(Using Jelly Beans to tell the Easter Story)
The Black Jelly Bean - Romans 3:23 This jelly bean stands for sin, which is willfully doing something wrong. Sin is disobeying God and doing something which He has told not to do. When we disobey God, it's like our lives are dark. Have you ever tried to walk in the dark without a flashlight? It's easy to stumble and fall, isn't it? The same is true of spiritual darkness. Without God who is our light, we stumble as we walk through life struggling to find the Way. The Bible teaches in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of God’s perfect standard. We need salvation!
The Red Jelly Bean - John 3:16 The red jelly bean is a symbol for the blood of Jesus and His dying on the cross to pay for our sin. John 3:16 tells us that God loved us so much that He gave His only Son for our salvation. Christ died for our sins. Jesus died so God could forgive us for all the bad things we have done. We can receive Jesus as our Savior by telling Him we are sorry for the wrong things we have done and that we will stop doing them. We trust Jesus to forgive us and believe in our hearts that after dying, He rose again.
The White Jelly Bean - 1 John 1:9 The white jelly bean represents how clean we are inside when we accept Jesus as our Savior. 1 John 1:9 says that when we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful to forigive us and cleanse us. When we are clean inside, we are whiter than snow. Jesus washes away all of our sin and makes us white as snow before Him!
The Green Jelly Bean- Colossians 1:10 The green jelly bean stands for growing. What color is a plant which receives enough sunlight and water to grow? Green! The way we grow closer to the Lord is by reading the Bible and talking to Jesus through prayer. Colossians 1:10 says we are to live lives that please God in every way. As we love God and obey Him, we grow spiritually.
The Gold (Yellow) Jelly Bean - John 14:3 The gold jelly bean is a symbol for heaven. John 14:3 tells us Jesus has prepared a wonderful place. Heaven is real and God promises when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we can go there to live.
The First Christmas Day
Lesson by Betty Benson Robertson
BIBLE STORY: A Special Baby Is Born
Preparation: Make a sheep stick puppet. Pattern can be found at: CDK Enterprises
Story (Told by the sheep puppet):
I was all tucked in for a good night’s sleep on the fields outside Bethlehem. The sky was really dark but I wasn’t afraid because our shepherds were watching over us. It was quite -- really, really quiet. I was just about asleep, when I heard one of the shepherds say:
“Do you see what I see?”
Another shepherd said, “Yes, and I’m scared.”
By now I was wide awake. So were my mommy and daddy and aunts and uncles and cousins. We were all looking up at the light in the sky!
An angel said: “Do not be afraid. I have good news! A Baby has been born tonight.”
I was thinking, “You woke me up to say a baby has been born?”
The angel continued talking: “This is a very SPECIAL baby -- a Savior. His name is Jesus.”
And now the shepherds were talking: “A Savior? Can this be true?”
The angel said to the shepherds: “It's true. Baby Jesus is in Bethlehem. He's in a stable - all wrapped up in strips of cloth -- tucked in -- lying in a manger.”
And then suddenly the sky was FULL of angels! Angels everywhere! I looked up at my mommy and said: “Do you hear what I hear? The angels are all praising God!” They were saying: "Glory to God in the highest.”
Would you boys and girls say that with me: “Glory to God in the highest.” Let’s say it together again: “Glory to God in the highest.”
The shepherds fell on their knees to the ground in worship. Then the angels in the sky left. The light disappeared. It was dark again. And quiet. Then one of the shepherds said: “I wonder if what we just heard is true?” Another responded: “It MUST be true! An angel told us! There's only one way to be sure. We must go to Bethlehem and find out.”
I scampered along with the shepherds as they hurriedly walked to Bethlehem and sure enough -- just as the angel had said -- there was Mary and Joseph. I quietly walked over to the manger and peeked in. And there was baby Jesus all wrapped up warm and sleeping. After seeing baby Jesus, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about the Child. Then we all went back to our hillside. The shepherds were praising God and saying wonderful things about Him.
SONG: “The First Christmas Day” (Mary Christmas album)
BIBLE VERSE: “A Savior has been born.” (Luke 2:11, NIV) BIBLE MEMORY ACTIVITY: Verse Tag
The teacher quotes the scripture and reference and tags a child who then repeats the verse with the teacher. The tagged pupil tags someone else and all three say the verse. Continue until all have been tagged.
