Children's Church Lesson: Jesus Feeds 5,000

Story

Say: What are some things that God wants us to do? (Give the children time to list various things).  One of the things that God wants us to do is to give to the church so God’s work can be done.  Do you have a lot of money that belongs to you that you can give to the church? (The answer for most children should be no).   Even if we don’t have a lot of money we can give we can still find ways to give to God.  Today we are going to read a story about how Jesus took something small that a boy gave and used it to do something amazing!

Read “Jesus Feeds 5,000” in any children's story bible.

Lesson

Say: What problem did Jesus and his disciples have? (There was a huge crowd of people who needed to be fed)  What did they have for the people to eat? (5 small loaves of bread and two fish)  What did Jesus do? (He fed all 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish!)  What happened after everyone ate (12 baskets of leftovers were collected!)

We are kind of like the boy in our story aren’t we?  We don’t always have a lot to give.   Just like the boy in the story we do always have something we can give.  Do we have some money, even if it is not a lot (yes).  Did you know that there are other things we can give to God besides money?  The boy shared his food, what are some other things we can give to God (things we have that we don’t need anymore, things we are good at/talents, etc).  Even if we don’t have a lot of money we have things that we can give to the church so God’s work can be done.  Just like in today’s story God can take the small things we have to give and use them to do amazing things!  

Memory Verse

Good people will be generous to others and will be blessed for all they do.  - Isaiah 32:8

Big Idea

God can take the small things we have to give and use them to do amazing things!

Prayer

Say a short prayer thanking God for the things he has given us and asking him to help us be generous giving back to Him some of the things he has given us.  

Children's Church Lesson: The Widow's Offering

Story

Say: What are some things that God wants us to do? (Give the children time to list various things).  One of the things that God wants us to do is to give to the church so God’s work can be done.  Do you have a lot of money that belongs to you that you can give to the church? (The answer for most children should be no).   Even if we don’t have a lot of money we can give we can still find ways to give to God.  Today we are going to read a story about a woman who did not have a lot of money but gave to God anyway. 

Read “The Widow’s Offering” in any Children's Bible.

Lesson

Say:  What did the rich man do as he was giving his money?  (Show off, draw attention to himself)  Why did he give his money in a showy way?   How much money did the old woman have and how much of that did she give?  Who did Jesus say gave more? (The woman)  How do you feel about giving everything you have? (give plenty of time for answers).

We are kind of like the lady aren’t we, we don’t have a lot of money to give.   Just like the woman we do have things we can give.  Do we have some money, even if it is not a lot (yes).  Did you know that there are other things we can give to God besides money?  What are some other things we can give to God (things we have that we don’t need anymore, things we are good at/talents, etc).  Even if we don’t have a lot of money we have things that we can give to the church so God’s work can be done.

Big Idea

Even if we don’t have a lot of money we have things that we can give to the church so God’s work can be done.

Memory Verse

Good people will be generous to others and will be blessed for all they do.  - Isaiah 32:8

Prayer

Say a short prayer thanking God for the things he has given us and asking him to help us be generous giving back to Him some of the things he has given us.  

Craft

Students will decorate piggy bank cubes (http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/cube-model.html) with stamps, stickers and crayons.  They will then cut them out and assemble them using glue sticks (or scotch tape). You will need to use an exacto-knife or box cutter to make coin slots ahead of time.  

Activity 

Have the children share some the things they can give for God.

Youth Discussion: The Great Commission

Bible Verse 1: Isaiah 42: 10-12

                                                                                                     

Video: Gospel in Six Words

Bible Verse 2: “The Great Commission” Matt 26:18-20

Five Questions:

1. Once we become Christians, we must share our faith, Isaiah tells us to “Sing a new song”.  And Jesus challenges us to “go and make disciples of all nations”.   What does sharing your faith mean to you?
2. Is there a right way or a wrong way to share your faith? (Show “Hell Over Coffee” Skit Guys video)

3.     How would you feel if a person approached you about accepting Christ like the guy in the video?

4.     The Gospel is “Good News”.  What do you do with good news?  How do you share good news with someone?

5.     There is a tendency to want to tell people about their faith in a one sided way.  Tell me what it would look like if you shared your faith with a friend.

How Peter Served Jesus

Story 

Say: Today’s story is about Jesus’ disciple Peter.  Who can tell me something they know about Peter? (Give the children plenty of time to answer).  Today we are going to read a story about the things Peter did after Jesus went to heaven.  

