VBC Kids Sunday Online

Would you like to be included when we mail out cool content? Sign up with your email address below! We'll also include your kids when we mail out packages with activity sheets and other family fun!

Special Message for VBC Babies!

5/30 Teacher Tina - Preschool from Valley Bible Church on Vimeo.

Bible Story: JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS 
(Luke 19:1-10)

Bible Verse: "I am the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6

Babies Gospel Gems:

• People did not love Zacchaeus, but Jesus did.
• Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus.
• Jesus came to rescue us.
• MAIN POINT: Jesus is the Messiah.

Play and Learn Activities:

For Babies

1. BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY SHEET (PRINTABLE)
   
   
2. SING A SONG - Sing to the tune of “London Bridge”: 
   verse 1: “God sent Jesus down to earth, down to earth, down to earth!
   God sent Jesus down to earth; Jesus is God’s Son!”                                           
   verse 2: "Jesus taught us about God, about God, about God!                             
   Jesus taught us about God! Jesus came to save us!”                                             
   SAY: Everything Jesus does makes God happy. JESUS IS GOD’S SON.
   
   
3. MAKE ZACCHAEUS ART - Using the printable coloring page from above, or the one you received in the mail, cut out Zacchaeus and set him aside. Next, have your toddler make a tree top by placing his hand in washable green paint and then press it on to heavyweight paper. Wash your toddler's hand immediately for easiest clean up. Once the paint is dry, draw a trunk on the tree with brown marker and help your toddler glue or tape Zacchaeus in the tree. SAY: Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. JESUS IS THE MESSIAH.
   
   
4. CLIMB A TREE - If possible, and if it is safe, let your toddler try to climb and actual tree. If this is not possible, find something around your house that is safe and appropriate for your toddler to climb and pretend it is a tree and let her climb it. A slide is a great choice. Then call your child's name and have her come or slide down. SAY: Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. Jesus came to rescue us, just like He came to rescue Zacchaeus. JESUS IS THE MESSIAH!
   
   
5. WEIGH COINS - Use a small kitchen scale if you have one or any scale you have at home. Put coins in small ziploc bags and let your toddler weigh them. Let him put different numbers of coins in the bags and weigh them on the scale. SAY: Zacchaeus took money from people. People did not love Zacchaeus, but Jesus did. JESUS IS THE MESSIAH.
   .
6. GIVE TO A FRIEND - Have your toddler find his/her favorite toy and let someone else in your family play with it. Remind him/her that Zacchaeus loved Jesus and offered to give money to people  who did not have any. SAY: Jesus came to rescue us. JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, God's Son.

Preschool song: That’s What Jesus Did

Preschool song: John 14:6

 

 

^ back to top

< Back to VBC Kids

---

 

Bible Story: JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS 

Bible Verse: "I am the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6

Bible Passages: Luke 19:1-10

Key Passage: John 14:6

Main Point: Jesus loved Zacchaeus.

Big Picture Question: Who did Jesus say He is? Jesus said He is God's Son.

5/13 Jesus and Zacchaeus - Preschool from Valley Bible Church on Vimeo.

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

1. What was Zacchaeus' job? (tax collector)

2. Why did the people not like tax collectors? (many of them were dishonest

3. What did Zacchaeus do so he could see Jesus? (He climbed into a sycamore tree)

4. Where did Jesus tell Zacchaeus He wanted to go with him? (Jesus went to Zacchaeus' house with him)

5. What did Zacchaeus tell Jesus he would do? (give half of what he had to the poor, pay back money he took)

SAY • Zacchaeus was a dishonest tax collector. People did not like him. But after he met Jesus, Zacchaeus changed. Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Jesus' love for him made Zacchaeus want to do the right thing.

Family Activities:

1. "WHERE IS ZACCHAEUS" (PRINTABLE)
   
   
2. SORT COINS: Place piles of assorted coing near a muffin tin. Demonstrate how to examine coins and identify differences. Guide your child to sort different types of coins into muffin tin cups. SAY • Today's Bible story is about a man named Zacchaeus and what happened when he met Jesus. Zacchaeus' job was to collect money from the people called taxes. He was a tax collector. He did not have many friends. Tax collectors like Zacchaeus sometimes took more money that they had to and kept some extra money for themselves.
   
   
3. PRACTICE THE KEY PASSAGE: Open your Bible to John 14:6. Read the key passage aloud several times. Sing together the key passage song, "John 14:6". SAY • Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life in our key passage. Jesus is the only way sinful people like Zacchaeus and you and me can be rescued from sin.
   
   
4. TAKE A NATURE WALK: Take a walk outdoors and observe the trees. Use a mobile device to show your child what a sycamore tree looks like, and challenge him/her to find one. Discuss what it would be like to climb a tree to see Jesus. SAY • Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but he was short. He ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore tree so he could see over the crowd. Jesus saw Zacchaeus and called him down. Jesus said he wanted to stay with Zacchaeus. Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Jesus had come to earth to find people like Zacchaeus - people who did not know God - and to rescue them from their sin.
   
