Lesson 9: Jesus Calms the Storm

Welcome

            Thank kids for coming.

            Just for fun, have kids give an elbow-five to five friends.

            Make announcements.

            Introduce new kids.

            Celebrate birthdays by having kids say “Happy birthday” in a deep voice.

            Collect the offering.

Introduce the Lesson

            Say: Today we’ll learn about a time Jesus showed the disciples he has the power to calm storms.

Share

            Say: Storms happen a lot! You’ve probably all experienced a storm at least once in your life.

            Tell about a storm you’ve been in.

            Have kids get in pairs and tell each other about a storm they’ve been in.

            After partners have discussed, ask two or three kids to share with the whole group what they talked about with their partners.

Summarize

            Open a Bible, and say: Storms can be scary! Today we’ll learn that Jesus has power to calm storms. We’ll look in the Bible to see how he used that power to calm a storm the disciples were in. The Bible isn’t an ordinary book; it’s God’s special book. The Bible is one way God changes our lives. As we read the Bible today, let’s see how he changes us.

            Pray, thanking Jesus that he has power to calm storms.

Tip 

Sing Songs to God

          Sing the three songs in any order.

Make Boats

            Say: Today’s Bible story happened in a boat. Let’s make boats.

            Have preschoolers pair up with older kids, so the older kids can help them with each step of this craft.

            Give each child a piece of sponge, and set out duct tape. Have kids completely encase their sponges in duct tape. Let kids take time arranging the duct tape to make a fun pattern using the different colors.

            Then have kids each fold a small piece of duct tape over the top of a toothpick to make a sail. Kids can stick the bottom of their toothpicks into their sponges. Have kids wrap duct tape around the base of their toothpicks to secure the sail into the boat.

Make a Storm Bottle

            Have kids use funnels to pour a little bit of sand into their bottles. Kids should add enough sand so that it settles into about a half-inch layer.

            Next, kids will squeeze their boats through the openings of the bottles.

            Have kids put the lids securely on their bottles, shake them, and then watch the sand settle back down. The boats will stay on top of the water.

Use the Craft

            Have kids form pairs. Preschoolers can remain with their older partner. Say: Tell your partner about your least favorite kind of storm. Give your own example, and then allow time for discussion.

            Have kids shake up their bottles. As the sand settles back down, pray: Jesus, thank you that you have power over storms.

            Now tell your partner about a time in your life that felt like a storm. Maybe someone you loved was really sick, or your best friend moved away. Give your own example, and then allow time for discussion.

            Have kids shake up their bottles. As the sand settles back down, pray: Jesus, thank you that you have power over storms in our lives.

            Say: Now tell your partner something that makes you feel nervous or worried. Give your own example, and then allow time for discussion.

            Say: The disciples felt worried when they were in the storm. But Jesus was more powerful than the thing that worried them. Have kids shake up their bottles. As the sand settles back down, pray: Jesus, thank you that you have power over the storms that threaten us. Amen.

            Take your bottle home as a reminder that Jesus has power to calm storms. When you face storms in your life, shake it up and watch it calm down as you pray that Jesus will help you be calm and have faith in his power.

Make a Boat That Floats

            Have kids form mixed-age groups of four. Give each group some aluminum foil.

            Say: Today’s Bible story takes place in a boat. Let’s see if you can make a boat that will float in the water.

            Allow a few minutes for kids to fashion their aluminum foil into boats. Then have groups test their boats by placing them in the tub of water.

            If most of the boats float, start shaking the tub so the water sloshes around. Say: But can your boat withstand a fierce storm?

            Let the water calm down as you say: In our Bible story, Jesus and his followers, or disciples, were in a boat. They hit a really bad storm, and the disciples thought they would drown! But Jesus has power to calm storms. Let’s see what happened.

Get in the Boat

            Have two kids get in the hula hoop, which will represent a boat. They’ll hold the hula hoop at waist height. Give the rest of the kids each a piece of blue construction paper, and have them stand in two lines facing each other, with an aisle down the middle just wide enough for the hula hoop.

            Say: The kids in the hula hoop will represent the disciples in the boat. The rest of you are the lake. As I read the beginning of the story, make calm waves as the boat starts across the lake.       

