Tag Archives: god

End of school year – the holiday starts here!

Aim:

To help the children to grasp that God, who is greater than we can ever imagine, knows all about us and watches over us wherever we go.

Bible base:

Psalm 139:9-10

You will need:

  • An outline of Britain – on an acetate, or drawn large if an OHP is not available
  • A globe
  • Marker pens
  • A road map of Britain (with index!) in case you need to look up any destinations
  • A suitcase containing some of the things you would take on holiday
  • A large sign, which will fit in the case, saying ‘God’

Preparation

Know your geography!

Presentation

Introduction

  1. Who is excited about finishing school for the summer? (Be sure to let the staff say so too!) Who is going away on holiday? What will they take with them? Show the things you’ve packed.
  2. Ask for the names of some of the places people are going to and mark them on the map with that person’s name. Be sure also to mark on those who are having their holiday at home. Point out foreign destinations on the globe. How will they get to where they are going?

Story

  1. Talk about some of the people in the Bible who went on long journeys – Abraham going to a new country; Joseph going as a slave into Egypt; Moses leading the people to God’s special land; Joseph and Mary taking Jesus to safety in Egypt when he was a baby; Paul going on long journeys to tell people about Jesus. Each one knew that wherever they went, God was with them.
  2. Read the verses from Psalm 139. ‘If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me’. (Psalm 139:9-10, Good News Bible)

Application

Show the ‘God’ sign from your suitcase. We can’t see God with our eyes or hear him with our ears or feel him with our hands – but he will be with us always if we ask him to be, just as he was with these people.

It doesn’t matter where we go in the world: God is so great that he can be everywhere with anyone.

When we come back to school next year from summer holidays, when we go to new classes – or even new schools – God will still watch over and care for each one.

Prayer

Say a short prayer thanking God for holidays at home and away, and, if appropriate, asking him to be close to children who are going to a new school.

Song suggestions

Danger in the Den – Daniel

Aim:

To help the children understand that God is always with them in whatever situation they may find themselves.

Bible base:

Daniel 6

You will need:

  • Some photos of personal friends (as large as possible)
  • A few simple props to help your acting volunteers, for example a crown for King Darius, a card headband with Percy written on it, a rug, etc

Preparation

Look carefully at the story in Daniel 6 and at the script, noting the places props will be used.

Presentation

Introduction

  1. Show the children your photos. (Those nearer the back could have a closer look later if they are unable to see.) Tell them why you enjoy being with your friends, how they may have helped you when in difficulty and about things you have done together.
  2. Point out to the children that however special your friends are, they can’t be with you all the time and they can’t always help you.
  3. Explain that Daniel, a man we read about in the Bible, found out there was only one special best friend who could always be there and always help.

Story

Choose a few volunteers to act out the story as you tell it using the props where appropriate.

A long time ago in a distant land,

many hundreds and thousands of years ago,

there was a man called Daniel,

and a great king called Darius.

Daniel had worked for the king all his life but unlike many other men at the palace he always spoke the truth.

Also Daniel knew that God was wise, strong, loving, the greatest.

Every day, morning, midday and evening he would talk to God like a friend,

tell him about his day,

about problems at the palce,

what sort of mood the king was in,

anything and everything

and God listened.

King Darius admired Daniel and listened to everything he said carefully.

Daniel always spoke the truth

and because God had give him good advice,

he was always having brilliant new ideas.

The king always took notice of what Daniel said

and the other important people in the palace became more and more annoyed.

‘Who does he think he is?’

‘He makes us look stupid!’

‘I hate him.’

And they began huddling together in corners of the palace grounds, trying to come up with some idea about how to get rid of Daniel.

Eventually one man, Percy, came up with a cunning plan. Although King Darius appreciated Daniel’s honest approach, he was very vain and liked people saying nice things about him.

One morning, when Daniel was out seeing to some important business for the king, Percy went into the royal apartments, threw himself down on the Persian rug and said,

‘O Great and Wonderful.

I can hardly bring myself to breathe in the presence of your majesty.

Please allow me to grovel at your feet.’

‘Certainly, dear boy,’ said the king.

