god made a beautiful world january bible study for ... · pdf filegod made a beautiful...

God Made a Beautiful WorldGod Made a Beautiful World

B i b l e F o u n d a t i o n s 1

Teacher ResponsibilitiesEach JBS group needs a team ofteachers who will work together toplan each session. This group willwant to meet together and pray forthemselves and the children whowill be attending. Basically thereare two main responsibilities:

• Lead Teacher/Director - Thisteacher is designated as the “incharge” person for the group. Shewill conduct planning meetings,request and order supplies and co-ordinate each session. The leadteacher usually greets each child atthe classroom doorway and helpsintroduce each into an activity/learning center. She also leads thegroup time experiences with 3’s —Kgtn. and divides the responsibili-ties involved in each learning activi-ty/center among the other teachers.

• Teachers - These persons helpprepare for and lead each of theBible-learning activities/centers.

Preschool CharacteristicsThe best teachers are ones whoknow and understand preschoolers.Take a moment to remind yourselfabout some basic characteristics ofpreschoolers:

• They are “literal minded. Pre-schoolers do not understand sym-bolic terms like “God’s house,”“Lamb of God,” and “Word of God.”Teachers should use more concreteterms with preschoolers such as“church,” “Jesus,” and “Bible.”

• They are active learners. Mostadults can sit still for longer periodsof time and listen and learn.

Preschoolers need to be activelyinvolved in their learning process.

• They are “unique.” Each child isdistinctive and has special inter-ests, abilities, and needs. He alsohas his own particular personality.The most successful teachers offera variety of challenging activitiesand opportunities for learning.

Session ScheduleEach learning session is designedto be accomplished in a one to oneand one-half hour session. Theschedule for Babies — 2’s is dictat-ed by the needs of the preschool-ers for rest, nourishment and activi-ty. Bible-learning activities shouldbe interspersed throughout the ses-sion as the preschoolers are awakeand even while physical needs arebeing met.

The session for 3’s — Kgtn.begins with introductory activitiesand then transitions into a grouptime. Following group timepreschoolers are invited to choosefrom various Bible-learning centers.Clean-up time follows these activi-ties and transitions into a closinggroup-time.

Bible-verses and phrases, songsand conversation about the Biblestory should be shared throughoutthe entire session as preschoolersare involved in learning. Whensharing a Bible story during agroup-time, make sure the Bible isin your lap and you can tell thestory from memory.

Positive Guidance andRelationship Building

To lessen problems that occurwhen preschoolers are bored, planand provide a variety of activities.Be ready to start additional activi-ties if children get restless.Redirection of attention works best.

Plan group-time activities careful-ly. Alternate active and quiet activi-ties to help prevent preschoolersfrom getting too wiggly.

All teachers should sit with thechildren during group learningtimes. Sometimes a pat on thearm, a tap on the shoulder, or anod can help refocus a disruptivechild.

Remember that reacting in angerto a child’s misbehavior only wors-ens the situation. When correctinga child, label the action, not thepreschooler. Help him know whatis acceptable behavior. Stoop tothe child’s level and look directlyinto his eyes. You may reach outand gently hold a child’s arm or putyour arm around his shoulder. Usea calming voice. Encouragepreschoolers who can talk to usetheir words to communicate theirfeelings without hitting or kicking.

Foundational TeachingAs a teacher of preschoolers, youare in the business of “laying foun-dations” in their lives that God’sSpirit can build upon. You will intro-duce preschoolers to Jesus and thetruths found in the Bible. There isno more important job in Christianeducation.

4Welcome...

This teaching plan is designed to be used during your church’s January Bible Study. It is actually a unit from Bible Foundations, one of the LifeWay preschool lines of curricu-

lum. After using this unit with preschoolers at your church, you may choose to use Bible Foundations for preschoolers in your church setting on Sunday mornings and at other

times when quality Bible-learning is needed for preschoolers. Bible Foundations is listedon the “Dated” literature order form available by calling LifeWay Customer Service at 800-458-2772.

January Bible Study for Preschoolers

2002

Session 1

God Made a Wonderful WorldGod Made a Wonderful World

4PREPARE

Biblical Setting

Very basic to the Israelite faith was the belief

that God was Creator. The chronology of cre-

ation is recorded in the first chapter of

Genesis.

Bible Study for Leaders (Gen. 1:1-10)

In schools and churches there is much discus-

sion concerning creation and evolution. Did

God create a day to be as long as a geological

age? Did God only imagine the ideas for His

creation during a 24-hour period? Or did God

actually create everything during six 24-hour

periods? None of us will know the answers to

these questions until we meet the Lord.

B ib l e F o u n dat i on s : P r e s c h o o l Le a de r G u i de2

Personal Bible Study

The Beginning of Creation (Gen. 1:1-2)

What do we learn about God in verse one?

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

How did the writer of Genesis describe the uni-

verse in verse two?

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

The Creation of Day and Night (Gen. 1:3-5)

Look at verses 3 and 4 and compare them to

verses 14 through 18. What difference do you

see in these two passages?____________________

_________________________________________________

The light mentioned in verses three and four

appears to be a low light emitting only a hint

of difference from the extreme darkness.

Notice in verse five that there was morning and

evening. This may have been when God set the

earth on its axis. At some point the earth

began to rotate, giving us sunrise and sunset

and providing us with cyclic 24-hour days.

Why is this rotation of day to night and night

to day important to the creations in the follow-

ing days?_______________________________________

_________________________________________________

How does this rotation affect our world

today?__________________________________________

_________________________________________________

How would your life be different without this

cycle?__________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Light also is used throughout the Bible to

symbolize goodness. When God created light

on the first day, He cast out darkness which is

S e s s i o n 1

symbolic of evil. By this one simple act,

God possibly could have prepared the

angels for His supremacy over darkness

and evil.

The Creation of Earth and Water

(Gen. 1:6-8)

Verses six through eight tell us that God

separated the vapors to form the skies

and the waters. Have you taken a steam

bath or seen one in the movies? What are

the first sensations upon entering the tiny

enclosed space? Are you able to distin-

guish people or objects at first?___________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Perhaps this was the case before day

two. Only heavy mist and moisture hung

everywhere. This might be compared to a

giant greenhouse or rain forest.

Several years ago my family traveled to

the northwest coast of Washington. We

had heard so much about the Olympic

National Forest and its rain forests found

at Quinault. Upon arriving, we were eager

to put on our hiking boots and experience

this oddity. As we made our way down the

path deep into the rain forest, we became

aware of the quietness of the forest and

the shadowed hush of the gently-blowing

trees rising high into the sky. However, my

most vivid memory is of the heavy, cool

moisture that invaded deep into my bones.

That first day of creation could have felt

much like this until God separated the

mists into an arching sky and an expan-

sive body of water.

The Creation of Land and Sea

(Gen. 1:9-10)

In verse nine God looked at the waters

flowing. He instructed the waters to gath-

er in one place and the dry land to appear.

God was pleased as He saw soil and

rolling terrain easing into the lapping

waters of high and low tides. This is our

first indication of God giving a name to

one of His creations. What were the

names He gave to the waters and the

land?______________________________________

____________________________________________

Just as an artist stands back to admire his

completed work displayed on the easel, so

God looked at His creation and gained

great pleasure from His second day’s

work. It was magnificent—the heavens and

the earth! Each displayed such beauty and

creativity! Then God uttered those impor-

tant words, “It is good!”

When was the last time you worked on

a project or idea that made you stretch to

do things you had never tried? Did you

ever feel like quitting during the struggle?

What made you keep working toward your

goal?______________________________________

____________________________________________

As we work with preschoolers, we are

required to stretch to do things that often

are unfamiliar to us. We often feel like

quitting in the middle of a teaching com-

mitment! We usually do not see the results

of teaching preschoolers because we often

do not see them grow into adulthood. We

cannot personally witness our affect upon

them and eternity. What makes you keep

moving toward your goal? Why do you con-

tinue to prepare session after session for

these children? Do you feel that God has

chosen you to teach? What affect has

God’s call to teach preschoolers had on

you?_______________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Pray that God will inspire you to “keep

on keeping on” as you guide and teach

young children about God’s plan for their

lives.

Bible Truths in This Passage

• God created both light and darkness.

• God’s creation was “good.”

• God wants us to stretch outside our

comfort zone to accomplish His tasks.

• We need to trust God to help us teach

preschoolers.

SessionInformation

BIBLE STORY:

God Made a Wonderful

World

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 1:1-10

BIBLICAL TRUTH:

God made a beautiful world.

LIFE QUESTION:

How can I thank God for

the beautiful world He

made?

LIFE IMPACT:

I can see

God’s beautiful world.

BIBLE VERSES

AND PHRASES:

Babies—2’s

“God made the birds”

(Gen. 1:21).

“God made the water”

(Ps. 104:10).

3’s—Kindergarten

“God made the ocean and

the dry land”

(Ps. 95:5).

“The sun shines in the day”

(Ps. 136:8).

“God made the sun, the

moon, and the stars”

(Jer. 31:35).

3

ToysPlace one inch of lukewarm waterin the container. Remove Grace’sshoes and socks. Gently placeGrace’s feet into the water. Say,“Grace can see the water. Godmade the water.” Sing thesewords (tune “Row, Row, RowYour Boat”): “God, God madethe water. God made the water.Grace’s feet are in the water.Thank You, God, for water.”When Grace is finished, wipe herfeet with a towel and put hershoes and socks back on. Place aplastic apron around one-year-oldMaddie. Guide Maddie to pourthe water using the funnels andcups. Place towels on the floor tocatch any spills.

