Lessons Archives - Page 21 of 112 - Jesus Without Language

This week we look at the first 10 verses of Psalm 25. It’s a beautiful passage. Rather than tell a story about the passage, we will read the verses pausing to discuss their meaning, then repeat the verses without pauses at the end.

These psalm lessons follow the Lectionary passages for the six weeks of year B Lent.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Psalm 25

Biblical retelling of Psalm 25 for youngsters.

This is part of a multi lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

We are going to read a song, a song Jesus may have sung with his friends,
a song from the book of songs to be sung – the book called Psalms.

1 To you, Lord, I lift up my soul

Pause.
Do you know what your soul is?
It’s not something you can hold. It’s the part of you that makes you (insert child’s name).
When we give God our soul, we give him who we are.

2 My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me.
3 No one who waits for you will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.
4 Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths.

Pause.
Would you like to know God’s paths?
How would you feel if the God of the whole universe were guiding your way?
Listen carefully what types of path the author wants to be guided along.

5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your compassion and your faithful love, for they have existed from everlasting.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion;
in keeping with your faithful love, remember me because of your goodness, Lord.
8 The Lord is good and upright; therefore he shows sinners the way.

Pause.
This bit of the song tells us that even when we go wrong, God will still guide us.

9 He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10 All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees.

Pause. Read again without the notes.

You could end by asking which part of the psalm the listeners liked the most?

Here are the images you need for the hero’s attributes linked to ‘Be Quiet (Mark 1) – also referred to as the healing of the an with the unclean spirit.
Each hero set contains a high quality graphic of the character, a take home bible card and a colouring page.

The images are displayed small here, click on the image you wish to have, then save the image that loads.
(These images are not copyright free, they are for personal/classroom use only.)

There is a moment in this weeks story where the unclean spirit responds to Jesus’ words. It comes in Verse 26 where it is written “The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.” It’s one of those details that kids acting out the story will grab onto, a physical movement that puts life into the account. This craft captures this moment with a rolling papercraft mechanism.

ps. I know it looks like it won’t work, I had the same doubts, so I’ve added a short video clip at the end to show it in action!

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Interruptions during worship are something we may be far too familiar with. In this passage from Mark 1, where a man with an impure spirit interrupts, Jesus is very much to the point commanding him to ‘be quiet’. These games play on the ideas of interruptions, sounds, identity, and authority.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

What’s that noise

All Ages

Any size group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

Have your child(ren) identify various sounds. Keep it simple and make the sounds yourself, farm animals, vehicles, sirens etc. Alternatively, search online for “guess the sound” videos.
Link to : Jesus saying “Be quiet!”

That looks like a…

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Take a large envelope and cut a small hole in the face (a hole punch will do this neatly, don’t worry about having holes on both sides). Slip a picture into the envelope and give it to the children to identify. The children can move the picture about but not open the envelope
Link to : The impure spirit recognised Jesus

Authority says

Under 7’s

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Can be seated

Play the traditional game of ‘Simon says’ where the child copies the direction as long as ‘Simon’ gave it. Use the term ‘authority’ in place of the name Simon.
Link to : other teachers told people about God, but Jesus had authority to his teaching.

Interrupted

Ages 7+

Small group

No Setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

A simple storytelling activity where you start a story and stop in the middle of a sentence, the next person then needs to complete your sentence and let their next sentence be interrupted. With younger children, you can give each child 7 words each.
Link to : the man interrupting the gathering with his message instead of Jesus’ teachings.

The ‘Be Quiet!’ or ‘unclean spirit’ passage is a story about a character who shouts out. This lends itself well to puppetry! The kids will be having full blown conversations with this craft. I can imaging it won’t just be Jesus who is tempted to shout ‘Be Quiet!’ after a while, but making a story memorable by engaging with it is the aim of bible crafts!

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This story is one of those encounters that is really hard to explain away. There is no reason why a man with a mental illness would recognise Jesus as God. All the same, it is apparent that Jesus does not want whatever is possessing the man to keep shouting. It’s not time yet for the penny to drop among many of his followers yet! Jesus sees a man who needs help and heals the affliction, releasing the man’s mind and in the process releasing his mouth too!

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Mark 1:21-28

Biblical retelling of Mark 1:21-28 for youngsters.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

The time had come. Jesus was ready to begin teaching.

Off Jesus went to the synagogue (the church for the Jewish people), and when it was time for people to speak, he began preaching. The listeners were amazed. Nobody had ever preached like this before. Jesus didn’t tell them all the different viewpoints or mess about with long-winded traditions; he spoke simply, with authority.

But not everyone and everything was happy to see Jesus. A man entered the synagogue who was being controlled by an impure* spirit. When the spirit saw Jesus, he knew exactly who Jesus really was.

The spirit inside the man made him call out:
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”

What a question! What did Jesus want? Before him he saw a man who was in pain, a man who was being controlled, a troubled man. What do you think God’s heart of love for mankind wanted to do for this man and the spirit who tortured him?

“Have you come to destroy us?” The spirit yelled.
“I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

Well that was too much from this spirit – Jesus had only just started teaching people. They weren’t ready to recognise that he was The Son of God, the Messiah, the Holy One.
“Be quiet!” said Jesus in a firm voice.
“Come out of him!”

The poor man was shaken so hard as the spirit shrieked and cried out that he fell to the floor. When Jesus reached the man, the spirit had gone. The man was free. The man looked at Jesus without words to thank him. How long had he been imprisoned by the spirit? Jesus had healed him, freed him, given him a chance at life again.

The people were all amazed. Who was this man who taught with authority, who ordered the spirits? Soon everyone had heard of Jesus from Nazareth. Before long, whenever Jesus spoke, a crowd would gather.

*substitute ‘evil’, ‘bad’, or ‘demonic’ if you prefer.

The four men were called to follow, to walk in the dust of a rabbi, becoming like him and learning to fish for men. These games all hang on the ideas of calling, imitating and fishing.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Magnet men

All Ages

Small group

Requires setup time

Quiet game

Can be seated

Make up fishing poles using a dowel, string, and a magnet hook. Then cut out some small man shapes and slide a paper-clip around their waist. A quick time-saver is to cut a people paper chain and then divide it up. Add a twist by writing a task for the child to fulfil on each paper man.

Mirror Mirror

All Ages

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Stand opposite your partner. Copy your partner’s gestures. E.g. lift your right arm and your partner will lift his left, smile and your partner will smile, etc

Fishing for…

Under 7’s

Small group

Requires setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

You’ll need plenty of items, small multicolour balls/beanbags work well in a group, or if you are at home, any item from around the house. In this gathering game, you gather things that share an attribute, perhaps a colour or a shape etc.

Follow the leader

Under 7’s

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

A classic copying game that takes you on a journey around your space.

Tag or catch

Under 7’s

Any size group

No Setup time

Noisy game

Space needed

Another classic but perfect to get the wriggles out and still links well.

New Testament

Old Testament

Resource Type

Season

What’s that noise

That looks like a…

Authority says

Interrupted

Magnet men

Mirror Mirror

Fishing for…

Follow the leader

Tag or catch

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