I’m finally back today with the third lesson in the “Who is Jesus?” series. This lesson focuses on Jesus as our Friend. Children will investigate and understand through several Gospel stories how Jesus was a friend to others and how […]

Thanks to Jeanne Dickson, there is a new song for Jesus is tempted. I also updated a worksheet for this lesson.

I totally ripped this one off a German Sunday School lesson site. Anyways, I refined it so that you can make the least amount of cuts (in case you, like me, are in charge of preparing crafts beforehand.) This one teaches the story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man really well. As I said, I did rip it off a German site, but I added the verse in English at the top. You need: cardstock, scissors (or cutter), Exacto-Knife, and crayons (optional) First off, you want to cut the "ribbon" part away from the main part. You can do this with scissors...or you can do it with my new favorite office tool: The paper cutter! Cut one: Cut two: (Throw the right-hand portion away.) Next, stack all your "main portions" on top of each other so they are perfectly even. Then, very carefully, and with your non-dominate hand pushing down on the top of the stack (and your thumb out of the way!!!), pull the Exacto-Knife through all four cutting places. If your stack shifts during the cut, restack and press the stack harder with your non-dominate hand. Cutting through the stack like this kills several birds with one stone. First off, you can cut through 2-4 pieces of cardstock at a time--saving time. Secondly, you don't have to worry about cutting through to your table when you do it this way. Okay, here is how you thread the "ribbon" portion through. Remember to thread it through all four slits. The first scene you should see is the man being let down by his friends in the top window, and Jesus looking up in the bottom window. Keep pulling and you will see the man and Jesus interacting. Finally (and don't pull too hard here or you will have to re-thread!), you will see where Jesus healed the man who is now holding his bed. Template: The End!

Many young children deal with fear in one form or another. Common fears are separation anxiety, fear of the dark, fear of storms, and fear of visiting the doctor. In helping children overcome fear, we should acknowledge that their fears are very real to them, and then point them to Jesus. Show them that Jesus is bigger and more powerful than their fear. Assure them that Jesus will walk with them through their fear, and help them to overcome. In our lesson this week, we want to make Jesus big, powerful, and strong enough to handle any fear in the hearts and minds of our children. Bible Truth: Jesus is bigger than my fears. Bible Story: Jesus commands a storm to be still. Bible Study: Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; II Timothy 1:7 teach interactive read-a-loud Get the children interested and engaged in your lesson, right at the outset, by handing them each an approximately 18 inch strip of a blue streamer. Explain that their streamers are going to be the wind and the waves in today's story. Invite them to practice waving their streamers low to the ground to make waves, and waving them high above their heads to make wind. As they participate, they are both physically and mentally engaged. You are giving squirmy kids an opportunity to move in a way that supports their learning, and you are helping your little learners construct a mental picture of wind and waves, which is critical to understanding this miracle. Bring out a clear container, filled with water, to set the scene for the story. Have a hair dryer ready to go, but bring it out later in the story as an element of surprise. Dramatically read the story from either a children's Bible, or from your own Bible. If you choose to read it from your Bible substitute words such as "tempest" and "perishing" for "storm" and "dying". As you are read, invite the children to interact with the story like so: Jesus and the disciples got into a boat. Gently rock from side to side. Suddenly a windstorm arose. Wave streamers in the air. Turn on the hair dryer, and direct it towards their streamers to blow them around. The boat was covered with waves. Rock the container of water with the boat to create waves. Wave streamers low to the ground, and quickly rock from side to side. Jesus was asleep. Lay down and pretend to sleep. The disciples awoke Him. Gently tap the shoulders of the children to wake them up, and then resume the storm. Jesus rebuked the wind and waves. Raise both hands and say, "Peace! Be Still!" There was a great calm. Hold the streamers still. Gently rock from side to side. To conclude the story say: Wow! Jesus did an amazing miracle! He has all the power. He told the wind and waves to be still, and they obeyed Him. You don't need to be afraid, because Jesus is always with you to protect you, take care of you and watch over you. share and pray Ask the children what they are afraid of. I give you fair warning that this will likely turn into a quite lively discussion! In each situation, talk about how Jesus is bigger and more powerful than whatever they are afraid of. Remind them that He is powerful enough to stop wind and waves by just speaking to them! To emphasize the power Jesus has in their terms, ask them if Spiderman or Elsa (or any other character that they are enamored with) can do that. Teach them to say, "In the name of Jesus go away!" and any spirit of fear trying to overtake them must go. Teach them to ask Jesus to give them a big hug, and be with them. Pray with them, and over them, about their fears, speaking peace over them in the name of Jesus. sing The Wind and the Waves Obey Him is good for a puppet song, or to play as the children are working on the craft or color sheet. My God Is So Big is one of our favorite songs in my classroom! We add our own touch to it singing, "there's nothing my God cannot do for YOU!" As part of the motions I point and make eye contact with a different child each time we say "for YOU!". Bigger Than Big has an awesome message: God and His love are the biggest of all! play toss the boat "parachute" game Instead of a parachute (unless you have one on hand), a sheet or table cloth will work just fine! You will also need a small toy boat, or a small plastic container to use as a boat. Spread the parachute out on the floor, and invite the children to sit around it. Instruct them to not touch the parachute until you have explained the rules and you are ready to start the game. To play this game, place the boat in the center, of the parachute. Each child holds onto their section and moves the parachute up and down to create waves, while trying to keep the boat on the parachute. Walk around the circle, and tap a child on the shoulder and say, "Jesus, wake up!" The child you chose should loudly say, "Peace, be still!" Everyone obeys "Jesus" and stops moving the parachute. Continue playing the game, giving each child a turn to be "Jesus". craft coloring page Here is a nice coloring page that would be fun to paint! (At least the blue water.) sailboats Make simple sailboats for the children to reenact the story of Jesus calming the storm. For this craft you will need: this label small paper plates craft sticks construction paper glue To prepare, cut the plates in half, and cut the construction paper into triangle sails. Print and cut out the labels. In class, help the children glue together the pieces to make their own sailboat. fold-a-story For this craft you will need: this activity page (version 1) OR this activity page (version 2) blue streamers yellow smiley face, or yellow color-coding stickers cotton balls glue (use this hack for mess-free gluing) crayons To prepare, print the activity page (either version 1 or version 2) and copy the pages back to back. Cut blue streamers into squares. In class, provide glue for the children to apply the blue squares as waves, and cotton balls as clouds. Give them each a yellow smiley face sticker, or a yellow color-coding sticker to add to the sun. Provide crayons for them to color. Help them fold the down the windy clouds, and ask them to retell the story to you as they fold the picture. version 1 version 2 See this post for more ideas about teaching your child the concepts in this lesson at home this week!

