Sticking with God: Grasping His Grace

Sticking With God: Grasping His Grace

Week 12: God’s Grace Gives Us Confidence

This includes:

Leader Preparation

Lesson Guide

LEADER PREPARATION

BIBLE BASIS

Peter had seen God’s grace in action. He knew what God could do, and he’d experienced God’s grace for himself, to the extent of escaping a death sentence! These touches with grace surely gave Peter the confidence to continue serving God in a society of persecution. By God’s power and grace, Peter was even able to raise Tabitha from the dead. Use this lesson to help children see that God’s grace can give them confidence in even the bleakest of circumstances.

DISCOVERY POINT

God’s grace gives us confidence.

BIBLE FOCUS

Acts 9:36-43

KEY VERSE

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16).

TEACHING PREP

The short overview below is designed to help you prepare for your lesson.

Supplies You’ll Need: Sticking With God: Grasping His Grace (Year 3/Quarter 11) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, empty 20-ounce bottle, laundry basket, small foam or rubber balls, bowl, candy, Bibles, poster board, thick paper, markers, crepe-paper streamers, cups, water, and Ping-Pong balls

Before This Lesson

• Put enough candy in a bowl so you have at least one piece for each child.

• Make a graph on a piece of poster board or large cardboard. Title it “Peter’s Confidence Meter.” Number the vertical axis from 0 to 10, with 0 at the bottom. Label the horizontal axis with three categories: John 18:15-18, John 21:15-19, and Acts 9:32-43.

• For each Bible Crew of four, fill one cup with water and add a Ping-Pong ball.

• Assemble Bible Exploration Kits (one per four kids): one Bible and thick paper, markers, and a 3-foot length of crepe-paper streamer for each child.

• Review Acts 9:36-43.

• Cue"Into the Bible"(Track 1) on the Sticking With God: Grasping His Grace (Year 3/Quarter 11) CDor(Quarter 11/Track 1) on the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD.

• Huddle briefly with your volunteers beforehand. Answer any questions they have. Encourage them and pray.

PARENT EMAIL

We’ve provided you with a “Family Devotion” handout to send the Bible learning and faith discovery home. When kids and parents have faith discussions regularly, kids’ faith multiplies.

So we’ve given you two options:

Print the “Family Devotion” handout and make enough copies for each child to take one home.
Email the “Family Devotion” to families before or after the actual lesson.

Or why not do both? That way you’ll double the opportunities for parents to actually get the handout.

Sticking With God: Grasping His Grace

Week 12: God’s Grace Gives Us Confidence

LESSON GUIDE

WELCOME!

Supplies: Sticking With God: Grasping His Grace (Year 3/Quarter 11) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, empty 20-ounce bottle, laundry basket, small foam or rubber balls, bowl of candy

1. Play “Into the Bible” (Track 1) from the Sticking With God: Grasping His Grace (Year 3/Quarter 11) CD or (Quarter 11/Track 1) from the LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD as kids arrive.

• “Into the Bible”

Makes me wanna jump!
Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!
Makes me wanna sing! Hallelujah!
It’s the greatest book.
Come and take a look.
Makes me wanna shout!
Shout! Shout! Shout! Shout!
So that everyone will see
I’m getting into the Bible
And the Bible...is getting into me!
We’re discovering a brand-new world
As we dig a little deeper (deeper),
Finding out about who God is.
Open it up and see it (see it)!
There’s nothin’ like
God’s Word, and I get
So excited.
It makes me wanna,
Makes me,
Makes me wanna jump!
Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!
Makes me wanna sing! Hallelujah!
It’s the greatest book.
Come and take a look.
Makes me wanna shout!
Shout! Shout! Shout! Shout!
So that everyone will see
I’m getting into the Bible
And the Bible...is getting into me!

2. When everyone has arrived, split the group into two teams: the Bottle team and the Ball team. Send the teams to opposite sides of the room. Give the Bottle team the empty bottle, and ask the team to stand it up at its end of the room. Give the Ball team the small foam or rubber balls, and place the candy bowl at this team’s side of the room.

Explain that when you say Go, the Bottle team will run and try to get as much candy as they can before the Ball team knocks down the bottle with its balls. If the bottle gets knocked down, everyone has to stop where they are and try again.

3. Play the game several times. When kids begin to get frustrated, SAY: It seems you’re struggling to get to the candy before the bottle is knocked down. Perhaps I can provide some grace. Cover the bottle with the laundry basket, and explain that no one may touch the basket. They may still throw balls at it, but they cannot touch it with anything else.

