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Names of Jesus "I AM . .  .  "

Lesson Set

Bible Memory Verse:

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live a new life.” John 11:25 (paraphrased)

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Art: I am … the Gate/Door. Door hanger art project.

Cooking: I am … the Bread of Life. “Resurrection rolls” and a candle lighting story that tells the story of Holy Week through the Resurrection.

Games: The Way Games #1-try to complete two maze sheets each in only 30 seconds, one is easy, one is impossible.  #2-students blocks 2 volunteers way to opposite wall by holding hands until they hear you SAY: “There just has to be a WAY!”  The Truth Game #3-each child writes a truth and a lie on an index card. Break into two teams and guess which is the truth and which is the lie. The Life Game #4 Walking around with a pebble in their shoe (represents sin) then they fall and yell, "Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” , followed by a  Jesus took our sin object lesson.

Video: I am … the Resurrection. Younger groups: “Beginner Bible Series: The Story of Easter”, Time Life Kids, 1996. Older groups: : “The Visual Bible for Kids: The Story Behind the Cross”, Tommy Nelson, 1999.


Created by First Pres Church, Napa CA as an “Easter” rotation.

See our BREAD, VINE, LIGHT Rotation lesson set posted here in this topic at rotation.org

Last edited by Luanne Payne
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“I Am … The Gate”

Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Jesus wants us to remember that He is the GATE or the DOOR. So children will be making a door decoration (doorknob hanger) to take home and put on their bedroom door or family’s front door. Whenever you see it, it can remind you of how much Jesus loves you and how much he wants you to be with him forever.



Scripture Reference:

John 10:1-9

Goals for this workshop:

Children will …

  • Learn what the gate of the sheepfold is for.
  • Learn that Jesus called himself the gate.
  • The gate/door/Jesus is how we get to heaven.
  • Make a door hanging to put on their door at home to remind them that Jesus is the gate/door.



Supplies List:



Note:  We had ordered kits from Oriental Trading in 2006, but they are no longer available.  So below is a lists of supplies you'll need to create you doorknob hangers:

  • Fun Foam (assorted colors)
  • Peel and stick: Jewels and/or Christian Symbols.
  • Door Knob Hanger Pattern (attached).


Leader Preparation:

  • Gather the materials.
  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Print attached 'Door Knob Hanger Pattern' onto cardstock paper.




Presentation



Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Stand inside the door of the art workshop with the door LOCKED. Wait till they knock on the door, then open it and greet them warmly. When they’re all seated introduce yourself and tell them one quick thing about yourself that will make them say “wow!”.

ASK: Who remembers these two previous lessons:

  • Psalm 23 which begins “The Lord is my _______ (Shepherd)
  • Lost & Found – one of the stories told us of Jesus being the shepherd who comes to find us, his lost ________ (sheep)

ASK: What do both those stories have in common? (sheep and a shepherd)

I want to share with you today another story Jesus told about sheep. Let’s find it in the Bible …

For K/1st grade you will read Bible verses to them, for 2nd/3rd and 4th/5th let them get Bibles and read JOHN 10:1-9. They may have to share Bibles.



Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

ASK: What’s the purpose of a gate?

DO: Have a couple volunteers act this out. You’ll need 1 shepherd, 2-3 sheep, 4-5 kids to be the fence --- have the “fence” form a half circle by the wall.


SAY: In Jesus’ time a shepherd would need to protect his sheep at night. There were thieves and robbers around and also wild animals that would threaten the sheep. To protect them he would take them into an enclosure. Sometimes it would have a roof or part of a roof, but often it would be open. The walls were made out of rough stones or mud bricks. Sometimes he would lead them into a cave. This enclosure or cave would keep the sheep in and the wild animals out. When all the sheep were in the pen, the shepherd would lie down in front of the entrance. He was literally the gate, the doorway, the entrance to the sheepfold.
This is what Jesus had in mind when he said, 'I am the gate.'
Have volunteers sit down.


SAY: A doorway is an important part of any building. It marks the entranceway, the entry point. That's where you get in and out. This means that a position by a doorway is an important place to be. Can you think of people who stand at doors to help people?

