Vol. 1 Iss. 1

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INDEX: New Testament Lesson - John Sent To Prison and the Invalid at Bethesda (Matthew 14:3-5, John 5:1-15) Old Testament Lesson - The Birth of Moses (Exodus 1 and 2) Character Lesson Memory Text Nature Lesson - Bulrushes Health Lesson - Teeth Coloring Page Matching Questions & Answers 1-Why did Jesus come when He did? 2-When will Jesus come back again? 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 Sent To Prison and the Invalid at Bethesda (Matthew 14:3-5, John 5:1-15)

King Herod had John bound and put him into prison because of Herodias. The reason Herodias wanted John in prision is because John would state publicly Herod's and Herodias' sin. She did not like that, and she had no intention to change. When it was requested that John should die, King Herod feared the multitude of people because they considered John to be a prophet.

So while John was sent to prison, there was a feast or holy gathering of the Jews. Jesus then went to Jerusalem for the celebration of the feast.

Now there at Jerusalem by the sheep market was a pool, which was called Bethesda. It had five porches. On these porches laid a great number of sick people. Many were impotent, which means that an arm or leg or another part of the body was not useable. Some people were blind, some were halt or limping, and some had body parts that were withered as if it did not exist. They were all waiting for the pool of water to move. This was because an angel went down at a certain time into the pool, and stirred the water. Then the first person into the water was cured of their ailment.

Now a certain man was there, which was crippled for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew how long the man was like that, he said to the man, "Do you desire to be made whole?" The impotent man answered Jesus, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool after the water moves. In fact while I am trying to enter the pool, another person steps in before me. Jesus said to the man, "Get up, take your bed, and walk."

Immediately the man was made whole, took his bed, and walked. Now it was the Sabbath day when this happened. This is important because the Pharisees made a rule that a man was not allowed to carry anything on the Sabbath day, yet Jesus told the man to carry his bed, which was a rolled up mat.

Now the Jews said to the man that was cured, "It is the Sabbath day. It is not allowed by law for you to carry your bed!" The man answered them, "The person that made me whole told me, "Pick up your bed and walk."

Then they asked the man, "What man said to you to pick up your bed and walk?" The man did not know who it was because Jesus hid Himself among the multitude of people that were there.

Afterward Jesus found the man in the temple and said to him, "You are all better. You have been made whole. Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you." The man left and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which that made him whole.

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

The Birth of Moses (Exodus 1 and 2)

Now the names of the children of Israel, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

After some time, Joseph, all his brethren, and all of that generation died. The children of Israel were fruitful and multiplied. They were also mighty, and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, which did not know Joseph. He decided to make slaves out of the descendents of Israel. But the more the Egyptians treated the Israelites badly, the more the Israelites multiplied and grew.

Then the king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives to kill all the sons allowing only the daughters to live. But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them. Then the king of Egypt called for the midwives and asked them, "Why have you not done as I said?" The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women deliver the children before the midwives show up." God dealt well with the midwives.

Then Pharaoh told all his people, "Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, but every daughter you shall save alive."

Now there was a man of the house of Levi who took as a wife the daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and gave birth to a son. She then hid him for three months, but when she could not hide him any longer, she made an ark of bulrushes. She daubed it with slime and with pitch, and then put the child in it. She then laid it in the flags by the river's brink. His sister stood a distance away to see what would happen.

Pharaoh's daughter came to the river to wash herself. Now when she saw the ark, she sent for a maid to fetch it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and the babe wept. She then had compassion upon him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." At that moment, the baby's sister approached the princess and said, "Shall I go and call a nurse from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?" Pharaoh's daughter said, "Go." And the maid went and called the child's mother.

Moments later, Pharaoh's daughter said to the woman, "Take this child and nurse it for me. I will give you your wages." The woman took the child, and nursed it. The child grew, and eventually she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter. At that time, the child became the son of the princess. She then called him Moses and said, "Because I drew you out of the water."

Now when Moses was grown, he went out to his people, and looked on their burdens. He saw an Egyptian hurting a Hebrew. Moses looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no other person around, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

Then when Moses went out the second day, two men of the Hebrews were in a disagreement. Moses asked, "Why hurt this fellow, which is a relative of yours?" The man said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was scared and said, "Surely this is well known."

Now when Pharaoh heard about this, he looked for Moses to kill him, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to the well to draw water to fill the troughs of their father's flock. The shepherds came and drove the women away, but Moses stood up and helped the women, and watered their flock. When they came to Reuel their father, he asked, "How were you able to return so soon?" They said, an Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us and the flock. He said to his daughters, "Where is he? Why did you leave him? Call him so he may eat bread with us."

