TRANSFORMED BY HIS LIFE

BIG IDEA: JESUS GIVES US NEW LIFE AIM: The 'Transformed By His Life' Childrens Lesson on Nicodemus aims to teach children that they can have new life in Jesus.

For SONG and BIBLE STORY VIDEO IDEAS check out our dedicated Pinterest Board.

GAME IDEAS:

1. Asteroid. (regular/widescreen) Space hula hoops a few metres apart. Each childstands in a hula hoop which represents a cave. You should shout different numbersand the children can walk that number of steps out of the hula hoop. When youshout 'Asteroid!' the children must run back to their hoop. If they are not back by thetime you set or if they are last (depending on the way you want to play) they are out.

2. Shark Attack. (regular/widescreen) Set out hula hoops a few metres apart. Onechild stands in each hula hoop which represents an underground cave. Childrenmust walk/jump/hop/waddle/skipping/move like a jellyfish or whale around theshark infested waters (outside the hula hoops). Use a drum to bang or somethingloud to represent the shark coming. When they hear the shark they must get backto their cave before they are eaten!

3. Red Light, Green Light. (regular/widescreen) Players all stand on one side of theroom. The leader shouts 'green light!' from the other side of the room and thechildren can move forward. When they shout 'red light!' the children must all stopmoving. The first child to reach the other side of the room is the winner.

BIG VERSE: If anyone belongs to Christ, then he is made new. The old things have gone; everything is made new! 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Bible verse images (regular/widescreen)

SET the Scene:

Read John 3:1-21. You can use the Nicodemus Monologue (PDF) to help communicate the story. Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the middle of the night. It seems that among all of the Pharisees who did not believe in Jesus, Nicodemus knew that Jesus had come from God because "No one can do the miracles you do, unless God is with him. (v2). Jesus responds by telling Nicodemus that he must be born again. Nicodemus doesn't appear to understand. He takes what Jesus says literally. Yet Jesus explains that there is a spiritual rebirth that everyone must go through if they are to be in God's Kingdom (His rule and reign forever). 

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Why did Nicodemus go to see Jesus?• Why did he go in the night-time?• Why did Jesus think Nicodemus had come?• What did Nicodemus find really hard to understand?• Why did Jesus say that he had come into the world?

SPOT the Simple Meaning:

1) I CAN HAVE NEW LIFE IN JESUS

Use a picture 1 (regular/widescreen) or picture 2 of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly (regular/widescreen) or images of the Ugly Duckling who became a swan (regular/widescreen).

Say: Jesus wants to transform our lives! He wants to make us completely new! [Show one of the above examples of how something transforms.] The demonstration that we have used (see above) shows what happens when something transforms - it completely changes! Jesus wants to transform our lives by giving us new life.

When we come to Jesus and ask him to come and take the lead in our lives - something happens inside of us. Our old life - the life where we lived for ourselves and what we want has to die. Now, that doesn't mean we have to die! It doesn't mean when we accept Jesus we die... but it does mean that we stop doing certain things and it does mean that things stop having power over us, but that we have power over the things that once controlled us. That's why our big verse says "The old things have gone" (2 Corinthians 5:17) because the things that we did before we lived for Jesus are not as important to us anymore and some things we will stop. The old things such as hate, bitterness, anger, fear, sin no longer have to rule our hearts.

Without Jesus, the bible tells us that we are all spiritually dead because of our sin (Ephesians 2:1,5, Colossians 2:13). All life is in God and without Him there is no life. Our physical bodies; the bodies we see are alive, but our spirit inside us is dead. It is only when we ask Jesus - the One who has all life - to come into our lives that our spirit comes to life.

We become a new creation! Jesus told Nicodemus:

“Unless you are born from water and the Spirit, you cannot enter God’s kingdom. A person’s body is born from his human parents. But a person’s spiritual life is born from the Spirit. Don’t be surprised when I tell you, You must all be born again.”

John 3:5-7

When we ask Jesus to come and take control of our lives there is a complete change in our heart and in our mind. It is like we have been born again - because we suddenly see things in a different way. It is no just like being born again, but we are spiritually born again.

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To be born again means to be totally transformed by Jesus! It means that Jesus gives us new life - life to the full! It means we can start living for Jesus and seeing the world how Jesus sees it - full of opportunity and purpose. We can all have new life in Jesus - all we have to do is ask him to come and take control of our lives and he will give us that new life in Him!

2) THE LIFE JESUS GIVES IS ETERNAL

You will need some chocolate, a pile of homework, cash notes and Life' cereal. Don't worry if 'Life' cereal is not available in your country. The other items will suffice. 

