Beatitudes Cootie Catcher

Most of us are familiar with the beatitudes that Jesus shared with his disciples. The term beatitude simply means supreme blessedness. In Matthew, Jesus speaks of nine blessings, and in Luke he only speaks of four. In Luke, Jesus also goes on to tell the disciples about what sorrows awaits those who are rich, well fed, well liked, and who are laughing.

In Luke 6:20-26, it says, 
"God blesses you who are poor,
    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 God blesses you who are hungry now,
    for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
    for in due time you will laugh.

22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Sorrows Foretold
24 “What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
    for you have your only happiness now.
25 What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
    for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
    for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
    for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

The Bible can be hard to understand, and put into words for children, especially when we as adults often struggle to grasp its full meaning.

When Jesus speaks of these sorrows or curses, I don't believe he is meaning these things are completely bad. There isn't a problem with having money, food, popularity, and happiness. There is a problem if these things are the most important thing in your life, and you strive to have them with everything in you. You are going to end up unhappy. The day will come when your money doesn't bring you pleasure but pain. The food will only satisfy for a short time, and popularity fades.

I believe Jesus was giving his disciples hope for the future and a little truth about the reality of what serving Him would cost them. God often asks us to give until it hurts. Sometimes we go without, so other can have more. Times can get really rough when friends disagree with our life or choices. We can be made fun of for our beliefs. But Jesus gives us hope. God sees our hearts and knows the pain we experience. He has great rewards and blessing for us. I can testify that those blessing don't have to wait until we get to heaven to receive them. I live an incredibly blessed life now. Each day I am in awe of all the good things God has given me.

Is my life perfect? .... No way!
Is there things I wish I could change? ..... Absolutely!
Do I have hard times? ..... Unfortunately, a lot of them!
But am I living a blessed life? .... Words cannot even begin to describe how truly grateful I am to God for all that I have. 

To help the kids in my class understand these scriptures a little more, I put together a game for them to make. Have you ever heard of the cootie catcher? Or the fortune teller? This thing goes by lots of different names.  I put one together to help remind the kids of the blessings and curses Jesus talked about.

If the kids want to color in the words, have them do this before they cut and fold their game. Once it has been colored, cut around the large square. You won't be cutting on all the small lines, those are going to be folds.

 Fold the square in half on both diagonal lines.

With the plain side of the paper facing up, fold each corner into the center. Do this for all four corners.

Turn the paper over, and again fold each of the corners into the center. Do this for all four corners.

When you turn your paper over, it should look like this.

The last thing you need to do, is fold your paper in half each way. This will give some nice creases, so you can fit your fingers inside the squares.

You should be able to slide your fingers under the words woe, reward, blessing, curse. This is the final step in making your Blessings and Curses cootie catcher.

Now you are ready to play!

You hold the game with both of your hands. You would place your left index finger in the blessing spot, and your left thumb in the curse spot. With your right hand you place your index finger in the woe, and your thumb in the reward. 

You alternate between a pinching and pulling motion. Pinching would open the mouth of the game up and down, pulling would open the mouth left and right.

In the traditional game, you would spell out the words on the front, or pick a number to choose how many times you open and close the game. For this game, we will spell out each of the words. 

For instance, if you want to read a blessing, you would start by opening the mouth up and down, then pulling it left to right, then up and down, and so forth. 

You spell the word Blessing as you do this:  
B (open it top to bottom) 
L (open it left to right) 
E (open it top to bottom) 
S (open it left to right) 
S (open it top to bottom) 
I (open it left to right)
N open it top to bottom) 
G (open it left to right)

You should end up with 4 choices:
People hate you
Sad
Poor
Hungry

Whichever choice you pick, you will open the flap and it will reveal the rest of the verse...

People hate you .... You are committed to the Son of Man
Sad... You will laugh
Poor... The kingdom of God is theirs,
Hungry... They will be satisfied.

Both Blessing and Reward will open to the correct place if you start spelling them by opening it top to bottom.

Both Curse and Woe will open to the other choices if you also start spelling them by opening it top to bottom first.

These were a bit hit with the kids in my class. Cootie catchers are a lot of fun to make, and you can use them for endless amounts of lessons and games! I think they would make great joke tellers too! I bet in the future you might see one or two from me. 

This one is extra special since it helps us remember our Bible story! To get a little more in depth into the lesson, if you have time, you could have the kids make a special personalized one for themselves. Have the kids think about when they obey God what happens. Also, they can think about what happens when they disobey God. 

Some examples of this: 
When I give to others .... God gives back to me. 
When I share with my friends ... it makes me feel good. 
When my feelings get hurt ... I know Jesus loves me to matter what.
When I'm mean to my brother ... it makes Jesus sad.
When I lie to my parents ... it hurts them.

