Bible Exploration - Workshop:        Video 

 

Month:       May        Bible Story:     The Lord is My Shepherd                

 

Year (B):      1          Scripture:         Psalm 23                                           

 

Bible Memory Verse:        All of Psalm 23                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Workshop

Concept

Teacher

1.      Temple

 

God is the Good Shepherd.

 

2.      Video

 

God is our shepherd even when someone dies.

 

3.      Computer

 

God is our shepherd today.

 

4.      Music

 

Psalm 23 expresses our love & trust of God in song.

 

5.       

 

 

 

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:  The explorers will understand how the psalm has been a 

Source of strength to believers when they face death.

 

MATERIALS:

·         Video episode “The Lord is My Shepherd” from the Little House on the Prairie Television series

·         Popcorn and drinks.

 

PLAN:

·         Opening –  Find Psalm 23 in Bible and recite it together

o           Discuss Psalms and many ways it is now used in the church.

o           Psalm 23 is often used at funerals, why?  Discuss.

·         Show the first 38 minutes of the video (its over 90 minutes long!).  Stop and discuss at various points.  See guide below for discussion questions.

·         Recite the 23rd psalm together and close in prayer.  Pray for all who are sick or who have lost someone they love.  Pray for all who are jealous and feel angry that they may understand others and be understood by them as well.

 

ADAPTATIONS:

Children

Youth

·         Don’t shy away from showing all of the first 38 minutes.  Its well done and the kids can handle it.

·          

 

 

 

 

 

Study Questions for Video

 

The video can be stopped to ask questions on the story.  The stopping points listed and the questions to be asked can be modified at the leaders discretion.  Do take the time to stop and discuss as you go.  It is especially helpful for the younger children to help them understand how the different characters are feeling and why.

 

  1. Introduce story and explain that you are only going to watch part of the video.  Encourage those who want to see the rest of it to check it out for viewing at a later time or arrange another viewing when interested persons can watch the rest of the show. 
  2. Begin video.  Keep the remote control handy to pause the show (stopping it will cause the video projector to broadcast static noise.  Very loud). 

 

4:20    STOP.  After Charles finds out Carolyn is pregnant and leaves the house.

Especially with children.  Bring everyone on board with what is

happening.  Explain that Carolyn is going to have a baby.

1.      Discuss what the parents are feeling.  Why?

2.      What might their other children feel about a baby?  Discuss.

 

7:00    STOP.  After Laura and her sister discuss the baby while in bed.

1.      What does Laura want?  A baby brother or sister?

2.      Why does she feel so strongly?

 

11:00  STOP.  After the family discussion at the dinner table.

1.      What did Laura talk about?

2.      Why did she say that being a tom boy was like being a boy?

3.      What do you think?

 

14:00  STOP.  After Charles was asked to leave during the birth.

Especially with children.  Explain what Grace, the midwife, meant by saying “I’ve spanked the behind of every baby in Walnut Grove.”  A new born is sometimes spanked to start them breathing.

 

27:00  STOP.  After Laura throws her report in the lake.

1.      What is she feeling now? 

2.      Why?  Discuss siblings and what happens when a baby arrives.

3.      Remember Cain and Able?  Discuss.

 

28:50  STOP.  After second discussion in bed between Laura and her sister.

1.      Can you understand what Laura is feeling? Why or why not?

2.      What would you do if Laura was your sister and told you those things.  Why or why not?

 

 

32:00  DON’T STOP, JUST POINT OUT:  Point out how dark the doctor’s office

is.  Remember the line from Psalm 23, “the valley of the shadow of death.”

 

36:30  STOP.  After child dies and Charles and Carolyn recite 23rd Ps. together.

1.      What happened to the baby?

2.      Why did the parents recite the psalm together?

3.      Discuss.

 

38:00  STOP.  After Laura runs to lake when she hears of the baby’s death.

1.      Why do Laura’s parents think she ran off when she heard that Charles had died?

2.      Why do you think that Laura ran off?

a.      Discuss guilt and how Laura may feel.

                                                                                       i.      Does she feel responsible?  Why?  (She did not prayer for Charles when he was sick).

                                                                                     ii.      Does Laura need a shepherd now?

b.      Laura was not responsible for the baby’s death.  But she feels responsible.

                                                                                       i.      When a baby is born.  Parents must spend a lot of time caring for them because they cannot do anything for themselves.

                                                                                     ii.      The other children often feel like their parents do not love them as much anymore because the parents spend so much time with the baby.  Discuss.

c.      Do you think that, in time, Laura will realize that she did not cause her brother’s death?  Discuss.

3.      Laura and her family are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  How do they follow God, the shepherd, through this time?  Discuss.

 

-Recite the 23rd psalm together and close in prayer.  Pray for all who are sick or who have lost someone they love.  Pray for all who are jealous and feel angry that they may understand others and be understood by them as well.