28 Juni 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Susan

Asst 1 : Felianti

Asst 2 : Tasya

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Shianty & Ci Dewi

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Tjipto & Jeremy

Nehemiah: The Gospel in the Gates 

– Water Gate (Neh 3g) –

1. HOOK:

• What do you do when you wake up in the morning?
• Song (younger class):This is the way we wash our face, wash our face, wash our face,
  This is the way we wash our face,
  So early in the morning.
  This is the way we clean our hands, clean our hands, clean our hands,
  This is the way we clean our hands,
  So early in the morning.
  This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth,
  This is the way we brush our teeth
  So early in the morning.
  This is the way we comb our hair, comb our hair, comb our hair,
  This is the way we comb our hair,
  So early in the morning.

• Why do we do that? To make ourselves clean.
• What is one important thing we need to clean ourselves up? Water!
• Water is very important. It cleans us up inside (drinking) and outside (washing/bathing).
• Today we’re going to look at the Water Gate and what it reminds us about Jesus.

  

2. STORY: Gospel in the Gates – Water Gate (Nehemiah 3:15)

• Recap
  • We’re following the adventures of Nehemiah as he and the people of Israel work together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
  • There were 10 gates mentioned in the rebuilding of the walls. We looked at what these gates were used for and how they remind us of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross!
  • So far, we’ve covered the: <refer kids to slides or the posters on the wall during review>
    • Sheep Gate: Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
    • Fish Gate: Jesus died and resurrected after 3 days (just as Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for 3 days).
    • Old Gate: Jesus makes us New Creations
    • Valley Gate: Jesus is always with us, even in the valleys
    • Rubbish Gate: All our good is rubbish compared to knowing Jesus (Jesus + nothing = everything!)
    • Fountain Gate: Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit
• Today, we are looking at the 7th gate — the Water Gate
• Nehemiah 3:26 26 Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east
• Like the Fountain Gate, the Water Gate was close to the source of the city’s water supply (Gibeon spring).
• It opened up to where Solomon’s Temple was.
• The Water Gate was also where the Law of Moses was read by Ezra to the Israelites after the wall had been completed. (Neh 8:1)
  • Neh 8:1  Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.

3. LESSON:

What does the Water Gate remind us of? Jesus washes us clean with His word.

• Just as we use water to clean ourselves up physically, Jesus cleans us with His word.

• Imagine: Boys, one day you will grow up and get married. What happens if your bride turns up in the church looking very dirty and messy, as if she came out of a pig sty? That would be quite horrible, right? Girls, would you like to look like this on your wedding day?
• Well when Jesus came to look for us, He found us looking very dirty and grubby and smelly.
• Still He loved us soooo much that He gave His own life for us and rescued us from the dump that we were in.
• But Jesus didn’t rescue us and leave us in the same dirty, grubby and smelly condition.
• No. He took us, washed us, cleaned us up, dressed us in the finest garments, presenting us as a beautiful, perfect bride.
• Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
• The Bible tells us about Jesus and what He has done for us — He was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world; He died and rose again after 3 days; He made us New Creations; He is always with us; He is all we need; He gave us the Holy Spirit; and He washes us clean … <help kids associate with the different gates>
• The more we listen to the word about Christ and His finished work on the cross, we are being washed clean — our faith grows (Romans 10:17), our minds are renewed and our lives are transformed (Romans 12:2).
• Water gate reminds us that Jesus washed us clean — we are changed from dirty, smelly and grubby to become beautiful and perfect!

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

• Memory Verse: Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word …
  <optional for additional challenge> and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.(younger kids: “Jesus loved me and washed me clean with His word.”)
• Poster: The Water Gate

Water painting for toddlers using crayon/wax

21 Juni 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Ochie

Asst 1 : Adeline

Asst 2 : Kasey

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Iwan & Shevica

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Savitri & Miguel

Nehemiah: The Gospel in the Gates – Fountain Gate (Neh 3f)

Source By TNCC Children Church

1. HOOK:

• Song: Deep and wide
  
  • Teach actions; omit words at each round and go faster and faster and faster!
  • Can work for all ages
• Simple fountain-themed “experiment” (optional)  

