God Speaks to Me
Lesson 3 – God Speaks Through His Word – Part 1
Outline
Lesson Overview
Scripture
2 Kings 21-23; 2 Chronicles 33-34
Memory
KJV – “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
Verse
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
2 Tim.
instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be
3:16,17b
perfect,”
ESV – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of
God may be complete,”
Teaching
Objective
The saved child will be changed through reading and
applying God’s Word. Scripture helps me change.
Main
Teaching
God’s Word has the power to change you.
Word Up! God speaks through His Word!
I.
What would you do if you were made president or king?
II.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
Interaction with children
O.
P.
Q.
III.
Judah had many kings, most of whom did not follow God.
They let the temple get run down and lost God’s Word.
They chose to ignore God and worship idols.
You and I choose to sin too, so God sent Jesus to take the
punishment for our sin. [Ecclesiastes 7:20]
Josiah became king of Judah when he was eight years old.
He was not like the other kings; he did what was right I the eyes
of the Lord.
Josiah gave orders to fix the temple (God’s house).
The men who were fixing the temple made an amazing discovery.
They found the book of the law of the Lord.
Josiah’s men red the scroll to him.
King Josiah tore his clothes in great sadness.
Josiah wanted to change his ways and obey God
God’s Word has the power to change you. [2 Tim.3:16; Mk. 1:35]
King Josiah sent out an announcement for all the people in
Jerusalem to meet at God’s house.
He read the whole Book of the Law to the people.
God’s Word has the power to change you. [Gal.6:10; Heb. 13:5;
Eph. 6:1]
The people promised to follow God with their whole lives.
CLIMAX
To show they were serious about their promise, they burned all their
idols! They would only worship the one true God from now on.
Materials
Needed:
- Mark verses to be read from your Bible (the ones in blue)
- Practice hand motions for Teaching to Saved
- piece of cloth to rip
- items for object lesson: (for directions, see BL3_QuietTimeBalls)
Jar, 2 tennis balls, small items
- Map & Timeline (in GNC Starter Resource pack) and additions
Optional:
- skit
PROGRESSION OF EVENTS from 2 Kings 21-23; 2 Chronicles 33-34
A.
B.
C.
D.
Teaching for unsaved You can be changed through God’s Word by
first putting your trust in God’s way of salvation
The applications in this growth lesson teach saved children that in
order for them to hear God’s voice and follow His call, they need to
spend time with God. Be sure to model this in your own life!
1. Quiet Time: The importance of having one.
2. Bible: Instructions for life – God shows me what I need to know.
3. Bible: Effect on me – changes my heart.
INTRODUCTION
IV.
CONCLUSION
A. The people in Jerusalem changed how they lived. Hearing and
obeying God’s Word had changed their lives!
B. Will you set aside time each day to read God’s Word? [2 Tim.3:16]
C. God’s Word is written so you can know who Jesus is and trust Him
to save you from sin. [John 20:31]
Lesson 3 – God Speaks Through His Word
INTRODUCTION
1►Starting tomorrow (insert child’s name) will be the king of the
country! (Place a crown on the child’s head.) Or you (insert different child’s
name) will be the president! What would you do if you heard this news?
Something like this happened in today’s true story from God’s Word.
PROGRESSION OF EVENTS
2►God’s chosen people lived in the countries of Israel and Judah
(place Israel and Judah on the Bible Map1). They had many kings over many
years (point to the years from 1200 to 500 B.C. on Time Line) but most of the
kings were evil and did not follow God.
3►These kings did not care about the one true God who had created
them. They did not work to keep the temple (the place where people came to
learn about and worship God) in order. Most of the people followed the
kings’ example and let God’s house get run down and lots of things needed
fixing. In all the mess they lost God’s Word! Word Up! God speaks through
His Word!2 4►The kings didn’t care at all about what God said. They
worshipped idols (statues of wood or stone the people had made) and things
God had made like trees, rocks and animals. The people chose to worship
idols or the things God made instead of the one true Creator God. They chose
to ignore God and His Word. That was sin.
