Date: Jan 30, 2022
Early Childhood Essential: I am a sinner who needs Jesus.
Memory Verse: “Turn away from your sins! The Kingdom of heaven has come near.” - Matthew 3:2 (NIRV)
Monthly Topic: The Book of Matthew
Bible Story Focus: Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew 9:9-13)
Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, children will hear about Jesus calling Levi the tax collector. Children will know that tax collectors were thought of as “bad guys” in Jesus’s time, so everyone was confused when Jesus wanted Levi to be one of his helpers. But Jesus came for sinners, not for the righteous, and that is good news for all of us. I am a sinner who needs Jesus. 

Circle Time Questions: (Preschool Purple Only)

• What do you think Jesus’s friends were like?

Activities:

• Fishing Activity

Date: Jan 30, 2022
Early Childhood Essential: I am a sinner who needs Jesus.
Memory Verse: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” - Matthew 3:2
Monthly Topic: The Book of Matthew
Bible Story Focus: The Disciples are Called (Matthew 4:18-25)
Lesson Overview:

In this lesson kids will hear how Jesus called the first disciples. He found Peter and Andrew fishing in a lake. He said, “Come follow me,” and the men dropped their nets and left to follow Jesus. When Jesus called them, they left their families and followed him. Kids will learn that Christ doesn’t call the righteous and holy people; he calls the sick, sinful, and broken people, like all of us, who put all their trust in him for salvation and redemption. I am a sinner who needs Jesus. 

Circle Time Questions:

• Have you ever been fishing? Tell me what a fisherman does?

I Wonder Questions (Snack Time Discussion):

• What did the men do when Jesus called them?
  • They dropped everything to follow him.
• What did Jesus do at the start of his ministry?
  • Taught people about God and healed the sick
• What does it mean to be a fisher of men?
  • To tell people about Jesus and how they can follow him, too

Activities:

• 8:30/11:00 am: fishing activity
• 9:45 am: calling fishing

Date: Jan 30, 2022
Unit: The “I Am” Statements of Jesus
Elementary Essential: God is Sovereign: He is who he says he is in his Word.
Memory Verse: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. And those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?” - John 11:25-26
Unit Overview:

In this unit, children will learn about the seven “I Am” statements Jesus makes in the book of John.  He uses these statements to tell us who he is and what he came to do. Each week, children will examine one of these “I Am” statements to gain a better understanding of Jesus’s character and what it means for those who follow him.

Lesson Title: I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Lesson Overview:

Children will study the “I Am" statements Jesus makes in John 11 and John 14, focusing on Jesus being the “Resurrection” and the “Life”. After reading the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, children will discuss how Lazarus’s resurrection points to Jesus and eventually the resurrection for all those who believe. At the end of the lesson, they’ll play a game to help remember these important truths.

Lesson Scripture: John 11:1-44, John 14:6
Lesson Objective: Children will identify who the source of eternal life is.
Lesson Application: I can trust Jesus as my savior, the one who saves me for eternal life with him.

Date: Jan 30, 2022
Unit: Ten Commandments: God is Holy
Elementary Essential: God is our rescuer: He is completely holy, completely perfect. Our sin separates us from him. We can’t fix this problem on our own.
Memory Verse: Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” - Matthew 22:37-39
Unit Overview:

Relativism is the cultural air we breathe. The idea of something being black or white, right or wrong, often rubs us the wrong way. Some may wonder whether devoting an entire unit to the Ten Commandments is a good idea. Isn’t it just being legalistic, old fashioned, or boring? What does the law have to do with grace?The truth is we need the Ten Commandments now more than ever. We need them not because our end goal is to create classrooms of perfectly behaved children or because we can earn God’s forgiveness through obedience. We need them because God’s law not only shows us how life works best, but it also reveals our need for a Savior. In God’s perfect law we see our depravity and inability to meet his standards. The law shows us our sin and points us to Jesus who kept it perfectly. In this unit, kids will do a close study of five of what we call the “Ten Commandments.” They’ll get a view of why we need the commandments, what they mean, and how they apply to our lives today. 

Lesson Title: The 2nd Commandment: Do Not Make Any Idols
Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students discuss the first and second commandment, read the story of the golden calf, look for idols in our lives, and discover why our God is greater than all others. Students will also create miniature sculptures that show the difference between the idols we hold onto and the true, living God.

Lesson Scripture: Exodus 20
Lesson Objective: Children will understand idols are things we value more than God, but there is nothing greater than God himself.
Lesson Application: I can ask God to help me see the idols in my life and know there is nothing that compares to his greatness and deserves my worship more.