Deborah Goes Into Battle - Sunday School Lesson

I love this bible story because not only does it show the bravery of women, but it also shows that God uses women as well as men. So, listen up girls and boys - God can and WILL use you no matter what age, color, or even if you are a boy or a girl. There are so many stories in the bible about God using women and children - like the story of Ruth or the little boy who gave his lunch to feed the 5,000!

Isn't that wonderful to know!!! If we allow God to use us, there is no telling what can happen.

Just like the bible stories above, the story of Deborah is also a true story of how God uses women to get the job done. In this Sunday School lesson, you'll learn how God not only uses one woman, but two and just how important they are.

Sunday School Lesson

The story of Deborah begins in Judges 4 when Israel turned away from God yet again when the Judge
Ehud died. Teachers - don't just go by the Sunday School lesson below. Turn to Judges 4 and read it for yourself. You may find more information about the story you'd like to share with your class.

Deborah Goes Into Battle

During this time, Deborah, who was a prophetess, began to judge the children of Israel. The bible tells us that she lived under a palm tree. Often, the children of Israel would come to her for help and for answers.

You see, the Israelites were afraid of Sisera who was the captain of the Canaanite army. Sisera had a strong army with 900 chariots of iron and thousands of men. The bible tells us that for twenty years he kept the Israelites under his control, or mightily oppressed them.

Finally, Deborah called for a man named Barak and said to him, "Barak, the Lord said for you to take 10,000 men into the mountains and He is going to lead Sisera's army down to the river. There the Lord will allow you to win the battle."

But, Barak didn't want to go even though the Lord said he would win!

Instead, Barak told Deborah, "If you will go with me into battle, then I will go. But, if you don't go with me, then I won't go."

Imagine, this big strong man who is more than capable of leading an army of 10,000 men is afraid to go into battle without Deborah by his side!

What do you think Deborah said to him?

Deborah knew the Lord would keep his word and that they would win the battle, so she immediately said yes she would go would Barak. (Of course, I believe Deborah would have went whether or not she knew they were going to win because she loved the Lord and wanted to do his will.)

But before they left, Deborah told Barak, "You must know that the Lord is going to let a woman take care of Sisera the captain of the Canaanite army. You will not have the honor of killing him yourself."

The Battle

Just as the Lord said, Barak and Deborah led the Israelite army up to the top of a mountain. The Lord led Sisera and his army down near the river.

When every thing was in place, Deborah said to Barak, "UP! For this is the day that the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand!"

What did this mean?

It meant that it was time for Barak to take his men into battle! It was time to charge! The Lord had said that today was the day the Israelites were going to win the battle against Sisera and his army! It was time!

We know they win, but how did it all happen?

Well - When Sisera and his army saw Barak and his men coming down off that mountain, the bible tells us that the Lord confused Sisera and his army so badly that Sisera jumped down off his chariot and took off running. While Sisera's army was confused, Barak and his army took care of them all. There was not a single man left.

Now, while this was going on, Sisera was still running. He ran until he came to a tent. There was a woman inside the tent named Jael. Jael told Sisera he could come into her tent and when he did, he laid down and she covered him with a blanket.

Sisera told Jael he was very thirsty so she gave him some milk to drink.

After he finished drinking, he said to Jael, "You stand by the door of tent and if anyone comes looking for me, you tell them no one is here."

So Jael waited. Finally, Sisera fell fast asleep because he was so tired and worn out from all that running away.

While he was asleep, Jael took a tent stake and killed Sisera. Which is exactly what Deborah had said, remember? Deborah told Barak that Sisera would be killed by a woman.

Now, Barak was still chasing after Sisera and came to the tent where Jael was. When Jael saw Barak, she told him, "Come into my tent. There you will find the man you are looking for."

A Final Note

Depending on the age children you have, you may want to tell them exactly how Jael killed Sisera. The bible tells us that she took a tent stake and drove it deep into his temple and fastened it into the ground.



**Note: There are many times in the bible where God allows people to kill and often children and adults wonder how this is so when one of the Ten Commandments clearly states - Thou shalt not kill. When the scrolls were translated, the word kill was actually the word murder. What does this mean? It means that God commanded us - Thou shalt not murder. We are not to let hatred fester inside of us where we devise a plan to murder someone.


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Paul and Silas Sunday School Lesson

I love the bible story of Paul and Silas. It isn't your typical bible story you'd tell in your Sunday school class. But, if it is important enough to be in the bible, it is important enough to tell your kids.

Are you wondering what is so different about this Sunday school lesson that you may be a bit apprehensive about sharing it with your kids?

This story tells of a young slave girl who can tell the fortunes of others because she is possessed by an evil spirit.

Now, before you shy away from this story, you can reassure your kids right off the bat that when they accept Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, they will never have to worry about such a thing happening to them. Of course, I've discovered over the years, that smaller children just take the story as is and don't question this part of it.

The bible isn't sugar-coated and we shouldn't sugar coat it either!

1 John 4:4 KJV

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

 

 

 

Paul and Silas Sunday School Lesson

Before beginning this lesson, look up this bible story in your bible. You'll find it in Acts 16:16-40. Of course, the whole chapter is great, so read it all if you'd like!

It is always best to prepare yourself before attempting to teach a lesson. I have often found that when I get in a hurry and don't study enough, one child will ask me a question I am unsure of how to answer.

