On Veteran’s Day, we honor our military heroes who have fought for freedom. These men and women are warriors who fight against evil. Today, I’m going to tell you a story recorded in the Bible about another warrior who became a hero. His name was King David. King David shows us what a hero looks like and how we can become heroes of the faith.
Do what’s right. David was responsible for the sheep in his father’s field before he became a warrior or a king. Even though it was hard work, David took care of the sheep and did what was right when nobody else was looking. What right things can you do when nobody is looking?
Difficulties prepare us for greater challenges. Before David became famous for fighting Goliath, he had some difficult things happen in his life. Once while he was watching the sheep, a bear tried to attack. David killed the bear with his slingshot. Another time, he killed a lion with a slingshot. When David faced Goliath, he was prepared because of the times he had to fight the lion and the bear. When you go through hard times, ask God to help you through them in a way that will prepare you for the future.
Heroes have convictions and beliefs based on God’s Word. David was treated unfairly many times throughout his life. King Saul, the man who was king before David, was jealous of David and tried to kill him many times. David hadn’t done anything wrong, but he had to run for his life. King Saul was unfair to David, but David still treated Saul the way God’s Word said. David showed the king love and respect. When you’re treated unfairly, do you do what God’s Word says and treat people like you want to be treated?
Heroes help others. When David was king, he did what he could to help others. Once he had his men search for his friend’s crippled son so that he could invite him to the palace and treat him like royalty.
Heroes have the courage to repent and fix what they’ve done wrong. David wasn’t perfect. He did some very bad things. He even stole the wife of another man. But when he was confronted, David had the courage to confess his sin and take the consequences.
Heroes are honest even when under pressure. When David was running from King Saul, he found Saul alone in a dark cave. David cut a piece of Saul’s robe. The next morning, David told Saul what he’d done. The king could have killed him, but he was still honest. Saul felt bad and stopped pursuing him because he told the truth. Do you tell the truth even when it is hard.
Heroes resist temptation. David helped a man named Nabal by keeping robbers away from his sheep, but Nabal wouldn’t even give his men food and lodging. David could have attacked Nabal, but he resisted the temptation and left Nabal alone. What temptations do you need to resist?
Heroes do more than required. Heroes honor others by doing more than expected. David honored God by bringing the ark God’s way. He went the extra mile.
We can all become heroes of the faith, but like David, we need God to help us. The most important thing David did to become a hero was to spend time with God and to rely on God.
This is a great object lesson for Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day or whenever you’re teaching on spiritual warfare.
Equipped For Battle
Supplies Needed: A picture of soldiers similar to this one, Spiritual armor objects or picture.
Next week, we honor our veterans on Veterans Day. These are the men who fought for our freedom.
What is some of the equipment a soldier needs when he goes into battle? Give the children a chance to answer before giving suggestions.
Suggestions: uniform, google for night vision, gas mask, food, water, blankets, backpack, guns, bullets, tanks, jeeps, grenades, etc.
The Bible tells us of another kind of warfare. This warfare is spiritual and every Christian is involved in it. Just as every soldier needs equipment when he goes into battle, we Christians need equipment for spiritual battle.
Ephesians 6:10-18 lists the equipment we need. As you mention each piece of armor, show a picture of it or illustrate it with an object. Here’s a link with a picture you can print.
Belt of Truth: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. When we put on the belt of truth, we live the truth.
Breastplate of Righteousness: When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins, He makes us right before Him.
Shoes of the Readiness of the Gospel of Peace: When we are ready to do what God says, we’ll have peace of God in our lives.
Shield of Faith: When we place our faith in Jesus, He will protect us against the devil’s lies.
Helmet of Salvation: We need to protect our minds by thinking the way God wants us to think.
Sword of the Spirit: The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God – the Bible. The Bible defeats our spiritual enemies. That’s why it’s important to learn what it says and to obey it.
Prayer: The last weapon God gives us is prayer. After we’ve put on all of the armor, if we pray, God will fight our battles for us, and we will be fully equipped soldiers ready for spiritual battle.
