Optional Memory verse: Jeremiah 29:11
. . ."I have good plans for you. I don't plan
to hurt you.
I plan to give you hope and a good future"
International Children's Bible, New Century Version
Today's Theme:
Jesus is the perfect king
| Materials Needed:
|
Shoe box temple from previous lessons
Play dough angels that the kids make
during the Introductory Craft time (See below)
The following figures from a childproof
nativity set:
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Christ in manger,
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Shepherds and sheep,
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Mary and Joseph
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Blocks or Lincoln logs if you have them
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| Optional snack:
| | | | | | | |
| Introductory Craft Play
Dough Angels |
Set the angels aside to use during story
time.
|
| Telling the Story: |
What were those 2 promises?
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1. God was going to bring his
people back to the Promised Land
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2. God would give them a perfect
king.
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Last week we learned about how
God made one of those promises come true.
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Which promise did we see come
true last week?
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God's people came back to the
Promised Land from far away in Babylon.
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Let's put the Promised Land here
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Lay out the Promised Land mat.
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Add some Fisher Price or similar type
figures to represent God's people.
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God's people rebuilt the temple, here.
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Place the cardboard temple at the bottom of
the mat near the Dead Sea.
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But God's people didn't have a king of
their own.
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The Promised Land was ruled by a king
from a far away land.
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They couldn't wait for God to send them
the perfect king that he promised.
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What do you think a perfect king
would be like?
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Give kids a chance to answer.
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Where do you think a perfect king
would live?
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Give kids a chance to answer.
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Let's pretend we're God's people
waiting for the perfect king to come.
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Let's pretend that we're remembering
some of the promises that God gave us about the perfect king.
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Turn in a Children's Bible to Micah 5:2
and read, "But you Bethlehem are just a small town. But from you will come one who
will rule God's people. . ."
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Oh! God had promised us that the
perfect king would be born in a town called Bethlehem.
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We need a Bethlehem.
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Will you work together as a team and
make some houses for the town of Bethlehem?
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Give each child 3 blocks and show them
how to make a house by setting 2 blocks together and placing a 3'rd on top.
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Direct them to put their houses on the
mat down near the Dead Sea
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Let's read another promise from God
about the perfect king.
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Read from a children's Bible, a portion
of Isaiah 7:14, ". . . A child shall be born to a young woman. And she shall call him
Immanuel . . . "
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We need a young woman don't we.
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Well I happened to bring a young woman
with me, but she lives way up here.
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Place a Mary figure from a manger set
next to the Sea of Galilee.
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Add 2 or 3 blocks to represent her house
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One day Mary had a big surprise!
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An angel came to visit her.
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Hold one of the play dough angels in front
of Mary.
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The angel said to Mary,
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"Don't be afraid.
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God is pleased with you.
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You are going to have a baby boy.
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And He will be the king over God's people
forever.
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And you are to name him Jesus."
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Jesus is the perfect king!
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Remove angel figure.
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Now the king from the far away land who
ruled over the Promised Land decided he needed to count all the people who lived in
his kingdom.
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So he made a law that every one had to
travel to the town where he was born and write his name in a book.
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Now Mary was getting ready to marry
Joseph.
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And Mary and Joseph were from the town
of Bethlehem.
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So Mary and Joseph had to travel all
the way to Bethlehem to write their names in a book..
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Walk their figures to Bethlehem.
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But when they got there, there was no
place for them to stay.
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They knocked on the inn door.
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Walk the figures to one of the houses.
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But the inn keeper told them that the
inn was full.
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He told them there was room in the
stable if they wanted to stay there.
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So Mary and Joseph stayed in a stable
in Bethlehem.
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Will you work together and build a
stable for Mary and Joseph to sleep in?
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Let the kids build a stable with blocks (or
Lincoln logs if you have them).
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Give them some farm animals to put in the
stable with Mary and Joseph.
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While Mary and Joseph were staying in
the stable, the Baby Jesus was born.
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Add baby Jesus figure in a manger.
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The only place to lay him was in the
feed box, called a manger.
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So Mary made a bed for Baby Jesus in a
manger.
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That night there were some shepherds
watching their sheep in some fields that were nearby.
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Place shepherd and sheep figures from a
nativity set on the mat near Bethlehem;
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It was night time and suddenly an
angel came to them and started talking to them.
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Hold one of the play dough angels in front
of the shepherds.
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The shepherds were afraid.
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But the angel said to them,
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"Don't be afraid.
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I bring you good news.
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Tonight in Bethlehem your savior was born.
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You will find him wrapped in cloths, lying
in a manger."
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Now I need you to get your angels ready
because suddenly the whole sky was filled with angels.
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I need you to hold your angels up with
mine so the shepherds can see them.
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Direct kids to hold up the play dough
angels that they made earlier
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And all the angels said together,
"Glory to God in heaven!"
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Direct the kids to be the angels voices and
say that together.
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Then the angels went back to heaven
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Direct kids to put their angels down.
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| After the angels left, the shepherds
hurried to Bethlehem to see the Baby Jesus. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Optional Snack: Happy
Birthday Jesus party. |
Light their candles for them, then all
sing Happy birthday to Jesus
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| Action Game: Kids' choice
|
Supplemental Bible
Readings:
(Suggested daily readings)
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