Sunday, November 29, 2015

29 November 2015

Kelas Balita
Coach Carrie
Asst 1 : Adeline
Asst 2 : Laila

Kelas 1 - 3
Coaches : Iwan & Shevica

Kelas 4 - 6
Coaches : Savitri & Miguel

David messed up — Redeemed by Grace

1. STORY: (based on 2 Sam 11-12)

  • HOOK: Cover up
    • Materials: Pile of dust/dirt, tissue paper/paper napkin, small dustpan/brush
    • Put a pile of dust/dirt in the middle of a table.
    • Kids, look, there’s a mess here. It’s really dirty. What should we do?
    • How about we try to cover it up? I know, let’s use this napkin. If we put it over the dirt, no one will see it. <cover the dirt with the napkin>
    • There. Does that work? <no>  
    • Oh dear. What do you think we should do? I know. I’ll clean it up and throw away the dirt. <get a kid to help sweep away the dirt>
    • See … clean and as good as new now!
    • Sometimes in life, we will mess up and make mistakes. But covering the mess will not work because the mess is still there. So the only way to get rid of the mess is to clean it up nicely.
  • Today, we’re going to learn about someone who messed up big time.
  • Last week, we learnt that David became king and he celebrated by bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. David was a good king. A man after God’s heart. He loved God and loved to worship Him. God gave him much success and favour in whatever he did.  
  • But even a great man like David made mistakes. And boy, did David mess up big time!
  • One spring day, when kings normally go to war, King David sent his army out with General Joab to conquer the city of Rabbah. David decided that he wanted to stay in Jerusalem instead.  
  • One evening, David got up from his nap and walked around the flat roof of his palace and saw a very beautiful woman bathing. David found out that her name was Bathsheba. She was married, to Uriah, a soldier in David’s army.
  • Now, marriage is very precious in God’s eyes; it is a covenant between one man and one woman.
  • But David wanted Bathsheba for himself. So he sent his servants to bring Bathsheba to him and slept with her — something only a husband can do with his wife. That was a wrong thing David did. He took what belonged to someone else. He messed up!
  • And for a while, David thought no one would know about what he did. But then Bathsheba got pregnant! David knew people would find out that he did something with Bathsheba that he wasn’t supposed to. He was busted!
  • Cover-up Plan A
    • Instead of admitting his wrong, David decided to try to cover up his mistake. He sent for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to come back from the battlefield, hoping he would go home to his wife. But Uriah didn’t. He slept at the entrance of the king’s palace instead.
  • Cover-up Plan B
    • David’s cover-up plan didn’t work. So time for Plan B. David wrote a letter to his general, Joab. “Put Uriah on the front battle line, then pull back from him so that Uriah will be wounded and die.” Joab did as David instructed. And in the battle, Uriah died.
    • After David found out the news, he brought Bathsheba back to his palace and married her. They had a baby boy. Phew! David thought his Cover-up Plan B worked as he intended. Now no one will ever know!
  • Busted!
    • But God knew. And God was angry. Not only did David sleep with another man’s wife, he also killed an innocent man./span>
    • God sent the prophet Nathan to tell David a story: 
      • Once there lived a rich and poor man. The rich man has lots of cattle and sheep; but the poor man has only one lamb.  The lamb is the pet of the poor man and his children. The poor man let the lamb eat from his plate, drink from his cup, and sleep on his lap. The lamb became like one of his children. One day, the rich man had a guest that came visiting him. The rich man doesn’t want to slaughter his own cattle and lamb to serve meal for the guest. Instead, he went and stole the lamb from the poor man. He slaughtered it and serves it as a meal instead to the guest.
    • David grew angry and said to the prophet, Nathan, “Who is this rich man? I swear I would have him killed now!”
    • Nathan replied, “The rich man in the story is you. God has given you everything, all the money and power and wives. Yet you murdered Uriah so that you could take his wife, Bathsheba for yourself.”
  • David cries out to God
    • David realised he couldn’t hide anymore. “I have sinned against the Lord.”
    • Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.”
    • But the consequences of David’s actions resulted in his son with Bathsheba becoming very sick and died.
    • After his son died, David (who had been praying and fasting) got up, combed his hair, got dressed and worshipped the Lord. Then David comforted Bathsheba, and they had another son, Solomon.
    • The prophet Nathan came to tell David that God loves Solomon very much and to call him “Jedidiah” (God’s beloved).

