WELCOME TO WEEK 1

When it is dark outside, what do you do? Do you stand still unable to move or do anything or do you get a source of light to help you see and move? There is a light that helps us through the darkness. Jesus is our light and helps us see God more clearly.

John 1:1-18 

BIBLE STORY

Let’s use our sense of sight to determine what these objects all have in common.

Show the following objects and have your child guess what all of these objects have in common. Alternate option, show the following pictures for them to determine what they have in common.

-comb, brush, hair tie (hair grooming items)

-beach towel, beach ball, umbrella (things to use at the beach)

-poinsetta, evergreen tree, Holly bush (Christmas plants)

-fireplace, marshmallows, graham crackers (things for S’mores) 

-popcorn, movie, blanket (items for movie night)

-dice, game pieces, scoreboard (things for a game)

We use our senses to observe and learn about the world around us. We can also learn lots of things from reading books, going to museums, watching informative videos, and talking with experts about a topic. We can use all of our senses to experience the world around us and to help us better understand God. We can see God through Jesus. Jesus gives us a clearer view of who God is and how much He loves us. John the Baptist helped those around him be prepared to meet Jesus. They first needed to be prepared to see their sins so that Jesus could save them from their sins. They first needed to see that they had a need for a Savior, and John the Baptist prepared their hearts for just that. Let’s read or listen to the Bible verse this week to see how John the Baptist helped others see Jesus was their way for salvation.

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

Who was in the beginning? (The Word and God)

Who was the Word? (God)

What was done through Him? (All things were made, without him nothing was made that was made)

What was the life that was in Him? (The light of all mankind that shines in the darkness)

What has not overcome the Light? (Darkness)

What was John sent to do? (To testify concerning the Light, that through him all might believe)

Did the world the Light came to, know him? (No, although He made the world, it did not recognize him and his own did not receive Him)

Has anyone ever seen God? (Only the one and only Son who is himself God)

Who has made God known? (The One and only Son who is God and in the closest relationship with the Father)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

What are some sins we need to have forgiven? It’s sometimes hard to admit when we are wrong and when we make mistakes. We don’t often like to admit that we need help and don’t always like to admit our mistakes. But when we recognize our failures and how we fall short of perfection, we can ask Jesus to be our Savior. He is full of truth and grace and can repair our mistakes and forgive our sins.

Activity

Create a simple obstacle course for your child to walk through. Create several pairs of glasses that have different ‘lenses’ taped to the glasses’ outline. On one pair of glasses create lenses out of wrapping paper, another pair with tissue paper lenses, another pair with clear Saran Wrap lenses. Have them complete the obstacle course wearing the glasses in the order listed above, starting with the least visible lenses to the most visible. Was it easy or hard to make it through the obstacle course. What made the course easier to navigate through? When our lenses were clear it was easier to get around the course because we could see exactly what was in front of us. John the Baptist made the way to Jesus and salvation clear. He helped others see the way to salvation was through accepting Jesus as the Messiah and believing in Him. We can accept Jesus as our Savior as well and then we get a clearer view of who God is.

Materials: printable glasses, Saran Wrap, tissue paper, wrapping paper, objects of obstacle course

Alternate

John the Baptist didn’t live as an ordinary man but did things that seemed strange to others at the time. He lived in the desert, wore camels hair, a leather belt, ate honey, and locust. There were many odd things that John the Baptist did, but God had a special mission for John the Baptist and he accepted it. Think of other strange combinations and decide if you think they are add combinations or if they sound pretty normal.

-Peanut butter and Jelly

-Peanut butter and mustard

-shoes made of skunk hair

-a hairbrush made of porcupine needles

-a necklace of acorns

-mustard and cheese sandwiches

-popcorn with cinnamon

-a skirt made of seashells

-a plate made from tree bark

-cat teeth chewing gum

God can use anything for His purpose. Even things that may seem odd or strange to us is not impossible with God. Even if we have an odd way of doing things, God can use us to do mighty things for His kingdom. We just need to listen and be willing to see what God has in store for us.

Materials:

Independent activity:

Think of ways Jesus helps us see the things we should do for others more clearly. Jesus can help us see how we are to treat others and show them love. When we want to see things more clearly, we use a magnifying glass to help make small things appear bigger. Use the magnifying glass outline to draw something in the center that shows how Jesus can help you show love to others.

Materials: printed activity sheet, crayons

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What did John the Baptist do?

Who is the Light of mankind?

What did John the Baptist help other see?

How can we help others see Jesus?

How can our actions show others Jesus?

Practical Application at Home

It’s hard to see when it is dark outside. When it is hard to see we often find a light source to help us clearly see what we are not able to see in the darkness. The light is what helps us see where we are going, where we have been and to walk in a clear path. Jesus is our Light. He helps us see where He has taken us in the past. He helps us see where He is leading us in the present. He is the Light that leads us in the right direction so we don’t stumble over the things that lead us away from Him. Jesus is the Light that leads to God and salvation.

Hide a toy or an item that they’ve seen before that they need to find. Don't show them the hiding place but be sure they have seen the item prior to hiding it. Jesus is our light that shows us our mistakes or sins, and then shows us where to go. Jesus wants to help lead us out of our mistakes and sins so that we follow the path He has already planned for us. Follow my light, and see if you can find the hidden object. Jesus wants us to follow Him and stay with Him even when it gets hard, we can continue to use His Light to help show us the way. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

God can speak to us in many different ways, but we have to be ready to listen. This week we will practice using our sense of hearing to grow closer to God and listen to His instructions.

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 

BIBLE STORY

What are some things you listen to? Do you listen to music, the sound of rain, or your favorite story? We have been given 5 senses and our sense of sound helps us learn about the world around us. Listen to these animal sounds and see if you can guess what animal it is. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8emJyUvl6g

We use our sense of sound to hear all types of things and it is one of our senses that we can use to get to know God better too! Last week we learned that John the Baptist was sent to prepare the people’s heart for Jesus’ coming. Jesus gives us a clearer view of who God is. This week we see that God can speak to us if we listen. John the Baptist heard God speak over Jesus and declare Him his son in whom He was pleased. WHen Jesus came to where John the Baptist was baptizing people in water, John recognized Jesus as the Savior. He knew that One that was greater than he had arrived. Although he didn’t see himself as worthy to baptize Jesus, he listened to what Jesus asked and obeyed. He was then able to witness and hear God proclaim Jesus as His son. What a wonderful experience. Although we may not hear an audible voice from God, we too can know when he speaks to us and listen. 

Read or listen to Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 

What did John say he baptized with? (Water)

Who would come after him? (One mightier than he whose sandals he was not worthy to loose)

What would he baptize with? (The Holy Spirit and fire)

What would he do with the wheat? (Gather it to the barn)

What would he do with the chaff? (Burn with unquenchable fire)

What happened after Jesus was baptized? (The heavens opened)

How did the Holy Spirit descend on him? (In bodily form like a dove upon Him)

What did the voice say? (You are my beloved son; in you I am well pleased)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

John the Baptist witnessed God speaking over Jesus. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming he knew this was the Savior he had been proclaiming. It was confirmed when he heard God declaring Jesus was his Son in whom He was pleased. John was willing to listen and obey God and we can listen for what God wants to tell us as well.

Activity

God speaks to use in various ways. He spoke to those in the Bible, such as his prophets, sometimes in an audible voice, in a dream, or through a prophet. God can speak to us through the Bible, spiritual leaders, teachers and parents. We can trust we are hearing God’s instructions when it is aligned with the truth in God’s bible. Listen to the times God spoke to people in the Bible and decide who God is talking to or other details from the story.

-I Am that I Am (Moses at burning bush)

-“Let there be Light, and there was light” (at creation)

-“Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you” (God to Noah)

-Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you (Abraham leaving his country)

-“Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” (Jonah after Nineveh repents)

-“Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Cain when jealous of Abel)

-You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden)

-“My servant Moses is dead. Now you and all these people go across the Jordan River into the land I am giving to the Israelites” (Joshua in the wilderness)

Materials: bible (optional)

Alternate

We can practice using our listening skills by playing games and paying attention to the things we hear. Play this game of sound charades. Without using words or actions, make the sound listed on your card and see if you can get the others to guess your sound.

Materials: printed charade cards

Independent activity:

When John the Baptist baptized people, he baptized using water but he knew Jesus would come and baptize with the Holy Spirit. Those who wanted to repent and knew they were in need of a Savior came to be baptized in the water. Complete the following activity sheet: color the things you would find in the water.

Materials: printed activity sheet, crayons

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What did John the Baptist come to do?

What was the difference in the way John baptized and how Jesus would baptize?

What did God say to Jesus when he was baptized?

How did John listen to God’s voice?

How can our sense of hearing help us know God better?

What are some ways we can listen to God?

When God speaks to us, how can we share that with others?

Practical Application at Home

When we pray we often make requests of God but sometimes it may not be answered right away.We might forget we made the request or not even realize our requests were answered. When we pray, it is important to see God’s hand at work even when our prayers are not answered in the way we thought they should be answered. When we take time to reflect on God’s answered prayers, we can see God’s hand in all parts of our lives and see how things worked together for His good. 

Make a prayer box out of a hat box, shoe box or any other small box. Take a little time to decorate the box with stickers, pictures, and your favorite bible verses. Cut a small slit in the top of the lid for papers to pass through and then place the lid on the box. As you have prayer request, write them on a small sheet of paper and then place them in the box. After some time has passes, go through the box and read through your prayers to see if any have been answered. You can then get rid of those request as you offer a prayer of thanksgiving, or glue them into a notebook for answered prayers.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

What’s the best way to know if something tastes good? You taste it! It’s fun to taste test different  foods and discover new foods we might like. Good tasting food is beset discovered by experiencing it. We can get a taste of who God is by experiencing Him and trusting him in good and bad times.

John 2:1-11 

BIBLE STORY

Gather geometric shaped tiles or cut out different shapes using construction paper. Be sure to have basic shapes such as square, rectangle, circle and triangle. Have several of each shape available for your child to use. 

Look at all of these shapes in front of us. Let’s make a simple picture using these shapes. You can allow them to make their own picture or you can guide them through making a specific picture. For example, start by making a house, then use those same shapes to see if you can turn it into a boat. Then start by making a scarecrow, then use those same shapes to turn it into a snowman. Do this several times, making a picture and then using those same shapes to turn it into a new picture without adding or taking away any shapes, then starting all over with new shapes. 

Was it easy or hard to create a new picture using the same shapes from the previous picture? Sometimes it was easy and sometimes we had to find new ways to use shapes that didn’t really fit our picture. It can be hard to make one thing turn into something completely different, but God has the power to do that in our lives. This week Jesus will show people a taste of God’s power. God can take one thing and turn it into something completely different and new! When Jesus was at a wedding feast they ran out of wine and they needed more. It would have been a disgrace to run out of wine to serve their guest! Jesus turn regular water into something completely new, wine! Only the power of God can make something turn into a completely different thing. Let’s see what happened in the story by reading from the Bible.

Read or listen to John 2:1-11

Where was Jesus and his disciples? (At a wedding feast)

What was the problem that occurred at the wedding? (They ran out of wine)

What did Jesus’ mother tell him? (They have no more wine)

What did Jesus reply to His mother? (My time has not yet come)

What did Jesus tell the servants to do? (Fill the jars with water then take it to the master of the banquet)

Did the master of the banquet know where the wine had come from? (No, he didn’t know but the servants knew)

What did the master say to the bridegroom? (Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then as the ceremony goes on they bring out the cheap wine when no one will notice)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Jesus gave everyone a taste of God’s power when he changed the water into wine. Only the power of God could make something new from plain water. Let’s take a taste test to see if we can determine what something is just based on our sense of smell. Gather several items for your child to taste that is sweet, salty, and sour. Hide the items so your child cannot see what they are before tasting it. Once they have tasted an item, ask them to guess what they think it is before you reveal to them the actual item. Test as many items as you would like. Ask them if they enjoy the flavor and if they think the taste is salty, sweet, sour, or bitter.

Materials: Various foods for testing, small cups to hide food or a blindfold

Alternate

Try to turn water into wine or juice. Take a glass of water and add red or other food coloring (just a little to change the color). Ask Do you think we made juice? Let’s taste it and see if we made a wonderful juice. This really just tastes like water, we may have changed the way the water looked, but we didn’t really change it into something new. Let’s try again with another glass. How can we make some sort of juice? Discuss what it would take to make juice. We can’t turn water into juice, but we can turn fruit into juice or a smoothie by physical change. We’ve not really made something new but instead changed the form of the fruit. God can change something into a new thing, but we do not have the power to do what God can do. Let’s make juice or a smoothie from our fruit. Blend fruit with a blender to make a fruit smoothie or use a juicer if you have one.

Materials: Water, food coloring (red), variety of fruit, blender or juicer

Independent activity:

God made some animals with the ability to completely change into a new looking animal as they grow and change. This is called metamorphosis. An example of an animal that uses metamorphosis is a caterpillar that changes into a butterfly. Think of an animal and imagine if it could morph into something new. Fold a sheet of paper inn half and draw a picture of your animal on one side and then draw the animal you would have it change into one the other side.

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Have you ever heard of a delicious new dessert or candy that you’ve never tasted?

How do you really know if that special dessert is good?

How does tasting the dessert for yourself help you know for sure if it is good or not?

Can we know God really well just from hearing others experience God?

How can we get closer to God and experience Him for ourselves?

Is it easier to trust God wants what is good for when everything is going well or when its going bad?

How can we learn to trust God when everything seems to be going wrong?

Practical Application at Home

Think of your favorite dessert or candy and taste it if you have it on hand. If not, taste another dessert that you really enjoy. Think of all the words you would use to describe this favorite food. Describe how it looks, taste, smells and how it makes you feel.

Using a sheet of paper, divide the paper in half. On one side write the name of your dessert on top then list below it all the words you thought of to describe it. On the other side of the page label it God/Jesus and then list all of the words you would use to describe your experience with God. We may not share this exact list with others, but notice the words you use to describe God, try to share who He is to you with someone you know this week. 

We all experience God through our good and bad times. No ones experiences are exactly the same, but we can trust that God is the same throughout time. He is trustworthy, he is faithful, and he is just. Our lives may not always go the way we want or thought it would, but we can trust that God will be faithful through it all. Trusting and relying on God through all of our experiences will strengthen our walk with Him and bring us into a closer relationship with Him. This does not mean life will be perfect, but we can wait and trust God’s perfect plan for our lives. What He wants more than anything is for us to live in relationship with Him.

Materials: Sheet of paper divided in half, writing utensil

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

What is the greatest thing you’ve experienced? God wants us to experience Him and we can do that in more than one way. We can experience God using our senses. This week we will see how we can experience God through His word!

Luke 4:14-21

BIBLE STORY

We can get to know God better through our sense of touch. Let’s go on a hunt! Listen to these directions and see if you can bring back something that fits the description. 

Find something that…

   Is Rough

   Has 4 edges

   Is squishy

   Is fluffy

   Feels cold

   Soothes the skin

   Warms you up

   Keeps you cool

It’s fun to search for things that we use when we feel a certain way. When I am itchy I want something that soothes my skin. When I am cold I might make tea to warm myself. I can experience lots of feelings, emotions and activities that help me connect. We can also connect with God through our experiences. God wants us to get to know Him better through all of our senses. We can experience God through our senses throughout our life and also though the experiences we read in the Bible. Our lesson today tells us that Jesus went to preach in the synagogue and the people there experiences something big! They were able to witness Jesus reading a scripture that He was fulfilling before their eyes. 

Read or listen to Luke 4:14-21 

What was Jesus doing in Galilee? (Preaching in their synagogues)

How did the people feel about Jesus when he was preaching? (Everyone praised Him)

What city was Jesus in when he went to preach in the synagogue? (Nazareth)

What scroll was given to Jesus to read? (The scroll of Isaiah)

What did they scripture reading say the anointing was for? (To spread the good news to the poor, proclaim freedom to the prisoners, restore sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free)

What had Jesus said before reading this scripture? (Today this scripture if fulfilled in your hearing)

How did the people listening to Jesus react? (The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

We can experience God through reading the stories in the Bible. Pick a few stories from the Bible to act out and retell through a skit. As a family, pick parts and choose costumes if desired, then retell the story through acting. We were able to experience these bible stories better because we acted out the parts. We can almost feel their experience by reenacting it. God wants us to experience Him through the reading of the Bible.

Materials: optional: costumes for bible stories

Alternate

The Bible has many storiees that tell us more about who God is and how much he loves us. Think about the stories in the Bible and how they can share God’s love for us and how much he takes care of us. Play this game of charades. Act out the following bible stories as the audience guesses what story is being told.

Materials:

Independent activity:

Think of your favorite bible scripture and then make your own scroll with using your verse. Follow these steps to make your own scroll. Write your verse on a sheet of construction paper, gently tear each of the 4 sides of the sheet of paper. Just tear a fourth inch of the edge letting it tear imperfectly. Then attach the ends to two dowel rods and roll them inwardly.

Materials: sheet of construction paper, 2 small dowel rods, pencil or pen

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to 2 Timothy 3:14-17 

This scripture describes the Bible as God-breathed. God’s word is described as having life. God has made the Bible not just a book of words or stories, but He has breathed life into the Bible to teach, rebuke, discipline, and train in righteousness.  We can experience what God has for us through the Bible. 

What is the Bible useful for?

What can the Bible equip us for?

What are some ways the Bible instructs?

How can you use bible scriptures to help make decision.

What is something you’ve learned from the Bible that you can share with others?

Is it important to regularly read your bible?

What are some things you can do this week to ensure you read your bible daily?

Practical Application at Home

When we read God’s word we are not just reading stories from a book but reading God’s words and instructions to us. We can have a greater experience with God through the reading of His word. He can instruct us in the path we should take, give us comfort in times of sadness, remind us of how much God loves us, and can give us God’s peace. We need all of those things because sometimes life can be hard, and God’s word can guide us through. 

