Lesson - Parable Of The Rich Fool

VERSES:   Luke 12:16-21

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 12:21  "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   James. Write "James" on small slips of paper for the students to take home and memorize another book of the New Testament. Practice saying all the books of the New Testament together as a class or sing the song, The Books Of The New Testament, found under March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 as review.

PRAYER:   Pray that we will always put God first in our lives and place everything else below Him.

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:  Make a large Activity like the one below under Activity.

LESSON POINTS:

• As Jesus daily walked around Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem, there were always a crowd of people who gathered around Him. Perhaps they were waiting for Him to perform a miracle and they wanted to see Him make a lame person walk, maybe they had heard about Jesus and were curious to see what He looked like, or maybe they wanted to hear what He had to say. Whatever their reasons, the people followed Jesus as He visited their towns. Sometimes there were just a few people following, but many times, there were great crowds of people. Because microphones and speakers had not been invented yet, the people had to be quiet and listen closely and remember what Jesus had said because there were no tape recorders or smart phones to record what He was saying. No, the people--all the people--listened quietly to Jesus as He spoke.
• When Jesus preached to the people, sometimes He said exactly what the people should do. He commanded them like He did when He taught on the Sermon on the Mount. Sometimes He would heal someone who everyone in the town knew to get their attention, then He would teach the people. Sometimes He told the people stories or parables to paint a picture in the people's minds, so they could remember the lesson and also understand the lesson. One thing remained true: Jesus always taught by His example. He lived what He taught.
• In the lesson today, Jesus taught a parable about a very rich man who forgot something. Jesus taught the people lessons by talking about something they knew, like farming for example, then he would apply the lesson to something spiritual. He told the story about a man who farmed land and his land grew a great amount of fruit. We don't know what kind of fruit it was, but there was a lot of it and the rich man put it in barns. God had blessed the man's land so much that the man began thinking about what he would do with all the fruit. He thought to himself, "What will I do? I have so much fruit that I don't have enough room for it all. I know! I will tear down all of my barns and I will build much larger barns and then I will put all of my fruit inside. I will say to myself--I have much fruit stored up for many years, so I will eat, drink, and be merry." BUT...the rich man forgot something! He forgot God and he forgot that he was going to die. God said to the rich man, "You fool! Tonight your soul is required of you! Then who will own all those things that you have stored up?"
• At the end of the parable, Jesus said, "Someone who stores up treasures on this earth and is not rich towards God is just like that rich fool." Jesus did not want us to be like that rich man who forgot God. He wanted us to always put God first in our lives, then God would always give us everything we need. (Matthew 6:12).
• What does that mean, "Put God first?" That's right! It means to always do spiritual things before we do the earthly things. First, we go to Bible class, then we can play soccer or go to the mountains. It means that whatever we do in life--get a job, play sports, etc.--we need to put God above those things.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Discuss what a 'fool' is. Someone who is not smart.
• Talk about how smart Jesus was to tell parables about the things that the people knew: farming, cleaning house, finding a treasure, losing a sheep, etc. The people He taught could understand what the meaning was to His lessons.
• Have everyone open their Bibles to Luke 12:16-19 and count how many times the rich man said the words, "I" or "my". Then, count how many times he said anything about helping others or giving back to God.

ACTIVITY:   Parable of the Rich Fool
Materials needed:   6" x 9" red construction paper, 5" x 12" light brown construction paper, 4.5" x 8" dark brown construction paper, 3" x 3" dark brown construction paper, glue, scissors, marker, crayons.

1. Hand out light brown paper. This is the roof.
2. Cut edges off two short sides of light brown paper to resemble a roof.
3. Hand out red paper. This is the barn.
4. Glue top edge of red barn.
5. Place the bottom of the roof on top of the barn.
6. Hand out dark brown paper. This is the barn door.
7. Cut in half.
8. Fold one edge of each dark brown square.
9. Glue only the small folded edge.
10. Place glued edges of two barn doors away from each other on top of the red barn. The doors should open.
11. Hand out small dark brown paper. This is the hayloft.
12. Cut in half.
13. Fold one edge of each small dark brown square.
14. Glue only the small folded edge.
15. Place glued edges of two hayloft doors away from each other on top of the roof. The doors should open.
16. Write "The Rich Fool" and "Luke 12:16-21" on top of the roof.
17. Open large barn doors.
18. Inside the large barn doors on the red barn, write "The rich fool said, 'I will build greater barns...I will eat, drink, and be merry.' But..."
    
