252 GroupsJanuary 2016, Week 5

Small Group, K-1

Check the Guide

Bible Story: Check the Guide (What you think about)•Proverbs 4:23 (Supporting:
Philippians 4:8)

Bottom Line:Use God’s words to GUIDE your thoughts.

Memory Verse: “A person without self-control is like a city whose walls are broken through.” Proverbs 25:28, NIrV

Life App: Self-control—choosing to do what you should do, not what you want to do.

Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.

Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction(Small Groups, 15 minutes)

Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today’s story.

Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group for the first time. Ask God to help kids understand what it means to control their thoughts. Pray that today’s conversations would be applicable to kids and that God would bring to mind any areas where they need to work on controlling their thoughts. Ask God to lead kids to lean on Him when they are scared, nervous, and overwhelmed. Pray that you could be a source of advice and comfort for your few in dealing with this issue.

1. Early Arriver Idea

What You Need:Offering container

What You Do:

  • Invite kids to place their offerings in the container
  • Ask: What is a GPS? (Something that tells you where to go / where something is / where you are.) Has your family ever used a GPS to go somewhere? Where? If you could use a GPS to tell you how to get anywhere in the world, where would you want to go? Why?

2. Freeze Frame!

What You Need:“Freeze Frame!” Activity Page, bell or other sound effect

What You Do:

  • Guide the kids to move and mingle around the room.
  • Ring the bell (or play the SFX) and hold up a “Freeze Frame!” card.
  • Guide kids to quickly get in the position shown on the card and freeze!
  • Cue the kids to mingle again. At random times ring the bell and hold up other “Freeze Frame!” cards.
  • Keep interest high by varying the lengths of time the kids mingle and remain frozen.
  • Note: This game is great on many levels for large-motor self-control. The kids must stop and look when the bell sounds, assume the pose, and remain frozen until you cue them to move again.

What You Say:

“You did a great job following my cues to stop, strike a pose, freeze, and then move again.[Transition] In Large Group we’ll learn about a guide that is VERY important to follow. Let’s go learn more.”

Lead your group to the Large Group area.

Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Small Groups, 25 minutes)

Create a safe place to connect and learn howthe Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions.

* 1. On Guard!(application activity / review the Bible story)

What You Need: Wadded scrap paper or newspaper; Hula-hoops, rope, or tape; 1 for every 2-3 kids

What You Do:

  • Create circle(s) marked by Hula-hoops, rope, or tape. You will need one for every two to three kids.
  • Guide kids to stand inside the circles. Tell them to pretend that the circles are their hearts—what they think, feel, believe.
  • Show kids the wadded paper and tell kids that the wads represent bad or negative thoughts or influences. Invite kids to identify some real life bad/negative influences.
  • Dump the wadded paper inside the circles and guide the kids to quickly “defend” their “hearts” by pushing the paper wads out of the circle. As they throw the papers out of their circle, do your best to push or throw them back in. The result is a manic (and fun!) paper fight!

What You Say:

“Great job! You really guarded your hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, ‘Above everything else, guard your heart. Everything you do comes from it.’(NIrV) That verse isn’t talking about guarding the heart that beats and pumps our blood. It’s talking about what we think, what we feel, and what we believe. So what you put in your heart—what you see, what you hear, what you read—influences everything else in your life.

“What’s the BEST thing you can put in your heart? (Jesus, God’s Word, God) Yes! And God wants you to use His words to guide your thoughts. How can you [Bottom Line] use God’s words to GUIDE your thoughts?(I can pray, I can read my Bible, I can memorize Bible verses, I can sing songs about God.) Great ideas! So remember: [Bottom Line] use God’s words to GUIDE your thoughts.”

2. Right or Wrong?(application activity)

What You Need: “Right or Wrong?” Activity Pages, markers

What You Do:

  • Give each child a “Right or Wrong?” Activity Page.
  • Guide kids to use their fingers to find the path through the maze. Talk about the scenarios shown. Ask kids what they think the wise choices are.
  • Let kids to use a marker to draw the path.

What You Say:

“How did the people in the pictures make wise choices to GUIDE their thoughts? What can you do this week to [Bottom Line] use God’s words to GUIDE your thoughts? (I can watch good movies and read good books, I can listen to music that tells about Jesus or playing with friends, I can hang out with friends who make wise choices, I can read my Bible, I can memorize a Bible verse, I can pray) Great ideas!

[Make It Personal] (Share a way you will [Bottom Line] use God’s words to GUIDE your thoughtsthis week, too.)

“So remember,[Bottom Line] use God’s words to GUIDE your thoughts. When you do, your life won’t be perfect, but it will be much, much better. You’ll also be able to show others who God is and what He is like.”

3. Follow the Guide(memory verse activity)

What You Need: Bible,“God’s Guide” Activity Pages

What You Do:

  • Guide kids to get into groups of two or three.
  • Give each group a set of “God’s Guide” cards. Guide teams to use the picturesprinted on the cards as they put them in order.
  • When every group finishes, invite a volunteer to open the Bible where marked.
  • Lead the kids to point to each word on their cards as you read the verse aloud from the Bible.

What You Say:

“Could you have put the Bible verse cards in order without using the tiny boxes to guide you? Probably, but it would have taken you longer, wouldn’t it?

“The same is true in our lives. We can live our lives without following God’s Word as our guide, but our lives will be much more difficult, and they won’t be pleasing to God.

“When we DO use God’s words to GUIDE our thoughts, life works better. We have God’s peace and joy, and we also have the power of God’s Word working for us. So remember:[Bottom Line] Use God’s words to GUIDE your thoughts.”

Pray and Dismiss

What You Need: No supplies needed

What You Do:

  • Guide kids to gather around you.
  • Read the following “reverse” prayer/letter (where God is doing the talking).

What You Say:

“We’re going to do our prayer time differently today. Instead of talking to God, we’re going to imagine that HE is talking to US. Close your eyes and listen.

“Dear (name each child), I love you, and I want what is best for you. I want your heart to be FULLof joy and peace and love and all the best things I can give you. But if you choose to watch and hear and do things that fill your mind with bad words, bad actions, and bad thoughts, then you won’t have room in your heart for the good things I want to give you.

“You are beautiful to me, and I love you. So guard your heart and your mind. Listen to good things. Watch good things. Read good things. Use my words to guide your thoughts. Then you will be filled with the best possible things, because you will be filled with me.

“I love you so much.Love, Jesus.”

Give each child a GodTime card. Pass out Parent Cue cards as adults arrive to pick up. Encourage kids to tell their parents one way they will use God’s Word to guide their thoughts.

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