Bible Point The Bible is divided into testaments, books...

111Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 3 & 4

Praise Jesus!

Bible Point

Bible Verse“For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Growing Closer to JesusStudents will n understand how to find the “address” of verses in the Bible, n learn the meaning of the word testament, n make posters to illustrate the books of the Bible, and n discover they can read and follow the Bible.

Teacher EnrichmentBible Basisn Paul encourages young Timothy in his faith.

Today’s passage is from the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Paul had led Timothy to faith in Christ and had been like a father in the faith to him. In this passage, Paul encourages Timothy to be bold in his witness for the Lord.

A key thought in the passage is what Paul said Timothy should be devoted to: the public reading of Scripture, preaching, and teaching. In that day, the word Scripture applied only to what we know as the Old Testament. Timothy’s preaching and teaching were focused on

subjects from what we know as the New Testament, which hadn’t been written yet. Paul had spent a lot of time with Jesus’ disciples, and he taught Timothy all he knew about Jesus’ life, ministry, and message. That’s what he was encouraging Timothy to devote himself to spreading.

All of the books in the Bible we have today were written through God’s inspiration and guidance by many different people. God has given us a whole library of resources to guide our lives!

Other Scriptures used in this lesson are Exodus 20:1-4; Leviticus 19:32-33; Psalm 100; Isaiah 40:8; Luke 8:4-8; Galatians 1:1-2; Hebrews 8:6-10; Hebrews 9:14-15; and Jude 1-3.

Prayer• Read 2 Peter 3:14-16.• What’s significant about the status the Apostle Peter gives to Paul’s letters?• What does that say about God’s inspiration of the New Testament?• Pray: God, thank you for your Word. Help my students and me to take every sentence of it as your message for us.

The Bible is divided into testaments, books, chapters, and verses.

1 Timothy 4:12-13

Paul Encourages Young Timothy in His Faith • Lesson 10

Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 3 & 4112

Lesson 10

What Students Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies

Attention Grabber

Divide It—Divide a big snack to share.

Snack, knife, napkins

Bible Exploration &

Application

The Whole Address—Try to receive mail with partial addresses, and look up Bible verses.

Bibles, index cards, pencils, marker, newsprint

Old and New News—Separate old news from new news, and read Hebrews 8:6-10; 9:14-15; and John 1:17.

Bibles, newspapers, markers

Like With Like—Make posters to illustrate books of the Bible, and read 1 Timothy 4:13.

Bibles, CD player, newsprint, construction paper, markers, glue, “God’s Library” handouts (p. 120), tape

Closing Not Too Young—Make up and perform skits, read 1 Timothy 4:12-13, and commit to be examples in the way they live.

Bibles

Before the Lessonn Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab

Supplies listed on the chart.n Make photocopies of the “Hands-On Fun at Home” handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your

students.n Pray for your students and for God’s direction as you teach the lesson.

This Lesson at a Glance

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Paul Encourages Young Timothy in His Faith

WelcomeAs kids arrive, ask them how they applied last week’s lesson to their

lives. Ask questions such as, “What did you learn from your Bible?” and “How did God’s Word help you make decisions last week?”

Remind kids that whenever you say “B-I-B-L-E” as you click the bug clicker, they are to stop talking, clap twice, and focus on you.

Explain that it’s important to respond to this signal quickly so the class can do as many fun activities as possible.

Attention Grabbern Divide ItSUPPLIES: snack, knife, napkins

Bring in a big snack that needs to be divided, such as a pizza or coffee cake. Set the undivided snack in front of one person, and invite him or her to dig in. As kids begin to protest, ask:

• Should one person get to eat this whole snack? Why or why not? (No, the whole thing is too much at one time; no, we need to divide it so everyone can share it.)

Divide the snack, and give each person a piece. Then ask:• How is dividing our snack like the way we read and study the Bible? (We

break it into parts; we take small pieces at a time to enjoy it more; we don’t keep it all for ourselves but share it with others.)

Say: We divided our snack so we could enjoy it and share it with others. The whole thing was too big for one person to eat at one time. We don’t read and study the whole Bible at one time, either. The Bible is divided into testaments, books, chapters, and verses. These divisions make it easier for us to read and study the Bible. Today we’re going to learn more about them.

