God Made Us – (Wk 2) God Gave Us Life

Week 2 (20th Aug 2023) – Live God’s Word

Big Point: God Gave Us Life 

Bible Text: Genesis 1:26-27 – God Made Adam and Eve

Lesson Aim: To teach children that God, after creating our physical bodies, gave us the breath of life

God’s Character: God is the Giver of Life

Child Developmental Concepts: Five senses, Movement, Growth, Breathing (respiration), Nutrition

Creative Video: God Made People (Repeated) orAdam and Eve (new) 

God Made Me Week #2 Preschool Word Study

<Sound/MM: happy chirpy upbeat music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOXIZ5jbw0k>

<Preacher walks in happily blowing bubbles>

<Music fades out, play in the background>

La la la~ What a wonderful day to be alive! Oh, hello HopeKids! Welcome to Church today.

Isn’t it wonderful to be back in church? Last week, we learnt from our teachers about how God made us. I am so glad that God made us just the way we are:

  1. God made us with a face so we can smile and greet one another.
    1. Let’s smile at our teachers and friends with our happy faces.
  2. God made us with two hands so we can wave and give nice warm hugs.
    1. Let’s wave at our teachers and hug our friends with our hands.
  3. God made us with two legs so we can stand, walk, jump, and sit.
    1. Let’s stand together, take two steps to our left, two steps to our right, jump up and down three times, and then sit down nicely.
    1. Good job HopeKids!
  4. God made us with our bodies so we can have our bones, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, and all our important organs safely kept in there. <MM: image of internal organs>
    1. Let’s sit tall so none of the organs in there get squashed.
    1. Good job!

Ah, with the hands that God made, I can also hold my tube of soap solution and blow some bubbles. That’s what I really enjoy doing this morning. I simply love looking at the bubbles shining in the sun. I also love popping the bubbles with my fingers!

But wait a minute, how did I blow some bubbles? <Invite HopeKids to share…>

Yes, first, I shape my mouth like an “O”.

Then I need to take a deep breath of air like this <exaggerated gasp for air>.

Finally, I blow the air through the bubble wand.

Ta-da! Bubbles are made!

God made me… God made my hands to hold the bubble solution and the bubble wand. God made my mouth so I could shape my mouth into an “O”… but how could I take a deep breath and blow the air out? Where did this air come from? Let’s find out together…

<MM/Sound: God’s Word Video – God Made People 0:00 – 1:19>

Wow! God made mankind in His image and likeness. First, He took some dust from the ground.

Then God breathed into the dust with His own breath. And that’s how the first man Adam was created!

The air that we have in our bodies are from God! When God breathed into the dust, God gave us life.

That is today’s Big Point. God gave us life.

<MM: God gave us life>

Let’s learn the actions together so we can remember today’s Big Point. Ready?

First, we point upward to remind us that God is greater than us. Next, we put our hands out to show how God gives us all good things. Then, we point to ourselves and finally, we blow air out of our mouths gently to remind us of how God breathed life into us.

Let’s do the actions and say the words together now: God gave us life!

God had breath. God made us to be like God. We have breath in our lungs too. We are alive because we have breath in our lungs. We breathe in and breathe out all the time, even when we are sleeping. God gave us life. Let’s do the next exercise together. We will practise breathing in and breathing out. When you see “inhale” we will breathe in. When you see “exhale”, we will breathe out. Let’s do it together three times. <MM/Sound: https://youtu.be/Gt5hXVD7cZs?t=9>

Isn’t that wonderful? God has breath. God has life. God made us.

God made us like Him. God breathed into us. God gave us life.

Why did God give us life?

God gave us life to care for all His creation. Let’s look at what Adam did when God gave him life. <MM/Sound: God’s Word Video – God Made People 1:19 – 1:31>

God made all of us for a purpose. God created human beings to rule over everything. Adam was in charge in the Garden of Eden. He took care of everything, the animals, the plants, the fishes, the river, the trees… everything!

