Mystery Man
Unit 7 Summary:
Mystery Man
E
veryone loves a good mystery — investigating the evidence, gathering clues, and finally discovering the answer they’ve been looking for all along. In this detective-themed series, kids will meet the original Mystery Man, Jesus, and see how he holds the answers to life’s greatest problems. In Jesus the great mystery of God’s love is revealed at last. The Mystery Man unit is all about knowing Jesus and following Him. In this series, kids will pick up their magnifying glasses and begin their investigation of the first great stories from the New Testament about the life and early ministry of Jesus. Kids will discover why Jesus came to earth and how He restored our Covenant relationship with God and Kingdom responsibility for God. They will see how Jesus beat temptation in the desert by remembering what God had said about Him, and they will learn what it means to follow Jesus and share Him with the people of peace God sends their way.
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GAME ON: LESSON 27 (Large Group)
Key Concept: Knowing Jesus changes everything
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Bible Story: Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:1-17)
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Bible Verse: This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
3DM Principle: Covenant
Large Group Overview: Kids will review the Covenant and Kingdom story from the Old Testament and see how it connects to the life of Jesus
Huddle Overview: Kids will look at some of the different names for Jesus and talk about the difference He can make in their lives
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Lesson Outline Game
Mysterious Characters
(5 min)
Bible Story
Jesus’ baptism
(15 min)
Application & Prayer
(3 min)
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Pre-Lesson Setup Choose a child in advance to be the Code-breaker for the day. Choose one of the earliest kids to arrive so that the kid can get to work decoding the day’s mystery. Give this kid today’s mystery code and the decoder sheet. Have the kid place the solved mystery code in the clue envelope after he/she has solved it. If you can, give him/her a Sherlock Holmes-style deerstalker cap (you should be able to find a cheap version online) and a magnifying glass. Tell the Code-breaker that you will ask him/her to bring up the sealed clue envelope with the solved mystery code early in the lesson. Make sure to get the cap and magnifying glass back to give to next week’s Code-breaker. Today’s mystery code is “Who is the Messiah?” Welcome to another exciting week at Kairos Quest. We’re starting a new series, and the next few weeks are going to be a little mysterious. How many of you guys like mysteries? Have you ever read a good mystery book? (Hold up some current kids’ mystery books.) Or maybe you’ve seen a mystery movie (hold up a DVD) or even played some games where you’ve had to solve a mystery (hold up mystery board game). Mysteries are fun because at first you don’t know all the answers. You don’t know exactly what’s going on, but little by little, you begin to follow the clues and discover the secret. That’s what we’re going to do in this brand new series called Mystery Man.
The purpose of this activity is to introduce the mystery theme and to set up the mystery of the Messiah’s identity for today’s lesson.
Instructions
How To Play: Give kids clues to the identities of three detective characters. Let kids shout out the answer when they think they know the secret identity.
Supplies:
6 Clue cards 6 Pictures of each of the mysterious characters (optional)
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To kick things off, we’re going to play a game called Mysterious Characters. I’m going to give you some clues about characters you might know from mystery shows. As you soon as you think you know whom I’m talking about, just yell out the answer.
Here’s our first mysterious character:
6 Clue #1: He is the world’s most famous detective. 6 Clue #2: He lives at 221B Baker Street in London with Dr. Watson. 6 Clue #3: He is the only person I know named Sherlock. Who is this mysterious character? (Sherlock Holmes)
Here is our second mysterious character:
6 Clue #1: This famous detective rides around looking for clues in a van called the Mystery Machine.
6 Clue #2:: His friends are named Shaggy, Daphne, and Velma. 6 Clue #3: He loves to eat Scooby snacks. Who is this mysterious character? (Scooby-Doo)
Here is our third mysterious character:
6 Clue #1: This famous detective is a superhero. 6 Clue #2: Sometimes he is called the Dark Knight Detective. 6 Clue #3: He solves crimes committed by the Riddler and the Joker. Who is this mysterious character? (Batman)
cter #3 us Chara io r e st y M Mysteriouse isCharacter o. #2 a superher tectiv is famous de ark Knight Th D : e #1 th e d lu lle C ca is he es im metThis Clue #1: rides around looking for Mfamous yst detective Clue #2: So dler and iothe tive. in a vaner sthCe RhidMachine. called Mystery by Detecclues a edu racter #1 es committ im cr es lv e soCl Clue #2: His friends are named Shaggy, Daphne, and : H Clue #3
ue #1: He is the world’s most fam ker. Velma. the Jo ous detective. Cl ue #2: He lives attm 22an 1B Clue #3: He lovesAn tosw eat snacks. Baker Street in : Ba erScooby London with Dr. Watson. Clue #3: He Answer: Scooby-Doo is the on ly person I know named Sherlock . Answer: Sherlo
ck Holmes
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We know a lot about these mysterious characters, but do you actually know any of them? Has anyone here ever met Sherlock Holmes or Scooby Doo? Do you hang out with Batman after school? Of course not. This shows us that there’s a big difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them. The thing that all of these characters have in common is that they like to solve mysteries. That’s exactly what we’re going to do here today. Where is my Code-breaker? (Introduce the child you chose before the lesson to decode the today’s mystery.) For the next three weeks, we’ll be choosing someone who arrives early to be our Code-breaker. (Child’s name) here has already spent time cracking our code for today’s mystery. Do you have the clue envelope for me? Great. Let’s all clap for our Code-breaker, who did an awesome job today. (Pull out the Mystery Code and read it.) Today’s mystery question is, “Who is the Messiah?”