Porters or doormen stand by the doors of hotels and airports so they can open car doors and help people with their bags. When people have a private party they will sometimes put people security people at the door so they can control who comes in and help people leave if they cause trouble. Even pastors stand by the door, not as a guard, but so they can meet people as they come and go from worship. You came in through a door to get into the art workshop and I met you at the door and let you in. What happened when you tried to get in? It was locked, but what did you do? You knocked and what did I do? I opened it!


When Jesus said 'I am the gate', he wanted to help us understand this idea of a doorway. He wanted to tell us that he was the entrance to eternal life in heaven! When Jesus died on the cross and then rose again (on what we celebrate as Easter) he then went to heaven. Jesus told us that he went there to prepare a place for us.


So I wonder …. how do WE get to heaven? (they don’t need to answer here, just wonder)
Remember this Bible verse? “For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
And this month’s Bible verse that Jesus said is … (have kids say it with you): “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live a new life.” John 11:25

SAY:  Now close your eyes and imagine there is a house and you know something wonderful is going on in there – a big party and you were given an invitation, but when you got to the house the door was locked and you couldn’t get in! How would you feel?
Now imagine that you hear someone say, “Just knock on the door and I’ll open it so you can come in!”


I wonder what you would you do?
I wonder what would happen if you didn’t open the door?


Jesus is like the DOOR or the GATE through which we get to heaven. When we believe that Jesus is God’s Son and we follow Jesus by doing what he said to do, then when our bodies die we too can join Jesus in heaven!

Jesus wants us to remember that He is the GATE or the DOOR. So we’re going to make door decorations for you to take home and put on your bedroom door or your family’s front door. Whenever you see it, it can remind you of how much Jesus loves you and how much he wants you to be with him forever.





Closing:

While kids are working on their project, the shepherd can do wrap up and sharing with them, and close in prayer.




A lesson posted by Jan from: First Presbyterian

Napa, CA



A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

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Last edited by CreativeCarol

“I Am … The Bread of Life”

Cooking Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Resurrection Rolls: instructions are posted elsewhere on the rotation.org site. We did not have success using “crescent rolls” and instead used the regular “refrigerator rolls” in the tube.

It’s important for the workshop leader to try the recipe at home to see how the dough needs to be sealed tightly so the marshmallow doesn’t leak out while baking.


Scripture Reference

John 6:28 - 35

Goals for this workshop: Children will …

  • Learn why bread is important
  • Learn the significance of bread in the Bible: manna, Passover, Jesus’ body, Lord’s prayer
  • Hear the story of the last week of Jesus’ life (Holy Week) through a candle lighting activity
  • Make “resurrection rolls” which are hollow to signify Jesus’ as the Bread of Life and the Resurrection

Supplies List:

  • Roll dough in tubes
  • Candles
  • Cinnamon/sugar
  • Butter
  • Marshmallow
  • Napkins
  • Cookie Sheet


Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Gather the materials.
  • Try it at home.


Lesson Opening-Welcome and Introduction:
Welcome the kids warmly to the workshop and have them sit at chairs around the tables.

While they’re doing this, introduce yourself and tell them one quick fact about yourself that will make them say wow!

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Ask:  Do you remember some stories in the Bible about bread?

Remind them of two recent stories we’ve studied:
Connect with Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan --- Jesus not needing to turn stones into bread
Connect to Lord’s Prayer – “give us this day our daily bread”

Say:  Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”. You’ll hear a little later when and why Jesus said this.

Jesus also said, “I am the resurrection.” We’re going to make a tasty bread treat to remind us not only of Jesus as being the Bread of Life, but also the Resurrection … let’s say the Bible memory verse together (John 11:25). We’re also going to be hearing the story of the last week of Jesus’ life here on earth and his death and his resurrection. I’m going to light candles as I tell the story so that the colors will help you remember the story.

Tell the kids to all wash their hands in the kitchen. While they wash up, set out a napkin at each place and also set out the candles in a row down the table in this order:

First put the White candle --- leave a large space, then put the following in this order.
Green
Orange
Purple
Brown/Tan
Gold
Dark/Black

When kids are sitting, give them each 1 large marshmallow. Tell them to just leave it on the table in front of them. Tell them that when creating this fun bread treat, the marshmallow will help them remember Jesus!

