SONG TO ACCOMPANY BIBLE STORY OF JESUS HEALING LAME MAN AT POOL OF BETHSEDA

After hearing the story about Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethesda found in John 5:1-18, children enjoy singing “Bethesda” from Miracle Mud album by Mary Rice Hopkins.

The song begins:

Way down in Jerusalem there’s a place where people would go
A wading pool called Bethesda where the healing waters flowed
People were healed as the waters started turning
So the sick hurried to get in except one man who lie there hurting
Until he heard from a friend . . .

12 STEPS FOR WALKING KIDS THROUGH GRIEF






Click HERE for "12 Steps for Walking Kids Through Grief."

BABY MOSES BORN INTO DANGER BIBLE STORY

Preparation:  Create a tabletop scene to use when telling the story: large sheet of blue construction paper for the water; 4 ½”  x 12” sheet of green construction paper attached to a small box with snips across the top to look like tall grass; a small baby wrapped ina blanket in a basket; 3- 5 ½” Styrofoam cups with faces to represent Miriam, Moses’ mother and the princess.

Story:  “Mother,” Miriam said with a frightened look on her face.  “Have you heard that the king signed a law to kill all the Hebrew baby boys?”

“Yes,” Jocabed replied.  The king is afraid that if we Hebrews have too many children, we will try to fight him.  I have come up with a idea to protect baby Moses.  Miriam,  I will need your help as Moses’ big sister.

“I will do anything to help,” Miriam responded.  I love my little brother SO much.  What is your plan?”

Jocabed put baby Moses in a little basket which she had fixed so no water would seep inside.  She said to Miriam, “Come with me.  I‘ll show you what we‘re going to do.”

They walked to the Nile river.  Moses’ mother hid the basket in the tall grass by the river’s edge.  Miriam found a hiding place and watched to see what would happen to baby Moses.

Soon a princess and her maids came walking by.  Miriam thought, “Oh, no!  This princess is Pharaoh’s daughter — the daughter of the mean king.”

The princess saw the basket and said to a maid: “Go get that basket.”

Inside, the princess found baby Moses.  She felt sad.  The princess said:  “This must be one of the Hebrew babies that a mother is trying to protect.  I would like to keep him.  But I will need someone to help take care of him for me.”

Miriam left her hiding place and went to the princess:  “I know someone who can help you take care of this baby.  Do you want me to go and get a Hebrew mother for you?”

The princes said to Miriam:  “Yes,  go.”

Miriam found her mother.  The princes said to Jocabed, “Please take care of this baby for me.  I will pay you.”

So the princess gave baby Moses back to his OWN mother to take care of him while he was little!  Now baby Moses was safe.  God had protected him.

From Dancing in the Desert digital curriculum.  Order HERE.

THE POWER OF MUSIC IN LEARNING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Educational experts use music to teach everything from the ABC’s to the bones in our bodies because melodies are memory boosters!  What is set to music will be remembered for a lifetime.
Songs can solve the problem which children have of committing long scripture passages, such as the Ten Commandments, to memory.

Mary Rice Hopkins has provided on one CD both the “Ten Commandments” song and the “Ten Commandments Rap.”  The sale price of $13.00 will be money well-spent to make an eternal difference for the children in your world!  Order Mary Rice Hopkins Soundtrack from 3 Episode DVD HERE.

There are a total of 17 songs on the CD including: “Love the Lord Your God”, “I Can Obey”, “I Am Not Ashamed”, “Love with the Love” and others.

THE BIG 3


Big 3:
  1. I need to make the wise choice.
  2. I can trust God no matter what.
  3. I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
It certainly could make a difference in children's lives if they memorized The Big 3 and put the points into practice in their lives!

(From Southeast Christian Church)

THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN - Joshua Bible Story



Preparation:  Have the boys and girls form a large circle.  Choose half of the children to be priests who will make trumpet sounds.  The other children will be the Israelites who shout at the end of the story.  Have the priests practice blowing their pretend rams horn trumpets and the Israelites practice shouting.  Explain to the boys and girls that at the appropriate time in the story they are to march, going to their right.  Stand in the middle of the circle as you tell the story. 