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Bible Story
The teaching area should have a clothesline or string stretched across it. You will need several clothespins to hang up the story signs. Print the following signs on paper or cardstock:
6 ADAM & EVE 6 RELATIONSHIP 6 RESPONSIBILITY 6 Forbidden Fruit Picture 6 GOD’S PEOPLE 6 SIN
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You will also need a large envelope with a question mark printed on the outside and the following signs inside it also printed on paper or cardstock:
6 JESUS 6 GOD’S KIDS 6 GOD’S KINGDOM 6 Cross Picture Who is the Messiah? That’s a great mystery question! For hundreds and hundreds of years, there was a mystery for the people in the Bible about a guy called the Messiah. The Messiah was a special hero that God was going to send to earth to fix all the things that God’s people had messed up. But no one knew who He was or when He was coming. It was a total mystery! To discover the answer to the mystery, we have to go back to the very beginning of God’s story. Do you remember how we learned that in the beginning God made the universe and everything in it? He even made the very first people. What were their names? (Kids answer.) Hang ADAM & EVE sign.
ADAM & EVE That’s right, Adam and Eve. Does anyone remember why God made Adam and Eve? (Kids answer.) He made them to be His kids. God wanted to love them and be their Dad in heaven. He wanted a special relationship with them. He wanted them to know Him.
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Hang RELATIONSHIP sign.
ADAM & EVE RELATIONSHIP God also wanted to let Adam and Eve rule the earth He had just made. After all, they were kids of the King. So God wanted them to help run the kingdom and do the good things He would do. Not only did they have a special relationship; they also had a special responsibility. Hang RESPONSIBILITY sign.
ADAM & EVE RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
But what happened? (Kids answer.) Adam and Eve disobeyed God and chose to listen to God’s enemy, the devil, instead of listening to God. Hang Forbidden Fruit sign.
ADAM & EVE RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
They totally messed up their friendship with God and brought all kinds of bad things into the world. From that point on, God started working on fixing the mess they had made.
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Hang GOD’S PEOPLE sign over ADAM & EVE sign.
GOD’S PEOPLE RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
God reached out to people like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Ruth, and David to make them and their people a special part of God’s family. But sooner or later, the people of God kept messing things up, just like Adam and Eve, as they chose to do things their way instead of God’s way. That’s what the Bible calls sin, and sin always leads to bad stuff. Hang SIN sign over Forbidden Fruit sign.
GOD’S PEOPLE RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
SIN
God didn’t want that. He wanted His people to listen to Him and to be His kids and help lead His kingdom on earth. Remember, God wanted to give all of us a relationship with Him and a responsibility to Him. But instead of turning back and following God, His people wouldn’t listen. They just kept getting farther and farther from God. Eventually God let them get conquered by powerful enemies. But all along He promised that He wasn’t done with them yet. He promised to one day send a mystery man who would make everything right. This mystery man was called the Messiah. Hang Question Mark envelope.
GOD’S PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
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SIN
?
What made the Messiah so mysterious is that no one knew who this guy was or when He was going to come. No one knew His secret identity, even though the Bible was full of lots of clues. It said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and that He would be a great King who would rule forever. One day, just when no one suspected it, a man named John came along and solved the mystery. The Bible says there was a special man named John the Baptist who showed up one day and told people about God. Some people thought John was the mysterious Messiah, but he said He wasn’t. He told people to turn back to God because God’s Kingdom was coming to earth really soon. He started baptizing people in the water as a picture of how God wanted to wash away their sin — all the bad stuff in their lives. God had sent John to get people ready for the mystery man who was coming soon. The only problem was John didn’t know who it was. It was a mystery to him too. Then one day, a man showed up and asked John to baptize Him. When John did, the mystery was solved. Pull down the Question Mark envelope and open it. Pull the rest of the signs out of the Question Mark envelope. This man was the mysterious hero God had sent to earth. This man was the Messiah. This man was… Pull out JESUS sign and show it to the kids. …Jesus! Hang JESUS sign over GOD’S PEOPLE sign.
JESUS
RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
SIN
Jesus was baptized by John as a way of showing that His mission was about to begin. When Jesus came up out of the water, the Bible says that heaven opened, and the Spirit of God came down on Jesus like a dove. Then God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” This is our Bible verse for the day. It’s from Matthew 3:17.