“...corramos com perseverança a carreira que nos está proposta, olhando firmemente para o Autor e Consumador da fé, Jesus...” (Hb 12:1,2). “Distraindo-se Pedro com a força do vento, teve medo...”. Todos nós podemos nos identificar bem com Pedro nesta situação! Quando Pedro começou a tirar seus olhos de Cristo e desviar sua atenção para as ondas e o vento, a sua fé enfraqueceu e ele teve medo e começou a afundar-se. Há tantas coisas neste mundo que podem nos distrair e tirar os nosso olhos de Cristo. Enfrentamos desafios, lutas e dificuldades e, às vezes, nossa fé enfraquece como aconteceu com Pedro, e ficamos com medo e cheio de dúvidas. Entretanto, quando olhos estão fixos em Cristo, com certeza teremos a vitória. Ler: Mateus 14:22-33; Marcos 6:45-52 Versísulo para MEMORIZAR: "Respondeu-lhe Jesus: Eu sou o caminho, e a verdade, e a vida..." João 14:6. APLICAÇÃO: mostrar que Jesus está sempre ao nosso lado. (Abra sua Bíblia e diga que essa história está dentro da Bíblia e aconteceu de verdade há muito tempo atrás. As crianças precisam saber de onde vem a história e que elas são reais.) Certa vez Jesus estava no barco com os seus amigos, e eles estavam indo para uma outra cidade, só que durante a viagem aconteceu uma chuva forte. Pergunte se as crianças já viram uma chuva forte. E aí, todos ficaram co muito medo e foram pedir pra Jesus ajudá-los e então Jesus se levantou e disse para o mar parar e o vento também. E sabem o que aconteceu? O vento e o mar obedeceram a Jesus e então ninguém mais teve medo. Não precisamos ter medo de nada, pois Jesus nos ajuda em todas as situações. (fonte: Socep baby) Clique nas imagens para aumentar (+) Eu fiz esse barco com EVA, tudo feito com EVA. Apenas os prendedores que fiz com tinta e EVA. O raio fiz com cartolina laminada dourada. Colocava Jesus dormindo, na hora da tempestade. E depois mostrava ele acordado e acalmando a tempestade. Esses foram o que eu fiz para as aulas há algum tempo atrás e sempre utilizo. O passo a passo destes prendedores enfeitados clique aqui. Fonte : Professor Sassá - (extraído do site: escoladominical.net) HORA DA ATIVIDADE: HORA DA LEMBRANCINHA: Você pode dar de lembrancinha os prendedores que fez para contar a história. O passo a passo destes prendedores enfeitados clique aqui. Esses eu fiz este acima para os meus alunos, com bala dentro, todo de EVA. Origami de barco Mais modelos de BARCOS, clique aqui. OUTRAS MANEIRAS de contar a mesma história clique aqui e clique aqui