Light the white candle and read/tell in your own words:

In the last few days of Jesus' life, a lot of things happened to him. Jesus knew that he was about to die. He looked toward heaven and he prayed for his followers. He said "Father, it is time for me to die. I have taught my followers everything that you wanted me to teach them. I am praying for them now, that they will be one and love each other." We will use WHITE to symbolize both Jesus and his prayer because his prayer was so pure and showed what Jesus' heart was like, a pure heart.

When Jesus finished praying, he went with his followers across the Kidron Valley. On the other side, there was a garden, and Jesus and his followers went into it.

(Light the green candle)
We will use GREEN to remind us of the garden. While they were there Judas brought some men that wanted to arrest Jesus. The religious leaders didn’t like that people were calling Jesus a king and they were afraid that Jesus would get too powerful. They arrested Jesus.

Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples who used to be a fisherman, was upset about Jesus being arrested. But then he became afraid. He was afraid if someone knew he was a follower of Jesus that they’d arrest him, too. Someone asked Peter if he knew Jesus and he pretended he didn’t and said "No, I don't know him!" Three times people asked him if he knew Jesus and three times he said that he didn't know him. After he said no three different times, Peter could hear a rooster crow.

(Light the orange candle)
We will use ORANGE to remind us of the rooster. Peter remembered that Jesus told him not long ago that he would deny knowing Jesus and Peter felt very sad.

After this, Jesus was questioned by the High Priest and then by the Roman Governor.

(Light the purple candle)
We will use PURPLE to remind you that these were important people. When they questioned Jesus, Jesus told the truth. But they ordered that Jesus should be taken away and whipped.

Jesus was whipped and a crown made out of thorns was put on his head. They made fun of him and said "Look here is the King of the Jews!"

(Light the brown/tan candle)
Brown/tan can remind us of the whip and the thorns. Pilate could not find anything wrong with Jesus and he wanted to let him go. But the people were shouting to "Crucify Him" and so they did.

The soldiers took charge of Jesus. They made Jesus carry his own cross, to a place called The Place of the Skull, which in the Jewish language is called Golgotha. There they crucified Jesus. They nailed his hands and feet to the wood cross. They also crucified two other men who were thieves, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a sign and put it on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

(Light the gold candle)
Let’s use GOLD to remind us of the King that Jesus really is.

Now we come to the saddest part of our story. This is when Jesus dies.

(Light the dark-colored candle)
We’ll use a VERY DARK candle to stand for the sadness that we feel when we hear this story. Often people dress in the color black when someone they love dies.

Jesus knew that everything had been done that God asked of him. So that the Scripture would come true, he said, "I am thirsty." There was a jar full of vinegar there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' mouth. When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and died.

Blow out all the candles, including the white candle.
Let there be a dramatic pause here, silence for a moment.

After Jesus died two men who were followers of Jesus (one was Nicodemus – do you recognize that name from another lesson?) took care of Jesus' body. They and Jesus’ mother Mary, other women helped to anoint Jesus’ body with special oils. Then they also anointed Jesus’ body with sweet smelling spices.

HERE show the kids how to take their marshmallow and roll it in the bowl of melted margarine, covering it. Then roll it in the bowl of the cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat it. Pass the bowls down along the row of kids, helping if they need help. Tell them to set it on their napkin.

While they’re doing this, you and the shepherd can pass out a refrigerator biscuit roll for each of the kids and set it on the table in front of them.

Say: Then they wrapped Jesus’ body with pieces of linen cloth, which is how the Jewish people bury the dead. Wrap your marshmallow in the biscuit dough, making sure it is completely sealed with no marshmallow showing through. Pinch the dough to seal it. Then set it on the cookie sheet.

Continue The Story:
In the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden. In the garden was a new tomb, like a cave, that had never been used before. The men laid Jesus in that tomb because it was nearby. They rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb.

Say: Let’s all go to the kitchen and open the oven, place the biscuits inside and seal the door.

