VBC Kids Sunday Online

Bible Story: Jesus Has Power over Nature (Matthew 14:22-33)
Bible Verse: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." John 20:31 

Babies Gospel Gems:

• Jesus' friends were in a boat during a storm.
• Jesus walked on water to His friends.
• Jesus' friends believed He is God's Son.
• MAIN POINT: Jesus did miracles to show His love and power.

Play and Learn Activities:

For Babies

1. SING A SONG - Sing to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat": "Jesus is, Jesus is, Jesus is God's Son! He has power o'er everything; Jesus is God's Son!" SAY: JESUS DID MIRACLES, things only God can do. In our Bible story, Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus showed people His power.
2. PRETEND TO SAIL - Sit with your baby on your lap, facing you. Support your baby as you gently bounce her up and down, and rock her back and forth as if in a boat. Tell the Bible story, bouncing her higher during the storm. Stop bouncing when Jesus calms the storm. Cheer and smile for your baby. SAY: JESUS HAS POWER OVER NATURE. Jesus' friends believed He is God's Son!

For Toddlers

    BIBLE STORY COLORING PAGE (PRINTABLE)

PAINT WITH WATER -Tape a large sheet of blue construction paper on the table. Use a paintbrush and a paper plate with a little water. Help your child dip his fingers or the paintbrush in the water and then "paint" the paper. As the paper becomes wet, do not let your child put it in his mouth. SAY: JESUS HAS POWER OVER NATURE because He is God's Son. Jesus did miracles to show He is God's Son.
John 20:31, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

MAKE STORM NOISES -  Invite your toddler to drum on his/her knees with his/her hands to make thunder sounds, blow to make wind sounds, and rub their hands together to make rain sounds. Briefly review the Bible story. SAY:  Jesus' friends were in a boat during a storm. They were afraid! Jesus walked on the water to His Friends. JESUS HAS POWER OVER NATURE BECAUSE JESUS IS GOD'S SON! 

FLOAT BOATS - Place towels down on the floor, or go outside. Fill a plastic bin with an inch of water and a plastic boat, or boats if you have more than one. Have your toddler float the boats in the bin with water. Then, you rock the bin. Talk about the waves and note how the boats react. SAY: Jesus' friends were in a boat during a storm. They were afraid! Jesus walked on the water to His friends. JESUS DID MIRACLES. Jesus' friends believed He is God's Son!

JESUS WALKED ON WATER - Supplies needed: Boat, Jesus and Peter, crayons, craft sticks, blue paper plate.
First – In our story, people were following Jesus everywhere because of all the miracles (things only God can do) He had been doing. He wanted to spend time alone talking to God in prayer, so He told His friends to get in a boat and go across the sea and he went up the mountain to talk to God. Take out the Jesus and Peter figures and have your toddler color them. While she/he is coloring ASK: Do you ever like to be alone? Why or why not? Do you like to talk to God? How do you talk to God? Cut out the figures and tape one craft stick to each figure. Hand your child the boat and the blue plate. Have her put the boat on the plate pretending it is the sea. Have her put Peter with the boat and Jesus separately praying.
Next – SAY: Next in our story it was now night time (Cover your eyes). There was a storm on the sea where Jesus’s friends were still in the boat and the waves were tossing them around and they were scared. Have your child make the boat rock and make sounds like a storm. Jesus came to help His friends and He was walking on top of the water! Help your child put the Jesus figure’s craft stick through a slit in the blue plate to look like He is walking across the water. ASK: Have you ever been afraid in a storm? Can you walk on top of water, like across the bathtub or a swimming pool? How do you think Jesus did that? (Jesus has power over nature because Jesus is God’s Son!)
Finally – SAY: Guess what happened next?! Jesus’s friends were afraid and thought He was a ghost! But, Jesus’s friend Peter (Hand your child the Peter figure and help him/her put Peter’s craft stick facing Jesus through the slit in the blue plate.) was not afraid and trusted in Jesus and His power, so he got out of the boat and starting walking on the water to Jesus. He was ok until He saw the wind and waves and then he got scared and began to sink. Move the Peter figure toward Jesus and make him start to sink. Peter cried out to Jesus, “LORD, SAVE ME!”, and Jesus grabbed Peter’s hand and brought him to the boat. As soon as they got in the boat the storm STOPPED! Take both figures out of the plate and pretend they are on the boat. ASK: How did Jesus help Peter walk on water? (By His power!) Do you think Peter could have walked on water by himself? (No.) Why did Jesus walk on water? (To show His power over nature to His friends!) Why can Jesus make a storm stop and you and I can’t? (Jesus has power over nature because He is God’s Son and we are only human.)

