Jonah and the Whale | Sunday School Lessons

The story of Jonah and the whale is one of the most famous bible stories of all time. That one simple story could be used to teach kids many different life lessons. Today our Sunday school lesson is going to focus on 'obeying God'.

At first, Jonah chose to run from God instead of obey him.

Where did that get him?

Inside the belly of the whale (or big fish).

Jonah and the Whale
Sunday School Lessons
Photo: James Tissot (1836-1902), French painter

Sunday School Lesson

At the beginning of the bible story, God told Jonah he was to go to a city called Nineveh. He was to tell the people there to turn from their sinful ways and turn to God instead.

For some reason, Jonah didn't want to help the people of Nineveh.

Ask, "Does anyone know what Jonah did?"

Wait for answers.

Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah went to the boat docks and paid for a ride. The ride he paid for was on a ship. The ship was going to a place called Tarshish not Nineveh. It was going in the complete opposite direction!

Ask, "Did Jonah obey God?" (No.)

Wait for answers.

Ask, "Where was Jonah supposed to go?" (Nineveh.)

Wait for answers.

There are many times God needs us to do things for him, but we ignore him because we are scared or think we don't have time or that we can't do it.

Use yourself as an example.

Say, "What if I didn't obey God when he wanted me to teach Sunday school? I love to teach Sunday school. But, if I chose not to obey God because I was scared, God would have chosen someone else and I wouldn't be here teaching you today. I wouldn't want to miss out on God's blessing because I was too scared."

Go on to explain that God blesses those who are willing to obey him and do his will.

Bible Verse for this Sunday School Lesson

Teaching bible verses with your Sunday school lesson helps reinforce your lesson with God's word. Go over your weekly bible verses more than once as repetition helps kids remember.

Story Of Jonah Felt Flannel Board Set

John 12:26 KJV

²⁶ If any man serve me, let him follow me;

 

Another bible verse you can use with this lesson is as follows:

John 14:15 KJV

¹⁵ If ye love me, keep my commandments.

 

So, What Happened to Jonah?

As the ship sailed away with Jonah, God sent a strong wind onto the sea. The ship rocked back and

forth so badly the men on the ship was scared. They thought they were going to die.

They began throwing things off the ship thinking that if they made the ship lighter, it wouldn't sink.

The men found Jonah asleep down in the ship and woke him up.

When they discovered the storm was because Jonah ran from God instead of obeying, they wondered what they should do.

Jonah said, "Pick me up and throw me overboard into the water."

At first, the men didn't throw Jonah overboard, but finally they realized it was the only way to stop the storm.

As soon as Jonah hit the water, the storm stopped.

But, this wasn't the end of Jonah. You see, God still needed Jonah to go to Nineveh to tell the people there to stop sinning and turn to him.

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Jonah and the Whale

The bible doesn't say that Jonah was swallowed by a whale, but since the fish had to be big enough to swallow a man whole, people believe it was a whale.

So, God prepared a big fish to come along at just the right time. The big fish opened his mouth up wide and swallowed Jonah whole.

God wanted Jonah to know that he couldn't run away. He needed to obey.

After three days in the belly of the great big fish (maybe a whale?), Jonah knew he must obey God and agreed to go to Nineveh.

You see, God heard Jonah praying in the belly of the fish.

God allowed the fish to swim near the shore and spit Jonah out on dry land.

Jonah then knew he must obey God and went to Nineveh just as God needed him to do.

What We Learned in this Sunday School Lesson

No matter where we are or what we are doing, God can see us and hear us just as he heard Jonah in the belly of the great big fish. When God needs you, you can be sure he'll find you.

Obeying God the first time will lead to a life of blessings from God instead of a life of running from him.

Obey him when he calls.

Some ways God may need children:

• telling friends about him
• inviting friends to Sunday school or VBS
• helping mom or dad
• leading others to ask Jesus to come into their hearts
• keeping parents in God's word
• reading the bible to those who can't read
• praying for other
• becoming a Sunday school teacher
• becoming a preacher
• the list goes on and on

Jonah and the whale teaches kids that obeying God the first time is much better than trying to hide or run away. Don't be scared if God needs you. He won't leave you. He'll be by your side the whole time.



 

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Avoiding Sins | Sunday School Lessons

Teach Kids About Avoiding Sins
Sunday School Lessons
Photo: Ece Turkoglu

Sins can be a tricky Sunday school lesson to teach. The problem I've faced when teaching kids about sins is that they don't see how it applies to them.

