Miracles of Jesus Sunday School Lesson
Miracles of Jesus Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
We can trust Jesus when we are afraid.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will identify one thing that can be scary where they need to trust God to help them through.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus Calms a Storm
MEMORY VERSE:
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
When Jesus calmed the storm, he showed us that he has power over any difficult thing we face. He also taught us that he wants us to trust him and not be afraid when it feels like we’re in the middle of a storm.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Help us remember you are near when we feel afraid.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 (NIV)
“God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.” John 3:17 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Divide the room into girls and boys. Have the boys read the verse aloud, and then have the girls read it aloud. Who can read the loudest?
SMALL GROUP:
Ask the kids how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SKIT
HE CALMED THE STORM
ITEMS NEEDED:
A microphone
A suit for John
A hillbilly outfit for Ray
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
2M
CHARACTERS:
John Cameron Cameron - A reporter
Ray - An eyewitness
John and Ray enter. John has a microphone and talks to the audience as if talking on TV.
JOHN: Hello, friends, this is John Cameron Cameron for Eyewitness News, coming to you live from the sea side where witnesses say they saw something truly fantastic. I’m standing here with one of those witnesses now. Excuse me, sir, did you see what happened?
RAY: Yeah, I did. I was just tyin’ off my boat, gettin’ ready to bring my catch in for the night when all of a sudden, this storm commenced a squawlin’ over the waves!
JOHN: A terrible storm hit the sea!
RAY: Oh yeah, it was intense! There was waves and wind and lightning, and the rain felt like it was a-comin’ side ways. My wife came out of the house, and I said, “Get back inside, Ethel!” But it was too late. That rain and that wind knocked her sideways, and she done fell right in the mud hole! ‘Bout that time, I saw this here boat rockin’ on the waves!
JOHN: Another boat?
RAY: Yeah, there’s a whole raft of people on it. I figure maybe a dozen, right? And they was all so afraid of this here storm, see?
JOHN: I see, I see.
RAY: I hear them screamin’, “We’re gonna die! We’re gonna drown! Master, Master, don’t you care?”
JOHN: Master Master? Who was their master?
RAY: I wasn’t too sure at first, but then this other fellow, I think he was number thirteen, he done stood up in the boat, rubbed the sleep outta his eyes, and he says, “Y’all be quiet now!”
JOHN: Those were his exact words?
RAY: Well, maybe not exact, but that’s when the craziest thing of all happened. That feller said to be quiet, and the storm went away! All that rain and wind and the waves, they was just gone!
JOHN: The storm went away, just because he said be quiet?
RAY: It sure did!
JOHN: Can you tell us who this feller - I mean, this man was?
RAY: I wasn’t too sure myself, but then I come to find out his name’s Jesus. Some folks say he’s a carpenter’s boy from down in Nazareth. But others… I’m inclined to believe them.
JOHN: And who do they say he is?
RAY: They say he’s the Son of God!
JOHN: Is it possible, friends? Is the Son of God here on Earth, and can he calm storms?
RAY: You askin’ me or them?
JOHN: That question was for them.
RAY: Oh, okay.
JOHN: We will continue to follow this story as it develops. This is John Cameron Cameron. So long!
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
An emergency preparedness kit
Begin this lesson by unpacking the items from a home emergency kit. What items are inside? Ask the kids, “What is the use of each item?” Ask how many of them have such a kit at home that they know of?
An emergency preparedness kit does two things. One, it gives you some tools that you can use in case something bad happens. And two, it gives you peace of mind! The emergency kit lets you relax a bit and not worry so much about something bad happening. If the lights go out, if there’s an emergency, you are prepared. You are ready to take care of your family.
There’s one thing better than having an emergency kit handy, and that’s having Jesus. God’s Son has the power over all creation. He is strong enough to calm the sea and tell a storm to be quiet. When we have Jesus in our hearts, we don’t need to fear anything. No natural disaster, no personal issue, nothing that scares us can stand up to the power of Jesus.
The next time you’re feeling afraid, don’t let fear make you run and hide. Give your fear to Jesus, and ask him to calm the storm.
LARGE GROUP GAME
PAPER BOAT REGATTA
ITEMS NEEDED:
A large tub filled with water
Two paper boats (made in advance)
Straws
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose two kids for this game. Have the kids sit or kneel by the tub. Set one boat in front of each of them on the water. The two will blow their boats through the straws in an attempt to propel them from one side of the tub to the other. First boat to reach the other side wins.
If either boat sinks, that boat is automatically the loser.
VARIATION:
Instead of straws, you can use personal fans, or let the kids fold and use a piece of paper as a fan to give their boat some wind.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
We can trust God to calm the storms in our life. We don’t need to fear if we have Jesus.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
We can trust Jesus when we are afraid.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will identify one thing that can be scary where they need to trust God to help them through.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus Calms a Storm
INTRO:
Can anyone tell me what a miracle is?
