Bible Stories 1

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Publisher

Mary D. Smith, M.S. Ed.

Teacher Created Resources, Inc.6421 Industry Way

Westminster, CA 92683www.teachercreated.com

ISBN: 978-0-7439-7046-4

©2004 Teacher Created Resources, Inc.

Reprinted, 2008

Made in U.S.A.

The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use onl

The reproduction of any part for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. Noof this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any form without writtenpermission from the publisher.

Authors

Mary Tucker and Kim Rankin

Editorial Project Manager

Lorin E. Klistoff

Editor-in-Chief

Sharon Coan, M.S. Ed.

Illustrator

Renée Christine Yates

Cover ArtistBarb Lorseyedi

Art Manager

Kevin Barnes

Art Director

CJae Froshay

Imaging

Richard Easley

Product Manager

Phil Garcia



Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

OLD TESTAMENT

Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Adam and Eve’s Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Noah and the Ark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Jacob’s Wonderful Dream . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Joseph Is Faithful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Baby Moses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Moses and the Burning Bush . . . . . . . . 28

Moses and the Ten Plagues . . . . . . . . . . 32

God Takes Care of His People . . . . . . . 42

The Ten Commandments . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Exploring the Promised Land. . . . . . . . 48

Balaam and His Donkey . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Rahab and the Spies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Samson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Ruth and Boaz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Jonathan and His Armor Bearer . . . . . . 65

David and the Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman . . . 72

Queen Esther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Fiery Furnace . 78

Daniel and the Lions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Jonah and the Big Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

NEW TESTAMENT

Jesus Is Born . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

John the Baptist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Jesus and His Disciples. . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

The Lord’s Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Feeding Five Thousand. . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Jesus Walks on Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Jesus and Nicodemus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

The Woman at the Well . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

The Good Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Zacchaeus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Lazarus Is Raised from the Dead. . . . . 128

Jesus’ Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Jesus’ Resurrection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Peter’s Escape from Prison . . . . . . . . . 139

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

You Are Special to God . . . . . . . . . . . 144

#7046 Bible Stories & Crafts 2 ©Teacher Created Resources, Inc.

Table of Contents



Children love hearing familiar and well-loved Bible stories over and over. However, the challenge is to

make these stories fresh and able to hold children’s attention when they have heard them so often. This

book solves that problem in two ways. First, each story is presented in a creative way, using methods

that will capture your children’s attention and keep it. They include the following: interviews,pantomimes, action rhymes, walk-abouts, skits, as well as telling the story with simple props or objects,

drawing sketches on the board, and other ideas. Even the most familiar stories, such as Noah and the

Ark, will seem new and different and will come alive for children when you use these methods.

The other feature of this book that will help you make old stories new is a fun craft to accompany each

story. Children will enjoy putting the crafts together and the result will be something they will be

proud to take home. The crafts have been carefully designed to require easily obtainable items such as

construction paper, colored markers, glue, craft sticks, felt, paper or plastic plates, foil, paper bags,

glitter, yarn, etc. Clear, step-by-step directions are provided for each craft as well as reproducible

patterns you will need.

Most of the Bible stories are old favorites, but a few less familiar ones are also included, such as thefollowing: Exploring the Promised Land, Balaam and His Donkey, and Jonathan and His Armor

Bearer. Though all of the stories in this book are ones regularly covered by Sunday School curriculum

for elementary school children, some will be more familiar than others.

Following each story are some discussion questions to help the teacher show children how to apply the

truths of the story to their personal lives. Also included is a memory verse correlated with each story

that will help with the personal life application.

The stories are taken from both the Old and New Testaments and are presented so children can

understand them and see God at work in the lives of people. The storytelling methods often call for

student participation, since children learn best when they are involved.

Since each Bible story and craft stands on its own, they may be taught consecutively one after the other

or selected at random. As your children learn these stories and create the crafts, may they begin to

realize that God has always been closely involved in the lives of people, helping them, teaching them,

and enabling them to do things they could never have done on their own. And He still is.

©Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 3 #7046 Bible Stories & Crafts

Introduction




Creation

Bible Story: Genesis 1–2

The story of Creation is such a familiar story, you will need to tell it in a way that will capture and hold

your students’ attention. To do that, look through nature magazines to find pictures of what God created each day. Glue the pictures on sheets of construction paper and number them. Hold up the

correct picture as you tell the story below which talks about each day of Creation. As you finish with a

picture, mount it on the wall or prop it up on a table for everyone to see before going on to the next day

and picture.

All we have to do to see God’s greatness is look around us. Since God created everything, we are

reminded of Him wherever we look. The Bible tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens

and the earth. At first the earth was empty, but not for long! God was ready to use His creative

powers!

On the first day of Creation, God said, “Let there be light.” As soon as He said it, light appeared. He

called the light “day” and He called the darkness “night.” ( Hold up a picture of night and day or asheet of paper with white on half of it and black on the other half .)

The next day, God created the sky. ( Hold up a picture of the sky with clouds in it.) That was day two

of Creation.

On the third day, God made the land and seas. The land was bare, so He created plants and trees of all

kinds to grow on the land. (Show a picture of land and seas with plants and trees on the land.) He

made the plants with seeds in them so they would keep growing and producing more plants and trees

year after year.

On day four, God created lights and put them in the sky. He made the sun to shine during the day and

the moon and stars to shine at night. ( Hold up a picture of the sun, moon, and stars.) The lights were

also to serve as signs to mark seasons and years. For example, do you know why we have 365 days ina year? ( Let students answer if they can.) God made the earth so that it revolves around the sun, and it

takes 365 days to do that. God carefully planned everything He made.

The next day, God created birds to fly in the air and fish and other creatures to live in the sea. (Show a

picture of some birds and fish.) He gave feathers to birds to make them fly, and He gave fish the ability

to breathe in the water. He also made creatures such as whales, who are not fish but can stay

underwater for long periods of time. That was the fifth day of Creation.

On the sixth day of Creation God created every kind of animal imaginable. ( Hold up a picture of some

animals.) He made animals that crawl on the ground, like lizards and snakes; animals that live on the

land and eat grass and leaves, such as elephants and giraffes; animals that eat meat, like lions and

wolves; and some that eat both grass and meat, like bears. God made funny looking animals such asbaboons and animals that live on the land as well as the sea, like penguins. Then God created man.

( Hold up a picture of a man.) He made man on the same day that he made animals, but He did not

make them the same. God created man in His own image or likeness to be able to think and reason and

love and worship his creator. He also gave man the gift of creativity so people could create beautiful

and useful things.




Creation

Bible Story: Genesis 1–2 (cont.)

God was satisfied with what he had created. He said that it was all good. And after six days, God was

finished. He had created all things to work together in an orderly way. Then God rested on the seventhday, not because He was tired, but because His work was completed and it was perfect. Nothing else

needed to be done.

God put Adam, the first man, to live in a beautiful garden. One of Adam’s first duties was to give

names to the animals God had created. God brought the animals to him and he named them all. Then

God created a woman. He made Adam fall asleep. While he was sleeping, God took one of his ribs

and made a woman from it. She was Adam’s wife, and he named her Eve.

Discussion

• God created everything in exactly the right order. What would have happened if he had made

plants and trees before He made the sun?• What if He had made animals and man before He made land?

• God also at that time set up all the timetables and schedules by which the whole universe is

ordered. The seasons come and go exactly as they should, bringing the different kinds of weather

that the earth needs. What are some other ways God made everything work together perfectly?

(The sun is exactly the right distance from Earth to support life; our bodies are made up of cells

which help us fight disease; birds have feathers that are made just right to allow them to fly and

soar; etc.)

• Some people say people evolved from monkeys. How did God make us different from them?

Memory Verse

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether

thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

(Colossians 1:16)

Who is this Bible verse talking about? (Jesus) All three persons of the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus,

and the Holy Spirit, were involved in Creation. Before Jesus came to Earth as a baby, He was involved

in everything God did, because He is God. And everything was made for Him, even us!

Craft Materials

• patterns on pages 6–8 • white cardstock paper • hole punch

• crayons or markers • yarn or string • scissors

Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns from page 6–8 on white cardstock paper.

2. Color and cut out the numbers and banner top.

3. Punch holes in the banner top.

4. Punch holes in the tops of each number and thread string or yarn through the holes.

5. Attach the strings of each number to the mobile banner top (alternate the length of each so they

are not all hanging in the same position) and hang in your favorite place.




On the first day,God created

day and night.

On the second day,God created

sky and the waters.

On the third day,God createddry ground.

Creation

Finished Product




On the fourth day, God createdsun, moon, and stars.

On the fifth day, God created the fish and birds.

On the seventh day,God finished His work and blessed

that day and made it holy.

On the sixth day, God createdanimals according to their own kind,

and Adam to rule over the earth.

Creation




Creation

Banner Top



Bible Story: Genesis 3 Draw a life-sized apple tree, some bushes, flowers, and a cross on butcher paper and cut them out.

Mount the tree on a bulletin board or wall in your classroom. Cut some apples into pieces, put the

pieces in plastic sandwich bags, and attach the bags to the tree. Glue or tape the bushes to somecardboard boxes. Place the bush boxes in a corner of the room, leaving room for children to get

between them and the wall. Mount the flowers on the wall in another area to represent the beautiful

garden. Add more flowers, birds, and animals cut from gardening catalogs and nature magazines. To

make it even more realistic, set some potted plants around the area. Mount the cross on the door. As

you tell the Bible story, take students on a walk-about. Begin the story with students standing around

you in the middle of the room. Follow the directions in the story below as you go through it.

Adam and Eve were the only people on Earth. They lived in a beautiful garden that God had created

just for them. (Walk your students to the area of the room with flowers and animals on the wall. )

Adam was in charge of the garden and the animals that were all around them. In the garden were many

beautiful trees. Some of them had delicious fruit growing on them. God told Adam and Eve that they

were free to eat any of the fruit except that which grew on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God warned them that if they ate that fruit, they would die.

Adam and his wife were happy in the garden. ( As you talk, slowly stroll toward the apple tree with

students following you.) They had everything they needed. They were in close contact with their

Creator and He took care of them. God had made the man and woman perfect, but He had also given

them a free will so they could make their own choices.

One day Eve saw a serpent and it spoke to her! (Stop near the apple tree.) “Did God say you are not

allowed to eat fruit from any of the trees in this garden?” the serpent slyly asked her.

“He said we can eat fruit from any tree except for the one in the middle of the garden,” Eve replied. “If

we even touch that tree, we will die!”

“You won’t die,” said the serpent. “God just knows that if you eat fruit from that tree you will become

like Him. You will know good and evil.” The serpent told Eve that God had lied to her, and she

believed it! (Walk up to the tree and point to the fruit.) She looked at the fruit of that forbidden tree

again, thinking about what the serpent had told her. Suddenly, the fruit looked more tasty than the fruit

on any of the other trees. She wanted it, no matter what God had told her. (Take the bags of apples off

the tree and give a piece to each student to eat.) She ate some of the fruit and liked it, so she gave

some to Adam too.

Adam knew better than to accept the forbidden fruit, but he did. As soon as Adam and Eve ate that

fruit, they realized that they had disobeyed God and they were ashamed. (Start walking away from the

tree toward the bushes.) Later, they heard God and hid behind some bushes because they were afraid

of Him. ( Let children hide behind the bushes.) But, of course, you cannot hide from God, can you?He knew exactly where they were and what they had done. When God called to them, Adam answered,

“I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid.” ( Have children come out from behind the bushes.)

“Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat?” God asked.

Adam answered, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate

it.” He tried to put the blame for his disobedience on his wife, but Adam was responsible for his own

sin. Eve had not forced him to eat the fruit; she had just offered it to him and he willingly took it.


Adam and Eve’s Sin



Bible Story: Genesis 3 (cont.)

When God asked Eve what she had done, she put the blame for her sin on the serpent. It was true that

the serpent tricked her, but she easily gave in and disobeyed God’s instructions.

The first two people on Earth were no longer perfect. They had used the free will God had given them

to disobey Him. God hadn’t given them a long list of rules to follow. And they still broke a rule. God

punished the serpent by making it crawl on its belly forever after that. God punished Eve by telling her

that she would have pain when she gave birth to her children. Adam would have to work hard the rest

of his life. Of course, the worst punishment was that Adam and Eve would no longer have the close

relationship with God they had once had, and they would die one day. God sent them out of the

beautiful garden and placed angels and a sword there to keep Adam and Eve out.

Adam and Eve were not the only ones affected by their sin; the whole earth was changed. The ground

began to produce weeds and thorns and thistles. Life would no longer be easy for anyone. (Walk

toward the cross.) And all Adam and Eve’s children and grandchildren and all the people in the world

who came after them would be sinful and against God. But because God loved people, He sent His

perfect Son to Earth to die for our sins. (Stop at the cross and point to it.) The only way to be saved

from the sinfulness we all inherited from Adam and Eve is to believe in Jesus and ask Him to come into

our lives. Then God forgives our sins and makes us His children. We can have a close relationship

with Him and go to heaven when we die to be with Him.

Discussion• How did the serpent tempt Eve to sin? How does Satan tempt us to sin?

• Why do you think God asked Adam and Eve what they had done? Didn’t He know?

• Why do you think God made Adam and Eve leave the garden and made sure they could never get

back in?

Memory Verse“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans

6:23)

Jesus loves us so much, He took the punishment for our sins and died so we could have eternal life.

Craft Materials• pattern on page 11 • cardboard or heavy paper • tape

• crayons or markers • scissors • red, green, and brown construction paper

• picture • glue • magnetic stripCraft Directions

1. Copy picture frame on cardboard or heavy paper, and color the picture frame.

2. Cut the apple from red construction paper and glue to bottom corner of picture frame. Cut several

leaves from green construction paper and glue to the apple and some on the tree. Cut the stem

from brown construction paper and glue to the apple.

3. Cut the center out of the frame and tape your picture in place.

4. Glue a magnetic strip to back of the picture frame and place on locker, refrigerator or any metal

piece.






Cut out and place your picture here.


J e s u s L o v e s M e !

Jesus Loves Me!

“ F o r t h e w a g e s o f s i n i s d e a t h , b u t t

h e

g i f t o f G

o d i s e t e r n a l l i f e i n C h r i s t

J e s u s o u r L o r d . ” ( R o m a n s 6 : 2 3 )

Finished Product



Bible Story: Genesis 6–9

Have children repeat the words of each line and the actions after you in this echo action rhyme.

God told Noah, (Point up toward heaven.)

“Rain will come down, (Wiggle fingers like rain coming down.)

So build an ark (Pretend to hammer.)

So you won’t drown.” ( Hold nose and pretend to swim with one arm.)

Noah got busy; (Pretend to saw.)

Worked as hard as he could (Pretend to hammer.)

And built a huge boat ( Hold arms out wide to show size of boat.)

Out of cypress wood. (Put hands on waist and look proud of finished work.

)God brought elephants ( Hang an arm down for the elephant’s trunk.)

And kangaroos, ( Hop around.)

And lots more animals, (Pretend to be other animals.)

Two by two. ( Hold up two fingers.)

They went on the ark (“Walk” two fingers on your hand.)

As nice as could be, (“Pet” one hand with the other.)

And soon after them (Gesture with hand as if welcoming someone in.)

Came Noah’s family. (Count off eight fingers for Noah’s family.)

God shut the door (Smack hands together.)

Of that great, big boat, ( Hold arms out wide to show size of boat.)

Then the rain poured down (Wiggle fingers like rain coming down hard.)

Till the ark began to float. (Sway back and forth as if on a rocking boat.)

It rained and rained (Wiggle fingers like rain coming down hard.)

Forty days and nights (Open and close hands four times with fingers up.)

Till the whole earth was flooded. (Circle arms over head in the shape of Earth.)

What a terrible sight! (Shade eyes with hand and look around.)

Nothing but water (Turn around slowly.)

Could be seen; (Shade eyes with hand and look around.)

No trees or plants (Shake head no slowly.)

Not one trace of green! ( Hold up one finger and look sad.)

Everything gone, (Push out hands and swipe them apart.)

But in God’s plan (Point up toward heaven.)


Noah and the Ark



Bible Story: Genesis 6–9 (cont.)

Those on the ark (Sway back and forth as if on a rocking boat.)

Were safe in His hand. (Cup one hand over the other.)Many months later (Count on fingers.)

When the earth was dry, ( Move flat hands out as if over a flat surface.)

They all left the ark (Stretch as if just getting up and look around.)

And looked up at the sky. (Shade eyes with hand and look up.)

A rainbow of color ( Make a rainbow shape over your head.)

Was shining there, ( Look up and smile with arms held up.)

A reminder of (Tap head with finger.)

God’s love and care. (Point toward heaven, then touch heart.)

Discussion• Do you think Noah and his family were scared when the rain started?

• What do you think they did while they lived on the ark?

• God cared for Noah, his family, and animals with an ark. How does God care for us today?

Memory Verse“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

We do not have to worry about what is going on around us, because God has promised to take care of

us. No matter what troubles we have, we can sleep peacefully knowing we are in His hand.

Craft Materials• patterns on pages 14–16 • tape or glue • white paper

• crayons or markers • scissors • blue foam sheets (optional)

• wiggle eyes (optional) • black buttons (optional) • cotton balls (optional)

• 11'' x 17'' paper

Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns on pages 14–16 on white paper.2. Color and cut out the ark pieces, water pieces, clouds, and animals.

3. Glue the bottom ark pieces together. Then glue the animals to the back of the bottom ark piece as

shown in finished product picture on page 15. Then attach the top of the ark to the bottom piece.

4. Attach the ark and animals to the bottom of 11''x 17'' paper. Also attach the water and clouds to

the paper.

5. For 3-D effects, do one or more of the following: glue cotton balls on the clouds; use blue foam

sheets for a better effect for the water line; use black buttons for the hole on the ark; use wiggle

eyes on the animals.


Noah and the Ark




Noah and the Ark

Clouds

Bottom Ark Pieces




Noah and the Ark

Water Pieces

Finished Product

Top of Ark




Noah and the Ark



Bible Story: Genesis 28:10–22

As you tell the Bible story, sketch the simple illustrations on a chalkboard or white board.

Jacob had treated his twin brother Esau unkindly, tricking him into giving

up his birthright and his father’s blessing. Esau was very angry and

threatened to kill Jacob. When their mother found out about Esau’s

threats, she sent Jacob away to stay with his Uncle Laban. She hoped that

after a while Esau would calm down and stop being angry at Jacob.

Jacob quickly left his home, traveling alone. He had a long trip ahead of

him, over 400 miles! He stopped each night when the sun had set and

camped. Jacob had lots of time to think about what he had done and to

realize that he had not trusted God as he should have.

One night Jacob stopped at a good place to rest. He lay down on the

ground with his head on a stone for a very hard pillow. It was not very

comfortable, but walking all day every day made him so tired. He was

soon sound asleep.

As he slept, Jacob had a wonderful dream. In his dream he saw a

stairway reaching from the earth all the way up to heaven. It was the

biggest stairway he had ever seen! Angels were going up and down the

stairs.

God was standing at the top of the stairs. He said to Jacob, “I am theLord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give

you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your

descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to

the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.”

God told Jacob that all people on the earth would be blessed through him

and his children. Then God made a wonderful promise to Jacob: “I am

with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you

back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have

promised you.”

Suddenly, Jacob woke up. The dream was very clear to him. He realized

that God had truly spoken to him. “This place is awesome,” Jacob said.

“It’s like the house of God and the gate of heaven.” He felt that heaven

had been opened to him in the dream God had given him.

The next morning when Jacob got up, he took the stone he had used for a

pillow and set it up for a memorial stone. He named that place “Bethel,”

which means house of God.


Jacob’s Wonderful Dream



Bible Story: Genesis 28:10–22 (cont.)

Then Jacob promised, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on

this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wearso that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my

God.” He also promised to give back to God a tenth of everything He

gave Jacob.

It wasn’t exactly the promise God wanted from Jacob. However, it was a

beginning. It showed that Jacob was thinking about his need of God,

which he had not done before. It took Jacob about twenty years to

completely give his life to the God who had spoken to him through that

wonderful dream.

Discussion

• Jacob had a problem with being self-centered. How does being self-centered keep us fromserving God?

• The promise God made to Jacob was the same promise He made to his grandfather Abraham long

before Jacob’s father was born. Do you think God kept His promise? What promises has God

made to you and kept? God always keeps His promises!

Memory Verse“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek

you.” (Psalm 9:10)

Just as God promised to be with Jacob, He has promised to be with us if we love Him. He never gives

up on us or stops loving us.

Craft Materials• pattern on page 19 • white cardstock paper

• crayons or markers • tape or glue

• hole punch • yarn

• 8 1 ⁄ 2'' x 11'' sheet of paper • scissors

Craft Directions

1. Copy the pictures on page 19 on white cardstock paper.2. Color and cut out the pieces.

3. Take the 8 1 ⁄ 2'' x 11'' sheet of paper and cut (lengthways) a 31 ⁄ 2 inch-wide piece of paper.

4. Accordion fold the 31 ⁄ 2 inch-wide piece of paper to form a 3-D ladder.

5. Glue the ladder on top of the remaining piece of paper. Center in the middle (lengthwise).

6. Then glue the clouds to the top of the ladder and the earth at the bottom of the ladder.

7. Glue the angels anywhere on the ladder or clouds.

8. Punch a hole in the top of the clouds and use yarn or string to hang Jacob’s ladder.







Finished Product

CloudsWorld

Angels



Bible Story: Genesis 37; 39–47 Hand out paper and have students make two signs, one that reads “BAD,” and one that reads

“GOOD.” Explain that they should listen carefully as you tell the story of Joseph. When they hear something bad happening to Joseph, they should hold up the “BAD” sign. When they hear something

good happening to Joseph, they should hold up the “GOOD” sign.

