Teaching John 13:31-14:4

3-5s

Theme: Jesus is getting places ready for us in heaven

Aim: Love Him and others now as we wait

Intro

Going away – what would you take with you? Pack a bag together.

How would we feel if x was going away? Sad? Would we want to go with them?

Teaching:

Remember Jesus was having a meal with His followers [hold up picture]

Can you remember what He had just done for them? [hold up picture of footwashing]

Jesus told His friends that He was going away. The next day He would die on a cross, which was wonderful and sad, [hold up picture of a cross] but then He would be going back to Father God. Read 13v33

This made them really sad. [hold up sad face and get them to copy]. Read 13v36-38. Simon Peter really wanted to go with Him because he loved Jesus so much. But He couldn’t, not yet.

So why was Jesus going away? Well, Jesus’ death on the cross means we can now be friends with God again. And so Jesus had to go and get things ready for us to come to Him. Read John 14:1-4. [Could play John 14:1-4 from Remember the Lord here. Hold up a picture of a house.] Jesus says heaven is a little bit like a great big house and He’s gone to get the rooms ready for us.

So, although it was sad for Jesus’ friends it was wonderful because one day they would go and be with Him forever. And so will we if we trust Jesus. What a wonderful promise!

But Jesus also tells His friends what they are to do while they wait. Read 13:34-35. They are to love each other.

How can we do this? [Give them some practical ideas]

Activities:

• Stick windows on a big house with their names on
• Big sheet – ‘Love one another’ in the middle. Stick pictures of practical examples around and colour in. 

Songs:

John 14:1-4 from Remember the Lord

5-11s

Theme: Jesus is getting places ready for us in heaven

Aim: Love Him and others now as we wait

Intro

Bag packing – relay race to pack a bag for going on a journey. Imagine x was going away. How would you feel? Sad?

Teaching       

[You’ll need a long sheet of wallpaper]

Can you remember what we looked at last week? Where was Jesus? What had He just done?

And can you remember what was going to happen to Jesus the next day? [He’d be killed on a cross. Hold up a picture of a cross. Get them to stick it on at far left of picture]

                                                                                    

This is our time-line. The next day Jesus would be killed and here’s what He says about it. Read 13:31-32. Jesus says that dying on the cross will bring glory to God the Father. That means it will show how wonderful God is in bringing us forgiveness.

But then Jesus would leave His followers. [Get one of them to draw an arrow up from the cross]. That would make Jesus’ followers really sad. Their best friend would leave them.

This led Simon Peter to ask Jesus a question. Read 13:36-38. Jesus was going back to the Father in heaven and Simon Peter couldn’t follow Him.

So what was Jesus going to be doing there? Read John 14:1-4. [Draw a horizontal line across the top of the paper and stick on a picture of a house.] What is Jesus doing now? He’s getting rooms in heaven ready for those who trust Him. [Start putting some names on the windows in the house].

Isn’t that amazing? Now that we can be friends with God because of Jesus’ death on the cross, if we trust Him we will go there to be with Him forever. And Jesus is preparing it for you.

[Get them to draw another line along the bottom and a downward line at the end to represent Jesus’ return.] So we’re here. [Put a mark on somewhere towards the end]. We’re waiting for Jesus to have those rooms ready for us. So how should we live now?

Read 13:34-35. [Take answers] We’re to love each other following Jesus’ wonderful example of love. So how can we love each other? [Help them to make practical suggestions].

Sum up: 2 things to remember – Jesus is getting heaven ready for us. We should love each other as we wait.

Table time

Younger ones – Father’s house on one side: they colour and put names in the windows. On the other side they stick pictures of practically loving each other.

Older ones – take them outside and get them to wash someone’s car?

Teaching John 13:1-30

3-5s

Aim: Jesus serves us by washing us clean from our sin

Intro:

Paint Footprints - then wash their feet. Ask them whether Mummy would let them in the house with painty feet.

When we disobey God, sin, we can’t come near God. Sin is like a dirt that stops us being God’s friend. So when we don’t do what Mummy and Daddy say, there’s a bit more sin on our hearts that stops us being God’s friend. [Have a laminated heart and stick on a big black mark]. And when we think ‘me, me, me’, that stops us being God’s friend. [Second black mark]. Continue on.

