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This one-year series, perfect for 4th-7th graders, is designed to engage families with fun games, exciting challenges, and Bible stories that teach about the love of Jesus.
Small Group Instructions
This lesson will focus on why Jesus found it so important to notice little children and what He means by his words in scripture about them. We will start with some sword drills and then move into a discussion time. While you don’t need anything for the activity, you may choose to have a couple of options prepared for students to do. Some suggestions might be make some decorations for the kids classrooms, make a welcome sign for their doors, or even make a take home activity for students to hand out to kids at the end of church today. The sky is the limit. This is just a way for students to serve the younger students and a way to help the lesson stick in their own minds.
The first 4 slides will be sword drills for students. Each student holds their Bible up until the leader plays the slide and says Go! It is fun to catch them trying to go early. Generally once they find it, they stand and start reading it. The first person to stand and start reading, wins that round.
The first three scriptures we read are in 3 different books written by three different men. Why do you think they each found it important to include this very short but meaningful quote from Jesus?
Let’s read Matthew 18:1-5 again. How can one change and become like a child in order to enter heaven?
Lead the discussion back to giving your life to Christ, being born of the water in baptism and beginning life a new. Scriptures like Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4; John 3:5 are all good references for starting a new life in Christ.
Did you know that while the Bible is inspired by God and written by man that the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are all first hand accounts of each man’s experience with Jesus? This is just another way for us to know the Bible is true because of all the first hand accounts of Christ. Everyone agrees on the main events but each author may share it a different way from their perspective at the event. That is why it is important to read each gospel as you can learn something different from each author.
Activity: Come up with ways for your class to help the younger kids in your church come closer to Jesus. Let the students come up with ways they can even help the younger kids learn more about Jesus and encourage them in their faith.