Field Guide Lessons 1-5 Website

Oliver creek church of christ

FIELD GUIDE Lessons 1-5 Hey there, neighbor! If you're reading this o!cial Explorers Club message, that means you have answered the call and coura- geously committed to making God's kingdom and His Way of life your heart's greatest desire. We're excited to join you on this adventure and can't wait to explore the treasure of God and His Kingdom together! Welcome to the club! Now let's get to exploring!

THE EXPLORERS CALL I hereby accept the Explorers Club call to love God with all I've got, love my neighbor as myself, and explore God's Word and world, deep and wide, to become more like King Jesus!

Signature: WEEK ONE: GOD IS CREATOR

Before God created, NOTHING else existed. Only God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) existed. Then, He created! With just His Words, God created everything that exists. It was very good! But God’s good creation was soon broken by sin. Thankfully, brokenness! In Jesus Christ, God is making all things new again. Praise God for being the creator of EVERYTHING! EXPLORERS QUIZ What do you think it was like to live in the good garden God created?

How did God’s good creation become broken?

What is sin?

What is God’s plan for His creation, including us? WEEK ONE: GOD IS CREATOR

Draw a picture of your favorite part of God’s creation!

Use your magnifying glass to discover this weeks TRUTH from God’s Word...

Gensis 1:1 “In the beginning, God CREATED the Heavens and the Earth.” WEEK ONE: GOD IS CREATOR

EXPLORERS ASSIGNMENT 1. Go on a nature walk with your family. Take your binoculars and see how many of these parts of creation you can discover! Mushroom Bird Spider on a Web Yellow Flower Brown Leaf Squirrel Ant Green Leaf New Bloom Water Stick

2. At dinner this week, spend time identifying where each type of food on your plate came from. Which plants/animals did God create and grow so that you could have food for tonight? Thank Him for giving you all that you need! Songs to Sing this week: Doxology Blue Skies and Rainbows Prayer this week: “God, you are the Creator. Help me to remember that everything comes from you. You are Creator of all things.” WEEK ONE: GOD IS CREATOR

PARENT CORNER: Before bed this week, choose one of the following: • Spend time reading the story of creation in the Jesus Story- book Bible (pg. 18). • Have your child close their eyes as you read Genesis 1. Ask them to imagine each part of creation as you read. • Watch “God’s Story: Creation” together on YouTube.

Talk about God as Creator! When you are driving in the car, watching TV, doing homework, or playing a game... spend time pointing out creation and tying it to God as Creator of all. When you see a beautiful sky, play with you pet dog, eat a snack, or go grocery shopping... use these as opportunities to point out God as Creator. Vocabulary word: Eternal - to be eternal means to last forever and ever - to have no beginning and to have no end. Only God is eternal. WEEK two: GOD’s word is true

To Abraham, God’s promise seemed too good to be true. But did you know that God’s words are always true? They are! A baby when he was almost 100 years old? Crazy! That's older than your grandparents! But when God says it, it happens! Everytime! If God was able to give Abraham a huge family (the Isrealites) even when he was really old, what awesome things can He do in your life? If you want to know what God says and the promises He has made, then pull out your Bible! It is God’s word for us and it is TRUE! EXPLORERS QUIZ The world was a sad place full of sin, but God had a plan. What

God told Abraham about His secret rescue plan and He made him a promise. What was God’s promise to Abraham?

Why was it hard for Abraham and Sarah to believe what God said?

God promised to send another baby into Abraham’s family who would heal the whole world. Who is this special baby? WEEK two: GOD’s word is true

Draw a picture of how you think Abraham and Sarah’s faces looked when God told them this plan.

Abraham Sarah

EXPLORERS ASSIGNMENT 1. Let's explore scripture to see some of the amazing promises God has made to those who follow Him! (and remember… they are all TRUE!) Hebrews 13:5 - “I will never ______you nor forsake you.” Psalms 136:1 - “His steadfast ______endures ______.” Rev. 22:7 - “I am ______soon.” Acts 2:38-39 - “You will receive the gift of the ______.” Matthew 28:20 - “I am ______you ______.” John 3:16 - “Whoever ______in him should not perish but have ______. WEEK two: GOD’s word is true

2. At dinner this week, spend time talking about some of the lies Satan might tell you about who you are and what you have done (ex. I am not smart enough, nobody likes me, I always mess up, I am too shy, nobody cares about me). Then talk about what God’s true word says about those things. Help each

Use your magnifying glass to discover this weeks TRUTH from God’s Word...

Ps. 33:4 “For the WORD of theLord is right and TRUE; He is faithful in all He does.”

