Jesus the Magnificent
Scripture: Luke 8:40-56 and Luke 18:35-43
Objective: God is all Powerful!
Bible Memory Verse: Matthew 19:26b “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are
possible.”
THEME OVERVIEW
This year children are on a trip to visit attractions located at Faith City. Your site is a Circus site. Your site will
be a Spectacular Circus adventure filled with a big top, animals, clowns, balloons, etc. While the children visit
with you, they will learn about three Miracles of Jesus in the Bible. Through the connection lab, the children
will create a quilt square that will be made into a lap quilt to be given out at nursing homes in our area. They
will be encouraged to pray for individuals who are sick.
SETTING THE SCENE OVERVIEW
Room Décor for this site will be a big top adventure. For door décor, use streamer to create a curtain entrance
above the door way and hang the circus sign on the door. In the room, create a big top by hanging alternating
red and yellow table cloths from the middle of the ceiling to the corners of the room. Hang beach balls in the
center of the big top from the ceiling. Use one big wall to create a stands section (Use red and white butcher
paper and draw circles for people’s heads in the stands). Place lion in the center of that
wall with stands on each side. Use the opposite wall to display Jesus with the children
around him to create a Bible Story scene. Elephant and Clown with Balloons (Memory
Verse) can be displayed on the other walls. Use streamers on opposite walls to create
a curtain effect. Memory Verse will be displayed on the balloons that the clown is
holding. Be sure to include the Bible story and memory verse in your room. Should
you need any ideas or assistance in decorating, please utilize our decorating team.
Each teacher will be provided with a basic room kit to use for decorating your site.
Circus Room Kit: Table Cloths and Beach Balls (For Ceiling); Lion; Jesus for Story Time; Clown with Balloons
(Memory Verse); Elephant; Streamer for Door
GETTING STARTED ACTIVITIES
When the children arrive in your site, welcome them to the Circus and choose from the following activities to
help them get acquainted with you and one another (you may use your own activity if you have one):
Animal Act:
Tape circus animal pictures on the back of the children as they enter the room. The children
will try to help each other figure out what animal is on their back by acting out the animal. They will use no
words or noises. Divide classroom into animal rings (use hula hoops or tape). Once children guess what animal
they have on their back, they will move to the circus ring for that animal. Have them share with the other children in that
VBC 2013 • Faith City • Page 1
ring one statement about themselves. Use this sharing time to get acquainted with the children who are visiting
your site today.
Elephant Stomp:
Tuck a slip of paper with simple questions that relate to the children and who they are
inside balloons and then inflate. Examples: Where were you born? When is your birthday? How many pets do
you have? What is your favorite animal? Etc. Have children each choose a balloon and the
“Elephant stomp it out.” Once the balloons are pop have children share the answer to their
question. Use this game to get to know the children coming to your site today.
Healer Tag:
Choose one child to be “It” and another child to be the “Healer.” Ask the
remaining children to spread out around the play area. On your signal, “It” will try to tag
(touch) the other children. After being tagged by “It,” the child sits on the floor in the exact
spot where he or she was tagged. The “Healer” un-tags children who are sitting on the floor by
grasping their hand and saying, “Get up.” Those children are once again eligible to be tagged by “It.”
After a few minutes, choose a new child to be “It” and a new “Healer.” Ask children, “Did the Healer have a
special job in this game.” “What was the Healer’s job?” Today we will learn about Jesus as the real healer.
BIBLE LESSON
Tips: Direct children to the Bible area of the room. Hold your Bible in your lap as you tell the story and use
lots of expression as you tell the story. Refrain from reading the entire story from the lesson. Use
questions to engage the children. End this section with a prayer time.
Introduce: today’s Bible story by giving the kids a little bit of information about the site where they are
visiting today. Tell the children that today they are visiting Faith City’s one and only Big Top Circus
featuring Jesus the Magnificent. Ask the children if they have ever been to a circus. Allow children to share
their favorite thing about the circus. Talk a few minutes about all the different sights, sounds, animals,
and/or acts at the circus. Tell children that today we will learn about some of the Miracles of Jesus. Be
sure to tell children that these are true stories from God’s Word, the Bible. Remind them that the Bible is
divided into two parts the Old Testament and the New Testament. Tell the children that today’s Bible
story is found in the Gospels of Luke, which is found the New Testament, and that today story is about
three of Jesus’ Miracles. Remind children that during Jesus’ time here on earth he healed many people to
demonstrate God’s love and teach them how they could go to Heaven one day. Invite children to open
their Bibles to the book of Luke 8:40-56 in the New Testament to hear how Jesus healed a little girl and a
women in the Bible.
Tell: A big crowd was following Jesus around. They were very excited to hear and see Jesus because he
was healing people during this time of his ministry. Everyone wanted to see the Miracles being performed.
