SCRIPTURE: Ezra 1-3

CHRIST CONNECTION: Everyone who believes in God will one day live with Him, be happy, and
worship Him forever in heaven.

KEY PASSAGE PHRASE: This is our God. He saved us. Let’s rejoice and be glad! Isaiah 25:9

GOSPEL GEMS: 
• God wanted King Cyrus to help rebuild God’s house.
• The king let God’s people help. Others gave gifts of silver, gold, and animals.
• Some people were happy and played music when the work was done, but others were sad.

Directions:
Items from the story will be in the bin, including animals, gold and silver. Have the kids find the items and talk about how they were in the story.

Say:
God wanted King Cyrus to help rebuild God’s house. The king let God’s people help. Others gave gifts of silver, gold, and animals.

Directions:
Using a stamp pad and cups for stamps, have the kids stamp the outside of the suitcase to decorate it. Then open the suitcase and review what is inside. After you are done decorating, you can have the kids hold their little suitcases and go for a walk, pretending they are going back to Jerusalem!

Say:
You made a suitcase! We use a suitcase when we go somewhere far away. God made a promise that His people would go far away back to their home in Jerusalem. Did God keep His promise? Yes, God always keeps His promises.

Directions:
Play worship music in the background while you encourage the toddlers to build with the blocks as high as they can. When the blocks fall down encourage the toddlers to rebuild with their blocks and point out how God’s people helped rebuild God’s house. Retell the Bible story. Challenge the toddlers to think of their blocks falling down as God’s house, the temple, in the story.

Say:
God wanted King Cyrus to help rebuild God’s house. The king let God’s people help. Some people were happy and played music when the work was done, but others were sad.

Directions:
Play a matching game with the kids. Lay out one set of cards on the rug. The other set will be in a basket. Have the kids take turns drawing one card from the basket and finding it’s match (you may need to help guide them). Be sure to name the pictures on the cards, using the words, gold, silver and animals.

Say:
God wanted King Cyrus to help rebuild God’s house. The king let God’s people help. Others gave gifts of silver, gold, and animals.