1. Tech Que: “Live Out Loud” Title Graphic

2. Hello everyone and welcome to the first week of a fabulous new series called “Live Out Loud.” Does anyone have any idea what it means to “live out loud”? (Take answers from kids.) Those are some great thoughts. When you live in a way that’s big and bold and pleasing to God, the people around you notice and they wonder who or what has made you so extraordinary. That’s what it means to “Live Out Loud.”

3. Over the next 5 weeks, we’ll be hearing some of the earliest stories of Jesus life and we’ll be learning that when we follow His example, we live out loud!

4. There’s something else we get to do out loud, though
There’s something else we get to do out loud, though. Do you want to know what it is? (Kids respond.) Okay…that wasn’t very convincing. (Say with more enthusiasm.) I said, do you want to know what it is? (Kids respond with more enthusiasm.) Alright…drum roll please. Begin producing a drum roll sound by hitting your hands on your legs. Prompt the kids to do the same. Bring the drum roll to an end and then say the next line with gusto!

5. SOUND EFFECTS. Do you see what I did there
SOUND EFFECTS! Do you see what I did there? I actually had you make a sound effect. A sound effect is when you create a noise using your mouth, your body or something around you. Sound effects make great stories even better! And the stories we’ll be tackling over the next 5 weeks are not only great—they’re true!

6. Before we get started with today’s part of the Big Bible Story, though, let’s go back all the way to the beginning and see if you remember what’s happened so far. Read the questions one at a time. Tell the kids that instead of raising their hand to answer, they have to make a silly sound with their mouth.

7. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the what? (Answer: Earth)
 God had a perfect relationship with people until what messed it up? (Answer: Sin)
 But God came up with a plan to fix things. He chose a special family through which He would send the ultimate Rescuer. What is that family known as? (Answer: the Israelites)

8.  While in Egypt, the Israelites grew in number, but Pharaoh would turn them all into slaves. Who did God use to lead the Israelites out of slavery? (Answer: Moses)
 After wandering in the desert for 40 years, the Israelites finally made it to the Promised Land where God provided Judges to rule over them, but the Israelites wanted to be like their neighbors and have who rule over them instead? (Answer: Kings)

9. Just like God had warned, the Kings turned out to be pretty rotten
Just like God had warned, the Kings turned out to be pretty rotten. What people did God send to warn the kings to turn back to him and to tell of the coming Savior? (Answer: prophets)
 After 400 years of silence, Jesus, the Savior spoken of by the prophets, was born. But Mary and Joseph had to take him to Egypt because who wanted him killed? (Answer: King Herod)

10. Title Graphic: “The Big Bible Story” Graphic During our story last week, Jesus was still a baby. (Hold up the “Baby crying” sign and prompt kids to make a baby crying sound.) But in today’s story, he’s not a baby anymore. He’s actually a 12-year-old now and he’s on one of the most exciting trips of the year. You see, there were 3 huge celebrations every year that all the Jewish men traveled to Jerusalem for, but the biggest of them was the Feast of the Passover. During the Feast of the Passover, Joseph even brought Mary and Jesus with him.

11. Seven days later, when the feast was over, Mary and Joseph began the long walk home. (Pat your hands on the floor in order to make a walking sound.) They weren’t alone, though. Actually, because it was such a huge celebration, there would have been hundreds, even thousands of people walking with them back to their hometown of Nazareth.

12. (Tell kids to pat their hands on the floor with you
(Tell kids to pat their hands on the floor with you.) Mary and Joseph assumed that Jesus was somewhere in the crowd of travelers, but after a day’s journey the crowd got smaller (tell one group of kids to stop patting) and smaller (tell next group to stop) and smaller (tell final group to stop) until they realized that Jesus was not with them. Can you imagine Mary’s reaction? What kind of sound do you think Mary would have made when she realized Jesus was missing? (Call on a kid to make her sound. If necessary, recommend a gasp or screech sound. Have the rest of the kids repeat the sound after her.)

13. When they realized what had happened, Mary and Joseph raced back to Jerusalem to look for Jesus. One day passed. (Hold up “Snoring” sign for a moment. Next, quickly put the “Snoring sign down and hold up the “Rooster” sign.) Two days passed. (Repeat the previous) Three days passed. (Repeat one more time.) After three days, Mary and Joseph finally found Jesus sitting in the temple courtyard listening to the Jewish teachers and asking them questions.

14. Tech Que: “Jesus in the Temple” Illustration Even though Jesus was only 12 years old, the teachers of the law had seated him in a place of honor and were treating him like he was one of them. There was a crowd of people who gathered around and began to murmur. (Hold up the “Murmur” sign. Prompt the kids to say “murmur” over and over to each.)

15. Everyone, including Mary and Joseph, were amazed at Jesus’ answers and how much he understood. Not only did Jesus know an incredible amount about God’s word, he wanted to be with people who could teach him even more.

16. When Mary finally reached her son, she let out a sigh of relief (Hold up “Sigh” sign.) and said this… “‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been worried about you. We have been looking for you everywhere.’ ‘Why were you looking for me?’ he asked, ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he meant by that.” (NIrV)

17. After that, Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents
After that, Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents. Every day Jesus became wiser and stronger and he became more and more pleasing to both God and all the people who knew him. Tech Que: “Big Bible Story Questions” Graphic For Younger Kids: What did you find interesting about this story? Why do you think Jesus wanted to stay behind at the temple instead of going home with Mary and Joseph?

18. Tech Que: “Live Out Loud” Title Graphic When Jesus said, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” who do you think he meant by his “Father”? (Take answer from kid.) That’s right! He wasn’t talking about Joseph. Joseph was something like a step-dad to Jesus.

19. Jesus’ Father was God. And more than anything else, Jesus wanted to be in His Father’s house—a place where he could hear God’s word, ask questions, and talk to others about God. And because Jesus did this, look at what happened. (Encourage kids to open their Bibles to Luke 2:52. When ready, choose a kid to read the verse aloud or read it aloud yourself.)

20. Tech Que: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52 (NIV) Jesus grew because he spent time in the right place and filled himself with the right things. He became wiser and both God and other people loved him. Did you know that we can grow like that too? We can! But just like Jesus, we have to spend time in the right place and fill ourselves with the right things

21. In our story today, Jesus grew because He spent time in His father’s house listening carefully as his teachers talked about God’s word. He asked really good questions and He shared what He was learning from God’s word with others

22. It’s the same for us. When we come to church every week and listen to our teachers talk about the Bible, when we ask good questions, and when we share what we’re learning with each other, it helps us to grow in our wisdom and faith. And most of all, it helps us to “Live Out Loud” so that other people see the love and power of God in our lives.

23. Tech Que: “Live Out Loud” Title Graphic