WELCOME TO WEEK 1

When you find a secret passage in your game, or discover a new trick, do you ever reveal your secret? Although you may not reveal your secret so that you can continue to win, Jesus revealed something very important to us. It’s great news that Jesus didn’t keep secrets from us, but helped reveal God the Father to us. This week we will see that we can know God better through Jesus.

John 1:1-18

BIBLE STORY

In small bags that are not see through, place several different types of toy animals in each bag. Line up the bags in front of the child so they can see the bag but not what is inside.

I have some items in each of these bags. I want you to tell me what is in each bag but you can not look inside the bag, nor can you touch it. From where you are, describe to me what is in the bag. Give them time to try and guess what is in each bag. It’s hard to guess what is inside each bag when you can not see or touch it. Although you can not see it, I have seen them so I will help reveal what is in each bag. Give clues that describe each animal such as what it looks like or likes to eat. Give clues that will reveal the item. Was that easier to guess the items? I was able to reveal to you these items because I have seen them and could describe them to you. This week we will read about why Jesus came to earth. One of the reasons Jesus came was to help us know God. Jesus’ character and actions reveal how much God loves us.

Materials: paper bag, variety of small toy animals

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week John 1:1-18

How did verse 1 describe the Word? (He was in the beginning, He was with God, and He was God)

What was his life for all mankind? (Light that shines in the darkness)

Who did God send to testify about the Light? (John)

What did the Light come into the world to do? (He gave those who believed the right to become children of God)

The law was given through Moses, what came through Jesus Christ? (Grace and truth)

Although no one has ever seen God, what was done for us through Jesus Christ? (Jesus himself is God and is in close relationship with the father, has made God known to us)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus was with God because He is God, and He was able to reveal to us who God is. Jesus became flesh and demonstrated God’s love to us. Through Jesus we can know God because they are one.

Activity

When we want to know more about something we gather information from lots of different sources. When I give a topic, I want you to go around the house and find something you would use in order to learn more about that topic. For example, if I said I want to know where sharks live, you can bring a book about sharks, a magazine or a computer. If the item is too hard to bring, you can point to it or tell me what you would use.

Find something that…

-tells me the temperature outside. -helps me see better. -tells me about animals in the wild. -tells me more about good house pets. -tells of Jesus’ birth. -shows what time it is. -tells me how to care for a plant. -tells me how old a tree is.

We can know more about God by reading about Jesus in the Bible. Jesus reveals who God is and how much he loves us.

Materials: items around your house

Alternate

We can know God by reading His words in the Bible. God speaks to us through the written words of Jesus in the Bible. Sort the following speaking bubbles into 2 categories: words of Jesus, words of man. Determine which quotes were said by God and which were spoken by people. When we listen to Jesus’ words, we can know God.

Materials: Printed sorting activity, scissors

Independent activity:

Complete the following activity sheet.

Materials: Printed activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a bible poster art. Use the attached images to color and cut, then glue them onto a large sheet of construction paper. Draw additional images and use stickers to add to your bible poster. 

Materials: Printed sheet, scissors, glue, crayons, large sheet of construction paper.

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What did John the Baptist do before Jesus’ ministry began?

Why did John the Baptist say, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before him”?

How can know that Jesus reveals who God is?

What are some words you would use to describe Jesus?

What are some words you would use to describe God the Father?

What are some things you can do to get to know Jesus better?

What are some things you can do to get to know God better?

Practical Application at Home

Sometimes we tend to follow the people around us by dressing like them, talking the same way they do or doing the things we see them do. Unfortunately when we follow other people, we can often be led the wrong way. There is One we can follow and He will never lead us the wrong way because He wants what is best for us. When we follow Jesus, we can talk the way he talked and do the things he did. 

Create a secret message for a family member or friend to solve. Mix the following solution, then paint your message with a paintbrush. Let the message completely dry before giving your message to be solved. Have your family member or friend use diluted grape juice or other acidic juice, to paint the entire page to then reveal your message. Write the following secret message on your paper: “Find God’s love here, John 3:16”

Secret message solution: 1 Tablespoon water, 1 Tablespoon baking soda. Mix together, then use a Q-tip to write the message with your baking soda solution.

The more we know Jesus the more we will know God. Jesus reveals God to us, and shows us how much He loves us. We can then demonstrate that same love to those around us so they will want to know God and follow the example Jesus gave through his life on earth.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

We have all made mistakes, whether on purpose or on accident. We usually say we are sorry and then wait to be forgiven. Did you know God has forgiven you? We can be forgiven and we can also forgive those who have wronged us. We can’t do this on our own, but we have the Holy Spirit to help. This week we will see how baptism is more than just getting wet.

Mark 1:4-11

BIBLE STORY

Play a game of ‘In the River, On the Bank’. Pick a line on the floor or create a line using string or masking tape. Have your child stand with both feet facing the line. When you call out “In the river” the child jumps across the line into the river. When you call out “On the bank” the child jumps backwards to the bank. Repeat saying it over and over switching up the order of jumping to the river or bank to make it challenging.

How well did you do? Were you able to make keep going without making any mistakes? We often make mistakes in life too. We don’t always obey our parents, we don’t always tell the truth and we don’t always take responsibility. This week we will see how we can have forgiveness through Jesus. John the Baptist preached about the forgiveness of sins through repentance and baptism. We can know forgives because of Jesus!

Materials: line of masking tape or string

Read or listen to the Bible scripture Mark 1:4-11

How did the Bible describe John the Baptist? (Clothes made of camel hair, a leather belt and ate locust and honey)

Where did John the Baptist baptize those confessing their sins? (In the Jordan River)

What did John say the one who came after him will baptize people with? (With the Holy Spirit)

When Jesus was baptized what happened? (The heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove)

What did the voice from heaven say? (You are my son, whom I love; with you I am very pleased)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

It is hard to confess when we have done something wrong. We want to keep it a secret or pretend it never happened. Although it is hard to admit our wrongs, we can ask Jesus for forgiveness for the wrongs we did. We can be sure that God will forgive us of our sins. 

Activity

Print the following emoji faces or have your child use their own face to show emotions. Sometimes we do wrong things on accident and sometimes we do the wrong thing on purpose. We might say things to hurt others or disobey our parents. God does not like the bad things that we do, but He always loves us and will forgive us. Sometimes we show others God’s love by the kind things we do for them. These things don’t make God love us more but they are pleasing to Him. Listen to the following scenarios and hold up a smile face if you think the actions described were pleasing to God. Hold up the frown face if the things described were not pleasing to God.

Materials: printed scenarios, printed emoji faces (optional)

Alternate

Use Playdough to make images or write single words that describe our sins. Jesus forgives our sins when we confess and ask for forgiveness. When we realize we are doing something wrong and ask God to forgive us, He will forgive us of our wrongs. Take the play dough and reshape it so the words or picture of sin disappears. God will not remember our sins any more.

Materials: play dough

independent activity:

Listen to this story about forgiveness. Have you ever had to forgive someone for something they did to you? Its hard to forgive others but just as we want to be forgiven, we should forgive others as well.

Materials: device for listening to story

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a paper plate scene of Jesus’ baptism. Color the paper plate with water, sky, and background. Then color and cut out a Jesus and John the Baptist. Attach Jesus to a craft stick, then cut a small slit into the paper plate for the stick. Glue John the Baptist next to the slit. Add the small dove in the sky.

Materials: paper plate, printed characters, crayons, scissors, glue, craft stick

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What did John say he baptized with?

What did John say Jesus would baptize with?

What do you think it means to be baptized by the Holy Spirit?

What can the Holy Spirit do in our lives?

Haas there ever been a time when you desperately wanted to be forgiven for a wrongdoing?

Have you ever had to forgive someone, even when it was really hard?

How does having the Holy Spirit help you show forgiveness to others?

Practical Application at Home

When we understand how much we have been forgiven, we are better able to forgive others. When we are believers in Jesus, God will forgiven our sins whether we think they are big or small. Listen to the following scenario and determine if there was any forgiveness shown. Although you may not have an experience exactly like this one, think about a time you have been forgiven a lot, and if you then returned that forgiveness to the next person who wronged you. 

You stole $25 from your moms dresser, thinking she wouldn’t notice. She finds out and you are punished, but she forgives you and doesn’t stay mad at you the rest of the day. You wonder if your mom has really forgiven you, but she does not remind you of your error nor does she start to hide all of her money from you from fear you may steal again. You are relieved as you realize your mom has given you a clean slate. A few days later your younger brother takes apart your Lego design to use a piece of your legos for his new Lego build. You are very upset. You worked for hours on your build and were proud of it. He says he is sorry and returns the Lego piece. You say you forgive him but for the next few days you decide to let him suffer. Every time he asks to play, you refuse to play with him. When he speaks to you and tells you stories about his day, you don’t talk with him but just give yes or no responses. You plan to forgive him at some point, but for now, you want him to suffer for what he did to you. 

Who truly forgave in this story?

Did you truly forgive your brother?

Which act would have been harder to forgive?

How can the feeling of being forgiven for something big, help you forgive someone else when they wrong you?

How can we show true forgiveness, especially when someone has asked for forgiveness for the wrongs they’ve done against you?

When we realize the wrongs we have done against God and how much he continues to love us and forgive us, even when we make the same mistakes again, we can share that forgiveness with others. Unlike in the scenario above, we should forgive others in the same way God has forgiven us. That means, when we say we forgive, we also need to let it go and not remind the person of how much they wronged us or try to make them suffer. Although this is not an easy thing to do, we can ask Jesus to help us remember how much we have been forgiven and to share that forgiveness with others.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Welcome to week 3! Have you ever had someone finish your sentence for you? It was as if they knew exactly what you were going to say. Perhaps they can finish your sentences because they know you so well. Not many people can do that, but a close friend or family member knows you very well because they’ve spent time with you. Jesus knows us very well, because He is our creator! We can trust Him with our deepest thoughts because He loves us just the way we are.

John 1:43-51

BIBLE STORY

On a sheet of paper draw 5 things that you really enjoy doing or that show what you like. Let’s look at what we drew. Discuss the things on their paper and how those things tell more about them.

We each have things that we love to do or that we are good at doing, which makes us special. We have things that interest us and we enjoy learning about it or practicing it. When we meet new friends it takes time for them to learn what things we like and dislike or the things that make us special. We do have a friend that already knows us and we don’t have to explain who we are to him. His name is Jesus. Jesus already knows us and knew us before we were born. He knows the things we like, dislike and our talents. This week we will read our story of when Jesus met Nathanael. Jesus already knew Nathanael but Nathanael was surprised to realize Jesus already knew who he was. He became a believer that Jesus was the Son of God. We can also trust that Jesus is the son of God and He already knows us!

Materials: paper and pencil

Read or listen to the scripture John 1:43-51

Where did Jesus meet Phillip? (In Galilee)

What did Jesus tell Phillip to do? (Follow me)

Did Nathanael  believe Phillip had found the Savior from the prophesy? (No, he asked if anything good could come from Nazareth)

What was Nathanael surprised about when He met Jesus? (Jesus already knew him and told things about Nathanael)

What greater things did Jesus say Nathanael would see if he followed Him? (He would see heaven open and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

God knows each one of us by name and He knows what makes us unique. Sometimes we might wonder why we don’t look, act, or excel at things like people around us. But God knows exactly who we are and how we were made. He knew us before we were born. We can trust that God, our Creator, loves you exactly the way you are.

Activity

Phillip was so excited to meet Jesus and he want his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus as well. Phillip was a good friend to Nathanael because he didn’t want him to miss out on the opportunity to meet and know Jesus, their Messiah. Being a good friend is more than just being friends online or looking at pictures of someone from a distance. Listen to the following examples and determine if you think this shows real friendship or if this is just an acquaintance.

Materials: Attached scenario cards printed or viewed on device

Alternate

You are special and God made you just the way you are. Jesus knows you because He is your creator. Let’s do the following finger play together. You may also view these finger plays and songs online.

Materials: Printed finger play or device for viewing, device to view fingerplay

Create activity:

Draw a self portrait of yourself. Create a picture of what you look like including your eye color, hair and other special features. Around the border of your portrait, write words that describe you as well as pictures of things you enjoy doing.

Materials: construction paper, mirror, pencil, drawing utensils

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a picture frame, decorate the outside with the words: Jesus knows me!

Materials: white drawing paper, pencil, drawing utensils, crayons or coloring pencils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Who does God say you are?

What does it mean to be redeemed?

Do you believe God chose you?

How does it make you feel to know you are forgiven?

How does God show you that He loves you?

Have you ever gone somewhere new and felt accepted by the people there?

What does it mean to be accepted by God?

What does it mean to be adopted into God’s family?

In Ephesians 1 it says that we are chosen, accepted, loved, redeemed, forgiven, and adopted. When we know who we are in Jesus we can share that good news with others. We can also be sure of who Jesus says we are rather than who others try to tell us we are. Jesus is the one who truly knows you, and He thinks you are worthy of His love.

Practical Application at Home

God has created us to be exactly who we are and He knows us better than we know ourselves. When Jesus saw Nathanael and already knew who he was, Jesus showed Nathanael that He was not an ordinary man, but God. Nathanael believed that Jesus was the son of God, the long awaited Savior. He believed because Jesus showed him that He already knew who he was. 

Phillip brought Nathanael to meet Jesus. Who are some people you can bring to Jesus. We can show Jesus to others in the way we treat them and in how we serve the people around us. Look at the following activities. Choose one or two of them to try this week on people you would like to share Jesus with.

-tell someone Jesus loves them

-Send a note to someone who is discouraged

-invite someone to attend church with you

-invite a friend to attend your church’s online service

-bring a meal to a person in need

-call a church member who is shut-in and tell them you are thinking of them. 

-take coats or blankets to a local shelter

Sharing Jesus’ love with others is one way to be a good friend. It is also a way for them to build a relationship with Jesus as well. Jesus knows you and he knows your friend and he wants them to know how much he loves them. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Welcome to week 4! Jesus called Andrew and Peter to follow him. He had a special plan for their lives. They had a choice to make just like we have a choice to make every day. We can choose to follow Jesus or we can put it off and continue doing the task we started. Jesus wants each of us to follow him.

Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11 

BIBLE STORY

Let’s play a game of Simon Says! When you hear me say “Simon Says” and then an action, then you can do the action. When I just say an action, without saying Simon Says, then you just keep doing the previous action or stand still.

Did I trick you a few times? Following a leader can sometimes be tricky if we are not listening well or if we are not following the right leader. Sometimes our friend want us to follow them, but they are leading us the wrong way and making poor choices. Sometimes we want to follow the people on TV and do what they say, but they are not always right. When we follow Jesus, we don’t have to worry if we will be led the wrong way. We can be sure that Jesus will always lead us in the right direction that is good for us. He knows what is best for us and only wants what is good for us. When Jesus called the disciples to follow him, they did right away. They could tell that Jesus was the right person to follow and that He had a plan for them that was far better than what they were doing right then. This week we will see how Jesus called His disciples to follow him and how He is calling us to follow him too!

Materials: paper and pencil

Read or listen to the scripture story in Mark 1:14-20

Where did Jesus go to preach? (Galilee)

What was the message that Jesus was preaching? (The good news, the Kingdom of God was near)

What were Peter and Andrew doing at the Sea of Galilee? (Casting a fishing net into the lake)

What did Jesus say He would make Peter and Andrew? (Fishers of men)

When did Peter and Andrew decide to follow Jesus? (At once they left their nets to follow Jesus)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Andrew and Peter chose to follow Jesus right away. They dropped everything they were doing to follow Him. Jesus calls each of us in different ways, but He calls all of us to follow Him. We can choose to obey by meeting the needs of others, praying for those in need, or being a good friend to someone who is hurting. We should listen to God’s voice calling us to action and then obey right away.

Activity

Peter thought the boat would sink after all of the fish he caught with Jesus. He knew Jesus did a miracle when he caught so many fish after not catching anything. There were so many fish he needed another boat to help them. Build a simple boat make of Legos and place it into a small tub of water for it to float on. Try to see how much weight your boat can hold before it sinks. Make a prediction of how many pennies they think their Lego boat can hold. Place pennies one at a time on the boat and determine how many pennies it can hold.

Materials: Legos or other linking brinks, small tub of water, pennies

Alternate

Jesus called the disciples to become fishers of man instead of fishermen. Jesus knew that they could share the good news of the gospel to the people around them. Jesus also calls us to share the gospel with people around us. Use the following fish outlines to write names of family or friends you would like to pray for and share the gospel with. Place the fish on a large construction sheet and place in an area your child can see and remember to pray for those people they listed each day.

Materials: printed fish outlines, pencil or writing utensil

independent activity:

Complete the following activity sheet. (Color the place you can show Jesus love-Red; the people you can show Jesus love-blue; the things you use to share Jesus- green (bible, music, words,)

Materials: printed activity sheet, crayon, pencil or pen

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

make these accordion paper fish. Cut a rectangle from construction paper and alternate fold it like an accordion or a fan. Leave the top quarter unfolded for the face of the fish. Cut off the corners of the face to make them rounded edges. Cut a small slit in the side of the face for the fish’s mouth. On a separate colored construction paper, cut out its fin and tail. Use a white sheet of paper to cut out its eye and color a black dot on the inside. Glue the fish parts on and then decorate the fish body using a black crayon or marker and adding geometric designs such as lines, circles or dots. Outline the fish if desired, with a black marker or crayon. See the following website for an example and step by step picture instructions.

Materials: white, yellow and other optional colors construction paper, gold glitter, glue, writing utensil

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Who did Jesus call to follow him?

How long did Peter and Andrew wait before they followed Jesus?

Did they stop fishing because they were bad fishermen?

Have you ever followed after someone else and gotten into trouble?

Who can you trust to always follow who will never lead you the wrong way?

How can we live each day to show we follow Jesus?

What is something you have or do that is the most important to you?

Would you give up what you say is most important, to follow Jesus?