            Read Mark 4:35-36.

            Say: Sounds like a nice journey so far. But, lake kids, get ready to make big, dramatic waves!

            Read Mark 4:37.

            Have the kids in the hula hoop continue across the lake as the waves get bigger and bigger. You could give one child a spray bottle of water and have him or her spray the kids in the boat. You could also turn on a fan to create additional wind and flicker the lights on and off for lightning. One or two kids could wave aluminum foil to make thunder sounds.

            When the kids make it across the lake, have them give the hula hoop to a new pair and take over those spots in the lake. Continue until everyone gets a turn to cross the stormy lake. Say: This is an intense storm. But Jesus has power over storms!

Calm the Storm

            Have kids continue to create waves, spray water, shake their papers or foil, and flicker the lights as you shout: Jesus was sleeping in the boat while this storm raged on! The disciples were panicked, and they woke him up. They shouted, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

            I’m going to read what Jesus said. As soon as I say “be still,” everyone immediately stop what you’re doing. You may want to station a child to turn off the fan, or simply do it yourself when the storm stops.

            Read Mark 4:39, shouting until the kids stop the storm and then whispering the rest. Say: Jesus has power to calm storms.

Talk About It

            Ask: • How did you feel when you were going through the storm in our room?

            • How would you feel if that were a real boat in a real storm?

            • What scares you about storms—now or when you were younger?

            • What do you think about the fact that Jesus was sleeping through the storm?

            Say: Jesus has power to calm storms. He was able to sleep through that crazy storm because he wasn’t scared at all. And as soon as he woke up, he was able to calm the storm with just his words.

            In our lives, we’ll experience real storms—with lightning, thunder, and wind—but we’ll also experience things that might just feel like a storm. Something really bad could happen in your life that feels just as scary as the storm felt for Jesus’ disciples. For example, someone you love could get really sick, or one of your parents might lose his or her job. When those times happen, you might even wonder like the disciples, “Jesus, don’t you care?”

            Jesus cares about your storms. Jesus has power over your storms. Think about a storm or fear in your life, and wave your blue paper around. Talk to Jesus and ask him to calm that storm. Then stop waving your paper. Allow time. The “storm” should gradually diminish as kids stop waving their papers.

Respond

            Say: Jesus has power over the storms in our lives. He can calm our storms just as he calmed the storm on the lake. Let’s look at what happened between Jesus and the disciples after he calmed their storm.

            Read Mark 4:40-41.

            Ask: • What makes it hard to have faith when life is scary or stormy?

            • What’s your response to Jesus calming the storm?

            Say: The Bible says the disciples were terrified. That’s after Jesus calmed the storm! They knew that the storm was really powerful—and Jesus was even more powerful than the storm. That made them really wonder if Jesus was a lot more powerful than they might’ve thought before.

            We know Jesus is powerful, and we can have faith that he has power over storms—every kind of storm.

Tip 

Discuss and Watch “Calming the Storms”

          Say: Today our Bible story is helping us know that Jesus has the power to calm storms. Let’s watch a video to help us think about this.

          Watch “Calming the Storms.”

          Say: This video tells us that sometimes life feels stormy. We might experience stormy times at home, at school, or even in our hearts. When is a time you’ve felt like your life was stormy? For me… Tell about a time you felt like your life was stormy. Share at an age-appropriate level, and talk for about a minute to model the type of sharing you hope children will do. After you’ve shared, have kids get into groups of three and share about a time they felt like something was stormy—at home or at school or somewhere else.

          After about three minutes, thank kids for sharing in their groups and say: Storms can be scary, and they can make us feel a lot of fear. But sometimes good things come from storms. For example, storms might bring a lot of rain to an area that’s very dry and needs moisture. Or they might end with a beautiful rainbow, which makes us smile. Let’s watch this video again, and this time look for something good or something pretty or even something beautiful about the storms you see on the video.

          Watch “Calming the Storms” again.

          Ask: • What did you see that was good, pretty, or beautiful in these storms?

          Say: Let’s take a minute to silently pray and ask God to take the stormy times in our lives and show us something good or beautiful that he is doing—even in the middle of that storm.

          Invite children to pray silently for one minute, and then close with “amen.”

