Our Sermon on the Mount Summer Program

We concentrated on the Sermon On The Mount Lesson for the entire summer. We made a continuous bulletin board showing what we learned. In the center of the board was a mountain with Jesus on top and the title "Sermon on the Mount". I am not posting a complete lesson set, but I will share what we did for each topic:

Beatitudes: showed the sermon on the mount scene from "Jesus of Nazareth" staring Jeremy Sisto and discussed. Afterwards, we recalled what we learned by writing the 'blessed' of each beatitude on the left wing of a bee cutout and the answer to each on the right wing. We hung these around a paper skep.

Salt of the Earth: We mapped our tongues (per "It Only Takes a Spark" isbn# 0-570-05329-3 lesson #18) we used sugar, salt, water melon, lemon, bacon, cinnamon candy. We hung a completed tongue map on the wall. Note: each child mapped their own tongue.

Law: we talked about the three basic categories of law. 1) ceremonial, 2) civil, and 3) moral. We talked about how that might apply to us today. We emphasized how Jesus came to uphold the moral law and we made a Ten Commandment tree to put on our wall.

Anger & revenge: we talked about things that make us angry and what we might to do curb our anger. We wrote our ideas on paper ice cubes and posted them around an angry face on our bulletin board. There was a lot of open discussion on this one...seems we have anger issues here :-)

Vows or Oaths: we studied the Pledge of Allegience and what it means to us...talked a little bit about US founding history. Hung a flag for our board. We looked at vows we take in church when we are baptized or become a member.

Prayer: We learned the Lord's Prayer in Hand sign language. We hung a graphical representation of it on our board.

Money: I placed a lot of fake money on a table before the kids entered. when they asked about it, I told them they could have as much or little as they wanted... they were eager to share as new kids arrived. We talked about storing treasures on Earth vs. Heaven.

Building on solid ground: we divided up into teams and each team was instructed to build one tower. Each team had a different type of building block (ie: legos, wooden, cardboard). When a team had completed its tower, the teacher shook the table to test the foundation of the tower. The were some shocked kids until we explained the purpose of the lesson!

Testing their knowledge: We gave them an open book (Bible) test during the last class to see what they learned. (ref: "Zondervan's Great Bible Trivia Workout" by Brad Densmore pages 62-62 - update 2017 available now as an e-book or paperback on Amazon). We put a blank copy of the quiz on our board.

Free Sermon on the Mount Video

Brief overview (4.5 minutes) of the Sermon and also the following miracles of Jesus that show him living out the love he preached about. This is a very brief overview of the Bible story, but it would be good as an introduction or discussion starter as part of a workshop that dove deeper into one aspect of the story. 

"One of Jesus’ sermons is called the Sermon on the Mount. He talked all about God’s love; then he went right out and showed us what God’s love looks like. You can read about it in Matthew 5-7."

God's Story: Sermon on the Mount from Crossroads Kids' Club on Vimeo.

Other things I've done to go along with the Sermon on the Mount:

• We talked about how Jesus' teachings turned the teachings of the day "upsidedown" ("You have heard that it was said... but I say...). We discussed the way our society says things should be done. I said "upside down" A LOT! We have a gymnast among our kids, so every time I said it, she did a back walkover. She loved being a part of it, and the kids were saying "upside down" so she'd do another one. 
• We talked about how Jesus' teaching was surprising. Blessed are the meek?! Be kind to mean people?! We did several easy, quick and SURPRISING experiments (I have preschool through 3rd grade all together in one class): made pepper run away, made a needle float, etc. Then I let the kids come up and put a drop of food coloring in a glass of water and tell about a time they might have been tempted to do wrong - get revenge, hit my brother, etc. The water looked dark greenish blue. Then we talked about what the Sermon said to do instead. For each good idea, I poured in bleach. We talked about how it makes us feel to do the right thing, how hard it is, and what things help us (God's word, his promises, friends, etc.). As we talked, the water faded back to clear. (It took a while. Which was part of the point. Sometimes in the moment we don't feel so great about it.)

"Famous Verses" from the Sermon on the Mount
Computer Game

Supporting Members can now download for free the Galilee Flyer software for PC which includes a flying game that covers MANY of the famous teachings from Matthew 5-6, including:

You are salt of the earth. 
Matthew 5:13

You are light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 
Matthew 5:14

Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a lampstand and let it shine for all to see. 
Matthew 5:15

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.
Matthew 5:39-42

You have heard that the Law of Moses says, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven 
Matthew 5:43-44

Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be
eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and
steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never
become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe
from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:19-21

No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either
hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:24

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what
you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body,
what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body
more than clothing? Indeed your heavenly Father knows that
you need all these things. But seek first his Kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:25

Illustrations for the Sermon on the Mount from the Annie Vallotton Bible Illustrations Collection

In Matthew 5-7, Jesus sat down and taught those who were following him; that series of teaching is called the Sermon on the Mount.


Jesus told his followers to pray and to help the needy privately.

Jesus taught that riches are to be stored in heaven, not where moth and rust will destroy them.

Jesus taught in Matthew 7 not to judge others - "Do not worry about a speck in your neighbor's eye when you have a log in your eye."

  Link to larger and higher resolution versions of these illustrations and a color background option in our Vallotton Bible Images Forum (Supporting Membership required, become one today). Copyright and usage information here.

Here's a new video from Appian Media that's a kids lesson on letting your light shine, showing a first-century clay lamp. Some nice reflection questions at the end.