The Sign of Jonah

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passages:

Matthew 12:38-45, 16:1-4; Mark 8:11-13; Luke 11:29-32

Jesus had been doing many miracles. Now, the Pharisees and teachers of the law wanted Jesus to do a special miracle just for them. Jesus called them wicked! He said only one sign was going to be given to them; the sign of Johan. Johan was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights. Jesus said just like Jonah, He would be in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights. Jesus said when Nineveh heard of their impending destruction, the repented of their sinful ways, but now someone far greater than Jonah was here and no one is repenting. The people of Nineveh will be present with the people of Jesus’ time and condemn them for their unbelief. Jesus also told a short parable of a man who had a demon. When the demon left the man it searched the earth for a new place to live, but could find nothing. The demon decided to return to his former home. When he arrived back to the man, he found that everything had been cleaned up and put in order. So, the demon went and found 7 other more wicked demons to go and live in the man. Now the demon possessed man is worse off than he was before. This is how it is with the wicked generation that lives with Jesus.

Object Lesson:

Mud Balls

Supplies Needed:
• 2 glass bowls
• 8 squishy balls
• Bucket of muddy water
• Cleaning rags
• Large ball that fills bowl (basket ball)
Directions:
1. Before class, put the squishy balls in the muddy water. Take one ball out and put it in a glass bowl.
2. When all the children are sitting, place the bowl with the muddy ball in the center for all to see. When you tell the children about the man with the demon, roll the ball around in the bowl until the bowl is pretty dirty. Remove the ball when the demon leaves the man. Put the ball back into the bucket of muddy water with all the other balls.
3. Take a rag and begin cleaning the dirty bowl. The story says the man cleaned up and put everything back in order. Show the children the now clean bowl.
4. Bring forward the bucket of muddy water. Take out the first ball and put it in the clean bowl. Add the rest of the muddy balls when you tell the children that the first demon invited 7 more wicked demons to live with him.
5. Ask the children which was better, the one ball, or the 8 balls.
6. Ask the children how we can prevent all the dirt from getting into our bowls. Tell the children that only Jesus has the power to make and keep us clean, because on our own, we will continue to do dirty things. Take the large ball and put it in the second glass bowl.
7. Tell the children that there is no way for the muddy balls to get into this bowl as long as the large ball is here.

Memory Verse:

Matthew 12:40

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus Connection:

In this passage, Jesus is predicting his resurrection. He would indeed die and be buried, but three days later he would come out of the grave! Jesus has power over this wicked, sinful world and over death!

Songs

Hey Jonah

To the tune of ‘Jesus Loves Me’

Jonah, Jonah, have you heard?
Said the Lord, "Go preach my Word."
Jonah said, "That's not for me!"
Took a ship and fled to sea.

Hey, Jonah, Jonah!
Hey, Jonah, Jonah!
Hey, Jonah, Jonah!
You should obey the Lord.

Though he thought he'd get away,
Soon the ship began to sway.
Jonah said, "It's for my sin!
Pick me up and throw me in."

Hey, Jonah, Jonah!
Hey, Jonah, Jonah!
Hey, Jonah, Jonah!
You should obey the Lord.

When it seemed that he would drown,
Came a fish and gulped him down.
Jonah prayed, "Lord, I'll obey;
Tell the folks about your way."

Lord, I'll obey You!
Lord, I'll obey You!
Lord, I'll obey You!
I will obey the Lord.

Games/Activities

Fill the Bucket

Supplies Needed:
• 2 buckets
• Lots of balls/paper balls
Directions:
1. Place all the balls in a large pile at one side of the room and the two buckets on the other side with some space between them.
2. Divide the class into two teams. Everyone will throw the balls as fast as they can into the buckets. In order to throw the balls, they must be standing behind the line where the ball pile is located. They may run forward to retrieve balls that missed the buckets, but they cannot throw it until they return to the throwing line.
3. The team with the most balls in their respective buckets wins.

Crafts

Whale Stained Glass

Supplies Needed:
• Whale and Jonah tracing template
• Blue paper, full pages cut in half
• Black paper
• Scissors
• Yellow and orange tissue paper cut into small squares
• Glue
• Contact paper cut into the sizes of the blue paper
Directions:
1. Trace the whale template onto blue paper. Cut out the whale so that the outside remains whole. Discard the inside. Trace the Jonah template onto black paper. Cut out Jonah.
2. Taking one piece of contact paper, peel off the backing, laying it adhesive side up in front of you. Take the yellow and orange tissue paper and stick it to the adhesive side of the contact paper.
3. Place Jonah in the center of tissue paper page. Cover the tissue paper page with a second page of contact paper, adhesive side down.
4. Take the two blue papers with the fish cut out and hold them up so that they line up the same.
5. Place one blue fish on each side of the tissue paper contact page. Glue the blue pages to the contact paper.
6. Turn the completed craft over, so you can no longer see Jonah. Hold up to the light to reveal Jonah inside the fish!

Coloring Page

A Bleeding Woman and A Dead Girl

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56

Jesus and his disciples had sailed across the sea. When their boat reached the other side, a great crowd gathered around Jesus. A ruler from the synagogue, named Jarius, found Jesus and asked him to come to his house and heal his daughter who was dying. Jesus agreed to come. On their way to Jarius’ house, a woman who had a problem with bleeding was in the crowd. She had tried every possible thing to cure her aliment, and had spent all her money doing so, but she only got worse. Upon hearing that Jesus was nearby, the woman went looking for him, thinking that if she could just touch he clothes she would be healed. The woman pressed through the crowd and touched the edge of Jesus’ clothes. As soon as she did this, she could feel in her body that she had been healed. Jesus also knew immediately that power had flowed out from him. He asked the crowd who had touched him. The disciples thought Jesus was crazy for asking this, since there were so many people crowded around and pressing against Jesus. Jesus insisted that he had been touched, and continued to look for the person. Finally the woman who had been healed bowed down before Jesus and confessed that she had touched Jesus. Jesus told her that her faith had made her well. As this conversation was happening, someone from Jarius’ house came to tell him his daughter was dead. Jesus told Jarius to not be afraid, just believe. Upon arriving at the house, Jesus told the mourners to leave because the girl was not dead, only sleeping. He took three disciples and the girl’s parents into the house, took the hand of the girl and told her to get up. Instantly the girl stood up and walked around and Jesus encouraged the parents to give her something to eat.

