Love God With Everything
Lionel learns that he needs to use his whole body to swim at the new pool.
Start Lesson
Large Group Instructions
Countdown From 10
Rules
WelcomeMaterials: Overalls (2), Train Hat (2), Handkerchief (2)
Host and Co-Host enter dressed in overalls. The Co-Host stays partially offstage with his/her head barely peeking out.
Host
Welcome to the Train Station, Jr. Conductors! I hope that you are ready to learn true things about God.
Co-Host
I’m ready. I can’t wait to help the Jr. Conductors.
Host
Jr. Conductors, I hear our friend, (Co-Host), but I don’t see him/her. Can you point to our friend if you find him/her?
The Co-Host should pop in and out of view. Have something to hide behind on stage or stay hidden by the entrance to the stage/room during this segment so that the kids have to keep looking. The Co-Host can also move to a different part of the stage and then remain mostly hidden. The Host should still “struggle” to find the Co-Host.
Co-Host
I’m right here, silly. Conductor Carl asked me to help you today.
Host
We need all of you on stage so we can learn. You can’t just help with only part of you on stage.
Co-Host
Are you sure? Can’t I just peek out whenever I want to talk to our friends?
Host
We need our whole bodies to learn at the Train Station. Jr. Conductors, let’s stand and stretch our arms up high. (Stretch) Bend over and touch your toes to stretch out your legs. (Stretch) Now wiggle your fingers and wiggle your toes. (Wiggle) We will discover today how to use our whole bodies to love God.
Co-Host
Hmm, I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll stay back here and use just my eyes to praise God.
Host
Jr Conductors, right after our story, let’s show our friend how we use our whole bodies to worship God by singing and dancing. Can you shout, “Choo-choo!”
Engage 1Materials: Overalls (2), Train Hat (2), Handkerchief (2)
Host and Co-Host enter. The Co-Host is still peeking from behind the entrance.
Co-Host
Jr. Conductors, have you ever seen anyone try to swim like Lionel?
Host
Can you swim by sitting on the ground outside of the pool? No, you have to get into the water. (To the Co-Host) If you want to help the Jr. Conductors, you have to come all the way on stage.
Co-Host
I don’t think so. It’s like this song I heard in school. Would you like to sing it with me, Jr. Conductors? It’s called the Hokey Pokey.
Sing the Hokey Pokey. (Copyright prevents the lyrics from being duplicated in the lesson, refer online for the lyrics) Instead of using right arm or right leg, use “one leg” “one arm” etc. to aid the younger kids. Don’t sing the line about the whole self yet.
Host
That is a fun song to sing, but when we follow God, we need to use our whole bodies. Let’s practice our Big Point.
Host
Love God With Everything!
Co-Host
Does that Big Point mean that we use our whole bodies, brains, and voices to love God?
Host
It sure does. We love God with everything we have. That means we love God with our very best effort. Let’s sing that song again, but this time let’s sing it differently.
Sing the Hokey Pokey again. This time sing just the part about put your whole self in and out. Sing that a couple of times.
Co-Host
That was fun. I think I’m going to stay out here and use my whole self to help the Jr. Conductors and to love God.
Host
That’s a wise choice. Let’s see if Lionel chooses to use his whole body to swim.
Engage 2Materials: Overalls (2), Train Hat (2), Handkerchief (2)
Host and Co-Host enter.
Co-Host
Did Lionel do a good job swimming by only moving one arm? (Pause) No.
Host
Let’s practice swimming by moving both of our arms, like Engineer Kelly. That helps us remember our Big Point. Let’s say the Big Point again,
Host
Love God With Everything!
Co-Host
I like the verse that Engineer Kelly shared from the Bible. Mark 12:30 (NIrV) says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love Him with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Host
That verse means that we use our whole bodies to love God. We love God with the words we use, the things that we think, and the things that we do.
Co-Host
That reminds me of another fun song. Would you like to stand and sing it? This song uses our whole bodies to move.
Host
If it uses our whole bodies, then it might be a good way to remember what we’re learning today.
Sing along to the song “Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” Change the words to the following. For heart, point to your heart; for soul, point to yourself; for mind, point to your brain; and for strength, make a muscle.
“Heart, soul, mind, and strength,
mind and strength.
Heart, soul, mind, and strength,
mind and strength.
With all things I will love the Lord.
Heart, soul, mind, and strength,
mind and strength.”
Co-Host
When Jesus is our leader, we want to give our very best to Him.
Host
That’s right. Jesus loves us and helps us so much, and the right response is to love Him back with everything. In just a moment we’re going to learn about some people who weren’t sure if they wanted to love Jesus like that.
Co-Host
I’m glad that we can make a wise choice. Singing songs to Jesus is a great way to show Him love.
Big Story
Optional, play soft instrumental music.
Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes. We can take verses from the Bible and pray them to God. Let’s do that with our Big Verse. Repeat this prayer after me. “Dear Jesus, help me to love You with all my heart and all my soul. Help me to love You with all my mind and all my strength.”
Engage 3Materials: Overalls (2), Train Hat (2), Handkerchief (2)
Host and Co-Host enter.
Co-Host
I’m proud of Lionel for learning how to swim. He listened to Engineer Kelly and used his whole body.
Host
We can use all of our bodies to love Jesus, too. Let’s all practice our Big Point again,
Host
Love God With Everything!
Co-Host
The people from our Big Story didn’t love Jesus with everything, but I’m glad that Jesus still loved them and wanted to help them make a wise choice.
Host
You can tell your family about what you learned about that city when you do the Big Do this week.
Host
Talk about how you can love God everywhere you go during your day.
Co-Host
I want to show you some pictures of places that you might visit, Jr. Conductors. Let’s think of how we can show God love when we are there.
Show the pictures and have the kids act out some aspect of what they might do at that location. Then suggest ways the kids could show God love in that place.
Host
I think the Jr. Conductors are ready to follow our Big Point. Let’s say our Big Point once more,
Host
Love God With Everything!
Big Review
Did our Big Point say Kind Of Love God or Love God With Everything?
Let’s pretend to play in a pool. (Pretend to jump in the water, swim, splash, and throw a beach ball) What did Lionel do wrong when he tried to swim? He only used part of his body What did Engineer Kelly help Lionel learn? To swim with his whole body
Let’s sing the fun song we learned today (Sing the song from Engage 2) Mark 12:30 (NIrV), “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love Him with all your mind and with all your (food / strength).”
Let’s pretend to drink something hot. Now pretend to drink something cold. Let’s pretend to spit out a drink. In our Big Story, did the people love Jesus with all of their hearts? No Did Jesus want to help them make a wise choice and love God with everything? Yes
What did Conductor Carl tell us to do in the Big Do? Talk about how you can love God everywhere you go
Clean Up
