Vacation Bible School

Backyard Curriculum

Summary

This curriculum is designed to be used with a small group of kids either in your neighborhood or

your home. It is geared towards Kindergarten-3rd grade, but it could easily be adjusted to include

older or younger kids. The theme is “Who is Jesus? And What does His Life Mean for Me?”

Day 1 - Jesus is God!

Day 2 - Jesus Went on an Incredible Rescue Mission!

Day 3 - Jesus Did Amazing Miracles!

Day 4 - Jesus Died and Rose Back to Life!

Day 5 - Jesus Shows Us How to Grow in Spiritual Strength!

Materials

Below are the suggested materials for each day. The curriculum has been designed to use very

few materials, and many items could be substituted out for other items you have around your

house. Feel free to get creative and add in more crafts and games if you want!

Day 1 - Jesus is God!

-Nametags for kids

-Blank nametags for Game (masking tape would work too)

-White board or poster board

-Paper/Pen

-Bible

Day 2 - Jesus Went on an Incredible Rescue Mission!

-White board or poster board

-Bible

-Comic book about Superman leaving krypton

-2 Ropes and something to mark where kids jump (Chalk, small rocks etc)

-Supplies for Gospel Bracelet (Green, yellow, white, black and red beads and elastic)

Day 3 - Jesus Did Amazing Miracles!

-Paper/Pen

-Supplies for science experiment (bowl, water, pepper, dish soap)

-Colored Paper/Pen for scavenger hunt

Day 4 - Jesus Died and Rose Back to Life!

-Costumes for 2 guards, Mary and an Angel

Day 5 - Jesus Shows Us How to Grow in Spiritual Strength!

-Rope for Tug of War

-Bible

-Tissue Paper or Wash cloths

Day 1 - Jesus is God!

Goals Help the kids understand that Jesus is REAL and God’s son.

Help the kids understand that the Bible is God’s word.

Get to know all the kids and help them feel welcome

Key Verse John 20:31 “These things are written so you might believe that Jesus is the

Christ, the son of God, and by believing you might have life in his name.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Welcome and Introductions

We are so glad you joined us this week for our “Backyard Bible Study!” We have a lot of great

things planned for you and we are definitely going to have a lot of fun! I’m

_________________________ and I have really been looking forward to this! The others who

will be helping out this week are (introduce them or let them introduce themselves).

Game: Who Am I?

We’d like to start off with a game that will help us get to know each other better. We will tape

the name of a superhero on your back and you walk around and ask people “yes” or “no”

questions to figure out who you are. When you know who you are, sit down. When everyone is

done, go around and have the kids say, “I’m not (name of superhero), I’m (their name).”

Lesson: Jesus is God

This week we are going to be talking about superheroes! Let’s make a list of all the cool

superpowers that superheroes have. (List on a white board, a posterboard or just let the kids call

out answers.)

Fun discussion question: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Wouldn’t it be cool if you were able to:

Be invisible

Walk through walls

Walk on water

Speak to a storm and make it stop

Read people’s minds (Jesus knew Pharisee’s thoughts)

Ascend into the air

There was a real person who could actually do these things! We can read about him in the Bible.

Does anyone know who I am talking about? Jesus!

These other superheroes we’ve been talking about are lots of fun, but they are not real. Jesus

was a REAL person and is still alive today. This week we are going to learn all about Jesus

because he is the ultimate superhero. We will tell you why throughout this week.

I have a question for you. How could Jesus do all those things? I’ve never seen a human being

do ANY of those things. Have you ever faced a storm and said, “Stop” and suddenly the rain

stops and the clouds float away and the sun comes out?

Jesus had the power to do those things because he is God’s son. Who is God? (Allow for

responses.) Yes, he is the Creator of the universe! He has created everything we see:

Sun, planets, stars, solar systems

All the cool and amazing animals, insects and plants

Mountains, oceans and everything in them

Our super-complex bodies

God must be VERY smart and VERY powerful to create all that! I’d say God has a lot of

superpowers! Let’s talk about some of the other “powers” God has. In this hat I have some

different powers listed on pieces of paper. Let’s have 6 of you reach in and grab a piece of paper

and read it for us. (Only the words in bold are on the papers.) The powers are:

Eternal: The Bible tells us God has always existed. Long before planet earth even

existed, God was there and Jesus was there with him. He will also continue to live on

into the future forever . . . and ever . . . and ever! That’s an amazing thing to think

about.

