Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Current Vol First Issue

Previous

Next

INDEX: New Testament Lesson - John the Baptist (John 1:19-34) Old Testament Lesson - Joseph With the Butler And the Baker (Genesis 40) Character Lesson Memory Text Nature Lesson - Picking birds Health Lesson - Internal use of water Coloring Page Matching Atbash Unscramble Learning Activities PICTURE: A single pillar, automatically tiled in the index box, represents "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)..

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON

John the Baptist (John 1:19-34)

Now about John the Baptist, the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” John told them without denying anything, “I am not the Christ.” The people knew that Christ was to come some day to save his people and they thought John the Baptist was He, but John was not.

The priests and Levites asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” They asked this because they thought there was a prophecy that stated that before Christ would come, Elijah would prepare the way. Unfortunately they did not know their Bibles very well for the prophecy states that it would not really be Elijah but one that would preach like Elijah and do the work like Elijah did. John said, “I am not.”

The priests and Levites then asked, “Are you that prophet?” They asked this because there is another prophecy that was told to Moses. God told Moses that He would send a prophet like Moses. And John answered, “No.”

Then the priests and Levites said, “Who are you that we may give an answer to the people that sent us here? What do you say of yourself?” John said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

And those that were sent were Pharisees. And they asked John, “Why baptize then if you are not that Christ, nor Elijah, nor that prophet?” John answered them saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands one among you whom you do not know. He it is whose coming is after me and is preferred before me. His shoe latchet [similar to shoe strings] I am not worthy to unloose.”

The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. This is He whom I said, ‘After me cometh a man which is preferred before me’, for He was before me. And I knew him not but that He should be made manifest or visible to Israel. Therefore I baptize with water.” And John bore record saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Christ, but I knew Him not. But He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He, which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God.”

PARENTS: Young children love repetition and so they will love to hear this story over and over again. We did our best to include something for all ages so where necessary, please assist your child or adjust it to make it more their level.

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON

Joseph With the Butler And the Baker (Genesis 40)

Some time passed after Joseph was put in prision for something he did not do. The butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended the king of Egypt, and Pharaoh was very angry towards these two officers. The king of Eqypt put them in the house of the captain of the guard, which eventually was into the prison. This was the place where Joseph was being kept. The captain of the guard put the two new prisoners under Joseph’s care, and Joseph served them. The two new prisoners continued for a while in the prison.

Then one day the butler and the baker both dreamed a dream. Each man his own dream in the same night, and each man according to the interpretation of his dream. The butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were in the prison both remembered their dreams.

The next morning, Joseph came to them and looked at them. They were sad. Joseph asked Pharaoh's officers, “Why do you look so sad today?” And they said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, but there is no interpreter of it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me the dreams.”

The chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said, “In my dream, I saw a vine before me. And in the vine were three branches. And it was as though it budded. And her blossoms shot forth. The clusters brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. And I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup. And I gave the cup to Pharaoh.”

Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it. The three branches are three days. Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up your head and restore you to your original place in the kingdom. You will deliver Pharaoh's cup to his hand as when you use to do it as his butler. But remember me when it shall be well with you, and please show kindness to me, I pray. Please make mention of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews. And here also have I done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and I had three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost basket there was all types of baked items for Pharaoh. But the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”

Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation thereof. The three baskets are three days. Yet within three days Pharaoh shall lift up your head from off you and shall hang you on a tree. The birds shall eat your flesh from off you.”

And on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast to all his servants. He lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief butler to his butlership again and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

But the chief butler did not remember Joseph. He forgot all about Joseph’s kindness.

CHARACTER LESSON

John answering the priests and Levites with honest answers is an example of how everyone should answer questions asked of them.

The priests and the Levites thinking that Elijah was to really appear before Jesus appeared showed that they did not really know their Bibles like they should. This teaches everyone to read the Bible carefully. Reading it too quickly causes some people to think something is in the Bible when it is not.

John saying, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said”, was an answer to the question, “Who are you?” This shows us that whatever God impresses us to do for Him, we ought to do it.

