VERSES: Luke 18:15-17; Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16
MEMORY VERSE: Luke 18:16 "...Suffer the little children to come unto me..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: 2 Chronicles. Write "2 Chronicles" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students before they leave class. Encourage them to take their papers home and memorize these 12 books of the Old Testament.
PRAYER: May we love Jesus just as much as He loves us. We show Jesus our love by doing His commandments.
SPECIAL SONGS: Jesus Loves Me (see February 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2); Jesus Loves The Little Children (see February 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2); Jesus Taught By Parable And Miracle (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #4).
VISUAL AID: Draw a picture of children. As you talk about the attributes of children, write the words around the children, for example, "pure," "humble," and so forth.
LESSON POINTS:
- Note: Because this lesson is shorter than others, perhaps this would be a good time to sing a few songs that the students have learned over the past few months. There are many songs on this blog under "SONG LIST." Try a few before beginning the lesson!
- As Jesus would travel from town to town, He would always teach the people in parables, He would perform miracles, sometimes He would command the people to do certain things, and Jesus would always teach the people by living what He taught.
- Parents love their children and when Jesus would come through the towns, they would bring their young children to Jesus, so He might lay His hands on them and pray for them. But there was a problem: The disciples rebuked or scolded the parents for bringing their children to Jesus. When Jesus saw what His disciples were doing, he was greatly displeased and called them to Him.
- He said to His disciples, "Suffer or permit the children to come to Me. Don't tell them not to come because the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are just like these little children. Truly, I tell you that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will not enter at all."
- Why did Jesus say that? Because young children are humble. They do not try to build themselves up in others' eyes. They don't even know what that means! Young children are pure. Babies don't lie and cheat and steal. They are pure and innocent. They are helpful. Young children have many good qualities. That was what Jesus was talking about! No one will be in heaven who lies and exalts himself. We all need to be like little children to enter into the kingdom of God!
- How many toddlers and young children do you know who lie and cheat and steal and think they are better than everyone else? No young child is like that. Traits such as those are learned from others like us. We are their examples. Are we being a good example to the small ones whom we know? Jesus wants us all to be good and pure, humble and helpful. Let us show others that we are how Jesus wants us to be.
ACTIVITY: Jesus Loves the Little Children
Materials needed: 9"x 12" yellow construction paper, 7" x 12" green construction paper, four 2" x 4" white construction paper, staples, stapler, glue, scissors, crayons.
- Hand out yellow paper.
- Write "Jesus Loves The Little Children" and "Luke 18:15-17" at the top of the yellow paper.
- Hand out green paper. This is the grass.
- Fold 3" up, lengthwise, so that the paper is not folded evenly. By folding the paper this way, the children's heads will peek through the grass.
- Cut like grass on the open side. It is easy to cut both sides at one time.
- Glue the back of the largest side of the grass.
- Place grass on bottom of yellow paper.
- Staple each side twice to secure.
- Hand out four white papers.
- On each white paper, draw and color a young child.
- DO NOT glue children. This way the children may be movable.
- Tuck children in between grass.
- Draw a few hearts here and there.
