Sabbath School June 2017

6/3/2017

Nature Window: Nest-building

Have you had the awesome privilege of watching a bird or pair of birds build a nest? They make many many trips to and from their selected home spot carrying building supplies. Some use twigs and mud. Others use thread and random soft stuff. God guides them to know just what to do, so that their nest is warm, soft, and safe. When the birds are satisfied that their nest is just right, then mother bird lays eggs in it.

Birds building nests reminds me of the Bible verse, Psalm 127:1, which says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." There was a time in Bible history when God brought some of his people back home to Jerusalem from a long exile in Babylon and Medo-Persia. When the people got back, their city was in ruins. They had to build the gates and build God's house again. It was a lot of work, but God guided them step by step.

Below are some options this month for experiencing the nature lesson.

GO: On your nature walk, can you find any nests? If so, look around and see if you can find mommy and daddy bird hanging around nearby. God gives each animal wisdom to make their home. All their homes look different. He gives us a home, too. Thank God for the home that you have.
WATCH: On a day when you can't go outside, look out your nature window. Watch the birds. They are always looking for something. Are they looking for seeds, bugs, or twigs, etc.? God helps birds find all the things they need. Are you looking for something in your life? Have you asked God to help you find it?
THINK: Did you know mommy birds and daddy birds look different from each other? Mommy birds aren't as bright and colorful as daddy birds. Can you find any pairs of birds outside? Can you tell which is mommy bird and which is daddy bird? God wanted mommy bird to have some extra protection from predators because she has to sit still on her eggs. By making her blend in better with her surroundings, she is not as easy to see. Talk about some rules your family has to make sure you stay safe.
DO: Can you make a nest? Use craft supplies, building supplies, or natural supplies to build your nest. For example, can you make a Lego block nest? Can you make a nest out of sticks and mud? Can you make a nest using Play-doh and craft sticks? Think about how you can make sure your nest would stay warm, dry, and still outside. Those are a lot of things to think about aren't they? It's amazing that God gives birds wisdom on how to make their nests just right for keeping their babies safe, warm, and dry.

Memory Mastery: The Godhead

This quarter we are learning more about the Godhead. During our time, we will unpack a little of the mystery of God to help the children understand some important principles. At the end of our questions and answers, you will find a poem about the Godhead that I want the children to memorize.

Who is God?

God is our maker. [Can you pound your fist like you are building something?] He put our bodies together before we were born.
God is our provider. [Can you hold your hands out to give?] He gives us everything we need to live (air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink, clothes to keep us warm, roof to keep us dry, and family to love).
God is our Savior from sin. [Can you cross your arms like you are in jail, then open them to be free?] He died for our sins and gives us power to obey, so we can live forever with Him.

Did God really make everything? What was there before Him?
Reference: Acts 17:24-28

God is the Creator of heaven and earth and every living being.
He has always been there. He was there before anything existed. He was there before your mommy and daddy, before your grandma and grandpa, before Abraham and Noah, before Adam and Eve, before the animals, before the earth was created, before the angels lived, before the whole universe was here – God has always been there, and He will always be here.
And God wants each of us to get to know Him and be His friend, so He inspired prophets to write the Bible – His words to us.

Do you like to be alone all by yourself? Neither does God.
In fact, did you know God has his own family?
References: 1 John 5:7; Mark 1:9-11

We call His family the Godhead.
There are 3 persons in His family – The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Can we see God?
References: 1 John 4:12; John 6:46; Hebrews 4:14; John 15:26; John 14:7-9

No, we can’t see God, but we know He is there. There are a lot of things we cannot see, but we know they are there. Can you think of any examples? (air, microscopic organisms, certain wavelengths of light, magnetic force, etc.)
But, people long ago did see Jesus when he walked and lived on earth. Now, Jesus is in heaven serving as our great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. Even though He is way up there, we can still see Jesus here. When we prayerfully read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will show Him to us. And Jesus will show us the Father.

