June 4 Abraham Loved God ............................ 10

June 11 The Shepherd’s Love ............................. 15

June 18 The Little Servant Girl Who

Loved God .......................................... 21

June 25 Mary Washed the Feet of Jesus ........ 26

July 2 Jesus Changed the Water .................... 33

July 9 Jesus Stopped a Storm ........................ 38

July 16 A Crippled Man Learned

of God’s Love .................................... 43

July 23 Jesus Walked on the Water ................. 49

July 30 Jesus Healed the Deaf Mute ............... 56

August 6 The Centurion’s Faith ............................ 61

August 13 Lazarus, Friend of Jesus ...................... 66

August 20 Elijah, Friend of God ............................... 71

August 27 Jacob Sees God ...................................... 76

We Meet Friends Who Loved God

We Learn About Jesus’

Power

We LearnGod’s Love Is

Forever

We Learn About

God’s LoveQuarterly Objective: The learner will

participate in experiences that teach how God shows His love.

Preschool / KindergartenTeacher Guide

Summer Quarter, 2017

Volume 1, No. 4, Summer Quarter, 2017Writer: Lena Case

Editor in Chief: Kyle Elkins, kyle.elkins@bogardstore.org

Business Manager: Wayne Sewell, wayne.sewell@bogardstore.org

© 2017, Bogard Press, 4605 N. State Line Ave. Texarkana, TX 75503-2928www.bogardpress.org; 1-800-264-2482

Young children have an endless desire to learn. Their brains

are uncluttered territory waiting to absorb what they see, hear, taste, touch and smell.

Quick! Fill it with positive input before Satan confuses their clear thinking with the garbage of television and thinking from secular sources. Direct their sensory experiences to explore spiritual dimensions. Children have an amazing capacity to absorb Bible truths. This generation needs thinking skills stimulated. Brain power diminishes when the mind coasts along without the challenge of ideas to understand. Very young learners are at the optimum point in life to soak up the truths presented in this curriculum. The lessons are scripturally fundamental and developed on a child’s level of comprehension. Each lesson gives several optional activities for children to do as they arrive and throughout the class period. You can choose one or more of them to direct children’s thoughts toward the lesson theme and begin the learning process. The suggested ideas provide children with opportunities for experiencing positive growth in all areas of their development. Young children use make-believe in role-playing to practice principles you share from God’s Word. Play is essential to a child’s world. By directing their activities to explore a lesson theme, you can help learning become more permanent. Introduce the theme with Early Time Activities adapted to meet your space and workers available. Allow plenty of space so that the children have freedom to move as they interact. Have an adult at each learning center to relate the activity to the day’s theme. Very young learners need one adult for every three to four children. More mature children still need personal attention, but one worker can successfully guide six to eight children. The presence of patient, nurturing adults helps make the early childhood program a success. Each adult team member must give focused attention to the children. Encourage helpers to resist the temptation to converse with each other. Invest in resources that make learning irresistible. Watch for items at garage sales or thrift stores that you can use in children’s classes. Parents and other church members may donate dress-up clothes, hats, purses or briefcases for role-playing. Collect bathrobes and towels to use as Bible-time costumes. Puzzles, books and objects called for in the lessons give clarity in understanding a theme or story. Proper storage will insure years of use from a onetime investment in the kingdom of God. Your treasures yield greater returns when you make eternal deposits. Arrange to store items adequately. A pile of stuff results in clutter that may get tossed when you are not there. Storing resources properly increase their value because you can use them repeatedly when kept in good condition. Move into the next part of the schedule promptly after Early Time. Children respond beautifully to singing a pickup time song. Most will quickly join in picking up Early Time supplies to put them away. Forget about yourself as you tell the Bible story with enthusiasm, facial expression and voice variation. Talk personally to each child by maintaining eye contact. Even immature children will find learning irresistible when Bible stories come alive for them in the classroom.

2

Make Learning

Irresistible!

3

Understanding Your Preschoolers!PhysicalDevelopment* growing fast, very active* learning new skills such as running, jumping and climbing* build with blocks* put simple puzzles together* turn pages in books* point to pictures or objects

MentalDevelopment* want experiences using senses* enjoy simple dramatic play* intense curiosity with lots of questions* like to hear picture books read aloud* short attention span* memory developing

SocialDevelopment* play beside other children* prefer frequent change of group activities* wants companionship of other children* may have difficulty adjusting to others* need adult help in socializing* sometimes resort to tantrums when frustrated

SpiritualDevelopment* want to be good* understand prayer is talking to God* know the Bible is God’s Word* know Jesus loves them* likes to sing* hear and enjoy Bible stories

