Wonder Lesson154d08b83123592aeebd-8d843fb834210a267bd8e4d2a55e3599.r65.cf2… · Wonder Lesson ' DYLG ... sweep arms across the front of your body with palms facing upward he gave:
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Inspire I promised to take my sister out on a Friday for a “sister date.” Throughout the week, I reminded her of the time we’d planned together and asked her what she wanted to do. I was thinking about taking her to my favorite tea lounge or maybe getting some ice cream. We were looking forward to it, especially since she went to school on the east coast, and we rarely got time together. Friday came, and I was exhausted; it had been a long week with some late nights. On top of that, my family was going camping that weekend, and my mom needed help with preparations. I drove across town to pick up some camping gear for her. When I got back, I passed out and took a nap on the couch. A few hours later, I woke up and went to help my sister, who was doing dishes in the kitchen. “Guess we aren’t going out tonight,” she said. “No, I think I need to stay home and help Mom. Sorry. Let’s do it another time,” I said casually. The following day, my sister told me how much she had been looking forward to spending time with me. My nonchalant request to reschedule had hurt her. Of course, I felt horrible and apologized. God used this situation to remind me that broken promises bring pain, but keeping them honors others—showing the love and respect I hold for that person. God is the ultimate promise keeper. When I reflect on how many promises I have made and later broken, both to others and myself, I have a new appreciation for God. None of His promises has ever fallen to the ground. Praise be to God, who loves us and keeps His promises.
Equip God is a promise keeper. From the beginning, He promised to send a Savior to restore peace and conquer sin. After the fall, God told the serpent that one day an offspring of a woman would “crush [its] head” (Genesis 3:15). This is the first prophecy in Scripture showing God’s plan to send a Redeemer. He promised David that the Redeemer would come through his line and would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:8–16). Isaiah describes the Messiah as a child who would be the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and says that God’s Spirit would be with Him in a special and unique way (11:2). Fast-forward many years later to a little town called Nazareth, where there lived a young woman named Mary. She was from the line of David and was a virgin. God sent the angel Gabriel to declare that she had been chosen to bear a son who would fulfill the promises and prophesies God made to Israel, for all people. Gabriel told her that He would be the Son of God, that He would reign on the throne of David and have an everlasting kingdom of peace (Luke 1:31–33). Mary asked one question: “How will this be?” Gabriel’s response: “Through the power of the Holy Spirit.” This explanation was enough for Mary. In faith, she believed that God would keep His promise to her. When Mary went to Elizabeth to share her news, she heard of Elizabeth’s own miraculous pregnancy. Elizabeth declared, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.” All along, God was keeping His promise to redeem and save His people. God had a plan from the very beginning to pour out His grace and love upon His people. Through Jesus, God fulfilled His promises, both to Israel and to us.
Support God kept the promise He made. The way He kept it, however, was not the way we would have expected. In His loving grace, God chose Mary to bear the Messiah. She found favor with God. In fact, Scripture tells us that she was highly favored. The favor God poured out over Mary’s life became a blessing for all mankind. Her life and her love for God directly impacted our lives. God’s love and grace fills us up so we can share His love with others. This week, take some time to sing or meditate on the following hymn, “The Love of God,” by Frederick M. Lehman:
The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell; It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure The saints’ and angels’ song.
Further process the story through discussion and interaction with others, and respond to God in worship through creative expression. Bless the children that they may experience God fully and be a blessing to others.
Wonder Questions
Small Group Resource (campus optional) Blessing
Blessing/Remember Verse
Create: Keeping Promises (per child)
Keeping Promises strips
Card stock (so each child has several strips)
Scissors
Tape, stapler or glue
Markers
Engage: Manger Minutes! (per small group)
Manger Minutes puzzles
Card stock (1 sheet per puzzle, white)
Resealable bags (11, quart-sized)
Timer
Scissors
Family First Look (hand out)
Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare
Explore Welcome & Engage
10–15 min.
Exploration stations create space intended to transition children—to lead them from the external world into an environment where they can commune with God, just as they are with all that they are.