Oh no. We can never be God’s friends now. All this sin needs to be washed off.

Ask: What stops us being friends with God?

Well that’s exactly what Jesus came to do.

Teaching:

Tell the Bible story using flannelgraph

• Set the scene – Night before Jesus arrested and killed. Celebrating special meal: Flat bread and wine
• Jesus knew that Judas was going to get him arrested the next day
• Jesus suddenly wraps a towel round his waist and starts washing their feet. Something only the lowliest servants would do – not God’s great King who made everything!
• Peter doesn’t like it. Read v6-11.
• Then Judas leaves to go and get the Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus

Why would Jesus wash their feet? What a yucky thing to do. If you walked around in sandals in Jesus’ day your feet would get covered in really yucky things. So to wash them off would be horrible.

But Jesus is saying that He’s come to wash our sins away. [Hold up black heart] When Jesus dies on the cross it washes all these dirty sins away. [Wipe off]. Now, if we trust in Jesus we can be friends with God again because we’ve been washed clean. What an amazing and wonderful thing for Jesus to do for us!

Ask: How does Jesus wash away our sin?

Pray

Activities:

• Paint footprints – label ‘Jesus washes away my sin’

• Laminated hearts – they draw on ‘sins’ with felt pens then wash off
• Story sticking

Songs:

There’s a way back to God

Jesus died for all the children

I am the Way the Truth and the Life (from a Very, very Big God, for future weeks)

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5-11s

Theme: King Jesus came to serve us by washing away our sin.

Aim: That they learn to serve others the way King Jesus served them

Intro:

• Hide pictures of stories from John’s gospel so far – they have to find and tell you what the story was. Don’t spend too long on this. Max 5mins
• Fetch – Relay race to get the parts of the story: bowl, towel, soap, pitta bread, ‘wine’

Teaching:

[Have them lying around in a circle as the disciples would have been. Pass round bread and red juice.]

The night before Jesus died, he and his disciples met and had a special meal, a Passover meal, together. Jesus knew that the next day Judas, one of the disciples, would have him arrested. Jesus knew everything because He is God. This is the one who created the entire universe. And so He was in total control of the fact that the next day he would die. Read v2-3.

But Jesus did something very surprising. In Jesus’ day walking around the streets in open sandals [if possible have a pair of sandals] would mean your feet became really yucky! The lowest servants would be the ones who had to wash your feet as you came into a house.

Yet Jesus got up and put a towel around his waist and started washing their feet! How amazing! The King of the universe would serve his followers by doing the most yucky job. Would you have done this? [Act out what Jesus did]

But not everyone was happy! Read v6-11.

Here’s what Jesus was saying:

[Have a laminated heart] Sin is like a big black stain. So when we disobey God, maybe we think ‘me, me, me’ and do something which really hurts someone. Big black mark appears. Or we disobey our parents, big black mark appears. And that means we can’t be friends with God anymore.

But when Jesus died on the cross he washed our sins away. [Wipe black marks off]. So if we trust in Jesus was can friends with God again. So Jesus washing His disciples feet is His way of showing us what He will do on the cross.

But there’s another thing: Jesus tells us to copy Him by serving others in the way He has served us. Read v12-17. So if we’ve realised the amazing way in which Jesus has loved and served us, so we should love and serve others. Maybe its our brothers and sisters, or our parents, or people in our class. What could you do to serve others as Jesus has served you? [Take suggestions]

Pray

Table Time:

Younger ones – Put pictures of the story in order and answer questions

Older ones – Talk through passage with questions. Give them ‘serving cards’

Questions:

Knowledge

• What were Jesus and the disciples doing in this true story?
• What did Jesus do that was surprising?
• What did Simon Peter say about it?

Understanding

• Why did Jesus wash their feet?
• Why was Simon Peter so surprised?
• What was Jesus going to do for us on the cross?

Application

• Who’s the only person who can wash your sin away?
• How has Jesus served you?
• Who could you serve in the way Jesus has served you?

Do I Love speaking with God? – Psalm 61

3-5s

Aim: That they would love talking to God always, about everything

Intro:

Have some emoticons – hold up should you pray when you feel…?