EmotionalDevelopment* becoming more outgoing* may be balky, contrary, bossy or fussy* usually affectionate* like to be helpful to adults* imitate actions seen in others* generally happy

4

Understanding Your Kindergarteners!Physical

Development* develop fine motor skills to use scissors and color inside the lines

* need alternate active and quiet times* can work more difficult puzzles* like to do things independently

* want to help adults* draw recognizable shapes

MentalDevelopment

* ask endless questions* can pay attention longer, up to ten minutes

* loves rhymes, singing, talking* memorize stories, songs, Bible verses, finger plays

* love to act out favorite stories* can remember and follow directions, one step at a time

SocialDevelopment

* like to play with others* may become aggressive when frustrated

* learning to share and cooperate* try to please teachers

* protective of younger children* may seem shy in unfamiliar situations

SpiritualDevelopment

* enjoy church activities* develop conscience and can understand right/wrong

* ask questions about God and spiritual matters* want a personal copy of the Bible

* know God made them and loves them* pray longer prayers

EmotionalDevelopment

* show confidence in abilities* want to be with other children

* recognize others’ rights and possessions* strong home ties and loyalty to parents

* learning to like and trust people* need affection and commendation

5

Unit 1 BulletinBoard Display

Holy Bible

6

Unit 1 BulletinBoard Display

7

ExcitingClassrooms

The learning environment affects the response of learners when they come into the room. A sparkling clean, tidy area makes learners know you care deeply for God’s house—enough to give extra time to make it attractive.

Adding special touches such as God’s Summer Beauty Mobile, Item 8 in the visuals, stimulates interest even more. Display those pictures and other summer pictures so that learners can see both sides on back-to-back paper plates. Learners will really appreciate it if you let them color a picture to put on one of the display plates. Choose coloring book pictures that will fit the plate area. Tape an ornament hook to the back of a large paper plate. Tie thin yarn to the hook to extend beyond the edge as a hanger. Glue the back of another large plate to the back of the first plate, covering the hook.

Attach pictures to both sides and hang so that both sides can be seen.

Materials Needed: Item 8 large paper plates pictures to color tape yarn glue ornament hook

8

Room Decoration Change the look of your room by replacing materials used for the last unit with fresh pictures and displays for this study. Item 1 in the visuals introduces the quarter’s theme. Place it on the door and add personalized heart shapes around it, one for each child in your group.

This Unit and Your Children Seeing an example to imitate is much more important for children the age of your learners than just hearing about people who loved God. Young boys and girls just out of babyhood and older ones who think and reason more deeply accept the truths you present without question. They will meet Bible story friends who showed God’s love by their actions. They can also discover that they have adult friends today who prove their love for God by what they do. Children as young as two are ready to learn these important Bible truths. They can imitate your actions to express their love to God and talk with Him, though at first it will be very simple. Older learners, however, enjoy participating in ways to show love for God. They can become friends of God by doing His will.

We Meet Friends Who Loved GodThis unit will help children to learn about Bible people who proved they loved God.

Unit Objective To study Bible story incidents in which

people proved their love for God and to discuss ways to show love for God today.

Learners in this unit willKnow—It pleases God for people to wor-

ship Him. Feel—Joy in sharing worship experiences.Do—Participate in activities to show love

to God and say Bible words about lov-ing God.

Unit 1 Lessons 1-4

Both Old and New Testament history tells us of people who loved God. We can love God and others because God shared His love with us.

Bulletin Board

S u m m e r y f l o w e r s add a focal point for attention on the bulletin board. Trace and repeat the petals on the Unit 1 Pattern Page to make a complete flower design. Transfer it to golden yellow paper to make four sunflowers. Go over the lines with a black permanent marker. Cut out. Glue circles of brown paper to cover the centers of the sunflowers. Attach pictures of chi ldren showing love to God. See the patterns on pages 5 and 6. Make a larger flower for the center and add a mirror or reflective foil.

Materials Needed: petal patterns

from Unit 1 Pattern Page

golden yellow paper

black permanent marker

scissors glue brown paper pictures of children patterns mirror or foil

Materials Needed: Item 1 (visuals) visuals

instruction booklet

Overview of Bible Lessons These four Bible stories are only a sample of many beau-tiful stories of people who expressed love for God. When we love someone, we want to show him in some way that we care. When one loves God, he will communicate that by words and actions.

Abraham Loved God—A significant characteristic of a person mighty in spirit is obedience. With Abraham’s first call from God, obedience became a motivating force in his life. Abraham packed up and moved without hesitating when God chose him as the head of a new race of people.

