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After Saul and Jonathan died in battle, David became the king of Israel. The people loved David. He made Jerusalem the capital and the main place of worship for Israel. He made two attempts to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. On the first attempt, he did not follow all of God’s instructions, but the people were still celebrating, and David was very popular. When a man named Uzzah touched the ark, he immediately died. On the second attempt, David followed God’s instructions and the ark was safely moved to Jerusalem. David learned that being popular does not mean that one can forget the Lord.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 31:1-6; 2 Samuel 5:1-5; 6:1-19

Outline:

1. The Death of King Saul (1 Samuel 31:1-6)
2. David is recognised at the king of all Israel. (2 Samuel 5:1-5)
3. God’s presence is established in the new capital, Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6:1-19)

Tips for teaching children:

• Show illustrations of the ark of the covenant. There is a good one in the tabernacle set at www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/moses-tabernacle/ 
• Find Jerusalem on a map.
• Make a paper crown and decorate it.

Tips for teaching adults:

• I would suggest summarizing 1 Samuel 31 – Saul’s death and 2 Samuel 5 – David becoming king but read 2 Samuel 6:1-19.  Choose some readers to read the different sections.
• Discuss and list some ways that our worship can demonstrate that we regard God as holy and worthy of all our honour and respect.  Think in terms of the kind of language we should use in worship and what actions we should do or not do.  In other words, how would you put together a worship that demonstrated to everyone present that God is a holy God?
• God was offended by Uzzah’s action.  David was offended by God’s action.  Which offends you more: God’s action or Uzzah’s action?  Why?
• What is one thing you can do to show that you believe that God is a holy God and should be given the kind of respect he deserves?

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  David Becomes King

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Saul continued to be jealous of David. He hunted him and tried to kill him. David had raised his own armies and could have fought Saul, but he did not. He respected Saul as king. David trusted the Lord to know when it was time for him to become king. Once, David came to Saul’s camp and found Saul sleeping. He quietly took Saul’s spear and water jug to prove to Saul how close he had been. After walking a long distance away, David called to Saul and told him that he could have killed him but chose to show mercy. Mercy means to show kindness even though we have the power or opportunity to hurt someone.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 26

Outline:

1. David quietly takes a spear and water jug from a sleeping King Saul. (1 Samuel 26:1-12)
2. Paul offers momentary peace to David. (1 Samuel 26:13-25)

Tips for teaching children:

• Talk about mercy and what it means. Mercy is compassion or forgiveness that is shown towards someone when we have the power to punish or harm them.
• Play a game where King Saul must identify David from the rest of the group. 
  • One child should lie on the floor and pretend to sleep like King Saul did. The child should wear a blindfold. Place a couple of objects near him to represent a spear and water jug.
  • The rest of the children should group behind the sleeping King Saul. 
  • Once Saul is “sleeping” the group chooses one child to quietly slip up to Saul. The child should remove the items and bring them back to the group.
  • The child playing David should say “Mercy” to signal King Saul to wake up and identify which child was David.
• Print the word MERCY in the middle of a large paper and then allow the children to decorate it with markers, crayons, glitter or other items.

Tips for teaching adults:

• This story is brief enough to read it during the class so I suggest that you have this text read.
• Ask the class to look over the story and to think about David’s words and actions.  What were some right things that David does and says in this story?  What can we learn about David?
• Challenge the class with the following: Live in such a way that your conscience is clear—even if others misunderstand you. At the end of each day ask, “If God looked at my actions today, would I be guiltless?” Pray according to how you answer.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  David Shows Mercy to Saul   

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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David moved to Saul’s house. Saul often asked him to play the harp for him when he was upset. Saul became jealous when the people began to prefer David over him. In his jealousy, he threw a spear at David and tried to kill him. Saul’s son, Jonathan, was David’s friend, and he helped David escape from Saul.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 18:1-11 and chapter 20

Outline:

1. David and Jonathan become firm friends. (1 Samuel 18:1-4)
2. King Saul becomes jealous of David’s growing popularity. (1 Samuel 18:5-11)
3. Jonathan recognises Saul’s threats and helps David escape. (1 Samuel 20)

Tips for teaching children:

• Talk about jealousy and how it is seen in a child’s life.
• Make friendship bracelets.
• Paint friendship paintings. Two children work together on the same picture.

Tips for teaching adults:

• Begin the class time by asking the class members to think of their two or three closest friends and follow up with the question, “What makes them your closest friends?  What qualities make them your friend?”  Get someone to write these qualities or character traits on a white board.
• Have the text of 1 Samuel 18:1-11 read and then talk about the friendship of David and Jonathan.  Although the Bible never spells out why they were such good friends, use your imagination, and discuss what qualities might they have that made them good friends and focus on Jonathan’s character.
• Summarise 1 Samuel 20 and follow up with these questions: 1) What did Jonathan sacrifice for his friendship with David?  How does Jonathan model the character of God?
• Go back to the white board and ask everyone to choose one of these characteristics of being a friend that they lack and then pray about that silently for a minute or so. 
• Close the session with a prayer focusing on asking God to help us be true friends to one another.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Jonathan Helps David Escape

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

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David’s older brothers went to fight battles with King Saul while David stayed home and cared for his father’s sheep. When David was sent to take food to his brothers, he was appalled to find that the whole army was afraid of the Philistines. Every day, a huge soldier, Goliath, came forward and mocked the Lord and his army. David trusted in the Lord’s strength and knew that the Lord would help him defeat Goliath. David used his sling and killed Goliath with a stone between his eyes.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 17

Outline:

1. David hears Goliath’s bold challenge. (1 Samuel 17:1-30)
2. David kills Goliath (1 Samuel 17:31-58)

Tips for teaching children:

• If your space is tall enough, measure the height of Goliath and place a sign or tape on the wall at that height. 9 feet and 4 inches or 284.48 centimetres.
• Supply the children with 5 smooth stones each. Using Sharpie markers or paint, invite the children to write 5 words of their choice that describe their faith commitment. Example: “Mary will trust God always.”
• David had perfect aim. The children can throw tennis balls at a stack of overturned cups to practice their aim.
• Show pictures of a sling.

