Base

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

Refocus Bottom Line: I choose to care more about my relationship with God. Memory Verse: “So let us do all we can to live in peace. And let us work hard to build up one another.” Romans 14:19, NIV Life App: Peace—choosing to care more about each other than being right. Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what. Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (9:00, 10:15, 11:30) Get Your Head in the Game • No supplies needed Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (9:10, 10:25, 11:40) • Bible Presentation in Large Group Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (9:40, 10:55, 12:10) 9:00 & 11:30 What are you Looking at? • Video loaded onto the Presentation computer. o You will be showing this video to your group: http://bit.ly/1OmQrSt. 12:15 Could You? • Index cards; 1 for each kid • Pens or pencils Prayer: Making it Personal (9:55, 11:10, 12:25) • No supplies needed Dismiss (10:00, 11:15, 12:30)

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

More To It Bottom Line: I choose to care more about my relationship with God. Memory Verse: “So let us do all we can to live in peace. And let us work hard to build up one another.” Romans 14:19, NIV Life App: Peace—choosing to care more about each other than being right. Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (Small Groups, 10 minutes) Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today’s Bible Truth. Get Your Head in the Game What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do: • Ask kids to share a situation where they were happy or a situation where they think they would be happy. For example: Would you be happy if you got a new puppy? What if you got an “A” on your math test? What if your friend got an “A” on a test and you didn’t? What if you had pizza for dinner? What about fish for dinner? Wrap Up and Say: “Today’s Bible Truth is going to help us take a different view of happy, contentment, and even peace. So, keep an open mind. Let’s head to Large Group.” Lead your group to the Large Group area.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

More To It Bottom Line: I choose to care more about my relationship with God. Memory Verse: “So let us do all we can to live in peace. And let us work hard to build up one another.” Romans 14:19, NIV Life App: Peace—choosing to care more about each other than being right. Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (Large Group, 30 minutes) GETTING READY 1. Opener/Closer What You Need: • • • • •

Two catcher’s hats with chin straps Two big bowls Enough individually wrapped candy to fill the giant bowls A tarp Masking tape

2. Bible Truth What You Need: • • •

Communicator Host Bible

3. Worship What You Need: •

Power Praise Team

Music and Sound Effects (SFX): • “God is For Us” • “Raise Your Hands” • “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

More To It Bottom Line: I choose to care more about others by focusing on God. Memory Verse: “So let us do all we can to live in peace. And let us work hard to build up one another.” Romans 14:19, NIV Life App: Peace—choosing to care more about each other than being right. Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (Large Group, 30 minutes) Engage kids’ hearts through a dynamic and interactive Bible Truth, worship, and prayer experience in a Large Group setting. SFX: Play high-energy music as kids enter. CG: 10-second countdown Host enters. Welcome Host has lots of energy as he or she welcomes everyone to The Base. Host is relatable and inviting. Host can talk about something that happened culturally throughout the week like a big sports game, movie opening, a viral video on YouTube, etc. (NOTE: As this is October, fall sports are in full swing. October is World Series month, and football will be on every Saturday and Sunday at this point. You can talk about favorite teams and big games that are happening nationally and locally.) Host tells them how excited he or she is that they’re there and briefly runs through what they can expect. This is especially helpful for first-time guests to make them feel like they know what’s happening. Host transitions to Worship. HOST: “Hey, everybody! I love that we are all here together. Help me welcome the Power Praise team in this morning.” WORSHIP POWER PRAISE: “Hello everybody. Stand to your feet and get ready to get loud. We are going to shout and sing today. Let’s give it all we’ve got and make God’s praises loud in this place. Here we go!” SFX: “God is for Us” POWER PRAISE: “Yeah, God is our everything. I love giving God praise for all He does in our lives. Great singing, everyone! We have another great song for us. Sing with us.” SFX: “Raise Your Hands” POWER PRAISE: “Psalm 100:3-4 says, Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him. We are his people. We are the sheep belonging to his flock. Give thanks as you enter the gates of his temple. Give praise as you enter its courtyards. Give thanks to him and praise his name, (NIrV). We

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

belong to God, and He loves hearing our worship. God loves it when we, his sons and daughters, give Him our time, thoughts and words. That’s what worship is. Let’s give Him thanks together now as we sing.” SFX: “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” “Have a great week everyone! We will see you all soon.” Power Praise team exits as Host retakes the stage. Host transitions to the opening game. Opener HOST: “Let’s get started right away with a game unlike anything you have ever seen! I need two willing small group leaders and your ENTIRE Small Groups. Who wants to play?!” HOST chooses two small groups. The small group leaders sit back-to-back on the tarp. “Okay, Leaders, I have a “catching” helmet for each of you to wear.” Small group leaders each put on a “catching” helmet. “Looking good! Now, small groups! I have a big bowl of candy for each group. Now, don’t go eating all this! You need it for the game. Small Groups, you’ll stand behind this line. And when I say, “Go,” take the candy, one piece at a time—NO HANDFULS—and throw it at your leader. Now, you’re not just trying to hit your leader in the face. OK, sure that might be funny, but also painful, so let’s not do that. BUT your goal is to land the candy in or on the “catching” helmet. A couple of times throughout the game, I’ll pause the game and yell, “Collect”; at that point you may carefully, without bumping your leader, run over and collect any candy that didn’t land in the “catching” helmet, put it in your bowl, and run back to your line. At the end of the game, we will see who landed the most candy on the “catching” helmet. Got it?” HOST lines the small groups up, then yells, “Go.” At several points in the game, yell, “Collect,” and let the groups collect fallen candy. After the allotted time runs out, count the pieces in the “catching” helmet, putting it back in the bowl. “Whew! Great job, everybody. But do we have a winner? (Check to see who has the most) Congrats! You get . . . ” Hands the winning group their bowl of candy. “This bowl is for your group. In fact . . . ” HOST nicely takes the bowl from the other team as well.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