Songs to Sing this week: - Doxology - God is so Good (add this verse: God’s Word is True…)

Prayer this week: “My Father, Thank you that everything you say is true. Some- times it's easy to believe Satan’s lies. Sometimes it's easy to think that your promises are too big or too wonderful to and to trust that you will always do what you say. I love you. ” WEEK two: GOD’s word is true

PARENT CORNER: Read the “Son of Laughter” (pg. 56 of the Jesus Storybook Bible) together. Watch God’s Story: Abraham and Sarah by Crossroads Kids Club on youtube Watch Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18 &21) by Saddleback Kids on YouTube Spend time helping your child imagine he/she is each of the characters. section. Spend 3 minutes in silence together as a family, repeat- ing the promise in your mind again and again. Vocabulary word: WEEK THREE: WE TRUST GOD

What is the craziest thing you can think of doing? Something so wild that you would never actually do it! Now, imagine that God spoke to you and asked you to do that super crazy thing? WHAT??? Abraham must have been so shocked and confused. After all, this is the child that Abraham and Sarah waited on for years and years (and years)! Isaac was an extra special gift from God, and Abraham knew that God had promised to make a HUGE family through Isaac. So why did God want Isaac to die? It was a test. God wanted to know if Abraham trusted Him. The good news is that Abraham trusted that God was good, and he obeyed Him even though he didn't understand. And guess what? God proved to Abraham that He was worthy of trust! He stopped Abraham from killing Isaac. He provided a ram to be trust Him to provide what we need, just when we need it. And most of all, this story points to the one and only Son of God, whom God gave for us. You can trust God to rescue us through His son Jesus! EXPLORERS QUIZ TRUE FALSE God wanted Isaac to die. TRUE FALSE WEEK THREE: WE TRUST GOD

God wanted to know if Abraham would trust Him and obey Him. TRUE FALSE Abraham chose not to kill Isaac and disobeyed God. TRUE FALSE God provided a ram as a substitute for the son. TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE If we want to be a follower of God, we must trust Him. TRUE FALSE

Draw a picture of a time where you had to trust God to care for you and to give you what you needed. WEEK THREE: WE TRUST GOD

Use your magnifying glass to discover this weeks TRUTH from God’s Word...

Prov. 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own

EXPLORERS ASSIGNMENT

1. Pray that God will show you where you need to trust Him Him. (ex. I will trust God when I feel scared at night.)

I will trust God ______

Now, pray that God will help you trust Him in each of these ways!

2. At dinnertime this week, let each family member share ways they’ve learned to trust God. You can each start by saying: I’ve learned to trust God when ______. WEEK THREE: WE TRUST GOD

Songs to Sing this week: Doxology He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands Where He Leads Me, I will Follow Step by Step

Prayer this week: Pray Psalm 23 together

PARENT CORNER: Watch “The Story of Abraham & Isaac Bible Story” by Kids on the Move on YouTube Worship together with “We Trust in the Name of the Lord - Lyrics Acapella” by Family Life Channel on YouTube give up for Him. Make a plan to give up something (as individuals or a family) for a period of time to grow your trust in God. It could be for a day or even up to a week! (Some ideas are: tv, electron- Share with your children stories of times where your faith was tested but God provided for you. WEEK four: we worship god

Do you have any habits? Routines or things you do a lot? Some habits are good; some are not so good. Do you eat your vegetables? That's a good habit! Do you eat your boogers? That’s a bad habit! (Eeewww!) Daniel had a really good habit of worshipping God, the real King of everyone and everywhere. He learned to pray throughout the day. After he was captured by people who didn’t worship God, he kept right on praying to the true God. There were some sneaky people who used Daniel’s worship against him. Even when it was against the law, Daniel prayed to God. He was willing to face the lions, if that’s what it took. That’s because Daniel knew that God deserved more honor than any king. He knew that no matter what other people said, no matter what it cost him, God deserved his worship! Even in the lion’s den, God was faithful. God answered his prayers and saved Daniel! How can we follow Daniel’s example to worship God? We worship God by honoring Him as the MOST important person in the world. We worship by loving him with all our heart and loving others as ourselves. We worship God with our words and our actions. We can sing praises to God, tell Him thank you, and, of course, pray like Daniel did. We can also worship by sharing, playing, obeying, and using self-control. All these honor God and are ways to worship Him! WEEK four: we worship god

EXPLORERS QUIZ What did Daniel do every day?

What did the sneaky men trick the king into doing?

Even after the king’s new law, who did Daniel decide to honor? How?

How did God save Daniel?

Should we worship anyone other than God?

Draw a picture of Daniel in the Lion’s Den. WEEK four: we worship god

Use your magnifying glass to discover this weeks TRUTH from God’s Word... Luke 4:8 “Jesus answered, It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”

EXPLORERS ASSIGNMENT Get out your whistle! Ask your parents or brother/sister to read the list below. When you hear a way we can worship God, blow that whistle! (remember: we can worship God with our words AND our actions!) -Singing praises -Listening to my teacher -Sharing my new toy -Reading my Bible -Leaving a mess -Leaving out a friend -Praying before bed -Staying calm when I’m upset -Interrupting my mom -Setting the table -Running as fast as I can -Throwing trash on the ground -Ignoring my sister/brother -Telling God I love Him

At dinnertime this week, let each person share ways they worshipped and honored God that day. You can even point out ways you saw another family member bringing honor to God! Songs to Sing this week: Step by Step Doxology WEEK four: we worship god