For instance, we go over the 10 Commandments regularly and talk about sins. That seems pretty simple, right?

Wrong.

Think about some of the 10 Commandments - 'Thou shalt not kill', 'Thou shalt not commit adultery', and 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife or house'.

While these are very important to teach the kids in Sunday school, it is also important to teach them about every day sins they will face, as well.

Sunday School Lesson

In this Sunday school lesson, we'll talk about the sins kids will face every day and how they can avoid them. Be sure to click on the 'Avoiding Sins Activity' to help reinforce the lesson.

Ask the kids, "What are some sins you can think of?"

Wait for answers.

Some answers may be stealing, killing, disobeying mom and dad, lying, taking the Lord's name in vain, and so on.

Today, we are going to focus on several of the above sins.

First - stealing.

Stealing, no matter how big or small, is stealing.


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Some men and women may steal a car, someone's purse, or even someone's child.

But, did you know that 'borrowing' someone's jacket, pencil, eraser, toy, calculator, game, movie, or anything else and not returning it is stealing?

Kids tend to borrow things from other kids all the time, but do they return them?

You may have good intentions to return what you borrowed, but if you don't return it, it's stealing.

Second - lying.

Why kids think they have to lie to impress others is beyond me, but they do.

When someone asks you, "Have you seen the latest movie?" or "Do you have the new Xbox game?", what do you say?

Believe it or not, many kids will say 'yes' even if they don't.

Some people call lies 'little white lies', but a lie is a lie no matter how big or small.

If you lie, no matter what the reason, ask God to forgive you. He will, but that doesn't mean you can do it again and again just because he forgives you. It means you have to try harder not to lie again.



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Third - taking the Lord's name in vain.

The bible tells us that any time you use the Lord's name in vain it is a sin.

There are people in churches across the world that know this commandment by heart, but still don't obey it.

Let's put this plain and simple - when you say, "Oh my, G - -", it is a sin!

When you say the name of the Lord in any form, it is a sin. The exceptions to this commandment is when you are speaking of him, talking about him, teaching about him, or reading about him.

Otherwise, keep his name holy and do NOT say his name carelessly.

Some of the other names you may hear people say are: Jesus, Christ, Lord, and God.

Avoiding Sins

Bible Verse for This Sunday School Lesson

 

Psalm 119:11 KJV

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

There are so many other sins that kids need to learn to avoid. Ask the kids now as the Sunday school lesson is winding down to see if they can think of any more ways that people sin.

Wait for answers.

When faced with sin, talking to God is the best way to avoid it.

You can say a silent prayer or just think about him in your head. God will help you with the sins you face daily.



 

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Daily Prayer with Prayer Partners | Sunday School Lessons

Sunday school lessons should teach kids about daily living as well as bible stories. For instance, how many of your Sunday school kids practice daily prayer? If you ask the kids this question, most will probably say they pray each day.

Prayer Partners
Sunday School Lesson
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Now, ask them when they pray and what they pray about.

Wait for answers.

Most of the answers will be "praying over food", "thanking God for family", "praying for family", and other things similar.

Today's Sunday school lesson is going to focus on daily prayer with prayer partners. Prayer partners can mean many different things, but today we are going to pair up the kids so that they can pray for each other all week long.

Teaching kids to pray for each other will help them understand the other person better along with following the Word of God and learning to develop a great prayer life.

Bible Verses About Prayer

Colossians 4:2 KJV

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

 

Matthew 18:20 KJV

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

 

1 Thessalonians KJV

Pray without ceasing.

 

Matthew 21:22 KJV

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

 

 

Sunday School Lesson - Daily Prayer



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You can use any of the above bible verse about prayer for your lesson, or find another one you like. It's always a good idea to go over a bible verse with the kids each Sunday as it helps them learn God's Word and keep it close to their heart.

 

The bible teaches us about many people who prayed and God answered their prayers.

 

Daniel prayed every morning, noon, and night and God saved him from the lion's den.

 

The famous prayer of Jabez found in 1 Chronicles 4:10 KJV says, "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."

 

There is also the famous 'Lord's Prayer' where Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray.

 

Jesus himself even prayed.

 

Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before he died on the cross for our sins. He prayed again on the cross asking God to forgive those around him. Another time he prayed was when he blessed the food before breaking it when he fed the 5000.

 

Prayer Partners - What To Do

 

What You'll Need:

 

• something to write on
• something to write with
• cut pieces of yarn large enough to tie around a child's wrist or ankle

 

Once you've discussed some of the prayers above, sit the kids down in a semi-circle on the floor. Have a large paper, poster board, or dry erase board to write on for everyone to see.

