2025-06-29 Victorious
Introduction
At first glance, when reading through the accounts of Jesus' death on the cross, it is hard to envision Him as a victorious Saviour—even more so for those who witnessed this event firsthand. All seemed lost and hopeless. It appeared that His great and glorious mission had failed. But, as these words from the hymn In Christ Alone so wonderfully communicate, Jesus did indeed have the final victory:
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.
(Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music.)
Pray that the children will be newly awakened to the reality of the resurrection. May they more fully see and understand the significance of Jesus' victory over death. May they embrace Him as their own living Saviour.
References
- The ABCs of God - Lesson 30 - Victorious
- The ABCs of God - Application Resources
- The ABCs of God - Classroom Handouts
- The ABCs of God - Optional Activities
- The ABCs of God - Review Activities
Before Service
Ensure parents take their child to the restroom before bringing them to the children's area and use the QR code to sign in their child before the service.
Praise and Worship (15 mins)
Parents: The parent and child scheduled for this week will lead us in singing on Sunday. Please take time to practice the songs together at home, helping your child feel confident and joyful as they prepare to lead.
Prayer and Offering (5 mins)
Parents: Please encourage your children to bring an offering to church. You may help your child prepare by setting aside a coin for them to bring on Sunday. This is a great opportunity to teach them about giving to God with a thankful heart and trusting Him to provide.
What is Offering?
Offering is when we give something to God to show our love and thankfulness. In church, we often give money as an offering, but we can also give our time, talents, and kindness to God and others.
Why Do We Make an Offering?
1️⃣ To Thank God – Everything we have comes from God! Giving back is a way to say, “Thank You, God!”
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7,
2️⃣ To Trust Others – Offerings help the church teach about Jesus, help people in need, and share God’s love.
"God loves a cheerful giver!" That means God is happy when we give with a joyful heart!
Prayer for Offering
Dear God, thank You for giving us everything we need. We want to give back to You with joyful hearts. Please use our offering to help others and share Your love. Help us to always trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Review Verse from Last Week
1 Timothy 1:15a —"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
Bible Story (10 min): God is Victorious
Introduction (1 min)
Props Needed:
- 1 small box with a real prize (like candy or stickers)
- 1 big box with something silly inside (like crumpled paper, rocks, or dog food)
- Optional: a small number card hidden in your hand or pocket (just for the guessing game)
"Alright boys and girls, I have a fun game to start our time today! Who likes prizes?" (Pause for hands and excited answers.)
"I have two prizes right here. One is big and one is small. Which one do you think is better?" (Let a few kids answer.)
"Let's play a guessing game. I've secretly picked a number between 1 and 15. I need one adult and one child to help me."
(Let them guess. Give the big box to the adult, and the small box to the child. Don't say who won yet.)
"Okay! Here are your prizes! [Adult's name], you get this big one. [Child's name], you get the little one. Let's open them!"
(Let the adult open their box and act surprised/disappointed. Let the child enjoy their real prize.)
"Wow! That's surprising, isn't it? It looked like the adult got the better prize, but the real winner was [child's name]!"
"Sometimes, things are not what they seem. Someone might look like they're losing… but actually, they're winning."
"That reminds me of a story in the Bible—about Jesus. When He died on the cross, it looked like He had lost. But guess what? That wasn't the end. Jesus actually won the biggest victory ever."
"Let's hear what happened…"
Story Telling (5 min)
Props / Visuals Suggested:
- Cross visual
- Tomb visual
- Optional: angel cutout, toy soldier, a large stone cutout
- Bible (to hold and read from briefly)
"Let's keep going with our story. Last time, we learned that Jesus died on the cross. That was a really sad day. People who loved Jesus cried and felt afraid. It looked like Jesus had lost."
(Hold up the Cross visual.)
"Here's a picture of a cross. That's where Jesus died. It was a terrible, painful death. His friends saw Him die. It looked like it was all over."
(Hold up the Bible and read or paraphrase Matthew 27:57–60.)
📖 "After Jesus died, a good man named Joseph asked if he could bury Jesus. He gently wrapped Jesus in a cloth and put Him in a brand-new tomb—like a cave with a big stone in front of it."
(Hold up the Tomb visual. You can even roll a fake "stone" across a paper doorway for effect.)
"Then soldiers came to guard the tomb so no one could steal Jesus' body."
"Let's pause: Was Jesus really dead? (Yes!) Was the stone really big? (Yes!) Were soldiers really guarding the tomb? (Yes!) So it really looked like Jesus had lost, right?"
"BUT… something amazing was about to happen!"
(Act excited. Lean in, lower your voice.)
"Early in the morning, two women came to the tomb. They were sad. But suddenly…"
(Read or paraphrase Matthew 28:2–6a.)
📖 "There was a big earthquake! An angel came down from heaven and rolled back the stone! The guards were so scared, they fainted! The angel said, 'Don't be afraid. Jesus isn't here. He has RISEN!'"
🙋♂️ Ask: "Can you say that with me? 'He has RISEN!'"
👏 Let the kids say it loudly: "He has RISEN!"
(Continue reading or summarizing Matthew 28:6b–9.)
📖 "The women ran to tell Jesus' disciples. Then—Jesus appeared right in front of them! They fell at His feet and worshiped Him."
🙋♀️ Ask:
- "Could a big stone stop Jesus?" (No!)
- "Could soldiers stop Jesus?" (No!)
