YEA Lesson Library
No Rock too Big
About This Lesson
Using the Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5000, this lesson teaches that God is able to help us with whatever temptation, trouble, or problem we have encountered.
Scriptures
Deuteronomy 32:3-4, 31
Psalm 18:1-2, 31
Psalm 46:1
Psalm 55:22
Psalm 62:5-7
Proverbs 27:1-3
Matthew 14:13-21
Matthew 16:24-25
John 6:1-14
Romans 14:12-13
1 Corinthians 8:8-9
Words to Know
OBSTACLE - something that obstructs or hinders the process
INSURMOUNTABLE - incapable of being overcome
The Lesson
Before Keith grew up to be such a good looking teenager, he had blond curly hair and loved to play in his sandbox. One day, when he was just five years old he picked up his shiny red plastic shovel, pail, and box of cars, trains and trucks. Then he went outside to engineer a set of roads and tunnels in his sandbox.
As he shoveled dirt to make a tunnel for his train to go through, he hit an obstacle right in the middle of the box. He never expected to encounter such an obstacle. What seemed like massive amounts of dirt were shoveled aside. At last, Keith could see the problem. He had a huge rock in the middle of his sandbox. “This isn’t going to stop me from building roads and a tunnel,” he thought. He pushed, nudged and struggled with all the strength a five-year-old could muster. That rock must be moved if he was ever to have the tunnel he wanted for his train.
Keith gave this everything he had. He pushed with his hands and then with his shoulder. Finally, the rock moved, but quickly rolled back on his hand. All he got from his efforts were smashed fingers as the rock tipped and fell back onto his little hands. Frustrated and hurting, he burst into tears.
All the time Keith’s father was watching him. He rushed to the defeated little boy’s rescue. Keith sobbed as he said, “I used all of the strength that I had, Daddy.” His father hastened to say, “No, Keith, you didn’t use all of the strength that you had. You didn’t ask me.”
Life is full of “rocks” that seem too large to move. It was no different when Jesus walked this earth. A huge crowd of people were on their way to Jerusalem to keep the Passover when Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee. This crowd of people wanted to see Him heal the sick and hear Him teach. So they followed Him up into the hills with His disciples.
Late in the day, the disciples became concerned about what everyone was going to eat out there in the desert. They went to Jesus and asked Him to send the people into the village to get something to eat. Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary, you feed them.” Jesus’ reply created a real problem for the disciples. Philip said that it would take a fortune to feed this crowd of over 5000 people. This seemed like an insurmountable “rock” for the disciples to move. How in the world did Jesus expect them to do this?
A young boy in the crowd happened to have some food with him – five barley loaves and a couple of fish. But this by itself wouldn’t move this “rock.” Everyone knew that small amount of food wouldn’t feed 5000 men plus women and children.
‘“Tell everyone to sit down,’ Jesus ordered” Everyone sat down on the grassy slopes as Jesus commanded. He took the five loaves of bread and two fish, looked up to heaven and asked for God to bless them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to pass out to all of the people. Everyone ate until they were full. But this is only part of the story. After they finished eating, twelve baskets of scraps were gathered up. Jesus had moved a great “rock” with this miracle and no one went hungry. Through this miracle the people realized Jesus was the Prophet they had been looking for and He had the power to move “rocks.”
Keith’s father was watching and stood ready to help move the rock out of the sandbox so that a tunnel could be built. Jesus saw a need much greater than moving a rock so a tunnel for a toy train could be built. People were hungry, and a long way from a village where food could be bought. It was much more important that these people listen to Jesus’ teachings than that they be sent into the village for food. Jesus was there. He was watching. And He moved the “rock.”
Do you have “rocks” in your life that need to be moved? What are the “rocks” in your life that you can’t seem to get out of the way? Do you find peer pressure dogging your steps daily? What about temptations to smoke, drink or use drugs? Are these “rocks” that you don’t seem to have the strength to move by yourself? What are some of the other “rocks” you have discovered that are too large and too heavy for you to move alone?
Just like Keith’s dad was watching all along and was there to help, so is our Heavenly Father. He is called the “Rock” in 1Corinthians 10:4. Jesus our Rock stands willing and ready to move your “rocks.” He knows you can’t do it alone. But He’s waiting for you to ask for His help.
There is a price to be paid to have your “rocks” moved. Jesus reminds us that “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whosoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24- 25). To accomplish great things in our lives for Christ, we must overcome the “rocks.” He will be there ready and willing to help. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
Student Prayer
Loving Father,
You’re always there to help me with the “rocks” in my life. Temptations such as smoking, drinking, using drugs, and sex are “rocks” teenagers are faced with. Please always be there to help me push these things out of the way. The price I have to pay is to follow you. That is so easy compared with the reward you have for me. Help me to keep my eyes focused on obeying you.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Romans 14:12-13
Monday - Psalm 55:22
Tuesday - Psalm 62:5-7
Wednesday - 1 Corinthians 8:8-9
Thursday - Proverbs 27:1-3
Friday - Deuteronomy 32:3-4, 31
Saturday - Psalm 18:1-2, 31
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify problems or pressures in their lives that they would consider to be “rocks” which need to be moved out.
2. Discuss the harm “rocks” remaining in their life can do.
3. Explain that Jesus is willing and ready to help them move out these “rocks,” but they must ask Him to do it, and they must obey Him if they want His help.