John 20:31, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

 

 

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Bible Story: Jesus Walked on Water (Matthew 14:22-33)
Bible Verse: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." John 20:31

Main Point: Jesus walked on water

Big Picture Question: Why did Jesus perform miracles? Jesus performed miracles to show He is God's Son.

Big Idea: Jesus performed miracles to show He is God’s Son. 

BIBLE STORY VIDEO:

Bible Story Video Questions: (Watch the video and ask your kids these questions)

1. What was Jesus doing while His friends were in the boat? (praying by Himself on a mountain)
2. What did the friends see out on the water in the middle of the night? (Jesus walking)
3. Who wanted to walk in the water with Jesus? (Peter)
4. When did Peter begin to sink? (When he saw how windy it was and became afraid)
5. What did Jesus do when Peter cried, “Lord, save me!”? (reached out and grabbed Peter)

SAY The waves were tossing their boat up and down when Jesus’ friends saw Him.  Jesus walked on water. Jesus even called Peter out onto the water.  Peter started to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus, but Jesus grabbed Peter when he called out.  When we look to Jesus and trust in Him, He will save us from our sin

Family Activities: (Choose one and do it with your kids)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY SHEET FOR KIDS JR (PRINTABLE)

1. LEARN THE BIG PICTURE QUESTION:
   SAY • Our big picture question is, Why did Jesus perform miracles? Jesus performed miracles to show He is God’s Son. Everyone in the boat worshiped Jesus. “You really are the Son of God,”  they said. Jesus showed that we can trust Him. His life, death, and resurrection showed that Jesus is who He says He is.
   
   
2. PRACTICE THE KEY PASSAGE: Open your Bible to John 20:31.  Read the key passage aloud several times.  Sing together the key passage song, “These are written.”

   SAY Our key passage reminds us that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.  The amazing things we hear about Jesus from the Bible show us that Jesus is the One God promised to send to rescue people from sin.

3. SING “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus": Lead your child in singing “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  If you are unfamiliar with the tune, look it up online before the session. 

   “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,

   And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

   In the light of His glory and grace.”

   Consider creating motions to go along with the song lyrics.  Sing until your child can sing the song on his/her own.

   SAY: This song reminds us that life works best when we trust Jesus. In today’s Bible story, Jesus allowed Peter to do something very special---something people cannot do on their own. But something happened when Peter stopped looking at Jesus and started looking around him. Listen to our Bile story to hear what happened when Peter took his eyes off Jesus.

4. WALK LINES: Use three different colors of tape to create three lines on the floor. Arrange the lines so that they intersect at different points. Make the lines zig-zag, curve, and weave. Challenge your child to walk one foot in front of the other on a certain color line. For younger children, offer guidance when they come to an intersection in the lines.    

   SAY Was it hard to stay on the right color line? Which line was the easiest to wak on ? Which line was the hardest to walk on? In today’s Bible story, Jesus and Peter walked on something, but it was not a line. 

5. LEARN HOW TO "LOOK" TO JESUS: Remind your child that Peter started to sink when he stopped looking at Jesus and started looking at the waves around him. Explain that we can “look” at Jesus by remembering His words in the Bible. Discuss the situations below or create your own. For each situation mark a verse in the Bible that speaks to that situation. Invite your child to come up and open the Bible to the appropriate verse. 
   • Scared of a storm or the dark: Psalm 89:8-9
   • Do not want to wait: Proverbs 14:29
   • Scared because mom and dad are arguing: Psalm 56:3
   • Afraid to try something new: Joshua 1:9
   • Brother or sister hits you: Matthew 5:39
   • Do not want to share: Matthew 5:42
   • Someone takes something of yours: Matthew 5:40
   • Do not want to do what your parents say: Ephesians 6:1
   • Want to tell a lie: Proverbs 12:22
   • Want to be mean to someone else: Ephesians 4:32

   SAY: Jesus walked on water. Just like Jesus helped Peter when he called out to Him, Jesus will help us when we ask Him. When we look to Jesus and trust Him, He will save us from our sin and help us to follow Him.    

