Life of Jesus

part 1

Teacher Manual
Discovering God’s Way - NURSERY Year 1, Book 3
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life of Jesus
part 1
Teacher Manual
Written by Amy Bruns

Editors: Teacher Resource CD

Robert Harkrider Activities prepared by:
Arline Harkrider Leanne Bullington
Rachel Neeley
Layout & Design:
Lauren Mayeux Songs prepared by:
Scott Richardson Ronda L. Duvall

Flipchart Artwork:
Randi Roberts
Sean Sullivan

Religious Supply Center, Inc

RC
4001 Preston Highway
Louisville, KY 40213
Published by:
S 1-800-626-5348
© www.discoveringgodsway.com
 Contents
Note to Teacher _ __________________________________________________ 1

Goals _ __________________________________________________ 5

Sample Lesson Plan_________________________________________________ 6

Lesson 1 • God Sends His Son_ ________________________________________ 8

Lesson 2 • Jesus in the Temple_________________________________________ 10

Lesson 3 • John the Baptizer / Jesus’ Baptism_____________________________ 12

Lesson 4 • Jesus is Tempted___________________________________________ 14

Lesson 5 • Jesus Begins to Preach_ _____________________________________ 16

Lesson 6 • Jesus’ First Miracle__________________________________________ 18

Lesson 7 • The Sermon on the Mount___________________________________ 20

Lesson 8 • Jesus Heals a Lame Man_____________________________________ 22

Lesson 9 • Jesus Quiets the Storm______________________________________ 24

Lesson 10 • Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter_ _______________________________ 26

Lesson 11 • Five Loaves and Two Fish_ __________________________________ 28

Lesson 12 • Jesus Walks on the Water_ __________________________________ 30

Lesson 13 • Jesus’ Transfiguration_ _____________________________________ 32

Dear Teacher,

Thank you for being willing to share yourself and present God’s word to
young children who are able and eager to absorb as much as you will give them.
There are many facets to putting a 2-3 year old classroom together. Don’t get
overwhelmed. Take it one step at a time. Before you know it, you will be well on
your way to an established room, where great spiritual learning can happen! After
the initial set up of the program, feel free to add your own touches year after year!

1. Lessons: We have done most of that for you. The lessons are intended as a
guide for teaching, NOT as a substitute for your personal study of the Bible text.
The lessons are written in a way to help tell the whole story in a manner that the
young ones will understand. Many foundational points and vocabulary have been
highlighted for you to bring out concepts important for the children to learn.

2. Outlines of the lessons: These have been provided as an easy way to

remember the facts that should be presented each week to cover the lesson
objectives. These can be found on the back of the flip charts provided in the Activity
Packet and can be used in class to present the lesson.

3. Table of Contents: This is included at the beginning of each quarter’s

lessons. A good suggestion may be to copy this at the beginning of the quarter
and give to each parent along with a letter from the teacher. This lets parents know
what the children will be studying each week and what they should be learning for
their memory work.

4. Lesson PLan: A master copy of a lesson plan has been included for you on the
Teacher Resource CD. Make as many copies as you need and fill them in accordingly.

5. Visuals: There are two kinds included:

a) visual interactive - In the Activity Packet you will find an 11X14 flip
chart. On one side are pictures to help illustrate the story. On the back of a
coinciding chart, the outline and review questions are given. This provides an
easy way to keep the children focused on the lesson as you tell it in your own
words. They can also tell the story back to you using the pictures as a guide.

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 b) other visuals - The same pictures have been provided on the Teacher
Resource CD for you to use however you would like. Two suggestions are:

1) You may enlarge them (e.g. 8x10) and back them with some colored
paper and make a story wall in your classroom. This is useful for review
during the quarter. Quarters 1 and 2 can build on one another as they
will complete The Old Testament. Quarters 3 and 4 can be done in the
same way for “The Life of Jesus.”

2) You may reduce them (e.g. 4x3) and use them as a take-home visual
for the parent/child review. Print all thirteen pictures and put them in a
ring. You can even put the review questions on the back.

6. Craft Activities: These have been provided for you on the Teacher Resource
CD. These can be used in whatever manner you choose. We have tried to provide
you with two sets per lesson. In this way, since a child goes through this class for
two years, one activity will be used the first year and a different one the second
year. These can be made so that each child may take one home, or made to use in
class as added emphasis to the lesson.

Some additional Internet sources are:

http://hennypenny.ourjunction.com
http://dltk-kids.com/crafts
http://thedowsschoolroom.com

7. SETTING UP YOUR ROOM: Your room should be colorful and inviting. An

easy way to decorate or make bulletin boards is to use a simple calico print or
no pattern, cotton fabric. Using fabric allows you to use it over and over again. It
doesn’t tear or get worn-out looking. Once attached to the wall, border it with
some colorful borders found at most school or office supply stores.

