VERSES: Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25
MEMORY VERSE: Mark 4:39 "...Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: 1 John. Write "1 John" on small slips of paper to send home with the students to memorize.
PRAYER: Thank God for being a great God who has complete control over everything.
SPECIAL SONG: Jesus Taught By Parable And Miracle (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #4 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: TV Box (see February - Visual Aid #1 - TV Box for directions), map showing the Sea of Galilee.
LESSON POINTS:
- Jesus performed many miracles while He was here on this earth. He healed the sick, the lame, the blind, the ones who could not speak, and many others. He also had control over things like the weather and the sea as we will study abut today.
- Jesus had been speaking to the people in parables from a boat by the seaside in the daytime, but when the evening came, He told His disciples that they should go over to the other side of the sea or lake. When the crowds of people were sent away, the ship started sailing with other little boats across the water. As they were out in the deep water, there was a great storm of wind that rose up. The waves were high and they beat into the ship so that it was almost full of water! Jesus had gone down into the bottom of the ship and had fallen asleep on a pillow when the disciples came in and woke Him up. They said to Him, "Don't you care that we are all going to die?"
- Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and said to it, "Peace, be still." And the wind stopped! Just like that! The Bible says that there was a great calm or it was peaceful over the sea. There was and still power in Jesus' words! Jesus said to His disciples, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"
- The disciples greatly feared and said among themselves, "What kind of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
- Jesus could control the wind and the sea and the sicknesses that people had because He was the Son of God! When He performed a miracle, everyone knew that what He did was something a simple human could not do.
"Older Student" Tips:
- The Sea of Galilee had other names, such as the Lake of Gennesaret, and the Sea of Tiberias. These are all the same body of water.
- The Sea of Galilee is approximately 64 square miles, 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It lies 680 feet below sea level.
ACTIVITY: "Peace, be still."
Materials needed: 12" x 18" blue construction paper, 4" x 6" brown construction paper, 4" x 6" white construction paper, 1/2" x 6" brown construction paper, tape, glue, scissors, crayons.
- Hand out blue paper. This is the water.
- Fold the blue paper accordion -style, lengthwise. (Fold every couple of inches, back and forth.)
- Staple both ends of blue paper to secure folds.
- Hand out large brown paper. This is the boat.
- Draw, cut, and color boat.
- Hand out long strip of brown paper. This is the mast.
- Fold strip in half, so it will support the sail.
- Staple strip in middle of top of boat.
- Hand out white paper. This is the sail.
- Fold white paper in half.
- Cut at a diagonal. Save leftover white paper for people.
- Open white paper.
- Tape on mast.
- Draw Jesus alone.
- Color and cut out Jesus.
- Draw two or three disciples together.
- Color and cut out disciples.
- Make one slit in boat on each top side. (Two cuts total)
- Slip Jesus in first slip.
- Tape Jesus on back.
- Slip the disciples in the other slit.
- Tape the disciples on the back to secure.
- From leftover white paper, cut out an oval.
- Write "Peace, be still." on the oval.
- Tape words beside Jesus.
- Write "Jesus Calms The Storm" and "Mark 4" on the boat.
- Place boat inside of water.
