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This lesson presents God’s gift of salvation. Every church presents the Gospel with slight variations and nuances. Read through the steps before teaching. Present the Gospel in a way that is consistent with the scripture and God’s leading.
Series Note
Each Winter 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 Winter to the Max Junior lessons, consider having the elementary and junior groups use the same venue. Either group can go first and then switch in the middle of service. 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 Winter to the Max!
Weekly Venue
Choose one of the following venue options or create your own.
Snow Globe Craft
Purchase kits or gather materials to make your own snow globe with the kids. Remind the kids that even when life is all shaken up, we can still follow Jesus. Check out an option by clicking here.
Crazy for Cocoa
Have a hot cocoa bar available for kids. Provide lots of toppings like marshmallows, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, peppermint sticks, and whipped cream.
Frozen Faces
Offer face painting that features wintery designs. This can be a DIY project or consider hiring a local face painter. While the kids are getting their faces painted, offer fun games and activities to play.
Host
Welcome to Winter To The Max!
The Co-Host bumps into the Host.
Host
Ouch! What are you doing?
Co-Host
You said to follow you. That’s what I’m doing.
The Co-Host moves with the Host and does the same exact movements as him/her, while following almost right on top of him/her.
Host
I guess that helps.
Host
We are talking all about following today. In fact, that’s part of our Big Point. Will you stop?!
Co-Host
I can try, but I feel like it would be a bad example of the Big Point for the kids. Speaking of the Big Point, Let’s bring up an assistant to help us reveal it.
Host and Co-Host choose a kid to volunteer.
Co-Host
Please help us count down from three, and then read the Big Point.
Host
Let’s all say it together, I Will Follow Jesus! Some people think that being a Christian is only about believing in Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, believing that Jesus is God’s Son and believing what Jesus said is really, really important.
Co-Host
Being a Christian also means following Jesus. If Jesus isn’t your leader, then you are following the wrong person.
Host
That brings me to a fun game. We’ve chosen two teams of two kids. One kid on each team will be blindfolded. The other kid will be the guide. It’s a game of capture the flag. We’re going to place your team’s flag somewhere in this obstacle course.
Co-Host
The guide will lead their blindfolded teammate to the flag with just their words. You can’t touch them, only talk. So, the blindfolded contestants have to be great followers to win. If you touch an obstacle, you have to go back to the start.
Optional: Play game music.
Play the game. The guides may walk alongside their blindfolded teammate but may not touch them except to guide them back to the start in the case that they bump an obstacle. Play as many rounds as time allows.
Host
Being great followers means listening to the leader and admitting that the leader is in charge by following him.
Co-Host
The great news is that Jesus is the best leader, so things are better when we let Jesus lead and we choose to follow.
Title Slide
Co-Host
Let’s say our Big Point again,
Co-Host
I Will Follow Jesus!
Host
What does a coach do for a football team? (Allow for answers) At the beginning of each play, the coach gives the players the play to run.
Co-Host
What do you think would happen if each player decided to run whatever play he wanted to run?
Co-Host mimes hiking a football. The Host and Co-Host run around chaotically and take the ball from each other.
Host
It would be chaos. One player would run one way, another the opposite. Two players might fight over the same ball. We need leaders to lead us. Following a leader means following that leader’s plan, even if it’s not your favorite thing to do.
Co-Host
It doesn’t matter who you are; we all have one leader, Jesus. Let’s see what the Bible says about how to follow Jesus by looking at today’s Big Verse.
Host and Co-Host choose a kid to volunteer.
Co-Host
After we count down from three, you can read the verse.
Host
Mark 8:34 (NIrV) says, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross and follow Me.” To some kids today, that might not make a lot of sense, so let me explain. Taking up your cross and following Jesus means that we trust Jesus’ leadership enough to follow Him through something really difficult.
Co-Host
Let’s try something difficult. We have five buckets of ice cold water. Here’s the deal. If you can retrieve every marble in your bucket, you will win this prize.
Show the prize.
Host
You don’t have to do this. You can quit at any moment, but if you quit early, you won’t get the prize. The prize is only for the ones who keep going until they finish.
Optional: Play game music.
Play the game. Test the game ahead of time to determine an appropriate number of marbles. It should be challenging to complete, but still a doable task.
Host
That was not easy to finish, but you did it. Sometimes following Jesus means obeying Him when you know it might hard. A real follower of Jesus says, “Yes” to whatever Jesus says, even when he or she doesn’t feel like it or if it is hard.