19. Open small brown doors of the hayloft.
20. Write "...but he forgot God."
    
21. On both sides of each of the barn doors, make a large "X".
22. On the small hayloft doors, make black or brown lines to resemble wood.
23. On the roof, make lines to resemble a roof.
24. Before leaving class, have the students read what it says inside all doors.

Extra Helps #13 - Help For The New Or Nervous Teacher

Do you find yourself in one of these predicaments? 

• Someone has asked you to teach a Bible Class and you said, "Yes!" but you do not have a clue as to how to begin. This may even be your first Bible class ever! 
• There is no one to teach in your small congregation, but you, and you are at a loss at how and what to teach.
• Or, perhaps, it has been a very long time since you have taught children and now you are very nervous. You feel as though you have forgotten everything you once knew.
• Or, maybe, you have been sitting in a Bible class with young ones doing nothing but babysitting or operating a day care more than you have been teaching a Bible class? You realize that you are wasting precious time and want to teach the Bible, but do not have the knowledge.

Take a deep breath. Everything is going to be all right.

First, let me say, "Congratulations!" for having the courage and the heart of a Bible teacher. A Bible teacher sees a need, prays for help, opens the Bible, and reads. Did you know that there is a 'first' Bible class for every Bible teacher? While it is true that it is definitely easier to be properly trained with hours spent at the feet of a godly Bible teacher who gladly shares her methods, ideas, and expertise, that is not always possible. You might not have anyone for guidance, you are not creative, you have little Bible knowledge, but it falls to you to teach, and you must begin NOW! What to do?

On this blog, there are hundreds of lessons, many helps, and words of encouragement for the Bible teacher. You are not alone. These are tried and true lessons. They will work for you and your class. Take a look right now on the right side of this page. You will see that there are sections under: 

• "Blog Archives" (this is where the lessons are), 
• "Popular Posts" (these are lessons that many have found helpful), and 
• "Special Articles" (written to show you how to set up a Bible classroom, an overview of a Bible class schedule, and detailed information under each item of the Bible Schedule). 

Begin with the "Special Articles."  The articles are not too long and you may find that they will give you the basic information that you need. 

How to begin? Remember to pray. The Bible should be your ultimate guide. Study your lesson with your Bible open. Read, read, read. Be organized. Keep it simple. Pray again. God will help you in your efforts. You will get better and better and learn more and more. Never, ever give up! 

Words Of Encouragement Along The Way #15 - Simplify

Certainly, there are times when a Bible teacher takes a look at an activity and thinks, "Wow! That's difficult!" Only the Bible teacher knows what their students are able to accomplish in a short amount of Bible class time. Perhaps the students are young and are unable to finish certain tasks, or maybe the students' abilities to write or even form letters is at a lower level. May a suggestion be offered? Simplify! 

How To Simplify a Bible Activity:

• If the Bible teacher determines that the activity may be a little too involved for their students, it is a good idea to break down the project into smaller, easier jobs.  For example, drawing a man may be a difficult concept for a student. Break down the job. Draw a circle on the white board or chalkboard for a head; draw a triangle for the clothing; add arms and legs; complete with details, such as hair and face. 
• An easy fix is to only hand out one part of the activity at a time, so the student is not confused with many parts. For example, if there is a background, an ocean, and clouds in the project, only hand one piece of paper to the student at a time. Glue that part on the background and 'build' the project until it is finished. 
• Writing Bible verses or sentences on a Bible activity may be a hard task for small hands. Perhaps typing the words on paper in advance, and then having the student cut the sentences in strips may be a way to help the student finish the project more quickly and without much frustration. 
• If cutting is difficult for your students, the Bible teacher may want to cut out the more detailed items before the Bible class or perhaps cutting around the items may be easier.
• The same idea works for drawing difficult objects.  The Bible teacher can definitely draw an occasional difficult object in advance and then the student may finish the coloring and cutting tasks. 
• If there is any confusion over what the student has drawn or whom they have drawn, the student may want to label the drawing. For example, if it would be unclear who was swallowed by a great fish, the student could draw the man, then label him "Jonah" to avoid confusion or questions from others asking, "What is that?" 
• Using an "assembly line" approach to art is not as much fun as having freedom to create, color and cut, but it is certainly quicker! If the Bible teacher finds that Bible class time is running out, assign jobs one at a time, quickly advancing to the next portion of the project. 

