THE PRODIGAL SON Scripture to Study: Luke 15:11-32

Central Truth: God's forgiveness is wonderful.

LESSON

5

Memory Verse: Jeremiah 33:11, "For th e Lord is good; for His mercy lasts forever. "

God's Animal: The Hen

Supplementary Lesson: Story - "Messy Marvin"

Additional Supplementary Lesson: Object Lesson- "God's Forgiveness Works"

Older Son (118), Father (119), Evil Woman (120), Younger Son (121), Pigs (122)

Visual Aids:

Outline:

I. There was a rich man who had two sons.

A. The oldest son worked with his father and served him faithfully.

B . The younger son was selfish and lazy.

1. He demanded that his father give him part of the inheritance and then left home to lead a wicked and sinful life of disobedience.

2. Doing wrong may look like fun but it always hurts the one who sins.

II. Because the younger son lived so foolishly, soon all his money was gone.

A. All the young man's friends left him as soon as t hey saw he had no more money.

B. Sin will eventually cause you to lose everything.

C. Because of a famine in the land, the only job the young man could find was feeding pigs.

1. He h ad to sleep with the pigs and eat their food.

2. Soon he realized how foolish he had been and decided to return to his father's home.

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III. When the father saw his son coming, he ran to him, hugged him, and welcomed him home.

A. The foolish young man asked his father's forgiveness.

B. When we do wrong, we should ask the Father to forgive u s.

C. God will welcome us to Him just as the prodigal son's father welcom ed him.

IV. When the older son saw how his father received and forgave the foolish young son, the older son became jealous.

A. The father explained that h e loved both the sons the same, but he was so happy to see the younger boy r eturn home, that he had a party for him.

1. We should never be jealous when our Heavenly Father blesses someone else.

2. God has enough blessings for everyone.

B. Even when we've done wrong, God doesn't get angry with us. H e just wants us to ask for forgiveness and turn back to Him.

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GOD'S ANIMAL THE HEN

LESSON

5

This morning, boys and girls, we are going to see one of God's animals that lives on a farm - Mrs. Hen.

How many of you have ever seen a r eal live hen? What kind of noises do hens make?

Hens usually live on farms in hen houses. They scratched around in the dirt looking for bugs and worms to eat. Mr. Farmer throws the hens handfuls of corn and grain, too.

Hens are always girls. There aren't boy hens. Hens can do something very special. Can you guess what th at is? They lay eggs. When a hen lays eggs in the hay, she sits on them to keep them warm. She doesn't sit down. hard, though, or the eggs would break. She is very, very, careful not to let her precious eggs be broken. Sometimes snakes or coyotes come into the hen house to try to steal the eggs. Mrs. Hen squawks and makes as much noise as possible to scare them away. She works hard to protect her eggs.

One day something very special happens to Mrs. Hen's eggs. They begin to crack and pop. Out comes a baby chick, all yellow and fluffy. All of Mrs. Hen's work has been rewarded. She now has babies to take care of.

Did you know that Jesus is like Mrs. Hen? He watches over us and protects us just as Mrs. Hen protects her eggs.

Jesus has given us life. Before we asked Jesus into our hearts, we were like Mrs. Hen's eggs, cold and hard. But Jesus' love brought life to our old spirits. Suddenly, we became new creatures in Christ Jesus, just like Mrs. Hen's eggs became baby chicks. Jesus still watches over us and protects us now.

Thank you, Jesus for Your love. Thank You for giving us life.

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STORY

MESSY MARVIN

LESSON

5

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Marvin - messy Marvin. Marvin was always messy. He had no manners. Marvin's clothes were messy! His hair was messy! His shoes were messy and they were always on the wrong feet. Marvin didn't like to take a bath or brush his teeth. Marvin was a mess!

When it was time to eat, Marvin would fill his mouth full of food and then talk to those around him. Yuck!

When Marvin drank his juice, he would let it run out of the corners of his mouth onto his shirt.

,Vhen it was time to play with the toys, Marvin was always there. But, when it was time to pick the toys up ... no Marvin.

Marvin was messy! He was also disobedient. Marvin had no respect for his mother or father. He did not obey the Bible.

Then one Sunday morning, Marvin went to Sunday School. He listened to the story, and afterwards, Marvin gave his heart to Jesus.

