Weird Science

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August 14th, 2016 .:. .:. Room 301

Pathways Kids Weekend Small Groups

This curriculum is for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders.

This Weeks Scope

Just Add Water

Bible Story: Just Add Water (Noah) Genesis 68
Bottom Line: I should trust and obey even when others dont.
Memory Verse: Trust in your leaders. Put yourselves under their authority. Do this, because they keep
watch over you. Hebrews 13:17a, NIrV
Life App: Obediencetrusting those who lead you by doing what youre asked to do.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

Welcome Time
Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience
todays story.
Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group
for the first time. Ask God to give kids strength to stand up against peer pressure, trusting and obeying
even when their friends around them arent doing the same. Pray that kids would have the confidence
to do whats right in spite of what others might be doing.
The Bible story this week is Genesis 6-8. It is about Noah and the flood. Its long, so I chose key verses
for you to read to the kids.
The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every
inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The LORD regretted that he had
made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the LORD said, I will wipe from
the face of the earth the human race I have createdand with them the animals, the birds and the
creatures that move along the groundfor I regret that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the
eyes of the LORD.
This is what the Lord told Noah.
I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that
has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and
you will enter the arkyou and your sons and your wife and your sons wives with you. You are to bring
into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high
above the earth. But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with
him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.
Then God said to Noah, Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring
out every kind of living creature that is with youthe birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move
along the groundso they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.
The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: Never again will I curse the
ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from
childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
Remind kids of this story throughout small group.

Activity #1
What You Need: Building blocks, timer, 5-10 ping-pong balls
What You Do:
Divide kids into pairs.
Have one kid build a tower out of the building blocks.
While he is building it, his partner should stand a few feet away and try to knock it down by
throwing ping-pong balls at it.
If a kids tower gets knocked down, tell him to build it again as fast as possible.
Give kids one minute to build their towers as tall as they can.
At the end of a minute, see who has the tallest tower.
Then tell the partners to switch places so everyone has a turn being the builder.
What You Say:
It was frustrating trying to do a task you were told to do when others were hurting instead of helping
you. In this case, you were able to build the towers despite other peoples efforts to destroy them, but
what are some other times it might be hard to obey when others arent? (Pause for response.) Thats
right! It might be hard to obey when others arent listening because maybe they are being loud and
making it hard to hear. Or what they are doing might seem more fun than what you are supposed to be
doing. Or what they are doing might seem easier than what you are doing. But, no matter what,
[Bottom Line] I should trust and obey even when others don't.

Activity #2
What You Need: No supplies needed
What You Do:
Divide the group into two teams and guide teams to line up opposite each other, about four feet
apart.
Lead one player from each team to stand at opposite ends of the gauntlet and face each other.
At your signal, the players walk slowly toward each other, maintaining eye contact and a
straight face! In the middle, the players pass and continue to the ends. Throughout the
procession, the other players do everything possible (short of touching) to make the opposing
teams player smile or laughpure torture!
If a child breaks a smile, they must join the other team.
Play continues until everyone has a turn or until theres only one team left standing.
Note: If you have a smaller group, guide your kids to stand in a circle with one child standing in
the center. Lead the kid in the middle to keep a straight face while the others attempt to make
him smile.
Adaptation: For activities like these, that require space for kids to move, consider finding
alternative spots like hallways or unused rooms where a couple groups can go to do the activity.
This way, those groups will open up space in the room so all the groups can spread out and do
the activity.
What You Say:
Noah kept on doing the right thing when literally everyone else was doing the wrong thing. Have you
ever been the ONLY one doing the right thing? (Pause for responses.) Have you ever given in and
gone with the crowd? (Pause for responses.)
[Make It Personal] (Share about a time when you either went against the crowd and stood up for
what was right or compromised and did what others were doing, even though you knew it was
wrong. Tell how you felt as well as any consequencesgood or badthat resulted from your
actions. Also tell how it impacted your relationship with God and, quite possibly, others
relationships with Him as well.)
Believe me, its hard not to follow the crowd. Its hard to be the only one who doesnt say mean things
or use bad words. Its hard to be the only one not playing the video games that your parents dont want
you to play. Its hard to be the only one not reading a certain book, going to a certain movie, or watching
a certain TV show. But guess what: When somethings right, its right even if youre the only one doing
it! So remember this: [Bottom Line] I should trust and obey even when others dont.

Prayer Time
What You Need: No supplies needed
What You Do:
Ask if the kids have any prayer requests.
As you pray, instruct kids to stand or kneel with a hand to an ear in a listening pose.
What You Say:
God, help us to remember to obey You even when other people arent listening, and please forgive us
when we dont obey You this week. Help me to remember [Bottom Line] I should trust and obey
even when others don't.
Lead your kids to large group.