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17th week of our Journey Natural growth - “Let there be light”

This week’s destination: LET THERE BE LIGHT
This week on our journey we learn that for things to grow naturally they need light, we will focus on God’s creation of light

MATERIALS:
Photocopy Gospel Peanut in a Nutshell. Peanuts. Print Sheet Music found in Visual Aid Manual for Active Praise and Intimate Worship sessions. A globe of the earth. (Preferably one on a stand that allows it to spin.) A map showing the world. Torch light or candle and matches. Photocopy Creation Story colouring pages 1-7. Crayons. Creation notebook made up of a few sheets of paper folded in half top make a notebook, one for each child.

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON:
Welcome Teacher/Trainers, Trainers and students. Get all the children to colour the Creation story colouring pages until it is time to start. Give out the mazes and games for the children to enjoy.

1. OPENING GAME: (10 minutes)
I spy with my little eye something beginning with T (torch) when a child guesses turn the torch on and let the group know that we will lean about how God created light. Look out of the window and say “I spy with my little eye something beginning with S” (sky) when a child guesses teach them that on the second day God created the sky. I spy with my little eye something beginning with G (grass or any plant you can see from the classroom). God created plants on the third day. I spy with my little eye something beginning with S (sun) on the fourth day God created the sun and moon. I spy with my little eye something beginning with B (bird) on the fifth day God created the birds and fish. I spy with my little eye something beginning with B (boy) on the sixth day God crated people a man and a woman.

2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes)
Make two teams maybe girls and boys, select a leader and blindfold that person one from each team. The blindfolded boy has to try and catch the girls and the blindfolded girl has to try and catch the boys. Once the entire team has been tagged the game is over the first to do this is the winner. Finally get the winning team to repeat the exercise without the blindfolds. This should not take too long. Get the child to explain the difference between being in the dark and how hard it was to catch and how easy it was once the blindfold was removed and their was light and he could see.

3. ACTIVE PRAISE CHORUS: (10 minutes)

Light did shine! (Use Sheet Music found in Visual Aid Manual)
(Sung to the tune of: Are you sleeping?)

God commanded, (God Point to Heaven, commanded, Point in different directions)
God commanded - (God Point to Heaven, commanded, Point in different directions)

Light to shine, light to shine; (Lift arms up and out like a star burst)

Out - of darkness, (Grope around, squinting)
Out - of darkness (Grope around, squinting)

Light did shine! Light did shine! (Lift arms up and out like a star burst)

Optional: Sing ‘He’s got the whole world in His hands (Use Music video and lyrics found in Visual Aid Manual)

4. INTIMATE WORSHIP: (5 minutes)
All things bright and beautiful (Use Sheet Music and video found in Visual Aid Manual)

Chorus: All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Prayer: See the God of the universe prayer in your Visual Aid Manual.

‘Mystery Clue’ Witnessing tool:
• Gospel Peanut in a Nutshell (Jesus dressed in white wrap and blue sash wearing crown)
Jesus is God! (Jesus standing on a chair covered with gold cloth holding a sigh called GOD)
He came from Heaven to earth. (Jesus steps off the chair, removes his crown and holds a sign called MAN)
He lived a perfect life. (Double thumbs up!!)
He died on the cross (Arms outstretched, head falls over as He dies on the cross)
He rose from the dead, (Jesus rises up, with arms uplifted)
to pay the penalty for our sins (Jesus throws coins into the crowd of children)
and to purchase a place - in Heaven for us. (Jesus standing on a chair covered with gold cloth)
Jesus is in Heaven now offering us the FREE GIFT of eternal life. (Jesus holds out a gift box marked ETERNAL LIFE)

(Photocopy the ‘Gospel Peanut in a Nutshell’ and cut them in strips)

5. TEACHING:
a. “Back Track”
• Last week we learnt about “Spiritual Growth” can someone tell me how do we grow as a Christian?

