Paul had a unique encounter with Christ, and the evidence of his changed heart is extraordinary! In this last lesson of the “Forever Changed” series, children will study the magnitude of Paul’s past and the power of God to turn his life around and use him to spread the gospel. They will also learn how to apply what they have learned throughout the series by coming up with biblical responses to every day situations that test our
Young students may develop a habit of faith, following the coat tails of parents. Perhaps they attend church and Sunday School because that is just what they have always done, and they don’t think much of it. But it is important to establish early on how important it is to truly follow Christ. It means more we might have to make hard choices or give things up, but He is with us, and He is the only
This is lesson 21 of 33 in a series of lessons called “Praise God Through the Psalms.” “Praise God Through the Psalms” – Psalm 54 Lesson focus: Through the book of Psalms and the worship of the people of Israel, we get a glimpse into the character of God and how we should rightly respond to Him in worship. In Psalm 54, the psalmist calls God the upholder of his life. And in so doing, he reminds
Mark 12:31 says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That sounds easy enough but it gets tougher when you realize that “your neighbor” isn’t just the people you go to church with–or agree with–or look like. However, such differences do not excuse us from following the teaching of our Lord. We are to be empathetic. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9 that, “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself
This is lesson 20 of 33 in a series of lessons called “Praise God Through the Psalms.” “Praise God Through the Psalms” – Psalm 43 Lesson focus: Through the book of Psalms and the worship of the people of Israel, we get a glimpse into the character of God and how we should rightly respond to Him in worship. In Psalm 43, the psalmist shows us that God not only saves His people physically, but that He
Peter was a charismatic and bold follower of Jesus. His experiences with Christ before the crucifixion were certainly climatic, but after the resurrection Peter’s faith became even stronger as the leader of the early church. In “Peter is Transformed by Jesus” (lesson 4 of the “Forever Changed” series), children will learn that God also wants to use their individual abilities and strengths to tell the world about Jesus. This lesson includes both a review game of previously
This is lesson 19 of 33 in a series of lessons called “Praise God Through the Psalms.” “Praise God Through the Psalms” – Psalm 33 Lesson focus: Through the book of Psalms and the worship of the people of Israel, we get a glimpse into the character of God and how we should rightly respond to Him in worship. In Psalm 33, the psalmist gives instructions for worship and explains why God deserves all of our worship.
Being modern-day Christians, kids today may take for granted how radical it once was for non-Jews to get attention or hear the gospel. But we still at times might consider some things off-limits or “taboo,” or we think some types of people to be better than others. In this story, we see how God transformed Peter’s heart to realize how important it was to share the good news. The fun and special lesson here will remind kids
This is lesson 18 of 33 in a series of lessons called “Praise God Through the Psalms.” “Praise God Through the Psalms” – Psalm 32 Lesson focus: Through the book of Psalms and the worship of the people of Israel, we get a glimpse into the character of God and how we should rightly respond to Him in worship. In Psalm 32, the psalmist focusses on the need to confess our sin and turn to God in
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ closest followers and friends. Her incredible conversion to Christ is evidenced throughout the gospel through committed and faithful service. In this third lesson of the “Forever Changed” series, children will learn how Christ’s resurrection gave Mary Magdalene increased boldness and dedication to the Lord. TARGET AGES: 10-14 OBJECTIVE: To outline how Jesus’ resurrection made a difference in Mary Magdalene’s life. MAIN IDEA: Mary Magdalene was a committed follower and friend of
John had a very close relationship with Jesus as one of his most trustworthy disciples, but even he made mistakes! In the second lesson of the series, “Forever Changed,” children will learn how Jesus turned John’s prideful moments into humble lessons for the future. In addition, John continued to be a leader of the believers after the resurrection and his evident and humble heart change is visible through his writings. TARGET AGES: 10-14 OBJECTIVE: To outline how
In this post-Easter season it’s a great reminder that not only did Christ’s resurrection make all the difference for our own faith, but even those who personally knew him on earth were drastically changed when he came back to life. In this first lesson of the new series, “Forever Changed,” children will learn how James (the half-brother of Jesus) was miraculously changed by Christ’s resurrection. TARGET AGES: 10-14 OBJECTIVE: To outline the difference it made in James’