2. STORY: GOSPEL IN THE GATES – FOUNTAIN GATE (Nehemiah 3:15)

• Recap
  • We’re following the adventures of Nehemiah as he and the people of Israel work together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
  • There were 10 gates mentioned in the rebuilding of the walls. We looked at what these gates were used for and how they remind us of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross!
  • So far, we’ve covered the: <refer kids to slides or the posters on the wall during review>
    • Sheep Gate: reminds us that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
    • Fish Gate: reminds us that Jesus died and resurrected after 3 days (just as Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for 3 days).
    • Old Gate: reminds us that Jesus makes us New Creations
    • Valley Gate: reminds us that Jesus is always with us, even in the valleys
    • Rubbish Gate: reminds us that all our good is rubbish compared to knowing Jesus (Jesus + nothing = everything!)
  • Today, we are looking at the 6th gate — the Fountain Gate
    • Nehemiah 3:15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David.
    • The Fountain Gate was the one most in ruins when Nehemiah first examined the wall.
    • It is located near the pool of Siloam (where Jesus later healed a blind man).
    • The Gate was named “Fountain Gate” as it was the primary access to the fountain, the Gihon Spring, from which the city of Jerusalem received its supply of fresh, clean water.

3. LESSON:

What does the Fountain Gate remind us of?

• Jesus gave me the Holy Spirit
  • In John 4, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well and asked for some water to drink. Jesus then told her about “living water” that only comes from God.
    “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
  • The physical water we drink quenches us, refreshes us and cleanses our body’s system … but only temporarily. After a while, we will feel thirsty and dehydrated again and need to drink some more.
  • What is this living water Jesus speaks about and promised that we will not be thirsty again? What is it that will become a fountain of water?
  • This is the Holy Spirit.
  • When Jesus was on earth, He was in a man’s body. He could only be in one place at one time. After Jesus died and rose again, He went back to heaven. But He promised to send us the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and guide.
  • Because Jesus made us clean, today, this Holy Spirit can come and stay in us forever! All of us can have this Holy Spirit in our hearts always … wherever we are.
  • Like a glass of water, the Holy Spirit gives us life — God’s eternal life! Like a glass of water, the Holy Spirit satisfies us, refreshes us and cleanses us from all the dirt that we have.
  • Just like the Gihon Spring provides water (and life) to the whole city of Jerusalem, this Holy Spirit life springs up in us like a fountain, blessing all those around us.
  • Thank you Jesus for giving us your Holy Spirit!

• Memory Verse: John 4:14
  “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”(younger kids: “The water Jesus gives me will become a fountain of water that gives me everlasting life.”)

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTION:

• Poster: The Fountain Gate

14 Juni 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Jemimah

Asst 1 : Laila

Asst 2 : Dewi K.

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Lily Bun & Santi

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Lusiana & Theresia

Nehemiah: The Gospel in the Gates – Rubbish Gate (Neh 3e)

Source By : TNCC Children Church

1. HOOK:

• My Achievements: (Materials: paper, pen/pencil, 2 waste paper baskets)
  Get kids to write down their greatest achievement on a piece of paper. Choose a few kids to share what they wrote down to the rest. Then get the kids to make aeroplanes out of their piece of paper. Divide them into 2 groups; 1 rep from each group to hold a wastepaper basket. The rest line up in their groups and try to fly their paper aeroplanes into their group’s wastepaper basket. The group with the most aeroplanes in their wastepaper basket wins.

2. STORY: The Gospel in the Gates (Nehemiah 3:14)

• Recap
  • We’re following the adventures of Nehemiah as he and the people of Israel work together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
  • There were 10 gates mentioned in the rebuilding of the walls. We looked at what these gates were used for and how they remind us of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross!
  • So far, we’ve covered the: <refer kids to the posters on the wall during review>
    • Sheep Gate: reminds us that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
    • Fish Gate: reminds us that Jesus died and resurrected after 3 days (just as Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for 3 days).
    • Old Gate: reminds us that Jesus makes us New Creations
    • Valley Gate: reminds us that Jesus is always with us, even in the valleys

• Today, we are looking at the 5th gate — the Refuse/Rubbish Gate (also known as the Dung Gate)
  • Nehemiah 3:14  Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.
  • When Nehemiah first went to examine the walls of Jerusalem, he went out through the Valley Gate until the Refuse Gate (Neh 2:13), where he saw the broken walls and burnt gates.
  • The gate was named “Refuse” or “Rubbish” probably because it was where the garbage and ash from the temple was removed from the city in to the Valley of Hinnom, where they were burned.
  
  

3. LESSON:

• What does the Rubbish Gate remind us of?

