Bible Point Jesus cares about people who are hungry.storage.cloversites.com/communitybiblechurch4/documents/1st2nd l… · Jesus cares about people who are hungry. Bible Verse

61Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 1 & 2

Bible Point

God Provides for Our Needs • Lesson 5

Jesus cares about people who are hungry.

Bible Verse“Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor” (Proverbs 22:9).

Growing Closer to JesusChildren will n learn that God knows about their needs,

n see how blessings multiply when they share, andn learn the importance of sharing food with others.

Teacher EnrichmentThe Bible Basisn God provides for our needs.

If God provides for the needs of sparrows, why should we have anything to worry about? That, in a nutshell, is the message of this passage. The contrast is between worry and trust. God created the birds; God created us. If God takes care of something as insignificant as a bird, shouldn’t we be able to trust him to take care of us, the ultimate beings in his creation? If God gave us the very breath of life, isn’t he able to faithfully give us the sustenance we need day by day?

Jesus points out the futility of worrying in Matthew 6:27. And he makes a great point! What have you ever accomplished by worrying? Have you ever prevented something bad from happening by worrying about it? Or have you ever made something come out better than it would have if you hadn’t worried about it? If we looked at studies from medical science, we’d likely discover that worry not only fails to add time to our lives but more likely subtracts time from them!

At its root, worrying is a lack of faith. And what Jesus is saying in this passage is that God is worthy of our complete trust. We don’t have to worry: God will take care of those who trust in him!

Prayer• Read Matthew 6:28-34.• What thoughts do these verses add to the concepts of trust and worry?• What worries do you need to trust God with today?• Pray: God, help me give to you my worries over...

Matthew 6:25-27

What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies

Welcome Welcome!—Receive a warm welcome from the teacher, and make name tags.

“Bird Name Tags” (p. 70), markers, scissors, tape or safety pins

Attention Grabber

Fast Food—Name their favorite foods, and learn from Philippians 4:19 that God provides all they need.

Bible, “Fast Food” handouts (p. 71), scissors

Bible Exploration &

Application

Bird’s the Word—”Fly” toimaginary nests, gather food, and learn from Matthew 6:25-27 that they can trust God to care for them.

Bible, newspapers, gummy worms, bowl

The Great Giveaway—Hear 2 Corinthians 9:10-11a and learn that when they give to others, they receive just as much in return.

Bible

Share With the Hungry—Draw things they can give, and make commitments to give those things.

Bibles, construction paper, markers

Closing I Spy—Learn from Matthew 6:8 that God knows of their hunger and other needs even before they do.

Bible

Before the Lessonn Collect items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed in

the chart.n Make photocopies of the “Growing Together” handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children.n Pray for your students and for God’s direction in teaching the lesson.

This Lesson at a GlanceLearning Lab Supplies

Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 1 & 2

Lesson 5

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WelcomeSUPPLIES: “Bird Name Tags” (p. 70), scissors, markers, tape or safety pins

• Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile.• Thank each child for coming to class today.• As children arrive, ask them about last week’s lesson and

“Growing Together” discussion. Use questions such as “When are you glad that angels watch over you?” and “What do you and your family think angels look like?”

• Say: Today we’re going to learn that Jesus cares about people who are hungry.

• Help children make name tags. Photocopy the “Bird Name Tags,” and follow the instructions.

• Tell children that the attention-getting signal you’ll use during this lesson is clicking the creature clicker three times. Ask children to respond to the sound by snapping their fingers three times as they stop talking and focus their attention on you. Rehearse the signal with the children, telling them to respond quickly so you’ll have plenty of time for all the fun activities planned for this lesson.

A ttention Grabbern Fast FoodSUPPLIES: Bible, “Fast Food” handout (p. 71), scissors

Photocopy the “Fast Food” handout, and cut apart the pictures. Make enough photocopies to give each child one picture.

Gather children with you in a circle on the floor. Hold up the telescope, and say: I’m going to hand this to someone. That person will tell what he or she ate for breakfast this morning and then hand the telescope to someone else. That person will then share what he or she had for breakfast. We’ll

hand around the telescope until everyone has had a turn. If you didn’t eat breakfast this morning, tell what your favorite breakfast is. When everyone has had a turn, retrieve the telescope, return it to the Learning Lab, and ask:

• Why does God give us food to eat? (So we have energy; so we don’t get hungry; to help us grow.)

