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    • Optional Memory Verse: (Review from previous lessons)

    Today's Theme:

     

     

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    Today's Story:

    		Jesus is baptized.
    Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1
    Optional Memory verse: Psalm 103:12
     "He has taken our sins away from us 
    as far as the east is from the west.  
    International Children's Bible, New Century Version
    Only God can make us clean on the inside.
    • Materials Needed:
    		Promised Land Mat
    Fisher Price or similar type man figure to represent John the Baptist
    Adult Jesus figure
    4 or 5 Fisher Price men and women figures,
    Before class make a doll from :
    		a clear plastic bottle (1 or 2 qt, or 1 or  2 liter):
    		remove the labels from the bottle
    discard the lid
    a piece of construction paper cut into about a 3 inch circle
    		draw a smiley face on it and tape it to the rim of the bottle,
    a hand towel 
    		wrap it around the bottle to represent 'clothes' and attach it with a rubber band at the doll's 'neck'.  The opening should be at the doll's front.
    Just prior to the start of class fill the doll with clean water. 
    assorted food colors
    wash basin 
    2 wash cloths or sponges
    clean rag
    container with dirt
    bowl in which to make mud

     

    • List of Scenarios:

    • After everyone has had a turn, have the kids gather around Higgledy Piggledy and discuss:

    • Game: Higgledy Piggledy Needs a Bath

    The object of the game is for each child to decide if Higgledy Piggledy is dirty on the outside or the inside 

    Show the kids the clean, clear water inside Higgledy Piggledy and tell them that this represents Higgledy Piggledy's insides. 

    		Have the kids line up in a single line behind a designated spot in the room.
    Place Higgledy Piggledy in another spot across the room with:
    		a container of mud and a sponge or old washcloth and
    assorted food colors*
    The teacher reads a scenario from the list below.
    The kids must decide as a group if Higgledy Piggledy's action made her dirty on the outside or on the inside.
    They then direct the first child to run to the doll and apply dirt to either her outside 
    		(with a muddy sponge) 
    or her inside (a drop of food color) *(Note: letting the kids use 3 different food colors will make the water gray and dirty looking (which is what you want).
    The child runs back to the group and goes to the end of the line.
    The teacher reads another scenario and the kids send the child next in line to apply dirt to Higgledy Piggledy's inside or outside as they direct. 
    Higgledy Piggledy was playing tag and she slipped and fell in the mud.
    Higgledy Piggledy was mad at her brother so she took his favorite toy and broke it.
    Higgledy Piggledy and her friends were rolling down a hill and got grass stains and dirt all over them.
    Higgledy Piggledy and her friends made a neat hideout under some bushes.  But to get into it they had to crawl through branches and sit on the dirt ground.
    Higgledy Piggledy and her friend didn't want to play with another girl, so they hid when they saw her coming.
    There was a girl that Higgledy Piggledy didn't like so she and her friends called her mean names and played mean tricks on her whenever they saw her.
    Higgledy Piggledy and her friends played all afternoon in the creek digging in the mud to find pretty stones and trying to catch minnows and tadpoles. 
    Mother said that Higgledy Piggledy must play in her yard today, but when Mother wasn't looking, she snuck over to her friend's house.
    Higgledy Piggledy told a lie about her brother so that he would get in trouble. 
    Add more such scenarios as needed so that each child gets a turn.
    Higgledy Piggledy is really dirty isn't she.
    What can she do to got clean on the outside?
    		Take a bath, put on clean clothes.
    With a  wash basin and a clean sponge let the kids take turns cleaning up Higgledy Piggledy's outside.
    What can she do to get clean on the inside?
    		Give kids a chance to answer
    There's nothing she can do to get clean on the inside is there?
    Only God can make us clean on the inside.

