CrossKids Devo | God Used A Rooster
Activity – Tell Me Thumbthing
Say: When people like a movie, they sometimes give it a thumbs-up. Demonstrate. Really like the movie? Two thumbs-up. If they dislike or really dislike the movie, they give it one or two thumbs-down. Demonstrate.
Please rate how this past week has gone for you. Was it a one or two thumbs-up week? A one or two thumbs-down week? Or maybe you'd give it one thumbs-up and one thumbs-down--it was a good and bad week.
Rate your week now.
After kids rate their weeks, give kids 30 seconds each to explain why they rated their weeks as they did. You'll go first, sharing a story that models the sort of brief, personal stories you hope kids will share too.
Children will express themselves more over time, and hearing their stories will help you adapt this session to make it even more relevant to your kids' lives.
Bible Time – God Used A Rooster – Luke 22:33-34, 54-62 Ask the kids to make sound effects during the story. Give that child two sheets of paper.
Build a play campfire, and have the kids sit around the not-lit fire.
Say: Peter thought his loyalty to Jesus was unshakable. No way would he ever turn his back on Jesus--no matter what. Jesus knew better.
Read: Luke 22:33-34
Ask the kids to crumple the sheets of paper and rub them together to make the sound of a fire burning.
Say: When Jesus was arrested, Peter tried to defend Jesus--but Jesus was taken away. Here's what happened later that night ...
Slowly and with feeling, read aloud Luke 22:54-62. When the rooster crows, ask the kids to make that sound.
When you've finished reading, join kids in discussing:
If you were Peter in this account, what would you be feeling and why?
If you were the servant girl, what would you be feeling and why?
If you were Jesus, what would you be feeling and why?
Say: Peter was surprised that he wasn't strong enough to stand up for Jesus. He was sad too, and maybe embarrassed. The rough, tough fisherman broke down in tears and ran away.
But Jesus wasn't surprised. He knew what Peter could and couldn't do. He knew that Peter's fear would overcome him--three times.
And later, Peter was surprised again.
Read: John 20:19-21
When Jesus greeted Peter and the other disciples, Jesus didn't yell at them for running away. Instead, Jesus greeted Peter and the others with words of peace.
Maybe it's no surprise that Jesus treats us the same way. He's not surprised when we don't live perfectly, when we sin. He knows we're not perfect and that's why we need him and his forgiveness.
And when we come to him asking for his help and forgiveness, he greets us the same way he greeted Peter: with words of peace and healing.