Free Bible School Materials: verse

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Acts 2:32

Friday:	Acts 2:32
Bible Lesson:	Beginning of the Churc: The church was begun in order to witness for God in all parts of the earth.
Memory Verse:	God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Acts 2:32

Introduction: Witnesses

What's a witness? Have you ever seen a court trial? On television, or in a movie, maybe, a court scene? What does a witness do in a court room? A witness is called to do what? To tell what they saw or heard. When a witness tells what he saw or heard, that's evidence. If several witnesses saw the same thing, that's good evidence. If six different people all saw the bad guy breaking into the store, what's the jury going to do? They'll find him guilty – they know he did it, because there were six witnesses.

Explanation: Acts 2:32

[Show the card with the verse.] Let's look at today's verse. [Read it through a couple of times.]

Who was talking in this verse? Who's the “we”? Who wrote the book of Acts? [Luke did.] Luke is the author. When he says “we”, he's talking about himself, and other people who saw what he saw. What do we call those people, who saw something – in this case, people who saw Jesus after he raised from the dead? Witnesses!

How many witnesses were there, people who saw Jesus raised from the dead? John did. Peter. Mary Magdelene? All eleven of the disciples (except Judas). 1 Corinthians 15 says that he appeared to more than 500 people at one time. That's a lot of witnesses! That's a lot of people, who saw that Jesus really was alive.

Game: Popcorn

Whoever the teacher points to with the ruler/pointer/whatever has to pop up like popcorn (i.e., stand up quickly out of their seat) and say the next word of the verse. Leave the poster displayed at first, then after a while cover it up. Go through the verse this way until time expires. Make sure to point to all the children so that everyone participates, but don't go in order; jump around so that they never know when it's going to come to them.

Announcement: Verse Points

Tomorrow, when you come to Bible School, if you can say your memory verse without looking, you can earn points for your team's score. Each person who can say the verse can earn 200 points. So, if you want to help your team win more points, go home and practice your verse a few times. Don't forget the reference! On your way out the door tonight, you will be given a slip of paper with your verse on it. Don't lose it, because if you learn your verse, your team gets 200 more points!

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Hebrews 11:6

Thursday:	Hebrews 11:6
Bible Lesson:	The Beginning of the Promise: We should have faith like Abraham.
Memory Verse:	Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him, Hebrews 11:6

Explanation: Hebrews 11:6

[Needed]

Explanation: Hebrews 11:6

Let's look at today's memory verse. [Show the verse and read it aloud.]

What's faith, anyhow? What does it mean to have faith in God? The rest of the verse talks about it. Look, it says right here, “anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” What did [name of volunteer] have to believe about the chair? That it was there? That it would hold [him/her] up? What do we have to believe about God? That he's there? That he's real? What else? That he rewards those who earnestly seek him. What does that mean?

What does it mean to seek God? [Accept a couple of answers from the children.] Sure, you're trying to find out about God, trying to find God. What does it mean to do something earnestly? It means you're not just playing around, you're really trying to do something, really working at it. If you're earnestly seeking God, you really want know God, and know about him. The verse says we have to believe that God rewards those who earnestly seek him. What's a reward? [Accept a couple of answers from the children.]

Game: Hot Potato

Read the verse through a couple of times, as a group, then introduce an object that you call a potato. Explain that each person must say the next word of the verse, before they can pass on the hot potato. Run through the verse one time for practice, passing the potato around, then introduce the timer.

The goal for each child is to avoid having the potato when the timer goes off, but you have to say the next word of the verse before you can pass the potato on to the next person. (At the end of the verse, say the reference, and then the next person starts at the beginning again.) Use short times on the timer and run through the verse as many times this way as possible. (If the group is too large, split it up with a potato for each group; you can still have just one timer.) Leave the card with the verse displayed until you think the kids know the verse, then try removing it. If someone has trouble with a word, you can help them after a few seconds.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

1st Corinthians 15:22

Wednesday:	1^st Corinthians 15:22
Bible Lesson:	The Beginning of Salvation: Sin brings a penalty. Jesus paid our penalty so that we can be saved.
Memory Verse:	For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive, 1^st Corinthians 15:22

Introduction: Analogies

Let's play a comparing game! A sock is to a foot as a glove is to a... [Let the children say hand.] Good. Now, a harder one: A jet plane is to air as a submarine is to... [Let the children say water.] Good! Okay, how about this one: Drink is to punch as throw is to... [Let the children suggest some possibilities, and then suggest ball if they don't come up with that.] Okay, now let's try one that goes along with our verse: Adam is to die as Jesus is to... [Let them try, and then give the answer: live.] Let's read the verse together and see how we got that answer...