Take time to share how the Bible has given you a greater experience with God. Tell how the Bible deepened your relationship with God and helped you experience God more. It is important to share stories with one another to strengthen our faith. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 5

This month we have used our senses to experience God. We have experienced, tasted, listened for God. We can get to know God better and grow closer to Him through all of the senses He has given us. This week we will see that following God makes us stand out, like a strong smell!

Luke 4:22-30 

BIBLE STORY

This week we are using our sense of smell to experience God. There are things that stand out to us, like a strong smell. Think of the types of smells you might encounter at the following places.

At grandmas house

At the zoo

At a restaurant

In a back alley

In your classroom

In the bathroom

In a garden

Driving past a skunk

There are smells everywhere, some are pleasant and some are very unpleasant. A really bad smell can stand out and catch our attention and a sweet smell can make us stop and figure out where it is coming from. We can stand out from others when we follow God. When we follow Him, we might not always agree with how others believe and we might not always be liked for our beliefs. But God calls us to follow Him and therefore stand out. Last week we saw Jesus stand up in the synagogue and proclaim that he was fulfilling a scripture that was describing the awaited Messiah. We will see this week that the people who saw Jesus grow up from a little boy, had a hard time believing Jesus was the Messiah. They wanted him to prove himself. They did not accept Him and Jesus had to continue on with his ministry someplace else. Let’s read to see what happened. 

Read or listen to Luke 4:22-30

What did those from Nazareth say about Jesus? (Is this not Josephs son?)

What did Jesus say they wanted him to do? (Heal them as he had healed those in Capernaum)

What was Jesus’ response? (No prophet is accepted in his own country)

What story did Jesus reference from the old testament? (When there was no rain for 3 years during the time of Elijah and Elisha healing Naaman)

What was the same about both of those stories? (There were those in need inside Israel but both prophets had to go outside of Israel; Elijah receive helped from a widow from Zarephath and Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian)

How did those who heard Jesus words react? (They were filled with wrath and rose up to throw him out the city.)

Where had they planned to throw Jesus? (They led him to the brow of the hill, to where the city was built, that they might throw him over the cliff)

How did Jesus escape? (He passed through their midst, and went on his way)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

When we follow God it may look like we are standing out because we are doing something others may not want to do. When we show kindness, offer a helping hand, or have peace during a time when everything seems to be going wrong, we are standing out from the way others who do not follow God might behave. Practice role playing several scenarios with your group, showing what it might look like to stand out for God. When we follow what God would have us do, it may look strange to the people observing, but we can trust we are following God’s example to love others. Jesus stood out because he was the Messiah that some had not accepted. Jesus was doing things a new way and they did not know what to think of it all. Sometimes others may think the things we are doing is strange, but we can know we are standing out because we are following God.

Materials: scenarios

Alternate

There are some smells that stand out to us because they give us a warning and help keep us safe. Think of some smells that stand out in order to keep you safe from harm. Listen to the following scenarios and decide how their sense of smell gave them a warning.

Materials: scenarios

Independent activity:

Create a smell test for your family. Use small cups or containers with lids. Rub a cotton ball with a scent and then place it in the cup and cover with the lid or aluminum foil. Poke small holes in the tops using a pencil. Label each cup and write down each scent to remember for later. Have your family smell and guess each cups scent. They can guess out loud or write it down and then check with your labeled sheet to see if they were right! Possible scents: pickle juice, peppermint oil, jelly, honey, maple syrup, dish soap, body soap, perfume, hand soap, banana, vanilla flavor, rubbing alcohol, evergreen scent

Materials: Cotton balls, small cup, aluminum foil or other lid with holes, pencil, Possible scents: pickle juice, peppermint oil, jelly, honey, maple syrup, dish soap, body soap, perfume, hand soap, banana, vanilla flavor, rubbing alcohol, evergreen scent

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Why did the people of Jesus’ hometown have a hard time believing in who he was?

What did the people of Nazareth want to do with Jesus?

How was Jesus able to escape?

What can we do when we feel others are against us as we follow Jesus?

Who can we rely on to help us through?

What are some things you can do to stand out for Jesus?

Why is standing out for Jesus a good thing?

Practical Application at Home

Think of some ways you can stand out at school, on the playground or on your team? How can you show that you are a follower of Jesus and treat others as such? Think of some of these ideas of how to stand out this week and choose a few of them to do this week. Find ways to show others’ Jesus love this week and then thank God for the opportunities you are blessed with this week.

-open the door for others around you

-give a helping hand to an opposing player

-say a kind word to someone when others may be saying unkind words

-play with someone at recess that is not playing with anyone

-Let others cut in front of you in line

-pray before eating during lunchtime 

-Give God open credit for a blessing He has given you when someone asks

-Share your favorite bible story with a friend

-Be honest during your game even if you have the chance to cheat

-When disputing a point or argument, choose to end the argument and give them the point

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

When it is dark outside, what do you do? Do you stand still unable to move or do anything or do you get a source of light to help you see and move? There is a light that helps us through the darkness. Jesus is our light and helps us see God more clearly.

John 1:1-18 ; John 14:6-11 

BIBLE STORY

Show pictures of several items one at a time and see if your child can tell a bible story that uses or talks about the item you showed. See how fast they can come up with a story or instance when that item was talked about in the Bible, or time them to see how many items they can give a story to in under 1 minute (or other appropriate time for their age).

When you saw each item, did it quickly remind you of a story in the Bible that talked about that item? We may have closed our eyes to think or remember, or kept our eyes open visualizing the story. We use all of our senses when we learn from the Bible or the world around us. We use our sense of sight to observe and record the information we see. We listen to stories that impress us or create new emotions. Our senses play a large role in how we learn and take in new information.This month we will use our senses to learn about the world around us and learn more about God. We can see God through Jesus. Jesus gives us a clearer view of who God is and how much He loves us. John the Baptist helped those around him be prepared to meet Jesus. They first needed to be prepared to see their sins so that Jesus could save them from their sins. They first needed to see that they had a need for a Savior, and John the Baptist prepared their hearts for just that. Let’s read or listen to the Bible verse this week to see how John the Baptist helped others see Jesus was their way for salvation.

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

Who was in the beginning? (The Word and God)

Who was the Word? (God)

What was done through Him? (All things were made, without him nothing was made that was made)

What was the life that was in Him? (The light of all mankind that shines in the darkness)

What has not overcome the Light? (Darkness)

What was John sent to do? (To testify concerning the Light, that through him all might believe)

Did the world the Light came to, know him? (No, although He made the world, it did not recognize him and his own did not receive Him)

Has anyone ever seen God? (Only the one and only Son who is himself God)

Who has made God known? (The One and only Son who is God and in the closest relationship with the Father)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

What are some sins we need to have forgiven. It’s sometimes hard to admit when we are wrong and when we make mistakes. We don’t often like to admit that we need help and don’t always like to admit our mistakes. But when we recognize our failures and how we fall short of perfection, we can ask Jesus to be our Savior. He is full of truth and grace and can repair our mistakes and forgive our sins.

Activity

Create a simple obstacle course for your child to walk through. Create several pairs of glasses that have different ‘lenses’ taped to the glasses’ outline. On one pair of glasses create lenses out of wrapping paper, another pair with tissue paper lenses, another pair with clear Saran Wrap lenses. Have them complete the obstacle course wearing the glasses in the order listed above, starting with the least visible lenses to the most visible. Was it easy or hard to make it through the obstacle course. What made the course easier to navigate through? When our lenses were clear it was easier to get around the course because we could see exactly what was in front of us. John the Baptist made the way to Jesus and salvation clear. He helped others see the way to salvation was through accepting Jesus as the Messiah and believing in Him. We can accept Jesus as our Savior as well and then we get a clearer view of who God is.

Materials: printed eyeglasses, Saran Wrap, tissue paper, wrapping paper, objects for obstacle course

Alternate

Sometimes it is hard for us to see clearly the reasons why things happen, or why our parents give us certain rule for guidelines. Listen to some of the following statements and see if you can see clearly the reasons for these restrictions. Then see if you can think of some on your own.

My parents don’t let me play in the street because they don’t want me to have fun… or because they want me to be safe and not hit by a car.

My teacher makes me take these test because she wants me to fail… or because she wants me to see how much I’ve learned.

My brother doesn’t let me drive his car because he is selfish… or because I’m not old enough to drive and could hurt myself or others.

My parents don’t let me do whatever I want to do because they are unfair… or because they know I’m not old enough to know all the consequences to my actions.

My parents don’t let me watch whatever I want to watch on TV because they think I’m a baby… or because they know some things are not good for me to see that can not be unseen.

Materials:

Independent activity:

Create your own exhibit of John the Baptist. Create a 3D version or draw a picture. Be sure to include a picture of John the Baptist, and several artifacts or items that describe him or things he used. Include his environment such as where he may have lived in the wild or the stream where he baptized others. Write a small description under each artifact or item. Optional: create the exhibit using a shoebox, clay, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, and various craft items.

Materials: paper, crayons, optional: shoebox, clay, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, various craft items

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Has anyone see God the Father in heaven? Earlier we read that only the One and Only Son has seen and has the closest relationship with the Father in heaven. One of Jesus’ disciples, Philip, wanted Jesus to show him the father. Read or listen to John 14:6-11.

What did Philip want Jesus to show them?

What was Jesus’ response?

How had Jesus already shown the disciples God the Father?

Who was giving Jesus the authority on earth to do the miracle the disciples were seeing?

Being a reflection of something else, means you are getting a visual of the image you want to see. If you see a reflection in the mirror, it is just like seeing the actual object. Jesus was saying that when they looked on him, observed His behaviors, or listened to his words, they were see the Father as well. Jesus did not do anything outside of the Father’s will, so looking on him was simply a reflection of God the Father. We are not God, but we can help others see God through our actions, words, and the love we show them. We can live in such a way that we allow God’s love to shine through us to others. 

Use a mirror that is angled in such a way that you can see the face of the person sitting next to you. As you look into the mirror at your partner, use words to give a detailed description of them. Then swap places and have them describe you in detail. 

Practical Application at Home

It’s hard to see when it is dark outside. When it is hard to see we often find a light source to help us clearly see what we are not able to see in the darkness. The light is what helps us see where we are going, where we have been and to walk in a clear path. Jesus is our Light. He helps us see where He has taken us in the past. He helps us see where He is leading us in the present. He is the Light that leads us in the right direction so we don’t stumble over the things that lead us away from Him. Jesus is the Light that leads to God and salvation.

Hide a toy or an item that they’ve seen before that they need to find. Don't show them the hiding place but be sure they have seen the item prior to hiding it. Jesus is our light that shows us our mistakes or sins, and then shows us where to go. Jesus wants to help lead us out of our mistakes and sins so that we follow the path He has already planned for us. Follow my light, and see if you can find the hidden object. Jesus wants us to follow Him and stay with Him even when it gets hard, we can continue to use His Light to help show us the way. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

God can speak to us in many different ways, but we have to be ready to listen. This week we will practice using our sense of hearing to grow closer to God and listen to His instructions.

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 ; Psalm 29 

BIBLE STORY

Let’s take a moment to listen to our environment and see what things we can hear. On a sheet of paper, list as many sounds as you can hear until the timer goes off. Then we will compare our lists to see if we heard the same things and how many things we were able to hear. 

We use our sense of sound to hear all types of things and it is one of our senses that we can use to get to know God better too! Last week we learned that John the Baptist was sent to prepare the people’s heart for Jesus’ coming. Jesus gives us a clearer view of who God is. This week we see that God can speak to us if we listen. John the Baptist heard God speak over Jesus and declare Him his son in whom He was pleased. WHen Jesus came to where John the Baptist was baptizing people in water, John recognized Jesus as the Savior. He knew that One that was greater than he had arrived. Although he didn’t see himself as worthy to baptize Jesus, he listened to what Jesus asked and obeyed. He was then able to witness and hear God proclaim Jesus as His son. What a wonderful experience. Although we may not hear an audible voice from God, we too can know when he speaks to us and listen.

Materials: Sheet of paper, outdoor space

Read or listen to Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 

What did John say he baptized with? (Water)

Who would come after him? (One mightier than he whose sandals he was not worthy to loose)

What would he baptize with? (The Holy Spirit and fire)

What would he do with the wheat? (Gather it to the barn)

What would he do with the chaff? (Burn with unquenchable fire)

What happened after Jesus was baptized? (The heavens opened)

How did the Holy Spirit descend on him? (In bodily form like a dove upon Him)

What did the voice say? (You are my beloved son; in you I am well pleased)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

John the Baptist witnessed God speaking over Jesus. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming he knew this was the Savior he had been proclaiming. It was confirmed when he heard God declaring Jesus was his Son in whom He was pleased. John was willing to listen and obey God and we can listen for what God wants to tell us as well.

Activity

God speaks to use in various ways. He spoke to those in the Bible, such as his prophets, sometimes in an audible voice, in a dream, or through a prophet. God can speak to us through the Bible, spiritual leaders, teachers and parents. We can trust we are hearing God’s instructions when it is aligned with the truth in God’s bible. Listen to the times God spoke to people in the Bible and decide who God is talking to or other details from the story.

-I Am that I Am (Moses at burning bush)

-“Let there be Light, and there was light” (at creation)

-“Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you” (God to Noah)

-Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you (Abraham leaving his country)

-“Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” (Jonah after Nineveh repents)

-“Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Cain when jealous of Abel)

-You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden)

-“My servant Moses is dead. Now you and all these people go across the Jordan River into the land I am giving to the Israelites” (Joshua in the wilderness)

Materials: bible (optional)

Alternate

Go on a sound scavenger hunt. Find objects around your house or outside that make the following sounds. Complete the Bingo card and write or draw a picture of the object in the box that makes the corresponding sound.

Materials: Scavenger hunt printed, pencil

Independent activity:

God can speak to us in many different ways. Think of some ways God may speak to us. Create a list of ways God can speak to you or has spoken to you in the past. Complete the following activity sheet, writing the ways God has or can speak to you. Keep this sheet to remind yourself to listen for various ways God can speak to you.

Materials: printed activity sheet, crayons

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Psalm 29

In this scripture David describes God’s voice in a variety of ways. He gives very descriptive words for sound. Listen to the sound words David uses to describe God’s voice. What are a few sounds you hear after reading this scripture?

How does David describe the strength in God’s voice?

How does David describe the sound in God’s voice?

How does David describe the volume of God’s voice?

Is there only one way to hear God?

Have you ever heard God speak to you?

Was it in an audible voice, or a small voice from within?

Although David describes God’s voice as thunderous, mighty, and powerful, we often don’t hear from God in that way. Think about Elijah hid in a cave in Beersheba after Jezebel threatened to kill him. He was afraid and there was a mighty wind, and earthquake and a fire, but God was not in any of those things. Then a still small voice spoke to Elijah and that was God speaking and comforting Elijah. God is able to speak to us through fire, wind, and many other powerful ways, but He can also speak to us through a small voice, His bible, our parents or church leaders. We can practice listening to God’s voice in the stillness or quiet times.

Practical Application at Home

When we pray we often make requests of God but sometimes it may not be answered right away. We might forget we made the request or not even realize our requests were answered. When we pray, it is important to see God’s hand at work even when our prayers are not answered in the way we thought they should be answered. When we take time to reflect on God’s answered prayers, we can see God’s hand in all parts of our lives and see how things worked together for His good. 

Make a prayer box out of a hat box, shoe box or any other small box. Take a little time to decorate the box with stickers, pictures, and your favorite bible verses. Cut a small slit in the top of the lid for papers to pass through and then place the lid on the box. As you have prayer request, write them on a small sheet of paper and then place them in the box. After some time has passes, go through the box and read through your prayers to see if any have been answered. You can then get rid of those request as you offer a prayer of thanksgiving, or glue them into a notebook for answered prayers. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

What’s the best way to know if something tastes good? You taste it! It’s fun to taste test different  foods and discover new foods we might like. Good tasting food is beset discovered by experiencing it. We can get a taste of who God is by experiencing Him and trusting him in good and bad times.

John 2:1-11  Psalm 34:8-9

BIBLE STORY

There are many animals that God created that possess a lot of power for their size, or are just very powerful animals! Listen to these questions and see if you can guess their strength or power. 

Those are amazing facts about the power God gave those animals. For as powerful as they may be, God’s power is far more amazing. This week we will see howJesus shows people a taste of God’s power. God can take one thing and turn it into something completely different and new! When Jesus was at a wedding feast they ran out of wine and they needed more. It would have been a disgrace to run out of wine to serve their guest! Jesus turn regular water into something completely new, wine! Only the power of God can make something turn into a completely different thing. Let’s see what happened in the story by reading from the Bible.

Read or listen to John 2:1-11

Where was Jesus and his disciples? (At a wedding feast)

What was the problem that occurred at the wedding? (They ran out of wine)

What did Jesus’ mother tell him? (They have no more wine)

What did Jesus reply to His mother? (My time has not yet come)

What did Jesus tell the servants to do? (Fill the jars with water then take it to the master of the banquet)

Did the master of the banquet know where the wine had come from? (No, he didn’t know but the servants knew)

What did the master say to the bridegroom? (Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then as the ceremony goes on they bring out the cheap wine when no one will notice)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

What Jesus did when he turned the water into wine, was not a trick or an illusion. The servants witnessed regular water they poured into the jars turn into real wine that the master of the banquet tasted and said was better than the first wine served. The servants witnessed the miracle as they did what Jesus asked of them. Turning water into wine can only be done by the power of God. Think of some tricks you may be able to do. Show your trick to your family and see if they can figure out how you completed your trick. Then tell how your trick is different from a real miracle God can do. For example: I made this coin appear from behind your ear, but Jesus made a coin appear from the mouth of a fish. Help your child compare their trick to a real miracle if they have a hard time thinking of miracles from the Bible. Only God has the power to perform miracles, we are only able to change the appearance of things, but God can change something into a new thing.

