Jesus stops the Storm

‘Jesus stops the Storm’ was another of our weather themed stories at toddler group. It’s from Luke 8. It’s a great story to tell – lots of drama with the wind blowing and waves crashing, frightened disciples, dark skies and Jesus sleeping!

Craft Idea

This craft is in two parts; the lake made from a paper plate – square paper plates with two shades of blue tissue paper – and mini boats. Round plates would be just as good but they need to be a bit sturdy. The boat is cut from card (done beforehand) and has a tab so it can be glued in place but still stand up. The label says ‘Jesus stopped the storm’.

It’s a very effective craft that’s quite easy to make.

Make the boat first and attach to the paper plate. Then add the waves and the label.

Jesus stopped the Storm Bible Story Idea

Introduce actions for the children to do during the story. It’s helpful to explain these actions before you start. Include them as you tell the story.

1. Move arms to represent waves (vary the size of the waves in the story)

2 Blow into closed hands for the wind

3 Pretend to be sleeping

4 Say, ‘shush’ – ‘be still’

You could play some sound effects during the story – thunder and rain recordings are available on MP3 downloads (usually used for relaxation). Make sure you listen to anything you plan to use beforehand.

‘ One day Jesus asked his friends to get in a boat and go to the other side of the lake. It was very calm and the water was gently moving the boat. Jesus was very tired. He laid down in the boat and rested his head on a pillow and went fast asleep. The boat moved slowly out across the lake. Some of Jesus’ friends were fishermen and they knew all about rowing boats.

Suddenly a the wind began to blow. the waves got bigger and bigger and bigger! Water was starting to come inside the boat! It was so scary. But Jesus was fast asleep.

Jesus’ friends felt the wind blowing, saw the waves getting bigger and bigger and they were frightened. ‘We are going to die!,’ they said.

Jesus was still fast asleep. So his friends woke him up. ‘Don’t you care about us? they said.

Jesus cares very much.

He got up and stood up in the boat. And then he did something that no one else could ever do. He told the wind and the waves to ‘STOP! Shush – be still.’

It was suddenly all quiet and still. No more wind blowing and waves crashing.

Jesus’ friends were afraid and shocked. ‘Who is this?’ they said to each other, ‘that even the wind and waves obey him!’

Jesus is God. He is the only one who can stop the storm’.

Downloads for the craft

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When cutting out the boats leave a small bit of plain card at the bottom of each boat to fold and use as a flap to stick the boat to the paper plate.

Here’s another Bible Story with a boat!

Here’s a link to some pictures based on the story from Free Bible Images

Emergency Bible lesson!

Do you ever have to organise a last minute Bible lesson/story for your Sunday school or Church club? Maybe someone is absent and you are the one who gets the text message ‘Can you sort out a Bible Story for club tonight?’

Well, here is an idea to help. There are a few things you will need but your group may already have them. Even better think ahead and have an Emergency Bible Story Kit all ready made up! The age group in mind is 5-11 year olds

The story is ….

Jesus calms the storm (Mark 4:35-41)

Main teaching point – Who is Jesus? The Son of God.

 

To tell the story you will need a parachute and a Bible.

To prepare take some time to read the Bible passage. It is a very simple story. Make a mental note of what happens when and where the action takes place and what time of day it is. These details are important and will help with telling the story.

Now with the children

Everyone sits around an opened out parachute. Play a couple of parachute games fIrst to burn off some energy. Play one game of making waves and then stopping when a leader calls out ‘Be still’. This will come in handy when you tell the story.Then calm everyone down by finishing with making calmer and calmer ripples until eveyone is sitting still.

Now you are ready to begin. Have the children sit around the parachute and if you are the one telling the story you might want to stand and not have to work the parachute (let other leaders/heplers do that) Explain that the parachute will be Lake Galilee in the Bible Story and that at the moment it is still and calm. The sun is setting and it’s getting late. Jesus and his disciples have been very busy all day .. then continue telling the story in your own words. Remember that Jesus gets into the boat and makes himself comfortable with a pillow and goes to sleep. Then the storm starts. Get the group to use the parachute to imitate the waves as they get rough.

The disciples become more and more anxious – they wake Jesus up ‘Don’t you care?’ Then he speaks to the storm, ‘Be still’. The group need to still the parachute straight away.

Why are you so afraid, have you still no faith?’ Jesus asked. The disciple were filled with fear, ‘ Who is this that even the wind and waves obey him?’ they asked each other. (If you can, read this from your Bible)

Teaching point – How could Jesus make the storm stop? The Bible tells us that Jesus was able to make the world. (John 1:3) Nature obeys him because he is God.

Application point – If Jesus is God what does that mean for us? How should we treat Jesus? Give the children some ideas – you could write them on large pieces of paper or a white board. (for example – listen to him, follow him, obey him, find out more about him from the Bible)

Craft Idea – if you have white, blue and brown paper you could make ‘storm’ and ‘calm’ pictures. The children would need the paper, glue and scissors. Feel free to print the following pictures to give them ideas. We use Construction paper from Costco but you can get it from Amazon too. It’s always useful!

SAM_0030

SAM_0028

 

Hope this helps if you are ever ‘landed in it’ when it comes to telling a Bible Story!

 

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