Main Idea: Paul shows us that even in our hard times we can be joyful and know that God will use it for His glory.
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)
- Get out of Jail Game (5 mins)
- Sense How You Feel – activity (10 – 25 mins)
- Seek God – prayer (5 mins)
Setting the Stage: This series will take us through a letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians while he was in prison. Instead of being sad and gloomy about his situation, Paul uses his time to be joyful and thankful. To create a jailhouse rock scene setting you could make your own “jail” props such as ball and chains, stocks or bars. Each week you could challenge the children to come up with a verse from Philippians that is set to music so you could also have musical instruments available.
Supplies:
- Stopwatch
- Two piles of adult clothes (large t-shirts, jumpers, jogging bottoms etc)
- Whiteboard
- Bible
- Scarves
- Two balloons
- Water
- Sharpie
- Lighter or Lit candle
- Cake
- Flour, oil, eggs
- Cup cakes
- Icing
- Sweets for cake decorating
- Printables: Philippians PDF scripture, Get out of Jail PDF, Koinonia Slide
- Coloring pens
- Playdough or clay
- Lego or construction toys
- Prayer tent materials – cushions, bibles, fairy lights, cross, candles etc
- 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 – DOING TIME – 5 MINS
Description: Group Game.
Supplies: Stopwatch
Details: Doing Time. (regular/widescreen) Ask all the children to stand up and count (to themselves, in their heads) for a certain time such as 60 seconds. When they think the time is up they sit down. Using a stopwatch the leader will know which child is the most accurate. (Make sure there aren’t any visible clocks in the room!)
GAME 2 – DISGUISE RACE – 5 MINS
Description: Race
Supplies: Two piles of adult clothes (large t-shirts, jumpers, jogging bottoms etc)
Details: Disguise Race. (regular/widescreen) The player needs to run to the other end where the clothes are and put the clothes on over their existing clothes and then run back. The player that is the fastest is the winner.
GAME 3 – [PRISON THEMED] SCAVENGER HUNT – 10 MINS
Description: PowerPoint Game
Supplies: No supplies needed
Details: Scavenger Hunt. (Keynote/PowerPoint) Children need to look for prison themed objects around the room such as cup of water, comb, bed sheet, towel, small mirror.
BIG VERSE: I pray that your love will grow more and more. And let it be based on knowledge and understanding. Philippians 1:9
(regular/widescreen) or Download the Bible cards here.
SET THE SCENE: 10-15 MINS
Description: Bible story and questions
Supplies: Bible, Whiteboard and marker, Chains
Details: Say: What words come to your mind when you think of a jail? (allow children to respond and write the words on a board). Well I notice that one word is missing. (write the word JOY on the board). No one mentioned JOY! Last week we read the start of the letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians. Remember Paul was in jail because people wanted him to stop telling others about Jesus. But listen to this! Even though Paul was in prison (hold up chains) bound and not able to do anything Paul was full of Joy! Let’s find out more by reading our next part of his letter.
Read Philippians 1:12-30
REVIEW QUESTIONS:
1.What has happened to Paul?
2.What positives have come out of Paul’s situation (v 14)
3.Could God make a bad situation good in your life?
4.How does Paul want the Philippians to live (v 27)
SPOT THE SIMPLE MEANING:
1) STUCK- 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 1
Supplies: Scarves, Show picture of a traffic jam (regular/widescreen)
Details: Say: Now I need a volunteer (Choose a volunteer and then tie their hands and feet together). Now would you be able to come with me now to get a burger? Can you help me with the craft? NO! How do you feel? (wait until they say frustrated). That’s right – it can be frustrating when we are stuck somewhere.
Anyone ever been stuck in traffic? (show picture). I hate being stuck in traffic. It seems to last forever! Time goes by really slowly and usually I start to get really frustrated and start beeping my horn! Remember Paul was stuck in prison, tied up with chains but instead of getting frustrated he knew the secret. It was JOY! Remember when we are stuck God is never stuck!