Omniscient: God knows everything.

Omnipresent: God is everywhere at all times. While he is here with us today, he is

also over in China, in Russia and in Mexico, watching over the kids there at the same

time.

Omnipotent: God is all-powerful.

Holy: God never does anything wrong.

Loving: God has unconditional love for you!

Since Jesus is God’s son, he has all these “powers” too. One of the coolest things about God is

that he doesn’t just sit up in heaven and peek down at us. He wants to come into your life and

be your best friend. He knows you and he cares about you and can use his superpowers to help

you and your family in this life!

Now how do I know all those things about God? Did God appear to me and tell me? Did I just

make it all up? No! God has inspired people to write down his thoughts in a book that is called

the Bible. It is kind of like a superheroes manual. It teaches us all about God and Jesus and how

to live our lives on earth.

Scavenger Hunt for Bible

I have a Bible here today, but it is hidden. To find it, you must find the clues that are left around

the (house or yard). Here is the first clue.

Create a scavenger hunt by placing clues all around your house or yard. Each clue sends you to

the next clue. The kids absolutely love running from clue to clue, so make it about 8 – 12 clues

long. The last clue directs the kids to where the Bible is hidden.

(Hold up Bible.) You found it! Great! We are going to read the Bible this week to learn all

about Jesus and how he uses his superpowers in this world to help us. This is so cool because

the stories we’ll be reading actually happened! And you can REALLY get to know Jesus. I’m

sure we’d all think it would be so great to flash a light for help and Batman would appear. But

Batman isn’t real. Jesus is real and when you call out to him he can hear you and help you.

Verse for Today

Each day we will have a verse for the day. Today’s verse is:

“These things are written so you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of

God, and by believing you might have life in his name.” John 20:31

We are going to memorize it together. Write the verse on a white board or poster board (do this

in advance). Say the verse together as a group. Then erase/mark out two key words. Say it

again as a group. Then erase/mark out a few more words and say it again. Continue until all

words are gone, including the reference.

If you can say this verse to any of the helpers here today, you get to pick a prize.

Conclusion

Today we learned that Jesus is a real superhero who has lots of cool powers. He has those

powers because he is God’s son. Tomorrow we will find out about a rescue mission that God

sent him on.

Let’s take a minute and talk to God. (Pray.)

Day 2 - Jesus Went on an Incredible Rescue Mission!

Goals Help the kids understand that our sins have created a barrier between us and God.

Help the kids understand that God sent Jesus to earth to solve that problem.

Key Verse John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that

everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Review

Yesterday we learned that Jesus has superpowers. Who remembers how Jesus is able to have

those powers? (He is God’s son.) What book are we going to be reading this week to learn

about Jesus? (The Bible)

Introduction: Comic book

We are going to start today by reading a comic book about Superman. Read a comic book about

Superman leaving Krypton and how strange it was for him to be on earth. Have the comic

illustrate how he used his powers to help people.

Lesson: God sent Jesus on an incredible rescue mission!

Superman went on an incredible mission didn’t he? He left his own planet and parents and came

to earth. People on earth were very limited compared to what he could do.

Today we are going to learn about an incredible mission that God sent Jesus on. It is kind of

similar to the story of Superman, only this story is TRUE! Jesus left his home and his father and

came to a planet that was very different. Let me tell you about his mission.

The mission started in heaven where God lives. Long ago, before our world began, God and

Jesus lived together in heaven. Then God decided to create our planet and the universe around

it.

On this new planet God created mountains, oceans, plants and animals. Then he created

something very special: two human beings! Their names were Adam and Eve. He gave them

living bodies that could do amazing things. He also gave them instructions on what was right

and wrong. And he gave them the freedom to make their own decisions.

But a big problem developed. The humans chose to do the things that God had said were wrong.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God and so did their children, and their grandchildren! As it turned

out, every human being who has lived on this earth has done wrong things at one time or another.

If we are honest, we know each of us has done wrong things. Maybe we lied one time or stole

someone’s toy or yelled unkind things to a friend or family member.

This caused a big gap between God and humans because God is perfect and he cannot have any

wrongdoing in his presence. The Bible says, “Your sins have separated you from your God.”

Isaiah 59:2.

