Bible Stories 1

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Editorial Project Manager

Lorin E. Klistoff
Editor-in-Chief
Sharon Coan, M.S. Ed.
Illustrator
Rene Christine Yates
Cover Artist
Barb Lorseyedi
Art Manager
Kevin Barnes
Art Director
CJae Froshay
Imaging
Richard Easley
Product Manager
Phil Garcia
Publisher
Mary D. Smith, M.S. Ed.
Authors
Mary Tucker and Kim Rankin

Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
6421 Industry Way
Westminster, CA 92683
www.teachercreated.com
ISBN: 978-0-7439-7046-4
2004 Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
Reprinted, 2008
Made in U.S.A.
The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use only.
The reproduction of any part for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part
of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any form without written
permission from the publisher.
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
OLD TESTAMENT
NEW TESTAMENT
Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Jesus Is Born . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Adam and Eves Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
John the Baptist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Noah and the Ark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Jesus and His Disciples. . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Jacobs Wonderful Dream . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The Lords Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Joseph Is Faithful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Feeding Five Thousand . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Baby Moses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Jesus Walks on Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Moses and the Burning Bush . . . . . . . . 28
Jesus and Nicodemus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Moses and the Ten Plagues . . . . . . . . . . 32
The Woman at the Well . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
God Takes Care of His People . . . . . . . 42
The Good Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
The Ten Commandments . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Zacchaeus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Exploring the Promised Land. . . . . . . . 48
Lazarus Is Raised from the Dead. . . . . 128
Balaam and His Donkey . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Jesus Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Rahab and the Spies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Jesus Resurrection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Samson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Peters Escape from Prison . . . . . . . . . 139
Ruth and Boaz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
CULMINATING ACTIVITY
Jonathan and His Armor Bearer . . . . . . 65
You Are Special to God . . . . . . . . . . . 144
David and the Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman . . . 72
Queen Esther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
King Nebuchadnezzars Fiery Furnace . 78
Daniel and the Lions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Jonah and the Big Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
#7046 Bible Stories & Crafts
Introduction
Children love hearing familiar and well-loved Bible stories over and over. However, the challenge is to
make these stories fresh and able to hold childrens attention when they have heard them so often. This
book solves that problem in two ways. First, each story is presented in a creative way, using methods
that will capture your childrens attention and keep it. They include the following: interviews,
pantomimes, action rhymes, walk-abouts, skits, as well as telling the story with simple props or objects,
drawing sketches on the board, and other ideas. Even the most familiar stories, such as Noah and the
Ark, will seem new and different and will come alive for children when you use these methods.
The other feature of this book that will help you make old stories new is a fun craft to accompany each
story. Children will enjoy putting the crafts together and the result will be something they will be
proud to take home. The crafts have been carefully designed to require easily obtainable items such as
construction paper, colored markers, glue, craft sticks, felt, paper or plastic plates, foil, paper bags,
glitter, yarn, etc. Clear, step-by-step directions are provided for each craft as well as reproducible
patterns you will need.
Most of the Bible stories are old favorites, but a few less familiar ones are also included, such as the
following: Exploring the Promised Land, Balaam and His Donkey, and Jonathan and His Armor
Bearer. Though all of the stories in this book are ones regularly covered by Sunday School curriculum
for elementary school children, some will be more familiar than others.
Following each story are some discussion questions to help the teacher show children how to apply the
truths of the story to their personal lives. Also included is a memory verse correlated with each story
that will help with the personal life application.
The stories are taken from both the Old and New Testaments and are presented so children can
understand them and see God at work in the lives of people. The storytelling methods often call for
student participation, since children learn best when they are involved.
Since each Bible story and craft stands on its own, they may be taught consecutively one after the other
or selected at random. As your children learn these stories and create the crafts, may they begin to
realize that God has always been closely involved in the lives of people, helping them, teaching them,
and enabling them to do things they could never have done on their own. And He still is.
Creation
Bible Story: Genesis 12
The story of Creation is such a familiar story, you will need to tell it in a way that will capture and hold
your students attention. To do that, look through nature magazines to find pictures of what God
created each day. Glue the pictures on sheets of construction paper and number them. Hold up the
correct picture as you tell the story below which talks about each day of Creation. As you finish with a
picture, mount it on the wall or prop it up on a table for everyone to see before going on to the next day
and picture.
All we have to do to see Gods greatness is look around us. Since God created everything, we are
reminded of Him wherever we look. The Bible tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth. At first the earth was empty, but not for long! God was ready to use His creative
powers!
On the first day of Creation, God said, Let there be light. As soon as He said it, light appeared. He
called the light day and He called the darkness night. (Hold up a picture of night and day or a
sheet of paper with white on half of it and black on the other half.)
The next day, God created the sky. (Hold up a picture of the sky with clouds in it.) That was day two
of Creation.
On the third day, God made the land and seas. The land was bare, so He created plants and trees of all
kinds to grow on the land. (Show a picture of land and seas with plants and trees on the land.) He
made the plants with seeds in them so they would keep growing and producing more plants and trees
year after year.
On day four, God created lights and put them in the sky. He made the sun to shine during the day and
the moon and stars to shine at night. (Hold up a picture of the sun, moon, and stars.) The lights were
also to serve as signs to mark seasons and years. For example, do you know why we have 365 days in
a year? (Let students answer if they can.) God made the earth so that it revolves around the sun, and it
takes 365 days to do that. God carefully planned everything He made.
The next day, God created birds to fly in the air and fish and other creatures to live in the sea. (Show a
picture of some birds and fish.) He gave feathers to birds to make them fly, and He gave fish the ability
to breathe in the water. He also made creatures such as whales, who are not fish but can stay
underwater for long periods of time. That was the fifth day of Creation.
On the sixth day of Creation God created every kind of animal imaginable. (Hold up a picture of some
animals.) He made animals that crawl on the ground, like lizards and snakes; animals that live on the
land and eat grass and leaves, such as elephants and giraffes; animals that eat meat, like lions and
wolves; and some that eat both grass and meat, like bears. God made funny looking animals such as
baboons and animals that live on the land as well as the sea, like penguins. Then God created man.
(Hold up a picture of a man.) He made man on the same day that he made animals, but He did not
make them the same. God created man in His own image or likeness to be able to think and reason and
love and worship his creator. He also gave man the gift of creativity so people could create beautiful
and useful things.
Creation
Bible Story: Genesis 12 (cont.)
God was satisfied with what he had created. He said that it was all good. And after six days, God was
finished. He had created all things to work together in an orderly way. Then God rested on the seventh
day, not because He was tired, but because His work was completed and it was perfect. Nothing else
needed to be done.
God put Adam, the first man, to live in a beautiful garden. One of Adams first duties was to give
names to the animals God had created. God brought the animals to him and he named them all. Then
God created a woman. He made Adam fall asleep. While he was sleeping, God took one of his ribs
and made a woman from it. She was Adams wife, and he named her Eve.
Discussion
God created everything in exactly the right order. What would have happened if he had made
plants and trees before He made the sun?
What if He had made animals and man before He made land?
God also at that time set up all the timetables and schedules by which the whole universe is
ordered. The seasons come and go exactly as they should, bringing the different kinds of weather
that the earth needs. What are some other ways God made everything work together perfectly?
(The sun is exactly the right distance from Earth to support life; our bodies are made up of cells
which help us fight disease; birds have feathers that are made just right to allow them to fly and
soar; etc.)
Some people say people evolved from monkeys. How did God make us different from them?
Memory Verse
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
(Colossians 1:16)
Who is this Bible verse talking about? (Jesus) All three persons of the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus,
and the Holy Spirit, were involved in Creation. Before Jesus came to Earth as a baby, He was involved
in everything God did, because He is God. And everything was made for Him, even us!
Craft Materials
patterns on pages 68
crayons or markers
white cardstock paper

yarn or string
hole punch
scissors
Craft Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Copy patterns from page 68 on white cardstock paper.

Color and cut out the numbers and banner top.
Punch holes in the banner top.
Punch holes in the tops of each number and thread string or yarn through the holes.
Attach the strings of each number to the mobile banner top (alternate the length of each so they
are not all hanging in the same position) and hang in your favorite place.
Creation
On the first day,

God created
day and night.
Finished Product
On the second day,

God created
sky and the waters.
On the third day,

God created
dry ground.
Creation
On the fifth day, God created

the fish and birds.
On the fourth day, God created

sun, moon, and stars.
On the seventh day,

God finished His work and blessed
that day and made it holy.
On the sixth day, God created

animals according to their own kind,
and Adam to rule over the earth.
Creation
Banner Top
Adam and Eves Sin

Draw a life-sized apple tree, some bushes, flowers, and a cross on butcher paper and cut them out.
Mount the tree on a bulletin board or wall in your classroom. Cut some apples into pieces, put the
pieces in plastic sandwich bags, and attach the bags to the tree. Glue or tape the bushes to some
cardboard boxes. Place the bush boxes in a corner of the room, leaving room for children to get
between them and the wall. Mount the flowers on the wall in another area to represent the beautiful
garden. Add more flowers, birds, and animals cut from gardening catalogs and nature magazines. To
make it even more realistic, set some potted plants around the area. Mount the cross on the door. As
you tell the Bible story, take students on a walk-about. Begin the story with students standing around
you in the middle of the room. Follow the directions in the story below as you go through it.
Adam and Eve were the only people on Earth. They lived in a beautiful garden that God had created
just for them. (Walk your students to the area of the room with flowers and animals on the wall.)
Adam was in charge of the garden and the animals that were all around them. In the garden were many
beautiful trees. Some of them had delicious fruit growing on them. God told Adam and Eve that they
were free to eat any of the fruit except that which grew on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God warned them that if they ate that fruit, they would die.
Adam and his wife were happy in the garden. (As you talk, slowly stroll toward the apple tree with
students following you.) They had everything they needed. They were in close contact with their
Creator and He took care of them. God had made the man and woman perfect, but He had also given
them a free will so they could make their own choices.
One day Eve saw a serpent and it spoke to her! (Stop near the apple tree.) Did God say you are not
allowed to eat fruit from any of the trees in this garden? the serpent slyly asked her.
He said we can eat fruit from any tree except for the one in the middle of the garden, Eve replied. If
we even touch that tree, we will die!
You wont die, said the serpent. God just knows that if you eat fruit from that tree you will become
like Him. You will know good and evil. The serpent told Eve that God had lied to her, and she
believed it! (Walk up to the tree and point to the fruit.) She looked at the fruit of that forbidden tree
again, thinking about what the serpent had told her. Suddenly, the fruit looked more tasty than the fruit
on any of the other trees. She wanted it, no matter what God had told her. (Take the bags of apples off
the tree and give a piece to each student to eat.) She ate some of the fruit and liked it, so she gave
some to Adam too.
Adam knew better than to accept the forbidden fruit, but he did. As soon as Adam and Eve ate that
fruit, they realized that they had disobeyed God and they were ashamed. (Start walking away from the
tree toward the bushes.) Later, they heard God and hid behind some bushes because they were afraid
of Him. (Let children hide behind the bushes.) But, of course, you cannot hide from God, can you?
He knew exactly where they were and what they had done. When God called to them, Adam answered,
I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid. (Have children come out from behind the bushes.)
Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat? God asked.
Adam answered, The woman you put here with meshe gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate
it. He tried to put the blame for his disobedience on his wife, but Adam was responsible for his own
sin. Eve had not forced him to eat the fruit; she had just offered it to him and he willingly took it.
Adam and Eves Sin

When God asked Eve what she had done, she put the blame for her sin on the serpent. It was true that
the serpent tricked her, but she easily gave in and disobeyed Gods instructions.
The first two people on Earth were no longer perfect. They had used the free will God had given them
to disobey Him. God hadnt given them a long list of rules to follow. And they still broke a rule. God
punished the serpent by making it crawl on its belly forever after that. God punished Eve by telling her
that she would have pain when she gave birth to her children. Adam would have to work hard the rest
of his life. Of course, the worst punishment was that Adam and Eve would no longer have the close
relationship with God they had once had, and they would die one day. God sent them out of the
beautiful garden and placed angels and a sword there to keep Adam and Eve out.
Adam and Eve were not the only ones affected by their sin; the whole earth was changed. The ground
began to produce weeds and thorns and thistles. Life would no longer be easy for anyone. (Walk
toward the cross.) And all Adam and Eves children and grandchildren and all the people in the world
who came after them would be sinful and against God. But because God loved people, He sent His
perfect Son to Earth to die for our sins. (Stop at the cross and point to it.) The only way to be saved
from the sinfulness we all inherited from Adam and Eve is to believe in Jesus and ask Him to come into
our lives. Then God forgives our sins and makes us His children. We can have a close relationship
with Him and go to heaven when we die to be with Him.
Discussion
How did the serpent tempt Eve to sin? How does Satan tempt us to sin?
Why do you think God asked Adam and Eve what they had done? Didnt He know?
Why do you think God made Adam and Eve leave the garden and made sure they could never get
back in?
Memory Verse
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans
6:23)
Jesus loves us so much, He took the punishment for our sins and died so we could have eternal life.
Craft Materials
pattern on page 11
crayons or markers
picture
cardboard or heavy paper

scissors
glue
tape
red, green, and brown construction paper
magnetic strip
Craft Directions
1. Copy picture frame on cardboard or heavy paper, and color the picture frame.
2. Cut the apple from red construction paper and glue to bottom corner of picture frame. Cut several
leaves from green construction paper and glue to the apple and some on the tree. Cut the stem
from brown construction paper and glue to the apple.
3. Cut the center out of the frame and tape your picture in place.
4. Glue a magnetic strip to back of the picture frame and place on locker, refrigerator or any metal
piece.
10
Adam and Eves Sin

Finished Product
Cut out and place your picture here.
11
For the wages of sin is death, but the

gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Jesus Loves Me!
Jesus Loves Me!
Noah and the Ark

Have children repeat the words of each line and the actions after you in this echo action rhyme.
God told Noah,
(Point up toward heaven.)
Rain will come down,
(Wiggle fingers like rain coming down.)
So build an ark
(Pretend to hammer.)
So you wont drown.
(Hold nose and pretend to swim with one arm.)
Noah got busy;
(Pretend to saw.)
Worked as hard as he could
(Pretend to hammer.)
And built a huge boat
(Hold arms out wide to show size of boat.)
Out of cypress wood.
(Put hands on waist and look proud of finished work.)
God brought elephants
(Hang an arm down for the elephants trunk.)
And kangaroos,
(Hop around.)
And lots more animals,
(Pretend to be other animals.)
Two by two.
(Hold up two fingers.)
They went on the ark
(Walk two fingers on your hand.)
As nice as could be,
(Pet one hand with the other.)
And soon after them
(Gesture with hand as if welcoming someone in.)
Came Noahs family.
(Count off eight fingers for Noahs family.)
God shut the door
(Smack hands together.)
Of that great, big boat,
(Hold arms out wide to show size of boat.)
Then the rain poured down
(Wiggle fingers like rain coming down hard.)
Till the ark began to float.
(Sway back and forth as if on a rocking boat.)
It rained and rained
(Wiggle fingers like rain coming down hard.)
Forty days and nights
(Open and close hands four times with fingers up.)
Till the whole earth was flooded.
(Circle arms over head in the shape of Earth.)
What a terrible sight!
(Shade eyes with hand and look around.)
Nothing but water
(Turn around slowly.)
Could be seen;
(Shade eyes with hand and look around.)
No trees or plants
(Shake head no slowly.)
Not one trace of green!
(Hold up one finger and look sad.)
Everything gone,
(Push out hands and swipe them apart.)
But in Gods plan
(Point up toward heaven.)
12
Noah and the Ark

Those on the ark
(Sway back and forth as if on a rocking boat.)
Were safe in His hand.
(Cup one hand over the other.)
Many months later
(Count on fingers.)
When the earth was dry,
(Move flat hands out as if over a flat surface.)
They all left the ark
(Stretch as if just getting up and look around.)
And looked up at the sky.
(Shade eyes with hand and look up.)
A rainbow of color
(Make a rainbow shape over your head.)
Was shining there,
(Look up and smile with arms held up.)
A reminder of
(Tap head with finger.)
Gods love and care.
(Point toward heaven, then touch heart.)
Discussion
Do you think Noah and his family were scared when the rain started?
What do you think they did while they lived on the ark?
God cared for Noah, his family, and animals with an ark. How does God care for us today?
Memory Verse
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
We do not have to worry about what is going on around us, because God has promised to take care of
us. No matter what troubles we have, we can sleep peacefully knowing we are in His hand.
Craft Materials
tape or glue
white paper
crayons or markers
scissors
blue foam sheets (optional)
wiggle eyes (optional)
black buttons (optional)
cotton balls (optional)
11'' x 17'' paper
Craft Directions
1. Copy patterns on pages 1416 on white paper.
2. Color and cut out the ark pieces, water pieces, clouds, and animals.
3. Glue the bottom ark pieces together. Then glue the animals to the back of the bottom ark piece as
shown in finished product picture on page 15. Then attach the top of the ark to the bottom piece.
4. Attach the ark and animals to the bottom of 11''x 17'' paper. Also attach the water and clouds to
the paper.
5. For 3-D effects, do one or more of the following: glue cotton balls on the clouds; use blue foam
sheets for a better effect for the water line; use black buttons for the hole on the ark; use wiggle
eyes on the animals.
13
Noah and the Ark

Clouds
Bottom Ark Pieces

14
Noah and the Ark
Top of Ark
Water Pieces
Finished Product
15
Noah and the Ark
16
Jacobs Wonderful Dream

Bible Story: Genesis 28:1022
As you tell the Bible story, sketch the simple illustrations on a chalkboard or white board.
Jacob had treated his twin brother Esau unkindly, tricking him into giving
up his birthright and his fathers blessing. Esau was very angry and
threatened to kill Jacob. When their mother found out about Esaus
threats, she sent Jacob away to stay with his Uncle Laban. She hoped that
after a while Esau would calm down and stop being angry at Jacob.
Jacob quickly left his home, traveling alone. He had a long trip ahead of
him, over 400 miles! He stopped each night when the sun had set and
camped. Jacob had lots of time to think about what he had done and to
realize that he had not trusted God as he should have.
One night Jacob stopped at a good place to rest. He lay down on the
ground with his head on a stone for a very hard pillow. It was not very
comfortable, but walking all day every day made him so tired. He was
soon sound asleep.
As he slept, Jacob had a wonderful dream. In his dream he saw a
stairway reaching from the earth all the way up to heaven. It was the
biggest stairway he had ever seen! Angels were going up and down the
stairs.
God was standing at the top of the stairs. He said to Jacob, I am the
Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give
you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your
descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to
the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.
God told Jacob that all people on the earth would be blessed through him
and his children. Then God made a wonderful promise to Jacob: I am
with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you
back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have
promised you.
Suddenly, Jacob woke up. The dream was very clear to him. He realized
that God had truly spoken to him. This place is awesome, Jacob said.
Its like the house of God and the gate of heaven. He felt that heaven
had been opened to him in the dream God had given him.
The next morning when Jacob got up, he took the stone he had used for a
pillow and set it up for a memorial stone. He named that place Bethel,
which means house of God.
17

Bible Story: Genesis 28:1022 (cont.)
Then Jacob promised, If God will be with me and will watch over me on
this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear
so that I return safely to my fathers house, then the Lord will be my
God. He also promised to give back to God a tenth of everything He
gave Jacob.
It wasnt exactly the promise God wanted from Jacob. However, it was a
beginning. It showed that Jacob was thinking about his need of God,
which he had not done before. It took Jacob about twenty years to
completely give his life to the God who had spoken to him through that
wonderful dream.
Discussion
Jacob had a problem with being self-centered. How does being self-centered keep us from
serving God?
The promise God made to Jacob was the same promise He made to his grandfather Abraham long
before Jacobs father was born. Do you think God kept His promise? What promises has God
made to you and kept? God always keeps His promises!
Memory Verse
Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek
you. (Psalm 9:10)
Just as God promised to be with Jacob, He has promised to be with us if we love Him. He never gives
up on us or stops loving us.
Craft Materials
pattern on page 19
crayons or markers
tape or glue
hole punch
yarn
8 12'' x 11'' sheet of paper
scissors
Craft Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Copy the pictures on page 19 on white cardstock paper.

