There’s No Fear in Jesus

You’ll Need: Bibles - one per child, Sponges, A permanent marker, A kiddie pool or large plastic tub, Water

Get Ready: Fill the kiddie pool with water. Write a word or phrase from the verse on each of the sponges.

“But He said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ “ John 6:20

Mix up the sponges and float them in the water in the pool with the words facing up.

Lead kids in these steps:

• Invite kids to open their Bibles to John 6:20.
• Work as a group to come up with a short chant or song for the memory verse. Practice it several times.
• Instruct kids to close their Bibles and see if they can put the memory verse in order using the floating sponges.
• Play several rounds, and then mix up the sponges and see if they can say the verse from memory.

SAY: Great job arranging the sponges in order! They float on top of the water pretty well. It kind of reminds me of Jesus who could walk on water--even when the water isn’t calm like this water is.

You’ll Need: Bibles - one per child, Spray bottles with water, A fan or two, Masking tape, Blue construction paper

Get Ready: Make a very large boat shape out of masking tape on the floor (big enough for all of the kids to sit inside it).

Invite the children to open their Bibles to John 6:16-21. Read the passage aloud with kids following along. Explain that they need to pay close attention to what happens in what order.

After you have read the verses, have kids re-enact them; you’ll guide kids through the following by asking, “What happened first?” and then “What happened next?”

• The disciples got into the boat. (Invite all the kids to sit in the boat on the floor.)
• It started getting dark. (Turn off the lights in the room.)
• A strong wind grew. (Turn the fan on the kids.)
• The waters grew. (Spray the kids with squirt bottles.)
• They rowed three or four miles. (Have kids pretend to row a boat and continue the fan and water spray as they row.)
• They saw a person approaching the boat walking on water and were frightened. (Tell kids to look afraid as you walk toward the boat with blue construction paper taped to the bottom of your shoes. If you have another adult, have them play this role instead.)
• Jesus spoke to them. (Say, “Jesus said, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ ”)
• They invited Jesus into the boat. (Have kids help “Jesus” into the boat.)
• They reached the shore where they were heading. (Have kids hop out and pretend to be on dry land.)

ASK:

• What do you think about the disciples’ reactions to Jesus walking on water?
• Can you think of a time when you experienced fear and then realized you were okay? Tell us about it.

SAY: Jesus made all the difference in the storm, didn’t He? Jesus wants to help all of us when we’re afraid. Whatever it is that you fear, you can know that Jesus conquers fears. All you need to do is ask Him to help you.

Walking On Water Snacks

You’ll Need: Cups - one per child, Blue Jell-O, Spoons - one per child, Napkins - one per child, Gummy bears - one per child, Goldfish crackers - a few per child, Ritz crackers - one per child

Get Ready: Make and cool blue Jell-O in clear plastic cups

Follow these steps for the “Walking on Water” Snacks:

• Give each child a cup of blue Jell-O, a Ritz cracker, a few goldfish crackers, and one gummy bear.
• Instruct kids to bite into the Ritz crackers to make a boat shape, and put it on top of the blue Jell-O, which represents water.
• Have kids place the Goldfish crackers in the water.
• Tell kids to stand up the gummy bear on the blue Jell-O to repre- sent Jesus walking on water.
• Enjoy.

SAY: In today’s lesson, Jesus not only walked on water--He walked on top of dangerous, stormy water! What an amazing thing He did to help His friends crush their fears! And He wants to help you to conquer your fears, too, so always look to Jesus when you are afraid.

Water Racer Relay Game

You’ll Need: Round inflatable tube float - one per team, Swimming goggles - one per team, Swimming flippers - one per team

DO THIS:

To play the “Water Racer Relay,” have kids follow these steps:

• Divide the class into two or more teams.
• Explain that this is a relay. The first kid must put on the goggles and flippers, and put the float around his or her waist.
• That child runs to the end of the room and back, takes off the items, and hands them to the next child in line, who will put them on and do the same.

The first team that has all members run down and back wearing the three items wins.

ASK:

• What was easy or hard about this relay? Explain why.
• What’s easy or hard for you about trusting Jesus when you’re afraid?

SAY: There’s no one more powerful than Jesus. He could have calmed the storm wherever He was, but He wanted to be close to His friends. He walked on water and met His disciples in the middle of the storm to calm their fears. Jesus conquers fears, and He wants to meet you when you are afraid. Next time you’re scared, pause to talk to Jesus, and trust in Him to protect you.

JESUS > Fears Painting Craft

You’ll Need: Poster board (approx. 22” x 28”) - one per child, Blue painter’s tape, Blue washable paint, Wet wipes

Get Ready: Using blue painter’s tape, spell out the word JESUS on one posterboard (using the non-slick side) to show kids how to do it.

Follow these steps to make the “JESUS > Fears Painting”:

• Give each child their poster board.
• Show kids the poster you made ahead of time, and have kids use the blue painter’s tape to spell out “Jesus” on their own posters. Ensure their tape is securely fastened to the poster so that paint will not leak under it.
• Using the blue paint and their fingers, invite kids to paint on top of their poster. (Make sure they completely cover Jesus.)
• As they paint, lead kids in a conversation about their fears, inviting kids to talk about their greatest fears, how they respond to them, and how the fears make them feel.
• After they are through painting, instruct kids to clean their hands with the wet wipes and allow their posters to dry.
• When the posters are dry, help kids take off the tape to reveal the name of Jesus!

SAY: We all have fears. Even the toughest adult you know can be afraid. We can focus on the storm that our fears cause, or we can choose to look to Jesus. When you look at your amazing paintings, remember that even in the middle of your fears, Jesus is with you. Jesus conquers fears when we trust in Him.

Fear Prayers

You’ll Need: Large craft sticks - two per child, Markers

• Give each child a couple of craft sticks.
• Invite kids to write a fear that they have on each craft stick.
• Challenge kids to hold each stick and pray silently to God about that fear, asking Him to help them turn to Jesus when they’re afraid.
• As they finish praying for each stick, invite them to break their sticks in half and lay them on the floor in front of them.

PRAY: Dear God, we wish our fears would go away as easy as breaking a stick. Please help us when we’re afraid. Remind us to turn to Jesus and know that Jesus conquers fears when we put our trust in Him! In Jesus’ name, amen.