So God faced a dilemma. God loved these people he had created, but they could not come to

live with him in heaven after they died because they had done wrong things. So God came up

with an incredible rescue mission. He sent his son, Jesus, to earth to become a human. So just as

Superman left his home on Krypton, so Jesus left his home in heaven. That had to be so weird

for Jesus. In heaven he was the ruling king. All the angels honored and worshipped him. Then

he said, “Ok, I’m going to earth” and transformed himself into a human! Do you know what he

transformed himself into? An earthly king? A soldier? A president? No, a baby. That’s what

we celebrate at Christmas.

Now, the plan was for Jesus to come to earth to die so that he could take the punishment for the

sins of all the people. He lived on earth for 33 years and while he was here he taught the people

how much God loved them. He also taught them that he had come to die for them. When Jesus

died all our sins were placed on him. That was a very brave thing for him to do!

Verse for Today

Our verse for today is John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so

that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

This is the most famous verse in the Bible. This tells us that if we ask for Jesus’ death to pay for

our sins, God will do that. Then God forgives you of all your sins and you can be assured you

will live with God in heaven some day. Let’s practice saying it a few times.

Canyon Illustration

I have an illustration for you. Let’s go outside for this.

Set up two parallel ropes (or anything else to make lines). The ropes should be far enough apart

that a kid could never jump from one to the other. Have the kids line up behind one line. Have

one volunteer stand behind the opposite line to represent God. You can have this person wear a

crown if you have one. The kids have to run and jump as far as they can. Mark their spot. They

are trying to make it across but the point is to show it is impossible. Give everyone 1 or 2 tries.

Great job! This “canyon” represents the gap between us and God. We try to make it over to him

on our own, but as we can see, it is impossible. Some of you got a little further than others, but

you are still so far away. You could jump and jump all day and never make it. That is how it is

with God. We cannot get to him on our own. He knows that. That’s why he needed to rescue

us. So Jesus went on his rescue mission and paid for our sins.

Have one of your helpers represent Jesus. Because Jesus died for our sins, he can help us get

across. (Our helper) is going to represent Jesus. I need a volunteer. Have the volunteer jump on

Jesus’ back. Jesus can carry the volunteer across the canyon (piggyback). Would anyone else

like a ride?

Conclusion

So just like Superman came to earth and helped people, Jesus came to earth to help people too.

I’m so glad he was willing to do that for me! One of our student helpers is glad too and would

like to tell you about when he/she learned about Jesus’ mission.

The student gives his/her testimony.

Thank you for sharing that with us. Let’s close our lesson by talking to God. (Pray.)

Craft

Wordless book or bracelet to remind them of why Jesus came to earth.

Day 3 - Jesus did Amazing Miracles!

Goals Help the kids understand that Jesus had the power to do miracles.

Help the kids learn about some of the miracles Jesus did.

Key Verse Matthew 8:27 “Who is this man that even the wind and the waves obey him?”

______________________________________________________________________________

Welcome and Review

It is great to see everyone today! We hope you are enjoying our backyard Bible study. Today

we have some fun activities planned. Before we get to those, let’s remind ourselves what we

have learned so far this week. (Ask the kids to see if they remember.)

On Monday: Jesus is God’s son. The Bible is God’s communication with us.

On Tuesday: God sent Jesus on a rescue mission.

Great! Now, let’s play a game.

Game: Match the Superhero with his/her powers

Divide the group in half. If you have a small group, have the teachers and student assistant play

too (it works better with more people). Give everyone in group 1 the name of a superhero. Give

everyone in group 2 a power that corresponds with the superheroes in group 1. When you say

go, the kids have to connect with their match. When they find their partner, together they write

down all the superpowers their character has. Have pens and paper available. Have each

group report on their lists. Determine which superhero has the most powers.

It is fun to think about having those special powers. Today we are going to find out about some

of the amazing things Jesus did while on earth. He used his superpowers to do a lot of incredible

things that actually happened.

Science Experiment

I want to start off the lesson today by doing a demonstration for you. (You can do this or have

one of the student helpers do it.) Come up with a science experiment that looks like a miracle.

Miracle example: Put water in a bowl. Sprinkle pepper on top (put on a lot – cover the surface

of the water). Don’t let the kids see you dip your finger in liquid dish soap. Tell the kids you

have super powers in your fingers. It happens quickly, so make sure everyone can see what you

are doing. When you touch the surface of the water, the pepper immediately moves to the edge

of the bowl. Scientific explanation: When you add detergent to water, the surface tension of the

water is lowered. Water normally bulges up a bit like what you see when you look at a water

drop. When the surface tension is lowered, the water wants to spread out. As the water flattens

on the dish, the pepper that is floating on top of the water is carried to the outer edge of the dish

as if by magic!

