Lesson Objective:

The children will learn that the kingdom of heaven is the most valuable treasure they have.

Scripture:

Matthew 13:44-45

Arrival:

As the children arrive, greet them, asking them about their favorite toy. Have a treasure or your own in a closed, non-see-through box at the front of the class. They should not see the toy, but they should see the box. Sing with the children.

Prayer:

Pray that the children will understand what the most valuable treasure on earth is.

Lesson:

Do you know what is in this box? It is my most valued treasure. Do you have a treasure? Do you have a toy that is more important to you than all of the other toys you have? (Allow a few children to describe that toy). Would you give that toy up? Would you be willing to give up another toy if you had to in order to keep the one you loved? (Show the children your treasure, discuss how valuable it is to you, and talk about what you would be willing to do to keep it)

When Jesus lived on earth, he told a parable about some men who gave up everything for a treasure. One man found a treasure buried in a field. Quickly, before anyone else could find that treasure, he buried it in the field. The field was for sale, so you know what the man did? Because the treasure was so amazing, he sold everything he had so he could purchase the field.

The second story is about a man who found a pearl for sale. This wasn’t just any pearl. It was, as the Bible says, “a pearl of great price.” The pearl was so shiny, so round, so white, and so perfect that the man sold everything he had to buy it.

When Jesus told parables, he always had another meaning behind the story. Later, he told his disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven is valuable like those treasures. It is worth giving up everything for. The treasures we, as Christians, will receive in heaven with Jesus far outweigh any earthly treasures we could get.

So does this mean you should go out and sell all of your toys and give that money to the church? Well, you could do that if you felt God wanted you to, but what God really wants from us is more than just our possessions. He wants to know that we are totally and completely dedicated to Him, to telling others about His valuable kingdom, and to doing His will while we live here on earth. Are you devoted to serving your king?

Memory Verse:

Help the children learn Matthew 19:29. Be sure to explain how it relates to this story. Use Balloon Bible Verse to help learn the verse.

Game/Craft:

Have the children search for a lost treasure in the classroom. Hide a small object, perhaps a small white ball that could represent a pearl, and send them on a hunt for it. The child who finds it gets to hide it for the group on the next turn.

Dismissal:

Remind the children that nothing is more valuable than giving their lives to Christ.

Lesson Objective:

The children will learn that it is God alone who is worthy of worship.

Scripture:

Luke 9:28-36

Arrival:

As the children arrive, ask them to tell you someone they really admire or who they consider a hero. It can be anyone in history, current day, or the Bible. Sing with the children.

Prayer:

When you pray, thank the Lord for being the only one worthy of our worship.

Lesson:

I want you to look at this list of people we have written. Why do we look up to these people? (Take responses). I have another question for you: should we worship these people? (Take responses and define worship if needed.)

When Jesus was on earth, he taught three of his closest disciples about worship. One day he took Peter, James, and John into the mountains to have a time of prayer. While he was there with them, something amazing happened. His face and clothes changed into dazzling white. Bible teachers call this the “transfiguration.” Jesus was showing these three disciples what his heavenly body looked like, the one that was not marred by the world.

Suddenly, there were two other men with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah, and they also were in their glorified or heavenly bodies. Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were discussing what Jesus still needed to do in Jerusalem and his coming departure.

While they were talking, Peter said, “Master, it is good that we are here. We will make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Now, these were not just dwellings like a house or tent. They were tabernacles, which indicated that Peter intended to worship the men. The Bible says that Peter was not fully aware of what he had just said.

Suddenly, a cloud overshadowed all of them, and Peter, James, and John were very frightened. They heard the voice of God say, “This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to him!” As soon as the cloud was gone, Jesus was alone and back in his earthly body. James, John, and Peter did not discuss what they had seen with the other disciples.

Why do you think God came down in a cloud to talk to them? Peter was suggesting that they worship not only Jesus, but also Moses and Elijah. God was showing Peter that Jesus, His son, was the only one who should be worshiped.

These people on the board are wonderful people. We can admire them for what they have done, and we can even try to be like them, but the only one who is worthy of worship is God. Since Jesus is God, he is also worthy of worship.

Memory Verse:

Write the words to I Chronicles 16:29 on the chalkboard, and help the children learn it by erasing one word at a time.