I Love Them Collage (per child)
I Love Them Template copied on cardstock
Clip Art
Glue Sticks
Crayons Coloring Page (per child)
Lesson themed coloring page
Discover
Large Group
Respond Large Group
30 min. Facilitate interactive games, songs, and storytelling, allowing children to participate in discovering God’s Word. Create space for children to respond to the Holy Spirit in worship and community.
God Is a Promise Keeper Worship songs Mail Time/Remember Verse What’sIt: Baby Bottle
The Big God Story
Today in the Big God Story we will hear the story of Mary and the Angel
God’s promises and plan for our redemption are a result of His great love for us. Today the children will play a game
where they’ll think about and name people they love.
SUPPLIES (per small group)
I Love Them Template copied on cardstock
Clip Art
Glue Sticks
Crayons
PREPARE AHEAD
Copy the I Love Them Templates and the Clip Art. Cut apart the Clip Art
SET UP
Gather the supplies and place them in the middle of you group.
RELATE
Welcome children to the EXPLORE Station. Invite kids to think of people that they love. Browse through the clip art and
talk about the different people represented in the pictures. Tell them that they can choose pictures that represent people
whom they love to glue onto their I Love Them Template. While you’re working ask questions: Who loves you? Who
are some people you love? How do you show love to each other?
Clean up/Move to Large Group 5 min.
A CD with clean up music will be played. At this time, please encourage and assist the kids with clean up and proceed to the large group programming area. Be sure to model for the kid’s large group behavior. Please participate in all aspects of today’s large group time.
Children move into a large group setting and participate in discovering God’s Word through storytelling, worship, and interactive experiences.
Ponder Point
God Is a Promise Keeper
The Big God Story —>
SUPPLIES • Bible (large) with bookmark • Sound effects: Gabriel #1–3
Spot’s Rules —>
SUPPLIES
• Countdown video w/ theme song (in playlist)
• Spot’s Rules slide (in playlist)
• Worship music (in playlist)
Mail Time
—>
For God so loved the world He gave His only Son. John 3:16
Remember Verse Motions: For God: Point up to God so loved: give yourself a big hug the world: sweep arms across the front of your body with palms facing upward he gave: hands facing up, push them from belly outward as if presenting someone with a gift. his only Son: Rock a baby. SUPPLIES
• Remember Verse image or video
• Bible
Wardrobe of Wonder
—>
What’sIt: Baby Bottle
Mary received news from an angel that she was going to have a baby. A baby bottle can help us to remember that this special baby was Jesus—the promised Savior. God kept His promise to send a Redeemer.
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- this icon will help the tech
or storyteller to know when to advance the slides in the Wonder
SUPPLIES • Pitchers (2, large, clear) • Construction paper (1–2 sheets) • Pan or dish to hold the pitchers • Tape • Food coloring or liquid watercolors
PREPARE AHEAD Cut a large heart out of construction paper and tape the heart to the front of one pitcher. Next, cut out people shapes and tape them to the outside of the second pitcher.
SET UP Fill the “heart” pitcher with water and add a couple of drops of food coloring or liquid watercolor. Place both pitchers on a table.
Spot’s Rules (2 minutes)
Host Each week children will begin their large group time with the rules of your preschool program. Spot’s Rules is a time for simple reminders about how to be a part of a loving community by respecting each other. ENGAGE Welcome children as they’re entering the large group meeting area. Direct the children to sit with their leaders in the designated area on the floor.
Begin countdown video after the kids have all sat down.
Be sure to introduce Spot to the children the first day he appears in your large group time. Say, “Okay boys and girls, it’s time to go over our rules!”
Show “Spot’s Rules” slide and go over the two rules, “Be Kind” and “Be Safe”
Once “Spot’s Rules” are over, cue the Mail Time intro clip
Mail Time (4 minutes)
Host Each week children will receive mail in the mailbox you’ve created. Written on the mail is the month’s Remember Verse from the Bible. It’s important for children to associate the message written on the “mail” as words from the Bible, so be sure to have a Bible visible for reference. Invite a child to come up on the stage to help you open today’s mail. ENGAGE After the child opens the mailbox and retrieves the mail, ask your volunteer to be seated with their small group. The Host will then read the enclosed Remember Verse as it appears on the screen. Talk about the meaning of the verse while interacting with the children and other leaders onstage with you. Define any unfamiliar words for the children.