Tips for teaching adults:

• Begin the class by singing “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.”
• Ask the class to have their Bibles open at 1 Samuel 17 and then discuss the following  questions from the text: 
  • What qualities and characteristics of David does the story bring out? 
  • How has David’s role as shepherd prepared him for his battle with the giant?  
  • What does this tell us about our past victories and our present “giants” we may be facing? 
  • What great acts of faith have you done or that you have seen in others?
• Have each class member to write down two or three times when God has helped them in the past to have a victory over a challenge they were facing. Follow up with asking each class member to pray silently to God thanking them for this victory. 

Full teaching instructions, free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  David and Goliath

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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God told Samuel that he had chosen a new king for Israel, and the new king was to be one of Jesse’s seven sons. When Samuel saw the sons, he assumed the Lord would choose Jesse’s oldest son. Instead, to everyone’s surprise, the Lord chose the youngest son, David. Samuel anointed David as the new king, but it would be many years before the time was right for David to take Saul’s place. The Lord chose David even though he did not look as big and handsome as his older brothers. The Lord does not judge by outward appearance but by the heart.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Outline:

1. God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a new king, (1 Samuel 16:1-5)
2. Samuel anoints David. (1 Samuel 16:6-13)

Tips for teaching children:

•  Before the session, ice and decorate plain cookies but add salt to a few of them. Show the iced ookies to the children and ask them to judge which would taste the best (without tasting). Finally, allow the children to taste the cookies and talk about how what looks good on the outside does not show what the inside is really like .
• Make a craft involving hearts.
• Anoint each of the children to show them what it was like for David. Use water as it is less messy than oil.
• Talk to the children about what is in their hearts.

Tips for teaching adults:

• Read the text or choose another person to read this story.  Follow up the reading with the question:  What does it mean that God was looking for a man after God’s own heart? What kind of heart would this be?
• Use the rest of class time to set up a date and time for your class to go “people watching.”   The idea is to watch people and try to see them with the eyes of God, seeing them as God sees them. 
  • Meet at a public space where there are people who are out and about.  This could be a mall, the downtown area or any place where there are people walking about.  Pair up and spread out. Each pair should find a spot to sit and watch people walk by.  As you watch people walk by, think about what God may see in these people.  Ask yourself the questions: “What does God see?” “What is their heart like?” “What is their story?”  “What would God want to say to them?”  
  • Do this for about ½ hour or so and then gather for a coffee and sit and reflect on this experience.  Here are some further questions to ask: “What was this experience like?” Did you see people in a different way?  How so?  Was there anyone you saw that stood out to you? Why? What would you say to them?  How would we interact with others if we saw them as God sees them?

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Samuel Anoints David 

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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The Lord gave King Saul specific instructions on how to handle a battle with the enemy, the Amalekites. King Saul disobeyed the Lord in front of all of the people, and then he refused to admit his own sin. When Samuel confronted him, Saul made excuses and even blamed others. Although Saul would remain in place as king for many years, it was at this time that the Lord rejected him as King.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 13:5-14; 15:1-35

Outline:

1. Saul’s impatience costs him the crown. (1 Samuel 13:5-14)
2. Saul disobeys God’s plan for battle. (1 Samuel 15:1-9)
3. Saul makes excuses and Samuel delivers God’s judgment. (1 Samuel 15:10-35)

Tips for teaching children:

• Discuss taking responsibility when we have done something wrong. 
• Discuss God’s forgiveness when we repent. As a prayer exercise, provide small pieces of paper and pens. Children write their sins on the paper and then pray to ask God’s forgiveness. After the prayer, crumple up the paper and throw it in a rubbish bin. Plan for a quiet and thoughtful time for this, so the children do not rush through it. One way to do this is to turn the lights low and light candles.

Tips for teaching adults:

• The big takeaway from this story is the words Samuel spoke to Saul, “to obey is better than sacrifice.”  Here are some questions to ask the class members.  Remember to give them time to think and to formulate a response:  
  • What does Samuel mean by this?  
  • Does this mean that ritual in worship is not important? Why or why not? 
  • How does this apply to our context today?  How can we be guilty of sacrifice without obedience?
• Pass out paper and have each person in class write down an area of their life in which they struggle to obey God fully.  After a period of time, ask each class member to pray about what they’ve written, asking God to give them strength and courage to obey and not to offer excuses.  Ask God for the strength to trust him more, even when it is difficult. 

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  King Saul Disobeys God

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Although God warned Israel of the many problems associated with having a king, the people still demanded one. They wanted to be like the nations. Though reluctant, a handsome young man named Saul was anointed as Israel’s first King. The people quickly found out that having a king was not as good as they thought it would be.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 8-10

Outline:

1. Israel demands a king. (1 Samuel 8:1-22)
2. Samuel and Saul meet, and Samuel anoints Saul as king. (1 Samuel 9:1-10:8)
3. Saul is announced as King. (1 Samuel 10:9-27)

Tips for teaching children:

• Use water in a small pitcher to “anoint” kings in the class.
• Discuss the negative aspects of wanting to do things just because others are doing them.
• Younger children can “find the donkey” like Saul did. Use a toy donkey or pictures of a donkey.
• Make a crown.

Tips for teaching adults:

•  Ask the class if they would be willing to share decisions they have made (big or little) and an unintended consequence of their decision, whether good or bad.  What did they learn from their decision?
• This is a longer story, so you, the teacher, will need to summarise it for the class.  Alternatively, you can ask the class to read the story before class, so everyone will be familiar with it when they come to class.
• How do you make decisions?  When do you bring God into the picture in making decisions?  How can you make decisions that honour God and are within his will?
• When Saul met Samuel, he didn’t know that God was orchestrating this meeting.  Think about a time in your life where you believe you experienced a God moment, a meeting with someone or an event that you think was a God-orchestrated meeting or event.  Share this with the class.  Why do you believe this?  How did it affect or change you or others?
• When Saul was announced as the king, he was hiding.  Are you hiding from a ministry God is calling you to?  Ask the class to share something they think God is calling them to, but they are ‘hiding’ from?  How can the class encourage them to come out of hiding?

