October 2024 - Mediocre and Mighty
ELEMENTARY LESSONS:
MEMORY VERSE:
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9
Lesson 1: God calls average people to do amazing things.
Synopsis: Gideon was the lowest member, of the weakest clan, of the lowest half-tribe, of the region’s weakest nation. This is when and where an angel greets Gideon with the words, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon tried to correct the messenger by describing Israel’s dire situation, and his pathetic social status. For too long, he had defined himself on these terms. But where Gideon saw an insignificant member of a defeated nation, God saw a mighty warrior. Gideon had to decide who he was going to believe about his true identity; God, or himself. In Christ we are defined with words like complete, loved, chosen, accepted, and victorious, just to name a few. Who are you going to believe?
Scripture: Judges 6:1-16
Lesson 2: Gideon’s sacrifice points us to Jesus.
Synopsis: In the middle of the night, Gideon chopped down his village’s Asherah pole, destroyed their Baal altar, and built an altar to God beside it. Using the Asherah pole’s scraps for firewood, he sacrificed the town’s second-best bull. The town was outraged that morning to find their idols destroyed, and replaced by a second-rate sacrifice to God, fueled over unacceptable wood, in a forbidden location, by a man who was neither a priest nor a Levite. This was a massive insult, and a critique against Israel; a portrayal of their sin and godlessness. After Gideon’s father talked the people of his town out of killing Gideon for what he had done, they gave him a disparaging nickname; Jerubbaal, which basically means “Baal will destroy you.” Gideon went from being the most insignificant Israelite, to the most hated Israelite. Only a few verses later, 32,000 Israelites stand ready to follow Gideon into battle. Let’s find out why.
Scripture: Judges 6:25-32 & 7:3
Lesson 3: God is faithful, even when our faith is weak.
Synopsis: Gideon was full of self-doubt when God first called him to action. Then he took a bold stand by destroying the town's idols and offering God an unacceptable sacrifice as an attack on the faithlessness of his people. Then his boldness grew weak, and he pressed for God to prove Himself with dry and wet fleeces. Then Gideon obeyed God by reducing his army of 32,000 to only 300, just before going into battle. Gideon’s confidence in God was up and down. But God’s faithfulness never faltered. Our faith can be fickle at times. We might doubt, or have a hard time trusting God. But Jesus is always faithful. Even after His disciples abandoned Him, He never let them down or stopped forgiving them. And Jesus promises that same faithfulness to us.
Scripture: Judges 6:33-40 & 7:1-25, Matt 28:19-20
Lesson 4: We should not compromise to make people happy.
Synopsis: Gideon compromised in an effort to make his people happy, and it didn’t go well. When he ruled as Israel’s judge, the people asked him to become their king, but he refused. Back then, people worshiped kings like they were gods, and Gideon knew this was wrong, even though they kept pressuring him to rule over them. Instead of flatly denying their request, he came up with a compromise. He made an ephod; a special vest that priests would wear, and he put it on display. Gideon didn’t let them worship him, but he did give them something else that they could worship. They worshiped the ephod as though it were a god. In an attempt to make others happy, Gideon led them astray. Sometimes we compromise to make others happy or make life easier for ourselves. But faithfulness to God means doing what is right, even when it is difficult, or when other people don’t like it.
Scripture: Judges 8:22-27
PRESCHOOL LESSONS:
Memory Verse: “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9a
Bible Story: Gideon – Judges 6-8
Included Each Week: A craft, wiggle-tamer, table time activity, discussion questions, take-home page, and more.
Lesson 1:
Creative Teaching Method: Storytelling with Props
This Week’s Focus: With God, we are greater than we appear.
Lesson 2:
Creative Teaching Method: Storytelling with Pictures
This Week’s Focus: God blesses us when we obey Him.
Lesson 3:
Creative Teaching Method: Storytelling with Interactive Roleplay
This Week’s Focus: I can trust God.
Lesson 4:
Creative Teaching Method: Storytelling with Questions Only
This Week’s Focus: We must seek approval from God, not people.