Lesso 11 113 Jesus Calms a Storm Mark 4:35-41 A s third- ad fourth-graders are movig out of youg childhood ito middle childhood, fear for their persoal safety begis to declie. At this age, they re becomig more aware of the social structures aroud them, ad the fear of ot fittig i icreases. They re afraid that o oe will like them. God s love ad acceptace ca feel miles away for some kids. Use this lesso to help childre discover the peace God provides for the fears they re facig. LESSON WHAT CHILDREN DO SUPPLIES EASY PREP 1 Gettig Started 2 Bible Exploratio Fear ad Comfort (about 20 mi.) List thigs that frighte or comfort them, ad the thik about their fears. Makig Waves (about 30 mi.) Make a craft of waves, ad experiece what it was like o a boat before Jesus calmed a storm. Bible Truth Sleuth, CD player, pes Teacher Pack: CD Bibles, Bible Truth Sleuth, CD player, several pairs of scissors Teacher Pack: CD, Bible Timelie Tear out the Lesso 11 pages from each Bible Truth Sleuth studet book. Bible Poit We tur to Jesus whe we re afraid. Key Verse Cast all your axiety o him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Weavig Faith Ito Life Childre will go to Jesus with thigs they re afraid of. Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 11 Witer Quarter
114 LESSON WHAT CHILDREN DO SUPPLIES EASY PREP 3 Weavig Faith Ito Life Cast Your Fears (about 10 mi.) Carry their fears, ad stick them to a cross. Bible Truth Sleuth, pads of sticky otes, pes, tape Teacher Pack: Cross poster Hag the Cross poster where kids ca see ad reach it. 4 Lastig Impressios Daily Challeges (about 5 mi.) Choose a Daily Challege to apply God s Word. Weavig Faith at Home (about 2 mi.) Talk about how to share what they leared with their families. Bible Truth Sleuth Bold text withi the lesso is spoke text. Witer Quarter Lesso 11 Grades 3 & 4
115 Jesus Calms a Storm Mark 4:35-41 BIBLe BACKGROUND FOR LEADERS Jesus Tells the Disciples to Sail Across the Sea of Galilee Jesus suggestio to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee souds to us like a simple procedure. However, several factors made such a jourey difficult. First, it s ulikely that may Jews from the west side of the lake ever vetured to this area of the east side, ihabited mostly by Getiles. Secod, the boats were small fishig boats ot iteded for crossig the lake. Ad fially, the geography surroudig the lake made it vulerable to sudde storms that could tur this calm lake ito a violet sea. Such a storm arose, ad though may of the disciples were experieced sailors, they woke Jesus for help. Jesus Calms the Chaotic Storm Whe Jesus awoke, he immediately demostrated his power ad cotrol. There was o hit of worry or cocer i his words. He simply said, Quiet! He the said, Be still, a term which literally meas muzzle yourself ad cotiue to be silet. awesome, that they were terrified to thik of who Jesus really was. The disciples terrified respose is uderstadable whe we cosider God s power ad purity i light of our ow weakess ad imperfectio. But the disciples came to lear that o matter how bad a situatio seemed, the first thig they eeded to do was tur to Jesus. The Jesus Coectio Who or what do you trust whe life gets scary? So ofte we seek security i moey, possessios, positio, or huma relatioships. But all these thigs ca fail. It s far better to ivest i a relatioship with the So of God. We have the comfort of havig the all-powerful Jesus as our best fried. What ca you do today to put your trust more fully i Jesus? You ca write your prayer here. We have the beefit of kowig the ed of the story. But imagie the disciples amazemet whe the ragig waves istatly became calm. Eve today, with our advaced techology, we do t have ay cotrol over the weather ad ca t eve forecast it very accurately. I the istat the storm ceased, the disciples bega to realize more fully who Jesus was. He d demostrated his power i healig people, but ever before had he doe aythig of this magitude. Jesus Uses the Storm to Teach the Disciples About Trust Jesus seemed surprised that the disciples faith was so weak. After all they d see, they still had t fully grasped who Jesus was or what he was capable of. But ow they d see somethig so powerful, so Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 11 Witer Quarter
