Goal:

To review the basic concepts related to shields and faith.

Objectives:

1. Children will be able to understand the meaning of what a shield is and how it is used.

2. Children will understand what faith is and why it is so very important.

3. Children will be able to state that faith is a gift and fruit of the Holy Spirit.

4. Children will be able to identify three people from the Bible that demonstrated faith in their lives.

Resources:

Symbolism of Numbers (No. 7)

Faith and Works (No. 86)

Sacrifices and Offerings of Eloah during the Millennium (No. CB121)

The Relationship between Salvation by Grace and the Law (No. 82)

The Oracles of God (No. 184)

Relevant Scriptures:

Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter

Ephesians 6:13-18

Romans 10:17

James 2:17

Format:

Open with prayer.

The Shield of Faith.

Activity associated with The Shield of Faith.

Close with prayer.

Lesson:

Read: The Shield of Faith (No. CB129)

Questions and Answers:

Q1. How is faith represented in the armour of God?

A. By a shield (Eph. 6:13-18).

Q2. How do we get faith?

A. Faith is something that we ultimately get from God. Faith comes by hearing and acting by the word of God (Rom 10:17).

Q3. Is faith a fruit of the Spirit or a gift of the Holy Spirit?

A. Faith is both a fruit of God’s Spirit and a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Q4. Who tries to attack us with fiery darts?

A. Satan and the fallen Host (Eph. 6:16).

Q5. How can we use our shield of faith to help us?

A. We have faith in God’s Plan and the wonderful things that await us in the future. When we use our faith we are able to block and defeat Satan’s attacks on the Church or us.

Q6. What other word translated from Hebrew basically means a shield?

A. Buckler is used with shield in the Old Testament. They are similar weapons that help protect the individual.

Q7. Ultimately where does our protection come from?

A. God is our ultimate shield or protector. Other scriptures that speak of God’s protection are: Deuteronomy 33:29; 2Samuel 22:36; Psalm 5:12; 18:2,35; 33:20; 59:11; 84:9,11; 89:18; 91:4 and Proverbs 30:5.

Q8. Will Eloah protect us if we disobey Him and do not keep His Laws?

A. No, He will not. We are told repeatedly that Eloah will protect and care for us as long as we obey and follow His Laws. Later we will see the concept of faith leading to the great reward of salvation.

Q9. What exactly is faith?

A. In Hebrews 11:1 the Bible tells us: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”. (RSV)

Assurance is another way of saying that we have confidence or trust. And what we all have confidence or trust in is that God, through our faith in Him and his Son Jesus Christ, has promised us eternal life. The conviction of things not seen is saying that faith is like the evidence or proof of things that we cannot see.

Q10. What does the number seven demonstrate?

A. 7 shows spiritual perfection.

Q11. What does it mean: “the just shall live by faith”?

A. The just are defined in the Bible as those that are righteous, innocent, and approved of or acceptable of God. In a sense, this verse shows us the relationship between faith and living our lives in a way that is acceptable to God. In other words, faith is tied to keeping the Laws of God. It requires action.

Q12. Is faith a pillar of the Law of God?

A. Yes, faith is a pillar of the Law of God and it is essential to have faith to be in the First Resurrection. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus told us that the weightier matters of the Law are justice and mercy and faith.

Q13. What is the first Great Commandment?

A. Love of the One True God.

Q14. What is the second Great Commandment?

A. Love of your neighbor.

Q15. Which Commandments can be kept by faith, and which Commandments require work or action to be kept?

A. The first three can be kept by faith, but works is necessary to the keeping of the Fourth, the Sabbath. Moreover, the second Great Commandment, to love one’s neighbour, is only demonstrated by works. Faith and works are intertwined and must always go together.

Q16. James 2:17 tells us that faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead (RSV). What does this mean?

A. God gives us faith, but we must retain it through our obedience to His way of life – otherwise our faith will die.

Q17. What chapter in the Bible is known as the faith chapter and why?

A. Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter; it speaks of many great people of God and gives examples of the way they demonstrated their faith.

Q18. Can we inherit the Kingdom of God by faith alone?

A. No, we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God by faith alone, since faith without works is dead. Similarly, we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God by works alone. Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God” (RSV). By God’s grace we have been saved through our faith. But, faith is only active with works. It is because of our faith that the elect walk in obedience to God within the Laws of God.

Q19. Is faith necessary for eternal life?

A. Yes, it is. Faith is essential and totally necessary for eternal life. It is one of the three elements of the fundamentals of eternal life.

Q20. Who is the Saviour of us all? Who is the instrument of salvation?

A. God the Father is the Saviour of Jesus Christ and, by extension, the Saviour of us all. That is why Jesus Christ is the instrument of salvation. He was the perfect sacrifice that restored us back to the Father.

Q21. What is the end result of faith?

A. The outcome of our faith is salvation (1Pet. 9:10).

Q22. Who is the author of our faith? Who set the perfect example of faith?

A. Hebrews 12:2 tells us Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith.

Q23. Does the Holy Spirit give faith as a gift?

A. Yes, faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit from 1Corinthians 12:9.

Q24. List three examples of men or women of God that were faithful?

A. There are numerous examples of pillars of the faith in the Bible such as Messiah, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Isaac, Jacob, etc.

Q25. Will Messiah lose any person that was given to him by God?

A. No, he will not lose one that God has given to him. John 18:9 was to fulfil the word which he had spoken, "Of those whom thou gavest me I lost not one." (RSV)

Activities:

Activity Options:

Worksheets

Place the faithful in alphabetical order; easy and complex versions available.
Match the faithful act to the person; easy and complex versions available.

Faithful concentration: use the format of the matching exercises, the statements and the people into the same size boxes. Print on the same colour card stock and cut out the cards. To play, place the cards face down on the table. The first player picks up two cards, if it is a match he/she can continue to pick up cards for a total of three matches and then it moves to the next player’s turn.

Marshmallow fight:

Supplies: about ½ bag of large marshmallows per person playing, permanent marker and 12 large marshmallows for warm-up activity. With a permanent marker make an S, M, W on one end of four large marshmallows.

Warm up: have the children sit in a circle and one by one they must pick up a marshmallow. If they pick up an M they must list a man in the Bible that was faithful, and how their faith was demonstrated. The names can be written on the board or piece of paper as a record. The child then places the marshmallow letter side down and play continues. If they pick up a W they list a woman that was faithful and an S is for a spiritual being that is faithful.

Game: play in a room with tiles where it is easy to clean the floor in case marshmallows become stuck to the floor. Place a tapeline on the floor dividing the room in two, scatter the marshmallows on each side of the tapeline. Divide the children into two teams. If the children have made shields they may use the shield in this activity. When given the cue the children can start picking up marshmallows and tossing them at the opposing team below the shoulders. Marshmallows can be used off the floor, etc. Play continues until the facilitator calls STOP.

Process the activity by again drawing children into a circle and asking questions such as: What does it feel like to be attacked? Who daily tries to attack us? What things protect us against Satan’s attacks?

Adaptations: the game can be modified to use water balloons and played outside and again emphasising safety when throwing the balloons.

Coat of Arms:

Supplies: one worksheet of the coat of arms per child, colours, markers, pencils etc.

Activity: provide one worksheet per child; assist with reading for the younger children. Have the child draw a picture or write the answer to the questions in each of the six boxes on the shield.

Discuss the children’s work as they are willing.

Allow children to design their own coat of arms and explain why they chose certain symbols. Their coat of arms could be drawn on a cardboard shield or a piece of construction cut in the shape of a shield.