After you've read the verses, let's begin.

Here is the bible story of Paul and Silas:

One day Paul and Silas were on their way to prayer, when a girl who was possessed with an evil spirit met them. Because she was possessed, she could tell the future.

Now, this wasn't an ordinary girl. She was a servant and because she could tell the future, she made a lot of money for her masters. The bible tells us in the book of Acts chapter 16 verse 17, the girl followed Paul and Silas as they went.

As she followed, the girl shouted, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

Of course this was true. Paul and Silas were servants of God and they could show the people how to be saved, but day after day the girl followed them saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." which made it difficult for Paul and Silas to show anyone anything.

You may want to repeat what the girl said several times to emphasized that what the girl said became a bit annoying and made Paul and Silas' job hard. What was their job? To show people the way of salvation of course!

Here is a good time to ask the kids if they know what salvation means.

Don't take for granted that kids understand this at any age. You'll be surprised at some of the answers you may receive.

Wait for volunteers to give their meaning of salvation before telling that salvation means that you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior. You believe that he came to earth as a baby, grew up, died on the cross, arose again, and now lives in heaven! When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved. Salvation is a gift from God that saves you for eternity.

Here is what Paul and Silas say near the end of this bible story when they are talking to the guard:

Acts 16:31 KJV



³¹ And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Let's continue the story.

Finally, Paul had had enough of the spirit and turned to the girl and said to the spirit, "I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."

And guess what. He came out of her!

Just by the sound of Jesus' name, the spirit obeyed.

James 2:19 KJV

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But when the girl's masters saw that she could no longer tell the future of others, they realized that she could no longer make them money. You see, the girl's job was to tell people their fortunes and the people paid her masters. Now that the evil spirit was gone from her, she could not tell anyone's future. Her masters were so mad that they caught Paul and Silas and took them to the rulers.

The masters told the rulers that Paul and Silas were causing trouble and teaching things they shouldn't. Without even giving Paul and Silas a chance to talk, they beat them and threw them into prison. Their feet was also put into stocks.

A jailer was in charge of the prison and all the prisoners. It was his job to make sure no one escaped.

Now, for many people, if they would have been beaten and thrown into prison when they had done nothing wrong, they would have been crying, yelling, screaming, complaining, grumbling, or any number of things.

But, guess what!

The Earthquake!!

The bible tells us that at midnight, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing praises to God!!

The other prisoners heard Paul and Silas singing and praising God! I wonder what they thought!

Suddenly, there was a great earthquake. All the doors of the prison were opened and all the prisoner's bands came undone! You would think that all the prisoners would have taken the chance to escape, wouldn't you?

Let's see what happens.

When the jailer woke up and saw that all the doors were open, he knew he was in a heap of trouble because all the prisoners were gone. He didn't want find out what the rulers would do to him when they found out that he lost all of the prisoners, so he took out his sword and was going to kill himself!

But, right before he did, Paul yelled, "Do thyself no harm for we are all here".

Can you believe that?

None of the prisoners escaped!

The jailer grabbed a light, ran into the prison and fell down before Paul and Silas wanting to know how he could be saved!!

He realized that whatever Paul and Silas had, he wanted too.

Paul and Silas told the jailer, that he need only to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved and all that was in his house.

Right then and there the jailer was saved!!

The jailer took Paul and Silas to his house and they told all that was in his house about the word of the Lord and everyone in the jailer's house was saved too!

Imagine - because of the evil spirit inside the girl, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, but because they were thrown into prison, a whole family was saved!



 

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Woman at the Well and Living Water Sunday School Lesson

No matter what age children you teach in Sunday school, they need to understand the importance of asking Jesus to be their Savior and living a life for God. While sharing bible stories is an important part of teaching God's word, our main goal is to lead these children to Christ and to teach them how to lead others. So, as you teach each and every lesson from here on out, do it with one goal in mind - winning souls for Christ!

Woman at the Well
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Introduction - Sunday School Lesson

Begin your Sunday school lesson by recalling Jesus' birth. Children need to understand Jesus didn't have to leave heaven to come to earth as a baby. He chose to. He wanted to.

Jesus left his beautiful wonderful home in heaven where there was no sin, no sickness, no hurt, and no sadness to come to earth where all of this existed.

He grew up just like all children do. He was a toddler, a young boy, a pre-teen, a teenager, and then a young man.

He obeyed his mother, Mary, and his earthly father, Joseph. He learned how to work with wood because Joseph was a carpenter. He also got hungry and tired. He needed sleep just as we do.

For around 30 years, Jesus lived as any of us would have except for he never sinned. Try to imagine never doing anything wrong. It's impossible! Some people believe they have never did anything wrong, but we all do.

When Jesus was 33 years old, he died on the cross for our sins. Of course, he didn't stay dead. Praise God! After they placed Jesus' body in the tomb, it stayed there for 3 days and then a miracle happened!

He arose from the dead!

It was because Jesus died on the cross for our sins that one day we can live with him forever in heaven.

Now, here is where you will begin telling the bible story of the woman at the well.

Woman at the Well - Bible Story

Today's bible story is about a Samaritan woman who came to a well to draw water out of it. Jesus disciples had went into town to buy meat, but Jesus decided to rest beside the well. Of course, it wasn't by accident he was sitting by the well. He knew a woman would soon be approaching.

