Who is God?
key words
biblical reference
1 Kings 18
memory verse
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b, NIV*).
lesson objective
To help children understand that God is unique and powerful.
prepare yourself to teach
Within the history of the people of Israel, we find that many times they were inclined to serve other gods. The appeal of worshiping false idols seemed irresistible. People were seduced by the worship of the Canaanite god of fertility. However, their loyalty was divided. They claimed to believe in God, but worshiped Baal.
Elijah called the people to be loyal only to God. He asked them, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (v. 21).
This prophet knew very well the answer to his challenge; he had experienced innumerable times the mighty hand of God in his life, and suffered because of the disobedience and idolatry of the people.
What happened on Mount Carmel is an extraordinary example of the faith and trust that Elijah had in God. He was the only prophet of the Lord who was still alive, and it was his goal to show the king and the people the omnipotence of God.
The worship of Baal was backed by the highest levels of government, including the queen. Their priests and prophets were counted by the hundreds. However, this was not important to Elijah; he served the living God, knew him personally, and knew that it was he who controlled the situation.
Elijah’s faith makes us think he was a hero, and to some extent he is. However, James 5:17 reminds us, “Elijah was a human being, even as we are.” This implies that we too can have the faith like Elijah and prove with courage that God whom we serve is the one and only true God.
adaptation
Your children are interested in learning more about God. At this age, many children easily accept what others tell them about the Lord. They are getting to experience different environments in which they are faced with people with new ideas and ways of thinking. At their school they will come to know different religions, even some that worship other gods.
It is very important that, within all this confusion of new religious beliefs that they face, they can be sure that God is the only Lord. They need to see the Lord in action and listen to stories where he shows himself to be Almighty. The confrontation of Elijah with the priests of Baal will help them understand the power and absolute sovereignty of God.
introduce the lesson
Stick a large piece of cardboard or white paper on a wall in your classroom or on the wall, like a mural. In the middle of this write the question: “Who is God?” Ask your children to write or draw their answers (some may be: God is our Father, he is powerful, he is the creator of everything, etc.)
Look at the mural together and talk about what they wrote. As an introduction, tell them that today’s story is about a special day in which God proved that he is the only true God.
teach the lesson
Before the session read 1 Kings 18 and be ready to tell it in your own words. Think of telling the story in three sections:God promises rain (18:1-15)God and Elijah challenge the followers of Baal (18:16-40)
God sends rain (18:41-45)
Using recycled paper or newspaper, make two altars like the ones shown on Student Activity Sheet #151-A. You can also draw some cuts of “meat” that represent the sacrifice.
Paste them in front of the room and tell the Bible story using the pictures as a reference. When you reach the part where God sends fire from heaven, place an illustration of fire flames (that you can make with red and yellow paper or cellophane paper) on the altar of Elijah.
It is very important that your children know that all of the stories that you present in the class are taken from the Bible, which is the Word of God. Encourage them to read the story with their families in their own Bibles by way of review.
connect the lesson
God shows that he is the only God!
Make sure Student Activity Sheet #151-A and #151-B are aligned and printed back to back. Distribute the activity sheets, and briefly review what they have learned during the class. Help them cut off the top of the activity along the dashed line. Ask them to fold the top of the worksheet down along the solid line so they can see how God responded to Elijah’s prayer.
Ask them, “Why do you think Baal did not answer the prayers of his prophets?” Listen to the answers and then comment that, although the prophets of Baal were many, they had no power because their god was fake. We know that God (Yahweh) is the only true God. When he showed his power by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, the people decided to believe in him, they knelt down and said, “The Lord (Yahweh) is God!”
James 5:16
Allow time for children to complete the Bible verse on Student Activity Sheet #151-B using the words above the hands and the verse.
When they have finished, repeat the text together and then have your children repeat it individually.
practice the memory verse
Help your children understand the memory verse better by searching in a dictionary of the Bible and Christian doctrine for the meaning of the words in this verse. For some of them, there will be some words that may be difficult to understand. It is important to clarify any doubts. They should have a better understanding of what they are learning. In this case, define the words “prayer, righteous, and effective.”
When you finish your explanation, use the worksheet to review the memory verse with your children.
wrap-up
Pray
It is very important that your children understand that prayer is a fundamental part of a Christian’s life and it is also important that you set an example of what that looks like. Encourage them to bring prayer requests to the class so you can intercede for them together. Thank God for hearing and answering the prayers of his people.
Encourage
If time allows have a question and answer time as a final review. Encourage the group to trust God to help them face any challenges they may encounter.
Invite
Invite your children to continue learning about the prophet Elijah in the next session, and guide them in prayer. Remind them that their friends are also welcome to the group.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™