22 Februari 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Carrie

Asst 1 : Kasey

Asst 2 : Awan

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Shianty

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Tjipto

Jesus Healing the Bent-Over Woman
(Luke 13:10-17)

Tags: CC: Book of Luke

Categories: Children's Church

1. HOOK

• Get a kid volunteer or your helper to assist. Prepare a large backpack (e.g. hikers) and some heavy books etc. Would be helpful if you can brief/rehearse beforehand.
• Hello children. Meet my friend (name of assistant).  <get asst to wave and walk freely about in the front>
•  My friend looks very carefree and relaxed. Let me see what I can get him/her to do … Hmm … maybe I’ll get him/her to wear this backpack. <wear backpack; asst still walks around but a bit slower>
• Let’s see … Maybe I’ll get him/her to carry some stuff up to the 3rd floor for me. l’ll add in this book. And this book. And this file. And …
  <Add in books/extra weight slowly; as you do that, get asst to bend lower and lower until cannot move>
• Oh no … what happened? Are you alright? Can you walk? <Asst tries to move and straighten up but fails>
  Can you see the ceiling? Can you see my face? <Asst tries but fails>
  Kids … do you think my friend is able to carry all these stuff up to the 3rd floor for me? <No!> Why not? <Because he/she is all bent over>
• “Let me tell you about a woman who was bent over like this for a very, very long time.”

2. STORY: Jesus Healing the Bent-Over Woman (Luke 13:10-17)

• Luke 13:10-17    10 One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagogue.11 A woman there had an evil spirit that had kept her sick for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all.12 When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, Woman, you are free from your sickness! 13 He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself up and praised God.  14 The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, so he spoke up and said to the people, “There are six days in which we should work; so come during those days and be healed, but not on the Sabbath!” 15 The Lord answered him,” You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath.16 Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept in bonds for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath?” 17 His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves, while the people rejoiced over all the wonderful things that he did.

• Imagine: for 18 years, this woman had an evil spirit and a horrible physical condition. 18 years is a long time — how many of you have 18-year-old brothers or sisters? Imagine being bent up for so long.
• Jesus did a wonderful thing — He delivered the evil spirit from a woman and healed her so that she could finally stand up straight.
• She was so happy — she stood tall and praised God! Wouldn’t you be happy if Jesus healed you?
• But some people weren’t happy. The religious officials were unhappy. They were unhappy because Jesus broke the Sabbath laws by healing the woman. You were not supposed to work on the Sabbath. And healing was considered work, so the religious leaders considered it “illegal”. Jesus should have healed her on a Sunday, a Monday, a Tuesday, a Wednesday … any day except Saturday, the Sabbath day.
• What is the Sabbath? The Sabbath is a day of rest. God instituted it when He gave the Israelites the 10 Commandments through Moses (the Mosaic Covenant). It was a day to cease working and rest.
• Rest sounds good doesn’t it? Who doesn’t like to rest? But the religious leaders took something good and made it into a burden for the people. It was like they kept putting more and more weights on the people, just like I made my friend carry all those heavy books until he/she couldn’t move anymore.
• Jesus came to give us freedom and true rest — not just from sickness and diseases, but also from the burden and weight of the law.
• Jesus asked the religious leaders a question: If you have an ox or a donkey that’s kept in the stall, wouldn’t you let them out to drink some water on the Sabbath? Of course you would.
• To the Israelites in that time, their livestock (ox, donkey, sheep, cattle) were important to them because that’s their livelihood, their income. So they will take care of them even on the Sabbath day.
• Now here was a woman that has been kept captive by Satan for 18 years. Surely she is more important that the ox and donkey? Surely she can be set free even on a Sabbath.
• Jesus showed the people that He was the true Sabbath, the true rest for the people — not all those little rules that they tried to impose on the people.
• And to God, we are so much more important to Him than all these animals. So God wants to show His love and goodness to us, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Isn’t God so good? That’s why we praise Him!

3. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

• OUT OF SHAPE WALK AROUND: Tell children to walk slowly and quietly (NO running or shouting) as if they are bent out of shape. And when the teacher calls out “FREEZE”, they have to freeze in their best “bent” pose.
• CRAFT IDEA: Calendar showing all the days of the week, with the words, “Jesus loves me every day of the week!”