Practical Application at Home

Having a meaningful life is more than getting all the things you think you want or need to be happy. Think of the times you have been most content and had a sense of fullness that lasted longer than a few moments or hours. Were they times you received a long awaited gift? A time when you worked hard to give a gift to someone else? Bringing others joy can have a big impact on our own mood. When we have shared something wonderful with someone else, we often feel as if we received a gift as well. We share the joy they have received. 

This week look for ways you can share joy with the people around you. Print the following grid and see how many boxes you can complete this week. Some are simple task that do not take any preparation to complete and some task you may need to plan ahead. At the end of the week, take notice of how you feel as well as how you made others feel. Decide if the saying is true, ‘it is better to give than to receive’. 

Materials: Printed Week of Giving sheet, pencil, other materials needed to complete suggested activities.

Jesus wants us to be fishers of man and we can do that in the way we treat others around us. Jesus wants them to know His love for them and He wants you to have a meaningful life. A life filled with the love of Jesus, not filled with things that are slowing passing away.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Have you ever been in pain? Perhaps your pain was from a cut or an injury. Perhaps your pain was from sadness or hurt. Jesus has a message for us that is powerful. His power is more than strength but His power can also change us, heal us, and defeat our sins. This week we will see how Jesus’ message is powerful.

Mark 1:21-28

BIBLE STORY

There are people who are in charge in everywhere we go. These are people we listen to and follow instructions from because they have the authority in that place. They are in charge and people follow their directions. Tell me who is in charge at these places.

-at school (the principal)

-in your classroom (the teacher)

-at home (your parents)

-in your community (police)

-over our nation (the president)

-at church (the pastor)

-Over your pet (you!)

-in a store (the manager)

-in a restaurant kitchen (The chef)

Jesus has authority from heaven as the creator of the world. When he was on earth he preached with authority and people listened to him. Even the people who did not want to follow him recognized that he is God and had authority over everything. This week we will see a story in which Jesus showed his authority not only with his words but through his actions as well. 

Read or listen to the scripture story in Mark 1:21-28

What was Jesus doing in the synagogue? (He was teaching)

What did the people think of his teachings? (They were amazed because he taught with authority)

What was the man in the synagogue possessed with? (An impure spirit) 

Who did the possessed man claim Jesus to be? (The Holy One of God)

What did the possess man ask if Jesus was going to do? (If he had come to destroy them)

When Jesus commanded the impure spirit to come out, what happened? (It shook the man violently and came out with a shriek)

What did the people think when they say this? (They were amazed that he taught with authority and could give orders to spirits who obeyed. 

What did the people do after they witnessed Jesus send out the impure spirit? (They spread the word through the whole region of Galilee)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus has all authority on heaven and earth. His power is not just how strong his is but his ability to change hearts and attitudes. We can trust that Jesus has the power over our sins and mistakes. He can forgive us and He can help us change our actions.

Activity

Play this game of charades. Use the following cards to act out the source of power on each card. Each of these items are a source of power. We use power in all sorts of ways in our daily life such as the power for the sun which can be used for energy, to grow plants, and to warm the earth. God is the ultimate source of power. His power is not from anyone but of Himself. Jesus used his power to heal the man of the impure spirit. He has the power to change us as well.

Materials: printed game cards

Alternate

Jesus’ message is powerful and had the power to change the man’s life who was possessed with an impure spirit. Try this simple experiment to see the power of this dish soap. On a white paper plate pour some milk onto the plate to cover the bottom surface. Then add a few drops of food coloring, keeping the drops small and colors separate. Then dip a cotton swab into dish soap, then dip it in the center of one of the circle of colors. What happens? The colors start to move away from the cotton swab and they also begin to mix together creating a very colorful design. The soap is powerful to change move the colors all around the plate. God is powerful to change us even when we have done bad things. He is more powerful than any wrong thing we could ever do. His love is stronger and can win over our sins! Watch this video as an example if needed.

Materials: white paper plate, milk, food coloring, cotton swab, liquid dish soap

independent activity:

Complete the following activity sheet to decide which animal is more powerful. When we know the power of God we do not need to fear anything. We can know that the power of God is stronger than anything else. The mistakes we make are sins but just like the impure spirit in the man, Jesus is more powerful than it.

Materials: printed activity sheet, pencil or crayon

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a “Jesus Wins” trophy cup. Take 2 Styrofoam cups and wrap in gold foil or paint with gold paint. Place the bottoms of each cup together and glue them together. Use gold pipe cleaners to attach to each side as the handles. You can attach the handles by inserting them through a small puncture in the side of the trophy and then taping it from the inside. Using a small label or white piece of paper, write on the bottom, “Jesus Wins” and attach it using glue or tape.

Materials: 2 styrofoam cups, gold aluminum foil, gold pipe cleaners, tape, glue, small label or small white paper

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What was Jesus doing in the synagogue?

What are some ways Jesus showed his power to the people who were there?

If you witnessed Jesus healing a possessed person, would you keep it a secret?

What has Jesus done for you to show you his power?

Have you ever prayed for something you though was small but received an answer from God?

How can we share those stories with other people?

Practical Application at Home

God’s powerful message is meant to be shared with everyone. God wants to use each one of us to spread the news that His message is powerful and can save. We are never too young or too old to share our own stories with others. Take time today to think of a time you have seen God’s power in your life. Even in times when we think we have prayed for something small and insignificant, God hears and answers those prayers as well. There is no story too small that isn’t worth sharing so others can know how good God is to you.

Take a moment as a family or group to share a story, big or small, of when you have seen God’s power in your life. Whether it was an answered prayer or a miracle, share your good news with each other. Then think of one other person you could share that story with sometime this week, being sure to give God the credit for the outcome. Ask God to give you wisdom to know who you should share your story with, and then trust Him when it is time to share. If desired, as a family or group, you can meet again to share with each other the outcome of your witness.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

When you find a secret passage in your game, or discover a new trick, do you ever reveal your secret? Although you may not reveal your secret so that you can continue to win, Jesus revealed something very important to us. It’s great news that Jesus didn’t keep secrets from us, but helped reveal God the Father to us. This week we will see that we can know God better through Jesus.

John 1:1-18. Ephesians 1:3-14

BIBLE STORY

Our words can reveal a lot about what we think and see. People often use social media to share things they see or the things they think. These birds have tweeted one word. Use your words to reveal the tweeted word to a partner, without actually using the tweeted word. You can use gestures or other words to get your audience to guess the word that the bird has tweeted. Take turns until you have revealed all of the tweeted words. Be sure no one else can see the word tweeted by the bird until someone has guessed the word. 

Materials: printed and cut bird tweets, scissors

The only person who knew the tweeted word was the person holding the bird. In order to reveal the word to everyone else, we needed to explain it using other words or actions. This week we will see that Jesus comes to our world. Jesus came to earth for a purpose, to save us. When he became flesh, he spoke love to the people around him and he also used his actions to show them God’s love. He revealed to us who God is because Jesus is God and his actions were a demonstration of His love. We can know God better because of the life Jesus lived on earth. 

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: John 3:1-21

How did verse 1 describe the Word? (He was in the beginning, He was with God, and He was God)

What was his life for all mankind? (Light that shines in the darkness)

Who did God send to testify about the Light? (John)

What did the Light come into the world to do? (He gave those who believed the right to become children of God)

The law was given through Moses, what came through Jesus Christ? (Grace and truth)

Although no one has ever seen God, what was done for us through Jesus Christ? (Jesus himself is God and is in close relationship with the father, has made God known to us)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus was with God because He is God, and He was able to reveal to us who God is. Jesus became flesh and demonstrated God’s love to us. Through Jesus we can know God because they are one. 

Activity

When we have a special guest coming to visit we do lots of things to prepare. If grandma is coming for a visit we might prepare her room and have fresh flowers waiting. When a cousin comes for a visit we might welcome them with a new toy for them to play with. John the Baptist was excited for Jesus to come and He had begun to prepare people’s hearts to accept the coming of their Messiah. Complete the following activity by deciding who you would be most excited to meet if they were coming into town. Read the following cards to determine, Who would you rather meet and how would you prepare for their arrival?

Materials: Who would you rather meet cards (printed or viewed on device)

Alternate

Activity sheet: fill in the blank for the scripture verse this week.

Materials: graph paper or plain paper, pencil, ruler

Create activity:

Hashtags are often used as a quick description or a link. Look at the following hashtags and create a picture to match the description in the hashtag. Choose one or more hashtags to illustrate, then add the hashtag at the bottom of the picture.

#MyFriendJohnTheBaptist. #GodsWordIsTruth. #TheLightOfTheWorld. #JesusRevealsGod. #InTheBeginning

Materials: Construction paper, drawing supplies such as crayons, pencils, colored pencils or markers

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a bible poster art. Use the attached images to color and cut, then glue them onto a large sheet of construction paper. Draw additional images and use stickers to add to your bible poster. 

Materials: white, yellow and other optional colors construction paper, gold glitter, glue, writing utensil

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What did John the Baptist do before Jesus’ ministry began?

Why did John the Baptist say, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before him”?

How can know that Jesus reveals who God is?

What are some words you would use to describe Jesus?

What are some words you would use to describe God the Father?

What are some things you can do to get to know Jesus better?

What are some things you can do to get to know God better?

Practical Application at Home

On social media people often want you to subscribe to their channel so that you can receive more videos or information on what they are sharing. There is no button that we need to push to connect with God and get more information from him. We can search the Bible and pray if we want to get to know him better. Looking at the life Jesus lived while on earth can help us get to know God better and understand how much he really loves us. We don’t have to wait for a reply to know how much Jesus loves us, we can read it for ourselves in his Word, and then share it with others.

Create a secret message for a family member or friend to solve. Mix the following solution, then paint your message with a paintbrush. Let the message completely dry before giving your message to be solved. Have your family member or friend use diluted grape juice or other acidic juice, to paint the entire page to then reveal your message. Write the following secret message on your paper: “Find God’s love here, John 3:16”

Secret message solution: 1 Tablespoon water, 1 Tablespoon baking soda. Mix together, then use a Q-tip to write the message with your baking soda solution.

The more we know Jesus the more we will know God. Jesus reveals God to us, and shows us how much He loves us. We can then demonstrate that same love to those around us so they will want to know God and follow the example Jesus gave through his life on earth.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

We have all made mistakes, whether on purpose or on accident. We usually say we are sorry and then wait to be forgiven. Did you know God has forgiven you? We can be forgiven and we can also forgive those who have wronged us. We can’t do this on our own, but we have the Holy Spirit to help. This week we will see how baptism is more than just getting wet.

Mark 1:4-11. Acts 19:1-7

BIBLE STORY

We all make mistakes sometimes, even when we are trying really hard not to. Our mistakes can be sinful because we have chosen to disobey or do the wrong things. Our sins can also be a mistake because we were careless or unaware. We don’t have to fear making mistakes and we don’t need to worry if God will love us less because of them. Let’s try this challenge activity. Using a white sheet of paper and a white crayon, choose your favorite animal to draw. You won’t be able to see your picture as you draw but do the best that you can. Once your drawing is complete, use watercolors to paint over your drawing to reveal what you drew. 

How was your drawing? Did it turn out exactly as you planned? Did you make any mistakes? Although we make mistakes in life, we don’t have to be discouraged or give up, because we can know forgiveness through Jesus. John the Baptist prepared the people’s hearts for the coming of Jesus. He wanted them to realize they needed a savior to rescue them from their sins. We can know forgiveness through Jesus and the Holy Spirit will help us make better choices.

Materials: white drawing paper, white crayon or white oil pastel, water colors

Read or listen to the scripture story in Mark 1:4-11

How did the Bible describe John the Baptist? (He wore clothes made of camel hair, a leather belt and ate locust and honey)

Where did John the Baptist baptize those confessing their sins? (In the Jordan River)

What did John say the one who came after him will baptize people with? (With the Holy Spirit)

When Jesus was baptized what happened? (The heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove)

What did the voice from heaven say? (You are my son, whom I love; with you I am very pleased)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

It is hard to confess when we have done something wrong. We want to keep it a secret or pretend it never happened. Although it is hard to admit our wrongs, we can ask Jesus for forgiveness for the wrongs we did. We can be sure that God will forgive us of our sins. 

Activity

Print the following emoji faces or have your child use their own face to show emotions. Sometimes we do wrong things on accident and sometimes we do the wrong thing on purpose. We might say things to hurt others or disobey our parents. God does not like the bad things that we do but He always loves us and will forgive us. Sometimes we show others God’s love by the kind things we do to others. These things don’t make God love us more but they are pleasing to Him. Listen to the following scenarios and hold up a smile face if you think the actions described were pleasing to God. Hold up the frown face if the things described were not pleasing to God.

Materials: printed scenario cards (or viewed on device), printed emoji faces (Optional)

Alternate

Watch this object lesson on forgiveness of our sins through Jesus.

Materials: device for viewing video

Create activity:

Create a tie-dye picture using a white coffee filter, washable markers, and a spray bottle. This activity can become messy and damage the surface underneath the coffee filter therefore, use a washable mat, plastic tablecloth, or newspaper to cover your work area. On your coffee filter write as many sins you can think of, using a different colored washable marker for each sin. Fill your coffee filter with the sins. Once you are finished, use the spray bottle to make your coffee filter wet and wash away your sins. This will create instead, a colorful design on your coffee filter. God forgives our sins and then remembers them no more. Only God can truly forgive and forget the wrongs we have done, and even make something beautiful from our mess.

Materials: White coffee filter, washable markers, spray bottle with water

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

create a paper plate scene of Jesus’ baptism. Color the paper plate with water, sky, and background. Then color and cut out a Jesus and John the Baptist. Attach Jesus to a craft stick, then cut a small slit into the paper plate for the stick. Glue John the Baptist next to the slit. Add the small dove in the sky.

Materials: paper plate, printed characters, crayons, scissors, glue, craft stick

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Acts 19:1-7

Being baptized by the Holy Spirit is what brings true change to our hearts. We can not change ourselves, and we can not be forgiven simply with water. The Holy Spirit changes our hearts, which in turn changes our actions. We can be forgiven because we believe in Jesus, the son of God, who died to save us from our sins. 

What did John say he baptized with?

What did John say Jesus would baptize with?

What do you think it means to be baptized by the Holy Spirit?

What can the Holy Spirit do in our lives?

Has there ever been a time when you desperately wanted to be forgiven for a wrongdoing?

Have you ever had to forgive someone, even when it was really hard?

How does having the Holy Spirit help you show forgiveness to others?

Practical Application at Home

When we understand how much we have been forgiven, we are better able to forgive others. When we are believers in Jesus, God will forgiven our sins whether we think they are big or small. Listen to the following scenario and determine if there was any forgiveness shown. Although you may not have an experience exactly like this one, think about a time you have been forgiven a lot, and if you then returned that forgiveness to the next person who wronged you. 

You stole $25 from your moms dresser, thinking she wouldn’t notice. She finds out and you are punished, but she forgives you and doesn’t stay mad at you the rest of the day. You wonder if your mom has really forgiven you, but she does not remind you of your error nor does she start to hide all of her money from you from fear you may steal again. You are relieved as you realize your mom has given you a clean slate. A few days later your younger brother takes apart your Lego design to use a piece of your legos for his new Lego build. You are very upset. You worked for hours on your build and were proud of it. He says he is sorry and returns the Lego piece. You say you forgive him but for the next few days you decide to let him suffer. Every time he asks to play, you refuse to play with him. When he speaks to you and tells you stories about his day, you don’t talk with him but just give yes or no responses. You plan to forgive him at some point, but for now, you want him to suffer for what he did to you. 

Who truly forgave in this story?

Did you truly forgive your brother?

Which act would have been harder to forgive?

How can the feeling of being forgiven for something big, help you forgive someone else when they wrong you?

How can we show true forgiveness, especially when someone has asked for forgiveness for the wrongs they’ve done against you?

When we realize the wrongs we have done against God and how much he continues to love us and forgive us, even when we make the same mistakes again, we can share that forgiveness with others. Unlike in the scenario above, we should forgive others in the same way God has forgiven us. That means, when we say we forgive, we also need to let it go and not remind the person of how much they wronged us or try to make them suffer. Although this is not an easy thing to do, we can ask Jesus to help us remember how much we have been forgiven and to share that forgiveness with others.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Welcome to week 3! Have you ever had someone finish your sentences for you? It was as if they knew exactly what you were going to say. Perhaps they could finish your sentences because they know you so well. Not many people can do that, but a close friend or family member knows you very well because they’ve spent time with you. Jesus knows us very well, because He is our creator! We can trust Him with our deepest thoughts because He loves us just the way we are.

John 1:43-51. Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 

BIBLE STORY

Let’s play a game called “Who do you think it is?” I will give several clues about a person and you guess who you think it is.

-Picked cherries off trees, rumored that he never told a lie, first president of the US (George Washington)

-Built her own rollercoaster, First woman to travel across the Atlantic by plane (Ameilia Earhart)

- Lost her sight and hearing at the age of 18 months, first blind deaf person to graduate from college, helped soldiers who became blind in war (Helen Keller)

-Brothers who were inventors, owned a bike shop, invented the first controlled airplane flight (The Wright brothers)

-Was an upholsterer, owned an upholstery business, believed to have made the American flag (Betsy Ross)

-Played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, First black athlete to play major league baseball, inducted into the baseball hall of fame (Jackie Robinson)

-An American inventor, founder of General Electric Corporation, developed the phonograph- a device for recording sound (Thomas Edison)

-Died for the sins of everyone, God in the flesh of man, Creator of the Universe (Jesus)

All of these people are known for the great works they accomplished throughout history. Based on the information about them, you could probably guess who the person was. You don’t have to be a famous inventor or a well known athlete for God to know exactly who you are. He knew you before you were born and He loves you for who you are and not for the wonderful things you can do. This week we will read about Nathanael meeting Jesus. He wasn’t sure if Jesus was the Messiah, until Jesus did something amazing. He showed Nathanael that he already knew him, before they even met. Jesus knows you too!