Game/Craft:

Play balloon volleyball to help the kids get their wiggles out.

Dismissal:

As the children leave, remind them to spend some time worshiping God during the week.

Lesson Objective:

The students will get an overview of the “Beatitudes.”

Scripture:

Matthew 5:3-10

Arrival:

As the children arrive, pose an if/then to them, such as “If you all sit quietly and listen well, then we will do your favorite game at the end of class.” Sing with the children.

Prayer:

Pray for clarity as you teach.

Lesson:

(This lesson is a little shorter, because the craft time will take a while and be more reinforcing than the actual lesson).

After Jesus recruited his disciples, he took some time to teach them some important lessons. In a teaching time on the side of a mountain, a time we now call the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus told the disciples about some actions and attitudes he wanted to see from them, and the reward they would receive for them. These have been called the “Beatitudes.”

The first beatitude says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What do you think it means to be “poor in spirit?” this is, perhaps, the hardest of the beatitudes to understand. Most Bible scholars believe it means that you live life as if your faith in Jesus is your most important possession. Even if you are not poor, you do not cling to your possessions, but live as a poor person would, focusing on God, not things. If you have this attitude, your reward is the kingdom of heaven! (Write the two parts on the chalkboard, using a column to show the two parts of the beatitude.)

Next is “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Mourning is the sad feeling you feel when you lose something or someone who you love. It can also be sadness in your heart over sin you see in your life or bad things that happen around you. Jesus said if you mourn, he will comfort you. (Write the verse)

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” God promises all of the bounty of the earth to those who are meek, which is the opposite of proud. (Write the verse)

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” If you really desire to understand God and His word, Jesus promises that desire will be filled. (Write the verse)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” When you show someone mercy, you are keeping back a punishment they deserve. If you do this on a regular basis, Jesus promises God will show extra mercy to you. (Write the verse)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Purity in your heart, guarding all of your thoughts, will draw you closer to God, helping you understand who He really is. (Write the verse)

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” We should always seek peace with others, and doing so will cause others to notice that we are God’s children. (Write the verse)

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Yet again, Jesus promises the kingdom of heaven to a group of people. These are those who endure trials because of their beliefs. (Write the verse)

Some of these are attitudes we can choose. We can choose to be meek, merciful, and pure in heart. We may not be able to choose persecution. Regardless, these are beautiful promises to those who seek to live as God would have us to live.

When you came to class, I told you that if you were good, I would give you time to play your favorite game. In many ways, this is similar to what Jesus has offered. He gives a promise for a specific attitude or behavior. Are you ready to accept the promise?

Game/Craft:

Have the children make Beatitudes Posters.

Memory Verse:

Allow each child to pick and memorize his or her favorite beatitude.

Dismissal:

Remind the children to try to practice the attitudes mentioned in Matthew 5:3-10

Lesson Objective:

The children will learn that God wants us to be kind to everyone.

Scripture:

Luke 10:29-37

Arrival:

As the children arrive, sing with them.

Prayer:

Pray for wisdom as you present the lesson.

Lesson:

Today I am going to tell you the story of someone who showed love to someone else. Can you think of someone in your life that God wants you to show love to? (Take responses). Yes, those are all important. God wants us to show love to our (moms, friends, brothers, church members, etc.). But did you know that those are not the only people God wants us to love? God wants us to love everyone, even the people that are hard to love.

Jesus told a story to show this truth. The story was a parable. That means it was a story about people that had a meaning behind it. It didn’t necessarily happen, but Jesus used the story to teach a truth.

Jesus told the story because he was asked a question. A Jewish leader asked him, “If the law tells us to ‘Love our neighbor as our self,’ who is our neighbor?” Jesus answered with a parable.

Jesus told of a man who was walking in a secluded area. Suddenly, thieves jumped out, beat him up, took his things, and left thinking he was dead. As the man lay there bloody and hurt, he probably prayed that someone would notice and help him.

Soon someone did come by. A priest, an important religious leader, passed by on the same road. He saw the man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and hurried on his way. He didn’t even stop to make sure the man was still alive. He just kept going.

Not long after that, a Levite came by, which was another important religious leader of the time. Again, this man noticed the hurt man, but instead of helping, he passed on to the other side and kept right on walking.

