Gideon Bible Story for Children - Asking God for a Sign

Sunday School Lesson
Gideon

Bible stories for children are a fantastic addition to any Sunday school lesson. Kids and adults can pick up little (and big) points from these bible stories.

Today our Sunday school lesson is going to focus around Gideon in the bible. He does what we all want to do from time to time. He asks God for a sign. When he is asking God for a sign, God gives him one. Actually, God gives him several.

Let's look at what God needs Gideon to do and how Gideon reacts by asking God to give him a sign.

Gideon - Bible Story for Children

You can find the bible story of Gideon in Judges 6.

 

Begin your Sunday school lesson by asking if any of the children know what an idol is. For younger children, stick with idols made out of wood, stone, or gold. For older children or adults, you can even talk about idols being money, video games, or sports.

An idol can be anything that takes more of your time than you give to God.


The Sunday School Lesson

Start the story by telling the kids how the children (or people) of Israel would worship God for a


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Sunday School Activity

while, then worship idols, then back to God, then back to idols again.

At a time when the children of Israel were worshipping idols, God began to let the Midianites come into their land to take their food, destroy their crops, and take their animals. He wanted Israel to look to him instead of the idols.

The bible tells us that there was a young man by the name of Gideon whom God chose to save Israel.

Now, that doesn't mean that Gideon went right then at that very moment to take on the entire Midianite army by himself. No. He needed to be sure that God was really going to go with him and that God was really going to use him to save Israel.

You see, Gideon's family was poor and he was the least of his brothers. Gideon wondered why God had chosen him instead of someone stronger or richer.

Explain to the children that God doesn't make mistakes.

Bible Verse for this Sunday School Lesson

Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV

 

 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

 

 





We may not fully understand God's plans, but he always has a plan. We need only to trust him. He knows what he is doing. He doesn't make mistakes.

God Can Use You Too



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God was going to use Gideon.

Did you know that God can use you too. He may not use you to defeat a huge army, but he may need you to bring your friends to church, to help your grandparents with work that needs done, or even to grow up to teach others about him?

Gideon didn't think he was the right man for the job, so he asked the Angel of the Lord for a sign.

The angel gave him a sign he couldn't miss...

The angel told Gideon to set his meat and bread onto a rock, then pour broth over the food. When Gideon did as the angel said, fire rose up out of the rock and consumed the food. Immediately, the angel disappeared out of his sight.

Another Sign from God

After this, Gideon still wasn't sure. So, days later, Gideon began asking for another sign from God.

This time, he laid a sheep's fleece on the ground and asked God to make the fleece wet with dew during the night, but keep the ground dry. Then, Gideon went to bed.

The next morning, the ground was dry and the fleece was so wet that when Gideon wrung it out, there was a whole bowlful of water that came out of it.

Guess what!

Gideon Sunday School Lesson
Sheep's Fleece
Photo: Mike Nass Wikimedia

Gideon still wasn't sure God was going to use him to save the Israelites.

So, what did he do?

He asked God for another sign.

This time, he laid the fleece down on the ground and asked God to make the ground wet, but to leave the fleece dry. Then, he went to bed.

The next morning, Gideon went to the fleece.

Guess what!

The ground was wet and the fleece was dry just as Gideon had asked God to do.

This was the third sign from God Gideon needed. Finally, Gideon was ready to go into battle.

 

What We Learned from This Sunday School Lesson

Gideon shouldn't have needed a sign from God. God told him he was the one and he told him he would go with him. Still, Gideon doubted.

We are like that sometimes.

Did you know that God speaks to us too?

Think about it.

Have you ever been about to do something wrong and you 'feel' like you shouldn't? It's that feeling that tells you not to do something you know is wrong.

Maybe you have a friend at school or a family member that doesn't know about Jesus. Have you ever had a 'feeling' that you should tell them about Jesus or ask them to come to church?

That feeling is God.

He is talking to you from the inside. The next time you have that 'feeling' listen to it and obey it.

You don't need a sign from God. He is already there telling you what you should do.


 

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Moses - Sunday School Lessons

Moses Sunday School Lesson
Burning Bush
Photo: pixydust8605 flickr

The bible story of Moses would take many hours to tell from start to finish, so instead of beginning when Moses was a baby and put into the basket (that's another Sunday school lesson), we're going to focus on the type of man he was, the burning bush, and how God has a plan for us just like he did Moses.

Moses

Who was Moses? Moses was a man who began his life running from death. You see, when Moses was born, it was a time when all the baby boys in the land were not supposed to be left alive. It was a horrible time, yet God saved Moses through the Pharaoh's daughter who raised him as her own.

As years passed, Moses became a man who didn't believe he could do the things God needed him to do.

Ask the kids, "Do you think you could do the things God needs you to do?"

