Jesus Walks n Water: Matthew 14:22-33 Lessn Plans WRM Seasn 2 Sessin 3: Mvement & Games, Arts & Crafts, Science Hw t Read This Lessn Plan OVERVIEW SECTION The Overview Sectin is the fundatin f this lessn plan. The questins and activities fr the class that yu will be teaching n Sunday mrning have been based (smetimes lsely) upn what yu read in this sectin. The Overview Sectin is cmpsed f five cmpnents (each cmpnent is underlined in the lessn plan): Hw t Read This Lessn Plan (defines all cmpnents f the lessn plan) Purpse f Sunday Mrning Spiritual Frmatin (a reminder f why we d this) Scripture(s) fr the Sessin (a reminder that the scripture is t be read in every class) Key Verses & Thelgy (backgrund fr teachers t pnder) Themes t Fcus n frm the Scripture (the ideas that the sessin s lessns are based n) The actual lessn is fund in the secnd sectin, The Sunday Mrning Experience Sectin. Think f this sectin as the step-by-step instructin guide t yur Sunday mrning teaching experience. There are fur cmpnents t this sectin (again, each cmpnent is underlined in the actual lessn plan): Preparatin (including supplies needed) Classrm Statement (a brief explanatin f what will be taught/happening in the classrm) Step-by-step prcess f the lessn (including the scripture t be read) Suggested variatins fr age grups (Self-explanatry but nt always applicable) We encurage yu t read the rest f this Overview Sectin befre reading the Sunday Mrning Experience Sectin. Purpse f Sunday Mrning Spiritual Frmatin The purpse f Sunday Mrning Spiritual Frmatin is, with Gd s help and in cmmunity, t hear and interact with the stries f ur faith traditin, t pray, wrship and play tgether, and t equip and supprt the building f relatinships with Gd and with each ther. Scripture(s) fr the Sessin: Matthew 14:22-33 Please READ this alud in every class yu teach. The actual wrds t the scripture can be fund in The Sunday Mrning Experience Sectin: Step-by-Step prcess f the lessn. When reading t the class, please read it frm the lessn plan (nt an actual Bible) as the wrding f the scripture has been mdified t help clarify sme language issues. 1
Key Verses & Thelgy: These are prvided t help the teachers think abut and build a framewrk fr understanding the stry t help in answering sme f the questins that the students might raise in class. 23 And after he had dismissed the crwds, he went up the muntain by himself t pray Jesus had been busy. He had been teaching and healing. And nw ne might think he might want t sleep r relax. But instead Jesus ges t pray. Jesus teaching and healing desn t just happen. It s given t him. And in rder t receive what is being ffered t him, he has t chse t stay fcused n and pen t Gd. Jesus has t pray befre he walks n the water. 30 But when Peter nticed the strng wind and the waves, he became frightened, and beginning t sink, he cried ut, "Lrd, save me!" What s amazing abut this stry is that Peter desn t ntice the strng wind and waves earlier. This scene reminds me a little bit f Wile E. Cyte when he s chasing the Radrunner acrss gaps in the rad. Wile E. Cyte is blivius until it s t late, but he desn t knw that it s t late until he lks dwn. That s when he falls when he lks dwn. S it is with Peter. Once he realizes what s actually happening, then he starts t sink. Last sessin we talked abut the water as a symbl f chas. As lng as Peter is lking t Jesus, then Peter is k. But nce he starts t ntice the chas arund him, then he sinks int it. At first he was paying attentin t his teacher, giving his teacher authrity by being bedient (fllwing Jesus cmmand). Hwever, Peter gets caught up in the chas and then gives the chas his attentin. What we give ur attentin t is what we allw t have authrity ver us. Peter gives the chas authrity and it starts t swallw him. 31 Jesus immediately reached ut his hand and caught Peter, saying t him, "Yu f little faith, why did yu dubt?" Getting swallwed by chas is nt an uncmmn event. The Gd News is that if we are seeking Gd, Gd will send smene t put ut their hand. In this case, Jesus, the abve-chas walker is there t immediately reach ut and catch Peter. Jesus lets Peter fail, but that desn t mean Jesus lets him die. Failure becmes a reminder that we ve let chas vertake ur attentin and that we need t re-fcus n the way that Jesus shws us. Themes t Fcus n frm the Scripture: Themes are prvided t help teachers understand the teaching f the sessin (nt necessarily the class). Smetimes an activity in ne class may nt match up with any f the themes. Immediately: This wrd shws up twice in this stry. In verses 27 and 31. Jesus immediately respnds t the disciples. When they cry ut, he respnds. He is clse by. He des nt delay. There are hwever, levels f Jesus immediacy. In verse 27, Jesus desn t act n r change anything. Instead, he talks and reassures. In verse 31, Jesus acts. He reaches ut and catches Peter. But in bth instances, Jesus is at the ready. The disciples are nt alne and Jesus chses t act in a way that reminds them f this. In verse 32, it says the disciples were saying, Truly yu are the Sn f Gd. As the sn f Gd, Jesus is displaying a characteristic f Gd: That Gd is always at hand. Gd is with us in an immediate way. 2