Materials: various items for your talent/trick

Alternate

Try to turn water into wine or juice. Take a glass of water and add red or other food coloring (just a little to change the color). Ask Do you think we made juice? Let’s taste it and see if we made a wonderful juice. This really just tastes like water, we may have changed the way the water looked, but we didn’t really change it into something new. Let’s try again with another glass. How can we make some sort of juice? Discuss what it would take to make juice. We can’t turn water into juice, but we can turn fruit into juice or a smoothie by physical change. We’ve not really made something new but instead changed the form of the fruit. God can change something into a new thing, but we do not have the power to do what God can do. Let’s make juice or a smoothie from our fruit. Blend fruit with a blender to make a fruit smoothie or use a juicer if you have one.

Materials: Water, food coloring (red), variety of fruit, blender or juicer

Independent activity:

In the Bible Jesus continued to perform many more miracles throughout his ministry. Turning water to wine was the beginning of his ministry but there were even more powerful miracles performed to show people God’s power. Think of other ordinary items Jesus used to perform a miracle. Use the following activity sheet to tell of a miracle Jesus performed using that item. If you can not think of the miracle, try doing a search using an online bible.

Materials: printed activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

 Read or listen to Psalm 34:8-9

Taste and see that the Lord is good is a very visual wording for discovering more about God. When we eat food, we use our sight and our taste to discover food and determine if it is good. When food is presented to us in an appealing way we are more likely to enjoy the flavors. God is tell us to taste and see that He is good. God wants us to experience Him not from a distance or just on what we hear, but to experience Him for ourselves. We can see God in every part of our lives and recognize that our blessings come from Him. God is not distant from us but near for us to be in relationship with Him. We can experience food not just for its’ taste but also because it is good for our bodies because it gives us nutrients that we need to survive. We can depend on God to be enough to supply for our needs and give us the good things He knows we need. When we trust God in the good and bad times, we are experiencing God in a closer relationship for ourselves.

Have you ever heard of a delicious new dessert or candy that you’ve never tasted?

How do you really know if that special dessert is good?

How does tasting the dessert for yourself help you know for sure if it is good or not?

Can we know God really well just from hearing others experience God?

How can we get closer to God and experience Him for ourselves?

Is it easier to trust God wants what is good for when everything is going well or when its going bad?

How can we learn to trust God when everything seems to be going wrong?

Practical Application at Home

Think of your favorite dessert or candy and taste it if you have it on hand. If not, taste another dessert that you really enjoy. Think of all the words you would use to describe this favorite food. Describe how it looks, taste, smells and how it makes you feel.

Using a sheet of paper, divide the paper in half. On one side write the name of your dessert on top then list below it all the words you thought of to describe it. On the other side of the page label it God/Jesus and then list all of the words you would use to describe your experience with God. We may not share this exact list with others, but notice the words you use to describe God, try to share who He is to you with someone you know this week. 

We all experience God through our good and bad times. No ones experiences are exactly the same, but we can trust that God is the same throughout time. He is trustworthy, he is faithful, and he is just. Our lives may not always go the way we want or thought it would, but we can trust that God will be faithful through it all. Trusting and relying on God through all of our experiences will strengthen our walk with Him and bring us into a closer relationship with Him. This does not mean life will be perfect, but we can wait and trust God’s perfect plan for our lives. What He wants more than anything is for us to live in relationship with Him.

Materials: Sheet of paper folded in half

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

What is the greatest thing you’ve experienced? God wants us to experience Him and we can do that in more than one way. We can experience God using our senses. This week we will see how we can experience God through His word!

Luke 4:14-21; 2 Timothy 3:14-17 

BIBLE STORY

Let’s have a bible race. I’m going to read several statements, race to see if you can find a place in scripture when Jesus did these things. If you can’t find the Bible verse, you can tell an example from the Bible when Jesus fulfilled the following statements.

   Was filled with God’s Spirit

   Gave good news to the poor

   Freed the prisoners

   Helped the blind to see

Jesus fulfilled all of these statements. These statements are actually prophecy that Isaiah wrote long before Jesus was born. When Jesus was in Galilee, his hometown, He read this scripture in the sanctuary and proclaimed He was fulfilling the scripture that day. You can imagine the shock that would cause to those who were listening. The Messiah they had been waiting for all this time was Jesus, the boy they had watched grow up. They had the unique opportunity to get to know God through the written scripture. The written words they had heard so many times before were being made real right in front of them. God wants us to experience His word in the same way. He wants us to have an experience with Him, to build relationships, and to get to know Him better. 

Read or listen to Luke 4:14-21

What was Jesus doing in Galilee? (Preaching in their synagogues)

How did the people feel about Jesus when he was preaching? (Everyone praised Him)

What city was Jesus in when he went to preach in the synagogue? (Nazareth)

What scroll was given to Jesus to read? (The scroll of Isaiah)

What did they scripture reading say the anointing was for? (To spread the good news to the poor, proclaim freedom to the prisoners, restore sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free)

What had Jesus said before reading this scripture? (Today this scripture if fulfilled in your hearing)

How did the people listening to Jesus react? (The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

We can experience God through reading the stories in the Bible. Pick a few stories from the Bible to act out and retell through a skit. As a family, pick parts and choose costumes if desired, then retell the story through acting. We were able to experience these bible stories better because we acted out the parts. We can almost feel their experience by reenacting it. God wants us to experience Him through the reading of the Bible.

Materials: optional costumes for skits

Alternate

Think of a few bible stories and then retell the story in first person. Speak as if you are the person in the story telling your story to the audience. Give key and important events to your story so that others can figure out who you are. As you say your narrative about the story, have the audience guess who the story is about.

Materials:

Independent activity:

think of your favorite scripture and make a scroll using the scripture. Follow these steps to make your own scroll. Write your verse on a sheet of construction paper, gently tear each of the 4 sides of the sheet of paper. Just tear a fourth inch of the edge letting it tear imperfectly. Then attach the ends to two dowel rods and roll them inwardly.

Materials: construction paper, 2 dowel rods, pen or pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to 2 Timothy 3:14-17 

This scripture describes the Bible as God-breathed. God’s word is described as having life. God has made the Bible not just a book of words or stories, but He has breathed life into the Bible to teach, rebuke, discipline, and train in righteousness.  We can experience what God has for us through the Bible. 

What is the Bible useful for?

What can the Bible equip us for?

What are some ways the Bible instructs?

How can you use bible scriptures to help make decision.

What is something you’ve learned from the Bible that you can share with others?

Is it important to regularly read your bible?

What are some things you can do this week to ensure you read your bible daily?

Practical Application at Home

When we read God’s word we are not just reading stories from a book but reading God’s words and instructions to us. We can have a greater experience with God through the reading of His word. He can instruct us in the path we should take, give us comfort in times of sadness, remind us of how much God loves us, and can give us God’s peace. We need all of those things because sometimes life can be hard, and God’s word can guide us through. 

Take time to share how the Bible has given you a greater experience with God. Tell how the Bible deepened your relationship with God and helped you experience God more. It is important to share stories with one another to strengthen our faith. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 5

This month we have used our senses to experience God. We have experienced, tasted, listened for God. We can get to know God better and grow closer to Him through all of the senses He has given us. This week we will see that following God makes us stand out, like a strong smell.

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

BIBLE STORY

Some animals stand out for some of the special abilities they have. We can probably identify animals with only a few special traits they possess. Listen to these clues about some special animal traits and guess what animal I am giving clues about.

This animal…

-Has a long rough tongue, a neck that is too short to reach the ground, and strong back legs (giraffe)

-Has toes with Scale like fringes of skin on back feet, can swim really well, and can run on top of water (lizard basilisk)

-is the only cat that lives in a group, its voice can be heard 8 Kilometers away, they sleep 16-20 hours each day (lion)

-is nocturnal, the largest wild cat, they like to swim in water (tiger)

-is stronger than a horse of the same size, they can recognize areas and other donkeys for up to 25 years, they can live up to 50 years (donkey)

-has stripes to help them camouflage, their babies can stand 6 minutes after birth, each ones stripes are unique like fingerprints (zebra)

-has cubs that are born with blue eyes, they have strong legs to help them jump out to catch prey, they are large but in the small cat family. (Puma/mountain lion/cougar)

-can smell with their antenna, they taste with the hairs on their legs and feet, they migrate 3,000 miles for winter (monarch butterfly)

These animals have special traits that make them stand out. That’s how you were able to guess what each animal was just based on the clues. God has given each one of us special traits as well that help us stand out. He wants us to stand out for Him. When we serve God, sometimes we may look or act different from the crowd around us. Our story this week describes how Jesus stood out among the people. Last week we read about how Jesus read from Isaiah and told his listeners that Isaiah was prophesying about him. Because Jesus grew up in Nazareth, it was hard for them to believe the boy they watched grow up could be the Messiah. They did not accept Jesus at his word and so Jesus continued preaching in other places. Let’s read in the Bible the next part of our story. 

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 4:22-30

What did those from Nazareth say about Jesus? (Is this not Josephs son?)

What did Jesus say they wanted him to do? (Heal them as he had healed those in Capernaum)

What was Jesus’ response? (No prophet is accepted in his own country)

What story did Jesus reference from the old testament? (When there was no rain for 3 years during the time of Elijah and Elisha healing Naaman)

What was the same about both of those stories? (There were those in need inside Israel but both prophets had to go outside of Israel; Elijah receive helped from a widow from Zarephath and Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian)

How did those who heard Jesus words react? (They were filled with wrath and rose up to throw him out the city.)

Where had they planned to throw Jesus? (They led him to the brow of the hill, to where the city was built, that they might throw him over the cliff)

How did Jesus escape? (He passed through their midst, and went on his way)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

When we follow God it may look like we are standing out because we are doing something others may not want to do. When we show kindness, offer a helping hand, or have peace during a time when everything seems to be going wrong, we are standing out from the way others who do not follow God might behave. Practice role playing several scenarios with your group, showing what it might look like to stand out for God. When we follow what God would have us do, it may look strange to the people observing, but we can trust we are following God’s example to love others. Jesus stood out because he was the Messiah that some had not accepted. Jesus was doing things a new way and they did not know what to think of it all. Sometimes others may think the things we are doing is strange, but we can know we are standing out because we are following God.

Materials: scenarios

Alternate

Our sense of smell is connected to our sense of taste. Take this taste test and see if you need your sense of smell to experience taste as well. Have a few items prepared for tasting, hiding what each item is. As you have your child taste the item, have them plug their nose, holding some of their breath as they taste the item. Have them guess what item they just tasted. Then have them taste the items again without holding their nose and see if they are able to get a better taste with their sense of smell. Were you able to taste each item better using your sense of taste and smell? God has created all our senses to work together to have a more meaningful experience. We can use all of our senses to grow closer to God and have a full experience with Him. When we follow God we might stand our from others, but our experience will bee greater! Possible tasting items: carrots, peppermint, strong tea, bitter chocolate, gummy bear, apple sauce, milk, etc.

Materials: blindfold or a way to disguise food, Possible tasting items: carrots, peppermint, strong tea, bitter chocolate, gummy bear, apple sauce, milk, etc

Independent activity:

The bible talks about different smells and how some were pleasing to God. Create a bible petal reference by completing the following activity sheet. Use it as a reference sheet to remind yourself how we can be a sweet fragrance to God by following Him.

Materials: printed activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

When we stand out sometimes we are made fun of for the choices we are making that seem different to others. When we follow God we might sometimes stand out and be set apart from others. What can you do when you feel alone or separate from others? How can you continue to stand out when it feels like you are alone? Read or listen to Psalm 71:1-6

Who is with us in our times of trouble?

Who does the verse say will deliver us?

Describe a time when you were afraid to stand out?

What are some ways you can stand out at school?

What are some ways you can stand out in your community?

How is standing our for Jesus a good thing?

Have you ever witnessed someone else standing out for God?

How did Jesus stand out among his hometown people?

Why did they find it so hard to accept to Jesus as their Savior?

Practical Application at Home

Think of some ways you can stand out at school, on the playground or on your team? How can you show that you are a follower of Jesus and treat others as such? Think of some of these ideas of how to stand out this week and choose a few of them to do this week. Find ways to show others’ Jesus love this week and then thank God for the opportunities you are blessed with this week.

-open the door for others around you

-give a helping hand to an opposing player

-say a kind word to someone when others may be saying unkind words

-play with someone at recess that is not playing with anyone

-Let others cut in front of you in line

-pray before eating during lunchtime 

-Give God open credit for a blessing He has given you when someone asks

-Share your favorite bible story with a friend

-Be honest during your game even if you have the chance to cheat

-When disputing a point or argument, choose to end the argument and give them the point

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

This month we will see the early part of Jesus ministry. We will see how Jesus sometimes people thought Jesus’ teachings were backwards or the opposite from how they thought. Jesus was showing them a new way to love, to live and to serve God! 

Luke 5:1-11

BIBLE STORY

We call people lots of different ways. We have new technology and sometimes we still do things the old fashioned way when we want to call someone. Think of an opposite, or backwards way from what is listed in order to call someone. As I call out a way to call someone, show or tell me how to do it in a backwards way. (There are suggestions besides each statement for things your child could do as an opposite if they get stuck)

On the phone (holding the receiver with your feet)

Using text (use your knuckle to type the letters)

Using Morse code (tap a message by blinking your eyes)

Send a note (sing your message loudly)

Use a megaphone (whisper the message)

Send a postcard (send a picture by phone)

Visit them at their home (sneak up behind them)

When Jesus began his ministry He called a few disciples to follow him. Some of the things Jesus said may have seemed backwards or different from what they were used to. They didn’t know what to expect when they chose to follow Jesus, but they knew nothing would ever be the same. They believed they were following the Messiah, even if they didn’t exactly know what to expect. Let’s read or listen to how Jesus called his disciples to follow him.

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Luke 5:1-11

What was Jesus doing when he standing by the Lake of Gennesaret? (Preaching the word of God to those standing by

What were the fishermen doing while their boats were at the shore? Washing out their nets)

What did he ask Simon to do after he got into his boat? (To push it further out from shore)

Why did Jesus want the boat pushed further out? (So the crowd gathered could hear his teaching)

When he was finished teaching, what did he ask Simon to do? (Put his nets back out on the other side)

Did Simon want to put his nets back out or believe anything would happen? (Not really. He said “Master, we have worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything, but because you say so, I will let down the nets”)

What happened after they let their nets down? (They caught such a large amount of fish their nets began to break and they asked another boat to come help)

How did Simon respond once he witnessed all of the fish? (He asked Jesus to go from him because he was a sinful man)

What did Jesus tell Simon? (Do not be afraid, from now on you will fish for people)

When did the fishermen decide to follow Jesus? ( they pulled their boats to shore, left everything and followed him)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Do this activity as a family. Find a small blanket or large towel. Have your family each take an end of the small blanket and hold it as a net. Walk around your house and collect things in your “net” that are round. They can be a variety of sizes, as long as they fit in your net. When Simon and the fishermen pulled up their nets, they were bursting! So much, that they could barely pull up the nets without them breaking. They had to call for help from others. See how many things you can fit into your “net” before it is bursting at the seams. Catching this many fish was not normal for the disciples. This was unlike anything they had ever seen before! God can do things we would never expect and in a way that seems the opposite of normal!

Materials: Small blanket, round objects found around your house

Alternate

Fill up a small jar or container with little objects such as skittles, M&M’s, marbles, Cheerios, etc. Have your child guess how many objects are in the jar. After everyone has guessed, count the objects in an unusual or backwards way. So instead of counting by ones, maybe count backwards from 10 and place the objects in groups of 10 as you count backwards. Then count how many groups of ten there are, therefore finding the amount. Can you image seeing a boat filled with fish that were caught after a night of catching nothing? Simon and the other fishermen could hardly believe it as well. Jesus made their fishing night backwards. The time of day they should have caught something, they caught nothing. At a time when they should have been finished fishing, they caught the largest catch they’d ever seen. God can turn our troubles upside down and Innside out! He has a way that we may not always understand, but is best for us.

Materials: small jar or container, small object such as skittles or marbles

Independent activity:

Simon and the other fisherman chose to follow Jesus. Even though they didn’t fully understand everything that would happen, they trusted and believed Jesus was the Messiah. They were willing to follow Jesus’ instructions to simply cast their nets back into the water. Complete the following activity sheet, following the instructions, even if they sometimes seem backwards.

Materials: printed activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Halves boat Shapes:

Materials: 2 pieces of paper, scissors, glue, crayons or coloring utenstil

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

How did Jesus call His disciples?

What may have seemed strange about the request Jesus made of Peter after he has fished all night?

Has God ever called you to do something that was the opposite of what you wanted to do?

Did you obey what he asked?
How do we know the voice we hear telling us to do something is of God?

What are some things Jesus asks us to do that are the opposite of how we see people in the world behave?

Can we be followers of Jesus while following what others want us to do?

When you play the game, Follow the Leader, who is the only person you can follow in order to stay in the game?

Practical Application at Home

We want our thoughts to follow after how God would want us think and therefore act. There are times when it is easy to see we do not have the answers and we need help from God. Then there are every day situations where we think we already have all the answers and we don’t need any help from God. God wants us to seek Him in all things, even when we think we know what is best. We have all made mistakes in how we treated someone, responded in disobedience when we knew we should obey and didn’t step up to do what was right because we were afraid of standing out. God sees it all and forgives our mistakes, and then He calls us to follow His ways instead of ours. 

Listen to these situations and tell the selfish way we may want to respond, and then tell the way you think God would want us to respond.

-Susan is being teased by several kids at school every day

-Johnny comes to school with not enough food to eat at lunch

-Kim is not the best player on the team and the other teammates are starting to get upset

-Mom asked you to help her with chores while your siblings didn’t have to help at all

-Dad expects you to help mow the lawn all summer which cuts into your play time

-a kid at school is mean to you every day for seemingly no reason

-Your neighbor always leaves their trash cans in the street days after trash day.