The Host should lead the large group in reciting the Remember Verse several times together using a variety of
engaging methods. Using the hand motions listed below, go over the verse two or three times with the kids. Use as
much excitement and enthusiasm as you can! Treat this as a celebration—an exciting time of introducing your children
LARGE Group Remember Verse Motions (Teacher Tip: Take your time, go slowly, break it down and explain the words as you go…)
Cue Remember Verse motions video
For God so loved the world He gave His only Son. John 3:16
Remember Verse Motions: For God: Point up to God so loved: give yourself a big hug the world: sweep arms across the front of your body with palms facing upward he gave: hands facing up, push them from belly outward as if presenting someone with a gift. his only Son: Rock a baby.
Worship Song: “Joy to the World” (3 minutes) Host Invite the kids to stand and sing with you, using motions
Cue the worship song in the playlist
After the Host asks the kids to sit down, cue Wardrobe of Wonder intro clip
Wardrobe of Wonder (5 minutes)
Host
The Wardrobe of Wonder is a fun and interactive entrance point into God’s story. Each week a new object called a
What’sIt, which is connected to and sometimes used in The Big God Story, is hidden in the wardrobe. The Storyteller,
Host, or Worship Leader will select a child volunteer to assist her with retrieving the What’sIt. Together as a community,
the children will discover the identity of this object as they begin to ask questions from their observations and
experiences.
What’sIt Baby Bottle
Mary received news from an angel that she was going to have a baby. A baby bottle can help us to remember that this special baby was Jesus—the promised Savior. God kept His promise to send a Redeemer.
SET UP
Invite a child volunteer up front to help find the What’sIt. Along with the child, choose special thinking hats out of the prop or hat box before looking into the wardrobe. ENGAGE After putting on your silly thinking hats, lead all of the children in putting on their imaginary thinking hats and making their special thinking hat sound. Invite your child volunteer to “spy” on the What’sIt by peeking into the wardrobe.
When the wardrobe is opened, cue the Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect. Have him/her whisper the identity of the
What’sIt in your ear to ensure he/she knows what it is. Together, close the wardrobe, then sit at the edge of the stage (or teaching area) on two small stools. Lead the children in a few questions about the identity of the What’sIt. Children will guess what the object is by asking yes-or-no questions of you and your assistant (child). You can ask your own questions of your assistant if the kids are struggling with this activity. Once the children have finished guessing correctly, ask your assistant to retrieve the What’sIt from the wardrobe and bring it to you. Thank your volunteer and encourage her to sit with her small group.
LARGE Group ASK Who can tell us what this is? Allow children to answer. A baby bottle, that’s right! How is a baby bottle used? Interact with children and their answers. How do you think this baby bottle might have something to do with The Big God Story? Allow children to share answers. Well, let’s get going! Let’s find out how the What’sIt fits into this part of The Big God Story. Do you know what time it is?
The Big God Story
Genesis Luke 1:26-38, 46-55 PRAYER OF RELEASE The Prayer of Release is a time for children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. If you’d like, encourage kids to hold their open hands in front of them in a spirit of releasing worries and distractions, to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them. After the children quiet their voices and still their bodies, ask them to pray with you.
RELATE
Welcome children and lead them in a Prayer of Release. Storyteller opens a big Bible with a bookmark hanging out of it.
Friends, do you remember where we left off in The Big God Story? Allow kids to answer; interact with their
responses. Good remembering. God spoke to Samuel when he was a young boy. When he grew up, he became
God’s prophet. What’s a prophet? Allow kids to answer. Good thinking. A prophet is a person who listens to
God’s words and shares His message with His people. God sent prophets to speak to His people for many
years. They reminded the people of God’s promise to send the Savior to earth. After many years, the time had
come and God’s promise had come true. Why? Because God is a promise keeper, He always does what He
says He will do.
Mary lived in a town called Nazareth. She was a young woman who was getting ready to marry a man named
Joseph.
