Amos

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Here is the lesson:

· Tell the Amos story from Lynch book

· Discuss the letter

· Discuss what it means to seek something – look hard for something.

· Today we’re going to learn to seek God.

· Read Amos 5:14

· Amos talked about seeking God and returning to him

· What does it mean to seek good? Look for good things to do, look for the good things in people

· What does it mean to seek evil? Look to do things that are not good for us, that are against God

· How do we seek evil? Do things we know we’re not supposed to do.

· How do we seek good? Do what things we know God wants us to do.

· What kinds of things do evil people do? sins

· What kinds of things do good people do? obey

· What does Amos promise if we seek good? The Lord

· Do we seek God with our eyes?

· How do you think we seek God?

· Why do we want to seek God?

· Why do we want God with us?

· What kids of things do we do if the Lord is with us?

· Discuss: What kinds of things do we seek right now?

· Hand the kids funny glasses. Write on the legs of the glasses or attach a tag: “God seeing (or seeking) eyes.”

· Discuss/chart: What kinds of things are we seeking with our God seeing eyes?

· Add to “God is…” chart and book

Here are the crafts:

· Worksheet: glasses: “I am seeking good” or “I am seeking the Lord” written on the lenses

· Binoculars made out of toilet paper rolls. Above words written on the rolls.

· Make cotton ball die cut sheep. Have kids draw glasses on the sheep. Write on the back of sheep “I can seek God.” Glue cotton balls on the front.

· Eat figs together.

Here are other ideas for teaching Amos to kids:

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1. Have a big sheep butcher paper to record notes about Amos, the book.

2. Make cotton ball die-cut sheep. Write verse on the back. OR Create a scene with several sheep and a verse to glue on OR “Amos was a shepherd who obeyed God.”

3. Talk about how Amos was not a professional prophet, but he obeyed God. Discuss how Ralph is a professional preacher, but we all are supposed to teach others about God. Review Gospel FC. Homework – to share Jesus with one person this week.

4. Amos 1:11 – Compassion – define – definition WS – Discuss how can you be compassionate today? – What did the people do wrong back then? Brainstorm ways to show compassion. – Homework coupon “I will show compassion this week.” - Role play compassionate scenarios

5. Amos 2:7 – Take care of the poor and needy – Brainstorm and chart ways to help the needy – Tour pantry – Organize a coat drive or school supply drive for the church – Do a family service project, maybe clean out toys and donate to Impact, etc.

6. Amos 2:10 and 3:2f – God provides – Discuss all the ways God provided for Israel through the years (manna, Red Sea parts, Jesus, etc) – Then make a list of all the ways that God provides for us today. Make a headband that says “God will provide.”

7. Eat figs since Amos was a shepherd under the fig trees (Amos 6:14)

8. Righteousness – define – definition worksheet with sequins, etc. – Discuss the things we do in worship service and why we do each part (pray, sing, Lord’s Supper, sermon, offering). Explain that in OT the people offered sacrifices and they were just doing it without thinking – that upset God. And today if we go to “big church” and don’t think about what is happening then we upset Got too. List the things we should and should not do in worship service as a T-chart. Make sure to stress that God cares about our heart, not the ritual. (Amos 5:24)

9. Obey – Talk about how Amos obeyed God – obedience definition worksheet – List how you can obey God. Make a headband with a medallion that says, “I will obey God like Amos.”

Isaiah'c Call

Kids draw a self-portrait. Then glue on a black paper ball for the coal.
*This idea is from Holly* Thanks for sharing!
Here is the lesson:

· What is a prophet? Discuss definition poster

· Tell the kids that Isaiah had a vision in which God called him to be a messenger of His.

· Read 6:1-2. Then distribute paper to each kid. Read it again very slowly and have the kids draw what you read.

· Compare drawings and talk about how they are all similar and different.