Wow—that looked like a miracle! Do you think it was a miracle? No, it wasn’t. There is a

scientific explanation. (Explain it.) While on earth, Jesus did some amazing things that had NO

scientific explanation. These things are called miracles. The only way he could have done these

things was if he was God’s son. This was proof that he was not just an ordinary human being.

Looking for a miracle

I have hidden pieces of paper like this (hold up a sample) all over my (living room or backyard).

(If you want, you can tape pieces of bubble gum to each paper.) When I say go, I want you to

search for these. On each paper one of Jesus’ miracles is described. There are 17 papers to find

– Jesus did a lot of miracles! (Let the kids search. When all have been found, have the kids read

the papers to the group. You can list them on a board if you would like.)

Jesus turned water into wine.

Jesus healed a blind man.

Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish.

Jesus fed 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few fish.

Jesus cured a man of leprosy.

Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law who had a fever.

Jesus healed many people who were sick.

Jesus healed a paralyzed man.

Jesus brought a ruler’s daughter back to life after she had died.

Jesus told a fig tree to wither and it did.

Jesus calmed a storm.

Jesus walked on water.

Jesus healed a deaf and mute man.

Jesus healed people who were possessed with evil spirits. (too scary for kids?)

Jesus healed the priest’s ear after Peter cut it off with a sword.

Jesus brought Lazarus back to life.

Jesus rose from the dead.

Challenge to learn more

Wow, this is quite a list! Jesus did some amazing things! These are all great stories to read

about in the Bible. Do you have a Bible at home? You can read them for yourself. They are in

the first four books of the New Testament. You can also go to church and learn about them.

Short skit

Our helpers would like to do a skit for you today on one of these miracles. I am going to read

the story while they act it out for you. (If you have shy helpers, just read the story and they can

act it out without saying anything. If you have helpers that love to ham it up, you can have them

embellish the story by adding in lines like “Look at Jesus just sleeping there. How can he do

that? We are about to get capsized!” They can scream and run around the boat—the little kids

would love that. Also, if it is a hot day and you are outside, you could have someone throw a

bucket of water into the boat when the part is read about the waves coming inside the boat. Be

creative! Have your helpers create a boat out of household/garage stuff.)

“Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a terrible

storm came up, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went

to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Lord, save us! We are going to drown!’ And Jesus

answered, ‘Why are you so afraid? You have so little faith!’ Then he stood up and rebuked the

wind and the waves, and suddenly all was calm. The disciples just sat there in awe. ‘Who is this

man that even the wind and the waves obey him?” Matthew 8:23-27

Verse for Today

That last part was our verse for today. “Who is this man that even the wind and the waves

obey him?” Matthew 8:27

Discussion

Why do you think Jesus did these miracles? (Allow for discussion.)

Jesus did these things to show that he was God’s son. Can ordinary human beings do

these things? No! Jesus was demonstrating that he was truly God’s son.

Jesus did these things to show God is powerful. (verse)

Jesus did these things to show he came to earth to help people. He did this in every

situation we mentioned. He helped people who were sick, people who were hungry

and people who were scared. This shows us that God cares about all our needs. He

knows all about you and your life and wants to help you too. If you have a problem

in your life, you can talk to him about it. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Cast all your anxieties

on him because he cares for you.” God does not promise he will answer all our

prayers the way we want him to, but he promises to always be with us and help us

through the hard times of life.

Present Gospel and A Testimony

The greatest thing Jesus did to help people was to die on the cross to pay for our sins. As we

discussed yesterday, we all have done things wrong at one time or another. I know I have done

things wrong. Jesus was willing to take the punishment I deserved for those wrong things. I

would like to tell you about when I asked for Jesus to pay for my sins (teacher testimony: you or

a student assistant).

If you have never asked for Jesus to pay for you sins and come into your life, I encourage you to

think about that today. God wants to come into your life and when he does, he never leaves you!

It is the greatest thing! He doesn’t force his way in, he lets you make that decision. So think

about that and if you would like to do that today or this week, please talk to me or one of the

other helpers.

Conclusion

Today we learned that Jesus did some amazing miracles. Isn’t it great to know that he is so

powerful?

Let’s pray and talk to God. (Pray.)

Day 4 - Jesus Died and Rose Back to Life!