1. Read the Bible (Hands together as if holding an open Bible)
2. Pray (Hands folded in prayer)
3. Worship (Hands above head, moving as if singing)
4. Fellowship (Right hand extended to shake another’s hand)
5. Witness (Hands making “talking” motion used in Talking and Testimony Unit)

• Get a volunteer to practice the "Five Finger Prayer"
• Get a volunteer to practice sharing their faith using the Salvation Gift Box
• Get a volunteer to practice sharing their faith using the Salvation Track

b. Sword Play
Ready…Swords up… Genesis1: 1, 3… CHARGE!
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis1: 1, 3)

(Use the Bible Verse colouring page to assist with the teaching.)

c. Teach the Lesson (15 minutes)
Introduction:

God can do anything just by speaking the words or thinking it up. Our Bible verse this week is the very first verse in the Bible lets say it all together, “ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Optional: View ‘Days of Creation Teaching Video’

He just called it into being from nothing. Psalm 33:6 says’ By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. And then in verse 9 it says For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Wow! What an awesome God we serve! He just spoke the words and they came to be from nothing!

The first thing God did after creating heaven and earth was to form light. God said, “Let there be light,” (Turn on the torch light or light a candle) and there was light. - And imagine this: He had not even made the sun yet! Then he started spinning the earth so we could measure time, a day and a night. That was the first day.

Then God made a water vapor above the earth that we call the atmosphere. It would protect the surface of the earth and give us air to breathe. That was the second day. (Hold up the Creation Story colouring page.)

Then God moved the water around into seas and oceans and pulled up the dirt to form dry land. Then he made trees and plants and food. That was the third day.

Then he made the stars and the sun and moon so the plants could grow. He made billions of stars and stretched out the universe so far we could never see the end of it. That was the fourth day. (Hold up the Creation Story colouring page.)

Then God made fish and whales and everything in the sea. He made millions of different kinds of fish and sea creatures. Then he made a whole bunch of birds of many colours and taught them how to fly. That was the fifth day. (Hold up the Creation Story colouring page.)

Then God made all the land animals, and reptiles and insects. Even the slimy bugs and snakes… Yuck!

And to top it all off God made the first man, Adam, and Eve from a rib in his side. He put them in charge of all that He made to take care of the earth. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. (verse 31) That was the sixth day. (Hold up the Creation Story colouring page.)

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:3) It only took God seven days to do all that! He could have done it in the snap of his fingers, but he intentionally took seven days to give us what we call a week. He knew we would need a day of rest, so he gave us the example to rest every seven days so we wouldn’t wear ourselves out working all the time. God didn’t need millions of years for things to evolve, he is the Great Designer of everything that is. And God loved us so much he even made YOU! We love you, and God loves you. And that’s how everything was made!

Optional: View the Days of Creation teaching video

(All of these Creation Story colouring pages can be taped together to make a long wall banner and stuck on the wall)

Extracts from www.childrensermons.com

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 .
Encourage the children to come forward and pray and thank God for creating all their favourite things. Get each child to mention at least two of their favourite things and thank God. Eg sunshine, the sea, flowers, dogs, cats, food, family, friends etc.

CLOSING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for all of creation. We thank you for light and for life eternal through Jesus Christ, your Son. Help us to take good care of all that you have given us and shine our light for all to see. Amen.

TAKE HOME PAGE:
Encourage the children when they get home to do a Creation WALK outside if weather permits and write or draw all the beautiful things they see that God created in their Creation notebook. As you walk, look at all that God has created. Give thanks and remember, not only were we created in God's image, but he placed us in charge of his creation.

Optional: ‘Take Home Quiz’ books are available for the children at the end of this session.

NEXT WEEK:
Bring your Creation Notebook back to pass around to each other to enjoy someone else’s Creation walk.

These as well as the Creation Colouring pages and Bible verses from this lesson will be used to make a Creation Collage to display on the wall filled with creation pictures. (Let the children work together on this project next week prior to the lesson, this will encourage the children to come early or on time!)

You may want to continue with the ‘Light’ series or decide to teach this series later in which case continue teaching on Natural Growth – Living Water.

CLICK to view Session #18.