Abram is Called (Spark pp. 26-29)

August 31:  Abram is Called  (Spark pp. 26-29)

Have you ever started walking somewhere, not really where you are going?  That’s basically what happened to the man and woman in our story today. 

You see, one day God said to a man name Abram, “Get up!  It’s time for you to leave your home, your family, your friends and everything familiar to go to a new land." 

And then God made Abram, and his wife, Sarai, a few promises about this adventure—

1)    I’ll bless you with many things along the way

2)    I’ll make sure people know about you—now, and in the future

3)    I will be kind to those that are kind to you, and not very nice to people who are not very nice to you.

4)    Because of you, all the families on EARTH will be blessed.

WOAH.  Those are some BIG promises, aren’t they?  What would YOU do if God came to you and said “I am sending you someplace new—go, explore, and I will bless you”?  That’s exciting, right?

Okay, but NOW imagine that God doesn’t do that right now.  He waits and waits and waits to call you, until you’re 75 years old.  That’s how old Abram was!  It didn’t scare Abram though—he took his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot, and they started walking.  And walking. And walking.  It was a LOOOOOONG way to the new land—and it was a dry and dusty and HOT trip across the desert. They were still happy and hopeful—they knew that God was leading them to a beautiful place!  It was a long and slow trip because they carried everything they had with them: donkeys and pots and pans, dishes, and clothes, and food and camels and slowly, slowly, slowly… 

“I’m soooo HOT!” Sarai said as she wiped the sweat from her face.

“I’m getting kinda tired” said Abram, as he yawned

“My feet hurt!”  groaned Lot.

 Finally, they reached the land of Canaan.  They were out of the desert for awhile, and Abram stopped by a tall and shady tree to cool down, and get out of the blazing sun.  It felt SO good!  God came and spoke to him there. 

“I have a surprise for you.  I promise to give THIS very land to your family forever.  This is where your wandering journey will end.” 

Abram and Sarai and Lot were so thankful to God for this wonderful gift they jumped and danced and sang and hugged each other, praising God for his gifts.  Abram decided to build two altars to honor God.  One, he would build out of large smooth  stones by the tree where God had given them the good news, and another they would build out of wood, and it would be placed by their tent in the hills. 

What did we learn?  God calls us sometimes to do new things, and to follow him in faith (without always knowing where we’re going)—and he’ll do it our whole lives, not just when you’re older, but now (Remember how Miriam protected her brother Moses when he was in the river?  Remember how the little boy David defeated the GIANT Goliath?) AND even when you’re a grandparent!  The best part is that God goes WITH you—God followed Abram, Sarai, and Lot on their journey, as he protected them and called them forward.  You know what?  God DID bless the whole earth through Abram—Abram  was given a new name—Abraham—and was father to Isaac, grandfather to Jacob, and many, many generations later, to Moses and David and eventually Jesus! What we’re called to do or say may seem small now, but God can use us in ways that end up being very big—if we’ll say “yes” even when it seems scary at first.

Song of the Day:  Father Abraham.  

Saul becomes Paul (Spark pp. 514-519)

Saul to Paul (Spark pp. 514-519)

ALL summer, we’ve talked about miracles—everything from Moses and the burning bush to Jericho to Esther saving her people to Daniel in the Lion’s Den to Jesus’ helping the blind, the people who couldn’t walk and calming storms.  Last week we even talked about his disciples healing someone who couldn’t walk.  Today’s story is about a new kind of miracle, really.  It’s about both changing someone’s attitude and about healing them—it’s both our last miracle story for the summer and the first story for the fall, a group of stories we’re calling “Journey stories.”

What are journeys?  Well, yes, you can take a walk or a sort of trip from one place to another, but this is also about how sometimes people are CHANGED in their hearts and in their words by what they learn about Jesus.

And THAT’S why we’re talking about Saul today.  You see, Saul was a BULLY.  A Horrible bully who hated anyone who was a Christian. In fact, Saul wanted to throw all Christians into jail for the things they were saying and doing!  But God had other plans for Saul.  Even though Saul was a mean bully, God still loved him—and had a big plan for him!

