JESUS CONCEALED AND REVEALED
This is a good object lesson to use when teaching about Jesus and His followers on the road to Emmaus.
This is a good object lesson to use when teaching about Jesus and His followers on the road to Emmaus.
Play a game where you have several objects covered with cloths. Give the students clues about one of the objects and have them try to guess what the object is. For example if you have a pencil under the cloth, you might use clues such as: It is long and skinny...It is yellow...It is pointy on one end...It is a school supply...
Whichever student guesses correctly first gets to peek at the next object and offer clues for the other students to guess the object.
Explain to the students that first the objects were hidden or concealed under the cloths, but the clues given helped them figure out what was under the cloth. When you lifted the cloth, you revealed what was underneath.
Read the story of the road to Emmaus from Luke 24 to students. Emphasize that verse 27 says that Jesus taught them all about HIMSELF starting with Moses and going all the way through the Old Testament. That means the books Moses wrote (Genesis through Deuteronomy) and all the rest of the Old Testament all point to Jesus. He was in the Old Testament concealed and in the New Testament revealed. Ask students if they have you ever watched the TV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition. They send the family on vacation while they build them a new house, then when the family comes home, they park the giant bus in front of the new house, so the family can’t see it. When the family gets out of the car, everyone yells, “Move that bus!” then their new house, which was concealed before is now revealed for them to see.
This is a good way to introduce various ways the Old Testament points to Jesus and the new covenant of Grace.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When learning about God's promises or Noah, this is a silly relay race to kick things off!
Supplies: cross, treasure map, mustard seeds, yeast, heart
Before class begins, create a treasure map with instructions for finding various objects you've hidden around the room. Hide a packet of mustard seeds, a packet of yeast, a cross, and a heart in various places around the classroom. Object is to find the heart, but don’t tell students. They must figure it out by following their treasure map.
Give students the treasure map and instruct them to follow the clues until they find the treasure. Remind them that X marks the spot!
Say: You found some interesting objects along your treasure hunt this morning! Today we will learn what they have in common and what they have to do with a very important instruction Jesus gave to His disciples, including us!
Teach lesson on Matthew 10:7-8, Matthew 13:31-33, 44, emphasizing the Kingdom of Heaven is really all about LOVE!
----------------------------------------------
WHACK-A-SICKNESS!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manic Manna!
Supplies Needed:
large bowl
large spoon
cotton balls
blindfold
Instructions:
Tell students that they are going to pretend to be Israelites, but they are blind. Place the large bowl out in front of one of the students, and place the cotton balls "manna" around the bowl. Hand the spoon to the child and put a blindfold over his eyes. On the word "go" he should try to pick up as many cotton balls with the spoon as he can and place them in the bowl. He may not feel for the cotton balls with his hands. Give each child a turn and see who can pick up the most cotton balls in a certain amount of time. This game is really funny, because the cotton balls are so light, you can’t tell whether there are any in the spoon or not when you’re blindfolded!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME
Supplies Needed:
photo albums or church directory
Say to children, "It’s fun to look back through photo albums and remember people we love and places we’ve been. Jesus left a 'picture' for us to remember him by. It isn't a picture in an album that we can look at and remember what Jesus looked like, but it is a picture to help us remember what Jesus did for us. We call it The Lord's Supper or Communion.” Spend some time looking through photo albums together and remembering fun times before teaching about the Lord's Supper.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RING RELAY
Play this game to demonstrate the truth that God always keeps His promises.
Supplies Needed:
2 ring pops (you may want to have one for each child to give them as a treat at the end of class)
Say to children, “When a man and woman get married, they promise to love one another and stay together even when they go through difficult times. As a symbol of this promise, they give each other wedding rings.” Show wedding ring. “What shape is a ring?” A circle. “Does a circle have an end?” No. “A circle keeps going around and around, which symbolizes the wedding promise that lasts forever. Now unfortunately sometimes people change their minds and don’t keep their marriage promises, but there is One Who will always keep His promises to us. That One is Jesus.” Play “Wedding Ring Relay”. If you have enough students to do so, divide into two teams, forming two lines. Give first person in each line a ring pop, which they place on their finger. When you say “Go”, they must take the ring off their finger and put it on the next person’s finger, then that person takes it off and puts it on the next person’s finger, etc., then pass ring back through the line in the same manner until it ends up back on the first person’s finger. First team to get ring back to beginning of line wins! If you don’t have enough students to form teams, just have whole class line up and pass ring as directed above, only instead of competing against another team, time them. Have them play again, trying to beat their previous time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KEYS TO THE KINGDOM 1
Supplies Needed:
Perfection Game
Large Key
Play a few rounds of Perfection. Students try to get all the shape pieces in their correct places before the timer runs out and they all pop out of place! Say to children, “These pieces remind me of how a key works. Each piece would only fit into its correct place. A key will only fit into the lock it was designed to fit into.” Show students the large key. “Jesus gave us some keys that will fit into a most special place. Does anyone know where that place is?” Heaven!
