I AM the Bread of Life

23rd September 2009

Show some pictures of bread — roll, toast, sandwich, loaf, baguette, pita — and demonstrate accompanying actions.
[you can pick/choose the types of bread depends on age of kids]
[teachers/assistants hv to be well versed with the actions and mirror it for the kids to follow]
Roll: curl up in a ball
Toast: jump up and down (like a toast popping up from the toaster)
Loaf: get into groups of 5 or more
Baguette: stand up stretching from tips of fingers to toes
Sandwich: get into groups of 3
Pita: lie flat on the floor
After running through the actions, flash the pictures random and get kids to do the correct actions. Those who don’t get it right have to sit down. Go faster and faster until you have a winner (or 2). Make it fun and exciting.

Jesus told people about God’s love. He did so many miracles. He healed the sick. He also fed the hungry people. Once, He fed 5,000 men with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish!
Everybody ate very full. They were very excited about Jesus. So the next day, they looked for Him so they could see more miracles (and probably get more bread to eat).
Jesus told them there was something more important that just thinking about food (and toys and things that we buy with money).
Yes, we need to eat to live. But we should not spend our whole life working hard for food and things that will be used up. We should work for food that lasts forever.
What kind of bread doesn’t spoil or mold or go bad? What bread will last forever?
The bread of life! Jesus said, “I AM the BREAD of LIFE”. Jesus is the bread of God that came down from heaven to give life to the world! (John 6:33)

Back in Bible times, bread was the most important part of the meal. So when Jesus said He was the Bread of Life, He meant that He was the most important thing a person needs to live.
John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
When we are hungry for food, we can eat bread. But there’s a deeper hunger in all of us — a hunger for meaning, for peace, for love. This hunger for real LIFE — the life God gives — cannot be filled with things (hold up some items, toys, money etc.) The Bible says that only Jesus can satisfy that type of hunger. We need Jesus to receive the true, wonderful, true LIFE that God has for us.

John 6:51 “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Jesus became the Bread of Life for us by the sacrifice of His body on the cross. Every time we take Communion, we remember Jesus’ finished work on the cross — His body broken for us so that we can have His life.
Who is Jesus? Jesus is God’s Son!
What did Jesus do for you and for me? He died for you and for me.
How did He die? He died on a cross.
Why did He die? He died so that we could be His friends.
Is He still dead? NO! He rose from the dead 3 days later so that we can have life!

How do we work for this bread of life? Jesus said, “The work of God is that you believe in Me.” (John 6:40)
John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Who is Jesus? Jesus is God’s Son!
What did Jesus do for you and for me? He died for you and for me.
How did He die? He died on a cross.
Why did He die? He died so that we could be His friends.
Is He still dead? NO! He rose from the dead 3 days later so that we can have life!
Believe. That’s all! Can you believe in Jesus? Will you believe in Jesus?
Pray: God, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus. Thank you for making a way for us to have life with you forever.

Song: (tune of “B-I-N-G-O”)
J-E-S-U-S, J-E-S-U-S, J-E-S-U-S, He died for you and me!
He is Bread of Life, He is Bread of Life,He is Bread of Life, He died for you and me!

Memory Verse activity: John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.