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9.2 Large Group Lesson | Preschool

Topher’s Easter Seek and FindJesus Prays in the Garden

Scripture marked “NIV” is taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scripture marked “NIrV” is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version ™, Copyright ©1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. All scripture references are taken from NIrV unless otherwise stated.

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BIG IDEA: God hears me when I pray.

BIBLE BASIS: Matthew 26:36–56

KEY VERSE: “You will come and pray to me. And I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12

25–35 minutes

20–25 minutes

15–20 minutes

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LEADER DEVOTIONAL

Think for a moment about the times when you have felt under the most amount of stress. Maybe it was an end of the year presentation at work, final exams, or being in-between jobs. During these times, we feel as if the weight of the world were pushing down on us. It’s a feeling that Jesus is familiar with. But on the night that He was betrayed, it wasn’t just the weight of the world that was pushing down on Him, it was the weight of the world’s sin.

The betrayal took place in the appropriately named Garden of Gethsemane. Simply put, a “gethsemane” is a large stone used for pressing and crushing olives. When you read the words that Jesus spoke to His disciples, you can hear the weight of the task pressing on and crushing His soul. In Matthew 26:38, Jesus said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (NIV). It was here in this garden of olives that Jesus wrestled with the pressure of the task before him. So much so, that he sweat blood and an angel attended to him (Luke 22:43). It is clear from his prayers that Jesus desired to avoid the pain and the suffering of the cross. Three times He prayed for this “cup” to be taken away from Him, but following each request for deliverance, Jesus says, “Not my will, God, but yours be done.”

As usual, Jesus provides the ultimate example of how we should respond when in the middle of turmoil. His immediate response was to find a quiet place, fall to His knees, and pray out to God. His prayer was raw, honest, heartfelt, and specific. But at the end, He trusted his fate to the will of God, knowing that God’s will was for the ultimate good.

Chances are that the pressures you’re feeling don’t compare to the weight of the cross. Nevertheless, you would benefit greatly by following Jesus’ example. Regardless of the type or severity of your troubles, fall to your knees and pray out to God a raw, honest, heartfelt, and specific prayer. But in the end, regardless of His answer, trust that God’s will for you is good.

John GarrisonGO! Contributor



LARGE GROUP SKILL BUILDING

Using Props Effectively

Telling a story is great. Showing a story is even better! Well-integrated props can give a third dimension to a two-dimensional story. They help stories come alive. They add interest and intrigue. More than that, they help cement a story or lesson into the minds of the audience. Poorly integrated props, on the other hand, can bring your lesson down like the flaming Hindenburg! Here are a few tips on how to achieve the former and avoid the latter:

Choose props that are relevant to the message. The GO! curriculum will often suggest different props. If you think of a prop that you want to introduce on your own, be sure that it contributes to the objective of the lesson.

In most situations, keep the props out of sight until it’s time to use them. Props are kind of like tigers during a magic show. Let them out at just the right time and they’re sure to wow the audience. Let them wander around for the entire show and they’ll devour an audience member! Interesting props, left in plain sight, can easily devour the attention of a kid.

Don’t let live tigers loose in the room. I think we adequately covered that one in the previous bullet point. More than that, though, be sure that all of your props are safe around kids. If your intro into the prop goes something like this, “God is kind of like this hand grenade,” please reconsider your choice of props.

Organize your props ahead of time. Make sure your props are easy to reach. If you’re using multiple props, organize them so you can quickly grab the right prop at the right time. Does your prop require some set-up? If so, set it up ahead of time. The transition from words to props should be quick and seamless.



UNIT DESCRIPTIONThat silly little gopher has done it again and now we have an Easter emergency. Topher the Gopher has hidden our Easter story pictures inside the Bible story drawing. No worries, though! The preschool kids are on the hunt. During “Topher’s Easter Seek and Find,” preschoolers will seek high and low within the drawing to find the hidden pictures. Once found, the pictures will help tell the greatest story ever—the story of a Love that’s more powerful than death.

SET-UP INSTRUCTIONS Print the “Sammy Struthers” picture on 8½ x 11 cardstock and place in the storytelling

area. Print the “Bible Story Seek and Find” (1 per child) on 8½ x 11 paper. Print one set of the “Enlarged Bible Story Pictures” on 8½ x 11 cardstock. Place in the

storytelling area. This set of pictures will be held up by the teacher so the children know what picture to look for.

Place a box of crayons or markers in the room. There should be enough for every child to have one crayon or marker.

Create a “Bible Box” and place your storytelling Bible inside. This box will be used every week. See the Resource Folder for details on how to make the “Bible Box.”