Joseph, Jacob’s 17-year-old son, was his father’s favorite. (good) Jacob gave him a special gift of a

beautiful robe. Joseph wore the colorful robe proudly as a sign of his father’s love. However, Joseph’s

brothers felt very differently about him. In fact, they hated him! (bad) They were jealous of him and

felt that Joseph thought he was better than they were. The brothers had nothing good to say to him.

One day Jacob sent Joseph to check on his older brothers where they were taking care of the family’s

flock of sheep. “See if they are okay, then bring word back to me,” Joseph’s father told him.

Joseph had to go quite a distance before he found his brothers and the sheep. They saw him coming

and said to one another, “Let’s kill him and throw his body into one of the pits around here. (bad) We

can tell everyone that a wild animal ate him.” Can you imagine? His own brothers hated him so much

they wanted to kill him. But Reuben, Joseph’s oldest brother, did not agree with the others. “We

shouldn’t kill him,” Reuben said. “Instead, let’s throw him in a pit alive.” He planned to secretly

rescue Joseph when the others were not around and take him back to their father. (good) They agreed,

so when Joseph arrived they grabbed him, stripped off his beautiful robe, and threw him into a pit.

Then the brothers calmly sat down and began to eat a meal.

As they were eating, a caravan of traders came by on their way to Egypt. The brothers decided to take

Joseph out of the pit and sell him to the traders. (bad) The traders carried young Joseph off to Egypt

to sell him as a slave. Reuben was gone while all this happened. When he returned he was very upset,

but did not know what to do. The traders’ caravan was long gone. The brothers killed a goat and

smeared its blood on Joseph’s beautiful robe. They took the robe home and showed it to their father.“We found this,” they told him. (bad)

Jacob recognized it as Joseph’s robe and thought that a wild animal must have torn him to pieces. The

brothers watched as Jacob cried and tore his clothes, mourning for his dead son.

When he got to Egypt, Joseph was bought by Potiphar, an important Egyptian official. (bad) The Lord

was with Joseph and helped him be such a good slave, Potiphar put him in charge of his whole

household. (good) However, when Potiphar’s wife told some lies about Joseph’s conduct, he was

thrown into prison. (bad) Once again, the Lord was with Joseph and helped him be such a good

prisoner that the warden put him in charge of all the other prisoners. (good)

One day the Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker displeased him and were put in prison. One night both men

had strange dreams. They wondered what the dreams meant. Joseph offered to ask God to tell him the

meaning of their dreams. (good) He explained that the cupbearer would soon be released from prison,

but the baker would be put to death. It all happened just as Joseph said. Then, two years later, Pharaoh

himself had two strange dreams. No one could explain their meaning to him, not even his court

magicians. Suddenly, his cupbearer remembered how Joseph had explained his dream in prison. He

told Pharaoh about him and Joseph was brought in to explain the dreams. (good)

Pharaoh asked him if he could explain dreams. “I cannot do it,” Joseph said, “but God will give

Pharaoh the answer he desires.” Pharaoh told Joseph what he had dreamed about lean cows eating up

fat cows and thin stalks of grain eating up full ones. Joseph explained that God was sending a message

that Egypt was going to go through seven years of famine, with no food. But before the years of


Joseph Is Faithful



Bible Story: Genesis 37; 39–47 (cont.)

famine, there would be seven years of very good crops and more than enough to eat. Joseph advised

Pharaoh to choose a wise man to be in charge of collecting extra food during the years of good crops

and put it in storage. Then when the bad crops came, there would be enough stored away to feed

everyone until the famine was over. (good)

Pharaoh was impressed. “Since God has made all this known to you,” he said, “there is no one so

discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to

your orders.” Joseph became second in command of all Egypt! (good) For seven years, he organized

people to collect food from the country’s good crops and store it away. When the famine began, Egypt

was ready for it. Joseph provided food, not only to the Egyptian people, but also to people who came

from other countries where the famine had hit.

Far off in Israel, Jacob and his family had no food because of the famine. He sent his sons, except for

Benjamin, his youngest, to Egypt to buy food. They had heard there was plenty of food there. (good)

Joseph was happy to see his brothers again, but they did not recognize him since they had not seen himfor 20 years. He sold them some grain and asked them about their family. Joseph wanted to see his

youngest brother Benjamin, so he made one of the brothers stay in Egypt while the others went home.

He told them to come back and bring their brother with them. But when Jacob’s sons got home and

told him what had happened, Jacob refused to let Benjamin go.

When the family had eaten all the grain, the brothers had no choice but to return to Egypt for more.

(good) Jacob agreed to let Benjamin go only because he knew they would all starve if the Egyptian

official would not give them more grain. This time Joseph told his brothers who he was. They were

afraid that he would punish them for what they had done to him, but Joseph had forgiven them. He

told them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being

done, the saving of many lives.” He invited them to bring their families, including his father, to live in

Egypt where he could take care of them. They gladly went home and told their father, and soon all of Jacob’s family was living in the land of Egypt. (good)

Discussion• Why did Joseph succeed in whatever he did?

• Why did Joseph forgive his brothers?

• How was Joseph a witness for the Lord to Pharaoh and the other Egyptians?

• If we trust God as Joseph did, what kind of attitudes will we have?

Memory Verse

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been calledaccording to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

God never promised that Christians would not have difficulties; but He did promise that He would be

with us and would work in every situation for our good.

Craft Materials• patterns on pages 22 and 23 • white cardstock paper • white paper

• crayons or markers • sand • scissors

• tape • glue


Joseph Is Faithful




Craft Directions

1. Copy the patterns below on white paper. Then copy the picture on page 23 on white cardstock

paper and color.2. Color and cut out Joseph and the pyramids below. Fold the pyramids according to the directions.

Then glue the pyramids to the picture first, and then attach Joseph.

3. Apply glue to the bottom of the picture and sprinkle sand on it. Let the picture dry and then hang

it somewhere.

Fold down the centers ofeach pyramid to give 3-Deffects.

Fold each side back onthe pyramids and glue tothe picture.

Joseph Is Faithful

Pyramids

JosephFinished

Product

G l u e

h e r e.

G l u e h e r e .

G l u e h e

r e.

G l u e h e r e .

G l u e h e

r e.

G l u

e h e r e .




Joseph Is Faithful



Bible Story: Exodus 1–2Choose students who are good readers to help you perform this Bible story interview. The following

readers are needed: TV News Anchor, Israelite Slave, Jochebed, Miriam. You should be the reporter.The only prop you will need is a microphone.

TV News Anchor: Welcome to EGYPT News. Continuing with our coverage of problems in the

land of Egypt, we have a special report for you now from our reporter in

Goshen. Are you there, Hisson?

Reporter: Yes, I am here in the land of Goshen, the area of Egypt where Israelite people

live, about a million of them! And Pharaoh is not happy about their presence in

his country. He is afraid that if war breaks out with another country, the

Israelites might fight against Egypt and cause real damage. His solution to the

problem is to turn them into slaves. Here is one of these slaves to tell us what

the work is like. Thanks for talking to us. Describe your work for us.

Israelite Slave: It is terrible. It is back-breaking work and the taskmasters keep pushing us to do

more and more. Sometimes a slave will die from exhaustion, but the taskmasters

do not care. They just drag the body away and make somebody else do the

work. Why doesn’t God deliver His people from this hardship?

Reporter: We have heard that this cruel treatment is not really working as Pharaoh planned

it, though. In fact, the Israelite population continues to grow. Right?

Israelite Slave: (Laughing) That is right! He even tried to get our midwives to kill our baby

boys when they are born; but because they fear God, they would not do it. They

told him the babies were born before they could get there to help the women.

Reporter: Thank you, sir. We will let you get back to work now before you get in trouble.

It seems Pharaoh has a new plan now. He has ordered his people to throw everynewborn Israelite baby boy into the Nile River. I wonder if it is working.

Jochebed is an Israelite mother. Let us see what she has to say about this cruel

plan. Thanks for talking to us.

Jochebed: You are welcome.

Reporter: Do you think Pharaoh’s plan will work, or are there ways to get around it?

Jochebed: Well, actually, it is not a fullproof plan at all. In fact, I gave birth to a son a few

months ago. We hid him for as long as we could; but every time someone came

to the door, we were afraid it might be Pharaoh’s soldiers. And it is so hard to

keep a newborn from crying. I finally decided we had to do something else. I

covered a grass basket with tar and pitch to make it waterproof; then I laid mybaby boy in the basket and put it in the river, among the tall reeds.

Reporter: Weren’t you afraid the basket would turn over and he would drown or be eaten

by a crocodile?

Jochebed: Believe me, I could think of all kinds of terrible things that might happen to him.

But I knew God could take better care of him than I could. And He did.

Reporter: What happened?

Miriam: I’ll tell you! He is my baby brother and I saw the whole thing.

Reporter: OK, tell us what happened.


Baby Moses



Bible Story: Exodus 1–2 (cont.)

Miriam: After my mom put the basket in the river, I stood nearby to watch my brother. I

could not stand the thought of him being hurt. Then I saw the Princess,

Pharaoh’s daughter, come down to that very part of the river to bathe. She saw

the basket and had one of her slave girls bring it to her. I was so scared! But

when she saw my baby brother, he was crying and she felt sorry for him, even

though she saw that he was an Israelite. I saw my chance to help, so I hurried up

to her and asked her if she wanted me to get an Israelite woman to nurse the baby

for her. She said “yes.”

Reporter: You are a smart girl, and I can guess what you did next. You ran home and got

your own mother, didn’t you?

Miriam: Yes. The Princess did not know the difference. She wanted to adopt my brother

as her own baby, but she could not care for him by herself.

Jochebed: Now I am able to have my baby in my own home to care for him. Plus thePrincess pays me! Of course, when he is three years old and I no longer need to

nurse him, the Princess will take him to live in the palace. But I trusted God to

keep my baby safe, and He did. I know God can take care of him in the palace

too.

Reporter: Well, that is quite a story. By the way, what is your son’s name?

Jochebed: The Princess named him Moses. In Egyptian it means is born, but in our

language it means drew him out. I think both ways my son’s name has special

meaning.

Reporter: That’s our report from Goshen. Now back to the anchor desk.

TV News Anchor: Thanks, Hisson. That is all for now from EGYPT News. Thanks for watching.

Discussion

• Why didn’t Pharoah’s cruel plans to get rid of the Israelites work?

• How did God take care of Jochebed’s baby better than she could have imagined?

• How do you know you can trust God to take care of you?

Memory Verse

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

God is greater and more powerful than anyone or anything. Nothing is impossible for Him. With Him

on our side, there is no reason for us to be afraid—ever.

Craft Materials

• patterns on pages 26–27 • scissors • white paper

• crayons or markers • glue • fabric (optional)

• foam (optional)


Baby Moses




Craft Directions

1. Copy the pictures on pages 26 and 27 on white paper.

2. Color the pictures.

3. Then cut out the basket and baby. ( Note: For more 3-D

effects, use fabric to wrap around the baby and then use a

piece of foam behind the basket to make it stand out more.)

4. Glue the baby in the basket.

5. Glue the basket and baby in the river bank.

Baby Moses

Baby

Basket

Finished Product




Baby Moses



Bible Story: Exodus 3–4:17 Draw a bush on butcher paper, cut it out, and attach it to a box (or use one of the bushes you made for

the story on pages 9–10). Cut flame shapes from red and yellow paper and attach them to the bush tomake it look like it is on fire. Wrap a large stick or pole with brown or green paper. On one side, paint

eyes and lines to make it look like a snake. Set the burning bush in the center of the room and have

children gather around it and sit on the floor. Tell the story with lots of facial expression and gestures,

following the directions in the story.

Moses had run away from Egypt because he had killed an Egyptian when he saw him beating an

Israelite slave. To escape punishment from Pharaoh, he had left the land of his birth. Now he was

living in the land of Midian. He was married to the daughter of a priest and they had a son. One day

when Moses was out taking care of the family sheep, he saw a strange sight. It was a burning bush. As

Moses watched, the bush kept burning but was never burned up. The flames did not actually seem to

be harming the bush. Filled with curiosity, Moses moved closer to the bush to get a better look.

Suddenly, a voice called to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am,” Moses answered in surprise. He knew immediately that it was not the bush talking to

him; it was God.

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.”

( Have students take off their shoes, leaving their socks on.) “I am the God of your father, the God of

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” God said. Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God.

God told him, “I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of

their slavedrivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from

the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land.”

Moses must have thought, “Good! God is going to deliver my people from their terrible slavery.” ButGod’s next words suddenly grabbed his attention.

“I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt,” God said. Moses was

not just surprised; he was terrified!

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Moses said. After all,

even though he had left Egypt many years ago, he was probably still on their “Most Wanted” list of

criminals.

“I will be with you,” God promised him.

“But what if the people will not listen to me when I tell them the God of their fathers sent me?” Moses

asked. “What do I do then?”“Tell them I AM has sent you to them,” God replied. “Say that the Lord, the God of their fathers—

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has sent you. Go to Egypt and talk to the elders of the people. Tell them

I have watched what has happened to them and I am going to bring them out of their misery to a better

land I have prepared for them. They will listen to you, Moses. Then you must go and tell Pharaoh to

let the people go. He will not listen to you, but I will use my power to convince him to let them go.”

God even promised Moses that he would make the Egyptians show kindness to the Israelites and give

them what they needed when they left.


Moses and the Burning Bush



Bible Story: Exodus 3–4:17 (cont.)

“What if the people won’t believe me when I tell them the LORD appeared and spoke to me?” Moses

asked.

“What’s that in your hand?” God asked him.

“It’s my staff,” said Moses.

“Throw it on the ground,” God ordered.

Moses threw down his shepherd’s staff and suddenly it became a snake! (Throw the stick or pole on

the floor carefully so it lands snake side up.) He ran away from the hissing snake. “Pick the snake up

by the tail,” He told Moses.

Moses must have been very frightened, but he did what God told him. Carefully, he reached down and

grabbed the snake by the tail. (Pick up the stick or pole at one end and turn it over to the staff side.)

When he touched it, the snake turned back into his staff.God said, “This is a sign to help My people believe that I have appeared to you.” Then God told

Moses to put one of his hands inside his robe. Moses did, and when he took it back out, his hand was

covered with leprosy, a terrible skin disease for which there was no cure. Then God told him to put his

hand back inside his robe again. This time when Moses took it out, the leprosy was gone. “If they do

not believe the sign of the snake and staff,” God said, “the people may believe this sign. And if they do

not believe either sign, then dip some water out of the Nile River and pour it on the dry ground. It will

become blood.”

God had given Moses three miraculous signs, but Moses was still not convinced that he could do what

God wanted. He complained that he was not good at talking to people, so God promised to help him

say what he needed to say. “O Lord, please send someone else to do it,” Moses begged in fear.Then God angrily told Moses, “Your brother Aaron will say the words you give him. He will act as

your mouth to the people.” Finally, Moses was willing to do what God had told him.

Discussion

• Why do you think Moses made so many excuses to avoid doing what God wanted?

• What kinds of excuses do we sometimes make to avoid doing what we know God wants?

• What are we missing when we refuse to do God’s will because we are afraid, inadequate, or

overwhelmed?

Memory Verse“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

God will never ask His children to do anything that He will not help them do. Just imagine what we

could do if we trusted Him enough!






Craft Materials

• patterns on pages 30 and 31

• white cardstock paper

• white paper

• red and yellow tissue paper

• crayons or colored pencils

• scissors

• tape or glue

Craft Directions

1. Copy page 31 on white cardstock paper and color.

2. Cut strips of red and yellow flames from the tissue paper and glue or tape them to the middle of

the picture.

3. Copy the bush picture below on white paper.

4. Color and cut out. Then glue or tape it to the middle of the flames.


Bush

Finished Product



Bible Story: Exodus 5–12 Before you tell the Bible story, choose ten students to act out the plagues (follow the directions in the

story). Also choose a student to be Aaron and another student to be Pharaoh seated at the front of theroom in a special chair. Pharaoh should look disagreeable and haughty. You may pretend to be Moses,

as you and Aaron confront Pharaoh before and after each plague. You may want to take the actors

aside and practice before presenting the pantomime to the whole class.

Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, the ruler of all Egypt, and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel says,

‘Let my people go.’” But Pharaoh refused. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) He did not

believe in God and would not obey Him. In fact, he ordered that the Israelite slaves should be made to

work even harder than they had before. Moses and Aaron went to speak to Pharaoh again. This time

Aaron threw his staff down and it became a snake. (Throw down the staff you made for the story on

pages 28–29.) Pharaoh was not impressed by this miraculaous sign. In fact, his magicians did the

same thing. But then Aaron’s staff swallowed all the others. Pharaoh still refused to listen.Moses and Aaron tried again. They warned Pharaoh that if he did not let the people go, God would

turn the water in the Nile River into blood. Fish would die and no one would be able to drink the

water. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) When Pharaoh wouldn’t listen, Aaron struck the

water in the river with his staff and it instantly became blood. ( Actor 1 holds up a glass of red water.)

Pharaoh still refused to obey God.

A week later, Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh that if he did not listen, the land would be covered with

frogs. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) Again Pharaoh refused, so God brought frogs

out of the water into streets and homes and fields—everywhere! ( Actor 2 hops around like a frog.)

Pharaoh said he would let the Israelites go if Moses would make the frogs go away. (Pharaoh pleads

with folded hands.) But when the frogs died and were all scooped up and thrown away, Pharaohchanged his mind. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.)

Then God covered the land with gnats. People were slapping themselves all over where the gnats bit

them. ( Actor 3 slaps face, arms, etc., as if being bitten by gnats.) Pharaoh’s magicians told him the

gnats were from God, but he refused to listen. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and puts hands over ears.)

Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh that if he did not let the Israelites go, God would send swarms of flies

everywhere. Pharaoh, of course, wouldn’t listen. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) But

when flies swarmed throughout Egypt, even in the palace, he promised to cooperate if Moses would

make the flies leave. ( Actor 4 buzzes and pretends to be a fly.) But when Moses did, Pharaoh once

again refused. (Pharaoh shakes head no.)

Moses and Aaron warned Pharaoh that if he did not obey God, He would put a plague on Egyptian

horses and donkeys and camels and all livestock. Pharaoh refused again. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and

shakes head no.) God sent a plague that killed all the Egyptians’ livestock, but not the animals of the

Israelites. ( Actor 5 walks on all fours, then topples over dead.) But Pharaoh did not give in. (Pharaoh

looks stubborn.) Then the Lord made boils break out on the Egyptians’ bodies. ( Actor 6 rubs arms and

neck, in great pain.) They were in great pain, but Pharaoh would not change his mind. (Pharaoh looks

stubborn.)


Moses and the Ten Plagues




Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh if he did not let the Israelites go, God would send a hailstorm that

would kill any person or animal that remained outside. Many of Pharaoh’s official hurried to bring

their cattle in from the field. It hailed everywhere, except where the Israelites lived, killing people and

animals and beating down crops. ( Actor 7 puts hands over head and pretends to dodge hail.) Pharaoh

called for Moses and told him he would let the people go. (Pharaoh bows head and looks sorry.) God

ended the hailstorm and Pharaoh broke his promise. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.)

Then Moses and Aaron warned Pharaoh that if he did not obey God, a plague of locusts would cover

Egypt. (Pharaoh shakes head no.) When Pharaoh refused, the locusts came and devoured all the crops

and plants that the hail had not destroyed. ( Actor 8 flies around and pretends to eat everything.) He

agreed to let the Israelites go if Moses would get rid of the locusts. (Pharaoh pleads with folded

hands.) But when the locusts were all gone, Pharaoh changed his mind again. (Pharaoh looks

stubborn.)

Then God brought darkness all over the land for three days, except where the Israelites were. ( Actor 9

walks around bumping into things, trying to see.) Pharaoh told Moses to take his people and leave, but

changed his mind again. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) Finally, Pharaoh told Moses

to never show his face in the palace again.

The tenth plague God sent on the Egyptians was the worst one of all. In every Egyptian family, the

oldest son died, even Pharaoh’s oldest son. ( Actor 10 clutches heart and slowly falls to the ground

dead.) God gave special instructions to the Israelites for keeping death from their families. Finally,

Pharaoh was ready to give in. (Pharaoh looks sad and desperate.) He called Moses and Aaron to him

and told them to take all the Israelites and get out of Egypt. The Egyptian people encouraged the

Israelites to leave quickly and gave them gold and silver and clothes. They did not want the Israelties’God to send any more plagues their way! The Israelites did not waste any time; they left quickly

before Pharaoh could change his mind again. Israelites had been living in Egypt for 430 years, ever

since Joseph’s family had come there to live with him. God watched over them as they escaped the

land of their slavery. He was going to lead them to a new land.

Discussion

• What do you think the plagues taught the Israelites about God?

• What did they teach the Egyptians about their Pharaoh?

• How does God show His power in the lives of Christians today?

Memory Verse

“I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77:12)

We can learn about God’s power by studying the Bible. How reassuring to know that He uses His

power to help those who love Him as He helped the Israelites.







Craft Materials

For each student you will need:

• copies of each sheet of text (pages 35–40) • copies of the flaps (page 41)

• markers, crayons, or color pencils • stapler

• glue • scissors

Craft Directions

1. On white paper, copy pages 35–40. Then color pages.

2. Cut out the pages and put them in numerical order.

3. Staple the pages together on the left side.

4. Cut out the flaps.5. Place a dot of glue on each star on the pages of text and attach the appropriate flap.

6. Color the flaps to match the rest of the picture on the page.

7. Share the book with a friend.

1 2 3

4 5 6



The Story of Exodus


This is a story about a man named Moses. Godcalled on Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt.

1




A cruel Egyptian pharoah enslaved the Israelites. Moseswent to make a plea to Pharoah to free all the slaves.

2

Pharoah’s answer was “No, no, no!” So God choseto send a message to Pharoah.

3




Several plagues were sent by God to show Hismighty hand. But Pharoah still acted wickedly.

4

God sent His greatest plague. Darkness covered the land.All the Israelites marked their homes so the plague wouldpass over them.

5




The angel of death swept through the land and took allEgyptians’ first-born sons. The angel took Pharoah’s son,too.

6

At last, Pharoah let the Israelites go.

7




After the Israelites left, Pharoah changedhis mind. He sent an army after them.

8

The Israelites’ hearts were filled with fear when they lookedat the sea before them. Pharoah’s men were getting near.

9




Moses lifted his arms and God caused the seato part. The thankful Israelites crossed safely.

10

Pharoah’s army followed them. When they werehalf-way across, God caused the sea to fill. Allthe army’s lives were lost.

11





Flaps for “The Story of Exodus”



Bible Story: Exodus 15–17:7 To make this story live for your students, you will need: a large container of ice water, small paper

cups (such as bathroom cups), bits of chicken (such as “popcorn” chicken) in small plastic bags, and little crackers (such as oyster crackers) in small plastic bags. Scatter the chicken and crackers in small

bags around the room for students to gather at the appropriate time in the story. Place a small paper

cup on the table in front of each student. Follow the directions in the story.

God had rescued the Israelites from Egypt in a spectacular way. Now Moses was leading them through

the wilderness, across the desert, toward the land God had promised them. Some of the people did not

like camping every night. Their homes in Egypt had not been comfortable, but they missed them

anyway. Now that they were free from slavery, they began to forget how hard life had been in Egypt.

They began to think it had not been so bad after all. They grumbled and complained to Moses. When

they came to an area with water and discovered that it was too bitter to drink, they complained even

more.

Moses asked God for help. God showed him a piece of wood to throw into the water. When Moses

did, the bitterness left the water and it became delicious. ( As you talk, pour water into each student’s

cup and let them drink.) The people took long, satisfying drinks of that wonderful, thirst-quenching

water. They traveled a little farther and came to an area where there were twelve springs and lots of

palm trees. It was a very pleasant place, and they camped there near the water. For awhile, the people

were content and forgot to complain. God was taking care of them, but they did not think to thank

Him.

When they left the pleasant area and continued their journey toward the Promised Land, the people

began complaining again. “God should have just let us die in Egypt,” they grumbled. “At least there

we had all the food we wanted. Moses has brought us out into the desert to starve!” The Lord listened

to their complaining and He told Moses he was going to “rain down bread from heaven” for the peopleto eat! Every day God would provide food for families to gather. He explained that they must not

gather extra, but just enough for that day. The next day He would provide more. God wanted to see if

the Israelites would follow His directions. Every day of the week they would have food to gather. On

the sixth day, God would provide extra so they could gather enough for the Sabbath day, too.

Moses told the Israelites what God was going to do and explained that they must only gather enough

for each day. God also promised to give the people meat every evening. That very evening, quail flew

into the Israelites’ camp. There were so many, they covered the ground. The people caught them for

food. ( Have students go around the room and each pick up one bag of meat to eat. Have them sit

down to eat it as you continue the story.) They cooked the quail meat and it was delicious. It tasted

like chicken. After such a delicious meal, the Israelites did not think to complain.The next morning when the people came out of their tents, they saw that the ground was covered with

white. They picked up the white pieces and tasted them. They were delicious! ( Let students gather

the bags of crackers, one bag for each student. Have them sit down to eat as you continue the story.)

They called the food “manna” which means what is it? They had never seen or tasted anything like it!

The people gathered the manna, enough for one day. Some of them however, disobeyed God. They

took extra. The next day when they opened their containers to eat the extra manna, it was full of

worms and smelled bad. They had not been able to fool God.


God Takes Care of His People



Bible Story: Exodus 15–17:7 (cont.)

As long as the Israelites were traveling to the Promised Land, every morning when the sun came up,

the ground was covered with manna and every evening the ground was covered with quail. God fed

His people very well, but they did not think to thank Him.

It was not long before the Israelites were complaining again. They were thirsty and the place where

they were camped did not have water nearby. Moses got angry with them when they said, “Why did

you bring us out here to make us and our children and animals die of thirst?”

“What am I to do with these people?” Moses cried out to God. “They are ready to kill me!” God told

him to hit a certain rock with his staff. When Moses obeyed, water came gushing out of the rock.

(Give each student another cup of water to drink.) The water was cold and delicious. The hot people

gulped it down. But did they thank the Lord for the water? No, they accepted what He gave them, but

never thanked Him.

For forty years God watched over the Israelites, giving them food to eat and water to drink. He evenkept the clothes they wore from getting worn out. He protected them from enemy armies and blessed

them in so many ways. In spite of his loving care, the people continued to complain.

Discussion

• Did the Israelites have good reasons to complain? Why or why not?

• What should the Israelites have done instead of complaining?

• God cared for and provided for His people every day throughout their trip to the Promised Land,

and even after that. What does He provide for you every day?

Memory Verse

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

(Psalm 73:26)

God has promised to take care of us. What should we do in return?

Craft Materials

• pattern on page 44 • white paper • stamps or stickers

• paper bags with handles • scissors • glue

• markers, crayons, or colored pencils

Craft Directions1. Copy the caption oval on page 44 on white paper and color.

2. Cut out the oval and glue to the paper bag.

3. Use markers, stamps, or stickers to decorate your bag.

4. Use the bag to give a special gift to someone.







GGoo dd T T aa k k ee ss

CCaar r ee oo f f

MMee !!

GGoo dd T T aa k k ee ss

CC aa r r ee oo f f

MMee !!

Finished

Product

Caption Oval



Bible Story: Exodus 19–20Gather the following items and put them in a box so students will not be able to see them, but you can

easily draw them out one by one to illustrate the ten commandments: a button with number 1 on it or a

number 1 birthday candle; a small figurine that looks like an idol, such as a bird or animal figurine;

GOD printed on an index card in big letters; a small calendar with Sundays circled; a photo of

someone’s parents; a picture of a gun; a wedding ring; coins in a coin purse; a picture of a mouth; a

picture of an expensive house and car. Follow the directions in the story.

It had been three months since the Israelites had escaped from the land of Egypt. When they reached

Mount Sinai in their travels across the desert, they set up camp and prepared to stay awhile. God spoke

to Moses from the mountain. “Remind the people how I rescued them from slavery in Egypt,” God

said. “Tell them that if they obey Me, they will be My treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a

holy nation.” Moses went back and told the Israelite leaders what God had said. When the people

were told, they all promised to do everything the Lord said.

Then God told Moses that He was going to speak to them directly out of a cloud. The people needed toget ready for this event by washing themselves and their clothes to be clean before the Lord. They

were to gather around the mountain, but Moses warned them not to touch the mountain or try to climb

up it. Three days later, the Israelites heard thunder and lightning and a loud trumpet blast. A thick

cloud appeared over Mount Sinai. Moses led the people to the mountain. They stood around as the

mountain was covered with smoke and it shook. The trumpet sounded again, even louder. God called

Moses to the top of the mountain. He gave Moses ten commandments for the people to follow.

God said ,“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You

shall have no other gods before me.” The first commandment was that the people must make God

number one in their lives. ( Hold up the number 1 button or candle. Then set it down where everyone

can see it.)“You shall not make or worship any idols or images,” God said. ( Hold up the small figure that looks

like an idol.) That was the second commandment. Most of the people who lived in the land where

God was leading His people worshiped idols made of wood or clay. The people in Egypt had

worshiped idols they made to look like birds and other animals. God wanted to make sure that His

people did not copy the practices of those idol-worshiping people.

The third commandment was about the way people spoke. “Do not misuse the name of the Lord your

God,” He told them. ( Hold up the GOD name card.) God’s name was to be spoken with reverence and

respect, not used as a swear word or slang, and not joked about.

God said, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” ( Hold up the small calendar with Sundays

circled.) God had created the whole world in six days, then He rested on the seventh day. That was anexample for the people He created. He wanted them to set aside one day a week to rest from their

work and spend time thinking about God and worshiping Him. The seventh day was to be a holy day.

That was the fourth commandment.

“Honor your father and your mother,” God said. ( Hold up the photo of someone’s parents.) The fifth

commandment meant that children should obey their parents, and even when they became adults, they

were to listen to their parents’ advice and treat them with respect.

Then God spoke the sixth commandment: “You shall not murder.” ( Hold up the picture of a gun.)

Taking the life of a person God has created is very wrong. Only God should control life and death.


The Ten Commandments




“You shall not commit adultery,” God said. ( Hold up the wedding ring.) God wanted men and women

to be true to their marriage vows. Leaving a husband or wife to be with someone else was not whatGod wanted. This was the seventh commandment.

Then God said, “You shall not steal.” ( Hold up the coin purse, take out the coins and put them in your

pocket or hold them in your hand.) God had promised to give His people what they needed; they did

not need to take what belonged to others. That was commandment number eight.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor,” God said. ( Hold up the picture of a mouth.

Draw a slanted line across it.) This ninth commandment meant that people were not to tell lies about

others. Only the truth is acceptable to God.

The tenth commandment used a word we do not use much anymore, so it is not familiar to us. God

said, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” To covet

something means to want it for yourself. He wants us to be content with what He gives us, not always

wishing we had what other people have.

The people were frightened by the thunder and lightning and the smoke on the mountain. “Do not have

God speak to us, or we will die!” they begged Moses. “You tell us what He said.” Moses assured them

that they did not need to be afraid, but the people would not listen, so Moses spoke to God for the

people. God gave Moses the ten commandments written by His own hand on large pieces of stone so

the people would always remember what He had told them.

Discussion• How are the first four commandments about our relationship with God?

• How are the other six commandments about our relationship with other people?

• How would the world be different if everyone obeyed the ten commandments?

• Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments into just two. What were they? (See Mark 12:30–31.)

Memory Verse“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)

God’s commandments are not hard to obey when we love Him because we want to do what He says to

please Him. Christians also have the Holy Spirit who helps them resist the temptation to disobey.

Craft Materials• pattern on page 47 • scissors • colored pencils or markers

• 8 1 ⁄ 2'' x 11'' white cardstock paper • glue or tape

Craft Directions1. Copy picture of the children on page 47 on white cardstock paper.

2. Color the children and cut out.

3. Fold an 8 1 ⁄ 2'' x 11'' piece of cardstock in half. Then glue or tape the kids to the back of the card.

4. Write or copy the ten commandments on page 47 and glue them to the front of the card.

5. Place the card on your night stand so you can learn the ten commandments.






1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make a graven image.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and mother.

6. You shall not kill.

7. You shall not commit adultery.8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make a graven image.

3 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and mother.

6. You shall not kill.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet.


Finished

Product




Bible Story: Numbers 13–14To tell the story, you will need two hats (such as baseball caps). Print labels and put them on the front

of the hats. Label one hat “WE CAN DO IT!” and the other one “IT’S IMPOSSIBLE!” When you arewearing the “WE CAN DO IT!” hat, hold your thumbs up and look positive. When you are wearing the

other hat, cross your arms and look stubborn. Follow directions in the story for when to wear each

hat.

The Israelites were getting close to the land God had promised them. God told Moses to send twelve

men into the land to check it out. Moses chose one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel:

Shammua, Shaphat, Caleb, Igal, Joshua, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and Geuel.

Moses told them “See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak,

few or many. In what kind of land do they live? Is it good or bad? In what kind of towns do they

live? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or

not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” That was a lot to find out, but the men

were glad to be going into the strange new land to which God had been leading them since their escapefrom Egypt. They were tired of traveling and camping every night. They would be glad to settle down

somewhere.

The 12 spies set off for the Promised Land. They were gone for 40 days and traveled many miles

exploring the new land. When they got back to the Israelite camp, they were carrying large fruits. One

cluster of grapes was so big and heavy, two of the spies had to carry it on a pole between them. The

people gathered around to welcome the men back and see what they had brought with them. They were

impressed by the fruit. The men said, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow

with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.” That was their way of saying that the land was rich and had

good crops. It would be a prosperous place for farming. However, they were not so encouraging about

the inhabitants of the land. (Put on the “IT’S IMPOSSIBLE” hat.) “The people are powerful, and thecities are fortified and very large,” most of the men told Moses.

Caleb disagreed. (Put on the “WE CAN DO IT!” hat.) “We should go up and take possession of the

land, for we can certainly do it,” he said.

Ten of the spies argued, “We cannot attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” (Put on the

“IT’S IMPOSSIBLE” hat.) They told the Israelites that all the people in the land were huge. “We are

like grasshoppers compared to them!” they said. They did not trust God to help them and said

defeating the people in the new land would be impossible. The people grumbled and complained

against Moses and Aaron and cried because they were so afraid of what might happen to them if they

tried to go into the Promised Land. They said it would be better if they just went back to Egypt!

Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, tried to encourage the people to trust God to help them defeatthe inhabitants of the Promised Land. (Put on the “WE CAN DO IT!” hat.) “The land we passed

through and explored is exceedingly good,” they said. “If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us

into that land and will give it to us. Do not rebel against the Lord,” they said. “And do not be afraid of

the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with

us.” But the Israelites would not listen. In fact, the people talked about killing Caleb and Joshua!

( Remove the hat.)

Exploring the Promised Land




Bible Story: Numbers 13–14 (cont.)

God was angry with the Israelites. “How long will these people refuse to believe in me, in spite of all

the miraculous signs I have performed among them?” He said to Moses. God wanted to destroy all thecomplaining, unbelieving Israelites. Moses begged God not to destroy all the people, and God forgave

them. However, God said the generation of adult Israelites whom He had rescued from Egypt would

not get to go into the Promised Land. All the Israelites would continue to wander around the desert for

forty years until the older generation was dead. Then God would lead the younger generation into the

land He had promised them. Only two exceptions would be made. Caleb and Joshua, because they had

trusted God, would be the only two men of their generation to go into the Promised Land.

God punished the 10 spies who had not trusted Him and had upset the people by letting them die in a

plague. Caleb and Joshua were the only spies who survived. The Israelites said they were sorry they

had disobeyed the Lord and they would go ahead and enter the Promised Land as He wanted. “Do not

do it!” Moses warned them. “This will not succeed. The Lord is not with you. You will be defeated

by your enemies.” But the people ignored Moses and prepared to enter the Promised Land even though

God said He would never let them go in. Moses refused to go with them. They had not gone far when

the people who lived in that part of the country attacked them and chased them away, beating them

badly all the way. They quickly found out that when God says something, He means it. Moses

assembled the badly beaten people with Caleb and Joshua and led them back into the desert.

Discussion

• Do you think the 10 spies told the truth to the Israelites, or did they stretch it a bit?

• Why did Caleb and Joshua have more confidence that the Israelites could conquer the land than

the other 10 spies had?

• Do you always believe what God says and trust Him?

• What should we do when we are afraid and forget to trust God?

Memory Verse

“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” (Exodus 23:2a)

Caleb and Joshua did not follow the crowd; instead, they stood up and showed that they trusted God.

And because of it, their lives were in danger. Sometimes standing up against the crowd can be exciting

and make us feel good. But sometimes, it can make us unpopular and very uncomfortable. Either way,

God expects us to do what is right.





Craft Materials

• grape patterns below • white paper • writing utensils

• crayons or markers • scissors • business envelopes

• glue(lavender if possible)

Craft Directions

1. Copy the grape patterns below on white paper and have the children color them.

2. Cut out the grapes. On the front of the envelope, glue the grapes to the two bottom corners as

shown in the picture at the bottom of this page.

3. Write the memory verse on the front of the envelope.

4. Have children write on small, white paper squares different ways they will not follow the crowd

when the crowd wants to do wrong just as Caleb and Joshua. For example, “I will not followpeople when they want to do drugs.”

5. Have students place the squares inside the envelope. Tell students to read the envelope at least

once a week. Tell them to add squares each week, too.


“Do not follow the crowd indoing wrong.” (Exodus

Finished Product

Grape Patterns




Bible Story: Numbers 22–24

Tell the Bible story through this action rhyme. Have students copy your actions.

King Balak sent for Balaam, a prophet that he knew,

(Point far off.)

With this message: “Come to Moab and see what you can do.”

(Gesture with arm for someone to come over.)

“Put a curse on Israel, for they are much too strong.

(Smash thumb of one hand down into palm of other hand.)

Then we can drive them off and make them go where they belong.”

(Gesture “Get out” with thumb over shoulder.)

Balaam said he wouldn’t go, but when King Balak heard,

(Fold arms and shake head no.)

He offered him a fine reward just for the prophet’s words.

(Pretend to hold money in your hands and look excited.)

Balaam still refused, but God said, “Go ahead and go.

(Point to a distant place.)

But only do just what I say and stop when I say no.”

( Hold up hand in stop gesture.)Saddling up his donkey, Balaam started out,

(Pretend to ride a donkey.)

(Thinking of curses for rewards, without a doubt).

(Tap head with finger.)

The donkey ran when she saw an angel with a sword.

(Stand with legs apart and one arm stretched out as if holding a sword.)

Balaam beat her for she wasn’t listening to the Lord!

(Whip hand up and down as if beating something.)

The donkey once again turned from the angel, but then


Balaam’s foot was crushed, and he beat her once again.


When the donkey saw the angel again, she just lay down.

(Gesture down with hand.)

Balaam and His Donkey




Bible Story: Numbers 22–24 (cont.)

Balaam beat her hard, but then the donkey looked around


And said, “Why are you beating me? I would like to know!”

( Hold hands up to head like donkey ears.)

Then Balaam saw the angel and he bowed way down low.

( Bow down.)

The angel said, “Your donkey saved your life; you could be dead!


Forget rewards and go and do exactly what God said,”

(Point off toward the distance.)

Balaam’s talking donkey and an angel in the way

( Hold hands up to head like donkey ears, then hold out arms like angels’ wings.)

Made the prophet decide to do God’s will every day!

( Hold your thumbs up, then point toward heaven.)

Discussion• How do you think Balaam felt when his donkey talked?

• Balaam seemed to be doing what God told him, so why was God so hard on him?

• Does God know your thoughts?

Memory Verse“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.” (Psalm 143:10a)

God has many ways to teach us His will. How has He taught you?

Craft Materials• patterns on page 53 • white paper • brown paper lunch bags

• crayons or markers • scissors • glue

Craft Directions1. Copy the head and mouth pattern of the donkey on white paper.

2. Color and cut out the head and mouth of the donkey.

3. Glue the head of the donkey to the bottom of the paper bag.

4. Glue the mouth pattern under the flap.

5. Put your hand in the paper bag.

6. Lift the head to show the inside of the donkey’s mouth.





Head Pattern


Mouth Pattern

“ T e

a c h m e t o d o y o u r

w i l l , f o r y o u a r e m y

G o

d . ”

( P s a l m 1

4 3 : 1 0 a )

Finished Product




Joshua led the Israelites right up to the Promised Land,

But they weren’t quite ready to cross over yet ’cause Joshua had a plan.

He sent two men to spy out the land, to secretly look around,

And then bring back a report to him of everything they’d found.

The two spies made it to Jericho before the news got out

That Israelites were in the town, sneaking and nosing about.They spent the night at Rahab’s house; they took her at her word

When she said she’d keep them safe,

Because Rahab believed in the Lord.

The King of Jericho sent soldiers to Rahab’s house that night

To capture the men who had secretly come to spy for the Israelites.

“The men were here,” Rahab said, “but they left, and I don’t know where.”

“If you hurry very fast, you may still catch the pair.”

The soldiers left, not knowing that Rahab had not told the facts.

The spies were hidden up on her roof under some stalks of flax!

She bravely kept the two Israelites safe from the soldiers’ swords.

She trusted their God would keep her safe


“I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told the spies.

“I’ve heard what He has done for you, and I realize

That your God is the only God in heaven and Earth below.

Please promise me that kindness is what you will surely show

To me and to my family, because I’ve been kind to you.

Now, give me a sign that you’ll spare our lives. Tell me what you’ll do.