• CROSSWORD:

• Remind kids that they are so important to God and He wants to show them His love every day.

15 Februari 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Jemimah

Asst 1 : Adeline

Asst 2 : Dewi K.

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Iwan & Shevica

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Savitri & Miguel

Jesus raising the Widow’s Son (Luke 7:11-17)

Tags: CC: Book of Luke, CC: Jesus' Miracles

Categories: Children's Church

1. HOOK

• Bring a battery-operated toy. Take the batteries out ahead of time. Show the kids the neat toy you brought and then try to get it to work. Then bring the batteries and put them in and watch the toy work! Talk about how when we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and we have a new life.

2. STORY (based on Luke 7:11-17)

• One day, Jesus went to a town called Nain (Na’in). His disciples and a large crowd followed Him. After all, this was a man who could heal the sick and perform many miracles.
• When Jesus came to the town’s gate, He saw a dead person being carried out with a large crowd following behind.
• This dead person was the only son of a widow.
  • What’s a widow? A widow is a woman whose husband has died.
  • How many of you have mummies who work in the office? In those days, married women didn’t go out to work as they had to take care of the household. They depended on the men in the household to provide for them and protect them.
• When this woman’s husband died, she would have depended on her son to take care of her. But now, her son, her only son, had died. Without a man in the household, she was penniless, alone and helpless. Of course she was also very sad.
• When Jesus saw the widow, His heart went out to her. He had compassion on her. And He said, “Don’t cry.”
  • Jesus understood what the widow was going through.
  • Many times, when something bad happens, when we feel alone, helpless and very sad, we think nobody understands. We wonder where God is. But the truth is: He is there, He understands, and He is filled with love and compassion for us.
• Then Jesus went and touched the coffin of the dead man.
  • According to the law then, touching a dead body was a taboo — it would make you “unclean” for 7 days.
  • But Jesus didn’t let that stop Him. Jesus touched and healed lepers even though they were unclean and contagious?
• Then Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
• Those who saw this miracle were filled with awe and praised God. And news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

3. LESSON: Good News for today! Jesus has authority over DEATH

• Today we see that Jesus has authority over death. When He commands life to come, life comes. When He commands death to leave, death leaves. Hallelujah!
• Not only did Jesus have power over death, but He also defeated death by rising from the dead.
• Like the WIDOW’S Son, we were all DEAD in our SIN.
  Like the WIDOW, we were all HELPLESS and HOPELESS on our own.
  But Jesus came to give us LIFE.
  When we believe in Jesus, His HOLY SPIRIT comes into us — like the battery gives life to the toy, the Holy Spirit gives us ETERNAL LIFE so that we can live forever with God.
• Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26; Memory Verse)
• So as children of God, we don’t need to fear death. We can speak Jesus’ life into ourselves, other people, our situations etc.
• Let’s pray: Thank you Jesus that You conquered death so that we can have Your eternal life in us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

• Memory Verse: Use an activity/game to help kids memorise John 11:25-26
• “Young man, I say to you, arise”
  • Have the class lie down on the floor motionless. Make sure that they do not move a muscle, acting as if they are really dead. Let them lay there long enough that it starts to feel a little uncomfortable. Explain to them that when you say, “Young man, I say to you, arise,” they are to sit up and start jumping. After a little while say, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Have the children get up and jump up and down to get all their wiggles out.
• Worksheet ideas

8 Februari 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Junita

Asst 1 : Laila

Asst 2 : Felicia

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Lily Bun & Santi

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Lusiana & Theresia

Two Disciples Encounter Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)

Tags: CC: Book of Luke

Categories: Children's Church

1. HOOK: Seeing Game

• Stick hidden treasures — tiny pieces of paper with the name “Jesus” on it — around the room. Get a pair of binoculars (optional). Have kids take turns to use the binoculars to look for these hidden treasures and retrieve them.
  Check out other ideas here
  