Ask other questions to prompt the children to think like:

• Do you think you could move away from your family if God ask you to?
• Do you think you could live in a different country if God asked?
• Could you leave everything behind?
• Would you become a preacher who preaches on TV or pastor a small church?
• Could you give all your money away to live in a tent?
• Could you study your bible to teach Sunday school?
• What about just telling your best friend about God?
• Could you write a book of bible stories?

Moses was a man who didn't think he was capable of doing anything. He watched his father-in-law's flock. He didn't have a lot of money. He was not famous. He didn't talk well. What could he do for God?

The Burning Bush

One day, when Moses was watching the flock, he came to a mountain. Suddenly, the angel of the Lord (Jesus before he came to earth) appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Moses looked and saw the burning bush, but the bush was not burning away.

Ask the kids, "Have you ever been camping?"

When you put wood on the fire, did it burn away or did the wood stay the same? Of course, the wood burned away. That is why it was a miraculous event that happened when the bush was blazing flames, but not turning to ashes.

As the angel of the Lord spoke to Moses, he told Moses to take off his shoes because he was on holy ground. Moses realizing who was talking to him out of the bush was afraid to look at it. Long ago, people believed that if you saw God face-to-face, you would surely die.

But, the Lord had a job for Moses.

Moses was to lead his people, the Israelites, out of slavery. The were being treated terribly and God needed Moses to go to the Pharaoh, and tell him to let his people go.

The trouble was that Moses didn't believe he could do it. He didn't think he was the right man for the job. He said, "I do not speak very well. I talk slowly." Even though God told Moses he would be with him during this time, Moses still didn't think he was worthy of doing this job for God.

God was upset with Moses and told him to take his brother, Aaron, with him when he went to Pharaoh.

Moses did go and he did lead God's people out of slavery.

Moses Flannel Board Figures - Pre-Cut

What Can We Learn?

What can we learn from this Sunday school lesson about Moses? We can learn that no matter how well we speak, how well we read, whether we are super smart, whether we are rich, where we live, what kind of clothes we have, if we are scared, or if we don't believe in ourselves, that when God goes with us we can do anything. God has a plan for each of us.

God doesn't ask us to do anything we can't do.

He can use each one of us. We only need to listen for him and to do what he needs us to do. We may not hear the words of God coming out of a burning bush the way Moses did, but we can hear the voice inside us that helps guide us to do what we are supposed to do.

Bible Verses for this Sunday School Lesson

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

 

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

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Parables - The Good Samaritan | Sunday School Lessons

The Good Samaritan - Parables
Photo: Martin Bodman, Wikimedia Commons

Parables were Jesus' way of teaching a lesson or getting his point across for others to understand simply and easily. There are many parables in the bible with each one teaching something different, yet all with the same goal in mind - to teach us how to be more Christ-like.

This week's Sunday school lesson is about The Good Samaritan.

The parable of the good Samaritan is a wonderful story to help teach kids to love their neighbor as themselves, to be more humble, and to look at one another through God's eyes.

Below is the Sunday school lesson. Be sure to check out the Sunday school activity that goes along with this lesson.

Sunday School Lesson - The Good Samaritan

There are so many great bible verses about loving one another it was hard for me to choose just one, so I added several below. Now, you will have the hard choice of choosing which one you like best. Good luck...

 

Verse #1



1 John 4:11 KJV

 

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

 

 

Verse #2

 

1 John 3:18 KJV

 

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

 

 

Verse #3

 

Luke 10:27 KJV

 

...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all they mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

 

 

 

Ask the kids - "Do you know what a parable is?"

A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Jesus told many parables in the bible.

Today we are going to learn about one of those parables. It is about a Jewish man who was traveling on a road from Jerusalem to Jericho (Luke 10:30-37 KJV).

As this man was traveling, some thieves jumped him, took his clothes, beat him up, and left him.

It wasn't long until a priest came by that way and saw the hurt man. Do you think that the priest

The Good Samaritan Crossword Puzzle
Sunday School Activity

helped him?

No.

Instead, the priest went around him and left him there without helping him.

A bit later, a Levite came by the place where the hurt man was lying. Do you think the Levite helped him?

No.

Instead, the Levite looked at him, but did not help him. He just went around him leaving him there.

Finally, a Samaritan came by the place where the hurt man lay. You see, at that time, the Jewish people did not like the Samaritan people and the man who was hurt was a Jew. The Samaritan man who was walking by could have left the Jewish man, but unlike the other two men, the Samaritan decided to help.

Not only did the Samaritan man clean out the Jewish man's wounds, he wrapped them up in bandages, then he put the hurt man on the animal he was riding. Maybe it was a donkey or maybe it was a camel. The bible does not say.

He took the hurt man to an inn which is like a motel. He even paid for the man to stay longer. He even paid for the man to be taken care of while he was away.