Sometimes I design things which might be useful to other people. So here they are. I'll add more things from time to time. Click pictures to enlarge. Feel free print off anything on this page for your own personal use. This includes to use at home, in a classroom, at a charity event etc... Feel free to pin on Pinterest. Please don't sell them, or publish them in any form, without permission. © Kirsty McAllister. All rights reserved. Fun arty stuff Face Painting Designs Costume Designs A costume suitable for a 1st century man. Ideal for Nativity plays etc. Sorry - tunic only at present. Will add cloak drapery when I have time. Basically, the cloak is a rectangle of cloth wrapped round. Puzzle sheets & colouring pictures 'Jesus gives new life' caterpillar & butterfly bookmarks. Print on thin card & cut out. Back to school colouring picture. Crucifixion & Resurrection spot the difference. How to...

Are you looking for fresh, exciting ways to spice up your Women's Ministry Ladies Night? Look no further! We've compiled a list of 32 fun activities that are sure to bring your group closer together

This is an updated set of events that are easy to print and use. There are two per page and have the scriptures on each to make great visuals, a bulletin board or review game cards. Use colored masking tape or Washi tape to make a timeline on a bulletin board as shown below. These events are included, and each page can be printed on cardstock and cut in half. Click here to download. Click here to see this timeline.

Preschool Bible lesson on the Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17). Free printable lesson including Bible activities, worksheets, crafts, coloring pages and more.