4. After kids finally retrieve the candy, distribute the treats evenly and have kids form Bible Crews of four kids each.

ASK:

• How did you play the game differently once the basket was in place?

• How is the basket like God’s grace?

• How can God’s grace make us more confident?

SAY: When I showed some grace in our game, the Bottle team became more confident about getting the candy. That means they felt stronger and more able to do something difficult. God’s grace does that in our lives, too! Today we’ll learn from the life of a man named Peter how God’s grace gives us confidence.

LET’S EXPLORE!

Supplies: assembled Bible Exploration Kits, prepared “Peter’s Confidence Meter”

1. Give each crew a Bible Exploration Kit. SAY: Peter was a man who knew Jesus personally. He was there for Jesus’ last supper and when Jesus died. Jesus even asked him to lead the early church. But Peter struggled at first with his confidence. Let’s find out more by digging into God’s Word.

Display “Peter’s Confidence Meter” for everyone to see. Assign each Bible Crew one of the three Scriptures listed on the horizontal axis. If you have more than three crews, it’s OK to repeat passages. If you have fewer than three, it’s OK to have smaller crews or to assign more than one passage to each crew.

Explain that kids will rate Peter’s confidence in each passage on a scale of 0, for no confidence at all, to 10, for extremely confident. To do this, each crew will read its passage and work together to act out what’s happening in the passage for the rest of the group. Then everyone will work together to agree on a rating.

2. Give crews about five minutes to read and make up their short skits. Then SAY: Peter has been through a lot. And all of his experiences had some effect on his confidence. Let’s see what that looks like. Have each crew present its rendition of Peter’s situation, starting with the crew or crews with John 18:15-18. After all the crews for each passage have presented, ask everyone to rank Peter’s confidence on a scale of 0-10 and mark it on the meter.

3. After all the crews have presented, indicate the meter and

ASK:

• What made Peter’s confidence change on our scale?

• What does grace have to do with Peter’s confidence?

• What does grace have to do with your confidence?

4. Have crews find and read the Key Verse, Hebrews 4:16, in their Bibles. Then SAY: According to this verse, God’s grace gives us confidence. We’re going to make another confidence meter now. This new meter will help you see what God’s grace does in your own life.

Have kids find the thick paper and markers in their kits. Explain that kids should make their own charts. The charts can look like the one you made or be something completely different. Have kids indicate on their charts some significant events in their lives. For example, one child may draw a symbol to represent her family packing up and moving. Another child may draw stick figures representing himself inviting a new student at school to church.

When kids have two or three events, let them indicate next to each one two different confidence levels: one for how confident they were in that situation and another for the confidence level they’d have now, knowing that God’s grace gives us confidence. For example, the girl who was moving may rank her confidence first as a 3 because she didn’t know anyone near her new house. Then she may mark a 7 because she knows that God’s grace will help her meet new friends.When kids finish their confidence meters,

ASK:

• What does it mean to be confident?

• How does God’s grace give us confidence?

SAY: When we trust God and know that he’s there to support us, we can be confident in everything we do for him. If we face a difficult situation, we can be sure that God will always be there for us. We know that no matter what happens, we’ll always have that loving friendship with him. And that’s why God’s grace gives us confidence.

LET’S PRAISE!

Supplies: Sticking With God: Grasping His Grace (Year 3/Quarter 11) CD, LIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3) DVD, CD player, TV/DVD player, assembled Bible Exploration Kits

1. Have kids find the crepe-paper streamers in their Bible Exploration Kits and write on them one reason God’s grace gives them confidence. For example, “It helps me know I can trust God.” Help younger children write their words. Then have kids wave their streamers in the air as you SAY: God’s grace is like the air under our streamers. It supports us and gives us strength! As we sing and praise God for his grace, carefully move around with your streamers. Make motions of praise!

