FAITH CHALLENGE
Kings and Prophets
Josiah-Lesson 2
Scripture: 2 Kings
22-23
Memory Verse: Your word is a lamp to my feet and
a light to my path.
Psalm
119:105
·
A prophet is someone who calls people back to faithful obedience to
God.
·
God holds us accountable for our unfaithfulness
·
Scripture teaches us who God is, our relationship with God, and how we
are to respond to God, as individuals and as a group.
·
Students will review the story of Josiah and Huldah
· Students will discuss and dramatize what modern-day prophets might say to us about life situations today.
1.
At the beginning
of each class, the Coach greets arriving students and supervises snacks.
2.
The Guide and
Coach remind students to write prayer joys and concerns on the Prayer Wall and
to place their offering in the offering jars.
3.
Have the music
from last week, Amy Grant singing “Thy Word” playing as students arrive. Ask students who were present last week to
explain to new students how this verse relates to the story of King
Josiah.
1.
After most
students have arrived and snacks are ended call the class to order. Conduct a review of last week’s lesson with
the questions similar to the following:
Spend whatever time seems necessary for the class to have a good
understanding of the story.
· What was found during the temple repairs while Josiah
was king? The Book of God’s Law
· What happened when Josiah heard this read? He realized how sad God must be that the people were not
following the laws. Josiah tore his
clothes in sorrow.
· Who spoke God’s word to Josiah and what did she
say? Huldah
said God would punish the people for disobeying God’s laws, but not while
Josiah was alive since he had been sorry.
· What is Huldah called? A prophet or prophetess
· What do prophets do?
Calls people back to faithfulness to God. Reminds people of God’s laws and the way God
expects us to live.
· Was there any consequence to the Hebrew people for
not obeying God’s laws? Yes, Huldah predicted they would be destroyed, and later they
were.
· Did Josiah suffer any consequences? No, he was spared because he was sorry
· Do we ever suffer consequences because of our
actions? Certainly! Ask for some
examples—not studying for a test and getting a poor grade, drinking and
driving and causing an accident, cheating on a test and getting caught by the
teacher, lying to parents and being grounded.
· How did Josiah’s people know what was right and
wrong? How do we know what God expects
of us? The Book of God’s Laws taught Josiah and his
people. The Bible teaches us.
· Ask why the Bible verse, Psalm 119:105, is
appropriate for this lesson. While
Josiah was king people found God’s laws in the temple. These taught Josiah and the people how to
live and were like a light for the correct way of living.
· What does this verse mean to us? God’s word (the Bible) still tells us
how to live
Application:
1.
Ask students to
suggest names of modern-day prophets—Martin Luther King, Jr., Billy
Graham, many preachers in churches, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mohandas Ghandi, Mother Teresa, Pope Paul VI (he’s the one who said,
“If you want peace, work for justice.”), Millard Fuller (founder of Habitat for
Humanity).
2.
Tell the class
that for today, they will act as prophets.
Ask them to divide into groups of three and give each group a scenario
from the end of the lesson. Ask them to
read the situation, discuss it, and prepare a little drama to demonstrate what
a modern-day prophet might say or do. It
would be ideal if the modern-day prophet could quote a Bible verse or refer to
a section of the Bible in providing their response. This may not be possible in all scenarios,
however. Allow approximately 15 minutes
for the groups to prepare. Guides and
coaches should be available to advise and assist groups if needed. Groups are welcome to use costumes, props,
etc to help make their situation come alive for the class.
2.
After the groups
are prepared, allow each to present their scenario and the modern-day prophet
speaking the words God might want to say in the situation. Provide comment and discussion as needed
depending on the responses.
Wrap-up:
Conclude the lesson with
a reminder of what we can learn from the story of Josiah (the concepts from
this lesson.)
·
A prophet is someone who calls people back to faithful obedience to
God.
·
God holds us accountable for our unfaithfulness
·
Scripture teaches us who God is, our relationship with God, and how we
are to respond to God, as individuals and as a group.
1. The Coach conducts the closing prayer time.
2. Close/lock the door and turn off the lights.
· Copy the scenarios “What Might a Prophet Say?” and cut into strips
· CD player and Amy Grant CD
· Costumes, colored paper, scissors, markers to illustrate dramatizations as desired.
What Might a Prophet Say?
People in a poor country can only work sewing Nike clothes for
Americans. The people earn very little
money and work long hours. What might a
prophet say?
A homeless family is sleeping in their car. What might a prophet say?
It is lunchtime and a Muslim student in your class at school is fasting
for their holy days. What might a
prophet say?
Your dad told you “no” you could not go to the movie. You are really angry. What might a prophet say?
Your grandfather is very sick in a hospital in
A farmer is selling his land.
Someone wants to buy it to build a movie theater. What might a prophet say?
A church must decide whether to buy Sunday school curriculum or support
a new mission project. What might a
prophet say?
People from two different countries are fighting a war because they do
not agree about politicks and government.
What might a prophet say?
Lots of homes were destroyed in a hurricane. What might a prophet say?