Kids will learn that no matter how many times we’ve disobeyed God, God will give us a chance to turn things around.
KEY PASSAGE:
Jonah 1-2:1, and 2:10, Jonah Runs from God
MEMORY VERSE:
“Lord, you are great. You are really worthy of praise. No one can completely understand how great you are.” Psalm 145:3 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
God asked Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and tell the people to repent of their evil ways and turn to God. Jonah didn’t want to so he hopped on a boat going the opposite direction from Nineveh. God used a big storm and a stinky fish’s belly to give Jonah a second chance to make a right choice.
Discussion Questions
-Why do you suppose Jonah didn’t want to go? – How did God give Jonah a second chance? – Why is it good that God gives second chances? – Will God always give us another chance when we ask?
Activity
Let each of the kids take home a small sample of the Beanboozled or Regular Jelly Bellys to share with their family, along with today’s lesson. If someone eats a gross jelly bean, give them a second chance!
Kids will learn that choosing our own way over God’s way, means we’re not choosing God’s best for our life.
KEY PASSAGE:
Genesis 19:9-26, Sodom and Gomorrah
MEMORY VERSE:
“Lord, you are great. You are really worthy of praise. No one can completely understand how great you are.” Psalm 145:3 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
God saved Lot and his family when he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. But Lot’s wife did not obey God’s instructions; she looked back at the city while it was being destroyed and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A plate of fries A large can of salt
Who likes French fries?
Add some salt to the fries.
Who likes their French fries with a little salt?
Dump a pile of salt on the fries.
Who would eat fries with this much salt?
Salty foods are delicious, whether it’s fries or chips or even salted caramel. But too much salt can be just plain gross. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, and it can also leave you feeling very thirsty.
Lot and his family discovered that doing things their way instead of God’s way can be just as bitter. They were told not to look back when they fled Sodom and Gomorrah, but when Lot’s wife looked back, she was turned into a pillar of salt. God wants us to do things His way. We should turn our backs on sin to follow Him and never look back. God will never leave us bitter. He has a better plan if we’re willing to follow His direction.
When we choose to go our own way, we are not choosing what’s best for us. God’s plans are good and will never leave you feeling salty. Wherever God leads you, go, and don’t look back!
Kids will think of ways to show their Mom they love her, other than with cards and gifts.
KEY PASSAGE:
Luke 2:41-52, The Boy Jesus at the Temple
MEMORY VERSE:
“Children, obey your parents as believers in the Lord. Obey them because it’s the right thing to do.” Ephesians 6:1 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
As a child, Jesus obeyed his parents, and grew in wisdom and stature. The Bible says that his mother Mary treasured all of these moments in her heart. When Mary and Joseph could not ind Jesus, their love and concern was evident. We can show our mom that we love her, by obeying her and treating her and others with respect.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
Brussel Sprouts A thermometer A remote control
What do these three objects all have in common? Believe it or not, all three of these things are used by our mothers to show us how much she loves us.
How many of you like Brussel Sprouts? How many of your moms know you don’t like Brussel Sprouts but continue to serve them to you anyway? Moms know that nutrition is more important than taste buds. They know you need a variety of vegetables. Brussel Sprouts and broccoli and lettuce and squash and zucchini are all good for you, even if they aren’t good tasting. Mom says she loves us by serving us vegetables.
Mom can use the thermometer to show us her love as well. It can be nerve-wracking, waiting on the thermometer, because that thermometer can mean the difference between going to school, having a day off or even – yipe! – going to the doctor. Mom wants us to be well, and she shows her love by the way she cares for us when we are sick.
Mom also uses the remote control to show her love, but not always in a way we like. She may turn on your favorite show. Or she may turn off a show that’s too grown up for you. Mom wants to protect our minds as well as our bodies, and Moms use that remote control to steer us away from bad stuff.
Moms love us in more ways than we can ever calculate. They are a gift from God. Let’s make sure our Moms know we love them this Mother’s Day, and thank them for loving us – even when they serve us veggies.
Memory Verse
Craft
Have the kids create three “coupons” for their Mom. One can be for a free hug or cuddle time, but the other two should be for chores that the kids will do without griping when cashed in.
Jesus spent a short time on earth after his resurrection before ascending into heaven to prepare our heavenly home. Kids will learn that Jesus is still with us on earth, through the Holy Spirit that he sent to us to live in all believers.
Object Lesson-Holy Spirit as Guide
ITEMS NEEDED:
A compass
If you were lost in the woods, and you didn’t have any signal on your phone, how would you find your way out? How could you get moving in one direction and keep moving until you found your way to the edge of the woods? Since we can’t always rely on getting phone signal in the woods, it’s a good idea to take an old fashioned compass. The compass doesn’t need a signal or a battery. It always points to true north so we can navigate our way.