• What’s it like to be really, really hungry? (Terrible—you can’t think about anything else; your stomach growls and hurts.)

Hold up the food pictures from the handout as you say: I’ll scatter these food pictures on the floor. When I shake the large maraca, you’ll have three seconds to hop to one of the pictures and stand on it. Each person will tell what his or her favorite food is in the category that the picture represents. The apple stands for fruit. The carrot stands for vegetables. The piece of cake stands for desserts. And the pizza stands for main dishes such as pizza, hamburgers, and spaghetti.


God Provides for Our Needs

Scatter the pictures around the floor. Shake the large maraca to start the activity. When each child has mentioned a favorite food, say:

When people start running out of food, they call it a famine. It’s harder to find food during a famine, and people become very hungry. I’m going to take away one of our food groups now. When I shake the large maraca this time, you have to figure out how to make it on the food you have.

Take away one of the food groups, such as the carrot or the pizza, and shake the large maraca to signal kids to work together to find food. Repeat the activity until there is only one type of food remaining.

Ask: • What was easy or hard about finding food? (I had to share one square with two other people; we decided to break the food into pieces so we each had a piece.)

• How is this like not having enough food in real life? (We had to figure out how to stay alive; we had to share; we didn’t get as much.)

• If I took away the last piece of food, what would you do? (I’d give up; I’d ask you for it.)

Say: Listen to what Philippians 4:19 says about what God gives us. Read Philippians 4:19. Food is one important thing God gives us because we need it to stay healthy and to give us energy. Today we’re going to learn that

Jesus cares about people who are hungry. We don’t have to worry about our basic needs because God will provide for us.

Return the large maraca to the Learning Lab.

Bible Exploration & Applicationn Bird’s the WordSUPPLIES: Bible, newspapers, gummy worms, bowl

Before class, put gummy worms in a bowl and set it aside. You’ll need four gummy worms for each child. Set a stack of newspapers in the center of the room. Have kids spread out around the room, and tell them to remember where they are for the whole story. Open your Bible to Matthew 6:25-27, and show children the passage.

Say: The Bible story today comes from the book of Matthew. Close your eyes a moment, and picture a tall hill in the land of Israel where Jesus lived. Think about the soft grass below and the puffy clouds above the hill. Now look down to the bottom of the hill. Thousands of people are standing and sitting everywhere. See how far they spread out! Now you may open your eyes.

Ask: • Why do you think they’re sitting everywhere? (They’re waiting for Jesus; they’re listening to Jesus; they’re hungry.)

Say: The people were waiting for Jesus to teach them about God. He taught them that God provides all we need, including food. He provides food for birds, so why wouldn’t he provide food for us? Since Jesus talked about birds in this story, let’s play a game about birds.

One thing birds always need is a place to rest, so they build nests. As birds you are going to build nests out of newspaper by crumpling up pieces and making a circle large enough to sit in. But it’s not going to be that easy. You will have to flap your wings as you run to the newspaper,

If some children don’t want to pretend to be birds, have them pretend to bring gummy worms to the nests to feed the imaginary birds that live there. At the end of the activity, talk about how it feels to provide food for an animal or pet.

Bible InsightThe term “Sermon on the Mount” was first applied to Matthew 5–7 by Augustine (circa A.D. 400) in his Latin commentary. It was later established in common English usage in about 1535 in a notation made in the Coverdale Bible.


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take one sheet, and run back to add it to your nest. You can’t stop running and flapping until you build a nest, which is your safe place to rest. The newspaper, though, will be guarded by a Predator, who can tag you and send you back to where you started. You aren’t safe from the Predator until your nest is built.

Choose a volunteer to play the part of the Predator, and begin the game. After one minute, call time and see how kids did on their nests. Give kids more paper to finish their nests, and ask kids to sit in them.

Ask: • What was easy or hard about building your nest? (It was hard because I kept getting tagged; I could fly away from the Predator without getting tagged.)

• How did you feel having to get the materials to build a nest in such a short time? (I needed more time; I couldn’t get to the newspapers.)

• Why do you think I gave you newspapers after I called time? (You wanted us to have a place to rest; we needed your help.)

• How is my help in our game like God providing for us in our lives? (He gives us what we need; we can have a place to rest.)