There are two important factors in a good Bible activity. The most important factor is that the Bible activity should be biblical. Even though the Bible teacher has simplified the project, make certain that book, chapter, and verse is found somewhere on the project, preferably in the child's own handwriting.  

The other factor is that the emphasis should always be on students doing their own work, or at least as much as possible. Parents know the difference in the Bible teacher's work and their own child's work. Remember that parents do not necessarily treasure the Bible teacher's artwork, but they will always treasure their own child's artwork, even if it is askew, spelled incorrectly, and globbed with glue.

Lesson - The Wise Man Built His House On A Rock

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.

1. Hand out box lid.
2. Hand out blue paper.
3. Glue blue paper in bottom of box lid.
4. Glue 2" x 8" dark brown strip down the middle of blue paper. This is the box divider.
5. Hand out black circle.
6. Cut to middle of black circle.
   
7. Write "House on Rock" along edge of black circle.
8. Fold to make a cone.
9. Tape cone. This is the rock.
10. Tape rock to left side of blue paper.
11. Hand out 4" half circle of tan paper.
12. Glue 4" half circle of tan paper on the right side of blue paper. This is the sand.
13. Hand out both strips of 2" x 6" tan paper.
14. Fold both strip in half, then in half again.
15. Unfold.
16. Draw door and windows on each strip.
    
    
17. Fold each strip into a 'box.' These are the two houses.
18. Fold one of the strips into a "box."
19. Tape to secure one house in to a box. This is the wise man's house.
    
20. Hand out two 2" x 2" dark brown paper. These are the roofs.
21. Tape one roof on top of wise man's house.
    
22. Tear  or cut foolish man's house in four or five pieces.
23. Glue foolish man's house (with roof) in a pile on the sand.
24. Tape wise man's house on top of rock on left side of the box lid.
25. Write "House of Sand" on tan 'sand.'
26. Write "Matthew 7" on edge of box lid.

Lesson - Seek Ye First The Kingdom of God

VERSES:  Matthew 6:19-34

MEMORY VERSE:  Matthew 6:21  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Philemon.  Write "Philemon" 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 all seek spiritual things, knowing that when we do, God will give us the physical things that we need.

SPECIAL SONG:   Jesus Loves The Little Children (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. Click orange circle for tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Pictures of moths, rusted things, robbers, birds, lilies, grass, heart.

LESSON POINTS:

• During Jesus' sermon on the mountain where many people were gathered around Him to hear His preaching and His teaching, Jesus told the listeners not to gather treasures like money, fine homes, and expensive trinkets while here on this earth because they would not last. Moths might make their homes in costly fabric and eat it up or, perhaps, the weather might make beautiful things rust, or even thieves and robbers might break in and steal treasures. Instead, Jesus told the people to lay up treasures up in heaven, not on the earth. He said where their treasure was, that would be where their hearts would be. 
• Jesus said that no one could serve two masters. A person would chose to love one and hate the other. He said no one could serve God and riches.
• Some people worry a lot. They worry about having enough food or enough to drink. Jesus also said not to worry about what we would eat or drink or what we would wear in this life. Then He mentioned that the birds do not plant food, or gather food and store it in barns, yet God feeds them. Jesus said man was much better than the birds, meaning that God would take care of man, too.
• Jesus asked if anyone could add an inch to his height just by thinking or worrying about it. The answer was that they could not. Worrying does not make things happen. 
• Jesus said not to worry about clothes. He said that the lilies in the field did not work, yet they were beautiful. He said that if God clothed the grass of the field, surely He would provide clothes for people. 
• Jesus told His disciples not to worry about what they would eat or drink or wear because the Gentiles, or people who did not obey God, worried about such things. God knew just what they needed just as He knows what we need. The only thing we need to do is put God first in everything we do and He will provide for us. God is in control and His Will will be done.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Reassure that God is in control, He knows the future, and His Will will be done. We only need to trust Him and not worry if we are obeying Him. How do we know what He wants us to do? We read the Bible and His Word will teach us what pleases Him. God has and always will provide for those who love Him and do His Will.
• Prayer helps , but worry does does not.

