Preschool
April 06, 2014
8:45am
Use Week of: April 06, 2014
Leader BIBLE STUDY
“Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion
for the remnant of His inheritance?” (Mic. 7:18) The name Micah means
“Who is like Yahweh?” What a remarkable question.
1
Micah was a prophet from Moresheth, a city in the foothills of Judah. He
testified to God’s character. God’s message to Micah came hundreds of
years before Jesus was born—in the days when Jotham was king of Judah,
through the time of King Ahaz, and to the rule of King Hezekiah.
At the beginning of Micah’s ministry, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had
not yet been conquered by the Assyrians. Some of Micah’s messages from
the Lord were directed toward Israel, and some were for Judah.
God’s message was about the current state of affairs in Samaria and
Jerusalem. Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and
Jerusalem was the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Israel and
Judah were corrupt. A period of economic wealth gave way to idolatry,
theft, false prophecies, and a love of evil.
Micah’s message was similar to that of the prophet Amos. Micah addressed
the sins of the people—specifically the mistreatment of the poor—and
warned of the Lord’s coming judgment. “Woe to those who dream up
wickedness and prepare evil plans on their beds!” (Mic. 2:1). One day,
Micah said, God would send a Messiah, have compassion on Israel, and
preserve a remnant by which He would keep His promise to Abraham. (See
Mic. 7:20; Gen. 22:15-18.)
So, who is like Yahweh? It’s rhetorical, but the Book of Micah is clear: no
one is like Yahweh. God shows mercy to sinners through His Son, Jesus,
and His promise spoken by Micah is still true for us today: “He will again
have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all
our sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7:19).
1
Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide
Unit 17 • Session 1
© 2013 LifeWay
Preschool Bible study OVERVIEW
U
N
I
T
Session Title: Micah, Prophet to Judah
17
Bible Passage: Micah 1–7
Big Picture Question: What does God want us to do? God wants us to
1
obey Him because we love Him.
Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17
Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully
follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus
Christ.
Small Group Opening
Large Group Bible Study
Small Group Activities
Snack and Transition
Each child will take home a Journal Page and a Big Picture Card
for Families
2
J udah, the Southern Kingdom
© 2013 LifeWay
The BIBLE STORY
Micah, Prophet to Judah
Micah 1–7
Micah was a prophet. God talked to Micah with words or showed
him visions. Visions are like dreams, except Micah was awake. Micah
told God’s people what God said. God had a message about His people
who lived in two kingdoms: Israel and Judah.
The people had been doing wrong things. They did not love God.
They did not do what He said. Instead of worshiping God, His people
worshiped things they made. They took things that didn’t belong to them.
They listened to people who lied about God.
“Listen to me!” Micah said. “God is going to punish you because
you are doing wrong things.” He told the people in Israel that God was
going to punish them. Then he told the people in Judah that they were in
trouble too.
“You should be sad,” Micah said. “Hard times are coming. Your
children will be taken far away from their homes.”
“Stop!” the people said. “Be quiet. Those things will not happen here.
We don’t believe you.”
Micah didn’t stop talking. “You did bad things. If you did what was
right, I would tell you good news.”
Next, Micah went to talk to the people who led God’s people. He told
them the things they had done wrong. “You don’t do what is right,” Micah
said. “You like to do what is wrong. You are not fair to the people you
work with, and you are not sorry.”
God was right to punish the people because they disobeyed Him.
God always does what is right. God is also good to people when they don’t
deserve it.
God said that one day He would fix the people’s city. Micah told them
what God said. He said, “One day there will be no more fighting. God
will rescue the people who are taken far away. God will make you
strong.”
3
Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide
Unit 17 • Session 1
© 2013 LifeWay
Then Micah said that someone was coming. A new leader for God’s
people! Micah said that the One who was coming would be from a little
town called Bethlehem. “He will be a king. God will make Him powerful.
He will keep His people safe, and everyone will know that He is great.”