The Parables of Jesus Felt Figures for Flannel Board

What Can We Learn from the Good Samaritan?

We should never judge people on how they look, how they act, or where they are from. We are to treat everyone with kindness just like the Good Samaritan.

Jesus told this story to teach us that we should act kindly to everyone. After all, God made everyone and he loves each and everyone of us.

If we are not kind to each other, we are not obeying God's word.

God lets each of us choose how we act. We can choose to be mean and unkind to people or we can choose to help others. By showing others kindness, we are letting God shine through.
 

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Gideon in the Bible Meets an Angel

Although many different Sunday school lessons can be taught from the story of Gideon in the bible, today we're going to focus on listening, following, and acting like Christians.

Gideon in the Bible
The angel set under an oak tree.
Photo: Anne Lowe

How many times have you talked to someone who says they are a Christian but they don't live a Godly life?

You may even have thought they were not a Christian at other times just by their actions and speech.

In today's world, it has become the 'norm' to live however you want when you want with no regards to the church or to God.

It is not supposed to be this way. The bible says,

James 1:22 KJV

 

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

God tells us in this one verse that we are to not only hear (or read) what is in the bible, but we are supposed to do it too. If we don't follow God's word, we are deceiving ourselves and thus, deceiving others just like lying.

Below is the story of Gideon in the bible where he meets an angel - The Angel of the Lord to be exact. Use it to teach your class how listening and following God's word is very important in our Christian lives.

Gideon in the Bible - Sunday School Lesson

At a time when the people of Israel had turned from God and turned to worshipping idols, the Midianite people began to come into their land and destroy everything. They took what they wanted and got rid of the rest.

 

The Israelites were so scared they fled from their homes and lived in caves in the mountains.

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 The bible tells us that there were so many Midianite people it looked like swarms of grasshoppers in the land. It also said they had so many camels you couldn't even count them.

 

What could the Israelite people do but run and hide?

 

You see, when people do not follow God, they become scared and try to run from their troubles. But, if we choose to listen to God and follow Him, he will help make us strong and face whatever trouble comes our way.

 

This doesn't mean we won't be scared from time-to-time. It just means that God is right beside us, leading us where we need to go to face and overcome our troubles and fears.

 

The Angel

During this time, a young man named Gideon lived in the land. He was an Israelite and his family was very poor. He was even the youngest in his family, but God had a very important, very special job for Gideon.

 

He was to defeat the whole Midianite army!

 

As Gideon was working one day, an angel appeared under an oak tree nearby. He began talking to Gideon telling him how important he was going to be and how it was going to be his job to defeat the Midianites.

 

What?!?

 

Gideon couldn't believe what the angel was telling him. How could he defeat so many people?

 

The answer was simple.

 

The angel, who was actually Jesus before he came to earth as a baby, said, "I will be with you."

 

The Lesson

What if Gideon hadn't listened to the angel of the Lord? What if he went about his business as he did everyday? What if Gideon didn't obey what he was told? What if he let fear control him?

 

The answer is simple - the Israelites would never have defeated the Midianites.

 

Because Gideon listened and obeyed, he led the small 300 men Israelite army into battle against the huge Midianite army and won!

 

Now, some of you will say, "But, Gideon lived in bible times. Or, Gideon wasn't afraid."

 

Both of these are true, but do you know what? Gideon was younger than the others. Gideon was poor. Gideon was scared. And Gideon was just like you.

 

The only difference in Gideon and people today is that Gideon listened to God and followed what he said. Even though we don't hear God talking to us like Gideon did (although, some people have), we have the bible. God's words are written inside so that we can have his words with us at all times.

 

Just like the verse above says, "Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only". We need to stand strong in the Lord. We should always live like we know Jesus and we should always let others see we have Jesus in our hearts.

 

No one should ever look at us and wonder if we are Christians. They should be able to tell by our words and our actions.

 

 

 

 

 

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Daniel and the Lions Den | Sunday School Lessons

While many teach Daniel and the lion's den as a bible story of how Daniel is saved by God from being eaten by lions, our Sunday school lesson today is going to focus on prayer. You see, Daniel prayed three times every day (every morning, noon, and night) even after a law was passed that he couldn't.

Daniel and the Lion's Den
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And guess what.

He didn't even try to hide that he was praying. Too often, Christians try to hide who they are because of what others will think of them. Who will see them? Will someone make fun of them?

The bible tells us that we are not to be ashamed of God.

Mark 8:38 KJV

38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Imagine, if we are ashamed of God, He will be ashamed of us. We wouldn't want God ashamed of us, so we need to teach our Sunday school class to not be ashamed of God even if it means a child in their class makes fun of them.

Daniel and the Lion's Den

Today Sunday school lesson is called 'Before the Lion's Den'.