“Today we will learn about the Keys to the Kingdom and how we can use them to bring Heaven to earth. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of Heaven belongs to people who are like these children.’ As children, you hold a special place in Jesus’ heart and He has some special keys for you.” Scripture references: Matthew 16, 19, Mark 10, Luke 18
---------------------------------------------------------
BACKWARD TREASURE HUNT
Supplies Needed:
small object to hide, preferably something related to lesson
When students are not looking, hide the object. On your signal, students will hunt for the object - while walking backward! After object is found, ask students if they think it would have been easier to find if they had been allowed to turn around and face forward while searching. Say to students, “God’s Kingdom is right here with us. In Matthew 4:17, Jesus said to repent (stop walking backward and turn around), because the Kingdom of Heaven is right here. It’s right by your hand. We can’t always see it with our ‘earth eyes’, but when we open our ‘faith eyes’, He will show it to us.”
---------------------------------------------------------
READY, AIM, FIRE!
Supplies Needed:
Dry erase board, chalkboard, or large poster board
several pipe cleaners
Prepare Ahead:
Bend pipe cleaners so they look like lightning bolts.
Draw a bulls-eye on the board and write the following words and phrases all over it:
Sickness
Starvation
Poverty
Anger
Fighting
Unforgiveness
Temptation
Sin
Evil
Students will take turns throwing their “lightning bolts” of prayer at the words.
Say to students, “If the answer to the problem is in Heaven, then it should be let loose to come here on earth. God shows you His heart and makes you READY. Your faith eyes see the target, such as sickness being healed. Your AIM of faith is steady on the target. When you pray, you FIRE lightning bolts from Heaven at the problem and bring Heaven to earth.”
Scripture references: Matthew 16, 18
Good activity for Lord's Prayer and/or keys to the Kingdom
---------------------------------------------------------
MIRROR GAME
Play similarly to Follow the Leader, except instead of following one another around the room, stay in one place and strike various poses, which the students must copy or mirror. After awhile, choose a student to be the one the other students copy. Continue until everyone who wants a turn leading has had one.
Say to students, “You know, playing this game reminds me of what today’s lesson is about. Just like we only did what we saw the leader doing, Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing.”
Scripture References: John 5, 8, 14, 20
--------------------------------------------------------
SIGNS POINT TO GOD
Prepare Ahead:
Make a concentration game using index cards and pictures from the internet or if you're better at drawing than I am, you can draw pictures of signs and something to represent what the sign is for. Choose places the children are likely to be familiar with. For example, you could draw the "golden arches" on one card and a hamburger on another, a pizza place sign on one card and a pizza on another, a toy store sign on one card and some toys on another, etc. If you want to re-use these cards, laminate them.
To Play:
Students turn over two cards at a time to match up the sign of a restaurant or store with what you would find inside the place.
Say to students, “The sign shows us where to go, but the sign itself isn’t where we stop. The sign leads us to the good stuff inside. That’s the way God’s signs, wonders, and miracles are. They are the signs that lead us to the good stuff, which is God Himself!”
Scripture References: Acts 22:15, Luke 5:1-9, Acts 12:1-16, John 2:1-11, Matthew 9:8, John 10:38, Acts 8:6, and others
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GUARDS AND PRISONERS
When learning about Bible characters who spent time in jail (Joseph or Paul for example) or the topic of Freedom, play “Guards and Prisoners”, a version of “Sharks and Minnows”. If it’s a nice day, this will be best played outdoors. Choose one person to be the prison guard and all other students will be the prisoners. Establish two boundary lines, one at either end of play area. Guard stands near one end and prisoners stand near other end. Object is for prisoners to “break out of jail” and make it to the other end. While they are running across area, the guard tries to tag them. Whoever gets tagged must return to jail, then try again. Last prisoner to make it to freedom becomes the new guard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shine Your Light in the darkness of Halloween!
