Hello children,

Welcome to our Adventist children's class! My name is [Teacher's Name] and I am so excited to have you all here with me today.

As Adventists, we believe in the importance of studying God's Word and learning more about His love and grace. Today, we will be diving into the Bible and learning about some of the amazing stories and teachings that it contains.

But before we get started, let's take a moment to pray and ask God to be with us as we learn together. Dear God, thank you for this wonderful day and for the opportunity to learn more about your Word. Please be with us as we study and help us to grow closer to you. Amen.

Now, let's begin our lesson! Today, we will be learning about [insert topic here], which is an important part of our faith. As we go through this lesson, feel free to ask me any questions that you may have, and I will do my best to answer them.

Remember, studying God's Word is a lifelong journey, and there is always more to learn. So let's get started and explore the amazing teachings and stories that the Bible has to offer!

Welcome kids to our April Sabbath school theme: Ocean of Emotion! This month, we will be exploring how God is an emotional God who has feelings towards us, His children. We will learn how understanding and managing our own emotions can help us to be emotionally healthy, show love, and avoid hurting others.

To begin our theme, let's imagine ourselves diving into the ocean, which is vast and full of life. Just like the ocean, our emotions are deep and complex. We will learn how to navigate them and use them in positive ways. We'll explore the different types of emotions we may feel, and we'll learn how to recognize them in ourselves and others.

As we explore the ocean of emotions, we'll also learn about the amazing creatures that God has created in the sea. We'll learn about how these creatures adapt to their environment and how they can help us to understand our own emotions better.

So get ready to dive in and explore the Ocean of Emotion with us! We can't wait to learn more about God's emotional nature and how it relates to us as His children. Let's have fun, learn and grow together!

One Bible story that ties in with our Ocean of Emotion theme is the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. In this story, Jesus and his disciples were in a boat on the sea when a furious storm arose, causing the waves to crash over the boat and threatening to sink it. The disciples were filled with fear and panic, but Jesus remained calm and even slept through the storm.

When the disciples woke Jesus up, they were filled with emotion and fear. Jesus then spoke to the storm and said, "Quiet! Be still!" and the wind and waves immediately calmed down. The disciples were amazed and wondered who Jesus really was, as even the wind and waves obeyed him.

This story shows us how powerful Jesus is, even over the forces of nature. It also teaches us that it's okay to feel emotions like fear and panic, but that we should always turn to Jesus for help and guidance. Just like Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, He can also calm the storms in our lives, whether they be emotional or physical.

So let's remember to turn to Jesus when we feel overwhelmed by our emotions and trust in His power to bring peace and calm to our lives, just as He did on the Sea of Galilee.

Lesson Title: Jesus Calms the Storm

Objective: Students will learn about the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee and how it teaches us about trusting in Jesus during difficult times.

Introduction (10 minutes):

• Welcome the students and introduce the lesson topic.
• Ask the students if they have ever been in a storm or experienced a time when they felt afraid or overwhelmed.
• Explain that in today's lesson, we will learn about a story from the Bible where Jesus showed his power over nature and how we can trust in him during difficult times.

Bible Story (15 minutes):

• Read the story of Jesus calming the storm from Mark 4:35-41.
• Ask the students to pay attention to how the disciples felt during the storm and how Jesus responded.
• After reading, ask the students to share their thoughts and feelings about the story.

Discussion (15 minutes):

• Ask the students to discuss how the disciples felt during the storm and how they reacted.
• Ask the students to discuss how Jesus responded to the storm and why he was able to calm it.
• Ask the students to share how they can relate to this story and how they can trust in Jesus during difficult times.

Activity (15 minutes):

• Provide each student with a sheet of paper and some crayons or markers.
• Ask the students to draw a picture of a storm or a difficult situation they have faced or are currently facing.
• Once they are finished, ask the students to share their drawings with the class and explain how they can trust in Jesus during those difficult times.

Conclusion (5 minutes):

• Review the key points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of trusting in Jesus during difficult times.
• Close in prayer, thanking God for His power and presence in our lives and asking for His help and guidance during difficult times.

Optional Extension:

• Play a calming instrumental song and ask the students to close their eyes and imagine Jesus calming the storm in their lives.

Great idea! Starting the lesson with a Bible song can help set the tone and engage the students. One Bible song that would tie into the Ocean of Emotion theme is "Deep and Wide". Here are the revised lesson plan and song lyrics:

Lesson Title: Jesus Calms the Storm

Objective: Students will learn about the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee and how it teaches us about trusting in Jesus during difficult times.

Introduction (10 minutes):

• Welcome the students and introduce the lesson topic.
• Sing the Bible song "Deep and Wide" with the students to help set the tone and engage them.

Bible Story (15 minutes):

• Read the story of Jesus calming the storm from Mark 4:35-41.
• Ask the students to pay attention to how the disciples felt during the storm and how Jesus responded.
• After reading, ask the students to share their thoughts and feelings about the story.

Discussion (15 minutes):

• Ask the students to discuss how the disciples felt during the storm and how they reacted.
• Ask the students to discuss how Jesus responded to the storm and why he was able to calm it.
• Ask the students to share how they can relate to this story and how they can trust in Jesus during difficult times.

Activity (15 minutes):

• Provide each student with a sheet of paper and some crayons or markers.
• Ask the students to draw a picture of a storm or a difficult situation they have faced or are currently facing.
• Once they are finished, ask the students to share their drawings with the class and explain how they can trust in Jesus during those difficult times.