• All our GOOD is like rubbish
  • Let me tell you about a man named Saul. Saul was a high achiever, no, an overachiever! Whatever he did, he had to be the best! And Saul wanted to be the best Jew — he wanted to live up to God’s high standard — dot all the “i”s, cross all the “t”s, check all the boxes. (Phil 3:4-6)
    • Saul was circumcised on the eighth day, like all good Jewish babies were.
    • He was a true blue Jew, from the tribe of Benjamin.
    • He was a Pharisee — a religious leader who prided themselves in keeping strictly to God’s laws; as far as the religious laws were concerned, he considered himself faultless. He thought by keeping the laws, he can be right before God — he can earn his place in heaven.
    • He was zealous for God — he persecuted the Christians and dragged them off to prisons because he considered them a threat to Judaism — how can Jesus claim to be God?!
  • (Acts 9) But one day, when Saul was on his way to Damascus to hunt down some Christians and take them as prisoners, suddenly, a bright light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
    • “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
    • “I am Jesus,” the voice said. Jesus told Saul to go to Damascus. When Saul got up from the ground, he realized he was blind! He had to be led by hand into Damascus. He didn’t eat or drink for 3 days.
    • Then God asked a believer, Ananias, to go see Saul and pray for him. Even though Ananias was afraid (he knew Saul came to hunt down Christians), he went and placed his hand on Saul. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again.
    • Saul later changed his name to Paul — he became the champion of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the Gentiles (people who are not Jews).
  • Through all these, Paul realized that all his good, all his law-keeping, would not get him to heaven. Instead, only Jesus could make him really good. That’s why he wrote in Phil 3: 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
  • All his merits, all his accomplishments, all the good things he did, all the laws he kept — Paul said he now considered them “rubbish”!
  • Just like how we wrote down our biggest accomplishments and threw them into the wastepaper basket/dustbin … Paul threw all his accomplishments into the dustbin too.
  • Jesus + nothing = everything!
  • This was because he realized that all he needed was Jesus. He could not become righteous on his own efforts. Only through faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross could he be right before God.
  • Compared with knowing Jesus, all his other accomplishments were rubbish/dung! Jesus + nothing = everything!
• The Rubbish Gate reminds us that all our good is rubbish! Jesus + nothing = Everything!

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

• Memory Verse activity: Phil 3:7-9 “But whatever were gains to me … I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.”(younger kids: “All my good are like rubbish compared to knowing Jesus.”)

• Poster: The Rubbish Gate

  

7 Juni 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Carrie

Asst 1 : Awan

Asst 2 : Felicia

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Susi Tjio (Asst. Fenny)

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Kent & Swanky

Nehemiah: The Gospel in the Gates – Valley Gate (Neh 3d)

Tags: CC: Book of Nehemiah

Source By : TNCC Children Church

1. HOOK:

• Dark in the Valley:Stack chairs in 2 rows to create a valley in between, where the kids will sit. Turn off the lights to illustrate how dark it is in the valley.
• Dodge ball (older kids)
  Get kids to line up in 2 lines, facing each other, forming a long “valley”. Get 1 kid to try to get from one end of the “valley” to the other. Give kids 1-2 plastic balls; they have to try to throw the balls at the kid in the “valley” (below knees only). The kid in the “valley” has to get from one end to the other without getting hit. Once the kid is “hit”, he’s out.

2. STORY: The Gospel in the Gates (Nehemiah 3:13)

• Recap
  • We’re following the adventures of Nehemiah as he and the people of Israel work together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
  • There were 10 gates mentioned in the rebuilding of the walls. We looked at what these gates were used for and how they remind us of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross!
  • So far, we’ve covered the:
    • Sheep Gate: reminds us that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
    • Fish Gate: reminds us that Jesus died and resurrected after 3 days (just as Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for 3 days).
    • Old Gate: reminds us that Jesus makes us New Creations
  • Today, we are looking at the 4th gate — the Valley Gate
    • Nehemiah 3:13  13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired theValley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars,
    • When Nehemiah first went to examine the walls of Jerusalem, he went out through the Valley Gate (Neh 2:13)
    • The Valley Gate is probably named that because it overlooked the Hinnom Valley, one of the several valleys surrounding Jerusalem.

3. LESSON:

• What does the Valley Gate remind us of?