Object Lesson:

The Sense of Touch

Supplies needed:
• Dark plastic bags
• A piece of satin cloth or binding
• A pencil
• An apple
• An ice cube
• Ect…
Directions:
1. Put your objects into dark plastic bags.
2. Tell the children that we gather information through our senses. Today we will explore the sense of touch.
3. Have the children reach into a bag and describe what they feel without looking at it. (soft, hard, long, sharp, cold, wet…) They do not have to guess (unless you want them to), but simply describe.
4. Ask the children what they think it must have felt like for the woman who touched Jesus’ clothes.

Memory Verse:

Mark 5:34

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Jesus Connection:

Jesus has the power, not only to heal, but to save us from death. Jesus spoke to the little girl and she was raised to life. If you have not been saved by Jesus, then you are like the little girl who was dead. (Ephesians 2:1) Without Jesus we cannot live a life that is pleasing to God. We are full of sin. Sin leads to death and that death separates us from God. God loves us so much that he does not want us to die. He sent us Jesus to die in our place. Jesus was buried and 3 days later was raised from the dead. Jesus died so that we do not have to. We must take Jesus’ advise when he says, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36)

Songs

Only Believe

http://www.sermons4kids.com/only_believe_songsheet_2.pdf
Only believe,
Only believe,
All things are possible,
Only believe.

Only believe,
Only believe,
All things are possible,
Only believe.

Games/Activities

Just Believe Balloon Popping

Supplies Needed:
• 22 balloons
• 2 pieces of paper
• Marker
• Scissor
• 2 large bags
Directions:
1. Before class, write the words “Just Believe” on two pieces of paper. Be sure to write the words so that none of the letters are touching. Cut out the letters like a puzzle, being sure to keep the two sets of pieces separated. Put one letter into each balloon and fill the balloon with air. Place each set of balloons into its own large bag, to keep them separated.
2. Divide the class into two teams. Give each team one bag of balloons.
3. When you say go, have the children race to pop all their balloons, retrieving the papers that are in each balloon. Tell them to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to reveal the secret message, “Just Believe”.

Crafts

Only Believe Picture

Supplies Needed:
• Only believe craft template
• Paper brads
• Colors
• Scissors
Directions:
1. Color the craft template.
2. Cut the excess paper off following the lines provided. Set aside the bed.
3. Cut out the little girl. Cut her in half along the line provided.
4. Fasten the little girl to the bed by using a paper brad.
5. The children can retell this part of the story using their picture. The girl can be laying down on the bed, sitting up, or standing beside the bed as they tell the story.

Coloring Page

The Call of Paul and Barnabas

Passage

Familiarize yourself with this passage:

Acts 13:1-12

Paul and Barnabas have returned to the church in Antioch, with John Mark, after having delivered gifts of help to the church in Jerusalem. Now the church in Antioch was praying and fasting to see what God would have them do next. During this time of prayer, the Holy Spirit speaks to the church and tells them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work God had prepared for them. The Spirit promised to guide them to the right places. So Saul and Barnabas sailed to the island of Cyprus. They arrived at Salamis and shared the gospel with the Jews there. They then traveled all throughout the island preaching the Good News, until they finally arrived in Paphos. Once in Paphos, the proconsul, Sergius Paulus called for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. (This is where Saul starts referring to himself as Paul, using his Roman name instead of his Jewish name) They received opposition in the form of a man named Elymas, a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet. Elymas tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Paul became filled with the Spirit and proclaimed to Elymas that he would become blind for a time because of the evil deeds he was doing for the devil. Immediately, Elymas became blind! When the proconsul saw this he became a believer in Jesus Christ because of the teaching about the Lord.

Object Lesson:

Pack Your Bags

Supplies needed:
• White board
• Dry erase markers
Directions:
1. Before class, draw a suit case on the white board.
2. During class, start your story time by directing the children’s attention to the drawing on the white board.
3. Tell the children that they are going on a trip, but they will not know where they are going or how long they will be gone. Assuming there will be food and water wherever they go, ask the children what items they would pack in their suit case. Draw these items on the white board, in and around the suit case. (ie: passports, clothes, camera, bible, journal and pens, favorite toy, phone, a map…)
4. Tell the children that they are about to hear a story of some men who when on a trip without knowing where they were going or how long they would be gone.

Places on the Map

*This activity is used for those who are going through the book of Act, story by story.  It is intended to show the children the key locations of the stories as well as to track Paul’s missionary journeys.
Supplies Needed:
• String
• Scissors
• Sticky tack, tape, or thumb tacks
• List of the cities from today’s story:
          Antioch
          Salamis
          Paphos
          Cyprus
Directions:
1. Before class, make sure the map you are using as today’s story locations written in their appropriate places. If you are using a map you made, be sure to write in these locations.
2. Pre-cut the lengths of strings needed to fit between the cities in the order that they appear in the story.  Set aside the string for future stories. (You will want to use the same color string for the entirety of each missionary journey.
3. During the story, point out the cities on the map as you mention them to the children. As Paul moves from place to place during the story, take the appropriate string segment and fix it to the map. (ie: from Antioch to Salamis; from Salamis to Paphos).
4. Save your newly edited map for future lessons!

Memory Verse:

Acts 13:2

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “ Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Jesus Connection:

God has placed a call on everyone’s life. Just like when Jesus appeared to Saul and called him to repentance, everyone everywhere has been called by God to repentance. (Acts 17:30) The proconsul heard Jesus calling in his heart and responded to Jesus’ call by believing in him! (Acts 13:12) For those who respond to God’s call to repentance, God also calls them to serve him. The Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to a work that God had prepared for them. (Acts 13:2) They responded to this call by going into all the world, sharing the Good News of Jesus with everyone they met, allowing those who heard of Jesus to respond to God’s call on their lives.

