See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Be blessed! As we move forward with worship together in person, we will continue to have options available for those who choose to continue to worship from home. We want to be able to connect, but as always safety is our first priority. Acts Chapter 5:Begin this lesson by reading Acts 5. We will be focusing in church on verses 1-11. Here you will see the story of Ananias and Sapphira. At the beginning of the Christian church, people began to combine their things in order to take care of each other. Ananias and Sapphira felt pressured to do this as well. However, when they sold their property they decided to keep some of the money for themselves rather than give it all to the church. Which they had ever right to do. However, they were not honest with the leaders of the church and there were severe consequences. Have you ever struggled to be honest? What were the consequences? Watch:Conversation Starters:Find a time this week to sit and ask these questions with your children. Really listen to what their responses are. If it seems appropriate, continue to go deeper. If not, encourage them to continue to think and ask questions of you as they come up. 1) Group Pressure Have you ever tried to do “just enough” to meet a requirement? What about trying to get around a rule? Have you ever felt like you had to do something because everyone else was doing it (something good or bad)? Ananias and Sapphira may have felt this way. That is something that we can talk to God about. If we don't believe this is what He is asking of us, we shouldn't do it (no matter who is doing it). 2) Honesty Have you ever lied to someone? Have you ever been lied to? It feels bad to lie and to be lied to. There are often consequences to our lies. Even if no one else ever finds out that we have lied, God knows. He uses the Holy Spirit that we talked about from Acts 2 to convict us and we often feel terrible because of not being truthful. 3) Consequences and Grace What were the consequences for Ananias and Sapphira's lies? Why aren't the consequences the same when we lie? Have you asked Jesus into your heart? Who knows the deepest part of your heart? If you have asked Jesus into your heart, then you have probably experienced His Grace in your life. When we sin, we do not simply fall over dead but rather the conviction of the Holy Spirit and Jesus (through the words of the Bible) allow us to correct ourselves. Others often are called to correct us as well. Do your parents, pastors, teachers and friends allow you to do anything you want without consequences? Probably not! This is because they care about you and have grace for your mistakes, just like Jesus. Activities:
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Use these activities to create fun gifts for the fathers and father figures in your students life.
See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Be blessed! As we move forward with worship together in person, we will continue to have options available for those who choose to continue to worship from home. We want to be able to connect, but as always safety is our first priority. Acts Chapter 4:Begin this lesson by reading Acts 4. We will be focusing in church on verses 1-31. Here you will see the story of Peter and John (Jesus’ disciples) after they healed the lame man. The leaders did not like this and asked them, "who gives you the power to do this?" They reply, "by the power of Jesus Christ!" You have this same power in you when you have Jesus with you! All you have to do is ask for it. Watch:Conversation Starters:Find a time this week to sit and ask these questions with your children. Really listen to what their responses are. If it seems appropriate, continue to go deeper. If not, encourage them to continue to think and ask questions of you as they come up. 1) Acts of Kindness (verse 9): Have you ever really wanted to do something nice for someone? Was it easy or difficult to do that thing? Was it embarrassing to do? Did it cost you anything? Did you feel like God was telling you to do this thing? That's what it was like for Peter and John. The Holy Spirit told them to heal the lame man rather than simply give him some money. 2) Courage (verse 29) What are some things you are scared of? These things require us to have "courage" like Peter and John. How did they get their courage? When we ask for courage, is it easier to do the things God asks us to do? Even when other around us aren't doing those things? That's what Peter and John needed. Have you ever asks God for courage in a difficult time? 3) Boldness (verse 31) The disciples pray for wonders and signs to proclaim God’s word with boldness. Miracles were kind of like their superpower to share the good news with people. What superpower would you ask for in order to help you tell others about Jesus? Why? Activities:Power Source:
Take a flashlight and place a piece of paper between the bulb and battery so it will not light up. Have you child try several times to turn on the light. Next, have them remove the paper and turn on the light. Explain that just like the flashlight needs to be connected to the battery to work, we need to be connected to God to do the things He asks us to do. If not, we may not have the power (boldness) to do those things. See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Be blessed! As we move forward with worship together in person, we will continue to have options available for those who choose to continue to worship from home. We want to be able to connect, but as always safety is our first priority. Acts Chapter 3:Begin this lesson by reading Acts 3. We will be focusing in church on verses 1-10. Here you will see the story of Peter and John (Jesus’ disciples) going to the temple gate and seeing a man who could not walk begging for some money. Rather, then giving him a few coins, they gave him the best gift possible- knowledge and a relationship with Jesus. OR watch this video: Continue your lesson by singing: TEACH:Object Lesson for Acts 3:{SET UP: Without the students watching, place the three cups upside down on a table. Under one place the dollar. Under another one place the $20. You will play a version of “Let’s Make a Deal.”} {Give the students the quarter.} You, as a group, have one quarter. {Ask:}
