This Black Friday Bundle Deal is available for digital download and includes 4,030 PDF pages of teaching material. The price is $97 and is only available for a limited time. The deal goes live at noon on Friday, November 3, and is only offered once. The bundle is a great deal for anyone looking for a comprehensive set of lesson plans for their children’s ministry or Sunday school.

The Black Friday Children’s Ministry Curriculum Bundle Deal from Sunday School Store includes bonus content in addition to the 4+ years of curriculum. The bundle includes 4,030 PDF pages of teaching material and covers topics such as New Year’s, Love Like Jesus, Walking with the Waymaker, and more. The complete Table of Contents can be downloaded from the website for details on everything included. The bonus content includes the following:

Complete List of 4 ½ years Childrne’s Ministry Curriculum Included in this DEAL

This bundle deal includes all the following.  Click here to download a printable Table of Contents to see everything you get in this special offer. 

1. Roar into 2024 4-Lesson New Year’s Curriculum (Regular Price $45)
2. Love Like Jesus 4-Lesson Sunday School Curriculum (Regular Price $45) Exclusive early access to this series is only available through this bundle deal.
3. Walking with the Waymaker: 5-Week Children’s Ministry Curriculum (Regular Price $65)
4. Armof of God: 6-Week Children’s Ministry Curriculum (Regular Price $65)
5. Heroes of the Nativity 5-Lesson Children’s Ministry Curriculum (Regular Price $55)
6. So Satisfying 4-Week Children’s Ministry Curriculum  (Regular Price $45)
7. Pumpkin Prayer Challenge: 4-Week Curriculum (Reg Price $45)
8. Bible Bites: 10-Week Curriculum (Reg Price $95)
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10. The Lord’s Prayer: 5-Week Curriculum (Reg Price $55)
11. Thanksgiving / Thank-FULL 4-Week Curriculum (Reg Price $45)
12. He Said What? 6-Week Children’s Ministry Curriculum (Regular Price $65)
13. “Back To School” 4-Week Children’s Ministry (Regular Price $45)
14. Live the Light: 4-Week Children’s Ministry Curriculum (Regular Price $45)
15. Everyday Heroes: 5-Week Children’s Ministry Curriculum (Regular Price $55)
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18. Finding Faith: 4-Week Curriculum (Reg Price $45)
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Optional Materials: Blindfold; small prize; Bowl of water; Bible

Bible Passage: Joshua 3:1-17, 4:1-7

Message: Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs. Use your judgment and ideas to best serve students. You can also find this Crossing the Jordan River lesson on the Sunday School Store.

Greet the children and select a volunteer helper…

Hello, children of God!

To start off today, I need a volunteer. Can someone help me? Okay, great. Now, I’m just going to put this blindfold on you… place a blindfold carefully on the helper, making sure he/she cannot see. Provide several directions involving movement.  I want you to follow some instructions. First, hop up and down on one leg. Pretty good! Now I want you to jump three times. Okay, now let me spin you in circles a few times. Now please take four steps to the right. Okay, now take four steps to the left. Great. Now, I have a bowl in front of you. Bring out the water bowl with a small toy prize in the bottom. I want you to place your hand in this bowl and see what you find inside. Have the child reach into the water to retrieve the toy. Assist with guidance if necessary. Great! You can take off your blindfold and check out your prize now. Thank you for helping!

What was challenging about this? You couldn’t see, so that made things pretty difficult. You had to trust me to lead you safely, and not just run you into a wall or something. And you had to dip your hand into something without knowing what you would find there. In the end, this led to something good, but it took a little courage and faith for you to listen and obey my words without knowing what the final outcome would be.

This reminds me of our faith lives sometimes. God promises to care and provide for us, but there are a lot of times when we need to obey Him and we don’t know where His instructions will lead. This makes me think of a lot of Biblical figures, too. One of these was Joshua. Joshua was the commander of Israel after Moses, and he was a man of great faith. God called him to lead the people into the promised land and conquer. When the Israelites were getting ready to go in, they encountered some obstacles. One of these was the Jordan River. The Jordan River was too far to wade or swim across, and there were no bridges. It was the flood season, so the river was extra full. But God had a plan!

God told Joshua to get the people ready and to bring the Ark of the Covenant, which represented His presence. The priests were to carry the Ark and walk into the River. They had to trust God that those instructions would work. They gathered together, not certain what would happen, but knowing that God was with them. They headed for the riverbank and walked in…and before they knew it, they were walking on dry land! Just like the Israelites crossing the Red Sea with Moses a few years before, the priests were standing in the middle of a river, with the water swept away. Everyone passed through and walked on dry land to reach the other side. Then God told Joshua to have the people take stones, one for each tribe, and pile them up near the river as an altar to always remember what God had done. They did, stacking twelve stones in celebration and memory of God’s leading.

Through faith, Joshua obeyed God and led the people safely. Sometimes in our lives we have to trust that God is with us, even when it means “getting our feet wet” or not understanding what the outcome might be. We should listen for God as we read His word, spend time with His people, and pray. Sometimes we step out in faith and don’t know what is coming. But we do know that the Lord is always with us. He promises never to leave us and always to love us, provide for us, and take care of us. We can have faith that He is faithful!