Read or listen to the scripture story in John 1:43-51

Where did Jesus meet Phillip? (In Galilee)

What did Jesus tell Phillip to do? (Follow me)

Did Nathanael  believe Phillip had found the Savior from the prophesy? (No, he asked if anything good could come from Nazareth)

What was Nathanael surprised about when He met Jesus? (Jesus already knew him and told things about Nathanael)

What greater things did Jesus say Nathanael would see if he followed Him? (He would see heaven open and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

God knows each one of us by name and He knows what makes us unique. Sometimes we might wonder why we don’t look, act, or excel at things like people around us. But God knows exactly who we are and how we were made. He knew us before we were born. We can trust that God, our Creator, loves you exactly the way you are.

Activity

Phillip was so excited to meet Jesus and he want his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus as well. Phillip was a good friend to Nathanael because he didn’t want him to miss out on the opportunity to meet and know Jesus, their Messiah. Being a good friend is more than just being friends online or looking at pictures of someone from a distance. Listen to the following examples and determine if you think this shows real friendship or if this is just an acquaintance.

Materials: Attached scenario cards printed or viewed on device

Alternate

We are all unique and enjoy different things. Although we are each unique, Jesus still knows us. He not only knows our names but He also knows the things we like to do and the things we are good at. Complete the following activity sheet “This is who I am…” picture frame. Fill in the blanks to complete each sentence about yourself, then draw a picture of yourself inside the picture frame. Jesus knows you and loves you just the way you are!

Materials: Activity sheet “This is who I am”, pencil

Create activity:

Jesus knows you and He knows what makes you, you! Complete the following poem describing yourself. You can create your own poem or use the attached sheet as an example. Your I Am poem does not need to rhyme or have a specific rhythm Just use words to describe yourself and your thoughts that make you unique! Add a self portrait at the bottom of your poem.

Materials: Printed copy of poem or sheet of construction paper to create your own, pencil, crayons

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a picture frame, decorate the outside with the words: Jesus knows me!

Materials: white construction paper, crayons, markers, pencil

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to the scripture Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18. This scripture tells us how much God knows us and wants to be with us. It tell us that no matter where we go, God is with us. He knew us before we were born and he formed us to be exactly the way we are. It is not by accident the things we like and the special abilities we’ve been given. God knows all of it and we can use it to glorify Him. 

What are some things you can know about God from reading these verses? 

What are some things it says God knows about you from reading this scripture. 

What friend do you have that you know really well?

What makes them a good friend?

What are some things your friend knows about you that everyone doesn’t know?

Are there secrets you can keep from God?

If you feel sad or lonely, does God know how you feel?

How does knowing God knows you very well make you feel?

How knowing God will always be with you help you know that you can trust God?

Practical Application at Home

God has created us to be exactly who we are and He knows us better than we know ourselves. When Jesus say Nathanael and already knew who he was, Jesus showed Nathanael that He was not an ordinary man but God. Nathanael believed that Jesus was the son of God, the long awaited Savior. He believed because Jesus showed him that He already knew who he was. 

Phillip brought Nathanael to meet Jesus. Who are some people you can bring to Jesus. We can show Jesus to others in the way we treat them and how we serve the people around us. Look at the following activities. Choose one or two of them to try this week on people you would like to share Jesus with.

-tell someone Jesus loves them

-Send a note to someone who is discouraged

-invite someone to attend church with you

-invite a friend to attend your church’s online service

-bring a meal to a person in need

-call a church member who is shut-in and tell them you are thinking of them. 

-take coats or blankets to a local shelter

Sharing Jesus’ love with others is one way to be a good friend. It is also a way for them to build a relationship with Jesus as well. Jesus knows you and he knows your friend. Jesus wants them to know how much he loves them. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Welcome to week 4! Jesus called Andrew and Peter to follow him. He had a special plan for their lives. They had a choice to make just like we have a choice to make every day. We can choose to follow Jesus or we can put it off and continue doing the task we started. Jesus wants each of us to follow him.

Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

BIBLE STORY

Blow up about 10 balloons, or more if desired, and have your child catch the balloons using a large towel or small blanket. See how many balloons they can catch and hold in their net using a 20 second timer. Repeat and play as many times as desired.

This week we are reading a story about Andrew and Peter in the boat fishing, when Jesus called them to follow him. They had been fishing and found no fish, when Jesus told them to cast their nets off the side of the boat. They were experienced fishermen so they knew casting their nets in the morning after fishing all night would make no difference. But they listened to Jesus and when they lifted their nets it was bursting with fish. They couldn’t even pull the fish to shore without getting help from nearby fishermen. They knew they had just witnessed a miracle. When Jesus called them to follow Him and become fishers of man, they immediately followed Jesus. Peter and Andrew were ordinary men living ordinary lives when Jesus called them to something extraordinary. They did not know what it would mean to become fishers of men, but they knew Jesus was worth following. We can also decide that Jesus is worth following. We may not know what the future brings, but we can face it when we know Jesus is with us the entire time. 

Materials: balloons, small blanket or towel

Read or listen to the scripture story in Mark 1:14-20 Luke 5:1-11

Where did Jesus go to preach? (Galilee)

What was the message that Jesus was preaching? (The good news, the Kingdom of God was near)

What were Peter and Andrew doing at the Sea of Galilee? (Casting a fishing net into the lake)

What did Jesus say He would make Peter and Andrew? (Fishers of men)

When did Peter and Andrew decide to follow Jesus? (At once they left their nets to follow Jesus)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Andrew and Peter chose to follow Jesus right away. They dropped everything they were doing to follow Him. Jesus calls each of us in different ways, but He calls all of us to follow Him. We can choose to obey by meeting the needs of others, praying for those in need, or being a good friend to someone who is hurting. We should listen to God’s voice calling us to action and then obey right away.

Activity

Footprint Scavenger hunt. Jesus asked the disciples to follow him and they did. The disciples left their boat and their lifestyle to follow in Jesus footsteps. They wanted to live as Jesus lived and follow the things He would have them do. We can follow in Jesus steps by following His example in how we treat the people around us. Place the following footprints around the room for your child to find. Once they find a footprint, read aloud what is on each footprint and then think of a way they can demonstrate it this week. For example, if the word written on the footprint is share, they will tell you a way they can share this week.

Materials: Printed footprints

Alternate

Jesus called the disciples to become fishers of man instead of fishermen. Jesus knew that they could share the good news of the gospel to the people around them. Jesus also calls us to share the gospel with people around us. Use the following fish outlines to write names of family or friends you would like to pray for and share the gospel with. Place the fish on a large construction sheet and place in an area your child can see and remember to pray for those people they listed each day.

Materials: printed fish outline, writing utensil

Create activity:

Peter thought the boat would sink after all of the fish he caught with Jesus. He knew Jesus did a miracle when he caught so many fish after not catching anything. There were so many fish he needed another boat to help them. Create a boat that can float on water. Using styrofoam cups, straws, tape, and foam sheets, build a boat that you can float on water. Use your imagination and creativity to shape your boat in a way that can hold objects and stay on top of the water. Once your boat is finished, place the boat in a small tub of water and see if it will float. For an extra challenge, add a penny one at a time to your boat to see how much weight it can hold and still float. Other optional materials you can use: plastic wrap, aluminum foil, small craft sticks, disposable plastic cups

Materials: Styrofoam cup, straws, foam sheet, and tape. Alternative options: plastic wrap, aluminum foil, small craft sticks, disposable plastic cups

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make these accordion paper fish. Cut a rectangle from construction paper and alternate fold it like an accordion or a fan. Leave the top quarter unfolded for the face of the fish. Cut off the corners of the face to make them rounded edges. Cut a small slit in the side of the face for the fish’s mouth. On a separate colored construction paper, cut out its fin and tail. Use a white sheet of paper to cut out its eye and color a black dot on the inside. Glue the fish parts on and then decorate the fish body using a black crayon or marker and adding geometric designs such as lines, circles or dots. Outline the fish if desired, with a black marker or crayon. See the following website for an example and step by step picture instructions.

Materials: white, yellow and other optional colors construction paper, gold glitter, glue, writing utensil

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What are the things that you think are important in your life? When you watch TV, what are the things they say are important in life. When we watch television or look at some magazines, we are often told the things you need to be happy, or have your best life, are the latest new toy or gadget. We often think if we have the newest cell phone, or all of the toys from our favorite characters we have achieved something great.

Read 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

There is a lot being said in this scripture, but Paul is saying all the things we have on earth will eventually be gone, we should focus on what is important. We should not focus so much into the successful things of this world but be sure we are focused on what is truly important. The disciples were making a living as fishermen but Jesus wanted something more for them. He wanted their lives to have meaning and purpose and for them to be truly fulfilled. Jesus knew that if they followed him, their lives would be filled with a great purpose. It didn’t mean their lives would be easy, but they would have something greater, Jesus! 

As a believer what are some things you can do that would be meaningful in your life and in the lives of others?

Practical Application at Home

Having a meaningful life is more than getting all the things you think you want of need to be happy. Think of the times you have been most content and had a sense of fullness that lasted longer than a few moments or hours. Were they times you received a long awaited gift? A time when you worked hard to give a gift to someone else. Bringing others joy can have a big impact on our own mood. When we have shared something wonderful with someone else, we often feel as if we received a gift as well. We share the joy they have received. 

This week look for ways you can share joy with the people around you. Print the following grid and see how many boxes you can complete this week. Some are simple task that do not take any preparation to complete and some task you may need to plan ahead. At the end of the week, take notice of how you feel as well as how you made others feel. Decide if the saying is true, ‘it is better to give than to receive’.

Jesus wants us to be fishers of man and we can do that in the way we treat others around us. Jesus wants them to know His love for them and He wants you to have a meaningful life. A life filled with the love of Jesus, not filled with things that are slowing passing away.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Have you ever been in pain? Perhaps your pain was from a cut or an injury. Perhaps your pain was from sadness or hurt. Jesus has a message for us that is powerful. His power is more than strength but His power can also change us, heal us, and defeat our sins. This week we will see how Jesus’ message is powerful.

Mark 1:21-28; Psalm 111

BIBLE STORY

What are some things you are afraid of?Listen to the list of things and tell me if you would be afraid or not.

-listening to a scary story

-listening to a scary story in the dark

-walking through your neighborhood at night

-walking through your neighborhood

-sitting beside the fireplace

-putting more logs onto a burning fire

-eating very spicy food

-eating a spider

There are things that seem scary to us that make us feel powerless. Jesus has authority over all things, even the scary things in our lives. Our sins can even become scary. When we tell a lie even when we really want to tell the truth. When we are mean to a friend even though we really don’t want to hurt them. When we eat a lot of junk food that it makes us sick, even though we know it is not good for us. When we feel like we are not in control it can be scary. Jesus’ message is powerful and it can change our hearts, minds and then our actions. Our story this week is about a man who was possessed by an impure spirit. He may have felt out of control, but Jesus had power over the impure spirit. His words brought healing to this man. We can trust Jesus’ words, the Bible, has power over our lives today.

Read or listen to the scripture Mark 1:21-28

What was Jesus doing in the synagogue? (He was teaching)

What did the people think of his teachings? (They were amazed because he taught with authority)

What was the man in the synagogue possessed with? (An impure spirit) 

Who did the possessed man claim Jesus to be? (The Holy One of God)

What did the possess man ask if Jesus was going to do? (If he had come to destroy them)

When Jesus commanded the impure spirit to come out, what happened? (It shook the man violently and came out with a shriek)

What did the people think when they say this? (They were amazed that he taught with authority and could give orders to spirits who obeyed. 

What did the people do after they witnessed Jesus send out the impure spirit? (They spread the word through the whole region of Galilee)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus has all authority on heaven and earth. His power is not just how strong his is but his ability to change hearts and attitudes. We can trust that Jesus has the power over our sins and mistakes. He can forgive us and He can help us change our actions.

Activity

play this game of charades. Use the following cards to act out the source of power on each card. Each of these items are a source of power. We use power in all sorts of ways in our daily life such as the power for the sun which can be used for energy, to grow plants, and to warm the earth. God is the ultimate source of power. His power is not from anyone but of Himself. Jesus used his power to heal the man of the impure spirit. He has the power to change us as well.

Materials: printed activity charade cards

Alternate

The impure spirit that was in this man declared that Jesus was the son of God. It knew the power of Jesus and recognized him for who he was. Who do you say Jesus is? Complete the following activity sheet circling the names and adjectives that describe Jesus. When we know who Jesus is, we can recognize His power and love in the lives of others and ourselves.

Materials: printed activity sheet, pen/pencil

Create activity:

Create this science activity to see if graphite is an electrical conductor. Follow the instructions listed on the following website. Then practice creating different pictures and lines to determine the following questions. Does the length of the drawing make a difference in the LED light? Does the thickness of the line make a difference? Is there a difference in the LED light if you use straight lines compared to curved lines?

Materials: graphite pencil/lead, white paper, small LED light, electrical tape

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a “Jesus Wins” trophy cup. Take 2 Styrofoam cups and wrap in gold foil or paint with gold paint. Place the bottoms of each cup together and glue them together. Use gold pipe cleaners to attach to each side as the handles. You can attach the handles by inserting them through a small puncture in the side of the trophy and then taping it from the inside. Using a small label or white piece of paper, write on the bottom, “Jesus Wins” and attach it using glue or tape.

Materials: 2 styrofoam cups, gold aluminum foil, gold pipe cleaners, tape, glue, small label or small white paper

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read Psalm 111

How is God’s power described?

What words describe God’s love?

What words describe God’s character?

What statement in this chapter stands out to you as a powerful message?

God’s power is not always describing His strength or force, but it can also demonstrate His ability to change us. He has the power to change our attitude and our heart. When we understand how much we are loved by him, our hearts can be changed to have more compassion on other people. We we understand how much God sacrificed for us, show love to others who need it. When we understand how much we have been blessed by God, we can be more willing to share what we have with others. 

Practical Application at Home

The message of Jesus is good news. In our text for today the story of Jesus healing the possessed man traveled fast. It didn’t travel by text, phone calls or emails, but from word of mouth. People were so excited by what they saw they shared this good news with lots of other people. God wants us to spread the good news of Jesus to lots of other people as well. Think of a powerful message you’ve read or heard from the Bible. Pick your favorite message or choose one from the messages below. Then think of a way you can spread that message to people you know or do not know. 

Powerful message examples:

-Jesus saves

-Jesus loves you

-Jesus is coming back

-I am the way, the truth and the life-Jesus

-You are forgiven

-the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus

-God keeps his promises

-God remembers his covenant forever

-our sins are cast into the depths of the sea

Ways to spread your message:

-write your message on several rocks and leave them in random places throughout your neighborhood

-Make a greeting card to send to friends and family with your message

-Record yourself saying the message and send it to family and friends

-write you message on your sidewalk or driveway using sidewalk chalk

-Send out postcards with your message to people you know.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

It’s never fun to be sick. Who takes care of you when you are feeling ill? Who cares for you when you are sad? This week we will see how Jesus cared for the people around him by healing them from their sicknesses. Jesus wants to take care of us too!

Mark 1:29-39

BIBLE STORY

We all get sick sometimes and need to see a doctor or have a parent make us feel better. Let’s pretend we are the doctor and patient and see what type of healing we need. Prepare a few things to use as fun such as bandaids, gauze and a thermometer. Use a pretend doctor kit if you have one or use items from your house to substitute such as a small towels, tissue paper, masking tape, etc. 

-I don’t feel well, my stomach hurts

-I have an ant bite

-My head is hurting

-I think I twisted my knee

This week we will see that many people during Jesus’ day were hurting and sick. They went to Jesus because they heard he could heal the sick and the demon possessed. Jesus took care of the people in the town and Jesus still takes care of us today. Jesus can still heal the sick and demon possessed. We may not always see our loved ones healed here on earth but instead have to wait until heaven to see Jesus’ healing. We can know that Jesus cares about us and wants to heal us.

Materials: Pretend Dr. kit, (or household items such as small towels, tissue paper, masking tape)

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Mark 1:29-39

Whose mother was sick lying in bed? (Peter’s mother-in law)

What did Jesus do for Peter’s mother-in-law? (He took her by the hand and raised her up and her fever left)

Who came to the house for healing from Jesus? (Those who were sick and demon possessed)

Why didn’t Jesus allow the demons to speak? (Because they knew him)

Where did Jesus decide to go next? (The neighboring town of Galilee)

What did Jesus say was the reason why he had come? (To preach)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

When others heard of Jesus’ healing they came to the house where Jesus was to also receive healing. Jesus did not turn them away but spent time caring for them. The house was full of people who were looking for Jesus to heal them.  

Activity

Jesus healed many people in the after he healed Peter’s sick mother in law. Think about the rooms in your house and how you use them for many different things. Let’s play a game of 4 corners to remind us how many people came to the house to be healed by Jesus. In each corner of a room, place labels describing rooms in a house such as bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. Then read the following statements and have your child move to the corner of the room that is being described.

Materials: Printed signs, tape, statements to read.

Alternate

Get a beachball, inflate it, and write the following words around the ball: Simon, Jesus, woman. Pass the ball to each other. When you catch the ball read the name closest to you and then tell something you heard in the story about that person. Continue the game until everyone has caught the ball several times. Alternately you can toss the ball and ask the catcher a question and allow them to turn the ball to show who is the answer of the question. For example: Who was sick in bed? (Woman)

Materials: Beach ball or other cheap inflatable ball, marker

Independent activity:

Use the following activity sheet to see how many items it takes to fill each container. Cut out each container and their corresponding items. Place the items onto each container and then record how many items it took to completely fill the space of the container. When the people in the town heard that Jesus could heal the sick, the whole town came to see Jesus so they could also be healed. Let’s see how we can fill up space.

Materials: Printed activity sheet, scissors, glue (optional)

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Bandaid art. Use bandaids to create a picture or picture scene. Using the bandaids to create flower, butterfly or any other image. Then use crayons or markers to add details to the image and then create a background scenery to go with your image. See this website for example bandaid art.

Materials: construction paper, coloring utensils, bandaids

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Who did the people crowd in the house to see?

How did Jesus take care of the people who were sick?

How does Jesus care for each of us? 

In what ways do you care for other people. 

