option 1: pefrect examples of love - awana · ... “what do you see when you look ... ask the...

NIV

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Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

T&T MISSION: GRACE IN ACTION

RESOURCE BUNDLE ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

© 2016 Awana® Clubs International This page may be reproduced only by churches registered with Awana.

3.5 – JESUS WANTS US TO FOLLOW HIM: LESSON OPENER (5 MINUTES)

OPTION 1: MIRROR IMAGES

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Mirror

ACTIVITY:

STEP 1: Hold up the mirror and ask: “What do you see when you look into the mirror?” (Your reflection.) Ask a volunteer to come up and make a funny face in the mirror. Point out to the kids that the volunteer’s reflection has the exact same movements at the exact same time.

STEP 2: Have the kids choose a partner and have partners face each other. Explain to the group that they will be taking turns “reflecting” the movements of their partners. Have two leaders demonstrate the activity by standing and facing each other. Ask one leader to slowly make facial expressions and arm or leg movements without making any noise. Encourage the other leader to pretend to be the leader’s reflection and to complete the exact movements without laughing.

STEP 3: Choose a child in each pair to go first. Remind the partners who are mirroring movements that their goal is to imitate the exact movements of their partners.

STEP 4: After one minute, have partners switch roles and repeat the activity. After both kids have participated in each role, ask the following questions:

A. What did you need to do in order to do a good job at reflecting the movement of your partner? (Possible answer: You needed to watch and listen carefully.)

B. What difficulties did you face when you were trying to be the reflection of your partner? (Possible answers: Laughing, not being able to make the same movements, not moving quickly enough.)

STEP 5: Explain to the group that in this week’s lesson they will learn the importance of imitating, or trying to do exactly the same things, as Jesus Christ.

STEP 6: Open in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help you and your T&T kids understand the importance of imitating the Savior, Jesus Christ. Transition to main lesson.

Notes:

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3.5 – JESUS WANTS US TO FOLLOW HIM: MAIN LESSON (10 MINUTES)

STEP 4: After each group has presented its skit, ask: How did Jesus demonstrate love and/or forgiveness?

After all the groups have presented their skits, read Luke 23:32-33 and 39-43. Ask: How did Jesus demonstrate forgiveness in this passage of Scripture? (He forgave the criminal on the cross and promised the man that He would go to heaven with Jesus.) Share the following questions and key concepts:

A. Jesus wants us to show love like He did. Ask: Why are some people harder to show love to than others? (Possible answers: some people are unkind, unfair, annoying, or mean to us.) When somebody does something unfair or mean to us, it’s hard to be kind to them in return. If you think about what they did to you and what they deserve, it’s almost impossible to be kind.

B. But if you think about what Christ did for you when you were His enemy, it helps you to be kind. Remind the group that our sin makes us enemies of God. Jesus showed His love for us on the cross when we were His enemies. We didn’t do anything to deserve Christ’s love and forgiveness, but He showed us grace by giving them to us. Remember, grace is getting something good that we don’t deserve.

C. Because Jesus loved us when we were unlovable sinners, we should be so thankful to Him that we want to do the same for others. We should treat them the way Christ treats us. Like Christ did, we should forgive them and show grace to them that they don’t deserve.

D. The Bible gives us EVERYTHING we need to know how to follow Christ’s example and love others. It is our job to study and memorize God’s Word so that we can grow closer to God and learn how to live in a loving way like Jesus did.

OPTION 1: PEFRECT EXAMPLES OF LOVE

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Bible bookmarked to Ephesians 5:1-2, Examples of Love handout (Resource Bundle), scissors

LESSON PREP: Print out copies of the Examples of Love handout from the Resource Bundle and cut apart each skit.

ACTIVITY:

STEP 1: Open your Bible and read Ephesians 5:1-2 aloud once. Then read the verses a second time, breaking the verses into smaller phrases and letting kids repeat each phrase after you. (This action will help solidify the verses in their minds and prepare them to memorize it.) Explain to the kids that these verses give us an example of how we can follow Christ. Discuss the meaning of the verses, sharing these key concepts: A. When we trust Jesus as Savior, we become the sons and

daughters of God (John 1:12). B. Just like little children often try to do what their parents

do (like pretend to do a parent’s job or copy a funny face or a noise), God wants us to imitate, or follow, His example and be like Him.

