1. travel
2. travel guides

5
BIBLE BASIS
God used Philip to
spread the good news
about Jesus. The eunuch
Philip talked to was open
and excited about his
discovery, but an equally
God Is Our Guide
Bible Focus: Acts 8:26-39
Discovery Point:
God is our guide.
Worship Response: Kids will praise God for guiding them.
Key Verse:
“Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you”
(Psalm 143:8b).
interesting part of the
story is how the Holy
Spirit instructed Philip.
God guided many people
in the Bible, and today
kids will explore how God
guides all of us. Use this
session to find out more
about how God guides us
every day and leads us
A Look at the Session
Mix and match to meet your needs. For more ideas, see “For-Extra-Time Activities”
on page 55.
Session
Sequence
What Kids
Will Do
Welcome!
(up to
15 minutes)
Make up a new
language that requires a
translation key, then talk
about God’s guidance as
the “key” to life.
Getting to Know God: Who
God Is CD and DVD, CD
player, TV/DVD player,
photocopies of the key
handout (p. 56), scissors, pencils
Let’s
Explore!
(up to
20 minutes)
Explore the Bible story
and create a visual
representation that
symbolizes God’s love
and guidance.
Hands-On Bible, 2 empty paper towel
tubes, mirror, and flashlight for every
Bible Crew
Let’s
Praise!
(up to
15 minutes)
Express their praise for
God’s guidance through
fingertip letters.
Getting to Know God: Who God Is CD
or DVD, CD player or TV/DVD player,
washable markers
Let’s Pray!
(up to
10 minutes)
Pray about specific ways
they’ll follow God and
grow closer to Jesus.
Getting to Know God: Who God Is CD, CD
player, paper towels, soap, water
closer to Jesus.
48
Hands-On Bible MAX
Supplies
Before This Session
o Cut apart the handout on page 56. If you’re expecting more than
four Bible Crews, make enough copies so every crew will have one of
the cards.
o Assemble Bible Exploration Kits (one per four or five kids):
Hands-On Bibles, one of the pre-cut key cards, a
pencil, four or five washable markers, two empty
paper towel tubes, a mirror, and a fl ashlight.
o Review the “Reflection of Love”
activity next to Acts 8
in the Hands-On Bible.
o
CD/DVD Cue the Getting to Know God: Who God Is
CD (1) or DVD (1).
o Huddle briefly with any volunteers before the session.
Answer any questions they have. Encourage them, and pray for the
session, the volunteers, and the kids.
TEACHER TIP
Bible Exploration
Kits are an easy way
to give each group
supplies. The Jabber Mat
from Group Publishing
is a great tool that
can be used as a Bible
Exploration Kit and as a
space for a Bible Crew to
gather. Check it out at
group.com/jabbermat.
Session 5 | God Is Our Guide
49
Welcome!
Supplies: CD player | TV/DVD player | scissors | assembled
Bible Exploration Kits (see page 49)
CD
DVD
TEACHER TIP
A Bible Crew can
1.
Play
2.
Ask kids to form Bible Crews of four or five. SAY: Today you get to
create your own language! Then you’re going to talk together
in your languages and try to understand what each other is
saying! Have each crew work on its key handout to create a unique
language. Crews should make up a special word for each of the
words on the handout. Remind crews to keep their message a
secret.
3.
After a few minutes, have Bible Crews pair off and take turns
talking in their new languages, repeating the message they created
from their key handouts.
be as small as one or
as large as five kids.
It’s best if crews include
a range of ages, so older
kids can help younger
ones.
50
Hands-On Bible MAX
CD/DVD “Into the Bible” (1) as kids arrive.
4.
After a couple of minutes, SAY: Now, give the other crew your key,
and speak your message one more time. Then look at the other
crew’s language, and compare it to your own.
After all Bible Crews have finished translating,
ASK:
• How did it feel to try to understand the message before you
got the other crew’s key?
• What was it like when you could understand the message?
• How did the key help you understand what was being said?
Have kids return to their Bible Crews and share about a recent time
they didn’t understand something.
SAY: Today we’re going to learn about the most important key, or
GOD IS OUR GUIDE. God is the key and, if we
guide, to life.
turn to God, we will know what to do.
5.
Play the
DVD “Python Countdown” (2) and have kids call out
the numbers as they appear.