You can see from my Blessings and Curses cootie catcher at the beginning of the post, where you need to write in your personalized things. The Blessings are all in the same font. And the Curses are in a different font. The little triangles are where you would put the second step. And the middle, larger triangles are the last step. 

If you want to completely make up your own:
You need an even number of letters in your first word to end up on the top to bottom spot.
You need an odd number of letters in your first word to end up on the left to right spot.

Faith Game for Kids

I believe God spoke to me when I was planning my lesson to teach my 2nd and 3rd grade class at church. We are talking about faith and believing in Jesus when we cannot see Him. 

Our story is from John 20:19-31 about Thomas who needs proof that Jesus rose from the dead. Thomas has not yet seen Jesus and he says to the other disciples, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Jesus appears to Thomas and shows him exactly what he requested. Jesus goes on to say to Thomas an encouraging word and a special message that is meant for all of us, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We are blessed! We have not seen Jesus with our own eyes, but we still know Him to be real and alive. I'm so excited to share this lesson God gave me with each of you!

Our Bible verse today is Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see." (NIRV)

To get the kids to really understand this, I planned a game for them that uses their memory verse. For the game to work, the kids MUST FIRST KNOW THEIR BIBLE VERSE. This game will not work properly if they aren't familiar with how the verse should read.

Work on the verse with the kids until they have it memorized. This is a simple verse, so it shouldn't be too hard for the kids to get quickly.

Hide the pieces of the verse around the room for the kids to find. I purposely left out the end of the verse.  You want the kids to spend a bit of time searching for it. Don't give the answer right away. Make them keep looking and searching.

I didn't have to force my kids to keep looking. These kids would not give up!!

They looked everywhere in the room. Because they had memorized the Bible verse they knew that piece of the puzzle existed. Therefore, it must be in the room! They had faith that it was there, and they didn't even realize or understand they were illustrating my point even further.

Finally, after several minutes of both teams searching and searching, I called them back to the table. Some of the kids didn't want to come willingly. They refused to give up on the missing piece.

We started to talk about the missing piece. I asked each team,

 "What piece is missing?"

They were surprised to be missing the same piece, "What we do not see". I asked the kids a question again, okay so you have, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and ...Faith is being certain of what?"

"What we do not see!"

Only one boy figured it out.

"The piece is not here, is it? Because we do not see it?!"

YES!

I began to ask the kids more questions about their search. 

Why did you want to keep looking? 

Because I didn't find the last piece.

I know what piece is missing.

I know what the Bible says!  

EXACTLY! We knew what promise God gave us. We found it in our Bibles today. However, we didn't find every piece of the puzzle in this room.

Just like this game we played, there are times in our life where we don't know what we are supposed to do, or how things will turn out. We ask God for help. We search for answers in our Bibles and try to find clues to help us. We pray. Sometimes God doesn't answer how we expect. God is silent. He doesn't give us an exact answer. Instead, He says, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Wait."

We must believe Him. Even when we cannot see the missing puzzle piece, or find the missing piece, we know that part of the puzzle exists. God promised it in our Bibles, so we know it is true. Just like He spoke to the men who wrote the Bible, God still speaks to each of us.

When we have a problem, we can be certain that God has an answer. We know that the answer exists. We know that God knows exactly where the missing piece is and when it will appear. It's up to us to have FAITH and wait, believing that it will happen.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for. Faith is being certain that missing puzzle piece exists and continuing to look for it because you know God is good and has the answer.

We believe in faith when we cannot see with our physical eyes,
but our spiritual eyes can see the promises of God.

My kids were so inspired by this faith game being walked out. One little boy told me, "That was a really good trick you played on us." The game hit especially home with him because for years he has prayed for a dad. He said he prayed a thousand times for this. He believed that God had a dad for him. He didn't know exactly who he was, or when he would come. But he sure did hope for it and believe it would be true. He even had a specific man he hoped to one day call Daddy. Two months ago, God gave him that missing puzzle piece. He gave him a dad he could call his own. God did a miracle for him, and this little boy never gave up believing that it would happen. He believed even when he could not see!

I printed my special version of Hebrews 11:1 on a piece of brightly colored paper. I had two sets of the puzzle on different colored papers, so the kids could work together in two separate teams. After they found the puzzle pieces, they would need to put the verse together.

I cut each line into a puzzle piece. I made sure to cut the edges of "It is being certain" and "Hebrews 11:1" differently so they do NOT connect. You want the kids to believe there is another piece in between them.

Planning this lesson, I know God spoke to my heart. There are dreams I have spent months believing for. I know God gave me a vision, and I have been prayerfully waiting to see it come to pass. There are days that I struggle with doubt and wonder if I heard from God correctly. And there are days like today where I feel God's presence so strongly that I am certain it will be. Both kinds of days bring me to my knees as I cry before God.  I needed this reminder probably even more than the kids in my class. God give me faith to be sure of the things that I hope for and make me certain of what I do not see.

