Training Guide

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Leader Guides

July 17 (Large Group)

We are in week 3 of Up in the Air, learning about all the big things God was able to do through Elisha and can do through us, too! If there is anyone who makes good promises, it is God! God always does what God promises!

Big Idea: I can count on God’s promises.

Bible Story: Elisha and the Shunammite’s son: II Kings 4:8-37; Genesis 18:1-10

Memory Verse: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

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DOWNLOAD THE PRINT VERSION

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WATCH THE STORY VIDEO

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Order of Service

Sample Service Time: 9am

8:45 Play & Check-in (Classrooms)

9:05 Icebreaker (Classrooms)

9:10 Transition to Auditorium

9:15 Large Group (Auditorium)

9:40 Transition to Classrooms

9:45 Small Group Time (Classrooms)

10:10 Check-out (Classrooms)

Icebreaker Game

IN THE MIDDLE

Stand in a large circle and call out a prompt. The students that match the prompt will take a step or a hop into the middle of the circle. You can also play this game virtually by having students stand up or raise their hand. You can use prompts such as, step in the middle if you:

have brown hair

have a pet

like the color blue

are wearing tennis shoes

have a brother

Once the students are in the middle, you can ask them further questions, such as what kind of pet they have, what their brother’s name is, etc.

Large Group

Welcome → Worship → Introduce the Story → Story Video → Closing

WELCOME: Hey friends! My name is ________ and I’ll be your host today. We are in week 3 of Up in the Air, learning about all the big things God was able to do through Elisha and can do through us, too! Speaking of things up in the air, have you ever looked up into the sky just after a storm and noticed a beautiful rainbow? There are so many colors that God has given us!

ASK : What is your favorite color?

(Allow responses.)

TRANSITION TO WORSHIP: Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes to pray as we prepare to worship. (Pray over the kids. Then start the worship songs.)

WORSHIP SONGS: Here & Something Good

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ACCESS THE WORSHIP LIBRARY

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INTRODUCE THE STORY:

I’m so glad you’re here today to hear another story about Elisha. This one is about how a family from Shunem invited Elisha to stay with them, and then all sorts of amazing things started to happen. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Play Story Video

[Read II Kings 4:8–16.]

We can guess that this woman and her husband were pretty wealthy by the way they made a room for him any time he came to town. They seemed to have everything they needed, except for a child. Having a child, especially a son, was a big deal in those days because they were the ones who would continue the family line. Elisha promised the Shunammite woman that she would have a son. She didn’t accept this promise right away, though. She didn’t want to get her hopes up.

[Read II Kings 4:17.] Just as Elisha had said, God kept the promise to her! Isn’t it amazing that God cared for her so much?

[Read II Kings 4:18–21.] Wait a minute. Her son came as a promise from God and now . . . it looked like she had lost him for good.How would you be feeling if you were the mother?

[Read II Kings 4:22-28.] The woman knew that Elisha would know what to do. She knew that if only Elisha would go to her son, God might do something impossible again.

[Read II Kings 4:29–37.] At first, Elisha’s servant Gehazi tried doing what Elisha told him to do – he put Elisha’s staff on the boy’s face. But nothing happened. But after praying to God and performing what looked like some kind of ancient CPR, Elisha was used by God to bring the boy back to life.

Through Elisha, the Shunammite woman and her family were able to see that God keeps promises, even the ones that seem like they’re too big, too far away, or too late.

OBJECT LESSON:

This is an object lesson using 2 sticks to share with the children that God always keeps his promises and they should do what's right and not lose hope.

Show the 2 sticks and tell the children you're going to make a promise. The promise is that you will put these two rulers about 2 feet apart and then jump over both of them. (Place the rulers as described and jump over them.) Move them a little farther apart and promise again that you will jump over both with one jump. (Make sure that you can keep that promise.)

Spread the rulers wide enough so it is obvious you can't jump over both with one jump. This time, don't promise to jump over them in one jump, but ask the children what they would think if you made that promise. Would they be able to trust you to fulfill that promise? (Show that you can't jump that far in one attempt.)

When I made the promise and the rulers were close together, you had no problem trusting me to keep the promise. When the rulers were too far apart, it would be foolish for me to make a promise to jump both in one jump. Even if I did, you wouldn't trust me to keep that promise. It makes sense to only promise things that you know you can do. Even then, we sometimes fail to keep some promises. When God makes a promise, though, you can count on it. He will never break a promise, because he can always do what he says he will do.

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