John 4:6-15 KJV

⁶ Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
⁷ There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
⁸ (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
⁹ Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
¹⁰ Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
¹¹ The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
¹² Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
¹³ Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
¹⁴ But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
¹⁵ The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Leather bucket drawing water from a well.

What Happened in the Bible Story?

When the woman came to the well, Jesus asked her to give him a drink of water.

She was a bit taken aback that he even spoke to her because she was a Samaritan and Jesus was a Jew. In those days, Jews were not very fond of the Samaritan people.

Jesus said to her, "If you only knew who I am, then you would have asked me and I would have given you living water."

The woman didn't understand what Jesus was talking about. Jesus had no bucket or rope to get water with, so how could he give her 'living water'?

You see, wells were often very deep and without something to draw up water with, you couldn't get to the water.

Think about it: Water was often hard to get. Women and children would have to work hard each day to get the water needed to cook and to drink. What about the water for animals? It was no easy task!

Jesus wanted this woman to understand that the water she drank would only keep her from being thirsty for a little while. As the hours passed, she would become thirsty again. The next day, she would have to come to the well to get more water to drink, wouldn't she?

Have the kids think about that for a minute.

Say to the kids, "When it is in the middle of summer and you are outside playing, you like to drink water, right? (wait for answers) But, just because you get one drink of water, it doesn't mean that you won't need another drink. After you play for a while, you'll get thirsty again, won't you?"

Of course they'll get thirsty again.

The living water Jesus was talking about was eternal life!

Only Jesus could offer this woman a way to live forever. Salvation is referred to as living water and only through Jesus Christ can we have eternal life - a life where we can live forever in heaven with him!

The woman wanted this 'living water' and ran to get others in the town to come to hear what Jesus had to say!

We should be like the woman at the well and bring others to church with us to hear about the Word of God!

If you'd like to read a bit more about 'living water', visit the website Got Questions.




Photo of well courtesy of Neogeolegend, Wikimedia Commons


 

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Samson and the Lion Bible Story and Sunday School Lesson

Samson and the Lion
Bible Story
Photo courtesy of Joachim Huber, Wikimedia Commons

The bible story of Samson isn't as well-known as many others, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be told. In fact, Samson has some unique stories (all true, I might add) that kids will love. You'll find that with most of the bible stories of Samson, you will need to be prepared to answer many, many questions as quite a few aspects of his life are things children have never heard of before.

In this Sunday school lesson, we will cover what it means to be a Nazarite and tell the story of Samson and the lion. This story sets the scene to show children just how strong Samson was.

To read this story in full, turn to Judges 13 and 14. Use this time to study the bible for yourself as it is very important not only as Sunday school teachers, but as Christians to study God's word.

Samson and the Lion Sunday School Lesson

Before Samson was born, the Angel of the Lord appeared to the wife of a man named Manoah. The bible does not tell us her name, but it does tell us that she had been unable to have any children.

When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife, he said, "You have never been able to have children, but now you are going to. You are going to have a son."

Can you imagine what it must have been like to have an angel appear out of nowhere to give you a message?

Ask the kids, "Do you think you would have been scared? What about excited? Maybe you would have thought you were dreaming."

Wait for the kids to think about this. Let them talk about this for a moment, then begin again.

Before the Angel of the Lord left, he gave Manoah's wife a few rules to follow as she raised her son.

1. She was not allowed to cut his hair.
2. He wasn't allowed to eat anything that was unclean.
3. He was not allowed to drink wine or other strong drinks.

Note: If you have older children, you may want to elaborate on each one. We will discuss number one below.

What Is a Nazarite?

Samson was to be a Nazarite from birth. A Nazarite did not cut his hair at all, eat anything that was unclean (or touch anything that was dead), or drink alcohol.

A Nazarite's long hair let people who saw them know that they were doing God's will and that they were a Nazarite.

The Angel of the Lord even told Manoah's wife that she was not allowed to drink certain things while she was pregnant with the baby.

After the Angel of the Lord left, she ran to tell her husband what the angel had said to her.

Then, Manoah asked God to let the Angel of the Lord come back again to teach them how to raise their son. God heard Manoah.

One day when Manoah's wife was sitting in a field, the Angel of the Lord returned but Manoah wasn't with her this time either.

Quickly, she ran to get her husband and he followed her to back to the angel and he said, "While your wife is pregnant, she is not allowed to drink anything containing grapes. When she has the baby, he is not to drink anything containing grapes, he is not allowed to touch anything dead, and he is not to cut his hair."

Get the Samson and Lion Maze.
Get the Book of Judges Coloring Page.

Samson is Born

Samson - Nazarite
Peter Trimming, Wikimedia Commons

When Samson was born, Manoah and his wife did as the Angel of the Lord instructed.

They did not allow Samson to eat or drink anything that had grapes or grape juice in it, he did not touch anything that was dead, and he never cut his hair.

Samson grew into a man still following these rules from God.

Samson and the Lion

One day, Samson was walking along and came to a vineyard (where grapes are grown). Samson didn't know it, but there was a lion in the vineyard.

As Samson came near, the Spirit of the Lord came to Samson making him very, very strong.

You see, Samson didn't have a sword or a staff that he used to fight off the lion. Instead, when God made him extremely strong, he used only his hands to kill the lion.

Imagine, being so strong that you could take on a lion all by yourself and with no weapons at all!

