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I AM Series Participant Workbook 1: A King

I AM Participant Workbook

Title:  I AM Session 1:  I AM a King

Age:  8 to 12 years

Liturgical Time:  This first session is appropriate for the feast of the Nativity, or any.

Doctrinal Content:  Many people knew that the prophets had foretold the coming of a man, the Messiah, who would be the King of kings.

Direct Aims:  The I AM series aims to help young people understand their relationship to Christ and to others based on the I AM statements.

Indirect Aims:  An additional aim is for young people to understand specific ways that they may emulate Christ.

Materials for the Lesson Plan:
I AM Participant Workbook
Orthodox Study Bible Bible
No Man Ever Spoke as This Man: The Great I AM’s of Jesus by Fr. Anthony Coniaris
Handout:  Prophet Elijah
Handout:  Prophet Jeremiah
Handout:  St. John the Baptist

Lesson Plan:
Who is Jesus? How do we make sure that He is the king of our lives?

I Am!
The first two passages in the book “I Am” and “The Timeless God” help us to learn more about Jesus’s words in John 8:58. “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” Why did He say I am and what does this phrase tell us about Jesus?

Who Do You Say I Am?
We know that Jesus is God, but at the time when Jesus was here on Earth, not everyone was sure of who Jesus was. His followers, the disciples, tried to teach others about Jesus, but not everyone believed them. Some people were confused and wondered how Jesus could be God and man. Some people, like kings and emperors, were angry because their subjects listened to Jesus and the disciples instead of them. Other people believed that Jesus was actually other more well-known religious men. Take a look at the verses below to see who people thought Jesus was.

Matthew 16:  13 – 17
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but My Father who is in heaven.”

What do you know about the men the disciples named in this passage?
John the Baptist: __________________________________________________________________________
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Elijah:  __________________________________________________________________________________
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Jeremiah: _______________________________________________________________________________
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Why do you think people might have confused Jesus with these men? _______________________________
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Why did Jesus ask the Disciples who they thought He was?
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I am a King
Many people also thought the Messiah, Jesus, would be a king coming to save them from the rule of evil leaders. They knew that the prophets had foretold the coming of a man who would be the “king of kings.” Jesus is our king, but He did not come to sit on a throne and rule a kingdom here. Read the last paragraph of “…I am a King” on page 119.

What kind of king is Jesus?
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Philippians 2: 10-11
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Obeying the King
Even though Jesus is not a worldly king, we are told that we are expected to obey Him like one. Every King has an army. His army swears to follow whatever He tells them to do. In what ways can we treat Jesus like He is our king?

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Written by Natalie Kapeluck-Nixon and Kira Senadak
Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
2014

See below for appendices:  St. John the Baptist, Prophet Jeremiah, and Prophet Elijah.  Additionally, below is the complete I AM Participant Workbook and Leader's Edition, sessions 1-10 for ages 8 to 12 years.