[Can then stick on a sheet with ‘Pray always’ in the centre]

Teaching:

Today we’re thinking about prayer. What is prayer? [take answers]

Prayer is talking to God.

It doesn’t have to have fancy words. You don’t need to be in a special building. You could be feeling happy or sad. But God loves it when you talk to Him.

We’re going to look at a song in the Bible written by King David as a prayer to God.

Read Psalm 61:1-4.

David is in trouble. He’s feeling really sad so he prays to God. Even though he’s a long way away he knows that God still hears him. You could be a long way away and God will still hear you.

What can you say to God? David is saying ‘Help’. He’s crying to out to God asking for help. You can do that too. When you need God’s help He loves to hear you asking Him. When might you need God’s help? Shall we ask Him together?

You can also say ‘Thank you’. Can you think of something to say ‘Thank you for’? Let’s say ‘Thank you God’ together.

[Sing – We give thanks to you, O God. Psalm 75:1]

You can also say sorry. Can you think of something to say sorry for? Let’s say sorry to God together.

And we can say ‘Please’. We can pray for other people. Let’s listen to David saying ‘Please’ to God. [Read Psalm 61:5-8]. He’s praying for the King, that God would look after Him. So we can pray that God would look after the important people in our lives.

[Could do sticking activity here about the important people they want to pray for.]

Finally David praises God. That means he tells God how brilliant he thinks he is. Shall we praise God? What’s brilliant about God? [write down and place in balloons. Then blow up and let go as praise balloons.]

Its an amazing thing that we get to talk to the God who made us, and made all the universe. He has so much power to help and loves to listen. We really want you to love talking to God, to tell Him everything, always, wherever you are.

Pray

Activities:

• I can pray for…[stick various people on]
• I can pray when…[stick times and meals and events on]

Songs:

• My God is so Big
• I can talk to Jesus from J is for Jesus
• Read your Bible, Pray every day

5-11s

Aim: That they love to talk to Jesus every where at all times

Intro:
Who would I love to talk to? – series of pictures on screen [Prime Minister, footballer, one direction, queen, Spiderman, Simon Cowell] They have to rank in order of who they’d love to talk to most.

Say: Do you realise that we have someone far bigger and more important than all these people, the God who made us and the whole universe. And we can talk to Him, and He always listens!

Teaching:

Remember we’re looking at Psalms, songs in the Bible. This week we are looking at one that David wrote. Now David loved talking to God, wherever he is he wants to talk to God.

Read v1-4.

So where is David? Far away.

We can talk to God wherever we are – in the playground, in bed at night, in our class. We don’t need to be in church.

And what does he cry to God? ‘Help!’

We can cry to God for help, too. When do you need God’s help? – write up on a big piece of paper using post-its. Let’s pray for those things now [Get them to pray]

What else can we say to God?

Thank you – let’s say thank you for lots of things now. [Could do a big collage of things we’re thankful for or draw it]

Sorry – what do we need to say sorry for? Why don’t we say sorry now?

Others – we can pray for other people too. Let’s listen to David: read Psalm 61:5-8. He’s praying for the King. We should pray for important people in our lives, that they would trust Jesus and love Him, too.

And did you notice that David says that God hears him. He really does, God loves to listen to you talk to Him, wherever you are, however you’re feeling. It can be long, short, whatever.

And then David finishes off by praising God, telling Him how wonderful He is. Let’s do that together. [put praise prayers in balloons].

Pray

Game – Prayer Musical Statues: when music stops they throw up an arrow-prayer

Table time

Practise prayer – they pray for each other: school, home, friends who don’t know Jesus, etc.

Print out prayers for the persecuted church

Teaching ‘Do I love the Word of God?’ Psalm 119:97-112

3-5s

Aim: That they would love listening to the Bible

Intro:

What do I love to hear most – have a series of story books and a Bible. Which do we love to have read to us most? [Could do sticking exercise at this point]

Teaching:

We love lots of things, but what do we love most? Do we love God and listening to Him most of all?

There is a song in the Bible written by someone who loved to listen to God and what He had to say. Let’s hear what he said,

Read 119:97-98, 103

The person who wrote this says that listening to God is so lovely and wonderful its like eating something really sweet like honey.

