Lesson - Parable Of The Great Supper

VERSES:   Luke 14:12-24

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 14:23   "...Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   1 Samuel. Write "1 Samuel" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students may memorize the ninth book of the Old Testament.

PRAYER:   Thank God for all that He gives us.and may we appreciate all of God's gifts, being thankful always.

SPECIAL SONG:   Jesus Taught By Parables And Miracle (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #4 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• Jesus told another parable to those who were listening to Him. He said that there was a man who prepared a great supper or dinner and invited many to come and eat with him. He sent his servants to go and tell the invited guests to come to his house because everything was ready for them 
• His friends who he had invited all began to make excuses why they could not come. One man said that he had bought a piece of land and had to go and see it. He asked to be excused. A second man who had been invited to the supper said that he had bought five yoke of oxen and he need to go and test them. He asked to be excused. A third man who also had been invited to the supper gave a simple excuse. He said that he had married a wife and could not come. He did not even ask to be excused!
• When the servants returned without any of the master's friends coming to enjoy their master's supper and brought him their excuses instead, the man who had prepared the supper became very angry and said to his servant, "Quickly go out into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor, the wounded, the crippled, and the blind people" The servant did as he was told and he reported back to his master that there was still room for more people. The master told his servant to again go out to the highway or the main road and the hedges (which were walls made out of loose stones) and urge people to come in that the master's house would be filled.
• What this parable meant: Jesus told the people who were listening to Him that God had made a great invitation to His people, the Jews, to come into God's kingdom. When the Jews would refuse His invitation, then God would invite any and all into His kingdom. 

"Older Students" Tips:

• To refuse such a grand invitation to a banquet of a rich man was a great insult in Bible times. It is no wonder the master was angry in this parable. God, too, must be insulted to have people today refuse His grand invitation to enter His kingdom, the church.

ACTIVITY:  The Parable of the Great Supper
Materials needed:  9" x 12" white paper, crayons.

1. Hand out white paper.
2. Fold 3" down on the top edge of the paper.
3. Fold the paper then in thirds (see picture below).
4. Fold the bottom edge of the paper up 2".
5. Trace the inside lines and the top and bottom lines (see picture).
   
6. Write "Come! All Things Are Ready!" and "Parable of the Great Feast - Luke 14:15-24 in the long top box.
7. Write "Excuse #1", "Excuse #2", and "Excuse #3" in the three smaller boxes in the middle of the paper.
8. At the bottom of the Excuse #1 box, write "Bought land. Must see it."
9. At the bottom of Excuse #2 box, write "Bought oxen. Must test them."
10. At the bottom of Excuse #3 box, write "Married a wife."
11. In the long box on the bottom, write "Quickly! Bring in the poor, wounded, crippled, lame." in red. Write "There is more room." in blue. Write "Go to the highways and hedges. Urge them to come, so my house will be filled." in red. (If the students' handwriting is too large for this box, simply turn the paper over and write on the back of the paper.)
12. Draw an appropriate picture in each of the three "excuses" boxes.

Lesson - Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Dead

VERSES:   John 11:1-46

MEMORY VERSE:   John 11:35  "Jesus wept."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Ruth.  Write "Ruth" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students to take home and memorize another book of the Old Testament.

PRAYER:   Thank God for the families that we have, the ones who love us and whom we love.

SPECIAL SONG:   Mary, Martha, And Lazarus (see May 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #5 for the words and the tune to this song.)  Easy song to learn. The young students love it!

VISUAL AID:   Large Activity (see Activity below); Bible map showing Bethany, Judea.

LESSON POINTS:

