Search Results for: prayer

"Easter Miracles" Sunday School Lesson from John 20:1-18

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This free Bible lesson is based on John 20:1-18 when Mary Magdalene visits the tomb and Jesus rose from the dead. 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 – Easter Sunday, Gospel Reading – John 20:1-18. Coloring Page: Mary at the Empty Tomb – Angel says Jesus Is Risen Opening Activity – Easter

"Roll Out the Red Carpet" Sunday School Lesson from Mark 11:1-11

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This free Bible lesson is based on Mark 11:1-11 when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. 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 – 6th Sunday in Lent, Gospel Reading – Mark 11:1-11. Opening Activity – Roll Out the Red Carpet – Smile for the Camera! Supplies – red rug/sheet, dress up

Hope in Holy Week (Mark 14:22-24) Lesson for Kids

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As we approach Holy Week and prepare our hearts for Easter, it’s easy to become caught up in the excitement of egg hunts, palm branch crosses, and chocolate bunnies. It can even grow tiresome to talk yet again about what may seem an “obvious” Christian story. But students can benefit from focusing on details of this time in Christ’s life, and many may have questions come up that for us as teachers remind us how amazing were

Jesus the Rule-Changer: Gospel Principles in a Nutshell

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Sometimes we make the message of salvation more complicated than it needs to be. Or we can become so caught up in Bible stories and individual characters that we neglect the most basic and critical overarching element of what and why we teach. At any time of year, but especially in preparation for Easter, it is helpful to review with children how important Jesus is to our faith. It may sound obvious but can be all too

Bible Lesson: Jesus Heals Official’s Son (John 4:46-54)

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The following lesson was created for a small class of children ranging from age 5-10.  The students discover that Jesus’ miracles helped people believe in Him for eternal life. Bible Passage:   John 4:46-54 Bible Story Title:  Jesus Heals Official’s Son Target Age Group:  Ages 5-11 (K-5th Grade U.S.A.) Target Time Frame: 60 Minutes Original Teaching Context: Sunday School Supply List:  Bibles, map of Israel in the time of Jesus, Activity pages, index cards, pens, markers, soil, cups,

All My Heart Object Lesson – Matthew 22:37-39

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One of the most “fun” collection of verses in the bible is Matthew 22:37-39. You know how it goes, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”  In the past, I’ve taught kids these verses by pointing to the the heart, head and body. That worked

Lesson: Knowing Jesus Through…The Sense of Sight (John 18:1-14)

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Lesson Title:   Knowing Jesus Through the Five Senses: The Sense of Sight Bible Reference: John 18:1-14; 19-23; 28-40; John 19:1-16 Target Age Group: Elementary Learning Context: Sunday School Target Time Frame: 45 minutes Focus Verse: As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him.  As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”  John 19:6 Gospel Connection: Last week,

How to Stay Inspired in Children’s Ministry — When a Groove Becomes a Rut

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Anyone who works with children understands that they do not easily tire—of anything. How many times have we re-played “Frozen” and yet it doesn’t seem to ever get old? How long does a toddler play “peek-a-boo” with the same enthusiasm and apparent surprise? Kids appreciate routine and like the stability of predictability. We all feel this way in some aspects, and that can make it easy to adopt and maintain patterns in our teaching. We may follow

I Know the Plans I Have For You Object Lesson – Jeremiah 29:11

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God has a great big, wonderful plan for each child in your ministry and you too, of course! Why not teach them while they are young that each life has a special purpose designed by God. Teach kids this object lesson and you might spark a whole new way of thinking about life. It’s humbling and reassuring to know that you have an “expected end,” isn’t it? Let’s teach kids Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans

"For God so Loved the World" Lectionary Lesson from John 3:14-21

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This free Bible lesson is based on John 3:14-21 when Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about salvation and living in the light. 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 – 4th Sunday in Lent, Gospel Reading – John 3:14-21. Opening Activity – For God so Loved the World Supplies – index cards, writing utensils,

Lesson: Power Comes From Where? God’s love and Christ’s light (John 1:5)

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Main Point: God is our strength and guiding light; our power comes through faith and we can share this power with others. Materials: Flashlight(s), lantern, glow-in-the-dark stars, Bibles Anyone who has encountered a power outage can understand and appreciate our modern dependence on electricity. When a falling tree limb or storm cuts power lines and homes plunge into darkness, we suddenly realize how important power can be. With it we light our rooms, cook our food, keep

Object Lesson: A Garden of Gratitude to Cultivate Thanks (Colossians 4:2)

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It is no secret that kids tend to have a short-sighted and egotistical view of things, easily impatient and frustrated when results do not immediately appear. We encourage verbal gratitude at Thanksgiving time and for gifts, but do not always extend that attitude to daily life. Young and older children (and even adults!) can often use an extra little reminder to be thankful and to appreciate all that God has bestowed. Here is a simple and adaptable