This object lesson is used in This is War Children’s Church Curriculum that is due to be released from Revival Fire for Kids in March.
Prayer Connection
Items Needed: Toy telephone or cell phone.
I have a friend who lives in another state. This friend and I are very close. I felt really bad when my friend moved away. I still miss her. Sometimes I just want to hear her voice. Other times I want to tell her about something that happened to me. Sometimes I want to ask her what she thinks I should do when I have a problem I can’t solve. I can’t afford to go see my friend every time I want to talk to her. How can I talk to my friend? Give the children a chance to respond. Some of the responses might be phone, internet or letter. I have a phone here. Many times when I want to talk to my friend, I do call her on the phone. We talk for a long time. It’s always good to hear her voice.
When I want to talk to God, I can’t use the phone. I don’t have His number. I can’t contact Him through the internet. I don’t have His E-mail address. I don’t think the post office delivers letters to Heaven. What should I do when I want to talk to God? Give children a chance to respond until they mention prayer. That’s right. When I want to talk to God, I always can when I pray. I can tell Him what is going on in my life. But I can also ask Him to help me know what to do when I have a problem I can’t solve. James 1:5 says “But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. God is generous. He enjoys giving to all people, so God will give you wisdom.” If we want to know what to do about a problem, we can ask God for wisdom. He will help us know what to do.
This object lesson/message is from Revival Fire for Kids curriculum, Building Foundations, available in March. Italics are used for when the teacher speaks.
Supplies needed: GPS, map, Bible
Hold up the Bible. Explain that the Bible is like a GPS for life. It guides us through decisions we make.
Hold up the map. Talk about how when you were young, they didn’t have GPSs. People had to use maps. It was difficult because first you would have to find out where you were on the map. Then you’d have to figure out how to get where you were going. Demonstrate. Sometimes maps didn’t work well because the roads would change or there might be a road that was closed, and the map didn’t show it. Unfold the map and show how difficult it would be to use while driving.
I’m glad we don’t use maps anymore. The GPS is much easier to use.
If you’re lost, you can press “Go Home” and the GPS will guide you every step until you’re home. If you’re spiritually lost, you can turn to John 3:16 or the book of Romans, and the Bible will guide you on how to be saved.
If you don’t know which way to turn, the GPS will let you know when to turn right and when to turn left. If we don’t know which way to turn in life, we can pray and read God’s Word, and it will guide us by giving us wisdom on which way to go.
If there is road construction or congestion up ahead, a GPS will warn the driver. In the same way, God’s Word warns us away from danger.
If we want to go in a certain destination, we plug the address into the GPS. The Bible also has addresses.
The Bible is divided into two major sections. The Old Testament is at the beginning, and the New Testament is at the end. Each section is divided into smaller section with books. In the Bible, an address contains the book of the Bible, the chapter, and the verse. You can find anything using these addresses.
As great as a GPS is, it won’t do you any good unless you turn it on. In the same way, God’s Word won’t guide your life unless you read it and learn what it says.
A GPS plugs into a charger so the battery won’t die. When you read and study God’s Word, you’ll want to plug into a spiritual charger by asking God to help you understand what He is saying in God’s Word and how to apply it to your life.
Now that Fall is in the air, it’s the perfect time to have a Fun Sunday centered around Fall.
Theme: Falling for God
Verse: Matthew 16:25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Possible Object Lessons:
Leaves: Talk about how leaves fall to the ground when Autumn comes. They don’t worry about being destroyed. They sacrifice themselves so the tree can survive the winter and the ground can be protected. In the same way, God wants us to fall for Him and not worry about the consequences. When the leaves prepare to fall, they turn colors and become prettier than they were before. When we fall for God, our lives will become more meaningful than they ever were before.
Falling in Love: Many people talk about falling in love. It means they have feeling for another person. But falling in love shouldn’t only be an emotion. When two people fall in love and get married, they make a commitment to be there for each other for the rest of their lives. They sacrifice their individual lives for each other. God wants us to fall in love with Him the same way.