Do you think it’s difficult? Very much so! But God did not give us life so that we can do everything on our own. We cannot do everything ourselves. There’s simply too much to do. It also gets lonely… No matter how caring Adam was, or how nice the animals were to him, Adam had no one to talk to about how beautiful God’s creation was.

God made Adam. God cared for Adam. God knew Adam’s need for a friend. What do you think our loving God would do next? <elicit HopeKids’ responses>

That’s right, God made Adam a friend. This time, God did not make another person out of dust. Rather, something amazing happened. Let’s find out.

<MM/Sound: God’s Word Video – God Made People 1:31 – 1:46>

God made Adam fall asleep. He was deep asleep. God used one of Adam’s ribs to make another person. This time, God made a woman. God breathed life into her. The woman’s name was Eve. God gave Eve life. The way God made Eve was different from how God made Adam. But both Adam and Eve had life because God gave them life by breathing life into them.

The way God made all of us was different from how He made Adam and Eve. God did not make us out from dust, nor from a rib, but God made us in our mother’s womb. How God made all of us is amazing and wonderful.

In Psalm 139:13-16, King David said to God, “You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother’s body…None of my bones was hidden from you when You made me inside my mother’s body. That place was as dark as the deepest parts of the earth. When You were putting me together there, Your eyes saw my body even before it was formed. You planned how many days I would live…”

King David knew very well that God created him. God was the one who gave King David life.

King David praised God for that. He tells God that what He has done is wonderful.

In the same way, how God created all of us. God gave us life. We should praise God because He gave us life.

Why did God give us life and make so many of us?

<MM/Sound: God’s Word Video – God Made People 1:46 – 3:18>

God gave us life to share with our family and friends. God gave us life to get to know Him. God gave us life so that we can sing, dance, draw, laugh, and live a life to the fullest!

Some of us are funny – God made you to bring joy to the people around you.

Some of us are intelligent – God made you to think of good ideas to solve problems.

Some of us like to sing – God made you to bring a song into the world.

Some of us like to dance – God made you to show people His grace.

Some of us like to draw – God made you to reflect His beautiful creation.

Some of us like to talk – God made you to tell the world about His love.

HopeKids, let us remember that God made us. God breathed into us. God gave us life. And all this is because God loves us very much. Remember, only after human beings were created did God say, “It is very good.”

God loves it when we find joy in Him. When we celebrate our lives, and the goodness of God in them, God is so so happy, He celebrates too! Let’s stand up on our feet and thank God for giving us life.

<Altar call><Prayer>

twenty twenty-one

If 2020 had been a year of “hospitality”, 2021 would have been a year of “boundaries”.

It is on hindsight that I can say that truly one would not know the limits of oneself until a line has been crossed, and perhaps it is not a stretch to say, until one is in the pits.

Last year, I experienced a breakdown that was different from the one I had in 2020. In 2020, following the Circuit Breaker, I grieved the loss of a friendship and a friend.

In 2021, I was bearing all these unspoken and unexpressed feelings and tensions within me (much due to the politics at work that affected others disproportionately more than me) that I didn’t know how to handle… At one point, Mum asked, “But how are you doing at work?” which made me recognise that there is a distinction between my own load and others’ burdens.

I couldn’t understand why I was feeling that way but help came in the form of realising that I was a highly sensitive person. It doesn’t change anything, but the sheer self-awareness that I’ve gained helped me. Now I know that I process things and events around me at a deeper level than others and I am able to make connections quickly. I am also easily overstimulated by the amount of negative conversations around me at work that just overwhelmed me. There was just too much going on at work that led to a chronic stress that eventually gave way. How does one work happily when your colleagues are going a crazy time because of the same boss who so highly favours you? I felt that it was unjust and not right at all, and I was very upset together with the rest of them, thanks to my strong emotional intensity and empathy. It also explained why I’ve often balled my eyes out when the TV/film characters go through a rough patch… I am also very sensitive to my surrounding environment which explained why I am jumpy near bushes, especially at night, since I can detect little movements within there.

I cried so much and so hard during my lowest times. There was this deep chesty sound that came out from within me that was barely me.