2) JOYFUL IN HARD TIMES – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 2
Supplies: 2 balloons, permanent marker, water, lit candle or lighter
Details: Blow up both balloons but fill one of the balloons with a little water. Draw a smiley face on the water fill balloon and a sad face on the other balloon.
Say: It’s easy to be joyful when things are going right, but over time things can go wrong. (hold up balloon that isn’t filled with water) What’s going to happen to you when trouble comes, like this candle? (place the lit candle or lighter under the balloon – it will burst pretty quickly!). That’s right it burst! But God wants us to be joyful in all situations – even in the hard times! Paul showed us that Joy in all situations is possible! (Pick up the other balloon and place the candle underneath). Even when things get really hard we need to pray and allow God to give us His joy.
3) GOD WILL USE OUR TROUBLES FOR GOOD – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 3
Supplies: Baked cake, egg, flour, oil,
Details: Say: How many of you like cake? Why do you like cake (allow children to answer) Would you like to see one which i’ve made? (show cake and try a bit) – it looks and tastes yummy! Now do any of you know what things go into a cake? (allow children to answer) Would you ever think about eating all the ingredients separately? What about some flour? (hold up flour) or eggs? (hold up some raw egg).What about this oil? (hold up oil). Yuk! (Show the cake again) Did you know that life can be a lot like a cake! Separately there are some yucky bits and even though you might be in a bad situation, God promises to make something good out of it. Do you believe that? Paul did.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES:
GET OUT OF JAIL GAME – 5 MINS
Description: Team or individual game
Supplies: Get out of Jail JPeg, bibles.
Details: Using the printout or slide (start at the ‘imprisoned’ end and move through the maze to get to the ‘free’ on the other side) to find the scripture! The correct route will take them through the passage “I will continue to be glad because I know that your prayers and the help the Spirit of Jesus Christ gives me will cause this trouble to result in my freedom” (Philippians 1: 19) If time, spend a few moments reading Philippians 1:12-30 and share with each other which is your favorite verse and why.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.Think about one trouble that you have had to face – how did that make you feel?
2.Did you see any good come from that hard time?
3.How might God use that situation for good?
4.How could God use that to grow His kingdom?
SENSE HOW YOU FEEL – 10 MINS EACH OR IN TANDEM/ROTATION
Encourage the children to think about the questions above as they do one of the activities:
Description: Craft.
Supplies: Cakes, icing, sweets to decorate the cakes with.
Details: Ice and decorate a cup cake (or bake some cakes if time)
Description: Moulding activity.
Supplies: Playdough or clay.
Details: Mould something that will remind you to stay joyful.
Description: Building activity.
Supplies: Lego or construction toys.
Details: Build a scene of a situation that God has used for good.
Description: Sensory activity.
Supplies: Create a prayer tent space using cushions, lights, a cross and tent if you have one. Have some quiet music playing.
Details: Encourage the children to spend some time listening to God. Have some scriptures around to help focus them. Allow time to draw or write anything that they have heard.
Description: Activity Booklets.
Supplies: 5-7s and 8-11s booklets (included in download), markers.
Details: Fill in or color the 5-7s (PDF) and 8-11s (PDF) booklets.
SEEK GOD: 5 MINS
Description: Prayer/Encounter activity
Supplies: Soft worship music
Details: Ask the children to stand. Play some quiet music in the background.
Today we have learnt how that even in our hard times we can be joyful and know that God will use it for His glory. As the music plays ask if anyone feels like they are in a troubling time right now. Pray specifically for that child and that situation.
Dear God, thank you that you are here and that even though life is hard sometimes you are always with us. We choose to focus on you and not our troubles. Thank you that you will do great things with our hard times. AMEN
FROM THE ZOOM FRIENDLY LESSON:
MUGSHOTS GAME (regular/widescreen)
WOULD YOU RATHER GAME (Keynote/PowerPoint)
