easter celebration bible passage: genesis—revelation...

Easter Celebration

The Big God Story

ScheduleAnticipate

5–10 minutes

Celebrate & RespondLarge Group

35–55 minutes

Respond & BlessSmall Group

20–25 minutes

Bible Passage: Genesis—Revelation (Easter)

REMEMBER VERSEDo nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility

value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3–4

3.8date:

© 2014 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.

2

3.8

© 2014 David C Cook

Tori FunkhouserTru Team

InspireThroughout the process of telling God’s story to the elementary kids in our ministry, many kids have realized how wonderful it is to know Him. One child told her father that she was amazed to learn that she is a part of God’s story, just like Moses is. Another girl, a longtime member of our community, told a leader that she finally wanted to be God’s child. Why? Because she just realized that she is a part of His story.

The Big God Story is compelling, inspiring, and packed full of God’s overwhelming love for the people He created. The more I read Scripture in the mind-set and context of the bigger story, the more I am floored by how succinctly and miraculously God has woven His redemptive story throughout history. He has taken such care and love in telling His story exactly the way He wanted to tell it. Throughout His story, we see Him as a patient, long-suffering, kind, generous, sovereign, and loving God. We see that God brought His Son to earth exactly at the perfect moment, to be the perfect Redeemer.

The Big God Story is compelling proof of His love for us, and I’m amazed that I get to be a part of it.

N O T E S :

3

3.8


EquipIn this curriculum year, we’ve heard how God entered into covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. We’ve seen how God used these covenants in a process of progressively revealing Himself and His plan of redemption. These covenants laid the foundation for and help us understand the coming of the new covenant which began in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God gave Jeremiah a description of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31–33:

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant … This is the covenant I will make with [them] … I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

God had promised to protect and preserve Israel, but Israel forfeited the blessings God promised in the Mosaic covenant through her disobedience. And since the Mosaic covenant was the mechanism by which Israel was able to enjoy the blessings God had promised, there needed to be a new covenant that would accomplish this same purpose—a covenant that would apply to Gentiles as well as Jews.

The new covenant helped the people of God understand how the blessings of God promised in the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants would be experienced in everyday life. And the new covenant included the ultimate blessing of promising forgiveness of sins through the coming of the Messiah. The new covenant also replaced the Mosaic covenant in now enabling the law of God to be written on hearts instead of tablets of stone.

The only way for God to reconcile Himself to mankind was through His Son’s death. It was God’s perfect fulfillment of the promise of redemption He’d made in Genesis.

N O T E S :

4

3.8


SupportBefore you share The Big God Story this week, spend time reading it in this lesson. As you read God’s story in its entirety, ask Him to give you a glimpse of how sweet and amazing His love is. Ask God to fill you with a sense of thankfulness for the perfect sacrifice: Jesus’ death on the cross. Pray God will give you a sense of awe when you think about His power and sovereignty over all of creation.

Then pray the children will feel awakened to God’s power, sovereignty, and love for them. Pray they will experience Him in new ways and be compelled by the story of God’s love for His creation. Pray that, out of this experience with God, they will ask Him for the desire to serve others.

ADAM & EVE

SUSEJ

OUR FUTURE WITH JESUS

YOU & ME

NOAH

ABRAHAM

ISAACJACOB

MOSESJOSEPH

JOSHUA

SOLOMON

JOHN THE BAPTIST

CENTURIONNICODEMUSPETERLAZARUS

PAUL

JOSEPHMARY

DAVID

TIMELINE

40

0Y

EA

RS

OF

WA

I TIN

G

5

3.8


Lesson Overview

Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (For Quarterly Master Supply List, see Resource Files)

Anticipate//Small GroupCheck-In

5–10 min.

Encourages interaction among kids, leaders, and parents; engages the kids in curiosity and anticipation of the lesson; and creates an inviting atmosphere.

Building the Timeline (for Younger Kids)• The Big God Story People cards (see Resource

Files)• scissors (1 pair)• Beginning of Time and Present signs (see

Resource Files)• Timeline image (see Resource Files)• tape• optional: string (10’)

Timeline Race (for Older Kids)• The Big God Story People cards (see Resource

Files)• scissors (1 pair)• Beginning of Time and Present signs (see

Resource Files)• Timeline image (see Resource Files)• tape• stopwatch or timer• optional: string (10’)

Celebrate//Large Group

20–35 min.

Establishes community andtells stories both personaland biblical in a fun andengaging way.

