Goal:

To review the basic concepts related to swords and what the word of God is.

Objectives:

1. Children will be able to understand how a sword is used.

2. Children will understand what the sword of God is.

3. Children will be able to state what helps us to know right from wrong.

4. Children will know who the Word of God is.

5. Children will know what sets us free.

Resources:

The Helmet of Salvation (No. CB124)

Loins grid with Truth (No. CB126)

Consubstantial with the Father (No. 81).

On Immorality (No. 165)

Summary: Significance of the Wedding in Cana of Galilee (No. P50z)

Sanctification of the Temple of God (No. 241)

Relevant Scriptures:

Hebrews 4:12

Format:

Open with prayer.

Sword of the Spirit of God.

Activity associated with the Sword of the Spirit of God.

Close with prayer.

Lesson:

Read: Sword of the Spirit of God (No. CB128)

Questions and Answers:

Q1. If people act on the thoughts in their own mind without regard to God’s Law and the Holy Spirit is that the right or a godly thing to do?

A. No, without God’s Holy Spirit people do what is right in their own mind. Yet scripture tells us the way of God they do not know (Rom. 8:7; Jas. 4:4) and the human mind is enmity or an enemy against God and His Law (Rom. 8:7).

Q2. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12, KJV). What does this text mean?

A. Hebrews 4:12 tells us God’s word helps us to know right from wrong -- God’s way versus Satan’s way. God’s word clearly, consistently and always shows us what the correct way is.

Q3. Do we all have to be ready to give an answer of the hope that lies within us? Do we need to be to be able explain whom we worship, why we worship and when we worship the One True God?

A. All the saints in the army of God need to be able to give an answer of the hope that lies within them (1Pet. 3:15). We all need to be well-versed and knowledgeable about God’s word to fend off and deal with attacks that people and the fallen Host make against us as individuals or the Church.

Q4. Did Jesus Christ use the word of God to battle Satan when he was tempted in the desert?

A. Yes, he did (Mat. 4:1).

Q5. Besides hearing and believing the word of God do we need to keep it?

A. Yes, based on Luke 11:28: “But he said, Yea rather, blessed [are] they that hear the word of God, and keep it”.

Q6. Is the Holy Spirit given by a certain amount?

A. No. The Spirit is not given by measure (Jn. 3:34). The NIV states that God gives the Spirit without limit.

Q7. Is God a trinity?

A. No. There is no doubt that God is singular and sovereign. Proverbs 30:4-5 shows the name of God and that He has a son.

Q8. Does John 1:1 show that Eloah is not a singular being?

A. Many people attempt to quote John 1:1 as part of the proof that God is a trinity. However, that is wrong. Eloah is singular; He is the One and only True God (1Tim. 6:16)

Q9. Is every word of Eloah perfect?

A. Yes, it is per Proverbs 30:5: “Every word of God [ELOAH] is flawless: He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him”

Q10. Did Joshua (or Yahoshua) the Messiah called Jesus the Christ give up his spiritual existence and come to Earth and live a life as a man?

A. Messiah is a son; he did come to Earth and was made flesh. He was given life (Jn. 5:26).

Q11. Who is the Word referred to in John 1:1?
A. Messiah, or Jesus the Christ, is the Word/Logos referred to in John 1:1.

Q12. What are we to do with the ‘Word of God’?

A. We are too keep and treasure the word of God.

Q13. What will be our reward if we do this?

A. Those who treasure the word of God and have the Holy Spirit will be part of the Bride of Christ (Prov. 21:20).

Q14. When you see the Word of God and the Word (of God) are they meaning the same thing?

A. The Word of God is typically referring to the written word of God; that was God-breathed or inspired by God. The Word (of God) typically refers to the Logos or Joshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came to Earth to teach us all about Eloah’s Laws and to be the perfect acceptable sacrifice for us all.

Q15. How are we sanctified or set apart as holy?

A. We are sanctified or set apart in the truth in love. For our sakes Christ sanctified himself, and so we sanctify ourselves in the truth, which is the word of God.

Q16. What sets us free?