{If the group decides to choose a cup, take away the quarter, and here are the options for what to say. Allow the students to continue “trading” until all of the cups have been turned over.} Empty cup– {If chosen first or after the $1 or $20 bills} You exchanged your (quarter, $1 bill, or $20 bill) and received NOTHING! Oh no! It was a risk you took and unfortunately it did not turn out well for you. $1 cup – {If chosen first, or after the empty cup} This is better! Instead of (a quarter or nothing), now you have $1 bill! That is better. But is this the BEST that can happen? {If chosen after the $20 bill} Oh no! You already had the BEST thing! And now you lost it. Well, $1 is better than nothing or a just a quarter. $20 cup – {If chosen first or second.} WOW! $20! That’s better than a (quarter, $1, or nothing). I wonder if this is the best you can do? What else could be under these cups? Do you want to keep the $20 bill, or choose a new cup? {If chosen as the last cup} WOW!! You now have the BEST! A $1 bill is better, but a $20 bill is best. Bible Lesson for Acts 3:After the day of Pentecost, Peter and John went to the temple to pray around 3:00 in the afternoon. At the same time, a lame man was being carried by some people and placed at his normal spot to beg for money, or alms. He was a poor man, lame from birth. The lame man saw Peter and John and asked for alms. {Ask:}
{Hold up the cup that had nothing under it.} Peter continued, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I will give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and WALK!” And Peter grabbed the hand of the lame man and pulled him to his feet. The bible says that strength came immediately to his feet! {Hold up the one dollar bill.} The lame man wanted something better than he had. He wanted money for his immediate needs. Peter could have given him a few coins, maybe enough for dinner that night, but then the next day the man would be begging again. {Hold up the $20 bill.} What Peter gave, what GOD gave, was something that was BEST! After being healed, he lame man could walk, fend for himself, get a job, and do everything any other person could do. The man was so overjoyed that he went walking and leaping and praising God all the way into the temple with Peter and John. Everyone around knew who the lame man was and praised God with him. He had sat in that begging place for years and now he was healed! Peter noticed how all of the people were in awe and he started to preach just as he did on the day of Pentecost. He taught about the Old Testament, Jesus, Jesus dying and being raised from the dead. Life Application for Acts 3:In the name of Jesus, Peter healed the lame man. {Hold up the $1 bill.} The lame man was seeking something better than what he had. {Hold up the $20 bill.} But God wanted to give the lame man what was best for him: healing. There are times when we pray to God asking Him for something that would improve our lives or the lives of people we love. Sometimes we are seek a specific answer. Usually its an answer we really want. It could be anything. A good grade on a test. A better friendship with someone. An awesome present at Christmas time. Maybe for parents to stop fighting. Perhaps, you want to be able to read better, or work math problems better. Perhaps someone is bothering you at school. Whatever it might be that we ask from God is fine. It’s good. It is good to ask. But what if it isn’t God’s best for us? Should we pray differently? What if instead of asking God to do something specific, we give Him the issue and asked Him to handle it His way? For example, perhaps you ask God to help you be a better friend to someone. That is a great request. Ask it. However, what if you said: “Lord, please help me to be a better friend to (name). But Lord, I want your best. I want Your will to be done. If there is anything else I can do, please let me know.” This means we have to trust God with the understanding that He loves us and desires to do what is best for us. This also means that we might have to wait for an answer. The lame man was healed immediately, but that does not mean God will answer our prayers immediately. He might, but we can trust Him that He WILL answer. Because of what God did, the man went walking and leaping and praising God. Do you do that when God blesses you? Do you thank God for the good things in your life? Not just material items, but what about your family? school? church? the nation you live in? your health? the fact that you CAN walk? What about thanking God for your weaknesses? That sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But scripture over and over tells us that through the weakness of people, God is strong. {Ask:}
Serving God seems risky. But in reality, everything we have belongs to God. We don’t know what He is going to do when we come to Him with our prayers, but we CAN trust Him completely. When we surrender to God, we are telling Him that He is in totally charge. God is the only One who is completely faithful. Sometimes because of our own sin choices, we come to God with nothing and all we can do is offer ourselves….and that is what He wants. Everything! What can we learn from Peter, John, and the lame man? Sometimes we hold out our prayers and ask from something little when God has something much bigger and better in mind for us. We must be willing to give everything to the One who is absolutely trustworthy. Activities Links:See you all next week. Be Blessed!
