God’s Power-Week 2

Memory Verse

ReferenceVerseMotions
Isaiah 46:9“I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me.”Both hands raised to the sky when they say, “I am God”, shake their heads and fingers when they say, “there is no other” and “none like me”.

Day 1-Gideon Sees God’s Power

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory verse.
  • Ask, “Have you ever felt too small or too young or just not quite able to do something you’ve been asked to do?
  • Say, “Well, the guy we will read about today felt just like that. After Joshua died, the Israelites began doing evil in the sight of the Lord (Judges 2:11-12), and since they were disobeying God, He gave them into the hands of their enemies (Judges 2:14-15). One enemy, the Midianites, had been oppressing the Israelites for seven years. God had a plan to save His people and to show His power so they would remember that He was the only One the needed.”
  • Say, “God came to a man named Gideon and told him that He was to lead the Israelites in battle against their enemy-the Midianites. Gideon was unsure he was up to the task. After all, he was the youngest in his family, and he didn’t come from a long line of warriors. But, God promised that He would be with Gideon and that he would defeat Midian (Judges 6:12-16). So Gideon gathered an army.”
  • Read Judges 7:2-3. Ask, “How many people left because they were afraid? (22,000) That’s a lot people! Why did God want the number of fighting men to be smaller? (verse 2)”
  • Say, “Even though only 10,000 people remained, God told Gideon that there were still too many. “
  • Read or summarize Judges 7:5-8. Demonstrate how some lapped like a dog and how some put their hands to their mouths to drink. Ask, “Which of the men did God want Gideon to use? How many were there?”
  • Read or summarize Judges 7:16-18. Explain that they posted up around the enemy camp during the night. They all blew their trumpets and smashed the pitchers that they were carrying and shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Have the children hold up their left arm like they are holding a torch and their right arm like they are holding a trumpet. Then have them shout!
  • Say, “The enemy was so confused. They had been sleeping and were now awakened by battle cries. In the confusion, some fled and some fought themselves! God did it again! He showed that He was in control and that His people just need to trust Him.”
  • Ask, “How did Gideon and his men see God’s power that day? Do you think this gave them courage for other battles they would have to face? How does this story help you today?”
  • Activity: Have kids use toys or stuffed animals to put on a play about Gideon.

Day 2-David Trusts in God’s Power

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory verse.
  • Read 1 Samuel 17:2-51 or tell the story in your own words. Be sure to read 1 Samuel 17:45-47 directly from the Bible. Below are some places you may want to pause to explain or check for understanding:
  • Verse 4-Goliath was about 9 feet, 9 inches tall
  • Verse 5-his armor was 125 lbs.
  • Verse 7-the head of his spear weighed 15 lbs.
  • Pause after verse 19 and quickly retell what has happened so far or have one of your children narrate it back to you.
  • Pause after verse 40 and ask, “How was David able to have such confidence that the Lord would help him defeat Goliath?” (verse 37). Say, “David had seen the Lord save him in the past. He trusted that God would help defeat the giant too.”
  • Say, “David knew that the Philistines and even the Israelites needed to see that God was the real commander of the battle. He knew that the only way to defeat Goliath was through God’s power.”
  • Ask, “Are you surprised that God uses people like David and Gideon (whom we read about yesterday) to do such great things?”
  • Say, “These guys seem small and weak compared to the problems they faced, but God had big plans for them. God has big plans for you too, so trust in his BIG power!”
  • Activity: Kids LOVE acting this story out, so they can make a movie or play today. You could also draw Goliath (a stick figure is fine) on a big piece of paper, tape it on the wall, and have your kids toss balls or beanbags at his head.