Of course, without God's help, Samson couldn't have beat the lion. The bible tells us that:

Philippians 4:13 KJV

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

As the years passed, Samson's hair grew. As long as Samson did not cut his hair, he stayed strong. If he ever cut his hair or his hair was cut at all, he would become weak and his strength would leave him.

Guess what.

There was one time when a girl tricked Samson and his hair was cut! But, that is another Sunday school lesson for another day.


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Joshua in the Bible - Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho

I love to read about Joshua in the bible. So many times as I read through his bible story, I wonder what it must have been like to have been him. Imagine, not only did Moses appoint him to take over for him, Jesus himself came to talk to him face-to-face!

The Sunday school lesson below tells of that one time when Jesus came to Joshua to tell him exactly how he was going to defeat Jericho!

Instead of having to come up with a complicated (and maybe wrong) plan as to how to overthrow the city, Jesus said, "Listen up, Joshua. This is what we are going to do!"

While we can't see Jesus face-to-face yet, he still talks to us. We need only to quiet our minds and listen.

Having a relationship with our heavenly father is more than attending church once a week and reading a bible verse every now and then. It's about talking to him daily and listening as he talks back.

It may not be the way we hear those here on earth, but it could be in nature all around us, in the verses we read each day, in the whispers we hear in our hearts, in the song that just played, through other people, or any number of other ways God speaks with us.

As you prepare for this Sunday school lesson, talk with God to ensure that he helps you deliver the bible story the way he wants you to.

Show your kids the Battle of Jericho Song to get them up an moving!
You can also find more FREE material about Joshua!

You are free to print the images on this page to use in your Sunday school class. The license for using these pictures are located at the bottom of this post.

Joshua in the Bible - Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho Bible Story

In this Sunday school lesson, we are going to do more than just tell a bible story about Joshua. We are going to engage our kids to think about what it was like all those years ago when the Israelites fought the battle of Jericho!

You will want to see how to get your kids thinking like Joshua and the Israelites by doing this Sunday school activity!

Whether you choose to use the link above to get the kids fully involved in the story or not, you can still get them moving by following along with the suggestions in parenthesis below.

To begin your story, have the kids sit in a circle in the middle of the room or pull their chairs into a circle. You can either stand or sit in the middle to tell your story or even just pull yourself up a chair to sit with them.

The Bible Story

The Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and it was finally time to enter into the land that God had promised to them.

Of course it hadn't been easy to get to this point and it wasn't going to be easy now.

They had to cross the Jordan River to get to the other side. Now, that may not seem like a big deal, right? They could just jump on a boat and sail to the other side or find a bridge to cross - wrong.

They didn't have any boats or any bridges to cross and the river was flooded at the time. Its waters were probably rushing fast and would have swept them away.

Another thing was that there wasn't just a few people. There were hundreds of thousands of people who had to cross the river. Of course, we can't forget about all the animals and the fact that they had to carry all of their belongings with them. So, how do you think they were going to get across?

Joshua told the people, "The priests carrying the ark will go first. Everyone will wait and follow along behind the priests.

Ask the kids, "Joshua said the priests were going first and everyone was going to follow. How do you think they are going to get across?"

A miracle happened that day. When the priests' feet who were carrying the ark touched the water's edge, the water stopped flowing and was held back. The people got to cross the Jordan River on dry ground!

As the people crossed, Joshua told 12 men to pick up one rock each from the river's bottom and carry it to the other side. When they reached the other side, Joshua had the men pile the rocks up. Then he said, "This pile of rocks will serve as a reminder to you all. When your children or grandchildren ask why this pile of rocks is here, you can tell them about this time. The time when we crossed the Jordan River on dry ground!"

The river didn't start flowing again until the priests came out of the river. You see, they had to stand in the middle and wait for all those people to cross before they could come out of the river bed themselves.

Now, Joshua and the Israelites were faced with another problem. They were to take over the city of Jericho, but the walls were so high and thick they couldn't get over them, or around them, or through them. How were they going to get into the city?

One evening, Joshua walked by himself trying to figure out a way to take over the city.

To his surprise, a man holding a sword appeared out of nowhere! Joshua asked, "Are you for us or against us?"

The man said, "I am the captain of the Lord's host." Does anyone know who the captain of the Lord's host is?

It was Jesus before he ever came to earth as a baby! Joshua was talking to Jesus himself!

Jesus told Joshua to take off his shoes because the ground where he was standing was holy and Joshua did as he was told. Then, Jesus said, here is how you are going to defeat Jericho."

(Tell everyone to stand up on the outside of the circle of chairs or a make believe circle of chairs.)

Jesus said, "On the first day, the people will walk around the city walls one time. They are not to speak at all. On the second day, they are to do the same. They are to do this every day for six days. On the seventh and final day, they are to walk around the city walls seven times. On the last time, the priests will blow their horns loud. When the people hear the horns, they are to SHOUT very loud!"

Jesus went on to tell Joshua not to worry or be afraid. Jesus was going to go before Joshua and he was going to be right with him through the whole thing. Joshua had nothing to fear!

(Have the kids walk around the chairs seven times without speaking. This will be hard. Stress how it must have been for all those people to walk around the great city of Jericho seven times without talking. On the last time, have the children shout!)

Joshua followed Jesus orders and on the seventh day when they walked around the city walls of Jericho seven times, the people shouted when they heard the priests blow their horns and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down!

The people of Israel overtook the city.