Next, a Samaritan came on the road. Now, the Samaritans hated the Jews. Yet, this Samaritan saw the wounded man and took pity on him. He cleaned his wounds, put his own clothes on him, and carried him on his own donkey. All of this, even though he was a Jew.

Not only that, but the Samaritan took the man to an inn, helped him get settled into a bed, and then told the innkeeper to take care of him, promising to return and pay the debts with his own money.

Now, Jesus asked the people who were listening to the story, “Who acted like a neighbor to this man?” The Jewish leader answered, “The Samaritan,” and Jesus replied, “Go and do the same.”

See, Jesus wants us to love everyone, even strangers and people we normally do not like. Even if we do not know or like someone, we can and should treat them lovingly. In Ephesians 4:32 the Bible says, “Be ye kind one to another.” This does not have any “if” attached to it, such as “if the person is kind to you.” We are commanded to be kind.

This week, I want you to try to be kind to everyone, even those people who are not always easy to like.

Craft/Game:

Do this coloring page.

Memory Verse:

Help the children learn Ephesians 4:32. If they are young, just learn the first phrase. If they are older, learn the whole thing. Talk about any terms they do not understand.

Dismissal:

Remind the children to look for people they can be kind to in the coming week.

Lesson Objective:

The children will learn that they do not have to be afraid, because Jesus is powerful.

Scripture:

Mark 4:35-41

Arrival:

As the children arrive, talk to them about times when they were scared. Mention a time when you were scared. Then sing with them.

Prayer:

When you pray, thank the Lord that He is there to help you when you are afraid.

Lesson Plan:

After a long day of teaching, Jesus and his disciples were ready to travel to a new part of Israel. Even though they still had many people following them to hear Jesus’ words, Jesus knew it was time to move on. He instructed his disciples to get in a boat and head to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

While they were on the boat, Jesus fell asleep. He was quite tired after spending many days teaching and healing people. The disciples were sailing the ship, when one of them noticed a cloud in the horizon. Soon another cloud came, and another, and the wind started getting stronger. The Bible says that a strong storm came. As the boat tossed to and fro on the waves, the disciples began to get scared.

I want you to think about a time when you were scared. How did you calm down? What helped you to be less scared?

The storm kept getting worse and worse. The disciples realized they were in real danger. They started looking around for Jesus. To their surprise, he was still sleeping! Imagine being able to sleep through that strong of a storm.

They woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are going to die in this storm?”

Jesus instantly got up, looked out over the water, and said, “Peace! Be still!” Instantly, the wind and rain stopped the storm was over and the Bible says it was instantly calm.

Jesus was not done, though. He looked at his disciples sadly and asked, “Why were you so scared? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples were amazed and a little scared by what they had just seen. They asked each other, “Who is this man? Even the wind and waves obey him!”

When you are afraid, I want you to remember this story. Jesus has the strength to calm the wildest storm. He can and will take care of you when you are afraid. All you have to do is ask and have faith!

Memory Verse:

Help the children learn Mark 4:41 using hand motions. For “wind” have them wave their arms like branches waving in the breeze. For “waves” have them make motions like water waves. For “obey him” have them point toward heaven.

Game/Craft:

To remember the story, make the Wind and Waves Windsock.

Dismissal:

Remind the children that Jesus is all powerful and they do not need to be afraid, even when facing something as scary as a horrible storm.

Lesson Objective:

The children will learn that good friends bring their friends to Jesus.

Scripture:

Mark 2:1-12

Arrival:

As the children arrive, ask them questions about their friends. Who are their friends? How do they know that person is their friend? Then sing songs about friendship and witnessing.

Prayer:

Ask the Lord to help you to be a good witness.

Lesson:

I want you to think about your closest friends for a moment. How do you know that they are your friends? Probably they are nice to you, like to play with you, and are fun to be around. In the Bible we see an example of some friends, but these friends did much more than simply play and spend time with each other.

One day Jesus was teaching in a home in Capernaum. So many people wanted to hear him that no one could get into the door of the house where he was teaching. It was packed!

Some friends wanted to see Jesus. See, they had a friend who was paralyzed. This means that he could not move his body. The man’s friends knew that if they could just get him to Jesus, Jesus could heal him. These friends had faith! But they could not get through the door of the house!

There was only one thing for them to do. They put their friend on a stretcher and carried him to the roof of the house. Now, in Israel, homes do not have slanted roofs like American homes do. Instead, they are flat. So you can easily stand on the roof.

