Free Lessons for Children's Ministry Leaders

God Keeps His Promises

Wouldn't it be wonderful if there really were a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and we could find it. But that old tale is only a fable with no leprechauns to back up the fascinating story.

There is another story, an old story of the rainbow, but this one is true. A story of a man standing before an altar giving thanks to Almighty God for preserving his life and the lives of his family. Maybe his face is wet with tears as he offered a burnt offering to the Lord. God responded to his servant with a promise that He would never again cut off all flesh with a flood. God said " I want to give you a token of my covenant." That token was the rainbow. When God makes a promise, He keeps it. I have a Precious Moments figurine on my dresser with a rainbow and and inscription, "God Keeps His Promises." Every time I look at it, I thank God that He really does keep His promises. I want to remind you today, no matter what you're going through no matter what the circumstances look like, God keeps His promises. God is not just a promise maker, He is a promise keeper.

Find the promise. 2 Peter 1:4 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." The Holy Scriptures are filled with precious promises, promises for you. The promises were God's idea. He didn't inspire men to write them to fill a daily quota of pages. He gave the promises so you would know the vast resources available. So often we try to live a Christian life in our strength, doing the things God has told us to do the best way we know how, when God has a better way. God has placed provisions, promises that will bring victory and peace into your life. But you've got to dig in the pages of your Bible to find those promises. God has a promise for the situation you are facing. God has a promise that will help you be victorious in every area of your life. Dig in the scriptures. What does God say? What does He promise He will do? Noah received the promise as he pursued God. Search for the promise like you would a diamond in a diamond mine.

Is there a condition to the promise? The promise that God gave Noah did not have any conditions. God simply promised, I'll never again destroy all living creatures with a flood." End of story. Yet many of the promises in the Bible have conditions that must be met before you can receive the promise. Pay your tithes, I'll open the windows of Heaven and bless you. Mal 3:10 Your obedience is often a simple act like a farmer plants seed in the ground. You can't have a harvest if you don't plant the seed. Act on the promise. Obey God. Don't make excuses, just do it!

Mix with faith. The promises of God do not benefit you until you mix the promise with faith. If you have ever made a cake from a mix you understand adding liquid changes the dry cake mix to a batter that can be baked to produce a cake. The mix will never make a cake until it is mixed with some form of liquid. It has all the ingredients--just add liquid. God's promises are like that, they are in the book for you to obey the condition and mix with faith. Hebrews 4:2 "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

I know that sounds simple, some of the things we are believing God for look so hard. How do we believe God when everything around us says, "It will NEVER, EVER happen!"?

Lift Your Eyes God told Noah, "I'm going to put my token in the cloud." That says to me...Alright Noah, when you see a cloud, you can get all scared that it's gonna flood again OR you can look at the rainbow-the token of my promise. What are you going to look a--t Jesus or your problem? Fix your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. Don't let go. The rainbow is a reminder--God always keeps His promises.

Seeing and Seizing Opportunity

I was frantic to get the copying done. The books still had to be punched and packed for the seminar and there were still other vital tasks on my �To Do� list. She had watched me scurrying around like an ant on an anthill, yet she stopped in the middle of loading the copier. �Look a rainbow,� she drawled as she moved to the glass for a closer look. There she stood. I couldn�t get a thing done without paper in the copier. I smiled sweetly, but inside I was anxious and fretful while she looked at a stupid rainbow.

Then I moved closer to the glass that enclosed the front of the copy shop. It was a glorious rainbow. The sun peeked from behind a cloud making the colors of the rainbow bright and clear. My husband came into the store and we stood like excited children looking at the rainbow. We could see both ends of the rainbow. It was the largest I have ever seen. Then we saw a second one, almost as glorious as the first. It was incredible. What a delight! We stood there enjoying the rainbow until a black cloud crept into the place where the rainbow once glistened. Only a dark, foreboding sky remained. It was gone so quickly. My husband hurried off to finish his errands, and the clerk filled the machine with paper.

I resumed my frantic pace with a warm glow from the spectacular display of God�s handiwork. But what if the clerk hadn�t stopped? I would have missed that opportunity to enjoy the rainbow. The opportunity passed by so quickly if I had been somewhere else I would have missed it. I would not have even seen the rainbow.

Opportunity like rainbows don't linger. Opportunity that is not seen is worse than no opportunity at all. Those children God has entrusted you with are opportunities for you to mold and shape. And like a fleeting rainbow your window of real influence passes so quickly. Recognize the opportunity you have. Value the opportunity. See the opportunity and seize it.