Photos of Joshua courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing.
 

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Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho Sunday School Activity

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho is a very well known bible story that kids love to hear. Our Sunday school kids normally say, "Tell it again" just as soon as I've finished. While I love that they want to hear it again, we very seldom have time to tell it again.

That's why I've come up with the Sunday school activities below.

Give the kids more than just a bible story - give them the excitement of learning the word of God!!

Here's the FREE Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho Sunday school lesson.

Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho Sunday School Activity

 

You'll need a few items before getting started.

• cardboard boxes or other building materials (pillows, paper bags, etc.)
• empty toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, or wrapping paper rolls to use as horns (you can also purchase real horns at your local dollar store or order them online)
• chairs
• rocks (real or pretend)

You can either choose to do this activity during the story or after to reinforce what the kids have learned depending on how much time you have.

First, you'll need to line up chairs in two rows. Leave only enough room between the lined up chairs for the kids to walk through easily.

Next, place the rocks halfway down the row of chairs in the floor.

This is going to serve as your Jordan River and the rocks in the center of it.

You can choose to already have the walls of Jericho built using the cardboard boxes or other building material (hint: you can also use small plastic chairs) or let the kids help you make a round wall.

Now, have the kids walk through the Jordan River just like in the Sunday school lesson of Joshua picking up one rock on their way through.

After they have passed through all the chairs, have the place their blocks in a pile just as Joshua did.

Now, give the kids their horns.

Have them walk around the 'walls of Jericho' six times quietly, then on the seventh time have them blow their horns and SHOUT!

After they shout, let the kids knock down the walls!

If you have time, reset and start again.

Photo courtesy of erix! on Flickr.

 

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Parables of Jesus - One Lost Sheep - FREE Sunday School Lesson

A parable is a earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus used parables to help get his point across. In one parable of Jesus, he talks about one lost sheep.

This is a great story for all ages to help them understand the importance of trying to find that one person who needs to come to Jesus.

The parable begins when the church leaders start to talk bad about Jesus. Why were they talking bad about him?

Jesus was eating and talking with sinners (which we all are) and tax collectors. Tax collectors were hated during this time because many of them took more money from the people than they were suppose to.

The point of this Sunday school lesson and this parable is to help the kids understand the importance of bringing people to Christ. If we don't tell people about Jesus, who will?

Just as Jesus' disciples spread the word of God, we too should tell as many people about him as we can.

This Sunday school lesson can be found in Luke 15: 1-7 KJV.

You can start your lesson by having the kids turn to the verses in the bible. If they are old enough, let them read along with you. It is good practice to show the kids that the bible stories you teach are found in the bible and where.

Parable of Jesus - One Lost Sheep

Jesus told this parable to the church leaders who were saying bad things about him spending time with the sinners and tax collectors.

The parable of Jesus began with a question to the leaders. It went like this...

If you had 100 sheep and one got lost, which one of you wouldn't leave the 99 sheep and go out to look and find the one lost sheep?

When you find the lost sheep, wouldn't you put it on your shoulders and rejoice (be happy) because you found it?

Then, when you got back home, wouldn't you call all your neighbors and friends and say, "Rejoice, with me. I have found my one lost sheep?"

Just as you would be happy about your one lost sheep, all of heaven will rejoice when one sinner turns to God (repents)? They will be more happy that the one comes to God than 99 people who do not need to repent.

You see, Jesus wants us to go looking for that one lost sheep.

Of course, this doesn't mean that we are to go buy a bunch of sheep and wait until one gets lost so we can find it.

In the bible, the Lord is called the Shepherd and we (people) are the sheep.

Psalm 23

The Lord is our shepherd; I shall not want.

For very small children, have them learn the first part of this verse. For older kids, have them learn the whole verse and discuss what it means to 'not want' (more on that below).

If you are teaching teens, have them learn the whole 23 Psalm. Maybe even offer them a prize for whoever can recite it the following week. It doesn't have to be a big prize - a bag of chips, a pack of gum, a sucker or even a book mark.

Not only does this verse give us the assurance that the Lord being our shepherd will find us if we are lost, it shows us that he will provide. We do not need to want things. He will give us what we need.

As part of his flock, we are to search for those people (or sheep) who do not know him as their savior. We are to tell them how much Jesus loves them and wants to be a part of their lives.

What We've Learned

From this parable of Jesus, we learn that we are to go looking for that lost sheep, or friend that doesn't now about him.

We can pray for them. We can invite them to church or Sunday school. If your parents can, how about picking them up and bringing them with you. Maybe their parents will start coming if their children do.

If you have youth meeting or VBS, invite them to that as well.

This week, tell the kids it is their job to be a shepherd and look for one lost sheep to tell about Jesus or invite to church. As a Sunday school teacher, do the same. It's not good enough to tell the kids what they should do. We have to set the example and invite someone too.

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Let My People Go - Moses and Pharaoh - Sunday School Lesson

While Moses didn't feel he was the right man for the job, God knew he was the perfect man for it! There are many times we are just like Moses and feel we just can't do what God needs us to do.

Whether it is go on a mission trip, spend a few more hours at church, lead VBS, visit the kids in your

Sunday school classroom outside of church or any number of things God needs us for, we need to
step up to the plate or risk missing out on blessings from God.

I know how your feeling.

