Sunday, May 17, 2015

17 Mei 2015

Kelas Balita
Coach Jemimah
Asst 1 : Felicia
Asst 2 : Junita

Kelas 1 - 3
Coaches : Iwan & Shevica

Kelas 4 - 6
Coaches : Savitri & Miguel

Nehemiah: The Gospel in the Gates – Sheep Gate (Neh 3a)

Source By : TNCC Children Church

1. STORY: The Gospel in the Gates (Neh 3:1-32)

  • Once Nehemiah announced his plan to rebuild the wall, the work began.
  • There were 42 groups of people working on specific areas of the wall. Everybody could play a part — priests, leaders, craftsmen, Jews from other cities.
  • There were 10 gates mentioned in the rebuilding of the walls. There are the:
    i. Sheep Gate
    ii. Fish Gate
    iii. Old Gate
    iv. Valley Gate
    v. Dung Gate
    vi. Fountain Gate
    vii. Water Gate
    iix. Horse Gate
    ix. East Gate
    x. Inspection Gate

  • Each gate has its own practical function. But they also have a spiritual significance — the gates give us a better understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
  • So for the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a closer look at each gate and what they remind us of Jesus’ finished work on the cross.
  • Today we will start with the Sheep Gate.

2. LESSON: Sheep Gate

  • Neh 3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors.
  • The Sheep Gate was the first gate to be restored, and it was rebuilt by the High Priest and his fellow priests. Note: This was the only gate that was consecrated (set apart as holy), as it was used for bringing in sacrifices for the temple.
  • It was called the Sheep Gate because it was the entrance for sheep entering into the Temple compound from the sheep markets (where lambs were sold for sacrifice in the Temple) and the sheep pool (later known as Pool of Bethesda), where sheep were washed for sacrificing.
  • Thousands of years later, when Jesus was on earth, He always entered Jerusalem via the Sheep Gate (except for the Triumphal Entry). The Sheep Gate also led to Golgotha, the path Jesus took to the crucifixion.
  • What does the Sheep Gate remind us of?
  • Jesus’s Sacrifice — Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29)
    • The Sheep Gate = Salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross
    • This gate had no bolts or bars — salvation freely available to everyone who enters through it.
    • Built by the High Priest — Jesus is our High Priest
    • His death opens the way for us and restores free access to the Father
  • The Sheep Gate is mentioned at the start and end of the chapter — everything starts and ends with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It’s all about Jesus and His finished work on the cross!
  • Have you come in through the Sheep Gate? <issue invitation and pray with the children who want to accept Jesus as the Lord>

3. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

  • POSTER: Sheep Gate — what it reminds us of and the memory verse (John 1:29)
  • Ideas: get kids to stick/draw pictures of sheep (or stick cotton wool on the sheep), can write their names next to each sheep.

 IMG_7977 IMG_7979

Sunday, May 10, 2015

10 Mei 2015

Kelas Balita
Coach Awan
Asst 1 : Laila
Asst 2 : Dewi K.

Kelas 1 - 3
Coaches : Lily Bun & Santi

Kelas 4 - 6
Coaches : Lusiana & Theresia

Mother’s Day: Jesus is Smiling at Me

Source By : TNCC Children's Church

1. HOOK:

  • Today is Mother’s Day. Who wants to thank God for their mother? (get 1-2 kids to share what they are thankful for)
  • Who do you go to … When you are sick? When you are hungry? When you need help? When you are sad? When you did something wrong? When you have good news? When you are happy? (try to lead the kids to answer their mother or father)
  • What would mummy and daddy do when you go to them? (hug, kiss, sayang etc)
  • How many of you have fierce/strict parents? Even if you have the fiercest and strictest parents, do you think they still love you with all their hearts? Do you think that if you are in trouble, they will help you?
  • How we view our parents will determine how we respond to them. If we see our mother and father as loving and kind, we will run to them no matter how we are feeling or what we have done because we know they will always have their arms open wide. But if we see our parents as always angry and mean, the minute we do something wrong, we will try to hide from them because we fear punishment.

2. LESSON: Jesus is Smiling at Me

  • In the same way, how you picture God is how you will live your Christian life.
    Angry God = fear and dread
    Smiling God = happy, confident and blessed
  • So it’s important to see the right “face”/picture of God.
  • The Good News today is that God is NOT angry with us. He knows us through and through. He knows every bad thought we’ve had, every little lie we’ve told and every wrong thing we’ve done … and yet, He loves us more than anything.
  • How is that possible for a holy God? That’s because all our sin has been put on the cross and paid for by Jesus! That’s how we can go from sinner to child of God. When God looks at us, He sees His perfect son, Jesus, and He smiles at us with so much love and joy.
  • How do we remind ourselves of how much God loves us? We can look at the sky.