Marvin began to feel different on the inside. He looked at his clothes.

"Boy, I sure am messy," he said. "I don't have any friends, either."

Marvin didn't have any friends. He had been too messy!

''I'll change that," he thought. Soon Marvin began to get un-messy. He fixed his clothes and his hair. He even took a bath! Marvin cleaned up his shoes and put them on the right feet.

When it was time to eat, Marvin sat down at the table, put his napkin in his lap, prayed, and then ate his meal very neatly.

"My, how you have changed, Marvin," his mother said.

His father quit calling him messy Marvin, because Marvin wasn't messy anymore. After awhile, Marvin began to have some friends. Soon he had more. Then Marvin had lots and lots of friends.

Jesus inside of Marvin had helped to changed him from messy to neat.

NOTE: This is an excellent story to act out. One teacher can narrate the story while the other, in full costume, plays Marvin.

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LESSON

5 OBJECT LESSON

GOD'S FORGIVENESS WORKS Scripture Reference:

Materials Needed:

To Prepare:

Lesson:

Jeremiah 33:11, "For the Lord is good; for His mercy lasts forever."

Two laundry detergent boxes (one box needs to be empty), an empty paper towel cardboard tube or empty toilet paper cardboard tube, two white handkerchiefs, a piece of construction paper, white glue, and felt tip markers

Take the empty detergent box and glue the cardboard tube directly beneath the opening. Then place one of the white h andkerchiefs inside the cardboard tube. Place it high enough so you can grab it, but not tall enough that it is seen from the opening. Take the piece of construction paper and felt tip markers and make a label over the brand name of the empty detergent box that says "God's forgiveness." Now take the markers and mark up the other handerchief and write on it "sin." Then take the marked up handerchief and the two detergent boxes and place them in the front of the class.

Today we are talking about how God's mercy and forgiveness are wonderful. They're also very powerful, and they always work. (Hold up regular box of laundry detergent.) How many of you have ever seen Mom use any of this when she washes the clothes? Of course you have. Laundry detergent is what h elps Mom to get all the dirt out of your cloth es. Did you know that God's wonderful forgiveness is like laundry detergent? God's forgiveness is what removes the ugly spots and stains of sin in our lives. I have a handerchief that is really stained and spotted. (Hold up handkerchief) And we're going to let these marks and spots stand for sin. In fact, this handkerchief says the word sin right on it. But when we ask God to forgive u s, He will forgive us and rem ove the stains and spots of sin.

(Place the handkerchief in the opening and make sure it falls in the empty part of the box and not the cardboard tube.) The Bible says if we confess or tell our sins to Jesu s, that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (At this time, tahe out the clean handherchief from, inside the tube.) God's wonderful forgiveness always works. It will always remove the stains and spots of sin in our lives.

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CAIN'S TERRIBLE SIN Scripture to Study: Genesis 4:1-16

Central Truth: God will forgive us if we ask.

LESSON

6

Memory Verse: I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins."

God's Animal: The Lizard

Supplementary Lesson: Story - "The Cheese Trap"

Additional Supplementary Lesson: Object Lesson - "The Trap"

Visual Aids:

Outline:

Altar (112), Fire (114), Cain (123), Abel (124), Abel's Lamb (125), Cain's Offering (126)

I. The two sons of Adam and Eve each brought an offering to the Lord.

A. Throughout the Bible the Lord commanded that an animal should be brought as a sacrifice for sin.

B. Cain, a farmer, brought fruits and vegetables to the Lord, but the Lord would not accept his offering.

1. It was the wrong kind of offering.

2. There has to be shedding of blood when sins are forgiven.

3. That's why Jesus had to die for our sins.

4. Cain's attitude displeased the Lord. Cain wanted to do things his way.

C. Abel brought his best, lambs to offer to the Lord.

1. The Lord respected Abel because he was obedient.

2. Abel gave his best to God.

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3. Are you giving your best to God?