As kids are eating their snacks, have them each talk with a partner about the first time they read the Bible. When they’ve finished eating, call for the kids’ attention by saying “B-I-B-L-E” and clicking the bug clicker as you say each letter. Have kids clean up after their snacks before going on to the next activity.

Bible Exploration & Applicationn The Whole AddressSUPPLIES: Bibles, index cards, pencils, marker, newsprint

Give everyone an index card and a pencil. Say: If I wanted to send you a letter, I’d need to know your whole address. Write your whole address on your index card.

Appoint a “Postmaster” to collect the index cards and bring them to you. After you’ve collected all the “mail,” say: Let’s deliver this mail. I’ll call out the addresses, and if the mail is for you, you can come up and get it.

Kids process new information best by interacting with one another. Keeping kids quiet and controlled doesn’t necessarily mean your class is a success. A more accurate barometer might be seeing happy, involved, excited students moving around the classroom, discussing how to apply to their lives the new truths they’re learning.

It’s important to say the Bible Point just as it’s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point over and over throughout the lesson will help kids remember it and apply it to their lives.


Lesson 10

Call out part of an address, such as the city, state, or a few numbers from the house number. Let kids guess five or six times, and then return the index cards as mail.

Ask: • Did anyone get any mail the first time I read an address? Why or why not? (No, we didn’t recognize our addresses when we heard only parts of them; yes, nobody else has that ZIP code.)

• What were you thinking as I tried to deliver the mail using only partial addresses? (I was confused because you didn’t call out my whole address; I thought it was funny because everyone thought the mail was for them when you said the name of the city.)

• Why was it hard to deliver the mail this way? (You didn’t call out enough of the addresses; we didn’t know which person you meant because we all live in the same town.)

• How is knowing all parts of an address like knowing how to find a verse in the Bible? (There are lots of parts to an address; you have to know what each part means.)

Say: Addresses are divided into names, house or apartment numbers, street names, cities, states, and ZIP codes. The different parts of your address help the postmaster get your mail to you. The Bible is divided into testaments, books, chapters, and verses. Each part is like a different part of an address. Knowing the different parts of the Bible can help you find the verses you want to read.

Write “Isaiah 40:8” on a sheet of newsprint. Say: Let’s look at the different parts of this Bible “address” to find out what each part means. Pretend this Bible address is a street address, and decide what each part represents.

Have kids form trios, and give trios a few minutes to decide what the parts of the Bible address mean. Call them back together by saying “B-I-B-L-E” and clicking the bug clicker as you say each letter. Wait for kids to respond. Then invite trios to share their answers with the class.

Distribute Bibles, and have kids look up the passage with you as you give the following instructions. Pause after you identify each part of the Bible address so kids can find it in their Bibles.

Say: To find a verse easily, you should know the name of the book. You can look in the table of contents to see if the book you want to find is in the Old Testament or the New Testament. The table of contents can also tell you the page number the book starts on. Isaiah is the name of a book in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the first part of the Bible, and it begins with the book of Genesis. If you open your Bible to the middle, you should be close to Isaiah. Isaiah is between Song of Songs and Jeremiah. In some Bibles, Song of Songs is called Song of Solomon.

Have kids look in the table of contents to find Isaiah. When everyone has found Isaiah, continue with your explanation. Say: Once you’ve found the book, you can look for the chapter number. The last thing you’ll want to look for is the verse number. We’re looking for Isaiah 40:8. Forty is the number of the chapter. Eight is the number of the verse.

Have kids read Isaiah 40:8 in their trios. After a minute or two, call groups back together by saying “B-I-B-L-E” and clicking the bug clicker as you say each letter. Wait for kids to respond, and then say:

This is a good time to encourage kids to become more familiar with their own Bibles by reading them at home and bringing them to class each week. If any of your kids don’t have Bibles of their own, find out if your church can buy or lend them one. If they want to buy their own, recommend something easy and fun to read such as the Hands-On Bible.



You’ll find different messages at different Bible addresses. Let’s practice finding a few more Bible addresses.

Write several more Scriptures on the newsprint, and let kids practice looking them up in their trios. Include Scriptures from different parts of the Bible, such as Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 3:3-4; Habakkuk 3:18-19; Mark 10:13-16; and Ephesians 4:32.

