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What Can I Do: a 4-Week Teaching Series for Children's Ministry TOPIC: Jesus' Early Life & Ministry SCRIPTURE: the Gospels DECORATING THEME: Professions AGE GROUP: Elementary (Get the Preschool version here !) What's your dream job? Do you want to be a pilot or astronaut? A teacher or musician? There are so many incredible jobs for us to pick from! God has given each of us special talents and skills that can help us discover what we want to do. But God gives us another job, too. It's the chance for us to follow God right now! In this four-week series from the Gospels, we'll read about Jesus' starting out his ministry and how he invited his followers - and us - to listen to God's voice, trust Jesus knows us, trust God's plans for us , and include people who aren't like us. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES I can listen to God's voice. (Jesus and John the Baptist: Mark 1:4-11; Psalm 29) I can trust Jesus knows me. (Jesus Calls Phillip and Nathanel: John 1:43-51; Psalm 29) I can trust God's plans for me. (Jesus Calls Andrew, Peter, James, and John: Mark 1:14-20; Psalm 62:5-12) I can include people who aren't like me. (Jesus Calls Matthew: Matthew 9:9-13; Psalm 111) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: This week, kids see how Jesus and John the Baptist heard God's voice. When you're picking what you want to be someday, it's important to know who to listen to-and God's voice is the one that matters most. This week, we hear how John the Baptist listened to God and helped others get ready for Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, God spoke from heaven, reminding us that I can listen to God's voice. This week, kids see how Jesus called Philip and Nathanael to follow him. It feels really good when someone knows your name and sees the good in you. This week, Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael to follow him and shows that he knows them before they even say a word. We don't have to be famous or important for Jesus to care about us, because I can trust Jesus knows me. This week, kids see how Jesus called Andrew, Peter, James, and John to become his disciples. Sometimes we don't know what we want to be when we grow up-but God already has a plan for us. This week, Jesus calls Andrew, Peter, James, and John to follow him, and they drop everything to go. Even if we don't know all the steps yet, I can trust God's plans for me. This week, kids see how Jesus called someone unexpected like Matthew to follow him. Sometimes people get left out just because they seem different-but Jesus doesn't do that. This week, Jesus invites Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him-even though everyone else avoided him. Jesus didn't just include Matthew-he had dinner with him and his friends, showing that everyone is welcome in God's family. That's why I can include people who aren't like me. MEMORY VERSE: "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

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