The men carried their friend to the roof, and then cut a hole in it! Through the hole they carefully lowered their friend on ropes down to Jesus. Can you imagine the reaction of the crowd inside the house when the roof suddenly opened up and a man on a stretcher came floating down?

When Jesus saw the man at his feet, I can imagine he looked up to the friends on the roof. The Bible says he saw their faith, and because of it he looked at the paralyzed man and said, “Your sins are forgiven you.”

Now, do you think this is what the friends wanted? They wanted Jesus to heal their friend! However, having his sins forgiven was even more important, and Jesus knew that, so he forgave the sins first.

Some who were watching were not happy. The Jewish leaders were thinking, “God is the only one who can forgive sins. How dare this man say this!” They did not yet recognize or admit that Jesus is God. Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he responded, “Which is easier to say, ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”

Then, to show the people that he really was God, since they could not see that he had forgiven the man’s sins, he said, “Take up your bed and walk,” to the man at his feet. Instantly, the man stood up, rolled up his bed, and walked out. I can imagine the crowd was willing to part to let this man leave the house!

Do you know what these friends did that made them such good friends? They took their friend to Jesus! Do you have friends who are not Christians? Are they good friends? Without Jesus, their sins are not forgiven and they are not going to go to heaven when they die. You can be a great friend by telling them about Jesus and leading them to him in that way. Telling your friends about Jesus is called witnessing, and it is something we as Christians are commanded to do.

Memory Verse:

Psalm 103:2-3 – Help the children learn this verse, and point out how it applies to the story because Jesus forgave the man’s sins and healed his disease.

Craft/Game:

Play the Human Spider Web.

Dismissal:

As the children leave, admonish them to look for someone they can bring to Jesus in the coming week.

Lesson Objective:

The children will learn that we should love people and God more than things.

Scripture:

Mark 5

Greeting:

As the children arrive, ask them to name their most favorite possession. Sing with them.

Prayer:

Ask the Lord to help you clearly show how He loves people more than things, and we should too.

Lesson:

Talk to the children for a minute about their most treasured possessions. Then, ask them if there is anything in their homes that is more important. Lead them to mentioning people. This is the introduction to the lesson.

I am going to tell you a sad story. I want you to see if you can figure out what is sad about it.

One day Jesus and his disciples were traveling in Gadara. This town was like many other towns in the region, but it had one difference. In the town’s cemetery was a man that was terrorizing all the people. He was a maniac, but actually he was possessed by a demon. The demon made the man tear off his clothes, beat himself with chains, and terrorize the people of the village. They were so scared that no one would go near the cemetery for fear of their life. When someone died, he would terrorize them so much that the people could barely bury the one who had died. His screams would chase them to and from the cemetery. He was a wild man that no one cared about.

No one that is, except for Jesus. When Jesus came to Gadara, the wild man ran to him, screaming, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus. Do not torment us.” The demons inside the man knew who Jesus was. They were scared, because they knew Jesus was powerful enough to make them leave the man. Jesus asked, “what is your name?” and the demons replied, “Legion, for we are many.” Legion is a military term that refers to a large number of troops.

When they realized that Jesus was going to cast them out of the man, they panicked. They said, “Please, send us into that herd of pigs over there, not into the pit.” Jesus did, and the demons made the pigs go wild and jump over a cliff and into the water, where they died.

As soon as the demons were out of the wild man, he requested clothes. He washed himself and dressed himself and sat down to eat. The people were amazed.

However, the farmers whose pigs had died were not happy. Even while the man who had once been terrorizing them was sitting, in his right mind, enjoying a meal, they came to Jesus and were angry because the pigs, their income, were dead. Remember, of course, that it was not Jesus who killed the pigs, but the demons who did.

Do you see the sad part? (take responses). These people were more concerned for pigs, which really are “things,” than they were for a human being. This man now had a chance at a normal life, and they didn’t care. They were so angry that they forced Jesus to leave their town before he could heal anyone else or teach about God. I think that that is sad.

Remember, while God gives us our things to enjoy here on this earth, they are just things. people are always more important to God, and they should be to us as well. When you think of your favorite toy or most important possession, remember that the people around you are far more important.

Memory Verse:

Review John 3:16, which points to God’s love for people.

Game/Craft:

Play “Into the Tomb” but change the words to “cemetery” to match the story.

Dismissal:

Remind the children to think of people as more important than things in the coming week.

Lesson Objective:

The children will understand that Jesus offers living water (salvation) to those who seek Him.

Scripture:

John 4

Arrival:

As the children arrive, give them a salty snack. Something like saltines works well. The idea is to get the children quite thirsty. Then, attempt to sing with them. Soon they will ask for a drink. Offer them a drink before you proceed.

Prayer:

Ask God for wisdom as you teach the lesson.

Lesson:

When you came in, what did I give you? How did it make you feel? (thirsty!) Was it easy or hard to sing after eating the crackers?

I have more crackers in my box. If I gave you more, what do you think would happen? (We would get thirsty again!) But I just gave you a drink. Isn’t that enough to last?

As human beings, we get thirsty, and water is the best drink to take away thirst, but it never fully takes away our thirst. At some point, usually in the same day when we drink the water, we will get thirsty again. When Jesus lived on the earth, he taught a woman all about a special kind of water.

The woman was a Samaritan. Samaritans were different than the Jews, which Jesus was, and the Jews did not like them. In fact, Jews would go out of their way to avoid the Samaritans. They would take a longer road just to avoid going through the Samaritan land.

One day the woman went to the town well to get water for her family. This was the woman’s job in most families. She would walk to the well in the morning and draw a big jug of water for her family to use throughout the day. When she arrived at the well, a man was sitting there. She didn’t know the man, but it was Jesus. He asked her for a drink from the well. The woman was so surprised! Jesus was a Jew, and he was talking to her.

She asked Jesus why he was talking to her, but instead of answering, he said, “If you knew who you were talking to, you would ask me to give you a drink of Living Water.”

Now the woman was even more confused. What was Living Water, and how could this man get any from the well when the well was very deep and he had no bucket or jar? She asked him about this, and he answered, “If you drink this water, you will be thirsty again. The water I give someone will cause them to never thirst again. It will become a spring inside them giving them eternal life.”

Jesus was not talking about actual water that is wet and you drink. He was talking about the gift of eternal life, but the woman did not understand. The idea of water that would quench her mouth forever appealed to her, so she asked Jesus for it. He said, “Go and bring your husband here.”

The woman looked down at the ground and said, “I have no husband.”

Once again, Jesus surprised her. He said, “You are right in saying this, because you have had five husbands and the man you are currently with is not your husband!”

The woman was amazed. She had never met Jesus, yet he knew everything about her. While she was a little ashamed of her sin, she had more questions for him. She said, “I can tell that you are a prophet. You say that we have to worship in Jerusalem, but my people worship here on this mountain.”

Jesus explained that soon, people would not worship at a particular place. instead, they would worship anywhere they were. They would worship god in Spirit and Truth. Again, the woman had a question. “Sir, I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain all of this to us.”

Jesus responded, “I who speak to you am he.”

Can you imagine how excited this woman was! She was talking not only to a Jew, but to the Messiah. The Messiah loved her enough to speak to her, even though she was a Samaritan. She was so excited that she left her water jar and ran into town, inviting people to meet Jesus. “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Is this not the Christ?” was what she said. Soon the entire town came out and met Jesus and learned about his gift of eternal life.

Our souls are thirsty. They are longing for a relationship with God. When we take Jesus’ gift of eternal life, he offers us Living Water so our spirit will never be thirsty again. Have you taken his gift of eternal life, or are you still thirsty?

Memory Verse:

John 4:14 – Write each word on a paper water droplet. Scatter them around the room, and then have the children find them and assemble them in the right order. Put magnets on the back so you can paste them to the board to practice saying the verse.

Game:

Play Drawing Water.

Dismissal:

As the children leave, remind them to remember the story of the woman at the well whenever they get thirsty.

Lesson Objective:

The children will understand what Jesus meant by “You Must Be Born Again”

Scripture:

John 3:1-21

Arrival:

As the children arrive, great them, and sing with them. Sing a song based on John 3:16, which will be the memory verse for the week.

Prayer:

Thank the Lord for His gift of salvation and for the story you will be teaching the children.

Lesson:

In this story we will be discussing two people: Jesus and Nicodemus. One night when Jesus was done teaching for the day, Nicodemus came to him. The Bible says he came “by night,” so many believe he did not want to be seen talking to Jesus. Why do you think this is? Well, Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. The Pharisees did not like Jesus and what he was teaching. Nicodemus did not want to be embarrassed or get in trouble for talking to Jesus.

When Nicodemus came to Jesus, he said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who came from God. No one could do these miracles if God were not with him.”

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

Nicodemus was very confused. How could someone go back inside their mother and be born again? This made no sense, so he asked Jesus. Jesus replied, “Unless you are born of water and of the spirit, you cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Let’s stop and think for a minute. When Jesus says “born of water,” he is referring to the physical birth, the day a person is born. What does being “born of the spirit” mean? (take responses). Being born of the spirit is your spiritual birth, the time when you accept God’s gift of Salvation and ask him to be your Savior. Jesus said, “Do not be surprised that I say ‘you must be born again.’”

Spiritual birth is not a birth you can see. Jesus made this clear by mentioning the wind. Can you see the wind? (no) Then how do you know it is blowing? (feel it, see it moving the trees). While you cannot watch a spiritual birth, you can see its affects. What types of affects can you see when someone gets saved? (No longer want to sin, want to do right, etc.)

Have you been born again? Has there been a time in your life when you realized that you needed Jesus to forgive your sins? If not, talk to me after class, and we will discuss this further. (At this point, present a simple gospel lesson if you feel the children need more instruction on salvation.)

Memory Verse:

John 3:16 – Use a song to help the children learn this popular verse.

Craft/Game Time:

Do coloring pages during the craft time for this lesson. This will give you the chance to talk one on one with any children that need extra help with understanding salvation.

Dismissal:

Remind the children that they can talk to you about their need for salvation as they leave.

Lesson Objective:

The children will learn that sometimes it is OK to be angry.

Scripture:

John 2:13-16.

Arrival:

As the children arrive, greet them and take them to the singing area for song time.

Prayer:

Ask the Lord to give you wisdom as you teach the lesson.

Lesson:

Have you ever been angry? (Take responses). Tell me about a time when you were really angry. (Take responses). Do you think Jesus was ever angry? (Take responses – keep in mind that many children are taught that being angry is wrong or sinful. Accept this response if it is offered).

I want to show you a time in the Bible when Jesus was angry. Let me ask you something – did Jesus ever sin? (no) So if Jesus was angry, some types of anger must be OK, right?

Before Jesus called his disciples to be “fishers of men,” he spent headed to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover. When he arrived, he went to the temple to worship. Inside of the temple he found people selling cows, sheep, and doves for sacrifices. He also saw moneychangers, which are people who take money from another country and trade it for money used in the area where the people are visiting, sitting at tables inside the temple. What should have been a quiet place of worship looked like a shopping mall.

Now, people coming to the temple needed moneychangers and animals to sacrifice. However, these people were selling these things inside the temple, not outside in the marketplace. It would be like if we set up a small shopping mall in the lobby of our church.

Jesus became angry. He knew that the temple was a place for worshiping God, not making money selling things. He made a whip out of rope and started swinging it at the animals, driving them out of the temple. He turned over the tables and scattered the people’s money everywhere.

Why was Jesus so angry? Because these people were sinning against God. He said, “Remove these things! Do not make my father’s house into a house of merchandise!”

The difference between how Jesus was angry and being angry as a sin is in why you are angry. Jesus was angry at someone’s sin. He was angry because God was being dishonored. Most of the time when we are angry, it is because someone has done something we do not like or has dishonored us or hurt us. Jesus was never angry at people who hurt him, even when they nailed him to the cross. He was angry, however, when people who claimed to follow God did not show honor to God. Even when he was angry, he did nothing to hurt the people who were sinning. He overturned their tables and sent their animals out of the temple, but he did not hit them or hurt them in any way.

Sometimes people around you will not show honor to your God. Can you think how they might do this? (Take responses). Sometimes they might use God’s name as a curse word. Sometimes they might make jokes about Christians or church. When this happens, you should get a little angry. You should tell them to stop dishonoring your God. This is what Jesus did.

Memory Verse:

Have the children learn John 2:16.

Craft/Game:

Learn a new song. Since you are studying the life of Christ, take time to learn the Apostle’s Song.

Dismissal:

Remind the children to be careful only to get angry about sin.