Children’s Worship 12.06.20
Dear Parents,
Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!
Included in today’s Children’s Worship Lesson are some links to an advent devotional/activity to do with children. One uses the Jesus Storybook Bible and has an updated free advent download this year with printable ornaments and coloring pages to go with each story.
https://www.faithgateway.com/jesus-storybook-bible-advent-calendar-printable/
The other is from Dwell, the CRC’s children’s ministry curriculum. They have a Jesse tree advent devotional and ornaments to print and/or color with many ideas to go along with it.
https://network.crcna.org/faith-nurture/might-be-best-jesse-tree-set-ever
Taking the above Jesse tree ideas a little further:
May your Advent season be full of peace and hope for the coming of our Savior
Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com
God Is Love
Based on: 1 Samuel 19—20; 31:1–2; 2 Samuel 9:1–7
Activity One: Read the intro. Watch the video.
Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.
Worship: Singing
Activity Three: Respond to the story by doing the activity.
Activity Four: Bless your children
EQUIP:
(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.)
It was undoubtedly a confusing time for David. He had been anointed the next king of Israel and had just proved victorious in one of the most famous battles of all time—even carrying the head of the giant Goliath back to King Saul (1 Samuel 17:57). The crowd chanted his name in honor—even above the king—for his military exploits. And yet, in the midst of this time of elation for this teenage boy, the unthinkable happened. The king tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David was also promised the king’s daughter in marriage, only to be betrayed. The king’s servants, messengers, and family were then ordered to kill young David. Yet here, in the most confusing time of his young life, God provided a picture of and reminder of His unfailing love that David would never forget.
This picture of love came from the most unlikely of sources. The heir apparent to the throne, Jonathan, had every right to hate and even kill David, but he “had taken a great liking” to David (1 Samuel 19:1). They were “one in spirit” (1 Samuel 18:1). We see here one of the most beautiful pictures of the love of best friends Scripture affords.
The festival of the new moon approached, a time when a two-day feast was held every month (1 Samuel 20:5, 27). David was not only invited, but expected to attend, for it’s likely that civil affairs of court were handled at the gathering. David chose this time to make his permanent exit from court, and it’s here that Jonathan’s love was displayed for all to see. Jonathan disobeyed a direct order from King Saul, his father, and protected rather than killed his friend David. David repaid that loyalty and love by caring for Jonathan’s son the rest of his life. God showed His love through these two friends.
Activity 1: STORY
Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.
Introduction to read to the children:
When David fought the giant Philistine, Goliath, God was with David and helped him defeat Goliath. Soon after that battle, King Saul’s son Jonathan and David became best friends. God can show us that He is Love through our close friends. That’s what God did with Jonathan and David!
King Saul gave David a very important job in his army. God was with David, and every battle he fought, he won! The people loved David very much and sang songs to celebrate his victories. King Saul didn’t like that at all. He became jealous of David and how much the people loved him. He wanted to kill David! He even told Jonathan to kill David, his best friend.
God was with David. Jonathan was his best friend and he didn’t want to hurt David. Their friendship grew even stronger. David promised Jonathan that he would always be kind to him and his family. He could only keep that promise with the Lord’s help. God is love, and He can show us how to share that love with others! So David and Jonathan made a plan to keep David safe from the king. What was that plan?
Watch the video:
Activity 2: DISCUSSION
During today’s part of The Big God Story, David and Jonathan became close friends. They made a promise to each other and cared for one another. God used these men to show His love.
I wonder … What fun things did David and Jonathan do together as friends?
I wonder … What did Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s handicapped son, think about David’s kindness to him and his family?
I wonder … How can I show God’s love to others?
After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children.
God is Love, and He gives us friends to care for and love too. Today, let’s pray and thank God for all the friends we have in our lives.
Continue by offering praise to God. Examples of praises: “God, I love You so much. I’m thankful that You have so much love to give.” “God, thank You for friends like ____.”
Encourage children to respond with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.
Worship Songs:
As God loves us He wants us to love others.
God showed His love at Christmas when He sent down His Son, Jesus, as a baby to be the Savior of the world.
Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY
#1: Friend pencil holder
Needed: Empty and clean soup or vegetable can
Printed picture (see below)
One piece of colored paper cut to fit your can
Tape or glue
Markers or crayons
Print and cut out the picture below.. Measure your can and cut out the piece of colored paper to fit around it. Tape it in place. Tape or glue the picture to the paper on the can. Write the names of their friends or family in the blank spaces around the picture. Fill the can with markers and crayons.
#2 Print and Color
Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING
Read the following verse from Psalm 42:8:
“By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.”
Invite kids to hold hands in a circle as you speak the final blessing.
Children, may you trust and know the love of the LORD. May you know that He is your hope and your strength.
PS: As I made this lesson about friends I couldn’t find a suitable craft online that was easy to do and easy on supplies. So I thought of the pencil holder and made one up to use for a picture. I randomly pulled a piece of purple paper out of the stack and started to cut it to fit around the can. When I turned the paper over this is what I read:
Apparently, this was something our daughter wrote a long time ago on that sheet of purple paper and it got scooped up and put back in the pile. It was so appropriate for the lesson I knew it wasn’t really a random choice of paper but one directed by God!
(Also, I keep paper for a long time!)
Sharon
