life of christ: volume 1 - child evangelism...

Life of Christ: Volume 1 Bible Lesson Teaching Notes

Author: Miss Hannah Landis

Editor: Miss Melissa Hess

Copyrighted © 2020 and Published by CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF EASTERN PA, INC.

P.O. BOX 4375 HARRISBURG, PA 17111-0375

www.cefepa.net

APPLYING THE BIBLE LESSONTO TODAY’S CHILDREN

The BIBLE LESSON is a Bible story which includes the GOSPEL, a PERSONAL APPLICATION about sin,and an INVITATION for the unsaved child. It will also emphasize one MAIN TRUTH or teaching point witha PERSONAL APPLICATION and a CHALLENGE for the saved child.

THE UNSAVED CHILD - Three basic parts of the lesson for the unsaved child:

1. GOSPEL

The Gospel message should be woven throughout the Bible lesson. It should include these Bibletruths:

God loves you and me

Only sinless Son of God

Sin - You and I have sinned (Use Scripture verse)

Precious blood of Jesus paid for sin (Use Scripture verse)

Ever living - Risen Saviour

Let Christ in - Receive Him (Use Scripture verse)

2. PERSONAL APPLICATION FOR THE UNSAVED

The purpose of the personal application for the unsaved child (PAU) is to explain the sinissue. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE REMAINDER OF THE GOSPEL. It is not theinvitation. It should come as early as possible in the lesson so the Holy Spirit can begin toconvict the child of sin.

The personal application for the unsaved child explains the sin issue with the personal YOU,examples or illustrations of sin, and Bible verse.

3. INVITATION

The invitation usually comes at the end of the Bible lesson, but it could come earlier. It willinvite the child to receive Christ as Saviour. A Scripture verse should be used andexplained.

THE SAVED CHILD - Three basic parts of the lesson for the saved child:

1. MAIN TRUTH

The Main Truth is the teaching point for the Christian child which you want to stress severaltimes throughout the lesson. It will be a simple statement of Bible doctrine or Christiangrowth.

2. PERSONAL APPLICATION FOR THE SAVED

The purpose of the personal application for the saved child (PAS) is to explain the MainTruth. It will include the personal YOU, examples or illustrations, and a Bible verse.

As you think about examples or illustrations to explain the Main Truth, ask yourself thesequestions: When? Where? How? The Bible verse will answer the question Why?

For example:

WHO? Personal you “YOU” should be predominant wordrather than “we” or “us”

HOW? Apply by example Examples to explain Main Truth

WHY? Scripture A Bible verse which gives proof of theMain Truth

3. CHALLENGE

The challenge usually comes at the end of the Bible lesson. It should encourage the Christianchild to put into action the teaching of the Main Truth and personal application for the savedchild.

NOTE: We realize there are many methods of Bible lesson preparation and presentation,and that this method is not the only way to teach. However, we trust that as you study theselesson helps they will be beneficial in filling in some of the details of the lesson.

CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF EASTERN PA, INC. g P.O. BOX 4375 g HARRISBURG, PA 17111-0375

LIFE OF CHRIST – Lesson #1

“God’s Greatest Promise” SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-47; 2:1-3; Matthew 1:18-24 MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 1:21

“And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.”

VISUALS: Flashcards: Life of Christ 1: 1-1 – 1-5 MAIN TRUTH: You should do whatever God asks you to do. BASIC OUTLINE: I. INTRODUCTION

A. BEGINNING STATEMENTS B. TRANSITION

II. PROGRESSION OF EVENTS

A. FLASHCARD 1-1 B. FLASHCARD 1-2 C. FLASHCARD 1-3 D. FLASHCARD 1-4 E. FLASHCARD 1-5

III. CLIMAX IV. CONCLUSION

A. CLOSING STATEMENTS B. BRIDGE C. CHALLENGE D. INVITATION

TEXT: Life of Christ, Copyright © 2020 CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF EASTERN PA, INC. Author: Miss Hannah Landis Editor: Miss Melissa Hess

Life of Christ #1, Page 2 I. INTRODUCTION A. BEGINNING STATEMENTS

Do you know who Jesus is? Jesus is the most wonderful and important person who ever lived. He is different from everyone else.

B. TRANSITION

Today you are going to hear the amazing, true beginning of Jesus’ life on Earth. You’ll begin to learn from God’s Word, the Bible, about Jesus and how He is different from everyone else.


One day, many years ago, God sent an angel to a town called Nazareth, in the country of Israel. This angel’s name was Gabriel, and his job was to be a messenger for God. On this day, he had the most important news from God that he had ever been sent to tell.

God had sent him to a young woman whose name was Mary. Mary was from the family of King David, who had ruled as Israel’s greatest king many years before Mary was born. But things were very different now. Mary had grown up as a poor girl in one of the poorest towns in her country. She lived in a time of trouble, when her people, the Israelites, were living under the authority of their enemies.

A. (FLASHCARD 1-1)

No one had heard any messages from God in a long time. So Mary must have been shocked when an angel came to her out of nowhere and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored. God is with you. You are blessed more than any other woman.”

When she heard those words, Mary was troubled and afraid. What kind of greeting is that? She wondered. Why is he saying these wonderful things about me?

IH Have children shrug shoulders and ask a neighbor, “What kind of greeting is that?”

The angel must have seen the look on Mary’s face. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” he said. “For God has chosen you and is pleased with you.”

Life of Christ #1, Page 3

God had chosen Mary to do something amazing. He loved Mary.

G Did you know that God also loves you? God knows exactly who you are and He loves you more than any person could ever love you.

God loved Mary. He had chosen her to do something for Him.

Then the angel told her his message. “You will conceive in your womb, and you will have a Son, and you will name Him Jesus.”

IH Have children sign “Jesus” (middle finger of opposite hand to palm of the other, repeat for other hand) while saying His name reverently.

The angel continued his announcement, “He will be great, and He will be called the Son of the Highest. God will give Him the throne of His ancestor, King David. He will rule as King over Israel forever, and there will be no end to His kingdom.” Now these words of the angel Gabriel were even more amazing than his first ones! Mary must have been trying to understand everything he had said, but there was one thing she definitely did not understand.

“How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I’ve never been with a man?” Mary was not married, and she had never been with a man. So how could she have a baby?

Gabriel said, “God the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you. That is why the Holy One you will give birth to will be called the Son of God.”

The angel continued, “Listen, your cousin Elisabeth is also going to have a son, and she is old. She’s already six months pregnant, even though she was never able to have children before now. For with God, nothing will be impossible.”

Mary said, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it happen to me just as you say.”

IH Have children repeat Mary’s words, “I am the servant of the Lord.”

Did Mary understand now? I don’t think so. But she believed what God said, and she trusted Him. She knew God was asking her to do something amazing, and she was ready to do it.

Life of Christ #1, Page 4 MT If you have put your trust in Jesus to save you from your sin, you

should do whatever God asks you to do. (Point to the Main Truth Card.) God has done so much for you. You should be ready to do anything and everything that you know God wants you to do for Him. Like this picture, because God’s Word says to be kind to others, a friend of this boy is allowing him to play with his new car.

Mary was ready to do what God asked her to do, even though she didn’t understand.

B. (FLASHCARD 1-2)

So what had the angel meant by what he said to Mary? He told her that she would have a baby without a man to be the father. The only way this could be possible would be because God would do a miracle. Through the power of God the Holy Spirit, this Baby would be God and man at the same time; He would be Mary’s Son and the Son of God. This was the most beautiful, amazing, mysterious thing that had ever happened on Earth.

O Jesus is the only Son of God, boys and girls. Jesus is also perfect. He never

sinned. He never once did anything wrong.

This means Jesus is different from everyone else. But there’s more! The angel also said that Mary’s Baby, Jesus, would be a King. That part Mary would have understood. She knew that God had been promising to send His people a Saviour, Who would rescue them from their enemies and rule as King. For years and years, her people had been waiting and watching for this One that God had promised to send. God was finally keeping His promise, and it was happening through her! After Gabriel had given Mary the message he left, but she couldn’t keep this to herself. It was too exciting! She must have remembered what the angel told her about her older cousin, Elisabeth. If God had given Elisabeth and her husband a baby when they had never been able to have children, then a miracle had happened to Elisabeth too. Mary had to talk to her.


Not many days after the angel Gabriel gave her his news, Mary left her home in a hurry and traveled to Elisabeth’s town. As soon as she arrived, she walked into Elisabeth’s house and called out, “Hello, Elisabeth!”

IH Say, “Let’s travel to Elisabeth’s too. Pack a small overnight bag . . . and a lunch.

We all have our shoes. Without running, hurry in place. We’re there! What did Mary call out? ‘Hello, Elisabeth!’” Have the children pack their bag and their lunch as you say it. Happily wave your hand as you greet Elisabeth.

C. (FLASHCARD 1-3)

As soon as Elisabeth heard Mary’s words, she felt something happen. Her baby jumped and moved inside her! Have you ever put your hand on a pregnant lady’s stomach and felt the baby moving? Well, that’s what happened, only this was special. God had told Elisabeth and her husband that their baby would be the one to announce to everyone that God’s Promised One had come, and he was already doing it–before he was even born!