The Shepherd’s Love—Jesus told a parable about a lost sheep to illustrate His love for every lost, unrepentant per-son. This story fascinates children and wonderfully illus-trates Jesus’ love for them.

The Little Servant Girl Who Loved God—A young girl, removed from her home and taken to another country, remembered how powerfully God worked through the prophet in her homeland. She shared the good news with Naaman, the leper.

Mary Washed the Feet of Jesus—Mary loved Jesus dearly, and she expressed that love by anointing Jesus with expen-sive ointment.

WE LOVE GOD

“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Psalm 51:7

Lesson 3

Unit 1

Bullet

in Boa

rd

Unit 1 Pattern Page 9

10

Lesson Objective: Learners will show love for God by obeying instructions given them.

Abraham and Sarah Moved to a New HomeGenesis 12:1-20

God called Abram to leave familiar surroundings to settle in a land where God would make a great nation of him. The sevenfold promise God made to him included making Abram the father of a great nation, to bless Abram, to make his name great, to make him a blessing to others, to bless those who blessed Abram, to curse those who cursed him and to bless all the families of the earth through Abram. Though Abram could not understand how the promises would be fulfilled, he believed God. He obeyed. God changed his name to Abraham which means father of a multitude.

Life Application: I know that Abraham showed his love for God by moving to a new country. I will show my love for God by singing praises to Him and obeying His commands.

Bible Principle: Abraham obeyed God in faith. He left his father’s house to move to a new land to which God directed him.

Obedience is a way to show love.

Memory Verse:

“Abraham believed God.” Romans 4:3

Genesis 12:1-20

LESSON 1 • June 4, 2017

Abraham Loved God

Vocabulary Wordsmove—change from one place to anotherobey—to do what another commandsfollow—to accept the directions of someone

Prepare Your Room Pack up and store classroom materials not needed for this quarter. File visuals—do not pile them! A pile of outdated literature is most likely to eventually get trashed. Use a sturdy cardboard box or storage container to file pictures and other resources by subject or character. Renew the decor in your classroom with the new door decoration, Item 1 in visuals, the summer attendance chart, Item 2, and pictures from a moving van company. Worship is a tangible way to show our love for God. Arrange a worship center on a low table where the children can see the open Bible with a picture of Jesus and the children on an easel behind it. Use a piece of denim for the base. Arrange it in soft folds with edges tucked under. Place the Bible over it with a block or book under the top of the Bible under the denim to

raise it slightly. Put summer nature objects such as shells in a pleasing arrangement around the Bible. An offering basket or plate should also be on the worship table.

Early Time Activities

Greet each child personally. Be generous with hugs to children who enjoy the extra attention. Guide learners to the worship center and to the attendance chart. Provide Heart stickers

for recording attendance each week. D i re c t the ch i ld ren ’ s thoughts to today’s lesson by saying, “Have you ever moved from one house to another? Have you gone on a long trip?” Some boys and girls may have gone or will soon go on vacations. Let them tell you about it. What do they do to get ready for moving or going on a trip? How do they travel? Say, “Bible-time travel was very different from the way we travel. How do you think Abraham traveled when he moved such a long way?” Provide pictures of cars, trucks, moving vans or jeeps for children to glue to a strip of paper on the wall. Get them from a car or truck dealer in your area or a moving company.

Materials Needed: Item 1 (visuals) Item 2 (visuals) visuals instruction

booklet low table Bible Jesus and the

children picture piece of denim block or book shells offering basket or

plate

Lesson 1 Abraham Loved God 11

Materials Needed: Heart stickers pictures of ways of

travel glue paper or poster

board Item 3 (visuals) visuals instruction

booklet books puzzles

On the banks of the Euphrates River in southern Babylon stood the ancient city of Ur where Abraham lived. Inhabited by the Chaldeans at the time, Ur was a highly developed civilization and a center of moon worship. According to Acts 7:2-4, God called Abraham to leave his homeland to move to an undisclosed destination which God would show him. Abraham followed the arc of the Fertile Crescent as he moved his wife, nephew Lot and father Terah to Haran. After Terah died, God again called Abraham to leave his father’s house for a land God would show him. At the age of seventy-five, Abraham took Sarah and Lot into the land of Canaan where God said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land” (Genesis 12:7). Abraham built an altar from stones and offered an animal sacrifice to the Lord in worship. Then a severe famine in Canaan caused Abraham to take Sarah and Lot to Egypt to find plentiful food. There they acquired great wealth in sheep, cattle, servants and precious metals. Later, they returned to Canaan where they lived near Hebron. Abraham obeyed God by faith (Hebrews 11:8-12). He followed God’s directions and believed God’s promises. God honored his faith and obedience by giving him great prosperity. God chose Abraham to be the father of His people, the Jewish nation. People from Judaism, Islam and Christianity look back to Abraham as a great man of faith. The best part of God’s covenant promise was “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). That promise was fulfilled in Jesus’ coming as Savior for all who will believe in Him.