“You get this bowl for your group as well. You know what . . . ” Picks up the “catching” helmets, folds up the tarp full of candy, and hands it to the group. “ . . . Everything belongs to you! It is all yours!” “Now, if you have an offering or a tithe, bring that on up to the offering container.” Groups are seated. Host exits as Communicator enters.

INTRODUCTION COMMUNICATOR: “Hey, everybody. I’m so excited to be with you. For the past few weeks we have been talking about Peace. So far, we’ve seen the ways that Jesus handled angry situations, jealousy and betrayal, all in the name of peace. CG: Peace Slide “Remember, peace is choosing to care more about others than being right. Well, today we’re going to look at a similar word or a word that is closely associated with peace. That word is content or contentment. To be content is to be in a state of peaceful happiness. Put that together with Jesus’ life and you might start to ask yourself, how, exactly, was Jesus in a state of peaceful happiness when he was backed up to a cliff by an angry mob, or when people are crying foul because things don’t seem fair, or when his very best friends abandoned him in his greatest hour of need? Sounds more like crazy turmoil than peaceful happiness.” “To help us understand that a bit better, we are going to look at one of his followers.” “After Jesus was raised from the dead, He told His followers to go everywhere, starting locally and then moving throughout the world, telling people about Jesus and sharing His message. “Well His disciples did just that. They told people about Jesus and shared with them that He was sent by God to rescue them. Many people believed the message and became followers of Jesus. We even read in the Bible that on one day, thousands of people became Jesus followers. CG: Graphic Novel Slide 2 TENSION COMMUNICATOR: “You might know the subject of today’s Bible Truth—Paul. Yes, the same Paul who wrote much of the New Testament in your Bible! Jesus had a special mission for Paul—he was going to be the main man to spread the message of Jesus to the countries where people had never heard. “Now, you might think just because Jesus called Paul and gave him this mission, everything would have been pretty easy. But that is definitely not the case. Paul’s journeys were not easy. In fact, life for

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

him was harder as a follower of Jesus than before. If you don’t believe me, listen to Paul’s own words from 2 Corinthians 11:24-26 (read from Bible), ‘Five times the Jews gave me 39 strokes with a whip. CG: Graphic Novel Slide 6 “‘Three times I was beaten with sticks. Once they tried to kill me by throwing stones at me. Three times I was shipwrecked. CG: Graphic Novel Slide 7 “‘I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I have had to keep on the move. I have been in danger from rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from my fellow Jews and in danger from Gentiles. I have been in danger in the city, in the country, and at sea. I have been in danger from people who pretended they were believers.’ (NIrV) CG: Graphic Novel Slide 8 “No, life for Paul was not easy. But he believed in the mission and he put his hope in Jesus, knowing that nothing that could happen to him on this earth could take that away.” PAUL IN PRISON COMMUNICATOR: “Now if this weren’t enough, one day Paul was arrested in Jerusalem even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. Eventually, he found himself on a ship, headed to stand trial in Rome before Caesar—the most powerful man in the world at the time. CG: Graphic Novel Slide 9 “Once in Rome, Paul was placed under house arrest where he would wait several years to even get the chance to stand before Caesar. A Roman soldier guarded him constantly. CG: Graphic Novel Slide 10 “As the years passed, he had lots of time to think about his life and what it used to be like … to think about where he was now and what might happen to him. While he was under house arrest, Paul wrote these words (read directly from Philippians 4:11b-13), ‘I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. I know what it’s like not to have what I need. I also know what it’s like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.’” (NIrV) CG: Graphic Novel Slide 11 APPLICATION COMMUNICATOR: “Did you hear what Paul said?! ‘I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me.’ Let’s read that with our definition for being content.”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