BooksPrepare homemade “feel” bookahead of time. Place the book on aquilt on the floor. Watch Toddcrawl to the book. Sit with Toddon the quilt. Invite him to feel thedifferent textures. Say: “Todd,God made the animals. Godmade the birds.Thank You,God, for thebirds.”

4


ENCOUNTER

Explore Bible Truths with Babies & 1’s

BibleConversation

for Babies and 1’sUse Bible conversation as

babies and ones are involved

in session activities.

• God made the birds.

• God made the water.

• God made a

beautiful world.

Teaching TipWhen talking to babies and

ones, speak clearly, do not

babble at the child. Talking

plainly will encourage and

foster appropriate language

development.

Before the Session:

• Pray for each child who willattend your session.• Gather the needed materials.• Review the Bible conversationfor babies and ones and the Biblestory for twos.

Greet: Calmly take Maddie fromher parents. Sing (tune “Mary HadA Little Lamb”): “Maddie is heretoday, here today, here today.Maddie is here today, I am happy.”

Guide infants to experience asmany learning activities as timeallows. Whisper to one-year-oldMaddie that she may choose toplay with objects in the water orglue a picture of birds on a piece ofpaper.

MusicIf a tape recording of nature

sounds is not available, make one

by recording different animal

sounds and running water. Locate

pictures of the recorded sounds

from magazines and outdated liter-

ature. Glue each picture to a piece

of poster board and cover it with

contact plastic.

While Evie is lying in her crib,

play the tape. When Evie hears a

bird on the tape recorder, hand her

the picture of a bird. Say: “Evie

can see the bird. God made thebirds.” Evie may place the picture

in her mouth. Be sure to sterilize

the picture with disinfecting solu-

tion prepared with bleach and

water before handing it to another

child.

GATHER:

Bible, small

container of water,

towels, plastic

apron, funnels

and cups

GATHER:

Bible; quilt; home-

made “feel” book

prepared by gluing

pieces of bumpy

bedspread fabric,

cotton balls, satin

fabric and sand

paper onto index

cards

GATHER:

Bible, tape recording of

different nature sounds,

tape recorder, pictures of

nature sounds, scissors,

glue, poster board, clear

contact plastic

S e s s i o n 1 5

Session 1

4

CONTINUE

• Note if a child took a nap, ate a snack,or had a diaper change.• Disinfect cribs and toys used duringthe session.

Explore Bible Truths with 2’sUse in addition to Explore Bible Truths with Babies & 1’s.

ArtPlace a smock on each child. Giveeach child a fish shape. Suggestthat the children use different col-ors of paint as they work. Becausesome children may have neverused watercolor paints, you willneed to model for them how touse a paintbrush. The preschoolersmight do better working with onecolor at a time. You can do this bycutting around the plastic thatholds the paints together. Say:“Kaitlynne, where do fish swim?Do fish swim in the water? Godmade the water. Thank You,God, for the water.”

HomelivingGive Amanda a sponge and spraybottle. Say: “Amanda, God madethe water. Can you wash the tablewith the water?” Sing (tune“Mulberry Bush”): “Amanda iswashing the table, washing thetable, washing the table. Amandais washing the table, Thank You,God, for water.”

PuzzlesIf a tape recording of naturesounds is not available, you canmake your own. Imitate thesounds of different animals,record running water, childrenplaying, and cars passing. Lay thepictures on the floor in front ofthe children. Ask Janie to listen toa sound on the tape and point tothe matching picture. (For exam-ple: If the sound on the recordingis a bird chirping, stop therecorder and see if Janie can findthe picture of the bird. Say, “Godmade the birds.”)

NatureTake the children on a naturewalk. Say: “Kevin, God madethe birds. Today we are goingoutside and look for birds.” Sing(tune “The Farmer in the Dell”):“God made the birds. Godmade the birds. Thank You, God,for making birds. God made thebirds.”

GATHER:

Bible

Bible Story for 2’s:Tell the Bible story in brief segments as twos are

involved in activities.

God planned the world to be a beautiful place for

people to live. God made the daytime and the

nighttime. God made the sun to shine in the day-

time and the moon and stars to shine at night.

God made the blue water. God made the ground

and green grass. God was happy.

GATHER:

Bible, smocks, fish

shapes cut from

white butcher paper,

watercolor paints,

paintbrushes, small

pan of water

GATHER:

Bible, sponges, spray

bottles, water, towels

GATHER:

Bible, tape recording of

nature sounds, tape

recorder, pictures of the

items heard on the

recording


SessionSchedulefor 3’s—Kindergarten:Introduce Bible Truths

(5-10 min)

Learn Together (10-15 min)

• Sing the song “A

Wonderful World.”

• Read a Bible verse.

• Hear a Bible story.

• Review the Bible story.

• Pray.

• Sing the song “God Made

the Sky.”

• Play a matching game.

Explore Bible Truths

(25-35 min)

• Build a bridge over a lake.

• Paint with sponges.

• Sort shapes.

• Play with sand and hear a

missions story.

• Play with sink or float

objects in water.

Clean Up (5 min)

Apply Bible Truths

(5-10 min)


Wonderful World.”

• Recall the Bible story.

• Hear a missions story.

• Review the missions

story.

• Read a book and draw

things God made.

Before the Session:• Read through the teaching suggestions forthe session.• Choose several Explore Bible Truths activi-ties to use that are appropriate for yourpreschoolers.• Gather the suggested materials.• Practice singing the suggested songs.• Review the Bible story.• Review the missions story.

Greet: Wear sunglasses as you greet Sam atthe door. Say: “Sam, I’m glad you came tochurch today. We are learning about the won-derful world God made. I’m wearing sun-glasses to remind you that God made thesun.” Invite Sam to join in the water play orsponge paint.

Introduce Bible TruthsChoose two of the suggested activities fromthe Explore Bible Truths activities to use asthe children arrive. (Note: Continue these twoactivities along with additional activities dur-ing the Explore Bible Truths activity time.)

Learn Together• Invite children to gather and sing (tune“London Bridge”): “What a big wonderfulworld, wonderful world, wonderful world;What a big wonderful world, God made forme.” Ask the children to name things Godmade.• Open the Bible to Jeremiah 31:35. State, “Averse in the Bible says, ‘God made the sun,the moon, and the stars.’ ” Invite the chil-dren to say the verse with you. Comment, “Inthe Bible story today we will learn about Godmaking our wonderful world.” Encourage thegirls and boys to listen and discover otherthings God made.• Open the Bible to Genesis 1 and tell theBible story in your own words.• Tell the boldfaced portions only for threesand younger fours.

God Made a Wonderful WorldScripture Reference: Genesis 1:1-10God made a wonderful world. In the begin-ning, God made the ocean (water).Everything was dark. So God said, “Letthere be light.” God made the light. Hecalled the light “day” and the darkness“night.” That was the first day. Then God

made air separate from the water. Godcalled the air “sky.” On the second day Godmade the sky. Then God made the dryland come out of the water. God called thedry land “earth” and the water “the seas.”God saw everything He had made. Godsaid everything that He made was good.God made the sun to give light in the day.God made the moon and stars to give lightat night.

God made the oceans, rivers, and lakes.God made water to drink. God madewater with which to bathe. God madewater in which to play. God made a won-derful world.

• Show a teaching picture of the sun, moonand stars (look through picture files at yourchurch). Inquire, “What did you hear in theBible story that God made?”• Invite the children to pray with you.Thank God for the sun, moon, stars, oceans,rivers, and lakes.• Sing these words (tune “God Is SoGood”): “God made the sky, God made thesky, God is so good, He’s so good to me!”Sing the song again, substituting oceans,rivers, sun, or moon for sky.• Place homemade Bible markers in theBible (one for each of the 3verses) and a match-ing picture for eachon the floor.Encourage apreschooler tochoose a pictureand find thematching Bibleverse in the Bible.Open the Bible andread, “The sunshines in theday.” Invitethe chil-dren to

4ENCOUNTER

S e s s i o n 1 7

Explore Bible Truths with 3’s—Kindergarten

GATHER:

Bible, scissors, blue

paper or foil, wooden

unit blocks, teaching

picture of things God

made

GATHER:

Bible, scissors, sponges,

glue, wood or plastic

spools, tempera paint,

aluminum pans,

butcher paper

GATHER:

Bible, scissors,

yellow and white

construction paper,

washable marker,

egg cartons or

paper cups

say the Bible verse with you.Continue the game until all thepictures are matched with Bibleverses.

Each activity is an opportunity to reinforce and cultivate Bibletruths. Provide as many Bible-learning activities as possible.

BlocksCut the blue paper or foil into theshape of a lake. Place it on thefloor in the Blocks center.Encourage Emily to use the blocksto build a bridge over the lake.Ask, “Emily, what is somethingyou heard in the Bible story thatGod made?” Mention, “In theBible we read, ‘God made theocean and the dry land.’ ” ShowEmily how to find the Bible verse.Show a teaching picture of thingsGod made.

ArtCut the sponges into sun, moon,and star shapes. Glue a spool ontoeach sponge shape. Pour variouscolors of paint into the aluminumpans. Invite Amber to pick up asponge shape by the spool handle,dip it in the paint, and gently pressit onto the paper. Mention, “TheBible states, ‘God made the sun,the moon, and the stars.’ ” Guidethe preschoolers to name otherthings that God made as they con-tinue to sponge paint on the butch-er paper.