See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Be blessed! As we move forward with worship together in person, we will continue to have options available for those who choose to continue to worship from home. We want to be able to connect, but as always safety is our first priority. Acts Chapter 2:Begin this lesson by reading Acts 2. We will be focusing in church on verses 14-41. But, the story of the Pentecost is important, especially for younger students. OR watch this video: Begin the lesson by singing: TEACHASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)
TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)
SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)
Activities LinksSee below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Be blessed! As we move forward with worship together in person, we will continue to have options available for those who choose to continue to worship from home. We want to be able to connect, but as always safety is our first priority. Acts Chapter 1:Begin this lesson by reading Acts 1. We will be focusing in church on verse 12-26. But, the story of the Ascension is important, especially for younger students. SingUse this song to connect with this week's lesson. Also, choose your favorite songs to worship with your kids. Lyrics:Sing to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me” Verse 1Jesus called them one by one Peter, Andrew, James and John Next came Philip, Thomas too Matthew and Bartholomew Chorus:Yes, Jesus called them Yes, Jesus called them Yes, Jesus called them And they all followed him Verse 2James the one they called the less Simon, also Thaddaeus The twelfth apostle Judas made Jesus was by him betrayed Repeat ChorusAdditional 3rd VerseMatthias then took Judas’ place, To preach to men of every race, Paul three preaching trips did make, And went to Rome for Jesus’ sake. Activity LinksSee you all next week. Be Blessed! See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Be blessed! Supplies: These will depend on the activities you choose: Clothes pin for the Grumbles game Black construction paper, black and white paint for Shine like Stars Hammer, nails, block of wood for Hammer Knocker/ Puller Flashlight Sugar, salt, honey, vinegar Piece of white paper with a single dot The Point:Complaining, is ultimately an insult to God; we can resolve against grumbling by having gratitude. KEY VERSES:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing. (Philippians 2) Family Activities (Introduce):Choose activities that fit your family's need and that you have the time for. The Grumbles game
Start this game early in the day. Read Philippians 2:14 and explain what grumbling and complaining sound like. Place 5 clothes pin on each children's shirt. Throughout the day have themselves and any other kids listen for complaining and grumbles. Each time, remove a clothes pin from that child's group of 5. If any child finishes the day with clothespins left, give them a small, previously agreed upon reward. Hammer Knocker/Puller
Begin this activity with a board and 2 partially driven-in nails. Talk to your students about about the 2 different parts of the hammer, the head and the claw. A hammer can both knock a nail in or pull one out but it cannot do both at once. In the same way, a person can knock others around or pull others up but not both at the same time. Complaining knocks others around while positive talk pulls others up. Allow the children practice knocking and pulling the nails (with adult help). Shine like stars craft
Using a black sheet of paper, have students dip their finger in black paint on one side and white paint on the other. Brainstorm with students statements that are complaining or grumbling. Each time they say one, have them dot the paper with the black paint. Then, brainstorm uplifting and positive statements. Each time they say one, have them dot the paper with white paint. Finish with more positive statements so that the page is covered with "shining stars". Read Philippians 2: 14-16 to help reinforce this idea. To begin your lesson: Use this song to connect with this week's lesson. Also, choose your favorite songs to worship with your kids. TEACH:Read with your student Philippians 2: 12-18 from your favorite bible version. Nobody likes a grumbler. But complaining has become so prevalent in today’s culture that sometimes we don’t even realize we are doing. Illustrate the dangers of complaining with a few object lessons. -First, hold up a plain sheet of paper with a single dot