MAKE ‘N TAKE CREATIVE ACTIVITY:
Materials Needed for Each Child:
Sheep pattern found at: cdkenterprises coloring pages
white cover paper
cotton balls
crayons
masking tape or glue
scissors
tongue depressor
Activity: The children cut out the sheep pattern, glue on cotton balls and color as desired. The tongue depressor can be attached to the back side with masking tape or glue. Encourage the boys and girls to tell the Bible story to their families using their puppets.
EXTENDED ACTIVITY:
Play-Doh Fun Allow children to re-create the Bible story using Play-Doh. They can make sheep, a star, the manger with Baby Jesus, sheep, etc. Homemade Play-Doh recipes can be found at: Applesauce Kids
SNACK:
Sheep Sugar Cookies
Needed for Each Child:
A sheep-shaped sugar cookie;
white icing,
white miniature marshmallows,
one M & M candy;
Plastic-Spoon Activity
The children spread icing on the sheep with the back of a plastic spoon and then add marshmallows for the wool and an M & M candy for the eye.
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Thanksgiving
ONE LEPER SAYS “THANK YOU”
Luke 17:11-19
Lesson by Betty Benson Robertson
Needed:
Bible open to Luke 17 (which you hold while telling the story).
Have you ever had measles where you got little red spots on your body? Or chicken pox where you have little sores all over your body that itch?
With either of these diseases, you get well within a few days. A story in the Bible, in Luke 17, talks about people who had a horrible disease that made sores all over their bodies. Sometimes the disease made them crippled or blind. They were called lepers.
Let’s say that word together: Lepers.
Again: Lepers.
Because others could catch this disease, the lepers had to stay away from people. So they were very lonely. The lepers always carried bells to ring, warning others to stay away. They couldn't work or live with their families. They could only stand by the roadside or outside the gates of the city and beg for money.
Then, one day, a leper said to the others: “Did you hear the good news? Jesus is coming to town! I can’t wait to see Him!”
Another leper said: “We’ll never be able to get close enough to Him. We can’t get near people.”
“No,” the first leper replied, “but we can shout!”
Soon they saw Jesus coming. And they shouted: “Jesus, have mercy on us!” And they kept shouting: “Jesus, have mercy on us! Jesus, have mercy on us!”
Let’s pretend we are the lepers. Let’s shout together those words: “Jesus, have mercy on us!” Let’s say it again: “Jesus, have mercy on us!” Again: “Jesus, have mercy on us!”
Jesus looked at the lepers. And when the lepers saw Jesus looking at them, their eyes opened wide with surprise and their mouths dropped open. Let’s all show on our faces how we look when we are surprised.
Jesus looked right at the lepers and said: “Go to the temple and show the priests that you are healed.” The lepers may have said to each other: “What? What does Jesus mean we are healed?” Then one probably said: “My sores are gone!” And another leper said: “Mine, too! My skin looks healthy again!” Another one said: “I don’t limp anymore!”
As they were all walking toward the temple, they were saying: “Jesus has healed us! Jesus has healed us!” Let’s say that together: “Jesus has healed us!” Again: “Jesus has healed us.” One more time: “Jesus has healed us.”
One of the ten lepers when he realized Jesus had healed him, turned around and went back to where Jesus was. He was so grateful for what Jesus had done for him that he knelt at Jesus’ feet and said: “Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus.”
Let’s say that together: “Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus!”
Jesus said: “Stand up. Go on your way now. Your faith has made you well. But didn't I heal TEN lepers? Where are the other 9?
PRAYER: Perhaps some of the children would like to thank Jesus for things He has done for them and/or their families recently.
SONG: “It Is Good” (…to give thanks to the Lord) from 15 Singable Songs album
BIBLE VERSE: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1).
ACTIVITY TO LEARN VERSE: “Let’s Pretend”
Preparation: Post the scripture verse for all to see.
Activity: Lead the children in reading the verse in segments.
Segment #1: “Give thanks to the Lord.”
Segment # 2: “for he is good.”
Segment # 3: “his love endures forever”;
Segment # 4: Psalm 107:1).
Read each segment 3 times in unison before adding another segment. Now remove the verse and play “Let’s Pretend.”
Leader says: “Let’s pretend to be robots and say the verse together; let’s pretend we’re in a library and whisper the verse together; let’s pretend we’re telling the verse to someone who can’t hear very well.”
CRAFT:
Bible Verse Poster Materials Needed
Colored construction paper
the Bible verse printed on white 81/2” x11”
glue
scissors
crayons
washable magic markers
Activity: Have the children mount the scripture verses on construction paper and then decorate. Encourage them to take them home and mount them on the front of their refrigerators and read to their family before the evening meal each day the next week.
