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.