Jesus Feeds the 5000 Sunday School Lesson
Jesus Feeds the 5,000 Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
God is all we need.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that God can meet all of their needs.
KEY PASSAGE:
John 6:1-13, Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
MEMORY VERSE:
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”-Job 5:9 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
With this experiment kids will see an explosion of liquid as the amount of soda seems to grow and grow. Kids will learn that with Jesus we will always have all that we need.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for the way you care for us.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”- Job 5:9 (NIV)
“He does wonderful things that can’t be understood. He does miracles that can’t even be counted.”- Job 5:9 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Have the kids read the verse together. Read it normally, then in a whisper, then really, really loud!
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 the Bible.
SKIT
JUST A LITTLE GAUZE
ITEMS NEEDED:
A clipboard
Test tubes
A test tube holder
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
1M/1F
CHARACTERS:
Dr. Christian- A science professor
Laura- A college administrator
Dr. Christian is pouring colored liquids from one test tube to another. Laura enters with a clipboard.
LAURA: Excuse me, Dr. Christian?
CHRISTIAN: Yes, hello?
LAURA: I’m Laura Money from the college department of purchasing and accounts.
CHRISTIAN: Well hello, Laura, it’s nice to meet you.
LAURA: Dr. Christian, my boss sent me down here to see if there’s anything you need.
CHRISTIAN: (holds out two test tubes) Here, hold these, please.
LAURA: But I—
CHRISTIAN: Just for a second.
LAURA: Um, okay.
Laura sets down the clipboard and takes the test tubes.
CHRISTIAN: Now whatever you do, don’t mix them.
LAURA: Why not?
CHRISTIAN: Because those two will blow up this whole building.
LAURA: WHAT???
CHRISTIAN: Just a little science humor. I’m only kidding. Or maybe I’m not.
LAURA: Dr. Christian, I was asked to come down and see if there’s anything you need.
CHRISTIAN: That’s awfully nice of you to ask, but Jesus has given me everything I need.
LAURA: He has?
CHRISTIAN: Does that sound strange coming from a science teacher? I know many of my colleagues don’t even believe in God, but I do! I love him, and I know he is looking out for me. God is there when I need comfort and he’s there when I need love. He’s there when I am sick, and he’s there when I need a friend.
LAURA: I see.
CHRISTIAN: Yes. ma’am, God has given me a family, good friends, good health, and a great dog. Have I told you about my dog, Einstein?
LAURA: No.
CHRISTIAN: He’s a Labradoodle.
LAURA: No kidding.
CHRISTIAN: Laura, I appreciate your concern, but I have everything I need because I have Jesus.
LAURA: That’s wonderful to hear. But I was asking if you needed anything for the lab.
CHRISTIAN: Oh, the lab?
LAURA: Yes.
CHRISTIAN: A box of test tubes, a gallon of sulfuric acid, and a little more gauze.
LAURA: Gauze, got it.
Laura hands the test tubes back to Dr. Christian.
CHRISTIAN: Thank you.
LAURA: No, thank you. It’s good to know that Jesus can give me everything I need.
Laura exits.
CHRISTIAN: Hmm, should have asked for another test tube holder.
SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
ITEMS NEEDED:
A roll of Mentos
A 2-liter of Diet Coke
WEB LINK:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/original-mentos-diet-coke-geyser
INSTRUCTIONS:
This experiment is going to make a big mess, so if possible, you may want to do it outside in the grass. Unwrap the roll of Mentos. Open the bottle of Diet Coke and set it on the ground. Drop the entire roll of unwrapped Mentos into the bottle. (A rolled up piece of loose leaf paper can help you make the perfect drop). Stand back and watch the fountain explode!
LESSON:
Who would have thought that candy and soda could have such a huge reaction? Mentos aren’t exactly the biggest candy on the market, but mixed with a soda they create a huge eruption.
In the story of the feeding of the 5000, Jesus showed us that he can take something small and turn it into something big. He took one little boy’s lunch and he fed thousands. He met the needs of the people, and in doing so, he showed us that he could meet all of our needs too.
What need do you have this morning? Do you need a friend? A little comfort? A little love? Jesus is there, and he knows your needs before you ask. Jesus will always give us what we need because Jesus is all we need.
LARGE GROUP GAME
THE LAST STRAW
ITEMS NEEDED:
A small paper cup
A large cup of soda
A straw
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mark a line on the inside of the small cup about half way up. Choose one player for this game. The player will have 60 seconds to transfer soda from the big cup to the small cup using a straw. The player must dip the straw in the big cup, put his finger over the straw to keep the soda in the straw, and move the soda to the small cup. If the player can fill the cup up to the fill line before time runs out, he wins a prize.
VARIATION:
This game can also be a race between two kids to see who can reach the fill line first.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Jesus will give us all we need, and then some, because he is all we need.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
God is all we need.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that God can meet all of their needs.
