Act Out Psalm 139 - Short and Sweet

Verses: Psalm 139
Goal: For children to think about God's care for them where ever they go in life.
Parent Preparation: Read Psalm 139. Pick which verses you want to teach to your child.
What To Do: Read the verses with your child. Have your child act out motions as you read the verses. Talk with your child about how much God cares for us no matter where we go.

Ideas for motions:
Verse 1: fingers in circles on eyes, then point to head
Verse 2: sit down, get up, point to head
Verse 3: walk, lie down, reach arms out big
Verse 4: cup hands around mouth
Verse 5: reach around, point in front, point in back
Verse 7: arms out in a question
Verse 8: point up, point down
Verse 9: arch arm rising, arch arm setting
Verse 10: hand holding

"Short and Sweet" are short blog posts that share ideas of how to teach the sweetness of God's Word to your child.

©Brigette Hill, 2015

"All Things Bright And Beautiful" 3 Books and 1 Song - Resource Recommendation

"All Things Bright and Beautiful" is a wonderful hymn to praise God for what He made. Recently, I found a number of picture books that illustrate the song beautifully.

I cherish the sweet moments I have had with my girls as we learn this song.  We sit outside and read the book. Then we listen to the song on You Tube. Sometimes we look around us as Spring unfolds in our backyard, and talk about what God made that was beautiful, wise, and wonderful.

Throughout the day I hear my daughters sing a few lines of the song while playing. "All things wise and wonderful, all creatures great and small..."

Bible Verse Journal: God Gave His Son Part 1

A Bible Verse Journal is a collection of Bible verses you have learned as a family.  It is a chance to do an art or craft that reinforces part of the record that your child learned.

This Bible verse journal, "God Gave His Son", is focusing on the life of Jesus Christ.  Part 1 is Jesus Christ's birth and childhood. See Jesus Christ's Birth and Childhood Teaching Ideas Overview for teaching ideas while making this journal.

Give Thanks to the LORD Week 3: With All My Heart

Giving thanks to God should be from our heart, and not just something we are obligated to do.  Here are Bible verses, songs and teaching ideas to teach your child leading up to Thanksgiving and teach thankfullness all year long. The leaf craft can be used to decorate your house, that you have what my 4 year old daughter calls "having a Bible house"!

 Theme Verse: "I will give You thanks with all my heart" Psalms 138:1 NASB

Give Thanks to the LORD Week 2: In Everything

We can teach our children to be thankful all year long, in every situation. The reason is that we have a good God. Here are Bible verses, songs and teaching ideas to teach your child leading up to Thanksgiving and all year long. The leaf craft can be used to decorate your house, that you have what my 4 year old daughter calls "having a Bible house"!

Theme Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:18a "In everything give thanks"

Related Activities:

Give Thanks to the LORD Week 1: Because He is Good

We have a reason to teach our children to be thankful, because we have a good God!  Here are Bible verses, songs and teaching ideas to teach your children to give thanks to God. The leaf craft can be done in the Fall to decorate your home leading up to Thanksgiving.

Theme Verse: "Give thanks to the LORD because He is good" Psalm 136:1 NASB

With your child read this verse at least once a day throughout the week. See if you can memorize it as a family. Pick some of the related activities to help grow in giving thanks to God.

Declare God's Mighty Acts Part 2

The verse for a parent's heart this month is Psalm 145:4. 

Psalm 78 also tells parents to declare God's mighty acts.

⁴ We will not hide them from their children,
    but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and the wonders that he has done.

A Parent's Heart - Declare God's Mighty Acts Psalm 145:4

Artwork by Katie Ziteli

"One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts." Psalm 145:4 NASB

Print out either a half size or a full size copy of this verse to post in your home and mediate on it this month.

Sometimes I wonder, "What should I be teaching my children?" Psalm 145:4 speaks of one generation praising God's work, and declaring God's mighty acts to another generation.  This gives me a clear goal: to praise God's works and to declare His mighty acts. 

God is Almighty

This is the third teaching in a series of 5 teachings to help teach young children about God.  The target audiences are toddlers, preschoolers and young elementary; with plenty of room for you to adjust to the needs of your child.  I have taught this to my preschooler and toddler.  If I was just teaching it to my toddler I would have simplified it a little more.  I wrote this in a way to give ideas of how to talk when teaching children the Bible.  Going through the verses on your own first (as listed in the "Parent Preparation") is extremely helpful in teaching young children accurately.  
 

Theme Verse: 

 “I am God Almighty” Genesis 17:1 

Song:

"My God is So Great", Video,  This version adds another verse.  
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do. x2
The mountains are His, the rivers are His, the stars are His handiwork too.
My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do, for you!

Supplies:  

List of God's names (print from here), Copy of this teaching, something heavy (such as a 20 pound weight), a picture of Abraham, picture of Moses crossing the Red Sea, and a picture of an empty tomb (these can be from a children’s Bible or coloring book).

 

Parent Preparation:

Genesis 17:1, Exodus 14:21-22, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Psalm 78:1-13, 22, 42; Psalm 59:16-17, Isaiah 40:28-31, Jeremiah 10:6,12-13; Jeremiah 32:17, Ephesians 1:16-20

Teaching Ideas:

Day 1

• How strong are you?  What is the heaviest thing you can pick up?  (show your child the heavy object and have him/her try to lift it)  
• Since I am an adult I am stronger than you.  Do you know who is stronger than me?  God!  He is stronger than any person.  
• God has many names (show them the sheet of God’s names)  God, Lord-Jehovah, Holy Spirit, the Creator.
• God told Abraham another name.  (“Almighty”)  (read Genesis 17:1 “I am God Almighty” and show a picture of Abraham)
• Almighty means “most powerful”.  Our God is the most powerful.

