1 Corinthians 13 Bible Verse Session 13 Your Word Is a Lamp Before My Feet and a Light for My Journey

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1 Corinthians 13 Bible Verse Session 13 Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey. August 30 (Psalm 119:105)

Bible Story 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Leap of Faith I can learn and share God’s Word.

Before You Begin aul’s letters are the oldest Christian documents we have. The fi rst of them was written within twenty-fi ve years of Jesus’ death. The last may have been Pwritten before any of the Gospels were committed to print. From Paul’s letters we learn a great deal about his faith and his understanding of what Jesus Christ means for the life of an ordinary Christian. The Bible verses for today come from one of Paul’s most famous letters. In this letter Paul dwells on the qualities of love. Most preschool children do not really know what love means when they hear the word. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus called his disciples to “love one another.” Help the children begin to think about what love really means. Love is all the things that Paul said in First Corinthians, Chapter 13. Help the children realize that in Bible times, a letter was a major event, one to be shared with the whole group. Paul’s letters were written to churches, not to individual people. Other than word-of-mouth messages, this was the only other means of communication. In the absence of modern technology, letters were the only way Paul could be present and guide a congregation without actually being there. Both communication by letters and communication by word of mouth took a great amount of time and energy. These written records were treasured and they make up a large part of the New Testament of our Bible.

Requires preparation.

103-108 S13 PS LG JJA 2015.indd 103 1/20/15 2:27 PM Grow Together The following activities may be done in interest centers as the children arrive or may be done with the entire group.

Welcome Supplies: Attendance Stickers and Chart (Resource Pak—pp. 12 & 13, 23), Bible, offering basket, CD player, CD-ROM • Greet each parent and child. Play music (CD-ROM). • Show the children where to place their offerings on the worship table. • Have the Bible open to 1 Corinthians 13 on the worship table. • Give each child the Sticker of the heart to put on the attendance chart.

Fun Pak Center Supplies: Fun Pak—13, glue sticks, construction paper, markers

• Punch out the hearts. Invite the child to glue the big heart onto a piece of construction paper. At the top of the paper, write: “1 Corinthians 13.” • Read each banner in the heart, and encourage the child to find the picture that would best fit that definition of love and glue it in place.( Answers: Kind= two kittens; Patient= turtle; Never fails= Lioness and cub) SAY: Love is patient. Love is kind. Love never fails.

Coloring/Activity Page Center Supplies: Bible Story Pak—13, crayons, markers, sharp scissors, paper punch, yarn

• Activity A: Cut out the wristband strip at the bottom of the page. Let the child color it. Read the Bible verse to the child. Punch four holes in the strip—two at each end. Put yarn through each hole and tie the ends together so the child can wear his or her Love Wristband. • Activity B: This a take-home piece for the parents. Encourage the parents to let their child paint or color the heart.

Kindness Cards Center Supplies: plain postcards, glitter crayons or fluorescent crayons, store-bought stickers, markers, tape • Give each child a plain postcard to decorate to send to someone who has been sick or absent for awhile. Let the child use glitter crayons or fluorescent crayons. • Give each child two or three more postcards to color and put on the door. (Use store-bought stickers, if they are available.) • Write “Welcome” using a marker on each of the postcards. Tape the decorated postcards on the door to welcome children and parents as they enter the room. SAY: We are kind when we make sure that everyone feels remembered, welcomed, and loved.

103-108 S13 PS LG JJA 2015.indd 104 1/20/15 2:27 PM Matching Hearts Center Supplies: Matching Hearts Cards (Resource Pak—p. 20)

• Encourage one or two children to match the hearts.

