Welcome

• Thank kids for coming.
• Just for fun, have preschoolers high-five three of their friends.
• Make announcements.
• Introduce new kids.
• Celebrate birthdays by having preschoolers shout this birthday cheer: “Two, four, six, eight; it’s birthday time, let’s celebrate! Gooooo, [names of birthday kids]!”
• Collect the offering.

Introduce the Lesson

            Say: Today we’ll learn that God is the greatest. We’ll hear about some people who tried to be greater than God by building a very tall building.

Share

• Share some examples of times you’ve been in tall buildings, on airplanes, or on a tall mountain.
• In leader-led small groups, have preschoolers share about the tallest things they’ve ever experienced. For example, preschoolers might share about a tall mountain or hill they stood on, a tall building they went to the top floor of, or an airplane they flew in that was high up in the sky.
• After small groups have discussed, have adult or teen helpers share with the whole group what they talked about in their small groups.

Summarize

            Open a Bible, and say: All those things are high up in the sky, and some are probably even higher than the building the people in the Bible built. It can be fun to be high up in the sky in a building or an airplane! But the people in the Bible wanted to build a tall building to make themselves greater than God. They learned that they couldn’t make themselves greater than God. No one can, because God is the greatest. The Bible tells us all about how amazing and great God is. God uses the Bible to talk to us. Let's listen to God as we hear from the Bible today.

            Pray, thanking God that he’s the greatest.

Tip 

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can choose your own worship songs from our Best Of Dig In Music DVD here.

Sing Songs to God

            Sing the three songs in any order.

Share About Famous People

            Say: Today we’re learning that God is the greatest. He’s greater than anyone who ever lived.

            Share about a well-known person or public figure you think is great. If possible, share about someone kids might be familiar with. You might share about your pastor or a person in a movie your kids are currently interested in.

            Ask: • Who is someone you think is great? Preschoolers can share about famous people or people they know personally. Encourage them to share what they think makes those people great. For example, maybe the people they mention can do something no one else can do.

            Say: All of the people we talked about might be great, but they’re not the greatest. God is the greatest of all. He’s stronger and more powerful than anyone. He’s more helpful and loving than anyone. He’s the best at being a good friend to us. God is the best!

Build a Tower

            Show a Bible. Say: The Bible tells about some people who wanted to become great, and they had an idea. They decided to build a city made of bricks. Give children sheets of newspaper or newsprint. Have them crumple the paper to make at least one “brick” each.

            Say: They used the bricks to build a tower. They hoped to make it so tall that it would reach the sky! Let’s see if we can build a tower that tall. Invite children to work together to continue to make “bricks” with the newspaper and stack them on top of each other. Help kids tape the bricks together to stabilize the tower. They can continue doing this for about eight minutes. If the tower falls, they can try building it again.

            Say: Our goal was to build a tower that reached the sky.

            Ask: • Tell whether you think we reached our goal. Encourage children to explain why they did or didn’t reach their goal of making a tower that reaches the sky.

            Say: The people in the Bible didn’t reach their goal. They wanted to become the greatest by building their tower, but that’s impossible because God is the greatest. Invite children to tell reasons they think God is greater than the people in the Bible. Help them get started by giving your own examples, such as God made everything, God can do anything, and God is stronger than anyone.

            Say: The people wanted to become famous for their tall tower. They stopped thinking about God and started thinking about how great they could be. But God knew that wasn’t what was best for them. God did something to protect the people: He separated them. He made them move away from one another so they couldn’t work together anymore and make choices that would hurt them.

            Share about a time you and your friends had to be separated to keep you safe or focused on doing right.

            Ask: • When have you and a friend been separated after you made a wrong choice together?

            Say: God separated the people by making them speak different languages so they couldn’t understand one another. Invite preschoolers to “separate” by spreading out in the room, and have them make up pretend words or repeat “babble” over and over again so no one understands what they’re saying.

Talk About It

            Say: When we’re separated, it’s usually what’s best for us. That’s why God separated the people in the Bible. God wanted what was best for them, and God wants what’s best for us, too.

            One thing that’s best for us is to remember that God is the greatest, so we don’t need to be! We don’t need to build a tall tower, because we have God on our side. God’s the best at taking care of us. He’s the best at giving us what we need.

            Share about a time God provided for you. Maybe God gave you a job so you could buy food and a home.

            Ask: • What are some things God’s given us? Preschoolers might share that God gives them parents to take care of them and feed them.