[Taste some honey] – does that taste lovely and sweet? Just as that tastes lovely, so hearing the true stories from the Bible should be lovely to us.

Why is the Bible so lovely?

Because God speaks to us through it

Its lovely when our Mummies and Daddies read us stories and speak to us. If Mummy stopped speaking to you, would that be lovely? Well, in these true stories in the Bible God speaks to us. And God is even more lovely than our Mummies and Daddies.

Because these true stories help us

Read 119:105 – Sometimes we get scared in the dark because we don’t know where to go and what to do. Well, the Bible is like torch – it shows us what we should do and how we should love God. [shine a torch around and make the room dark]

Because these true stories make us happy

Read 119:111 – When we love the Bible and hearing God speak to us then we see how great it is to do what God says. Do you love to do what God says?

So, there are lots of great stories which we love, and its lovely when Mummy and Daddy read stories to us. But do we love having Mummy and Daddy read us the true stories about Jesus? Do we love that most of all? They are the most important stories, the best stories, because that’s how we hear God speak to us; that’s how we get to know Him.

[Perhaps have some time reading their favourite stories from a children’s Bible.

Tell them about Beginning with God]

Activities:

• Sticking stories we love – but sticking stories from the Bible in the middle
• Make a mouth with a paper plate folded in two – put a red tongue in the middle. Stick ‘I love God’s Word’ on the top.

Songs:

• The Best Book to Read is the Bible (from Colin Buchanan’s Follow the Saviour)

• The Bible Alphabet (from J is for Jesus)
• 2 Timothy 3:16 (from J is for Jesus)

5-11s

Aim: That they would love listening to and reading the Bible for themselves

Intro:

Bible Who Am I?

Books of the Bible relay race

Draw your sword

Teaching:

What are your favourite books? [Have some suggestions]

I used to love reading …

But the best book to read is the Bible. We’re going to look at the book of Psalms which is a book of songs in the Bible [get them to find it in the Bible]. And in today’s song, the person who wrote it says that they love the Bible more than anything else.

Read 119:97-104

This person loves the Bible, loves God’s Word. He says its like honey on his lips, sweet and lovely. [try some honey and talk about how sweet it is]

It’s a book that makes him wise, it’s a book that helps him to avoid doing wrong things, it’s a book that helps him to know God, the most wonderful person in the universe. So it is a wonderful book, the most wonderful book.

Do you love it like that?

Then the Psalmist says that God’s Word helps him to know what God wants him to do.

Read 119:105-112

When it gets dark it can be quite scary [make the room as dark as possible]. We can’t see which way to go and what to do. At those times we need a torch to help us see which way to go [produce torch].

This song is telling us that the Bible is like that, it tells us what God wants us to do when we aren’t sure and so it keeps us away from evil and sin and protects us. How wonderful it is.

[possibly play a quick game of ‘lighthouse’ at this point]

So, do you love the Bible? Do you love it more than all the other books and stories which you read and people read to you? Do you love to hear about the true stories of Jesus, about the wonderful things God has done for you and who He is?

This year why not spend time reading the Bible, listening to the stories of the Bible, loving what is in there?

Here are some ways you can do that: [introduce XTB, Table Talk, Long story short, some of the books in the library]

Table time:

Younger ones could spend time choosing their favourite stories from a children’s Bible

Older ones – do a page from an XTB

Teaching 1 Peter 4:12-5:14

[This is our final session on 1 Peter]

3-5s

Theme: Its great when people laugh at you for following Jesus, because it means we belong to Him!

Intro:

Things that belong to me: Show clip from Toy Story 1 where Woody shows he belongs to Andy because he has his name written on his foot.

What things belong to you? How do I know they belong to you? Eg Xs glasses fit them, Ys jumper has his name in it.

How do we know that we belong to Jesus? We don’t have a label on us saying we belong to Him!

Bible Teaching:

What book of the Bible are we looking at?

Well this week we are going to finish it!

Remember the people Peter was writing to, they were being laughed at for following Jesus [Bring out Kevin and Norman from last week]. Here is what Peter writes to Kevin and people like him:

Read 1 Peter 4:12-13, 16 and 19.

