**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? > > **To Thank God** – Everything we have comes from God! Giving back is a way to say, “Thank You, God!” > **To Trust God** – When we give, we show that we trust God to take care of us. > **To Help Others** – Offerings help the church teach about Jesus, help people in need, and share God’s love. > > The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, > *"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 **Luke 5:32** \[Jesus said,\] "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." ## Bible Story (10 min) ### **Introduction (2 min)** Props Needed: - A pair of baby or doll shoes with a knot tied tightly in the laces (too small to wear) - A blanket or large towel (to represent the mat the paralyzed man was carried on) - Darkened Heart visual (from previous lessons) > *(Walk in carrying the tiny knotted shoes. Sit down and try very hard to untie the knots, looking frustrated.)* > > **Teacher:** "Oh no, oh no, oh no! I have a TERRIBLE problem! Can you see? The laces on my shoes are all knotted up! I can't untie them! Can someone please help me get these knots out?" > > *(Let a child come try to untie the knot. After a moment, hold the shoes up.)* > > **Teacher:** "Wait a minute... even if we untie the knots... look at these shoes! They're TINY! They're baby shoes! Could I ever fit my big feet into these little shoes?" > > **Interaction:** "Everyone look at the teacher's feet. Now look at the tiny shoes. Shake your heads and say: 'NO WAY!'" > > **Teacher:** "So I was very upset about the knots in my laces, but that wasn't even my REAL problem! The real problem was that the shoes are way too small! Even if the knots were fixed, I still couldn't wear them!" > > **Teacher:** "Sometimes we do the same thing with problems in our life. We get very upset about a little problem, but we forget that we have a much BIGGER problem that we need help with." > > **Teacher:** "Today we are going to read a true story from the Bible about a man who had a problem that he was very upset about. It was a much bigger problem than knotted shoe laces! But when this man met Jesus, he found out he had an even BIGGER problem! Let's find out what happened." ### **Story Telling: Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man (8 min)** Props / Visuals Suggested: - Blanket or large towel (the man's mat) - Darkened Heart visual > ##### **Part 1: The Man Who Couldn't Walk** (2 mins) > > **Teacher:** "Last time we learned that Jesus called ordinary fishermen to follow Him. Jesus chooses helpless sinners to be His friends. Today we're going to see Jesus do something even more amazing!" > > **Teacher:** "Our story comes from the book of Mark in the Bible. Jesus came to a town called Capernaum. When people heard that Jesus was there, SO many people crowded into the house to see Him that there was no room left. Not even by the door!" > > **Interaction:** "Everyone squeeze together really tight! Squish, squish! That's how crowded it was!" > > **Teacher:** "Now, there was a man in this town who had a really big problem. He could not walk. His legs did not work at all. He couldn't stand up. He couldn't run. He couldn't even wiggle his toes." > > **Interaction:** "Try to stand perfectly still. Don't move your legs at all. Can you imagine never being able to walk or run or jump? That would be really hard!" > > **Teacher:** "This man had four really good friends. They believed that Jesus could help their friend. So they carried him on a mat all the way to the house where Jesus was." > > *(Lay the blanket on the ground.)* > > **Teacher:** "But when they got there, there were SO many people that they couldn't get through the door! What would you do?" > > *(Wait for kids to answer.)* > > ##### **Part 2: Through the Roof!** (2 mins) > > **Teacher:** "These four friends had an amazing idea. They climbed up on the ROOF of the house!" > > **Interaction:** "Everyone pretend to climb a ladder! Climb, climb, climb! Up to the roof!" > > **Teacher:** "And then they started digging through the roof! They made a hole right in the ceiling! Can you imagine sitting inside and suddenly seeing a HOLE appear above your head?" > > **Interaction:** "Look up at the ceiling! Point up! 