Say: We’re going to play the game again. But this time we’re going to try to find food. I have a bowl of gummy worms that you need so you’re not hungry birds. This time we’ll have two Predators trying to tag you. You have to run up to the bowl, pick up only one gummy worm with your fingers, and fly back to your nest. When you have four gummy worms at your nest, sit down. If you get tagged, go back to your nest and try again.

Set out the bowl of gummy worms, choose two volunteers to be Predators, and begin the game. Call time after about one minute.

Ask: • What was frustrating about the game this time? (I didn’t have enough time to get the food I needed; other birds were in the way; I kept getting tagged again.)

• How many worms do you still need? How can you get those worms? (I need two—maybe we can play again; I need three—I can ask you for them.)

Give kids the worms they need to have a total of four, and allow them to eat as you say:

It was really hard to build nests and get the food you needed during our game. Sometimes hard things happen in life, and it doesn’t seem like we can make it. But just as I provided the things you needed in our game, God provides for our needs in life.

Ask: • We all worry about things sometimes. What are some things you worry about? (I worry that my mom will go away and no one will take care of me; I’m scared that a war will come and my parents will be killed; I worry about my dad losing his job; I worry about my family not having enough money to stay warm and have food to eat.)

Say: In our Bible story today, Jesus wanted to make sure the people knew that God would take care of them. He told the people not to worry about getting the things they needed. He said, “Look at the birds in the air. They don’t worry about getting feathers to keep them warm or finding worms and berries for food because God cares for them. God gives them all the food they need.”

Jesus said God cares about people much more than birds. If God makes sure birds are taken care of, God will be sure to take care of people.

Kids may become frustrated that you haven’t given them enough time or that they can’t get the things they need—that’s OK. The purpose of this activity is to evoke emotions; kids will learn from their frustrations that they can’t always get things on their own but that God will provide for our basic needs.



Ask: • Why shouldn’t we worry about food? (Because God takes care of us; if God gives food to the birds, he’ll give us food, too.)

• How does it make you feel to know that God provides food for you? (Good; happy; thankful; I’m glad I don’t have to worry about it.)

• What else does God do to take care of you? (He gave me a dad who takes care of me; God keeps me safe when there are storms; God keeps bad people from hurting me; God gave me a friend who listens to me.)

Say: When we know that God cares for us, we don’t have to worry about food or anything else. Jesus cares about people who are hungry.

Have kids set their nests aside.

n The Great GiveawaySUPPLIES: Bible

Have kids form small groups of three or four children. Have the children sit cross-legged on the floor as close as they can get to the others in their groups.

Say: Listen to what the Bible says about how God takes care of us. Read 2 Corinthians 9:10-11a. These verses tell us that God provides everything we need. They say he gives us seeds, and when we plant seeds, they grow into food. I’ll give each person some plastic disks. We’ll pretend these disks are the seeds that these verses talked about. You’ll have 30 seconds to give all your seeds to the other people in your group. You may only give away two seeds at a time. I’ll click the creature clicker when it’s time to begin passing the seeds, and I’ll click the creature clicker again to tell you when to stop.

Divide the plastic disks among the children, and start the game. Give each child about four to eight disks.

When the children have passed their “seeds” for 30 seconds, signal them to stop by clicking the creature clicker. Collect the plastic disks, and return them to the Learning Lab. Then gather the children, and sit with them on the floor. Click the creature clicker three times to get the children’s attention. Wait for them to snap their fingers and stop talking. Then ask:

• Why was it difficult to give all your seeds away? (Because I kept getting more; no one wanted to take them.)

• What happened when you tried to give someone a seed? (Someone gave me more seeds; people said they had too many already.)

• How is this game like giving and sharing with others? (If everyone shares, no one will run out; when we give to others, they might give us something, too.)

Say: Giving and sharing with others is like this game. When we share God’s blessings with other people, God blesses us even more!

Ask: • When have you given something of yours to someone else? Tell us about it. (Once I gave a lot of my old toys to a family that didn’t have many toys for their kids; once I shared my cookies with a friend from school.)

• When has someone given something to you? Tell us about it. (Once my neighbor sent my family cookies for Valentine’s Day; one time my brother gave me his favorite baseball card; when my dad lost his job, some friends gave us some good food.)