•  We have learned about Mary, Martha, and Lazarus a few lessons ago (see February 2015 - Mary, Mary, and Lazarus on this blog). We know that these three people were brothers and sisters, they showed hospitality to Jesus when He traveled, and they were friends of Jesus. We don't really think of Jesus having friends on this earth, but He did. Not only did He have His disciples, but He also had Mary, Martha, and Lazarus as friends. The Bible says that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus because they were His friends.
• The family lived in the small town of Bethany in Judea. Jesus had been to their house at least one time before, but perhaps more times. The brother's name was Lazarus and the two sisters' names were Mary and Martha. 
• One day Lazarus got sick. We don't know how he was sick, just that he was very sick. The two sisters knew that Jesus could help Lazarus, so they sent word to him that His friend was very sick. When Jesus heard about Lazarus being sick, He said that Lazarus' sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God and stayed in the same place He had been staying for two more days. After two days, Jesus told His disciples, "Let us go to Judea." Judea was where the Jews had been searching for Jesus, so they could kill Him by throwing stones at Him. Jesus' disciples found it hard to believe that Jesus would be going again to this same area, but Jesus said that their friend, Lazarus, was sleeping there and Jesus had to go and wake him up. Jesus' disciples did not understand that Jesus was talking about Lazarus dying; they thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was only sleeping. So, Jesus told them plainly that Lazarus had died. When Jesus and His disciples arrived in Bethany at Lazarus' house, they found that Lazarus had been dead four days and was already buried. 
• The town of Bethany was only about a mile from Jerusalem and many of the Jews went to Mary and Martha to comfort them in their sadness. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. When Jesus met Martha, she said that she knew if Jesus had been there that Lazarus would not have died. She also said that even right then, that whatever Jesus asked God, that God would give it to Him. Jesus told Martha that Lazarus would rise again, but Martha thought Jesus was talking about Lazarus rising on the Resurrection Day at the end of time. Jesus said that He was the resurrection and the life and then asked Martha if she believed that whoever lived and believed in Jesus would never die. Martha said the she believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. After she said that, she turned and went back to the house. Because there were so many Jews visiting them, Martha called her sister, Mary, secretly and told her that Jesus wanted to talk to her. As soon as Mary heard that, she got up quickly and went to meet Jesus where Martha had been talking to Him.
• When the Jews saw Mary get up quickly and leave the house, they followed her because they thought she was going to cry at Lazarus' grave. When Mary saw Jesus, she fell down at his feet and said that if Jesus had been there, then Lazarus would not have died. When Jesus saw Mary crying and that the Jews behind her were also crying over Lazarus, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled. Jesus asked where Lazarus had been buried. They told Jesus to come and see. That is when Jesus cried, too. Jesus was full of compassion. The Bible says that Jesus wept which means that He cried. The Jews then knew that Jesus loved his friend, Lazarus, but some of the Jews said that if Jesus could heal the eyes of a blind man, could He not He have helped Lazarus.
• Again, Jesus was very sad and groaned again as He arrived at the grave which was really a cave. Many used a cave as a grave back then. When Jesus saw the cave, He told them to take away the stone, but Martha said that it had been four days since Lazarus had died and after all that time, he would be stinking. Jesus told Martha that He had already told her that she should see the glory of God. When they took away the stone from the grave, Jesus prayed to God. When He had finished praying, Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"...and Lazarus came out of the grave!! He still had his grave clothes on his feet and hands and a napkin on his face. Jesus said to loosen him and let him go.
• Many of the Jews believed that day that Jesus was the Son of God, but, still, there were some who went straight to the Pharisees and told them everything that Jesus had done.

"Older Student" Tips:

• The rest of the story:  The chief priests and Pharisees created a council and said, "What shall we do because this man performs miracles?" They said that if they left Jesus alone, everyone would believe that He was the Son of God and then the Romans would come and take away everything. The high priest named Caiaphas said to the Jews, "Don't you know anything at all? Or that one man should die for the people? He was talking about Jesus dying for the people. After Caiaphas had prophesied about Jesus, the Jews wanted to kill Jesus and said that if anyone knew where Jesus was that they should tell them. Because of that, from that day forward, Jesus did not walk openly anymore in front of the Jews, but went out into a country near the wilderness with His disciples (John 11:47-57). 
• When Jesus prayed to God before telling Lazarus to come forth was a good example of a public prayer.
• It is interesting that the people were the ones to benefit from the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead,; it was not for Jesus' benefit.
• Also notice, in John 11:27, Martha confessed Christ as the Son of God.

ACTIVITY:   Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Grave 
(NOTE: Make certain no time is wasted during class time. With a lengthy lesson and terrific activity, time is valuable. Bible teacher might want to practice making this activity before class time, so that everything works smoothly. Time may be controlled, perhaps, by the teacher preparing a few things in advance, such as drawing lines on cave, cutting lines for the looped paper to which Lazarus is attached, etc. This is a great lesson!) 

Materials needed:   9" x 12" dark brown construction paper, 5" x 7" black construction paper, .5" x 8" strip of brown construction paper, 3" x 3" white construction paper, scraps of yellow, tan, white construction paper,  two round fasteners, marker, crayons, scissors, glue, tape.

1. Hand out dark brown paper. This is the cave .
2. Fold  4" of brown paper on the right side of the paper towards the middle of the paper. . 
3. Draw lines on cave.
   
   
4. Cut on lines.
   
5. Draw one small 1" line about 2" from the mouth of the cave. 
6. Unfold brown paper.
7. Draw another 1" line about 3" or 4" from the first 1" line.
   
8. Cut on both lines. (Small students might need an extra helping hand.)
9. Insert 5" x 8" brown strip of paper from outside to inside of cave, then back out the other side of paper..
10. Secure strip with tape. Strip should  be looped in the paper.
    
11. Hand out yellow and tan scraps of paper.
12. Draw and cut out Lazarus.
13. Cut small piece of white paper for a a napkin on Lazarus' face.
14. Fold top edge of napkin.
15. Glue EDGE ONLY to Lazarus' face.
16. Tape Lazarus to ring on the inside of the cave.
17. Test Lazarus to see if he moves freely on the ring. Before Jesus says "Come Forth,"
18. Lazarus should be inside the cave, unseen from the outside of the cave.
    
19. Hand out black paper.
20. Round corners of black paper. This is the stone.
21. On the front of the stone, write "Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Grave".
22. Write "John 11:1-46" somewhere on cave.
    
23. Hand out one round fastener.
24. Place stone on mouth of cave, overlapping at least 1/2".
25. VERY carefully, make a hole in black paper and through the brown edge of the mouth of the cave.
26. Insert round fastener.
27. Open up fastener to secure.
    
