Day 1 Bedrock Base
Introduce It!

Bible or children’s Bible
Costumes for exploration leaders (teachers)
Arctic Circle poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Day 1 Fun Phrase poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Mounting putty or tape (for hanging posters)
Pre-Prep
Prepare your costumes.
Cut apart the Arctic Circle and Coolest Book posters. 

 
You may want to adopt a fun name like Exploration Eddie or Snowflake Sue.
Be familiar with the lesson, but don’t memorize it. Place it on a clipboard to use as a reference. You may want to decorate the back of your clipboard (the side the kids see when looking at you) with snowflake stickers.
The Bible and mounting putty or tape are listed just once in each day’s lesson, but plan to use them throughout.

IMPORTANT NOTE: As you read these lessons, you will notice many opportunities throughout the week to present the gospel. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as to which of these opportunities to use.
That’s Unique! (5 minutes)
As the explorers come in and get settled, say something like the following:
Exploration Leader One (Teacher One): Welcome, explorers! My name is ___, and I’ll be one of your exploration leaders this week at the Arctic Circle Exploration Company.
Exploration Leader Two (Teacher Two or Teaching Assistant): And I’m ___, your other exploration leader.
Exploration Leader One: We’ll be exploring the Arctic together as we head out on this week’s mission—Operation Arctic. During Operation Arctic, we’ll discover that the Arctic is a one-of-a-kind, unique place. It’s really “cool!” (Get it? Cool?)
Exploration Leader Two: We get it! Well, we’re excited to start our exploration, but first, let’s take a couple minutes and get to know each other.
Exploration Leader One: Anyone know what the word “unique” means? Take answers.  Unique means one-of-a-kind, like no one or nothing else. For instance, every person is unique. According to the Bible, God created each person fearfully and wonderfully in His image (e.g., Psalm 139). He made each of us a special, one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Turn to your neighbor and say, “Hi, unique person.” Do so.
Exploration Leader Two: Now tell your neighbor your name and something unique about you—a combination of things nobody else could say about themselves, like “I’m the child of ___, I have one brother named ___, my birthday is ___, and my favorite cereal is ___.” Do so. 
Exploration Leader One: Places can be unique, too. For instance, New York City is unique. Turn to your neighbor and try to say “Unique New York” three times fast. Do so.
Exploration Leader Two: Could you do it? It’s hard to say, isn’t it? Well, there’s a place on this globe that is absolutely unique. It’s not like anywhere else. It’s fascinating. It’s extreme. It’s take-your-breath-away beautiful. It’s the Arctic.
Exploration Leader One: The Arctic is the region at the top of the world. That in and of itself is unique—there’s only one top of the world!
Exploration Leader Two: Show the Arctic Circle poster. At the very tippy top, there’s no land—just ocean. It’s called the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean is surrounded by eight countries that are part of an area above what’s called the Arctic Circle—an imaginary line near the top of the world. The countries that have land above the Arctic Circle are the United States (Alaska), Canada, Iceland, Greenland (which is part of Denmark), Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. Turn to your neighbor and say “Russia” in a Russian accent, rolling your R. Do so.
Exploration Leader One: With all the unique people and things in this world, one is the most unique of all. Can you guess what is the most unique thing on the planet? Take guesses.
Exploration Leader Two: Did you say the Bible? It’s a one-of-a-kind book, like no other book ever! In fact, our animal pal Blizzard reminds us the Bible is the Book of books! Show the Day 1 Fun Phrase poster. Let’s say “B is for Book of books.” Do so. Now let’s check out a little more about why this book is the Book of all books.
Teach It!
Part 1: One-of-a-Kind Book
NOTE: There are two options listed for Part 1. If you have mainly first or second graders, the puppet show is a great option. If you have mainly third graders, the Ready, Set, Snow! game is a good option. However, either option works well for any of the children in this age group, so choose what fits your setting best. The game takes longer than the puppet pal.
Option 1: Puppet Pal—It’s a Superstar! (5 minutes)

Boy or girl puppet (in costume) and puppet stage
Star stickers
Coolest Book poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Clipboard
2 copies of today’s puppet script (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the script. Tape one inside the puppet stage and place the other one on the clipboard.
Get the puppet in costume and the puppet stage ready. A costume can be a mini T-shirt with the VBS logo and/or a hat or scarf.
One teacher should be in front of the puppet stage with the clipboard and one should be behind it ready to work the puppet.

 Each day, the puppet pal will be used to teach or reinforce the lesson. If you don’t have a teaching assistant or co-teacher, enlist someone (a group guide or other volunteer) ahead of time to work the puppet each day. Give them a copy of the script to become familiar with. If you’re alone, you and the puppet can both be behind the top half of the door of the Arctic Exploration Company cabin. Or you can make a large snow mound mounted with a jack and you can stand behind that. (See Decorating Decisions for more info about the puppet stage.)
You can use either a boy or a girl puppet. Use a consistent voice for the puppet all week. Speak clearly and exaggerate words and expressions. For instance, draw out certain words for emphasis, or make an exaggerated action for things like groaning, turning its head, or sneezing. Use your free hand to do things with the puppet’s hands or arms. For example, if the puppet is “thinking,” put the puppet’s hand on its chin. When the puppet is talking, make sure the mouth is open. (This is the opposite of what people often do!) In other words, the mouth should be open on most syllables. You don’t have to open very wide, which will help you move the mouth faster and more naturally. 
When the puppet is entering, hold your arm back and down and have the puppet take three steps forward, getting higher each time, until the puppet is out and visible.  When exiting, turn the puppet toward you and take three steps down until out of sight.

The kids will love the daily puppet show, so try to fit it in each day even if you have to shorten it a little.
The name “Kai” rhymes with “Hi.”

 Teacher: Boys and girls, let me introduce you to our puppet pal, and he (she) can introduce himself (herself) and tell you more about this Book of books, the Bible. 
Puppet: Hey there, everybody! My name is Kai and I live in Alaska, above the Arctic Circle. I love to go exploring on my dogsled, and I also love to explore something else—my Bible! It’s the coolest book on the planet!
Teacher: It sure is, Kai. The Bible is a treasure!
Puppet: Oh, yeah, it's a one-of-a-kind book all right, written by God! In fact, I think it deserves an award! 
Teacher: I’ve got some stars here. Show them.
Puppet: That would be great! Well, to start, the Bible gets a star for being the only book that is God-breathed, or inspired. That means every word of it is from God Himself!
Teacher: Slap a star sticker on Kai's shirt. WOW! God wrote us a book! It’s the Book of all books!
Puppet: But that’s not all. The Bible deserves more stars! For instance, it’s the best book ever.
Teacher: What makes it the best book ever?
Puppet: For one, it’s perfect. The original writings didn’t have even ONE mistake.
Teacher: That’s incredible! What else makes it the best book ever?
Puppet: Well, it's impossible for God to lie (Titus 1:2), and He wrote it! So that means every word in the Bible is completely true! 
Teacher: I’m convinced. Here’s another star for being the best book ever. Stick another star on Kai's shirt.
Puppet: And how about the fact that the Bible has been read by more people than any other book in the whole world?
Teacher: That deserves star three, for being the most read book. Put a star on Kai's arm.
Puppet: It’s also written in the most languages. Most books are written in just one language, and some are written, or translated, into just two or three other languages. But the Bible has been written in over 2,000 languages! No other book comes even close.
Teacher: Si, si, star four, for being written in the most languages. Put another star on Kai's other arm.
Puppet: And there are more copies of the Bible than any other book. Year after year, it’s always the best selling book.
Teacher: Star five. This is amazing. Put a star on Kai's head.
Puppet: And the Bible is also the best survivor of all times.
Teacher: You mean even better than the TV show Survivor?
Puppet: Oh, way better. Throughout time, kings and emperors and other people have tried to ban it, burn it, and outlaw it. They want to live by their rules, not God’s rules. But it never works. No one will ever succeed in destroying God’s Word. The Bible says:
Read Matthew 24:35, which talks about heaven and earth passing away but God's words never passing away.
Teacher: That certainly deserves a star. Put a star on Kai's ear.
Puppet: What about the fact that the Bible is the best copied book of all time?
Teacher: What’s that mean?
Puppet: Well, the original writings were written before there were copy machines. The originals were perfect and without any errors. To get more copies from the first books of the Bible, they were copied by hand. Now there are other old books around that were hand copied too, but they all have tons of mistakes in them. But not so with the Bible! The Old Testament of the Bible was copied very accurately by a group of people called scribes. They took their job seriously.
Teacher: I’ve heard about scribes. They had strict rules for copying. Some would even take a bath and put on clean undergarments before they started.
Puppet: Yep.
Teacher: And they counted and recounted the letters they copied to make sure they hadn’t missed even one. If they made a mistake, they threw the whole page away and started over. 
Puppet: Yep! Yep! And when someone wrote the word “God,” he dipped his pen in fresh ink. And how about if a king showed up? They wouldn’t look up even if the king talked to them while they were writing!
Teacher: That deserves a star, too. Put a star on Kai's other ear.
Puppet: And how about the fact that God changes the lives of people who read the Bible? Ask around, and you’ll hear over and over how the message of the Bible changes people’s lives in wonderful ways. 
Teacher: God has certainly used His Word, the Bible, to change my life! I love God’s Word. Well, I think we could go on and on, Kai, but at this point. I’m sure the boys and girls see that the Bible is a book like no other book. It’s a superstar! Place the last star on Kai's mouth.
Puppet: Talk in a muffled voice. It’s the Book of books! Well I’ve gotta go do some exploring in my Bible! See you later!
Teacher: See you later, Kai! 
When finished with the puppet, show the Coolest Book poster and talk about it for a minute as a review. Then tell them you’re going to take it away and see how many things they can remember that were on it. They have 30 seconds to tell your or their group guides as many as possible.
Option 2: Ready, Set, Snow!  (10–15 minutes) 

A stopwatch on a smartphone works as a timer.

Small whiteboards and dry erase markers, or paper and writing utensils, 1 per team
Timer
Coolest Book poster (Teacher Resource Kit)

Let’s learn some more about this extra-special Book of books. To do so, we’re going to play a game called Ready, Set, Snow! We’ll divide into teams. Each team will receive a whiteboard (or paper, such as a notepad) to record the answers. We’ll read the question, and your team will have 20 seconds to write down your answer. When I say, “Ready, Set, Snow!” you’ll show your answer. If you’re correct, you’ll draw a small snowflake on your board in the corner. You’re on the honor system here! At the end, we’ll total up the snowflakes. Whoever has the most wins. Any questions? 
Let me remind you to talk softly, so your answer isn’t heard by the other teams. Okay, let’s get into teams and we’ll begin.
Get into teams and pass out supplies. (If you have a small class, you may want to have just two teams—boys and girls. Or, if your class is large, you may need to divide into many teams. Try to have from two to five on a team. Plan a quick way to divide up so it isn’t eating up lots of class time.) 
Read the question, allow 20 seconds for explorers to record the answer, then reveal the correct answer and share the accompanying information listed under each answer.

From this point on, Exploration Leader One and Exploration Leader Two are not designated. If you are team teaching, decide which person wants to do what. If you are by yourself, do all.
For a quicker alternative, delete some questions in Ready, Set, Snow!
To stay on track with time, allow one minute per question.

