Bible Teaching Aim: Provide opportunities for preschoolers to become more aware that Jesus loves all people. Unit Bible Verses and Phrases:

Transcription

1 Jesus Helpers Story/Scripture: Jesus Chose Special Helpers (Luke 6:12-16; 9:1-6,10; Mark 3:13-19; 6:7-13) This session is part of Unit 7: Jesus Special Friends Other sessions in this unit include: Zacchaeus Mary and Martha Matthew s Friends Bible Teaching Aim: Provide opportunities for preschoolers to become more aware that Jesus loves all people. Unit Bible Verses and Phrases: Jesus said, Come, follow Me (Mark 1:17). Jesus chose helpers (Mark 3:14). Jesus had friends (Luke 2:52). Jesus said, Love one another (John 15:17). 1

2 Copyright 1971 Broadman Press. All rights reserved. Jim Noble Printed in the United States of America 2

3 Today s Bible Truth Jesus chose special men to help Him do His work. Before the Session Gather a Read-to-Me Bible, four strips of colored construction paper, and a yellow crayon. See the Work Together activities for the resources you will need to gather for the activities you choose to use. Duplicate the Fun Page making one for each pupil. Begin the Session Play a mirror game. Talk about how a mirror gives the exact reverse picture of what is in front of it. Say: Pretend that I am a mirror, and do whatever I do. Do simple actions such as put hands on head, clap hands, shake hands, stand on one foot, jump up and down, smile, shake head, pretend to cry, and make a silly face. If there is time, give each preschooler an opportunity to be the mirror for the group to imitate. Show the Bible Picture Introduce the Bible story by saying: Wherever Jesus went, He helped people and told them about God. One day, Jesus decided that He could help even more people if He had special helpers. Hold the Bible picture for everyone to see, and comment: This picture shows Jesus talking with two of His special helpers. Listen carefully to the Bible story to find out how many helpers Jesus had and what He might be telling these two helpers. Tell the Bible Story Jesus went from town to town making sick people well and telling people about God. Many people needed help and to hear about God. Jesus decided to choose some special helpers to go into the towns to help people and tell them about God. One day, Jesus went up on a quiet hillside to talk to God. Jesus took the men who followed Him up the mountain. He chose twelve of them to be His special helpers. The twelve men were: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew. He also chose Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Thaddaeus, Judas Iscariot, and two other men named Simon and James. Jesus asked them to travel with Him. He taught them how to tell people about God. I want you to make sick people well, Jesus said to his 12 new helpers. I want you to tell people how much God loves them. We must tell people everywhere about God and His love. Jesus asked His 12 special helpers to travel in groups of two. Do not take a walking stick, food, backpack, or money with you, Jesus told His special helpers. The people in the towns where you are going will take care of you, He said. So they went on their way. The 12 men did just as Jesus had told them to do. 3

4 Review Bible Story and Pray Ask: How many special helpers did Jesus choose? What were the helpers supposed to do? Who were some of Jesus special helpers? Show the Bible picture again and ask, When Jesus divided the helpers into groups of two, what did He tell them? Pray: Thank You, God, for Jesus and His helpers. Help us find ways to tell people that God loves them. Use the Bible Insert a paper strip in the Bible at each verse. Also, highlight the words of each Bible verse with a yellow crayon. Invite one child at a time to choose a Bible marker. Whisper the verse to the preschooler and let him say it to the group. Then repeat it aloud, omitting the last half of the verse for the children to complete. After reading the verse Jesus said, Love one another, ask, How can we show love? Talk about ways the children can show their love for people. Work Together Choose two or three of the following activities to use with your pupils. Allow time for the girls and boys to enjoy all of the activities. Draw Picture of Helpers Gather crayons, lapboards (or chair seats), and Fun Pages. As a child finishes the activity, invite her to turn her paper over and draw pictures of people who help her (parents, teachers, police officers, and so on). Tell the children that Jesus chose helpers, and there are special people today who help us and tell us about Jesus. Make Encouragement Cards Gather washable markers, light colors construction paper (one sheet per child), envelopes (one per child), stencils or rubber stamps, and ink pads. Children will need a hard surface (such as a lapboard, chair seat, or vinyl tile floor) on which to do their work. Encourage the preschoolers to decorate a piece of stationery and envelope to give to a friend or family member. While the children work, comment: When you give a friend or family member something, you are showing that person that you love and care about him. Jesus said, Love one another. Follow the Footprints Gather a Bible, today s picture, and footprints cut from carpet squares, vinyl, or colored paper. Arrange the footprints in a path throughout the room. You may want to tape them to the floor. At the end of the path, place the Bible and the picture of Jesus. Draw a child s attention to the footprints. Encourage her to follow them to see where they go. When she reaches the end, show her the Bible and the picture of Jesus. Say: Look, the footprints led us to the Bible and a picture. Who do you think the person in this picture is? Talk about the picture. State: The Bible tells us that Jesus had friends. He asked those friends to follow Him and to help Him tell people about God. Show the child the picture on the leaflet and tell the Bible story. I Can Help Collage Gather a Bible, pictures of children helping, cotton swabs, art paper (12 by 18 inches), and plastic table cover. Cover the table and arrange the art materials on it. As a child shows interest, ask what the children are doing to help. Then let him choose pictures to paste on the paper. As the children work, open the Bible to Mark 1:17 and say: In the Bible we read, Jesus said, Come, follow Me. When you help someone, you are doing good like Jesus did. Thank You, God, that we can be helpers. 4

