Memory Verse: "They will know I am the Lord their God" Exodus 29:46 NIV (Paraphrased)
Lesson One - The Outer Courts
Toddler Tidbit - This week we learned about obedience. It pleases God when we are obedient and when we share His love with others by accepting them just the way they are. Help your toddler make a list of prayers for other people and then each night help your child to pray for them. Praying for others is one way we can share God’s love. Teaching your children the importance of prayer is pleasing to God too!
Big Idea (Age 4 - K) - God wanted the Israelites to build the Tabernacle so He could live among them just like He lives in our hearts today. God was very specific with each and every part of the Tabernacle because He was teaching the Israelites to obey Him. Obeying God means to trust Him, to love Him and to share His love with other people. This can be really hard and we need God’s help to do this. Today, we do not have to go to a “Tabernacle” to worship God and ask for His help, we can worship Him anytime just by talking to Jesus! When the Israelites entered through the big gate at the Tabernacle, they were able to receive forgiveness for their sins and ask for His help. Today when we sin and make mistakes, we can ask Jesus to forgive us and He promises us that He will! When Jesus died on the cross, it meant that all of our sins were forgiven and that God Accepts Us!
Big Idea (Age 4 - K) - God wanted the Israelites to build the Tabernacle so He could live among them just like He lives in our hearts today. God was very specific with each and every part of the Tabernacle because He was teaching the Israelites to obey Him. Obeying God means to trust Him, to love Him and to share His love with other people. This can be really hard and we need God’s help to do this. Today, we do not have to go to a “Tabernacle” to worship God and ask for His help, we can worship Him anytime just by talking to Jesus! When the Israelites entered through the big gate at the Tabernacle, they were able to receive forgiveness for their sins and ask for His help. Today when we sin and make mistakes, we can ask Jesus to forgive us and He promises us that He will! When Jesus died on the cross, it meant that all of our sins were forgiven and that God Accepts Us!
Lesson Two - The Outer Courts part two
Toddler Tidbit - This week we learned that Jesus lives in our hearts and that means we can talk to Him anytime we want through prayer! Jesus loves us so much that He died on the cross and forever forgave our sins if we ask Him! It makes God very happy when we share His love with other people. This week, ask your toddler to give up an old toy or stuffed animal they do not use anymore and donate it to a family in need! Sharing God’s love feels great and makes God smile too!
Big Idea (Age 4 - K) - God had a very detailed plan for the Tabernacle so the Israelites would know exactly what to do. Since they were not obedient and they worshipped other gods before Him, God gave the Israelites specific rules to keep them focused and doing what he wanted them to do. The Tabernacle was a way for God to be with His people and a place where the Israelites could worship Him. Today we do not need the Tabernacle to do these things. He is with us all the time and we can worship Him anytime and anywhere! Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Because of that sacrifice, we have been cleansed and forgiven forever! We do not have to sacrifice an animal to be forgiven for the bad things we do and we do not have to cleanse ourselves at a laver to worship God. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross, He promises us that our sins are always forgiven…all we have to do is ask for it! We can talk to Jesus anytime we want, anywhere we want and about anything we want! He loves us just the way we are!
Big Idea (Age 4 - K) - God had a very detailed plan for the Tabernacle so the Israelites would know exactly what to do. Since they were not obedient and they worshipped other gods before Him, God gave the Israelites specific rules to keep them focused and doing what he wanted them to do. The Tabernacle was a way for God to be with His people and a place where the Israelites could worship Him. Today we do not need the Tabernacle to do these things. He is with us all the time and we can worship Him anytime and anywhere! Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Because of that sacrifice, we have been cleansed and forgiven forever! We do not have to sacrifice an animal to be forgiven for the bad things we do and we do not have to cleanse ourselves at a laver to worship God. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross, He promises us that our sins are always forgiven…all we have to do is ask for it! We can talk to Jesus anytime we want, anywhere we want and about anything we want! He loves us just the way we are!
Lesson Three - The Inner Courts
Toddler Tidbit - This week we learned that God wants to use us! He wants us to share the good news about Him with others through fellowship. We can teach our toddlers about fellowship by teaching them to be a good friend and part of a community. This week, ask your toddler to make a card for someone they care about. Help them to write “Jesus Loves You” on the outside of their card. Being a good friend is just one way for us to shine with the light of Jesus!
