Leader Guide
Teaching Time
- Bible Story Pages (2)
- Shoebox (bottom)
- Craft sticks—five jumbo size or ten regular size
- Two sheets of paper or cardstock
- Utility knife
- Ruler
- Two 24-inch lengths of string or yard
- Scissors
- Tape
- Marker
- Hole punch
- Table
- Bible or Superbook Bible App
With scissors, trim about ¼ inch around all sides of the cut-out square (mat).
Use the hole punch to make a hole near each corner of the cardboard square.
Feed one string through both holes at each end and tape the string in place on the bottom of the square. Place a circle of tape in the middle top of the square.
Make one copy each of the two Bible Story Pages in color or black and white.
Cut out the sixteen numbered character squares.
Roll each character into a tube (image out) and tape closed.
Place the “house” with the open side toward the children. Place the craft sticks across the roof opening to close it.
Jesus Heals and Forgives a Paralyzed Man
Text: Luke 5:17–26; Mark 2:1–12
Slowly tell the Bible story as outlined below. Move tubes (T) as indicated.
● (T#1—in house) One day, Jesus was teaching about God in a house in Capernaum.
● (T#7–12—as you speak) As Jesus taught, a crowd gathered outside the house. It grew bigger and bigger and bigger until no one could go into the house or see Jesus!
● (T#4–6—in house) Some religious leaders called Pharisees were there. They did NOT like Jesus and were jealous of Him!
● (T#2—to the side of the crowd) There was a man who couldn’t walk. He lay on a mat and couldn’t move!
● (T#13–16—place beside T#2.) Thankfully, the man was blessed with four kind friends.
● The friends believed that Jesus could heal the man so he could walk.
● (T#13–16, T#2—pick up two strings on one side of the mat with thumb and index finger. Put the middle and ring finger each through a “friend” tube. Repeat with the other hand and two other “friend” tubes and strings. Rest all pieces behind the crowd, but hold onto them.) The four friends carried the man on his mat to see Jesus.
● Uh oh—the crowd was so big that they couldn’t go into the house to see Jesus!
● Then they had an idea! At the side of the house was a stairway. They could climb to the roof and lower the man down to see Jesus!
● (T#13–16, T#2) They climbed the stairs, higher and higher, until finally, the four friends and the mat were on top of the roof! But they STILL couldn’t see Jesus!
● They had another idea! Piece by piece, the four men removed pieces of the roof. (Slowly remove each craft stick to reveal the roof opening.)
● (T#13–14—look into the house.) Then, the men looked down into the house.
● “There He is! It’s Jesus!” the friends said.
● (T#13–16) The four men carefully lowered the man on his mat to Jesus!
● (T#1 moves to T#2.) Jesus saw the friends’ kindness and faith. He looked at the man on his mat and said, “Your sins are forgiven!”
● (T#4–6—move tubes up and down as you speak.) The Pharisees couldn’t believe what they heard! “Only God can forgive sins! Who does Jesus think He is?!!!!"
● (T#1—looks to Pharisees.) Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. He said, “Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven or stand up and walk?”
● (T#1 looks at T#2; replace T#2 with T#3.) Jesus told the man who couldn’t walk, “Stand up, take your mat, go home!”
● (T#2—move off mat and then jump for joy, walk away with mat beside crowd.) The man jumped up, took his mat, and praised God as he walked away.
● (T#9–12—jump for joy.) The crowd celebrated the miracles that Jesus did that day!
● (T#13–16—jump for joy on the roof.) The man’s friends were so happy! They began to praise God, too!
Can you name the two miracles that Jesus did in the Bible story? He forgave the man’s sins; He healed the man’s legs so he could walk.
Jesus’ miracles began with four friends who were tenderhearted and showed kindness to the man. When we show kindness to people around us, we help them feel better, and God is pleased with us!