2. LESSON:

  • Every one messes up
    • King David was a great man. But even he made mistakes. David realised that not only did he take another man’s wife and life, he sinned against God.
    • You and I make mistakes too. We mess up. We sin against God.
    • Mistakes have consequences. The Bible tells us, “For the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23)
    • In David’s time, under the Old Covenant, there was no remedy or sacrifice for David’s sins — adultery and murder. The offender, David, should die.
  • God’s grace is bigger than our sin
    • But David turned to God. He looked forward to a time when God would not only take away his sin, but wash him and make him “whiter than snow.”(Psalm 51:7). David did not deserve it, but God forgave him. Because of God’s grace, David lived and was blessed with another child, Solomon.
    • “The Case of the Missing Story”: God’s forgiveness is so complete that when the life of David is retold in the book of 1 Chronicles, there is no mention of the story of David and Bathsheba (1 Chronicles 20:1). God’s redemption is complete —there is no trace of the failure left over when the blood of Jesus is applied.
    • The time that David looked forward to was when Jesus died on the cross, for you, for me, and for King David.
    • Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Jesus’ blood can wash us clean. Hebrews 10:17 tells us, under the New Covenant, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more”.
  • Let’s trust in Jesus
    • On the cross, Jesus took all the punishment for the wrongs we did. He paid for the sins we committed. Three days later, He rose from the dead, and we now can have His life in us.
    • If we believe in Jesus and trust Him, He will clean out all the messes and mistakes and forgive us. By receiving His grace, we can experience freedom, forgiveness and life.
    • Children, how many of you have trusted and believed in Jesus? Do you know that Jesus has cleaned you of all your sins? He has made you brand new, so that you can enjoy the life and love that He has for you.
    • How many of have not believed in Jesus before? Would you like to trust in Jesus? If you do, please pray together with me:Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross and taking all the punishment for my wrong. You paid for all King David’s sins. You paid for my sins. I believe in You, and I want to trust in You and accept Your gift of grace and eternal life. I believe that you make me clean and I have your life and Spirit in me always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

3. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

  • Memory Verse: Hebrews 10:17“Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more”.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

22 November 2015

Kelas Balita
Coach Dewi
Asst 1 : Tessa
Asst 2 : Ruth

Kelas 1 - 3
Coaches : Shianty

Kelas 4 - 6
Coaches : Tjipto & Jeremy


God promises David a Forever Kingdom

1. LESSON:

  • HOOK: God keeps His promises 
    • Write out some Scriptures of God’s promises (see appendix) and hide them around the room. (Can fold them into origami or in envelopes or behind cards, e.g. flower shapes etc. Or can be played as “pass the parcel” with a promise and a gift at each layer.)
    • Kids have to go hunt for the “treasure”. Then get them to come together and read out each of the promises one by one.
    • Conclusion: God has given us many promises, and He keeps all of them. Today we’re going to learn about a BIG promise God made to King David. It’s a promise that you and I can enjoy too!