Saul  and his men had been told to go to Damascus for his job.  He thought that if there were any Christians living in Damascus, he could find them and he would bring them back to Jerusalem and throw them in jail~ He had arrested hundreds of Christians before this, and he would have no problem arresting more now!

But as he was walking, swirls of dust blew up from the road.  Saul COVERED his eyes with his arm. “Storms coming up,” he shouted to his men.

CRASH!  FLASH!  BOOM!  Saul feel to the ground as a blinding light exploded all around him.  Saul heard a booming voice speaking to him. “Saul, Saul, why do you hurt me?”

Saul rubbed his eyes, but couldn’t see anyone.  He shouted back at the voice: “Who ARE you?”

“I am Jesus, who you are persecuting.  I am very much alive and I have plans for you. Now, get up and go into the city and wait—you will be told what you must do.”

Saul and his men were speechless—they could HEAR the voice, but they couldn’t see anyone.  And then Saul realized something else.

“My eyes!  My eyes—I can’t see!  Someone get me up” Saul ordered.

Because he couldn’t see, Saul’s men had to lead him by the hand into Damascus.  And there he waited—and prayed.  He wasn’t mean or bullying anyone anymore.  God had changed his heart.

A man named Ananias was in Damascus.  Ananias loved Jesus.  God told Ananias to go to Saul and pray so that Saul might see again.  Ananias was scared.

“But Lord~ Saul is a mean man, and a bully!  Don’t you see what he’s done to others who believe in you?  I’m afraid of him and what he might do to me!”

God told Ananias, “I have chosen Saul to tell my story to many people.  I have a plan for him.”

Ananias found Saul just as God had told him he would.  Ananias prayed for Saul, and Saul was filled with God’s holy spirit.  Suddenly, scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again.

Ananias told Saul, “God has a job for you.  You will go and tell others about Jesus.”

Saul was baptized, and his name was changed to Paul. Paul went around preaching and teaching and writing letters of encouragement to other Christians the rest of his life.  He became a friend of Jesus and told many people how Jesus changed his heart.

What did we learn?  Just as Saul journeyed from Jerusalem to Damascus, he also journeyed (and transformed) from being a bully to Christians to being a believer, a friend to Jesus.  Do you know anyone like Saul/Paul?  God transforms us—and sometimes bullies too.  It’s important for us to keep praying for those who may be bullies and who have never heard about Jesus.

Peter Heals a Lame Man (spark pp. 506-509)

Peter heals a lame man (spark pp. 506-510)

Did you know that even after Jesus returned to heaven, his disciples performed miracles?  Today, we’re talking about Peter and John as they continued to tell people about Jesus.

At three o’clock one afternoon, Peter and John were walking to the temple together to pray. As they walked (walk, walk, walk) they saw some people carrying a man who wouldn’t walk.  They carefully took him and placed in front of the beautiful temple gates so that he could beg.

In the time of the disciples, it was about all you could do as someone who couldn’t walk.  You couldn’t work, and so you had to ask for help to be able to buy food—and you could do this sitting outside of the temple.  So there he sat.

When Peter and John walked up to the gate, the may said “Would you please give me some money for food?”

Then what do you think happened?  Did Peter and John give him money?  Peter told the man, “Look, we don’t have any money either.”  And maybe this made the man a bit sad, or made him think it was time to just ask the next person.

But then something amazing happened. Peter said, “I have something else I can give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk!”  Peter grabbed the man’s hand and suddenly his feet and ankles grew strong.  He could stand.  He could walk! He would even RUN!!!

With a happy cry, the man started walk, leap, dancing, skipping and praising God!  He followed Peter and John into the temple, and he laughed and started shouting to others, “Look!  Look what God has done for me!  I can walk!” 

A crowd gathered—and they all started talking at once. “Isn’t this the man who sits outside the gate begging every day?  What happened to him?  How is he walking?  How has he been healed?”