 

Daniel was a very important man who the king liked very much. Daniel was in charge of many things. Because the king like Daniel so much, some of the other men became jealous.

 

Jealousy

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What does the bible say about being jealous?

 

One of the 10 Commandments (number ten) says that we are not to be jealous of what others have, but these men became so jealous they came up with a plan to get rid of Daniel.

 

They convinced the king to make a law that said no one could pray to any God, whether it be the one true God or an idol, for 30 days. If someone did pray to any God, they were to be cast into a lion's den.

 

The men new that Daniel prayed every day - three times a day. Daniel never hid when he was praying. Instead, he would go near a window and pray everyday. The men had seen Daniel praying before the law was made because he wasn't ashamed of praying and he never hid when he prayed.

 

He did the same routine every day. He prayed every morning, noon, and night and always by the window.

 

Daniel Didn't Hide

 

Now, even though Daniel could have hidden to pray during the 30 days the law was in effect and been safe, he didn't.

 

Instead, he did just like he did every other day. He went into his house, bowed down in front of his window and began to pray. The men saw Daniel and went straight to the king to tell on him. They were so jealous they wanted to get rid of Daniel fast.

 

But, do you know what happened?

 

God saved Daniel and even though he was threw into the lion's den, God still needed him here on earth. He wasn't ready for Daniel to die. So, God shut the lion's mouths and Daniel was safe all night.

 

The next morning, the king ran to see if Daniel's God had saved him. And he had. It was because Daniel wasn't ashamed of God and prayed three times every day when the law was made just like he had before that the king realized just how special and powerful God really was.

 

And do you know what?

 

Daniel & The Lions' Den Felt Flannel Board Set

 

The One True God

 

The king decided then and there that Daniel's God was the one true God. He also sent out a new law. This law said that every one should serve Daniel'

Isn't it wonderful to know that God can use us to let others know about him. If we are not ashamed of God and pray no matter who is looking at us, those people who see us may realize that God is real and they need to pray to him too.

 

What about your friends at school? Do you see them praying? Do you bow your head to pray before you eat lunch? Are you ashamed to pray in front of your friends?

 

The bible says we shouldn't be. We should be proud to have God in our lives and let everyone know we love him.

 

Take time to pray with your class now. Ask God to help you and the kids in your class to not be ashamed of God.

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Need More Sunday School Lessons?

 

Use our one of our bible study books. Below is a daily study of Joseph. It can be used at home for your own children or you can break it up into weekly lessons for your Sunday school class. Teach them about Joseph from beginning to end in this study that covers Joseph's life written with children in mind.

 

 

 

 

Joseph

 



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Sunday School Lessons - Try Again, Try Again

We're human. We can't make it through life without failing. It's a part of life. We mess up. That's just the way it is. So, what's the good news? The good news it that when we fail, we can try again.

Sunday School Lessons - Try Again
Photo: Ernst Vikne

God loves it when we realize that we need him and begin to try again.

Children should never be led to believe they are perfect. It will cause heart break and heart ache that can never be healed (except by God, of course). So, what should we teach them?

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We should teach them it's okay to fail. What's not okay is to fail and never try again.

Try Again, Try Again Sunday School Lesson

Begin by asking, "Can you do everything by yourself?"

Some kids will answer yes at first. That's okay. You can prompt some questions like, "Can you drive yourself to school?, Can you fly a plane?, Can you walk across the ocean?", and so on.

Then ask, "Can you get to heaven on your own?"

Answer, "You can with God".

Then ask, "Can we do anything without God?"

This will get the kids thinking. Of course, many people believe they do everything themselves, but in reality, they can do nothing without God. He gives us food to eat, he gives us the air we breathe, he is the reason our hearts beat.

In return, we should do everything we do for God. We should also give Him the glory.

How do we do everything we do for God? When we play sports, we can let God shine through. How can we do that?

By treating the other players with kindness, by working hard to do our best during the game, by helping a player up that was knocked down. All of our actions let people know what kind of person we are.

If we are mean and hateful to everyone we meet, would that be letting God shine through?

No.

If we pushed people down during the game just to get ahead of them, would that be letting God shine through?

No.

What if we used bad language or made fun of others? Of course not.

Try Again

Sometimes, when we are doing something and get upset, we lash out at those around us. We may even yell and say something that hurts the other persons feelings. Maybe you've told a lie or took something that wasn't yours.

None of this is okay, but we can ask God to forgive us and try again.

Maybe we will even do the same wrong thing again the next time. We should stop and ask God to forgive us and ask for God's help to not do it again and guess what:

Philippians 4:13 says,

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

Because God says we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength, when we pray for God's help and we really truly want his help, He WILL help us.

Each time we argue, complain, push someone, lie, yell, or anything else we do that is bad, we can rest assured that we need only pray for God's help and try again.