Elisabeth was suddenly filled with God’s Holy Spirit, so she knew exactly why Mary had come to her. She turned to Mary and said with a loud, joyful voice, “Blessed are you among all women, and blessed is the Baby Who will come from you! Why do I get the honor of having the mother of my Lord visit me? For as soon as I heard your voice in my ears, the baby jumped for joy in my womb. Blessed are you for believing, for God will do everything that He told you He would do.”

Mary must have been so excited to hear that Elisabeth understood who her Baby would be. She began to sing a song of praise to God. “My soul praises the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour. He that is mighty has done great things to me, and His name is holy. He has helped His people, Israel, remembering His mercy that He promised to us.”

IH If you know the song (and have the time), have the class stand and sing the first

verse of “My God Is So Great.” When finished say, “Mary didn’t sing that song, but she certainly believed those words.”

Mary’s job was to be the mother of the Saviour. Later in this story, an angel said this about what God had asked Mary to do, “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, memory verse).

IH Have children repeat the memory verse with you.


Mary and Elisabeth were thankful He had asked them to do something special for Him. They were both ready to do the job God had given them.

MT, PAS If you have put your trust in Jesus to save you from your sin, you

should do whatever God asks you to do. The Bible tells us, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22) (Point to the Main Truth Card.) 1Maybe you have something that belongs to you, and a friend wants to use it. Are you willing to share something that is yours for a while if that’s what God is asking you to do? 2Maybe someone who sits near you in school always wants to hang out with you and nobody else likes them. Maybe God is asking you to be a friend to that person. Are you willing to do that? 3Maybe you and your brother or sister or cousin have a job that you are both supposed to do, but they aren’t working hard and are leaving most of it for you to do. Are you ready to do your best, even when it’s not fair, because that’s what God is asking you to do? When God asks you to do something special for Him, you should be ready and even excited to do it.

Mary and Elisabeth had each been asked by God to do something, and they were excited and ready to do it.

Mary stayed with Elisabeth for three months, until about the time when Elisabeth’s baby son was born. Maybe she stayed to see the new baby, who Elisabeth and her husband Zacharias named John, just as an angel had told them. But soon Mary knew it was time for her to go home.

IH Have children pack their bag and a lunch. Wave goodbye to Elisabeth, saying,

“Goodbye!” Walk in place to Mary’s house.

You see, someone was waiting for Mary back home. It was the man she was engaged to. Mary had promised to marry a man named Joseph. In those days, promising to marry someone was such a serious promise that you considered the other person to be your husband or wife right away. But, you did not go live with that person in their house until after the wedding.

What would Joseph think when he saw that Mary was pregnant? How could she expect him to believe that God the Holy Spirit did a miracle so that she was now pregnant with the Baby that the angel Gabriel had told her would be the Promised One? After all, nothing like that had ever happened before.

Of course, Joseph soon saw that Mary was going to have a baby, and he knew that he was not the father of that Baby. He must have been shocked, confused, and disappointed. I’m sure he believed that Mary was a good woman, but he may


have wondered if she had sinned because she was pregnant before they were married.

Even though she was obeying God and hadn’t sinned like Joseph thought, Mary did not always do the right thing.

S, PAU You and I do things that are wrong too. We choose to think, say, and do things that

do not please God, and that is called sin. The Bible says, “All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way. . . .” (Isaiah 53:6) Each person chooses his own way instead of God’s way. (Share three examples of sin.) Sin is serious because it separates us from God. Sin keeps us from going to Heaven to live with God when our life here on Earth is over.

Mary was not perfect, but she had obeyed God and had not sinned like Joseph thought she had.

Joseph knew that, if he wanted to, he could get Mary into big trouble. In Israel in that time, if a woman had a baby when she wasn’t married, she could be killed as a punishment. But Joseph was a kind, fair man. He didn’t want to see that happen to Mary. Maybe I’ll just quietly give her a divorce paper, and it will all be over, Joseph thought.

D. (FLASHCARD 1-4)

After deciding that this would be the right thing to do, Joseph fell asleep still considering his decision. But that night, something happened to him. He had a dream, and in his dream an angel appeared to him.

The angel said, “Joseph, from the family of David, don’t be afraid to take unto you Mary, your wife, because the baby inside of her is of God the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

IH Have children reverently repeat the name “Jesus” while signing His name. Ask,

“Who else was told to name their Baby Jesus?” (Mary.) “What will Jesus do?” (Save His people from their sins.)

How would Jesus save His people from their sins?

Life of Christ #1, Page 8 P, E One day, when Jesus was grown up, He let men who hated Him nail Him to a cross

made out of wood. Jesus gave His precious blood as He hung on that cross, and then He died. He did this so that He could take on Himself the punishment for all the sins you and I have done. Jesus took the punishment for sin so we don’t have to be punished. After Jesus died, He was buried, and three days later He came back to life again. The Bible says, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

This is the way that Jesus made so all people could be saved from their sins. The angel told Joseph that this would happen, even though Joseph didn’t understand how.

Then Joseph woke up. He realized that his dream was from God. Right then, Joseph believed that Mary had not done anything wrong.

E. (FLASHCARD 1-5)

Joseph must have gone right away to find Mary and tell her what he had dreamed. He believed that her Baby was the Son of God. Can you imagine how happy Mary must have been to hear this?

III. CLIMAX

How excited they must have been as they waited for the day when this amazing Baby–so different from any other–would be born!

IV. CONCLUSION

A. CLOSING STATEMENTS Joseph took Mary to his home, and they became husband and wife. Now she would have her husband, and her Son would have a man to raise Him.

B. BRIDGE

Both Joseph and Mary were willing to do what God asked them to do, even when they did not completely understand it.

Life of Christ #1, Page 9 C. CHALLENGE MT If you have put your trust in Jesus to save you from your sin,

remember, you should do whatever God asks you to do. Remember, the Bible says, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22) (Point to the Main Truth Card.) 1Perhaps God will ask you to let someone use something that belongs to you. 2Maybe God will ask you to be a friend to somebody, or 3work extra hard when someone else isn’t. Will you be willing and ready to do what God wants you to do? I hope you will. You can tell God right now that you want to do whatever He asks you to do. I’ll be quiet for a few minutes, and if you want to, you can talk to God quietly right where you’re sitting. Then I’ll finish in prayer. (Allow time for them to pray quietly.)

D. INVITATION L Before you can do what God asks you to do, you need Jesus to be your Saviour

from sin. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Having Jesus as your Saviour means that you know you have sinned and that you’re ready to admit that to God. It means you believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sin and that He came alive again. It means you’re ready to trust Jesus to save you from your sin, and not in anything else. Are you ready to trust in Jesus today? Everyone, please close your eyes and bow your heads. If you are ready to believe in Jesus today, would you please raise your hand? Thank you. You may all look up. (Tell them when to come and where to go for counseling.) (Close in prayer.)

LIFE OF CHRIST – Lesson #2

“You Can Praise the Saviour Too!” SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:1-20 MEMORY VERSE: Luke 2:11

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

VISUALS: Flashcards: Life of Christ 1: 1-5 – 2-6 MAIN TRUTH: You should thank God for Jesus. BASIC OUTLINE: I. INTRODUCTION



A. FLASHCARD 1-5 B. FLASHCARD 2-1 C. FLASHCARD 2-2 D. FLASHCARD 2-3 E. FLASHCARD 2-4 F. FLASHCARD 2-5 G. FLASHCARD 2-6


A. CLOSING STATEMENTS B. BRIDGE C. INVITATION D. CHALLENGE



Waiting. (Pause.) It’s never easy or enjoyable. It’s hard for us to wait three minutes in the lunch line, isn’t it?

What if you had to wait even longer for something like Joseph and Mary? They’d been waiting about nine months! All the people of Israel had been waiting.

B. TRANSITION

What are they all waiting for? Listen to our lesson today.

II. PROGRESSION OF EVENTS A. (FLASHCARD 1-5)

I think Joseph and Mary must have been excited as they waited for Mary’s Baby to be born. They had even more reason to be excited than a family usually does, because Joseph and Mary knew that this Baby would be different from any other baby who had ever been born. They knew He was God’s Son. They knew His name would be Jesus, because an angel had told them so. He was the Promised One, the Saviour Who God, for thousands of years, had been telling His people that He would send. As the months passed, I’m sure their excitement to meet Him just kept growing.

But then one day, not long before it would be time for Mary to have the Baby, Joseph heard something that, to him, would have been bad news. The Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, who ruled over most of the world at that time, announced that he was taking a census. That meant that all the people whose countries were controlled by Rome had to gather together to be counted by the government. The Romans wanted to know how many people were in each family and how much they owned. Then they could decide how much money each family should have to pay in taxes.

IH On count of 3, have children call out at one time how many people are in their

family.


In those days, the tax collectors would often make people pay more than they were supposed to. The tax collectors could then keep the extra money for themselves and get rich by cheating the people they were supposed to be serving. Cheating the people like this was a sin, but they aren’t the only ones who do wrong things.

S, PAU Every person has sinned, including you and me. Perhaps you are wondering what

kind of things are sin. Sin is anything you think, say, or do that does not please God. The Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) (Share three examples of sin.) Sin is a very serious thing, because it separates you from God and keeps you from going to Heaven to live with God when your life here on Earth is over.