Angels surrounded me in my lowest moments. S was with me and recognised the deep-throttle cries as a beginning sign of depression that I had to watch. Later, I realised it was actually grief. What was I grieving? I was grieving the loss of my autonomy at work and at ministry.

WL helped me to see that the work load I was bearing was too much for me. This may sound like nothing much, but to have someone external see it as it was was liberating to know that I actually had bargaining power to tell my superiors that I could not manage and that I felt stretched.

On the ministry front, I told CS that if I were going to continue holding the portfolio that I did, I can do it, but I would die doing it. By the grace of God, he took over my portfolio in a bid to support me.

2022 has been looking better since the lowest lows of 2021. It’s an indication that the adjustments made since the time I was in the pit seem to be working. Regarding my grief of losing my autonomy, I found comfort and resolution in learning “surrender” and “trust” in my Heavenly Father, that truly, no matter what happens, He holds my tomorrow and He is my Sustainer and my Provider.

I’m also no longer pushing myself as hard as I used to. C pointed out that I’ve been so used to having such high expectations of myself since my youth days (especially being in an ‘elite’ school with many responsibilities) and I needed to learn to be kind to myself. To make space and hold space for what matters, and give myself the buffer (white space) that I need to function as a human.

Adulthood is a marathon. It’s no longer the short sprints of youth where environments change in a couple of years’ time. I now have to learn more about who I am and what I need to sustainably live the rest of my life in terms of my energy and time.

I’ve been taught to give my best all the time to God, to ministry, to work, in all that I do. But now I recognise that my best can only come if I first take care of myself. My best is not my best at all if I’m doing it angrily and with all sorts of negative energy.

So, cheers to a faithful God who has journeyed with me through the valley of shadow of death and I can truly say now, like King David, that I will fear no evil for I know God is with me. He comforts me and He leads me. He provides for me, He restores my soul, and He prepares all that I need. All glory and honour to God!

Psalm 23

The LORD Is My Shepherd, A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

This is a journal entry that comes again quite urgently as if this season will soon pass and I may not remember it once it has passed. It has happened before in 2016 after my surgery. So please pardon any lack of cohesiveness, I was writing from a stream of consciousness.

