Resources for Week 14 - December 14

What Is God’s Love for His People Like?

More than They Could Ever Deserve...

He gave His Son Jesus to save them!

All people have rebelled against God and broken His good laws. They want to do things their own way, not God’s. Their hearts should be full of love for God, but instead, they are dead and empty of love for Him and His good ways. All people deserve God’s forever punishment, but God is so kind! Even while His people’s hearts were so dead and empty of love for Him and His good ways, God still loved them. And He didn’t just love them a little bit. He loved them a lot! He loved them so much that He sent Jesus to take their forever punishment on the cross, so they could become His special people. We can be God’s special people, too, if we will say sorry to God for our sins and trust Jesus as our Savior. Isn’t God wonderful?

Scripture Verses: John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

1 John 4:10

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Tie-in: There is no one God loves more than His Son, Jesus! But look what God did! He gave His dear, dear Son to save His people from His forever punishment! He wanted them to have eternal life. That is, life that goes on forever and ever. Always getting to know and enjoy God more and more. God’s love for His people is so much more than they deserve, isn’t it?

Resources

Cubbies Counsel Time

Cubbies Handbook Time Questions

Cubbies Handbook Time Activities

Cubbies Handbook Time Craft

Sparks and T&Ts Counsel Time

Sparks and T&Ts Handbook Time Questions

Sparks and T&Ts Handbook Time Craft

Resources for Week 13 - December 7

Can Anybody Tell Me What the LORD is Like?

He's Not Like Anyone Else!

The LORD's Names Tell Us About Him.

When we are born, our parents give us names. Usually we have a first name, a middle name & a last name. Sometimes they name us after a Bible character or someone else in our family. Sometimes they choose a name because they like the way it sounds or like what it means. Besides our real names, many times our family or friends give us a nickname that describes something about us. The Bible tells us that God has a real name and many nicknames, too. All His names tell us something about Him. God’s real name is “Yahweh,” which means “I Am Who I Am. It means that God is eternal, with no beginning or end. It means that no one else is like Him. He alone is the source and sustainer of all life. When we read the word “LORD” in the Bible that is like saying “Yahweh.” God has many nicknames, too. Some are: Savior; God Most High, Almighty God, the Everlasting God, the Rock & the Good Shepherd. God commanded Mary and Joseph to give His Son the name, Jesus, because it means “Yahweh saves.” At the end of time when Jesus returns, the Bible tells us that every knee will bow & every tongue confess that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. God’s many names tell us how great He is and how completely worthy of all of our love, trust, obedience and praise.

Scripture Verse: Deuteronomy 32:3-4

“I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright & just is he.”

Counsel Time.

Story Review Questions.

Handbook Time Game 1.

Handbook Time Game 2.

Excellent Story about the Karen related to our theme.

Resources for Week 12 - November 30

How Can I Know What God Is Like?

He’s Not Like Anyone Else...

He is faithful, through and through!

God is faithful. We can count on Him to always do just what He says He will do. There are many times when we are scared or worried about things, but we know that God is faithful. We can trust Him and His good plans completely-no matter what! Many of God's promises to His people are written in the Bible. God's people learn these promises to help them remember how God will be faithful to them. One of the best promises God makes is to save whoever asks Him to forgive their sins when they turn away from sinning and trust in Jesus to save them. God is faithful. If we ask Him for forgiveness, trusting in Jesus as our Savior, we know that He will forgive us, too.

Concept 8 Scripture Verse: Psalm 145:13

"The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made."

A promise is something we tell someone we will do-no matter what! Sometimes we make promises and don't keep them. But God is always faithful. We can always count on Him to keep His promises. He will keep every single one, all the time. He is not like anyone else!

Cubbies Resources

Counsel Time.

Handbook Activities.

Handbook Craft.

Coloring Page.

Sparks and T&Ts Resources

Counsel Time.

Story of the Saints with Questions.

OT Story with Questions.

Handbook Craft.

Resources for Week 11 - November 16

Can Anybody Tell Me What the LORD is Like?

He's Not Like Anyone Else...

He can do anything He wants to do!

The LORD is all powerful. He is in control of everything. He has nothing but perfectly wise plans for this world. Because He is all powerful, we know that His perfectly wise plans will always happen. No one can stop Him from doing the good things for His people. Nothing can stop Him from doing the wonderful things that show everyone how great He is.

Concept 7 Scripture Verse: Psalm 135:5-6

“I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The LORD does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.”

Sign Language Resources

God.

Powerful.

Wise.

Plan.

Cubbies Resources

Counsel Time.

Handbook Time Activities.

Handbook Time Craft.

Coloring Page.

Sparks and T&Ts Resources

OT Counsel Time Lesson.

NT Counsel Time Lesson.