Ready, Set, Snow! Questions
What book was written by God?
The Bible. The Bible claims to be inspired, or God-breathed. Other books that claim to be from God don’t agree with the Bible, so we know they weren’t written by God. This makes it the Book of books, in a class all its own.
The Bible is the best-selling and most read book of all time. A) True; B) False
A) True. No other book even comes close. Year after year, it is the best seller and the most read book.
How many promises can we count in the Bible?  A) Over 1,000; B) Over 8,000
B) Over 8,000. If God promises it, you can count on it! God is truth. He can’t lie (Titus 1:2), so the Bible, His Word, is completely trustworthy.
Even though they’ve tried, people aren’t able to ______ the Bible.  A) Destroy; B) Hide; C) Lose
A) Destroy. Throughout time, kings and emperors have tried to ban it, burn it, and outlaw it. They want to live by their rules, not God’s rules. But no one will ever succeed in destroying God’s Word. The Bible says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
The word Bible means _______.  A) Paper; B) Book
B) Book. When we say “the Bible,” we are really saying “the Book.” It’s not a book, but the Book. God wrote us a book! Wow! It's actually a collection of 66 smaller books, all written by God. 
People speak different languages, right? So if they want to read a book in their language, it has to be what is called “translated.” How many languages and dialects has the Bible been translated into?  A) Over 1,000; B) Over 2,000
B) Over 2,000. Most books are written in just one language. Some have been translated into two or three languages. No book even comes close to being translated into as many languages as the Bible. People all over the world can read it in their own language! But there are also many people who don’t have the Bible in their language. Missionaries are needed who can learn these languages and translate the Bible into them.
Before we had machines to print Bibles, who copied the Old Testament portions of the Bible?  A) Priests; B) Scribes
B) Scribes. Do you know what a copy machine is? Well, scribes lived before the age of copy machines, so they were specially trained to copy the Bible by hand to make manuscripts. They followed very strict rules for copying. Different groups of scribes had different rules. Here are just a few examples of rules of various scribes. 
They took a bath and put on clean undergarments before they started. 
They counted and recounted the letters they copied to make sure they hadn’t missed even one. If they made a mistake, they threw the whole page away and started over. 
Even if a king addressed them while writing, they didn’t look up or acknowledge him. 
When they wrote the word “God,” they dipped their pens in fresh ink. 
Scribes took their job of copying the Bible very seriously.
What important discovery in 1947 shows how well copied the Bible is?  A) Dead Sea Scrolls; B) Jericho Parchments; C) Blues Clues
A) Dead Sea Scrolls. Scrolls were what scribes wrote on back in the day. Back then, they didn’t have paper like we have today, so they wrote on scrolls made from long strips of animal skins or a plant called papyrus. These strips were sewn together and rolled up. 
Well, very important scrolls called the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves located high in the cliffs overlooking the Dead Sea. They were handwritten copies of the Old Testament that had been copied in the nearby town and stored in clay jars since before Jesus’ time on earth over 2,000 years ago. The original writings were perfect, and we have great copies of those originals today. 
What is the most loved book of all time?
The Bible. It inspires great devotion, so much so that people have gone to great lengths to get it. One young girl was Mary Jones, who was born in 1784 in Wales. Her family was poor, but she wanted to have her own Bible so badly that she worked and saved for six years to buy one. When she was 16, she walked 25 miles to the home of man who had Bibles to buy one from him. Others have gone to great risks to give it to others because they want people to have God’s life-giving words. For example, in 1793 William Carey left England and moved to India to tell others about Jesus and to translate and print Bibles into many Indian languages. Those who love the Bible realize it has answers that can’t be found anywhere else on earth and that it has the most important message ever: the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It’s the coolest book on the planet!
To review, when you are finished with the game, show the Coolest Book poster and talk about it for a minute. Then tell them you’re going to take it away and see how many things they can remember that were on it. They have 30 seconds to tell their group guides as many as possible. When done, show the poster again and give them a bonus snowflake for each right answer. Tally the points and announce the winners.

To make the review faster, have them shout out everything they can remember that was on the Coolest Book poster and don’t award snowflake points. 

If you are running short on time, do the Coolest Book poster review mentioned above at the start of the next day or another day this week.
Part 2: How the Bible Came to Be (10 minutes)

How the Bible Came to Be sheets, 1 per child (Resource DVD-ROM)
Writing utensils, 1 per child
Large whiteboard and dry erase marker for up front (or chalkboard and chalk)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the How the Bible Came to Be sheets, 1 per child.
Practice making the drawings on the board so you will be quick at it when going through it with the kids.

 Okay, turn to your fellow explorers and tell them one unique thing you just found out about the Bible from our puppet pal (or from the Ready, Set, Snow! game). But did you ever wonder how this unique book got to be written in the first place? I mean, did God sit up in heaven and type it on a jumbo computer? No! But it is unique in how it came to be. Let me tell you the exciting and true story of how the Bible ended up looking like it does now, as a book. As I tell this story, ___ (Teacher Two) will be making simple drawings that you’ll copy. Let’s pass out the supplies and then we’ll begin.
Give everyone the How the Bible Came to Be sheets and something to write/draw with.
Drawing 1—People/Cloud
Teacher Two: Quickly sketch two stick people and a cloud with a voice coming from it (see sidebar illustration) on a whiteboard as Teacher One talks. The kids copy it.
About 6,000 years ago, at the beginning of time, we learn from the Bible that the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, lived in the Garden of Eden. What’s incredible to think about is that God talked to them directly! God talked directly to other people, too, like Noah and Abraham.
Drawing 2—Ten Commandments
Teacher Two: Quickly sketch the outline of the Ten Commandments.
God chose a man named Moses to write down His Word. God even wrote some of the words Himself, including the Ten Commandments, on a stone tablet.
Drawing 3—Scroll
Teacher Two: Quickly sketch a scroll.
Moses wrote as God guided him. Back then, they didn’t have paper like our paper now, so Moses wrote on scrolls. Scrolls, as we mentioned before, were made from long strips of animal skin or plant material. These strips were sewn together and rolled into a tube shape.
Moses wrote God’s words for the first five books of the Bible. Let’s see if any of you know what the names of the first five books of the Bible are. (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.)  Moses also wrote some of the psalms.
Drawing 4—Clay Tablets
Teacher Two: Quickly sketch a clay tablet with a wooden stick.
After that, God chose other men to record His words—around 40, in fact. These men had different jobs: fishermen, kings, shepherds, farmers, teachers, and a doctor, to name a few. They wrote during a span of over 1,500 years. That’s a long time! That’s like from the beginning of the Middle Ages until now! Think about how much has changed! Tell your neighbor an invention we have now that they didn’t have a long time ago. Do so. Wow! And of course, the writing methods changed during all that time. Think of it like this. What were people writing with 1,500 years ago? (Quill pens) What do they use today? (Computers) That’s a big change! And it was a big change for the men writing God’s Word, too. Some wrote on clay tablets with wooden sticks. Some wrote on animal skins. Some wrote on papyrus, paper made from plants that were woven together. Some people wrote on stone. Eventually, people began using paper that was a little more like what we’re used to. Every word they wrote was exactly what God put in their minds (2 Peter 1:21). And what’s really incredible is that the whole Bible agrees in all parts. Even though the men God chose lived at different times, and even on different continents (3 different continents), and even wrote in different languages (3 different languages), it still all fits together perfectly! It would be like if everyone drew a piece of a puzzle without finding out what anyone else had drawn (doing so over a 1,500-year time span), and when all the puzzle pieces were put together at the end of the time, it made a perfect, beautiful picture! Now that’s incredible!
Drawing 5—Quill Pen
Teacher Two: Quickly sketch a quill pen.
As each book was written, it was accepted as the Word of God by the people. Eventually 66 smaller books were collected into what we know today as one big book, the Bible. Each original book of the Bible was perfect and complete. As we mentioned earlier, the scribes copied each small book of the Old Testament by hand whenever they wanted to make another copy.
Drawing 6—Bible
Teacher Two: Quickly sketch a Bible.
In 1440, a man named Johannes Gutenberg invented a great machine that allowed the Bible to be copied faster than by hand. Now they could make copies of the Bible on a machine called the printing press using sheets of paper that would be bound together.
This allowed Bibles to be printed and distributed all over the world. This was great news because people everywhere could now have Bibles to read. 
When you read it, you will find it has the most wonderful, true story in the whole world. It tells us how God created the world, how people messed up the world, and how God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from our sin. It tells us how much God loves us and how we can become His child. It tells us how to live our lives. It’s God’s special love letter to us. 

Gospel presentation

 Explain that, according to the Bible, sin is disobeying God’s commands. We have all disobeyed God’s commands. (We have lied, been unkind, disobeyed our parents.) This sin separates us from our holy God, and the penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God’s goodness forever. We need someone to pay the penalty for our sin. To receive the gift of eternal life with God, we must repent of our sins (admit) and believe in Jesus. Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the Cross to pay for our sins, and then rose from the dead. We can receive the gift of eternal life.
I love the Bible and trust it completely. I hope you do, too. Remember—it’s not like any other book. All other books, including other “religious” writings like Islam’s Koran, Mormonism’s Book of Mormon, or Hinduism’s Vedas, were written by men. These writings DO have mistakes, and they DON’T have the power of the one true God. 
These other religious books are not part of the Bible, and in fact, they often oppose the Bible’s teachings. For example, the Koran says God has no son (Sura 4:171 and 23:19). But in the Bible, Jesus is called the Son of God (Matthew 26:63–64). The Book of Mormon says people are not born sinners (Moroni 8:8). The Bible teaches we are sinful from birth (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23). 
Also, these other books often aren’t consistent within the book itself. For instance, in one place in the Koran it says Jesus will live in paradise (Sura 3:45), and in another place, it says Jesus will live in hell (Sura 21:98). And they aren’t consistent with true history. For example, in the original Book of Mormon (prior to the change in 1981), it was taught that American Indians would turn white when they converted to Mormonism (2 Nephi 30:6). But this isn’t what actually happened. (None turned white if they converted.)  
On the contrary, the Bible was written by God Himself—God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrew 6:18) and cannot make a mistake, so we know every word of the Bible has to be perfect and true (John 17:17)! It will never disagree with itself. Nothing will ever be wrong in it. The Bible is absolutely unique and trustworthy!
Part 3: Small Group Time (5–10 minutes)

Bibles
Day 1 discussion sheets, 1 per small group leader (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the discussion sheets.

 Divide into small groups of 4–6, with a group guide or exploration leader in each group. (Adjust depending on how many leaders and kids you have.) Discuss the following questions using the discussion sheets.
Besides the Bible, what’s a favorite book of yours? What do you like about it?
Other books can be fine, but the Bible is in a class all its own. What do you think is something cool about the Bible? It may be something you heard today!
Let’s see if we can find the very first verse in the Bible! Either do together with one Bible or pass out Bibles and have them see if they can find Genesis 1:1 with a partner. Explain how you look up the book, then the chapter, then the verse. (This will be dealt with more later in the week.)
The Bible has an amazing message of how we can be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God when we die. Do you know if you have received the gift of eternal life?

Memory verse music CD and player
Student guides and supplies for Part 1 and Part 2
Explorer Guides, 1 per child
Stamp for Explorer Guides
Blizzard bookmarks, 1 per child
Day 1 Memory Verse poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Theme Verse poster (Teacher Resource Kit)

 Apply It!
In the remaining time, complete one or more of the following ideas in class. Supplies for this section are not included in the supply list on the back cover since they will vary depending on the activities you choose, so decide what you will do and add them to your supply list accordingly. 
Pass out the Blizzard bookmarks, one per child, or have guides do so at the end of the day. Put a stamp in the Explorer Guides (or do so at snack time), and/or review the student guides.
Part 1: Bible Gems
Today’s Verse: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . . .” 2 Timothy 3:16
Explain the following words.
All—All means all. Every single word in the Bible is God-breathed. Some people think just some of it is God’s Word, but the Bible itself says all Scripture is inspired by God. 
Scripture—Scripture is another name for the Bible. 
Inspiration—Inspiration means men wrote down the words as God breathed them out (2 Peter 1:21). The original manuscripts were God’s words written without error.
Practice the verse several times by playing the appropriate song from the memory verse CD and using the Memory Verse poster as a reference, then try the following challenge.
Challenge: Write the memory verse on a piece of copy paper. Now make a “scroll” by rolling both ends toward the middle. (You may want to use a pencil to roll it around.) Open your scroll and read the verse. Roll it in a little so it covers some words and try to say it again. Roll it in some more and try to say it again. Continue until all the words are covered and you can say the verse without looking.
Tomorrow’s Verse: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Try the challenge again, this time using tomorrow’s verse. You may also want to practice the week’s theme verse, using the Theme Verse poster as a reference.
Part 2: Go and Do

End each day’s Treasure Point lesson with prayer.