Songs

This Little Light of Mine

This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

All around the neighborhood,
I'm gonna let it shine.
All around the neighborhood,
I'm gonna let it shine.
All around the neighborhood,
I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, NO!
I'm gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel, NO!
I'm gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel, NO!
I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Don't let set Satan [blow] it out,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Don't let Satan [blow] it out,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Don't let Satan [blow] it out,
I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Let it shine till Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine till Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine till Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Games and Activities:

Memory Verse Game:

Supplies needed:
• White board
• Dry erase markers
• Tape
• Soft balls
Direction:
1. Divide the memory verse into 10-12 segments (2-3 words in each segment).
2. Before class, make some squares on the floor at one end of the room with tape. Make the same number of squares as you divided the memory verse into. Put numbers in each square to correlate with the number of segments in your verse.
3. Have the children stand of the opposite side of the room, behind a line of tape.
4. Give the children a chance to throw the soft balls at the squares on the floor. One child at a time and one throw per child.
5. If a ball lands inside a square, write the appropriate segment of the verse on the board. If the ball lands outside the squares, or in a square that has already been revealed, that child is finished and goes to the back of the line to try again next time.
6. Repeat throwing the ball until all segments of the verse has been revealed.

God is Calling:

Supplies Needed:
• Bibles
• Verse passages for people who were called by God
Exodus 3:1-2, 10
1 Samuel 3:1, 10
Judges 6:11,14
Isaiah 6:1-8
Jonah 1:1
Matthew 4:18-22
Matthew 19:16,21
Ect….
Directions:
1. Write each reference on a separate small piece of paper before class.
2. Make sure each child, or small group of children has a bible.
3. Give each child of small group of children a reference to look up. If your children are too small to read or find the verses by themselves, you can look up the verse and read them for them.
4. Tell the children that the Bible is filled with stories of men and women who were called by God to do special thing. They are going to discover a few of those people today.
5. Read each set of verses out loud, one at a time. After the children hear the verses, ask them who God called.
6. After all the verses have been read, remind the children that God calls all of us for special things, just like he called these men and women of the Bible a long time ago.

Crafts:

Sponge Boats

Supplies Needed:
• Dish sponges
• Straws
• Duct tape in various colors
• Scissors
• Foam stickers
• Permanent markers
Directions:
1. Using scissors, cut two corners off of the dish sponge so that there is a point on one long end. Your sponge should now look like a house.
2. Using scissors, fold the sponge in half the long way, and make a small cut in the course side of the sponge, big enough for the straw to stand in, but not all the way through the sponge.
3. If you are using bendy straws, cut of the top part of the straw that has the bend. Discard this part.
4. Choose a color of duct tape. Tear off a long piece. Fold the tape in half so that you now have half the length.
5. Using scissors, fold the tape in half the long ways and make two small cuts, one near the top and one near the bottom, big enough for the straw to fit through.  This is the mast of the boat.
6. Decorate the mast with foam stickers and permanent markers.
7. Fit the straw through the cuts in the mast. Work the straw into the cut in the sponge. You now have a tiny sail boat that is fully water proof!

Coloring Page:

Paul and Silas in Ephesus

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Acts 19

Paul and Silas traveled to the city of Ephesus. They started by preaching the Good News in the synagogue, trying to persuade their fellow Jews to believe in Jesus. They did this for three months, but when some of these men started speaking out against Jesus, Paul and Silas left the synagogue. They began meeting every day with the true disciples. They did this for two years! Eventually ever person in the province of Asia, both Jew and Greek, heard about Jesus.
During this time, God was using Paul to perform amazing miracles. Some of the Jews saw this and began saying to evil spirits, ‘I command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches!’ In one such time, a demon responded to these Jews by saying , “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” The man who was filled with the evil spirit then leaped on the Jews and hurt them badly. Everyone in the area heard this things and gave praise to Jesus. They turned from their evil ways and practices and worshiped Jesus instead.
In the city of Ephesus there was a man named Demetrius who made idols out of silver to fake gods. When Demetrius heard of all that Paul was doing, and that people were turning to God rather than to the idols he was making, he became angry. He encouraged others to rise up with him and start a riot. There became so much confusion, that the city clerk had to calm the people down. God protected Paul and Silas, and the clerk spoke calming words to the people and sent them each to their own homes.

Object Lesson

Supplies needed:
• Bowl
• Water
• Pepper
• Wooden spoon
• Dish soap
• Paper towel
Directions:
1. Filled the bowl with water. Sprinkle pepper on the top of the water.
2. Remind the kids of the Jews who tried to cast out an evil spirit. They themselves did not believe in Jesus. They only wanted to use the power that they saw Paul using. Because they did not believe in Jesus, they were not protected when the evil spirit attacked them.
3. Take a wooden spoon and dip it in the pepper water. As you pull the spoon out, the pepper should stick to the spoon. Just like the Jewish men were not protected from the evil spirit, the spoon was not protected from the pepper in the water.
4. Add some more pepper to the bowl of water. Clean off your spoon with a paper towel.
5. Remind the kids of how God protected Paul and Silas from the angry mob in Ephesus.
6. Rub a little bit of dish soap to both sides of the wooden spoon. Dip the spoon into the pepper water. As you pull the spoon out, the spoon should be clean of pepper. Just like God protected Paul and Silas, the soap on the spoon protected the spoon from being covered with pepper.

Memory Verse

Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus Connection:

God desires our full devotion. It is not good enough to just know of Jesus (Acts 19:15). We must have a living and active relationship with our Savior. When we have this kind of relationship with him, we do not need to fear evil. While this relationship with Jesus does not necessarily protect us from physical harm, it does protect us from spiritual harm. With Jesus in our lives, “nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:38-39)

Songs

He’s God the Whole World In His Hands

He's got the whole world
In His hands
He's got the whole world
In His hands
He's got the whole world
In His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the mommies and the daddies
In his hands
He's got the mommies and the daddies
In his hands
He's got the mommies and the daddies
In his hands
He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the brothers and the sisters
In His hands
He's got the brothers and the sisters
In His hands
He's got the brothers and the sisters
In His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got [insert child's name]
In His hands
He's got [insert child's name]
He's got [insert child's name]
He's got the whole world in His hands.