Let’s say a prayer and thank God for leading us and loving us.

Prayer: 
(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for leading us and being with us.
Thank you for your blessings and promises.
Help us to trust in you
Even when we don’t know exactly what’s coming next.
Thank you for your love.
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!

Target Audience: Kindergarten-6^th grade

Materials Needed: Construction paper; decorative supplies; glue; markers or crayons; tape; scissors; box/container; paper plates; stones or rocks; popsicle sticks; Bibles.

Lesson Opening: This passage involves faith, trust, obedience, and a remarkable river crossing! Involve students as they learn about God’s presence and power. To get students thinking and ready to learn, consider an activity opener along these lines:

• River Rock Relay: Consider the altar-construction process with a fun relay game. Invite students to race across a playing field, pick up one rock at a time, and return to their team to build an “altar” out of rocks or stones. Add to the fun by encouraging kids to name something they are thankful for as they build. 
• Follow the leader: Take students on a bit of a scavenger hunt, with an unknown destination. Walk them through clues to walk to different places, guiding them without sharing the final outcome of their hunt. Explain how God is present and guiding in our lives, even though we don’t know final outcomes. 
• Keepsake show and tell: Prior to class, invite students to bring in favorite pictures or memory items, and talk about what makes them special. Join the discussion by bringing in some of your own items, as well. 
• Science “magic”: prepare to discuss the river crossing with some tricks that seem to defy nature. Place a card over a cup of water and flip to demonstrate how the suction holds the water back, just as God held back the waters. Or try the “pepper trick”: sprinkle pepper over water, and place a drop of dish soap on your finger to separate the pepper as the water was separated. 
• Blindfolded obedience: have children pair up (or just select one at a time if younger), and place a blindfold on one of the partnership. The “seeing-eye” partner will walk the blindfolded one through instructions or guide them to an activity. Describe the similarity between trusting a partner and trusting God to lead us through life’s challenges. 

Explain to students that the lesson will focus on how God’s people followed His instructions without knowing exactly what would happen. Afterwards, they remembered God’s goodness and faithfulness. In the same way, we are called to faithful obedience, and should always recall God’s mighty works!

Joshua 3 & 4 Bible Lesson:

This passage is a fun one to act out, with the crossing of the river and setting up of the altar. Encourage students to interact with the story as it is read, bringing it to life. You could also describe details for younger students to comprehend. Or have older kids take turns reading through verses, and then act it out on their own.

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. ² At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³ and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. ⁴ Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” ⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” ⁶ And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
-Joshua 3:1-6

Provide a bit of context to start: explain that these events took place right before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. God had provided for them throughout their desert wanderings, and now the time had come to enter their new home! But first, there were some obstacles, including crossing the Jordan River. The river was wide and very full of water, seemingly impossible to pass. But God had a plan.

God instructed the people to bring the Ark of the Covenant and prepare to see God at work. The Ark represented the presence of the Lord, and only certain people could handle it or even be near it. Joshua gave instructions from God to the people, although they didn’t know exactly what God would do.

Ask: Have you ever received strange instructions from someone? How do you know if you can trust them?

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸ And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” ⁹ And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” ¹⁰ And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. ¹¹ Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. ¹² Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. ¹³ And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”  -Joshua 3:7-13

Joshua promised that things would be okay…He instructed the people to go out with the Ark, and get their feet wet! They were to enter the river, and the water would be stacked up on itself to allow them through. Joshua reminded the people that God was in charge and that God would be with them and protect them, no matter what. They just had to trust.   

Ask: How do you know that God is amazing and always in control?  

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵ and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), ¹⁶ the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
-Joshua 3:14-17

Ask: Can you think of any other times in the Bible when God made nature change?

God did not fail His people. Just as Joshua had said, as soon as the priests got into the water, the river stood up “in a heap” and rose away from them! The people were able to pass over onto dry land. They were in the middle of a river, just walking on dry land! The whole nation was able to get across. After this, Joshua had further instructions for the people, to remind them that it was important to look back on the events that had just taken place, and tell others about them.

 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ³ and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” ⁴ Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. ⁵ And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, ⁶ that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ ⁷ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”   -Joshua 4:1-7

Twelve men from the people came forward, one for each of the tribes of Israel. They each chose a stone, and they put them together to build a special memorial. The stones were to remind them of what God had done. They could re-visit the area and tell their children the mighty works of His hands, and how He had parted the water for them. The stones were a special symbol of remembrance for them.

Ask: What kinds of things do you have that remind you of special events or people? Are there any ways that we have memorials, plaques, or recognition of what Jesus has done?  

Remind students of the powerful things God does in this story. The people of Israel trusted that, just as promised, He would always be with them and provide for them. God gave them instructions to follow, and they obeyed them, even without being certain what God was doing. In the same way, we can have faith and honor the Lord’s directions, even if we aren’t sure what will happen in our lives. We can be certain that He is with us. He gave us Jesus to bring us into fellowship with Him, and no matter what happens, He will always love and lead us, and never leave us. We can have faith in Him, and whether we use rocks or journals or our lives, we recall His amazing work in and through us!  