‘Your majesty’ Percy continued, ‘the people know you are handsome, strong and very wise.’

The kind smiled. ‘Do they?’ he said.

‘But perhaps they do not know quite HOW WONDERFUL you are.’

The king frowned. ‘Don’t they?’ he said.

Why don’t we make a new law which says the people can only pray to you and to no one else for the next thirty days?’

‘Excellent, excellent,’ said the king. ‘Let’s do it.’

Percy grinned sneakily, bowed and left the throne room.

And so it turned out that by the time Daniel came back to the palace, a new law had been written and sealed by the king and was to be enforced by a whole division of palace guards. Daniel heard about this new law as he reached the palace gates.

The king welcomed him as usual.

He told Daniel of the new law he’d devised by himself without Daniel’s help.

‘Congratulations, my lord king,’ said Daniel. ‘Tell me about it.’

So the king told him about the law and the people having to pray to him alone.

‘Aah,’ said Daniel, ‘and what will happen to those who disobey?’

The king told him that Percy had come up with a good idea.

‘Oh,’ said Daniel.

‘The new law says that anyone praying to someone other than me will be thrown into a pit of lions.’

‘Oh dear, oh dear,’ said Daniel softly.

And he kept saying this to himself as he went home, talked to God and climbed into bed.

In fact he kept on saying this to himself even in his sleep – a sleep troubled by dreams of bright eyes, golden manes and very large teeth.

The next morning, everyone started praying to the king, but Daniel talked to God instead.

At mid day, everyone still prayed to the king, but Daniel talked to God instead.

In the evening when everyone else was praying to King Darius, Daniel was talking to God.

All the people were too afraid to disobey the king.

But Daniel could not desert God, his oldest friend.

Of course, this is what Daniel’s enemies wanted.

Percy and a few friends had sneaked round to Daniel’s house to spy on him.

Daniel made no secret of what he was doing.

He sat by the open window, talking to God, as usual, like a friend.

After they saw this, his enemies went and told the king that Daniel was still praying three times a day. The king looked very serious and sad when they told him what had happened, but had to agree that Daniel had broken the new law. Daniel was arrested and bundled off to the king.

Daniel said, ‘I’m sorry for disobeying you, my lord king, but God is too good a friend to give up.’

The king understood, but Percy reminded him the law had been broken, a law written and signed by the king himself.

The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God rescue you!’ and Daniel was put into the pit where the lions lived.

The entrance was sealed and the king went back miserably to the palace.

All night King Darius walked up and down in his dressing gown.

In the morning the king was at the entrance to the pit at first light.

‘Daniel, Daniel,’ he called ‘Was your God able to save you?’

‘Yes, your majesty,’ said Daniel, ‘God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths. They did not harm me at all. Isn’t it wonderful? I knew God wouldn’t let me down.’

The king was overjoyed to hear his friend alive and gave orders for Daniel to be pulled out of the pit. The lions roared ferociously but everyone could see that Daniel had not been hurt at all.

The king said, ‘My dear Daniel, it is wonderful. This just goes to show that GOD IS THE BEST FRIEND TO HAVE after all.’

Application

  1. Talk about Daniel’s feelings when the law was made, when he was in the lion’s den, and when the lions didn’t hurt him.
  2. Make the point that God is with us, as he was with Daniel. We can trust him to help us if we ask him.

Carmel Competition – Elijah

Aim:

To help the children understand that God is the only God, the greatest, and he’s real!

Bible base:

1 Kings 18:1-40

You will need:

  • Some items which the children are likely to choose between, for example, an apple and an orange, a football and a book, some Smarties and a tube of fruit pastilles.
  • A few simple props for the story, for example, a crown for Ahab, a cloak for Elijah, a bucket etc.

Preparation

Familiarise yourself with the story from 1 Kings 19 and look carefully at the script so as to know how to use your volunteers.

Presentation

Introduction

  1. Discuss with the children times they have made decisions. Are there times when it’s difficult to make up your mind?
  2. Show the children your items which they may have had to choose between.