Explanation: 1^st Corinthians 15:22

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

Why does it say that all die in Adam? How did Adam bring death into the world? Adam sinned, in the Garden of Eden – Adam and Eve were the first sinners. What happened when they sinned? What did God say would happen, if they ate the fruit? (“You will surely die.”) Are Adam and Eve alive today? Why not? (They died.) God took them out of the Garden, when they sinned, so they couldn't eat the fruit from the Tree of Life, and live forever. So they died, because they sinned.

Were Adam and Eve the only people who ever sinned? (No.) The Bible tells us that we all have sin in our lives, we all want to do bad things sometimes, because Adam and Eve are our ancestors – we're their great great great... grandchildren, after all these years. So we inherit their sin; Adam and Eve sinned then, and we still sin today, because we come from them, and we have their sin nature, the part of us that wants to sin. Because everybody sins, everybody has to die. But look at the end of the verse: in Christ, all will be made alive. We can get eternal life, from believing in Jesus.

Game: Faster and Slower

Let's all say the verse together. [Do this.] Now, let's see if we can say it faster. [Do this.] That was pretty fast, but can we do it even faster? [Do so.] Great. Now let's see if we can say it slower. [Do it.] Wonderful. I bet you can go slower than that. Let's say each word really slowly... [Do that.]

Who thinks they know the verse now? Do you know it well enough to say it without looking at the card? Can I have a volunteer? [Have a volunteer (or two or three, time permitting) say the verse.] Now let's see if we can all say it together, without looking. [Hide the card and say the verse. If time is left over, do it faster and slower without looking, forward, backwards, et cetera.]

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Romans 3:22

Tuesday:	Romans 3:22
Bible Lesson:	The Beginning of Sin: We are sinful and require salvation.
Memory Verse:	This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, Romans 3:22

Introduction: Sin

Today we learned how Adam and Eve brought sin into the world. Did sin stop with Adam and Eve? (No.) We still have sin with us today, don't we? We need to have our sin taken away. We need to be made righteous. What does righteous mean? It means you don't have sin in your life. Does that mean we don't sin? Does it mean we've never sinned? Is there anybody here who's never sinned? So how can we be righteous?

Explanation: Reference

[Hold up the card with the verse and read Romans 3:22]

So, how can we be righteous? Where does righteousness come from? The verse says it comes from God. God gives us righteousness. Can we be righteous on our own? No. We need God's righteousness. How do we get it? What does the verse say? It comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. What does that mean? Is righteousness just for good people? (No.) Is it just for people who go to a certain church? (No.) Is it just for people who like Ohio State? (No.) Righteousness comes to all who believe in Jesus Christ. That's how we become righteous – through faith. What do we have to believe about Jesus Christ? We have to believe that he is God. Why is it that believing on Jesus can get us righteousness? Where did he get it? He already had it, because he was God. God doesn't sin, does he? Jesus was already righteous, because he was God, and God is without sin.

Learning Activity: Sign Language

Tell the children that you're going to learn sign language for this verse. Explain that sign language is what deaf and mute people use to communicate. Show the children the sign language as you say the verse through one or two times, then teach them the sign language for each word individually, and help them do the sign for that word until they can do it. When you've done all the words, start putting them together. Make sure you and the children are saying each word out loud while signing it. Put longer and longer strings of words together until eventually the children can say and sign the whole verse.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Acts 17:24

Monday:	Acts 17:24
Bible Lesson:	The Beginning of Creation: God created the world and deserves our worship.
Memory Verse:	The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands, Acts 17:24

Introduction: Creation

Today we learned about how God made the world, and most of the story is found in Genesis, in the Old Testament. But the New Testament talks about it some too.

Explanation: Acts 17:24

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

There is only one God, but the Bible likes to tell different things about who God is, when it tells different things that he did. When it calls him the God who made the world, it's talking about something he did – the creation story that we learned about earlier. From God's creation, we know about his power.

