Gra

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s 1-2 Leader Guide

STORY AT A GLANCE

Supplies:

Holy MolyDVD

Holy MolyLeaflets

Holy MolyBible Storybooks

Crayons Clear Tape String Scissors

John the BaptiSt

Gra

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s K-2 Leader Guide

KeY VeRSe In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Mark 1:9

John the Baptist was one wild guy!

Fill your satchel with the souvenirs of your trip with John the Baptist!

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CLoSinG pRaYeR

Fewer kids?Revisit the Get Ready activity. Suggest that kids create a weird meal for leaders, who will try to guess what the food items are.

More time?Help kids practice telling the story of John the Baptist to each other with their satchels.

More kids?Spread blue cloth on the floor to be the Jordan River and invite kids to join the crowd that came to John to be baptized. Pairs of kids can take turns baptizing each other.

Dear God,You use all kinds of people to spread your message of love. thank you for sending John to prepare the world for Jesus. Use us to spread your message of love, too!

amen!

Less time?Cut out satchels ahead of time and have them ready to be taped together for kids.

ACTIVITY TIPS

Grades K-2. John the Baptist Leader Guide. Holy Moly. wearesparkhouse.org. © 2013 sparkhouse. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only provided each copy carries this notice.

Baptism• Jewish writings from the era associate

bathing in flowing water with asking God for forgiveness.

• Jesus’ death and resurrection transformed significance of baptism. It became an important ritual from the early days of Christianity (Acts 19:3-6).

• Means “to dip” or “to immerse.”

Wear your satchel, and use your souvenirs to tell others about John, the river, the dove, and baptism.

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Jesus• This baptism is the first time Jesus appears in Mark’s

and John’s Gospels. Matthew and Luke start with stories about Jesus’ birth.

• Jesus’ mother Mary and John’s mother Elizabeth are related (Lk 1:36).

• Just leaving Nazareth to begin his ministry (Mk 1:9).

• Asks John to baptize him. John hesitates at first because he thinks that Jesus should be doing the baptizing (Mt 3:14).

• God tears open the heavens, sends the Spirit down, and proclaims Jesus “my Son” when John baptizes him.

River Jordan• Marks eastern border of promised

land down to Dead Sea (Num 34:10-12).

• Parted for Israelites during their conquest of Canaan (Josh 3:14-17).

• About 25 miles (40 km) from Jerusalem at closest point to city.

John the Baptist• Prophet who lives in the wilderness, eats locusts

and honey, and wears rough clothing. Appearance is similar to Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).

• Many people from Jerusalem and the Judean countryside come to him to repent of their sins.

• Has disciples of his own (Mk 2:18).

• Preaches a baptism of repentance, a forerunner of Christian baptism today which emphasizes a welcome.

• Tells people he’s preparing the way for someone even greater and more powerful.

Dove• Form God’s

spirit takes when it comes down to Jesus.

• Often represents Holy Spirit in Christian art.

• Appears at key points in the Bible, e.g. the flood story (Gen 8:8-12).

ContinUeS...

(10-15 min.)

(5-10 min.) (5-10 min.)

DiSCoVeR

ReLate ConneCt

(20-30 min.)

CREATEGet ReadyEverybody eats, and kids eat a lot of the same things: cereal, pasta, sandwiches, soup, spaghetti, pizza, burgers, fruit and veggies. After talking about what kids do eat, spend a few minutes listing some things they don’t eat. Then invite kids to use their imaginations to “cook up” wild meals for each other, either using classroom items or drawing items on paper.

• Take turns serving a “meal” and being served.

• Use blocks, scraps of paper, whatever you can find to be the “food.”

• If appropriate, explain to guests what you imagine each item to be (e.g. the crayons are worms).

• See who can come up with the wildest dish!

introduce the Characters• John the Baptist is a wild guy who lives in the wilderness.

God chooses him to spread the word, preparing the world for Jesus.

• People come to hear John’s message and to be baptized by John as a sign that they are God’s children.

• God tells John to do something surprising.

Watch for what happens after John

baptizes Jesus.

If time permits, watch it again!

play the John the Baptist Video

talk about the John the Baptist Video• What about John showed you that he was a “wild”

guy?

• What message did God choose John to tell?

• What happened to people when John baptized them? What was different when Jesus was baptized?

• How did John react when Jesus asked to be baptized by him? Why?

• How do you think Jesus felt when God told John to baptize him? How does it feel to know that God loves you, too?

open the holy Moly Bible StorybookRead Wet and Wild on pages 7-10. Look for Jesus’ baptism on page 10.

• Have you seen a baptism? Where? Did the baptizer look like John the Baptist?

• What would you do if you heard a voice from heaven?

John lived in the wilderness, where he ate wild honey and locusts.

• What else do you think he ate in the wilderness?

• What do you think John did when he wasn’t baptizing people?

• Pretend you could talk to John. If you could ask John a question, what would you ask him?

Draw yourself next to John the Baptist in the photo space.

Cut out all 5 objects, and set them aside.

Cut off the extra piece from the satchel.

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on the RoaD With John the BaptiSt: Kids make a satchel to fill with souvenirs from their visit with John the Baptist.

Fold the satchel in half with the key verse facing you. Fold down the top

edge toward you.

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tape the satchel sides together, and tape the bottom edge up.

Leave the top fold open so you can fill your satchel.

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tape string to your satchel at the Xs to make a carrying strap to wear around your waist or over

your shoulder.

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holy Moly!Give kids time to imagine and help them reflect.

• What trips have you taken?

• Where did you go, and who went with you?

• What souvenirs did you bring home?

• What other souvenirs might you have brought home from your visit with John the Baptist?

holy Moly!Help spread John the Baptist’s message!

• Using the souvenirs in your satchel, who can you share the John the Baptist story with?

• What is your favorite part of John’s story? Which souvenir is your favorite?

• What do you think is the most important part of the story to remember?