Fluffy underwent a serious update and was re-released with over 3 dozen additions and enhancements. You can tell which version you have by looking at the CD label. Version 1.0 has just one Fluffy on the CD label. The latest version is  1.2 and it has a bunch of little Fluffies on the CD's label. If you purchased your CD before 2005, double check to make sure you have the latest greatest version.

(1) "Promises, Promises"-The Old Testament and the Prophets Foretell a Christ This is a major collection of learning activities laid out in a logical sequence. You may chose to skip or concentrate on a few, or go through them all. First you learn about Kings, then the idea of Prophets, who brought the message about a new kind of king -a Messiah. The section is introduced by God who then offers a series of choices at several points for deeper study. God also explains how GOD wanted to be our leader and why he's better than a king. In version 1.2 of Fluffy, this section has many more navigational controls allow you to go back and forward through the material. Some material is specifically in here for older students. You'll know it when you see it (generally speaking, those sections require reading). However, their content can be summarized for non-readers who will enjoy clicking the screens and looking for graphics. We have a REALLY NICE set of pdf "Promises, Promises" handouts for both students and teachers located at www.sundaysoftware.com/fluffy/handout3.pdf OUTLINE OF THIS SECTION: Opening Narration by God About Some of My Kings --God describes the people's demand for a king. See below for more details on the activities here. Prophets Section: Prophet 101 -Questions Prophet 201 -Materials to read and discuss ...mostly for older students, though teachers may want to relate some of these ideas to their younger students. Prophecy and Foretelling the Future ...mostly for older students and those who are spending a lot of time on the concept. Narration Messiah Section: More about the meaning of Messiah "I am" your Messiah Prophets Fluffimation Reflection Activity Jesus Family Tree printable worksheet

Details about the "About Some of My Kings" activity
This 'side activity' features about 10 famous Bible kings in an interactive screen. Students discover what the King did right, and what they did wrong. In version 1.0 it shouldn't take more than 3 minutes to go through this area, but it's concept can certainly be discussed for an additional 5 or 10 with the questions below.

In version 1.2 of Fluffy we turned this section into a game of sorts. Students read the descriptions then make the names drop-off and attempt to match the names back with their descriptions.

One of the purposes of this area is to establish the lineage of Jesus back to the Kings, view them as poor replacements for God (who wanted to be our King after all) and fill-in the idea of what it means to call Jesus the "King of Kings." In truth, the phrase might be better read "King above all Kings." Each King has good and bad comments. That certainly says a lot about the people God has to deal with. We didn't put in ALL the kings between Saul and Jesus, just some of the more colorful ones.

Additional Questions for Discussion not found in program:

• What seems to make someone a "good" King? ... a "bad" King?
• Why do people seem to like to have leaders over them?
• What's the problem with giving one person all the powers of a King?
• Why were God's reasons for wanting to be King?
• If you were to create a spot for Jesus on our King Page, what would be the "good" and "bad" about him?

Prophet Section

Prophets 101

In Prophet 101 God asks Fluffy three questions and the kids click the correct answers. These are narrated so even younger kids can learn from. them.
Teachers Should Note: Even a wrong answer has some good information to learn in it.

Q: A prophet is a person called by God to go deliver a message from God to a group of people. Which one of these looks like a prophet's clothes to you Fluffy?

Q: Who did the prophets go and talk to mostly in the Bible?

Q: What was the main message of the prophets in the Bible?

Prophet 201

In Prophet 201 older students can dig a little deeper into the concept of Prophets and prophecy. It is recommended you chat with your pastor about your church's understanding of prophecy before tackling this area.

Two sections: The Prophet's Message .& Prophecy & the Future?

Additional Questions for Discussion not found in program:

• Why do you think they kept going away from God?
• Who are the leaders of today? (Suggestion: don't just think of political leaders)
• How can having Christ as our King help us solve the problems which the prophets warned about?
• What things in your life right now are the opposite of what God wants you to do and you need to "turn away from"?

Some Prophets and their Claims to Fame:
A CHART lists many of the prophets and highlights of what they did. How many did your student recognize? What the similiarities between what the prophets did?

