Kids' Church - Ezra & Nehemiah

WELCOME! MY NAME IS MITCH AND I’M EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU!

I HAVE A STORY TO TELL YOU ABOUT PEOPLE NOT DOING WHAT THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO

BUT FIRST WE NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES ABOUT THE RULES WE ALL FOLLOW

WHY DO WE FOLLOW THESE RULES?

[ALLOW KIDS TO ANSWER]

WHEN WE FOLLOW THESE RULES, IT’S MUCH EASIER FOR US TO HAVE FUN IN OUR CLASSROOMS

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FOLLOWING THESE RULES IS A WAY FOR US TO OBEY GOD

SO LETS REVIEW THE RULES

IS THERE ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY CAN SAY THE RULES WITHOUT READING THEM?

[ALLOW SOMEONE TO TRY]

OKAY SO IF YOU’VE BEEN HERE RECENTLY YOU MIGHT REMEMBER WHAT BOOK OF THE BIBLE WE’RE IN

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER?

EZRA! NEHEMIAH!

IF YOU’VE BEEN HERE FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER WHO EZRA IS

[ANYONE REMEMBER?]

EZRA WAS A PRIEST WHO TRAVELED TO THE CITY OF JERUSALEM TO TEACH GOD’S PEOPLE ABOUT THE BIBLE.

WHEN HE GETS TO THE CITY OF JERUSALEM HE FINDS OUT THAT GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISOBEDIENT TO GOD

HE BECOMES SO SAD BECAUSE HE’S HEARTBROKEN THAT GOD’S PEOPLE WERE DISOBEDIENT.

AND WHEN THE PEOPLE SEE EZRA CRYING, THEY STARTED TO CRY TOO.

EZRA SHOWED THEM ALL HOW WE SHOULD FEEL WHEN WE DISOBEY GOD.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DISOBEY?

[ALLOW KIDS TO ANSWER]

HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN YOU’RE DISOBEDIENT?

[ALLOW KIDS TO ANSWER] SAD, UPSET, DEPRESSED - JUST LIKE EZRA.

I FEEL THE SAME WAY WHEN I DISOBEY GOD- THAT’S ACTUALLY OUR BIG PICTURE QUESTION FOR TODAY

LET’S READ IT TOGETHER 2 TIMES

HOW SHOULD WE FEED WHEN WE SIN?

[ALLOW KIDS TO ANSWER]

WHEN WE SIN, WE SHOULD FEEL SORRY THAT WE HAVE DISOBEYED GOD AND WANT TO TURN FROM OUR SIN BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM.

SO THE PEOPLE IN OUR STORY FIND OUT THEY’VE BEEN DISOBEDIENT AND THEY FEEL SO SAD - JUST LIKE WE DO WHEN WE FEEL DISOBEDIENT

HOW DO YOU THINK THEY FOUND OUT THEY HAD BEEN DISOBEDIENT?

[ALLOW KIDS TO ANSWER]

[SAY THIS IF THEY’RE STRUGGLING] WHERE DOES GOD TELL US HOW TO OBEY HIM?

THE BIBLE! THAT’S RIGHT!

EZRA KNEW THE BIBLE.

WHEN HE TALKED WITH THE LEADERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE HE REALIZED THAT WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS WRONG BECAUSE IT WENT AGAINST GOD’S WORD.

HE WAS SO SAD WHEN HE REALIZED THAT THE PEOPLE WERE SINNING - AND THEN THE PEOPLE WERE SAD.

LET’S WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

VIDEO PLAYING

SO WHAT HAPPENED AFTER EVERYONE WAS SAD?

[ALLOW KIDS TO ANSWER]

SACRIFICES, PROMISED TO BE FAITHFUL TO GOD

AND THEN WHAT?

[ALLOW KIDS TO ANSWER]

THEN THEY STARTED TO STUDY GOD’S WORD TOGETHER

THEY LISTENED TO EZRA READ GOD’S WORD AND THEN THE PRIESTS EXPLAINED IT TO EVERYONE.

THE PEOPLE STARTING CRYING AND BEING SAD AGAIN BECAUSE NOW THEY REALLY UNDERSTOOD HOW DISOBEDIENT THEY WERE BEING

BUT EZRA TOLD THEM SOMETHING.

WHAT DID HE TELL THEM?

[ALLOW KIDS TO ANSWER]

HE TOLD THEM, DON’T BE SAD - YOU UNDERSTAND GOD’S WORD NOW!

HE TOLD THEM TO GO HOME AND CELEBRATE.

UNDERSTANDING AND OBEYING THE BIBLE IS GOOD

AND SO EZRA WANTED THEM TO BE HAPPY THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD GOD’S WORD AND COULD START OBEYING

GOD’S WORD IS POWERFUL - AND IT SAYS THAT JESUS IS GOD’S WORD.

WHEN YOU LOVE JESUS AND BELIEVE IN HIM - HE HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR HEART.

HE CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND AND OBEY THE BIBLE.

LET’S PRAY AND THANK GOD FOR HIS WORD

[PRAY HERE]

CHECK IF WE’RE GOING TO DO THIS [BEFORE WE GO BACK TO THE ROOM LET’S LOOK AT OUR KEY PASSAGE!]

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT JESUS OR BELIEVING IN HIM COME ASK ME OR YOU CAN ASK THE TEACHER IN YOUR ROOM