Story of the Saints.

Handbook Time Craft.

Resources for Week 10 - November 9

Can Anybody Tell Me What the LORD is Like?

He's Not Like Anyone Else...

He is perfectly holy, purely good!

God is holy. He set apart from everything and everyone else because He alone is so great and is perfectly, purely good and so great . He never sins in anything He does or think, feels or plans. He hates sin because sin is not good or loving. Anything that is sinful cannot come into His presence. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid for His people’s sins, exchanging their UN-holiness for His perfect holiness. Now they can truly know God. God calls His people to live for Him by being holy as He is holy. In heaven, God will change His people so they will be perfectly holy all the time. They will live in His presence forever.

Concept 6 Scripture Verse: Isaiah 6:1-3

“I saw the LORD seated on a throne, high and exalted...Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings; And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty.”

A throne is a great, big chair that someone very important sits on. The LORD is so holy--so good and great--that He is most important of all. Seraphs are a kind of angel with six wings that stand around God’s throne as guards of God’s greatness and goodness. The seraphim don’t just stand guard; they praise God, too--in loud voices.That’s why they cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty. He is so holy that they say it three times!”

Resources

Cubbies Counsel Time Passage with Questions

Sparks and T&Ts Counsel Time Passage and Questions

Coloring Page

Handbook Time Activities

Handbook Time Craft

Story of the Saints and Questions

Resources for Week 09 - November 2

Can Anybody Tell Me What the LORD is Like?

He's Not Like Anyone Else...

He knows everything there is to know!

God knows everything. He knows everything about the world. He knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen. He knows everything about us, too. He knows everything we do and say. He knows everything we are thinking in our hearts. There is nothing about us that is hidden from God, good or bad. God knows every one of our sins. That's why He sent Jesus: to save all who say sorry to Him for their sins and trust Jesus to save them. When we do, He forgives us of all our sins and makes us His people. He wants us to know and love Him in the wonderful special closeness that He made us to enjoy.

Concept 5 Scripture Verse: Daniel 2:20

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his."

Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do. Power is being strong. We might know some of the right things to do, but God knows it all. Wisdom comes from Him. We might be strong enough to do some things, but God is powerful enough to do whatever He wants! Power comes from God. The LORD is not like anyone else!

Cubbies Resources

Counsel Time with Review Questions.

Handbook Time Activities.

Handbook Time Craft.

Coloring Page.

Sparks and T&Ts Resources

Counsel Time with Review Questions.

Story of the Saints with Questions.

New Testament Account with Questions.

Handbook Time Craft.

Resources for Week 08 - October 26

Can Anybody Tell Me What the LORD is Like?
He's Not Like Anyone Else...
He is everywhere, all the time!

God is everywhere at the same time. He is with you and me right here. He is with your friends and family. He is with the people who live far, far away in other parts of the world. There is no where we can go, where God will not be too. He sees everything everyone is doing. He is always there to comfort us, to help us and to save us when we trust Jesus as our Savior.

Concept 4 Scripture Verse: Psalm 33:13-14
"From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind, from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth."

You and I can only see what's right here around us, but not God. God sees everything at once. God is everywhere at once. From heaven He can see all people who live on earth. There is nothing He doesn't see. He is everywhere, all the time.

Cubbies Resources
Counsel Time.
Handbook Time Questions.
Handbook Time Activities.
Handbook Time Craft.
Coloring Page.

Sparks and T&Ts Resources
Counsel Time.
Counsel Time Questions.
Old Testament Passage with Questions.
Story of the Saints with Questions.
Handbook Time Activity.
Handbook Time Craft.

Resources for Week 07 - October 19

Our Big Question continues to be Can anyone tell me what the Lord is like?
This week we will learn:
He's not like anyone else, He is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: three persons but just one God!

God is just one God but He is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has always enjoyed perfect love and happiness with Himself. God does not need anyone else. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together to do wonderful and mighty things. God the Father has plans for the world. Jesus is God's Son. He does what the Father plans. He came to earth to save His people. The Holy Spirit is God, too. He also does what the Father plans. He works in His people's hearts so they can know God and live for Him. One God, but three persons! Who has ever heard of that?! God is not like anyone else!

Concept 3 Scripture Verse: 2 Corinthians 13:14
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."

Cubbies Resources
Counsel Time Lesson.
Handbook Time Questions.
Handbook Time Activities.
Handbook Time Crafts.

Sparks and T&Ts Resources
Counsel Time Lesson.
Counsel Time Lesson Review Questions.
Handbook Time Story of the Saints.
Story of the Saints Review Questions.
Handbook Time Craft 1.
Handbook Time Craft 2.
Handbook Time Game.