Let’s Explore!
Supplies: assembled Bible Exploration Kits (see page 49)
1.
SAY:
GOD IS OUR GUIDE. The closer we are to God, the
better we can understand what God’s saying to us and where
he’s guiding us. God sent Jesus as the ultimate key! Let’s read
about two men God guided—one to share some great news and
the other to have a life-changing event.
2.
Have Bible Crews take the Hands-On Bibles out of their Bible
Exploration Kits and read Acts 8:26-39 together. After they’ve read
the passage,
Session 5 | God Is Our Guide
51
ASK:
• How did God guide Philip and the eunuch?
• What could have kept Philip and the eunuch from
understanding God’s guidance?
3.
SAY:
GOD IS OUR GUIDE. He loves us and wants us to each
have a friendship with Jesus! Let’s explore that more now.
Have Bible Crews take the supplies from their Bible Exploration Kit.
Have crews complete steps one and two of the “Reflection of Love”
activity in their Hands-On Bibles.
ASK:
• In what ways did Philip reflect Jesus?
• In what ways do you reflect Jesus every day?
4.
When crews have finished, SAY:
GOD IS OUR GUIDE. He leads
us toward what’s best for us, whether that’s in making the right
decisions, saying the right things, or making the right friends.
God guided Philip to the eunuch so he could tell the eunuch the
great news about knowing Jesus. Both Philip and the eunuch
trusted God, and their trust changed the eunuch’s life forever.
ASK:
• Describe a time God guided you or someone you know.
• What can we do to understand God’s guidance for us today?
SAY: Turn to a partner, and tell the person how you see him or
her reflecting Jesus today.
Set out the mirrors and paper towel tubes in your room as a
reminder to follow God’s guidance and point others toward his love.
52
Hands-On Bible MAX
Let’s Praise!
Supplies: CD player or TV/DVD player | assembled Bible
Exploration Kits (see page 49)
CD
DVD
1.
Have kids remain in their Bible Crews, and SAY: The only way God
can guide us is if we let him. If we’re not willing to follow, God
can’t guide us. Let’s show God that we want him to guide us.
Have each Bible Crew use the markers to write “GUIDE ME GOD” on
each crew member’s fingertips so that one letter is written on each
fingertip.
2.
Once they’ve finished, SAY: We’re going to worship God for being
our guide by singing. But we’re also going to thank God in
another way. Let’s put our fingers in the air and ask for God’s
guidance.
3.
PLAY:
CD/DVD
• “My God Is” (5)
• “You Know Everything About Me” (Psalm 139:1-3) (4)
• “Give Thanks to the
Lord” (Psalm 107:1) (7)
Session 5 | God Is Our Guide
53
Let’s Pray!
Supplies: CD player | paper towels | soap | water
1.
CD
SAY: God loves us, and
GOD IS OUR GUIDE in every part of
our lives. Through everything we do, we can grow closer in a
relationship with Jesus. God also guides us to tell others about
this relationship just like Philip told the eunuch.
“Show me where to walk, for I
Our Key Verse today says,
give myself to you” (Psalm 143:8b). Spend some time praying
silently now. Pray that God will guide you and that you’ll follow
where he’s leading you. Hold your fingers in front of you while
you pray. When you’ve finished, fold your hands.
You’ll know our prayer time is ending when I stop the music.
2.
Play
CD instrumental music from the CD as kids pray. Then
use paper towels, soap, and water to wash the letters off kids’
fingers.
High Fives
Supplies: none
SAY: As you leave, celebrate that
GOD IS OUR GUIDE and
that he’s going to guide you. Snap your fingers as fast and as
loudly as you can. And each time you make eye contact with
“GOD IS OUR GUIDE!” Then give that person
someone, say,
a high five.
54
Hands-On Bible MAX
For-Extra-Time Activities
GUIDED LINE
Supplies: paper | pencils
Have kids make a simple timeline or outline of their lives so far, marking the
special times God guided them. Encourage them to identify not just big events,
but smaller everyday moments where God was leading them. Then have them
extend the timeline or outline into the future, writing up to five ways they will
follow God’s guidance and grow closer to Jesus. Finally, challenge kids to share
these outlines with a friend as a way of sharing the good news.
