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

Joseph Is Revealed

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Genesis 42-50

Joseph is now the second most powerful person in all Egypt.  Pharaoh has charged Joseph to take care of Egypt in preparation for and during the famine that was coming. Pharaoh also gave Joseph a wife, from which two sons were born. During the next seven years, there was great prosperity in Egypt. Joseph took a portion of everyone’s harvest and stored it away for the famine to come. When the famine finally started, it was severe. There was no food anywhere in Egypt. Pharaoh told the people to go to Joseph and do what he told them. Joseph began selling people the stored food. Soon the famine became so great that even Joseph’s family in Canaan began to search for food. They heard there was food to be purchased in Egypt. All of Joseph’s brothers, except Benjamin, went to buy food for their families. Jacob would not let Benjamin go for fear that he would lose him, just like Joseph. When the brothers arrived in Egypt, Joseph saw them, but the brothers did not recognize him. Joseph was harsh with them, even accusing them of being spies. To prove their innocence, they were required to leave one brother in jail and return to Egypt with Benjamin.  Jacob did not like this. He refused for a long, until at last they had run out of food. Finally, Jacob agreed to send Benjamin. Judah promised to return him safely. When Joseph saw Benjamin, he was overjoyed. Still, he continued to test his older brothers to see if they had truly changed. He sent them on their way with bags full of food, placing a special cup in Benjamin’s bag. After they left, Joseph sent soldiers after the brothers and accused them of stealing. The brother agreed that the one who was found with the cup would become a slave. Benjamin was found with the cup. All the brothers returned to Joseph and begged for mercy. Judah even pleaded to take Benjamin’s place. Seeing the heart of his brothers had changed, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. They were all amazed. Joseph invited his brother to return to Egypt with their families to live for the rest of time of the famine. Upon their final return, Joseph was reunited with Jacob. And Joseph took care of his family during the famine.

Object Lesson:

A Heavy Bag

Supplies Needed:
• A large bag
• Many heavy items, such as rocks or books
Directions:
1. Select a volunteer. Have the child hold the empty bag.
2. Explain that each heavy item represents an angry or hurt feeling. Have the child walk around the room for a little bit while holding the heavy bag. Explain that when we hold onto anger and hurt, it becomes a heavy burden to us. When we forgive others the burden will be gone and we will feel better. Take the heavy items out and have the child walk around with the empty bag. Talk about how it feels to have the heavy load verses the light load. Encourage the children to forgive people, just like Joseph forgave his brothers.

Memory Verse:

Genesis 50:20

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Jesus Connection:

As we continue to read the story of Joseph, we continue to see the connection between the brothers and us, and Joseph and Jesus. Like Joseph’s brother did to him, we have all done some pretty horrible things to Jesus. We continually sin against him. And like Joseph, Jesus has forgiven us of those evil things we have done to him. We intend harm, but God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Songs

Father Abraham

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord
Right arm!
….Left arm!
….Right foot!
….Left foot!
….Chin up!
….Turn around!
….Sit down!

Games/Activities

Find the Cup

Supplies needed:
• A small cup (Dixie cup size)
• 3 identical buckets or large bowls
Directions:
1. Turn all three buckets upside down on a smooth table.
2. Place the cup under one of the buckets.
3. As fast as you can mix up the order of the buckets.
4. Have a child try to guess which bucket the cup is under.
5. Repeat the game for as many children as you have. You may even allow the children to mix up the order of the buckets to have more involvement.

Crafts

Royal Cup

Supplies Needed:
• White paper cups (if you have the budget to do so, get some cheap, plain, white ceramic coffee mugs)
• Sharpies
• Decorations (glitter, stickers, gems)
Directions:
1. Decorate the cup using sharpies.
2. If you are using paper cups, use other decorations, such as glitter and gems to make the cup look more special.
3. If you are using ceramic cups, bake the cup at 250 degree Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Cool completely. Do not put in dishwasher.

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