in the center. Ask students what they see. Most likely, they will comment on the dot. Point out that what you have is a perfectly good sheet of paper. It just happens to have one little dot. So often we are prone to point out the tiny bit of bad in a situation, rather than focusing on the overall positive. -Whine tasting…two options here (feel free to use both). Explain that kind words are sweet and special to the soul, while negative grumblings are sour or bitter. Allow students to sample something sweet, like honey, followed by something sour or bitter, like vinegar or lemon juice. Alternately, provide a small spoon of sugar and one of salt…have students blindly guess which they’d like, without knowing what will be sweet and what will be salty. Emphasize again how important it is to think before we speak. Today we will talk about why complaining can be so damaging. Ask students what kinds of things upset or irritate them. Is it doing a chore? Fighting with a brother or sister? Having to wait for things? We have probably all been told by parents that we shouldn’t grumble, but why does it matter? What do you think the Bible says about it? Invite students to examine the book of Philippians: Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. -Philippians 2:14-16 What does Paul say about avoiding negative comments? It makes us stand out. It makes us “shine like stars” because people will notice something different. And it’s true. If everyone around you is whining and you show a better spirit, people will notice and will genuinely appreciate it. DO: Let’s read Philippians 2:14-15 together. (Read the verse with the kids.) This is really an amazing couple of verses. See how the bible mentions shining like the stars in the sky? I’ve got a flashlight right here and I want to demonstrate to you what I think these verses mean. (Turn on the flashlight and ask a helper to dim the lights.) Look at that. Let’s pretend that this dark room is the whole world. It’s a dark place and people have to walk around in the dark all the time. You know why it is so dark? Because everyone argues and grumbles and complains all the time. Except for a few people. They are the children of God. (Walk around the room shining your flashlight.) Wherever they go, people can see. It’s good to have a child of God near you except when they begin to argue too. (Flick the light off and on.) Looks like that Christians are arguing! Oh no! You know what that means? (Turn the light off for a few seconds then turn it back on.) Thank goodness! They must have made up. (Ask the helper to turn the lights on.) MAKE IT PERSONAL:Rather than grumbling, we are to rejoice. In EVERY situation, pray and ask God’s guidance. Here we also see the main antidote to complaining: thanksgiving. It is awfully hard to whine when you are thinking about gratitude. Instead of negative grousing, we can be thankful. We put our minds on what is true, pure, lovely, admirable…that is how we can eliminate the whine press. And how does this relate to our dealings with one another? Peter explains: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. -1 Peter 4:8-9 In addition to gratitude, LOVE is the key to eliminating complaints. Often we wind up gossiping when we want to “vent” or complain. When we love, there is no room for ill feelings towards another. The Bible also explains the dangers of whining. In the Old Testament, we see the people of God bitterly complain against Him. When the Israelites are first brought out of Egypt, they whine to Moses about the conditions and the lack of food. Even after God provides manna, they are still unsatisfied and demand meat. There is no end to their grumbling… Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. –Numbers 11:1-2 Clearly, we see here that God can easily strike down those who grumble and groan. But we also see that His mercy and compassion shine through, as well. He is gracious to hear of our woes, even when they are against Him. It’s important to note, though, that our outcries ultimately do us no good. God already knows our hearts and feelings. Complaining is really an insult to God, more than anything. It is saying that what He has provided is not enough, and somehow we think our way will be better. We ignore or neglect the amazing power God has. Instead of whining against God or against others, we ought to be dwelling on His incredible might. Family Activity (Reinforce) Listen and sing this song to help your student remember the lessons from today. See you all next week. Be Blessed!
