Jesus and the Storm SOW THE SEEDS HUG BEAR. Core Truth: God Sent the Savior

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1 Unit 6 BEAR 25 HUG Jesus and the Storm Memory Seed: Mark 4:41: Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him? (Short version is in bold.) The Big Apple: When He calmed the stormy sea, Jesus showed He was God s Son, the Savior. We can trust Jesus in scary times. SOW THE SEEDS Read: Mark 4:35-41 Memorize: Mark 4:41 Oh ye of little faith, is a phrase most people recognize. This is a King James translation of the words Jesus said to His disciples after He calmed the sea (Matthew 8:26). Jesus spoke this phrase to His disciples on other occasions too. Reading the Bible today, it s easy to judge the disciples for their lack of faith. They knew Jesus in ways we don t. They traveled and talked with Him when He was on earth. They saw the miracles He performed with their own two eyes. Yet they still had moments of doubt. They still feared for their lives when the storm kicked up. While we won t have the opportunity to speak to Jesus in the fl esh on this earth, we have been given God s Word, the Bible, and it tells us of the faithfulness of God. And we have the ability to pray to Him. He loves us, watches over us and cares about our lives. He may not do what we want Him to do or in the time we think is right, but the fact is He knows everything. Still, we doubt Him. We doubt His goodness and faithfulness. Use this passage as an inspiration and encouragement. You may think God is unaware, but His timing is always best. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work through this lesson so Cubbies: 1. Imagine (through sensory activities) what a stormy sea might feel like. 2. Feel amazed by Jesus power to stop the wind and waves. 3. Believe that Jesus is God s Son, the Savior. Only He could calm the sea! 4. Know Jesus is with them in scary times. 5. Pray and trust Jesus when they feel afraid (Add the goals the Holy Spirit brings to your mind and heart as you pray for Cubbies.) The other leaders in your club have at some point experienced these same feelings of fear wondering if God really knows what s happening and if He cares. As you prepare for this lesson, pray that not only will the Cubbies trust Jesus in new ways, but that the other leaders will also Awana Clubs International This page may be reproduced only by churches registered with Awana. 220

2 COMING IN (10-15 minutes before club officially starts) Welcome Cubbies and reinforce what they learned at home with one or more of the following activities. IDEA 1: Verse Windsock Colored construction paper Mark 4:41 verse cards (resource CD) printed on white copy paper or on adhesive mailing labels Markers, crayons or stickers Blue and white streamers Glue sticks Tape or stapler Yarn Allow Cubbies to choose a sheet of construction paper (any color). Turn the paper lengthwise and glue or adhere a Mark 4:41 verse card in the middle of it. Cubbies can use markers, crayons or stickers to decorate their windsock. Using glue or tape, attach long pieces of streamers to the bottom backside of the paper. (When the windsock is rolled up, the streamers should be attached to the inside of the windsock and hang out the end.) Help Cubbies roll the construction paper lengthwise to make a tube shape. Tape or staple the ends together. Tape a yarn hanger at the top of the windsock. Recite Mark 4:41 several times together and talk about how the wind is under Christ s control. IDEA 2: Sensory Wave Bottle Plastic water bottle and cap (a 16.9 ounce [.5 L] or 20 ounce [.6 L] size bottle will work; remove any labels) Funnel Water Blue food coloring Vegetable oil A hot glue gun or strong tape Help Cubbies use a funnel to fi ll a bottle half full with water. Add a couple of drops of blue food coloring and swirl the water around to mix. Fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil. Glue the cap on or seal with strong tape. Model how to gently tip the bottle back and forth to watch the waves. Let Cubbies try it, encouraging them not to shake the bottle. This bottle can also be used as a visual for the lesson. IDEA 3: Float or Sink? Infl atable wading pool or tub fi lled with water Tablecloth or tarp to put under the tub Towels to wipe up spills