John the Baptist sends his followers to ask Jesus a strange question and Jesus replies what did you come out to see? Blessed are those who do not stumble because of me.
Sofa Sunday School-Jesus Sacrifice
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
Only Jesus can forgive our sins.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will know that forgiveness of sins comes from God through Jesus.
KEY PASSAGE:
Luke 23:32-43, The Crucifixion
MEMORY VERSE:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
We received the perfect example of what forgiveness looks like when God sent his son Jesus to earth. The ultimate forgiveness – the forgiveness of sins – comes from the Father through Jesus. He took the punishment our sins deserved and died for you and for me. But, he rose again so that we could have eternal life and live with him forever. Because God has forgiven us so much, he wants us to forgive others who wrong us.
Game
Let’s Learn A New Song
Craft
Give each child a black piece of construction paper. Have them dip their hands in white paint and make a handprint on the page. Paint a red circle in the middle of the palm. Below the hand, write, “Only Jesus Saves.”
Matthew 10-Jesus Sends The 12
Today’s Passage in Matthews Gospel is pivotal. This week Jesus will instruct his disciples as to “how to announce the Kingdom” and at the same time tell them what to expect when they do, but honestly i’ve always found some of Jesus words in this text troubling, so join me this week and we’ll see what we can make of all of this.
Sofa Sunday School-Abigail
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
We can set an example for our friends in being kind to others.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will be challenged to set an example for their friends this week by not talking bad about others or joining in making fun of others.
KEY PASSAGE:
1 Samuel 25:4-33, David, Nabal and Abigail
MEMORY VERSE:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Nabal had treated David and his men badly. David went out to get his revenge and kill Nabal. But Nabal’s wife, Abigail, pleaded with David to have compassion; reminding him that vengeance belongs to God, not men.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
None
For today’s object lesson, I did not bring anything from home. That’s because today, the object I want to talk about is your hand. I want all of you to put your hand up. Open your hands, and spread your fingers wide. Fold your pointer finger in. Good. Now stretch it out with the others. Now, who can fold in just their pinky finger, anyone? Can you fold your pinky in without also folding in your ring finger?
You can’t fold in your pinky without folding in your ring finger. Where one goes, the other follows. That’s a lot like how we are with our friends, isn’t it? When our friends watch a new show, we want to watch. When our friends are playing a new video game, we want to try.
Most of the time, there’s no problem going along with our friends, but when our friends make fun of other people, that’s when we need to stand strong. We need to set the example so instead of us folding to peer pressure, they will stand against it with us.
We all have the choice to fold up, or to set an example, and if we set the example, it will encourage our friends to do the right thing too. Let’s make the right choice. Let’s stand strong so our friends will stand with us against gossip, name calling, and bullying!
Game
Now Get Up Offa That Thing And Dance Cause You’ll Feel Better
Matthew 8&9-Jesus Heals Many
Jesus steps it up. As he descends the Mountain he encounters many who are sick demonstrating that he is not only mighty in Word, but also in Deed.
Sofa Sunday School-David Spares Saul
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
We need to love people who are hard to love.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will be challenged to think of someone who is difficult to love and be encouraged to look for a way to be kind to them this week.
KEY PASSAGE:
1 Samuel 24:1-19, David Spares Saul’s Life
MEMORY VERSE:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
God chose David to be the new king himself. This made the current king, Saul, very angry. Saul tried to kill David. When David had the chance to get the jump on Saul, he chose compassion rather than anger.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A pair of scissors
Avengers always have their weapons ready. Iron Man has his suit. Thor has his hammer. Captain Marvel has her fists ready to shoot lasers. David was armed and ready to fight as well when he was hiding in that cave. We don’t know whether he had a knife, a sword, or heck – a pair of scissors, but when he saw Saul come into the cave, he cut off a piece of the king’s robe – and felt very guilty about it.
It’s one thing to say we should love our enemies, but it’s another thing to actually do it. We can’t actually do it until we put away our weapons. We must put aside our anger by forgiving them for the things they have done to us. Only when we put down our weapons can we reach out an open hand and try to be friends with them.
