Hey everyone, I did something a little different this week. I wanted to create a worship experience that more closely reflected our typical live worship experience, so I attached our three worship songs up front like normal. If you want to bypass the worship (which I don’t recommend) the sermon begins about 14 1/2 minutes in.
Genesis chapter 2 seeks to retell the story of creation found in the first chapter of Genesis, but does so in a much different way. So the question becomes “what do these stories collectively tell us about God and our relationship with one another?”
Worship Music & Video credits are as follows.
Graves into Gardens-Brandon Lake courtesy of Elevation Worship
Evidence-Josh Baldwin courtesy of Bethel Music
Your Promises-Gary McDufee courtesy of Elevation Worship
Kids will learn that God can do what seems impossible to us.
KEY PASSAGE:
Joshua 10:1-15, The Sun Stands Still
MEMORY VERSE:
“The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
In the Old West, the final shootout often took place at “high noon” when the sun was highest in the sky. When the five kings of the Amorites came against the Israelites, it would take a miracle for the people of God to defeat them before the sun went down. So God provided a miracle and stopped the sun in the sky until Joshua and his men had the victory.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A cell phone or tablet
In 1860 if you wanted to send a letter quickly, there was no UPS, no FedEx. The only way to move mail quickly was by Pony Express. The Pony Express was a network of young men on very, very fast horses who would hand off those letters from one rider to another, galloping as fast as they could through the blazing desert and hostile territory. It was a very dangerous job, riding for the Pony Express, but the Pony Express could carry mail faster than ever before – from Missouri to California, 1800 miles, in only 10 days!
I can only imagine what a Pony Express rider would think about a modern phone. If you asked a Pony Express rider if it was possible to send a letter from Missouri to California the same day, they probably would have said it was impossible, but we do the impossible to them every day. You open the mail app, type your message, and send it. From Missouri to California in a fraction of a second.
We worship a God who specializes in doing the impossible. God can heal the sick, bring hope to the hopeless, and even make the sun stand still. Our God spoke the world into existence, and there’s nothing he cannot do for those who love Him.
If God tells you to do the impossible, expect the impossible to happen. Nothing is impossible for God.
Using orange, yellow, and blue construction paper, have the kids cut the papers into small squares and glue the squares to another piece of black construction paper to make a sun mosaic like the one shown here
Work is not to be life’s aim, God is… This sermon seeks to answer the question what’s the deal with this special day (Sabbath), why Jesus, and why the Church. Is this Old Testament command something that is abolished in the New Testament? Join me and see.
Kids will learn that there are consequences for not living God’s way.
KEY PASSAGE:
Exodus 8, The Plagues of Frogs, Gnats, and Flies
MEMORY VERSE:
“The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
When lawlessness ran amok, a new sheriff would ride in to clean up the Wild West town. The Pharaoh of Egypt mistreated and abused the Israelites who lived there, so God sent in Moses and Aaron to set things right. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he would not acknowledge the awesome power of God.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A small chair
How many of you have a time out chair at home? When was the last time you had to do time out? In the old west, most towns had a sheriff’s office with a tiny jail cell where ruffians and outlaws would often get a “time out” in the hopes that they would cool down and start following the law. If people didn’t get the message and caused more trouble, they could find themselves shipped off to prison or worse, depending on what their crime was.
God gave us the Bible so we’d know how to live right. He also let us know that there are consequences for not obeying His word. Some consequences are earthly – like sitting in time out or in the sheriff’s jail. Some consequences can be eternal.
God wants us all to choose to live His way. He wants us to follow Christ, so He can spare us from the eternal consequence of sin. Don’t ignore the warning signs when you start to stray from God’s way. Listen to God, and He will make your path straight.
Moses gives Pharaoh a Time Out!
Sing & Act
Craft Activity
Kids can decorate the included sheriff’s badge coloring page to remind themselves of today’s lesson.
Pastor, professor, friend and theologian Michael Lodahl-Guest Speaker. Professor Lodahl ties our previous series “When Love Bends Down” together citing several passages from the gospel of John.
Kids will learn that dishonesty can destroy the good things God has given us.