· Read 6:3 - Have this verse printed on a sheet of paper. Discuss the meaning of “holy.” Why did the angels say holy? Who is holy? Why did they say it three times? Use vocabulary card

· Read 6:3 again – discuss “glory” - Use vocabulary card – connect to the miraculous signs of God – Name some things we see around us that show God’s glory (plants and their life cycle, love, sun, babies, etc.)

· Read 6:4-5 – Why is Isaiah sad? What does “Woe” mean?

· Discuss unclean lips – define as saying mean things or bad words or impure words. Make a chart of things that are pure and unpure to say. Then discuss what happens when you say pure things – what happens when you say unpure things.

· Read Isaiah 6:6-7 = What does that mean? (If possible, bring in tongs and a coal-like rock. Touch the kids lips with it as an example. Could also have the coal-like rock as a symbol for them to take home to say pure things.)

· Read 6:8 – God asked Isaish to be a messenger for him to talk to the people. Does God want us to be messengers for him today? How can we do that? Missionary blurb and connect that we are all missionaries each day for Christ.

· Isaiah had to listen for God. God talked to Isaiah when He called him to be his prophet for the nation, but God also talked to Isaiah often. Isaiah had to learn to listen for God.

· Review Questions –

o Who was Isaiah?

o Who talked to Isaiah?

o What is a prophet?

o Why did God choose Isaiah to be his messenger?

o Act out the angel touching Isaiah’s lips with the coal.

o What does God want us to tell people today?

o What would you do if you heard God’s voice?

o Give 5 reasons for Isaiah to follow God’s command

o How would you react to hearing God’s voice?

o How would someone today react to seeing a vision of heaven like Isaiah saw?

o How would God get you attention today?

o Do you agree with Isaiah being scared?

Here are the crafts:

· Handwork = WS with big lips on it – Kids write the nice things they should say to others. Could glue small rock on the paper.

· Handwork = Badge “I will say pure things.” With lips stamped on it.

· Handwork = Send a note to our missionaries

· Handwork = Headband –“I will listen for God.” And glue big paper ears to it.

Prayer Song and Craft

My three year old twins did this in class on Wednesday. CUTE song!

"I Will Say my Prayers"
Tune: Row, Row, Row your Boat

I will say my prayers
Each and every day
I will always talk to God
And He hears what I say.

Now sure the source...

What is a Prophet? bulletin board

This is the bulletin board we have up in our classroom right now. We are in the middle of a 2 quarter study of the major and minor prophets. There will be many more prophet posts to come!

The prophet is a man that I enlarged on the opaque machine. They are so "old-school", but using an opaque machine makes my heart happy. They remind me of my college days and making oodles of bulletin board sets.

The cards by the man say...
What is a prophet?

A messenger of God

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What Prophets Do

· Tell the people what God said

· Warn leaders

· Tell people to follow God

· Explain the bad things that were happening

· Tell good things that were going to happen

Then the map...I also made it using the opaque machine and my trusty chalks. A side-note about chalks...always have a can of cheap aerosol hairspray handy. When you are done, spray it and the chalk will not rub off. However do not spray too much in an enclosed area or your tear-ducts can get clogged and you'll get what seems like pink-eye. Unfortunately I know this from personal experience! :)

Back to the map - the yellow is Israel and the orange is Judah. During our first lesson about prophets, we added a card that labeled each Kingdom and another card that listed the prophets to that kingdom. The kids used orange and yellow crayons to color a kid-sized map that they are keeping in their Prophets Notebook.

I also wrote a song about prophets. Enjoy!

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Prophet Song

Tune: Lord’s Army

What is a pro-phet?

A mes-sen-ger of G-o-d

Talking to the pe-eople

Asking for rep-ent-ance

What is a pro-phet?

A mes-sen-ger of God.

Who are some of the prophets?

Zeph-a-niah, Daniel and Jonah

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Hosea

Micah and Hab-ba-kuk

They were all messengers of God.