 Guess which book of the Bible is right in the middle? Psalms! Find Psalm 1 with an adult’s help and read it or listen to it being read. What does it say the person is like who delights in God’s Word? Draw a picture to illustrate that and show it to someone!
Talk to God (that’s prayer!) and ask Him to help you love Him and love His Word more.
Ask an adult who follows Jesus to show you his Bible. What does he love about it?
Check answersvbs.com/oakids for more fun information!
Ask yourself these questions: Do I have a Bible at home? What should I do to get to know God better through this Book of books? 
Remember: The student guide is great to send home as a take-home, fun review. Consider giving contest bonus points for every Go and Do section completed.
Part 3: BIBLE Handshake
Explorers get ready to leave by learning the handshake. After they learn the handshake, they shake hands with other explorers on their way out. This is a quick way to review the BIBLE acronym. (Use the Fun Phrase poster as a reminder of the letter and what it stands for.) If you don't have time to do this at the end of the lesson, start with it tomorrow or have the assembly leaders do this during closing assembly time.
Today, explorers learn the first part of the handshake, B. Each day, they’ll add another letter. For today, form thumb and index finger into a circle and link them with another explorer’s fingers, forming a B with the two circles together. Say, “Book of books.” 
Check YouTube.com/AnswersVBS for a video demonstration of the BIBLE handshakes!
Day 2 Incredible Impact
Introduce It! 
Bible or children’s Bible
Costumes for exploration leaders (teachers)
Day 1 Fun Phrase poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Northern Lights posters (Teacher Resource Kit), cut in 2
Mounting putty or tape

 Northern Lights (5 minutes) 
Welcome back, explorers! Remember how yesterday we talked about the Bible being a one-of-a-kind, unique book? It’s the Book of books. Show the Day 1 Fun Phrase poster. Then yesterday, we learned the first letter of the BIBLE handshake, the B. Find a partner and see if you can remember how to do it. Do so.
Today, we’re going to talk about how the message of the Bible has had an incredible impact on the earth, but first I need to ask you a question. Have any of you ever been in a really, really dark place, like a forest at night? Take responses. What if you were camping in the woods on a pitch black night and you needed to get up to go to the bathroom? If you had to walk by yourself, would you do it without a light? Take responses. 
The Arctic is often very dark. Near the North Pole, there are months of time that the sun never comes up and it’s very dark all day and night. Where most people live in the Arctic, they don’t see the sun for a time, and noon looks more like it does at sunset (twilight). Can you imagine going to play in the middle of the day, but the sun isn’t out and it looks like it’s almost bedtime? Show Northern Lights poster 1. But there’s this really cool thing that happens during this darkness that’s called the Northern Lights—it transforms the sky and brings light. This can even be seen from space. Its light shines in a circle around the earth. 
The Northern Lights are generated, in part, from the earth’s magnetic field that God created in the beginning. This field is decaying over time, and this decay actually confirms the teaching of the Bible that the earth is relatively young (about 6,000 years old). The magnetic field is decaying so quickly that it couldn’t be millions of years old; instead, it’s just thousands of years old. 
Show Northern Lights poster 2. You know, the Bible is like a light, too. When I say that, I don’t mean it’s actually a light, but that it works like a light. Just like a light lights our way so we can see the good things and the bad things on the path, the Bible shows us bad things to avoid and good things to do.
We’re going to learn about a Bible person who literally saw the light of God and was completely changed. His life was forever impacted. His name was Saul. Let’s check it out!
Teach It!
Part 1: Saul/Paul (10 minutes)

Play acting name tags (Resource DVD-ROM) and yarn
Paul Transformed posters (Teacher Resource Kit), cut in 2
Pre-Prep
Punch holes in the name tags and thread yarn on them so they can easily be worn around the neck.
Think about your story of how God has changed you. (See text for more information.)

 Choose four volunteers to silently act out the account as you read from the Bible. Put name tags on them. This account of Saul’s changed life is found in Acts 9:1–22. Suggested volunteers are:
1 person to play Saul
2 people to play his friends
1 person to play Ananias
The rest of the class, staying in their seats, to be the crowd
When finished, show the Paul Transformed poster 1 (Saul) and say:
Wow! Talk about a changed life! Saul was a mean and sinful man, throwing Christians into prison and even killing them. He hated God’s people.
But then God changed him and forgave him of his sins. Saul quit being mean to Christians. In fact, he became a child of God, a Christian, himself.
Show Paul Transformed poster 2 (Paul). After that, he told everyone he could about God. He wanted everyone to become a child of God because he realized how loving and wonderful God is.
God changed Saul, or transformed him, into a better person. His name even changed because God sent him out to a group of people who understood the name Paul better than the name Saul. And God even chose Paul to write down some of the books of the Bible as God breathed the words to him, like our verse from yesterday! 
God isn’t going to change your name like Paul's did, but He does promise to c
Gospel presentation

hange each of His children. You become a child of God if you repent of your sins (turn from them) and believe in Jesus. Paul was involved in murder and hurting other people. Those were sins before God. We may not have murdered anyone, but each one of us has sinned before God. We have disobeyed God’s commands. And even one sin is enough to separate us from God. The punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from God's goodness forever. God is truth and wants us to be truthful all the time. If we have told a lie even once, we are sinners and in need of salvation. We need to repent of our sins and believe that Jesus was the one who paid the penalty for sin on our behalf by dying on the Cross and rising from the dead. When we do that, we can become a child of God. He then promises to change you over time so you become more like His Son Jesus. Let me tell you how God and His Word have changed me and why I love the Bible. 
You can first briefly share your testimony here, making sure you talk about realizing you were a sinner who needed God to forgive you. (It is recommended not to go into gory details of past sins, however. Keep it age appropriate.)
Then share a way God through His Word has helped you to continue to change and grow more like Him. Help them see how much God and the Bible mean to you. The following are a few examples. 
You used to worry, but now God has calmed your fears. You memorize verses about not being afraid, and that helps.
You used to use the Lord’s name in vain, but you realized the Bible said to let no unwholesome word out of your mouth and to not use the Lord’s name in vain, so, through God’s power, you cleaned up your speaking habits.
You used to watch whatever you felt like on TV. Then you read in Philippians 4:8 that God wants us to think on true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good, and praiseworthy things. You decided those shows weren’t good and lovely things to think about, so you quit watching them.
You didn’t enjoy reading the Bible, but you prayed and asked God to give you a love for the Bible, and He did. It wasn’t right away, but it has come little by little, and your love for His Word continues to grow.

Freeze, Freeze, Frozen! cards, 1 set per team (Resource DVD-ROM)
Whiteboards and dry erase markers, or paper and writing utensils, 1 per team
Incredible Impact poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Day 2 Fun Phrase poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy and cut the Freeze, Freeze, Frozen! cards, making a set for each team. 
Cut apart the Incredible Impact and Top of the World posters.

Part 2: Freeze, Freeze, Frozen! (10–15 minutes)
We’ve talked about how God changed Paul’s life and how God has used the Bible to impact my life. These accounts could go on forever and ever. We could never tell all the ways God has used His Word to change people throughout time. But we’re going to play a game to touch on just a few of the ways the Bible has impacted our planet.
The game is called Freeze, Freeze, Frozen! We’ll divide into teams. (Teams can be whatever size you want. If they're smaller teams, the kids get to have more participation. If they're larger, it takes less supplies and time to pass out the supplies.) I’ll give you a question. If your team writes the correct answer on your board, you get to draw Freeze, Freeze, Frozen! cards. Each Freeze, Freeze, Frozen! card has a point total on it (show example), the word Freeze! (show example), or the word Frozen! (show example). You may draw cards as long as you want, gaining points as you go, but if you draw a Freeze! card, you lose all the points from that turn. If you draw a Frozen! card, you lose all the points you have so far. You will record your points on your board. Any questions? Let’s divide into teams, pass out supplies, and begin.
Freeze, Freeze, Frozen! Questions
There are 13 questions that follow. Do some or all, depending on how much time you have and the age of your students. Share some or all of the accompanying info as you tell the answer to each.
This was a bad practice in America until about 150 years ago (around the time of the Civil War). Teachings from the Bible helped to get rid of it. A) Slavery; B) Bubble gum blowing

 A) Slavery. Christians who read the Bible understood that God made people special, in His image. We’re not to make people slaves. God doesn’t want people to be treated like animals but instead with love and kindness. Many Christians from centuries past fought to end the practice of slavery, all because of the principles they learned from the Bible. William Wilberforce was a man who worked in the United Kingdom to bring about the end of slavery. He understood passages in the Bible teach we are all equal before God and it's wrong to make another human being a slave. (Read Galatians 5:1 and Acts 17:26.)
This is a type of building that has a collection of books. When you go in it, you need to be quiet so you won't disturb people who are studying. It wouldn't be what it is without the Bible’s influence. A) Hospital; B) Library

Do as many questions as time allows in whatever order you want.

B) Library. Libraries are filled with books. Countless books have been influenced by the Bible. It is said that the Bible could be completely rewritten just by using quotes from the Bible that are in books within a library. More books are written about the Bible or with biblical themes or messages than any other book.
This is something done at Christmas time that children love. This custom was inspired by a Bible account. A) Sending Christmas cards; B) Giving gifts
B) Giving gifts. The custom of giving gifts was inspired by the Bible account of the wise men giving gifts to young Jesus. Many other Christmas customs were also inspired by the Bible. Because the account of Jesus’ birth is faithfully recorded, we are able to know about the Creator who came to save us from our sins.
This was an explorer who wanted to spread the Word of God to other places, so he traveled and discovered new lands. A) Chris Courageous; B) Leif Erickson
B) Leif Erickson. Around 1000 AD, Leif became a Christian. He traveled with the idea of spreading God’s Word. Many other famous explorers also wanted to spread God’s Word, such as Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo. The Bible impacted all these men, who went on to impact the world by discovering new places.
They were brothers who lived in Ohio. They decided to invent an airplane after studying God’s brilliant design in birds. A) The Blues Brothers; B) The Wright brothers
B) The Wright brothers. The Wright brothers were inspired by God’s Word and by God’s world as they studied birds.
This is used every day, all over the world. People sometimes hang it on the wall to remember what day it is. It's based on the numbers 7, 28, 30, and 31. A) Calendar; B) Poster
A) Calendar. In Genesis 1, God established the first week by creating for six days and resting for one. That was the first seven-day week, upon which our calendar system is based. 
The months of the year were named later but are based on the cycle of the moon, which God created in the beginning to rule over the night. The year is based on the time it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun, a pattern which God set in motion when He created the sun, moon, and stars to be for signs, seasons, days, and years. 
He was famous for his artwork and inventions. He painted many famous scenes from the Bible, including the Last Supper. A) Leonardo da Vinci; B) Hanna-Barbera
A) Leonardo da Vinci. As with many painters, Leonardo da Vinci painted many Bible scenes. Others inspired by the Bible were Michelangelo, Raphael, and Rembrandt.
He was one of the most famous scientists of all time. He believed the Bible and used it as a guide in understanding how God’s world works. By carefully observing falling objects, he was able to describe the force of gravity as one of God’s laws of nature. A) Charles Darwin; B) Sir Isaac Newton
B) Sir Isaac Newton. Some consider Sir Isaac Newton to be the most important scientist ever. He's famous not only for his work with gravity but also with calculus, astronomy, and physics. (Read Jeremiah 33:25.) From this, we understand that God created natural laws by which the universe operates (laws of gravity, chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, etc.). Over time, by studying God’s orderly world, scientists have discovered and named these laws. 
This is a church denomination that was started because of the Bible. Its founders, the Booths, were strong Christians who believed in sharing the message of the Bible while helping the poor, homeless, and hungry. They wanted to share the hope of salvation. A) The Red Cross; B) The Salvation Army
B) The Salvation Army. Many churches such as the Salvation Army were begun by those who believed the Bible. Christians wanted to share God’s message of hope, love, and caring with others. Thus organizations such as the Red Cross, Operation Christmas Child, and thousands of others came about. (Read Proverbs 14:31; Isaiah 1:17; 1 John 3:17.)
He was a devout reader of the Bible, and God gave him the talent to write brilliant Christian music. He believed music’s purpose was to glorify God. He was known all over the world as one of the greatest composers of all time. A) Johann Sebastian Bach; B) Elvis Presley
A) Bach. Bach spent his life as a church organist, devoted to the Lord and studying the Bible. He often initialed the end of his works with the phrase “To God alone, the glory.” Many other composers were impacted by the Bible as well, including Handel, who wrote the Hallelujah Chorus, and Mendelssohn, who had great respect for the Bible and considered it the inspiration for his work.
 He invented the telegraph, which was an important discovery to aid communication. The first words sent by telegraph were, “What hath God wrought?” A) Charles Babbage; B) Samuel Morse
B) Samuel Morse. Samuel Morse invented not only the telegraph but also Morse Code. He is one of literally hundreds of scientists who trusted the Bible, including famous men such as Galileo, Pasteur, and George Washington Carver. In fact, most major branches of science were started by Christians who were impacted by the Bible.
He was a missionary in South America among a fierce tribe called the Aucas. Sharing the message of the Bible with them was so important to him that he risked his life and was killed by them. A movie, called the End of the Spear, was made about his life. A) Hudson Taylor; B) Jim Elliot
B) Jim Elliot. The message of the Bible has impacted people so much that some are willing to give their lives for its message of salvation. The good news in this story is that Jim Elliot’s wife and others eventually went back to the Aucas. Because the Bible calls us to forgive just as God has forgiven us, Jim’s wife forgave them. The Aucas were willing to listen to her message, and half the tribe became Christians. Because of Jim’s story, countless other people have become missionaries, living all over the world and sharing the Bible and its message about Jesus with others.
This is a common expression people say to show something is pure white. It comes right from the Bible. A) White as snow; B) White out
A) As white as snow. (Read Isaiah 1:18.) Many other phrases, expressions, and names also come from the Bible, such as holiday (holy day) and Chris (from Christian).
Tally the Freeze, Freeze, Frozen points and announce the winner. So after hearing all that, wouldn’t you agree that the Bible has had an incredible impact on the earth? Show the Incredible Impact poster and have them take a minute to see if they can remember or comment on some of what you just went over. Then show the Day 2 Fun Phrase poster and introduce them to Snowball, the Arctic hare, who reminds us of the letter I for "Incredible Impact." God has used the Bible in a mighty way to shed light and love and goodness, and to fight darkness and evil and sin. Can you imagine what the planet would be like if we didn't have the Bible? Let’s talk about it a little more in small groups.
Part 3: Small Group Time (5 minutes)