II. The Lord came to deal with Cain.

A. Cain was mad because his offering was not accepted. He knew that God was right, but he was too proud to admit it.

B. God told him, "If you obey me, you will be saved. But if you don't, sin will destroy you."

1. You can conquer sin if you want to. Don't give in to sin.

2. Disobeying what God says is sin.

III. Cain refused to repent, became angry, and decided to kill his brother.

A. Cain reasoned, "Abel is no better than I, but God accepted his offering. God just likes Abel more than He likes me."

B. Cain didn't realize that no one is saved because of how good he is. We are saved by asking Jesus to come into our hearts.

C. Cain found Abel alone in a field and killed him.

1. Instead of repenting as God wanted him to, Cain tried to lie about what had happened.

2 . You can't hide anything from God.

3. If you do sin, you should confess what you've done, and He will forgive you.

D. There was now a curse on Cain and he was driven out into a far land.

1. Cain went away from the presence of God.

2. Sin separates men from God.

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LESSON

6

GOD'S ANIMAL THE LIZARD The lizard is one of God's most unusual creations. He looks a little like a tiny

dinosaur. All lizards belong to a family of animals called reptiles. Some of the lizard's relatives include crocodiles, snakes, and turtles.

There are almost 3,000 different kinds oflizards in the world. They live in every part of the world except the North and South Poles. Lizards come in all different sizes. The smallest lizards could sit in the palm of your hand. The largest of all lizards can grow up to ten feet long and weigh 300 pounds! Most lizards are about two feet long, have dry scaly skin, four legs, short bodies, and long tails.

Many lizards can drop their tails when they are grabbed by an enemy. They leave their tail twitching on the ground for their enemy to eat while they run away to safety. Very soon they grow a new tail.

Most lizards like to eat bugs. They catch them with their long tongues and swallow them whole. Some lizards have tongues that are even longer than their bodies! They keep them curled up inside their mouths until a bug comes flying by then ... snap! It's lunch time.

All lizards shed their skin, sometimes several times a year. Have you ever found a dried lizard or snake skin? This reminds us of what God wants us to do with sin.

The Bible tells us that when we sin, we should ask God to forgive us. When we ask for forgiveness, God takes away our sin just as if it was never there. God never wants us to carry sin around with us. Mr. Lizard would look awful if he carried around his old dry skin. Yuckl Mr. Lizard leaves that old skin behind. God wants us to be like Mr. Lizard and leave sin behind us. So when you sin, be quick to ask God's forgiveness, and don't carry it around anymore.

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LESSON

STORY 6

THE CHEESE TRAP Phooey and Louie, the Mouse twins, were wandering around the big house where

they lived. They had never dared to go very far into the house before but since Mama and Papa Mouse were gone, they decided to sneak out. Big brother Cecil, who was supposed to be watching them, fell asleep.

"We'll probably find some wonderful things in this house. It's so big," said Louie as he looked around the gigantic living room.

"Yeah," said Phooey. "These rooms are a million t imes larger than our house in the wall."

The little mice crossed the living room floor and stood motionless at the door to the den.

"Do you smell that?" asked Phooey sniffing the air.

"That smells like cheese!" Louie shouted with anticipation. "Can you see it? Is it in this room?"

"I can't see it now," said Phooey, "but I know it's in this room. My nose is twitching like it always does when I'm close to cheese. I think it's under that chair."

The two mice ran to the foot of a huge cushioned chair and looked under it.

"Do you see what I see, Louie?" asked Phooey.

"Yeahhhl" said Louie. "There's enough cheese on that board to last our whole family for a week! Let's get it and take it home before Mama and Papa come back!"

Louie started for the cheese but Phooey quickly jerked him back.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" protested Louie. "That's real cheese over there."

"I know it's real cheese, Louie," said Phooey. "But we'd better leave it alone until we can ask Cecil about it. Besides, I don't like the looks of that board with the steel all over it," continued Phooey.

"Do you think that the board with steel on it is a mouse trap?" asked Louie.

"I don't know," said Phooey, but I'm not touching that cheese until I ask Cecil about it. He's seen a mouse trap before."

The twins left the den and ran across the wide living room and into the little mouse hole. Cecil was still sleeping.

"Cecil!" shouted Louie. "Cecil, wake up!"

Louie tugged on Cecil's big ears and screamed into them. Cecil jumped up and looked in every direction. He thought that some danger had arisen.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" asked C e cil. "Why did you wake me up?"