 

Go through each child one-by-one and ask for prayer requests. Write them on the board or paper for all to see. Be sure to write the child's name beside the prayer request.

 

Ask the next child in the circle, "Did you hear that prayer request?"

 

Then, tie a piece of yarn around that child's wrist and say, "You are in charge of praying for that request every day until next week."

 

The yarn will serve as a reminder for that child to pray for their partner's prayer request.

 

Instruct the child to pray for that person and their prayer request every time the yarn reminds them to pray. Even if it is 10 times each day.

 

Now, go to the next child and ask for their request.

 

Continue this until every one has someone praying for their request and everyone is praying for someone.

 

What You'll Learn

 

Praying for yourself and your own family is wonderful, but when we join together and pray for someone else and their prayer request we learn the importance of caring for others. It helps us to understand one another, grow closer to God, and get in a routine of praying all throughout the day.

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King David - Sunday School Lessons

King David
Clipart: Christians Unite
Sunday School Lessons

Even though Jesse's youngest son became known as the famous King David, it wasn't an easy road. The road was long and hard. In fact, the road was so rough that only David himself was fit to walk it. But, because David trusted God and praising him all the way, David became king and was known as 'a man after God's own heart'.

If David had chosen his own path, God couldn't have used him.

Bible Verse for this 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.

King David

Begin the Sunday school lesson by asking the kids if they know of a famous David in the bible. More than likely, they will think of David and Goliath.

Wait for answers.

While this is the same David, our Sunday school lesson today isn't about that particular story.

The lesson...

David was the youngest of 8 boys. His job was to watch over the sheep. But, even though he was the youngest and just a shepherd boy, God chose him to be a king. Normally, the king's son would become the new king, but not this time. God had a different plan.

Of course, David didn't immediately become the new king. There was already a king - King Saul.

The problem was that as time went on, King Saul became jealous of David and tried to kill him over and over.

Instead of David fighting back, he left.


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If it had been time for David to become king, God would have made it possible, but it wasn't the right time yet. For many years, Saul sought to kill David, but was unsuccessful.

Time and time again, David had the chance to kill Saul too. But, he didn't.

Once he sneaked up behind Saul and cut a piece of his robe off. He wanted to show Saul that he could have killed him, but he chose not to.

Another time, he sneaked into Saul's tent and took his spear and canteen. Again, he could have killed Saul, but chose not to.

He wanted Saul to know that he wouldn't go against God.

In the end, Saul fell on his own sword and died. Then, King David took the throne.

It took 20 years for David to become king.

What We Learned:

God does things in his own time. While we tend to want things now, God doesn't always see fit for us to have it now. Sometimes, we have to wait years and years before he answers our prayers while other times he answers our prayers with a simple 'no'.

David was chosen by God to become King David, but 19 years later he still wasn't king.

David chose to serve God and to praise him through all those years. When the time was right, David took the throne.

When you pray, pray that God will have his own will with the answers to your prayers.

No matter what happens, God knows best and we must trust in that.
 

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Father's Day Sunday School Lesson

Teaching the importance of becoming a good father is not just the job of the parents. Kids come to Sunday school to not only learn about God, but to learn how they can be more Christ-like. As little boys grow, they need to be taught what it means to be a good Christian father and who better to set the good example than God our heavenly father?

Father's Day
Sunday School Lesson
Train up a child...

Father's Day

This Father's Day Sunday school lesson is geared toward the little boys in the class along with showing both girls and boys how much God the father loves them.

By teaching the young boys in the class what is meant by being a Christian father, the girls can benefit as well. This will help them understand the importance of looking for a man who will make a good Christian husband and father to their children.

Begin the lesson by asking the kids what Father's Day means to them.

Wait for answers.

Then ask if they know God is our heavenly father.

Wait.

1 Corinthians 1:3 KJV

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

God, our heavenly father, loves us so much that he sent his only begotten son to die on the cross for our sins so that one day we can go to heaven to live with him forever.

Now that's love.

Becoming a Christian Father

 

 

Provoke Not

Our heavenly father not only shows us what it is like to be a father, but gives us scripture to help boys become wonderful fathers too. The bible tells us that father's are not to provoke their children. Fathers are suppose to teach their kids about God, the bible, and how they are to live according to his word.

Ephesians 6:4 KJV

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

 

How can this verse help kids now? Many children tease, pester, and pick on other children just to make them angry or upset. Habits we learn as children often carry over into our adult life. We need to care for others lending a helping hand when needed. We should also stand up for those who are being picked on or pestered. This lets the Lord shine through.