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Saul Becomes Israel’s First King

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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While young Samuel was sleeping, the Lord called his name. Not recognising the voice, Samuel ran to the elderly Eli, mistakenly thinking it was him. When the voice continued to call Samuel, Eli told him to listen carefully. The voice must be the voice of the Lord. The Lord spoke to Samuel and told him that Eli’s sons would not be the new priests of Israel. Samuel would be. Samuel served the Lord as long as he lived as a Priest, Judge, and Prophet.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 3

Outline:

1. God calls young Samuel, but Samuel does not recognise God’s voice. (1 Samuel 3:1-9)
2. God speaks to Samuel and shares bad news about Eli’s family. (1 Samuel 3:10-18)
3. Samuel grows and establishes a solid reputation as a prophet. (1 Samuel 3:19-21)

Tips for teaching children:

• Invite the children to come to class in their pyjamas. Enjoy acting like Samel sleeping and hearing God calling his name.
• Play a game where one child sits in the middle of the room, blindfolded. The other children move around the room and take turns calling out “Samuel, Samuel.” If the blindfolded child recognises the voice of the caller, then they trade places.
• Talk about hearing God’s voice through reading the Bible.

Tips for teaching adults:

• This chapter is short enough to read in a class setting.  I suggest using the outline provided in the show notes above.  Alternatively, you can arrange for the class to listen to the story in audiobook format. Chances are, someone in the class will have an audiobook app on their phone.
• Instruct the class to be completely quiet and still, and to listen in complete silence.  Do this for 1 minute.   What did they hear?  What did they notice?
• Encourage the class to get into the habit of really listening to God’s voice when they read the Scripture.  Find a quiet space and a quiet time.  Read the Scripture slowly and mindfully, concentrating on the words of the text – not just the words themselves but also the emotional content of the text, the way the text moves forward.  Encourage the class to be intentional when reading the word of God.  And begin your Scripture reading by saying, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”  The following week, ask the class if this made a difference in their reading and understanding God’s word.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: The Lord Speaks to Samuel

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Hannah did not forget the promise that she had made to the Lord. After her son, Samuel, was weaned, she took him to the Tabernacle and presented him to Eli, the High Priest. Samuel’s parents returned home, but Samuel remained with Eli to be a helper. Samuel would have cleaned and run errands and lots of other jobs to help the priests. Hannah made a new robe for Samuel every year and brought it to him when she and Elkanah visited the Tabernacle.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 1:21-2:26

Outline:

1. Hannah gives her son, Samuel, to God. (1 Samuel 1:21-28)
2. Hannah gives thanks. (1 Samuel 2:1-10)
3. Young Samuel’s purity in contrast to Eli’s evil sons. (1 Samuel 2:11-26)

Tips for teaching children:

• Children can design a coat. Alternatively, outline a coat and provide materials for the children to decorate it. Talk about Hannah giving Samuel a new coat every year.
• Collect stories of children doing heroic things and share the stories with the children in your class.
• Invite the children to reflect on how it would be in the tabernacle and what they might see or hear.
• Young children can clean or straighten up the classroom to relate to Samuel helping in the tabernacle.

Tips for teaching adults:

• Ask the class to think of an answered prayer and then write down a short prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God.  Ask those who are willing to read these prayers to the class. 
• As a class, do something special for the children in your congregation.  Depending on the size of the church or your resources, do something that will encourage your children, do something that communicates your love and God’s love and that communicates how special they are.
• Pray for the children of your congregation by name – pray that they will grow up serving God and pray that you will do what you can to help them grow up to serve God.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: Samuel- Helper in the Tabernacle

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

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Elkanah had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah taunted Hannah because Hannah had no children. Hannah prayed and wept near the entrance when she accompanied Elkanah to the Tabernacle. In her prayer, she promised the Lord that if He gave her a son, she would give that son to Him all the days of her life. Hannah’s prayer was so intense that the High Priest, Eli, saw her and thought she was drunk. Hannah’s prayer was answered, and she gave birth to a son. His name was Samuel.

Bible verses used in this episode:

1 Samuel 1:1-20

Outline:

1. Hannah is childless (1 Samuel 1:1-8)
2. Hannah’s prayer and vow (1 Samuel 1:9-18)
3. Samuel is born (1 Samuel 1:19-20)

Tips for teaching children:

• Explain how to pray and try a few different prayer methods. Click here for suggestions.
• Invite a woman to class to dress as Hannah and tell the story from her point of view.

Tips for teaching adults:

• After you read the story, ask if anyone has felt like they have been in Hannah’s place before. Perhaps they have been in a situation where others have prospered and they have not. Perhaps they have been overlooked and have seen others receive blessings. Invite them to share with the group.  
• Hand out blank index cards.  Ask the class to write down a longing they have, a longing they want God to fill.   Give time for people to write something down.  Ask the class to silently pray to God about this longing. At the end of the session, challenge them to pray about this during the week.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: God Answers Hannah’s Prayer

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Boaz was the owner of the field where Ruth gathered grain. He was also a relative of Naomi’s late husband. When Boaz took notice of Ruth and treated her with kindness, Naomi knew that he would be a good husband to Ruth. She instructed Ruth to follow the wise custom of lying at the foot of Boaz’s bed to show that she wished to marry him. Boaz also followed tradition by gaining the permission of another relative of Naomi’s who had the right to marry Ruth. Boaz and Ruth married, and when they had a son, Naomi took care of him like her own grandchild.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Ruth 2-4

Outline:

1. Ruth meets Boaz. (Ruth chapter 2)
2. Naomi’s plan for Ruth. (Ruth chapter 3)
3. Boaz marries Ruth. (Ruth chapter 4)

Tips for teaching children:

• Provide materials so that children can draw a picture of their family. Teachers should remember that this is the child’s perspective. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and children have no control over the situations. In all cases, affirm the child and remind them that God loves them and the people in their family.
• Lead the children in reflection and  “wondering questions.” The children may also have their own questions.
  • I wonder why Naomi thought that Boaz would be a good husband for Ruth?
  • I wonder how Naomi helped Ruth take care of her baby?
  • What would happen if someone new joined my family?

