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LESSON SNAPSHOT
BOTTOM LINE:
Kids can lead others to God.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that they can lead others to the Lord.
KEY PASSAGE:
2 Kings 22:1-2, 23:1-3, King Josiah
MEMORY VERSE:
I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
Sometimes we think that only grown ups can lead. But kids will learn that when they are
following God, they can lead others to him right now.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Fill us with your Spirit, and use us to point others to Jesus.
In Jesus name,
Amen

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MEMORY VERSE
I can do all things through him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Choose four kids who think they know the verse. Line them up on stage. Have the kids
recite the memory verse, with each kid saying one word, starting left to right. When you
get to the kid on the right, go back to the kid on the far left. Keep going until they get
through the whole verse.
SMALL GROUP:
Have the kids practice saying their memory verse, and then see who can say it backwards.

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SKIT
THE KID KING
ITEMS NEEDED:
Biblical costumes
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: 3M
CHARACTERS:
Jacob and Eli- Advisors to the king
Josiah
Jacob and Eli enter.
ELI: Is it true? Is it true what Im hearing?
JACOB: I dont know, I hear a lot of things.
ELI: About the king. He wants to lead a revival?
JACOB: Yes he does.
ELI: When did this happen?
JACOB: After he gave the order to repair the temple. Some workers found the book of
the law, and they brought it to the king. They read it to him, and he became so upset,
he ran to pray.
ELI: Why?
JACOB: Because he realized just how far we have gone away from the Lord. He knows
that God warned us to obey him, and he knows that God will punish us for disobeying!

KIDS OF THE BIBLE: JOSIAH

SKIT
ELI: Does he really think he can fix it?
JACOB: I dont know.
ELI: You know how bad it is. People dont love God any more! They love money and
fake idols. They love themselves mostly.
JACOB: The king said he has to try.
ELI: But its hopeless.
JACOB: I dont know. Theres something different about him.
ELI: Yeah. Hes only a kid!
JACOB: Hes grown up a lot, and even though hes not fully grown, hes already
wiser than his father.
ELI: But can a kid bring this kingdom back to God?
Josiah enters.
JOSIAH: Jacob?
JACOB: Yes, my king?
JOSIAH: Assemble the people. Were going to have a day of repentance. I want everyone to know what I know. They need to hear this, if were to have any hope.
JACOB: Of course, my king.
JOSIAH: Eli, were going to save Israel. Its not going to be easy, but I have to try!
ELI: Yes, my king.
Josiah exits.
ELI: You know, I changed my mind.
JACOB: About what?
ELI: About the kid. I mean the king. He might just be the man to lead Israel back to
God, and hes not yet a man!

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OBJECT LESSON OR KIDS SERMON

ITEM NEEDED:
An American flag
Begin the lesson by asking which kids know the Pledge of Allegiance. Choose a younger one, and have him lead the group.
What youve just seen here is a child leading older children and adults. He/she didnt
need any special training or preparation. He/she simply stood up and led us in paying
honor to our country.
Leading people to Jesus doesnt have to be hard either. It doesnt even have to involve
words sometimes. It takes a willing heart that loves the Lord, eyes that see people who
need Jesus, and the courage to obey.
Leading people to Jesus starts with simply loving them, in words and actions. We are
Jesus hands and feet, and when we love others, we are showing them Gods love.
From there, its a simple matter of telling people that Jesus loves them. Tell them that
because Jesus saved you, you want to love and serve others. Then leave the decision
to them.
Kids can be great leaders, and they can lead a great many people to Jesus. Lets ask
the Lord to make us all leaders so they can bring people not just to church, but to Jesus.

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LARGE GROUP GAME

LITTLE SIMON SAYS
ITEMS NEEDED:
None
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose one kid and four adult leaders for this game. The kid will play Simon Says with
the adults, and the kid will give the Simon commands. The kid has two minutes to trick
all four adults into doing something Simon did NOT say. If he can trip up all four players
in a minute or less, he wins.
VARIATION:
You can also do this game 4 against 1 with the kids. If one of the four kids survives the
time limit, the 4 kids win a prize. Otherwise, Simon gets the prize.
WHATS THE POINT?
Just as we can lead in a game, we can lead people to Jesus.

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LARGE GROUP LESSON

BOTTOM LINE:
Kids can lead others to God.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that they can lead others to the Lord.
KEY PASSAGE:
2 Kings 22:1-2, 23:1-3, King Josiah
INTRO
One of the most important things we have to teach you in this kids ministry is that God
loves you. He loved you so much, he sent his son Jesus to die for your sins. If you believe in Jesus, he will forgive your sins and give you new life, here on Earth and also in
Heaven!
If thats the most important thing we have to teach you, this is the second: as believers in Jesus, we have a responsibility to tell others about Jesus! Just as we have told
you the good news, God wants you to continue that good work. As adults, some of you
will be called to full-time ministry. It will be your job to lead worship and to teach others
about Jesus. Even if youre not called to ministry, it is still important to be a person who
shares the good news with your friends, co-workers, and neighbors.
But just like every other lesson weve had in this series, you dont have to wait until
youre all grown up to do what God has asked us to do. You can lead people to Jesus
right now! God has placed each of you in a school with kids who need to know Jesus.
Hes given you friends and neighbors and teammates and classmates who need to
hear the good news. And yes, even adults have come to know Jesus because of kids
they taught and kids they coached.
Todays story is about a boy who was put into a very grown up position. His name was
Josiah. His father had been a very wicked man, as had many of Josiahs ancestors.
They had led an entire nation of people away from God.