Six months after the angel Gabriel told Zechariah and Elizabeth they would have a baby boy named John, God
sent Gabriel to give Mary an important message. Let’s listen to what the the angel Gabriel said to Mary…..
Tech: Cue Gabriel #1 sound effect: “The Lord has given you special favor. He is with you.”
I wonder … How do you think Mary felt seeing and talking to an angel? Allow children to answer. Good thinking.
Mary may have felt upset and confused. Let’s hear what Gabriel told her: Tech: Cue Gabriel #2 sound effect:
“Do not be afraid, Mary. God is very pleased with you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must
name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make Him a king
like His father David of long ago. He will rule forever over His people, who came from Jacob’s family. His kingdom will
never end.”
Gabriel told Mary she was going to have a baby. That baby was going to be Jesus! Tech: Cue Wardrobe of
Wonder sound effect. Friends, do you know what that sound means? Children answer. That’s right! We’ve found
our What’sIt in The Big God Story. The baby bottle can help us to remember that God kept His promise to the
world. He came to earth as a baby—baby Jesus! When Mary heard all of this, she had a question. “How will
this be?” she wanted to know. The angel Gabriel told her that God would keep His promise and make sure
TEACHER NOTE The lesson is written in such a way that there are interaction opportunities for the kids to participate verbally or with actions. YOU as the large group communicator can decide if you want to include them as you teach or if you want to skip over it. It may depend on how your kids are responding that morning and if you feel it will help or hinder the teaching for that particular day.
Snack/Wonder Questions God loves His people so much that He promised to send a Savior who would heal our broken world. God
fulfilled His promise by sending His Son, Jesus. Out of His perfect love and grace, God chose Mary to carry His
Son. Everything God promised happened, just as He said it would!
SUPPLIES (per table/small group) • Snacks • Small Group Resource (campus optional)
What do you think it was like to see an angel?
When does God keep His promises?
What promises does God make to us?
Who can you tell about God’s promises this week?
Bless Today, we heard about how Mary worshipped God with a song when Elizabeth called her blessed for believing
God’s promises. Today, let’s take some time to bless the other friends in our small group. Begin by singing this
blessing over your kids to the tune of a familiar song. Preschoolers are usually familiar with “The Alphabet Song” or
“Jesus Loves Me.” This might feel uncomfortable, but preschoolers are very forgiving. Once you’ve blessed one child
with a song, encourage him to turn to his neighbor and sing the same blessing over her. Go around your small group
singing blessings over one another until everyone has been blessed.
Blessing: May you be filled with God’s love! Remember that God will keep His promises and always be with you.
For God so loved the world He gave His only Son.
John 3:16
Remember Verse Motions: For God: Point up to God so loved: give yourself a big hug the world: sweep arms across the front of your body with palms facing upward he gave: hands facing up, push them from belly outward as if presenting someone with a gift. his only Son: Rock a baby.
Extra Small Group Resource: (Campus Optional)
Each week additional questions/images are provided for your group to go a little deeper in its exploration of The Big God Story during your snack time. You can show this picture to your group to help remind them of the
story as they are answering the Wonder questions listed in your curriculum.
If time allows, there are also questions on the back of the picture. Please use your own Bible or the Bible provided in your small group bin to look up the specific verses that correspond with the questions. The kids
will be challenged to listen for the answers while you read scripture as well as helping them learn how to look for truth in God’s Word!
Small Group Jesus was born. It might be one of the animals or people who were at the manger the night Jesus was born.
You each have a bag with a puzzle in it. Take the pieces out and set them in front of you … but don’t start yet!
I’m putting one minute on this timer. You have until the timer runs out to put your puzzle together. Are you
ready to give it a try?
Set the timer and make sure all children have their puzzle pieces ready. While they’re working, walk around to see if
they need help and give them hints. If the group needs more time, add a few more seconds and have children keep
going. When they’re finished, suggest they pass the bag and puzzle pieces to the right and try a new puzzle.
Family First Look
Be sure to hand out this week’s Family First Look to the parents as they pick up their child.
This resource will help parents review this week’s lesson with their child and look ahead to next week’s lesson. It also has this week’s Blessing and the current