Peter finally spoke up, loudly, to the surprised crowd “This man believes in Jesus and his faith made him strong.  Right in front of you he has been healed and made whole because he believed.”  The people were amazed.

What did you learn?  Jesus isn’t the only person who could heal others—those who believed in him and healed in his name could even make people who couldn’t walk, walk! 

Jesus Calms the Storm (Matt. 8:23-27, spark bible pp. 286-89)

Jesus Calms the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27, pp. 286-289 in the Spark bible)

Materials needed:

*Adults (and older kids) who will be the rainstorm, complete with a few squirt guns

*clouds (?)

*To make the rocking of the boat, have kids sit in a circle, grab hands, and sway back and forth (in all directions)

We have been following Jesus the last few weeks, and he  did a LOT of miracles!  We can’t even talk about them all over the summer—there’s so many—but we’ve tried to talk about some of the different types of miracles he did—making water into wine, healing people, and today we’re talking about Jesus saving his disciples from bad weather danger!   Can we all be the disciples this morning?  Good. 

You see, a lot of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen and when they weren’t out healing people and telling them about God, they were often out on a boat, fishing.  One particular day, Jesus was TIRED.  He’d been healing lots of people, telling lots of stories, and meeting with thousands of people—the disciples knew he needed to rest, but there was no where to take Jesus to get away from the crowds, except to travel out on a lake in their boat. 

CREAK.  GROAN.  The boat sounded as tired as Jesus did, as he climbed inside.  He called to his disciples “Follow me!” and they all, one by one, climbed in. (move the kids into a circle to sit together, as if in a BIG boat)  SPLASH!  They pushed off the shore and out into the peaceful lake. 

It was quiet and peaceful out there.  Jesus’ friends talked and laughed.  They told fishing stories

“and mine was THIS BIG!  …but then he broke free and swam away!  What was the biggest fish you ever caught, Jesus?”

But Jesus didn’t answer.  He was sooooo tired, he had fallen fast asleep.  He curled up in the corner and lay down his head (pretend to sleep).

The disciples had been so busy talking, they didn’t notice as the gray clouds crept in.  The boat began to rock (holding hands, sway back and forth).  Harder and harder.

Then the first raindrops fell—drop. Drop.  (adults start rubbing hands back and forth).  Then they fell a little harder splish splash! (snapping fingers).  The disciples held their cloaks around them as the rain fell (pretend to pull a hood around and over head).  The rain was cold and the wind was blowing strong against their skin.  WOOOOOOO! (start patting legs to make the rain louder).

Waves came over the sides of the boat (people start squirting water guns).  Splash!  Lighting flashed all around the boat.  Thunder cracked!  (shake pans?  Stomp feet to make the storm stronger).  Jesus’ friends yelled “we shouldn’t be out here!  Let’s get back to shore---but how?”

And you know what?  Jesus was STILL sleeping! Here was lighting and strong wind (WOOOOO!) and yet Jesus kept sleeping!  Jesus’ friends didn’t want to disturb him, but they couldn’t wait any longer.  They shook Jesus awake.  “Wake up!  Help us, Jesus!”

Jesus woke up.  He saw how scared his friends looked.  “Why are you so afraid?” (snapping, leg slapping, water squirting, stomping continues)

Jesus stood up in the boat and lifted his arms.  “Peace.  Be still!”

And quickly, the waves calmed.  SHHHHH.  Clouds moved away and made room for the sun.  The raindrops stopped (all sounds stop)  and there was silence instead of thunder.

The disciples couldn’t believe it!  They stared at each other.  “Did you see that?  Jesus saved us!  We’re alive!”

They thanked Jesus for keeping them safe in that terrible storm.

What did you learn?

Jesus has shown us that he can heal us, forgive us—and today, he showed us that he can even control the skies and keep us safe in life’s storms.  When is a time in your life that you saw God protect you—were you scared like the disciples at first?  How did you know that God was protecting you?