Conclusion (5 minutes):

• Review the key points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of trusting in Jesus during difficult times.
• Close in prayer, thanking God for His power and presence in our lives and asking for His help and guidance during difficult times.

Optional Extension:

• Play a calming instrumental song and ask the students to close their eyes and imagine Jesus calming the storm in their lives.

Lyrics for "Deep and Wide": Deep and wide, deep and wide, There's a fountain flowing deep and wide. Deep and wide, deep and wide, There's a fountain flowing deep and wide.

The lyrics of this song emphasize the vastness and depth of God's love, which relates to the theme of exploring the emotions of God and ourselves. Additionally, the upbeat tune can help set a positive and engaging atmosphere for the lesson.

Sure! Here's an expanded narrative of the Bible story that addresses relevant topics for 5-10 year olds:

Once upon a time, Jesus and his disciples were traveling in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was shining, but suddenly, a big storm came up. The wind was blowing so hard, and the waves were crashing into the boat, and the disciples were scared!

They woke Jesus up and said, "Master, don't you care if we drown?" Jesus stood up and spoke to the wind and the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" And just like that, the storm stopped, and the water became calm.

The disciples were amazed! They had never seen anything like it. They said to each other, "Who is this man? Even the wind and waves obey him!"

After the storm was over, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "Why were you so afraid? Don't you have any faith?" Jesus reminded them that he was with them in the boat, and he would always take care of them.

This story teaches us several important lessons. First, it shows us that even when things seem scary or difficult, we can trust that Jesus is with us and will help us through it. Second, it teaches us that Jesus has power over nature, which can help us remember that he has power over all things, including our emotions.

When we feel sad or angry or scared, we can remember that Jesus understands our emotions because he has emotions too. Just like he calmed the storm, he can help calm our emotions and bring us peace. We can pray to him and ask for his help and guidance, and he will always be there for us.

So, even though life can sometimes be stormy, we can trust in Jesus to guide us and protect us through any situation.

Sure, here's an expanded discussion section that addresses kids' qualms and provides practical examples:

Discussion (15 minutes):

• Ask the students how they would feel if they were in the boat during the storm.
• Address any qualms or questions they may have about the story. For example, they may wonder why Jesus didn't stop the storm before it happened or why the disciples were afraid even though they knew Jesus was with them.
• Emphasize that it's okay to have questions and doubts, and that even the disciples, who had spent a lot of time with Jesus, were scared during the storm.
• Provide practical examples of times when they may have felt scared or overwhelmed, such as starting a new school year, trying a new activity, or facing a difficult challenge.
• Ask the students how they can trust in Jesus during these times. For example, they can pray to Jesus for comfort and guidance, talk to a trusted adult or friend for support, or think about other times when they overcame a challenge.
• Encourage the students to share their own experiences and ideas for coping with difficult situations.

Activity (15 minutes):

• Provide each student with a blank paper boat and some crayons or markers.
• Ask the students to decorate their boat with colors and designs that represent their emotions. For example, they may use dark colors to represent sadness or bright colors to represent happiness.
• Once they are finished, ask the students to share their boats with the class and explain how they are feeling and why they chose certain colors or designs.
• Emphasize that it's important to understand and express our emotions, even when they are difficult or uncomfortable.
• Ask the students to think about how they can take care of themselves and others when they or someone else is feeling a certain emotion. For example, they can offer a listening ear, a hug, or words of encouragement.

Conclusion (5 minutes):

• Review the key points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of trusting in Jesus and understanding our emotions.
• Encourage the students to remember the story of Jesus calming the storm and to trust in him during difficult times.
• Close in prayer, thanking God for His love and guidance and asking for His help and comfort during challenging moments.

Sure, here's a merged lesson plan that incorporates the different components we've discussed:

Kids Theme for Sabbath school in April: Ocean of Emotion - exploring how God is an emotional God who has feeling towards us, His children. - learning how understanding what we are feeling can help us to be emotionally healthy, showing love, and avoiding hurting others.

Lesson Plan:

Opening (10 minutes):

• Start with a Bible song that ties into the theme, such as "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" or "Peace Like a River." Sing the song together and invite the students to dance or clap along.

Introduction (5 minutes):

• Introduce the theme of the lesson, "Ocean of Emotion," and explain that today we will be exploring how God is an emotional God who cares about our feelings and how we can understand our emotions to be healthy and loving towards others.

Bible Story (10 minutes):

• Tell the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee, using an age-appropriate retelling and expanding the narrative to address relevant topics for 5-10 year olds, such as trusting in Jesus during difficult times and understanding our emotions.
• After telling the story, lead a brief discussion about how the students would feel if they were in the boat during the storm and provide practical examples of times when they may have felt scared or overwhelmed.

Activity (15 minutes):

• Provide each student with a blank paper boat and some crayons or markers.
• Ask the students to decorate their boat with colors and designs that represent their emotions.
• Once they are finished, ask the students to share their boats with the class and explain how they are feeling and why they chose certain colors or designs.
• Emphasize that it's important to understand and express our emotions, even when they are difficult or uncomfortable.
• Ask the students to think about how they can take care of themselves and others when they or someone else is feeling a certain emotion.

Conclusion (10 minutes):

• Review the key points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of trusting in Jesus and understanding our emotions.
• Encourage the students to remember the story of Jesus calming the storm and to trust in him during difficult times.
• Close in prayer, thanking God for His love and guidance and asking for His help and comfort during challenging moments.

Closing:

• End the lesson with a final Bible song that ties into the theme, such as "Deep and Wide" or "My God is So Big." Sing the song together and invite the students to dance or clap along.