Lesson 7 Jesus Calms the Storm - Trinity United …

1 Today s Bible StoryMatthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41 ObjectivesHChildren will connect with the biblicalstory of Jesus calming the will recognize that we candepend on God during times when weare are a common fear among are noisy and unpredictable. We haveno choice but to seek shelter and wait for thecalm to come. It is not surprising that thedisciples were afraid when the Storm aroseupon the Sea of Galilee. The story of Jesuscalming the Storm is found in three of the fourGospels: Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; andLuke 8:22-25. There are slight variations inthe story, but the basic storyline remains very similar. After a day of teaching along the Sea ofGalilee, Jesus and his disciples decide to crossthe sea and continue on the other side. TheSea of Galilee was small, much more like alarge lake, but deeper and surrounded bymountains. Storms can rise suddenly andproduce large waves. Jesus wasn t beingirresponsible, knowingly sailing into a stormwhen they got into the boats and set acrossthe water.

2 The Storm probably just suddenlydeveloped once they were out on the boat would have likely been a largefishing boat with both oars and sails. It had tobe large enough to seat all twelve disciplesand Jesus , who had room to sleep in the back. Jesus had been teaching in parables all day tothe crowd and told the disciples to follow himand go toward the other side of the lake, theGentile side. As the boat left the shore, gentlyrocking in the water, Jesus curled up on apillow at the back of the boat and lapsed intoa well-earned nap. While he was sleeping, thestorm developed and the disciples becameafraid. They awoke Jesus to save them. Today s story is about identity and faith. If thedisciples were afraid their boat would sinkwith the Son of God on board, they werecertainly unclear as to Jesus identity. As youprepare today s Lesson for your class, takesome time to reflect on times when you havebeen afraid. Help the children identify with thedisciples in the story.

3 Help the children knowthat even in our deepest fear, God is as Jesus calmed the Storm on the Sea ofGalilee, he can calm the storms in our lives aswell, whether these storms contain thunderand lightning or are simply the tempests ofdaily 7 HJesus Calms the granted to photocopy for local church use. Abingdon Press. Lesson 7 July 17, 2011 July s IdeaWe believe that we can live and act with love and couragebecause God is always with s Bible VerseThe LORD will keep your going out and your comingin from this time on and forevermore. Psalm 121:8 July s ThemeCome, Live the AdventureJuly 17, 2011 One Big Room85 Permission granted to photocopy for local church use. Abingdon Press. Children and leaders alike will love Picture. Your children will see and hear thestory of Jesus calming the Storm . The biblical imagesthen fade to contemporary images, and the segmentaddresses the issue of holding onto your faith when life ischallenging.

4 This Picture will help your childrenrealize that they can turn to Jesus when they need help,just as the frightened disciples turned to Jesus whenthe Storm was Activities that require little or no planningand only basic Activities that encourage responsible earthstewardship by providing options to use recycledor repurposed them in .. (15 minutes)Acrostic Poem Smooth Sailing Happy/Sad Puppets Fears I Might Have .. Into the Bible (30 minutes)Be Still Draw Yourself in the Boat Bailout Unsinkable Boat .. Into Life (15 minutes)WindsockThe Sound Fears in a Box TimeSaverEcoFriendlyDVD Summary: The PictureInvite them in .. Lesson 7 July 17, granted to photocopy for local church use. Abingdon Press. The IdeaWe believe that we can live andact with love and couragebecause God is always with us. Choose one or more activities to introduce your children to the Bible PoemSupplies: Leader page 94, pencils, thesaurus, markerboard and erasablemarker or large sheet of paper and markerPrepare HPhotocopy Acrostic Poem (Leader page 94)for each :An acrostic is a poem in which the first letters of each line or wordspell another out a copy of Acrostic Poem (Leader page 94)to each child.

5 HInvite the children to look at the letters listed on their paper. HSay:Let s list some words that begin with these letters. Some of thewords should remind us of storms and our story about Jesuscalming the children may then use the words to create an acrostic poem. HEach word or line should begin with the letter provided. HThe poems do not need to the poems are complete, provide some time for the children toshare their poems with one can worship God with SailingSupplies: Leader page 95,crayons (red, yellow, blue)PrepareHPhotocopy Smooth Sailing (Leader page 95)for each each child a copy of Smooth Sailing (Leader page 95).HSay:In today s Bible story, we re going to hear about an adventure thatthe disciples and Jesus had while on a boat. Use the code to colorthis picture to find something in today s Bible story. HGive each child a red, a yellow, and a blue crayon. HEncourage the children to complete the picture.

6 Live s story is about the disciples and an adventure they hadwith Jesus on a boat. July 17, 2011 One Big Room87 Permission granted to photocopy for local church use. Abingdon Press. Happy/Sad PuppetsSupplies: paper lunch bags, paper towel tubes, crayons, newspaper, masking tape, tableDoHProvide each child a paper lunch bag, a paper towel tube, and :Today s story is about an adventure that the disciples had with Jesus . Adventurescan be very exciting things, but they can sometimes also be scary. Let s make ahappy/sad puppet and think about our emotions in some different the children lay the lunch bag flat on the table and color a happy face on theflat side of the the children turn the bag over and lift the bottom flap to draw a sad face onthis side of the bag. HHelp the children open the bag and stuff it with them insert the paper tube into the bag and gather the bottom closedaround the tube. Tape the bottom :Hold your puppet up with the face toward me that best describes how youmight feel in these situations: You are playing outside on a warm sunny day.

7 Your mother cooks fried chicken for supper. It is raining and you have to play inside. You cannot go to your grandmother s house because she is sick. You told a lie to your father and he finds out and punishes you. It is your birthday and your favorite aunt is coming. It is storming late at night and the wind is very experience different feelings. God made us all unique, and God loveseach of us the way God made I Might HaveSupplies: small pieces of paper, pencils, basketDoHSay: Everyone gets afraid of something sometime. But all of our fears are oftendifferent. Usually, circumstances in which we find ourselves are what make usafraid. Fears are very serious things that cause us to be uncomfortable. Butwe believe that God is with us, even when we re afraid, and we can trust Godto comfort us when we are afraid. In our Bible story today, the disciples areafraid because of their circumstances, but Jesus is there to calm their s play a game to help us think about what Calms us when we are a small piece of paper, have each child write something calming that he or shecould do when he or she is all the pieces of paper in a basket.

8 HLet the children take turns drawing a piece of paper and acting out the action thatcan be taken when you are scared. Have the other children guess the : You all did a great job thinking of and acting out ways to be calm when we areafraid. Believing in God won t make all our fears go away, but turning to God whenwe are afraid gives us another place of comfort to seek when we are God comforts us when we are .. Into the Bible Lesson 7 July 17, granted to photocopy for local church use. Abingdon Press. The IdeaWe believe that we can live andact with love and couragebecause God is always with us. Choose one or more activities to immerse your children in the Bible StillSupplies: Leader page 92, cookie sheets, pots and pans, two flashlights, twospray bottles filled with waterDoHGive each child, but four, a pot/pan or a cookie sheet. Have those withcookie sheets shake them to make a thunder noise. Have those withpots/pans beat on them with their hands to make other thunder noise.

9 HHave two children use spray bottles to spray water on the class. HHave two children quickly switch flashlights on and off to emulate the story, Be Still (Leader page 92). Have the children add thesound and light effects at appropriate moments. Remind them to besilent when Jesus Calms the Storm . Live can hear God in the still, quiet times. We remember God isalways with us, even in the noisy Yourself in the BoatSupplies: Leader page 93, DVD, DVD player, television, pencils, crayonsPrepareHPhotocopy In the Boat With Jesus (Leader page 93)for each The Picture (DVD). DoHPass out copies of In the Boat With Jesus (Leader page 93)andcrayons and :Today we re going to hear about an adventure the disciples hadwith Jesus . HShow The Picture(DVD).HSay:Let s imagine what it was like in the boat with the disciples. Howdo you think you would feel in that Storm ? (scared, seasick, mad)Draw yourself into the artist s picture (at the front of the boat).

10 How would your face look? Where would your arms be? Would yoube holding on to something? Would you be hiding? HEncourage the children to draw themselves in the boat with the the children who wish to share their can connect personally to the Bible story by placing ourselvesin the story. July 17, 2011 One Big Room89 Permission granted to photocopy for local church use. Abingdon Press. BailoutSupplies: box large enough to hold three to four children, old newspaperDoHHave the children separate newspaper pages and wad into loose balls. HSelect three or four children to be disciples. The remaining children will bethe Storm . HSay:During the Storm , the boat carrying Jesus and the disciples rocked back andforth in the waves. The wind blew hard, and the rain and waves could havebeen coming into the boat. Let s play a game to help us understand how theymay have a dozen wadded paper balls in the boat (box). The remaining paper balls areplaced on the floor outside the boat.