Color and cut out the pieces.
Take the 8 12'' x 11'' sheet of paper and cut (lengthways) a 312 inch-wide piece of paper.
Accordion fold the 312 inch-wide piece of paper to form a 3-D ladder.
Glue the ladder on top of the remaining piece of paper. Center in the middle (lengthwise).
Then glue the clouds to the top of the ladder and the earth at the bottom of the ladder.
Glue the angels anywhere on the ladder or clouds.
Punch a hole in the top of the clouds and use yarn or string to hang Jacobs ladder.
18
Angels
Finished Product
Clouds
World
19
Joseph Is Faithful
Bible Story: Genesis 37; 3947
Hand out paper and have students make two signs, one that reads BAD, and one that reads
GOOD. Explain that they should listen carefully as you tell the story of Joseph. When they hear
something bad happening to Joseph, they should hold up the BAD sign. When they hear something
good happening to Joseph, they should hold up the GOOD sign.
Joseph, Jacobs 17-year-old son, was his fathers favorite. (good) Jacob gave him a special gift of a
beautiful robe. Joseph wore the colorful robe proudly as a sign of his fathers love. However, Josephs
brothers felt very differently about him. In fact, they hated him! (bad) They were jealous of him and
felt that Joseph thought he was better than they were. The brothers had nothing good to say to him.
One day Jacob sent Joseph to check on his older brothers where they were taking care of the familys
flock of sheep. See if they are okay, then bring word back to me, Josephs father told him.
Joseph had to go quite a distance before he found his brothers and the sheep. They saw him coming
and said to one another, Lets kill him and throw his body into one of the pits around here. (bad) We
can tell everyone that a wild animal ate him. Can you imagine? His own brothers hated him so much
they wanted to kill him. But Reuben, Josephs oldest brother, did not agree with the others. We
shouldnt kill him, Reuben said. Instead, lets throw him in a pit alive. He planned to secretly
rescue Joseph when the others were not around and take him back to their father. (good) They agreed,
so when Joseph arrived they grabbed him, stripped off his beautiful robe, and threw him into a pit.
Then the brothers calmly sat down and began to eat a meal.
As they were eating, a caravan of traders came by on their way to Egypt. The brothers decided to take
Joseph out of the pit and sell him to the traders. (bad) The traders carried young Joseph off to Egypt
to sell him as a slave. Reuben was gone while all this happened. When he returned he was very upset,
but did not know what to do. The traders caravan was long gone. The brothers killed a goat and
smeared its blood on Josephs beautiful robe. They took the robe home and showed it to their father.
We found this, they told him. (bad)
Jacob recognized it as Josephs robe and thought that a wild animal must have torn him to pieces. The
brothers watched as Jacob cried and tore his clothes, mourning for his dead son.
When he got to Egypt, Joseph was bought by Potiphar, an important Egyptian official. (bad) The Lord
was with Joseph and helped him be such a good slave, Potiphar put him in charge of his whole
household. (good) However, when Potiphars wife told some lies about Josephs conduct, he was
thrown into prison. (bad) Once again, the Lord was with Joseph and helped him be such a good
prisoner that the warden put him in charge of all the other prisoners. (good)
One day the Pharaohs cupbearer and baker displeased him and were put in prison. One night both men
had strange dreams. They wondered what the dreams meant. Joseph offered to ask God to tell him the
meaning of their dreams. (good) He explained that the cupbearer would soon be released from prison,
but the baker would be put to death. It all happened just as Joseph said. Then, two years later, Pharaoh
himself had two strange dreams. No one could explain their meaning to him, not even his court
magicians. Suddenly, his cupbearer remembered how Joseph had explained his dream in prison. He
told Pharaoh about him and Joseph was brought in to explain the dreams. (good)
Pharaoh asked him if he could explain dreams. I cannot do it, Joseph said, but God will give
Pharaoh the answer he desires. Pharaoh told Joseph what he had dreamed about lean cows eating up
fat cows and thin stalks of grain eating up full ones. Joseph explained that God was sending a message
that Egypt was going to go through seven years of famine, with no food. But before the years of
20
Joseph Is Faithful
Bible Story: Genesis 37; 3947 (cont.)
famine, there would be seven years of very good crops and more than enough to eat. Joseph advised
Pharaoh to choose a wise man to be in charge of collecting extra food during the years of good crops
and put it in storage. Then when the bad crops came, there would be enough stored away to feed
everyone until the famine was over. (good)
Pharaoh was impressed. Since God has made all this known to you, he said, there is no one so
discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to
your orders. Joseph became second in command of all Egypt! (good) For seven years, he organized
people to collect food from the countrys good crops and store it away. When the famine began, Egypt
was ready for it. Joseph provided food, not only to the Egyptian people, but also to people who came
from other countries where the famine had hit.
Far off in Israel, Jacob and his family had no food because of the famine. He sent his sons, except for
Benjamin, his youngest, to Egypt to buy food. They had heard there was plenty of food there. (good)
Joseph was happy to see his brothers again, but they did not recognize him since they had not seen him
for 20 years. He sold them some grain and asked them about their family. Joseph wanted to see his
youngest brother Benjamin, so he made one of the brothers stay in Egypt while the others went home.
He told them to come back and bring their brother with them. But when Jacobs sons got home and
told him what had happened, Jacob refused to let Benjamin go.
When the family had eaten all the grain, the brothers had no choice but to return to Egypt for more.
(good) Jacob agreed to let Benjamin go only because he knew they would all starve if the Egyptian
official would not give them more grain. This time Joseph told his brothers who he was. They were
afraid that he would punish them for what they had done to him, but Joseph had forgiven them. He
told them, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being
done, the saving of many lives. He invited them to bring their families, including his father, to live in
Egypt where he could take care of them. They gladly went home and told their father, and soon all of
Jacobs family was living in the land of Egypt. (good)
Discussion
Why did Joseph succeed in whatever he did?

Why did Joseph forgive his brothers?
How was Joseph a witness for the Lord to Pharaoh and the other Egyptians?
If we trust God as Joseph did, what kind of attitudes will we have?
Memory Verse
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
God never promised that Christians would not have difficulties; but He did promise that He would be
with us and would work in every situation for our good.
Craft Materials
patterns on pages 22 and 23 white cardstock paper
crayons or markers
sand
tape
glue
21
white paper
scissors
Joseph Is Faithful
Craft Directions
1. Copy the patterns below on white paper. Then copy the picture on page 23 on white cardstock
paper and color.
2. Color and cut out Joseph and the pyramids below. Fold the pyramids according to the directions.
Then glue the pyramids to the picture first, and then attach Joseph.
3. Apply glue to the bottom of the picture and sprinkle sand on it. Let the picture dry and then hang
it somewhere.
Pyramids
re.
e he
Glu
re.
he
ue
Gl
ue
Gl
Gl
ue
he
re.
re.
he
Fold each side back on

the pyramids and glue to
the picture.
Fold down the centers of

each pyramid to give 3-D
effects.
re.
e he
Glu
re.
he
ue
Gl
Finished
Product
Joseph
22
Joseph Is Faithful
23
Baby Moses
Bible Story: Exodus 12
Choose students who are good readers to help you perform this Bible story interview. The following
readers are needed: TV News Anchor, Israelite Slave, Jochebed, Miriam. You should be the reporter.
The only prop you will need is a microphone.
TV News Anchor:
Reporter:
Israelite Slave:
Reporter:
Israelite Slave:
Reporter:
Jochebed:
Reporter:
Jochebed:
Reporter:
Jochebed:
Reporter:
Miriam:
Reporter:
Welcome to EGYPT News. Continuing with our coverage of problems in the

land of Egypt, we have a special report for you now from our reporter in
Goshen. Are you there, Hisson?
Yes, I am here in the land of Goshen, the area of Egypt where Israelite people
live, about a million of them! And Pharaoh is not happy about their presence in
his country. He is afraid that if war breaks out with another country, the
Israelites might fight against Egypt and cause real damage. His solution to the
problem is to turn them into slaves. Here is one of these slaves to tell us what
the work is like. Thanks for talking to us. Describe your work for us.
It is terrible. It is back-breaking work and the taskmasters keep pushing us to do
more and more. Sometimes a slave will die from exhaustion, but the taskmasters
do not care. They just drag the body away and make somebody else do the
work. Why doesnt God deliver His people from this hardship?
We have heard that this cruel treatment is not really working as Pharaoh planned
it, though. In fact, the Israelite population continues to grow. Right?
(Laughing) That is right! He even tried to get our midwives to kill our baby
boys when they are born; but because they fear God, they would not do it. They
told him the babies were born before they could get there to help the women.
Thank you, sir. We will let you get back to work now before you get in trouble.
It seems Pharaoh has a new plan now. He has ordered his people to throw every
newborn Israelite baby boy into the Nile River. I wonder if it is working.
Jochebed is an Israelite mother. Let us see what she has to say about this cruel
plan. Thanks for talking to us.
You are welcome.
Do you think Pharaohs plan will work, or are there ways to get around it?
Well, actually, it is not a fullproof plan at all. In fact, I gave birth to a son a few
months ago. We hid him for as long as we could; but every time someone came
to the door, we were afraid it might be Pharaohs soldiers. And it is so hard to
keep a newborn from crying. I finally decided we had to do something else. I
covered a grass basket with tar and pitch to make it waterproof; then I laid my
baby boy in the basket and put it in the river, among the tall reeds.
Werent you afraid the basket would turn over and he would drown or be eaten
by a crocodile?
Believe me, I could think of all kinds of terrible things that might happen to him.
But I knew God could take better care of him than I could. And He did.
What happened?
Ill tell you! He is my baby brother and I saw the whole thing.
OK, tell us what happened.
24
Baby Moses
Bible Story: Exodus 12 (cont.)
Miriam:
Reporter:
Miriam:
Jochebed:
Reporter:
Jochebed:
Reporter:
TV News Anchor:
After my mom put the basket in the river, I stood nearby to watch my brother. I
could not stand the thought of him being hurt. Then I saw the Princess,
Pharaohs daughter, come down to that very part of the river to bathe. She saw
the basket and had one of her slave girls bring it to her. I was so scared! But
when she saw my baby brother, he was crying and she felt sorry for him, even
though she saw that he was an Israelite. I saw my chance to help, so I hurried up
to her and asked her if she wanted me to get an Israelite woman to nurse the baby
for her. She said yes.
You are a smart girl, and I can guess what you did next. You ran home and got
your own mother, didnt you?
Yes. The Princess did not know the difference. She wanted to adopt my brother
as her own baby, but she could not care for him by herself.
Now I am able to have my baby in my own home to care for him. Plus the
Princess pays me! Of course, when he is three years old and I no longer need to
nurse him, the Princess will take him to live in the palace. But I trusted God to
keep my baby safe, and He did. I know God can take care of him in the palace
too.
Well, that is quite a story. By the way, what is your sons name?
The Princess named him Moses. In Egyptian it means is born, but in our
language it means drew him out. I think both ways my sons name has special
meaning.
Thats our report from Goshen. Now back to the anchor desk.
Thanks, Hisson. That is all for now from EGYPT News. Thanks for watching.
Discussion
Why didnt Pharoahs cruel plans to get rid of the Israelites work?
How did God take care of Jochebeds baby better than she could have imagined?
How do you know you can trust God to take care of you?
Memory Verse
The Lord is my light and my salvationwhom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life
of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
God is greater and more powerful than anyone or anything. Nothing is impossible for Him. With Him
on our side, there is no reason for us to be afraidever.
Craft Materials
crayons or markers
foam (optional)
scissors
glue
white paper
fabric (optional)
25
Baby Moses
Craft Directions
1. Copy the pictures on pages 26 and 27 on white paper.
2. Color the pictures.
3. Then cut out the basket and baby. (Note: For more 3-D
effects, use fabric to wrap around the baby and then use a
piece of foam behind the basket to make it stand out more.)
4. Glue the baby in the basket.
5. Glue the basket and baby in the river bank.
Finished Product
Baby
Basket
26
Baby Moses
27
Moses and the Burning Bush

Bible Story: Exodus 34:17
Draw a bush on butcher paper, cut it out, and attach it to a box (or use one of the bushes you made for
the story on pages 910). Cut flame shapes from red and yellow paper and attach them to the bush to
make it look like it is on fire. Wrap a large stick or pole with brown or green paper. On one side, paint
eyes and lines to make it look like a snake. Set the burning bush in the center of the room and have
children gather around it and sit on the floor. Tell the story with lots of facial expression and gestures,
following the directions in the story.
Moses had run away from Egypt because he had killed an Egyptian when he saw him beating an
Israelite slave. To escape punishment from Pharaoh, he had left the land of his birth. Now he was
living in the land of Midian. He was married to the daughter of a priest and they had a son. One day
when Moses was out taking care of the family sheep, he saw a strange sight. It was a burning bush. As
Moses watched, the bush kept burning but was never burned up. The flames did not actually seem to
be harming the bush. Filled with curiosity, Moses moved closer to the bush to get a better look.
Suddenly, a voice called to him from the bush, Moses! Moses!
Here I am, Moses answered in surprise. He knew immediately that it was not the bush talking to
him; it was God.
Do not come any closer, God said. Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.
(Have students take off their shoes, leaving their socks on.) I am the God of your father, the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God said. Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God.
God told him, I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of
their slavedrivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from
the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land.
Moses must have thought, Good! God is going to deliver my people from their terrible slavery. But
Gods next words suddenly grabbed his attention.
I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt, God said. Moses was
not just surprised; he was terrified!
Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Moses said. After all,
even though he had left Egypt many years ago, he was probably still on their Most Wanted list of
criminals.
I will be with you, God promised him.
But what if the people will not listen to me when I tell them the God of their fathers sent me? Moses
asked. What do I do then?
Tell them I AM has sent you to them, God replied. Say that the Lord, the God of their fathers
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacobhas sent you. Go to Egypt and talk to the elders of the people. Tell them
I have watched what has happened to them and I am going to bring them out of their misery to a better
land I have prepared for them. They will listen to you, Moses. Then you must go and tell Pharaoh to
let the people go. He will not listen to you, but I will use my power to convince him to let them go.
God even promised Moses that he would make the Egyptians show kindness to the Israelites and give
them what they needed when they left.
28

Bible Story: Exodus 34:17 (cont.)
What if the people wont believe me when I tell them the LORD appeared and spoke to me? Moses
asked.
Whats that in your hand? God asked him.
Its my staff, said Moses.
Throw it on the ground, God ordered.
Moses threw down his shepherds staff and suddenly it became a snake! (Throw the stick or pole on
the floor carefully so it lands snake side up.) He ran away from the hissing snake. Pick the snake up
by the tail, He told Moses.
Moses must have been very frightened, but he did what God told him. Carefully, he reached down and
grabbed the snake by the tail. (Pick up the stick or pole at one end and turn it over to the staff side.)
When he touched it, the snake turned back into his staff.
God said, This is a sign to help My people believe that I have appeared to you. Then God told
Moses to put one of his hands inside his robe. Moses did, and when he took it back out, his hand was
covered with leprosy, a terrible skin disease for which there was no cure. Then God told him to put his
hand back inside his robe again. This time when Moses took it out, the leprosy was gone. If they do
not believe the sign of the snake and staff, God said, the people may believe this sign. And if they do
not believe either sign, then dip some water out of the Nile River and pour it on the dry ground. It will
become blood.
God had given Moses three miraculous signs, but Moses was still not convinced that he could do what
God wanted. He complained that he was not good at talking to people, so God promised to help him
say what he needed to say. O Lord, please send someone else to do it, Moses begged in fear.
Then God angrily told Moses, Your brother Aaron will say the words you give him. He will act as
your mouth to the people. Finally, Moses was willing to do what God had told him.
Discussion
Why do you think Moses made so many excuses to avoid doing what God wanted?
What kinds of excuses do we sometimes make to avoid doing what we know God wants?
What are we missing when we refuse to do Gods will because we are afraid, inadequate, or
overwhelmed?
Memory Verse
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
God will never ask His children to do anything that He will not help them do. Just imagine what we
could do if we trusted Him enough!
29

Craft Materials
patterns on pages 30 and 31
white paper
red and yellow tissue paper
crayons or colored pencils
scissors
tape or glue
Craft Directions
Finished Product
1. Copy page 31 on white cardstock paper and color.

2. Cut strips of red and yellow flames from the tissue paper and glue or tape them to the middle of
the picture.
3. Copy the bush picture below on white paper.
4. Color and cut out. Then glue or tape it to the middle of the flames.
Bush
30
31
Moses and the Ten Plagues

Before you tell the Bible story, choose ten students to act out the plagues (follow the directions in the
story). Also choose a student to be Aaron and another student to be Pharaoh seated at the front of the
room in a special chair. Pharaoh should look disagreeable and haughty. You may pretend to be Moses,
as you and Aaron confront Pharaoh before and after each plague. You may want to take the actors
aside and practice before presenting the pantomime to the whole class.
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, the ruler of all Egypt, and said, The Lord, the God of Israel says,
Let my people go. But Pharaoh refused. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) He did not
believe in God and would not obey Him. In fact, he ordered that the Israelite slaves should be made to
work even harder than they had before. Moses and Aaron went to speak to Pharaoh again. This time
Aaron threw his staff down and it became a snake. (Throw down the staff you made for the story on
pages 2829.) Pharaoh was not impressed by this miraculaous sign. In fact, his magicians did the
same thing. But then Aarons staff swallowed all the others. Pharaoh still refused to listen.
Moses and Aaron tried again. They warned Pharaoh that if he did not let the people go, God would
turn the water in the Nile River into blood. Fish would die and no one would be able to drink the
water. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) When Pharaoh wouldnt listen, Aaron struck the
water in the river with his staff and it instantly became blood. (Actor 1 holds up a glass of red water.)
Pharaoh still refused to obey God.
A week later, Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh that if he did not listen, the land would be covered with
frogs. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) Again Pharaoh refused, so God brought frogs
out of the water into streets and homes and fieldseverywhere! (Actor 2 hops around like a frog.)
Pharaoh said he would let the Israelites go if Moses would make the frogs go away. (Pharaoh pleads
with folded hands.) But when the frogs died and were all scooped up and thrown away, Pharaoh
changed his mind. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.)
Then God covered the land with gnats. People were slapping themselves all over where the gnats bit
them. (Actor 3 slaps face, arms, etc., as if being bitten by gnats.) Pharaohs magicians told him the
gnats were from God, but he refused to listen. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and puts hands over ears.)
Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh that if he did not let the Israelites go, God would send swarms of flies
everywhere. Pharaoh, of course, wouldnt listen. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) But
when flies swarmed throughout Egypt, even in the palace, he promised to cooperate if Moses would
make the flies leave. (Actor 4 buzzes and pretends to be a fly.) But when Moses did, Pharaoh once
again refused. (Pharaoh shakes head no.)
Moses and Aaron warned Pharaoh that if he did not obey God, He would put a plague on Egyptian
horses and donkeys and camels and all livestock. Pharaoh refused again. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and
shakes head no.) God sent a plague that killed all the Egyptians livestock, but not the animals of the
Israelites. (Actor 5 walks on all fours, then topples over dead.) But Pharaoh did not give in. (Pharaoh
looks stubborn.) Then the Lord made boils break out on the Egyptians bodies. (Actor 6 rubs arms and
neck, in great pain.) They were in great pain, but Pharaoh would not change his mind. (Pharaoh looks
stubborn.)
32

Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh if he did not let the Israelites go, God would send a hailstorm that
would kill any person or animal that remained outside. Many of Pharaohs official hurried to bring
their cattle in from the field. It hailed everywhere, except where the Israelites lived, killing people and
animals and beating down crops. (Actor 7 puts hands over head and pretends to dodge hail.) Pharaoh
called for Moses and told him he would let the people go. (Pharaoh bows head and looks sorry.) God
ended the hailstorm and Pharaoh broke his promise. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.)
Then Moses and Aaron warned Pharaoh that if he did not obey God, a plague of locusts would cover
Egypt. (Pharaoh shakes head no.) When Pharaoh refused, the locusts came and devoured all the crops
and plants that the hail had not destroyed. (Actor 8 flies around and pretends to eat everything.) He
agreed to let the Israelites go if Moses would get rid of the locusts. (Pharaoh pleads with folded
hands.) But when the locusts were all gone, Pharaoh changed his mind again. (Pharaoh looks
stubborn.)
Then God brought darkness all over the land for three days, except where the Israelites were. (Actor 9
walks around bumping into things, trying to see.) Pharaoh told Moses to take his people and leave, but
changed his mind again. (Pharaoh looks stubborn and shakes head no.) Finally, Pharaoh told Moses
to never show his face in the palace again.
The tenth plague God sent on the Egyptians was the worst one of all. In every Egyptian family, the
oldest son died, even Pharaohs oldest son. (Actor 10 clutches heart and slowly falls to the ground
dead.) God gave special instructions to the Israelites for keeping death from their families. Finally,
Pharaoh was ready to give in. (Pharaoh looks sad and desperate.) He called Moses and Aaron to him
and told them to take all the Israelites and get out of Egypt. The Egyptian people encouraged the
Israelites to leave quickly and gave them gold and silver and clothes. They did not want the Israelties
God to send any more plagues their way! The Israelites did not waste any time; they left quickly
before Pharaoh could change his mind again. Israelites had been living in Egypt for 430 years, ever
since Josephs family had come there to live with him. God watched over them as they escaped the
land of their slavery. He was going to lead them to a new land.
Discussion
What do you think the plagues taught the Israelites about God?
What did they teach the Egyptians about their Pharaoh?
How does God show His power in the lives of Christians today?
Memory Verse
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. (Psalm 77:12)
We can learn about Gods power by studying the Bible. How reassuring to know that He uses His
power to help those who love Him as He helped the Israelites.
33

Craft Materials
For each student you will need:
copies of each sheet of text (pages 3540)
copies of the flaps (page 41)
markers, crayons, or color pencils
stapler
glue
scissors
Craft Directions
1. On white paper, copy pages 3540. Then color pages.
2. Cut out the pages and put them in numerical order.
3. Staple the pages together on the left side.
4. Cut out the flaps.
5. Place a dot of glue on each star on the pages of text and attach the appropriate flap.
6. Color the flaps to match the rest of the picture on the page.
7. Share the book with a friend.
34
The Story of Exodus
This is a story about a man named Moses. God

called on Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt.
1
35
A cruel Egyptian pharoah enslaved the Israelites. Moses

went to make a plea to Pharoah to free all the slaves.
2
Pharoahs answer was No, no, no! So God chose

to send a message to Pharoah.
3
36
Several plagues were sent by God to show His

mighty hand. But Pharoah still acted wickedly.
4
God sent His greatest plague. Darkness covered the land.