Zacchaeus is a real-life example of the power that Jesus has to change our hearts. The goal in this lesson is for the children to feel the darkness and ugliness of sin, and then experience the joy and miracle of forgiveness when Zacchaeus meets Jesus! Bible Truth: Jesus has the power to forgives my sin. Bible Story: Jesus changes Zacchaeus' heart. Bible Study: Luke 19:1-10; I Corinthians 5:7 teach cha-ching! To tell the story of Zacchaeus "hands-on" style gather up these items: children's picture Bible, or flannel graph scenery and characters a small bag or coin pouch loose change a cut-out of a black heart and a white heart Peak your class's interest in your lesson by shaking the bag, and letting them guess what is inside. They will probably easily guess that you have money in your bag! Pass out a coin for each child to hold throughout the lesson. (Remind them that they should never put coins in their mouths!) Read the story of Zacchaeus from a children's picture Bible, or tell it in your own words with visuals, such as flannel graph. Introduce Zacchaeus as a short man, who was a tax collector. His job was to collect money that people had to pay to the king. But Zacchaeus took more money from people than he was supposed to. If someone was supposed to pay one coin to the king, Zaccahaeus made them pay two coins, and he would keep one of the coins for himself. That is called stealing. Zacchaeus was rich and had lots of money, but nobody wanted to be his friend because he stole money from them. He had a dark sinful heart. Hold up the dark heart as you describe Zacchaeus' dark and sinful heart. Go on to tell the rest of the story of Zacchaeus meeting Jesus, as you show pictures from the children's Bible or manipulate flannel graph characters. At the conclusion of the story, talk about how amazing it is that Jesus changed Zacchaeus' heart! He used to be a man that stole people's money, but now he gives his money away to people! Jesus did a miracle! Only Jesus has the power to take a dirty, sinful heart and give us a new clean heart! Zacchaeus repented, he turned away from his sin, and followed Jesus! Hold up the white heart as you describe how Jesus changed Zacchaeus' heart. Lead the class in a prayer, asking Jesus to forgive their sin, and change their hearts so they can follow Jesus like Zacchaeus. After you pray, collect the coins from the children. Tell them that they are giving the money back just like Zacchaeus did after he repented. sing Zacchaeus (was a wee little man) is a Sunday School classic, and the perfect song to reinforce the story they just heard. Be sure to do some actions with the song! The Repent Song is the same song we learned along with the story of John the Baptist, so it's great review and repetition. Follow the link for the lyrics and actions. The Bath Song is a great song about how Jesus washes away our sin with "super soap." The "call back" format makes it really easy to sing along! craft color & paste Here is a coloring sheet from Sermons 4 Kids of Jesus talking to Zacchaeus in the tree. Cut pieces of green paper, or green tissue paper into leaves for the children to glue onto the tree. zacchaeus meets Jesus A good craft is one that helps children retell the story that they learned. This craft does exactly that! You will need: this print out in (black & white) or (color) card stock scissors hole punch yarn green tissue paper glue clear tape crayons (optional) To prepare, print the print out page onto card stock. Cut on the dotted line, and cut out Zacchaeus. Punch a hole at the top and bottom of the tree. Cut out approximately 1" x 1" squares of green tissue paper. Cut yarn into 16" lengths. In class, provide glue for the children to attach the squares of tissue paper to the tree as leaves. Lace the yarn throught the holes and tie it behind the tree. If using the black and white version, provide crayons for the children to color Jesus and Zacchaeus. Tip: Tie the yarn near the top of the page, and attach Zacchaeus to the bottom of the page. It is easier for the kids, if you let them glue on the leaves before you add the yarn. Use clear tape to attach Zacchaeus to the yarn. Tip: Set the clear tape under the yarn, sticky side up, and then press Zacchaeus onto the tape. Move Zacchaeus up and down the tree to retell the story! up and down the tree For this craft you will need: this tree pattern this Zacchaeus pattern green construction paper jumbo craft sticks yarn scissors hole punch crayons glue tape To prepare, cut out the top, leaf portion of the tree pattern, and use it to trace onto green construction paper. Cut out tree and Zacchaeus figures. Punch a hole near the top of the trees. Cut yarn into approximately 7" lengths. In class, provide crayons for the children to color Zacchaeus, and the jumbo craft stick. Help them attach the tree to the craft stick with glue. Tape Zacchaeus to the yarn, thread the yarn through the hole in the tree, and tie the yarn off in the back to move Zacchaeus up and down the tree. Find more ideas and for teaching your child at home about Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus, here!

Free printable Blible lesson. Learn about the 4 friends who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus. Jesus heals and forgives. Bible lesson with crafts, games, coloring pages, worksheets and more.

This continues our series learning about Jesus. This is week 4 in the fourth quarter of a year of Preschool Bible Study that I assist with on Wednesday evening. This week we reviewed the Wise Men visiting Jesus and studied Jesus staying behind in the temple. The scripture is Luke 2:41-52. Mary, Joseph & Jesus live in Nazareth and Jesus is 12 years old now. As Jesus grew up, the Bible tells us He became stronger in spirit and was filled with wisdom. (Luke 2:40) Joseph & Mary went to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Passover. The Passover was a special time of worship to remember God taking care of His people. They traveled with a group of people. When Joseph & Mary had completed their worship in the temple, they left Jerusalem to return home. But Jesus had stayed behind, and they didn’t know Jesus wasn’t with them! Mary and Joseph started looking for Jesus after a day of traveling. They asked their relatives and friends if they had seen Jesus. Mary & Joseph couldn’t find Jesus anywhere! When Mary and Joseph didn’t find Jesus, they went back to Jerusalem looking for Him. (Talk about being lost and how it would feel not knowing where their son is.) Finally, after three days of searching for Jesus, they found Him in the temple. Jesus was sitting with the teachers! Jesus was asking questions and listening to their answers. When Joseph & Mary found Him, they were amazed that He was calmly sitting there while they were frantically looking for Him! They asked Jesus why He had done this! Jesus answered them saying 'Why are you looking for Me? Don't you know that I would be doing God’s work? Mary & Joseph were so happy to find Jesus safe! Mary, Joseph & Jesus left Jerusalem to return home to Nazareth where Jesus continued to grow up. The students love these foldables. Print both sides, then fold as you see above. The 'doors' to the temple will open and Jesus is inside with the temple priests. This includes the color and black and white. Click here to download. The printable for this lesson is a Bible Review book. It is a great project for this lesson since Jesus was studying at the temple. If you want to use the above for handouts, this would be good to make one for the teacher to review. There are several ways to put them together, depending on how much time you have. Jesus would have been studying the Old Laws and people, so we used this to match the people to what they did in the Bible. This is a great discussion starter. Click here to find the download and different instructions for putting it together and how to use it. Yes, here is another map! But they love them, so I made this one to review the family traveling to the temple, I covered up Jesus with my finger for Mary & Joseph to begin their trip home, then back to find Jesus, then they all return home. This includes the color and the black & white to print. Click here to download the map. You can print the lesson with a review of last week. Click here to download the new updated songs. Click here to print the visuals. Click here to print the Pictures to Color. Click here to see early elementary ideas and printables for this lesson, including a song. Click here for more preschool Jesus at the temple ideas and printables.

