Lesson 1 – Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

Bible Reference: Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26

Key Verse: Mark 10:27—Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

ITEMS NEEDED:

• Signs for: Jesus and Paralyzed Man, and four signs that say Friend.
• Signs for: “With people” “it is impossible,” “but not” “with God,” “for all” “things” “are possible” “with God” (Mark 10:27)
• A piece of cardstock that is blank on one side but says, “Pray” on the other side. 
• The Lord’s Prayer sign
• Each small group will need a prayer request page and items for the “Rejoicing Man” craft. 

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BIBLE LESSON

(Based on Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26)

SAY: Good morning. We are so glad that you’re here today. Today we’re launching a new series called “Way Beyond Myself” which is all about the idea that God has the power to do things that are “Way Beyond” what you and I could ever do on our own. 

Anytime I say, “That’s impossible!” I want you to say, “Not for God!”

Practice a few times. If you want have a boys verses girls competition to see who can be louder.

REPEAT after me: All things are possible for God. 

SAY: Today we have a great Bible story from the Gospel of Luke that is going to show us three things that God has power over but as I read this story to you, I want you to listen for some key words.

PART 1—LISTEN

Listening Parts

GIRLS: Every time I say “Jesus,” I want you to say, “All things are possible for God!”

BOYS: Every time I say “paralyzed man,” I want you to say, “Heal that guy!”

Practice a few times…

Read Luke 5:17-26 from your Bible.

Leader: “That’s impossible!” Students: “Not for God!”

PART 2—ACT-IT-OUT

Choose 6 volunteers

Pass out the “Jesus” and “Paralyzed Man” signs and the four signs that say “Friend.”

SAY: As we saw in the story, Jesus was teaching. (Move Jesus to the center.) There were lots of people there, (motion to the students), including some religious leaders. 

ASK: Who remembers the places they had come from? (From “every village of Galilee—the area up north, Judea—the area down south, and from Jerusalem—the capital. They had come from all over the nation to see and hear Jesus.)

SAY: Then came four men carrying a paralyzed man. 

Call the “paralyzed man” over to you. 

ASK: What does it mean to be paralyzed? (Some people are paralyzed from the waist down and can’t walk; other people are paralyzed from the neck down and can only move their heads. We don’t know the specifics of this man’s condition or what had happened to him but we do know that he couldn’t walk and that they brought him on a stretcher.)

SAY: Elsewhere in the Bible we find out that there were four men who were carrying him (Mark 2:3) but these men had a problem.

ASK: What happened that made it hard for these men to carry the paralyzed man to Jesus? (There were so many people they couldn’t get him in the house to Jesus.)

ASK: What did they do? 

SAY: They climbed up on the roof of the house with the paralyzed man. Imagine these four men lifting a man who can’t walk up on the roof of a house. Of course in Jesus’ time, most of the roofs were flat and this one obviously was made of tile. Then these men broke a big enough hole in the tile so that they could lower the man down on his stretcher. Imagine what the people must have been thinking when these men started beating their way through the roof! 

ASK: Why do you think they were willing to do such a thing? (It was that important to them to bring their friend to Jesus. This shows how much faith they had in Jesus if only they could get their friend to Him.)

SAY: Now something amazing happens…(Ask the “paralyzed man” to lie down in front of your “Jesus” volunteer.) Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Ask your “Jesus” volunteer to say this.) Jesus forgave his sins. 

ASK: Why do you think the religious leaders didn’t like this? (Because they didn’t believe Jesus was God’s Son, so they didn’t believe He had the right to forgive sins.)

SAY: Jesus healed the man and the paralyzed man leaves carrying the stretcher that once carried him. 

REPEAT after me: 

“Jesus can heal.”

“Jesus can forgive sins.”

“Jesus can do the impossible.”

Leader: “That’s impossible!” Students: “Not for God!”

SAY: Let’s give our volunteers a hand for helping us.

KEY VERSE

SAY: I’m going to choose 9 good-listeners to help me show you our key verse for today.

Choose 9 volunteers—Give them the signs that say, “With men” “it is impossible,” “but not” “with God,” “for all” “things” “are possible” “with God” (Mark 10:27)

Part 1—All Mixed Up

Mix up the order of the signs before you pass them out, so that the words are all out of order. Read the signs out of order. Ask if it makes sense. Then tell your students that you want them to help you put them in the right order. Work with your kids to get them a little closer to the right order but still something is wrong. Finally, help them to discover today’s verse. 