Resources for Week 06 - October 12

This unit's Big Question is Can Anybody Tell Me What the LORD is Like?
Last week we discussed how the LORD is the One, True God.
This week we will discuss how the LORD is not like anyone else, He is a glorious spirit.

Concept 2 Scripture Verse: John 4:24
"God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth."

God is spirit: great and glorious and most wonderful of all. We cannot see spirit with our eyes or touch spirit with our bodies, but God has given us ways to know what He is like. He put a spirit inside of us so we can know and love Him. Sometimes He has shown people some of His glory: the shiny brightness of His pure goodness and greatness. Best of all, God sent Jesus to earth, giving Him a body. Jesus is fully God and fully a man, altogether in one. In heaven God's people will see Jesus with the glory of God's spirit shining even brighter than the sun. How wonderful that will be to see!

Cubbies Resources
Counsel Time Lesson.
Handbook Time Questions.
Handbook Time Activities.
Handbook Time Crafts.

Sparks and T&Ts Resources
Counsel Time Lesson.
Counsel Time Questions.
Story of the Saints.
Story of the Saints Questions.
Handbook Time Activity.

Resources for Week 05 - October 05

Last week we finished up our series related to the Big Question:
How Do I Know What God Is Like?
The first Big Question related to how we know God.

This week we begin a new unit with a different Big Question.
Can Anybody Tell Me What the Lord Is Like?
He Is Not Like Anyone Else. He is the One True God.

God made people with a heart to worship Him. But people are sinners. They choose to worship other things, not God. Some people cut wood into the shape of an animal or a person and they bow down and worship it. Some people love to have lots of money and things more than love and obey God. They worship money. Other people want everyone to think they are very, very important and not think about how great God is. They want people to worship them. People worship many things, but God made them to worship only Him. He is the LORD, the one true God.

Scripture Verse: Psalm 86:8, 10
"Among the gods there is none like you, O LORD; no deeds can compare with yours. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God."

Cubbies Resources
Counsel Time Lesson.
Handbook Time Questions.
Handbook Time Activities.
Handbook Time Crafts.
Concept Coloring Page.

Sparks and T&Ts Resources
Counsel Time Lesson.
Counsel Time Questions.
OT Passage Story.
OT Passage Questions.
Story of the Saints.
Story of the Saints Questions.
Handbook Time Activity 1.

Resources for Week 04 - September 28

How can I know what God is like?
He shows me what He is like through His very own Son, Jesus Christ.

When Jesus came to earth, He showed us what God is like. Jesus never, ever disobeyed God. he showed that God is perfectly good. Jesus always told people what was true and right. He showed that God is perfectly wise. He could heal people and calm big storms with just His word. He showed us that God is all powerful. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for His people's sins. He showed that God hates sin, but is full of love and mercy. Jesus shows us what God is like better than anything else because Jesus is God.

Scripture Verse for the Week: John 14:9
"Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father."

Cubbies Resources
Counsel Time Lesson.
Handbook Time Questions.
Handbook Time Activities.
Handbook Time Crafts.
Concept Coloring Page

Sparks and T&Ts Resources
Counsel Time Lesson.
Counsel Time Questions.
OT Passage Story.
OT Passage Questions.
Story of the Saints.
Story of the Saints Questions.

Handbook Time Activity 1.
Handbook Time Activity 2.
Handbook Time Craft.

Resources for Week 03 - September 21

How can I know what God is like?
He shows me what He's like in the Bible, the perfect Word of God!

The Bible is God's Word. he used many people to write down His Word just right. The Bible is filled with stories about God and what He has done for His people. When we read the Bible, God shows us what He is like and fills our hearts with truth about Him. We see how great God is, how good God is, and how wonderful His love for His people.

Our Bible verse for the week is Psalm 119:18:
"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law."

Cubbie Resources
Counsel Time Lesson
Handbook Time Questions
Handbook Time Activities
Handbook Time Craft
Concept Coloring Page

Sparks and T&Ts Resources
Counsel Time Lesson
Counsel Time Questions
OT Passage Story
OT Passage Questions
Story of the Saints
Story of the Saints Questions

Handbook Time Activity 1
Handbook Time Activity 2
Handbook Time Activity 3

Resources for Week 02 - September 14

Great job on the first night! Let's keep it going.

Our first unit's Big Question is How Can I Know What God is Like?
The answers is He Shows Me What He's Like.

Last week we spoke about how God shows us what He is like through the hearts He gave us to know and love Him.

This week we will discuss how God shows us what He is like in everything I see all around me.

God made everything. When we look at all the wonderful things He's made, He shows us what He is like. I look at the mountains that God made and I can see that God must be very powerful. I look at the big sky full of stars twinkling far away and I know He must be very great. I look at the beautiful flowers He made and know He must love beautiful things. I look at a mother cat gently taking care of her kittens and I see a little bit of His love and tenderness. Everything that God made tells me about Him.