KIDS OF THE BIBLE: JOSIAH

LARGE GROUP LESSON

But when Josiah became king, all of that changed. It changed because Josiah learned
about God and dared to lead his people back to the God they had abandoned. This is
his story.
READ 2 KINGS 22:1-2
MAIN POINT
Josiah was only eight years old when he became king! Thats a tough position for any
person, but what made it worse was that Judah was in complete shambles. The country had been wrecked by invading armies led by kings who did not fear God. God had
allowed these invaders to punish the people of Judah because they had forgotten him.
If you read on in chapter 22, youll see that Josiah went right to work trying to clean
things up. He ordered the people to make repairs on the temple of God. When he did,
the priests discovered the long lost book of the law. After hearing the Word of God,
Josiah was very sad. He knew then that God was angry with his people, and he prayed
that God would give them a second chance. Then he let the people know that they had
to return to God.
READ 2 KINGS 23:1-3
Josiah was just a boy when he became king, but because of his actions, God spared
the people their punishment for a little while longer. He did more than any king before
him to bring his people back to God.
DRIVE IT HOME
Josiah is considered a great leader and a great king, not because he conquered and
expanded his land, but because he brought his people back to God. He didnt think for
a moment that it was beyond his power. He didnt think, Theyll never listen to me. Im
just a kid. He told the people what he wanted to do, and he did it.
God can give you that same confidence. He can give you the words to say. He can use
you to speak out and share the good news of Jesus with others. All it takes is for you to
have faith. You need to believe in Jesus, and you need to believe that Jesus can use
you to share the good news with others.
Speaking out for God also requires us to have love for others. We cant just go beat
people over the heads with our Bibles and say, Believe this! Believe it now! As Jesus
loved others, he wants us to love. We need to love our friends, our neighbors, even
the kids we dont get along with. We need to speak kindly and act kindly, letting people
know through our words and actions that we love them with the love of God.

KIDS OF THE BIBLE: JOSIAH

LARGE GROUP LESSON

It isnt easy speaking out for God. It never has been. Today, however, more kids are being raised by parents who do not believe in God. Its not because they are bad people.
Some dont believe God is real, and some have never been shown Gods love.
We can change that. You can be a generation that brings families back to God. It can
start with inviting a friend to church or Bible study. It can start with a simple conversation at lunch. God can use you, right now, to be a person who leads others to Jesus.
Dont put off the good work God has given you to do. Ask God for the love and the
words you need so that you, like Josiah, can lead others to Jesus.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Fill us with your Spirit, and use us to point others to Jesus.
In Jesus name,
Amen

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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)

ICEBREAKER
Who brought you to church today?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Philippians 4:13
Have the kids practice saying their memory verse, and then see who can say it backwards.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids stand and have one of them lead the group in a few exercises. Yes, that
means you, too, need to follow his lead!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 2 Kings 22:1-2, 23:1-3
Who was Josiah?
How old was Josiah when he became king?
What did Josiah do that was so important?
Do you think kids can lead others to Jesus?
Is there someone you can invite to church next week?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for using us to spread your good news to others. Give us the words and the
love we need to tell others about Jesus.
In Jesus name,
Amen

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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3-5TH)

ICEBREAKER
Who brought you to church today?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Philippians 4:13
Have the kids practice saying their memory verse, and then see who can say it backwards.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids stand, and have one of them lead the group in a few exercises. Yes, that
means you, too, need to follow his lead!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 2 Kings 22:1-2, 23:1-3
How old was Josiah when he became king?
What did Josiah do that was so important?
Do you think kids can lead others to Jesus?
What are some wrong ways to tell people about Jesus?
What are some good ways to let people know Jesus loves them?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for using us to spread your good news to others. Give us the words and the
love we need to tell others about Jesus.
In Jesus name,
Amen

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POWERPOINT REVIEW GAME

True or False.
Josiah was a good king because his father had been a good king.
FALSE
Josiah was only eight when he became king.
TRUE
Josiah led his people away from God.
FALSE
Josiah renewed the peoples covenant with God.
TRUE
God cant use us to lead others to Jesus until we are grown.
FALSE

KIDS OF THE BIBLE: JOSIAH

5 Simple Ways You Can Make This Lesson Stick With Your Kids

THIS WEEKS LESSON: JOSIAH

IN THE CAR:
Ask your child what they learned about this week on the drive home:
Sometimes we think that only grown ups can lead. But kids will learn that when they
are following God, they can lead others to him right now. 2 Kings 22:1-2, 23:1-3, King
Josiah
HANGING OUT:
Make this weeks lesson real:
Ask your kids how they would tell someone about Jesus. Can they share the good
news in a loving way?
AT DINNER:
Here are some great discussion starters:
- Who was Josiah?
- What did Josiah do to bring his people back to God?
- How can we share the good news of Jesus with others?

AT BEDTIME:
Quiz your child on this weeks memory verse:
I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NIrV)
PARENT TIME:
What you need to know:
Learning to share the gospel in a loving, inviting way is challenging, but so important.
Pray for your kids to have the confidence to speak up for Christ, and pray that God will
use them to spread the good news to others.

KIDS OF THE BIBLE: JOSIAH

I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me

strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NIrV)

I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me

strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NIrV)

I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me

strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NIrV)

I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me

strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NIrV)

CUT ON DASHED LINE

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CRAFT ACTIVITY
Have the kids color invitations for their friends to come to church.

KIDS OF THE BIBLE: JOSIAH