  • STORY: (2 Samuel 7:1-15)
    • God gave David rest from his enemies. One day when he was sitting in his grand palace, he said to Nathan, the prophet: “I live in a grand house of cedar. But the Ark of God remains in a tent. Perhaps God would have me build Him a house.”
    • Although David wanted to build a temple for God, God said to Nathan, “I will make David a house; and his house, his kingdom, and his throne shall be established forever. I took David from tending the sheep to be the ruler over my people, over Israel; and was with him wherever he went, cut off his enemies, and made his name great.”
    • God also said, “When David’s days are over, I will set up his seed, or children, after him and I will establish his son’s kingdom and throne, and David’s son shall build a house for my name. 
    • What did God mean when He said to David, “I will set up your throne and your kingdom forever”? How long is forever? 
    • Now here is something very interesting so listen carefully and you will understand.
      • God said if David’s family would obey Him, their kingdom would continue.
      • He also said if they disobeyed, He would punish them.
    • Before David died, he told his son, Solomon, about the promise God gave him:“If you and your descendants watch how they live and walk faithfully before me with all their heart soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.”(1 Kings 2:4) 
    • Some kings were good kings. But many were not. One by one would keep disobeying God by worshipping idols. Over and over again.
    • And each time God would punish them for their sin.
    • Eventually, the nation of Israel was divided into two — the northern and the southern kingdom. Enemy nations marched in and conquered them. The Assyrians drove out the northern kingdom and scattered the people all over. The Babylonians invaded the southern kingdom, and all of the people were captured and taken away out of the land, including their king. 
    • The amazing thing is how God protected David’s line through it all. For example, there was one time when the entire family was almost wiped out, but Joash was hidden by his aunt (2 Kings 11).
    • However, when the Israelites returned from Babylon, they no longer had a king on the throne. 
  • So what about God’s forever promise? Did God fail to keep his word?
  • Well, here is something wonderfully exciting!
  • About 400 years later, God sent an angel to bring a message to a young woman named Mary: “You shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called “the Son of the Highest.” Now listen to these words!“And the Lord God shall give Jesus the throne of his father David. … He shall be king over the house of Israel forever.” (Luke 1:26-33) 
  • You see, Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, was from the family of David. David was one of her great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great … grandfather. So that made Jesus the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great … grandson of King David.
  • Think for a moment, was the Lord Jesus ever crowned king by Pilate in Jerusalem? No. The only crown he wore was a crown of thorns. The Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only Son was nailed to a cross where He died. His body was placed in a garden tomb. So what about God’s “forever promise”?
  • Did the Lord Jesus remain in the grave? No! Up from the grave He arose, and He is living today in Heaven as the King of kings. By His death on the cross, He has conquered death and sin. And His rule will never end. (Luke 1:33, Phil. 2:11)
  • This is God’s forever promise to David come true. Truly He who promised is faithful. God keeps His promises always!

2. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

  • Memory Verse: 2 Sam 7:15-16“But my love will never be taken away from him. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” 
  • for younger classes:  Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.” (NLT)
  • Close in prayer

APPENDIX: Examples of God’s Promises

  • God Promised to be with us always
    Joshua 1:9  Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
  • God Promised to Protect Us
    2 Thessalonians 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil.
  • Jesus Promised Us Rest
    Matthew 11:29  
    Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.
  • Jesus Promised He will come again for us
    John 14:2-3
      There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
  • God Promised No More Condemnation
    Rom 8:1
      So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
  • God Promised to Help Us
    Isaiah 41:10  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. I will strengthen you. I will help you.
  • Jesus Promised Us Peace
    John 14:27  
    I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
  • God Promised Us Healing
    Isaiah 53:5  
    By His stripes we are healed.
  • God Promised to Provide Us all we need
    2 Cor 9:8
      And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
  • God Promised us Life
    John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

15 November 2015

Kelas Balita
Coach Jemimah
Asst 1 : Jesslyn
Asst 2 : Awan

Kelas 1 - 3
Coaches : Iwan & Shevica

Kelas 4 - 6
Coaches : Savitri & Miguel


David & Mephibosheth (2 Sam 9)