Toy boats An assortment of items from around the room (blocks, plastic spoons, craft sticks, balls, toy cars, rubber bands, etc.) Set the pool or tub on a tablecloth or tarp to keep the fl oor as dry as possible. Let Cubbies choose an item and make a prediction about whether it will fl oat or sink. Then let them drop the item in the water to test their prediction. Talk about the disciples in the storm. They were afraid the waves would sink their boat. If time remains, let Cubbies play with the boats in the water. STARTING TIME (3-5 minutes) Continue your starting routine. Include the Cubbies Song, Cubbies key verse, Cubbies motto, unit and the A and C verses along with your favorite visuals, songs and motions. 221

3 PUPPET SHOW (3-5 minutes) Cubbie Bear puppet Luvie Lamb puppet Umbrella - preferably a small one for Cubbie to hold (Optional pattern on resource CD) LEADER: Does everyone know what time it is? It s time to see Cubbie Bear! Everyone count with me. One two three! CUBBIE! (Bring the Cubbie Bear puppet into view. Open a small umbrella and hold it next to him so it appears he is holding it.) CUBBIE (holding umbrella): Hello, everyone! LEADER: Hi there, Cubbie! Are you expecting it to rain? CUBBIE: I don t know if it s supposed to rain today, but it WAS raining when Timothy and I were in the boat on Cubbie Bear Creek, and we didn t have an umbrella. Now I m carrying an umbrella around just in case. You never know when it might rain! LEADER: Cubbie, can you tell the boys and girls how you and Timothy ended up riding in a boat by yourselves on Cubbie Bear Creek? CUBBIE: Oh, yeah. We went down to the creek to see if Timothy s toy boat would fl oat, and when we were there, I saw Timothy s dad s fi shing boat on the shore. Timothy and I started playing in the boat and soon it slid out into the water with Timothy and me in it! LEADER: Cubbie, that s so scary! You and Timothy shouldn t have gone down to the creek by yourselves and you shouldn t have been playing in that boat. CUBBIE (slightly remorseful): I know. And it got even scarier when the storm came. A big wind blew Timothy s cap right off. Then it started raining really hard. LEADER: What did you do? CUBBIE (still holding umbrella): Well, we couldn t jump out and swim and we weren t strong enough to use the paddles. We even tried yelling for help, but no one came! (Bring the Luvie Lamb puppet into view. You will need another leader to help, since you will be using both hands to hold Cubbie and the umbrella.) LUVIE: Hi, everyone! Hi, Cubbie! (She starts to giggle.) Cubbie, why are you holding an umbrella? The sun s out! It s not going to rain today. CUBBIE: You never know. When Timothy and I were in the boat, we didn t think it would rain either. But it did, and we got soaked. I want to stay nice and dry! LEADER: Luvie Lamb, Cubbie was just telling us about his adventure on Cubbie Bear Creek. Have you ever been to the creek? LUVIE: Oh, no! I try to stay away from water. My wool is not very pretty when it s wet! LEADER: Luvie, I m sure you re always pretty, even if you re wet! But I do wish Cubbie and Timothy had stayed away from the water this time. They were stuck on the boat in the rain, and they were scared. LUVIE (with concern): I m sorry you felt scared, Cubbie. What did you do? CUBBIE: I just hugged Timothy as tightly as I could. At least we were together. LEADER: When we re scared, it s nice to know someone is with us, isn t it? Cubbie, next week you re going to have to tell us how you and Timothy got off that boat. I m glad you re safe now. CUBBIE: Me too! Bye, everyone. I ll see you next time. LUVIE: Baa, baa, bye! See you next time too. (Children wave goodbye as the puppets are put away.) 2013 Awana Clubs International This page may be reproduced only by churches registered with Awana. 222