The tax collectors were sinning when they cheated the people. They didn’t care about God’s laws. They were probably glad when the Roman government ordered all the people to gather together and be counted. To make this census happen, Caesar said that everyone had to go back to the town their family had first come from. Joseph and Mary were both from the family of King David. King David had been born in the small town of Bethlehem, so that’s where they had to go.

B. (FLASHCARD 2-1)

Bethlehem was 70 miles from Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary lived. They might have had to walk, or maybe they had a donkey for Mary to ride, but either way it would not have been a comfortable trip for her. She was almost ready to have her Baby.

IH Have children pack clothing and food in bags for the trip. As Joseph, tie the bundles

to the donkey and help Mary to get on.

When they finally arrived in Bethlehem, it was crowded with other families who had to come to be counted for the taxing too. Joseph and Mary must not have had any relatives living in Bethlehem who they could stay with. When they tried to get a room in the inn, which was like a hotel, it was completely full.

IH Pretending to be Joseph, have half the children knock on the inn’s door and ask,

“Do you have a room for me and my wife?” Pretending to be the innkeeper, have the other children shake their head and reply, “No. I’m sorry, but we’re full.”


Do you think Joseph and Mary felt alone? Didn’t God care about taking care of the woman who was the mother of Jesus and the man who would take care of Him? Yes, He did care. God loved Mary and Joseph.

G God also loves you and me, boys and girls. Even if you feel like you are alone,

God loves you in a special way.

God loved Mary and Joseph. He was allowing all of this to happen for a special reason. Many years before, God had told a man to write down, in what we call the Old Testament in the Bible, that the Saviour would be born in the town of Bethlehem. God was making sure that Jesus would be born exactly where the Bible said He would be.

C. (FLASHCARD 2-2)

Since there was no room in the inn, the only place Joseph and Mary could find to stay was a stable, where animals were kept. It was probably something like a stone cave.

IH Ask, “What kind of animals would stay in a stable? On the count of 3, I want you

to make the sound of an animal that you think would be in a stable. 1, 2, 3!” Allow response.

It was while they were there that the time came. Mary had her Baby right there in that stable.

D. (FLASHCARD 2-3)

She wrapped her tiny newborn Son in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, which was the box where the food was put to feed the animals.

IH Have children very gently wrap Baby Jesus (holding one forearm in front, make

circling motions with the opposite hand) and then lay Him in the manger. Look at Him tenderly.


It was all she had for a bed for her Baby. Joseph must have done everything he could to help Mary. How amazed and joyful they both must have been as they looked at the little face of the Baby Jesus and realized that they were looking at the Son of God! They must have been so thankful for Him.

MT If you have trusted in Jesus as your Saviour, you should thank God for Jesus. (Point to the Main Truth Card.) The boy in this picture is thanking God for sending a Saviour to take the punishment for his sins. You, too, should be thankful to God for sending Jesus!

Joseph and Mary were filled with thankfulness to God as they looked at Baby Jesus. Even though Jesus had just been born, this was not His beginning. Jesus is God, and God never had a beginning. Jesus had always been alive up in Heaven, but this was the start of His life as both God and Man here on Earth.

O Jesus was fully God and fully Man. He is God the Son. Jesus never sinned, not

even one time. He always did what was right.

Even though Jesus had always existed as God, this was the beginning of His life as both God and Man here on Earth.

E. (FLASHCARD 2-4)

Not far away from where Jesus was born, in the fields outside of the town of Bethlehem, shepherds were camped out with their sheep. Some of these shepherds were probably young teenagers, and some were probably old men. Taking care of sheep was their job. Even during the night they kept watch over their sheep to make sure no animals attacked them and no thief came to steal them.

Probably this night had been no different than any other night for the Bethlehem shepherds, but that was about to change.

Suddenly, an angel from God appeared. A light that the Bible calls, “the glory of the Lord,” shone all around them. The shepherds were afraid, and probably shocked – wouldn’t you be if a strange man appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the night, with light shining all around him?


Then the angel spoke to the shepherds. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “I’m bringing you good news of great joy, which will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11, memory verse).

IH Have children stand and repeat the memory verse with you.

The angel continued, “This is how you will know Who He is – you will find the Baby wrapped in strips of cloth, and laying in a manger.”

All of a sudden, the angel wasn’t alone anymore. The Bible tells us that a “multitude” of angels joined him – I don’t know how many that is, maybe hundreds! They were all praising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.”

IH Have children joyously repeat, “Glory to God in the highest!”

God was showing people His goodness toward them by sending them a Saviour. Jesus would grow up to make a way for every person who ever lived to be saved from the punishment of sin.

P, E Jesus did this by dying on a cross made out of wood, and giving His precious blood

for us. When He bled and died, He took the punishment that you and I deserve for sin. The Bible says, “. . . The blood of Jesus Christ His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) After Jesus died He was buried, and three days later He came alive again. Jesus is alive today, and He will never die again.

Jesus made the way for every person to be forgiven. God had sent Him into the world to do that. The shepherds were the first to know that Jesus had been born.

One minute there was light and angels shouting out praise to God and good news to people, and the next minute they were gone – the fields were dark and quiet again. The shepherds must have sat still for a moment and looked at each other in amazement.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” one of them must have asked. “Let’s get to town and see what has happened, and what God has told us about.” Without another thought, the shepherds all left their sheep and hurried down to the town of Bethlehem.

Life of Christ #2, Page 7 IH Acting as shepherds, have children grab their staff and hurry in to town. You may

have them stand and walk in place, or you may have them “hurry” the fingers of one hand up the back of the opposite forearm.

F. (FLASHCARD 2-5)

Maybe they started peeking into every stable they came to, looking for a baby in a manger. Maybe they asked someone on the street, “Do you know if a Baby was born here tonight?” I’m sure it wasn’t long before they found the right place.

There was Joseph and Mary and the Baby wrapped in strips of cloth lying in a manger, just like the angel said He would be. They must have quietly gathered around Him, watching.

They explained that God had sent an angel to tell them that this Baby was the Saviour He had promised. And He was! He was there to save each one of them from sin. The shepherds must have been so thankful to God.

MT, PAS If you have trusted in Jesus as your Saviour, you should thank

God for Jesus, too. The Bible says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15) Jesus is that “unspeakable gift!” (Point to the Main Truth Card.) The boy in this picture is thanking God for sending a Saviour to take the punishment for his sins. You, too, should be thankful to God for sending Jesus! 1Maybe someone you love who trusted Jesus as their Saviour has died. You can thank God that because Jesus came, that person is living in Heaven with God and you will see them again someday. 2Maybe you chose to do something wrong, even though Jesus is your Saviour. As soon as you know that you did wrong, confess (tell) your sin to God and thank Him that all your sins are paid for by Jesus. 3Maybe you hear about scary things happening in the world or in your family, and it makes you afraid. You can thank God for sending Jesus, Who will always be with you and never leave you alone. What a wonderful Saviour He is!

The shepherds must have been thankful for Jesus because they believed that He was the Saviour.

Life of Christ #2, Page 8 G. (FLASHCARD 2-6)

The shepherds were so excited about what they had seen that night that they didn’t go back to the fields right away. They began hurrying around Bethlehem, spreading the news. They told everyone they met what they had seen that night.

“Do you see that little stable over there? There’s a Baby Boy in there, just born tonight. Angels from God appeared to us out in the field and told us that He is the Saviour!”

IH As shepherds, have children tap their neighbor’s shoulder and tell them, “The

Saviour was born tonight!”

Everyone who heard it wondered. Were these shepherds telling the truth? Had they really seen angels? Could that Baby actually be God’s Promised One?

III. CLIMAX

The long wait was over, for on this night, in a stable in Bethlehem, Jesus, the Saviour, was born!

IV. CONCLUSION A. CLOSING STATEMENTS

Mary watched and listened as all this happened. She didn’t say much, but she thought about it all, over and over again. Finally, the shepherds went back to their sheep. But even as they went they were still praising and thanking God for everything they had seen and heard.

B. BRIDGE

Now you know the good news the shepherds were so excited about – God has sent a Saviour! You know, too, that the Saviour, Jesus, died for you. Have you received the Lord Jesus as your Saviour from your sin?

Life of Christ #2, Page 9 C. INVITATION L The Bible says, “. . . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved

(from the punishment of sin).” (Acts 16:31) If you have never believed in Jesus as your Saviour from sin, are you ready to believe in Him today? You need to know and be ready to admit to God that you have sinned and deserve to be punished. You need to believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sin and came alive again. You need to put your trust in Jesus to save you, and not in anything else. Please bow your head and close your eyes. If you would like to receive Jesus today, would you please show me that by looking up at me right now? Thank you. You may all look up. (Tell them when to come and where to go for counseling.)

D. CHALLENGE MT Maybe you have already trusted Jesus to be your Saviour. (Point

to the Main Truth Card.) Then just like this boy in the picture, you should thank God for Jesus. The Bible tells us, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15) Jesus is that “unspeakable gift!” So 1if someone you love who believed in Jesus has died, or 2when you’ve done something wrong, or 3when you are afraid, you can remember to thank God for Jesus. He is the One who saves us from death, from sin, and from fear. Would you like to pray right now and thank God for Jesus? I’ll be quiet for a few minutes, and you can quietly talk to God right there in your seat. Then I’ll finish in prayer. (Allow time for them to pray quietly.)