2. Set up theSticking With God: Grasping His Grace (Year 3/Quarter 11) CD or theLIVE Children’s Curriculum (Year 3)DVD. PLAY:

• “God Is Listening” (CD Track 6) (DVD Quarter 11/Track 6)

He knows you (he knows you).
He loves you (he loves you).
God is listening, listening, listening, listening.
He knows you (he knows you).
He loves you (he loves you).
God is listening, listening, listening, listening.
God knows every word
Before you even say it.
He hears every prayer
Before you even pray it.
So let him hear you now;
Let him hear you shout!
He knows you (he knows you).
He loves you (he loves you).
God is listening, listening, listening, listening.
He knows you (he knows you).
He loves you (he loves you).
God is listening, listening, listening, listening.
God knows every word
Before you even say it.
He hears every prayer
Before you even pray it.
So let him hear you now;
Let him hear you shout!
He knows you (he knows you).
He loves you (he loves you).
God is listening, listening, listening, listening.
He knows you (he knows you).
He loves you (he loves you).
God is listening, listening, listening, listening.
He knows you (he knows you).
He loves you (he loves you).
God is listening, listening, listening, listening.
He knows you (he knows you).
He loves you (he loves you).
God is listening, listening, listening, listening.
God is listening.

• “Worship Christ” (1 Peter 3:15) (CD Track 7) (DVD Quarter 11/Track 7)

Worship Christ as the Lord of your life.
Come on and worship Christ as the Lord of your life.
And if someone asks you why
Your Christian hope is alive,
Always be ready to explain
That he is Lord of all and the Lord of your life.
He is Lord of all and the Lord of your life.
So you should never be ashamed.
Just say what you need to say
In a gentle and respectful way.
(Repeat from the beginning.)
That he is Lord of all and the Lord of your life.
He is Lord of all and the Lord of your life.
So you should never be ashamed.
Just say what you need to say
In a gentle and respectful way.

• “You Know Everything About Me” (Psalm 139:1-3) (CD Track 2) (DVD Quarter 11/Track 2)

O Lord, you have examined my heart;
You know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up;
You know everything about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
O Lord, you know my thoughts and my ways;
You know everything about me.
You chart the path that I take;
You know everything about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
You know everything;
Every little thing about me, about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
O Lord, you have examined my heart;
You know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up;
You know everything about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.
You know everything,
Every little thing about me, about me.

“You Know Everything About Me” (Psalm 139:1-3) by Ben Glover and Jay Stocker. © 2004 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use lyrics granted for local church use only. No unauthorized duplication permitted.

LET’S PRAY!

Supplies: prepared cups of water with Ping-Pong balls

1. Give each crew a cup of water with a Ping-Pong ball in it. SAY: God’s grace gives us confidence. If we’re worried or afraid, God’s grace will hold us up and keep us strong. We’ll be like the Ping-Pong ball that stays at the top of the water.

2. Have the youngest person on each crew try to push the ball under the water with one finger. Then ask kids to take turns doing that as they thank God for holding them up and making them confident by his grace.Encourage kids to talk to God about specific situations where they’ve seen his grace. Then ask them to talk to God about where they need his grace to help them be confident.

3. When crews finish praying, ask the oldest child in each crew to set the cup of water and Ping-Pong ball out of the way so it doesn’t spill.

HIGH FIVES

Supplies: none

Before kids leave, have them form pairs. (Odd number? Partner with someone yourself.) Have pairs stand toe to toe, hold hands, and lean back, relying on each other to stay up. Then have them pull each other up and give high fives. SAY: We can be confident that God will support us by his grace!

FOR-EXTRA-TIME ACTIVITIES

Grace Illustrated

Supplies: paper and crayons or markers

Have kids work together to make a book of metaphors to help them understand how God’s grace makes us confident. For example: “God’s grace is like the net under a trapeze artist,” or “God’s grace is like a football helmet.” Encourage kids to write the metaphors and then illustrate them. Kids who don’t yet write could also serve as the illustrators or colorers.

Grace Helmets

Supplies: foam cups, markers, safety scissors

Give each child a foam cup, and provide markers and safety scissors. Help children make miniature “Grace Helmets” by turning a cup upside down and cutting a hole for the face mask. Then have them decorate their helmets as you discuss how bike helmets, motorcycle helmets, and football helmets give people confidence as they play their sport. In the same way, God’s grace gives us confidence as we serve him!

Hiding It in Your Heart

Supplies: small inexpensive container per Bible Crew (oatmeal canisters work well), crayons and markers, paper, tape, scissors, “Confidence Carryall” handout

Before the lesson, print copies of the “Confidence Carryall” handout.Encourage crews to work together to complete the Confidence Carryalls. Then discuss how God’s grace give us confidence to come to him. Let kids take turns taking home the Confidence Carryalls and adding more slips to them each week.