6. PLAY OUT WALKING ON WATER WITH A CRAFT: Cut a long slit across the middle of a paper plate.  Lead your child to use blue, gray, and white crayons to color their paper plate to resemble the sea. Provide a “Jesus and Peter” printable. Guide your child to cut out each image and glue it to a craft stick. Show your child how to push the craft stick through the slit in the paper plate and hold it from under the paper plate. Demonstrate how to move the craft stick to make Jesus or Peter walk. Encourage your child to play out the story using his/her craft. 

   SAY Jesus walked on water. Only God’s Son could do that! His life, death, and resurrection showed that Jesus is who He says He is. We can trust Jesus. He will never let us down. When we look to Jesus and trust Him, He will save us from our sin. 

7. MAKE WAVES WITH A PARACHUTE:  Invite your child to hold the edge of a parachute or blue sheet. Invite him/her to make the parachute wave slowly and quickly. Place foam balls or the parachute. Try keeping the balls on the parachute or bouncing them off. 

   SAY The wind made big waves and tossed Jesus’ friends up and down on the boat. Jesus walked on water toward them in the middle of the big waves. Jesus showed that He is who He says He is. When we look to Jesus and trust Him, He will save us from our sin.

8. PLAY OUT THE BIBLE STORY: Place a plastic tub filled with a couple inches of water on a table surrounded by towels. Invite your child to play out the story of Jesus walking on water with people figures. Review the Bible story as your child plays.

   SAY: Jesus walked on water. Jesus showed that we can trust Him. His life, death, and resurrection showed that Jesus is who He says He is. When we look to Jesus and trust Him, He will save us from our sin.

9. FINGER WALK ON SENSORY BAGS: Add blue food color to 1 ½ cups of flour. Then add 9 tablespoons of water. Stir the mixture and place it in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Secure the bag with duct tape. Place the bag in another ziplock bag for added protection if desired. Repeat the process to make more sensory bags. Invite your child to finger walk on the sensory bags. They may also write or draw on the bags with their fingers.         SAY I wonder what Jesus and Peter felt under their feet as they walked on water. Maybe the water felt squishy like these bags. Jesus walked on water to show that He is God’s Son. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection show us that we can trust Jesus. When we turn from our sin and look to Jesus, He saves us.  

VBC KIDS JR. SONGS:

Song Video – Preschool: these are Written

Song Video – Preschool: I will stand

 

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BIBLE STORY: Jesus Walks on Water 
VBC Kids, get out your August packet and open up the bag that says 8/2!) If you did not pick up a packet on Saturday, Aug. 1, at our drive-thru event, you can still pick one up from the church office, Mon-Fri 9:00-4:00, or if you can't make it during those hours, call the church office at 510-799-3171, and we'll work it out with you.

BIBLE STORY: Matthew 14:22-33
BIBLE VERSE: John 20:31 "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." John 20:31
BIG IDEA: Jesus has power over nature...trust in Jesus!