LIFE OF CHRIST – Lesson #3 LIFEIST – Lesson #3

“Have You Brought Your Gift?” SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:1-14

MEMORY VERSE: 2 Corinthians 9:15

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” VISUALS: Flashcards: Life of Christ: 3-1 – 3-6 MAIN TRUTH: You should give God your worship. BASIC OUTLINE: I. INTRODUCTION








I. INTRODUCTION A. BEGINNING STATEMENTS

A man dressed in beautiful robes stood still and silent in front of his home, his head tilted back, looking at the sky. As it began to get darker, another man, wearing a gold necklace, came out of the house nearby and walked over to stand next to him. He, too, was looking up at the sky. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Then the man with the gold necklace spoke. “Have you ever seen a star like that before?” The first man shook his head. “No. Never.”

B. TRANSITION The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what it was like when these men first saw the strange star, but it might have happened like that. The Bible also doesn’t tell us exactly where these men lived. Probably they lived in what are now the countries of Iraq or Afghanistan. We do know that these were wise men – rich, smart people whose job was to study things like the stars and planets, science, history, and law. Whenever a ruler of a country needed advice, he would call in his wise men to help him. People trusted that because the wise men were so smart and had learned so much, they would be able to figure out the meaning of any strange or mysterious thing that happened.

II. PROGRESSION OF EVENTS A. (FLASHCARD 3-1)

A strange and mysterious thing was happening, and some of the wise men had noticed. Maybe a group of them went out each night to look at the new star they saw in the sky, a star that was different from any they had ever seen before. Why was it there? What did it mean?

IH As wise men, put hand above eyes and look up into the sky. Ask, “What does it mean?”

They must have gone to their old papers and searched for anything that mentioned the coming of a strange star. At last, one of them must have found something. More than a thousand years before, a prophet had given a message from God that a star and a King would come from the Israelite people. The wise men didn’t know it yet, but that King was Jesus.


O Jesus is the only Son of God. He never thought, said, or did anything that was wrong. Jesus is perfect, without sin.

Jesus was the King this message was talking about, but the wise men didn’t know that yet. Then another of the wise men must have held up an old piece of paper excitedly. This was from the writings of Daniel, an Israelite who had worked as a wise man in their own country many years before this. Daniel wrote that God had spoken to him and told him exactly how many years it would be until the Promised One, the King of the Israelite people, would be killed.

P, E Many years later, that did happen, just as God said it would. Jesus was nailed to a cross by His enemies. He hung on the cross, giving His precious blood. He was willing to let this happen so that He could make a way for the sins of every person to be forgiven. The Bible says, “Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree. . . .” (1 Peter 2:24) Jesus died there on the cross, taking the punishment for your sins and for my sins. He was buried, and three days later He came alive again! He will never die again.

The wise men did not know that Jesus was the Promised One from God, but they probably found out from Daniel’s writings how many years it would be until this special King would die. They must have added up the numbers quickly. If He was killed when He was a grown man, then that meant He would be born…sometime around right now! We don’t know exactly how the wise men figured out what the star meant. But the Bible does tell us that they discovered one thing for sure – the star was there because the King of the Israelites had been born. It was His star. But knowing the reason for the star wasn’t enough. Somehow, the wise men knew that this King was important to them. They decided they needed to find Him.

A. (FLASHCARD 3-2)

So they began a long journey to the land of Israel. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many decided to make the trip – maybe only a few, maybe twenty or more.

IH Pretend to pack for the trip. What things would you need? (food, water, clothes, blankets, etc.)


It was not easy to travel in those days, and it would have taken them a long time to get to Israel, probably many, many months. Since the wise men were rich and important, they might have ridden on camels and taken servants with them. They decided to go to the city of Jerusalem, probably because they knew that this was the most important city in Israel. It seemed like the most likely place for a King to be born. The people who lived in Jerusalem must have been surprised and curious on the day that a group of important-looking strangers arrived from a faraway country. Everywhere the wise men went, they asked the same question – “Where is He that has been born to be King of the Jews? We have seen His star in the east, and we have come to worship Him.”

IH Shrug shoulders and ask the person next to you, “Where is He that has been born to be King of the Jews?” The wise men realized that this King deserved to be worshiped. They were right.

MT If you have believed in Jesus as your Saviour, you should give God your worship. (Point to the Main Truth card.) The child in this picture appears to be worshiping God. Worshiping God means to thank Him and praise Him. No one but God deserves to be worshiped. Worship is a special kind of love and honor that we should give only to Him.

Somehow, the wise men knew that this King they were searching for deserved to be worshiped. The people in Jerusalem were likely troubled to hear that the wise men were looking for a King. They must have realized that the king they already had, King Herod, would not be happy to hear this. King Herod was in charge of this part of the country. He was an evil man, and he never wasted time in getting rid of anyone who challenged his place as king. As soon as he heard about these strangers and their question, Herod called for the Jewish priests and leaders to come to him. “Tell me where the Promised One from God is supposed to be born,” Herod demanded. These Jewish leaders knew all about the first part of the Bible, what we call the Old Testament today, which had already been written many years before. They didn’t even have to look up the answer.


“In Bethlehem,” they answered quickly. “It is written that the ruler of Israel will be born in Bethlehem.”

B. (FLASHCARD 3-3)

Next, Herod called the wise men to come and see him. He asked them careful questions about exactly what time the star had first appeared. He wanted to know exactly when this Baby King had been born. Then he told the wise men, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the young child, and when you have found Him, come back and tell me where He is, so that I may come and worship Him also.” Herod must have smiled at the wise men as he said that. But Herod was lying. He didn’t want to worship this Baby King who had been promised by God. He wanted to kill Him! He didn’t want anyone to be king but him. Herod was a sinner.

S, PAU You and I are sinners too. Sin is anything you think, say, or do that is wrong and does not please God. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) (Share three examples of sin.) The worst thing about sin is that it separates us from God and keeps us from going to Heaven to live with God when our life here on earth is over.

Herod was definitely a sinner. He was lying to the wise men about why he wanted to find this new King. But the wise men must have been excited to learn that the Child they were looking for would be in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was only a few miles away!

C. (FLASHCARD 3-2)

As they started their journey again, one of them must have pointed to the sky in amazement – there it was! The star! The same star they had seen in their country was now in front of them, leading them!

IH Point to the sky and say, “The star!” Walk in place to follow it.


As they came into the town of Bethlehem, the star stopped over one particular house. The Bible says, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” They knew that the star meant they had finally come to the right place. God was using a star to guide them to the King! God was doing this because He loved them.

G And just as God loved the wise men, God loves you and me too, boys and girls. He has done many wonderful things for you to show you His love.

God used a star to show the wise men He loved them. He used the star to lead the wise men to the right place.

D. (FLASHCARD 3-4) The wise men must have entered the house filled with excitement. Inside, they found Mary with her little Son, Jesus. He wasn’t a tiny newborn anymore – by now, He would have been as old as a year or even two. When the wise men saw Him, they bowed down and worshiped Him. Somehow, God had helped them understand that this little Child deserved to be worshiped, because He was God.

MT, PAS If you have believed in Jesus as your Saviour, you should give God your worship. The Bible says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15) (Point to the Main Truth card.) The child in this picture appears to be worshiping God. Worshiping God means to thank Him and praise Him. God deserves to be thanked and praised for many things, and one of those things is for the gift of His Son, Jesus. How do you worship God? 1If you are at church or another place where they are singing songs about God, you can sing along and really mean what you are saying. Singing songs that praise and thank God are one way to worship Him. 2You can also take a little time each day to pray to God and praise Him for how good He is, and thank Him for the good things He’s done for you that day. Speaking praise and thanks to God in prayer is another way to give Him your worship. 3Another way to worship God is to give something that belongs to you, like your money, to someone who needs it. Giving to others because you love God is a way to worship Him. God wants you to give Him your worship.

The wise men wanted to worship God, and somehow they understood that this little Child was God.


Maybe by this time Joseph was there too, wondering what these important-looking men from a faraway country were doing in his house. How amazed he and Mary must have been to see these rich strangers bowing down to Jesus! Then the wise men did another amazing thing. They opened the packages they had brought with them and brought out beautiful treasures. They handed these things to Joseph and Mary – they were gifts for Jesus.

IH Pretend to hand out the three gifts.

They gave Him gold, a shiny metal, and frankincense, which smells wonderful when you burn it, and myrrh, which is like a perfume. All of these things were very expensive and valuable, the kind of gifts you would give to a King. Maybe the wise men stayed and talked to Joseph and Mary for a while. The Bible tells us that before they left Bethlehem, God gave them a dream. He warned them that they should not go back to Herod and tell him where Jesus was. Instead, the wise men obeyed God and left to return to their country another way.

