Dinosaurs Sunday School Lesson
Dinosaurs Sunday School Lesson for Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
God’s love makes us strong.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that true strength comes from God.
KEY PASSAGE:
1 Samuel 17:20-50, David and Goliath
MEMORY VERSE:
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” -Psalm 31:24 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
This “king of the dinosaurs”is a strong predator. Kids will learn through the story of David that God’s love makes us strong.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for your awesome love. Give us the strength we need to face the giants in our lives.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” -Psalm 31:24 (NIV)
“Be strong, all you who put your hope in the Lord. Never give up.” - Psalm 31:24 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Divide the room between girls and boys. Have the boys read it aloud, and then have the girls read it aloud. Who can read the loudest?
SMALL GROUP:
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SKIT
I WISH I HAD A T-REX
ITEMS NEEDED:
None
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
2M
CHARACTERS:
Mike- A boy who loves dinosaurs
T-Rex
MIKE: I know a kid named David who wishes he had a real lightsaber. This other kid, Clint? He wants a motorcycle. My friend Miranda wants a real camera, while her little sister Shelby wishes she had a Skylander. Me? I only want one thing in this life. I want my own Tyrannosaurus Rex!
T-Rex enters and roars.
MIKE: Isn’t he cute?
T-Rex roars.
MIKE: If I had a T-Rex he would always be on my football team. We would put him in at halfback, and we would always win. Because no one’s gonna tackle a T-Rex.
T-Rex roars.
MIKE: If I had a T-Rex, I wouldn’t need my Mom to drive me to the skate park. I could hop on his back, and he would just take me there.
T-Rex roars.
MIKE: Of course if I had a T-Rex, I’d never ride my skateboard any more because I would have a T-Rex to take me everywhere.
T-Rex roars.
MIKE: If I had a T-Rex, I’d never eat vegetables again. If my mom told me to eat my broccoli, I’d tell her, “Say hello to my little friend!”
T-Rex roars.
MIKE: T-Rex would do a lot of cool things for me, but therearesomethings a T-Rex can’t solve. Like bullies. I know, I could have him eat the bullies, but what’s the point? Then I’d be the big bully.
T-Rex roars.
MIKE: Sorry, boy, but there are some things a T-Rex can’t do. But it’s okay. Because I have Jesus. When I’m afraid, when I need courage, Jesus is there for me. He loves me, and that love makes me strong.
T-Rex roars.
MIKE: Yep, it would sure be nice to have a T-Rex. But when times are tough, I have something bigger and stronger and way smarter than a T-Rex.
T-Rex roars at Mike.
MIKE: You have a brain the size of a walnut! Don’t take it so personal, boy!
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
A large bolt and nut, fastened tight through a short 2”x 4”board
A pair of pliers
What do you do if you came across a bolt that was too tight to loosen by hand? A bolt like this can easily be loosened by hand because of its size, but if the bolt is screwed in tight, your fingers aren’t going to budge it.
When you need a little extra strength, it’s time to reach for a tool. The best took for this job is a pair of pliers.
Pliers are made of metal, a very strong material. They allow you to not only grip the bolt tightly, they give you a little extra power. With that extra power, you can loosen that tight bolt enough to unscrew it by hand.
Have one of the kids loosen and then unscrew the nut and bolt.
There are times in our lives when we need extra strength. Hard times at home, family crises, situations at school can all put a lot of stress on you. When the world gets tough, we all need a little extra strength. That strength comes from God. God loves us, and when we trust him with our problems, he will give us the strength we need to overcome a giant or just a really bad day.
Tools give us the strength we need to overcome our little problems. God gives us the strength to overcome the big ones.
LARGE GROUP GAME
ROAR LIKE A T-REX
ITEMS NEEDED:
None
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose two boys and two girls. This is a contest to see who can do the best imitation of a T-Rex. Give each kid two chances to roar, and then let the audience decide the winner.
VARIATION:
An alternate version of this game would be to have judges score the kids on originality, T-Rex posture, and total volume.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
T-Rex was a strong and powerful dinosaur. God’s love gives us strength to face tough times.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
God’s love makes us strong.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that true strength comes from God.
KEY PASSAGE:
1 Samuel 17:20-50, David and Goliath
INTRO
Can you imagine how cool it would be to live in a world of dinosaurs? Imagine waking up and looking out your bedroom window on a vast plain, where giant long necks and duck-bills are grazing. Imagine having to brake on the way to school because a herd of Triceratops are crossing the road. Or imagine seeing flocks of pterosaurs flying overhead. It would be so cool, wouldn’t it?
It would probably be a little scary too. After all, where you find plant-eating dinosaurs, you’re going to find meat-eating dinosaurs, from the tiny raptors up to the mightiest of the mighty. Spinosaurus, Allosaurus, Giganotosaurus, and of course…Tyrannosaurus Rex.
We’re going to spend the next couple of weeks talking about dinosaurs. While there are questions still to be answered about when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, we know without a doubt that dinosaurs, like us, were created by God. These amazing creatures all had their own unique characteristics, and each one can teach us something about the Lord.
We’re going to begin with the king of the dinosaurs, the one and only T-Rex. T-Rex was big and powerful. He was a fierce predator and a deadly killer, and when he locked on to some prey, he was nearly unstoppable.
Imagine how cool it would be to get your hands on a T-Rex. Think of the things you could do with a T-Rex by your side. Who’s going to stand up to you and push you around when you have T-Rex backing you up, right?
There are times in our lives when we could use some extra strength. When we’re faced with tough choices, challenges, or just a bad day, we could use the strength of a T-Rex to see us through. Thankfully, we have someone even stronger ready to step in and help us out. We have a God who loves us, a God who is so strong, he can even help a small boy take down a giant!
READ 1 SAMUEL 17:20-50
MAIN POINT
There’s a reason this is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. When you’re a kid, it’s exciting to read that once upon a time, a young boy about your age took down a giant! He didn’t do it with a sword or a spear. He didn't even wear armor. He had the strength of the Lord to give him courage, and he won a great victory for God’s people.
David’s story reassures us that when the going gets tough, the tough lean on God. God loves us, and he is always by our side. When you need strength, God will be there. He will make you more powerful than a T-Rex, and he will give you victory.
DRIVE IT HOME
There’s no such thing as a T-Rex in this world, and you’re not likely to find giants the likes of Goliath either. But there are still “giants”that can ruin your day. For some kids, giants come in the form of school bullies. For some, giants could be poor health for you or for someone you love. Giants can be problems at home or at school. Regardless of where they appear or when they strike, giants always make you feel small and helpless.
Fortunately, we do not have to face giants alone. God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins. Because he did, we can receive the Holy Spirit, God’s presence that dwells in our hearts. When you believe in Jesus, God is always there. He will never abandon us, and he will give us the strength we need when a giant comes our way.
How many of you have faced giants in the past week? Whether it’s a person, a situation, or just a bad day, the next time you face off with a giant, call on Jesus. Jesus loves you, and he will not leave you out there to fight the giant alone. He will give you strength, and when the moment of truth comes, he will help you slay the giant.
Trust Jesus when times are tough. Ask him to give you strength. God loves you, and he will give you all the strength you need.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for your awesome love. Give us the strength we need to face the giants in our lives.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER
What is your favorite dinosaur?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Psalm 31:24
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids get up and pretend to be T-Rex. Have them shift gears and walk like Triceratops. Can they also walk like a Brachiosaur? Or fly like a Pterodactyl?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 1 Samuel 17:20-50
Who challenged the Israelite soldiers to a fight?
Why did no one answer Goliath’s challenge?
Why was David unafraid to fight Goliath?
Where did David get the strength to fight Goliath?
What happened to Goliath?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Give us strength and power to face whatever giants come our way.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER
What is your favorite dinosaur?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Psalm 31:24
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids get up and act out the story of David and Goliath.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 1 Samuel 17:20-50
Why did no one answer Goliath’s challenge?
Where did David get the strength to fight Goliath?
What happened to Goliath?
What are some giants that you face at home, school, or elsewhere?
How can we receive the strength we need to face those giants?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Give us strength and power to face whatever giants come our way.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Dinosaurs Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link).
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Dinosaurs Sunday School Lesson:
31. Dinosaurs | Bible.org
The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved! Lesson 2 | Answers in Genesis
Dinosaur Printable Game for Sunday School from www.daniellesplace