PuzzlesCut four sun shapes out of yellowconstruction paper, four moonshapes out of white paper, and fourstar shapes out of white paper.Number the shapes one to four ineach group. Place the shapes on atable or on the floor near the egg

GATHER:

Bible; plastic tablecloth;

plastic dishpan, pitcher,

cup, strainer; sand;

picture of a resort area

(campsites, lake, etc.)

carton or paper cups. GuideMichael to find the sun shapesand place them in a paper cup oregg carton section. Open theBible and read, “The sun shinesin the day.” Instruct Michael tofind the moon shapes and placethem in another paper cup or eggcarton section. Repeat the processwith the star shapes. Say, “ThankYou, God, for making the sun,moon, and stars to give us light.”

For kindergartners lay theshapes in numerical order so thatthe numbers do not show. GuideMichael to choose two differentshapes. Turn them over to see ifthe numbers match. Say,“Michael, God made the sun, themoon, and the stars.” Continueplaying the game as long asMichael is interested.

MissionsSpread the tablecloth on the floor.Place the dishpan of sand, pitcher,cup, and strainer on the table-cloth. Encourage Alton to fill oneof the items with sand and thendump the sand back into the dish-pan. Comment, “Alton, see howthe sand changes shape as youpour it from one container toanother.” Talk about differentplaces we can find sand.

Invite Alton to look at the mis-sions picture. Talk about thebeautiful things that God madethat are shown in the picture. TellAlton the story of the resort areamissionary in your own words.Open the Bible and show his theverse “God made the ocean andthe dry land.” Pray, “Thank You,God, for the resort area mission-ary who tells other people aboutJesus.”

4

words.

“God made a beautiful world. Theworld that God made is made for us tobe able to tell other people about Jesus.When we look outside at all of thewonderful things God made, it shouldmake us happy and make us want totell others about who made all of thebeautiful things.

Missionaries who work at parkshave a very special job. Their job is toshare the beautiful things God madewith all the people who come to visitthe park. Missionaries who work inparks will ask people, ‘Whom do youthink made all the beautiful things inthe world?’

Telling other people about Jesus maysound easy for a park missionary, butthey have many other jobs as well.

We will hear this month about someof the exciting jobs that are done bymissionaries who work in a park.”• Ask, “Who can tell me where thismissionary works?” Pray, thankingGod for missionaries who tell othersabout Jesus in resort areas or parks.• Read a book showing the childrenpictures of things God made. Guide thechildren to name other things that Godmade. Post a piece of butcher paperand place markers nearby. Invite thechildren to take turns drawing picturesof things God made.

CONTINUE

• As preschoolers leave, invite them toremember this week as they ride in avehicle that God made a beautifulworld and ask them to share with younext week some of the things they haveseen.


Teaching 3’s—Kindergarten

GATHER:

Bible; dishpan of water;

sink-or-float items such as

a large rock, metal spoon,

toy car, leaf, plastic toy;

plastic tablecloth

NatureSpread the tablecloth on a table orthe floor. Place the half-filled basinof water on the tablecloth with thesink-or-float items. EncourageJennifer to guess if an object willsink or float before she puts it intothe water. Talk about the differentuses of water, such as drinking,bathing, playing, and washingclothes. Open the Bible and read,“God made the ocean and dryland.” Pray, thanking God for mak-ing water.

Clean Up: Guide the children toclean up. Thank Vanessa as she com-pletes a task. Remind her: “Godmade a wonderful world. He wantsus to enjoy it and take care of it.When we clean up, we help take careof God’s world.”

Apply Bible Truths• Sing these words (tune “LondonBridge”): “What a big wonderfulworld, wonderful world, wonderfulworld, What a big wonderful world,God made for me.”• Recall the Bible story by showingthe teaching picture of things Godmade.• Tell the missions story in your own

Session 2

God Made FoodGod Made Food4PREPARE

Biblical Setting

Today’s passage deals with the third day of cre-

ation. It was on this third day that God caused

the earth to become productive. Vegetation was

necessary to sustain life, which would follow

later in the week.

Bible Study for Teachers (Gen. 1:11-12,29-30;

2:17)

Our scripture today illustrates how much God

loves us. He showed this love by providing us

with a healthy diet—seeds, grains, and plants.

These ingredients, eaten alone or prepared

together, provide a complete diet for our

growth, nutrition, and health. Not only did God

provide the plants that could be harvested, but

He also provided a means of reproducing these

plants through seed.

God Created Vegetation (Gen. 1:11-12)

Notice the sequence of God’s creative work.

Each day built on the creation of the previous

day. List the events of days one, two, and three

(Genesis 1:1-13).

Day one:______________________________________

Day two:______________________________________

Day three:____________________________________

Describe the progression of God’s creation._____

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

In verse 11 God told the earth to bring forth,

or produce, vegetation. He designed the trees

and plants in a way to reproduce through seed.

Relate an experience when you watched some

kind of plant grow from a seed._________________

__________________________________________________

S e s s i o n 2 9


Have you given the preschoolers in your depart-

ment the opportunity to plant seed and watch

the growth from week to week? What can we

teach children about God and His world

through this activity?

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

God provided two types of plants—perennials

and annuals. We recently moved into a new

house. As we discussed designing our lawn

with the landscaper, I requested that we plant

a variety of species which would bloom from

early spring to late fall. He recommended

perennials instead of annuals. Perennials sprout

from the ground every year from the seed of

dying plants that have fallen to the ground the

previous year. Once they are planted, all they

need is sunshine and rain. Annuals, on the

other hand, must be planted from seed or

transplanted from tender seedlings each

spring. They have a longer growing season but

die when cold weather invades the air.

How does God’s creation remind us today of

His love and care?______________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Name some things or people in your life that

are constant reminders of God’s love for

you._____________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

God Provided Food (Gen. 1:29-30)

One of our Bible verses this week reads, “God

gives food to us.” Even before humans or ani-

mals were created, God made provision for

their sustenance. Read verses 29 and 30 to

find the extent of God’s provision.

B ib l e F o u n dat i on s : P r e s c h o o l Le a de r G u i de

God was very generous, supplying all

kinds of fruits, vegetables, and even meat.

He also was generous with His provision

for the animals—they could eat any of the

green plants.

How do plants survive the different sea-

sons? How do they know when to bloom

and exhibit their beauty to the world?

What tells them that it is time to die and

cast their seed to the air or to the ground

for reproduction?__________________________

____________________________________________

God, in His infinite wisdom, knew how

to create and reproduce beauty. We are

God’s hands, and He gave us an awesome

responsibility to teach preschoolers. We

need to inspire appreciation for the beauty

of His plant world. Offer experimentation

with different foods and textures to those

in your class each week as you broaden

their sensory perception.

Boys and girls need to know that when

God created the world, He was providing a

way to care for them. With conviction, we

can say to them, “God gives food to us.”

Why is this knowledge important to a

preschooler?_______________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Read Matthew 6:25-34 for evidence of

God’s love and care for us. Verse 25 says

not to worry about food, drink, or clothing.

If God provides food and shelter for birds

that do not work, how much more will He

provide for His children whom He made in

His own image. Young children can begin

to learn this concept, and it is our respon-

sibility as preschool teachers to teach

them that God gives food to us.

Take a few moments to think about the

other verses for this session. How do these

verses relate to preschoolers?

“God made the fruit” (Gen. 1:11).

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

“God made the trees” (Gen. 2:9).

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

“God made plants with seed” (Gen. 1:11).

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

“Give thanks to the Lord” (Ps. 107:1).

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Pray that God’s love will permeate the

lives of preschoolers and their families as

you share the wonders of God’s world with

them.


• God loves us.

• God provides for our needs through His

creation.

• God gives us food to eat.

• We need to learn to trust God to provide

for all our needs.

SessionInformation

BIBLE STORY:

God Made Food


Genesis 1:11-12,29-30; 2:17

BIBLICAL TRUTH:


LIFE QUESTION:



made?

LIFE IMPACT:

I can taste the

food God made.

BIBLE VERSES

AND PHRASES:

Babies—2’s

“God made the fruit”

(Gen. 1:11).

“God made the trees”

(Gen. 2:9).


“God made plants with

seed”

(Gen. 1:11).

“Give thanks to the Lord”

(Ps. 107:1).

“God gives food to us”

(Ps. 136:25).

10

S e s s i o n 2 11

4ENCOUNTER


BibleConversation




• God made the grass.

• God made the trees.


• God made the fruit.

Teaching TipFood is offered in several centers

today for babies and ones, twos,

and threes through kindergarten.

For each age group, be sure to

post an allergy poster.

Before the Session:• Prepare fruit for the session.• Arrive at church early to pre-pare your room before the firstchild arrives.• Prepare plenty of disinfectantsolution to clean cribs and toysafter the session.• Provide name tag strips foreach child and her bag.• Obtain special informationabout caring for each child’sneeds.

Greet: Place a basket of appleson a quilt near the door. WhenTodd arrives, show him a pic-ture of an apple. Say, “Todd,let’s see if we can find a realapple on the quilt.” Gently takeTodd from his mother’s arms.Todd might whimper, but hewill soon become interested inthe basket of fruit.

Provide as many activities aspossible to give each child theopportunity to make choices.

MusicCut pictures of fruit out of mag-azines. Glue the pictures in thejar lids. Tie a string around eachjar lid and place them in theBible. Watch Evie crawl towardthe Bible. Say: “Evie, the Bibletells us that God made thefruit. Thank You, God, for thefruit.” Sit by Evie and show herthe pictures of the fruit in the jarlids. Evie may enjoy carryingthe lids and hearing the soundthey make when they touch.

NatureEither mash or slice bananas andplace them in a bowl. Lay theplastic spoons nearby. GuideMaddie to pick up a spoon to useto taste the banana. You may needto help a baby hold the spoon offruit and get it to his mouth.While Maddie is tasting thebanana, show him the picture.Say: “Maddie, God made thefruit. God made the banana.Thank You, God, for the fruit.”Sing these words (tune “Row,Row, Row Your Boat”): “God,God, made the fruit, God madethe fruit. Thank You, God, for thefruit, God made the fruit.”