• Jesus is with us in the Valley
  • A valley is a low area of land between hills or mountains. It can be a beautiful place with streams of water, but it is often seen as a dangerous place too.
    • Dark: Sunlight is blocked by the surrounding hills/mountains, so it can get quite dark.
    • Dangerous: The sheep and people walking through the valley are often vulnerable to predators and robbers who are hiding in the hills/mountains.
    • When we talk about mountain tops, we usually associate them with victory or success or good times, e.g. “I’m on the top of the world!”
    • When we talk about valleys, we normally associate them with the low and tough times in life. All of us will go through difficult times. Our parents will go through difficult times. Sometimes it’s health issues, school issues, friends issues, parents issues, money issues. We’ll feel sad or tired or angry or afraid.
  • But in Psalm 23, David (the shepherd boy who became king) writes about the Good Shepherd and how He takes care of the sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we are all like the helpless little sheep. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. The Good Shepherd takes care of the sheep, provides for their needs, brings them to green pastures and cool waters.
  • Then David writes, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:4)
  • Doesn’t the “valley of the shadow of death” sound scary? Not just valley, but a valley of shadows; not just shadows, but shadows of death! After all, death can be a really scary thought.
  • But did the sheep feel scared? No! Why not? Because the Good Shepherd is with Him.
  • Yes, we don’t have to be afraid when we go through valleys. Because Jesus is with us. His rod and His staff comfort us. Whatever difficult and tough times we go through, Jesus is there to take care of us and to protect us, and He will bring us through the valley!
  • The Valley Gate reminds us that Jesus is with us in the Valley!

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

• Memory Verse activity: Psalm 23:4 “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
• Poster:  The Valley Gate

  

31 Mei 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Susan

Asst 1 : Felianti

Asst 2 : Tasya

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Lily Bun (Asst. Santi)

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Lusiana (Asst. Theresia)

Nehemiah: The Gospel in the Gates – Old Gate (Neh 3c)

Tags: CC: Book of Nehemiah

Source By : TNCC Children Church

1. HOOK:

• Illustration: Metamorphosis of a Butterfly
  (use pictures/props to illustrate; for younger kids, can use Dr Seuss’ “My, O My, A Butterfly” or “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” books)
  This morning I have brought a butterfly. Just look at my butterfly! Isn’t it beautiful? I think the butterfly is one of the most beautiful things that God has ever created, but it wasn’t always so beautiful. As you probably know, the butterfly started out as a fuzzy little caterpillar. Now some people may think caterpillars are cute, some may think that they are funny, but probably no one would say that they are beautiful. A caterpillar is a worm — and worms are not beautiful! Then, one day the caterpillar spins a cocoon about himself and stays there for several weeks. When it comes out, it is no longer a caterpillar, it has been miraculously changed into a beautiful butterfly — a brand new creation!

2. STORY: The Gospel in the Gates (Nehemiah 3:6)

• Recap
  • We’re following the adventures of Nehemiah as he and the people of Israel work together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
  • There were 10 gates mentioned in the rebuilding of the walls. We looked at what these gates were used for and how they remind us of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross!
  • So far, we’ve covered the:
    • Sheep gate: reminds us that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
    • Fish Gate: reminds us that Jesus died and resurrected after 3 days (just as Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for 3 days).
    
    
  • Today, we are looking at the 3rd gate — the Old Gate (some versions use “Jeshanah”, which means “old”; easier for kids to use “Old Gate”)
    • Nehemiah 3:6  The Old City Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.
    • The Old gate was where the elders of the city would meet to discuss community matters and settle disputes (Joshua 20:4, Ruth 4:11, Proverbs 31:23).

3. LESSON: The Old Gate

• What does the Old Gate remind us of?
• Jesus fulfilled the OLD Covenant and began the NEW Covenant
  • The Old Covenant that God made with Moses and the Israelites demanded perfect obedience to God’s perfect law — obey fully and be blessed; disobey just 1 of the laws and be cursed.
  • The people of Israel could never fulfill the Old Covenant. They kept trying and failing and faced judgement/punishment of death.
  • Jesus was the only man who could obey the Old Covenant Law fully, and He did so on our behalf. He also took the judgement and punishment of our disobedience/failures when He died for us on the Cross.
  • His death began the New Covenant — all who believed in Him will not die (what we deserved) and will experience God’s abundant blessings (that Jesus deserved).