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Say: Most of us are blessed with more than enough food that God provides for us, but many people don’t have enough food.

Ask: • Where have you seen really hungry people? (On the news on TV; when we go downtown and see street people; when we go help serve meals at the food kitchen.)

• What are some ways we can be God’s helpers for hungry people? (We can share our food; we can send food or money to buy food; we can pray for them.)

Hold up the Bible and say: Second Corinthians 9:10-11a says God will give us all the seed we need to have plenty of food. But some people have more than their share of food, and some people don’t have enough. God’s given the world plenty to eat; we just need to spread it around evenly, just as you tried to spread your disks around. We can give freely, just as you gave freely in this activity. Jesus cares about people who are hungry. We can care about those people, too, and share what we have with them.

HANDSON BIBLEHave kids form pairs, pairing readers with nonreaders, if possible.

Make sure each person has clean hands. Give each child a handful of small marshmallows and a plastic spoon.

Say: God has a history of making sure his people are cared for. He has always given people food. One of the most famous stories is found in Exodus 16 of your Hands-On Bible. Go ahead and find that with your partner.

Help kids find the passage. When everyone has found the place, explain the instructions for the attached activity.

Say: A lot of the ways God provided for his people were quite interesting, including the way he provided for the Israelites in the desert.

Have kids perform the activity. After they have exhausted their supply of marshmallows, gather children and ask:

• What are some ways God has provided for you? (He helped me meet my best friend when I was lonely; when my mom died, people helped us with chores at home.)

Say: Find your partner again, and take turns thanking God for one thing he has given you. The person in your pair with the most hair can start the prayer.

Have kids help pick up the marshmallows that didn’t quite hit their targets and throw them away.

n Share With the HungrySUPPLIES: Bibles, construction paper, markers

Help children find Proverbs 22:9 in their Bibles. Say: We have heard that Jesus cares about people who are hungry. The Bible tells us to give to the poor. Let’s find out what happens when we do that.

Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 22:9: “Blessed are those who

Children may ask why some people are hungry if God provides for us all. Ask the class if they have any ideas. Then tell them that God has provided enough land and resources to feed everyone, but it’s our responsibility to make sure food is distributed to everyone.



are generous, because they feed the poor.” Then ask: • How might God bless us when we give to the poor? (He will give us lots of food, he will make sure we have enough so we can keep giving.)

Closingn I SpySUPPLIES: Bible

Have kids form pairs to discuss the next question. Ask: • What is one thing you learned today? (Jesus cares for

hungry people; I learned I can share with people who need food; thank God for the blessing of enough food to eat.)

Look at the children through the telescope for a few moments. Choose a child to describe, but don’t say his or her name. For example, say: I spy someone who has a wonderful smile and is wearing a pretty blue skirt. This person loves Jesus, and Jesus loves her. Who do I spy? Call on children to guess who you spied through the telescope. When someone guesses correctly, he or she gets the next turn to “spy” on someone. After all the children have spied another person, return the telescope to the Learning Lab.

In preparation for this lesson, you may want to find out what ministries your church offers to the hungry; some examples could be food bank, sponsorship of a child, work teams to a mission field, or support of missionaries. If your church does not sponsor a ministry at the present time, you may want to consider sponsoring a child as a class or getting information on how your class can help the local rescue mission. During this activity, share with your class the ministry that you have chosen to participate in and how the children can contribute. If you are sponsoring a child, it would be helpful to have a picture of that child to give the children a chance to understand and see where their money is going.

Distribute construction paper and markers to the children. Say: Jesus wants us to always remember to give to the poor and hungry. When we follow his instructions, we are living the way he wants us to live and showing him how much we love him. We’re going to draw things we can give to others.

Have each child draw a picture of something he or she could give to a poor person. Examples might include food, money, clothing, or a favorite toy. As kids are working, inflate

the inflatable hand. When the kids finish their drawings, gather them in a circle.

Say: Jesus cares about people who are hungry, and we should follow Jesus and do the same. We’re going to give our drawings to God in an offering now. When I come to you, place your drawing in the hand and say, “Jesus cares about people who are hungry, and so do I.”

Put on the inflatable hand and go around to each child to collect their drawings.

Ask: • What will you give to people who are hungry this week? (I’ll give some of my allowance to the child we’re sponsoring; I can use my own money to buy some food for the food bank; I want to help serve meals to the homeless.)