Some people use the word miracle to mean some strange things. A sports fan may call it a miracle when his team pulls off a last chance play and wins the football game. Some people call it a miracle when they are able to race through traffic, get to the movie theater, get their ticket and popcorn and find a seat before the movie starts. And some people call it a miracle when your uncle, who never has money for anything, actually volunteers to pay for dinner.
None of these things are truly miracles, of course. Miracles are acts of God. They are things we cannot explain. Miracles are things beyond our control or the control of anyone else we know - anyone that is, except God.
The Bible is filled with some amazing miracles. In the Old Testament, these miracles came from Heaven, but in the first four books of the New Testament, they came from the man we call Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God, and Jesus did some amazing miracles.
Jesus never did miracles just to impress people. He’s not a magician, pulling rabbits out of a hat or making people levitate off the ground. Jesus always had a plan and a purpose behind every miracle. We can learn a lot of lessons from the miracles Jesus performed.
Today’s lesson is a message about fear - specifically why we should NOT fear. That’s a big thing to ask of anyone, much less kids. I bet if we asked you guys to make a list, we could come up with hundreds of reasons to be afraid. Today Jesus gives us a big reason why all of those hundreds of reasons to feel fear just don’t matter.
READ MATTHEW 8:23-27
MAIN POINT:
Many of Jesus’ disciples were not men from the sea. Some of them may never have been in a boat before. But it’s likely they had heard horror stories of ships lost at sea. Boats back then were not built like the boats of today, and they definitely did not have flotation devices. They had to be scared out of their minds.
A few of these men were men of the sea. They were fishermen, and it’s likely they had been through storms before. If this storm was enough to scare them, it had to be a bad one!
The only one who wasn’t scared was Jesus. That should have been a clue to the disciples not to be afraid, but it wasn’t until Jesus showed them his power that they realized how silly their fears were. Jesus said, “Be still,” and the storm obeyed. The storm obeyed him because he IS the Son of God.
Jesus shows us in this miracle that we never need to fear the storms of life. If we believe in Jesus, he will be right there with us, just like he was in that boat. Jesus will take care of the storms so we don’t have to be afraid!
DRIVE IT HOME:
The storm in this Bible story was the kind we’ve all seen come through our area from time to time. It was a rainstorm, the kind we’ve all watched and marveled at through the windows of our house. But Jesus’ power isn’t limited to the weather. Jesus can calm any storm that hits our life.
Some storms are situations that shake up a family. Maybe a loved one is gone. Sometimes parents get divorced, or worse, sometimes we lose a parent, or a grandparent, or a close aunt or uncle to death. That’s a hard storm to face, but Jesus can calm that storm too.
Sometimes storms mean a shake up in our lives. Your family moved to a new school district, or a new town all together! You have to start over, making new friends, adapting to new teachers, a new school. That’s a really tough storm to face, but even Jesus can calm that storm.
As you grow older you’ll find there are all sorts of storms in this world, and every one of them can be scary. When the storm clouds build, when you feel the wind blow and the rain fall, remember what happened in that boat. Remember how Jesus spoke and the storm went away.
If you’re facing a storm this morning, Jesus is right there beside you. Give that storm to Jesus, and ask him to help. We have nothing to fear from any storm because Jesus will always be there.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Help us remember you are near when we feel afraid.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER:
What is the worst storm you have ever seen?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
John 3:17
Ask the kids how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Have the kids make a rainstorm using body sounds. Start by having everyone snap their fingers - the rain slowly starting to fall. Then have a few start slapping their knees, making harder rain. Have everyone switch to slapping their knees. Then one at a time, have everyone start stomping their feet! Let the heavy rain fall for a bit, then reverse the process… back to slapping knees, back to snapping, and then finally - the storm ends.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Matthew 8:23-27
Why were the disciples so afraid of the storm?
Where was Jesus when the storm hit?
How did Jesus calm the storm?
Is there a storm in your life right now, something scary going on?
How can we give our fears about these storms to Jesus?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Calm the storms in our lives, and give us peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER:
What is the worst storm you have ever seen?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
John 3:17
Ask the kids how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Have the kids make a rainstorm using body sounds. Start by having everyone snap their fingers - the rain slowly starting to fall. Then have a few start slapping their knees, making harder rain. Have everyone switch to slapping their knees. Then one at a time, have everyone start stomping their feet! Let the heavy rain fall for a bit, then reverse the process… back to slapping knees, back to snapping, and then finally - the storm ends.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Matthew 8:23-27
Why were the disciples so afraid of the storm?
Why was Jesus sleeping when the storm hit?
Did the disciples really need to fear the storm?
What are some storms that scare you, as kids?
How can we give our fears about these storms to Jesus?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Calm the storms in our lives, and give us peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Miracles of Jesus 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 Miracles of Jesus.
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching the Miracles of Jesus Sunday School Lesson:
7 Types of Miracles of Jesus Performed in the Bible
Miracles Sunday School Crafts and Activities - Danielle's Place
Jesus First Miracle (John 2:1-11) Sunday School Lesson