Main Idea: WE CAN OVERCOME
Suggested Schedule: (90 mins)
- Welcome (5 mins)
- Game 1(5mins)
- Review Big Verse (5 mins)
- Set the Scene: Bible story/skit and review questions (10-15 mins)
- Object Lesson 1 talk (5mins)
- Game 2 (5 mins)
- Object Lesson 2 talk (5 mins)
- Game 3 (5 mins)
- Object Lesson 3 talk (10 mins)
- Game (5 mins)
- Sense How You Feel – activity (10 – 25 mins)
- Seek God – prayer (5 mins)
Setting the Stage: To set the stage for this series you can use lots of different video game logos and designs. You could also have some video games around the room for children to play before and after the lesson.
Supplies:
- Bible/s
- Coloring pens
- music/ a way to play it and a large space
- milk, cups, wheat cereal
- a wall
- A one player video game such as Tetris
- A video game where you must defeat the enemy.
- water guns, water
- Video game or phone app such as Wordle or Words with Friends.
- Printables
- Playdough or clay
- Lego or construction toys
- All PowerPoint games with some way of showing them (i.e. laptop and screen)
SONG and BIBLE STORY VIDEO IDEAS available via our dedicated Pinterest Board.
GAME IDEAS:
GAME 1 MUSICAL STATUES – 5 mins
Description: everyone in game
Supplies: music/ a way to play it and a large space
Details: Play the music and invite all the children to dance. When the music stops the children stop still. If anyone moves then they are eliminated. Play again with those that are left. The last player standing is the winner.
GAME 2 THE WHEAT CEREAL CHALLENGE – 5 MINS
Description: one-on-one game
Supplies: milk, cups, wheat cereal
Details: Children are allowed a drink of milk to drink with a wheat cereal block. The first player to eat it all is the winner.
GAME 3 CHAIR ON THE WALL – 10 MINS
Description: one-on-one game
Supplies: a wall
Details: Children compete with their back against a wall, squatting as if sitting in a chair. The winner is the child to last the longest in that position.
BIG VERSE: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23.
SET THE SCENE: 10-15 MINS
Description: Bible story and questions
Supplies: Bible
Details: Read Luke 4:1-13. See Pinterest for Bible story ideas.
Say: This took place after Jesus’ baptism.
REVIEW QUESTIONS:
- Who led Jesus into the wilderness? (v1)
- How many days was Jesus tempted? (v2)
- What did the devil want Jesus to tell the stone to become? (v3)
- Where did the devil take Jesus next? (v5)
- What did the devil want Jesus to do from the temple? (v9)
- Each time Jesus used three words to fight the devil. What were these words? (It is written…)
SPOT THE SIMPLE MEANING:
Jesus was ready for all that was thrown at Him in
1) JESUS FACED TEMPTATION – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 1
Supplies: A one player video game such as Tetris.
Alternatively have the children play a one player game such as a minute to win it game (see Pinterest).
Details:
Say: Playing one player games are tons of fun! It means you have to solve the problems all by yourself. What’s your favourite single player video game?
Jesus was ready to face temptation. The Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness, not so that He would be defeated but so that he could face temptation and win.
Jesus faced temptation – there were no other people there to help Him. Yet He had His Father and the Holy Spirit with Him to give Him the strength He needed to fight the devil’s temptations. That’s the same with us, often we don’t have other people around us to stop us from saying that nasty word, or doing that awful thing. Yet we have God’s Spirit inside us to help us and we have the Father God to ask for help.
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JESUS FACED THE ENEMY AND WON – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 2
Supplies: A video game where you must defeat the enemy.
Alternatively play a one-on-one game where children must compete against each other; such as Sock Wars where they must try and grab one another’s sock on their hands and knees, whilst protecting their own.
Details: Play the game together where you must defeat the opposition.
Say: Was that game easy or tough to play? [Get feedback] I guess it all depends on your opponent – the one you are playing against.
The incredible thing about this passage in the Bible is that it reminds us that Jesus has defeated the devil – the enemy! There is nothing too difficult for Jesus to do. When Jesus was tempted He didn’t back down but kept speaking against His enemy. Jesus faced the enemy and won!
That means that when we have Jesus living in us, we can face the enemy and win too! We can face the temptation to do wrong and overcome! Jesus can give us the strength to win the battle.
3) WE OVERCOME TEMPTATION WITH THE WORD OF GOD – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 3
Supplies: Play a video game/phone game app together where words are very important such as Wordle or Words with Friends.
Details: Alternatively, have the children play a game where words are important such as Red Light, Green Light. In this game children must stop and start when someone shouts red light or green light.
Say: Jesus overcame the devil by using the Word of God. He knew that His enemy told lies. He needed the truth of God’s Word to fight against the devil’s schemes.
The Bible tells us the truth about life and about who God says we are and what we are to do. Jesus knew God’s Word so He could speak it with power. God’s Word to us is the Bible. We can learn the words of the Bible and speak it out when the enemy whispers or shouts his lies to us. We may hear his lies in our heads, or sometimes he uses other people to tempt us by using them to speak lies about or to us. Yet we can learn and use God’s Word; the Bible to help us overcome!
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES:
READY, STEADY, RUN AWAY – 10 MINS
Description: individual game
Supplies: Bible verse scriptures, water guns, water
Details:
Children must try and grab the scriptures around the room or outside without being shot with the water gun. You can choose how many water guns you use and what strength they shoot the water out – depending on the mess you want to make and how wet you want to make the children.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- What are you tempted to do that you know you shouldn’t?
- How easy is it to run away from temptation?
- What has helped you overcome temptation?
- What do you think would have happened if Jesus didn’t resist temptation?
SENSE HOW YOU FEEL – 10 MINS EACH OR IN TANDEM/ROTATION
How does it feel to know Jesus resisted temptation?
Encourage the children to think about the question above as they do one of the activities:
Description: Craft.
Supplies: Memory Verse Banner
Details: Cut out the template, color and thread string through the top to hang.
Description: Moulding activity.
Supplies: Playdough or clay.
Details: Mould Jesus out of play dough or clay.
Description: Building activity.
Supplies: Lego or construction toys.
Details: Create the scene of Jesus in the wilderness using Lego.
Description: Sensory activity.
Supplies: sand, Bible verses, spades and rakes
Details: Let children play with the sand as they think about the question.
Description: Coloring sheet.
Supplies: coloring sheet, markers.
Details: Fill in or color the sheets
SEEK GOD: 5 MINS
Description: Prayer/Encounter activity
Supplies: music to play
Details: Ask the children to stand. Play some quiet music in the background.
Prayer: Thank You God that when I am weak, you are strong. Thank You that You help me to overcome temptation. Thank You that You showed me how to resist temptation by resisting it yourself and giving me Your Word. Please help me to live a life that brings glory to You. Amen.