BooksSpread a blanket on the floor.Place the fruit in the basket. Setthe basket and books on the blan-ket. When Grace toddles towardthe fruit, show her a picture of anapple in a book. Ask, “Grace, canyou find the apple in the basket?”When Grace points to the apple,lay it on the picture in the book.Continue this procedure with eachpiece of fruit. Say: “God madethe fruit. God made the trees.God made the fruit to grow on thetrees. Thank You, God, for fruit.”

GATHER:

Bible, bowl, knife,

plastic spoons (one

per child), bananas,

picture of banana

GATHER:

Bible; blanket;

orange; apple;

banana; basket;

books with pictures

of oranges, apples,

and bananas

GATHER:

Bible, scissors,

pictures of fruit,

canning jar lids,

glue, string

4



Session 2

GATHER:

Bible, red ink pad, pic-

tures of a tree (one per

child), felt-tip marker

GATHER:

Bible, newspaper,

scoop, potting soil, plas-

tic cup for each child,

grass seed, spray bottle

of water, pictures of

growing plants

GATHER:

Bible, paper plates,

knife, oranges,

bananas, apples

ArtIf an ink pad is not available, usesponges saturated with red tem-pera paint. Print at the bottom ofeach tree picture “God made thetrees.”

Invite Kevin to press a fingeron the ink pad and then onto thepicture of a tree to make an apple.Say: “Kevin, God made thetrees. God made apples to growon trees. Thank You, God, forapples.”

NaturePlace the newspaper on the table.Model for Mandy how to scoopdirt into a cup. Give her a handfulof grass seed to sprinkle in hercup. Help Mandy cover the seedwith dirt and spray it with water.While she is working, show herthe pictures of growing plants.Place the children’s plants in thewindow and water them through-out the week. Say: “God made thegrass. God made the trees.” Singthese words (tune “The Farmer inthe Dell”): “God made the grass.God made the tree. God madethe fruit, and God made me.”

HomelivingBefore the first child comes to thecenter, peel the fruit and cut intobite-size pieces. Set a plate foreach child on a table. Give thechildren samples of the differentkinds of fruit. Say, “Janie, whomade the fruit?” If Janie does notanswer, say, “God made thefruit.” Ask who would like tothank God for the fruit. Give eachchild a turn to pray.

PuzzlesLay the pictures on the floor with

the basket of fruit nearby. Ask

Kaity to look in the basket for a

piece of fruit that looks like the

picture of an apple. Model this

process for the rest of the pictures.

Say: “God made the fruit.Kaity, what is your favorite kind

of fruit?” When Kevin joins you,

start the game again.

GATHER:

Bible; pictures of

apples, bananas,

oranges, grapes,

pears; basket;

apples; bananas;

oranges; grapes;

pears

Bible Story for 2’s:Tell the Bible story in brief segments as twos

are involved in activities.

God made a wonderful world. God made green

grass. He made plants. He made some plants

to grow food for people and animals to eat.

God made trees that grow food. He made

trees where birds could build their nests.

God made good food for us. God liked every-

thing that He made.

CONTINUE• Disinfect all cribs and toys that wereused during the session.• Contact children that you know ofwho are in this age group but have notbeen attending January Bible Study.Invite them and their family to be a partof the study.

S e s s i o n 2 13

4ENCOUNTER


(5-10 min)



Wonderful World.”




• Pray.


Our Food.”

• Play a game with Bible

markers.


(25-35 min)

• Tear and glue paper.

• Make orange juice.

• Match seed with fruit.

• Work a sequence puzzle.

• Wash vegetables.

Clean Up (5 min)

Apply Bible Truths

(5-10 min)


Wonderful World.”




story.

• Read a book and play out

eating fruit and vegeta-

bles.

Before the Session:• Read the teaching suggestions for thesession.• Select Explore Bible Truths activities touse.• Gather the suggested materials.• Practice singing the suggested songs.• Review the Bible story.• Review the missions story.

Greet: Hold a bunch of bananas as yougreet Kimberly. Say: “Kimberly, today weare learning about God making food forus. I am glad you are here today. I’m hold-ing these bananas to remind us that Godmade food.” Invite Kimberly to makeorange juice or wash fruit and vegetables.

Introduce Bible TruthsChoose two of the suggested activities fromthe Explore Bible Truths activities to use asthe children arrive. (Note: Continue thesetwo activities along with additional activi-ties during the Explore Bible Truths activi-ty time.)

Learn Together• Invite children to gather and sing thesewords (tune “London Bridge”): “What abig wonderful world, wonderful world,wonderful world, What a big wonderfulworld, God made for me.” Ask thepreschoolers to name things God made.• Open the Bible to Psalm 136:25. State,“A verse in the Bible reads, ‘God givesfood to us.’ ” Invite the children to repeatthe verse with you. Then ask them to listento the Bible story to learn what God madefor food.• Open the Bible to Genesis 1 and tell theBible story in your own words.• Tell the boldfaced portions only forthrees and younger fours.

God Made FoodScripture Reference: Genesis 1:11-12,29-30; 2:17God made a wonderful world. On thethird day God said, “Let the earth makeplants. Some plants will make grain forseed. Some plants will make fruit with seed

in it. Every seed will make more plantsjust like them.” And that is how it hap-pened, just like God said it would. Theearth made plants. Some plants madegrain for seed. Some plants made fruit withseed in it. Every seed made more plantsjust like them. God saw what He madeand said it was good.

God told the people to see the food Hehad made for them. He told them to seethe plants that make grain for seed and theplants that make fruit with seed in them.God told them: “All this food is for you.I have made green plants for the animalsto eat. There is food for you and all thewild animals, all the birds that fly, andall the small crawling animals.”Everything God made was very good.

• Show the boys and girls a picture of dif-ferent kinds of foods. Encourage thepreschoolers to name some of the foodsthat God made. Ask the children to namethe color and shape of each food men-tioned.• Invite the children to pray with you,thanking God for fruit and vegetables.Give the girls and boys opportunities tothank God for their favorite foods.• Sing these words (tune “God Is SoGood”): “God made the orange, Godmade the orange, God is so good, He’s sogood to me!” Sing the song again, substi-tuting pear, peach, beans, or corn fororange.• Place Bible markers in the Bible foreach of today’s verses and matching pic-tures on the floor. Encourage a preschool-er to choose a picture and find the match-ing Bible verse in the Bible. Open theBible and read, “God made plants withseed.” Invite the children to repeat theBible verse with you. Continue until allthe pictures are matched with Bible vers-es.



GATHER:

Bible, various colors of

construction paper,

glue, paper, picture of

various kinds of foods

GATHER:

Bible, allergy alert

poster, scissors, tape,

knife, oranges, cups,

spoon

Each activity is an opportunity toreinforce and cultivate Bibletruths. Provide as many Bible-learning activities as possible.

ArtPlace several colors of construc-tion paper in the Art center. GuideMichele to choose a sheet of herfavorite color. She may then tearthe paper into a shape. InviteMichele to glue the shape ontoanother sheet of constructionpaper. Encourage her to name thecolor and a fruit or vegetable thatis the same color. Show Michelethe picture of foods. Talk about thefood in the picture that God made.Show her the Bible verse and say,“The Bible says, ‘God gives foodto us.’ ”

Help the kindergarten child findthe Bible verse. Instruct him totear additional pieces of paperfrom different colors of construc-tion paper and glue the pieces ontohis paper. Ask him to continue toname fruit or vegetables thatmatch the color he chooses.

DramaticPlayPlace the allergy poster on thedoor to alert parents that the chil-dren will be tasting orange juice.Cut a hole in the top of an orangeand encourage Emily to squeeze itover her cup so that the juice willdrop into the cup. Remove anyseed with the spoon. Say, “Godmade the seed to plant so thatmore oranges will grow.” ShowEmily the verse in the Bible thatsays “God made plants withseed.” Invite Emily to drink theorange juice. Pray, thanking Godfor making oranges.

GATHER:

Bible, knife, watermelon,

apple, cantaloupe,

peach, paper towels,

spoon

GATHER:

Bible, picture of resort

area (make sure the pic-

ture shows trees), a

homemade sequence

puzzle made on index

cards; on the first, draw

a seed, on the second, a

small plant, on the third,

a small tree, and on the

fourth, a large tree)

PuzzlesCut each fruit in half. Place thefruit halves on paper towels. Usethe spoon to remove the seed andplace it on paper towels. GuideSam to choose a seed and then tryto match the seed to the correctfruit. Comment: “God made fruitwith seed so that we can plantthem and more fruit will grow.The Bible says, ‘God madeplants with seed.’ ” Continue tomatch fruit with seed. Pray,“Thank You, God, for fruit andseed.”

Kindergartners can use mark-ers and paper to trace around thefruit and then trace around theseed that goes with that fruit.

MissionsPlace the missions picture in themissions center area. InviteMichael to find the picture andpoint out the trees. Say: “Godmade plants with seed. Whenwe plant seeds, another plantgrows.” Ask Michael to find thesequence puzzle cards.Encourage him to place the cardsin the correct order showing atree’s growth from seed. AskMichael what kinds of foodgrows on trees.

Talk about the missionary,what he does, and where he lives.Ask, “What kind of trees do youthink grow in Hawaii?” ThankGod for making trees, especiallytrees that make food. Mention,“The Bible says, ‘Give thanks tothe Lord.’ ” Express thanks formissionaries and trees that givefood.

Note:

Be sure to super-vise this activityclosely so that apreschooler will

not consume theseed.


4

There are many people who visitHawaii each year.