Know God’s Word

God’s Friend, James 2:23; John 15:14

Little children enjoy singing. Choose familiar songs they know for best participation. Action choruses are favorites, and learners sing along well with recorded music, too. Who will be my friend? (Commend children by name as they raise their hands to volunteer.) Thank you for being my friend. I am your friend. I like you. I like doing things with you in church. Friends love each other. Friends do kind things for one another. (Hold your Bible open to John 15:14.) I especially want to be Jesus’ friend. Listen to how we can be a friend to Jesus. (Read the verse aloud.) We can be His friend by doing what He commands. I want to obey Jesus so that I can be His friend. Our Bible story tells about a man whom the Bible calls a “Friend of God.” (See James 2:23.) Why was Abraham called God’s friend? He was a friend of God because he obeyed God in faith. He trusted God. When God asked him to do something, he did exactly what God said. Sing “My Best Friend Is Jesus” and conclude the worship time with a brief prayer of two or three sentences.

Say, “In Bible days when people moved from one place to another, they walked or rode animals during the day. At night they stopped and slept beside the road. They did not have motels or campgrounds as we have today. The man in our Bible story took a long trip. God took care of him and all his people and animals as they traveled.”

Paper Tent—Follow instructions in the visuals instruction booklet to make a sample tent from Item 3. Show it to the learners and provide materials for each of them to make one.

Book Nook—Choose books relating to this lesson that teach Bible truths to help children know God is with them wherever they are.

Puzzles—Use simple puzzles to help children learn about God’s love. Announce pick up time with a pleasant-sounding signal. A toy xylophone works well, or you may choose a tinkling bell or other sound. Using a signal works better to get cooperation than loudly insisting that everyone put away supplies. A fun song children will enjoy is “Time Has Come” to the tune “Mulberry Bush.”

Time has come to pick up toys, Pick up toys, pick up toys. Time has come to pick up toys. Let us all help together.

Sing the words over and over as everyone works together to store everything properly. Then lead the children in a “Follow-the-Leader” imaginary trip, ending at the worship area for devotional time.

Lesson Set

Invite the boys and girls to the story area. Show a large toy truck and a suitcase. Say, “When we move from one house to another house, we put things into some kind of truck to move them. Sometimes, we put things into suitcases to take a long trip. It is exciting to move. Right now, we will pretend to move. Think of something you would take with you if you moved. We will take turns pretending to place what you want to take in either the open suitcase or the truck, wherever it belongs.” You may help them begin thinking of what they want to move by naming one thing you would put on the moving truck or place into a suitcase. Let the children come forward one at a time to tell what they want to place in the suitcase or truck. Let each child pretend to put the item where it belongs. If you have access to toy trucks and dollhouse furniture, the children will enjoy pretending to move. They may load the furniture on a truck and haul it from one place to another.

Discussion: Today’s Bible story tells about a man named Abraham. God told Abraham to move to a faraway country. He did not have a truck. He moved his family and belongings on animals. He obeyed God and moved where God wanted him to go.

Materials Needed: Bible familiar songs or

choruses

12 Abraham Loved God Lesson 1

Materials Needed: large toy truck suitcase dollhouse furniture

Worship Time Devotional

Bible Story

Figures from the visuals illustrate the Bible story about Abraham’s moving from his homeland to Canaan and on to Egypt. The story presentation is given in the visuals instruction booklet.

Stretch Time Pretend to be Abraham and take a long trip. Lead the children in an outside walk around the church building. “In our Bible story today Abraham traveled a long way to a new home that God promised him. He packed his belongings and took his wife. They traveled for a long time. At last, they arrived in the new homeland. God kept His promise to give Abraham a new home.” When you get back inside, provide a sheet or blanket for learners to make a tent. Stretch it over a table or adult-size chairs to allow the tent to spread out for children coming and going. Abraham lived in a tent. He moved it with him to each new place he lived. The tent provided a cool shade when the sun was hot. It gave Abraham protection at night. God blessed Abraham as he traveled from place to place.

Memory Verse “Abraham believed God” seems simple enough to learn as a memory verse. Very young children will need help learning to say the words. Use the following words to “Ten Little Indians” to help make learning easier and permanent. Pro nounce each word clearly and distinctly. Sing at a slower pace the first time or two.