Our Bible versee for the week is Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

Cubbie Resources
Counsel Time Lesson
Handbook Time Activities
Handbook Time Crafts
Concept Coloring Page

Sparks and T&Ts Resources
Counsel Time Lesson
Handbook Time Activity 1
Activity 1 Questions
Handbook Time Activity 2
Activity 2 Questions
Handbook Time OT Story
Handbook Time Story of the Saints

Resources for Week 01 - September 7

Hard to believe but here we are getting ready for the first night of AWANA!

This year will be another great adventure with our kids exploring who God is and what it means to live the Christian life.

Here is the Scope and Sequence for the Cubbies.

Here is the Scope and Sequence for the Sparks and T&Ts.

Our first concept we will study is How Can I Know What God Is Like?
He Shows Me What He's Like...by the heart he gave me to know and love Him.

God is the most wonderful person we can ever know. He is so great that there will always be more of Him to know. God gave you, me, and every single person a heart deep inside them to know taht He is God. He gave us hearts to know and love Him. We use the hearts God gave us to talk to Him, and to know His Holy Spirit speaking to us through His Word, the Bible.

The Bible verse for the night will be Psalm 42:2 - "As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you, O God."

Here are some resources to help with preparation for the first night's lesson:
Cubbies Counsel Time

Cubbies Handbook Time Idea

Discussion Questions after Counsel Time

Here are some resources for Sparks and T&Ts:

Counsel Time

Handbook Time Idea

Discussion Questions after Counsel Time

AWANA Training!

Our new year is fast approaching! The first night with children will be Wednesday September 7th. Are you ready?

To help, don't forget our training on Saturday August 13th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Childcare will be provided for all ages.

We have made a few changes to how this ministry will operate and look forward to sharing a lot of these details with you in the upcoming weeks, and especially at our training. It is so important that you plan to attend the training. Please make plans to do so now, and if you are unable to attend, we will need to know as soon as possible.

We currently need more AWANA leaders. If you have people in mind, please encourage them to contact Kristin or Becky.

Please begin praying now for the children that will participate.

We are looking forward to another amazing year!

This Week at AWANA - May 18 Edition

Of all the topics at the heart of the creation-evolution debate, perhaps none better encapsulates the issue than the question of dinosaurs. These fascinating animals—known mostly from fossil evidence—inspire awe and wonder in almost everyone; they sell millions of books and DVDs; and they captivate children like nothing else. But the question is this: what will you do with dinosaurs?

Dinosaurs are used more than almost anything else to indoctrinate children and adults in the idea of millions of years of earth history. However, the Bible gives us a framework for explaining dinosaurs in terms of thousands of years of history, including the mystery of when they lived and what happened to them. Two key texts are Genesis 1:24–25 and Job 40:15–24.

We will use 7 Fs to describe dinosaurs from a Biblical perspective.

Still have questions? Check this out!

This Week at AWANA - May 11 Edition

If asked "Who wrote the Bible?" most churched kids will reply, "God!" But how many of us (including adults!) really understand how we got the Bible as we have ti today, and how we can know it is the Word of God? This lesson is so important so our kids will be able to answer the skeptics that challenge us on this point and understand why we accept that the Bible is "God-breathed".

The Scripture to emphasize this week is 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,

rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so

that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for

every good work.

We will talk about how we know God wrote the Bible and show how the Bible gives us the answer. The Bible tells us God wrote it, it is internally consistent, it contains fulfilled prophecy, it has been divinely preserved, it is scientifically accurate, and it has the power to change lives.

Here is a poster to show "God's Word is True in Everything it Says".

Answers in Genesis has a great answer to the questions, "Why 66? How can we be sure which books belong in our Bible?"

To show the Bible's internal consistency, pass out a copy of the "Fish Story" worksheet to each kid. Give them 1-2 minutes (depending on how many students you have and how much time you have) to write the next part of the story. Each student should read what is already written and then continue the story. Do this fie times (more or less, depending on how much time you have.) Announce the final time, and have the students finish the story. Then collect all the papers and choose a few to read out loud.

Even though all started with the same sentence, you will end up with many differences because so many people worked on the stories. Now, imagine writing the story with over 40 different men - and not just at one time - but over a period of 1,600 years! This process should result in a pretty confusing story but that how the Bible was written, and yet it has a consistent theme throughout and no inconsistencies between the various authors! This consistency shows that the writers were guided to record the message God wanted them to record.

AWANA Activities - May 4

Here is a last minute addition to what you can do with your kids tonight talking about Consummation.