It’s easy to sometimes see these situations from our human point of view and handle them selfishly, only in how it affects us. God wants us to live our lives according to what He knows is best. We can show the same love God has given us, to others. Try to see situations this week as opportunities to invite God to show you the way He wants you to deal with them. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

What are some of your struggles? Do you struggle to open a lid jar? Do you struggle to get a 100 on your spelling test? Do you struggle with a bully at school? Some of our struggles may be small and then we might have some big struggles, but we will learn this week that we can grow closer to Jesus through our struggles.

Luke 6:17-26

BIBLE STORY

This week we will talk about our blessings and our woes. Blessings are the good things that happen in life and woes are the not-so good things that happen. We can all think of woes that happen to us that are small, like losing a game or big things like losing a family member. Let’s take a few minutes to think of some blessings and woes. Listen to these scenarios and decide if this is a blessing or if you think it is a woe. Hold up a smiling emoji if it is a blessing and a frown emoji if you think it is a woe.

-losing your favorite toy

-eating your favorite meal

-getting a good grade on your test

-playing with a friend

-being teased for the clothes you wear

-being picked last in the game

-picking the movie for family movie night

-not having any food in the refrigerator

-getting extra recess time

-your family car breaks down on the side of the road

Have some of those things every happened to you? What would you think if I said the ones you thought were woes were actually blessings and the ones you said were blessings were actually woes. This week we will read in Luke how Jesus said our woes are actually blessings. How can that be? Jesus wants us to enjoy the life we have here on earth but he wants us to remember to seek Him in all things. Let’s read or listen to our text for this week.

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 6:17-26

Why had a large crowd gathered from all of Judea? (To hear Jesus and be healed of their diseases)

What were those who were sick and possessed doing? (Touching Jesus and being healed because power was coming from him)

How did Jesus say those who were poor would be blessed? (theirs is the kingdom of God)

How would those who are hungry be blessed? (They will be satisfied)

How will those who weep now will be blessed? (They will laugh)

Who did Jesus say would rejoice and leap for great is their reward in heaven? ( those who have people hate them and exclude them and insult them and reject their name as evil because of the Son of Man)

Why did Jesus woe for those who are rich? (They have already received their comfort)

Why are those who are fed well to have woes? (They will go hungry)

Why did Jesus say woe to those who laugh now? (They will mourn and weep)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus says to count our woes as blessings. That may seem backwards, but Jesus knows that when we have woes in life, we tend to lean on Him more. When we have hard times we call on Jesus and pray asking for his help, protection, and comfort. Sometimes when everything is going well, it is easy to forget our need for God. In that way, our woes become blessings because it helps us grow closer and more dependent on God.

Activity

During passover there is a time during the Seder when you have to eat bitter herbs that represent the woes we sometimes have in life. Then you are to eat the herbs with a mix of apples and sweet honey. When you eat these together, the apples and honey overpower the taste of the bitter herbs making it easier to eat the bitter herbs. This is done to show us that we can take the sweetness of Jesus with the bitter woes of life, and then our woes are bearable. Jesus wants to be our comforter, our sweetness in times of bitterness. Take time to discuss some bitter times or woes you have experienced in life. Then tell how Jesus was your sweetness and helped you bear your woes and see you through. Help your child think of a time they had woes and how Jesus was with them through it. Sharing our testimonies with our children is important to help them see that God has been with us in the past so we can trust Him to be with us in the present and future. If you have parsley, apples, honey and crackers, you can demonstrate how the herbs are bitter alone, but are easier to take when added with a mix of honey and apples. You can make a mini cracker sandwich with all of those ingredients.

Materials: Optional: parsley, apples, honey, crackers

Alternate

When we read our scripture today it seemed as though what Jesus said was a blessing would be a woe and what he said was a woe seems like it would be a blessing. It was an unlikely combination that seemed backwards. There are animal combinations that don’t seem like they should fit, but they do. The animals seem like exact opposites but they actually belong together and help each other. Listen to the combination of animals and decide if you believe they belong together or not.

Lion and lamb (not)

Whale and krill (not)

Nile Crocodile and Plover bird (YES)

Shark and Pilot fish (yes)

Coyote and Badger (yes)

Hermit crabs and sea anemones (yes)

Tarantula and dotted frog (yes)

Droning bird and meerkats (yes)

Materials:

Independent activity:

Our woes make us stronger in Jesus. Look at the pictures one the activity sheet and circle the things you know to be strong.

Materials: printed activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Draw an opposites weather picture. Draw a picture of something you would usually do during the summer, or winter but add the opposite weather. For example, in July you may usually have a picnic or go to the beach, draw a picture of the beach with weather from December.

Materials: sheet of paper, crayons, or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

How are our woes blessings?

What are some examples of woes you may have?

How can our trust in God help us through those woes?

What would it look like to be thankful in our woes?

What is something that tastes bitter?

What could you add to that bitter food to make it taste better?

How is Jesus like the sweetness we can add to our bitter woes?

Practical Application at Home

Not every blessing is a woe and not every woe is a blessing. Not having enough food to eat is not always a blessing and having more than enough food to eat is not always a woe. God has given us what we need in His sovereign timing. The most important thing to remember is that we can trust God no matter what. We can also trust God whether we have blessings or woes. Let’s remember who God was speaking to in the scripture for today.

-Those who are poor-proverbs 19:17

-Those who are hungry- John 6:35

-Those who weep- Revelation 21:4

-Those who are hated- Isaiah 60:15

Look up the scriptures next to each statement about those who have blessings and woes to see what God says in the Bible about these people. God cares about each one of us no matter what our blessing or woe. When we lean on Him during our woes, He gives us strength to endure whatever may come. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

What is an enemy? Do you have anyone that you would consider your enemy? How do you treat them in comparison to your friends? The bible gives us instructions on how we are to treat our enemies. It might be hard to follow these instructions sometimes, but our enemies will help us learn to love the way our Heavenly Father wants us to love others.

Luke 6:27-38

BIBLE STORY

We’ve been talking about opposites this month and the way God wants us to behave can sometimes feel like the opposite of what we want to do. Although God’s way is different than ours, we can trust that God knows what is best and wants what is best for our lives. Listen to the following words and tell me a word that is the opposite.

-hate (love)

-mean (kind)

-take (give)

-shove down (help up)

-put-downs (compliments)

-selfish (generous)

-angry (happy)

-useless (helpful)

All of the words I listed above are words we could use to describe what type of person? Would you consider that type of person a friend? We would probably try to avoid being friends with someone who had some of these traits, and might even call them our enemy. What if the person treated us like the first word, but we responded with the opposite actions. If they showed us hate and we showed them love, what would that look like? That would be hard to do, but that’s what God calls us to do. We are to love our enemies. This week we are looking at what Jesus said about our enemies which might sound backwards to us. We may naturally want to treat our enemies the same way they treated us, but God wants us to respond in a better way. Let’s read or listen to our story for this week.

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 6:27-38

How did Jesus say you should treat your enemies? (Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you)

What should you do if someone slaps you? (Turn your check)

What should you do it someone wants your coat? (Give them your shirt as well.)

If someone takes something from you, what should you do? (Not demand it back)

How should you treat others? (The way you would have them treat you.)

What should be the difference between how Christians love and sinners? (Not just love those who love you, but also love those who hate and be good to those who are not good to you)

Do not judge, do not condemn, but what should you do instead? (Forgive and give)

To what measure will these things be given to you? (The measure to use for others is what will be given to you.)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

What if we treated our enemies as well as we treat our friends? What would that look like? The bible gives examples of things we should do to our enemies. Print and cut out the following scenarios and the scripture cards. Read a scenario card aloud to the person taking a turn. That person then picks a bible verse card from the deck to read aloud. They will then tell how they would respond to the scenario using the Bible verse as their guide for their behavior. EXAMPLE: Your enemy trips you while walking down the hallway at school and makes you drop all your books. Everyone turns to stare at you and begins to laugh. How would you respond? If the verse you chose read “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you”, you might say “I would greet them kindly every morning with a smile and a warm hello”.

Materials: scenarios

Alternate

Cut out the following hearts and scatter them around the floor or large area. Have your child go around the room and gather all of the hearts, reading them aloud if they can. If they come across words that are unkind and unloving, ask them to say the opposite so they can make those words loving. Help them come up with loving words if needed.

Materials: printed and cut-out hearts, small basket to collect heart

Independent activity:

Illustrate a picture showing how you should treat your enemies. Use one of the bible verses about loving your enemy to write on your paper that matches your picture.

Materials: sheet of drawing paper, coloring utensils, printed scriptures or device for viewing

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Who loved us first?

How does knowing God loved us first help us love others?

Is it easier or harder to love others when we know how much we are loved?

What are some examples of enemies you have?

How can you show them love instead of hate this week?

What does it mean to be a reflection?

What does it mean to be a reflection of Jesus?

Practical Application at Home

In our very busy world we sometimes get in a hurry and forget to think of others besides ourselves. We are not always looking for ways to be kind to others or remember to show them love. Think of ways you can be a reminder to others to be kind to one another and show God’s love to each other. We can share the beauty of God’s love with others and spread His love. When we write words of encouragement, it can brighten someones day or even remind them to show God’s love in their lives. We can do this through various ways such as, writing a message on our sidewalk in sidewalk chalk, or write a sidewalk chalk message on a park walkway, decorate rocks with encouraging words and leave them along a walking trail, send notes to classmates, leave encouraging notes under your neighbor’s doormat. Your message can say anything encouraging you can think of, such as:

Jesus loves you

Be kind one to another

Love your enemies

We love because He first loved us

God loves us with an Everlasting Love!

You are redeemed

You are loved

You are chosen

You are forgiven

Any special message from you!

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

Do you think it would be fun to have an invisible friend? Someone that no one could see but you knew they were there? That may pose a few problems, but the idea sounds fun. Ww might not always know if our friend was in the room with us. We can not see Jesus, but we know He is always with us guiding us. Let’s find out how we can have strong faith even though we can not see God.

Luke 9:28-36

BIBLE STORY

Go on a scavenger hunt for the following items. Have your child find the items and bring them back to you. Gather all the items in one location.

Let’s go on a scavenger hunt to find items and then we will put them in my basket. When you hear me call out an item, if you can find it, grab it and bring it back here! Ready go!

A shoe

A blanket

A stuffed animal

The wind

Something you love

A stick

A book

Love

A ball

Gravity

A fan

Air

A favorite toy

Was it easy to find all of the things on my list? Were you able to bring all of them back to me? No, some of these items are impossible to put into a basket because they are things we can not see! Although we can not gather the wind we know it is there. Just because we can not put love into a basket, we feel it when we are with the ones we love. We know there are some things we can not see but they are still there, just like Jesus. Even though we can not see him with our eyes we can trust that he is still there. We know He is there because we can feel his presence and we can allow Him to change us. This week we will read a story about Jesus during a time when the disciples heard God’s voice but they could not see Him. They knew God was there with them even though they could not see him with their eyes. Let’s read or listen to this week’s story.

Read or listen to Luke 9:28-36

Why did Jesus take Peter, James and John to the mountain to do? (Pray)

What began to happen as he prayed? (His face began to change and his clothes bright like lightning)

Who were the two men that appeared in glorious splendor? (Moses and Elijah)

What were Peter, James and John doing while Jesus was talking? (Were sleepy but became fully awake to see Jesus talking to the men)

What did Peter say to the men as they were leaving? (It is good for us to be here, let us put up 3 shelters )

What happened while Peter was speaking? (A cloud appeared and covered them)

How did Peter, James and John feel about the cloud? (They were afraid as they began to enter it)

What did the voice from the cloud say? ( This is my Son, whom I have chosen, Listen to him)

What did the disciples do after the cloud Elijah and Moses were gone? (They kept what they saw to themselves and didn’t tell anyone what they saw)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Even though we can’t see something, it doesn’t mean it does not exist. Let’s play a memory game and see how many items you can remember when you can no long see them. Have several items hidden in a bag. Place 3-5 items on a tray or an area in front of you. Let your child see the items for about a minute, then cover the items or remove the out of sight. Ask the child to tell you all of the items that were on the tray. Be sure to bring the tray back out where your child can see you didn’t take any items away and to check how many they remembered. Repeat this activity switching different items and adding more items to show at a time. Was that an easy or hard game? When there were only a few items on display it was probably easier to remember, but as the amount got larger, it may have been harder. Did you trust that all of the items were still there even though you could’t see them? Jesus is with us even though we can’t see Him, we can trust that He will never leave us.

Materials: Several variety of items, a bag to hide items inside, small tray or flat surface

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:

Create a windsock to place outside in the wind. We can not see the wind, but scientist have a way of measuring it and determining the direction it moves. Let’s create our our wind instrument to measure the direction of the wind. Take a sheet of construction paper, have your child decorate it with crayons and stickers. On a second piece of paper (or use tissue paper), cut it into 1 inch strips to make tassels and attach them to the bottom length of the decorated paper. Then roll the decorate paper into a tube and glue the short ends of the paper together to create the tube. The tassels should hang from the bottom of the tube, then attach a string at the top to create a handle. Hang the windsock outside from the string.

Materials: 2 sheets of construction paper, tissue paper (optional), scissors, crayons, stickers (optional), glue, string

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make your own wind chimes using recycled items or things you find around the house. Watch this instructional video.

Materials: Various household items, string, scissors, glue

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What did the disciples do when they saw Jesus talking with the 2 other men?

What were the disciples afraid of?

What was invisible to the disciples?

What did they understand more clearly after being on the mount?

Who did the disciples see on the mount of transfiguration?

How did the disciples know it was God speaking when they could not see anything?

How can we be sure of God’s presence with us when we also can not see Him?

Practical Application at Home

Have you ever used a compass before? With a compass it will always point North, no matter what direction you are facing. The needle will always show you the direction North because of the gravitational pull a the North Pole. Even though this pull is invisible and we can’t see it, it is very helpful in keeping your directions straight. You can trust it to lead you in the right direction. We can trust Jesus even more than earth’s compass God created. When we follow Jesus, He will guide us the direction He wants us to go and never leave us. We can trust that His plan is better for us than the plan we have for ourselves. 

Draw a picture of one way God leads you or has led you through a difficult path. Write a sentence a the bottom of the picture to describe what is happening. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

This month we will see the early part of Jesus ministry. We will see how Jesus sometimes people thought Jesus’ teachings were backwards or the opposite from how they thought. Jesus was showing them a new way to love, to live and to serve God! 

Luke 5:1-11 Isaiah 55:8-9

BIBLE STORY

Have you ever had an opposite day? Wether your opposite day was on purpose or by accident, it can be tricky to do or have the opposite thing happen to you all day! Maybe you had a plan but nothing seemed to go the way you planned that day, its an opposite day! Maybe you and your friend planned to dress in opposite clothing, its an opposite day! Let’s pretend we are doing an opposite or backwards day! See if you can demonstrate how to do these activities in a backwards order, like in rewind! (Students can mime the activity instead of actually doing it)

Putting on your socks

Walking through the door

Brushing your teeth (including putting on toothpaste)

Walking up the stairs

Giving a secret handshake (come up with a secret handshake first if necessary)

Getting into a car

Peeling a banana

Putting on your coat

Doing hopscotch

Was that easy or hard to do those activities in backwards, or reverse, order? It can be tricky to do things backwards. Jesus called his disciples and they thought he was asking them to do something that seemed to be backwards. They had already fished all night and caught nothing, and yet Jesus was asking them to throw their nets back into the water after their night of fishing was over. They obeyed Jesus and witnessed a miracle they knew came from Jesus. What Jesus did may have seemed backwards, but they realized that following Jesus was better than following their own way. We can trust that God’s way is better than our own. It may be difficult, it may make us stand out, and it might seem strange to others, but God’s way will turn out right in the end. Let’s read our story in the Bible to see how the disciples were called by Jesus.

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Luke 5:1-11

What was Jesus doing when he standing by the Lake of Gennesaret? (Preaching the word of God to those standing by

What were the fishermen doing while their boats were at the shore? Washing out their nets)

What did he ask Simon to do after he got into his boat? (To push it further out from shore)

Why did Jesus want the boat pushed further out? (So the crowd gathered could hear his teaching)

When he was finished teaching, what did he ask Simon to do? (Put his nets back out on the other side)

Did Simon want to put his nets back out or believe anything would happen? (Not really. He said “Master, we have worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything, but because you say so, I will let down the nets”)

What happened after they let their nets down? (They caught such a large amount of fish their nets began to break and they asked another boat to come help)

How did Simon respond once he witnessed all of the fish? (He asked Jesus to go from him because he was a sinful man)

What did Jesus tell Simon? (Do not be afraid, from now on you will fish for people)

When did the fishermen decide to follow Jesus? ( they pulled their boats to shore, left everything and followed him)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

It would be crazy to live in an opposite world! What if we liked the things we usually don't like and disliked the things we usually love! Let’s play a game. I’m going to say a statement, and I want you to say a statement you think is an opposite of what I just said. For example, if I said “I love broccoli, you could say I dislike ice cream. Ready? (Answers may vary, there are no wrong answers!)

I dislike swimming… (cleaning the pool)

I like cleaning the toilet…(watching a movie)

I dislike downhill skiing…(cross-country skiing)

I dislike playing video games…(reading a textbook)

I like cleaning out the garage…(sitting by the pool)

I like studying for a big test…(getting good grades)

I dislike eating cookies…(eating Brussel sprouts)

I dislike birthday parties… (taking down the decorations)

Materials:

Alternate

Riddles can sometimes be backwards or seem as though they are backwards because they are hard to figure out. Listen to some of these riddles and see if you can figure out some of the answers.

What has to be broken before you can use it? (An egg)

I’m tall when I’m young and I’m short when I’m old. What am I? (A candle)

What month of the year has 28 days? (All of them)

What question can you never answer yes to? (Are you asleep yet?)