Over time with God's help, we can be sure that we will stop doing those things and become more like God each and every day.

Teach the kids that we can't do anything by ourselves, but with God's help we can try again and try again until finally we can overcome those obstacles we need to get rid of sin our lives.
 

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Ruth in the Bible - Sunday School Lessons

Helping your spiritual side grow by harvesting the good things God has given us is just one of the Sunday school lessons that can be taught about Ruth in the bible.

Ruth in the bible Sunday school lessons.
Photo: wikimedia

While the word 'harvesting' may make it sound like a good Sunday school lesson to teach during the Fall when it is time for harvest, this lesson is great for anytime of the year. So, get your harvesting baskets ready and let's get started.

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Ruth in the Bible

Begin the class with prayer. Ask God to let all the little ears in the class not only hear, but to listen.

Here is the bible verse for this lesson:

 

James 1:22 KJV

 

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.

Ruth is a famous woman in the bible. She followed her mother-in-law to a far away country where she learned about working hard and about the one true God - our God. You see, at first, Ruth didn't worship God. Where she lived, everyone worshipped idols.

Do you know what an idol is?

An idol is anything that you worship instead of God. Some people worship statues while others worship the sun and moon. Can a statue made out of stone help you in any way?

Wait for answers.

Then ask, "Can the sun and moon answer your prayers?"

Wait for answers.

Of course they can't.

Ruth realized this too. She made a good decision to follow the one true God and because she did, God blessed her over and over again.

Harvesting to Feed Our Spiritual Side

Teach kids the whole book of Ruth!

When we think of harvesting, we think of farmers gathering their crops to eat. Food is what we need to help our bodies grow.

But, did you know that we need to harvest things from God to help our spiritual side grow?

For instance, bible verses help us grow. Listening in church and Sunday school helps us grow. Of course, these things don't help us to get taller or keep us from getting thirsty or hungry, but they do help the part of us that needs to become more like Jesus grow.

If we never learn more about God, how can we tell others? How can we grow closer to him?

What are some ways that you can think of that can help your spiritual side grow and help you get closer to God and become more like him?

Wait for answers.

Some of the things you should harvest to help you grow in Christ are:

• praying
• singing songs to/about God
• telling others about Jesus
• inviting friends to church
• reading your bible
• memorizing bible verses (like the one above)
• coming to church and Sunday school

Can you think of any more? Wait for answers.

Story of Ruth & Esther Flannel Board Figures

A Reminder

 

When we come to church and Sunday school, we need to not only listen, but to do what we've learned. Repeat the bible verse above.

Anyone can come and listen to the Sunday School lesson, but that won't help them grow in Christ. You must practice what you've learned. When you go home today, tell your parents or brothers and sisters your bible verse. Tell them about harvesting what you've learned to help your spiritual side grow.

Pray for the kids in your Sunday school class and your class at school. Tell them about Jesus.

All of these things will help you become more like Jesus. Keep learning and keep spreading God's word to others.



 

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Palm Sunday | Sunday School Lesson

Palm Sunday is often overlooked by many Sunday school teachers. Yet, it is the story that leads to the cross and needs to be told. It's not only an amazing story, it contains miracles and every kid and kid-at-heart loves miracles.

Focus on the miracles and some 'over turned' tables of the Palm Sunday story for the Sunday school lesson below.

Fan Palms - Palm Sunday
Sunday School Lesson
Photo Courtesy of Ian Alesander

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'Palm Sunday' Sunday School Lesson

Begin the class by asking, "Does anyone know what day it is today?"

Many churches have their annual egg hunt on Palm Sunday, so you may get answers like: egg hunt, Sunday, someone's birthday and even Easter (you may even hear Christmas from smaller children - it's true).

Start your lesson by telling the kids the importance of Palm Sunday. It is the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the day that began his journey to the cross.

Here is the story...

One week before Jesus died on the cross, he made his way to Jerusalem. Just outside the city, Jesus and his disciples stopped. He turned to two of his disciples and said, "Go into the village. Inside, you will find a donkey. Untie him and bring him to me."

Jesus also told the disciples that if anyone asked what they were doing or why they were taking the donkey to tell them 'the Lord needs him, but will send him back soon'.

The disciples walked into the city and found the donkey as Jesus had told them. Just as they untied him, the owner saw them and asked what they were doing. The disciples answered like Jesus had told them to and the owner allowed them to take the donkey.



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Eric Jones- Wikimedia

Miracle Number One - This is the first miracle. God had already prepared the donkey for Jesus to ride. He also prepared the owners heart to allow the disciples to take him.

When the disciples brought the donkey back to Jesus, they laid their robes over the donkey's back to give Jesus a nice soft place to ride.