When the Bible calls God, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, it means that he is the one who is in charge of everything that happens – both here on earth, and also in heaven. It means he's the master.

When it says that he does not live in temples made by hands, what's it talking about? Does it mean God isn't with us when we're in church, worshiping him? (No.) Does it mean he wasn't with the people of Israel, when they worshiped him in the temple? (No.) It means that God is not just in one place, and he's not only there, just because of us. God is, like the verse says, the one who created everything, and is the master in charge of everything. He's God whether we come to church and worship him or not.

So, if God is the same powerful creator whether we worship him or not, why does he want us to worship him? Is it because God gets more power if we worship him? (No, he has all the power anyway.) God wants us to worship him, because it's good for us.

Game: Clapping

Demonstrate for the children how to clap once for each syllable while talking. Do this while saying the verse through one time, with the reference. Now have the children do it with you. Repeat two or three times, until the children can clap and say the verse more-or-less together in what passes for unison. Encourage them that they're doing well, but let's see if we can do even better at staying together and all saying each word at the same time, and all clapping at the same times. Repeat until they get it right, or time runs out. Optionally, after a few times through, divide the children into two groups, and alternate the two groups in a competition to see which group can stay together better.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

God's Sheep Preschool Memory Verse

Preschool Memory Verse:	God's Sheep
All Week:	Jesus said, I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. John 10:14

Monday: Explanation

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

What kind of shepherd is Jesus? Is he the kind that's out in a grassy field, taking care of fluffy white sheep? (No.) That's not what he meant. What kind of sheep does Jesus have? People who follow Jesus are his sheep. People who trust Jesus, and let him take away their sins are his sheep. If we believe in Jesus, he is our shepherd.

[Lead the children in saying the verse fifty bazillion times.] If you come to Bible School tomorrow and can say the verse at the beginning, you'll get a prize! So you should go home and practice saying your verse.

Tuesday:

[Review the explanation from Monday.]

Game: Follow the Shepherd

We're going to play a game called Follow the Shepherd. I'll be the shepherd, and all of you get to be the sheep and follow me around the room. Whatever I do, you do. So if I take big steps, you take big steps. If I swing my arms wide, you swing your arms wide. If I say a word from the memory verse, you say it too, but if you say a word I didn't say, you're out and have to sit out until the end of the round. When we get through the whole verse, we'll start a new round and everybody's back in.

[Lead the children in saying the verse a hillion jillion times.] If you come to Bible School tomorrow and can say the verse at the beginning, you'll get a prize! So you should go home and practice saying your verse.

Wednesday:

[Review the explanation from Monday.]

Game: Clapping

[Say a word of the verse, and clap once. Say two words, and clap twice. Continue saying words and clapping all the way through the verse. Add a word and a clap each time, until you have the whole verse. When it gets to be too many claps to count, just clap a whole bunch of times.]

[Now go back, and you prompt the children with the words to say, and they say the words, and then you clap together. Start with one word, and one clap, and progress from there. If necessary, go back to the beginning and start with one word again. Continue until the children can say and clap the whole verse.]

[Lead the children in saying the verse entirely too many times.] If you come to Bible School tomorrow and can say the verse at the beginning, you'll get a prize! So you should go home and practice saying your verse.

Thursday:

[Briefly review the explanation from Monday.]

Game: Hot Potato

[Seat the children in a circle and practice saying the verse together. Now introduce an item (which you call a potato, even if it's actually a tye-died stuffed weasel). Each person must say the next word of the verse, before he can pass the potato to the next person around the circle. Whoever gets to say the last word of the verse wins, and everybody claps. Then you start over with a different child and go through the verse again until everybody gets to win at least once.]

[Lead the children in saying the verse a whole lotta times.] If you come to Bible School tomorrow and can say the verse at the beginning, you'll get a prize! So you should go home and practice saying your verse.

Friday:

[Briefly review the explanation from Monday.]

Game: Simon

The teacher says one word (the first word of the verse), and the whole group repeats it. If they get it right, the teacher repeats it again, adding one more word, and the group repeats that. Add another word each time through the verse until you have the whole verse or the children miss a word. If they miss, you start over with one word again. Each time, the teacher says the words first, and the group repeats.

[Lead the children in saying the verse as many times as you have time for.]