Jesus Walks Through the Walls… No Doubt About it! Tell all About it! He’s alive! So now what?? Once the eggs have been found, chocolate consumed, and bonnets put away, it may seem that Easter loses its thrill. But the empty tomb is only the beginning of the story, and there are important lessons to be gained from events immediately after the resurrection as well as further down the road. This lesson focuses on Christ’s appearances after
This is lesson 17 of 33 in a series of lessons called “Praise God Through the Psalms.” “Praise God Through the Psalms” – Psalm 29 Lesson focus: Through the book of Psalms and the worship of the people of Israel, we get a glimpse into the character of God and how we should rightly respond to Him in worship. In Psalm 29, the psalmist calls us to ascribe glory to the name of the Lord. Through this
Mothers are uniquely gifted by God to nurture and teach others, so we have much to learn from them! This Mother’s Day lesson will help children understand that God uses mothers to help us grow in our faith. By looking at mothers around them AND three amazing mothers from the bible, children will be able to identify the positive attributes of a mother’s influence. In addition, a special craft will be created by each child to present
The story doesn’t end when Jesus rises from the dead. Instead, it is only the beginning. Now the disciples have the task of sharing the good news with the world. They will face trials such as the jealous church leaders and jail, but they will have help from God so they will be victorious. Through this lesson children will learn that we can never stop telling others about Jesus and that God will help us along the
Waiting on God’s timing is hard, but a maturing Christian understands that patience is necessary for an increasing growth in the faith. In this fifth and final part of the Book of James series, “Strong and Patient” will outline the reasons and positive results of patience. Also, children will learn that we should be patient with others because God is patient with us! TARGET AGES: 9-12 This lesson is part of our five unit study on the
Growing humility is a necessary trait of a strong believer in Jesus Christ. This fourth lesson of the Book of James series, “Strong and Humble,” will teach children how to embrace humility and incorporate it in their daily lives. Also, by identifying Jesus Christ as the ultimate example of humility, the children will understand that sacrificial service and humility are results of obeying God. TARGET AGES: 9-12 This lesson is part of our five unit study on
Kids love story time…and fortunately, God loves it, too, if we gauge by the many parables Jesus told throughout His ministry (more than forty of them!). Usually, these lessons were given to explain difficult principles or communicate messages of faith. Often, not everyone understood what Christ was describing…but just as those who often scoffed turned away, Jesus showed through His life that He cared for ALL people, and came especially for the sinners that needed Him
The book of James contains a plethora of information for believers to become mature in their relationships to Christ. This series of five lessons will cover each chapter of James with the goal of outlining how we can become stronger in our faith. In part 1, “Strong and Wise,” there will be an emphasis on trusting God’s plan, persevering through difficulties, and obeying the bible. In addition, several opportunities for the teacher to share how God has
Having a strong and mature relationship with Jesus Christ requires deliberate actions that model one’s faith. In this second part of the “Book of James” series, children will explore what James 2 has to say about a Christ-follower’s actions matching the word of God. TARGET AGES: 9-12 This lesson is part of our five unit study on the book of James for Older Elementary children. Use the following links to navigate to the other sections ONE —
As children grow it is our goal that they would grow in Christ and learn what it means to be a Christian. This lesson encourages children to be aware of their surroundings so that they can surround themselves with ‘good soil.’ Today they will learn that when a tree is planted in good soil it produces good fruit. Likewise, when a child surrounds themselves with church and the Bible they will learn to produce good fruit for
A strong believer knows his or her words have the power to draw or push others away from Christ and avidly desires to honor God through their speech. In “Strong and Kindly Spoken (The Book of James – Part 3),” children will learn to stop and think about their words, consider how their speech affects others, and come up with positive substitutions for everyday, sinful responses. In addition, they will learn that humility is required to speak
We teach it and say it all the time…so much so that it can become only a trite closing to our daily prayer rituals. “In Jesus’s name…” “For thine is the kingdom and the glory forever and ever…” However we precede it, the word “Amen” is an important component of our blessings and communication with God. But what does it mean? Is it important, and how can we express that to our youngsters? The lexical definition of