This was good news! Yes, God was still going to punish His people
for disobeying Him, but they wouldn’t be in trouble forever. God was
going to save them!
“What does God want us to do?” the people asked. Did God want
them to give an offering? Would God be happy if they made sacrifices to
Him? “No,” Micah said. “God wants you to be kind to others. He wants
you to do what is right. He wants you to love Him and obey Him.”
Micah told God the people were sorry for disobeying Him.
“God, who is like You?” Micah asked. “When we do something
wrong, You take away our guilt. You love people and are kind to them.
You always keep your promises.”
Christ Connection: Micah had good news for God’s people. A leader
was coming who would save them. He would take care of them and lead
them. Jesus is the perfect ruler God promised.
4
J udah, the Southern Kingdom
© 2013 LifeWay
Small Group Opening
Session Title: Micah, Prophet to Judah
Bible Passage: Micah 1–7
Big Picture Question: What does God want us to do? God wants us to
obey Him because we love Him.
Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17
Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully
follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus
Christ.
• Prepare: Play “What
a Mighty God
We Serve” in the
background.
• offering basket
• “Find Good News
Clues” activity
page, 1 per kid
• crayons
5
Welcome and Session Starter
Place an offering basket near the door.
Activity Page: Find Good News Clues
Help kids find in the scene some of these things: a star,
Bethlehem in the distance, sheep, the baby in the manger,
two shepherd’s staffs.
Say • Micah told God’s people that they were in trouble—
they were not kind to others, and they worshipped
idols instead of God. God would punish them. But then
God promised good news. A ruler would come from
Bethlehem who would take care of His people.
In this picture of Micah talking to the people, find
things from the Christmas story. (town of Bethlehem, star,
Baby Jesus in the manger, two sheep, two shepherd staffs)
Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide
Unit 17 • Session 1
© 2013 LifeWay
LOW
PREP
• large plastic tub
• blue towel or blue
paper
• wads of paper
Throw “sins” into the “sea”
Set out a plastic tub lined with blue paper or a blue towel
(to be the sea). Allow kids to throw wads of paper into the
sea.
Say • What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey
Him because we love Him. Disobeying God is sin. Sin is
not OK with God, but God loves us! Only God can take
away our sin. Micah said to God: “Who is a God like
You? … You will throw all our sins into the deep sea.”
[See Micah 7:18-20.]
Transition to Bible study
To gain attention, clap a simple rhythm for children to copy.
Say • Micah wrote these words in the Bible: “Come, let
us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house
of God, that He may teach us about His ways.” [See
Micah 4:2.] Let’s be kind to one another as we pretend to
go to the mountain of the Lord.
Start in a location of the room that is far from the lesson
area and walk together.
6
J udah, the Southern Kingdom
© 2013 LifeWay
Large Group Bible Study
Session Title: Micah, Prophet to Judah
Bible Passage: Micah 1–7
Big Picture Question: What does God want us to do? God wants us to
obey Him because we love Him.
Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17
Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully
follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus
Christ.
Large Group Bible Study
• Bible
• “What a Mighty
God We Serve” song
• “Micah, Prophet to
Judah”picture
7
Introduce the Bible story
Sing “What a Mighty God We Serve.” Lead boys and girls
to make muscles on the word mighty.
Say • How will God teach us about His ways? How can we
learn what mighty things He has done? (He told us His
ways in the Bible.) God used a man named Micah to tell
His people about His ways. Micah wrote a book in the
Bible. [Show the Book of Micah in your Bible.]
Long before Jesus was born, Micah wrote that Jesus
would be born in Bethlehem. Bible books that were
written before Jesus was born are in the Old Testament. Is
Micah in the Old or New Testament? (Old Testament)
Tell the Bible story
Listen to the Bible story to learn what God wants us to do.
Tell the Bible story with your Bible open. If you need to
have the Bible story in front of you as you tell it, photocopy
or print the story and lay it in your open Bible.
Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide
Unit 17 • Session 1
© 2013 LifeWay
• Timeline Map
• Bible Story Picture
Poster
• Big Picture Question
Poster
Talk about the Bible story
Point to Micah on the timeline. Mention that Micah told
warnings from God to the people in Israel and Judah.
Say • I will ask some questions. The answers will be yes
or no. Raise your hands and shout yes for yes answers.
Shake your head no if you say no.
•Did the people love God? (no)
•Did the leaders of the people like to obey God? (no)
•Was God right to punish them? (yes)
•Is God also good to people even when they don’t deserve
it? (yes)
•Was all the news Micah told bad news? (no)
•God said a new leader who would come from
Bethlehem. Would He be powerful and good? (yes)
•Does God always keep His promises? (yes)
What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey
Him because we love Him.
Micah had good news for God’s people. A leader
was coming who would save them. He would take care
of them and lead them. Jesus is the perfect ruler God
promised.
Transition to small groups
Tip: Do activities
one of these ways:
• as a group, all at the
same time
• in small groups that
rotate through each
activity
• set up as
centers, allowing
preschoolers to
browse and choose
8
Explain the choices and procedure for small groups.
Say • Micah wrote that we should let God teach us about
His ways so we may walk in His paths. Let’s go learn
more about God together.
Walk together to the small group activities, threading a path
around the tables and chairs.
J udah, the Southern Kingdom
© 2013 LifeWay
Small Group Activities
Session Title: Micah, Prophet to Judah
Bible Passage: Micah 1–7
Big Picture Question: What does God want us to do? God wants us to
obey Him because we love Him.
Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17
Unit Christ Connection: God judges sin but redeems those who faithfully
follow His commands. Redemption for all comes through faith in Jesus
Christ.
Small Group Activities
These activities will emphasize verses from Micah and the
key passage from Zephaniah 3:17.
LOW
PREP
• index cards,
numbered 1-6
and lunch sack
• “Prophecy Scroll”
• brown marker
• craft sticks and tape
• yarn
9
Practice obeying
Say • What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey
Him because we love Him.
Boys and girls may take turns being the leader—choosing
and leading an action of some kind.
Let the leader pull a number from a sack to determine
the number of repetitions. Replace numbers in the sack.
Make a scroll
Make an Old Testament scroll. Use the pre-printed scroll
page with the prophecy from Micah 5:2 that Jesus would
be born in Bethlehem. Passages in Luke showing that the
prophecy was fulfilled are on the same page. To create the
“old scroll” look, kids may crumple the page. Invite kids
to draw around the print with brown markers. Tape a craft
stick to each edge. Roll up the paper as a scroll and tie it
with yarn.
Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide
Unit 17 • Session 1
© 2013 LifeWay
Explain that a scroll is usually unrolled from side to side
so that one page shows at a time for writing or reading. The
rest of the pages remain rolled up to the left and right sides
of the page being read.
• “Yahweh Your God”
song
• Key Passage Poster
Say the key passage
Say • What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey
Him because we love Him. We love God more and more
as we know more about Him. Our key passage tells us
some things about God.
Show the key passage and listen to “Yahweh Your God.”
Talk about each part of the verse. Practice saying each part
of the verse in different ways: in different parts of the
room, in loud and soft voices, with physical movements to
fit the meaning.
• God is among us! He is with us where we are.
• God is a mighty warrior. He can save us.
• He takes pleasure in us; He enjoys us.
• We can rest in His love.
• He sings happy songs because of us.
• “Micah 6:8 Pictures”
tape
10
Tell how to please God
Say • What does God want us to do? God wants us to obey
Him because we love Him.
Attach the three “Micah 6:8 Pictures” to the wall. Talk
about the pictures: hands act justly (do right); hearts love
faithfulness (be kind); feet walk humbly with your God
(remember whom you walk with).
