Builder Unity Jenga Builder

GOD [ DAY ONE • BIG IDEA ] is the MASTER BUILDER UNITY JENGA BUILDER

Using the provided Jenga set, dump all the pieces on a work space (it could be a floor, table, section of the field, etc.). Allowing each student to build, have students create the tower with three blocks on the bottom and then build up. Having such a strong foundation should make it quite easy. Now, disassemble it again. Have students try and build a tower with only one “block” as the foundation positioned vertically (tall). See how many blocks you can add to the tower without it falling over. You can even say, “If you add the block that makes it crash to the ground, you have to clean the table after our next meal.” What does this teach us? How does this apply to our lives? Tonight, we learned about Nehemiah. He was a guy who was asked by God to build a wall of protection around a city. What advice would you give a builder like that? Jesus had some things to say about building as well… Let’s read Matthew 7:24-27 and the Wise and Foolish Builders. THE WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS

24“So then, everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. He builds his house on the rock. 25The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. But it does not fall. It is built on the rock. 26But everyone who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man. He builds his house on sand. 27The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. And it falls with a loud crash.”

• Who is Jesus? What does He say about building? Who/What is the Rock? • Jesus uses the analogy of a house to describe the really important things in our lives. Name some things that are really important to you. • How does the Jenga building exercise relate to the story that Jesus told? How can we be wise? God, the One who made the universe, you, and me, created us to be people who trusted in Him and who build our lives, houses, and priorities on Him. He was a Master Builder when He made each of us and He loves us – enough to call us to be wise (super smart and careful) and build our house (our lives, our safety, our priorities) and make Him the Foundation of our lives. with LEAD PRAYER DAILY Dear Jesus, thank BIBLE you for an amazing MEMORIZE THIS VERSE VERSE first day. Thank you for “Don’t you know who made being not only our everything? Haven’t you heard Master Builder, but about Him? The Lord is the God also the only wise who lives forever. He created foundation. everything on earth.” ISAIAH 40:28A JESUS [ DAY TWO • BIG IDEA ] is on OUR TEAM! UNITY SCRIPTURE SPEEDY TOSS BUILDER

You will need: A softball-sized plastic ball (provided), a timer (use one on your phone), enough room for your group to form a large circle, and the paper with the following verse on it (also provided): “Everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. He builds his house on the rock.” Matt 7:24 Put everyone in your group in a circle. Starting with a leader each time, start a chain of throws (throw the ball to one person, they throw it to another, etc. whilst reciting the verse). With each throw, another word of the verse is said. If anyone drops the ball or fails to say the word they are supposed to, the round must start again. Players do not need to throw the ball to the same person each time, although it might help to assign an order so no team member is left out. The goal is to say the whole verse, one word at a time, without dropping the ball, as quickly as possible. Do it as many times as it takes until you can no longer beat your team’s own fastest record. Let’s read Matthew 7:24-27 and the Wise and Foolish Builders. THE WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS

• According to Jesus, how can a person be wise? Who is included in this opportunity? • What does it mean to put His words into practice? What words is He talking about? • What did Jesus come to Earth to do? Why would He do that?

LEAD with PRAYER Dear Jesus, thank you for a great day. Thank you for coming to Earth to die for us so we can have a friendship DAILY BIBLE with You and build MEMORIZE THIS VERSE our lives on You. VERSE Please help us to be “God did not send His Son into wise and learn more the world to judge the world. each day how we can He sent his Son to save the build our lives on world through Him.” you. JOHN 3:17 SIN BLOCKS OUR RELATIONSHIP with [ DAY THREE • BIG IDEA ]

GOD! UNITY RED ROVER BUILDER You will possibly need another small group to play alongside. Two teams line up opposite each other, no more than 30 feet apart. The first team agrees to call one player from the opposite team, and chants, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send (player’s name) on over!” The person called runs to the other line and attempts to break the chain (formed by the linking of hands) Make sure campers are not lacing fingers together. If the person called fails to break the chain, this player joins the team that called Red Rover. But, if the player successfully breaks the chain, he may capture either of the two players whose link was broken by the dash, and bring them back to his original team. Teams take turns calling out “Red Rover” and challenging a player on the opposing team. The objective of the game is to end with the most players on your team by maintaining the integrity of your chain. The game ends when all the players end up on one side. While the game’s objective is keeping the chain intact, players holding on too tightly might cause injury to players in the chain-links or to the runner. Remember, it’s just a game! After you play, ask the following questions: What is the object of Red Rover? | Are there any secrets to winning this game? How does it feel to break through the arms of the other team? Who would you send in your place if you could have anyone in the world play Red Rover for you? Let’s read Matthew 7:24-27 and the Wise and Foolish Builders. THE WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS

Jesus “broke through” to live on Earth and die for us. It does not mean that we will not have storms in our lives, but it does mean He will be with us to help us. Sin is a word that means “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law”. That means that when we make a poor choice, disobey His law, and choose not to put His words into practice, we are sinning. What are some sins of which you are aware? (Ex: Lying, cheating, disobeying parents, using bad language…) Sometimes, the rain and water He talks about in this verse is about things that happen to us, but sometimes, storms come because we have chosen not to build our house (or life) on God’s truth. Sometimes, we feel like our life “falls with a loud crash”. Much like our Red Rover game, sin can tear at our friendship with God. (Isaiah 59:2) But fortunately for us, Jesus came to break the hold that sin can have on us so our relationship with God can be restored. with LEAD PRAYER DAILY Dear God, we BIBLE MEMORIZE THIS VERSE confess that we VERSE make poor choices “Teach me how to live as you every day. We know have promised. Don’t let any that puts a strain on sin be my master.” our relationship with you. Please help us PSALM 119:133 to put your words into practice. [ DAY FOUR • BIG IDEA ] GODHAS PLANS for YOU UNITY SILENT BUILD BUILDER

You will need: A list of “objects” to build (household appliances, etc.) Split your small group in half. Give each team an object to build without telling the other half of the group what they are building. WITHOUT TALKING, they must try and become that object and “act it out” (like charades) for the other group until that group guesses what they are trying to portray. What was the hardest part of this? Was it more difficult to be the builders or the guessers? Would it have helped if you knew what they were supposed to be building? What do you wish you knew about your future? What would you ask God to tell you about your future if you knew He would answer you? Let’s read Matthew 7:24-27 and the Wise and Foolish Builders. THE WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS

God has plans for us that He can see, but we can’t always see or understand. Although it would be easier if He told us ahead of time, our faith grows when we have to depend on Him.

LEAD with PRAYER Dear God, please help us trust in DAILY the plans you have for BIBLE MEMORIZE THIS VERSE us. Your Word prom- VERSE ises that you have a “Lord, teach me how you want hope and a future for me to live. Do this so that I us. Help us to trust will depend on you, my faith- that even when the ful God. Give me a heart that wind blows and we doesn’t want anything more feel overwhelmed, You than to worship you.” are in control. PSALM 86:11