October | 2011 | LG K3
April 2012, Week 4
Small Group, 2-3
Return to Sender
Bible Story: Return to Sender (Ascension) • Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:3, 8-11
Bottom Line: Whatever happens, remember Jesus is always with you.
Memory Verse: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33b, NIV
Virtue: Hope—believing that something good can come out of something bad.
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.
GET READY
Prepare ahead of time for 2nd–3rd grade Small Groups this week:
Plug In: Focus the Energy (Choose one or both of these activities.)
Early Arriver
 An offering container
Puzzle Partners
 Two 20- to 30-piece puzzles
Catch On: Make the Connection (Choose as many of these activities as you like.)
Bible Story Concentration (application activity / review the Bible story)
 “Bible Story Concentration” (Activity Page); one copy per group, cut cards apart
Verse Relay (memory verse activity)
 “Verse Relay Cards” (Activity Page)
 Tape
Additional Resources:
 Make copies on cardstock of this week’s GodTime and Parent Cue cards.
 Tell parents about our additional family resources: Studio252.tv and the Parent Cue app. To
find out more about these great resources, go to http://www.Studio252.tv/leaders.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
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October | 2011 | LG K3
April 2012, Week 4
Small Group, 2-3
FOR LEADERS ONLY
GOD VIEW: the connection between HOPE and God’s character,
as shown through God’s big story
This month, let’s think about how:
(1) We can have hope because of what God has done.
(2) We respond with hope, as we actively trust God and His plan.
(3) God uses the hope in us to influence our families, friends, and neighbors.
Remember: A virtue is something God does in us to change the world around us.
This week, we’re discovering:
There was more to what Jesus said to His loyal disciples right before He returned to his Father, God in
heaven (Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:3, 8-11). It’s easy to imagine that the disciples felt a little
desperate, hanging on every word, wondering what might happen to them after Jesus leaves. Bottom
Line: Whatever happens, remember Jesus is always with you.
We can relate to this when negative things happen in our lives and we feel alone or powerless. That’s
when it’s most important to remember that Jesus promises the Holy Spirit—if we believe in Him—so
we’re never really alone. That realization is another reason to believe that something good can come
out of something bad, even today.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
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October | 2011 | LG K3
April 2012, Week 4
Small Group, 2-3
Return to Sender
Bible Story: Return to Sender (Ascension) • Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:3, 8-11
Bottom Line: Whatever happens, remember Jesus is always with you.
Memory Verse: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33b, NIV
Virtue: Hope—believing that something good can come out of something bad.
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.
Plug In: Focus the Energy (Small Groups, 10-15 minutes)
Focus the energy on today’s Bible story in a Small Group setting with an engaging discussion question
and an interactive opening activity.
Before students arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your
class for the first time. Pray that God would help the kids in your group to remember that Jesus is
always with you. Ask God to show them today that even when they can’t see Jesus, they can believe
He’s really there for them, so they can have hope.
1. Early Arriver
What You Need: An offering container
What You Say:
As you collect the offering: “If you were alone on a desert island, what one person would you want to be
there with you and why? Just for fun, what three things would you bring with you to the island? What
book? What movie? What three songs?”
2. Puzzle Partners
What You Need: 2 20- to 30-piece puzzles
What You Do:
Divide students up so there’s one volunteer to do a puzzle all by themselves, with everyone else
working on the other puzzle. Compete to see which puzzle is completed first.
What You Say:
“Wasn’t it easier or at least more fun to put the pieces of the puzzle together when you had someone
with you? Someone there to help you out and talk with? Well, today, we are going to hear some great
news about just that! [Transition] Let’s head to Large Group for some worship and a Bible story
that will help us remember that no matter what, we are never alone!”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
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October | 2011 | LG K3
April 2012, Week 4
Small Group, 2-3
Catch On: Make the Connection (Small Groups, 25-30 minutes)
Make the connection of how today’s Bible story applies to real life experiences through interactive
activities and discussion questions.
* 1. Bible Story Concentration (review the Bible story)
What You Need: “Bible Story Concentration” (Activity Page)
What You Do:
Place the cards facedown on a table (or on the floor, in the middle of your circle) in rows, making two
separate concentration grids: one for questions and one for answers. As a group, have students take
turns turning over two cards—one from the questions board and one from the answers board—to see if
they match. (Make sure to read the question aloud and try to think of the answer as a group before
turning over an answer card to see if it matches the group’s answer.) If they match, the child who
turned over the cards gets to keep them and take another turn. If they don't match, the child has to turn
them back over, and the next child takes a turn. The player with the most cards at the end of the game
wins. (Answers are below.)
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About how many people did Jesus appear to while He was on earth after the crucifixion? (More than 500)
What do we call the part of God that stays inside our hearts and is with us wherever we go? (The Holy Spirit)
Where did Jesus gather with His followers before going to heaven? (Mount of Olives)
Where did Jesus want His disciples go after He left them? (All over the world)
What did Jesus want the disciples to do after He left them? (Tell everyone about Him)
Whatever happens, remember __________ is __________ with you. (Jesus, always)
What did Jesus promise His disciples before going up to heaven? (To always be with them)
Hope is __________ that something _______ can come out of something _______. (Believing, good, bad)
In what book, chapter, and verse is our memory verse found? (John 16:33)
“In this world you will have _______. But __________ _________! I have _________ the __________. (Trouble,
take, heart, overcome, world)
How did Jesus get to Heaven from the Mount of Olives? (He rose up into the sky)
Who spoke to Jesus’ followers after He rose above the clouds? (Two angels)
What You Say:
“Boy, it was hard to find a match at first! But you guys still knew a lot about our story today. Jesus made
a very important promise before ascending or rising up into heaven. He promised that He would always
be with us. In fact, He said we can be sure that He is always with us. [Apply] No matter where you
go, no matter what troubles you have in this world, Jesus is always with you through the Holy
Spirit! [Impress] Whatever happens, remember Jesus is always with you.”
3. Verse Relay (memory verse activity)
What You Need: “Verse Relay Cards” (Activity Page), tape
What You Do: Divide your class into two teams, mix up the cards, and give each team member at least
one word from the memory verse. Line the two teams up in two parallel lines about 10-15 feet from the
wall. On the count of three, the first person in line must run their card to the opposite wall, tape it on the
wall and tag the next person in their line to do the same. The team that gets all their cards in order first
wins. Kids can only rearrange the cards during their own turn. They may also help their teammates by
shouting out the correct order of the cards.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
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October | 2011 | LG K3
April 2012, Week 4
Small Group, 2-3
What You Say: “You guys are getting really great at memorizing our memory verses! [Apply] How
cool is it to know that no matter what, you have someone with you that has and can conquer
anything the world throws your way? [Impress] Whatever happens, remember Jesus is always
with you.”
Give each child a GodTime card. Pass out Parent Cue cards as adults arrive for pick-up.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
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