Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – One Handed
Materials: two small tubes of toothpaste
Ask for four volunteers. Instruct the first two volunteers to untie one of their shoes and then retie it only using one hand. Next, hand the other two volunteers a tube of toothpaste and instruct them to unscrew the top only using one hand. Tell kids they are going to learn about four friends who bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus. (Explain what it means to be paralyzed.) Be sure to explain that it is difficult to live with a disability and encourage them to show children with disabilities the same love Jesus showed the man in the lesson.
Live It Out
Game – Who am I?
Materials: call bell
Ask for 10 volunteers, who will be formed into two teams. There will be five rounds where two contestants from each team will compete to answer a trivia question first by ringing the bell. Questions for you to ask:
I keep our streets safe and write tickets when someone drives too fast, who am I? (Police officer)
I live in Washington D.C. and make important decisions for our entire country, who am I? (President of the United States)
I spend a lot of time at the pool and pull people out of the water when they can’t swim, who am I? (Lifeguard)
I drive a big truck and run into buildings that are on fire, who am I? (Fire fighter)
I fly on a rocket and explore outer space? (Astronaut)
The team that gets the most right answer wins! Explain to your kids that Jesus stated that He could forgive sins, but the Pharisees said only God could forgive someone’s sins. Ask: “How did Jesus prove that He really was God?”
Craft – Mega Message
Materials: construction paper, clear tape, colored pencils or crayons
Write the Weekly Verse on the board. Instruct kids to write the Weekly Verse on a piece of construction paper. Help them roll up the paper (verse on the outside), with the opening at one end bigger than the other. It should look like a megaphone. Help kids tape the megaphone together. Instruct kids to yell the Weekly Verse together through their megaphones.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Around the Obstacles
Materials: blindfolds, obstacle course objects
Before class, set up a small obstacle course that kids will have to walk through blindfolded. Items you can use to set up your course can include chairs, tennis balls, tables, lamps, etc. Form two groups of kids. Tell children that one kid will put on the blindfold and the other kid will give them directions on how to walk through the obstacle course without running into anything. After everyone goes through the obstacle course, tell the teams switch who is wearing the blindfold and go through the course again. Explain that in the lesson today, four people helped their friend meet Jesus because he couldn’t get to Jesus on his own.
Live It Out
Game – Go and Tell
Materials: pen, paper, timer
Form the kids into four groups. Give each group a sheet of paper and a pen. Tell every group they will have two minutes to write down all the ways they could tell their friends at school or in their neighborhood about Jesus. The group that writes down the most ideas wins! Afterward, ask each group to share some of their strategies to tell others the Gospel. Say the Weekly Verse with your class and remind them that they are not too young to bring other people to Jesus.
Craft – Shoes of Purpose
Materials: white paper, crayons or colored pencils
Give every child a piece of paper and colored pencils. Instruct them to draw and color the shoe they have always wanted, whether it is a basketball shoe, running shoe, high heels, or a space boot. Tell them to write the Weekly Verse underneath the shoe. Help kids understand that telling people about Jesus is hard work. We have to be ready to go wherever we are needed to ensure people hear about Him, whether it is across the street or around the world.
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