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The Messiah, the hero, had come at last! Jesus is the Son of God who came to save the world. Instead of sin, He came to bring forgiveness. Instead of disobeying God like Adam and Eve had done, Jesus came to show us what it’s like to live a perfect life by obeying God – even though it meant one day dying on a cross to save the world. Hang up Cross sign over SIN sign.
JESUS
RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
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Jesus came to bring us back to that special relationship with God. Because of Jesus, we really can be God’s kids! We don’t just know about God. We can know God as our closest friend. Even though we’ve sometimes done bad things, even though we’re not perfect, God still loves us and wants to be our Dad in heaven. Hang up GOD’S KIDS sign over RELATIONSHIP sign.
JESUS
GOD’S KIDS
RESPONSIBILITY
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God said that Jesus is His Son and that He loved Him. Jesus is God’s Son, and He has a special relationship with His Dad in heaven. But the cool thing is that, when we choose to follow Jesus, we can have that special relationship too. We can become God’s kids. When God looks at us, He says the same thing about us that He said about Jesus. (point to kids) You are my Son. You are my daughter. I love you. I am pleased with you. But it doesn’t end there. When we choose to follow Jesus, not only do we become God’s kids, but we also get to help the King bring His Kingdom to earth.
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Hang up GOD’S KINGDOM sign over RESPONSIBILITY sign.
JESUS
GOD’S KIDS
GOD’S KINGDOM
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This means that we help people, share with people, show love to people, and pray for people. This means that we don’t have to be afraid or discouraged or lonely. This means that we really can change the world. Because we are God’s kids, God gives us the power to bring some of the good stuff from heaven down to earth. That power comes through Jesus. Our friendship with God comes through Jesus. Knowing Jesus changes everything! That’s really why we call Jesus a mystery man – because Jesus has the answer to all of life’s most important questions. Do you want to know how to live life God’s way? Just look at Jesus.
Application So this week, if you feel discouraged or sad or confused, remember that God wants you to be His kid and that you become a part of God’s family when you choose to follow Jesus. God wants you to be a part of His family more than anything in the world. He loves you. He is pleased with you and wants to be your perfect Dad. If you face a big problem this week, or if you know someone else who needs help, remember that God’s power can help you. All the power of heaven is yours when you choose to follow Jesus. God’s kids get God’s power to make this world more like heaven. Why? That’s no mystery. It’s the same reason God sent Jesus. It’s because God loves us and wants us to show the world the amazing things His love can do. Let’s pray.
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Prayer God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You that because of Him we can be your kids and thank You for the power to change the world. Help us follow Jesus and be like Him. Amen
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GAME ON: LESSON 27 (Huddle)
Key Concept: Knowing Jesus changes everything
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Bible Story: Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:1-17)
Bible Verse: This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
3DM Principle: Covenant
Large Group Overview: Kids will review the Covenant and Kingdom story from the Old Testament and see how it connects to the life of Jesus
Huddle Overview: Kids will look at some of the different names for Jesus and talk about the difference He can make in their lives
Supplies
6 Mysterious Mansion game board (1 per group) 6 Deck of Mansion cards (1 per group) 6 White board or poster board (1 per group) 6 Marker (1 per group) 6 Bible verse cards (1 per child)
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Huddle Group Outline Welcome / Review questions
(5 min)
Activity
(5 min)
Mysterious Mansion
Huddle Discussion
(10 min)
Bible Verse & Prayer
(5 min)
Welcome / Large Group Review Gather kids in a circle either on the floor or around a table. Welcome back to Huddle. Wow, what a great story we heard today. Let’s see how much you guys remember.
6 Who are some celebrities or famous people you guys know? 6 What’s the difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them?
6 Jesus came to fix the problems that all started with the first man and woman. What were their names? (Adam and Eve)
6 How did Jesus fix our sin problem? (By dying on the cross) In this series, we’re calling Jesus the Mystery Man because He is the answer to all of life’s big problems. But God doesn’t want Jesus to be a mystery. He wants us to know Jesus because knowing Jesus changes everything! Huddle Activity: Mysterious Mansion The purpose of this activity is to help kids think about the names of Jesus. How It Works: Divide kids into two teams. Let someone from each team take turns drawing cards from the Mysterious Mansion game board. The cards will either have a name for Jesus on them or instructions about investigating the mansion. Play until one team has found six cards revealing Jesus’ identity.
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Supplies:
6 Mysterious Mansion game board 6 Mansion cards (1 deck per group) Place Mysterious Mansion game board in the middle of your circle. Shuffle Mansion cards and deal them out evenly on each of the window spaces on the mansion. Today, we’re going to play a game called Mysterious Mansion to help us get to know Jesus a little better. The Mysterious Mansion here is filled with clues to Jesus’ identity. We’re going to divide up into two teams and take turns drawing cards to find out which team will be the first to collect six identity cards for Jesus. Now, I have to warn you. This is a very mysterious mansion. It’s filled with all kinds of tricks and traps that might slow you down. We’ll see which team of detectives can be the first to collect enough clues to solve the mystery about who Jesus is. Divide kids into two teams. Play until one team has collected six identity cards for Jesus.