Potters understand opportunity. They understand they must find clay, not rock to shape into vessels. They understand rock can be chiseled, but clay is pliable. The potter doesn�t lay the clay in the hot sun to harden then try to cast it on the wheel. The potter works with clay. Churches often put their monies into trying to shape rocks, adults that have already formed their mindset and personalities, but God has given children�s ministry leaders the opportunity to be the shapers. It saddens me to realize how few people recognize the opportunity that comes with shaping children. Our society just doesn�t seem to get it. Because there is no instant gratification or instant results we sometimes devalue it. But children�s ministry is opportunity in its purest form.

Often we miss some of our greatest opportunities because they begin with a dark sky. I understand children�s ministry isn�t all fun and games especially for the teacher. It can be lots of hard work. And sometimes instead of smiling sweetly, you want to scream loudly. Yes, there are some challenges, some dark clouds that can cloud your opportunity to be a destiny shaper. Stay faithful. Keep investing in children. Be committed even when it is difficult. It really does pay off. It pays off in the lives of the children.

Teaching With Holidays

Holidays are wonderful opportunities to grab the interest of students to teach eternal truths. March is full of teaching opportunities. Let me give you a few of my favorites.

"In like a lion, out like a lamb." Can be used to contrast the nature of the roaring lion and the gentle lamb. Explain to children that he wants us to conduct ourselves as lambs not lions.

March Fourth With God's Word on March 4th

Encourage the children to march forward with God�s Word this month. You can have an activity night where you play all sorts of Bible games- Bible Trivia, puzzles, books of the Bible matching games etc. Have all the workers dress in military fatigues. Have fun relay games and refreshments. The devotion can be on our mission as a Christian is to share the good news of Jesus with our friends.

Spring- This season is absolutely bursting with opportunities to share the new life that Jesus gives us. Bring flowers, a leaf bud ready to burst out or a baby chick. Let the children talk about the object in small groups as you guide the conversation by asking questions.

Shamrocks

While I am not Catholic or Irish this man�s testimony is too incredible to miss. How much do you know about St. Patrick? Maybe you think of shamrocks or the wearing of the green on St. Patrick�s Day so you don�t get pinched. There are many legends associated with St. Patrick. Many are pretty outlandish. But St. Patrick was a real man that truly knew God. He is credited with using the shamrock, a three-leafed clover to explain the trinity. One leaf of clover has three distinct parts, but it is still only one leaf. 1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

St. Patrick's Story

Who was St. Patrick?

Patrick was born in England around the year 450. His actual autobiography has been recorded. It�s amazing that it was preserved for 1500 years. I�m going to have him tell his story. The words in italics are actual quotes from his autobiography.

I was a simple country boy. My father was a priest. But I was not a believer in the true God. When I was 16 years old I was kidnapped by pirates. They took me far from my homeland to Ireland. There I was sold as a slave and my eyes were opened. I remembered my sins. I turned with all my heart to the Lord my God. He was watching over me all along, but I was too blind to realize it.

For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name."

Again, I am a simple country boy. I am unlearned. I am an exile. I was like a stone lying in the mire. The almighty God in His mercy came and picked me up. That is why I am writing this. It would be wrong to be silent.

I took care of my owner�s sheep. For six long years, in drizzling rain, the icy cold and the snow, I cared for the sheep and I prayed. I would awake long before sunrise to pray. As I prayed my love for God grew. My fear of God and my faith also grew. The fire of God was burning in me.

One night I had a dream. A voice said., "Your ship is ready." So I ran away. I walked for a long ways, about 200 hundred miles. I didn�t know where I was going, but God was directing my path.

On the same day I arrived a ship was getting ready to leave. I told the steersman I wanted to go with them. He got really angry. "Don�t even think about it," he demanded.

As I turned to go I began to pray. Before I finished praying I heard someone hollering at me. When I turned around they said, "Hurry, they�re calling you!"

We stayed at sea for three days. Then for 28 days we walked through uninhabited country. We ran out of food. Our stomachs snarled at us with hunger pains, but still we walked. One day the steersman said, "You�re always telling us how great and powerful your God is. Why don�t you pray for us and ask God to send us some food."

"Be converted by faith with all your heart to my Lord God, because nothing is impossible for him, so that today he will send food for you on your road, until you be sated (satisfied), because everywhere he abounds."

A herd of swine crossed the road about that time. We killed several of them. We rested and enjoyed the good food for two days.

It was wonderful to see my parents. One night I had a dream. In my dream, I saw a man from Ireland carrying a huge stack of letters. They were begging me to return to Ireland. I felt God was leading me to return to the land of my affliction. I tried to go, but things did not work out. Now I know God was preparing my heart. He was changing my selfish heart to the heart of a servant. In God�s perfect timing I returned to Ireland. "So, how is it that in Ireland, where they never had any knowledge of God but, always, until now, cherished idols and unclean things, they are lately become a people of the Lord." Patrick discovered that the pot of gold was not found at the end of the rainbow as legend has it, but in obeying God. True riches are much more than money, and Patrick found it when he fulfilled the mission God had for his life.