Missionaries who tell peopleabout God in places like Hawaiisometimes have an easy job to showpeople all of the good things Godhas made.”

• Review the missions story by ask-ing the children questions. Pray,thanking God for missionaries whotell people about Jesus.• Read a book to the children aboutgood food to eat. As you read thebook, ask the children to name thethings on each page that God made.Then guide the children to namefood that God made. Ask for a vol-unteer to play out eating a certainfood while the rest of the groupguesses what she is eating. Offersuggestions if necessary. Whenevery child has had an opportunity toplay out eating, pray, “Thank You,God, for good food.”

CONTINUE

• Remember to thank God for eachmeal or snack you eat this week.• Remind preschoolers as theydepart that God made the good foodfor them to taste and when they eatthey should always remember tothank God for the good food.

GATHER:

Bible, plastic dishpan, plas-

tic tablecloth, various fruits

and vegetables, towel

NatureSpread the tablecloth on a table orthe floor. Fill the dishpan half fullof water and set it on the table-cloth. Place the fruit and vegeta-bles on the tablecloth.

Encourage Amber to wash apiece of fruit with water and dry itwith a towel. Comment, “Godmade food for you to eat.” AskAmber to name her favorite fruitand vegetable. Thank God formaking good food for us to eat.Open the Bible and read, “Givethanks to the Lord.”

Clean Up: Thank Vanessa as sheputs away an object. Remind her:“God made a wonderful world.When we clean up, we help takecare of God’s world.”

Apply Bible Truths• Sing these words (tune “LondonBridge”): “What a big wonderfulworld, wonderful world, wonder-ful world, What a big wonderfulworld, And God made me.”• Recall the Bible story by show-ing the picture of various kinds offoods. • Comment, “Some missionariestell people about Jesus while theyenjoy God’s wonderful world.”Hold the picture of the resort areaso that the children can see it andtell the missions story in your ownwords.

“Some missionaries work in resortareas. Resort areas are part of

the world where people liketo go to visit. Resort areasare good places to showpeople all of the beautifulthings God made.

One resort area is thestate of Hawaii.

Missionaries who work inHawaii are able to tell manypeople about God.

Hawaii is an island, com-pletely surrounded by water.

15S e s s i o n 2

Session 3

God Made AnimalsGod Made Animals4PREPARE

Biblical Setting

Following the creation of vegetation, God creat-

ed every species of animal. He enabled all living

creatures to reproduce and classified them

according to their habitats.

Bible Study for Teachers (Gen. 1:20-25;

2:19-20a; Ps. 104:17-25)

The miracle of reproduction, gestation, and the

birth of a child or animal is incredible. To be

able to watch a child or animal grow and

mature is one of the greatest gifts of God. God,

in His infinite wisdom, even planned for babies

of all species to have certain characteristics

that inspire nurturing in each adult species. The

spacing of their eyes, the height of their fore-

heads, as well as their little round faces incite

something deep within the adult species to



want to nourish and nurture these little, wrig-

gling bundles.

Describe a personal experience that relates

to the birth of a child or animal.______________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

How did this experience affect your rela-

tionship with God?____________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Animals Created (Gen. 1:20-25)

We often hear sermons and Sunday School

lessons on the attributes of God. List some of

His characteristics.____________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Think of the wonder of God’s infinite imagi-

nation! His creation is so varied; it includes

such things as:

• feathers, fins, and feet;

• wings, whiskers, and webbed feet;

• animals large and animals small;

• swimming animals, flying animals, and run-

ning animals;

• animals crawling on the ground and animals

swinging in the treetops;

• beautiful animals basking in the sun and

strange-looking animals appearing only in

the dark;

• soft animals gently preening themselves in

the sunshine and prickly animals fearlessly

walking through the grasses; and

• animals that delight the onlooker and ani-

mals that warn of their sting.

God did not stop His creativity with the cre-

ation of the animals. He was not only pleased

with His work, but He wanted this work to

S e s s i o n 3

last for centuries. He provided a means of

reproducing these same magnificent crea-

tures and gave the female instincts for

preservation of life.

Recently the San Diego Zoo broadcast

to the world that they had a new baby

Panda bear, the first ever born in captivity

that survived. For weeks the scientists and

zoologists watched the protective mother

feed and care for her tiny offspring.

Mother would not even leave the infant

alone long enough to eat. Finally, after

four weeks she began to leave for short,

intermittent periods in order to eat. These

instincts did not just happen! God’s cre-

ativity is truly a wonder!

Animals Named (Gen. 2:19-20a)

It is interesting that God Himself did not

actually name the animals. Instead, He

brought all of the creatures to Adam for

him to name. We can assume that Adam

also had a great imagination! In this act,

God gave Adam the responsibility of caring

for the animals and authority over them.

How does this relate to us today?_________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Apply these principles to the girls and

boys in your department.___________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

God did, however, separate the animals

into three broad categories. Read verse

20a and list the three different groups of

animals.____________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Animal Dwellings (Ps. 104:17-25)

Here we find evidence of God’s continued

concern for the welfare of all creatures.

What common denominator is mentioned

in these verses?___________________________

____________________________________________

God not only planned each species to

exist, reproduce, and nurture, but He also

provided a perfect place for each to live

and a means of nourishment. These homes

might be in the tops of trees, along the

rugged crests of mountains, under huge

boulders, or in the open plains. One animal

builds its own bed and another carries its

home on its back; one chases its next

meal and another searches for a juicy leaf

on a nearby tree.

What does verse 22 tell us about ani-

mals?______________________________________

____________________________________________

They are to commune with their kinfolk.

Each is supposed to spend time with its

family. As we observe animals in their nat-

ural habitat, they do chase and search for

their food, but then they return to their

homes.

As we minister to preschoolers and their

families in this busy world, we can help

parents understand that their “young” need

them. What are some ways that you as a

teacher of preschoolers can accomplish

this?_______________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Children love animals. As you plan the

Bible-learning centers for this session, ask

God to show you how to tap into the imag-

ination and enthusiasm of each child in

your department.


• God has a plan for children.

• God created various forms of life, and all

of them are wonderfully made.

• God has given us a responsibility to care

for our preschoolers.

• God continues to provide for our every

need.

SessionInformation

BIBLE STORY:

God Made Animals


Genesis 1:20-25; 2:19-20a;

Psalm 104:17-25

BIBLICAL TRUTH:


LIFE QUESTION:



made?

LIFE IMPACT:

I can care for the animals

God made.

BIBLE VERSES

AND PHRASES:

Babies—2’s

“God made the fish”

(Gen. 1:21).

“God made the birds”

(Gen. 1:21).


“God made the animals”

(Gen. 1:25).

“Give thanks to the Lord for

He is good”

(Ps. 107:1).

“The birds have nests”

(Matt. 8:20).

17

4


ENCOUNTER


BibleConversation




• God made a wonderful

world.

• God made the fish.


• God made the animals.

Teaching TipSing to your preschoolers.

It does not matter to themif the song is on pitch ornot. Preschoolers love to

hear singing, and this is agreat way to stimulate and

pass on biblical words.

Before the Session:• Pray for each child in yourdepartment.• Read and prepare the teachingsuggestions for the session.• Gather the needed materials.• Review the Bible conversationfor babies and ones and the Biblestory for twos.

Greet: When Maddie arrives,greet her with a warm smile andoutreached hands. Take Maddie’sdiaper bag and ask her mom forspecial instructions. Record theinstructions on the schedule cardnear her bed.

Babies love to hear songsabout animals or sounds animalsmake. This is a great opportunityto teach babies that God madethe fish and God made thebirds. Sing songs about animalswhile the children are in theBible-learning centers.

MusicPrior to the session cut picturesout of magazines or outdated lit-erature of the animals that can beheard on the cassette tape. If acassette tape of animal sounds isnot available, you can make yourown tape.

As you hold Evie in your lap,sing these words (tune “OldMacDonald”): “God made manyanimals, ee-i-ee-i-oh. And on theearth He made a cow, ee-i-ee-i-oh. With a moo moo here and amoo moo there, Here a moo,there a moo, Ev’rywhere a moomoo. God made many animals,ee-i-ee-i-oh.” When Evie hearsthe dog barking on the tape, showher the picture of the dog. Say:“Evie, God made the dog. ThankYou, God, for the animals.”

ToysIf large plastic animals are notavailable, glue pictures of animalsonto small milk cartons. Place theanimals on a carpet square on thefloor. Set the dish of water on thecarpet square next to the animals.

As Todd picks up the cow fig-ure, say: “Todd, can you give thecow a drink of water? God madethe cow. God made water for thecow to drink. Thank You, God,for taking care of the cows.”Repeat with each animal Toddchooses.

When one-year-old Mandyjoins you, say: “Mandy, what dopuppies like to eat? We can takecare of puppies by giving themfood and water.”

NatureBefore the session fill the bottlethree-fourths full of water. Placethe fish in the bottle and securethe lid with duct tape. Lay thebottle in the center of the room.

As Janie crawls toward the fish,say, “God made the fish. ThankYou, God, for the fish.” WhileJanie touches the bottle andwatches the fish, sing these words(tune “Row, Row, Row, YourBoat:): “Swim, swim, swim, fish,Swim in the bottle! Janie can seethe fish swim, Swim, swim fish.”

When Janie tires of watchingthe fish swim, show her the bookabout animals. Guide her to turnthe pages of the book.When shesees the bird, say: “God madethe birds. Thank You, God, forthe birds.”