The Pharisees asking John, “Why baptize then if you are not that Christ, nor Elijah, nor that prophet?”, implies that if there is no important position to hold, why do the work. This is not a very good character for even the littlest jobs are important, especially the ones that others do not know of.

John answered them saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands one among you whom you do not know. He it is whose coming is after me and is preferred before me. His shoe latchet [similar to shoe strings] I am not worthy to unloose.” This shows that John did not think himself to be more important than the work he was doing for God. Everyone should also be humble, not looking for fame or recognition.

Pharaoh being very angry is not a good character trait. The Bible permits being angry only when God is not being respected, but being angry with anyone else for any other reason is, as Jesus says, the same as killing someone (Matthew 5:22).

Joseph serving the two new prisoners shows that it does not matter if people are guilty of doing something wrong and are being punished, everyone still can be kind.

Joseph asking the butler and baker, “Why do you look so sad today?”, showed that Joseph cared about them. Everyone should want others to be happy as well, so if someone is sad, ask them why they are sad and see if you can cheer them up.

Now the chief butler not remembering Joseph in prison was unkind and forgetful. Forgetting things causes problems. So it is a good idea to concentrate [stay focused] on the words mommy or daddy are telling you. It is a good idea to listen for answers to the question you might have instead of asking a question and then going off to do something else.

NEW TESTAMENT MEMORY TEXT: John 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

OLD TESTAMENT MEMORY TEXT: Genesis 40:8 And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God?

NATURE LESSON

PICKING BIRDS

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head (Genesis 40:16-17).

The birds picking at the basket full of food is a lot like people, especially unhappy little children who are picking at things. Daddy may have bought you a sweater and instead of thanking him, you may have said, “But it’s not blue!” Mommy may have prepared a healthy, homemade, warm meal but instead of thanking her, you may have said, “But it’s not my favorite!”

The Bible says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). We should be thankful for everything instead of picking at the things we dislike.

But surely you may be thinking that God does not mean to be thankful for those things that are not making us happy, now is He? Well, the Bible does use the word “all”. All is inclusive of everything. But the Bible does say, “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience” (Romans 5:3). So when we are having a bad day or things are not happening the way we expect, known as tribulation, though even a small thing, we are to glory or give thanks for it because when we get through the situation, we will be a better person. It will help us appreciate others more.

When someone says, “It’s not the right color” or “It is not my favorite”, did you know that it hurts the person’s feelings who was trying to do something good. Daddy did not have to stop at the store to buy the nice sweater, but He wanted to. Mommy did not have to take the time to make a homemade meal. She could have easily made a quick meal bought at a store or ordered from some restaurant. But she wanted to do it.

Saying “Thank you” is the greatest reward for these kind acts. And think for a moment how it would make sister or brother feel if you thanked them for the kind things they do?

A simple thank you also shows love. Do you love your family?

HEALTH LESSON

INTERNAL USE OF WATER:

“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he seas: and God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:9-10).

“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink” (Prov. 25:21). Pure water is one of Heaven's best blessings. “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward” (Mark 9:41).

Daniel was an example: “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse [vegetables] to eat, and water to drink” (Dan. 1:12). The result: “And at the end of the ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat [food]” (Dan. 1:15).

As part of God’s Health Plan, water is the beverage God provided for the thirst of animals and man. Drunk freely, water helps to supply all that our bodies need and also helps the body to resist sickness by strengthening the immune system.

Did you know that the body requires one-third more water than our thirst requests? Eight to ten glasses of pure water a day is the recommended amount for best health. In fact, in ounces drink half your body weight in pounds. So if you weigh 40 pounds, you should drink 20 ounces a day.

Water is the most common molecule in the human body. Adults are about 45-75 percent water. Fat cells contain less water than muscle cells. Muscle tissue, about 50-70 percent water, contains approximately ½ of the water found in the body. No wonder one feels weak when short of water. Blood is up to 80 percent water, brain gray matter 70-85 percent and bones 20-33 percent. Approximately five eighths of the body water is inside the cells. Respiration, digestion, circulation, glandular secretion, temperature regulation, waste elimination, and virtually every body function, require water. Water helps to lubricate, insulate, protect, and give flexibility to the muscles, ligaments, and joints.

