This week’s destination: THE FIVE MEANS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH – WORSHIP

MATERIALS: Balloons for Game 2. Slips of paper representing some type of behavior printed off prior to class. (See Visual Aid Manual) Basket. GOOD or BAD sign. Music song sheets. Photocopy all Bible Verse Visual Aids for colouring Photocopy Sword Play Tracks. Print off the ships.

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON:
Welcome Teacher/Trainers, Trainers and students. Get the children to colour all the Bible Verse Visual Aids.

1. GAMES: (10 minutes)
Obedience is Worship:
Hands on Hips (Use lyrics from Visual Aid Manual)
This is an obedience game getting faster and faster
Hands on hips,
Hands on knees,
Put them behind you,
If you please.

2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes)
Divide the group into two teams. Give each team leader one balloon (but have more ready — remember they pop!).
Leader tosses the balloon in the air and call out one child’s name that kid tries to catch the balloon before it touches the ground. If the kid succeeds, he gets to toss the balloon and call the name of the next child in the team. When all the children have played the game is over, the first team to finish is the winner.

3. ACTIVE PRAISE CHORUS: (10 minutes)
Every move I make (See music video and lyrics in the Visual Aid Manual)
My God is so BIG (See music video and lyrics in the Visual Aid Manual)

4. INTIMATE WORSHIP: (5 minutes)
To God be the Glory (See music video and lyrics in the Visual Aid Manual)

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, Lord of the Angel Armies we worship you Father in the Spirit and in truth because we know that is the kind of worshipers you seek. Praise the Lord praise the Lord we rejoice we come to the Father through Jesus the Son and give Him the glory great things He has done. Amen

5. TEACHING:
a) “Back Track”
Discussion Questions:
1. What is prayer? (Prayer is communication between God and ourselves)
2. Can you pray anytime? (Yes.)
3. Lets read James 5:13-16. What are some of the examples of why to pray? (When you are in trouble, when you are happy, when you are sick, to show faith, for confession of sin, and to pray for others.)
4. Is the prayer of a righteous man powerful? Is it effective? (Yes the prayers of the righteous are both powerful and effective.)

b) Sword Play (Wave the Power Sword)
Ready…Swords up… John 15:16… CHARGE!
Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12: 1b)

(Give out the Sword Play Tracks one for each child)

c) Teaching the Lesson - Five Means to Spiritual Growth:

Worship: (Praising, Honoring and Respecting God)

What is this I am holding (picture of a ship) Look at the word WORSHIP. Do you see the word “Ship” in WORSHIP? Today I want you to think of worship in this way -- We Offer R SHIP to God. The verse for today says, " Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

These ships (hold up the pictures) represents each one of you. Some of you might become big ships like Ocean Liners, a Navy ship, others may be like Fishing boats, some like Cabin Cruisers. Motor boats whether large or small, won’t go anywhere without fuel in the tank. You can scrub up your ship, clean, paint and decorate it but it won’t go anywhere without fuel. Without the proper fuel all that will happen is that the ship will float aimlessly in the sea or it will be tossed around by the waves. It needs fuel and a pilot in order to function as it has been designed to.

We are the ships and when we come to church to worship we are offering our ships to God. -- We Offer R SHIPs . That’s what the Scripture means by offering your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. When we come to worship we also get fuel in our tanks so that we won’t just float with the crowd or drift on the waves of popularity. And when we allow Jesus to be the pilot of our ship then we’ll go in the right direction and we’ll make the right decisions that keep us from shipwreck and disaster.

Extracts from www.sermons4kids.com/understanding_worship.htm

There are many ways to worship God but true worship is God-centered worship. Don’t get caught up in where you should worship, what music you should sing, and how their worship looks to other people. But focusing on these things misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means we worship from the heart the way God has designed. Not all worship happens in the church building on Sunday. Every time you show love and honour God, you worship the Lord. When you pray at home it’s a form of worship, when you sing a song you may have learnt at church or Bible Study you are worshiping God that when you offer kindness to another person--all of these are acts of worship as you honour God.
This includes serving others. It is not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place.

It’s also important to know that worship is reserved only for God. Only He is worthy and not any of His servants (Revelation 19:10).

6. APPLICATION/ENCOUNTERING GOD: Refer to our Encountering God Handbook for ideas for this important section of the session. Experience the Holy Spirit Learning Centers creating an atmosphere for this experience.

CLOSING PRAYER: We Praise and worship You God for who You are and what You have done. We know you are seeking worshipers who will bring You glory, not just for an hour on Sunday, but every day through all of our activities, at home, school and even in our leisure play time. We begin this worship by turning from our sins and trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. You grow in this process as we bring every thought, word, and deed under His lordship.
Help us to worship in spirit from our hearts or from within. Not formal, ceremonial, external worship with a heart that is not right with God. Keep our hearts pure and our lives clean as we lift up holy hands to worship you. In Jesus name. Amen.