Grades 1–6: God Hears People — Session 4: Jesus Prayed and Raised Lazarus (January 26)

Grades 1-3

Introductory Activity – Toss and Spell

Materials: large pieces of paper; marker; tape; plastic plates (at least 10 plates each of 2 or more colors)

Print J, E, S, U, S on large pieces of paper. Mark off 5 large squares on the floor with tape; tape one letter in each square. Use tape to create a tossing line a few feet from the boxes.
Group the kids into two (or more) teams. Give each team a stack of plates; each team should have different colored plates. On your signal, teams should take turns tossing the plates (like a flying disk) onto the letters. When all plates have been tossed, call “Stop.” Send a member from each team to gather any plates that are not on a letter. Start the tossing again. The first team to get one plate on each letter is the winning team.
Tell kids they will hear a story about Jesus in which He did something that no one else could do.

Live It Out

Game – Whiteboard Race

Materials: Large whiteboard, markers (2 different colors), numbered cube.

Draw 10 or more spaces across the white board. Group the kids into two teams and give each team a marker. Ask a review question to Team 1. If the team answers correctly, a member of the team can roll the cube, count over that many spaces, and draw a stick figure in the space on the board. Ask a review question to Team 2. That team can also roll the cube an draw a stick figure in the correct space if they answer the question correctly. Continue to ask questions, with teams rolling and drawing figures when answering correctly. When teams draw a figure in the last space, erase the figures, redraw spaces, shuffle teams, and play again. Say the Life Point.

Craft – Prayer Hands

Materials: construction paper, scissors, markers

Give each child two pieces of construction paper and ensure everyone has access scissors and markers. Direct them to trace both of their hands, one on each page. Tell them to write the Life Point on the palm of one hand and to draw a picture of Jesus calling Lazarus out of the tomb on the palm of the other hand. Direct them to write a name or situation on each finger of the hands they need to pray for. Allow several volunteers to share some of their prayer requests with the rest of the class. Encourage the kids to place their Prayer Hands on their mirror at home to remind them to pray for these requests. 

Grades 4-6

Introductory Activity – Wrap Race

Materials: yarn, wide craft sticks, timer

Cut yarn into 36-inch lengths. 
Group kids into teams or pairs. Give each team a craft stick and a length of yarn. Give a signal and one member of the team can wrap the yarn around the stick until it’s all around the stick. The first team to complete the task wins. Set the timer for 1 minute and challenge teams to wrap the stick in the allotted time. Shorten the time or give longer lengths of yarn to continue the game. Or after the yarn is wrapped, challenge teams to unwrap the stick (while continuing to hold the stick). Tell kids that someone was unwrapped in today’s Bible story.

Live It Out

Game – Hang It Up

Materials: 2-inch wide paper strips, marker, yarn, chairs, clothespins

Print the Weekly Verse on paper strips, one word per strip. Make two sets. Mix the two sets and place them in the middle of the room, facedown. Create a clothesline on each end of the room by tying yarn between two chairs. Lay a group of clothespins with each line.
Create two teams. Each team should stand by one of the clotheslines. On your signal, one member from each team runs to the middle and finds the first word of the verse. Then the member runs back and clips the word at the end of the line. Another member runs to the middle to find the second word of the verse, and so on. Continue until both teams have clipped all the words of the verse to the lines. Say the verse together. Reminds kids that God always hears their prayers. 

Craft – Verse Rollup

Materials: adding machine tape (or long strips of paper), markers, gel pens, small rubber bands or string

Cut long lengths of adding machine tape for each kid. Lead kids to write the Life Point on one side of the adding machine tape. They can decorate around the words and draw pictures about Jesus as they choose. As they work, talk about the Bible story. Note that Jesus raised Lazarus after He prayed to God. The people had to take off the cloth strips to unbind him.
Tell the kids to write the Weekly Verse on the back of their strips. Guide them to roll up the strips and secure with rubber bands or string. Tell them to carry the rollups as reminders that God always hears their prayers.