Missionary Talk: This would be a good time to talk about missionaries and what they have sacrificed because of their commitment to God. You can use missionaries you church supports or find something at one of the following sites:
This is a great object lesson for Independence Day or whenever you’re teaching on spiritual warfare.
Equipped For Battle
Supplies Needed: A picture of soldiers similar to this one, Spiritual armor objects or picture.
Next week, we celebrate the birth of our nation. In order the the United States to become a nation, we had to fight for our freedom.
What is some of the equipment a soldier needs when he goes into battle? Give the children a chance to answer before giving suggestions.
Suggestions: uniform, google for night vision, gas mask, food, water, blankets, backpack, guns, bullets, tanks, jeeps, grenades, etc.
The Bible tells us of another kind of warfare. This warfare is spiritual and every Christian is involved in it. Just as every soldier needs equipment when he goes into battle, we Christians need equipment for spiritual battle.
Ephesians 6:10-18 lists the equipment we need. As you mention each piece of armor, show a picture of it or illustrate it with an object. Here’s a link where you can download a free Armor of God Chart for signing up for emails.
Belt of Truth: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. When we put on the belt of truth, we live the truth.
Breastplate of Righteousness: When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins, He makes us right before Him.
Shoes of the Readiness of the Gospel of Peace: When we are ready to do what God says, we’ll have peace of God in our lives.
Shield of Faith: When we place our faith in Jesus, He will protect us against the devil’s lies.
Helmet of Salvation: We need to protect our minds by thinking the way God wants us to think.
Sword of the Spirit: The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God – the Bible. The Bible defeats our spiritual enemies. That’s why it’s important to learn what it says and to obey it.
Prayer: The last weapon God gives us is prayer. After we’ve put on all of the armor, if we pray, God will fight our battles for us, and we will be fully equipped soldiers ready for spiritual battle.
This Thursday, May 14th, is the day we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus. That means this Sunday is the perfect time to teach a lesson on it. Here are a few online resources to help:
This Thursday and Friday is the time that the Jewish people celebrate the Feast of Purim. They honor Esther and remember how she saved the Jewish people. I can think of no better time to teach about Esther during mid-week classes or children’s church.
The story of Esther is found in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament. The main theme and verse from the Book of Esther is found here:
Esther 4:14 (NIV) For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
What a powerful statement for our time. Children need to learn that they were created by God in this time and in the family they were born for an important purpose. Some day, they may need to make a stand as Esther did and risk something to obey God.
One fun thing you can do is have a Purim carnival where everyone dresses up as kings and queens and parades through the church or neighborhood. The children could make banners that say “For Such a Time as This”, and they could carry streamers and noisemakers.
Here are a few online lessons for teaching about Esther:
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Supplies needed: pitcher of water, 5 paper cups prepared the following ways (1st cup turned upside down, 2nd cup has dirt, trash, and mud in it, 3rd cup has hole in the bottom, 4th cup is cut in half length wise with the cup side turned toward the children, 5th cup is right side up), bowl to catch water
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a free gift that God wants to give His children, but there are ways to prepare to receive this free gift.
(pour water in the first cup) This represents a child who has not asked Jesus Christ into His heart. Since he doesn’t know Christ as his Savior, he can’t receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
(show children the inside of the second cup) This child can’t receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit because he has sin in his life. He needs to confess his sin to God and ask God to forgive him before he receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
(pour water in the third cup) This child is saved and has been forgiven of his sin, but he can’t receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit because he doesn’t have faith that God will fill Him. Maybe he thinks he’s too young or not good enough. Or maybe he believes that God only wants to fill people like the preacher and the children’s pastor.
(pour water in the fourth cup) This child can’t receive the Holy Spirit because he hasn’t surrendered himself completely to God. Once he does that, he can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
(pour water into the fifth cup until it overflows) God wants to fill you with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Lead the children in a prayer that addresses each of the children represented by the different cups.
