Topic for Sunday, October 8th.
ELISHA: HIS U N S E EN
HEL P ER S.
d e r f ul t h i n g s ?" this p o w er b e c a u se God w a s w i th him. H e w a s even called t he " M an of God." It is a splendid t h i ng to be k n o wn as belonging to God. H ow can people k n ow t h a t we belong LO God?. M a ke clear t h a t it is not j u st by t he t h i n gs we do a nd s ay w h i ch people a p - p r o ve t h a t we m a y be k n o wn as belonging to God, b u t by o ur obedience to H i m in all t h a t we do. N ow t a ke u p t he lesson story, 2 K i n gs 6:8-17. Tell it to t he children. Ask, " W h y w a s E l i s ha n ot afraid?"-' Recall t he 'verse c o mm i t t ed to m e m o ry l a st w e ek (1 Pet... 5:7). " O u g ht God's children to be afraid?'.' A n s w er this question by a Bible drill h a v i ng t h e children look u p t he following p a s s a g es to r e ad aloud: Ps. 27:1, Ps. 27:3, P s. 27:5/ Is. 4i:10, Ps. 46:1, Ps. 9:9, L u k e 12:32, J o hn 14:1. H a v e t he children c o mm it Ps. 56:3. M a ke this v e ry practical a nd apply it, d e ar s u -, p r i n t e n d e n t, to your own h e a rt w h en you begin to w o r ry a b o ut t he J u n i or Society. N ow r e ad verse 9 a nd m a k e t he children see t he p i c t u re of t h e proud N a a m a n, w i th all his followers, s t a n d- ing before t he door of E l i s h a 's simple house. R e ad verse 10 a nd point o ut t he simple ( m e s s a ge E l i s ha s e nt to t he c a p t a in otf Syria; theii, in verse 11, s h ow how 1 N a a m a n 's pride w a s h u r t. V e r se 12 b r i n gs o ut clearly t h at N a a m a n did not w a n t to be healed so m u ch a s he w a n t ed his own w a y, a nd he would h a ve returned-.to Syria a leper if one of his servants, v e r se 13, h ad n ot showed h im his foolish pride. Verse 14 s h o ws t h a t o b e- dience io God's w a y m e a ns complete cleans- ing. N o w t e a ch t h e children t h a t t h e re is no one b o rn in this world w ho h a s n ot a disease like N a a m a n ' s, in t h a t it is i n c u r- able, brings suffering, a nd e n ds in d e a t h. It is. t he sin disease. T he c u re of this is w i t h God, a nd even little children like t he little m a id in Syria can tell people w h e re to be cured. P o w e r, w e a l th a nd influence c a n- not, help a n y b o dy to g et rid of sin. It c an be cured in God's w a y only. R e ad 1 J o hn 1:7 a nd tell w h a t can cleanse f r om sin. If w e would be rid of sin we m u s t believe in J e s u s a s our Saviour. H a v e t he children r e p e at J o hn 3:16. T e a ch t h e m R o m a ns 5:8. This would be a good t i me to sing " W h i t er T h a n S n o w ." Superintendents,^ be positive in y o ur t e a c h i ng t h e re is no w a y b ut God's w a y. J e s us is t he w a y. If we p ut o ur w a y b e f o re H is we shall m i ss t he cleansing a s N a a m a n a l m o st did. , October 22nd. a n d a n o t h er of t he scene before E l i s h a 's house, while a f o u r th c an tell of w h a t h a p p e n ed in t he J o r d a n. Assign t h e chil- d r en p a r ts in t he r e a d i ng of t h e lesson a s in t he case of t he p a s s a ge on Elijah, l e t t i ng one child t a ke N a a m a n 's p a r t, one Elisha's, a nd one Gehazi's, while t he s u p e r i n t e n d e nt r e a ds the n a r r a t i ve portion. . "Ask q u e s t i o ns a b o ut this p a s s a ge a f t er r e a d i ng t he lesson. H o w m a n y lies did Gehazi Tell? W h y did he tell t he first? W h y t he second? Show t h a t lies n e v er go singly, one calls foi S h ow t h a t he h ad e v e r y t h i ng else.