Tips for teaching adults:

• Come prepared to give examples of disasters that resulted from people trying to cut costs or take shortcuts. For example, the ship Titanic sank on 14 April 1912 after hitting an iceberg. Over 1,500 people. Lifeboats were cut from 64 to 20—the legal minimum—to maintain the ship's aesthetics and maximise deck space
• Ask the class when they did the right thing even though it was difficult or came at a cost.
• Read Ruth chapters 2-4 and ask the class to describe Boaz’s character. They should pay attention to what is said about him, what he says, and what he does.
• Pray that God may help you be loyal, faithful and have a heart to do the right thing.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: Ruth and Boaz

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Naomi’s husband and two sons died while they were all living in the foreign country of Moab. She told her two daughters-in-law to go back to their own parents. Naomi wanted to return to her relatives in her original homeland of Judah. One daughter-in-law did what Naomi said, but the other (Ruth) travelled with Naomi to take care of her. Ruth worked hard in the fields to support Naomi.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Ruth 1:1-2:13

Outline:

1. Naomi returns to Bethlehem after living ten years in Moab. Her husband and sons have died, but she is accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Ruth. (Ruth 1:1-22)
2. Ruth works hard in the fields and earns the respect and protection of the owner. (Ruth 2:1-13)

Tips for teaching children:

• Many children come from non-traditional families, so use this opportunity to talk about how God understands and loves people no matter what their family situation is. Naomi and Ruth had suffered many losses and did not have support around them. Even so, they loved each other and helped each other.
• If possible, bring barley or a barley product to class for the children to experience. Malt is made from barley, so children could eat malt-flavoured candy.

Tips for teaching adults:

• I suggest using the outline above to divide up the reading.  Alternatively, you can assign readers to read the following sections aloud: 
  • Ruth 1:1-5
  • Ruth 1:6-18
  • Ruth 1:19-22
  • Ruth 2:1-7
  • Ruth 2:8-13
• Focus on Ruth’s character.  Invite class members to call out the aspects of Ruth’s character that emerge from the story. Choose someone to write these on the whiteboard or chalkboard, as they are called out.  Encourage the class members to focus on her actions, words and description.
• Follow up by writing on the white/chalkboard names of people in the class (or people they know) that have this character. For example, “loyalty” is one aspect of Ruth’s character. Ask the class, “Who do you know that is a loyal person or who demonstrates the character trait of loyalty. 
• Pray and thank God for these people, who possess these godly character traits.
• Another thing we see from the story is how Boaz began caring for Naomi & Ruth, two people who were vulnerable.  Commit as a class to encourage someone the class knows who is vulnerable, such as an older person in a care facility or a widow living alone.  Some ideas might be:
  • Visit them regularly.
  • Pray with and for them.
  • Remember them with a gift on their birthday and holidays.
  • Collect money to pay for a bill.

Free teaching instructions are available from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: Ruth and Naomi

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Many Philistines gathered in a temple to celebrate and worship their God. They brought Samson out of prison, put him in front of everyone, and made fun of him. He asked a servant to lead him to a place between two pillars. By this time, Samson’s hair had grown long again. Samson used to be proud and thought he was strong by his own strength. Now he knew he had only ever had strength because God gave it to him. So, Samson asked God for strength to do one more thing. Samson pushed the pillars apart, and the whole temple collapsed, killing the Philistines and Samson.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Judges 16:21-31

Outline:

1. Over 3,000 Philistines gather in a temple to praise their god, Dagon, and force the blinded Samson to perform for them. (Judges 16:21-27)
2. Samson prays to God for strength to crash the temple down on the Philistines and himself. (Judges 16:28-31)

Tips for teaching children:

• To begin the class, let children take turns wearing a blindfold and finding their way through a simple obstacle course of chairs.
• Build a temple out of building blocks and knock it down.
• Guide the children in drawing pictures as you tell the story. Instructions for Draw and Tell here.

Tips for teaching adults:

• Bring one or two Jenga Blocks sets to the class.  Divide the class into four groups and play one or two games of Jenga.  How far did the winning team get before the tower fell? Applaud the winner or winning team.
• Take the Jenga Blocks and construct a ‘temple.’  Choose someone to play Samson.  Read the story choosing three readers: a narrator, the crowd, and a Samson.  And when verse 30 is being read, have the person playing Samson to collapse the temple.  This will make the reading more dramatic and memorable.
• Samson prayed, “Lord remember me” and make me strong one more time.”  Pass around some note cards and ask the class to write down what they hope their final act in life will say about their faith.  Collect these and read them to the class.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: The Death of Samson

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Although the Lord chose Samson, Samson did not always choose God! He fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah, who did not believe in God. The Philistine rulers paid Delilah to find the secret of Samson’s strength. Delilah begged Samson to tell her his secret and finally revealed that his strength was in his long hair. Delilah told the Philistine leaders, and they cut Samson’s hair, made him blind, and put him in prison to do hard work.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Judges 16:4-22

Outline:

1. Samson succumbs to Delilah’s begging and reveals the source of his strength. (Judges 16:4-17)
2. Delilah turns Samson over to the Philistines for silver and they capture him. (Judges 16:18-22)

 Tips for teaching children:

• Use a balloon to illustrate the concept of peer pressure. Blow up the balloon, but do not tie it. Explain that this balloon is like us. We might be able to say no the first time someone pressures us, but when they pressure us repeatedly, we can’t take the pressure and give in. Example: One of your friends says a swear word (blow up the balloon a little more), then another friend swears when they lose at sport (blow it up some more), then your friends begin to swear at the park (blow it up some more). When the balloon finally bursts, explain that we can take the pressure for a while, but if we keep hanging around friends who swear, then we finally can’t stand the pressure, and we swear. 
• Research online to find images of individuals with exceptionally long hair. Show them to the children.
• Invite a volunteer to have their hair cut during class.
• Roll a ball of play dough and add features to form a head. Children can roll strands of play-dough “hair strands”. They can cut it and then repeat.

