BIG TRUTH SESSION

Kids Worship Guide | Unit 4 • Session 4 | 39

Unit 4 | Session 4

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISESIsaiah 9

CHRIST CONNECTION: God keeps His promises. He remembered His promise to send a Rescuer and sent His Son, Jesus, into the world as a baby. Jesus grew up and provided salvation for sinners by dying on the cross and rising

from the dead.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION:Does God keep His promises? Yes, God always keeps His promises because He is faithful.

KEY PASSAGE:Numbers 23:19

EXPECTED RESPONSE:Patience

Unit 4 • Session 4

© 2021 Lifeway

PREPARE

PREPARE YOUR HEART TO TEACH; PLAN

THE SESSION

LEARN

TEACH KIDS HOW AND WHY WE WORSHIP

LOVE

LEAD KIDS TO LOVE GOD BY

WORSHIPING HIM

LIVE

LEAD KIDS TO LIVE WORSHIPFUL LIVES FOR GOD

25-30 MINUTES

10 MINUTES

THE WEEK

PRIOR 20-30MINUTES

Kids Worship Guide | Unit 4 • Session 4 | 40

PREPARE

P R I O R T O T E A C H I N G T H E S E S S I O N

LEADER LEADER Bible StudyGod’s faithfulness is present throughout

the Bible, but the theme is prominent in the Book of Exodus. God is consistent and unchanging. Even when the Israelites are faithless, God is faithful. As you read and teach from the Old Testament, remember the overarching narrative of God’s ultimate promise to send a Rescuer to deliver people from sin.

As you teach this lesson, set hundreds of years after the Exodus, guide the kids to understand the following points:

God promised a Rescuer. Without promises to keep, it would be nearly impossible to gauge whether God is faithful. Time and time again, God makes extravagant promises, and He keeps them each and every time. God’s ultimate promise—indeed one of the first promises He ever made to people—was the promise to send a Rescuer. This ultimate promise provides a sort of “ultimate plumbline” by which to observe God’s faithfulness.

God told the people what the Rescuer would be like. If a supposed prophecy is vague enough, it can be impossible (or in some cases overly easy) to see it fulfilled.

God’s promise to send a Rescuer wasn’t a single veiled reference we could attribute to nearly anyone. Throughout the Old Testament, God sent many prophets who added more and more specificity to the promise.

Jesus is the Rescuer God sent. By the time God sent Jesus as a baby, there had been hundreds of different clues about the Messiah. Through Jesus, all of these clues came together to give clarity about His identity as the Messiah. Some prophecies regarding Jesus have yet to be fully completed, but God’s history of faithfulness proves that we can trust they will come true.

As you speak of God’s faithfulness to kids, help them see that trusting God requires patience. God’s timing is perfect even when it doesn’t match our own plans and desires. Encourage the kids to trust God fully, even in hard times.

PLAN PLAN the Session1. Read the Leader Bible Study and review the session plan.

2. Check out the session-by-session training available on Ministry Grid.

3. Pray for yourself, your group, and the other leaders and kids in your ministry.

PROPHECIES FULFILLED

Virgin birth (Isa. 7:14): Jesus was born to the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35).Prince of peace (Isa. 9:6-7): Jesus gives peace (John 14:27).Everlasting King (Isa. 11:1-5): Jesus will reign forever (Luke 1:31–33).

© 2021 Lifeway

Kids Worship Guide | Unit 4 • Session 4 | 41

GATHER GATHER SuppliesKeep a regular supply of the following items available at all times: Bibles, pens or pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, glue or tape, paper.

LEARN

Countdown F countdown video

Worship through Music F “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” “Holy God (Holy, Holy, Holy),” or other high-energy worship songs of your choosing

Introduction and Big Picture Question

F Big Picture Question Poster

Tell the Bible Story F “God Keeps His Promises” video

F Bible Story Picture Poster

Group Demonstration F hydrogen peroxide, ½ cup F blue dish soap, ¼ cup F food color (various colors), five bottles

F active yeast, 1 small package F warm water, 3 tablespoons F tall glass vase F pan or towel to catch excess mixture

LOVE

Group Activity F bandannas, 2 F foam ball

Respond in Worship F “With All My Heart,” “Here With Me,” or other slower worship songs of your choosing

F offering basket or collection box (optional)

LIVE

Key Passage F Key Passage Poster F “Unchanging God (Numbers 23:19)” song

Additional Activity F colored glass stones in various colors

F round plastic lids from recycled food containers

F clear washable glue F satin ribbon

PREPARE

P R I O R T O T E A C H I N G T H E S E S S I O N

© 2021 Lifeway

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LEARN

T H E S T O R Y O F T H E G O S P E L

LEARN LEARN through WorshipCOUNTDOWNShow the countdown video as your kids arrive, and set it to end as worship time begins.

