Firm Foundations 6:2 September 29, 2010

Theme: The Bible is like a map for life!
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word…” (Psalm 119:9)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 119:9a, then learn the second half of the verse.

• By living (ASL sign)
• According to Your word (Put hands together like a book)

Catechism Q&A: Q. Where do you learn how to love and obey God? A. In the Bible alone.

Follow the Map: Hide a treasure box outside, filled with some special treat or cheap toy your children will enjoy. Prepare a page of instructions, ie “walk 5 steps from the front door” and “turn left, then skip till you reach the trash can”. The instructions will lead them to the treasure box AND  the Bible with today’s reading marked. Hand them the instructions in an envelope, stating that it’s a message from you. Help them read the message and follow the instructions to the hidden treats.

After recovering the treasure, sit down together and discuss how the instructions helped them successfully find the box. What would have happened if your kids wouldn’t obey your message? God’s Word also contains instructions for us. When we obey them, we’ll successfully live life! Then read Daniel 1. Talk about how obedience to God’s Word (and you might have to explain the special diet Jews were instructed to have) helped Daniel be successful in his job. God knows what’s best, so you can’t lose by obeying Him!

Notebook: Eat some sunflower seeds for a snack, then glue a few into your Notebook page as a reminder of the blessings of hearing and obeying!

Firm Foundations 6:1 September 27, 2010

Theme: The Bible is God’s message to us
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…” (2 Tim 3:16)

Scripture Memory: This week and next, we’re going to learn Psalm 119:9-11. Psalm 119 is basically a love song about the Bible, and is a great read for when you’re feeling unmotivated to open the Scriptures for daily devotions.  Today we’ll work on verse 1a:

• How (Put both arms up with palms out as though asking a question)
  
• Can a young man keep (ASL sign)
  
• His way pure (ASL sign)?
  

Catechism Q&A:
Q. Where do you learn how to love and obey God? A. In the Bible alone.

It’s a Message:
Read 2 Peter 1:20-21. Gather 33 books and put them in a pile.  Show your children all those books and talk to them about how the Bible is not just one book – it is lots of books! You have 33 books in the pile, but the Bible is actually 66 books. Most of those books were written by different men over 1400 years. Yet even though the books have varying authors, they all have the same message and point to Jesus Christ.

To learn more, you choose one of these 2 DVDs to watch:

1. The Amazing Book, a video from the 80s that’s definitely dated but has lots of good stuff and cute songs
2. What’s in the Bible, created by Phil Vischer of Veggie Tales fame and has a great overview of who wrote the Bible, how many books make it up (even differentiating between the Catholic and Protestant Bibles), how inspiration works and how we came to have these particular books in Scriptural canon. It’s a LOT of information, and will probably go over your 3-5 year olds heads.

Notebook: Choose one of the elements from Lapbook Lesson’s Bible Lapbooks to go into lesson 1’s square. We’re going to use the Old Testament Minibook.

Firm Foundations 5:4 September 23, 2010

Theme: The God who knows the stars’ names knows your name too!
“…the very hairs on your head are all numbered.” (Matt. 10:30)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 139:1-4.  You can check out the actions I’ve used for this passage: verse 3

Catechism Review: Q.  Can you see God? A. No; I cannot see God, but he always sees me.
Q. Does God know all things? A. Yes; nothing can be hid from God.

Every Hair: First read Psalm 113:5-6 and Isa. 57:15. Talk about how God is so far above us! Review some of the things you’ve learned this week about God’s greatness and power. Compare His care and watchfulness over us to our being concerned about an ant. We’re so much bigger and more powerful than the ants just as God is so much  more bigger and powerful than us!

Next, read Matt. 10:29-31. Even though God is so great and powerful and amazing, yet He cares and watches over us, even knowing the number of hairs on our head. Try to count those hairs together! There’s a lot of ’em, for sure. For this week’s **Notebook page**, create a face on their square. Talk about eye color, nose shape, freckles, eyebrow thickness – anything and everything that makes your child’s face distinct. Finally, add the hair. Give your kids pieces of yarn to tape on the head of their self-portrait. After the yarn is on, count each “hair” together. Remind them that God has counted each of their hairs too!