Halloween is about celebrating darkness and death, but as Christ followers, we are about light and life. For a number of years my family's way of shining our lights in the darkness during this time of year is to attach scriptures about light and life to the candy we pass out to trick or treaters. This year we decided to get our church family involved. We asked the children to bring in bags of candy and they taped verses to the candy to pass out to those who ring their doorbells Halloween night. We weren't sure how long this would keep their attention, but surprisingly they all got really into it! I guess there's just something fun about doing an activity with their friends. Either print out the verses using clip art or have kids put cute fall stickers on them, or have them draw cute fall pictures. Another option would be to put candy and scripture cards in small snack size zipper baggies.
How does your children's ministry shine your lights during Halloween?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEAMWORK SILLY STORIES
Supplies Needed:
Bag with random objects in it
Scripture Reference: Philippians 1:27
Say, "Paul encourages the church to work together as a team. Our class will work together as a team to tell a silly story. The story may be as silly as you’d like, but you must avoid adding anything inappropriate or scary when it’s your turn. Remember, we are working as a team, so let’s all be encouraging of one another.”
Instruct students to pass around bag with objects in it. Without looking inside bag, each student must pull out the first object they touch. Choose a student to begin the story. He/she must begin with “Once upon a time, there was a...” and he/she must include the object in his/her portion of the story. For example, if an apple is drawn from the bag, he/she might say, “Once upon a time, there was a boy named Jack who found a magic apple...”. At your signal, the next student will pick up his/her portion of the story where the first student left off and will include the object he/she drew from the bag. Story continues until all students have had a chance to add something.
-------------------------------------------------------
PIN THE STAR ON THE STABLE
This is a fun game to play at a Christmas party! Create a simple stable shape using poster board or draw on butcher paper. Attach to wall. Cut out enough stars for each student to have one and write their names on each one. If you laminate the game pieces, you can re-use. Attach double-sided tape to backs of stars. Blindfolded child tries to place star in the center above the stable.
Older students may find it interesting that traditionally lambs were born in a cave rather than what we typically think of as a stable. Do some research and share with them your findings. Also research theories regarding the star that shone so brightly that holy night.
---------------------------------------------------------
WHERE'S BABY JESUS?
When teaching about the wise men who searched for Jesus, this is a fun game to play perhaps as an arrival activity.
You will need a kid-friendly nativity scene.
Prior to children's arrival, hide baby Jesus somewhere in the room.
As you set up the nativity scene for display, talk about each person's role in the story of CHRISTmas, saving baby Jesus for last (also do not place the wise men in the scene until the end of the lesson). When you get to the baby, say, "Oh no! I can't seem to find baby Jesus anywhere! Will you help me find Him?" Instruct students to search for baby Jesus. The child who finds Him gets the honor of placing Him in the manger.
Say, "You know our search for baby Jesus reminds me of some men who also searched for the REAL baby Jesus..."
Read in scripture about the wise men's search for the Christ child and talk about how although we typically see them in nativity scenes, according to scripture they actually did not arrive at the stable, but later at the house where Joseph and Mary were staying...you may want to set them on display off to the side...
For older children, you may want to discuss the significance of each gift brought by the wise men.
The following was found at http://www.magi-gifts.com/significance.html
Where did Christmas gift giving come from? If we go back to the first Christmas story when God sent Jesus to earth, we recall that Jesus was given three gifts by the three wise men or Magi, which serve as the inspiration for all our Christmas gift giving today.
The Magi presented Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts were very prophetic for they spoke of our Lord's offices of King, Priest, and Savior.
GOLD: This carries obvious significance. It's precious and worthy across all cultures and times. It's a gift fit for royalty. It says to the Christ child, You will be a King
FRANKINCENSE: The name for this resin likely comes from incense of Franks since it was reintroduced to Europe by Frankish Crusaders. Although it is better known as frankincense" to westerners the resin is also known as olibanum, which is derived from the Arabic al-lub ("the milk") a reference to the milky sap tapped from the Boswellia tree. Frankincense has been touted for its medicinal and soothing properties. Herbalists say it is calming, restorative, gently clarifying, and meditative. Frankincense oil is thought to have stimulating, toning, and warming properties. The ancient world used it for treating depression. We recognize the word incense in its name. Ancient people burned frankincense, believing it to carry their prayers to heaven. Its use as incense illustrates His role as our Priest.
