Free Bible School Materials

Coin in the Fish's Mouth Preschool Lesson

Monday:	Coin in the Fish's Mouth
Story Passage:	Matthew 17: 24-27
Other Passages:
Objective:	Jesus is God
Visuals:	Available

Introduction: Temple Tax

Some tax collectors, who didn't like Jesus and were trying to cause trouble, came to Peter and asked, Does Jesus pay the temple tax? Peter said, Yes, he does.

Then Peter went into the house where Jesus was. Jesus had not heard what they were talking about outside, but he knew, because he is God and knows everything. He asked Peter a question. He asked, Do kings collect taxes from their sons, or from other people? Peter said, From other people, not their sons. Now Jesus is God's son, and the temple is God's house, so Jesus didn't need to pay the temple tax. But Jesus told Peter, So that we won't upset people, I'll pay the tax.

Explanation: Fishing

Have you ever gone fishing with mom or dad or grandpa? What's fishing? [Accept some answers.] What do you take with you? [Accept some answers.] What do you expect to catch? (Fish, hopefully.) Did you know, some of Jesus' disciples were fishermen? That means, they caught fish for a living. That was their job. That was what they did all day before they met Jesus.

Main Story: The Fish and the Coin

So when it came time to pay the temple tax, Jesus told Peter, who was a fisherman before he followed Jesus, Go to the lake and throw out your (fishing) line. Take the first fish you catch, open its mouth and you will find a coin.

Peter went and did just what Jesus said to do. He went to the lake and threw in his fishing line. When he caught the first fish and opened its mouth, what do you think he found? Yes, a coin. And it was just enough to pay the tax for Jesus and Peter. So Peter went and paid the tax.

Now, how did Jesus know the money would be there? (Allow the kids to answer. If they say he hid it there, say no, etc.) Jesus knew the money would be there because Jesus is God, and God knows everything. Jesus could do things nobody else could do. Do you think Peter told his friends what happened?

Copyright © 2004—2007, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Sign of Jonah: Teen Version

Tuesday:	The Sign of Jonah
Main Passages:	Jonah 1-3; Matthew 12:38-41
Other Passages:	Matt 27:59-63, Luke 24:5-6, Romans 3:23, 6:23, Hebrews 9:11-23
Objective:	Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin.
Memory Verse:	Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Introduction: Jonah

God told the prophet Jonah, Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. Jonah ran away from God and got on a ship sailing in the other direction. (Bad idea.) He told the sailors he was running away from God, but God sent a great storm. The sailors were afraid they would sink, and they prayed, but the storm only got worse. They threw things off the ship to make it lighter, but that didn't help, so they asked Jonah what to do. Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and it will become calm. When they threw him in, the storm stopped. Of course, God didn't leave Jonah in the water: Jonah spent three days and three nights inside a big fish, praying, and he repented, and the fish spit him out on the land. God helped Jonah change his mind.

First Point: Repentance

What does it mean to repent? (To change your mind and behavior.) Why did Jonah need to repent? (Because he wasn't doing what God said.) When Jonah repented, God forgave him. Jonah still didn't want to go to Nineveh, but he did go, and he preached the message that God gave him: he declared that the city would be destroyed. The people believed God and repented. The king told everyone to stop their wickedness and to pray to God for forgiveness. (Good idea!) God saw that they repented, and he didn't destroy the city.

Why did the people of Nineveh need to repent? They were violently wicked. They did things like kill the babies, deport entire populations and scatter them to places where they didn't speak the local language, build living people into their city walls... Overall they were cruel. They also worshiped false gods. Why did they repent? (Because they believed God.) When they repented, God forgave them. Why? God's like that. [Have a volunteer read Psalm 103:9-12.] The Ninevites feared God's judgment, and they repented, and he spared the city.

Second Point: The Sign

Did you know that Jesus talked about Jonah? He did. One time, some Pharisees came to Jesus and asked to see a miracle. He told them they were wicked, and that the only sign he would give them was the sign of Jonah: Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the big fish, so the Son of Man would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

What does it mean to be in the heart of the earth? When was Jesus in the heart of the earth? (When he was dead. After he was crucified.) Jesus needed to die to pay the penalty for our sins, so that we could be forgiven. Turn to Hebrews 9. [Have volunteers read v.11-23. Discuss as time allows.]

