SONG: Positively Give Praise!

Scripture:

Psalm 100:1-5

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God: it is He Who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His faithfulness endures to all generations.

Theme: God’s Goodness

LESSON FOR CHILDREN

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” [Ecclesiastes 3:1] I know that adults tell you to be quiet a lot, right? And sometimes God likes us to sit quietly with Him. But did you know that God likes us sometimes to jump for joy and to shout and to make a joyful noise to celebrate? What are we celebrating? Not a birthday! We’re celebrating God’s goodness! Listen to this song that is in the Book of Psalms in the Holy Scriptures. [Read above – Psalm 100.] This is a very short psalm, so short, we can try to memorize it. Let’s read it again. [Read above – Psalm 100.]

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

So we can shout and make happy noises to praise God! Let’s do that! [Wait for responses.]

Okay, calm down now. The next line is:

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing.

This is one way to serve the Lord, to do something for Him,– to sing to Him. So when we’re done with this lesson we will sing to Him, okay? And that will make God happy! Sing your best because you’re singing for the King of Kings of the whole universe, but remember each of our voices sound different and that’s okay because God made each of you and gave you your own special voice!

3 Know that the LORD, He is God: it is He Who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Yes, God made you and He cares for you like a shepherd takes good care of his sheep. God leads us to places where we can eat and drink and be refreshed spiritually, just as good shepherds lead their sheep to streams of water. Good shepherds protect their sheep from wolves. Jesus Christ said, “I AM the Good Shepherd.” Jesus protects us from the devil, who goes around like a roaring lion looking to hurt little lost lambs. We need to follow and stay close to the Good Shepherd because He loves and protects us. Just as in a store or in a park, it’s best to stay with your parents. But if you disobey and go somewhere you were told NOT to go, if you wander away, how can your parents protect you? If you do get lost, though, your parents will look for you. The Good Shepherd will go and look for you, too. But it’s best to stay close to Jesus, because if you go places He says NOT to go, you can get hurt. Good parents and the Good Shepherd want to keep you healthy and safe!

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

A gate is an entryway. Here we are talking about entering into the place where the King of Kings, Our God is seated. This verse teaches us that we should come to God with hearts that are full of thanksgiving. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving with your family? Do you have lots of good food to eat? Do you have friends and family to enjoy the day with? Thanksgiving is a time to remember all the good things that God has given us. But we should thank Him everyday! The song we are going to sing lists many things for which our friend Phil the Frog is thankful. Some of these things you may enjoy too. So we will come to God with thanksgiving.

and into His courts with praise:

Well, we’ve entered God’s castle or temple with thanksgiving and we are moving closer and closer to Him. Now we are coming into His courtroom. Maybe you’ve seen this in movies. A king is sitting up on a throne on a raised platform. Around him in this big room are many guards and ladies-in-waiting and servants. All those people are called his court and the room we are entering now is the court room or courts. The verse says to “enter His courts with praise.” Thanksgiving and praise are very much alike. But now we’re not just going to thank Him, now we’re going to tell God how good He is! Maybe your Dad bought you a new toy. You can say, “Thanks, Dad!” That would be nice and expected. But you’re not going to stop with thanks. You’re going to say, “Thanks, Dad! You’re the greatest!” Now that’s praise! So let’s tell God, He’s the greatest and that He is “positively good”!

be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His faithfulness endures to all generations.

Not only is God good but He’s always good! You’ve heard it said “God is good!” and your response is [Wait for response.] “All the time!”. “All the time!” [Wait for response.] “God is good!” Great!

Truly, for certain, for sure, make no mistake, no doubt about it, you can bet your booties, positively, yes, positively, God is good!

PRAYER

Tell children to think of something that God did for them this day or yesterday and then to shout it out at the end of this prayer. “Thank You, Father, for you are positively good to me! I thank You for …”

LYRICS

POSITIVELY GIVE PRAISE!

Chorus:

I’m gonna positively give praise ‘cause my God positively is good! [TO ME!]

I’m gonna positively give praise ‘cause my God positively is good!

He made bunnies and people and frogs

The trees for our houses, yes, even our log!

Let all His creation now sing,… let your hearts leap!

Let’s all positively leap up, leap up, leap up & keep on praising!

♥

He made all of these beautiful things

The sunshine and flowers and butterfly wings

He made blue skies above… and oceans so deep

So let’s all positively leap up, leap up, leap up & keep on praising!

He made this whole big creation for me

To work in and play in, to sing and be free

He gave me these arms for swinging… and these legs to leap

So let’s all positively leap up, leap up, leap up & keep on praising!

My God positively, my God positively, my God positively is good!

My God positively, my God positively, my God positively is good!

Let all His creation now sing,… let your hearts leap!

Let’s all positively leap up, leap up, leap up & keep on praising!

Leap up!

© 2000 HIM/CAV

Did you know that Buttons and Bows live in the hollow of a fallen log?

Suggested Movements

This song is to a march, so lead the children in marching in place to the beat. They love this song! In verses, when you get to the last line “so let’s all positively”, crouch, so you’re ready to “leap up” 3x and then “keep on” marching. Leap at end on “leap” in “let you hearts leap”, then the 3 leaps and one last time. (Leaps underlined in lyrics.) On “all” words and “whole,big”: move hands in big circular motion, inside to out. On “these arms for swinging” raise arms and swing. On “My God positively” bridge, move head side to side and then on “good”, push right arm outward with thumbs up on fist.

Suggested Props:

Frog puppet can be used by an adult at front, but one needs to lead the leaping! Life-size Phil can leap up!

Suggested Activities:

Have children draw a Thanksgiving Feast or talk/draw about all their blessings. Categorize blessings into people who love them and care for them, material blessings, spiritual blessings, blessings in nature. Have a party to celebrate God’s goodness complete with noise makers! (Make a joyful noise!)

Scriptural References for Teachers and Parents

In Old Testament times, one entered the “gates” into the Outer Courts of the Temple. One entered behind the first veil into the second area called the “Outer Courts”.

“But into the second [veil, behind which is the third area, the Holy of Holies] went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.” [Hebrews 9:7]

Symbolically, when we enter into a communion time with the Lord, we enter first, with thanksgiving into the “Outer Courts”, then advance to praise in the “Inner Courts” and then to more intimate, reverential worship in the “Holy of Holies”

We, brethren, have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus”. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” [Hebrews 10:19, 22] HalleluYAH!