All the Israelites marked their homes so the plague would
pass over them.
5
37
The angel of death swept through the land and took all
Egyptians first-born sons. The angel took Pharoahs son,
too.
6
At last, Pharoah let the Israelites go.

7
38
After the Israelites left, Pharoah changed

his mind. He sent an army after them.
8
The Israelites hearts were filled with fear when they looked
at the sea before them. Pharoahs men were getting near.
9
39
Moses lifted his arms and God caused the sea

to part. The thankful Israelites crossed safely.
10
Pharoahs army followed them. When they were

half-way across, God caused the sea to fill. All
the armys lives were lost.
11
40

Flaps for The Story of Exodus
41
God Takes Care of His People

Bible Story: Exodus 1517:7
To make this story live for your students, you will need: a large container of ice water, small paper
cups (such as bathroom cups), bits of chicken (such as popcorn chicken) in small plastic bags, and
little crackers (such as oyster crackers) in small plastic bags. Scatter the chicken and crackers in small
bags around the room for students to gather at the appropriate time in the story. Place a small paper
cup on the table in front of each student. Follow the directions in the story.
God had rescued the Israelites from Egypt in a spectacular way. Now Moses was leading them through
the wilderness, across the desert, toward the land God had promised them. Some of the people did not
like camping every night. Their homes in Egypt had not been comfortable, but they missed them
anyway. Now that they were free from slavery, they began to forget how hard life had been in Egypt.
They began to think it had not been so bad after all. They grumbled and complained to Moses. When
they came to an area with water and discovered that it was too bitter to drink, they complained even
more.
Moses asked God for help. God showed him a piece of wood to throw into the water. When Moses
did, the bitterness left the water and it became delicious. (As you talk, pour water into each students
cup and let them drink.) The people took long, satisfying drinks of that wonderful, thirst-quenching
water. They traveled a little farther and came to an area where there were twelve springs and lots of
palm trees. It was a very pleasant place, and they camped there near the water. For awhile, the people
were content and forgot to complain. God was taking care of them, but they did not think to thank
Him.
When they left the pleasant area and continued their journey toward the Promised Land, the people
began complaining again. God should have just let us die in Egypt, they grumbled. At least there
we had all the food we wanted. Moses has brought us out into the desert to starve! The Lord listened
to their complaining and He told Moses he was going to rain down bread from heaven for the people
to eat! Every day God would provide food for families to gather. He explained that they must not
gather extra, but just enough for that day. The next day He would provide more. God wanted to see if
the Israelites would follow His directions. Every day of the week they would have food to gather. On
the sixth day, God would provide extra so they could gather enough for the Sabbath day, too.
Moses told the Israelites what God was going to do and explained that they must only gather enough
for each day. God also promised to give the people meat every evening. That very evening, quail flew
into the Israelites camp. There were so many, they covered the ground. The people caught them for
food. (Have students go around the room and each pick up one bag of meat to eat. Have them sit
down to eat it as you continue the story.) They cooked the quail meat and it was delicious. It tasted
like chicken. After such a delicious meal, the Israelites did not think to complain.
The next morning when the people came out of their tents, they saw that the ground was covered with
white. They picked up the white pieces and tasted them. They were delicious! (Let students gather
the bags of crackers, one bag for each student. Have them sit down to eat as you continue the story.)
They called the food manna which means what is it? They had never seen or tasted anything like it!
The people gathered the manna, enough for one day. Some of them however, disobeyed God. They
took extra. The next day when they opened their containers to eat the extra manna, it was full of
worms and smelled bad. They had not been able to fool God.
42

Bible Story: Exodus 1517:7 (cont.)
As long as the Israelites were traveling to the Promised Land, every morning when the sun came up,
the ground was covered with manna and every evening the ground was covered with quail. God fed
His people very well, but they did not think to thank Him.
It was not long before the Israelites were complaining again. They were thirsty and the place where
they were camped did not have water nearby. Moses got angry with them when they said, Why did
you bring us out here to make us and our children and animals die of thirst?
What am I to do with these people? Moses cried out to God. They are ready to kill me! God told
him to hit a certain rock with his staff. When Moses obeyed, water came gushing out of the rock.
(Give each student another cup of water to drink.) The water was cold and delicious. The hot people
gulped it down. But did they thank the Lord for the water? No, they accepted what He gave them, but
never thanked Him.
For forty years God watched over the Israelites, giving them food to eat and water to drink. He even
kept the clothes they wore from getting worn out. He protected them from enemy armies and blessed
them in so many ways. In spite of his loving care, the people continued to complain.
Discussion
Did the Israelites have good reasons to complain? Why or why not?
What should the Israelites have done instead of complaining?
God cared for and provided for His people every day throughout their trip to the Promised Land,
and even after that. What does He provide for you every day?
Memory Verse
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
(Psalm 73:26)
God has promised to take care of us. What should we do in return?
Craft Materials
pattern on page 44
white paper
stamps or stickers
paper bags with handles
scissors
glue
markers, crayons, or colored pencils
Craft Directions
1. Copy the caption oval on page 44 on white paper and color.
2. Cut out the oval and glue to the paper bag.
3. Use markers, stamps, or stickers to decorate your bag.
4. Use the bag to give a special gift to someone.
43

Caption Oval
G o d Ta k e s
Care of
Me!
Finished
Product
G o d Ta k e s
Care of
Me!
44
The Ten Commandments

Gather the following items and put them in a box so students will not be able to see them, but you can
easily draw them out one by one to illustrate the ten commandments: a button with number 1 on it or a
number 1 birthday candle; a small figurine that looks like an idol, such as a bird or animal figurine;
GOD printed on an index card in big letters; a small calendar with Sundays circled; a photo of
someones parents; a picture of a gun; a wedding ring; coins in a coin purse; a picture of a mouth; a
picture of an expensive house and car. Follow the directions in the story.
It had been three months since the Israelites had escaped from the land of Egypt. When they reached
Mount Sinai in their travels across the desert, they set up camp and prepared to stay awhile. God spoke
to Moses from the mountain. Remind the people how I rescued them from slavery in Egypt, God
said. Tell them that if they obey Me, they will be My treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a
holy nation. Moses went back and told the Israelite leaders what God had said. When the people
were told, they all promised to do everything the Lord said.
Then God told Moses that He was going to speak to them directly out of a cloud. The people needed to
get ready for this event by washing themselves and their clothes to be clean before the Lord. They
were to gather around the mountain, but Moses warned them not to touch the mountain or try to climb
up it. Three days later, the Israelites heard thunder and lightning and a loud trumpet blast. A thick
cloud appeared over Mount Sinai. Moses led the people to the mountain. They stood around as the
mountain was covered with smoke and it shook. The trumpet sounded again, even louder. God called
Moses to the top of the mountain. He gave Moses ten commandments for the people to follow.
God said ,I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You
shall have no other gods before me. The first commandment was that the people must make God
number one in their lives. (Hold up the number 1 button or candle. Then set it down where everyone
can see it.)
You shall not make or worship any idols or images, God said. (Hold up the small figure that looks
like an idol.) That was the second commandment. Most of the people who lived in the land where
God was leading His people worshiped idols made of wood or clay. The people in Egypt had
worshiped idols they made to look like birds and other animals. God wanted to make sure that His
people did not copy the practices of those idol-worshiping people.
The third commandment was about the way people spoke. Do not misuse the name of the Lord your
God, He told them. (Hold up the GOD name card.) Gods name was to be spoken with reverence and
respect, not used as a swear word or slang, and not joked about.
God said, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. (Hold up the small calendar with Sundays
circled.) God had created the whole world in six days, then He rested on the seventh day. That was an
example for the people He created. He wanted them to set aside one day a week to rest from their
work and spend time thinking about God and worshiping Him. The seventh day was to be a holy day.
That was the fourth commandment.
Honor your father and your mother, God said. (Hold up the photo of someones parents.) The fifth
commandment meant that children should obey their parents, and even when they became adults, they
were to listen to their parents advice and treat them with respect.
Then God spoke the sixth commandment: You shall not murder. (Hold up the picture of a gun.)
Taking the life of a person God has created is very wrong. Only God should control life and death.
45

You shall not commit adultery, God said. (Hold up the wedding ring.) God wanted men and women
to be true to their marriage vows. Leaving a husband or wife to be with someone else was not what
God wanted. This was the seventh commandment.
Then God said, You shall not steal. (Hold up the coin purse, take out the coins and put them in your
pocket or hold them in your hand.) God had promised to give His people what they needed; they did
not need to take what belonged to others. That was commandment number eight.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor, God said. (Hold up the picture of a mouth.
Draw a slanted line across it.) This ninth commandment meant that people were not to tell lies about
others. Only the truth is acceptable to God.
The tenth commandment used a word we do not use much anymore, so it is not familiar to us. God
said, You shall not covet your neighbors house, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. To covet
something means to want it for yourself. He wants us to be content with what He gives us, not always
wishing we had what other people have.
The people were frightened by the thunder and lightning and the smoke on the mountain. Do not have
God speak to us, or we will die! they begged Moses. You tell us what He said. Moses assured them
that they did not need to be afraid, but the people would not listen, so Moses spoke to God for the
people. God gave Moses the ten commandments written by His own hand on large pieces of stone so
the people would always remember what He had told them.
Discussion
How are the first four commandments about our relationship with God?
How are the other six commandments about our relationship with other people?
How would the world be different if everyone obeyed the ten commandments?
Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments into just two. What were they? (See Mark 12:3031.)
Memory Verse
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)
Gods commandments are not hard to obey when we love Him because we want to do what He says to
please Him. Christians also have the Holy Spirit who helps them resist the temptation to disobey.
Craft Materials
pattern on page 47
8 12'' x 11'' white cardstock paper
scissors
glue or tape
colored pencils or markers
Craft Directions
1. Copy picture of the children on page 47 on white cardstock paper.
2. Color the children and cut out.
3. Fold an 8 12'' x 11'' piece of cardstock in half. Then glue or tape the kids to the back of the card.
4. Write or copy the ten commandments on page 47 and glue them to the front of the card.
5. Place the card on your night stand so you can learn the ten commandments.
46
1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make a graven image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not kill.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
Finished
Product
1.
2.
3
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make a graven image.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor your father and mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.
47
Exploring the Promised Land

Bible Story: Numbers 1314
To tell the story, you will need two hats (such as baseball caps). Print labels and put them on the front
of the hats. Label one hat WE CAN DO IT! and the other one ITS IMPOSSIBLE! When you are
wearing the WE CAN DO IT! hat, hold your thumbs up and look positive. When you are wearing the
other hat, cross your arms and look stubborn. Follow directions in the story for when to wear each
hat.
The Israelites were getting close to the land God had promised them. God told Moses to send twelve
men into the land to check it out. Moses chose one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel:
Shammua, Shaphat, Caleb, Igal, Joshua, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and Geuel.
Moses told them See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak,
few or many. In what kind of land do they live? Is it good or bad? In what kind of towns do they
live? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or
not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land. That was a lot to find out, but the men
were glad to be going into the strange new land to which God had been leading them since their escape
from Egypt. They were tired of traveling and camping every night. They would be glad to settle down
somewhere.
The 12 spies set off for the Promised Land. They were gone for 40 days and traveled many miles
exploring the new land. When they got back to the Israelite camp, they were carrying large fruits. One
cluster of grapes was so big and heavy, two of the spies had to carry it on a pole between them. The
people gathered around to welcome the men back and see what they had brought with them. They were
impressed by the fruit. The men said, We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow
with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. That was their way of saying that the land was rich and had
good crops. It would be a prosperous place for farming. However, they were not so encouraging about
the inhabitants of the land. (Put on the ITS IMPOSSIBLE hat.) The people are powerful, and the
cities are fortified and very large, most of the men told Moses.
Caleb disagreed. (Put on the WE CAN DO IT! hat.) We should go up and take possession of the
land, for we can certainly do it, he said.
Ten of the spies argued, We cannot attack those people; they are stronger than we are. (Put on the
ITS IMPOSSIBLE hat.) They told the Israelites that all the people in the land were huge. We are
like grasshoppers compared to them! they said. They did not trust God to help them and said
defeating the people in the new land would be impossible. The people grumbled and complained
against Moses and Aaron and cried because they were so afraid of what might happen to them if they
tried to go into the Promised Land. They said it would be better if they just went back to Egypt!
Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, tried to encourage the people to trust God to help them defeat
the inhabitants of the Promised Land. (Put on the WE CAN DO IT! hat.) The land we passed
through and explored is exceedingly good, they said. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us
into that land and will give it to us. Do not rebel against the Lord, they said. And do not be afraid of
the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with
us. But the Israelites would not listen. In fact, the people talked about killing Caleb and Joshua!
(Remove the hat.)
48

Bible Story: Numbers 1314 (cont.)
God was angry with the Israelites. How long will these people refuse to believe in me, in spite of all
the miraculous signs I have performed among them? He said to Moses. God wanted to destroy all the
complaining, unbelieving Israelites. Moses begged God not to destroy all the people, and God forgave
them. However, God said the generation of adult Israelites whom He had rescued from Egypt would
not get to go into the Promised Land. All the Israelites would continue to wander around the desert for
forty years until the older generation was dead. Then God would lead the younger generation into the
land He had promised them. Only two exceptions would be made. Caleb and Joshua, because they had
trusted God, would be the only two men of their generation to go into the Promised Land.
God punished the 10 spies who had not trusted Him and had upset the people by letting them die in a
plague. Caleb and Joshua were the only spies who survived. The Israelites said they were sorry they
had disobeyed the Lord and they would go ahead and enter the Promised Land as He wanted. Do not
do it! Moses warned them. This will not succeed. The Lord is not with you. You will be defeated
by your enemies. But the people ignored Moses and prepared to enter the Promised Land even though
God said He would never let them go in. Moses refused to go with them. They had not gone far when
the people who lived in that part of the country attacked them and chased them away, beating them
badly all the way. They quickly found out that when God says something, He means it. Moses
assembled the badly beaten people with Caleb and Joshua and led them back into the desert.
Discussion
Do you think the 10 spies told the truth to the Israelites, or did they stretch it a bit?
Why did Caleb and Joshua have more confidence that the Israelites could conquer the land than
the other 10 spies had?
Do you always believe what God says and trust Him?
What should we do when we are afraid and forget to trust God?
Memory Verse
Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. (Exodus 23:2a)
Caleb and Joshua did not follow the crowd; instead, they stood up and showed that they trusted God.
And because of it, their lives were in danger. Sometimes standing up against the crowd can be exciting
and make us feel good. But sometimes, it can make us unpopular and very uncomfortable. Either way,
God expects us to do what is right.
49

Craft Materials
grape patterns below
white paper
writing utensils
crayons or markers
scissors
business envelopes
(lavender if possible)
glue
Craft Directions
1. Copy the grape patterns below on white paper and have the children color them.
2. Cut out the grapes. On the front of the envelope, glue the grapes to the two bottom corners as
shown in the picture at the bottom of this page.
3. Write the memory verse on the front of the envelope.
4. Have children write on small, white paper squares different ways they will not follow the crowd
when the crowd wants to do wrong just as Caleb and Joshua. For example, I will not follow
people when they want to do drugs.
5. Have students place the squares inside the envelope. Tell students to read the envelope at least
once a week. Tell them to add squares each week, too.
Grape Patterns
Do not follow the crowd in

doing wrong. (Exodus
Finished Product
50
Balaam and His Donkey

Bible Story: Numbers 2224
Tell the Bible story through this action rhyme. Have students copy your actions.
King Balak sent for Balaam, a prophet that he knew,
(Point far off.)
With this message: Come to Moab and see what you can do.
(Gesture with arm for someone to come over.)
Put a curse on Israel, for they are much too strong.
(Smash thumb of one hand down into palm of other hand.)
Then we can drive them off and make them go where they belong.
(Gesture Get out with thumb over shoulder.)
Balaam said he wouldnt go, but when King Balak heard,
(Fold arms and shake head no.)
He offered him a fine reward just for the prophets words.
(Pretend to hold money in your hands and look excited.)
Balaam still refused, but God said, Go ahead and go.
(Point to a distant place.)
But only do just what I say and stop when I say no.
(Hold up hand in stop gesture.)
Saddling up his donkey, Balaam started out,
(Pretend to ride a donkey.)
(Thinking of curses for rewards, without a doubt).
(Tap head with finger.)
The donkey ran when she saw an angel with a sword.
(Stand with legs apart and one arm stretched out as if holding a sword.)
Balaam beat her for she wasnt listening to the Lord!
(Whip hand up and down as if beating something.)
The donkey once again turned from the angel, but then
Balaams foot was crushed, and he beat her once again.
When the donkey saw the angel again, she just lay down.
(Gesture down with hand.)
51

Bible Story: Numbers 2224 (cont.)
Balaam beat her hard, but then the donkey looked around
And said, Why are you beating me? I would like to know!
(Hold hands up to head like donkey ears.)
Then Balaam saw the angel and he bowed way down low.
(Bow down.)
The angel said, Your donkey saved your life; you could be dead!
Forget rewards and go and do exactly what God said,
(Point off toward the distance.)
Balaams talking donkey and an angel in the way
(Hold hands up to head like donkey ears, then hold out arms like angels wings.)
Made the prophet decide to do Gods will every day!
(Hold your thumbs up, then point toward heaven.)
Discussion
How do you think Balaam felt when his donkey talked?
Balaam seemed to be doing what God told him, so why was God so hard on him?
Does God know your thoughts?
Memory Verse
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. (Psalm 143:10a)
God has many ways to teach us His will. How has He taught you?
Craft Materials
patterns on page 53
crayons or markers
white paper
scissors
brown paper lunch bags

glue
Craft Directions
1. Copy the head and mouth pattern of the donkey on white paper.
2. Color and cut out the head and mouth of the donkey.
3. Glue the head of the donkey to the bottom of the paper bag.
4. Glue the mouth pattern under the flap.
5. Put your hand in the paper bag.
6. Lift the head to show the inside of the donkeys mouth.
52

Head Pattern
Teach me to do your
will, for you are my
God. (Psalm 143:10a)
Mouth Pattern
Finished Product
53
Rahab and the Spies

Bible Story: Joshua 2; 6:2225
Practice reading this Bible story poem until you can read it or say it smoothly with expression. Before
you share it with your students, tell them that they will help you by repeating the same line every time
you raise your hand. The line is as follows: Because Rahab believed in the Lord. Have them say it
several times so they will remember it when you raise your hand and they need to say it.
Joshua led the Israelites right up to the Promised Land,
But they werent quite ready to cross over yet cause Joshua had a plan.
He sent two men to spy out the land, to secretly look around,
And then bring back a report to him of everything theyd found.
The two spies made it to Jericho before the news got out
That Israelites were in the town, sneaking and nosing about.
They spent the night at Rahabs house; they took her at her word
When she said shed keep them safe,
Because Rahab believed in the Lord.
The King of Jericho sent soldiers to Rahabs house that night
To capture the men who had secretly come to spy for the Israelites.
The men were here, Rahab said, but they left, and I dont know where.
If you hurry very fast, you may still catch the pair.
The soldiers left, not knowing that Rahab had not told the facts.
The spies were hidden up on her roof under some stalks of flax!
She bravely kept the two Israelites safe from the soldiers swords.
She trusted their God would keep her safe
I know the Lord has given you this land, she told the spies.
Ive heard what He has done for you, and I realize
That your God is the only God in heaven and Earth below.
Please promise me that kindness is what you will surely show
To me and to my family, because Ive been kind to you.
Now, give me a sign that youll spare our lives. Tell me what youll do.
She asked this favor of the men, their mercy she implored,
For the kindness she had shown to them
54
Rahab and the Spies

Bible Story: Joshua 2; 6:2225 (cont.)
Well spare your life and your family too, the spies promised that day,
When the Lord brings us back to this place. But you must do what we say.
Tie a red cord in your window; well look for it when we arrive.
And no matter what happens in Jericho, well leave those in your house alive.
The spies sneaked away and hid in the hills, and then they hurried back home.
They told Joshua that the people were scared and the land soon would be all their own.
And when Joshua and the Israelites marched around Jerichos wall,
A red cord hung out of a window up high as God made the stones start to fall.
The Israelites conquered the city that day and destroyed it by fire and sword,
But a red cord kept one family safe as could be
Discussion
What two things did Rahab do that showed she had faith in God?
How did God reward Rahab for her faith?
What are some ways God may reward us for having faith in Him?
Memory Verse
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. (Proverbs 29:25)
Rahab trusted the Lord, so she was not afraid to endanger herself by keeping the spies safe. She
believed that God would keep her safe.
Craft Materials
glue
scissors
yellow yarn (optional)
Craft Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Copy the pictures on pages 56 and 57 on white cardstock paper.