Mansion Cards
6 Savior 6 Lord 6 King of Kings 6 Lamb of God 6 Son of God 6 Holy One 6 Light of the World 6 Messiah 6 Prince of Peace 6 Emmanuel — God with us 6 Mighty God
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6 The Way, the Truth, and the Life 6 You discovered a secret door! Draw another card. 6 You fell through a trap door. Give one Jesus card to the other team. 6 You got stuck in a cobweb. Lose a turn. 6 You found a hidden staircase. Draw another card. 6 You dropped your magnifying glass and broke it. Give one Jesus card to the other team.
6 You saw yourself in mirror, got scared, and ran away. Lose a turn. 6 Your flashlight went dead. Lose a turn. 6 You found a clue tucked in a suit of armor. Draw another card. 6 You’re allergic to dusty, old mansions and you can’t stop sneezing. Lose a turn.
6 You run into Sherlock Holmes and he gives you a clue. Draw another card.
6 A black cat jumped out and scared you. Give one Jesus card to the other team.
6 You step through a rotten floorboard and get your foot stuck. Lose a turn.
Great job. Let’s see those identity cards from each team and see if there are any others in the deck. Gather all identity cards and deal them so that they are face up in the middle of your group. Let’s go around the circle and take turns reading these different names for Jesus. Go around the circle encouraging kids to pick up a card and read a name for Jesus. Continue until all the cards are read. That day in the Jordan River when Jesus was baptized, God revealed Jesus’ identity to the world. Do you remember what God said about Him? Kids answer. He said that Jesus is the Son of God! He had come to bring us back into God’s family so that we could be a part of God’s awesome kingdom again.
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We looked for these names today for Jesus so we could know a little more about Him. God wants us to know Jesus because knowing Jesus changes everything.
Huddle Discussion For this activity you will need a white board or poster board and a marker. Mark two columns on the board. It’s no mystery that our world is filled with all kinds of problems. Think about the problems a kid your age might face this week at home, at school, or in your neighborhood. What kind of problems would a kid your age face? What are some of your biggest problems right now? Take answers from kids and write them on the second column of the white board/ poster board. God sent Jesus to save the world and to bring us back to God. So now, we don’t have to face our problems alone. Knowing Jesus changes everything. Right now, I want you to think of the problems you have to face this week. Think about what you’re dreading and what you’re worried about. Where do you need Jesus’ friendship and power in your life this week? Give kids a few seconds to think about it and then go around the circle taking answers. Pray through this time. Look for opportunities to encourage kids about God’s love and provision and look for practical ways God may want to help them with their problems this week.
Bible Verse Pass out Bible verse cards to kids. Today our Bible verse tells us the words God said about Jesus in Matthew 3:17. It says, “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Let’s all say it together. Kids repeat. Jesus is the Son of God and knowing Him changes everything. Let’s pray.
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Prayer Take prayer requests. Write them down so that you can pray over them during the week. Take time to pray together as a group. Encourage kids to pray for each other during the group time. You may want to close with a prayer like the following one. God, thanks for sending Jesus into the world to save us. Thanks that we can be your kids just because You love us. Thanks that You give us your power to help us with our everyday problems. We love you. Amen
For Extra Time If extra time allows, talk a little more about what some of the names of Jesus mean and give kids the chance to pick one that is the most meaningful to them. Savior — Jesus came to save the world. Lord — Jesus is the rightful ruler of the world. King of Kings — Jesus is more powerful than any king. Lamb of God — Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Son of God — Jesus has a special relationship with the Father. Holy One — Jesus never sinned and always did the right thing. Light of the World — Jesus came to show people the way to God. Messiah — Jesus was the promised hero who came to restore God’s kingdom. Prince of Peace — Jesus came to make peace between us and God. Emmanuel — Jesus is God with us in everyday life. Mighty God — Jesus is God the Son and is bigger than all of our problems. The Way, the Truth, and the Life — Jesus is the only way to heaven and living as God’s kid.
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Lesson 27 Huddle
BibleVerse Cards
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
LESSON 27 (Family)
Knowing Jesus Today I Learned: Knowing Jesus changes everything
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Bible Story: Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:1-17)
Family Challenge With your family, play a game of 20 Questions about people you know. In each round one family member gets to choose the mystery person. Then the other family members ask yes or no questions about trying to guess who this person is before using up all 20 questions. Have a parent go last and make the last mystery person Jesus. Afterward, talk about the difference knowing Jesus has made in each of your lives.
* Act • Account •
• Observe Learning Culture
Plan •
• Reflect • Discuss
* The four questions you are asking are ways of figuring out what your kids’ Kairos moment was
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Dinnertime Discussion At dinnertime this week, ask one of these questions to get your family talking. 1. Who are five celebrities you know from TV or the movies? 2. Do you really know them or just know about them? What’s the difference? 3. What are some things you know about Jesus? 4. What’s the difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Him? Use these questions to help kids think about the difference it can make in their life to know Jesus in a personal, intimate way.