WORSHIP THROUGH MUSIC (5–10 min.)

Choose a few high-energy worship songs—such as “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” or “Holy God (Holy, Holy, Holy)”—to sing with your group of kids. Lead motions enthusiastically and encourage kids to join you. Between songs, help the kids think through what it means to worship God and why we often use music to help us do so. Take time to talk the kids through any lyrics that might be challenging to understand.

INTRODUCTION AND BIG PICTURE QUESTION (3 min.)

SAY Last session we learned that God was faithful to rescue the Israelites from Egypt and guide them where they needed to go, even as they were being chased by Pharaoh. We also saw God’s lordship over creation when He parted the Red Sea and allowed the Israelites to walk through to safety. After crossing the Red Sea, God’s plan was to take the Israelites to Canaan, a good land they could call home. This would be a direct fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to give him lots of land. Remember, another one of the promises God made to Abraham was that one of his family members would be a blessing to all people, and we know that person was Jesus! Jesus is a blessing to all people because through Him the free gift of salvation is made available to all who would receive it. Today we’ll take a leap from the Book of Exodus all the way to the Book of Isaiah so we can look at another important promise God made—and kept.

Hundreds of years before Jesus came, the prophet Isaiah wrote about how Jesus would rescue us from our sins. Everything Isaiah said about Jesus would eventually come true because he was inspired by God, and God always keeps His word. That leads us to our Big Picture Question for the unit. Does anyone remember what it is? [Allow responses.] That’s right! Does God keep His promises? Yes, God always keeps His promises because He is faithful. While we sometimes break our promises because we are weak, sinful, and have limited control, God is all-powerful, perfect, and in control of everything. Everything He has promised He will do because He is a good, faithful God who loves us.

© 2021 Lifeway

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LEARN

T H E S T O R Y O F T H E G O S P E L

TELL THE BIBLE STORY (10 min.)

Open your Bible to Isaiah 9. Tell the Bible story using the script provided, or flesh out the “Kids Sermon Outline” in the margin to teach a more in depth message. You may choose to play the Bible story video “God Keeps His Promises.” Use bold text to retell or review the story.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES When sin entered the world after Adam and Eve rebelled, God made an

important promise. God promised a Rescuer would come from Eve’s family. As years passed, God’s people waited for Him to keep His promise. God sometimes spoke to His people through prophets and prophetesses, men and women who received a message from God and then told it to the people.

The prophet Isaiah shared a message about God’s promise to send a Rescuer. The Rescuer would be called the Messiah, which means “anointed one” or “chosen one.” This is what Isaiah wrote:

“The people are living in darkness now, but they will see a great light. A light will shine on them. God will grow the nation and give the people joy. People will rejoice like they do at harvest time or after a war is won.

“This is how God will keep His promise: A child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

All these names tell us who Jesus is and the great things He would do. Jesus was coming to earth to help people and protect people. Jesus would be a king who cares about His people, and He would bring peace to the whole world.

Isaiah also said, “His kingdom will be full of His power and peace. The kingdom will grow, and He will reign on the throne as the King. He will be a good, fair, and loving King who reigns forever.”

KIDS SERMON OUTLINEGod promised a Rescuer (Isa. 9:2-4): God never intended for the world to persist in its broken state. His plan all along has been to rescue sinners.

God told people what the Rescuer would be like (Isa. 9:6): God gave prophets the words to deliver His message of hope to His people. He wanted them to be prepared for the Rescuer.

Jesus is the Rescuer God sent (Luke 1:31-35; John 14:27): God’s plan became clearer as Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection proved His identity as the Rescuer. When Jesus returns, His kingdom will be fully established in all the earth.

© 2021 Lifeway

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LEARN

T H E S T O R Y O F T H E G O S P E L

CHRIST CONNECTION

SAY One of the first stories we read in Scripture after the creation account is how Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden. That didn’t take God by surprise. Even before Adam and Eve were created, God knew they would make a rebellious choice and eat the fruit they weren’t supposed to eat. Adam and Eve’s sin broke the world, and we are all sinners too. Thankfully, God had a plan all along to fix our broken relationship with Him! In Genesis 3:15 we see the first promise that a Rescuer would come from Eve’s family. This Rescuer would defeat Satan and do away with sin and death. When God promises something, we can be sure it will happen. What He promised in Genesis was echoed all throughout the Old Testament by prophets, like Isaiah, and it came true in the Gospels. God keeps His promises. He remembered His promise to send a Rescuer and sent His Son, Jesus, into the world as a baby. Jesus grew up and provided salvation for sinners by dying on the cross and rising from the dead.