What can you keep after giving it to someone? (Your word)

You walk into a room that contains a match, a kerosene lamp, a candle and a fireplace. What would you light first? (The match)

What can’t talk but will reply when spoken to? (An echo)

I follow you all the time and copy your every move, but you can’t touch me or catch me. What am I? (Your shadow)

What has many keys but can’t open a single lock?(a piano)

I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest person can’t hold me for five minutes. What am I? (Your breath)

Was it easy or hard to answer these riddles? Some of them seemed confusing or it was unclear what the answer could be. Jesus spoke in a way that was unlike anything the people had heard before, but many understood him clearly. They may not have understood everything he was saying, but they understood He loved them and wanted to save them from their sins. God’s word is clear to us today and His message is the same; He loves us and wants to save us from our sins or what we think is right.

Materials:

Independent activity:

Create your own maze for your family to follow. Decide if you want to make one on paper, make a treasure hunt maze with clues for them to figure out, or create a life size maze using pool noodle, string, or other household items. To make the life size maze more challenging, have your family complete the maze while going backwards.

Materials: various objects around the house such as pool noodles and other objects to create paths

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Halves boat Shapes:

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Isaiah 55:8-9 

Can you read my thoughts? What am I thinking about right now? When we read this scripture in Isaiah, do you think that is all that was meant when it said, My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways? Of course we can not guess what God is “thinking” about, but even more than that, we can not think on the same level as God. Our thoughts are human and therefore they are sometimes selfish, evil and corrupt. But even though we are not perfect, we can compare our thoughts how the Bible says we should think. Before we make decisions or speak to others, we can stop and question if our thoughts are the way God would have them be. We can choose to see the truth about how we should think in the Bible and then act on those thoughts and not our own. We’ve learned this week that we trust God’s plan is better than ours even though it may be the opposite of what we think. 

Have you ever said something to someone you later regretted saying because it wasn’t kind?

How do you know your thoughts are not as high as God’s thoughts?

Should we strive to have our thoughts as high as God’s?

How can we trust our thoughts are following what God wants?

What lies would Satan want us to believe about our thoughts?

When you are faced with a decision, how can you check your thoughts according to what God wants our thoughts to be?

How do our actions reflect our thoughts?

How do our thoughts relate to the things we see or hear?

Practical Application at Home

We want our thoughts to follow after how God would want us think and therefore act. There are times when it is easy to see we do not have the answers and we need help from God. Then there are every day situations where we think we already have all the answers and we don’t need any help from God. God wants us to seek Him in all things, even when we think we know what is best. We have all made mistakes in how we treated someone, responded in disobedience when we knew we should obey and didn’t step up to do what was right because we were afraid of standing out. God sees it all and forgives our mistakes, and then He calls us to follow His ways instead of ours. 

Listen to these situations and tell the selfish way we may want to respond, and then tell the way you think God would want us to respond.

-Susan is being teased by several kids at school every day

-Johnny comes to school with not enough food to eat at lunch

-Kim is not the best player on the team and the other teammates are starting to get upset

-Mom asked you to help her with chores while your siblings didn’t have to help at all

-Dad expects you to help mow the lawn all summer which cuts into your play time

-a kid at school is mean to you every day for seemingly no reason

-Your neighbor always leaves their trash cans in the street days after trash day.

It’s easy to sometimes see these situations from our human point of view and handle them selfishly, only in how it affects us. God wants us to live our lives according to what He knows is best. We can show the same love God has given us, to others. Try to see situations this week as opportunities to invite God to show you the way He wants you to deal with them. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

What are some of your struggles? Do you struggle to open a lid jar? Do you struggle to get a 100 on your spelling test? Do you struggle with a bully at school? Some of our struggles may be small and then we might have some big struggles, but we will learn this week that we can grow closer to Jesus through our struggles.

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

BIBLE STORY

Set up 2 bowls or small containers that will be used to catch small tossing items such as cotton balls, beans, small balls or small bean bags. Label one container “blessings” and the other container “woes’.

Let’s play a tossing game. I’m going to list a few scenarios and you decide if its a blessing or a woe. We consider blessings the good things that happen in life and woes are the not-so good things that happen. We can all think of woes that happen to us that are small, like losing a game or big things like losing a family member. If the scenario is a blessing, toss your item in the blessing container. If you think the scenario is a woe, toss your item into the woe container. 

Materials: 2 small bowls or containers, small cotton balls, beans or small bean bags for tossing

-losing your favorite toy

-eating your favorite meal

-getting a good grade on your test

-playing with a friend

-being teased for the clothes you wear

-being picked last in the game

-picking the movie for family movie night

-not having any food in the refrigerator

-getting extra recess time

-your family car breaks down on the side of the road

Have some of those things every happened to you? What would you think if I said the ones you thought were woes were actually blessings and the ones you said were blessings were actually woes. This week we will read in Luke how Jesus said our woes are actually blessings. How can that be? Jesus wants us to enjoy the life we have here on earth but he wants us to remember to seek Him in all things. Let’s read or listen to our text for this week.

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 6:17-26

Why had a large crowd gathered from all of Judea? (To hear Jesus and be healed of their diseases)

What were those who were sick and possessed doing? (Touching Jesus and being healed because power was coming from him)

How did Jesus say those who were poor would be blessed? (theirs is the kingdom of God)

How would those who are hungry be blessed? (They will be satisfied)

How will those who weep now will be blessed? (They will laugh)

Who did Jesus say would rejoice and leap for great is their reward in heaven? ( those who have people hate them and exclude them and insult them and reject their name as evil because of the Son of Man)

Why did Jesus woe for those who are rich? (They have already received their comfort)

Why are those who are fed well to have woes? (They will go hungry)

Why did Jesus say woe to those who laugh now? (They will mourn and weep)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus says to count our woes as blessings. That may seem backwards, but Jesus knows that when we have woes in life, we tend to lean on Him more. When we have hard times we call on Jesus and pray asking for his help, protection, and comfort. Sometimes when everything is going well, it is easy to forget our need for God. In that way, our woes become blessings because it helps us grow closer and more dependent on God.

Activity

During passover there is a time during the Seder when you have to eat bitter herbs that represent the woes we sometimes have in life. Then you are to eat the herbs with a mix of apples and sweet honey. When you eat these together, the apples and honey overpower the taste of the bitter herbs making it easier to eat the bitter herbs. This is done to show us that we can take the sweetness of Jesus with the bitter woes of life, and then our woes are bearable. Jesus wants to be our comforter, our sweetness in times of bitterness. Take time to discuss some bitter times or woes you have experienced in life. Then tell how Jesus was your sweetness and helped you bear your woes and see you through. Help your child think of a time they had woes and how Jesus was with them through it. Sharing our testimonies with our children is important to help them see that God has been with us in the past so we can trust Him to be with us in the present and future. If you have parsley, apples, honey and crackers, you can demonstrate how the herbs are bitter alone, but are easier to take when added with a mix of honey and apples. You can make a mini cracker sandwich with all of those ingredients.

Materials: Optional: parsley, apples, honey, crackers

Alternate

When we have a firm foundation in Jesus we will not waiver when things get tough and life is not easy. Using blocks, bricks, craft sticks or any other building material, create two towers. Place one tower on a pillow and the other tower on a small stack of books. Which tower has an easier time staying up? What if you created strong winds for your tower, which tower would still remain standing. Our relationship with Jesus is like this tower on a firm foundation. When our woes come, we will not be moved because we are standing on a firm foundation, Jesus! We can get to know Jesus in our blessings, and we can hold on closer to Him during our woes.

Materials: Building bricks, blocks, craft sticks, or other building materials, several books, a soft pillow

Independent activity:

Create a list of your blessings and woes. Divide a sheet of paper in half and label the halves blessings and woes. Write down all the things in your life right now that you consider blessings and woes. Choose a few to share with the others around you. Remember, even your woes can be considered blessings because you can grow closer to Jesus as you ask Him to help you through them.

Materials: Sheet of paper, pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Draw an opposites weather picture. Draw a picture of something you would usually do during the summer, or winter but add the opposite weather. For example, in July you may usually have a picnic or go to the beach, draw a picture of the beach with weather from December. 

Materials: sheet of paper, coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Jeremiah 17:5-10

These verses talk about what we should put our trust in. When we put our trust in man it is like a bush planted in the wasteland. There is not enough water to give the bush nutrients to survive. When we trust in the Lord we are like a tree planted by the water. A tree planted by the water has roots that are big and strong. They are able to hold the bush in place and provide it with nutrients. We can trust God and be like a tree planted by the water. We learn to trust God by praying and waiting on Him for the answers.

What would a bush planted in a wasteland look like?

How would a tree planted by water look?

How does trusting in God help us be strong and healthy?

Just like we can not see the roots of a tree, what does God see in us that no one else can?

How does our heart reflect how we really feel about God?

How does our trust in God help us during the woes in life?

What are some of the woes you have needed to trust God with?

What are some recent blessings you have thanked God for?

Practical Application at Home

Not every blessing is a woe and not every woe is a blessing. Not having enough food to eat is not always a blessing and having more than enough food to eat is not always a woe. God has given us what we need in His sovereign timing. The most important thing to remember is that we can trust God no matter what. We can also trust God whether we have blessings or woes. Let’s remember who God was speaking to in the scripture for today.

-Those who are poor-proverbs 19:17

-Those who are hungry- John 6:35

-Those who weep- Revelation 21:4

-Those who are hated- Isaiah 60:15

Look up the scriptures next to each statement about those who have blessings and woes to see what God says in the Bible about these people. God cares about each one of us no matter what our blessing or woe. When we lean on Him during our woes, He gives us strength to endure whatever may come. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 5

What is an enemy? Do you have anyone that you would consider your enemy? How do you treat them in comparison to your friends? The bible gives us instructions on how we are to treat our enemies. It might be hard to follow these instructions sometimes, but our enemies will help us learn to love the way our Heavenly Father wants us to love others.

Luke 6:27-38; I John 4:7-21 

BIBLE STORY

This month we’ve talked about how things can feel backwards. Jesus tells us that our woes can be blessings and our blessings can be woes, or that following Jesus may feel different from what we’ve ever done before. Although we feel backwards this month, we’ve also learned that we can trust God’s plan is best. He knows what we need and the best way for us to treat on another. What is the opposite of a friend? Do you have anyone that is not a friend, but actually the opposite? They treat you in a way that is opposite of how friends treat each other. Listen to these scenarios and tell me the opposite way to treat others.

-Stealing your classmates pencil (offering a pencil to a classmate who needs one)

-Kicking a boy as they run by on the playground (offering a playground toy to someone without one)

-Pushing down an opposing player (helping an opposing player up when injured)

-Calling someone mean names (giving someone a genuine complement)

-Excluding a new person from your game (picking the new kid)

-Laughing at someone who is wearing old worn-out clothes (offering to give or share your clothes to someone who needs it)

We would probably try to avoid being friends with someone who had some of these traits, and might even call them our enemy. What if we were the person being treated this way in each of the statements I made, but we responded with the opposite actions. If they showed us hate and we showed them love, what would that look like? That would be hard to do, but that’s what God calls us to do. We are to love our enemies. This week we are looking at what Jesus said about our enemies which might sound backwards to us. We may naturally want to treat our enemies the same way they treated us, but God wants us to respond in a better way. Let’s read or listen to our story for this week.

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 6:27-38

How did Jesus say you should treat your enemies? (Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you)

What should you do if someone slaps you? (Turn your check)

What should you do it someone wants your coat? (Give them your shirt as well.)

If someone takes something from you, what should you do? (Not demand it back)

How should you treat others? (The way you would have them treat you.)

What should be the difference between how Christians love and sinners? (Not just love those who love you, but also love those who hate and be good to those who are not good to you)

Do not judge, do not condemn, but what should you do instead? (Forgive and give)

To what measure will these things be given to you? (The measure to use for others is what will be given to you.)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

What if we treated our enemies as well as we treat our friends? What would that look like? The bible gives examples of things we should do to our enemies. Print and cut out the following scenarios and the scripture cards. Read a scenario card aloud to the person taking a turn. That person then picks a bible verse card from the deck to read aloud. They will then tell how they would respond to the scenario using the Bible verse as their guide for their behavior. EXAMPLE: Your enemy trips you while walking down the hallway at school and makes you drop all your books. Everyone turns to stare at you and begins to laugh. How would you respond? If the verse you chose read “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you”, you might say “I would greet them kindly every morning with a smile and a warm hello”.

Materials: scenarios

Alternate

Set up two areas for tossing beanbags, or small object into a bowl. Set one container close to the start line and the other container much further back. It should be far enough away to make it more difficult to toss the bag into, but not far away that they miss the bowl. Label the closest container “Love your friends” and the other container “love your enemies”. Place the enemy container furthest back. I’m going to read these scenarios, and you decide if it was the right way to love your enemies, the wrong way to love your enemy or if it was loving a friend. If it is the wrong way to love your enemies do not toss a bag into either bowl but toss the bag into the corresponding bowl if the scenario shows love to an enemy or a friend.

Materials: 2 small containers, small items to toss such as beans or beanbags, printed scenarios

Independent activity:

Illustrate a picture showing how you should treat your enemies. Use one of the bible verses about loving your enemy to write on your paper that matches your picture.

Materials: printed activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to 1 John 4:7-21

In this verse we see how we are to love one another through the example we see from Jesus. God is love, so whoever does not love does not know God. When we are followers or believers in Jesus, our life should reflect it. When we know God, we will also know His love and then reflect it to others around us. We love because God first loved us. He shows us how to love others, whether they are our loved ones or our enemies! We do not have to depend on our own strength to love those who are mean to us, but we can rely on God’s love to help us love in difficult situations. 

Who loved us first?

How does knowing God loved us first help us love others?

Is it easier or harder to love others when we know how much we are loved?

Do you think People who are not loving towards other people have been shown or given a lot of love?

How can knowing our enemies may be lacking love, help us show them love more easily?

What are some examples of enemies you have?

How can you show them love instead of hate this week?

What does it mean to be a reflection?

What does it mean to be a reflection of Jesus?

How has God shown love towards people who did not love Him?

Practical Application at Home

In our very busy world we sometimes get in a hurry and forget to think of others besides ourselves. We are not always looking for ways to be kind to others or remember to show them love. Think of ways you can be a reminder to others to be kind to one another and show God’s love to each other. We can share the beauty of God’s love with others and spread His love. When we write words of encouragement, it can brighten someones day or even remind them to show God’s love in their lives. We can do this through various ways such as, writing a message on our sidewalk in sidewalk chalk, or write a sidewalk chalk message on a park walkway, decorate rocks with encouraging words and leave them along a walking trail, send notes to classmates, leave encouraging notes under your neighbor’s doormat. Your message can say anything encouraging you can think of, such as:

Jesus loves you

Be kind one to another

Love your enemies

We love because He first loved us

God loves us with an Everlasting Love!

You are redeemed

You are loved

You are chosen

You are forgiven

Any special message from you!

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Leave a few notes of encouragement and love on your path for others to read. What part do each of us playin showing God’s love to others?

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

Do you think it would be fun to have an invisible friend? Someone that no one could see but you knew they were there? That may pose a few problems, but the idea sounds fun. Ww might not always know if our friend was in the room with us. We can not see Jesus, but we know He is always with us guiding us. Let’s find out how we can have strong faith even though we can not see God.

Luke 9:28-36; Romans 8:31-39 

BIBLE STORY

Play a game of invisible Pictionary. Air draw items and have the audience guess what is being drawn. Have each player take a turn, and decide what they will draw. You can pick a theme that everyone draw from or it can be open to each player to choose their item to draw.

Let’s play a game of invisible Pictionary! We will each take a turn drawing a picture in the air with no paper. Everyone else will try to guess what we drew. 

Was it hard to know what was being drawn when you couldn’t see it? Although it would have been easier to guess the items if we could see what was being drawn, we knew the person drawing had a plan for their picture. We can’t see Jesus with our eyes, but we can trust that Jesus is still with us. We can feel his presence and see how he changes our lives. This month we’ve learned that sometimes things can seem backwards when we follow Jesus but His way is better than ours. This week we will see how Jesus is still with us even when we can not see Him with our eyes. We can see that we can be more sure of who Jesus is even though we can not see Him.

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 9:28-36

Why did Jesus take Peter, James and John to the mountain to do? (Pray)

What began to happen as he prayed? (His face began to change and his clothes bright like lightning)

Who were the two men that appeared in glorious splendor? (Moses and Elijah)

What were Peter, James and John doing while Jesus was talking? (Were sleepy but became fully awake to see Jesus talking to the men)

What did Peter say to the men as they were leaving? (It is good for us to be here, let us put up 3 shelters )

What happened while Peter was speaking? (A cloud appeared and covered them)

How did Peter, James and John feel about the cloud? (They were afraid as they began to enter it)

What did the voice from the cloud say? ( This is my Son, whom I have chosen, Listen to him)

What did the disciples do after the cloud Elijah and Moses were gone? (They kept what they saw to themselves and didn’t tell anyone what they saw)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Even though we can’t see something, it doesn’t mean it does not exist. Let’s play a memory game and see how many items you can remember when you can no long see them. Have several items hidden in a bag. Place 3-5 items on a tray or an area in front of you. Let your child see the items for about a minute, then cover the items or remove the out of sight. Ask the child to tell you all of the items that were on the tray. Be sure to bring the tray back out where your child can see you didn’t take any items away and to check how many they remembered. Repeat this activity switching different items and adding more items to show at a time. Was that an easy or hard game? When there were only a few items on display it was probably easier to remember, but as the amount got larger, it may have been harder. Did you trust that all of the items were still there even though you could’t see them? Jesus is with us even though we can’t see Him, we can trust that He will never leave us.