This Week at AWANA - May 4 Edition

This week we come to the end of our trek through the redemptive history of the Bible. We are coming to the end of the 7 Cs with our discussion of the Consummation of all things.

‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away’ (Revelation 21:1).

In the beginning, God created a perfect world. It was a beautiful place—full of life, without death, disease, pain or suffering. Adam’s disobedience changed all that. When he ate the fruit God had told him not to eat, sin and death entered the world (Romans 5:12). This corruption changed the world so much that what we see today is only a reflection of the world that was. As we have stated, Adam’s sin led to the catastrophe of Noah’s day, the confusion at Babel and the death of Christ on the Cross.

Is there an end in sight?

Death has been around almost as long as humans have. Sometimes it might seem as if it’s always been a part of God’s creation. Romans 8 tells us that the whole of creation is suffering because of Adam’s sin. It might appear that there is no end to the suffering brought about by this act of disobedience. Of course, none of us can say that we have not also disobeyed God in our own lives (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:10), so all of us in a sense share in the blame for what we see around us.

God, however, in His great mercy, has promised not to leave His creation in its sinful state. He has promised to do away with the corruption Adam brought into the world. He offers us this salvation through His Son. Also, He has promised to remove, in the future, the Curse He placed on His creation (Revelation 22:3)!

He will make a new heaven and a new earth one day—one which we can’t even begin to imagine (2 Peter 3:13). In this new place there will be no death, no crying, no pain (Revelation 21:4). Nobody will be sad.

As those who have repented and believed in what Jesus did for us on the Cross, we can look forward to this new heaven and earth, knowing we will enjoy God forever in a wonderful place. The corruption that was introduced in the Garden of Eden will be taken away by God, giving us, once again, a perfect place to live!

This Week at AWANA - April 13 Edition

Since we do not have AWANA next week, this week's lesson will the culmination of all we have been talking about for the past few months. This is the week we will emphasize the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The emphasis in Counsel time will be how all the events we talked about from the Old Testament point to Christ.

• The death of the animals to clothe Adam and Eve after their sin.
• The ark that saved Noah and his family.
• The promise to Abraham.
• The passover in Egypt where the blood of the lamb spread on the doorpost caused the Angel to pass over the home sparing the first born son.
• The deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
• The judges delivering Israel from the hands of foreign oppressors.
• The kings of Israel and Judah pointed to a future perfect righteous King of Kings.
• The prophecies pointing ahead to the work of the Messiah.

All these were written to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah. Now we have all of it plus the record of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection in the Bible. What will we do with it?

Jesus Died on the Cross ...

...for a reason
God wants a close relationship with man, John 3:16
Our sin separates us from God, Isa. 59:2
Justice requires that our sins be paid for, Rom. 6:23
God provided a sacrifice to pay for our sins, 1 John 4:10

...voluntarily
Jesus had the choice, Matt. 26:53, 54
He was sinless, 1 Pet. 2:22
Jesus had the power, John 19:11
Jesus had the will, Matt. 26:39
Pleased not himself, Rom 15:3
He loved us, Eph 5:2

...for you
You have nothing to offer that isn't God's already, Luke 17:10
The Father wants a close relationship, so He paid your cost, John 3:16
So that you could choose to be close to Him, James 4:8
This relationship is voluntary, Mark 16:16

Discussion point:
The Jews had to make many specific sacrifices to God. Jesus serves as our sacrifice. Do we still sacrifice for him? (Read: Romans 12:1-2, Philippians 2:7, Hebrews 13:15, Psalm 51:17)

Illustrative Story: to make this an object lesson, give one student a dollar bill. Make out a fake restaurant tab.

Say we all went out to a restaurant to eat. We all eat until we're stuffed but Tom eats nothing. Then the waiter delivers the bill. We're broke. Only "Tom" has any money. Who will pay the bill? Tom's the only one with money. Who should pay the bill? We should. But we can't. If Tom pays, is that fair? No. Is it merciful of him? Yes!

Jesus paid our bill for us. We could never have enough to pay for our sins. Should we be grateful? Yes! How do we show our gratitude? Jesus said, "if you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15

Here is a great lesson from Answers in Genesis to use during Handbook time to reemphasize the lesson.

This Week at AWANA - April 06 Edition

With only two AWANA nights before Easter, this week we are discussing the captivity of the Israelites due to their idolatry and disobedience as well as the prophecies of God's judgment of Israel, restoration of Israel, and the work of the Messiah.

We are going to focus again on the promises of God and how He always keep His promises.

We will focus this week on the book of Isaiah and show the fulfillment of several of the prophecies in Isaiah during the life, death, and resurrection of Christ next week.