Miracle Number Two - This donkey had never been ridden. Think about this for a minute - donkey's react like horses do. They buck and kick the first time someone gets on their back, but not this donkey. (Luke 19:30 KJV)

Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding on the donkey's back. As he entered, the people spread their garments in the road for him to ride over while others cut palm branches from trees and laid them down.

The people began to cry out, "Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Hosanna is a sign of praise and means 'save'.

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Sunday School Activity
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When Jesus made it to the temple, he saw people inside selling items. The temple was like a church and should have been holy. The people should not have been buying, selling, and trading inside.

Then, Jesus began to drive them out. He overturned their tables and their seats and made them leave. The bible tells us that one of the things they were selling were doves.

After Jesus cleansed the temple, he healed blind and the lame. Even the children cried out, "Hosanna, Hosanna!", for even they knew to praise God.

Jesus love each and every one of us and we should love him back. He doesn't make us love him, but because of his amazing love for us, it is hard not to.

 

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10 Commandments - Sunday School Lessons Part Two

Here is the second part of our 10 Commandments Sunday School lessons. If you didn't read the first part of the lesson, go to 10 Commandments part one now.

For those who are ready for the second part of the Sunday School lesson, keep reading.

Sunday School Lessons - 10 Commandments
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10 Commandments

** Have the kids move under the number five.

 

Commandment Number Five:

 

Honor thy father and mother.

 

Honor means more than just to mind and do what your parents say. It also means to love and respect them. Let the kids think about this for a minute. In today's world, it is hard to teach respect to children as many children do not know or are not taught what the meaning of respect truly is. Teach the kids that respecting God's property (the church and the church grounds) means we are to keep it clean, not stand on pews, no running, wiping shoes before entering the church, cleaning up our messes, and so on.

 

NOTE: Some children have abusive parents/guardians. If this is the case in your class, be sure to elaborate on the fact that if parents are asking kids to do something wrong or anything that goes against God, then they need to look to their heavenly father for guidance. He will bless them for doing what is right in cases such as these.

 

 

** Have kids move to stand under the number six.

 

Commandment Number Six:

 

Thou shalt not kill.

 

Most kids will understand this one without elaborating on it.

 

 

** Have kids stand under the number seven.

 

Commandment Number Seven:

 

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

 

Committing adultery is more than just a husband or wife not being faithful in marriage. It also means that you shouldn't lust after another person because in doing so you have committed adultery in your heart. (Matthew 5:28 KJV)

 

This is a good time to say, "If you are married, you are not to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend too. You are to have the one husband or wife that you chose to marry - that's it."

 

** Have the kids move to stand under the number eight.

Commandment Number Eight:

Thou shalt not steal.

Stealing doesn't have to mean something big. It could be as small as someone's special rock, an eraser, a pencil, a crayon, or even a juice box. Just because someone isn't using the item or hasn't used it in days, doesn't mean it is alright to take it.

Also, you should never take anything with the thought, "I'll give it back when I'm done." Many times, we forget to give it back and find it in our pocket or backpack later. Always ask before borrowing anything that way you won't 'accidentally' steal it.


** Have the kids move under the number nine.

Commandment Number Nine:

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour (or for younger kids - Do not lie.)

Plain and simple - NEVER tell a lie. It is better to tell the truth and get into trouble than to lie and go against God.


** Have the kids stand under the number ten.

Commandment Number Ten:

Do not be jealous of what others have.

This is a simple way to put commandment number 10. You can find the exact wording in Exodus 20:17 KJV.

Being jealous of the things other people have is a big no-no. We often find ourselves wanting the latest toy or phone that a friend has, but God gives us what we need. Jealousy can make us do things we normally wouldn't do including lying to get what we want or even stealing.

Never be jealous of what others have. We should pray that God will give us what we need instead.

To read more about the 10 Commandments visit our website Christian Magazine Today.

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10 Commandments - Sunday School Lessons Part One

Just standing in front of your Sunday School class talking about the 10 Commandments may be fine for older kids or adults, but for younger kids, you'll have to be a bit more creative.

Sunday School Lessons - 10 Commandments
Picture Courtesy of
Lance Cpl. Lauren Kurkimilis
Wikimedia Commons

For this Sunday School lesson, we're going to be more interactive with the kids to get them moving and learning at the same time.

 

Before class starts, write the numbers 1-10 on several sheets of paper. The paper only needs to be big enough for the kids to see well - about 3" x 3" or so works great. You'll also need tape to hang them on the wall or you can just lay them down on seats or the floor. You'll see what I mean in a minute. We've played this both ways and both way are fun and the kids learn fast!

If you want to get straight to this part of the Sunday School lesson, skip down the page to the heading "Interactive Part of the Sunday School Lesson".