Tips for teaching adults:

• Have the class read the story.  You could choose four readers: one reader as narrator, one as Delilah, one as the Philistines and the fourth as Samson.
• Ask the men in the class if they have photos of themselves with long hair.  Why did you have long hair?  When did you cut it?  Why?
• Not everyone in your life has your best interests at heart.  Draw on a whiteboard/chalkboard two columns: the first column is “characteristics of a healthy relationship and 2nd column is “characteristics of unhealthy or toxic relationships.  Let the class come up with characteristics for both columns, and then discuss what makes these characteristics good or bad for relationships.
• Pray that each class member will develop characteristics that lead to healthy relationships.

Full teaching instructions are free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: Samson and Delilah

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

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The Israelites drifted away from the Lord again, and the Philistines began to harass and hurt them. The Lord blessed a childless couple with the birth of a son named Samson. The Lord told Samson’s parents that Samson was to live by a vow (promise) never to cut his hair or drink any alcohol. He would be a Judge of Israel and have special strength from God. Samson kept the vow, and as he grew up, his strength became well-known throughout the land.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Judges 13-15

Outline:

1.           The birth of Samson (Judges 13:1-24)

2.           Samson marries a Philistine woman (Judges 14:1-20)

3.           Samson begins fighting the Philistines (Judges 15:1-20)

Tips for teaching children:

• Since the story is about a strong Samson, at the beginning of class, have the children do some arm wrestling.  Pair them up evenly according to their relative strength.  
• Another thing to do at the beginning of class is to let the children eat a spoonful of honey and tell them that in the story today, there will be some honey. 
• For a review activity, you can hand out paper and ask the children to draw and colour one of the scenes from the story.  When they are finished, have the other children guess which part of the story this is.  Additionally, you could have them retell that part of the story.

Tips for teaching adults:

• Divide the class up into three groups.  Tell each group to read Judges 13-15.  Give them a set of questions to answer after they read the text.  You can find a set of review questions on the Missions Bible Class website.  Here’s the link: https://missionbibleclass.org/old-testament/part2/judges-and-ruth/birth-of-samson/  Give each group about 20 minutes to read the text and answer the questions.
• After this bring the groups together asking for answers to each question.  As a teacher, you can decide how each group is to give their answers to the questions.
• To conclude, lead a discussion on what they learned about God in these chapters and what they learned about Samson.  Help the group consider the following:
  • Do you ever struggle with some of the things Samson struggled with? 
  • How have you handled these struggles?  
  • Give people time to formulate their answers.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  The Birth of Samson

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

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Gideon gathered 32,000 Israelites to fight the huge Midianite army of 135,000 men. The Lord commanded Gideon to reduce his army to only 300 men. Gideon and his small army surrounded the Midianite camp at night and, at a signal, smashed jars, blew trumpets, and yelled. Torches were in all of the jars, so the Midianites became totally confused by the noise and light display. In their confusion, they began to fight and kill each other. As they fled, Gideon ordered all Israelites to attack. Gideon did things God’s way, and his small army won a seemingly impossible battle.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Judges 7

Outline:

1. God pares down the Israelite army. (Judges 7:1-8)
2. Gideon and his servant scope out the enemy camp. (Judges 7:9-18)
3. God caused Gideon’s army to miraculously defeat the enemy. (Judges 7:19-25)

Tips for teaching children:

• The dream that the Midianite soldier had about a giant loaf of bread rolling into the camp and destroying a tent will sound humorous to children. A fun activity would be to set up little tents with cloth and a stick. Then let the children aim for them and bowl them over with a ball.
• Fill a shallow dish with water and place it on the floor. Children can drink from it and mimic Gideon’s soldiers in the story.
• A simple craft would be broken pieces of pottery with a small tea light sitting on it. Write “remember Gideon” on it. 

Tips for teaching adults:

• Begin with the following question: “Have you ever felt inadequate or outnumbered in a situation?” How did you handle it?
• This story can be read in the class. Choose three readers to read the three parts to the outline in the notes above.  Or choose six readers to read and divide chapter 7 into verses as follows:
  • 1-3
  • 4-8
  • 9-14
  • 15-18
  • 19-23
  • 24-25
• The following questions could be used for reflection and discussion.  Ask as many questions as time allows.  
  • How did fear play a role in the story—for both Gideon and the Midianites?
  • What does this story reveal about God's power and human weakness?
  • What role did obedience play in Gideon’s success? 
  • When have you felt outnumbered or overwhelmed and had to rely on God's strength?
  • How can we support one another when we feel hesitant or fearful like Gideon?
  • Where in your life might God be asking you to trust Him more and yourself less?
• End the class with prayer, praying for trust in God even when life doesn’t make sense; pray that God may use you to do his will and to rely on God’s strength, not yours.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: Gideon and the Midianites

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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As Israel again drifted away from God, the Midianites began to attack and destroy crops and loot the people. While Gideon was threshing wheat in a secret location, an angel of the Lord came to him and told him to lead the Israelites in a fight against the Midianites. Gideon came from the weakest clan in Israel, so he wanted reassurance that the Lord wanted him to lead. The Lord miraculously made wool fleece wet and then dry according to Gideon’s request, so Gideon knew that he should obey God and become the new Judge of Israel. The Lord chose Gideon to lead even though Gideon’s family was not famous or strong.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Judges 6

Outline:

1. Israel strays from God and calls for help when it suffers for it. (Judges 6:1-10)
2. Gideon accepts God’s call to cleanse Israel of idols. (Judges 6:11-32)
   • An angel visits Gideon. (11-24)
   • Gideon destroys idols in Israel. (25-32)
3. Using a test of wool, God confirms Gideon’s leadership in saving Israel. (Judges 6:33-40)

Tips for teaching children:

• Mix oil and water in a jar and secure it with a lid. Guide the children in shaking the jar to mix the liquids. As you watch the liquids separate, talk about how God did not want his people to try to mix idol worship with following him.
• For younger children, provide an outline of a sheepskin and guide them in gluing cotton wool or wool yarn onto it.
• Collect items made from wool to show the children.
• Remind the children of the cycle of the judges. Printable instructions for the Judges Review Wheel.

