Leader Guide

Leader Introduction

Today’s video finds Miss Tina and the bots generously helping Professor Fern in her garden. Everyone is working hard to harvest a fresh crop of vegetables to give to the orphanage—that is, until Rig digs up a gold nugget! Rig’s good fortune starts a gold rush stampede of robot prospectors who overrun the garden and turn the site into a western town overnight! Miss Tina tells the Bible story of the poor widow and her two coins that she gave as an offering in the Temple. The story helps Rig choose between buying himself a robo-horse or giving his nugget to the orphanage! Children learn the importance of generosity: To cheerfully give and share what God gives you.

*Scripture is quoted from the New Living Translation unless noted.

Optional Opening Game

In today’s game you will pretend to be western prospectors who mine (dig) for gold nuggets!

Hold up a handful of crumpled cards from the box. This box is filled with paper balls like these. Some balls have a gold nugget, some do not (show the children a gold nugget).

Your job is to find the gold nuggets! When you find one, put it in this pan (hold up pan).

If the paper you choose is not a gold nugget, you will drop it on the floor and dig again until you find one. We will play until everyone finds a gold nugget (or two).

Conclusion: Hold up the pan of nuggets. Look at all the nuggets you dug up! If these were real, we would be rich! But you know, even if we don’t have much money, we already ARE rich—in the most important ways! Because we have each other as friends and most importantly we have Jesus! We are rich in love, rich in joy, and rich in hope. Right? Children respond.

In today’s video, Miss Tina and the robots are generously helping Professor Fern in her vegetable garden. What does that have to do with mining gold nuggets? Let’s watch the video to find out!

Video Lesson

Play Video (Tale of Two Widgets — Opening Dilemma)

Rig of the West - opening dilemma

Optional discussion following the video:

● What was everyone doing in Professor Fern’s garden? Digging up vegetables.

● Were the vegetables for Miss Fern and Miss Tina to eat? No, the vegetables were for the orphanage.

An orphan is someone who doesn’t have a mom and a dad. An orphanage is a home for orphans to live in and be cared for.

What did Rig find when he dug in the garden? A gold nugget.

● Who came to the garden to dig for gold? The robot prospectors.

● What did Rig want to buy for himself? A horsey, a robo-horse.

● What else did Rig think about doing with his nugget? Give it to the orphanage.

● Did Gears want Rig to give the nugget to the orphanage? No, he said it was a crazy idea to give up on his dream of having a robo-horse.

● Who wanted to sell Rig a robo-horse? Professor Spectrum.

● Who was in the horse Spectrum made to fool Rig? Doodad and Grip.

● What was Doodad saving his money to buy? An ice cream machine.

● What did the professor break that belonged to Doodad? His piggy bank.

That wasn’t very kind of Professor Spectrum was it! If Professor Spectrum buys the robo-horse, Rig will need to make a very hard choice!

What do you think Rig should do with his gold nugget? Children respond.

Good ideas! We will see what Rig decides to do after we watch the Bible story!

Play Video (Resolution Video)

Resolution Video

· Who did Rig throw the gold nugget to? Professor Fern.

· What did Rig want Professor Fern to do with the nugget? Buy food and anything the orphans needed.

· Why was Professor Spectrum unhappy? He needed to sell the robo-horse.

· What did the horse do at the end of the video? It ran away from Professor Spectrum.

Object to GO!

Hold up the pennies or image and discuss it using the questions and comments below.

● I think everyone knows what I am holding, right? Yes, two pennies (coins).

● Jump up and down if you have some pennies at home? Children respond.

● Where do you keep your pennies? In a (piggy) bank, drawer, purse, cup, etc.

● What would you like to do with your pennies? Save them, give an offering, buy something.

● Someone in today’s video had two small coins, even smaller than pennies! Can you guess what the person does with the coins? Children guess.

● Let’s watch our video to see if you guessed correctly.

In today’s video, Jesus sees something big even though it looks very small to others.

Play Video (Bible Story)

Bible Story

The Widow’s Coins

Text: Luke 21:1-4; Mark 12:38-44

Teaching Time

● Jesus and His disciples sat down near the collection boxes in the Temple. The four actors enter and sit down on the chairs.

● Jesus and His disciples watched as people dropped money in the collection boxes.

● Many rich people put in large amounts of money. The two rich actors with heads proudly tilted up, hold their money bags in front of them, shaking them to make noise, parade to the table, single file. The first actor (loudly) drops some coins into the first box and looks around to see if he is watched. The second actor proudly does the same. The actors repeat this at the second box, then proudly leave.

● The disciples watched carefully. The disciples smile and make big eyes, then elbow each other in approval.

● Then a poor widow slowly walked to the offering boxes. The widow slowly and humbly enters with head down.

● The widow took out two tiny coins from her money bag and dropped a coin in each box, then walked away with her head down. The widow drops one coin in each box and slowly and reverently walks out of the scene.

● Jesus stood up and motioned His disciples to gather around Him. Jesus stands up, motions to His disciples, who come and stand next to Him.

