Preschool: God Hears People: Session 4—Jesus Prayed in a Garden (January 26)

1s & 2s—Play with People Figures

Bible Story: Jesus Prayed in a Garden Mark 14:32-40; Luke 22:39-46
Life Point: God hears and helps people.
Weekly Verse: We can ask God to help us. Psalm 30:2

Materials: Teaching Picture 9, vinyl or wooden people figures, cardboard blocks

• Display the teaching picture with the figures and blocks.
• Tell the Bible story as preschoolers play. Comment that Jesus was talking to God; God hears people and helps them when they pray.
• Say the Weekly Verse as children continue to play.

3–Pre-K—Sponge Paint on People Shapes

Bible Story: Jesus Prayed in a Garden Mark 14:32-40; Luke 22:39-46
Life Point: God hears and helps people.
Weekly Verse: We can ask God to help us. Psalm 30:2

Materials: large people shapes cut from paper, paint in shallow pans, painting smocks, sponges, spring clothespins, safety pins, marker

• Put a safety pin on one flat side of each sponge. Clip a clothespin onto to the safety pin. Cover the art table with newspaper. Print the Weekly Verse on the people shape.
• Give each child a person shape. Show him how to dip the sponge in the paint and press it onto his shape.
• Talk about the Bible story as children paint. Comment that Jesus was in a garden and prayed for Himself and His disciples. 
• Tell the children that God hears people and helps people when they pray. Pray and thank God for hearing us and helping us.

Kindergarten—Match the Life Point and Weekly Verse Words

Bible Story: Jesus Prayed in a Garden Mark 14:32-40; Luke 22:39-46
Life Point: God hears and helps people.
Weekly Verse: We can ask God to help us. Psalm 30:2

Materials: Bible, 26 index cards (2 colors: 10 of 1, 16 of the other), pen, strip of paper

• Before the session, mark the Bible with the paper strip at Psalm 30:2. Write on the cards the Life Point and Weekly Verse, one word per card. Use different colors for the Life Point and verse. Make two sets of each. Arrange each set of cards facedown on a table. 
• Invite children to work together or alone to find the matching words in each set of cards. Talk about the Bible story as the children find the matches.
• Comment that Jesus was praying because He knew that He would soon die on the cross; He was asking God to help Him and help His disciples.
• After all the matches are found, help the children put the Life Point in order. Say it together. Then put the Weekly Verse in order and say it together.