• Our OLD sinful self has gone; we are a New Creation
  • When we believe in Jesus, we become a New Creation in Christ! We are no longer the old, dirty, sinful person we used to be … we are brand new in Jesus!
  • 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

• Just like the butterfly —  God didn’t just take a caterpillar and stick some wings on him and paint the wings all different colors. When the cocoon opens and the butterfly crawls out, it is a new creation. The caterpillar is gone! It has now become a butterfly. When we invite Jesus to come into our heart, we become a new creation. God doesn’t just clean us up and slap on a little paint, he makes us into a new person. Would you rather be, a worm or a butterfly? Jesus will make you into a new creation if you will invite him into your heart. Dear Lord, we thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross so that we, like the butterfly, can become a new creation. We ask you to change us and to make us beautiful. Amen.(source: Sermons4kids)

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

• Memory Verse activity: 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
• Poster:  The Old Gate

  

24 Mei 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Carrie

Asst 1 : Adeline

Asst 2 : Awan

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Shianty & Ci Dewi

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Tjipto & Jeremy

Nehemiah: The Gospel in the Gates – Fish Gate (Neh 3b)

Tags: CC: Book of Nehemiah

Source By : TNCC Children Church

1. HOOK:

• Fishing Game: Divide the children into 2 teams and ask for volunteers to represent the team. To prepare the game, cut out fish-shaped paper with drawings of the following:  wall, sheep gate, fish gate, Jonah in the fish’s stomach, cross, sting, empty tomb, Cinderella. Attach each picture with a paper clip. Make a fishing rod by attaching a magnet to a string and then attach the string to a stick.  Each representative will “pick one item” and pass the rod to the next person. First team to finish wins. Collect the items. Pick up each item (see the words in bold and enlarged font below) according to the following sequence and tell the story.

 

 2. STORY: Nehemiah the Wall Builder (Nehemiah 3:3)

• Recap
  • As you heard in the previous lessons, Nehemiah got the people of Israel together to rebuild the wall.
  • There were 42 groups of people working on specific areas of the wall. They were priests, leaders, craftsmen, Jews from other cities. Different groups worked on different portions of the wall.
  • There were 10 gates mentioned in the rebuilding of the walls.
  • Last week, we covered the sheep gate. Anyone remembers why was it called the sheep gate?
  • 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.
  • What does the Sheep Gate remind us of?  We are saved through Jesus’s Sacrifice — Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29)
  • Fish Gate
    • Today we are going to talk about the Fish Gate.
    • Nehemiah 3:3  “The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.”
    • The Fish Gate was the second gate to be restored, and it was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. “Hassenaah” means the thorny, the pricky (sting).
    • It was called the Fish Gate because the fishermen of Galilee will bring their catch through this gate to be sold.

3. LESSON:

• What does the Fish Gate remind us of?

• Death, burial & resurrection of Jesus
  • In Matthew 12:40, Jesus had told the people that, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”. Jesus said this even before he was arrested and died on the cross for us.
  • (Book of Jonah) Jonah was a prophet who ran away from God because he did not want to go and tell the people of Nineveh to repent and turn to God. He hated the people of Nineveh and wanted God to punish them. But God prepared a fish to swallow Jonah and he was in the fish’s belly for 3 days and 3 nights. When Jonah prayed to God, the fish vomited him on dry land. Jonah finally went and told the people of Nineveh to turn to God, which they did and were saved from destruction. Jonah’s story is one of God’s grace — the people of Nineveh did great evil and deserved to be punished; but our ever-forgiving, ever-loving God wanted them to come to Him and be saved.

• The importance of Jesus’ death and resurrection:
  • There is no more death for us
    • Do you know what people fear most? Death. Why? Because people want to live. They also don’t know what will happen to them when they die. When Jesus died on the cross, he saved us from the death. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish (die) but have eternal life”. (John 3:16) We no longer need to fear death because we know that we have eternal life. If we were to die today, we will go to heaven to be with Jesus forever. 
    • Like Paul, we can even say “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor 15:55) which is in fact saying that death cannot hurt us because Jesus has won over death as he rose from the dead and is alive forevermore. (empty tomb).
  • We have a new identity
    • How many know the story of Cinderella? What was she when the story started? She was an orphan, treated like a house maid by her step-mother and step-sisters. Her real name was Ella, but since one day she became so dirty, covered with cinders after falling asleep by the fireplace, her step sisters started calling her “Cinder- Ella”. What was Cinderella when the story ended? She became a princess and lived in the palace because she married the prince. She did not have to slave away in the ashes anymore.
    • Like Cinderella, our identity was also changed. We were sinners and were separated from God. When Jesus died on the cross, he took away our old identity as sinners and gave us a new identity as God’s beloved children. Jesus took away all our sins past, present and future. When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we are in Christ. We are as the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” We are righteous and we will always be righteous even if we mess up and sin because we are in Jesus, who is righteous and will always be righteous.

• Memory verse:  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55, ESV)

4.          ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

• Poster:  The Fish Gate

   

• Song: God’s not dead, He is alive