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Mystery Man
E
veryone loves a good mystery — investigating the evidence, gathering clues, and finally discovering the answer they’ve been looking for all along. In this detective-themed series, kids will meet the original Mystery Man, Jesus, and see how he holds the answers to life’s greatest problems. In Jesus the great mystery of God’s love is revealed at last. The Mystery Man unit is all about knowing Jesus and following Him. In this series, kids will pick up their magnifying glasses and begin their investigation of the first great stories from the New Testament about the life and early ministry of Jesus. Kids will discover why Jesus came to earth and how He restored our Covenant relationship with God and Kingdom responsibility for God. They will see how Jesus beat temptation in the desert by remembering what God had said about Him, and they will learn what it means to follow Jesus and share Him with the people of peace God sends their way.
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GAME ON: LESSON 27 (Large Group)
Key Concept: Knowing Jesus changes everything
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Bible Story: Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:1-17)
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Bible Verse: This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
3DM Principle: Covenant
Large Group Overview: Kids will review the Covenant and Kingdom story from the Old Testament and see how it connects to the life of Jesus
Huddle Overview: Kids will look at some of the different names for Jesus and talk about the difference He can make in their lives
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9 10
12 1
2
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Lesson Outline Game
Mysterious Characters
(5 min)
Bible Story
Jesus’ baptism
(15 min)
Application & Prayer
(3 min)
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Pre-Lesson Setup Choose a child in advance to be the Code-breaker for the day. Choose one of the earliest kids to arrive so that the kid can get to work decoding the day’s mystery. Give this kid today’s mystery code and the decoder sheet. Have the kid place the solved mystery code in the clue envelope after he/she has solved it. If you can, give him/her a Sherlock Holmes-style deerstalker cap (you should be able to find a cheap version online) and a magnifying glass. Tell the Code-breaker that you will ask him/her to bring up the sealed clue envelope with the solved mystery code early in the lesson. Make sure to get the cap and magnifying glass back to give to next week’s Code-breaker. Today’s mystery code is “Who is the Messiah?” Welcome to another exciting week at Kairos Quest. We’re starting a new series, and the next few weeks are going to be a little mysterious. How many of you guys like mysteries? Have you ever read a good mystery book? (Hold up some current kids’ mystery books.) Or maybe you’ve seen a mystery movie (hold up a DVD) or even played some games where you’ve had to solve a mystery (hold up mystery board game). Mysteries are fun because at first you don’t know all the answers. You don’t know exactly what’s going on, but little by little, you begin to follow the clues and discover the secret. That’s what we’re going to do in this brand new series called Mystery Man.
The purpose of this activity is to introduce the mystery theme and to set up the mystery of the Messiah’s identity for today’s lesson.
Instructions
How To Play: Give kids clues to the identities of three detective characters. Let kids shout out the answer when they think they know the secret identity.
Supplies:
6 Clue cards 6 Pictures of each of the mysterious characters (optional)
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To kick things off, we’re going to play a game called Mysterious Characters. I’m going to give you some clues about characters you might know from mystery shows. As you soon as you think you know whom I’m talking about, just yell out the answer.
Here’s our first mysterious character:
6 Clue #1: He is the world’s most famous detective. 6 Clue #2: He lives at 221B Baker Street in London with Dr. Watson. 6 Clue #3: He is the only person I know named Sherlock. Who is this mysterious character? (Sherlock Holmes)
Here is our second mysterious character:
6 Clue #1: This famous detective rides around looking for clues in a van called the Mystery Machine.
6 Clue #2:: His friends are named Shaggy, Daphne, and Velma. 6 Clue #3: He loves to eat Scooby snacks. Who is this mysterious character? (Scooby-Doo)
Here is our third mysterious character:
6 Clue #1: This famous detective is a superhero. 6 Clue #2: Sometimes he is called the Dark Knight Detective. 6 Clue #3: He solves crimes committed by the Riddler and the Joker. Who is this mysterious character? (Batman)
cter #3 us Chara io r e st y M Mysteriouse isCharacter o. #2 a superher tectiv is famous de ark Knight Th D : e #1 th e d lu lle C ca is he es im metThis Clue #1: rides around looking for Mfamous yst detective Clue #2: So dler and iothe tive. in a vaner sthCe RhidMachine. called Mystery by Detecclues a edu racter #1 es committ im cr es lv e soCl Clue #2: His friends are named Shaggy, Daphne, and : H Clue #3
ue #1: He is the world’s most fam ker. Velma. the Jo ous detective. Cl ue #2: He lives attm 22an 1B Clue #3: He lovesAn tosw eat snacks. Baker Street in : Ba erScooby London with Dr. Watson. Clue #3: He Answer: Scooby-Doo is the on ly person I know named Sherlock . Answer: Sherlo
ck Holmes
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We know a lot about these mysterious characters, but do you actually know any of them? Has anyone here ever met Sherlock Holmes or Scooby Doo? Do you hang out with Batman after school? Of course not. This shows us that there’s a big difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them. The thing that all of these characters have in common is that they like to solve mysteries. That’s exactly what we’re going to do here today. Where is my Code-breaker? (Introduce the child you chose before the lesson to decode the today’s mystery.) For the next three weeks, we’ll be choosing someone who arrives early to be our Code-breaker. (Child’s name) here has already spent time cracking our code for today’s mystery. Do you have the clue envelope for me? Great. Let’s all clap for our Code-breaker, who did an awesome job today. (Pull out the Mystery Code and read it.) Today’s mystery question is, “Who is the Messiah?”