Each lesson has a simple easy to follow format:

A Memory Verse emphasis
Bible Story
Object lesson from Science or History
Character Story (Many from Washington D.C)
Skit using 2 people or puppets ( same two puppets are used each week)
Reinforcement activity
Reinforcement activity page

Use this curriculum for family devotions, in children's church, Sunday School, midweek services, and outreach programs.

Go to the sample lesson and read a sample of what we have to offer. It's fun. It's meaty. It's creative. It's different!

Kid's Still Say the Funniest Things

It ain�t folgers!

A grandmother was surprised by her 7-year-old grandson one morning. He had made her coffee. She tasted what was the worst cup of coffee in her life, but because it had been made with love, she did not let on. When she finally finished it, she noticed that there were three little green Army men toys in her cup. She said to her grandson, "Honey, what are the Army men doing in my coffee?"

He replied, "Grandma, it says on TV---- The best part of waking up is soldiers in your cup. "

Grace

A five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. "Dear God, thank you for these pancakes..." When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, "I thought I'd see if He was paying attention tonight."

Because

A Sunday school teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."

The Preacher

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mike, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking, the mike cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again. After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

CRYSTAL TUBE

This is a great trick for your Resurrection Celebration. I like it because it is very easy to do and the message is strong. Kids love it.

Pick up the yellow and green silk to illustrate how God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, but sin separated them. God did not want to be separated from his precious creation so he sent his Son into the world (represented by the red silk). The red silk is tucked into the Crystal Tube. Then the green silk is tucked into one end of the tube, followed by the yellow. You raise tube to your mouth and blow down tube. Silks fly out knotted together to represent because of Jesus, believers can have fellowship with God. Trick complete with gospel illustration. Story included.

Bunny Skit

At the beginning of the service, bunny ears should be seen hopping across the stage. Repeat several times. You want to get a reaction from the class. The teacher doesn't see the bunny ears at first, but finally, he/she goes to the stage and grabs the ears and gently pulls the rabbit up.

Leader: What are you doing?

Bunny: Who me? Oh, I was just hiding.

Leader: Why are you hiding? Today's a day to celebrate, not hide. It's Easter.

Bunny: That's why I'm hiding!

Leader: What?

Bunny: Cause sometimes kids think I'm the Easter Bunny. They mob me wanting more chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks.

Leader: But these children know that Easter is more than chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks.

Bunny: They do?

Leader: They do!

Bunny: You mean they know Easter celebrates the Jesus' resurrection. I have a special song 'bout the real meaning of Easter.

Leader: Well, let's hear it.

Bunny sings "The Bunny Song" on Puppet Trax Vol. 4. I love this song. It is really clever. Another really great song on the CD is the Parody of I Found My Thrill on Blueberry Hill --I Found My Thrill on Calvary's Hill. The best of all Jim Wideman's puppet trax are now on CD. Click here to see all the song titles of all 5 CDs.

Do you need a rabbit puppet? These little fellows don't have a moveable mouth, but you can get great movements with these glove puppets. So life like. So cute. Order extra for your child's Easter Basket. Click on any of the titles below to see a larger picture and a description.

Baby Lop Earred Rabbit Puppet

Rabbit Puppet

White Rabbit Glove Puppet

Rabbits in Basket Puppet

Rabbit in Hat Puppet

Puppet Trax Version 4.0

Holidays 4.0 (holidays)
These songs are so good you'll use them again and again. Use it for birthdays, Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.

Joy To The World (PT Vol. 5/Christmas)
Rejoice With Great Joy (PT Vol. 5/Christmas)
We Wish You A Merry Christmas (PT Vol. 5/Christmas)
It's A Special Day (Birthday Songs/Birthday)
Happy Birthday (Birthday Songs/Birthday)
Don't Be A Turkey, Just Say Thanks (PT Vol. 8/Thanksgiving)
I Found My Thrill On Calvary's Hill (PT Vol. 9/Easter)
The Bunny Song (PT Vol. 8)
Up From The Grave He Arose (Trax Vol. 9/Easter)
Christ The Lord Is Risen Today (PT Vol. 9/Easter)

Happening Holidays Thru the Year

CD $14.99

Valentine, Easter Song, Christ Arose, The Bunny Song, Mama Said I should Serve the Lord, M-O-T-H-E-R, Father O Mine, Battle Hymn Boogie, Knockin' On My Front, Door, Turkey On My Plate, Thanksgiving Polka Medley, G-L-O-R-I-A .