Note: Bake according to package directions.

Have the kids sit down again and RE-LIGHT THE WHITE CANDLE and continue reading ….

On the third day after Jesus died, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark outside. When she saw that the large stone had been moved away from the tomb, she ran back to Peter and John. Mary said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him. So Peter and the other followers started for the tomb. Simon Peter arrived and went into the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying there. He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus' head, which was folded up and laid in a different place from the strips of linen.

Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she bent down and looked inside the tomb. She saw two angels dressed in white, sitting where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and one at the feet. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

She answered, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they have put him." When Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but at first she did not know it was Jesus! He was no longer dead, but he was alive!

God’s plan all along was for Jesus to die to pay for all the sin of all the people of the world. But also part of God’s plan was for Jesus to be resurrected – to be alive once again. Jesus now lives in heaven with God and is preparing a place there for us!

While the rolls are baking:

Distribute Bibles and have kids find John 6:28 – 35. (K/1st graders you will just read this to them). Give them a setup and pause as different parts come up that require explanation (especially manna).

Ask these open ended “I wonder” questions, not really looking for a specific answer, just listening to their thoughts.

  • I wonder …. why would Jesus call himself the bread of life?
  • I wonder …. what’s so important about bread?


Be sure these points about bread are brought out:
Bread is eaten all over the world in some form. Even when people have little or no money, bread is one of the things they’re usually able to get/have and it’s healthy to help them survive.

  • Ask again …. So I wonder why would Jesus call himself the bread of life?

By this time the rolls should be done baking. They will need to cool for a bit. If necessary, have the Beacon do their prayer and sharing time while you wait for the rolls to cool.

When the rolls cool, give each child a roll. Have them sit at the table with a napkin. Tell them to slowly open the roll and look for the marshmallow … and ask them how this compares to the tomb on Easter morning ….

The marshmallow is gone! (It melts into the roll). Our marshmallows seemed to disappear. Jesus did not disappear though. Jesus was not in the tomb, because he was resurrected and alive again!

Closing:

While kids are eating their roll, if the shepherd did not get time to do sharing/prayer then this time would be appropriate. If they already did, then you can add any other thoughts/ideas/questions you have at this time.


  • Candle idea adapted from a lesson at Christiancrafters.com titled The Last Days of Christ's Life on Earth Written by Vicki Wiley. Unfortunately, it is no longer posted on their site.

A lesson posted by Jan from First Presbyterian Church, Napa, CA

Last edited by CreativeCarol

“I am … the Way, the Truth and the Life”
Game Workshop

Summary: The Way Games #1-try to complete two maze sheets each in only 30 seconds, one is easy, one is impossible.  #2-students blocks 2 volunteers way to opposite wall by holding hands until they hear you SAY: “There just has to be a WAY!”  The Truth Game #3-each child writes a truth and a lie on an index card. Break into two teams and guess which is the truth and which is the lie. The Life Game #4 Walking around with a pebble in their shoe (represents sin) then they fall and yell, "Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” , followed by a  Jesus took our sin object lesson.

Scripture Reference:

John 14:1-6.

Goals for this workshop: Children will …

  • Play games having to do with the way and the truth
  • Play a game about needing help after they’ve fallen and only one person can help them up (the life)
  • Learn what sin is and that Jesus is the only one who can remove it
  • Learn that Jesus took our place for the punishment for sin when he died on the cross


NOTE: There’s a lot packed into this lesson. Move quickly through the games, so you can cover all the material, but allow them time to reflect on each activity.


Supplies List:

  • Clipboard
  • Pencil
  • Mazes (two - one very simple, one very difficult)
  • Whiteboard
  • Index Cards
  • Pebbles (small - they will be putting in their shoes)
  • Hammer
  • Pot Lid
  • Glasses
  • Reflection Activity Sheet (attached to end this lesson), print one per student.

Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Gather the materials.


Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Welcome kids warmly to your workshop. Have them sit on the floor in a circle. Introduce yourself and tell them one quick thing about yourself that will make them say “wow!”.


Say: We have a lot of games to play and lots to cover so let’s get going!