Bibles
Day 2 discussion sheets, 1 per small group leader (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the discussion sheets.

 Divide into small groups of 4–6, with a leader or guide in each group. Adjust depending on how many leaders and kids you have. Discuss the following questions, helping them look up the Bible passages.
What is something “cool” that you learned today you didn’t know before? 
How do you personally feel about God’s Word? Can you think of any way it’s impacted you? For example, in the Bible, God gives us commands to obey with the help of the Holy Spirit. Read these verses to them if you have time: tell the truth (John 4:24), be kind (Ephesians 4:32), obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1). If we are a child of God, how should our lives change to reflect these teachings?
Let’s look up Isaiah 40:8 and share what it means.
Part 4: Puppet Pal—Changed! (5 minutes)

Boy or girl puppet (in costume)
Clipboard
2 copies of today’s puppet script (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the scripts and tape one script inside the puppet stage and place the other on the clipboard.
One teacher should be positioned in front of the puppet stage and one behind it with the puppet.

 Teacher: Explorers, let’s call for Kai. Ready? Here we go. Kai! Kai! Where are you?
Puppet: Come up shaking your head back and forth. Wow! That was weird! I just talked to someone I hadn’t seen for, like, a year. He used to live next door, and then he moved away.
Teacher: That’s cool that you got to see him again! Why was it weird?
Puppet: Well, he just seemed different. 
Teacher: How was he different? Did he look different?
Puppet: No, he looked pretty much the same.
Teacher: Then what was so weird about it?
Puppet: Well, he just seemed different. Not on the outside, but on the inside.
Teacher: What do you mean?
Puppet: He used to bully me a lot. In fact, he used to bully everybody a lot. I guess I’d have to say he was mean.
Teacher: So what changed?
Puppet: He was nice to me today! He was actually nice to me! In fact, I’d call him downright kind!
Teacher: Do you think it’s just because you haven’t seen him for awhile?
Puppet: Noooo, that’s not it. 
Teacher: Do you think he was just putting on an act?
Puppet: Nope. I truly think something’s changed, and I bet I can guess what it is.
Teacher: What?
Puppet: Well, he told me he’s been reading his Bible since he left, and he found out about God as he read—God who is loving and kind. God who sent Jesus to earth to save us from our sins.
Teacher: That sounds like a big deal.
Puppet: Yeah, he said he repented of his sin and believed in Jesus to save him from his sin. He asked God if he could be his child, and now he’s part of God’s family. And he said that as he reads the pages of the Bible, God is teaching him and the Holy Spirit is changing him.
Teacher: Oh, so that’s why he’s more kind and loving.
Puppet: Yep! Of course, he’s not perfect, but I can tell God is working on him.
Teacher: You know, God is in the business of transforming people’s lives. Little by little, year after year, God changes us to be more like His Son. Just read about some of the people in the Bible who were changed, like Saul, and you’ll see what I mean!
Puppet: Yeah, Saul was mean and sinful, too. But God transformed Saul into a great man of God.
Teacher: Yep! Isn’t it cool to know we can read the Bible and pray to God and ask the Holy Spirit to change us to be more like Jesus? God is all-powerful. He can and does do it!
Puppet: He sure does! In fact, I think I’m going to go read my Bible right now and talk to God! 
Teacher: Sounds good, Kai. While you’re doing that, we’re going to learn our Bible verse, so we’ll see you later!

Memory verse music CD and player
Student guides and supplies for Part 1 and Part 2
Explorer Guides, 1 per child
Stamp for Explorer Guides
Snowball bookmarks, 1 per child
Day 2 Memory Verse poster (Teacher Resource Kit)

Apply It!
In the remaining time, complete one or more of the following ideas in class. Supplies for this section are not included in the supply list on the back cover since they will vary depending on the activities you choose, so decide what you will do and add them to your supply list accordingly. 
Pass out the Snowball bookmarks, one per child, or have group guides do so at the end of the day. Put a stamp in the Explorer Guides (or do so at snack time), and/or review the student guides.
Part 1: Bible Gems
Today’s Verse: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Practice the verse several times by playing the appropriate song from the memory verse CD and using the Memory Verse poster as a reference, then try the following challenge.
Challenge: Write the verse on a piece of paper. Then find a flashlight and go into a dark room (bathroom, closet) or make a fort. Using the flashlight in your dark space, read your verse. Now turn off the flashlight and see if you can remember it.
Tomorrow’s Verse: ““Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24
Try the challenge again, this time using tomorrow’s verse. 
Part 2: Go and Do
Go on a treasure hunt and find things (or people) in your house that have been impacted by the Bible. It may be a painting of something from the Bible, a book about God, a CD, a DVD, or a person who is a child of God! How many did you find?
Ask an adult to help you look up Bible verses on an area you struggle with (telling the truth, being kind to your siblings, obeying your parents, or being gracious in your speech). Talk to God and ask Him to change you to be more Christ-like as you read and learn from His Word.
Ask an adult who follows Jesus to share a favorite Christian book, song, Bible verse, or Bible account. How has it impacted her?
Check answersvbs.com/oakids for more fun information!
Ask yourself this question: How has my life been impacted by God and His Word?
Part 3: BIBLE Handshake
Today, explorers learn the I handshake. Hold up hand with fingers together. Put it straight upright next to the palm of another explorer. Say, “Incredible Impact.”  Review the first two handshakes. (Use the Fun Phrase posters as a reminder of the letters and what each stands for and how it is spelling out the word "BIBLE.")
Day 3 Bedrock Base
Introduce It! 
Bible or children’s Bible
Costumes for exploration leaders
Top of the World poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Day 3 Fun Phrase poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Mounting putty or tape

 Floating on Thin Ice (5 minutes)
Hi again, explorers! Let’s review our BIBLE handshake. What does the first B stand for?  Book of Books. How about the I? Incredible Impact. Find a partner and practice the B and the I.
Show Top of the World poster. All right, now do you remember how we talked about the top of the world being the Arctic Ocean? There’s no land up there—just ocean with a sheet of ice over it. It’s always shifting around, breaking, and extremely dangerous. It’s not a solid base to walk on or build on at all! Can you imagine being an explorer walking on that ice? It has to be freaky to know you’re walking on ice, and under that ice, it’s just a freezing cold ocean that can kill you in a couple minutes if you fall in!! Let’s pretend we’re walking on that ice! Do so. 
Those explorers have to feel so relieved when they’re back on solid ground. Let’s pretend we’re back on solid ground, and let’s sit down! Do so.
Well, unlike the top of the Arctic, which has no base, the Bible is a rock-solid base for us to build our lives on. It’s like bedrock. Show Day 3 Fun Phrase poster and introduce them to Spike, the narwhal, who reminds us of the letter B for "Bedrock Base." What smaller word do you hear in the word “bedrock?” Take responses. The word “bedrock” has the word “rock” in it, and that’s because it’s the solid rock that’s under the ground. So it’s a firm foundation, just like the Bible is a firm foundation. The Bible never changes. The Bible never shifts. The Bible is never wrong about anything. We can trust it 100% because it’s a bedrock base. We’re going to work in small groups and see what the Bible has to say about its sturdy base. 
Teach It!
Part 1: Small Group Time—Wise Man/Foolish Man (10–15 minutes)

Bibles
Play sand for each group 
2 plastic bins per group
Pitcher or watering can of water per group
Interlocking blocks and base for each group, or Jenga® blocks
Wise Man/Foolish Man posters (Teacher Resource Kit), cut in 2
Day 3 discussion sheet, 1 per small group leader (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Put the base in one bin and build a house/structure on it. Make sure it's anchored on the base. Put the sand in the other bin. Or, place half of the Jenga® blocks in one bin and the rest in another bin that has a mound of sand.
Before class, practice this demonstration so the house stays firm on the rock but shifts or falls on the sand.
Photocopy the discussion sheet.

 Divide into small groups. Each group will work together to read and demonstrate the passage in Matthew 7:24–27 about the wise man and the foolish man. 
First, have someone read Matthew 7:24–25 from the Bible. While doing so, the kids can take turns pouring water on a small interlocking block house that is sitting on a brick base in a plastic bin. 
Next, continue reading Matthew 7:26–27. While doing so, the kids can take turns pouring water on the pile of sand that's got the house on it in the plastic bin.
An alternate way to do this is to use Jenga® blocks (or other blocks). Build the house up on the wise man part in an empty bin with the Jenga® blocks, then try to build a house up on a pile of sand in the other bin for the foolish man part. 
NOTE: You can also do this as a large group demonstration instead of in small groups, choosing volunteers to come up front.
In the small groups, discuss the following: 
What happened to the house on the rock?
What happened to the house on the sand?
How is that like our own lives?
According to these verses, when we hear God’s words and do them, we’re like a wise man whose house is on a rock, but when we hear God’s words and don’t do them, we’re like a foolish man whose house is on the sand. It’s not enough to recognize that the Bible can be 100% trusted. God wants us to be wise and obey His Word, too. Can you think of any commands the Bible tells us to live by? If time, read or have the students read Colossians 3:8–17. 
Can you think of any commands you have trouble obeying? For examples, see the passage in Colossians.

Gospel presentation

 Let’s pray and ask God to help us love and obey His Word. We can’t do it on our own. God must give us the power to do so through His Holy Spirit who lives in His children! You may want to review the gospel with your kids briefly. You become a child of God if you repent of your sins (turn from them) and believe in Jesus. Each one of us has sinned before God. We have disobeyed God’s commands. And even one sin is enough to separate us from God. Review the Colossians passage for a list of sins they may have done. The punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from God ‘s goodness forever. We need to repent of our sins and believe that Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, and paid the penalty for sin on our behalf by dying on the Cross and rising from the dead. When we do that, we can become a child of God. And God gives His children the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us love Him and obey Him. 
Take time to pray.
Gather back together as a large group and show the Wise Man/Foolish Man posters. Have them discuss what they learned/remembered/can apply from this account. 

Stations 1–3 title cards and intro/conclusion cards (Resource DVD-ROM)
Snow Station posters (Teacher Resource Kit), cut apart
Under-the-bed storage container or small wading pool (Station 1)
Play sand or other material through which explorers can dig (e.g., packing peanuts, pea gravel, shredded paper—Station 1)
Mini Bibles pattern, laminated (Resource DVD-ROM—Station 1)
Wet wipes for cleanup (Station 1)
Optional: paper and pen (Station 2)
Child’s evolutionary science book (Station 3)
Timer and bell—for signal to change stations
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the station titles and intro/conclusion cards and place at the appropriate stations, along with the station posters and other necessary supplies for each station.

