Materials: Bucket of water, items that float, items that sink, picture of Jesus, large spoon, plastic egg, bucket (2 of each if you want to have teams), tape
- You can also download a coloring page of Jesus walking on water.
Activity: Float vs Sink.
- – Put the bucket of water on the table
- – Talk with the children about the items you have to put in the water
- – Have them vote, as each item is put into the bucket of water, if it will float or sink
- – Have the children take turns putting the items into the water to see if they will float
- – Ask them if we can float on the water (on our backs?)
- – What about walking on water? Can we do it? Why or why not?
- – Talk with them about the story you are going to learn
- – Jesus walked on water
- – He didn’t float on water (but that’s the closest thing we can emulate)
Teacher Notes: Jesus walks on water – Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, John 6:16-21
- Sea of Galilee
- Matthew 14:22 is the only account that talks about Peter walking on the water
- This happens “Immediately” after the feeding of the 5,000.
- Jesus makes the disciples go in a boat to go on ahead of Him
- Jesus stays on land
- to dismiss all of the people
- to go pray on the mountainside
- Evening comes
- Disciples’ boat was far into the water
- Jesus went out to them – walking on the water
- Disciples see Him and were terrified!!!
- “Immediately” Jesus says to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
- Peter tells Jesus, “If it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus says, “Come.”
- Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water towards Jesus
- Then Peter saw the wind and the waves and got scared – he started to sink
- Cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!”
- “Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.”
- Jesus says to him, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?”
Activity – Keep Your Eyes on Jesus Game
– Tape the picture of Jesus on the wall
– Put the bucket (empty) underneath the picture
– Have the children line up about 10-15 feet away from the bucket (distance doesn’t really matter)
– The first person in line holds the large spoon and puts the plastic egg in it
– They have to walk the egg over to the bucket without dropping it
– The trick is – they have to keep their eyes on Jesus the entire time!!! If they take their eyes off of Jesus, they have to start over.
– Once they drop the egg in the bucket, they get it and go back for the next person to do it
– What makes you doubt? What would make you sink?
** As Peter kept his eyes on Jesus and trusted in Him, he was able to do something no other man on earth did, walk on water. But, as soon as Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink.