Battle for the Promised Land 4/4
Gather Bibles, Several Sheets of Paper (Cut into Strips), 1 Basket (Garbage Can or Bowl), and Tape
Parent Note: Tape 5 parallel lines on the floor with the basket in front of line 1. Each line should be roughly a foot and a half apart.
WATCH this video:
ACTIVITY
SAY: We are going to spend some time reviewing what we’ve learned from the book of
Judges. As a small group we will look in the Bible to find the answers. As you answer
each question I will give you a piece of paper to wad up into a “basketball.” At the end, we will go to our “Who’s the Boss Basketball Toss” Court and see who can shoot the most baskets.
QUESTIONS
1. In Judges 2:1, the angel of the Lord reminds the people that he brought them out of where?
Answer: Egypt
2. Read Judges 2:18-19. What does the Bible say happened when God raised up a judge, and then the people did what after that judge died?
Answer: God was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies, but when the judge died, the people went back to their ways.
3. Judges 4:4 says Deborah was a .
Answer: Prophetess
4. In Judges 8:23 who does Gideon say will rule over the people?
Answer: The Lord
5. Work together as a group to memorize Judges 21:25
SAY: Great job! I will give everyone 5 papers to crumple into basketballs. Bring your basketballs to the “Who’s the Boss Basketball Toss” Court. Everyone will get a turn to stand on the first line, and toss the basketball into the basket. Each basketball that makes it into the basket is worth 5 points. After we’ve thrown our first 5 basketballs, we’ll step back to the next line where basket scored is worth 10 points. We’ll keep moving to the next line and adding 5 more points for each basket scored!
WATCH this video:
Gather these Supplies: Ruth Story Video (or Ruth story script), Provide for each child the
following, The Popsicle Theater Cut-Out sheet, 12 Popsicle Sticks, Scissors, & Tape
ACTIVITY
SAY: We are going to review the book of Ruth. We’ll use our Popsicle Sticks to create our own
Popsicle Theatre. I’ll play the video and we can follow along.
DIRECTIONS
1. Give each child 1 Popsicle Theatre Cut-Out, 1 Popsicle Stick, Scissors and Tape.
2. Encourage the children to create their Popsicle Sticks by cutting their Cut-Out and taping it the stick.
3. Options:
a. Play the Ruth Video, and encourage the children to use their Popsicle Sticks to follow along
with the story.
b. Use the Script instead of the Video. Choose 1 child to be the narrator who reads the script while the children follow along
POPSICLE THEATER SCRIPT
Once upon a time, there was a woman named Ruth! She wasn’t an Israelite – she was from Moab, a country Israel didn’t like very much. But Ruth, she married an Israelite! As our story begins, Ruth, her Israelite husband and her husband’s mother were all living in Moab because there was a famine in Israel.
So they are in Moab when – oh no! – Ruth’s husband dies! I don’t know what happened – maybe he got hit by a bus.
Or maybe he got hit by a cow. Or a goat? An ill-tempered iguana?
Anyway, he’s dead. He’s gone. No more husband. Now Ruth’s mother-in-law – her name is Naomi – she doesn’t have a husband either. He died a while back – probably another iguana.
Naomi doesn’t really belong in Moab. She’s an Israelite. So as soon as the famine ends, she decides to go back to Israel. Of course, she is old and has no husband and no money. So she’ll have to beg for food. Her life will be sad.
Well guess what? Ruth doesn’t want that to happen! She loves Naomi! So even though Moab is her home, Ruth says to Naomi – “I will come with you! Your people will be my people! Your God will be my God!” Isn’t that beautiful?
Anyway, this amazing Ruth, she leaves her home and goes to Israel with Naomi to take care of her! Everyday she follows the workers in the fields to pick up little bits of grain to share with Naomi!
She’s picking up bits of grain in a field that belongs to a wealthy man named Boaz, who happens to be related to Naomi’s old husband!
Boaz sees Ruth in the field, and hears about what she’s done for Naomi. He hears about her great love for her mother-in-law. And get this! He falls in love with Ruth! Wonderful Ruth!
And Ruth and Boaz end up getting married! And Boaz takes care of Ruth, and takes care of Naomi, her mother-in-law!
And everyone is happy!
WATCH this video:
Parent Note: This activity is a set of review questions that will appear on the video. Take time to answer and discuss each question with your small group. At the end of this time, take prayer requests and lead a time of prayer with your group.
ACTIVITY
SAY: Let’s play Bible What’s It? I will divide you into 2 teams. You can work with your team to answer each question. The team who answers the most questions correctly, wins!
SAY: Great job answering the questions! I’m wondering something: What is something new that you learned about the stories of the Bible, or about God’s great rescue plan?
SAY: The Bible tells us the story of Ruth, her husband Boaz, and her mother-in-law Naomi. What does the story of Ruth mean for your life this week?
SAY: Let’s pray together. What would you like to pray for this week?
ASK the children to share their prayer requests.
PRAY with your children.
A few discussion questions for the week:
• What does the story of the Judges mean to you?
• Many people during the times of the Judges walked away from what they
believed. How can you not walk away from what you believe this week?
• Name 3 people from the book of Ruth. (Ruth, her husband Boaz, her
mother-in-law Naomi)
• What is something new you learned from the book of Ruth?
• What did you pray for today? What do you want to pray for this week?
BIG question: What does the book of Ruth have to do with God’s
great rescue plan?