Share

Teaching Goal:  Jesus teaches us to share.

Scripture:  John 6: Jesus feeds 5,000 – the boy with five loaves and two fish.

Materials:

• Candy corn
• One picture of candy corn for each child
• Kitchen knife

In Advance: Draw or find a picture of candy corn. Enlarge the picture and make a color copy for each child. Glue the picture onto construction paper to make it more durable. Cut the pictures into pieces to create a puzzle for each child. Use fewer pieces for younger children.

Switch one piece from each child’s puzzle with another child’s puzzle. This means each child will be missing one piece and have an extra piece that doesn’t fit. The children will have to share with each other in order to complete the puzzles.

1. Play theme song
2. Pray
3. Review last lesson
4. Lesson and discussion

• Words that are written in bold are when you, the parent, are speaking. Feel free to use your own words

Using an age appropriate Bible, read the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 from the book of John. Talk about a time when you have seen a group of 5,000 (such as a sporting event). Imagine what it would be like if all of those people were hungry at the same time, and you had a couple hot dogs. Would that feed everyone? That’s how the little boy must have felt. Jesus was able to feed the 5,000 people because the boy shared what he had.

Who would like a treat?! (The more people the better.) Take out one piece of candy corn, and using the kitchen knife, cut it into pieces equal to the number of people present. Give each person a tiny piece. Are you full? This is what would have happened if Jesus hadn’t performed a miracle.   But Jesus did perform a miracle, and after Jesus fed the 5,000 people, there were 12 baskets of food left over. Bring out several small dishes full of candy corn.

ACTIVITY: Candy corn puzzles. Hand out a candy corn puzzle for each child to put together. You may choose to give each child a small dish of candy corn to enjoy while working on his or her puzzle.

Provide hints that they may need to share if they become frustrated when they discover the puzzles don’t have all of the correct pieces. When we all share and work together, the puzzles all fit! Talk about other examples of sharing. Not sharing leads to fighting, crying and hurting each other. Sharing is a better option, and God teaches us to share.

Memorize:

Show others you care,

By choosing to share.

Close in Prayer