Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colosians 3:12
Since the beginning of the year we have been impressed to touch the lives of those we come in contact through normal everyday life without any expectation of a return. As a matter of practice any member of our congregation can bring forward a recommendation each month for consideration. The recipient will never be contacted by the church except by the person making the recommendation. We do this without expectations of any kind.
“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?
Having realized that Jesus was the messiah and that he was now going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, Jesus takes Peter, James and John for a mountain top experience.
21-22 Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, “Impossible, Master! That can never be!”
23 But Jesus didn’t swerve. “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
Jesus came to die for our sins.
OBJECTIVE:
– For kids to make an emotional connection to the sacrifice that Jesus made for them, and understand that His death was part of God’s plan.
KEY PASSAGE:
– Matthew 16:21-23, John 18:1-14: Jesus is arrested, and the disciples scatter
MEMORY VERSE:
-John 15:13 (NIV)
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
SUMMARY:
The last thing the disciples expected was for Jesus to die. How could Jesus save his people if he was dead? But dying was the only way to save us from our sins, and Jesus was the only person who could make the ultimate sacrifice.
In this sermon Albert reflects on the “big questions” of “Who we are and “Why we’re here?” He notes that one thing is for sure. “Our neighbors will need us.”
Kids will learn, there’s nothing sweeter than living the life God wants you to live – and sharing his love with others!
Lesson Snapshot
BOTTOM LINE:
Jesus wants us to love others as he loved us.
OBJECTIVE:
– Kids will recognize that Jesus wants us to love others the way he loved us.
KEY PASSAGE:
John 13:1-5. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet.
MEMORY VERSE:
– John15:13 (NIV) “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
SUMMARY:
Many people believed the Messiah would be a conquering king, coming to claim what was his. Instead, Jesus humbled himself, made himself nothing, and poured himself out for our sake. Jesus wants us to follow his example; to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and love the least of these.
Object Lesson
ITEMS NEEDED:
White jelly beans
Today we’re starting an Easter series, and jelly beans are a big part of that series. I want everyone here to taste and see what a white jelly bean tastes like.
Hand out white jelly beans to the kids.
What do the white jelly beans taste like?
White jelly beans don’t look as pretty or tasty as the colorful beans, and they usually get left behind with the black ones, but they still have a sweet flavor to them. They’re a good reminder of the example Jesus set and the life he wants us to lead. Jesus didn’t live a life of luxury. He was a poor carpenter who humbled himself to go to those in need. Very few people would choose that life for themselves, but that’s just the kind of life God wants us to have.
When we make ourselves servants, we are not only being obedient to Christ, we are sharing his love through our actions. We show that Jesus was not a man of mere words. He was God’s son, and we believe he wants us to live as he did.
White jelly beans aren’t flashy on the outside, but they still taste sweet. There’s nothing sweeter than living the life God wants you to live – and sharing his love with others!