Close with prayer, thanking God for leading and asking for His help to follow, trust, and obey His word.   

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ than with an engaging, family-friendly event that combines fun, faith, and festivity? Introducing Gingerbread Bash, a gospel-centered Christmas experience that promises to be the highlight of your holiday season. Here’s why your church or family should consider participating in this unique event.

Click here to learn more!

What is Gingerbread Bash?

Gingerbread Bash is a 60-90 minute program designed for kids and families to celebrate the Christmas season in a meaningful way. Hosted either at church or at home, the event involves building gingerbread nativities, listening to the Christmas story from the Bible, singing songs, and discovering the life-changing gift of God’s Son, Jesus. The program is designed to be easy to host, requiring only one host and no rehearsals.

Key Features

• Gingerbread Nativities: Families get to build their own gingerbread nativities, making the event hands-on and interactive.
• Bible Story: The event includes a beautifully illustrated story or video about the first Christmas.
• High-Energy Worship Song: The program concludes with an original, high-energy Christmas worship song.

How Does It Work?

At Church

1. Countdown and Game: The event starts with a countdown clock and a large group game to excite everyone.
2. Building the Nativity: Families begin making their gingerbread nativities with easy-to-follow instructions.
3. Story Time: The Christmas story is told live or via a video.
4. Retelling the Story: Kids can retell the story using gingerbread nativity and provided cut-out characters.
5. Gospel Message and Song: The event concludes with a short, gospel-centered message and a worship song.

At Home

Suppose you prefer to host the event at home. In that case, Gingerbread Bash offers a video-driven experience accessible through their “Parent Portal,” making it easy to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the comfort of your home.

What Makes It Unique?

Gingerbread Bash is not a one-time event; many churches have made it an annual tradition. Each year offers a blend of familiarity with fresh new elements like games, music, graphics, and videos. It’s not just a “show” but an experience where everyone participates.

Why Gingerbread Bash is Perfect for the Christmas Season

1. Inclusive: Whether you’re a small or large church, or even if you want to celebrate at home, Gingerbread Bash is designed for you.
2. Easy to Host: With minimal preparation and easy-to-follow instructions, hosting has never been easier.
3. Gospel-Centered: Above all, the event focuses on the true meaning of Christmas, making it a spiritually enriching experience.

Conclusion

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to bring your community together and celebrate the true reason for the season. Gingerbread Bash is more than just an event; it’s an experience that will leave a lasting impression on your family and congregation.

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What’s Inside the Lesson?

1. A Timeless Tale of Faith

The story of Joseph (Genesis 45:1-15, 50:19-21) is a powerful lesson about trusting God’s plan, even when things don’t make sense. It teaches children that God’s love and guidance are constant, even in confusing and troubling situations.

2. Engaging Activities for Kids

This lesson plan includes fun and attention-keeping activities like crafts, games, and puzzles. Materials needed are simple and include construction paper, markers, scissors, and more. Plus, there are video demonstrations for object lessons and craft projects!

3. Flexible Teaching Plan

Ideal for Kids’ Church or Sunday School, this stand-alone lesson plan is adaptable for K-6th grades. It offers a choice of Bible translations (NIV, ESV, or KJV) and provides a 45-60 minutes teaching time.

4. Additional Resources

Watch video Bible stories from Saddleback Kids Club and Crossroads Kids, and explore more free illustrations from Christian Clip Arts and Ministry-To-Children.

Why Choose “The Story of Joseph”?

This lesson is more than just a story; it’s a journey of faith, trust, and understanding God’s eternal love. It’s about knowing that even if things don’t work out as we want now, a Heavenly home awaits us someday.

Conclusion: A Lesson for All Ages

“The Story of Joseph” is a lesson that resonates with all of us, regardless of age. It’s a reminder that God is always at work, providing and loving us every step of the way. Don’t miss the opportunity to share this timeless lesson with the young hearts in your ministry.

Download “The Story of Joseph” Lesson Plan Now!

Lesson Introduction

Begin the lesson by welcoming the children and reminding them that they are all special and loved by God. Explain that today’s lesson is about understanding how much God, our Heavenly Father, cares for us. This lesson is based on Matthew 10:24-39.

Understanding the Matthew 10:24-39 for Kids

Read Matthew 10:24-39 aloud to the children. Explain that in these verses, Jesus is teaching his disciples about the cost of following Him. He tells them not to be afraid because God, who takes care of even the smallest sparrow, will certainly take care of them.

Application: God Cares for All His Creations

Discuss with the children how God cares for all His creations, from the flowers in the fields to the birds in the sky. Use the example of wildflowers, which grow and bloom without any human help, to illustrate how God provides for all His creations.

Application: God, Our Heavenly Father

Explain to the children that God is our Heavenly Father and that He loves us more than we can imagine. Just as our earthly fathers take care of us, God, our Heavenly Father, takes care of us even more. He provides us with everything we need, not always what we want, just like our earthly fathers do.

God’s Love and Care – Discuss the ways in which God shows His love and care for us. Explain that God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. This shows the extent of God’s love for us.