VBC KIDS WORSHIP SONGS

BIBLE STORY VIDEO

Bible Story Video Questions: (Watch the video and ask these questions)

1. Why wasn’t Jesus in the boat with the disciples? (Jesus stayed behind to send the crowds home and pray alone
   on the mountain, Matt. 14:22-23)
2. Is Jesus with us? (No, Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of God, but He sent us the Holy Spirit to help us. The Holy Spirit lives in us if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior) Luke 22:69, John 14:16-17
3. What happened to the disciples in the boat? (They were hit by strong winds, Matt. 14:24)
4. What did Jesus say to them? (He told them not to be afraid, Matt. 14:27)
5. What did Jesus tell Peter to do? (walk out to Him over the water, Matt. 14:29)
6. Do you think it was hard or easy for Peter to trust Jesus?
7. Have you ever had to trust Jesus for something hard? When? What happened?
8. Have you trusted Jesus with your life? (John 3:16)
9. What caused Peter to sink? (He looked at the waves and became afraid, Matt. 14:30)
10. What are some things that you are afraid of?
11. What did Jesus do when Peter called out for help? (Jesus saved him, Matt. 14:31)
12. What do you do when you're afraid?
    
    Jesus knew that His disciples were struggling in the boat against the wind and the waves. Jesus walked on the sea to be with them. They were amazed and afraid at first. Peter tried to walk to Jesus but sank when he looked around and saw the waves. When Peter called out to be saved, Jesus rescued him. When we call out to Jesus, He rescues us. Jesus performed miracles to glorify God and prove that He is God the Son. Jesus’ greatest miracle was dying on the cross for our sin and rising again on the third day. When we trust Jesus, we gain new life and forgivness for our sin.

DISCUSSION STARTER VIDEO:
Have you ever felt worried about something that wasn’t as bad as it first seemed? Think about that while we play this short video.

1. Why was the boy so afraid?
2. Did he need to be so worried?
3. What helped him calm down?
4. Who can help us have peace in the middle of hard times?
   
   We know that Jesus has power over everything. Even when things seem difficult or scary, we can trust that Jesus is in control. He died on the cross to rescue us, and nothing can take away the eternal life He has promised us.

Family Activities: (Choose one and do it together!)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY SHEET FOR YOUNGER KIDS (PRINTABLE. ALSO IN PACKET)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY SHEET FOR OLDER KIDS (PRINTABLE. ALSO IN PACKET)

1. OPTION 1: SINK OR SWIM (FROM PACKET)
   1 Read the Bible story with a grown up, or read it by yourself!
   2 Get out the little man from your bag.  Would you say he looks confident or scared?
   3 Now get a cup of water. Put the man in the water and see what happens.
   4 Take the little bag and one of the 3 stones. Put the little man in the bag and one of the stones with him. Close it tight, and put it in the water. Now what happens?
   5 Try one of the other stones. What happens?
   6 Lastly, put all 3 stones in there with him and put him in the water. What happens with all 3?! 

   Fear, worry, and doubt are big problems! Which ones did Peter struggle with in our Bible story? We all struggle with these from time to time. They weigh us down and can even make us feel like we’re drowning!  Which one do you struggle with the most? Take the stone you struggle with the most and put it in your hand. God says in His Word, the Bible, “Cast all your anxiety (cares/worries) on Him because He cares for you. “ (1 Peter 5:7)  We’re going to do that right now. Take your stone somewhere that’s safe to throw. (Outside maybe even at a park or beach) To “cast” means to throw really far like your line when you’re fishing. God says “cast” your fears, your worries, and your doubts on Him because He cares for you. With the stone in your hand first think of something that you are worried about, fear, or doubt right now. Pray and ask God to help you “cast” your cares on Him...then throw it as far as you can!  Next time you worry, pray and “cast” your cares on Him. Remember, when Peter was looking at Jesus, he walked on water, but when he saw everything around him and worried, he started to sink! What is one way you can “look to Jesus” this week to help keep yourself focused on Him? Now, set a time and DO IT!

2. OPTION 2: LEAP OF FAITH
   INSTRUCTIONS FOR GROWN-UPS

   1. Put a big obstacle in front of your child. (chair, trash can, bunched up blanket, etc.)
   2. Tell them when you say “go” they have to jump over it.
   3. Blindfold your child and quietly remove the obstacle from their path. Make sure anyone else in the room is quiet to avoid giving away the twist.
   4. Tell your child to jump over the obstacle. After, remove the blindfold and let him see that you had moved it.

   How did you feel when you were blindfolded before you made the jump?

   What did you think after when you had made it?