Games/Activities

In Jesus’ Name

Supplies needed:
• Wooden blocks (or other non connecting blocks)
• Soft balls
Directions:
1. Before class, on one side of the room, set up a large structure using the wooden blocks. Use your imagination; have fun.
2. Have the children gather on the opposite side of the room from the block structure.
3. Explain to the children, that when we believe in Jesus and call on him name, evil strongholds are destroyed!
4. One at a time, give each child a soft ball. Before they can throw the ball, they must say something they believe about Jesus. (Jesus is God! Jesus is alive! Jesus loves me! Jesus took away my sins!....) After they make their declaration, they can throw their soft ball at the block structure. Continue through all the children until they have all had a chance to throw a ball, or until the structure you built has been completely destroyed.
5. If the structure is destroyed before all children have had an opportunity to go, rebuild quickly (with the kids help if there is time) and continue.

My Protector

Supplies needed:
• Dice
• A random object
Directions:
1. Before class, pre designate various parts of the room into 6 spots to correlate to the 6 numbers on the dice.
2. Start by handing one child the random object you brought with you to class.
3. Before each dice roll, the children can stand in any section of the room they choose.  When you roll the dice, announce the number that is rolled and the children in that section of the room are out. (They can join you in the center of the room and you can even give them the chance to roll the dice next.)
4. If the child with the random object is in the group that is rolled out, that child is saved by the object and continues to play.
5. After each roll, give a different child the random object.
6. Play until you have one child left who win.

Crafts

Coloring Page

Paul and Silas in Jail

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Acts 16:16-40

Paul and Silas had been staying at the house of Lydia in Philipi. One day, they were on their way to prayer when they met a slave girl who had and evil spirit in her that caused her to give predictions of the future. She followed Paul and Silas around for several days, telling people that these men were preaching about the Most High God and proclaiming the way of salvation. Paul became annoyed and commanded the spirit in her to come out in the name of Jesus. The spirit came out right away. The man who owned the slave girl became upset because he saw that his chances of making money were now gone. So he dragged Paul and Silas to the city market place and started making accusations to get them arrested. Soon a mob of people joined in and attacked Paul and Silas until finally they were put into a cell, deep in the prison,  bound up with chains and stocks on their feet.
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God, there was a violent earth quake. All the cell doors were opened and everyone’s chains fell off. When the jailer saw this, he was about to kill himself because he thought everyone had escaped. However Paul and Silas stopped him and assured him everyone was still there. The jailer then asked Paul and Silas what he needed to do to be saved. They responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!” They shared the gospel with the jailer and his family and they all became believers! They all rejoiced together. The next morning, when Paul and Silas were released from jail, they demanded to be escorted out and apologized to for the way they had been treated. After they left the jail, they said goodbye to Lydia and the other believers and left that town.

Object Lesson:

Supplies needed:
• Pre-made paper chain (the two end links should be big enough for adult hands to fit in)
• The song “Deep and Wide” with actions memorized
Directions:
1. You will represent Paul and Silas imprisoned by wearing a paper chain on your hands.
a. Ask the children what are some things in our lives that could cause us to live like we are wearing chains. (ie: lying, talking bad to/about others, bad attitudes…)
2. Teach your children the lyrics and actions to the song “Deep and Wide”.
3. Begin by singing the song quietly and with small motions.
4. Repeat singing the song several times, each time growing louder and with larger motions.
5. On your last round of singing, break the paper chain on your hands while doing the motions.
6. Explain to the children, that when we worship Jesus through songs, it breaks the chains in our lives and gives us freedom, just like it did for Paul and Silas

Memory Verse:

Acts 16:31b
“Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”

Jesus Connection:

Jesus loves to hear us worship him in song. He deserves our worship for all he has done for us on the cross. The benefit of worshiping Jesus is that He gives us freedom. Sometime that freedom is physical, like in the case of Paul and Silas. Other times that freedom is spiritual. (Romans 8:1-4) And when Christ sets you free, you are free indeed! (John 8:36)

Songs

*Since the lesson this week is about freedom found when worshiping Jesus, take the time to teach your children some fun worship song. Use some of these, or some of your favorites, but make sure they have lots of fun motions to get the kids moving. Encourage them to express their freedom through their movements!

Deep and Wide

Deep and wide,
Deep and wide,
There’s a fountain flowing
Deep and wide
(x2)

My God is so Big

My God is so big,
So strong and so mighty,
There’s nothing my God cannot do.
(x2)

The mountains are his,
The valleys are his,
The stars are his handy work, too.

My God is so big,
So strong and to mighty,
There’s nothing my God cannot do, for you!

I’m in the Lord’s Army

I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o’er the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)

I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)
I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)

I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o’er the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army (Yes, sir!)

Games/Activities

Prison Break!

Directions:
1. Play this game as you would Red Light, Green Light.
2. You are the jailer. The children are the prisoners.
3. The goal of the children is to sneak their way to the jailer. When you say green light (and turn your back to them) they must sneak forward by tip toeing toward you. When you say red light (and turn to face them). They must freeze to avoid being ‘caught’ by the jailer. Anyone caught by the jailer must return to their cell (the start line).
4. Variations of this game can include crawling to freedom or having a path they must follow to escape.
5. After the first child has successfully reached you, they become the jailer and everyone else returns to the start as prisoners. Repeat as many times as time allows, until everyone has had a chance to be the jailer.