Here is a poem I wrote to help us remember each person of the Godhead. Let's say it and do our hand motions.
(This poem is the actual memory mastery project we will memorize as a class.)

Who is God? [arms and shoulders raised up like I don't know.]
Heavenly Father, to whom I pray. [point up, then hands folded in prayer]
Jesus Christ who died for me. [open arms wide like cross, then point to self]
Holy Spirit who lives in my heart. [swirl on finger around, then point to heart]
All 3 are one God of love. [show 3 fingers, show 1, point up, then hug self]

- by Inga Goodwin

Mission Trip: A Secondary School for Libreville, Gabon

This quarter we are collecting coins to help our world church build a secondary school in Libreville, Gabon. This school will help other children and youth learn more about Jesus and His love.

Bible Story: Faithful Builders

Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah was a Jew living in Medo-Persia. He was one of the captives from Judah. Nehemiah served King Artaxerxes food and drink.

One day he was very sad. "What's wrong?" asked the King. Nehemiah said a quick prayer to God. Then, he answered, "I have received news from back home that Jerusalem is in ruins and the gates were destroyed with fire. I am sad because the people that remain there are not safe, and God's city is destroyed." The king responded, "What would you like to do?" Nehemiah asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city gates.

After Nehemiah prayed to God for help, he asked the King of Medo-Persia to let him go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. The king said yes. Can you stand tall like a wall? Now, fall down like Jerusalem's wall. It was destroyed by fire. Courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org

The king said Nehemiah could go back home. Then Nehemiah asked him for wood and soldiers. The king granted all of Nehemiah's requests. Surely, God was with Nehemiah to send him back to Jerusalem to rebuild God's city.

When Nehemiah reached Jerusalem, he looked all around. There was a lot of work to do. The next day, he talked to the leaders that were there. "Let's rebuild the city gates," he said, "God has granted me help. I know He wants us to rebuild Jerusalem." The people of Judah decided to help. Each man worked on a part of the wall, till all of it was rebuilt.

When Nehemiah got to Jerusalem, he asked the people there to help him. Everyone was glad to build the wall. Can you pound your fist like you are hammering something? Courtesy of Sweet Publishing and FreeBibleImages.org

Some enemies tried to stop Nehemiah, so he had to assign some workers to act as guards to protect the city. Even though the project was hard and there were other people who didn't want it done, God's people trusted in God to help them finish the job.

Our prayer verse is Nehemiah 2:20, which says, "The God of heaven will give us success. We are God’s servants. We will start rebuilding" (ICB). God is still looking for helpers, like Nehemiah, who will see things that need to be done, ask God for help, and work hard to do them. You can practice being a good helper at home with mommy and daddy. There is always lots of work to be done around the house.
Dear Father God, I want to be your servant, like Nehemiah. I want to work hard for you. In Jesus' name, Amen

Below are some options this month for experiencing the story. Focus on one each week.

Activity 1: Make a trail (using painters tape, string, chalk, etc.) to walk on from Jerusalem to Babylon. Can you keep your feet on the line? Remember that the children of Judah were taken captive to Babylon. Then Medo-Persia came to power. When you get to the end of the trail, can you say, "Babylon, then Medo-Persia, let's go back to Jerusalem." Now walk your trail all the way back to "Jerusalem" pretending you are with Nehemiah.

Activity 2: Do you like to help? When Nehemiah first got back to Jerusalem, he looked all around to see the damage. Take a walk around your house. Look for things that need to be done (toys on floor, dirty dishes, etc.). What's one thing you can do to help this week?

Activity 3: Can you help Nehemiah rebuild the wall of Jerusalem? Get some blocks (or some craft sticks and Play-doh) and build a wall.

Activity 4: While some people built the wall, others were acting as guards and looking out to make sure enemies were not coming to attack them. A guard has to keep their eyes open and pay close attention to anything that moves. Let's pretend we are guarding our house (apartment, etc.). Let's look out the window and see who can first see something move and say what it is (birds, squirrels, bike rider, car coming).

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