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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Jacob Falls in Love Word Search Puzzle - FREE Sunday School Acivities

Jacob was always into something in the bible and there were many, many things written about him. God lets us follow Jacob from birth till death and we see all of his good and bad qualities through each and every verse.

In the Jacob Falls in Love bible story, Jacob is tricked into marrying the wrong girl, then finds himself with two wives! Below is a FREE word search puzzle to go along with the story of Jacob falling in love with Rachel only to find himself married to her sister Leah.

Sunday School Activity

Feel free to share this with others who may benefit from it. Use the Pin button, Facebook, or even twitter to let others know about the FREE stuff they can get here. Thank for sharing God's word with others!

Free Word Search Puzzle

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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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Book of Ruth - FREE Coloring Pages for Kids

The book of Ruth may be short, but there is so much to learn from each word. One thing many people like about this popular book of the bible is that it reads like a fiction story that someone has made up even though every word is true.

God allows us to step into the life of Ruth and see how choosing to follow God led her to the love of her life. This true love story captivates the hearts of kids and adults alike. Young children grasp the lighter part of the love story while adults can get deeply involved with each word.

Teach Ruth's story in this Sunday school lesson or read about Ruth in a different light at Christian Magazine Today.

Book of Ruth

FREE Coloring Pages for Kids

 

 

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Make Your Own Jacob's Ladder - Sunday School Activities

If you'd like to make your own Jacob's ladder, you can use the technique in the video below. You can also use other supplies so that every kid in your Sunday school class can make one of these ladders to take home for themselves.

Jacob's Ladder Activity
Photo: Polyparaidigm
Wikimedia Commons

For those who are teaching Jacob's Ladder in Sunday school, we have a Sunday school lesson you may like to use: Jacob's Ladder Sunday School Lesson.

Make Your Own Jacob's Ladder

First, watch the video. Then, keep reading below to find out other ways to make them. Of course, you can purchase a kit straight from The Scrapbook Lounge or buy a pre-made Jacob's Ladder instead.

 

For anyone who is not too crafty or for those who don't have enough time in Sunday school to make one of these cute little toys, you may want to buy some that are already made. I found some on Amazon that comes in a package of 12.

Here is the link: wooden Jacob's Ladder (1 dozen)

For anyone who'd like something different for their class, you can use this free word search puzzle designed especially for this lesson.

If you'd like something completely different or have older kids, you may want to give them each a piece of string and teach them how to make the ladder with it. I've included a video for that below too. The lady in the video goes step by step. If you get lost, just hit back and start again. It's fun and keeps your mind working!

Enjoy!

 

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Jacob's Ladder - Sunday School Lesson

Jacob was a trickster. He tricked his twin brother out of his birthright for a bowl of soup. He also tricked his nearly blind father, Isaac, into giving him a blessing which was meant for his brother.



Jocob's Ladder
Sunday School Lessons
Photo: the Providence Lithograph Company
Wikimedia Commons

But, even after all of his tricking and scheming, God loved him and blessed him. This same Jacob became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Of course, you can see by the title of this lesson that this isn't what our Sunday school lesson is about today.

Today we are going to talk about Jacob's ladder.

This bible story is one that many children love to hear. It is an amazing bible story that has several details the kids will always remember. First, they will remember the ladder. Second, they will remember the angels walking up and down it. Third, they will remember that Jacob used a rock for a pillow.

Let's get started.

Jacob's Ladder - Sunday School Lesson

Our story today begins when a young man named Jacob was sent on a journey to a different land to find himself a wife. You see, where Jacob lived, the women all worshipped idols and his father wanted to make sure he married a girl that loved God.

Jacob started on his journey to find himself a wife who loved God.

Jacob traveled and traveled. Finally, night began to fall and Jacob was very tired. But guess what! Jacob didn't pull out a tent, a blanket and a pillow so he could sleep. There were not hotels anywhere.

Instead, he found a spot on the ground to lie down and used a rock for his pillow!

Can you imagine how uncomfortable that must have been? How nice and comfy is your pillow? If you ever get a chance to use a rock for a pillow, try it. It is cold and hard and not comfortable at all.