ACTIVITY:   Where is our treasure?
Materials needed:   6" x 9" black construction paper, 5" x 8" white construction paper, glue, red and black crayon, white crayon or marker, red heart sticker.

1. Hand out black paper.
2. Fold black paper in half like a book.
3. Hand out white paper.
4. Fold white paper in half like a book.
5. Unfold black paper,
6. Unfold white paper.
7. Insert white paper inside black paper.
8. Glue white paper ON ONE SIDE ONLY of black paper, otherwise, the white page will not open to the back of the book.
9. When opened up and writing on both sides of white paper, write in red "Matthew 6:21" and, in black, write "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (see picture)
   
10. Turn the white page and place red heart sticker on back of white page like it is hiding in the Bible. (see picture)
    
11. Fold book.
12. Write "Holy Bible" on front of black folded paper.

Lesson - The Light Of The World

VERSES:   Matthew 5:14-16

MEMORY VERSE:    Matthew 5:14  "Ye are the light of the world..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:    Titus. Write "Titus" 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. Because the Activity is a short one, perhaps the Bible teacher and the class could review the Books of the Old and New Testament books by singing the songs, The Books of the Old Testament and The Books of the New Testament (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3).

PRAYER:   Pray that we will be light that others in darkness see. May we shine our lights by doing good works.

SPECIAL SONG:    This Little Light Of Mine (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear the tune to this song.)

VISUAL AID:   Draw a city on a hill on the whiteboard or the blackboard. Then, as you tell the story, draw a candle, then draw a basket over the candle, put an 'X' on the basket and then draw a candle on a candlestick.

LESSON POINTS:

• Jesus continued preaching and teaching the people who were listening to Him as He preached on the mountain. He taught the people not only how to be happy in life and to make others happy, but also taught His followers how they should present themselves or behave themselves.
• Jesus told His disciples that they were the light of the world. In a world of darkness and sin, the ones who were to be like the stars at night were His followers.  Jesus said that a city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a candle and put it under a basket. How could anyone see with a basket over the light? No, they light a candle and put it on a candlestick, so that everyone in the house can see in the dark. Light makes the darkness go away.
• How do we let our lights shine? Jesus said that everyone should let their lights shine before others by letting them see the good things that we are doing and they will glorify God. Our lights are the good deeds that we do. Ones who follow Jesus should be known by the love and kindness they show to others.
• When we do something good, people will notice that we are different from the world who usually does things only for themselves. The ones who follow Jesus show others their Father in heaven by helping others.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Discuss:  
• Light and darkness cannot be in the same room; light will always dispel or eliminate darkness. 

ACTIVITY:   Candle
Materials needed:   empty toilet paper roll, 11" x 17" yellow tissue paper, 17" x 22" purple tissue paper, scissors, marker.

1. Hand out a empty toilet paper roll.
2. Hand out purple tissue.
3. Fold full purple tissue paper in half, and in half again.
   
4. Place toilet paper roll in the middle of the purple paper and roll up.
5. Stuff each end of excess purple paper inside toilet paper roll. This is the candle.
   
6. Hand out yellow tissue.
7. Smooth out yellow paper on table.
8. Grab middle of yellow paper and shake.
   
9. Stuff yellow tissue inside one end of toilet paper. This is the flame.
   
10. Write "Ye are the light of the world..." and "Matthew 5:14" on the purple tissue.
    

Lesson - The Beatitudes

VERSES:   Matthew 5:1-12

MEMORY VERSE:   Matthew 5:9   "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   2 Thessalonians.  Write "2 Thessalonians" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class to take home and memorize.

PRAYER:   Pray that we all might show that we are following Christ by the way we act and the way to talk. May we always think about the beatitudes and live our lives in a way that may imitate the beatitudes.