Practical Application at Home

Jesus took care of the people who came to the house to be healed. He knew the things they needed, the sicknesses they had, and he healed them. They no longer needed to worry about the things that had ailed them for so long. Jesus still tells us today not to worry because He will take care of us. We may not know what will happen in the future, but we can know that God will be there with us through it.

Read Matthew 6:25-33

Jesus said that He clothes the lilies of the field and knows when even one sparrow falls from the sky, therefore he knows us and cares for us even more. We were made in the image of God, we are special to Him and He will continue to care for us. 

Draw the following picture to remind yourself that God has promised to care for the flowers, he will care for us even more. Using a white sheet of paper, dip your finger in paint, ink pad, or color the tip of your pointer finger and then stamp in a circle in the center of the paper. These will be the pedals of the flower. Color the center of the flower yellow (or desired color) using paints or crayons. Then decorate the rest of the flower using crayons or markers with the stem, leaves and buds. At the top or bottom of the page write “Do not worry, but seek first His kingdom”.

Materials: white drawing paper, paint, (Alt: ink pad) markers or crayons

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

The sky is green. There are three planets in the solar system. We have wings to fly. You probably already know that all of those statements are not true. Do you know the truth for all those lies? Sometimes people give us the wrong information or sometimes we are just not sure what is the truth. We can always trust that Jesus knows and can show us the truth. This week we will see how Jesus is able to show the disciples the truth. When the disciples saw the truth they were forever changed. Jesus wants to change us and reveal truth to us as well!

Mark 9:2-9

BIBLE STORY

Find a variety of small stuffed animals and hide them in a bag or area that can not be seen by your child. I am going to make some animal noises and I want you to guess what animal I am being. Before you pull an animal out of the bag, begin making animals noises that do not always match the animal you are pulling out of the bag. Allow your child time to guess the animal before revealing the animal to them

The animal sound I gave did not always match the animal I pulled out of the bag, did it? We can often be deceived by things that are disguised as the truth but are not accurate. We are often surrounded by things in life that disguise themselves as truth but are not. In order to find the truth we often have to search for it and then know it is truth when we see it.

This week we will see the disciples will know the truth about who Jesus is. The will see that what they thought was true is proven true right in front of them. We can trust that Jesus will show us the truth in the things in our lives too. We can ask Jesus to reveal truth to us and trust that He will do it.

Materials: stuffed animals representing real animals, bag to hide them in

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Mark 9:2-9

Where did Jesus take Peter, James and John? (Up the mountain to be alone)

What happened to Jesus when he was transformed? (He clothes became dazzling white?)

Who appeared to them and started talking to Jesus? (Elijah and Moses)

What did Peter suggest they do? (Build three altars for Jesus, Elijah and Moses.)

What did the voice from the cloud say? (This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.)

Who did Jesus tell Peter, James and John to tell about what they saw? (No one)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Once you know the truth about something, is it easy to go back to believing the lie? Of course not! Once we know the truth it changes how we think or see something. Once the disciples saw with their own eyes that Jesus was the Son of God, they could not go on with their lives as before. They were changed! They knew the truth and wanted to follow Jesus! The truth can change us too!

Activity

Use this mirror frame to draw a realistic picture of yourself. Then using the Picasso attachment, create a Picasso picture of yourself. Cut out the Picasso self portrait and place it onto of the mirrored frame by glueing the top part on so that the bottom can be lifted. Sometimes things don’t look the way they are supposed to. They are deceiving or try to imitate the truth. When we are not sure what is truth we can always ask Jesus to show the truth to us. We can trust that Jesus always has the answers and can reveal to us the truth we need to know.

Materials: printed picture frame, coloring utensils, printed Picasso face

Alternate

Transfigure means to transform or change into something new or different from what it was before. Jesus changed right there before the disciples eyes and they saw how he was different. Let’s practicing changing these colors into something different. Using a small baggie and paints, mix colors together to create new colors. In a small baggie place a quarter size amount of red paint on the left side of the bag and a small amount of blue paint on the right side of the bag. Tightly close the bag and secure the seal with tape so that the bag does not reopen. Then have your child push the paint together and mix the colors until they see the new color, purple. Continue mixing other colors in baggies to create new colors.

Materials: Small baggies (snack size), paint in various colors or primary colors, heavy duty tape

Independent activity:

When Jesus changed his clothes, the disciples knew something was different. They could see a physical change of Jesus that also confirmed that He is the son of God. When we look at the clothes people wear, it helps us know more about them as well. Match the sports uniform with the sports equipment used for that game

Materials: printed activity sheet, pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page 

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Who was the voice from heaven that said Jesus was his Beloved Son?

Why did Peter suggest making altars for Jesus, Elijah and Moses?

Have you ever been unsure of what to do in a new situation?

What did the transfiguration show the disciples about Jesus?

Do you think they ever doubted who Jesus was after the transfiguration?

How does Jesus show us today that He is the son of God?

How does Jesus show us today the truth about Him and His words?

Practical Application at Home

Sometimes we can be deceived by the lies we are told from other people. Sometimes others want to trick us into believing them so they tell lies or leave out information. Sometimes others do not know the truth themselves so they accidentally give us false information. We can know the Bible is a trusted source because it is God’s written words. We can trust that we can find the truth in the Bible and we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom. Think about people in the Bible who were deceived. God had revealed the truth to them but they were deceived by someone else. Think about the following stories and how they were deceived and tell what God’s truth was for them.

Eve eats the forbidden fruit- She is told she will not die if she eats the fruit. TRUTH: God said that if they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge they would surely die.

Abraham has a son with his slave. He was told he needed to hurry and have children because he was getting too old. TRUTH:God promised Abraham would be father to a great nation, with his wife Sarah

Isaac blesses the wrong son- He was tricked into believing he was blessing his eldest son. TRUTH: Jacob would inherit the blessing of the oldest according to GOd’s plan.

The man of God from Judah- eats at the old prophets house and dies. The older prophet insisted he come to his house to eat and that God had told him to feed the man of God. TRUTH: God told the man of God not to eat or drink there and to go home a different directions. He believed the older prophet instead of believing what God said.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

It’s not always easy to do the right thing. Choosing to obey or doing what we want. Taking care of our health or ignoring what’s good for our bodies. We are tempted by lots of things. Telling the truth or telling the lie to keep out of trouble. Some temptations are not hard to overcome while others are really hard for us. Each of us have different temptations, but the good news is, Jesus has overcome temptations so He can help us overcome too!

Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11

BIBLE STORY

Play a game of “Don’t make me laugh”. One person has to keep a straight face while one or more people do funny things to make them laugh. They can make silly faces, noises, tell jokes or anything else that will make them crack a smile or laugh. The person who has to keep a straight face has to keep their eyes open and look at the other players. If they laugh, switch roles.

Was it easy or hard to keep a straight face? Sometimes it may have felt like you could not control yourself to keep from laughing. We are all tempted to do things we do not want to do or know that we should not do. This week we will see how Jesus was tempted and learn that he will help us when we are tempted too.

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Mark 1:12-13; and Matthew 4:1-11

How long was Jesus in the wilderness? (40 days)

What was Jesus doing in the wilderness during the 40 days? (Fasting and praying)

Who was he there with? (Wild animals and the angels and Satan)

What was the first temptation Satan gave Jesus? (To turn stones into bread)

How did Jesus respond? (Men does not eat on bread along but on the word of God)

What was Satan’s second temptation? (For Jesus to demonstrate he was the Song of God by throwing himself down for the angels to save him)

How did Jesus respond? (Do not test the Lord your God)

What was Satan’s third temptation? (Offering to give Jesus the world if he bowed down and worshiped him)

How did Jesus respond? (Go away Satan, worship the Lord your God and serve only Him)

After the third temptation what did Satan do? (He left and the angels attended Jesus)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus was tested in the wilderness by Satan 3 times and used the Bible to answer Satan. Jesus was able to defeat the temptations Satan gave because He knew the word of God better than Satan. Because Jesus was able to defeat Satan, we can trust that Jesus will help us when we are tempted as well.

Activity

Use a sandbox, planter filled with soil or a large container filled with sand or soil, and bury 3 stones in the sand/soil. Have your child dig through the sand and find the 3 stones. After the stones are found, wipe them clean and then write or draw the 3 responses Jesus gave Satan when he was tempted. 1:live by God’s words 2:Do not test God 3:Worship and serve God only. Then decorate the stones with markers. We can use these stones as a reminder of how we should live and serve God. We can resist Satan’s temptations by using God’s word, the Bible, and calling on Jesus to help. Place these stones in a place where you can see them as a reminder.

Materials: Sandbox filled with sand, alternative: planter or large container filled with soil or sand, 3 stones, permanent markers in various colors

Alternate

Get two bowls and two small index cards (or paper of similar size). Place a label in front of each bowl, one labeled GO and one STOP. We are all tempted to do things we should not do, but being tempted does not mean we do the wrong thing. We can be tempted to do something but we can choose to stop and make a better choice. Listen to the following scenarios and then throw your bean into the bowl labeled STOP or the bowl labeled GO. If you think you should stop doing the activity you hear, then throw your bean into the STOP bowl. If you think the activity you hear is ok to do, then throw your bean into the GO bowl.

Materials: Temptation scenario cards, 2 bowls, 2 index cards or similar sized paper

independent activity:

Use old magazines to cut out pictures and glue them to a sheet of construction paper titled with one of the following statements. “Man does not live on bread alone”; cut out pictures that show different foods you might like to eat. “Do not test God”; cut out pictures of things you might test such as test driving a car or testing how soft a couch is. “Worship and serve only God”; cut out pictures of things you might be tempted to serve other than God and then draw an X on each picture.

Materials: Old magazines, sheet of construction paper, scissors, glue, marker or pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a bible poster art. Use the attached images to color and cut, then glue them onto a large sheet of construction paper. Draw additional images and use stickers to add to your bible poster. 

Materials: white, yellow and other optional colors construction paper, gold glitter, glue, writing utensil

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What have you been tempted to do?

Have you ever resisted a temptation?

Can friends tempt you to do the wrong thing?

Is it easy or hard to resist temptations?

What are some things you can remember to do when you are in the middle of a temptation?

Can you resist Satan’s temptations on your own?

Who can you call on for help when you feel tempted to do the wrong thing?

Why is it important to only worship and serve God?

How can we be like Jesus when we are resisting temptation?

Practical Application at Home

Jesus used God’s word, the holy bible to resist Satan’s temptations. Jesus knew what the word of God says and He was not tricked or deceived by Satan’s words. Satan also used the scriptures as a way to deceive Jesus, which means he also knows what the Bible says. But Satan does not understand God’s words the way Jesus does. Satan tries to deceive people by changing God’s words a little so that we will be confused. We should not rely on our own strength and knowledge to defeat Satan’s temptations, but we should rely on Jesus and God’s holy Word. Ask Jesus to help you when you are feeling tempted and trust that He can help you because He has already defeated Satan. We have already been delivered by Jesus.

Think about the following temptations you may face and then think of a scripture you could use to help you make the right choice.

- It’s okay to take a dollar from mom’s purse for lunch without asking. (Thou shalt not steal Exodus 20:   )

- It’s okay to go into your friends house for just a few minutes even though your parents tell you not to go into neighbors’ homes without their permission. You can go really quick. (Obey your mother and father that your days may be long upon the land you live Exodus 20:   )

- It’s okay to leave your trash in your neighbors yard, they can pick it up. You don’t need to keep their yard clean and then you don’t have to go back home to throw your trash away. (Love your neighbor as yourself)

- It’s okay not to pray regularly. Surely God knows what you are thinking so you don’t need to tell him about it. (Pray without ceasing      )

- Completing this homework assignment neatly doesn’t even matter. It is not an important subject and no one really cares. It’s okay to turn in this work sloppily. (Every work your hand finds to do, do it to the glory of God)

-It’s okay to tell this lie to your parents because it will keep you out of trouble. They will never find out what really happened. It is more important for them to think you did the right thing. (Lying lips are an abomination unto the Lord)

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

We can not predict our future. We do not know what lies ahead of us in the weeks, months or years, but Jesus does. We might face challenges in the near future but Jesus will be with us through the challenges. We can trust that Jesus understands our difficult times because Jesus also faced challenges when he was here on earth. This week we will see what challenges Jesus faced and how he handled them.

Mark 8:31-38 

BIBLE STORY

When you are in trouble, who do you call for help? We ask for help from different people, depending on where we are. Listen to these situations and choose who you would ask for help.

-You are lost at the park. Who do you ask for help: a kid or someone’s mom?

-You are don’t know how to do your class assignment. Who do you ask for help: a classmate or the teacher?

-You don’t know what to wear today. Who do you ask for help: Siri or your mom?

-You need help with your homework. Who do you ask for help: Your dad or your mom?

-You lost your cat high in the tree. Who do you ask for help: a neighbor or the firefighter?

-You want to know more about Jesus. Who do you ask for help: your parents or your pastor?

-You can’t find the book you want at the library. Who do you ask for help: the librarian or the computer?

We know that when we need help we can usually call on these people to help us. We can also be sure that when we face challenges, whether they are big or small, we can call on Jesus to help us. Jesus also faced challenges while he was on earth but God was there to help Him. This week we will see what some of the challenges Jesus faced while he was on earth.

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Mark 8:31-38 

What was Jesus beginning to tell the disciples about the future? (That he would suffer, be rejected by the elders die and be raised from the dead after 3 days)

What did Peter say when he heard Jesus talking this way? (He took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him)

What was Jesus’ response to Peter’s rebuke? (He rebuked Peter and said Get behind me Satan)

What did Jesus say his followers must do? (Deny himself, take up their cross and follow him)

How can your life be saved? (By losing your life for Jesus and the gospel)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus knew a difficult time in his life was going to happen and he would feel sad and miss the people on earth that he loved. We all have difficult times in our lives that we might ask Jesus to help us with. Our difficult situations may not change and we may not be able to avoid the hurt and pain in life, but we can have comfort that Jesus understands our pain and He wants to be with us during those times as well. 

Activity

Print and cut out the strips of paper. Then take turns completing the challenge on the strip. Encourage your child to do even the activities that may be challenging or too difficult for them. Encourage them to try the activity and help them after they have tried to do it independently. Some of those challenges were really difficult and we may have even needed help completing them but we were able to try it. Jesus understands that we will have challenges in our lives, but he will be with us through those difficult times.

Materials: printed activity strips, household items for some challenges

Alternate

Life can be challenging but we have Jesus who understands and wants to help! Complete this Challenging scavenger bingo card by completing the challenges each box before the timer is complete. If you are able to complete the challenges before the timer is off, you win! You can offer a small prize if you desire. To make it easier for younger players, you can have them complete one row instead of the entire board and give them ample time to complete the challenges.

Materials: Printed Challenge Bingo game, stamp or pencil

independent activity:

Draw a picture of a difficult time or situation you have been through. Maybe you lost a pet. Maybe someone you love has died. Maybe your best friend moved away or you have moved to a new school. Maybe your mom or dad live in a different place than you or your grandparents have moved far away. We all go through difficult times, but we can know that Jesus will be there with us through those difficult times and he understands our pain. Draw your picture of something difficult you have faced and then draw a picture of Jesus being with you during that difficult time.

Materials: Construction paper, drawing supplies such as crayons, pencils, colored pencils or markers

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make a cross bookmark. Draw a picture of a cross on a sheet of construction paper. Write your challenge or challenges on the cross, then color your cross. Hole punch the top of the bookmark and add a small string. 

Materials: construction paper, scissors, glue, hole punch, string

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What challenges have you faced today?

What challenges have you faced this week?

What has been your most difficult challenge?

Did you feel that Jesus was with you during those difficult times?

What can you do when you need Jesus’ help?

Can you think of someone from the Bible who faced difficult challenges but relied on God to get through it?

Practical Application at Home

We each face challenges in life and the challenges we face can be different. As a family, discuss at least one challenge you have had this week, month, or year. Notice that you don’t all have the same challenges even within the same family. God is with us through our challenges and will help us through these difficult times. He has given us strength but He also wants us to help others who may be going through a similar challenge that we have gone through. This week pray for ways to see other’s challenges, and opportunities to help them through their challenge. God has given us comfort so we can pass that comfort to someone else. When we do this, we are showing others God’s love.

As a family, work together to support and encourage someone else this week. Look for a family project you can do together to encourage and uplift another family. We are all facing difficult times right now, and we can encourage each other by showing them we care.

Possible family projects:

-make a meal together that you can share with another family

-Make a “Thinking of You” card that you can send to a family friend

-make a personalized DIY game to give as a gift. Look here for more ideas

-make a personalized pillow decorated with their family name by using fabric paint. Or make a no-sew pillow. Look here for instructions. 

-make a bird feeder to share with a neighbor or friend

-Decorate clay pots and then plant herbs in the pots to give away as gifts

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

It’s never fun to be sick. Who takes care of you when you are feeling ill? Who cares for you when you are sad? This week we will see how Jesus cared for the people around him by healing them from their sicknesses. Jesus wants to take care of us too!.

Mark 1:29-39. Psalm 147:1-11, 20c) 

BIBLE STORY

We all get hurt sometimes and need to see a doctor or a parent to help us feel better. Sometimes our cuts and bruises are small and only need a small bandaid or brace. Then there are other times when our entire body may feel broken. We are going to play a game. We will race to see who can bandage up a person the fastest using this roll of toilet paper. Wrap your patient completely up in this toilet paper in order to win. Alternately if you don’t have enough people, you can use similar objects or large stuffed animals.

This week we will see that Jesus began to heal those who were sick and word spread through the whole town what Jesus was able to do. Jesus is still working with us today healing the sick and demon possessed. Sometimes he works through doctors and sometimes we can see a miracle of healing that doctors can not explain. We may not always see Jesus’ healing right away, but His healing may have to wait until Heaven. We can still be sure that Jesus is able to heal and wants to bring healing to the sick.

