Weird Science

[]

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

Pathways Kids Weekend Small Groups

This curriculum is for the 4th, 5th and 6th 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: Supplies to build an ark, paper, markers, tape, glue, craft sticks
What You Do:
Kids will review the Bible story by acting it out. The objective is to dig deeper into the story. It is
an opportunity to consider obstacles Noah faced as he obeyed God. Below is a sample of how
you might guide kids to reenact the story:
o Pick a volunteer to be Noah. Ask kids, What did God tell Noah to do? (Build an ark)
Why an ark? And why Noah? (God was sending a flood to wipe out all living things.
Noah walked with God and was righteous. Noah found favor in Gods eyes.) Who did
God say would be on the ark with Noah? (His family and two of every animal.)
o Pick a few volunteers to be Noahs family. The remaining kids are everyone else in the
story.
o Using the paper, instruct Noah and his family to begin building the ark. Remind them
to make it big enough for all the animals and all their food.
o While Noah and his family are building, sit in a circle with everyone else and talk
about what they might be doing while Noah is building the ark. (Living life without
thinking about the potential of a flood, hanging with friends, eating their favorite foods,
playing games, etc.)
o Ask kids to think about how everyone else might have treated Noah and his family. Do
you think they offered to help? Did they make fun of him? Maybe they ignored him?
Periodically, shout over to Noah and ask how the building is going. Comment on how
you wish they could join you in sitting around, but they are clearly too busy preparing for
disaster. Keep asking Noah if they are done yet.
o Once the ark is complete, ask the group what happened next. (Noah filled the ark with
animals and food. Then Noah and his family got on the ark.)
o Then the rain came. Have everyone else use the blue sheet to make waves for the ark.
Be prepared, should everyone else decide to act as if they are drowning, but dont
encourage them to!
o As the water rises, ask kids: How long did it rain? (40 days) But did Noah and his
family get off the ark in 40 days? (No) Why? (They had to wait for the water to dry up
so they could find land!) So the waves died down and the ark rested on land again.

Noah and his family got off the ark and worshipped God. What did God promise? (He
will never flood the earth again.) And what was the sign of his promise? (A rainbow) Let
kids use the colored paper to create the rainbow.

What You Say:

Noah decided to trust and obey God even when others didnt. Do you think Noahs decision to build an
ark was a popular choice? What might have been some of the obstacles Noah and his family faced?
What made building the ark difficult? (Watching other people live life and have fun instead of building
an ark, knowing everyone else was living without being concerned about the impending flood, being the
only family building an ark, not being sure how it would work out, what if the ark didnt float, etc.)
It is interesting that just because a choice is the wise choice, that doesnt mean it will be the popular
choice or that it will be easy to do. Noah made a wise choice to trust and obey even when his friends
and his neighbors didnt. Being obedient and trusting those who lead you by doing what you are asked
to do can be a hard thing to do. But just like Noah, being obedient is a wise choice we should make too.
You and [Bottom Line] I should trust and obey even when others dont.

Activity #2
What You Need: Timer or mobile device
What You Do:
Assign one kid to be Noah. Noah must stare straight ahead without blinking, smiling, or
laughing.
Everyone else in the group will try to distract Noah and get him to smile or blink. The only rule is
that no one can touch Noah.
If Noah makes it for 30 seconds without blinking or smiling, he wins. Play several times giving
everyone a chance to be Noah.
Note: If you have a large group, several kids can be Noah while the rest of the group tries to
make all of them smile. This will be tricky because if any of the Noahs smile or blink, theyre all
out!
What You Say:
This was a fun and kind of ridiculous game. When you were Noah, it was hard not to laugh with
everyone around you being so goofy, but it was important to stay focused if you wanted to win. It is
difficult to stay focused and do what you are asked to do when there are a lot of distractions.
Obedience is especially hard when the people around you dont trust and obey their leaders. It is hard
to obey your parents when their rules are different from your friends parents rules. It is hard when your
friends are making fun of your teacher and you dont join in the conversation. It is hard to be different
from the people around you. And when you trust and obey God, just like Noah, sometimes you will look
different.
So why do we do it? Why bother being different when it costs us so much sometimes? (Give kids a
moment to reflect on this and answer the question in discussion format. Some answers may include:
its what God calls us to do; its the right thing to do; a life following Jesus looks different sometimes.)

So when it comes to the leaders in your life, you and [Bottom Line] I should trust and obey even
when others dont. Showing obedience and trusting those who lead you by doing what youre asked to
do is one way to show people you trust God.

Prayer
Opposites

Time

What You Need: No supplies needed

What You Do:
Ask kids to close their eyes and bow their heads so they wont be distracted by what is going on
around them.
Guide them to think of a situation in their life where they are having difficulty obeying.
Instruct kids to pray to God silently, asking God for guidance to make the wise choice and obey
the leaders He has put in their lives.
Close prayer time with a quick prayer aloud.
What You Say:
God, thank you for the BibleYour Wordand for the story of Noah. We know, God, You can be
trusted no matter what, and we thank You for the leaders you have put in each of our lives. Guide us to
be obedient. Remind us to trust and obey even when others dont. Amen.
Ask kids to tell their parents what the Bottom Line is for this week: [Bottom Line] I should trust and
obey even when others dont. Suggest spending a moment this week as a family discussing what
they can do when the people around them are encouraging them to be disobedient and to make unwise
choices.
Lead your kids to large group.