If using the non-video options for the Topher segments of the lesson, print the Topher’s Storytime Rules signs and Topher’s Big Idea signs on 8½ x 11 cardstock paper and place in the story time area. See “Getting Started” in the Resource Folder for the printable signs and for more instructions on how to perform the non-video options.

Note: Any media repeated throughout the unit, such as the Topher videos and the title slide, is located in the Lesson 1 Resource Folder only.



Slide: show “Topher’s Easter Seek and Find” title graphicMusic: (optional) play upbeat music as children enter the storytelling area

WELCOME AND MUSIC

As children enter the story time area, give them a high-energy welcome—smile, wave, give high fives, and tell them you’re glad to see them. For added energy during the transition, play a fun song that the children are familiar with. When the children have all arrived, play one or two upbeat worship songs of your choosing and lead the kids in singing.

Music: play one or two upbeat worship songs

After the songs, help the children sit down by saying the following rhyme with them:

Topher the Gopher 1, 2, 3. (Clap on each number.)Digs a hole right under me. (Make a motion as if digging with a shovel.)Slowly I start sinking down. (Twist your body back and forth, lower and lower to the ground.)Until I’m sitting on the ground. (Sit down on ground or chair.)

BIG IDEA AND BIBLE VERSE

Large Group Leader: Hello everybody, I’m so glad you’re here today because I REALLY need your help. You see, Topher the Gopher got ahold of our Bible story pictures again. That silly little gopher hid the pictures in our Bible story drawing. We’ll have to seek and find the pictures if we want to hear today’s Bible story.

Today’s true Bible story is going to teach us that God hears me when I pray. That’s our Big Idea for the day. Let’s say it together. (Repeat Big Idea with children.) God hears me when I pray. It’s true! God hears me when I pray. In fact, that’s what our memory verse from the Bible tells us. Let me teach it to you.

“You will come (march in place) and pray to me (fold hands). And I (point up) will listen to you (cup hands to ears).” Jeremiah 29:12 (extend hands like you’re holding a book).

Let’s do that together. (Repeat Memory Verse with children 2 or 3 times.)

STORY TIME RULES

Wow—nice job! I think you kids are ready for the Bible story. Before we get started, though, I think we should go over our three story time rules.

Video: play “Topher the Gopher Story Time Rules” video

(Note: Play the “Topher the Gopher Story Time Rules” video or use the Story Time Rules script found in the Resource Folder.)



TOPHER’S EASTER SEEK AND FIND INTRO

Take a look at this sad little boy. His name is Sammy Struthers. (Hold up picture of sad boy.) Why do you think Sammy is so sad? (Take answers.) Those are some great guesses. Let me read you a little poem that tells us why Sammy is sad. (Read the poem below.)

Sammy Struthers and his little brothers were playing in the yard.Around nightfall, they took a ball and kicked it really hard.It left their feet, rolled down the street, and fell into the sewer.Now Sammy Struthers and his little brothers have no ball at all.

Oh no—that’s so sad for Sammy! What do you do when you’re feeling sad like Sammy? (Take answers.) There are lots of things we can do when we’re feeling sad, but today’s true Bible story is going to teach us the BEST thing we can do when we’re sad.

If you’re ready to hear that story, wiggle your fingers in the air. (Children wiggle fingers in the air.) Great! First, let’s get our Bible out of the super-duper Bible box. (Move to the Bible Box.) I need your help getting the Bible out, though. We need to say our special Bible words together. Repeat these special words after me: It’s true, it’s true, the Bible is true!

(Repeat the words with the children, then turn on the Bible Box light so that the Bible is revealed. Optional: play the Bible Box sound effect when you turn the light on.)

Sound: (optional) play the “Bible Box” sound effect

(After the Bible is revealed, open the box and take it out. Hold the open Bible in front of you.)

Slide: show the “Jesus Prays in the Garden” slide

BIG BIBLE STORY—JESUS PRAYS IN THE GARDEN

(Note: Give each child a Bible Story Drawing and a crayon or marker. Each of the story pictures will be hidden within the Bible Story Drawing like a “seek and find.” When indicated, hold up the enlarged picture so the children can see what they’re looking for, then have them find and circle it in the drawing.)

Let’s get our Bible story started by looking for the first hidden picture. (Hold up picture of a sad face.) Can you find a picture of a sad face hidden in the drawing? (Give the children a moment to find and circle it.) In the Bible, in the Book of Matthew, Jesus was feeling very, very sad. He had never done anything wrong, but some mean people didn’t like Him saying He was the Son of God, so they wanted to arrest Him. Jesus knew bad things were going to happen to Him, so He took some of His disciples to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane. Can you say Garden of Gethsemane with me? (Repeat with children.)