Materials: scenarios

Alternate

Play a game of truth or story. Have each person write 3 things they’ve seen with their own eyes that is unbelievable. Write a few extra cards that are unbelievable but also not true. Place all the cards in a box. Have a player choose a card to read from the box out loud and decide if they think it is true or a made-up story. If it is true, have the person who wrote the card tell that it was theirs and that it is a true story. It is hard to believe something that sounds unbelievable that we also didn’t see with our own eyes. We can trust that what we read in the Bible is true, even when it sounds unbelievable and we didn’t see it with our own eyes. We can trust that God’s word is flawless so the stories are true, not make-up.

Materials: index cards, pencil/pen, small box to place cards

Independent activity:

Practice creating invisible messages for your family to read or discover. On a sheet of white paper, write a message in white crayon. Then have your friend or family member color or paint the sheet of paper with water colors to discover the message you wrote. Jesus may not be visible with our eyes, but we can trust He is with us always.

Materials: White sheet of paper, white crayon, colored crayons or water colors

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make your own wind chimes using recycled items or things you find around the house. Watch this instructional video

Materials: Various household items, string, scissors, glue

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read Romans 8:31-39

What are some things listed in this verse that you can not see? Angels, demons, future, powers. There is a list of things here that are visible and some that are invisible to us, but this verse tells us there is nothing visible or invisible that will keep or tear us away from the love of God. We don’t have to worry about the things we can not see, the future we can not predict, or the troubles that are yet to come, we are conquerors through Jesus who loves us. He has already conquered all of the visible and invisible things we can not see. 

What are some visible things you may worry about?

What are some invisible things that bring you worry?

How can we know that Jesus has already conquered those things?

How can we also be conquerors over the things that may come up against us?

Who did the disciples see on the mount of transfiguration?

How did the disciples know it was God speaking when they could not see anything?

How can we be sure of God’s presence with us when we also can not see Him?

Practical Application at Home

Have you ever used a compass before? With a compass it will always point North, no matter what direction you are facing. The needle will always show you the direction North because of the gravitational pull a the North Pole. Even though this pull is invisible and we can’t see it, it is very helpful in keeping your directions straight. You can trust it to lead you in the right direction. We can trust Jesus even more than earth’s compass God created. When we follow Jesus, He will guide us the direction He wants us to go and never leave us. We can trust that His plan is better for us than the plan we have for ourselves. 

Think of several areas in your life where you currently need God to lead you. When we say that God is sovereign over our life, we need to allow Him to be sovereign over all areas of our life. Think about how God can be sovereign over your money, school, friends, extracurricular activities, and future goals. Complete these sentence/prayers for God to lead you in these areas. Create more sentences for other areas of your life as needed.

God I want you to lead my finances…please show me how to _______________

God I want you to lead my friendships…please show me how to _____________

God I want you to lead my school life…please show me how to _____________

God I want you to lead my future plans…please show me how to ____________

God I want you to lead my __________…please show me how to ___________

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Have you ever read a book that was so good you couldn’t put it down? It may have gotten really late, or it was really bedtime, but you just couldn’t stop turning the pages to read? Perhaps it was the story characters or the intense plot that kept you interested. This month we will read some page-turning stories that will keep us on the edge of our seat, rooting for our hero, Jesus!

Luke 4:1-13

BIBLE STORY

It's hard to resist doing things we really want to do, even when we know we are not supposed to. Can you resist blinking your eyes? Let’s challenge each other to a staring contest. Whoever blinks first loses. So try to resist blinking!

Was it easy or hard to resist blinking your eyes? That’s not an easy thing to do, even when we really want to resist! Jesus resisted temptation, but it was not easy. Satan wanted to cause him to sin, but thinking of His own comfort and desires rather that what God’s will. Because Jesus overcame temptation, we can resist temptation as well. We can use the power of Jesus to resist the temptations that may come at us. Let’s read our bible verse for this week to see how Jesus resisted temptation and overcame.  

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 4:1-13

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

What did He eat during His time int he wilderness? (Nothing)

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

Activity

God prepares us to fight temptation. We might think of preparing to fight as doing something physical, but we can prepare to fight just as Jesus did, using scripture. Print the following sheets with scriptures on them. Place them in different places around the room either on the wall or laying on the ground. As you read the following temptations, have your child move to the scripture they think will help them get through the temptation. Optional: have your child explain how the scripture can give them strength through the temptation.

Materials: Scripture printout, temptation scenarios (look through previous lessons from years past)

Alternate

Think of some of your favorite stories. Who was the hero in that story? The hero is the one who saves the day. It may seem as though they are going to lose, but they end up saving the day. Think of the following stories, and tell who you think the hero of that story was.

 Cinderella

 Peter Rabbit

The Cat in the Hat

The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe

The One and Only Ivan

Charlottes Web

Stuart Little

The Incredible Life of Balto

Jesus is the hero of this story and he is still the hero of our stories today. He showed us how to withstand temptations, so that we can resist temptations as well. 

Materials: index cards, pencil/pen, small box to place cards

Independent activity:

We all like to eat and we don’t enjoy being hungry. Animals know how to find food and they know what type of foods they were designed by God to eat. Match the animal to the type of food they like to eat.


Materials: Activity sheet

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

How was Jesus tempted in the wilderness?

How did he resist temptation?

How do you think Jesus knew the scriptures so well?

Did Satan know the scriptures well?

What are some examples of temptations?

How can we resist temptations?

How can we prepare to resist temptations?

Practical Application at Home

If you could have a special power, what would it be? Would you be able to fly? Be so strong you could lift a building? Be so fast you could almost be in 2 places at the same time. Although these may sound like cool super powers, God has given us the ability to hero’s in the lives of others. We can save someone’s day by our acts of kindness and being willing to give to others. Think of the following ways you can be a hero to someone in your life. Pick 1 or two things that you can  do this week for someone else.

Pick flowers and give the bouquet to someone

Write a note of encouragement to your teacher

Share a kind word to a classmate

Volunteer to help your teacher or coach and smile while working

Do a household chore at home without being asked to do it

Say “hi” to 5 people you walk by at school, church or while walking through the store with your parent

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

This week we will see how there are a lot of scary things around us and even scary things happening around us, but God is more powerful than the evil we see. God has the power to defeat evil.

Luke 9:37-43a 

BIBLE STORY

Have you ever heard a riddle before or listened to clues to guess what the secret item is? Let’s play a game where you listen to the following riddles and see if you can guess what they are.

-I am bright and provide light and heat to the earth (sun)

-I come in different shapes and sizes and provide light in darkness when turned on (lightbulbs)

-Use me when you are walking in the dark or the woods and need to see (lantern)

-Use me to shine a light into a dark space (flashlight)

-I am not a source of light by myself, but I provide a reflection of light at night

-I need oil to burn, I’ve been around for a long time, and I provide a good source of light that you don’t need to hold (lamp)

-Use me when the electricity is out, I provide a small source of light, but can burn a long time without any oil and sometimes I smell really good. (Candle)

-I am fun to use at a party or during a game, I give a small source of light, but you can hang me around your neck, wrist, or just hold! (Glowstick)

-I shine really bright in the dark, I am found on your car and help you see your way on dark roads. (Headlights)

Were you able o guess all of the clues? What did they all have in common? They are all sources of light. We use light to dispel darkness. Whenever we shine light in the darkness, the light takes over the dark. They both can not exist in the same space. Jesus is the light, and he can overcome darkness. He is more powerful than any darkness, darkness has to flee from His presence. This week we will read a story about a dark, or evil presence that Jesus was able to get rid of.

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 9:37-43a

After Jesus came down from the mountain who was waiting there for him? (A large crowd)

What did the man ask of Jesus? (To heal his son)

What was wrong with his son? (A spirit seizes him, he suddenly screams and has convulsions)

Who had the man asked to heal his son before Jesus? (Jesus’ disciples)
Had the disciples been able to heal the son? (No)

What did the demon in the son do when he was brought to Jesus? (threw the boy to the ground in convulsions)

When Jesus rebuked the spirit, what happened? (The boy was healed and went back to his father)

How did the people feel who witnessed it? (They were amazed at the greatness of God)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Evil is the opposite of good. God is good and he is more powerful than everything, including the things that are opposite of him. Play this game of memory and match the opposite items together. We do not need to be afraid of what is evil, because God is good and more powerful than any evil or bad thing.

Materials: memory game

Alternate

Look at this laundry basket. Do you think you are more powerful than it? Of course you can pick it up and carry it around. Now, get in the basket and let’s see if you can continue to be stronger than the basket. Push the basket around, tossing it back and forth on the ground like a ride but not too rough they will get sick. Were you still stronger than the basket? Suddenly the basket was tossing you back and forth and you were no longer in control. Although there may be things that we see as being strong, God is stronger still. He is in control and is able to make even the toughest things weak when compared to him. Alternative: use a large box or plastic storage container

Materials: laundry basket or large box

Independent activity:

Draw a picture of something you fear or that seems scary to you. We all have things in our lives we are unsure we can defeat. It may seem too powerful for us, but it is not too powerful for God. Draw your picture, then title your picture “Whom shall I fear?” Then answer the question at the bottom of the page by writing “The Lord is the stronghold of my life”.

Materials: sheets of coloring paper, pencil, crayons

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create your own short picture story describing a hero character that faces a scary situation and receives help from God. Write your story and then illustrate the pictures.

Materials: sheets of coloring paper, crayons, pencils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Who was able to heal the boy possessed by evil?

Why did the father go to Jesus after he’d already asked the disciples?

How did Jesus show the people that he was more powerful than evil?

Do we still have evil things in our world today?

What are some things in your life that seem scary?

How can knowing God is more powerful than evil help us deal with the scary things in our lives?

Practical Application at Home

t is easy to become discouraged about the bad things that are going on around us or in our own lives, when we don’t remember that God is with us. When we remember that God is more powerful than all of the problems in our lives, we can trust that He is in control. Our situation may not always turn out the way we think it should, but we can trust it is not because God is weak, but He has a different plan from ours. Let’s visually see that God is more powerful than our troubles and scary things we see around us.

Cut out pictures from magazines of things you think are scary or that trouble you. Glue them onto a sheet of paper, leaving the top part of the paper blank. Once all the pictures are added, write at the top of the page “God is Greater” in big bold letters.

Let’s remember that no matter what we may add to our list, God is still more powerful than all the scary things we may face.

Materials: magazines, sheet of white construction paper, markers

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Waiting is hard to do! How often do you have to wait in 1 day? We wait all the time, sometimes its for a short time and other times we have to wait a long time. This week we will see how God waits for us. He knows we need time to grow and change and He loves us enough to patiently wait. 

Luke 13:6-9

BIBLE STORY

Let’s play a game! We are going to have a race, using mini marshmallows and toothpicks! Have a starting line and an ending line designated. Have players push their marshmallows to the ending line only using the toothpick to push the marshmallow. Was it easy or hard to get your marshmallow to the end of the line. Was that much of a race? Usually races include speed but this race took a long time to get to the finished line. It was not a quick race but took patience to push the marshmallow with a little toothpick. 

We need patience for lots of things and sometimes it can be hard. Sometimes the wait seems to take forever and sometimes the wait may be short. In our relationship with God, we still make mistakes and say the wrong things sometimes. God knows we are not perfect and that we will continue to grow and He will continue to change us, but it doesn’t happen over night. God loves us enough to be patient even when we make mistakes. Even when we make the same mistakes several times! Jesus told a parable about a fig tree that was not blooming. We know the purpose of a fig tree is to give figs. Even though the tree was not doing what it was created to do, the caregiver wanted to wait and work with the tree before cutting it down. God wants to work with us, He doesn’t want to give up. Let’s read our verse for today and see what the parable tells us about how much God loves us.

Read or listen to Luke 13:6-9

What type of tree did the man have in his vineyard? (Fig tree)

What did he find on the tree? (No fruit)

How long was the man waiting to see fruit? (3 years)

What did the man tell the vineyard care giver to do with the tree? (Cut it down)

What did the vineyard keeper ask to do? (Keep it and fertilize it for a year)

What would happen if the tree doesn’t fruit next year? (Cut it down)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

There are many stories that we enjoy reading, but it takes time to build a story. Let’s build a story together. I am going to write the first sentence of our story and together we will make our story grow by adding a sentence to it one person at a time. Write a the first sentence of a story, then pass the paper to the next person and have them add the next sentence to the story, then pass it to the next person to add the next sentence. Continue passing and adding one sentence at a time until you have reached the end of the story. Then read the story aloud. Help little ones dictate their sentence to you if needed. This story grew one sentence at a time, we had to be patient as we waited for the story to be finished. God waits patiently on us too. As we continue to grow and learn to be Christians, God waits patiently because He knows we throughout our lifetime we will grow and change in Him.

Materials: paper, pencil

Alternate

Have you ever gone on a roadtrip? Or taken a trip somewhere that seems to take forever? Sometimes we go places and we arrive quickly and sometimes we have to wait awhile to arrive. We have to be patient until we get to the place we are excited to see. God is also patient with us as we grow and mature in Him. Listen to these places and decide if it would be a quick trip or if you would have to be patient and wait awhile to arrive.

A trip to grandma’s

Going to the Grand Canyon

A trip to the grocery store

Visiting a national park

A drive to Canada

Going to the lake

A visit to the pond

A trip to your favorite restaurant

A walk to your neighbor’s house

A trip to the pool

Materials:

Independent activity:

When we plant seeds for a garden or a tree, it takes a long time for it to grow and turn into a full plant. We have to wait longer than a day or even a week! We have to continue to show it love by watering it, keeping the weeds out and providing it plenty of sunshine. We may not see a change in our plant right away, but there are plenty of changes happening underground. God cares for us by waiting as we change and grow. He can see the little changes in us, even when no one else can. God loves us and is patient with us, He knows we can not change over night, but is patient to watch us grow and change little by little. Provide your child with dirt and a seed or bean to watch grow. Place the bean in a ziplock with a damp paper towel, or in a small plastic cup filled with dirt. Help your child over the next few weeks, water and care for their plant, continuing to discuss how God cares for use while we grow and change.

Materials: bean or seed, ziplock bag or plastic cup, dirt

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Complete the following craft for the barren fig tree. Follow the instructions on this webpage.

Materials: Cardstock, tree template printed, scissors, glue, green felt or construction paper

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What was the man waiting for?

What did the caregiver think would happen after a year?

Is it easy or hard to wait for a year for something to happen?

How does God wait for us?

Why do you think God is so patient with us?

What are some ways you can show patience to others?

Practical Application at Home

When we remember how patient God is with us, it can help us be patient with other people. We sometimes lose our patience with our friends, siblings, or classmates who are unkind to us. Listen to the following scenarios and tell how you could show patience in this situation.

Your sister jumps on your bed that you just made…

You brother breaks the Lego you just finished building…

Your classmate laughs at your drawing during class…

Your friend doesn’t want to share their favorite toy…

Your classmate teases you for bringing a strange lunch to school…

Your parents tell you about a trip that will happen in a few months…

Your upcoming party gets postponed…

Your sister is hogging all of the popcorn you are supposed to share…

The line for the roller coaster is really long…

You are driving across country and the trip will take over 10 hours…

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the warmer weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

What is the biggest party you have ever had? How many people were there? What did you do? What made your party big? Having a great party is a lot of fun, it’s important to celebrate. Did you know God celebrates with us? This week we will read a parable that describes the Father celebrating.

Luke 15:11b-32 

BIBLE STORY

How do you celebrate a big win or a party? Do you have noisemakers that you like to use? Find a noisemaker or create your own for this activity. It’s fun to celebrate over big and small accomplishments. Make a noisemaker such as: 2 paper plates stapled together with beans inside, a small can filled with beans covered with aluminum foil, or a kazoo from 2 popsicle sticks rubber banded together at the ends with paper and toothpicks in the middle. Use your noisemakers to help me celebrate the following things.

-I won my basketball game!

-It’s my birthday!

-I ate all my food!

-I got a 100 on my test!

-I made a new friend today!

-I found my lost toy!

-I won a prize at school!

-I found my lost pet!

-I won the spelling bee!

-I won the relay race!

All of those are wonderful things to celebrate. Did you know that God celebrates with us? He celebrates when we celebrate, and He celebrates when a lost child is found. He wants all of His children to know Him and trust Him, and when we do, He celebrates! This week we will hear a parable about the lost son. This son left his dad and went out on his own not wanting to have anything to do with his father anymore. When he ran out of money and was desperate, he remembered his father could help him. When he came back home, his father was not angry but welcomed him home with open arms. He even threw a party to celebrate his return. God celebrates with us too! Even when we mess up and do wrong, God is willing to forgive and celebrate our return! Let’s read about the story in the scripture for today.

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 15:11b-32

How many sons did the man have (2 sons)

What did the younger son ask the father? (For his share of the estate)

After he received the money what did he do? (Set off to a distant country to squander his wealth in wild living)

What happened to the country while he was there? (There was a famine)

Where did the young son go to work? (In a field to feed pigs)

What was he tempted to do since he was so hungry? (Eat the pig’s food)

What did he remember before her ate pig slop? (That his father had hired men with food to spare)

What did he decide he would tell his dad? (He sinned against heaven and him, he wasn’t worthy to be called his son, and if her could be hired as a servant)

What did the father do when he saw his son coming? (He ran towards him and threw his arms around him)

What did the father tell the servants to do? (Get him the best robe, a ring, and sandals. Kill the fattened calf and prepare a feast to celebrate the sons return)

How did the older son feel about the party? (Angry and refused to go in because he had been loyal to his dad and never received a party)

What was his fathers response? (We had to celebrate and be glad because your brother was dead and now is alive, he was lost but now he is found) 

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Show your child several objects and then tell them to close their eyes. Hide all of the objects around the room when your child is not watching. Open your eyes and see if you can find all of the objects I hid around the room. Was it easy to find all of the objects? When we lose something, we search for it, we want to find it again. When we find it, we are excited and want to rejoice with our family and friends. God is excited when we are found after being lost. He celebrates with us because He loves us so much, he doesn’t want us to wander away from Him. God wants his children to be with Him and follow Him!