Eggs-actly!

Eggs are wonderful tools to use as you teach the real meaning of Easter. Just look at them differently this year.

First, I used the colors of the eggs to represent the following: the darkest egg-our hearts are dark with sin, red is for the blood of Jesus; white for purity; green for growth, blue for heaven and yellow for streets of gold.

Maybe you have seen the carton of eggs with symbols of the crucifixion story. They can be purchased from Bible books stores. They are a wonderful object lesson leading up to the resurrection story. I personally think a dozen eggs is too many for my teaching style so I made my own using only 6 large eggs that can be purchased at most department stores.

Explain that eggs are a reminder of new life. A baby chick cracks the egg open and begins its new life in this world. Then I open the eggs to explain the enormous price Jesus paid to purchase our salvation-to purchase new life. I put a different object in the eggs. Dimes to illustrate the pieces of silver that bought the betrayal of Jesus. A piece of purple fabric for the robe and a piece of a rose bush for the crown that was put on Jesus to mock Him as the King of Jews, a piece of leather for the whip, nails used to nail Him to the cross and a sponge soaked in vinegar to illustrate what they offered Jesus when he was thirsty on the cross. Open each egg as you arrive at that point in the story.

I heard it from a Rock!

You can use this story two ways. 1. Make a rock puppet from foam. Put a moveable mouth in it or without a mouth, just move the rock on a rod. 2. Become the rock and tell the story as if you were a rock.

Now I�m no dummy. I know rocks can�t talk, but if they could and if this rock was from the hillsides of Israel, I wonder if his story would go something like this. What a great day. The trees are budding. The breeze is cool. The kids are a little loud, but all in all being a rock isn�t so bad. Oh no! Here we go again. Can�t those kids find any other games to play beside kick the rock. I mean come on�go play with a donkey or something. I always wind up in strange places when kids start kicking me around. Last week I ended up on a great big hill listening to some guy talk. The kids really liked the man. He seemed to like the kids. He took them in his lap and spent time with them�ya know like he really cared about them.

Oh, here we go into the boy�s pouch. I wonder where we�re off to this time. It�s not too bad being a rock in a little boy�s pouch. I bounce a little more than I like, but I�d rather be a rock than that man last night. to hurt somebody. I could see through his fingers, we were in a beautiful garden. It was night, but the torch light flickered on their faces. Their teeth were clenched and their eyes glared with hatred. Their voices were loud, not like the kids this morning, but angry voices. Speaking of kids why do kids always run? Ya bounce a lot harder in a kid�s pouch when they run. Quit running kid. There that�s better. Let me finish my story. Then I spotted the kind man.

A man moved out of the crowd and kissed him on the cheek. Immediately, the crowd moved in to take the kind man away, but suddenly one of the kind man�s friends pulled his sword and cut off an ear. It was awful. Blood was gushing everywhere. Something like that could make you loose ya jelly beans. But then the kind man did the strangest thing. He picked up the ear and put it back in place. I saw it. I tell you he healed the man�s ear right in front of everybody. That�s when the man dropped me in the dirt. And the crowd took away the kind man. I wonder what they were gonna do to him. What�s that? I hear angry voices.

Hey kid, your parents aren�t going to like this. You better go home! Let me see there�s a hole in this bag, if I could just get a little peek. Now I know you�re mama�s gonna be mad. I see crosses. We can�t go there. This place is really scary. No place for kids. Hey kid, let�s go play by the lake. Ya know skip stones across the lake. What are they saying? They�re so angry it�s hard to under�crucify. Oh yuck. They�re yelling crucify him. That�s really mean. Hey kid, what ya doing? You�re not gonna throw me, no don�t throw me. You might hurt somebody. Those Roman soldiers can be really�.ahhh!. Whew, he missed, ohh! I hate it when kids throw me on the ground.

Where am I? Oh no, the soldiers are gambling. They�re always gambling for something, what�s the prize now? Oh that man is crying, whoa, and that man looks really mad. Who are they crucifying�it�s him. The kind man. The one that likes kids. The one that raised one kid from the dead one time and healed that man�s ear last night?

Wonder what his name is. Oh there, his name must be written over the cross, hey somebody kick me closer so I can read the sign. Maybe if I just rolled a little closer. Yeah, that�s better�King� King of the Jews. Wow that sounds really important. But why would they kill a king? I don�t understand it. Why would they kill a kind man like him? I�m just a rock, but do you know why they did it?

Wouldn�t it be cool to continue the story the next week on the resurrection from the view point of the rock. You could call it the Rock and Roll Story.

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