You see when Kevin suffers and has tough times because he loves Jesus, then it tells Kevin that he definitely belongs to Jesus. [Show label on Kevin where its written ‘Jesus’] He is suffering just as Jesus did.

And one day Kevin will go and be with Jesus forever where it is wonderful and glorious!

Let’s look at us. It may be that our friends aren’t laughing at us for following Jesus but as we get older there will be people who will. And when that time comes remember that it shows us that we belong to Jesus and so we will be with Him forever.

[Make labels for each child with ‘_____ belongs to Jesus’ on]

You see when people laugh at us for following Jesus we can know we are His. Its His way of showing that He’s beginning to sort out those who belong to him from those who don’t.

[Have a tray of Coco Pops and Rice Crispies] Who likes Coco Pops and who likes Rice Crispies? Me, too. But I don’t like them together. Can you sort them out?

That’s a little bit like what God is doing when people laugh at us for following Jesus. It shows everyone that they don’t belong to Jesus [start removing Rice Crispies to one side] and it shows everyone that we do belong to Jesus [remove the Coco Pops to the other side].

When people laugh at us for following Jesus we can be sure that we belong to Jesus and that one day we will be with Him forever in glory!

Activities

·        Make their own label, all glittery etc

·        Rice Crispies and Coco Pops picture

Songs

I belong to Him, Follow, follow, No more tears (all from A Very, Very Big God)

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5-11s

Theme: Its great when people laugh at you for following Jesus, because it means we belong to Him!

Intro

Things that belong to me: Show clip from Toy Story 1 where Woody shows he belongs to Andy because he has his name written on his foot.

What things belong to you? How do I know they belong to you? Eg Xs glasses fit them, Ys jumper has his name in it.

How do we know that we belong to Jesus? We don’t have a label on us saying we belong to Him!

Bible Teaching

Recap last weeks with big themes of 1 Peter, particularly suffering. Remind of Kevin and Norman.

How do we know Kevin belongs to Jesus and Norman doesn’t? [take answers]

That’s exactly what Peter is telling these Christians.

Read 1 Peter 4:12-16.

When we suffer because of Jesus, it’s like we’re wearing a little badge that shows we belong to Jesus and the people who are laughing at us don’t. We are suffering then, in the way Jesus did and one day we will be with Jesus in glory. That’s something to look forward to!

[Have a tray of Coco Pops and Rice Crispies] Who likes Rice Crispies and who likes Coco Pops? But not together! We need to separate them out.

When we suffer for following Jesus, its like what we’re doing here. God is sorting out, judging, those who are His from those who are not. Read v17-20.

Now, it may be that you’re not being laughed at for following Jesus, yet, although I know some of you are, but as you get older all of you will and it will be tough. So remember this:

So when we suffer for following Jesus, it’s a great sign that we belong to Him and that we will be with Him in glory forever.

Peter gives us a couple of tips on what to do when we’re being laughed at for following Jesus:

1)    Pray! Read 1 Peter 5:7. If this worries us, then we cast our cares on to Him, because He cares for us.

2)    Watch out! Read 1 Peter 5:8-9. The devil is like a lion, trying to attack us, trying to get us to stop trusting in Jesus. Don’t let him. Watch out!

Read 1 Peter 5:10-11

Boys and girls, Keep trusting Jesus, keep following Jesus, keep loving Him!

Pray for suffering church

Sum up all we’ve learnt this term from 1 Peter:

Eg quiz, big sheet with pictures to stick on.

Teaching 1 Peter 4:1-11

[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)

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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.

Teaching 1 Peter 3v8 to 22

3-5s

Theme: Like Noah we should do good things for those who don’t like us for following Jesus

Aim: That they learn to act kindly when people treat them badly for following Jesus

You will need an Ark and assorted people and animals

Intro:

What would you do if…someone takes your toy? Someone calls you a horrible name? Another child hits you?

Bible:

Remember, Peter is writing this letter to followers of Jesus. This week, he tells them a very old story about a man named Noah.