- "Could death stop Jesus?" (No!)
"Jesus rose from the dead! He didn't lose—He WON!"
(Read or paraphrase 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 aloud with enthusiasm.)
📖 "The Bible says, 'Death is swallowed up in victory… Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'"
"Jesus won the battle over sin, over death, over Satan—forever. And that's why we say: God is VICTORIOUS! He always wins."
Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)
"Wow! What an amazing story. Jesus didn't stay dead—He rose again! That means He won the battle over sin, over Satan, and even over death."
"Let's talk about what we just learned together."
🗣️ Ask Question #1: "What does it mean that someone is victorious?" (Pause and let a few kids answer.)
"Great thoughts! Being victorious means… you win! So if God is victorious, it means He always wins!"
🗣️ Ask Question #2: "Did it look like Jesus had won when He died on the cross?" (Let kids respond — they'll likely say no.)
"You're right. It looked like Jesus lost. But remember our game at the beginning? Sometimes the real winner doesn't look like the winner at first. When Jesus rose from the dead, we saw that He had truly won!"
🗣️ Ask Question #3: "Why is Jesus' victory good news for us?" (Let kids respond. Guide them if needed.)
"Because Jesus won, we don't have to be afraid of sin, or Satan, or even death. He took the punishment we deserve and gave us His perfect righteousness. That means if we trust in Him, His victory becomes our victory too."
So remember: God is Victorious. He always wins. And if we believe in Jesus, we are on the winning side, too!
Let's say that together: 👉 God is Victorious. He always wins!
(Let the kids repeat it joyfully.)
Memorizing Verse: 1 Chronicles 29:11a
1 Chronicles 29:11a
"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory…"
"Now it's time to learn our memory verse! This verse reminds us how amazing and powerful God is. Let's say it together slowly first, then I'll show you some fun hand motions to help us remember it!"
📖 Say together: "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory…" —1 Chronicles 29:11a
"Great job! Now let's add hand motions."
💃 Hand Motions (Break it down line by line)
- "Yours"
👉 (Point up to the sky with one finger)
"Everything belongs to God."- "O LORD"
🙌 (Raise both hands high like you're praising)
"He's the one true God—our Lord!"- "is the greatness"
📏 (Stretch arms wide apart like you're showing something BIG)
"God is greater than anyone or anything."- "and the power"
💪 (Make strong arm muscles)
"God is stronger than anything!"- "and the glory"
🌟 (Spread fingers and wave hands around your head like something shining)
"God shines brighter and deserves all the praise."- "and the victory…"
🎉 (Pump fists in the air like a winner)
"God ALWAYS wins!"- "1 Chronicles 29:11"
📘 (Pretend to open a Bible like a book)
"Let's not forget where it's from!"🗣️ Practice Together
"Let's try the whole verse again with the motions!"
(Lead the kids in repeating the verse slowly with hand motions.)
👉 "Yours (point up), O LORD (praise hands), is the greatness (arms wide), and the power (strong arms), and the glory (sparkly hands), and the victory (fists in air)…" —1 Chronicles 29:11a 📘
"Awesome! One more time — let's do it LOUD like a victory shout!"
(Repeat with energy.)
Craft & Game (10 mins)
Craft (5 minutes): "God Is Victorious" Pennant
Supplies per child:
- Pre-cut triangle pennant (paper or cardstock)
- Markers or crayons
- Stickers (stars, crosses, hearts, etc.)
- Ribbon or washi tape (optional)
- Tape
- Straw or craft stick for the handle
"Now we're going to make something super fun — a victory pennant! Have you ever seen people wave flags at a parade or after winning a game? Well, today we're going to make a flag that celebrates something even better: God's victory!"
"Let's decorate our pennant with the words: 'God is Victorious!' That means He always wins, even over Satan, sin, and death."
🖍️ "Use markers to color your pennant, add stickers, and if you'd like, use ribbon or washi tape to make it extra special!"
🎯 "This is your victory flag. When we wave it later, we'll be celebrating what Jesus did when He rose from the dead!"
(Walk around, encourage creativity, and affirm kids as they work.)
Game (5 minutes): "God Is Victorious" Praise Parade
What You Need:
- Kids' decorated pennants
- A speaker or phone to play music
- An upbeat praise song (suggestions: "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today" or "Mighty Mighty Saviour")
"Now that we've made our pennants, it's time for a Victory Parade! We're going to march, clap, and wave our flags to celebrate how Jesus rose from the dead and WON!"
🎶 Start music.
"March in a big circle! Wave your pennants in the air! Let's celebrate Jesus!"
(Lead the parade. Walk with them, wave your own pennant, clap, and smile. Keep it joyful and energetic.)
🛑 Pause music randomly.
"When the music stops, we're going to SHOUT: 👉 'God is Victorious! He always wins!'"
🎶 Resume music and continue. Repeat 2–3 times.
"Great job, everyone! That was so fun — and now we'll never forget: God is Victorious. He ALWAYS wins!"
Response Song
Closing Prayer & Snack Time (10 mins)
"Dear Jesus, thank You for being victorious over sin and death. Thank You for rising from the dead and showing us that nothing can stop You. Help us to remember that when we trust in You, we're on the winning side. We love You! Amen."
Now, let us thank You for the snack we’re about to enjoy.
We fold our hands.
We bow our heads.
We thank You, God,
for this daily bread.
Amen.