Color all pictures. Then cut out the soldiers, haystack, and strip on page 56.
Cut the slits in the picture on page 57 and then place the strip in the slits.
Glue the haystack and people on the strip where indicated. (Optional: Use yellow yarn to glue
on haystack for extra effect.)
5. Slide the strip back and forth to show how Rahab hid the spies.
55
Glue Rahab and

soldiers here.
Rahab and the Spies
Rahab and Soldiers
Haystack
56
Glue
haystack
here.
Slider Strip
Finished Product
Rahab and the Spies
Cut slit.
Cut slit.
57
Samson
Bible Story: Judges 1316
Choose students to play the following parts in this Bible story skit: Narrator, Samson, Samsons Father,
two Philistine Soldiers, Delilah.
Narrator:
Before Samson was born, an angel visited his parents to give them a message
from the Lord.
Samsons Father: Gods angel told me and my wife that we must never cut our sons hair. He
would be set apart for Gods service and would help deliver Israel from the
Philistines. We obeyed, and Samson grew up to have great strength. Once he
and his mother and I met a wild lion in the road. Samson killed it with his bare
hands!
Samson:
Later, I went by that way again and saw the carcass of the dead lion. A swarm of
bees were living in it and it was filled with honey. I ate some of the honey. Then
I made up a riddle about it: Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong,
something sweet. I challenged some Philistines to figure it out. If they guess
the answer, I had to give them all new clothes; but if they did not guess it, they
had to give me new clothes.
Philistine Soldier 1: We could not figure out Samsons riddle. Then Samsons wife got him to tell her
the answer, and she told us that the answer was a lion. He was very angry when
we told him. He gave us some clothes, but we found out later they were from
Philistines he had killed in another town!
Philistine Soldier 2: Remember when Samsons father-in-law gave his wife to another man? Boy, was
he mad! He went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them together in
pairs by their tails. Then he set their tails on fire and let the foxes run in panic
through our grainfields and olive groves. Our crops were all burned.
Philistine Soldier 1: Yes, it was very hard on us, and even harder on the foxes.
Samsons Father: Samson did a lot of bad things to the Philistines, and they were always trying to
catch him and kill him. But he was just too strong for them.
Samson:
Once some men from Judah came, tied me with rope, and took me to the
Philistines. I could have gotten away, but I let them take me. The Philistines
were delighted, thinking they finally had me. But they did not! God gave me the
strength to snap those ropes like they were string. Then I picked up the dried out
jawbone of a donkey lying on the ground and began hitting the Philistines. I
killed one thousand of them!
Samsons Father: Samson made a big mistake by taking a Philistine woman named Delilah for his
girlfriend. He should never have trusted her.
Samson:
I knew I could not trust her, but she was always begging me to tell her the secret
of my strength. I gave her lots of wrong answers, but she finally wore me down
and I told her the truth.
Delilah:
Every time I asked Samson what made him so strong, he told me some crazy
thing. First, he said If Im tied up with seven fresh thongs, I wont be able to
get away. When he was asleep, I tried it; then I woke him up by telling him that
some Philistines were coming to get him. He easily snapped the thongs.
58
Samson
Bible Story: Judges 1316 (cont.)
Philistine Soldier 1: The next time Samson told Delilah that if he were tied up with new ropes, he
would never be able to get away. So when he fell asleep, she tied him with new
ropes; but when she yelled that we were coming to get him, he broke the ropes.
Delilah:
Another one of his answers was that if his hair was put in seven braids on a loom
and pinned down, he would be weak. I found out that wasnt true either.
Samson:
I enjoyed teasing Delilah. I knew she was trying to trick me. When she kept after
me, I finally told her the truth. Big mistake!
Delilah:
Samson said his hair had never been cut and that was the secret of his strength.
One day while he was asleep, I had a man come in and shave his head. Sure
enough, he was as weak as a kitten.
Philistine Soldier 2: We grabbed him and took him away, because he had no strength to fight us. We
put shackles on him and threw him in prison.
Samsons Father: The Philistines didnt notice that while they had Samson in prison, his hair was
growing back. One day, they stood him in their temple so everyone could see him
and laugh at how he had been captured. They were really enjoying themselves.
Samson couldnt see anything, because they had blinded him. He asked a servant
to place him between two pillars of the temple so he could lean on them to rest.
Then he asked God to give him special strength once more. He pushed against
the pillars with all his might and the whole temple came crashing down. More
than three thousand Philistines were killed, and so was Samson.
Philistine Soldier 1: I wasnt at the temple that day. If I had been, I would not be here now. Samsons
family came and dug through the rubble to find his body. They carried him home
and buried him there.
Samsons Father: My son led a rough, violent life. He didnt always listen to God, and he did some
foolish things. But Samson did what God meant for him to do; he helped deliver
Israel from the Philistines.
Discussion
Samson certainly was not perfect, but God used him to accomplish His plan. What kind of people
do you think God wants to use?
How can we know what God wants us to do? What do you think God wants you to do?
Memory Verse
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)
When God asks us to do something for Him, he gives us the power to do it!
Craft Materials
patterns on page 60 and 61
glue
scissors
59
Samson
Craft Directions
1. Copy the patterns on this page and page 61
on white cardstock paper.
2. Color patterns. Then cut out the patterns
on pages 60 and 61.
3. Fold picture on page 61 along the sides
where indicated. On the outside of the
folds, glue the two pillars to the sides of
the folds (one on each side).
4. Glue Samson to one of the pillars.
5. Open the folds so you can see the crushed
structure.
Finished
Product
Samson
Pillars
60
Samson
Fold here.
Fold here.
61
Ruth and Boaz

Bible Story: Ruth 14
Give each student a paper plate and crayons or markers. Have them make signs by printing Catch
Kindness in large letters on their plates. Explain that as you tell the Bible story, you want them to try
to catch the people who showed kindness. Every time they hear someone be kind in the story, they
should hold up their Catch Kindness signs. When they hold up their signs, stop the story to ask a
student to explain who showed kindness and how it was done.
Naomi and her husband and two sons moved away from their home in Bethlehem during a famine.
Since there was not enough food for them, they went to the land of Moab where crops were better.
While they were there, Naomis husband died; then her sons married women of Moab. About 10 years
later, both of her sons died. That left Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, on their
own. When she heard that the famine was over in her homeland, Naomi decided to move back to
Bethlehem.
Orpah and Ruth wanted to go to Bethlehem with her; but on the way, she convinced Orpah to return to
her own family. (Catch Kindness signs) She wanted her to get married again and have children.
Orpah hugged her kind mother-in-law and kissed her good-by. Then she turned around and went back
down the road.
Naomi encouraged Ruth to return home, too, but Ruth refused. She was determine to go with her
mother-in-law and take care of her. Where you go, I will go, Ruth said. And where you stay, I will
stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. (Catch Kindness signs) Finally,
Naomi gave in and the two women went to Bethlehem together.
The whole town of Bethlehem was excited to see Naomi back home, but she was sad. Life in Moab
had not turned out the way she had hoped. She blamed God for her troubles.
Ruth soon went to work in the barley fields. In those days, farmers allowed poor people to gather
whatever grain their workers missed. God was helping Ruth and Naomi because the field Ruth chose
to work in was owned by a distant relative of Naomis husband. His name was Boaz. He saw Ruth
working hard in his field to pick up the leftover stalks of barley. Who is she? he asked his workers.
When they told him she was Naomis daughter-in-law who had been working hard all day to gather
barley to provide for the two of them, Boaz was pleased. He told her to keep coming to his fields and
he offered her food, and water, and protection. (Catch Kindness signs)
Ruth was amazed at the strangers kindness. When she thanked him, Boaz explained that he had heard
how she had left her homeland to live with Naomi and take care of her. (Catch Kindness signs)
Later, he told his workers to leave some extra barley for Ruth to pick up. By the end of the day, she
had a large container of barley to take home to Naomi. (Catch Kindness signs) Naomi was happy to
learn that Boaz had been so kind to her daughter-in-law. The Lord bless him! she said. It will be
good for you to work in his fields where you will be safe.
When the barley harvest was over, Ruth stayed in Boazs field to gather wheat. Naomi decided that her
kind daughter-in-law deserved to have a husband to love her and a family of her own. And Boaz would
make her a great husband! She told Ruth to meet him at the threshing floor that night. The threshing
floor was where the wheat was beaten to separate the edible grain from the stalks. When Boaz saw
Ruth, he realized she had come to offer herself as his wife. He promised to marry her. Before she left,
he filled her shawl with extra grain to take home to Naomi. (Catch Kindness signs) Naomi was
pleased.
62
Ruth and Boaz

Bible Story: Ruth 14 (cont.)
Boaz made all the arrangements, and soon he and Ruth were married. Their first child was a son whom
they named Obed. When the baby was laid in Naomis lap, she was happy to have a grandchild. God
had blessed her through the kindness of her daughter-in-law Ruth.
Discussion
How was Ruth kind?
How did God bless her for her kindness?
What are some ways we can be kind as God wants us to be?
Memory Verse
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. (1 John 3:11)
If we truly love God and other people, we will treat everyone with kindness. We cannot be kind
without having love, for kindness grows out of love.
Craft Materials
pattern on page 64
markers or crayons
white paper or white cardstock paper
different-colored 12'' x 18''

pieces of construction
paper
glue
yarn or glitter
Craft Directions
1. Tell students that the story of Ruths devotion to her mother-in-law and Noami provides warmth
and kindness, and that this craft will remind others about kindness.
2. Copy the word kindness from page 64 on a sheet of white paper or white cardstock paper.
3. Have students color all the decorative art around the word kindness. Tell them to leave the
word kindness blank because they will be doing something different with the letters.
4. Have students trace the word kindness with glue and apply the yarn or glitter over the word.
5. Glue the kindness picture onto an 12'' x 18'' piece of colored construction paper.
6. Have students place the pictures in their rooms or on their home refrigerators to remind them to
show kindness.
63
Kindness
64
Jonathan and His Armor Bearer

Bible Story: I Samuel 14:123
As you tell the Bible story, draw stick figures on a chalkboard or whiteboard to illustrate the action.
Hand out paper and pencils and encouarge students to copy your drawings or draw their own to show
what is happening in the story.
King Saul and about 600 of his men were camped across some cliffs
from a Philistine outpost. They were not fighting, but just waiting.
When they saw the huge numbers of Philistines, Sauls soldiers were
scared. There just were not enough of them to fight the Philistines!
So they sat around and waited for something to happen.
Jonathan, King Sauls son, was a brave soldier. He was tired of
doing nothing. He said to the young man who carried his armor,
Come, lets go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.
The two left the camp, but Jonathan did not tell his father what they
were going to do. No one noticed when they left. Perhaps the
Lord will act on our behalf, Jonathan said to his armor bearer.
Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by
few. Jonathan had a lot more faith than his father, the king, had.
Jonathans armor bearer was also a brave man. Every army officer
in those days had an armor bearer whose job it was to fight for and
defend his commander. He also held whatever weapons or armor
his commander was not using and made sure they were available
when he wanted them. Jonathans armor bearer did not hesitate to
follow his master. Do all that you have in mind, he said. I am
with you heart and soul.
Jonathan explained his plan. We will cross over toward the men
and let them see us. If they tell us to wait where we are until they
come to us, we will stay where we are and not go any farther. But if
they tell us to come up where they are, that will be Gods sign to us
that He will give them into our hands. We will climb up the cliff
and defeat them.
The two men went on a little farther then stood where the Philistines
could see them. Look! said one of the Philistines. The Israelites
are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in. The Philistine
soldiers yelled to Jonathan and his armor bearer to come up to their
outpost and be taught a lesson.
The Philistines were probably surprised when the two Israelites
started climbing up the cliff toward them. It was not an easy climb.
The two brave men struggled up the cliff using their hands and feet.
65

Bible Story: I Samuel 14:123 (cont.)
When they got to the top of the cliff, what a surprise the Philistines had!
Jonathan and his armor-bearer fought like a small army, killing twenty
Philistine soldiers by themselves.
When the rest of the Philistines saw their fellow soldiers dropping right
and left from the attack of the two men, they began to run away. Back in
camp, the Israelites heard the noise and saw the Philistine army
scattering in confusion. That is when Saul discovered that his son
Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone. He realized that they must
have something to do with what was happening at the Philistine outpost.
The Israelite soldiers, much braver now that they saw the Philistines on
the run, followed King Saul to the enemy outpost. When they got there,
they discovered that the Philistines were so frightened and confused, they
were fighting one another! Sauls soldiers took advantage of the
confusion and began fighting the Philistines who ran away from them.
Many Israelite soldiers who had been hiding in the hills because they
were afraid to fight now came out and helped fight the Philistines.
It was a tremendous victory for Israel even thought they had been greatly
outnumbered by the Philistines. But brave Jonathan and his brave armor
bearer knew that they had not defeated the PhilistinesGod had!
Discussion
How did God reward Jonathans faith in Him that day?
Why did all the Israelite soldiers suddenly become brave enough to join the fight?
For what do you need to trust God?
Memory Verse
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Why does it take courage to live the Christian life and do what is right? The only way we can be the
kind of Christians He wants us to be is to trust the Lord for the strength and courage we need in a sinful
world.
Craft Materials
pattern on page 67
aluminum foil
glue
tape
scissors
Craft Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Copy pattern on page 67 on white cardstock paper and cut it out.

Use foil to cover the shield. On the back side tape the edges down.
Cut a five-inch strip of paper and tape it to the back of the shield to slip a hand in.
Cut and decorate a cross out of cardstock paper. Glue it to the front of the shield.
66
67
David and the Giant

Bible Story: 1 Samuel 17
Choose three students to pantomime the Bible story as you tell it. They will act out the parts of David,
King Saul, and the giant Goliath. Divide the rest of the class in half to be the Philistines and the
Israelites. Stand them on opposite sides of the room and have the story acted out in the center. Follow
directions in the story.
The Israelite army and the Philistine army were each camped on a hill with a valley between them.
They were not fighting yet, but every day a giant Philistine soldier named Goliath stood in the valley
and taunted the Israelites. (Goliath walks to the center, stands on a chair, and gestures to the Israelites
to come and fight him, then laughs.) Why dont you come and line up for battle? he shouted. Send
one man down to me. If he is able to kill me, the Philistines will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you
will be our slaves!
The Israelite soldiers and King Saul were terrified of Goliath and no one was willing to go and fight
him. They knew they would be killed. One day, however, a young boy named David was in the
Israelite camp. (David walks into the center of the room and looks around.) His father had sent him to
take food to his older brothers who were soldiers and find out how they were. When David heard what
Goliath said and saw how afraid Sauls soldiers were, he was shocked. (David looks at the Israelites
with a frown.) Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? he asked
angrily.
His brother scolded him, but David asked the other soldiers about the giant and why no one would fight
him. (Saul walks in a kingly way to the center of the room and sits down in a chair. David comes and
stands before him.) When Saul heard about the boy, he sent for David. I will go and fight the
Philistine giant, David told the king. (David points to himself.) Saul, of course, refused to let him
since he was not even old enough to be a soldier. (Saul shakes his head no.)
Then David told the king about some of his experiences as a shepherd. He had once rescued a sheep
from the mouth of a lion, then killed the lion. (David holds up arms to show muscles.) He had also
killed a bear to protect his sheep. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of
the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine, he told Saul. (David points toward heaven.)
Finally, Saul agreed to let David fight the giant. (Saul shakes his head yes.) He gave David his own
armor to wear, but it was too big and heavy for the boy. (David walks around stiffly with arms out as if
wearing uncomfortable armor.) He took off the armor and went off to fight the giant with his sling as
his only weapon. (Saul leaves and David walks around, then stoops and picks up five stones and puts
them in his pocket.) On his way to meet the giant, David stopped by a stream and picked up five
smooth stones for ammunition.
(Goliath stands on the chair again and looks down at David and laughs.) The giant looked at David
and laughed. He could strike down such a little warrior without even using a weapon. David looked
up at Goliath and said with confidence, I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God
of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me. Then
David ran toward the giant. (David hurries forward, pretending to put one of the stones in his sling.)
Before the giant knew what was happening, David began circling the sling over his head. (David acts
this out.) At just the right moment, the young shepherd boy let go of one end of the sling and the stone
he had loaded in it went flying toward Goliath. It hit him on the head right between the eyes and the
giant fell down dead. (Goliath grabs his head and slowly topples onto the floor.)
68
David and the Giant

Bible Story: 1 Samuel 17 (cont.)
The Israelite soldiers cheered and shouted with joy. (Israelites cheer and hug each other and act
excited.) The Philistines, however, turned around and ran! (Philistines look scared and run in place.)
The Israelites, no longer afraid of their enemies, attacked the Philistines and chased them for miles.
(Israelites run in place also.) A great battle was won by Israel that day because of the faith of a young
shepherd boy.
Discussion
Why were Saul and his soldiers afraid to fight Goliath, but David wasnt?
Why did David believe God would help him defeat the giant?
How do you know you can trust God to help you live for Him?
Memory Verse
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. (Psalm 28:7a)
The Bible tells us that there is no one or nothing more powerful than God. We can trust Him to use His
power to help us and protect us.
Craft Materials
crayons
white paper
Craft Directions
1. Copy page 70 and 71 back to back on white paper.
(Caution Note: Test one copy to make sure step 3
will work.)
2. Color the pictures with crayons.
3. Fold in 13 of the right-hand side of the paper so
Goliath is facing David.
4. After you tell the story about David and Goliath,
the children can open the card and see Goliath
killed.
Finished Product
69
Goliath
David
70
Goliath
71
Elisha and the Shunammite Woman

Bible Story: 2 Kings 4:837
Follow directions in the story for simple actions to make this story come alive. Encourage your
students to copy your actions.
Elisha traveled all around doing the Lords work. (Walk the first two fingers of one hand along the
other hand.) One day he went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman in that town invited Elisha to
come to her home and have a meal with her and her husband. (Rub your stomach and pretend to eat.)
Elisha accepted, and after that he often stopped at their home when he was in town.
After several meals with Elisha, the woman said to her husband, I know that this man who often
comes our way is a holy man of God. Let us make a small room on the roof (Point up.) and put a bed
in it (Count the items off on your fingers.) and a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then he can stay
there whenever he comes to us. Her husband agreed and the next time Elisha stopped by, they showed
him his room. It was much more comfortable than camping or finding an inn in which to stay. In those
days inns were not nice like our motels are today.
One day, Elisha was resting in his upstairs room (Put both hands behind your head and lean back.)
when he told his servant to go get the Shunammite woman. You have gone to all this trouble for us,
Elisha said. Now, what can be done for you? The woman would not tell him what she wanted.
When she left, Elisha asked his servant for some ideas.
(Tap your head with a finger as if thinking hard.) Well, said his servant, she has no son and her
husband is old. Elisha decided that giving her a child was an excellent idea. The servant asked the
woman to come back up to Elishas room.
Elisha said to her, About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms. The Shunammite
woman was overwhelmed. (Put a hand over your mouth and look shocked.) She had wanted a son so
much, but did not think it was possible. Now the man of God was going to make it happen. Sure
enough, about a year later her son was born. (Pretend to rock a baby in your arms.) How proud she
and her husband were of their new child!
When the boy grew older, he went out to the field with his father one day to watch him reap the grain.
Suddenly, the boy grabbed his head. (Hold your head in both hands as if it hurts.) My head! My
head! he cried. His father quickly had a servant carry the boy to his mother in the house. She held
her son on her lap. (Pretend to hold a child on your lap.) But she could not do anything to make him
well. Her son died.
The woman carried her son upstairs to Elishas room and laid him on the bed. Then she shut the door
and went downstairs to call her husband. Please send me a servant and one of the donkeys, she told
him. I am going to see Elisha. When the servant and donkey arrived, she saddled the donkey and
got on. Then she rode off toward Mt. Carmel (Pretend to ride a donkey.) where Elisha was with the
servant walking beside him.
When she found Elisha, she bowed down before him. (Bow down.) Elisha could see that she was very
upset, but he did not know why. She told him what had happened to her son. Quick! Elisha told his
servant. (Point to a distant place.) Take my staff and run to this womans house. Lay the staff on her
sons face. Then Elisha and the woman headed back to her house more slowly.
72