Additional Questions for Discussion not found in program:

• Name some problems in your community and nation which need to be solved.
• Decide which problems God is most concerned about, then suggest the solution(s) God would most likely offer.
• Name some of the places you would have to appear and speak in as a prophet on these issues.

Prophecy of the FUTURE?
An optional illustrated text to read and discuss with older students. Here's the text they'll find.

Do Prophets foretell the future? There are many Christian who believe that the books of the prophets are "encoded" with information about the future. They believe that some of the prophets messages were for future generations, and not for their own time and place. They believe that some of the visions of the future in the Bible also predict world events and the end of the world. What does your church teach about prophecies?

One point of view: (here's an excerpt of the text found in this section)
The Bible teaches... about the kind of world God wants us to live in. It describes God's hope for humanity. Through its stories and prophets God explains why people keep messing up God's plan -and what we can do to get back on track, to repent... (and there's more).

Additional Questions for Discussion not found in program:
God sends prophets to us in every age. Who are our prophets today? What are they talking about? What are they telling us to do? Who are the prophets telling us about the Christ child? What are some of the "other" messages we hear about Christmas this time of year that are NOT true?

Messiah Section

Now the program presents 4 choices:
1) More about the meaning of "Messiah" 
2) "I am Your Messiah King"
3) Become a Prophet (A Fluffimation)
4) Continue Down the Road (back to main menu)

1) More about the meaning of "Messiah" (Two sections:  Meaning and Quiz)

First Section ~ About the meaning of Messiah
God: Fluffy I want you to go up and smell these three things. One of them represents the idea of what the word Messiah means. You tell me which one you think represents what the word "Messiah" means…

Jar 1: Smells sort of bad. Jar 2: Smells REALLY bad. Jar 3: Smells pretty good.

VERSE Ephesians 2:5 (not narrated) ...Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Comment from Neil: I recommend you also have your older students look up Ezekiel 20:41 for one of the Old Testament passages which equates a pleasing odor with goodness. NRSV: "As a pleasing odor I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. The KJV and other translations use the phrase 'with sweet savor' but the NRSV scholars lean toward aroma rather than taste. It should also be noted that FRANKINCENSE was an aromatic tree sap derived spice added to offerings in the Temple to make the offerings "pleasing" to God.

 

Second Section ~ A Messiah Quiz:

God Q: Now…the word Messiah is a Hebrew word. But in the time of Jesus a lot of people spoke Greek. Guess which word was the Greek word for Messiah? (Christ)

God Q: Later, when Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, people spoken Latin and translated the word Christ into the Latin word ____. (Savior)

God Q- Which of the Wisemen's gifts for Jesus was anointing oil? (Myrrh)

Teacher's Note: Scholars believe that Myrrh was one of the oils used to cover/embalm bodies, and one of the spices the women brought to Jesus' tomb. Myrrh's recipe is debated, but it was thought to be a combination of several expensive plant extracts. The gifts of the Magi-Wisemen are more fully explained in the MAGI section of Fluffy CD.

**Note: there's a navigational error here. Clicking Myrrh will take you back to Fluffy's main menu. THUS, we suggest you do "More About the Messiah" LAST, or at least be aware that clicking Myrrh will send you to the main menu, from which you can RE-ENTER the Prophets (Promises, Promises) section and fast forward to the next sections. (Sorry about the glitch).

2) "I am Your Messiah" (this section was updated in v1.2)

God asks a question and suggests two verses to look up.

God: I didn't want my people to have any King but me. I knew that human kings could turn bad. Through the prophet Isaiah (chapter 60 verse 16) I announced "You will know at last that I, the LORD, -I am your Messiah and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel."

Q- Now you know why the angel said to Mary that Jesus would be called "EMMANUEL" because Emmanuel is the Hebrew word for:

If you look up Isaiah 7:14 you can read where my prophet Isaiah first told people that the coming Messiah would have this special name.

Q- Remind you of any special Bible Story??? (correct answer is Luke 2)

Teachers Should Note: Make sure to have students look up Isaiah 7:14 if you do this section.