 Part 2: Snow Stations (15–20 minutes)
Explorers, we’ve talked about how the Bible can be completely trusted because it’s not like any other book. And now let’s check out some more things that show just how trustworthy it is! You’ll go to three snow stations to see what the Bible has to say about the past, the future, and science. You’ll have 5 minutes at each snow station. When it’s time to move, I’ll ring the bell.

You can do the stations as a large group demonstration, choosing volunteers to come up front. Stations are preferred if you have the time, but the large group demo works well if you need a faster option. You can also choose two of the three stations to do.

Quickly divide into three groups and place one group at each station. Post a guide, teen helper, or exploration leader at each station to oversee each group, with the following info.
Snow Station 1—The Past
Show Station 1 poster. The Bible is trustworthy because it tells the truth about the past. There are lots of people and places and events talked about in the Bible. Archaeologists are people who dig up the ground to find evidence of what happened in the past. 
Let’s dig like archaeologists and see what we find.
Explorers dig around and find the mini Bibles. (Note: You can add other small items to dig for if you want.) Have them wipe their hands when done.
You found mini Bibles. Archaeologists dig and find all kinds of items mentioned in the Bible. For instance, the Bible tells that the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. Archaeologists found those walls, and they’re in a heap, all tumbled down, just like the Bible said. The prophet Isaiah told of an Assyrian king named Sargon (Isaiah 20:1), and archaeologists uncovered Sargon’s palace. The events and places of the Bible have been confirmed over and over by archaeologists. God’s Word is true about all the details of the past.
Snow Station 2—The Future
Show Station 2 poster. The Bible is trustworthy because it tells the truth about the future. There is no other book or person in the whole world that can accurately tell the future all the time. 
Discuss the pictures on the poster of worldly ways people make predictions. 
Optional: Secretly write down an obscure word—a word kids know but wouldn’t think of, such as buffalo or peppermint. Then ask them to predict the next word you’re going to say. Take guesses. After guessing, say and show the word you were thinking.
People try to figure out what’s going to happen in the future. Once in a while, they get something right. But most of the time, they’re wrong. Did you know the Bible is full of writings about the future, and every one of them is completely right? Compare the following passages if you have time, emphasizing that the prophecies in the Old Testament were given hundreds of years before the fulfillment in the New Testament: Zecharaiah 11:12–13 and Matthew 27:3–10; Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23; Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:6. Most of them have already come exactly true. Some are still for the future, so we can read the Bible and know what will happen to the heavens and the earth. God’s Word is the only book that is true about all the details of the future.
Snow Station 3—Science
Show Station 3 poster. The Bible is trustworthy because it tells the truth about scientific things. Science books are written by people, so they may or may not have the right ideas in them. But the Bible is perfect because God wrote it, and He knows everything. 
Show a child’s book that has evolutionary content. These books are found in the astronomy or dinosaur section of the public library. Read a few sentences that disagree with Scripture, such as the earth starting with a big bang. Then explain a biblical view (God created the earth in six days about 6,000 years ago).
When the Bible speaks about something, it’s always correct, including science topics. Did you know many scientific things were written in the Bible long before they were discovered? For instance, the book of Jonah (Jonah 2:6), written long ago, tells us there are mountains on the ocean floor. Scientists didn’t know that until recently, but it’s true. In Isaiah 43:16, it talks about paths through the sea, which may refer to the currents in the oceans. A scientist from the past read that and started researching the idea. He discovered there are paths through the seas. In the book of Genesis we read that God created the animals “after their kind.” From this, we understand that animals reproduce according to their kind. And this is what we observe today: dogs have dogs and cats have cats. But we don't observe one kind of animal changing into a completely different kind. God’s Word is true about all the details of science that it talks about. 
At the end of this time, gather together as a large group and briefly share the 3 main ideas as review, using the Snow Station posters. Then share Snow Station 4 poster and say: So the deal is the Bible is trustworthy because it tells the truth about every area it touches on!
Part 3: Puppet Pal—Absolute Authority (5 minutes)

Boy or girl puppet (in costume)
Clipboard
2 copies of today’s puppet script (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the scripts and tape one script inside the puppet stage and place the other on the clipboard.
One teacher should be positioned in front of the puppet stage and one behind it with the puppet.

 Teacher: Okay, so we’ve been talking about how the Bible is our bedrock base. It’s trustworthy. Well, guess what? It’s also the absolute authority on all matters. Let’s have Kai come and chat with us a little more. Hey, Kai, you around?
Puppet: Come up. Hey there! What’s happenin’?
Teacher: We’re just talking a bit about authorities. Do you know what the word authority means?
Puppet: Not exactly. Explorers, do any of you know what authority means? Take responses. 
Teacher: Authority means you have the right to take command and be in charge. For instance, your parents are authorities over you. Read Ephesians 6:1. God put them in charge of you.
Puppet: Yeah, well, I don’t always feel like doing what they say to do. 
Teacher: I get that, but God wants you to respect and obey them since He put them in charge of you. And we need to obey others who are in authority over us. Read Romans 13:1. Can you think of anyone else who is an authority in your life?
Puppet: Umm, explorers, help me out again. Can you think of anyone else who is an authority? Possibilities include police officers, coaches, teachers, principals, and pastors. 
Teacher: Here, I’ve got an idea. Let's pick an explorer who can come up front and help us act out a little scene about authority. Choose someone who will go along agreeably with this.
Teacher: Okay, now Kai, pretend you’re the parent and (name of the explorer) is a ten-year-old. The ten-year-old is snuggled on the couch watching a movie. The explorer pretends to do so, using a chair possibly for his "couch." Now, parent, ask for a drink of water. 
Puppet: Use an adult voice. Hello! Please get me a drink of water!
Teacher: Okay, explorer, what would you do for real if your parent asks for a drink of water? Act it out now.  The explorer should pretend to get it.
Now, let’s try that again, but a little differently. This time our explorer is still a ten-year-old snuggled on the couch, but you are now his little six-year-old brother (or sister) who asks for a drink of water.
Puppet: Use a young child voice. Will you please get me a drink of water? The explorer may or may not comply.
Teacher: What was different between the two scenarios? The parent has authority—he has the right to command. The younger child doesn’t have authority, so it may be hard to get an older child to listen to him. The older child may do what he asks to be kind, but not because he must.
Puppet: I see what you mean. But remind me what this has to do with the Bible.
Teacher: Well, of all the authorities in the world, who is the absolute authority? 
Puppet: God!
Teacher: And what book did God write?
Puppet: The Bible!
Teacher: Yes! And so what book is the absolute authority?
Puppet: The Bible! 
Teacher: You got it! The Bible is the Lord’s words, so it is our absolute authority. Nobody is a higher authority than the Lord (Matthew 7:28–29), and since His words are recorded in the Bible, that makes the Bible our absolute authority. Some people don’t want to listen to the Bible and obey it, but it’s still the absolute authority, whether they recognize it or not. Since God is the Creator of everything, He has the authority to set the rules for how His creation operates and how His creatures are to live. Our job, by God’s grace, is to read, study, and obey His rules.
Puppet: The Bible really is the Book of books, isn’t it? It’s not like any other book!
Teacher: Yep! Coolest book on the planet! Hope you grow to love it as much as I do!
Puppet: Well, my mom asked me to clean my room, so I’m going to obey her authority and do it. See you later!
Teacher: See you, Kai! 
 
Memory verse music CD and player
Student guides and supplies for Part 1 and Part 2
Explorer Guides, 1 per child
Stamp for Explorer Guides
Spike bookmarks, 1 per child
Day 3 Memory Verse poster (Teacher Resource Kit)

Apply It!
In the remaining time, complete one or more of the following ideas in class. Supplies for this section are not included in the supply list on the back cover since they will vary depending on the activities you choose, so decide what you will do and add them to your supply list accordingly. 
Pass out the Spike bookmarks, one per child, or have guides do so at the end of the day. Put a stamp in the Explorer Guides (or do so at snack time), and/or review the student guides.
Part 1: Bible Gems
Today’s Verse: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24 
Practice the verse several times by playing the appropriate song from the memory verse CD and using the Memory Verse poster as a reference, then try the following challenge.
Challenge: Act out this verse. Pretend you are building a house on a large, sturdy rock while saying it.
Tomorrow’s Verse: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Try the challenge again, this time using tomorrow’s verse. 
Part 2: Go and Do
Find building blocks and make a sturdy house. Or, draw a picture of a sturdy house. How does it make you feel knowing God’s Word is a rock-solid base that never changes?
Ask an adult to read all or part of Matthew 6–7 with you. What promises or commands can you find in these chapters? Talk to God and ask Him to help you truly trust every promise, every command, every word in the Bible.
Talk to an adult about things that have changed during his or her lifetime (e.g., transportation, technology, news headlines, scientific theories). How is God’s Word different than all that?
Check answersvbs.com/oakids for more fun information!
Ask yourself this question: Am I trusting and believing every word of the Bible?
Part 3: BIBLE Handshake
Today, explorers add another B to their handshake. Form thumb and index finger into a circle and link them with another explorer’s fingers, forming a B with the two circles together.  Say, “Bedrock Base.” Review the B, I, B handshakes.  (Use the Fun Phrase posters as a reminder of the letters and what each stands for.)
Day 4 Letter of Love
Introduce It! 
Bible or children’s Bible
Costumes for exploration leaders
Polar Ice Caps poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Day 4 Fun Phrase poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Mounting putty or tape

 The Big Chill (5 minutes)
Hi again, explorers! Let’s review our BIBLE handshakes. What does the first B stand for? Book of books. How about the I? Incredible impact. How about the second B? Bedrock base.  Find a partner and practice the B, I, and B. 
Show Polar Ice Caps poster. We’ve been having a great time this week exploring the coolest book on the planet, the Bible, and one of the coolest places in the world, the Arctic. But did you realize the earth didn’t start out being super cold at the poles? When God first created the earth, all the land was closer to the equator and it was more like a tropical environment. Scientists have found much evidence, such as palm trees and other tropical animals, buried in the land that is now near the poles! 
But as time went on and the people of the earth lived in rebellion toward Him, God sent a worldwide Flood that caused such commotion the whole world was changed as a result. During the Flood, the ocean floor broke apart and volcanoes erupted as the land separated into the continents that we know today. As a result of all those volcanoes with hot magma, the oceans became very hot for many years. This caused hot ocean water to evaporate into the air. All this moisture in the air then caused a huge amount of precipitation. The clouds and ash in the atmosphere blocked the sunlight, making the earth’s climate much colder. The colder temperatures and lots of precipitation caused snow to build up on the continents and never melt. Over time, the snow piled up in layers upon layers and formed massive glaciers and ice sheets. We call this period the Ice Age. The areas most affected by the Ice Age were the polar regions because they received the least amount of sunlight, making them the coldest spots on earth. So we can say that the Ice Age was a result of the Flood and God’s judgment on sinful mankind. 
Today, when we see the ice-covered caps of the earth, it’s a reminder of some tough times. Show Day 4 Fun Phrase poster and introduce them to Shaggy, the musk ox, who reminds us of the letter L for "Letter of Love." But thankfully, amid all that, God was still reaching out to His people. He even wrote a book that is really like a great big letter of love that tells us the best news we can ever hear. It’s not just every day you get to hear the most important news ever, so let’s check it out!
Teach It!
Part 1: Gospel Presentation (10 minutes) 

Cross in Color posters (Teacher Resource Kit)
Cross pattern, 1 per child (Resource DVD-ROM)
Crayons, 5 per child, 1 of each of these colors: green, black or dark gray, blue, red, yellow
Gospel bookmarks, 1 per child
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the cross pattern, 1 per child, and cut the Cross in Color posters apart.
Bundle the crayons so every child has the five listed above. The black or dark gray one will be used for color 2 and color 4 in the gospel presentation. No crayon will be used for the color white.