Traditions• mementos for your church Traditions

(rocks, marbles, gumballs, etc.)• Remember Verse cards, slide, and animation

(see Resource Files)

Connect Question• Connect Question slide (see Resource Files)

The Big God Story • Bibles (1 per child)• Timeline slide and animation (see Resource Files)• Storytelling Example image (see Resource Files)• white butcher paper (2 sections of the same length;

each at least 7’)• tape• paint pens in red, yellow, green, and blue (search

“Do-A-Dot Art Marker” at www.amazon.com)• black paint pen or large black permanent

marker• flashlight or flameless candle• optional: apron or smock, paper towels

*To make metric conversions, search the Internet for a metric conversion chart or calculator.

N O T E S :

www.amazon.com

6

3.8


Lesson Overview

Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (For Quarterly Master Supply List, see Resource Files)

Respond//Large Group

15–20min.

Creates space for childrento respond to the Holy Spiritin worship and communityas a large group.

• sugar cubes (1 per child) or dissolving paper (1 sheet per child; see www.amazon.com or a magic supplies website)

• medium-sized, clear container filled halfway with water

• long wooden spoon or ruler• pencils• worship music (suggestion: “Celebrate,” TruWorship

Sincerely Yours)

Respond//Small Group

15–20min.

Discusses truth, reflectson the lesson, engages inrelationships, and createsa project or a piece of artindividually or together.

Reflect: The Big God Story• Bibles (1 per child)

Engage: Take-Home Timelines• The Big God Story Images (see Resource Files) • Blank Timeline image (see Resource Files)• scissors (1 pair)• glue sticks (1 per child) • optional: envelopes (1 per child)

Bless//Small Group

5 min. Sends the kids out with a sense of peace and blessing so they can be a blessing to their families and others.

• Timelines from ENGAGE• Bible• HomeFront Weekly (1 per child; see Resource Files)• HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource

(1 per family; see Resource Files or www.HomeFrontMag.com)

*To make metric conversions, search the Internet for a metric conversion chart or calculator.

N O T E S :

N O T E S :

www.amazon.com

www.HomeFrontMag.com

7

3.8


ANTICIPATE | CELEBRATE | RESPOND | BLESS

Anticipate// 5–10 min.

An energizing time for parents and kids to start engaging with the material that will be presented in the lesson.

It is intentionally designed to spark curiosity and cultivate a sense of awe and wonder about God.

Encourage parents to participate in this time with their kids.

Small Group Leaders

SMALL GROUPS E C T I O N

God has been working in the lives of His people from the beginning of time. Invite children to participate in this ANTICIPATE activity to get them thinking about God’s redemptive plan and His work in the world throughout all of history.

Option 1: Building the Timeline (for Younger Kids)SUPPLIES• The Big God Story People cards (see Resource Files)• scissors (1 pair)• Beginning of Time and Present signs (see Resource Files)• Timeline image (see Resource Files)• tape• optional: string (10’)

SET UPPrint and cut apart The Big God Story People cards. Designate a space along the wall for your timeline. Optional: Tape string to the wall as a timeline. At the left end of the timeline, tape the Beginning of Time sign, and at the right end of the timeline, tape the Present sign. Print the Timeline image and keep it out of sight.

ENGAGEThroughout The Big God Story, God showed His love and faithfulness to His people by providing for them, fulfilling His covenants with them, and redeeming them from their sins. (Hold up the cards.) These are some of the people whom God used to show the world who He is. Let’s see if we can remember the order of their stories.

Fan out the character cards facedown in your hands, and allow each child to choose one to two cards until all of the cards have been passed out. Encourage the children to show their cards to one another and work together to place the cards in the order the people appear in The Big God Story. As each child is ready to tape her card to the timeline, help her make sure the card is in the right place, and briefly remind the kids of what God did in that person’s life.

Once all of the cards have been taped to the timeline, pull out the printed Timeline image and have the children gather around you and check your timeline against the image.

8

3.8


Option 2: Timeline Race (for Older Kids)SUPPLIES• The Big God Story People cards (see Resource Files)• scissors (1 pair)• Beginning of Time and Present signs (see Resource Files)• Timeline image (see Resource Files)• tape• stopwatch or timer• optional: string (10’)

SET UPPrint and cut apart The Big God Story People cards. Designate a space along the wall for your timeline. Optional: Tape string to the wall as a timeline. At the left end of the timeline, tape the Beginning of Time sign, and at the right end of the timeline, tape the Present sign. Print the Timeline image and keep it out of sight.