    
28. "Roll" the stone away from the mouth of the cave , making sure that Lazarus can be seen when Jesus calls him.
29. Hand out 3" x 3" white paper.
30. With scissors, round corners to make a circle.
31. Write at the top of the circle, "COME FORTH, LAZARUS!"
32. Place white circle behind left side of brown cave.
33. VERY carefully, make a hole in brown paper and through blank area on the white paper.
    
34. Insert other round fastener.
35. Open up fastener to secure.
36. Make sure the white circle can move freely, yet secured with fastener.
37. Twist white circle, so words are not showing; Make stone "roll" in front of the mouth of the cave.; hide Lazarus inside cave. (See picture at the very top of this blog.)
38. The way it works:  Jesus tells the people to move the stone away ("Roll" stone away from the cave), Jesus says, "Come forth, Lazarus!" (turn white circle, so "Come forth, Lazarus!" can be seen); and then slide Lazarus out of the cave, so he can be seen as well.
39. Some might think this activity might be a lot of trouble, but if the Bible teacher uses this activity, there will always be a "picture" of this story in the minds of all the students, never to be erased!

Lesson - Parable Of The Good Shepherd

VERSES:   John 10:1-18

MEMORY VERSE:   John 10:15  "...I lay down my life for the sheep."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review all seven books of the Old Testament. The rest of the books of the Old Testament will come easier if the students have a firm foundation on which to build. Recite aloud if possible.

PRAYER:   Pray that we will be followers of Jesus and His words, remembering that He knows the names of His sheep.

SPECIAL SONG:   No, Not One  (see June - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #6 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   A large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• Jesus told the people and His disciples another parable. Remember Jesus always told parables about things that the people knew like fishing nets and treasures and things like that. This parable was about sheep and a good shepherd! In Bible times, when many people owned sheep, they knew that a sheepfold was a pen for sheep. The sheep might go out of the sheepfold in the daytime, but never at night because there were wolves and other animals that would hurt the sheep. The sheepfold could protect the sheep because the only way into the pen was through the door. Only the shepherd would go through the door of the sheepfold; others who climbed into the sheepfold another way were thieves or robbers or someone who was up to mischief! 
• People already knew that a good shepherd watched over his sheep very carefully. He took care of his sheep. He protected his sheep. The shepherd even knew the names of his sheep. He talked to them and they knew his voice. The sheep would follow the shepherd wherever he went because they knew it was their shepherd's voice talking to them. Jesus said that the sheep would not follow a stranger because they did not know his voice; the sheep would run away from strangers.
• The people might have known a little about sheep, but they did not know what this parable meant. Jesus knew they did not understand, so He explained the parable. He said that He--Jesus--was the door of the sheep. Anyone else who had ever come before Jesus were thieves and robbers and the sheep did not hear them. Jesus said that He was the door. If anyone came in through the door could be saved and could go in and out and find pasture. He said thieves and robbers came in to steal and hurt, but He came so that they might have life!
• Jesus also said that He was the Good Shepherd and He would give His life for His sheep. A person only hired to take care of the sheep and was not the shepherd would see the wolf coming and would leave the sheep and the wolf would catch the sheep and scatter the rest of the flock. Jesus said He was the Good Shepherd and He knew His sheep and they knew Him. He said He knew the Father and the Father knew Him and Jesus would lay down His life for His sheep.
• Jesus said He had other sheep which were not of that same sheepfold, but that He would bring them into the fold and they would hear His voice. He said that there would be one fold and one shepherd.
• Jesus said that His Father loved Him because He would lay down His life for His sheep, and then He would take up His life again. Jesus was talking about dying on the cross, but raising to life again! 

"Older Student" Tips:

• It is interesting to notice that sheep, unlike the lion or tiger or many other animals, do not have huge teeth or claws or anything to protect themselves. They run to protect themselves. They flock together and run. Sheep always need a leader. If one sheep, maybe a ram, starts in one direction, the rest of the flock will follow them, even if it is down a cliff or somewhere dangerous. Sheep need a shepherd. A shepherd will lead them in safe places and talk to them softly and calmly, so they will not be frightened. Sheep are afraid of loud noises. People are just like sheep. They need a shepherd--a Good Shepherd. They need Jesus to lead them.

ACTIVITY:   Jesus, The Good Shepherd
Materials needed:  9" x 12" yellow construction paper, 4" x 12" green construction paper, scraps of brown, blue, black, tan construction paper, 8-10 cotton balls, glue, scissors, crayons, marker.

1. Hand out yellow paper. This is the background.
2. Hand out green paper. 
3. Tear long top edge of green paper. This is the pasture.
4. Glue pasture to bottom edge of yellow paper.
5. Hand out black scraps.
6. Tear small black circles out of black paper. These are the rocks to the sheepfold.
7. Glue four rows of black rocks, leaving room for the door.
8. Hand out small brown scrap paper.
9. Cut a small rectangle out of the brown paper. This is the door.
10. Fold one edge of the brown rectangle.
11. Glue only one edge of the door to the green paper, in the middle of the sheepfold. The door should swing open and closed.
12. Hand out blue scrap of paper.
13. Cut a triangle out of the scrap (about 3" or so). This is the shepherd's robe.
14. Glue shepherd's robe close to the sheepfold.
15. Hand out tan scrap of paper.
16. Cut out a small tan circle. This is the shepherd's head.
17. Glue on top of blue triangle.
18. Hand out scrap of brown paper.
19. Cut out shepherd's crook.
20. Glue shepherd's crook in the hand of the shepherd. Add hand, if desired.
21. Color shepherd's hair, eye and mouth.
22. Hand out cotton balls.
23. Glue cotton balls around green pasture.
24. Write "I am the good shepherd!" and "John 10" at the top of the yellow paper.
25. Write "The shepherd knows his sheep", "He knows their names", and He takes care of his sheep" around on the yellow paper where there is room.
26. Write "sheepfold" and an arrow to the sheepfold.
27. Write "sheep" and an arrow to the sheep.
28. Write "shepherd" and and arrow to the shepherd.
29. If desired, add legs to sheep.