Resurrection Bingo

I had the most wonderful time teaching my 2nd and 3rd grade class at church. We were learning about the resurrection for Easter. I wanted to give the kids a fun way to learn all the details. Normally, I share my Resurrection Eggs with the class, which they love. I decided to do a little twist on that this year.

We played Resurrection Bingo instead! It was so much fun and for the first time ever, the kids were so into the lesson that not a single child asked if it was snack time. Even by the time they all left to go home, no one remembered snack time. That has never happened! 

You can feel free to use the Resurrection Bingo for your own PERSONAL use.  But please be kind and do not claim these pictures as your own or offer them for downloads.  

If you would like to download a complete PDF set of Resurrection Bingo, you can scroll down to the bottom of this post. 

Each child will get ONE blank bingo card

And TWO sets of the small pictures. There are 25 squares of Bingo, and only 12 small pictures. The free space says Jesus is Alive!

Before playing the game, have each child make his or her own specialized Bingo playing card. Cut out the pictures and glue them onto each square of the Bingo card. There is no specific order and the more random the cards are the better. Each child should make their own Bingo card different from everyone else and try not to have two of the same picture in each column. For example, if they put both donkey pictures in column “B”, when it is called they will automatically have two marked off. To make it fair to all the kids, I made sure they only had one picture of each thing per column.

Cut apart the Bingo Calling Cards that you will be drawing from.  

To Play the Game:

When you hold up a card for the kids to see, allow a child who could mark the picture on their Bingo card to explain the purpose behind the card.  

For instance, I draw a card that looks like this:

The child would explain that it is a crown of thorns and that the soldiers placed it on Jesus’ head to mock him.

Stop and discuss each card until you have made it all the way through the 12 different cards. You will be repeating some of the cards, and it isn’t necessary to explain them again, unless you would like a new child to have the chance to share the importance behind the card.

If you need help with the description for each picture, I have included a list, along with scripture references for further discussion.

Donkey – A lowly donkey was given to Jesus to ride into Jerusalem just before his death. (Matthew 21:1-9)

30 Silver Coins – Judas accepted 30 silver coins for betraying Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. (Matthew 26:14-16, 46-50, 27:1-5)

Passover Cup - At Jesus’ last supper with his disciples before he died on the cross, He used the cup of wine to explain his death. (Matthew 26:17-19, 26-28)

Praying Hands – Reminds us that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with His disciples. (Mark 14:32-42)

Leather Whip – After His trial by Pilate, the Roman soldiers used leather ropes with rocks and metal woven in to whip Jesus.  (John 19:1-15)

Crown of Thorns – The soldiers who crucified Jesus placed a crown of thorns on His head, so they could mock Him. (Matthew 27: 29-31)

Nails in the Cross – Three large nails were driven into Jesus’ hands and feet to nail Him to the cross. (John 19: 16-22)

Dice for Gambling – The Roman soldiers used dice to gamble for Jesus’ robe.  (John 19:23-25)

Soldier’s Spear – Roman soldiers used a spear to pierce Jesus’ side when He was on the cross. (John 19: 31-37)

Linen cloth – Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in a linen cloth after He died on the cross. (Matthew 27: 57-61)

Stone at the Tomb – The huge stone that had covered the tomb was found rolled away by an angel. (Matthew 28:1-3)

Jesus Loves Me – The whole reason Jesus died and rose again was because of His great love for us! (John 3:16)

You can use anything for the markers. I used some pony beads. You could even have the kids color in each picture as it gets called.

You can download a PDF of Resurrection Bingo

Prayer Ball for Kids

One of my favorite ways to pray with kids is using our special prayer ball. It gets the kids a little bit of activity while spending time with Jesus. We use the prayer ball as a game. They all LOVE it! You can see from the photos my ball is getting old and worn. The letters are not quite as bright and clear as when I originally drew them onto the ball. This ball has had LOTS of use!

All the kids sit or stand in a circle. I usually start the ball rolling, so to speak. I throw it up in the air and catch it myself. Wherever my right thumb lands, I will pray for that thing. After I say a prayer, I toss it to another kid in the circle. They take a turn praying for something else... wherever their right thumb touches. If the kids are left handed then they will typically catch with their left hand, and they pray for whatever their left thumb is touching. Or if their thumb is not touching anything, they choose the closest thing to it, or what it is pointing to.

The topics are broad on the ball and the kids get to choose how they feel God is leading them to pray. You can see from the above picture my thumb is pointing towards "safety and protection." I could pray for safety for myself, or I could ask God who I should pray about this for. Sometimes a specific person will come to mind. If nobody does, I will ask the kids in the circle if anyone would like prayer for the thing chosen. There is always someone who needs it or wants it.