ENGAGEThroughout The Big God Story, God showed His love and faithfulness to His people by providing for them, fulfilling His covenants with them, and redeeming them from their sins. (Hold up the cards.) These are some of the people whom God used to show the world who He is. Let’s see if we can remember the order of their stories.

Fan out the character cards facedown in your hands, and allow each child to choose one to two cards until all of the cards have been passed out. Tell the kids not to look at their cards just yet! On your signal, start the stopwatch or timer and let the kids look at their cards. Encourage them to work together to place the cards in the order the people appear in The Big God Story.

When all of the cards have been taped to the timeline, stop the clock and check the timeline against the printed Timeline image. Rearrange any cards if necessary. Then briefly review each person on the timeline and what God did in each person’s life.

If time permits, take the cards down, shuffle them, and repeat the activity, seeing if kids can arrange the cards even faster this time.


N O T E S :

9

3.8


Celebrate//20–35 min. Host/Storyteller

LARGE GROUPS E C T I O N


Welcome and Traditions

ConnectQuestionWho’s your favorite person from the Bible and why?

Activity: Favorite Character ScrambleSUPPLIES• index cards (1 per child)• pencils or pens• stopwatch or timer• Timeline image (see Resource Files)• Connect Activity slide (see Resource Files)

ENGAGEInvite each child to take an index card and write the name of his favorite Bible character. Then have the children walk around the room and ask one another the CONNECT question. When a child meets up with a child who doesn’t have the same Bible character written on her card, the kids should swap cards.

For 60 seconds, allow kids to move around the room finding people with different names on their cards and trading those cards. Then ask everyone to take a seat.

Let’s find out who your favorite Bible characters are. The name written on the card you’re holding might not be your favorite character, but it’s the favorite of someone else in the room.

Kids get to be a part of the faith community of God’s family.

They participate in traditions and share them with newcomers, connect through fun and interaction, and experience The Big God Story through Storytelling.

REMEMBER VERSEThis week’s Remember Verse comes from the environment of SERVING, which asks, “What needs to be done?” The environment changes every four weeks.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3–4

Passin’ PartyA Group TraditionHave the children “pass” an invisible “ball” from person to person across the room, adding their own personal style to the way they pass the ball. Each time the ball is passed, try to make sure someone new gets a chance to “catch” it. Play upbeat music, and encourage the children to get creative and have fun!

10

3.8


Referring to the Timeline image or your Bible, call out names of various Bible characters, and encourage children to stand up when you call out the name of the character written on their current card. If time allows, ask a couple of kids to share why they wrote down the character they did.

The Big God Story is full of people whose lives were changed because of God’s love. Today we’re going to explore all of The Big God Story and see how God has been working throughout history to bring people into relationship with Himself.


N O T E S :

11

3.8



The Big God Story

Ponder Point: The Big God StoryBible Passage: Genesis—RevelationStorytelling Technique: Illustrating The Big God Story

SUPPLIES• Bibles (1 per child)• Timeline slide and animation (see Resource Files)• Storytelling Example image (see Resource Files)• white butcher paper (2 sections of the same length; each at least 7’)• tape• paint pens in red, yellow, green, and blue (search “Do-A-Dot Art Marker” at

www.amazon.com)• black paint pen or large black permanent marker• flashlight or flameless candle• optional: apron or smock; paper towels

PREPARE AHEADFor this week’s storytelling section you will use paint pens to illustrate The Big God Story on a giant “canvas.” As necessary, refer to the Storytelling Example to show you approximately how the finished product should look. (If you prefer, you might ask another leader to draw while you share the narrative.)

SET UPCreate a giant canvas by taping one section of butcher paper above the other (with about a inch of overlap). Tape the giant canvas to the wall at the front of the room. Referring to the Storytelling Example image, draw the timeline at the bottom of the canvas with the black marker. Place the flashlight or flameless candle at the front of the room. Set the paint pens and black paint pen or marker on the ground near the canvas.

Leader TipToday’s storytelling portion is longer than usual. You may need to make adjustments to your schedule to accommodate it. Before sharing this part of The Big God Story, tell your kids they’re about to hear a true story that’s recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to Genesis 17, and invite kids to follow along in their own Bibles as you storytell.