     

    • Closing Discussion

    • Close in Prayer  telling God:

    • Telling the Story:
    		Bring Higgledy Piggledy to the story circle.  
    In today's game we saw Higgledy Piggledy get dirty on the inside didn't we?
    		Show her dirty water inside her.
    What kinds of things did she do to get so dirty on the inside?
    		Was mean to her brother, 
    told a lie,
    mean to her friends, 
    disobeyed her mom.
    When we do wrong things are we anxious to tell others what we did?
    		No, we want to hide, or to keep it a secret.
    Sometimes we try to blame others.
    We can't make ourselves clean on the inside.
    Only God can make us clean on the inside.
    And God wants to make us clean on the inside. 
    When we ask Jesus to forgive us for all the wrong things we do he does forgive us.
    And he gives us His Spirit to live inside us.
    His spirit makes us clean on the inside and helps us to stop doing wrong things and helps us want to do right things.
    Baptism is a picture of God making us clean on the inside.
    		Discuss what the kids know of baptism:
    		when babies are sprinkled with water or
    children and grownups  are immersed in water 
    Today we're going to hear a story about a baptism.
    		Lay out the Promised Land Mat
    Last week we learned that Jesus lived up here near the Sea of Galilee when he was a boy.
    		Point out the Sea of Galilee
    In today's story Jesus is all gown up as a man.
    		Show kids the adult Jesus figure and place him near the Sea of Galilee.
    After Jesus grew up to be a man he wanted to  travel all over the Promised Land and teach people about God.
    But he wanted to be baptized first.
    Now his cousin was John the Baptist.
    We'll pretend that this is John the Baptist.
    		Place a Fisher Price or similar type man figure next to the Jordan River to represent John the Baptist.
    John wore clothes made from camel's hair. And he wore a leather belt around his waist. 
    For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
    John was teaching people that they needed to ask God to forgive them for all the wrong things that they did.
    		Place some more figures facing John along the shore of the Jordan River.
    Then he baptized them with water in the Jordan River.
    		Demonstrate baptizing 1 figure by putting it in under the Jordan river flap.
    John told the people that God would send someone who was greater than he was.
    He told them that he wasn't even good enough to carry his sandals.
    John told them, "I baptize with water.  But when He comes, He will baptize with the Holy Spirit."
    While John was preaching to people and baptizing them,  Jesus went to see him.
    		Walk Jesus figure to John.
    Jesus asked John to baptize him.
    John was horrified.
    		Why do you think John was upset that Jesus wanted to be baptized?
    Jesus wasn't dirty on the inside.
    Jesus never disobeyed his parents.
    Jesus never said mean things to people.
    He never played mean tricks on anyone.
    Jesus never hurt anyone.
    He never told a lie.
    He never got even with anyone who hurt him.
    Jesus didn't need to become clean on the inside.
    So John said to him,  "You should baptize me instead of me baptizing you!"
    But Jesus insisted that John baptize him.
    So John did.
    		Baptize Jesus figure by placing the Jordan River flap over him.
    And when Jesus came up out of the water, God's spirit, looking like a dove came right down from heaven and landed on Jesus.
    And God spoke from heaven so that everyone could hear him.  God said, 
    		"This is my Son and I love him.  I am very pleased with him." Matthew 3:17 
    International Children's Bible
    How does God make us clean on the inside?
    		He makes us clean on the inside when we ask him to forgive us for all the wrong things that we do.
    What does God give us to make us clean on the inside  and to help us want to do right things?
    		God gives us His Holy Spirit to live inside of us. 
    Jesus loves each one of us and wants to make each one of us clean on the inside.
    You can ask God to make you clean on the inside right now if you want to.
    When I close in prayer I'll give you time to pray quietly to God. You can ask God to forgive you and make you clean on the inside.
    All of us do wrong things that make us dirty on the inside.
    Some of the boys and girls here may want you to forgive them right now and make them clean on the inside. 
    Pause for silent prayer. 
    Fill them with  your Holy Spirit so they will love you and want  to do right things. 
    Thank God that He can make us clean on the inside and gives us His spirit so we will love Him and want to do what's right.

     

    Optional Snack:  Left over bonanza
    		Use up leftovers from previous snacks

    Supplemental Bible Readings:
    (Suggested daily readings)

     

    • Materials Needed for Next Week:
    		Promised Land Mat
    Adult Christ figure. 
    Toy boat
    5 or 6 Fisher Price or similar type men figures 

     

    © 2000 Linda Lawler.  
    Permission granted to copy for personal use only.  Not for resale.

    Home Sower 31    Lesson 28     Home Sower 28    Lesson 29    

    Home Sower 29    Lesson 30    Home Sower 30    Lesson 32    

    Home Sower 32     Lesson 33    Home Sower 33     Lesson 34    

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    Home Sower 36     Lesson 37    Home Sower 37    Lesson 38     

    Home Sower 38    Lesson 39    Home Sower 39    Lesson 40    

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