Another way to make a bulletin board is to use colored paper. This can be
found at any school or office supply store. Again, border it with a colorful border.

You can name or label your bulletin boards with computer banners, or with
pre-cut letters also found at a school or office supply store. (A picture example has
been included on the Teacher Resource CD.)

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 Bulletin Boards: Attendance
Memory Verse
Lesson Review (story wall)
Books of the Bible – you may want to make this a
permanent wall to be referred to time and time again

You may want to decorate the door with the theme of your class for the
quarter or use some of the same ideas as the bulletin boards. Use the children’s
names and pictures on the door; they enjoy seeing which room they should enter!

8. STARTER INTERACTIVES: Examples of interactives are given on the Teacher

Resource CD. They include charts to emphasize:
Bible songs
Songs that pertain to God’s love for us, the family, the world
Creation
Worship
Behavior/attitudes
These should be made as you start getting ready for your teaching quarter. If
you can, involve other women. Ask some of the older women of your congregation
to color, cut, or even glue for you. It would help you not to feel overwhelmed, and
most likely they would love to be a part of a new program for the young children.

There are several of these to be made, but once you have made them, you
don’t have to do them again. You may want to make two sets at the same time.
They can be used for the Infant class, if you have one, or even the 4-5 year olds still
enjoy singing about these concepts.

9. SONGS: We have provided songs and fingerplays that can be used as aids to
teaching the lessons. It is good to use a song every now and then within a class
period. They usually love to sing if you will sing with expression and love for what
you are singing. Once you are comfortable with the songs, find ways to express the
words with pictures (make a flip chart) or with hands-on objects. (For Example, “I
want to be a worker for the Lord” — use a toy hammer and mouse pad.)
You may take the songs we have provided and make your own song book:
- put them in sheet savers (found at an office supply store)
- put the sheets/songs in a 3-ring binder
- place tabs on the sheet savers and label so it becomes a quick
reference for you. (For example: Welcome, Prayer, Old Testament,
or Lesson 1,2,3 etc.)

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 All of the songs we have provided have been written by and are sung by
Ronda L. Duvall. There are many songs that can be used in this class! We have
provided you with just a few to get started! Feel free to add songs to the new
songbook you have just made! Here are a few contacts for other songs and
melodies:

1) Musical Memory Builders- by JoLinda Crump
Published by Florida College Bookstore
(This is a very effective tool for memory work for the children)

2) There are a number of children’s songs written by Glenda Schales. She can
be contacted at: auntiegg@sbcglobal.com

10. MEMORY WORK: You will be so surprised at how much young children can
learn. They will retain facts about the story and application as you reveal it to them.
Use these precious years to give them as many facts about the Bible that they can
handle. We have provided you with suggestions of memory facts that correlate
to the theme of each quarter. Included are some ways to make it easy for the
children to learn these facts. Memory work charts for easy learning (word pictures)
are recorded on the Teacher Resource CD and can be reproduced.

As a suggestion to help build new ideas and refer to old ones, take pictures of
bulletin boards and door themes throughout all your classes. Put them in a picture
binder as a reference. You will use these resources many times as the material is
repeated.

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 Goals
• Books of the New Testament (keep reviewing the Old Testa-
ment!)

• The 12 Apostles

• Memory Verses (select part of verse easiest for 2’s to learn)

Lesson #1 - John 1:1-3

Lesson #2 - Ephesians 6:1 (Luke 2:52)
Lesson #3 - Matthew 3:17
Lesson #4 - Matthew 4:10
Lesson #5 - John 3:16
Lesson #6 - Review: N.T. Books, Apostles, Memory Verses
Lesson #7 - Matthew 7:12 (Matthew 7:7)
Lessons #8 - 13 - Review: N.T. Books, Apostles, Mem. Verses

 
• Optional:
Mark 12:29-31
Song:  “Hear O Israel”

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 Lesson Plans: Week #1
SAMPLE
Welcome:
Attendance Chart (put up stickers)
Welcome Song: Come to Class
Where is (Child’s Name) ?
(use a mirror for children to look into)

Prayer Time:
What is prayer? It is how we talk to God
Where/When can we pray? Anywhere/Always
What are some things we can say in our prayers?
Families, homes, friends, many blessings, Jesus
Prayer Song: I’m a Little Christian

Bible:
Who gave us the Bible? God
How many parts are in the Bible? 2
How many books are in the Bible? 66
Number of Books in Bible (song)
How many books are in the Old Testament? 39
How many books are in the New Testament? 27
About how many men wrote the Bible with God’s help? About 40
Let’s name some of them: Moses, David, Matthew, etc.
How do we take care of our Bibles?
This is the way we read our Bible
Are the stories in the Bible like the fairy tales we read? no
How are they different? These are God’s words and they are people
who really did live!
Bible Songs: Read your Bible and pray every day
B-I-B-L-E
Books of the Old and New Testaments

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Story:
Today’s story from the Bible is found in the book of: Genesis, it is
about God’s Creation.
**Remember: Before the world began, God had a great plan!
God tells us: Outline/Flip Chart (lesson 1).