GROUP DEMONSTRATION (5 min.) Mix together one tablespoon of active yeast with three tablespoons of warm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Set this yeast mixture aside for at least ten minutes. Then, pour the dish soap and hydrogen peroxide into the vase. Call five volunteers forward, and give each kid a different bottle of food color. Guide the kids to take turns squeezing one drop of each color into the vase. Finally, pour the yeast mixture into the vase. The yeast mixture combining with the hydrogen peroxide mixture will cause it to instantly rise, showcasing beautiful swirls of the different food colors. You may choose to do this demonstration in a larger pan or on a towel to catch any overflow of the mixtures.

SAY The vase with the food color represents ‘the world,’ and the hydrogen peroxide represents ‘sin.’ Remember, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world and people’s relationships with God were broken, unable to be fixed by human effort. The hydrogen peroxide being poured into the vase represents sin affecting the entire earth. But, in Genesis 3:15 we’re given the first assurance that a Rescuer would come. Imagine the first drop of food color represents that first promise of Christ. As you’ve already learned, God promised Abraham that one of his family members would bless all people, and we know that person was Jesus. The second drop of food color represents this promise to Abraham. God echoed this promise to Abraham’s son, Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob, represented by two more drops of food coloring. All throughout the Old Testament God used prophets to remind the Israelites of this Rescuer who would come. The prophet Isaiah, whom we studied today, represents the last drop of food coloring. As the years went on, the anticipation grew that this Rescuer would finally come, and at just the right time, He finally did! Imagine the yeast represents Jesus. Similar to how the yeast being poured over the hydrogen peroxide mixture caused an instant reaction of beautiful colors, all of God’s promises came to a point and instantly found their fulfillment in Christ. Even though the Israelites had to wait a really long time for their Rescuer to come, it taught them patience. As we wait on Jesus to come back a second time, God is also developing patience in us.

© 2021 Lifeway

Kids Worship Guide | Unit 4 • Session 4 | 45

LOVE LOVE with WorshipDISCUSSION (10 min.)

Consider forming smaller groups to discuss the following deep questions. Encourage kids to be honest about their feelings and help them learn to process them in healthy ways.

1. We talked about the patience you might need when you think about waiting for God’s timing. But that may not be the only feeling you have when you think about God’s plans. What are some other feelings you may have when you think about waiting for God’s promises to come true? Help kids think about and describe other feelings—such as frustration or impatience—they may have. Provide a safe place for kids to discuss emotions, and remind kids that their feelings are real and valid, even if they don’t match what others feel.

2. Can you think of other times you have felt those feelings? Would anyone like to share their stories? Help kids talk through other situations where they have felt patient, frustrated, impatient, or another emotion mentioned in the first question. Be prepared with examples from your own life.

3. Can you think of any hurtful or destructive ways we might use those feelings? If approached with the right attitude, waiting on God can develop patience, but if approached with the wrong attitude it can lead to impatience. We might be tempted to think that God is lazy or is purposely delaying, and this can lead to intense frustration and ultimately questioning God’s goodness and plan. Remind kids that it’s OK to recognize the difficulty of waiting. Encourage them that they can do hard things—like waiting patiently—with God’s help.

4. Can you think of any helpful or constructive ways we might use those feelings? Remind the kids that waiting on God positions them to stop and ask, “What might God be trying to teach me while I wait?” Periods of waiting may feel frustrating or even pointless at times, but our faith will grow as we trust God’s heart and learn to depend fully on His provision and plan.

After the kids have had time to discuss, direct their attention back to the main worship leader for the group activity. If you formed smaller groups, you may choose to re-gather as a larger group depending on your ministry context.

GROUP ACTIVITY: BLIND MAN BATTLE (5–10 min.)

SAY The prophet Isaiah said that the Israelites were living in darkness, but that one day a great light would shine on them. We know that Light was Jesus. In this game, you’ll take turns being blindfolded, and you’ll have to rely on your teammates to guide you to your destination and back.

Guide the kids to line up on one side of the room. Blindfold the first kid in line with a bandanna. Place a foam ball somewhere in the room. When you say “go,” the blindfolded kid must carefully feel her way around the room to find the ball. The other kids can call out instructions to the blindfolded kid. Once the kid finds the ball, reset the game: blindfold the next kid and place the ball somewhere else in the room.

