Jesus in the Desert Sunday School Lesson
Jesus in the Desert Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
We need to learn God’s Word
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that knowing the Word of God will help us make the right choices.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 4:1-11, The Temptation of Jesus
MEMORY VERSE:
“Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” Psalm 119:105 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
God has given us a book that has the answers to all of life’s challenges. When we are faced with a problem, as Jesus was in the wilderness, the Bible can help us to make the wise choice.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for the Bible.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” Psalm 119:105 (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
FANTASTIC VERSES: THE PSALMIST
ITEMS NEEDED:
A Biblical costume, a harp
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
2M
CHARACTERS:
Rupert Jones - A time traveler
David - A shepherd
Rupert enters.
RUPERT: Hello, I’m Rupert Jones, and I’m inviting you to come along on a fantastic adventure. I invented a machine, a time machine, that is going to allow me to travel through history. I’m on a quest to collect some of the greatest treasures ever made by man. No, I don’t mean jewels or riches. I’m after verses. The twelve most fantastic verses in the Bible. I’m going to show you who wrote them and where to find them. That’s why I’m here in this field in ancient Israel. Standing in sheep manure. Sheep manure? Oh no, how did I do that?
David enters.
DAVID: Excuse me, stranger.
RUPERT: Hello there!
DAVID: You have a little sheep manure on your foot covering.
RUPERT: Yes, I saw that.
DAVID: Those are some strange clothes you have on.
RUPERT: It’s the latest fashion where I come from?
DAVID: Really? Are you from Egypt?
RUPERT: Actually, I come from the future!
DAVID: The future? Where’s that?
RUPERT: I’ve come back in time looking for a shepherd boy named David.
DAVID: No kidding? My name’s David, and I’m a shepherd.
RUPERT: You’re David!
DAVID: Yes!
RUPERT: Then you’re the boy I want to see!
DAVID: I am?
RUPERT: I wanted to meet the person who wrote Psalm 119:105.
DAVID: Hmmm, that doesn't sound like anything I’ve written. Though I do write a lot of songs.
RUPERT: David, would it surprise you if I told you all your songs were collected into a bigger book, full of stories about God?
DAVID: My songs?
RUPERT: Yes!
DAVID: No!
RUPERT: It’s true!
DAVID: Get outta here, really?
RUPERT: Your Psalms are just full of great praise for the Lord. We love them!
DAVID: Stop, you’re gonna make me blush.
RUPERT: Could you give us a little taste? Just a little sample?
DAVID: Well, I am working on this new one. It goes… Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.
RUPERT: That’s it! That’s Psalm 119:105.
DAVID: That’s what I titled it? Wow, that’s kind of boring. I was gonna call it, “Your Word.”
RUPERT: David, thank you for all you have done.
DAVID: Hey, no problem, but it’s not about me. It’s all about God, you know?
RUPERT: I do indeed. I better be on my way. Have many more miles to travel.
DAVID: Okay, stranger, take it easy.
RUPERT: Just one more thing before I go. You know how I can clean off my shoes?
DAVID: Shoes? What’s a shoes?
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
A night-light
Have you ever tried to tiptoe down the hall in the middle of the night in total darkness? It can be dangerous. You’re trying to feel your way down the hall to the bathroom and suddenly - ouch! You stub your toe. You trip on a power cord. Or worse - you step on a Lego.
A night-light can mean the difference between finding the bathroom safely and a sore toe. Even a tiny light like this gives enough direction to get us from one place to another safe in the dark.
The Bible is a light for our path in a dark world. When we feel lost, tempted, or just confused on what to do, the Bible will be our guide.
God has given us all the light we need in this world right here in the Bible. I hope all of you will make a commitment to memorizing these twelve fantastic verses so they can light your path.
“Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” Psalm 119:105 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP GAME
FAMOUS WORDS
ITEMS NEEDED:
None
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose two players. The players will compete to see who can fill in the blanks in these famous sayings. Read the saying aloud with the blank, and let the kids raise their hands to try to guess the answers. The player who fills in the most gaps wins.
“Who lives in a ______ under the sea? Spongebob Squarepants!” PINEAPPLE
“May the _____ be with you.” FORCE
“U can’t _____ me!” C or SEE
“Eh, what’s up, ____?” DOC
“I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll _____ your house down!” BLOW
“Swiper, no ______!” SWIPING
“Now watch me _____, now watch me ne ne.” WHIP
VARIATION:
You can use movie quotes, cartoons, song lyrics, whatever your kids will get.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
God wants us to get to know his Word.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
We need to learn God’s Word
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that knowing the Word of God will help us make right choices.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 4:1-11, The Temptation of Jesus
INTRO:
How many songs do you think you know by heart? How many of you would say 10? 20? 30? I’ll bet everyone in here knows a few more than that! I want to do a little test with you. I’ll give you a line from a song, and I want to see how many of you can sing the next part of the song. Are you ready?
