Tuesday, March 15, 2016

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)

Lesson: The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)

The world had one language after the flood, and everyone spoke it. (Who was the man who built the ark and took his family on it to survive the flood?) The people moved east and settled in a large valley in Babylon. They decided to build a city for themselves using bricks instead of stones. They decided to build a tower that reached the sky.
The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, but saw that the people were more focused on building the tower and no longer worshiped Him. Instead, they were worshiping their own accomplishments. God was displeased, so He made new languages, and made everyone speak a different one (Do you know any other languages? Do you know anyone who speaks a different language?).
The people could no longer build the city or the tower. No one could understand what anyone else was saying. So they split up. They scattered all over the world. The unfinished tower became known as the Tower of Babel because all the people could do was babble at each other (What does babble mean?).

Review Questions:

1. After the flood, how many languages were there in the whole world?
2. Where did the people settle?
3. What did they decided to build?
4. How did God feel about the tower?
5. What did He do about it?
6. What did the tower become known as?

Word of the Day:

Babble: verb: to talk rapidly, foolishly, excitedly, or in an incomprehensible way

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for all the beautiful languages You gave us,
Grant us the grace to keep out thoughts on You
And not just our accomplishments.
Help us remember that You are responsible for our successes
And will help us through our troubles.
Amen.

Activities:

Cross Word
Word Search
Coloring Page

Craft:

Popsicle Stick Tower



Sunday, March 6, 2016

The Flood and the Rainbow (Genesis 6-9)

Lesson: The Flood and the Rainbow, Genesis 6-9

After Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, they had many children and then their children had many children. (Do you remember why Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden?) It went that way for hundreds and hundreds of years. Then there came a time when people on Earth didn't know God, but God could see them. He didn't like what He saw.

The people were selfish and evil. They fought and did cruel things to one another. God was sorry He had ever made men and women to live on the Earth. (Can you think of anything these people might have been doing to make God so mad?) Now He was going to put an end to all people that He had made. But there was one man God wanted to save. His name was Noah and he was a good man that worshiped God and did good things.

God went to Noah and said, "I'm going to flood the Earth and destroy every single living thing on it. However, I want you to build a huge ark for yourself and your family. Bring two of every animal, from the tiniest to the largest, those that fly and those that crawl, onto the ark." (What are some kinds of animals that would have gone on the ark?)

So Noah started building the ark, just like God told him to. When he was finished, it looked like a large box. It was made to float, not sail and it was about three stories high and the length of one and a half football fields. (How long is a football field? [100 yards])It was big enough for all the animals, food, Noah, and his family. When the ark was ready, the animals walked in two by two, in pairs.

At last, Noah and his wife and their three sons and their wives went onto the ark. It rained for forty days and forty nights. The Earth flooded, and every single living thing was destroyed, but Noah's ark was well built. It floated on top of the water and was nice and dry inside.

Finally, it stopped raining, and God remembered Noah. He sent a lot of wind and the water started to go down. After a while, Noah sent out a dove. It came back with nothing. A few days later, he sent it out again. This time, it came back with a twig from an olive tree. This meant the flood waters were going away. Seven days later, Noah sent the dove out again. This time it didn't come back and Noah knew that the dove had found dry land and a tree to live on.

He opened the ark and let all the animals out. God made a promise to Noah, "I will never again use a flood to destroy life on Earth. Life will go on because of you and your family and the animals you took on the ark." A rainbow appeared in the sky, "Look at the rainbow. It's a sign of the promise I've made you." (What colors are in the rainbow?)

Review Questions:

1. What did God want to do to all the living things on Earth?
2. What made God want to do that?
3. Who did God choose to survive?
4. What did God have Noah build?
5. Who and what did God have Noah put on the ship?
6. How long did it rain?
7. What did God show as a sign promising that He wouldn't flood the world again?

Word of the Day:

Selfish: adjective: not considering others, caring only for one's own personal gain or profit

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for second chances.
We thank you for rain and rainbows,
For doves and olive branches,
And pray for You to guide us no matter which way the wind blows.
Amen.

Activities:

Word Search
Crossword
Coloring Page

Craft:

Paper Rainbows