Tips for teaching adults:

• As the teacher, I would ask the class members to share stories of times when they were afraid.  Why were they afraid?  What did they do to overcome their fear?
• Group reading: Divide the class into four groups. Each group will read and discuss one of the sections of Scripture found in the outline above. 
  After all groups are finished reading, one member from each group should report back to everyone how their group would summarise their part. 
• Following the summaries, have each group ask the rest of the class questions from their section of the story.  For instance, one group could ask the other three groups, “What was the father of Gideon named?”  For these questions, everyone should first try to answer without referring to the Scripture. You may spend 15 minutes or so on these questions, depending on your available time.
• At the end of the session, choose a couple of readers to read the following verses:  Joshua 1:9 and Psalm 3.  
  End with a prayer asking God for courage to act in faith, courage to do what God has called each of us to do, and courage to be faithful.

Full teaching instructions at Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson: Gideon and the Fleece

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Deborah, the judge, held court while sitting beneath a palm tree. She was wise and helped the people solve their problems. She told Barak, commander of the army of Israel, that the Lord wanted him to fight an enemy named Sisera. Barak refused to fight unless Deborah accompanied him. She went along, and they defeated Sisera’s army. During the battle, Sisera escaped and hid in the tent of a woman named Jael. During the night, Jael killed Sisera in his sleep. After the events, Deborah and Barak composed a song about women winning the victory.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Judges 4-5

Outline:

1. Deborah, the judge, organises Barak to lead an army against the Canaanite enemies. (Judges 4:1-16)
2. Sisera, the enemy commander, is killed by a woman. (Judges 4:17-24)
3. Deborah’s song (Judges 4:17-24)

Tips for teaching children:

• Outline a picture of a palm tree and guide the children in writing or drawing facts or observations about Deborah inside the outline.
• Guide the children in writing a poem or song about God.
• Construct a visual aid to depict the cycle of the time of the judges. 
  • Safe with God
  • The people forget God
  • The people suffer
  • The people call out to God to save them
  • God sends a judge to save the people
  • And then start at the beginning again, safe with God.
    Printable instructions for the Judges Review Wheel.

Tips for teaching adults:

• You or other participants can read the following sections of Scripture. For added dramatic effect, sounds or video of a thunderstorm can be playing in the background while the poem sections of chapter 5 are being read. If using a YouTube link, such as this one, be sure to turn the sound off until the ad finishes playing at the beginning. You could also pause it until you are ready for the sound.  
  • Reader 1: Judges 4:1-24
  • Readers 1-7, reading one section of this poem each: 
    1. Judges 5:1-8
    2. Judges 5:9-13
    3. Judges 5:14-18
    4. Judges 5:19-23
    5. Judges 5:24-27
    6. Judges 5:28-30
    7. Judges 5:31
• Considering that the heroes of the story are women, list the ways women serve in the church.  Discuss what would happen if the work and ministry of the women of your congregation stopped. 
• Pray for your women of God.  Thanks God for them and how vital they are to the work of God. 

Free teaching instructions from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Deborah the Judge

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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The Lord had such confidence in Job’s faith that He allowed Satan to test him. Satan took away Job’s wealth, children, and health. Job’s wife and friends were not much help because they tried to convince him that he probably deserved the things that were happening to him. Despite his suffering, Job refused to give up his faith in the Lord. Satan was proved wrong, and in the end, the Lord blessed Job with even greater health, wealth, and family than before. Through a series of questions and revelations from the Lord, Job learned that God knows more than any human does. We may not know why things happen, but God does. We can trust Him.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Job 1-2; 16:1-5; 38-42

Outline:

1. God allows Satan to test Job (Job 1:1-2:10)
2. Job and his friends talk (Job 2:11 through chapter 37)
3. God speaks to Job (Job 38-41)
4. God reinstates Job’s life (Job 42)

Tips for teaching children:

• Discuss some of the amazing attributes of God from Job chapters 38 through 41). Provide illustrations and further study of any of these items. You could use the internet or a public library for resources.
• For artwork, have the children draw or paint pictures depicting any of the subjects in those same chapters.

Tips for teaching adults:

• This is a big and complex book.  To help orient the class to discuss the book, as a teacher, I would show the Bible Project video on the book of Job.  Here is the link. This is an excellent overview of the book that introduces some of its main ideas.  Preview the video and prepare questions that the class can wrestle with. An example of a question might be "Does God run the world on a strict principle of justice?"
• Ask the class members to share any personal experiences they have had in losing possessions and/or in losing their health.  Be sensitive to those who share.  Ask them how they dealt with their loss.  What was helpful? What wasn’t helpful? Resist the temptation to give shallow and trite responses to people's stories of suffering. A big part of this exercise is to listen rather than talk.
• Pray at the conclusion of the class time, asking God for wisdom in ministering to people who are suffering. Ask God to do his work in us and through us, even though we may be suffering. Acknowledge that our perspective is very limited, but that we trust God to work things out in the end.