1. STORY: David & Mephibosheth (2 Sam 9)

  • We’ve been learning about a person called David
  • Who was David’s best friend? Jonathan, King Saul’s son
  • What did David and Jonathan do? They made a covenant/promise with each other — My life is yours; your life is mine
  • What happened to Jonathan? Killed in battle with his father, King Saul
  • Even after David became king, he remembered his covenant with Jonathan:
    “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show himkindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Sam 9:1)
  • Ziba, one of the servants who used to work in Saul’s household, replied: “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”
  • When Jonathan and Saul died, the nurse carried Jonathan’s 5yo son up and ran away to hide (because she was afraid that the new king will kill all of the former king’s family). However, as she was running, the boy fell down and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth (2 Sam 4:4)
  • Mephibhosheth
    • Son of Jonathan
    • Name means “a thing of shame”
    • Crippled in both feet; orphaned; scorned and living in fear; a “dead dog”
    • So King David summoned for Mephibhosheth to be brought to him.
      • How do you think Mephibhosheth felt? Scared for his life
      • Fell on his face. “Here is your servant.”
      • But King David surprised him completely. He said to him:
        •  Do not fear
        •  for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake (covenant promise)
        • and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather;
        •  and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” (2 Sam 9:7)
        • Wow! In one day, Mephibhosheth went from a nobody, “a thing of shame”, to someone who will dine in the King’s palace daily. It was unbelievable! In fact, he couldn’t believe it himself. He asked, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
          • But David went on to assign Ziba and his household to work Mephibhosheth’s fields and provide for him all the days of his life. Talk about favour! Talk about grace!

2. LESSON:

  • Why did David do all that for the grandson of his enemy?
    Because of the covenant he made with Jonathan — “for Jonathan your father’s sake”
    David did not make the covenant with Mephibhosheth, but because Mephibhosheth was Jonathan’s son, he was able to enjoy all the benefits of the covenant between David and Jonathan. 
  • Because of his covenant with Jonathan, David gave Mephibhosheth:
    • New Life — no more a “dead dog”
    • Restoration — of all the land his grandfather owned
    • Provision — Ziba and family to work the land for him
    • A Place at the King’s table (mentioned 3x in the chapter!)
    • Sonship — as “one of the King’s sons”
  • On the cross, God cut a Covenant with Jesus. If we are in Jesus, we are God’s children, and we get to enjoy all the benefits of this New Covenant!
    • New Life (Eph 2:4-5)
    • Restoration —Jesus came to restore us to the Father and all the Adam lost in the garden of Eden
    • Provision (Phil 4:19)
    • A Place at the King’s table (John 6:53) — can participate in the Communion
    • Sonship (John 1:12, Gal 3:26)

3. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

  • Memory Verse: Galatians 3:26  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.                   

Sunday, November 8, 2015

8 November 2015

Kelas Balita
Coach Susan
Asst 1 : Felianti
Asst 2 : Tasya

Kelas 1 - 3
Coaches : Lily Bun & Santi

Kelas 4 - 6
Coaches : Lusiana & Theresia


David & God’s Ark

1. STORY: David & Mephibosheth (2 Sam 9)

  • We’ve been learning about a person called David
  • Who was David’s best friend? Jonathan, King Saul’s son
  • What did David and Jonathan do? They made a covenant/promise with each other — My life is yours; your life is mine
  • What happened to Jonathan? Killed in battle with his father, King Saul
  • Even after David became king, he remembered his covenant with Jonathan:
    “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show himkindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Sam 9:1)
  • Ziba, one of the servants who used to work in Saul’s household, replied: “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”
  • When Jonathan and Saul died, the nurse carried Jonathan’s 5yo son up and ran away to hide (because she was afraid that the new king will kill all of the former king’s family). However, as she was running, the boy fell down and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth (2 Sam 4:4)
  • Mephibhosheth
    • Son of Jonathan
    • Name means “a thing of shame”
    • Crippled in both feet; orphaned; scorned and living in fear; a “dead dog”
    • So King David summoned for Mephibhosheth to be brought to him.
      • How do you think Mephibhosheth felt? Scared for his life
      • Fell on his face. “Here is your servant.”
      • But King David surprised him completely. He said to him:
        •  Do not fear
        •  for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake (covenant promise)
        • and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather;
        •  and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” (2 Sam 9:7)
        • Wow! In one day, Mephibhosheth went from a nobody, “a thing of shame”, to someone who will dine in the King’s palace daily. It was unbelievable! In fact, he couldn’t believe it himself. He asked, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
          • But David went on to assign Ziba and his household to work Mephibhosheth’s fields and provide for him all the days of his life. Talk about favour! Talk about grace!