This is a classroom small group format lesson about Peter walking on the water. Paraphrase the words in bold print to present them to the class.
Bible Basis: Matthew 14:22-33
Bible Truth: Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on the waves.
Memory Verse: Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith. (Hebrews 12:2)
Welcome Activity: Waves In Our Lives
Materials: Blue construction paper, cut out shape of wave, poster board, glue, crayons or markers
As children arrive, direct them to sit at the table and cut waves out of the construction paper. They can pattern their waves after the shape of a wave you will cut out ahead of time. Then have them draw pictures on the waves that show problems children face. If children have a hard time with this suggest problems such as divorce, bullying, bad grades in school, and friends moving away. After they finish, they can glue the waves on the poster board hanging on the wall or bulletin board. Helpers should stimulate discussion by asking children about what they do when they have problems in their lives. Who do they talk to about their problems?
Memory Verse Activity:
Materials Needed: cut out picture of Jesus, memory verse poster
Read this week’s memory verse from the poster. Point to each word as you read it:
Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Paste a picture of Jesus on top of the waves glued to the poster board. Have the children stare at the picture of Jesus while they say the verse together again. Have them repeat this a few times.
Ask the children questions about staring at the picture of Jesus.
Children, when you were staring at the picture Jesus, could you still see the waves? (Yes, they could still see the waves.)
Which seemed bigger, Jesus or the waves? (Jesus)
Now I want you to stare at the poster board again. But this time, don’t look at Jesus. Only look at the waves. Give the children a few moments do this.
Now which looked bigger, the picture of Jesus or the waves? (They should say the waves. If they don’t, suggest that the waves looked bigger when they focused only on them.)
Children, whatever we keep looking at is what will seem the biggest in our lives. If we look at our problems, they’ll seem bigger. But if we keep looking to Jesus, He is bigger than our problems. Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith.
After sharing this, connect it to the Bible story in Matthew 14:22-33:
We’re about to hear a story about when Jesus walked on the water. He invited Peter to join him. When Peter looked at Jesus, he had faith enough to walk on the water.
Bible Story: Peter Walks On The Water
Pick one child to play the part of Jesus and one child to play the part of Peter. Divide the remaining children into two groups. One group will be the disciples; the other group will be the waves.
I’m going to tell you the story of when Jesus walked on the water. But I’ll need your help. Have Peter and the disciples stand in the boat you made earlier with masking tape. Have the children who are waves stand outside the boat and sway back and forth and make a soft wrrrrr sound. The child playing the part of Jesus will stand in the corner of the room.
One night, Jesus told Peter and the disciple to get on a boat and go to the other side of the lake. Jesus stayed behind and prayed. Have Jesus get on his knees and pray, and have Peter and the disciples pretend to row.
The waves started getting bigger and pounding on the boat. Tell the waves to sway harder around the boat and make the sound a little louder.
Jesus saw the waves attacking the boat and walked on the water to the disciples. But they were scared. They thought He was a ghost. Have Jesus walk toward the disciples like He’s walking on water. Have the disciples act scared. He called out to them not to be afraid, that it was him.
Peter asked Jesus if he could come to Him on the water, and Jesus said, “Come.” Peter stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. Have Peter step out of the boat. Have the other disciples try to stop him. While Peter kept looking at Jesus, he walked on the water. Have Peter jump around and talk about how he’s walking on water.
But then Peter saw the wind and the waves, and he was afraid. Have the waves sway around Peter and make a louder noise. Have Peter sink into the water. Peter sank into the water. But Peter was smarter than some people. He knew what to do when he was in trouble. He called out to Jesus, “Lord, save me.” Have Peter call out.
Jesus reached out to Peter and grabbed him by the hand. He asked Peter why he doubted. Have Jesus act out what you’re saying. Jesus led Peter into the boat. All the disciples saw that Jesus is Lord and worshipped Him. Have the disciples get on their knees and lift their hands to Jesus.