E. (FLASHCARD 3-5) But Jesus was still in danger. Not long after the wise men left, Joseph had a dream, too. An angel from God spoke to him. “Get up, Joseph, and take the young child and His mother, and run away to Egypt. Stay there until I bring you word, because Herod will look for the young Child to destroy Him.” As soon as Joseph woke up, he hurried to obey the angel. While it was still night, he and Mary quickly packed what they could carry, including, I’m sure, the gifts of the wise men. They took Jesus and started out to Egypt, leaving behind their country and everything they knew.

F. (FLASHCARD 3-6) It was a good thing Joseph obeyed so quickly, because Herod soon realized the wise men were not coming back to him. Furious, Herod sent his soldiers to Bethlehem. He would still make sure this new King did not live. Since he didn’t know which child was the King, he ordered his soldiers to kill every baby boy who was two years old and younger in all of Bethlehem and the cities around it. It was terrible. There was much sorrow and crying in Bethlehem that night.


III. CLIMAX

But Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were safe in Egypt. They would live there until God told them it was safe to come home.

IV. CONCLUSION A. CLOSING STATEMENTS

Herod knew Who Jesus was, and he wanted to kill Him. The wise men knew too, and they wanted to worship Him.

B. BRIDGE

You know Who Jesus is – what will you decide about Him? Will you receive the Lord Jesus as your Saviour from your sin if you’ve never done that before?

C. INVITATION L The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal

life (life that goes on forever in Heaven when your life on Earth is over) through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) You need Jesus to be your Saviour. Are you ready to admit to God that you have sinned and deserve to be punished for your sin? Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sin, and that He came alive again? Are you ready to believe in Jesus as the only One Who can save you? (Tell them when to come and where to go for counseling.)

D. CHALLENGE MT Maybe you know that you have already believed in Jesus as your

Saviour. Then remember, you should give God your worship. Remember that verse from the Bible that says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15) 1Singing songs that praise and thank God are one way to worship Him. 2Speaking praise and thanks to God in prayer is another way to worship Him. 3Giving to others because you love God is also a good way to worship Him. Only God deserves to be worshiped – will you give the gift of your worship to Him? I’ll be quiet for a few minutes, and you can quietly talk to God right there in your seat. Then I’ll finish in prayer. (Allow time for them to pray quietly.)

LIFE OF CHRIST – Lesson #4 LIFE OF CHRIST – Lesson #4

“Obedience . . . What Is It?” SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:40-52 MEMORY VERSE: Acts 5:29

“. . . We ought to obey God rather than men.” VISUALS: Flashcards: Life of Christ 1: 3-5, 4-1 – 4-6 MAIN TRUTH: You should listen to God and obey Him.

BASIC OUTLINE: I. INTRODUCTION





A. CLOSING STATEMENTS B. BRIDGE C. CHALLENGE D. INVITATION



Joseph must have been fast asleep after a hard day of work. I’m sure his wife Mary was tired too, since she had a growing baby boy to take care of. The soft, warm winds of Egypt must have rustled the leafy plants by their open window. How long had it been since God had sent Joseph and Mary to live in Egypt in order to hide Jesus from the evil king in Israel who wanted to kill Him?

B. TRANSITION

The Bible doesn’t tell us how long they were there. But on the night our story begins, things were about to change again.


A. (FLASHCARD 3-5)

As Joseph slept, an angel came to him in a dream. “Get up, Joseph,” the angel said, “Take the young Child and His mother, and go back into the land of Israel. The people who were trying to take the young Child’s life are now dead.” Once again, Joseph didn’t wait or question what the angel had told him. He wanted to obey God. Even though Joseph was a good man who tried to obey God, he wasn’t perfect. Sometimes, he still chose to do wrong.

S, PAU You and I choose to do wrong too. We choose to sin. Sin is anything you think, or say, or do that does not please God. The Bible says, “. . . There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:12) There is no one who is good the way God is good. (Share three examples of sin.) Sin is serious, because it separates us from God and keeps us from going to Heaven to live with God when our life here on Earth is over.

Joseph was a sinner, just like every other person. But he did want to obey God, and so he did exactly what the angel told him to do.


Joseph and Mary were probably excited to go back to their own country. But when they arrived in Israel, Joseph heard that the son of Herod, the one who had tried to kill Jesus, was now ruling as king in Jerusalem instead of his father. Would the son of King Herod also want to kill Jesus as his father had? Joseph didn’t have to wonder what he should do. God sent another angel to Joseph in a dream, telling him to go live in the city of Nazareth instead of Bethlehem. Nazareth was Joseph and Mary’s hometown. They were finally going home.

IH Have children repeat the name of the city, “Nazareth.”

Joseph and Mary soon settled into their old life again as Joseph went back to his work as a carpenter. As the years went by, new brothers and sisters were born into the family. I think their home must have been a happy place. We don’t know exactly what school was like for Jesus, but we do know that most Jewish boys at that time would learn all about God’s laws from a Jewish leader called a Rabbi, or a teacher. Maybe that was the way Jesus learned, too. The Bible tells us that even as a child, Jesus was strong on the inside, confident and brave, and He already knew how to make good decisions. God was with Him, helping Him and teaching Him. As Jesus lived and worked with His family and friends every day, He was kind and unselfish and joyful. Jesus never did or thought or said one thing that was wrong. He always did what was right. It must have been wonderful to have Jesus as a son, or brother, or friend!

O Jesus was different from every other child who had ever lived. He is the only Son of God. Jesus is perfect – He never sinned.

Because of Who Jesus was and what He did, He was different from everyone else. He must have been a wonderful boy to know. One thing that people must have especially noticed about Jesus was that He always obeyed God and He obeyed His parents, too. If Jesus is your Saviour from sin, He can help you to learn to be more and more like He was when He was a boy living here on Earth.

MT If you have believed in Jesus as your Saviour, you should listen to God and obey Him. God has given us His Word, the Bible, so we can know what He wants us to do. When we know what He wants us to do, we should do it. We should obey.


Jesus obeyed God and His parents perfectly when He was a boy here on Earth. As Jesus grew up, there was something that He must have been looking forward to. One of God’s laws said that every Jewish man had to go to the special city of Jerusalem to have a celebration called the Passover. Every year, Joseph and Mary would travel together to Jerusalem to join in this special celebration. They must have told Jesus that one day, when He was old enough, He would be allowed to go with them.

B. (FLASHCARD 4-1)

When Jesus was 12 years old, that day arrived. Jesus left the town of Nazareth with His parents and started the journey to Jerusalem. They probably left with others from their town who were going to celebrate the Passover, too. As they went, they must have joined with other families from other towns, until hundreds of people were all traveling together.

IH Walk in place, as if walking to Jerusalem.

Finally, they reached the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the most important city in Israel, where their kings had lived and ruled many years before. The Temple, the beautiful house where the Jewish people worshiped God, was there too. Jesus must have been very excited to be there! For seven days, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus celebrated the special feast. Then came the day of the Passover.

C. (FLASHCARD 4-2) Like the other Jewish families, Jesus and His parents followed God’s laws for how to eat the special Passover meal. They killed a lamb and cooked it with special spices. The blood of the sheep was a reminder to them that God had covered over the sins of His people. The animal would die in their place. Each year at Passover, a new sacrifice would have to be made. Joseph and Mary knew that God had promised to one day send a Saviour, Someone who would take away sins forever. They also knew that God had told them that Mary’s Son, Jesus, was that promised Saviour. But, I don’t think they understood exactly how Jesus would be like the Passover lamb.


D. (FLASHCARD 4-3)

P, E Years later, when Jesus grew up to be a man, He would let men who hated Him nail Him to a cross made out of wood. He would give His precious blood as He was hanging on the cross. The precious blood of Jesus does something that the blood of an animal could never do. It makes a way for the sins of all people to be forgiven forever. When Jesus bled and died there on the cross, He was taking the punishment for all sins on Himself. Jesus paid for your sin and mine. The Bible says, “But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) After Jesus died, He was buried, but three days later He came alive again, and He will be alive forever.

This was the way that Jesus would be the Saviour of all people. I’m sure that Joseph and Mary did not understand all of this as they celebrated the Passover with Jesus that day in Jerusalem. After the celebration was over, it was time to head home. Joseph and Mary again joined the crowd of friends and relatives who were heading back toward Nazareth. Maybe Joseph joined a group of men all walking together. He might have thought that Jesus was with Mary. Maybe Mary went over to walk with her sisters and aunts. She might have thought that Jesus was with Joseph. Or, maybe they both thought He was with some of His friends or cousins.

IH Walk in place, as if walking home to Nazareth.

E. (FLASHCARD 4-4)

But Jesus was not in the crowd of people walking home. Jesus had stayed behind in the Temple in Jerusalem. In the Temple, the leaders and priests of the Jewish people all gathered together to talk about God’s laws. As they talked, Jesus sat down to listen. Every once in a while, He asked a question. Soon the older men began to notice. They must have stopped their conversations and turned toward Him. Who was this Boy? How does He know so much? And He’s so young! The things He said about God were amazing!

IH Have children shrug shoulders and ask “Who is this Boy? How does He know so much?”