A list of low cost outreach projects your church can do to minister to those in your own community. Read these volunteer ideas..

Jesus Walks on Water I have the last two lessons out of sequence. That's what happens when you go on vacation and then try to catch up! So, Jesus walking on water comes before His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. I'm not including an Easter lesson because at our church we have a sunrise service and no Sunday School that day. Here's the lesson on Jesus' Walking on Water. Print these out on card stock. I usually cut them out prior to the class because the younger children have a hard time cutting them out. Then, color your masterpiece! Ella colors her craft. Hannah, Mattison and Parker display their completed crafts. What fun!

Explore these Women's Ministry Fall Activities and Games to find creative, spiritually enriching ideas for your women's ministry group.

Young adult ministries are something our parishes desperately need. Here are a few tips to start one at your parish and build interest.

Our continuing Exploration through the Life of Jesus Has brought us to the time when Jesus performs another miracle. JESUS HEALS THE PARALYZED MAN. We added NEW CARDS to our DO You Know? Wall. My Expectation is for the KIDDOS to be able to answer each of these by the end of the lesson. We had two new words to add to our WORD WALL. I chose PARALYZED and FRIEND. We reviewed the WORD AMAZED!! Those are important words for the KIDDOS to understand for this lesson to make more sense to them. Our VISUAL Aid for this lesson was literally made out of a box. I cannot even remember what was originally in the box....but, I knew I needed to keep it because of the nice "VIEWING WINDOW" it had. I'm always thinking, could I use "THIS" in Bible Class....before I throw thing away. I Just decorated the box with paper I had purchased at Dollar Tree....The box already had the plastic front, which made it great for a "DIORAMA." The people were copied out of a copyable clipart book, that we have owned for a really long time. The KIDDOS really enjoyed my using this DIORAMA while telling the story. This is the SONG we learned with this lesson. This song was fun to sing using the paralyzed man on the mat that we used for our review game...the KIDDOS loved "LETTING HIM DOWN GENTLY" as we sang the song. The song can be heard by clicking the following link. "Through The Roof" song--by Ronda Duvall Our MEMORY VERSE was Mark 2:12! To hear the MEMORY VERSE song click on this link. Memory Verse Song MARK 2:12 We Added a NEW Card to our GOD'S AWESOME PLAN FOR MAN Timeline!! The Kiddo's TAKE-HOME project was a Quilt and Paralyzed man with yarn on each corner. The KIDDOS could lay the man on the quilt and lower him down. This weeks REVIEW Game was another Dramatization style game. I would have four KIDDOS answer questions from the lesson....They would then go get a corner of the "mat" and we would lower him down by answering more questions from the lesson. Then we would repeat the process until all the children had a chance to be one of the four friends. As you know, the second week of the LESSON is when we REVIEW. It gives me opportunity to correct any misunderstandings. It also, gives opportunities for the KIDDOS who missed class the first week to "CATCH UP." This is the Week we SAY our MEMORY VERSE from MEMORY and We do an ACTIVITY we add to our EXPLORER JOURNAL. This LESSON'S EXPLORER JOURNAL ACTIVITY was a variation of something I had seen....I just made it on my computer using clipart I have purchased. The KIDDOS added ropes to the four friends hands and colored their "movie strip." These will be placed in the KIDDOS EXPLORER JOURNAL. The KIDDOS take home their EXPLORER JOURNAL at the end of a TOPIC. So, this one will stay in the classroom until we complete our Lessons on the LIFE OF CHRIST. We are enjoying our continuing Exploration of the LIFE of CHRIST. I am enjoying teaching the LESSONS and I know the KIDDOS are loving learning about our LORD! Blessings, Ronda