4 SNACKS (5-10 minutes) Snacks are optional and can be done at any time during club. IDEA 1: Banana Boats Bananas cut in half Chocolate puffed cereal (or any fl avor of puffed cereal) Plastic spoons Give each child a banana half and some puffed cereal pieces. Demonstrate how to use the spoon to carve out some of the center of the banana to create a boat. Let Cubbies put the cereal in the boat. The cereal represents Jesus and His disciples. Tell about how Jesus was sleeping in the boat when the storm came. The disciples were scared but Jesus calmed the storm. IDEA 2: Blue Lake Blue Jell-O mix Clear plastic cups Mandarin oranges or peeled peach slices Flat toothpicks White paper triangles Make the Jell-O according to the package directions. Pour into clear plastic cups and chill until fi rm. Just before serving, place one orange or peach slice on top of the Jell-O in each cup so it resembles a boat fl oating on the very calm water. IDEA 3: Cupcake Lake Cupcakes Blue frosting Graham cracker Optional For extra fun, add blue food coloring to the cupcake batter to make the cupcakes blue like water. SONGS (3-5 minutes) Songs can be done before or after Lesson Time. SING: My God Is So Big Stormy Boat to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat Row, row, row your boat, You don t have to fear, Jesus will take care of you, And the boat He ll steer. Row, row, row your boat, In the stormy sea, I know that I will be just fi ne Cause Jesus is with me. Help, help, help they called; The men were very scared, Jesus woke and calmed the storm; He showed the men He cared. He s Got the Whole World in His Hands Include a verse that says He s got the wind and the waves in His hands. PRAYER (1-2 minutes) Cubbies, close your eyes and picture Jesus sitting in the room with us. He is here now. When I count to three, let s all talk to Jesus. You can say, I love you, Jesus or Help me to trust You or You are so strong! or anything else you want to say. It doesn t matter if we all talk at once, because Jesus can still hear each one of us. (Count to three and let the Cubbies all talk to Jesus. Since this is a new method of prayer, you might need to try it a couple of times for Cubbies to feel comfortable.) Cubbies, when you feel scared, you can pray like this. Close your eyes, picture Jesus with you, and just talk to Him. As you frost each cupcake, spread the blue frosting to resemble waves. Top each cupcake with a graham-cracker boat. 223

5 LESSON TIME (15-20 minutes) Teaching Cards (TC) 4, Bible with bookmark placed at Mark 4:35-41 Optional sensory wave bottle made during Coming In, infl atable boat or masking tape to mark a boat outline on the fl oor, white and blue streamers, sound effects of a sea storm It sounds like Cubbie and Timothy were very frightened by the storm. They were stuck in the boat, and they didn t have an umbrella or a way to get back home. That must have been scary! Have any of you ever seen or heard a storm maybe a thunderstorm, a snowstorm or even a hurricane? How did you feel? (Allow children to share experiences. If time is limited, allow some children to share during other club activities, like Handbook Time. If a storm is occurring while you teach, stop and listen to the sounds or watch through a window.) Today we ll hear a true story from the Bible. The true story is about a time when Jesus helpers, the disciples, felt scared during a storm. (Open your Bible to Mark 4:35-41.) One day, Jesus was teaching the people by the sea. He sat in a boat on the water, and all the people stayed on the land to listen (see Mark 4:1). When the sun set and evening came, Jesus said to His disciples, Let s cross the sea to the other side. So the disciples and Jesus left the crowd of people and set sail on the Sea of Galilee. Optional: If you made a sensory wave bottle during Coming In, use it here. As you talk about the gentle waves, rock the bottle back and forth slowly. When you talk about the storm, rock the bottle vigorously. Optional: This is a great lesson for Cubbies to act out. Set out an infl atable boat or use masking tape to mark an outline of a boat on your fl oor. Follow the instructions in the Play Time game called Storm Drama to act out the Bible events. At fi rst, the sea was quiet and calm. Jesus and His disciples sailed along on the gentle waves. (Make hand motions of gentle waves and let Cubbies mimic you.) A soft breeze blew over the waters. (You and the Cubbies blow softly.) Everything was peaceful, which was probably nice for Jesus. He had been busy teaching all day. Can you guess what Jesus was doing in the boat? (Allow speculation. Some Cubbies will know if they read the handbook section at home.) (Display TC91.) Jesus was in the back of the boat, sleeping