OBJECTIVE: Kids will learn that Jesus is alive and they can know him personally.

LESSON SNAPSHOT BOTTOM LINE: Jesus has risen from the dead. OBJECTIVE: Kids will learn that Jesus is alive and they can know him personally. KEY PASSAGE: John 20:1-18, The Empty Tomb MEMORY VERSE: Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV) SUMMARY: Seashells wash up on the beach and are a beautiful reminder of the animal life that once lived inside of it. Kids will learn the empty grave reminds us that Jesus came back to life, conquering death. SIMPLE PRAYER: Dear God, Thank for you sending us Jesus and giving us eternal life. In Jesus name, Amen

MEMORY VERSE Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV) Not even the highest places or the lowest, or anything else in all creation can separate us. Nothing at all can ever separate us from God s love, because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done. Romans 8:39 (NIRV) LARGE GROUP: Split the main group in two. See which group can recite the memory verse from memory the loudest. SMALL GROUP: Without putting the verse on display or looking it up, see how many kids can recite the memory verse.

SKIT EMPTY SHELL ITEMS NEEDED: None CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: 2 Men CHARACTERS: Captain Nemo - The ship s captain Gil - The ship s pilot Gil and Nemo enter. NEMO: I can t believe it. My ship. My beautiful ship. GIL: I m sorry, Captain. NEMO: She was a great vessel, Gil. Best ship I ever had. And now, look at her. Look at her, Gil! GIL: I m looking, captain. NEMO: I knew I should have replaced that faulty compass. It s all my fault. GIL: Well, not all your fault. I m sure the rock we hit had something to do with it. NEMO: Look at her, Gil. GIL: Still looking. NEMO: She s got a hole. She s nothing but an empty shell. Like all these darn seashells. They used to be homes to creatures of the sea just like me. Now look at them! GIL: Looking, sir! NEMO: Have you ever seen something so sad?

SKIT GIL: All due respect, Captain, I don t think it s such a sad sight. NEMO: You don t? GIL: Do you know what I see when I look at this clam shell? NEMO: Something that GIL: And no, it s not something that used to hold something that would taste good with lemon butter. NEMO: Then I have no idea. GIL: It s a reminder of the empty tomb. There was a tomb near the city of Jerusa lem that was filled one Friday afternoon by my Savior, Jesus. He died on a cross for my sins and yours, and on Sunday morning, he walked out of that tomb alive. Jesus is alive, Captain. That s what I see in the empty shell, and that is a very happy thing indeed! NEMO: You know, Gil, you re right. Okay, so I crashed my boat. So it s all my fault. I have a Savior who is alive! GIL: Yes you do! NEMO: And if I spend the rest of my life on an uncharted desert isle, I will still have Jesus. GIL: Sir, this isn t an uncharted desert isle. It s Galveston, Texas. NEMO: It is? GIL: Yes! NEMO: Oh thank goodness! We re saved! And we re in Texas. Let s get some Mexican food, Gil! There is no Mexican food better anywhere than in Texas. GIL: What about in Mexico? NEMO: Just go, Gil! GIL: Going! Gil and Nemo exit.

OBJECT LESSON OR KIDS SERMON ITEMS NEEDED: Seashells Share a few large seashells with the kids. If possible, look up the shells and print off photos showing the creatures that used to inhabit those shells. Seashells make great collectables. They re a beautiful reminder of the fun times we had at the beach. When you see a seashell, you re taken out of your daily habits and swept back to the beach where you found the shell. Seashells can be a source of joy in another way. Seashells are empty homes once occupied by sea creatures. Those creatures died or moved on to another shell, leaving an empty space in their wake. Seashells can remind us of another empty place - the empty tomb. Jesus was in that tomb less than three days before God raised him from the dead. Because Jesus lives, we can have eternal life and life more abundant on Earth. Seashells are empty, just like the empty tomb. Jesus is not dead; he is alive. When you see seashells, remember that something once lived inside. Remember, too, that Jesus left an empty tomb behind when he was raised from the dead.

LARGE GROUP GAME EMPTY ITEMS NEEDED: A table Three Solo cups with water A large bucket Tennis balls INSTRUCTIONS: Set the bucket under the end of the table. Set the three Solo cups on the edge of the table. Choose one player for this game. The player has 60 seconds to roll, bounce, or throw the tennis balls at the cups in an attempt to spill their contents into the bucket below. If they can get all 3 cups to spill off the table into the bucket before time runs out, they win. VARIATION: You can add more cups for older kids or cut back to two or one cups for little kids. You can also use something like cereal instead of water if you are concerned about water spilling on the floor. WHAT S THE POINT? The tomb is empty; Jesus is alive.

LARGE GROUP LESSON BOTTOM LINE: Jesus has risen from the dead. OBJECTIVE: Kids will learn that Jesus is alive and they can know him personally. KEY PASSAGE: John 20:1-18, The Empty Tomb INTRO: If you ever go to the beach, you can take a boat ride out into the ocean and see dolphins swimming in the waves, but you can t take a dolphin home with you. You can also take boat rides in some places to see whales - humpbacks, orcas, and even the blue whale. But you can t take a whale home. You can see sea lions on the beach, but you can t take one home. You can see coral and sponges, but you can t take them home. You can see jellyfish too, but you can t take them home, and you probably shouldn t try! You can t take the creatures of the sea with you. They belong in the sea. But some creatures leave things we can take as souvenirs: their shells. All sorts of creatures of the sea live their lives in shells: clams, oysters, mussels, snails, the conch, the nautilus. Some live in big shells, others tiny shells. Every shell is unique, and most shells are beautiful. Shells on the beach almost always have one thing in common: they are empty. By the time they reach the beach, the creature who lived inside has either moved on, been eaten, or otherwise died. There s no creature inside, which is a good thing because, as we already said, you can t take the creatures of the sea with you. But you can take their shells as a reminder of the fun times you had on the beach. Empty seashells can also be a great reminder of the one thing that makes being a Christian so special. Every Easter, we celebrate and empty shell : the tomb where Jesus was laid to rest. On the day we call Good Friday, Jesus was tried, convicted, and sentenced to die a cruel death on the cross. He did nothing to deserve death; in fact he was without sin.

LARGE GROUP LESSON But three days later, Jesus left that tomb as empty as a seashell. Jesus is not dead; he is alive! READ JOHN 20:1-18 MAIN POINT: Mary Magdalene was there when Jesus died. She saw his lifeless body come down from the cross, and she saw him laid in the tomb. Mary did not expect to find an angel or an empty tomb, and she couldn t believe it when she did. Mary was not only first to see the empty tomb, but first to see the man who walked out of the tomb. She was the first to truly understand why Jesus had come to Earth. Jesus is alive, and Jesus alone has the power to forgive our sins. Because Jesus lives, we can have eternal life and a new life here on Earth. Empty shells are a reminder that the tomb of Jesus is empty. Because Jesus is alive, we can have a new life. DRIVE IT HOME: When we come to church each week, we don t sing praise songs about a man who once lived. We sing songs to a risen Savior. Jesus sits by God s right hand, and one day, he is returning to claim his own. All those who believe in Jesus will have a chance to live forever with him and his Heavenly Father in Heaven. The invitation is open for everyone to meet Jesus and receive the gift of eternal life. We ve learned a lot in the last few months about life under the sea, and we ve learned a lot about Jesus. We know God loves us and God is always looking out for us. We know God can protect us from harm, and we know God can use anyone, even kids, to do great things. God is able to do all this and more thanks to the empty tomb. Because of Jesus we can know God personally. We can have a personal relationship through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells inside us, in our hearts, and through the Spirit, we get to know the Lord and know his will for our lives. Of all the scriptures in the Bible, of all the lessons to be learned, this is the one that matters most: Jesus is not dead. He is not in the tomb. The tomb is empty, and Jesus is alive. If you ve never given your heart to Jesus, now is the time! Jesus is waiting to send his Spirit and begin a personal walk with you. It s your decision, and it s the best decision you could ever make.

LARGE GROUP LESSON The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. Invite him to fill the emptiness in your heart today. CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER: Dear God, Thank for you sending us Jesus and giving us eternal life. In Jesus name, Amen

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND) ICEBREAKER: Do any of you collect shells? If not, what do you collect? MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY: Romans 8:39 Without putting the verse on display or looking it up, see how many kids can recite the memory verse. SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY: Have the kids take turns pretending to be Mary Magdalene or one of the disciples learning that Jesus is alive. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Read John 20:1-18 Who was the first person to go to the tomb? What did Mary Magdalene see when she went to the tomb? Whom did Mary Magdalene tell about the empty tomb? Who was first to see Jesus alive? Why do seashells remind us of Jesus? SIMPLE PRAYER: Dear God, Thank you for raising Jesus from the dead so we can live forever with you! In Jesus name, Amen

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3-5TH) ICEBREAKER: Do any of you collect shells? If not, what do you collect? MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY: Romans 8:39 Without putting the verse on display or looking it up, see how many kids can recite the memory verse. SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY: Have the kids make up a skit and act out today s Bible story. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Read John 20:1-18 What did Mary Magdalene see when she went to the tomb? Who was first to see Jesus alive? Why did Jesus have to die? Why is it important that Jesus is alive and his tomb is empty? How can we receive Jesus as our Savior? SIMPLE PRAYER: Dear God, Thank you for raising Jesus from the dead so we can live forever with you! In Jesus name, Amen

POWERPOINT REVIEW GAME TRUE OR FALSE Peter and John were the first to visit the tomb of Jesus. FALSE When Mary Magdalene arrived, the stone had already been rolled away. TRUE Mary knew immediately that Jesus was alive. FALSE Mary ran to tell the others that Jesus was alive after she saw him. TRUE Because Jesus lives, we can have new life on Earth as well as in Heaven. TRUE

5 Simple Ways You Can Make This Lesson Stick With Your Kids THIS WEEK S LESSON: SEASHELLS IN THE CAR: Ask your child what they learned about this week on the drive home: Today we talked about seashells and the empty tomb. Seashells are empty because the creatures who lived in them have died or moved on. The tomb is empty because Jesus is alive! John 20:1-18, The Empty Tomb HANGING OUT: Make this week s lesson real: Look for empty nests, empty shells, and other empty things in nature this week. Ask the kids why it matters that Jesus tomb is empty. AT DINNER: Here are some great discussion starters: - What did Mary and the disciples see when they went to Jesus tomb on Easter Sunday? - Why is Jesus s tomb empty? - What can Jesus give us because he died and rose again? AT BEDTIME: Quiz your child on this week s memory verse: Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV) PARENT TIME: What you need to know: Our God is not dead; He is alive, and his tomb is empty. This is the turning point of the love story we call the Bible, the moment when God is finally able to bridge the gap with his fallen Creation. Thank God for sending Jesus to die for our sins, and pray our kids will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:39 (NIV) Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:39 (NIV) Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:39 (NIV) Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:39 (NIV) CUT ON DASHED LINE

CRAFT ACTIVITY Have the kids decorate sea shells and write the words "Jesus Is Alive" on their shells as a reminder of today's lesson.