Lesson - Lesson - Jesus Heals A Blind Man

VERSES:   John 9:1-41

MEMORY VERSE:   John 9:31  "Now we know that God hears not sinners..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Judges. Write "Judges " on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students may memorize another book at home. Review all seven Old Testament books.

PRAYER:   Thank God that we can see with our eyes. May we always see things in a positive light and only see the things that we should.

SPECIAL SONG:   Be Careful Little Eyes What you See - March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. (Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  A large activity or a face without eyes or mouth drawn on a whiteboard or a chalkboard. Add eyes and mouth as the teacher tells the story. (See Activity below.)

LESSON POINTS:

• There began to be sharp criticism of Jesus by the Jews, especially the Pharisees, who were Jews with a little power. They did not recognize Jesus as the Son of God; in fact, they believed that Jesus was nothing but a troublemaker. The Pharisees had tried to find something wrong that Jesus did for quite some time, but could not. Jesus did not sin. Ever. Jesus was perfect. Many of the people believed that Jesus was God's Son, or at least, a prophet, but the Jews and Pharisees were careful in what they said to and about Jesus because they feared the people.
• One day, after Jesus had been teaching the people, and the Jews were upset with Jesus and threw stones at Him, He went out of the temple and walked through the people with His disciples. As He passed by, He saw a man who had been blind since the day he was born. His disciples thought that the man was born blind because of sin, so they asked Jesus, "Who did this sin, the man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus said that neither one. He said that God was going to show His greatness by working through this blind man.
• After Jesus said those words, He spat on the ground, made a bit of clay, and put it on the blind man's eyes. He then told the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The man immediately went to the pool, washed, and could see with both of his eyes! Jesus had healed the blind man who had never seen anything before!
• The man's neighbors who had known the blind man and knew that he had been blind his entire life, could not believe that he was the same man who had sat and begged. When some of his neighbors doubted that it was the same person, the blind man said that it really was him! They asked him how his eyes were opened and the blind man said that a man named Jesus had made clay, put it on his eyes, and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. It was then that he received his sight! The people asked the blind man, "Where is this man that healed you?" but he did not know.
• The neighbors then brought the used-to-be blind man to the Pharisees and told all that had happened to him. The Pharisees asked the man himself what had happened and he told them his story. Do you think the Pharisees were happy about Jesus having compassion on a blind man and healing him? No! They were more concerned with what day Jesus had healed a blind man because it was the Sabbath Day, a day when they were not to do any work. The Pharisees were always trying to find fault in Jesus and they thought they had finally found it. But other people said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such a miracle?"  When they asked the used-to-be blind man what he thought of Jesus, he said he thought Jesus was a prophet. 
• The Jews did not believe that the blind man had been blind at all, so they called for his parents. His parents said that the man was their son and that he had been born blind, but they did not know how he could see or who had opened his eyes. They said to ask their son because he was old enough to answer for himself. His parents answered in this way because they feared the Jews. The Jews had already said that anyone who said that Jesus was the Christ would be put out or kicked out of the synagogue.
• So, the Jews called for the used-to-be blind man again and said that the blind man should give God the praise because they knew that Jesus was a sinner. Was that true? No! Jesus never sinned! The used-to-be blind man said that he didn't know if Jesus was a sinner or not; he only knew that he had been blind and now he could see.The Jews then got angry at the used-to-be blind man and said that he was Jesus' disciple and they, the Jews, did not even know where Jesus had come from. The man answered them, "Here is a marvelous thing! We know that God does not hear the sinners' prayer, but if a man worships God and does His will, then God will hear him. No one has ever healed a blind man who has been born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." How true were those words! But, the Jews got angry and threw the used-to-be blind man out of the synagogue.
• When Jesus heard what the Jews had done to the man who had been blind, he found the man and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" The man asked who that was. Jesus said that it was the man who was talking to him right then. It was Jesus! The man said that he did believe and he worshiped Jesus. 
• The Pharisees were not happy. Later, when Jesus said that there were those who could see but were actually blind, they asked Jesus if they, the Pharisees, were the ones who were blind. Jesus said that if they were blind, they would have no sin, but because they said they could see, their sins remained. 

"Older Student" Tips:

• It is never wrong to good and it is never wrong to do the right thing. Jesus was good and was condemned for doing good, but it is never wrong to good to someone. The ones who were really condemned were the ones who failed to see the wonderful miracle that Jesus had done by giving sight to a blind man.

ACTIVITY:  The Blind Man Is Healed
Materials needed:  9" x 12" tan construction paper, 2" x 3" any color construction paper, two 2" white circles, two imperfect brown circles, two 1" black circles, scrap of red paper, glue, marker, crayons, scissors.

1. Hand out tan paper.
2. Using most of the paper, draw a large man's face with no eyes or mouth.
3. Color man, but do not draw eyes or mouth.
   
4. Write "Jesus Heals A Blind Man" and "John 9" at the bottom of the paper on the man's shirt.
5. Turn paper over.
6. Glue only three sides of 2" x 3" paper. This is the back pocket.
7. Place on back of tan paper near the middle bottom.
   
8. Hand out two white circles and two black circles.
9. Glue black circles in the middle of the white circles. These are the man's eyes.
10. Turn eyes over.
11. Hand out two imperfect brown circles. This is the clay.
12. Write "clay" in the middle of both imperfect brown circles. 
13. Glue clay on the plain white circles. (This is the backside of the eyes that can see.)
    
14. Hand out scrap of red paper.
15. Cut smiling mouth out of red paper.
16. The way it works: As the student tells the story, they take out the eyes with the clay in the middle and the mouth out of the back pocket. When Jesus puts clay on the blind man's eyes, the student places the "clay" eyes on the blind man's face and the unsmiling mouth (which is the smile turned upside down). As the student turns the clay eyes over to reveal the seeing eyes, they say, "And Jesus said to go to the pool of Siloam and wash, and he did, and he could see!" The mouth is turned upside down, showing a huge smile.
17. Before the students leave class, both eyes and mouth should be in the back pocket.
    

Lesson - The Friend At Midnight

VERSES:   Luke 11:5-13

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 11:9  "...ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Joshua.  Write "Joshua" on small slips of paper and hand out to students at the end of the class.

PRAYER:   Remember to pray to God, thanking Him for his many blessings. Ask for favors from God, according to His will.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day (see February 2014 – Songs We Sing in Bible Class #1 for tune)

VISUAL AID:   Divide the whiteboard or chalkboard up into six boxes. Draw the following pictures as you tell the story. In Box One, draw Jesus talking to His disciples. In Box 2, draw a door with a hand knocking. In Box 3, write the words “Don’t bother me now.” In Box 4, draw a door and a hand knocking. In Box 5, draw a door and a hand knocking. In Box 6, draw the friend giving three loaves of bread through an open door.

LESSON POINTS:  

• As Jesus continued teaching His disciples to pray, He told them more things about prayer. He asked them a question, “Which one of you has a friend and would go to him at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread? When you told your friend that you had another friend who had been traveling and came to visit you, but you had nothing for him to eat and needed three loaves of bread, would your friend give it to you? Your friend would say, “Don’t bother me now because my door is shut and my children are in bed. I cannot get up and help you.”
• Jesus said to His disciples, “Even though he was your friend, he would not get up and give what was asked, but he would get up and give what was needed if you asked over and over and over again. Finally, the friend would give in and get whatever was needed.’ Jesus was talking about importunity or persistence.
• Jesus went on to say what this story meant. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will open to you. Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who seeks will find. Everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Jesus also said, “If a son asks for bread from his father, would he give him a stone? If he asked for a fish, would he give him a snake? Or if he asked for an egg, would he give him a scorpion? Even though you do bad things and sin, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your heavenly Father give you what you need if you ask?”
• Jesus was telling His disciples to ask for the things they needed and God would give it to them. All they had to do was ask. Never give up asking if it is important.

"Older Student" Tips:

• It is interesting that the order that Jesus tells His disciples to ask God for their desires spells the word ASK:  Ask, Seek, Knock. This may help us to remember.

ACTIVITY:   Be Persistent When You Pray!  (Short story, but longer activity. Make sure there is enough time to do both. To shorten the activity, delete the bolt on the door, Steps 9-12.)

Materials needed:  9” x 12” black construction paper, 6” x 10” dark brown construction paper, 4” x 5” tan construction paper, two 2” x 3” dark brown construction paper, 5” x 9” orange construction paper, 1” x 6” dark brown strip of construction paper, three 2” x 4” tan rectangles of construction paper, one small round fastener, glue, scissors, crayons.

1.  Hand out black paper. This is the background.
2. Hand out large brown paper. This is the door.
3. Hand out two 2” x 3” brown rectangles.
4. Fold ½” on top of rectangles.
5. Glue the edges of both rectangles to the upper part of the door, so the rectangles can open upwards. (see picture at top)
6. Draw black or brown lines on door to resemble wood, drawing over brown rectangles.
7. Lift up each rectangle.
8. Write “Don’t bother me!” under one rectangle and write "My children are in bed!" on the other rectangle. (see picture below.)
9. Make small hole in the door under the small rectangle on the right side of the door. (see picture below.) (I used the point of the fastener to make the hole--the teacher may help with this step.)
10. Make a hole in long brown strip. This is a "pretend" bolt on the door.
11. Place fastener through the door and then through the bolt on the door.
12. Open the fastener to secure. The bolt or latch can be "unlocked" when loaves are given. 
13. Fold ½” on left side of door. 
14. Glue edge of door ONLY.
15. Place on bottom in the middle of black paper.
16. Hand out orange paper. 
17. After opening door, glue orange paper in the middle of the black paper.
18. Hand out three small rectangles of tan paper. These are the three loaves of bread.
19. Write "LOAF OF BREAD" on each tan rectangle.
20. Round corners of loaves and glue onto orange paper.

