Children (1st - 5th)
We want the children of The Village to have a deeply rooted confidence in the character of God so they passionately follow Him through good and bad times. Our hope is to partner with parents in the discipleship of their children by providing environments, curriculum and resources that center on the gospel and teach the nature and character of God.
When We Meet
This Weekend
Key Point
God’s children want God more than they want His stuff.
Lesson Summary
Israelites try to take the land/40 years in the wilderness (Numbers 14:11-45)
Last weekend we saw how the spies trusted in their own strength and gave a bad report of the land, therefore encouraging the Israelites to distrust the Lord and fall into dismay. This weekend we will continue reading in the Old Testament about the Israelites’ journey into the Promised Land. We will look at how the Lord responded to the Israelites’ distrust and how the people rebelled against Him.
After the Israelites failed to trust in the Lord and His promises, the Lord grew frustrated with the people. They disobeyed Him and did not enter into the land as He commanded. The Lord was angry, but, in His steadfast love, He disciplined them instead of destroying them.
For those who did not believe in the Lord’s ability to bring them into Canaan, God promised that they would never enter. Instead, their children would know and enter the land which they themselves rejected. Joshua and Caleb were also remembered by the Lord for their faithfulness, and they too would be able to enter into the Promised Land.
However, the Lord subjected everyone to the desert; according to the number of days that they spied out the land, a year for each day, would they wander until all of the faithless people had died. Only then would Caleb, Joshua and the descendants of Israel be able to occupy the land.
Again, the Israelites grumbled against the Lord and greatly mourned His discipline. Rather than accepting the consequences for their sin, they rose early the next morning to go and occupy the land for themselves.
Moses tried to stop them, reminding them that they were continuing to sin against the Lord. If they tried to enter into the land, they would fail because the Lord would not be with them. As the Israelites tried to take the land, the Amalekites and the Canaanites came down, defeated them and drove them away.
The Israelites did not believe God or obey Him, and they were disciplined and deprived of their entrance into the Promised Land. Rather than trusting God, they instead went after His creation and tried to occupy the land without His help or presence. This weekend we will use this narrative as a contrast to show how God’s children can worship Him by loving and wanting Him and His presence more than His “stuff.”
Helpful Texts
1 Chronicles 16:8-12, Numbers 13:25-14:38,42-43, Psalm 106:24-27, 1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 84:1-4, 10, Psalm 42:1-2, Philippians 3:7-8, Psalm 16:11, Hebrews 12:5-6, 1 John 5:3
Family Discussion Questions
Family Activity Calendar
Kids’ Village
Kids' Village is a place where kids spend time learning and worshipping through song, story and study during weekend services. Song and story take place in a large group where 1st - 5th graders gather together. Study takes place in small groups where kids of the same age open the Bible and learn from each other and their leader.
If you’re visiting for the first time, you will need to fill out a registration card to receive a check-in tag and security stickers. The stickers serve two purposes:
- Parent Paging – If we need you during service, the number on your sticker will be displayed in the Worship Center.
- Child Pick-up – You must present your portion of the sticker before we release your child.
Feel free to bring the registration card already filled out to save time. Children may be checked in 30 minutes before service begins, but they may only be dropped off 15 minutes early and once their leader arrives.
Special Needs
If you have a child with special needs, we would love to partner with you in ministering to your child. Please talk to a Children's ministry staff member or contact the Special Needs ministry for more information.
Family Resources
Scripture is clear that parents have been given the joy and responsibility of raising their children in the ways of Jesus. We desire to partner with you as you disciple your children. One of the ways we do this is by providing resources to help you talk with your children about the gospel.
Child Baptism
We treat the baptism of children with special care and have created a class to help parents walk through the process with their children. For more information, visit our Baptism page.