[This is our second last session on 1 Peter]
3-5s
Theme: Copy Jesus by loving one
another as we wait for Him to come back
Intro:
Copy me –
tell the children that one leader is a follower of Jesus and one isn’t. They
are to copy the follower and ignore the other leader. Do some basic repetitive
actions such as patting your head, jumping up and down, etc. The other leader
tries to put them off.
Bible story:
[There
are no obvious story elements in the passage this week, so we will base it
around application]
Who can
remember who wrote the letter we’re looking at this term? Peter
This is
Kevin the Christian [bring out figure/picture or puppet] and he is in the same
class at school as Norman
the Non-Christian [bring out another figure/picture or puppet]. Now Norman has been laughing
at Kevin because he’s a follower of Jesus.
There are
all sorts of things that Norman
does because doesn’t know Jesus and the forgiveness Jesus brings. So Norman
doesn’t do what the teacher asks him to do, he shouts back at his mum, he makes
lots of other things more important than God like football and watching TV.
This was
just like the people in Peter’s day who didn’t follow Jesus. But Peter says to
the Christians, ‘Don’t worry, one day people like Norman will have to stand before God. And God
will say to them, “Why have you lived like this?” And it will be horrible on
that day for them!’ Read v4-5 (NCV)
Now Norman keeps trying to
get Kevin to do what he’s doing. But Peter says, ‘No, don’t be like that.
Instead copy Jesus!’
Jesus is
the person we’re to copy. Read 4v1 (NCV). Peter says that because you’re
suffering, because you’re being laughed at for following Jesus, that shows you
that you’re a Christian, you’ve been forgiven, and so sin isn’t your boss
anymore. Jesus is. So live like Him.
So how
should Kevin copy Jesus. [Have an outline of a body] Well, Peter tells us how.
Let’s listen:
Read v7 –
How should we copy Jesus? We should be in control of what we do and pray
[Stick on a picture of hands praying] Does this describe you?
Read v8 –
How should we copy Jesus? Love.
[Stick on a heart]. That’s a sort of love that doesn’t blame other people when
they’ve done something wrong against you and so make the situation worse.
Read v9 –
How should we copy Jesus? Open your homes
[Stick on a picture of a house]. So we should look after people by having them
round for meals and to play.
Read v10
– How should we copy Jesus? Serving
[Stick a picture of a waiter on the outline] That means we make what other
people need more important than what we need. [Give some good examples] How
good are you at that?
Read v11
– How should we copy Jesus? Speaking
about Jesus and using your abilities for others. [Stick on a picture of a
tongue] So we are to encourage each other by reminding them of Jesus, talking
about Jesus. And if we have a special ability, we’re to use that to help other
people. [Give examples from your own life].
If we do
this then people will see how brilliant Jesus is!
Pray
Activity
·
Stick
on the pictures from the story onto a smaller outline
Songs
Follow
follow, Stick with Jesus, No more tears (All from A Very, very Big God)
--------
5-11s
Theme: Copy Jesus by loving one
another as we wait for Him to come back
Intro:
Follow on
– have them in a line. The person at the front starts doing an action, the others
need to copy. If they don’t, they’re out.
Mirror –
Put them in pairs facing each other. One is the mirror and needs to copy what
the other is doing.
Bible Teaching:
Recap –
what have we been looking at? What can you tell me about the letter?
Remember,
we’re aliens and strangers. We don’t belong here, we belong to Jesus.
Introduce
Kevin the Christian and Norman the Non-Christian (Hang labels around their
necks). They are in the same class at school, but Norman has been laughing at Kevin for being a
Christian. Have any of you had that?
Norman lives differently because he
doesn’t know Jesus and the forgiveness Jesus brings. What sort of things might Norman do? What sorts of
things have you seen you’re non-Christian friends doing? [Take sensible
suggestions and add a few]
Norman laughs at Kevin for not doing
these things too. But here’s what Peter has to say to Kevin to encourage him:
Read
v4-5. Norman is going to meet God one day and
God will ask Norman
why he’s lived the way he has.
And do
you know what, because everyone will have to do that, we tell them about Jesus
in the hope that they might know Jesus’ forgiveness too, because it’s not going
to be very nice for Norman on that day, if he carries on as he is!
So what
should Kevin do?
Read
v1-2. He should copy Jesus. He’s part of Jesus’ kingdom, the fact that he’s
being laughed at for being a Christian shows him that. This means that sin
isn’t his boss anymore, but Jesus is. So give up the old sinful ways.
How do we
copy Jesus? [At this point Norman
can sit down]
Read v7.
How do we copy Jesus? Control yourselves
and pray. Attach picture of hands praying to Kevin. How good are you at
doing this?
Read v8.
How should we copy Jesus? Love. Stick
a heart on Kevin. It’s a love that doesn’t make things worse if someone has
sinned against us, it’s a love that forgives. How good are you at doing this?
Read v9.
How are we to copy Jesus? Hospitality.
Stick on a picture of a house. How good are you at doing this?
Read v10.
How are we to copy Jesus? Serving.
Stick on a picture of a waiter. How good are you at doing this?
Read v11.
How are we to copy Jesus? Speaking. Stick
on a picture of a tongue. How good are you at encouraging each other to follow
Jesus?
Pray for
specific things from above.
Sticking
pictures from above on a body or funsheet
Pray for
the suffering church (use Release Advent Calendar)
Spares – shadows: have a torch and shine
at one child. All the other children need to stay in the shadow as it moves.
Purpose – copying Jesus.
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