Lent Lesson: Jesus in the Desert (Matthew 4:1-11)

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This Lent lesson explains the 40 days Jesus spent in the Wilderness. It’s perfect for kids to learn about the Temptation of Jesus and what it means to be devoted to God when no one else is around. The lesson download below includes the complete teacher notes, worksheets, coloring pages, and craft ideas. Dedication in the Desert Matthew 4:1-11 Lesson for Lent Bible Focus: Temptation of Christ; meaning and importance of Lent Target Age Group: Older elementary/middle

Jesus Cleared the Temple (John 2:13-22) Sunday School Lesson

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This free Bible lesson is based on John 2:13-22 when Jesus cleared the temple of the merchants. 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 – 3rd Sunday in Lent, Gospel Reading – John 2:13-22. Opening Activity – Jesus is Our Sacrifice – Mad Lib Setup Supplies – writing utensil For today’s lesson, we are going to

Talking to Kids About Monsters (Fear Versus Faith)

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Popular culture can’t seem to get enough of monsters. From television shows about finding Bigfoot to creature features, our world is permeated with images of monsters. Kids sure don’t need these visual aids to believe in the “boogeyman,” their imaginations make it easy to believe something is under the bed or in the closet. (Incidentally, as a child I believed in all those things too.) As a children’s minister, I often find myself leading kids in prayer

Lesson: Knowing Jesus Through … The Sense of Taste (Matthew 26:17-30)

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Lesson Title:   Knowing Jesus Through the Five Senses: The Sense of Taste Bible Reference: Matthew 26:17-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Target Age Group: Elementary Learning Context: Sunday School Target Time Frame: 45 minutes Focus Verse: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Matthew 26:26 Gospel Connection: Jesus’ death was not a surprise to Him.  He knew it

"Jesus is Real" Sunday School Lesson from Mark 9:2-9

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This free Bible lesson is based on Mark 9:2-9 when Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. 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 – Transfiguration Sunday, Gospel Reading – Mark 9:2-9. Opening Activity – Jesus is Real – Whiter Than White Supplies – none, but access to found objects Set a timer

10 Teaching Tips for Establishing a New Children's Ministry

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Establishing a new children’s ministry? This is such an exciting time but it can also be overwhelming because there is so much to teach! Kids won’t learn all they need to strictly from osmosis—you’ve got to teach, reteach and teach again. But where to start? I asked myself this question recently and it got me to thinking. What would I teach if I had to start over in a new place with a new group of kids?

Making Lent a Meaningful Season

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We offer the following background and ideas for making the most of the Lenten season in your children’s ministry. Don’t miss our Lent lessons and coloring pages. For many years the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday has been honored as the time of “Lent,” marked generally by sacrifice and mindful contemplation. In modern Protestant churches, it can sometimes be tempting to shy away from the practice of Lenten observation due to fear of its connection

Lesson: Heavenly Treasures…Winning in God’s Eyes (Matthew 20:1-16)

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In our culture, winning is highly prized and success is measured by performance. Again and again, though, the Bible gives quite different definitions of victory and achievement. Remind students in this lesson that our triumph is in Christ alone. Lesson focus: Though we can become competitive and weigh our success on what others do, the Bible emphasizes that the grace of God is the only thing worth bragging rights. Passage: Various New Testament references, most notably Matthew

"Jesus In the Wilderness" Sunday School Lesson from Mark 1:9-15

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This free Bible lesson is based on Mark 1:9-15 when, just after Jesus is baptized, He goes into the wilderness and is tempted by Satan, then reemerges to proclaim the good news. 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 in Lent, Gospel Reading – Mark 1:9-15. Opening Activity –

"Matthew" Bible Book Coloring Page

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This free coloring page is based on the book of Matthew. It’s one part of our series of illustrations for each individual book of the Bible. Click here to download the print friendly PDF version. We’ve also uploaded the image in JPEG format. The illustration shows a young girl outside an open doorway. The caption reads from Matthew 7:7, “Knock and it shall be opened unto you…” There are also smaller illustrations from the well known passages in

"Jesus The Ultimate Superhero" Sunday Lesson from Mark 1:29-39

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This free Bible lesson is based on Mark 1:29-39 when Jesus first begins to heal the sick. 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 – 5th Sunday after the Epiphany, Gospel Reading – Mark 1:29-39. Opening Activity – The Ultimate Superhero – Super Powers Supplies – none Ask the kids the following. If

"Jesus Teaches, We Listen" Sunday School Lesson from Mark 1:21-28

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This free Bible lesson is based on Mark 1:21-28 when Jesus, just after calling His disciples, taught in the synagogue. 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 – 4th Sunday after the Epiphany, Gospel Reading – Mark 1:21-22. Opening Activity – Jesus Teaches, We Listen – Who Should You Listen To…? Supplies –