'There's a HOLE in the roof!'" > > **Teacher:** "Then, slowly and carefully, the four friends lowered the man on his mat down through the hole, right in front of Jesus!" > > **Interaction:** "Pretend you're holding a rope and slowly lowering something down. Lower... lower... lower..." > > **Teacher:** "Jesus saw this man coming down through the roof. And the Bible says something very special: Jesus saw their FAITH. He saw that they BELIEVED Jesus could help. Jesus was pleased that they trusted Him so much that they would even break open a roof to get to Him!" > > ##### **Part 3: The Surprise** (2.5 mins) > > **Teacher:** "Now, what do you think the man wanted Jesus to do? What was his big problem?" > > *(Wait for kids to answer: "He can't walk!")* > > **Teacher:** "Right! He couldn't walk. He wanted Jesus to fix his legs. But listen to what Jesus said first. Jesus looked at the man and said: 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'" > > **Teacher:** "Wait... what? The man came because his legs didn't work, but Jesus talked about his SINS? Why would Jesus do that?" > > *(Hold up the Darkened Heart visual.)* > > **Teacher:** "Because Jesus knew something very important. Not being able to walk is a really big problem. But having a sinful heart is an even BIGGER problem! Remember our tiny shoes? The knotted laces seemed like the big problem, but the real problem was that the shoes were too small. The man's legs seemed like his biggest problem, but his sinful heart was an even bigger problem!" > > **Interaction:** "Point to your legs. That's a big problem. Now point to your heart. That's an even BIGGER problem!" > > **Teacher:** "Some people in the room got very angry when Jesus said this. They thought: 'Who does Jesus think He is? Only God can forgive sins!' And you know what? They were right about one thing: only God CAN forgive sins. But they forgot something very important: Jesus IS God!" > > ##### **Part 4: Jesus Proves He Is God** (1.5 mins) > > **Teacher:** "Jesus knew what they were thinking. So He asked them a question. He said: 'Which is easier to say: Your sins are forgiven, or Stand up and walk?'" > > **Teacher:** "Then Jesus said: 'But so that you may know that I have power to forgive sins...' And He looked at the man and said: 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!'" > > **Interaction:** "Everyone sit on the floor. Now, when I say 'GO,' jump up as fast as you can! Ready... GO!" > > *(Let all the kids jump up.)* > > **Teacher:** "That's what happened! The man who could NEVER walk before stood right up! He picked up his mat and walked right out in front of everyone! His legs worked perfectly!" > > **Interaction:** "March in place! Look at your legs! They WORK! The man could walk!" > > **Teacher:** "Everyone who saw it was amazed. They said: 'We have never seen anything like this!' Jesus healed the man's legs, but even more importantly, Jesus forgave the man's sins. Jesus is God, and nothing is too hard for Him. He has the power to heal bodies AND to heal sinful hearts." > > **Teacher:** "Let's remember this with actions!" > > - **Teacher:** "The man couldn't walk." *(Kids sit down and stay still.)* > - **Teacher:** "His friends had faith." *(Kids pretend to climb and lower a rope.)* > - **Teacher:** "Jesus forgave his sins FIRST." *(Kids point to their hearts.)* > - **Teacher:** "Then Jesus healed his legs!" *(Kids jump up and march.)* > - **Teacher:** "Because Jesus is GOD!" *(Kids point up to heaven.)* > > **Teacher:** "One more time, louder!" > > - "The man couldn't walk." *(Sit down, stay still.)* > - "His friends had faith." *(Climb and lower rope.)* > - "Jesus forgave his sins FIRST." *(Point to heart.)* > - "Then Jesus healed his legs!" *(Jump up and march.)* > - "Because Jesus is GOD!" *(Point up.)* ### **Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)** > *(Gather children close for reflection.)* > > --- > > #### **Discussion Questions:** > > **Teacher:** "Let's think about what we learned today." > > **Question:** "What was the man's problem that everyone could see?" > > **Teacher Key:** He couldn't walk. His legs didn't work. > > **Question:** "When the man came to Jesus, what did Jesus do FIRST? Did He fix his legs first?" > > **Teacher Key:** No! Jesus forgave his sins first. Jesus knew that the man's sinful heart was an even bigger problem than his legs. > > **Question:** "Why were some people angry when Jesus said 'Your sins are forgiven'?" > > **Teacher Key:** Because only God can forgive sins. They didn't believe that Jesus is God! > > **Question:** "What is YOUR biggest problem? Is it a sore knee, or a bad day at school, or a fight with your friend? Or is it something even bigger?" > > **Teacher Key:** Our biggest problem is our sinful heart. We all need Jesus to forgive our sins. That's even more important than fixing any problem with our bodies. > > **Teacher:** "We all have problems that make us upset. Maybe you're scared of something, or sad, or your body hurts. Jesus cares about ALL of those things. But Jesus knows that the very most important thing we need is forgiveness for our sinful hearts. And only Jesus can do that, because Jesus is God!" ### **Closing Thought & Prayer** > **Teacher:** "Jesus came so that we could have LIFE and have it abundantly. That means a full, wonderful life with God! Jesus can heal our bodies, but even more wonderfully, Jesus can forgive our sins and heal our hearts. That's why He came. What an amazing, powerful, loving Savior!" > > *(Fold hands and bow heads.)* > > **Prayer:** "Dear Jesus, thank You for being so powerful. Thank You that nothing is too hard for You. Thank You that You can forgive sins and heal hearts. Help us to remember that our biggest problem is our sinful heart, and that only You can fix it. Thank You for coming so that we could have life and have it abundantly. In Jesus' name, Amen." ## Memorizing Verse: John 10:10b > **John 10:10b** > > \[Jesus said,\] "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." > > **Hand Gestures:** > > - **"I came..."**: Point up to heaven with one hand (where Jesus came from), then bring your hand down toward the ground (He came down to us). > - **"...that they may have life..."**: Place both hands over your heart and then spread your arms out wide (life overflowing from the inside out). > - **"...and have it abundantly."**: Stretch your arms as wide as you can, then jump up high (abundantly means MORE than enough, overflowing, the best kind of life!). ## Craft & Game (10 mins) ### Game: "Big Problem, Bigger Problem" Sorting Game Children sort picture cards into "little problems" and "the biggest problem" to reinforce that sin is our greatest need. ⏰ **Time:** 5 minutes 👧 **Age Group:** 4-6 years 🧩 **Lesson Connection:** Reinforces that while we have many problems in life, our sinful heart is our biggest problem, and only Jesus can fix it. --- ### 🪜 **Setup & Materials Needed:** - Several paper lunch bags, each containing an object that represents a "little problem" (a broken pencil, a sock with a hole, a knotted shoelace, a torn piece of paper, an empty glue bottle) - One large paper grocery bag containing the Darkened Heart visual - Two signs: "Little Problems" and "Our BIGGEST Problem" --- ### 🎲 **How to Play:** **Step 1:** Place all the bags in a row. Let each child take turns choosing a small bag and pulling out the object inside. **Step 2:** Ask: "If this belonged to you, what kind of problem would you have? How could it be fixed?" Place the object under the "Little Problems" sign. **Step 3:** After all the small bags are opened, hold up the large grocery bag. Ask: "Is there a problem even bigger than all of these?" **Step 4:** Let a child reach in and pull out the Darkened Heart. Ask: "What does this represent?" (Our sinful hearts!) Place it under the "Our BIGGEST Problem" sign. **Step 5:** Ask: "Who is the ONLY one who can fix our biggest problem?" (Jesus!) "What did Jesus do for the man who couldn't walk?" (He forgave his sins AND healed his legs!) "Jesus is God, and nothing is too hard for Him!" --- ### Craft: "Through the Roof!" Flap Card Children make a card with a roof that opens to reveal the man being lowered to Jesus. **Materials:** Half sheet of light brown or tan construction paper (the house), a smaller rectangle of brown paper (the roof flap), small people shapes (pre-cut or drawn), crayons or markers, glue sticks, the memory verse printed on small strips of paper. **The Activity:** - **Step 1:** On the tan paper (the house), draw a simple picture of Jesus standing inside and a man lying on a mat. This is the scene inside the house. - **Step 2:** Glue or tape the brown "roof" flap along the top edge only, so it can flip up like a door to reveal the scene underneath. - **Step 3:** On top of the roof flap, draw the four friends lowering their friend through the hole. - **Step 4:** On the back of the card, glue the memory verse strip: "\[Jesus said,\] 'I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.'" (John 10:10b) - **Take Home:** Children can show their family the card and tell the story! "The man's friends lowered him through the roof to see Jesus. Jesus forgave his sins first, then healed his legs! Jesus is God, and nothing is too hard for Him!" --- ## Response Song