Jesus spoke often about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. These stories, called parables, remain a mystery for those who do not have “eyes to see and ears to hear.” In this series, kids will examine the clues, break the code, and gain an understanding of their role in the Kingdom of God. In Codebreakers 8-Week Children’s Ministry Curriculum, kids will learn the code to the Kingdom: “I am Loved. Love God. Love Others.”
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Codebreakers Lessons Overview:
Memory Verse:
“God, you are my God. I seek you with all my heart.” Psalm 63:1a (NIrV)
Lessons:
The Search is On
Scripture: Matthew 18:10-14, The Parable of the Lost Sheep
In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus shows us that we belong to Him. When we are lost, he seeks us out, finds us, and brings us back to safety. First puzzle: kids will search for a set of numbers that are the combination to a locked box; inside the box, kids will find more numbers, which are the clue for week 2.
Objective: Kids will learn that Jesus came to find us and save us.
Expect the Unexpected
Scripture: Luke 15:11-32, The Parable of the Lost Son
In the parable of the lost son, Jesus shows us that God's love has no limits. No matter what we've done, God welcomes us back to him with open arms. Second puzzle: Kids will use a simple substitution to change the numbers from week 1 into letters – E M D O L I A V.
Objective: Kids will learn that, no matter what we've done, God welcomes us
Keep At It
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8, The Parable of the Persistent Widow
In the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus shows us that we can come to God with whatever we need. Third Puzzle: Kids will shuffle the letters from week 2 into the message: I am loved.
Objective: Kids will learn that we can ask God for whatever we need because God loves us
CODEBREAK #1: Kids will take the clues uncovered in weeks 1-3 to find the message “I AM LOVED.”
Hidden Gems
Scripture: Matthew 13:44-46, Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearls
In these parables, Jesus shows us that God and his kingdom are so precious, we should be willing to give up everything for them. Fourth puzzle: Kids will hunt for their own buried treasure, and uncover the letters – M P W F H P E
Objective: Kids will learn that God and his kingdom are more valuable than anything.
Focused and Ready
Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13, The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, Jesus shows us that we need to serve God and stay focused on Him no matter what happens. Fifth puzzle: Kids will discover if they shift each of the letters from week 4 by one, MPWFHPE becomes LOVE GOD.
Objective: Kids will learn that we should always stay focused on God.
CODEBREAK #2: Kids will take the clues uncovered in weeks 4-5 to find the message “LOVE GOD.”
Seeing the Patterns
Scripture: Matthew 18:23-35, The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
In the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus shows us that not only do we have a loving and forgiving God, but we should extend that same kind of forgiveness to others. Sixth puzzle: Kids will dig through a ball pit (or similar) to find strips of paper with writing on them, which kids must then assemble like a jigsaw puzzle. (When completed, the paper will show a seemingly random list of letters.)
Objective: Kids will learn that we should forgive in the same way God forgives.
Eyes on the Prize
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5, The Speck and the Log
In the parable of the speck and the log, Jesus tells us how important it is not to judge other people. None of us are perfect except God. Seventh puzzle: Give each kid a copy of the list of letters from the week 6 puzzle (or work together on one giant sheet of letters. After you go through a list of instructions – like “cross out every letter B, cross out all the letters in row 3” – kids will be left with the letters E E H L O O R S T V.
Objective: Kids will learn that we should not judge other people.
Everything Comes Together
Scripture: Luke 10:29-37, The Parable of the Good Samaritan
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows us what it means to truly love another person – going the extra mile and giving our all to serve. Final puzzle: Kids will work together to unscramble the letters and spell “Love Others.” Once done, put all three messages together.
Objective: Kids will learn that we should be generous with love for others.
CODEBREAK #3: Kids will take the clues uncovered in weeks 5-8 to find the message “LOVE OTHERS.” Kids will then put all three codes from the series together to learn that the code of the Kingdom is: “I Am Loved. Love God. Love Others.”
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Each Lesson Includes:
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Make It Stick! Parent Sheet - so you can let mom and dad know what kids are learning each week and look like a rockstar teacher who's thought of everything.
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Memory Verse - so that you can make sure kids are getting Scripture in their minds and hearts every single week and you can feel like each lesson was a success even when it seems like 90% of your lesson time is spent saying things like "calm down", "let's be quiet", "hands to yourself!"
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Skit or Puppet Show - so you have a way to easily connect the lesson with your hands-on and visual learners. No drama team? No problem! Just hand the script to the kids. They'll have a blast and think you're the coolest.
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Craft Activity - so you can give kids a physical reminder of the Bible lesson (and give yourself an activity to keep them busy until mom and dad come back!)
- Game - so kids don't leave and say church was BORING! Games are so important to help keep kids engaged. Our large group games always include a "What's The Point" section to help you connect the game to the lesson.
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Large Group Lesson - so you can present the Bible story in a clear and fun way, which means now you can enjoy Saturday nights instead of stressing over putting a lesson together!
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Small Group Discussion - so you can find out who was paying attention and who was talking to their neighbor. Just kidding, this is a great way for you to build deeper relationships with your kiddos after each lesson, which means you're going to care about them so much you'll cry like a baby when they graduate and go to middle school :(
- More! - Yes, there is even more than all of that so that you can easily put together the perfect lesson for your ministry each weekend, which means no more agonizing over how to adjust complicated lesson plans.
About This Curriculum:
- Perfect for kids ages 6-12
- 8-weeks
- Includes large group and small group resources
- This curriculum is an instant download
- Download a free sample here
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