More than likely, each and every one of you have been there at one time or another. Now, don't think I'm asking you to bite off more than you can chew. All I am asking is that you pray and listen for God's instructions.

When He gives you your next assignment, stand up and say, "Here I am!" just as Moses did when God spoke to him out of the burning bush.

Let My People Go - Sunday School Lesson

While the above section was intended for the Sunday school teacher, it can be used as the beginning of your lesson too.

Kids need to learn from a young age that when God needs them, they should be ready!

When God gave Moses the task of going to the Pharaoh over all of Egypt, Moses wasn't sure he was ready. In fact, he didn't want to go at all.

Instead, he told the Lord, "Lord, I don't speak very well. I am slow of speech."

Maybe Moses couldn't speak very well. Maybe he stuttered. What Moses should have realized was the God had made his mouth, his voice and his tongue. God needed Moses to tell the Pharaoh to let his people go and God would be with him. He could do it.

Why wouldn't Pharaoh let the Israelite people go?

You see, Pharaoh was afraid the Israelite people were going to grow so strong that they would one day take over Egypt. So, he made them his slaves. He wanted to keep them as slaves. He didn't want to let them go.

When Moses didn't want to go to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let God's people go, God was angry.

God said, "Moses you have a brother named Aaron. He speaks very well. Take him with you. Don't worry Moses. I will teach you what to do and what to say. I will be with you through it all."

Moses and Aaron finally went to Pharaoh and although the Pharaoh didn't let the Israelite people go at first, God showed the Pharaoh who was in charge and eventually, he did let them go.

Bible Verse for this Lesson

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

 

¹⁸ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

If you have smaller kids and the verse is too long, you can break it down and just help them learn either...

In every thing give thanks:

 

or,

 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

What Can We Learn?

God never asks us to do something we are not capable of. Instead, he uses us in ways we never knew existed. During this lesson, stress to your class that each one of them have something special God has given them and whether they know what it is or not, God does knows and that's all that matters.

When God is with us, we shouldn't be scared.

It can be hard to step outside our comfort zone, but sometimes that's just what it takes - stepping out. I've added a video below. Listen to the song lyrics. It's all about stepping out even when your heart is telling you to give up.

If you are able, maybe you can show this video to your class.

Standing in front of the church, praying out loud, telling your friends about Jesus, and standing up for what you believe are all things that can make us scared at times. But, just as God was with Moses, he will be with you too.

You can read more about Moses in the book of Exodus.


 

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Moses in the River - Sunday School Lessons

In this free bible story of Moses in the River, you'll find all you need to teach a full Sunday school lesson. This lesson is perfect for all ages up to about 10 years of age. Of course, you can add more details and facts to make it great for pre-teens and teens, as well.

Remember, even small children as young as one or two years old love hearing bible stories along with playing games. For this lesson, we've added a link to a fun game (bottom of the page).

As an added bonus: You can print off the bible story picture below to use as a visual.

 

Bible Verse for This Lesson

Proverbs 3:5 KJV

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

Moses in the River Sunday School Lesson

Our bible story today comes from the book of Exodus chapter 2.

In Egypt, there was a not-so-nice Pharaoh who was afraid of the people of Israel. He thought that the more Israelites there were, the easier it would be for them to take over his kingdom.

To make himself more safe, he made the Israelite people into slaves. But, that wasn't all.

He also decided that there were too many Israelites. So, he made a very bad cruel law. This law said that when a baby boy was born to an Israelite family, the baby was to be thrown into the river and drown.

How horrible!

During this time, there was a mommy who had a baby boy. She didn't want the Pharaoh to take him, so she decided to hide him secretly. She hid him in their house for three months.

When she could no longer hide him, she made him a basket out of reeds and sealed it with a special tar to help the basket float.

River Reeds
Photo courtesy of Philip Halling, Wikimedia

Then, she put the little baby boy inside the basket and took it to the river (Nile River).

There in the tall reeds on the riverbank she set the basket to float. The little baby's sister stayed nearby to watch over him and the basket. Her name was Miriam.

 We don't know how long the baby was safe in the basket in the river. But, we do know that his sister stayed watch over him.

One day, the Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river to take a bath. Can you imagine how Miriam must have felt. Here she was watching over her small baby brother when the mean Pharaoh's daughter came near?

Or maybe, she was hoping his daughter would find her brother? Perhaps she was a nice kind princess and the baby's mother, Jochebed, hoped she would love her baby enough to save it?

What Happened to the Baby?

So, what do you think happened to the little baby in the basket floating in the river?

When the princess saw the basket, she sent one of her servant's to get it. When she opened it and found the little baby, she knew right away it must be an Israelite baby. The bible tells us that the little baby was crying when she found it.

Instead of staying hid, Miriam stepped out to talk to the princess.

She asked, "Do you want me to find someone to take care of the baby for you?"

Secretly, Miriam was going to get her very own mother.

You can see Miriam hiding
in the reeds if you look closely.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

When the princess agreed, Miriam ran to find her mother, Jochebed. When Jochebed came to the princess, the princess said, "Take the baby with you and take care of him."

Think about how relieved his mother and sister must have been. Even though, when the baby grows older, he will go and live with the princess, they got to spend the next few years with him and made sure he was safe.

Once the little boy grew old enough, Jochebed took him to live with the princess where he grew up.

Does anyone know what the princess named this little baby?

 

Wait for answers.