Acts 17:24

Monday:	Acts 17:24
Bible Lesson:	The Beginning of Creation: God created the world and deserves our worship.
Memory Verse:	The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands, Acts 17:24

Introduction: Creation

Today we learned about how God made the world, and most of the story is found in Genesis, in the Old Testament. But the New Testament talks about it some too. [show card with verse and read Acts 17:24]

Explanation: Acts 17:24

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

When the Bible calls God, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, it means that he is the one who is in charge of everything that happens – both here on earth, and also in heaven. It means he's the master.

Game: Clapping

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Friday:	2^nd Timothy 4:7-8
Bible Lesson:	The Finish Line: Heaven (John on Patmos)
Memory Verse:	I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day... 2^nd Timothy 4:7-8

Introduction: Subtitle

Hold up a posterboard with the verse written on it, and have the children read it as a group.

This verse comes from 2 Timothy, a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, who was a pastor. He's talking about the prize we can win for finishing the race, following Jesus with our lives.

Explanation: 2^nd Timothy 4:7-8

What does Paul mean when he says that he has fought the good fight? What is the good fight? (The Christian life.) Paul has lived for Jesus. He says he has finished the race – Paul is old, near the end of his life, and he has done the things God wanted him to do with his life. Many people have come to know Jesus because of Paul's ministry. He also says he has kept the faith: what does that mean? Even when times got tough, Paul never let go of what he believed and knew to be true about Jesus.

What is a crown of righteousness? (A reward people receive for being righteous.) What does it mean to be righteous? You do what is right – all the time. Jesus was righteous, and if we follow Jesus, we will do what is right, for the right reasons: because it's what God tells us to do. Can we be righteous on our own? (No.) We need God's help to be righteous. If we follow Jesus – if we run the race – God will give us his crown of righteousness.

When will the Lord give us the crown of righteousness if we earn it? (On that day.) What day is Paul talking about? (When Jesus takes us to be with him, and gives us rewards.) The crown of righteousness is stored up for us in heaven until then.

Game: Manly & Ladylike Voices

Divide the children into two groups by their teams (red and blue). Have a competition to see which team can say the verse in the deepest, strongest, loudest, manliest voices. Go back and forth between the teams, having them work on the deepness of their voices, then the strength of their voices, then the loudness, and finally the manliness of the voices. Then put all four together. Award points to the team that tries hardest and does best.

Then have another contest to see which team can say the verse in the highest, softest, most quiet, most ladylike voices. Go back and forth between the two teams, having them concentrate on first the highest pitch of their voices, then on the softest quality, then on whispering most quietly, then on the ladylike quality of their voices. Then put all four together. Award points to the team that tries hardest and does best.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Matthew 19:29

Thursday:	Matthew 19:29
Bible Lesson:	The Rich Young Man: Throw Off Things That Entangle
Memory Verse:	And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29

Introduction: Rationale

Hold up a posterboard with the verse written on it, and have the children read it as a group.

This verse comes from the book of Matthew. Jesus was talking to his disciples about the rewards that people will receive who followed Jesus. He's talking about the prize we can win for running the race, following Jesus with our lives.

Explanation: Matthew 19:29

Does the verse mean that Jesus asks everyone to leave your house or your family? (No.) It's talking about whatever sacrifices you have to make for Jesus. Leaving your house or your family is an example – something some people might have to do, for Jesus. Can anyone tell me something you might do for Jesus that would mean you would have to leave your house or your family? (e.g., Going to Africa as a missionary.) Is that what everyone has to do? (No.) But some people do that — and everyone who follows Jesus will have to make some sacrifices, do some things that other people would think you wouldn't want to do. When you follow Jesus, that becomes the most important thing in your life, and sometimes you have to give up other things so that you can be a better Christian for Jesus. Jesus says in this verse that when you give things up to follow him, you will receive eternal life and a reward in heaven — a hundred times as much as you gave up.

Game: Learning the Verse

Hand out 3x5 cards with one word of the verse written on each. (You can divide into groups if there are too many children for the number of words in the verse — have more than one set of cards ready if attendance is running that high.) Stand (each group) in a big circle. Have each child hold their card facing themselves, so only they can see their word. Then go through the verse, everyone saying it together, and for each word, the person with that card turns their card around for the group to see, until all the cards are turned around. Shuffle and repeat as necessary until the children all know the verse cold or you run out of time.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

Wednesday:	1^st Thessalonians 2:13
Bible Lesson:	Josiah and the Book: We should study God's word and apply it to our lives.
Memory Verse:	When you received the word of God... you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 1^st Thessalonians 2:13

Introduction: Rationale

Hold up a posterboard with the verse written on it, and have the children read it as a group.

