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.

Children's Church Lesson: The Miracle of Easter!

Story 

Say: Today is a special day…what is today? (Easter)  What makes it so special (give children time to answer).  Those are all good answers!  Today we are going to read the story of the very first Easter!  Are you ready?

Read  the Easter Story from any Children's bible.

Lesson

Say:  What did Jesus ride into Jerusalem?   (Donkey)  What did he say he say the bread and the cup were? (His body and blood) After Jesus was arrested what happened to him? (hurt, died on a cross).  Did he stay dead (No, he rose on the third day!)  That’s right, Jesus died on the cross but he didn’t stay dead.  When Jesus beat death and he beat sin!  The bible says that 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).  That means if we believe that Jesus can take away our sins and if we ask him to do that than we will live forever with him!  If you want to know more about that ask your mom and dad or you can talk to Pastor Riley.

Big Idea

Jesus is our savior because he died for us and rose again!  If we believe that he can take away our sins and ask him to do that than we will live forever with him!

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

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.

Children's Church Lesson: Palm Sunday

Story

Say: What did you get today at church? (Palm Leaves)  Why did you get them? (Let the children share)  That’s right!  What day is it today? (Palm Sunday)  Today we are going to look at the story of the very first Palm Sunday!  I see you all have your palm leaves with you!  Pay very close attention to the story.  There  is a part in the story where the people wave palm leaves, just like yours and say “Hosanna!” During that part I want you to wave your palm leaves and say “Hosanna” too! Are you ready? 

Read “Palm Sunday” in any children's book.  Pause during the "Hosanna" part.

Lesson

Say:  What did Jesus want to celebrate with his disciples? (Passover – the celebration of the Exodus of God’s people from Egypt)  What did Jesus ask his disciples to borrow? (A donkey for Him to ride into Jerusalem)  What did the people shout as Jesus rode by? (Hosanna) That’s right!  Hosanna means save us.  These people wanted Jesus to be their savior.  Jesus is our Savior too.  Did you know that?  How did Jesus save us? (Died on the cross and came back to life to take away our sins).  The bible says that “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).  That means if we believe that Jesus can take away our sins and if we ask him to do that than we will live forever with him!  If you want to know more about that ask your mom and dad or talk to Pastor Riley.

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 is our savior!  If we believe that he can take away our sins and ask him to do that than we will live forever with him!

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.

Craft

Children will color and cut out donkey template pieces and glue them to a paper bag to make a donkey puppet.

Game Options

Incorporate the palm leaves in a game of Simon Says.

Children's Church Lesson: Fruit of the Spirit

Story

Say: What did you talk about during today children’s moment? (Growing up in our relationship with God)  Just like we grow up in our physical bodies, we also need to continue to grow in our relationship with God.  Today’s story tells us about some of the ways we can do that.

 Read “Fruit of the Spirit” in the Spark Story Bible (Page 550).

Lesson

Say: In our story who did Paul write a letter too? (The church in Galatia) What did this church need? (Help)  What was one of their problems? (They were always arguing)  What were they arguing about?  (lots of things, what it meant to be a church and what rules to follow)  Why was it so bad that they were always arguing? (They had a hard time getting along, and it was getting in the way of them being a good church)  Why did Paul write a letter to the Galatians?  (To tell them to stop fighting)  How did Paul suggest that they stop fighting? (By living with the fruit of the Spirit in mind, and by letting God’s love fill them)

We need to get along and live by the Fruit of the Spirit too (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control)  Let’s take some time to learn what the fruit of the spirit is (go over the memory verse multiple times with the children)

Memory Verse

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. –Galatians 5:22 & 23

Big Idea:  

We need to get along with one another and live out the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control).

Prayer

See if children have prayer requests.  Say a short prayer thanking God loving us and asking Him to help us to get along with each other and live out the fruit of the spirit. 

Song

Fruit of the Spirit Song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFumjSll68s

Craft

Have the Children color the fruit and basket, cut out the fruit and glue them to their basket.  Keep reviewing the fruit of the spirit with them during the craft time. http://www.christianpreschoolprintables.com/Pages/BibleCrafts/BibleCraftsFruitoftheSpirit.html