This free Bible lesson is based on Mark 1:4-11 when God descends like a dove, and calls Jesus ‘His Beloved’. It is designed for children’s church or Sunday School. Please modify as best fits your ministry.
If your church follows the Revised Common Lectionary, this teaching plan would correspond to Year B – 1st Sunday after the Epiphany, Gospel Reading – Mark 1:4-11.
Opening Activity – My Son, My Beloved – Ultimate Dad Collage
Supplies – old magazines, scissors, glue stick, poster board
Hang the poster board on the wall where the kids reach it. Then pass out magazines and scissors and invite the kids to cut out pictures that portray their ideal dad. Glue the pictures on the board together, then talk about all the qualities that they think makes the ‘ultimate dad’.
Lesson – My Son, My Beloved
Read this poem about God the Father. Ask the children to explain the main idea in their own words.
With Santa for a dad, I’d have plenty of toys
So much fun, days filled with joys
With Elvis for a dad, I’d have music all day
I could sing, dance, and learn to play
With John the Baptist for a dad, I’d eat lots of honey
I’d live by the river where it’s warm and sunny
With Noah for a dad, I’d have tons of pets
Big and small in perfect sets
With Peter Pan for a dad, I’d live with Lost Boys
There’d be fun and games and so much noise
With Cupid for a dad, I’d see hearts everywhere
I’d have so much love I’d have to share
With Moses for a dad, I’d walk the Red Sea
I’d camp in the wilderness and drink from a tree
With the president for a dad, I’d see lots of power
There’d be action and changes in each passing hour
Each of those men would make a great dad
But there is one better who has ALL that they had
His joy is much greater than Santa could bring
And music much sweeter than Elvis could sing
His home is more beautiful than John’s river bed
And it’s filled with more wonders than Noah ever fed
His fun is far greater than Peter Pan could imagine
And His love, never-ending, more than Cupid’s passion
His miracles much grander than Moses could muster
And his power far bigger than the president’s luster
We know Him as God, but He is also our Father
Loving and caring for each son and daughter
We are ‘His Beloved’, and He wants nothing more,
Than to see us come home, knocking at His door
Activity A – My Son, My Beloved – Bible Verse Challenge
Supplies – Bibles
Verse – Mark 1:11
Pass out Bibles to students. Bibles should be closed and sitting on the table face up in front of each child. When you say go, have the kids look up this week’s Bible verse. As each child finds the verse, have them stick one finger on the verse and quietly raise their other hand. The first one to find the verse gets to read it to the rest of the class.
Help younger kids and new kids find the verse by following these steps.
Look in the Table of Contents for the book you are looking for. Make an effort to show them if it is found in the Old Testament or New Testament to help them in the future. Then open the Bible to the page number listed in the Table of Contents.
Show them the large numbers in the text, known as the chapters. Flip through pages until you find the large chapter number you are looking for.
Then scan through the text with them pointing out the smaller verse numbers until the correct number is found.
Activity B – My Son, My Beloved – Hi, I am a…
Supplies – name-tag activity page (download here), safety pins, markers, stickers
Give each child a single name tag and some markers. Have them write ‘Child of God’, or some variation of this, in the blank space. Then let them decorate it with markers, stickers, or other embellishments. Before they leave, help them fasten their name tag to their shirt with a safety pin.
Closing Prayer – My Son, My Beloved
Ask for a volunteer to pray for the class before leaving, and encourage them to thank God for his Fatherly love.
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- Preschool lesson about Jesus Baptism
- Coloring Page – Jesus Baptism
- Lesson – The message of John the Baptist