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

VISUAL AID:   Draw a picture of the Activity below on the whiteboard or chalkboard.

LESSON POINTS:

• The news that Jesus could heal people from their sicknesses spread quickly around the area where Jesus was preaching, places like Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. Sometimes the crowds of people grew so large that Jesus needed to be alone and went to the wilderness for a short time, but there were other times when the people crowded around him and Jesus placed himself in a better position, so the people could hear him better. We just studied about the time that Jesus went into a ship and talked to the people on the shore. This is an example of how Jesus sat in a better place to teach the people.
• In our lesson today, Jesus saw that there were many people following Him and listening to what He was preaching and teaching, so He went up into a mountain. When he was ready and sitting down, his disciples went to Him, and he began to teach them. Some people call his preaching on that particular day "The Sermon On The Mount."
• On that day, Jesus taught the people about how to live the way God wanted them to live and the attitude that they should have towards other people. Some people call the first few verses in Matthew chapter 5 "The Beatitudes" because Jesus told the people to behave in a certain way and have their minds set on a better way to live. He said that his followers would be blessed or happy if they believed and did the things that He said.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Some of specific things that Jesus said were:
• "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  People who are poor in spirit are not proud or think they are better than anyone else. They treat everyone just the same. People who are poor in spirit are the people will be in the kingdom of heaven.
• "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." People who mourn or are sad because there is so much sin and disobedience to God in the world are promised that they shall be comforted.
• "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." To be meek means to have strength under control. Remember Moses was meek.
• "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." This does not mean physically hungry. It means that people who are hungry and are thirsting for righteousness or doing right, just as they would be hungry for food, will be filled up.
• "Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy." People who are compassionate to the point that they have a desire to help others will find that same mercy.
• "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."  People who have unpolluted hearts that are free from sin-which comes from obeying God (1 Peter 1:22)-will see God.
• "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." People who bring peace to others, whether they are soothing others in stressful situations or bringing others to Christ will be called the children of God because God, their Father, would do the same.
• "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Those who are troubled because they are doing right will have a home in heaven.
• "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my name's sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven..." There is a heavenly reward waiting for the obedient children of God who are mistreated because they are trying to do what God wants them to do.

ACTIVITY:   Sermon On The Mount
Materials Needed:  9" x 12" light blue construction paper, 4" x 12" green construction paper, 4" x 6" dark brown construction paper, 3" x 12" tan construction paper, 2" x 6" tan construction paper, crayons, marker, glue, scissors.

1. Hand out light blue paper.
2. Hand out green paper.
3. Tear top edge of green paper. This is the mount.
4. Glue green paper to bottom of light blue paper.
5. Hand out dark brown paper.
6. Tear dark brown paper into a rock.
7. Glue rock in the middle of the green paper.
8. Hand out long strip of tan paper.
9. Draw and color the heads and shoulders of people.
10. Cut the people out.
11. Glue the people to the bottom of the green paper.
12. Hand out small tan paper.
13. Draw and color Jesus on small tan paper.
14. Fold Jesus' feet to the back of Jesus' body.
15. Fold about 1/4" above Jesus' feet fold line to make knees.
16. Glue Jesus to rock to make it look like Jesus is sitting on the rock.
17. Write "The Sermon On The Mount" and "Matthew 5" at the top of the light blue paper.
18. Write "Blessed are they..." into a speech bubble close to Jesus (see picture at top).

Lesson - Jesus Heals The Man With Palsy

VERSES:   Luke 5:12-26; Matthew 9:2;  Mark 2:3

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 5:24   "...Arise, take up your bed, and go into your house."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   1 Thessalonians. Write "1 Thessalonians" on small slips of paper for the student to memorize at home.