CG: “I have learned to be ‘in a state of peaceful happiness’ no matter what happens to me.” “It would be one thing if Paul said these words while lounging in a chair on the beach. ‘I’ve learned to be ‘in a state of peaceful happiness!’ But it means so much more knowing that Paul wrote these very words while under house arrest, waiting to stand trial. Paul had moments where he had plenty in his life. And he had moments where he didn’t have very much at all. He had moments where people loved his teaching. He had moments where people stoned him and left him for dead. But Paul knew something about peace that we can all learn and he learned it from Jesus.” LANDING COMMUNICATOR: “In Matthew 4:11-12 Jesus says God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven.” Be happy and excited? Not angry, bitter, sad, vengeful, or pouty…but happy and excited. That goes against the grain of what society tries to tell you, but it is God’s truth and it is God’s perfect plan for you. Paul knew that. Let’s look at our Bottom Line for today. CG: Bottom Line Slide [Bottom Line] “I choose to care about others by focusing on God. Paul didn’t focus on what he had or didn’t have, what people said or didn’t say. Rather, he put his focus on God, and the mission He had for Paul, and Paul knew that no matter what happened, he was doing everything for God and for Jesus’ glory. “God is the source and motivation of our peace. When we put our trust in God and focus on what He wants for our lives, it can help us choose peace. Paul shows us that the circumstances we will face in this world will not be easy just because we follow Christ. As a matter of fact, they may be harder for that very reason. So you’re going to have to lean on God and pray….allot. I don’t mean pray that everyone becomes nicer, but pray that you will become more loving, more committed in your following of Christ and braver in living your life in His ways, not your own. Pray that your heart remains compassionate toward others, that you will be like Jesus and you will be able to choose peace because you focus on God.” Communicator leads group in a prayer related to what they just heard then dismisses them to small group.

SFX: Play high-energy music as the kids exit.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Small Groups, 15 minutes) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible Truth applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions. 9:00 & 11:30 What You Need: Video on presentation computer What You Do: • As the video plays, read the instructions out loud, encouraging kids to count the number of passes the players in white shirts make. (Note: Also make sure to remind students that if they’ve seen this before, please don’t ruin it for others by shouting out what happens. Read the ending summary as well.) • After watching, ask students why they think so many people (50%) don’t even see the gorilla. What You Say: “How is the gorilla like God in our lives? Why or how do we miss seeing God in the midst of everyday life? How does this relate to today’s Bottom Line: [Bottom Line] I choose to care about others by focusing on God? What you focus on gets bigger and takes over—like counting the players in the white shirts—so you miss other important things. So if you’re focused on the people that call you names or the things that other people have, or even the ways that others have maybe betrayed you, then you’re missing out on what’s truly important. You’re missing out on God, the one that will take us to a state of peaceful happiness, despite of the craziness of life that is going on around us.” 10:15 Could you? What You Need: Index cards; 1 for each kid, pens •

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Ask students to write real-life situations where they or their friends find it hard to be in a state of peaceful happiness. Encourage them to write one situation per index card. They can write as many as they have time for. Remind them they don’t need to put their name on the card. This helps free them from possible embarrassment and results are more honest. Collect the cards and shuffle them up. Then explain that they’re going to have a chance to get up and show you how they feel about each of the situations. Point to one side of the room (you could also put up a simple sign) and say, “You will head over here if you’d still be able to be content in that situation.” Then point to the opposite side of the space and say, “You will go to this side if you would find it hard to be content and you’d most likely be discontent and unhappy in that situation.” Note: Some kids will want to hang out in the middle to avoid answering, but encourage them to choose one. Once you’ve read the situation on a card and students have chosen one side or the other, ask for a representative from each group to share WHY they chose this way. Then move on to a new card and situation. When you’ve read all the cards, ask the students what they noticed about themselves and others by doing this.

What You Say: “Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough.’ (Philippians 4:12b, NIrV) Here’s the thing: Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter. He wasn’t sure

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

October 1, 2017, Week 1 Grade: 5

when or if he would get out of prison, he didn’t get to decide when or if he got food, he had little control over what he got to do each day and yet, in this situation, he wrote to his friends back in Philippi, ‘I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens.’ There are times when I am not happy with what happens. It can be something big like my kid is telling people that I am a terrible parent and they hate me, or something small like my favorite mug went missing. However, no matter what happens, even if it is hard, I choose to look at what Jesus and even Paul did. I choose peace. That means that [Bottom Line] I choose to care about others by focusing on God.” All Service Times

Pray and Dismiss (5 minutes) [Pray to God | Prayer Activity] Made to Connect: an activity that invites kids to share with others and build on their understanding

What You Need: No supplies needed. What You Do: • Ask your group to think about situations where they find it difficult to stay focused on God. What You Say: “Think about the situations we talked about today—situations where we might struggle with keeping the peace, either outwardly or within yourself. Is there one situation where you really struggle? (Pause to give kids time to think) One of the ways you can focus on God is to know His Word. I want us all to repeat what Paul said to the church in Philip, with the addition of our “peace” add-in. “I have learned to be ‘in a state of peaceful happiness’ no matter what happens to me.” I can’t say that I’m there yet, but I sure try to live that out each and every day, sometimes one second at a time. I encourage you to do the same. We’ll just keep practicing it until peace is something that we can easily go to, no matter what.” Before they leave, ask them to close their eyes so you can pray and send them out. Pass out Parent CUE cards as adults arrive for pick-up.

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