   21.  Hand out large tan paper.

   22.  Make a fist out of one hand and trace on tan paper.

   23.  Cut out fist.

   24.  Color and write "KNOCK! KNOCK!" on the fist.

   25.  Glue fist to outside of door.

   26.  Write "Be Persistent When You Pray!" in white crayon at top of black paper.

   27.  Write "Luke 11:5-13"  and "Don't Give Up!" around door on black paper.

   28.  Student should be able to tell the lesson with this activity. Might try it if there is time at the end of class.

Words of Encouragement Along The Way #18 - Cleaning Classroom Cobwebs

Does your Bible classroom have the dreaded "Classroom Cobwebs?" What is that, you ask? By definition, cobwebs are spider webs, which are usually old and covered with dust. Finding that there are at least two types of Classroom Cobwebs, neither one is beneficial to students, Bible teachers, or the cause of Christ. Words of encouragement are offered here for you to consider.

The first type of Classroom Cobweb is the physical cobweb that one finds in a room that has seen little use for some time. There are many reasons why the cobwebs are present, but perhaps the most common reason is that there are no children or students to teach. One might understand the dilemma of this problem; yet, the Bible teacher should always continue to strive to have their Bible classroom in order “just in case” of the traveling visitor, occasional grandchild, or curious neighbor.

It only takes a few minutes to make sure that there are no cobwebs, dust, or ‘critters’ in the seldom used Bible classroom. Take time to clean a bit, make sure the room is inviting and is equipped with the necessities of a good Bible lesson. There is no reason why a lesson cannot be ready at a minute’s notice if there is preparation and a Bible teacher who has a mind to work!

The second type of Classroom Cobweb is one that is not physical, but completely mental. At times a Bible teacher is overwhelmed with daily tasks, much like Martha in Luke 10:38-42, and finds little time to prepare for the week’s Bible lesson. The teacher may find that it is much easier and convenient to show a video and provide a coloring page for the students. A word of caution: easy and convenient does not always provide an excellent Bible teaching program.

Nothing takes the place of the Bible teacher knowing, understanding, and communicating what they have studied from the Bible directly to the students. Promoting class participation in the form of questions, reciting Bible verses, preparing a good visual aid, or providing a hands-on, take-home activity will do nothing but make strong Bible students who know their Bible.

So, take a good, objective view of your Bible classroom. Look around! Do you see a dusty old cobweb in the corner? Are you prepared for an unexpected Bible student? Are there Bibles on a clean table? Are there dirt-free chairs tucked in under the table? Are there pencils and paper available? Is the Bible teacher ready at a moment’s notice to teach a young one?

Yes, cobwebs are telling and they tell just how much the Bible teacher has prepared for the next lesson! “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (Proverbs 29:18). Let’s clean out those Classroom Cobwebs!

Lesson - The Model Prayer

VERSES:   Luke 11:1-5;  Matthew 6:9-15

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 11:1  "...Lord, teach us to pray..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review the first five books of the Old testament.

PRAYER:   Thank the Lord for our many blessings and for even having the avenue of prayer where the Lord, Creator of All, listens to our needs and desires. 

SPECIAL SONG:   How Do Christians Worship God?  (see May 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #5) 

VISUAL AID:   Write the words of Jesus' model prayer on the white board or chalkboard. As the Bible teacher reads each phrase, circle the things that are learned (see below).

LESSON POINTS:

• Jesus had been in a certain place praying. When He stopped, Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them to pray as John had taught his disciples. Jesus explained to them how to pray and different things for which to pray. This was what He told His disciples who were with Him. He said,
• "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." We should address God when we pray, being respectful and honoring Him with a title such as "Father," "Creator," or just simply recognizing Him as the one true God as David did in many of his psalms.
• "Thy kingdom come." The kingdom or the church had not been established at this time, so Jesus included that the church would be established as God willed in His prayer.  Today, the kingdom or church has been established, so there is no need to continue to pray for something to come that has already happened. Everything else in Jesus' example prayer should be prayed for.
• "Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth." When children of God pray, they always pray that God's Will will be done, not their own will. 
• "Give us this day our daily bread." We should ask God for our food because we know that, being a good and gracious Father, God gives us what we need.
• "And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us." As we learned in the lesson, The Parable of The Unmerciful Servant (see February on this blog), if we are forgiven, we must forgive others.
• "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." We should also pray that we would not be  tempted by the devil, but that we should be delivered from evil. With each temptation that comes our way, there is a way to escape it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Sometimes the way to escape is not clear, so we must search for that escape path, knowing that it is there. Joseph's escape from temptation was to simply 'flee' or run away from temptation (see April - Lesson - Joseph Goes To Egypt on this blog). We might need to do that, too!
• We must remember that the prayer that Jesus used to teach His disciples to pray was not necessarily words that we memorize and recite, but that our prayers should come form our hearts, using this prayer as a model prayer to teach us, like Jesus taught his disciples, how to pray.