On this page, you will find 30 original Jesus coloring pages that are all free to download or print! I illustrated a variety of Jesus pictures, from the birth of Jesus, Christ performing miracles, the Resurrection of Jesus, I love Jesus coloring sheets, and many more!

Related Printables: Jesus Walks on Water Coloring Page Jesus Turns Water into Wine Craft Jesus Turns Water Into Wine Coloring Page Jesus Heals the Ten Lepers Craft

Jairus and Daughter craft to accompany the story in Luke 5, full instructions. Part of a whole lesson available onsite including worksheet, games, and more.

Free printable lesson on the temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). Includes worksheets, coloring pages, craft and more. Learn how Jesus understands us.

Looking for some fun lessons for teaching children (and getting them excited!) about Jesus, can kind of be difficult. Especially when y...

Our bible lesson today is about the only way we can come to God is through Jesus. Jesus is the only way. He said in John 14:6, " I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me".Our lesson today is from John 14:1-14. You can read it in your Bible or on biblegateway.com in your favorite translation. This story wasn't featured in the My keepsake children's bible but I found a video with the story. You can scroll down the page to see it. There are some printables

Kids bible lesson and game on peace, based on the story of how Jesus calmed the storm, to teach kids that real peace can only come from God.

Free printable preschool Bible lesson. Jesus healed many people throughout His ministry. In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one was thankful.

The Pharisee was confused. After all, Jesus was teaching new ideas with authority. Use this simple, but profound, Nicodemus object lesson to teach the Truth of being born again.

Complete interactive lesson on the Satan's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Includes links for flashcards, object lesson and sword practice application activity.

Crafts Here are a few craft we used when teaching a lesson on "Jesus Calms the Storm" during VBS. These could be used with several other lessons like Noah, Jesus walks on Water, Paul's Shipwreck, etc! Ocean Bags Snack size ziplocks work great for this craft. Place a small amount of blue toothpaste in the bag, seal it, and let the child spread the toothpaste out by rubbing over the bag. You can use stickers to stick on the outside or even place something small on the inside. Wave Streamers Use blue and white or dark blue and light blue streamers to make this craft. Cut pieces of streamers and either tape or glue them to the end of a jumbo popsicle stick. The kids like to help make a storm by waving the streamers (waves) in the air and then stopping when you get to the part of the lesson where Jesus calms the storm. Ocean in a Bottle This is a fun take home idea. I made a big one with a large bottle to use during my lesson with the 2 year olds. I found small water bottles for the kids to have. For older kids you might could let them help make the oceans but for our younger kids we made them ahead of time and sent them home after the lesson so they could have their own ocean at home to review the lesson with. They are a lot of fun. It is important to make sure you glue the lid on so it WON'T come off. I used hot glue on mine. When rocked (not shaken) from side to side it makes neat waves! This "ocean in a bottle" craft was made using the following recipe...very simple! This recipe works very well!! Fill bottle about 1/2 full of water, add blue (just a few drops) of food coloring, shake to turn water blue, fill the rest of the way with cooking oil. Seal and glue lid! You may also want to add shells, fish, glitter, etc before sealing! For a different ocean in a bottle recipe click here