Firm Foundations 5:1 September 8, 2010

Theme: God Knows – All of the World’s Knowledge
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:5)

Scripture Memory: Time to learn verse 3 of Psalm 139!

• “You discern my going out and my lying down;
  
• You are familiar (ASL Sign) with all my ways (ASL Sign).”

Catechism: Q. 12. Does God know all things? A. Yes; nothing can be hid from God.

Astronomy Unit Study, part 1: There’s nothing like the vastness of space to make us feel very small. The heavens truly do “declare the glory of God…” Throughout the week we’re going to explore some of the amazing aspects of our universe and discover more about the amazing God who created it all.

Read Psalm 147:4-5.God knows all the stars by name! To comprehend how much that is, cover a piece of construction paper with glue (you can use a paintbrush and a glue/water mix to keep the mess manageable). Then allow your children to sprinkle glitter all over the page. Once they’re done, ask them to count the glitter pieces. Can they? There are 200 billion stars just in the Milky Way galaxy. How many more in all of space? God knows EVERYTHING there is to know!

Notebook: Glue the glitter picture on to this week’s notebook page. Before you put it in, you might want to cover it in Saran Wrap so that the glitter doesn’t slowly fall on your floors every time the book is opened!

Read Along: The Magic School Bus Sees Stars or The Sky is Full of Stars

Firm Foundations 5:2 September 7, 2010

Theme: God can control nature, doing whatever He wants
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” (Psalm 115:3)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 139:1-3. If the weather is nice, do today’s Bible lesson outside and enjoy nature as you learn about God’s power over nature.

Catechism Q&A: Q.  Can God do all things? A. Yes; God can do all his holy will.

Solar Power: Read Psalm 115:3 and 135:5-7. The Lord’s power is truly great. Tell your children in your own words the story of how Joshua cried out to the Lord during a battle and God stopped the sun from moving. While you tell the story, have them illustrate the battle scene with a sun. When you’re done, put the illustration in square #2 of this week’s notebook page.

To underscore God’s power, read some books about the Sun, such as The Sun is My Favorite Star and The Sun: Our Nearest Star. It’s incredible to contemplate how God has such power as to stop a massive star as the sun in its tracks! Only our Creator.

Rocketing: For a fun go-along activity, try making this cool vinegar/baking soda rocket and blasting into, well, upper space!

Firm Foundations 4:2 September 2, 2010

Theme: No matter where I go, God is there!
“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:9, 10)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 139:1-2. Look at Lesson 1 in this week’s series for memorization ideas.

Catechism Review: Q.  Where is God? A. God is everywhere.

Wherever I Go: It’s time for some Hide and Seek! First, read again the passage from yesterday, Psalm 139:5-12, in a different Bible version to help your kids hear it in a “new” way. Then start the game! As you play, remind them that even though you aren’t with them as they hide, God is with them. God will be wherever they go – no getting away from Him! They may be able to hide from you, but not from Him.

Notebook: No notebook page today! The lesson is similar enough to yesterday’s that I decided not to bother with it!

Firm Foundations 4:3

Theme: God is invisible
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim 1:17)

Catechism Review: Q. Can you see God? A. No; I cannot see God, but he always sees me.

Scripture Memory: We’ve done Psalm 139:1-2a, now it’s time to add 2b:

• “You perceive (ASL sign) my thoughts from afar (start with hands together, then spread them apart as far as possible).“

Invisibly Visible: Read 1 Tim 1:17, John 1:18, 6:46 A fun game that illustrates the power of the unseen can be played with a few small pieces of tissue paper and a fan! Use a floor fan, and turn it on high. Tilt it upwards so that it is blowing air towards the ceiling. Then get ready to play! Throw the tissue paper pieces into the air above the fan, and watch them float high into the air. At my house, we played this game for at least 20 minutes! In the future, this is going to be on my short list of  emergency fun activities!

