Aim to learn about two of Jesus’ miracles
Aim
* To learn about two of Jesus’ miracles
* To learn about our fears and how God can help
Materials
* Bible stories – Jesus calms the storm (Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25.)
* Jesus walks on the water (John 6:14-21; Mark 6:45-52; Matthew 14:22-33)
* Visual Aids – large picture of the stories
* Props for acting – cloths to make waves, a fan for wind, spray bottles, chairs
* Worksheet – two pictures to colour
Lesson Outline
1. Introduction
2. Two Stories
3. Questions
4. Activities – act out the story, games, colour a picture
5. Review the aims
6. Prayer
1) Introduction
So far the children have learned about Jesus healing miracles – curing sick people. Today’s stories are about other miracles – when Jesus calmed a storm and walked on water. Both stories are a about fears and having faith to overcome our fears.
2) Two Stories
Jesus calms the storm (Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25.)
One time Jesus was teaching a crowd of people along the Sea of Galilee, which is actually a large lake. Jesus spent a lot of time in the area around the lake, and at least four of his disciples were
fishermen who fished in its waters. It was common for violent storms to come up very suddenly on the lake.
When Jesus had finished teaching, he and his disciples got into a boat and started to cross the lake.
Jesus was tired, so he lay down in the boat and went to sleep. While he was asleep a storm came up, and waves started splashing into the boat. The disciples got very scared. They were sure that the boat was going to tip over and that they were all going to drown. But Jesus slept through it. So the disciples went to Jesus and woke him up.
“Lord! Save us!” they cried. “We will drown!”
“Why are you so afraid?” Jesus answered them. “You must not have much faith.”
Then Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to calm down. The wind stopped blowing.
And the sea became calm. The disciples were amazed. They said, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Jesus Walks on the Water – Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by
himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in
fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
3) Questions
These questions can be answered sitting down or as an active game. If they are active, tell the
children to walk to one side of the room or the other depending on how they answer each of the
following questions.
a) True or False
1. the body of water where this story took place was the Sea of Capernaum (false: Sea of Galilee)
2. Jesus fell asleep because he was tired from a full day of teaching others (true —according to the
story, Jesus was human and got tired just as we do)
3. A crash of thunder woke Jesus up. (false—the disciples woke him up)
4. Jesus said the disciples were scared because they couldn’t swim (false – because their faith was
weak)
5. Jesus ordered the wind and waves to calm down (true)
6. The disciples were not surprised when the storm stopped, because they knew Jesus could do
anything (false—they were amazed)
b) Stand up
Put the children back into one big group for the following multiple choice questions and have them
stand up for the answer they choose.
1. If I had been with Jesus that day, and I knew there was danger of a bad storm, I would have:
a)Followed him onto the boat
b) Stayed on shore
2. If I had been on the boat with the waves crashing in, I would probably have:
a) been scared like the disciples
b) not been afraid at all
c) been afraid just a little bit
3. When I saw Jesus sleeping on the boat, I would have:
a) yelled his name and tried to wake him up
b) not been afraid at all because I knew he was with me
c) done something else (what?)
4. When I’m scared or afraid of a storm I:
a) hide under the covers
b) go to a parent
c) do something else (what?)
5. Of these three things, what would be the scariest to you?
a) A haunted house
b) Being laughed at by your friends
c) Being homeless
6. When I’m scared, I would be most comforted by:
a) Being with my mom or dad
b) An object like my blanket, a doll, or curling up in my bed
c) Ignoring my fear and thinking about something else
d) Other:
4) Activities
1. Act out the story
Materials that could be used: cloths to make waves, a fan for wind, spray bottles, chairs on a stage.
Have the children be waves and the storm (waving cloth, blowing with fans, sprinkling water).
2. Crossing the Stormy Sea – an action game
Make a sea crossing from one side of the room to the other: Make a single line of masking tape zigzag across the room, but leave gaps to represent places where “the wind and the waves” are
hitting the ‘boat’. Vary the length of the gaps from short, to long enough to make it a challenge for a child to jump across.
Object of the game – Kids pretend they are crossing the sea in a boat. They have to walk single file on the line of tape (like walking a tight rope) without stepping off the tape. When they come to a
place where the wind and the waves have knocked their boat (a gap in the tape), they have to jump across and try to land on the tape. If they miss they have to go back to the beginning.
3. Rainstorm – a cooling down game
Gather the children standing in a circle facing inwards. Stand in the center of the circle facing the children. Tell the children that you are going to create a “rainstorm.” They are to do what you do
when you stand directly in front of them and continue doing that until you come back around the circle to them again, then they should do the new action you show them. Then they will start doing what you are doing at that time, continue until you come back around and so on. Stand right in front of a child and move quickly and smoothly around the circle. Change actions when you have made a complete circle.
Here are the actions:
Begin by rubbing your hands together (gentle rain)
Snap fingers together (harder rain)
Clap hands on thighs (even harder rain)
Stomp feet (thunder)
Then go in reverse:
Clap hands on thighs
Snap fingers together
Rub hands together
End by holding your hand silently at your mouth (in a silent “shush” action)
As you go around the circle the storm will gradually build, peak, then ebb away to calm.
When all is quiet, have the children sit down
4. Colour the picture
Choose a picture to colour
5) Review the lesson aim
* To learn about two of Jesus’ miracles
* To learn about our fears and how God can help
6) End with a prayer