Full teaching instructions are free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Job

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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When the Lord told the Israelites to divide the land, Caleb had a special request from Joshua. Caleb was an old man, but remembered forty-five years earlier when he was one of the twelve spies who had spied out of Canaan. Because Caleb had faith that God would help Israel conquer the land (even though the enemy seemed like giants), Moses had promised him the land. Although he was old, Caleb still believed that the Lord could help him fight the enemy. The Lord told Joshua to give the land of Hebron to Caleb. Caleb did indeed overtake the enemy and occupy Hebron.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Joshua 14:5-15; 15:13-15; and 21:43-45

Outline:

1. Caleb claims his part of the land (Joshua 14:5-15 and 15:13-15)
2. Go’d’s promises restated (Joshua 21:43-45)

Tips for teaching children:

• To begin a conversation about dividing the land, serve pizza and divide it into 12 portions before eating it. 
• Show a map of the land divided between the tribes. Many Bibles include this map in the back pages. Otherwise, a map such as this one will be helpful. https://bible-history.com/geography/map-canaan-tribal-portions 
• Invite an older Christian to visit your class and talk to the children about how they serve God.  
• Shared Craft: These older adults and the children can use paint and paper to make handprints together. 

Tips for teaching adults:

• Begin the class with any of the following questions for discussion: 
  • How hard is it to keep promises?  
  • What makes keeping promises difficult? 
  • What are some factors that prevent us from keeping our promises?
• Since the lesson is about a strong 85-year-old Caleb, follow up with these questions: 
  • Who knows some strong 80+-year-old people? 
  • What makes them strong? 
  • What keeps them going?
• One is never too old to serve the Lord.  Older people are still valuable in the work of God.  Ask the class to brainstorm ways that older people can serve the Lord. Then brainstorm ways your class can encourage older people to serve the Lord.   
• Consider making any of these ideas a project.
• Pray for the older people in your congregation.  Thank God for his faithfulness to his promises.

Full teaching instructions are free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Conquering the Land & Fighting Giants

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

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People in the town of Gibeon were afraid Joshua’s nearby army would overpower them. They pretended to be from a faraway place and tricked Joshua and his army into promising to keep them safe. When the Israelites later heard that the Gibeonites were neighbours, they knew they had been tricked. Joshua made this mistake because he did not ask God to help him. Even so, they knew they had to honour the treaty. When enemies attacked Gibeon, Joshua took his army and protected them in a battle where the Lord caused the sun to stand still.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Joshua 9:1-10:15

Deuteronomy 7:1-5

James 1:5

Outline:

1. The Gibeonites tricked Israel into making a peace agreement. (Joshua 9:1-27)
2. Israel protects Gibeon and displays God’s strength over the Amorites. (Joshua 10:1-15)

Tips for teaching children:

• Young children will enjoy dressing up in “old” clothes and pretending they are the Gibeonites playing a trick on Joshua. 
• For art expression, children can paint a sunburst. Before you begin, have them write “Joshua 10:8) along the bottom edge of a white paper. Help them squeeze some yellow paint in the middle of a paper. Provide straws so they can blow the paint out from the middle as if the sun. Alternatively, use paint brushes.
• Read James 1:5 together and talk about God’s wisdom. If we do not depend on God’s wisdom we can fall for tricks that others play on us. 
• Collect examples of “tricks” that advertisers and others play. Read the packaging carefully to see how “fruit flavoured” is not the same as actual fruit juice. Other examples might be flash packaging for a game that is not all that fun, fake money or jewellery.

Tips for teaching adults:

• Summarise Joshua 9 and then have the class read chapter 10:1-15.  Ask one or two people in the class to do the reading.
• Bring some examples to class to demonstrate that appearances can be deceiving. Items might include fool's gold, zirconium stone, or a bottle of "water" that has been replaced with salt water.  Someone could taste this "water". Ask the class if they have ever been deceived and how that made them feel.  Follow up by asking the class for some Bible examples of deceit and discuss how damaging the deceit was to relationships.
• Ask the class why stealing from God was so bad for Achan.  After discussing this, follow with the question: “How can we steal from God?”
• End the class by praying that the class members will endeavour to be honest and generous.

Full teaching instructions are free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  The Gibeonite Trick

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Because Joshua believed the Lord would help the Israelites win another battle, he led the people in attacking the city of Ai. Israel lost miserably. The Lord told Joshua that one of the Israelites had taken things for himself during the battle of Jericho instead of devoting them to the Lord. Soldiers found a robe, silver and gold, that a man named Achan had buried and hidden inside his tent. Achan was stoned outside the city. The Lord then told Joshua to attack Ai again. This time, the Israelites won the battle. Achan thought he could hide his sin from the Lord, but he was wrong.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Joshua 6:18-19; 7:1-8:1

Outline:

1. Achan secretly kept spoils from the Battle of Jericho. (Joshua 6:18-19 and 7:1)
2. Without God’s blessing the Israelites lose the Battle of Ai. (Joshua 7:2-5)
3. Achan’s sin is exposed and punished. (Joshua 7:6-26)
4. Now, with God’s blessing, Joshua leads the people towards victory over Ai. (Joshua 8:1)

Tips for teaching children:

• Place a number of pieces of fabric on the floor to represent tents in a camp. Before the children arrive, hide items resembling gold and silver under one of the “tents” so the children can find them.
•  Write “good secrets” and “bad secrets” on the white/chalkboard. Ask the children to list some and then discuss them. Examples might be as follows:
  • Good secrets: A surprise birthday party, Christmas gift, doing something nice for someone and not telling them who did it, etc. 
  • Bad Secrets- doing something that is wrong and not telling, not telling someone something that could help them, hiding things that break the law or that could hurt someone or make them unhappy, anything that makes you lie to keep it hidden is a bad secret; any time someone tells you to keep something from your parents is a bad secret, and you should tell your parents.) 
• Warning: Treat this very carefully. It is a sad fact that children can be abused or mistreated and then told to keep it a secret. Be sensitive and alert to any situation in the lives of your children. If you become aware of any such situation seek professional advice. This is not a secret you can ignore.