KEY PASSAGE:
John 6:1-13, Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
INTRO
Science means a lot of things to different people. Some people think of animals and biology when they hear the word science. Some people think of plants and photosynthesis. Some people think of astronomy or chemistry or physics. Some think of sending rockets into space or making airplanes fly. And then, there are some people who think of dropping mints into a bottle of soda.
Science can teach us a lot about our world and the way things work. Thanks to science, we know that our bodies breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, while plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. We know why certain chemicals react with other chemicals, and we know how to make things like rockets and airplanes fly. Science is always asking and answering questions, and it’s always teaching us new things. But as many questions as science has answered, the question of the soda and the Mentos is one science hasn’t answered yet.
That’s not because they haven’t tried! As silly as it sounds, science experts have studied the reaction that takes place when candy and soda mix inside a bottle, and none of them can agree on why this reaction happens. Some people think it’s a chemical reaction. That means two different things, like the mint and the soda, mix together to become something new. Other people think it’s a purely physical reaction. The candy causes the gases in the soda to make bubbles so rapidly, an explosion of water erupts as the gas tries to escape the bottle.
Whether it’s a chemical reaction, a physical reaction, or something completely different, there’s one thing we can all agree on. A bunch of tiny candies dropped into a small bottle created a BIG explosion of soda. And that big explosion is a visible picture of how God is able to meet all of our needs.
Today’s story is about a day when Jesus saw a need and met it. He saw thousands of people who were getting hungry, and he made sure they all had a good meal.
READ JOHN 6:1-13
MAIN POINT
It was late in the day. The people were hungry. The disciples saw this and told Jesus to send the people away. Jesus had come to serve the people and to meet their deepest needs. On that day, Jesus demonstrated his love by meeting the people’s most basic need of hunger. Like the Mentos, he took something small, a little boy’s lunch, and he made it into a meal big enough to feed a huge crowd.
Jesus was always meeting the needs of the people. He healed the blind. He cured the sick. He was a friend to the friendless, like the crooked tax collector Zacchaeus. He gave forgiveness to sinners.
That same Jesus is still meeting the needs of people like you and me. He can meet any need you have because Jesus is all you need.
DRIVE IT HOME
What are needs? What are the things that we need every day? We need food. We need water. We need a place to sleep with a roof over our heads, and we need clothes.
But that’s not all we need. We also need love, friendship, and family. We need a listening ear when we have questions. We need wisdom when we have tough choices to make. We need comfort when our hearts are broken and we don’t know where to turn. Most of all, we need forgiveness for our sins, the things we have done to hurt God and other people.
Jesus came to die for our sins. Someone to bridge the gap between us and God is the biggest need any of us have, and the first need That Jesus fills when we accept him as our Savior. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. Jesus can be a friend to the friendless. He can be a comfort to the broken hearted. He can give wisdom to those who seek it.
Jesus can also help us to figure out who we are and what our purpose is. Jesus can give us direction for our lives, and a special calling to serve him. Jesus has given all of us gifts to use for him. Just like that little boy with the lunch, we can give our gifts to Jesus, and Jesus can multiply them like the soda explosion we saw.
What needs have you brought with you this morning? Do you need a friend? Do you need love? Could you use some wisdom or comfort? Or do you just need a Savior? Jesus can meet all of those needs. He knows them before you even ask, and he delights to answer our prayers. Whatever is on your heart right now, give those needs to Jesus, because Jesus is all you really need.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for the way you care for us.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER
Have you ever had a soda explode when you opened it?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Job 5:9
Give all the kids a Bible. Then, after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in the Bible.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids play a game of musical chairs, a game in which there are not enough chairs to meet the needs of everyone. How does it feel being left out? How is that different from how Jesus meets our needs?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read John 6:1-13
What did the disciples tell Jesus to do about the crowd?
What did Jesus answer?
How did Jesus feed all of those people?
What need did Jesus meet when he died on the cross?
How can Jesus meet our needs?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for meeting our needs. Help us to remember you are all we need.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER
Have you ever had a soda explode when you opened it?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Job 5:9
Give all the kids a Bible. Then, after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in the Bible.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids play a game of musical chairs, a game in which there are not enough chairs to meet the needs of everyone. How does it feel being left out? How is that different from how Jesus meets our needs?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read John 6:1-13
Why did Jesus want to feed the crowd?
How did Jesus feed all of those people?
What need did Jesus meet when he died on the cross?
What other needs can Jesus fill in our lives?
How can Jesus meet our needs?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for meeting our needs. Help us to remember you are all we need.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Jesus Feeds the 5000 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 Feeding the 5,000.
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Jesus Feeds the 5000 Sunday School Lesson:
Sunday School Lesson: Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
Feeding the Five Thousand - Children's Sermons from Sermons4Kids
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand Bible Lesson Plan - DLTK-Bible