VERSES: Matthew 7:24-27
MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 7:24 "...I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Hebrews. Write "Hebrews" on small slips of paper to hand out at the end of class, so the students may take the papers home to memorize this next book of the New Testament.
PRAYER: Pray that we will always do what the Lord wants us to do and by doing what the Lord wants shows how much we love Him.
SPECIAL SONG: The Wise Man Built His House Upon A Rock (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- While Jesus preached on the mountain to the many people who listened to Him, Jesus told them they needed to know in order to live the way God wanted them to live. We have studied about some of the important things that Jesus taught the people, such as the beatitudes, how His disciples should be the light of the world, and how people should not worry, but trust in God.
- In our lesson today, Jesus painted a picture with His words. He told the people that whoever heard the words He was speaking and did them would be just like a wise man who built a house on top of a rock. A rock is a good place to build a house because Jesus said when the rains came down upon the house, the water started rising and flooding, and the winds started blowing and beating against the house, the house stood firm and did not fall.
- Then Jesus went on to say was that whoever heard the words that he was speaking and did NOT do them would be like a foolish man who built a house on the sand. The sand was not a good place to build a house because when the rains came down and the floods rose up and the winds blew and beat against the house, the house fell down and broke into pieces.
- When Jesus was finished His sermon on the mountain, all of the people were astonished at His teachings because He taught with authority and not as a scribe. Jesus is the Son of God!
"Older Student Tips:
- Jesus taught many people through His sermon on the mountain and said many things that we, as His disciples, still read and learn. Jesus never changes (Hebrews 13:8).
ACTIVITY: (If this entire project seems to be too much work for little hands, simplify to only make the wise man's house on the rock.) The Wise Man Built A House Upon A Rock
Materials needed: small box with no lid (I used an 8" x 11" box lid, dark blue construction paper to fit bottom of box, 4" circle cut our of black construction paper, two 2" x 6" strips of tan construction paper, 2" x 8" strip of dark brown construction paper, two 2" x 2" dark brown construction paper, 4" half circle of tan construction paper scrap, glue, tape, scissors, crayons.
- Hand out box lid.
- Hand out blue paper.
- Glue blue paper in bottom of box lid.
- Glue 2" x 8" dark brown strip down the middle of blue paper. This is the box divider.
- Hand out black circle.
- Cut to middle of black circle.
- Write "House on Rock" along edge of black circle.
- Fold to make a cone.
- Tape cone. This is the rock.
- Tape rock to left side of blue paper.
- Hand out 4" half circle of tan paper.
- Glue 4" half circle of tan paper on the right side of blue paper. This is the sand.
- Hand out both strips of 2" x 6" tan paper.
- Fold both strip in half, then in half again.
- Unfold.
- Draw door and windows on each strip.
- Fold each strip into a 'box.' These are the two houses.
- Fold one of the strips into a "box."
- Tape to secure one house in to a box. This is the wise man's house.
- Hand out two 2" x 2" dark brown paper. These are the roofs.
- Tape one roof on top of wise man's house.
- Tear or cut foolish man's house in four or five pieces.
- Glue foolish man's house (with roof) in a pile on the sand.
- Tape wise man's house on top of rock on left side of the box lid.
- Write "House of Sand" on tan 'sand.'
- Write "Matthew 7" on edge of box lid.
