**Matthew 9:38 - Commence
**Revelation 21:5 - The Last Great Day
Commence
“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:38
Materials: bags for each child with foam leaf, band-aid, balloon, jewels, blue yarn doll, rock, antiseptic wipe, heart
At the end of a class, a seminar, a training session, the students are gathered together, reminded of the lessons they’ve learned and sent off to get started on their jobs. That’s what today feels like! We’ve spent the past seven days learning, drinking in lots of information. Now we’re ready for our marching orders. We’re ready to go use what we’ve been given - to put it into practice.
(Heart) We’ve felt the Holy Spirit all week long. It has filled this place and us! Now, like the water ceremony portrays, we need to go home and let the living water flow out of our hearts and water our world. We came out of a dry and dusty land. It’s time to go home and make it blossom.
(wipes) After the priests were cleansed and consecrated in the tabernacle for seven days, they assumed their duties on the eighth day (Leviticus 8:33; 9:1). It’s time to get to work as part of God’s kingdom of priests. We may not be priests yet, but we must realize this is the place God is preparing for us and preparing us for. Live your life with that goal and reality in mind. Look for opportunities to share the gospel and to encourage people to seek God and to draw closer to Him.
(Rock) What happened in the temple once it had been dedicated? It was used for the glory of God. This week has been a reminder for us, that, as the temple of God, we are dedicated to His purposes. All of us are the lively stones that God is using for His purpose to His glory.
(yarn doll) Knowing that you are the Bride of Christ - His helpmate - be aware that God is preparing you for that role. You will be tried and purified. Stay close to God (prayer, Bible study, meditation, and fellowship) and trust Him! You are special to Him.
(Jewels) Just how special to Him we are is hard to wrap our minds around!! He calls us jewels! He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for us so that we could be adopted into His family. He loves us beyond our imagination. Hold onto that trust no matter what!!
(Form leaf and Band-aid) On the first day, we talked about building a tabernacle according to God’s commands. Now, seven days later, the tabernacle looks like the weather has not been kind to it! Similarly, these temporary dwellings, our bodies, look a little worse for the wear as we live through the storms of life. But we keep our eyes focused on Him, knowing it’s part of His plan!
(Balloon) And we rejoice! We rejoice that we have a future in God’s kingdom as the temple of God, the Bride of Christ, priests of God, adopted into God’s family.
Are you ready to get started?
**The Last Great Day
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:5
Materials Needed: dry erase board, dry erase marker, permanent marker, rubbing alcohol
I love God telling us that He’s going to make everything new - as in fresh and unused, as opposed to making us new age-wise (like infants). So what comes to mind when you think what will be made new? (Write the students’ ideas on the dry erase board in permanent marker, i.e. death, pain, earth, sin.)
The heavens and the earth - no more pollution, no more space junk, no more systems out of whack
No more pain. No more death. No more sorrow or tears.
No more sin. No more carnal nature.
No more separation from God.
How is God accomplishing all of this? All of what is wrong with our world is due to sin, aka rebellion against God. How is this all rectified? Can you do anything through your own efforts to make everything new? (Let the students try to erase the permanent marker. Won’t work, not even a little.)
Only through the blood of Jesus Christ is it possible for everything to be made new - because the Builder is worth more than the house (Hebrews 3:3). (Cover the words the students gave with a dry erase marker. Then use a cloth to wipe it all away. The dry erase marker will take the permanent marker off the board.)
We’ve just celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. Don’t forget the lesson that we’re just here temporarily - dwelling in tents, as it were. Don’t forget that our goal is to live in Christ! That means reading your Bible daily, praying, and fellowshipping with people who love God, who seek Him, and who follow His commandments because they love Him.
Things are going to continue to get more and more out of whack as people become more and more sinful and estranged from God. But take heart! You persevere in following, loving, seeking, and serving our Great God. And one of these days, we’ll get to stand before God and hear Him say, “Behold, I am making everything new!” What a day that will be!!