Junk in the Trunk

Supplies needed:
• Empty tissue box or small shoe box
• Thick string or rope
• Duct tape
• Ping pong
• scissors
• Sharpie
• A timing device
Directions:
1. If using an empty tissue box, clear away any plastic from the opening. If using a shoe box, cut a rectangular hole in the lid, similar to a tissue box, and tape the lid to the box.
2. Cut a length of rope or sting that is long enough to tie around your waist. Tape the rope to the back of the box so that the middle of the rope is taped down and equal lengths of the rope remain on either side of the box.
3. Draw a face on the ping pong ball and place it in the box. (This ball represents Paul and Silas and the box represents the jail.)
4. Tie the box to your waist so that the box is facing out from your back side.
5. Jump and shake until the ball has worked its way out of the box.
6. The person who does this in the fastest time wins!

Crafts

Paper Chains

Supplies needed:
• Colored paper
• Scissors
• Markers
• Today’s memory verse
• Tape or staplers
Directions:
1. Have the children cut several strips of colored paper, any color they wish, until they have enough strips for their memory verse for the day, one strip per word. (Make just one strip for the whole reference.)
2. Using markers, write one word of the bible verse on each strip of paper.
3. Link the strips together so that the words of the verse are in order and each word is visible. Fasten the chain links together with tape or staples.

Coloring Page

A House Divided

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Matthew 12:22-37, Mark 3:20-30

Some people brought Jesus a man who was demon possessed who was blind a mute, and Jesus healed him. The people were amazed and started wondering Jesus could possibly be the Son of David that God had promised them. The religious leaders were angered upon hearing these speculations. They claim that only by Satan’s power that Jesus was casting out demons. Jesus told everyone that a house divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan is driving out Satan, then he is divided against himself and his kingdom would not be able to stand. Jesus said if He drives out demons by the power of God, then the kingdom of God has arrived. Jesus continued by saying that you must tie up a strong man before you can enter his house. He also said if anyone is not with Him, then they are against him. Next Jesus reminds everyone that a tree is recognized by its fruit. Good fruit means a good tree and bad fruit means a bad tree. It is what is in the heart that makes a person good or bad. If we fill our hearts with good, then good will be produced, but if we fill our hearts with bad, then bad will be produced. We will be held responsible for every word we speak, both the good and the bad.

Object Lesson:

A House Divided

Supplies Needed:
• Wooden blocks
Directions:
1. Ask for two volunteers. Have the two children work together to build a simple house with 4 walls.
2. Talk to the children about how simple this task was. Ask them what made it so easy. Explain that when we work together, things get done much better and faster.
3. Now ask for 4 volunteers. Tell the children they will also be building one house, but they are not working together. Each child is responsible for the wall directly in front of them and may only touch the block they are putting on their wall.
4. Talk to the children about the difficulty of this task. Ask them what made this task so much harder than the first. Explain that when we are not working together, things are much more difficult and much slower to accomplish, if they can be accomplished at all!

Memory Verse:

Mark 3:24-25
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand, If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Jesus Connection:

The Pharisees and teachers of the law could not deny the reality and supernatural power of the miracles that Jesus was performing. To admit that these miracles were powered by God would be to admit that Jesus came from God, just as he had been saying. The only other option was for the Pharisees to attribute the power to Satan. We know that God is not divided. James 2:9 says that even the demons know this and shudder. Jesus’ power is from God. For those of us who know this, it is plain to see that Jesus is the Messiah that the Pharisees have been waiting for.

Songs

The Wise Man Built His House

The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
And the rain came tumbling down

Oh, the rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
And the wise man's house stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
And the rain came tumbling down

Oh, the rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
And the foolish man's house went "splat!" [clap hands once]

So, build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
And the blessings will come down

Oh, the blessings come down
As your prayers go up
The blessings come down
As your prayers go up
The blessings come down
As your prayer go up
So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Games/Activities

Three-Legged Race

Supplies Needed:
• Bandannas
• Obstacles
Directions:
1. Pair kids up in twos. Tie the pairs together at the ankle using a bandanna.
2. Select an area for a start and finish line and line the children up to race.
3. The first pair to cross the finish line wins. (If you have a large group, split the kids up into heats, with the top two pairs moving on to the next round.)
4. For the obstacle course, use objects that can be found in your classroom to create obstacles on the race track. (ie: going under a table, through a doorway, between chairs).
5. Race one team at a time against the clock to determine the winner.

Crafts

Coloring Page

Supplies needed:
• Coloring page
• Scissors
• Stick glue
• Colored paper
Directions:
1. Give each child a coloring page and scissors. Supply the table with stick glue and colored paper.
2. Create a patchwork of the coloring page by cutting different shapes from the colored paper and gluing it to the coloring page.

Jesus: The Good Shepherd

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

John 10:1-21

Right after he healed the man born blind, Jesus told the people a parable about sheep.  Jesus told people that someone who tried to enter a sheep pen without using the gate was a robber. Then Jesus said that he himself was the gate to the pen. The only way someone can enter the pen is through Him. Next Jesus said that only the shepherd would be willing to protect the sheep. A hired worker does not care for the sheep because he does not own them. Jesus said that he was the good shepherd, the only one willing to lay down his life for the sheep to protect them because he cares for them. The good shepherd knows his sheep, and the sheep know him. Jesus says he has other sheep in other places, and he will bring them all together to make one large flock with one good shepherd. Jesus’ words divided the people who were listening. Some people thought he was crazy, even demon possessed. Others protested that these were not the words of a demon possessed man because a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind like they just saw happen.

Object Lesson:

The Sheep Pen

Supplies needed:
• Chairs
Directions:
1. Create a circle with the chairs, leaving a small opening in one section, large enough for one child at a time to enter. This will be the sheep pen. (If you do not have chairs, you can use boxes, pillows, rugs or other such items to create the enclosed area.)
2. Before you begin story time, tell the children that today they will pretend to be sheep. You need all sheep to sit down inside the sheep pen.
3. Observe how the children enter the circle. Then announce to the children that there may be some among them who are not really sheep!
4. Have everyone stand up. If they entered the circle by the opening, then they are the really sheep, and they can sit back down.
5. If they are left standing, they then entered the circle by jumping over the ‘fence’ this means that they are robbers! You can pretend to chase away the robber and encourage them to enter through the opening so they too can be sheep and listen to the story.