Come Together Time Supplies: Hula Hoop, beach ball or small beanbag

• Invite the children to the Bible Story Circle by telling them to pretend they are beach balls and to bounce up and down. Once the children arrive in the Bible Story Circle, encourage them to sit down. • Line up half the children on each side of a Hula Hoop. Have two leaders or two older children hold the hoop about waist high for the children. • One child will throw a ball or a beanbag through the hoop, and the child on the other side will throw the ball or beanbag back. Then everyone will say: Love is patient. Love is kind. Be sure every child has a turn. SAY: Today our Bible story will tell us that we love others when we are patient and kind. Are you patient? Are you kind to others?

Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper’s Pointe Supplies: DVD player, Grow! DVD (Ages 3-6) • Play the theme song “Talkin’ ‘bout Faith” on the DVD, and encourage the children to do the motions. GOD SAY: Mondo is working on a new play he’s written called, “Show Me What Love Does,” but the cast members are not showing love toward each other. Can Mondo show them what love does? • Tell the children that when they watch today’s video, they should shout: Show me what loves does when Mondo rings the gong. • Show the children the “GROW, Proclaim, Serve” video for today’s session.

Learn the Bible Verse Supplies: Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak—p. 2), (Optional: Grow! DVD, Ages 3–6) WORD

• Point to the Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak—p. 2), and SAY the Bible verse with the children: “Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey” (Psalm 119:105). • Teach the children the American Sign Language for the words: God (Your), Word, and Light (Lamp). The instructions are printed on p. 100. Encourage the children to sign the Bible verse as you say it with them. Then play the Bible verse section of the DVD.

103-108 S13 PS LG JJA 2015.indd 105 1/20/15 2:27 PM Hear the Bible Story Supplies: Bible Story Pak—13

• Pass out and read Bible Story Pak—13 to the children. When you get to the last line on each page, SHOUT: Love is the main thing! Encourage the children to shout it with you. • After reading page 1, ASK: What is more important—moving a mountain with your bare hands or loving your sister or brother? • After reading page 2, ASK: What is more important—giving away every toy you have or loving the child sitting next to you? • After reading page 3, ASK: Should you be happy for your friend because he got a special toy at his birthday party? (Yes) Love is being happy for people when good things happen to them. • After reading page 4, SAY: Paul told people that they should have faith, hope, and _____? (Love) SING TOGETHER to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”: Love, love, love is good. Loving everyone! Love, love, love is good. It comes from God above.

Experience the Bible Story Supplies: construction paper; scissors; decorations for hearts such as crayons or markers, curly ribbons, store-bought stickers, confetti; glue; glue sticks; Bible

Before the session, cut out enough construction paper hearts for each child to have two. Print “Faith, Hope, Love” on one side of half of the hearts. Hide those hearts around the room before the children arrive. • Let children decorate the second heart any way they desire, using crayons or markers, store-bought stickers, curly ribbons, and/or confetti. • Tell the children that the hearts are love letters. Hold up a Bible and talk about how the Bible is God’s love letter to us. • Tell the children that you have hidden some of God’s love letters around the room. Encourage the children to search for the hidden hearts. Explain that each child should find only one heart so that everyone gets a heart. • Read the love letters out loud. Whenever you read the word love, have the children point to the Bible. Once all the love letters (hearts) have been read, help the children glue them to the back of the hearts they decorated. Now they each have their own love letter from God.

103-108 S13 PS LG JJA 2015.indd 106 1/20/15 2:27 PM Serve With Love 1 Corinthians 13 Supplies: Reproducibles 13a & 13b, construction paper, crayons or markers, glue sticks, stapler/staples, Bible Verse book pages made in Sessions 9–12, safety scissors, tape

During August, the children have made a Bible Verse Book. Each week they have saved the Bible verse they’ve learned to add to the book. Today they learned 1 Corinthians 13:13. Make a copy of Reproducible 13a and 13b for every child. Make the Booklet: Gather two pieces of construction paper for every child. Write this unit’s Bible verse on one of the pieces of construction paper: “Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey. (Psalm 119:105)” Locate the Bible Verse Book pages the children have made this month that you have been saving for them: 9b, 10b, 11c, and 12b. • Give the children Reproducible 13b, and invite them to color the heart. Cut the entire page through the middle of heart, or let the children do so if they know how to cut with scissors.