5 Look At Seashells Gather a variety of seashells and a book about seashells or sea animals. Place a large shell or a collection of small shells on a piece of dark blue paper. Ask if the child can find pictures of similar shells in the book. Hold a conch shell to the ear of each preschooler and let her hear the sound of the air swirling inside. As preschoolers listen, retell the Bible story and remind them that some of Jesus helpers lived and worked by the sea. Sing Together To signal that it is time to finish activities and form one group again, sing these words (tune Did You Ever See a Lassie? ): It s time to stop working together, together. It s time to stop working. It s time to clean up. Then guide the group to join you in singing one of the following songs. Jesus Said, Come Follow Me (tune London Bridge ) Jesus said, Come follow Me*, follow Me, follow Me, Jesus said, Come follow Me, Be a helper. Jesus said, You are My friends, are My friends, are My friends, Jesus said, You are My friends, Love each other. (*Use a beckoning motion at the words, follow Me. ) Everyone Come and Follow Me (tune Mulberry Bush ) Everyone come and follow me, follow me, follow me, Everyone come and follow me, On this happy morning. (Substitute these stanzas: Everyone come and hop around. Everyone come and stand around. Everyone come and sit around. Everyone quietly pray with me. ) 5 You Are My Friends (tune Mary Had a Little Lamb ) Jesus said, You are My friends, are My friends, are My friends, Jesus said, You are My friends, Come and follow Me. End the Session Lead the preschoolers to play one of the following games. Counting Game Play a counting game by giving these instructions (pause after each one): Take 1 jump forward, 2 steps backward, and 3 hops in place. Touch your toes 4 times. Clap your hands 5 times. Tap your head 6 times. Bend sideways 7 times. Run 8 steps in place. Touch your nose 9 times. Wave to a friend 10 times. Beanbag Bible Verse Match Gather shoe box lids or small boxes. Place a different color of construction paper in the bottom of each lid. Place a matching color ribbon or construction paper marker in the Bible at the Bible verses for today. Toss a beanbag to a child and instruct her to throw it into one of the targets (shoe box lids or small boxes). If she misses a target the first time, let her keep trying until she hits one. The beanbag does not have to be all the way in the lid. Say with enthusiasm: You hit the green target, Melissa. Would you like to find a green Bible marker? After a child has had a turn, instruct her to throw the beanbag to a child who has not yet had a turn. Tips for Twos Rather than stencils or rubber stamps, let twos use nature-related stickers to decorate their stationery LifeWay Press. Published in the United States of America. This lesson is adapted from content in Anytime Anywhere Bible Study for Preschool: The Bible Stories for Me 1997 Convention Press, Permission is granted to the original purchaser to download, store, print, and distribute this document for its intended use. Distribution by or reproduction of this material by churches or individuals who did not purchase it is strictly prohibited. Address request for additional permission in writing to Lifeway Press ; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN ISBN

6 Help! Draw a line from each helper to the person who needs his help. PA FUN GE The Bible, your child, and you: Today your child heard a Bible story about Jesus choosing 12 special helpers to help tell people about God s love (Luke 6:12-16; 9:1-6). One of the Bible verses today was Jesus said, Love one another (John 15:17). Guide your preschooler to find simple ways every day to show love to family members and other important people in her life.