Firm Foundations 4:1 August 31, 2010

Theme: God is everywhere
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” (Psalm 139:7,8)

Scripture Memory: We’re memorizing Psalm 139:1-4 over the next 2 weeks. My parents had me memorize this entire Psalm when I was 10 or so, and it’s been such a blessing to have it hidden in my  heart. Knowing that God is always there, that He created me with purpose and that all my days have been ordained for me are truths that have shaped and continue to shape my life. That’s why I’m really excited about starting my children memorizing this Psalm as well. I’m going to use a mix of sign language and non sign language actions. Please feel free to modify however you think best.

• “O Lord (ASL sign), You have searched me (ASL sign) and you know me (ASL sign);
• “You know when I sit (sit down) and when I rise (stand up);”

Catechism Q&A: Q. Where is God? A. God is everywhere.

All Around Us: Read Psalm 139:5-12. God is everywhere! Look up. He’s there! Look behind the couch. He’s there! Look outside. He’s there! Though we can’t see Him or touch Him, we know God is there and sustains the whole earth by His power. To illustrate, talk about gravity. Grab a collection of items, then pull out a stepladder and let your children climb to the top. One by one, they can drop each object to the ground. Can any object stay in the air? Nope, ’cause gravity pulls it down! And even though you can’t see gravity, it is still there and working hard. Point out how God is also unseen, but He’s there and working to take care of us. And while gravity doesn’t affect us in space, God’s presence is with us everywhere, even in the Milky Way!

Gravity Play: Provide your children lots of bouncy balls, and have fun bouncing them everywhere! For further study, check out Gravity is a Mystery at your local library.

Notebook: Do a crayon rubbing of some of the items you dropped in the gravity experiment. Put them in day one’s square of the Notebook page as a reminder that God is everywhere!

Firm Foundations 3:4 August 26, 2010

Theme: Show God love by singing praises!
“How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting!” (Psalm 147:1)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 100:1-3 by jumping! Jump up and down while you’re saying the verses together…the hope is that you’ll get out some wiggles before sitting down to read!

Catechism Review: Q. How can you glorify God? A. By loving him and doing what he commands.

Focus on Worship: Ask your children what the word “praise” means. If they don’t know, give them each a compliment (“Catelyn, you are so good at helping me in the kitchen! Elena, you have a beautiful smile.) Explain that the good things you just said about them is praise! When we praise God, we say or sing good things about Him. Then read Psalm 147:1-7 together and point out the good things the Psalmist sings about God.

Do your children have any favorite praise songs? As part of our Kindergarten curriculum, we’re learning a hymn each month. We’ll sing that, accompanying ourselves with instruments and then sing any other praise songs my kids happen to know.

Musical Study: Want to delve into music with your little ones? Check out these fun preschool music lessons for ideas, games and crafts. For read alouds, find these children’s books on musical themes at your local library.

Firm Foundations 3:3 August 25, 2010

Theme: Show God love by telling others about Him
^“I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them.” (Psalm 119:46-47)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 100:1-3

Catechism Review: Q.  How can you glorify God? A. By loving him and doing what he commands.

On Mission: Read Psalm 145:3-12. What kinds of things does the Psalmist say we should tell others about?

My goal for my children at this age (5 & 3) is not to necessarily be out witnessing! Instead, I want to give them a vision for talking about God and then model that for them. To help with the former goal, we’ll read a biography geared for young children about a Christian hero. I’d recommend the Heroes for Young Readers series published by YWAM or Hero Tales by Dave and Neta Jackson. You can also download a pdf book, On African Roads from WMU.  Another fun resource is the Kids on Mission site from the Southern Baptist Mission Board. They’ve got great videos geared towards kids on mission related topics. Finally, check out Wycliffe’s Bright Ideas PreK and elementary curriculum to find some other fun ideas.

Once you’ve determined which resource to use, then read a book together or watch a video and discuss how the missionary’s love for God motivated them to tell their friends about Jesus and what He’s done for us.