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10 Commandments Sunday School Lessons

For smaller kids, you may want to break this lesson about the 10 Commandments into two lessons as it can be hard for them to learn all ten at the same time. The whole lesson follows:

You may want to begin the class by taking prayer requests. Often kids will ask prayer for other kids at school. Sometimes you may be able to use those prayer requests as examples. For instance, in our Sunday School class, kids will ask prayer for a child at school who often lies or takes other kids pencils or erasers.

Both are good examples of two commandments (lying and stealing).

If no child brings these things up, you can begin with asking the questions, "Have you ever told a lie?" or "Have you ever took something that didn't belong to you?" or "Do you know someone who does these things?"

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Lesson:

Did you know that God has given us 10 Commandments we are to live by? A commandment is a rule that God expects us to follow.

Do you know any of the 10 Commandments? Wait for kids to answer, then continue.

How many of you know who Moses was? He was the baby that his mother put inside the basket in the river to keep him safe. (If you've not told the story of Moses yet, just skip this part). When Moses grew up, God gave him a special job to do. His job was to lead God's people to a new land. Along the way, God gave Moses the 10 Commandments on top of a mountain. The mountain was called Mount Sinai.

We can find the 10 Commandments in the bible in the book of Exodus chapter 20. Let's turn there now. Wait for kids to turn to this chapter in their bibles. If children are too little, just turn to the page in your bible and let the kids see.

You can either read the verses word for word, or follow along with the interactive lesson below.

 

Interactive Part of the Sunday School Lesson

Remember the part above where you were to write down the numbers 1-10 on a piece of paper and hang them on the wall or lay them on the floor? This is where they come into the story.

** Have the kids stand under the number one while you read the first commandment:

Commandment Number One:

Thou shalt have no other God's before me.

This means that there is only one God - the one true God. We are to put him first above anything else.

** Let the kids move under the number two.

Commandment Number Two:



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Worship God only.

This means you are not to make an idol out of wood, god, metal, or anything else and bow down to it. God is the only God who is real. No idol that is made by a person can help you can it? The walls are made of wood, can it answer your prayers? No. Someone made earrings and necklaces out of gold. Can they help you? Of course not!  

** Let the kids move to stand under the number three.

Commandment Number Three:

Do not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (or, for smaller kids - Keep the Lord's name special).

This means we are only to use the name of the Lord God or Jesus Christ in a nice way. We can use it to tell people about him, or we can read about him, or we can talk to him, but we are NEVER EVER suppose to use his name carelessly.

For example, we are not to say, "Oh my, G _ _." When we use God's name in this manner, we are misusing it and breaking commandment number three.


** Have the kids move to stand under the number four.

Commandment Number Four:

Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy (or, for smaller kids - Keep the Lord's day special).

The bible tells us that we are to rest on the sabbath day. The sabbath day is the Lord's day, the day we take time to worship God, normally Sunday.

>>>Click here to read the second part of this Sunday School Lesson >>>

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Attributes of God | Get Organized | Sunday School Lessons

Attributes of God are something people look for often. Sometimes people want to know just how great He really is while others want to become more like Him. Me - I want to become more like Him.

Get Organized! Sunday School Lesson
Photo Courtesy of Beth Kanter

Known fact - I am horrible at getting organized. I get off to a good start, then before I know it, I have started something else and have left the organizing behind. Are you like that?

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It's true - one of the hardest things for people to do is to get organized. Of course, some people have that natural instinct (I wish you could buy natural instincts. Oh, well). Since buying the natural instinct to get organized is out of the question, we'll just have to look at the attributes of God to see just how getting organized is important to Him and how we can become more like Him.

Attributes of God Sunday School Lesson

 

Today we're going to learn about one of the attributes of God. Does anyone know what an attribute is or what they think it might be?

 

An attribute means a quality or characteristic someone has.

 

For example, if you say that someone has good attributes, you are saying someone has good qualities or characteristics about them.

 

One of God's attributes is he is organized. I bet your wondering how we know that God is organized.

Well, we can look at many things in the bible that tells us how He is organized. Take the books of the bible, for instance. Each book is perfect. Each book is written so that the words work together with other books of the bible.
 

How Jesus is Organized

 

One bible story that helps us understand God's attribute of organization is Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand. Do you know that story? If the kids do not know the story of Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand you can touch on it just a bit. You can find this bible story in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. To get all the details of the entire story, you'll need to read it in all four books.
 

In the book of Mark, verse 39 and 40 we read this:
 

39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
 

40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
 

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Why didn't Jesus just tell everyone to sit down? Why was it important for the those people to sit down in groups?
 

Because He is organized.
 

The people sitting down in groups of 100 and in groups of 50 allowed the disciples to distribute the food easily. It also allow the disciples to gather the left over food quickly. In every word of the bible and in every lesson of the bible we can pick up on amazing things God tries to teach us. Nothing in the bible is useless. Everything is important.
 