Bible Story: 2 Kings 4:837 (cont.)
Elishas servant came back and met them on the way to report that the boy had not awakened. There
had been no sound or response from him. When they got to the house, Elisha went upstairs to his room
and prayed to the Lord. (Fold hands and bow head.) Then he lay on top of the boy, mouth to mouth
(Touch your mouth.), eyes to eyes (Touch your eyes.), and hands to hands (Press your hands together.).
Slowly the boys cold, dead body began to warm up.
Suddenly, the boy sneezed seven times. (Make seven sneezing noises and count them on your fingers.)
Then he opened his eyes. He was alive! Elisha called for his mother. When she came into the room,
Elisha said, Take your son. The Shunammite woman saw that her son was alive again, and she bowed
down at Elishas feet and thanked him. (Bow down.) Then she stood up, took her sons hand, and went
out of the room.
Discussion
How did the Shunammite woman show that she trusted God?
How did Elisha show that he trusted God?
How can people tell that you trust God?
Memory Verse
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
The Shunammite woman probably did not know exactly what to expect when she went to Elisha for
help, but she trusted him and God. We do not have to understand everything; we can just trust God to
help us and do what is best for us.
Craft Materials
coupons on page 74
scissors
markers or color pencils
Craft Directions
1. Remind students how Elisha helped the Shunammite woman. Tell them that they can learn how to
help people by making and using this craft.
2. Copy coupons on white cardstock paper.
3. Color and cut out the coupons. (Laminate for durability.)
4. Give coupons on special occasions to family and friends.
73

Coupon good
for setting
the table.
Kindness
Coupons
Coupon
good for
one I
love you!
Coupon good for one

big bear hug!
Coupon good
for helping
with the
dishes.
Coupon good
for putting
the toys
away.
Coupon good for putting

clothes away.
Coupon good for
making the bed.
74
Queen Esther
Bible Story: Esther 110
Choose children to act out the story of Queen Esther. You will need the following parts: King Xerxes,
Esther, Esthers maid, Mordecai, Haman, two soldiers, and a narrator. If possible, provide cardboard
crowns and robes for the king and Esther. You will also need a gold scepter for the king. You can
make this by poking a Styrofoam ball on one end of a dowel rod, then covering the whole thing with
gold wrapping paper.
Narrator:
(With the king standing nearby) King Xerxes (Zerk-zeeze) wanted a new queen, so his
officials went throughout the land looking for the most beautiful girls. The king could
choose from all the girls, but he wanted only one to be his queen. One of the most
beautiful girls was Esther, an orphan Jewish girl. (Mordecai walks in with Esther, in
regular clothes, as the king watches.) Her cousin Mordecai had adopted her as his
daughter.
King Xerxes:(Pointing to Esther) I want you to be my queen! (He gives Esther a robe and places a
crown on her head.) We will have a great banquet to celebrate. Let there be a holiday
throughout the land! (The king and Esther walk away. Mordecai comes in and sits
down.)
Narrator:
Queen Esthers cousin Mordecai was sitting near the kings gate one day when he
overheard two of the kings officers plotting to kill King Xerxes.
Mordecai:
(Standing up and hurrying to Esther who is standing at the side of the room) Esther, I
just heard the kings officers talking. They plan to kill the king! You must tell him!
Esther:
(Hurrying to two soldiers standing nearby.) Tell the king his life is in danger. Two of
his officers are plotting his death! (The soldiers hurry away.)
Narrator:
The two officers were executed and the kings life was saved. What Mordecai had done
was written in the kings record book. Now one man in the kings service thought he was
much more important than he really was. His name was Haman. Everyone bowed down
when he walked by, everyone that is but Mordecai. This enraged Haman.
Haman:
(Pacing back and forth angrily) I hate that Mordecai. I would like to see him and all his
people dead! How can I trick the king into getting rid of all the Jews in the land?
Narrator:
(Haman standing before the king.) Haman told King Xerxes that Jews would not obey
the laws of the land and that they were troublemakers. Haman suggested they be
destroyed. The king foolishly agreed and gave Haman the power to set his plan in
motion. (The king and Haman leave; Mordecai comes in crying.) Mordecai cried
bitterly when he learned of the new law to get rid of the Jews. When Esther heard about
Mordecai, she sent her handmaiden to find out what was wrong with him. (The
handmaiden goes to Mordecai and puts her hand on his shoulder. Then she walks over
to Esther.) Esther could not believe such a terrible thing was going to happen to her
people. Mordecai wanted her to go talk to King Xerxes to try to change his mind, but
she did not dare! Everyone knew that if you disturbed the king when he did not want
any visitors, you could be put to death. Only if he raised his gold scepter toward you
would your life be spared. And she had not seen the king for a month! But Mordecai
pointed out that she was the Jews only hope.
75
Queen Esther
Bible Story: Esther 110 (cont.)
Esther:
I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!
King Xerxes:(Sitting down with his scepter on his lap as Esther walks slowly toward him.) Come in,
Esther. (Holding the scepter out toward her.) What can I do for you?
Esther:
Please come to a banquet I have prepared for you, and bring Haman.
Narrator:
(The king walks away with Esther.) The king agreed. He and Haman went to the
banquet, but Esther did not tell the king what she wanted. She just invited them to
another banquet the next day. Haman was proud of being a special friend of the king and
queens, which made him even angrier that Mordecai refused to honor him. So, Haman
gave orders for a gallows to be built on which he would hang Mordecai! That night, the
king could not sleep, so he decided to read in his book of records. When he read how
Mordecai had saved his life, he called in Haman and asked what should be done to honor
a special man. Haman, thinking he was that man, suggested he be given a royal robe and
be carried throughout the city on the kings horse. When the king ordered him to have it
done for Mordecai, Haman followed his orders with hatred and disgust for the Jew.
(Haman puts a robe on Mordecai and leads him around the room.)
At the second banquet, Esther told the king she was a Jew and Hamans orders were to
kill all Jews. The king was so angry, he nearly exploded!
King Xerxes:(Motioning angrily to the two soldiers to come in.) Take him away and hang him on the
gallows he had built! (The soldiers take Haman away.)
Narrator:
When the king found out that Mordecai was Esthers adopted father, the king gave him
his own royal ring. Then the king gave orders that saved the Jews in the his land.
Jewish people thoughout the land celebrated with great joy.
Discussion
Do you think Esther was afraid to go before the king without an invitation? Why did she do it?
Are you sometimes afraid to do what you know God wants you to do? What can you do when
you are afraid?
There are many verses in the Bible that remind us that God is with us and will help and protect
us. What is your favorite one?
Memory Verse
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
(Psalm 16:8)
Esther and Mordecai knew God was watching over them. Knowing that God was with them kept them
from being shaken by the disturbing things happening all around them. Sometimes frightening things
happen in the world, but we can trust God to be with us and take care of us.
76
Queen Esther
Crown Pattern
Craft Materials
crown pattern
scissors
markers or crayons
sequins
glitter
stapler
glue
Craft Directions
1. Copy pattern on white
cardstock paper.
2. Color, cut out, and decorate
your crown.
3. Make a 1- to 2-inch band
from cardstock paper to fit
around your head.
4. Staple the crown to the front
of the band.
5. Renact the story of Queen
Esther and King Xerxes.
77
King Nebuchadnezzars Fiery Furnace

Bible Story: Daniel 3
Before class, set up a replica of Nebuchadnezzars golden image at the front of the room. This could be
a gold-colored statue or an idol drawn on a cardboard box and painted gold. Whatever you decide to
use, set it on top of several boxes so the children have to look up at it. As you tell the Bible story, have
students do the actions with you.
King Nebuchadnezzar, a wicked, ungodly king, had a huge golden statue set up in Babylon. He
ordered everyone to bow down and worship the statue whenever his musicians played their instruments.
(Pretend to play a trumpet.) Everyone did just what the king said, bowing on their knees before the
statue. (Bow down.) Well, almost everyone. Three Jewish menShadrach, Meshach, and
Abednegorefused to bow down and worship anyone but God. (Stand up with arms crossed looking
stubborn.)
When he found out about them, Nebuchadnezzar was furious! (Grit teeth and clench hands into fists.)
He ordered that the disobedient men be brought before him. He said to them, If you do not bow down
(bow down) to my golden statue when your hear the music play (Pretend to play a trumpet.), I will
have the three of you thrown into a blazing furnace! (Wiggle fingers of both hands in front of you like
flames.)
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, If you throw us into a fiery furnace, our God is able to
save us. But even if He chooses not to save our lives, we will still worship only Him. (Point a finger
toward heaven.) We will not bow down and worship your golden statue. (Stand up with arms crossed
looking stubborn.)
That made the king so angry, he ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. (Fan
face with hand and pretend to wipe sweat from your brow.) Then he commanded some of his strongest
soldiers to tie up the three men and throw them into the blazing furnace. (Pretend to throw something,
using both hands.) The heat was so intense, that the soldiers were killed! Well, the king thought that
would be the end of those Jewish troublemakers! (Dust hands together.)
But it was not. When Nebuchadnezzar looked at the furnace, he could see four men walking around in
the fire! (Hold up four fingers and count on them.) Didnt we just throw three men in the furnace?
shouted the king. (Hold up three fingers.) So, why do I see four? (Hold up four fingers.) He got as
close to the hot furnace as he could, then he yelled, (Put a hand on each side of your mouth as if
yelling.) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! All of a
sudden, King Nebuchadnezzars attitude had changed. He was speaking respectfully of God (Point
toward heaven.) because he knew it must be God who had kept the men from burning to death.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego calmly walked out of the furnace. All the royal officials crowded
around them, amazed. They not only had not been burned at all, but their hair was not singed, (Hold
out some of your hair.) their robes were not scorched, (Hold out a piece of your clothing.) and they did
not even smell like smoke! (Sniff loudly.)
Nebuchadnezzar had learned an important lesson. Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, he said, who sent his angel and rescued his servants! (Hold hands in the air.) They
trusted in him and defied the kings command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve
or worship any god except their own God. Then the king proclaimed that anyone who said anything
against God would be punished by death. After that, Nebuchadnezzar promoted the three faithful
78

Discussion
Why do you think it was hard for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to stand up against the king?
Couldnt they have bowed down and just pretended to worship the statue?
The Bible calls the fourth man in the flames a son of the gods. It was probably Jesus, showing
up in person to help three of Gods faithful servants and keep them safe. How did God use the
faith of these men to be a witness for Him?
Memory Verse
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)
God is concerned about the safety and well being of His children. He has provided angels to watch
over us wherever we go and protect us from harm just as Jesus was with Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego to keep them safe in the fire.
Craft Materials
red paper (optional)
scissors
markers or crayons
tape
Craft Directions
1. Copy patterns on white cardstock paper.
2. Color the pictures. Then cut out the
door and flames. (Note: You could
copy the flames pattern on red paper.)
3. Tape the furnace door on the right side
of the picture.
4. Accordion fold the flames.
5. Tape the flames in the bottom inside of the door so
they will pop open when you open the door.
79
Finished Product
Tape door on this side.
80

Flames Pattern
Door Pattern
81
Daniel and the Lions

Bible Story: Daniel 6
Since this Bible story is familiar to almost every child, involve students by asking questions throughout
the story and calling on them.
King Darius appointed 120 men to be his assistants in ruling his Babylonian Empire. Then he chose
three good leaders to be in charge of those assistant rulers. One of the leaders he chose was Daniel, a
Jewish man who loved God and prayed to Him three times a day, every day. Daniel had been brought
to Babylon many years before as a captive. But because God blessed him, Daniel was admired and
respected by the king. In fact, Darius planned to promote Daniel above the other leaders to put him in
charge of the whole kingdom! (Question: How do you think the other leaders felt about that?
Answer: They were angry and jealous of Daniel.)
The assistant rulers and other leaders decided they would make charges against Daniel to the king to
show him that Daniel did not deserve to have such an important government position. But you know
what? Daniel was such a godly man, nobody could find one bad thing against him to report to the
king! The Bible says, They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither
corrupt nor negligent. This made the men even angrier. Finally one said, We will never be able to
accuse him of anything unless it has something to do with the law of his God. King Darius did not
worship God, and the laws of the land had nothing to do with God, so maybe that is where they could
catch Daniel.
The wicked men came up with a plan. The whole group went to King Darius and flattered him. They
convinced him that he was so great, he should issue a decree that for a whole month no one could pray
to any god or man except Darius. (Question: Was that a good law? Why? Answer: No, because only
God deserves to be worshiped and answers prayers.) The king fell for it. He thought it would be great
to have everyone praying only to him for thirty days, so he wrote down the new law and signed his
name to it.
(Question: When Daniel found out about the decree, what do you think he did? Did he stop praying to
God? Answer: No, he kept right on praying as he always had.) Daniel went home to his upstairs room
and bowed on his knees in front of an open window where he could be seen by everyone. He prayed to
God three times a day as he always had. He did not try to hide his prayer time so the kings men would
not see him. He did not care who saw him. He was faithful to God and knew that God would take care
of him. Well, it was not long before the assistant rulers and leaders saw Daniel praying. (Question:
What do you think those wicked men did? Answer: They went and told the king.) Didnt you issue a
decree that no one should pray to anyone but you for thirty days? they asked Darius. And didnt that
decree say that anyone who broke that law would be thrown into the lions den?
I did, said the king, And the decree stands.
Well, said the wicked men, grinning and rubbing their hands in pleasure, Daniel is paying no
attention to your decree. He still prays to his God three times a day. They knew they had King Darius
in a corner he could not wiggle out of. There was nothing he could do but have Daniel arrested and
thrown into the den of lions.
Darius was very upset. He realized that those wicked men had tricked him. He did not want Daniel to
be hurt or killed. He tried all day to come up with a way to save Daniel. But he could not change the
law he had made. Finally, the king gave the order for Daniel to be thrown into the lions den. He said
to Daniel, May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!
82

Bible Story: Daniel 6 (cont.)
A stone was brought and placed over the door of the den so Daniel could not climb out. There was no
one to help him now except God. King Darius sadly went back to his palace. He was so worried about
Daniel, he could not eat or sleep all night. Was Daniel being torn apart by the hungry lions? Would
there be nothing left but Daniels bones the next day?
Actually, King Darius had a much worse night than Daniel did. (Question: What happened that night
to Daniel in the lions den? Answer: Nothing. God shut the mouths of the lions so they could not
harm him.) As soon as the sun began to come up the next morning, King Darius hurried to the lions
den. Daniel, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions? he
shouted.
The king was thrilled to hear Daniels clear voice answering him: My God sent his angel, and he shut
the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I
ever done any wrong before you, O King. Can you imagine? A whole night spent with a bunch of
hungry lions and Daniel did not have a scratch on him! The king knew that only Gods hand on Daniel
could have kept him safe through the night.
Overjoyed, the king ordered Daniel to be lifted out of the lions den, safe and sound. (Question: What
do you think happened to the wicked men who had tried to get rid of Daniel? Answer: The king had
them thrown into the lions den and they were killed.) The king was so impressed about the way God
had kept Daniel safe, he issued another decree. This one said that everyone in his kingdom should fear
and honor the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, said the decree, and he endures forever. He
rescues and he saves. Daniel had trusted God, and God had shown everyone what a powerful and
caring God He is.
Discussion
Why didnt Daniel pray with his windows closed to remain faithful to God, but stay out of
trouble?
Do you think Daniel was afraid of the lions?
What do you think happened in the lions den that night?
Why didnt God keep the lions from killing the assistant rulers and leaders when they were
thrown into the den?
How has God rescued you?
Memory Verse
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. . . . (Deuteronomy 33:27a)
Two words in this verse, eternal and everlasting, mean forever or without end. That means that God
will take care of you always, forever. There isnt a time when He isnt watching over you. It is like
being carried in His loving arms.
Craft Materials
scissors
crayons or markers

glue
big wiggle eyes (optional)
83
brown felt
craft stick or magnet

Craft Directions
Finished Product

2. Glue the lions mane on brown felt and cut out.
3. Color and cut out the lions face and glue in center
of the brown felt side.
4. Attach a craft stick to back of head and use as a
puppet or glue a magnet to the back of head and
place on a magnetic surface.
Lions Face
84

Lions Mane
85
Jonah and the Big Fish

Bible Story: Jonah 13
Present this familiar story as a song. Have students repeat the second, third, and fourth lines with you
each time.
(Tune: B-I-N-G-O)
God told Jonah, Go to Nineveh and preach my word there.
Jonah would not go,
Jonah would not go,
Jonah would not go;
He disobeyed the Lord!
Jonah got aboard a ship and sailed the other way. Oh!
Jonah would not go,
Jonah would not go,
Jonah would not go;
He disobeyed the Lord.
Suddenly a storm came up that put the ship in danger.
Jonah said, Its me,
Jonah said, Its me,
Jonah said, Its me,
This storm is all my fault!
Jonah said, To save yourselves, throw me into the sea. Oh!
Throw me overboard,
Throw me overboard,
Throw me overboard
To stop this deadly storm.
The sailors picked old Jonah up and tossed him overboard. Oh!
The storm stopped right away,
The storm stopped right away,
The storm stopped right away
With Jonah in the sea.
86

Bible Story: Jonah 13 (cont.)
Then God sent a great, big fish to swallow Jonah whole. Oh!
He gulped Jonah down,
But Jonah did not die.
Jonah prayed inside that fish and asked God to forgive him.
That fish spit him out,
That fish spit him out,
That fish spit him out
Clear up on the dry ground.
Then Jonah hurried off to Nineveh to preach Gods word. Oh!
He obeyed the Lord,
He obeyed the Lord,
He obeyed the Lord
And did just what God said.
Discussion
Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and nights. What do you think he thought about
during that time?
The captain and sailors of the ship did not want to throw Jonah overboard, but when they did and
the storm stopped, how do you think they felt?
God used a fish to teach Jonah a lesson. What are some other ways He teaches us what we need
to learn?
Memory Verse
So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to
the left. (Deuteronomy 5:32)
God wants us to obey Him. If we do not, He has ways of convincing us toand they are not always
fun!
Craft Materials
crayons or markers
gray cardstock paper
hole punch
scissors
yarn or string
87

Craft Directions
1. Copy patterns on gray cardstock paper.
2. Color and cut out patterns.
3. Place the big fish with the eyes on top of the
other fish. Be sure you cut the mouth out first.
4. Hole punch the indicated holes.
5. With the yarn, stitch the whale together. Then,
you can insert Jonah in and out of the big fishs
mouth.
Big Fish
Cut mouth out.
88