Conclusion: The Gift (optional)

Your memory verse tonight will be Romans 6:23. [Read the verse.]

What are wages? (something you earn) How do you earn death? (sin) What is sin? (anything you do that doesn't meet God's standards) How many people sin and earn death? Since we have earned death, what can we do to let Jesus pay our penalty? (Romans 10:9, confess Jesus is Lord, believe God raised him from the dead.) Is there any other way to escape death? (No, John 14:6)

Invitation: Salvation

[Offer to discuss this further with any teens who need to make a decision.]

The Fish and the Coin

Monday:	The Fish and the Coin
Story Passage:	Matthew 17:24-27
Other Passages:	Matthew 12:1-8, Matthew 22:15-22, John 5:18
Objective:	Jesus is God
Memory Verse:	Matthew 16:16, Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Visuals:	Available

Introductory Drama: Peter remembers spending time with Jesus.

Peter:	Hi, my name is Peter. How many of you have ever heard of a man named Jesus? Well, I was one of Jesus' followers. I remember one time, when the temple tax collectors asked about Jesus' paying the temple tax...
Jesus:	What do you think, Peter? Whom do kings collect taxes from, their own sons, or others?
Peter:	I said, From others.
Jesus:	Then the sons are exempt.
Peter:	Then he told me to go catch a fish, open its mouth, and find a coin to pay the tax for both of us, so that we wouldn't offend the tax collectors.

Discussion: Who is taxed?

Thank you, Peter. Why didn't Jesus have to pay the temple tax? (Because he was God's son.) What does it mean that Jesus was God's son? (It means he was equal with God.)

Story: Lord of the Sabbath

[This can optionally be told from Peter's perspective.]

One time, Jesus and his disciples were walking through a grainfield. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some of the grain. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, Look! Your disciples are picking grain. They're working on the Sabbath. (The Pharisees had a big set of rules about things they thought were too much work to do on the Sabbath, and picking grain was one of them.) But Jesus said, Haven't you read in the law that the priests in the temple work on the Sabbath, but are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here... For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

Main Point: Lordship

What does it mean to be Lord of something? What does it mean for Jesus to be Lord of the Sabbath? (It means he is in charge of it.) Who could be in charge of that? Who could be greater than the temple? (Only God.)

What did Jesus tell Peter to do about the tax? (Caught a fish, opened its mouth, took out a coin, and payed it.) Have any of you ever been fishing? Did you ever find a coin in the mouth of a fish? If you catch a fish, do you usually expect to find a coin? How could Jesus know there would be a coin? (He is God.)

What did Peter use the coin for? (To pay the temple tax.) Why did Jesus pay the temple tax? (So he wouldn't offend the temple tax guys.)

Closing Drama: Title

Jesus:	Who do men say that I am?
Disciple(s):	Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah...
Jesus:	What about you? Who do you say that I am?
Peter:	You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus:	You didn't hear that from men, but from God.

Invitation: Lordship

Invite any children who want to acknowledge Jesus as God and as Lord of their lives to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

Fishers of Men

Friday:	Fishers of Men
Story Passages:	Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 28, Acts 1:6-11
Other Passages:	John 14:1-4, 2 Peter 3:9, Mark 16:15
Objective:	We should share the good news about Jesus with others.
Memory Verse:	Matthew 4:19, Come, Follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.
Visuals:	Available

Introduction: Fishing

Have you ever been fishing for something besides fish? Did you ever lose money behind the couch cushion and had to fish down behind for it? Did you ever have to fish through your backpack to find your homework paper? What does it mean to go fishing for something? Are you always looking for fish?

Story: Fishers of Men

One day, Jesus was walking along beside the sea, and he saw Peter and Andrew out in a boat, fishing, because they were fishermen. Now Peter and Andrew were trying to catch fish -- they were fishing for fish, because that was their job. Jesus said, Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Right away, they got out of their boats and followed him.

Application: Seeking People

What did Jesus mean, when he said he would make them fishers of men? (He meant that instead of trying to get fish, they would be trying to reach people for Jesus.) Why would Jesus call them away from fishing for fish, for food, to fish for people, for Jesus? (Because, people are more important.) Jesus didn't want anyone to die without knowing him. So he called disciples to help him reach other people.