Looking for an engaging way for kids to explore Jesus' ministry, miracles & more? "The Life of Jesus" Board Game is perfect for them to discover the key events in His life, from His birth in Bethlehem to the birth of the Church at Pentecost & everything in between. This free printable game features Bible verses & challenges, Disciple playing pieces, & even paper dice for kids to make, too! Understanding & sequencing the main events of Jesus' life can sometimes be tricky for kids, especially when the church lectionary jumps around a little too. So I created this game a few years ago to help the children in our church celebrate the key aspects of Jesus' ministry, & help them put the events into context. The playing board is made up of stepping stones which guide you through key moments in Jesus' ministry, each of which has a Bible reference, so if you wish, you can look it up & discover more. Obviously, there are many more moments in the life of Jesus, but I've tried to keep the game succinct for a younger audience. What makes this game extra special is that the playing pieces are Disciples, all you have to do is choose which one you will be! To help introduce them, I've included their names alongside the playing pieces. A board game wouldn't be a board game without some challenges along the way, so around the board, you'll find a few 'surprise squares' to keep you on your toes, but don't worry, these are super simple & fun for all ages to follow. You can download your free printable "The Life of Jesus" board game & playing figures here: Printable Board Game & Playing Figures For best results, print onto A3 card. An A4 version will work for a small number of players. To play the game you'll need a die, but don't worry if you don't have one, you can print & make a free paper one here: Printable Paper Dice I shared this game with the kids in our Church Sunday Club a few years ago & it was a real hit; in fact, a couple of them even took the game into school to share it with their friends. How great to see young disciples sharing a game about disciples with the possibility of making new disciples! All from one free printable - just brilliant! To keep the playing pieces safe, we glued our A3 printable games into a Pizza Box (available online), which they then decorated inside & out, truly making the game their own. Wherever you play this game, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did, & discover something new as you walk through the life of Jesus. If you're looking for more faith resources, you might find these useful: Lent Resources Prayer Activities

This simple Jesus heals a paralytic game will get your kids involved in learning the Bible with just a beach towel.

How do we follow Jesus? We look for the signs! Our job is to discern what is distracting us and focus on the voice of God.

I used this idea in an assembly yesterday, focussing on people we trust and what it means to trust God. This would work really well if you are exploring miracle stories or stories about trust. Suitable verses to use with it might be: Joshua 1:9: Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Psalm 56: 3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. John 14: 1 Jesus said, “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me I have to admit that this trick is not an original idea. I found the trick in this book: Simple Science Object Talks by Heno Head Jnr and would definitely recommend getting cold of a copy if you can! You will need: A glass of water (about half- 2/3 filled) and an index card. This is what you do: place the index card over the top of the glass, making sure that the whole of the rim is covered by it, and press down. Hold onto the top of the card with one hand and move your other hand down the glass, towards the bottom of it. Carefully flip the glass upside down, making sure you keep holding the card in place. You may get a TINY bit of drip page at this point, but don't panic! Now slowly move your card holding hand out from underneath and the card should stick, holding the water at bay! I love using science in assemblies because it is generally fool-proof, as long as you have a little practice first. I got a teacher in the assembly to sit at the front and asked if they trusted me to turn the glass of water upside down on top of their head? Even if I covered it with the card? They were not too eager! I then performed the science and it went down very well! We talked about the fact that what was holding the card in place was the air pressure pressing upwards (stronger than gravity pressing downwards). Please forgive my scientific explanations- they are not my strong suit! We can't see the air pressure but we know it must be working or the water would drop out. We can't see God but we know that he is there holding us up and supporting us too. The teacher might not have wanted to trust me, but I knew what I was doing and God knows what He is doing! Talk about: What is trust? Who do you trust and why? Have you ever trusted God? When might you need to God? Encourage children to all have a go at he trick, but make sure you have something ready to collect the drips just in case!

Games to play with youngsters when teaching the story of Cain (and Abel) as found in Genesis 4.

Learn about God's love from the World and new birth in this FREE printable Bible lesson for kids. Included worksheets, coloring pages, crafts and more.