[main point: God is patiently waiting for those who say no to Him]

This is Noah [show the person]. Have any of you heard of Noah? [take answers]

All the people around Noah were being really bad, not trusting God and saying horrible things about God. But God didn’t send a big flood for a long time because He was waiting, He was patient, wanting those people to turn back to Him.

God is the same today. There are lots of people who don’t love and trust God, but He’s patiently waiting for them to turn back to Him.

[main point: God’s people will be treated badly like Noah]

So God told Noah to build a big boat. Noah was in the middle of the desert, there hadn’t been rain in ages and he was nowhere near a sea or river. The people laughed at Noah, ‘You and your stupid god! What are you doing?’ And they made faces and were really horrible to him. And when Noah started putting animals on board, well…[put on animals]

And, do you know, people will laugh at us for trusting God and believing in Jesus. They may say horrible things to us. They may do horrible things to us. They may call us names and laugh at Jesus.

[main point: We should treat people well even when they do this]

What do we do when people laugh at us for following Jesus or do horrible things? It’s right to tell a teacher or mum or dad. But should we call them names back when they call us names? No, Peter says we should say something loving to them. Should we hit them back when they hit us? No, Peter says we should do something lovely for them.

Listen to Peter – read v8-9, 15-17.

This is exactly what Jesus did, we should copy Him – read v18

[main point: one day everyone will see how great Jesus is]

Back to Noah. He’s built his boat and all the animals are in, but people are still laughing at him. What happened next?

The rains came and the floods rose – and people realised too late that Noah was right. And that Noah’s God really is God.

There will be a day when everyone sees that Jesus is the King – read v22

[conclusion – even when people treat us badly we should treat them well]

So when someone in your class says something horrible to you about following Jesus, what should you do?

When someone does something horrible to you because you’re a Christian, what should you do?

Pray

Activities:

• Gospel bracelets – Green (God made the world), Black (Sin came into the world), Red (Blood of Jesus), White (makes us clean again), Yellow (we will be in heaven forever) – learning to give an answer
• Noah picture – stick on people laughing at him

Songs

• Stick with Jesus, Follow, Follow and No More Tears (from A Very, Very Big God)

5-11s

Theme: Like Noah we should do good things for those who don’t like us for following Jesus

Aim: That they learn to act kindly when people treat them badly for following Jesus

Intro:

Talk about Jesus – some of the braver members stand up front and tell everyone what they know about Jesus. While they are doing this everyone else throws scrunched up paper at them.

Bible Teaching:

What do you do if: [Give a variety of not very nice things people sometimes do]?

Today, Peter is going to tell us that we should respond by blessing them, by doing something nice for them. The kindest thing we can do is to tell them about Jesus, but sometimes we don’t get that opportunity, so we do what we can to do them good.

Peter uses a very familiar story to teach them: the story of Noah

Just like in Noah’s day there were lots of people who didn’t love and trust God

[Have a Noah, and some other characters]

God told Noah that he was to build a big boat called an Ark [give Noah a hard hat and a hammer]

Noah was miles from the sea and living in a place with very little rain. The people around Noah thought he was really silly and laughed at him. [the Bible doesn’t say this, but this seems to be Peter’s point] This was just how Christians were being treated in Peter’s day.

Now Noah could have turned round and smacked them all with his hammer. But he didn’t. He carried on building. The Christians in Peter’s day could have fought back. But Peter said not to. Instead he said this:

[Have Peter read v8-14]

And the best way that the Christians could bless those who were horrible to them was to talk about Jesus [read v15-16]

Why? Well because one day God will send judgement and that will be horrible for those who say ‘No’ to Jesus. So for Noah, eventually the rains came and everyone saw too late that Noah was right and it was horrible for them. So too for people in Peter’s day and ours.

But for Noah, well he was rescued. And so too for us. We will go and be with Jesus forever. [Peter reads v21b and 22]

So while we wait for that day we are to do good even to those who treat us really badly for following Jesus. And the best way we can do good is by telling them about Jesus.

Apply – go back to example given at the beginning. How should they respond from what Peter says?

Table time

Make Gospel bracelets – Green (God made the world), Black (Sin came into the world), Red (Blood of Jesus), White (makes us clean again), Yellow (we will be in heaven forever) – learning to give an answer

Prayer

Pray for countries where Christians are suffering