Lesson 1: Jesus is with us.
Passage: Revelation 1:12-20 - John sees a vision in which there are seven golden lampstands, and among them is someone like a son of man, wearing a robe and a golden sash. His hair is white like wool and his eyes are a blazing fire, his feet are like bronze and his voice is like rushing waters. In his right hand he holds seven stars, and from his mouth comes a sharp, double-edged sword. His face is shining like the sun. John falls down at his feet, but he tells him not to be afraid, for he is the first and the last, the one who was dead and is now alive again. The mystery of this vision is that the seven lampstands represent seven churches, and the seven stars represent the seven angels of the those churches.
Big Idea: Jesus is glorious and always with us.
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.
Warm Up Activity: Bug in a Rug — Activity Leader
Begin by having all the kids say their names to the group. Play music and have the kids move around and dance in any way they want. When the music stops, all the kids will curl up as small as possible (like a bug) with their heads on their knees so they cannot see.
Select one kid to be covered up by a blanket so that no one can see who it is. Then, all the children will stand up and guess who is under the blanket. Play as many times as necessary so that every child has a turn being hidden.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are starting something brand new. We’re going to be learning about a book in the Bible called Revelation. It’s a big, exciting story at the end of the Bible with lots of strange pictures that tell us something about God and Jesus.
Let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
In today’s story, we learned about a guy named John who saw something really amazing. He saw seven golden… what? (lampstands - they are a picture of the people of God)
And there was someone who was standing in the middle of the lampstands. Can you remember who that was?
What do you think it would be like to see Jesus shining like the sun? How would you feel?
How did John feel when he saw all this? What did Jesus say to him? (he was afraid but Jesus told him not to be afraid)
How does it feel to know that Jesus is powerful and always with us?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for loving us and always being with us. You are big and powerful, but you also tell us not to be afraid. Help us to trust you and remember that you hold everything in your hands. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Gold Paper Collage — Activity Leader
Using black paper and shiny tissue/paper, the kids will cut and paste a collage of the image of Jesus described in the Bible story. Kids can draw over the tissue to create detail. There will be print out outlines for the kids to follow.
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.
-
Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Bug in a Rug — Activity Leader
Begin by having all the kids say their names to the group. Play music and have the kids move around and dance in any way they want. When the music stops, all the kids will curl up as small as possible (like a bug) with their heads on their knees so they cannot see.
Select one kid to be covered up by a blanket so that no one can see who it is. Then, all the children will stand up and guess who is under the blanket. Play as many times as necessary so that every child has a turn being hidden.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are starting a brand new series. We’re going to be learning about a book in the Bible called Revelation. It’s a big, exciting story at the end of the Bible with lots of strange pictures that tell us something about God and Jesus.
Let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
In today’s story, we learned about a guy named John who saw something really amazing. He saw seven golden… what? (lampstands, which stand for the people of God)
And there was someone who was standing in the middle of the lampstands. Can you remember who that was?
Can you remember what Jesus looked like? What do you think it would be like to see Jesus with blazing eyes and shining like the sun?
How did John feel when he saw all this and what did he do? What did Jesus say to him afterwards? (he fell down in fear, and Jesus told him not to be afraid)
What do you think this story tells us about Jesus? How does it feel to know that Jesus is powerful and always with us?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for this story that shows us that Jesus is powerful and full of light. Even when things seem scary, you tell us not to be afraid because you are always with. Help us to trust you, to listen to your voice, and to remember that you hold the whole world in your hands. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Gold Paper Collage — Activity Leader
Using black paper and shiny tissue/paper, the kids will cut and paste a collage of the image of Jesus described in the Bible story. Kids can draw over the tissue to create detail. There will be print out outlines for the kids to follow.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
-
Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Giant Matching Game — Activity Leader
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we’re starting a brand new series on the Book of Revelation.
Has anyone heard of the Book of Revelation before?
Where in the Bible is it found?
What do you think the Book of Revelation is about?
In this book, there’s a guy named John who has bunch of visions. He sees lots of different things in his visions, and all of the things that he sees have a hidden meaning. Kind of like a secret code.
Before we watch our video, let’s read the passage. And don’t worry if you don’t understand it right away, because we’ll learn more about it in our video.
Read: Revelation 1:12-20.
Now let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
In the story, John describes Jesus with blazing eyes, a powerful voice, and his face shining like the sun. What do you think these images tell us about who Jesus is?
John also saw Jesus standing among seven golden lampstands. Can anyone remember what the lampstands stand for? What do you think it means that Jesus was standing among them?
Why do you think John was so afraid when he saw the vision of Jesus? What did Jesus say to him next?
How can knowing that Jesus is powerful and always with us help us when we faces challenges or fears?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for showing us that you are powerful, wise, and always in control. Sometimes we feel afraid, but you remind us that we don’t have to be because you are always with us. Help us to trust you, listen to your voice, and follow you with courage. Thank you for holding us in your hands. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Gold Paper Collage — Activity Leader
Using black paper and shiny tissue/paper, the kids will cut and paste a collage of the image of Jesus described in the Bible story. Kids can draw over the tissue to create detail.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What kind of things did John see?
What do you think it would be like to see Jesus shining like the sun?
Why do you think Jesus told John not to be afraid?
How does it feel to know that Jesus is always with you?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
The first thing John saw was seven golden lampstands. Do you remember what they stand for?
John saw Jesus shining like the sun, with a powerful voice, and fiery eyes. What does this tells us about Jesus?
How did John react when he saw Jesus like this? What did Jesus say to him after?
How can remembering that Jesus is powerful and always with us help you when you feel scared?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
John used a lot of images to describe what Jesus looked like (shining face, blazing eyes, powerful voice). What do you think these things mean?
How did John feel when he saw Jesus? How did Jesus reassure him?
When Jesus said that he is “the first and the last”, what did he mean?
What does this story teach us about why we can trust Jesus in our daily lives?