Here are the Scriptures we will use this week:

Promise	Fulfillment
Isaiah 7:14	Matthew 1:23
Isaiah 9:6-7	Matthew 2:2
Isaiah 11:10-11	Matthew 1:6, 16
Isaiah 53:5-6	Matthew 27:50

This Week at AWANA - March 30 Edition

This week we move from the united kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon to the divided kingdom as described in 1 Kings 12 through 2 Kings 17. From 2 Kings 17 to the end of the book in chapter 25, the invasion, captivity, and exile of the northern tribes is described as well as the events leading up to the captivity and exile of Judah in the south.

1 and 2 Kings covers the reigns of 39 kings from the united and divided kingdoms. The measure of success or downfall for a king was his loyalty to the covenant with God. Of the Northern kings, 0 of the 19 kings followed the Lord. Of the Southern kings, 8 of the 20 kings followed the Lord. The kings were Asa, Jehosophat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah.

God's compassion is again on display. As kings are disloyal to God, He raises up prophets like Elijah and Elisha to accomplish His purpose.

Hezekiah, Joash, and Josiah would be great examples to talk about during Handbook time.

This Week at AWANA - March 23 Edition

We have progressively been moving through the chronological history of the Bible. This week we come to the portion of the Old Testament where we discuss the move from Judges and a theocracy to a monarchy. We will discuss the selection of Saul to be king and the reasons behind it, the selection of David and the life he lived, as well as the life and lessons of Solomon...and all that in 20 minutes!

Obviously it will be a generic overview but the idea I want to emphasize as always is obedience. We will discuss Samuel, the last judge and the one who anoints the first two kings of Israel, Saul, Israel's first king, and David, Israel's most important king. Our key verse for the night will be 1 Samuel 15:22 - "To obey is better than sacrifice".

We will look at how the king of Israel was expected to be loyal to the covenant. 1 Samuel 15 shows Saul's disobedience to the covenant and 2 Samuel 7 shows David's obedience. Even as a king after God's heart, David's life demonstrates the need for another King who will come in purity and absolute loyalty to the Lord. That king of course is Jesus Christ.

Activities for Cubbies

1. Sing this song to the tune of “M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E”

What are we to do when God says special words to us

L-I-S-T-E-N, Listen to the Lord

Listen now, (Listen now)

Listen well (Listen well)

God will tell us what to do (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

So, listen when you hear his voice and obey His word

L-I-S-T-E-N, Listen to the Lord.

2. This is a great lesson to make crowns and speak about the King of Kings.

3. A great object lesson for looking on the inside instead of the outside is the rock called a Geode. It looks like an ordinary rock on the surface. However, if a person cuts it open, you can see beautiful crystals inside. Share again how God looks at our inside not what we look like on the outside.

Activities for Sparks and T&Ts

Israel's First King

A great object lesson for looking on the inside instead of the outside is the rock called a Geode. It looks like an ordinary rock on the surface. However, if a person cuts it open, you can see beautiful crystals inside. Share again how God looks at our inside not what we look like on the outside.

King Solomon and the Temple

Helping Children Learn the Books of the Bible

Are you looking for a way to help your AWANA clubbers memorize the books of the Bible?

Periodically during Counsel Time a song has been played that lists all the books of the Bible in a catchy tune that kids like.

Here is that song: Bible Book Bop

Windows Media Player is required to play the song.

This Week at AWANA - March 16 Edition

The goal this year is to give a summary of truths from the Old Testament leading to the birth death and resurrection of Jesus during the week we celebrate Easter. See the outline here.

This week we have the arduous task of covering Joshua and Judges. There is so much in both of these books we could spend a year studying only these two amazing books of the Bible!

Joshua's name literally means "The Lord will save". In Greek, the name is equivalent to "Jesus". This book records the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 to give his offspring the land. This promise is fulfilled and written of in Joshua 21:43-45:

⁴³ So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. ⁴⁴ The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. ⁴⁵ Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

The journey into the Promised Land can be broken down into four areas:

• Cross the Jordan (1:1-5:12)
• Take the Land (5:13-12:24)
• Divide the Land (13-21)
• Serve the Lord (22-24)

The book ends with Joshua saying (Joshua 24:15):

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Unfortunately we see in the next book of the Bible, Judges, that the people do not follow Joshua's command.

In Judges, God used judges (military leaders) to deliver His people out from the judgment of their sin. A key theme throughout Judges is disobedience results in judgment. A perfect verse to highlight the state of the people is Judges 17:6:

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

The whole book can be summarized in Judges 2:10-19.

The people follow a pattern of relapse into sin, ruin, repentance, restoration, and ruin.

Activities and Crafts for March 16

Joshua and Jericho:

This is a fun story to act out. March around a cardboard wall (or wall of boxes) then knock them down after the 7th time!! (if boxes aren’t available, use a sheet and down the sheet after the 7th time around)

Make trumpets from paper tubes.