twnty-ght

  1. Sile: Zhiying!! Happy birthday! Thanks for being the one to first reach out to me when i am very new to hopekids lg ((: you are super friendly plus intentional and i am so glad to be able to know you in this lg! i pray that God continues to expand your heart for the children as well as your capacity to love! 🙆🏻‍♀️♥️ JIAYOUUU ☺️☺️
  2. Alicia: Happy birthday Zhiying! 🎊🎊🎊☺️ thankful to be able to cross paths with a God-fearing spiritual giant such as you!! I’m always encouraged by your faith and trust in God – this translates so much into your teachings and interactions with the kids, and it builds my faith too, to know that it is possible to lean in and stretch for more of God in every season. Praying that this year will be even more faith-filled, and that God will continue to expand your capacity to love and serve, as you continue to receive from the only source of life🙌🏻 hope you had a really good one!!
  3. Peishi Jeanette: 生日快乐! 🎂 祝你永远知足幸福
  4. Vera: Happy birthday Zhi Ying! You are someone that always will be the first to initiate prayers and to lift us up with the WOG! Very appreciative of your prayerful heart, it really encourages me to take my prayer life deeper! You are very intentional with the way you disciple the kids as well as the volunteers! really thank God for you! praying that as you celebrate yur birthday this year, may your intimacy with God deepen even more and your love for Him grow bigger!
  5. Mama: 👋🏻收到你们的爱心蛋糕💗，好幸福哦！反而是birthday girl 做蛋糕请我们吃，真是甜蜜到心里去了！好吃，敏敏都说成功👍🏻🥳谢谢你们! Happy Birthday ！
  6. Ps Daniel: Happy belated birthday Zhiying! Always so encouraged by your love for God and your passion for the children! May the Lord bring you to new heights in your ministries as you remain in Him! May the joy of the Lord be your strength! Hope you had a great one with Chan Sing yesterday 🎂🎉😄
  7. Ps Leanne: Happy birthday @Zhiying Isabel Chew! You are gentle, faithful, loving and trustworthy! A great team player as well! Your gentleness draws hearts towards you, your strong conviction in warring in the spiritual realms push the darkness away! You are truly celebrated for who you are! Your heart and commitment in building God’s house is contagious! Continue to dream and war for what God has in mind! Have a blasting time with CS!🌷🌷🌷
  8. Misha: Happy birthday zhiying!! You are truly a woman after God’s heart. I appreciate how you are always so quick to seek the heart of God especially in situations that might be tough. Thanks for being so intentional to always take note of the needs of others. I remember just recently you sent me something from sephora?! Cause you said that you were praying and God prompted you to do so. It mad eme feel very loved because it reminded me that our Father in heaven really sees everything and knows everything. Thank you for always availing yourself and yielding yourelf to God to let God move through you. You always give the glory back to God and give Him all the honour and praise. Thanks for being a cheerleader to many. I love your convictions. It shows how closely you walk with our God and your intentionality to draw close to the Father’s heart. Thanks for being someone who can challenge my thoughts and spurring me on towards love and good deeds. Love and appreciate you very much. I hope you had the most blessed one!!
  9. Yeekan: Have a blessed birthday zhiying!
  10. Linus: Happy Birthday Zhiying! You are a mighty spiritual warrior for God! Always seeking to be a blessing to others, loving your flock, interceding for the land and building up what matters to God! Truely a blessing to serve with you! 🙂
  11. Mila: Happy Birthday Zhiying! 🎉🎂🎉☺️
    You’re always full of positivity! ☺️ not just positivity for its own sake but truly because you sincerely choose to see the best in all situations and in all people! ☺️💖 Your heart is always soft about the things of God and you choose to always look to God in prayer with even the smallest things, which humbles me because I realise sometimes I don’t want to “trouble God” with small things, but a daughter that knows her Father will not be afraid to trouble God with the small and big things. You always choose to lean in to the Father and His heart, and you have a way in spurring people on to be and do better. ☺️ You accept things and people as they are but you pray and do what you can to spur them to be better! thank God for you zhiying! Really pray that God continues to show you how precious you are to Him and may you always, always lean in and know the Father’s heart even more! Blessings be upon you and your famz! I love watching your chanzykitchen igstories! ☺️☺️💖💖
  12. Edmund: Happy bdae Zhiying! I love how you lead your team! You are opportunistic in picking teachable moments and using them to impart spirit 💪 I pray that God will anoint you with greater! Greater capacity, vision and burden for the little ones! Running the race together with you from the NEC team 🙂
  13. Yingjie: Happy Birthday Zhiying!! 🌹🌹 Thanks for journeying life with me intentionally even when we are serving in different lgs and age grp in HopeKids! Appreciate all the honest and open conversations and allowing me to safely share my honest thoughts! Appreciate you lots! ❤️ Love ya!
  14. Guo Feng: Blessed birthday Zhiying! Thank God for you for your obedience in answering His call to serve the next generation and may He continue to add to you in the coming year!