Discussion: Trusting in God

Teach the children about the importance of trusting in God. Even when we can’t see, hear, or feel Him, we can be confident that He is there and that He hears our prayers. Encourage the children to talk to God anytime, just as they would talk to their earthly fathers.

Learning Activity – Drawing

Have the children draw a picture of a wildflower field or a bird in the sky. As they draw, remind them that just as God takes care of these, He also takes care of us.

Conclusion and Prayer

Conclude the lesson by reminding the children that God is our Heavenly Father and that He will always be there for us. Pray together, thanking God for His love and care, and asking Him to help us trust Him more.

For homework, ask the children to think of ways they can show their trust in God during the week. They can share their experiences in the next class.

https://ministryanswers.com/sunday-school-lesson/matthew-1024-39-sunday-school-lesson/

“Bible Object Lesson – The Heavenly Father Cares for Us – Children’s Sermon Message”

“Well, I’ve done it again. Hi there, it’s Kristin and Fiona who is very much interested in this plant that I’ve been trying to grow. I seem to have a very difficult time keeping things alive. I don’t know if I give them too much water or not enough water or if they’re in the Sun too long or too little or maybe it got too cold in the plant’s roots just didn’t work they’re supposed to. I’m not sure but once again it seems like I have a wilting sad little plant chair. I tried that really did but I guess I’m only human and I just you just can’t grow things.

But I’ve seen some pretty amazing things that have been able to grow in nature. For example, I’m going to show you this picture these amazing beautiful flowers. Look at these flowers. I mean that’s pretty spectacular right? And who do you think is responsible for these flowers? Who’s the one that watered them and planted them and put all the right plant food in to make them grow? Was it a person? Someone living in a little cottage that just walks around the fields all day and plants these things and waters them? No, these are wild flowers that means they just grow out of nature. So they’re actually tended to by God himself. I mean all living things come from God but wild flowers like that they grow because that’s the way God designed it and he is so amazing that he can take care of flowers like that and make sure that they have enough soil and water and sunshine to live and grow beautiful.

And the Bible tells us that God cares a lot about all of his creations about flowers even about animals about births. Our gospel today talked about how much God cares for birds even though there’s a lot of birds in the sky and they’re not worth that much but God still cares about them and takes care of them. And if that’s the case how much more does God take care of his most precious creation his children us people. We can be assured that God loves us very much because he is our Heavenly Father. That’s what he shares with us and promises us that he is our Father.

Now I happen to really like my dad. I have a father here on earth and he has taken care of me throughout my life. So when I was a kid he would make sure that I had the things that I needed to survive maybe not always the things that I thought I wanted. So like when I asked him if I could have candy for dinner one night he told me I should have some vegetables instead because he knew what I needed not necessarily just what I wanted. Well, God is the same way. He gives us what we need for our daily lives. He promises to always take care of us and to always love us because we’re his children.

And you know God is an even better father than our earthly fathers. Some of us might have really great dads at home and some of us maybe unfortunately don’t because not all earthly fathers do as good of a job. They’re humans sometimes they make mistakes sometimes they can’t do things as well but we have the wonderful blessed assurance that even if maybe we don’t have a great dad here on earth we still have God as our Father that he still promises to take care of us because he can do absolutely amazing things that we couldn’t even imagine or fathom might be possible.

So we know that God promises to take care of us. We know that he loves us. That if he takes care of flowers and birds and animals in the sea and all these other things we’re his crowning creation so he will

take care of us – he loves us so much that he came to earth and became one of us and died for us. He loves us enough to take care of the horrible problem of sin by sending Jesus, sacrificing his son for us. That’s how much God loves us. He is a good father, he is a loving father, he will take care of us. He promises to always be with us, he hears us when we pray, we can talk to him anytime.

Sometimes it’s hard for us to really feel like he’s near if we can’t see him or sense him or hear him, but we know that he’s there. We can be confident that he’s there, that he wants to hear from his children just like your dad probably enjoys listening to you talk, at least I hope so. And if he doesn’t, God for sure does. God always does. People, we make mistakes, we don’t always know how to take care of things, but God will always provide everything that we need for our daily life, for our entire lives. God will always be there for you. He’s the best kind of father there is. I will always have him and be assured of that. That’s a wonderful thing.

So on this Father’s Day, don’t forget to give your dad a hug, to tell them happy Father’s Day, but to remember that God is our Father and he will always be there for us too. So if you have a good dad that’s awesome, not will remind you that God is even better than that. And we know we have him for our father because that we’re brothers and sisters in Christ. What could be better than that? That’s a pretty big family, that’s a pretty fantastic thing to remember.

Well, why don’t we say a prayer right now and we can thank God for letting us call him father and for welcoming us into his family. Dear God, thank you for being our Father. Thank you for taking care of us. You always know what we need and provide us with the way we need. Help us to trust you, to talk to you, to love you. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for your son Jesus. In his name, Amen.

