Game / Bible / Life Connection:  In the Game One Player went before you in the Race / In the Bible John the Baptist went before Jesus / God’s Word Promised One would Prepare the Way for Jesus in your Life

 This is Step 1

1. Divide players into 4 teams.
   2. Give the first player of each team a baton (this can be an item that can be easily passed from player to player like a small stick or sock). Have the first player run the first lap then pass the baton to the next player.
   3. Important: The next player can’t go until they have the baton in their hand.
   4. Run 5 players for each team. When the 5th player is done all 5 sit down, the first team sitting down wins. Those five players go to the end of the line then continue with the next 5 players from each team.

 Game / Bible / Life Connection:    In the Game One Player went before you in the Race / In the Bible John the Baptist went before Jesus / God’s Word Promised One would Prepare the Way for Jesus in your Life

Who is a forerunner? He is one who comes before the other, usually to announce their coming.

The President: What happens when the President comes to visit your city? The streets are swept clean. All the garbage is cleared. Beggars are removed from the area. Often, you see a white line of chalk powder on either side of the road, showing the way to the destination. There are smartly dressed policemen everywhere, busy talking to each
other on their walkie-talkies! As all traffic is stopped, many Pilot cars, with blaring sirens, make sure the roads are clear. The president’s car follows the pilot cars! It must be fun being President!

God’s Son: What do you think happened when God’s son was coming? There should have been a lot of preparation; a lot of cleaning up! There was only one kind of cleaning up that God wanted. He wanted a spiritual cleaning up! He wanted the people to repent from their sins and choose the path of God. There was one chosen man, John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, who became the forerunner of the coming of God’s son. John, lived in the wilderness eating locusts and honey, wearing a camel skin, and a leather belt around his waist. He was set apart by God for a specific purpose.

John’s Ministry: He was a Preacher. Many People came from different places to listen his preaching in the desert. His main message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” The word ‘repent’ means ‘to stop living a sinful life and turn to God’.  He was a Baptizer. He used to baptize people with water. People believed in his message and many repented and were baptized by him as a sign of cleansing from sin.

One day when John was preaching and baptizing, Jesus Christ the Son of God came to him to be baptized! John refused to baptize Him for he knew Jesus Christ was sinless and was the Son of God!  However, Jesus replied, “It is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15). John baptizing Jesus Christ was important, because Jesus was
about to embark his great ministry on earth! He popularly came to be known as “John the Baptist.”

Are you fulfilling your mission? We too can be forerunners, by preparing the hearts of those who haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviors. Each of us should be a channel, leading others to Jesus Christ. In Him, we can find everlasting life.  

After the President’s visit the city became dirty once again. Policemen did not do their job well. People littered the streets. Traffic was chaotic. Everything was back to the way it was earlier. 

  Game / Bible / Life Connection:    In the Game One Player went before you in the Race / In the Bible John the Baptist went before Jesus / God’s Word Promised One would Prepare the Way for Jesus  in your Life

Memory Verse:   “Repent for the kingdom of God is near.”  Matthew 3:1b