Godly Routines

Fathers are to take their children to church, to teach them about God, and to lead and guide them in God's path. God promises us that if we raise our children for him, they will always come back to him no matter what things they encounter in their lives.

Proverbs 22:6 KJV

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

As parents, it is our job to take our children to church. It is also our responsibility to teach them at


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home about God. Making bible study, church, Sunday school, VBS, and any time the church doors are open a family routine helps teach kids that fellowship and worship are essential for growing in Christ.

When kids are taught to attend these gatherings along with having daily prayer and bible study, they will also do this with their children. These small, yet huge, Godly habits will set the standard for your children and grandchildren for years to come.


For the Girls

Girls need to look for these qualities in a man they would like to marry. If the man has never been in a routine of going to church, he may not go when they are married. If the man doesn't love God, married life will be very difficult for the mother.

How?

The mother and father will not see eye-to-eye on the importance of taking their children to church, reading the bible, or having a good Christian family routine.


Becoming Christian Parents

Start praying today!

Ask God to help you become a wonderful Christian father or mother. Ask him to send you a wonderful Christian husband or wife that he chooses for you.

It is never too early to pray for these things.

Luke 1:37 KJV 



For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Pray with your kids now and ask God to help them become wonderful Christian parents.

 

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Tower of Babel - So That's Where Languages Came From

Tower of Babel
Sunday School Lessons

According to several different sources, there are more than 6700 different languages in the world. Of course, most of those languages are not spoken regularly. It is estimated that between 100 and 200 different languages are actual 'official languages' (whatever that means). Now, think back a little further than that...a little further...a little further...

The question is - where did all these different languages come from?

Thankfully, God doesn't leave us to wonder about this.

In this Sunday school lesson, kids will learn the disobedience of people and the power of God.

Sunday School Lesson - Tower of Babel

Begin your Sunday school lesson by asking the class how many languages they can name.


Wait for answers.

You'll need to start the Tower of Babel Sunday school lesson with Noah and his family leaving the ark after it came to rest on top of Mount Ararat.

Ask the kids how much they remember about the bible story of Noah. Try to keep them focused on 'after the flood' when everyone and everything left the ark.

What did God tell them to do?

God told Noah and his sons, "Be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 9:1 KJV).

It was Noah's family's job to have children and grandchildren and they were to have children and grandchildren to repopulate the earth. As the children had more children, they were to spread out over the earth, but they didn't.

Instead, they went east where they stayed in a land called Shinar.

Different Languages

After Noah left the ark, the bible tells us that 'the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech' (Genesis 11:1 KJV).



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But, it didn't stay that way for long.

You see, the people began to build a city. Then, they decided to build a tower. They wanted to make a name for themselves and decided to build a huge tower with a top that reached all the way to heaven (Genesis 11:4 KJV).

Not only did the people disobey God by not spreading out over the whole earth, they also thought they could do whatever they wanted. They thought they could just start building a tower and that it would reach heaven.

God had other plans, though.

He wanted them to know that he was in control.

So, he mixed up their languages so that they couldn't understand each other (Genesis 11:7 KJV). When God gave them all different languages to speak, they couldn't keep building the tower. No one could tell anyone else what needed to be done.

This tower became known as the Tower of Babel because everyone sounded like they were babbling to each other.

After this, the Lord scattered all the people around the earth.

The Power of the Lord God

God has the power to all things. The bible tells us we are to 'fear the Lord'. That doesn't mean to be afraid of him. It means that he will correct us when we do things we shouldn't. It means we should want to make God proud of us. We should want to please him.

Do you know the sick, scared feeling you get when you've done something wrong and you are hoping no one finds out about it?

When we are living our lives for God, we are happy and content, but when we are not living for God, we should fear him because we've done something wrong.

Strive each day to live for God. Fearing the Lord God is a good thing. It helps us to do what is right and to feel his love for us.

What We Learned

We learn that obeying God is the most important thing and when we find ourselves not obey God, he will correct us. Never think that God isn't watching. He knows what is going on at all times even inside your head. Yes - he knows what you're thinking.

Just as our parents must correct us when we do something wrong, God, our heavenly father, must also correct us. We see over and over in the bible when people did things they shouldn't and God had to correct them.

One of the most famous bible stories is that of Adam and Eve. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God made them leave the Garden of Eden never to return.

Always obey your mom and dad and always obey God. If you do not, you can be sure that your earthly parents or your heavenly father will correct you.