Don’t forget, call your dad, hug your dad, make it hard for your dad, and talk to your heavenly that. Have a great week, see you next time.”

https://ministryanswers.com/gospel-reflection/matthew-1024-39-reflection-understanding-the-meaning-of-jesus-teachings-on-discipleship/

https://ministryanswers.com/sunday-school-lesson/matthew-1024-39-sunday-school-lesson

“Children’s Message: The Sacrifice of Isaac”:

“Hello children of God. I want you to try something for me. I have this jar and we are going to fill it up with some stuff. So the first thing I want you to pour into the jar is this cup of rice. Easy enough, right? All right, oh the rice into the jar. Okay, now the next thing that you need to fit in this same jar are these rocks. I have several rocks to put in here. So now I want you to put the rocks into the jar of the rice. Some there, well sort of, um… it doesn’t quite seem like they’re gonna fit, does it? Um, well I don’t think they’re all… I’ve still got some rocks left over here. I don’t know if I can fit them all in the same jar or the rice. Hmm, well that’s tricky. Let’s try something else. Let’s take out the rocks and let’s take out the rice and then I’m gonna try a different order of things. How about that? Let’s try getting this all out of there and you’re going to put the rocks in first. Just a minute, let’s just give that a shot. So in go the rocks. With all those rocks in there, it doesn’t seem likely that this rice could really fit, but let’s give it a shot. Huh, well what do you know about that? When I put the rocks in first, the rice filled in the cracks and it fit just fine.

You know, sometimes this is how our lives are. See, we think we have to do so many things and we get busy and we get frustrated and sometimes we forget or miss out on what’s really important. In our lives are so busy with stuff, we neglect the things that really should come first. And we put the most important things first, the rest will follow. God wants to be first in our lives. He wants to be the number one priority, the most important thing that we make time for, that we prepare for, that we love and serve. And sometimes, sometimes that can be confusing or hard. Sometimes God might ask us to do things that we don’t understand or God might ask us to do things that require sacrificing. Sometimes putting him first means giving up something else that we might really enjoy or love. But he wants to be the number one and he wants us to trust him because he promises that when we do love him first, that when we trust him Above All Else, that great blessings will come out of it.

This reminds me of a story in the Bible. Now we talked a little bit ago about a man named Abraham and how he waited a long time for this promise of a son. God had promised him a son and later on Isaac was born. Well, of course, Abraham loved Isaac very, very much because he had waited for this son for a long time and he was very special to him. Well then one day God came to Abraham and he said, ‘Abraham, I want you to take your son Isaac, that son that you waited for, that I gave you, that is your only son who you really, really love. I want you to take him and I want you to go and sacrifice him and kill him.’ Which sounds rather astonishing and strange. I mean, how could God possibly want Abraham to kill this promised son? It didn’t make sense and how would God fulfill his promise if Isaac was dead? None of it made sense. But Abraham knew that he could trust God, that God would keep his promises and be faithful. And he didn’t know why God was asking him to do this. It

was a hard and horrible and painful thing, but he knew he needed to put God first, but he needed to love God before all else, even his son Isaac. So he took Isaac and they went up onto a mountain and Isaac said, ‘You know, Dad, we’ve got wood here, we’re getting ready to make a fire, but where’s the animal that we’re supposed to sacrifice on the Fire?’ And Abraham took Isaac and he tied him to the wood and just as he was getting ready to do the most horrendous thing he could think of doing, kill his own beloved Son, God said, ‘Stop, Abraham, don’t do it, don’t kill Isaac, don’t hurt him.’ And then there appeared in thorns a ram, it’s kind of like a lamb but a boy has horns, and this Ram was given to Abraham to sacrifice on that altar instead of his son Isaac.

God loved Abraham and Isaac and God didn’t want Abraham to really kill his son, but he wanted Abraham to trust him, to believe in his promises that his promises would be fulfilled no matter what, and that his instructions could be followed even if this sounded very strange or even impossible or painful or sacrificial or foolish. And Abraham knew that he could trust God. But this story isn’t so much about Abraham or about Isaac and what they did and their great faith. It’s about God. It’s about God and what he did. See, this is almost an object lesson from God, a very drawn out and very serious kind of object lesson. But later, God made a sacrifice. God gave his son and in this case, he didn’t spare him. He spared Isaac, Abraham’s son, but not his own. He sent Jesus to be the sacrifice, just like the RAM and the thorn bush. Jesus is the Lamb of God who came and took our sins and died in our place so that we don’t have to die.

God loved us so much that he puts us first and was willing to become a man and die in our place. So we can put God first in our lives because we know how much he loves us, how much he cares for us, and how he puts us first. He loves us so much that he died for our sins so we can love him in return. We can be thankful and we can put him first, loving him first. That means that yeah, sometimes we might have to be willing to give something up or sacrifice something we love, but it means that we love God even more and that we know we can trust him, that when we put him first and we pray, we read our Bibles, we go to church, we put those things ahead of the things that might just sound fun. And when we love him and serve him, he will bless our lives too. The other things will fit in around the cracks when we put our Lord and Savior Jesus first in our lives.

Why don’t we thank God for his sacrifice and for loving us so much. Dear God, thank you for sacrificing for us. Thank you for loving us. Help us to love you and to put you first in our lives. Thank you so much for your son Jesus, in his name, amen. The story of Abraham and Isaac can be a challenging one, but remember God’s love for us and that we can trust him. So have a wonderful week, go make some disciples, we’ll see you next time.”