2. STORY (based on Luke 24:13-35)

• One of the darkest days for Jesus’ disciples was when their leader, the man they called Teacher, the one they thought was the Messiah, was crucified on the cross. Everything seemed lost and hopeless.
• The Sunday after Jesus’ death, two of His disciples — Cleopas and his friend — were walking to a village called Emmaus, about 7 miles from Jerusalem.
• As you can guess, they were feeling sad! They were feeling dejected. Disappointed. Defeated.
• Their friend Jesus had died. Their hopes and dreams for a superhero savior had been dashed. And now, they have heard that Jesus’ tomb was empty!
• As they walked and talked to each other, suddenly Jesus came by and walked together with them. But somehow, they were not able to recognize him.
• Jesus asked them, “What are you talking about?”
• Cleopas was surprised. “Are you new to Jerusalem? Don’t you know what’s been happening here the past few days?”
• They went on to explain. “We were talking about Jesus. He was a powerful prophet. We had hoped he would deliver Israel from the Romans. But the chief priest and rulers handed him over to be crucified.
• “Then today, some of our women told us that they went to the tomb early this morning and they couldn’t find his body! They saw angels instead, who told them that Jesus was alive. Then some of our friends went to the tomb and find it empty, but they did not see Jesus.”
• Then Jesus told them, “Don’t you know what all the prophets have said? Don’t you know that the Messiah has to suffer all these things before being glorified?
• Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to the two disciples what all the Scriptures said about Himself.
• As they reached the village, Jesus pretended to walk on. But they urged him, “Stay with us. It’s almost evening.”
• So Jesus stayed with them. He had supper with them. He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread and gave it to them.
• Who knows when Jesus did this before? Yes, at the Passover dinner — His last supper with his disciples. (The Covenant Meal/Holy Communion/Lord’s Supper)
• When Jesus broke the bread, suddenly the disciples remembered too! Their eyes were opened, and they could recognize Jesus!
• Then Jesus disappeared from their sight.
• Cleopas and his friend said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts feel warm when He was talking to us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
• Then they got up and returned immediately to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven disciples and others who had gathered with them. “It is true!” The other disciples said. “The Lord appeared to Peter!”
• And Cleopas and his friend also told them how Jesus met them on the road to Emmaus, and how they recognized Him when He broke bread.

3. LESSON

• In life and in Scripture, we need to learn how to see Jesus.

• See Jesus walking with us
  • When we are feeling down and discouraged, when we are sad or mad, sometimes God seems very far away.
  • But the truth is that Jesus never leaves our side. We may not recognize Him always, but He’s always there with us. He’s walking with us all the way. We need to learn to see Him even in our darkest moments.
  • After an encounter with Jesus, instead of being sad and discouraged, our hearts will be warmed and we can tell the good news to everyone else!

• See Jesus in the Bible! 
  • Many people think that Jesus only appeared in the New Testament, but that’s not true.
  • The whole Bible — from Genesis to Revelations — is a love story written by God to man.
  • It tells how God loved the world so much and planned to send a Saviour to save the world from sin.
  • Every story in the Bible, every prophecy, shows us more about Jesus and what He has done on the cross for us.
  • That’s why in tNCC, we always look at Jesus and His finished work on the cross!
  • So when we read the Bible, we can ask ourselves, “How does this story show me Jesus and His finished work?”
  • And you’ll be amazed at how beautiful a story it is of God’s love for you and me!
  • Memory Verse: Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them in all the Scriptures what was said about Himself.
  • (Younger kids) Luke 24:27 The Bible tells us about Jesus.

 4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

• Memory Verse: Use an activity/game to help kids memorise the verse

• Song: sung to the tune of “Here we go round the mulberry bush”This is the way the two men walked (walk in place)Two men walked (2x)
  This is the way the two men walked
  Going to EmmausThis is the way the two men looked (look surprised)Two men looked (2x)
  This is the way the two men looked
  Going to EmmausThis is the way the two men ran (run in place)Two men ran (2x)
  This is the way the two men ran
  To tell the good news
  

• Song: sung to the tune of “This Old Man”I can tell; you can tell (point self; point to others)With a whisper or a yell (sing softly; sing loudly)Clap your hands and sing along with me (clap hands)Jesus is alive, you see! (raise hands above head)
  I can tell; you can tell (point self; point to others)With a whisper or a yell (sing softly; sing loudly)Stomp your feet and sing aong with me (clap hands)Jesus is alive, you see! (raise hands above head)
  Source