N O T E S :

www.amazon.com

12

3.8


ENGAGEThe Big God Story began in a beautiful garden called Eden. (Take green paint pen and draw a few tree- and bush-like shapes above on the timeline.) God created the first people, Adam and Eve, to be in relationship with Him and to live in this garden with the animals. (Take yellow paint pen and draw a sun in the upper-left corner.) Sadly, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, and their sin destroyed their relationship with God. They had to leave the garden. (Take black paint pen or marker and draw a large X, slightly tipped to the left, over the trees/bushes.) But God promised that one day a Redeemer would come to restore the relationship between people and God. (Use black pen or marker to turn the X into a cross.)

After many, many years, the world became so evil that God decided to destroy all living things in a flood—all except Noah, his family, and at least two of every animal. (Use blue paint pen to draw rain coming down from the top of the paper toward Noah on the timeline.) They survived the flood inside an ark, and after the water went down, God promised Noah to never again destroy all living things with a flood. (Use red, yellow, green, and blue paint pens to draw a large rainbow that ends above You & Me.)

Noah’s family filled the earth, and from them came a man named Abraham. Abraham also received a very special promise from God! (Invite kids to turn to Genesis 17:6–8 in their Bibles.) God told Abraham, “I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you … The whole land of Canaan … I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God” (vv. 6–8). (Use red paint pen to draw several stick figures above Abraham.) This nation would be called Israel. Also, the Redeemer, whom God promised hundreds of years earlier, would come from Abraham’s family line.

Abraham and his wife, Sarah, waited 25 years for God to fulfill His promise to give them a child to keep their family line going. Finally, God gave them a son named Isaac. When Isaac grew up, he had a son named Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel. Then Jacob, or Israel, had 12 sons. (Take black paint pen or marker and write 12 above Jacob.)

One of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, was sold into slavery by his brothers and taken to Egypt. There God allowed Joseph to rise to power under Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Eventually, Joseph’s family moved to Egypt because God gave Joseph the ability to keep his family alive during a seven-year famine, when there wasn’t much food to eat. (Use yellow paint pen to draw lines coming up from Joseph to look like grain.) Later, the Egyptians forced the Israelites into slavery. The Israelites cried out to God and begged Him to save them.


The Big God Story

N O T E S :

13

3.8


God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When they traveled in the wilderness toward the Promised Land, God made a covenant with Moses and His people. (Invite kids to turn to Exodus 19:5.) God said, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” So God gave the people the Law to show them how to live. (Take blue paint pen and, above Moses, draw two vertical rectangles with arched tops to look like two tablets.)

Even so, the Israelites grumbled and complained. They didn’t trust God. Because of this, the people spent the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness. During this time, a new generation grew up with a new respect for God and His power. After Moses died, these people were led by a man named Joshua. Finally, after years of battle, God conquered the Promised Land that He had set aside for His people.

The Israelites settled down to raise families. During this time, God gave the Israelites leaders called judges. The Israelites went through a cycle of being faithful to God, then disobeying Him, then returning to Him, then disobeying Him—over and over again. This time of the judges lasted for more than 450 years until the people cried out for a king because they wanted to be like the countries around them. God gave them the kind of king they wanted, and this king followed God for a time but eventually turned his back on God. God rejected him for his pride and disobedience. Then God anointed David as the second king. (Use yellow paint pen to draw a crown above David.) God made a covenant with David and promised that the Redeemer, the Son of God, the forever King would come from David’s family line. (Use red paint pen or marker to draw a cross above the crown.)

David had a son named Solomon who became king and was the wisest man ever to live. (Use black paint pen or marker to draw a simple structure above Solomon.) Solomon built the temple for God at Jerusalem, but eventually his heart became divided, and he allowed worship of false gods. Later, God allowed the nation of Israel to split into two nations. The north was Israel, but the south was Judah. The promised Redeemer, Jesus, would be born out of Judah.

Hundreds of years later, something strange happened. (Dim the ceiling lights and turn on the flashlight or flameless candle.) God was silent. He was still working and moving in the lives of His people, but He chose not to speak through prophets or judges for 400 years—or until the beginning of the New Testament. (Turn on the lights and turn off the flashlight or candle. Use blue paint pen to draw a horizontal line above 400 Years of Waiting.)

In the first pages of Matthew and Luke, we see that the promise God made in the garden (refer back to the cross on the left side) and the promise He made to David (refer to cross in the middle) remained true for thousands of years! And in a small


The Big God Story

N O T E S :

14

3.8


town called Bethlehem, the Redeemer, Jesus, was born! (Encourage kids to clap, cheer, and celebrate.)

