Start out in a normal speaking voice saying, “If you can hear me, touch your nose.”
Continue saying action phrases while gradually lowering your voice to the quietest of whispers. The kids will have to listen very carefully so as not to miss the command phrase.
End with “sit down”.
b. Chinese Whispers
Test each team’s communication skills with a quiet relay that can also help the children relax after a day of active group games.
Break the kids into two teams, and form two straight lines with teammates standing a foot apart.
Have an adult tell the first member of each team a message like, “go to the grocery store and buy broccoli, bananas and hot dogs” or “when you get to school, take your 10-word spelling test and read four chapters in your history book.”
The children must whisper the message to the next member on the team until the message makes its way down the line.
The last team member must recite the message to the adult.
Award a point to the first team to relay the message correctly.
Continue the game until one team gets five points.
c. Guess the Whisper
Have one person sit blindfolded in a chair.
Let someone come behind him and whisper.
Let the blindfolded person try to guess who whispered.
2. LESSON: God comforts Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18)
Review last week’s lesson:
Who did Elijah challenge at Mount Carmel? King Ahab’s 850 false prophets
What was the challenge? To call on their god to light the bull sacrifice
The false prophets called and danced and cut themselves all day long. Did the false god answer? No!
How many times did Elijah ask the people to pour water over his bull? 3 times
And did the real God answer him? Yes! The fire from heaven burned up the bull, the wood and the stone altar.
What other miracle did God do that day? He sent rain after 3 years of no rain
Let’s see what happened after these fantastic, great miracles.
King Ahab told his wicked wife, Jezebel, what Elijah had done, including killing all the false prophets.
Jezebel was very angry! She sent a message to Elijah threatening to kill him too!
What do you think Elijah did?
Elijah was afraid! Yes, the great man of God was afraid!
Elijah — God’s prophet who said it would not rain, and it didn’t.Elijah — The one who had special food delivery by the birds.Elijah — The one who prayed for a dead boy and he came back to life!Elijah — God’s prophet who called down fire from heaven.
And not only afraid, but he ran for his life! He faced 850 false prophets that day. And now he was running like a scared chicken! What happened?
Elijah forgot who it was who provided food for him and brought the widow’s son to life. He forgot who sent down fire from heaven. He thought it was all about himself. And he was exhausted and scared.
Instead of faith in the true God, Elijah focused on his fears and problems.
He went into the desert and sat under a bush and prayed that he would die! “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
What did God do? God didn’t scold Elijah. Instead, he sent an angel to wake him up to eat and drink. Twice!
We can trust a God who cares for us — especially our physical needs. He knows we need to eat, drink and rest.
After that, Elijah felt stronger and travelled in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights until he reached Mount Horeb, where he stayed in a cave.
There, God came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah complained to God. “I have been so passionate for you God! The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
Then God said to him, “Go out and stand on the mountain for I am going to pass by.”
In the Old Testament, no man could see God. God was too holy for sinful man to come near Him and feel His presence. But God gave Elijah a “preview”.
<use visuals of powerful wind, earthquake and fire to illustrate the following>
First: There was a great and powerful wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks; but the Lord was not in the wind.
Second: There was an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
Third: There came a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire.
Finally: After the fire came a gentle whisper.
God can do great and miraculous works like raising the dead and sending down fire from heaven. But He can also speak to us in a gentle whisper.
Even though Elijah was feeling alone and afraid, depressed and dejected, God came to him, fed him and whispered to Him gently.
And God also revealed a secret to Elijah. Elijah thought that he was the only one of God’s prophets left. But God told him, “I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” There were not 1, or 2, or 3 … but 7000 prophets of the true God whom God had also protected!
Isn’t God wonderful?
Conclusion:
God revealed His presence and power to Elijah through the strong wind, earthquake, fire and still, small voice.
Today, because Jesus died on the cross to make us holy, God’s spirit lives in us. He speaks to us every day. It may be in great miracles and signs, or it could be in a gentle whisper — in the everyday things you see (e.g. the birds of the air and the flowers of the field), in the words of the Bible, or a quiet prompting in your heart.
Whatever your situation is, whenever you feel alone and afraid, depressed and dejected, you can speak to God and know that He will answer you!
3. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS
Memory Verse Activity/Game Psalm 116:1 I love the LORD because He hears and answers my prayers.