2 Kings 6:8-17. A s k a f ew review questions a t t h e be- g i n n i ng of t he lesson to help t he children to recall E l i j ah a nd his m a r k ed personality. T h is will p r e v e nt t h e m f r om c o n f u s i ng t he t wo p r o p h e ts w h o se n ^ m es a re so similar. E x p l a in h ow E l i s ha c a me t o be a p r o p h et (1 K i n gs 19:15-21) a nd how he succeeded E l i j ah (2 K i n gs 2:1-.13). Do n ot spend too m u ch t i me on this p a rt of t he lesson. Merely t a ke t i me e n o u gh to m a k e t he con- nection b e t w e en E l i j ah a n d Elisha. M a ke t h e children feel t h a t t h ey h a ve a real p a r t in t h e s t u dy of this second prophet, b y a s s i g n i n g 1 b e f o r e h a nd to five of t he J u n i o rs t he following five s t o r i es of E l i s h a 's life: 1. T he w a t e r m a d e s w e et (2 K i n gs 2: 19-2&). 12. T h e . w i d o w 's oil increased (2 K i n gs 4:1-7). 3. T h e b oy raised f r om t he dead (2 K i n gs 4:18-37). 4. T he poisonous p o t t a ge m a d e h a r m l e ss (2 K i n gs 4:38-41). 5. T he lost a xe f o u nd (2 K i n gs 6:1-7). W h e n t h e children h a ve finished t he stories ask, " W h y w a s E l i s ha able to do all t h e se w o n- NAAMAN, T HE PROUD GENERAL. 2 Kings 5:11-14. In t h is lesson we h a ve one of t he m o st i n t e r e s t i ng a n d helpful of t he stories con- n e c t ed w i th t he p r o p h et Elisha. Recall t he f a c t s learned last S u n d ay a b o ut this m a n of God. If possible,; u se a m a p w i th this les- son a b o ut N a a m a n, so t h a t in t he p r o p er places in t he n a r r a t i ve you can s h ow t he children w h e re N a a m a n a nd E l i s ha lived, a n d point out t he r i v e rs "Jordan, A b a n a a nd P h a r p a r. T a ke this lesson v e r se by verse, b e g i n n i ng w i th t he first verse of c h a p t er five. L et s o me child read, aloud 2 K i n gs 5:1. Help, t he children to u n d e r s t a nd t h a t N a a m a n h ad e v e r y t h i ng t he world could give him, position, honor, power, influence, wealth, b ut t h e re w a s one t h i ng he did not have, a nd t h a t w a s h e a l t h. . E x p l a in t he n a t u re of leprosy. It m e a n t, suffering, s e p- a r a t i on a nd d e a t h. It could not be cured —all N a a m a n 's p o w er a n d influence a nd w e a l th could not help him. D r a w out t h e se f a c ts by questions. N e xt h a ve v e r s es 2, 3 a n d 4 r e ad aloud. Show h ow t he little m a id w h o k n ew a b o ut God a nd His. p r o p h et h a p- pened t o be in Syria a n d t h a t she, t h o u gh young, a c a p t i ve a n d a s e r v a n t, could help the g r e at N a a m a n. R e ad verse 5. E x - plain how N a a m a n t h o u g ht he would h a ve to b uy his cure, ' b e c a u se he did n ot k n ow t h a t God gives freely to t h o se w ho j u st obey H i m by. receiving in H is w a y. A sk w h a t N a a m a n t h o u g ht he w a n t ed a b o ve Topic for Sund; GEHAZI WHO TOLD A LIE FOR GRAIN. 2 Kings 5:15-27. In t he lesson a b o ut N a a m a n we learned s o m e t h i ng a b o ut God's w a y to c u re sin; t o d ay we learn h ow God h a t es sin, a nd w h a t H e t h i n ks a b o ut one. v e ry c o mm on sin—lying. Begin this lesson by r e v i e w i ng t he s t o ry of N a a m a n. S ome child will e n j oy telling w h a t kind of a m a n. this S y r i an was, a n - o t h er will tell of t he little J e w i sh maid,
Topic for Sunday, October 15th.
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