 Color 1—Green
Explorers, the Bible is a true letter of love from God to you, explaining how God can save you. Let me pass out the cross sheets and crayons, so you can follow along with me, and then I’ll begin telling you about this letter of love. 
Pass out supplies and begin.
In Genesis 1, the Bible tells us the account of how God created the earth, the universe, and everything, including the first two people, and everything was very good. In fact, it was perfect. God made the earth to be kind of like a tropical rain forest, the whole world over. He also made two people, Adam and Eve, to live in a perfect garden. The garden had lovely plants and friendly animals—even dinosaurs! It was a beautiful place.
What color should we use to remind us of the “very good” world? Take responses, and put up the Cross in Color green square. Put it up high so there's room under it for more. It is the first of seven that should be placed so they end up in the shape of a cross. Yes, let’s color the top square of the cross green.
Color 2—Dark
Everything was very good in this perfect place. But then something happened to change all that. The devil, in the form of a serpent, played a trick on Eve to get her to eat a piece of fruit God told her not to eat. The devil got Eve to doubt God’s words. He said:
Read Genesis 3:1. 
This is the same trick the devil uses on us today. He tries to get us to doubt God’s Word, the Bible. God’s Word is true and perfect, so we should never, ever doubt it. But Eve did. She listened to the devil’s lies and started thinking about whether God had said that. She and her husband Adam ate the piece of fruit God told them not to eat. The Bible describes it this way:
Read Genesis 3:6. 
The world that was beautiful and perfect now changed. They disobeyed God's commands. This is sin. And then their children sinned, and their children sinned, and their children sinned, and guess what? This continues today with us sinning, too. Because we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, we are all born sinners and we each choose to sin. The Bible tells us that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). We all disobey God’s commands. For example, have you ever lied? God says we are always to tell the truth (Ephesians 4:25). Have you ever disobeyed your mom or dad? God says we are to obey our parents (Ephesians 6:1). Have you ever said mean things to anyone? God says we are to be kind (Ephesians 4:32). All of these, and many more things, are sin. God said that the punishment for sin is death (Genesis 2:17). When we die, we will be separated from God’s goodness forever in a terrible place (Matthew 10:28).
The Bible says that those who are sinners are in darkness (John 1:5). That doesn’t mean we’re in a room that is dark. It simply means that we don’t understand our need for God. 
What color should we color the second square to remind us of the darkness of sin? Take responses, and put up the Cross in Color dark square below and to the left of the green square. Yes, let’s color the second square on the cross dark. 
But there was hope in this darkness. God promised to one day send someone who would be the Savior from sin (Genesis 3:15).
Color 3—Blue
As time went on, mankind was so wicked that things definitely were not very good anymore. Genesis 6 and 7 tell of a time when only one righteous man, Noah, was left. All the rest of mankind was so wicked that God chose to judge the world. The Bible says:
Read Genesis 7:23.
God sent a worldwide Flood and destroyed all the land animals and people not on the Ark. He saved only one man named Noah and his family, along with some animals. Things were not perfect at all. We see the remains of the Flood in many of the rocks and fossils we find today. The Flood shows us that God judges sin but that He also provides a way of salvation from His judgment. For Noah, it was the Ark. For us today, it is the one God promised to send in the beginning. 
What color should we use to remind us of the water of the Flood? Take responses, and put up the Cross in Color blue square below the green. Yes, let’s color the next square blue. 
Color 4—Gray
After the worldwide Flood, Noah’s children had children, and so on, and guess what? They once more turned away from God. God told Noah’s family to fill the earth. But in Genesis 11, the Bible relates to us that the people disobeyed God by staying together and building a tall tower. So God gave the various family groups different languages, causing them to scatter all over the earth. All the people groups that we have today, no matter where they live or what they look like, come from the same family. And because we are all part of the same family, we all have the same sin problem and we are all in need of a Savior. This happened on the plain of Shinar at a city called “Babel.” The city of Babel reminds us that they started babbling in different languages. As the Bible says:
Read Genesis 11:9.
What color should we use to remind us of the confusing, sinful time at the Tower of Babel? Take responses, and put up the Cross in Color light gray square to the right of the blue. Let’s color the next square light gray. Use your dark crayon, pressing lightly, to make it gray. 
Color 5—White
As time went on, all people continued to sin, including us. Because we’re sinners, we aren’t allowed to live in God’s perfect heaven, where everything is perfect! When we die, we would go to a terrible place instead. But God the Father had a plan to save us from the very beginning. Remember His promise to one day send a Savior? He sent Jesus, His Son, from heaven to earth. Jesus, who is God, came to earth and was born as a baby—a perfect baby. The Bible says:
Read Luke 2:7.
Put up the Cross in Color white square under the blue one. Don’t color square five. Leave it white to remind us of Jesus, who was perfect and without sin.
Color 6—Red
Then, the Bible relates that Jesus grew up and lived a perfect life without sin—the only person ever to do so. At the right time, He died on a cross and shed His blood to take the punishment for our sin. In the beginning, God killed at least one animal to provide a covering for Adam and Eve after they sinned. And over and over from that time on, people continued to sacrifice animals to cover their sin. But the blood of animals could never completely take away sin. We needed a perfect sacrifice, someone who could take our sin completely away. 
Let’s think of it this way. What if your dad asked you to clean your room, but you were playing and didn’t feel like it? Instead of obeying, you kept right on playing. Dad came to check on you and saw that your room was still a mess and you hadn’t obeyed. What do you think might happen? What happens when you get in trouble? Take responses.
Dad would probably punish you for disobeying. He might take your favorite things away and not let you play with them for awhile, or he might make you miss supper while you clean your room.
Wouldn’t it be unusual if your older brother asked to be punished instead of you? He had cleaned his room. He hadn’t disobeyed, but he wanted to take your punishment.
You deserve punishment for disobeying God, but perfect Jesus came and was punished so you wouldn’t have to be punished. He wasn’t punished for His own sins, since He was perfect. But He took the punishment for sin. He offers us the gift of spending forever with Him. If we receive this gift, when we die, we’ll go to be with God in heaven. That’s the best gift anyone could ever give you! And He did it because He loves you.
Jesus died and rose again so you can receive this free gift, which is to be God’s forever child. But to be God’s forever child, you have to repent of your sins (turn from them) and believe that Jesus died on the Cross to take the punishment for sinners and then rose to life.
What color should we use to color the square after the white one to remind us of Jesus’ blood which He shed for our sins? Take responses, and put up the Cross in Color red square under the white one. Yes, let’s color the next square red (remember—not the white one). While we’re doing that, I want you to answer these questions silently to yourself.
Do you believe you’ve sinned, or disobeyed, God? Are you sorry for your sin? You need to admit that to God. Show the Admit, Believe, Forever Receive poster from the Cross in Color posters. Keep it separate from the cross shape, however.
Do you believe Jesus is God?
Do you believe Jesus died on the Cross to take the punishment for your sin? Do you believe Jesus rose from the dead?
Do you want to follow God and become His child? Do you want to forever receive the gift He offers us?
If you said yes to these questions and you want to find out more about this, or if you have questions, in just a minute, you may go with ____ (someone who is prepared to lead a child to Christ, e.g., group guide, teaching assistant, children’s pastor). But first, let’s finish the last square of our cross.
Color 7—Yellow
What color should we finish with? Take responses, and put up the Cross in Color yellow square under the red one. Let's color the last square yellow to finish your cross. This last square represents heaven, with its streets of gold, where there will be no more death or crying or pain. The Bible describes it this way:
“God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ’Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” (Revelation 21:3–5)
This means there won’t be any divorce, or cancer, or wheelchairs, or bullies, or death, or anything sad or bad! It will be a beautiful, perfect, very good place once again, and all the children of God will live there forever. And God, who loves you more than you can ever imagine, will be there with you! We know all this because it’s found in the Bible, God’s letter of love to us! 
Okay, now it’s time for anyone wanting to talk to someone about becoming a child of God to go with ____.
After any children leave for salvation counseling (which should be in a visible, safe place—not a room with just one adult with the children), say to the remaining children:
If any of you are interested in talking to someone more about this but didn’t go just now, make sure you tell your parent, guide, or me after class. If passing out gospel bookmarks, say: And you'll be receiving a gospel bookmark when you leave today that is a reminder of this. Right now, let’s talk a little more in small groups.
Part 2: Small Group Time (5–10 minutes)

Bibles
Day 4 discussion sheets, 1 per small group leader (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the discussion sheets.

 Divide into small groups of 4–6, with a leader in each group. Adjust as necessary depending on how many leaders and kids you have. Discuss some or all of the following questions.
Have you ever gotten a letter or a package in the mail that you were really excited about? Tell us about it! 
The Bible is a letter of love written to you from a God of love who wants you to know you are loved. Let’s look up Romans 5:8, 5:12–17.
Have you ever asked God if you can be His child? Tell us about it!  
Part 3: Getting Around in the Bible

Option 1: Bible
Option 1: Puppet supplies and puppet script (Resource DVD-ROM)
Option 1: "Books of the Bible" song from the memory verse CD
Option 1: Music player 
Option 2: Bibles and either masking tape or painter’s tape
Option 2: Verse Lookup poster (Teacher Resource Kit) 
Both: Books of the Bible poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Pre-Prep
Either gather the puppet supplies and script, or put down a tape line.
Cut apart the Verse Lookup and Dogsled posters. 

Option 1: Puppet Pal—Tour the Bible (5–15 minutes)
Teacher: Let’s have Kai join us. 
Puppet: Hey!
Teacher: Hi, Kai. Can you help us as we learn how the Bible is laid out?
Puppet: Totally. 
Teacher: Then here we go. The Bible is divided into two parts, called testaments. What part is this? Point to the Old Testament in your Bible.
Puppet: The first testament?
Teacher: Nope. It’s actually called the Old Testament. Can you remember that?
Puppet: Old Testament. Got it.
Teacher: And what part is this? Point to the New Testament in your Bible.
Puppet: The . . . end of the book testament?
Teacher: Ah, no. It’s called the New Testament. The Bible is divided into two big parts—the Old Testament and the New Testament. Which part do you think was written first? Show Books of the Bible poster.
Puppet: The . . . Old?
Teacher: Right! The Old Testament was written before Jesus was born. It tells us that Jesus will come. Which part do you think is newer?
Puppet: Is this a trick question?
Teacher: Not really. The part that’s newer is the . . . .
Puppet: The Old. 
Teacher: No! The newer part is the New. The New Testament was written after Jesus was born. It tells us Jesus has come. The whole Bible, in fact, is about Jesus. From the first book, Genesis, to the last book, Revelation, the Bible points us to Jesus.
Puppet: Cool beans!
Teacher: Now, do you think the Old Testament or the New Testament is bigger?
Puppet: Hey, dudes and dudettes out there! What do you think? Have them look at the Books of the Bible poster and raise hands to indicate Old or New. I polled the audience and they said the Old is bigger.
Teacher: Well, they’re right! The Old Testament has 39 books in it. The New Testament has 27 books in it. All together there are . . . .
Puppet: 66 books!
Teacher: Hey, you’re pretty good at math! Yep, there are 66 books in the Bible that make up the one big book. It’s sort of like puzzle pieces that all come together to make a beautiful puzzle. And if you look in the front of your Bible, you’ll see the table of contents. This tells the names of the 66 books. If you need to look up a book, this is the place to go.
Puppet: Sweet! I know a cool song that teaches the books of the Bible in order. Want to sing it with me?
Teacher: Well, sure. Let’s try it! Sing the "Books of the Bible" song if time using the memory verse CD, or skip these couple lines if short on time.
Puppet: It’s fun to sing that song!

Skip the New Testament game if short on time.