Co-Host
That’s because we believe that Jesus is our true leader. Let’s see what happened when a Roman solider asked Jesus for help.
Optional play soft instrumental music.
This is the perfect day to follow Jesus, to believe like the Roman soldier that Jesus really is the one who is in charge. I’d like everyone to close your eyes and bow your heads, so no one is distracted. If you have never said, “Yes,” I want Jesus to forgive me, be my best friend, and I will follow Him for the rest of my life,” then today is your day! If you have already said, “Yes” to Jesus, you believe that He is alive, and you are His friend, give me a thumbs up. That’s awesome. You can put your hands down. If you’ve never said, “Yes” to Jesus before, and you want to say “Yes” to Him right now, ask Him to forgive you, and tell Him you want to live your life differently, raise your hand. We’re going to pray all together. Those of you who are already friends and followers of Jesus can join in, too. Repeat after me, and let’s pray...
Dear God,
I know everyone needs a Savior,
and I know I can’t save myself.
Jesus, I believe
You are the Son of God.
I believe You died on the cross for my sins
and God raised You from the dead.
Right now,
I say you are my Lord,
my Savior,
and the One who forgives me.
Thank you, Jesus,
that You are my best friend and leader of my life,
because I’ve said, “Yes” to You. Amen.
Later we’re going to meet in our small groups. If you said “Yes” to Jesus for the first time today, then you will go to that small group to talk a bit more about the awesome decision you made today.
Have the Host introduce your giving project for the month.
Co-Host
Jesus said this in Luke 3:11 (NIrV), “Anyone who has extra clothes should share with the one who has none.” God has already blessed us with a lot, which means we have extra things to share with others. Let’s follow Jesus and give.
Co-Host
As you begin this new year, what better way to take your winter “to the max” than to follow our Big Point,
Co-Host
I Will Follow Jesus!
Host
Following Jesus is best decision that you could make. That Roman soldier understood what it meant to be in charge. He knew that because Jesus is the leader, Jesus has the authority to do things like heal us.
Co-Host
That brings us to this week’s Big Do.
Co-Host
Sit down with your family and learn something new, but don’t try to figure it out yourself. Learn from a leader. Watch a video online, read an article, and listen to directions from someone who knows more.
Host
Would you like to learn a trick right now? First let’s have a kid come up attempt this trick. I am going to bend this spoon.
Follow the directions for how to “bend” the spoon. Then, “unbend” it and show the audience. Don’t explain your steps, just do the trick.
Co-Host
Go for it.
Have the kid attempt the trick.
Host
It’s hard to do on your own. In fact, we had to look it up online to figure out the trick. Let me show you with some pics.
Show the directions with pictures and demonstrate for the audience step by step how to do the trick. Allow the kid to try the trick again.
Co-Host
It makes a big difference when you follow the leader instead of doing it on your own.
Host
That’s another great reason about why we shouldn’t try to figure out our life all by ourselves. We have a leader who wants to show us the best way to live. Let’s say the Big Point again,
Host
I Will Follow Jesus! Make sure you come back for our fun activity next week!
Introduce the next week’s activity.
Small Group is optional as time allows. Gather the kids into small groups and discuss the following.
What does it look like to follow someone?
Tell me about a time someone followed you. What kind of leader were you?
Who was the follower of Jesus in our Bible story?
What did the Roman soldier believe Jesus could do?
What is one way that you can choose to follow God?
What is our Big Do this week? Sit down with your family and learn something new, but don’t try to figure it out yourself. Learn from a leader. Watch a video online, read an article, and listen to directions from someone who knows more.
Choose two kids from the audience to come on stage and answer the question.
Our Big Point says I Will ______ Jesus!
Lead
Follow
Who requested help from Jesus in the Big Story?
Priest
Roman Soldier
What did the soldier ask Jesus to do?
Give him power
Heal his servant
Jesus agreed to visit the Roman soldier’s home.
True
False
The Roman soldier believed that Jesus could heal his servant ______.
At his home
Anywhere
Mark 8:34 (NIrV), “Whoever wants to be my disciple must say ____ to themselves. They must pick up their cross and follow me.”
Yes
No
What does it mean to pick up your cross and follow Jesus?
We trust Jesus to lead us, even when things are difficult
As King, Jesus has the authority to do what He says He can do.
True
False
Why should you make Jesus the leader of your life instead of other people?
What is this week’s Big Do?
Learn something new from a leader
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