Kids Bible lessons and ministry resources that teach from the New Testament book of Mark.
Life isn’t easy. This is no surprise to most of us, but we sometimes hope to shelter kids from the challenges that surround us. It’s important to share with children that, although this world has trials, God is with us through them and helps us with them. This lesson is a reminder that we can’t argue with God’s plan. We don’t always understand His will and His ways, and things might not go as we’d hope. However,
There are a lot of conflicting messages we are bombarded with daily. How do we know who or what to trust? Jesus reminded His disciples that there would be a lot of hardships to face, and a lot of people who might try to deceive. We know we can rely on the Lord for ultimate truth. If we know someone, we recognize we can trust them. Focusing on the Bible helps us to know God’s heart, and
In a world of confusion and mixed messages, what can we rely on? The focus of this lesson is how we trust the Word of God and the truth of who Jesus was. We place our hope in Him and believe the words of the Bible. The two crafts here involve valuing people and valuing Scripture. A special picture frame is set up to commemorate important people. A “Bible study chart” assists in reading God’s Word by
God wants more than just “leftovers”! As servants of the Lord, we want to give Him our best. Sometimes this means monetary tithing, but even more importantly, we offer God our time and talents, and give Him our love and the love we share with others. The Bible promises that when we offer what we have to God, we will be blessed richly in return. Lesson focus: This lesson looks at the story of the widow’s mite
God wants all of who we are. Giving Him our first offerings is about more than money. We should use our time, talents, and all of who we are to the Lord. In return, God promises to bless us and provide for us. He has already given us great things with His grace and salvation through Jesus. These crafts remind children of the importance of giving. A homemade coin purse is meant to save monetary offerings. A
What’s the most valuable gift? This children’s message tells the story of the widow’s mite to remind kids that God wants all of us. The woman in the passage gave just a few cents, but offered all she had. In the same way, we should offer all of who we are to the Lord. Money isn’t all that we can give God. With our time, talents, prayers, and praise, we devote ourselves to Him, just as He
All of the most important guiding rules in our Christian life come back to the basics: we are called to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are to love one another. These crafts remind children of those beautiful foundational principles. A bookmark reflects the “best commandments” and the “JOY” acronym (“Jesus, Others, Yourself”). A hanging wind sock illustrates how we love God with all of our being. Don’t miss our complete
First things first…all things in life require a solid foundation before work or building can be accomplished. This message reminds students of the importance of this basic principle, using the alphabet as an analogy. We need letters to communicate through language, just as we need rules or guidelines to do anything. What is the most important foundational rule? We are reminded several times in the Bible of the true “Greatest Commandment”: Love God with all of who
Jesus Hears Our Call! Call out to Jesus…He wants to help and heal! This lesson uses fun noise makers and the healing of a blind man to remind children that they can go to Jesus with any need. Bartimaeus trusted Jesus and knew He could do anything. He did not let anyone deter him from approaching the Messiah. We can rejoice that Jesus does want us to reach out to Him. We also recognize that Jesus is
“Your faith has healed you”… Jesus healed many during His Earthly ministry. The story of Bartimaeus is a wonderful reminder that we can be bold in our faith and cry out to the Lord. Bartimaeus knew Jesus was powerful and able to help him, and was willing to ignore those who tried to turn him away. These crafts celebrate the story of the blind man’s healing. A noisemaker encourages children to cry out. An interactive puppet “opens
There are many miracles of healing that we learn about in the Gospels, all of which can teach us wonderful truths about the love of Jesus. The story of Bartimaeus reminds us that Jesus cares for all people, regardless of social status or physical ability. It also gives us the comforting message that we can call out to God and be heard and known. As with any story of healing, it’s also important to remind children that
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The rich ruler in this story came to Jesus with the wrong question. He thought that somehow if he had enough or did enough or tried enough, he could earn his way into Heaven. Yet he was not willing to do the only thing necessary in putting Christ first. Sometimes we tend to use this story as a sort of warning against the evils of riches, but that’s not