Choose 3-4 songs to use here. Make the first two current hits the kids will all know. Then test them with some older classics from the 70s, 80s, or 90s.
Music is a big part of our lives. We hear these songs all the time, and they get stuck in our heads. We sing along when we hear them on the radio, and we can sing them without the radio.
Music’s not the only thing that gets stuck in our heads. Movies can do it too. I bet all of you can quote quite a few lines from your favorite movies, can’t you? The more we watch a movie, the more we remember, just like with songs.
Today we’re starting a new series called Fantastic Verses and Where to Find Them. In this series we want to help all of you get a jumpstart memorizing verses from the Bible. God has given us an amazing tool in the Bible to help us through life. As today’s memory verse tells us, the Bible is a light that will give our lives direction.
READ PSALM 119:105
What does David mean when he says the Bible is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path? It means that the Bible can show us the way to go when all seems dark. When we are faced with tough choices, the Bible can give us the wisdom we need to make the right choice. Let’s look at a story from the gospel of Matthew where Jesus used the Bible to light his own path.
READ MATTHEW 4:1-11
MAIN POINT:
The devil came to tempt Jesus when he was at his weakest. He was tired, he was hungry. As the Snickers commercials say, you’re not you when you’re hungry and tired, and the devil knew if there was ever a chance to make Jesus slip up, this was it!
Jesus was ready for the devil. He was ready because he knew his Bible. Jesus wasn’t just firing back with random words. Jesus answered every word the devil spoke with words from the Old Testament. The Bible gave him an answer for the devil and the wisdom to make the right choice.
The Bible will give us the same wisdom when we need it most. If we take the time to memorize God’s Word, we will be able to give an answer to our tempter and to the people who try to get us to do wrong. God gave us the Bible to light our path in every situation, but it’s up to us to fill our minds with God’s Word so we can make those wise choices.
DRIVE IT HOME:
Normally, when we introduce a new lesson series, we introduce one memory verse that we will work on for four, eight, up to twelve weeks. It’s easy to get to know a Bible verse in twelve weeks when you’re practicing the same verse every week. But in this series, we are really going to challenge you. We want you to collect all twelve verses - a different one every week! We want to help you fill your minds with as much scripture just as you have already filled them with music and movie quotes. That way, when you are in need of a little light, the verses you’ve learned can help you find the answers you need.
Every week, you’ll be taking home a new verse to learn on a card. We want you to keep these with your Bible or on your bedside table. Every night, before you go to bed, go over them. Have Mom or Dad quiz you. Practice when you get up in the morning too. The more you read them, the faster you’ll learn them.
Don’t just read them to yourself, either. Read them aloud! Speaking the words helps you learn even more than merely reading them silently. Listen to the verse in your own voice, and you’ll remember it longer.
Finally, share the verse with your family and friends. Teach them to your siblings and your parents. Teach them to the kids next door. Spread the Word of God so that other people will have a light for their path.
I hope all of you will join us on this fantastic journey as we discover these fantastic verses and learn where to find them. These verses will be a foundation for your future growth in Christ. They will be a lamp for your feet and a light on your path!
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for the Bible.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER:
What’s the funniest or strangest thing you have memorized?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 119:105
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:
Play a game of Memory with the kids, as a group. Lay out all the cards from a Memory set face down. See how fast they can match them all up working together.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Matthew 4:1-11
Who came to visit Jesus in the wilderness?
When did the devil come to tempt Jesus?
How did Jesus use the Bible to do the right thing?
How can the Bible help us make wise choices?
Do you have any tips for memorizing Bible verses you can share?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Help us to memorize these fantastic verses!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER:
What’s the funniest or strangest thing you have memorized?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 119:105
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:
Play a game of Memory with the kids, as a group. Lay out all the cards from a Memory set face down. See how fast they can match them all up working together.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Matthew 4:1-11
Why did the devil tempt Jesus when he was tired and hungry?
How did Jesus use the Bible to fend of the devil?
How can the Bible help us make wise choices?
Have you ever used the Bible in making a big decision?
Do you have any tips for memorizing Bible verses you can share?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Help us to memorize these fantastic verses!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Jesus in the Desert 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 the Jesus in the Desert.
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Jesus in the Desert Sunday School Lesson:
Jesus is Tempted (Matthew 4:1-11) Sunday School Lesson
"Jesus In the Wilderness" Sunday School Lesson from Mark 1:9-15
Resisting Temptation - Children's Sermons from Sermons4Kids.com
Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness – Mission Bible Class