GATHER:

Bible, large plastic

animals, carpet

square, small plas-

tic dish of water

GATHER:

Bible; clear, plastic

one-liter bottle

with lid; water;

goldfish; duct tape;

a children’s book

about animals that

includes a picture

of a bird

GATHER:

Bible, cassette

tape player, cas-

sette tape of ani-

mal sounds, pic-

tures of animals on

the cassette tape

S e s s i o n 3 19

Session 3

4

CONTINUE

• Disinfect the cribs and toys used dur-ing the session.


ArtPrior to the session photocopy a draw-ing of a barn for each child. HandCaroline a picture of the barn and afew animal stickers. Help her removethe stickers from the paper and say:“Caroline, you can put the animalsinside the barn or on the outside of thebarn. God made the animals.Caroline can take care of the animalsGod made.” Caroline may enjoy col-oring the barn, grass, and sky as shechooses.

HomelivingShow Kevin and Mandy the plantsfrom last week. Say: “We can takecare of the plants and animals. Whatdo you think our plants need?” WhenMandy says that they need water,hand her the spray bottle of water.After the friends water their plants,show them pictures of animals. Say:“Some animals eat plants for food.Thank You, God, for the animals.”

NatureBefore the session fill the bottle three-fourths full of water. Place the fish inthe bottle and secure the lid with ducttape. Open the Bible to Genesis 1and place it and the goldfish on thenature table.

When Grace begins to explore,point to Genesis 1:21 and say,“The Bible tells us that Godmade the fish. Thank You,God, for making the fish.”Sing these words (tune“Row, Row, Row YourBoat”): “Swim, swim, swim,fish, Swim in the bottle!Grace can see the fishswim, Swim, swimfish.”

BlocksWhen Kaity comes to play withthe blocks, guide her to build abarn for the animals. Say: “Kaity,we can care for the animals Godmade. Thank you, Kaity, for tak-ing care of the animals. ThankYou, God, for making animals.”Repeat with each animal thatKaity chooses.

GATHER:

Bible; clear, plastic

one-liter bottle with

lid; water; goldfish;

duct tape

GATHER:

Bible, blocks, toy

animals



God looked at the world that He had made. He

saw the blue sky and green grass. He saw the

blue waters. Then God made the birds. He made

different kinds and colors of birds. Next, God

made big animals like horses and cows and small

animals like cats and dogs. And God made the

fish. He made different colors and sizes of fish.

God was happy. He gave the animals water to

drink and grass to eat. God took care of the ani-

mals.

GATHER:

Bible, an outline picture

of a barn, animal stick-

ers, crayons

GATHER:

Bible, children’s plants

from last week, spray

bottle of water, pictures

of animals



(5-10 min)



Wonderful World.”




• Pray and sing the song

“God Made the Animals.”

• Match animal pictures

with Bible verses.


(25-35 min)

• Play with animal stand-up

figures.

• Play out being animals.

• Match animal pictures.

• Work a sequence puzzle.

• Pet and care for an ani-

mal.

Clean Up (5 min)

Apply Bible Truths

(5-10 min)


Wonderful World.”



• Talk about animals that

live where the missionary

works.

• Read a book and play an

animal game.

Before the Session:• Read the teaching suggestions for the ses-sion.• Choose Explore Bible Truths activities thatwill engage your preschoolers in learning.• Gather the suggested materials.• Practice singing the suggested songs.• Review the Bible story.• Review the missions story.

Greet: Display an allergy poster on the outsideof the door, alerting parents to the type of petin the room today. Hold a pet or a picture of apet as you greet Emily at the door. Bend to herlevel and say: “I’m glad you came to churchtoday, Emily. We are learning about animalsthat God made.” Invite Emily to pet the ani-mal.

Introduce Bible TruthsChoose two of the suggested activities from theExplore Bible Truths activities to use as thechildren arrive. (Note: Continue these twoactivities along with additional activities dur-ing the Explore Bible Truths activity time.)

Learn Together• Invite children to gather and sing thesewords (tune “London Bridge”): “What a bigwonderful world, wonderful world, wonderfulworld, What a big wonderful world, God madefor me.” Ask the preschoolers to name thingsGod made.• Open the Bible to Genesis 1. Comment, “Averse in the Bible reads, ‘God made the ani-mals.’ ” Invite the children to say the versewith you. Comment: “In today’s Bible storywe will learn about God making animals forour wonderful world. Listen carefully for someof the animals God made.”• Open the Bible to Genesis and tell the Biblestory in your own words.• Tell the boldfaced portions only for threesand younger fours.

God Made AnimalsScripture Reference: Genesis 1:20-25;

2:19-20a; Psalm 104:17-25God made a wonderful world. On the fifthday God said: “Fill the water with livingthings. Let the birds fly in theair.” God made large ani-mals which live in thesea. God filled the sea

with living things. The sea animals makemore animals just like them. The birdsmake more birds just like them. Godsaw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let there be wild ani-mals, tame animals, and little crawlinganimals.” God told them to make moreanimals like themselves. So God madewild animals like lions. God madetame animals for pets like dogs andcats. God made little crawling animalslike ants. God told them to make moreanimals just like themselves. And Godsaid it was good.

God planned for the birds to maketheir nests. God made the goats to livein the high mountains. God made thewild animals to come out at night. Godmade lions to roar. God made the lionsto sleep in the daytime. God made somany animals that we cannot countthem all. God made animals part ofthe wonderful world for you and me.

• Show the boys and girls a teaching pic-ture of animals (look in a picture file atchurch). Inquire, “What did God make?”Continue naming animals as long as thechildren are interested.• Invite the girls and boys to pray, thank-ing God for the animals. Sing these words(tune “God Is So Good”): “God made theant, God made the ant, God is so good,He’s so good to me!” Sing the song again,substituting dog, cat, bird, or fish for ant.• Place Bible markers for today’s versesin the Bible and the matching pictures onthe floor. Encourage a preschooler tochoose a picture and find the matchingBible verse in the Bible. Open the Bibleand read, “The birds havenests.” Invite the children torepeat the Bible versewith you. Continueuntil all the pic-tures are matchedwith Bible vers-es.

4ENCOUNTER

S e s s i o n 3 21


GATHER:

Bible, scissors, home-

made stand-up figures

of family members and

animals, clear contact

plastic, spray can lids,

play dough, teaching

picture showing ani-

mals

GATHER:

Bible

GATHER:

Bible, scissors, pictures

from magazines or cata-

logs of adult animals and

their young

Each activity is an opportunity toreinforce and cultivate Bibletruths. Provide as many Bible-learning activities as possible.

BlocksPrior to the session cut out thefamily and animal stand-up figuresand cover them with clear contactplastic. Tape or glue them to spraycan lids filled with play dough.

Place the stand-up figures in theBlock center. As Amber plays withthe animals, talk about what kindof care and shelter each animalneeds. Open the Bible to Genesis 1and say, “In the Bible we read,‘God made the animals.’ ”

Prepare for the kindergartenchild by placing a marker in theBible at Genesis 1:25 and high-lighting the verse. Help Amber findthe Bible verse. As you read theverse together, point out the ani-mals that God made in the teach-ing picture .

DramaticPlayPlay the game “Follow theLeader” by mimicking differentanimals. Encourage Sam to followyou around the room as you hoplike a kangaroo, crawl and barklike a dog, or flap your arms like abird. Comment, “The Bible states,‘Give thanks to the Lord for Heis good.’ ” Guide the preschoolersto name other animals God madeand mimic each animal. Invite thechildren to take turns leading thegroup around the room.

GATHER:

Bible, scissors, sequence

puzzle that was used

with 2’s, glue, foam

board, electric knife, pic-

ture of resort area

PuzzlesCut out pictures of five or sixadult animals and their matchingyoung. Scatter the pictures on atable or on the floor in thePuzzles center.

Invite Michael to choose a pic-ture. Ask him to name the animal,what it might eat, where it mightlive, and if it is an adult animal ora young animal. Encourage himto find the matching picture.

Open the Bible and read, “Godmade the animals.” Continue inthis manner until all the animalpictures are matched. Say,“Thank You, God, for making theanimals.”

MissionsGlue the pieces of the sequencepuzzle to the foam board. Thencut out the foam board pieceswith an electric knife. Lay thepuzzle pieces on a table or thefloor.

Briefly review the missionsstory. Mention that trees grow inan area like where the missionar-ies work. Guide Jennifer to findthe picture and the puzzle pieces.Explain: “Let’s explore howtreess grow. Jennifer, place thepictures in the correct order thatwould show how a tree grows.”

Open the Bible and showJennifer the verse “Give thanksto the Lord for He is good.”Talk about different kinds oftrees. Name animals that live inthe trees. Talk about animals thatmissionaries might see in theresort area.

4

a special job to do. God wants all peo-ple to be able to tell someone aboutHim.

Sometimes missionaries in resortareas work on farms. The jobs offeeding and watering cows are veryimportant for missionaries who workin some areas. Cows are important formilk and food. Missionaries who helpraise the cows are thankful for thethings God has given them to do.”

• Brainstorm some animals that mightbe in various resort areas where mis-sionaries work.• Read a children’s book about ani-mals. Make sure the children see thepictures. Guide the children to nameother animals God made. Invite achild to mimic an animal while theother children guess what the animalis. Continue the game until each childhas an opportunity to make an animalsound.

CONTINUE

• Offer to care for an animal of a sickfriend this week.• Encourage preschoolers to offer tocare for an animal of someone goingout of town, or a neighbor who coulduse an extra hand.



GATHER:

Bible, allergy alert poster,

pet or pictures of a pet, pet

food, food bowl, water bowl

NaturePlace the allergy poster on the out-side of the department door if youchoose to have a live pet in yourroom. If you know a child in yourclass is allergic to pets, bring pic-tures of pets to explore instead of alive animal. Place the food, foodbowl, and water bowl on the floor.

