I Am Happy No Matter What

Series Note

Each Summer to the Max lesson incorporates a special venue into the service. Adding a venue allows the summer schedule to change while keeping the focus on Biblical truth. Venues can be done during the first 30 minutes of service or final 30 minutes of service. If you are also utilizing Summer to the Max Junior lessons, consider keeping one venue at the beginning and one at the end. That will keep costs down by allowing both groups to enjoy the same venue. Each lesson offers multiple venue options at different price points to accommodate your budget. Promoting the venues ahead of time will build excitement for Summer to the Max!

Venue Ideas

Choose one of the following venue options or create your own.

Inflatables

End the summer with a bang incorporating some giant inflatables like slide and obstacle course.

Christmas in July

Plan a fun Christmas-themed party complete with Christmas treats and a Christmas movie or craft.

Sundae Funday

Have a sundae bar complete with different flavors of ice cream, syrup, whipped cream, and of course the cherry.

Host

Welcome to Summer to the Max! I can’t believe that today is the last day. It’s gone by so fast. I’m thankful that we’ve gotten to learn how to be a follower of Jesus.

Co-Host

We should practice being friends and followers of Jesus every day. Do you like to laugh? Can I tell you a funny joke? What did the banana say to the dog? Nothing, bananas can’t talk.

Host

I have one. Knock, knock. (Pause, kids say, “Who’s there?”) Ach (Pause, kids say, “Ach who?”) Bless you!

Co-Host

Why do bees have sticky hair? Because they use a “honey-comb.”

Host

Let’s see if we can all get each other to laugh. Everyone, stand up. I will give everyone something silly to act out. Let’s see if by acting silly we can make each other laugh.

Host

It was fun to laugh. That reminds me of the Big Point. Let’s practice it together,

Host

I Am Happy No Matter What!

Co-Host

We can be happy, even when bad things happen. That doesn’t mean we’re happy that something bad happened. Instead, real joy comes from Jesus.

Host

You can smile anytime because you know that Jesus loves you and He will always be with you. You also know that no matter what happens, all of Jesus’ friends will get to live with Him forever.

Co-Host

Let’s stand and say our Big Point again,

Co-Host

I Am Happy No Matter What!

Co-Host

Let’s practice our Big Point again,

Co-Host

I Am Happy No Matter What!

Host

Let’s see what Jesus said in the Bible about joy by reading our Big Verse.

Host

Matthew 5:11-12 (NIrV), “Blessed are you when people make fun of you and hurt you and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of Me. Be joyful and glad. Your reward in Heaven is great.”

Co-Host

Jesus said we can be glad, even when people make fun of us. Could I be joyful, even if everyone wiggled their hands and shook their heads and said, “Na, na, na, na, boo, boo?” Let’s pretend to do that now.

Host

Oh my, that would not be fun. It might even make you feel like crying. Let’s pretend to cry. Suppose that happened to my friend, Happy the Clown. Look at his face. Tell me how you think Happy the Clown feels.

Co-Host

You’re right. He does look sad. Sometimes, when you feel sad, it may seem like you couldn’t ever feel happy again. I think Happy the Clown wants to run away and hide. I need a friend to help me place Happy’s picture in this bag.

Host

In times like this, it’s important to remember the true things we read in the Bible. Jesus said that we can be happy because we have a special prize waiting for us. The prize is that we get to live forever with Jesus.

Co-Host

We can have joy because we remember that Jesus is always with us, He loves us, and He has good things for us. No one can ever take Jesus away from us. If Happy the Clown remembers those truths, I bet he’ll choose to be joyful, too. Let’s see if he did. I need my friend to reach inside the bag and see what’s happened to Happy the Clown.

Host

Happy the Clown chose to be happy. No matter what problems or difficulties happen around us, we can be joyful because of Jesus. Let’s say our Big Point again,

Host

I Am Happy No Matter What!

Host

Jesus’ friends were so happy that Jesus is alive. When they learned that good news, they were able to turn their sad faces into happy faces. The good news of the Bible helps us be happy, too. Let’s take a moment and pray for the friend sitting next to us. Quietly ask Jesus to help him or her to remember to be happy because Jesus is with us. Do that now. (Pause) And I’ll pray for all of us. (Pray)

Host

Let’s all practice our Big Point again,

Host

I Am Happy No Matter What!

Co-Host

Jesus’ friends kept going, even when people were mean to them because they knew that Jesus loved them and that they would live forever with Him. Remembering those truths helped them to be happy no matter what.

Host

You can tell your family about the Big Story and how Jesus’ friends chose joy when you do the Big Do this week.

Host

Have a "Make Me Laugh" contest with your family. See who can make the most people laugh by telling jokes. Then talk about how knowing Jesus makes us able to choose joy.

Co-Host

Some of you will start school soon. Are you excited to start Kindergarten? Are any of you going to Pre-K? Some days will be so much fun, but some days might not be fun. Someone might even say something that’s not nice.

Host

Even when that happens, you can be happy because of Jesus. Don’t forget that He is with you every day at school. It’s time to go to the park for our Sunday Funday!

• Did our Big Point say I Am Sad No Matter What or I Am Happy No Matter What?

• Show me the saddest face ever. Pretend to cry the saddest cry ever. Why were Jesus’ friends sad in our story? Jesus had died Were they worried that they wouldn’t see Jesus again? Yes

• Can you touch your hands? Touch your feet. Touch your nose. Touch your eyebrows. When Jesus visited His friends, did He have a real body that they could touch? Yes Did Jesus eat dinner with them? Yes What is our reward that we get to look forward to? We will live with Jesus

• Let’s tell each other a silly joke. I’ll go first and let some of you tell a silly joke. (Tell a corny kids’ joke, for example: Why did the cow cross the road? He was moo-ving to a different pasture. Allow another child or two to share one) Matthew 5:11-12 (NIrV), “Blessed are you when people make fun of you and hurt you because of Me. You are also blessed when they tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of Me. Be joyful and glad. Your (punishment / reward) in Heaven is great.”

• What is our Big Do? Have a "Make Me Laugh" contest with your family.