(Teachers - if you can find a small rock that could be used for the children to lay their head on, it would give them a better understanding of how Jacob must have felt.)

Teach "Jacob Falls in Love" Bible Story!

Jacob's Ladder

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Jacob's Ladder
Word Search Puzzle!

When Jacob fell asleep, he had a dream.

Ask the children, "Have you had a dream you remember?"

Wait for answers.

Jacob's dream was a bit different than most dreams because this dream had been sent from God. God was letting Jacob know that even though he hadn't always done everything right, God still loved him and had a plan for Jacob.

In Jacob's dream, there was a ladder, but it wasn't a normal ladder that you might use at home. It was a special ladder that stretched from earth all the way up to heaven.

On this ladder were angels. The angels were walking up and down the ladder and at the very top, near heaven, was God.

Then, God spoke to Jacob in his dream and said, "I am going to give you the land where you are now. I will also give it to your children and your children's children. You will have many, many children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren. I will be with you wherever you go and I will make sure that you come back to this place where you are sleeping."

(Teachers - you can read God's exact words in Genesis 28:13-15 KJV)

When Jacob woke up, he realized that God was near and he didn't even know it. The bible tells us that Jacob was afraid. He said, "This is the house of God and the gate of heaven."

In the morning, Jacob took the rock that he used as his pillow and set it upright. Then, he poured oil on it. He wanted this place to be remembered and to be special.

What was the name of this special place? Bethel which means 'The House of God'.

God kept his promise to Jacob and brought him safely back to that land just as he had said. Jacob had many children including Joseph who you may remember as having a 'coat of many colors'.



Make your own Jacob's Ladder
FREE Video

What We Can Learn

Did you know that God has a plan for you too? Did you know that God will never leave you? He will be with you wherever you go. No matter what you do or what happens in your life, God is there.

Isaiah 41:10 KJV

 

¹⁰ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Depending on what age children you have, you can use the first part of this verse or more.

In our class, we sometimes just say "Fear thou not; for I am with thee:", but the entire verse is great!

 

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Jacob's Ladder Word Search - Sunday School Activities

Jacob was always into something when he was a young man. First, he tricked his brother. Then, he tricked his father. Now, he is on a journey to find himself a wife in a different country because he is afraid that his brother may kill him if he stays.

While that sounds a lot like a 'Soap Opera', it is just one of the true bible stories we can tell our Sunday school class.

We've made this word search puzzle to go along with the Sunday school lesson of Jacob's Ladder. After you've taught your class about Jacob and his famous ladder, you can use this word search puzzle to fill in time or talk about what they've learned. You may also have extra time on your hands or have kids who love crafts. If that is the case, think about making your own Jacob's Ladder craft!

 

Jacob's Ladder Sunday School Activity

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Jesus Christ and the Fishers of Men Sunday School Lesson

It's important for you to know as a Sunday school teacher that this bible story happened near the beginning of Jesus' ministry. He was only now calling the first of his 12 disciples. This true story happened not long after he was baptized by John the Baptist.

Simon Peter cast out his fishing net just as Jesus said.
Photo: Oxfordian Kissuth, Wikimedia Commons

Fishers of Men Sunday School Lesson

At the beginning of this Sunday school lesson, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John were on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They had been fishing all night long and their large fishing nets needed to be washed.

You see, these four men were fisherman. It's not like when we go fishing to catch fish. It's not like when mommies or daddies go fishing for the weekend. This was Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John's job. Fishing is how they made money.

Each night, they would go out onto the sea, drop their huge nets into the water and pull the fish back in. The next day, they would take the fish they caught into town to sell them.

On the night when this bible story happened, the four fishermen had worked all night long to catch fish and hadn't caught even one.

As they were working to wash out their fishing nets, Jesus came walking along the shore. He wasn't alone though. Many, many people were following him hoping to hear him teach and to preach.

When Jesus came near Simon Peter's boat, he walked right up to it and stepped inside.


Get the Fishers of Men
Song with Lyrics

He told Peter to push his boat out a little ways into the water and Simon Peter obeyed.

That's when Jesus began to teach. He taught all those people sitting in Simon Peter's boat on the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus was finished, he told Simon Peter to take his boat out into the deep water of the sea and let down his net again.