Goals Help the kids learn that Jesus literally rose from the dead.

Passage Matthew 27:57-66 and Matthew 28:1-15

Key Verse Matthew 28:6 “He is not here; he has risen from the dead, just as he said!”

______________________________________________________________________________

Game: Find the Hero (commonly known as “Sardines”)

Today we are going to start off with a game.

One kid volunteers to be the “hero.” He/she hides in the back yard while everyone else counts

to fifty in the front yard. Then everyone looks for the hero. Once a kid finds the hero, he/she

hides with the hero. The game ends when the last person has found the whole group. You can

have the “hero” wear a funny hat or cape.

Review

Let’s review what we have learned so far this week:

Monday: Jesus is God’s son

Tuesday: Jesus became a human and went on an incredible rescue mission.

Wednesday: Jesus did amazing miracles.

Do you remember our verse from yesterday?

“Who is this man that even the wind and the waves obey him?” Matthew 8:27

Lesson: Jesus died and rose again!

This week we’ve been talking about Superheroes. Superheroes are “heroes” who do

extraordinary things. Today we are going to talk about a heroic thing Jesus did: He died for us

and then rose back to life! Because of what he did, we can definitely call him a hero.

What is a hero? How would you describe a hero? (Allow for discussion.)

Definition: “A person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble

qualities.”

Earlier this year we saw a true hero in action. Do you remember hearing about a plane that took

off in New York City and then a few minutes later it hit flock of birds? Birds got stuck in both

engines and shut them down. The pilot knew he only had a little time to figure out where he

could safely land. He knew he could not make it back to the airport and all around were tall

buildings. Looking around, he saw the Hudson River and decided that was his best bet.

Incredibly, he landed the plane safely in the water and all 155 people on board were able to get

outside on the wings and were rescued by boats. The pilot, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, was

the last person off the plane and he went back through the plane twice to make sure everyone had

gotten off safely.

Captain Sullenberger was a hero, wasn’t he? He was courageous and used his abilities to save

those people!

(If you could find a story of a pet hero to add in here, the kids would love that.)

Do any of you have an example of someone you know being a hero? Maybe your mom or dad or

neighbor or teacher did something to help someone else? It doesn’t have to be as dramatic.

(Allow for responses.)

Jesus was a hero because he saw the problem between humans and God and was willing to give

his life to fix that problem. He was actually willing to die so that we could live with God forever

in heaven! He was willing to do it because he loved us so much.

That reminds me of a verse we memorized this week – the most famous verse in the Bible! Let’s

see if we can say it together: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that

everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Resurrection

One thing that gave Jesus the courage to die was that he knew that his Father had the power to

raise him back from the dead. He trusted that God would do it. After Jesus died his disciples

and family were very sad. They didn’t fully understand why he died at the time. They took his

body down off the cross and laid it in a tomb that was cut out of the side of a rock (like a cave).

The Roman soldiers rolled a huge, heavy stone over the entrance to the tomb. Then they posted

two soldiers outside the tomb to keep anyone from bothering the tomb or stealing Jesus’ body.

That happened on a Friday afternoon. All day Saturday nothing happened and everyone was still

very sad. Then on Sunday morning something happened!

Skit: Jesus is alive! (You need two guards, an angel and Mary.)

We are going to do a skit so you can watch what happened. Our skit starts in front of the tomb.

Two Roman guards are posted outside.

Guard 1: (bumps other guard) Hey, Harry! You look like you are falling asleep!

Guard 2: Oh, yeah. Sorry. We’ve just been standing here so long. It’s been quiet all night.

Guard 1: Yeah, but we have to stay on guard! Remember how Jesus said that he would rise

from the dead in three days? Well, today is the third day! We gotta be on the lookout for his

disciples. They might come and try to steal his body. Then everyone would THINK Jesus rose

from the dead.

Guard 2: How could they do that? This stone would almost be impossible to move. It took ten

guys just to roll it into place.

Guard 1: I don’t know, but it is OUR job to make sure nothing funny happens.

Guard 2: Well, nothing funny is going to happen because they would have to get past us first!

Check out these moves (silly Ninja stuff/show muscles off or do push-ups)!

Guard 1: Oh yeah? The challenge is on.

Guard 2: Yeah?

Guard 1: Yeah.

Guard 2: You think you can handle it?

Guard 1: I can handle it AND take you down!

Guard 2: Let’s go.