2. LESSON:

  • Why did David do all that for the grandson of his enemy?
    Because of the covenant he made with Jonathan — “for Jonathan your father’s sake”
    David did not make the covenant with Mephibhosheth, but because Mephibhosheth was Jonathan’s son, he was able to enjoy all the benefits of the covenant between David and Jonathan. 
  • Because of his covenant with Jonathan, David gave Mephibhosheth:
    • New Life — no more a “dead dog”
    • Restoration — of all the land his grandfather owned
    • Provision — Ziba and family to work the land for him
    • A Place at the King’s table (mentioned 3x in the chapter!)
    • Sonship — as “one of the King’s sons”
  • On the cross, God cut a Covenant with Jesus. If we are in Jesus, we are God’s children, and we get to enjoy all the benefits of this New Covenant!
    • New Life (Eph 2:4-5)
    • Restoration —Jesus came to restore us to the Father and all the Adam lost in the garden of Eden
    • Provision (Phil 4:19)
    • A Place at the King’s table (John 6:53) — can participate in the Communion
    • Sonship (John 1:12, Gal 3:26)

3. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

  • Memory Verse: Galatians 3:26  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.                   

Sunday, November 1, 2015

1 November 2015

Kelas Balita
Coach Ochie
Asst 1 : Felicia
Asst 2 : Ruth

Kelas 1 - 3
Coaches : Susi Tjio (Asst. Fenny)

Kelas 4 - 6
Coaches : Kent & Swanky


David & Jonathan

1. STORY: David & Jonathan (1 Sam 18-20)

  • Last week we learnt about David & Saul.
  • Who was David? A shepherd boy who was chosen by God to be KingWho was Saul? The king of Israel whom God rejected; jealous of David; tried to get rid of himLesson?  In everything David did he had great success, because the Lord was with him
  • Today we’re going to learn about someone who became best friends with David. His name was Jonathan. Jonathan was Saul’s son. When Saul died, Jonathan was supposed to be the next king. But instead of being jealous like his father, Jonathan loved David.
  • 1 Sam 18:1, 3-4 Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
  • Jonathan and David’s Relationship:
    • One in spirit
    • Loved as himself
    • Made a covenant with each other
      (take some time to explain this; can get kids to act out the exchange of belongings etc as illustration)
      • My life is yours; your life is mine
      • Till death do us part
      • Exchanged belongings (robe, tunic) and weapons (bow, sword):
        What is mine is yours
      • A marriage relationship between husband and wife is also a type of covenant — 2 lives becoming one until death; symbolised by the exchanging of rings.

2. LESSON

  • Jonathan: A Picture of Jesus 
    Jonathan’s life is a picture of the true friendship we have in Jesus — loyal, dedicated, sacrificial
    • Laid aside his position as heir
      • Jonathan was the successor to Saul’s throne; but he recognised that David was God’s chosen one, giving David his robe and weapon
      • 1 Sam 23: 17 “You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you.”
    • Placed his life on the line (Risked his life) for his friend
      • 1 Sam 20:32-33  And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?” 33 Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.
      • When Jonathan found out his father wanted to kill David, Jonathan protected David and spoke out in defense to his father. This angered Saul so much that Saul also threw a spear at Jonathan.
    • Encouraged his friend in the wilderness
      • 1 Sam 23:15-17 15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned thatSaul had come out to take his life. 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”
      • When David ran away and hid because Saul wanted to kill him, Jonathan went to encourage him and reminded him of God’s promise that he will be king.

  • Jesus is our true friend / BFF
    • Jesus made a covenant with us when He died on the cross — He took our sins and exchanged them with His righteousness
    • Jesus laid aside His kingly position so we can become God’s heirs
      • Jesus — Lord of the universe — gave up everything and came to earth as a baby/man so that we can become children of God
    • Jesus laid down His life for his friends
      • John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 
    • Jesus encourages us in our times of need
      • When we are sad or angry or tired, we know that our best friend Jesus is always there to help us. 
  • Memory Verse: John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

3.  ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

IMG_20141109_124213
  • Game with Memory Verse (John 15:13)