The Beatitudes

This is the story of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. This is how Jesus explained how the kingdom of heaven and the kingdoms of the world are completely opposite! 
Key Concepts: 
1. The main purpose of Christ's ministry was to share the "good news" that God loved them and had a plan to save them. 
2. Jesus wanted the people to understand what was important to God. 
​3. Jesus loves us. 

Memory Verse

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." 
​Luke 6:31

Songs

Books of the New Testament
This Little Light of Mine
I Am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N
I'm in the Lord's Army
Every Move I Make
I've Got Peace Like a River
​A Joyful Heart
​The Wise Man

Story

Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
 
Open Class in Prayer

Introducing the Story Ideas
1. Build a Bee: Use this template and help the kids create bees. Name each bee with a be-attitude such as Meek Bee, Mercy Bee, etc. Give the children different scenarios and ask them to name how a bee would respond. 
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2. Beatitude Word Scavenger Hunt: Hide words around the room. You can put them on balloons, bees, or notecards. Use words like: blessed, kingdom, peacemaker, meek, etc. Let the children take turns finding a word. When they find a word, as a class, define or explain what that word means. Then, allow the next child to find a word. Continue until all the words have been found. 

Story: After Jesus was baptized and chose his disciples, he began his ministry. He began by helping people. He healed people who were sick. He set people who were possessed by demons free. He also started preaching to the people. He wanted them to know that all of God's promises were about to be fulfilled. 

Jesus wanted the people to understand what the prophet Isaiah meant when he said,
"the people living in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of darkness have seen a great light; 
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned." 

Jesus wanted everyone to know that God's kingdom, the kingdom of heaven was near and it was completely different than the kingdom of the world. 
 
READ Matthew 5: 1-12 in your Bible or tell the children about the Beatitudes that Jesus taught on the Sermon on the Mount.
EMPHASIZE that:

• Jesus wanted us to know how to please God. 
• Jesus teaches us that it is important to look on the inside, not the outside. 
• Jesus demonstrated that God's kingdom is an upside down kingdom. 

Visual Aids

Video: Saddleback Kids: The Beatitudes

Video: God's Story: The Sermon on the Mount

Video: The Sermon on the Mount from The Chosen

the_beatitudes.pdf
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Review Questions

1. Where was Jesus teaching at beginning of our story? 
2. Why is this lesson called "The Sermon on the Mount?" 
3. What did Jesus say would happen to those that mourn or are sad?
4. What does it mean to be a peacemaker? 
5. What did Jesus say we should do when we are persecuted? 

God is...

Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. 

Activities

1. Beehive Craft from The First Grade Round-up Blog
Supplies: Yellow paint or ink, old pencil with the eraser still in tact, a yellow ink pad and a think, black pen, template. 

2. Bee-attitude Sign and Craft from Oriental Trading

3. Egg Carton Treasure Box from Trueway Kids
​Supplies: Template, Egg Carton, Paint, Treasure in Heaven Cards, Sequins or Jewels stickers