 Teacher: It sure is! And it’s also fun to play games. Let’s try this game to review the books of the New Testament. In a minute, everyone will get in a circle, with one person appointed the starter. That person will say the first book of the New Testament, Matthew. Next, that person will say Matthew and the second person will say Mark. Next, the first person says Matthew, the second Mark, and the third Luke. This will go on, in order, as we add more and more books. 
Puppet: Wait a minute. There are 27 books in the New Testament, and we don’t have that many kids. 
Teacher: That’s okay. We’ll just get as far as we can. At the end, everyone can try to say all of them together.
Puppet: Sounds fun! I know these explorers can do it!
Teacher: Let’s go for it! Get in a circle and try it. Use the Books of the Bible poster for help.
Option 2: Bible Drills (10–15 minutes)
You know now that the Bible is a unique, trustworthy letter of love that has greatly impacted the earth. But it wouldn’t have done so if it just sat around collecting dust. All good explorers need to know how the Bible is laid out so they can actually use it. Therefore, we’re going to attempt some Bible Drills. First, everyone needs to stand on the tape line.
Have everyone stand on the tape line. As you say each question, they move to either the old or new side, depending on what they think the answer is. Or divide the class into two groups, the old and the new. As you say each question, those in the old group shout “old” if the answer is old, or those in the new group shout “new.”  
Use your Bible to demonstrate the points being made.
The Bible is divided into two parts. This part (point to the Old Testament in your Bible) is called the _____ Testament. Old.
This part (point to the New Testament in your Bible) is called the _____ Testament. New.
Which part do you think was written first? Old. Right. The Old Testament was written before Jesus was born. It tells us Jesus is coming and leads up to the time when He did come to earth.
And, by the way, Old doesn’t mean out-of-date. It just means it was written first.
Which part do you think is newer? New. Right again. The New Testament was written after Jesus was born. It talks about the life of Jesus while He was on earth and how we can become children of God.
Did you know the whole Bible is about Jesus? From the first book, Genesis, to the last book, Revelation, the Bible points to Jesus.
Do you think the Old Testament or the New Testament is bigger? Old. Yep. Show Books of the Bible poster. The Old Testament has 39 different books in it. The New Testament has 27 books in it. All together, there are 66 books that make up the one big book we call the Bible. It’s sort of like puzzle pieces that all come together to make a beautiful puzzle.
Show Verse Lookup poster. If you look in the front of your Bible, you’ll see the table of contents. This tells the names of the 66 books. If you need help looking up a book, this is the place to go.
Once you find the book of the Bible, you need to find the chapter and verse. Each chapter is in large, bold print. Show. Find that first. Each verse has a little number by it. Find that next. Show. For example, if you want to find Psalm 119:2, which is in the middle of the Bible, you first find the book of Psalms, then chapter 119, then verse 2. Demonstrate. 

If you have enough Bibles and time, you may want to give every child his own Bible to do the Bible drills.

 Let’s divide into groups to find various verses. Before beginning, hold the Bible over your head. I’ll call out a reference, such as John 3:16. Your group needs to find the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16. As soon as you find it, stand up. Guides will check to make sure you’ve got it. Are there any questions? Then let’s get into groups and begin. Pass out Bibles and play for a few minutes. Use the following verses or come up with your own: Psalm 119:9; James 1:22; Proverbs 1:7; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Acts 16:31.
Part 4: It’s Snowing! Review Game (10–15 minutes)

“Snowballs” (see Pre-Prep)
2 white (if possible) baskets or trash cans and tape
Letters “A” and “B” taped to baskets or trash cans (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Make snowballs by wadding up white paper or tying white tube socks into knots.
Photocopy the "A" and "B" and tape to the white baskets or trash cans.

 If you have time for a quick review game, use any of the questions below or make up your own. If you don’t have time to play this today, you may want to end with this tomorrow.
We’ve really covered a lot of ground so far this week at Operation Arctic. Now, let’s play a quick review game. We’ll get into two teams. The first team will be given a question. The first person in line will throw the snowball into either snowbank A or snowbank B, depending on which one the team thinks is the correct answer. Scoring is as follows:
10 points: correct answer and snowball in the correct snowbank (trash can)
5 points: correct answer but missed the shot into the correct snowbank
0 points: missed answer
Take turns, playing as time allows. The teacher can keep score. The team with the most points at the end of the time wins.
Sample Questions
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . . .” What is the reference? A) Romans 3:15; B) 2 Timothy 3:16
B) 2 Timothy 3:16. 
Note: Repeat with the other memory verses from the week. Check the course overview on the front inside cover of this book.
What does the first B in BIBLE stand for? A) Brilliant Baby; B) Book of books
B) Book of books. 
Note: Repeat with the other letters from the week. Check the course overview on the front inside cover of this book.
Fill in the blanks: “Your Word is a ____ to my feet and a _____ to my path.” A) lamp, light; B) light, lamp
A) Lamp, light. 
Note: Repeat with other verses from the week. Check the course overview.
Some famous painters were inspired by the Bible. A) True; B) False
A) True.
Note: Repeat with other informational questions from Days 1–4 lessons.
Fill in the blank: The Bible had about ____ men who wrote down God’s words. A) 40; B) 30
A) 40. 
Note: Repeat with other informational questions from Days 1–4 lessons.
Everyone is automatically a child of God. A) Yes; B) No
B) No. 
Note: Repeat with other questions from Days 1–4 lessons.

Memory verse music CD and player
Student guides and supplies for Part 1 and Part 2
Explorer Guides, 1 per child
Stamp for Explorer Guides
Shaggy bookmarks, 1 per child
Day 4 Memory Verse poster (Teacher Resource Kit)

 Apply It!
In the remaining time, complete one or more of the following ideas in class. Supplies for this section are not included in the supply list on the back cover since they will vary depending on the activities you choose, so decide what you will do and add them to your supply list accordingly. 
Pass out the Shaggy bookmarks, one per child, or have group guides do so at the end of the day. Put a stamp in the Explorer Guides (or do so at snack time), and/or review the student guides.
Part 1: Bible Gems
Today’s Verse: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 
Practice the verse several times by playing the appropriate song from the memory verse CD and using the Memory Verse poster as a reference, then try the following challenge.
Challenge: God’s Word is a letter to you. Find an envelope and a piece of paper. Write the verse on the paper and decorate it. Put it in the envelope and “mail” it to someone. (Either really mail it, or leave it for them somewhere they will find it.)
Tomorrow’s Verse: “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” Psalm 119:162
Try the challenge again, this time using tomorrow’s verse. 
Part 2: Go and Do
Can you get around in God’s letter of love? It helps to know the books of the Bible in order. See if you can say all the Old Testament books in order. How about the New Testament books? How about all of them?
Ask an adult to read the following verses with you: Romans 8:37–39; Galatians 2:20; 1 John 4:9–11. Have you received the gift of eternal life? Talk to God and ask Him to help you remember that He loves you! You have a heavenly Father who loves you! Thank Him!
Ask an adult if she ever received a love letter from someone. Has she ever thought of God’s Word as a letter of love from God to her?
Check answersvbs.com/oakids for more fun information!
Ask yourself this question: Could I explain to someone how to receive the gift of eternal life?
Part 3: BIBLE Handshake
Today, explorers learn the L handshake. Form thumb and index finger into an L. Put your L next to another explorer’s L and say, “Letter of Love.”  Review the first four handshakes.  (Use the Fun Phrase posters as a reminder of the letters and what each stands for.)
Day 5 Exciting to Explore
Introduce It! 
Bible or children’s Bible
Costumes for exploration leaders
Day 5 Fun Phrase poster (Teacher Resource Kit) 
Dogsled poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Optional: picnic basket, blanket, and small baggies of pretzels, 1 per child (see bottom of page)
Mounting putty or tape

 Exciting to Explore (5–10 minutes)
Good day, explorers! Have you enjoyed exploring the Arctic and the Bible this week? Show Day 5 Fun Phrase poster and introduce them to Dash, the Siberian husky, who reminds us of the letter E for "Exciting to Explore." No doubt that the Bible is the coolest, most exciting book on the planet. We want to learn it, love it, and live it! But it’s not only super exciting, it’s critical to our very survival! 
Survival in the Arctic is tough. There have been many, many explorations to the Arctic over the years. Sometimes the explorers survived, and sometimes they didn't. Some people groups have even permanently planted themselves in the Arctic and thrived there. It’s amazing to see how they survive!
For instance, Arctic people are excellent hunters. They’ve learned where to cut holes in the ice to find seals that are coming up for air. They use warm caribou skin clothing so they can lie on the ice waiting for the seals, sometimes for hours, and still stay warm. And if they accidentally fall into the water, they can get out and survive because of their waterproof caribou clothing on. 
They also build special homes, such as the igloo, which is still used by some. It’s an amazing invention made from blocks of packed, dry snow, and it can be put together in as little as half an hour. Inside, with the help of a seal-oil lamp, it stays amazingly warm! 
Show the Dogsled poster. They’ve figured out ways to move around since they don’t have typical roads like much of the rest of the world. They often use sleds with teams of dogs hooked to them.  The dogs are hearty dogs that are eager and excited to pull their masters and supplies.
And then there’s the food. Because it’s so cold in the far north and fruits and vegetables don’t really grow in winter, pretty much everyone eats meat. You have to to survive! In the beginning, Adam and Eve ate fruits and veggies. But after the Flood, God gave us the freedom to eat meat. See Genesis 9:3. But we don’t all eat the same meat! Some of the typical meats the Arctic people eat are reindeer, seal, whale, musk ox, and bear. What do you think of that? Have you ever tried any of those? Take responses.
If you could have any food in the world, what would it be? Take responses, or take a vote about various favorites: pizza, spaghetti, tacos, chicken nuggets.
My favorite meal wouldn’t include reindeer or musk ox, I’m sure! I’ll tell you what one of  my favorite meals is. Do so.
Now let’s just imagine for a minute that I get to eat my favorite meal when I get home tonight, and you get to eat your favorite meal and the Arctic peoples get to eat their favorite meal. We may eat as much as we want until we’re stuffed! Yum!
But after we eat that meal, we decide we’re not going to eat again for a month. We’re busy with more important things, so we eat just one meal a month.
If this were true, how do you think you would feel by the end of the month? Would your health suffer? Take responses. 
An alternate idea to the three paragraphs above is to bring in baggies of pretzels or some safe food in a picnic basket. Have them gather around and sit on a blanket munching while you talk about eating physical food and what it would be like if this was the last thing they ate for a month.
And yet, this is exactly how many Christians treat their Bible, which is their spiritual food. They don’t see it as the exciting treasure that it is, and they let day after day after day go by without opening it. They don’t have a daily intake of spiritual food.
What do you think happens if we don’t eat spiritual food regularly? Take responses. We don’t stay spiritually healthy. Just as we have to eat real food for the good of our physical health, we have to eat spiritual food for the good of our spiritual health.
So let’s go through some important tips for spiritual health as we learn how to explore our Bibles. 
Teach It!

 Part 1: Mary and Martha (5–10 minutes)

Check Your Attitude poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Play acting name tags (Resource DVD-ROM)
Yarn
Mary and Martha poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Pre-Prep
Punch holes inthe name tags and thread yarn on them so they can easily be worn around the neck.

 TIP 1—Check your attitude.
Any Arctic explorer has to think it’s an exciting place to explore. He has to check his attitude and make sure his heart is really in it or he’ll never do it! 

Gospel presentation

Well, the most important tip regarding exploring the Bible is checking your attitude about it. If you’re a child of God, you should want to know more about God by reading His Word. Remember, it’s got the good news of how we can become a child of God! 
You may want to share the gospel with your kids briefly. You become a child of God if you repent of your sins (turn from them) and believe in Jesus. Each one of us has sinned before God. We have disobeyed God’s commands. And even one sin is enough to separate us from God. Lying, stealing, being unkind, and disobeying parents are all examples of sin. The punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from God's goodness forever. We need to repent of our sins and believe that Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, and paid the penalty for sin on our behalf by dying on the Cross and rising from the dead. When we do that, we can become a child of God. And God gives His children the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us love Him and obey Him.
Let’s take a minute to think about how you feel about reading or listening to the Bible. Do you think it’s exciting to explore or would you rather do just about anything else?
If you have young primaries who can't read yet, you may want to skip the next paragraph.
Show the Check Your Attitude poster. Discuss the various ratings from 1 to 10.  
Think to yourself about where you fall between 1 and 10. If you’re honest with yourself, you may fall far short of loving the Bible. And guess what? If we asked everyone here, many may say the same thing! Many people don’t read or listen to the Bible regularly. And many people read it because they should but not because they want to. So how do we get from a should read to a want to read? 
Let’s meet someone from the pages of the Bible who wanted to spend time with Jesus, soaking in His every word, and then we’ll go over some tips on growing in our love for God and His Word.
Choose explorers to act out the story. Pass out the name tags. Read the account of Mary and Martha found in Luke 10:38–42. Have your Bible open. You can either do all the talking and they just silently act it out, or you can read it and they can repeat the gist of what you said.
3 or more boys to be disciples
1 boy to be Jesus
1 girl to be Martha
1 girl to be Mary
The following is a sample of what the explorers may do as you read the account.
Martha is busy sweeping, cooking, and preparing, when a knock is heard at the door. The disciples, with Jesus, are there. Martha welcomes them in.
After coming in, the disciples, including Jesus, arrange themselves on the floor, as if sitting at a table. Mary sits near Jesus. They pretend to be talking and eating. Martha scurries about, serving them. She gets frustrated with Mary and asks Jesus to have Mary help her. Jesus answers that Mary has chosen the one good part.
Show the Mary and Martha poster and ask which is Martha and which is Mary. Say:
Martha was busy helping and doing good things, which is great. God wants us to serve others. But Jesus shows us that it’s even more important to spend time with Him. In this account, Mary has the right heart attitude. She wants to spend time with Jesus.
God wants us to spend time every day learning from the Bible and talking to Him, just as Mary did.
Part 2: Learn It! Love It! Live It! Tips (15–20 minutes)

Learn It! Love It! Live It! Tips page, 1 per child (Resource DVD-ROM)
Writing utensils, 1 per child
Theme Verse poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Distraction Concentration cards, 1 set per team (Resource DVD-ROM)
Optional: Books of the Bible bookmarks to give to those who complete the Tips page
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the Tips page, 1 per child. Fill one out yourself so you're familiar with it.
Photocopy and cut the Distraction Concentration cards, 1 set per team.