How can we focus on the most important things? In this story, Jesus met a rich young man who thought he could save himself, and was unwilling to part with his earthly possessions. Encourage children to contemplate the most important things in life and think about what it means to put Jesus first. Craft a coin bank to save money to give away. A “sewing heart” uses the “eye of the needle” element while practicing creative coordination
What would you give up? This children’s message focuses on the story of Jesus and the rich young ruler, who thought he could earn himself salvation but missed out on the most important asset available, Christ! This message challenges kids to consider how we can become distracted by wealth or “stuff”, and forget about the most important things in life. Law/Gospel Theme: Many times, when we look at this passage, we focus on the wealth element, emphasizing
These days, being “salty” isn’t much of a compliment…so what does it mean to have “salt” in our lives as Christians? Jesus calls us to flavor and influence the world for Him. He commands us to do all things in His name. Although we struggle on our own, in Christ we can do all things. This lesson focuses on a somewhat tricky passage in the Gospel of Mark, examining what it means to follow the Lord wholeheartedly
These days, being “salty” isn’t a good thing…however, the Bible calls us to be the salt of the world, and Jesus invites Christians to be patient and “full of salt.” We can “flavor” and preserve the world around us when we are connected and devoted to Christ. These crafts remind kids of this word image in fun and creative ways. Salt dough can be used for fun molding, or to make more permanent baked crafts. Salty art
Children can have a challenging time understanding metaphors and abstract concepts. In this Gospel passage, Jesus offers some hyperbolic statements that can be hard even for adults. The focus of this message emphasizes the “salt” element, though. Kids are encouraged to think about the importance of our influence on the world as Christians. Just as salt can add flavor to food (among other things), we can “flavor” those around us and maintain an essential impact on those
“Me first!” This is a cry that is likely heard by anyone working with children. Kids are often short on patience, and can also be a bit competitive. This message communicates to them the principles that Jesus taught, which turn our ideas of greatness upside down. Discussing this Gospel passage with kids emphasizes to them how dependent we are on God, who is truly the greatest. We encourage children to rely on the Lord and seek to
Who is the greatest? It all seems upside down…These crafts focus on the interaction between Jesus and His disciples in Mark 9, when He instructed them in humility and explained that to be “greatest”, they needed to think less of themselves and depend on God. This idea might seem upside down or “topsy turvy” to what we normally expect. But God’s ways are always right on! These crafts celebrate that “upside down” element as well as the
What does it take to be the best? This is a question that might arise when we contemplate the lives and efforts of sports stars or historical figures. Greatness in the eyes of society usually means recognizing those who work hard, achieve success, and operate competitively. Yet in this Gospel passage, we see that God has different concepts of being great. Jesus tells His disciples that to be great requires thinking less of ourselves and recognizing who
Jesus did many amazing miracles in His life on Earth…in fact, “He did all things well” as people said of Him! We can trust that He will do all things well in our lives, too. He loves us and promises His presence, even if we still struggle. These crafts celebrate the healing of a man born deaf and mute. Through them, children will consider the importance of having “open ears” to God’s Word and mouths that are
Wash your hands! It’s an important admonition and one that children are used to hearing. In this lesson, they’ll learn of a time when Jesus was criticized for not washing His hands…only it wasn’t about germs in His case. The story touches on Jewish traditions and customs, and how they distracted people from recognizing and understanding who Jesus was and how He came to heal. Unfortunately, sometimes we let rules and traditions get in the way of
How do we have good “heart hygiene”? These crafts recollect the importance of not only taking care of our physical bodies, but having the right heart intent as well. Children will consider the blessing and comfort of knowing that Jesus washes our inner sins away. A “Clean Up Box” provides a handy space for cleaning implements, as well as reminders of how to focus on Christ first and foremost. A hanging bathroom decoration serves to remind kids
Actions speak louder than words…and pure intentions speak louder than outer actions! Children are accustomed to following rules or going along with traditions, even if they often don’t quite understand the meaning behind them. However, it is important to recognize that in our Christian lives, heart intent matters. God cares about what’s inside of us, more than the details of what we look like or do outwardly. This message focuses on that “clean hearts” element, which we