Video “Children’s Sermon Lesson: Transformed by Christ Romans 6:1-14”:

“Hello children of God. What do I have here? It’s kind of hard to tell. These are tortilla chips, well they’re sort of turning into the crumbs of tortilla chips now, but you get the idea. The delicious chips that you could dip in salsa or sour cream or make nachos or have with tacos or something like that. But where did tortilla chips come from? What were they before they became chips? Well, if you said tortillas, you’re absolutely right. Sorry, no product placement here, but prior to becoming a chip, this was just a tortilla. Now, can the chip turn back into a tortilla? No, of course not, because this is soft, this is the before stage, and this is the after. There’s nothing this delicious satisfying chip could do to go back to being a soft little tortilla.

Well, that might have been obvious, but here’s one that is a little more exciting. What is this? A pickle, a very delicious pickle. But where do pickles come from? What was that before it became a pickle? Believe it or not, that was once a cucumber, probably a smaller kind of cucumber than this, but yes, mind-blowing though it may seem, the great delicious pickle was once a lowly cucumber. So see, if your mom tells you to eat more vegetables, just throw some pickles on your burger. Not really, vegetables are important, you should have fresh vegetables, very delicious. But what did the cucumber have to go through to become a pickle? Well, it kind of soaked in this juicy stuff for a while with some different spices and seasonings and everything, and over time it became a pickle, kind of like a baptism in a way, but we’ll get to more on that in just a little bit.

Now, snack foods are not the only things that go through changes and transformations and become new. For instance, we see this all around us with animals. For example, what did a frog used to be? A frog used to be a tadpole, a silly little swimming around tadpole. Now, would this frog go back to being a tadpole? Of course not, no, I don’t want to now, it’s a frog, hopping around, done landing water, our great awesome amphibian. It wouldn’t want to go back to being a silly little tadpole. Or how about a beautiful butterfly? Can a butterfly crawl back in the cocoon and turn itself back into a caterpillar? No, and again, why would it want to? If you can fly and be gorgeous and zooming around in the air, why would you want to go back to crawling around on a leaf? Silly to even think of. These things go through changes, become something new, something that’s transformed and different, that would never go back to the old way of things.

But did you know that the same thing happens just that we have been transformed and made new? The Book of Romans tells us that we share in the identity of Jesus, that we in our baptism die to our sins and rise again, that just as Jesus died and came back to life, we die and come back to life too. And since we’re dead to our old sins, why are we going to go back to that way of living when we know Jesus and his power and his transformation, the things that he has done in our lives? It gives us freedom, freedom from sin. See, when we are sinning, well, it’s kind of like being a slave. We’re chained to those sins,

painful, it’s not what we want to do or what we should do, but we can get into these habits and patterns. Now, of course, we always make mistakes, but it’s important to remember who we are in Jesus, that we’re no longer slaves to those sins, we are freed from them, we’re not in that bondage anymore. And because of that, that’s in the past, that’s our old sinful self that we get to put away, and we get to remember that now we have Jesus.

May we realize how much better he is, how much more wonderful and blessed the way of life of living in Jesus and through his Spirit, how much greater those things are. Well, I wouldn’t want to go back to crawling around like a caterpillar or just being a cucumber, nothing wrong with cucumbers, but you see what I mean. We make mistakes, we still sin every day, but that is not who we are. Those sins don’t define and don’t identify us anymore. The bad stuff doesn’t identify us, we are with Jesus.

We remember, if you’ve been baptized, that we have had that death and resurrection moment, and if we love Jesus and honor and serve him, we remember that we follow him now and not those old sinful ways. And even when sometimes we do slip into sin, we remember that Jesus is more powerful, so we can turn to him and remember we’ve been forgiven once and for all. Our past, present, and future sins have been wiped clean, and Jesus has made us new and given us freedom. We don’t want to do the bad things anymore when we know Jesus gives us wings, in a sense, he sets us free from all that.

In this life, yes, we’ll still have trouble, and sins will still tempt us, but he has released us from that slavery. We don’t have to do it anymore. We can look to Jesus and cling to him, and we know that our identity is in him. We have new life, salvation, and forgiveness because of what Jesus has done for us.

So remember, if you mess up, or if you want to go back to sinning, or if you think you might want to do something wrong, life with Jesus is so much better. Always trust in him first. Why don’t we say a prayer and thank God for the transformation and new life we have in Jesus?

Dear God, thank you for our new lives. Thank you that we can be transformed by your power. Thank you for giving us Jesus. Help us remember that we are free from sins and that life with you is the greatest thing we can have. Thank you for your love. We love you, God. Thank you for your son, Jesus. In his name, Amen.

We have new life, you have new life, so go share that with your children and your ministry, wherever and with whomever that might be. And join us again for more messages, crafts, and lessons every week. Hopefully, this helps you communicate the powerful truths of Romans chapter 6. Now, what are you waiting for? Go make some disciples. Have a great week. See you next time.”

We are excited to announce the launch of our latest children’s ministry curriculum – “Everyday Heroes: Honoring God’s Workforce“. This 5-week downloadable series is crafted with the aim to teach our children the value and dignity of work from a biblical perspective.

This engaging new curriculum is available for immediate download from The Sunday School Store. This is a perfect series for back-to-school and labor day to teach kids about the value of work.

In our modern world, superheroes in movies and comic books often become the model of valor and service for our children. But we want our young ones to realize and appreciate the real-life heroes around us – our everyday heroes. They are our police officers, healthcare workers, teachers, grocery workers, social workers, and so much more. These individuals, who serve their communities diligently, truly exemplify the biblical calling to glorify God through their work and service to others.

To celebrate this launch, we are thrilled to offer you a FREE downloadable sample of the first lesson: “Guardians of Peace: Police Officers and God’s Justice”. This lesson will guide your children in understanding the role of police officers in maintaining safety and order, echoing God’s love for righteousness.

You can download the free sample lesson below:

The complete 5-week curriculum includes engaging Bible lessons, fun and educational crafts, and memory verses that children will carry with them long after the series has ended. It’s adaptable to any translation and is suitable for children aged 6-12. We are confident that your children will gain a new perspective on the value of work and the role they can play in serving their communities in the future.

This exciting new curriculum is now available for purchase on our website. Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in teaching our children about these real-world heroes and how they can learn to serve God and their communities through their vocations.

We can’t wait for you to start this new journey with us. Together, let’s guide our children in appreciating the hard work of these everyday heroes and understanding their role in God’s workforce.

Download 1st week as a free sample lesson below:

Every day, children grapple with spiritual struggles. These encounters may often go unnoticed, but they play a significant role in our youngsters’ lives. It’s crucial, therefore, to help them understand the importance of donning God’s full armor to combat the devil’s wiles effectively.

The Armor of God: 6-Lesson Bible Lesson Bootcamp is more than a metaphor. It’s a tool for kids to remember the Gospel in the face of life’s challenges and rest their faith in Jesus alone. Each lesson is interactive, engaging, and practical, teaching children about God’s Armor and its application in daily life.

The curriculum is designed around a big idea: “Because Jesus loves me, He equips me with His armor to face any spiritual battle!” It highlights how our personal relationship with Jesus and salvation through faith in Him are mirrored in the Armor of God. Each piece symbolizes aspects of Jesus’ love and sacrifice, reinforcing our faith and helping us stand strong against spiritual challenges.

The curriculum includes six lessons, each focusing on a different piece of the Armor of God. From the Belt of Truth to the Sword of the Spirit, each lesson uses a Bible story to illustrate the importance and function of each piece of the armor. The curriculum is designed to be flexible and adaptable, perfect for small churches and a wide age group.

The Armor of God: 6-Lesson Sunday School Curriculum is now available for an instant PDF download at a sale price of $49, down from the regular price of $65. Don’t miss this opportunity to equip your children with the spiritual armor they need to face life’s battles!

So, are you ready to help your children understand the importance of God’s Armor? Are you prepared to see them grow in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ? If yes, then the Armor of God: 6-Lesson Sunday School Curriculum is just what you need. Equip your young believers today!

Teach Kids the Armor of God

The Armor of God Sunday School Curriculum is a comprehensive and engaging resource that helps kids learn about the importance of spiritual warfare. Each lesson is packed with Bible stories, activities, and discussion questions that will help kids develop a deeper understanding of the Armor of God and how it can protect them from the enemy.

The curriculum is designed for kids ages 4-12, and it can be used in Sunday School classes, home school settings, or any other setting where kids are learning about the Bible. The lessons are easy to follow and adaptable to any group size.

In addition to teaching kids about the Armor of God, the curriculum also helps kids develop their character and moral values. Kids will learn about the importance of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit.

The Armor of God Sunday School Curriculum is a valuable resource for any parent or teacher who wants to help kids grow in their faith and learn how to live a life that is pleasing to God.

https://www.sundayschool.plus/

Title: Launching Sunday School Plus: Revolutionizing Small Church Ministries

We’re excited to introduce Sunday School Plus, our new platform designed to support small churches and teachers. Born from 15 years of dedication to children’s ministry, this platform aims to simplify lesson planning and teaching.

Sunday School Plus is a weekly subscription service offering ready-to-print, easy-to-teach lesson plans. We’ve included a backup option for each month, providing flexibility and a second themed unit in addition to the dated lessons.

Our lesson plans, available in NIV, ESV, and King James versions, include a Bible lesson, an object lesson, games, activities, and craft ideas. Each plan also features a Bible verse, a memory verse, a coloring page, and a crossword puzzle.

One unique feature is our community module, allowing teachers to connect, share ideas, ask questions, and provide feedback. We also have a prayer room for sharing and supporting each other.

In addition to new lessons, we offer a backup of 52 weeks of previous Bible lessons, providing a wealth of resources at your fingertips.

Sunday School Plus is an affordable membership platform, launching at just nine dollars a month. We invite you to explore Sunday School Plus and join us in this journey of enhancing Sunday School lessons.

Visit us at Sunday School Plus to learn more.

“Hello, children of God. What makes you laugh? Everyone likes to laugh, right? So when was the last time you had a good chuckle? Do you like a good joke? I hope so because it just so happens I have some great ones. Really, get ready.