Read the story of Peter and the early church in any children's bible.  

Lesson

Say:  Who did Peter help and what did he do to help them? (Peter helped a man who couldn’t walk and a woman, Tabatha, who was dead.  Peter healed the man-by the power of Jesus and Peter brought Tabitha back to life.)  What did the Temple leaders think about Peter, and what did they do?  (They didn’t like Peter telling people about Jesus.  They arrested Peter).  In our story, what happened when Peter was arrested by King Herod? (Jesus’ followers prayed for him and an angel helped Peter escape.

Jesus used Peter to do some help people and tell people about Jesus!  Jesus wants to use us like he used Peter, to help people and to them about Jesus.  Who are some of the people that you can help and that you can tell about Jesus? (Give children plenty of time to answer). 

Big Idea

Jesus used Peter to do some help people and tell people about Jesus!  Jesus wants to use us like he used Peter, to help people and to them about Jesus.  

Memory Verse

Go and make followers for Jesus. – Matthew 28:19

Prayer

Take time to see if children have any prayer requests or prayer joys.  Say a short prayer thanking God for sending Jesus to save us and asking him to help us be helpers to others and talk to them about Jesus like Peter did.  

Game Ideas

Jesus Says (Simon Says) 

Children's Church Lesson: The Early Church

Story 

Say: Why did we all come to church today? (Take time to get answers)  Why is church important? (Take time to get answers)  Did you know that the church isn’t the building we meet in on Sundays?  What is the church? (The people!) Today we are going to read a story about the first church.  It was a group of people who started meeting together after Jesus rose from the dead and went to Heaven

Read “The Early Church” in any children's story bible.

Lesson

Say:  Who came to Jesus disciples? (The Holy Spirit) How did the first church help each other (sharing with each other – food, clothes, money and their homes) How can we help other people (give time for answers) Who did they talk about (Jesus –and they thanked God).  What happened when other people saw them sharing and talking about Jesus? (They decided to become Christians too).  Thant’s right!

We can learn a lot from the first Church.  If we help others the way they did and talk about Jesus like they did then maybe people around us will become Christians too just like people did in our story!  

Big Idea

We are God’s church not the building we meet in! God’s church needs to help one another and share about Jesus.  

Memory Verse

Everyone will know you are Christians if you love one another. - John 13:35

Prayer

Take time to see if children have any prayer requests or prayer joys.  Say a short prayer thanking God for sending Jesus to save us and asking him to help us be helpers to others and talk to them about Jesus.  

Craft

Children will decorate paper plate bags (Happy Helper Kit) with crayons, stamps and stickers.  They will cut out the various clip art pictures of things that can be used to help people and put them in their Happy Helper Kit. (Example on the counter)

Additional Activity

Use the Helper Kit to talk about how we can help others.

Children's Church Lesson: Jesus Appears to His Followers!

Story

Say: What special day was last Sunday? (Easter)  That’s right!  What makes it so special (give children time to answer).  Those are all good answers!  How do we know that Jesus rose from the dead?  (People saw him after he died!)  Today we are going to read a story about what Jesus did and said to his disciples after he rose from the dead.

Read The Road to Emmaus AND The Great Commission from any children's story bible.

 Lesson

Say:  Who was the man who the man who was talking to Jesus friends? (Jesus)  When it was time for Jesus to leave where did he go? (Heaven)  What was the special job that Jesus had for his followers? (Tell everyone they can be his followers; teach people to do the things Jesus taught.)  Last Sunday was Easter.  We celebrate Easter because on the very first Easter Jesus Rose from the dead.  Because Jesus rose from the dead he can take away our sin so we can live forever with him in heaven.  Because this is true we need to tell other people about what Jesus did so they will ask Jesus to take away their sins so they can live forever with him in heaven too!  Who are some people you know that you should tell about Jesus? (give the children time to answer).   

Memory Verse

God loved the world so much that he sent his only son so than anyone who believes in him will live forever – John 3:16

Big Idea

Jesus rose from the dead and went to heaven.  He has a special job for us, to tell other people that they can be his followers and live forever with him in heaven!  

Prayer

Take time to see if children have any prayer requests or prayer joys.  Say a short prayer thanking God for sending Jesus to save us and asking for His help to tell others about him.