I know it isn’t easy to love someone who is always mean, but you can’t shake someone’s hand when you have something in it. Let’s put away our weapons so we can befriend the people who probably need friends the most. Let’s choose love over anger.
Trivia
Sermon on the Mount Finale’-Assumptions & Expectations
Jesus wraps up his Sermon on the Mount with his instruction to his disciples that they should not judge lest they also be judged.
Sofa Sunday School-The Story of Joseph
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
We should choose forgiveness over revenge.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will discuss a time they were tempted to try to get even with someone and how they would handle the same situation in light of Joseph’s example.
KEY PASSAGE:
Genesis 45:1-15, Joseph Makes Himself Known
MEMORY VERSE:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Joseph’s brothers had treated him cruelly, selling him into slavery. Joseph ended up in Egypt, where God was able to use him greatly. When Joseph was reunited with his brothers, he chose forgiveness rather than revenge.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A colorful coat
Imagine being so jealous of your brother or sister over a coat, that you would sell them. Not the coat, but your own brother or sister. Have any of you ever been mad enough you’d try to sell your brother or sister?
A colorful coat, much prettier and brighter than this one, was the last straw for Joseph’s brothers. They sold him to some slave traders and figured they would never see them again. I can only imagine how Joseph felt seeing the men who had sold him into slavery bowing at his feet begging for food.
Joseph still felt the pain of that betrayal, but he chose forgiveness over revenge. He knew God had used his situation to save his family, and he rejected the temptation to strike back.
Joseph is a Non-Avenger who shows us we can resist the temptation for payback. Let’s repay evil with good. Let’s forgive instead of avenge.
Test Your Knowledge
Craft Activity
Have the kids make a super hero mask (to represent how Joseph’s identity was masked from his brothers). Tell the kids the mask is a reminder of how Joseph chose to forgive his brothers instead of getting payback.
Gospel of Matthew Review-Chapters 1-6
Happy New Year friends,
I am sure all of us are looking forward to putting last year behind us.
Last Week we ended the year thinking about resolutions and reputations- making some observations about why the Church exists (Ephesians 3)
In an effort to get the year off to the right start I want to continue that theme this week by locating our place in the Story of God. This sermon seeks to dovetail “why the Church exists” with a review of the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 1-6).
Sofa Sunday School-Jacob & Esau-Forgiveness
Many times, Jacob had treated his brother Esau cruelly. He was a thorn in his brother’s side. When the time came for them to reunite, Jacob was afraid. But Esau embraced his brother, choosing to forgive the wrongs of the past.
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
Forgiving others can help us to heal our relationships.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will discuss a time they forgave someone and how it felt.
KEY PASSAGE:
Genesis 32:6-21, 33:1-4, Jacob Meets Esau
MEMORY VERSE:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A box of (super hero) band-aids
How good does it feel to rip off a band-aid? The short answer is – it doesn’t! Band-aids are designed to stick and stay, even when they get wet. That means when it’s time to rip them off, we’re likely to feel a little pain. If you think it’s bad to rip one off bare skin, try ripping one off your arm or leg when there’s hair involved. You’re not just ripping off the band-aid. You’re ripping out hair.
The best part of ripping off a band-aid is right after. There’s a relief, isn’t there? Sure your skin may be sore for a minute, but the anticipation of the moment and the moment itself are over. It feels good to have it over and done. The pain is over, and the healing has begun!
It isn’t easy to forgive someone who has hurt you, but once we have forgiven someone, there is relief. We’ve let go of a past wrong. We’ve released someone else from feeling guilty about what they did. Our conscience is clear. I’m sure Esau felt that relief when he forgave Jacob, and I know all of you feel it when you forgive someone who has wronged you. No, you can’t erase the past, but once the forgiveness is given, the healing can begin.
You can’t find relief holding a grudge, but you can if you forgive. Ask God to help you rip off that band-aid so that you can begin to heal.
Craft Activity
Have the kids draw and color a comic strip telling the story of Esau forgiving Jacob. They can make a comic book cover, or do a multi-panel story, whatever they choose to do.