Children's Faith Formation

Read Mark 1:21-28.

In today’s gospel, Jesus and some of his disciples went to the town of Capernaum and Jesus began to teach in the synagogue – which is a kind of church.  The people were amazed.  The people could tell that Jesus knew what he was teaching about.  There was a man who was sitting near Jesus who was sick and the man was shaking and making a lot of noise.  The people wanted the man to be quiet.  The people didn’t really care about the man, they wanted to hear Jesus.  But Jesus did care about the man.

Let’s watch the video and hear what happened next.

Read:

The man who was sick was shaking and shouting at Jesus.  The crowd who was trying to hear Jesus was bothered.  They just wanted the man to be quiet.  But Jesus stopped teaching because he cared about the man.  Jesus made the man well.  Jesus is powerful.  The news that Jesus was able to make people well, that Jesus was powerful, began to spread everywhere.  Jesus’ power can do amazing things in our lives.  Jesus uses his power to help us with our fears and to help us experience God’s love.  As Jesus helped the man who was sick, Jesus helps and protects us.

The crowd didn’t really care about the sick man.  They were thinking about themselves.  But Jesus did care about him.  Jesus cares about us, too.  In fact, Jesus cares us about so much that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love in Jesus.  That’s how important we are to him!

Discuss

• What are some bad things in our world today?  How would you like to see Jesus show power over them?
• In what ways can Jesus’ power help you face your fears?
• How can you let someone else know that they are important to Jesus?

Song

Mighty to Save.  CJ and Friends.

Activity

We are going to have a snack.  Take one tablespoon of jelly and mix it with one tablespoon of cream cheese.  Mix them together well.  Spread the mixture on a mini-bagel or a piece of toast and enjoy this tasty snack.

What if I asked you that I wanted you to separate the jelly and cream cheese from one another now?  Could you do it?

You wouldn’t be able to.  We are important to Jesus.  We can’t be separated from him.  Just like you can’t separate the jelly and cream cheese from one another now, you can’t separate yourself from Jesus.

Activity

Jesus is a great teacher. And he’s also a great healer. He wants to make all of us feel better—on the inside and out! Let’s make a heart to hang up to show how Jesus wants us to feel better.

Use three adhesive bandages to make a cross on a heart. Place two bandages vertically to make a long line. Place one horizontally to complete the cross. Decorate the hearts with crayons.  You could punch holes all around heart, if you wish, and lace yarn through holes to create a border, then tie off at the end.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, you are all powerful and you also care about each of us.  Each of us is important to you.  We are so important that nothing can separate us from you or your love.  Help us share your love with others.  Amen.

Pastor Dan Fugate, Assistant to the Bishop for Discipleship in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, put this lesson together for Sunday School @ Home.  There will be a new one for each Sunday while we are unable to gather together physically in our congregational buildings.  Contact him at dfugate@iksynod.org.