As kids are working, circulate around the room to offer help as needed. Point out books that are near the beginning, middle, or end of the Bible. After kids have found all the Scriptures, call for their attention by saying “B-I-B-L-E” and clicking the bug clicker as you say each letter. Wait for kids to respond, and then say: You can find verses in the Bible easily when you remember that the Bible is divided into testaments, books, chapters, and verses.

n Old and New NewsSUPPLIES: Bibles, newspapers, markers

Before the lesson, gather pages from old and current newspapers. Mix the sections of the old and new papers together.

Have kids return to their trios. Say: I’ve brought some newspapers with me today. Work with the people in your trio to separate the old news from the new news. Choose one person in your group to be the Reader who reads the news to the group, one person to be the Recorder who labels each piece of news as old or new, and one person to be the Collector who gathers your group’s papers.

Distribute a marker to each group, and set the newspapers on a table or the floor. Then have each trio send a Collector to get a newspaper. If kids want to know what you mean by “old” and “new” news, tell them they’ll have to consult with their group members to decide.

After a few minutes, call the kids back together by saying “B-I-B-L-E” and clicking the bug clicker as you say each letter. Wait for kids to respond, and then have groups read the headlines of their old and new news items to the class. After all groups have shared their news, have kids return to their trios to discuss the following questions. Pause for a minute or so after you ask each question to give trios time to discuss it.

Ask: • How did you decide what was old news and what was new news? (We decided everything that happened before last week was old news; we thought new news was anything that happened in the last three weeks.)

• Why might we want to separate old news from new news? (Things may have changed since the old news was reported; weather reports and sports team scores are different now.)

• How is dividing newspapers into old and new news like the way the Bible is divided? (The Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament; what happened before Jesus came was old news.)

Call kids back together by saying “B-I-B-L-E” and clicking the bug clicker as you say each letter. Wait for kids to respond. Then invite trios to share insights from their discussions. Then say: The Bible is divided into testaments, books, chapters, and verses. A testament is an agreement to do something. The Bible is divided into two testaments. The Old Testament contains old agreements between the people and God. The New Testament contains the new agreement that Jesus made with God’s people. Let’s read about that new agreement now.

If you don’t have old newspapers at home, ask a parent or volunteer to bring some. Try to get papers that are at least a week old for your “old news.” Include a variety of newspaper sections such as weather reports, sale advertisements, front-page news, and sports events.


Lesson 10

Have students look up Hebrews 8:6-10 and 9:14-15 in their Bibles. Read the verses aloud, and then discuss the following questions.

Ask: • Why do you think God wanted to make agreements with his people? (So people would know what to expect; God wanted to keep his promises.)

• Do you think the new agreement is better than the old agreement? Why or why not? (Yes, the new agreement promises better things; there was something wrong with the old agreement.)

• Why do you think our Bible records the old agreement as well as the new agreement? (So we can read what God did in the past; so we can compare the two agreements.)

Say: Let’s look at it another way. Have kids turn to John 1:17, “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.” Ask for a volunteer to read the verse aloud. Then ask:

• How does this verse help you remember the difference between the Old and New Testaments? (The Old Testament is the story of Moses and the people of Israel while the New Testament is the story of Jesus; the Old Testament tells about the law and the Ten Commandments, but the New Testament tells about new life through Jesus.)

Say: In the Old Testament, God promised to send a Messiah, a Savior. He kept that promise by sending Jesus. Jesus made a new agreement with God’s people that would last forever. The Old and New Testaments were written so people would be able to read about God’s wonderful promises and tell others about them.

n Like With LikeSUPPLIES: Bibles, CD player, newsprint, construction paper, markers, glue, “God’s Library” handouts (p. 120), tape

Say: For the next activity, we’ll need to form groups. I’ll tell you which group you’re to meet with. After everyone has been assigned to a group, try to guess how I put your groups together.

Send each person to a certain area of the room based on the predominant color of his or her clothes. Don’t tell kids how you’re forming the groups.

After everyone has been assigned to a group, ask:• How do you think I formed your groups? (We’re all

in third grade, so I think you decided by our age; we’re all wearing red, so I think you decided by the color of our clothes; by our height; by our hair color.)

• How is the way I formed your groups like the way the Bible is divided? (All the parts about Jesus are in one place; the parts or books that are alike are together.)

