LEADER DEVOTIONAL According to Tess at theboldlife.com, “bold people think differently, speak differently, and do things differently.” 2 Corinthians 3:12 says we can be confidently bold!
Be confident that our message is good news! It’s the way to life in the Kingdom—a good message for all people! Our culture doesn’t always agree, so let’s ask God to fill us with boldness to think differently.
God’s boldness causes us to speak differently. We know truth, but truth without love is harmful. We need to boldly speak the truth, this good news, in love. Love helps us see the person first. Only God can give us bold love that shapes the way we speak.
Boldness causes us to do things differently. If we encounter someone who’s sick, we ask, “may I pray for you right now?” We don’t wait until we get home to pray. We do what the Holy Spirit shows us in the moment.
When we’re changed from the inside out we become bold!
LESSON TWO CONTENTS, SUPPLIES, AND PREP BOLDNESS TWO
WELCOME LOW ENERGY ACTIVITY SMALL GROUP LESSON • 1 small carabiner per kid (purchase HERE) • Foil stars (purchase HERE) • 1 “My 3 Friends” Prayer Card per kid (download HERE) • 1 Backpack Clip-On Card per kid (download HERE) • 1 BOLD-O-METER (download HERE) • 1 hole puncher • Pencils
CRAFT ACTIVITY • 1 small paper cup per kid (purchase HERE) • 1 jumbo craft stick per kid (purchase HERE) • Twine (purchase HERE) PREP: Cut twine into 4–5 ft sections, 2 pieces per kid. • Craft glue (purchaseHERE ) • 1 scrap of construction paper per kid (3” x 3”) • Markers • Scissors
HIGH ENERGY GAME • Dance music
SKIT • 1 box of Cracker Jack (purchase HERE)
LARGE GROUP LESSON • Name tags (download HERE) PREP: preselect kids to play these roles. Attach lanyards to the name tags. • 1 large basket (big enough to hold a child)
MINISTRY TIME WORSHIP CHALLENGE PAPER • 1 Challenge Paper per kid
Find thisShop week’s this week’s unique items items on on our our Amazon Amazon IdeaShopping List. All List items. All itemsare available are available for Prime for Prime shipping! shipping! TWO WELCOME LESSON 5 min
THE VERSE Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)
THE POINT Jesus can make me bold for him.
ICE BREAKER RULES Each kid spends thirty seconds talking to the kid next We’ve only got THREE RULES. Not too to him or her, asking questions such as: bad! • “What is your first and middle name?” 1 Listen to your group leader. • “When is your birthday?” 2 Be a good friend. • “What is your favorite food?” 3 Have fun! • “What is your favorite game?” If you follow these rules, you’ll have a great time and learn something new. At the end of that time, everyone introduces their new friends. In a large group setting, have kids introduce the new friends who are attending for the first time. OFFERING It’s so great to GIVE BACK TO GOD. INTRO When we give God back a small piece of what he’s given us, we show how much Turn to a neighbor and share... we trust him.
On a scale of zero to ten, with Pray aloud that God would bless the offering and the zero being not bold at all and church’s mission in the community and world. ten being bold ALL the time, how bold are you?
Today we’ll find out what it means to be bold and why we can be bold for God. ANNOUNCEMENTS Add your announcements below:
= Show slide for this point. (Download HERE.) Welcome - Boldness LOW ENERGY ACTIVITY LESSON TWO 10 min
BIG AND LITTLE GAME 1 Kids stand in a circle.
2 One kid starts by saying either the words “big,” or “little.”
3 If the word is “big,” he or she makes the opposite hand motions, putting them close together.
4 If it’s “little,” he or she makes the opposite hand motions, putting them far apart.
5 After completing the motion, he or she chooses another kid who goes next. This can be anyone in the circle.
6 The next kid says “big” or “little” and makes the opposite hand motion.
7 If someone messes up, he or she is out and sits down. The last kids left standing are the winners.
Low Energy Activity - Boldness SMALL GROUP LESSON TWO 15 min
THE VERSE Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)
THE POINT Jesus can make me bold for him.