1 Februari 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Susan

Asst 1 : Felianty

Asst 2 : Tasya

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Susi Tjio (Asst. Fenny)

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Kent & Swanky

The Widow's Gift

Lesson: Jesus gave us His all

1. Story

• Talk about Jesus and the Widow’s offering, based on Luke 21:1-4 (you can choose to act it out)
• Jesus sees the heart
  • Jesus saw the gifts people were bringing into the temple. Some brought in huge bags. But others, like this woman, only had two small copper coins.
  • Even though the value of the money was insignificant, but that was all the widow had, and she gave it.
  • To Jesus, that two small coins given from the heart was worth more than the huge amounts put in by the rich people.
  • So whatever gift you want to give to God, give it cheerfully, from the heart — even though the amount may be small.

2. Lesson

• Jesus gave His all
  • Jesus was God’s only begotten Son. And God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son — His all — so that we can have eternal life (John 3:16).
  • When Jesus left heaven, He left everything just so He can come down to earth to die for us and give His life for us.
  • If God had given us His Son, how would He not give us everything else? (Rom 8:32)

• We can receive all that Jesus has given to us
  • Like the widow, we are actually poor. We don’t have anything worth very much. Our lives, our good works, our offerings are like two dirty, copper coins.
  • But we can give this life to Jesus, we tell Him, “Lord, take my life. It’s not worth very much, but I give it to you.”
  • Jesus came to earth, left His riches and glory, to take on our poverty and pain. So that we can receive His riches and glory.
  • And when we give Jesus this life, we are actually exchanging it for His divine life, which is full and abundant.
•  
• Memory Verse: 2 Cor 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

3. Activity Suggestion

• Memory Verse Review:
  • Use an activity or game to help the kids remember the Memory Verse
  • Some ideas here and here

• Worksheets
  • Crossword

• Wordsearch

4. Closing Prayer:

• Thank you Jesus that You left all You had to come to die for us so that we may live your abundant life. All we have to give you is our life — like the two simple copper coins. Please take it and exchange it for your Divine Life, that Jesus can live in us and through us forever. In your name I pray, Amen!

25 Januari 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Carrie

Asst 1 : Kasey

Asst 2 : Adeline

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Shianty

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches : Tjipto

Zacchaues’ Encounter with Jesus
(Luke 19)

Tags: CC: Book of Luke

Source by : TNCC, Malaysia

1. HOOK

• Play the chicken and eagle game. Choose a kid as the eagle and another kid as the mother hen. The rest of the kids will be the chicks. In the game, the eagle tries to catch one of the chicks so he will be no longer the eagle, and the mother hen tries to protect the chicks from the eagle.
• Now I am going to tell you a story about an eagle who thought it was a chicken.
• Once a famer found an eagle’s egg in an abandoned nest. He took it home and placed it amongst his chickens under a brooding hen. When the egg hatched the mother hen reared the eagle chick as if it were her own child. And so that eagle chick grew up thinking that he was a chicken. He pecked like a chicken, he scratched like a chicken he even walked like a chicken. But in time, he grew bigger and it became clear to the other birds that this chick was an eagle. They would swoop down and say, “You are an eagle, you and king of the birds. Come and fly with us.” “I’m not an eagle, I’m a chicken,” he’d tell them. “Go away!”
  But that young eagle chick continued to grow. One day an owl swooped down. “Get on my back” he said, “I’ve got something to show you.” The young eagle hopped onto the owl’s back and the owl flew high into the sky. “Put me down. Put me down. I don’t like it up here,” the young eagle squawked. “You’ll be fine,” said the owl. “Trust me.” Soaring higher and higher, the owl finally flipped himself over and the eagle fell, plummeting fast towards the ground. “Why?” screeched the eagle. “I’m going to die.” “Just open your wings,” called the owl. The eagle opened his wings and was caught by the wind. Soon he was soaring above the farm and the chickens bellow. “You’re right,” cried the eagle. “I am an eagle. I can fly!” The eagle always thought it was a chicken until one day, he found that he could fly, he changed his mind and believed that he was an eagle … and lived as one.

2. LESSON: Zaccheaus Encounters Jesus (Luke 19)

• Today, we learn about a man named Zaccheaus who changed his mind about himself after he met Jesus.
• Tell the story based on Luke 19:1-9. You can act out the story with puppets or props: signboard with “Jericho”, sturdy chair, 2 small branches with leaves. Get volunteers for 5 roles: Jesus, Zaccheaus, tree (need a child, preferably tall to stand next to the chair, holding 2 branches and 2 people). The teacher or someone who can read well can narrate while the children act out the play.
• Jesus was going through the city of Jericho. (“Jesus” walks past the sign and the “tree”, followed by 2 people. They stop after the “tree”.) In Jericho, there was a man named Zacchaeus. (“Zaccheaus” steps out) He was a chief tax collector. In those days, people hated tax collectors. Tax collectors collected high taxes and made life difficult for the people, especially the poor.Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. (“Zacchaeus” tip-toes and jumps to see Jesus, but the 2 people block him) But there were many others who wanted to see Jesus and they were blocking, Zacchaeus who was too short to see Jesus. So he ran to a place where he knew Jesus would come. Then he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see him. (“Zacchaeus” climbs up on the chair to see “Jesus” ).When Jesus came to where Zacchaeus was, he looked up and saw him in the tree. Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, come down now. I must stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus hurried and came down. (“Zacchaeus” comes down from the chair) He was happy that Jesus was coming to his house.But when the people saw this, they began to complain, “Look at the kind of man Jesus is staying with. Zacchaeus is a sinner!” Zacchaeus said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions (the things I own) to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

• Zacchaeus was not only unpopular, but hated by the people. This is shown by the people’s disapproval of Jesus going to his house and they also called him a “sinner.”
• Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. There were such a big crowd and he was up on a tree but Jesus saw his need. Despite of the people’s disapproval, Jesus shows him love and compassion by going to his house. Zacchaeus was more important to Jesus than popularity.
• Zacchaeus changes his mind about himself after experiencing Jesus’ love and acceptance of him. He did bad things in the past (he collected high taxes, made people’s lives difficult and cheated people). To the people, he was a cheat, a tax collector and a sinner. But we can see that Zacchaeus had changed when he told everyone he would give half the things he owned to the poor and pay back anyone he cheated 4 times the amount. Jesus told the people that Zacchaeus is also a son of Abraham.

• What can we learn from Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus?

• Lesson 1: Jesus comes to our house
  • Although Jesus was God, he came to earth as a human being. He saw our need to be saved and he came to save us. Even though we may be not important in other peoples’ eyes, even though we are sinners, like Zacchaeus, we are important to Jesus.
  • When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit moves into us and lives within us. We become his house.
  
  

• Lesson 2: When we encounter Jesus, He changes (renews) our minds about ourselves
  • Romans 12:2 tells us “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
  • Zacchaeus is a son (descendant) of Abraham. Abraham had a covenant with God and his descendants were included in the covenant. When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we become God’s children. Like the son below who looks like his father (because he has his DNA), we are like God because we are his children (and we have his DNA).
  • We may not be a cheat like Zacchaeus was, but there may be other areas of our life that we need to change our mind. Some movies, TV shows and friendsmay tell you that saying foul words, being disobedient to parents and teachers, disturbing your friends when the teacher is teaching is “cool” but God’s word teaches us the contrary/opposite. In fact, we will actually feel uncomfortabledoing those things because deep, down inside, we are not like that. God hasmade us a new creation, and we are the most comfortable, most happy and most at peace when we are like Jesus. What’s really cool is having the Holy Spirit lead us into areas where we can have the best possible life on earth, that is abundant life.
  
  

3. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

• Song: Zacchaeus was a wee little man
• Song: Hello, My name is …

18 Januari 2015

Kelas Balita

Coach Jemimah

Asst 1 : Awan

Asst 2 : Dewi K.