Say: The Bible has many kinds of writing. Bible books that contain the same kind of writing are grouped together in sections. As I play the CD, listen to

track 12If you have fewer than 10 students, use two or three colors to form groups. If your class is large, use additional colors to form more groups.

You may want to write out your instructions to help kids remember them.

Be sure to reserve a handful of the multicolored confetti for use in future lessons.

Encourage kids to be creative in designing their posters. If they seem to be having trouble getting started, suggest they design a bookshelf poster similar to the “God’s Library” handout.



hear examples of some of the kinds of writing you’ll find in the Bible. If you think the example you hear is a law, pound your fist in your hand and say, “Order in the court!” If you think the example you hear is a song, pretend to play a musical instrument. If you think the example you hear is a letter to someone, pretend to write. If you think the example you hear is a story, pretend to turn the pages of a book. Let’s practice the motions before we begin. Lead kids in the motions as you repeat the instructions. Then say: Now let’s see if your group can guess what kind of writing each example represents.

Play “Bible Writing Styles” (track 12) on the CD. Let students guess the following kinds of writing as they hear them on the CD: stories—Luke 8:4-8; letters—Galatians 1:1-2; Jude 1-3; songs—Psalm 100; law—Exodus 20:1-4; Leviticus 19:32-33. Be ready to pause the CD if necessary.

After kids have guessed all the selections, say: First Timothy gives us some special instructions about the Bible. Help kids look up 1 Timothy 4:13. When all kids have found the verse, ask a volunteer to read it aloud.

Say: This verse tells us to study the Bible and teach others about it.Ask: • What would it be like to teach others about the Bible if you didn’t

know how to use it? (It would be hard; I’d be embarrassed if I told them something wrong.)

• Would you feel better about studying the Bible and helping others understand it if you knew more about the testaments and sections of the Bible? Explain. (I’d feel better because I’d know where to look for things; I might read the Bible more if I knew how to use it.)

Say: The Bible is divided into testaments, books, chapters, and verses. We’re going to make some posters to help us remember where to find each Bible book.

Give each group a sheet of newsprint, several sheets of construction paper, a handful of multicolored confetti, markers, and glue. Give each student a copy of the “God’s Library” handout.

Assign each group one or two shelves of the “library” to illustrate. Have kids cut their construction paper into strips to represent book spines and write the name of a Bible book on each spine. Kids can use the multicolored confetti to make borders for their posters or to decorate their books or shelves.

Circulate among the groups to talk to kids about the books of the Bible they’re working on. Ask kids if they’ve ever read any of the books on their “shelves” and what they remember about them.

Give groups about 10 minutes to complete their posters. Then have groups tape their posters to the wall, in order so that they form a complete bookshelf of the Bible books. Review the Bible books in order together with kids, using their posters as a visual aid.


Lesson 10

Closingn Not Too YoungSUPPLIES: Bibles

Have kids form groups of four and count off within each group. Say: Pretend each group is a family. Numbers one and two in each group will be the parents, and numbers three and four will be the kids. Hand the “parents” in each group two of the linking hearts and stars. Say: We’ll pretend these hearts and stars are something

the kids in the family really want. They can be car keys, a private computer—even ice cream for dinner every night. But the parents keep saying, “No, you’re too young.” Each group will have two minutes to make up a skit about being too young for these hearts and stars. Ready? Go.

After two minutes, let each group have a turn to present its skit. Then collect the linking hearts and stars, and return them to the Learning Lab. Then ask:

• What were your reactions when the parents in the skits kept saying, “No, you’re too young?” (It was funny because the kids wanted silly things; it sounded real because parents always say we’re too young; it felt weird being the one to say no.)

• Why do parents sometimes say “You’re too young” in real life? (They want to keep us safe; they don’t want us to grow up too fast; they’re afraid we might get hurt.)

• What are some things you won’t be able to do until you’re older? How do you feel when you think about those things? (I’m looking forward to driving a car; mad that my parents won’t let me stay up later; disappointed that I can’t do everything my older sister is allowed to do.)

• Do you think you’re old enough to read and study the Bible? Why or why not? (Yes, we study the Bible every week in our class; my parents gave me my own Bible as soon as I could read; no, some parts of the Bible are hard to understand.)

After all kids have shared, gather the class in a circle. Say: A passage in 1 Timothy talks about young people reading the Bible. Let’s see what it says.