Let’s look for our second hidden picture. (Hold up enlarged picture of praying hands.) Can you find a picture of praying hands in the drawing? (Give the children a moment to find and circle it.) Way to go! When Jesus got to the garden, He told His disciples to stay there and keep watching. Then Jesus went away to pray. He prayed, “God, if it’s what you want, make my pain and sadness go away.”



Let’s look for our third hidden picture. (Hold up enlarged picture of pillow.) Can you find a picture of a pillow in the drawing? (Give the children a moment to find and circle it.) Nice work! When Jesus came back from praying, he found His disciples asleep. Let’s pretend like we’re sleeping. (Pretend to sleep and snore with the children.) Jesus woke them up and said, “Couldn’t you stay awake and watch with me for one hour? Keep watching out and pray so that you don’t make bad choices.” Then Jesus went away to pray again.

Let’s look for our fourth hidden picture. (Hold up enlarged picture of sleeping “ZZZs”.) Can you find the picture of sleeping ZZZs? (Give the children a moment to find and circle it.) You did it! When Jesus came back from praying a second time, the disciples were asleep again. So He left and went to pray for a third time. When Jesus came back from praying a third time, He said to the disciples, “Are you still sleeping? Get up. Let’s go. My enemies have come to arrest me.”

Let’s look for our fifth hidden picture. (Hold up enlarged picture of a sword.) Can you find the picture of a sword? (Give the children a moment to find and circle it.) Great job! Suddenly, soldiers with swords came to arrest Jesus. Before they got to Jesus, one of the disciples named Peter pulled out a sword of his own. He was going to fight the soldiers to keep them from taking Jesus away. But Jesus said to Peter, “Stop! Put your sword away! This is all a part of God’s plan.” Then the soldiers arrested Jesus and took Him away.

MUSIC AND CLOSING

(Encourage the children to stand up. Lead them in a worship song of your choice. Following the song, use the rhyme from earlier to help the children sit down again.)

Music: play one worship song

In today’s true Bible story, there were some mean people who wanted to arrest Jesus because He said He was the Son of God. That made Jesus so, so sad. Who remembers what Jesus did in the garden when He felt sad? (Take answers.) That’s right—when Jesus felt sad, He prayed to God 3 times. Let’s count to 3 together. (Count to 3 with children.) Jesus prayed to God when He felt sad. We can pray to God when we feel sad too.

Do you remember Sammy Struthers? (Show picture from earlier.) He was so sad because he lost his ball. What are some things that make you sad? I’ll call on kids who are seated quietly with their hands raised in the air. (Take 3 or 4 answers. After each answer, say a short, “repeat after me” prayer with the children. For example, if a child says they’re sad when they don’t have anyone to play with, pray something like this: “Dear God, help us not feel sad when we’re alone. Help us remember that you’re always with us. Amen.”)

Do you think God heard us say those prayers? (Children respond.) Yes He did! That’s because God hears us when we pray!

TOPHER’S BIG IDEA

Hey—that’s our Big Idea for today! I think we should tell it to our parents when we see them. Maybe we should practice first. (Appear to be thinking.) Hmm…who could we practice telling? I know! We could tell our friend, Topher the Gopher. Let’s see if we can find him.



(Play “Topher’s Big Idea Video 1” or, for a non-video option, print out the “Topher’s Big Idea Cards” ahead of time and hold up card #1. See the “Topher’s Big Idea” document in the Resource Folder for more suggestions on how to perform the non-video option.)

Video: play “Topher’s Big Idea Video 1”

(Whisper.) Uh-oh. It looks like Topher is asleep. I think we should wake him up. When he wakes up, we can all tell him that God hears us when we pray. On the count of 3, let’s all yell, “Topher the Gopher, wake up, wake up!” (Count to 3 and yell with kids. Then play “Topher’s Big Idea Video 2” or hold up card #2.)


Topher: Hey, what’s the Big Idea?

Children and Large Group Leader: God hears us when we pray! (Repeat the Big Idea several times. When finished, play “Topher’s Big Idea Video 3” or hold up card #3.)


Topher: Wow! That is a Big Idea! Thanks for telling me! Goodbye kids. (Encourage kids to wave goodbye to Topher as he disappears back into his hole.)

Large Group Leader: Let’s say one more prayer and tell God how glad we are that he hears us when we’re sad. (Encourage kids to repeat the following prayer after you.)

Dear God,Thank you for listening to meWhen I feel sad.I’m so glad you hear meWhenever I pray to You.Amen.


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