IT’S DARK IN HERE
Supplies: blindfolds
Play an abbreviated game that connects guiding and following. Have a leader
on each Bible Crew call out simultaneous directions to his or her teammates
who are blindfolded. The blindfolded kids should be instructed to do some kind
of task such as move a small table together or gather various items and bring
them to the leader.
FOCUS
HIDING IT IN YOUR HEART
Supplies: flashlights
Have kids return to their Bible Crews, and let everyone take turns guiding
others using flashlights. Turn off the lights, and let kids hold the flashlight
Psalm 143:8b. Switch roles
so the other crew members can read aloud
until everyone has had a chance to hold the flashlight while the others read.
CREATE A BIBLE DICTIONARY
THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
Supplies: paper | markers | dictionary
Supplies: CD player
Ask kids to create one or more new pages,
each with a new word, for the Bible
Dictionary. Ask for ideas of new words from
today’s session—eunuch and baptize are
two suggestions. Have them write the word
on a sheet of paper in fun letters, add a
definition, list Scripture references, and make
illustrations. Add each page to a three-ring
binder, and watch the dictionary grow!
Ask kids to read the intro page for any book of
the Bible and create a motion for that book.
For example, kids could make a motion for rain
for Genesis or do a beauty pageant wave for
Esther. Play
CD “The Books of the Bible
Song” (8), and have kids do all the motions
they have learned.
Session 5 | God Is Our Guide
55
Exploration
Handout 5
God Is Our Guide
Fill in the blank with a new
word for each of the words
listed and then add two more words to
complete the statement and make up new
words for those, too.
Fill in the blank with a new
word for each of the words
listed and then add two more words to
complete the statement and make up new
words for those, too.
God = _____________________
God = _____________________
Guides = ___________________
___________ = ____________
Us = ______________________
___________ = ____________
___________ = ____________
My = ______________________
___________ = ____________
Guide = _ __________________
Fill in the blank with a new
word for each of the words
listed and then add two more words to
complete the statement and make up new
words for those, too.
Fill in the blank with a new
word for each of the words
listed and then add two more words to
complete the statement and make up new
words for those, too.
My = ______________________
My = _____________________
Guide = _ __________________
God = _____________________
___________ = ____________
Guides = ___________________
___________ = ____________
___________ = ____________
God = _____________________
___________ = ____________
56
Hands-On Bible MAX
Permission to photocopy this handout from Group’s Hands-On Bible MAX™ granted for local church use.
Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. group.com/BibleMAX
Family
Devotion
God Is Our Guide
Bible Focus:
Reflection of Love
Acts 8:26-39
Discovery Point:
God is our guide.
Look in the
mirror and w
do you see?
hat
Yup—you se
e a reflectio
Read ACTS
n.
8:26-40 to
meet a man
who reflecte
d the love o
f Jesus!
Key Verse:
“Show me where to walk, for
I give myself to you”
(Psalm 143:8b).
Then try this!
Gather two empty paper towel
tubes, a mirror, a flashlight—and a
friend! Read what Jesus had to say about
sharing your faith in him. Check out Matthew
28:19-20.
1
2
Use a
fl
as
hlight to shin
e
Set the paper towel
light through
nt
o
n
fro
e
in
tu
le
b
tab
a
e
on
toward the m
tubes
ir
ro
r.
A
em
n
th
g
ce
le
Pla
r.
th
tube until yo
e second
of a mirro
through the se u see the light reflected b
in a V-shape pointing
ack
cond tube.
toward the mirror.
WHO CAN YOUR FAMILY REFLECT
THE
LOVE OF JESUS TO THIS WEEK?
Write that person’s name below.
FAMILY CHALLENGE
Together talk about these
Have each person pray for the person
he or
she wants to reflect Jesus’ love to this
week.
Ask God to help you find a way to sho
w
those people Christ-like love.
That’s enlightening!
way Jesus says to,
When we treat others the
s shows us. Philip
we reflect the love Jesu
en he helped the
reflected Jesus’ love wh
Scripture.
Ethiopian understand the
Permission to photocopy this handout from Group’s Hands-On Bible MAX™ granted for local church use.
Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. group.com/BibleMAX
questions:
• Who has reflected the
light and love of Jesus
to you?
• How does it feel to help
shine Jesus’ light into
the world?
• What else can our
family do to be a shiny
reflection of Jesus?
Session 5 | God Is Our Guide
57