Guide the preschoolers to pourfood and water into the properbowls. Open the Bible and read“The birds have nests.” Pray,“Thank You, God, for animals.”

Clean Up: As the preschoolersclean up, remind them: “God madea wonderful world. He wants us toenjoy it and take care of it. Whenwe clean up, we help take care ofGod’s world.”

Apply Bible Truths• Sing these words (tune “LondonBridge”): “What a big wonderfulworld, wonderful world, wonderfulworld, What a big wonderfulworld, And God made me.”• Recall the Bible story by show-ing the picture of the animals fromthe teaching picture.• Comment, “Some missionariestell people about Jesus while theyenjoy God’s wonderful world.”Encourage the children to tell youwhat they remember about the mis-sionaries.

“Resort area missionaries arethankful for the jobs God has

given them to do. When theresort area missionaries are

not telling others aboutJesus, they sometimeswork at other jobs.

Other kinds of mission-aries have to have otherjobs, too. Some missionar-ies work as pastors in

churches, while others havejobs like building or selling

clothes or cars.God has given each missionary

Session 4

God Made PeopleGod Made People4PREPARE

Biblical Setting

We have seen in our study of the natural world

this month that each day of creation was built

on the previous day. The climax of God’s cre-

ation on the sixth day was man and woman.

Bible Study for Teachers (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:16-24;

3:6,20-21; 4:1-2,25)

Although God declared all that He had created

was good, it was not enough. Why did God cre-

ate Adam? What can we learn about God

through this creative act?_______________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

The First Man (Gen. 1:26-27)

Verse 26 gives us a glimpse of God’s plan when

He created Adam. List the different elements.

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

God did not want just a gardner—He also

desired fellowship with His created beings.

What does being created in the image of God

mean to you?___________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

The First Woman (Gen. 2:18-24)

Adam must have been extremely busy each day,

tending the animals and plants. Surely he

talked with God as he went about his chores.

But God saw inside Adam’s soul and knew that

he was lonely. Describe a time in your life when

you were lonely._________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

S e s s i o n 4 23


When my daughter went to college, she

was overwhelmed by the 50,000 students on

campus. One could certainly get lost in the

crowd! Nevertheless, God knew where she

was and cared about her loneliness. Is there a

preschooler in your department who seems

lonely? How can you touch that need this

Sunday? The Bible verse “God made me” is a

very personal statement. How can you make

this real to a lonely child?_____________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

It is important to realize that God sees

inside our souls, and He knows us just as He

knew Adam. He knows the preschoolers who

are in your class, and He knows what they

need.

Verses 21 to 25 describe how God resolved

Adam’s loneliness—He created a helper. She

was not a servant to Adam; she completed

him. Read verse 23 and describe Adam’s

response to her._______________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

The First Sin (Gen. 3:6,20-21)

Read Genesis 2:16-17. What did God provide

for Adam and Eve, and what limitation did He

give them?____________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

With only one restriction, Adam and Eve

still did not obey their Creator. When God

appeared later in the day anticipating His

usual time of communicating with them, He

B ib l e F o u n dat i on s : P r e s c h o o l Le a de r G u i de

found them hiding. He knew what they had

done! How grieved He must have been over

their blatant disregard for His instructions.

Yet, did He destroy them? List their pun-

ishment in verses 16 through 18.___________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

God declared a punishment that fit the

crime. As you work with preschoolers each

week, look for opportunities to guide them

in a positive manner. Make sure the conse-

quence fits the behavior.

Do the children you teach delight you

with their behavior and witticisms? We

must allow children to be children—they

are not adults in small bodies. And even

adults are not perfect! One of the Bible

verses for this week is “God saw all that

He had made, and it was very good.” He

did not say humans were perfect. In what

ways have you expected perfection from

your preschoolers? How can these expec-

tations create problems?

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

The story, however, does not end with

the sin and resulting punishment. Read

verse 21 again. How does God provide for

them?______________________________________

____________________________________________

In so doing, God demonstrates His contin-

uing love and care for Adam and Eve.

The First Family (Gen. 4:1-2,25)

Just as God wanted the animals and

plants to continue living, so He wanted

mankind to continue. In spite of Eve’s sin,

God rewarded her with children. Even

though the pain associated with childbirth

was part of her punishment, we see in

verse one that her faith was renewed at

the time of her first son’s birth—she

acknowledged that this child had come

from the Lord.

Your preschoolers at church also are

blessings from the Lord. Does your behav-

ior toward them reflect this concept? Do

you plan Bible-learning activities with this

in mind? How would viewing these girls

and boys as blessings from God affect

your time together?

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Ask God to help you show these chil-

dren that they are special to Him and to

you.


• We are each created in the image of

God.

• God desires fellowship with His creation.

• God desires obedience from His cre-

ation.

• God saw all that He had made, and it

was VERY good.

SessionInformation

BIBLE STORY:

God Made People


Genesis 1:26-28; 2:16-24;

3:6,20-21; 4:1-2,25

BIBLICAL TRUTH:


LIFE QUESTION:



made?

LIFE IMPACT:

I can love the people

God made.

BIBLE VERSES

AND PHRASES:

Babies—2’s

“God made us”

(Ps. 100:3).

“God made me”

(Ps. 119:73).


“God made man and woman”

(Gen. 1:27).

“God saw all that He had

made, and it was very good”

(Gen. 1:31).

“God cares for you”

(1 Pet. 5:7).

24

S e s s i o n 4 25

4ENCOUNTER


BibleConversation


babies and ones are involvedin session activities.

• God made a wonderful

world.

• God made the animals.

• God made people.

• God cares for you.

Before the Session:• Pray for each child in your group.• Prepare the room before the firstchild arrives.• Prepare masking tape name stripsto place on each child and hisbelongings.• Obtain special information oneach child.

Greet: When Grace comes to thedoor, offer her a hand-sized,unbreakable mirror. Say: “Grace,God made you. Can you find Gracein the mirror?” Gently take Gracefrom her father’s arms. Try to inter-est Grace in one of the Bible-learn-ing centers. Repeat this activitywith each child.

Show each child the differentBible-learning centers. Let the childguide you to the center that bestsuits her interests. Some childrenwill want to do each Bible-learningactivity while other children mayfeel more secure staying in onearea.

ToysCut out the community helper pic-tures and cover them withclear contact plastic. Placethe pictures in the Bible.Put the Bible and plastictoys into a tote bag andlay the bag on the floor.

As Maddie investi-gates the bag or pulls out apicture in the Bible, say:“Maddie, God made thedoctor (or name of thecommunity helper inthe picture). ThankYou, God, for thedoctor.” Repeat thiseach time Maddiechooses a picture.

BooksCut two strips of colorful con-struction paper to make Biblemarkers. Place the markers inthe Bible at today’s Bible vers-es. Spread a quilt on the floorand arrange the Bible and bookson it.

As Todd crawls toward thebooks, say: “God made us.God made Todd.” When Toddpicks up a book, read it to him.Sing (tune “The Farmer in theDell”): “God made the firemen,God made the firemen, Godmade the firemen, and Godmade Todd.” While readinganother book, sing the songagain and substitute the worddoctor, dentist, mommies, ordaddies for fireman whenappropriate.

Show Grace the Bible. Openthe Bible to the marker at Psalm119:73 and say, “Grace, theBible says, ‘God made me.’ ”If Grace is still interested, turnthe pages to the other markerand read Psalm 100:3.

NaturePlace the rock in the containerand set it on the floor. WhenEvie touches the rock, say:“God made the rock. God madeEvie. Thank You, God, for mak-ing Evie.” Show Evie the pic-ture of the park and say: “Evie,this picture is a park.Missionaries in parks tell peopleabout God. Thank You, God, formaking missionaries. ThankYou, God, for making Evie.”

GATHER:

Bible; scissors;

construction paper

markers; quilt;

books about doc-

tors, fire fighters,

dentists, mom-

mies, or daddies

GATHER:

Bible, scissors,

clear contact plas-

tic, pictures of

community helpers

from magazines,

plastic toys, tote

bag or diaper bag

GATHER:

Bible, large rock,

clear plastic

container, picture of

a park

Teaching TipRemember to always offer

choices to the preschoolers

you teach. Allow them to

choose what they will do.

Encourage their choices

even if they do not decide

to do what you would do.

4



Session 4

GATHER:

Bible, scissors,

magazine pictures of

people we love,

glue sticks,

construction paper

GATHER:

Bible; toy doctor’s kit

with stethoscope,

syringe, thermometer;

plastic fire person’s hat

GATHER:

Bible; scissors; pictures

of community helpers

from magazines; clear

contact plastic; empty,

rectangle, facial

tissue box

ArtPrior to the session cut out pic-tures that represent people welove (moms, dads, brothers, sis-ters, grandparents, communityhelpers) from magazines or cata-logs. Lay the pictures on a table.

When Janie comes to the artcenter, encourage her to choose afew pictures. If she chooses a pic-ture that resembles a mom, say:“God made Janie’s mom. TheBible says, ‘God made me.’ Godmade Janie.” Guide Janie to use asmall amount of glue on the pic-tures and place them on a piece ofconstruction paper.

HomelivingArrange the toys in the floor. AsKevin tries on the hat, sing (tune“The Farmer in the Dell”): “Godmade the firemen, God made thefireman, God made the firemen,and God made Kevin.” WhenKevin begins to play with thedoctor’s kit, sing the song againusing her name and the word doc-tor instead of fireman.

PuzzlesBefore the session cut out the pic-tures and cover them with clearcontact plastic. Place the picturesin an empty tissue box on a tablewith the Bible.