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Bible Story
The teaching area should have a clothesline or string stretched across it. You will need several clothespins to hang up the story signs. Print the following signs on paper or cardstock:
6 ADAM & EVE 6 RELATIONSHIP 6 RESPONSIBILITY 6 Forbidden Fruit Picture 6 GOD’S PEOPLE 6 SIN
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You will also need a large envelope with a question mark printed on the outside and the following signs inside it also printed on paper or cardstock:
6 JESUS 6 GOD’S KIDS 6 GOD’S KINGDOM 6 Cross Picture Who is the Messiah? That’s a great mystery question! For hundreds and hundreds of years, there was a mystery for the people in the Bible about a guy called the Messiah. The Messiah was a special hero that God was going to send to earth to fix all the things that God’s people had messed up. But no one knew who He was or when He was coming. It was a total mystery! To discover the answer to the mystery, we have to go back to the very beginning of God’s story. Do you remember how we learned that in the beginning God made the universe and everything in it? He even made the very first people. What were their names? (Kids answer.) Hang ADAM & EVE sign.
ADAM & EVE That’s right, Adam and Eve. Does anyone remember why God made Adam and Eve? (Kids answer.) He made them to be His kids. God wanted to love them and be their Dad in heaven. He wanted a special relationship with them. He wanted them to know Him.
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Hang RELATIONSHIP sign.
ADAM & EVE RELATIONSHIP God also wanted to let Adam and Eve rule the earth He had just made. After all, they were kids of the King. So God wanted them to help run the kingdom and do the good things He would do. Not only did they have a special relationship; they also had a special responsibility. Hang RESPONSIBILITY sign.
ADAM & EVE RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
But what happened? (Kids answer.) Adam and Eve disobeyed God and chose to listen to God’s enemy, the devil, instead of listening to God. Hang Forbidden Fruit sign.
ADAM & EVE RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
They totally messed up their friendship with God and brought all kinds of bad things into the world. From that point on, God started working on fixing the mess they had made.
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Hang GOD’S PEOPLE sign over ADAM & EVE sign.
GOD’S PEOPLE RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
God reached out to people like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Ruth, and David to make them and their people a special part of God’s family. But sooner or later, the people of God kept messing things up, just like Adam and Eve, as they chose to do things their way instead of God’s way. That’s what the Bible calls sin, and sin always leads to bad stuff. Hang SIN sign over Forbidden Fruit sign.
GOD’S PEOPLE RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
SIN
God didn’t want that. He wanted His people to listen to Him and to be His kids and help lead His kingdom on earth. Remember, God wanted to give all of us a relationship with Him and a responsibility to Him. But instead of turning back and following God, His people wouldn’t listen. They just kept getting farther and farther from God. Eventually God let them get conquered by powerful enemies. But all along He promised that He wasn’t done with them yet. He promised to one day send a mystery man who would make everything right. This mystery man was called the Messiah. Hang Question Mark envelope.
GOD’S PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
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SIN
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What made the Messiah so mysterious is that no one knew who this guy was or when He was going to come. No one knew His secret identity, even though the Bible was full of lots of clues. It said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and that He would be a great King who would rule forever. One day, just when no one suspected it, a man named John came along and solved the mystery. The Bible says there was a special man named John the Baptist who showed up one day and told people about God. Some people thought John was the mysterious Messiah, but he said He wasn’t. He told people to turn back to God because God’s Kingdom was coming to earth really soon. He started baptizing people in the water as a picture of how God wanted to wash away their sin — all the bad stuff in their lives. God had sent John to get people ready for the mystery man who was coming soon. The only problem was John didn’t know who it was. It was a mystery to him too. Then one day, a man showed up and asked John to baptize Him. When John did, the mystery was solved. Pull down the Question Mark envelope and open it. Pull the rest of the signs out of the Question Mark envelope. This man was the mysterious hero God had sent to earth. This man was the Messiah. This man was… Pull out JESUS sign and show it to the kids. …Jesus! Hang JESUS sign over GOD’S PEOPLE sign.
JESUS
RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
SIN
Jesus was baptized by John as a way of showing that His mission was about to begin. When Jesus came up out of the water, the Bible says that heaven opened, and the Spirit of God came down on Jesus like a dove. Then God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” This is our Bible verse for the day. It’s from Matthew 3:17.
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The Messiah, the hero, had come at last! Jesus is the Son of God who came to save the world. Instead of sin, He came to bring forgiveness. Instead of disobeying God like Adam and Eve had done, Jesus came to show us what it’s like to live a perfect life by obeying God – even though it meant one day dying on a cross to save the world. Hang up Cross sign over SIN sign.