When Jesus was 30 years old, He began His ministry. He called 12 men to be His disciples, cared for the poor, healed the sick, raised the dead, and saved the outcast. Jesus never, ever sinned. But, after three years, He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, once and for all. (Use black paint pen or marker to draw a large cross above Jesus. Use red paint pen to draw a red heart around the cross above Jesus.)

The story gets even better: Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead! (Use yellow paint pen to draw rays fanning out from the cross above Jesus.) God’s love is so powerful that it conquered death! And after Jesus returned to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside everyone who chooses to trust and obey Him. The Holy Spirit gives us power to live for Jesus and play our part in The Big God Story. (Point to You & Me.) And one day Jesus will return to earth to make everything new, and He will rule forever and ever! (Use yellow paint pen to draw a large crown over Our Future with Jesus and color it in. Then tell a personal story of how you became a part of The Big God Story.)


The Big God Story

Leader TipAs the Holy Spirit speaks to the hearts of your kids, some may express an interest in beginning a relationship with Jesus. Be sure to tell their parents about this so they can pray together as a family. Offer to pray with them if they’d like. Of course, if a child doesn’t come from a Christian family, answer any questions he might have, and follow the Spirit’s leading as the child makes a decision to trust in Jesus for salvation.

For help in talking with kids about salvation, refer to the resource titled Explaining God’s Salvation Plan to Kids, found in this week’s Resource Files. You may also give copies of this resource to your families.

N O T E S :

15

3.8



This time allows kids to worship through silence, prayer, singing, giving, sharing, thanksgiving, and other ways.

Make plans for your worship time, but prepare yourself and your team to hold them loosely if the Holy Spirit leads the group in a different direction.

Respond// 15–20 min. Host/Worship Leader

LARGE GROUPS E C T I O N

SUPPLIES• sugar cubes (1 per child) or dissolving paper (1 sheet per child;

see www.amazon.com or a magic supplies website)• medium-sized, clear container filled halfway with water• long wooden spoon or ruler• pencils• worship music (suggestion: “Celebrate,” TruWorship Sincerely Yours; Premium,

Unlimited, and Combo users see Resource Files; others see iTunes or www.amazon.com)

ENGAGEWe just heard The Big God Story from beginning to end, and it all points to God’s Son, Jesus! God had a plan all along to send Jesus, to earth to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins and make the way for us to be in relationship with Him.

Many of us might already know all of these things and believe. But there might be others who do not know Jesus yet. Jesus came to save all of us and bring us into relationship with Him forever. He loves each and every one of us that much.

(Have the children bow their heads.) Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Give them a few minutes to talk with God. Then tell them that if they believe in their hearts Jesus is Lord, and haven’t already entered into relationship with Him, leaders will be around the room to pray with them.)

(After the kids have had a chance to talk with God, show them the container of water.) The Bible says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our [sins] from us” (Psalm 103:12). That is really far! This means that when we trust in Jesus and confess our sins, He takes them away from us.

Pass out the sugar cubes or dissolving paper and the pencils. If using the dissolving paper, encourage the kids to write a word or draw a picture symbolizing a sin (lying, stealing, being mean to someone, etc.) they want Jesus to take away. If using the sugar cubes, have them think of that sin. Then have the kids drop their papers or sugar cubes into the water, stir them with the spoon or ruler, and watch them dissolve.

This is a symbol of what Jesus did for you: He dissolved your sins, and they are forgotten and forgiven! In return, He gave you joy. He gave you relationship with God. He gave you eternal life. This is so wonderful; let’s celebrate!

Sing and dance with your kids to celebrate the fact that you’re a part of His story.

www.amazon.com

www.amazon.com

16

3.8


Reflect: The Big God StorySo many exciting and wonderful things happened in The Big God Story. In fact, it gets better and better the more we know about it. It’s amazing that God spent so much time weaving His story to bring His Son, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, into the world. It’s awesome that we get to be a part of God’s story too! Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we get to have a relationship with God! (Encourage children to look up the following verses in their Bibles.)

Questions for Younger Kids• What is something you really liked about The Big God Story?• How does it feel to know you’re a part of The Big God Story?• Who is the promised Redeemer? (Luke 1:67–69; Galatians 3:13)• What did Jesus do to redeem the world? (Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18)• Have you asked Jesus to be your Redeemer? If not, would you like to?

