Telling Others About Jesus

TEXT: 2 Timothy 2:1-4; 3:14-15

OBJECTIVE

The students will be able to explain that telling others about Jesus is part of their growing in Christ.

BIBLE LESSON OUTLINE

Introduction: Adapt the In-Class Activity using dominoes as your opener. Explain to your group that if we tell people we come in contact with about Jesus, we will not only grow spiritually, but we are helping to spread God's Word to all the world.

Progression of events:

1. When we tell others about Jesus, that helps us grow spiritually. This is vital.
2. New life begins when we are born again.
3. That new life must be nurtured to grow. Use the green page of the Wordless Book.
4. Timothy is an example of one who grew.
5. Studying God's Word and praying are other things that help us grow spiritually.
   

Climax: We should learn by the account of Timothy that it is possible to grow spiritually.

Conclusion: Spiritual growth is necessary if we are to be "healthy" Christians.

Response: Your students will review the steps to salvation as suggested by the Wordless Book, concluding by naming specific ways we can help our spiritual growth.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Lord's last words to His followers were, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The Lord wants all people to know how to be saved, for He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Because of their position of great privilege, the Jews began to get the mistaken idea that salvation began and ended with the Hebrew race. They had forgotten that the promise God had given to Abraham had stated that they would be a blessing to all people (Genesis 12:3). Under the New Covenant not just physical Jews but any who have the same faith as Abraham are heirs to that promise (Galatians 3:26-29). Because of this, we, as spiritual descendants of Abraham, have the great privilege and responsibility to be a "blessing to all people" by sharing the good news that they, too, can become the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. This is the most important task of the church in general and the believer individually.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

• Bring some dominoes to class. Line them up so that as each one falls, it will cause the next one in line to fall. When we tell one person how to get saved, he will share the good news with the next one (have dominoes fall). In this way we not only grow spiritually but we are helping to spread God's Word throughout all the earth.
• Make a number of telephone and receiver sets from different colors of construction paper (see Patterns). Have enough sets so each child in your class will receive one piece. For example, if there are eight children in your class — make four sets. (If you have an odd number of children in your class, you be a partner to one of them.) Have each child draw one piece from a sack or box, and find his partner who holds the other piece in the same color. Explain that this week their assignment is to call their telephone partner and discuss how to invite a friend to church, or lead a friend to Christ. Have each student write his name and phone number on his telephone part and exchange it with his partner.
• Help each of your students make an "invitation puzzle" to give or send to a friend. If your church has an invitation dodger, use this. If not, sketch your church or fill in the Special Invitation puzzle (see Patterns) and have the children sign this. Be sure to include your church name, address, and service schedule. Have one copy for each student. Copy or mount the invitations on heavy paper or light cardboard. Help each student draw light curving lines over the invitation, marking it into puzzle pieces. Then cut apart, place the pieces in an envelope, and mail to a friend. (To speed up the process, have the invitations mounted prior to class time.)
• Fill a large pan or bowl with green-colored water. Drop in pebbles and watch the ripples spread wider and wider. This typifies a Christian's witnessing going from one person to another, and on and on.

Special Instructions for this Lesson: Refer to Lesson 1e for additional ideas.

QUESTIONS

1. What is a witness?
2. Do we have to go to a foreign country to tell others about Jesus? Why or why not?
3. When we witness to someone about what Jesus has done for us, we are actually introducing them to Jesus. How do you feel when you do this? How do you think Jesus feels when you do this?
4. If Christians did not witness to people about Jesus, how would people find out about Him?
5. Why do we need to witness to others? (Be sure the students know that others need Jesus too, and that witnessing helps us to grow.)
6. Do all people you witness to want to know more about Jesus? Why or why not?
7. How does telling others about what God has done for us help us to grow spiritually?
8. Talk about how you or your family learned about Jesus.
9. How old do you have to be to tell others about Jesus?
10. Tell of a time when you told someone about Jesus or gave an invitation to Sunday school.
11. What is a testimony? Does everyone have a testimony? Why or why not?
12. Talk about the church magazine and tracts and how they include printed testimonies that witness to people all over the world.

PRE-SCHOOL SUGGESTIONS

• Make a paper doll chain to illustrate telling others about Jesus or Sunday school.
• Give each child a piece of paper on which you have traced or copied a little hand, the size of an infant's (see Patterns). Explain that this is probably the size their hand was when they were born. Then have them place their hand over the top of the little hand and trace around it. Compare the difference in size, and point out how their hand has grown. Jesus wants us to grow as Christians too, as well as physically.
• Have several candles. Light one candle and continue to light the other candles with the lighted candle. Have the children sing, "This Little Light of Mine."
• For each child prepare a yellow construction-paper bus (see Patterns). Put happy face stickers in all the windows except one. Leave that one empty. Show the children how they can add another happy face if they tell a friend about Jesus and invite him to Sunday school.
• Make a Witnessing paper chain for each child. Precut plenty of paper strips. Start with each child's name on a strip of paper which you have taped together to make a ring. Ask that child for the name of someone they would like to tell about Jesus, then write that name on a strip and add it to the first ring. Do this with each name the child gives to you until he has a good length of chain, to show he wants to tell someone of Jesus. This should be done for each child. You may prefer to make just one long paper chain to hang up in your class rather than have each child take his home with him.
  

REVIEW IDEAS‍

Fill a very tall, clear jar or vase about half full with colored water. Pour some into another vase to indicate witnessing, but add more to it by Jesus' giving us blessings. Repeat until the jar is full.

Do a puppet skit. Have one puppet really down at the mouth, grumpy, and sad. Have another puppet, Mr. Christian, come along telling the Gospel story to the sad puppet, ending with an invitation for him to come to Sunday school and having him accept the invitation.

Prepare a Learning to Witness overhead review (see Patterns). Help the children by giving them ideas on how to tell others about Jesus. Write these after each number on the sheet. (Hint: Prepare them beforehand and attach them to the transparency as overlays.) Use ideas; such as, Jesus is God's Son, Jesus came to earth as a little Baby, Jesus loves us, Jesus died for our sins, Jesus will forgive you if you ask Him to. Impress upon them the importance of witnessing and how this will help them to grow for Jesus.