Tip

• Use durable bottles—not cheap off-brands made of super-thin plastic.

Experiment With Holes in a Bottle

            Say: Today we learned how Jesus stopped a storm. The disciples were terrified! The wind was blowing, the water was coming into their boat, and they thought they were going to drown! But Jesus showed them that he has the power to calm storms. All he had to say was “Silence! Be still!” and the storm completely went away.

            Let’s do a fun experiment where we have control over water. Have about two to four kids gather around each bowl or pan, trying to pair preschoolers with older kids. The bowls and pans will catch the leaking water.

            Give each older child a water bottle and a thumbtack. Have kids check that the lids on their water bottles are fully closed. Show them how to use the thumbtack to poke about eight holes in their water bottles—the holes should all be along the same line or at the same exact level around the water bottle. (Have kids avoid squeezing the bottles as they’re poking holes so water doesn’t leak out. Show them how to hold a bottle in place by the lid, rather than the plastic body.) Collect the thumbtacks when kids are done using them, to keep them away from preschoolers.

            Hold a water bottle over a bowl or pan, and show kids how you can start and stop the water leaking just by opening and closing the lid. Let them take turns holding their bottles over the bowls or pans and trying it themselves. Make sure older kids give preschoolers a chance to try twisting the lid. Give them time to play—they’ll enjoy seeing how they can control the water just by opening and closing the lids.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What surprised you about our experiment?

            • What are some ways this experiment is like Jesus’ power?

            Share some scary things that you’ve experienced that kids can relate to.

            • When storms or scary things happen in life, what are some ways you can look to Jesus to help you?

            Say: Jesus has the power to calm storms. You can always go to him, ask him for help, and trust him to take care of you during storms and after they’re over.

Introduce

            Say: Today we’re learning that Jesus has power to calm storms. He calmed the storm in the Bible. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been in a storm.

            Pause while kids raise hands.

            Say: Hmm. It seems like even though Jesus is powerful enough to stop storms, they still happen. Why is that? Does Jesus have the power to stop storms, but he’s not compassionate enough to? Let’s dig into that.

Find Evidence

            Have kids form two mixed-age groups: Compassionate and Powerful.

            Say: Your group is going to look at some verses that will help you find evidence that Jesus is either compassionate or powerful. Write down evidence you find for your group.

            Have the Compassionate group look up the following verses. They can also refer to the Bible story in Mark 4:35-41.

• Matthew 9:35-36
• Luke 6:35-36
• Luke 7:12-15

            Have the Powerful group look up the following verses. They can also refer to the Bible story in Mark 4:35-41.

• Romans 6:9-11
• 2 Corinthians 13:3-4
• Ephesians 1:19-22

Compare Evidence

            Say: Let’s consider what we found and see if Jesus can really help calm our storms. Tell kids about a “storm” you’re facing in your life.

            Ask: • Is Jesus powerful enough to help me with this storm? Have the Powerful group share one item from its list.

            Say: But the storm is still happening.

            Ask: • Is Jesus compassionate enough to help me with this storm? Have the Compassionate group share one item from its list.

            Repeat this, having kids share storms and asking the questions: Is Jesus powerful enough? Is he compassionate enough?

            After kids have gone through all their evidence, have them discuss this question.

            Ask: • If Jesus is equally compassionate and powerful, why do these storms still happen to us?

            Say: There are a lot of reasons storms still happen. We can’t know them all. That’s why Jesus told his disciples they needed to have more faith. Before he calmed the storm, he was still with them. He was there in the boat, with all the power and compassion they needed.

            Jesus even told us storms will keep coming. Listen to this.

            Read John 16:33.

            Ask: • What does this verse show you about Jesus’ power? his compassion?

            Say: When we face storms in our lives—whether they’re real storms or things that feel stormy—we won’t usually know why they’re happening. And Jesus might not show his power and compassion right away or in the way we expect. But we can take heart and trust that Jesus has power to calm storms. He’s right there with us through the storm.

            Have kids spread out so they won’t distract each other and sit quietly as they listen to “Sometimes He Calms the Storm.”

            Ask: • How has Jesus helped you feel calm during a storm?

            Say: Whenever you face storms, remember that Jesus has power to calm storms. Have faith, and watch him calm you.

