How to Introduce the Bible Story
If you’d like to make this an extra special time you can gather together with blankets, pillows, and even light or turn on a candle (making sure to blow it out when finished). Depending on how many children you have you could have one be responsible for getting the pillows, one responsible for helping you to light the candle, and one responsible to blow out the candle. You can change the jobs between the children each week.
You already started introducing the Bible story to your children. You have done so through the Memory Verse Coloring Sheet and the Finger play. You can say: “In this story we are going to learn about a man who was born blind and how Jesus came along and helped him by performing a miracle."
Feely Bag Activity to help introduce the Bible story:
This is a great way to introduce the Bible story for today. You can say, "We are going to learn about a man who was born blind. Do you know what it means to be blind? (Accept the answers the children give) It means that the man could not see anything. We are going to take turns, going one at a time and reach our hand inside this feely bag. You need to close your eyes and reach into the bag. Find one thing to touch and try to guess what it is without opening your eyes. The rest of us will not tell you what it is, if you'd like we will give you clues so you can figure out what you are holding."
Invite children to come up and put their hand inside the bag and feel around for an object to pull out. While they are touching the object have them try to describe what they are feeling. If they are having a hard time describing it you may want to ask them some questions like, "is is hard or soft?" and you can ask the rest of the children to give clues without saying what it is. This will help them to guess what it could be. Give each child a chance to come up and choose something. If you are in the classroom this may take a long time to have each child have a turn so you could just be the person who holds up the objects and asks the children to give you clues. There mya be some children who say what it is and that's okay, you will just have to guide them to what 'giving clues' means.
When they are finished you could ask:
• How did not being able to see make it hard to guess what you were holding?
• How would you feel if you could never see again?
Jesus Heals A Blind Man
John 9:1-12
Jesus and his disciples saw a blind beggar. He had been blind since he was born. His disciples asked him, "Teacher, did this man sin? Or did his parents? Is that why he was born blind?" "No one sinned," said Jesus. "This happened so that God's works could be shown in his life." After saying this, he spit on the ground, made mud out of the spit, and gently spread it on the man's eyes. Then Jesus told the man, "Go and wash off the mud in the Pool of Siloam." So the man went, washed off the mud, and could see! Everyone was amazed!
His neighbors and those who had seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" Some said that it was and others thought it just looked like him. But he said, "I am the man." They asked him, "How were your eyes opened?" He said, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash the mud off my eyes. So I went and washed, and then I could see." The people asked, "Where is this man?" They wanted to find out more about Jesus. Jesus can perform miracles. Nothing is impossible for Jesus!
Talk about what the Bible story was about by asking the children questions. You can decide ahead of time how you want them to answer the questions. I like to have the children raise their hand to answer the question. If they are incorrect that is fine. You can say what the answer is or ask: “Does anyone else have a thought or answer to the question?”
Questions to ask if you like:
• How long had the man been blind? (Since he was born)
• What did the disciples ask about the man who had been born blind? (Did he sin or did his parents sin? Is that why he was born blind? Children may not remember all of these details and that is okay.)
• What did Jesus say was the reason for the man's blindness? (He was blind so that God's works could be shown in his life.)
• What did Jesus make and put on the man's eyes? (Mud)
• What happened when the man washed off the mud? (He could see)
• What do you think it would be like to be blind your whole life and then one day be able to see? (Accept all answers)
• Did Jesus perform a miracle by giving the blind man his sight? (Yes)
• Is anything impossible for Jesus? (No, He can do anything)
Prayer
While sitting on the floor with criss cross legs, have the children repeat after you. You can have them fold their hands and close their eyes or just sit quietly and say after you. Following is a prayer written out that you can use, or you can make up your own.
Dear God (children repeat)
Thank you for this day. (children repeat)
Please help me (children repeat)
To want to learn more about you (children repeat)
so others will see you in me (children repeat)
I love You (children repeat)
Amen (children repeat)
