Leader Guide

Leader Introduction

Today’s Bible story reinforces and expands on the previous three lessons about kindness. In today’s lesson, we will continue to learn about God’s love and kindness by sending His Son to forgive our sins and offer us His free gift of salvation.

Children will learn the importance of showing kindness to others as Jesus showed kindness to the paralyzed man. He not only healed his body but even more importantly, forgave his sins.

*Scripture is quoted from the New Living Translation unless noted.

Optional Opening Game

Optional Opening Game

Gizmo Says

Note: If time is short, skip this activity or save it for the end of class.

The game we are going to play is called “Gizmo Says,” and it is like “Simon Says.” You will only do the action or sound if you hear “Gizmo Says” first. If you don’t hear “Gizmo Says,” then just stay very still! Are you ready?

Have the children stand and form a large circle around the leader. In this game, Gizmo (leader) will give instructions to do kind things. The other instructions can be inserted (in any order) without saying “Gizmo Says.” Give each instruction below, beginning with “Gizmo Says” and some instructions without it, to see if the children are really listening!

On less familiar instructions, model the action for the children to follow.

Give the instructions in any order and repeat any if desired.

• Gizmo says pet the puppy.
• Stomp your feet.
• Gizmo says share a toy.
• Throw a rock.
• Gizmo says rake the leaves.
• Gizmo says (fold hands) pray for someone.
• Make a mean face.
• Hop up and down to have a temper tantrum.
• Gizmo says touch your ears to listen.
• Touch your feet.
• Gizmo says wave hello to someone.
• Put both hands in the air.
• Gizmo says make a big smile.
• Bend down.
• Take a step sideways.
• Gizmo says pick up your toys from the floor.
• Gizmo says smile at someone.
• Make a fist.
• Pat your head.
• Gizmo says touch your heart to be tenderhearted.
• Roll your eyes.
• Stand on one leg.
• Gizmo says open your mouth wide to share about Jesus.

Gizmo is all about showing kindness, isn’t he? Did you notice everything Gizmo told you to do was a way to show kindness to others? Good job showing kindness in so many different ways! When you do or say kind things, you show God’s love to others.

Object to GO!

Discuss the eraser on the pencil or image using the questions and comments below.

● Hold up the pencil. What is this? A pencil.

● Point to the lead end of the pencil. What can you do with this end of the pencil? Draw pictures or write words.

● Point to the eraser end of the pencil. What is this called? An eraser.

● What does it do? It erases or removes what you write or draw.

● Do you have any guesses about what a pencil has to do with today’s Bible story? Children respond.

This is a hard one because they didn’t have pencils in Bible times. Let’s watch our video now. Later, we will find out about a pencil and why it is like something Jesus does because He is kind and loves us!

Video Lesson

Play Video (Bible Story)

Bible Story

Optional: Play the Bible Story Video if some of the children haven’t seen it in previous lessons or don’t remember it.

In today’s Bible story, we will see how Jesus showed kindness to a man even when it made some men very angry and jealous!

Teaching Time

Jesus Was Kind

Text: Luke 5:17–26; Mark 2:1–12

If you showed the video: In the video, what two kind things did Jesus do in the Bible story? Jesus healed the man and forgave his sins.

The Bible is full of kind things that Jesus did and said while He was in this world. The Bible says that Jesus did so many things that if they were all written down, there wouldn’t be enough room in the world to fit them! (John 21:25)

Hold up the grocery bag so the children can see the large heart.

A Bible verse (Acts 10:38) tells us that Jesus went around doing good things and healing people because God was with Him and gave Him the power to do them. Let’s talk about some of the kind things Jesus did.

In this bag are small hearts. Each heart has a Bible verse on it that tells us a kind and powerful thing that Jesus did. Raise your hand if you would like a turn to reach into the bag and pull out a heart. Children respond.

Have the first volunteer pull one heart from the bag and give it to you to read. Then, briefly discuss each act of kindness Jesus performed using the Heart Discussion List below.

Note: Match the heart number to the list number. Discuss the hearts in any order.

Heart Discussion List

1. Jesus took the time to stop and talk with a Samaritan woman who was hated by others.

2. Jesus was kind to children and took time to pray for them.

3. Jesus was sad and wept with two women when their brother Lazarus died—then He brought Lazarus back to life!

4. Jesus talked to a man who had no friends. Jesus ate at his house, forgave his sins, and gave him the gift of salvation.

5. Jesus performed a miracle to feed a large, hungry crowd who had no food to eat.

6. Jesus talked with a Pharisee who came to Him late at night to ask some questions.

7. Jesus calmed a storm for His scared disciples in a boat so they could be safe.

8. Jesus, while on the cross, asked God to forgive His enemies who were cruel to Him.

Jesus is tenderhearted. He feels what we feel when we are happy and when we are sad. He is always ready to show us love, kindness, and forgiveness. Because Jesus forgives us, He wants us to show kindness to everyone. Let’s name some things that you can do to show kindness. Smile, listen, donate food or clothes, share toys, help, forgive, hang out with someone new, wave hello, say hi, play with someone, pray for someone, care for a pet, say kind things.

