The Armor of God– Gospel Shoes
HOOK
Bring in several different shoes. High heels, soccer cleats, running shoes, snow boots. Line these up on the floor in front of the children and stand behind each and have them tell you what they would do, or wear they might go, if they had on each different pair of shoes.
BOOK
Read Ephesians 6 as you prepare this lesson. Verses 10-20 tell us about special weapons and tools that we need to be strong in the Lord.
If you are getting ready in the morning before school, or church and your Mom says it’s time to get in the car, would you leave the house without your shoes? You’re not really ready to go anywhere until you have your shoes on. Shoes help us to be able to do different activities. They protect your feet from hot pavement or broken glass or other sharp objects. You wear certain boots in the rain and snow. Special shoes help us do specific things like rock climbing or playing certain sports. The Bible talks about a special pair of shoes that God has for us to wear. Do you think they look like any one of these (from the “Hook”), or maybe they look like some “techno-space” boot if they are from God? The Bible says that our feet are “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:15). This means that our feet have a special job. They are supposed to take us places so that we can tell other kids or even our Grandparents or anybody about how much God loves them. When you have Jesus in your heart, you have His love and peace and you should be so excited to tell everyone you can about the love and peace that Jesus wants to give them, too.
LOOK (Acts 16)
There is a story in the Bible about two people whose feet were ready to tell other people about God’s love and peace even though their feet were tied up. They must have had some special shoes! Paul and Silas were two people who really loved Jesus and were excited to share the good news about Jesus Christ wherever they went. But not everyone was happy to hear what Paul and Silas told them. These people got angry and had Paul and Silas beaten, tied up in stocks and thrown into prison. You would think that this would make Paul and Silas angry or afraid, or so mad at the people that they didn’t want to tell them that Jesus loved them anymore! But that’s not how they felt at all. They loved Jesus SO MUCH and they knew how much other people needed to hear about God’s love and peace, that they sang and prayed. All of a sudden, there was an earthquake. Everything started to shake and the doors of the jail flew open and all the prisoners’ chains came loose!! That’s powerful singing!! See what a special tool God has given us to keep us strong in Him?! The jailer was so afraid that all the prisoners escaped and that he would be in so much trouble. But Paul and Silas told him not to worry, but that all of the prisoners were still there; they didn’t run away. Because Paul and Silas were filled with God’s love and peace and so excited to tell others about it, God used them right where they were, even though their feet were bound, to bring the jailer to Jesus.
TOOK
It makes God so happy when we tell other people about how much He loves them. The Bible says that we should be telling people about God’s love and peace wherever our feet take us. Where do you go that you meet people who you can tell about Jesus’ love? Maybe you visit your Grandma or Grandpa in a special home, and you can sing, “Jesus Loves Me” to the people there. Or maybe you go to a baby-sitter’s house or a friend’s house where you play with other kids that you can tell about Jesus. We meet people all the time that we can share God’s love with. Just remember the “special tool” that God has given you when you get ready every day and put your shoes on!
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you, God, for your giving us your truth and your righteousness. Help us to be excited to tell others about your love and peace everywhere we go! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Memory Verse: “Your feet are ready to share the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15
Craft- Have the children make paper shoes that go over their own shoes. Put their full names on the back and let them.