This week we discussed how the “friend” will come when Jesus dies.. the Holy Spirit will come to help us 1. recognize sin 2. point us to truth 3. make sense of Jesus and 4. help us honor and obey God
We talked about like having a baby may be hard, but there is joy after the pain.
ch 17. It is finally “time”
ch. 18 Jesus is seized in the garden. Judas points the Roman soldiers to the garden and shows them who Jesus is. Jesus finally says “I Am”.. which also mimics the moment God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush as “I Am. Peter cuts off the ear of the guard and Jesus heals it. Peter denies Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed.
We used paper plates and scrap florals/ things from the yard to make a garden of gethsemane.
Jesus washes the disciples feet – I had the kids pick random cards- “W” for washer and blank for the person being washed. I set up bins with soapy water and set out chairs and towels. We hadn’t discussed the scripture yet, so it was funny to see how they reacted. I loved that each of it felt like how each disciple felt. Even Peter, who was like heck no.
Jesus confirms Judas will betray him and peter will deny him.
The new command to love one another.
Here’s a coloring page with clip art images from our reading
I printed some activity pages and coloring sheet for this lesson. We also had prizes for kids that volunteered to pray out loud for us. Every meeting, I’d ask someone to open or close us in prayer and i’ve explained how easy it is and it’s just talking to Jesus. So this time, I had some candy for those that volunteered… i’m hoping they will continue to gain confidence praying out loud in a group.
SUMMARY | John 11- The Death of Lazarus
Jesus’s friend Lazarus is sick and dying, but Jesus did not come right away. Going to see Lazarus meant death for him. The Jews were trying to kill him for healing on the Sabbath day. Upon receiving the message, Jesus says that this will not end in death and it will bring glory to God. On the 3rd day He says, “it’s time” to go to Bethany (where Lazarus was).
Martha goes out to meet Jesus and says he didn’t come in time. Then Mary. 11:35 “Jesus Wept.” (we emphasized that this is the shortest book of the Bible and it’s easy to memorize.) Jesus is super emotional. He has compassion and love for them. He hurts when we hurt. Jesus prays and then calls Lazarus out. He came out. (I asked all the kids to show me what face they’d have if they saw Lazarus come out. Many believed, but some went to tell the Pharisees.
Hey everyone! If you’ve found this post, you’re most likely interested in Bible Journaling! That’s awesome! This is my way of doing it.. I’m learning along the way what helps! Just doodling the Bible with your kids is doing Kingdom work! Right now, YOU are their main representation of Jesus. Our job is to point them to Him. You are prepping the soil of their hearts- making it rich with truth.
To start, there’s a video at the bottom that helps you see the over view of the first half of John .. I watched this and took notes. We have been doing a chapter a week.. the kids last about 30-40mins. Each week I read the passage (typically the Passion Translation or The Message) and find clip art images that go with the reading.(I attached a PDF you can use if you would like!)
To start, I tell the kids they can color the picture, they can cut it out and glue it in their bible or sketchbook, or they can draw it. They can draw something like it. They can draw nothing like it. Then we talk about colors and feelings. I ask what color would they use for mad? happy? sad? (They all have something different to say–which is fine!). They can underline words that stick out- like people/places/ actions. They can rewrite a verse. They can make bubble letters of a word and color it in or make designs. I keep a stack of paper, gel pens, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks, hole punchers, and different paper.
During discussion, I go super slow and have the kids pick out the image that might go with the word I’m saying or sentence i’m reading.
Last week, we incorporated episode 7 of “the chosen” at the end. It is free on Tubi network. It is about Jesus’s ministry and the calling of the disciples. We watched the one about Nicodemus.
Below you can find a summary for today’s reading.. and some downloads to color! Enjoy!
Ch. 4 (V1-42) is about Jesus cutting through Samaria on his way from Judea to Galilee. This was a place that was typically avoided by Jews. They were considered “bad” because they had married people outside of God’s chosen people. Jesus sits at a well, while his disciples went to get lunch. A woman approaches and he begins to tell her about his water that satisfies. He tells are about her past, and he tells her he is the Messiah. She tells her village about him and they all come to hear and believe, too.
Also, your kids will love learning about Jesus the most from YOU! It also helps keep you accountable in reading on your own. There’s nothing like sharing the Bible and making it come alive for your kids! You got this!
