I BELIEVE — Lesson 1

PREPARATION FOR THE I BELIEVE CURRICULUM

......................................................................................................
What do the children in your ministry believe? Do they believe Jesus was raised from the dead? Do they
believe that the Bible is true? Their answers may or may not surprise you!

Before diving into the I Believe curriculum, please take a moment to have the children complete the
following questionnaire. This activity will provide them with an opportunity to reflect, and express for
themselves, what they believe.

This will also give you valuable insight as to what biblical truths need to be reinforced. As part of the final
lesson, children will revisit the questionnaire to see if their beliefs have changed through the study of
God’s Word.

Items Needed
......................................................................................................
A copy of the questionnaire for each child (located on the I Believe CD-ROM)

A pencil for each child

Leaders to assist the younger ones with reading and circling answers

Instructions
......................................................................................................
Please hand out the questionnaire to each child, along with a pencil to complete it. Make sure to have
leaders available to help assist the younger ones with reading and circling their answers. They should be
instructed not to guide the children in their answers.
 NAME ______________________

What do YOU believe?

1 I believe that God created __________.
some things everything nothing
......................................................................................................

2 I believe that ________ of the Bible is true.

some all none
......................................................................................................

3 I believe that God loves me _________ of the time.

some all none
......................................................................................................

4 I believe that God hears me when I pray.

Yes No
......................................................................................................

5 I believe that Jesus is God’s Son.

Yes No
......................................................................................................

6 I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and my sin.

Yes No
......................................................................................................

7 I believe that Jesus rose from the dead after three days.
Yes No
......................................................................................................

8 I believe that Jesus is coming back to Earth again.

Yes No

GoFishResources.com
 1 Lesson One
Music
• I Believe
• Lord I Lift Your Name on High
• Christ Arose
• Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Music videos to sing along with can be found
on the DVD and on the DVD-Rom. We highly
recommend playing the songs in the order
listed.
JESUS SON OF GOD
Prepare with Scripture
Teachers: Here are some additional passages of Scripture to read beforehand
as you pray and prepare to teach from God’s Word.
John 1:12-14 - But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and
truth.
John 5:24 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who
sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death
to life.”

Decoration Ideas John 8:24 - “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am
he you will die in your sins.”
• Plants, flowers, or herbs John 11:25-26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever
• Various garden tools: rake, shovel, hoe, believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in
hand fork and trowel me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
• Gardening gloves Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
• Seedbags Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
• Dirt or potting soil rights reserved.
• Watering can
• Hose
• Garden cart Opening Activity
Items Needed:
• I Believe DVD for music videos
• Additional Bibles for those who do not bring one
• Leaders to assist younger children

Before the children arrive have John 3:16-18 written somewhere that can be displayed
for the large group to read together at a later time. It would be best to have the verses
hidden and not available for the children to see as they come in so they make use of
their Bibles. Have a way to highlight the repeated words in the passage when
discussing with the group (i.e. red marker to circle, easy access to toolbar in order to
highlight on screen, additional slide for powerpoint, etc). You will be referencing
back to these displayed verses for Lessons 2, 3, and 4.
As the children arrive make sure they have brought a Bible. If they do not have one,
pair them up with another child who does. With their partner, or on their own, have
them look up John 3:16-18. Ask them to pay close attention to any words that are
repeated in this passage and talk about it with their partner. Share with them that
when a word is repeated in the Bible, it usually means it is very important and that God
wants us to remember it. Make sure to have leaders available to assist the younger
ones in reading the passage, or you can pair younger ones with an older child.

Begin music videos now.

