LESSON THEME: Trusting in God’s Provision
Matthew 17:24-37 tells the story of Jesus and his disciples arriving in Capernaum, where they are confronted by the temple tax collectors. Jesus instructs Peter to catch a fish, and in its mouth, he finds a coin to pay the tax.
WELCOME MUSIC: PLAYLIST (WEE SING KIDS)
This music should be playing in the background while the kids come in for the first 15 minutes. A craft or station will be setup to keep their attention and get them focused upon coming into the classroom.
WELCOME STATION CRAFT: MAKE A FISH 6:00-6:15 p.m.
ITEMS NEEDED
Heart Fish Template (Pre Cut for Each Kid)
Glue
As children arrive, give each child the cutout craft and have someone available to help them glue it together. As they work, tell them today’s Bible story is about a time when Jesus’ disciple Peter went fishing. If children finish their fish early, have them make another fish to share with a friend. We will need one fish per kid for this lesson.
WELCOME STATION GAME: Let’s Go Fishin’ 6:00-6:15 p.m.
After kids have made a craft fish, they can play the “Let’s Go Fishin'” Game.
Two games will be setup on the table for kids to play. Four kids can play per game.
WORSHIP JESUS THRU MUSIC: 6:15-6:30 p.m.
Move kids by the TV into the “Worship” Area near the TV. Let kids know we are going worship Jesus through song.
- Jesus is Alive Freeze Dance 2:08
- God is a Friend We Can Trust 2:58
- He is the Light 2:52
- Shine His Light 2:19
- Every Move I Make 3:06
- Jesus is My Best Friend 1:28
WORSHIP JESUS THRU PRAYER: 6:30-6:40 p.m.
Transition kids into a circle on the floor for prayer.
Ask each kid to tell about something they were given as a surprise or gift recently that they enjoyed.
Praise Jesus through prayer and bless the snack we are about to eat.
SNACK TIME: 6:40-6:50 p.m.
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat snacks. Have paper or color activity on the table for kids to draw on while they eat their snack, or while they are waiting for others to finish. If there are any kids who didn’t complete a fish prior to 6:15, now is the time to give them a fish craft to make (or to make one for them).
BIBLE STORY 6:50-7:10 p.m.
ITEMS NEEDED
Large Blue Blanket
Bucket for Coins with the word “TEMPLE TAX” on it.
Temple Tax Sign
Fish from craft
20 silver coins (nickels) 19 to hide
Fishing net
Fish Toy with the hidden coin (in it’s mouth if possible)
OCEAN
During snack time, set out a blue blanket (water) for kids to sit on during Bible Story Time.
After snack, each kid should bring the fish they made (or an extra fish made) to the blanket and leave it on the ocean.
Go over the rules.
1. Bubbles for our mouth. (Demonstrate putting a bubble in the mouth)
2. Open our ears. (Demonstrate opening ears)
3. Clap 3 times. (Demonstrate time to return to be quiet)
MISSING COIN
Let the kids know there are 20 coins hidden in the room. They have two minutes to find as many coins as they can. When the 2 minutes are up, have them come sit down with their coins. Tell them in our Bible Story today we are going to need their coins and we are going to learn about a very special coin.
Note: Coin 20 should be hidden in a fish that will be used as part of the story. This can be a fish hand puppet, a plush fish with a mouth, or one of the craft fish that is the teacher’s. Whatever fish is used, the coin needs to be hidden in it’s mouth.
Ask:
Have you ever been fishing? Tell us about it.
What did you use to fish with?
Let’s read out Bible story and find out about Peter’s special fish.
READ FROM THE BIBLE
Matthew 17:24‐27
24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said,
“Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
EXPLAIN: Capernaum was a city like Genoa, but bigger. Each person was required to pay an annual tax to the church to help support the church – as a way of giving back to God. And Jesus was often referred to as “TEACHER”. Why do you think that is? ______.
Jesus didn’t need to pay the tax because the tax was a gift to God.
So what do you think Peter told the men when they asked him if Jesus should pay the temple tax?
Let’s go back to the Bible and see what it says.
25 He said, “Yes.”
LOOK SHOCKED. LET THE KIDS KNOW IT’S NOW TIME FOR THEM TO PAY THEIR TAX. THEY SHOULD PUT THEIR COINS INTO THE BUCKET. ONCE A YEAR EVERYONE HAD TO PAY THIS TAX. IT WAS THE EQUIVALENT TO WHAT THEY MADE WORKING FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS.
Let’s go back to the Bible and see if Peter was right.
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.
QUESTION: Raise your hand if you think a King of a country would ask the strangers – people he has never ever met before – to pay the tax? Do you think he would make his own child pay the same tax or do you think he would let his child skip paying the tax?
That’s what Jesus was explaining to Peter. Jesus was the son of God. He was the King. He didn’t need to pay the tax.
Raise your hand if you think Jesus is going to pay the tax anyway?
Let’s go back to the Bible and see if you’re right.
27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them,
This means that Jesus has decided to pay the tax. Just like you paid your tax to our bucket. He didn’t want to make them upset. He realized, some things just aren’t worth fighting about.
Raise your hand if you can think of a time when you got angry about something. (Pick one person to share and discuss if it was worth getting angry over). A good lesson from Jesus – if it’s not worth causing a fight, let it go.
Let’s go back to the Bible and see what Jesus and Peter discuss next.
…go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find…
What do you think Peter is going to find when he opens the fish’s mouth?
Let’s go back to the Bible and see if you’re right.
…a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
[Pull out the coin in the fish’s mouth.] Explain that even though Jesus didn’t have to pay the tax, He paid it. He used a miracle of providing the exact amount of money Peter and Jesus both needed by putting a coin in a fish’s mouth. Look at all the fish in front of us in this ocean. There were even more fish than that in the ocean where Peter fished. But Jesus knew the exact fish Peter would pull. Because Jesus will always provide for us.
Good listening everyone, now I’m going to ask you some questions.
Have you ever caught a fish with a coin in its mouth?
What did Jesus tell Peter to do?
Why do you think Jesus had Peter go fishing in order to pay the Temple tax for Peter and himself?
Do you think Peter was worried when he told the tax collectors Jesus would pay the tax, and then he had to go tell Jesus he had just said that?
What should we do when we are worried about some problem in our lives?
SONG: COIN IN FISH’S MOUTH (1:45)
End the lesson asking everyone to listen to the song.
COIN FOR FISH
Tell each kid to pick up their fish from the ocean. Ask them to go put their fish on the table in a safe place and sit down with their fish for craft.
BIBLE CRAFT OR ACTIVITY: COIN TRANSFER 7:00-7:10 p.m.
ITEMS NEEDED
Sharpened pencil for each kid.
Box of crayons.
Assortment of coins for each kid.
Fish Coin Rub Template
DIRECTIONS: Put the coin on the table, and then take your fish picture and put it over the coin so that
the fish is on the coin. Then take your pencil crayon and rub where the coin is – and see
what happens. When children are done, they can color the fish and the water around the fish.
You made a coin appear in the fish, similar to how Jesus performed the miracle of putting a coin in the fish’s mouth for Peter.
FELLOWSHIP 7:10-7:25 p.m.
Kids will be split into two groups. The younger kids will go to the playroom with the helper. The older kids will stay and play in the playroom. (This will rotate weekly).
Play the WEE SING BIBLE SONGS on the TV (or via Cassette Tape in the Playroom) while they kids are playing.
DISMISSAL 7:25-7:30 p.m.
Prepare for dismissal.
