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    • Optional Memory Verse: 

    Today's Theme:

     

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    Today's Story:

    		Lydia believes in Jesus
    Acts 16  
    Optional Memory verse: 
    		". . . Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, 
    each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
    forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the 
    gift of the Holy Spirit."  Acts 2:38
    International Children's Bible, New Century Version
     
    Telling others about Jesus is like giving them a gift
    • Materials Needed:
    		Promised Land mat,
    Paul figure
    Bible Story mat
    2 or 3 Fisher Price or similar type women figures,
    2 or 3 Fisher Price children if you have them,
    Construction paper river,
    		with a piece of blue construction paper cut a river about 3 or 4 inches wide and about 12 inches long. (about 10 cm X 30 cm),
    tiny scraps of purple felt or cloth
    7 or 8 Fisher Price or similar type men figures,
    blocks
    Optional Mother's Day Snack
    		Something simple for the kids to prepare for to share with their mothers:
    		Fruit and Dip
    Vegetables and dip,
    Cheese and crackers,
    Coffee and doughnuts, etc.
    Invite the mothers to come about 10  minutes early to pick up their children so they can share a special snack with them and receive their gifts.

     

    Since today is Mother's Day, have the children do one of the 
    following crafts to give to their mother.

     

    • Optional Mother's Day Crafts:
    		Option 1: Baby food jar candle holders:
    		Materials Needed:
    		1 baby food jar per child
    scraps of assorted colors of tissue paper cut into little bits,
    Elmer's glue
    paint brushes
    containers to mix glue with water (such as margarine tubs)
    1 votive candle per child
    Option 2: Hand print banners 
    		Materials Needed: 
    		Plain fabric, 
    (Note: next week we will be doing the story of Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. You may want to make the banner with purple cloth to coincide with the lesson.
    Fabric paint in a coordinating color, 
    Dowel rods, (one per child 11"-12" long (about 30 cm long),
    Ribbon or string to hang each banner,
    Paint brushes, 
    Wash basins and old towels, 
    Paint shirts
    Pre make a banner for each child by cutting fabric to about 10" X 10", (26 cm square),
    		Sew a casing across one end to fit a dowel rod through,
    Option 3: Cross shaped Stained Glass light catchers
    		Materials Needed:
    		Cut 2 construction Paper crosses for each child,  
    		Overall cross should be about 10" X 8" (20 cm X 25 cm)
    Make the cross pieces about 3", (8 cm), wide, 
    Cut the middle out of each cross
    wax paper,
    scraps of different colors of tissue paper cut into little bits,
    glue sticks,
    scissors,
    stapler

     

    When the kids arrive have them make 1 of the 3 Mother's Day 
    craft items as a gift for their mothers.

    • Baby food jar candle holders:
    		Have each child: 
    		Paint the outside of a baby food jar with watered down glue,
    Stick bits of colorful tissue paper on it.
    Put a votive candle inside each.
    Hand print banners:
    		With a pre-made banner for each child:
    		Paint each child's hands with fabric paint and stamp their hands on the banner.
    Let them attach ribbon to each end of the dowel rod as a hanger.
    Cross Shaped Stained Glass Light Catchers:
    		Give each child: 
    		A piece of wax paper,
    A glue stick,
    Bits of colorful tissue paper.
    Have them: 
    		Fold the piece of wax paper in half,
    Then open it up so it's unfolded,
    Rub half the wax paper with glue,
    Stick bits of tissue on the glued half.
    Rub glue on the other half,
    Fold it over top of the tissue side.
    Give each child 2 of the cutout crosses,
    Sandwich the wax paper in between the 2 crosses,
    Staple the 2 crosses together,
    Cut away the excess wax paper.