She named him Moses because the name Moses means 'to draw out' and that's what she did - drew him out of the water.

 

Watch the Story of Moses

This is the Disney movie of the life of Moses which won an Academy Award!

 

If you have time, you can show this whole movie to your Sunday school class or even break it down into two weeks, if needed.

 

 



Play the Find Baby Moses Game

For some extra fun on Sunday morning, check out this FREE Sunday school game we call - Finding Baby Moses!

It's similar to hide-and-seek and easy or hard enough for all ages!

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Rich Young Ruler - Sunday School Lessons

The bible story about the rich young ruler makes for a great Sunday school lesson. It can be told quickly, if needed, or it can be made into a lesson complete with discussions where the whole class can get involved.

When Jesus is talking to the rich young ruler, he ask him about the 10 Commandments. This is a great opportunity to touch on all ten which will also lead into a different branch of the story.

You can find this bible story in Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30. We used the King James Bible and the King James Bible Commentary for this lesson.

When teaching this Sunday school lesson, a great verse to go over along with the 10 Commandments is...

Luke 1:37 KJV

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

 

 

In Matthew 19:26 (KJV), Jesus is talking to his disciples about the rich young ruler and how difficult it is for the rich to get into heaven (more on that below). Jesus tells his disciples, that with men things are impossible, but with God all things are possible.

 

Rich Young Ruler
Sunday School Lessons
Photo Courtesy of Theodore Scott, Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

Rich Young Ruler Sunday School Lesson

One day, a young man came to Jesus and said, "What good thing must I do to have eternal life?"

 

You see, Jesus knows everything and he knew what was in the rich young ruler's heart. So, Jesus said to the young man, "Keep the commandments."

 

Jesus was talking about the 10 Commandments.

 

The rich young ruler asked, "Which commandment must I keep?"

 

Jesus said, "Thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother, and Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

 

The young man replied, "I have done all of these things since I was a young boy."

 

Then, Jesus said, "If you have kept all the 10 Commandments and are perfect, take everything that you have and give it to the poor. Then, come and follow me. You will have treasure in heaven."

 

When the rich young ruler heard what Jesus told him to do, he got up and walked away very sad. How could he give up all that he had for he was very rich?

 

Instead of choosing to follow Jesus, the young man decided he would rather be rich here on earth than in heaven.

 

Ask the kids what they love more than anything. Wait for answers.

 

Some may answer their toys, their games, their pets or even their parents. Then, explain that we are to love God even more than those things we love the most.

 

We are to put God above all else. Of course, God doesn't expect us to give everything we have away, but he does expect us to put him first. When it is time for church, we shouldn't complain that our favorite TV show is on or that we'd rather play outside.

 

Instead, we are to be excited about going to church or Sunday school to hear about God and what we can do to tell others about him. We should want to hear bible stories and tell others so they may want to ask Jesus into their hearts too.

 

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Sunday School Word Scramble
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Jesus Talks to His Disciples

 

Even in bible times, Jesus taught his disciples just like we are learning now. When the rich young ruler walked away, Jesus used what happened as an opportunity to teach his disciples something important.

 

What did he teach them? Let  your Sunday school kids try to answer.

 

He taught them that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.

 

To help show the kids how small the eye of a needle is, you should have one with you for them to see.

 

The disciples were amazed at what Jesus had said and asked, "Who then can be saved?"

 

You see, Jesus was saying that most, but not all, rich people think more about the money they have right now than they do about life after they die. Many rich people believe that if they have enough money, they can buy all that they want, but sadly, they can not buy their way into heaven.

 

To answer the disciples, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible (getting into heaven); but with God all things are possible."

 

What did he mean?

 

Men can't do anything on their own, especially get into heaven. Thankfully, with God all things are possible. We must put our trust in God if we expect to get anywhere in this life or the life hereafter.

 

Extra for Sunday School Teachers

 

This would be a good time to have the children bow their heads and say a prayer. You may even want to ask if anyone would like to ask Jesus to come into their hearts.

 

 

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Fruit of the Spirit - Sunday School Lesson

Learning about the fruit of the spirit at a young age will help your Sunday school children grow to live a more Godly life. Without the basic knowledge of how God expects us to live, children may never grow to let God shine through and may even come short of the glory of God.

Fruit of the Spirit
Photo Courtesy of Yosarian, Wikimedia

While learning to get by in this world is a necessity, our eternal life is the most important thing children need to know about and how to share that knowledge with others.

That being said, let's begin our Sunday school lesson about the fruit of the spirit.

What Are the Fruits of the Spirit?

The fruit of the spirit can be found in Galatians 5:22-23. I've added the verse below for you.

 

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

 

There are 9 elements to the fruit of the spirit as you can see in the verses above. For younger children, you may have to work on two at a time while older children can do three, four or even five one week and finish up the others in the weeks to come.

 

Trying to do all 9 in one lesson may result in the kids forgetting them or even becoming confused.

 

One of the best ways to learn all of the fruits is by learning them just as they are in the bible. Start with the first part of the verse - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness.

 

Again, if you have smaller children, just work on two - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy.

 

Many kids learn visually, so having these printed on a large piece of poster board will be your best option. Of course, if you have a black board or a dry erase board, those will work great too.

 

Print this on the board...

 

But the

fruit of the Spirit

is

love

joy

peace

longsuffering

gentleness

 





Don't add the other fruits until you are ready. Having too much on the poster board will only cause confusion.

