As kids leave, ask them what’s on their bookmark!

Connect Time (15 minutes): Five minutes after the service begins, split kids into groups and begin their activity. Large Group (30 minutes): Begin 20 minutes after the service starts. Model what it looks like to be engaged in large group. Small Group (15 minutes): Keep kids in small groups until parents arrive. If you all have extra time at the end, you can review the video and songs together.

Connect before you correct! When it becomes necessary to discipline kids because of their behavior, connect with them on a personal level before you correct them. Building relationships with kids is the most important, and effective part of managing their behavior.

Today we’re hearing about one of Jesus’ most well-known sermons: the Sermon on the Mount! But instead of just focusing on what he said, we’ll focus on what he DID afterward. We’ll see how Jesus met people up close and personal, and gave them the kind of comfort that only God can provide.

When you meet God, you find comfort.Matthew 8; Jeremiah 29:13

Sermon on the mountOctober 15-16, 2016

GOAL: Connect Time is all about engaging kids in an activity that allows them to connect with each other right away while simultaneously piquing their curiosity for Large Group and preparing their minds for what they’re going to hear.

SETTINGS FOR A STORY● Divide kids into 4 groups and give each group a large piece of tear-off paper

(Make sure the paper is big enough for everyone in the group to draw on. If you need multiple pieces of paper, that’s okay.) Set out markers.

● Assign each group one of the following images to draw:○ A mountain○ A city○ A house○ A ship on a sea

● Each group can draw one giant image together, or they all draw their own individual versions of the image. Whatever works best for the group.

● Ask these questions to help kids get creative, and think about all the aspects of the image they were assigned:

○ What is the landscape like? ○ Are there people or animals in the picture?○ If you were really at this location, what are all the little details you would see?

● After kids are done, tape the images up in 4 different locations in the area that Large Group will be taught (They can be hung on walls, windows, etc. Just make sure they are clearly in different locations around the room, and can be reached during Large Group.)

TALK ABOUT IT● What’s your favorite place that you’ve ever visited?● What comes to mind when you think of the word “comfort”?

Before you go to Large Group, you can ask kids how their week went. You can also remind kids of the expectations for Large Group behavior: (1) be kind, (2) listen when somebody speaks, and (3) follow the leader’s instructions.

Goal: Kids will (1) recognize that Jesus healed and comforted real people in real places, (2) understand that Jesus wants to meet us in a real way, and (3) identify how we can find comfort from Jesus.

Why? It’s important to understand that Jesus healed people and performed miracles not just to fix physical problems, but to help comfort and heal people emotionally as well! He wants us to have the kind of peace that only the Holy Spirit can provide.

Tip: If you’re running short on time, just ask a few of the questions to review the story, then move on to bookmark activity.

REVIEW THE STORY● Split your group into two teams.● Give each team a set of word cards.● Tell kids to shuffle their cards, and then spread them in an open area, face up. Each

card has a different word or phrase on it, like “humble”, or “healed the leper.”● Whenever you ask a question, kids have to try and pick out only the cards that

apply to the question, while setting the rest of the cards aside. For example, if you ask, “What kind of people will be rewarded in heaven?” kids should pick out all the cards that they think describe the kind of people who will be rewarded in heaven.

● Ask the following questions and let kids try to pick out the correct cards as fast as they can:

a. What kinds of people will be rewarded in heaven?b. What kinds of things will NOT be rewarded in heaven?c. What do you think people felt when they were sick, in pain, or in the middle of

the scary storm?d. What do you think people felt after Jesus healed them/calmed the storm?

● Gather up the word cards, then ask kids what ways they’ve received comfort from their friends or family.

MAKE IT PERSONAL● Set out markers and give each kid a verse bookmark. Have them turn it to the side

with 3 blank circles.● Tell kids that we can comfort others, just like Jesus comforts us. Think of one way

you could comfort someone, and then write it in the first circle. Then pass it to the person on your right.

(Continued on next page.)

● Now everyone should have a new bookmark. Tell kids to think of a second way to comfort someone, and write it in the second circle on the bookmark. Then pass it to your right again.

● Everyone should now have a new bookmark, again. Think of a third way to comfort someone, and write it in the third circle on the bookmark. Then pass it to your right, one last time.