     

    • Closing Discussion:

    • Close in Prayer: 

    • Telling the Story: 
    		Today we made special gifts for our mothers for Mother's Day.
    Now I want you to think of a kind of gift that you can give to someone that's not a thing. 
    Instead it's something you do for them.
    Let's hear your ideas 
    		Discuss the kids ideas.
    Well, now we're going to hear a story about a special lady in the Bible.  
    She may have had children, too. 
    She gave a gift to her family.
    But it wasn't a gift that you can see or hold or wrap up in pretty paper.
    I want you to listen carefully to find out what the gift was that she gave to her family. 
    		Lay out the Promised land mat so the Jordan River is facing the children and you are along the Mediterranean Sea side. 
    Leave some space between you and the mat to build little block towns so you're not placing them in the Mediterranean Sea.
    Last week we learned about a man named Saul.
    		Place Saul figure at the left edge of the mat near the Sea of Galilee.
    He was the man who hated Jesus and wanted to put Jesus' followers in jail. 
    But then he met Jesus when Jesus talked to him from heaven.
    He loved Jesus so much that he wanted to go everywhere and tell everyone he met about Jesus.
    So he did.
    He left the Promised Land and traveled to cities and towns all over.
    		Walk the Saul figure off the left edge toward you.
    There were lots of cities and towns all along here.
    		Place blocks to represent towns and cities off the mat on the Mediterranean Sea side.
    Place a few Fisher Price or similar type figures at each 'block town'.
    Saul traveled to many of these towns.
    		Walk Saul figure to several of the 'block towns'.
    Everywhere Saul went the people spoke the Greek language.
    Saul's name in Greek is Paul.
    Since he was talking with Greek people, he used his Greek name, Paul.
    So the rest of the time that we're learning about Saul we're going to call him Paul.
    Everywhere that Paul went, people believed in Jesus.
    These were people who had prayed to stone statues.
    		Point to the Fisher Price type figures.
    Once they believed in Jesus they stopped praying to stone statues.
    They started to get together at each other's homes to pray and learn more about Jesus.
    These were the very first churches outside the Promised Land.
    They didn't have church buildings so they had church in each other's homes.
    One of the cities that Paul went to is called Philippi.  
    		Walk Saul to another block city.
    Paul and his friends were looking for a place to pray.
    		Place one or 2 figures with Paul.
    They decided to go down to the bank of a nearby river.
    Let's pretend this is a river.
    		Place the blue construction paper river nearby.
    Walk Paul and another figure to the river.
    When they got there some women were there.
    		Place the women figures next to Paul and his friends.
    One woman there was named Lydia.
    		Designate one woman to be Lydia.
    She had a job selling beautiful purple cloth to people.
    		Place the scraps of purple cloth or felt next to her.
    Lydia heard Paul telling others about Jesus. 
    She was eager to hear everything that he said about Jesus.
    She believed in Jesus.
    Then she brought her whole family so they could hear about Jesus.
    		Add children figures.
    Her whole family believed in Jesus and were baptized right in the river. 
    		Act out Lydia and her family being baptized in the river.
    Lydia was so excited and so happy that she convinced Paul and his friends to stay at her house. 
    What gift did Lydia give her family?
    		She told them about Jesus.
    Telling people about Jesus is just like giving them a gift.
    How is telling others about Jesus like giving them a gift?
    		They become friends with God,
    They will know God's love,
    They will live with God forever.
    God will help them to be more loving and kind.
    Asking God to help us be as eager to learn about Him as Lydia was.
    Asking him to help us be bold and give the gift of telling others about Jesus.

     

    Action Game:  Kids Choice

     

    • Snack:  Mother's Day Surprise
    		Something simple for the kids to prepare for to share with their mothers:
    		Fruit and Dip
    Vegetables and dip,
    Cheese and crackers,
    Coffee and doughnuts, etc.
    Invite the mothers to come about 10  minutes early to pick up their children so they can share a special snack with them and receive their gifts.

     

    Supplemental Bible Readings:  Also available as a take home paper. 
    Click     The Home Sower  to access it.

    (Suggested daily readings)

     

    • Materials Needed for Next Week:  
    		Paul figure
    Bible Story mat
    4 or 5 Fisher Price or similar type men figures,
    blocks

     

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

    Home Sower 48       Lesson 41    Home Sower 41    Lesson 42    

    Home Sower 42    Lesson 43    Home Sower 43     Lesson 44    

    Home Sower 44   Lesson 45    Home Sower 45    Lesson 46    

    Lesson 47    Home Sower 47     Lesson 49    Home Sower 49    

    Lesson 50    Home Sower 50    Lesson 51  Home Sower 51    

    Lesson 52    Home Sower 52

    Hit Counter     

    Lessons 1-12    Lessons 13-27     Lessons 28-33    

    Lessons 34-40    Lessons 41-46    Lessons 47-52