Children, when you have problems, you should keep looking at Jesus to help you with those problems. He will give you the faith you need to go through anything. But if you do mess up, you can call out to Jesus, and He will help you just as He helped Peter when he sank.
Review Questions:
Where was Jesus when the disciples were on the boat going to the other side of the lake? (Jesus stayed behind to pray)
How did the disciples act when they saw Jesus on the water? (they were afraid)
What did Peter do? (he asked Jesus if he could come to Him)
What happened when Peter looked at the waves? (Peter sank and called out to Jesus)
What did Jesus do when Peter called out to Him? (He grabbed Peter by the arm and pulled him up, saved him)
What should you do when you have a problem? (keep looking to Jesus to give you the faith you need, call out to Jesus)
When Peter looked at Jesus, he could walk on water. But when he looked at the waves, he sank. When he cried out to Jesus, Jesus reached out to save Him. When waves or problems come in our lives, we need to keep looking at Jesus instead of the problem. We can do that by praying and reading our Bibles. But if we do mess up, we can call out to Jesus, and He will help us just like He did Peter.
Snack Time:
If you plan to provide a snack, this is an ideal time to serve it.
Materials: goldfish shaped snacks
Have children eat goldfish shaped snacks while you talk to them about how many of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen before they followed Jesus. They knew all about storms and how dangerous they are, but they also knew that Jesus has power over the wind and the waves. Tell the children another story about when Jesus calmed the storms (Mark 4:35-41).
Note: Always be aware of children with food allergies and have another option on hand if necessary.
Learning Activity #1: Faith Stronger Than Water
Materials: glass, water, cardboard (old breakfast cereal boxes work best)
Pour water into a glass until it is almost full. Place a piece of cardboard, cut to slightly larger than the top of the glass, shiny side down, over the top. (an old breakfast cereal box is an ideal source of suitable cardboard). Hold cardboard in place, and invert glass. Take away your hand from the cardboard. Explain that gravity is still at work trying to make the water fall on the floor, but that the air – which we cannot see – is stronger than gravity and is keeping the cardboard in place. Try this at home first to make sure it works correctly.
Invite the children to show they know the air is there – which they cannot see- and walk under the glass.
Peter could walk on water because his faith in Jesus was stronger than the water. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, his faith held him up. When he no longer looked at Jesus, but looked at the waves, his faith failed, and he sank. Children, when you walked under the glass of water, you had faith in the air that was holding the cardboard in place and keeping the water from spilling on you. Just as you had faith in the air to hold the cardboard in place, when you have faith in Jesus, He will help you through the waves or problems you face, because your faith in Him is stronger than any troubles you have.
Learning Activity #2: Keep Your Eyes On The Target
Materials: ball, marker board with a circle drawn
Draw a circle the size of the ball on the marker board. Have each child keep his or her eyes on the circle and throw the ball at it. Then have each child focus on something else in the room and throw the ball again trying to hit the circle.
Children, which time was it easier to hit the circle with the ball? (the first time) Why do you think it was easier the first time? (they had their eyes on the target) It’s easier to trust Jesus to help us when we go throw storms in life when we keep our eyes on Him.
On Veteran’s Day, we honor our military heroes who have fought for freedom. These men and women are warriors who fight against evil. Today, I’m going to tell you a story recorded in the Bible about another warrior who became a hero. His name was King David. King David shows us what a hero looks like and how we can become heroes of the faith.
Equipped For Battle
Now that Fall is in the air, it’s the perfect time to have a Fun Sunday centered around Fall.
This Thursday, May 14th, is the day we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus. That means this Sunday is the perfect time to teach a lesson on it. Here are a few online resources to help:
This Thursday and Friday is the time that the Jewish people celebrate the Feast of Purim. They honor Esther and remember how she saved the Jewish people. I can think of no better time to teach about Esther during mid-week classes or children’s church.
What a powerful statement for our time. Children need to learn that they were created by God in this time and in the family they were born for an important purpose. Some day, they may need to make a stand as Esther did and risk something to obey God.
