The Cripple at the Pool of Bethesda: John 5:1-9
We believe that spiritual development happens in the home as well as at church. We hope that these ideas will help you engage as a family. It’s designed to help you connect with your child about the lesson they had this past week. Use all the ideas one night, or spread them out throughout the week. Enjoy!
- ACTIVITY Items Needed: Paper, Pencils, Scissors
Jesus told the paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda to “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Jesus is also telling you and your family to do the same. Jesus is telling you to “Get up! Pick up your mat and follow me!” Jesus is telling you to stop making excuses and to start obeying Him!
Cut the paper into rectangular shapes that are about 3 inches by 2 inches. These papers represent “mats” from the Bible account. Write one of the following verses on each paper:
- Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).
- Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12).
- Don’t be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6).
- Do not lie to one another (Colossians 3:9).
- Forgive each other (Colossians 3:13).
- Go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).
Place the “mats” in the middle of your kitchen table. Each family member will “pick up a mat,” and read it aloud. The participants will tell excuses that they might give to Jesus for not obeying each verse, instead of following Him. Next, the participants will give ideas for how they can “pick up their mats” and obey Jesus. As a family, make a plan of obedience pertaining to each verse.
- KNOW YOUR BIBLE items needed: Bibles
When we fail at something, it is natural for human beings to make excuses. From the beginning of time, that is what humans did. When God approached Adam about eating the fruit, he blamed Eve. Then, Eve blamed the serpent. Excuses! Excuses! As Christians, we want to rise above making excuses. We want to be people who follow hard after God and His Word, without making excuses! What does God have to say about excuses in His Word?
Read John 15:22.
- What do you think this scripture means?
Once you have been told what is right verses what is wrong, you are responsible for doing what is right! No excuses!
Read Romans 1:20.
- What do you think this scripture means?
Creation, itself, offers proof that there is a Creator. There are no excuses for not believing in God!
Read Romans 2:1.
- What do you think this scripture means?
You have no excuse for condemning another person for a sin that you also are guilty of committing. For example, we have all gossiped. We have no excuse for condemning a person who gossips about us, when we have also been guilty of committing the same sin. No excuses!
- ACTIVITY items needed: bubble solution, pie pans, flyswatters, timer, horn
You will need a good quality bubble solution, some pie pans, and flyswatters. The more open the holes are in the flyswatters, the better. Take the kids outside and make groups of 4 or 5. Each group will get a pie pan with bubble solution in it and a flyswatter. One person will dip the flyswatter in the bubble solution and then drag it through the air. Look at the thousands of bubbles it makes! After 30 seconds, blow the horn, and the next person in the group gets a turn to make bubbles. Continue doing this (at least) until everyone has a chance to blow bubbles with the flyswatter.
Are bubbles in the Bible? Well … yes, they are. In our story, there was a pool of water that occasionally bubbled up. Bubbles came from down deep in the pool and caused the pool to look like it was moving. I know...weird right?
- GAME items needed: tub, 8 rectangular sponges, permanent marker, towels
Beforehand, fill the tub with several inches of water. With a permanent marker, write the numbers 1 through 8 on the bottom of eight sponges and float them in the tub. Have kid(s) come to the tub and have them remove their shoes and socks. Tell one child at a time to “Pick up your mat!” The child will then pick a sponge (mat) out of the water by sitting on the edge of the tub and retrieving the sponge with their feet. Once successful, that child will answer the question that matches the number on the bottom of the sponge “mat.”
1. What was the name of the pool in the Bible account? (Bethesda)
2. Who hung out in the pool area? (people with all kinds of illnesses and disabilities—blind, lame, paralyzed)
3. How long had the man in the Bible account been paralyzed? (38 years)
4. Who asked the question, “Do you want to get well?” (Jesus)
5. Who said, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred”? (the paralyzed man)
6. Who said, “While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me”? (the paralyzed man)
7. Who said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk”? (Jesus)
8. What was the miracle in this Bible account? (The paralyzed man was healed.)
- Scripture Memory
Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend
on your own understanding.“
- Thought For The Week
NO EXCUSES… JUST OBEDIENCE!