Introduce yourself and welcome each kid by name. Can you think of 3 people who need to know that Jesus can change them from the inside out? Check up on previous prayer requests or events. Maybe they’re in your family, neighborhood, or school. They can be kids or grown-ups!
Give each kid a “My 3 Friends” Prayer Card and a ACTIVITY pencil. Give them time to fill out the cards. SUPPLIES: Each day, you can pray for the people whose • 1 small carabiner per kid (purchase HERE) names are on your cards. God will help you share the good news about Jesus with them. • 1 “My 3 Friends” Prayer Card per kid (download HERE) Give each kid a Backpack Clip-On Card. Read through • 1 Backpack Clip-On Card per kid the instructions and have them punch a hole in the (download HERE) corner of the card and insert the carabiner. They can clip this onto their backpacks so they can share the • 1 hole puncher good news about Jesus with someone. • Pencils
Here’s a way to remember how to be bold for Jesus: B—Believe God will give you the words to PRAY say; O—Obey God’s command to tell others about SUPPLIES: Jesus; L—Love others; D—Depend on the Holy Spirit to give you power! • Foil stars (purchase HERE) • 1 BOLD-O-METER (download HERE) Paul spent his life sharing the good news about Jesus. He knew everyone needs to know about Jesus. Show the BOLD-O-METER. Have each child place a foil star to indicate how bold he or she would like to But not everyone knows that Jesus has the power become by his or her next birthday. to change us from the inside out! Maybe you know someone who doesn’t know this good news. Pray that God would give each child power to boldly show his love to others, and to tell others what Jesus I needed Jesus to change me. I’m so glad I heard has done for him or her. that good news and I trusted him as my savior and leader. Now he’s changing me from the inside out!
Small Group Lesson - Boldness CRAFT ACTIVITY LESSON TWO 15 min
THE VERSE Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)
THE POINT Jesus can make me bold for him.
9 After the glue dries, kids can raise the basket by PAUL-IN-A-BASKET rolling the twine up around the craft stick. They can lower him by unrolling the twine. SUPPLIES: • 1 small paper cup per kid (purchase HERE) • 1 jumbo craft stick per kid (purchase HERE) • 2 pieces of twine (4–5ft) per kid (purchase HERE) • Craft glue (purchase HERE) • 1 scrap of construction paper per kid (3” x 3”) • Markers • Scissors
1 Each kid is given one paper cup, a craft stick, and both pieces of twine.
2 Stretch one of the twine pieces out flat and set the cup in the center of it. DISCUSS DURING THE ACTIVITY: 3 Glue the twine to the bottom and up the sides of the cup. • Paul was living in place called Damascus. Why did he had to leave in a basket? 4 There will be a lot of leftover twine on each side! Tie the twine pieces to the ends of the craft stick. • How do you think it would feel to be let down from a tall building, over a wall, 5 Cover the outside of the cup with glue. Wrap the dangling from a rope, in a basket? second piece of twine around the cup. Be sure to glue the ends down carefully. • When some people got angry at Paul for teaching about Jesus, why didn’t he stop? 6 Each kid gets a scrap of construction paper and access to markers. • Has anyone ever gotten angry at you for talking about Jesus? What do you 7 Draw a figure of Paul on their scrap of paper and think God would want you to do if that use scissors to cut him out. happened? 8 Place the Paul figure in the basket.
Craft Activity -Boldness HIGH ENERGY GAME LESSON TWO 15 min
5 The dancers still remaining all come to the center FREEZE DANCE of the room and the rest of the kids sit around them. SUPPLIES: • Dance music 6 Now, the dance-off really begins! The finalists have ONE chance to make a mistake, since it’s going to be so much tougher. After that, 1 When the music starts, kids dance in place, giving however, anyone who doesn’t freeze and hold his it their best moves. or her pose perfectly must sit. 2 When the music stops, kids freeze and hold their 7 Play a few more times, eliminating players as the pose until the music starts again. game goes along. Hopefully a grand champion 3 If a kid moves when the music is off, or isn’t emerges! dancing when the music is playing, her or she 8 When the winner is (or winners are) revealed, must sit down. everyone applauds. Hail the Mighty Champions! 4 Play until two or three kids are left.