MYRRH: This is perhaps the most mysterious of the Gifts. It is a resin produced by a small, tough, scraggly tree that grows in semi-desert regions of North Africa and the Red Sea. Myrrh is an Arabic word for bitter, and it is considered a wound healer because of its strong antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Calling it mo yao, the Chinese used it for centuries to treat wounds, bruises and bleeding and to relieve painful swelling.
The Magi presented Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts were very prophetic for they spoke of our Lord's offices of King, Priest, and Savior.
GOLD: This carries obvious significance. It's precious and worthy across all cultures and times. It's a gift fit for royalty. It says to the Christ child, You will be a King
FRANKINCENSE: The name for this resin likely comes from incense of Franks since it was reintroduced to Europe by Frankish Crusaders. Although it is better known as frankincense" to westerners the resin is also known as olibanum, which is derived from the Arabic al-lub ("the milk") a reference to the milky sap tapped from the Boswellia tree. Frankincense has been touted for its medicinal and soothing properties. Herbalists say it is calming, restorative, gently clarifying, and meditative. Frankincense oil is thought to have stimulating, toning, and warming properties. The ancient world used it for treating depression. We recognize the word incense in its name. Ancient people burned frankincense, believing it to carry their prayers to heaven. Its use as incense illustrates His role as our Priest.
MYRRH: This is perhaps the most mysterious of the Gifts. It is a resin produced by a small, tough, scraggly tree that grows in semi-desert regions of North Africa and the Red Sea. Myrrh is an Arabic word for bitter, and it is considered a wound healer because of its strong antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Calling it mo yao, the Chinese used it for centuries to treat wounds, bruises and bleeding and to relieve painful swelling.
The Egyptians made it famous in Biblical times, having acquired myrrh about the fifteenth century B.C. from Africa where cammiphora trees were abundant. It was used in incense, perfumes and holy ointments and also medicinally as recorded in the Ebers Papyrus. But its most notable use to them was that of an embalming material, used in Egyptian mummies. As an embalming ointment it signified that He was born to Die for the world. In fact, Myrrh was one of the burial spices of Jesus (John 19:39).
Say, "Sometimes during this time of year, we get so busy with buying gifts, decorating, attending parties, etc. that we can forget about the real reason we celebrate Christmas. We forget about the baby Jesus. How about you? Will you search for Jesus this year? Will you place Him at the center of your Christmas celebration like He is at the center of the nativity scene? His Word says if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us..."
--------------------------------------
WORTHLESS TRASH
Scripture reference: Phil. 3:8-9
Supplies: 2 trash bags, a bunch of wadded up paper pieces
To Play:
If there are enough students, divide into 2 teams. If not, play as one team, timing each round to try to beat previous time.
Students line up. Give each student a pile of wadded up scrap paper, distributing so each student has same amount. They should place wads on floor in front of them. Tell them these paper wads represent life before coming to know Christ. Paul says our lives before Christ are like worthless trash, because we are only living for ourselves, not for Him. Point out the mess made by the paper wads. Give trash bag to first student in line. On your signal, students pass the bag down the line with each person placing one paper wad in the trash. Last person in line runs bag back to first person in line and they again pass it down the line with each person placing a wad in the bag. Play continues until all paper wads are in bag. Point out how clean the area is now, just like Christ cleans up our messes!
----------------------------------------------------------------
STRAIGHT AHEAD
Supplies:
Crepe Paper Streamers
What to do:
If weather permits, go outside for foot races. If weather doesn’t cooperate or if girls are dressed up, stay inside and have hopping races or crawling races, etc. Get creative! Mark off a finish line with crepe paper streamers. Preferably taping ends to 2 chairs or something where it can be seen when looking straight ahead, rather than placing on the floor or ground. After races, say, “In WHAT direction were you looking as you raced?” straight ahead. Race again, except this time instruct students to race while looking sideways or behind them, instead of looking straight ahead. Ask, “WHEN was racing easier? When you looked straight ahead at the goal or when you looked to the side or behind? When we get distracted we tend to get tripped up or veer off course, which slows us down. When we keep our eyes on the goal, we are more focused and run a straighter more direct path.”
