Jesus Saves- Children's Church lesson

In getting ready for the new year, I am trying to come up with lessons that go along with my husband's sermons.  So, to keep them in a special place I am attaching them here.  These lessons are made for groups that are between the ages of 3-3rd grade.  They are also geared toward smaller groups for up to 10 or 12. 

So the first one of the year: 01/01/12 is on John 3:16, focusing on Jesus Saves.

CHILDREN'S CHURCH LESSON:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

Main idea: Jesus saves us from Hell.

Materials needed:  Life preserver, Boat Maze, Life preserver coloring sheet, bed sheet

Opening: Main room; pretend saving each other onto a life saving raft (sheet) 

Focus on the feeling it is to be drowning and need someone to save you.  Read our bible passage, focusing on the fact that is what Jesus does for us.  We are swimming in sin and he saves us for the depths of hell.  Give a brief description of hell and how it is separation from God, from perfection. 

Give them the Boat Maze to do.  (http://www.printactivities.com/Mazes/Shape_Mazes/boat-maze.html)

  If need be, have them work in pairs. 

Then give them the coloring sheet to work on.  Have them color it with colors that show how they felt when they were being saved.  (I turned the coloring page into a jpeg file)

Then use the life preserver/life jacket to pass around as you work on the memory verse. 

For a snack you can have cherrios or fruit loops.