            Say: God is the greatest at bringing us people to take care of us and give us what we need. God is also the greatest at loving us.

            Share about a time you felt love from God. Maybe you were sad, and God reminded you of a verse in the Bible about his loving care.

            Ask: • God loves you so much! Why do you like knowing that? Preschoolers might say because God is strong and will take care of them.

            Say: God is the greatest! He likes it when we show love to others, but he’s the one who teaches us how to love.   

            God is the strongest and the most powerful, and we can celebrate him for how great he is. And because God is so great, we don’t need to be!

To use this feature, please ask your DIG IN Director to create a One Room classroom. For instructions and tips on creating a classroom for at-home lessons, click here.

Tips:

• Talk-About Videos may work for preschoolers, but they’re geared more toward elementary kids. If you find that the videos aren’t hitting the mark for your preschoolers, try using the Preschool Puppet Skit activity block instead.
• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or purchase DVDs here.

Discuss and Watch “Super Quadcopter World Racing Champion”

            Say: Today we’re learning that God is the greatest, and we don’t need to be.

            Ask: • If you could be the best in the world at something, what would you want it to be?

            Say: Let’s watch a video about a kid who’s getting ready to be the best super quadcopter racer in the world.

            Watch “Super Quadcopter World Racing Champion.”

            Ask: • What did you think about how Carter was acting?

            • Who is someone you noticed that Carter hurt? Explain.

            Say: It’s not bad to be great at something, but we don’t want to think we’re better than other people. And we do want to remember that God is the greatest. He’s more amazing than anyone or anything. The people we’re reading about in the Bible today tried to build the tallest tower so they would be the greatest. They found out, like Carter did in our video, that we don’t need to be the greatest. Because God is the greatest we can put him first.

Tip 

• You may find it helpful to highlight your part and set the script on a music stand nearby during the skit.

Leader: It’s time for our puppy friend, Theo, to come for a visit. Let’s call him to our class with a “woof, woof.” Ready? (Leads kids to bark until Theo is brought into view.)

Theo: Hi, friends! (Pants.) I really, really want a good scratch. I was wondering if you’d scratch my back? (Circulates among kids so each child can pet him.)

Leader: Thanks for giving a friendly welcome to Theo, kids!

Theo: I brought these fun blocks to share today. (Begins to build a tower.)

Leader: That was nice of you, Theo! What did you want to make together?

Theo: The tallest tower in the world! (Looks to kids.) Will you help me? (Stops building.)

Leader: If you all work together, you sure can build a tall tower. But I’m not sure you can build the tallest tower in the world.

Theo: Do you see any taller towers around here?

Leader: Not in this room, but I have seen some pretty tall towers. Like [name a tall building in your town or city]. Kids, can you think of other tall buildings you’ve seen around town? (Encourages kids to share about buildings in their town.)

Theo: How tall are those buildings?

Leader: Some are VERY tall. (Looks to the ceiling.)

Theo: (Looks up, too.) Very tall, huh? Hmm. We’re going to need some more blocks! (Leads kids to gather blocks from around the room.) We need our tower to be the tallest!

Leader: Theo, why does your tower need to be so tall?

Theo: Because I want MY tower to be the best! (Turns to kids.) Let’s get to work, friends. (Works with kids to build for a minute, muttering how he’s going to be the greatest when he has the tallest tower.)

Leader: Theo, are you hoping this tower will make you the greatest?

Theo: Yep! I’m going to be the greatest puppy of all time. (Points to kids.) And my friends are going to be the greatest kids!

Leader: (Chuckles.) You all are pretty great, Theo. But you don’t need to be the greatest. There’s only ONE who is the greatest.

Theo: What? Who is greater than me and my friends? (Points to kids and then continues to build.)

Leader: God is the greatest.

Theo: (Freezes and slowly turns his head toward leader.) I didn’t think about God. (Smiles and acts cheerful.) God really is the greatest!

Leader: He is, and we don’t need to be the greatest.

Theo: Do you think God is mad at me for building a tall tower?

Leader: No, Theo, God loves it when you do your best.

Theo: Really? Like when I run as fast as I can after my ball?

Leader: Yes, God likes it when you work hard and do your best.

Theo: So I can do my best, but I don’t have to be the greatest?

Leader: That’s right, Theo. God wants us to do our best.

Theo: (Looks to kids.) What do you work hard at? (Encourages kids to share about things they work hard at, like playing a sport, learning their letters and sounds, or drawing a picture.)

