Ice Cream Sunday School Lesson
Ice Cream Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
Sunday is a time to gather and grow closer to God.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will name one way they grow closer to God on Sundays.
KEY PASSAGE:
2 Chronicles 7:1-10, Solomon Dedicates the Temple
MEMORY VERSE:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Everyone loves an ice cream sundae, a delightful mix of ice cream, syrup, and other toppings. God wants us to love and cherish Sundays, when we come together to worship Jesus.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for meeting us on Sunday mornings.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“Taste and see that the Lord is good;blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the person who goes to him for safety.”Psalm 34:8 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Put the verse on the big screen and read it aloud with the kids.
SMALL GROUP:
Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.
SKIT
SCREAM FOR SUNDAY
ITEMS NEEDED:
An ice cream sundae
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
1M, 1F
CHARACTERS:
Jon and Cassie - Two friends who love ice cream
Jon enters. He stands at center stage, staring at the audience. He screams, “AAAAAH!”Pause, then he screams again. He screams several times, every time with the same volume and intensity. Cassie enters, carrying an ice cream sundae.
CASSIE: Jon?
JON: Oh, hey, Cassie.
CASSIE: What are you doing?
JON: Introducing the new theme to these kids.
CASSIE: Really? By screaming at them?
JON: Hey, it wasn’t my idea!
CASSIE: Then who told you to scream at them?
JON: No one.
CASSIE: No one told you to scream at them, and yet here you are, screaming at the top of your lungs.
JON: Not at the top of my lungs, no. I don’t want to lose my voice. But I can do it if you really want me to.
Jon screams a truly loud and blood-curdling scream.
CASSIE: Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s chill out on the screaming.
JON: Hey, is that an ice cream sundae?
CASSIE: Yes it is.
JON: Can I have a bite? My throat really hurts after that one.
CASSIE: Sure thing.
Jon takes the ice cream and takes a bite.
JON: Wow, this is good.
CASSIE: Isn’t it?
JON: So what are you doing with ice cream in the middle of church?
CASSIE: Same as you, introducing the new theme.
JON: You silly, the new theme isn’t about ice cream sundaes, it’s called “I Scream.”(pause, Jon starting to figure this out) Oh wait a minute! ICE cream! Not I scream, but ICE cream!
CASSIE: Is that why you were screaming?
JON: I’m such a goof.
CASSIE: It’s okay, Jon, we all make mistakes, and God is quick to forgive us when we do. That’s just one of the many things we learn when we come to church.
JON: You’re right, and I’m so glad he does forgive me because I make a lot of mistakes.
CASSIE: This series is all about the sweet life we can have in Jesus, and it begins with one special day. Can you guess what day it is?
JON: International Ice Cream Day?
CASSIE: Wrong.
JON: My birthday?
CASSIE: Come on, Jon, concentrate.
JON: You got me stumped.
CASSIE: What’s this thing in my hand called again?
JON: An ice cream sun—OHHHHHH, I get it! Sunday!
CASSIE: Sunday is the day we come together and learn about God. When we come ready to meet Jesus, Sunday can be just as sweet as gathering with friends to eat sundaes.
JON: I’d say it’s even sweeter!
CASSIE: Well, I think we’ve done our job for this week. Wanna come share an ice cream sundae with me?
JON: Are you crazy? No way!
CASSIE: No way?
JON: I don’t want to share one with you. I want one of my own. Do we have any butterscotch?
Jon and Cassie exit.
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
Ice cream syrups - chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, strawberry, etc.
Let the kids identify each of the different ice cream toppings. Ask the kids who is a fan of chocolate? Caramel? Butterscotch? What other favorites do the kids have?
Ice cream sundaes are a special treat, and there’s nothing more fun than building your own. You can pick your own syrup. You can top it with nuts or sprinkles or candy. You can add whipped cream, and if you really want to go all out, you can add a cherry on top.
Sundays are also special days for those who believe in Jesus. On Sunday we gather to remember all the sweet things the Lord has done for us. We sing songs to the Lord, thanking him for his sweetness. And we learn from God’s Word all of the sweet things he has in store for us.
God wants us to savor the flavor of Sundays. He wants us to join together to learn just how sweet it is to trust in Jesus. I hope all of you will make a point of joining us each week in this series as we learn more about the sweet life we can have following Jesus.
LARGE GROUP GAME
NAME THAT SYRUP
ITEMS NEEDED:
Caramel syrup
Butterscotch syrup
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose three kids to play this game.
Each kid will take a turn wearing the blindfold. When the blindfold is on, give each kid a spoonful of caramel or butterscotch. If they can identify the syrup correctly, they win a prize.
VARIATION:
A harder variation for older kids would be a sniff contest. Blindfold the players and see if they can correctly identify chocolate, caramel, and butterscotch by their smell.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Sundays, like sundaes, are sweet because we come together to learn about Jesus.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
Sunday is a time to gather and grow closer to God.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will name one way they grow closer to God on Sundays.
KEY PASSAGE:
2 Chronicles 7:1-10, Solomon Dedicates the Temple
INTRO:
The Bible tells us that we can have a sweet life if we follow Jesus. Over and over, we see the things that Jesus and his Heavenly Father have done for us, and we see that there’s nothing sweeter than knowing the Lord. For the next eight weeks, we’re going to explore the sweet life we can have with Jesus. I can’t think of a better theme to help us learn about the sweet life than ice cream!
There are few things in this world sweeter than ice cream, and there are few kids who would say no to ice cream. Whether your favorite flavor is chocolate, vanilla, rocky road, butter pecan, mint chip, cookies and cream, or even sherbet, there’s a flavor of frozen treat to suit everyone’s tastes.
As if the many flavors of ice cream wasn’t enough, there are countless ways to eat ice cream. Ice cream can become milkshakes, malts, blizzards, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bars, parfaits, and today’s special treat, the ice cream sundae.
An ice cream sundae is a good idea made better. Sure, that ice cream was pretty good all on its own, but now, you’re adding syrup on top. Chocolate, caramel, strawberry, butterscotch, hot fudge take your pick. Ice cream just can’t get any better now, can it?
Sure it can! After the syrup comes the whipped cream. Then if you want, you can add nuts, or sprinkles, or even a dusting of Oreo cookies. And to top it all off, what does almost everyone add? A cherry on top!
The word “Sundae”in ice cream sundae is spelled differently than the day we come to church, but there’s something sweet about the day Sunday. Sunday is the time when we come together to learn more about the God who made us and loves us. When we come ready to meet the Lord, Sunday can be a very special day, just like the one in today’s scripture.
READ 2 CHRONICLES 7:1-10
MAIN POINT:
Before King Solomon, the people of Israel had no place of worship. The Ark of the Covenant, the focus of the people’s worship, had long been kept in a tent rather than a building. Now, finally, the people had a place like the church we call home to meet with the Lord.
In verse one we see that the Lord came to inhabit his temple in a very real and powerful way. Solomon and the people were so moved, they worshipped all day. Not just one day, mind you, but for two whole weeks! The people finally went home, joyful and thankful to have had such an encounter with the Lord.
Meeting Jesus on Sunday should be just as joyful as the encounter Solomon and his people had in the temple. Sunday can be sweeter than an ice cream sundae, filled with the joy that only comes from Jesus.
DRIVE IT HOME:
Let’s be honest: I bet some of you in here weren’t feeling joyful when you got up this morning. You weren’t thinking about our sweet Savior and how sweet it is to come together and worship him. You were thinking, “I’m tired! I was so busy yesterday! I have to get up early and go to school tomorrow! Why do I have to get up on a Sunday and go to church?”
God doesn’t want us to treat church as drudgery. God is our Creator. He gave us this beautiful world full of sweet wonderful things like flowers, sunshine, rainbows, and yes, even ice cream. What’s more, God sent his son Jesus to do the sweetest thing of all. He died for our sins so he could forgive us and give us new life.
When you take the time to remember all the good things God has done, getting up on Sunday becomes less of a chore. It becomes something we look forward to, knowing that we’re going to have an encounter with the Lord who loves us. Like the Israelites, we can meet the God who sent fire from Heaven and inhabited the temple. We can worship him and go home with the same joy they took away from those two weeks of worship.
Next Sunday, I want you to be excited when you get up. I want you to think of sundae’s with an “E”and remember all the sweet gifts God has given you. Let’s make Sunday a sweet time, when we can remember all the good the Lord has done for us.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for meeting us on Sunday mornings.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER:
How do you like to top your ice cream sundae?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 34:8
Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Teach the kids to sing the first verse of “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”Can the kids make up any motions to go with the song?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read 2 Corinthians 7:1-10
Why did Solomon build the temple?
What happened after Solomon finished praying?
Why couldn’t the priests enter the temple?
How long did the people continue worshipping God?
What is one way you’ve grown closer to God on Sundays?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for our church.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER:
How do you like to top your ice cream sundae?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 34:8
Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Teach the kids to sing the first verse of “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”Can the kids make up any motions to go with the song?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read 2 Corinthians 7:1-10
Why did Solomon build the temple?
What happened after Solomon finished praying?
Why did the people continue worshipping for two weeks?
Have you ever felt like the people of Israel when they finally left the temple, after church?
What is one way you’ve grown closer to God on Sundays?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for our church.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Ice Cream Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link).