Materials: roll of toilet paper

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Mark 1:29-39

Whose mother was sick lying in bed? (Peter’s mother-in law)

What did Jesus do for Peter’s mother-in-law? (He took her by the hand and raised her up and her fever left)

Who came to the house for healing from Jesus? (Those who were sick and demon possessed)

Why didn’t Jesus allow the demons to speak? (Because they knew him)

Where did Jesus decide to go next? (The neighboring town of Galilee)

What did Jesus say was the reason why he had come? (To preach)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus was with God because He is God, and He was able to reveal to us who God is. Jesus became flesh and demonstrated God’s love to us. Through Jesus we can know God because they are one. 

Activity

Jesus takes care of each of us and provides for our needs, but He can use us to provide for others’ needs as well. Use the following activity page to make the blank person look like you. Then, write ways you can use your body parts (hands and feet) to serve others and care for them.

Materials: printed activity sheet, pencil

Alternate

Jesus takes care of us not just with our physical needs but with our emotional needs as well. Jesus provides from us in many different ways and takes care of us in many ways. Use this activity sheet to write down the ways the Bible says God takes care of us. Read the following scriptures and write how this verse describes how Jesus takes care of you.

Materials: printed activity sheet, pencil, device or bible to read scriptures

Create activity:

Create a Jesus Cares for Me collage. Using pictures from magazines, paste pictures that describe how Jesus cares for you. Jesus can use people in your life, community helpers and even objects to take care of you. Think of all of the ways He cares for you and illustrate them with pictures. Alternatively, if you don’t have magazines to cut, draw pictures on your collage.

Materials: old magazines, glue, scissors, construction paper

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Bandaid art. Use bandaids to create a picture or picture scene. Using the bandaids to create flower, butterfly or any other image. Then use crayons or markers to add details to the image and then create a background scenery to go with your image. See this website for example bandaid art.

Materials: construction paper, coloring utensils, bandaids

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Who did the people crowd in the house to see?

How did Jesus take care of the people who were sick?

How does Jesus care for each of us? 

In what ways do you care for other people. 

Practical Application at Home

Jesus took care of the people who came to the house to be healed. He knew the things they needed and the sicknesses they had and he healed them. They no longer needed to worry about the things that had ailed them for so long. Jesus still tells us today to no worry because He will take care of us. We may not know what will happen in the future, but we can know that God will be there with us through it.

Read Matthew 6:25-33

Jesus said that He clothes the lilies of the field and knows when even one sparrow falls from the sky, therefore he knows us and cares for us even more. We were made in the image of God, we are special to Him and He will continue to care for us. 

Draw the following picture to remind yourself that God has promised to care for the flowers, he will care for us even more. Using a white sheet of paper, dip your finger in paint, ink pad, or color the tip of your pointer finger and then stamp in a circle in the center of the paper. These will be the pedals of the flower. Color the center of the flower yellow (or desired color) using paints or crayons. Then decorate the rest of the flower using crayons or markers with the stem, leaves and buds. At the top or bottom of the page write “Do not worry, but seek first His kingdom”.

Materials: white drawing paper, paint, (Alt: ink pad) markers or crayons

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

The sky is green. There are three planets in the solar system. We have wings to fly. You probably already know that all of those statements are not true. Do you know the truth for all those lies? Sometimes people give us the wrong information or sometimes we are just not sure what is the truth. We can always trust that Jesus knows and can show us the truth. This week we will see how Jesus is able to show the disciples the truth. When the disciples saw the truth they were forever changed. Jesus wants to change us and reveal truth to us as well!

Mark 9:2-9. Psalm 50:1-6  2 Corinthians 4:3-6

BIBLE STORY

Listen to these statements about animals and decide if the statement is true or made up! Listen carefully to the facts about these animals, some may be a little tricky.

-Cheetahs can change direction midair when chasing prey. (True)

-Jackrabbits are actually faster than cheetahs when going short distances (False)

-A Giraffe’s hoof is bigger than a frisbee. (True)

-Snakes don’t have eyelids. (True)

-You can tell a rattlesnakes age by counting its rattles. (False)

-The largest dinosaurs were vegetarians. (True)

-Hummingbirds can smell a flower up to a mile away. (False)

-Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward (True)

-Rats can howl like wolves. (False)

-Piranhas bark. (True)

-Sharks can’t blink. (True)

-Sharks can only survive in salt water. (False)

-Parrots don’t have vocal cords. (True)

-Dragonflies can see in all directions at once. (True)

-All bats are blind.(False)

Some of the statements were true and some of them were false. Did you have an easy or hard time knowing which statements were true? Sometimes it can be hard to decide what is truth and what may be leading us the wrong way. Jesus can reveal the truth to us and help us make the right choices. 

This week we will see the disciples will know the truth about who Jesus is. The will see that what they thought was true is proven true right in front of them. We can trust that Jesus will show us the truth in the things in our lives too. We can ask Jesus to reveal truth to us and trust that He will do it.

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Mark 9:2-9

Where did Jesus take Peter, James and John? (Up the mountain to be alone)

What happened to Jesus when he was transformed? (He clothes became dazzling white?)

Who appeared to them and started talking to Jesus? (Elijah and Moses)

What did Peter suggest they do? (Build three altars for Jesus, Elijah and Moses.)

What did the voice from the cloud say? (This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.)

Who did Jesus tell Peter, James and John to tell about what they saw? (No one)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Once you know the truth about something, is it easy to go back to believing the lie? Of course not! Once we know the truth it changes how we think or see something. Once the disciples saw with their own eyes that Jesus was the Son of God, they could not go on with their lives as before. They were changed! They knew the truth and wanted to follow Jesus! The truth can change us too!

Activity

Use this picture frame to draw a realistic picture of yourself. Then using the Picasso attachment, create a Picasso picture of yourself. Cut out the Picasso self portrait and place it onto of the picture frame by glueing the top part on so that the bottom can be lifted. Sometimes things don’t look the way they are supposed to. They are deceiving or try to imitate the truth. When we are not sure what is truth we can always ask Jesus to show the truth to us. We can trust that Jesus always has the answers and can reveal to us the truth we need to know.

Materials: printed picture frame, coloring utensils, printed Picasso picture, scissors, glue

Alternate

Listen to the following scenarios and decide if the person told the hard truth or was just being mean. Then decide if that truth can help you make a better decision.

Materials: graph paper or plain paper, pencil, ruler

Create activity:

Create your own optical illusion art. Sometimes it is easy to confuse what we see with what is true, but God wants as to always be sure we know and follow the truth. He doesn’t want us to be tricked by our eyes or by false things others say. We can know the truth by listening and following Jesus. We can be sure to do that in the future by practicing following God’s truth now. Use the following website as an example of how to make your own optical illusion art. One way is to trace your hand on a sheet of white paper. Then draw straight vertical or horizontal lines on the white sheet behind the hand. Then, continue drawing the line inside the hand but make it curve or bend and then end at the same point of the line on the other side of the hand. So the lines drawn on the outside of the hand are straight, but the lines drawn on the inside of the hand are curved. The key is to make sure the lines inside and outside of the hand are touching. Then color the lines in a pattern.

Materials: Construction paper, drawing supplies such as crayons, pencils, colored pencils or markers

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a bible poster art. Use the attached images to color and cut, then glue them onto a large sheet of construction paper. Draw additional images and use stickers to add to your bible poster. 

Materials: coloring sheet, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

This verse describes the gospel as being veiled for those who are not believers. Something that is veiled really means that it is covered or hidden. The truth of God’s word can be hidden from those who do not believe. When something is hidden in the dark, what do we usually do so that we can find it? We use light!

Blindfold one person so they can not see the room around them. Lead the blindfolded person carefully around the room to an object for them to feel. Ask them to tell you what the item is that they can only feel but not touch. Lead them around the room several times to feel objects without seeing them and guess what is the object. After they have guessed an object, allow them to take down their blindfold to see if they guessed right.

When you were blindfolded and feeling objects, it was sometimes hard to guess what the object really was in the dark. Sometimes we are blind to the truth because we are in darkness, but when we have light, we can see the object for what is really is. 

Jesus is that light. He can reveal to us the truth and take down the veil that may be hiding the truth. When we have Jesus’ light, He can help us see what is true and what is false. 

Practical Application at Home

Print the following cards and post them on the wall or on the floor. Turn off the lights and use a flashlight to unveil the truth statements. Shine your light on a card and then read the statement.

Jesus is our light. He is able to show us the truth and help us discern what is right and what is wrong. We can trust that Jesus will help us discover the truth. Once we know truth, we can then live in the truth. That means, we know right from wrong and we can choose to do the right thing Jesus has called us to. When Jesus revealed the truth about himself to his disciples, they knew He was the son of God. They could then choose to live in the truth by following him, or they could choose to walk away. When truth is revealed to us, we can also choose to follow Jesus.

Materials: printed truth statements, tape or adhesive

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

It’s not always easy to do the right thing. Choosing to obey or doing what we want. Taking care of our health or ignoring what’s good for our bodies. We are tempted by lots of things. Telling the truth or telling the lie to keep out of trouble. Some temptations are not hard to overcome while others are really hard for us. Each of us have different temptations, but the good news is, Jesus has overcome temptations so He can help us overcome too!

Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11 Psalm 25:1-10

BIBLE STORY

Use small colorful food such as M&M’s, skittles, fruit loops or valentines heart candy for your child to throw onto a coordinating color sheet of construction paper. Alternatively you can use a white sheet of paper that has been colored with a crayon or write the color word on the top of the sheet of paper. Set a start line a good distance from the construction papers that are lined up in a row side by side. The goal of this activity is for your child to roll the candy onto the coordinating colored paper and have the candy land on top of the paper. They should try to get as many candies onto the paper as possible within the 1 minute timer. 

Today we will play a game with our candies and these sheets of paper. Roll a piece of candy one at a time across the floor and try to get it to land on the coordinating colored paper. You will have 1 minute to roll as many candies on top of the paper as you can. You may not eat the candy as you play and you may not pick up any candies that do not roll far enough to reach the paper. 

Was is easy or hard to roll your candies onto the correct colored paper? Were you ever tempted to eat the candy? Were you ever tempted to pick up a candy that didn’t roll very far and was still in reach? We are sometimes tempted to do things that we know we shouldn’t do. Sometimes we feel pressured from our friends to do something they are all doing but we know is wrong. Jesus was also tempted and had to resist the temptations of Satan. This week we will see how Jesus was able to resist those temptations and helps us when we are tempted too. 

Materials: colorful candy (M&M’s, skittles, fruit loops, etc) coordinating colored construction paper, start line

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Mark 1:12-13; and Matthew 4:1-11

How long was Jesus in the wilderness? (40 days)

What was Jesus doing in the wilderness during the 40 days? (Fasting and praying)

Who was he there with? (Wild animals and the angels and Satan)

What was the first temptation Satan gave Jesus? (To turn stones into bread)

How did Jesus respond? (Men does not eat on bread along but on the word of God)

What was Satan’s second temptation? (For Jesus to demonstrate he was the Song of God by throwing himself down for the angels to save him)

How did Jesus respond? (Do not test the Lord your God)

What was Satan’s third temptation? (Offering to give Jesus the world if he bowed down and worshiped him)

How did Jesus respond? (Go away Satan, worship the Lord your God and serve only Him)

After the third temptation what did Satan do? (He left and the angels attended Jesus)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus was tested in the wilderness by Satan 3 times and used the Bible to answer Satan. Jesus was able to defeat the temptations Satan gave because He knew the word of God better than Satan. Because Jesus was able to defeat Satan, we can trust that Jesus will help us when we are tempted as well.

Activity

In life we all have to navigate through temptations that are thrown at us. Just because we have been faced with a temptation, we do not have to give in to the temptation. We can say no or walk away from the temptation. Create a small obstacle course around an open area using simple obstacles such as chairs, blankets, pillows and pool noodles. Print the attached cards and scatter them throughout the obstacle course. Collect the cards that have positive choices we should make to draw closer to God, but avoid stepping on the cards that have temptations we should avoid. Demonstrate the path of your obstacle course so your child knows how to get to the end. Repeat the obstacle course in reverse, if desired, and move the cards to new areas.

Materials: printed and cut temptation cards

Alternate

Listen to the following scenarios and decide what would you do? We are all faced with choices everyday and we have to decide what we would do in that situation. Would we stay or do we flee? Do we stand up for what is right or pretend we don’t see? We are all tempted but we can ask Jesus to help us overcome temptation and make the right choice.

Materials: graph paper or plain paper, pencil, ruler

Create activity:

Use old magazines to cut out pictures and glue them to a sheet of construction paper titled with one of the following statements. “Man does not live on bread alone”; cut out pictures that show different foods you might like to eat. “Do not test God”; cut out pictures of things you might test such as test driving a car or testing how soft a couch is. “Worship and serve only God”; cut out pictures of things you might be tempted to serve other than God and then draw an X on each picture.

Materials: Old magazines, sheet of construction paper, scissors, glue, marker or pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a bible poster art. Use the attached images to color and cut, then glue them onto a large sheet of construction paper. Draw additional images and use stickers to add to your bible poster. 

Materials: white, yellow and other optional colors construction paper, gold glitter, glue, writing utensil

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

We can trust that Jesus will help us when we are tempted because he was tempted and overcame those temptations. David also had temptations and sinned but he knew that God could forgive him and help him with his temptations. 

Read or listen to Psalm 25:1-10

What are 3 request David made of God?

What are 3 promises of God that you see in this passage?

Can you resist Satan’s temptations on your own?

Who can you call on for help when you feel tempted to do the wrong thing?

Why is it important to only worship and serve God?

How can we be like Jesus when we are resisting temptation?

Practical Application at Home

What are some temptations that you face? Your temptation may be a place, a person or an action. Not everyones temptations are the same, but we all face temptations. When we are being tempted, we can use scriptures of God’s promises to help us do the right things. Read or listen to the following promises God gives to us. We can use these promises when we face temptations in our lives. Find your favorite scripture listed below and illustrate a picture that goes along with it. Think of a temptation and how your verse may help someone who is being tempted. 

Matthew 28:20 I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Jeremiah 31:3  Yea, I have love thee with an everlasting love therefore with with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

John 16:33  I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Matthew 6:13 Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted; he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 

2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

We can not predict our future. We do not know what lies ahead of us in the weeks, months or years, but Jesus does. We might face challenges in the near future but Jesus will be with us through the challenges. We can trust that Jesus understands our difficult times because Jesus also faced challenges when he was here on earth. This week we will see what challenges Jesus faced and how he handled them.

Mark 8:31-38 Psalm 22:23-31

BIBLE STORY

I have some challenges I want to see if you can complete! It is a test of your strength, but don’t hurt yourself trying to complete the challenge. Let’s see how many of these challenges you can do.

-Pick up 5 pillows and hold them over your head

-pick up 5 large books and hold them over your head

-lift the couch off the floor

-Give your sibling a piggy back ride

-give your parent or grown-up a piggy back ride

-lift 5 pound weights over your head

-lift 10 pound weights over your head

-carry an empty backpack across the room

-carry a backpack filled with books across the room

Some of these activities were easy to do and some were hard and some may have been impossible to do! We all have challenges in our lives that we face and although it might seem as though we have to face the challenges alone, we are not alone. Jesus understands the challenges we are going through because He faced challenges in his life too. He knew that He came to earth to die for our sins, but it was not easy knowing He would leave his family and friends. 

Being a follower of Jesus does not mean we will never face challenges, in fact we will face challenges because there will be people who do not agree with how we believe. But when we stand up for Jesus and the gospel, and are not ashamed of what we believe, Jesus will be with us through the difficulties. He will reward us! This week we will see how Jesus faced challenges and told the disciples they would have challenges too.

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Mark 8:31-38 

What was Jesus beginning to tell the disciples about the future? (That he would suffer, be rejected by the elders die and be raised from the dead after 3 days)

What did Peter say when he heard Jesus talking this way? (He took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him)

What was Jesus’ response to Peter’s rebuke? (He rebuked Peter and said Get behind me Satan)

What did Jesus say his followers must do? (Deny himself, take up their cross and follow him)

How can your life be saved? (By losing your life for Jesus and the gospel)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus knew a difficult time in his life was going to happen and he would feel sad and miss the people on earth that he loved. We all have difficult times in our lives that we might ask Jesus to help us with. Our difficult situations may not change and we may not be able to avoid the hurt and pain in life, but we can have comfort that Jesus understands our pain and He wants to be with us during those times as well. 

Activity

We don’t know our futures. We can give a guess as to what we think might happen or what we would like to have happen, but we don’t really know what the future holds for us. Jesus knew what the future held for him even though it was not happy news. He knew he would die, because that’s what he came to this earth to do for you and me. Fold a piece of construction paper vertically into thirds, unfold and then fold it horizontally in half. You should have 6 squares, 3 on top and 3 on bottom.

Write the following phrase in each box and then draw a picture or write the answer to each phrase inside that square.

In the future my house will look like…

In the future I will have this car…

In the future I will do this for a job…

In the future I will visit…

In the future I will eat…

In the future I will spend time…

Materials: Construction paper, writing utensil

Alternate

Cut out the strips of paper and take turns completing the challenge on the strip. Encourage your child to do even the activities that may be challenging or too difficult for them. Encourage them to try the activity and help them after they have tried to do it independently. Some of those challenges were really difficult and we may have even needed help completing them but we were able to try it. Jesus understands that we will have challenges in our lives, but he will be with us through those difficult times.

Materials: Printed activities cut into strips, scissors

Create activity:

Create a Yarn maze for you and your family to complete. Use yarn and masking tape (or other easy to remove adhesive), to create a zigzag maze for someone to try to get across. Use a narrow hallway or create a space using chairs. Create your challenging maze to look like laser beams that the person has to avoid. See who can make it across, under, or through the maze without touching any of the strings.

Materials: Yarn, masking tap or other easy to remove adhesive, hallway or a 2 rows of chairs lined across from each other

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make a cross bookmark. Draw a picture of a cross on a sheet of construction paper. Write your challenge or challenges on the cross, then color your cross. Hole punch the top of the bookmark and add a small string. 

Materials: construction paper, scissors, crayons/markers, hole punch, yarn

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read Psalm 22:23-31

This Psalms offers encouragement to those who are going through difficult times or challenges. Jesus understands our challenges and understands that we all have difficult times. In this Scripture passage, find a phrase or verse that is most encouraging to you. Try to memorize this verse this week to use when you are feeling discouraged or facing difficult times.