3) Become a Prophet:

A Fluffimation reflection using Isaiah 9 - "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.. and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty GOD, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace..." Students will rephrase the ideas/images found in Isaiah 9. Should be great opportunity for discussion. Compare and contrast.

4) Jesus Family Tree

This "Jesse Tree" -like project can be completed onscreen and printed, or printed and filled out later. This activity/handout shows Jesus' relation to many of the Bible's key people. Several "fill in the blank" options are included for students to add more material to Jesus' family tree, such as, "a key person in my life who shares their faith with me." This document is also found in a folder on the CD as a PDF document. 

Teacher's Should Note: The Family Tree project is meant to be discussed. The concept of this tree could be expanded to a large wall-size family tree with far more info and questions about "who is part of our heritage, part of our faith family" etc.

(2) Yo! Joe & Mary         ...the Angel's Announcement & Mary Visits Elizabeth The Announcement 1) Narration/Animation of the Story, Fluffy becomes the Angel 2) Meaning and Pronunciation of Jesus' Name (printable) 3) FLUFFIMATION --- rephrase the angels' announcement. Mary Visits Elizabeth 1) Check out some of God's promises 2) Contrasting reasons why people get excited at Christmas 3) Tell me more about John the Baptist 4) FLUFFIMATION ---Mary's song of joy Both these sections were improved in v1.2.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

1)  Narration/Animation of the Story
      Fluffy becomes the Angel

God has Fluffy become the angel who announces Jesus' birth to his parents. The only problem is, Matthew and Luke don't agree about which parent the angel visited, and that becomes the schtick for this section.

Excerpt of God's Narration: Hey Fluffy... you know what an angel is? ......Yep, that's right. Good job Fluffy. And remember... the thing about angels is anyone can be one, all you have to do is...

For deeper learning: How much does it matter that Matthew and Luke don't quite agree on the details? How is each story unique? What special meaning does each story have on its own apart from the other story?

2) MEANING OF JESUS' NAME- This printable study is mostly for 4rd grade on up, though younger children can benefit to hear it read to them. It is very interesting.

Sample of the text found on the printable page: The name Jesus is the English and Latin spelling of the Greek word Iesous. "Iesous" in Greek was pronounced "Yay-zous" (the letter 'I' in Greek sounds like a 'y'). The New Testament was written in Greek and many of the early Christians spoke Greek. "Iesous" is the Greek spelling of the Hebrew word "Jeshua." If you had heard Mary call to her baby, it would have sounded like "Here little Jeshua."

3) ANGELS FLUFFIMATION activity- This Fluffimation has the kids rephrasing the Angels' Announcement to Mary/Joseph. It is the longest Fluffimation on the CD. It deals with a number of key concepts, names, meanings regarding Jesus' role in the world.

The GO VISIT MARY arrow takes you to the next section described below...

In the "Go Visit Mary" section...

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Excerpt of God's Opening Animation/Narration to this Section: Fluffy, I'll bet you didn't know that Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, did ya? Well they were because their moms were related. Mary was pregnant with Jesus when she went to visit Elizabeth who was pregnant with John.

1) Check out some of God's promises -If you have time before going to this section, have student groups come up with a list of "the promises of God" ...then go into this section and see how many of the 'main' promises they were able to list. Younger students should have someone read these to them.

• God makes over 600 promises in the Bible. Most are similar to the following:
• God promises you will find him -if you seek God with all your heart and soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)
• God will listen to you and deliver you from all your fears. (Psalms 34:4)
• God will take care of all your needs if you put God and his Kingdom first in your life.
  (Matthew 6:33)
• God forgives our sins. (Luke 23:34)
• God will give you eternal life. (Romans 8:11)

There are two kinds of promises in the Bible: (this question appears on screen) -younger students should have someone read these to them.
1) Things God gives to you no matter what.
2) Things God can do for you if you follow in God's way.
Can you think of some examples that fit each category?

3) Tell me more about John the Baptist (short section) -younger students will need this read to them if used.

4) FLUFFIMATION ---Mary's song of joy

This "song of joy" is sometimes called the "Magnificat" which means "my soul magnifies (or) exalts" in Latin. Our Fluffimation here is designed to help students express in their own words and ideas the joy and exaltation of Jesus' coming birth. If you have time, it is HIGHLY recommended that students read Mary's Song of Joy in Luke. The Fluffimation contains much of it. Notice some of the hopes Mary expresses for the poor and oppressed.