Day 2

• One of God’s names is Almighty   (read Genesis 17:1 “I am God Almighty”)
• Almighty means “most powerful”.  Our God is the most powerful.
• God showed Moses how strong He is.  Moses was with God’s people and they were running away from bad guys.  They came to the Red Sea and there was no bridge for them to walk over!  The bad guys were going to get Moses and God’s people.  God divided the water and made dry ground for the people to walk on and get away from the bad guys!  God is so strong.  (show picture of Moses crossing the Red Sea)  

Day 3

• (Read Jeremiah 32:17)  Nothing is too hard for God!  There are things that are hard for us to do, but nothing is too hard for God.  When we pray to God and ask for help, nothing is too hard for Him!
• God is looking to help us and be strong for us.  He wants us to go to Him for help. God showed His strength when He raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  Jesus Christ died for our sins.   God is so strong that He raised Jesus from the dead and made him alive! (show picture of the empty tomb).

Activity Ideas

Praise God: Read Psalm 21:13b “We will sing and praise Your power.”  Sing songs together that praise God.  Play children's instruments together such as shakers, a child's piano, or a guitar, as you praise God together.

Cross the Red Sea: Act out crossing the Red Sea.  Drape blankets on chairs to be the water parting.  Walk through on the dry ground.

 

"I Can Know God" Teaching Series

1. God is Big 
2. God is the Creator
3. God is Almighty
4. God is Love
5. He Cares for You

 "but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD." Jeremiah 9:24 NASB

© 2013, Brigette Hill

God is Big

This is the first in a series of 5 teachings to help teach young children about God.  The target audiences are toddlers, preschoolers and young elementary; with plenty of room for you to adjust to the needs of your child.  I have taught this to my preschooler and toddler.  If I was just teaching it to my toddler I would have simplified it a little more.  I wrote this in a way to give ideas of how to talk when teaching children the Bible.  Going through the verses on your own first (as listed in the "Parent Preparation") is extremely helpful in teaching young children accurately. 

Theme Verse

"I am with you;" Isaiah 41:10 NASB

Song

"Bigger Than Big", by Jay Stocker on "Whirl and Worship" CD  Listen Here, Motion Ideas Here, iTunes

Supplies

Bible, List of God's names (print from here), items for "Bigger and Smaller", Print Teaching Here

Parent Preparation 

Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Psalm 139, Hebrews 13:5, Numbers 23:19, John 4:24, John 1:18

Teaching Ideas 

Day 1

• (Play a short game of hide and seek.  Have each person have one turn to hide and be found)
• The Bible tells us about God.  (show your Bible)  God tells us "I am with you." Isaiah 41:10
• When we played hided and seek, you could hide from me and I didn't know where you were.  Can you hide from God?  Let's find out from the Bible.
• (Read Jeremiah 23:23-24, or parts of it) God asks us questions to get us thinking about Him.  Is God near?  Or is He far?  Is there anywhere you could go that God wouldn’t be with you?  No!  God is big. In this verse He says that He fills the heaven and earth.  God is so big that wherever you go He is going to be there with you!

Day 2

• Psalm 139 it tells us about how big God is.  God knows when you stand up (stand up with child) and when you sit down (sit down with child). He knows where you walk to (pretend to walk) and when you lie down (lie down). God knows what words that you say! (have your child say something). He is in front of you (have child find front) and behind you (have child find back). 
• If we go to a high mountain (pretend to climb a mountain) is God still with us? Yes! If we go far away in the the ocean (pretend to be on a boat in the middle of the ocean) is God still with us? Yes!
• Repeat after me our theme verse.  "I am with you." Isaiah 41:10

Day 3

• The Bible tells us Who God is.  Is God a person?  Lets read in the Bible to find the answer.  (Read Numbers 23:19a)
• If God isn't a man, what is He?  (read John 4:24)
• Can we see God?  (read John 1:18a)
• God has many names.  (show God's Name sheet, covered up names with post-its)
• Do you have different names?  (nicknames, daughter, sister, etc) He is called God, (have child remove the post-its use for today), LORD Jehovah, and Holy Spirit.  
• "I am with you." Isaiah 41:10  God is always with you. He never leaves you.    Even when I am not with you, God is with you. His is always there to take care of you because He loves you. Where do you sometimes go without me? (babysitter, in bedroom at night). God is still with you.

Activity Ideas

• Bigger and Smaller

Gather 5 items that are various sizes.  Give your child one of the  items and ask them to find something bigger than that item.  Continue to do this for all 5 items.  For the last item keep asking what is even bigger.  Keep going bigger (couch or house or world, etc) until they get to saying "God".

• Fear Not

If your child is afraid in a situation this week, read "Fear not, for I am with you." Isaiah 41:10  Talk about how we don't need to be afraid because God is with us.

 

"I Can Know God" Teaching Series

1. God is Big

2.  God is the Creator

3. God is Almighty

4. God is Love

5. He Cares For You

 "but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD." Jeremiah 9:24 NASB

© 2013, Brigette Hill