Max Lucado - Splash!: A Kids Curriculum Based on Max Lucados Come Thirsty

Copyright 2004 by Max Lucado.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotation in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Compiled by Dorla Schlitt.

Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville,
Tennessee, 37214.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: New Century Version (NCV). Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Printed in the United States of America.
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Contents

Teachers,

As you read through the lessons included in Splash!, I hope you will be as excited as your children to visit the WELL each day!

Let the Bible stories come alive as you teach and share about the living God who knows and loves each of your children, who provides for them, and invites them to continually come to him for eternal life and eternal refreshment.

All of the various activities in this curriculum are designed to draw children in, and to help them develop a real thirst for Jesus. Included is an assortment of enrichment activities, all of which have been designed to serve your age group.

May you and your children enjoy drinking from the well of life, together!

Be Blessed,

Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Background

Jacobs well can still be visited today. It is located in the center of the town, Sychar, in Samaria. Approximately 9 ft. wide and well over 100 ft. deep, it is fed by a running stream that lies deep below the earth.

In Bible times the well was the only source of clean fresh water the community had for drinking and sustaining life. Each day the women of the community traveled together to the well for their water supply. Pulling, lifting, and carrying jugs of water was hard work and consumed a good amount of time. Then, due to thirst and the necessity of water for life, the women would return to the well again the next day and the next and the next.

Devotional: John 4:142

Because the Jews and Samaritans were not friends and because the Samaritan woman was a social outcast, she went alone at a different time of the day for her water. On this day the woman met Jesus at the well. Jesus met her where she was, not only in the physical but also in the spiritual. Despite all the social and political obstacles meant to prevent such a meeting Jesus pursues her in conversation. Despite her natural inclination to avoid the truth, Jesus gently but intentionally brought her to an awareness of herself and who he is. In that moment she drank the living water he offered and it gushed up within her producing a woman transformed!

Arent you and I like this Samaritan woman? By Gods grace we meet Jesus at the well where we come to drink from his Word and be refreshed by his Spirit. Hes there waiting for us each day. Hes there to reveal himself to us and to transform our lives. As we accept his Work, rely on his Energy, trust his Lordship, and receive his Love, our thirst is satisfied. Come to the well and drink!

Focus

Scripture reference:

The Woman at the Well

Lesson Focus:

We are thirsty. We need to go to the well and drink.

Bible Memory:

... Jesus said, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.

John 7:37 NCV

Welcome Time (1520 Min)

Preparation

Construct a well for your classroom.

Supplies

a large appliance box approximately 34 ft. tall, hot glue gun/Scotch tape, brown wrapping paper, black chalk, a 5 thin rope, a bucket, clear fixative spray, a plastic pitcher, and a sharp knife

Remove one side of the large appliance box so that the top is open. Cover the four sides with brown wrapping paper. Use hot glue or Scotch tape to secure. Use the black chalk to draw large stones on all four sides of the box. Gently rub your hand over the chalk lines to smudge the chalk. Spray all four sides with clear fixative. Center and cut a hole at the top of one side of the box. Loop one rope end through the hole and tie a knot. Tie the bucket handle to the other rope end and lower it into the well.

Activity

As the children come into the classroom, direct them to the center of the room where the well is placed. Let the children look it over, touch it, and begin to question what it is and what it is doing in their classroom. Answer their questions at this time by saying I wonder and repeating their question.

Transition

Sit by the well and begin to sing:

(tune: The Farmer in the Dell )

Come and sit by me.
Come and sit by me.
We are almost ready.
Come and sit by me.
Were ready to begin.
Were ready to begin.
All our hands are in our laps
Were ready to begin!
Yea!

Bible Time (1520 Min.)

Come To the Well Activity

Say: I wonder what this is? (Point to the well behind you.)
Does anyone have an idea? (Its a pretend well.)
I wonder what a well is used for? (to get water)
I wonder why they need to get their water from a well?
(In Bible times there were no sinks and faucets. The well was the only placethey could get clean fresh water.)
I wonder whouses a well? ((In Bible times the women would come to the well each day to get water for drinking.)
I wonder where the water comes from? (an underground stream)
I wonder when people come to the well? (when they are thirsty)
I wonder how it works? (Show the children how the bucket is lowered into the well to fill with water and then pulled up again with the rope. Explain that the water is poured into the container the person brought with them. Let the children take turns drawing pretend water from the well and filling the pitcher.)

Hermie & Wormie Visit

Say: Oh, my goodness, boys and girls, I think I hear Hermie, the caterpillar. Lets sit right here by the well. I do hear moaning and its coming from over there.(Move to the counter and pick up the decorated home of Hermie and Wormie. Open the box, take out the puppets, and situate them properly as you speak.) It is Hermie! And, he has his friend, Wormie, with him.

Hermie: Oh, boys and girls, I feel so bad! Oh my tummy hurts... oh...

Wormie: Whats the matter, Hermie?

Hermie: Oh, my tummy hurts so bad! I was out walking this morning. It was so hot! My little legs couldnt get me home fast enough! Oh my! I was so thirsty! I looked in the fridge and tried everything I could to quench my thirst! Nothing worked! Now Im still thirsty and my tummy hurts from all the junkie stuff I drank.

Wormie: Sounds to me like you are dehydrated.

Hermie: Dewhat?

Wormie: Dehydrated. That means your body needs water. Did you drink any water?

Hermie: No, I didnt think of water. I went straight for my favorite soft drinks.

Wormie: No wonder you feel terrible, Hermie! Your body needs good fresh water. You need a good long drink.

Hermie: OK. Ill be right back. (Hermie leaves Wormie and then returns.) Gosh, Wormie, I feel better already!

Wormie: Im glad, Hermie. You need to keep drinking water so you dont get dehydrated again. Right, boys and girls?