  15. Shuyan: Blessed Birthday Zhiying!😊 Love ur soft heart towards God & ppl, always seeking Him & faithfully interceding & praying for others! You’ve always been mature beyond your years & I thank u for being a sister whom I could share deeply with & who would look out for me & ask after me. Praying that u will continue to experience greater joy and may the Lord continue to add strength onto u as u choose to walk w Him & watch over His flock! Love u🙆🏻‍♀️❤
  16. Shuqin: Blessed birthday Zhiying! You have such a heart for people and the kids, such a gifting in discipleship and you seek God’s heart in things. We r so blessed by your life! May God continue to add upon you in this coming year to impact more lives 💖
  17. Elizabeth: Blessed belated birthday Zhiying! Your pure heart for others and the kids is simply admirable. You always seek His kingdom first, and even though you’re stressed at work or ministry, you never fail to put your Father first by praying. Praying for a great blessed year ahead of you, as you juggle being a wife, a teacher, a leader and a friend. 🙆🏻‍♀️
  18. Christine: 💐 Happy belated Birthday 🎂 ZhiYing! 🙆🙆
  19. Shunrong: Happy belated Birthday ZhiYing. You are a prayer warrior that that keep pray for God’s blessing for people. God use you to bless other and He bless you and your family too. Continue stay positive and strong dwell in God purposeful driven life. 💪 👍
  20. Chris:Blessed birthday Zhiying!
    You are a prayer warrior in how you pray firmly over the storms in people’s lives. I know quite a few people in SG and Indo who have been very blessed by your words of affirmation over their lives. Thank God for your heart for the kids which has grown significantly over the years, i know the kids have been terrified and blessed by you at the same time hahahaha.Thanks for the spiritual conversations I have with you and CS. you guys are really power couple that i’m really blessed to know and to see advice from:)
  21. Jilleen: Happy bday girl 🙂 hope U have a blast today
  22. Yung: Happy Birthday Zhiying 😘😘😘
  23. Shannon: Happy birthday Isabel! Hope that you get to enjoy some quality time with your husband on your birthday 😊
  24. Amanda: Happy birthday!🌷❤️
  25. Papa: Happy birthday to your ❤️🎉🎂
  26. Maydeline: Happy Birthday Ying Ying , May u be blessed with good health and lots of loves 😍😘
  27. Jasmine: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZHIYING!! Thank you for being such awesome leader! 🎉🥳😘
  28. Yanfang: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZHIYING! Thanks for leading us💪
  29. Scott: Happy Birthday boss Zhiying!!! Zealous/Honouring/Intercessing/Youthful/Imaginative/Nice/God-fearing. Enjoy your 21st!!!🤣😏
  30. Sheena: Happy birthday Zhi Ying & Kenneth!! 🥳🥳🥳 thank you for serving and leading in hopekids!
  31. Noel: Happy Blessed Birthday, thanks for taking to serve and leading the kids!
  32. Candace: Happy birthday Zhiying! V thankful for your leadership & blessed to have ya in the East team!! 🙌🏻🌟
  33. Hanyun: Blessed birthday Zhiying!! Thank you for being intentional in building relationship and prayerful in entrusting the ministry to God. Very blessed by your leadership! 🙆❤️
  34. Fred: Happy birthday Kenneth and Zhiying!
    thank for choosing to invest your time and love into the next Generation!!!🥳🥳🥳
  35. Kenneth: Happy birthday Zhiying! Thanks for your steadfast presence in leading both the children and the teachers!
  36. Xinhui: blessed birthday Zhiying! thank you for your steadfast leadership and am very encouraged by how you believe and invest in each and every one of us in all the regions💕💕
  37. Gillian: you rly have a heart that yearns for Him and that pours out on others but I know that it’s an outpouring from Him. You’re trustworthy w what’s given to you and can see how you’re not fearful Bcus there’s smth greater empowering and leading you :’) been blessed by your care and thought for us. And also thankful that you’re someone who leads w direction 🙂 May He always be the strength of you. May He always always pour into you and your fam as you guys pour out onto others. Have a blessed birthday too!
  38. Evelyn: Happy birthday Zhiying & Kenneth! 🎂
  39. Jia Jia: Happy birthday both Zhiying and Kenneth!!!!
  40. Sun Kyu: blessed birthday @Zhiying Isabel Chew and @Hopekids JNR/CW – Kenneth Tan !! very blessed to be serving with you guys🎂🎂
  41. Marcus: BLESSED BIRTHDAY TO YOU BOTH!!!💓💓💓 lub yall 3000🎂🎂🎂
  42. Phoebe: Happy birthday Zhiying and Kenneth ☺️✨✨
  43. Fanqin: Blessed birthday Zhiying and Kenneth!! Thank God for both of y’all for investing the all kiddos lives tgt!
  44. Jiaxin: happy birthday Zhiying!!! you’re someone whose life exemplifies how real and good God is in your life! am thankful for you investing your time and resources into the kids! :-))
  45. Gerald: Happy birthday Zhiying! Thank you for your guidance and leadership in the ministry! I’m inspired and encouraged by your passion and time invested in leading the kids!
  46. Hester: Omg zhiying how can I forget ur birthday! Happy belated birthday to you my dear. Glad you had a wonderful good time even in quarantine. U are loved! Haha stay safe and stay sane
  47. Grace: HAPPY BLESSED BIRTHDAY, ZHIYING!!!
  48. Jean: Happy birthday mentor ❤️❤️❤️ thankful to have you journeying with me all these years!!!! through the ups and downs, thank you for growing up and growing closer to God together. Have a blessed day!
  49. Paige: Happy birthday!! ❤️❤️❤️ Thanks for your love and encouragement all these while. I mailed you a card 2 days back!😊

