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22th week of our Journey LIGHT Reflecting the Light

This week's destination: REFLECTING THE LIGHT

MATERIALS:
Print Music sheet and lyrics. Bible verse visual aids and word-search quiz. Paper and pencil to draw the face silhouette in the welcome game. Scissors. Costume for John the Baptist, white and blue sheet for Jesus. JESUS sign. A mirror and a flashlight. Pictures of a famous person including the warped or twisted ones. Picture of Donald Trump.

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON:
Welcome Teacher/Trainers, Trainers and students. Get the kids to start colouring the Visual Aids needed.

1. WELCOME GAME: (10 minutes)
FACE SILOUETTE: Get a child to hold a torch next to the side of another child’s face and the teacher or another leader can trace the shadow on a piece of paper and let the child cut it out. Remind the children this week we are going to lean about reflecting the Light – reflecting the love of Jesus to others in a dark world.

2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes)
TURN TOWARD JESUS GAME: Have one of the teachers dress up like Jesus holding the JESUS sign at the far end of the room. Divide the children into two teams. Team 1 children can stand in a long line across the start line (or wall if the game is indoors). Team 2 children weave in and out around Team 1 children trying to distract them, as they attempt to walk to the finish line where Jesus is standing, without turning their faces. They MUST keep their faces toward Jesus without looking from side to side and without letting anything come between them and getting to the finish line and Jesus!

Switch teams so each team plays both roles.

After the game discuss how difficult it was keeping our faces turned toward Jesus without letting anything come distract us or come between us and Jesus.

3. ACTIVE PRAISE CHORUS: (10 minutes)
Sing Hosanna (Use lyrics and music sheet in Visual Aid Manual)

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning
Keep me burning 'til the break of day

Chorus:
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna
Sing hosanna to the King of Kings
(Repeat)

Make me a fisher of men, keep me seeking
Make me a fisher of men I pray
Make me a fisher of men, keep me seeking
Seeking souls til Jesus comes again

Chorus:

Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising
Give me joy in my heart, I pray
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising
Keep me praising 'til the break of day

Chorus:

Give me love in my heart, keep me serving
Give me love in my heart, I pray
Give me love in my heart, keep me serving
Keep me serving 'til the break of day

Chorus:

4. INTIMATE WORSHIP: (5 minutes)
Take my life and let it be. (Use lyrics and music sheet in Visual Aid Manual

Prayer: Heavenly Father help us to be like John the Baptist - to be a witness to testify concerning the light, help us to reflect the light, the true light that gives light to every man who came into the world as the child Jesus, who lived a perfect life, died on the cross, rose again from the dead and is in Heaven now offering us the free gift of eternal life. As we look to Jesus help us to reflect Your light in a dark world. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

5. TEACHING:
a. “Back Track”
This week have you been able to do any good deeds? (Get the children to come out and testify)
Last week we learnt about letting our light shine.

Optional: Sing ‘This little face of mine I’m gonna let it shine’

b. Sword Play
Ready…Swords up… John 1: 6-9 … CHARGE
There was a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. (John 1: 6-7 NIV)

(Use Bible verse visual aids and quiz to teach the verse. Give each child a Sword Play track to take home)

c. Teach the Lesson
Have you ever sat outside on a bright sunny day and used a mirror to reflect the sun’s light? If one of you will take this flashlight and shine it on me I will show you what I mean. You see, as the light shines on me, I hold up my mirror and I can reflect the light to shine on you.

I am not the light, I am just letting my mirror reflect the light to shine on you. To reflect the light on you, there are a couple of things that are very important:
• I must keep my mirror facing toward the light. If I turn away from the light, I cannot reflect the light. (Tilt mirror away to demonstrate)
• I must make sure that nothing comes between the light and me. If that happens, I cannot reflect the light. (Have a child walk in front)

Recite the Bible verse again...

Who do you think the true light is that the Bible said was coming into the world? (Jesus)

You and I need to be like John. The Bible says that we are to let our light shine, but we need to remember that "Our Light" is Jesus. We are not the light, we are just mirrors that reflect His light.

If we are going to reflect the light of Jesus, we must remember a couple of things:
• We must keep our faces turned toward Jesus.
• We must not let anything come between us.
When we remember those two things, we will reflect His light to the entire world.

Extracts from www.sermons4kids.com

The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:27 - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

Ask if anyone knows what an "image" is. Accept varied answers and comment positively on them so kids will continue to participate.

The dictionary gives this definition: "a physical likeness of a person, animal, or thing, photographed, painted or sculptured.

Take a picture of someone in the group with a digital camera or phone, or bring a photo of someone most everyone will recognize like a famous person.

Ask them if the "image" is actually that person. (Of course it's not.) The image can't speak, think, etc., but it does show a lot about the person and what they are like. In the same way, we are created in the "image of God." We are NOT God, but created to be like Him and reflect what He is like.

God created us in His image to be perfect, but just like a computer can "warp" or change an image until you can't recognize the person in the photo, so sin warped the image of God in us. (Show distorted pictures)

God, however, sent His perfect image, Jesus Christ, to restore God's image in us as we accept Him as our Saviour and Lord.

Pick up the picture of Donald Trump. Describe the person in the photo to them and ask them to guess who it is from your description. Be vague in your description such as "this person is a man, he looks wealthy."
Then show them the photo & have them name the person in the picture. Ask them how they were able to recognize them so quickly when you showed them the photo. (Because they know him or they know off him)

We can use words to try and describe Jesus but if we can show others His image in us, they will be able to recognize Him more easily. We need to be mirrors reflecting Jesus.

Paul tells the Corinthian church in 2 Cor. 3:18 "And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more"

Extracts from www.creativebiblestudy.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 for this experience.

Spend some time reflecting on ways we can show Jesus’ love to our family, friends, strangers etc.

CLOSING PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to be the Light of the world, we want to reflect your light in the world. Help us to keep our faces turned toward Jesus and help us to keep anything from coming between us and Him. Help us to mirror Jesus to become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more. We know Father that you created us, You made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground, fruit trees and leaves for our health and healing, you created light to enable them to grow, you are awesome and we worship you. Amen.

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

NEXT WEEK: We are going to learn more about Natural Growth and what it needs, we have learnt it needs light, next week we will learn about water but more importantly we will learn about Living Water.

CLICK to view Session #23.