Today we’re asking one final question: where is Jesus? The Bible tells us He is in Heaven, preparing a place for everyone who believes in Him to live forever. The Bible also tells us His Holy Spirit is here on Earth. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence. In a way it is our compass and our guide, pointing us to Heaven so we can move closer and closer to Jesus while we live here on Earth.
Jesus is alive. He is preparing a place for us, and He sent His Spirit to guide us home.
Some people think the story of Jesus rising from the grave is a made up story, like a UFO landing, but its not!
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
Jesus is not dead; He is alive!
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that Jesus truly rose from the dead, giving him power over death.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 28:1-14, The Resurrection and The Guards Report
MEMORY VERSE:
“May you have power with all God’s people to understand Christ’s love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is.” Ephesians 3:18 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
Many people wonder if the resurrection really happened or if it was just a story or hoax. Kids will learn that this hoax idea dates back to the resurrection itself, when the rulers bribed Roman soldiers to lie about Jesus coming back from the dead.
Story Short Version
“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said….So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples….While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
An Amazon Echo (or similar device)
Do you know what a conspiracy theory is? A conspiracy theory is the belief that something dark or secret is going on, something someone doesn’t want us to know about.
Some people think that Amazon is actually listening to us, all the time, through devices like this Echo. They also think that Apple is listening to us through our iPhones and that Google is listening through the Google Dot. How many of you have one of these devices at home? How many of you have heard your mom or dad say, “I think they are listening to us?”
I don’t know if Amazon is listening to us or not, but I’m okay with them hearing this – the resurrection is no conspiracy. From the day Jesus rose from the grave, people have tried to say it was a lie, but the real lie was one of the soldiers made up when they were bribed to say the body was stolen. No one would die for a lie, and the fact that so many people saw Jesus alive and were willing to die for Him proves there was no conspiracy to hide Jesus’ body.
Did Jesus really rise from the grave? Yes, He did, and He has conquered sin and death. We can place our faith in Him knowing that we will live forever with Jesus.
Kids will learn that Jesus can comfort us because he faced the same challenges we do.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 4:1-11, The Temptation, Matthew 26:36-46, Gethsemane, Hebrews 4:14-15, Without Sin
MEMORY VERSE:
“May you have power with all God’s people to understand Christ’s love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is.” Ephesians 3:18 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
Because Jesus is God the Son, it’s hard to imagine he had to deal with the same things we have to deal with, like hunger, fear, and temptation. Kids will learn that Jesus experienced the same struggles we do, yet without sinning.
Bible Quiz
Let’s Move
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
Rubick’s Cube
There are many challenges you face as a kid. How do you make new friends in a new school? How do you handle difficult classmates? How do you deal with people who do not believe in God like we do? And of course… how do you solve a Rubick’s Cube? Anyone who picks one up can’t help but be baffled by it – at least at first. How many of you kids have tried to solve one of these? Okay, adults in the room, how many of you have tried to solve one?
Kids, look around. You are not alone!
There’s comfort in knowing we are not alone. There’s comfort knowing our parents, our older siblings, and the people we look up to know what it’s like to be a kid and struggle with so many things. We can rest assured Jesus knows as well. The gospels show us that Jesus was no super-human. He knew hunger. He knew tiredness. He knew sadness. He knew fear. He knew pain. Jesus knew what it was to be popular and to have the whole world reject Him – even His best friends. He knows how badly it can hurt to be rejected too.
Jesus can comfort us not just because He is God, but because He knows how we feel at all times. Jesus lived it all, just like we are living it now. If you’re tired, hurt, sad, afraid, Jesus understands, and He can give you peace.
Kids will learn that Jesus is the Son of God, sent by the Father to save us from our sins.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 16:13-23, Peter’s Confession
MEMORY VERSE:
“May you have power with all God’s people to understand Christ’s love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is.” Ephesians 3:18 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
Most people have heard of Jesus, but many don’t really understand who he is. Even when Jesus walked the earth, most of the people who he met didn’t “get it.” Kids will learn that Peter was one of the first to truly recognize that Jesus is God’s Son.
Object Lesson
“Hello My Name Is” name tags
Have you ever been some place where they made you wear one of these? We often wear name tags on the first day of school so our teachers and classmates can get to know our names. But knowing our names doesn’t mean they know who we are. We are not just Sarah or Adam or Melinda or Daniel. We are soccer players, artists, musicians, writers, basketball players, sons and daughters, and so much more!
Most people know the name Jesus, but not everyone knows who Jesus is. The Bible teaches us that Jesus is God’s Son. It tells us that Jesus gave up His throne in Heaven to live as a man on Earth. It tells us He died for our sins so that He could give us eternal life.
Jesus has changed the lives of millions of people over the centuries. Though no one living today has seen Him face to face, many know Him as their Savior and will tell you He changed their life. Who is Jesus? He is the Christ. He is the Son of God. He wants to save you from your sins!
