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The Good News! by Jennifer Tolbert
In Ephesians 6: 10-17, Paul tells the Ephesians that to be ready against Satan, we must put on the full armor of God. He asks them to pray, and give him the courage so that "he may make known the mystery of the gospel."
Do you know what the gospel is? The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ has already won the battle against Satan! He came, lived a perfect life, died, and rose. In doing so, he took all over Satan's power of God's children away. Could you imagine going into battle knowing you were assured victory? So if Jesus already won the battle, what are we fighting for? When Jesus came, he made it very clear that on the final judgement day, there would only be two categories-saved and not saved (Matthew 25:31-46.) There is not a category for the undecided. We must choose one side or the other. The battle now is for individual souls. This means, we fight Satan's kingdom by sharing the gospel so that each person can choose their side! Today, we are going to review the gospel and practice sharing it, so we can be ready to share the gospel like Paul! Key Themes: 1. God wants me to read and understand the gospel-which is found in my Bible! 2. I need to share the gospel with my friends and family. That is how I build God's kingdom and defeat Satan's kingdom. 3. God is powerful and equips us to face anything the devil throws at us. Memory Verse
Ephesians 6:11 ESV
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Songs
1,2,3 The Devil's After Me
Books of the New Testament Be Careful Little Eyes This Little Light of Mine There is a Flag that Flies in the Castle of My Heart I'm in the Lord's Army My God is So Big I Am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N Saint's Medley Story
Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Object Lesson-Sharing the Gospel Optional Supplies: Dish detergent, cotton swap, milk, food coloring, small dish, plate Watch this video about how to perform this object lesson! 2. Dominoes or Jenga Blocks Supplies: Dominoes or Jenga Blocks Set up dominoes or a Jenga blocks in a way that when you push the first one over, the rest will fall over. Discuss the idea of a chain reaction. How does new spread? One person tells one person and that person tells the next, until everyone has heard. Here is a video demonstration of this lesson. 3. Let's Make a Covenant Supplies: a small snack or treat, or a treasure box filled with prizes SAY: Today, I want to teach you a new word. That word is covenant. A covenant is like a agreement (older kids may understand the word contract) or promise between two people. Let's practice making a covenant. If you promise to be kind and respectful in my class, I promise to let you chose a prize from my treasure chest (or treat, or free time, or whatever you promise to do!) Is it a deal? (Let kids verbally agree) SAY: Well, to make this covenant official, we need a sign to prove that we are each going to do what we say we are going to do. Our sign is going to be a handshake. So, if you agree to this covenant, let's shake hands. (Shake each child's hand in a very official manner). Story: Today, we are going to talk about covenants, the gospel and God's big, wonderful plan to send a rescuer. We are also going to discuss what the gospel is and how we can share it with our friends and neighbors! Note to teachers: Today's lesson does not focus on an individual Bible story, but instead of linking God's story together in a way that makes sense from beginning to end. In a way, it is like a review. The focus of today's lesson is about giving kids the language and tools to share the gospel. For younger classes, you might focus on reviewing the individual Bible stories or focus on the idea of a promise. For older kids, if appropriate, you may want to spend more time focusing on the idea of baptism and why it is important for us to fulfill our side of the covenant. SHOW the Good News story or read verses in the Bible that explain the gospel. This printable may help. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...
Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story.
Activities
Gospel Cross Template
This is would work well if you used the cross to demonstrate how to tell the story of the gospel using the cross. Then allow each child to make their own and practice telling the story.
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