Someone tell me why we should memorize this verse? (Accept answers from the children. Example: because it's from the Bible.) This verse is from the New Testament, and was written by the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Thessalonika. Paul is talking about how the Bible is God's word, and how it is important for our lives.

Explanation: 1^st Thessalonians 2:13

What does it mean to receive something? (That means somebody gives it to you, so then you have it.) So what is the word of God, that you received? (It's the Bible.) So the Christians at Thessalonica had the Bible, just like we do. What does the verse say next? It says they accepted it. That means they knew it was true. How did they know that? Because, like the next part of the verse says, the Bible is not the word of men — it wasn't just made up by people. The Bible is God's word. The Thessalonians knew that Paul was writing what God wanted him to write, so they accepted the Bible as God's word.

What does it mean for God's word to be at work in someone? (It means it changes the way they think and act.) Should we let just anything, or just anyone, change the way we think and act? No. But this is God's word, and God knows how we need to think and act. So if we believe in God, then his word needs to be at work in our lives — it needs to change us, to make us more like Jesus, more like God wants us to be.

Of course, the Bible can only change us, if we actually read and study the Bible. That's why we learn memory verses at Bible School, and that's also one reason we come to church.

Game: Arrange into Order

Read the big card together several times, then turn it around.

Divide the children into groups of three or four (all from the same team in each group), and give each group a baggie containing all the words in the verse on separate pieces of paper. Have the children arrange the words into the proper order, to make the verse. Some groups may need a little help. Have each group stand up and read their verse through together when they think they have it in order. If it's not right, tell them which words are in the wrong place, and let them keep trying. Award points for their team to the first groups that finish. When all the groups have finished, have all the children say the verse together without looking.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Tuesday:	1^st Corinthians 15:58
Bible Lesson:	Daniel and the Satraps: God Expects Faithfulness
Memory Verse:	Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1^st Corinthians 15:58

Introduction: Rationale

Hold up the posterboard with the verse written on it and have the children read it as a group.

Someone tell me why we should memorize this verse? (Accept answers from the children. Example: because it's from the Bible.) This verse is from the New Testament, and was written by the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth. Paul is talking about how we need to be faithful to God.

Explanation: 1^st Corinthians 15:58

Who are Paul's dear brothers? (Christians.) He was writing to the church in Corinth, but his advice is good for all Christians everywhere. What does Paul mean, when he says, stand firm? The rest of the verse explains it more: Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Does that mean we shouldn't ever let our feet move from the floor? (No.) It means we shouldn't let things pull us away from the work of the Lord. What is the work of the Lord? (Accept some answers from the children: e.g., studying the Bible, telling others about Jesus, missions, ...) Why shouldn't we let anything move us away from God's work? Look at the verse: it says, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. What does that mean? What's labor? (Work.) So your labor in the Lord is when you do God's work. So when you do God's work, that's not in vain. That means it's not for nothing – it's for a purpose. What's the purpose for doing God's work? Why do we do it? (To please God.)

Game: Divide and Conquer

Pick volunteers to hold up the signs for each part of the verse:

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.
Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Line up the sign-holders across the front, so that everyone can see all five parts of the verse. Have everyone read the verse together as a group, off the signs, once. Now, concentrate on the first part: have everyone read the first card several times, until they can say it with the card turned around. Now, add in the second card, saying the first part from memory and reading the second part, until you can turn the second part around also. Continue with each part until the children can say the whole verse from memory. Say it several times that way for good measure.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

1 John 2:3

Monday:	1^st John 2:3
Bible Lesson:	David and the Lord's Anointed: Jesus should be lord and master of our lives.
Memory Verse:	We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 1^st John 2:3

Introduction: Rationale

Hold up a posterboard with the verse written on it, and have the children read it as a group.

Someone tell me why we should memorize this verse? (Accept answers from the children. Example: because it's from the Bible.) This verse is from the New Testament, and was written by John, one of Jesus' twelve disciples. John is talking about how we can know that we know God.