SAY In this game, how hard would it have been to grab the object without wearing the blindfold? [Allow responses.] It would have been pretty easy since you could see the object. With the blindfold you were in the dark, so it was more difficult. The Bible talks a lot about light and darkness. For

LOVE

T H E G O D O F T H E G O S P E L

© 2021 Lifeway

Kids Worship Guide | Unit 4 • Session 4 | 46

example, the Bible says that apart from Christ, we are in the dark. Our sin blinds us to the truth of God and His Word. But Jesus said in John 8:12, ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’ Praise God that we don’t have to be in the dark! There is joy, hope, and peace in knowing that you can walk without stumbling. To walk in the light, we must repent—turn away from our sin—and trust in Jesus. In the game you relied on your teammates to guide you to the middle of the room. Similarly, believers have a guide to tell us how we should walk. God’s Word lights our way (Psalm 119:105). When we obey God’s Word, that pleases God. Not only that, but in shining our light we point others to Jesus (Matthew 5:16). We are little lights that point to the source, the greater Light, who is Jesus.

RESPOND IN WORSHIP (3 min.)

Choose slower worship songs—such as “With All My Heart” or “Here With Me”—that will help your kids reflect on the concepts they have learned about during this session. Encourage kids to respond however they feel God leading them, whether in prayer, quiet thought, or song.

SAY The Bible says that we are either walking in darkness or the light. There is no other option. By God’s grace you’ve either confessed your sin and followed Jesus in obedience, or you’re still blinded by your sin. Jesus wants you to walk in the light, and we do that by embracing His free gift of salvation. In John 5:24 Jesus promised, ‘...Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.’ Remember, we can cling to these promises because God is faithful. Even though we sometimes have to wait on His promises, we can trust that He’s developing patience in us and making us more like Jesus as we wait.

As you continue playing music, allow the kids a few minutes to pass an offering basket, bring offerings to a collections box, or collect offerings in another way.

LOVE

T H E G O D O F T H E G O S P E L

© 2021 Lifeway

LIVE

T H E M I S S I O N O F T H E G O S P E L

LIVE LIVE in WorshipKEY PASSAGE (5 min.)

SAY It hurts us when people break promises. Thankfully God never does that! God had vowed to be faithful to Israel, and He fulfilled that promise. Because of Jesus, God will also be faithful to protect us and give us salvation.

Read Numbers 23:19 and encourage the kids to read along. Display the key passage poster for kids to read. You may also sing the key passage song, “Unchanging God (Numbers 23:19).”

APPLICATION (2 min.)

Spend some time following up with the kids to see if they were able to complete the application challenges from the previous session (write Deuteronomy 31:8 on two cards, keeping one to memorize the verse and giving the other one to a friend). Encourage each kid for his or her efforts, and remind kids to keep seeking ways to worship God each day.

SAY Awesome job to those who participated in last week’s challenges! Remember, we have these challenges to show God we love Him and want to honor Him with our lives. This is called worship, and it pleases God when we worship Him. This week we have two more challenges.

1. Draw a few different pictures of what “living in the light” looks like.

2. Decide to “live in the light” this week. Practice at least one of the things you draw.

SAY Can you do those things to worship God this week? [Allow responses.] Awesome! I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

PRAYER AND ANNOUNCEMENTS (2 min.)

SAY God, thank You that Jesus, the Light of the world, came at the perfect time according to Your plan, and that He defeated sin by dying on the cross and rising again. Jesus is a good, loving, and fair King who will bring peace and reign forever, and for that we are so grateful! We love You. Amen.

Make any announcements from your kids’ ministry before dismissing. If there’s significant time between dismissal and pick-up, consider using the additional activity to keep the kids engaged. You may also substitute the additional activity for the group activity.

Kids Worship Guide | Unit 4 • Session 4 | 47© 2021 Lifeway

LIVE

T H E M I S S I O N O F T H E G O S P E L

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY

JOY SUNCATCHERGuide each child to position a plastic lid where the flat side is facing down. Help children squeeze clear glue into the lid and spread it to cover the whole inner surface. Guide the kids to position glass stones around the edges of the lid and to spell out JOY in the center. Afterwards, guide them to fill in the gaps with more stones. Encourage kids to use at least two different colors of stones, one for the letters, and one for the filler. They’ll want the stones to touch so that the entire space is filled. Finally, fill the space around the stones. with more clear glue. Direct kids to stick each end of a 6-inch length of satin ribbon into the glue to become a hanging loop when the glue dries. The glue will likely take up to five days to dry completely, so kids will need to leave their suncatchers until the following week. After it’s dry, the suncatcher should easily peel away from the lid.

SAY In Isaiah 9:3 the prophet said, ‘You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.’ Your suncatcher should first remind you that Jesus is the Light of the world! Every time the light hits it, the word JOY should be lit up, reminding you that there is joy in knowing Jesus. Just like the Israelites, we have reason to celebrate! Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. In Jesus, we have unending love, salvation, eternal life, hope, and a purpose. So, no matter what you’re facing—in good times, hard times, and even times of waiting—you can patiently wait on God because Christ is your loving, faithful King who will reign forever.

Kids Worship Guide | Unit 4 • Session 4 | 48© 2021 Lifeway