 

When the kids have learned the first part, then and only then should you move on to the last part of the verse...

 

goodness

faith

meekness

temperance

against such there is no law.

 

 

So, what do these fruits mean?

 

Meaning of the Fruit of the Spirit

 



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Sunday school Song
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First, it is important to know that God calls them the fruit of the spirit not 'fruits'. The best way to
describe this is to say that it is ONE fruit with nine elements. The first three elements are in relation to God. The second three are in relation to man. The last three are in relation to one's (inner) self.

 

If you'd like to study these using the elements above, only do three each time you meet that way you can talk about the relation to God, man, and one's self as well.

 

We'll start with the first one and go through all nine. I've listed them below in case you need them.

 

• love - to be self-sacrificing and show a Christlike love.
• joy - to have an inner rejoicing in the Lord.
• peace - to have the peace (salvation) that only Christ can give and no one can take it away.
• longsuffering - showing patience in times of trouble or suffering especially when those troubles are brought on by other people such as being provoked.
• gentleness - to be kind, gracious, tender, and mild
• goodness - always ready to do good and to be moral
• faith - being true to his promise and tasks he performs
• meekness - having controlled strength and listening to hear God
• temperance - self-control

And, last but not least, the end of the verse. What does 'against such there is no law' mean?

 

This means that there is no law that says you can not possess these virtues. There are so many laws in this world telling us what we can and can't do, it is good to know that no man can take these things away from us.







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Zacchaeus - Sunday School Lesson

The bible story of Zacchaeus can help teach kids that no matter what they've done in their lives or will do, Jesus loves them and will forgive them. Kids should always be taught God is a forgiving God and if they truly are sorry for what they've done, God will forgive them. They will also understand the importance of loving others and sharing God's word.

They can always start new and fresh without having to worry if God still loves them - He does.

Zacchaeus Tree - Jericho
Photo Courtesy of Tango7174, Wikikmedia

Zacchaeus

One day, Jesus was going to the city of Jericho. A crowd of people were gathered around to see Jesus as he walked by. Behind the crowd, a man was trying to see Jesus but couldn't.

Ask the kids, "Why do you think he couldn't see?"

Wait for answers.

The bible tells us he was little of stature. This meant that he wasn't very tall at all. His name was Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. A tax collector's job was to collect money the people owed the government, but Zacchaeus always took more money than he was suppose to take.

Guess what he did with the extra money.

He put it in his own pocket! He became very rich, but he was lonely. You see, all the people knew Zacchaeus took more money than he was suppose to, so no one liked him.

He may have been rich, but he had no friends.

Even if Zacchaeus would have tried to make his way to the front of the crowd to see Jesus, no one would have let him through because they didn't like him.

So, Zacchaeus came up with a plan.

Get the Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man Song with Lyrics!

The Sycamore Tree

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so badly he decided to run ahead of the crowd to find a spot so he could see. As he ran up the road, he saw a sycamore tree.

Ask, "What do you think he did when he came to the sycamore tree?"

Wait for answers.

He climbed right up into the tree!

Now, he would be able to see Jesus. He may have been shorter than the others in the crowd, but he would be able to see Jesus better than most.

While he sat in the tree, Jesus came walking by. But, instead of walking past Zacchaeus sitting in the tree, he walked right up to him.

Jesus looked right up in the tree and said, "Zacchaeus, come down because I am going to your house." (Luke 19:5 KJV)

How did Jesus know his name? Did you know Jesus knows everyone's name?

Point to the kids and say, "Jesus knows _________ name and he knows _________ name." Fill in the blanks with the kids in your class.

Zacchaeus quickly came down out of the tree. The bible tells us that when the people in the crowd saw Jesus talking to Zacchaeus and then going to his house, they began to talk amongst themselves.

They couldn't understand why Jesus would want to go to Zacchaeus's house. He was a cheat and a liar. He took their money and was rich because he stole from them. How could Jesus want to spend time with him?

What We Learn

Think about this for a minute - why would Jesus want to spend time with a cheater and a liar? Why not spend time with someone who already believes in him and loves him?

Jesus knew that Zacchaeus needed him. He knew that Zacchaeus needed to know about God. No one in town liked Zacchaeus. How would he ever know how much God loved him and how to get to heaven if no one told him?

You see, because Jesus took the time to talk to Zacchaeus, the bible tells us that salvation came to his house (Luke 19:9 KJV).

Talk to the kids about the following:

If you have Jesus in your heart, one day when you get to heaven, you'll see Zacchaeus there.

Maybe you have kids in your class at school that no one likes or you have people in your family that you'd rather not be around. Instead of not talking to them, try telling them about Jesus or being a friend.

Not everyone will want to hear about Jesus, but some will. How will you ever know if you don't try?

You can pray for that person and ask God to help them too. Remember, God can do anything and you can ask him for anything.

After Zacchaeus was saved, he knew he had done all the people wrong. He decided to give half of what he owned to the poor and anyone who he took money from, he game them 4 times as much back.

Bible Verse for this Lesson

Romans 13:8 KJV

...for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Even though Zacchaeus didn't always do what was right, Jesus loved him. Do you think that after Zacchaeus was saved, he never did anything wrong again?

No.

We all make mistakes, but God loves us no matter what.

When we make a mistake, we need only to ask God to forgive us just as Zacchaeus did.

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