See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Be blessed! Supplies:These will depend on the activities you choose: Mother’s Day Crafts: Download craft sheet, crafting supplies for each activity Lesson: Two slices of bread, a stick of butter / margarine, a slice of cheese, and a frying pan Witnessing Crafts: Craft supplies for each Pass It On Game: large # of small items (toys, cotton balls, paper wads, pencils, etc.) PARENT PREP (SCRIPTURE NOTES): Perhaps one of the most gracious things Jesus did after His resurrection was to appear to the disciples, proving He was alive. The disciples were devastated to see that Jesus had died. How could He save them if He was dead? Even though Jesus had foretold His death and resurrection (Matthew 20:17-19), Jesus’ disciples believed by seeing. Jesus showed the disciples His hands and His side to prove He was not a ghost. He had a real, physical body. Then He spoke to them: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). This verse contains the Gospel of John’s version of the Great Commission. Jesus, the One sent from the Father, was now sending the disciples to be His messengers and representatives. Jesus equipped the disciples with the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel. Thomas, who was not with the disciples when Jesus came, had a hard time believing that they saw Him. Thomas wanted physical proof—and that is just what He got! Jesus showed Thomas His hands and His side. Thomas immediately believed. Jesus’ resurrection proved that God was satisfied with Jesus’ blood sacrifice for sins and that God’s new covenant had begun. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul addressed how the resurrection is essential to the gospel. In verse 17, Paul writes, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” If Christ had remained dead, His death would have meant nothing more than yours or mine. Humanity would still be without hope. Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope that we one day too will be raised and changed. God gives us victory over death through Jesus. Emphasize to the kids you teach that Jesus is alive! Share with them that they have a special purpose: to tell others that Jesus is alive. He is reigning as King today over all of creation. THE POINT:Just as those who saw the resurrected Jesus were given the Holy Spirit and told to be witnesses, we are equipped by the Holy Spirit and by knowing Jesus to share more about him. KEY VERSES: 48 You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24) FAMILY ACTIVITIES (Introduce):Choose activities that fit your family's needs and that you have the time for. Mother's Day Crafts: Pre-School Flower
Use the dandelion print out and have kids use finger paint to dab on their fingerprints to make a dandelion for mom to "make a wish". Intermediate Flower
Use the link to create adorable paper tulips for mom. Intermediate Flower (2)
Use the link to create a beautiful calla lily bouquet for mom to enjoy! Advanced flower
Use the link to create a more advanced flower for mom that she will love! To begin your lesson:SING:Use this song to connect with this week's lesson. Also, choose your favorite songs to worship with your kids. TEACH:Use the link below to watch a short clip of this week's passage OR read Luke 24:36-49. https://sccchildren.wordpress.com/tag/jesus-appears-to-the-disciples/ INTRO: So, I've decided that I'm going to have lunch, here, today. I've brought it with me.
Make it personal:
FAMILY ACTIVITIES (REINFORCE): Use these activities to reinforce the lessons learned today. These are also great to bring back during the week to remind you child of the lessons from today. Wordless Witnessing
WORDLESS BOOK WITNESSING: Give children 5 small pieces of construction paper together -- all the same size and one of each color of black, white, red, green and yellow. This is the "wordless book" that the children can use to WITNESS about Jesus. The black page is first and stands for our sins. The second page is white and stands for our hearts being white as snow; the third page is red and stands for Jesus' blood that washed our sins away; the 4th page is yellow and stands for heaven and the fifth page is green and can stand for Christian growth after accepting Jesus as our Savior. A BLUE page could be added as well to stand for baptism as we "witness" to others about our decision to follow Christ. Staple the together into a booklet. WITNESS BRACELET: Give children the black, red, white, red, yellow, green and blue beads and string the beads onto a piece of plastic lacing and tell the GOSPEL story. Tie the string and wear home. Tell the children to make another WITNESS bracelet to give to someone else to witness to them about JESUS, as well! "Pass it on" game
SUPPLIES: A large number of items of your choice, estimate 3 items per kid Gather a large number of items into a pile. Items could be cotton balls, books, small toys, wads of scrap paper, and so forth. Items should be easy to pass from one kid to another. Ask kids to stand or sit in a circle formation. Explain that you will hand items to a player one-by-one. Each item is to be passed to the right around the circle. Each item may not be put down. If a player drops an item, she must pick it up. The number of items will continue to increase. When the kids begin to struggle to keep up or begin to drop multiple items, stop the game and debrief. Say: The gospel—the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection—is a message that God’s people are to share with others. We are to pass it on. In our game, you had too many items to manage. It would be hard for one person to tell every non-Christian about Jesus. We all must share the message of Christ. It is a command Jesus gave His followers. See you all next week. Be Blessed!