Okay, so here’s the first one. Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants to the golf course? Give up? Because he thought he might get a hole in one! Hole in one, get it? Like hole in one golf. Yeah, oh that’s a good one.

Okay, okay, don’t worry, it’s better. Why can’t a nose be 12 inches? Because then it would be a foot! Foot, foot, foot, ruler, 12 inches. Oh man, all right, don’t worry, it’s okay. What do you get when you cross a fish and an elephant? Swimming trunks! Yeah, yeah, you know you’re laughing. Really.

Oh, did you hear that one about the broken pencil? It had no point because it’s a broken pencil. Why was a strawberry so upset? Because it was in a jam. Okay, okay, here’s the best one. I saved the best for last, don’t worry. Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl in the bathroom? This one’s so good I’m gonna make you wait for it. Feel like you’ve been waiting a while? Just a little longer, it’s worth it, it’s worth the punchline. You know why? Because the P is silent! Silent, the letter, the letter P, but he’s in the bathroom, so it’s okay.

Maybe that wasn’t that good. Maybe you didn’t think it was really worth waiting for. There are some wonderful things in that are very much worth waiting for. And there are some times in our lives where we have to wait for things. And there are some times in life where we laugh.

Well, today we’re talking about a story that features waiting and laughter. It’s about a man named Abraham. He was originally known as Abram, and then God changed his name to Abraham. His wife Sarah was later called Sarah because God does that sometimes, he gives you a new name. But anyways, that’s not the story today.

God had made a promise to Abraham, but Abraham had to wait quite a while for this promise to come true. God had promised Abraham that he was going to be the father of many nations, that he was going to have more descendants, more sons and daughters, and grandsons and granddaughters, and great-great-great-great-great-great grandsons than he could even count. But the interesting thing is that when God made this promise to him, Abraham didn’t have any children at all. In fact, he and Sarah had never had kids, which in those days was really quite a tragic thing. People had to have children to pass on to the next generation, so they were quite sad that they didn’t have children and quite perplexed when God promised this great nation would come of him. He didn’t even have a single heir. But Abraham trusted in God.

Well, I mean for a while. But years passed and nothing happened. So after a while, they probably kind of gave up, figured well maybe God sort of meant this but it doesn’t seem like he’s really doing anything, nothing’s happening, we still don’t have any children.

Well, finally, more than 20 years after that original promise, Abraham and Sarah received

some special visitors. They came to their tent and they knew there was something important about them, so they made them a very nice meal and served them and talked to them. These visitors, who spoiler alert were actually angels, told Abraham, “I’m gonna come back and visit again in about a year, and this time, your wife Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah heard that and she just laughed. “What? A son? Me?” See, by that time, Abraham was almost 100 years old and Sarah was 90, which is very, very old to have children. Pretty impossible, she thought. It was impossible, which is why she laughed. But don’t always want to laugh at God. Sometimes I think that God laughs at us. I know he does that to me when I try to tell him what my plans are. But Sarah laughed and these people who said, “You’re gonna have a son,” well, that’s not possible. And they said, “Really? Is anything too hard for God?” Really? Well, that kind of quieted her down a little bit, but it still seemed pretty unlikely.

Sure enough, a year later, she had a son. Anything is possible with God, and what he promises, he will do. Abraham and Sarah had kind of faltered their trust in that promise. They sort of gave up, thought maybe it would just never happen. It seemed impossible. Sometimes things seem to us impossible, but nothing is too hard for God. Nothing is impossible for him, and things that shouldn’t happen, he can do. And what he promises, he will do. Sometimes it feels like it takes forever, like it takes too long, but God’s timing is different than ours. He always has a plan and a purpose for us and will work that out for our good. He has wonderful plans for our lives, and he knows just what he’s doing.

He knew what he was doing with Abraham and Sarah because their son had two more sons, and they had more sons, and more, and more, and more, and it grew and grew into the nation of Israel. Of course, God kept his promises. So we can trust in God too. God promises to love us, care for us, provide for us, and bless us. Sometimes we don’t understand how he’s doing that. We struggle, we get impatient, we aren’t sure what he’s doing, but he’s always working, and he always keeps his promises. Sometimes with laughter on both parts, but he’s always there, always present with us, and no matter what, we can trust him.

That son that Abraham and Sarah had, they named him Isaac. Isaac, which means laughter. So laugh with God and trust that he will see you through whatever is happening.

Why don’t we say a prayer and thank God for that now? Dear God, thank you for giving us laughter and thank you for your promises. Help us to trust in you, even when we feel impatient and even when we don’t understand what you’re doing. You’re always at work in our lives. Thank you for your promises, thank you for your love. We love you, God, in Jesus’ name, amen.

So trust in God, laugh a little, and go make some disciples. Have a great week, come back for more. Hope that this blesses you and your ministry, wherever and with whomever that might be. See you next time.”

The video was published on June 10, 2023, and is aimed at children’s ministry, Sunday School lessons, kids ministry, children’s sermons, Bible crafts, Genesis 18, Genesis 21, Isaac, Abraham and Sarah, and laughter.