===================================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, June 27, 1998 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: April 30, 1998 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, FOOD FROM HEAVEN ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: The Sabbath is a special day that God wants me to treat differently from other days. Memory Verse: "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - WILDERNESS GROCERY SHOPPING Materials needed: Several sacks of food items (Items should include healthful nutritious foods and foods considered "junk" foods) Notepaper and pencil for each child Clipboard or hard surface children can carry around to write on WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Display the food items around the room at several locations. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: The children are to pretend they are lost in the wilderness. They have been without food for several days. If they could get to a grocery store at that point, what would they buy? They may rotate around the locations where the food items are located and write down what they would choose. If they cannot write, have them copy the first letter. Allow 1-3 minutes for this activity depending on the size of your group. Return together as a large group and discuss their choices and reasoning. Follow up this activity with the following discussion questions: 1. How many of the foods you chose are healthy and needed by your body? 2. How much food did you choose? In our story today, God sends the perfect food to a very hungry group of people. And he knows just how much to send! God provides all our needs. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MANNA MEAL Materials needed: Seven small graham or wafer-type crackers for each child Basket Cloth or napkin to cover basket Bible story narrative below Plastic sandwich bags (optional) WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Put all the wafers or crackers into the basket and cover with a cloth. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: The students will listen for the word need or needs in the Bible narrative as you tell it. Whenever they hear you mention either of those words, they quietly keep track on their fingers. When you're done telling the narrative, they may draw out the same number of wafers or crackers as they heard the words need or needs mentioned. (The answer is seven) Have them count their wafers then follow up with the following discussion questions: 1. What day of the week is number 7? (Sabbath) 2. What lesson was God reviewing with the Israelites with the manna and the Sabbath? (He wanted them to remember the blessing of the Sabbath, and how He would provide what they needed if they honored Him on that special day.) 3. God knew that the Israelites needed guidance, protection, food, water and special time with Him. Which of those things do we still need today? The children may eat their wafers or take them home in a bag and re-tell the story to their family or friends. BIBLE NARRATIVE: God took good care of the Israelites. He sent a cloud during the day because He knew they would need shade from the hot desert sun. He sent them a pillar of fire at night because He knew they would need to feel safe and protected in the dark. When it was time to permanently get rid of the Egyptian army, God made a path through the Red Sea so the Israelites could get away. But no matter what God did for the Israelites, they had a hard time remembering that God took care of their needs. As soon as things did not go smoothly, they began complaining. Three days after they crossed over the Red Sea, the Israelites ran out of water. By the time they found some water they were very thirsty! But boy, when they drank it, it was awful. Instead of waiting and trusting God to show them what to do next, they began to complain to Moses. They said they wished they had never left Egypt. God had a plan, though. He knew that they would need water in order to survive. He told Moses to cut down a certain tree branch and throw it into the water. The water became sweet and delicious to drink. Not too long after that, they ran out of food. Once again they complained bitterly to Moses. Moses told them not to worry. God knew that they would need something to eat. At supper time the next evening God sent a flock of quail into the camp. The people killed them and ate them. The very next morning God sent a special food called Manna that looked like frozen dew all over the ground. It was sweet and very good, and there was plenty for everyone. Because God knew the children of Israel would need to remember the special Sabbath day, He used the manna to teach them a lesson. The Israelites were instructed to only gather enough manna for each day. They were not to save any for the next day. On Friday, however, the Israelites were told to gather twice as much manna as on the other days. God said He would not send any manna on Sabbath. He wanted the Israelites to be able to rest and think about His care and love for them in a special way on Sabbath. Everyone who followed God's plans found they had just the right amount of manna to eat. Once again God showed them how eager He was to care for their needs. He's just as eager to do the same things for each of us. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE REVIEW FOOD BASKET Materials needed: 16 pieces of fresh fruit or garden produce Large basket that can hold the above produce Large ribbon (16) 3 X 5 cards Bibles Thinking of You greeting card WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Print one word of the memory verse on each 3 X 5 card. Lay them in random order on a table or other flat surface. Lay a piece of fruit or vegetable beside each card. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Place the large basket on the opposite side of the room from the fruit and vegetable table. Have the children look up the memory verse in their Bibles. Read it and repeat it several times together. Explain to the children that they will put together a food basket. Just as God took care of the Israelites needs, He uses us to help take care of others in need. The fruits and vegetables are placed in the basket in the order of the memory verse. The first volunteer places the produce in the basket beside the word, "My". The second places the produce in the basket found by the word "God". Continue in this manner until the memory verse is completed and the basket is packed. Make a large bow from the ribbon and attach it to the basket. Shuffle the 3 X 5 cards up and lay them out on the table again. The first child finds the first word of the verse and prints it on the "Thinking of You" greeting card. The second child finds the second word and copies it in the card. Continue in this manner until the whole verse is copied in the card. All children may sign their names in the card. If the memory verse still needs reviewing, place the cards in order and begin taking one away at a time. Say the complete verse each time a word or words is removed. If possible, plan a time during the week when the children can go with you to deliver the food basket. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - SYMBOL BINGO Materials needed: 1 6" x 6" poster board card for each student 10 dried beans for each child Ruler Marker 10 small pieces of paper WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (TO PREPARE AHEAD) Divide a 6" x 6" piece of white paper into 12 square blocks, four horizontally and 3 vertically. Draw the following symbols, one in each block. Heart, piece of fruit, half-filled glass, stick figure, circle face with closed eyes & zzz's coming out of mouth, saw & hammer, number 7, cross, Bible, 10 commandments, Xerox enough copies for each child to have one. Glue them onto each child's 6" x 6" poster board square. (You may choose to cut up the rows of squares and glue them in different orders on the poster board squares.) Print the following words on the 10 small pieces of paper and mix them up. Then place them at the front in a stack. Love, food, water, someone to care for you, work, rest, Sabbath, salvation, hope and encouragement, rules, Count out 10 beans for each child. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Give each child a "bingo game board" (poster board square with symbols on it) and 10 beans. Explain to the children that the cards being read from the front are things God knows we need. They are to find the symbol on their card that matches that word and place a bean on it. Call volunteers to the front to draw cards from the stack and read the words. The words and symbols match as follows: Love - heart Food - piece of fruit Water - half-filled glass Someone to care for you - stick figure Rest - circle face with closed eyes Work - saw & hammer Sabbath - number 7 Salvation - cross Hope & encouragement - Bible Rules - 10 commandments In order to "win" the game the children must draw a symbol or write the words showing something God has provided them with in the last two boxes.