One of the great Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ time, Jairus, came to meet Jesus on the road because
his beloved 12 year old daughter was very sick. Jairus found Jesus and fell to his feet, “My little daughter
lies at the point of death,” he cried to Jesus. Jesus began his journey with Jairus but was unable to move
quickly because of the large crowd pushing so close to Jesus.
VBC 2013 • Faith City • Page 2
Among the crowd was a woman who had been very sick for twelve long years with a blood disease. She
reached out and touched Jesus’ robe. A Miracle occurred and she was healed completely. Jesus
immediately notice the power that left him, “Who touched me,” he asked. Jesus looked around and knew
someone had been healed because of the power that left him. The women came forward to tell Jesus her
story. Jesus said, “You have been healed based on your faith.”
Just then, servants came from Jairus’ house. Their faces were sad and showed the news, “Your daughter
is dead!” Jairus was heartbroken; it was too late. Jesus responded, “Do not be afraid only believe and she
will be made well.” Jairus was heartbroken and could he really believe what Jesus was saying.
Jesus enters the house to everybody crying and sad for the loss of the girl. “She is not dead but only
sleeping.” They responded with laughter. Jesus put them all out of the room. Turned to the girl and said,
“Little girl, arise.” Three of Jesus disciples were there. The girl hears Jesus’
command and she arose immediately! It was a Miracle.
This story depicts two of Jesus’ miracles on earth. We are going to explore one
more miracle found in Luke 18:35-43.
During Jesus’ time on earth, there lived a man named Bartimaeus. He was a blind man,
sitting on the roadside near Jericho begging for money or food. As Jesus came into town,
Bartimaeus cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” He shouted again and again.
His voice rang with hope. People around him tried to quiet him. He would not stop yelling for Jesus’ help.
Suddenly, Jesus stopped! Listened! Commanded the blind man to be brought to him. “What do you want
me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. “Lord, that I may receive my sight,” he responded.
Jesus replied, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received sight and could see.
“God is wonderful,” he shouted. All the people around gave praise to God.
Take time to ask the children in your class, “What does faith means.” Allow them time to share. Remind
them that having faith means believing in something we cannot see or touch. When we pray to God, we
are praying in Faith because we cannot see God but we know that he is real. Encourage the kids in your
class to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is able to heal us. Assure the children that God
loves us and cares about our needs. God always hears us when we pray. We can believe that when we
pray, God will answer our prayer. He might not answer it the way we think He should but we can believe
that God always knows what is best for us.
Pray: Close this time of Bible Story with a prayer.
VBC 2013 • Faith City • Page 3
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITIES
Teach your site memory verse through one of the following games (or use one of your own):
Bean Bag Dance: Have the children sit on the floor in a circle.
Play music and have the children pass
four beanbags around the circle. When the music stops, the four children holding the beanbags must stand
up and say the memory verse out loud together.
After they finish saying the verse, all four children
Memory Verse:
should change to a different seat in the circle.
“With Man this is impossible,
Play the game several times until most or all of
but with God all things are
the children have said the memory verse.
Beach Ball Toss:
possible.”
Matthew 19:26b
Use beach balls to write
memory verse questions on it. Examples: Where
is this verse found in the Bible? Act out the verse? Put the verse in your own words? Say the memory
verse? What does this verse tell you about God? Toss the ball around and the child who gets it must answer
the question on that ball. Repeat this until each child has a turn to answer a question.
LAB CONNECTION
Overview: In today’s lab, you will have the children participate in the connection project.
This week’s
connection project will involve making a quilt square to be used in making lap quilts for individuals at local
nursing homes. Use this activity to talk about local nursing homes and how individuals who are in them
are sick just like the individuals in our story today. Encourage children to pray for individuals who will
receive their quilts.
Supplies: Quilt squares, Fabric markers, and Stamps
Activity:
Children will each get a quilt square
Have children make a square following the Quilt Square Guidelines given to your site.
Pray with children for individuals who will receive these quilts.
VBC 2013 • Faith City • Page 4
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Before children leave the room have them review the lesson with a game or with just questions and then remind
the children of today’s memory verse and key concept.
GAME IDEA:
Create a circus toss game for review time. Either use cardboard or wood to create a game
with holes in it or use different sized color buckets with point on them in a row. Have children try to throw balls
or bean bags into the holes or buckets. When they get it in they can say a main point or answer a review
question. You could also use a pin the nose on the clown game or clown ring toss game for the review time.
What part of the Bible did our lesson come from today?
Why were the crowds following Jesus around?
Who touched Jesus as he was going through the crowd?
What was the woman healed from?
Who did Jesus command to rise up from the dead?
What did Jesus say to the little girl?
Why was Bartimaeus begging at the temple?
What happened when Jesus touched blind Bartimaeus?
Why did Jesus heal the blind man?
VBC 2013 • Faith City • Page 5