Distribute Bibles, and help kids find 1 Timothy 4:12-13. Ask a volunteer to read the passage aloud. Then ask:

• What does this passage say about young people reading the Bible? (Kids can be an example to grown-ups; it’s important for kids to read the Bible, too.)

• This passage says kids can show other people how to read the Bible and do what the Bible says. How do you feel about that? (Nervous, it’s a big responsibility; glad to know I’m not too young; excited to learn more about the Bible.)

Say: Paul wrote this letter to Timothy when Timothy was still young to encourage him to read the Bible and do what it says. You know that the Bible is divided into testaments, books, chapters, and verses. You can be an example to others by reading the Bible and doing what it says. Reading the Bible can help you follow God every day.

Ask: • How can you be an example by following what the Bible says when you’re at school or with friends? (I can tell the truth to my teachers; I can be kind to everyone; I can be patient even when I feel angry.)

Bible InsightMore than 40 authors from three different continents wrote the 66 books of the Bible. They used three different languages and took more than 1,600 years to write it.

Encourage kids to take home their “God’s Library” handouts to remind them of all the different books in the Bible.



• How can you be an example by following what the Bible says when you’re at home? (I can play with my little sister even when I would rather be doing something else; I can help my parents even when I don’t want to; I can obey and respect my parents even when I don’t understand them.)

Say: Those are great ideas! The first step to being a good example is to read your Bible every day. Think about a time and a place where you could read your Bible for five minutes every day in the next week. For example, you might choose your desk for five minutes before you go to bed.

Give kids a moment to consider. Then gather everyone in a circle. Beginning with yourself, have everyone take turns around the circle telling when and where each one will read the Bible next week. After everyone has shared, read aloud 1 Timothy 4:12-13 as an encouragement to kids.

HANDS-ON BIBLEHave kids find partners, and give each pair five index cards,

pens or markers, and a paper lunch bag. Make sure kids have their Hands-On Bibles.

Have students turn to 1 Timothy 4 in their Bibles and complete the “Good Examples” activity found there. When kids have finished, ask:

• What are some ways that you can be a good example in your speech? (I can control myself when I feel like swearing; I can refuse to spread gossip; I can say only good things about other people; I can use my speech to encourage people and cheer them up.)

• How can you be a good example in your love? (I can be kind to others even when I don’t feel like it; I can choose to be patient with my family; I can be nice to kids at school that I usually don’t talk to.)

Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom.Photocopy the “Hands-On Fun at Home” handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your kids. Encourage kids and parents to use the handout to spark meaningful discussion on this week’s topic.

120Permission to photocopy this handout from Group’s Hands-On Bible Curriculum®, Grades 3 & 4, granted for local church use.

Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

121

Lesson 10

The Bible is divided into testaments, books, chapters, and verses.

“For the law was given through Moses, but

God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ”

(John 1:17).• Read Exodus 20:1-17.

Why do you think God gave us

laws to follow?

• Read Psalm 150.

Why do you think the Bible’s

authors included songs and

poetry in the Bible?

• Read Luke 2:10-11.

Why do you think stories about

Jesus are called gospels or “good

news”?

Set aside 15 minutes before or after dinner for a

family Bible-reading time. Each night, have one

person in your family pick a different book of the Bible and read the first chapter.

Then tell one another what kind of writing is in the book and what you think the

book is about. See how many different Bible books you can learn about in a week!

The book of Psalms

in the Old Testament

ranks next to Jeremiah as the longest book in

the Hebrew Bible. It’s also quoted by the New

Testament more than any other book.

Fast Facts

Make a bookmark to keep your place in your Bible. Pick a small flower or leaf and several

blades of grass. Press the flower or leaf and grass by placing them inside a heavy book for a

few days. After several days, remove them.

Cut a strip of your favorite color construction paper. Cut two strips of clear adhesive plastic paper slightly

larger than your construction paper strip. On one side of your construction paper strip, copy Isaiah 40:8 from

your Bible. On the other side, glue your flowers and grass. Peel off the backing from the adhesive strips, and

stick them to your bookmark, one side at a time. Trim off any extra adhesive plastic. Keep your bookmark in

your Bible as a reminder that God’s Word lasts forever.

Permission to photocopy this handout from Group’s Hands-On Bible Curriculum®, Grades 3 & 4, granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

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