Memory Verse:

John 10:11

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Jesus Connection:

Jesus himself says in this passage that he is the good shepherd. He watches over the sheep, who are the believers. The sheep pen represents heaven. The only way to get into the pen is through the will of the shepherd. This means the only way to get into heaven is through Jesus. Like the good shepherd, Jesus is willing to lay down his life for the sheep because he cares for them. One day all believers will be brought together to be with Jesus in heaven and we will make one people from one kingdom.

Songs

I Just Wanna Be A Sheep

Chorus:
I just wanna be a sheep
Baa, baa, baa, baa
I just wanna be a sheep
Baa, baa, baa, baa
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
I just wanna be a sheep
Baa, baa, baa, baa

Don't wanna be a goat, nope
Don't wanna be a goat, nope
Haven't got any hope, nope
Don't wanna be a goat, nope

Don't wanna be a hypocrite
Don't wanna be a hypocrite
They're not hip to it
Don't wanna be a hypocrite

Don't wanna be a Pharisee
Don't wanna be a Pharisee
They're not fair you see
Don't wanna be a Pharisee

Don't wanna be a Sadducee
Don't wanna be a Sadducee
'Cause they're so sad you see
Don't wanna be a Sadducee

Just wanna be a child of God
Just wanna be a child of God
Walkin' the same path He trod
Just wanna be a child of God

Games/Activities

Know Your Sheep

Supplies Needed:
• Opaque blanket
Directions:
1. Divide the class into two teams.
2. Hold up the blanket between the two teams so that none of the children can see the other people from the other team.
3. Have each team pick one of their people to stand in front of the blanket.
4. When you drop the blanket, the two children who are now facing each other must say the name of the person who is in front of them. The first one to say the other’s name wins.
5. Repeat until all the children have had a turn.
6. Variations: You may choose to play by asking the children to say any of the following about the other child: color of an article of clothing, age, hair color, boy or girl, eye color, etc…

Shepherd Says

Supplies Needed:
• Two adults of the same gender
Directions:
1. This games plays like Simon says. One adult is the teacher and one is the stranger. Tell the children who is who.
2. The children are to obey the voice of the shepherd and ignore the voice of the stranger. Have the children turn around so they cannot see the adults. They must listen to their voices only.  
3. The shepherd and stranger take random turns giving commands for the children to obey. The shepherd’s commands are ‘sensible’ (touch your nose, pat your head…). The stranger’s commands are silly (pick your nose, kiss your toes…)
4. If the children respond to the voice of the stranger, they are out of the game and must sit down.

Crafts

Fingerprint Sheep

Supplies Needed:
• Colored paper
• White paint
• Black paint
• Paint trays
• Sheep head template
• Wiggly eyes
• Glue
• Scissors
Directions:
1. Give each child a piece of colored paper.
2. Dispense small amounts of white and black paint into paint trays.
3. Dip only one finger into the white paint and press the finger onto the colored paper. Dot the finger onto the paper until you have a large oval full of finger prints. Refill the finger with paint as needed.
4. Taking a new finger, dip into the black paint. Create feet and a tail with the black paint.
5. Color and cut out the sheep head template. Glue wiggly eyes to the head. Glue the head to the painted sheep body.

Coloring Page

A Withered Hand

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11

On the Sabbath Jesus was in the synagogue. There was also a man there who had a withered hand. Some Pharisees were there who were trying to trap Jesus. They were watching closely to see if Jesus would heal this man’s hand on the Sabbath, which was against their laws. Jesus knew what they Pharisees were thinking and he became angry with them because they had hard hearts. Jesus told the man with the withered hand to stand up in front of everybody. Then Jesus asked the people what was ok for them to do on the Sabbath, good or evil, to save a life or to kill. There was no response to Jesus’ questions. Jesus told the man with the withered hand to stretch it out. When the man did this, his hand was completely healed and looked just the same as his other hand. This angered the Pharisees and the left the synagogue to go plot how they might destroy Jesus.

Object Lesson:

Impossible Task

Supplies needed:
• A random object
Direction:
1. Place a random object someplace in the room. Put it in a place that is still visible, but out of reach for everyone except you. (I used a clown nose and stuck it on the light fixture on the ceiling.)
2. Tell the children you have a task for them. You want them each to try to retrieve your object. Give each child a chance to retrieve the object.
3. When all the children fail at retrieving the object, talk about how impossible this task must seem to them, since none of them could do it.
4. Tell the children there are things in our lives that also seem impossible, but with Jesus, all things are possible. Reach up retrieve the object. Tell the children that just as you were able to reach up and retrieve the object, Jesus is also able to accomplish things that seem impossible for us.

1st Aid Kit

Supplies Needed:
• A first aid kit
Directions:
1. Open the first aid kit and examine the items with the children. Ask how each item might be used to help someone who is sick or injured.
2. Tell the children that today’s story is about a man who was injured and the only thing that could help him was Jesus!

Lego Stop Motion:

Supplies Needed:
• This stop motion Lego video of this story (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diXcKDsA0ys)
Directions:
1. Play this stop motion video for the children. The audio is not in English, so you may wish to turn down the volume and read the passage straight from the Bible.

Memory Verse:

Matthew 12:12
How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.

Jesus Connection:

When we are sick or injured, it may seem like we will never get better. Our healing may seem impossible. But God wants us to know that with Jesus, all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26) Not only that, but we do not have to wait to come to Jesus with our problems until a designated time. Jesus is available to us 24/7, and he wants us to come to him with our impossible problems and he will give us rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Songs

Ah Lord God

Ah Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens
And the earth by Thy great power;
Ah Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens
And the earth by Thine outstretched arm.

Nothing is too difficult for Thee,
Nothing is too difficult for Thee;
O, great and mighty God,
Great in power and mighty in deed,
Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing,
Nothing is too difficult for Thee.

