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.
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Welcome Activity: — All Leaders
Have one leader greet the children with the iPad roster outside the classroom door. Check-in the children in your classroom as they arrive.
Have another leader invite the children in to sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Introduce yourselves.
Leader: “Good morning friends! It’s so nice to see you! We are glad you are here today. We are going to play a little game to get started today.
Warm Up Activity: Hot Potato Question Game — Activity Leader
Have kids sit in a circle facing each other.
Kids will pass a soft ball around the circle while music is playing. When the music stops the child holding the ball will have to answer a question. Ex: What’s your favourite colour? (A printed question list is available in the classroom).
Once the player has answered the question, the game continues.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are learning more about Jesus’ teachings that he taught from the side of a mountain.
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 — Play Summer on the Mount, Lesson 5: Heavenly Treasures from the lesson playlist.
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.
Leader: Alright friends I think we should get up and move around a bit before our craft can everybody stand up?
Body Break Activity: — Sing & Dance
Play ‘Toddler Worship Thank-you’ from Worship Playlist.
Encourage Children to sing and do the actions
After the song finishes head to the craft tables for the activity.
Activity: Summer Camera Craft - Activity Leader
Kids will colour and decorate their paper camera/film strip with summer drawings and stickers.
If a child is not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Dismiss children manually with Roster iPad and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — All Leaders
Welcome the kids to the front of the classroom and check them in using the iPad roster.
Introduce yourself and any other leaders.
Warm up Activity: This or That
Designate Sides: Assign one side of the classroom as "This" and the opposite side as "That".
Establish Neutral Ground: Use the centre of the room as a "neutral zone" for kids who genuinely cannot decide.
Present the Choices: Call out a prompt (e.g., "Cats or Dogs?"). (A list of prompts will provided in the classroom).
Move to Vote: Give kids 5–10 seconds to physically walk to the side that matches their preference.
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 — Play Summer on the Mount, Lesson 5: Heavenly Treasures from the lesson playlist.
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: Camera/Filmstrip Craft — Activity Leader
Kids will be given a pre-cut paper camera/film strip to colour and draw some things from their summer so far.
Dismissal: Dismiss children using the iPad roster making sure each child leaves with their care-givers.
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Welcome — All leaders
Welcome the kids to class, ask how their week was. Check them in using the iPad roster.
Warm Up Activity: Hot potato Questions
Kids will pass around a soft ball while the leader plays music. The child holding the ball when the music stops will pick a question from the bowl to answer.
The came continues after the question is answered.
Alternatively children may just wish to pass the around the bowl of questions to answer.
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 — Play Summer on the Mount, Lesson 5: Heavenly Treasures from lesson playlist.
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: Camera/ Film Summer Craft
Kids will cut out and colour their camera craft and draw pictures of some things that have happened this summer so far.
Dismissal: Dismiss kids by using the iPad roster, making sure each child leaves with their care-givers.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
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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?
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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?
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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?