Lesson 2

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Under the Big Top Activity Listing * All grades begin class time with Prayer and Share Time * 7/1 - Lesson 1:

All: Verse Pennant Craft The Gifts They Got What’s Your Gift?

7/8-Lesson 2:

All: Act It Out K, 1 & 2: Circus Train 3rd & 4th: What Should Sam Have Done?

7/15-Lesson 3:

All: Cup Stacking Race Verse Pennant Craft

7/22- Lesson 4:

All: Verse Pennant Craft K, 1 & 2: Ernestine the Influential 3rd & 4th: Missed Opportunities

7/29- Lesson 5:

All: Three Ring Circus K, 1 & 2: Circus Train 3rd & 4th: Gifts Scramble

8/5- Lesson 6:

All: Verse Pennant Craft What’s My Gift?

8/12- Lesson 7:

All: Thank You Cards K, 1 & 2: Keep A Count 3rd & 4th: End of The Tightrope

8/19- Lesson 8:

All: Bible Study Bookmark Obedience Freeze Tag Preparing Calendar

ACT IT OUT APPLICATION ACTIVITY Lesson 2 - I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants!

PURPOSE: In this activity, the children will learn that it is best to use our gifts the way God wants.

DESCRIPTION: In this activity, the children will role-play different situations where they use specific gifts correctly and incorrectly.

MATERIALS NEEDED: For this activity, you will need this Help Sheet, “Act It Out Gifts Lesson 2” and “Acting Key Lesson 2” from your Lesson Materials CD-ROM.

TO INTRODUCE THE ACTIVITY SAY: 1. What is the Main Point for today? (I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants!) 2. Right! God wants us to use our gifts for His purposes and not selfishly. 3. Today, we’re going to test out ways we can use our gifts in specific situations in our day to day lives. For detailed instructions on how to lead the activity, see the Small Group Leader DVD.

TO LEAD THE ACTIVITY SAY: 1. I have a pile of cards here. Each card has a picture of a gift and the gift listed on it. 2. When you pull a card, you will act out how to use the gift incorrectly for the class. 3. Once you are done acting it out, we will come up with different ways you could use that specific gift for God’s purpose instead. Are you ready? (Yes!) 4. Awesome! Here’s our first card. Show us what the situation is by acting it out for us. Note: Pick a child to act out each situation. Use the Acting Key to tell each child how to use the gift incorrectly. Then ask “What would happen if you did that?” Discuss the bad consequences of each action and guide discussion of a correct way to use the gift. Continue in this manner until all the cards have been acted out.

AFTER THE ACTIVITY SAY: 1. You all did an outstanding job today! 2. What does God want you to do with the gifts He’s given you? (Use them in ways to make God happy.)

3. That’s right! We need to use our gifts in the ways God wants us to use them! 4. Samson lost his gift of strength because he didn’t use it the way God wanted him to.

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© 2011 Fellowship Church

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ACT IT OUT APPLICATION ACTIVITY Lesson 2 - I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

5. But worse than losing his strength was how sad Samson’s life became, when it could have been so much greater. 6. If we don’t use our gifts the way God wants us to, we might lose our gifts, but we will definitely have a lot of bad consequences.

CLOSING STATEMENT: We acted out ways to use our gifts, and we learned that the best way to use our gifts is to use them the way God wants. When we use our gifts the way God wants, things go better for us.

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© 2011 Fellowship Church

Acting Key

Lesson 2

ACTING KEY ARTISTIC Negative - Draw on the wall Positive - Draw a picture for mom

STRONG Negative - Push someone out of the way Positive - Help someone carry a heavy load

GOOD AT CARDS AND BOARD GAMES Negative - Cheating by moving the game piece ahead Positive - Helping a friend understand the rules

ATHLETIC Negative - Hogging the ball Positive - Assisting another teammate to score a goal

FAST OR SPEEDY Negative - Taking something and running from the owner Positive - Delivering a message for someone

MUSICAL Negative - Being the loudest singer in the choir Positive - Leading worship for friends

A GOOD SPEAKER Negative - Making fun of others with words Positive - Encouraging a friend

INTELLIGENT Negative - Making fun of a friend with a bad grade Positive - Helping a friend with their homework

FRIENDLY Negative - Being nice to get something you want Positive - Introducing a new friend to your other friends

© 2011 Fellowship Church

Act It Out Gifts

Lesson 2

Artistic

Strong

Good At Cards And Board Games

Athletic © 2011 Fellowship Church

Act It Out Gifts

Fast or Speedy

A Good Speaker

Lesson 2

Musical

Intelligent © 2011 Fellowship Church

Act It Out Gifts

Lesson 2

Friendly

© 2011 Fellowship Church

Circus Train

weekly rEVIEW craft Activity Lesson 2 - I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants!

Purpose:

This weekly activity will help the children review the lesson and give them a visual reminder of the lesson to take home.

Description:

In this activity, the children will make one car of the Circus Train each week. As the children cut out and assemble the train car, the teacher will review the lesson with the children and encourage them to share the lesson with their family and friends.

Materials needed:

For this activity, you will need this Help Sheet. For each child you will need a Bible, scissors, tape, and the “Circus Train Car Lesson 2” from the Lesson Materials CD-ROM.

Note: The eight Circus Train Cars go together to make one train. Be sure to have extra copies of previous weeks’ cars available for any children who may miss a lesson and want to have the complete Circus Train.

To introduce the activity say:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Welcome to our new series, Under The Big Top! We are at the greatest show on earth, the circus! When the circus comes into town, it usually comes on a train. Today, we will make one of the cars from the circus train. I wonder what animal will be riding in our car this week?

For detailed instructions on how to lead the activity, see the Small Group Leader DVD.

To lead the activity say:

1. Each week, we will make one car of the circus train. 2. Be here every single week to collect all the cars of the train! 3. If you miss a week, let me know and I will get you the train car from the previous week. Note: Pass out the materials and let the children begin making the train. As they work, ask the following questions.

4. Our Main Point is on the side of the train car. Everyone, read it with me. I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants!

5. Who did God give a gift to in the Bible Story? (Samson.) 6. Samson could have helped the Israelites with his gift. What was it? (Strength.)

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© 2011 Fellowship Church

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Circus Train

weekly rEVIEW craft Activity Lesson 2 - I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants! Continued from Page 1

7. Samson only used his gift to help one person. Who was that? (Samson. Himself.) 8. Samson didn’t follow the way God wanted him to use his gift the way God wanted. What eventually happened to Samson’s gift? (He lost it. God took it away.)

9. On the side of the train car is today’s Bible Verse reference. Let’s look that up in our Bibles. 10. Read the Bible Verse with me. “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” Luke 12:48b (NLT)

After the activity say:

1. Good job making your train cars! 2. Did you know this train car is a gift from God? I am giving you this train car to help you remember t oday’s lesson.

3. Say the Main Point with me again. I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants!

Closing Statement:

Today, we learned about our Main Point, I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants! You can use this train car to help you remember the lesson and to share it with your friends and family.

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© 2011 Fellowship Church

Circus Train Car

Lesson 2

Instructions

Step 1: The supplies you will need for this craft are the “Circus Train Car,” glue or tape, and scissors.

Step 2: Cut out the train car and the animal.

Step 3: Your pieces will now look like this. Next, cut out the slot on the dashed line for the animal. The slot will be either on the top or the Main Point side of the car.

Optional: If time permits, you can cut out the bottom of the wheels so that they stand up.

Step 4: Fold each side and tabs along the solid black lines.

Step 5: Tape or glue the tabs so that it is shaped like a box.

Step 6: Insert the animal into the slot.

Step 7: Once the craft for each lesson is completed, the final circus train will look like this.

© 2011 Fellowship Church

Circus Train Car

Lesson 2

I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants!

Luke 12:48b © 2011 Fellowship Church

Circus Train Car

Lesson 2

© 2011 Fellowship Church

WHAT SHOULD SAM HAVE DONE? APPLICATION ACTIVITY Lesson 2 - I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants!

