2.12 date: Bible Passage: Luke 17:11–19 (Jesus Heals Ten Lepers) REMEMBER VERSE God chose us to belong to Christ [Jesus] before the world was created. Ephesians 1:4 (NIrV) God Created Us to Worship Him SERVICE SCHEDULE Explore:: Welcome & Engage 10–15 minutes Discover & Respond:: Large Group 30–40 minutes Respond & Bless:: Small Group 20–35 minutes ENVIRONMENT: IDENTITY Through this part of The Big God Story, we can see the environment of IDENTITY highlighted in how Jesus restored the Samaritan leper into who he was meant to be: a healed man who belonged to God and worshipped Him with everything he was. © 2013 David C. Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved. 2.12 Inspire NOTES: I stood before the mirror observing my reflection, and then I started to cry. What was once a flattering dress was now a tight and ill-fitting mess. This wasn’t the first time I had tried on clothes from my closet and found them to suddenly be uncomfortable, or too small. I was a sophomore in high school and had stopped growing vertically in junior high. I had, however, been growing horizontally ever since I stopped playing volleyball. Now it was undeniable: I was gaining more weight than I wanted. For the five to six years that followed, I struggled with my body image. I often felt fat and unattractive, to the point that I could barely acknowledge when people complimented me. It didn’t help that I was comparing myself to images of supermodels in magazines, or my more naturally slim sisters. In college, I finally reached a breaking point. One night in my dorm room, I prayed to God, “Lord, I don’t want to struggle with this any longer. Please, heal my mind and heart. Let me see myself as You see me.” The transformation didn’t occur overnight. Many times I believed that I would always be overly concerned with calories, exercise, or what the scale told me each morning. But soon, God slowly answered my prayer. Though there wasn’t a dramatic change in my outer appearance, there was much dramatic change in my thoughts and heart. My identity became defined less by what I looked like, and more by who God says I am. He has taught me that when I do what I was created for—to love and worship Him—I am beautiful in His eyes. Asriel Medina TruWonder Team © 2013 David C. Cook 2 2.12 Equip Further Resources All people were created to worship God. But in Jesus’ time, lepers weren’t allowed www.topicalbible.org/s/samaritans.htm to worship with their community because the highly contagious skin disease also IVP New Testament Commentaries: made them ritually unclean. Sufferers were forced to live outside the city. If they www.biblegateway.com/resources came near people, they had to cry out a warning to keep others away. Identified /commentaries/IVP-NT/Luke/Faithful- solely by their illness, lepers were treated as social outcasts. Looking-King-Kingdom Luke 17:11–19 refers to the 10 men Jesus transformed while on His way to www.blueletterbible.org Jerusalem. Among the 10 lepers Jesus healed, one was a Samaritan. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans because they were half-Jewish and had different Remember Verse Motions Inspired by American Sign Language; worship practices. Although connected through the mutual worship of Yahweh, demonstrated at www.signingsavvy.com and the Jews treated Samaritans with contempt and considered them to be inferior www.commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb because they weren’t pure-blood Jews. To be a Samaritan and a leper was to be /browser.htm the lowest of the low. However, out of the 10 men who were healed, it was the Samaritan who returned with worship and praise for Jesus. When Jesus saw the man’s faith, He said, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well” (v. 19). In the Greek, the phrase “has made [you] whole” is from the root word “sozo,” which means “to be saved or healed.” While all the lepers had been saved physically from their disease, the Samaritan’s transformation went deeper. Jesus declared that the Samaritan had received salvation. He was given a new identity and made whole—completely and ENVIRONMENT: IDENTITY totally belonging to God. This environment highlights who we are in Christ. According to Ephesians 1, we In Galatians, Paul reminds us that our identity is based solely in Christ and His have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, work in our lives. “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you sealed, and given an inheritance in Christ are all one in Christ Jesus” (v. 3:28 HCSB). The things of our culture and society … all of which we did nothing to earn. are no longer what unite and define us; we are given a new identity. In Christ there This conviction allows children to stand firm against the destructive counter is no black or white, male