She asked this favor of the men, their mercy she implored,

For the kindness she had shown to them


Rahab and the Spies

Bible Story: Joshua 2; 6:22–25Practice reading this Bible story poem until you can read it or say it smoothly with expression. Before

you share it with your students, tell them that they will help you by repeating the same line every time

you raise your hand. The line is as follows: “Because Rahab believed in the Lord.” Have them say it

several times so they will remember it when you raise your hand and they need to say it.




Discussion

• What two things did Rahab do that showed she had faith in God?

• How did God reward Rahab for her faith?

• What are some ways God may reward us for having faith in Him? Memory Verse

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)

Rahab trusted the Lord, so she was not afraid to endanger herself by keeping the spies safe. She

believed that God would keep her safe.

Craft Materials

• patterns on pages 56 and 57 • glue • scissors

• crayons or colored pencils • white cardstock paper • yellow yarn (optional)

Craft Directions

1. Copy the pictures on pages 56 and 57 on white cardstock paper.

2. Color all pictures. Then cut out the soldiers, haystack, and strip on page 56.

3. Cut the slits in the picture on page 57 and then place the strip in the slits.

4. Glue the haystack and people on the strip where indicated. (Optional: Use yellow yarn to glue

on haystack for extra effect.)

5. Slide the strip back and forth to show how Rahab hid the spies.

Bible Story: Joshua 2; 6:22–25 (cont.)

Rahab and the Spies

“We’ll spare your life and your family too,” the spies promised that day,

“When the Lord brings us back to this place. But you must do what we say.”

Tie a red cord in your window; we’ll look for it when we arrive.

And no matter what happens in Jericho, we’ll leave those in your house alive.”

The spies sneaked away and hid in the hills, and then they hurried back home.

They told Joshua that the people were scared and the land soon would be all their own.

And when Joshua and the Israelites marched around Jericho’s wall,

A red cord hung out of a window up high as God made the stones start to fall.

The Israelites conquered the city that day and destroyed it by fire and sword,

But a red cord kept one family safe as could be





G l u e

h a y s t a c k

h e r e .

G l u e R a h a b a n d

s o l d i e r s h e r e .

Rahab and the Spies

Rahab and Soldiers

Finished Product

Haystack

S l i d e r S t r i p



Rahab and the Spies


Cut slit.

Cut slit.




Bible Story: Judges 13–16Choose students to play the following parts in this Bible story skit: Narrator, Samson, Samson’s Father,

two Philistine Soldiers, Delilah.Narrator: Before Samson was born, an angel visited his parents to give them a message

from the Lord.

Samson’s Father: God’s angel told me and my wife that we must never cut our son’s hair. He

would be set apart for God’s service and would help deliver Israel from the

Philistines. We obeyed, and Samson grew up to have great strength. Once he

and his mother and I met a wild lion in the road. Samson killed it with his bare

hands!

Samson: Later, I went by that way again and saw the carcass of the dead lion. A swarm of

bees were living in it and it was filled with honey. I ate some of the honey. Then

I made up a riddle about it: “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong,something sweet.” I challenged some Philistines to figure it out. If they guess

the answer, I had to give them all new clothes; but if they did not guess it, they

had to give me new clothes.

Philistine Soldier 1: We could not figure out Samson’s riddle. Then Samson’s wife got him to tell her

the answer, and she told us that the answer was a lion. He was very angry when

we told him. He gave us some clothes, but we found out later they were from

Philistines he had killed in another town!

Philistine Soldier 2: Remember when Samson’s father-in-law gave his wife to another man? Boy, was

he mad! He went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them together in

pairs by their tails. Then he set their tails on fire and let the foxes run in panic

through our grainfields and olive groves. Our crops were all burned.Philistine Soldier 1: Yes, it was very hard on us, and even harder on the foxes.

Samson’s Father: Samson did a lot of bad things to the Philistines, and they were always trying to

catch him and kill him. But he was just too strong for them.

Samson: Once some men from Judah came, tied me with rope, and took me to the

Philistines. I could have gotten away, but I let them take me. The Philistines

were delighted, thinking they finally had me. But they did not! God gave me the

strength to snap those ropes like they were string. Then I picked up the dried out

jawbone of a donkey lying on the ground and began hitting the Philistines. I

killed one thousand of them!

Samson’s Father: Samson made a big mistake by taking a Philistine woman named Delilah for hisgirlfriend. He should never have trusted her.

Samson: I knew I could not trust her, but she was always begging me to tell her the secret

of my strength. I gave her lots of wrong answers, but she finally wore me down

and I told her the truth.

Delilah: Every time I asked Samson what made him so strong, he told me some crazy

thing. First, he said “If I’m tied up with seven fresh thongs, I won’t be able to

get away.” When he was asleep, I tried it; then I woke him up by telling him that

some Philistines were coming to get him. He easily snapped the thongs.

Samson




Bible Story: Judges 13–16 (cont.)

Philistine Soldier 1: The next time Samson told Delilah that if he were tied up with new ropes, he

would never be able to get away. So when he fell asleep, she tied him with newropes; but when she yelled that we were coming to get him, he broke the ropes.

Delilah: Another one of his answers was that if his hair was put in seven braids on a loom

and pinned down, he would be weak. I found out that wasn’t true either.

Samson: I enjoyed teasing Delilah. I knew she was trying to trick me. When she kept after

me, I finally told her the truth. Big mistake!

Delilah: Samson said his hair had never been cut and that was the secret of his strength.

One day while he was asleep, I had a man come in and shave his head. Sure

enough, he was as weak as a kitten.

Philistine Soldier 2: We grabbed him and took him away, because he had no strength to fight us. We

put shackles on him and threw him in prison.Samson’s Father: The Philistines didn’t notice that while they had Samson in prison, his hair was

growing back. One day, they stood him in their temple so everyone could see him

and laugh at how he had been captured. They were really enjoying themselves.

Samson couldn’t see anything, because they had blinded him. He asked a servant

to place him between two pillars of the temple so he could lean on them to rest.

Then he asked God to give him special strength once more. He pushed against

the pillars with all his might and the whole temple came crashing down. More

than three thousand Philistines were killed, and so was Samson.

Philistine Soldier 1: I wasn’t at the temple that day. If I had been, I would not be here now. Samson’s

family came and dug through the rubble to find his body. They carried him home

and buried him there.

Samson’s Father: My son led a rough, violent life. He didn’t always listen to God, and he did some

foolish things. But Samson did what God meant for him to do; he helped deliver

Israel from the Philistines.

Discussion

• Samson certainly was not perfect, but God used him to accomplish His plan. What kind of people

do you think God wants to use?

• How can we know what God wants us to do? What do you think God wants you to do?

Memory Verse“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10)

When God asks us to do something for Him, he gives us the power to do it!

Craft Materials

• patterns on page 60 and 61 • glue • white cardstock paper

• crayons or colored pencils • scissors

Samson




Craft Directions

1. Copy the patterns on this page and page 61

on white cardstock paper.2. Color patterns. Then cut out the patterns

on pages 60 and 61.

3. Fold picture on page 61 along the sides

where indicated. On the outside of the

folds, glue the two pillars to the sides of

the folds (one on each side).

4. Glue Samson to one of the pillars.

5. Open the folds so you can see the crushed

structure.

Samson

Samson

Finished

Product

Pillars



Samson


Fold here.

Fold here.




Bible Story: Ruth 1–4

Give each student a paper plate and crayons or markers. Have them make signs by printing “Catch

Kindness” in large letters on their plates. Explain that as you tell the Bible story, you want them to tryto “catch” the people who showed kindness. Every time they hear someone be kind in the story, they

should hold up their “Catch Kindness” signs. When they hold up their signs, stop the story to ask a

student to explain who showed kindness and how it was done.

Naomi and her husband and two sons moved away from their home in Bethlehem during a famine.

Since there was not enough food for them, they went to the land of Moab where crops were better.

While they were there, Naomi’s husband died; then her sons married women of Moab. About 10 years

later, both of her sons died. That left Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, on their

own. When she heard that the famine was over in her homeland, Naomi decided to move back to

Bethlehem.

Orpah and Ruth wanted to go to Bethlehem with her; but on the way, she convinced Orpah to return toher own family. (“Catch Kindness” signs) She wanted her to get married again and have children.

Orpah hugged her kind mother-in-law and kissed her good-by. Then she turned around and went back

down the road.

Naomi encouraged Ruth to return home, too, but Ruth refused. She was determine to go with her

mother-in-law and take care of her. “Where you go, I will go,” Ruth said. “And where you stay, I will

stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” (“Catch Kindness” signs) Finally,

Naomi gave in and the two women went to Bethlehem together.

The whole town of Bethlehem was excited to see Naomi back home, but she was sad. Life in Moab

had not turned out the way she had hoped. She blamed God for her troubles.

Ruth soon went to work in the barley fields. In those days, farmers allowed poor people to gatherwhatever grain their workers missed. God was helping Ruth and Naomi because the field Ruth chose

to work in was owned by a distant relative of Naomi’s husband. His name was Boaz. He saw Ruth

working hard in his field to pick up the leftover stalks of barley. “Who is she?” he asked his workers.

When they told him she was Naomi’s daughter-in-law who had been working hard all day to gather

barley to provide for the two of them, Boaz was pleased. He told her to keep coming to his fields and

he offered her food, and water, and protection. (“Catch Kindness” signs)

Ruth was amazed at the stranger’s kindness. When she thanked him, Boaz explained that he had heard

how she had left her homeland to live with Naomi and take care of her. (“Catch Kindness” signs)

Later, he told his workers to leave some extra barley for Ruth to pick up. By the end of the day, she

had a large container of barley to take home to Naomi. (“Catch Kindness” signs) Naomi was happy tolearn that Boaz had been so kind to her daughter-in-law. “The Lord bless him!” she said. “It will be

good for you to work in his fields where you will be safe.”

When the barley harvest was over, Ruth stayed in Boaz’s field to gather wheat. Naomi decided that her

kind daughter-in-law deserved to have a husband to love her and a family of her own. And Boaz would

make her a great husband! She told Ruth to meet him at the threshing floor that night. The threshing

floor was where the wheat was beaten to separate the edible grain from the stalks. When Boaz saw

Ruth, he realized she had come to offer herself as his wife. He promised to marry her. Before she left,

he filled her shawl with extra grain to take home to Naomi. (“Catch Kindness” signs) Naomi was

pleased.

Ruth and Boaz




Bible Story: Ruth 1–4 (cont.)

Boaz made all the arrangements, and soon he and Ruth were married. Their first child was a son whom

they named Obed. When the baby was laid in Naomi’s lap, she was happy to have a grandchild. Godhad blessed her through the kindness of her daughter-in-law Ruth.

Discussion

• How was Ruth kind?

• How did God bless her for her kindness?

• What are some ways we can be kind as God wants us to be?

Memory Verse

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)

If we truly love God and other people, we will treat everyone with kindness. We cannot be kindwithout having love, for kindness grows out of love.

Craft Materials

• pattern on page 64

• white paper or white cardstock paper

• glue

• yarn or glitter

Craft Directions1. Tell students that the story of Ruth’s devotion to her mother-in-law and Noami provides warmth

and kindness, and that this craft will remind others about kindness.

2. Copy the word “kindness” from page 64 on a sheet of white paper or white cardstock paper.

3. Have students color all the decorative art around the word “kindness.” Tell them to leave the

word “kindness” blank because they will be doing something different with the letters.

4. Have students trace the word “kindness” with glue and apply the yarn or glitter over the word.

5. Glue the “kindness” picture onto an 12'' x 18'' piece of colored construction paper.

6. Have students place the pictures in their rooms or on their home refrigerators to remind them toshow kindness.

Ruth and Boaz

• markers or crayons

• different-colored 12'' x 18''

pieces of construction

paper



K i n d n e s s





Jonathan and His Armor Bearer

Bible Story: I Samuel 14:1–23

As you tell the Bible story, draw stick figures on a chalkboard or whiteboard to illustrate the action.

Hand out paper and pencils and encouarge students to copy your drawings or draw their own to showwhat is happening in the story.

King Saul and about 600 of his men were camped across some cliffs

from a Philistine outpost. They were not fighting, but just waiting.

When they saw the huge numbers of Philistines, Saul’s soldiers were

scared. There just were not enough of them to fight the Philistines!

So they sat around and waited for something to happen.

Jonathan, King Saul’s son, was a brave soldier. He was tired of

doing nothing. He said to the young man who carried his armor,

“Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.”

The two left the camp, but Jonathan did not tell his father what they

were going to do. No one noticed when they left. “Perhaps the

Lord will act on our behalf,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer.

“Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by

few.” Jonathan had a lot more faith than his father, the king, had.

Jonathan’s armor bearer was also a brave man. Every army officer

in those days had an armor bearer whose job it was to fight for and

defend his commander. He also held whatever weapons or armor

his commander was not using and made sure they were available

when he wanted them. Jonathan’s armor bearer did not hesitate to

follow his master. “Do all that you have in mind,” he said. “I am

with you heart and soul.”

Jonathan explained his plan. “We will cross over toward the men

and let them see us. If they tell us to wait where we are until they

come to us, we will stay where we are and not go any farther. But if

they tell us to come up where they are, that will be God’s sign to us

that He will give them into our hands. We will climb up the cliff

and defeat them.”

The two men went on a little farther then stood where the Philistines

could see them. “Look!” said one of the Philistines. “The Israelitesare crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” The Philistine

soldiers yelled to Jonathan and his armor bearer to come up to their

outpost and be taught a lesson.

The Philistines were probably surprised when the two Israelites

started climbing up the cliff toward them. It was not an easy climb.

The two brave men struggled up the cliff using their hands and feet.




Discussion• How did God reward Jonathan’s faith in Him that day?

• Why did all the Israelite soldiers suddenly become brave enough to join the fight?

• For what do you need to trust God?

Memory Verse“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Why does it take courage to live the Christian life and do what is right? The only way we can be the

kind of Christians He wants us to be is to trust the Lord for the strength and courage we need in a sinful

world.

Craft Materials• pattern on page 67 • aluminum foil • tape

• white cardstock paper • glue • scissors

Craft Directions1. Copy pattern on page 67 on white cardstock paper and cut it out.

2. Use foil to cover the shield. On the back side tape the edges down.

3. Cut a five-inch strip of paper and tape it to the back of the shield to slip a hand in.

4. Cut and decorate a cross out of cardstock paper. Glue it to the front of the shield.


Bible Story: I Samuel 14:1–23 (cont.)

When they got to the top of the cliff, what a surprise the Philistines had!

Jonathan and his armor-bearer fought like a small army, killing twenty

Philistine soldiers by themselves.

When the rest of the Philistines saw their fellow soldiers dropping right

and left from the attack of the two men, they began to run away. Back in

camp, the Israelites heard the noise and saw the Philistine army

scattering in confusion. That is when Saul discovered that his son

Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone. He realized that they must

have something to do with what was happening at the Philistine outpost.

The Israelite soldiers, much braver now that they saw the Philistines on

the run, followed King Saul to the enemy outpost. When they got there,

they discovered that the Philistines were so frightened and confused, theywere fighting one another! Saul’s soldiers took advantage of the

confusion and began fighting the Philistines who ran away from them.

Many Israelite soldiers who had been hiding in the hills because they

were afraid to fight now came out and helped fight the Philistines.

It was a tremendous victory for Israel even thought they had been greatly

outnumbered by the Philistines. But brave Jonathan and his brave armor

bearer knew that they had not defeated the Philistines—God had!




Bible Story: 1 Samuel 17

Choose three students to pantomime the Bible story as you tell it. They will act out the parts of David,

King Saul, and the giant Goliath. Divide the rest of the class in half to be the Philistines and the Israelites. Stand them on opposite sides of the room and have the story acted out in the center. Follow

directions in the story.

The Israelite army and the Philistine army were each camped on a hill with a valley between them.

They were not fighting yet, but every day a giant Philistine soldier named Goliath stood in the valley

and taunted the Israelites. (Goliath walks to the center, stands on a chair, and gestures to the Israelites

to come and fight him, then laughs.) “Why don’t you come and line up for battle?” he shouted. “Send

one man down to me. If he is able to kill me, the Philistines will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you

will be our slaves!”

The Israelite soldiers and King Saul were terrified of Goliath and no one was willing to go and fight

him. They knew they would be killed. One day, however, a young boy named David was in theIsraelite camp. ( David walks into the center of the room and looks around.) His father had sent him to

take food to his older brothers who were soldiers and find out how they were. When David heard what

Goliath said and saw how afraid Saul’s soldiers were, he was shocked. ( David looks at the Israelites

with a frown.) “Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” he asked

angrily.

His brother scolded him, but David asked the other soldiers about the giant and why no one would fight

him. (Saul walks in a kingly way to the center of the room and sits down in a chair. David comes and

stands before him.) When Saul heard about the boy, he sent for David. “I will go and fight the

Philistine giant,” David told the king. ( David points to himself.) Saul, of course, refused to let him

since he was not even old enough to be a soldier. (Saul shakes his head “no.”)

Then David told the king about some of his experiences as a shepherd. He had once rescued a sheep

from the mouth of a lion, then killed the lion. ( David holds up arms to show muscles.) He had also

killed a bear to protect his sheep. “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of

the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine,” he told Saul. ( David points toward heaven.)

Finally, Saul agreed to let David fight the giant. (Saul shakes his head “yes.”) He gave David his own

armor to wear, but it was too big and heavy for the boy. ( David walks around stiffly with arms out as if

wearing uncomfortable armor.) He took off the armor and went off to fight the giant with his sling as

his only weapon. (Saul leaves and David walks around, then stoops and picks up five stones and puts

them in his pocket.) On his way to meet the giant, David stopped by a stream and picked up five

smooth stones for ammunition.

(Goliath stands on the chair again and looks down at David and laughs.) The giant looked at David

and laughed. He could strike down such a little warrior without even using a weapon. David looked

up at Goliath and said with confidence, “I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God

of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me.” Then

David ran toward the giant. ( David hurries forward, pretending to put one of the stones in his sling.)

Before the giant knew what was happening, David began circling the sling over his head. ( David acts

this out.) At just the right moment, the young shepherd boy let go of one end of the sling and the stone

he had loaded in it went flying toward Goliath. It hit him on the head right between the eyes and the

giant fell down dead. (Goliath grabs his head and slowly topples onto the floor.)

David and the Giant




Bible Story: 1 Samuel 17 ( cont.)

The Israelite soldiers cheered and shouted with joy. ( Israelites cheer and hug each other and act

excited.) The Philistines, however, turned around and ran! (Philistines look scared and run in place.)

The Israelites, no longer afraid of their enemies, attacked the Philistines and chased them for miles.

( Israelites run in place also.) A great battle was won by Israel that day because of the faith of a young

shepherd boy.

Discussion

• Why were Saul and his soldiers afraid to fight Goliath, but David wasn’t?

• Why did David believe God would help him defeat the giant?

• How do you know you can trust God to help you live for Him?

Memory Verse

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.” (Psalm 28:7a)

The Bible tells us that there is no one or nothing more powerful than God. We can trust Him to use His

power to help us and protect us.

Craft Materials


• crayons

• white paper

Craft Directions1. Copy page 70 and 71 back to back on white paper.

(Caution Note: Test one copy to make sure step 3

will work.)

2. Color the pictures with crayons.

3. Fold in 1 ⁄ 3 of the right-hand side of the paper so

Goliath is facing David.

4. After you tell the story about David and Goliath,

the children can open the card and see Goliath

killed.

David and the Giant

Finished Product




D avi d

G ol i a t h




G o l i a t h




Bible Story: 2 Kings 4:8–37

Follow directions in the story for simple actions to make this story come alive. Encourage your

students to copy your actions.Elisha traveled all around doing the Lord’s work. (“Walk” the first two fingers of one hand along the

other hand.) One day he went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman in that town invited Elisha to

come to her home and have a meal with her and her husband. ( Rub your stomach and pretend to eat.)

Elisha accepted, and after that he often stopped at their home when he was in town.

After several meals with Elisha, the woman said to her husband, “I know that this man who often

comes our way is a holy man of God. Let us make a small room on the roof (Point up.) and put a bed

in it (Count the items off on your fingers.) and a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then he can stay

there whenever he comes to us.” Her husband agreed and the next time Elisha stopped by, they showed

him his room. It was much more comfortable than camping or finding an inn in which to stay. In those

days inns were not nice like our motels are today.One day, Elisha was resting in his upstairs room (Put both hands behind your head and lean back.)

when he told his servant to go get the Shunammite woman. “You have gone to all this trouble for us,”

Elisha said. “Now, what can be done for you?” The woman would not tell him what she wanted.

When she left, Elisha asked his servant for some ideas.

(Tap your head with a finger as if thinking hard.) “Well,” said his servant, “she has no son and her

husband is old.” Elisha decided that giving her a child was an excellent idea. The servant asked the

woman to come back up to Elisha’s room.

Elisha said to her, “About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” The Shunammite

woman was overwhelmed. (Put a hand over your mouth and look shocked.) She had wanted a son so

much, but did not think it was possible. Now the man of God was going to make it happen. Sureenough, about a year later her son was born. (Pretend to rock a baby in your arms.) How proud she

and her husband were of their new child!

When the boy grew older, he went out to the field with his father one day to watch him reap the grain.

Suddenly, the boy grabbed his head. ( Hold your head in both hands as if it hurts.) “My head! My

head!” he cried. His father quickly had a servant carry the boy to his mother in the house. She held

her son on her lap. (Pretend to hold a child on your lap.) But she could not do anything to make him

well. Her son died.

The woman carried her son upstairs to Elisha’s room and laid him on the bed. Then she shut the door

and went downstairs to call her husband. “Please send me a servant and one of the donkeys,” she told

him. “I am going to see Elisha.” When the servant and donkey arrived, she saddled the donkey andgot on. Then she rode off toward Mt. Carmel (Pretend to ride a donkey.) where Elisha was with the

servant walking beside him.

When she found Elisha, she bowed down before him. ( Bow down.) Elisha could see that she was very

upset, but he did not know why. She told him what had happened to her son. “Quick!” Elisha told his

servant. (Point to a distant place.) “Take my staff and run to this woman’s house. Lay the staff on her

son’s face.” Then Elisha and the woman headed back to her house more slowly.

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman




Bible Story: 2 Kings 4:8–37 ( cont.)

Elisha’s servant came back and met them on the way to report that the boy had not awakened. There

had been no sound or response from him. When they got to the house, Elisha went upstairs to his roomand prayed to the Lord. (Fold hands and bow head.) Then he lay on top of the boy, mouth to mouth

(Touch your mouth.), eyes to eyes (Touch your eyes.), and hands to hands (Press your hands together.).

Slowly the boy’s cold, dead body began to warm up.

Suddenly, the boy sneezed seven times. ( Make seven sneezing noises and count them on your fingers.)

Then he opened his eyes. He was alive! Elisha called for his mother. When she came into the room,

Elisha said, “Take your son.” The Shunammite woman saw that her son was alive again, and she bowed

down at Elisha’s feet and thanked him. ( Bow down.) Then she stood up, took her son’s hand, and went

out of the room.

Discussion

• How did the Shunammite woman show that she trusted God?

• How did Elisha show that he trusted God?

• How can people tell that you trust God?

Memory Verse

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

The Shunammite woman probably did not know exactly what to expect when she went to Elisha for

help, but she trusted him and God. We do not have to understand everything; we can just trust God to

help us and do what is best for us.

Craft Materials

• coupons on page 74


• scissors

• markers or color pencils

Craft Directions

1. Remind students how Elisha helped the Shunammite woman. Tell them that they can learn how to

help people by making and using this craft.

2. Copy coupons on white cardstock paper.

3. Color and cut out the coupons. (Laminate for durability.)

4. Give coupons on special occasions to family and friends.





Coupon good

for setting

the table.

Coupon good for one

big bear hug!

Coupon

good forone “I

love you!”

Coupon good for

making the bed.

Coupon good for helping

with the

dishes.

Coupon good for putting

the toys

away.

Coupon good for puttingclothes away.

Kindnes sCoupons





Bible Story: Esther 1–10

Choose children to act out the story of Queen Esther. You will need the following parts: King Xerxes,

Esther, Esther’s maid, Mordecai, Haman, two soldiers, and a narrator. If possible, provide cardboard crowns and robes for the king and Esther. You will also need a gold scepter for the king. You can

make this by poking a Styrofoam™ ball on one end of a dowel rod, then covering the whole thing with

gold wrapping paper.

Narrator: (With the king standing nearby) King Xerxes (Zerk-zeeze) wanted a new queen, so his

officials went throughout the land looking for the most beautiful girls. The king could

choose from all the girls, but he wanted only one to be his queen. One of the most

beautiful girls was Esther, an orphan Jewish girl. (Mordecai walks in with Esther, in

regular clothes, as the king watches.) Her cousin Mordecai had adopted her as his

daughter.

King Xerxes:(Pointing to Esther ) I want you to be my queen! ( He gives Esther a robe and places acrown on her head .) We will have a great banquet to celebrate. Let there be a holiday

throughout the land! (The king and Esther walk away. Mordecai comes in and sits

down.)

Narrator: Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai was sitting near the king’s gate one day when he

overheard two of the king’s officers plotting to kill King Xerxes.

Mordecai: (Standing up and hurrying to Esther who is standing at the side of the room) Esther, I

just heard the king’s officers talking. They plan to kill the king! You must tell him!

Esther: ( Hurrying to two soldiers standing nearby.) Tell the king his life is in danger. Two of

his officers are plotting his death! (The soldiers hurry away.)

Narrator: The two officers were executed and the king’s life was saved. What Mordecai had done

was written in the king’s record book. Now one man in the king’s service thought he was

much more important than he really was. His name was Haman. Everyone bowed down

when he walked by, everyone that is but Mordecai. This enraged Haman.

Haman: (Pacing back and forth angrily) I hate that Mordecai. I would like to see him and all his

people dead! How can I trick the king into getting rid of all the Jews in the land?

Narrator: ( Haman standing before the king.) Haman told King Xerxes that Jews would not obey

the laws of the land and that they were troublemakers. Haman suggested they be

destroyed. The king foolishly agreed and gave Haman the power to set his plan in

motion. (The king and Haman leave; Mordecai comes in crying.) Mordecai cried

bitterly when he learned of the new law to get rid of the Jews. When Esther heard about

Mordecai, she sent her handmaiden to find out what was wrong with him. (The

handmaiden goes to Mordecai and puts her hand on his shoulder. Then she walks over

to Esther.) Esther could not believe such a terrible thing was going to happen to her

people. Mordecai wanted her to go talk to King Xerxes to try to change his mind, but

she did not dare! Everyone knew that if you disturbed the king when he did not want

any visitors, you could be put to death. Only if he raised his gold scepter toward you

would your life be spared. And she had not seen the king for a month! But Mordecai

pointed out that she was the Jews’ only hope.

Queen Esther




Bible Story: Esther 1–10 (cont.)

Esther: I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!

King Xerxes:(Sitting down with his scepter on his lap as Esther walks slowly toward him.) Come in,

Esther. ( Holding the scepter out toward her.) What can I do for you?

Esther: Please come to a banquet I have prepared for you, and bring Haman.

Narrator: (The king walks away with Esther .) The king agreed. He and Haman went to the

banquet, but Esther did not tell the king what she wanted. She just invited them to

another banquet the next day. Haman was proud of being a special friend of the king and

queen’s, which made him even angrier that Mordecai refused to honor him. So, Haman

gave orders for a gallows to be built on which he would hang Mordecai! That night, the

king could not sleep, so he decided to read in his book of records. When he read how

Mordecai had saved his life, he called in Haman and asked what should be done to honor

a special man. Haman, thinking he was that man, suggested he be given a royal robe and

be carried throughout the city on the king’s horse. When the king ordered him to have it

done for Mordecai, Haman followed his orders with hatred and disgust for the Jew.

( Haman puts a robe on Mordecai and leads him around the room.)

At the second banquet, Esther told the king she was a Jew and Haman’s orders were to

kill all Jews. The king was so angry, he nearly exploded!

King Xerxes:( Motioning angrily to the two soldiers to come in.) Take him away and hang him on the

gallows he had built! (The soldiers take Haman away.)

Narrator: When the king found out that Mordecai was Esther’s adopted father, the king gave him

his own royal ring. Then the king gave orders that saved the Jews in the his land.Jewish people thoughout the land celebrated with great joy.

Discussion

• Do you think Esther was afraid to go before the king without an invitation? Why did she do it?

• Are you sometimes afraid to do what you know God wants you to do? What can you do when

you are afraid?

• There are many verses in the Bible that remind us that God is with us and will help and protect

us. What is your favorite one?

Memory Verse

“I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

(Psalm 16:8)

Esther and Mordecai knew God was watching over them. Knowing that God was with them kept them

from being “shaken” by the disturbing things happening all around them. Sometimes frightening things

happen in the world, but we can trust God to be with us and take care of us.

Queen Esther




Craft Materials

• crown pattern


• scissors


• sequins

• glitter

• stapler

• glue

Craft Directions

1. Copy pattern on white

cardstock paper.

2. Color, cut out, and decorate

your crown.

3. Make a 1- to 2-inch band

from cardstock paper to fit

around your head.

4. Staple the crown to the front

of the band.

5. Renact the story of Queen

Esther and King Xerxes.

Queen Esther

Crown Pattern




Bible Story: Daniel 3

Before class, set up a replica of Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image at the front of the room. This could be

a gold-colored statue or an idol drawn on a cardboard box and painted gold. Whatever you decide touse, set it on top of several boxes so the children have to look up at it. As you tell the Bible story, have

students do the actions with you.

King Nebuchadnezzar, a wicked, ungodly king, had a huge golden statue set up in Babylon. He

ordered everyone to bow down and worship the statue whenever his musicians played their instruments.

(Pretend to play a trumpet .) Everyone did just what the king said, bowing on their knees before the

statue. ( Bow down.) Well, almost everyone. Three Jewish men—Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego—refused to bow down and worship anyone but God. (Stand up with arms crossed looking

stubborn.)

When he found out about them, Nebuchadnezzar was furious! (Grit teeth and clench hands into fists.)

He ordered that the disobedient men be brought before him. He said to them, “If you do not bow down(bow down) to my golden statue when your hear the music play (Pretend to play a trumpet.), I will

have the three of you thrown into a blazing furnace!” (Wiggle fingers of both hands in front of you like

flames.)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “ If you throw us into a fiery furnace, our God is able to

save us. But even if He chooses not to save our lives, we will still worship only Him. (Point a finger

toward heaven.) We will not bow down and worship your golden statue.” (Stand up with arms crossed

looking stubborn.)

That made the king so angry, he ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. (Fan

face with hand and pretend to wipe sweat from your brow.) Then he commanded some of his strongest

soldiers to tie up the three men and throw them into the blazing furnace. (Pretend to throw something,

using both hands.) The heat was so intense, that the soldiers were killed! Well, the king thought that

would be the end of those Jewish troublemakers! ( Dust hands together.)

But it was not. When Nebuchadnezzar looked at the furnace, he could see four men walking around in

the fire! ( Hold up four fingers and count on them.) “Didn’t we just throw three men in the furnace?”

shouted the king. ( Hold up three fingers.) “So, why do I see four?” ( Hold up four fingers.) He got as

close to the hot furnace as he could, then he yelled, (Put a hand on each side of your mouth as if

yelling.) “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” All of a

sudden, King Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude had changed. He was speaking respectfully of God (Point

toward heaven.) because he knew it must be God who had kept the men from burning to death.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego calmly walked out of the furnace. All the royal officials crowded

around them, amazed. They not only had not been burned at all, but their hair was not singed, ( Hold

out some of your hair.) their robes were not scorched, ( Hold out a piece of your clothing.) and they did

not even smell like smoke! (Sniff loudly.)

Nebuchadnezzar had learned an important lesson. “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego,” he said, “who sent his angel and rescued his servants!” ( Hold hands in the air .) “They

trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve

or worship any god except their own God.” Then the king proclaimed that anyone who said anything

against God would be punished by death. After that, Nebuchadnezzar promoted the three faithful

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Fiery Furnace




Discussion

• Why do you think it was hard for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to stand up against the king?

Couldn’t they have bowed down and just pretended to worship the statue?• The Bible calls the fourth man in the flames “a son of the gods.” It was probably Jesus, showing

up in person to help three of God’s faithful servants and keep them safe. How did God use the

faith of these men to be a witness for Him?

Memory Verse

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)

God is concerned about the safety and well being of His children. He has provided angels to watch

over us wherever we go and protect us from harm just as Jesus was with Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego to keep them safe in the fire.

Craft Materials



• red paper (optional)

• scissors


• tape

Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns on white cardstock paper.

2. Color the pictures. Then cut out the

door and flames. ( Note: You could

copy the flames pattern on red paper.)

3. Tape the furnace door on the right side

of the picture.

4. Accordion fold the flames.

5. Tape the flames in the bottom inside of the door sothey will pop open when you open the door.


Finished Product




T a p e d o o r o n t h i s s i d e .






Flames Pattern

Door Pattern




Bible Story: Daniel 6

Since this Bible story is familiar to almost every child, involve students by asking questions throughout

the story and calling on them.King Darius appointed 120 men to be his assistants in ruling his Babylonian Empire. Then he chose

three good leaders to be in charge of those assistant rulers. One of the leaders he chose was Daniel, a

Jewish man who loved God and prayed to Him three times a day, every day. Daniel had been brought

to Babylon many years before as a captive. But because God blessed him, Daniel was admired and

respected by the king. In fact, Darius planned to promote Daniel above the other leaders to put him in

charge of the whole kingdom! (Question: How do you think the other leaders felt about that?

Answer: They were angry and jealous of Daniel.)

The assistant rulers and other leaders decided they would make charges against Daniel to the king to

show him that Daniel did not deserve to have such an important government position. But you know

what? Daniel was such a godly man, nobody could find one bad thing against him to report to theking! The Bible says, “They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither

corrupt nor negligent.” This made the men even angrier. Finally one said, “We will never be able to

accuse him of anything unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” King Darius did not

worship God, and the laws of the land had nothing to do with God, so maybe that is where they could

catch Daniel.

The wicked men came up with a plan. The whole group went to King Darius and flattered him. They

convinced him that he was so great, he should issue a decree that for a whole month no one could pray

to any god or man except Darius. (Question: Was that a good law? Why? Answer: No, because only

God deserves to be worshiped and answers prayers.) The king fell for it. He thought it would be great

to have everyone praying only to him for thirty days, so he wrote down the new law and signed his

name to it.

(Question: When Daniel found out about the decree, what do you think he did? Did he stop praying to

God? Answer: No, he kept right on praying as he always had.) Daniel went home to his upstairs room

and bowed on his knees in front of an open window where he could be seen by everyone. He prayed to

God three times a day as he always had. He did not try to hide his prayer time so the king’s men would

not see him. He did not care who saw him. He was faithful to God and knew that God would take care

of him. Well, it was not long before the assistant rulers and leaders saw Daniel praying. (Question:

What do you think those wicked men did? Answer: They went and told the king.) “Didn’t you issue a

decree that no one should pray to anyone but you for thirty days?” they asked Darius. “And didn’t that

decree say that anyone who broke that law would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

“I did,” said the king, “And the decree stands.”

“Well,” said the wicked men, grinning and rubbing their hands in pleasure, “Daniel is paying no

attention to your decree. He still prays to his God three times a day.” They knew they had King Darius

in a corner he could not wiggle out of. There was nothing he could do but have Daniel arrested and

thrown into the den of lions.

Darius was very upset. He realized that those wicked men had tricked him. He did not want Daniel to

be hurt or killed. He tried all day to come up with a way to save Daniel. But he could not change the

law he had made. Finally, the king gave the order for Daniel to be thrown into the lions’ den. He said

to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

Daniel and the Lions




Bible Story: Daniel 6 (cont.)

A stone was brought and placed over the door of the den so Daniel could not climb out. There was no

one to help him now except God. King Darius sadly went back to his palace. He was so worried aboutDaniel, he could not eat or sleep all night. Was Daniel being torn apart by the hungry lions? Would

there be nothing left but Daniel’s bones the next day?

Actually, King Darius had a much worse night than Daniel did. (Question: What happened that night

to Daniel in the lions’ den? Answer: Nothing. God shut the mouths of the lions so they could not

harm him.) As soon as the sun began to come up the next morning, King Darius hurried to the lions’

den. “Daniel, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” he

shouted.

The king was thrilled to hear Daniel’s clear voice answering him: “My God sent his angel, and he shut

the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I

ever done any wrong before you, O King.” Can you imagine? A whole night spent with a bunch of hungry lions and Daniel did not have a scratch on him! The king knew that only God’s hand on Daniel

could have kept him safe through the night.

Overjoyed, the king ordered Daniel to be lifted out of the lions’ den, safe and sound. (Question: What

do you think happened to the wicked men who had tried to get rid of Daniel? Answer: The king had

them thrown into the lions’ den and they were killed.) The king was so impressed about the way God

had kept Daniel safe, he issued another decree. This one said that everyone in his kingdom should fear

and honor the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God,” said the decree, “and he endures forever. He

rescues and he saves.” Daniel had trusted God, and God had shown everyone what a powerful and

caring God He is.

Discussion• Why didn’t Daniel pray with his windows closed to remain faithful to God, but stay out of

trouble?

• Do you think Daniel was afraid of the lions?

• What do you think happened in the lions’ den that night?

• Why didn’t God keep the lions from killing the assistant rulers and leaders when they were

thrown into the den?

• How has God rescued you?

Memory Verse

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. . . .” (Deuteronomy 33:27a)

Two words in this verse, eternal and everlasting, mean “forever or without end.” That means that God

will take care of you always, forever. There isn’t a time when He isn’t watching over you. It is like

being carried in His loving arms.

Craft Materials• patterns on page 84 and 85 • white cardstock paper • brown felt

• scissors • glue • craft stick or magnet

• crayons or markers • big wiggle eyes (optional)





Craft Directions


2. Glue the lion’s mane on brown felt and cut out.

3. Color and cut out the lion’s face and glue in center

of the brown felt side.

4. Attach a craft stick to back of head and use as a

puppet or glue a magnet to the back of head and

place on a magnetic surface.


Finished Product

Lion’s Face





Lion’s Mane




Bible Story: Jonah 1–3

Present this familiar story as a song. Have students repeat the second, third, and fourth lines with you

each time.

(Tune: “B-I-N-G-O”)

God told Jonah, “Go to Nineveh and preach my word there.”

Jonah would not go,

Jonah would not go,

Jonah would not go;

He disobeyed the Lord!

Jonah got aboard a ship and sailed the other way. Oh!

Jonah would not go,

Jonah would not go,

Jonah would not go;

He disobeyed the Lord.

Suddenly a storm came up that put the ship in danger.

Jonah said, “It’s me,”



“This storm is all my fault!”

Jonah said, “To save yourselves, throw me into the sea. Oh!

Throw me overboard,

Throw me overboard,

Throw me overboard

To stop this deadly storm.”The sailors picked old Jonah up and tossed him overboard. Oh!

The storm stopped right away,

The storm stopped right away,

The storm stopped right away

With Jonah in the sea.

Jonah and the Big Fish



Bible Story: Jonah 1–3 (cont.)

Then God sent a great, big fish to swallow Jonah whole. Oh!

He gulped Jonah down,



But Jonah did not die.

Jonah prayed inside that fish and asked God to forgive him.

That fish spit him out,

That fish spit him out,

That fish spit him outClear up on the dry ground.

Then Jonah hurried off to Nineveh to preach God’s word. Oh!

He obeyed the Lord,

He obeyed the Lord,

He obeyed the Lord

And did just what God said.

Discussion

• Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and nights. What do you think he thought about

during that time?

• The captain and sailors of the ship did not want to throw Jonah overboard, but when they did and

the storm stopped, how do you think they felt?

• God used a fish to teach Jonah a lesson. What are some other ways He teaches us what we need

to learn?

Memory Verse

“So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or tothe left.” (Deuteronomy 5:32)

God wants us to obey Him. If we do not, He has ways of convincing us to—and they are not always

fun!

Craft Materials

• patterns on page 88 and 89 • crayons or markers • gray cardstock paper

• hole punch • scissors • yarn or string






Cut mouth out.

Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns on gray cardstock paper.

2. Color and cut out patterns.

3. Place the big fish with the eyes on top of the

other fish. Be sure you cut the mouth out first.

4. Hole punch the indicated holes.

5. With the yarn, stitch the whale together. Then,

you can insert Jonah in and out of the big fish’s

mouth.


Big Fish





Jonah

Big Fish

Finished Product




Bible Stories: Luke 1–2; Matthew 2

Since the story of Jesus’birth is familiar to almost all

children, use a star as a visual aid. Make a large star out

of paper. Cut it apart into six pieces as shown to the right.

As you begin the story, mount the center of the star on a

bulletin board. As you tell the story, add the star points in

the order they are numbered. Print key words on each

point of the star to remind students of the details of Jesus’

birth. Suggestions are given in the story. To involve

students in the story, give each one a smaller cut-apart

star. Have them put their stars together as you put the

large one together.

(Put the center of the star on the board .) One day God sent an angel with a very important message toa young woman named Mary. “You are going to have a baby boy,” the angel said. “You are to name

Him Jesus. He will be God’s Son.” ( Attach star point 1 to the left side of the star. Print key words on

the point, such as MARY CHOSEN .) Mary could not believe it! She was not even married. Then the

angel explained that God was going to be the Father of her son. She did not understand it, but she

believed the angel when he said, “Nothing is impossible with God.” Mary loved God and was honored

that God had chosen her to give birth to His Son.

Later, an angel appeared to Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, to explain what was happening.

Sometime later, the Roman emporer issued a decree that everyone in the Roman empire would be

counted. This was called a census. Everyone had to go to his hometown to sign up for the census.

This meant that Joseph had to go to the town of Bethlehem. He decided to take Mary with him since

her baby would be born sometime soon. Of course, that census was no accident. God arranged the

whole thing so His Son would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David, just as the prophets had said

hundreds of years before! (Micah 5:2) Joseph and Mary may have wished they did not have to take

the trip to Bethlehem right then, but it was all part of God’s plan. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the

city was crowded with many other people who had come to sign up for the census. There was no room

in the inn for Mary and Joseph. Instead, they spent the night in a stable where animals slept. ( Attach

star point 2 to the top of the star. Print key words on the point, such as BETHLEHEM STABLE .) That

night Jesus was born in the stable. Mary laid him in a manger, a box usually filled with food for the

animals. The Son of God went to sleep in the hay.