 So you’ve heard the first tip—check your attitude. As you work through the rest of the tips, you’ll be trying to solve a puzzle. Let’s pass it out and begin.
Pass out the Learn It! Love It! Live It! Tips page and a writing implement to each child.
Once again, what is the first tip for staying spiritually healthy? (Check your attitude.) Fill that in now.
Let’s roll on through the rest. Listen carefully so you’re catching each answer. I’ve got a special little something to give you at the end if you have it filled out correctly.
TIP 2—Remember it’s a treasure.
Arctic explorers realize that the Arctic is a beautiful treasure of a place. 
As a Bible explorer, you should remind yourself of the treasure that the Bible is, too. It’s more precious than gold. It’s sweeter than the yummiest sweet treat. Read Psalm 19:10. It’s exciting to explore! If we don’t remember how important it is, we probably won’t spend time reading it. But if we really realize and remember the priceless treasure we’re holding in our hands­—God speaking to us—it helps us appreciate it more! 
Make reading your Bible the most important priority of every day. What could be more important than spending time with the God who made and runs the entire universe?
TIP 3—Pray first.
Arctic explorers need to be prepared. They don’t just fling themselves into an exploration without preparing. 

If you're running short on time, roll through these quickly, leaving out details.

As a Bible explorer, you should prepare yourself, too. And one key thing to do before starting your Bible exploration each day is to pray! First, ask God to help you love Him and His Word more. You may not start loving God’s Word right away, but over time, year after year, you’ll find yourself loving it more and more. 
Also, ask God to help you understand what you’re reading. This is important because the Bible can’t be properly understood without the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God. Only those who are children of God are really able to understand its meaning.  If you’re not a child of God, you won’t really understand it.
If you are a child of God, remember that this special book is written for you, but you should pray before reading it. A good prayer to pray is our theme verse. Show the Theme Verse poster. Read Psalm 119:18. 
So pray that God will help you love Him and His Word more and that He’ll open your eyes so you can see all the wondrous things there!
TIP 4—Find a place and time.
Arctic explorers figure out the best time and the best route for their trip. Most go in the summer months of June, July, and August because the temperatures are warmer, the ice isn’t as thick and solid, and there is more daylight. 
And as a Bible explorer, you also need to figure out a good time and place for your Bible exploring. It’s important to find a quiet place and a scheduled time to spend with God. I personally spend time with God . . . .  Share where and when, and what you’ve found to be helpful habits for you. 
One thing you need to be aware of, explorers, is that the devil will not be happy with you spending time with God. He wants to keep you as far away from the Bible as possible because he knows it has the power to change your life for good. So he’ll throw many distractions your way to attempt to get you off track.
We’re going to play a game to learn some of the distractions the devil may throw your way. It’s called Distraction Concentration. You’ll get into groups with a set of concentration cards. Shuffle them and place them face down on the ground. Decide who is first. The first person picks up two cards. If they match, keep them and continue. If they don’t match, flip them back over and the next person goes. The person with the most matches at the end of the game wins. Make sure you remember to concentrate on where each card is.

Skip Distraction Concentration if you are running short on time. 

 Let’s divide into groups of two or three and begin.
Pass out the sets of cards. Play for 5–10 minutes.
Who can remember any of the distractions the devil throws at us? Take responses. Beware of his tricks! Decide on a time and a place to meet God daily and stick to it! If you experience distractions that you didn’t plan on, don’t give up. Ask God for help and keep on trying, day after day.
TIP 5—Pay close attention.
Arctic explorers have to pay close attention to the shifting and cracking ice. Remember that under that ice is freezing cold water! If they aren’t careful, they can go under! 
As a Bible explorer, you need to pay close attention, too. You need to choose somewhere in the Bible to read, and then read it, or have someone read it to you. There are many places in God’s Word that make good places to start.
Start at the beginning with the book of Genesis, and read (or have someone read to you) a chapter each day.
Start in the New Testament with the book of Matthew or the book of John, and read a chapter each day.
Pick a particular word you’re interested in learning more about and read all the verses about it. For instance, perhaps you’re interested in reading verses about prayer. Check the back of your Bible for something called a concordance. Demonstrate. Most Bibles have them. Look up the word prayer, and start reading a few verses each day about prayer.
Choose a Bible study such as Exploring God’s Word and use it daily.
As you can see, there are many different ways to start reading God’s Word. Pick one and begin, paying close attention as you read or as someone reads to you.
Part 3: Puppet Pal—EXPLORE and Learn It! Love It! Live It! (5 minutes)

Boy or girl puppet (in costume)
Clipboard
2 copies of today’s script (Resource DVD-ROM)
EXPLORE poster (Teacher Resource Kit)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the scripts and place in puppet stage and on clipboard.
One teacher should be positioned in front of the puppet stage and one behind it with the puppet.
Cut apart the Check Your Attitude and EXPLORE posters.

 Puppet: Hey, everybody ! What’s going on out here?
Teacher: Hi, Kai! We’re just talking about some tips to learning, loving, and living the Bible!
Puppet: Oooo! Oooo! I’ve got a good one! It has to do with the word EXPLORE! You know  I love to explore the Arctic on my dogsled, but I also love to explore my Bible!
Teacher: Me too! We’re Bible explorers!
Puppet: So hey, Bible explorers! Let’s see if you can spell EXPLORE with me. I want to hear you! Give me an E. (E!) Give me an X. (X!) Give me a P. (P!) Give me an L. (L!) Give me an O. (O!) Give me an R. (R!) Give me an E. (E!) What’s that spell? (EXPLORE!) Louder! (EXPLORE!) Louder! (EXPLORE!)

You may want to have explorers not only shout out the words to the acronym but also jump up as they do so.

Teacher: You know, if you keep the word EXPLORE in your mind when you’re reading the Bible, it can be really helpful! Remember that each letter stands for something. 
Puppet: Yep! Like, the EX stands for “Example.” Explorers, let’s shout out the word “example.” Do so.
Teacher: Awesome! When you’re reading something in the Bible think: Is there an example to follow? Point to the EX on the EXPLORE poster.
Puppet: Next comes the P. The P stands for “Promise.” Explorers, let’s shout out the word “promise.” Do so.
Teacher: The Bible is full of promises. When you read it, think: Is there a promise to claim? Point to the P on the EXPLORE poster.
Puppet: Next comes the L. The L stands for “Lesson.” Explorers, let’s shout out the word “lesson.” Do so.
Teacher: God has been so kind to leave us so many lessons in the Bible. When you read it,  think: Is there a lesson to learn? Point to the L on the EXPLORE poster.
Puppet: After that comes the letter O. The O stands for “Offense.” Explorers, let’s shout out the word “offense.” Do so. 
Teacher: An offense is when we disobey God's command, a sin. So when you hear the Bible, ask yourself, "Is there an offense—a sin—to confess?" Point to the O.
Puppet: On to the next letter, which is R. The R stands for “Rule.” Explorers, let’s shout out the word “rule.” Do so.
Teacher: God also kindly left us many helpful rules for our lives. So when you read, think: Is there a rule to obey? Point to the R. 
Puppet: And finally—the letter E. E stands for “Error.” Explorers, let’s shout out the word “error.” Do so.
Teacher: When you read the Bible, think: Is there an error to avoid? Point to the E.
Puppet: Okay, so if you put E-X-P-L-O-R-E together it spells a word. Do you know what word, explorers? Take responses.
Teacher: Go back through all the letters and see if the kids can remember what they mean if you have time. Then say: Well, that’s awesome, Kai. But now I want to leave the explorers with the ultimate explorer challenge.
FINAL STEP—The Ultimate Challenge.
Now that you have all the blanks filled in, let’s see if you can place the corresponding letter with the correct number to spell out the ultimate explorer challenge. 
After they have finished, say:
This is the ultimate explorer challenge—to learn the Bible, love the Bible, and live the Bible. We just talked about ways to learn the Bible. As you learn it by reading and studying it, pray and ask God to give you a love for His Word, too. If you’re learning it, but it’s just in your head and you don’t really care about it, that won’t change you. So don’t forget to ask God to give you a love for the Bible.
And finally, ask Him to help you live it—obey it. One way to show love for God and His Word is to obey it. Obedience to God’s Word brings spiritual blessings. Disobedience brings consequences. Obey God’s Word! 
Let’s all say “Learn It! Love It! Live It!” together. Do so. Then show the Books of the Bible bookmarks and give them out to everyone who finished their Learn It! Love It! Live It! Tips page.
Part 4: Small Group Time (5 minutes) 

Bibles
Day 5 discussion sheets, 1 per small group leader (Resource DVD-ROM)
Pre-Prep
Photocopy the discussion sheets.

 Divide into small groups of 4–6, with a leader in each group. Adjust as necessary depending on how many leaders and kids you have. Discuss some or all of the following questions.
If you had to describe the Bible in a word or two, what words would you choose? 
What is your favorite animal pal and why? 
If you had to pick one thing you want to do as a result of this week, what would it be?
Read some of the following passages together: Psalm 119:9–16; Proverbs 2:1–9; 2 Timothy 3:14–17.

Memory verse music CD and player
Student guides and supplies for Part 1 and Part 2
Explorer Guides, 1 per child
Stamp for Explorer Guides
Dash bookmarks, 1 per child
Exploring God's Word Bible studies, 1 per child
Day 5 Memory Verse poster (Teacher Resource Kit)

 Apply It!
In the remaining time, complete one or more of the following ideas in class. Supplies for this section are not included in the supply list on the back cover since they will vary depending on the activities you choose, so decide what you will do and add them to your supply list accordingly. 
Pass out the Dash bookmarks, one per child, or have group guides do so at the end of the day. Put a stamp in the Explorer Guides (or do so at snack time), and/or review the student guides. If giving each child an Exploring God's Word Bible study, show/explain it to them and pass out now or at the end of the day.
Part 1: Bible Gems
Today’s Verse: “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” Psalm 119:162 
Practice the verse several times by playing the appropriate song from the memory verse CD and using the Memory Verse poster as a reference, then try the following challenge.
Challenge: We talked about explorers today. They need to be wise and know survival skills! Now let’s try some silly skills as you say your verse. Try to say it while attempting these various silly skills.
Lick your elbow while saying the verse.
Stand on one foot while saying the verse.
Do a split while saying the verse.
Rub your head and pat your tummy while saying the verse.
Part 2: Go and Do
Find a partner to do the BIBLE handshake with. Show your partner all five letters. Can you remember what each one stands for?
Do you have a Bible? Do you have a place to go that’s quiet? Can you think of a time of day that would be good to set aside to explore your treasure? Do you have a thought as to where in the Bible you want to start reading?
Ask a Christian adult about his Bible exploring habits. When does he study the Bible? What does he study? 
Check answersvbs.com/oakids for more fun information!
Ask yourself these questions: What am I doing to stay spiritually healthy? How can I learn, love, and live the Bible more?
Part 3: BIBLE Handshake
Today, explorers learn the E handshake. Cup hand to form a C. Another explorer puts his flat hand in the middle of the C to make it into an E. Say, “Exciting to Explore.” Review all handshakes. (Use the Fun Phrase posters as a reminder of the letters and what each stands for.)