Optional: Hold up each Kindness Card from the Lesson 2 Opening Game. Identify and discuss the acts of kindness.

God gave Jesus the power to do good. And guess what? He gives us that same power, too! Let’s pray every day and ask God to help us be kind, love others, be tenderhearted, and forgive!

Verse to GO!

Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

Optional: Show the memory verse video. Children will review the entire verse that was learned in the previous three lessons.

Today’s Bible memory verse is Ephesians 4:32. Say the memory verse slowly.

“Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Let’s say the Bible verse we have been learning and practicing together.

Stand facing the children and lead them to repeat phrases and imitate the motions.

Be kind to each other… Slowly raise both arms from your side and extend them in front of you, palms up.

Tenderhearted… Smile and gently pat your heart with both hands.

Repeat slowly a few more times.

Just as Christ… Raise both arms and point upward.

Has forgiven you… Bring both arms down and point inward to your heart.

Repeat a few more times.

Remember, our God forgave us, so we’re able to give kindness to everybody!

Optional: Make sure the children understand that tenderhearted means to care about other people’s feelings and to show them kindness.

Note: Preschool children may not be able to memorize the entire verse. They may simply repeat it with you. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer Time

Close the lesson with a simple prayer to encourage the children to be kind.

For example: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving us and saving us. Help us to be ready to share about Jesus with other people so they can receive Your kindness and forgiveness, too. In Jesus’ saving name, we pray, amen.

Music Time

Play the video song “Sweet and Kind.” Encourage children to sing the words and imitate the motions with Miss Tina and the Quantum Lab robots.

Sweet and Kind 

Kind and Sweet

Suggestion: at the end of the second chorus, shout “Be Kind” with the children after Gizmo and Miss Tina’s three statements:

Gizmo: When you are hanging on a vine—Be kind!

Gizmo: When you are tied up in a bind––Be kind!

Gizmo: When you are feeling kind of tired because so many things are on your mind—Be kind!

Repeat in the same way with Miss Tina.

Object to GO! - Part 2

Hold up the pencil. Raise your hand if you remember when we talked about this. Children respond.

We were not sure what this pencil and eraser had to do with a kind thing Jesus does for us because He loves us. Let me give you a hint. In our Bible story, what is something only God can do that made the Pharisees angry when Jesus did it? Forgive sins!

Yes, only God can forgive sins! Hold the cardstock in a clipboard.

Make a small, light mark on the cardstock. Hold the cardstock close to the children so they can see it. Can you see the pencil mark I made? Yes!

Remove the mark with the eraser. Can you see it now? No!

The eraser helps us understand what happens when we sin and ask Jesus to forgive us. Do you remember what it means to sin? To disobey or to say or do unkind things.

When we sin, we can’t use an eraser to remove the sin. We pray and ask Jesus to forgive us. And HE removes the sin just like the eraser removed the pencil mark.

The Bible says: “But if we confess our sins to God, He can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.” 1 John 1:9 (CEV)

To confess means to tell Him what we did or said. Jesus wants to forgive us and save us from our sins so we can one day go to Heaven and live with Him forever!

Singing Activity

The Salvation Poem (Play video @ 25:11-27:31)

Gizmo and Miss Tina present the Gospel prior to singing the Salvation Poem.

Have the children bow their heads and close their eyes. Pray and give the children an opportunity to raise their hands if they would like to receive God’s gift of salvation and live for Jesus! Follow up after class with children who received God’s salvation gift.

Wrap-Up and Piano Song (Kind and Sweet—Play Video @ 23:22 – 25:14)

Optional Discussion Questions

● God forgave us, so we are able to give kindness to everybody.

● What is the kindest thing we can do for our friends? Tell them about Jesus.

Take Home Coloring Page

Take-Home Coloring Page

Healed and Forgiven

Design: Make a Healed and Forgiven Take-Home Coloring Page: 201 video @ 10:59 mark. Place “I Learned Today” content beneath the image.

I Learned Today: God heals me and forgives my sins.

I learned the Verse to GO: “Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, … forgiving one another, just as Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

Object to GO! Ask me why we talked about a pencil and eraser in today’s lesson about kindness. [A pencil makes a mark; the eraser removes it. When we sin, Jesus erases or forgives our sins.]

As children color, review today’s lesson using the discussion points below:

· What did Jesus do to forgive the man’s sins? He told him His sins were forgiven.

· Can anybody forgive sins? No, only God/Jesus.

· Who is God’s Son? Jesus.

· Does Jesus still forgive our sins today? Yes, if we ask Him.

Game

Optional Games

Play the Optional Opening Game “Gizmo Says” at the beginning of this lesson.

Play the game “Build Up or Tear Down” from Lesson 1. 

Play the game “Unmatched Kindness” from Lesson 2. 

Play the game “Through the Roof” from Lesson 3.