Lesson 5: The vine and the branches.
Passage: John 15:1-18 - Jesus uses the illustration of a vine and branches to describe our relationship with him. He says that he is the vine, we are the branches, and his Father is the gardener. When we stay connected to him we can bear fruit, just as a branch must stay connected to the vine as its life source so that it can bear fruit. He goes on to say that we remain in his love by keeping his commands, that is, to love one another as he has loved us. In doing so, we have great joy and Jesus calls us his friends.
Big Idea: Staying connected to Jesus.
For Teachers:
Lesson plan.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class and introduce yourselves.
Warm Up Activity: Storytime — Activity Leader
Read: Be a Tree
Discuss what kind of things plants need to grow and how God is like the roots of a tree.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we’re going to be having another Storytime with Nana Alex and she’s going to be telling us something about plants and fruits.
Let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
What kind of hobby was Nana Alex doing at the beginning of the video?
What were some of the cool things she said about plants?
What are some kinds of fruits that grow on trees? Can a branch make fruits by itself if it’s not connected to the rest of the tree? Why or why not?
Why do you think Jesus said that he is like the vine and we are like the branches?
What are some ways that we can stay connected to Jesus?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you for the story we learned today about how plants need lots of things to grow and produce fruits - like water and sunlight and staying connected to its roots. We also know that Jesus is like the root or vine of a plant, and he wants us to stay connected to him that he can cause good things grow out of our lives. Things like love and goodness and joyfulness and peace. Help us to stay connected to you every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Activity: Collaborative Painting — Activity Leader
Each table will have a large piece of paper with a vine drawn onto it. Kids will use different kinds of fruit and paint to create stamps on the vine.
If a child is not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit near the TV. Welcome them to class. Introduce yourselves.
Warm Up Activity: Giant Knot — Activity Leader
Get into groups of less than 12 kids and each ground stands in a circle.
Players take one hand and grab the hand of anyone else in the group except the people standing directly beside them. They then do the same thing with their other hand, but also cannot grab the hand of the same person they already paired with.
The challenge is to get untangled without letting go of each other’s hands. Emphasize that getting untangled requires communication and cooperation.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we’re going to be having another Storytime with Nana Alex and she’s going to be telling us a story about plants and fruits.
Let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Does anyone here have plants at home? What are some things that you need to give a plant for it to grow healthy and strong?
Some plants even produce fruits. What are some kinds of fruits that grow from trees or plants? Can a branch produce fruits all on it’s own if it’s not attached to the rest of the tree? Why or why not?
Why do you think Jesus compared himself to a vine and us to branches?
What are some good “fruits” that can grow out of our lives when we stay connected to Jesus?
What are some ways that we can stay connected to Jesus?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for the story we learned today about how just as a branch needs to stay connected to the vine in order to grow and produce good fruits, so we also need to stay connected to Jesus so that he can cause good fruits to grow out of our lives — fruits of the Spirit like love, joy, goodness, and peace. Please help us to find ways to stay connected to you every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Activity: Collaborative Painting — Activity Leader
Each table will have a large piece of paper with a vine drawn onto it. Kids will use different kinds of fruit and paint to create stamps on the vine.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
-
Welcome — Activity Leader
Welcome the kids to class, introduce yourselves.
Warm Up Activity: Giant Knot — Activity Leader
Get into groups of less than 12 kids and each ground stands in a circle.
Players take one hand and grab the hand of anyone else in the group except the people standing directly beside them. They then do the same thing with their other hand, but also cannot grab the hand of the same person they already paired with.
The challenge is to get untangled without letting go of each other’s hands. Emphasize that getting untangled requires communication and cooperation.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we’re going to be having another Storytime with Nana Alex and she’s going to be telling us a story about plants and fruits.
Let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Does anyone here have plants at home? What are some things that you need to give a plant for it to grow healthy and strong?
Some plants even produce fruits. What are some kinds of fruits that grow from trees or plants? Can a branch produce fruits all on it’s own if it’s not attached to the rest of the tree? Why or why not?
Why do you think Jesus compared himself to a vine and us to branches?
What are some good “fruits” that can grow out of our lives when we stay connected to Jesus?
What are some ways that we can stay connected to Jesus?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you for the story we learned today about how just as a branch needs to stay connected to the vine in order to grow and produce good fruits, so we also need to stay connected to Jesus so that he can cause good fruits to grow out of our lives — fruits of the Spirit like love, joy, goodness, and peace. Please help us to find ways to stay connected to you every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Activity: Collaborative Painting — Activity Leader
Each table will have a large piece of paper with a vine drawn onto it. Kids will use different kinds of fruit and paint to create stamps on the vine.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
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What was the Bible story that you learned about in class today?
What kind of things does a plant need to grow healthy and strong?
What part of the plant did Jesus say that he is like? What part did he say that we are like? What do you think he was trying to teach us?
What are some good things that can come from our lives when we stay connected to Jesus like a branch staying connected to the vine?
What are some ways that we can connect to Jesus each day?
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What was the Bible story that you learned about in class today?
What were some interesting facts that you learned about plants?
What part of the plant did Jesus say that he is like? What part did he say we are like? What do you think Jesus was trying to say?
What are some good things that can grow out of our lives when we stay connected to Jesus?
How can we can stay connected to Jesus every day?
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What was the Bible story that you learned about in class today?
Why do you think Jesus used the illustration of a plant to describe his relationship to us?
What part of a plant did he say that he is? What part did he say we are?
What kind of things does Jesus bring to our lives when we stay connected to him? What are some of the good fruits that can result from that relationship?
What are some ways to keep our connection to Jesus strong each day?