In the fields outside Bethlehem were flocks of sheep being watched over by their shepherds. They

spent the nights lying outside under the starry sky. Usually, the only sound the shepherds heard weresoft bleats from some restless sheep. But that night something very exciting happened. An angel

appeared to the shepherds. They were very afraid, but the angel told them not to be afraid because he

had good news for them. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you,” the angel told

them. “This will be a sign to you: You will find the baby lying in a manger.” ( Attach star point 3 to

the right side of the star. Print key words on the point such as ANGEL’S ANNOUNCEMENT .) Then

suddenly, the sky was filled with angels praising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest!” The

shepherds could not believe their eyes and ears.

Jesus Is Born




Bible Stories: Luke 1–2; Matthew 2 (cont.)

As suddenly as the angels had appeared, they were gone. The shepherds looked at one another and

said, “Let us go to Bethlehem and find this baby the Lord has told us about.” They looked around townand found Mary and Joseph in the stable, and there was Jesus, just as the angel had promised. ( Attach

star point 4 to the bottom right of the star. Print key words on the point such as SHEPHERDS .) They

told everyone about seeing God’s Son in the stable, and those who heard about it were amazed.

A couple of years later, when Jesus and Mary and Joseph were living in a house in Bethlehem, they had

more visitors. Wise men, called magi, from the east had seen a special star in the sky that told them

God’s Son had been born. They traveled a great distance to find Him. When they got to Jerusalem, the

capital city of Judea, they went to the king’s palace to ask where they could find the King of the Jews.

Of course, they thought such an important person would be at the palace. The king called the Jewish

chief priests and Bible teachers to find out if they knew anything about Him. They looked in the book

of Micah in the Bible and discovered that God’s Son was to be born in Bethlehem. That is where thewise men went and the special star led them right to the house where Jesus was living. They were so

happy to finally meet Jesus. ( Attach star point 5 to the bottom left of the star. Print key words on the

point such as WISE MEN .) They gave Him expensive gifts, and bowed down and worshipped the little

boy. ( The king had asked them to let him know where they found Jesus but God warned the wise men

in a dream not to tell the king. When they left Bethlehem, they went home a different way so they

would not have to go back through Jerusalem. God worked out all the details of Jesus’ birth and kept

Him safe so He could grow up and be the Savior of the world. (Print on the center of the star “Happy

Birthday, Jesus!”)

Discussion

• How did Mary show that she had great faith in God?

• Why do you think God planned for Jesus to be born in a stable instead of a palace?

• Shepherds were not important people in Bible times. Why do you think God sent the first

announcement of Jesus’ birth to them?

• How can we be more like those shepherds?

Memory Verse

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not

perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Perish means die. Jesus came to die for our sins so we would not have to. What can we have if we

believe in Him? (Eternal life)

Craft Materials

• patterns on pages 92 and 93 • blue paper plates • scissors

• white cardstock paper • crayons or markers • glue gun

• glue • glitter (optional)

Jesus Is Born




Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns from pages 92 and 93 on white cardstock paper.

2. Color and cut out the patterns.

3. Get two blue paper plates. Cut one of the plates half and flip it over. Glue the two pieces

together forming a pocket.

4. Glue the star to the beams. (Optional: Use gold glitter on the star) Then glue the piece to the

top corner of the whole plate.

5. Glue the Bethlehem scene to the front of the half plate. Now you have a card holder.

Jesus Is Born

Finished Product

Star Beams




Jesus Is Born

Bethlehem Scene




Bible Story: Matthew 3; 14:1-12

Illustrate this story as you tell it with simple, stick-figures or sketches on the board as shown. To get

students involved, you may want to have them copy your stick figures on paper or create their own.When God sent an angel to Mary to tell her she was going to give

birth to Jesus, God’s Son, the angel also told her that a relative of

hers, Elizabeth, was also going to have a child. Elizabeth’s child was

born first and was named John. He grew up to become John the

Baptist, a great preacher. John had one main message which he

preached wherever he went: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is

near.” God had chosen John to prepare people for the coming of His

Son Jesus. He was called “the Baptist” because he baptized many

people who believed his words and repented of their sins.

John always drew crowds of people wherever he preached. He didnot look like anyone else. He wore rough clothing made from

camel’s hair with a leather belt. He seemed to spend most of his

time out in the desert, and he ate mostly wild honey and locusts

(bugs that looked like large grasshoppers). Locusts were often eaten

by poor people. Even though people liked to listen to his fiery

sermons, John the Baptist was not a popular man. He did not tell

people what they wanted to hear. He told them the truth. Sometimes

he called sinful people “vipers” (snakes). He even publicly accused

government leaders of doing evil things. He did not care what

people thought of him; he only wanted to do God’s will.

Some people thought John might be the Messiah, but he assuredthem he was not. “There is one coming after me who is so much

better,” he told them, “I don’t even deserve to carry his sandals.” He

was talking about Jesus. One day while John was preaching near the

Jordan River, he saw Jesus walking toward him. “Look,” John said.

“It is the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world.”

Jesus walked right up to John and asked to be baptized. “Oh no,”

said John. “I should not be baptizing you! You should baptize me!”

But Jesus insisted, so John took Him to the river and baptized him.

Suddenly, a dove came flying down from the blue sky and set down

on Jesus’ shoulder. It was actually the Holy Spirit in a formeveryone could see. Then God spoke from heaven: “This is my Son,

whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Herod, the king of that area of the country, knew that John the

Baptist was a holy man of God. He actually enjoyed listening to the

preacher, but when John accused the king of taking his brother’s

wife, Herod had John arrested. He actually wanted to have John

killed, but he was afraid the people would revolt if he did. So John

was kept in prison.

John the Baptist




Bible Story: Matthew 3; 14:1-12 (cont.)

On Herod’s birthday he gave a fine dinner and invited many

guests. His wife arranged for special entertainment—herdaughter would dance for the king. He enjoyed the sinful dance

very much and, probably drunk by that time, Herod promised to

give her anything she wanted for entertaining him. The girl’s

mother told her what to request. “I want John the Baptist’s head

on a platter,” she told Herod. The king was upset, but he ordered

that John be killed and his head be brought to her on a platter.

The girl carried the grisly gift to her mother who was glad to be

rid of the preacher.

Later, when people heard Jesus preach and saw Him perform

miracles, some of them, including King Herod, believed He was

John the Baptist coming back from the dead. Jesus describedJohn this way: “Among those born of women there has not

risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.”

Discussion

• What do you think John’s message—“Repent, for the

kingdom of heaven is near”—meant?

• What do you think was John’s goal in life?

• Why do you think some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist coming back from the dead?

Memory Verse“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32)

John the Baptist told people what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. They needed to

repent of their sins. After all, Jesus had come into the world to die for people’s sins!

Craft Materials




• scissors• glue

Craft Directions



3. Glue the wing on the front of the dove at the bottom so you can flip it down to memorize the

verse.

John the Baptist




“ I h a

v e n o t

c o m

e

t o g e t

t h o

s e w

h o

t h i n

k t h e

y a r e

r i g h

t

w i t h

G o d

t o f o

l l o w m e

.

I h a v e

c o m

e t o g e t

s i n n

e r s t

o t u r

n a w a

y

f r o m

t h e

i r s i

n s . ”

L u k e

5 : 3 2

John the Baptist

Dove Pattern




“ I h a v e n o t c o m e

t o g e t t h o s e w h o

t h i n k t h e y a r e r i g h t

w i t h G o d t o f o l l o w m e .

I h a v e c o m e t o g e t

s i n n e r s t o t u r n a w a y

f r o m t h e i r s i n s .” Lu k e 5 : 3 2

John the Baptist

Wing Pattern

Finished Product




Bible Story: Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9-13

To tell this story and help students remember the names of the twelve disciples, use an egg carton and

twelve paper circles. Cover the inside of the egg carton lid with paper or paint it a light color. Then print on the inside lid, “Jesus’12 Disciples.” Attach the egg carton, by the lid, to a bulletin board so

all your students can see it. Cut 12 circles, the right size to fit into the egg carton cups, from yellow

construction paper. Print a disciple’s name on each of the circles. As you mention the names of the

disciples, put the circles in the egg carton cups.

One day when Jesus was walking by the sea, he saw two brothers, Andrew and Peter, fishing with a big

net. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said to them, “and I will make you fishers of men.” The two fishermen

had met Jesus before and knew He was a wonderful preacher who spoke of God. They put down their

net and walked away from their job to follow Jesus and be His disciples or students. (Place the Andrew

and Peter circles in the egg carton.)

A little farther along the beach, Jesus saw brothers James and John in a boat with their father. Theywere working on their fishing nets. Jesus invited them to follow Him, and they did. (Place the James

and John circles in the egg carton.) Now Jesus had four fishermen to travel with Him and learn what

He had to teach them about living for God. They went everywhere with Him and watched in

amazement as He made sick people well and helped paralyzed people walk again.

One day after healing a man, Jesus saw a tax collector named Matthew. “Follow me,” Jesus said.

Matthew immediately left his tax booth and went with Jesus. That night Jesus went to Matthew’s

house for dinner. (Place the Matthew circle in the egg carton.) On another day Jesus invited Philip to

follow Him. Philip not only followed Jesus; he also went and told his friend Nathanael (also called

Bartholomew) about Him. “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom

the prophets also wrote,” Philip said. Nathanael was not sure he believed Philip; but when he met

Jesus, he, too, became His disciple. (Place the Philip and Nathanael circles in the egg carton.)

The Bible does not tell us how the other five disciples met Jesus. We do not even know much about

them. Thomas was a twin who doubted the other disciples when they told Him Jesus had risen from

the dead. (Place the Thomas circle in the egg carton.) Thaddaeus was also called Judas, son of James.

(Place the Thaddaeus circle in the egg carton.) Simon the Zealot had been a member of a political

party called the Zealots that wanted to overthrow the Roman government. (Place the Simon the Zealot

circle in the egg carton.) Judas Iscariot served as the treasurer of the group of disciples. He later

betrayed Jesus and then killed himself. (Place the Judas Iscariot circle in the egg carton.) We do not

know anything about James son of Alphaeus. (Place the James son of Alphaeus circle in the egg

carton.)

Jesus picked the twelve disciples carefully, but they were not perfect or educated men. One of them,

Judas, was not even honest! But, since Jesus was God, He knew all about each of the men. He knew

the questions they had but were afraid to ask. He understood that they did not realize who He was.

But He chose them to learn from Him what they needed to know so they could carry on His work after

He was gone. The disciples were the first leaders of the church after Jesus went back to heaven. They

were certainly not perfect. Peter later denied even knowing Jesus. James and John asked Jesus to let

them sit on either side of Him, the most honored places, in His kingdom. The other disciples were

angry when they heard about it. Jesus told them He could not give them what they asked for. He spent

almost three years trying to teach His disciples the importance of serving others rather than trying to

Jesus and His Disciples




Bible Story: Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9-13 (cont.)

Jesus taught them about loving God, being peacemakers, loving their enemies, not holding grudges, and

more. They learned from Him how to pray, how not to worry, not to judge other people, and to give tothe needy. In one of Jesus’ sermons He said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to

him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7–8) He was pointing out the importance of

telling their needs and requests to God who promised to listen and answer.

Jesus’ disciples loved Him, except for Judas who only loved himself, but they did not understand Him.

Much of what he taught them did not really get through to them until after His death. Then He

astounded them by coming back to life. He spent 40 more days teaching them; then Jesus went back to

heaven. The disciples were on their own, but not for long. Jesus had told them that when He was

gone, He would send the Holy Spirit to help comfort them. When the Holy Spirit came, He gave the

disciples courage and wisdom that helped them witness for Jesus and lead new Christians to form the

first church.

Discussion

• Why do you think Jesus chose such imperfect men to be His disciples?

• The twelve original disciples were able to learn from Jesus in the flesh. Jesus is no longer

walking on the earth with us, as a man, but how can we still learn from Him?

• The definition of a disciple is “a follower or student.” How can you be a disciple of Jesus?

Memory Verse

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

What does it mean to fish for men? It means telling other people about God’s love for them which sent

Jesus to Earth to die for their sins. Who will you tell about Jesus?

Craft Materials

• patterns on page 100 • white cardstock paper • brad fastener

• crayons or markers • scissors

Craft Directions


2. Color and then cut out the patterns.

3. Poke a brad fastener through the eye of the fish

and the boat to connect them at the black dots.

The fish should cover the words at the bottom

of the boat.

4. Read the words at the top of the boat, then

move the fish to read the words under it.


Finished Product





Jesus said,

“Follow me.”

“I will make youfishers of men.”

Fish Pattern

Boat Pattern




Bible Story: Matthew 6:5–13

Choose three students to read the parts in this interview. You be the interviewer. Then as you talk

about the Lord’s pattern for prayer, ask questions to make sure students understand what it means.Interviewer: We know that prayer is important, but what is the right way to pray? Let’s ask some

people what they think. Excuse me, are you a person of prayer?

Student 1: Oh, yes, of course! I pray three times every day.

Interviewer: How do you pray?

Student 1: I go stand on the busiest street corner I can find. Then I raise my hands toward heaven

and when I am sure everyone is watching, I pray in a very loud voice so everyone can

hear me. Sometimes I get quite a crowd of people gathered around.

Interviewer: And you really think that works?

Student 1: Well, actually, I do not know if it works or not. I have never had any of my prayers

answered.

Interviewer: Let’s find out what somebody else thinks. How often do you pray?

Student 2: I pray all the time, all day and all night, constantly.

Interviewer: How do you do that?

Student 2: Well, I write my prayer out on a very long piece of paper. Then I attach the prayer

paper to my flagpole. The wind blows the strip of paper, and my prayer blows up to

God. (Wave your hand like something blowing in the wind .) Neat, huh?

Interviewer: That does not seem very personal. Does God listen to your prayers?Student 2: How should I know?

Student 3: Of course not! (Poking interviewer in the arm.) Let me tell you the right way to pray.

Interviewer: OK, how do you pray?

Student 3: When I want something from God, I get on my knees, fold my hands, bow my head,

and close my eyes. Then I repeat what I want over and over a bunch of times. ( Bow

down, fold your hands, close your eyes and say, “A good grade in math, a good grade

in math, a good grade in math, a good grade in math.”)

Interviewer: (Talking to class) Hmm, do you think this is the way God wants us to pray? ( Let

students answer .) Let’s go to the Bible to find out what Jesus said about prayer.(Turn to Matthew 6:5–13. Have students do the same. Read Matthew 6:5–6 .) Does

God want us to perform loud prayers so everyone will see us and think how good we

are? What should we do instead? ( Let students answer according to what the Bible

says.) Do you think verse 6 means we can only pray in the closet?

What Jesus meant was that we should talk to God in private. That does not mean that

we cannot also talk to Him in church with other Christians. And, of course, we can talk

to him silently no matter where we are. The important thing is to talk to God because

we love Him, not to make a big show for people.

The Lord’s Prayer



Bible Story: Matthew 6:5–13 (cont.)

Interviewer: ( Read Matthew 6:7–8 aloud .) Does God want us to say the same thing over and over in

our prayers, like a chant? ( Let students answer .) No, He wants us to talk to Him likewe talk to our parents or to a friend. We can tell Him anything. And we do not need to

keep asking for what we want over and over. We should just ask Him, then trust Him to

answer in His time according to His will.

Jesus gave His followers this pattern for prayer. He did not mean that we have to use

the same words He used, but we should include these ideas in our prayers. ( Read verse

9.) We should praise God and thank Him for who He is. ( Read verse 10.) We should

ask God for His will to be done on Earth. That means that we are willing to do what He

wants. ( Read verse 11.) We can ask God to supply not just bread, but whatever we

need for each day. Then we need to trust Him and not worry about our needs. ( Read

verse 12.) God wants us to confess our sins to Him, ask for His forgiveness, and

forgive others. ( Read verse 13.) We should ask God to guide us and help us not to sin,but to obey Him. The devil wants to trick us into doing wrong, but God wants to help

us to do right.

( Hold up a hand and have children do the same. Review the five parts of prayer as you

count each one off on a finger. Finger 1: Praise God. Finger 2: Ask for God’s will.

Finger 3: Tell God your needs. Finger 4: Confess sins. Thumb: Ask God to guide.

That was Jesus’ pattern for prayer.)

Discussion

• Where can we pray? How often should we pray?

• What should our prayer posture be—standing? kneeling? hands folded? lying down?

• How long should our prayers be?

Memory Verse

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

God said we should not worry, but we should talk to Him about our problems, our needs, and about

anything else. He is able to help us and He wants to hear from us often.

Craft Materials• pattern on page 103 • white paper or cardstock paper

• crayons or markers • colored construction paper

Craft Directions

1. Copy pattern on white paper or cardstock paper.

2. Color the page and mount on colored construction paper for durability.


The Lord’s Prayer



“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,

your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily

bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.


The Lord’s Prayer

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’”

For thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory

forever. Amen’”




Bible Story: John 6:1–15

Make this story come alive for students by having the whole group participate. Bring enough cooked

fish sticks and bread so that each student can have some. (Just a bite of fish for each student isenough, but bring a lot of bread so they can have more than one helping. Also, check for possible food

allergies before serving.) Choose a student to be the boy who gave his lunch and a few other students

to be disciples. Give the boy some of the fish and bread in a basket. Have the students pantomime

their parts as you play the part of Jesus.

One day Jesus was teaching about God and healing sick people. A huge crowd of people watched the

miracles He did and listened to Him. After awhile, Jesus took His disciples to a mountainside so they

could be by themselves, (Walk with the disciples to a corner of the room.) but the crowd followed them.

It had been a long day, and everyone was hungry. Some of the disciples suggested that Jesus send the

people away so they would go home and get something to eat. But Jesus had something else in mind.

He asked Philip, “Where can we buy food for all these people?” But, of course, Jesus already knew

what He was going to do.

Philip told Jesus that it would take eight months worth of wages (salary) to buy enough food for the

crowd of more than 5,000 people. (Philip counts on his fingers, then gestures at the crowd .) The

disciples did not have nearly enough money in their treasurey to buy food for the people. Then Andrew

brought a little boy to Jesus. The boy had brought a lunch with him—five small loaves of bread and

two little fish. He was willing to share it. Did Andrew think such a small lunch would feed all those

people? Maybe he hoped Jesus would use them to do another miracle, and Jesus did!

He had all the people sit on the grass. ( Have students sit on the floor.) Jesus took the boy’s lunch and

thanked God for it. ( Bow your head and pretend to pray.) Then He broke the fish and bread into

pieces and gave them to His disciples to pass around the crowd. (Put the bread and fish in baskets for

students to pass out. Make sure all the students in the crowd, the little boy, and the disciples have some fish and bread .) The people sat on the grass and had a picnic like nobody had ever seen before.

It was amazing! Everyone ate as much bread and fish as they wanted. They ate; then they had

seconds. Some even had third helpings of the food. Finally, every person was full. Then Jesus told

His disciples to send the baskets around to collect the leftovers so that nothing would be wasted. ( Have

the student disciples pass baskets around .) They collected 12 baskets of leftover fish and bread. That

was 12 times as much as they started with. The disciples could have another meal from them. What

had started out as a small lunch for one little boy turned into a feast for more than 5,000 people!

The people who had just been fed knew they had experienced a miracle. There was no other

explanation for the way the small amount of food had been enough for everyone. They began talking

to one another, discussing Jesus. They decided He would make a great king! With the miracles Hecould perform, they would have everything they ever wanted. Nobody in the country would have to go

hungry again because Jesus could provide food with another miracle. Jesus knew what they were

thinking, so He left and went away by Himself. When the people looked around, He was gone. Where

was Jesus? He had gone up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. People began heading for home,

and the disciples got into a boat and headed for the other side of the lake.

Feeding Five Thousand




Discussion

• How do you think the little boy felt when Jesus fed the whole crowd with his small lunch?

• When Jesus prayed to thank God for the food, it was a good example for us to follow. Do youpray before each meal, thanking God for the food He gives you?

• The people were so impressed with Jesus’ miracle of providing food, they forgot what He had

been teaching them. He later said to them, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that

endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (John 6:27) What do you think

Jesus meant?

Memory Verse

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who

believes in me will never be thirsty.’” (John 6:35)

The people wanted Jesus to do more miracles for them, to provide more food. But Jesus told them He

had something much better for them than food. He wanted to give them eternal life. They were asking

Him for physical things, but He was talking about spiritual things.

Craft Materials



• crayons or markers

• scissors

• tape

Craft Directions



3. Cut the dashed lines on the basket.

4. Fold each side up and tape the flaps

together to form a basket.

5. Place the fish and loaves of bread patternsin the basket. (Optional: Trying using

fish-shaped crackers to put in the basket.)


Finished Product





Basket Pattern





Fish and Loaves of Bread Patterns



Bible Story: Matthew 14:22–33 As you tell this Bible story, have students copy the actions you do.

Jesus’ friends were out in a boat on the stormy sea,

( Look scared as you sway from side to side as if in a boat being rocked by a storm.)