-------------------------------------
I CAN!
Scripture: Philippians 4:13
Supplies: canned food, 10 plastic or paper cups
Prepare ahead: Label each cup with an obstacle the enemy tries to defeat us with (fear, sadness, sickness, etc...). Label can with "Christ's Strength".
What to do: Use can to play a game like bowling. Set up the paper cups (labeled with obstacles the enemy tries to defeat us with), then roll can (labeled with “Christ’s strength”) toward the cups to knock them down. Students get one point for every cup they knock down. “We don’t have to be afraid of the enemy’s schemes, because we CAN do ALL things through Christ!”
---------------------------------------------------
TRUST OBSTACLE COURSE
Supplies:
chairs, boxes, cushions, anything that would be good for creating an obstacle course
Trust Obstacle Course - Prior to students’ arrival, set up an obstacle course using chairs, cushions, boxes, etc. If weather permits, you may want to do this outdoors where there’s more room. Tell students that you love and care for each one of them. Tell them that it is your desire to be there for them and to teach them God’s Word. Ask students if they believe that you have their best interest at heart. Ask if they trust you. Ask if they would trust you even if you asked them to do something hard. Ask for a volunteer. Blindfold volunteer and guide them through the obstacles from one end of area to other. Ask volunteer if he/she believed what you said. Talk about the importance of believing God and trusting that He will always keep His promises even if what He asks us to do seems hard or even impossible.
This is a good lead-in to the story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac. Abe had to believe God's promise that his son would have children, then trust Him to either raise Isaac from the dead or provide a substitute in order for the promise to be fulfilled.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
When learning about God's promises or Noah, this is a silly relay race to kick things off!Materials needed:
2 bags Skittles candy (1 per team)
2 buckets or other containers
Remind students of the rainbow God placed in the sky as a reminder that He will never again flood the whole earth. Ask if they can think of a popular candy with a famous commercial that involves a rainbow...Skittles! Have relay races where each person has to tilt their head back and put a skittle on their nose. Then they have to walk forward until they reach a bucket and lean their head forward to get their skittle in the bucket. Once that person’s Skittle goes into the bucket, the next person goes. Of course, there will be extra Skittles to eat for a special treat!
---------------------------------------------------------
GIANT TIC TAC TOE
Take a vinyl shower curtain (purchased inexpensively from the dollar store). Tape out a giant tic tac toe board using the ever popular duct tape (in fun colors, of course!).
Get several cheap frisbees from the dollar store and mark some with X's, some with O's.
Kids take turns tossing frisbees onto giant tic tac toe board. First one with 3 in a row wins!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
MUSTARD SEEDS, YEAST, TREASURE
Supplies: cross, treasure map, mustard seeds, yeast, heart
Before class begins, create a treasure map with instructions for finding various objects you've hidden around the room. Hide a packet of mustard seeds, a packet of yeast, a cross, and a heart in various places around the classroom. Object is to find the heart, but don’t tell students. They must figure it out by following their treasure map.
Give students the treasure map and instruct them to follow the clues until they find the treasure. Remind them that X marks the spot!
Say: You found some interesting objects along your treasure hunt this morning! Today we will learn what they have in common and what they have to do with a very important instruction Jesus gave to His disciples, including us!
Teach lesson on Matthew 10:7-8, Matthew 13:31-33, 44, emphasizing the Kingdom of Heaven is really all about LOVE!
----------------------------------------------
WHACK-A-SICKNESS!
These are fun activities to do when teaching Matthew 10:7-8.
Supplies: Whack-a-mole game (can be found at stores where board games are sold OR Deck of cards
Before class: Using masking tape, label each mole with a different type of sickness, such as cancer, flu, etc.
Students will take turns whacking sickness in Jesus’ name!
If using cards, first explain rules of game Slapjack - Tell them that each jack (show jack card) represents a different kind of sickness. You will place cards one at a time on table. If students see a jack (sickness), they will slap it, keeping all cards under it. Student with most cards at end wins.
Discuss our God-given authority over sickness as followers of Jesus. His Word tells us as we go, heal the sick in His Name. This is one way to bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth!