PRAYER:   Pray that God will help those who are sick.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

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

LESSON POINTS:

• As we have studied before, Jesus went from town to town, preaching about the kingdom of God and healing people. Jesus would even heal people with terrible things wrong with them like leprosy. When Jesus would heal someone with troubles that other people could see or maybe they would know the person that Jesus had healed and there was no doubt that their friend or the person who lived in their town had been healed. Jesus healed people with leprosy, blind people, and people who could not walk. Soon, great amounts of people from everywhere would come to hear Jesus and be healed by Him.
• One day, important people like the Pharisees and doctors of the law had come from every town in Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem and were sitting and listening to Jesus. There were a lot of people! People everywhere in the house
• A certain man could not walk at all. He had palsy and had to depend on other people like his friends and family to help him go from one place to another. Since the man could not walk, four men had brought the man who had palsy to Jesus on a bed. The men must have heard that Jesus was healing people because they brought their friend to Jesus, hoping that Jesus would heal him. 
• Because there were SO many people, the men had a problem. They could not find a way to bring their friend close to Jesus, so they took the man with palsy on his bed up to the top of the house and let him down through the roof right to where Jesus was! There was no doubt in the minds of the men that if they could get their friend close to Jesus that Jesus would heal him. They had great faith! When Jesus saw what they had done and knew how much faith they had, Jesus told the man with the palsy that his sins were forgiven.
• That is when people began to talk about Jesus. The Pharisees and scribes reasoned and made judgments and thought to themselves, "Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" We, today, know, but the people did not know that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus could forgive sins since He was God's Son! But, Jesus knew the Pharisees and scribes' hearts and knew what they were thinking. He said to them, "What judgments are you making in your hearts? Are you thinking which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' or to say 'Rise up and walk?' So that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (then he turned to the man sick with the palsy) I say to you, Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately, the man with the palsy, stood up, took up his bed, and went home, glorifying God as he went! 
• Everyone who saw what happened was amazed and glorified God and had a deep respect and reverence for God. The people said, "We have seen strange things today." 

"Older Student" Tips:

• Sometimes we hear of false preachers say they can heal people. Sometimes we hear it on TV or the radio. They say they are healing someone's liver or heart or something that we can't see, but Jesus always healed someone who had something wrong with them that people could see, like their eyes or legs. And, it was always healed immediately. There was no waiting for six months, Jesus healed right then! We will study soon how Jesus brought a dead man to life. No one could do that, but Jesus, the Son of God!

ACTIVITY:  The Man With Palsy Is Healed

Materials needed:  6" x 9" dark brown construction paper, 5" x 16" light brown construction paper, tan and white scraps of paper, four 2" lengths of thread or string, scissors, tape, glue, marker, crayons.

1. Hand out light brown paper.
2. Fold light brown paper in half.
3. Fold light brown paper in half again.
4. Unfold.
5. Fold back one of the light brown panels. This is the house.
6. On one side of the light brown paper, draw a large door.
   
   
7. Cut out door.
   
8. On the other side of the light brown paper, draw lots of people. Stick people are fine.
9. Fold light brown paper into a box.
10. Secure with tape.
11. Hand out scraps of tan and white paper.
12. Draw, cut out, and color six men. Four men should have one arm sticking out. (see picture)
13. Fold the four arms of the men at right angles.
14. On one of the men without arms, write "Jesus." Set aside.
15. On another man without arms, write "Man with the palsy." Set aside.
16. On white scrap of paper, cut out a rectangle, small enough to fit through the top of the house.
17. Write "Bed" on white paper.
18. Glue "man with the palsy" on top of bed.
19. Hand out the thread.
20. Line up four men on table.
21. Tape one of each length of thread to each man's hand.
22. Glue men to the top of the house.
    
    
    
23. Tape a corner of the bed to the other end of each string, so it is suspended in air. This may be a little more difficult, but definitely the 'cool' part of the project. Teacher may get to help some of the younger students. (Make certain "man with the palsy" is looking at you when you look down into the house.)
    
24. Hand out dark brown paper. This is the floor or the foundation of the house.
25. Fold Jesus' feet.
26. Tape Jesus' feet to the middle of the dark brown paper, so Jesus is standing the middle of the paper.
27. Place four small pieces of tape on each of the four sides of the house. (see picture.)
    
28. Place house around Jesus, so it looks like he is inside the house.
    
29. Secure tape to the dark brown paper.
30. Write "Jesus Heals The Man With The Palsy" and "Luke 5" on one end of the dark brown paper.

Lesson - A Whole Bunch Of Fish!

VERSES:   Luke 5:1-11

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 5:4  "Launch out into the deep..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review Matthew through Colossians. 