High Energy Game - Boldness SKIT LESSON TWO 5 min
THE VERSE Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)
THE POINT Jesus can make me bold for him.
bold of you to try something new just to get a prize.
I’VE GOT THE Rowdy: Is it? Well, I don’t care—getting a prize is awesome. And I decided it was worth the risk to get PRIZE it. PROPS: Reece: Interesting ... Can I have some of that? (Pours • 1 box of Cracker Jack (purchase HERE) cereal into his or her hand.) Rowdy, did you know that you have a prize inside you? (Reece is on stage. Rowdy ENTERS with a PROP box of cereal with a large sticker affixed that says “Prize Rowdy: (Laughs.) What? You aren’t thinking of eating Inside”.) me, are you?
Rowdy: Hi! Hey, everybody! (Munches cereal.) Reece: (Laughs.) Seriously, you have something Hmmmmm... Excuse me while I crunch and munch... inside you so great, so wonderful, so fantastic, that Mmmm... Hey, Reece, how fast do you think I can eat it’s worth any amount of risk and danger to share it this whole box of cereal? with others. Do you know what it is?
Reece: Why do you want to eat all that cereal? Rowdy: (Stuffs cereal in mouth.)Um, Reece, you lost me. Rowdy: (Points to sticker on the box.) There’s a cool prize inside the box! I want to get to the prize, so Reece: Inside you have the good news that God I need to eat all the cereal. I really want that prize loves people and sent Jesus so they can be friends right now! It’s way down at the bottom of the box, with him—and be restored as his image-bearers! You and I’m not supposed to waste food by throwing it carry around that amazing message—and others all out to get to the prize, you know. around you are missing out on it! They have this hole in the center of their lives that they’re trying to fill Reece: Wow, if you want to eat a whole box of cereal with all kinds of stuff. Mention( some things.) And you at once, you must really like it! have the prize that will fill the hole!
Rowdy: Actually, I never tried it before today, but I Rowdy: Wow, I never really thought of it that way, was willing to chance it because of how much I want but it’s true! I have the prize inside me that everyone this prize! is looking for—Jesus! He is the greatest prize anyone could ever win! (Affix “Prize Inside” sticker to self.) Reece: Wow, Rowdy, you took a risk! That’s mighty
Skit - Changed Reece: Yes, Rowdy! And when you finish eating this Reece: And we’ll understand you a lot better when cereal, you’ll have both prizes. your mouth isn’t full. Why don’t you go finish your cereal? Rowdy: (Mouth full of cereal.) Mmm-pphhmmph! (EXIT Reece and Rowdy.)
Adapted from a puppet skit from kidology.com.
Skit - Changed LARGE GROUP LESSON TWO 20 min
THE VERSE Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)
THE POINT Jesus can make me bold for him.
SUPPLIES: DORITOS COMMERCIAL (watch HERE) • Name tags (download HERE): Saul/Paul; People; Leaders—preselect kids That’s a funny video, but let’s get real! Even if you to play these roles and attach lanyards to the ate ALL the chips in the grocery store, I don’t think name tags. you’d get any bolder! You might get a massive • 1 large basket (big enough to hold a child) tummy ache, though.
So, let’s see if we can discover real reasons we have PRESHOW VIDEO (watch HERE) to be bold. OK Go - Upside Down & Inside Out (Stop the video when they release the balls.) Pray.
Hi everyone! My name’s ______, and I’m so You wanna’ hear something cool? Knowing that God excited to be your teacher today! We're in a new offers everyone friendship and life forever with him series called Inside and Out. It’s all about how because of Jesus, is like knowing a great secret—it’s Jesus can change us from the inside out. Last time even better than having the best bag of chips! It’s we learned that getting closer and closer to God like a prize other people would LOVE to have! causes his character—his heart—to rub off on us, so we show the world what HE’s like by the way WE live! The problem is, we so often hang around people who already know this good news, that we can Our Bible verse for this series is ROMANS forget that MOST people in the world—even people 12:2 which says “Fix your attention on we see all the time at the grocery store—don’t know God. You’ll be changed from the inside it! They may THINK they know it. But really, most out.” people believe they just need to be “good enough” to get to God. Isn’t that sad? Because the truth is, Speaking of Bible verses, here’s our Bible God sent Jesus because no one except Jesus can be verse for today. It’s from “good enough”! 2 CORINTHIANS 3:12. Read it with me if you can. “Since this new way gives us When we trust in Jesus, we don’t have to worry such confidence, we can be very bold.” about being “good enough” anymore. The Bible says that when we trust in what Jesus did for us, we What does it mean to be bold? become his “righteousness.” And remember, the BOLDNESS is being willing to get Bible says in 2 CORINTHIANS 3:12, things done despite the risks. “Since this new way (of trusting in Jesus) gives us such confidence, we can How can we get boldness inside of us? Look at a be very bold.” commercial the Doritos people made for the Super Bowl to see if this would work... Watch this video.