5►Sometimes you and I choose to sin—to ignore God. Everyone
on Earth was born with a “want to” to do things our way instead of
God’s way. (Read Ecclesiastes 7:20.) Sin isn’t just doing wrong, it
is also not doing the good that you could do. For example, if you see
someone being bullied and you don’t stand up for the person. Or if you see
that your mom is tired and you don’t offer to help. Sin keeps us from being
with God—knowing and loving Him. 6►But that’s why God in His great
love sent Jesus to Earth—to take your punishment for sin. Jesus died, was
buried and on the third day came alive again. He did all of this for you so you
can go God’s way in your life instead of your way. When you believe that
your way is better and you ignore God, it is sin.
7►The kings were sinning because they ignored God and His Word.
They did not care about obeying Him.
One of the kings who ignored God was Amon (AM-muhn). (Read 2
Kings 21:19a & 20a.) 8►When he died, his son Josiah became king. We
God Speaks to Me L.3
just pretended you could be the president or king tomorrow but for Josiah it
was really true. He was eight years old and became the king! Even though he
was so young he knew it was important to love and obey God. If you are
eight years old, stand up and say “Josiah loved and obeyed God.” (Allow
response then have them sit down.) He was not like the other kings of Judah.
The Bible says King Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 3
When he was older—about 26 years old—he gave an order to fix God’s
house—the temple—that the other kings had destroyed. What was God’s
house called? (Allow children to say together – temple.)
9►King Josiah’s men were working on rebuilding the temple. They
had to tear some things down and rebuild other things. Priest Hilkiah, one of
the religious leaders, made an amazing discovery. (Read 2 Kings 22:8.).
10►The book of the law is another name for the first five books of the Bible.
It was written on scrolls, which were large sheets of paper rolled up. They
had found a treasure! One of the things God taught in those books was how
His people should live. 11►It was so exciting for Hilkiah to find these
important books! Turn to your neighbor and say excitedly, “We have found
the book of the law!” (Do with children.) Because the other kings did not
care about God’s Word, no one read it, not even the priests who were
supposed to lead God’s people in worshipping Him! Over time God’s laws
were completely forgotten. No one knew how God wanted them to live! But
King Josiah wanted to follow God. God knew this and led Hilkiah to find His
Word.
12►God wanted King Josiah and His people to know about Him.
They knew they had found something really important! Right away they took
the scroll to King Josiah and read it to him. When the king heard the Word of
God, he realized they had been living their own way, against God. 13►Word
Up! God speaks through His Word! He was so upset that he ripped his
clothes!4* Back in those days if someone was very upset or sad, he would
tear his clothes to show others how he felt. Once he heard about how they
were disobeying God, King Josiah tore his clothes in great sadness. Josiah
knew they needed to change and be sorry for how they had been living.
Josiah was willing to change his ways and obey God. Reading God’s Word
helped him to know what God wanted to change in his life.
14►If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, remember: Scripture
helps me change!5 Raise your hand if you or your parents have a
Bible at home. By spending time with God reading His Word you will know
how God wants you to live because God knows the best way to live! (Recite
2 Timothy 3:16 together.) God’s Word tells you what you need to know to
live life. 15►Word Up! God speaks through His Word! But maybe you’re
Most text and PP visuals © 2015 Child Evangelism Fellowship® Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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thinking, “I don’t have time to read the Bible every day!” What kinds of
things do you do each day?6 (Let children mention pastimes like school,
homework, chores, sports, TV, video games, etc. Put marbles into the jar as
you mention each pastime. They try to add the tennis balls labeled Bible and
Prayer as you say…) “See!” you say. “There isn’t time to read the Bible and
pray!” What if you did that first thing in the morning? 16►Last week we
talked about following Jesus. Listen to what Jesus did. (Read Mark 1:35.)
(Put Bible and Prayer tennis balls in first then add the other marbles as you
say the following…) If you spend time talking to God and listening to Him
each morning, He will help you know what is important and how to get those
things done. It might mean watching less TV or not playing video games but
remember that Scripture helps me change!
17►Reading Scripture made it clear to King Josiah that he and the
people in Israel needed to change.