Afraid that they were going to drown. Help! God, save me!

( Raise folded hands toward heaven and look up as if praying.)

Jesus stepped on the water and then walked out to their boat.

(Walk a few steps.)

When they saw Him, they shouted in fear, “Look, there comes a ghost!”

(Point and look scared.)

Jesus told them, “Don’t be afraid. It’s not a ghost; it’s Me.”

(Spread arms in a welcoming gesture.)

Peter said, “Lord, if it is You, tell me to walk on the sea.”

(Shade eyes with one hand and look as if trying to see in the dark.)

“Come,” said Jesus, and Peter went, stepping with great care.

(Take a few cautious steps with arms held out to balance yourself.)

Then Peter looked away from the Lord and saw water everywhere!

( Look around in fear; then put hands over eyes.)

Peter stopped walking and started to sink. “Lord, save me!” he cried.

( Hold one arm over your head as you bend your knees and slowly sink down.)


Jesus Walks on Water



Bible Story: Matthew 14:22–33 (cont.)

Jesus reached down, grabbed Peter’s hand, and brought him safely to His side.

( Reach up one hand and quickly rise from your low position.)

“Why did you doubt?” Jesus asked. “Why is your faith so small?”

(Pinch together first finger and thumb to indicate “small.”)

And when they both got into the boat, the wind wasn’t blowing at all!

(Turn around and look everywhere in wonder.)

“Truly, You are the Son of God,” the other disciples said.

( Bow down.)

Jesus had come and saved them all when they thought they soon would be dead.

(Stand up and hold your hands over your head.)

They worshiped Him, amazed that He could quiet a stormy sea

( Hold out hands as if calming the sea.)

And just as Jesus cared for them, He cares for you and me.

(Point to someone else, then yourself.)

Discussion

• Why do you think the disciples did not recognize Jesus when He appeared on the water?

• If Peter had enough faith to walk on the water, why did he start to sink?

• Why do you think His disciples decided Jesus was the Son of God?

Memory Verse

“And without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6a)

Peter had enough faith to start to obey Jesus, but not enough faith to keep it up. God is pleased when

we have faith in Him, and He wants to help our faith grow. He wants us to trust Him in both good

times and bad times.






Craft Materials



• craft sticks


• scissors

• glue

Craft Directions


2. Color and cut out the picture of Jesus.

3. Cut a slit on the water in the boat picture whereindicated.

4. Glue the figure of Jesus to a craft stick and insert

into the slit of the picture to make Jesus walk on

water.


Finished Product

Jesus Pattern




Bible Story: John 3:1–21; 7:50–52; 19:38–42

Ask pertinent questions of students to help them understand the story of Jesus and Nicodemus.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council. Many of the men he worked with

and spent his time with hated Jesus. Why do you think they hated Jesus? ( Let students answer .) The

Pharisees were important men in the Jewish religion. They made up all kinds of rules for people to

follow. For example, the Pharisees said that because one of God’s Ten Commandments said you should

keep the Sabbath day holy, that meant that if your cow fell in a ditch on the Sabbath, you could not pull

it out! You had to leave it there until the Sabbath was over. God had said no work should be done on

the Sabbath, but the Pharisees decided for everyone else what “work” meant. They made up so many

rules, people could not begin to keep track of them all, let alone follow them. Jesus said the Pharisees

did not really care about people pleasing God; they just wanted to have everyone do what they said.

When Jesus taught that people could not be saved by keeping rules and trying to be good, the Pharisees

were horrified. That idea went against everything for which they stood. Jesus said salvation was free if

people would believe in Him. The Pharisees accused Him of blasphemy and telling lies because they

did not believe He was the Son of God. So the Pharisees did not want to have anything to do with

Jesus except to get rid of Him.

Nicodemus was in an uncomfortable position. He was curious about Jesus. He had heard some of His

teachings and he had seen Him perform wonderful miracles. He knew Jesus could not have done those

things unless God were with Him. Nicodemus decided to go talk to Jesus. He knew the other

Pharisees would either make fun of him or, more likely, be very angry with him if they knew he was

talking with Jesus, for they considered Him to be the Pharisees’ enemy. So, Nicodemus waited until

dark to go see Jesus. The first thing Jesus said to Nicodemus was, “You must be born again.”

Nicodemus had no idea what He was talking about. What do you think Jesus meant? ( Let students

share what being born again means.)

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely, he cannot enter a second time

into his mother’s womb.” Then Jesus explained that He was talking about spiritual birth, not physical

birth. He told Nicodemus that he needed to be born of the Spirit. Nicodemus still did not understand.

Jesus made a very important statement to Nicodemus. It is probably the most well-known statement in

the whole Bible. Say John 3:16 with me. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only

Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” What does “perish” mean?

(Let students answer that it means to die.) Again, Jesus was not talking about physical life, but

spiritual life. Those of us who believe in Jesus still have to die someday. And when our bodies die, we

will go to heaven forever.

When their conversation was over and Nicodemus went back home, did he understand everything Jesus

had told him? Probably not, but he understood enough to believe in Jesus. He did not stop being a

Pharisee and become one of Jesus’ disciples. Apparently, Nicodemus kept his belief in Jesus a secret

from the Pharisees. A year or so later, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, a Jewish

religious celebration. The Pharisees knew He was there, and were watching for Him. One day Jesus

stood up in the temple courts and began teaching. People were amazed at what He had to say. “How

did this man get such learning without having studied?” some people asked.

Jesus and Nicodemus




Bible Story: John 3:1–21; 7:50–52; 19:38–42

Jesus said He was only teaching what God wanted Him to teach. He said that God had sent Him.

Some of the Pharisees tried to grab Him and keep Him from talking, but they failed. Many of thepeople who heard Jesus that day put their faith in Him. This made the Pharisees and other Jewish

religious leaders even more determined to shut Him up. They sent temple guards to arrest Him, but

they were not able to get Him either. In fact, the guards went back to the Pharisees and said, “No one

ever spoke the way this man does.”

“You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees asked angrily. “Have any of the rulers or of the

Pharisees believed in him? No!” How do you think Nicodemus felt when he heard his fellow

Pharisees say that? ( Let students answer.)

Nicodemus did not stand up and say, “I believe in Jesus!” But he did ask them, “Does our law

condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?” Of course, they immediately

made fun of him and shot him down. They already had their minds made up that Jesus was atroublemaker, and they were not about to listen to Nicodemus’ reasonable arguments.

When Jesus was executed, it was the Pharisees and other religious leaders who were responsible. They

paid Jesus’ disciple Judas to betray Him to soldiers who arrested Him. When Jesus was nailed to a

cross, the Pharisees watched Him die and felt glad that they had finally gotten rid of Him. But

Nicodemus was not glad. He was very sad. He had kept his belief in Jesus a secret from most people,

but it was Nicodemus who went with a friend named Joseph, also a member of the Jewish Council and

a secret believer, to take Jesus’ body away to bury it. The two men gently carried Jesus’ battered body

to Joseph’s own tomb, wrapped it in strips of linen with sweet smelling spices, and laid it inside.

The Bible does not tell us what happened to Nicodemus, or Joseph, after that. They must have been

thrilled when Jesus rose from the tomb, alive again. Perhaps Nicodemus remained in the Jewish rulingcouncil and kept trying to influence other Pharisees to accept Jesus.

Discussion

• Do you think Nicodemus truly loved Jesus? Why or why not?

• Do you think Nicodemus was brave or cowardly?

• Do you think Jesus wants those who believe in Him to tell other people about Him? Have you

ever told anyone else that you love Jesus and why?

• Why is telling others about Jesus often difficult? Who told you about Jesus?

Memory Verse“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not

perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Nicodemus was a timid Christian. He kept his beliefs to himself. We will never know what might

have happened if he had been open and had told his fellow Pharisees about Jesus. They might have

mocked him or thrown him out of the Jewish Council; but some might have believed. If we are not

willing to tell others about Jesus, how will we ever know if they might believe or not?

©Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 113

Jesus and Nicodemus




Craft Materials

• patterns on pages 114 and 115 • scissors

• crayons or markers • tape

• white cardstock paper • glue

Craft Directions


2. Color all pictures. Then cut out the picture of the

world and the paper strip.

3. Glue or tape the ends of the paper strip together so it is

a circular shape. Glue the circular piece to the back of

the world.

4. Then glue or tape the world just below the children on

page 115 so the world pops out of the picture.

Jesus and Nicodemus

Finished Product




“ F o r G o d

s o l o v e d t h e w o r l d t h a

t H e g a v e H

i s o n e

a n d o n l y S o n , t h a t w

h o e v e r b e l

i e v e s i n H i m s

h a l l

n o t p e r i s h b u t h a v e e t e

r n a l l i f e . ”

( J o h n 3 : 1 6 )




Bible Story: John 4:1–30, 39–42

Choose students to act the parts of the woman, John (Jesus’ disciple), and a couple of townspeople for

this interview. Choose a good reader to be the interviewer, or play that part yourself. To add realism,have each actor wear a cloth headdress (burnoose) like people wore in Bible times. You will also need

a real or toy hand-held microphone for the interviewer.

Interviewer: We are here in Samaria today to talk with some people who recently had an encounter

with Jesus the Nazarene, who has been traveling around preaching, doing some amazing

things, and claiming to be the Messiah. Our first guest is a woman who met Jesus at a

well. (Walks over to woman.) Thank you for allowing us to interview you today.

Woman: I am eager to tell about meeting Jesus!

Interviewer: It was at the site known as Jacob’s well. Right?

Woman: Yes, I go there every day around noon to fill my water jar. I rarely meet anybody thereat that time of day, so I was surprised to see a man sitting next to the well. I did not

know who He was, but I could tell right away that He was a Jew.

Interviewer: And you are a Samaritan. Right?

Woman: Yes, so I was even more surprised when the Jewish man spoke to me. You know, most

Jews despise Samaritans. They will not even walk on the same side of the road we are

on, and they would certainly never speak to one of us!

Interviewer: What did Jesus say to you?

Woman: He asked me to get Him a drink of water. I could not believe it! Most Jews would

never touch anything a Samaritan touched, let alone drink from a Samaritan’s cup!

When I told Him what I was thinking, He said to me, “If you knew the gift of God and

who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given

you living water.”

Interviewer: What did He mean?

Woman: I had no idea! But then He explained that the living water He could give me was

eternal life. That was something I definitely wanted, so I asked Him to give it to me.

But, instead, He told me to go get my husband. I told Him I am not married.

Somehow, He knew that the man I was living with was not my husband, even though I

have been married five times! I thought He must be a prophet to know such personal

things about me. I tried to change the subject, to talk about the difference between

where Samaritans and Jews worship, but Jesus pointed out that the place is not as

important as whom we worship. I told Him that I knew the Messiah would explain all

that sort of thing when He comes.

Interviewer: Then what?

Woman: Then Jesus said something that made me sit down in amazement. He said He was the

Messiah!

Interviewer: Did you believe Him?

The Woman at the Well




Bible Story: John 4:1–30, 39–42 (cont.)

Woman: Yes, I did.

Interviewer: Thanks for taking the time to share this experience with us. (Woman walks away and John walks up.) Now we want to talk with John, one of Jesus’ followers, to find out

what happened next. Thanks for coming, John. Tell us what you thought when you

saw Jesus talking to a woman at the well.

John: Well, we were all surprised to see Him talking to a woman, especially a Samaritan

woman. We had walked into town to buy some food and thought He was resting. But

Jesus is always doing something surprising! She left shortly after we got there. She

seemed excited as she picked up her water jar and hurried away.

Interviewer: Thanks, John, for talking with us. (John walks away and two townspeople come up.)

To hear the rest of the story, we have invited a couple of people from the woman’s town

to tell us what they know. Did you talk to the woman after she had been with Jesus?

Person 1: I did. In fact, I think I was one of the first people she ran into when she got to town.

She was excited when she told me, “Come, see a man who told me everything I did.

Could this be the Christ?” Then she ran off to tell some other people the same thing.

Person 2: By the time she had told several of us what had happened, we wanted to meet Jesus for

ourselves, so we went to Jacob’s Well right away.

Person 1: Jesus talked with all of us who went out to meet Him. He did not care that we are

Samaritans! Many of us believed in Him.

Person 2: Yes, in fact, we asked Him to stay with us for a couple of days so He could teach us

more. He accepted our invitation, and even more Samaritans believed in Him.

Interviewer: So you believed in Him not just because of what the woman told you, but because of

what Jesus, Himself, told you?

Both Persons: Yes! That’s right! We know He is the Savior of the world!

Interviewer: Well, that is our report from Samaria. Stay tuned to this station for all the latest news

on the effect Jesus the Nazarene is having on this land. See you next time!

Discussion

• What did the Samaritan woman do that showed she believed in Jesus?

• What happened as a result of her telling others about Jesus?• What are some ways we can be witnesses for Jesus?

Memory Verse

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:11)

Jesus offered the woman at the well eternal life, and she accepted it by believing in Him; so did the

people from her town. He offers eternal life to anyone who will accept Him as his or her Savior.





Craft Materials


• crayons or markers • glue or tape


Craft Directions


2. Color all the pictures. Then cut out the picture of

the water jar.

3. Cut the 1" x 3" strip of paper and glue or tape the

ends together so it is a circular shape. Glue the

circular piece to the front of the well.4. Then glue or tape the back of the water jar to the

circular piece so the jar pops out of the picture.


Paper Strip Water Jar Pattern

Finished Product




Bible Story: Psalm 23; John 10

Let everyone act out this story as you tell it. You be the Good Shepherd and let your students be sheep.

Before the story, place a paper cup of water for each student on a table. On another table place asnack such as popcorn or cereal on napkins. Bring a cane to use as the shepherd’s staff.

When David was a young boy taking care of his family’s sheep, he wrote a beautiful psalm comparing

God to a shepherd. ( Have students walk with you around the room as you talk.) “The Lord is my

shepherd,” he wrote. “I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.” David was

describing how a shepherd takes care of his sheep. He leads them to places where the grass is fresh

and green so they can eat. ( Have students follow you to the snack table and eat the snack .) “He leads

me beside quiet waters,” David said. As an experienced shepherd, he knew that sheep will not drink

water from a rushing stream. They will only drink from calm, still water. ( Have students follow you to

the other table and each drink some water .) Like a shepherd, God cares for us and provides what we

need. In those days, shepherds were often with their sheep day and night. It was up to the shepherd toprotect his sheep from wild animals. ( Have students walk around the room with you again.) Even

young David killed a lion and a bear to keep them from killing his sheep. Sheep feel safe with their

shepherd, so they can lie down and sleep in peace. ( Have students lie down and pretend to sleep.) We

know that God watches over us and protects us, too. We do not have to worry or ever be afraid because

He is always with us, like a shepherd.

Sometimes sheep get into trouble. One might go astray from the rest of the flock. ( Have one student

go off on his own and crawl under a table or kneel behind a chair .) On its own, the sheep might get

hurt or caught in a place from which it cannot escape. As soon as the shepherd sees that one of his

sheep is missing, he goes to look for it. When he finds the lost sheep, he helps it up. ( Reach out the

cane for the student to grab onto and gently pull him or her up. Then walk back to the other sheep

with your hand on the student’s shoulder .) Then he leads the wayward sheep back where it belongs.Doesn’t God do that for us? When we disobey Him and go our own way, we often get into trouble.

But when we confess our sin to Him, He forgives us and welcomes us home.

Hundreds of years later, Jesus used the example of a shepherd to explain His loving care for us. “I am

the good shepherd,” He said. Jesus said that He knows each of His sheep by name. (Touch each

student on the head and say his or her name.) Sometimes to keep his sheep safe, a shepherd puts

bushes and branches together and makes a pen or sheep fold for them. ( Lead students into a corner of

the room.) He leads the sheep into the fold, then to make sure nothing can get in to hurt them, the

shepherd himself lies down at the entrance to the fold. (Kneel down or sit at the “gate” of the sheep

fold .) He becomes the “gate” to keep wild animals or thieves away from his sheep. That is what Jesus

does for us.“I lay down my life for the sheep,” Jesus said. He was not talking just about lying down at the sheep

fold entrance; He was talking about dying. (Stretch out your arms as if on a cross.) Jesus loves us so

much, He willingly gave His life to take the punishment we deserve for our sins. Isaiah the prophet

said in the Old Testament that we are all like sheep that have gone astray and God put our sins on

Jesus, our Good Shepherd. He died for us, but then He came back to life! And because He came back

to life, we can have eternal life.

David was right. With the Lord as our shepherd, there is nothing else we could ever need!

The Good Shepherd




Discussion

• How do you think people are like sheep?

• What happens when we do not follow our Shepherd, but disobey Him?

• What do you worry about? Can you trust Jesus, your Good Shepherd, to take care of that?

Memory Verse

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his

pasture.” (Psalm 100:3)

The Lord is our shepherd and we are His sheep. We are sinful and are constantly making wrong

choices. We need Him to lead us and care for us. God made us, but we strayed away from Him and

went our own way. Jesus gave His life so our sins could be forgiven. When we accept Jesus as our

Good Shepherd, then we truly belong to God.

Craft Materials




• scissors

• glue

• yarn or string

• hole punch

Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns from pages 122 and 123 on white

cardstock paper. ( Note: For more durability,

glue the mobile on cardboard or foam board.)

2. Color the sheep and mobile.

3. Then cut out the sheep. Glue the sheep back to

back and insert the yarn in between. You will

end up with three sheep to hang from themobile.

4. Hole punch the designated circles on the

mobile.

5. Attach each sheep to the bottom of the mobile at

different levels.

6. Tie string or yarn to the top of mobile and hang.

The Good Shepherd

Finished Product

“Know that the Lord is God. Itis he who made us, and we are

his; we are his people, thesheep of his pasture.”

(Psalm 100:3)




“Know that the Lord is God.It is he who made us, and

we are his; we are hispeople, the sheep of hispasture.” (Psalm 100:3)




The Good Shepherd

Sheep Patterns




Bible Story: Luke 19:1–10

Your students will enjoy singing this song with you. Make copies for older students to read. Have

everyone sing with you and copy your actions.

(Tune: “I Will Make You Fishers of Men”)

One day Jesus walked through a town,

(Walk in place.)

Up hill and down, walked all around.

(Pretend to walk up a hill, then down, then turn all the way around.)

One day Jesus walked through a town. It was Jericho.

(Walk in place.)

It was Jericho, a place you should know.

(Point at each other.)

One day Jesus walked through a town. It was Jericho.

(Walk in place and look around.)

There a tax collector, said he,

(Point both thumbs at yourself.)

“I’ll climb a tree so I can see.”

(Pretend to climb a tree, then shade eyes with hand and look down.)

Short Zacchaeus climbed up a tree just to see the Lord.

( Look down, then point.)

Then he saw the Lord and Zacchaeus heard,

( Look down, then cup hand in back of ear as if listening.)

“Come, Zacchaeus, down from that tree. Come and hear My word.”

( Look up and gesture “come” with your hand.)

Zacchaeus



Bible Story: Luke 19:1–10 (cont.)

Meeting Jesus there in that way

( Hold out one hand, then the other.)

Changed him that day, and made him say,

(Point to your heart, then your mouth.)

“I’ll give half my wealth to the poor and right all my wrongs.”

( Hold out open hands as if giving something.)

Jesus said, “Look here! It is very clear

( Hold out one hand to gesture toward someone.)

Zacchaeus is changed, and his heart is where it belongs!”

(Put your hand over your heart.)

Discussion

• Do you think Jesus knew all about Zacchaeus before they met? Why or why not?

• How did other people react when Jesus went to stay in a tax collector’s home?

• What did Jesus mean when he said, “Today salvation has come to this house”?

Memory Verse

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of

God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Zacchaeus probably had a lot of money. Could he buy his salvation? No. Can we earn salvation by

doing good things? Definitely not. We can only be saved through faith in Jesus. This is God’s gift to

us, but it is our choice whether or not we accept that gift.


Zacchaeus




Craft Materials




• scissors

• tape

• small silk flowers (optional)

Craft Directions


2. Color the tree picture and Zacchaeus.3. Cut out Zacchaeus.

4. Roll a piece of tape in a tube shape and attach

it to the back of Zacchaeus.

5. Then attach Zacchaeus to the top of the tree.

(Optional: For extra effects, glue small silk

leaves around the tree.)

Zacchaeus

Finished Product

Zacchaeus Pattern




Zacchaeus

Tapehere.




Bible Story: John 11:1–46

If possible, bring a stethoscope to class so students can listen to their heartbeats. As you tell the story,

follow the directions for drawing some simple lines on the board to represent Lazarus’ heartbeat (seebelow). Have children copy the lines on their own paper.

Lazarus was very sick. ( Draw a wavy line on the board as shown on the left below with Lazarus’name

under it. Explain that the line represents the line on a heart monitor that shows how steadily a person’s

heart is beating. When the line on a heart monitor looks like this one, the patient is in trouble for sure.

His heart is beginning to give out .) His sisters, Mary and Martha, were worried about him. They did

not know how to help him get well, so they sent word to Jesus about his condition. They thought Jesus

would stop whatever He was doing and come to Bethany to help His good friend Lazarus, but Jesus did

not. Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus’ sickness had happened to bring glory to God. For two whole

days, Jesus stayed where He was, making no move to go to His friend. Finally, He suggested they go

to Bethany to see what they could do.