Games/Activities

Band-Aid Relay

Supplies Needed:
• Two pieces of paper
• Two boxes of band-aids
Directions:
1. Before class, draw a person on each of the pieces of paper. It does not have to be fancy. (Mine was a stick person!)
2. Divide the class into two teams. Place each team on one side of the room, and tape the pieces of paper with your drawing on them on the opposite side of the room. Set a box of band-aids under each picture.
3. Have one child from each team run down to the drawing and open a band-aid. Then the child can apply the band-aid to their team’s picture and return to their team.
4. Continue this process until each team member has had a chance to go, or until a designated amount of time has run out.
5. The goal is to see which team can apply the most amount of band-aids the fastest.

A Wrapped Hand

Supplies Needed:
• Enough ace bandages for each child to have one.
• Scissors
• Pieces of paper
• Coat with a zipper
• A book
• Markers
• Band-aids
Directions:
1. Before class, set up several stations around the room. Each station will present a different task that needs to be completed
a. Paper with scissor- cut the paper
b. Coat with a zipper- put on coat and zip up
c. Book- read and turn pages in the book
d. Piece of paper and markers- color on the paper
e. Band-aid- open and apply the band-aid to self
2. Wrap one hand on each child with an ace bandage. You may want to recruit someone to help with the wrapping if you have a lot of children.
3. Explain to the children that they will get to experience what is might have been like for the man with the withered hand to do simple activities that we do every day. Encourage the children to explore each of the stations around the room. This is not a race, so the children can take their time.

Crafts

Wrapped Hands

Supplies Needed:
• Ace bandages used for the wrapped hands activity
• Fabric markers
Directions:
1. Wrap each child’s hand with an ace bandage. This may already be done if you have just finished playing the wrapped hand activity mentioned above.
2. Explain to the children that today, if the doctor gives you a cast or big bandage, it is often seen that people will decorate their bandages.
3. Provide fabric markers for the children to decorate their bandages.

Coloring Page

The Man Born Blind

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

John 9:1-49

As Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they saw a man who had been blind since he was born. The disciples wanted to know if the man or his parents had sinned to cause this man to be born blind. Jesus told them that no one had sinned, but he was blind so that glory could be given to God when he was healed. Jesus made some mud by spitting on the ground and then rubbed it on the blind man’s eyes. He then told the blind man to go wash his eyes in the Pool of Siloam. This is what the man did and when he came home, he could see! People who had known the man for a long time began to question if this really was the same man. The man insisted that he was. When they asked how he could now see, he told them what Jesus had done for them. When they asked where Jesus was, he told them he did not know.  The people brought the man to the Pharisees. The Pharisees were very upset because all this had taken place on the Sabbath.  A disagreement broke out among the Pharisees about how Jesus could have done this, and if this man really had been blind. The Pharisees asked the man’s parents about the events, and the parents told the Pharisees that this was their son, but they did not know anything about what had happened with his eyes. The parents told the Pharisees to talk to their son for themselves because he was old enough to answer them.  The Pharisees believed the man was full of sin since his birth and so they threw him out of the temple.  When Jesus heard the man had been thrown out of the temple, He found the man and revealed himself to the man and the man believed in Him.

Object Lesson:

Supplies Needed:
• Blindfolds
Directions:
1. If possible, blindfold the kids before they enter the classroom.
2. Give the children directions to find their seats for the story.
3. Tell them the story while they are blindfolded.
4. Have the children remove their blindfolds at the end of the story so they can see you, just as the man could finally see Jesus.
5. Ask the children what it felt like to be blind the entire time. Ask them if they did anything wrong to deserve being blindfolded the whole time. Ask them why they were allowed to remove their blindfolds. Make the correlations between these questions and the story.

Memory Verse:

John 9:39b

I have come into this world, so that the blind will see.
Jesus Connection:
At the end of this passage (verses 35-41), Jesus asks a simple question: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” If we answer yes, we have eyes to see like the man who was healed. If we answer no, then we are like the Pharisees who are blinded by the guilt that their sin brings on them. We must believe in Him, because He is coming to judge the world for blinding sin.

Song

Open The Eyes of My Heart 

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You
(2x)
To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy,
I want to see you

Games/Activities

Blindfold Challenge

Supplies Needed:
• Blind folds
• Blocks
Directions:
1. Set a pile of blocks in front of each child before blindfolding each of them.
2. When you say go, have the children race to see who can build their tower the fastest/tallest
3. Play multiple times, changing the winners objective for each round. (ie: set number of blocks the fastest; tallest tower while timed.

Crafts:

Blind Man Mask

Supplies Needed:
• Paper plates
• Hole punch
• String
• Colors
• Other decorations
Directions:
1. Give each child a paper plate. Allow them to draw and decorate the back side of the plate.
2. When the child finishes drawing, punch holes on each side of the plate and tie string through the holes to hold the plate to the child’s face. (Do not cut eye holes! This is a mask to make them blind!!)

Coloring Page

Sermon on the Mount: House Foundations

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Matthew 7:21-29; Luke 6:46-49

In this section, Jesus is finishing his teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. He tells the people listening that there will be some who think they are going to heaven, but will not get in. People will cry out in desperation, saying that they had done so many wonderful things for God, but Jesus will send them away. Jesus says only those who do the will of God will enter heaven.
Jesus continues by telling a story of two houses. One was built on a strong rock foundation. The other was built on shifting sand. One day a big storm came with rain, flooding, and strong winds that beat against the houses. The house built on the sand fell down with a great crash, while the house on the rock stood firm.
After Jesus finished all his teaching on the mountain side, the people were amazed. Jesus taught them with great authority, which was very different from the way the other teachers of the law taught.