Questions for Older Kids• What stood out to you in The Big God Story?• How does it feel to know you’re a part of The Big God Story?• How did the relationship between God and the Israelites show how much God

loves the people He created? (Genesis 6:18; 17:7; 2 Samuel 7:23; Isaiah 48:17)• How does the promised Redeemer fit into The Big God Story? (Genesis 3:15;

12:3; 2 Samuel 7:13–16; Matthew 27—28)• What is a redeemer? What does it mean to redeem?• Who is the promised Redeemer? (Luke 1:67–69; Galatians 3:13)• What did Jesus do to redeem the world? (Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18)• Have you asked Jesus to be your Redeemer? If not, would you like to?

Engage: Take-Home TimelinesSUPPLIES• The Big God Story Images page (see Resource Files) • Blank Timeline page (see Resource Files)• scissors (1 pair)• glue sticks (1 per child) • optional: envelopes (1 per child)

SET UPPrint a copy of The Big God Story images for each child. (Optional: For younger children, cut apart the images and place each set in an envelope.) Also print one copy of the Blank Timeline for every two children, and cut the timelines apart so each child gets one.


A time to engage in relationship, reflect on the lesson with spiritual conversation, and/or create a meaningful project or piece of art.

Respond// 15–20 min. Small Group Leaders


Resource Tip“Picnic Games” activities are available for this lesson. Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users may find this resource in the Resource Files.

N O T E S :

17

3.8



ENGAGELead the kids through an experience of piecing together The Big God Story. Read through the following questions, and encourage the children to answer each one while the find the image that matches. After you confirm that they chose the right image, have them glue it to their timelines.

When the kids finish their timelines, encourage them to take the timelines home and share The Big God Story with their family and friends.

1. Where did The Big God Story begin? Answer: Garden of Eden. Image: Tree.

2. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve sinned and had to leave the garden. But God promised to send a ____. Answer: Redeemer. Image: Redeemer.

3. Generations after Adam and Eve sinned, all people on earth were evil. Who was the one man who remained faithful to God when everyone else was evil?Answer: Noah. Image: Ark.

4. Abraham and Sarah waited for God to give them a child. God promised that, through this child, He would build a nation that would show the whole world the ____ relationship between God and His people.Answer: Love. Image: Heart with “Relationship” inside it.

5. What was Abraham and Sarah’s miracle baby named? Answer: Isaac. Image: Baby.

6. How many sons did Jacob have?Answer: 12. Image: 12.

7. There was a great famine in Egypt, and one of Jacob’s sons kept his family alive. Who was it?Answer: Joseph. Image: Food with line drawn through it.

8. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for ____ years before they entered the Promised Land.Answer: 40. Image: 40.

9. What shepherd boy did God choose to be the second king of Israel? Answer: David. Image: Crown and sheep.

N O T E S :

18

3.8



10. For ____ years God didn’t speak to His people through prophets or judges.Answer: 400. Image: 400.

11. Finally, the Savior was born in Bethlehem! Who was He?Answer: Jesus. Image: Jesus.

12. Jesus died on the____ as the final sacrifice for all of our sin!Answer: Cross. Image: Cross.

13. Jesus conquered death when He rose from the dead three days later. What happened to His tomb?Answer: It was empty. Image: Empty tomb.

14. Jesus made a way for who to be a part of The Big God Story?Answer: You and me. Image: You and me.

15. The Big God Story doesn’t end here. It continues. We’re still waiting for Jesus to fulfill His promise to _____.Answer: Return. Image: Jesus on a horse.

N O T E S :

19

3.8



Bless// 5 min. Small Group Leaders


A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement or guidance.

Blessings can be offered in order to ask God’s Spirit to overflow from the child’s life to bless others or prayed over a child for the purpose of declaring God’s protection, joy, or wisdom.

As you bless your kids, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share the joy and love they have received from God.

Encourage the kids to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. Then open a Bible and read 1 John 4:9–12:

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Instruct kids to place their timelines on the floor in front of them as you bless them.

May you know how much God desires to have a love relationship with you, so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross as the final sacrifice for your sins. May you feel encouraged to know that you are a part of The Big God Story!

HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource: This magazine gives families ideas for creating fun, spiritually forming times in their homes—setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! As the new issue becomes available each month, you may choose to print them for families or encourage them to visit www.HomeFrontMag.com to subscribe to have the magazine sent directly to their inbox. HomeFront is also available as an app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week’s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God’s Word together before children arrive at church.

easter celebration bible passage: genesis—revelation...

Documents