James, the Brother of Jesus

James by Jennifer Tolbert

Biblical faith if more than just belief; it is also what we DO with that faith. God's story is filled with people of faith who DO the things God calls them to do. Noah demonstrated his faith by building an ark. Abraham demonstrated his faith by moving to a new home. Men and women of faith fought giants, faced lions, moved to foreign lands and fought foreign armies. The heroes of the early church are also known for what they did to demonstrate their faith in God. In this story, Silas and Paul face persecution when they share the gospel. Dorcas demonstrated her faith by serving others. James, the brother of Jesus, demonstrated his faith by encouraging other Christians. 

Key Themes: 
1. We demonstrate our faith by what we do! 
2. Faith gives us courage to live for Jesus. 
3. The gospel is for everyone.

Memory Verse

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have-not heard?” Romans 10:13, 14 ​

Songs

Books of the New Testament
Apostles Song
Be Careful Little Eyes
​Pass It On
Sing and Be Happy
Stand Up and Shout It
This Little Light of Mine
I Want to Be Where You Are
​You are My Brother

Story

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

Introducing the Story Ideas
1. Show and Tell
Have a few show and tell items on hand such as a horse bit, matches or a lighter, a small toy ship (bonus if it has a rudder!), money, clothing, and band aids. Show each item and remind them of what it is called and what it is used for. SAY: James taught the people about how to live like a Christian. He used items and examples that they would be familiar with (much like Jesus did!) These are a few items that are mentioned in the book of James. As I read our story, see how many of these items can you spot! 
 
​2. Saying vs. Doing 
​Put a small treat such in a secret bag. SAY: Today, I have brought you a secret treat! It's in my bag but before we get the treat I want to tell you about the bag. (Describe the bag in detail) Then say, okay now before I give you the treat, I want to tell you a little big about what I have for you. (Describe the treat in detail. Why you chose it, what store you purchased it from, why you got it from that store.) By this point, the kids should be getting a little impatient. ASK: Are you tired of me talking about the treat? What do you want me to DO? (Hopefully, they want you to give them the treat!). As you pass out the treat SAY: There is a big different between SAYING you're going to do something nice for someone and actually DOING it. That's just one of the lessons James teaches us in his letter called James. Let's talk about it today! 

3. Word Study
Today, we are going to read a epistle. Do you know what an epistle is? An epistle is another word for letter. Do you like to receive letters? 
So, today we are going to read the epistle of James. We also call it the book of James. However, James did not sit down to write a book. He was writing a letter to friends, to encourage them and teach them how to live in a way that honors God. 

Story: The book of Acts is filled with lots of people who followed Jesus, built the church and spread the Gospel. Some were men who traveled across the world and taught others like Paul. Others were women who served the people in her own church and community like Dorcas. Today, we are going to talk about a follower of Jesus names James. Some believe he was Jesus's brother. In the beginning, he was skeptical of Jesus and his ministry but after the resurrection, he became a leader in the local church and wrote letters encouraging other Christians. 

READ the Epistle of James or read selected passages from the book of James in the Bible. 
EMPHASIZE that:

• James encourages us to demonstrate our faith by how we live. 
• James encourages us to be patient through trials.   
• James warns us to guard our tongues. 

Visual Aids

Video: Book of James Summary by Bible Project (Better for Older Kids) 

Video: Words are Powerful by Douglas Talks

God is...

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

Activities

Scrolls from Oriental Trading 
Allow the kids to write encouraging messages from the book of James and deliver them to a friend. You may need to write the words on a small pieces of paper and let younger kids glue them on. 

God Always Loves Us by Oriental Trading

Science Experiment About Self-Control from Ministry to Children