Story:  How would Joshua and his soldiers capture Jericho?  The city was surrounded with thick stone walls.  They had no equipment strong enough to break down the walls. 

Then God said He had a plan for getting Joshua and his men into the city.  God said they were to march silently around the city one time every day for six days.  The priests were to blow their trumpets.  On the seventh day, they were to march around the city six times silently.  Then on the seventh time around, they were to shout.

Day one they marched around the city.  (March)  Stop.  Day two they marched around the city.  (March)  Everyone stop.  Day three they marched around the city.  (March)  Everyone stop.  Day four they marched around the city.  (March)  Everyone stop.  Day five they marched around the city.  (March)  Everyone stop.  Day six they marched around the city.  (March).  Everyone stop.
Now it’s day seven.  They marched around the city one time. (March)  Stop.  They marched a second time. (March)  Stop.  They marched a third time.  (March)  Stop.  They marched a fourth time. (March)  Stop.  They marched  a fifth time.  (March)  Stop.  They marched a sixth time (March)  Stop.  As they marched around the city the seventh time on the seventh day, the trumpets blew a long blast and the Israelites gave a loud shout.  (March with priests blowing horns and others shouting.)  Stop.

SUDDENLY,  there was a deep, long rumbling sound and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down! 

God performed a miracle and the walls fell down flat.  Then the soldiers rushed up the hill, went straight into the town, and captured it.

Sing: “Joshua” from Dancing in the Desert album.  (Click on song title to hear a clip.)

To order 18 Dancing in the Desert lessons on the life of Moses AND the accompanying music CD, please click HERE.

TEN PLAGUES ART PROJECT

Needed for Each Child:  One sheet white construction paper divided into ten frames; crayons; Bible verse strip; glue.

Activity: Remind the boys and girls that God’s actions in these plagues were miracles to show His power.  Have the children number the frames 1-10 and glue the verse strip in the middle of the paper.  Read the scripture together several times.  Review the plagues one at a time, allowing boys and girls to illustrate each: #1 – river red; #2 – frogs; #3 – gnats; #4 – flies; #5 – cows died; #6 – boils; #7 – hail; #8 – locusts; #9 – darkness; #10 – firstborn Egyptian sons died.

TAMBORINE ART PROJECT -- Use When Singing Praises to God


Materials Needed:  Foam paper plate, crayons, bells, craft wire.

MOSES AND BURNING BUSH 3-D ART PROJECT

Needed for Each Child:  2 sheets heavy white construction paper or cover paper, crayons, glue, transparent tape, Bible verse word strip.

Activity: Fold the construction paper in half and cut into two 4” x 12” pieces.  One serves as the bottom of the 3-D picture and the other is folded in thirds for the backdrop.  Children draw scenery on both pieces and then attach the backdrop to the bottom piece with tape.  Show the boys and girls how to fold under a small tab before they draw
Moses and a burning bush.  These are then glued to the scene.  The Bible verse strip is added last.

MOSES AT MOUNT SINAI FINGER PAINTING PROJECT

Scripture:  Exodus 19:1-25

Needed for Each Child:  One sheet white construction paper, washable finger paints, Bible verse word strip, glue.

Activity: Have the children paste the Bible verse strip in an upper corner on the paper.  Then the boys and girls can paint a picture of the Israelites standing behind the barrier looking at the mountain with the cloud on top.

From:  Dancing in the Desert downloadable curriculum.

MOUNT SINAI CRAFT PROJECT - Exodus 19:1-25


Needed for Each Child:  One-half Styrofoam salad bar container, clump of play-dough, one cotton ball, 12 toothpicks.

Activity:  The children form a mountain from play-dough and press it gently onto the salad bar container.  A cotton ball cloud is placed on the mountain top and then toothpicks inserted into the lid around the mountain for the boundaries.

From:  Dancing in the Desert downloadable curriculum.

MOTHER'S DAY CARD IDEA

Materials: Give each child a package of Life Savers, one sheet colored construction paper, colored pencils, and scotch tape.

Preparation: Have each child fold the construction paper in half and on the inside write “Mom, you are always a life saver because” . . . (help them think about ways to finish the sentence such as: you help me with my homework, you wake me up in time to get the school bus, you wash my clothes, etc.) . The package of Life Savers can then be taped to the front of the card.