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Game #1 – The Way

Begin by passing out a clipboard, a pencil, and a simple maze to each child. Tell them to try to complete the maze in 30 seconds (time them)!

Once they’ve all finished you can ask if it was easy or hard. Then have them flip their paper over to complete another maze. This one will be very complicated. Time them again for 30 seconds …. They of course won’t be able to complete it.

ASK: Was one of these mazes easier than the other? In the first maze, how did you know which way to go? In the second one was finding the way easier or harder?

Tell them if they want to take their maze home to finish, write their name on it and give to the shepherd to distribute at the end of class.

GAME #2 – The Way

Ask for 2 volunteers and have them stand along one wall. Without them hearing, gather the rest of the class together and explain that their job is to block the volunteers from touching the opposite wall. They are not to use their hands to touch the people at all, but they should all lock arms together to just block the way, all in one big group. Also please explain that they are not allowed to hurt the volunteers in any way and to be gentle. Tell them they are to listen to you at all times and as soon as they hear you say the word “WAY” they are to all drop arms and freeze right where they are. No moving, no blocking, just stand there.

Tell the 2 volunteers that their job is to try to get through to the opposite wall and just touch it. Tell them it won’t be easy but you have confidence they’ll be able to do it. Ready, set, go!

After the volunteers block for a short time, SAY: “There just has to be a WAY!” (Emphasize the word WAY so the kids hear it) The group should drop arms and freeze, which will allow the 2 volunteers to get through to the wall. You can repeat this a few times. Then hyave everyone to come sit in a circle on the floor.

ASK: Did the mazes you worked on have a place you were supposed to get to? Did our game have a place the 2 volunteers were trying to get to? For both one way was easy and one way was hard, wasn’t it?

WRITE on the whiteboard, “Jesus said, “I am the way” Have them read it out loud together.

ASK: I wonder what Jesus meant by this? (allow for answers but don’t respond)

GAME #3 – The Truth

Divide the kids into 2 groups. You will work with one group and the shepherd will work with the second group.

Hand out index cards and pencils to all. Have them write their name on the top of the card first. Tell them that each person is to come up with one truth about themselves and one lie and write them both on the same side of the card. They can write either the truth or the lie first. Tell them that the lie should not be obvious, but sound like it could be the truth also. An obvious lie would be one that someone would know right away – like “I live in a palace” or “I eat ice cream for every meal”. (Note: With the K/1 group you and the shepherd will do the writing.)

Give them this example about yourself to demonstrate: (fill in one with the truth)
I was born in ___________________ (city and state)
I have 2 dogs, 4 cats, 6 fish and 1 hamster.

Ask: Which is the truth and which is the lie?

You and the shepherd may need to help the kids with ideas. Again, move through it quickly, don’t dwell on it too long. After everyone has finished have each team sit in a line facing each other.

Going back and forth from team to team, you or the shepherd will read one card from your team at a time, saying the child’s name, having them hand you their card, and then reading the 2 statements. The other team guesses which is the truth and which is the lie. They should all decide together before voting. Go down the line back and forth from one team to the next.

When you’re finished, go to the chalkboard --- where you have previously written “Jesus said, “I am the way” add this to it, “and the truth”.

Have the kids read the whole sentence with you.

ASK: Is truth important? I wonder what Jesus meant by saying HE was the truth? (allow for answers but don’t respond)

GAME #4 – The Life

ASK: What’s the opposite of death? (Life) God wants us to be with him forever, even after our bodies die. This is called “eternal life” and it’s a life spent with God and Jesus in heaven.

Jesus told the TRUTH – and IS the truth -- he is the WAY to get to God and heaven.

Write on the chalkboard after “Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth” add “and the life”. SAY: that makes Jesus the LIFE, the everlasting eternal life!

ASK if they know what sin is. It’s anything that we do or don’t do to disobey God. Our sin can hurt ourselves, others and God.

It is also not just doing "sinful things" that break God's law; it is wanting to be in charge of our own lives.