Jonah
Big Fish
Finished Product
89
Jesus Is Born
Bible Stories: Luke 12; Matthew 2
Since the story of Jesus birth is familiar to almost all
children, use a star as a visual aid. Make a large star out
of paper. Cut it apart into six pieces as shown to the right.
As you begin the story, mount the center of the star on a
bulletin board. As you tell the story, add the star points in
the order they are numbered. Print key words on each
point of the star to remind students of the details of Jesus
birth. Suggestions are given in the story. To involve
students in the story, give each one a smaller cut-apart
star. Have them put their stars together as you put the
large one together.
(Put the center of the star on the board.) One day God sent an angel with a very important message to
a young woman named Mary. You are going to have a baby boy, the angel said. You are to name
Him Jesus. He will be Gods Son. (Attach star point 1 to the left side of the star. Print key words on
the point, such as MARY CHOSEN.) Mary could not believe it! She was not even married. Then the
angel explained that God was going to be the Father of her son. She did not understand it, but she
believed the angel when he said, Nothing is impossible with God. Mary loved God and was honored
that God had chosen her to give birth to His Son.
Later, an angel appeared to Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, to explain what was happening.
Sometime later, the Roman emporer issued a decree that everyone in the Roman empire would be
counted. This was called a census. Everyone had to go to his hometown to sign up for the census.
This meant that Joseph had to go to the town of Bethlehem. He decided to take Mary with him since
her baby would be born sometime soon. Of course, that census was no accident. God arranged the
whole thing so His Son would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David, just as the prophets had said
hundreds of years before! (Micah 5:2) Joseph and Mary may have wished they did not have to take
the trip to Bethlehem right then, but it was all part of Gods plan. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the
city was crowded with many other people who had come to sign up for the census. There was no room
in the inn for Mary and Joseph. Instead, they spent the night in a stable where animals slept. (Attach
star point 2 to the top of the star. Print key words on the point, such as BETHLEHEM STABLE.) That
night Jesus was born in the stable. Mary laid him in a manger, a box usually filled with food for the
animals. The Son of God went to sleep in the hay.
In the fields outside Bethlehem were flocks of sheep being watched over by their shepherds. They
spent the nights lying outside under the starry sky. Usually, the only sound the shepherds heard were
soft bleats from some restless sheep. But that night something very exciting happened. An angel
appeared to the shepherds. They were very afraid, but the angel told them not to be afraid because he
had good news for them. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, the angel told
them. This will be a sign to you: You will find the baby lying in a manger. (Attach star point 3 to
the right side of the star. Print key words on the point such as ANGELS ANNOUNCEMENT.) Then
suddenly, the sky was filled with angels praising God, saying, Glory to God in the highest! The
shepherds could not believe their eyes and ears.
90
Jesus Is Born
Bible Stories: Luke 12; Matthew 2 (cont.)
As suddenly as the angels had appeared, they were gone. The shepherds looked at one another and
said, Let us go to Bethlehem and find this baby the Lord has told us about. They looked around town
and found Mary and Joseph in the stable, and there was Jesus, just as the angel had promised. (Attach
star point 4 to the bottom right of the star. Print key words on the point such as SHEPHERDS.) They
told everyone about seeing Gods Son in the stable, and those who heard about it were amazed.
A couple of years later, when Jesus and Mary and Joseph were living in a house in Bethlehem, they had
more visitors. Wise men, called magi, from the east had seen a special star in the sky that told them
Gods Son had been born. They traveled a great distance to find Him. When they got to Jerusalem, the
capital city of Judea, they went to the kings palace to ask where they could find the King of the Jews.
Of course, they thought such an important person would be at the palace. The king called the Jewish
chief priests and Bible teachers to find out if they knew anything about Him. They looked in the book
of Micah in the Bible and discovered that Gods Son was to be born in Bethlehem. That is where the
wise men went and the special star led them right to the house where Jesus was living. They were so
happy to finally meet Jesus. (Attach star point 5 to the bottom left of the star. Print key words on the
point such as WISE MEN.) They gave Him expensive gifts, and bowed down and worshipped the little
boy. ( The king had asked them to let him know where they found Jesus but God warned the wise men
in a dream not to tell the king. When they left Bethlehem, they went home a different way so they
would not have to go back through Jerusalem. God worked out all the details of Jesus birth and kept
Him safe so He could grow up and be the Savior of the world. (Print on the center of the star Happy
Birthday, Jesus!)
Discussion
How did Mary show that she had great faith in God?
Why do you think God planned for Jesus to be born in a stable instead of a palace?
Shepherds were not important people in Bible times. Why do you think God sent the first
announcement of Jesus birth to them?
How can we be more like those shepherds?
Memory Verse
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Perish means die. Jesus came to die for our sins so we would not have to. What can we have if we
believe in Him? (Eternal life)
Craft Materials
patterns on pages 92 and 93 blue paper plates
scissors
crayons or markers
glue gun
glue
glitter (optional)
91
Jesus Is Born
Craft Directions
1. Copy patterns from pages 92 and 93 on white cardstock paper.
2. Color and cut out the patterns.
3. Get two blue paper plates. Cut one of the plates half and flip it over. Glue the two pieces
together forming a pocket.
4. Glue the star to the beams. (Optional: Use gold glitter on the star) Then glue the piece to the
top corner of the whole plate.
5. Glue the Bethlehem scene to the front of the half plate. Now you have a card holder.
Beams
Star
Finished Product
92
Jesus Is Born
Bethlehem Scene
93
John the Baptist

Bible Story: Matthew 3; 14:1-12
Illustrate this story as you tell it with simple, stick-figures or sketches on the board as shown. To get
students involved, you may want to have them copy your stick figures on paper or create their own.
When God sent an angel to Mary to tell her she was going to give
birth to Jesus, Gods Son, the angel also told her that a relative of
hers, Elizabeth, was also going to have a child. Elizabeths child was
born first and was named John. He grew up to become John the
Baptist, a great preacher. John had one main message which he
preached wherever he went: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
near. God had chosen John to prepare people for the coming of His
Son Jesus. He was called the Baptist because he baptized many
people who believed his words and repented of their sins.
John always drew crowds of people wherever he preached. He did
not look like anyone else. He wore rough clothing made from
camels hair with a leather belt. He seemed to spend most of his
time out in the desert, and he ate mostly wild honey and locusts
(bugs that looked like large grasshoppers). Locusts were often eaten
by poor people. Even though people liked to listen to his fiery
sermons, John the Baptist was not a popular man. He did not tell
people what they wanted to hear. He told them the truth. Sometimes
he called sinful people vipers (snakes). He even publicly accused
government leaders of doing evil things. He did not care what
people thought of him; he only wanted to do Gods will.
Some people thought John might be the Messiah, but he assured
them he was not. There is one coming after me who is so much
better, he told them, I dont even deserve to carry his sandals. He
was talking about Jesus. One day while John was preaching near the
Jordan River, he saw Jesus walking toward him. Look, John said.
It is the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world.
Jesus walked right up to John and asked to be baptized. Oh no,
said John. I should not be baptizing you! You should baptize me!
But Jesus insisted, so John took Him to the river and baptized him.
Suddenly, a dove came flying down from the blue sky and set down
on Jesus shoulder. It was actually the Holy Spirit in a form
everyone could see. Then God spoke from heaven: This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well pleased.
Herod, the king of that area of the country, knew that John the
Baptist was a holy man of God. He actually enjoyed listening to the
preacher, but when John accused the king of taking his brothers
wife, Herod had John arrested. He actually wanted to have John
killed, but he was afraid the people would revolt if he did. So John
was kept in prison.
94
John the Baptist

Bible Story: Matthew 3; 14:1-12 (cont.)
On Herods birthday he gave a fine dinner and invited many
guests. His wife arranged for special entertainmenther
daughter would dance for the king. He enjoyed the sinful dance
very much and, probably drunk by that time, Herod promised to
give her anything she wanted for entertaining him. The girls
mother told her what to request. I want John the Baptists head
on a platter, she told Herod. The king was upset, but he ordered
that John be killed and his head be brought to her on a platter.
The girl carried the grisly gift to her mother who was glad to be
rid of the preacher.
Later, when people heard Jesus preach and saw Him perform
miracles, some of them, including King Herod, believed He was
John the Baptist coming back from the dead. Jesus described
John this way: Among those born of women there has not
risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.
Discussion
What do you think Johns messageRepent, for the
kingdom of heaven is nearmeant?
What do you think was Johns goal in life?
Why do you think some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist coming back from the dead?
Memory Verse
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)
John the Baptist told people what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. They needed to
repent of their sins. After all, Jesus had come into the world to die for peoples sins!
Craft Materials

markers or crayons
scissors
glue
Craft Directions
3. Glue the wing on the front of the dove at the bottom so you can flip it down to memorize the
verse.
95
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fro rs om fo r o
m to e llo igh
Lu the tur to w m t
ke ir n get e.
5: sin aw
32 s. ay
John the Baptist
Dove Pattern
96
John the Baptist

Finished Product
I ha
to ve not
thin get tho come
with k they se wh
o
G
ar
I ha od to e righ
sinn ve com follow t
m
ers
e
e
from to tu to get .
rn a
th
Luk eir sin way
e 5:3 s.
2
Wing Pattern
97
Jesus and His Disciples

Bible Story: Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9-13
To tell this story and help students remember the names of the twelve disciples, use an egg carton and
twelve paper circles. Cover the inside of the egg carton lid with paper or paint it a light color. Then
print on the inside lid, Jesus 12 Disciples. Attach the egg carton, by the lid, to a bulletin board so
all your students can see it. Cut 12 circles, the right size to fit into the egg carton cups, from yellow
construction paper. Print a disciples name on each of the circles. As you mention the names of the
disciples, put the circles in the egg carton cups.
One day when Jesus was walking by the sea, he saw two brothers, Andrew and Peter, fishing with a big
net. Come, follow me, Jesus said to them, and I will make you fishers of men. The two fishermen
had met Jesus before and knew He was a wonderful preacher who spoke of God. They put down their
net and walked away from their job to follow Jesus and be His disciples or students. (Place the Andrew
and Peter circles in the egg carton.)
A little farther along the beach, Jesus saw brothers James and John in a boat with their father. They
were working on their fishing nets. Jesus invited them to follow Him, and they did. (Place the James
and John circles in the egg carton.) Now Jesus had four fishermen to travel with Him and learn what
He had to teach them about living for God. They went everywhere with Him and watched in
amazement as He made sick people well and helped paralyzed people walk again.
One day after healing a man, Jesus saw a tax collector named Matthew. Follow me, Jesus said.
Matthew immediately left his tax booth and went with Jesus. That night Jesus went to Matthews
house for dinner. (Place the Matthew circle in the egg carton.) On another day Jesus invited Philip to
follow Him. Philip not only followed Jesus; he also went and told his friend Nathanael (also called
Bartholomew) about Him. We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom
the prophets also wrote, Philip said. Nathanael was not sure he believed Philip; but when he met
Jesus, he, too, became His disciple. (Place the Philip and Nathanael circles in the egg carton.)
The Bible does not tell us how the other five disciples met Jesus. We do not even know much about
them. Thomas was a twin who doubted the other disciples when they told Him Jesus had risen from
the dead. (Place the Thomas circle in the egg carton.) Thaddaeus was also called Judas, son of James.
(Place the Thaddaeus circle in the egg carton.) Simon the Zealot had been a member of a political
party called the Zealots that wanted to overthrow the Roman government. (Place the Simon the Zealot
circle in the egg carton.) Judas Iscariot served as the treasurer of the group of disciples. He later
betrayed Jesus and then killed himself. (Place the Judas Iscariot circle in the egg carton.) We do not
know anything about James son of Alphaeus. (Place the James son of Alphaeus circle in the egg
carton.)
Jesus picked the twelve disciples carefully, but they were not perfect or educated men. One of them,
Judas, was not even honest! But, since Jesus was God, He knew all about each of the men. He knew
the questions they had but were afraid to ask. He understood that they did not realize who He was.
But He chose them to learn from Him what they needed to know so they could carry on His work after
He was gone. The disciples were the first leaders of the church after Jesus went back to heaven. They
were certainly not perfect. Peter later denied even knowing Jesus. James and John asked Jesus to let
them sit on either side of Him, the most honored places, in His kingdom. The other disciples were
angry when they heard about it. Jesus told them He could not give them what they asked for. He spent
almost three years trying to teach His disciples the importance of serving others rather than trying to
98

Bible Story: Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9-13 (cont.)
Jesus taught them about loving God, being peacemakers, loving their enemies, not holding grudges, and
more. They learned from Him how to pray, how not to worry, not to judge other people, and to give to
the needy. In one of Jesus sermons He said, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to
him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:78) He was pointing out the importance of
telling their needs and requests to God who promised to listen and answer.
Jesus disciples loved Him, except for Judas who only loved himself, but they did not understand Him.
Much of what he taught them did not really get through to them until after His death. Then He
astounded them by coming back to life. He spent 40 more days teaching them; then Jesus went back to
heaven. The disciples were on their own, but not for long. Jesus had told them that when He was
gone, He would send the Holy Spirit to help comfort them. When the Holy Spirit came, He gave the
disciples courage and wisdom that helped them witness for Jesus and lead new Christians to form the
first church.
Discussion
Why do you think Jesus chose such imperfect men to be His disciples?
The twelve original disciples were able to learn from Jesus in the flesh. Jesus is no longer
walking on the earth with us, as a man, but how can we still learn from Him?
The definition of a disciple is a follower or student. How can you be a disciple of Jesus?
Memory Verse
Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19)
What does it mean to fish for men? It means telling other people about Gods love for them which sent
Jesus to Earth to die for their sins. Who will you tell about Jesus?
Craft Materials
patterns on page 100
crayons or markers
scissors
brad fastener
Craft Directions
2. Color and then cut out the patterns.
3. Poke a brad fastener through the eye of the fish
and the boat to connect them at the black dots.
The fish should cover the words at the bottom
of the boat.
4. Read the words at the top of the boat, then
move the fish to read the words under it.
Finished Product
99

Fish Pattern
Boat Pattern
Jesus said,
Follow me.
I will make you

fishers of men.
100
The Lords Prayer

Bible Story: Matthew 6:513
Choose three students to read the parts in this interview. You be the interviewer. Then as you talk
about the Lords pattern for prayer, ask questions to make sure students understand what it means.
Interviewer:
We know that prayer is important, but what is the right way to pray? Lets ask some
people what they think. Excuse me, are you a person of prayer?
Student 1:
Oh, yes, of course! I pray three times every day.
Interviewer:
How do you pray?
Student 1:
I go stand on the busiest street corner I can find. Then I raise my hands toward heaven
and when I am sure everyone is watching, I pray in a very loud voice so everyone can
hear me. Sometimes I get quite a crowd of people gathered around.
Interviewer:
And you really think that works?
Student 1:
Well, actually, I do not know if it works or not. I have never had any of my prayers
answered.
Interviewer:
Lets find out what somebody else thinks. How often do you pray?
Student 2:
I pray all the time, all day and all night, constantly.
Interviewer:
How do you do that?
Student 2:
Well, I write my prayer out on a very long piece of paper. Then I attach the prayer
paper to my flagpole. The wind blows the strip of paper, and my prayer blows up to
God. (Wave your hand like something blowing in the wind.) Neat, huh?
Interviewer:
That does not seem very personal. Does God listen to your prayers?
Student 2:
How should I know?
Student 3:
Of course not! (Poking interviewer in the arm.) Let me tell you the right way to pray.
Interviewer:
OK, how do you pray?
Student 3:
When I want something from God, I get on my knees, fold my hands, bow my head,
and close my eyes. Then I repeat what I want over and over a bunch of times. (Bow
down, fold your hands, close your eyes and say, A good grade in math, a good grade
in math, a good grade in math, a good grade in math.)
Interviewer:
(Talking to class) Hmm, do you think this is the way God wants us to pray? (Let
students answer.) Lets go to the Bible to find out what Jesus said about prayer.
(Turn to Matthew 6:513. Have students do the same. Read Matthew 6:56.) Does
God want us to perform loud prayers so everyone will see us and think how good we
are? What should we do instead? (Let students answer according to what the Bible
says.) Do you think verse 6 means we can only pray in the closet?
What Jesus meant was that we should talk to God in private. That does not mean that
we cannot also talk to Him in church with other Christians. And, of course, we can talk
to him silently no matter where we are. The important thing is to talk to God because
we love Him, not to make a big show for people.
101
The Lords Prayer

Bible Story: Matthew 6:513 (cont.)
Interviewer:
(Read Matthew 6:78 aloud.) Does God want us to say the same thing over and over in
our prayers, like a chant? (Let students answer.) No, He wants us to talk to Him like
we talk to our parents or to a friend. We can tell Him anything. And we do not need to
keep asking for what we want over and over. We should just ask Him, then trust Him to
answer in His time according to His will.
Jesus gave His followers this pattern for prayer. He did not mean that we have to use
the same words He used, but we should include these ideas in our prayers. (Read verse
9.) We should praise God and thank Him for who He is. (Read verse 10.) We should
ask God for His will to be done on Earth. That means that we are willing to do what He
wants. (Read verse 11.) We can ask God to supply not just bread, but whatever we
need for each day. Then we need to trust Him and not worry about our needs. (Read
verse 12.) God wants us to confess our sins to Him, ask for His forgiveness, and
forgive others. (Read verse 13.) We should ask God to guide us and help us not to sin,
but to obey Him. The devil wants to trick us into doing wrong, but God wants to help
us to do right.
(Hold up a hand and have children do the same. Review the five parts of prayer as you
count each one off on a finger. Finger 1: Praise God. Finger 2: Ask for Gods will.
Finger 3: Tell God your needs. Finger 4: Confess sins. Thumb: Ask God to guide.
That was Jesus pattern for prayer.)
Discussion
Where can we pray? How often should we pray?
What should our prayer posture bestanding? kneeling? hands folded? lying down?
How long should our prayers be?
Memory Verse
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
God said we should not worry, but we should talk to Him about our problems, our needs, and about
anything else. He is able to help us and He wants to hear from us often.
Craft Materials
pattern on page 103
white paper or cardstock paper
crayons or markers
colored construction paper
Craft Directions
1. Copy pattern on white paper or cardstock paper.
2. Color the page and mount on colored construction paper for durability.
102
The Lords Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily
bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever. Amen
103
Feeding Five Thousand

Bible Story: John 6:115
Make this story come alive for students by having the whole group participate. Bring enough cooked
fish sticks and bread so that each student can have some. (Just a bite of fish for each student is
enough, but bring a lot of bread so they can have more than one helping. Also, check for possible food
allergies before serving.) Choose a student to be the boy who gave his lunch and a few other students
to be disciples. Give the boy some of the fish and bread in a basket. Have the students pantomime
their parts as you play the part of Jesus.
One day Jesus was teaching about God and healing sick people. A huge crowd of people watched the
miracles He did and listened to Him. After awhile, Jesus took His disciples to a mountainside so they
could be by themselves, (Walk with the disciples to a corner of the room.) but the crowd followed them.
It had been a long day, and everyone was hungry. Some of the disciples suggested that Jesus send the
people away so they would go home and get something to eat. But Jesus had something else in mind.
He asked Philip, Where can we buy food for all these people? But, of course, Jesus already knew
what He was going to do.
Philip told Jesus that it would take eight months worth of wages (salary) to buy enough food for the
crowd of more than 5,000 people. (Philip counts on his fingers, then gestures at the crowd.) The
disciples did not have nearly enough money in their treasurey to buy food for the people. Then Andrew
brought a little boy to Jesus. The boy had brought a lunch with himfive small loaves of bread and
two little fish. He was willing to share it. Did Andrew think such a small lunch would feed all those
people? Maybe he hoped Jesus would use them to do another miracle, and Jesus did!
He had all the people sit on the grass. (Have students sit on the floor.) Jesus took the boys lunch and
thanked God for it. (Bow your head and pretend to pray.) Then He broke the fish and bread into
pieces and gave them to His disciples to pass around the crowd. (Put the bread and fish in baskets for
students to pass out. Make sure all the students in the crowd, the little boy, and the disciples have some
fish and bread.) The people sat on the grass and had a picnic like nobody had ever seen before.
It was amazing! Everyone ate as much bread and fish as they wanted. They ate; then they had
seconds. Some even had third helpings of the food. Finally, every person was full. Then Jesus told
His disciples to send the baskets around to collect the leftovers so that nothing would be wasted. (Have
the student disciples pass baskets around.) They collected 12 baskets of leftover fish and bread. That
was 12 times as much as they started with. The disciples could have another meal from them. What
had started out as a small lunch for one little boy turned into a feast for more than 5,000 people!
The people who had just been fed knew they had experienced a miracle. There was no other
explanation for the way the small amount of food had been enough for everyone. They began talking
to one another, discussing Jesus. They decided He would make a great king! With the miracles He
could perform, they would have everything they ever wanted. Nobody in the country would have to go
hungry again because Jesus could provide food with another miracle. Jesus knew what they were
thinking, so He left and went away by Himself. When the people looked around, He was gone. Where
was Jesus? He had gone up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. People began heading for home,
and the disciples got into a boat and headed for the other side of the lake.
104

Discussion
How do you think the little boy felt when Jesus fed the whole crowd with his small lunch?
When Jesus prayed to thank God for the food, it was a good example for us to follow. Do you
pray before each meal, thanking God for the food He gives you?
The people were so impressed with Jesus miracle of providing food, they forgot what He had
been teaching them. He later said to them, Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that
endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. (John 6:27) What do you think
Jesus meant?
Memory Verse
Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who
believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)
The people wanted Jesus to do more miracles for them, to provide more food. But Jesus told them He
had something much better for them than food. He wanted to give them eternal life. They were asking
Him for physical things, but He was talking about spiritual things.
Craft Materials
crayons or markers
scissors
tape
Craft Directions
3. Cut the dashed lines on the basket.
4. Fold each side up and tape the flaps
together to form a basket.
5. Place the fish and loaves of bread patterns
in the basket. (Optional: Trying using
fish-shaped crackers to put in the basket.)
Finished Product
105

Basket Pattern
106

Fish and Loaves of Bread Patterns
107
Jesus Walks on Water

Bible Story: Matthew 14:2233
As you tell this Bible story, have students copy the actions you do.
Jesus friends were out in a boat on the stormy sea,
(Look scared as you sway from side to side as if in a boat being rocked by a storm.)
Afraid that they were going to drown. Help! God, save me!
(Raise folded hands toward heaven and look up as if praying.)
Jesus stepped on the water and then walked out to their boat.
(Walk a few steps.)
When they saw Him, they shouted in fear, Look, there comes a ghost!
(Point and look scared.)
Jesus told them, Dont be afraid. Its not a ghost; its Me.
(Spread arms in a welcoming gesture.)
Peter said, Lord, if it is You, tell me to walk on the sea.
(Shade eyes with one hand and look as if trying to see in the dark.)
Come, said Jesus, and Peter went, stepping with great care.
(Take a few cautious steps with arms held out to balance yourself.)
Then Peter looked away from the Lord and saw water everywhere!
(Look around in fear; then put hands over eyes.)
Peter stopped walking and started to sink. Lord, save me! he cried.
(Hold one arm over your head as you bend your knees and slowly sink down.)
108