**Revelation 21:5 - The Last Great Day
Commence
“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:38
Materials: bags for each child with foam leaf, band-aid, balloon, jewels, blue yarn doll, rock, antiseptic wipe, heart
At the end of a class, a seminar, a training session, the students are gathered together, reminded of the lessons they’ve learned and sent off to get started on their jobs. That’s what today feels like! We’ve spent the past seven days learning, drinking in lots of information. Now we’re ready for our marching orders. We’re ready to go use what we’ve been given - to put it into practice.
(Heart) We’ve felt the Holy Spirit all week long. It has filled this place and us! Now, like the water ceremony portrays, we need to go home and let the living water flow out of our hearts and water our world. We came out of a dry and dusty land. It’s time to go home and make it blossom.
(wipes) After the priests were cleansed and consecrated in the tabernacle for seven days, they assumed their duties on the eighth day (Leviticus 8:33; 9:1). It’s time to get to work as part of God’s kingdom of priests. We may not be priests yet, but we must realize this is the place God is preparing for us and preparing us for. Live your life with that goal and reality in mind. Look for opportunities to share the gospel and to encourage people to seek God and to draw closer to Him.
(Rock) What happened in the temple once it had been dedicated? It was used for the glory of God. This week has been a reminder for us, that, as the temple of God, we are dedicated to His purposes. All of us are the lively stones that God is using for His purpose to His glory.
(yarn doll) Knowing that you are the Bride of Christ - His helpmate - be aware that God is preparing you for that role. You will be tried and purified. Stay close to God (prayer, Bible study, meditation, and fellowship) and trust Him! You are special to Him.
(Jewels) Just how special to Him we are is hard to wrap our minds around!! He calls us jewels! He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for us so that we could be adopted into His family. He loves us beyond our imagination. Hold onto that trust no matter what!!
(Form leaf and Band-aid) On the first day, we talked about building a tabernacle according to God’s commands. Now, seven days later, the tabernacle looks like the weather has not been kind to it! Similarly, these temporary dwellings, our bodies, look a little worse for the wear as we live through the storms of life. But we keep our eyes focused on Him, knowing it’s part of His plan!
(Balloon) And we rejoice! We rejoice that we have a future in God’s kingdom as the temple of God, the Bride of Christ, priests of God, adopted into God’s family.
Are you ready to get started?
**The Last Great Day
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:5
Materials Needed: dry erase board, dry erase marker, permanent marker, rubbing alcohol
I love God telling us that He’s going to make everything new - as in fresh and unused, as opposed to making us new age-wise (like infants). So what comes to mind when you think what will be made new? (Write the students’ ideas on the dry erase board in permanent marker, i.e. death, pain, earth, sin.)
The heavens and the earth - no more pollution, no more space junk, no more systems out of whack
No more pain. No more death. No more sorrow or tears.
No more sin. No more carnal nature.
No more separation from God.
How is God accomplishing all of this? All of what is wrong with our world is due to sin, aka rebellion against God. How is this all rectified? Can you do anything through your own efforts to make everything new? (Let the students try to erase the permanent marker. Won’t work, not even a little.)
Only through the blood of Jesus Christ is it possible for everything to be made new - because the Builder is worth more than the house (Hebrews 3:3). (Cover the words the students gave with a dry erase marker. Then use a cloth to wipe it all away. The dry erase marker will take the permanent marker off the board.)
We’ve just celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. Don’t forget the lesson that we’re just here temporarily - dwelling in tents, as it were. Don’t forget that our goal is to live in Christ! That means reading your Bible daily, praying, and fellowshipping with people who love God, who seek Him, and who follow His commandments because they love Him.
Things are going to continue to get more and more out of whack as people become more and more sinful and estranged from God. But take heart! You persevere in following, loving, seeking, and serving our Great God. And one of these days, we’ll get to stand before God and hear Him say, “Behold, I am making everything new!” What a day that will be!!