GO FISH • I BELIEVE LESSON ONE • JESUS: SON OF GOD

1
LESSON ONE • JESUS: SON OF GOD
Large Group Opening
Items Needed:
• Bible
• A way to display verses at a later time in the large
group opening
When you think about the Easter story, who do you
think about? Jesus!
Jesus is the main character in the Easter story. He is also the
key person in the Christmas story. As a matter of fact, the
whole Bible talks about God’s only Son, Jesus! The true stories
tell about the Father sending His Son into the world to save
people from their sins.
When you came in this morning, you looked up a very well
known passage that talks about this. You probably have
some of it memorized and can recite it without much effort,
but have you ever thought about what these verses mean?
Let’s read John 3:16-18 together. If you can’t read yet, just
listen closely so you can hear God’s words to us.
Read John 3:16-18 together. Make sure to read from your
Bible.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal
life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn
the world, but in order that the world might be saved through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever
does not believe is condemned already, because he has not
believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:16-18
There were some key words in these verses that were
repeated over and over again. Which ones did you see
or hear more than once?
At this time show the prepared verses on the slide,
whiteboard, or poster.
The word ‘believe’ was mentioned four times!
If time allows, choose a volunteer to circle where they see the
word ‘believe’ used four different times as you continue to
speak.
If this word is repeated FOUR times in the passage that
describes why God sent Jesus to live and die on the Earth,
then it must be VERY important! Who does God want us to
believe in?
His Son, Jesus! The word ‘Son’ was mentioned three times.
GO FISH • I BELIEVE
Choose another volunteer to circle the word ‘Son’ used three
different times as you continue to speak.
Jesus is the One and Only Son of God which makes Him
unique or different from any other person who has ever lived.
He is God’s Son born of a virgin to be fully God AND fully
human. There is no other person in history that is like Jesus!
He is the only One qualified to fulfill God’s purpose as the
Savior of the World!
There is one more word that is repeated three times in this
passage so we shouldn’t skip over it. It’s the word ‘condemned’
and it means to be found guilty. It sounds pretty serious
because it is! We’ll spend some time talking more about that
later on in the weeks ahead, but right now I have a question
for you.
Where did Jesus live before He lived on Earth? Who did He
live with? In heaven with God the Father
That means Jesus knows everything about God, His Father. If
someone wanted to know about your dad, what would you
be able to tell them? I’m guessing you could probably share a
lot of information about your dad, because you have lived
with him and know him better than most people.
Jesus knows His Father more than anyone. He also knows all
the secrets and the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven! He
was sent to Earth by God the Father so that we can know Him
personally and be close to Him.
Do you want to know what Jesus said?
His words can be found right here! (Hold your Bible up high)
Jesus gives us the secrets of heaven in the parables He told
and they can be found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and
Luke.
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Even
though parables can sometimes be difficult to understand,
they tell us more about our Heavenly Father. Reading God’s
Word is one of the ways in which we can learn more about
Him.
The parable that we are going to read today is called The
Parable of the Sower. To sow means to plant seed for growth
and a sower is another name for a farmer.
2
 LESSON ONE • JESUS: SON OF GOD GO FISH • I BELIEVE

When do farmers and gardeners usually plant their

seeds? In the Spring!

As we prepare to celebrate Easter this spring, we are going to

hear how God plants seeds of faith in us. He wants our faith to
grow. We’re going to learn together what we can do to help
our faith grow in Jesus. Believing in Jesus and what He did for
us on the cross is what Easter is all about!

Do you believe Jesus is God’s Son and that His words are
true? Do you believe that if God has the power to raise
Jesus from the dead, He also has the power to help you
understand the Bible?

Listen carefully in your small groups today so you can learn

the same hidden secrets Jesus taught while He was on Earth.
Let’s pray together and ask God to help us understand what
they are.

Heavenly Father, we want to know the mysteries of Your

kingdom. We believe in Your power and the resurrection of Jesus.
Thank You for sending Him to Earth to teach us more about You.
Please give us wisdom to understand Your Holy Word so we can
know You more. Amen.

Dismiss for the small group lesson.

3
LESSON ONE • JESUS: SON OF GOD
Small Group Bible Lesson
Items Needed
• Bible
• Object lesson materials: dirt, seed, and a shovel
• Print-out for each child: coloring sheet for K-2,
activity sheets for 3-5 (located on the I Believe
CD-ROM)
Even though the Scriptures are printed here, make
sure you and the children are reading directly from
the Bible. For leaders of younger children who will not
be able to read on their own, have them follow along
in their Bibles while you read.
Boys and girls, I want you to tell me if you have ever
felt this way on a Sunday morning…
(Pretend to yawn)
Why do we have to go to church? I could be in bed
right now.
(Rub your stomach)
Did you hear that? My stomach just growled SO loud
because I’m SOOO hungry! I didn’t have time to eat
breakfast this morning.
(Look at your watch and sigh)
I came in late and this is STILL taking FOREVER. Could
we just hurry up with the lesson so I can get some
pancakes or something? Maybe there’s a good snack
today…is anyone having a birthday?
Have you ever come to church with this kind of
attitude?
I want to challenge you right now if you are feeling tired,
hungry, and grumpy this morning and don’t think you need
to be here. I want you to remember that God is choosing you
right now to hear His words spoken through His Son, Jesus.
He is choosing you to know His secrets. Let’s open our Bibles
to Matthew 13 and read together The Parable of the Sower.
Remember, to sow means to plant. Let’s do our best to listen
carefully. Jesus says that if we understand this parable, it will
help us to understand other parables.
GO FISH • I BELIEVE
Read Matthew 13:1-9
The Parable of the Sower
1
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the
sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a
boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
3
And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower
went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the
path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on
rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and
immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but
when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no
root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and
the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good
soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear.”
This parable is also known as the parable of the soils,
since Jesus is talking about the different types of soil
or dirt that the farmer’s seed falls on. What types of
soil did you hear Jesus describe?
hard or shallow, rocky, thorny, and good soil
In this parable, the four types of soil describe the four
conditions of the heart. Jesus wants us to think about our
own heart and what type of soil it may be like.
Knowing this, who do you think the sower is? Jesus
What is the seed? the Word of God
With your fingers make a very shallow path in the soil,
representing feet making a path as verse four describes. Scatter
the seed along the path you made.
This type of soil describes the condition of the heart we
discussed earlier: someone who doesn’t think they need to
hear the Word of God. They are proud, not humble. They
might think they are good enough on their own. Their heart
is shallow and hard so the Word of God cannot get in. This
type of soil isn’t prepared for the seed. When the farmer
plants the seed, it just falls on the path that was already there.
Because the soil isn’t dug up, the seed or the truth can’t get in
and it’s quickly snatched away.
4
 LESSON ONE • JESUS: SON OF GOD GO FISH • I BELIEVE