See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Choose the activities that best suit your family or the amount of time you have. Be blessed! Supplies:These will depend on the activities you choose: "Parts of a Cake" ingredients Craft supplies for "Stained Glass Cross" String Cup Telephone supplies Piece of Paper for "Story of the Cross" Parent Prep (Scripture Notes) The story of Jesus’ death of the cross does not seem like a positive experience but when we view it as part of a greater story, we see how amazing it truly was. Not only, does it pay the price for our sin, it redeems those who accept the awesome gift of salvation. It also empowered Jesus’ disciples to go into “all the world” and change the world by telling his story. Romans 8:28 is a beautiful promise: "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His good purpose." The PointThose who saw Jesus on the cross were still the ones who would often change the world. We are part of that story too! KEY VERSES 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[e] When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23) To begin your Lesson: Use this song to connect with this week's lesson. Also, choose your favorite songs to worship with your kids. FAMILY ACTIVITIES (Introduce)Parts of a cake
Supplies:
Cake Mix, egg, oil, flour, sugar, (a finished cake if you do not want to bake one) Key Point: In good and bad times, God is working it out to have a good result in the end. How many of you like to eat cake? Why? (Possible answers may include: it's sweet, tastes good, etc.) Do any of you know what things go into a cake? [Give time for them to guess.] Then all these things must be good - right? Would you ever consider eating the ingredients of a cake separately? A spoon of flour? A raw egg? A little oil? [Allow children to taste a little flour, oil or cocoa. Of course...not the raw egg; we sure don't want someone to possibly get sick!] How did each taste? ...Yuk! Of course there is sugar too - yum! :) Let each taste a bit of sugar; it will help get the "yucky" taste out. Lesson: Life can be a lot like a cake! . Separately there are some bitter times, some raw, hurtful times, and some dry, bland times. Help them think of some "not-so-good" or tough times they have experienced or others may have experienced. Share something from your own life too. Remember your life is a wonderful living example for them! But there are also the good times! Take a few minutes and have them think of some "good times". God is able to blend the good and the bad experiences in our lives together for our good. All together they create a life that is meaningful, useful, and tasty! Jesus’ death on the cross was a bitter time. However, God used “part” of the story to work together a wonderful ending. If you want, use the ingredients to bake a cake with your child! Stained Glass Cross
Supplies:
2) Glue squares onto the cross for a “stained glass” look. String cup telephone
Did God Forget About Jesus When He Was on the Cross? Theme: God hears us when we cry. Bible Reference: Mark 15:33-41 Supplies:
Ask:
Have each child hold a cup and carefully walk away from each other until the string is taught. Then as one child speaks into one cup, the other holds the cup to listen through it. Have volunteers take turns talking and listening. Ask:
While Jesus was on the cross, he cried out to God. Read Mark 15:34 aloud. God heard Jesus’ prayer but didn’t take Jesus down from the cross and save him from death. Instead, he gave Jesus the strength to finish his task. Ask:
TEACHUse this video to share the story of Jesus on the cross OR read Luke 23:44-49. Use Lesson 2 from this series to dig deeper into the story, memorize a verse, and explore a visual overview of Jesus' time on the cross. MAKE IT PERSONAL It seems like a really sad story, but its one of the greatest stories of all! Jesus died knowing that you (--put in the children's names) would do things wrong (that is what a sin is) -- things that you're not supposed to -- not obeying your parents, saying something mean to your sister or brother, or not telling the truth. He knew what you would do when He died so many years ago. Jesus died for everybody's sins, so now when we ask God to forgive us, and we are truly sorry for what we've done, He will act like it never happened. That's right He forgets what we did! Now that doesn't mean we should ever make the same mistake again, because by doing that it's like we're hurting Jesus all over again. So, next time you do something you're not supposed to, remember to say sorry to Jesus, and remember what He did for you! He has a plan especially for you. FAMILY ACTIVITIES (REINFORCE)Use this activity to reinforce the importance of today's lesson for all parts of life. See you all next week. Be Blessed!
