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Grow and Go - Spiritual Growth- Session #5

THE FIVE MEANS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH – WITNESS

MATERIALS: Photocopy all Bible Verse Visual Aids for colouring. Sword Play Bible VerseTake Home Tracks. Print Bible for Children 'a man sent by God' colouring pages. Print the English 'Jesus Flower', 'Salvation Gift Box' the 'Bridge Track' the 'Gospel in a Nutshell' Peanuts and John 3:16 Take Home colouring Bible Verse Visual Aid

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON:

1. GAMES: (10 minutes)
EYEWITNESS SNACK: Have a variety snacks in a bag. Each child will reach in the bag and choose a snack and try and describe it telling everything they know about the snack that they picked. A witness, if he is giving evidence has to tell everything he knows in court. After the game have the children to tell something they know about JESUS and to share as many details about what they have "witnessed" about JESUS in their lives. (He loves us; He takes care of us; He heals us; He protects us, etc.)

2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes)
Divide the group into two teams, sit the groups in two circles (adults and children). Ask everyone to think of something that they like to do. Then pick someone to start by telling the group for example “I like to swim”. The person to their right will then tell the group what the first person liked and adding what they like to do, for example “Fred likes to swim, I like to walk". This continues right around the circle until the last person has to say what everyone likes to do. Other members of the group can prompt by miming the activity if anyone falls into difficulty. If the player gets it wrong they are out and move outside the circle.

Prayer: Heavenly Father give us the power of the Holy Spirit so that we will be Your witnesses in Jerusalem, in our home territory, our school, our village and in all Judea, our region and Samaria, the places we don’t want to go, and to the ends of the earth for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

5. TEACHING:
a) Review

c) Teaching the Lesson - Five Means to Spiritual Growth: - Witnessing: (Telling Others about Jesus)

How does witnessing to others help our faith grow?

When we tell others about Jesus, we help them to know how they can have eternal life. When we see how God works in their lives, it makes our own faith and love for Jesus grow even stronger.

Long before the birth of Jesus, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to tell how he would spread the news of the coming of the Messiah. This is what he said, "I will send my messenger to prepare the way. He will be a voice of one crying in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the coming of the Lord! Clear the road for him.'" Who was the messenger that God chose to bring this good news to his people?

He traveled around in the desert preaching that people should repent of their sins and turn to God. When they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan river.

Optional: Download Bible for Children 'a man sent by God' PowerPoint to assist with the teaching of the lesson. Adapted from Bible for Children.

John the Baptist was very popular and had a great following, but he always told the people about Jesus. "Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am," he said. "He is so much greater that I am not even worthy to stoop down and untie the straps on his sandals." Yes, John was faithful in bringing the news to the people.

One day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him. He said to the people with him, "Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one I told you about. I didn't know he was the Messiah, but when I baptized him, I saw the Holy Spirit coming down from the heavens like a dove. It came down and landed right on his shoulder. I saw it with my own two eyes and I tell you, this is the Son of God." When the people heard John's eye-witness report, it helped them to understand and believe that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

Most people come to know about Jesus because someone else tells them about him. Perhaps it is their parents, a Sunday School teacher, a pastor, or a good friend. They give an eyewitness account how Jesus came into their heart and changed their life.

What would you say about what Jesus means to you? Perhaps you would say, "Since Jesus came into my heart, sadness has turned to joy; doubt has turned to faith; worry has turned to trust; fear has turned to confidence." Whatever Jesus has done for you, tell others so they can know him too.

Extracts from http://www.sermons4kids.com/eye_witness.htm

6. APPLICATION/ENCOUNTERING GOD:

Encourage the children to view videos and practice sharing their faith using various Visual Aids.

REMEMBER: The final session of the Grow and Go Water Series we taught you how to share your faith.

In this lesson they will learn all the dramas, games and skits that are needed to perform this vibrant children's community outreach.

Click on the PowerPoint below to learn more...

DISCUSSION/REVIEW:

•  Who can demonstrate the five finger Gospel Presentation ( Use Visual aids as a reminder )

•  Remember the three gift skit? Why was the third gift a free gift? ( The child did nothing to earn it or deserve it that is how it is with the free gift of eternal life)

•  Who will come up and show us their ' Bridge Track' can you demonstrate how you can use this to share your faith? DOWNLOAD Take Home Bridge Track DOWNLOAD Bridge Track Craft

•  Did any of you manage to Long Jump to Jesus? NO Why? 'All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God'

•  Give out the small 'Gospel in a Nutshell' slips with Peanuts (Ensure there is no allergies) Show the children how to use this great little tool that will help them share the Gospel with their friends. "Do you want to see what I have inside my peanut? Look Jesus is God ... (continue with the Gospel in a Nutshell.) DOWNLOAD Gospel in a Nutshell slips

•  How do we get this gift? ( By faith )

•  Can anyone show us how to use the Salvation Gift Box?

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Acts 16:31a DOWNLOAD Salvation Box Visual Aid.

•  Print off the Visual Aids encourage them to use them to invite their friends to receive Jesus as their best friend.

CLOSING PRAYER: Lord God you sent your Son Jesus who called us to be witnesses. Help us not to be afraid to testify. We know you want us to tell others what You has done for to change our lives. Help us to share how you, Jesus are God, you lived a perfect life, to be an example to us, then you died and was raised from the dead so that we could have eternal life, we receive this gift by Faith in you. Give us strength and courage to boldly testify in your name. Amen

TAKE HOME BIBLE VERSE:

Print the Take Home Bible Verse one for each child. DOWNLOAD Take Home Bible Verse Visual Aid

DOWNLOAD Take Home Activities Crossword Wordsearch Multiple choice

Optional: Download Bible for Children 'a man sent by God' take home colouring track

NEXT WEEK: We start a brand new series come back and learn all about the 'Miracle Tree' and how to Sow Seeds of Success.

A DROP OF HOPE

SOWING SEEDS OF SUCCESS - MORINGA CURRICULUM

SUPER FRUIT CURRICULUM

NEW LIFE CURRICULUM