References can be viewed at:

· http://www.fleurdelis.com/meanings.htm

· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targe

· http://www.thearma.org/essays/SwordandBuckler.htm

Complex list:

Place the names of the following Spiritual beings, men and woman in correct alphabetical order

	Noah
	Enoch
	Abel
	Jochebed
	Moses
	Rahab
	Esther
	Ruth
	Naomi
	Gabriel
	Miriam
	Messiah
	Samson
	Elijah
	Gideon
	Saul/Paul
	James the brother of Joshua the Messiah
	Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego
	Daniel
	Jael
	Sarah
	Abraham
	Isaac
	Jacob/Israel
	Joseph
	Nehemiah
	Caleb
	Hannah
	David
	Widow of Zarephath
	Hezekiah
	Ezra
	Joseph
	Mordecai
	Simeon
	Eloah

Match the faithful person to their actions

Easy version: Draw a line connecting the person to the their actions

Action or Life experience	Person
Building the Ark for 100 years (Gen 6:14 -22; Hbr 11:7).	Noah
This man was removed so that he would not see death because he pleased and obeyed Eloah so completely (Heb. 11:5).	Enoch
By faith this man’s sacrifice was accepted as more worthy than Cain’s offering.	Abel
This man, through faith, chose not to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter but to suffer affliction with the people of God. He forsook Egypt and endured, seeing the invisible Messenger of God, and led the Israelites out of Egypt (Heb. 11:24 -28).	Moses
This woman showed faith and hid 2 Israelite spies to prevent them from being killed (Jos. 2:9,11; Heb. 11:31).	Rahab
This woman listened to her uncle Mordecai, obeyed God and saved many Jewish lives.	Esther
This is a gentile woman that learned of the One True God through her mother-in-law and became the mother of Boaz.	Ruth
This woman listed to Gabriel and remained obedient to God and became the mother of Jesus Christ.	Miriam
The author and perfecter of the faith (Heb.12:2).	Messiah
This man predicts drought, raises a widow’s son from death, and deals with the priest of Baal (1Kgs. 17, 18).	Elijah
This man, with the help of 300 men, slew many men and put other Midianites to flight (Jdg. 6, 7,8).	Gideon
This man at first attempted to hurt God’s people yet was temporarily blinded and then worked the remainder of his life for God, and had his name changed also.	Saul/Paul
The three Hebrews, who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol (Dan. 3:13 -27).	Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego
This man got placed in the lions' den (Dan. 6).	Daniel
This woman married Abram and faithfully obeyed her husband yet endured hardships and then was finally blessed with their son Isaac.	Sarah
This man left the land he was born in at the command of God (Gen. 12:1 -4); believed the promise of many descendants (Gen. 12:7; 15:4 -8); and offered his only son Isaac (Gen. 22:1 -10; Rom. 4:18 -21; Heb. 11:8 -19).	Abraham
This person was offered up by his father Abram as a sacrifice to God.	Isaac
This man blessed Joseph's sons as his own (Heb. 11:21).	Jacob/Israel
This man dreamed dreams, was sold into Egypt, and lived in a prison and yet saved many people from famine (Gen 50:20; Heb. 11:22).	Joseph
· This man killed Goliath (1Sam. 17:37,46,47); asked to fall into the hands of the Almighty for his punishment for counting the people of Israel (2Sam. 24:14) and believed God's promise that his kingdom would be a perpetual kingdom (Act. 2:30).	David
· This Being never changes and is always faithful to His word and promises.	Eloah

This is not a complete list of all the faithful by any means.