Explanation: 1^st John 2:3

Who is the him that we have come to know in this verse? (Jesus — see verses 1-2.) What does it mean to come to know Jesus? Verses 1 and 2 are talking about how Jesus paid for our sins, and how he sticks up for us and says we can go to heaven, even if we have sinned. If we have come to know him, that means we believe in and follow Jesus, and he sticks up for us. Does he stick up for just anybody? (No, only the people he knows.) So it's important to know him. We can know that we know him – and that he knows us – if we obey his commands, like the verse says.

Game: Covered Words

Cover up one word on the poster at a time, starting with small, unimportant words, and have the children read the verse as a group each time, inserting the missing words. Keep covering up words until the whole verse is covered up and the children can say the whole verse.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Philippians 2:4

Friday:	Philippians 2:4
Bible Lesson:	Footsteps of Service: We should serve God by serving others.
Memory Verse:	Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others. Philippians 2:4

Explanation: Looking to Someone's Interests

Let's say you and your little brother are home alone while mom's at the grocery. There is enough ham for one sandwich, and you and your brother are both hungry. Somebody has to wait for mom to get home with more food. If you're looking to your own interests, what are you going to do? Swipe the ham, make the sandwich, and take a big bite. You're bigger and faster than your little brother. Problem solved, right?

But if you're looking out for the interest of your brother, you make the sandwich, put on the ketchup that he likes, and tell him that you'll wait for mom. You might even get him a glass of milk. Mom left you to look out for your little brother while she's gone: so it's your responsibility to look out for his interests. That means you're taking care of what he needs.

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

So this verse says that you can look out for yourself, but you should also look out for others. In the church, we're supposed to take care of each other, and not just selfishly get everything we can for ourselves.

We should be memorizing verses on our own, but we can help others to learn them too. We can pray for ourselves, but we should pray for others as well. When they ask for song requests, we can ask for songs we like, but we should sing the songs other people like too.

Game: Hot Potato

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

James 5:16

Thursday:	James 5:16
Bible Lesson:	Hannah's Prayer: When we have problems, we should pray to God.
Memory Verse:	The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. from James 5:16

Introduction: [Needed]

[Show the poster and read through the verse once.]

Explanation: Effective

I don't know about you, but I sure want my prayers to be powerful. Let's talk about what it means to be effective. When something is effective, it works. It creates the desired effect. It does its job. If the lawn mower is effective, the grass gets cut. So if a prayer is powerful and effective, it's strong and does its job, it gets the message through: God hears it.

Explanation: Righteous

But the verse doesn't tell us that everyone's prayers are powerful and effective, just the prayers of a righteous person. So a person who doesn't believe in God, who says, "God, if you're really there, do this for me", does God listen to those prayers? Sometimes, maybe. But they're not powerful and effective prayers.

So we want to be righteous, so that we can have powerful and effective prayers. Being righteous means living according to what is right. Doing the things God wants you to do. Choosing not to sin. If we are believers in Jesus Christ, he makes us righteous. We can't be righteous by ourselves. We need God.

Explanation: Summary

So if you want your prayers to be powerful and effective, you need to choose to let Jesus forgive your sins and make you righteous.

Game: Simon

The teacher says one word (the first word of the verse), and the whole group repeats it in unison. If they get it right, the teacher repeats it again, adding one more word, and the group repeats that, in unison. Add another word each time through the verse until you have the whole verse or the children collectively miss a word. If they miss, you start over with one word again. Each time, the teacher says the words first, and the group repeats.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

John 3:14-15

Wednesday:	John 3:14-15
Bible Lesson:	Look and Live: The Bronze Snake and the Son of Man: We should look to Jesus, trusting God for our salvation.
Memory Verse:	Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14-15

Introduction: Snake on a Stick

In our lesson today we learned that when the Israelites were bitten by snakes, God provided a way for them to live. They were saved if they looked at the snake that Moses lifted up on a pole.

Explanation: John 3:14-15

That was a symbol of how the Son of Man, Jesus, had to be lifted up on a cross, so that we could be saved from our sins if we trust in him.

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

When we let Jesus pay for our sins, we can be saved. Looking at a cross is not any kind of magic: it's the belief in Jesus, who paid the penalty for our sin, that allows us to be saved.

In the book of John (which is in the New Testament), Jesus was talking to a man who named Nicodemus came to ask him questions. Jesus was telling him about salvation. This is what he said: [Quote the verse.]