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"We found some cheese!" said Louie. "But it's on a big board with steel on it. We thought that the board might be a mouse trap!"

Cecil still wasn't quite awake. "Is the cheese under the big chair in the den?" he mumbled.

"Yeah," said Phooey and Louie. "How did you know where it was?"

"Papa found it last week and told me not to go near it. The cheese is bait for a mouse trap," declared Cecil. "Now, you two had better stay away from that cheese because it will taste terrible if the trap shuts on you."

Phooey and Louie were glad that Cecil had told them how dangerous the trap was. They went outside their mouse door and played. The twins knew that Mama and Papa always knew what was best and God's Word says to obey your parents.

"Wow," said Phooey. 'Tm sure glad we didn't try to get that cheese."

"So am I," said Louie. "From now on, we'd better stick around here and stay out of trouble."

Just as Louie finished talking, another mouse jumped out from behind a corner.

"Hey, Louie and Phooey," he said. "What's this you said about cheese?" asked the mouse.

"We found some cheese," said Phooey calmly, but it's on a big mouse trap."

"Where is it?" asked the mouse.

"It's under the big cushioned chair in the den," replied Louie. "You'd better not go near it because the trap will get you."

The mouse laughed at the twins. H e was just a little older than they were and thought that he was able to get the cheese from the trap. He ran across the living room floor toward the den.

"Do you think he'll get caught in that trap?" said Phooey to Louie. "I'll bet he does."

"Yeah," said Louie. "He's too hungry for cheese. He'll probably bite a big hunk out of the cheese on the trap and it'll spring shut on him. "

The twins stood silent outside their mouse hole. Suddenly, "Bang!" went the trap. The noise could be heard all over th e house. Phooey looked at Louie. Not another sound was made. They both knew that the little mouse was caught in the trap.

"Now it's all right to eat cheese,11 said Louie. "But just don't let the cheese get you."

The twins went inside the mouse house and thanked Cecil for telling them how dangerous the mouse trap was.

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Scripture Reference:

Materials Needed:

To Prepare:

Lesson:

LESSON

OBJECT LESSON 6

THE TRAP II Corinthians 2:11, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

A mousetrap, a jar of peanut butter, a pencil, and a spoon

Have these items in full view of the class.

Everything Satan offers is a trap.

There are all kinds of traps to catch animals with. There are big steel traps with teeth for catching coyotes and bobcats. There are traps for beavers , otters, and mink. There are little mouse traps like this one and there are big mouse traps for catching rats. Some traps are made to kill or injure animals. Some traps are made only to catch animals and not harm them.

The devil is the world's oldest trapper. He has planted more vicious traps and h as caught more game than all the traps devised throughout the ages combined. The devil hunts men. He sets traps for people. His traps don't have springs and steel jaws, but they are deadly nevertheless.

Satan never tempts people openly, telling them who he is or where the temptation is coming from. He always uses a trap. The first thing a trapper must do is to make his trap appear harmless or to make it look like something good. If a trap looks like a trap, it won't catch anything.

One of the big traps the enemy uses to catch men is religion. Religious traps have delivered millions of people into Satan's bag. He uses religion because it looks good. Consider this peanut butter. It is good. It can be smelled from far away. Because it tastes good and smells good, it will make good bait for a trap. (Smear some peanut butter on the trap.)

Traps wouldn 't catch much without the r1ght bait. Imagine baiting a mouse trap with axle grease or soap. Mice really don't care about those things so they don't make good bait. The enemy baits his traps with things that look good. Some r eligions are big people traps.

Any teaching that does not glorify Jesus or go along with the Word of God is a trap. Any religion that does not teach Jesus as the only way of salvation is a trap. It may look good, but it is a trap. (Set the trap.}

As long as you obey God's Word and listen to His Spirit, you can keep yourself out of traps. You can feed on truth without being t ricked when you follow God's Word. (Take a bite of peanut butter and compare it to God's Word.) When the enemy baits his trap with a little bit of truth, it appears to be the right way. (Point to the peanut butter

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on the trap.) But the truth in the trap is there just to trick you. It is mixed with evil. It's there to draw your attention but watch out! Touch it and the trap will close.

