In this series, we will learn the life lesson of the importance of having a relationship with God and discover how God sees a prophet in each of us. During this worship series, children will be introduced to several prophets from the Old Testament. A prophet is defined as someone who hears messages from God and tells those messages to others. This series will incorporate different modes of communication used over time for people to share their messages. A game designed as a hybrid of Bingo and Tic-Tac-Toe will invite children to learn historical means of communication and help them communicate better with family members throughout the summer and this series.

“God Speaks to Me, 1, 2, 3” Game

This game board resembles a Bingo card, but it has only nine squares. Each square contains an image correlated to a method of communication or hearing a message. Throughout history, the methods of sending messages have changed. Each week, a different method of sending a message will be introduced to children, At the conclusion of the series, children will receive their own game card, which gives them the opportunity to play the game with their family. In addition, playing the game at home will reinforce the lessons learned from this summer series.

The game is played just like Bingo, except for needing only three in a row to cover. Each box represents a different form of communication or sending and receiving messages. During each week of the series, a new mode (and image) will be introduced, and each image will have a coinciding scripture passage listed. This will encourage children and their families to play the game while remembering the scripture texts and lessons from the prophets.

Throughout the series, the leader of the children’s messages will have a game card to introduce both the scripture and the communication image. (A creative way to introduce the communication methods to the children is to have actual versions of the communication methods if you can locate them. For example, try to find a real rotary telephone or tin cans and string. Good luck locating a telegraph!) At the conclusion of the series, provide each child with several copies of the game card (each with a random order of images). One card will need to be cut into pieces to use like Bingo balls and randomly pulled from a cup or bowl. In the final week of the series, the leader will demonstrate how to play the game by giving instructions and playing one time with the children.

Items needed to play the game the last week include game cards with the nine images placed randomly on the page; one card of nine images cut into squares to place in a bowl or cup to “call” the image (like Bingo balls), and small objects to cover each square when the image is called. You also need to have the opportunity to share scripture stories to reinforce each week’s lesson.

DOWNLOAD God Speaks to Me 1, 2, 3 (PDF)

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C

Jeremiah 2:13, New International Reader's Version

“My people have sinned twice.

They have deserted me,

even though I am the spring of water that gives life.

And they have dug their own wells.

But those wells are broken.

They can’t hold any water.

Object/Image:

Praying hands.

Message:

Have you ever tried to cup your hands to get a drink? It isn’t easy, is it? Water drips through your hands.

In today’s Bible story, the prophet Jeremiah is still trying to get the people of Israel to turn toward God and not away from God. They had deserted God and were trying to live without God’s help, all on their own.

God made us and God loves us. It’s wrong to turn away from God. God deserves our praise and worship. God is spring of water that gives us life, according to this scripture passage. Why would anyone want to turn away from that? We are trying to drink water from our hands, and it drips out when we think we don’t need God in our life.

Throughout the weeks this summer, we have learned that sometimes God isn’t pleased with treating others unfairly. God isn’t pleased when people hate other because of their color. God isn’t pleased when people do not take care of the sick. God isn’t pleased with people who worship things other than God. God isn’t pleased when people give God only an hour of their lives on Sunday and turn away from God the rest of the week. We still have some work to do in this world. God still needs prophets to help share God’s message.

That’s what a prophet does. A prophet shares the need to have God in our lives. Over the last few weeks, we have learned from several prophets. Do you remember any of their names? (Allow the children to answer.) That’s right. We learned from prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Elisha, and Amos.

We have learned eight different ways to communicate. Today, we will learn the ninth and final way for our game, “God Speaks to Me, 1, 2, 3.”

Do you recognize what these hands are doing? (Allow children to respond.) That is right. These are praying hands. They look a little like cupping hands to catch water, but these hands are in a much better position to communicate to God.

When we pray, we are communicating with God. Prayer is conversation with God. It is both talking and listening to God. It’s our way to hear God’s message to each of us. God chose many people to share God’s message. They are called prophets. After hearing their stories and all that we learned this summer, I have a question for you.

Is there a prophet around? Are you a prophet? It’s very possible.

Today, you are going to get your game card for our game of “God Speaks to Me, 1, 2, 3.” Here’s how you play. I will pull an image out of this bowl of nine images. If your card has the same image, you can cover it up. (You may want to provide pennies or some other method of covering each square). If you get three in a row, you’re a winner.

I invite you to take a few of these cards home so that you can play this game with your family. Each card has the images arranged differently, so that every player has a different card. Below the image is the scripture verse that we talked about each week. As you play this game with your family, have a conversation about the stories and what we learned from each prophet. If you forget the story, look it up in your Bible to help you remember. Playing this game with your family will help you remember the stories and remember how God desires to use you as prophets to others!

Let’s play one time, so that we all know how to play. (Play one game of “God Speaks to Me, 1, 2, 3.”)

Prayer:

God of communication: Throughout these weeks of summer, we have learned from your prophets, those people who heard your message and shared it with the world around them. We have learned truly what a prophet is, in your eyes. Give us each the opportunity to hear your message and share it with others. In your loving name. Amen.