C. We are the best imitators of God when we love others. The perfect example of love is Jesus Christ. He showed kindness and love to all people, but the greatest demonstration of His love was when He took the punishment for sin on the cross. He gave up the greatest thing He could give — His very life. He did it for us and He also did it as a gift of worship and love to God.

STEP 2: Explain to the group that after Jesus rose from the dead, He went back up to heaven to be with His Father God. He still lives there now, so we can’t see Him like people could see Him when He lived on earth. But we can still imitate His love by studying how He showed love to others in Scripture.

STEP 3: Tell them that they will now present skits that demonstrate Jesus showing love to others. Divide the kids into two groups and give each group a skit from the Examples of Love handout. Give groups one minute to read through the skit. Leaders should walk around among groups to offer help as needed. After one minute, have groups present their skits.

// NIV //


T&T MISSION: GRACE IN ACTION • 3.5 — JESUS WANTS US TO FOLLOW HIM

EXAMPLES OF LOVESKIT ONE (Based on Mark 2:1-12)

Characters: Jesus, Paralyzed man, Friend One, Friend Two, Friend Three, Friend Four

(Note: Other kids in your group can be people listening to Jesus.)

FRIEND ONE: I wish there was something we could do for our friend who cannot walk.

FRIEND TWO: I have an idea! Jesus is here in town. I have heard that He has healed many people. Maybe He will help our friend!

FRIEND THREE: Let’s take him to Jesus!

(Friend One, Friend Two, Friend Three, and Friend Four carry the Paralyzed Man to Jesus.)

FRIEND FOUR: Look! The house is full of people. How can we get our friend inside to see Jesus!

FRIEND ONE: I have an idea! Let’s lower him down through the roof!

(Friend One, Friend Two, Friend Three, Friend Four pretend to take a part of a roof off and lower the Paralyzed Man down in front of Jesus.)

JESUS: I forgive your sins, and I will make you walk again!

(Jesus bends down and helps the Paralyzed Man stand.)

PARALYZED MAN: I have been healed!

SKIT TWO (Based on John 11:32-44)

Characters: Jesus, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Narrator, disciples

(Disciples follow Jesus, pretending to listen to Him teach. Lazarus lies in a corner, pretending to be dead.)

NARRATOR: Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, was sick. They wanted Jesus to come to their town and heal Him. But Jesus stayed where He was and did not leave right away, and then He and His disciples left to go to the town where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived.

MARTHA AND MARTHA: Jesus, why didn’t you come sooner? Lazarus is dead!

JESUS: Where have you laid Lazarus?

(Mary, Martha, Jesus, and disciples walk toward Lazarus. Mary, Martha, and Jesus cry.)

JESUS: Lazarus, come forth!

(Lazarus stands up and walks toward Jesus, Mary, Martha, and the disciples.)

NARRATOR: Everyone that day saw that Jesus loved His friend Lazarus and was able to raise him from the dead.

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3.5 – JESUS WANTS US TO FOLLOW HIM: LESSON OPENER (5 MINUTES)

OPTION 2: EXAMPLE IN ACTION

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Chalkboard and chalk or whiteboard and dry erase markers

LEADER PREP: Ask a guest to pretend to be a math professor or a teacher. The guest needs to introduce himself or herself to the group and then demonstrate on the board how to solve a simple math problem (addition or subtraction). Encourage the guest to dress the part (e.g., wear a cardigan sweater, blazer and tie or dress suit, wear glasses, hold a pencil behind their ear).

STEP 1: Have the special guest present his improvisation. Explain to the group that the teacher wrote a math problem on the board to give them an example of how to do something.

STEP 2: Ask a few kid volunteers to show the group an example of something they are good at doing, such as making a funny sound, singing, telling a joke, doing a cheer, or an exercise, etc.