IMG_7827
Sun
  • The Bible tells us that Jesus’ face is like the shining sun (Rev 1:16)
  • Malachi 4:2 describes a “Sun of Righteousness” with “healing in his wings”
  • Every time we see the sun in the sky, it reminds us of our righteousness in Christ. We do not focus on ourselves — what we’ve done or said or didn’t do — but we focus on what Jesus has done for us. He is righteous, and on that cross, He took all our sin and exchanged it with His righteousness!
  • God smiles at us today because we are His righteousness in Christ Jesus! (2 Cor 5:21)
Moon
Moon
  • What does the moon remind us?
  • The moon comes out at night.
  • It has no light of its own. When you see the moon glowing, it’s reflecting the light of the sun.
  • The moon reminds us that even at night, even when we don’t see the sun, the sun is still shining as brightly as ever.
  • Even when we do wrong and sin, even when we don’t think or feel we’re righteous, we still have Jesus’ righteousness in us all the time.

IMG_7826Bow Arrow
Rainbow
  • God first put the rainbow in the sky after the great flood during Noah’s time, where He promised never to flood the whole earth again (Gen 9:12-16).
  • What does that mean for us?
  • In Isaiah 54:9-10, God said that the rainbow covenant was a promise that He will not “be angry” or “rebuke” us again. His love is unfailing and His peace is with us forever.
  • When a warrior returns from war, he hangs up his bow (same shape as the rainbow). The hung-up bow tells us that the war is over!
  • It reminds us that Jesus has won the victory — that all the arrows of God’s judgment fell on Christ on the cross. God is not against us; He fights for us!

Lightning
Lighting and Thunder
  • If we have a good picture of God, if we know how much He loves us, then we know that even in the most challenging/difficult times, He is always there for us. We can look to Him and smile.
  • Story: Little girl in the storm

  • Do you see Jesus smiling at you?
  • Jesus’ face is not an angry, mean face. When His face shines on you, it is one of grace, favour and peace. So look up and see Jesus smiling at you today!
  • Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

3. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

  • Mother’s Day Craft
MotherDayCraft
MotherDayCraft 02

Sunday, May 3, 2015

3 Mei 2015

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

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

Kelas 4 - 6
Coaches : Kent & Swanky

Nehemiah: Response to the Rubble (Neh 2b)

Source By : TNCC Children Church

1.  HOOK:

  • Play a fun, simple “rubble” icebreaker, i.e. Search through the rubble to find the treasure.
    e.g. Sieve through flour to find hidden coins; or go through lots of cards to find the “joker” etc. Encourage teamwork, strategy, leadership qualities that emerge from this exercise.
  • Show photos of Jerusalem’s wall; get kids to build the wall using blocks.
  • Show photo of the Petronas Twin Towers. Discuss with kids how difficult it is to build a mega project without the technology and skills we have today, and how Nehemiah could not have rebuilt the wall so quickly without God’s divine help. Show photo of rubble: Get kids to imagine how difficult it would be to transform that into the finished wall.

2. STORY: Nehemiah the Wall Builder (Neh 2b — Neh 2:11-20)

  • Because of God’s favour on Nehemiah, he had the permission, blessings and provisions of King Artaxerxes to undertake a mega building project — the walls of Jerusalem.
  • So Nehemiah set off to Jerusalem. But he didn’t make a grand entrance and announce to everyone his grand plans.
  • In fact, he stayed in Jerusalem for 3 days without doing anything about the wall. Probably he was checking out the situation on the ground for himself. “I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem,” he said. That’s probably wise — wait and see first instead of opening his mouth early on and risk other people sabotaging his plans or finding ways to discourage him.
  • Then after 3 days, late at night, he went out with a few others to the wall area. Only he rode a horse, while the rest walked. I guess they wanted to remain inconspicuous and not attract too much attention.
  • Nehemiah went to check out the Valley Gate to the Dung Gate and until the Fountain Gate. He saw the broken down walls and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
  • Finally he reentered the city via the Valley Gate.
  • The officials, at that time, did not know where what he was doing because he had not yet said anything to anyone else about the work. But after examining the walls, Nehemiah told them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”
  • He also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
  • The officials agreed. “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
  • But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab (you’ll hear these names often in the coming weeks) heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed Nehemiah. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
  • Nehemiah answered them by saying, The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

3. LESSON: Response to the Rubble

  • The task was gigantic. The problem was huge. But when Nehemiah looked at the broken walls and burnt gates, he didn’t see them as a “huge problem” or “impossible task”. In fact, he saw it as a “good work” and knew that “God will give us success”.
  • If you are looking at a huge mess in life — maybe it’s your bedroom or your school work or your family issues, you’d be tempted to think it is impossible to fix.
  • But Jesus said, “With man, this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)
  • So don’t focus on the problem. Focus on Jesus.
  • When you focus on the problem, the problem gets bigger. When you focus on Jesus, Jesus gets bigger!
  • When we look at the rubble, we don’t have to fight and struggle in our own strength. We can rest in Jesus and totally depend on Him to help us out.
  • Whatever the problem, however bad the situation may be, we know Jesus will help us. He is our wall builder — he rebuilds the broken walls and clears the rubble for us! Hallelujah!

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

  • Brick-related craft/activity: “The God of heaven will give us success.” Nehemiah 2:20
IMG_7822
  • Worksheet
140504 Nehemiah 2b-4