Bible Story: Matthew 14:2233 (cont.)
Jesus reached down, grabbed Peters hand, and brought him safely to His side.
(Reach up one hand and quickly rise from your low position.)
Why did you doubt? Jesus asked. Why is your faith so small?
(Pinch together first finger and thumb to indicate small.)
And when they both got into the boat, the wind wasnt blowing at all!
(Turn around and look everywhere in wonder.)
Truly, You are the Son of God, the other disciples said.
(Bow down.)
Jesus had come and saved them all when they thought they soon would be dead.
(Stand up and hold your hands over your head.)
They worshiped Him, amazed that He could quiet a stormy sea
(Hold out hands as if calming the sea.)
And just as Jesus cared for them, He cares for you and me.
(Point to someone else, then yourself.)
Discussion
Why do you think the disciples did not recognize Jesus when He appeared on the water?
If Peter had enough faith to walk on the water, why did he start to sink?
Why do you think His disciples decided Jesus was the Son of God?
Memory Verse
And without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6a)
Peter had enough faith to start to obey Jesus, but not enough faith to keep it up. God is pleased when
we have faith in Him, and He wants to help our faith grow. He wants us to trust Him in both good
times and bad times.
109

Craft Materials

craft sticks
crayons or markers
scissors
glue
Craft Directions
2. Color and cut out the picture of Jesus.
3. Cut a slit on the water in the boat picture where
indicated.
4. Glue the figure of Jesus to a craft stick and insert
into the slit of the picture to make Jesus walk on
water.
Finished Product
Jesus Pattern
110
111
Jesus and Nicodemus

Bible Story: John 3:121; 7:5052; 19:3842
Ask pertinent questions of students to help them understand the story of Jesus and Nicodemus.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council. Many of the men he worked with
and spent his time with hated Jesus. Why do you think they hated Jesus? (Let students answer.) The
Pharisees were important men in the Jewish religion. They made up all kinds of rules for people to
follow. For example, the Pharisees said that because one of Gods Ten Commandments said you should
keep the Sabbath day holy, that meant that if your cow fell in a ditch on the Sabbath, you could not pull
it out! You had to leave it there until the Sabbath was over. God had said no work should be done on
the Sabbath, but the Pharisees decided for everyone else what work meant. They made up so many
rules, people could not begin to keep track of them all, let alone follow them. Jesus said the Pharisees
did not really care about people pleasing God; they just wanted to have everyone do what they said.
When Jesus taught that people could not be saved by keeping rules and trying to be good, the Pharisees
were horrified. That idea went against everything for which they stood. Jesus said salvation was free if
people would believe in Him. The Pharisees accused Him of blasphemy and telling lies because they
did not believe He was the Son of God. So the Pharisees did not want to have anything to do with
Jesus except to get rid of Him.
Nicodemus was in an uncomfortable position. He was curious about Jesus. He had heard some of His
teachings and he had seen Him perform wonderful miracles. He knew Jesus could not have done those
things unless God were with Him. Nicodemus decided to go talk to Jesus. He knew the other
Pharisees would either make fun of him or, more likely, be very angry with him if they knew he was
talking with Jesus, for they considered Him to be the Pharisees enemy. So, Nicodemus waited until
dark to go see Jesus. The first thing Jesus said to Nicodemus was, You must be born again.
Nicodemus had no idea what He was talking about. What do you think Jesus meant? (Let students
share what being born again means.)
How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely, he cannot enter a second time
into his mothers womb. Then Jesus explained that He was talking about spiritual birth, not physical
birth. He told Nicodemus that he needed to be born of the Spirit. Nicodemus still did not understand.
Jesus made a very important statement to Nicodemus. It is probably the most well-known statement in
the whole Bible. Say John 3:16 with me. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. What does perish mean?
(Let students answer that it means to die.) Again, Jesus was not talking about physical life, but
spiritual life. Those of us who believe in Jesus still have to die someday. And when our bodies die, we
will go to heaven forever.
When their conversation was over and Nicodemus went back home, did he understand everything Jesus
had told him? Probably not, but he understood enough to believe in Jesus. He did not stop being a
Pharisee and become one of Jesus disciples. Apparently, Nicodemus kept his belief in Jesus a secret
from the Pharisees. A year or so later, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, a Jewish
religious celebration. The Pharisees knew He was there, and were watching for Him. One day Jesus
stood up in the temple courts and began teaching. People were amazed at what He had to say. How
did this man get such learning without having studied? some people asked.
112
Jesus and Nicodemus

Bible Story: John 3:121; 7:5052; 19:3842
Jesus said He was only teaching what God wanted Him to teach. He said that God had sent Him.
Some of the Pharisees tried to grab Him and keep Him from talking, but they failed. Many of the
people who heard Jesus that day put their faith in Him. This made the Pharisees and other Jewish
religious leaders even more determined to shut Him up. They sent temple guards to arrest Him, but
they were not able to get Him either. In fact, the guards went back to the Pharisees and said, No one
ever spoke the way this man does.
You mean he has deceived you also? the Pharisees asked angrily. Have any of the rulers or of the
Pharisees believed in him? No! How do you think Nicodemus felt when he heard his fellow
Pharisees say that? (Let students answer.)
Nicodemus did not stand up and say, I believe in Jesus! But he did ask them, Does our law
condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing? Of course, they immediately
made fun of him and shot him down. They already had their minds made up that Jesus was a
troublemaker, and they were not about to listen to Nicodemus reasonable arguments.
When Jesus was executed, it was the Pharisees and other religious leaders who were responsible. They
paid Jesus disciple Judas to betray Him to soldiers who arrested Him. When Jesus was nailed to a
cross, the Pharisees watched Him die and felt glad that they had finally gotten rid of Him. But
Nicodemus was not glad. He was very sad. He had kept his belief in Jesus a secret from most people,
but it was Nicodemus who went with a friend named Joseph, also a member of the Jewish Council and
a secret believer, to take Jesus body away to bury it. The two men gently carried Jesus battered body
to Josephs own tomb, wrapped it in strips of linen with sweet smelling spices, and laid it inside.
The Bible does not tell us what happened to Nicodemus, or Joseph, after that. They must have been
thrilled when Jesus rose from the tomb, alive again. Perhaps Nicodemus remained in the Jewish ruling
council and kept trying to influence other Pharisees to accept Jesus.
Discussion
Do you think Nicodemus truly loved Jesus? Why or why not?
Do you think Nicodemus was brave or cowardly?
Do you think Jesus wants those who believe in Him to tell other people about Him? Have you
ever told anyone else that you love Jesus and why?
Why is telling others about Jesus often difficult? Who told you about Jesus?
Memory Verse
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Nicodemus was a timid Christian. He kept his beliefs to himself. We will never know what might
have happened if he had been open and had told his fellow Pharisees about Jesus. They might have
mocked him or thrown him out of the Jewish Council; but some might have believed. If we are not
willing to tell others about Jesus, how will we ever know if they might believe or not?
113
Jesus and Nicodemus

Craft Materials
scissors
crayons or markers
tape
glue
Craft Directions
2. Color all pictures. Then cut out the picture of the
world and the paper strip.
3. Glue or tape the ends of the paper strip together so it is
a circular shape. Glue the circular piece to the back of
the world.
4. Then glue or tape the world just below the children on
page 115 so the world pops out of the picture.
114
Finished Product
115
For God so loved the world that He gave His one

and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
The Woman at the Well

Bible Story: John 4:130, 3942
Choose students to act the parts of the woman, John (Jesus disciple), and a couple of townspeople for
this interview. Choose a good reader to be the interviewer, or play that part yourself. To add realism,
have each actor wear a cloth headdress (burnoose) like people wore in Bible times. You will also need
a real or toy hand-held microphone for the interviewer.
Interviewer: We are here in Samaria today to talk with some people who recently had an encounter
with Jesus the Nazarene, who has been traveling around preaching, doing some amazing
things, and claiming to be the Messiah. Our first guest is a woman who met Jesus at a
well. (Walks over to woman.) Thank you for allowing us to interview you today.
Woman:
I am eager to tell about meeting Jesus!
Interviewer: It was at the site known as Jacobs well. Right?

Woman:
Yes, I go there every day around noon to fill my water jar. I rarely meet anybody there
at that time of day, so I was surprised to see a man sitting next to the well. I did not
know who He was, but I could tell right away that He was a Jew.
Interviewer: And you are a Samaritan. Right?

Woman:
Yes, so I was even more surprised when the Jewish man spoke to me. You know, most
Jews despise Samaritans. They will not even walk on the same side of the road we are
on, and they would certainly never speak to one of us!
Interviewer: What did Jesus say to you?

Woman:
He asked me to get Him a drink of water. I could not believe it! Most Jews would
never touch anything a Samaritan touched, let alone drink from a Samaritans cup!
When I told Him what I was thinking, He said to me, If you knew the gift of God and
who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given
you living water.
Interviewer: What did He mean?

Woman:
I had no idea! But then He explained that the living water He could give me was
eternal life. That was something I definitely wanted, so I asked Him to give it to me.
But, instead, He told me to go get my husband. I told Him I am not married.
Somehow, He knew that the man I was living with was not my husband, even though I
have been married five times! I thought He must be a prophet to know such personal
things about me. I tried to change the subject, to talk about the difference between
where Samaritans and Jews worship, but Jesus pointed out that the place is not as
important as whom we worship. I told Him that I knew the Messiah would explain all
that sort of thing when He comes.
Interviewer: Then what?

Woman:
Then Jesus said something that made me sit down in amazement. He said He was the
Messiah!
Interviewer: Did you believe Him?
116

Bible Story: John 4:130, 3942 (cont.)
Woman:
Yes, I did.
Interviewer: Thanks for taking the time to share this experience with us. (Woman walks away and
John walks up.) Now we want to talk with John, one of Jesus followers, to find out
what happened next. Thanks for coming, John. Tell us what you thought when you
saw Jesus talking to a woman at the well.
John:
Well, we were all surprised to see Him talking to a woman, especially a Samaritan
woman. We had walked into town to buy some food and thought He was resting. But
Jesus is always doing something surprising! She left shortly after we got there. She
seemed excited as she picked up her water jar and hurried away.
Interviewer: Thanks, John, for talking with us. (John walks away and two townspeople come up.)
To hear the rest of the story, we have invited a couple of people from the womans town
to tell us what they know. Did you talk to the woman after she had been with Jesus?
Person 1:
I did. In fact, I think I was one of the first people she ran into when she got to town.
She was excited when she told me, Come, see a man who told me everything I did.
Could this be the Christ? Then she ran off to tell some other people the same thing.
Person 2:
By the time she had told several of us what had happened, we wanted to meet Jesus for
ourselves, so we went to Jacobs Well right away.
Person 1:
Jesus talked with all of us who went out to meet Him. He did not care that we are
Samaritans! Many of us believed in Him.
Person 2:
Yes, in fact, we asked Him to stay with us for a couple of days so He could teach us
more. He accepted our invitation, and even more Samaritans believed in Him.
Interviewer: So you believed in Him not just because of what the woman told you, but because of
what Jesus, Himself, told you?
Both Persons: Yes! Thats right! We know He is the Savior of the world!
Interviewer: Well, that is our report from Samaria. Stay tuned to this station for all the latest news
on the effect Jesus the Nazarene is having on this land. See you next time!
Discussion
What did the Samaritan woman do that showed she believed in Jesus?
What happened as a result of her telling others about Jesus?
What are some ways we can be witnesses for Jesus?
Memory Verse
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11)
Jesus offered the woman at the well eternal life, and she accepted it by believing in Him; so did the
people from her town. He offers eternal life to anyone who will accept Him as his or her Savior.
117

Craft Materials
scissors
crayons or markers
glue or tape
Craft Directions
2. Color all the pictures. Then cut out the picture of
the water jar.
3. Cut the 1" x 3" strip of paper and glue or tape the
ends together so it is a circular shape. Glue the
circular piece to the front of the well.
4. Then glue or tape the back of the water jar to the
circular piece so the jar pops out of the picture.
Finished Product
Paper Strip
Water Jar Pattern
118
119
The Good Shepherd

Bible Story: Psalm 23; John 10
Let everyone act out this story as you tell it. You be the Good Shepherd and let your students be sheep.
Before the story, place a paper cup of water for each student on a table. On another table place a
snack such as popcorn or cereal on napkins. Bring a cane to use as the shepherds staff.
When David was a young boy taking care of his familys sheep, he wrote a beautiful psalm comparing
God to a shepherd. (Have students walk with you around the room as you talk.) The Lord is my
shepherd, he wrote. I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. David was
describing how a shepherd takes care of his sheep. He leads them to places where the grass is fresh
and green so they can eat. (Have students follow you to the snack table and eat the snack.) He leads
me beside quiet waters, David said. As an experienced shepherd, he knew that sheep will not drink
water from a rushing stream. They will only drink from calm, still water. (Have students follow you to
the other table and each drink some water.) Like a shepherd, God cares for us and provides what we
need. In those days, shepherds were often with their sheep day and night. It was up to the shepherd to
protect his sheep from wild animals. (Have students walk around the room with you again.) Even
young David killed a lion and a bear to keep them from killing his sheep. Sheep feel safe with their
shepherd, so they can lie down and sleep in peace. (Have students lie down and pretend to sleep.) We
know that God watches over us and protects us, too. We do not have to worry or ever be afraid because
He is always with us, like a shepherd.
Sometimes sheep get into trouble. One might go astray from the rest of the flock. (Have one student
go off on his own and crawl under a table or kneel behind a chair.) On its own, the sheep might get
hurt or caught in a place from which it cannot escape. As soon as the shepherd sees that one of his
sheep is missing, he goes to look for it. When he finds the lost sheep, he helps it up. (Reach out the
cane for the student to grab onto and gently pull him or her up. Then walk back to the other sheep
with your hand on the students shoulder.) Then he leads the wayward sheep back where it belongs.
Doesnt God do that for us? When we disobey Him and go our own way, we often get into trouble.
But when we confess our sin to Him, He forgives us and welcomes us home.
Hundreds of years later, Jesus used the example of a shepherd to explain His loving care for us. I am
the good shepherd, He said. Jesus said that He knows each of His sheep by name. (Touch each
student on the head and say his or her name.) Sometimes to keep his sheep safe, a shepherd puts
bushes and branches together and makes a pen or sheep fold for them. (Lead students into a corner of
the room.) He leads the sheep into the fold, then to make sure nothing can get in to hurt them, the
shepherd himself lies down at the entrance to the fold. (Kneel down or sit at the gate of the sheep
fold.) He becomes the gate to keep wild animals or thieves away from his sheep. That is what Jesus
does for us.
I lay down my life for the sheep, Jesus said. He was not talking just about lying down at the sheep
fold entrance; He was talking about dying. (Stretch out your arms as if on a cross.) Jesus loves us so
much, He willingly gave His life to take the punishment we deserve for our sins. Isaiah the prophet
said in the Old Testament that we are all like sheep that have gone astray and God put our sins on
Jesus, our Good Shepherd. He died for us, but then He came back to life! And because He came back
to life, we can have eternal life.
David was right. With the Lord as our shepherd, there is nothing else we could ever need!
120
The Good Shepherd

Discussion
How do you think people are like sheep?
What happens when we do not follow our Shepherd, but disobey Him?
What do you worry about? Can you trust Jesus, your Good Shepherd, to take care of that?
Memory Verse
Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his
pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
The Lord is our shepherd and we are His sheep. We are sinful and are constantly making wrong
choices. We need Him to lead us and care for us. God made us, but we strayed away from Him and
went our own way. Jesus gave His life so our sins could be forgiven. When we accept Jesus as our
Good Shepherd, then we truly belong to God.
Craft Materials
Know that the Lord is God. It

is he who made us, and we are
his; we are his people, the
sheep of his pasture.
(Psalm 100:3)

crayons or markers
scissors
glue
yarn or string
hole punch
Craft Directions
1. Copy patterns from pages 122 and 123 on white
cardstock paper. (Note: For more durability,
glue the mobile on cardboard or foam board.)
2. Color the sheep and mobile.
3. Then cut out the sheep. Glue the sheep back to
back and insert the yarn in between. You will
end up with three sheep to hang from the
mobile.
4. Hole punch the designated circles on the
mobile.
5. Attach each sheep to the bottom of the mobile at
different levels.
6. Tie string or yarn to the top of mobile and hang.
Finished Product
121
Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and
we are his; we are his
people, the sheep of his
pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
122
The Good Shepherd

Sheep Patterns
123
Zacchaeus
Bible Story: Luke 19:110
Your students will enjoy singing this song with you. Make copies for older students to read. Have
everyone sing with you and copy your actions.
(Tune: I Will Make You Fishers of Men)

One day Jesus walked through a town,
(Walk in place.)
Up hill and down, walked all around.
(Pretend to walk up a hill, then down, then turn all the way around.)
One day Jesus walked through a town. It was Jericho.
(Walk in place.)
It was Jericho, a place you should know.
(Point at each other.)
One day Jesus walked through a town. It was Jericho.
(Walk in place and look around.)
There a tax collector, said he,
(Point both thumbs at yourself.)
Ill climb a tree so I can see.
(Pretend to climb a tree, then shade eyes with hand and look down.)
Short Zacchaeus climbed up a tree just to see the Lord.
(Look down, then point.)
Then he saw the Lord and Zacchaeus heard,
(Look down, then cup hand in back of ear as if listening.)
Come, Zacchaeus, down from that tree. Come and hear My word.
(Look up and gesture come with your hand.)
124
Zacchaeus
Bible Story: Luke 19:110 (cont.)
Meeting Jesus there in that way
(Hold out one hand, then the other.)
Changed him that day, and made him say,
(Point to your heart, then your mouth.)
Ill give half my wealth to the poor and right all my wrongs.
(Hold out open hands as if giving something.)
Jesus said, Look here! It is very clear
(Hold out one hand to gesture toward someone.)
Zacchaeus is changed, and his heart is where it belongs!
(Put your hand over your heart.)
Discussion
Do you think Jesus knew all about Zacchaeus before they met? Why or why not?
How did other people react when Jesus went to stay in a tax collectors home?
What did Jesus mean when he said, Today salvation has come to this house?
Memory Verse
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this not from yourselves, it is the gift of
Godnot by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:89)
Zacchaeus probably had a lot of money. Could he buy his salvation? No. Can we earn salvation by
doing good things? Definitely not. We can only be saved through faith in Jesus. This is Gods gift to
us, but it is our choice whether or not we accept that gift.
125
Zacchaeus
Craft Materials
markers or crayons
scissors
tape
small silk flowers (optional)
Craft Directions
2. Color the tree picture and Zacchaeus.
3. Cut out Zacchaeus.
4. Roll a piece of tape in a tube shape and attach
it to the back of Zacchaeus.
Finished Product
5. Then attach Zacchaeus to the top of the tree.