Then pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for the blessings you give us. Help us to remember to give to others. In your name, amen.


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Ask: • What did you notice about other people when you looked through the telescope? (I noticed their clothes; I could see their faces; I noticed that they wanted me to spy them.)

• What does God see in us when he looks at us? (He sees what we need; he knows everything about me; he sees inside.)

Ask a volunteer to read Matthew 6:8 from the Hands-On Bible. Say: God is always watching us. When he looks at us, he sees everything about us. God sees what we need even before we need it. He knows we’re hungry even before we reach for an apple or a peanut butter sandwich. That shows how much God cares for us. Jesus cares about people who are hungry, and he sees all their needs, too. Let’s thank God.

Pray: Dear God, thank you for giving us all we need so we never have to worry about food or water or clothing. Please help us share our blessings with others and be thankful for all you give us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Collect name tags for next week’s use, and remind children to take home any crafts they made today.

Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom.Photocopy the “Growing Together” handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your children. Encourage children and parents to use the handout to plan meaningful activities on this week’s topic. Follow up the “Growing Together” activities next week by asking children what their families did together.



Bird Name TagsPhotocopy this page, and cut apart the name tags. Have each child write his or her name on a name tag

and decorate it with markers or crayons. Help children attach the name tags to their clothing.

70Permission to photocopy this handout from Group’s Hands-On Bible Curriculum® Grades 1 & 2 granted for local church use.

Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

Fast FoodPhotocopy this page, and cut apart the sections. Be sure to have one section for each child.



Food SculptingHave your child help you clean a variety of raw fruits and vegetables as you slice a variety of cheeses. Include favorites such as carrot slices, apple wedges, celery sticks, grapes, pineapple tidbits, and cheddar cheese chunks. Add a few unusual foods such as sliced kiwi, farm cheese, and yellow squash. Join your child in creating fun food sculptures, using toothpicks to attach foods together. As you work, talk about the types of foods God provides. Help your child see that God provides us with a wonderful variety of foods because he cares for us and wants us to be healthy. Enjoy eating the sculptures together.

Needs and Wants GameHelp your child realize the difference between what he or she needs and wants by playing a Needs and Wants match-up game. Gather a pile of old magazines, scissors, glue, and 12 recipe cards. As you talk about needs (food, clothing, shelter) and wants (toys, cars, and candy), cut out magazine pictures, and glue them to the recipe cards. Find six pictures of needs and six pictures of wants. Then shuffle the cards, and place them facedown in rows on a table. Take turns turning over two cards at a time. If both cards are needs or both are wants, keep the pair, and turn over two more cards. If one card is a need and one is a want, turn the cards over, and give the

other player a turn. Continue until you’ve paired up the needs and wants. Remind your child that God provides for all our needs. Make the game more exciting by creating more cards.

Make a MealPlan a simple meal of soup and bread. Drink water instead of milk or soda. As you eat, talk about the difference between what rich people eat and what poor people eat. Consider eating a simple meal once a week and donating the money you save to a hunger-relief organization.

Need DetectivesCollect a small notepad, pencil, lunch sack, and magnifying glass. Then go for a hike through woods or a park with your child. Encourage your child to write down or draw ways God provides for creatures in nature. Look for such things as animal and insect homes. Without damaging the animals’ habitats, collect items that show God’s provision, such as feathers, cocoons, fur, nuts, and berries. Talk about how God provides for people, the birds in the air, and creatures everywhere. Compare animals’ homes, “clothing,” and foods to what God provides for people. Repeat the hike at different times of the year to see how God provides in the different seasons.

Today your child learned about God’s provision. The class learned that they can trust God to provide food, water, and clothes for them, so they needn’t worry about those things. They also learned that they can share God’s blessings with people who don’t have as much as they do. Use these activities this week to teach your child that God gives him or her all your child needs and that sharing with others is a way to show God’s love.

Jesus Cares 5: Jesus cares about people who are hungry.

Bible StoryGod provides for our needs

(Matthew 6:25-27).

Bible Verse“Blessed are those who are generous,

because they feed the poor”

(Proverbs 22:9).



Documents

Bible Point Jesus cares about people who are hungry.storage.cloversites.com/communitybiblechurch4/documents/1st2nd l… · Jesus cares about people who are hungry. Bible Verse