on a cushion! (Ask children to pretend to sleep and make sleeping noises.) Suddenly, a terrible storm hit the sea! Giant, angry winds blew the waters. (You and the Cubbies blow forcefully.) The waves rose higher and higher. (You and the Cubbies stand up and make large wave motions with your hands.) The boat rocked. (Direct Cubbies to spread apart from each other and rock sideways. Caution them not to bump into each other!) The boat tossed. (You and the Cubbies lean forwards and backwards.) Soon the waves splashed into the boat, almost fi lling it up with water! Optional: Play sound effects of a sea storm, such as wind howling and waves splashing. Note that the storms on the Sea of Galilee (a lake about 13 miles [21 km] long and 8 miles [13 km] wide) were wind storms, not rain storms or thunderstorms. Because the sea was surrounded by mountains, atmospheric conditions caused sudden temperature changes and frequent, violent storms. Sound effects can be downloaded online or played from a nature CD. (Display TC92.) The disciples felt frightened. They were afraid the boat would sink! Wake up, Jesus. Wake up! they screamed. Don t you care if we drown? (Display TC93 and keep it ready to display again.) Jesus stood up and said, Quiet! Be still! Right away, the wind stopped. The waves stopped. The sea was as smooth as glass! (Slide your hand across an imaginary sea.) The storm was gone! continued on next page 224

6 continued from previous page Jesus said to His disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you still not believe in Me? The disciples looked at Jesus with big eyes. (Look at your Cubbies with big, amazed eyes.) They had never seen anyone stop a storm! They asked each other, (read the verse directly from Mark 4:41) Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him? Cubbies, have you heard the disciples words before? (Allow response.) Those words I just read are our memory verse for this week. Let s say it together. (Repeat the long version of Mark 4:41 several times with Cubbies. Make blowing noises and sweep your hands from side to side after you say the word wind. Make wave motions with your hands when you say the word waves.) (Display TC93 again.) Cubbies, who is Jesus? (Allow response.) Yes, He is God s Son, the Savior. Not only that Jesus IS God. Only God could make the wind and the waves obey. Why? Because He created them in the fi rst place! (Although it s hard for preschoolers to understand how Jesus is both God and the Son of God, you must introduce this truth. Cults also believe Jesus is the Son of God, but they do not acknowledge Him as God.) The disciples were amazed by Jesus. He had power over the stormy sea. They never should have been scared, because Jesus was with them. Sometimes we feel scared too, don t we? Maybe it s nighttime and we hear strange noises in the dark. Or maybe we feel scared because someone we love is sick. (Add examples you know are relevant to your Cubbies.) But we don t ever have to be afraid because Jesus is always with us. When something scary happens, we can trust Jesus because He loves us and cares for us. Jesus is with us. (Display TC4.) The Lord Jesus is our Savior. When He lived on earth, He calmed the stormy sea and did many other amazing things that we can read about in the Bible. He did all these things to show He was God s Son, the Savior. God sent the Savior. (Close in prayer. Praise Jesus for His amazing power and express your belief in His identity as God and the Son of God. Pray the Cubbies would trust Him whenever they feel scared.) HANDBOOK TIME (15-30 minutes) Give each handbook group leader a copy of the Bear Hug 25 Handbook Leader Sheet from the resource CD. Bear Hug 25 Activity Sheet A copy of the Bear Hug 25 Activity Sheet for each Cubbie Crayons Optional boat patterns (resource CD), pairs of child-sized scissors, craft sticks, tape or glue sticks Review the Bible lesson as Cubbies color and trace the stormy sea. If time remains, give each Cubbie a boat cut from the pattern page. Cubbies color the boat and attach it to the top of a craft stick with glue or tape. Follow the instructions on the bottom of the sheet to help Cubbies insert the boat stick into the slit and move the boat stick so it looks like it is rocking on the waves. When you say, Jesus said, Quiet! Be still! Cubbies stop the rocking. And when something scary does happen, what can we do? (Allow Cubbies to offer suggestions.) If we re in danger, we should try to get to a safe place if we can! We should also pray. Jesus loves it when we pray to Him. 225