When did these disciples become fishers of men? Did it happen right away?

Story: Great Commission

Right after Jesus died and rose from the dead, some women went looking for him in the tomb, but Jesus wasn't there. An angel, a messenger from God, told them Jesus had risen from the dead, and was going to Galilee to meet the disciples. They met him in Galilee and he said, Go and make disciples of all peoples..., and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Application: Making Disciples

When you fish for men, does Jesus want you to catch them in nets, or on hooks? (No.) What does he mean, then, by fishing for men? Does he want you to just catch them, and then leave them and go away? (No. He wants you to teach them.) What does Jesus want us to teach people? (To obey what he has commanded.) Do we teach people to obey just some of what Jesus commanded? (No, all of it.)

Story: Ascension

After Jesus had been raised for a while and seen by lots of people, he was getting ready to go back to heaven, to make a place for us. But he left instructions for the disciples: You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. Then after he said this, he was taken up into heaven and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Application: Witnesses for Jesus

What does it mean to be a witness? (To show people something.) What were they supposed to show people? (How to live for Jesus.) Where were they supposed to witness for Jesus? (All over the earth.) Where are some places you could witness for Jesus? (School, neighborhood, &c).

When Jesus went up into heaven, the disciples kept watching, even after the cloud hid him, but two men dressed in white came and gave them a message: This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

How long should we keep witnessing for Jesus? (Until he comes back.)

Today's memory verse is Matthew 4:19: Come, Follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.

Invitation: Fishers of Men

[Invite any children who want to talk about becoming fishers of men to stay and discuss it further.]

Following God

Thursday:	Following God
Story Passage:	John 21
Other Passages:	John 15:10, 1^st John 5:3
Objective:	Children should learn stuff.
Memory Verse:	2^nd John 1:6, And this is love: that we walk in obedience to God's commands.
Visuals:	Available

Introduction: ???

[Needed]

Story: Fish in the Morning

After Jesus raised from the dead, he appeared again to his disciples by the sea of Galilee. [Show map.] The disciples were sitting by the sea, and decided to go fishing, since several of them were fishermen. They fished all night and caught nothing. [Show visual.] In the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but they didn't recognise him. He called out, Friends, haven't you caught any fish? No. Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. They did, and the net got so full [show visual] that they were unable to haul it in. John said, It is the Lord! Peter jumped in to swim to shore [show visual], and they followed in the boat. They landed, and Jesus said, Bring some of the fish you have just caught. He had a fire they had fish and bread for breakfast.

Then Jesus talked with them. He talked with Peter and said, Follow me. But Peter saw John and said, What about him? Jesus said, What is that to you? You must follow me.

First Point: Lordship

How could Jesus have known that 153 fish would be on the right side of the boat? (He was God.) When the net was full of fish, John and Peter recognised who Jesus was. What did John say? (It is the Lord.) What does it mean that Jesus is the Lord? (He is our master.)

Second Point: Resurrection

Why were they surprised that Jesus was there? Why didn't they recognise him at first? (Because he had died.) How could Jesus be there, if he had died? (He raised from the dead.)

Application: Following God

Why did Jesus tell Peter to follow him? Why should we follow Jesus? (He is the Lord.) Why did Peter ask about John? What did Jesus tell Peter when he asked about John? (What is that to you? You must follow me.) So, if other people we know don't follow God, is that an excuse for us? (No.)

Invitation: Following God

How do you follow God? (obey him: John 15:10, 1^st John 5:3)

How do you know how to follow God? (from the Bible and from God)

The memory verse for today is from Colossians 1:10, Live a life worthy of the calling you have received and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

[Invite any children who would like to talk about how they can follow God to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.]

Raised from the Dead

Wednesday:	Raised from the Dead
Story Passage:	Luke 24:36-49
Other Passages:	Mark 16:9-11,14, John 20:11-25, Luke 24:13-32, Matthew 28:16-20, 1^st Corinthians 15:5-7
Objective:	Jesus rose from the dead.
Memory Verse:	1^st John 4:10, In this act is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son, a payment for our sins.
Visuals:	Available

Introduction: Death

What do you do with somebody's body after they die? (Usually you bury it.) That happened to Jesus too. Remember yesterday, we talked about Jesus' being crucified? He died, and where did they put his body? (In a stone tomb.) Why do we bury the body when someone dies, instead of leaving them on a bed, or in a chair? (Because, the body decays.) If we left them on a bed, or in a chair, would they wake up maybe, and get up and walk around? (No.)