See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. Choose the activities that best suit your family or the amount of time you have. Be blessed! Supplies Needed:These will depend on the activities you choose-
Parent Prep (Scripture Notes)God showed kindness to us first. None of us are better than anyone else; we are all sinners and deserve to be separated from God forever. That’s what we deserve, but God is loving, merciful and full of grace. He forgives anyone who asks for it. If God sent His Son to pay by suffering so cruelly in order for us to be forgiven, why should we decide who deserves our kindness? We can’t. To begin your lesson: SINGUse this song to connect with this week's lesson. Also, choose your favorite songs to worship with your kids. THE POINTJesus is quick to forgive the thief just as he is quick to forgive us. KEY VERSES34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23) FAMILY ACTIVITIES (Introduce)Use these activities to introduce some of the themes from this week's lesson. Crown to Wear:
Have children cut out and decorate a CROWN and write JESUS IS THE KINGS OF KINGS. Have gel glue, sequins, glitter, etc available to make a beautiful crown for the KING! As an added twist, cut out a crown and glue toothpicks or sticks to it to represent a "crown of thorns". Painted Cross Craft:
On a piece of paper (heavier the better, like card stock), write the phrase “Jesus is My Savior!” about ⅓ of the way down the page. Using painter’s tape or masking tape (something that will pull off the page without ripping), cover up the written phrase and then add a piece of tape vertically to create a cross. Using a cotton ball or paint brush and washable paint, have kids paint the entire page including the taped area. Once the paint is dry, remove the tape to reveal a clean white cross.
Check out a video example here: Cross Hangman:
Use the key verse, “Father, Forgive them” to play a game of Hangman. If time allows, use “I am thirsty” and “It is finished” for other rounds. TeachTo begin the scripture lesson, check out video below OR Read from your favorite translation Luke 23:26-43. SAY: Have you ever had a day where it felt like one bad thing after another kept happening? For example, maybe you were late for school and then you broke something and then at lunch you were supposed to have your favorite sandwich, but before you could take a bite, you spilled your milk all over it and made it squishy…and when you got home, your dog ate your shoe. Ever have a day like that? Where it felt like EVERYTHING was going wrong? And then, maybe what happens for you is that you start to get mad about it. And, maybe you get so mad that when someone asks you, "Hey, what's wrong?" – you might yell at them, "Leave me alone!" It's almost like, in those moments, that we try to share our bad day with others by making their day bad, too. I bring this up because in today's scripture story, we hear that Jesus is having an incredibly bad day, too. He's been arrested and punished for something he didn't do, and while he's slowly dying from that punishment, EVERYONE is making fun of him. And when I say everyone, I mean the religious leaders are making fun of him, Roman soldiers are making fun of him, even one of the criminals (who is being punished just like Jesus is) is making fun of Jesus. It is the worst of worst days for Jesus. But, amazingly, Jesus does not get mad. Instead, Jesus does an amazing thing and asks God to forgive the people. Later on, when a second criminal, who was also having a really bad day, asked Jesus to remember him, Jesus did not say, "Go away! Leave me alone!" Instead Jesus said, "You will be with me." He quickly shows him grace. Because Jesus was seeking God's help despite having a bad day, Jesus was able to then help make that other man’s day a little bit better. Make it personalToday’s story, as sad as it is, is also a reminder that inviting God’s presence into our worst days keeps us from sharing our bad day with others… …and instead helps us share God's love, forgiveness, and grace with others… …just like Jesus did in today's story. Family Activity (Reinforce)Use this final activity to reinforce the themes learned in this week's lesson. See you all next week. Be Blessed!
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It Takes a VillageFaith formation in children is a massive undertaking. While parents are the primary disciple-makers of their kiddos, we're here to let you know you're not alone. Archives
November 2020
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