Kelas 1 - 3

Coaches : Iwan & Shevica

Kelas 4 - 6

Coaches :  Savitri (Asst. Miguel)

Mary & Martha Encounter Jesus

1. HOOK

• It was Daddy’s birthday. And Sam wanted to have a nice party for Daddy. So he hung decorations (including a hand-drawn “Happy Birthday” banner) and baked a cake. Daddy came home after work at 6. Wow! The house looked wonderful, and he was so happy. But wait, nobody was around! “Sam!” Daddy called. “Just a minute! I’m mixing the drinks!” Sam replied from the kitchen.
  Daddy took a seat at the table and waited. After 10 minutes, he called again, “Sam! Come over here and join me!” “Hold on, Dad!” Sam said, as he ran to and fro the table and the kitchen. “I need to get the forks and spoons out.” Several more minutes passed. Daddy was feeling lonelier at the table. 
  Finally Daddy called Sam again. “Sam, come here.” “Wait Dad! I want everything to be just perfect for your birthday!”
  “But Sam,” Daddy said. “My birthday will be perfect as long as I can spend it with you. Now there are all the decorations and cakes and drinks, but you are not here! All I want is to be able to celebrate my birthday by spending time with my boy! So come on here and sit with me and tell me about your day!”
  Sam came and cuddled up to Daddy, and they had a lovely time together. They had such a good time that they almost forgot to eat the cake. But Sam finally realised that all his Daddy wanted was to be with him.
• It is the same with our Heavenly Daddy, who loves us and just wants to be with us. Let me tell you about what happened when Jesus went to visit His good friends at their house.

2. LESSON: Mary & Martha Encounter Jesus (Luke 10:38-42)

i. Story (based on Luke 10:38-42) (Can use puppets or get kids to act out etc. Props can be kitchen ware/cleaning supplies for Martha.)

• When Jesus visited his two friends, Martha and Mary, they must have been so excited to have Jesus in their house.
• What did Martha do? She wanted to make everything perfect for Jesus. She cooked and cleaned and arranged everything neatly.
• What did Mary do? She wanted to spend time with Jesus. So she just sat at His feet and listened to Him talk.
• Martha was rushing everything … dinner time was coming. Where was that sister of hers? Just sitting there? That made Martha very angry. She complained to Jesus, “My sister left me to do the work by myself! Tell her to help me!”
• Jesus calmed her down. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

ii.  Lesson:

• Martha thought Jesus would be pleased with her if she did everything right. She wanted everything to be just nice for Him.
• But in her busyness, she became stressed — “upset and worried” about many things. She also became angry at people who weren’t as busy as her. She complained about them.
• But Jesus reminded Martha that He didn’t need all her “doing” to be pleased with her. He was already pleased with her.
• All she needed to do was be like Mary and to just sit and spend time with Him, resting.
• It’s not wrong to want to serve Jesus. But we try to do things out of our own strength because we think God will love us more, then we become upset, angry and tired.
• Let’s all learn to rest in Jesus first, to let Him fill us with His love and strength. Then our service and ministry will be an outflow of Him in our lives.
• Illustration idea: (You may choose to use props etc) Torch light with battery vs Lamp plugged into socket. Once the battery runs out, the torch light will not work anymore. But the lamp is plugged into the power source and will keep on shining. If we do things on our own strength, we are running on our own battery, which will drain out eventually. But if we rest in Jesus, we’re always connected in His strength, which will never run out.
• God promises rest to all of us in Christ Jesus. At the cross, Jesus has done everything for us; He becomes everything for us. When we trust in Him, we can rest and draw on His love, His joy, and His strength every day. And we can serve Him and others with His love, His joy and His strength.

• Memory Verse: Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who are tired, and I will give you rest.”
• Prayer: Thank you Jesus that we can rest in You because You have done everything for us. Thank you that You love to spend time with us. Thank you for loving me. In Your name we pray, Amen.

3. ACTIVITY IDEAS

• Quiet time: Play some slow worship songs (instrumental would be good). Have kids sit a bit apart from each other, close their eyes, keep quiet and just enjoy the music and God’s presence for about 5 -10 minutes (depending on age/attention span).

• Song: (to the tune of London Bridge.)
  Jesus came to see His friends,
  see His friends, see His friends,
  Jesus came to see His friends
  They were happy.Martha baked a loaf of bread
  loaf of bread, loaf of bread.
  Martha baked a loaf of bread
  Just for Jesus.Mary listened carefully
  carefully, carefully.
  Mary listened carefully
  Just to Jesus.

•  Close in prayer; remind kids that Jesus loves us so much that He wants to spend time.