KEY PASSAGE:
Genesis 27:1-35, 41-45, Jacob Gets Isaac’s Blessing
MEMORY VERSE:
“The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
In the Old West, two bad guys might team up or be “in cahoots” together. When Jacob wanted his father’s blessings, he teamed up with his mother to trick the blessing out of Isaac. Jacob’s trickery ended up tearing his family apart and forcing Jacob to run away to save his life.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED: A frozen TV dinner with corn and a brownie
Frozen TV dinners can be quick and convenient. They can also be frustrating for people who don’t like their food to touch. The photos on the package make this TV dinner appear to be perfect for such picky eaters. The meat, veggies, and dessert all have their own individual pocket. No problem, right? Then you open the box and see that contents have shifted in transit. That corn tends to go everywhere, and it only takes one piece of corn to RUIN that sweet, chocolatey brownie.
It only takes one lie, one time being in cahoots with someone who is being deceptive, to ruin your good reputation. It may be tempting in the moment to be dishonest to avoid trouble or to try and get ahead, but it’s not worth the risk to your reputation and to your relationships, especially your family.
God wants us to be honest with Him and with others, no matter what it may cost us, because God knows the price we will pay for dishonesty. Don’t let one little lie ruin your reputation. Do the right thing, and tell the truth!
Have the kids make fake beards, like the one Jacob used to trick his father, out of craft materials – cotton balls glued to paper cut in the shape of a beard works well. You could also glue or tape long pieces of yarn to a piece of paper cut out in the shape of a beard. These beards are a reminder that there are consequences when we lie and when we deceive others.
This week we begin a new series in the Book of Genesis. These first pages of scripture are among the most widely read, but also the most deeply misunderstood in the entire Bible. It is my intention that this sermon continue along the same vein as our last series “When Love Bends Down” focusing in on God’s good intentions for humanity.
Kids will learn they can have confidence in going where God leads them.
KEY PASSAGE:
Genesis 12:1-8, God Calls Abram
MEMORY VERSE:
“The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
Many people flocked to the Old West because it was a chance to start over in a place where there weren’t many people. God called Abram to move to an unfamiliar place and promised to make a great nation from him. Abram trusted God, and knew one day the promise would be fulfilled.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A cowboy hat, bandana, and boots
It’s easy to spot a cowboy. Cowboys are known for their signature wardrobe – Stetson hats, bandanas, and boots. But these iconic accessories are no mere fashion statement. They all reflect how dangerous the Old West could be. The hat protected a cowboy’s face from the harsh light and heat of the sun. The bandana kept harmful trail dust from getting into a cowboy’s lungs. And those boots were made to keep a cowboy’s feet dry and protect them from thorns, brambles, and deadly snake bites!
Our world today may not be the wild, wild west, but it’s a world fraught with its own kind of danger. But just as the frontier men and women answered the call to go west, God has a calling for each one of us. He will equip us for the journey with spiritual gifts, wisdom, and friends, and He will lead us where He wants us to go. We can trust the Lord to lead us, just as He led Abram to his new home, because God always keeps His Word.
Have you asked God for your calling? Did you know He even had a calling for you? Time to saddle up, and see where the Lord wants you to ride!
Craft Activity
Have the kids draw, color, and cut out their own cowboy hat to prepare them for the adventure they are about to begin with God!
Kids will learn that as a follower of Jesus it’s our job to tell other people about Jesus.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 5:14-16 (Light of the world)
MEMORY VERSE:
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
What kind of “firework” are you? Are you the kind that burns for a brief second and then fizzles away, or are you a sparkler, lighting up the night? Jesus wants us to be the light of the world. He wants us to light the way for others to find Jesus. We need to ground ourselves in Jesus so that we can be a light in the darkness.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
Flashlight
How many flashlights do you all keep around the house? You never know when a storm is going to knock the power out –
Have someone kill the lights to help you make the point. Turn on the flashlight and con- tinue.
…So it’s wise to have a few of these around the house in case you need them.
It’s also wise to make sure they are in good working order and have fresh batteries. It’ll do you no good to have a dozen flashlights around the house when the power goes out if the batteries are all dead!
A flashlight can’t light up the darkness if its batteries are dead. If we want to be the light of the world, we need to make sure we’re connected to our power source – Jesus!
In today’s story, Jesus reminds that we need to stay connected to him. Jesus wants us to ground our faith in him. When we are connected to Christ, we will not only grow in our faith, but we can also be a light that will show others the way to Jesus.
Flashlights need batteries. We need Jesus to help us shine our light in a dark world!
Craft
Supplies Needed:
Paper or Construction Paper Markers/Crayons – lots of different colors
Instructions:
Have the kids write out the memory verse at the top of their page:
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
Then in the blank space that’s left have them draw the most colorful fireworks display they can as a reminder that we are to be the light of the world.
