Lesson 16- Jesus Calms the Storm

Lesson Aim

• To teach the story of Mathew 8:23-27 where Jesus calmed a raging storm.
• To help the children understand God’s awesome power, even over the weather.

 

Introduction

Gather the children together and explain they will play some games in a moment. Before playing explain the reward system in place and show the children their smiley faces.

Game 1: Captain’s Coming

Rules

1. Ask children to stand together in front of the teacher. Explain that they are on a boat and they must follow your command. Show the children the directions “East”, “South”, ”North”, and “West”. Explain that if you call any of these directions the children must follow. (Help them by pointing in the direction they must go.)
2. Let the children practice running to the directed places.
3. Add in 2 more tricky commands. “Hit the deck”- Children must lie on the ground. “Captains Coming” –Children must stand to attention and solute.
4. Call out any of these directions randomly. Try to discourage pushing. All must go together.

 

Game 2: River or Bank

Set Up

• Place a sheet rolled into long strip in the middle of the room. Ask the children to line up along side it.
• On 1 side of the sheet place a picture of a mountain and on the other a picture of some water.

Rules

1. The teacher must call “River” or “Bank” and the children must follow the direction.
2. If the children jump to the wring side or touch the sheet the crocodile in the river will eat them. They must sit out and help the teacher call.

Story

Option 1- Action Story:Jesus Calms the Storm

Ask the children to sit on the blue mat or at the table for story time.  Before you begin the story tell the children that you are not going to tell the story this week, they are.

Roles

• Jesus
• Disciples
• Wind

 Props

• A blue mat or sheet
• A paper fan
• A pillow

 Story

Place the blue sheet on the floor to represent the sea. Put a mat on top of the sea. Assign some children to be sailors, Jesus, wind, waves. Read the story asking the children to act as you read.

Jesus disciple’s went with Him everywhere.

One night Jesus and His friends were sailing across the lake in their boat. Ask sailors and Jesus to sit on the mat. Jesus was very tired. He lay down in the back of the boat and soon He fell asleep. Give Jesus a pillow to sleep on.

Suddenly the wind began to blow. Give a paper fan to the Wind and ask him to fan the boat. The wind blew harder and harder. The waves around the boat got bigger and bigger. Ask the Waves to take hold of the sheet and move it around like waves.. The big waves began to hit the boat. The boat was filling with water! Jesus friends were afraid. But Jesus kept on sleeping.

“Jesus, Help us” shouted a friend, “Don’t you care that our boat is sinking!”.

Jesus woke up. Ask Jesus to stand up.

He stood up and said,’ Quiet. Be still”, and just like that.

The wind stopped blowing and the waves died down. Ask the Wind to stop moving the sheet.

“Why were you so afraid?” Jesus asked His friends, “Don’t you know that I will always take care of you?”

Jesus’ friends were amazed that the wind and the waves had obeyed Him.

 

 Questions

Who was in the boat with Jesus? A. Jesus disciples (friends)

Was the boat on the ocean or a lake? A. A lake.

What did Jesus do when the storm started? A. He slept

Why did Jesus wake up? A. His friends were scared and woke Him up.

How did Jesus stop the storm? A. He just told it to be quiet.

 

Option 2- Video: Jesus Calms the Storm

Click here to view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYLHqdSO9OY

Prayer Time

Ask the children if they can control the wind like Jesus. Ask the children if they know anyone else who can. Explain that Jesus is the only real person who has that kind of power. Ask the children to name something or someone that Jesus is more powerful than. (Ideas- Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Sporticus, A truck, A crane, A jet. ) Ask each child to thank Jesus for being stronger than one of the these things. Pray for things the children need to strength to do or are having difficulty with.

 

Song

Option 1- My God Is So Big

Ask children to stand in a circle and sing a song about how Big and Strong Jesus is.

 

My God is So Big

My God is so Big

So strong and so mighty

There’s nothing my God cannot do.

 

My God is so Big

So strong and so mighty

There’s nothing my God cannot do

 

The mountains are His

The rivers are His

The stars are His handy work too.

 

My God is so Big

So strong and so mighty

There’s nothing my God cannot do.

Click here to view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prgXRVt_G4M

Option 2- Walk on Water

View at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyOdDrVnORc&feature=related

 

Craft- Storm Cloud Colleague

Materials

• Cloud Template
• Cotton Wool
• Glue
• Yellow Crayons/Colouring Pencils

Make It

1. Hand out sheets of paper with the storm cloud template printed on it. Ask children to colour in the lightning bolt.
2. Give each child cotton wool and glue to glue the cotton wool onto the cloud.

Click here to download printable version kidstimewithjesus Template Jesus Calms The Storm