SOLOMON’S TEMPLE

Series Objective: At the end of the series the kids will understand that the different Bible
stories make up one BIG story about the love of God (Point to Jesus) so that they can live a
life of faith and obedience.

Note to preacher: The series objective is just a guide for you. You do not need to mention it
when you preach. Also, please note that there will be one Power Truth and Power Verse for
the entire Superbook series, to make it easier for the kids to memorize and apply. As such,
these may not apply for this particular lesson but applies for the whole series.

PT: God’s Word can help me live a life of faith and obedience
PV: Psalm 119:11 CEV I treasure your word above all else; it keeps me from sinning
against you.

INTRODUCTION

Today we continue our series based on the Superbook episodes of Seasons 3 and 4. In this
series, we are looking into stories in the Bible that show us the love of God so that we can
live a life of faith and obedience.

CONNECT: Places of Prayer from A-Z

Before we go on with our lesson, let’s play a game. On your handout are the letters A-Z.
When I give you the signal, write one place of prayer that begins with each letter of the
alphabet (English or in your native language). Bonus: write CHURCH for letter C. I will give
you two minutes. The first five kids to submit with the most correct answers will win 500
KC Bucks each. So don’t forget to write your name on your handout. Ready? Go! (Accept
common nouns. Proper nouns and adjectives will be at the preacher’s discretion. E.g., P –
Philippines, S – scary place)

As the teachers are checking the papers, I will ask for your answers. A – arena, B – bowling
alley, C – car, D – dentist’s clinic, etc. (You can stop once you have qualified five winners.)

Great job identifying places of prayer. That is because we can pray anywhere, wherever we
are! Our lesson today is about the grand place of worship and prayer that the Israelites
built. Before we play the video, let me first give you a background…

The Israelites had a Tabernacle; it was a tent where the presence of God was. It was where
the people worshiped the Lord. But it was just a tent. So King David had it in his heart to
build a grand and rich temple for God. But God said that it was going to be David’s son who
will build the temple. So when David died and his son Solomon became king, Solomon set
about to building the temple. When it was finished, all Israel came to dedicate it to God.
The video we are going to watch is the part where King Solomon prays to the Lord.

VIDEO: http://en.superbook.tv/video/temple-dedicated

Let’s read about it straight from the Scriptures.

WORD

1 Kings 8:12-13 and 27-30 CEV

12 Then Solomon prayed:
SUPERBOOK
SOLOMON’S TEMPLE
“Our LORD, you said that you would live in a dark cloud.
13 Now I have built a glorious temple where you can live forever.”

27 There’s not enough room in all of heaven for you, LORD God. How could you possibly live
on earth in this temple I have built? 28 But I ask you to answer my prayer. 29 This is the
temple where you have chosen to be worshiped. Please watch over it day and night and
listen when I turn toward it and pray. 30 I am your servant, and the people of Israel
belong to you. So whenever any of us look toward this temple and pray, answer from your
home in heaven and forgive our sins.

The temple built by Solomon was very rich and grand. But it is now gone. Today, we will
study what the temple symbolized for the Israelites and what it means to us now.

1. Place of God’s Presence

2 Chronicles 6:13 CEV Now I have built a glorious temple where you can live forever.

Although it was clear to the Israelites that God could not be contained in any building
(verse 27), they saw the temple as God’s dwelling place, the place where God put His
name. And indeed, the presence of God was there. It was where people could “meet” God
through the priests. How about today? Where does God dwell?

1 Cor. 3:16 ESV Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit
dwells in you?

Illustration: Balloon blowing game

Materials: balloons and measuring tape or pre-measured string/yarn

Who’s up for a balloon-blowing game? I need five boys and five girls. The first three people
to inflate a balloon (by blowing) that measures at least 8 inches around, will win 500 KC
Bucks each. The non-winners will each receive 200 KC Bucks.
*Note to preacher: if you think the kids will have a hard time blowing a balloon, you can
make it into a contest between teachers.

Do you know why we played that game? It was just to show you that when you blow a
balloon, your breath gets inside a balloon, inflating it. Just like when you have a
relationship with Jesus, God the Holy Spirit lives in us! That’s why we can say no to sin
because the Holy Spirit enables us to. Also, when we need God’s guidance over something,
we just pray and for some reason, we know what to do because the Holy Spirit tells us.

2. Place of Worship

2 Chronicles 6:20a CEV This is the temple where you have chosen to be worshiped.

The temple was the place of worship for the Israelites. They were not allowed to offer
sacrifices anywhere else, only in the temple. How do we worship God then?

Rom. 12:1 ESV I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Apostle Paul tells us that we are living sacrifices, our lives and lifestyle is our worship to

SUPERBOOK
SOLOMON’S TEMPLE
God. This means that we do everything as a form of worship to God.

Illustration: 24/7 store

Nowadays, there are many stores that are open 24/7 – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
They never close shop, even on holidays or the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes I
even wonder why they still put a lock on the door when they never close anyway.

Our worship to God is like a 24/7 store; it doesn’t stop. Does that mean that we should be
singing worship songs all the time? Of course not! Worship is defined as an expression of
reverence and love towards God. That means that we honor and glorify God in all that we
do. Like when you are playing games on your gadgets, is the game glorifying to God or is it
teaching you bad things like taking revenge or hating your enemy? Or when you are doing
errands for your mom, are you doing it with a heavy heart and grumpy disposition or
obeying her wholeheartedly?

PRACTICE
God dwells in us and we live a lifestyle of worship to Him. But how do we know how to do
this? God has already given us instructions in the Bible on how to live a life reflective of His
indwelling in us. The more we read and obey the Bible, the more our lives become a
pleasing aroma to God.

PT: God’s Word can help me live a life of faith and obedience

POINT TO JESUS
The entire Israel contributed to building the temple, because it was to be the meeting place
of God and man. Do you know who is our temple? Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus is the
mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) or someone who is the “meeting place” between God and man.
When we receive Jesus in our hearts, He represents us to God.

HUDDLE TIME
1. Do you feel God living in you? Why do you say so?
2. Is there an area in your life where you think you are not worshiping God?

TEACHER’S DEVOTIONAL
The temple was a showcase of David and Israel’s devotion to God – it was opulent and
intricate, every detail made with excellence. Yet they knew that the temple could not hold
God, it was merely the place where His name would dwell.

So where does God dwell today? Yes, God dwells in heaven, but He also lives in us.

1 Cor. 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Eph. 2:22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

How do you live out this fact? A good example is your service in Kids Church! The place
where God dwells is doing God’s work for the other dwelling places (His children) of God!
Whoa. You are indeed a good “house”. Does this apply to the rest of your life? Pair up,
share, and pray for each other.

SUPERBOOK