Bible Exploration - Workshop: Temple/Art Center

Month: March Bible Story: Noah & The Ark

Year (B): 1 Scripture: Genesis 6 - 9 "The Rainbow and the Covenant"

Bible Memory Verse: Genesis 9:13 "I am putting a bow in the clouds, it will be a sign of my covenant with the world."

Workshop

Concept

Teacher

1. Temple/Art Center

How we care for the planet/our covenant.

 

2. Video Center

The need for the covenant.

 

3. Computer Center

Signs of the Covenant

 

4. Cooking Center

Covenant - God's Care for Us

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

MATERIALS:

PLAN:

ADAPTATIONS:

Children:

Older children:
  • For younger children be careful of the language
  • be sure they understand what words mean.
  • Use more difficult discussion questions

 

TEMPLE/ART CENTER

        I.            OPENING:

1.      Allow the Mentors to take roll and offering

2.      Welcome - welcome the students -- introduce yourself and ask the children to introduce themselves.

(Make sure adults participate)

1.      Have opening prayer: We thank you God for our church and for the children and adults gathered here. Help us understand your promise to be faithful to us, as we learn the story of Noah, the great flood and the rainbow. Help us to learn about ourselves and our need to keep promises, also. Amen.

       I.            GO OVER MEMORY VERSE: "I am putting a bow in the clouds, it will be a sign of my covenant with the world." (Genesis 9:13)

1.      What does the word bow refer to? Rainbow

DEFINITION OF A COVENANT:

·         A covenant is an agreement (relationship) between two people (or between God and man). It includes a promise, a condition, a penalty, and a provision. The covenant established by Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection is called the Covenant of Grace. This means that Jesus took our place to fulfill all the conditions of the covenant for us. As a provision of the covenant, He took the penalty of our sin (death) in order for us to receive the blessings (promise of eternal life).

·         During December we learned how Jesus fulfilled all the conditions of God's covenant with man for salvation. The definition we are using for covenant is an agreement, a contract, or a promise. We have talked about the four parts of a covenant: a promise, a condition, a penalty, and a provision. Let's review just what these words meant. Promise tells us what God is going to do. Condition is obedience to the rules outlined by God in the promise. Penalty means that if you break the rules, you will face punishment. Provision means that a way of escape from the penalty has been offered.

·         We have talked about a covenant but let's discuss the covenant God made with Noah. It is called an everlasting covenant. This covenant is one that God made with Noah and his family, but the promise extends to us and our families. It will continue to go on to people who aren't even born yet. (Tell the story of Noah).

·         Let's look at the parts of the covenant in Noah's story. God made two promises to Noah. The first one is located in Genesis 6:18 "But I solemnly swear to keep you safe in the boat, with your wife and your sons, and their wives." (NLT) God gave Noah conditions to obey. He had to build a boat according to directions, load the animals, take enough food, and get his family on the boat! The penalty for not obeying would be dying in the flood. The second promise, an unconditional covenant, is in Genesis 9:11, "I solemnly promise never to send another flood to kill all living creatures and destroy the earth" (NLT). God made this promise without conditions or penalties. God did give Noah and his family some rules to follow, but this covenant did not depend on Noah's obedience. This promise has a sign. God placed the rainbow in the sky as a sign to remind Himself of the promise He made to Noah and ever living creature.

·         God's judgment requires each of us to give an account for our action. In Noah's day, man was held accountable for his disobedience. But through His mercy, God provided a way of escape for anyone willing to hear and obey His words. Countless times throughout the Bible we see God showing His love and patience toward man and women in order to save them. Although He realizes that their hearts are evil, He continues to try to reach them. When we sin or fall away from God, we surely deserve to be destroyed by His judgment. But God has promised never to send another flood to destroy the whole earth. He is master over all natural forces -- some of which He uses for judgement or salvation. Springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night, and rainbows in the sky after it rains are all reminders to us of God's faithfulness to His word.

DISCUSSION FOCUS:

·         What do you think of a person who does not keep his promises?

·         Will you believe him the next time he promises something?

·         What do people think of you when you do not keep a promise?

·         Will they believe you the next time you promise something?

·         Why is it important to keep a promise?

·         Does God ever break a promise?

·         Can you find any place in the Bible where God made a promise, but never kept it?

·         What do you think Noah and his family did when they saw that God kept His promise?

·         What would you have done if you had been Noah and had just been saved from the flood?

·         What are some promises that you can make to God?

READ AND HAND OUT EARTH'S CHARTER

DISCUSSION FOCUS: ECOLOGY

CLOSING PRAYER: Wonderful God, you have given us so much. Thank you or our blessings! Help us to keep our promises to you and to one another. May we share the joy of belonging to you with others. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

 

 

ACTIVITY FOR OLDER YOUTH

IF TIME PERMITS

 

(Use Bibles to find the answers that fit these numbers.)

 

3          ____________________________________________________________

40        ____________________________________________________________

450      _____________________________________________________________

2          ____________________________________________________________

75        ____________________________________________________________

7          ____________________________________________________________

600      _____________________________________________________________

45        _____________________________________________________________

150      _____________________________________________________________

601      _____________________________________________________________

8          ____________________________________________________________

 

 

ACTIVITY FOR OLDER YOUTH

IF TIME PERMITS

(Use Bibles to find the answers that fit these numbers.)

3          sons________________________________________________________

40        days and nights it rained___________________________________

450      Length of boat_____________________________________________

2          of each kind of animal______________________________________

75        feet tall____________________________

7          days until sending the dove out again -- or 7 pairs of animals to sacrifice

600      age of Noah when the flood began_________________________

45        feet wide___________________________________________

150      days the water covered the earth - number of days later water began to go down

601      age of Noah when he when he left the ark following the flood

  1. people saved on the Ark_____________________________________