Meanwhile, Joseph and Mary had walked all day. The people they were traveling with came to a stop for the night, so Joseph and Mary found each other and were probably getting ready to have something to eat and go to sleep. “Have you seen Jesus lately?” Mary might have asked her husband. “No,” Joseph probably answered, surprised. “Wasn’t He walking with you?” Maybe Mary shook her head. “I haven’t seen Him all day!” “He must be with His friends or cousins,” Joseph might have said. “I’ll go ask around.”

F. (FLASHCARD 4-5)

I can imagine both Joseph and Mary hurrying from uncle to aunt, from cousin to neighbor. “Have you seen Jesus?” “Is Jesus with you?” Soon they had to face the fact – Jesus wasn’t there. Nobody had seen Him since they had left Jerusalem. Where was their Son?

IH Have children shrug shoulders and ask a neighbor, “Have you seen Jesus?” I’m sure Joseph and Mary were very concerned. They loved Jesus very much.

G That reminds me of how much God loves you and me. God loves you more than your mom or dad or anyone else can love you. He loves you with a kind of love that is perfect and that never ends.

Joseph and Mary loved Jesus, and that’s why they were so concerned when they couldn’t find Him. They must have rushed back to Jerusalem as fast as they could. For three days, Joseph and Mary searched the city for Jesus. They must have gone back to the place where they had stayed and all the places they had visited. They must have asked every person they could find if they had seen Him. As each day went by, I’m sure both Joseph and Mary were becoming more and more concerned. What had happened to Jesus?

IH Have children put hand over their eyes and “search” for Jesus. Finally, one of them must have thought of the one place in the city where they hadn’t looked – the Temple.


G. (FLASHCARD 4-6)

When they entered that beautiful place, there was Jesus. He was sitting right in the middle of the Jewish leaders, listening to them and asking them questions. He had been there all the time. What had He eaten, and where had He slept? The Bible doesn’t say. The most important thing to Jesus was to be at the place where God was worshiped, talking to the people who taught others about Him. The Bible says that the Jewish leaders were astonished – surprised and amazed– at how much Jesus understood and at the questions He answered. He understood more about God and His Word than any boy they had ever met. Joseph and Mary were amazed when they saw Jesus, too, but not for the same reasons as the priests. Mary must have hurried over to Him. “Son, why have You done this to us? Your father and I have searched for You all this time, and we were so afraid!” Jesus must have been surprised by His mother’s words. “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I have to be doing what my Father wants me to do?” Joseph and Mary must have stared at Him. They didn’t understand. Joseph had not told Jesus to go to the Temple! But Jesus was not talking about the man who took care of Him here on Earth. He was talking about His real Father, God. Jesus needed to be doing the kinds of things that His Father in Heaven wanted Him to do. Jesus wanted Joseph and Mary to understand that He knew Who He was and what He was supposed to do. He was obeying His Father, God, and He was also respecting and obeying His parents on Earth.

MT, PAS If you have believed in Jesus as your Saviour, you should listen

to God and obey Him. The Bible says, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) God has given us His Word, the Bible, so we can know what He wants us to do. The Bible says, 1God wants you to be kind to others. If a boy in your class is playing all by himself at recess, you could show kindness by inviting him to play with you. 2God wants you to tell the truth. If your teacher asks you why your homework isn’t finished, you should tell her the truth and not make up some lie so you don’t get in trouble. 3God wants you to obey your parents. If your parents tell you not to watch a certain TV show, then you should obey them and not watch it. When we know what God wants us to do, we should do it. We should listen to Him and obey.

Life of Christ #4, Page 8 III. CLIMAX

Jesus always obeyed His parents on Earth and His Father in Heaven. Even though Jesus knew He had a job from God, He also knew that the right thing for Him to do right then was to be respectful to His parents. He went home with them to Nazareth and obeyed them in everything. Even though Mary didn’t understand everything that had happened in Jerusalem, she thought about it all, over and over again.

IV. CONCLUSION

A. CLOSING STATEMENTS Jesus continued to grow. The Bible says He got taller, and became wiser, and continued to please other people. Most importantly, Jesus continued to please His Father, God.

B. BRIDGE

Are you ready to do what God wants you to do? Are you willing to ask for His help to learn to obey?

C. CHALLENGE

MT Remember, if you have believed in Jesus as your Saviour, you should listen to God and obey Him. The Bible says, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) God has given us His Word, the Bible, so we can know what He wants us to do. The Bible says, 1God wants you to be kind to others. 2God wants you to tell the truth. 3God wants you to obey your parents. When we know what God wants us to do, we should do it. We should listen to Him and obey. Would you like to ask for God’s help to obey? You can talk to Him about that right now. I’ll be quiet for a few minutes, and you can quietly talk to God right there in your seat. (Allow time for them to pray quietly.)

D. INVITATION L But maybe you do not have God’s help to obey, because you have never believed

in Jesus as your Saviour. Are you ready to believe in Him today? The Bible says in John 3:18, “He that believeth on Him (Jesus) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already (separated from God) . . . .” Can you admit to God that you have sinned, and that you deserve to be punished for your sin? Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sin, and came alive again? Are you ready to believe in Jesus as your Saviour? (Tell them when to come and where to go for counseling.)

LIFE OF CHRIST – Lesson #5 LIFE OF CHRIST – Lesson #5

“Winning Over Temptation”

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 3:1-6, 13-17; 4:1-11; Mark 1:4-13; Luke 3:1-16, 21-22; 4:1-

13

MEMORY VERSE: Psalm 119:11 “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”

VISUALS: Flashcards: Life of Christ 1: 5-1 – 5-6 MAIN TRUTH: You should use God’s Word to help you say no to sin. BASIC OUTLINE: I. INTRODUCTION



A. FLASHCARD 5-1 B. FLASHCARD 5-2 C. FLASHCARD 5-3 D. FLASHCARD 5-4 E. FLASHCARD 5-5 F. FLASHCARD 5-6





Have you ever been caught doing something wrong? Did you think about lying so you could get out of being punished? Maybe after you did the wrong thing you felt guilty or sorry or ashamed. Maybe you even wished you hadn’t done it. How can you say no to sin?

B. TRANSITION

In our true story today, we are going to hear about the amazing way that Jesus won over sin and over His enemy, Satan.


Jesus was no longer a boy. He was now a grown man about 30 years old. At this same time, another young man named John was living alone in the wilderness. Do you remember that when Jesus’ mother Mary found out that she was going to have a Baby, she went to see her cousin Elisabeth, who was also going to have a baby? Elisabeth’s baby was a miracle from God, too, because Elisabeth and her husband were old and had never been able to have children. John was Elisabeth’s special baby. He was Jesus’ cousin, born about six months before Jesus was. John was now living out in the wilderness, away from other people, probably sleeping under the stars or in some shelter he made himself. His clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt. For his food, he ate the grasshoppers and wild honey he found in the wilderness. John must have known that God had a special job for him.

IH Pretend to eat grasshoppers and wild honey.

God did have a special plan for John, and He loved John very much.

G God loves you and me too, boys and girls. He knows your name and everything about you. You are important to Him. He has a special plan for your life. God loved John, and He had a special job for him. John was waiting for God to tell him it was the right time to start his special job. And one day, God did.


A. (FLASHCARD 5-1) John went to a river called the Jordan River and began to preach to anyone who would listen. “Repent, all of you, for God’s kingdom is coming soon!”

IH Have children tell someone next to them, “God’s kingdom is coming soon!” The more John spoke, the more the people gathered to listen. All kinds of people came - soldiers, priests, leaders, people who worked for the government, and many others. “There is Someone coming after me,” John said, “Who is mightier than I am. I am not even important enough to kneel down and untie His shoes and carry them for Him.” The important Man that John was talking about was Jesus.

O Jesus is important. Jesus is the only Son of God. He is perfect; always choosing to do what is right and never choosing to sin.

Jesus was the one John was talking about. The people who heard his words only knew that John was talking about God’s Promised One, the Saviour. They were excited. They were all waiting for a Saviour to bring God’s kingdom to Earth and save them from their enemies. They knew that this was the right time for Him to come. John said to the people, “I will baptize you with water, but He Who is coming will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” “What should we do to get ready, John?” the people asked. “If you have extra clothes or food, give it to those who don’t have any. Don’t cheat or steal from other people at your job. If you have authority over people, don’t use it to hurt them or lie about them, and be content with the money you make instead of taking more from others.” John knew that these people were doing all of these wrong things. They were sinners.

Life of Christ #5, Page 4 S, PAU You and I have sinned, too. Sin is anything you think, say, or do that does not

please God. The Bible says, “. . . For there is no man who sinneth not. . . .” (1 Kings 8:46) I’m sure that if you are willing to admit the truth, you can think of times when you have thought, or said, or done something that you know is wrong. (Share three examples of sin.) Sin separates us from God and keeps us from living in Heaven with Him when our life here on Earth is over.

The people John was talking to that day had done things that were wrong, too. Whenever a man or woman told John that they were ready to admit they had been doing wrong things, John would baptize them. That meant he would take them down into the river, dip them under the water, and lift them back up. It was a way to show everyone that they believed the Saviour was coming, and they were making themselves ready for Him. Some people wondered whether John himself was the Promised Saviour. But John always said, “I am not.”

IH Have children shake their head and say, “I am not.”