Say: Is there something that you would like to have an eternal supply of? Imagine if you had a supply of a) chocolate b) Homework c) Money d) 'Life' Cereal e) Life that never ran out? How would it feel? Would you enjoy it? It's hard to imagine what it would be like to have something that never ends, because everything in this life eventually stops or dies. Nothing lasts forever, or so it seems.

Yet Jesus promises us life. He doesn't just promise any old life, he promises new life and life to the full - life everlasting (John 10:10)! Through Jesus we can have eternal life. That means life that lasts forever and ever, so even after we die we will live in heaven with Jesus! Wow! This kind of life is utterly amazing and is something we don't want to miss! Eternal life is a gift that only God can give. He is the source of all life - in Him we live and breathe and have our being (acts 17:28). Everything is held together by Jesus (Colossians 1:17). To know and love and have Jesus as the leader in your life - your friend and Savior - is to know and have eternal life.

Do you know Jesus?

[At this point you may want to use the prayer from the SEEK God section of the lesson.]

SEARCH the Scriptures:

Using the Bible verses about Jesus PDF invite children to think about what these Bible verses mean.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What do the bible verses tell us about life in Jesus? 2. What do you think eternal life is like? 3. What do you think it means to be 'born again'? 4. Do you think you are born again?

 

SENSE How You Feel:

How does it feel to have new life in Jesus?

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1. Create the Nicodemus scene using the craft templates. Simply cut out the figures and fold the tab on the bottom. Fold the bottom of the card for the house and place the two figures in front.

2. Make a new creation out of old junk such as cardboard boxes and plastic bottles. Give your new creation a name.

3. Paint a picture of a butterfly to remind you of what it means to have new life in Jesus.

4. Mould a butterfly our of playdough or clay. Alternatively mould Jesus and Nicodemus talking.

5. Build a scene of Jesus and Nicodemus talking out of Lego or building blocks. 6. Fill in or color the 5-7s and 8-11s activity booklets. 7. Have a go at making a simple origami butterfly (see Pinterest Board).

SEEK God:

This session is a perfect opportunity to ask the children if they would like Jesus to give them new life - life that is eternal! Pray with them:

Jesus thank You for Your new life. I believe that You are God's Son and that You lived a perfect life. I believe that You died so that I might live forever with You. I believe that You rose again. Please forgive me for the wrong things that I have done, come into my life, give me Your new life and help me to live for You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Nicodemus liked to ask Jesus questions - and Jesus loved to answer them! We don't always know the answers to every question, and sometimes God doesn't give us an answer, but it's great to ask him our questions - He might just surprise you with His answer!

Give the children some time to think about any questions they want to ask Jesus. Ask the children to write  these questions on post-it notes and stick on a board. If time, discuss some of the questions. Keep the questions to discuss in future weeks.

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Nicodemus WordsearchCan you find all the words in the wordsearch below?

Based on John 3:1-21

NICODEMUS JEWISH LEADER TEACHER MIRACLES JESUS PHARISEE

KINGDOM TRUTH BORN AGAIN WATER SPIRIT

MAN OLD BODY WIND POSSIBLE BELIEVE

SECOND LIGHT LOST ETERNAL LIFE WORLD

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Can you work out all the words in the crossword?

Based on John 3:1-21

ACROSS 1. What kind of life does God give? (v16) 2. What was Nicodemus? (v1) 3. What was evil about these people? (v20) 4. Why will some not come into the light? (v20) 5. What kinds of things did Jesus want to speak about? (v12)

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Nicodemus Crossword

DOWN: 4. What gives birth to flesh? (v6) 6. What must you do not to be condemned? (v18) 7. What did God do to the world? (v16) 8. What have those that are condemned not believed in about God’s son? (v18) 9. What did Nicodemus call Jesus? (v2) 10. When did Nicodemus come to Jesus? (v2) 11. Why did God send His son? (v17) 12. Who did God love? (v16)

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What does it meanto be ‘born again’?

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Read the Passage:

Review Questions:

Think About:

Family Activity:

Pray

What does it mean to be born again?

Are you born again?

If so, how do you know?

Talk to one another about how you came to know Jesus. Pray for any friends and family that don’t yet know him.

Key Verse:

Bringing It HomeA Family Devotional

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1. What was Nicodemus? (v1) 2. Why did Nicodemus say Jesus

came from God? (v2) 3. Who will see the kingdom of

God? (v3) 4. What kind of teacher was

Nicodemus? (v10) 5. Why did God give His only Son?

(v16) 6. Who is not condemned? (v18)

John 3:1-21 “no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they

are born again” John 3:3

Thank You Jesus that You came to the world to save

the world and not to condemn us!

Come into our lives and change us. Help us to live

a life that is pleasing to You.

Amen.

Can you find any family photos of when you or your siblings were born. Talk to one another about what the birth of each child was like.

What made each birth special?

Make a scrapbook or a photo frame using some of your photos to celebrate the life you have been given.

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