Game: Portion Motions

Divide the verse into four main parts:

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert
so the Son of Man must be lifted up
that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life
John 3:14-15

Have the children march in place while saying the first part of the verse. Repeat it enough times that they sort of know it.

Now have them jump up and down repeatedly while saying the next part of the verse. Repeat it enough times that they sort of know it. Go back and put the two together: have them march in place saying the first part, then jump up and down saying the second part.

Now say the third part of the verse while turning in circles. Repeat it until they sort of know it. Add the reference, having them sit down as they say it. Then have them stand up again so you can practice these two parts again.

Now put it all together, and practice the whole way through: march in place through the first part, jump up and down through the second part, spin through the third part, and sit down saying the reference. Repeat the whole thing as long as there's time left.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

James 1:22

Tuesday:	James 1:22
Bible Lesson:	Do What It Says: We should study God's word and obey it. (Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Feast of Booths)
Memory Verse:	Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Introduction:

[needed]

Explanation: James 1:22

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

The word merely means something like only. So when it says Do not merely listen to the word, it means you don't just listen, you also do what it says. You listen, and then you obey.

Then it says, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. To deceive someone is to trick or fool them. So if you're deceiving yourself, you're tricking or fooling yourself. This verse tells us that if we only listen to the word and we don't obey it, we're fooling ourselves. We think we're listening to the word, but if we don't obey, are were really listening?

If your mom tells you to clean up your room, you hear the words, but did you listen to her, if you didn't actually clean your room? It's the same thing with God's word. We don't want to deceive ourselves. We want to do what God says.

Game: Chipmunk Voices

Announce that you will be having a contest between groups to see which group can say the verse better. Practice reading the verse off the posterboard together (in normal voices) two or three times first, to get everyone familiar with the wording.

Divide the children into approximately equal groups, as many as you have leaders for (preferably at least three). Give the groups no more than two minutes to practice within their group, saying the verse in chimpunk voices. After the two minutes, call everyone back together. Have each group in turn stand in front and say the verse in their chipmunk voices. If there's enough time left, say you aren't sure which group was best and have them all do it again. Give everyone a big round of applause.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

1 John 2:5

Monday:	1^st John 2:5
Bible Lesson:	Caleb & Joshua: We should trust and obey God.
Memory Verse:	But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. 1^st John 2:5

Preparation: Workday

Cut out about fifty footprints. Write one word on each footprint, making sure to use all the words from the verse, as well as a number of additional decoy words. (Do this part at one of your VBS workdays.)

Preparation: Setup

Lay the footprints out, with the verse words in the correct arrangement for stepping and the decoy words intermixed among them, side by side with them, so that the children will have to select the correct footprint to step on for each word.

Introduction: Caleb & Joshua

Earlier, we learned about Caleb and Joshua, and how they trusted and obeyed God.

[Hold up the posterboard with the verse on it. Read it through once.]

Ten of the spies didn't trust and obey God. God told them something to do, and they disobeyed, because they didn't have faith. Caleb and Joshua saw the same thing that the other ten men saw, but they trusted that God would take care of them and give them what he had promised. When they did this, they showed that they loved God, and God blessed them by allowing them to enter the promised land.

Explanation: 1^st John 2:5

Everyone who loves God and wants to live for him should be acting this verse out in their lives. God doesn't give us the option to pick and choose which parts of the Bible we will obey. We have to obey all of it. And then God's live will be complete in us.

I don't know about you, but I want to be the best Christian that I can be. One way that I do that is by obeying God's word.

Game: Footsteps

Allow one child at a time to walk through the footsteps as the entire group says the verse through slowly. Pace the saying of the verse so that the child has a chance to figure out where to step. (For younger children, an older child can assist by pointing out where they should step next.)

Continue allowing additional children to go through until your time is up.

Announcement: Verse Points

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Matthew 4:19

Friday:	Matthew 4:19
Bible Lesson:	Fishers of Men: We should tell others about Christ.

Introduction:

[Needed]

Explanation: Matthew 4:19

Matthew 4:19: Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

How can we follow Jesus when we can't see him? (We see his life in the Bible, and we see his commands and obey him.) What does Jesus mean when he tells the disciples he will make them fishers of men? (It means, they will teach other people to obey and love Jesus; instead of catching fish, they will catch men.) How can we catch people? (We tell them about Jesus, and about the Bible.