"Older Student" Tips:

• People occasionally call this example of Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray in Luke 11:1-4 as "The Lord's Prayer," but Jesus was only explaining to them how to pray. He was answering the disciples' question on prayer (verse 1). Jesus did not intend for people to pray the exact same words that He used. We know this because Jesus prayed for the kingdom to come in verse 2. The kingdom or the church had not been established at this time, so it was something important for which to pray. Acts 2 tells us that the church began on Pentecost (Acts 2:1) and that the Lord added daily to the church (Acts 2:47) on that day when believers were baptized (Acts 2:41). The kingdom or church was established after Jesus' death on the cross. If someone wanted to know what the Lord's prayer was, they would turn to John 17 and read Jesus' heartfelt prayer to His Father. 

ACTIVITY:   "...Lord, teach us to pray..."
Materials needed:  9" x 12" light brown construction paper, pencil, marker, scissors.

1. Hand out paper.
2. Fold paper in half.
3. Using one of the student's hands, place one hand on paper. Make certain the thumb and index finger are actually on the fold.
4. Trace hand with paper folded.
5. Cut out hand, leaving the index finger and thumb uncut on the fold.
6. Unfold hands.
7. On the outside of one hand, write "...Lord, teach us to pray..."
8. On the outside of the other hand, write "Luke 11:1-5."
9. Turn hands over.
10. On the inside of one hand, write "1. Praise God's name." "2. Pray for the church." "3. Pray that God's will be done."
11. On the inside of the other hand, write "4. Pray for food." "5. Ask for forgiveness." and "6. Lead us not into temptation."
12. Fold hands before the students take them home.

Lesson - Mary, Martha, And Lazarus

VERSES:   Luke 10:38-42

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 10:42   "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review the first five books of the Old Testament.

PRAYER:   Pray that we will always choose the spiritual things in this life and treasure them up in our hearts.

SPECIAL SONG:   Mary, Martha, And Lazarus  (See May 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #5. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   TV Box  (see February 2014 - Visual Aid #1 for instructions)

LESSON POINTS:

• Jesus was popular during the time we are studying right now. Because of His teachings and healing, there were always great crowds around Jesus. The people were eager to hear what Jesus had to say because He taught as one who had authority (Matthew 7:29). It did not matter what city or village Jesus traveled through, there were always crowds of people who needed healing, such as blind people or lame people. 
• Jesus was the Son of God, but He was the also the Son of Man or was human and, because He was human, He got tired and needed to be alone at times. We can read how Jesus sometimes went into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1) or on a mountain (Matthew 5:1) or in a boat (Matthew 13:1, 2) to get away from the crowds of people. 
• When Jesus traveled through the village of Bethany, there were no hotels or motels. There were a few inns where there were rooms to rent, but they cost money and Jesus and His disciples did not have much money. So, when a woman named Martha invited Jesus to come to her, her sister, Mary, and her brother, Lazarus' house (John 11:1), Jesus accepted her hospitality. While Jesus was staying in their home, Martha was overcome with attending to the food that she had prepared and felt a little frustrated. She came to Jesus to complain about her sister, Mary, who was sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to what Jesus was teaching and not helping her. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Please tell her to come and help me."  
• Jesus surprised Martha with His answer. Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen that good part that will not be taken away from her."
• It is always good to be kind and hospitable, but Jesus said that there is something better than hospitality and that was to hear the words of Jesus. At this time, Martha was concerned with earthly bread, but Mary was interested in spiritual bread, the bread of life. Choosing to listen to Jesus' words is still more important today than serving people.

"Older Student" Tips:

• This a great lesson in making wise choices. Mary made the right choice in hearing Jesus' teachings, but Martha made a bad choice in choosing to worry about serving.
• Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were friends of Jesus and there is a miracle that we will study concerning this family in the near future.

ACTIVITY:  Who Chose The Better Part?
Materials needed:   9" x 12" dark green construction paper, two 5" x 5" yellow squares, two 3" x 4" white rectangles, one 2" x 9" long white strip of paper, crayons, marker.

1. Hand out dark green paper.
2. Fold 2" down on top edge of green paper.
3. Fold green paper in half.
4. Unfold paper.
5. Draw a black line on fold lines.
6. Hand out one yellow square.
7. Draw and color a picture of Martha in the kitchen preparing food.
8. Write "Martha" at the bottom of her dress.
9. Glue Martha's picture on the left side of the green paper, just under the black line (see picture above).
10. Hand out other yellow square.
11. Draw and color a picture of Lazarus in a chair and Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to Jesus speak. 
12. Write "Mary" on Mary's dress, "Lazarus" on Lazarus' robe, and "Jesus" on Jesus' robe.
13. Glue Mary's picture on the right side of the green paper, just under the black line (see picture above).
14. Hand out long white strip of paper.
15. Write "Who Chose The Better Part?" and "Luke 10:38-42" on the white strip of paper.
16. Glue white strip of paper at the top of the green paper.
17. Hand out one white rectangle of paper.
18. Fold in half, lengthwise.
19. With folded edge on top, write "Martha?"
20. Inside Martha's white paper, write "No."
21. Glue the back of Martha's white paper to the bottom left side of the green paper under Martha's picture
22. Hand out other white rectangle of paper.
23. Fold in half, lengthwise.
24. With folded edge on top, write "Mary?"
25. Inside Mary's white paper, write "Yes."
26. Glue the back of Mary's white paper to the bottom right side of the green paper under Mary's picture.
27. Choose students to tell Martha and Mary's point of views in this lesson before leaving class.