3) On the Road to Bethlehem In this short section God & Fluffy head on down the road to Bethlehem together. It is rather humorous. Along the way several short things pop-up to discover and discuss as time permits.

TIP: Wait until God is done talking, then click either Micah verse or the "Go to Bethlehem" sign.

a. "Micah 5:2-5" Verse....the following text appears onscreen when the "VERSE" button is clicked:

Micah was an Old Testament prophet. He had a vision that God would rescue his people from disaster. This is what he wrote: You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. But a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth to her son. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD's strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored all around the world. And he will be the source of our peace.

b. BILLBOARDS ALONG THE JOURNEY
One or two of these can be briefly discussed. They are mostly for fun. Love that Sheep riding a Donkey! 
fyi... you must click on the Billboards to keep moving on down the road.
 

4) In Bethlehem Outline of this section: 1) "Bethlehem House Tour" --No room at the inn explanation 2) "Luke 2 House …Jesus Slept Here" 3) "Super Jesus FLUFFIMATION"

1) Bethlehem House Tour

Fluffy dons headphones and tours the house where Jesus was born. This 'tour' was inspired by the audio tour at Graceland (Elvis' mansion). During this short tour, your students learn that the word "inn" is a mis-translation of the word for "guest room." And that the "guestroom" was often the spare room used to keep animals. Jesus was born among relatives! There are some clickable hotspots in each of the room graphics just for fun. See if you can find them.

2) The Luke 2 Theater …'Jesus Slept Here' - the movie"

Fluffy enters this house to discover it is a theater inside and a presenation of the Birth Story.
"In the days when Quirinius was governor of Syria..."

Possible follow-up activity: We've heard this story so much, but do we understand exactly what the words mean? Write down words from the traditional words of this narration (example: Syria, swaddling, manger) and challenge groups to define what they mean in a bit of a gameshow.

3) Super Jesus FLUFFIMATION --describing Jesus in super hero language. This section is a lot of fun. Be prepared to compare/contrast Jesus with the super-heroes and super-powers your students describe. Lots of follow-up potential here.

HOT TIP: To younger students, the contrast of "Super" Jesus vs. "Real" Jesus may not be apparent at first. "Super" Jesus is the kind of messiah some people were expecting. Jesus isn't Superman. He's a real hero. Help them understand that distinction as they work through the Fluffimation.

For extra study: Make a list of the good things various superheroes can do. Include Jesus' powers on the list and contrast them as to their ultimate benefits.

5) Shepherds & Angels Outline of this section: 1) The Story 2) Shepherds Quiz (v1.2 only) 3) Visit to the Baby Jesus (enhanced in v1.2) View the Teacher & Student Handouts for this section at www.sundaysoftware.com/fluffy/handout.pdf  The teacher's page includes the answers to the quiz. The student page includes a graphic showing all the questions found in the Visit Baby Jesus section. Perfect for discussion.

Excerpt of God's Narration of this story: "Hey Fluffy, looks like you've found some family to stay with too. Now according to Luke chapter 2, these shepherds are supposed to be out watching their sheep by night. They're out alright. Let's wake them up..."

Version 1.0-- After the narration and animation, you are invited to go visit the Baby Jesus. On the wall behind the holy family, you will see some written comments and questions to discuss. Clicking "return" will take you back to the main menu.

Version 1.2-- After the narration and animation, you are invited to take the Shepherds Quiz --all about the Shepherds and Angels. There are 15 questions, but you will be presented with only 10 of them each time you take the quiz. Get 8 or more correct and you can see the Baby Jesus. Well, actually, at the end of the quiz you can see the Baby anyway. Jesus welcomes even sinners ;-) If you get a question wrong, you must still find its correct answer before a new question is presented.

Some of those questions are VERY TRICKY. Here's a hint to make you look "in the know" -- the "obvious answer" is wrong in the question that talks about the angel appearing to the shepherds in the Gospel of Matthew. The angel story is only found in Luke!   