PRAYER:  Pray that we have obedient hearts and always do what Jesus says.

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

VISUAL AID:   Large Activity (see below), a Bible map showing Lake Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee

LESSON POINTS:

• Jesus was busy "about His Father's business" just as He had told Joseph and Mary He would be in the temple (Luke 2:49). Jesus had been healing people and preaching and teaching to the people in synagogues in Galilee (Luke 4:44) and the people were astonished at His teaching (Luke 4:32). They were surprised at the words that Jesus spoke and that He preached with such authority. He knew what He was talking about and preached with confidence. Today, we may not be surprised at Jesus' teaching because we know who He was--the Son of God! But, in the early days of His ministry or preaching, people did not know who He was. They only knew that Jesus preached with power or authority and that He could heal people.
• When Jesus went around from town to town and healed people from the bad things that they were suffering from, they did not want Jesus to leave them (Luke 4:42), but Jesus needed to preach about the kingdom of God to other cities (Luke 4:43), so He would travel to the next city. When everyone heard that a man was healing people, making lame men walk and blind men see, they wanted to hear what this man had to say about God and His kingdom. Soon, there were more and more people listening to Jesus. 
• This was exactly the way it was when Jesus was standing by the Sea of Gennesaret. So many people were standing around listening to Jesus that they were pressing against Him, trying to get closer to Him. Jesus looked up and saw two ships close to the shore, but no one was on the ships because the fishermen were washing their nets. Jesus went ahead and went into Simon Peter's ship. He asked if Peter would thrust the ship out a bit from the shore and he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 
• When Jesus had finished teaching, He told Peter to "launch out into the deep" and let down his nets. Peter told Jesus that they had worked all night long and had not caught any fish at all, but, Peter said, because Jesus had told him to, he would let down his nets.
• You will never guess what happened! When Peter let down his nets, there were so many fish that got caught in his nets that his nets began to break!! He called to his partners in the other boat to come and help them. When his partners came to help, they caught so many fish that they filled up both boats and the boats began to sink!
• Did Jesus know what He was talking about? Yes, He did! When Peter saw what had happened, he realized that Jesus was the Son of God. He fell down at Jesus' knees and said that he was a sinful man. All the fishermen were amazed at what had happened and how many fish that they had caught! Even James and John, Peter's partners were amazed. 
• Jesus told the fishermen to come and follow him and He would make them fishers of men. When they brought the ships to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus, and they did. We will find out in future lessons some of the wonderful things that Jesus did and where He went.

"Older Student" Tips:

• The Sea of Gennesaret and the Sea of Galilee are both names for the same body of water.

ACTIVITY:   A Whole Bunch of Fish!
Materials needed:   orange, red, yellow, brown scraps of construction paper, 4" of yarn or string or a bread tie, hair net (purchased at a variety store or pharmacy like CVS, Walgreens, or WalMart--I paid $4.59 for 10 dark hair nets, unfortunately not on sale--or you can make your own by cutting many small squares out of fabric before class. Buying hairnets sure is convenient), 3" x 3" any color paper, marker, crayons, hole punch.

1. Hand out paper scraps.
2. Draw and cut out many, many fish. There about 20 or in so in the picture above.
3. Hand out 3" x 3" any color paper.
4. Write "A Whole Bunch of Fish!" and "Luke 5:1-11" on the paper.
5. Using hole punch, make one hole in the corner of the paper.
6. Thread yarn, string, or bread tie through the paper and a hair net.
7. Secure.
8. Place fish in hair net.
9. Gather top of hair net carefully and send student, fish, and net out into the world.

Lesson - Jesus Cleanses the Temple

VERSES:   John 2:12-17

MEMORY VERSE:   John 2:15   "...and he drove them all out of the temple..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Colossians.  Write "Colossians" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class for memorization at home. It is a good idea to review all of the books that have been learned from time to time, so the books will stay fresh in the minds of the students.

PRAYER:   Pray that we will all do things God's way and not our way. God and His Son were not pleased that the Jews were doing things their own way in the temple as we learn in our lesson.

SPECIAL SONG:   Jesus Taught By Parables And Miracles (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #4 on this blog. If you click the orange circle, you can hear the tune of the song).