Memory Verse: (new, if applies to story or review others already learned)

Songs/Fingerplays: (per story)

Creation
God Created
Did you know God made the light?

Interactive: (per story)

Craft/Activity (if you have one)

“General” Songs: My God is So Great

Jesus Loves Me
Jesus Loves the Little Children
I’m A Little Seed

Story Review – Go over major points of the story

Worship Reminders:
How do we behave when we worship God?
We sit still and we are quiet
We can pray when our Mommies and Daddies pray
We can sing when our Mommies and Daddies sing
What are some things we do when we worship God?
Sing, pray, listen, open our Bibles, give money to help men
preach the Gospel

Dismissal Song: Tip Toe in God’s House

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1 God Sends His Son
We have learned that Jesus was with God
before the world was created (Memory
Luke1:26‑38; 2:1‑21; Matthew 2:1‑16
Verse: John 1:1‑3). We also know that God
had a plan before the world was created.
We learned in our Old Testament sto-
ries that God was telling His people that
a “better way” would come. It would be
through Jesus. God kept all of His promises
made to Abraham and sent many proph-
ets to warn His people, the Israelites, to
obey. Many chose to disobey God. Then,
God was silent for four hundred years.
This is the time between when the Old
Testament ends and the New Testament
begins. The world did a lot of changing
during that time. There was a new world
power, the Roman Empire. This new king-
dom brought a new language and built
new roads that connected many coun-
tries. Most people in the world were ready
for new things. God knew it was the right
time to send His only Son to the earth.
There was a young woman named Mary
who lived in Nazareth. She was engaged to
be married to a man named Joseph. He
was from the family of David, the tribe of
Judah. God sent the angel Gabriel to tell
Mary, “the Lord has blessed you and is with
you.” This frightened Mary at first, but she
listened to Gabriel. He told her she would
8 | Life of Jesus, Part 1
become pregnant by the power of the Holy
Spirit and give birth to a son. He would be
given the throne of King David and His
kingdom would never end. Gabriel was not
talking about a kingdom on earth built by
men, but a spiritual one built by God.
At first Joseph was frightened about
Mary having a baby because they were
not married yet, but an angel came to
him in a dream and told him not to be
afraid. He told Joseph that this baby will
save people from their sins. The angel
told Joseph to name the baby, “Jesus,”
which means salvation.
Joseph and Mary traveled to
Bethlehem because the government
was taking a count of the people, and this
was their family’s home town. It was time
for Mary to deliver her baby. Because
there was not a room at the inn, and no
hospitals were there, they had to stay in
a stable, a place where animals were kept.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, our most Holy
King, in a stable. She wrapped the baby
Jesus all tight and cozy and laid him in a
manger, a feeding box for animals.
That same night, there were shep-
herds in a nearby field watching their
sheep. An angel of the Lord stood before
them and said, “I am bringing you good
news. Today your Savior has been born in
the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord.
You will find him lying in a manger.” Then
a very large group of angels from Heaven
began praising God and said, “Give glory
to God in Heaven, and on earth let there
be peace among the people who please
God.” The shepherds went quickly and
found Mary and Joseph and Jesus.
Sometime later some wise men from
the East came to Jerusalem. They had
heard about the baby who was “to be
the king of the Jews.” They had also seen
a bright star in the sky leading them to
Him. They wanted to worship Him. When
Herod, the king of the Jews, heard this,
he was worried and wanted to meet with
the wise men. He told them to find Jesus
and then tell him his location. King Herod
wanted to kill Jesus. He wanted to be the
only king. He did not understand about
the kingdom of God. When the wise men
left king Herod, the star directed them to
the house where Jesus was. When they
got there, they bowed down and wor-
shiped Him. They brought him gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Afterward,
they went home a different way. They did
not go back to Herod!
After the wise men left, an angel told
Joseph to take Jesus and Mary and es-
cape to Egypt. They needed to get away
from King Herod. He was going to kill all
the baby boys in Bethlehem and the sur-
rounding areas who were two years old or
younger. Jesus was safe! After some time
in Egypt, an angel told Joseph it was safe
to take his family home. They returned to
Nazareth.
Memory Verse: John 1:1

Review Questions:
1. Who was Jesus’ mother?
2. Who was Jesus’ father on earth?
3. Who is Jesus’ father in Heaven?
4. Where was Jesus born?
5. What is a manger?
6. Who came to see Jesus first in the stable?
7. Who came to see Jesus next in a house?
8. What did the wise men bring?
9. Where did Joseph take his family to keep them safe?
10. Who wanted to kill Jesus?
11. Where did Joseph, Mary, and Jesus live after they left Egypt?
12. Can you say the memory verse? (John 1:1)

Lesson 1: God Sends His Son | 9