How can we take up our cross?

How are the difficulties here on earth temporary?

How can some of our challenges help us grow in our relationship with Jesus?

How does knowing some of our challenges will have a greater benefit later on, help us cope with the challenges right now?

Practical Application at Home

We each face challenges in life and the challenges we face can be different. As a family, discuss at least one challenge you have had this week, month, or year. Notice that you don’t all have the same challenges even within the same family. God is with us through our challenges and will help us through these difficult times. He has given us strength but He also wants us to help others who may be going through a similar challenge that we have gone through. This week pray for ways to see other’s challenges, and opportunities to help them through their challenge. God has given us comfort so we can pass that comfort to someone else. When we do this, we are showing others God’s love.

As a family, work together to support and encourage someone else this week. Look for a family project you can do together to encourage and uplift another family. We are all facing difficult times right now, and we can encourage each other by showing them we care.

Possible family projects:

-make a meal together that you can share with another family

-Make a “Thinking of You” card that you can send to a family friend

-make a personalized DIY game to give as a gift. Look here for more ideas

-make a personalized pillow decorated with their family name by using fabric paint. Or make a no-sew pillow. Look here for instructions. 

-make a bird feeder to share with a neighbor or friend

-Decorate clay pots and then plant herbs in the pots to give away as gifts

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Have you ever had a plan for how you thought your day should go and then nothing turned out right? That happens to everyone. We all make plans and sometimes they work out but sometimes they do not. God has a plan too. But unlike our plans, God’s plans are perfect and always happen according to His plan.

John 2:13-22

BIBLE STORY

Give every person participating a sheet of construction paper. Use at least 2 participants for this activity. I have a challenge activity for you to complete. Everyone has a piece of construction paper, you must make it across this room by not touching the floor but only using the construction paper. Work together as a team or family to get across the room. As parents, try not to come up with the solution for getting across right away, allow your children an opportunity to brainstorm ways to make it across. Offer help when they seem truly stuck. This is an opportunity for brainstorming.

Was that easy or hard to make it across the room? We came up with lots of plans or options until we were able to find one that worked. Having a plan is important so that we know what to do or how to fix something. Sometimes our plans are successful and sometimes our plans fail. God has a plan for our lives that will never fail. God knows exactly what will happen in the future and exactly how you and I play a roll in His big plan. This week we will see how God has a plan for us just as He had a plan for Jesus.

Materials: large construction paper for each participant,

Read or listen to John 2:13-22

What holiday was about to occur in Jerusalem? (Passover)

What did Jesus find when he went into the temple courts? ( people selling cattle, sheep and doves and people sitting at tables exchanging money)

What did Jesus do with the cord he made?( he drove everyone from the temple courts and scattered the money tables and coins)

What did he say to those who sold the doves? (Get these out of here! Stop turning my fathers house into a market)

What did the Jews insist that Jesus prove? (A sign to show His authority to do these things)

Jesus said if they destroyed this temple, he would rise it in how many days? (3 days)

Did the Jews believe him? (No, they knew the original temple was built in 46 years)

What temple was Jesus talking about? (His body as the temple that would die and rise again)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

When Jesus described the temple being destroyed and rebuilt in 3 days, he was not talking about the physical temple but of His own body. He had a plan that the Jews did not understand at that time. Even the disciples remembered His words after his resurrection and then believed the scripture and words Jesus had spoken. God has a plan that we may not always understand, but it is always perfect.

Activity

Jesus had a plan to remove the people who were selling the sheep, cattle and doves from the temple. Remove these balloons from the room as Jesus cleaned the temple. Blow up several balloons and scatter them around a designated area. Then make a whip out of strips of construction paper that are taped at the end to create a handle. Have your child see how they can remove all the “sheep” balloons from the designated area as quickly as possible. Alternative: use small light balls or large wads of paper.

Materials: • Balloons or light balls or large wads of paper, strips of construction paper, tape

Alternate

When builders make a new home they have a plan for how they want the house to look. Create your own home or dollhouse using shoeboxes, construction paper or cardboard scraps. Be creative as you decorate your home on the inside and the outside of the home by including furniture, decorating the walls and adding a roof. Use a variety of materials such as, scissors, construction paper, poster boards, markers, Popsicle sticks, etc.

Materials: shoe boxes, scissors, construction paper, poster boards, markers, Popsicle sticks

Independent activity:

Complete the following activity sheet.

Materials: Printed activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials: Printed coloring sheet, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Builders have blueprints they follow when they are building a home or building. They create these blueprints which are the plans they follow when they are constructing the building or home. God has blueprints for our lives, a plan he has already set into motion for the world. He did not leave the world in sin without a plan to save us. He also has a plan for each one of us that we can choose to follow. The creator of the universe knows what is best for you and has a plan for your life. 

Have you ever had your plans fail?

What do you do when something you have planned doesn’t work out?

How can you find God’s plan?

What would it look like to trust God’s plans?

What instructions has God left for us to follow?

Practical Application at Home

We can choose to follow God’s plan for our lives or we can choose to go our own way. God’s plan for our lives is perfect and will always be better than our own plans. We may not always see how His plan is perfect because things don’t always go the way we want them to go, but God knows what is best for us not just today but in the future. Sometimes we have to be patient to see how God’s plan will work out. When we follow God’s plan, we don’t have to worry about the future, instead we can just do the things God has set in front of us to do today. Think about what God may want you to do this week at home, school, in your community, or at church. What are some things He wants you to do in those places that are a part of His plan for you?

Listen to the following scenarios and decide when and where you could do these things that are a part of God’s plan for your life each day. 

-sweep the floor after dinner

-send a card to a loved one

-obey your teachers

-share a pencil with a classmate

-give food to someone in need

-help a neighbor in need

-write a love note to your parents

-reading a bible story 

-singing a song to your baby brother or sister

-offering to pray for those less fortunate

-donating your money to a charity or fundraiser

-helping up someone who has fallen

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

Have you ever seen a leaning tower? Have you ever seen a bridge where one end is sinking into the ground? Have you seen a house floating in the air? How we build the base, or foundation of buildings can determine how long it will last and how straight it will stand. We could build on any material, but it might not stay standing very long. God wants us to build our foundation on Him and He is love. This week we will see how much God loves us and has a plan for each of us with love as the cornerstone.

John 3:14-21

BIBLE STORY

Build a tower using foam or wooden bricks. Practice making different sized towers, some with narrow foundations and some with wide foundations. When we built our towers, some of them were able to stay up because the base was wide and strong. Other towers didn’t stay up very long because the base was too narrow and the tower leaned and fell. The foundation, or the bottom of our tower, made a difference as to how high we could build without it falling over. Foundations are important to towers, homes, and in our lives. What we build our lives upon will determine how strong and sturdy we will be. What is the foundation of God’s plans for us? God’s plans are based on his love for us. Everything God does is out of His love for us. This week we will see how much God loves us.

Materials: wooden bricks or other building blocks

Read or listen to John 3:14-21

Who did Jesus compare himself to being treated as? (As the snake was lifted up in the wilderness)

Who did God love? (The world)

What did God do for the world? (Gave his one and only son to die)

Who can be saved? (Anyone who believes)

What was Jesus sent to the word to do? (Not condemn it, but save it)

Where do people who like evil want to be? (In the dark)

Where do people who like the truth go? (Into the light)

Why do people stay in the dark? (So their evil deeds will not be exposed)

Why do people come into the light? (So it can be seen that what they’ve done was in the sight of God)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

God loved us so much he gave his son to die for our sins so we could live in relationship with Him forever. God does not measure how much he loves us on how good we are or how many great things we do. God has already delivered us through Jesus, we just need to accept the gift! If God is willing to give up his beloved Son, we can trust that He wants what is best for us in all areas of our lives. God’s plan for us is based on how much He loves us.

Activity

Cut out a large heart using large red construction paper, then write “God’s Love is…” in the middle of the heart. Print the attached hearts on plain paper or red paper (if desired), cut the hearts, and place them around the room for your child to find. After all the hearts are collected, place them around the large red heart and read what is written on each heart. Discuss the ways God’s love was described.

Materials: large red construction paper, marker, printed hearts, scissors, tape (optional)

Alternate

Listen to this read-aloud story of the parable of the two builders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cZOHeFUQVo

Materials: device for watching story

Independent activity:

Decorate a stone to use as a remembrance of Jesus being our foundation. On one side draw and decorate a heart or the words love. On the other side write, ”Jesus is my rock”.

Materials: smooth stone, paints, permanent marker

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Use a paper plate or a circle of white construction paper to create a globe. Paint the circle blue and then paste small torn pieces of green construction paper to create sections of land. Cut out a heart shape from red construction paper. On the heart write “For God so loved the world”. Glue the heart to the center of the globe.

Materials: paper plate or white construction paper circle, blue paint, green construction paper, red construction paper, scissors, glue, marker

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What are some things that you love?

How do you treat the things you love?

What are some things God has called us to love and care for?

How do you treat those things God has called you to love?

How can we make love the foundation of everything we do?

How would you define love?

Are there kids at school or church who do not treat you with love?

Who is someone you think does’t deserve to be treated with love?

How could you still show them love, even when you don’t think they deserve it?

Practical Application at Home

Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God’s plans for us are not last minute, He has not forgotten you but has a plan for you. Not just any plan, but one that uses the good works you have been given. Some versions of this verse say that you are God’s Masterpiece. What a wonderful thought. We are not thrown together carelessly, but we were created with a purpose in mind. We were created exactly the way God wanted us to be and He considers us some of his best work!

Think about how God has designed you. We each have things we are naturally good at doing or things we are really drawn to do. We are each unique and bring something different that God has given us to do. His plan for us is based on love, therefore the things we do with our gifts and talents should also be based on love. Make a list of the things you feel God has blessed you with, then describe how you can use that now or in the future with love as the foundation of these plans.

Materials: printed sheet, or plain sheet of paper, writing utensil

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Have you ever had a challenge you didn’t think you could complete but tried anyway? We’ve all had challenges in our lives, some are small and some are so big they seem impossible to get through. Jesus understands our challenges and faced his own challenges while he was on earth. Although he knew dying on the cross would be hard, he said yes to God’s plan of salvation for us. 

John 12:20-33

BIBLE STORY

Sometimes it is hard to choose between two things like choosing chocolate ice cream or vanilla. Then we have to make hard choices that may feel like neither choice is what we really want, but we have to choose. Play this game of Would You Rather.

Would you rather…

-eat pizza with mushrooms or pizza with anchovy’s

-run for 10 miles without stopping or pickup trash by a creek

-watch movies all day or eat pizza all day

-have 2 scoops of ice cream with mustard or 2 scoops of your favorite ice cream with ketchup

-eat eggs for breakfast everyday for a month or not eat eggs at all for a month

-sleep on the couch or sleep on the floor

-wash the dishes for a week or clean the floors for a month

-sit in the front of the classroom or sit in the back of the classroom

-get caught in a rainstorm or trapped inside your house during a snowstorm

-catch 10 worms by hand or pet a snake

Was it always easy to choose between the two choices? Sometimes it is hard to make a decision when both choices seem hard. God’s plan was for Jesus to be our sacrifice and Jesus had to choose to complete the plan. He knew it would be hard and yet He chose to do it anyway, because He loves us. This week we will see that Jesus knew it would be difficult to lose his life on earth, but He said yes to God’s plan anyway.

Read or listen to John 12:20-33

What hour did Jesus say had come? (For the son of Man to be glorified)

What analogy did Jesus use to compare what would happen to his life? (The kernel of wheat must die and then it will produce many seeds)

What happens to those who love their life here? (They will lose it later)

What happens to those who hate their life here on earth? (They will keep it for eternal life)

Why did Jesus say his soul is troubled? (He knew he was going to give up his life for the sins of the world)
What did Jesus glorify instead? (Father, glorify your name)

What was the response? (A voice from heaven said,  I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again)

What kind of death did Jesus describe would happen to him? (He would be lifted up from the earth and draw all people to him)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus made a choice to go through with the plan of salvation He and God put into place before the sin of Adam and Eve. As the time to die on the cross drew nearer, Jesus knew how difficult it would be to complete it. But Jesus loved us more than his dread of the cross. He wanted to save us more than avoid the difficulty of the cross. What great love he has for us!

Activity

Jesus said yes to the plans God had for him so he could save us from our sins. Jesus knew what was ahead of him would be difficult but He said yes because He trusted God’s plan. We can say yes to things that may be hard for us to do as well. Pick a strip of paper out of the bowl and say yes to trying to complete the activity, even if you think it might be hard.

Materials: printed sheet cut into strips, scissors, small bowl or container

Alternate

Take out several items and use them for a different purpose than they are intended for. For example, take out a toothbrush and use it to stir a cup of tea. Get a paper towel and use it to prop open a book. Take a pillow and use it to comb your hair. Make up several silly examples of using an item not for its intended purpose. That seemed very silly to use the items the way we did. Did we get the most out of those items? No, of course not. When we use something for a plan, other than its intended use, it can be wasteful. We all have been given a purpose and a plan from God. God does not force us to follow His plan, but when we do we are being used to our full potential. When we use a toothbrush to clean our teeth, we are using the toothbrush for its most important purpose and getting the most from its potential. Jesus said yes to God’s plans because He knew God’s plan would save us.

Materials: various items from your house

Independent activity:

Complete the following activity sheet.

Materials: Printed activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create painted flowers in a flowerpot. Print the following vase outline, draw on the stems, then finger-paint the petals. Finally, write the names of family members Jesus loves and died for on each leaf.

Alternate options: use a cotton ball dipped into the paint to stamp on the petals. Cut out the vase and paste to a larger sheet of construction paper, then paint on stem and petals.

Materials: Printed vase, paint in various colors, crayons, optional: cotton balls large sheet of construction paper.

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Have you ever said yes to something that was hard to do?

What are some things God asks us to do that are hard?

What are some things God asks us to do that are easy?

Why did Jesus tell his disciples in advance what was going to happen?

How does Jesus prepare us for the hard things that may come in our life?

Can you think of a scripture that encourages you during difficult choices?

Practical Application at Home

There are many things in our life that are difficult to do, but we should not give up on them. Think of the following things that might be hard, say what you think might make it challenging, and then tell if you would persevere or give up.

-Learn to play the piano

-Learning how to read

-Becoming an astronaut

-Sewing a dress or outfit

-Finishing a science project for the science fair

-Cleaning your room when its a disaster

-Going to college

-Learning to fly a kite

-Offering help to the new kid at school

-Asking someone who is hurt if they are ok

-Not being picked first in class

This week try to do something that might be a little difficult. Use a lima bean or small seed and plant it in a cup with dirt or a small ziplock bag. Water your seed and place it near a window to care for it. See if you can get your plant to grow. Jesus knew that God had a plan for him, even though it was difficult to complete. He went through with it because he knew it was what was best for us. He said yes to God’s plan because He knew God’s will was best. You have a plan for your seed to help it grow and become a new plant. The seed by itself can not do anything on its own, but your plan to nourish and take care of it will make it grow. 

Materials: plastic bag or cup, small seed such as a lima bean, soil, water

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

This month we have seen how God has a plan for everything. God had a plan for salvation and his plan is built on love. This week we will see that we are a part of God’s plan. We can do more than watch God’s plan but be a part of it by obeying what God has called us to do. It doesn’t matter if we think the job is big or small, God will use everything to work together for His plan.

Mark 11:1-11

BIBLE STORY

We are going to work together to make shapes using just ourselves! We will work together as a team to build several shapes. We can use anything that is a part of our body to create the shape that is called out. Let’s see how many shapes we can make.

Make the following shapes using your arms, legs, fingers, feet, or other parts of your body. The smaller the group the more creative you will need to become. Be sure to use every member or divide into smaller groups of 3 or 4.

-triangle

-square

-rectangle

-pentagon

-circle

-parallelogram

We had to work together as a team to complete that challenge! We couldn’t leave anyone out because we were all important and needed in order to accomplish the task. This week we will see that we are all a part of God’s plan. God has included us in his plan and he can use each one of us. sometimes the jobs we are given to do seem small and insignificant, but God uses everyone and all tasks. God doesn’t see our efforts as small but as willing to be a part of God’s plan. In the story this week, everyone is called to complete a task. As you read, try to determine how many people were used in God’s plan.

Read or listen to Mark 11:1-11

Where did Jesus and the disciples arrive? (Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives)

What did Jesus tell the disciples to do? (Go to the village and find a colt as they enter)

What were the disciples supposed to say if someone questioned them about taking the colt? (The Lord needs it and will ill bring it back shortly)

What did the disciples do with the donkey after they brought it to Jesus? (Threw their cloaks over it)

What did people spread on the ground before the colt for Jesus walk on? (Their cloaks were spread on the ground as well as branches from the field)

What did the people shout as Jesus walked by? (Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest heaven)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

We are all a part of God’s plan. It is sometimes easy to look at what someone else may be doing or the talents they are using and want to do the same, but God has tasked each of us with something to do. When we work together we have all contributed to God’s plan. We can pray and listen for what God would have us to do. Even the family that allowed the disciples to borrow their donkey was a part of God’s plan! There is no task too small when we are working together.

Activity

Go on a donkey hunt. We are a part of God’s plan which means he has a plan for each of us. We can listen to what God would have us do and then obey. We can chose to live for God by listening to his plan and then doing it. Place the donkey cutouts around the room and have your child find a few and read them if they are able. Have them collect 2 or 3 donkeys that have tasks that they can complete this week. Read through the tasks together and discuss ways to complete the task so they are successful this week. Follow up later in the week to add further support or for them to share their story. Only collect the donkeys you can complete this week as a part of God’s plan.

Materials: printed cut-outs, scissors, tape (optional)

Alternate

Retell the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the donkey while participants act out the story. Create a pretend donkey using a pole or a rocking horse. Allow them to pick parts to act out and dress up. Use real leaves or large sheets of green construction paper cut into large leaves. Have them narrate the story or you can do it for them while they act it out.