= Show slide for this point. (Download HERE.) Large Group Lesson - Changed Doesn’t that sound great? Turn to your neighbor and The PEOPLE who heard him were amazed. They say, “I can have the confidence to be bold!” asked, “Isn’t this the same man who persecuted Jesus’ followers so bitterly in Jerusalem?” And, “We Kids respond. understand that he came here to arrest them all and take them in chains to the chief priests.” Yeah, we can have confidence and we don’t have to be embarrassed about sharing this good news. One PAUL became more and more convincing in his of the Bible writers, Paul, wrote this in Romans 1:16, preaching, “See? Even the Scriptures prove that “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. Jesus is the Savior!” The Jewish LEADERS in It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who Damascus had no arguments against him. believes.” Would you believe me if I told you that the writer of this verse, Paul, was the same guy, So, after a while, they decided to kill him. The Saul, that we heard about last time? I have some LEADERS gathered together and came up with a volunteers who are going to help us hear more plan: “Let’s watch the gates of the city, and we’ll about his story today. kill him when he tries to leave!” But someone told PAUL about their plan. During the night, some of the We heard how God completely changed Saul from people who decided to follow Jesus helped PAUL someone who hated Jesus to someone who loved escape Damascus by letting him down in a basket Jesus and became one of his followers. Not only did through an opening in the city wall! Saul want to follow him—now, he wanted EVERYONE to know about Jesus and have a chance to follow Have “Paul” stand in the basket. him, too! The whole mission of his life had changed. That was only the first of many times that someone Have three kids, recruited in advance, wear the name wanted to kill PAUL because of his message about tags and stand shoulder to shoulder on stage, as you Jesus. He took many risks, and endured many stand behind them telling the story. Have them repeat dangers and hardships to complete the mission he’d their lines after you, and perform actions as you been given by Jesus of sharing the message of Jesus narrate. with everyone he could.
What do you think was the mission of SAUL’s life PAUL knew what a prize this message was. The Bible before he met Jesus? tells us that on his last missionary journey, when he was saying goodbye to his friends from the church Allow kids to respond. he had planted in Ephesus, he told them in ACTS 20:24, “My life is worth Yeah... His mission was to follow God’s law as nothing to me unless I use it for perfectly as he could. But that didn’t make him a finishing the work assigned me by the friend of God, did it? His heart needed changing! He Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good thought he was following God’s law when he tried to News about the wonderful grace of God.” stamp out the whole message of Jesus. Applaud and dismiss all actors. Because Jesus changed SAUL from the inside out, he became a new person. In fact, he was so Paul’s life was hard sometimes, but Jesus had given completely changed he even went by a new name— him the PRIZE of sharing the Good NEWS, so he was PAUL. willing to be bold. Do you think that meant he wasn’t afraid? He probably was at times! Flip SAUL’s name tag over to PAUL. But BOLDNESS means we’re willing to Jesus gave PAUL his new mission: to take the good get things done despite the fear. news about Jesus to people everywhere—even those who weren’t Jewish. And he wasted no time! Let’s say THE POINT together: Jesus can Almost as soon as he was baptized, while he was make me bold for him! staying with the believers in Damascus, PAUL went at once to the synagogue—the local Jewish church— Repeat. to tell everyone, “Jesus is indeed the Son of God!”