• Show the children where to spread the glue stick (glue) on Reproducible 13a. • Help the children place one half of the colored heart (13b) over the left side of the Bible verse heart on (13a), and the other half of the heart (13b) over the right side of (13a), and rub gently so the heart halves will stay in place. • Have the children fold back the hearts along the dotted lines. Then read the Bible verse on 13a to the children. • Let the children put all the Bible Verse pages that they have finished this month into a book, using the construction paper with Psalm 119:105 written on it for the cover of the book, and the other piece of construction paper for the back cover. Staple all the papers together for the children. SAY: This is your Bible Verses Book. Each week you added a Bible Verse to your book. Take this book home and help your family memorize these important Bible verses with you.

Happy Heart Sandwiches Supplies: strawberry jam, bread, plastic knives, heart-shaped cookie cutters, napkins

• Have the children wash and dry their hands. Invite one child to help you by passing out two napkins to every seated child. One napkin will be a place mat, and one napkin is for wiping sticky hands. • Give every child two pieces of bread. Encourage the children to cut out heart shapes from the bread. Praise them for taking turns using the heart-shape cookie cutters. • Let each child spread strawberry jam on one piece of bread and lay the other piece on top of it. The child will have made a yummy sandwich! PRAY: Dear God, thank you for your constant love. Help us to be loving, patient, and kind to others. Amen.

103-108 S13 PS LG JJA 2015.indd 107 1/20/15 2:27 PM Worship Grassy Meadow Mural Supplies: Grassy Meadow Mural (Resource Pak—pp. 8, 9 & 16, 17), loop of tape

Gather the children around the Grassy Meadow Mural that has been posted on a wall or bulletin board. SAY: Each week we add a sheep to our Grassy Meadow Mural to remind us of that week’s Bible story. The mural and sheep remind us that God loves us and takes care of us just as if we were God’s own little sheep. This week we add another sheep with a heart on it to remind us of the Bible verse we learned this week: “Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Sing and Pray Supplies: CD-ROM and CD player, or Grow! DVD (Ages 3-6) and DVD player

• Play “Love One Another” on the CD-ROM or DVD. Let the children lie down and listen to the song. • After the children have listened to the song, encourage them to sing along with the song. If they would like, let them dance to the music. • Gather the children into a prayer circle. Pray for each child by name. PRAY: Dear God, be with (child’s name) this week. Help him (or her) to love other people and to be patient and kind with them. We know that there is faith, hope, and love, but the most important thing we can do is love others. Amen. Plan for Next Week Send us your Comments From Users (Leader’s Guide—p. 128). ext week, we will welcome you to Deep Blue Kids. We’ll have adventures, hear exciting Bible stories, and learn how to live as disciples of Jesus. Deep NBlue Kids is a Bible study for children from age 2 through 12. Three kids will guide you through the Bible, its stories, its adventures, and its messages. Asia is one of our guides. Asia loves to talk and report on what she sees. Edgar is another guide. Some people say Edgar is too curious, but we know that he just wants to understand things. Kat is another guide, and Kat loves adventure. The Deep Blue Kids—Asia, Edgar, and Kat—will lead the children through the Bible using animated videos that tell the Bible story. Deep Blue is a comprehensive Bible study for children, incorporating the pillar Bible stories of the Old and New Testaments in age-appropriate ways. In Deep Blue Kids, kids will learn Bible stories, Bible verses, and how to make the Bible a part of their everyday lives. You will find Bible stories, arts and crafts, animated video storytelling, and active games to help the children understand the Bible stories and how those stories can guide them into leading Christian lives. Join us next week as we discover how it all began with God’s Creation!

103-108 S13 PS LG JJA 2015.indd 108 1/20/15 2:27 PM