Large Group Instructions
Series Note
Each Summer to the Max lesson incorporates a special venue into the service. Adding a venue allows the summer schedule to change while keeping the focus on Biblical truth. Venues can be done during the first 30 minutes of service or final 30 minutes of service. If you are also utilizing Summer to the Max Junior lessons, consider keeping one venue at the beginning and one at the end. That will keep costs down by allowing both groups to enjoy the same venue. Each lesson offers multiple venue options at different price points to accommodate your budget. Promoting the venues ahead of time will build excitement for Summer to the Max!
Venue Ideas
Choose one of the following venue options or create your own. These venues connect kids to the story of Abraham as viewed the starry sky and believed that God could and would do the unbelievable.
Magic Show
Purchase magic tricks from David Laflin (laflinmagicstore.com) and put on your own magic show. You can also hire a Christian magician from a website such as gigsalad.com.
Indoor Glow Party
Hand out glow necklaces and bracelets. Play games with glow items such as glow in the dark mini golf or volleyball with glow in the dark beach balls. Have fun coming up with inventive games. You can also use blacklight UV paint to create artwork.
Planetarium
Purchase a small indoor planetarium projector and use it to view the sights of the universe. Talk about God’s creation and what Abraham saw in the sky. Another option is to contact a local museum to rent a mobile planetarium.
Host and Co-Host enter.
Host
Welcome to Summer To The Max! I love that we get to spend the whole summer having fun and learning to follow Jesus and His big plan for us. But first let's worship Him!
Co-Host
Each week we’ll discover a new Big Point that helps us follow God. Let’s listen to today’s Big Point.
Co-Host
I Can Believe God’s Word!
Host
Let’s make up some motions to do as we sing the song. When we say, “I can believe,” use your thumb to point to yourself. When we say, “God’s Word,” pretend you are holding a Bible. Let’s sing it a few times so we can practice the motions.
Host
I Can Believe God’s Word!
Repeat a few times, so the kids can practice the motions.
Co-Host
When you believe in God, that’s called having faith. Faith is trusting that God will do exactly what He says He will do. Let’s talk some more about what having faith means. Look at this chair. Do you think it will hold me if sit on it? I’ll try it. (Sit down) It did work. Do you think it will hold you?
Have the a few kids sit on the chair.
Co-Host
It was easy to believe that the chair would hold you because you saw it hold someone bigger. The Bible is full of stories about people God helped. Those stories remind us that God will always keep His Word. We can believe what God says before it has happened.
Host
I’m going to wear a blindfold. Can I trust that the chair will hold me up, even if I can’t see the chair? Can you tell me where the chair is so I can stand in front of it? (Co-Host and kids help position the Host) Alright, I’m going to sit.
Co-Host
It still worked. We can have faith in God, even when we can’t see what’s going to happen. That’s because we know God will never let us down.
Host and Co-Host enter.
Co-Host
We can believe God’s Word because God never lies. The Bible is always true. You can follow the Big Point. Let’s practice it again with our motions,
Co-Host
I Can Believe God’s Word!
Host
Let’s see what the Bible says about our Big Point by reading our Big Verse.
Host
Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV) says, “What our God says will stand forever.”
Co-Host
God never forgets a promise, even if it takes a long time.
Host
God won’t make a promise and then change His mind and do the opposite. The truth of God’s Word keeps going and going, like this toy I have.
Co-Host
Let’s bring a friend up to help us get it started.
Bring up a kid to help you start the Newton’s cradle toy by holding up one of the end balls and dropping it. Allow it to go several times.
Host
Do you see how it keeps going and going? The Bible was true yesterday, it’s true today, and it will be true tomorrow.
Co-Host
We can have faith in everything God says.
Host
We can trust God in lots of ways, like when we give to help others. After our Big Story we will look at a fun way to help other kids this summer.
Host
Let’s thank God for always keeping His promises to us. Bow your heads and close your eyes. I’ll pray. “Dear God, we are so glad that we can trust that Your words are true. We know that You will never lie to us. Every promise You make will come true. Help us to always believe what You say. Amen.”
Co-Host
The Bible says in Proverbs 19:17
Co-Host
“Anyone who is kind to poor people lends to the Lord. God will reward them for what they have done.” That’s a promise from God.
Host
If we give, God will reward us. Some of those rewards we enjoy now, and some we will get to enjoy later with God. (Explain the giving project) That makes me so happy.
Host and Co-Host enter.
Host
Let’s all practice our Big Point again,
Host
I Can Believe God’s Word!
Co-Host
Abram believed God’s promise, even though he was an old man. He knew that God would give him a son, and God did it!
Host
You can tell your family about Abram when you do the Big Do this week.
Host
Read the Big Verse with your family and talk about how we can believe what God says.
Co-Host
In the Big Story, God told Abram to look in the sky and count the stars. Let’s look at these pictures of the stars. They look the same, but there are some differences between the two. Can you find what is different?
Show the slides and have the kids help you find the difference. Show the answer slides after each one.
Host
God kept His Word. Abram’s family grew larger and larger.
Co-Host
I’m thankful we can believe what God says.
Host
Let’s say our Big Point once more with the motions,
Host
I Can Believe God’s Word!
Did our Big Point say I Won’t Believe God’s Word or I Can Believe God’s Word?
Let’s stand up and pretend to walk like we are a grandpa or grandma. Can you pretend to talk like one? What was the name of the old man in our story? Abram
Pretend to give someone sitting next to you a gift. Let’s act like we’re unwrapping the present. What did God promise to give Abram? Son
Stand up and reach as high as you can. Stand on one foot for as long as you can. You can sit back down. Isaiah 40:8 (NIrV) says, “What our God says will stand ______.”
Forever
For a little while
Pretend that we are looking up into the sky at night. What things do you see? (Describe the night sky) What did God tell Abram to count? Stars Did God keep His promise and give Abram a son and later a big family? Yes Will God keep His promises to you? Yes
What is our Big Do? Read the Big Verse with your family and talk about how we can believe what God says.