7 PLAY TIME (15-20 minutes) IDEA 1: What s the Weather? Nothing Cubbies stand scattered around the room. Choose a leader or Cubbie to be the weather person. Cubbies all ask, What s the weather? The weather person will give an answer and the group will then act out that weather. For example, if the weather is windy, Cubbies run around making blowing noises and sweeping their arms from side to side. If it s hot or sunny, Cubbies run around fanning themselves. If it s stormy, Cubbies clap hands or stomp their feet for thunder. For a tornado or hurricane, Cubbies twirl around in a circle. If you have a large group, direct all the Cubbies to run or twirl in the same direction to help avoid collisions. IDEA 2: Boat on the Parachute Sea Parachute Soft ball Direct Cubbies to sit on the fl oor and hold the edge of the parachute. Place the ball in the center of the parachute. Ask Cubbies to pretend it s a boat on the sea as they lift the parachute gently up and down to make small waves (sea) for the boat. Then tell them to make the waves a little bigger. Say: Oh, no, a storm is coming! The wind is blowing and the waves are getting really big. How would you feel to be on that boat? Quickly tell the biography of Jesus calming the storm and have the children stop moving the parachute when Jesus says, Quiet! Be still! Ask: What happened to the sea (waves) and the boat? Would you be afraid now? IDEA 3: Storm/Calm Optional two blue streamers for each Cubbie (cut streamers about 2 feet [61 cm] long) When the leader yells Storm! Cubbies wave their arms (or streamers) to mimic the wind or the big water waves. When the leader yells Calm! Cubbies must freeze and be quiet. IDEA 4: Storm Drama Infl atable boat or masking tape to mark boat outline Blue and white streamers Let Cubbies act out the Bible lesson. Set out an infl atable boat or use masking tape to mark an outline of a boat on your fl oor. Choose a few children to sit inside the boat and play the disciples rowing the boat. Choose another child to play Jesus sleeping at the back of the boat. Let the rest of the Cubbies sit in a wide circle around the boat to play the wind and waves. Give each of them a white or blue streamer. When you talk about the giant winds, those with white streamers stand up and walk around the circle, waving their white streamers like the wind. When you talk about the waves rising, those with blue streamers stay seated and move their streamers up and down like waves, lifting their arms higher and higher. The disciples can rock sideways in the boat and yell for Jesus to help. The winds and waves keep moving until Jesus says, Quiet! Be still! Let Cubbies switch roles and act out the scene again. GOING HOME (5-10 minutes) The end of the year is almost here! Make sure you have ordered the AppleSeed Award ribbon for the Cubbies who complete their handbooks. Plan an award, such as a participation certifi cate, for those Cubbies who did not complete their book. 226

8 Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him? (Mark 4:41) NAME: Slit Here Basic Instructions: Jesus and His disciples were riding in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Suddenly, a big wind storm came and the waves rose high. Trace the wind and waves. Then color the picture. Even More Fun: Color the paper boat from your leader (resource CD). Glue or tape the boat to the picture, or onto the top of a craft stick. Ultimate Fun: If you used a craft stick, cut along the slit on your sheet where indicated. (Reinforce slit with tape, if desired.) From above the slit, insert the bottom of your craft stick into the slit. Hold the craft stick from behind your sheet. Move the craft stick from side to side, so it appears the boat is rocking in the waves. When your leader says, Jesus said, Quiet! Be still! stop the rocking. Praise Jesus because He is the only one whom the winds and waves obey! Unit 6: Bear Hug Awana Clubs International This page may be reproduced only by churches registered with Awana.