Materials: small objects to hide

Alternate

Allow time for each person find and bring 5 objects that belong to them, or that they have created. Take turns describing why their objects are important to them. Are all of these objects the same? Do they have to do anything to make you want or enjoy them. Some of our objects mean something to use because we have created them and some are important because we really enjoy using it. God takes please in us and celebrates us because we are His. He doesn’t need us to do anything special, perform any huge task, or be perfect. God just loves us because we are His. The father in the story loved his son, even though he made mistakes, because he was his son and he loved him. God celebrates us because we are his.

Materials: objects of importance

Independent activity:

Find someone you can celebrate. Think of why they are important to you and how you want to celebrate them. Write a card or write a poem (acrostic) to describe how you want to celebrate them and why. Use their name to create the acrostic poem and fill in a word or two that describes them starting with the letters of their name.

Materials: White sheet of paper, white crayon, colored crayons or water colors

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials: Various household items, string, scissors, glue

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Have you ever celebrated something?

What did you do to celebrate?

What are some things you celebrate over?

What does God celebrate over?

How did the father celebrate over his returned son?

Have you ever had a friendship that was broken?

How did you reconcile, or fix your broken friendship?

Is our relationship with God ever broken?

How can our relationship with God be fixed when broken?

Practical Application at Home

We all make mistakes, we all sin and fall short. Sometimes we lose our way and follow a path that God has not set for us to follow. Sometimes we only think of ourselves and don’t behave in a way that shows we follow Christ. Even when we do all of these things, God has made a way to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. Think of some of the ways you make mistakes and complete the following sentences, remembering you have been reconciled to God from our sins. 

Complete the following statements:

Although I _____ I am reconciled to God through Christ.

Even when I ________ I am reconciled to God through Christ. through Christ.

Sometimes I _________ but I am reconciled to God through Christ.

When I feel _______ I am still reconciled to God through Christ.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the warmer weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Have you ever read a book that was so good you couldn’t put it down? It may have gotten really late, or it was really bedtime, but you just couldn’t stop turning the pages to read? Perhaps it was the story characters or the intense plot that kept you interested. This month we will read some page-turning stories that will keep us on the edge of our seat, rooting for our hero, Jesus!

Luke 4:1-13; Psalm 91:9-16 

BIBLE STORY

It's hard to resist doing things we really want to do, even when we know we are not supposed to. Can you resist blinking your eyes? Let’s challenge each other to a staring contest. Whoever blinks first loses. So try to resist blinking!

Was it easy or hard to resist blinking your eyes? That’s not an easy thing to do, even when we really want to resist! Jesus resisted temptation, but it was not easy. Satan wanted to cause him to sin, but thinking of His own comfort and desires rather that what God’s will. Because Jesus overcame temptation, we can resist temptation as well. We can use the power of Jesus to resist the temptations that may come at us. Let’s read our bible verse for this week to see how Jesus resisted temptation and overcame. 

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 4:1-13

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

What did He eat during His time int he wilderness? (Nothing)

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

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 obstacle course cards, items to create an obstacle course such as chairs, blankets, pillows, pool noodles, etc.

Alternate

Have you ever been tempted to do something you know you shouldn’t do? We are all tempted by people, friends, things we see on television, or unhealthy food. Listen to the following scenarios and decide what you would do if you were being tempted in this way. How would you avoid or withstand the temptation?

Materials: scenario cards

Independent activity:

Jesus is with us through all of our trials and all of our temptations. With Him we can resist temptations. In many stories that we read there is a sidekick, the person who is the hero’s helper or the main characters closest friend. Jesus is also our sidekick. It is important for us to remember how Jesus has been with us in the past so that we can trust He will be with us in the future. Create a list of things Jesus has helped you with this week or month.

Materials: White sheet of paper, pen/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 91:9-16

Who does this verse say is our refuge?

What will God command His angels to do?

What is the reason God said he will rescue us? 

What is our part in God taking care of us?

God says He will be our refuge, he will send His angels to guard over us, and he will rescue us because we love Him! The bible tells us what we need to do, which is to love and trust Him. We can trust that God will take care of us and be with us to help fight temptations.

Practical Application at Home

If you could have a special power, what would it be? Would you be able to fly? Be so strong you could lift a building? Be so fast you could almost be in 2 places at the same time. Although these may sound like cool super powers, God has given us the ability to hero’s in the lives of others. We can save someone’s day by our acts of kindness and being willing to give to others. Think of the following ways you can be a hero to someone in your life. Pick 1 or two things that you can  do this week for someone else.

Pick flowers and give the bouquet to someone

Write a note of encouragement to your teacher

Share a kind word to a classmate

Volunteer to help your teacher or coach and smile while working

Do a household chore at home without being asked to do it

Say “hi” to 5 people you walk by at school, church or while walking through the store with your parent

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

This week we will see how there are a lot of scary things around us and even scary things happening around us, but God is more powerful than the evil we see. God has the power to defeat evil.

Luke 9:37-43a; Psalm 27 

BIBLE STORY

What is the scariest animal you can think of? What would it be like to challenge that animal. Let’s pretend we have to defeat the following animals. What would you do to defeat…

A shark

A lion

A tiger

A gorilla

A pack of wolves

A wild boar

A charging elephant

A grizzly bear

All of these animals are scary and it would be difficult to try to defeat them. We could think of ways to escape or avoid injury, but it would not be easy. There are many things in our world that are evil and scary that would be difficult for us to defeat. But God is more powerful than any of those evils. He is able to defeat anything we think is strong or scary, because he is more powerful than any of them. This week we will read a story about a dark, or evil presence that Jesus was able to get rid of.

Let’s read the Bible story for the week Luke 9:37-43a

After Jesus came down from the mountain who was waiting there for him? (A large crowd)

What did the man ask of Jesus? (To heal his son)

What was wrong with his son? (A spirit seizes him, he suddenly screams and has convulsions)

Who had the man asked to heal his son before Jesus? (Jesus’ disciples)
Had the disciples been able to heal the son? (No)

What did the demon in the son do when he was brought to Jesus? (threw the boy to the ground in convulsions)

When Jesus rebuked the spirit, what happened? (The boy was healed and went back to his father)

How did the people feel who witnessed it? (They were amazed at the greatness of God)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Think about your favorite story. What were some challenges the character in the story had to face. What if the main character in the story had Jesus on their side to face their challenge? How would the story change? Retell your story with Jesus on their side, tell how the story would change and how they would overcome their challenge with ease. Now think of challenge you could face, and how God can defeat your challenge.

Materials: favorite story

Alternate

We are going to play this Challenge game and see if you are able to complete these difficult tasks. Some are really hard but let’s see if you can do them. Play this game of Challenge. Print and cut apart cards and place them in a bowl. Each player picks out a card and tries to complete the challenge as best they can. Was it easy or hard to complete these challenges. Before you started you may have been nervous about your ability to complete the challenge, but it was clear these challenges were not too difficult. What may seem difficult or scary to us, is not difficult or scary to God. He is able to face anything we think is a challenges and defeat it, because He is more powerful.

Materials: printed challenge cards

Independent activity:

Draw a picture of something you fear or that seems scary to you. We all have things in our lives we are unsure we can defeat. It may seem too powerful for us, but it is not too powerful for God. Draw your picture, then title your picture “Whom shall I fear?” Then answer the question at the bottom of the page by writing “The Lord is the stronghold of my life”.

Materials: White sheet of paper, pencil. crayons or coloring utensils

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Create your own short picture story describing a hero character that faces a scary situation and receives help from God. Write your story and then illustrate the pictures.

Materials: white drawing paper, pencil, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Psalm 27:1-6

This scripture describes facing troubles or fears. Who did it say it should fear if God was with them? The answer is no one or nothing! When we have God on our side, who can we fear? What is greater than God? What is stronger than God? If thee answer is nothing, then the response is to fear nothing. That is not easily done, but we know it to be true. This verse reminds us that God is with us and that the wicked nor our enemies can defeat us.At the end of this chapter, it says that we are to be strong, take heart, and wait on the Lord.

Is it easy or hard to wait on the Lord?

What do we often want to do when things get hard or difficult?

Is waiting our natural response to difficulty?

How is waiting while praying to God different from waiting while watching TV?

Who does the Bible say we should fear?

How did the father in our story show He knew Jesus could heal his son?

Practical Application at Home

It is easy to become discouraged about the bad things that are going on around us or in our own lives, when we don’t remember that God is with us. When we remember that God is more powerful than all of the problems in our lives, we can trust that He is in control. Our situation may not always turn out the way we think it should, but we can trust it is not because God is weak, but He has a different plan from ours. Let’s visually see that God is more powerful than our troubles and the evils around us.

Make a list on a sheet of paper of all the struggles you are facing and the evils in the world that concern you. Leave space at the top of the paper. After writing your list, on the top write ‘God is more powerful’ in big bold letters. 

Let’s remember that no matter what we may add to our list, God is still more powerful than all the evils or problems we are facing.

Materials: sheet of paper, pencil/pen

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Waiting is hard to do! How often do you have to wait in 1 day? We wait all the time, sometimes its for a short time and other times we have to wait a long time. This week we will see how God waits for us. He knows we need time to grow and change and He loves us enough to patiently wait. 

Luke 13:6-9, I Corinthians 10:12-13 

BIBLE STORY

Waiting can be difficult! We sometimes want the things we want, immediately! It is hard to be patient and wait for the things we want. Let’s play a waiting game. Follow the  instructions I’m going to give, but when you hear me say “WAIT”, you must pause and freeze right where you are. Then listen for when you can continue the activity. Have the following items near you: candy, water, other various objects if desired. Call out a command and allow time for your child to start the activity, then call for them to wait. Let them wait for awhile before telling them they can continue. Each pause doesn’t need to be the same, some can be longer or shorter than others. 

Come get a piece of candy…WAIT… OK now

Do the splits…WAIT…oh now

Run to the door…WAIT… ok now

Get a drink of water…WAIT… ok now

Give me a high five…WAIT… ok now

Continue with other commands if desired. Waiting in the middle of a task is hard! Sometimes the wait seemed to take forever and sometimes the wait may have been short. In our relationship with God, we still make mistakes and say the wrong things sometimes. God knows we are not perfect and that we will continue to grow and He will continue to change us, but it doesn’t happen over night. God loves us enough to be patient even when we make mistakes. Even when we make the same mistakes several times! Jesus told a parable about a fig tree that was not blooming. We know the purpose of a fig tree is to give figs. Even though the tree was not doing what it was created to do, the caregiver wanted to wait and work with the tree before cutting it down. God wants to work with us, He doesn’t want to give up. Let’s read our verse for today and see what the parable tells us about how much God loves us.

Read or listen to Luke 13:6-9

What type of tree did the man have in his vineyard? (Fig tree)

What did he find on the tree? (No fruit)

How long was the man waiting to see fruit? (3 years)

What did the man tell the vineyard care giver to do with the tree? (Cut it down)

What did the vineyard keeper ask to do? (Keep it and fertilize it for a year)

What would happen if the tree doesn’t fruit next year? (Cut it down)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

There are many stories that we enjoy reading, but it takes time to build a story. Let’s build a story together. I am going to write the first sentence of our story and together we will make our story grow by adding a sentence to it one person at a time. Write a the first sentence of a story, then pass the paper to the next person and have them add the next sentence to the story, then pass it to the next person to add the next sentence. Continue passing and adding one sentence at a time until you have reached the end of the story. Then read the story aloud. This story grew one sentence at a time, we had to be patient as we waited for the story to be finished. God waits patiently on us too. As we continue to grow and learn to be Christians, God waits patiently because He knows we throughout our lifetime we will grow and change in Him.

Materials: paper, pencil

Alternate

What are some things you may have to wait awhile to see happen? One thing that takes awhile to have happen is watching a chicken egg hatch. Although it may take awhile for the egg to hatch but watching is worth the wait. Watch this video on a chicken egg hatching. The time has been sped up so it doesn’t take as long, but it will show how you have to be patient to see the egg hatch.

Materials: attached video, device for viewing video

Independent activity:

God is patient with us as we grow and change, we have to be patient with ourselves as we grown and change. We will not always make the right decisions and say the right words, but we can continue to ask God to help us as He changes us from the inside. Complete the following activity sheet, describe how God can help us in each of these areas.

Materials: printed activity sheet, pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Complete the following craft for the barren fig tree. Follow the instructions on this webpage.

Materials: Cardstock, tree template printed, scissors, glue, green felt or construction paper

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to I Corinthians 10:12-13

Listening to this verse helps us see that we will all make mistakes, we will all fall, and we will all deal with hard things. No one gets through life without difficulty and without being tempted. The good news is, God will not leave us alone or allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. The verse says God will provide a way out so we can endure it. The bible also says we can do all things through Christ, so we can trust God to help us through whatever the situation. God is patient and will be there with us as we go through life’s journey, good and bad.

What are some difficulties we sometimes face?

Have you made any mistakes this week?

How does God show you He is patiently waiting even when you mess up?

How can we show God we want His help?

What does it mean to wait patiently?

Do you wait patiently for others?

Are you patient with the people in your family? At church? At school? On the playground?

What does it mean to grow in God?

Practical Application at Home

When we remember how patient God is with us, it can help us be patient with other people. We sometimes lose our patience with our friends, siblings, or classmates who are unkind to us. Listen to the following scenarios and tell how you could show patience in this situation.

Your sister jumps on your bed that you just made…

You brother breaks the Lego you just finished building…

Your classmate laughs at your drawing during class…

Your friend doesn’t want to share their favorite toy…

Your classmate teases you for bringing a strange lunch to school…

Your parents tell you about a trip that will happen in a few months…

Your upcoming party gets postponed…

Your sister is hogging all of the popcorn you are supposed to share…

The line for the roller coaster is really long…

You are driving across country and the trip will take over 10 hours…

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

What is the biggest party you have ever had? How many people were there? What did you do? What made your party big? Having a great party is a lot of fun, it’s important to celebrate. Did you know God celebrates with us? This week we will read a parable that describes the Father celebrating.

Luke 15:11b-32; II Corinthians 5:17-19 

BIBLE STORY

How do you celebrate a big win or a party? Do you have noisemakers that you like to use? Find a noisemaker or create your own for this activity. It’s fun to celebrate over big and small accomplishments. Make a noisemaker such as: 2 paper plates stapled together with beans inside, a small can filled with beans covered with aluminum foil, or a kazoo from 2 popsicle sticks rubber banded together at the ends with paper and toothpicks in the middle. Use your noisemakers to help me celebrate the following things.

-I won my basketball game!

-It’s my birthday!

-I ate all my food!

-I got a 100 on my test!

-I made a new friend today!

-I found my lost toy!

-I won a prize at school!

-I found my lost pet!

-I won the spelling bee!

-I won the relay race!

All of those are wonderful things to celebrate. Did you know that God celebrates with us? He celebrates when we celebrate, and He celebrates when a lost child is found. He wants all of His children to know Him and trust Him, and when we do, He celebrates! This week we will hear a parable about the lost son. This son left his dad and went out on his own not wanting to have anything to do with his father anymore. When he ran out of money and was desperate, he remembered his father could help him. When he came back home, his father was not angry but welcomed him home with open arms. He even threw a party to celebrate his return. God celebrates with us too! Even when we mess up and do wrong, God is willing to forgive and celebrate our return! Let’s read about the story in the scripture for today. 

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 15:11b-32

How many sons did the man have (2 sons)

What did the younger son ask the father? (For his share of the estate)

After he received the money what did he do? (Set off to a distant country to squander his wealth in wild living)

What happened to the country while he was there? (There was a famine)

Where did the young son go to work? (In a field to feed pigs)

What was he tempted to do since he was so hungry? (Eat the pig’s food)

What did he remember before her ate pig slop? (That his father had hired men with food to spare)

What did he decide he would tell his dad? (He sinned against heaven and him, he wasn’t worthy to be called his son, and if her could be hired as a servant)

What did the father do when he saw his son coming? (He ran towards him and threw his arms around him)

What did the father tell the servants to do? (Get him the best robe, a ring, and sandals. Kill the fattened calf and prepare a feast to celebrate the sons return)

How did the older son feel about the party? (Angry and refused to go in because he had been loyal to his dad and never received a party)

What was his fathers response? (We had to celebrate and be glad because your brother was dead and now is alive, he was lost but now he is found) 

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Show your child several objects and then tell them to close their eyes. Hide all of the objects when your child is not watching. Open your eyes and see if you can find all of the objects I hid around the room. Was it easy to find all of the objects? When we lose something, we search for it, we want to find it again. When we find it, we are excited and want to rejoice with our family and friends. God is excited when we are found after being lost. He celebrates with us because He loves us so much, he doesn’t want us to wander away from Him. God wants his children to be with Him and follow Him!

Materials: several small objects to hide around the room

Alternate

Complete a simple puzzle before showing it to your child. Here is a puzzle I made that is complete and whole. If I break this puzzle apart, we could say it is destroyed or broken. Break the puzzle apart. If I wanted to put this puzzle together, it would be like reconciling the puzzle. The bible talks about reconciliation which is when there is a broken relationship that is repaired. Let’s repair our broken puzzle and see what reconciliation would look like. Putting this puzzle together feels good, just like when we put broken relationships back together. The father and son in our story had a broken relationship that they were able to reconcile. God celebrates when we are able to reconcile broken relationships.

Materials: a simple puzzle (completed already)

Independent activity:

Create a list of things you celebrate. Create a list of things you think God celebrates. God celebrates us because we are His. He celebrates the things we celebrate! He also celebrates those children who were lost and then found. God loves to celebrate with us and we can remember that He takes joy in our celebrations.

