Lesson 5: Heavenly treasures.
Passage: Matthew 6:19-24 - Jesus taught his followers to invest in treasures in heaven which last forever, rather than in earthly treasures which can be destroyed or lost. What we treasure shapes our heart. He also explained that healthy eyes (focused on the things of God) fill our lives with light, but eyes clouded by greed or worldly desires fill us with darkness. He concluded that we cannot serve both God and money.
Big Idea: Treasures that last forever.
For Teachers:
Lesson plan.
-
Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Storytelling Spinners — Activity Leader
Kids will spin the wheel to land on a who/what/when/where prompt. They will then tell a story out loud based on that prompt. They can begin with, “Once upon a time…” and build a story using their imagination.
You can do this one child at a time, or get prompts from multiple kids to help build the story together. Once the story comes to a natural end (or gets too off the rails), you can start over.
You can also guide the kids with questions like: What happened next? How did the character feel? What did they do to solve the problem?
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are learning more about Jesus’ teachings that he taught from the side of a mountain. So far we’ve learned about:
Spreading God’s goodness and love like salt and light
Saying what we mean instead of making big promises
Being kind to people every when they aren’t kind to us
Doing good things quietly so only God sees it
Today we’re going to be learning about what Jesus said about treasures and what is really important.
Let's watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Questions — Bible Story Leader
What did Jesus say was more important - treasure in the world or in heaven?
What do you think treasures in the world are?
What do you think treasures in heaven are?
Why do you think treasures in heaven are better than treasures in the world?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you for the lesson we learned today from Jesus, that the best treasures are the gifts that come from you. May we be full of your love and goodness, so that we can share them with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: Sunglasses Craft— Activity Leader
Pre-printed portraits will be provided for the kids to colour in and then glue on sunglasses with images of the lovely and good things they’re looking at in the lenses. They can then glue on the Bible verse to their completed portrait.
If a child is not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
-
Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Storytelling Spinners — Activity Leader
Kids will spin the wheel to land on a who/what/when/where prompt. They will then tell a story out loud based on that prompt. They can begin with, “Once upon a time…” and build a story using their imagination.
You can do this one child at a time, or get prompts from multiple kids to help build the story together. Once the story comes to a natural end (or gets too off the rails), you can start over.
You can also guide the kids with questions like: What happened next? How did the character feel? What did they do to solve the problem?
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are learning more about Jesus’ teachings that he taught from the side of a mountain. So far we’ve learned about:
Spreading God’s goodness and love like salt and light
Saying what we mean instead of making big promises
Being kind to people every when they aren’t kind to us
Doing good things quietly so only God sees it
Today we’re going to be learning about what Jesus said about treasures and what is really important.
Let's watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Questions — Bible Story Leader
What did Jesus say was more important - treasure in the world or in heaven?
What do you think treasures in the world are?
What do you think treasures in heaven are?
Why do you think Jesus wants us to focus on heavenly treasures? Why are they more valuable than earthly ones?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you for the lesson we learned today from Jesus, that the best things in life come from you. Help us focus on treasures in heaven, like goodness, love, joy, and peace. May we be full of these things and share them with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: Sunglasses Craft — Activity Leader
Kids will create a self-portrait and then design some giant sunglasses with images of the lovely and good things they’re looking at in the lenses. They will then glue the sunglasses onto their portraits and glue the verse on as well.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
-
Welcome — Activity Leader
Welcome the kids to class, ask how their week was.
Warm Up Activity: Build a Story — Activity Leader
Go around the circle and build a story. Kids can take turns either adding a single word or a whole sentence to the story. If a kid doesn’t feel comfortable adding words, they don’t have to.
The goal is to build a cohesive story that can be silly but also makes sense. If the story comes to a natural conclusion or starts going off the rails, feel free to start over.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are talking more about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount - which are the teachings that Jesus gave to his followers from the side of a mountain.
Can anyone remember any of the lessons we’ve learned? (being salt and light in the world, meaning what we say instead of making promises we can’t keep, turning the other cheek, and doing good in secret)
What do you all think about Jesus’ teachings so far? Are they easy or are they challenging to follow?
Today we’re going to learn about what Jesus taught us about treasures.
Read: Matthew 6:19-24
Let's watch today’s video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Questions — Bible Story Leader
What would you say are some examples of earthly treasures?
What are some examples of heavenly treasures?
Why do you think that Jesus said treasure in heaven are more valuable than treasures on earth?
What do you think Jesus meant when he said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be"?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you for the lesson we learned today from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount about seeking heavenly treasures rather than earthly ones. Thank you for reminding us that the most important things are the things of the spirit, like being full of love, goodness, joy, and peace, and sharing them with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: Sunglasses Craft — Activity Leader
Kids will create a self-portrait and then design some giant sunglasses with images of the lovely and good things they’re looking at in the lenses. They will then glue the sunglasses onto their portraits and glue the verse on as well.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
-
What was the story you learned about in class today?
Can you name some treasures people have on earth?
What are treasures we can have in heaven? (faith, love, kindness, etc.)
How can we share those heavenly treasures with others?
-
What was the story you learned about in class today?
What are some examples of earthly and heavenly treasures?
What makes heavenly treasures different from earthly ones?
How can we collect heavenly treasures and share them with others?
-
What was the story you learned about in class today?
How would you describe the difference between earthly and heavenly treasures?
Which treasures did Jesus teach us to focus on, and why?
What are some ways we can seek heavenly treasures each day and share them with others?
