TALKING TO GOD OBJECTIVES To understand that you can talk with God about everything. To practice talking with God about everyday situations and experiences. To discover you can talk with God anytime, anywhere, aloud or silently. To understand God always answers prayer. To learn three steps to take when you do something wrong. To establish a pattern for daily prayer. To understand that telling the truth builds integrity. PREPARATION/MATERIALS NEEDED 1. Discipleship Activity Pages "Talking to God" for each child. 2. Complete the Discipleship Activity Pages "Talking to God" before the session so you will be familiar with all concepts presented. 3. A chalkboard or large piece of paper for Review/Focus. 4. It Takes Love cassette or CD; song chart or transparency. REVIEW/FOCUS (5-10 Minutes) As children arrive, allow those who memorized verses from the Discipleship Activity Page "Jesus In Me Every Day" to say the verses to you. Give approval and recognition to the children with your initials or a sticker in the box next to the verse they completed. While you are listening to individual children, guide the others to continue memorizing verses. [Guided Conversation] We are going to do some word association to review the concepts from our last lesson. Word association means to say a word or phrase and then think of another word or phrase that tells what we are learning. Let me give you an example: [Write an example on the chalkboard or large piece of paper.] When I write the word "promise," we remember that God promised to send His Son Jesus. So, I will write: Promise Now I'll write a word or phrase on the board. [God promised to send His Son Jesus. God is a promise keeper. God is a person of integrity.] Then you think and be ready to tell the class a word or phrase about what we are learning about following Jesus that relates to the word or phrase I wrote on the board. Any questions? The first word is "choose." From our first three lessons, what have we learned to choose? Choose - [Possible answers: to ask Jesus to live in you, to memorize Bible verses, to choose to obey what God says in His book, the Bible.] When I write "child of God," who do followers of Jesus believe are children of God? Child of God - [Possible answers: John 1:12, those who receive Jesus, those who believe Jesus is God's Son.] What have we learned about the word "good"? Good - [Possible answers: God is good, God is greater than all gods, God is compassionate.] What have we learned about "love"? Love - [Possible answers: God is love, Jesus loves and cares for people, people can love and care for others.] What is "eternal life"? [Possible answers: to live forever, life with God now and forever.] What does "memorize" mean? [Possible answers: To remember, to commit to memory, Bible verses.]

Living according to God's moral and ethical laws is a personal commitment to Him. Talking with God daily is essential to maintaining fellowship with Him. As people develop a personal relationship and fellowship with God, they take responsibility for themselves, their family and their community. They make constructive decisions and choices. They obey the laws of the state without force or fear. WORD ASSOCIATION Choose Child of God Good Love Eternal Life Memorize Bible Verses to Memorize: Matthew 28:20 "I am with you always." Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you." Galatians 3:26 "You are a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Jeremiah 33:3 "Pray to me, and I will answer you." Bible Verses to Memorize: Psalm 32:1 "Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven." 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and to make us clean from the wrong we did." Psalm 37:5 "Commit your way to the Lord, trust Him, and He will do it."

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