JESUS
RELATIONSHIP
RESPONSIBILITY
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Jesus came to bring us back to that special relationship with God. Because of Jesus, we really can be God’s kids! We don’t just know about God. We can know God as our closest friend. Even though we’ve sometimes done bad things, even though we’re not perfect, God still loves us and wants to be our Dad in heaven. Hang up GOD’S KIDS sign over RELATIONSHIP sign.
JESUS
GOD’S KIDS
RESPONSIBILITY
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God said that Jesus is His Son and that He loved Him. Jesus is God’s Son, and He has a special relationship with His Dad in heaven. But the cool thing is that, when we choose to follow Jesus, we can have that special relationship too. We can become God’s kids. When God looks at us, He says the same thing about us that He said about Jesus. (point to kids) You are my Son. You are my daughter. I love you. I am pleased with you. But it doesn’t end there. When we choose to follow Jesus, not only do we become God’s kids, but we also get to help the King bring His Kingdom to earth.
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Hang up GOD’S KINGDOM sign over RESPONSIBILITY sign.
JESUS
GOD’S KIDS
GOD’S KINGDOM
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This means that we help people, share with people, show love to people, and pray for people. This means that we don’t have to be afraid or discouraged or lonely. This means that we really can change the world. Because we are God’s kids, God gives us the power to bring some of the good stuff from heaven down to earth. That power comes through Jesus. Our friendship with God comes through Jesus. Knowing Jesus changes everything! That’s really why we call Jesus a mystery man – because Jesus has the answer to all of life’s most important questions. Do you want to know how to live life God’s way? Just look at Jesus.
Application So this week, if you feel discouraged or sad or confused, remember that God wants you to be His kid and that you become a part of God’s family when you choose to follow Jesus. God wants you to be a part of His family more than anything in the world. He loves you. He is pleased with you and wants to be your perfect Dad. If you face a big problem this week, or if you know someone else who needs help, remember that God’s power can help you. All the power of heaven is yours when you choose to follow Jesus. God’s kids get God’s power to make this world more like heaven. Why? That’s no mystery. It’s the same reason God sent Jesus. It’s because God loves us and wants us to show the world the amazing things His love can do. Let’s pray.
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Prayer God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You that because of Him we can be your kids and thank You for the power to change the world. Help us follow Jesus and be like Him. Amen
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GAME ON: LESSON 27 (Huddle)
Key Concept: Knowing Jesus changes everything
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Bible Story: Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:1-17)
Bible Verse: This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
3DM Principle: Covenant
Large Group Overview: Kids will review the Covenant and Kingdom story from the Old Testament and see how it connects to the life of Jesus
Huddle Overview: Kids will look at some of the different names for Jesus and talk about the difference He can make in their lives
Supplies
6 Mysterious Mansion game board (1 per group) 6 Deck of Mansion cards (1 per group) 6 White board or poster board (1 per group) 6 Marker (1 per group) 6 Bible verse cards (1 per child)
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Huddle Group Outline Welcome / Review questions
(5 min)
Activity
(5 min)
Mysterious Mansion
Huddle Discussion
(10 min)
Bible Verse & Prayer
(5 min)
Welcome / Large Group Review Gather kids in a circle either on the floor or around a table. Welcome back to Huddle. Wow, what a great story we heard today. Let’s see how much you guys remember.
6 Who are some celebrities or famous people you guys know? 6 What’s the difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them?
6 Jesus came to fix the problems that all started with the first man and woman. What were their names? (Adam and Eve)
6 How did Jesus fix our sin problem? (By dying on the cross) In this series, we’re calling Jesus the Mystery Man because He is the answer to all of life’s big problems. But God doesn’t want Jesus to be a mystery. He wants us to know Jesus because knowing Jesus changes everything! Huddle Activity: Mysterious Mansion The purpose of this activity is to help kids think about the names of Jesus. How It Works: Divide kids into two teams. Let someone from each team take turns drawing cards from the Mysterious Mansion game board. The cards will either have a name for Jesus on them or instructions about investigating the mansion. Play until one team has found six cards revealing Jesus’ identity.
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Supplies:
6 Mysterious Mansion game board 6 Mansion cards (1 deck per group) Place Mysterious Mansion game board in the middle of your circle. Shuffle Mansion cards and deal them out evenly on each of the window spaces on the mansion. Today, we’re going to play a game called Mysterious Mansion to help us get to know Jesus a little better. The Mysterious Mansion here is filled with clues to Jesus’ identity. We’re going to divide up into two teams and take turns drawing cards to find out which team will be the first to collect six identity cards for Jesus. Now, I have to warn you. This is a very mysterious mansion. It’s filled with all kinds of tricks and traps that might slow you down. We’ll see which team of detectives can be the first to collect enough clues to solve the mystery about who Jesus is. Divide kids into two teams. Play until one team has collected six identity cards for Jesus.