Background

  1. Explain to the children that God’s people the Israelites had many bad kings. Probably the worst king was King Ahab, and his wife Jezebel was even hastier than him!
  2. Ahab did not care about God. Jezebel worshipped a false god called Baal and soon the people were so confused that they could not make up their minds about God at all.
  3. God had already sent one message by his special messenger Elijah to try and make Ahab listen. There had been no rain for three years, Ahab was in a foul mood and God sent Elijah to Ahab again.

Story

Choose some volunteers to help you tell the story:

a king Ahab, an Elijah, a few prophets of Baal, all the other children in the assembly will be the crowd watching the competition which takes place.

Story script:

When Ahab and Elijah met, Ahab was so angry he could hardly keep still. (Have Ahab and Elijah standing facing one another, Ahab shaking with rage!)

He was twitching and shaking with anger.

‘You have caused this trouble!’ Ahab shrieked, his voice shrill and squeaking.

‘No, it’s not me,’ said Elijah. ‘You have forgotten to take any notice of God. Now he is going to show you something more about himself.

Get all the people to Mount Carmel.

Get all the prophets of Baal together.

Collect everyone in one big crowd.

There’s going to be a competition.’

Soon, a huge crowd of people were gathered and 450 prophets of Baal, all ready for a big competition.

(Elijah faces the rest of the children.)

‘Listen,’ said Elijah to the people. ‘You’ve got to make up your minds who you think is real. You can’t be on God’s side and Baal’s side. You’ve got to choose.’

But the people said nothing.

They had heard there was a competition coming and they wanted to see it.

‘OK’, said Elijah, ‘bring out two bulls.’ The people obeyed. Normally bulls were burned as a sacrifice to God to show respect and honour, like a kind of present.

(Ask a volunteer to mime bringing out the sacrifice.)

‘The competition will be to see which god brings down fire to burn the sacrifice,’ said Elijah. ‘Do you agree?’

The prophets of Baal stamped and shouted and whooped and made a great noise.

(Prophets of Baal stamp, shout, whoop, etc.)

‘Is that a yes?’ said Elijah.

‘Yes!’ they roared.

(Prophets and Elijah mime appropriately as the story continues.)

The prophets put the large piece of meat on a pile of stones and started to pray.

‘Baal, hear us! Baal hear us! Bring fire – and make it hot!’ (Prophets could say this after you.) But nothing happened.

So they yelled, ‘Baal hear us! Baal hear us! Bring fire and make it snappy!’

But nothing happened. ‘Perhaps he’s out with a friend? Or shopping? Or on the loo? Suggested Elijah, smiling.

The prophets of Baal went crazy: dancing and leaping and screaming.

But nothing happened.

Hours passed.

Elijah said very quietly to the people, ‘Gather round.’ And they did. He built a pile of twelve stones, put on the wood and put the meat on top. Then he asked for a spade. He dug a deep ditch round the stones and asked for a bucket of water.

‘Water?’ said the people. ‘He’s definitely crazy.’

Elijah poured water over the meat. Splash!

‘Doesn’t he realise?’ said a little old woman, ‘It’ll never cook like that.’

Elijah poured on water a second time. Splash.

And a third time. Swoosh.

Water trickled down into the deep ditch. ‘When God wins this competition,’ said Elijah, ‘it will NOT be by chance.’

‘Now God,’ he said, ‘show these people that you are alive, that you are the greatest, that you are the only God, that you are the REAL THING.’

Then God sent fire – it licked up the water like a hungry beast. Flames roared round the stones, the wood, the meat and leapt red and yellow into the sky. When all the people saw this they jumped up in surprise.

‘Wow!’ they yelled. ‘It’s amazing.’

Then they knelt down.

‘It’s true. God is the only God, the real thing. God is the greatest.’

Time to reflect

Ask the children to think about the story they have just heard and seen.

Ask them to think about what they will decide or have decided about God.

Prayer

Invite the children to join in the following prayer (or similar) by saying ‘Amen’ if they wish to:

Dear God, help us to know that you are real and with us even though we can’t see you with our eyes, hear you with our ears or touch you with our hands. Thank you that you are the one true God, the greatest, the real thing. Amen.