TELL them that in the Bible the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans that “we ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God.” Which means every person who ever has, is and will be alive, sins - some more than others, but we all disappoint God when we sin. Our sin keeps us separated from God. We can’t be as close as God wants us to be with sin blocking the way.

Say: We’re going to have these pebbles represent sin.

Give each of the kids one small pebble and tell them to put it in their shoe. Ask them if it’s comfortable. Sitting it might be, but now walk around a bit. Distribute small slips of paper and pencils. Ask: What is a sin that you have done, maybe recently or maybe long ago that you need to ask God for forgiveness for?

Tell them to write it on the slip of paper, fold it up and place it in the clear glass (that you’ll bring out now) and remember that the pebble in their shoe also represents that sin.

Once everyone has their paper in the glass, the following game:

HELP I’VE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP!

Have the kids walk around for awhile with their pebble/sin in their shoe then after a short time, have them all fall down to the ground and stay there. Ask if they’ve ever heard of the funny saying “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” from a TV commercial. Have them all call out those words and stay on the floor.

Tell them that sometimes we refer to being sinful as being “fallen”. Our sins make us fall and we can’t get up alone.

Have kids stay sitting and watch as you do this illustration:

Put the glass with their paper “sins” on the floor near you where all the kids can see it. Secretly hide a lid from a pot behind you.

Say: From the very beginning of time when God created Adam and Eve and they sinned by disobeying God, God decided that there would be punishment for sin. The papers inside the glass represent all the sins the world has ever done and will ever do in the future – your sins, my sins, everyone’s sins. The glass represents us. God said that because of our sins after we die we should just stay dead forever.

Take out the hammer and give a couple pretend swings at the glass like you’re aiming at it to hit and smash it.

Raise up the hammer high like you’re going to smash it and then at the last moment bring out a lid from a pot from behind you protecting it and hit the hammer on the lid instead of the glass.

Say: Do you know what or who the pot lid represents? Jesus! Jesus took our place and died on the cross to cover all the sins that people have ever done and will ever do …including ours. He saved us! Our bodies will die someday but …

There is only one WAY to be forgiven – to get back up after you’ve fallen – to get back to close relationship with God when you sin. What is it? By praying to God and naming your sin, asking God for forgiveness, and believing that when Jesus died on the cross he died for your sins.

Alternately:

Jesus is the way, not us, not our confessions, not anything WE do. What Jesus wants is for us to RECOGNIZE what he has done for us:  unconditionally forgiven us, and showing us the way back to a right relationship with God, ...and then to have us RESPOND with confession, belief, and service.

In fact, God was not going to bash us at all, because JESUS is God. Jesus did not STOP God from punishing us. God was in Christ telling us that he is LOVE, not a hammer!!!    Through Jesus, God was showing us the WAY HOME.



Reflection


Tell the kids to spend a moment in silent prayer asking for forgiveness for the sin they wrote down and is the pebble in their shoe.

Then tell them to wait until you come to them and go around to each of them individually and say:

“God forgives and forgets your sin when you confess your sins. Jesus helps you up when you’ve fallen! Take out the pebble sin from your shoe and put it in the garbage can you are holding.” Then reach for their hand and help them up. You can ask the shepherd to help with this so it goes faster. You may even ask the kids to tell each other this.

After you finish, distribute activity sheet handouts, clipboards and pencils. The activity sheet has:

“Jesus said I am the WAY” with an arrow by it.
“Jesus said I am the TRUTH” with a cross by it
“Jesus said I am the LIFE” with a heart by it.


Have them take turns reading the verses (John 14:1-6) – read it to the K/1st graders. After reading through the verses, ask:

Jesus said “I am the WAY” – I wonder what he meant by that. (pause to allow for answers, but don’t respond yourself)

Say: On the arrow draw or write something to help you remember why and how Jesus is the WAY.

Allow a minute or so then repeat this with the following:
Jesus said “I am the TRUTH” – I wonder what he meant by that. (pause to allow for answers, but don’t respond yourself)

Say: On the cross draw or write something to help you remember why and how Jesus is the TRUTH.

Allow a minute or so then repeat this with the following:

Jesus said “I am the LIFE” – I wonder what he meant by that. (pause to allow for answers, but don’t respond yourself)

Say: On the heart draw or write something to help you remember why and how Jesus is the LIFE.