John continued, “I am just a voice, crying out in the wilderness, telling everyone to prepare for the Lord, and make ready for Him.”

B. (FLASHCARD 5-2)

One day, as John was preaching, he saw someone walking towards him out of the crowd. It was Jesus. Jesus had left His home and family in Nazareth and had come to John to be baptized. The Bible doesn’t tell us how well John and Jesus knew each other. They may have visited and played together when they were children, like you might do with your cousins. But we do know that when John saw Jesus walking towards him that day, he knew Him. “Are You coming to be baptized by me?” John asked Jesus in surprise. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by You!” Jesus answered John. “Let it happen this way for now, because this is the best way for Me to do everything that is right.”


John must have known that Jesus didn’t have any sin that He needed to admit by being baptized. But, Jesus understood that by being baptized, He was showing everyone that He was a Man who would do all that was good and right. So, John took Jesus down into the Jordan River, dipped Him under the water, and pulled Him back up, baptizing Him. Just as Jesus came out of the water, something amazing happened.

IH Show an amazed (or surprised) look on your face.

C. (FLASHCARD 5-3)

The Bible says that the heavens were opened up, and the Holy Spirit of God came down in the shape of a dove and rested on Jesus. Then both John and Jesus heard a voice. It was the voice of God the Father. He said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This was the voice John had been waiting for. Now he knew for sure that Jesus was the Promised Saviour that he had been telling everyone would come – the Son of God. John might not have understood exactly what Jesus had come to earth to do. About three years after the day this story happened, it would be the right time for Jesus to do the job God had given Him.

P, E Jesus would let men who hated Him nail Him to a cross made out of wood, where He would give His precious blood to pay for the sins of all people, including you and me. Jesus died on that cross to take the punishment for our sin. The Bible says, “. . . With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:19) After Jesus died, He was buried, but He didn’t stay dead. Three days later He came back to life, and He will never die again. That was the wonderful way that Jesus, the Saviour, would save people from sin. John probably did not understand all of that on the day he baptized Jesus. Jesus left the river that day and headed off into the wilderness, alone. He knew this was where God the Holy Spirit was leading Him.


D. (FLASHCARD 5-4) The wilderness was probably hot, sandy, and rocky. The Bible says there were dangerous wild animals around. For 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus stayed there alone in the wilderness. He did not eat anything for that whole time. He was there to be tempted, or tested, by His enemy, Satan.

IH Have children count to 40 by 10’s on their hands.

Satan was an angel created by God. He was once beautiful and powerful. He was a leader of the angels who worshiped God in Heaven. But Satan had wanted to become like God himself, so God had thrown him out of Heaven. Since the beginning of the world, Satan had been tricking people into sinning and worshiping him instead of God. Satan had waited for his chance to destroy God’s plan to save people from their sins. He knew that if he could get Jesus to sin, Jesus could not be the perfect Man Who would die for all people. If Jesus sinned, it would ruin everything.

E. (FLASHCARD 5-5)

After 40 days and nights without eating, Jesus was very hungry. That’s when Satan came to Him. “If You are the Son of God,” Satan said, “command these stones to become bread.” Jesus was hungry. Bread would have tasted very good. Jesus knew He had the power to turn stones into bread, but Jesus also knew that God had put Him there without food on purpose. He knew that Satan was trying to trick Him into making food the most important thing to Him, even more important than God. Jesus had an answer for Satan’s temptation, or testing. He said, “It is written in the Bible, ‘Man will not live by only bread, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

IH Have children hold hands like a Bible and repeat, “It is written in the Bible.” Because Jesus knew what the Bible said, He knew that what God said was more important than food. He used God’s Word to say no to Satan’s temptation to sin.

Life of Christ #5, Page 7 MT If Jesus is your Saviour, you should use God’s Word to help you

say no to sin. The Bible is God’s true Word, with no mistakes. It is powerful and alive. You should learn what it says so you can know how to say no when you are tempted to sin. Jesus knew God’s Word. But Satan didn’t give up yet. He took Jesus to the highest tower of the Temple in Jerusalem, the building where God was worshiped. Then Satan said, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For the Bible says, ‘God will command His angels to protect You. They will hold You up with their hands, so You don’t even hit Your foot on the stones.’” Satan knew the Bible, too! He was using it to try to confuse Jesus about what God meant. But Jesus knew better. He said to Satan, “It is written in the Bible, ‘You should not tempt the Lord your God.’”

IH Have children hold hands like a Bible and repeat, “It is written in the Bible.” Jesus knew that this verse meant that He shouldn’t jump just to test God to see if God would save Him. Again, Satan was defeated with the Word of God.

MT, PAS If Jesus is your Saviour, you should use God’s Word to help you say no to sin. The Bible is God’s true Word, with no mistakes. The Bible says, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” (Psalm 119:11) If you learn the words of the Bible so well that you know them in your heart without looking at them, you will always be ready when you are tempted to do something wrong. You will always know the truth so Satan won’t be able to trick you with his lies. 1When all your friends are doing wrong, you can remember a verse from God’s Word that can help you stand up for what is right. 2When you are tempted to lie, you can remember words from the Bible about telling the truth. 3When you are angry, you can remember God’s words about being loving and kind and forgiving. Say God’s Words out loud. Say them over and over in your mind. Knowing God’s Word will help you to say no to sin. Jesus knew God’s Word, and that’s how He knew Satan was trying to trick Him. Satan had one more trick to try. He took Jesus up to a high mountain. In one moment of time, He made it so Jesus could see all the kingdoms of the world and all the power and glory and beauty of them. Satan said to Jesus, “All these I will give to You, all this power and glory, if You will fall down and worship me.”


Jesus said to Satan, “Get away from Me, Satan. It is written in the Bible, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.’”

IH Have children hold hands like a Bible and repeat, “It is written in the Bible.”

III. CLIMAX

Jesus had used God’s Word to win again. Satan had to leave. He was defeated by God’s Son, the perfect Man!

IV. CONCLUSION

A. CLOSING STATEMENTS (FLASHCARD 5-6)

After all this, Jesus must have been very, very tired and hungry. The Bible says that God did something amazing for Him. He sent angels to help Him and bring Him food.

B. BRIDGE

Are you thankful that Jesus said no to sin when He was tempted as a Man here on earth so He could be the Saviour? Have you ever trusted Him as the only One who can save you from your sins?

C. INVITATION L The Bible says, “He that hath the Son (Jesus) hath life (that lasts forever in

Heaven): and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:12) Maybe today you understand what Jesus has done for you. Maybe you know that you have sinned and deserve to be punished for your sin. Maybe you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and came alive again. Maybe today, you are ready to put your trust in Jesus as your Saviour. You can make that decision today, right now. (Tell them when to come and where to go for counseling.)

Life of Christ #5, Page 9 D. CHALLENGE MT Maybe you have already trusted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour.

If so, then remember, you should use God’s Word to help you say no to sin. The Bible says, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” (Psalm 119:11) So, 1when all your friends are doing wrong, or 2you are tempted to lie, or 3you are angry, remember God’s Words that you have learned. Say them to yourself, or say them out loud. If you know the truth, Satan won’t be able to trick you with his lies. Knowing God’s Word will help you to say no to sin. Do you want to ask God to help you use His Word to say no to sin? You can talk to God about that right now. Then I’ll finish our prayer. (Allow time for them to pray quietly.)

LIFE OF CHRIST – Lesson #6 IST – Lesson #6

“Jesus Chooses His Disciples” SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4:17-22; Mark 1:16-20, 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32, 6:12-16;

John 1:29-51 MEMORY VERSE: John 15:16

“Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit . . . .”

VISUALS: Flashcards: Life of Christ 1: 6-1 – 6-7 MAIN TRUTH: God has chosen you to do something special for Him. BASIC OUTLINE: I. INTRODUCTION



A. FLASHCARD 6-1 B. FLASHCARD 6-2 C. FLASHCARD 6-3 D. FLASHCARD 6-4 E. FLASHCARD 6-5 F. FLASHCARD 6-6





Have you ever been chosen for something? Maybe you’ve been chosen for a part in the school concert or for a part in the school play. Maybe your teacher chose you to do something special in front of the whole class. There is something special about being chosen, isn’t there?

B. TRANSITION

Jesus chose some men to do something important for Him, and that is the true story we’re going to hear from the Bible today.


One day, Jesus was walking near the place where John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing. Two men, Andrew and another John, were with John the Baptist that day. They were his disciples. A disciple is someone who learns from a teacher and who believes what that teacher says. A disciple might live and travel with a teacher so they could learn from them all the time. Andrew and John believed John the Baptist when he said that God’s Promised One was coming soon. They were listening to John the Baptist because they were watching for the Saviour to come. They wanted to be ready for Him. When John the Baptist saw Jesus walk by, he looked at Him and said, “See the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.”

IH Have children stand up, point, and say, “There is the Lamb of God!”

What did John the Baptist mean? How would Jesus take away the sin of the world?

P, E Jesus would one day let men nail Him to a cross made out of wood. Jesus gave His precious blood on the cross to pay for the sins that you and I have done. Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. The Bible says, “Without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22b) After Jesus died, He was buried. He was dead for three days. On the third day, Jesus came back to life again, and He will never die again.


