Sonoma Valley Church of the Nazarene
Find God, Find Hope, Find Rest for Your Soul
Hey its communion Sunday, so grab a cracker and some juice and join me for some worship.
In our sermon this week, Jesus identity, movement and mission become clear even as he reveals to the disappointment of his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die.
Hey Kids, its test your parents day. See if you can get them to play along!
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
The Bible is God’s Word.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will be able to say what the Bible is and why we can trust it.
KEY PASSAGE:
2 Timothy 3:16-17
MEMORY VERSE:
“We know that “We all have knowledge.” But knowledge makes people proud, while love builds them up. Those who think they know something still don’t know as they should. But whoever loves God is known by God.” 1 Corinthians 8:1b-3 (NIRV)
SUMMARY:
In this lesson kids will learn trivia about the Bible itself, how many books are included, who wrote it, and why it can be trusted.
Play Jeopardy
Grab your microphone and sing along!
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A stack of reference or how-to books
Begin this lesson by going through the books. Ask the kids to read the titles and then guess what the books teach you.
People read books to learn everything: how to deal with the loss of a loved one, how to repair a motorcycle, how to perform magic tricks. Books can teach us a lot about life, skills, the world around us, sports, anything you can imagine.
God gave us a very special book we call the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word, given to men throughout ancient history. He gave these men the words to write so that we could know who God is and that God loves us. The Bible is filled with history, poetry and stories, all of which help us get to know our Creator.
The more we know our Bible, the more we know God. And the more we know God, the more we will know how God wants us to live. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to live a life that honors God.
Make sure the Bible isn’t just a book sitting on your shelf. Make the Bible the book you read the most!
In this sermon we examine three stories bracketed by two occasions in which Jesus feeds the multitudes. One where Jesus walks on the water, another where he is confronted by Pharisees from Jerusalem about ceremonial hand washing, and the third where he heals to Canaanite child possessed by a demon. The question we examine is what does all of this tell us about Jesus identity.
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
God can help us overcome any challenge.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will identify and ask God to help them through a challenge they are currently facing.
KEY PASSAGE:
Romans 8:31-39 More Than Winners
MEMORY VERSE:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Ro- mans 8:37 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Championship teams rarely win their titles with ease. They endure hardships, setbacks, injuries, and more. As Christians, we will face challenges and oppositions to our faith, but we can rest assured that the victory is already won.
Trivia
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
A keyboard with some sheet music
Ask for a kid who does not know how to play the piano to come up. Have him sit at the keyboard. Ask him to do his best to read the music and play it. After the first attempt, see if there’s a kid or parent who has played for years, and is willing to take the challenge.
It takes hard work to master the piano. It takes hours of drills and practice to learn the keys, learn how to read the sheet music, and put it all together.
The same amount of training and hard work goes into winning a football championship. True champions practice hard every day. They endure all sorts of trials and hardships and pain. They lift weights, run drills, study film, and prepare every second they can for the big game.
Sometimes we go through struggles in life, and not by choice. Those hard times and struggles can still lead us to victory. Whatever happens to us, as Christians, we are never alone. God is with us, and God will use those hard times the same as football players use their hard work. All the pain, all the suffering, all the hardship makes us stronger, and when we overcome the odds, it makes the victory that much sweeter.
Whatever hard times you are facing, now or in the future, God is bigger. Let God help you. Let him be your strength. He will give you victory.
Sing-Move-Dance
Lent is a season of radical discipleship
In our passage this week, John the Baptist is beheaded for speaking truth to power and Jesus continues to display his humanity and compassion by feeding 5000
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
Love isn’t just words; it’s action.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will think of a specific way they can serve someone to show God’s love.
KEY PASSAGE:
John 13:1-17, Jesus Washes the Disciple’s Feet
MEMORY VERSE:
“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34b (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Valentine’s Day is a day that uses the word “love” a lot. Jesus also used that word
a lot, but he also showed us what it looks like to truly love others by his actions. This Valentine’s Day when kids are excited about heart shaped chocolate, challenge them to think about what Jesus said it should really look like when we love one another.
Sing Along-Memory Verse
Game
Frustrated by those who have not responded to his words and his deeds, Jesus shifts gears and begins speaking to his followers in parables.
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
We should pray for those who hurt us to know the love of Jesus.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will be encouraged to pray for someone by name who has hurt their feelings or been unkind to them.
KEY PASSAGE:
Acts 7:54-60, The Stoning of Stephen
MEMORY VERSE:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Jesus told his disciples that those who follow Him would have to suffer for it. When Stephen preached to the people about Jesus, they dragged him away and killed him by stoning him. Even as he was dying, Stephen did not hold anger against the men who were hurting him, but he kept his eyes firmly on Jesus.
Game
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
Name tags
When you go to school on the first day, your teacher probably gave you a name tag. That was to help them learn your name. When you get to be adults, you’ll find that many times you are asked to put on name tags at parties or other special events so that people can learn your name as well. Not everyone needs a name tag, but
sometimes these can be helpful tools to making new friends and acquaintances when you’re around new people.
Today, as we end our Non-Avengers series, we’re asking you to put name tags on people who are hard to love, people you need to forgive, people who need our prayers. Just as Stephen prayed for the men who put him to death, we want to begin praying for the kids and even adults who make life hard on us. Let’s pray for forgiving hearts, so we can show them God’s love, and let’s pray that God uses us to show them the love of Jesus.
We’re not asking you to put actual name tags on people. We’re just asking you to put a name in your prayer. Let’s begin praying specifically for those difficult people, and let’s expect God to do wonders in their lives.
Video Dance Song