Complex version: Matching the person to their acts of faith

Action or Life experience	Person
Building the Ark for 100 years (Gen. 6:14 -22; Heb. 11:7).	Noah
This man was removed so that he would not see death because he pleased and obeyed Eloah so completely (Heb. 11:5).	Enoch
By faith this man’s sacrifice was accepted as more worthy than Cain’s offering.	Abel
This woman chose not to listen to the king’s orders and saved their second male child alive and put him in an ark that floated down the Nile River.	Jochebed
This man, through faith, chose not to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter but to suffer affliction with the people of God. He forsook Egypt and endured, seeing the invisible Messenger of God, and lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Heb. 11:24 -28).	Moses
By faith the people and the aliens with them crossed the Red Sea and others were drowned.	Israelites and the mixed multitude
This woman showed faith and hid 2 Israelite spies to prevent them from being killed (Jos. 2:9,11; Heb. 11:31).	Rahab
This woman listened to her uncle Mordecai, obeyed God and saved many Jewish lives.	Esther
This is a gentile woman that learned of the One True God through her mother-in-law and became the mother of Boaz.	Ruth
Though this woman lost her husband and 2 sons she remained faithful to God even in a gentile nation, and became the grandmother of Boaz.	Naomi
This woman listed to Gabriel and remained obedient to God and became the mother of Jesus Christ.	Miriam
The author and perfecter of the faith (Heb.12:2).	Messiah
This man prayed and said, “O Lord God remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me just once more and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes (Jdg. 16:28).	Samson
This man predicted drought, raised a widow’s son from death, and dealt with the priest of Baal (1Kgs. 17, 18).	Elijah
This man, with the help of 300 men, slew many men and put other Midianites to flight (Jdg. 6, 7,8).	Gideon
This man at first attempted to hurt God’s people, was temporarily blinded and then worked the remainder of his life for God, and had his name changed also.	Saul/Paul
This was one of the half-brothers of Joshua the Messiah who became the first bishop of the Church after the death of Messiah.	James
The three Hebrews, who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol (Dan. 3:13 -27).	Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego
This man got placed in the lions' den (Dan. 6).	Daniel
This is the wife of Heber the Kenite who killed the general, Sisera, as he slept (Jdg. 4,5).	Jael
This woman married Abram and faithfully obeyed her husband yet endured hardships and then was finally blessed with their son Isaac.	Sarah
This man left the land he was born in at the command of God (Gen. 12:1 -4); believed the promise of many descendants (Gen. 12:7; 15:4 -8); and offered his only son Isaac (Gen. 22:1 -10; Rom. 4:18 -21; Heb. 11:8 -19).	Abraham
This person was offered up by his father Abram as a sacrifice to God.	Isaac
This man blessed Joseph's sons as his own (Heb. 11:21).	Jacob/Israel
This man dreamed dreams, was sold into Egypt, and lived in a prison and yet saved many people from famine (Gen. 50:20; Heb. 11:22).	Joseph
The first anointed one who worked with the last restoration of the Temple.	Nehemiah
This man was one of the 12 that spied out the Promised Land and said they should to take the land of promise (Num. 13:30; 14:6 -9).	· Caleb
This is a woman that longed for a child and could not have one until she made a vow to God that she would give her child to Lord all the days of his life. Eli asked God to grant the woman’s request (1Sam. 1).	Hannah
· This man killed Goliath (1Sam. 17:37,46,47); asked to fall into the hands of the Almighty for his punishment for counting the people of Israel (2Sam. 24:14) and believed God's promise that his kingdom would be a perpetual kingdom (Act. 2:30).	David
· This woman fed Elijah with one bowl of flour and a jar of oil (1Kgs. 17:13 -15).	widow of Zarephath
· This king began to reign when he was 25 and did what was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father David had done. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah either before him or after him (2Kgs. 18:5; 20:1 -11).	· Hezekiah
· The people of this city listened and obeyed Jonah and the city was spared destruction (Jon. 3:5).	Ninevites
· This man made a journey from Babylon to Jerusalem without a military escort and was a key figure in the reading of Law later in his life (Ezr. 8:22).	Ezra
· This man obeyed a vision about Mary and to flee into Egypt to protect his family (Mat. 1:18 -24; 2:13,14).	Joseph
· This man raised his niece like his own daughter and informed her of a plot to kill the Jews (Est. 4:14).	Mordecai
· This man did not see death till he saw Jesus in the Temple courtyard (Lk. 2:25 -35).	Simeon
· This Being never changes and is always faithful to His word and promises	Eloah

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