If they need help you can mention to remind them:


Jesus is the WAY to God the Father and heaven
Jesus is the TRUTH – he is God – we can read the Bible for truth
Jesus is the LIFE – eternal life


Allow a shepherd to close in prayer.


Source: The “life” discussion and glass/hammer/potlid demonstration inspired by Neil MacQueen’s post.

Attachment: I am-the Way_the Truth_and the Life_Game Workshop Reflection Activity Sheet.pdf (A special resource created by rotation.org especially for use with this lesson.  Copyright 2018)


A lesson posted by Jan from First Presbyterian Church, Napa, CA

Attachments

Last edited by CreativeCarol

“I am … the Resurrection and the Life”
Video Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Preschool and K/1st: “Beginner Bible Series: The Story of Easter”, Time Life Kids, 1996.

2nd/3rd and 4th/5th: “The Visual Bible for Kids: The Story Behind the Cross”, Tommy Nelson, 1999.

Scripture Reference:

John 11

Goals for this workshop: Children will …

  • View the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection
  • Learn that Jesus had to die for our sins
  • Learn that Jesus is the resurrection and the life

Supplies List:

  • “Beginner Bible Series: The Story of Easter”, Time Life Kids, 1996. 
    2015 Update: Now available on the DVD "The Beginner's Bible Vol. 1, 610583501698. A 3-in-1 collection includes The Story of Easter, The Story of the Nativity, and The Story of Moses.
    2018 Update: Has been since posted, in full, on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9rM-Xleg1w
  • "The Visual Bible for Kids: The Story Behind the Cross”, Tommy Nelson, 1999. (Out of Print)

Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Gather the materials.
  • Preview the videos.


Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Welcome kids to the workshop. You may want to have them take a popcorn and juice on the way in or pass it out after discussion. Introduce yourself.

Set up the story in context of Jesus saying John 11:25 …

SAY: Who thinks Jesus had friends? Yes, of course he did! Among them were 2 women named Mary & Martha – do you remember our rotation about Mary and Martha? They also had a brother named Lazarus. Lazarus had gotten very sick and probably was going to die. Mary and Martha found out Jesus was nearby and they sent for him. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had died.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Distribute Bibles (2nd/3rd and 4th/5th) and have them read together John 11:23 through 27. For the K/1st graders you read it to them.

Say: These words are a little different from our memory verse of John 11:25, let’s all say it again together: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live a new life.”

Jesus went on to bring Lazarus back to life right then and there! That’s what resurrection means – to bring back to life. Jesus proved he had the power to resurrect Lazarus, but more importantly Jesus had the power to bring himself back to life after he died! That’s why we celebrate Easter – it’s the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection!

Now I wonder …. how could Jesus possibly be resurrected – come back to life? (Through God’s power and because Jesus IS God!)

And Jesus asked an important question of Martha and Mary and of us too: Do YOU believe that I am the resurrection and the life?

Here are some more questions for you …. Don’t answer them out loud, just think about them.

(Pause after reading each question so kids can reflect)

  1. How do you feel when something you were hoping would happen doesn't happen?
  2. How do you feel when you have to try something new or go somewhere new and you don't know anybody or what is going on?
  3. How do you feel when you see something scary, maybe on TV or in movie?
  4. How do you feel when you see someone you love that you haven't seen in a long time?

There are people in our Bible story today who had some of these same feelings. See if you can find who had these feelings as we watch the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Show the following videos:

Preschool and K/1st: “Beginner Bible Series: The Story of Easter”, Time Life Kids, 1996.

2nd/3rd and 4th/5th: “The Visual Bible for Kids: The Story Behind the Cross”, Tommy Nelson, 1999. Let kids know that if they feel like they need to close their eyes or turn away at certain points, it’s ok. But this is the true story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Closing:

After the video, discuss and pray.


Question ideas from NAD at mssscrafts.com (update site no longer active)



A lesson posted by Jan from First Presbyterian Church, Napa, CA

Last edited by Luanne Payne

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