Acts of Love | Showing God's Love to Others - Sunday School Lessons for Kids

I've learned a few things lately and one of those things is that 'acts of love' as Christians doesn't come as easily as I once thought. Right up front, I want to say that when we ask Jesus to be our savior, we don't magically start loving people the way God wants us too. It's true that for a little while when accept Jesus as our Lord and savior, we want to tell everyone about God and how that Jesus died for us and we want EVERYONE to know him like we do.

Overtime though, the 'newness' wears off and the things of this world start weighing us back down. People begin to irritate us. We start getting annoyed by the way people act. So, instead of wanting to help those types of people, we steer ourselves toward those who are more willing to listen about Christ or those who show an interest in him (which isn't very often in today's world). We may even limit ourselves to those we see at church or the kids in our Sunday school classes. But, what about those we encounter daily?

Showing God's love to others should come easily. So, why doesn't it?

Showing God's Love to Others

Today's lesson is on 'acts of love' or 'showing God's love to others' and how easy or hard it truly can be. Children (and adults) may have a hard time understanding the numerous different ways that we can show God's love to others, but hopefully by the end of this lesson, they will see how truly easy it can be.

Ask for a show of hands to the following questions, but ask the kids to refrain from talking about the people they feel this way about.

"How many of you have someone in your life that you don't like?"
"How many of you have someone in your life that irritates you badly?"
"What about a teacher or principal?"
"What about a neighbor?"
"Do you have someone who used to be your friend until something happened and now they are no longer your friend?"

The bible tells us in Mark12:31 KJV ~ Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Jesus didn't say, "Try to love thy neighbor as thyself". He said, "Thou shalt!"

That lets us know that as Christians, no matter what happens, we are to love our neighbours. So, exactly who are our neighbors? Well, if you look at the parable of The Good Samaritan, we find that everyone is our neighbor.

Okay, so exactly how can we show God's love to others?

We can show God's love to others by the acts of love we do. These small (or big) acts of love show others God's love through us. Jason Gray, a Christian music artist, has a song about this exact thing. Take a moment to watch it below, then show it to your kids in your Sunday schoool class. My kiddos learn better when they can visually see something rather than just me telling them.

Whenever you get a chance to show your kids visually, I recommend you do so!

Jason Gray's Acts of Love Video




Now, as you can see in this video, even the smallest acts of love can help build the kingdom of God. I used the reference in the song about how God put a million million doors in this world for his love to walk through. I told each child that they were a door for God's love and that they needed to open that door to let His love out.

Showing God's Love Activity

I saw this activity somewhere and I'd link to it if I could find it, but I can't. It is a really good 'visual' example of how showing God's love to others helps his love to spread from one person to another. 

Get a colored sheet of paper and scissors. Any sheet of paper will do, but if you are in front of a larger class, colored paper can be seen better. Now, have the kids count how many corners are on that piece of paper. Of course, there are four corners.

Next, tell the kids you are going to cut off one corner of the piece of paper and that that corner will represent a piece of God's love. Once you have cut off the corner, have the kids count how many corners the paper has now. It has 5!! 

So, even though you took some of God's love out, it grew more!!! 

Now, cut another corner off and give that part of God's love away to someone. Count the corners again. There are now 6!!!

You can continue this to the next couple of corners to make sure the children understand what you are doing.

The more we give God's love away or 'show God's love' the more his love grows in others!! Sometimes, people may not want your kindness, but give it anyway! 

Here is a reminder craft about God's love being inside of us and how we need to let his light shine:

God lets each of us choose whether or not we will give his love to others or hold it in. God never makes us do anything. So, when the time comes and you have the choice to do an act of love, like in the video, do it! Don't hesitate because if you don't show an act of love, God's love won't grow through you. 

Be the door that God's love can walk through!! Just like the song above!!!

If you'd like another activity for your kids, here is a free crossword puzzle centered around The Good Samaritan. 

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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!

Find More FREE Bible Stories and Sunday School Lesson!!!!

 

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Jacob Falls in Love But is Tricked - Sunday School Lessons

While many of us only dream of falling in love at first sight and having someone love us so much it seemed like a fairy tale, Jacob experienced it. This bible story is a true real life love story about a man falling in love with a woman only to find out he had been tricked into marrying the wrong girl and guess who tricked him - her very own father!

Jacob
Photo: the Providence Lithograph Company

Jacob Sunday School Lesson

After Jacob left his home, he traveled toward Haran where some of his family lived. He had been traveling for a very long time. Finally, he was close to his destination and as he walked near the city, he came upon a well.

At the well were many shepherds. they were waiting to water their flock.

Ask the kids, "Do you know what shepherds are? What is there job?"

Wait for answers.

Some kids may not know what a well is either so you may want to be prepared to answer questions about it.

A well is a hole in the ground where shepherds would water their flocks. Often, a big rock or stone was put over the opening of the well and was only removed when it was time to give the animals their drink.

Jacob asked the shepherds if they knew where Laban and his family lived.

The shepherds knew Laban and said, "Look, here comes his daughter Rachel to water the flock."

Rachel was a shepherdess which means she was a girl shepherd.

 

Teach "Jacob's Ladder" bible story!

Jacob Makes a Deal

When Jacob saw Rachel coming, he went to the well, rolled the stone from the well's opening, and watered Rachel's flock for her. When Jacob told Rachel who he was, she quickly ran to tell her father Laban.



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Jacob Falls in Love Puzzle

After Rachel told him about Jacob being in Haran, Laban ran back to Jacob, hugged him, kissed his cheek, and brought him back to his house where Jacob talked about his mother and the rest of his family.

After a month, Laban decided he would pay Jacob to work for him.

Now, Jacob had a plan because he loved Rachel and said, "I will work for 7 years if I can marry your younger daughter Rachel."

The bible tells us that Jacob loved Rachel so much that the 7 years he worked seemed like only a few days had past which meant he loved her very, very much.

After the 7 years had passed, Jacob went to Laban and asked to marry Rachel as per their agreement. Laban gathered everyone together a held a big feast so he could marry her.

Jacob is Tricked

In those days, a marriage was quite different from the marriages of today and Jacob hadn't seen the face of his bride until after he was married to her. When he realized it wasn't Rachel he married, but instead her older sister Leah, Jacob was furious!

He went to Laban very mad and asked, "What have you done? I worked 7 years to marry Rachel. Why did you trick me into marrying Leah?"

Laban answered and said, "It is not right for the younger sister to get married before the older sister and so I had to give Leah to you instead of Rachel."

Guess what happened next.

Laban wanted Jacob to stay and work for him, so he said, "If you will stay and work for me another 7 years, I will let you marry Rachel too."

Jacob agreed and in one week, he finally married the girl he loved so much.

What We Learn

One thing we can learn from this bible story is that not everyone can be trusted. Sometimes, even our friends will try to trick us and often get us into trouble just like Satan tries to trick us. God doesn't want us to get others in trouble on purpose. He wants us to be loving and kind and do our best to do what he would like us to do. We need to know what is right so we don't let Satan trick us into doing something we shouldn't.

Another thing we learn is that we don't always get what we want. Sometimes we may want a new game or even a certain food for dinner, but we may not always get it. We need to learn to be patient and calmly wait for the things we want.

Lastly, you should explain to the kids that God does not condone having two wives, but in bible times this happened often. Sometimes, men would have more than two and one man, King Solomon, had 1000 wives (1 Kings 11 KJV). Whew!!

 

Bible Verse for this Sunday School Lesson

1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV

 

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

 

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