Materials: Various items for dress up, branches or leaves (optional), large green construction paper

Independent activity:

We can also praise God for the things He has done for us. We are thankful for the gift of Jesus as our savior and for many other things He has given us. Create this poster to show God has included you in His plan and add your praise of thanksgiving by writing the things you are thankful for. Write on the poster “I am a part of God’s plan”. Have your child decorate the poster including large leaves or branches. Print and use the following pictures to add to the poster if desired.

Materials: Large sheet of construction paper, printed add-ons (optional), stickers, markers, crayons, pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Print out the following donkey template found at the bottom of this website. Color the donkey and then cut it out. Glue the two parts of the donkey together. Use 2 clothespins and color them gray with the bottoms colored black for hooves. Use black yarn cut into little pieces and glue them to the head of the donkey for a mane, and then some at the back for a tale. Attach the hooves to the donkey so it can stand up on its own.

Materials: printed donkey template, crayons, glue, 2 clothespins, black yarn

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Where did Jesus riding the donkey?

Do you think they disciples were nervous to take someones donkey?

Do you think the family who allowed the disciples to take their donkey believed in the Savior?

What small task has God asked you to do?

Was it easy or hard to complete that task?

Did you think the task was too unimportant to care about?

How can you be part of God’s plan this week?

Practical Application at Home

Jesus came to earth to die for our sins so that we can live forgiven and in relationship with God. God had a plan from the beginning of man, for our salvation. Jesus carried out that plan even though it was hard. Just as a plant appears to be dead when its’ leaves are withered from not getting enough water, food, or sun, so we are dead from our sins. Sometimes a plant can come back to life with proper care and water, we can come back to life by the blood of Jesus. We have something to be very thankful for, salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

What do you have to praise God for? Draw or write a list of things you are thankful for. On the top of the paper, write Hosanna. Jesus came to save each one of us, and that is something to be thankful for. Add other things to the list that you are specifically thankful for in your life. Hang your list some where you can see it daily to remind yourself that Jesus saves and has blessed you in many other ways as well.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Have you ever had a plan for how you thought your day should go and then nothing turned out right? That happens to everyone. We all make plans and sometimes they work out but sometimes they do not. God has a plan too. But unlike our plans, God’s plans are perfect and always happen according to His plan.

John 2:13-22;  Psalm 19:7-11

BIBLE STORY

Draw a picture of a house and background scenery. You can draw your picture in advance or draw along with your child but be sure they can not see your picture. Give detailed instructions of what they should draw, step by step, on their paper as you are drawing your picture. Do not show your child your picture until the end of the exercise. If you color your picture be sure they are coloring theirs as well.

Let’s look at our pictures together! Do they look exactly alike? It’s kind of hard for you to have a picture that looks exactly like mine without seeing my picture while you drew yours. When we can see the example in front of us, it is easier to follow the instructions that are given. We use instructions as a way to guide us in lots of areas in our lives. When we build furniture we use a picture diagram. When we bake a cake we might use a recipe as our guide. When we learn how to play an instrument we might use an instructional video. When we builders build homes, they use blueprints to build a home the way it was designed. God also has a plan for this world and for each one of us. This week we will read about the plan God had for Jesus. Although God’s plan was not clear to everyone around Jesus, His plan was perfect and would not fail. 

Materials: drawing paper, pencil

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week John 2:13-22

What holiday was about to occur in Jerusalem? (Passover)

What did Jesus find when he went into the temple courts? ( people selling cattle, sheep and doves and people sitting at tables exchanging money)

What did Jesus do with the cord he made?( he drove everyone from the temple courts and scattered the money tables and coins)

What did he say to those who sold the doves? (Get these out of here! Stop turning my fathers house into a market)

What did the Jews insist that Jesus prove? (A sign to show His authority to do these things)

Jesus said if they destroyed this temple, he would rise it in how many days? (3 days)

Did the Jews believe him? (No, they knew the original temple was built in 46 years)

What temple was Jesus talking about? (His body as the temple that would die and rise again)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

When Jesus described the temple being destroyed and rebuilt in 3 days, he was not talking about the physical temple but of His own body. He had a plan that the Jews did not understand at that time. Even the disciples remembered His words after his resurrection and then believed the scripture and words Jesus had spoken. God has a plan that we may not always understand, but it is always perfect.

Activity

Jesus cleaned the temple from the unclean things the people were doing in God’s house. The things they were doing were not a part of God’s plan. Jesus needed to clean God’s house of the cheating, stealing and unholy things that were happening there. Think about other things in our lives that are unclean that we need to have God help us clean. Listen to the following scenarios and decide what is dirty and how God can help you clean it up!

Materials: Scenarios printed or viewed on device

Alternate

Complete the following activity sheet.

Materials: Printed activity sheet

Independent activity:

Create your own plans to build something such as a house, car, or airplane, using grid or regular construction paper. Decide what your framed object will look like and draw it on the grid paper as your plan. Then create a 3-D version of your object using toothpicks and mini marshmallows or building bricks.

Materials: Grid paper or construction paper, pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials: Printed coloring sheet, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Psalm 19:7-11

This verse describes the Bible and how it can help us. The bible is God’s plan laid out for us. It is perfect. We don’t have to wonder what God wants for our lives or how we should behave, we can look in God’s word, the Bible, and know what God’s plans are for our lives. 

Fill in the blank from the memory verse. (NIV version used)

The law of the Lord is _____; _______ the soul.

The statues of the Lord are ________; making ______ the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are _________: giving ________ to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are ________; giving ________ to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is ________; enduring ________.

The decrees of the Lord are _________; and all of them are ___________.

Practical Application at Home

We can choose to follow God’s plan for our lives or we can choose to go our own way. God’s plan for our lives is perfect and will always be better than our own plans. We may not always see how His plan is perfect because things don’t always go the way we want them to go, but God knows what is best for us not just today but in the future. Sometimes we have to be patient to see how God’s plan will work out. When we follow God’s plan, we don’t have to worry about the future instead, we can just do the things God has set in front of us to do today. We can find God’s plan in His Holy word, the Bible. His word is perfect and there for us as a guide. Psalm 19:9-11, the Psalmist uses his own words to describe God’s Word. Think about descriptive words you would use to compare the precious and sweetness of God’s words.

Complete the following verse and add your own descriptive words to describe how good God is. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

Have you ever seen a leaning tower? Have you ever seen a bridge where one end is sinking into the ground? Have you seen a house floating in the air? How we build the base, or foundation of buildings can determine how long it will last and how straight it will stand. We could build on any material, but it might not stay standing very long. God wants us to build our foundation on Him and He is love. This week we will see how much God loves us and has a plan for each of us with love as the cornerstone.

John 3:14-21; Ephesians 2:4-10

BIBLE STORY

Draw and cut out a heart from red construction paper for each participant. Listen to the following descriptions of love and determine if it describes love or something else. If it describes love, hold up your heart. If it does not describe love, keep your heart down.

-giving up your sear for someone else

-eating the last piece of pizza

-helping someone pick up the books they dropped

-sharing the last popsicle with a neighborhood friend

-hiding your toys before your friends come over

-teasing the kid at school who looks different from you

-listening to a friend’s problem rather than going to play

-helping your parents with housework

-saving a piece of candy to share with your sibling when you get home

Some of these were examples of love and some were not. Sometimes we may feel selfish about the things we have or feel selfish with our time. Love can be a sacrifice but it is also giving someone else something that they may need the most even though its inconvenient for us. That’s really tough to do sometimes. We do not love others perfectly but Jesus does. He demonstrates what love is and what love really looks like. God’s plans for us are centered around his love for us. That means everything He does is based upon His great love for us.

Materials: a heart cut out of construction paper

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week John 3:14-21

Who did Jesus compare himself to being treated as? (As the snake was lifted up in the wilderness)

Who did God love? (The world)

What did God do for the world? (Gave his one and only son to die)

Who can be saved? (Anyone who believes)

What was Jesus sent to the word to do? (Not condemn it, but save it)

Where do people who like evil want to be? (In the dark)

Where do people who like the truth go? (Into the light)

Why do people stay in the dark? (So their evil deeds will not be exposed)

Why do people come into the light? (So it can be seen that what they’ve done was in the sight of God)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

God loved us so much he gave his son to die for our sins so we could live in relationship with Him forever. God does not measure how much he loves us on how good we are or how many great things we do. God has already delivered us through Jesus, we just need to accept the gift! If God is willing to give up his beloved Son, we can trust that He wants what is best for us in all areas of our lives. God’s plan for us is based on how much He loves us.

Activity

Practice drawing the following animals or objects by giving step by step instruction to your child on how to draw the object. Tell them what they will be drawing first, then skip the first step of the instructions. Discuss the outcome of their drawing. Repeat with a different animal if desired. Why didn’t our pictures turn out the way we thought they would? What was missing? We forgot to do one of the steps and it was the very first step. When we skipped the first step it really ruined the outcome of our picture. The foundation of our picture was very important, it causes all the other strokes to make sense. Jesus’ love is the foundation for everything He does for us, it causes everything to make sense.

Materials: pencil, drawing paper, device to view or print step by step drawing of animals

Alternate

Listen to this read-aloud story of the parable of the two builders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cZOHeFUQVo

Materials: device for listening to read-aloud story

Independent activity:

Create a floating raft out of craft sticks that is able to carry things in the water. Using craft sticks, design a raft and then test what objects of various weights are able to float on top. Determine if you can change the foundation of your raft to help it hold heavier objects. Decorate the top of your raft with words that describe God’s love.

Materials: craft sticks, glue, markers

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Use a paper plate or a circle of white construction paper to create a globe. Paint the circle blue and then paste small torn pieces of green construction paper to create sections of land. Cut out a heart shape from red construction paper. On the heart write “For God so loved the world”. Glue the heart to the center of the globe.

Materials: Printed sheet, scissors, glue, crayons, large sheet of construction paper.

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What are some things that you love?

How do you treat the things you love?

What are some things God has called us to love and care for?

How do you treat those things God has called you to love?

How can we make love the foundation of everything we do?

How would you define love?

Are there kids at school or church who do not treat you with love?

Who is someone you think doesn’t deserve to be treated with love?

How could you still show them love, even when you don’t think they deserve it?

Practical Application at Home

Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God’s plans for us are not last minute, He has not forgotten you but has a plan for you. Not just any plan, but one that uses the good works you have been given. Some versions of this verse say that you are God’s Masterpiece. What a wonderful thought. We are not thrown together carelessly, but we were created with a purpose in mind. We were created exactly the way God wanted us to be and He considers us some of his best work!

Think about how God has designed you. We each have things we are naturally good at doing or things we are really drawn to do. We are each unique and bring something different that God has given us to do. His plan for us is based on love, therefore the things we do with our gifts and talents should also be based on love. Make a list of the things you feel God has blessed you with, then describe how you can use that now or in the future with love as the foundation of these plans.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Have you ever had a challenge you didn’t think you could complete but tried anyway? We’ve all had challenges in our lives, some are small and some are so big they seem impossible to get through. Jesus understands our challenges and faced his own challenges while he was on earth. Although he knew dying on the cross would be hard, he said yes to God’s plan of salvation for us. 

John 12:20-33;  Hebrews 5:7-9

BIBLE STORY

Sometimes it is hard to choose between two things like if you should have chocolate ice cream or vanilla. Then we have to make hard choices that may feel like neither choice is what we really want, but we have to choose. Play this game of Would You Rather.

Would you rather…

-eat pizza with mushrooms or pizza with anchovies

-run for 10 miles without stopping or pickup trash by a creek

-watch movies all day or eat pizza all day

-have 2 scoops of ice cream with mustard or 2 scoops of your favorite ice cream with ketchup

-eat eggs for breakfast everyday for a month or not eat eggs at all for a month

-sleep on the couch or sleep on the floor

-wash the dishes for a week or clean the floors for a month

-sit in the front of the classroom or sit in the back of the classroom

-get caught in a rainstorm or trapped inside your house during a snowstorm

-catch 10 worms by hand or pet a snake

Was it always easy to choose between the two choices? Sometimes it is hard to make a decision when both choices seem hard. God’s plan was for Jesus to be our sacrifice and Jesus had to choose to complete that plan. He knew it would be hard and yet He chose to do it anyway, because He loves us. This week we will see that Jesus knew it would be difficult to  lose his life on earth but He said yes to God’s plan anyway.

Read or listen to John 12:20-33

What hour did Jesus say had come? (For the son of Man to be glorified)

What analogy did Jesus use to compare what would happen to his life? (The kernel of wheat must die and then it will produce many seeds)

What happens to those who love their life here? (They will lose it later)

What happens to those who hate their life here on earth? (They will keep it for eternal life)

Why did Jesus say his soul is troubled? (He knew he was going to give up his life for the sins of the world)
What did Jesus glorify instead? (Father, glorify your name)

What was the response? (A voice from heaven said,  I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again)

What kind of death did Jesus describe would happen to him? (He would be lifted up from the earth and draw all people to him)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus made a choice to go through with the plan of salvation He and God put into place before the sin of Adam and Eve. As the time to die on the cross drew nearer Jesus knew how difficult it would be to complete it. But Jesus loved us more than his dread of the cross. He wanted to save us more than avoid the difficulty of the cross. What great love he has for us!

Activity

What Jesus needed to do was not easy and he knew it would be very hard, but He still agreed to complete God’s plan. There are things that God asks of us that are easy and some things may be hard. What we think is easy someone else may think is hard, but God is calling us to answer yes regardless. Listen to these scenarios and tell if they are easy things or hard things to complete.

Materials: Easy or hard scenarios

Alternate

Complete the following activity sheet.

Materials: Printed Activity sheet

Independent activity:

Jesus said that the kernel of wheat must die and then it will produce many seeds. Create a simple experiment with lettuce to grow more lettuce. Cut off the tops of the lettuce and place the lettuce hearts in a shallow bowl of water. Be sure the water is not covering the lettuce but just on the bottom. Change the water each day and place in the sun to see results within the week.

Materials: Head of romaine lettuce, bowl, water

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create painted flowers in a flowerpot. Print the following vase outline, draw on the stems, then finger-paint the petals. Finally, write the names of family members Jesus loves and died for on each leaf.

Alternate options: use a cotton ball dipped into the paint to stamp on the petals. Cut out the vase and paste to a larger sheet of construction paper, then paint on stem and petals.  

Materials: Printed vase, paint in various colors, crayons, optional: cotton balls large sheet of construction paper.

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Hebrews 5:7-9

How did Jesus feel about the death that was to come?

What was he pleading to God about?

How did the verse describe the way he prayed?

If Jesus was praying with reverent submission, was he demanding his own way?

We can know that Jesus trusted God’s plan even though he may have been dreading the death that was to come. He obeyed even through the suffering. Jesus said yes even though it would be very difficult. We can know that Jesus understands us when we face difficult situations because he faced them as well. We can also trust God’s plan and say yes to God’s plan even when it’s difficult.

Practical Application at Home

There are many things in our life that are difficult to do, but we should not give up on them. Think of the following things that might be hard, say what you think might make it challenging and then tell if you would persevere or give up.

-Learn to play the piano

-Learning how to read

-Becoming an astronaut

-Sewing a dress or outfit

-Finishing a science project for the science fair

-Cleaning your room when its a disaster

-Going to college

-Learning to fly a kite

-Offering help to the new kid at school

-Asking someone who is hurt if they are ok

-Not being picked first in class

This week try to do something that might be a little difficult. Use a lima bean or small seed and plant it in a cup with dirt or a small ziplock bag. Water your seed and place it near water to care for it. See if you can get your plant to grow. Jesus knew that God had a plan for him, even though it was difficult to complete. He went through with it because he knew it was what was best for us. He said yes to God’s plan because He knew God’s will was best. You have a plan for your seed to help it grow and become a new plant. The seed by itself can not do anything on its own, but your plan to nourish and take care of it will make it grow. 

Materials: plastic cup or plastic bag, soil, small bean like a lima bean.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

This month we have seen how God has a plan for everything. God had a plan for salvation and his plan is built on love. This week we will see that we are a part of God’s plan. We can do more than watch God’s plan but be a part of it by obeying what God has called us to do. It doesn’t matter if we think the job is big or small, God will use everything to work together for His plan.

Mark 11:1-11; Psalm 118:19-29

BIBLE STORY

Let’s try to complete this challenge together. We are all standing on this blanket but have left a corner of the blanket free. The challenge is to try and turn this blanket to the other side without anyone stepping off the blanket onto the floor around it. We must keep 2 feet on this blanket at all times. Let’s see if we can do it! Choose a blanket, tarp, or bedsheet depending on the number of people participating. Only one quarter of the blanket or tarp should be left with no one standing on it. Be sure to have everyone present participate. 

Was that easy or a bit challenging to get the blanket flipped to the other side? We all had to participate, right? We needed everyones help not only to figure out how to turn the blanket around, but also in order to be successful. Every person participated in the plan. This week we will see that we are a part of God’s plan. God has something for each of us to do, not to just stand on the sidelines and watch but to be an active part of the plan. 

Materials: blanket or large sheet

Read or listen to Mark 11:1-11

Where did Jesus and the disciples arrive? (Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives)

What did Jesus tell the disciples to do? (Go to the village and find a colt as they enter)

What were the disciples supposed to say if someone questioned them about taking the colt? (The Lord needs it and will ill bring it back shortly)

What did the disciples do with the donkey after they brought it to Jesus? (Threw their cloaks over it)

What did people spread on the ground before the colt for Jesus walk on? (Their cloaks were spread on the ground as well as branches from the field)

What did the people shout as Jesus walked by? (Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest heaven)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

We are all a part of God’s plan. It is sometimes easy to look at what someone else may be doing or the talents they are using and want to do the same, but God has tasked each of us with something to do. When we work together we have all contributed to God’s plan. We can pray and listen for what God would have us to do. Even the family that allowed the disciples to borrow their donkey was a part of God’s plan! There is no task too small when we are working together.

Activity

Play this game of memory. Match the cards of ways you show God you are a part of his plan.