That was the amazing way that Jesus would take away the sin of the world. When Andrew and the other disciple heard what John the Baptist had said about Jesus, they knew they had to talk to Him. So they began following Jesus.

A. (FLASHCARD 6-1)

Maybe they were trying to decide what to say to Him when Jesus stopped walking and turned around. “What are you looking for?" He asked them. Andrew and John answered, “Teacher, where do You live?” “Come and see,” was all that Jesus said. So Andrew and the other disciple came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed there with Him all the rest of that day. I’m sure they talked to Him about many things and asked Him lots of questions.

IH Have children use fingers to name the disciples. The first two fingers will be John and Andrew. Say, “God has something special for John and Andrew to do.” Each time another disciple is chosen, put his name on the next finger (up to seven: John, Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, James, Matthew). Each time, go back and review the names from the previous fingers. Each time, say, “God has something special for (name of disciple) to do.”

By the time Andrew left, he must have been excited. The first thing he did was hurry off to find his brother, Simon. “We have found the Promised One!” he shouted to his brother. Maybe he grabbed Simon's arm and said something like, “You have to come meet Him!”

IH Have children say, “We have found the Promised One!”

I don’t know what Simon thought about all this, but he went along with Andrew to meet Jesus.


B. (FLASHCARD 6-2) When Jesus saw Simon He said, “You are Simon, the son of Jona – you will now be called Peter.” The name “Peter” means “a stone.” Maybe Simon was thinking, “Why would this Man, Who I’ve never seen before in my life, tell me He’s changing my name?” Simon didn’t know Jesus, but Jesus knew all about Simon. Jesus had chosen Simon Peter to do a special job.

IH Say, “God has something special for Simon Peter to do.” MT If you have believed in Jesus as your Saviour, God has chosen

you to do something special for Him. There are lots of good things that God asks you to do each day. You should be willing to do whatever job God gives you.

Jesus had chosen Simon Peter to do a special job, even though Simon Peter didn’t know it yet. The next day, Jesus was looking for a man named Philip. Philip was from the same town as Andrew, Peter, and John. When Jesus found Philip, He said to him, “Follow me.” Jesus had chosen Philip to be a part of this special job, too.

IH Say, “God has something special for Philip to do.”

C. (FLASHCARD 6-3)

Like the others, Philip was excited after meeting Jesus. Philip went right away to find his friend Nathanael. Nathanael was sitting under the branches of a large tree called a fig tree. Maybe he was taking a break from his work. Maybe this was the place he would go so he could be alone to think and pray. Whatever Nathanael was doing, the excited calls of his friend Philip interrupted him. “We have found Him!” Philip shouted. “We have found the One that the writers of the Bible talked about – it’s Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.”


“How can the Promised One be from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Can any good thing come from that town?” “Come and see,” Philip answered. So Philip took Nathanael to see Jesus. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards Him, Jesus said, “Here is someone who is truly an Israelite. This person really is who he says he is.” Nathanael must have looked at Jesus in shock. “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Perhaps Jesus smiled. “Before Philip called you, when you were sitting under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael was amazed. He had never seen this Man before in his life, yet Jesus knew what kind of person he was, and He knew where he had been that day! Nathanael said, “Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Was Nathanael right about Jesus? Yes!

O Jesus is the only Son of God. He has never thought, said, or done anything that is wrong. Jesus never sinned.

Nathanael was right when he said that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus answered, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe all this? You will see greater things than this.”

IH Say, “God has something special for Nathanael to do.”

Now Jesus had met five of the men He would choose to be His disciples. He probably spent some time in their town where they lived and worked, and they began to learn more and more about Him. Then one day, Jesus did something that changed the lives of these men forever.


D. (FLASHCARD 6-4)

He was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This sea was really a big lake, and it was where many people in that area worked as fishermen. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, and their friend John and his brother James were all fishermen. They worked long and hard to catch as many fish as they could so they could sell them to others. As Jesus walked, He saw Simon Peter and Andrew working on their fishing net that they would use to catch fish. Jesus spoke to them and said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Simon Peter and Andrew knew that Jesus was asking them to leave their jobs and their families and travel with Jesus as His disciples. They didn’t hesitate for a minute. The Bible says that they immediately left their nets and followed Jesus. When Jesus had walked a little further, He saw James and John sitting with their father, Zebedee, who worked with them. They were all busy getting their nets clean and ready for fishing the next day. Jesus called to James and John too, just as He had called Simon Peter and Andrew. Right away, James and John left their father and the boat, and they followed Jesus. They must have believed that Jesus was Someone special. They were ready to give up everything so they could do what Jesus was asking them to do.

IH Say, “God has something special for James to do.”

MT, PAS If you have believed in Jesus as your Saviour, God has chosen you to do something special for Him. The Bible says, “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit. . . .” (John 15:16) When you love God and Jesus is your Saviour, each day there are special things that God asks you to do. 1Maybe you are going through a hard time in your life. God has chosen you to show the people around you the love of Jesus, even during hard times. 2Maybe you know a child who doesn’t have many friends. Perhaps God has chosen you to be a kind, loving friend to that person. 3Maybe one of your grandparents live with you or near you, and sometimes they need someone to get something for them or pick up something they dropped. God has chosen you to be kind and helpful to your grandparent. The men in our story today were ready to do the job Jesus had chosen them to do.


E. (FLASHCARD 6-5)

One day, Jesus walked by a man named Matthew (sometimes called Levi in the Bible) who was hard at work at his job. Matthew was a tax collector. He worked for the Roman government, collecting the tax money that the Romans made people pay. Many of the tax collectors were dishonest and forced people to pay extra money that they kept for themselves. The rest of the Israelite people usually hated tax collectors like Matthew. But when Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax collecting office, Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Matthew stood up, left everything, and followed Jesus. He, too, must have heard of Jesus and believed He was the Saviour. He, too, was ready to do what Jesus had chosen him to do.

IH Say, “God has something special for Matthew to do.”

In fact, Matthew was so excited about Jesus that he had a big party at his house and invited Jesus and His disciples to come. Many of Matthew's friends were there – people, lie him, who had been doing many wrong things. They were sinners.

S, PAU You and I are sinners, too. We think, say, and do things that do not please God. That is called sin. It says in the Bible, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) No one always does what is right. (Share three examples of sin.) Sin is serious. It must be punished. The punishment for sin is to be separated from God forever.

Matthew and his friends were sinners, too. The Jewish leaders saw Jesus at Matthew’s house, and they did not like it. They said to Jesus' disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat and drink with these tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that question, He said, “People who are well don’t need a doctor – only the people who are sick. I didn’t come to call good, righteous people, but I did come to call sinners to change their mind about their sin.” The Jewish leaders thought they were so good that they didn’t need Jesus, even though they were really sinners, too. Matthew and his friends knew they were sinners. They knew how much they needed Jesus. Jesus had come to save them from their sin. Even though they were sinners, Jesus still loved them.

Life of Christ #6, Page 8 G Jesus loves you and me too, boys and girls. Even though we have sinned, He

loves us.

Jesus loved Matthew and his friends, even though they were sinners. He had come to save them from their sin. A little while after this, Jesus went up to a mountain to pray. He knew it was time to make His final decision on who His disciples would be. He stayed up all night talking to God about this.

F. (FLASHCARD 6-6)

When the morning came, Jesus called together all the people who were following Him and listening to Him, which by now was a big crowd of people. Out of those people, He chose twelve men – the seven He had already called plus five more.

IH Count the 12 disciples while pointing to their picture. These twelve would be His disciples, which the Bible also calls His apostles. We know the seven He had already called – Simon Peter and Andrew, John and James, Philip, Nathanael, and Matthew. Jesus also chose Thomas, another James, another Simon, Thaddeus, and Judas. Each of these men would travel with Jesus for the next three years. They would be the people that He spent the most time with and taught the most. They were His closest friends.

III. CLIMAX

One day, Jesus would empower these men to do amazing things for Him. They were chosen to do something special.

IV. CONCLUSION

A. CLOSING STATEMENTS God wants you to do something special for Him, too. But doing good things for God can never get you to Heaven to live with God someday. Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

Life of Christ #6, Page 9 B. BRIDGE

If you have never believed in Jesus as your Saviour from sin, you need Him to save you before you can begin to do good things for Him.

C. INVITATION L The Bible says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but

according to His mercy He saved us. . . .” (Titus 3:5) It is not by doing good things that you are saved. It is only by believing in what Jesus did for you and me. You need to admit to God that you have sinned. You need to believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins and came alive again. You need to believe in Jesus to save you. Are you ready to believe in Jesus today? (Tell them when to come and where to go for counseling.)

D. CHALLENGE MT Maybe you have already believed in Jesus as your Saviour. If so,

then remember, God has chosen you to do something special for Him. The Bible says, “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit. . . .” (John 15:16) If you love God and Jesus is your Saviour, each day there are special things that God asks you to do. 1If you are going through a hard time, 2if a child you know doesn’t have many friends, 3if your grandparent sometimes needs help, God has chosen you to be kind and loving to those around you. Will you say yes to God? I am going to give you a minute to pray quietly and talk to God about that right now. Then I’ll end in prayer. (Allow time for them to pray quietly.)

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