Mansion Cards
6 Savior 6 Lord 6 King of Kings 6 Lamb of God 6 Son of God 6 Holy One 6 Light of the World 6 Messiah 6 Prince of Peace 6 Emmanuel — God with us 6 Mighty God
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6 The Way, the Truth, and the Life 6 You discovered a secret door! Draw another card. 6 You fell through a trap door. Give one Jesus card to the other team. 6 You got stuck in a cobweb. Lose a turn. 6 You found a hidden staircase. Draw another card. 6 You dropped your magnifying glass and broke it. Give one Jesus card to the other team.
6 You saw yourself in mirror, got scared, and ran away. Lose a turn. 6 Your flashlight went dead. Lose a turn. 6 You found a clue tucked in a suit of armor. Draw another card. 6 You’re allergic to dusty, old mansions and you can’t stop sneezing. Lose a turn.
6 You run into Sherlock Holmes and he gives you a clue. Draw another card.
6 A black cat jumped out and scared you. Give one Jesus card to the other team.
6 You step through a rotten floorboard and get your foot stuck. Lose a turn.
Great job. Let’s see those identity cards from each team and see if there are any others in the deck. Gather all identity cards and deal them so that they are face up in the middle of your group. Let’s go around the circle and take turns reading these different names for Jesus. Go around the circle encouraging kids to pick up a card and read a name for Jesus. Continue until all the cards are read. That day in the Jordan River when Jesus was baptized, God revealed Jesus’ identity to the world. Do you remember what God said about Him? Kids answer. He said that Jesus is the Son of God! He had come to bring us back into God’s family so that we could be a part of God’s awesome kingdom again.
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We looked for these names today for Jesus so we could know a little more about Him. God wants us to know Jesus because knowing Jesus changes everything.
Huddle Discussion For this activity you will need a white board or poster board and a marker. Mark two columns on the board. It’s no mystery that our world is filled with all kinds of problems. Think about the problems a kid your age might face this week at home, at school, or in your neighborhood. What kind of problems would a kid your age face? What are some of your biggest problems right now? Take answers from kids and write them on the second column of the white board/ poster board. God sent Jesus to save the world and to bring us back to God. So now, we don’t have to face our problems alone. Knowing Jesus changes everything. Right now, I want you to think of the problems you have to face this week. Think about what you’re dreading and what you’re worried about. Where do you need Jesus’ friendship and power in your life this week? Give kids a few seconds to think about it and then go around the circle taking answers. Pray through this time. Look for opportunities to encourage kids about God’s love and provision and look for practical ways God may want to help them with their problems this week.
Bible Verse Pass out Bible verse cards to kids. Today our Bible verse tells us the words God said about Jesus in Matthew 3:17. It says, “This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Let’s all say it together. Kids repeat. Jesus is the Son of God and knowing Him changes everything. Let’s pray.
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Prayer Take prayer requests. Write them down so that you can pray over them during the week. Take time to pray together as a group. Encourage kids to pray for each other during the group time. You may want to close with a prayer like the following one. God, thanks for sending Jesus into the world to save us. Thanks that we can be your kids just because You love us. Thanks that You give us your power to help us with our everyday problems. We love you. Amen
For Extra Time If extra time allows, talk a little more about what some of the names of Jesus mean and give kids the chance to pick one that is the most meaningful to them. Savior — Jesus came to save the world. Lord — Jesus is the rightful ruler of the world. King of Kings — Jesus is more powerful than any king. Lamb of God — Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Son of God — Jesus has a special relationship with the Father. Holy One — Jesus never sinned and always did the right thing. Light of the World — Jesus came to show people the way to God. Messiah — Jesus was the promised hero who came to restore God’s kingdom. Prince of Peace — Jesus came to make peace between us and God. Emmanuel — Jesus is God with us in everyday life. Mighty God — Jesus is God the Son and is bigger than all of our problems. The Way, the Truth, and the Life — Jesus is the only way to heaven and living as God’s kid.
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Lesson 27 Huddle
BibleVerse Cards
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. — Matthew 3:17
LESSON 27 (Family)
Knowing Jesus Today I Learned: Knowing Jesus changes everything
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Bible Story: Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:1-17)
Family Challenge With your family, play a game of 20 Questions about people you know. In each round one family member gets to choose the mystery person. Then the other family members ask yes or no questions about trying to guess who this person is before using up all 20 questions. Have a parent go last and make the last mystery person Jesus. Afterward, talk about the difference knowing Jesus has made in each of your lives.
* Act • Account •
• Observe Learning Culture
Plan •
• Reflect • Discuss
* The four questions you are asking are ways of figuring out what your kids’ Kairos moment was
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Dinnertime Discussion At dinnertime this week, ask one of these questions to get your family talking. 1. Who are five celebrities you know from TV or the movies? 2. Do you really know them or just know about them? What’s the difference? 3. What are some things you know about Jesus? 4. What’s the difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Him? Use these questions to help kids think about the difference it can make in their life to know Jesus in a personal, intimate way.
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