(Optional: For extra effects, glue small silk
leaves around the tree.)
Zacchaeus Pattern
126
Zacchaeus
Tape
here.
127
Lazarus Is Raised from the Dead

Bible Story: John 11:146
If possible, bring a stethoscope to class so students can listen to their heartbeats. As you tell the story,
follow the directions for drawing some simple lines on the board to represent Lazarus heartbeat (see
below). Have children copy the lines on their own paper.
Lazarus was very sick. (Draw a wavy line on the board as shown on the left below with Lazarus name
under it. Explain that the line represents the line on a heart monitor that shows how steadily a persons
heart is beating. When the line on a heart monitor looks like this one, the patient is in trouble for sure.
His heart is beginning to give out.) His sisters, Mary and Martha, were worried about him. They did
not know how to help him get well, so they sent word to Jesus about his condition. They thought Jesus
would stop whatever He was doing and come to Bethany to help His good friend Lazarus, but Jesus did
not. Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus sickness had happened to bring glory to God. For two whole
days, Jesus stayed where He was, making no move to go to His friend. Finally, He suggested they go
to Bethany to see what they could do.
By that time, Lazarus had died. Jesus knew what had happened, but he was not concerned about it.
Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, He said, but I am going there to wake him up. Death was not
a problem for Jesus. He had already raised two other people from the deadthe 12-year-old daughter
of Jairus, a religious leader, and the son of a widow in the town of Nain. Jesus disciples did not
understand Him. They thought Lazarus was really just sleeping. Then Jesus told them plainly,
Lazarus is dead.
By the time Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus dead body had already been in the tomb for four days.
(To the right of the wavy line print + 4 days and a straight line to show that Lazarus heart had
stopped beating four days before Jesus arrived.) When Martha heard that Jesus had come, she went out
to meet Him. Lord, she said, if you had been here my brother would not have died. But I know that
even now God will give you whatever you ask. It sounded like Martha was blaming Jesus for her
brothers death, didnt it? But it also sounded like she might be expecting Him to perform a miracle.
Jesus promised her that Lazarus would rise again. She thought Jesus was talking about Lazarus going
to heaven someday. But Jesus meant what He said.
I am the resurrection and the life, He told her. He who believes in me will live, even though he
dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Martha believed that Jesus was Gods Son,
but she did not understand what he was saying. She went home and told Mary that Jesus wanted to see
her. Quickly, Mary went to talk to Jesus. When she found Jesus she fell down at His feet crying and
said the same thing Martha had said to Him: Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have
died. When Jesus saw Mary and many of Lazarus friends crying, He cried too. It made Him sad to
see His friends brokenhearted over the loss of Lazarus. But Jesus sadness did not last because He
knew He could do something to take their sorrow away.
Lazarus
+ 4 Days
128
+ Jesus

Bible Story: John 11:146 (cont.)
Jesus walked to Lazarus tomb, a cave with a big stone laid over the entrance. Take away the stone,
He said. Martha warned Him that since Lazarus had been dead for four days, his body would smell
bad. Jesus, however, knew that would not be a problem because the dead body was going to be
restored to life! When the entrance to the tomb was cleared, Jesus prayed aloud so Mary and Martha
and all of their friends could hear what He said. Father, I thank You that You have heard me. Jesus
was going to perform a miracle and He wanted to make sure everyone knew where His power came
from. Then He spoke in a loud voice: Lazarus, come out!
Suddenly, as the people watched in awe and surprise, Lazarus came walking out of the tomb. His
hands and feet were still wrapped in cloth strips and there was a cloth around his face, just as he had
been buried. But Lazarus was alive! (Draw a big jagged line as shown at the bottom of page 128 to
represent Lazarus healthy heartbeat. Print + Jesus under it.) Jesus told the people standing around
staring to help Lazarus by taking off the grave clothes.
There was no doubt about itLazarus was alive, after being dead and buried for four days! Many of
Mary and Marthas friends who had come to comfort them over their brothers death believed in Jesus
that day. They put their faith in Him. Lazarus sickness and death glorified God and brought people to
Him just as Jesus had said it would.
Discussion
How do you think Lazarus felt when He heard the voice of Jesus telling him to come out of the
tomb?
A famous Bible teacher once said that it was a good thing Jesus said Lazarus name when He said,
Come out. Otherwise, Jesus was so powerful dead people everywhere would have come back
to life. Do you think that is true?
Where did Jesus get the power to give life back to dead people?
Why do you think God doesnt always choose to bring the dead back to life?
Memory Verse
. . . I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he died.
(John 11:25)
Jesus gave Lazarus back his physical life, but He was also talking in this verse about spiritual life.
Someday we will die, but if we believe in Jesus we have eternal life. We will go to heaven to live with
Him forever.
Craft Materials

scissors
tape
crayons or markers
Finished
Product
129

Craft Directions
1. Copy patterns on white cardstock paper. Then color all pictures.
2. Fold the card on page 131 in half so the picture is on the inside. Then cut out the cover page on
page 130 and glue it to the front of the card.
3. Cut out Lazarus and fold in half. Tape him in the middle of the inside of the card so he pops out.
Lazarus Pattern
The Story of Lazarus
Cover Page
130
131
Jesus Death
Bible Story: John 1819
Before you tell this story, set up four different stations in the corners of your room. The first station
should look like a garden. Mount pictures of flowers and trees on the wall and, if possible, set some
plants on the floor. The second station should be like a courtroom with a chair for the high priest. The
third station is the governors palace. Cover a chair with a fancy cloth for Governor Pilate to sit in.
The final station represents the hill where Jesus was crucified. Draw three crosses, cut them out, and
mount them on the wall at this station.
Some of the Pharisees and Jewish religious leaders had been trying to get rid of Jesus for a long time.
Finally, they figured out a way. Judas, one of Jesus disciples agreed to betray Him after the Passover
meal He would be eating with His disciples. That night after the meal, Jesus took His disciples to a
garden to pray. (Have students walk with you to the first station, then stop and sit down on the floor.)
Jesus knew He was going to be killed, so He prayed that God would help Him. The disciples, instead
of praying with Him, fell asleep. A little later Judas came into the garden with some soldiers and
Pharisees. He kissed Jesus to show the soldiers which man to take. Peter drew his sword and slashed
at one of the men, cutting off his ear. Jesus told Peter to put his sword away, then He healed the mans
ear. The soldiers arrested Jesus and took Him away. He went without a fight because He knew it was
His Fathers will for Him to die.
Jesus was taken to the Jewish high priest. (Walk to the second station as students follow you. Sit down
in the chair and cross your arms.) The high priest questioned Jesus as if He were on trial though He
had done nothing wrong. When Jesus gave an answer they did not like, one of the officials nearby
slapped Him on the face. While Jesus was being questioned, Peter was waiting out in the courtyard.
As he stood there, three different people asked him if he were one of Jesus followers. All three times
Peter denied even knowing Jesus.
When the high priest was finished with Him, Jesus was taken to Governor Pilates palace. (Walk
students to the third station and sit down in the chair.) Are you the king of the Jews? Pilate asked
him. Jesus told the governor that His kingdom was not a worldly one, but a spiritual one. After Pilate
talked to Him for a while, he went out and told the Jewish officials who had brought Jesus, I find no
basis for a charge against Him. It was the custom at that time for one prisoner to be released during
the Passover celebration. Pilate asked them if Jesus should be the one he released.
No, not Him! they shouted. Give us Barabbas! They wanted to make sure Jesus was killed, so
they insisted that Pilate release a convicted criminal instead. Pilate did not understand what they had
against Jesus, but to please them he gave orders for Jesus to be beaten. Some soldiers twisted some
thorn branches together and put it on His head like a crown. Then they mocked Jesus and spit at Him.
Finally, Pilate took Jesus outside the palace for the Pharisees and others to see. As soon as they saw
Him, they began shouting, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Even though he did not agree with them,
Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified.
Soldiers took Jesus and walked Him along the streets to a hill outside the city. (Walk students to the
fourth station and have them sit on the floor.) They nailed His hands and feet to a wooden cross, then
raised the cross and dropped the bottom into a hole in the ground. Pilate had a sign printed, JESUS
OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS, and the sign was nailed to the cross. As Jesus hung on
the cross in great pain, some soldiers gambled for His robe which they had taken off of Him. Jesus was
not the only one being executed that day. Two thieves, one on each side of Him were also crucified.
132
Jesus Death
Bible Story: John 1819 (cont.)
Jesus mother Mary and some followers of Jesus stood near His cross. Jesus saw His mother and asked
His disciple John to take care of her when He was gone. Jesus died a few hours later. Joseph and
Nicodemus took Jesus body, wrapped it in cloths with spices, and laid it in Josephs tomb. The
Pharisees and Jewish religious leaders, who hated Jesus, were glad He was dead, but His friends and
disciples were heartbroken.
Discussion
Why didnt Jesus want Peter to use his sword to protect Him?
Why were those who arrested Jesus so determined to have Him executed even though He hadnt
committed any crime?
Could they have killed Jesus if He were not willing for it to happen? Why?
How does Jesus death on the cross make a difference in your life?
Memory Verse
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8)
Jesus chose to die, not only for your sins and mine, but for all sinners, even those who crucified Him.
He died for everyone, but He knew everyone would not put their faith in Him.
Craft Materials
pattern on page 134
markers or crayons
colored construction paper
scissors
glue
Craft Directions
1. Copy pattern on white cardstock paper.
2. Color and cut out the dashed lines on the pattern.
3. Glue the picture on a piece of colored construction
paper so the picture has a border and the cut-out
pieces show the background color.
Finished Product
133
Jesus Death
While we were still sinners,
Cut inside dashed lines.
134
Jesus Resurrection
Bible Story: Mark 16; John 20
Involve students in this Bible story by having each one make a sign that says, Jesus is alive! Tell
them to listen carefully as you tell the story and each time they hear you say, Jesus is alive or Jesus
was alive, they should all hold up their signs and say, Yes!
Jesus friends were so sad that He was dead. Some of the women who had believed in Him got up very
early on the morning after the Sabbath and went to his tomb. They took along sweet smelling spices to
put on his body according to the customs of those times. On the way there, they discussed how they
would get the stone away from the door of the tomb so they could go inside. But when they got there,
they had quite a surprisethe stone was rolled away and the tomb was open! Not only that, the
soldiers who were supposed to be guarding the tomb were gone. Instead, a young man in a white robe,
actually an angel, greeted them. Dont be alarmed, he said to the women. You are looking for Jesus
who was crucified, but He is not here. He has risen! The women could hardly believe it. They knew
Jesus was dead, but now they were being told He was alive! (Students hold up their signs and say
Yes!)
The angel told them to go and tell Jesus disciples the good news. He promised that they would see
Jesus soon. The women ran as fast as they could and found Peter and John. Jesus is alive! they told
them. (Students hold up their signs and say, Yes!) Peter and John ran to the tomb. They looked
inside and saw the strips of linen that had been wrapped around Jesus body and the cloth that had been
around His head. But His body was not there. They knew it was true! Jesus was alive! (Students hold
up their signs and say, Yes!) They did not understand it, but they believed it.
The disciples went home, but Mary Magdalene stayed near the tomb crying. She thought someone had
stolen Jesus body. Then Mary turned around and saw a man standing nearby. She thought he was the
gardener, but then the man said her name. Suddenly, she realized that it was Jesus standing there. He
was alive! (Students hold up their signs and say, Yes!) She was overjoyed. Jesus told her to go tell
the other disciples. Mary found the disciples and said, I have seen the Lord!
Later that evening, ten of the disciples were together in a room with the doors locked. They were
afraid that the people who had killed Jesus would now decide to kill His disciples. Suddenly, without
opening the doors, Jesus came in. Peace be with you, He said. Now they could see for themselves
that Jesus was alive. (Students hold up their signs and say, Yes!)
Thomas had not been with the disciples that night, but they told him what had happened. He did not
believe them. Unless I see the nail marks in His hand and put my fingers where the nails were, I
wont believe Jesus is alive, he said. A week later all 11 of the disciples were together again with the
doors locked. Jesus came and stood among them. Then He told Thomas to look at His hands and
touch the scars with his fingers. But Thomas did not have to. He saw with his own eyes and knew
Jesus was alive! (Students hold up their signs and say, Yes!)
Because you have seen Me, you have believed, Jesus said to Thomas. Blessed are those who have
not seen and yet have believed.
Jesus remained for 40 days after His resurrection. He appeared to many other people at different times,
sometimes to large crowds of people. Everyone knew that Jesus had been executed, but those who
knew Him said there was no doubt in their mindsJesus was alive! (Students hold up their signs and
say, Yes!)
135
Jesus Resurrection
Discussion
Why do you think Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus when she first saw Him near the
tomb?
What made Thomas decide he did not need to feel the scars in Jesus hands to know He was really
alive?
Why do you think Jesus appeared to so many people after His resurrection?
What do you think Jesus meant when He said, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed?
Memory Verse
Because I live, you also will live. (John 14:19b)
During His last supper with His disciples, Jesus told them that He would not be with them much longer.
But He promised them that He was going to give them eternal life. If Jesus had stayed in the tomb, we
would still be able to have our sins forgiven. That is what His death did for us. But for us to have
eternal life, Jesus had to conquer death and come back to life.
Craft Materials
crayons or markers
tape
scissors
two big craft sticks
stapler
Craft Directions
1. Copy patterns on white cardstock paper and color.
2. Tape the two pieces together to make one large
picture.
Finished Product
3. Accordion fold the picture to make a fan and staple

the bottom of the fan.
4. Take the two craft sticks and tape to each side of the stapled end to make a handle for the fan.
5. Use tape to wrap around the bottom to make it sturdy.
136
Jesus Resurrection
137
Jesus Resurrection
138
Peters Escape from Prison

Bible Story: Acts 12
Choose a few students to pantomime this story as you tell it. Take a few minutes to go over the story
with them beforehand so they will know what to do and when.
(Peter standing with his brother.) Peter was one of Jesus first disciples. He and Andrew, his brother,
had been professional fishermen, but when they met Jesus they left their fishing behind and went with
Jesus. (Peter and Andrew turn around and walk away together. Peter comes back alone and pretends
to watch with appropriate facial expressions as Jesus preaches and heals.) Peter heard Jesus preach
and teach, saw Him heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf. He was there when
Jesus raised dead people back to life. Peter was heartbroken when Jesus died, but overjoyed when
Jesus came alive again! After Jesus left to go back to heaven, Peter became the leader of the disciples.
When the Holy Spirit came, Peter preached a stirring sermon about Jesus death and resurrection to a
huge outdoor crowd. (Peter makes preaching gestures.) About 3,000 people believed in Jesus that day
and the New Testament church was begun. Another day, Peter and his friend, John, healed a lame
beggar. (Peter and John help up the lame man.) The actions of Jesus disciples made the Jewish high
priest jealous because so many people listened to them. He had them thrown into jail, but the Lord
opened the doors and set them free. Instead of running for their lives, Peter and the others went back to
the temple to tell people about Jesus. When they were ordered to stop talking about Jesus they replied,
We must obey God rather than men. (Peter folds his arms across his chest, points to heaven, then
shakes his head as he points to others.)
Now Peter was in prison again. King Herod decided to make some points with Jewish religious leaders
by persecuting the Christians. He arrested some and had James, the brother of John, put to death. Then
he arrested Peter and threw him into prison. The king assigned four squads of soldiers to take turns
guarding Peter. (A squad is four soldiers.) He was chained to two soldiers and more soldiers stood
guard at the prison entrance. (Peter sleeping between two guards.)
While Peter was in prison, Christians all over Jerusalem were praying for him. The night before King
Herod planned to put him on public trial, their prayers were answered. Peter was calmly sleeping
between the two soldiers to whom he was chained. He was not worried or afraid of what might happen
to him the next day. He trusted God to take care of him. Suddenly, Peter was rudely awakened by a
poke in his side. He opened his eyes and saw an angel in his cell. (Peter wakes up and stands up as
the guards sleep.) The angel said, Quick, get up! Peter looked down at his hands and saw that the
chains had fallen off his wrists. The two guards he had been chained to must have been in a deep
sleep, because neither of them stirred, even when Peter stood up. The angel told him to put on his
shoes and wrap his robe around him. Follow me, the angel said. (Peter follows in a daze.) In a
daze, Peter did what the angel said and followed him out of the prison. He thought he was having a
dream as he and the angel walked past the first and second guards and through the prison doors. When
they got to the iron gate that led to the city, it slowly opened without anyone touching it and the angel
and Peter went through it. They walked for a while, then suddenly the angel was gone. Peter was
standing all alone on the city street in the middle of the night. (Peter looks around and at his freed
wrists in surprise, then joy.) He suddenly realized that it had not been a dreamhe was out of prison!
God had sent His angel to rescue Peter. He headed for the home of Mary the mother of John Mark, a
place where Christians often gathered to pray together. (Peter walks away and pretends to knock on a
door and keeps knocking.)
139

Bible Story: Acts 12 (cont.)
When Peter arrived, he knocked on Marys door. The house was full of Christians praying for Peter, so
a servant girl named Rhoda went to answer the door. Before she opened it, Peter said something and
Rhoda recognized his voice. (Rhoda pretends to go to the door, then runs off with excitement to others
who are praying.) Excitedly, she ran into the other room, forgetting to open the door to let Peter inside.
Peter is at the door! she exclaimed.
The others stopped praying and began arguing with Rhoda. You are out of your mind! they told her.
But Rhoda knew what she had heard. Finally, someone said, It must be his angel. (Others pretend to
argue with Rhoda, then go to the door and open it, amazed and joyful when they see Peter.)
All this time, Peter had kept knocking on the door. How excited and amazed everyone was when they
opened the door and it really was Peter waiting to be let in. He went into the house with everyone
talking at once. Peter held up a hand to get them to give him a chance to speak. (Peter holds up a
hand, then pretends to talk.) He described how the Lord had sent His angel and delivered him from
prison. It was what they had all been praying for, but they could hardly believe how the Lord had
answered their prayers! Peter told them to let James, the brother of Jesus, know what had happened.
He was a leader in the Jerusalem church and would be thrilled to know how the Lord had worked that
night. (Peter walks away.) Then Peter left Marys home and went somewhere else. Perhaps he
thought the kings men would come looking for him there and he would not want to put the others in
danger by staying.
The next morning when Peters absence was discovered, the guards could not understand what had
happened. One minute he had been right there, chained as usual to two soldiers. No one had come in
or out as far as anyone knew, but Peter was definitely gone. King Herod ordered a thorough search and
when Peter could not be found anywhere, he had the prison guards executed. He did not like looking
like a fool.
Some time after that, King Herod went to the town of Caesarea. One day he put on his royal robes and
sat on his throne to deliver a public speech to the people. The audience was so impressed, they shouted
This is the voice of a god, not of a man. Proud Herod was glad to be called a god. He sat on his
throne and accepted their praise. But suddenly, he was struck down with a horrible sickness. Five days
later the proud, wicked king was dead. But Peter and other Christians continued to tell people about
Jesus wherever they went. (Peter standing with arms outstretched as if preaching.) The Word of God
began to spread and many people believed.
140

Discussion
What had Peter done wrong to make the Jewish high priest and then King Herod throw him into
prison?
Do you think Peter was afraid in prison? What did he do that showed he trusted God?
Christians were praying for Peter, so why do you think they were surprised to see him at the
door?
Why couldnt anyone at the prison figure out what had happened to Peter?
Memory Verse
For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayers, but the face
of the LORD is against those who do evil. (1 Peter 3:12)
Peter actually quoted this verse from the 34th Psalm. Perhaps it was a verse he had memorized and
thought about when he was in prison. He certainly found out how true it is, didnt he? How does the
truth of this verse make you feelhappy? afraid? sad? safe?
Craft Materials
scissors
colored cardstock paper
glue or tape
Craft Directions
1. Copy patterns on colored cardstock paper.
2. Cut out strips of paper.
3. Tape or glue the strips in a circle forming a paper chain.
Finished Product
141
142
The angel said, Quick, get up!
An angel woke Peter up.
Christians were praying for Peter.
Peter was guarded day and night.
Peter was chained to two soldiers.
Peter was arrested.
143
They let him in and praised God for his escape.
Peter went to Marys house.
The angel suddenly left.
Peter followed the angel out of the prison.
The guards were sleeping.
Peters chains fell off.
You Are Special to God

Culminating Story
The message of the Bible is that God loves you. In Genesis you find out that God created man in His
likeness. You are special, set apart from everything else He created. And even though you sin, as
Adam and Eve did, God still loves you. In Exodus, you see how God cared for Moses from the time he
was just a baby and later chose him to get His people out of Egypt. Every time Moses asked for help,
God was there. He is ready to help you, too. In Judges, you discover that God wants to use people,
such as Samson, even though they are not perfect. He wants to use you, too. In 1 Samuel, you see that
God will give you strength and courage for what He wants you to do, just as He helped young David,
and Jonathan and his armor bearer. In the book of Daniel, you find that God protects those who love
Him, as He protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace, as well as Daniel in the lions
den. He is always watching out for you. In the New Testament, you learn that God showed His love
by sending His only Son Jesus to be born on Earth, to die for your sins, then to come alive again so you
could have eternal life. Over and over, the Bible tells you how special you are to God. Is He special to
you?
Discussion
God gave us His written Word so we could know how special we are to Him and so we would
know what He expects of us. What does the Bible teach that God wants you to do?
What is your favorite Bible story? What does it tell you about Gods love for you?
Memory Verses
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:3839)
What can separate you from Gods love?
Absolutely nothing! He loves you just the way
you are. He made you and you are His. There
is nothing you can do to make Him love you
less. He wants you to believe in Jesus and
become His child, but He loves you whether
you ever accept His love or not.
Craft Materials
pattern on the right

crayons or markers
scissors
magnets
God
Loves You
Beary
Much!
Craft Directions
1. Copy pattern on white cardstock paper.
2. Color and cut out the bear.
3. Add a magnet to the back of the bear and
give to a beary special friend.
144

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Adam and Eves Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

John the Baptist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Noah and the Ark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Jesus and His Disciples. . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Jacobs Wonderful Dream . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Lords Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Feeding Five Thousand . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Jesus Walks on Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Moses and the Burning Bush . . . . . . . . 28

Jesus and Nicodemus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Moses and the Ten Plagues . . . . . . . . . . 32

The Woman at the Well . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

God Takes Care of His People . . . . . . . 42

The Good Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

The Ten Commandments . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Exploring the Promised Land. . . . . . . . 48

Lazarus Is Raised from the Dead. . . . . 128

Balaam and His Donkey . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Jesus Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Rahab and the Spies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Jesus Resurrection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Peters Escape from Prison . . . . . . . . . 139

Ruth and Boaz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Jonathan and His Armor Bearer . . . . . . 65

You Are Special to God . . . . . . . . . . . 144

David and the Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

#7046 Bible Stories & Crafts

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#7046 Bible Stories & Crafts

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white cardstock paper

Copy patterns from page 68 on white cardstock paper.

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On the first day,

On the second day,

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On the third day,

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On the fifth day, God created

On the fourth day, God created

On the seventh day,

On the sixth day, God created

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Adam and Eves Sin

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Adam and Eves Sin

cardboard or heavy paper

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Adam and Eves Sin

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