The enemy even uses parts of scriptures to confuse people and lead them down the wrong path. How can you be sure you are going the right way? You can avoid traps by considering all of God's Word. Find two or three scriptures that say the same thing before you believe something.

When a trapper sets a trap, he puts it in a place where he knows the animals will be. Would a mousetrap do much good in the oven? or on top of the refrigerator? Some places are good places for traps and others are not. Don't hang around with those who follow false religions. Don't get caught in a trap! (Spring the trap with your pencil.)

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LESSON

7

ELIJAH AND THE RAVENS Scripture to Study:

Central Truth:

Memory Verse:

God's Animal:

Supplementary Lesson:

Additional Supplementary Lesson :

Visual Aids:

Outline:

I Kings 17:1-6

God provides supernatural care for His children.

Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need."

The Seal

Puppet Skit - "God Takes Care Of His Children"

Story - "Brindle And The Garden"

Elijah (107), Ahab (108), Jezebel (109), Ravens (127)

I. Elijah, a prophet of God, prayed to stop the rain in Israel during Ahab's reign.

A. Ahab was a wicked king who led most of Isr ael into sin.

1. Ahab taught the people to worship idols .

2. Ahab and his wife, J ezebel, did not obey God's Word.

B. God's Spirit led Elijah to withhold rain from Israel for three years.

C. H e released his faith with words by saying, "There shall not be dew or rain."

1. The Bible says that the effectual prayer of a righteous person will accomplish much.

2 . God always listens to the prayers of His children when they speak in faith.

II. After Elijah delivered God's m essage to Ahab, the Word of the Lord came to him again.

A. God told Elijah to go hide by a brook called Cherith.

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B. The Lord said He had commanded the ravens to feed Elijah.

III. Elijah did as God commanded.

A. He went and hid by the brook, Cherith.

B. Just as God said, the ravens brought bread and meat to Elijah every morning and every evening.

C. Because Elijah was obedient, God was able to supply his needs.

1. If we obey God's Word, He is able to supply all our needs.

2. God will provide for His obedient children even if He has to use the animals to bring them food.

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-

GOD'S ANIMAL THE SEAL

LESSON

7

Our animal today is a warm-blooded animal that's covered with hair and it also barks. Can you guess what it is? No, its not a dog. This animal spends most of its time swimming around in t h e ocean. It's the seal.

Seals come in all different sizes. Small seals are six feet long and weigh about 100 pounds but their relative, the Elephant seal is 16 feet long and weighs 5,000 pounds. You'll have to buy a lot of fish if you're going to invite him over for dinner!

God gave the Mr. Seal a special type of thermal underwear to keep him warm when he's swimming in the cold ocean water. Seals have an extra layer of fat called blubber under their skin to keep them nice and warm even if they live in icy waters. Seals also have a special nose that they can close when they dive under the water.

While seals spend most of their t ime in the water, they do live on the land part of the time. This reminds us that our real home is in Heaven, although we live on this earth . Though we live in the world, the Bible says we don't belong to the world.

Because our r eal home is in Heaven , we don't ever have to worry about how bad things may get on this ear th. Mr. Seal doesn't have to worry about not having his needs met. Whenever he's hungry, all he has to do is dive under the water to get some slippery fish to eat.

Whenever we have a need, all we have to do is ask our Father God, and He will provide for u s. God promises to provide for u s out of His riches in glory. So, even though we live on the earth, we should always remember that it is God who takes care of us out of His treasures in Heaven.

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LESSON

7 PUPPET SKIT

GOD TAKES CARE OF HIS CHILDREN

CHARACTERS:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG :

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG :

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG :

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG :

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

Freddy Frog, Teacher

Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!

Hi, Freddy. You sure seem happy today.

I am teacher. I'm praising God for my new home.

New home? I didn't know you had moved. That's wonderful. Is your new home nice?

Nice? It's th e most beautiful pond in the whole world.

How did you find it?

Well, you know the big drought we've been having? All the water in my pond started disappearin g. It got smal1er and smaller until it was just a big mud puddle.

Oh , Freddy, t hat's terrible.

Wait, that's not the worst of it. You know how I love big, fat, juicy mosquitoes for lunch?

Yuck. Yes, Freddy, I know you love to eat bugs.

Well, a big old truck came and sprayed my pond with poison and killed all the mosquitoes!