Materials: White sheet of 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 II Corinthians 5:17-19

This verse says that we are reconciled to God through Christ. What does it mean to be reconciled? To restore or fix a broken relationship or friendship. If we are reconciled to God, we were at one point broken from Him. Our sin separates us from God, but through Christ’s death we are reconciled to God. Our once broken relationship with God because of our sin, is forgiven through the sinless life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we think of the parable of the father and his lost son, they were reconciled because thee father welcomed his son with open arms. God welcomes us with open arms, even when we make mistakes. God wants to be whole with us, he doesn’t want a broken relationship with his children.

Have you ever had a friendship that was broken?

What was the reason for the brokenness or fight?

Were you ever able to reconcile?

What was your friendship like after the reconciliation?

How can we extend reconciliation to broken relationships?

How were we reconciled to God?

How was the son in the story reconciled to his father?

Practical Application at Home

We all make mistakes, we all sin and fall short. Sometimes we lose our way and follow a path that God has not set for us to follow. Sometimes we only think of ourselves and don’t behave in a way that shows we follow Christ. Even when we do all of these things, God has made a way to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. Think of some of the ways you make mistakes and complete the following sentences, remembering you have been reconciled to God from our sins. 

Complete the following statements:

Although I _____ I am reconciled to God through Christ.

Even when I ________ I am reconciled to God through Christ. through Christ.

Sometimes I _________ but I am reconciled to God through Christ.

When I feel _______ I am still reconciled to God through Christ. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 1

What is your favorite thing to do or have? What is your favorite toy? Would you be willing to give it up and not receive a replacement in return? We all have things we enjoy and even treasure, but we have to ask ourselves if we treasure those things more than we value Jesus. Wee want to show Jesus that we love Him more than anything.

John 12:1-8

BIBLE STORY

Let’s do a smelling activity and see if we can guess the smell that is given. Put several scents on a cotton ball and place in a baggie or paper cup. As you have your child smell the different scents, ask them to guess what it is and also what the smell reminds them of. Be sure to either label or write a cheat sheet to remember which scents were placed in each bag. Possible scents: peppermint (oil), Peanut Butter, coconut oil, perfume, body/hand soap, lemon (oil or squeezed), onion (rubbed on cotton ball).

Think of what each of those smells reminds you. Our memory is closely tied to our sense of smell and can bring back memories for us. A specific perfume smell can remind us of our grandma, mom or dad. We can connect nice memories with our sense of smell. The smell of freshly cut apples can trigger a memory of apple picking with loved ones. This week we will read a story about how Mary created a scene by anointing Jesus’ feet with strong smelling perfume. Everyone in the room noticed what happened because they smelled it! Mary was showing her love to Jesus through this act of washing his feet, but she also was anointing him for what was to come. Let’s read this weeks story. 

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: John 12:1-8

What city was Jesus in? (Bethany)

What had previously happened in Bethany? ( Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead)

Why was Jesus at this dinner? (It was a dinner in Jesus’ honor)

While he was sitting at the table, what did Mary do? (Used expensive perfume to wash his feet and then wiped it with her hair)

What filled the house? (The fragrance of the perfume)

How did the disciple Judas think the money from the perfume should have been spent? (Sold and spent on the poor)

How much was the perfume worth? (1 year’s wage)

What did Judas really want to do with the money? (Use the money for himself)

How did Jesus reply to what Judas said? (To leave Mary alone, it was intended for her to save this oil for the day of his burial, the poor would always be among them.)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Have several gifts or prizes wrapped in wrapping paper or placed in gift bags. Present 2 gifts at a time, and then ask them to share one of the gifts with someone in the room or decide on a friend they can share them with later. Be sure to choose gifts that are both good and hard to choose between. Was it easy or hard to share one of your presents with someone else? Mary gave her best to Jesus because she loved him. We can give our best to God and give back to God the gifts he has given to us.

Materials: several prizes wrapped in wrapping paper or gift bags (an even number of prizes)

Alternate

Draw a picture of the thing you think is your best that you could give to Jesus to show him how you love him.

Materials: Sheet of paper, crayons or coloring pencils

Independent activity:

We can always do more to show Jesus we love him. Print the following page of a plain ice cream cone. Make this ice cream more special by adding some great toppings. Use 3-d objects if desired such as small pom-poms, glitter, and cotton balls. We can always read the Bible more, serve others more or sing praises more!

Materials: attached ice cream cone sheet, 3D items (optional): pom poms, glitter, cotton balls etc.

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials: Printed coloring sheet, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What did Mary use to anoint Jesus feet?

Where were they when she anointed his feet?

How did this show how much Mary loved Jesus?

How can we show our love for Jesus?

How do our actions demonstrate our love for God?

Do we have to spend all of our money on perfume to show Jesus we love him?

What does Jesus want most of all?

How did Mary show that she loved Jesus above everything else?

Practical Application at Home

We all make mistakes, we all sin and fall short. Sometimes we lose our way and follow a path that God has not set for us to follow. Sometimes we only think of ourselves and don’t behave in a way that shows we follow Christ. Even when we do all of these things, God has made a way to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. Think of some of the ways you make mistakes and complete the following sentences, remembering you have been reconciled to God from our sins. 

Complete the following statements:

Although I _____ I am reconciled to God through Christ.

Even when I ________ I am reconciled to God through Christ. through Christ.

Sometimes I _________ but I am reconciled to God through Christ.

When I feel _______ I am still reconciled to God through Christ. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

When we give our time serving others, we are showing Jesus that we love him more than anything else. We can spend time being the hands and feet of Jesus, rather than playing our video games or doing other things that are just for us. Spend time this week looking for ways to serve others.

WELCOME TO WEEK 2

Being a king is a big responsibility. There have been lots of kings through history, but only 1 king is the king over everything. That is Jesus! He is the only king who rules over the whole world. This week we will see how Jesus was praised by those who were excited He was their Messiah.

Luke 19:28-40

BIBLE STORY

Have you ever ridden on the back of an animal? Different animals move in different ways. Let’s pretend we are on a parade through town riding on an animal I say. Create a space or area for your child to do a march or parade around.

Pretend you are riding through the parade on a…

An elephant (long strides forward and backward)

A horse (gallop)

A dog (squat as you walk around)

A kangaroo (bouncing up and down)

A cheetah (move very quickly)

An eagle (soar around the room)

A donkey (bouncing up and down, surging forward occasionally)

It was fun pretending we were riding on different animals. We could imagine the way those animals walk and then pretend we were on their back. If you were riding through a very important parade, what kind of animal would you want to ride on? Probably one that is big and important that wouldn't throw you around. In our story today, wee will see how Jesus rode through the middle of the city in front of everyone, on a donkey!! He didn’t ride in on a noble steed or a regal elephant, but a clopping donkey. Do you think that is the entrance of a king? Let’s read or listen to the story for this week and see how Jesus came to ride on a donkey.

Let’s read the Bible story for the week  Luke 19:28-40

When Jesus was at the Mount of Olives, what did he send his disciples to do? (Go to the village to find a donkey there)

What was special about thee donkey they were to find? (It had never been ridden)

What were the disciples to say to anyone if they asked why they needed it? (The Lord needs it.)

Did the disciples find the donkey? (Yes, they told the owners the Lord needs it)

After the disciples brought Jesus the donkey, what did they do? (Layed their robes on it and helped him get on the donkey)

As Jesus was riding down the road, what were people doing? (Spreading their robes on the road)

What did the group of disciples do as Jesus road down the road? (Began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice)

What did the Pharisees say about the crowd? (Rebuke your disciples)

What was Jesus’ response to rebuking the crown? (If they keep silent, the stones would cry out)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Retell the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the donkey while they act out the story. Have 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: Rocking horse or stick to pretend as a donkey, bible dress-up clothes, green construction paper

Alternate

A king is powerful but it is not the only thing that has power. Listen to the clues and guess what is being described. Then use your play dough to see if you can create the image of what was described.

Materials: Trivia game clues printed or device to view on, play dough

Independent activity:

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: Donkey template printed, crayons/markers, glue, scissors, 2 clothespins, black yarn

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials: Printed coloring sheet, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Name a king from the past.

What type of king was he?

Did he rule in a fair and just way?

What makes Jesus a different King from all other kings? 

What would the Lord be king over?

Who else will reign with Him?

What are some names given to Jesus our king?

Practical Application at Home

Being a king or ruler is not an easy task. Many times earthly kings fail to remain humble, or fair. They often begin to think of themselves over everyone else. Their needs and desires begin to outweigh the needs and desires of their kingdom or people. Even the kings in the Bible often went astray and did not continue to follow what God would have them do. 

Think of the kings in the Bible. Make a list of the kings you know who tried to continue to follow what God wanted of them and then make a list of the kings you know went astray or never followed God at all.

Although the Bible is filled with kings who did not reign justly or with wisdom, we know that Jesus is a king who will reign like no other king ever has before. That is something worth getting excited about. We can celebrate our risen Savior who is the King over the whole earth. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Did you know Jesus is alive? What great news! Awesome news! News that is too good to keep to yourself! The disciples thought so too! They were excited about that news when they realized Jesus had rose from the dead. This week we will remind ourselves of why we celebrate this time of year, Jesus is alive!

Luke 24:1-12

BIBLE STORY

Let’s see if you can figure out which of my statements are true and which ones are false. I’m going to say a few statements, if you think it is true, I want you to pop up from a crouched position. If you think the statement is not true, stay crouched down.

TRUE/FALSE statements from the Bible story of resurrection

Jesus was crowned as king of Israel while he lived on earth. (False)

The disciples knew Jesus was going to die. (False)

People waved branches and shouted hosanna as Jesus entered the city. (True)

Jesus was placed in a tomb when He died. (True)

People marched around the city 7 times after Jesus was crowned. (False)

Jesus is still in the grave. (False)

Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey while people shouted hosanna and waved branches. They wanted Jesus to be their reigning king, but they did not realize He was not going to be king right then. They did not realize what was about to happen. Jesus was going to die for their sins so they could live forever with Him. This week we will see how Jesus conquered death. When He died even His disciples did not understand it, but when they saw Him conquer death, they understood more fully what He had been telling them all along. 

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 24:1-12

After Jesus died, what did the women do at the grave? (Took prepared spices and went to the tomb)

When they came to the tomb, what did they find? (The stone was rolled away)

What did they find when they entered the tomb? (That Jesus’ body was not there)

Who appeared to the women at the tomb? (Two men inn clothes that gleaned like lightning)

What did the men tell the women? (Why do you look for the living among the dead, He is not here, He is risen)

What did the women do after they left the tomb? (They told the 11 disciples and others who were with them what happened)

What did the disciples do? (They did not believe them)

What did Peter go and do? (Ran to thee tomb and found the stripes of linen lying by themselves)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Hide small stones or jelly beans around a designated area for your child to find. Show them the “stones” they will be looking for. Help them collect the stones by shining a light on the path for them to follow. Have them collect all of the stones in a basket. These stones represent our sins. We all have sins, but Jesus helps us find them and get rid of them. When we celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection, we remember that He died for all of our sins so that we don’t have to. He helps us see the wrongs we do and then offers us forgiveness.

Materials: Small stones or jelly beans, flashlight, basket to collect stones

Alternate

Let’s take a taste test. I want you to try this and describe what it taste like. Give your child something bitter to taste like parsley, coffee, or horseradish. That was not a wonderful taste, was it? It taste rather bitter. What Jesus endured was bitter, and painful, but He suffered the cross because He loves us and wants to save us. Now, let’s try this bitter food with something a little more pleasurable. Pair the bitter food with something sweet like apples and honey or sugar and milk for the coffee. Now that we have eaten the bitter with the sweet, it taste a little better. In life we will have bitter moments or experiences, things we are not even sure we can bear, but Jesus is the sweetness that makes the bitterness endurable. His death on the cross and his resurrection allows us to have a closeness with God we otherwise could not have. Therefore, we are able to endure the hardships, or bitterness, of life.

Materials: Bitter food such as parsley, coffee to taste or horseradish. Sweet foods such as apples and honey, sugar and milk

Independent activity:

A handprint cross. On a sheet of yardstick or construction paper, use masking tape to create a cross in the center of the paper. Use a variety of paints, each person dips their hand in the paint and stamps it around the paper. Once the paint is dry, gently lift the tape to reveal the clean part of the paper in the shape of a cross. Jesus knows each one of us and died for every single person. Just as our fingerprints are unique to us, God knows each one of us as our own person and died for each person.

Materials: Large sheet of card stock or construction paper, variety color of washable paint, masking tape.

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials: Printed coloring sheet, crayons

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

How did Jesus’ friends feel when he was in the tomb?

Who was waiting at the tomb Sunday morning?

How did Peter feel when he heard the news Jesus was not in the tomb?

What does it mean to be resurrected?

Did Jesus know he was going to die?

Why did Jesus die for us?

When Jesus rose from the dead, what did He conquer?

What good news about Jesus could you share with others?

Practical Application at Home

Before beginning this activity, print the following sheet and cut sentences into strips. Place the strips of paper into a box and then wrap the box nicely so it looks like a gift.

Jesus gave us a gift when he died on the cross for us. 

Present a nicely wrapped gift on the table. If you have another person to complete this demonstration, present the gift to them, if not, pretend as though the gift is for you from God.

Have your partner present the gift to you.  

Point out how nice the gift looks and how pretty it is. Thank them for the gift but never pick it up from the table, leave it there and admire it from a distance. 

Have your partner offer it to you again and describe how excited they are for you to have it and how they picked it up just for you.

Continue to thank them, even offering to pay for it while your partner to continues to convince you to take the gift and open it.

You know, God has presented us with a gift as well. We can be happy about the gift and excited about the gesture, but what did I fail to do with my gift? I didn’t open it! I didn’t take it! When someone gives us a gift, its free, we just need to say thank you and accept it! We can accept our gift by taking it and using it. Let’s open our gift now.

When you open the gift, read the strips of papers inside the box. God wants to give us all of these things, for free! We don’t have to pay God back, we don’t have to earn it and we don’t have to save it for later. That is the good news of the gospel. Jesus died for our sins so He gave us the gift of salvation, forgiveness, and acceptance. Can you think of any other gifts God gives us that were not mentioned from our box?

We can share this gift with others. Think of a person you would like to share the love of God with, whether they already know Jesus or not. Think of a gift you think they would enjoy. Wrap the gift and add a card that tells them this gift is given out of love, just as Jesus’ gift to us is given out of His love for us. Present the gift to them, or leave the gift in a place they will find and be surprised!

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

We trust lots of things every day without even thinking about it. We trust our car will get us to school in the morning. We trust our refrigerator will keep our food cold all day. We trust our alarm clock to wake us up in the morning. More than those things that we trust to do what they are made to do, we can trust Jesus to do what He says He will do. This week we will see how the disciples learned to trust that Jesus what do what He said He would do. 

John 20:19-31

BIBLE STORY

Sometimes we need to see something for ourselves to believe and sometimes we need to believe even when we can’t see it. Listen to the following statements and decide if you think it is true or false. 

The sky is blue

There is wind on Earth

We breath oxygen

Grass grows

Living things need food

Gravity keeps grounded

Rainbows are made by reflecting light

Earth’s core (center) is hot

Some of the things listed you have experienced or seen for yourself so you know they are true. Some of the things listed you have not seen but need faith to believe that it is true. When Jesus appeared to the disciples Thomas was not there and so had a hard time to believing. Today we will read a story about Thomas who didn’t believe right away that Jesus had risen.

Read or listen to the scripture John 20:19-31

Who was together in the room? (The disciples)

Why were the doors locked? (Of fear of the Jewish leaders)

How did Jesus enter the room? (Jesus came and stood among them)

What did the disciples do when they saw Jesus? (They were overjoyed)

How did Jesus give them the Holy Spirit? (He breathed on them)

What did Jesus say would happen if they forgave someone’s sin? (Their sins would be forgiven)

What did Thomas say when the disciples told him they had just seen Jesus? (He would believe when he saw the holes in his hands and feet)

How did Jesus appear again to the disciples? (Jesus came and stood before them)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Think of someone you know who you trust? What makes you trust them? What helps you feel secure around them? Listen to these situations and decide who you trust for these things. For as much as we can trust those people in our lives, we can trust Jesus even more. He loves us and will never let us down, we can trust Him.

Materials: printed situations

Alternate

Create an obstacle course in your space. Use chairs, blankets, small table, pool noodles or things you have on hand. Blindfold the person going through the course. The other person then gives oral directions to get them through the course. Did you make it through the course without tripping or falling over anything? Was it easy or hard to listen and have faith in the person directing you through the course? Did you trust they were leading you the right way? What senses did you have to use to get through the course?

Materials: materials for an obstacle course (blankets, chairs, small tables, pool noodles etc), blindfold

Independent activity:

When Jesus appeared to his disciples, they did not realize He was even in the room because he door was closed and locked. Let’s play a game of hide and seek. When you are found shout “Jesus appeared to disciples”.

Materials: area for play

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Hand cut-out with heart in the middle. On the hand write “Jesus Helps me Believe

Materials: handprint, construction paper, scissors

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

How did Jesus appear to the disciples?

How could Jesus appear when the door was locked?

Which disciple did believe Jesus appeared to them?

Why were they disciples so afraid?

What are some things you have a hard time trusting that you can not see?

How can we have faith even when we can’t see it?

Practical Application at Home

What questions do you have for God today? What things do you doubt or are unsure of. Questions are not a sign of weak faith but of a faith that is searching for God. Wanting to know more and believe for yourself shows you want to have a relationship with God. God is big enough to handle your questions, just keep talking to Him!

On the journal sheet, write the date on your entry and write a letter, or prayer, to God. Tell Him what you believe right now, and ask questions you may have. This week, as you read your bible, sing songs, listen to praise music, talk with your parents, teachers and church leaders, see if God reveals his answers to you. Continue to seek God and praise Him for the answers you receive. You can easily turn this page into a journal by printing more pages or using a blank notebook and glueing this to the first page as a starter. Journaling prayers is a great way of communicating with Jesus. It’s also a great way to look back and see how God has answered your prayers. 

Additional Resources