Object Lesson:

Supplies Needed:
• Two trays
• A brick or flat rock
• Bucket with packed sand
• Building blocks
• Pitcher of water
Directions:
1. Set the two trays out. On one tray place the brick. On the other tray turn out the bucket of sand as if you were making a sand castle.
2. As you tell the story, build little houses on the brick and sand. When the rain comes in the story, pour the water from the pitcher over the houses. When pouring over the sand be sure to get the sand good and wet so that is will crumble under the house.
3. Explain to the children that our lives are like the houses. Jesus is like the rock, and anything else we try to depend on is like the sand. When we build our lives on Jesus, and depend on him only, the storms of life will come, but will not be able to destroy us. When we depend on other things instead of Jesus, the storms of life will come and we will be destroyed.

Memory Verse:

Matthew 7:24

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Jesus Connection:

Jesus is the rock foundation upon which we should build our lives. If we have our foundation firmly planted in him, when the storms of life come and beat against us, we will remain standing. If we have our foundation in anything other than Jesus, as soon as the storms of life come, we will fall to the ground and our destruction will be great.

Songs

The Wise Man Built His House Upon The Rock

The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
And the rain came tumbling down

Oh, the rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
And the wise man's house stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
And the rain came tumbling down

Oh, the rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
And the foolish man's house went "splat!" [clap hands once]

So, build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
And the blessings will come down

Oh, the blessings come down
As your prayers go up
The blessings come down
As your prayers go up
The blessings come down
As your prayer go up
So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Games/Activities

Human Pyramid

Directions:
1. Ask the children to work together to make a human pyramid. Explain that they will need to have a strong foundation (the biggest kids) and everyone else will climb on their backs.
2. If you have small children who cannot climb well, help place the children on the upper levels of the pyramid.
3. You can take a picture of the finished pyramid and print it out to hang on the wall in the classroom for the children to see and remember the lesson.

Cup Stacking

Supplies Needed:
• 10 disposable cups per child
Directions:
1. Build a pyramid using the cups. (4 on the bottom row, then 3, then 2, then 1 on top)
2. After the children have practiced building their pyramid, have a race to see who can do it the fastest. You can also race to see who can do it with only one hand.

Crafts

Jesus Is My Rock

Supplies Needed:
• Smooth rocks
• Paints
• Paint brushes
• Scrap paper
Directions:
1. Give each child a scrap paper. Place a rock on the scrap paper to keep the table underneath from being painted on.
2. Allow the children to pain their rock. Encourage them to draw pictures that would remind them of the lesson (a house, Jesus, rain…) Remind the children that their rock will dry faster if they do not have the paint on so thick.
3. Allow the rocks to dry. Perhaps leave the rocks in the classroom until your next meeting, or do the craft first so there is more time for it to dry.

House on the Rock

Supplies Needed:
• House template
• Colors
• Scissors
• Glue/tape
Directions:
1. Color the house template.
2. Cut out the template on the solid lines.
3. Fold the template on the dotted lines.
4. Assemble the house by matching the letters together. Glue or tape the flaps in place.

Coloring Page

Sermon on the Mount: Entering the Kingdom

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passages:

Matthew 7:13-20; Luke 6:43-45

In this passage, Jesus continues his teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus is instructing people on how to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus says that we have two gates to choose from. One gate is very wide. It is easy to find and easy to get through, and so many people will enter into this gate. The other gate is very narrow. It is harder to find and therefore harder to get there. The wide is the way that leads to destruction. The narrow gate is the way that leads to life. Jesus says that only a few will find the narrow gate.
Next, Jesus teaches about fruit in people’s lives. He encourages the people to beware of false prophets. They are like wolfs disguised in sheep clothing. Jesus also says that you can tell what something is by the fruit that is bears. You will not pick grapes off of thorn bushes or figs from thistles. Instead, good trees give good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit. If a tree is good, it cannot give bad fruit and vice versa. If a tree does not give good fruit, it is cut down and thrown into the fire. So, by a person’s fruit you will be able to recognize them.

Object Lesson:

Narrow vs. Wide

Supplies needed:
• Objects from around the room, such as chairs or tables, to become barriers.
• Red stamp
• Green stamp
Directions:
1. Before class, set up your story area. Block off the area with obstacles. Create two entrances. On entrance should only be big enough for one child to get through at a time. The other should be big enough for several children to get through at the same time.
2. As the children enter class, encourage them to sit down in the story area. If they enter through the narrow way, mark their hands with a green stamp. If they enter through the wide way, mark their hands with a red stamp.
3. As you share the story, relate the wide gate to the children who have the red stamp. Relate the narrow gate to the children who have the green stamp.

Memory Verse:

Matthew 7:14

Small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Jesus Connection:

Believing in Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6). Only a few people choose to live in a way that reflects this truth. This is why Jesus says the way is narrow that leads to life. You can tell who these people are by the fruit that they produce. Jesus says you will know who believes and follows him when they produce fruit in accordance with His Word. And that fruit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control” (Galatians 5:22).

Songs

I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back,
No turning back.

Games/Activities

Fruit Relay

Supplies Needed:
• Print outs of different kinds of fruit (4-5 copies of each fruit, per team)
• Full page pictures of fruit trees to correspond to the fruit printouts, one set per team(ie: if you print grapes, the you need a picture of a grape vine); for added challenge, print the tree without the fruit.
• One basket  per team.
Directions:
1. Place all the full page pictures of the trees on the floor at one end of the room. Place a basket of fruit near the trees. Arrange each set of trees with a basket to correspond to the number of teams you will divide your children into.
2. When the children arrive, divide them into teams. The teams will each send one child at a time down to the basket of fruit, where the child will have to select on piece of fruit and match it to the correct tree that produces that fruit.
3. The winning team is the first one to correctly place all the fruit on the trees.

Crafts

Wolf in Disguise 

Supplies needed:
• Wolf template
• Colors
• Scissors
• Glue
• Cotton balls
Directions:
1. Color and cut out the wolf template. Cut the solid lines, and fold the dotted lines.
2. Assemble the wolf by matching the letters together and sliding the strips through the slits.
3. Stretch out a few cotton balls and glue them to the wolf. The thinner the cotton is stretched, the better you can see the coloring underneath, giving a better illusion of a disguise.

Coloring Page