VISUAL AID:   Large Activity (see below) or drawing on white board or chalkboard

LESSON POINTS:

• Do we remember the Passover feast? Remember how Moses told the children of Israel to remember at the Feast of the Passover how God had led His people out of Egypt and out of slavery? Jesus observed the Feast of the Passover, too, and it was getting close to the feast day, so He went up to Jerusalem.
• When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, He found that there were people in the temple who were not doing what God wanted them to do in the temple. The people were selling oxen and sheep right there in the temple! There were men sitting at tables with money on them! Jesus was angry and made a small whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple, including the sheep and oxen. He poured out the money changers' money and turned over the tables. He told the ones who were selling the doves to take them out of the temple and not to make His Father's house a house of merchandise or like a market. Jesus' disciples remembered that it was written in the Psalms, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." (Psalms 69:9). What Jesus did in the temple was what the Psalm was talking about.
• The Jews were a little upset that Jesus had driven them out of the temple and asked Him, "By what sign can you show us that you have authority to do this?" They wanted to know why Jesus thought He could make them stop doing the things they were doing in the temple. The Jews were making money and getting rich by selling things and changing money in the temple and did not want to be stopped. Jesus said to them, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days." The Jews thought Jesus was talking about the temple that they had been driven out of and answered Him, "It has taken 46 years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" They did not understand that Jesus was talking about how his body would be raised up three days after He died.
• Later, after Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead after three days, His disciples remembered what Jesus had said about the temple and they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus spoke.
• It was also at this time that Jesus healed people and performed miracles before them. He healed the people who could not walk or see. No one could do that unless He was sent from God. Jesus wanted the people to believe that He was the Son of God by doing miracles which were things that no one else could do.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Discuss how Jesus died on the cross and after three days He rose from the grave. This was what Jesus had talked about to the Jews in this lesson.

ACTIVITY:   Temple scene (This project might take a few minutes longer than the typical project, but the students will remember the lesson for a long time. That is the object of a good project!)
Materials needed:  6" x 18" tan construction paper, scraps of brown, tan, white, and black paper, scrap of gold paper, 2" of twine or rope, tape, glue, crayons, marker, scissors.

1. Hand out 6" x 18" tan paper. This is the temple floor.
2. Place tan paper landscape on table.
3. Draw one line diagonally from bottom corner to a point about 3" from left edge on each side.
   
4. Cut on lines.
5. Hand out brown scraps of paper.
6. Draw and cut out two simple tables.
7. Glue tables on each side of tan paper, as if they had been turned over.
8. Hand out gold paper.
9. Cut small circles or 'coins' out of gold paper.
10. Glue coins around overturned tables (see picture at very top).
11. Hand out more brown scrap paper.
12. Draw and cut out two oxen. (No need for perfection. If in doubt, write animal's name on it.)
13. Fold oxen's legs about 1/4".
14. Tape oxen's legs and secure to temple floor. Oxen should stand up. If not, add tape to other side of oxen's legs (see picture below of sheep. Oxen's legs should be taped the same way.)
15. Hand out white scrap paper.
16. Draw and cut out two sheep.
17. Fold sheep's legs about 1/4".
18. Tape sheep's legs and secure to temple floor, so the sheep stand up.
    
19. Hand out tan scrap paper or use the triangles cut from the temple floor.
20. Draw and color and cut people as a group leaving the temple from the back view. No faces should be seen.
21. Tape group of people to the top middle of the temple floor. People should stand up. If not, place a piece of tape from the temple floor to the middle of the group of people. The tension of the tape should be enough to make the people stand up.
    
22. Hand out another scrap of tan paper.
23. Draw, color, and cut Jesus from the back view. One of his hands should be raised. No face should be seen.
24. Tape twine in Jesus upraised hand (see picture at very top).
25. Tape Jesus to the bottom edge of the temple floor. If the figure does not want to stand up, take a small piece of construction paper and fold twice, forming four sections when unfolded. Fold back one section of paper and form into a triangle. Secure with tape. Tape to the front of the figure, so he will 'rest' upon the triangle and stand up.
    
26. Write "Jesus Cleanses The Temple" and "John 2:13-17" on the temple floor.
27. Rehearse scene before leaving class.