Well now, let's get into some ideas for the first lesson on the plan for this year based on Luke 2:41-52. These are the only verses in the Bible that give us a glimpse into Jesus' childhood. One aspect of this account that is crystal clear is Jesus' love for the Word of God at a young age. We also see that Jesus had to learn and grow just like every other human being. Children can identify with the humanity of Jesus, who was a child, like them. Jesus embraced, and loved God's Word as a child, and we want to cultivate the same love in the hearts of the children we teach. Bible Truth: Jesus teaches me to love God's Word. Bible Story: Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple talking with the teachers about God's Word. Bible Study: Luke 2:41-52; Psalm 119:9-16 teach I begin teaching a Bible story, holding my Bible open, and telling the children that what we are learning today is in the Bible. I say, "God put this story in the Bible because He wanted us to know about it, and He wants to teach us something." I also have a set of pocket New Testament Bibles that I found at the dollar store years ago, and when I teach the lesson in small groups, I give each child a Bible to hold as I'm teaching. This reinforces the concept that I am teaching God's words and not my words. I am telling them a true story that really happened, not a fantasy or fairy tale. As they hold their Bibles, I also teach them to care for their Bible by not ripping pages, putting it in their mouth, etc. The Bible is a special book. It is God's Word. We love our Bibles. Then I will open whichever Children's Bible I am using for the lesson, and say, "This Bible has pictures in it for you to see. Let's read the story that God wants us to learn today." You will find a list of the Children's Bibles that I currently use and recommend on my resources page if you are looking for one. showUse an assortment of tools, either toys or real tools, to help explain that Jesus learned from His father Joseph how to be a carpenter and build things out of wood. Another visual aid for this lesson is to create a scroll by rolling up a long sheet of paper. If you have time, add dowels to the ends to make it look more authentic. Explain that the Bible Jesus read looked different than our Bible, but it had the same words from God in it. sing Here are some songs to sing that go well with this lesson. Below there are links to both the lyrics and a video in case these are new songs to you. The B-I-B-L-E Read Your Bible and Pray Everyday (see lesson video for tune and actions) God Made Me (In My Bible Book) craft I have three different craft ideas for this lesson to share with you. Two are very simple, requiring minimal materials, and the third involves more materials and preparation, but I think it's really cute! scroll coloring The first idea is to turn a coloring sheet of young Jesus in the temple into a scroll. All you need for this craft is: this coloring page, which I modified (I found the coloring sheet on Pinterest but I was unable to trace it back to it's original source.) two jumbo craft sticks for each child glue crayons yarn or string Trim off the wide margin of the coloring page. Glue one craft stick on the top, the other on the bottom, color, roll, and tie with string or yarn. Very simple, but I promise you the children will love their "scrolls." find jesus in the temple The second idea was inspired by this blog. It requires some pre-cutting prep. You will need: this picture of a temple (print page 1 in black & white, and choose landscape from properties / page setup) this heading this cropped picture of Jesus scissors construction paper glue crayons Cut the doorway of the temple as shown below. For each child, cut the heading into a strip, and cut out the picture of Jesus. In class, help the children glue their temple to a sheet of construction paper, leaving the cut doorway clear of glue. Fold the doors back and glue Jesus inside the temple. Add the heading to the paper, color and wa-la! Children can actively retell the story as they open and close the temple doors. i spy jesus bottle *This craft involves small objects that may be a choking hazard, and a hot glue gun. Be sure that children are monitored at all times. For this craft you will need: an empty, dry, clean water bottle for each child a funnel (A paper made one will work just as well.) enough rice to fill each water bottle about 3/4 full these miniature pictures of Jesus that I cropped and minimized tape a variety of small objects such as foamie shapes, beads, buttons, pom-poms, sequins, jewels, etc. (Use whatever you have on hand and whatever you can find at the dollar store.) a hot glue this label Cut out the picture of Jesus in pairs as demonstrated by the red box. Fold each picture in half and tape it to make it a double-sided picture. Use a funnel to pour the rice into the water bottles. Allow the children to choose objects, and put them into their bottle. Just be sure every child has a picture of Jesus. Use a hot glue gun to glue the cap to the bottle. Tape the label to the bottle. Shake and mix up the contents of the bottle. Can you find Jesus? Comment below to let me know if you use any of these ideas, and how they work out for you! P.S. I believe that at this time in Jesus' life He began to understand who He was, and His purpose. He had to make the conscious decision to submit himself to Joseph and Mary's authority (verse 51). Isn't that an incredible thought?!

Related Printables: Jesus Walks on Water Coloring Page Jesus Turns Water into Wine Craft Jesus Turns Water Into Wine Coloring Page Jesus Heals the Ten Lepers Craft

John 3 Nicodemus Bible Bookmarks

There are many lies the devil tells especially to teens and these are just some of them. Have you believed any of these lies or knows people

No Prep – Printable for Color Word Practice Especially those tricky colors that start with the same letters such as: black and blue pink and purple gray and green download from my TpT store This is a great printable to integrate language arts and religion. It could be used anytime, but some especially on special ... Read More about Free Color Word Practice Printables

My friend, June Hill, was attempting to explain to her students what a miracle is. In an effort to demonstrate a miracle, she performed th...