= Show slide for this point. (Download HERE.) Large Group Lesson - Changed Our boldness doesn’t come from our own strength STORY TWO: or courage. It comes from our trust in Jesus to change us from the inside out. KIDS PRAYER TEAM (watch HERE)
So what might it look like for YOU to be bold for Jesus? Here are true stories of kids who discovered [ Video description: A miracle prayer team of 3rd–5th that Jesus could help them be bold. graders prayed for people in their church who needed healing. One woman had endured excruciating back Use one or both of the stories, depending on time. One pain for years. One of the girls had a bold word for has slides and one has a video. If you have your own her, “She will move and be free.” The woman now has bold story, tell that instead. (Try to keep it under 2–3 freedom of movement and freedom from pain. Yay, minutes!) God! ]
STORY ONE: So how can you be bold for Jesus? Just remember, BOLD is spelled B-O-L-D: B—Believe God will give At school, someone had written 11-year- you the words to say; O—Obey God’s command to old Vineyard Kid, Amanda, a NOTE that tell others about Jesus; L—Love others; D—Depend said “I hate Amanda” and left it on her on the Holy Spirit to give you power! Every day when friend’s desk. Who wrote the note and you get up, remember THE POINT, Jesus how could Amanda RESPOND to this can make me bold for him! kind of mean BULLYING? The next day during recess, Amanda took post-it notes Repeat. and wrote a special message of encouragement for each student in her class, boldly putting each note on their desk. When questioned by the teacher about why she’d done it, she answered that the only way to fight bullying is with KINDNESS.
= Show slide for this point. (Download HERE.) Large Group Lesson - Changed MINISTRY TIME LESSON TWO 5 min
THE VERSE Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)
THE POINT Jesus can make me bold for him.
Ask kids to sit or stand quietly. Pray, asking the Holy Let’s invite the Holy Spirit to come and give us Spirit to guide you. the boldness we need to honor Jesus with our actions. Since Jesus can make us bold for him, we know that we can ask him for help. Pray for kids to be bold for Jesus.
Maybe, it’s been hard for you to stand up for what Remind the kids that everyone can pray for people in you know is right—especially when kids around our church. Ask volunteers and other kids to gather you laugh at you or make fun of you. Who cares, around the kids who have responded. They can ask anyway? I want you to know Jesus cares. kids what they want prayer for, and pray for them as the Holy Spirit leads them. Kids can even pray for Being bold doesn’t need to come naturally or volunteers! from our own ability. In fact, it’s BETTER when it comes from the Holy Spirit working in us. For more directions on how to pray with kids, see the Five-Step Prayer Model for Kids. Can you think of someone you need to be bold with? Maybe you need to share the good news of God’s forgiveness with them or you need to stand up to them with kindness.
Ministry Time - Boldness WORSHIP LESSON TWO 10 min
THE VERSE Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT)
THE POINT Jesus can make me bold for him.
SONG #1 LIVE IT OUT (watch HERE, purchase HERE) Amber Sky Records Colette Taylor, Reggie Joiner © 2008 FamilyWise Music (Admin. by Amber Sky Records) CCLI: 5324446 SONG #2 NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE (watch HERE, purchase HERE) Planetshakers Joth Hunt © 2008 Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook])); Planetshakers Ministries Int. Inc. (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook])) CCLI: 5199808 SONG #3 NO ONE GREATER (watch HERE, purchase HERE) Amber Sky Records Chrystina L. Fincher © 2011 Amber Sky Records CCLI: 6128847
Worship - Boldness CHALLENGE PAPER LESSON TWO
Fill in the blanks to finish this story. How can you be bold for Jesus? (It’s OK to get a family member’s help.)
You’re hurrying to get to school on time when the phone rings. You answer it and hear Collin, the class bully who teases you. You feel:
“I don’t have a ride to school today. Can your mom Recite this week’s point: give me a ride?” he asks. You know you can only give Jesus can make me bold for him. him one answer, so you say: Recite this week’s Bible verse: Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:12 (NLT) When you get to school, Collin wants to know why you answered how you did. You decide to: Kid’s name:
Now Collin is: Kid’s grade:
And you are: Parent signature:
When school is over, your mom picks you up and asks how your day went. You look at her and say: