Jesus Calms the Storm Sunday School Lesson
Jesus Calms the Storm Sunday School Lesson for Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
Jesus is our protector.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that Jesus is always looking out for them.
KEY PASSAGE:
Mark 4:35-41, Jesus Calms The Storm
MEMORY VERSE:
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” - Acts 3:19 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
Some of us wear floaties in the pool in order to feel safe and secure. Kids will learn that they can always trust that Jesus is watching out for them.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for always looking out for us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” - Acts 3:19 (NIV)
“So turn away from your sins. Turn to God. Then your sins will be wiped away. The time will come when the Lord will make everything new.”-Acts 3:19 (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. Let the kids race to see who can find the verse first. Let that kid read to the group.
SKIT
LIFEGUARD ON DUTY: FLOATIES
ITEMS NEEDED:
A whistle
Two pairs of floaties
A beach towel
A pool chair
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
1M/1F
CHARACTERS:
Chuck- An over-enthusiastic lifeguard
Caroline- A swimmer
Caroline enters with a beach towel on her arm. She walks to the chair and lays down the towel.
CAROLINE: Man, what a hot day! That pool is going to feel so good after being out in this hot sun. I can’t wait to get in!
Chuck enters from behind Caroline. He is wearing a pair of floaties and a whistle. He carries a second pair of floaties. He blasts the whistle, scaring Caroline.
CHUCK: Just one moment, sister!
CAROLINE: Goodness, you scared me.
CHUCK: Not half as bad as you scare me. As a member of the Bushwood Pool Club Safety Team, I could not help but notice you are not prepared for the pool.
CAROLINE: Sure I am. I have my swimsuit, I have a towel, I put on sunscreen.
CHUCK: Are you sassing me, ma’am?
CAROLINE: I don’t think so.
CHUCK: Ma’am, look at my arms. Now look at yours. What are you missing?
CAROLINE: Well, it looks like you have floaties.
CHUCK: That’s right, ma’am. The pool can be a dangerous place, and if you want to hit the water, you’ve got to be safe.
CAROLINE: But I know how to swim! I am safe!
CHUCK: Ma’am, if you want to go into this pool, you’re going to have to wear the proper safety equipment.
CAROLINE: I’m telling you, I don’t need them. I am comfortable in the water, and I don’t need floaties. I will be fine.
CHUCK: Wow. I’ve never met anyone so reckless about safety. You’re not afraid of anything, are you?
CAROLINE: I wouldn’t say that. There are things that make me a little afraid, but rather than let fear get to me, I give those fears to Jesus.
CHUCK: Who’s Jesus?
CAROLINE: Who’s Jesus? He’s God’s Son! He loves me, and he’s always watching out for me.
CHUCK: So he’s your swim buddy?
CAROLINE: He’s way more than that. Jesus is with me wherever I go, and he’s always watching out for me.
CHUCK: And you think this Jesus can protect you in the pool?
CAROLINE: Well, one time he walked on water, and another time he calmed a storm. So yeah, I feel pretty safe.
CHUCK: I can’t argue with that, ma’am. You may swim without floaties at your own risk.
CAROLINE: Thanks, but like I said, I am not afraid. Jesus is watching out for me everywhere I go.
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
Floaties and a flotation ring
Have the adult leader giving the talk put on the floaties and the flotation ring before coming onto stage.
If you saw an adult show up at the pool dressed to swim like this, what would you think?
You don’t often see adults in floaties, do you? Floaties are for kids. They’re for beginner swimmers who aren’t as confident in the water.
An experienced swimmer would never wear floaties. But even adults know to put on life jackets when they go out on the lake. It’s being smart. It’s protecting yourself just in case something goes wrong.
Floaties and life jackets are good protection in the water, but they can’t protect you from everything. Thankfully, God sent his son Jesus to be our friend, our comforter, and our protector in times of need. Jesus is always looking out for us. He’s there when we don’t realize he’s there. And he’s there when we don’t know we are in danger.
Jesus is our protector. With him on our side, we have nothing to fear. Let’s thank Jesus for his amazing love and never-ending protection.
LARGE GROUP GAME
SUIT UP!
ITEMS NEEDED:
Two floaties and a flotation ring
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose one team of three people. The players will have 60 seconds to suit up one team member with the floaties and ring. The kids will have to inflate all three flotation devices and then get them on to one of the team members before time expires.
VARIATION:
This can also be a race for two teams to get its person suited up first. For younger kids, inflate the floaties and the ring before the game begins to make it easier.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Floaties protect us in the water, but Jesus protects us all the time.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
Jesus is our protector.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that Jesus is always looking out for them.
KEY PASSAGE:
Mark 4:35-41, Jesus Calms The Storm
INTRO
It’s summer time, and that means everyone’s in for a nice, long break from school - unless you’re in year-round school of course. But even then, summer means a special kind of fun in between classes. It means warm temperatures and sunny days. It means playing outside and enjoying a cool popsicle when you get over-heated. And if you’re lucky, it means lots of time spent in the cool, refreshing waters of a swimming pool.
How many of you have a pool? Who knows someone who has a pool or belongs to a community pool? Who here plans to be in a pool as often as you can this summer?
I don’t blame you! Pools area lot of fun, and they’re a great way to cool off. That’s why we’ve decided to declare the next several weeks to be a pool party. No, that doesn’t mean we’ll be getting into a pool every week, but it does mean we’ll be using the pool to help us learn a little something about Jesus.
Today, of course, we’re talking about pool safety. Pools are a lot of fun, but they can be dangerous, especially for kids who aren’t yet strong swimmers. From an early age, those of you who were going into the water took along some safety protection. You may not have known it at the time, but those cool inflatable arm floaties and that colorful swim ring you played in were designed for your protection. They were given to you so you would be able to play and not be afraid, but more importantly, they were given to you to help keep you safe.
But how do we stay safe out of the water? How can we protect ourselves from other dangers? We have parents and teachers to look out for us sometimes, but not all of the time. Thankfully, we have someone more powerful than Mom or Dad, and more effective than floaties, to keep us safe. We have God’s Son, Jesus.
READ MARK 4:35-41
MAIN POINT
Jesus’ disciples were terrified. Many of them had been fishermen, and they knew the dangers of being on the sea in a bad storm. They were afraid for their lives, and they could not understand why Jesus wasn’t afraid too!
When Jesus saw the disciples’ fear and the waves, he spoke and instantly calmed the storm. Jesus showed the disciples, and us, that he is more powerful than any storm. Jesus is God’s Son, and he has the power to protect us from all sorts of danger. We can feel safe even in a terrible storm because we have Jesus.
DRIVE IT HOME
The disciples asked Jesus, “Why aren’t you worried? Don’t you see we’re in danger?” They couldn’t understand why Jesus wasn’t afraid. But you know what the better question to ask would have been? Why were the disciples afraid? How could they be afraid, knowing that they were with Jesus?
Calming the storm wasn’t Jesus’ first miracle. In the book of Mark, Jesus has already cast out demons, caused the disabled to walk, and healed the sick, including the disciple Peter’s mother-in-law! They knew how powerful Jesus was, and yet they were still afraid.
The disciples were still learning to have faith. They were still learning to trust that Jesus was looking out for them. In the coming years, all of them but the one who betrayed him would grow to have an unshakable faith. They would all face prison and even death for Jesus! But that faith grew one day at a time, one step at a time, as they got to know Jesus.
Jesus has been watching over you since the day you were born. He is watching over you now and will continue to watch over you, day and night, all your life. Jesus is there because he wants you to know him personally and trust him as your Savior. When life gets scary, we can go to Jesus and pray, and God will give you the comfort you need to face any danger.
What scares you? What is it that makes you afraid? You can trust those fears to Jesus, because he is already watching out for you. Give your fears, and your heart, to Jesus, and get to know the one who can protect you far better than any pair of floaties.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for always looking out for us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER
What’s your favorite place to go and swim?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Acts 3:19
Give all the kids a Bible. Let the kids race to see who can find the verse first. Let that kid read to the group.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Play a game of hot potato with a beach ball. Play music as the kids pass the ball around, and when the music stops, the kid holding the ball is out. Keep going until there’s one person standing.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read Mark 4:35-41
Where were the disciples when the storm hit?
What was Jesus doing when the storm hit?
What did the disciples ask Jesus when they woke him up?
What did Jesus do?
How long has Jesus been watching over each one of us?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Give us comfort when we are scared, and protect us from danger.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER
What’s your favorite place to go and swim?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Acts 3:19
Give all the kids a Bible. Let the kids race to see who can find the verse first. Let that kid read to the group.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Play a game of hot potato with a beach ball. Play music as the kids pass the ball around, and when the music stops, the kid holding the ball is out. Keep going until there’s one person standing.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read Mark 4:35-41
What did the disciples ask Jesus when they woke him up?
How did Jesus calm the storm?
Why do you think the disciples were afraid, even with Jesus in the boat?
How long has Jesus been watching over each one of us?
What should we do when we are afraid?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Give us comfort when we are scared, and protect us from danger.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Jesus Calms the Storm Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link).
Here's a video from Saddleback kids that you might find helpful to go along with your Sunday School Lesson on Jesus Calming the Storm.
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Jesus Calms the Storm Sunday School Lesson:
Sunday School Lesson: Jesus Calms the Storm on the Sea of Galilee
Peace! Be Still! - Children's Sermons from Sermons4Kids.com
Jesus Calms the Storm Sunday School Lesson