Leader: (Looks to Theo.) Theo, you have some hardworking friends.

Theo: (Looks at leader.) That’s right—my friends can do some great things.

Leader: They sure can!

Theo: But they’re not the greatest. God is the greatest!

Leader: That’s right.

Theo: God is the greatest at taking care of me. (Looks to kids.) Friends, will you help me think of some other things God is great at? (Helps kids think of more ideas, like God is the greatest at loving, he has the most power of all and he’s the strongest, and he’s the greatest at creating things.)

Leader: God is the greatest at all those things!

Theo: If God is so great, then we don’t need to be because he’ll take care of us and show us how to love and use his muscles to help us! (Makes muscles.) Everyone make muscles with me! (Leads kids to make muscles.)

Leader: Look at all those big muscles! God sure did make all of you strong!

Theo: (Pauses and looks over at his tower.) I guess we don’t need a tall tower to make us great when we have the greatest God taking care of us. (Knocks tower over.) I’m going to make the world’s SHORTEST tower ever! (Picks up only one block.)

Leader: You’re so silly, Theo! We’ll see you later—kids, give him a big “woof, woof, goodbye”! (Leads kids to say “woof, woof, goodbye,” and then places Theo out of sight.)

Use Small Bubble Wands

            Say: It’s so much fun to blow bubbles! Let’s try to make the biggest and greatest bubble ever!  

            Have kids take turns blowing bubbles with small wands. Invite adult or teen helpers to blow bubbles, too. Encourage kids and challenge them to blow the biggest bubbles they can.

Use Large Bubble Wands

           Say: You made some great bubbles. But now let’s see if we can make bubbles that are even greater! Instead of using small wands, let’s use these big ones.

• Have kids take turns using the large wands to make even bigger bubbles.
• Invite kids to continue playing with all the wands to make bubbles.

Talk About It

            Say: The small wands make great bubbles, but the big wands make even greater ones! Invite children to talk about the biggest bubble they saw during their time playing.

            Say: We can try to make great big things, but nothing is as big or great as God! God can do anything, and he loves us more than anyone. God is the greatest. Blow a big bubble, and invite kids to shout “God is the greatest!” before it pops.

Make a Tower

            Divide preschoolers into groups of three or four, and have each group sit together near a wall in your room.

            Say: There are so many great things and people in the world. As you name each of the following great things, place one sticky note on the wall, adding one note above another to resemble a tower. Some great things include our families, fun parks, ice cream cones, pretty lakes…and so much more! Let’s work in groups to build sticky-note towers to show all the things we think are great!

            Give each group a pad of sticky notes.

            Let preschoolers take turns sharing something or someone they think is great, peeling off a note from the pad, and sticking it to the wall to create a tower. Have preschoolers put their first sticky notes at the base of the wall and continue sharing and adding sticky notes as high up the wall as they can reach.

Talk About It

            Once kids can’t reach any higher, have preschoolers share with the whole group some of the things they think are great.

            Say: Thanks for sharing about all those great things. And you know, all of those things are great because of God! God made everything that’s great. He made great big grassy hills that we have fun rolling down, and he made yummy berries to eat. God gave us great people in our lives and our favorite music to listen to. Everything that’s great is that way because it’s a gift from the greatest one: God. Here’s what the Bible says about that.

            Read James 1:17.

            Say: Out of all the great things in the world, God is the greatest! That’s because God is the creator of every great thing, and he’ll always love and care for us. God is so good to us!

Decorate Banner

            Show preschoolers the banner you made before class, and tell them what it says.

            Say: Let’s decorate this banner and hang it above our towers to remember that God is higher and greater than anyone or anything. God is the greatest!

            Lay the banner on the floor along with the craft supplies, and let preschoolers decorate it. Then hang up the banner above preschoolers’ sticky-note towers, and lead kids in cheering “God is the greatest!”

Play a Game Like Follow the Leader

            Say: When we walk together in a line, the person at the front is called the line leader. Let’s play a game where everyone will have a turn to be the line leader. As we walk in line, we’ll do what the leader does!

• Have kids line up. If you have a large class, form lines of about 10 kids each. Each group will have its own leader.
• Tell kids that they’ll do what the line leader does. You may want to provide parameters of what not to do so everyone stays safe and has fun. For example, if you’re in a smaller room, you might discourage running; if you share a space with others, you might ask kids to make only quiet noises.
• Demonstrate by being the first line leader. As you go around the room, move in different ways and have kids follow your lead. Ideas include:
  • hop like a bunny
  • skip
  • clap above your head as you walk
  • pretend to be airplanes and make zooming noises
  • tiptoe
  • gallop like horses
• After one trip around the room, move to the back of the line and let the next child be the leader.
• Play until everyone has had a turn to be the line leader.