116 GETTING STARTED Fear ad Comfort Supplies Bible Truth Sleuth CD player pes Teacher Pack CD: He Cares For You (1 Peter 5:7) (track 20) Fear ad Comfort Easy Prep Tear out the Lesso 11 pages from each Bible Truth Sleuth studet book. Fear ad Comfort What You ll Do Welcome kids warmly as they arrive, ad ask them how their week wet. Say: To get started today, we re goig to fid thigs that represet a fear some people have or thigs that represet somethig that comforts people whe they re afraid. For example, a sik could remid you that some people are afraid of swimmig. Be creative. Ay questios? Repeat or clarify the directios as eeded. Begi by havig kids look for thigs i your room. The, if your settig allows for it, walk with kids i public areas ad have them look for remiders of fears or comforts. Kids will share their fidigs later, so ecourage kids to be quiet ad keep their ideas to themselves at this poit. After about 12 miutes, gather kids together i your room. Distribute pes ad this week s Bible Truth Sleuth pages. Have kids fid the I m So Afraid! sectio ad make a list of everythig they observed. As kids write, quietly play He Cares for You (1 Peter 5:7) (track 20 o the CD). The have kids each read oe thig off their list, goig aroud several times util o oe has ay ew items to add. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. Look at your list. Which do you have more of, fears or comforts? Why do you thik that is? Do you ted to focus more o thigs that scare you or thigs that comfort you? Explai. What do you do whe you experiece fears? What ca we do to fid comfort or help whe we re afraid? Say: Sometimes fears ca seem a lot stroger tha the thigs that comfort us. But WE TURN TO JESUS WHEN WE RE AFRAID. He does t wat us to feel afraid; istead, he wats us to give our fears to him so he ca help us face our fears ad grow stroger. To uderstad this better, let s look at how Jesus helped his disciples whe they were afraid. Witer Quarter Lesso 11 Grades 3 & 4
117 2 BIBLE EXPLORATION Makig Waves What You ll Do Say: Whe Jesus helped his disciples get over their fears, they were all i a boat crossig the Sea of Galilee. Show kids the Bible Timelie, ad ivite them to fid ad poit to the Jesus Calms a Storm picture. To help us imagie the disciples experiece, we re goig to make some waves. Distribute scissors ad this week s Bible Truth Sleuth pages, ad have kids fid the Makig Waves activity. Say: Cut out Jesus ad the boat at the left, ad be careful to iclude the tab at the boat s bottom. Allow time. Next, cut out the rectagle of waves. Allow time. Fold the paper accordio-style alog the dotted lies. Help kids as eeded. Carefully cut a horizotal slit below the waves where you see the short, solid black lie. Allow time. To fiish, isert the boat s tab ito the slit you just cut below the waves. Makig Waves Supplies Bibles Bible Truth Sleuth CD player several pairs of scissors Teacher Pack CD: Getle Sea (track 17); Storm Startig (track 18); Furious Squall (track 19) Bible Timelie Whe kids have fiished makig their crafts, have kids sit i a tight oval shape as if they were sittig iside a boat. Have kids fold their wave crafts so oly the smallest sectio of the water is folded up agaist the boat, simulatig a smooth sea. Ivite a willig child to read aloud Mark 4:35-36. Play Getle Sea (track 17 o the CD). Say: Imagie that you re bobbig alog i a boat ad watchig the stars appear i a eveig sky. Pause. Whe have you ejoyed a calm ight like that? Pause for aswers. What was it like? Pause. Play Storm Startig (track 18 o the CD). Have kids fold up the craft so the smaller waves show up behid the boat. The have kids bob the boat up ad dow. Say: Imagie that you re i the middle of a large sea with a storm about to hit. Pause. Whe have you prepared for a storm that was about to come? Pause. What did you do to prepare? Pause. Have kids fold up the craft so the largest wave shows ad imagie that the storm has gotte a lot worse. Allow the ext track, Furious Squall, (track 19 o the CD) to play, ad tur the volume up so it s comfortably loud. Say: Lik arms, ad rock back ad forth together as if your boat is beig rocked by big waves. Pause. What have you felt ad thought as you edured a really bad storm? Have you ever bee afraid for your life i a storm? Talk about that. Pause. Now ulik arms, ad jump up ad dow as if the boat is beig tossed by giat waves. As kids jump, flash the lights o ad off to simulate lightig. Stop the CD whe the track eds. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 11 Witer Quarter
118 Talk With Kids Ivite a willig child to read aloud Mark 4:37-38. Say: We just experieced somethig similar to the storm o the Sea of Galilee but ot early as dagerous. Lead kids i this discussio. How ca you tell that the disciples were scared? Why is it scary whe you re ot sure what s goig to happe ad there s a chace you could get hurt? Tell about a time you ve bee afraid like that. What did you do about your fear? Say: Let s discover what the disciples did about their fear. Ivite a willig child to read aloud Mark 4:38-41. Agai play Getle Sea (track 17 o the CD). As they liste, have kids fold the waves of their crafts so that oly the smallest wave shows. Jesus slept through the storm. What does that show us about how we ca trust Jesus with our fears? Whe the disciples wet to Jesus with their fears, they said, Do t you care if we drow? How is that similar to or differet from your prayers whe you re afraid? Jesus took cotrol of the ragig storm ad sea ad calmed them ad the disciples fears. What does that show you that Jesus ca do with your fears? Say: The disciples ad other people i the boats were i awe of Jesus. They were amazed at what he d doe, ad they asked, Who is this? Let s read a Bible passage that aswers this questio. Ivite a willig child to read aloud Job 38:1-11. I this Bible passage, God is tellig a ma amed Job about himself. What do the thigs God said tell us about God? Based o the Job passage, why do you thik Jesus was able to stop that storm? Why do you or do t you thik Jesus will be able to help you with your fears? What will you do the ext time you re afraid? Say: Jesus is God s So ad he s powerful. He cares about each of us ad everythig that goes o i our lives icludig the thigs we fear. The disciples tured to Jesus whe they were afraid, ad they experieced Jesus power to help them. Jesus ecouraged his disciples to have faith, ad we ca have faith, too, whe WE TURN TO JESUS WHEN WE RE AFRAID. Witer Quarter Lesso 11 Grades 3 & 4
119 3 WEAVING FAITH INTO LIFE Cast Your Fears What You ll Do Distribute pads of sticky otes, ad make sure everyoe has a pe. Say: Write o your sticky otes every fear you ca thik of that you ve felt, oe per sticky ote. No fear is too small you ca write aythig that s made you afraid. Every perso has fears eve the bravest grow-ups. Tell kids some of the thigs you re afraid of to ecourage them to share. After kids fiish writig, say: Stick the otes all over your faces, hads, ad arms. Pause. Now walk aroud the room actig as if you re very afraid ad axious. You could tiptoe, repeatedly look over your shoulders, or make scared faces. As kids walk, have them repeat the Bible Poit, which is WE TURN TO JESUS WHEN WE RE AFRAID, to at least three differet people. Say: Our Key Verse, 1 Peter 5:7, says: Cast all your axiety o him because he cares for you. Let s do that ow. Cast Your Fears Supplies Bible Truth Sleuth pads of sticky otes pes tape Teacher Pack Cross poster Cast Your Fears Easy Prep Hag the Cross poster where kids ca see ad reach it. Direct kids attetio to the Cross poster. Say: Practice castig your fears o Jesus by removig your sticky otes ad repeatig the Bible Poit as you stick the fears to the cross. Allow several kids to cast their fears at the same time. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What s it like to walk aroud with so much fear ad axiety? What was it like to had those fears over to Jesus? What about this activity remids you of livig with fear i life at home, at school, aywhere? What differece do you thik it ca make i your life whe you cast your fears o Jesus? What ca you do to get help from Jesus whe you re afraid? Say: Whe we have a relatioship with Jesus, he gives us stregth ad comfort. Just as you stuck your sticky-ote fears to the cross, WE TURN TO JESUS WHEN WE RE AFRAID. He s powerful eough to calm storms, ad he loves you eough to calm your fears just as he calmed the disciples fears. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 11 Witer Quarter
120 4 LASTING IMPRESSIONS Daily Challeges Supplies Bible Truth Sleuth Daily Challeges What You ll Do Say: No matter what fears we face, this week let s remember that WE TURN TO JESUS WHEN WE RE AFRAID. Have kids fid this week s Daily Challeges o their Bible Truth Sleuth pages ad choose oe to do this week. They ca choose oe or more of these three optios: Whe you re afraid, write your fear o a sticky ote. The pray to ask for Jesus help with your fear. After you pray, tear the sticky ote ito pieces to show Jesus is helpig you be strog. Write dow why Jesus comforts you each time you re afraid. Help a family member give a fear to Jesus this week. Make sure you choose a Daily Challege as well, ad tell kids what you chose. Kids will be more iclied to follow through o their commitmets whe they see you doig the same. Talk With Kids Lead kids i this discussio. What s a practical way you re goig to do your Daily Challege? Iclude a time, a place, ad other ideas. Say: Jesus did t leave the disciples to face their fears aloe. Jesus will be there for you, too, wheever you eed him. Followig through o our Daily Challeges this week will help us remember that WE TURN TO JESUS WHEN WE RE AFRAID. Witer Quarter Lesso 11 Grades 3 & 4
121 Weavig Faith at Home Ecourage kids to talk with their parets about the Daily Challeges they chose ad what they leared about turig to Jesus with fears. Kids ca also do the activities i the HomeCoect sectio of their Bible Truth Sleuth pages with their families. Talk to your Director about emailig the FREE FamilyCoect to all your church s families. Available at group.com/digital. Take a couple of miutes to pray with your kids. Have kids stad i a circle, the say: Thik of a fear or worry you ll face this week at school, at home, or aywhere else. Pause. Keep that fear or worry i mid as we pray ad give it to Jesus. Pray: Dear God, life is scary for us sometimes. Please help us trust you with these fears. Ivite kids to siletly pray about their fears. Thak you, God, for lovig us so much that you ll carry our fears for us. I Jesus ame, ame. Grades 3 & 4 Lesso 11 Witer Quarter