Authrity: Smene wh we give authrity t is smene we give pwer t. This means we place trust in this persn. Peter in this stry gives pwer t Jesus (places trust in Jesus) and s Jesus cmmands Peter t cme ut and walk n the water. Once Peter in walking n the water then he gets distracted by the strng wind and waves. This distractin keeps him frm chsing ne authrity ver the ther, s he sinks int the distractin and chas. He is n lnger walking n tp f the chas and he is nt drwning in it either, just sinking in. Fear/dubt: But then Peter starts paying attentin t the strng wind and the big waves (verse 30). Peter gets distracted. And in his distractin, he gives the wind and the waves authrity. This then makes him afraid, because the wind and the waves are a threat t Peter. In his fear, Peter begins t sink. But Peter cries ut, and Jesus immediacy makes clear t Peter wh the authrity is, and nce they re in the bat, everyne is naming this authrity they ve seen and they say that Jesus is the Sn f Gd. 3
Jesus Walks n Water: Matthew 14:22-33 WRM S2.Sessin 3: Arts & Crafts Lessn Plan THE SUNDAY MORNING EXPERIENCE SECTION Preparatin Print ut this lessn plan and bring it with yu n the Sunday Mrnings yu are teaching Arrive at pre-arranged time t jin ther teachers, shepherds and staff fr an pening prayer. Supplies Needed: cpies f template, scissrs, glue, crayns, clred pencils, blue-clred cnstructin paper, drinking straw and masking tape. Classrm Statement This Arts & Crafts class cnsists f the reading f the stry f Jesus walking n water and then a craft that re-creates the scene f Jesus walking n the water and allws fr sme mvement f the Jesus character. Step-by-Step Prcess f Lessn Shepherd cmes in with students SHEPHERD ASKS Questin f the Day. INTRODUCE yurself Hi, my name is and I want yu call me (tell the students hw they may address yu). PRAY (Shrt and simple is perfect) Gd, thank yu fr this day and fr each ther. We need yur help. Help us t learn abut yu this day. Amen. TELL In the stry we re ging t read, Peter walks n water and then desn t walk n water. As I read the stry t yu, listen fr what Peter des that causes him t start sinking. READ Matthew 14 22 Immediately after feeding the 5000 Jesus made the disciples get int the bat and g n ahead t the ther side, while he dismissed the crwds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crwds, he went up the muntain by himself t pray. When evening came, he was there alne, 24 but by this time the bat, battered by the waves, was far frm the land, fr the wind was against them. 25 And early in the mrning he came walking tward them n the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking n the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghst!" And they cried ut in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus 4
spke t them and said, "Take heart, it is I; d nt be afraid." 28 Peter answered him, "Lrd, if it is yu, cmmand me t cme t yu n the water." 29 He said, "Cme." S Peter gt ut f the bat, started walking n the water, and came tward Jesus. 30 But when he nticed the strng wind and the waves, he became frightened, and beginning t sink, he cried ut, "Lrd, save me!" 31 Jesus immediately reached ut his hand and caught Peter, saying t him, "Yu f little faith, why did yu dubt?" 32 When they gt int the bat, the wind ceased. 33 And thse in the bat wrshiped him, saying, "Truly yu are the Sn f Gd." ASK S what did Peter see that caused him t sink? (wind and waves) What d yu think Peter shuld ve lked at if he wanted t stay aflat? (Jesus) TELL We re ging t d a craft where we make a picture f Jesus walking n water. And in that picture, we ll be able t mve Jesus back and frth s that it lks like he s actually walking. And in the tp left crner, we ll have a reminder t d what Peter frgt t d in the stry: Remember t keep lking at Jesus, even when there are ther things trying t get ur attentin. EXPLAIN & DO Craft Activity Actual Craft and templates frm: http://www.dltk-bible.cm/crafts/mjesusnwater.htm Directins: Clr pieces in template as apprpriate. Cut ut the template pieces. Fr yunger children, there s a circle shape behind Jesus' head and arms t make it easier fr them t cut ut. 5
INSTRUCTIONS - TEMPLATE 2 (the bat): Cut ut the pieces alng the SOLID lines Fld the shapes in half. Glue the shapes clsed INSTRUCTIONS - COMPLETING THE PICTURE: Glue the "Keep Yur Eyes n Jesus" clud t the tp left crner f the blue cnstructin paper Glue the larger strip f waves t the bttm f the paper. Assemble the bat n the bttm right crner f the paper, s it sits in the waves: The half circle is the bdy f the bat The rectangle is the mast The tw rectangles are the sails OPTIONAL: T make Jesus a puppet that can walk n the water: Cut a slit in the paper abut 3 inches lng, abut 1" frm the bttm f the page Tape a drinking straw nt the back f the Jesus figure Slip the straw thrugh the slit. Once we glue the secnd waves ver tp, the Jesus figure will be able t walk alng the water. Put a rlled up piece f masking tape n the back f the prject, under the drinking straw, t hld it in place when yu aren't using it as a puppet. Yu can trim the straw a bit shrter if yu like. 6
the light blue line shws where yu wuld cut the slit in the paper. Glue the secnd set f waves ver tp, s it's lined up with the bttm. Just put the glue in a thin line n the very bttm f this piece s yu dn't glue ver the puppet slit. the glue wuld g alng the blue line in the image abve CLEAN UP DISMISS FOR SINGING 7
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