Abraham believed God and His promises. Abraham believed God and His promises. Abraham believed God and His promises. He was a friend of God.

After singing it a few times, explain that the memory verse is part of the song: “Abraham believed God.” Invite each child to say the words alone.

Bible Stories Leaflet

Little children read pictures by telling what is in them. Use that mental development skill with the cover art on the Bible stories leaflet. They also like to

listen to stories or poems and enjoy repetition. While children look at the picture on the front, read to them the Bible story on the back page. Ask the children questions to stimulate thinking. Each child should take home a Bible stories leaflet. It gives parents an opportunity to reinforce Bible learning by letting the child tell about the pictures and activities.

Make and Take Have a completed activity from the make and take book. Read the instructions and ideas on how to use the activity on the first page of the activity book. Show the completed activity and talk about it. Guide learners through the steps for completing one. Offer only the help each one really needs to complete his picture.

Saying Good-bye

The children will enjoy listening to a book read aloud while waiting for parents to come for them, or let them shape camels from play dough. Make a camel caravan by putting several camels in a row across the table. Abraham probably used camels for moving when God told him to go to another country.

Play Dough Shaping play dough is a favorite activity with most young children. They enjoy the feel of pliable dough as they push and squeeze it as they like. Use it purposefully; however, it should not be a babysitter week after week to keep the children quiet until time to begin or as a time filler when you did not prepare learning centers. Other more meaningful activities should replace it unless there is a specific purpose for it in your teaching plan. Make play dough for six children with this recipe: Mix 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (be sure to include it), 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon cooking oil and your preference of food coloring. Cook together, stirring constantly, until mixture is no longer sticky—about three minutes. Turn onto countertop and knead the dough until it cools. Store in a covered container.

Materials Needed: sheet or blanket chairs

Materials Needed: Lesson 1 visuals visuals instruction

booklet Styrofoam craft knife colored paper scissors crayons glue sand box

Lesson 1 Abraham Loved God 13

Materials Needed: Make and Take

Project 1 crayons scissors glue red construction

paper hearts construction paper

or light cardboard pencil calligraphy pen or

marker magnets or magnetic strips

Materials Needed: leaflets pencils

Materials Needed: play dough (see recipe below

for ingredients) books stapler take-home papers

Supplemental Activities Pretend to be traveling with Abraham plodding along with a camel caravan. Nighttime is rest time. Pretend to stop beside the road. Spread out the sheet or blanket used to make a tent earlier and let everyone rest under the tent. Talk about God’s care during nighttime rest. The stars and moon remind us God is there watching over us. Allow five to ten minutes for relaxing and quietness. Retell the Bible story. Children will enjoy hearing the story again because they will recognize it. Talk about ways to be a friend of God and make Him happy. Singing praises about Jesus pleases God. Sing “Jesus Loves Me,” “God Is So Good,” “My Best Friend Is Jesus” and other praise choruses. Teach the chorus of “Trust and Obey.” Repeat “Abraham believed God” from the memory verse section. Praying pleases God. Let each child talk to God. Some may need help with words. “I love You, God. Thank You for Jesus.” Play “Teacher, May I?” to help teach the idea of obeying. It pleases God when we promptly obey those who are over us. Very young children will not follow the idea of waiting to ask, “Teacher, may I?” For them give a simple instruction to follow and praise them for doing it. Older learners will enjoy stopping to ask permission as the game rules call for. Instructions may be things such as “Matthew, please touch the piano.” “Rachel, please put the crayons on the shelf.” “Phillip, will you say the memory verse for us?” God wants our obedience most of all. We learn to do His commands by hearing His Word and doing what He says in it. “Be ye kind one to another” (Ephesians 4:32) and “Children, obey your parents” (Ephesians 6:1) are two commands easy to obey.

In the Sandbox Katie and Nate were friends. They played in Katie’s sandbox. Their mothers visited together nearby. Katie scooped up the sand and put it into her sand pail. Nate used a truck to make a road across the sand. “See my road, Katie?” Nate said. “I see it. I want to make a road, too,” Katie said. Nate showed Katie how to press the truck into the sand and move it along to leave a smooth path. The two friends enjoyed playing for a long time. They were obeying God’s command to “be ye kind one to another” (Ephesians 4:32). They were happy because they obeyed. “Nate and Katie are playing so well together,” Katie’s mother said. “I’m glad they are learning to share,” Nate’s mother said. Who else was happy that Nate and Katie obeyed God’s command? Jesus was glad to see them doing what pleases God.

14 Abraham Loved God Lesson 1

Materials Needed: blanket or sheet