The guards proceed to thumb wrestle. You could play “Rocky” music in the background for a

laugh.

Guard 1: Ow! Ow! Let go! Alright, you win. Ow, that hurt my pinky finger.

Guard 2: I didn’t touch your pinky finger!

Guard 1: Did to!

Guard 2: Did not!

Guard 1: Hey, what was that? Did you hear something?

Guard 2: No.

Guard 1: I thought I heard some rustling in the bushes.

Guard 2: I didn’t hear anything.

Guard 1: Let’s stay calm and be cool.

Guard 2: Be cool.

(Both guards reach into their pockets and pull out sunglasses and put them on.)

Guard 1: (after a moment of silence) Do you think Jesus was who he said he was?

Guard 2: You mean that Jesus was God’s son?

Guard 1: Yes. What do you think?

Guard 2: I don’t know. But it was awful weird that when he died there was that earthquake and

the sun went dark! Maybe that was a sign that he was the son of God.

Guard 1: You know what? I think I feel the ground shaking again. Am I imagining that?

Guard 2: No! (Both act like they are experiencing an earthquake. Then an angel appears.)

Guard 1: I must be losing my mind! I think I see an angel!

Guard 2: I see the angel too! And it is moving that huge stone all by itself! Let’s get out of

here, dude!

(The angel pretends to roll the stone away and then the guards freak out and run away. Then

Mary comes to the tomb.)

Mary: (acting scared) What is going on here? Are you real?

Angel: Mary, don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not

here; he has risen from the dead just as he said. Come see the place where he was.

Mary: He’s gone!

Angel: Yes, and he is alive! Go quickly and tell his disciples!

(Mary nods her head quickly and runs out.)

Angel: That was fun! I just love this job!

Verse for Today

Let’s learn our verse for today. This will be an easy one to memorize because it is short. The

angel said this to Mary.

“He is not here; he has risen from the dead, just as he said!” Matthew 28:6 (Practice.)

Discussion

It is a great thing that Jesus rose from the dead. It shows us he really was God’s son and he was

not lying. It also gives us confidence in God that when we die he is able to resurrect us and take

us with him to live in heaven. So we don’t have to be afraid of dying.

What do you think the angel looked like?

What do you think the disciples said when Jesus appeared to them?

How could Jesus convince them he was real? What would Jesus have to do to convince YOU

that he really rose from the dead? Does anyone know what Jesus actually did to convince them

he was real? (He ate fish and showed them his scars.)

Would you like to invite Jesus into your heart today? (Give Gospel or have someone else give a

testimony.)

Conclusion

Batman, Spiderman and the Hulk have done some heroic things in stories. Captain Sullenberger

did some heroic things this year. But Jesus was the ultimate hero by being willing to die on the

cross for us and then coming back to life. He made it possible for us to be reconciled to God.

Let’s talk to God. (Pray.)

Day 5 - Jesus Shows Us How to Grow in Spiritual Strength!

Goals Help the kids understand that they can grow spiritually by learning the Bible,

praying, and having fellowship with other Christians.

Key Verse Colossians 2:6-7 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to

live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and

overflowing with thankfulness.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Introduction

We’ve learned a lot about Jesus this week. He truly is the ultimate superhero. What are some of

the things we learned?

Monday: Jesus is God’s son.

Tuesday: God sent Jesus on an incredible rescue mission!

Wednesday: Jesus did miracles.

Thursday: Jesus died for our sins and rose to life again.

One of the cool things about Jesus is that even though he is this awesome superhero, he also

wants to know you! He is busy running the universe, but he also has time to think about you and

care about what is going on in your life. Jesus has the ability to know about every person on

earth! That is incredible to think about. We could never do that because we are humans with

limitations. But Jesus can. The Bible tells us that “A sparrow cannot fall to the ground

without God knowing about it. So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than sparrows.”

Matthew 10:29,30

Once you invite Jesus into your heart, he doesn’t just sit there. He starts working to help you

become spiritually strong. That’s what we are going to talk about today.

Game: Feats of Strength

Today we are going to be talking about strength so we are going to start off by seeing how

strong you guys are! (Tug of War? Thumb wrestling tournament? Arm wrestling tournament?)

Lesson: How To Grow In Spiritual Strength

Let’s look at our key verse for today.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted

and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing

with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6,7

What does that mean? We know what it means to be physically strong. Most superheroes have

physical strength. Which superheroes are known for their strength?