or female, slave or free, rich or poor—only men and identities the world will offer. women who belong to God. The 10 environments guide us in creating a climate that puts God on display. Encourage your families to discover more about creating the environment of KNOWING in their homes by checking out HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource and Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony. © 2013 David C. Cook 3 2.12 Support As our world places labels on us, we fight against being categorized. We dislike being put in a “box.” We combat prejudice and discrimination. Fortunately, God has made a proclamation through Christ that transcends labels and brings transformation. Remember: You’ve been chosen, adopted, redeemed, sealed, and given an inheritance in Christ. This is your identity; this is what is true about you. But going from knowing what is true to feeling it deep inside can be difficult. To help bridge this gap, look at yourself in the mirror for a few minutes. Go on. Using a dry erase marker, write on the mirror some words you feel currently make up your identity. When you’re finished, take some time to pray to God. Ask Him to show you which identities are in line with your identity in Christ, and which need to be healed or transformed. After praying, erase the words. Then write “(Your name), wholly and dearly beloved, child of God, created to worship Him with thanksgiving and joy.” Close your time by asking God to help you see and be the person He has created you to be. © 2013 David C. Cook 4 NOTES: 2.12 Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (Master Supply List at tru.davidccook.com) Explore:: 10–15 Exploration stations create space Focus Station: Mirror, Mirror Welcome & min. intended to transition children—to (per table) Engage lead them from the external world • small mirrors (purchase at craft store) or aluminum into an environment where they foil squares (4” x 4”; 1 per child) can commune with God, just as • tagboard or construction paper they are with all that they are. • glue • optional: masking tape • permanent marker • crayons, markers, or colored pencils • optional: stickers, beads, or glitter • Explore bin (Optional) Station 2: Created for What? (per table) • interlocking toy bricks • index cards • markers Discover:: 20–25 Facilitate interactive games, • Chloe (puppet or person) Large Group min. songs, and storytelling, allowing • Chloe’s Rules videos or scripts (see children to participate in tru.davidccook.com) discovering God’s Word. • preschool program theme song • 2 upbeat worship songs (suggestion: “Child of God,” TruWorship Songs from the Playhouse or “He Knows Me,” TruWorship Your Love) • optional: countdown video • Mail Time intro clip and image (see tru.davidccook.com) • Remember Verse image and cards (see tru.davidccook.com) • Mail Time envelope art printed and attached to a large envelope (see tru.davidccook.com) • Bibles (your personal and large children’s) • mailbox • Wardrobe of Wonder intro clip and image (see tru.davidccook.com) • Wardrobe of Wonder • Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect (see tru.davidccook.com) • optional: silly hats for prop/hat box • 2 small stools or chairs • What’sIt: Megaphone (see image at tru.davidccook.com) • The Big God Story intro clip and image (see tru.davidccook.com) (Continued) © 2013 David C. Cook 5 NOTES: 2.12 Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (Master Supply List at tru.davidccook.com) Discover:: (Continued) Large Group • storytelling images: Village, 10 Lepers, Healed Leper (see tru.davidccook.com) • magnets • red whiteboard marker • magnetic whiteboard and easel • spray bottle filled with water, paper towel Respond:: 10–15 Create space for children to • title image (see tru.davidccook.com) or Large Group min. respond to the Holy Spirit in worshipful video loop worship and community. • Bible • optional: worship music of your choice (suggestion: TruWonder Bonus Song “Here We Go,” The People’s Album, Vol. 3) • box of instruments (suggestions: drums, bells, hand clappers, toy trumpets, noise makers, etc.) Respond:: 15–30 Further process the story Connect: Get in the Circle Small Group min. through discussion and (per small group) interaction with others, and • masking tape respond to God in worship through creative expression. Create: Quilt of Praise (per table/small group) • Heart Template (see tru.davidccook.com) • multicolored felt • felt or fabric markers • scissors • safety pins (1 per child) • bedsheet Wonder Questions • TruWonder Timeline and images: Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users (see tru.davidccook.com) Bless:: 5 min. Bless the children that they • Blessing/Remember Verse Small Group may experience God fully and • HomeFront Weekly be a blessing to others.