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    • Today's Theme:
    We celebrate when God keeps his promises.

     

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    Today's Story:

    		God's people return to the Promised Land
    Ezra 1, 3, & 6
    Optional Memory verse: Ezekiel 36:27
    "I will put my Spirit inside you.  
    And I will help you live by my rules."
    International Children's Bible, New Century Version
    • Materials Needed:
    		Promised Land Mat
    Paper Babylon mat from today's lesson
    Shoe box temple from previous lessons
    Prophet figure
    Priest figure
    Pharaoh figure from Moses lessons
    Daniel figure
    Fisher Price type figures to represent God's people: one per child if you have that many.
    White or green paper plates for the kids to make wreaths:
    		Prior to class cut the center out of 1 paper plate per child:
    		Option: cut the hole just smaller than an instant photo, 
    use the wreath as a picture frame,
    take an instant photo of each child to place in the wreath,
    Instant camera and film (optional)
    		An extra, uncut, paper plate per child is needed to mount their photo.
    Items to decorate the wreaths such as:
    		potpourri,
    small pine cones,
    Christmas stickers,
    Christmas ribbons,
    craft glue,
    paper punch,
    stapler,
    Optional snack:  
    		Christmas sugar cookies for the kids to decorate. 
    		icing and sprinkles for the kids to decorate them.

     

    • Christmas Gift Craft:
    		When the kids arrive have each make a wreath to give to their parents.
    		Give each child 1 paper plate with the center cut out,
    Have them decorate it with:
    		potpourri,
    small pine cones,
    Christmas stickers,
    Christmas ribbons,
    Punch holes in the top and attach ribbons to hang them
    If using the wreath as a picture frame:
    		glue the photo to the center of another paper plate (without the center cut out),
    lay the child's wreath over top and staple the 2 plates together.

     

    • Resume the story at the Promised Land mat.

    • Closing Discussion

    • Close in Prayer thanking God that He keeps his promises. Ask him to help us to remember his promises and celebrate them.

    Telling the Story:

    We will be telling the story in 2 places in the room:

    		1. Around the Babylon mat,
    2. Around the Promised Land mat.
    Today we're learning that we celebrate when God keeps His promises. 
    What are some things that we celebrate?
    What are some ways that we celebrate?
    		By giving gifts, just like we're doing when we celebrate Jesus' birthday and we give each other gifts,
    With a party, special food, games, etc.
    In today's story God's people celebrate because he keeps a promise to them.
    Let's listen to the story to find out what promise God's people are celebrating.
    Let's put the Babylon mat that you made right here and the Promised Land over there.
    		Direct the kids to put the Promised Land on the other side of the room from Babylon.
    We've been learning that God's people were living far away from the Promised Land in Babylon.
    		Place Fisher Price type people all over the Babylon mat.
    Daniel was one of God's people who became the king's helper.
    		Place Daniel and the king on the Babylon mat.
    Last week we learned that Daniel was thrown into the lion's den because he wouldn't pray to anyone but God. 
    But God protected him and kept him safe.  
    This week we're going to learn about 2 promises that God gave his people in Babylon.
    Listen carefully to find out what these 2 promises are. 
    Even in Babylon God 's special messengers, his prophets and his priests taught his people about God.
    		Place prophet and priest figures on the mat.
    They told God's people that God promised them that someday they would go back to the Promised Land.
    Can you be the voice of this priest telling God's people this promise,
    		Walk the priest figure around to the Fisher Price type figures and, 
    lead the kids in saying, "God promises that someday we will go back to the Promised Land. 
    This was the first promise that God made to his people. 
    God told his prophets to tell his people that someday he would give them a perfect king to rule over the Promised Land.
    This king would never, never make pretend gods. 
    Can you be this prophet's voice telling God's promise to give them a perfect king?
    		Walk the prophet figure around to the Fisher Price type figures and,
    Lead them in saying, "God promises that some day a perfect king will rule over the Promised Land."
    Set the prophet and priest figures to one side of the mat.
    God's people lived a very, very long time in Babylon.
    Daniel and his friends probably lived their whole lives there.
    		If you made Daniel a young/old flip figure; flip him to an old man.
    Well there was a new king in Babylon.
    		Turn the king  figure around.
    He decided that God's people should go back to the Promised Land and rebuild the temple.
    So he sent messengers all over his land to tell God's people that anyone who wanted to, could go back to the Promised Land.
    He even gathered up all the things that had been stolen from God's temple and gave them back to the people to take with them.
    Some of God's people decided to stay in Babylon.
    And we don't know if Daniel or his friends ever went back to the Promised Land.  They would have been very old when God's people went back.
    But many of God's people did go back to the Promise Land.
    I need all of you to be the feet of God's people carrying them back to the Promised Land.
    		Direct the kids to take one figure each, including the priest and the prophet,  to the Promised Land mat, (leave the king and Daniel figures in Babylon).
    When God's people got back to the Promised Land they rebuilt the temple.
    		Add the temple and help the kids place the furniture in it.
    God's people celebrated when they started to rebuild the temple.
    They played trumpets and shouted and cried.
    And when  they finished the temple they celebrated their most important holiday called Passover.
    		Gather all God's people in front of the temple.
    A priest named Ezra to taught them all about God.
    		Place priest figure in front of the temple.
    And God had his prophets remind his people about his second promise.
    		Place prophet figure in front of the temple.
    Do you remember what God's second promise to his people was?
    		That someday there would be a perfect king to rule over the Promised Land.
    God's people were very happy to be back in the Promised Land.
    They couldn't wait for God to send them the perfect king.
    What 2 promises did God give to his people?
    Which promise did God's people celebrate?

     

    Action Game: Kids' choice
    		Let the kids choose their favorite game to play since we are celebrating Christmas, just like God's people celebrated their return to the Promised Land.

    Optional Snack:

    Supplemental Bible Readings:
    (Suggested daily readings)

    • Materials Needed for Next Week:
    		Promised Land Mat
    Shoe box temple from previous lessons
    Play dough and angel cookie cutters
    The following figures from a childproof nativity set:
    		Christ in manger,
    Shepherds and sheep,
    Mary and Joseph
    Blocks or Lincoln logs if you have them
    Optional snack:  
    		Cup cakes and birthday candles
    		Option: let the kids frost the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.
    matches. 
    Figures Needed for Upcoming Lessons:
    		In January you will need a Christ figure

     

    © 1999 Linda Lawler.  
    Permission granted to copy for personal use only.  Not for resale.

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