● Everyone should now have a new bookmark with 3 different suggestions of how to comfort someone. This is the one they’ll keep and take home.

● On the other side of the bookmark is today’s verse. Read it together: Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

● Kids can use this as a bookmark, or they can hang it up somewhere they’ll see often. The verse reminds us that when we seek God with our whole heart, we’ll find him!

Extra time? Play “Would you rather?” Have kids gather in an open area, and answer the following questions by moving to one side of the room (Make sure to point to the side of the room that goes with each choice.)

“Would you rather...”● Eat crickets or worms?● Swim in jelly or peanut butter?● Climb the tallest mountain in the world, or scuba dive to the deepest part of the

ocean?● Be a cat or a dog?● Be able to be invisible, or be able to fly?

Today’s script calls for some movement on your part. You’ll be teaching from 4 different locations around the room–the 4 different places that the images from Connect Time are hung! Each picture goes along with a specific part of today’s story (Make sure to encourage kids by pointing out how great the pictures look when you get to each one, etc.)

There are several short videos today that help add to the sensory experience of the lesson. Instead of just watching them, and then talking after, use some of them as teaching “backdrops,” and talk while the video plays!

*Click to play intro music.● Welcome: Hi everybody! Welcome to Kids’ Club. We’re so

glad to have you here! ● Say: Excellent job drawing those pictures in Connect Time,

now we can admire them as they hang up! We’ll actually be using these pictures during today’s story. They all have something in common...does anybody know what it might be? Go ahead and guess! (Let kids respond with varying answers, and act like any of their suggestions could be plausible.)

● Say: Great guesses! But the real thing they all have in common is that Jesus healed and brought comfort to real people at all 4 of these places!

● Ask: We’re going to talk more about that in a minute, but first, what do you think it means to give comfort to someone? (Let kids respond.)

● Say: Yeah, it’s basically when you help someone feel at peace, so that they’re not stressed, worried, or afraid.

● Ask: What are some times in your life when you might need someone to give YOU comfort? (Let several kids respond with varying answers.) Yeah, maybe when you’re really sad about something, or you’re going through a hard time. Maybe when you’re sick, or lonely.

WELCOME AND WORSHIP

Main Goal: Review Connect Time and actively worship.

Notes:

WE ALL NEED COMFORT

Main Goal: Use a video clip to illustrate why we need comfort sometimes.

Notes:

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Main Goal: Show kids where Jesus preached, and help them visualize Galilee.

Notes:

● Say: We all experience times like that, when we want to feel better, or have more joy. Let’s watch a short video clip from the movie Inside Out, and see someone who really needs comforting.

● Video: Inside Out / Sadness Comforts Bing Bong● Ask: So why did the pink guy, Bing Bong, need some

comforting? (Let kids respond.) Yeah, he was really sad because he lost all that stuff that reminded him of Riley. What did the blue girl, Sadness, do to help him? (Let kids respond.) Yep, she just listened to him, and let him talk about how he felt.

● Say: Today we’re going to talk about how God does the same thing. When we meet God, we find comfort and peace when we most need it.

● Say: We’ve been talking about people who met God and experienced him up close, like Elijah. Elijah was a part of God’s family, the Israelites, and they waited a really long time for a rescuer to come and save them from all the wrong things in the world. Who was that rescuer? (Let kids respond.) Yep, Jesus!

● Say: Our story today picks up after Jesus came to the world, when he was living in a place called Galilee.

● (Click to show image of Galilee map.) See that little red arrow? It’s pointing to the Sea of Galilee, which is really important to today’s story. It’s next to a small mountain where Jesus preached to a large crowd of people.

● Video: Mount of Beatitudes - This is the actual hill that Jesus stood on when he preached! It’s still there, right next to the Sea of Galilee. The cool thing is that when you speak in certain places on this mount, the surrounding hills carry your voice all around, so that hundreds or thousands of people could hear you speak. That’s how it was when Jesus spoke.

● Say: We’re going to watch a video now about what Jesus preached about. Pay attention to what he tells people to do, but even more importantly, pay attention to what he actually DOES after he preaches!