● Say small phrases and stop for Jesus to repeat. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “This poor widow… has given more… than all the rest of them…. Because they have given a tiny part of their surplus… but she has given… everything she has.

● The disciples look back and forth at each other pondering what Jesus said.

Optional Bible Story Review Questions.

· Hold up the two pennies (from Object to Go!). Do you remember these? Who did these belong to? The poor widow.

· What is a widow? A woman whose husband has died.

· Back in Bible times, a man usually earned all of the money for his wife and children. So if the man died, what could happen to his wife and children? They could become very poor.

· What did the widow do with her two pennies? She put them in the offering.

· Pretend you are one of Jesus’ disciples. When Jesus says the widow gave the more than the rich people, what would you think? Children respond.

When we bring offerings to God, the money is used for important things like:

· Sharing the Good News of Jesus and God’s love in the community and around the world!

· Helping people who need special care, clothing, food, or a place to live.

· Caring for the pastor, missionaries, other workers, and the church.

Verse to GO!

Proverbs: 11:25 (MSG)

Play Video (Verse to Go)

Verse to Go

Today’s Bible memory verse is Proverbs 11:25. Say the memory verse slowly.

“The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped” Proverbs 11:25

Now, let’s learn the first part of the verse together with some motions.

Stand facing the children and lead them in to repeat phrases and imitate the motions.

The one… point both index fingers to your chest.

Who blesses others… Outstretch one hand to give.

Is abundantly blessed… point to sky with one hand and bring the hand that was outstretched flat to your chest.

Repeat slowly a few more times.

Optional: Make sure the children understand what it means to bless others and the meaning of “abundantly.”

We bless others when we show God’s love and kindness to them.

The word “abundant” means a large amount or many of something.

So, by blessing others, we will receive blessings from God and others.

Note: Preschool children may not be able to memorize the entire verse. They may simply repeat it with you. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer Time

Close the lesson in a simple prayer to encourage the children to be generous givers.

For example: Dear God, Thank You for giving generously to us so we can give generously too. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Music Time

The Gold Nugget

The lyrics and chords for this song are found in Resources.

Create your own motions or use the suggested motions as seen in the Quantum Karaoke “Generosity” under Resources or under Extras! in the DVD main menu.

The Gold Nugget

Play the video song “The Gold Nugget.” Encourage children to move with the music and sing along on the chorus. Move up and down riding a horse. Use a shovel and a pick to dig up gold with the prospectors!

Chorus

When you bless others you’ll be blessed abundantly
Bring ’em in, Help ’em out, Help ’em up, Give a shout
Bless abundantly
Think of the one in need

Singing Activity

Optional: Invite someone to play the guitar or piano and lead the children in singing the words below to the familiar tune, “London Bridge is Falling Down.” (Chords are in parenthesis for verse 1.) Or, simply do it a capella.

(C)

God gives all the things I need

(G) (C)

Things I need, things I need

(C)

God gives all the things I need

How? (Note: The leader interjects this between lines)

(G) (C)

Gen – er – ous – ly! (Stretch out 4 syllables to be like 4 words, as in “My Fair Lady” )

Cheerfully I’ll give to God

Give to God, give to God

Cheerfully I’ll give to God How? Generously

I will give what people need

People need, people need

I will give what people need

How? Generously!

When I give, God blesses me

Blesses me, blesses me

When I give, God blesses me

How? Generously!

Take Home Coloring Page

As children color, review today’s lesson using the discussion points below:

● What is the Temple? A place where people could worship God.

● What city was the Temple in? Jerusalem.

● What was Jesus preaching about outside the Temple? The Good News.

● What is the Good News? Jesus died to save us from sin so we can go to heaven.

● Who was sitting with Jesus in the Temple? Jesus’ disciples.

● Who gave big bags of money? Rich men.

● But who did Jesus say gave the biggest offering? The widow.

OPTIONAL TRADING CARD:

Optional: Hand out GizmoGO! trading cards for A LESSON IN GENEROSITY—RIG OF THE WEST, one per child; available for purchase under Products. Explain that there is a different trading card for each of the three lessons, so if children come back to class each week, they can collect all three! (Save the cards for PROFFESOR SPECTRUM and WIDOW’S COINS for Lessons 2 and 3.)

Lesson Wrap Up

WRAP UP VIDEO:

Wrap Up

● Why did the prospectors quickly leave town? There wasn’t any more gold.

● What did Gizmo say would take a lot of work? Restoring (repairing) the garden.

● What happens when we bless others? We will be (abundantly) blessed.

● What did Gizmo wish he could find to give away? A gold nugget.

● What did Miss Tina say was our turn to do? Go and be generous.

Giving money is a great way to be generous! But the bots learned another way to be generous is by giving their time and energy to help repair the garden!

God loves when we share with others what He generously gives to us. This is especially true with the best gift He ever gave—His Son Jesus!

The Bible says: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 (NLT).

Sharing Jesus with others is the very best gift we can ever give anyone!

Game

Play or repeat the optional opening game “Gold Rush!” if time permits.