Prayer this week: “Father, you are worthy of all worship and honor. I am sorry for the times I don’t give you the honor you deserve. Help me to worship you with my words, my actions, my body, my heart, and my mind. I want to give you worship you in everything I do!” PARENT CORNER: Watch “Jesus and the Lions’ Den by Alison Mitchell” by Akari’s Story Time on YouTube. Watch “Daniel and the Lion’s Den (Kids)” by PursueGOD Kids on YouTube Read Daniel 6 together. Ask your child to close his/her eyes as you read and imagine that they are Daniel. After reading, ask your child questions. How would you have felt? What do you think you would have done? What do you think the Lion’s Den was like? Set aside some time this week to have Family Worship. Decide together what ways you will worship and let you children take part in leading. Point out times when your children honor God! Here are some ways to talk about it: “You worked so hard studying for your math test! You brought God honor by using your mind and working hard!” “I saw you share with your sister, that brought honor to God!” “Thank you for praying before our dinner. That was a great way to worship!” WEEK Five: Jesus is our king

What does it mean if powerful kings leave their palaces to visit a new baby? He must be a really, REALLY big deal. They didn’t - lem, but instead in a house in the small town of Bethlehem. This king didn’t have any servants, riches, or even a crown. But these wise men knew that this was special. He was the true King God had promised to send, and they knew he was worthy of all honor and praise. And so they bowed down to him and travelling kings knew early on what the whole world will one day, every knee will bow to him. But you can choose to serve precious gifts, we too can honor him by giving him gifts. You might not have any gold, frankincense, or myrrh… you might not even have any money at all! But the good news is that you can still give to your King in other ways. You can honor King your generosity towards others, or even just saying “Thank you”! WEEK Five: jesus is our king

EXPLORERS QUIZ Compare King Jesus to other kings. Write down characteristics of each in the boxes below. King Jesus Other Kings

The wise men brought Jesus precious gifts to show him honor. Draw a picture of a gift or something you have to o!er to Jesus, just as the wise men did. WEEK Five: jesus is our king

Use your magnifying glass to discover this weeks TRUTH from God’s Word... John 18:37 “Then Pilate said to him, “So you are king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am king, For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.”

EXPLORERS ASSIGNMENT At dinner this week, spend time exploring ways you can give honor to God. What “gifts” do you have that you can use for King Jesus? Help each other recognize gifts and come up with creative ways to use them for His glory!

Songs to Sing this week: Jesus is Lord Who's the King of the Jungle Hosana your my King My God is so Big

Prayer this week: Our Father, we thank you for our King Jesus. We know he is a Please help us see ways we can give him honor. Help us to see what gifts we have to give, and let us give them with joy. We will follow King Jesus each and every day! We love you! WEEK Five: jesus is our king

PARENT CORNER: Watch together “The Story of Christmas (Jesus and the Wise Men)” by Saddleback Kids on YouTube. Watch together “The Wise Men Matthew 2:1-14” by Saddleback Kids on YouTube. Worship together with “Hosanna You’re My King” by Theta Nu on Youtube. Read Phil. 2:3-11 aloud together with each person choosing a kind of king does this describe? What does that mean for us as His followers? In what ways can we have the same humble attitude that Jesus had? Point out when your child uses a talent or ability they have to honor King Jesus. Help them to recognize that when they use their gifts, it brings Him glory. (Such as creating beauty through art, using their strong body to play sports, sharing with their where and how He wants you to use your gifts/talents for His honor and glory. Vocabulary Word: Honor - showing love and respect, recognizing how important someone the value and treatment they deserve. song index doxology Praise Him, all creatures here below Praise Him above the Heavenly host Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen blue skies and rainbow Blue skies and rainbows and sunbeams from heaven, Are what I can see when my Lord is living in me. I know that Jesus is well and alive today. He makes His home in my heart. Never more will I be all alone since He promised me that we never would part. god is so good God is so good x 3 He's so good to me God’s Word is true x 3 He’s so good to me where he leads me, i will follow Where He leads me, I will follow x3 I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way. song index jesus is lord Jesus is Lord, my redeemer, how he loves, how I love Him, He is risen, He is coming, Lord, come quickly, Hallelujah. step by step Oh God, You are my God And I will ever praise You Oh God, You are my God And I will ever praise You

I will seek You in the morning And I will learn to walk in Your ways And step by step, You'll lead me And I will follow You all of my days He’s Got the whole world in his hands He’s got the whole world in His hands x 4 He’s got the mommys and the daddys in His hands x 4 He’s got the brothers and the sisters song index whose the king of the jungle Whose the King of the jungle? Whose the King of the sea? Whose the King of the universe? And whose the King of me? His name is J-E-S-U-S. Yes! He’s the King of the universe, the jungle and the sea! hosanna you’re my king Hosanna, You're my King I worship and I sing I lift Your holy Name, Up on high I worship and adore Sing praise forevermore Hosanna, You're my King, Forevermore. my god is so big My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do. x 2 The mountains are His and the valleys are his and the seas are his handiwork, too. My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do.