Did you know that the more liquid taken into the stomach with meals, the harder it is for the food to digest? The liquid must first be absorbed. Taken with meals, water slows the salivary glands. While eating slowly allows the saliva to mingle with the food, helping digestion. And it is better to drink pure water 30 minutes before and 1 hour after a meal. Salad, carrot, celery sticks, and fruits help fill the desire for liquid.

Also, did you know that the colder or hotter the beverage the greater harm to the stomach? Drinking cool water helps stop hunger pains. A cup of warm water first thing in the morning prepares the stomach for breakfast.

John 1:23 “He said, I [am] the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”

MATCHING

For each item in the first column, write in the letter for the description from the second column.

___ 1. John the Baptist ___ 2. Priests and Levites ___ 3. Captain of the Guard ___ 4. Chief Baker ___ 5. Chief Butler ___ 6. Joseph ___ 7. Pharaoh

A. Who asked, “Art thou Elias?” B. Who said, “I had three white baskets on my head”? C. Who said, “In my dream, behold, a vine was before me”? D. Who said, “Make straight the way of the Lord”? E. Who said, “Think on me when it shall be well with thee”? F. Who was angry with his officers? G. Who was in charge of the prison?

[Answers to September 2002 matching: 1=D, 2=A, 3=C, 4=B, 5=E, 6=G, 7=F]

ATBASH

Each letter represents a different letter to make a real word. Replace the letter consistently in each word to reveal the verse being quoted. (Hint - the verse is from the cover story.)

A B C D E F	C G H I	J K L B	L F D N,	I B
__ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __	__ __ __ __	__ __ __ __	__ __
.
.
K B L	H K L D M E M D L G L H B K C			O D R B K P
__ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __			__ __ __ __ __ __
.
.
L B	P B I?	L D R R	N D	L F D N,
__ __	__ __ __	__ __ __ __	__ __	__ __ __ __
.
.
H	E M G Q	Q B J.
__	__ __ __ __	__ __ __

[Answers to September 2002 cryptic: Each letter in the puzzle stood the place of a real letter: A=G, B=E, C=T, D=H, E=N, F=C, G=S, H=A, I=F, J=O, K=R, L=I, M=W, N=U, O=L, P=D, Q=P, R=Y, S=M, T=V. The verse was: Matthew 4:10 “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”.]

UNSCRAMBLE

Rearrange the letters in the following words to reveal the Bible word. (Hint - the words are from the verses in the cover story.)

A B E I P T Z	R A K B E	E H O P P R T	A A H H O P R
__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __
.
.
C E F F O I R S	A A C I N P T	U T R L E B	B E E E M M R R
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
.
.
E I P R S S T	A D D E E M R	D D E E F F N O	E E I L S T V
__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __
.
.
A E I L S	C E I O V	A G H I R S T T	A A E I S S
__ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __

[Answers to September 2002 unscramble: Row 1- POTIPHAR, MASTER, OVERSEER; Row 2 - GARMENT, KEEPER, PRISON; Row 3 - TEMPTED, DEVIL, FASTED; Row 4 - WRITTEN, WORSHIP, ANGELS.]

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

1. Count how many glasses or ounces of water you drink a day.

2. At the end of the day, recall all of the things that you can remember your parents telling you in the morning.

3. Memorize the memory verses on page 3.

4. Visit a bakery to see different types of bread, remembering that Pharaoh put a baker in prison.

5. Visit a place where grape juice is made remembering that Pharaoh put a butler in prison whose job included providing a cup of grape juice.

6. Find a map of Israel and the surrounding areas and locate the Jordan River where John the Baptist was.

ADD TO FREE CHILDREN'S NEWSLETTER

Child's Name: ___________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code: _____________________________________

Send to TSTL, PO Box 10607, Harrisburg, PA 17105-0607

Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Current Vol First Issue

Previous

Next