With praying in a large circle some of the kids are shy and don't like to say their prayers out loud. I never push anyone to pray that is uncomfortable. Typically all the kids will choose to say a prayer, but some will pray silently in their head.  For the shy ones in the crowd, I always give the option of a silent prayer. We all bow our heads, and when the child is finished silently praying they will say a loud "Amen" to let the rest of us know they are done. I encourage the kids to pray along with each person. 

Another option for a shy child, they can choose to repeat a prayer after me. I never make anyone feel bad for being shy about praying. Everyone has different comfort levels, and just because a child doesn't want to pray aloud does not mean they love Jesus any less.

I purchased my ball at Dollar Tree and wrote on it with a black permanent marker. I tried to space things evenly on the ball. 

These are my prayer topics on the ball in no specific order:

Freedom from fear

Good sibling relationships

Trust God

Comfort in sadness

Tender heart

Safety and protection

World leaders

Bright future

Learn God's word

To do well in school

Grow close to God in prayer

Develop skills and talents

Honor your parents

Strong Friendships

Physical health and strength

For patience and perseverance

Family

School teacher

Children's pastor

Pastor of our church

Resist negative peer pressure

To always tell the truth

Hope and joy

Good self-esteem

Make wise decisions

Feel loved and wanted

Respect those in authority

Bullies

Obey God

Every time I pull out the prayer ball I am encouraged by the faith of the children. Their prayers are genuine and heartfelt. They pray a prayer and believe that God will answer it. After their prayer is said, they don't pick it back up and worry about if God will answer. It is simple with children. God promises He will answer. Children expect Him to do exactly as He says. If only we all could have faith like a child. 

I Choose to Follow Jesus

A fun worksheet I put together to help remind us to declare that we will follow Jesus! It also has some room to fill in the some blanks. When I teach my class at church I'm always trying to find ways to get kids to apply what they are learning to their life. 

How can I choose to follow Jesus? 

There are things we can do at school, church, home... and the list goes on! 

You can feel free to use the coloring pages for your own PERSONAL use.  But please be kind and do not claim these pictures as your own or offer them for downloads.  It makes me sad to see my pictures on a coloring page website run by someone else.

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes."

Romans 1:16

Jesus Cares About Me

I can't believe it's already been 4 years since I last taught this lesson! Eventually all my lessons get used again with a new class and new children at church. This week we were discussing how Jesus cares about all our problems. Nothing is too big for Him to fix. There is nothing He can't do. 

To help the kids better understand this lesson, I put together this collection of doctor tools. I did not draw any of these tools. I found them all in Google images and I added spiritual truth to each tool.

Jesus cares about all of our problems, and He gives us ....

Love - When nobody seems to care

Joy - When we are sad

Peace - When we are worried or afraid

Hope - When things are going badly

Purpose - When we don't know what to do

Healing - When we have been hurt by others

Friends & Family - When we need someone to be there for us

I printed both the doctor's tools and the doctor's bag on white cardstock paper. This gives them a little stiffness which will help the tools survive through an entire lesson of play. 

I always try to do some kind of application to our lesson. This time I wrote a prayer on the back of the doctor's bag with some blanks that the kids can fill in. It helps personalize it a little more, and gets the kids thinking about the good things that God has given them.

To make the doctor's bag, you cut around the large rectangle. You fold on the dotted line. I gave the kids a couple pieces of tape to close the edges of the bag. You could use a glue stick. And to make a handle, I had the kids use their scraps of paper from cutting out the rectangle. I gave the kids more tape to add the handle to the inside of their doctor's bag. Some kids wanted two handles, some kids were happy with one handle.

This was a very simple craft, but gave us the chance for a lot of discussion on how Jesus cares about every single problem we have!

Animals for God

You can feel free to use the coloring pages for your own PERSONAL use.  But please be kind and do not claim these pictures as your own or offer them for downloads.  It makes me sad to see my pictures on a coloring page website run by someone else.

Remember the growth capsules you used to get as a little kid? They looked like colored medicine, and when you put them in warm water, they grew into a sponge. You never knew exactly what you were getting. It was so fun to be surprised with a different shape. I don't remember doing anything with the sponges after they had grown; the whole point was watching them change.

Each year I look forward to the first week I get to teach in the new year. We get to be animals for God. The kids love it, and I love making it happen. I bring several of the growth capsules with me to my class. The kids choose a color, and the animal is a complete surprise. We soak them in warm water at the beginning of class, and by the end they have an animal that only they get to be. 

Each animal has a theme Bible verse for the year, and a couple characteristics that describe the animal. Every year the list of animals grows. The first year I did this, we started out with only 6 animals. Now we are up to 18 different animals to choose from. I love the excitement the kids get as they discover which animal they are, and what special things God has planned for them this upcoming year. 

Enjoy!

"Be alert. be present. I'm about to do something band new!" Isaiah 43:19