Share these key concepts:

A. Examples are helpful for others to know how to do something correctly.

B. Jesus gives us perfect examples of how to love others. We can learn about His examples when we read them from the Bible.

STEP 3: Open in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you and the kids into God’s truth through the lesson. Transition to main lesson.

Notes:

// NIV //




3.5 – JESUS WANTS US TO FOLLOW HIM: MAIN LESSON (10 MINUTES)

OPTION 2: DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Bible bookmarked to Ephesians 5:1-2, copy of the Demonstration of Love handout (Resource Bundle), scissors, two containers, two strips of paper, marker, tape, Bibles for the kids

LEADER PREP: Set up the room in two sections. Print out and cut apart the Demonstration of Love handout. Place the scenarios from Jesus’ Demonstration of Love in one container. Write Group A on a strip of paper and tape the paper strip to the container. Place the scenarios from My Demonstration of Love in the other container. Write Group B on a strip of paper and tape the paper strip to the container.

STEP 1: Divide the kids into two groups, Group A and Group B. Have the kids sit together with their groups.

STEP 2: Have a volunteer from Group A choose a scenario from his group’s container and a volunteer from Group B choose a scenario from her group’s container. Give both groups two minutes to study their scenarios and answer their questions

STEP 3: Have Group A share their scenario. Discuss together how Jesus demonstrated love in that situation.

Ask Group B to share their scenario and their ideas on how to show love in that situation.

Continue the activity with more scenarios from the worksheet, depending on time. Share these key concepts:A. Jesus offers love and forgiveness to all sinners.

B. In fact, He offered love and forgiveness to us when we were enemies of God because of our sin.

C. We don’t deserve His love, but He gives it freely to us because of His grace.

STEP 4: Open your Bible and read Ephesians 5:1-2 aloud once. Then read the verses a second time, breaking the verses into smaller phrases and letting kids repeat each phrase after you. (This action will help solidify the verses in their minds and prepare them to memorize them.) Explain to the kids that these verses give us an example of how we can follow Christ. Discuss the meaning of the verses, sharing these key concepts:

A. When we trust Jesus as Savior, we become the sons and daughters of God (John 1:12).

B. Just like little children often try to do what their parents do (like pretend to do a parent’s job or copy a funny face or a noise), God wants us to imitate, or follow, His example and be like Him.

C. We are the best imitators of God when we love others. The perfect example of love is Jesus Christ. He showed kindness and love to all people, but the greatest demonstration of His love was when He took the punishment for sin on the cross. He gave up the greatest thing He could give — His very life. He did it for us, and He also did it as a gift of worship and love to God.

D. Because of the great love that Jesus has shown to us, we ought to love others.

E. The Bible gives us everything we need in order to learn how to live out Christ’s example of love to others. It is our job to study and memorize God’s Word in order to follow His example.

Notes:

// NIV //



JESUS’ DEMONSTRATION OF LOVESCENARIO

READ LUKE 17:11-19 AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. Who came to Jesus?2. What did they ask?3. How did Jesus respond?4. What did the men do after they were healed?

SCENARIO

2 READ MATTHEW 8:5-13TOGETHER AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. Who came to Jesus?2. What did he want3. How did Jesus respond?

SCENARIO

3 READ MATTHEW 14:13-21AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. What did the people in the crowd need?2. What amazing things did Jesus do for the people?

JESUS’ DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE

JESUS’ DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE

DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE

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DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE

MY DEMONSTRATION OF LOVESCENARIO

There is a new student in your class. He looks lonely and doesn’t talk to anyone. Yesterday he played by himself at recess.

What are three ways you can be an example of God’s love to him this week at school?

It’s Saturday and you have looked forward to playing video games and playing with your favorite toys all week long. You look out the window and see your dad working outside.

What are two ways you can be an example of God’s love to your dad?

Your best friend has been sick all week.

What are three things you can do to show her Christ’s love?

MY DEMONSTRATION OF LOVESCENARIO

2MY DEMONSTRATION OF LOVESCENARIO

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option 1: pefrect examples of love - awana · ... “what do you see when you look ... ask the...

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