 

Recipes to try

Thai recipes from Hester
Food tips from HPB
Prawn broth by Maydeline
Three-ingredient cookies (3 variations) by NYTcooking
Steamed fish by 9s seafood subscriber
Our go-to chocolate chip cookies by Pearlyn Kim
Scallion pancakes by NYTcooking
Cake by a Japanese pastry Chef in Singapore (ebook from NLB)
Bubble tea by Scott and someone else
Recipes by Esplanade staff
Sardine salad by NYTcooking
Seetoh sisters

Trust in the Lord, do good and delight yourself in Him

Siyao Paige, [6 May 2020, 11:32:20 AM]:

I felt that God wants to remind you of this… your prayers are pleasing to Him

1 John 5:14–15

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

To ask God “according to his will” does not mean that, before Christians can pray effectively, they need somehow to discover God’s secret plans for the future (sometimes called his “hidden will” or “will of decree”; cf. Deut. 29:29). Rather, it means they should ask according to what the Bible teaches about God’s will for his people (sometimes called God’s “revealed will” or “will of precept”). If Christians are praying in accordance with what pleases God as found in the teaching of Scripture, then they are praying according to his will (cf. Matt. 6:10; Eph. 5:17).

To know that he hears us in whatever we ask is enough, because communion with God is the goal of prayer. “we have the requests.” Human experience testifies that Christians do not always receive all the things they ask from God, even things that seemingly accord with his revealed will (see note above). This verse must be understood in light of other passages of Scripture which show that praying according to God’s will includes the need to pray in faith (Matt. 21:22; James 1:6), with patience (Luke 18:1–8), in obedience (Ps. 66:18; 1 Pet. 3:12), and in submission to God’s greater wisdom (Luke 22:42; Rom. 8:28; 1 Pet. 4:19).

When you pray for God to use your gift to be a blessing, it truly pleases Him

Today I tasted and saw that the Lord is good. A prayer was answered in good ol’ God fashioned divine timing, as a precious gift.

Last week I spoke to CS about my desire of getting a digital piano / keyboard to learn the instrument and do something with it along with stewarding the songs that God sometimes downloads to me. We looked at options together and he thought it was too heavy an investment for something he isn’t sure I’ll persevere in. But I came across a vendor who rents digital pianos and keyboards at a monthly rate for anyone who isn’t sure yet. I reached out, but for a while there was no reply…

I surrendered it to the Lord and trusted that He has a perfect and wonderful plan. I thought it was God’s way of saying, not yet. I was happy with that, since I am also learning the guitar at the same time.

Two days ago, an app called “Simply Piano” was recommended on the App Store to encourage us to learn new things during this season. I downloaded it and gave it a try, and ended up learning how to play the keyboard with my left hand with the right fingerings and all. I was amazed! I’ve been practising faithfully since.

Yesterday, Trinity Music Studio got back to me, telling me that there is a digital piano ready for rental and asked if I was still keen. Today, we confirmed the delivery to be on this Saturday! What a wonderful birthday gift, divinely orchestrated by God! Not a moment too late, not a moment too early!

It just reminds me of Psalm 37:3-4 so much:

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.

God is so so good to me and it just makes me want to sing!