   
5. COLLAGE STORY ITEMS: Give your child a sheet of paper. Arrange materials nearby. Encourage your child to glue or tape leaves, twigs, and coins onto the paper. Mention how each item relates to the Bible story as your child works with it.
   SAY • Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Meeting Jesus changed Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was sorry for his sin and wanted to do the right thing. Jesus is happy when we are sorry for our sin, and he wants us to trust in Him.
   
   
6. BUILD A TREE SNACK: Instruct your child to wash hands. Demonstrate how to attach a marshmallow to the end of a pretzel stick and continue adding marshmallows onto a plate and invite your child to assemble a tree. Talk about different aspects of the Bible story as your child works.  

   SAY • The only way Zacchaeus could see Jesus when he walked into town was to run ahead of the crowd and climb a sycamore tree. When Jesus saw Zacchaeus, He wanted to talk to Him. Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Jesus came to look for and rescue people who sin. We are sinners like Zacchaeus, and Jesus came to rescue us too. Jesus died on the cross and rose again. He is happy when we are sorry for our sin, and He wants us to trust in Him.

7. PREPARE FOR A GUEST: Play out preparing food for a guest. Lead your child to wipe surfaces, set a table, and prepare a meal for a guest. Play the theme song or Key Passage song as your child works. Commend cooperation and recall portions of the story.

   SAY • Some people were not happy that Jesus stayed with Zacchaeus. They complained and said, "Zacchaeus is a sinner, and Jesus is going to stay at his house!" Zacchaeus told Jesus he wanted to do the right things. He said he would give half of everything he had to the poor and promised to pay back even more than what he took from people. Jesus said Zacchaeus showed he was one of God's people. Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Jesus died on the cross and rose again to rescue people like Zacchaeus and us from sin. He is happy when people are sorry for our sin and trust in Him. 

 

^back to top

< Back to VBC Kids

---

 

BIBLE STORY: Jesus and Zacchaeus 
(VBC Kids, get out your GREEN envelope!) If you did not receive an orange envelope in the mail, but you would like to, enter your email at the top of this page to be added to our mailing list!

Bible Verse: John 14:6 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" 

Main Point: Meeting Jesus changed Zacchaeus forever.

Big Picture Question: Who did Jesus say He is? Jesus said He is the Messiah.

VBC KIDS WORSHIP SONGS

BIBLE STORY VIDEO:

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

1. What was Zacchaeus’s job? (chief tax collector, Luke 19:2)
2. What did Zacchaeus climb the sycamore tree? (to see Jesus, Luke 19:4)
3. Why were the other people upset that Jesus was staying with Zacchaeus? (Zacchaeus was a sinner, Luke 19:6)
4. When Zacchaeus met Jesus it changed his life forever! What did he say he was going to do? (Give half of his possessions to the poor and pay back anyone he cheated 4 times the amount!, Luke 19:8)
5. Jesus came to seek and to save whom? (the lost, Luke 19:10)
6. Who did Jesus say He is? Jesus said He is the Messiah
   
   When people saw that Jesus was going to spend time with Zacchaeus, they were upset. What was Jesus doing with a sinner like Zacchaeus? Jesus explained that He did not come to save people who were righteous, but those who were lost in sin. The Bible says no one is righteous. Everyone is lost in sin before meeting Jesus. Even the people in the story who disliked Zacchaeus because of his stealing were sinners. They may not have known it, but Jesus came to save them too!

DISCUSSION STARTER VIDEO:

Discussion Starter Video Questions:(Watch the video and ask your kids these questions)

1. Who was generous (or was giving and shared) and who was selfish (or stingy and didn't share?
2. Why do you think some people people are generous (or share and give to others)? 
3. What do you think makes people selfish or stingy and don't share? 

When we love Jesus and believe that He died for our sins and rose again, He changes our hearts and minds. We become new creations! Part of our new life with God is a desire to be generous (or giving and sharing) to show the love of God to others. We don’t have to hond on tight to our "things" or money because we know that in Jesus we have the only thing we really need: forgiveness from God so we can be made right with Him and live forever with Him in heaven.

Family Activities: (Choose one and do it together!)
(VBC Kids, get out your GREEN envelope!) If you did not receive a green envelope in the mail, but you would like to, enter your email at the top of this page to be added to our mailing list!

1. BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY SHEET FOR YOUNGER KIDS (PRINTABLE)
   BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY SHEET FOR OLDER KIDS (PRINTABLE)
   
   
2. HIDE & SEEK

   Play Hide & Seek with your family and then talk about this together: 
   
   That game is familiar to most of us, but it takes on a new meaning when we think about Jesus. Jesus seeks us out just like He sought out Zacchaeus. But we have sinful hearts. Sometimes we don’t want to be found, but Jesus finds us and rescues us because He loves us! Once we’ve been rescued, we can help other people come to Jesus by telling them the gospel —the good news about Jesus.

   ^"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

ASK YOUR FAMILY: (sent out in mailer)
Have you ever felt invisible...like no one noticed you?
Do you feel that way now? 
Read these verses!

• Psalm 33:18
• Psalm 139:1-14
• Hebrews 13:5   
• Isaiah 40:26
• Psalm 33:13  “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind”

 

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:

 

^back to top

< Back to VBC Kids

---

 

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!

CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S GRAPPLE! (Orange)

 

^back to top

< Back to VBC Kids