Part 2—Word Removal

Have the kids say the verse with you. Then randomly turn backwards some of your sign-holders so that the entire verse isn’t showing. Have your students repeat the verse again. Then turn around another…and another…and another until the kids can’t see any part of the verse but they are still saying it with you. 

SAY: Let’s give our volunteers a round of applause for helping us.

SAY: 

Girls, when I point to you, I want you to say, “With men it is impossible…”

Then I’ll say, “…but not with God,” 

Then I’ll point to the Boys and say, “…for all things are possible with God” 

Then we’ll all say, “Mark 10:27”

Do this a few times. 

SAY: After everything I say, I want you to say, “No way!” 

• Did it say, that SOME things are possible with God?
• Did it say that MOST things are possible with God?
• Did it say that SOMETIMES things are possible with God?

SAY: No! It said “ALL” things are possible with God. 

Leader: “That’s impossible!” Students: “Not for God!”

SAY: Give yourselves a hand for doing such a great job with our verse today.

PRAYER PART

SAY: Everybody bow your heads and close your eyes. I’m going to call out a few of the prayer requests that were turned in this morning and as I do, I want you to ask Jesus to help these situations. 

Pray specifically for your students to know and follow Jesus. Thank the Lord that He answers prayer and that what is impossible for us is possible for Him…Amen.

SAY: I need your help. I have a missing word. (Hold up the blank side of the piece of cardstock paper—Don’t let them see the side that says, “Pray.”) You see, the disciples came to Jesus and they said, “Teach us to…blank. ” 

ASK: What do you think goes in the blank? (Don’t take answers. Instead you’re going to have kids raise their hands.)

SAY: Raise your hand if you think the disciples ask Jesus:

“Teach us to Heal”

“Teach us to Give”

“Teach us to Teach”

“Teach us to do Miracles”

“Teach us to Pray”

SAY: After being with Jesus, the disciples wanted to know how to pray, so this is how Jesus taught them. 

Choose 2 volunteers to hold the “Lord’s Prayer” sign. Ask your kids to say it with you. 

SAY: This is how Jesus taught them to pray and it is our example too. I want to encourage you to ask your parents to say this prayer with you each night before you go to bed and in the weeks to come, we’ll be learning more about prayer too. 

Dismiss to Small Groups

SAY: Right now it’s time for our small groups, so I’m going to dismiss you one row at a time. 

Dismiss rows of chairs to the tables in the rooms. 

SMALL GROUPS

ASK: What was your favorite part of today’s Bible story about the paralyzed man? (Take a few answers.)

ASK: What do you think was the biggest miracle in today’s story—Jesus healing the man or forgiving his sins?

OLDER STUDENTS only—ASK: Have you ever known someone that God healed?

ASK: Who can say today’s key verse?

SAY: I’m going to give you a challenge and I want you to tell me if it’s impossible.

Challenge #1

SAY: Make an “OK” sign with one hand. Do you see the circle that your index finger and thumb make? Can you poke your head through that hole? Ask a few kids to try. 

SAY: This is NOT impossible. Anybody can poke their head through this hole…just by poking your head with a finger from your other hands through the hole; not actually squeezing your head through the hole—(Show them what you mean.)

SAY: Some things just seem impossible but there are other things that are totally impossible for you and me. 

ASK: What are some things that are impossible for us? (Quickly take a few answers.)

SAY: It was impossible for the paralyzed man to heal himself. It’s impossible for us to be forgiven without Jesus. It’s also impossible for us to get ourselves into heaven—We all need a Savior. 

ASK: How do you think the man felt after Jesus forgave his sins? 

CRAFT

SAY: Today’s story said that the people were amazed and glorified God because of what Jesus did. So, today, we’re going to make a “Rejoicing Man.” We can rejoice and be glad because not only does Jesus have the power to heal but also to forgive the bad things that we have done.

DIRECTIONS: Using large Popsicle sticks for the body and arms, create a man. Then wrap him in fabric for clothes. Cut and tie short strands of yarn together for the hair. Use markers or Google eyes for the face. Let your student know that they can position the arms at whatever angle they desire, maybe upward as if giving praise to God. Finally, insert and glue your “man” to the base made out of cardboard or Styrofoam (even a cup) so that your creation can stand. Then write a message on the base that represents today’s lesson. 

Here are some ideas of what they might want to write on the base. They can rejoice in all of these: 

• Jesus heals and forgives
• Jesus lives
• Jesus heals 
• Jesus loves me.
• Jesus forgives
• All Things are Possible with God

Prayer—Take prayer requests and pray with your students. 

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