Judges:

Play a game that mimics Israel’s behavior. Have the children pretend to fight each other with swords made out of construction paper. Then have them run from their enemies. Next have them kneel and cry out to God. Then have someone pretend to be the judge sent by God. Have the children follow and do whatever the judge does.

Samson:

Cook spaghetti (or thin pasta) and place in a zipper bag. Give each child a piece of construction paper. Let them draw 2 faces of Samson on the paper—before and after. Glue spaghetti on each head to represent Samson. (Note: Rice or yarn may be substituted)

This Week at AWANA - March 9 Edition

This week we come to the end of the life of Moses and a transition in leadership for the Israelites. After 40 long years of wandering in the desert and the death of all the adults at the time of the exploration in Canaan from Numbers 13-14, God prepares Joshua to take over for Moses upon his death to lead the Israelites into the land of promise in fulfillment of what God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12.

The Scripture passages we will use this week are from Deuteronomy 31, Deuteronomy 34, and Joshua 1.

The main ideas of the lesson will be:

• God keeps His promises.
• God cared for His chosen people throughout their wandering in the desert.
• We must choose everyday whether we will obey and be blessed or disobey and suffer the consequences.

Here is a lesson related to the death of Moses with coloring pages, questions about the lesson, and more.

Here is a lesson about Joshua being chosen to lead the Israelites from the same source.

This Week at AWANA - March 2 Edition

My goal the past several weeks has been to show the clubbers that the Israelites had several opportunities to obey and be blessed by God or disobey and suffer the consequences.

This week is no different. We are going to study three events that represent this idea again from Numbers 16, 20, and 21. We will look at the rebellion of Korah, Moses not trusting God, and the Bronze Serpent. We will also look at John 3:13-15 to show how the serpent is a picture of Christ.

Just as the Israelites had to trust in the method God had prepared to deliver the people from death and not try to do it themselves, we too look to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the method God has chosen to deliver us from the penalty and power of sin.

For a simple Cubbie activity, make a snake mobile from a paper plate. Draw on the plate an unbroken line from the outside rim in a spiral that winds its way to the center. Cut along this line and you should have a curly snake, which the children can color in. Because the snake will naturally curve around, it will be easy to wrap this around a stick to complete the visual aid.

Here is a lesson for Sparks and T&Ts about Moses Disobeying God.

Here is a lesson about the Bronze Serpent.

This Week at AWANA - February 23 Edition

After studying the 10 commandments last week, we are fast forwarding to Numbers 13-14 in which God directs Moses to send spies to explore Canaan. Twelve spies go out and ten return with negative reports while Caleb and Joshua believe God will deliver them to the land if only they believe.

The people rebel and are told they will die in the desert during forty years of wandering only to have their children enter the land when all the adults 20 years and older are dead.

Here are some activities and a crossword puzzle corresponding to what we will cover in Counsel time that Sparks and T&Ts could use during Handbook time.

Here are some activities the Cubbies can do during Handbook time as well.

After clicking on one of the links above, click File, then Print (PDF) to get a hard copy to use in your group.

This Week at AWANA - February 16 Edition

We have moved from Creation all the way to the Exodus from Egypt in our Counsel time this year. Next week we come to Moses leading the Israelites to Mount Sinai and the giving of the 10 Commandments as found in Exodus 19 and 20.

The 10 Commandments are vital to our ministry and any presentation of the Gospel. Paul in Galatians 3:24 says that they were intended to bring us to Christ.

Here is a great flipchart, a picture of the 10 Commandments (NIV), and a lesson with a coloring page, word search, and crossword puzzle that can be used to supplement what I will be teaching in Counsel time.

After clicking on one of the links above, click File, then Print (PDF) to get a hard copy to use in your group.

T & T Resource

As our clubbers grow, they will be asking more and more questions as they are bombarded by the secular media and world around us concerning evolution.

There is a resource, probably in your fridge right now, that could help them understand the genius and power of God in His creation.

Check out The Incredible Evangelistic Egg!

Bible Memory Game

This activity works best for children who are confident readers. I’ve used it with some kindergarten children, but they will struggle on longer verses.

After introducing the Bible memory verse, write it on the dry erase board. Have the children read the verse together. Then ask for a volunteer to read it aloud. This child is then allowed to erase one word from the verse. Call on another child to read the scripture as it was originally written. Then allow them to erase a word. Repeat this process as the children remove more and more of the verse.

This process makes the memory verse increasingly more difficult as the words are removed. It also keeps all the kids involved in the activity because they know their turn is coming.

