Bible Story: Rebuilding the WallNOTE: For the youngest children, feel free to just read the 3-part story sequence in the picture captions. (It also has actions to do in parenthesis.) Reference: Nehemiah Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia. One day, Nehemiah’s brother came from Jerusalem and told him some sad news. “The walls of Jerusalem are in ruins. The people there are not safe. There are enemies in the land.” Nehemiah cried. He also confessed the sins of his people and prayed to God for an opportunity to help them there.  Nehemiah served King Artaxerxes of Persia something to drink. The king asked Nehemiah why he was sad. “The walls of Jerusalem are in ruins,” he said. (Make sad face) Image courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org One day when he was serving the king, the king asked, “Nehemiah, why do you look so sad?” Nehemiah sent up a quick prayer to God. Then, he answered the king, “Dear King, I cannot be happy because the city of my people lies in ruins.” The king wanted to help and said, “What do you want to do?” Nehemiah asked for permission to return to Jerusalem, so he could help the people rebuild Jerusalem. The king agreed and even gave Nehemiah supplies for the project. God had answered his prayer!  The king allowed Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. Some workers guarded the city, while others worked on the walls. (Point to the guard) Image courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org When Nehemiah arrived, he gathered the people and said, “Let’s rebuild these walls. The king has given us permission. And God is on our side.” The people quickly got to work. But, enemies in the land bullied the Jews and even tried to hurt Nehemiah. So, Nehemiah told the workers to take turns guarding the city and building the walls. God gave the Jews courage and help to finish the project.  Even though the enemies in the land tried to stop the Jews, God protected them and helped them finish the project. (Raise your hands in praise) Image courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org Prayer Verse and Prayer Prompt*Our Bible story reminds me of the prayer verse, Nehemiah 2:20, in which Nehemiah said to those who made fun of him for trying to do God’s work, “The God of heaven will give us success. We are God’s servants. We will start rebuilding.” (ICB). You will discover in life, like Nehemiah did, that sometimes there are other people around you who tell you mean things and don’t want you to be successful. Remember Nehemiah’s words: God will give success. Why? Because you are His servant. If you are trusting in God and doing what is right, sometimes others will say and do mean things, but God will help you succeed anyways.
Dear Father God, You give success. Help me not get discouraged in my work even when it is hard. Help me trust in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen * Please help your child learn how to claim God's promise in prayer. Nature Window: Pollution Doesn't this picture make you sad? When people throw trash on the ground, that is one form of pollution. Pollution is putting something in the environment that shouldn't be there and causes harm. Photo #1481739 by Kenn Kiser, courtesy of FreeImages.com Pollution is what we call things that are put in the environment that cause problems for the living things there. Pollution can be things like plastic trash on the ground, smoke in the air, and chemical waste in the water. These things make animals and people sick. God wants us to be stewards of this earth. That means He put us in charge to take good care of it. Taking care of the earth also takes care of us. There are 6 R’s that can help us make good choices for the earth and for us. REFUSE to pollute. RESEARCH better ways to do things. REDUCE your use of resources. REUSE items again and again. RECYCLE plastic and other non-compostable items and ROT (or compost) natural waste. Mean words are just like pollution. When we say them, we are hurting others and ourselves. Mean words make life unhappy and unsafe. Don’t pollute life with trash talk. Be like Nehemiah. Encourage and uplift others with your words. Rebuild and restore with your deeds. Memory Mastery: The Godhead There are 2 times in history when it is super easy to see all persons of the Godhead together: Creation and the Baptism of Jesus. Image courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org This quarter, please help your child memorize this poem with hand motions about the Godhead. Heavenly Father to whom I pray (Point up, then praying hands) Jesus Christ who died for me (Arms outstretch on cross, then point to self) Holy Spirit who lives in my heart (Swirl a finger around, then point to heart) All three are one God of love! (Show 3, show 1, hug self) Mission Trip: A Church for BulgariaThis quarter, we have been raising money to build a church in Bulgaria with a special children's section. Please help make this project a reality by donating to the World Mission Project.
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