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