After they gain confidence, you can speed things up by allowing them to erase two verses after each time they recite the verse. I try to include adult volunteers in this activity, the kids always enjoy learning together with the grown-ups. This Bible memory game will be a favorite. I only use it on occasion to keep it fun.

If the children struggle with the concept, you can replace each erased word with a blank line. This can help them remember where each word is missing. Alternately, you could replace key words with symbols or simple drawings.

Direction for Handbook Time

Need direction for handbook time? Running out of ideas?

Handbook time can make just as big an impact on our AWANA clubbers as Counsel Time. If you are looking for ideas to teach the kids, here are some documents from the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. They have a wonderful list of what you could teach your group.

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Imagine if we could have the clubbers leave our program knowing even half of these things!

Creationism and Apologetics

The 7 Cs are one way to represent the history and future as described in Scripture. As we go through the year, we will be returning to the 7 Cs. Want to know more about them? Click here.

Here also is a page that gives background for each of our apologetics lessons during council time.

Read up so you can answer when those little eyes are staring up at you after asking tough questions. You know it will happen!

Old and New Testament Resources

This is a great website. It has 325 lessons about the Old and New Testaments with coloring pages, crossword puzzles, and fill-in-the-blank sections to review portions of Scripture.

Highly recommended!

Memorizing Scripture

Do your clubbers need help with their memorization? Share these ideas:

• Say your verse after prayer at every meal.
• Repeat the reference before and after each verse.
• Practice your verse every day.
• Learn what the verse means.
• Read the verses immediately before and immediately after the memory verse.
• Say the verse aloud as you memorize it.
• Draw a picture of what the verse means.
• Act the verse out like a skit.
• Memorize the verse with a friend.
• Say the verse to your parents.
• Make up hand motions for the verse.
• Make puzzle pieces out of the verse and put it together.

Teaching Children to Pray

One of the greatest things we can do for our AWANA clubbers is teach them to pray. One method that is easy for children (and adults!) to remember when praying to God is the acronym A.C.T.S.

• A=Adoration (Praise): We are to Praise God for who He is.
• C=Confession: Telling God what you have done wrong and asking Him to forgive you.
• T=Thanksgiving: We give God thanks for all He has done for us and for all He has given to us.
• S=Supplication: Petition and Intercession. Praying for yourself and praying for others.

How to talk to children about Christ

Keep in mind:

1. The Gospel is for everyone. Romans 10:13, Luke 2:10
2. Jesus taught that children could believe, Matthew 18:1-6
3. God’s desire is for children to be saved. Matthew 18:14
4. The evangelism process for children should begin in infancy. 2 Timothy 3:15
5. God does deal with hearts of children. Old and New Testament
6. Experience illustrates that children can believe.

Guidelines

1. Never assume anything.
2. Children want to please the significant adults in their lives.
3. They respond to praise.
4. They are easily influenced.
5. Help your child feel at ease
6. Take ample time with your child.
7. Do not rush.
8. Present the gospel clearly on the child’s level.
9. Ask Questions.
10. Avoid common church phrases.
11. Avoid excess emotionalism.
12. Use some type of visual such as a gospel presentation booklet, tract or draw a picture/visual as you are answering questions and talking to your child about the Gospel.
13. Just because a child asks questions does not mean he is ready to commit his life to Christ and trust in Him as his Lord and Savior. Always gently close discussions leaving the door open to present the gospel again or talk about the Gospel at a later date.
14. If a child does have understanding of what the Gospel is and what following Jesus means and the child indicates that he is ready to repent and commit his life to Christ, allow the child to pray out loud in his or her own words.
15. NEVER SAY THE PRAYER FOR THE CHILD! Even if you feel the child is ready to make a commitment to following Christ, do not pray for him!

Present the Gospel simply

1. Any gospel presentation should include the character of God, the sinfulness of man, the sufficiency of Christ, the necessity of Faith, and the urgency of eternity.
2. A child must understand the meaning of sin, that he has sinned, that he has sinned against God, that he is separated from God, that Jesus died to take the punishment for our sin, that He rose from the dead, that He is alive today!
3. Gospel Presentations:
   • 1. Admit to God you are a sinner (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, 1 John 1:9). Repent: To Turn from your sin and turn to Christ (Acts 3:19).
     2. Believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that God sent Jesus to die on the cross to save people from their sin and from being separated from God. John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Acts 4:12, Acts 16:31, 1 Peter 3:18, John 14:6
     3. Confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Romans 10:9-10, 13

   • Roman Road Presentation:
     Who God is: Romans 1:20, Romans 11:33-36
     Who Man is: Romans 1:25, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23
     Who Christ is: Romans 1:1-4, Romans 8:3, Romans 8:31-32
     What Christ has done: Romans 3:22-26, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23
     What you must do: Romans 10:9-13