● Video: God’s Story / Sermon on the Mount● Say: So what did Jesus talk about in the Sermon on the

Mount? (Let kids respond.) Yeah, he spoke about how we should live and act, and how we should treat others.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT (Cont.)

JESUS HEALS THE LEPER

Main Goal: Make your first stop at the “mountain” poster from Connect Time, and show kids how Jesus healed a leper through touch!

Notes:

JESUS HELPS A SOLDIER

Main Goal: Show how Jesus healed the servant of a soldier, and showed that he can be real, even from far away!

Notes:

● Ask: Jesus didn’t just talk in that story, did he? What did he do after he preached? (Let kids respond.) Yep, he went out and did some amazing miracles. He healed people and comforted them. He showed them that he is real, and he has God’s real power inside of him.

● Say: Let’s go over here to the mountain picture that some of you made in Connect Time. (Move to the mountain picture hanging up, and have kids turn to face it.) This is where Jesus did his first miracle after preaching. He was walking down the mount where he gave his sermon, when a man with leprosy came up to him.

● Say: This was a HUGE deal, because if you had leprosy, it meant that no one could touch you, because then they would get leprosy too. But what did Jesus do? (Let kids respond.) Yep, he physically touched the man, and healed him! Can you imagine seeing that happen up close? It would be mind blowing!

● Say: Everybody close your eyes. (Let kids respond.) Now take your hand, and touch one of your arms. (Let kids respond.) Imagine that Jesus is touching you instead. Imagine that Jesus is healing you of sickness, or pain, or sadness, just by touching you. (Give kids a few moments.) Okay, open your eyes.

● Ask: How would you feel if you were that man, and Jesus touched you when no one else would? (Let kids respond.) Great answers! Do you think he felt comforted? (Let kids respond.) I’m sure he did! Jesus didn’t just heal him, he brought him peace and comfort in a REAL way.

● Say: Now let’s move onto our next picture, the city of Capernaum! (Move to the city picture hanging up, and have kids turn to face it.)

● Say: This was where Jesus went next. Capernaum was a really old city, and there were a lot of people there who didn’t believe in God. But Jesus still spent a lot of time there, because he wanted to be close to people, and show them love, even if they didn’t know God.

● Video: Capernaum city - This is what Capernaum looks like today, it’s still standing!

● Ask: Do you remember who came up to Jesus when he got to the city? (Let kids respond.) Yep, a soldier walked up and asked Jesus to heal his servant.

● Say: Back then, this would have been really strange, because most Roman soldiers didn’t follow God, and would never believe that Jesus could heal. But this soldier did! And because of that, Jesus was able to heal his servant without even being near him!

● Say: Once again, Jesus showed that he has real power, and he wants to use it to comfort us, and bring us relief from pain and hurt.

● Say: Remember, the city Jesus was in was called “Capernaum,” and that name is actually pretty special. Let’s try to guess it now!

● (Click to show image of guesses.) Does it mean….a. City of Cheese b. Village of the Comforterc. Town of Soldiers

● Say: The answer is… Village of the Comforter! And guess what, it was named that hundreds of years before Jesus lived! And then when Jesus came, he spent a lot of time bringing comfort and healing to people there.

● Say: Let’s move on to Peter’s house, which is where Jesus went next. (Move to the house picture hanging up, and have kids turn to face it.)

● Ask: What did Jesus do here? (Let kids respond.) Yep, he touched Peter’s mother-in-law, and she was healed of sickness! Then he healed a bunch of other people too. He showed a whole town of people that he was the real deal, and he meant every word that spoke up on the mount.

● Say: We’ve got one more location to visit today...the Sea of Galilee! (Move to the sea picture hanging up, and have kids turn to face it. Talk while playing the following video on loop for a few minutes.)

● Video: Sea of Galilee● Say: Now after a full day of preaching, traveling and

healing people, Jesus was probably pretty tired. He and his disciples got onto a boat, maybe to relax and take a break. (Make your way back to the presentation area while the video continues to play.)

JESUS HELPS A SOLDIER

Main Goal: Show how Jesus healed the servant of a soldier, and showed that he can be real, even from far away!

Notes:

JESUS HEALS AT PETER’S HOUSE

Main Goal: See how Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law, as well as a whole group of people!

JESUS CALMS THE STORM

Main Goal: Visualize what it was like when Jesus calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

● Say: This video is the REAL Sea of Galilee! It’s where Jesus and his disciples actually took their boat, and where a terrible storm suddenly appeared. (Keep talking while playing the following video for as long as you want.)

● Loop: Stormy Sea● Ask: What was Jesus doing while it was thundering and

lightning and huge waves were rocking the boat? (Let kids respond.) Yep, taking a nap! Can you believe it?

● Say: Back then, they probably didn’t have lifeboats, or floaties on board, and ship wrecks happened a lot. We probably would have felt like the disciples, and been really scared. What did they do? (Let kids respond.) They woke Jesus up and said, “Save us! We’re going to drown!”

● Ask: Was Jesus worried about the storm? (Let kids respond.) Not one bit. Do you remember what he said to the disciples when they woke him? (Let kids respond.) Yeah, he asked why they were afraid! He said they didn’t need to worry at all, and they should trust him. And then...

● Video: Sea of Galilee● Say: (Talk while video plays in the background.) He

calmed the sea just by telling it to stop. He showed his power all day long by healing people, and now he showed that he could even tell a storm to stop, and it would! This was just one more way Jesus showed everyone that he can bring comfort no matter what. Even if you’re in the middle of a huge, terrifying storm.

● Say: Jesus didn’t just spend his life preaching...he spent his life DOING. He showed people he was real by bringing them comfort, relief and peace. He took away people’s worries, fear and pain, and he wants to do the same for us. Let’s look at the verse we’re learning this month. It’s Jeremiah 29:13:

● Slide: Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

● Say: Let’s seek Jesus right now. Close your eyes and think of one thing that makes you worried, afraid, or sad. (Let kids think for a few moments.) Now silently ask Jesus to give you comfort through that hard thing you’re experiencing. Just ask him in your head. (Let kids respond, then lead into prayer.)

JESUS CALMS THE STORM (Cont.)

Main Goal: Visualize what it was like when Jesus calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Notes:

RESPONSE TIME

Main Goal: Let kids actively respond to the Holy Spirit.

Notes:

● Pray: God, we need you to help us when we’re worried or afraid. We need you to comfort us, and help put our minds at ease. We trust and love you. Thanks you for meeting us today. Amen!

● Say: Now let’s worship Jesus and celebrate how he loves us SO much, that he wants to comfort us through anything.

● Music Video: Trust in the Lord● Music Video: Do Like You Do

Dismiss kids to small groups.

PRAYER AND WORSHIP

Main Goal: Close the lesson with prayer and worship.

Notes:

What did Jesus preach about?How can God give us comfort?

1. Song slide: for when kids enter the room (All that You Need instrumental; mp3 only; can be downloaded on website)2. Video: Inside Out / Sadness Comforts Bing Bong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NScQfESdCaA) 3. Image: Galilee Map4. Video: Mount of Beatitudes (1:35-1:50; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2IH_bync4w; no sound) 5. Video: God’s Story / Sermon on the Mount (https://vimeo.com/181073391) 6. Video: Capernaum City (2:10-2:2:50; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMlDxWT-tH8; no sound) 7. Slide: Guesses

a. City of Cheeseb. Village of the Comforterc. Town of Soldiers

8. Video: Sea of Galilee (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpSok71TwBg; cover with this sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK-X7Imb6PI)

9. Loop: Stormy Sea Loop (KC/SM videos media songs>loop; Cover with this sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10rH37YYvKU; make repeating)

10. Video: Sea of Galilee (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpSok71TwBg; cover with this sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK-X7Imb6PI)

11. Slide: Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.12. Music Video: Trust in the Lord (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goc2k9Qe-eo&feature=youtu.be) 13. Music Video: Do Like You Do (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sHn7mvw-7s&feature=youtu.be)

Per group: Markers, 2 sets of word cards; each set has 18 words (print on colored paper, cut, pages 12-29)

Per kid: 1 verse bookmark (Double sided, 4 color images per 8.5x11 cardstock; Pages 31-32)

Per room: four pieces of tear off paper, masking tape Per kid: Markers

Per Group: Bible

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