At this time start to pick up the seeds that you scattered on the
dirt path. Personal Application
In what ways can we prepare our hearts to hear God’s
Who do you think would want to steal the Word of
Word?
God from our hearts? Satan
(Some answers may include getting a good night’s sleep before
Let’s skip down to verses 18 and 19 and read the answer
church, eating breakfast, being on time, praying, asking for
together. (Read Matthew 13:18-19)
forgiveness, etc. Remind them that being humble and
recognizing we need to hear God’s Word is the key to not having
Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word
a hard heart. Close in prayer to end.)
of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.
Dear Jesus, thank You for sharing truth with us. Thank You for
being humble enough to come down from Your throne in
Why do you think Satan, the evil one, would want to
heaven to live on Earth. Forgive us when we don’t appreciate the
steal God’s Word from our hearts?
power of Your words. Amen.
So we won’t believe in Jesus

Listen to what Luke says about the meaning of this same

parable (Read Luke 8:11-12. If time allows, have children turn to
the passage and read it together).

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones
along the path are those who have heard; then the devil
comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that
they may not believe and be saved.

It says ‘so that they may not BELIEVE’! Believing in Jesus is the
only way to be saved by Jesus. The devil does not want us to
believe God’s Word because God’s Word has the power to
save us. Romans 1:16 says that the gospel is the power of
God. It is the true story of God’s Son, Jesus, coming to Earth
and dying on a cross to save us from our sin.

The evil one is going to try every way possible to take the
truth away from us. He doesn’t want us to believe in Jesus!
When we don’t prepare our hearts to receive the seed of
God’s Word, it’s easy for Satan to get what he wants.

5 4
 ACTIVITY SHEET GoFishResources.com

L G I B K A R C M J Y C D N H T Z 0 V P S
F Q E X W N U A B E I Y M B G T J O H F D
Instructions: Circle every third letter. Write each circled letter in order on the blanks below to read today’s truth.

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Purposeful Practice
Read John 21:15-17. If you are a believer, God has chosen you to hear His Word spoken through His Son, Jesus. He is choosing YOU to know His secrets and the mysteries
of heaven. Before you get out of bed each morning, practice saying out loud to yourself “I am chosen by God!” As you go about your day, remind yourself of this truth.

Are you having trouble believing it? See what the Bible says! John 15:16 • John 15:19 • Ephesians 1:3-4 • 1 Thessalonians 1:4
 LEADER KEY GoFishResources.com

L G I B K A R C M J Y C D N H T Z 0 V P S
F Q E X W N U A B E I Y M B G T J O H F D
Instructions: Circle every third letter. Write each circled letter in order on the blanks below to read today’s truth.

I AM C H O S E N
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

BY G O D _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Purposeful Practice
Read John 21:15-17. If you are a believer, God has chosen you to hear His Word spoken through His Son, Jesus. He is choosing YOU to know His secrets and the mysteries
of heaven. Before you get out of bed each morning, practice saying out loud to yourself “I am chosen by God!” As you go about your day, remind yourself of this truth.

Are you having trouble believing it? See what the Bible says! John 15:16 • John 15:19 • Ephesians 1:3-4 • 1 Thessalonians 1:4