Day 3-God’s Power in the Fire

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory verse.
  • Say, “Sometimes trusting in God’s power is not the easiest choice. We will read today about three friends who had to decide if they would obey the king or if they would obey God.”
  • Open your Bible to Daniel 3. Explain that Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. The Babylonians had taken many Israelites from their home to live in a foreign land. The Israelites, who grew up knowing and worshipping the one, true God, were now forced to learn about and even worship idols. Nebuchadnezzar had built a huge idol of gold that was about 90 feet high and 9 feet wide! He called all the leaders in the country together and gave them a command.
  • Read Daniel 3:4-7.
  • Ask, “So, what command did the king give the people?”
  • Say, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were among the people who were called to bow down to the idol. They heard the announcement, but they knew they shouldn’t bow down to anyone or anything other than God. Well, some people got angry because they weren’t following the king’s rules, so they reported the friends to the king.”
  • Read Daniel 3:13-18.
  • Say, “Even though King Nebuchadnezzar didn’t think that God could save them from the fiery furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew He could. In fact, they knew even if they died that day, God was still in control and still had the power to rescue them even if He chose not to. They did not doubt what God could do!”
  • Read or summarize Daniel 3:19-30.
  • Ask, “What happened when the three friends were thrown into the fire? What did the king see? What did they look like when they came out?”
  • Say, “So, God showed His power again! Even the king recognized that God was in control of the situation and no human can stop Him.”
  • Extra: Listen to “Even If” by MercyMe and “Another in the Fire” by Hillsong UNITED.

Day 4-Daniel and the Lion’s Den

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory verse.
  • Say, “Just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel was a Jew who was forced to live in the country of Babylon. After many years, he became a very important man in the kingdom. The king liked Daniel because he was a good leader, he worked hard, and he was wise. But, there were some other guys in the kingdom who did not like Daniel as much. They were jealous of how much the king trusted him, so they decided to put a stop to it! They watched him very closely to see if there was anything he did that was wrong so they could report him to the king, but they could never find Daniel doing anything that could get him in trouble. He kept doing the right thing which made them even more mad! They realized that the only way they could bring him down was to have him choose between worshipping his God or someone else (taken from Daniel 6:1-5).”
  • Read Daniel 6:6-15 or tell it in your own words.
  • Ask, “What do you think you would’ve done if you were Daniel-would you have kept praying everyday by your open window? Would you have given God thanks even though you knew your life may be in danger? What do Daniel’s actions tell us about what he knew about God’s power?”
  • Read Daniel 6:16-27, focusing on verse 26-27.
  • Ask, “What happened to Daniel that day? How did the king feel about throwing him to the lions? What miracle did God do that night (remind them that a miracle is something only God can do)? What did the king have to say about everything once it was all said and done?”
  • Say, “Not only did Daniel see God’ power when He shut the lions’ mouths, but the king also saw God’s power and his heart was changed. The lions had a lot of power that night, but God showed that He has even more!”

Day 5-God’s Power in Us

  • Pray.
  • Review the memory verse. This will be the last day for the unit, so have each child say the verse by him/herself.
  • Say, “We have read several stories from the Bible that have shown us about God’s power. What have been some of your favorites? What have these stories taught you about God?”
  • Discuss how the God who made all those powerful things happen way back in the Old Testament is still the same God that we worship today. Tell your children how He NEVER changes (Hebrews 13:8). Remind them that He made the world and He holds it all together (Colossians 1:17).
  • Ask, “Does God still shows His power today? How? Is He still in control?”
  • Read Acts 1:8a. When we accept God’s gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit (God) lives in us, and that means God’s power lives in us.
  • Ask, “If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?” If you had that superpower would you have everything you needed to live a life that pleases God?”
  • Read 2 Peter 1:3. God’s power in us gives us everything we need to live a life that pleases God.
  • Say, “Even if we had the coolest superpowers, we still would fall short of who God wants us to be (Romans 3:23). But, when we accept God’s gift of salvation (Romans 6:23), we have everything we need because His power is in us!”
  • Say, “All of the men we read about had to face a big and scary situation. Ask, “What scary thing did Noah face? What about Moses? Joshua? David? Gideon? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Daniel? Do you think they were afraid?”
  • Read 2 Timothy 1:7.
  • Say, “They may have felt some fear, but all of the guys we learned about relied on God’s power. They knew He would give them the strength they needed. He will give you the strength you need too!”
  • Pray, thanking God for His power. Ask Him to help you rely on His strength because He is bigger than anything you may face.
  • Activity: