Main Idea: Paul shows us that we need to keep focused on Jesus and never give up!
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:
- Marshmallows
- Spaghetti
- Trophy
- 6 foot plank of wood
- Books
- Paper
- Pens
- Ribbon
- Sellotape
- Printables: Get out of Jail PDF, medal PDF.
- 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 – GUARDS & PRISONERS – 5 mins
Description: Group Game.
Supplies:
Details: Guards & Prisoners. (regular/widescreen) Divide the children into two teams and stand at opposite ends of the room. One team is called Guards the other called Prisoners. Before the game starts decided which team are to be the catchers. The Leader gives the instructions e.g. Guards move two steps forward, Prisoners move three steps forwards, Guards move one step forward, Prisoners move two steps back and so on until they are close together. The Leader then shouts Guards catch the Prisoners. The catchers then chase the opposing team trying to tag as many of the other team as possible before they reach the safety of the other end of the room again. Those who are caught join in with the other side. The game continues until all of one side is caught.
GAME 2 – LADDER BUILD– 5 MINS
Description: One on one Game.
Supplies: Marshmallows, Dried Spaghetti
Details: Ladder Build. (regular/widescreen) Using marshmallows and spaghetti players need to see who can build the longest ladder.
GAME 3 – ROCK PAPER SCISSORS – 10 MINS
Description: PowerPoint Game
Supplies: No supplies needed
Details: Rock Paper Scissors. (regular/widescreen) Children get into pairs and play a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner then plays another winner whilst the loser is eliminated from the game. This continues until there is one winner.
BIG VERSE: I move on toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Christ Jesus Himself. Philippians 3:14.
SET THE SCENE: 10-15 MINS
Description: Bible story and questions
Supplies: Bible, Trophy
Details:
Say: Ask the children if any have won a prize or a trophy? (allow children to answer then hold up your trophy). Getting a trophy like this is fantastic! But Paul talks about how we can get a better Prize in his letter. Let’s read to see what it is!
Read Philippians 3:12-21.
REVIEW QUESTIONS:
- What is Paul’s goal?
- What prize does Paul want?
- Why does Paul forget what is “behind him”? What does that mean?
- What should we hold onto and learn from?
SPOT THE SIMPLE MEANING:
1) FOCUS ON JESUS – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 1
Supplies: Jesus optical illusion image
Details:
Say: I want to show you an optical illusion – an optical illusion is a picture which kind of tricks your brain into seeing something which isn’t there. (Show the slide and ask the children what they see – give them a bit of time until they can all see JESUS). Kids, in our lives we need to keep our focus on Jesus and not focus on what the world think. Paul says I will focus on this one thing – Jesus – and forget the past!
It can be easy for us to lose our focus and start thinking of the ways we have let God down. But we need to forget the past and keep our focus on Jesus. By keeping our focus on Jesus, we can move closer to Him and keep pressing on!
2) KEEP GOING FORWARDS – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 2
Supplies: 6ft plank of wood (or longer if you can), maybe 6 inches wide
Details: Place a book under each end of the plank, so it is raised off the floor by an inch or two
Say: Has anyone watched gymnasts on the beam? They have amazing balance to stay on the beam without falling off! I need a volunteer to walk along it slowly without falling off!(choose a volunteer and ask them to walk along it slowly without falling off). You are doing a brilliant job but look at the concentration! Now I want you to do it again but this time looking over their shoulder behind them instead of looking forward while they do it! (they will find it really hard and/or fall of). It’s much harder to move forward when we are looking behind us!
So, we need to keep looking forward and not looking back. Keep our eyes on the prize and press on!
3) FINISH THE RACE – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 3
Supplies: Derek Redmond video with a way to show it. (See Pinterest Board)
Details:
(begin by showing the Derek Redmond clip)
Say: Derek Redmond was running the 400m race in the 1992 Olympics. He was the favorite to win the race. As he was running his hamstring snapped and he fell to the ground. He sat there for a few moments before he got up and limped toward the finish line. All of a sudden there was a man running onto the field and breaking through the Olympic Security team. It was his father. His dad grabbed hold of his son and helped him to the finish line. They did it together. This was a great Olympic moment, because you saw the heartbreak of the runner but the love of a father. Derek was disqualified because of the help from his father but he did cross the finish line. The finish line was more important than winning.
We are running a race toward Jesus. We’ve already won because we have Jesus as our Savior, but our race is never over until we get to the finish line in Heaven. Our heavenly Father is helping us to run the race and we have the Holy Spirit to help us – We just need to keep our eyes on Jesus!
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES:
GET OUT OF JAIL GAME – 5 MINS
Description: Team or individual game
Supplies: Get out of Jail jpeg, (answer 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 move on toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Jesus”. (Philippians 3:14)
If time, spend a few moments reading Philippians 3:12-21 and share with each other which is your favorite verse and why.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What does it mean to press on towards the goal?
- How easy is it to give up?
- Why do we give up so quickly?
- What can you do to gain the prize of really knowing Jesus?
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: medal (PDF), pens, ribbon.
Details: Color and decorate the paper medal, add ribbon.
Description: Moulding activity.
Supplies: Playdough or clay.
Details: Mould a trophy or a prize that you have won.
Description: Building activity.
Supplies: Lego or construction toys.
Details: Build a scene of being in a race.
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 we need to keep focused on Jesus and never give up!
As the music plays let’s spend some time thinking about how we can stay focussed on the prize. (You could have the optical illusion on the screen). Maybe you’ve felt like giving up. If time you could get into small groups and pray for each other.
Let’s commit to getting ourselves ready this week and staying focused on Jesus.
Pray: Dear God, Jesus, we believe that knowing You is our prize! Please show us the way to know You more each day. AMEN
ZOOM FRIENDLY LESSON:
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE GAME (Keynote/PowerPoint)
READ MY LIPS GAME (regular/widescreen)