   It can be a little scary trusting Jesus when you aren’t sure how things will work out. But, like Peter, sometimes we need to simply take a “leap of faith” and let Jesus take care of the results. It may not always turn out as we thought it would, but we can trust Jesus to take care of us.

   Jesus has power over nature. Jesus has power over everything!  Trust in Jesus!

3.  OPTION 3: PAINT THE SCENE

   Paint one of the scenes from today’s Bible story.

   • Jesus walking toward the disciples. (Matthew 14:25-26)
   • Peter started walking on the water toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:29)
   • Peter began to sink, and Jesus reached out to him.(Matthew 14:30-31)

   Jesus walked on the sea, and Peter looked to Him in faith. We can look to Jesus in faith every day. We can look to Him to rescue us from sin, and we can ask for His help to live in a way that honors Him. Even when we feel afraid or doubt God, we can cry out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus will answer, and—like the disciples did—we can worship Him.

   If you have never “looked to Jesus” to rescue you from sin, you can do that today—even right now! 

   A—Admit you’ve done wrong. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

   B—Believe who Jesus is and what He did for you. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins...He was buried, that He was raised on the third day…” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

   C—Call “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

    

ASK YOUR FAMILY:

1.  Fear Factor: Would you be afraid?

•  

• You stop in a store to look at a toy, but when you turn back around, you don’t know where your parents went.
• You are swimming at the beach and see a shark fin poking out of the water, heading straight toward you.
• You are camping in the woods and hear rustling in the bushes.
• You threw a ball and accidentally hit your family’s TV. It falls to the ground and breaks.

A lot of situations can make us worry. Fear is a normal feeling, and can protect us from things that can hurt us. However, when we let fear control us, we are not trusting Jesus. Jesus died to rescue us from the eternal punishment  for the things we’ve done wrong. When we believe in Him and accept Him as our Savior, our future is forever secure with God. Even the scariest things on earth cannot take us away from God. God wants us to remember His power and trust Him even in difficult or scary situations.  Jesus has power over EVERYTHING...Trust in Jesus!

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39

2.   I WONDER...

• The disciples were on the boat all night. When Jesus walked on the sea, it was dark. Have you ever been afraid of something in the dark?
  Try saying these verses when you’re afraid:
  “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You." (God)  Psalm 56:3
  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  2 Timothy 1:7
• Peter asked Jesus to let him come to Him on the water. Do you think Peter was afraid? How do you feel when doing something new?
  Try to do what this verse says:
  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
  
  
• Peter was afraid when he saw the waves and felt the strong wind. What can you do when you feel afraid of what’s happening around you?
  (Find comfort in His Word; Pray and ask Him for help!)
  Remember that Jesus came to give us peace. He said,
  “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

3.  Will these items FLOAT OR SINK?

Get a cup or bowl of water.
Grab some of these items from around the house and guess before you put them in the water...will they float or sink?

• Ice
• Potato
• Fruit/Peeled Fruit
• Coins
• Marshmallow
• You Pick!

Do you think a person would float or sink in the water?
You probably know from taking baths or swimming in a pool that people tend to sink in water. In our Bible Story, Jesus did a miracle! He not only walked on water, but He had Peter walking on the water too! That’s incredible! Jesus has power over nature. Trust in Jesus!
What happened when Peter saw the wind and doubted? (He sank) How can you trust in Jesus today?

4.  Ask our Daily 3 questions about the story:
What does it say about God?     
What does it say about me?
What am I going to do about it?

 

 

If you have any questions about this, we'd love to talk to you and help you find answers in God's Word! Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media @vbckids.

GOD'S PLAN FOR YOU:

THE BIBLE OVERVIEW:

 

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GRAPPLE GROWN-UPS (adults of kids 10+):

Hi Grown-Ups! Each week we let the kids grapple with questions they have about God, His Word, and the World! They dig deep in the Bible to find answers to life’s tough questions.  Below is the question they’ll get to explore today.  We encourage you to let your kids go through the questions below using a Bible, a sheet of paper, and a device to read the questions on. Feel free to go through them yourself or even with your kids.  Discover what God has to say about the questions your kids wonder about!

grapple at home guide

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