PURPOSE: In this activity, the children will learn that our lives will turn out better if we use our gifts in the way that God wants us to.

DESCRIPTION: In this activity, the children will work in groups and discuss the different times Samson used his gifts selfishly and how he could have used his gifts the way God wanted him to.

MATERIALS NEEDED: For this activity you will need this Help Sheet, Bibles, paper, pens or pencils, markers, and the “What Should Sam Have Done Lesson 2” from your Lesson Materials CD-ROM.

TO INTRODUCE THE ACTIVITY SAY: 1. What is the Main Point for today? (I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants!) 2. Right! God wants us to use the special gifts He gives us in ways that make Him happy! 3. Today, we’re going to learn more about Samson from our Bible Story and the ways he used his gifts selfishly. 4. We’ll also look at some of the ways he could have used his gifts the way God wanted him to. For detailed instructions on how to lead the activity, see the Small Group Leader DVD.

TO LEAD THE ACTIVITY SAY: 1. First, can you tell me what made Samson special? (He was strong.) 2. Samson should have used his gifts the way God wanted him to. God wanted Samson to use his 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

gift of strength to help free the Israelites from the Philistines. But Samson did not use that gift of strength like he should have. He made a lot of mistakes! We are going to look at six mistakes that Samson made and decide what Samson should have done instead. I’m going to divide you into groups of three or four. Each group will take a Bible and read a part of Samson’s story together. Each of you will have a card with some verses and how Samson messed up written on it. I want you to look up the verses on your group’s card and then decide what Samson should have done instead.

Note: Divide the class into several groups of three or four.

8. Are you ready to work together to find out more about Samson? (Yes.) 9. Great! Get to work!

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© 2011 Fellowship Church

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WHAT SHOULD SAM HAVE DONE? APPLICATION ACTIVITY Lesson 2 - I Will Use My Gifts The Way God Wants! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Note: Give the children enough time to make a list with their groups.

10. Wow! You have been working really well in your groups! Come back over here, and let’s discuss what you found out in your groups.

11. What are some of the ways Samson messed up in the Bible Story? (He bullied people. He used his gift for revenge. He stole from others.)

12. That’s right! None of those things are ways that God would want gifts to be used. Samson used his gifts in ways that were not pleasing to God! 13. Let’s take a look at the cards you just looked at. We are going to divide them into two piles. 14. One pile is “Used his gifts to please God” and the other pile is “Used his gifts for himself.” 15. The scripture reference on this card is Judges 14:1-3. 16. On this card, Samson is bullying his parents. What could Samson have done differently in this situation? (Respected his parents’ wishes.) 17. Did Samson bully his parents to make God happy or to make himself happy? (Himself.) 18. Yes! We’ll start a pile for those decisions right here. Note: Continue in this manner until all the cards have been discussed and are in a pile.

19. Wow! Look at our piles! Well, we only have one pile, really. 20. Samson made a lot of decisions to use his gifts in ways that were for himself!

AFTER THE ACTIVITY SAY: 1. You all did an outstanding job today! 2. God gave Samson the gift of strength so he could help free the Israelites. Samson used the gift for 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

his own selfish gain. Because Samson didn’t use his gift correctly, his life was miserable. God eventually took the gift away. Without his strength, the Philistines were able to capture him, gouge his eyes out, and hold him prisoner! Just like God gave the gift of strength to Samson, God gives gifts to each of us. He wants us to use these gifts for Him and not for ourselves. If we choose to misuse the gifts God gives us, our lives will not turn out the way God wants them to, and those gifts just might be taken away from us!

CLOSING STATEMENT: Samson did not use his gifts the way God wanted. If he had used his gifts for God’s purposes, then he would have lived a much different life. Don’t be like Samson. Use the gifts God gave you in the way He wants you to use them.

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© 2011 Fellowship Church

What Should Sam Have Done?

Lesson 2

Samson stole from others

Samson bullied his parents

Judges 14:12-19

Judges 14:1-3

Samson told his secret

Samson got revenge on others

Judges 16:15-21

Judges 15:2-8 © 2011 Fellowship Church