Remember, these men had fished all night long without catching a single fish. They were probably tired and disappointed. They probably didn't want to try again, but because Jesus told him too, Simon Peter obeyed.

When Simon Peter let down his net into the water, the bible tells us that they caught a great multitude of fishes. It was so many their nets began to break. They called the other men on the shore and told them to come and help. When the men arrived in their boats to help, the bible says there was so many fish that both boats were so filled they began to sink.

Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John was so astonished, they realized right then they were standing in the presence of the Messiah.

Jesus told them to not be afraid. He also told them they were to not catch fish anymore.

They were to be fishers of men.

This meant instead of working day in and day out to catch real fish, they were to go out into the world to tell people about Jesus Christ so they might be saved and go to heaven one day.

 

Get the Fishers of Men Game

What We Can Learn from this Sunday School Lesson

 

We learn that just like Simon Peter, we need to obey God in whatever he says to do. Simon Peter could have told Jesus there was no fish in the sea and went about his business. Instead, he obeyed Jesus and caught more fish than ever before.

Sometimes, we may not understand what God needs us to do or why, but we don't have too. We only need to obey because God knows best.

Second, we learn that we are to be fishers of men just like the men in the story.

We should tell everyone about Jesus and how he died on the cross for us. We should let them know they can be saved and go to heaven one day if only they accept Jesus into their hearts.

When we tell others about Jesus, we are being fishers of men.


 

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Fishers of Men - Sunday School Game

Use this fun Sunday school game to teach kids bible verses to go along with the lesson or to reinforce the Sunday school lesson about the Fishers of Men. You can also teach the kids the song "I Will Make You Fishers of Men". It's a cute song for younger kids to learn especially when you use the motions.

Any stick will work to play this Sunday school game.
Photo: Randen Pederson

Sunday School Game

First, you’ll need to prepare several bible verses to hang on the wall or to be printed out for the kids to see.

Gather theses supplies:

• 4 sticks or dowel rods
• 4 pieces of string (about 3 to 4 feet long depending on height of children)
• 8 small magnets
• 8 paper fish
• 4 paper clips
• pencil or pen

Directions for the Sunday School Game:

Write a number on the bible verses (ex: 1, 2, 3 ,4, and so on depending on how many verses you’ve prepared). Next, write a number on each of the fish to go along with the bible verses you've selected. Glue a magnet to the mouth of each fish. Attach the string to the stick to make a fishing pole. Add the paper clip to the bottom of the string to be the hook.

When a child catches a fish, the child will have to find the number on the fish and match it to the bible verse with the same number. They will say the verse two times and get back in line to catch another fish.

You could also print the bible verse on the back of the fish instead of a number.

If you have several helpers, this fishing game will go fast and the kids will be able to catch more fish and in turn say more verses.

Tips:

• We try to use verses for this game that the children are familiar with but do not know by heart.
• Make the game more fun by hanging up a bed sheet in a doorway and let the kids fish over the sheet so they will not know which fish they will catch. Someone can sit on the other side to add the fish to the paper clip.
• Use other things besides fish like paper: boots, seas shells, sharks, bottles, a sunken ship, and so on. You can even add people to the line if you are teaching the Fishers of Men bible story.

May God bless you as you teach children the word of God.

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Fishers of Men Song and Lyrics (Video)

Fishers of Men Song
Photo:
Alex Proimos
Wikimedia Commons

Here is a great song to go along with the Fishers of Men Sunday school lesson. It can be used anytime you need an extra song. We sing it randomly in our Sunday school class and the kids love the motions we've made up.

When we are talking about being 'fishers of men' we pretend like we are holding our fishing rod and casting out the hook. Then, we reel it back in. At the part where it says, 'if you'll follow me' we do a follow me motion.

For the last part, we hold up our hand to one ear to 'hear Christ calling'. And last, we put both hands beside our head like we are sleeping at the 'give you rest' part.

If you need something extra, play the Fishers of Men Game!

Hope you enjoy!

Fishers of Men Song and Lyrics

Be sure to pass this along to anyone you think could use it.
 

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