Lesson - The Good Samaritan

VERSES:   Luke 10:25-37

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 10:29   "...who is my neighbor?"

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Deuteronomy.  Write "Deuteronomy" on small slips of paper, so the students may take them home and memorize it.

PRAYER:   Pray that we will always be kind to our neighbors and treat everyone just the same.

SPECIAL SONG:   Be Patient And Kind  (see April 2014 - Lesson - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   A Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• As Jesus stood in the middle of the crowd, a lawyer also stood up and tested Jesus by asking Him, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus asked Him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" The lawyer answered, "You shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus said, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you shall live." But, the lawyer, trying to make himself look like he was living right, asked, "And who is my neighbor?" As an answer, Jesus told the lawyer a parable.
• A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and as he traveled, robbers robbed him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him wounded on the side of the road. They left him half dead! 
• As it happened, there was a priest who also traveled down that same road and saw the man laying wounded on the side of the road. He should have stopped and helped him, but he passed by on the other side of the road and did not help. 
• Next, a Levite came by that same place where the wounded man was laying and he, too, looked at the man, but, instead of helping, passed by on the other side of the road and did not help. 
• Finally, a Samaritan man traveled down that same road and saw the wounded man laying on the road. The Samaritan had compassion on him and doctored up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them and putting bandages on his wounds. He put the wounded man on his own animal and took him to an inn, trying his best to take care of the hurt man. The next day, the Samaritan left, but he gave money to the innkeeper and told him to take care of him and, if the innkeeper needed more money, then he would repay him when he came back by.
• Jesus then asked the lawyer, "Which of these three men--the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan--was the neighbor of the man who was robbed?" The lawyer said, "The one who showed mercy or kindness to him." Jesus told the lawyer to go and do the same.
• Who is our neighbor? Who should we show mercy to? Who should we be kind to? Everyone!

"Older Student" Tips:

• It is interesting to note that Jesus spoke the truth with all of His parables, even with small details like the direction the wounded man was traveling. Jesus said he was traveling 'down' from Jerusalem to Jericho which is a true statement. The seventeen-mile road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a very dangerous, steep road. People usually traveled the road in groups because of robbers who were lurking about, waiting for innocent people to walk by and then they would rob them. 
• Jews never considered Samaritans as their friends; in fact, Jews thought of Samaritans as a lower class than they. This parable makes it clear that the priest and Levite, who were Jews and knew the law, should have helped the Samaritan, but they chose not to help. On the other hand, the Samaritan had a good heart and helped a man who was half dead and was even a Jew.

ACTIVITY:   The Good Samaritan
Materials needed:   12" x 18" black construction paper, 9" x 12" white construction paper, 4"x 4" brown construction paper, 2 tiny band-aids, scraps of leftover paper, glue, scissors, staples and stapler, marker.

1. Hand out black paper.
2. Cut two long 2" strips off of black paper. 
3. Staple both long black strips together to make a circle. Set aside.
4. Fold remaining black paper in half.
5. Cut corners so they are rounded like rocks. This is the background.
6. Unfold paper.
7. Fold the same black paper again in thirds. Folding the paper will make the rocks stand up.
8. Unfold paper.
9. With white crayon, write "Parable of the Good Samaritan" and "Who Is My Neighbor?" in the middle top of the rocks (see picture).
10. On the left side of the rocks, write "From Jerusalem to Jericho" with white crayon.
11. On the right side of the rocks, write "Luke 10:25-37" with white crayon.
12. Hand out white paper.
13. Draw, cut out, and color six men.
14. Label men "Robber," "Robber," "Wounded Man," "Priest," "Levite," "Samaritan" at the bottom of the men's robes.
    
15. Hand out brown paper.
16. Draw, cut out, and color donkey.
17. Cut .5" x 2" piece of scrap paper. This is the donkey's blanket.
18. Fold donkey's blanket in half. 
19. Glue blanket to both sides of donkey.
20. Insert two bandages into the donkey's pocket.
21. Staple or glue Good Samaritan and Donkey to black circle where staples meet.
    
22. Staple or glue priest to the other side of the black circle where staples meet.
    
23. Staple or glue two robbers in the middle of the black circle halfway between the donkey and the priest. When stapled in this manner, the men are in the right sequence to tell the parable.
24. Cut small rectangle and place between robbers. This is the wounded man's clothes.
    
    
25. Staple or glue Levite in the middle of the black circle halfway between the Samaritan and the priest.
    
26. Cut .5" x .5" piece of scrap paper. This is the donkey blanket's pocket.
27. Lightly glue three sides of pocket and place at bottom edge of blanket.
28. Insert two tiny band-aids in pocket.
    
    
29. Glue wounded man at the bottom of the rocks.
30. Place rocks in the middle of the circle.
31. As student tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, beginning with the robbers, the robbers, priest, Levite, and Good Samaritan travel in a circle in front of the wounded man. The student tells how each treated the Good Samaritan as they pause by the wounded man.
32. Answer the question: "Who is my neighbor?" Everyone is our neighbor!