What does this one attribute of God tell us? We need to get organized.
 

If organization wasn't important, He would have left this part out of the bible. But, he didn't.
 

Imagine if you went to school and the teacher let all the kids in your classroom sit wherever they wanted, go to lunch whenever they wanted, and talk whenever they wanted. The teacher wouldn't get anything done during the day much less teach the class what they needed to know.
 

Being organized helps keep the day running smooth, it helps keep chaos down, it helps us to learn order and respect. Without being organized, life would be crazy.
 

How many of you keep your homework where it should be? Does mommy or daddy gather it up for you every morning or do you take care of it yourself? How about your room? Is it neat, tidy, and organized?
 

Organizing Our Christian Life

 

Did you know that we need to organize our Christian life too?
 

We should have a time everyday that we read our bible. Some kids may be too young to read the bible by themselves, so say, 'a time of day when mommy, daddy, or sissy, reads the bible to you'.
 

Remember, while bible story books are great, children need to be introduced to God's word early in life. They may not understand what they hear or read completely, but God will open up His word to them when the time is right. They need to keep reading just as we as Sunday School teachers need to read the verses aloud for the kids to hear.
 

Always use the King James Version of the bible. Just because a bible has be written so that kids can understand better, it doesn't mean you should use it. God wrote His words the way He wanted them to be written and to be read. We should NOT try to change it.
 

We should always put God first. Not just say, 'I put God first'. We need to actually do it!
 

As Sunday School teachers, we need to study the attributes of God, get organized, and become more Christ-like every day!
 

May God bless you on your journey of teaching Sunday School.

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Romans 12: Feed Your Enemy | Sunday School Lessons

Sunday School Lessons can be taught through bible verses that help children prepare for everyday life. The bible isn't just filled with wonderful stories, miracles, and history. It's filled with help for our daily lives.

It teaches us how we should live, how we should act, and how we should treat others. Today's Sunday School lesson comes from Romans 12:19-21 (KJV).

Romans 12 Sunday School Lessons - Photo courtesy of CeresB

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Feed Your Enemy

The last three verses of Romans 12 can teach us many things. First, begin by reading the verses or let the kids take turns reading them. Here they are for your reference right now.

¹⁹ Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

²⁰ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

After reading these verses, ask the kids, 'Have you ever gotten so angry that you did something you shouldn't?'

Give the kids time to answer. Sometimes when you hear an answer that you've not thought of it can lead you to explain things in a way that will help the kids understand better.

Once the kids have finished, talk about the first verse you read (verse 19). It says, ...avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

If needed, you can re-read the verse for older kids or just jump right in for younger kids.

Feed Your Enemy Game

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Sunday School Lesson

Have you ever wanted to get back at someone who was mean to you? I'm sure we all have. Maybe your sister or brother took your favorite toy. You may want to go into their room and take their favorite thing and hide it or even do something bad to it.

 

Or, maybe a kid at school is stole your favorite pencil. You may want to sneak into their desk and take their pencil or pen just to get them back.

 

Did you know that the bible tells us we are not suppose to do that? It says that we are not suppose to be mean to someone or do something to someone just because they did it to us first. The bible tells us that vengeance, or punishment (revenge), is left up to God.

 

When someone does something to us, we are to let God handle it. That doesn't mean if someone is hurting us or bullying us we shouldn't tell. We should tell a teacher or a parent because God has put them here to take care of us too.

 

We are to pray for that person and tell God what has happened, then we are to let God do His will with the situation.

 

So, what can we do besides pray and leave it it God's hands?

 

The bible tells us in verse 20...

 

²⁰ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 

 

We are to be nice to that person. The bible says if that person is hungry we should feed them or if they are thirsty we should give them something to drink. We may not always be able to give the person being mean to us something to eat or drink, but we can be nice to them. God doesn't want us to act stuck-up or spiteful to anyone.

 

By showing kindness, God says it is like heaping coals of fire on his head. What does that mean?

 

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One thing it means is that if you are nice to that person they will begin to feel guilty for what they've done. This isn't always the case, though. Some kids are very mean and don't feel bad about anything they do. This is where praying for them and letting God handle it is important.

 

In the last verse, verse 21, it says...

 

²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

When things don't go our way, we shouldn't let anger and hate consume us. We are to let the good shine through even when it's tough. Getting angry, yelling, and screaming is human nature, but remember it's not what Jesus would do, is it?



This Little Light of Mine Song Lyrics

We should always think about what Jesus would do and try to act as much like Him as we can. Put a smile on your face and let the good shine through.

Have you ever heard of the song, 'This Little Light of Mine?'

We are to let God's light shine through all the time.

Take the time to sing This Little Light of Mine as a reminder of how we should act.

 

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