheet (one per child).

• GIVE each child a coloring page.• PROVIDE a selection of crayons and/or markers for the children to share.• DISCUSS this week’s Key Idea as the children color.

Option 5: Praise and Worship (15 min)

“My God Is So Big,” by Ruth Harms Calkin© 1959, 2002 by Nuggets of Truth

CCLI #2501437

“The Lord Is My Shepherd,” public domainCCLI #2867827

“Little David,” by David S. Winkler© 1999 by Pilot Point Music

CCLI #3100590



Option 6: Act It Out (15 min)

Shepherds and Lost Sheep

Assign roles to children to act out. The teacher will play the role of Narra-tor, directing children to act out the script.

Setting: A pasture

Characters

Narrator teacherLost Sheep 2 – 3 childrenShepherds 1 – 2 children or class helpersSheep remainder of class

Props: 2 – 3 staffs for shepherds

Narrator: We are going to act out a story to help you better understand how a shepherd will look for lost sheep.

(SHEEP cover their eyes while the LOST SHEEP hide. NARRATOR helps the LOST SHEEP find hiding places. Once the LOST SHEEP are hidden, the other children are instructed to open their eyes. Allow SHEEP to crawl around and the SHEPHERDS to pet them)

Narrator: (to the SHEPHERDS) Your job is to imitate what I do.

Narrator: Once upon a time there was a group of kind shepherds.

(NARRATOR waves to the SHEEP. SHEPHERDS also wave at SHEEP, and they wave back)

Narrator: These were kind shepherds.

(NARRATOR pets the SHEEP sweetly. SHEPHERDS imitate by petting the SHEEP as well)

Narrator: They were good shepherds, and they did not want to lose any of their sheep. So every day they would carefully count to make sure all the sheep were with them.

(NARRATOR and SHEPHERDS go around the group of SHEEP, counting them as they pat SHEEP on the head.)

Narrator: One day they realized they were missing a few sheep.

(NARRATOR pretends to be shocked. SHEPHERDS imitate.)



Narrator: The good shepherds began looking for their lost sheep.

(NARRATOR and SHEPHERDS walk around the room looking for the hid-den LOST SHEEP. When the SHEPHERDS find the hidden LOST SHEEP, NARRATOR and SHEPHERDS pretend to rejoice)

Narrator: The shepherds are very happy they have found their lost sheep. The sheep were also very happy to be found.

(Have all SHEEP, LOST SHEEP, and SHEPHERDS gather)

Narrator: When we do things that do not please Jesus, it is like one of his sheep has been lost. Jesus is sad and wants his sheep to come back. When we ask forgiveness for what we did wrong, it is like Jesus has found his lost sheep again.

STEP 4 | Going Home (5 min)

Supplies: Family Page (one per child)

Teacher Prep: Print and photocopy the Family Page supplied with this lesson (one per child).

• GIVE each child a copy of this week’s Family Page.• SAY, Give this page to your family when they pick you up. It will

remind you to tell your family about Jesus, our Good Shepherd.• HAVE children practice telling you about Jesus as a shepherd.• REVIEW this week’s Key Verse as well as today’s story and Key Idea

from the Believe Storybook Bible as you wait for the children to get picked up.

• MAKE sure each child remembers to take home any activity sheets or craft projects and the Family Page.


Lesson 2

Lesson 2

Lesson 2

LESSON 2: Personal God | EARLY ELEMENTARY

[Coloring page to come]

Let’s Color! Name:

Simple line art of Jesus the shepherd with his sheep. Pick up from Preschool.



FAMILY PAGE | Lesson 2: Personal God

Bible Basis: Psalm 23; Matthew 6:25 – 34

Key Verse: Psalm 121:2: “My help comes from the LORD. He is the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Key Question: Does God care about me?

Key Idea: I believe God is involved in and cares about my daily life.

Resource: Believe Storybook Bible , Chapter 2, “Personal God”

How to Use This PageThis week, your family can either recall the story listed above from the Believe Storybook Bible or read the Bible Basis passage from your Bible to help your child remember it. Use the Table Talk questions below to start a discussion around the dinner table, while driving in the car, or just about anywhere. The Living Faith activity is designed to remind your child of the Bible lesson through a drama or other engaging activity. The Extra Mile ideas provide interactive ways for your child to connect with the story.

Table Talk 1. David took care of his sheep and God takes care of us. What are some

things you take care of? How do you care for those things? 2. When are some times that you are the most worried? How can Psalm

23 help you to not worry? 3. How can you be sure that God knows how to care for you, wants to

care for you, and can care for you?

Living Faith

Option 1To help your child remember today’s lesson and to assist with Bible memoriza-tion, take time each day this week to go over Psalm 23 together. This is a long passage, but it can easily be memorized when it becomes a family event. Stop your child often during the day and quote the passage or parts of the passage together. If you don’t feel up to that challenge, stick with the Key Verse from this week instead.



Option 2Record a video of yourself reciting Psalm 23 on your family computer, tablet, or smartphone that your child can have access to. Throughout the day, encour-age your child to watch the video and practice Psalm 23 along with it.

Extra Mile• Discuss with your child the idea of “lost sheep” and how this can apply

to people who are not Chris tians or people who make poor choices.• Play hide and seek with your child. Take turns as the shepherd and the

lost sheep.• Ask your child what kinds of bad choices he or she sees friends make,

or people on TV, etc. If your child has been making poor choices lately, now would be a good time to discuss it using this week’s lesson.

• Ask your child to brainstorm ways to make better choices. Pray together about it.


Documents

LESSON 2 | Personal Godstorage.cloversites.com/pinedalechristianchurch/documents... · 2016. 8. 31. · Narrator: Once upon a time there was a group of kind shepherds. (NARRATOR