By that time, Lazarus had died. Jesus knew what had happened, but he was not concerned about it.

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,” He said, “but I am going there to wake him up.” Death was not

a problem for Jesus. He had already raised two other people from the dead—the 12-year-old daughter

of Jairus, a religious leader, and the son of a widow in the town of Nain. Jesus’ disciples did not

understand Him. They thought Lazarus was really just sleeping. Then Jesus told them plainly,

“Lazarus is dead.”

By the time Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus’ dead body had already been in the tomb for four days.

(To the right of the wavy line print “+ 4 days” and a straight line to show that Lazarus’ heart had

stopped beating four days before Jesus arrived .) When Martha heard that Jesus had come, she went out

to meet Him. “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here my brother would not have died. But I know that

even now God will give you whatever you ask.” It sounded like Martha was blaming Jesus for herbrother’s death, didn’t it? But it also sounded like she might be expecting Him to perform a miracle.

Jesus promised her that Lazarus would rise again. She thought Jesus was talking about Lazarus going

to heaven someday. But Jesus meant what He said.

“I am the resurrection and the life,” He told her. “He who believes in me will live, even though he

dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Martha believed that Jesus was God’s Son,

but she did not understand what he was saying. She went home and told Mary that Jesus wanted to see

her. Quickly, Mary went to talk to Jesus. When she found Jesus she fell down at His feet crying and

said the same thing Martha had said to Him: “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have

died.” When Jesus saw Mary and many of Lazarus’ friends crying, He cried too. It made Him sad to

see His friends brokenhearted over the loss of Lazarus. But Jesus’ sadness did not last because Heknew He could do something to take their sorrow away.

Lazarus Is Raised from the Dead

Lazarus + 4 Days + Jesus




Bible Story: John 11:1–46 (cont.)

Jesus walked to Lazarus’ tomb, a cave with a big stone laid over the entrance. “Take away the stone,”

He said. Martha warned Him that since Lazarus had been dead for four days, his body would smellbad. Jesus, however, knew that would not be a problem because the dead body was going to be

restored to life! When the entrance to the tomb was cleared, Jesus prayed aloud so Mary and Martha

and all of their friends could hear what He said. “Father, I thank You that You have heard me.” Jesus

was going to perform a miracle and He wanted to make sure everyone knew where His power came

from. Then He spoke in a loud voice: “Lazarus, come out!”

Suddenly, as the people watched in awe and surprise, Lazarus came walking out of the tomb. His

hands and feet were still wrapped in cloth strips and there was a cloth around his face, just as he had

been buried. But Lazarus was alive! ( Draw a big jagged line as shown at the bottom of page 128 to

represent Lazarus’ healthy heartbeat. Print “+ Jesus” under it.) Jesus told the people standing around

staring to help Lazarus by taking off the grave clothes.There was no doubt about it—Lazarus was alive, after being dead and buried for four days! Many of

Mary and Martha’s friends who had come to comfort them over their brother’s death believed in Jesus

that day. They put their faith in Him. Lazarus’ sickness and death glorified God and brought people to

Him just as Jesus had said it would.

Discussion

• How do you think Lazarus felt when He heard the voice of Jesus telling him to come out of the

tomb?

• A famous Bible teacher once said that it was a good thing Jesus said Lazarus’ name when He said,

“Come out.” Otherwise, Jesus was so powerful dead people everywhere would have come back to life. Do you think that is true?

• Where did Jesus get the power to give life back to dead people?

• Why do you think God doesn’t always choose to bring the dead back to life?

Memory Verse

“. . . I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he died.”

(John 11:25)

Jesus gave Lazarus back his physical life, but He was also talking in this verse about spiritual life.

Someday we will die, but if we believe in Jesus we have eternal life. We will go to heaven to live withHim forever.

Craft Materials



• scissors

• tape



FinishedProduct




Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns on white cardstock paper. Then color all pictures.

2. Fold the card on page 131 in half so the picture is on the inside. Then cut out the cover page onpage 130 and glue it to the front of the card.

3. Cut out Lazarus and fold in half. Tape him in the middle of the inside of the card so he pops out.


Lazarus Pattern

Cover Page

T h e

S t o r y

o f L a z a r u

s




Bible Story: John 18–19

Before you tell this story, set up four different stations in the corners of your room. The first station

should look like a garden. Mount pictures of flowers and trees on the wall and, if possible, set some plants on the floor. The second station should be like a courtroom with a chair for the high priest. The

third station is the governor’s palace. Cover a chair with a fancy cloth for Governor Pilate to sit in.

The final station represents the hill where Jesus was crucified. Draw three crosses, cut them out, and

mount them on the wall at this station.

Some of the Pharisees and Jewish religious leaders had been trying to get rid of Jesus for a long time.

Finally, they figured out a way. Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples agreed to betray Him after the Passover

meal He would be eating with His disciples. That night after the meal, Jesus took His disciples to a

garden to pray. ( Have students walk with you to the first station, then stop and sit down on the floor.)

Jesus knew He was going to be killed, so He prayed that God would help Him. The disciples, instead

of praying with Him, fell asleep. A little later Judas came into the garden with some soldiers and

Pharisees. He kissed Jesus to show the soldiers which man to take. Peter drew his sword and slashedat one of the men, cutting off his ear. Jesus told Peter to put his sword away, then He healed the man’s

ear. The soldiers arrested Jesus and took Him away. He went without a fight because He knew it was

His Father’s will for Him to die.

Jesus was taken to the Jewish high priest. (Walk to the second station as students follow you. Sit down

in the chair and cross your arms.) The high priest questioned Jesus as if He were on trial though He

had done nothing wrong. When Jesus gave an answer they did not like, one of the officials nearby

slapped Him on the face. While Jesus was being questioned, Peter was waiting out in the courtyard.

As he stood there, three different people asked him if he were one of Jesus’ followers. All three times

Peter denied even knowing Jesus.

When the high priest was finished with Him, Jesus was taken to Governor Pilate’s palace. (Walk students to the third station and sit down in the chair .) “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked

him. Jesus told the governor that His kingdom was not a worldly one, but a spiritual one. After Pilate

talked to Him for a while, he went out and told the Jewish officials who had brought Jesus, “I find no

basis for a charge against Him.” It was the custom at that time for one prisoner to be released during

the Passover celebration. Pilate asked them if Jesus should be the one he released.

“No, not Him!” they shouted. “Give us Barabbas!” They wanted to make sure Jesus was killed, so

they insisted that Pilate release a convicted criminal instead. Pilate did not understand what they had

against Jesus, but to please them he gave orders for Jesus to be beaten. Some soldiers twisted some

thorn branches together and put it on His head like a crown. Then they mocked Jesus and spit at Him.

Finally, Pilate took Jesus outside the palace for the Pharisees and others to see. As soon as they sawHim, they began shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Even though he did not agree with them,

Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified.

Soldiers took Jesus and walked Him along the streets to a hill outside the city. (Walk students to the

fourth station and have them sit on the floor .) They nailed His hands and feet to a wooden cross, then

raised the cross and dropped the bottom into a hole in the ground. Pilate had a sign printed, “JESUS

OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS,” and the sign was nailed to the cross. As Jesus hung on

the cross in great pain, some soldiers gambled for His robe which they had taken off of Him. Jesus was

not the only one being executed that day. Two thieves, one on each side of Him were also crucified.

Jesus’ Death




Bible Story: John 18–19 (cont.)

Jesus’ mother Mary and some followers of Jesus stood near His cross. Jesus saw His mother and asked

His disciple John to take care of her when He was gone. Jesus died a few hours later. Joseph andNicodemus took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in cloths with spices, and laid it in Joseph’s tomb. The

Pharisees and Jewish religious leaders, who hated Jesus, were glad He was dead, but His friends and

disciples were heartbroken.

Discussion

• Why didn’t Jesus want Peter to use his sword to protect Him?

• Why were those who arrested Jesus so determined to have Him executed even though He hadn’t

committed any crime?

• Could they have killed Jesus if He were not willing for it to happen? Why?

• How does Jesus’ death on the cross make a difference in your life?

Memory Verse

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

(Romans 5:8)

Jesus chose to die, not only for your sins and mine, but for all sinners, even those who crucified Him.

He died for everyone, but He knew everyone would not put their faith in Him.

Craft Materials

• pattern on page 134• white cardstock paper


• colored construction paper

• scissors

• glue

Craft Directions

1. Copy pattern on white cardstock paper.

2. Color and cut out the dashed lines on the pattern.

3. Glue the picture on a piece of colored construction

paper so the picture has a border and the cut-out

pieces show the background color.

Jesus’ Death

Finished Product



Jesus’ Death


Cut inside dashed lines.

Cut inside dashed lines.

C u t

i n s i d e

d a s h e d

l i n e

s .

C u t i n s i d e

d a s h e d l i n e s .

While we were still sinners,




Jesus’ Resurrection

Bible Story: Mark 16; John 20

Involve students in this Bible story by having each one make a sign that says, “Jesus is alive!” Tell

them to listen carefully as you tell the story and each time they hear you say, “Jesus is alive” or “Jesuswas alive,” they should all hold up their signs and say, “Yes!”

Jesus’ friends were so sad that He was dead. Some of the women who had believed in Him got up very

early on the morning after the Sabbath and went to his tomb. They took along sweet smelling spices to

put on his body according to the customs of those times. On the way there, they discussed how they

would get the stone away from the door of the tomb so they could go inside. But when they got there,

they had quite a surprise—the stone was rolled away and the tomb was open! Not only that, the

soldiers who were supposed to be guarding the tomb were gone. Instead, a young man in a white robe,

actually an angel, greeted them. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said to the women. “You are looking for Jesus

who was crucified, but He is not here. He has risen!” The women could hardly believe it. They knew

Jesus was dead, but now they were being told He was alive! (Students hold up their signs and say

“Yes!”)

The angel told them to go and tell Jesus’ disciples the good news. He promised that they would see

Jesus soon. The women ran as fast as they could and found Peter and John. “Jesus is alive!” they told

them. (Students hold up their signs and say, “Yes!”) Peter and John ran to the tomb. They looked

inside and saw the strips of linen that had been wrapped around Jesus’ body and the cloth that had been

around His head. But His body was not there. They knew it was true! Jesus was alive! (Students hold

up their signs and say, “Yes!”) They did not understand it, but they believed it.

The disciples went home, but Mary Magdalene stayed near the tomb crying. She thought someone had

stolen Jesus’ body. Then Mary turned around and saw a man standing nearby. She thought he was the

gardener, but then the man said her name. Suddenly, she realized that it was Jesus standing there. He

was alive! (Students hold up their signs and say, “Yes!”) She was overjoyed. Jesus told her to go tellthe other disciples. Mary found the disciples and said, “I have seen the Lord!”

Later that evening, ten of the disciples were together in a room with the doors locked. They were

afraid that the people who had killed Jesus would now decide to kill His disciples. Suddenly, without

opening the doors, Jesus came in. “Peace be with you,” He said. Now they could see for themselves

that Jesus was alive. (Students hold up their signs and say, “Yes!”)

Thomas had not been with the disciples that night, but they told him what had happened. He did not

believe them. “Unless I see the nail marks in His hand and put my fingers where the nails were, I

won’t believe Jesus is alive,” he said. A week later all 11 of the disciples were together again with the

doors locked. Jesus came and stood among them. Then He told Thomas to look at His hands and

touch the scars with his fingers. But Thomas did not have to. He saw with his own eyes and knewJesus was alive! (Students hold up their signs and say, “Yes!”)

“Because you have seen Me, you have believed,” Jesus said to Thomas. “Blessed are those who have

not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus remained for 40 days after His resurrection. He appeared to many other people at different times,

sometimes to large crowds of people. Everyone knew that Jesus had been executed, but those who

knew Him said there was no doubt in their minds—Jesus was alive! (Students hold up their signs and

say, “Yes!”)




Discussion

• Why do you think Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus when she first saw Him near the

tomb?• What made Thomas decide he did not need to feel the scars in Jesus’ hands to know He was really

alive?

• Why do you think Jesus appeared to so many people after His resurrection?

• What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have

believed?”

Memory Verse

“Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19b)

During His last supper with His disciples, Jesus told them that He would not be with them much longer.But He promised them that He was going to give them eternal life. If Jesus had stayed in the tomb, we

would still be able to have our sins forgiven. That is what His death did for us. But for us to have

eternal life, Jesus had to conquer death and come back to life.

Craft Materials




• tape• scissors

• two big craft sticks

• stapler

Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns on white cardstock paper and color.

2. Tape the two pieces together to make one large

picture.

3. Accordion fold the picture to make a fan and staplethe bottom of the fan.

4. Take the two craft sticks and tape to each side of the stapled end to make a handle for the fan.

5. Use tape to wrap around the bottom to make it sturdy.


Finished Product




Bible Story: Acts 12

Choose a few students to pantomime this story as you tell it. Take a few minutes to go over the story

with them beforehand so they will know what to do and when.(Peter standing with his brother.) Peter was one of Jesus’ first disciples. He and Andrew, his brother,

had been professional fishermen, but when they met Jesus they left their fishing behind and went with

Jesus. (Peter and Andrew turn around and walk away together. Peter comes back alone and pretends

to watch with appropriate facial expressions as Jesus preaches and heals.) Peter heard Jesus preach

and teach, saw Him heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf. He was there when

Jesus raised dead people back to life. Peter was heartbroken when Jesus died, but overjoyed when

Jesus came alive again! After Jesus left to go back to heaven, Peter became the leader of the disciples.

When the Holy Spirit came, Peter preached a stirring sermon about Jesus’ death and resurrection to a

huge outdoor crowd. (Peter makes preaching gestures.) About 3,000 people believed in Jesus that day

and the New Testament church was begun. Another day, Peter and his friend, John, healed a lamebeggar. (Peter and John help up the lame man.) The actions of Jesus’ disciples made the Jewish high

priest jealous because so many people listened to them. He had them thrown into jail, but the Lord

opened the doors and set them free. Instead of running for their lives, Peter and the others went back to

the temple to tell people about Jesus. When they were ordered to stop talking about Jesus they replied,

“We must obey God rather than men.” (Peter folds his arms across his chest, points to heaven, then

shakes his head as he points to others.)

Now Peter was in prison again. King Herod decided to make some points with Jewish religious leaders

by persecuting the Christians. He arrested some and had James, the brother of John, put to death. Then

he arrested Peter and threw him into prison. The king assigned four squads of soldiers to take turns

guarding Peter. (A squad is four soldiers.) He was chained to two soldiers and more soldiers stoodguard at the prison entrance. (Peter sleeping between two guards.)

While Peter was in prison, Christians all over Jerusalem were praying for him. The night before King

Herod planned to put him on public trial, their prayers were answered. Peter was calmly sleeping

between the two soldiers to whom he was chained. He was not worried or afraid of what might happen

to him the next day. He trusted God to take care of him. Suddenly, Peter was rudely awakened by a

poke in his side. He opened his eyes and saw an angel in his cell. (Peter wakes up and stands up as

the guards sleep.) The angel said, “Quick, get up!” Peter looked down at his hands and saw that the

chains had fallen off his wrists. The two guards he had been chained to must have been in a deep

sleep, because neither of them stirred, even when Peter stood up. The angel told him to put on his

shoes and wrap his robe around him. “Follow me,” the angel said. (Peter follows in a daze.) In adaze, Peter did what the angel said and followed him out of the prison. He thought he was having a

dream as he and the angel walked past the first and second guards and through the prison doors. When

they got to the iron gate that led to the city, it slowly opened without anyone touching it and the angel

and Peter went through it. They walked for a while, then suddenly the angel was gone. Peter was

standing all alone on the city street in the middle of the night. (Peter looks around and at his freed

wrists in surprise, then joy.) He suddenly realized that it had not been a dream—he was out of prison!

God had sent His angel to rescue Peter. He headed for the home of Mary the mother of John Mark, a

place where Christians often gathered to pray together. (Peter walks away and pretends to knock on a

door and keeps knocking.)

Peter’s Escape from Prison




Bible Story: Acts 12 (cont.)

When Peter arrived, he knocked on Mary’s door. The house was full of Christians praying for Peter, so

a servant girl named Rhoda went to answer the door. Before she opened it, Peter said something andRhoda recognized his voice. ( Rhoda pretends to go to the door, then runs off with excitement to others

who are praying.) Excitedly, she ran into the other room, forgetting to open the door to let Peter inside.

“Peter is at the door!” she exclaimed.

The others stopped praying and began arguing with Rhoda. “You are out of your mind!” they told her.

But Rhoda knew what she had heard. Finally, someone said, “It must be his angel.” (Others pretend to

argue with Rhoda, then go to the door and open it, amazed and joyful when they see Peter .)

All this time, Peter had kept knocking on the door. How excited and amazed everyone was when they

opened the door and it really was Peter waiting to be let in. He went into the house with everyone

talking at once. Peter held up a hand to get them to give him a chance to speak. (Peter holds up ahand, then pretends to talk .) He described how the Lord had sent His angel and delivered him from

prison. It was what they had all been praying for, but they could hardly believe how the Lord had

answered their prayers! Peter told them to let James, the brother of Jesus, know what had happened.

He was a leader in the Jerusalem church and would be thrilled to know how the Lord had worked that

night. (Peter walks away.) Then Peter left Mary’s home and went somewhere else. Perhaps he

thought the king’s men would come looking for him there and he would not want to put the others in

danger by staying.

The next morning when Peter’s absence was discovered, the guards could not understand what had

happened. One minute he had been right there, chained as usual to two soldiers. No one had come in

or out as far as anyone knew, but Peter was definitely gone. King Herod ordered a thorough search andwhen Peter could not be found anywhere, he had the prison guards executed. He did not like looking

like a fool.

Some time after that, King Herod went to the town of Caesarea. One day he put on his royal robes and

sat on his throne to deliver a public speech to the people. The audience was so impressed, they shouted

“This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Proud Herod was glad to be called a god. He sat on his

throne and accepted their praise. But suddenly, he was struck down with a horrible sickness. Five days

later the proud, wicked king was dead. But Peter and other Christians continued to tell people about

Jesus wherever they went. (Peter standing with arms outstretched as if preaching.) The Word of God

began to spread and many people believed.





Discussion

• What had Peter done wrong to make the Jewish high priest and then King Herod throw him into

prison?

• Do you think Peter was afraid in prison? What did he do that showed he trusted God?

• Christians were praying for Peter, so why do you think they were surprised to see him at the

door?

• Why couldn’t anyone at the prison figure out what had happened to Peter?

Memory Verse

“For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayers, but the face

of the LORD is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12)

Peter actually quoted this verse from the 34th Psalm. Perhaps it was a verse he had memorized andthought about when he was in prison. He certainly found out how true it is, didn’t he? How does the

truth of this verse make you feel—happy? afraid? sad? safe?

Craft Materials


• colored cardstock paper • glue or tape

Craft Directions

1. Copy patterns on colored cardstock paper.

2. Cut out strips of paper.

3. Tape or glue the strips in a circle forming a paper chain.


Finished Product




P e t e

r w a s a r r e s t e d

.

P e t e r w a s c

h a i n e d t o t w o s o l d i e r s .

P e t e r w a s g

u a r d e d d a y a n

d n i g h t .

C h r i s t i a n s

w e r e p r a y i n g f o r P e t e r .

A n a n

g e l w o k e P e t e r

u p .

T h e a n g e l s

a i d ,

“ Q u i c k , g

e t u p ! ”




P e t e r

’ s c h a i n s f e l l o f f .

T h e g u a r d s w e r e s l e e p

i n g .

P

e t e r f o l l o w e d t

h e a n g e l o u t o f t h e p r i s o n .

T h e a n

g e l s u d d e n l y l e

f t .

P e t e r w e

n t t o M a r y ’ s h o u s e .

T h e

y l e t h i m

i n a n d p r a i s e d G o d

f o r h i s e s c a p e .



Culminating Story The message of the Bible is that God loves you. In Genesis you find out that God created man in His

likeness. You are special, set apart from everything else He created. And even though you sin, as

Adam and Eve did, God still loves you. In Exodus, you see how God cared for Moses from the time hewas just a baby and later chose him to get His people out of Egypt. Every time Moses asked for help,

God was there. He is ready to help you, too. In Judges, you discover that God wants to use people,

such as Samson, even though they are not perfect. He wants to use you, too. In 1 Samuel, you see that

God will give you strength and courage for what He wants you to do, just as He helped young David,

and Jonathan and his armor bearer. In the book of Daniel, you find that God protects those who love

Him, as He protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace, as well as Daniel in the lions’

den. He is always watching out for you. In the New Testament, you learn that God showed His love

by sending His only Son Jesus to be born on Earth, to die for your sins, then to come alive again so you

could have eternal life. Over and over, the Bible tells you how special you are to God. Is He special to

you?

Discussion• God gave us His written Word so we could know how special we are to Him and so we would

know what He expects of us. What does the Bible teach that God wants you to do?

• What is your favorite Bible story? What does it tell you about God’s love for you?

Memory Verses“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the

future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to

separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord ” (Romans 8:38 39)

You Are Special to God

Bible Stories 1

Documents

Transcript of Bible Stories 1