Tip

• If you used the Music Video block, consider repeating the songs from today’s lesson during the game. You can find the album here.

Recommended for 6 or more kids.

Play a Version of Tag

            Say: The disciples were in a boat and got caught in a terrible storm. They were scared and thought they were going to drown. Let’s play a game where you try to avoid getting caught in a storm.

            Choose an older child to be the Storm Maker, and give him or her a spray bottle filled with water.

            Have the other kids scatter throughout the room.

            Say: The Storm Maker will try to spray you with water. If you get sprayed, stop where you are and wave your arms over your head like you’re in a storm. When you hear me shout “Be still!” you can stop waving your arms and run again.

            Instruct the Storm Maker to not spray water in kids’ faces so it doesn’t get in their eyes. If your floor starts to get slippery, have kids walk instead of run.

            Play some upbeat music to start the game.

            Say “Be still!” after about one minute to free kids who’ve been sprayed.

            Choose a new older child to be the Storm Maker about every two minutes, and continue the game.

            Play for as long as time allows.

Talk About It

            Gather kids in the middle of the room.

            Ask: • How did you feel when you acted like you were in a storm?

            • How can Jesus calm us when we’re in a storm?

            Say: Storms can make us feel like things are going crazy! But Jesus can calm us by helping us experience peace and reminding us that he’s in control. We can be thankful that Jesus has power to calm storms—and to calm us, too!

Tip

• If you used the Music Video block, consider repeating the songs from today’s lesson during the game. You can find the album here.

Keep Balloons in the Air

            Have kids spread out around the room and sit on the floor.

            Pass out one balloon for approximately every two kids.

            Say: The disciples were in a really wild storm. The wind was blowing so hard that waves went up in the air and crashed into the boat! Let’s create our own storm with these balloons. Keep the balloons in the air until I stop the music and say “Be still!” Then let the balloons fall to the floor.

            Have kids throw their balloons in the air when you start the music and work as a group to bat them all around in the air. If a balloon falls to the floor, have a child pick it up and throw it in the air again.

            Stop the music, say “Be still!”, and have kids let the balloons fall to the floor.

            Restart the music and have kids throw the balloons back in the air to play the game again. Occasionally stop the music and say “Be still!” so that kids let their balloons fall to the floor again.

            About every 30 seconds, add an extra balloon for kids to keep in the air. You could also use a fan to blow the balloons while they’re in the air to make the storm more chaotic. Make sure you pick up any broken balloons immediately to avoid a choking hazard.

            Play for about six minutes or as long as time allows.

Talk About It

            Gather the balloons.

            Ask: • How did this game remind you of a storm?

            Say: Just like our game, a storm can feel crazy at times. It can feel crazy when we have storms in our lives as well.

            Tell kids about something that can cause your life to feel crazy.

            Ask: • What things can happen to people that can cause life to feel crazy at times?

            Say: When you feel like there’s a storm in your life, remember that Jesus can help you experience calm and peace because Jesus has power to calm storms!

Talk About It

            Say: Today we heard how Jesus calmed a storm for the disciples. It was scary for them! We have scary things in our lives, too. And Jesus has the power to calm our storms and fears and to help us with those scary things, just as he helped the disciples.

            Share about one fear in your life.

            Ask: • What are some of your fears? Invite kids to share their fears in pairs. After about two minutes, ask if anyone is willing to share about his or her fear with the larger group. Thank anyone who is willing to share.

Pray About It

            Say: Those things can really make us feel scared. They can feel like big storms. Sometimes we don’t know what to do in these big storms, like the disciples didn’t know what to do. But we can yell to Jesus, like the disciples did.

            Let’s all make a storm by yelling out our fears and making a lot of noise. Explain that kids can shout their fears, scream, stomp their feet, or clap their hands. When I touch your shoulder, stop making noise, get into a kneeling position, and be still. When you stop, pray silently to Jesus about your fears.

            Have kids start the storm. Wait for a few seconds, and then begin to tap children on their shoulders. As you do, calmly say to that child, “Be still. Jesus can calm your storm.” Do this until all the children are praying silently. Close in prayer, thanking Jesus that he has the power to calm storms.

            Thank the children for coming, and invite them to come back.

           Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.