Talk About It

            Tell kids what you enjoyed about being the line leader. Perhaps you felt important or liked making kids laugh and have fun.

            Ask: • What did you like about being the leader in our game?

            Say: In our game, we had to watch the person at the front of the line because they were most important. But people aren’t really the most important; God is—God is the greatest! He’s the most important, so we watch and follow him. We can watch God when someone reads to us about him in the Bible, when we pray and talk to him, and when we listen to how he’s helping people around us. God is the greatest! We can follow him.

Build a Cup Tower

            Say: In our Bible story, the people worked hard to build a tall tower. But God stopped their work and separated all the people. Let’s play a game where we’ll build a tower with cups and then separate them! 

• Form groups of five or six, and assign one adult or teen helper to each group. Invite each group to gather by an X on the floor.
• Give each group six cups, and have kids build a pyramid-shaped tower on their group’s X (three cups on bottom, two on the second level, and one on top). Encourage adult or teen helpers to be ready to help.
• One by one, have kids take turns running to the tape line and rolling the ball to knock down the cups. (Have the other kids in the group gather behind their group’s X so they’re not in the way of the ball. The adult or teen helpers will return the balls to the tape line.)
• When cups are scattered, have kids work together to rebuild the tower before another child runs and rolls the ball into the cups again.
• Repeat, giving each child several turns to roll the ball into the cups.  

Talk About It

            Say: Like the cups separated and scattered in our game, the people in our Bible story were separated. They forgot that God is the greatest! God is the greatest at loving people and taking care of us. He’s the most powerful and knows more than anyone. Since God is the greatest, we don’t have to be. We can trust that he’ll help us, even when we mess up or fall down!   

Make Gold Medals

            Say: The people in our Bible story tried to build a really, really tall tower because they wanted to be the greatest. They had forgotten that God is the greatest, and nobody could ever be as great as God. God is the greatest because he made us. Nobody is as powerful or loving or amazing as God. I’m so glad that God is the greatest and that we don’t have to try to be.

            Show preschoolers the sample craft. Explain that athletes sometimes get a medal that looks like this when they win a race or a game. Say: A gold medal shows that you’re the best! Let’s make a gold medal for God that says “God’s #1” to remember that God is the greatest and that we get to be on God’s team.

• Give each child a yogurt lid and a sheet of gold aluminum foil large enough to cover both sides of the yogurt lid.
• Have each preschooler wrap the foil around the lid to look like a gold medal.
• Give each child a length of blue ribbon and a paper clip.
• Help each preschooler loop the ribbon through the paper clip and tape the ends of the ribbon together.
• Preschoolers can then tape the paper clips to the back of their gold medals.
• Let preschoolers decorate their medals with stickers, foam shapes, and other craft supplies.
• While preschoolers are working, write “God’s #1” on the front of each child’s medal.  
• When preschoolers have finished, let them wear the gold medals around their necks.

Celebrate God’s Greatness

           Say: Let’s sing a song to celebrate and worship God for being the greatest.

           Lead preschoolers in singing “My God Is So Great.” For a fun version kids can sing along with, look up “My God Is So Great” on the Lifetree Kids YouTube channel for the arrangement used in Group’s Everest VBS.

Learn a Cheer

            Say: Today we found out that God is the greatest, so we don’t need to be. Let’s say a cheer for God!

            Lead the children in the following leader-and-response cheer. After you say something great about God, the kids will respond with, “God’s number 1!” Encourage children to pump their fists as they cheer.

You: God’s the greatest! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: God made me and you! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: God made the whole world! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: God loves us so much! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: God takes care of us! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: God protects us! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: God’s the strongest! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: God’s always with us! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: No one is greater than God! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            You: God’s the greatest of all! Preschoolers: God’s number 1!

            If the children want to add things about God, they can take turns being the leader while you and the other children shout “God’s number 1!”

Pray and Close

            Say: There’s no one greater than God. God’s the greatest! Let’s thank God for being the greatest at loving us, caring for us, and protecting us. Lead the children in a short prayer.

            Let the kids know that you enjoyed having them in class today. Tell them you hope they’ll return next week.

           Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.