Big Idea (Age 4 - K) - The Inner Courts was important because it represented fellowship. Fellowship means friendship and sharing time with others. God has a very special reason for fellowship. God loves when we fellowship with others because He can use us to share the Good News of God’s love. The table inside the Inner Courts had 12 loaves of bread on it and each Sunday the priests would eat the bread. The special candleholder, called the Lampstand, was the only light inside the Inner Courts. We can see because of the light. Jesus is like a light, too. He helps us see how we should live our lives and shows us how much God loves us. He wants to use us to shine that light for other people! Finally, there was a very sweet smell inside the Inner Courts of the Tabernacle. God told the Israelites exactly what ingredients to use for the incense and it was a holy scent that no one else could use. The Bible tells us the scent “floated” up to God and the sweet smell was pleasing to Him. Do you know what else is pleasing to God? Our prayers! They are like sweet sounds that God loves to hear!
Big Idea (Age 4 - K) - The Inner Courts was important because it represented fellowship. Fellowship means friendship and sharing time with others. God has a very special reason for fellowship. God loves when we fellowship with others because He can use us to share the Good News of God’s love. The table inside the Inner Courts had 12 loaves of bread on it and each Sunday the priests would eat the bread. The special candleholder, called the Lampstand, was the only light inside the Inner Courts. We can see because of the light. Jesus is like a light, too. He helps us see how we should live our lives and shows us how much God loves us. He wants to use us to shine that light for other people! Finally, there was a very sweet smell inside the Inner Courts of the Tabernacle. God told the Israelites exactly what ingredients to use for the incense and it was a holy scent that no one else could use. The Bible tells us the scent “floated” up to God and the sweet smell was pleasing to Him. Do you know what else is pleasing to God? Our prayers! They are like sweet sounds that God loves to hear!
Lesson Four - The Holy of Holies
Toddler Tidbit - This week we learned that God protects and preserves us! He lives in our hearts and our homes and we can count on Him to keep us safe! This week make a cross with your child to hang over their doorway. The cross is a symbol of God’s promise to protect and preserve us and reminds your child that God loves them!
Big Idea (Age 4 - K) - The Holy of Holies was a very special place even though it was very small. The priest only entered it once a year when they would ask God for forgiveness for everybody’s sins. Can you imagine only being able to ask God for forgiveness once a year?
When you enter inside the Holy of Holies, you would first pass through a beautiful veil. It was sewn by the Israelites using exactly the fabrics that God told them to use. It kept almost everyone away from the Holy of Holies because they couldn’t go in if they had done something wrong. Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant. It was a special box and inside were the Ten Commandments. These commandments were the special laws that God wanted the Israelites to follow. The top of the Ark was called the mercy seat. The Israelites called this God’s throne because He was their king. Today, we know that God lives in our hearts instead of in the Holy of Holies and He is everywhere and anywhere! We do not have to ask a priest to seek forgiveness; we can talk to God on our own. When Jesus died the veil ripped so everyone can go in the Holy of Holies and talk to God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, God has preserved us forever.
Big Idea (Age 4 - K) - The Holy of Holies was a very special place even though it was very small. The priest only entered it once a year when they would ask God for forgiveness for everybody’s sins. Can you imagine only being able to ask God for forgiveness once a year?
When you enter inside the Holy of Holies, you would first pass through a beautiful veil. It was sewn by the Israelites using exactly the fabrics that God told them to use. It kept almost everyone away from the Holy of Holies because they couldn’t go in if they had done something wrong. Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant. It was a special box and inside were the Ten Commandments. These commandments were the special laws that God wanted the Israelites to follow. The top of the Ark was called the mercy seat. The Israelites called this God’s throne because He was their king. Today, we know that God lives in our hearts instead of in the Holy of Holies and He is everywhere and anywhere! We do not have to ask a priest to seek forgiveness; we can talk to God on our own. When Jesus died the veil ripped so everyone can go in the Holy of Holies and talk to God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, God has preserved us forever.
