Teaching Joel

Teaching Joel

3-5s

Theme: God has come to live with us by His Spirit and will take us to make a perfect world.

Intro: [Hold up a locust] Do you know what this is?

It’s called a locust. And it’s a very hungry beast. Can you imagine lots of them, so many you can’t see. [Get them to nibble and buzz like a locust.]

A long time ago God’s people had just had lots of locusts come and buzz through all the land. And when locusts come they eat all the food. [nibble and buzz again]. Can you imagine how horrible that must have been? All these locusts and no food left!

A prophet, God’s messenger called Joel came to speak to the people. Can you say Joel? [have a Joel puppet, or leader dressed up]

And here’s what he said,

‘Things are going to get worse than lots of locusts…’

Worse, oh no!

‘So turn to God and say sorry.’

But Joel says 2 amazing things will happen if we turn to God.

‘God will give us His Spirit and we will be able to know Him and talk to Him.’

If we turn to God He will come and live with us by His Spirit. Isn’t that amazing? God is with us now, looking after us.

Secondly Joel says that God will take us to a beautiful and perfect world where there aren’t any locusts to take away the food:

Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,
       live on my holy Mount Zion.
    Jerusalem will be a holy place,
       and strangers will never even go through it again.

On that day wine will drip from the mountains,
       milk will flow from the hills,
       and water will run through all the ravines of Judah.
    A fountain will flow from the Temple of the Lord
       and give water to the valley of acacia trees.

[Have a little model with earth and cardboard trees, etc. Pour some milk over it.]

It’s a strange sounding picture but what it means is that one day God will take us to His perfect world and it will be so wonderful because the Lord Jesus will be there and we won’t ever be sad.

Pray:

Dear God

Thank you that you are with me

Thank you for the perfect world

That you will take me to.

Amen

Activities:

·        Make locust craft (at the beginning of lesson)

·        Playdough trees and food

·        Colouring sheet of Joel saying the theme sentence

Songs:

·        No more pain, no more sadness

·        There’s a way back to God

5-11s

Theme: Disasters are a warning to turn to God, if we do He will come and live with us and take us to His perfect world.

Intros:

Locusts – Captain’s coming. When leader shouts ‘Disaster’ they need to act like locusts, nibbling and buzzing.

Story:

Today we’re looking at another prophet, another messenger of God, called Joel. We don’t know for sure when he lived, but it was before Jesus, probably about 800years before. And he gave a warning of these:

[If possible show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YNy2R3hg2Q ]

Get a Joel to read 1:4

Joel was saying that when disasters like these locusts come, it’s a warning of an even more terrible day when God will bring disaster on those who have ignored Him.

Get Joel to read 2:1-2

But there is a way to avoid that disaster: call on the name of the Lord Jesus. If we do Joel tells us what will happen:

Read Joel 2:28-32

Firstly, God will send His Spirit to come and live with us. That means we can know Him and He is with us wherever we are and whatever we do!

Many years later, after Jesus died and rose again, this happened:

[Show Pentecost video, possibly from 2:50-6.00 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIJrk9-dtRE ]

Do you see? The promise of Joel is for us. God comes and lives in us.

Secondly, Joel promises that if we turn to Jesus then God will make a perfect world for us.

Get Joel to read 3:17-18.

It’s a bit of strange picture. [Have a mound of earth with trees and pour milk over it.] But the point is, that there won’t be any shortage of food in the new world Jesus will make. He will look after us there.

So what do we do?

Turn to God as Peter told the first believers to do! When disasters strike, turn and trust Jesus’ forgiveness. Trust that He is with you by His Spirit, and look forward to the wonderful world He will make.

Table time:

·        Funsheet

·        Decorate perfect world with more trees, etc

·        Make locusts of warning