Aim: ‘The Boy Jesus’ Childrens Lesson on Luke 2:41-52 is aimed at helping children aged 5-11 understand that Jesus was a child, just like them, and that he was able to love and listen to his Father God.
Main Idea: WE CAN LOVE AND LISTEN TO GOD
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.
The thought behind this series is that the phrase ‘Game On’ means to start something, to face a challenge. Jesus was born to face a specific challenge: the challenge of sin. He faced it head on without hesitation. He wasn’t afraid but he was determined to succeed in all His Father had planned for Him to do.
Supplies:
- Coloring pens
- Pintables:
- 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 RACE CARS READY – 5 mins
Description:
Supplies: Toy race cars
Details: Children must race toy race cars pushing them… with their nose only. The winner is the child that pushes the car to the finish line the quickest.
GAME 2 READY STEADY GO – 5 MINS
Description: race or relay
Supplies: ride on cars for each child or team
Details: Children must race on a toy race car to the end of the room and back. This can also be played as a relay with children taking turns to drive.
GAME 3 BALLOON BUZZ – 10 MINS
Description: balloon race or relay
Supplies: balloons
Details: Blow up a balloon and release it, then pick it up and release it again until you get to the end of the race. This can be played as a relay with each child using their own balloon but running back to tag the next player once they have reached the finish line. The winning player is the one to get to the end of the line first, for the team The winning team is the team to have everyone sat down first after every player has raced.
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 or Bible story video (see Pinterest Board)
Details: Read Luke 2:41-52 and/or show the story and ask questions afterwards in response.
REVIEW QUESTIONS:
- What was the festival Jesus and his family were celebrating?
- How old was Jesus?
- Where did they go?
- How long were Jesus’ parents walking without him?
- Where did they find Jesus?
- What was Jesus doing?
- What did Jesus tell his parents?
SPOT THE SIMPLE MEANING:
1) JESUS KNEW WHO HE WAS AND WHY HE WAS HERE
Description: Object Lesson 3
Supplies: Mario Kart game or alike and a way to play and show it.
Details: Invite some children to play Mario Kart. But stop after they have chosen their players.
Say: Do you know what the phrase ‘Game On’ means? It means we are ready to go, that we are enthusiastic and that we will give something our all – we are ready for the challenge ahead. But you can only be ready for a challenge when you know what the challenge is.
Jesus knew what he was here for. As a boy; just 12 years old, he was found in the temple in Jerusalem talking and listening to the teachers of the Law. When his parents told him they had been anxiously looking for him, he was surprised, thinking they would have known he was in his Father’s house. Why? Because that is why he was here – Jesus came to do the will of His Father. He was here to do what God told him to do. Jesus knew who he was and what his mission was – he knew he was here to do the work of His Father in Heaven.
2) JESUS WAS READY TO LISTEN AND LEARN – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 1
Supplies: Mario Kart game or alike and a way to play and show it.
Details: Play Mario Kart or similar a Video Game before you share the thought below.
Say: That game was super fun! Were you ready when the countdown began? [Get feedback] To do well in that game you needed to be ready to start. It’s a fast paced game and to win you need to stay alert.
It was “game on” for Jesus when he turned 12 years old. That means Jesus was ready to go, he was prepared and excited for what was ahead. How do we know that? Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover Festival with his parents. The Bible shows us that by this time Jesus was already ready to listen and learn from the teachers in the temple. When his parents told him they had been anxiously searching for him, Jesus boldly told them that they should have known He would have been in His Father’s house. Jesus was ready to listen and learn about His Father. Are you ready to listen and learn each day?
3) JESUS LOVED HIS FATHERS HOUSE – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 2
Supplies: your favourite video game to hold. If you don’t love video games perhaps ask someone else to talk about a video game they love and why they love it.
Details:
Say: Does anyone here love playing video games? What are your favourite video games to play? [Get feedback] How many hours do you spend playing video games each week? [Get feedback] This is my favourite video game [hold it up and talk about why you love it.]
Jesus loved spending time in His Father’s house. That’s because He loved the Father – He loved God. He loved God more than anything else.
Did you know that God loves you more than anything else? He loves you so much that He sent His only Son to this world so that you might know God. He wants you to know that He loves you today. No matter what you have done or who you have been. God loves you today.
Romans 5:8 says that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. That means that even when we did wrong, even when we didn’t;’t know God, or perhaps we hated Him, he still loved us. He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die for us so that we might be forgiven for the wrong things that we have done. He sent His Son to take a punishment that we deserved because of the wrong things we have done. He loves us that much! He loves you that much!
Do you love Him more than anything else? Do you love Him more than video games or more than watching TV or being on the internet?
The Bible says in Matthew 6:21 that “where your treasure is, there your heart is.” What we spend our time doing shows what we treasure – what matters to us, and where our heart is. It shows how much we love something. Perhaps you love a hobby, sport that you play or art that you create. We all have things that we love to do; that’s brilliant and God loves it when we enjoy doing things, yet He wants to be the One that we love most. He wants us to love being in His house and learning about and talking with Him.
Do you love your Father God today? Are you ready to love Him and learn about Him each day? If you don’t feel ready and you’re not sure how to love God like you want to, let’s invite the Holy Spirit to teach us how to do that today.
Pray:
Holy Spirit, we ask you now to teach us how to love the Lord. Please show us the things you want us to do, the way you want us to think and the things you would have us say. Help us to love remembering that God loves us first. Amen.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES:
RACE CAR RELAY- 10 MINS
Description: Team or individual game
Supplies: Ride on toy cars for children to ride, Bible verses printed.
Details: Have children work in pairs or teams to have someone ride the car whilst another pushes them and the team point and shout to where the Bible verses are in the room.
Children race in their cars to find the Bible verses first. The Bible verses are all around God’s love.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- Who does God want you to be?
- What does God want you to learn?
- What mission has He got for you?
- How can you show God that you love Him today?
- Who needs to know God’s love this week?
SENSE HOW YOU FEEL – 10 MINS EACH OR IN TANDEM/ROTATION
Encourage the children to think about the questions below as they do one of the activities:
How does it feel to know God has a mission for you? Do you feel ready to do it?
Description: Scroll Craft.
Supplies: Scroll craft printable, popsicle sticks and tape.
Details: Cut and color the scroll and attach to popsicle sticks.
Description: Racing Flag Craft
Supplies: Racing flag template and wooden rod.
Details: Color the I am Ready to Love the Lord flag and tape it to the wooden rod so that children can wave it around.
Description: Moulding activity.
Supplies: Playdough or clay.
Details: Mould the temple out of play dough or clay.
Description: Building activity.
Supplies: Lego or construction toys.
Details: Build the temple out of play dough or clay.
Description: Sensory activity.
Supplies: race cars and race track with signs saying ‘are you ready?’
Details: Invite children to play with the race cars and build a race track as they think about what it means to be ready to do God’s work.
Description: Activity sheets.
Supplies: 5-7s coloring sheet, markers.
Details: Fill in or color the sheets
You could also use some race car crafts. See our Pinterest Board for more information.
SEEK GOD: 5 MINS
Description: Prayer/Encounter activity
Supplies:
Details: Ask the children to stand. Play some quiet music in the background
Prayer:
Thank You Jesus for coming to the world and understanding your mission. Thank You for showing us what it means to love and do the will of our Father in Heaven. Holy Spirit help us to love God with all our hearts. Please help me to be ready to love God and do what He calls me to do. Amen.