4. State that Jesus is our Rock, who will help us move the “rocks” out of our life.
Topics & Themes
Ask
Disciples
Jesus, His Ministry
Jesus, His Miracles
Feeding of 5000
Problems
Stewardship
Temptation
Trouble
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students and teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, paper, pencils, songbook, CD/cassette tape, music player, chalk board or newsprint pad, marker pen, prize
How to Teach This Lesson
Before class write WHARWWHUMOR on the chalk board or newsprint pad. Give every student a piece of paper and a pencil. Tell them that you are going to give them a pop quiz. Point at the letters you’ve written on the chalk board and say “you have one minute to write down what this means. The first one to come up with the correct answer will get a prize. When the minute is up, say, “stop.” Ask the students to share what they have written. Then tell them these are the first letters to the words in this sentence: “We have a Rock who will help us move our rocks.”
By following the questions laid out below, you will be better equipped to complete every section, stay on track and meet the objectives of this lesson.
What were your first thoughts when I said that I was going to give you a pop quiz? Did anyone think this pop quiz was a rock that you would like to move out of the way? Has anyone tried to build a tunnel or road in the sand and run across a rock that had to be moved?
How did you feel about Keith’s dad watching him, yet not helping him? Why do you think his dad didn’t help him? Do you think Jesus is watching us? Why do you think He may seem slow to help us move rocks out of our lives? We are slow to ask Him.
What would you consider to be “rocks” in your life? Peer pressure, bad language, dishonesty, Sabbath breaking, drugs, smoking, sexual pressures, competition at school, making good grades. Write these on the newsprint pad or chalk board as the students give them to you. If these “rocks” remain in your life, what harm will they do to you?
Do you think that providing food for over 5000 people was a bigger rock for Jesus to move than to help you move one of your “rocks” out of your life? What did Jesus do to turn five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food for more than 5000 people to eat? He prayed to the Father. What do you have to do to have Jesus move a “rock” in your life? Pray and ask Him to do it. Is there anything else that you must do? Ask the students to turn to Matthew 16:24-25 and have one of them read those verses. What do these verses say we have to do? We must follow Jesus, lose our life for Him. How do you think we go about losing our life? We give up our desire and seek to have something that a Christian should do.
Ask one of the students to read Psalm 46:1. Ask: how often is God there to help us move the “rocks” out of our lives? He is ever present.
Teacher-Directed Activity
Give each student another piece of paper and pencil. Ask them to think of one “rock” they would like to be moved out of their lives. Tell them to draw a picture of the “rock” and how they will move it out of their lives. They can draw a real rock and label it with their problem and add a picture of themselves pushing on it. Or they can draw a picture which represents their problem, such as a person smoking, and another picture showing the solution, such as throwing away the cigarette and praying for God’s help. These can be cartoons if they would like. Encourage them to use their imagination. When they are finished, pass their pictures around the room and vote on the best one. Give a prize for the best picture.
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight
Use your Bible and Bible tools to find the meaning of the words: refuge; strength; ever-present. In your Bible notebook write how the memory verse applies to your life.
Where in the World?
Where in the world can you go for help? Do you know what specific Scriptures can give you the answers? Will you have them memorized so that in times of help for anything you can draw on the living Word of God to give you the strength to overcome the “rocks” in your life? Spend some quiet time searching for at least seven “help” Scriptures, one for each day, to memorize over the next week. Write them in your Bible notebook and ask someone to listen to the Scriptures when you have them memorized.
They Did What Back Then?
Scripture states that, “The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children” Matthew 14:21 (NIV).
Why would the number of men be given, but not the number including women and children? How many people could there have been? Research the topic of everyday living in Bible times to find out more about how people lived in the days of Jesus Christ. Write your information in your Bible notebook and share it with your family or class.
Making It Mine
Have you ever watched a toddler learning to walk? That little baby is determined to get across the room under his own power. He could cry and get Mom to pick him up and carry him where he wants to go, but he is determined to do it himself.
At every stage of your life, you will find something you are trying to accomplish on your own—much like that toddler. You are independent and you want to do it on your own. The problem is that sometimes your effort and strength is not enough. You need help.
Satan likes to use your mix of pride and insecurity to try to convince you to do things on your own. Then when you fail, you feel that you are all alone, that no one understands your struggles. That is simply not true. Your parents understand a lot better than you could ever guess. And if they don’t, there is One who does. Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus does understand our trials and temptations, because he also experienced them— but did not sin. People will let you down, but Jesus never fails. He is the Rock you can trust in everything, especially when you need help to stand and walk.
Spend some time thinking and praying, and then write about these things in your Bible notebook.
Worldview Collision
A true biblical worldview says that salvation is a free gift from God—there is no way we can earn it through our efforts. A false biblical worldview says that we must do something to be saved. Some false views say that we do what we can and God makes up the difference. Some false views say that God excuses the sinner, but we have to make our own atonement and reparation for the sins we commit. Some false views say that salvation is a combination of the grace of God and our own efforts.
Salvation is a free gift from God, not dependent upon what we do. No one can boast that they had any part in it. This is one rock that you cannot move on your own. You are completely dependent on God’s mercy and grace.
Find three Scriptures which prove this. Write them down in your Bible notebook. If you didn’t already know it, salvation is too big a rock for you to handle. But it’s not too big for God.
Song
“Seek Ye First”is on page 67 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Have the students join hands in a circle and ask one of the students to lead in prayer asking God to help them move the “rocks” out of their lives and to follow Him.
Printable Pages
