Saturday, May 2, 2015

May 3: Do You Believe? (John 12:37-50)

May 3: Do You Believe? (John 12:37-50)

Supplies:
Index cards
Large graph (on bulletin board or on the floor with two columns: “Believe” and “Don’t Believe”
List of things to write on cards
“I believe” pattern copied on cardstock for each child
1 craft needle for each child
Various colors of yarn

Activity Before Story:
            Have kids arrange index cards on the large graph based on whether or not they believe the object/creature on the card exists. Discuss how some things are hard to know, some things we’ve never heard of, and still others are easy to figure out.

Story:
Although Jesus performed many miracles, many people did not believe in Him. Other people believed that He was God’s Son, but they would not admit it because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus told the people that if they believed in Him, then they believe in God.
He said, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world. Everyone who trusts Me will no longer remain in the darkness.”
            Jesus did not come to earth to be angry and force everyone to believe. God wants us to have a choice. He said, “If anyone hears Me and does not obey, you will one day be judged by God.” 

Summary & Questions:
            Jesus said that if the people believed in Him, then they believed in God. Not everyone believed in Him, and some did but wouldn’t admit it. What did he say that He was like? By “shining” in this dark world, Jesus said that we would no longer be in the darkness. Darkness is like sin and unbelief. Would you rather be on God’s “good” side or “bad”? Did Jesus come to be angry and force everyone to believe in Him? God wants us to have a choice. What will happen to the people that hear Him and don’t believe? What about the people who wouldn’t admit they believed?

Activity After Story:
            Allow students to use craft needles and yarn to sew “I believe” onto the cardstock pattern. Allow students to color their pictures when finished.


Here are some suggestions:
Yes, they exist or did at one time
Mummies (Ancient Egypt and other civilizations mummified dead bodies)
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Buffalo (Animals once hunted in the wild-west, they are now endangered but can sometimes be found in zoos or in the plains states.)
Quagga (an African zebra-hybid which became extinct in the 1880s)
Vegetarians (the word for people who do not eat meat)
Thylacine (Another name for the Tazmanian Tiger which became extinct in the early 20th century)
Wooly Mammoth
Smilodon (Also called a Sabre-Toothed Tiger)
Dodo Bird
Samoyed (A breed of dogs with big white fluffy coats)

No such thing exists           
Leprechauns
Vampires
Hefalumps (As seen on Winnie the Pooh)
BigFoot
Unicorns
Pokemon
Yeti
Sasquatch
El Chupacabra (A pretend animal in Mexico that eats goats)
Trolls
Mermaids
Elves
Cat-in-the-Hat
Godzilla
Frankenstein
Fairies
Klingons (From the tv show Star Trek)
Loch-Ness Monster























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