Model for Mandy how to pullone of the pictures from the box.When Mandy pulls out the pictureof a police officer, say: “Godmade police officers. Thank You,God, for the police who protectus.” Open the Bible to Psalm100:3 and say, “The Bible saysthat God made us.”

NaturePlace the rock and twig in a con-tainer. When Kaity tries to lift therock, say, “Kaity and Mr. Jerrycan work together.” Show Kaitythe picture of the park and say:“Kaity, see the park. Missionarieswho work at parks tell people thatGod loves them. God loves Kaity,and God loves other people.Thank You, God, for makingKaity and other people.”

GATHER:

Bible, large rock,

nonpoisonous twig,

clear plastic

container, picture

of a park



God made a wonderful world. He made the blue

sky, the green grass, and lots of animals. He

liked everything He made.

Then God made a man. His name was Adam.

God wanted Adam to take care of the animals.

Adam gave each animal a name. Adam was very

busy and needed a helper. God made a woman to

help Adam. Her name was Eve. Adam and Eve

lived in a garden.

God gave Adam and Eve three children named

Cain, Able, and Seth. Adam and Eve said thank

you to God for their family.

CONTINUE

• Note if a child has taken a nap or abottle.• Disinfect the cribs and toys usedduring the session.

S e s s i o n 4 27

4ENCOUNTER


(5-10 min)



Wonderful World.”




• Pray and sing.

• Read Bible verses.


(25-35 min)

• Play with family stand-up

figures.

• Trace a child’s body.

• Bathe the doll.

• Taste pineapple.

• Play with a baby.

Clean Up (5 min)

Apply Bible Truths

(5-10 min)


Wonderful World.”




story.


People.”

• Play a guessing game.

• Read a book and pray.

Before the Session:• Read the teaching suggestions for thesession.• Choose which Explore Bible Truthsactivities you will use.• Gather the suggested materials.• Practice singing the suggested songs.• Review the Bible story.• Review the missions story.

Greet: Hold a doll as you greetKimberly at the door today. Bend toKimberly’s level and say: “I’m glad Godmade you, Kimberly. Today we arelearning that God made man andwoman.” Invite Kimberly to choose aBible-learning activity.

Introduce Bible TruthsChoose two of the suggested activitiesfrom the Explore Bible Truths activitiesto use as the children arrive. (Note:Continue these two activities along withadditional activities during the ExploreBible Truths activity time.)

Learn Together• Invite children to gather and sing (tune“London Bridge”): “What a big wonder-ful world, wonderful world, wonderfulworld, What a big wonderful world, Godmade for me.” Ask the preschoolers toname things God made.• Open the Bible to Genesis 1:27 andcomment, “A verse in the Bible says,‘God made man and woman.’ ” Invitethe children to repeat the verse with you.Comment that the Bible story today isabout God making people. Encourage thechildren to listen to discover how Godfelt about the people He made.• Open the Bible to Genesis 1 and tellthe Bible story in your own words.• Tell the boldfaced portions only forthrees and younger fours.

God Made PeopleScripture Reference: Genesis 1:26-28;

2:16-24; 3:6,20-21; 4:1-2,25God made a wonderful world. God

made the sea, the air, the land, theplants, and the animals. Then Godsaid: “Let us make people. They willrule over the fish, the birds, the cattle, andall the creeping things.” So God madepeople who were much like Him—able tothink and feel. God made them male andfemale. God blessed them and told themto rule over the fish, the birds, and allother living things. God also told them tohave children of their own.

God called the first man Adam.Adam named all the animals. Adamwas still lonely. So God caused Adam tofall asleep. God took one of Adam’s ribsand made woman. Adam was so happy.Adam called his wife Eve. Then Godgave Adam and Eve children. Theirfirst baby was named Cain. Cain’sbrothers were named Abel and Seth.And God said that all He made wasvery good. God made a wonderfulworld.

• Review the Bible story by showingthe boys and girls a teaching picture ofAdam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.Inquire: “What did God make?” Acceptall of their answers.• Invite the children to pray with you,thanking God for making people. Singthese words (tune “God Is So Good”):“God made people, God made people,God is so good, He’s so good to me!”Sing the song again, substituting thewords my dad, my mom, my brother, mysister, or my aunt for people.• Place Bible markers of today’s versesin the Bible and lay matching pictureson the floor. Encourage a preschooler tochoose a picture and find the matchingBible verse in the Bible. Open the Bibleand read, “God cares for you.” Invitethe children to repeat the Bible versewith you. Continue until all the picturesare matched with Bible verses.

GATHER:

Bible,

parents with baby



GATHER:

Bible, empty drink mix

cans with lids, sand,

scissors, stand-up fig-

ures of family members

and animals, clear con-

tact plastic, tape or

glue, duct tape, teach-

ing picture of Adam and

Eve in the Garden of

Eden

GATHER:

Bible, large pieces of

paper, marker, glue,

fabric squares

GATHER:

Bible, plastic tablecloth,

plastic dishpan, water,

washable doll,

washcloth, towel

Each activity is an opportunity toreinforce and cultivate Bible truths.Provide as many Bible-learning activ-ities as possible.

BlocksBefore the session fill the cans withsand. Cut out the family stand-up fig-ures and cover them with clear con-tact plastic. Tape or glue the figures tothe drink cans. Place the lids on thecans and secure tightly with duct tape.Place the stand-up figures in theBlocks center.

As Michele plays with the figurescomment: “The Bible says, ‘Godmade people.’ He made people withdifferent colors of hair and skin. Hemade people different sizes.” Openthe Bible to Genesis 1 and say, “In theBible we read, ‘God saw all that Hehad made, and it was very good.’ ”

ArtPlace a large piece of paper on thefloor. Instruct Sam to lay on the paperand trace around his body with amarker. Say, “Sam, you are growingso much!” Invite him to glue fabricsquares for clothes on his drawing.Open the Bible to 1 Peter 5:7 andmention, “The Bible says that Godcares for you.” Guide the preschool-ers to name other people whom Godmade. Continue: “God made people.He made families. God planned foryou to grow.”

Kindergartners may enjoy drawingfacial features and clothes on theiroutlines.

Dramatic PlayPlace the tablecloth on a table or thefloor. Fill the dishpan with one or twoinches of water. Lay the doll, wash-cloth, and towel nearby.

Encourage Emily to bathe and drythe doll. Comment: “The Bible says,‘God made man and woman.’ God

GATHER:

Bible, allergy alert

poster, knife, pineap-

ple cubes, bowl, pic-

ture of a resort area,

plastic spoons, paper

napkins

planned for people to havefamilies. Thank You, God, formaking people and families.”

Add doll clothes to the cen-ter for the kindergarten child.She may enjoy dressing andundressing the doll.

MissionsPlace the allergy poster on theoutside of the door so that par-ents will know their childrenwill be tasting pineapple. Cutup part of a pineapple or usecanned pineapple. Place thedrained pineapple cubes in abowl.

Refer to the picture andbrieflyreview themissionsstory.Mention thatpineapples growin the area wherethe missionaryworks. Invite Amberto taste the pineapple.Say: “God made fruitsand vegetables for us toeat. God made people andfamilies. Thank You, God, formissionaries who tell peopleabout how much Jesusloves them.” Open theBible and read,“God cares foryou.”

NaturePrior to this session invite acouple in your church to bringtheir baby to your room. Thechildren will enjoy observingand playing with the baby.Provide a place for the parentsto sit with their baby. Youcould set a portable playpen or

29


4

Hawaii is a beautiful place for peopleto live. Hawaii is a beautiful place for amissionary to work.

No matter where a missionaryworks, his job is always the same, totell people about Jesus. Missionarieswho work in Hawaii are just the sameas other missionaries around the world.

Hawaii is not the only resort areawhere missionaries can serve. There aremany resort areas around the world,and there are many jobs for missionar-ies to do in these areas.”

• Ask the preschoolers to think of otherareas, besides Hawaii, where mission-aries can go to tell people about Jesus.• Sing these words (tune “God Is SoGood”): “God made people; God madepeople; God is so good; He’s so goodto me!” Sing the song again, substitut-ing my dad, my mom, my brother, mysister, or my aunt for people.• Play a guessing game. Describesomething a child is wearing. Invite theother children to guess whom you aredescribing. The girls and boys may taketurns describing one another.• Read a children’s book about peopleand their differences. After reading thebook, ask the children to name otherpeople God made. Pray, thanking Godfor the people the children name.

CONTINUE

• As you drive by or walk by peoplethis week, pray a short prayer for theirsalvation and obedience to God.• Encourage preschoolers to show loveto someone this week. Help them toremember that everything God madewas good.

crib in the room. Guide Jennifer tolook at the baby and gently rub thebaby’s back. Comment: “God madeparents. God made babies. God madeparents and babies to be families.”Open the Bible and read, “God saw allthat He had made, and it was verygood.” Pray, thanking God for makingpeople and families.

Clean Up: Ask each preschooler topick up a specific item. Thank Amberas she completes her task.

Apply Bible Truths• Sing (tune “London Bridge”): “Whata big wonderful world, wonderful

world, wonderful world,What a big

wonderfulworld,AndGodmademe.”• RecalltheBiblestory byshowingthe teach-ing pictureof Adamand Eve in

the Garden ofEden.

• Comment,“Some missionar-

ies tell people aboutJesus while they

enjoy God’s wonderfulworld.” Encourage the

children to tell you whatthey remember about the

missionaries.

“The sun is shining as itcomes up over Hawaii.Another day is beginning

for the missionaries there.They begin each day by open-

ing their Bibles and saying aprayer of thanks to God.

S e s s i o n 4

god made a beautiful world january bible study for ... · pdf filegod made a beautiful...

Documents