Tips for teaching adults:

• If time allows, have a reader read the entire text aloud to the class.  The reading could be divided into sections and multiple readers used. One way to divide the reading is to use the points in the outline provided above.
• Have the class members give examples of how the actions of one person can affect others.  In other words, ask class members for examples of people being affected, good or bad, by the consequences of the actions of another person.
• Neither Joshua nor Achan fully trusted God in this story. Ask the class to discuss what can be learned from each of these characters.
• End the class by praying for the leaders of your church to seek God’s guidance. Also pray that we can re-commit ourselves in fulfilling our commitment to God.
  
  

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Joshua led the people in a battle to overtake the walled city of Jericho. Instead of soldiers, priests and musicians led the people in marching around the walls of the city. After seven days of this, the people shouted and blew trumpets. Immediately, the walls of the city collapsed, and the soldiers completely destroyed the city of Jericho. Only one woman and her family were spared. This was because she (Rahab) had previously protected two Israelite spies.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Joshua 5:13-6:27

Outline:

1. Joshua encounters the commander of the Lord’s arm)y. (Joshua 5:13-15)
2. The Israelites overcome Jericho. (Joshua 6:1-27

Tips for teaching children:

• Younger children can build “city walls” from blocks. They can then reenact marching around 7 times before shouting to make the walls fall.
• Roll paper into tubes to make trumpets.
• For older children lead a discussion about commandments are sometimes difficult. We do not always understand at the time. Scriptures you might use could be:
  • 1 Peter 2:13-15 
  • 1 Peter 3:9 
  • Ephesians 6:1 
  • Matthew 5:44 

Tips for teaching adults:

• This story is not too long so the entire passage could be read aloud in class. Choose different readers to read the different sections of the story. Refer to the outline above to break the reading into parts.
• Ask the class members: “If you were in charge of the battle of Jericho, what battle strategy would you have used?"  
• Choose someone to draw a picture of God’s battle plan on a whiteboard.  Class members should direct the drawing by referring to the bible reading.
• Joshua 5:13-15 is a significant text.  Refer to Exodus 3:1-5 and ask the students to reflect on the following:
  • How are the stories of Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush and Joshua’s encounter similar?  
  • How are they different? 
• End the class with a prayer of humility, pledging ourselves to be obedient to God even when we do not fully understand or see the bigger picture.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  The Fall of Jericho

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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After forty years of wandering in the desert, it was time to cross over the Jordan River and take the land that God had promised. Joshua instructed the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant and begin walking into the Jordan. Even though the river was at flood stage, it immediately stopped flowing so that all of the people could pass safely through. To help the Israelites remember all He had done for them, the Lord had them pile twelve large stones from the middle of the Jordan, one on top of the other, to make a memorial.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Joshua 3-4; 5:10-12

Outline:

1. The Israelites cross the Jordan River (Joshua 3:1-4:18)
2. Remembrance (Joshua 4:19-24 and 5:10-12)

Tips for teaching children:

• Fun activity for very young children: Mark off an area on the floor to resemble a river. Lead the children in crossing the river.
• Craft: Decorate stones with paint and glitter.
• Devotional to remember what God has done. Have the children sit in a circle. Children will pass the stone from one to the other around in a circle. As individual children hold the stone, they should tell the group something that God has done for them. Once everyone who wishes to share has done so, pray and thank God.

Tips for teaching adults:

• What are some “stones of remembrance” in your own life? In other words, How do you keep a record of God's faithfulness to you, God’s fulfilled promises to you, God’s goodness to you?
• What are some ways that we can teach our children or the children in the church the faith and to help them remember God and his promises?
• As the class to bring a smooth stone to class. Write on these stones one thing God has done for you, how God has been faithful to you.  Give this stone to a child at church and tell them your story on how God has been faithful to you.

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Crossing the Jordan 

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org

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Joshua sent two spies over the Jordan River and into the city of Jericho. Rahab, a woman in the city, let the spies stay at her house. When the city officials searched for them, she hid them on her rooftop under stalks of flax. She told the spies she would not turn them in as long as they promised to save her and her family when they returned to conquer Jericho. Before escaping to the nearby hills, they instructed her to tie a red cord in her window so that they would know where she was when they came back.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Joshua 1-2

Matthew 1:5

James 2:25

Hebrews 11:31

Outline:

1. God prepares Joshua to lead (Joshua 1:1-9)
2. Joshua prepares the people to take the land (Joshua 1:10-18)
3. Rahab protects the spies (Joshua 2:1-24)

Tips for teaching children:

• Use a paper heart to discuss how following God can change lives.
  • Prepare a paper heart by gluing two pieces of paper together. One paper should be black and the other white. Cut the paper into the shape of a heart. 
  • With the black side of the heart facing up, talk about how Rahab used to be a bad person doing bad things until she learned about God. 
  • Then, turn the heart over to the white side and discuss how Rahab began to follow God. She left her people and began to live with the Israelites.
  • Using the heart again, apply this concept to people today and ourselves. We can choose to live a good life or a bad life.
• Take the children on a walk to “find Rahab’s house”. Before the children arrive, find a window in your building and hang a red streamer or scarf from it.  After learning about Rahab, take the children on a walk outside so that they can spot “Rahab’s house”.
  
  

Tips for teaching adults:

• Begin the class by asking these questions: Have you experienced leadership change in your congregation?  What was it like?  What went well and didn’t go well?  What does it look like to step into a role after someone great has gone before you? How would you deal with fear or inadequacy in those moments?
• Rahab was of questionable character and an outsider, so "what does Rahab’s story teach us about who God might include in His redemptive purposes?" What does Matthew 1:5 add to this discussion? What does this tell you about God?
• Ask everyone in the class to write on a piece of paper an area of your life where you need courage or more courage.  Have the class members place the papers you have written on into a bowl, and then begin drawing them out of the bowl and read to the class.  Pray for each of these areas.

Full teaching instructions are free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  Rahab Helps the Spies

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org