What did you do?

Well, I was dirty and hungry and very discouraged, but then I remembered tha t God's Word says that my God will meet all my needs.

That's right, Freddy. God always provides for His children.

I just started praising God for meeting my needs.

Then what happened?

Well, I got this idea.

What was your idea?

I decided to follow the little creek by my pond, and guess what? It led to a beautiful park and right in th e middle of t he park is my new pond! It has a big water fountain right in the middle, so it will never dry up.

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--------------~ - -

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

Freddy, that's a wonderful example of how God takes care of His children. Sometimes He provides for us by giving us ideas and sometimes He provides for us like He did for Elijah by using others.

God finds all kinds of neat ways to bless and take care of His children, doesn't He, Teacher?

That's His promise to us, Freddy.

Well, good-bye Teacher. Good-bye boys and girls. I'm going swimming in my beautiful new pond and then I'm going to have a big lnnch of mosquitoes and flies . Yum, yum.

Good-bye, Freddy.

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STORY

LESSON

7

BRINDLE AND THE GARDEN Brindle was so excited. Mama Bear had given her permission for Brindle and Big

Brother Arlis to go on an overnight camping trip down by the river. Brindle rushed to tell his brother the good news. "Arlis," he yelled. "Hurry up! Mama Bear said we could

1" go.

"Slow down!" Arlis warned. "If you're going to push me around and act bossy, you 'll have to go by yourself. I'll be there in just a minute."

"Oh, hurry up!" Brindle cried. "I can hardly wait to get down to the river and go swimming. And this will be the first time I've ever stayed overnight away from home."

"Big deal," Arlis growled. "Well, come on if you're going."

"Yippee!" Brindle was so excited.

All the way to the river Brindle thought of how much fun he would have camping down by the river. The spot that Arlis and he had decided on was far from the bears' home. Brindle was ready for a big adventure and he didn't want Mama Bear to be watching over him.

When the two bears finally reached their campsite, they were very tired. They sat down at the edge of the river and soaked their sore feet. The ache in their paws began to go away, but the brothers were beginning to feel another ache - hunger.

Arlis turned to B1indle, "So what do you have for us to eat?" he asked.

Brindle stared at his brother.

"Well?" Arlis waited for an answer.

"Well, I didn't bring anything," Brindle stammered.

Arlis couldn't believe his ears. "You didn't think to bring any food?"

"Well, no. I was so excited about corning that I forgot to get us any food. Maybe we could catch some fish," he suggested.

"You'd better hope so, because I'm starving." Arlis was angry that his little brother had been so careless.

The two bears began to wade out into the water, but the further they went, the stronger the current of the river got.

"The water is moving too fast," said Big Brother Arlis. "We'll never be able to catch fish out there. We'll drown. I'm going back home."

"No, please don't." Brindle pleaded. "If you leave, I'll have to go, too."

"Well, I'm not staying out h ere w ithout any food."

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"I'll find some food, but please don't leave," Brindle cried.

Just then a little sparrow flew down between the two bears. "I know where you can find some food," he chirped. "There's a cabin just up the river where a miner used to live. He planted a garden in the back that's full of food."

"But won't the miner get upset if we get into his garden?" Brindle asked.

"No, he had to go back to the city and get a job," the bird r eplied. "There's not much gold up in these hills."

"Gee, thanks," Arlis said. "Come on, Brindle. Let's go!"

When the two bears got to the cabin, they found the garden just as the little bird had told them. They ate their fill of carrots, potatoes, and lettuce, and for dessert they broke open a large, juicy watermelon and licked out the insides.

Brindle was so glad that they had food and didn't have to cancel their camping trip after all. God had taken care of him and Big Brother Arlis.

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ELISHA AND THE SYRIANS Scripture to Study: II Kings 6:8-23

Central Truth: God protects His children.

LESSON

8

Memory Verse:

God's Animal:

Psalm 91:11, "He shall give His angels charge over thee."