A. The truth sets us free and God’s word is founded on the truth.

Q17. What should be the most important thing to us: physical food or spiritual food?

A. Luke 4: 4: “And Jesus answered him, saying, ‘It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God’”.

Q18. As God’s people are we to keep the word of God no matter what the cost?

A. Yes, per Revelation 20:4: “Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word (Logos) of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image”.

Q19. After Messiah returns, when Satan and the fallen Host are bound and the period of Just Rule starts will people still wage wars?

A. No, they will not. There will be a time in the not to distant future when Messiah has returned, the period of Just Rule has started and the times will be as in Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 when nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Q20. Will there be a time when all peoples know the One True God?

A. Yes, Habakkuk 2:14 tells us: “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea”. What a blessing to work for and what a wonderful time to look forward to.

Activities:

Light saver tag/ Flashlight tag

Warm up: have the children sit in a circle; read one of the questions from the lesson. Children that know the answer raise their hands. Shine the flashlight on a child and review the answer. The activity proceeds and this time the child who knew the correct answer gets to call /shine the flashlight for the answerer to the next question.

Active Game Flashlight tag

Resource:

http://www.partygamecentral.com/pgcstandard/gametmpstd.asp?gn=FLASHLIGHT+TAG

Supplies: flashlights, batteries, dark, safe area.

Rules:

This game works best in a dark house and should be played at night. First, define a jail area. This could be a room or a corner of a room. The person who is "it" waits at the jail counting to 30 while everyone else hides. Hiders are allowed to move around and do not have to stay in one place. Then, using the flashlight, the person who is “it” searches for the others who have hidden but may be moving from one hiding spot to another. The flashlight must remain on at all times and may not be covered. When "it" spots someone, they must use the flashlight to get a close enough look at the person to identify him/her and call out the hider's name. Tagging in this game is done by calling a name, not by touching.

What happens when a person gets caught gives rise to variations of this game. One variation is to pass the flashlight to the caught person, so she/he becomes "it". Another variation is to send each caught person to "jail" to wait until everyone is caught. The first person caught then becomes "it". Another variation is to have more than one person (or a team) be "it". With this configuration, people who are not "it" can touch-tag other people (or team members) free from "jail". One of the "its" may stay near to guard the "jail".

Prisoners: Players can decide beforehand how they want to handle prisoners. Here are some options:

1. Pass the flashlight to the prisoner, so she/he becomes "it".

2. Send each prisoner to the "jail" to wait until everyone is caught. The first prisoner then becomes "it".

3. Have more than one person be "it". In this version, people who are not "it" can touch-tag other people free from "jail". One of the "its" may stay near to guard the "jail".

Noodle Hockey

Supplies: pool “noodles” (one noodle per player), soft ball such as nerf or koosh ball, area for goal on each team; this could be an area marked by chalk, two chairs, yarn etc.

Preparation: mark off the playing area and set up goals.

Game: divide the children into 2 teams and review the rules: no hitting each other, no swinging the sword/noodle above the head, no making contact with the ball with anything other than the noodle.

The team attempts to move the ball down and score in their goal area. When a team scores give them an example of someone in the Bible who used God’s word to give an answer. Luke 4:12: “It is said, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test”.

Create a sword

Supplies: cardboard, gator board, scissors, paint, markers glue, and pencil.

Preparation: pre-cut swords for the younger children.

Activity: allow the children to trace and cut their own swords or paint and decorate pre-cut swords.

Light wands

Supplies: glow-in-the-dark sticks.

Preparation: purchase glow-in-the-dark sticks, at least one per child.

Activity: have a child, one at a time, tap an adult or a child and ask the adult or child to quote a scripture and explain why that scripture is important to them. The person answering the question is able to select the next light wand tapper.

Adaptations: play at sunset and use only one light wand and play as tag. When a person is tagged they must name a scripture and explain why the scripture is important. The child that is tagged may also request help from the adults with the memory aspect of the scripture. Scriptures can also be provided and the child draws a list of scriptures from a “hat” and explains what the scripture means.

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