18►King Josiah sent out an announcement for all the people in
Jerusalem to meet at God’s house. Everyone from the most important person
in the kingdom to even the littlest child came to hear God’s Word. Josiah
stood in front of them and read out loud the whole book of the law they had
found. He promised to keep God’s laws and to obey everything found in
God’s Word. For the first time the people were hearing the truth about who
God is and how they needed to live their lives.
When we hear God’s Word it helps us see what God is like and that
He knows the best way to live. 19►If you have believed in Jesus as
your Savior, God’s Word has the power to change you. Set aside
time each day to read God’s Word. In it God has promises for you to help
you in life. There are also commands to obey because God knows the way
life works best. There is also encouragement that you may be more and more
like Jesus and give in to sin less and less. I’m going to read three verses and I
want you to tell me which each one is – a promise, a command to obey, or an
encouragement to be more like Jesus. (Read each verse, let the child pick the
category, then briefly discuss the process – confess sin of not doing/trusting,
and ask God to help do/trust. Read Galatians 6:10 – encouragement.
20►Read Hebrews 13:5b – promise. 21►Read Ephesians 6:1 – command.)
As you read God’s Word, God will help you understand it and will also help
you see the areas of your life that God needs to help you change. When God
shows you something that needs to change, you need to repent—turn from
the wrong things you are doing and let Him help you start living God’s way.
22►It won’t always be easy, but Scripture helps me change. Keep learning
more and more about who God is and the best way to live!
God Speaks to Me L.3
23►King Josiah and the people were learning about who God is and
His way to live as they heard God’s Word for the first time in a long time!
Word Up! God speaks through His Word! They made a promise to God.
They promised to follow God’s ways with their whole life. Sometimes it can
be easy to say things but not do them. That’s not what the people did!
CLIMAX
24►To show they were serious about their promise, the people
burned all their idols! They would only worship the one true God from now
on! (Place “God’s Word changes a nation”7 on the Time Line.)
CONCLUSION
25►The people in Jerusalem changed how they lived. Hearing and
obeying God’s Word had changed their lives!
CHALLENGE
26►If you have believed in Jesus as your Savior, remember that
Scripture helps me change! God gives you His Word so you can
know Him better. Will you set aside time each day to read God’s Word? Will
you ask Him to help you understand what you read? Will you ask God to
change you when you read things in God’s word that God wants you to
change? God’s Word helps you because God knows the best way to live.
(Say 2 Timothy 3:16 with the children.) Next week you can come back to
club and tell us what you are reading in God’s Word and one way God is
changing you.
INVITATION8
27►It is through God’s Word that we can know who God is and
what He is like. God’s true Word tells you about your sin but also
about Jesus, who took your punishment for sin. (Read John 20:31.)
God’s Word is written so that you can know who Jesus is. He is God the Son
who came to save you from sin and give you new life in Him. Then the
promises and encouragements to follow Christ in new life can be yours too!
When you are willing to turn from your sinful ways and trust Jesus alone to
save you, you will have a friendship with God that starts now and will last
forever. Have you decided today to believe on Jesus? 28►Please close your
eyes. If you believed on Jesus today for the first time, please show me by
raising your hand. You may all open your eyes. If you raised your hand or
have questions about what that means to believe on Jesus please meet me
(designated time and place) and I will show you some promises from God’s
Word.
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29►Link to Fixin’ My Eyes on You: God gives you His Word so you can
know Him better and trust Him enough to follow Him. Let’s sing about
keeping our eyes fixed on Him.
1
Cut out from document God Speaks Map Additions in BL folder.
Each time you come to this phrase say Word Up! and have the children shout it.
3
There is a skit available that starts here and ends at the *.
4
At this point rip a piece of cloth. Make sure to cut a “starter” to facilitate this.
5
Each time you see these words, have the children say them, doing the hand
motions.
6
For more instructions for this object lesson, see BL3_QuietTimeBalls.
7
Cut out from document God Speaks Timeline Additions in BL folder.
8
Cut out the invitation, tape or paperclip it into your Bible at John 20:31, and read it.
2
God Speaks to Me L.3
Most text and PP visuals © 2015 Child Evangelism Fellowship® Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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