Bible Passage: The Easter Story Lesson: Jesus is alive
If you live in or near a town of any size, you probably have a comic book store available to you. Most comic book stores have a "quarter bin," where they sell miscellaneous comics for 25 cents. Gather as many as you need so that every child will get at least one. Stick to the best known characters; those you might find in the Justice League, Avengers or X-Men. Be certain to get "kid friendly" books, as some stories or graphics may not be appropriate. I'm sure the clerk can help you.
I found a nice collection of children's Bible books at the Dollar Store. They also had some King James New Testament books, to give to the older children. (As a side note, any regular attendee of my High School class has his/her own Bible, which I acquire at thrift stores. Look for the NIV or NSRV translation, as these are more relevant - and hence, more readable - than the King James versions.)
Holding the comic books for all to see Who can tell me what these are? These are stories of superheroes - people who do amazing things to make the world a better place. These stories about superheroes are a fun read and there should be enough here for everyone. But I also have a book with stories about the most amazing of all superheroes. Show books These are stories about Jesus. Do you know why Jesus is the most amazing of all the superheroes? Because... He rose. Of all the superheroes you know, He Rose. And because He Rose, everything he said is true. When we believe that He Rose, we believe Jesus was the true son of God, coming to us to share God's message of peace and love. When Jesus said "Love your neighbor," we know it was true. Because He Rose. When Jesus said "Be kind to everyone," we know that is what we should do, because He Rose. And when Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me," we know that his message of love and peace and of a better world for all of us is true. We know this because He Rose.
Let's close in prayer and say, "Thank you" to God, who sent Jesus to us so that we could hear the messages he brought us so we could all also be heroes; all because He Rose.