 

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Garden of Eden | Temptation | Sunday School Lessons

Garden of Eden
Sunday School Lesson
Photo: yimmy149 Flickr
 

Just saying the words 'Garden of Eden' sends my mind to a tropical paradise filled with friendly animals, fresh clean water, amazing plants, and the most delicious fruit I can imagine. I've often wondered what kind of place that must have been.

Imagine - Adam and Even didn't have to worry about any thing in the Garden of Eden. God supplied their every need.

But, just like today, we often want something we shouldn't want. That is exactly what happened to Eve. Even though the serpent was smooth taking, Eve could have resisted, but instead she gave into temptation.

Let's see what happens in the Sunday school lesson - Garden of Eden.

Garden of Eden - Sunday School Lesson

The Garden of Eden must have been a sight to see. Words couldn't possibly describe what it looked like. Adam and Eve didn't even have to work for their food. God supplied it all. He supplied food, water, and companionship for Adam, Eve and all the animals. God even walked and talked with them.

What more could they want?

Temptation is a bad thing. It is hard to overcome, but no matter how hard, we must walk away and always do the right thing.

Lucifer

Temptation didn't just start with Adam and Eve though.

Begin your Sunday school lesson by telling the kids a bit about Lucifer who became Satan and just how much danger temptation can cause.

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One day, we are not told exactly when, an angel named Lucifer wanted to take over heaven and all things that God had made. He even tried to turn the other angels against God. Some of the angels listened to Lucifer.

God was stronger than Lucifer though and God cast Lucifer and all the angles that were doing what Lucifer said, out of heaven. Lucifer should have known that he couldn't over throw God. Even he gave into the temptation to be ruler of everything.

Where did that get him?

Let the kids answer and see what kind of answers they give you. Some kids may not even want to say the words. They may just point down and that's okay as long as they know the answer.

Temptation

Talk a little bit about temptation. Temptation is anything that makes us want something we shouldn't or desire to do something that is wrong. It's anything that can cause us to do something that is not right or not wise.

Adam and Eve

Adam and Even had it all, but what did they do? They gave into temptation. Let's see what happened.

Lucifer became Satan after he was tossed out of heaven, but that didn't stop him. He wanted to win more than ever and tried to deceive Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden.

And guess what.

It worked.

Satan disguised himself as a serpent and slithered his way into the Garden of Eden.

The serpent found Even and began his plan to tempt her to do something that was wrong. What was it?

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He wanted her to eat of the fruit off the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This was the one tree in the whole garden she and Adam were not allowed to eat from, but did she stand firm for God or did she give into temptation?

Wait for answers.

She gave in.

First, think about this for a minute. If a creepy snake began talking to you, wouldn't you think something was up? Second, Eve had all of the other fruit and food in the garden, why was the fruit from this tree so important for her to eat?

Because she was told not too.

As children, you are given rules to abide by. These rules are set by God and by your parents or guardians. These rules were made to protect you and to guide you.

How often have you been tempted to do the opposite of those rules?

Let's look at a few rules you may be tempted to break.

• going to bed when told
• staying up later than told
• telling a lie to get out of trouble
• being jealous of what others have
• taking cookies or sweets when told not to

Try to think of several circumstances that may work well with your age children.

 

How Should You React to Temptation?

First, remember, temptation is never good. Second, before giving in, stop long enough to pray to ask God to help you not go along with whatever you're facing.

Last, pray each day that God will help you when situations like this arise because they will arise.

Creation Story Flannel Board Figures

What Do We Learn?

After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, God cast them out of the Garden of Eden. Not only that, but now they would have to work for their food. God wouldn't supplying them with every thing as he had before. They had to till the ground and plant food. It was hard work.

Do you want to know what else?

Adam and Eve could have lived forever in the Garden of Eden, but now after giving in to temptation, they will grow old and die.

Why would they want to give up everything for a single bite?

Answer that question with another...Why do you do the things that you do when you know they are wrong?

Satan tempts us every day just as he did Adam and Eve.

It may be small things like taking someone's ball or hair bow, or it could be something big like stealing a car or robbing a bank.

Satan does all he can to tempt us into doing wrong things. The next time you are faced with a temptation like Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, remember to pray for God's help.

And guess what.

He will help you.

 

 

 

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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.

Get the 'Follow God's Word Maze'!

 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
Photo: redfern.biz

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

Print the Daniel and the Lion's Den
Crossword Puzzle



 

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.

>>>>>Get more FREE Sunday school lessons!<<<<<

 

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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