This is a complicated project that will take some planning by parents. This lesson uses a skit to tell the story of Easter and Jesus Resurrection, and science experiments to provide visualization. You will find the ingredients for the science projects in scenes 3. 5 & 7. My hope is that it will be fun and a memorable experience for children and their parents.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
SUMMARY:
On Easter Sunday we celebrate the happy ending – Jesus is risen! Because Jesus rose from the grave, we can be reunited with God. We can receive eternal life, and a new life here on Earth. Until then, Jesus wants us to share the good news with others.
Object Lesson
ITEM NEEDED: An egg
How many of these do you think you have around your house today, real or plastic?
I imagine we’ll all see hundreds of eggs before the day is out. Eggs are a symbol for new life. When we see eggs, we think of baby chicks. We think of new beginnings. It’s the perfect reminder of the new life we can have in Jesus.
On Easter Sunday, we remember the resurrection of Jesus. Because Jesus died and rose again, he alone can forgive our sins. What’s more, Jesus can give us eternal life and a new life here on Earth.
Today can be a new beginning for you as well. If you’ve never accepted Jesus as your Savior, now is the perfect time. Jesus can wipe away your sins, and he can give you a new beginning. That’s a far better gift than any Easter candy or bunny you can receive.
Today we celebrate new life and new beginnings. Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!
Because Jesus died and rose again, we can have eternal life!
OBJECTIVE:
– For kids to understand that Jesus’ death is the reason we can have eternal life.
KEY PASSAGE:
Mark 15:6-15, John 19:17-30, Luke 23:39-43: Jesus dies and is buried
MEMORY VERSE:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
– John 15:13 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
The tomb is no one’s favorite part of the Easter story, but without the tomb, there is no story. Jesus was put to death, and his death was the final sacrifice for our sins. Without the tomb, there is no resurrection. The good news is, because Jesus died and rose again, we can be with him in paradise.
Object Lesson
ITEM NEEDED:
An apple
I’m guessing most of you in here, given the chance, would take a shiny red apple over a black jelly bean, right? Apples are the perfect snack; all natural, nutritious, and deli- cious. But apples have another purpose besides food. Apples are an apple tree’s only hope of producing more trees. Apples contain the seeds to grow even more apple trees, and unless an apple “dies”, there won’t be any apple trees in the future.
Just like an apple, which must go into the darkness of the Earth to create new life, Jesus had to die and be buried in a tomb in order to fulfill God’s promise of salvation. Without the death of Jesus, there’s no resurrection, and without the resurrection, there’s no eternal life for you or me.
Let’s thank God for sending his Son to die for us, and let’s thank Jesus for his obedi- ence to that calling. It’s because he died that we are here today celebrating his death and his resurrection!
Simon is laying on the stage asleep. Thad lies beside him but is not sleeping; he can’t. He rolls over and looks at Simon.
THAD: Simon? You awake? Simon?
Simon doesn’t move. Thad decides to fake rolling over in his sleep. He lies down, then flops backwards, slinging his arm around and hitting Simon.
SIMON: Hey!! THAD: (pretends to be waking up) What? Huh? What’s the matter, can’t you sleep?
SIMON: I was asleep. THAD: I can’t sleep either. SIMON: Why don’t you get a glass of water? THAD: I tried that, but I still can’t sleep. I don’t see how you can either.
SIMON: We’ll need it. Tomorrow they may be looking for us, and then we’ll have to run.
THAD: You think they’ll come after us? SIMON: They might. THAD: Why?
SIMON: They want to make sure they stamp out what Jesus was doing; they’ll round up as many of his followers as they can. Trust me, it won’t be good.
THAD: I don’t wanna die on a cross.
SIMON: I don’t either. So let’s get some sleep so we can get out of here tomorrow. Simon lies back down.
THAD: I still can’t believe it. Just two days ago, we were all together. We had Passover, we went out to the garden, and now…
SIMON: I know. Now he’s dead.
THAD: I hear the ladies are going down to the tomb to prepare the body in the morning. Maybe we should go.
SIMON: You know they have guards down there, right? Roman soldiers, big swords, spears. I don’t think that’s a good idea.
THAD: Yeah, maybe not. I just thought going down there might give me some sense of closure, you know?
SIMON: I guess so.
THAD: I can’t help feeling like it’s not really over. Like there’s still something more to come. This can’t be the end, can it?
SIMON: Thaddeus, he’s dead. THAD: I know he’s dead. But so was Lazarus. And so was that little girl, remember?
SIMON: I remember. THAD: He knew he was going to die, and he let them take him away. What if…
SIMON: Now you’re talking crazy. THAD: Yeah, I guess so. They both lay down. THAD: Hardly seems worth going to sleep. It’s almost morning.
SIMON: Is it?
THAD: Take a look for yourself. SIMON: Wow. Sunday morning. THAD: What do you think will happen today?