Story: Resurrection

What happened to Jesus body, three days after it was sealed in the tomb? (He got up.) Is that what usually happens, three days after you bury someone? (No.) How could Jesus do that? (He is God.)

What did Jesus do, when he got up? [Accept a couple of responses.] Did anyone see him walking around? (Yes: two men travelling, Mary, James, the disciples, and more than 500 others.) Did Jesus do anything with a fish, after he raised from the dead? (Yes.) In Luke 24, it tells about a time Jesus came to the disciples, and they were startled and frightened. They thought they were seeing a ghost, because as far as they knew, Jesus was dead! They didn't expect to see him alive, because dead people don't usually come back to life. But Jesus said, Why are you worried? Why do you doubt that I'm here? Look at my hands and my feet. It's me. Touch me: a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, like I do.

Why did Jesus tell them to look at his hands and feet? (Because, they could see the nail marks, from when he was crucified.) They were amazed, and still couldn't believe he was alive, so he asked, Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of cooked fish, and he ate it, while they were watching. Then he told them, This is what I told you while I was still with you. I had to suffer and die, and raise again, and you will preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations in my name.

Application: Forgiveness

So why did Jesus have to die, and then be raised? (So that our sins could be forgiven.) Why did someone have to die, for our sins to be forgiven? (Because, there is a penalty for sin.) Because Jesus raised, it proves the whole penalty is paid. Because Jesus is raised, we also can be raised, and can be with God forever some day.

Our memory verse today is 1st John 4:10, In this act is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son, a payment for our sins.

How was sending God's Son a payment for our sins? (Because, he died, and death is the price for sin. Since he paid, we don't have to.) Does that mean you won't die when you get old? (No.) What does it mean? It's not talking about death like separation from your body, but separation from God. When we die, if we have Jesus as our savior, we are not separated from God, we go to be with God, forever, in heaven. But if you die without Jesus, you are separated from God, forever.

Invitation: Salvation

If you're not sure that you're going to be with God in heaven when you die, if you're not sure that you have Jesus as your savior, and you'd like to be sure, you can stay after the lesson and talk about it with the teacher. We'd love to tell you how to be with Jesus forever.

The Sign of Jonah

Tuesday:	The Sign of Jonah
Story Passages:	Jonah 1-3; Matthew 12:38-41
Other Passages:	Matthew 27:59-63, Luke 24:5-6, Romans 3:23, 6:23
Objective:	Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin.
Memory Verse:	Romans 6:23, For the wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Christ Jesus our LORD.
Visuals:	Available

Story: Jonah

God told Jonah, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because it is wicked." But Jonah ran away from God, got on a ship sailing in the other direction. Jonah told the sailors he was running away from God, but God sent a great storm. The sailors were afraid they would sink, and they prayed, but the storm only got worse. They threw things off the ship to make it lighter, but that didn't help, so they asked Jonah what to do. "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and it will become calm." So they threw him in, and the storm stopped. God didn't leave Jonah in the water: he sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. While he was inside the fish, Jonah prayed, and he repented, and God had the fish spit him out on the land.

First Point: Repentance

What does it mean to repent? (To change your mind and behavior.) Why did Jonah need to repent? (Because he wasn't doing what God said.) What happened when Jonah repented? (God forgave him.)

Now Jonah obeyed, went to Nineveh, and preached that the city would be destroyed if they did not turn to God! The people believed God and repented. The king told everyone to stop sinning and to pray to God for forgiveness. God saw that they repented, and he didn't destroy the city.

Why did the people of Nineveh need to repent? (They were wicked.) Why did they repent? (Because they believed God.) What happened when they repented? (God forgave them.)

Second Point: The Sign of Jonah

Did you know that Jesus talked about Jonah? He did. One time, some Pharisees came to Jesus and asked to see a miracle. He told them they were wicked, and that the only sign he would give them was the sign of Jonah: Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the big fish, so Jesus would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

What does it mean to be in the heart of the earth? (He was underground: buried.) When was Jesus in the heart of the earth? (When he was dead. After he was crucified.) Why did Jesus need to die and be buried? (To pay the penalty for our sins.)

Invitation: Romans 6:23

Your memory verse tonight will be Romans 6:23. [Read the verse once.]

Offer to discuss this further with any children who stay behind after the lesson.

Footsteps Pushed Back, Fishing to be reworked in 2009

After the organizational meeting Sunday, we've determined to revamp the Fishing For Christ materials this year, pushing Footsteps of the Fathers onto the back burner for now.

So I'll be starting to post Fishing For Christ materials soon. For now, here's a lightly reworked version of the logo, in color this time. This time I did the logo as an SVG document, so it will scale to any size. I was fortunate to be able to find exactly the same font that I used before, so the overall look has not changed much (except for the color).

Soldiers of God (Updated: 2014)

Soldiers and warfare occur repeatedly in both testaments. We thought about doing an entire week on just the armor of God, but we decided it might be better to generalise the theme. We ended up with lessons covering salvation by faith, obedience to Christ, resisting temptation, enduring the world's contempt, and prayer.

In Galion this was our theme in 2008 and again in 2014.

This theme is mostly complete and online!

	Elementary		Preschool		Teens
Monday	Bible Lesson:	Red Cord of Salvation	Bible Lesson:	Joshua and the Walls	Bible Lesson:	Red Cord of Salvation (teen version)
	Memory Verse:	Ephesians 2:8-9 (Covered Words)	Shape Lesson:	Ball	Discussion:	5 Questions
	Craft: Braided Red Cord Bookmark
	Game:	Water Balloon Toss	Game:	Marching Around the Wall	Game:	Water Balloon Toss
	Snack: Twizzlers: The Red Rope (updated 2014)
Tuesday	Bible Lesson:	Obey Your Commander	Bible Lesson:	Centurion's Servant (Jesus is God)	Bible Lesson:	Our Commanding Officer (teen version)
	Memory Verse:	1^st John 5:3-4 (Popcorn)	Shape Lesson:	Book	Discussion:	7 Questions
	Craft: Shrinkies*
	Game:	Sealed Orders	Game:	Water Balloon Toss (preschool version)	Game:	Sealed Orders
	Snack: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Centurions (new in 2014)
Wednesday	Bible Lesson:	Armor of God	Bible Lesson:	David and Goliath (Trust in God)	Bible Lesson:	Armor of God (teen version)
	Memory Verse:	Ephesians 6:11 (Scrambled Verse)	Shape Lesson:	Heart	Discussion:	5 Questions
	Craft:	Picture Frame	Craft:	Picture Frame	Craft:	Start Cap Curtains
	Game: Soldier Dress-Up Relay
	Snack: Shield Cookies (updated 2014)
Thursday	Bible Lesson:	Good Soldier (Jeremiah and the Cistern): regular version or interactive version	Bible Lesson:	The Blind Army	Bible Lesson:	Good Soldier (teen version)
	Memory Verse:	Romans 1:16 (Clapping)	Shape Lesson:	Cross	Discussion:	6 Questions
	Craft:	Chalk Painting	Craft:	Chalk Painting	Craft:	Continue Cap Curtains
	Game:	CTF Wargame	Game:	Hiding from the Bad King	Game:	CTF Wargame
	Snack: Mud Pudding (new in 2014)
Friday	Bible Lesson:	Prayer Warrior	Bible Lesson:	Peter in Prison (prayer)	Bible Lesson:	Prayer Warrior (teen version)*
	Memory Verse:	1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Voice Contest)	Shape Lesson:	Crown	Discussion:	7 Questions
	Craft:	Praying Hands	Craft:	Praying Hands	Craft:	Soap Sculpture (or finish Cap Curtains)
	Game:	Enlistment Tag	Game:	Play with Hula Hoops*	Game:	Enlistment Tag
	Snack: Prison-Bar Cupcakes (updated, 2014)

* - Items marked with an asterisk are incomplete or otherwise need work.

Substitute Indoor Games:

[needed]

Original Music:

Theme Song: Soldiers of God

Decorations:

There are some wall decorations available.
See also our decoration photos:
part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5.

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