Moses was content to dwell with the man. The man gave Moses Zipporah his daughter to marry. She eventually gave birth to a son and called him Gershom because "I have been a stranger in a strange land."

And it came to pass in the process of time, that the king of Egypt died. The children of Israel sighed because of the bondage. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the children of Israel and had respect for them.

CHARACTER LESSON

King Herod putting John the Baptist in prison because of Herodias means that he listened to someone else instead of doing the right thing. Whenever someone tells you to do something wrong, God is watching to see if you will choose to love him and do the right thing or choose to love your friends and do the wrong thing. Choose wisely.

Herodias was doing something bad and John reminded her of it, but instead of changing from doing the bad thing to doing the right thing, she got angry. This teaches that when someone reminds you to do the right thing and stop doing the wrong thing that you should not get angry with that person but rather change and do the right thing.

No one helping the crippled man into the pool of water was not very kind, and everyone else getting to the pool first was very selfish. This teaches us to look for ways to help others that are in need and to allow others to be first.

The new king of Egypt was a big bully. He made the Israelites do what he wanted them to do or he would hurt them. God will not allow bullies into heaven. So we want to be careful not to be one. And one way to do that is to focus on being kind to family members and other children you play with.

The midwives disobeyed the king's order to kill the baby boys. They chose to do the right thing and not the wrong, showing us that just because someone is a king does not mean they do the right thing. Always choose the right way.

The woman that gave birth to a son and then placed him in a basket to float down the river had faith in God to protect the child. This teaches us that when things are not in our control, we need to have faith that all will go according to God's plan.

The sister of the baby in the basket watched very carefully what would happen to her baby brother. She was very caring - teaching that we should be making sure that everything is all right with our brothers or sisters.

Pharaoh's daughter saw the baby in the basket. She had compassion upon the child. She did not want to see anything bad happen to the child. Now this is a total stranger. They never met before but she was still concerned about the baby. This teaches us to have compassion upon people even if we do not know them.

Now the baby's mother raised the baby until he was much older. The mother made sure that the baby knew all about God and His ways so that when Pharaoh's daughter would come for the child to keep for herself, he would remember God's ways and do that which God would have him do and not as the Egyptians.

When Moses killed the Egyptian who was hurting a Hebrew he learned that killing or hurting another person even to help another who is being hurt is not necessarily God's way. Before we try to help someone using physical methods, other methods should be tried first, especially talking.

The two Hebrews saying mean things to each other and then one of them turning and arguing with Moses over killing the Egyptian shows that someone told someone else that did not need to know. This is called gossip. Gossip does not help. It usually hurts. And because of gossip, Moses had to leave Egypt. So if someone tells you something about another person, do not tell another person. In fact, it would be right to tell that person not to be telling such things.

Moses helping the women to feed the flock teaches to help others that are not as strong as you may be. This could be someone younger or even being helpful to someone much older - even with the simple task of picking up something for another person.

The priest of Midian was very thankful that Moses helped his daughters and invited him for a meal. We should be very thankful to anyone that does something for us, especially mommy or daddy who feed, clothe, and do many things to keep you safe, healthy, and happy.

NEW TESTAMENT MEMORY TEXT: John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

OLD TESTAMENT MEMORY TEXT: Exodus 2:17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

NATURE LESSON

BULRUSHES

Bulrushes made a good hiding place for Moses' sister as she watched what would happen to her brother, but bulrushes serve other purposes.

Someone once demonstrated that bulrushes, which are plants that grow along the side of some rivers, can help purify the water. Bulrushes remove both living and non-living items that are harmful, and they make the water better to use.

The lesson we learn from the bulrushes is that God has given us the Bible to make us better people. As we study the Bible, it shows us the bad things and even sometimes people that do bad things that we should not be with. This is an example of non-living and living. The non-living would be something like not watching certain things on TV. The TV is not living. Somebody that likes to do bad things that we should not want to be like would be a living thing.

Bulrushes also enrich the soil, which means they make the soil better by taking out the bad things and putting into it good things.

The Bible also does this to people. The Bible does not only tells us what not to do, but it also tells us what to do, which would be the good things.

But in addition to that, Bulrushes produce antibiotics, which kill things such as mold and fungi.

Again, the Bible helps produce similar things in people. Not only do those that study and follow the Bible stay away from the bad and do that which is good by the help of God, the Bible also teaches how to create antibiotics against temptations. A temptation is when a thought comes to the mind to do something wrong. The Bible teaches to resist the devil, who was the one that put that thought in your mind. When we resist the devil, the Bible says that the devil will leave us. But he will look for another temptation and so we have to continue to study the Bible so we can produce more of the things that kill the temptation so that we do not do what the devil suggests.

Bulrushes are also used to make things such as small boats - even an ark like the one Moses was placed in. Now that is a strong plant.