J udah, the Southern Kingdom
© 2013 LifeWay
Invite children to go from picture to picture in order,
patting or tapping the page and filling in the blanks as you
say the verse. Practice the phrases beginning with to.
Say • [Using your own translation]
Mankind, He has told you what is good
and what it is the Lord requires of you:
to _____ (act justly),
to _____ (love faithfulness),
and to _____ (walk humbly with your God).
Snack and Transition
Take a restroom break. Wash hands well with soap and
water.
Ask for volunteers to help set out the snack if that works
in your routine. Kids may wish to take turns thanking God
for the snack, or a leader may pray.
Serve the snack provided by your church. Always
consider allergies.
• Journal Page
• crayons
• “What a Might God
We Serve” song
11
Transition - Journal Page
As kids finish eating and dispose of leftovers and trash,
guide them to draw on their journal page while you play
"What a Mighty God We Serve." Kids may draw
something the music makes them think of.
Send home the scrolls and townscapes.
Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide
Unit 17 • Session 1
© 2013 LifeWay
Journal Page
April 06, 2014
Judah, the Southern Kingdom
Key Passage: Zephaniah 3:17
Session1: Micah, Prophet to Judah
Micah 1–7
Session 2: Josiah’s Reforms
2 Chronicles 34–35
Session 3: Zephaniah, Prophet to Judah
Zephaniah 1–3
Session 4: Habakkuk, Prophet to Judah
Habakkuk 1–3
Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh
Nahum 1–3
OK TO PRINT
The L ord your God is in
your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you
with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with
loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
UNIT 17 • Key Passage Poster (ESV)
OK TO PRINT
Judah, the Southern Kingdom
What does God want us
to do?
God wants us to obey Him
because we love Him.
UNIT 17 • Session 1 • Big Picture Question
OK TO PRINT
Judah, the Southern Kingdom
Find Good News Clues
Instructions: Micah told God’s people that they were in trouble—they
were not kind to others, and they worshiped idols instead of God. God
would punish them. But then God promised good news. A ruler would
come from Bethlehem who would take care of His people. In this picture
of Micah talking to the people, find things from the Christmas story.
(town of Bethlehem, star, Baby Jesus in the manger, 2 sheep, 2 shepherd staffs)
UNIT 17 • Session 1 • Preschool Activity Pages
© 2013 LifeWay
Judah, the Southern Kingdom
Micah, Prophet to Judah
Micah 1–7
© 2013 LifeWay
UNIT 17 • Session 1 • Micah, Prophet to Judah
OK TO PRINT
Judah, the Southern Kingdom
Micah 6:8 Pictures
Instructions: Enlarge and print each of these three pictures. Tape them
to the wall, spread apart so kids must walk from one to the next, touching
each one in order: (1) hand; (2) heart; (3) foot.
UNIT 17 • Session 1 • Micah 6:8 Pictures
© 2013 LifeWay
OK TO PRINT
Judah, the Southern Kingdom
UNIT 17 • Session 1 • Micah Prophesied About Bethlehem
© 2013 LifeWay
OK TO PRINT
Judah, the Southern Kingdom
Prophecy Scroll
Instructions: Copy a page for each kid. Show them how to create an
old look for the scroll by crumpling the page. Paint around the text with
steeped tea or very thin brown tempera paint. If it dries quickly, roll up
the edges and tie as a scroll.
Prophecy:
Prophecy fulfilled:
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
And Joseph also went up … to Judea, to …
who are too little to be among the
clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
Bethlehem … with Mary … There … she gave
birth to her firstborn son.
(Luke 2:4-7)
one who is to be ruler in Israel.
(Micah 5:2)
And he will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of his kingdom there will be
no end.
(Luke 1:33)
UNIT 17 • Session 1 • Prophecy Scroll (ESV)
© 2013 LifeWay
OK TO PRINT
Judah, the Southern Kingdom