But what does it mean to be spiritually strong? It means you are getting to know Jesus more and

more and you are allowing him to help you in your life. We have a demonstration that will help

us understand this better. I need a boy volunteer for this. (Put a stretchy, long sleeved shirt on

him. Under Armor would work well. It might be awkward for a girl to do this.)

The Bible tells us about several things we can do to grow strong as a Christian. When we do

these things, we put on “spiritual muscle.”

1. Learn The Bible.

(Take some tissue paper or a wash cloth and wad it up into a ball. Have the volunteer take it

and put it up in the arm of the shirt ,making it look like a muscle sticking up.) The first thing we

can do is read the Bible and learn what it says. God has communicated to us through the Bible.

(Hold up a Bible.) You have learned some things from the Bible this week. That is a great start!

(Flip through Bible.) This is a big book and there’s a lot more God wants you to know. There is

no way we can cover it all in one week!

There are two ways to learn the Bible.

1. One is to read your Bible for yourself. (Have the volunteer stuff some more “muscle”

in the shirt.) If you haven’t read much of it before, it is a good idea to start with the book

of John. You could ask one of your parents to read through the book of John with you—

one chapter a day. Or you could start with the book of Genesis and read about how God

created the world. You can also read a Psalm or a Proverb a day.

2. The other thing you can do is go to church where people can help you understand the

Bible. (Stuff more “muscle” in.) Every week you will learn more about Jesus and how

much he loves you. If you already have a church you go to, that is great. Keep going! If

you don’t, you are more than welcome to come to church with us at Xenos Christian

Fellowship. Our family goes on (Sunday mornings/evenings). Our lessons are similar to

what we have been doing this week.

2. Pray.

The second thing you can do to grow spiritually strong is to pray. (Have the volunteer stuff

“muscle” in the sleeve of his other arm.)

Praying is just talking to God.

Do you have to be in church to pray? (No!)

Where can God hear you? (Anywhere!)

Do you have to say a certain kind of prayer? (No, just talk to him, like a friend.)

Do you have to pray out loud? (You can pray out loud or silently.)

Have you prayed before?

When do you pray?

Some people pray to him every night before they go to bed. That is a great idea. You can talk to

him about what happened that day and pray about things that are on your mind. Some people

pray in the morning when they get up. That’s great too. It reminds you that God is with you to

help you throughout the day. Some families pray together before dinner. You can do that too.

You can pray anytime, anywhere. Whenever you need to talk to God, he is right there.

When you make a new friend, how do you get to know him or her? You spend time together and

you talk with each other. That’s how you get to know God too. You talk to him and he talks to

you mainly through the Bible. He is always so happy when you come and talk to him.

3. Have Fellowship With Other Christians.

The third thing you can do to grow spiritually strong is to have fellowship with other Christians.

(Stuff in more “muscle.”) This means spending time with other people who believe in Jesus.

We can do this is by going to church together. We can encourage each other and learn more

about Jesus by studying the Bible together.

While you can grow physically strong all by yourself without help from anyone else, you

CANNOT grow spiritually strong all by yourself. The Bible tells us this is impossible. We need

each other. God designed us to have friendships with other Christians.

4. Be consistent.

The fourth thing you can do is to do all these things consistently. When you are trying to build

physical muscle, how often do you have to lift weights? Can you lift weights one time and see a

huge muscle the next day? No! Can you lift weights twice a year and see a difference? No!

The way to build muscle is to lift weights consistently. If you lift weights every day or several

times a week, and you keep doing it each week, you will see a difference. The same is true for

building spiritual muscle. If we pray and read the Bible every week, we will grow strong and get

to know Jesus more and more.

Review Gospel

All week long we have been talking about inviting Jesus into your heart. When you do that, he

will come in and always be with you. Maybe you have been thinking about doing that this week.

Since this is our last day together, I want to give you a chance to pray today. We are all going to

close our eyes and pray. I am going to pray and if you want to invite Jesus into your heart, pray

along with me.

“Jesus, I understand that you died on the cross to pay for my sins. Thank you for

doing that. I know that I have done some wrong things and I want Jesus to forgive

them. Please come into my heart.”

(As you continue to pray, thank God for this week and all the kids who came.)

If you prayed that prayer today please come tell me or one of our helpers about it today.

Conclusion

We are so glad you spent this week with us! We hope you had fun and learned more about

Jesus, the ultimate superhero!