The Bible also makes people strong. The more we successfully resist the devil and his temptations the stronger we become as Christians.

So use the Bible like the bulrushes and do what God wants you to do.

HEALTH LESSON

BODY PARTS: Teeth

Amos 4:6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Did you know that babies are not really born toothless? The 20 primary teeth that will erupt in the next two and one-half years are already present at birth in the jawbone. That means that parents need to understand their child's dental needs and start - from day one - to ensure that the child will have smile to last a lifetime.

Here are some important facts:

- A child's teeth begin forming between the third and sixth month of pregnancy. It's important that mothers-to-be receive sufficient amounts of nutrients, especially vitamins A, C and D, protein, calcium and phosphorus for normal formation of the baby's teeth.

- Dental care should begin during the first few days after birth. After every feeding, wipe the baby's gums and teeth with a damp washcloth or gauze pad to remove plaque.

- To clean a child's teeth and gums, try sitting on a sofa with the child's head in your lap, or lay the child on the floor or a dressing table. Whatever position you use, be sure you can see into the child's mouth easily.

- As soon as the teeth appear in the mouth, decay can occur. So, parents should begin brushing their child's teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts. Because little hands aren't always the best at guiding a toothbrush to all areas of the mouth, it's important for an adult to be the chief tooth brusher for at least one of the two daily brushing sessions.

- Usually, molars have spaces between them when they first erupt. These will close with time. Once closed, flossing should begin. For most children, this will be around age three or four years of age. Remember, bits of food get trapped between the tight spaces of the teeth so the more closely the teeth fit together, the greater the need to floss.

- Primary teeth help children chew food, make sounds, form words and speak clearly, and maintain the shape of the mouth and face through growth stages. They also serve as natural "space maintainers" so that permanent teeth have a space to grow into.

- If a primary tooth is lost too early, nearby teeth can tip or move into the vacant space. When this happens, the permanent tooth has less space to grow into than is needed. The result can be crooked teeth or an uneven bite. To avoid these problems, your dentist may recommend using a space maintainer to reserve space for the permanent tooth.

John 5:8-9 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

MATCHING

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

___ 1. Herodias ___ 2. Herod ___ 3. Jesus ___ 4. John ___ 5. King of Egypt ___ 6. Moses ___ 7. Pharaoh's Daughter

A. Had compassion on a baby found in a basket or ark. B. Healed a man that was crippled and waiting by a pool of water. C. Put a man in prison for telling people right from wrong. D. Thought he was doing the right thing when he killed an Egyptian who was hurting a Hebrew. E. Wanted all of the boy Hebrew babies dead because he was afraid of the number of Hebrews. F. Was angry at the person telling others right from wrong because they were doing wrong. G. Was placed in prison for teaching right from wrong.

[Answers to May 2003 matching: 1=A, 2=F, 3=G, 4=B, 5=E, 6=D, 7=C]

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question #1 - Why did Jesus come when He did?

Answer #1 - The Bible contains prophecies. They are messages from God about what will happen in the future. Over a long period of time, God was telling the people about Jesus to come and even said what would happen to Him. One of the things is that Jesus would be lifted up to die (John 12:32). So that means Jesus could not come when people did not die by being lifted up on a cross. That time was only while the kingdom of Rome was ruling the world. There are many more prophecies about Jesus that narrows down the time to a short period in which Jesus was to be born and die for our sins. There are about 300 of these. But this one example should answer the question you have. And to summarize the other 300, Jesus could only come when all 300 prophecies could be fulfilled.

Question #2 - When will Jesus come back again?

Answer #2 - No one knows the exact date but Jesus told us what the world would be like just before He returned. For the past century or so, this world has been quite ready for Jesus to return. All the things Jesus said would happen have either happened or are ready to happen very quickly. But the Bible tells us that God is waiting until everyone who wants to be saved has been (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, God has told the angels to wait a little longer (Revelation 7:1-3) before allowing Satan to have his way with the last things to happen, which are not nice but have to happen so that it is clear who is on God's side and who is on Satan's side.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

1. 1. Visit a river where bulrushes grow and see what they look like, remembering that Moses' ark was made from them, and his sister hid among them.

2. 2. Visit a farm with lots of animals and look at all the animals. Moses helped some women water all of their animals.

3. 3. Make your blankets nice and neat. Remember the crippled man that was healed by Jesus who neatly rolled up his bed, which was like a blanket or a mat.

4. 4. Find someone to help, remembering that little brothers and sisters, crippled people, and much older people can use your help just as Jesus helped the cripple get better and Moses' sister was helpful in watching her baby brother.

5. 5. Memorize the verses on page 3.

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Vol. 1 Iss. 1

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