The Giraffe

Supplementary Lesson: Story - "Two Brave Bears"

Additional Supplementary Lesson: Puppet Skit - "Guardian Angels"

Visual Aids: Elisha's Servant (121), Elisha (128), Syrians (129)

Outline:

I. The Syrians made war on God's covenant people, Israel.

A. The devil is always against God's people.

B. But when God's people are obedient, nothing can keep th em from prospering.

C. God's Spirit told Elisha the prophet about the Syrian's battle plans.

1. Elisha warned the king of Israel about the Syrian's plans and they were able to avoid danger.

2 . The king of Syria thought that one of his own men was telling Israel their plans, but a servant told him about Elisha the prophet.

D. The Holy Spirit will warn us of danger and show us how to pray around it.

II. The king of Syria sent men to capture Elisha.

A. Elisha was staying in a city called Dothan.

B. The Syrian army quickly surrounded the city and prepared to capture it so they could get Elisha.

1. Elisha's faith was build on the Word of God. He wasn't afraid.

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2. Even though it looked like he was in a great deal of trouble, he relied on God to help him.

C. When Elisha's servant became fearful of the Syrians, Elisha prayed for the Lord to open his spiritual eyes.

1. The young man saw a Heavenly army of angels that greatly out­numbered the Syrian army.

2. The spirit world is real even though we can't see it with our physical eyes.

3. The Lord is always with us, too, even though we can't see Him.

III. Elisha and the Lord conquered the Syrians.

A. Elisha prayed that the Syrians would lose their eyesight for a short time.

B. The prophet led the whole Syrian army, blinded and helpless, 1ight into the hands of the Israelites.

C. When the Syrians got their sight back, they were surprised that Elisha had mercy on them and sent them home.

1. The Syrians were so moved by Elisha's mercy that they stopped the war against Israel.

2. The faith of even one person can affect whole countries.

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LESSON

8

GOD'S ANIMAL THE GIRAFFE There is an animal with a neck so long that he can eat leaves from the top of

trees. He is very tall and can see very far. He is Mr. Giraffe.

God gave the giraffe special gifts to help keep him from danger. Mr. Giraffe stands eighteen feet tall. Why, that's higher than three tall men standing on each other's shoulders. With such a long neck, Mr. Giraffe can see when another animal comes near.

One time awhile back, trouble came to Mr. Giraffe. A pride of hungry lions came near to hunt and look for food. They would have loved to eat the giraffe for supper.

Mr. Giraffe was quietly nibbling on leaves, not paying too much attention to the lions at first. Suddenly, he noticed a lioness sneaking through the tall grass behind him.

The giraffe turned and ran away quickly, leaving the hungry lions far behind.

Had he been an ordinary animal, he wouldn't have gotten away. His long neck helped him to see the lions before they came too close. Mr. Giraffe's keen eyesight saved his life.

When trouble comes to you, you need to use your spiritual eyes to look for help. God's ·word has the help you need for any problem that comes to you.

When danger comes near, remember that God's Word says, "No evjl shall befall you." That's a promise from God that He will keep accidents from coming on you.

God does not cause bad things to happen to people. He wants boys and girls to be safe from harm. If God gave t he giraffe a long neck to help him stay out of danger, He will help you, too.

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LESSON

8 STORY

TWO BRAVE BEARS Brindle Bear and Big Brother Arlis were out playing in the mea dow. Brindle

loved to run and jump in the tall, thick grass. It was warm, and it smelled sweet like flowers on a spring morning. Brindle especially liked the way that it tickled his tummy as h e ran through th e field chasing his brother.

"I tagged you," Brindle called out to Arlis. "You're it!"

"You didn't eith er," cried .Big Brother Arlis. "You missed m e by a mile!"

Just about the time Brindle was going to catch Arlis again, som ething caught Brindle's eye. "Did you see that?" he yelled.

"You think you're really tricky, don't you?" Arlis answered. "If I stop then you can catch m e."

Then Brindle saw it again. Ther e was someth ing moving in the bushes behind his brother.

"Look out! There's something behind you," Brindle warned.

"Oh, sure ther e is," Arlis thought th at his little brother was just saying that so he could catch him.

Suddenly, from out of the tall, thick grass a wild dog sprang at Arlis. Just in the nick of time, the older bear cub jumped out of the way. Arlis and Brindle began to run as fast as they could away from the snarhng dog.

By the time Brindle and Arlis got to their cave, they were exhausted. Mama Bear m et them at the door and knew that somethin g mu st be wrong.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Both the cubs began to explain what had happened.