HOT TIP: If using this section with NON-Readers, read and simplify the question and only read TWO of the answers, the correct one and one false one, and have them choose between the two.

The Visit with Baby Jesus has been updated in Version 1.2. Now you rollover the various characters to see their thoughts/questions. It's a discussion starter area, really. Some of the questions are simple. Some are profound.

 

Recommendation for after this section: Visit DJ Fluffy Jam Just after visiting the shepherds and the baby might be a good time to do the DJ Fluffy Jam activity. It is really fun. It is a "Music Machine" in which kids add sound effects and change the words to two popular Christmas hymns related to this part of hte Christmas Story:

1. O Little Town of Bethlehem
2. Angels We Have Heard on High

Teacher Note: After groups have created their song and played them for everyone, ask them WHY they chose some of the words they did.

Technical Note: In version 1.0 click "Play Song" only once to play or it will play a second time.

Additional Questions for Discussion not found in program: We sing them all the time, but what do these hymn phrases really mean?

What does the verse mean -"The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight" ?
How does Jesus "cast out our sin" ?
How does Jesus get "born in us today" ?

6) Following Yonder Star -the Magi --some material is for older students. Outline of this section: 1) God tells the story of the Magi -- Matthew 2: 1-12 2) About the Magi 3) About the Star 4) About King Herod 5) Another Wise Person -Simeon 6) FLUFFIMATION …how to look for God. 7) Fluffy vs Herod game and Gifts discussion (v1.2 only)   Several of these sections do not read aloud. They are there for deeper study and discussion by older students. Some sections end with questions to respond to. The Magi section received the most enhancements in version 1.2. View/Print the Magi Handout at www.sundaysoftware.com/fluffy/magi.pdf

1) God tells the story of the Magi -- Matthew 2: 1-12

2) About Magi ...and a quiz

The Magi were a group of religious people who...

For further discussion: What do you -and could you do at Christmastime to let others know that you too seek Jesus the Christ?

3) About the Star

Was it a huge star? Was it a comet or a planet...
For further discussion:

Q: Who are some of the "stars" pointing you to Jesus?
Q: What are some ways God sends messages to people in the church?

4) About Herod

King Herod was a bad person...
For further discussion:Why do some people not want to celebrate the birth of Jesus?

5) Another Wise Person looking for the Messiah ---- Simeon

Simeon was a good old man who lived in Jerusalem...

6) FLUFFIMATION …how to look for God

7) Gifts of the Magi ...what are Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh and what did they mean? Drag the description to the correct item. A question is revealed when they do so. It reads: "What three things in your world could be substitutes for Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh that might have similar meanings?"

Important Tip about the Gifts of the Magi Matching Game: Click the ANSWER and drag it to one of the three choices (see graphic at right for extra instructions)

8) Fluffy vs Herod game and discussion ...bounce Fluffy to reveal real treasure. After the treasure is revealed, questions appear. "What gifts would we bring Jesus today that would have the same meaning as gold, frankincense and myrrh?" This is a really good subject to dig into with all ages.

Prepare for some fun!
There are two songs you can select from: Angels we have heard on high, and, O Little town of Bethlehem.

How to Jam:
1) Click VOICES, then click and drag words from the selections into the highlighted lyric slots. There are two sizes of lyrics -a onesy and a twosy.
2) Click Instruments or Sound FX, then drag their blocks on to the blue-purplish line under the lyrics.
3) Click PLAY SONG only once and wait.

Note: Volumes are somewhat relative. The Train Horn will blast you out of your seat in version 1.0.

Technical Notes: There is no way to save a song. If you use the drum-fills, the songs can get off tempo. We worried about it until we beta-tested and found the kids really thought it was funny that poor little Fluffy couldn't keep time. 

These "Fluffy Tips" Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. The content on this page is intended solely for the use of our customers as a guide to lesson planning and teaching with Sunday Software's "Fluffy & God's Amazing Christmas Adventure" CD. This material was printed from www.sundaysoftware.com

To view a complete Fluffy CD description, visit www.sundaysoftware.com/fluffy. Copyright 2007, Sunday Software, Neil MacQueen.