One way to tell people about Jesus is by using the wordless bracelet, like this one [show one]. You'll be making wordless bracelets for your craft today.

Game: Sign Gestures

Display posterboard of verse. Read through the verse together.

Teach the children the sign motions together with the words, and have them say the verse and perform the motions at the same time. Either use a real sign language (e.g., ASL), or an improvised set of gestures and motions, like below:

Come	Hand beckons toward self.
Follow	Fingers walk along other hand.
Me	Point to self.
Jesus	Middle fingers point out nail marks in hands.
Said	Hand moves out from mouth.
I	Point to self.
will make	Set left fist on right, then right on top of left, as if building.
you	Point away from self, toward your audience.
fishers	Cast like with a fishing pole.
of men	Point to several persons as if counting.

2nd John 1:6

Thursday:	2^nd John 1:6
Bible Lesson:	Following God

Introduction: Love

Who remembers what the Bible means when it uses the word "love"? (Love is an action, something you do for another person.) Who is the person we are to love in this verse? (It is God.)

Explanation: 2^nd John 1:6

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to God's commands. (from 2 John 1:6)

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

In this verse, how are we to show love for God? What does it mean to walk in obedience to his commands? (It means, we do what he commands.) Where do we find God's commands? (In the Bible.) What commands is it talking about? Is it just the ten commands in the Old Testament? (No, it means all the commands in the Bible.) Who can give some examples of God's commands from the Bible? (Accept answers from the children. e.g., Love the Lord your God, obey your parents, pray continually, preach the gospel, make disciples, etc.)

Game: Faster & Slower

Read the verse through twice together at normal speed. Then, "Let's read it a little bit faster." Go faster, faster, faster until the words are indistinct and the speed absurd. Then, "Let's see how slooooowly we can say it." Read the verse through more and more slowly until this becomes absurd as well. Then take away the posterboard of the verse and say it through at normal speed together.

Announcement: Verse Points

Read announcement about saying the verse the next day:

Tomorrow, when you come to Bible School, if you can say your memory verse without looking, you can earn 100 points for your team's score. Each person who can say the verse can earn 100 points. So, if you want to help your team win more points, go home and practice your verse a few times. Don't forget the reference! On your way out the door tonight, you will be given a slip of paper with your verse on it. Don't lose it, because if you learn your verse, your team gets 100 more points!

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table. Remember, tomorrow is the last day of Bible School, so it's your last chance to score points for your team.

1st John 4:10

Wednesday:	1^st John 4:10
Bible Lesson:	Raised from the Dead

Introduction: Love

Today's verse talks about an act of love. In the Bible, love is an action, something you do for another person. Love in the Bible isn't just nice feelings, though you may have nice feelings also. But Love is more than that: it's a promise that you don't break, that doesn't go away, something you do because you have decided to show love for someone.

Explanation: Reference

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. (1 John 4:10)

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

Who in the verse showed love? Was it us? No. It was God. How did God show love for us? He sent his Son. Who's that? Jesus, the Christ. Why did he send Jesus? Because he loved us, yes, but why did Jesus have to come? To pay for our sins, so that we could go to heaven and be with God forever.

Why did we need someone to pay for our sins, so that we could go to heaven? Because the wage of sin is death, and sin and death cannot enter heaven. How did Jesus pay for our sins? He had to die. Wow, that's really a strong love. Have you ever loved someone enough to die for them? God did.

Game: Covered Words

Show the posterboard of the verse. Read the verse together twice, then begin covering words, one at a time, and read the verse after each, filling in the covered words. Cover unimportant words first, saving nouns and verbs for last. When all the words are covered, cover the reference and have the children say the whole thing a couple more times.

Announcement: Verse Points

Read announcement about saying the verse the next day:

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Free Bible School Materials

Complete Themes

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Bits and Pieces

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What's New

Acts 2:32

Hebrews 11:6

1st Corinthians 15:22

Romans 3:22

Acts 17:24

God's Sheep Preschool Memory Verse

Acts 17:24

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Matthew 19:29

1 Thessalonians 2:13

1 Corinthians 15:58

1 John 2:3

Philippians 2:4

James 5:16

John 3:14-15

James 1:22

1 John 2:5

Matthew 4:19

2nd John 1:6

1st John 4:10