At the end of their story Mama Bear thought for a moment. Then she asked more about t he dog.

"He was big and brown and ugly," replied Arlis .

"And he h a d long fangs," Brindle added.

"And he was over in the meadow?" Mama asked.

"That's right," answered the cubs .

Mama smiled. "Boys, I'm sure that dog must be Old Nero. He used to be a hunting dog, but when he got too old , his master just let him go out in the meadow. H e's n ot much of a fighter. He's just a big bully. He likes t o bark and snarl a lot, but if you stand up to him, h e runs away."

"H e didn't look like he wanted to run away today," Brindle said.

"No, h e looked like he wanted to eaL some bear cuhs," Arlis said.

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"Don't be afraid of that old dog," Mama answered. "He looks and sounds mean, but inside he's just a coward. It's time someone taught him a lesson."

With that Mama Bear had Brindle and Big Brother Arlis out the door. They knew Mama Bear wouldn't lie to them.

When the bears got to the edge of the meadow Mama encouraged her cubs to stand up to Old Nero. ''I'll be right here in the bushes if you need m e," she said.

The two boys went into the field and began to play tag. Within just a few minutes, out sprang Nero from behind a bush.

"Grrr!" the dog growled.

"Grrr, yourself," replied Arlis.

"Leave us alone!" Brindle yelled.

"You cubs better get out of my field," snarled the angry dog.

"You can't m ake us," Arlis answered.

Brindle could see that the dog was afraid. "You'd better quit bothering us, or we'll call our mother."

Old Nero began to look around for any signs of another bear. 'Tm warning you," he said, "you'd better leave now while you'r e still in one piece!"

The cubs did not back down. They began to move toward the dog. "We won't leave!" they answered.

As they moved closer and closer the frightened dog could see he was no match fo r the two bears.

Suddenly, he tucked his tail between his legs and ran off into the woods as fast as he could.

"Ha, ha, ha," laughed th e cubs. "We showed him. "

Mama Bear smiled. "I told you that all you had to do was stand up to that old dog, and he'd run away like a whipped pup." Mama was very proud that her sons were so brave.

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LESSON

8 PUPPET SKIT

GUARDIAN ANGELS CHARACTERS: Freddy Frog, Teacher

(Freddy Frog enters wearing sunglasses.)

TEACHER: Hello, Freddy Frog. What are you doing with those glasses on?

FREDDY FROG: I'm trying to find a way to see my angel. I've tried on all kinds of special glasses and none of them work.

TEACHER: Your angel?

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

Yes, I h ave a guardian angel. He watches over me.

That's right. God sends guardian a ngels to watch over boys and girls.

And me, too. I don't get frightened anymore. I have a great big angel with me.

Well, you may as well put away your glasses. They won't do any good.

They won't?

I don't think so. You see, angels are spirits and we can't see into the spirit world with our natural eyes.

Even with special glasses?

Even with special glasses. Angels are all around, bu t they can't u sually be seen.

Do they ever go away?

No, they are sent from God to watch over us. They are here to keep us from danger.

I know a boy who got burned by fire. Why didn't his angel keep him from being hurt?

That boy was playing with matches. Angels help us when we're obedient.

Can the angels h elp people who don't believe God's Word?

Angels can't h elp us much if we don't believe God's Word. They want to help us, but they listen to the Word of God th at we speak.

Do t h ey always obey God's Word?

They always obey God's Word. When we speak God's Word, they begin to do what it says.

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FREDDY FROG: I'm going to say things that are written in the Bible so my angels will go to work.

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

TEACHER:

FREDDY FROG:

That's right. They're trained to help you when you believe God's Word.

"By Jesus' stripes, I am healed." That's a scripture.

It certainly is. If you believe that Jesus' stripes healed you, when sickness comes, your angel will make it go away.

"God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory."

That's another scripture. It's a good one to say when you need something. The angels will help you get what you need.

Angels are good guys to have around. God loves us so much that he made special helpers just for us.

That's right. Angels are ministering spirits. They help people.

I can't see my angel, but I know he's around.

Oh, yes. He's here. We have a whole room full of angels, but we can't see them. We don't have to see them to know they're here.

God's Word says they're here. And God's Word is true.

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