Materials: printed memory game

Alternate

God uses each one of us in His plan. There is no job too small when used for the glory of God. Every person in the Bible story today did something different to glorify Jesus and be a part of God’s plan. Complete the following activity sheet. Complete each statement by answering how you show your faith in God.

Materials: Printed activity sheet

Independent activity:

We can also praise God for the things He has done for us. We are thankful for the gift of Jesus as our savior and for many other things He has given us. Create this poster to show God has included you in His plan and add your praise of thanksgiving by writing the things you are thankful for. Write on the poster “I am a part of God’s plan”. Have your child decorate the poster including large leaves or branches. Print and use the following pictures to add to the poster if desired.

Materials: large construction paper, crayons or markers, writing utensil, printed stickers (optional)

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Print out the following donkey template found at the bottom of this website. Color the donkey and then cut it out. Glue the two parts of the donkey together. Use 2 clothespins and color them gray with the bottoms colored black for hooves. Use black yarn cut into little pieces and glue them to the head of the donkey for a mane, and then some at the back for a tale.Attach the hooves to the donkey so it can stand up on its own.

Materials: Printed sheet, scissors, glue, crayons, large sheet of construction paper.

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Psalm 118:19-29

David is writing this Psalm thanking God for delivering him and being his salvation. David blesses God’s name for his goodness and provision. Although Jesus has not come yet in David’s time, He knows that his help and salvation comes from God. David was a part of God’s plan and He is even a part of the Jesus lineage. We can trust that even though we do not know the future and we don’t know what will happen to us, we can trust we are a part of God’s plan. We know that God has a plan that He will fulfill in His perfect timing. 

What do you have to praise God for today?

Why was David praising God?

How do you show God your praise?

How does David describe God in these verses?

In your own words, how would you describe God?

What has God saved you from?

Practical Application at Home

Jesus came to earth to die for our sins so that we can live forgiven and in relationship with God. God had a plan from the beginning of man, for our salvation. Jesus carried out that plan even though it was hard. Just as a plant appears to be dead when its’ leaves are withered from not getting enough water, food, or sun, so we are dead from our sins. Sometimes a plant can come back to life with proper care and water, we can come back to life by the blood of Jesus. We have something to be very thankful for, salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

What do you have to praise God for? Make a list of things you are thankful for. On the top of the paper, write Hosanna. Jesus came to save each one of us, and that is something to be thankful for. Add other things to the list that you are specifically thankful for in your life. Hang your list some where you can see it daily to remind yourself that Jesus saves and has blessed you in many other ways as well.

Materials: sheet of paper, pencil, tape (optional)

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

When Jesus died, his disciples and followers were very sad and did not understand what happened. How excited they must have been to see Jesus again and realize he was raised from the dead. Can you imagine how they must have felt? How would you feel if you saw Jesus again? Jesus overcame death, He is alive and wants to live with us forever some day soon!

Mark 16:1-8

BIBLE STORY

There are times we are very excited about what we see and then there are times we are afraid because we are unsure of what is going on. Use your emoji faces to show how you would feel in the following situations.

Seeing a snake while raking leaves.

Biting into an apple and eating a worm.

Watching fireworks at the park.

Hearing a loud POP while driving in the car.

Walking in the sand along the beach.

Putting your hand into your lunch bag and pulling out a bug.

Being stung by a jellyfish while swimming at the beach.

Walking through a spider web in the dark.

Seeing a large flock of birds fly toward your house.

Watching a kitten play with yarn.

Today we will hear a story that seems unbelievable but it is true! The women at the grave probably had many emotions. They were sad, afraid and excited. What they witnessed seemed to be unbelievable but was proven to be true. Let’s read the Bible verse today and see what happened at Jesus’ grave that shocked a few people.

Materials: Emoji faces- happy, sad, excites, crying

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week Mark 16:1-8

Who bought spices for the tomb after Sabbath was over? (Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Salome)

Why did they buy the spices? (They brought spices to anoint Jesus’ body)

Once they reached the tomb what did they realize they would need help with? (Removing the stone from the tomb)

When they reached the tomb what happened to the stone? ( It had been rolled away)

Who did the women see inside the tomb? (A young man dressed in a white robe)

How did the women feel when they saw the man? (They were afraid)

What did the man say to them? (Do not be alarmed, Jesus the Nazarene is risen; go tell His disciples and Peter; He is going ahead of you; you will see him there)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

The women at the grave were afraid because they were not expecting to find Jesus’ body missing. They were surprised that He was gone and went to tell the disciples what they saw. What a wonderful feeling to realized your Savior is alive and has conquered death. 

Activity

Sometimes we are a part of something amazing or see something amazing and can not wait to share the good news with someone else. The women at Jesus’ grave were a part of something amazing and could not keep the news to themselves. We can also share this good news of Jesus! He is risen and is alive! Think about a time you have been a part of something amazing and you wanted to share the news with others. Share your amazing stories together and describe what you saw and how you felt.

Materials: family discussion time

Alternate

Spring is a wonderful time to watch things grow and rise out from the ground. Create these composting pots. Add seeds and dirt to the pots once they have dried and leave them on your counter in sunlight to grow small sprouts. Once the sprouts have begun, you can plant the entire pot into the ground and it will decompose into the soil.

Materials: Construction paper shredded, water, cup for molding or muffin tin, flower/plant seeds

Independent activity:

Read aloud story “Berenstein Bears and the Easter story” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4rMIVHVhk

Materials: Listening device for read-aloud story

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create a 3 cross sunset picture by cutting different colored construction paper into strips. Then glue the colored strips onto a black sheet of paper to make the background. Next using black paper,  cut out 3 crosses and a half circle. Glue the half circle onto the bottom of the page to become a hill and then glue the 3 crosses onto the hill. 

Materials: Colored construction paper (including black and white), glue, scissors, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Who went to the tomb?

Why did they go to put spices on Jesus’ body?

How would you feel if you were at the tomb and Jesus’ body was gone?

How would you feel if an angel told you Jesus had risen?

How do you think the women felt when the angel told them Jesus had risen?

Would it be easy or hard to tell people Jesus had risen from the dead?

What good news do you have that you can easily share with other people?

Who would you share your good news with?

Practical Application at Home

We have good news to share with others! Just as the women at the tomb had good news to share, we have the same good news. Jesus rose from the dead and he will return to take us to be where He is. We can live for eternity with Jesus. That’s great news! Jesus conquered death and can give us life eternal. We can share that news with others so they can also live forever with Jesus. 

Print these stepping stones, cut them out and then place them in a path along the floor. Space them so your child can hop or reach each stone within their step. As they step on the stone, read each sentence starter and have them complete the statement or thought to help facilitate a prayer for witnessing to others. Example: Pray for… (“people to witness to”); ask Jesus to… (“know what to say”); Jesus show me… (t”he right time to share”); Jesus help me… (“have courage”); I can pray for… (a list of people to pray for)

Materials: Printed stepping stones, scissors

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

We are connected to our family because we live with them and we have lots of things in common. We are also connected to other believers because we have something in common, our belief in Jesus. Jesus connects us with other people and we can help each other build our faith stronger or encourage each other when we feel down. This week we will see how Jesus connected the disciples to each other.

John 20:19-31

BIBLE STORY

Who do you depend on to help take care of you? Who do you depend on to keep you safe? Who do you depend on for food and shelter. God created us to be in connection with one another. He gives us parents, teachers, and other leaders to provide for us who we are connected to. 

I’m going to say a list of things and I want you to tell me how they are all connected. Give me a title that describes all of these things. 

-Shoelaces, rope, string, yarn (Things you can use to tie)

-Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (Colors of the Rainbow)

-Piglet, foal, chick, kid, lamb, calf (baby farm animals)

-Car, boat, limo, bus, airplane (forms of transportation)

-Rose, daisy, lily, tulip, mum (Types of flowers)

-Butter, jelly, peanut butter, honey, cream cheese (Things you spread on toast)

-Cake, cookie, candy, cupcakes, ice cream (Types of dessert)

-“My dog ate it”, “I lost it”, “you didn’t give it to me”, “I forgot” (reasons you don’t have your homework)

-Because you are you, you are a masterpiece, you are His, You are created in His image (Reasons God loves you)

-Your family, your friends, other believers in God, your classmates (People you are connected with)

The disciples were afraid after Jesus died but they still met together to encourage each other. They were not sure what they should do next, now that Jesus was dead. The disciples were connected to each other because they believed and loved Jesus so when they saw him after He was raised from the dead, their connection was even stronger. They had an even greater purpose to complete together. Jesus was alive and they needed to tell everyone!

Read or listen to the Bible story John 20:19-31

Where were the disciples on the evening of first day of the week? (Together with the doors locked)

How did Jesus come in the room? (He came and stood among them)

How did Jesus show them who he was? (He showed them his hands and side)

Why did Jesus breath of them? (To give them the Holy Spirit)

Who was not in the room when Jesus was there? (Thomas)

What did he say when the other disciple told him Jesus had been there? (Unless he saw the nail marks in his hands, and put his fingernails where the marks were and put his hand in His side; he would not believe)

What happened the following week when Thomas was with the disciples? (While the door was locked, Jesus came and stood among them)

What did Jesus say to Thomas? (Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe)

Did Thomas believe it was Jesus? (Yes, he said “My Lord and my God”

What did Jesus say about those who couldn’t see him and then believe? (Blessed are those who would not see but would still believe)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus presented himself to the disciples and they believed what the women had said about Jesus being alive. They all experienced the death and resurrection of Jesus together and this connected them to each other. We are connected with other believers because we share a common love and purpose to share the gospel of Jesus with anyone who does not already know. We are connected by Jesus and the purpose he has given each one of us that we can accomplish by working together.

Activity

The disciples were afraid and Thomas didn’t believe Jesus was alive, until they saw Jesus in the room with them. Jesus appeared from out of nowhere to the disciples and they were shocked to see him. We have all been afraid of something or doubted if something was real. But Jesus gives us faith and connects us with others who can also strengthen our faith. Listen to the following statements about animals and decide if this is believable or if you have doubts.

Materials: Scenarios printed or viewed on device

Alternate

Jesus connects us and brings us together. When the disciples saw Jesus after his death, it helped bring them together for a greater purpose. They were connected to each other through their love and faith in Jesus. We are connected to each other in a special way because of our faith. Other things are connected as well, such as a momma bear with its cub. Play this game of memory. Match the adult animals who are connected with their baby animals.

Materials: Printed memory game, scissors

Independent activity:

Draw a picture of people that Jesus has given you who you are connected with. Write their names on your picture to label the people you are connected with. These are people who help you in your faith with God and work together for a common purpose. On the top of your paper write the title “We are connected in God’s family”

Materials: Construction paper, crayons, pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Fold a sheet of white construction paper in half. Place their thumb along the fold of the paper, and then trace your child’s hands. Then cut around the hand, leaving the thumb and the bottom of the page attached. Cut a small half heart under the thumb but above the straight edged bottom of the paper to create a heart shape once the paper is opened. Open the paper and have your child place two holes in the middle of the hands then write “Jesus died” on one hand and “For Me” on the other hand.

Materials: White construction paper, scissors, crayons or markers

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Did Thomas first believe that Jesus was alive when the disciples told him?

What did Thomas need to do in order to believe Jesus was alive?

What did Jesus do to help Thomas believe?

What helps you have faith in Jesus?

How do you know that Jesus is real and near to you?

How does knowing Jesus is alive help you be courageous and brave?

Who are you connected with that helps you have stronger faith?

Are you a part of a group that serves others?

Practical Application at Home

Jesus connects us to each other through our relationship with him. We can share with others what God has done for us which continues to connect us with other believers. We can share our stories, or testimonies with others and therefore be in fellowship with each other. Think about what it is like to share stories with other people. It can leave us feeling encouraged to know someone has been through something similar to us. It can also leave us feeling comforted to know we are not alone. We can feel connected with others because we share an experience. Listen to the following story starters and choose one you can continue with your own true story. Share with your family or group your experience.

I once helped someone….

I was lost when….

I share this with a friend…..

I once share this with my enemy and…

I wish I had shared the gospel with…

I told this someone Jesus loved them and…

I encouraged someone by….

Every day I try to pray for….

I showed someone Jesus loved them by….

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Have you ever made a mistake? Have you ever done something really wrong and regretted what you did? We have all made mistakes and felt bad for our actions. Jesus can encourage us and help us feel loved, even when we do wrong things. This week we will see how Jesus gave encouragement and hope to his disciples.

John 21:1-17

BIBLE STORY

Play a game of “Who stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar”. Sit in a circle and begin by sitting criss-cross and clap your hands in the air, and then clap your hands on your lap. Altogether say this rhyme: 

“Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar…. (Everyone)

“Oh _____ stole a cookie from the cookie jar”(fill in the blank with one persons name said by the leader of the group). 

“Who me” (The person who was picked)

“Yes you!” (Everyone)

“Couldn’t be” (person picked)

“Then who” (Everyone)

_______ (the name of someone else playing, said by the last person who was picked)

Repeat from the beginning filling in the blank with the persons name who was last called out. Continue the game until everyone has had a turn being the cookie thief.  

Did you admit to stealing the cookie from the cookie jar or did you deny it? Of course we all denied stealing a cooking, we didn’t want to say it was us! This week we are reading a story of how Peter denied Jesus. The difference with us denying our cookie and Peter denying Jesus, was that Peter really did know Jesus but he didn’t want anyone to know the truth. Peter felt bad about denying Jesus but He was not sure how Jesus felt about him. Jesus encourages Peter and lets him know he is forgiven. Let’s read about what happens in the Bible reading today.

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week John 21:1-17

Who did Jesus appear to at the Sea of Galilee? (Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and 2 other disciples)

What did Peter say he was going to do that the other disciples joined with him? (Go fishing)

What was the problem they were having? (They weren’t catching any fish all night)

When Jesus was still on shore, what did He tell the disciples to do? (Throw their nets to the other side)

Who realized that it was Jesus talking to them? (John)

What did Jesus have waiting for them when they came to shore? (A fire with fish and bread on it)

When they finished eating, what did Jesus ask Peter? (Do you love me)

What was Peter’s response? (“You know that I love you”)

What did Jesus say in return? (Feed my lambs)

How many times did Jesus ask Peter if he loved him? (3 times)

Each time Peter answered the same, but how did Jesus respond each time? (“Feed my lambs”, “take care of my sheep”, “feed my sheep”)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

We’ve all made mistakes just as Peter did, and we feel sorry for them. When Jesus forgives us, we can feel encouraged. When we forgive others for the wrong things they’ve done to us, we are encouraging them through our forgiveness. Jesus wants us to encourage others not just with our words and with our actions, but also through our forgiveness.

Activity

Play this fishing game. Create a magnetic fishing set by attaching a small magnet to the ends of each fish with glue or with self adhesive magnets. Using a stick attach fishing string or yarn to the end, and then wrap and tie a paperclip to the other end of the string. Have your child go fishing with their stick fishing hook and try to catch the fish. Say the words of encouragement written on each fish as they catch them. Catch and release the fish to play several rounds. Alternately: scatter the fish cut-outs on the floor. Use marker such as a beanbag, penny or small rock, toss the marker toward the fish. If the marker lands on the fish, then read the encouraging words written on the fish.

Materials: Fish cut-outs with words of encouragement, small magnets, paperclip, stick, fishing string or yarn

Alternate

Jesus built a fire for the disciples and made breakfast for them to share and talk over. What a wonderful meal of conversation they must have enjoyed. Jesus encouraged the disciples and lifted their spirits through his gesture of food and conversation. Let’s create our own meal and blanket are that we can sit around and fellowship by. Display a small tray of fruit, nuts, cheese or other small finger snack foods to enjoy. Sit on the floor gathered around the tray of food and a blanket to share a meal and talk. Discuss what it must have been like for the disciples to sit and eat with Jesus. How did Peter feel while he sat and ate the meal? Share stories of times you have needed forgiveness and received it, or did not feel forgiven, and how either made you feel. Allow time for everyone to share.

Materials: Snacks prepared on a small tray or plate, blanket

Independent activity:

Make a poster that can be used to encourage someone or as your own reminder of how much Jesus loves and forgives you. Color and decorate the poster. You may write your favorite encouraging verse or write the following scripture . Joshua 1:9: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Materials: Printed poster, poster stickers, crayons, markers, pencils

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Cut and color fish and glue them to a large sheet of construction paper. Using brown yarn or string, create a net over the fish by placing string on top of each other in perpendicular directions. If there is space on the paper, add a boat and continue to decorate the rest of the scenery including the sea, shore and disciples.

Materials: Printed fish cut-outs, scissors, brown string/yarn, glue. crayons/markers

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

How do you think Peter felt sitting next to Jesus during the meal?

Have you ever been in trouble and not known if you were forgiven?

How does it feel to not be forgiven?

How does it feel when you are forgiven?

Do you remember your mistake and remind others of it after you are forgiven?

Do you remind others of their mistakes after you’ve forgiven them?

How can our forgiveness be encouragement to others?

Practical Application at Home

We can encourage the people around us just as Jesus encourage the disciples. Jesus encouraged the disciples by spending time with them, feeding them, showing them forgiveness, and giving them a purpose. Jesus wants us to encourage others as well. This week, look for ways to give encouragement to others. They can be people in your family, extended family, teachers, teammates or classmates. Look at the list below for ideas of things you can do. You may want to pick one idea and share the encouragement with several people or do a different encoring act each day. Look for ways to encourage others with the tools and skills God has blessed you with.

-write an encouraging note

-call a friend just to say hi

-give someone a compliment

-smile at others in the hallway at school

-give a small gift

-draw or paint a nice picture to give away

-offer your house guest or a parent something to drink or a snack

-Give someone you love a hug

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

We may have hard tasks in front of us that we know we have to complete, but we may feel as though we are not strong enough to handle it on our own. Maybe you have a difficult test coming up or you’ve had to say goodbye to a loved one. We may not feel strong enough to get through those things alone, but Jesus said he has not left us alone. This week we will see how Jesus encouraged the disciples before he returned to heaven and assured them they were not alone.

Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:3-11; Acts 4:5-12