YEA Lesson Library
Closer Than a Brother
About This Lesson
Using the episode when Jesus calmed the storm (Matthew 8:23-27), this lesson teaches that Jesus is assessable and able to help us when we need Him.
Scriptures
1 Samuel 18:1-5
Proverbs 18:24
Isaiah 41:10-13
Matthew 5:23-26
Matthew 8:23-27
Matthew 28:18-20
Mark 4:35-41
Luke 8:22-25
Hebrews 2:11
1 John 4:21
Words to Know
SEISMOLOGIST - a scientist who studies earthquakes
ACCESSIBLE - can be easily approached or obtained
The Lesson
Dark clouds roll in, turning the sky black enough for streetlights to come on in the middle of the day. Storm spotters are called out to watch for tornados. The winds become increasingly stronger and small craft on a lake are dangerously tossed about. Warnings go out for these boats to get off the lake. People in certain parts of the
country head for storm shelters. Times like this can get downright scary! You need to know God is near.
Storms are not uncommon on the Sea of Galilee. It is surrounded by hills. The wind currents rise up over the tops and down the sides of the hills, whipping up waves and thunderstorms. They appear suddenly and without warning. Jesus’ disciples experienced a storm such as this one day as they tried to cross the Sea of Galilee. They couldn’t watch the Weather Channel to see that a storm was approaching. But Jesus told them to go across the lake and they did what He said.
Jesus put His head on a cushion and fell asleep as the terrible storm came up. The waves got higher and higher, splashing water into the boat. The disciples became increasingly concerned the boat would sink. By this time they were frantic, but Jesus slept on.
As they reached the point of desperation they awakened Jesus saying, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to drown?”
Jesus answered, “O you men of little faith! Why are you so frightened?” He rebuked the wind and said, “Quiet down.” Everything became very calm as the winds quieted down.
Since Jesus was in the boat with His disciples, He must have been a little disappointed with their lack of faith. Didn’t they know that He made the winds and the rain? He asked them why they were so afraid when He was right there in the boat with them. Do you think they looked a little sheepish? How would you have felt?
Though they may have been embarrassed, they were still filled with awe at Jesus’ power. They privately began to ask each other, “Who is this Man, that even the winds and seas obey Him?” These men had been with Jesus for some time now. Didn’t they know who He was? Had they forgotten about His miracle-working power? They didn’t seem to recognize that this Man was their Messiah. He created the world and certainly had the power to calm a storm. He has all power!
An earthquake can destroy an entire city. Hurricanes or tornados can pick up houses and smash them. News programs can warn you of approaching storms because they have equipment and experts to detect what kind of weather is coming. Sirens may sound in your town to warn that a tornado has been spotted. If this happens, you should take shelter immediately. But, a weather man can only give you information about the weather, he is powerless to change it. In the same way, a seismologist can’t stop an earthquake from happening.
Just as Jesus calmed the storm and saved the disciples when they were endangered, He is there to protect you as well. He loves you and wants what is best for you. Even though you can’t see Him in the boat with you or beside you, He is there with you wherever you may be. His power is just as great today as when He calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee. He’s just as accessible for you as He was for the disciples in the boat.
Jesus wants to be your Friend. And like a friend, He is willing to help you when you are in need. He will not make fun of you or scold you. You can count on Him! Just as the disciples had to ask for His help, you, too, should take your problems to Him in prayer. Does knowing that Jesus has the power to quiet any storm make you feel safer?
Jesus lived in a very natural world, as you do. He has power over nature. God gave it to Him. He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. Whether you’re in a storm, an earthquake, or just in trouble, Jesus is your Friend and He is there to help you.
Student Prayer
Dear loving Father,
Thank you for reassuring me that you are always here when I am afraid. You are with me just as you were with the disciples in the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Help me remember to always ask for your help and protection. Knowing you are near makes me feel so much better.
It’s in Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Matthew 8:23-27
Monday - 1 John 4:21
Tuesday - Hebrews 2:11
Wednesday - Matthew 5:23-26
Thursday - 1 Samuel 18:1-5
Friday - Matthew 28:18-20
Saturday - Isaiah 41:10-13
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explain that Jesus is all powerful, easily accessible, and ready to help in time of need.
2. Tell that Jesus is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.
3. Demonstrate through the activity how helpless we are without God’s help when we get in trouble.
Topics & Themes
Creator
Faith
God’s Love
God’s Omnipotence
God’s Protection
Jesus, His Ministry
Jesus, His Miracles
Calming the Storm
Jesus, Our Friend
Prayer
Sea of Galilee
Storms
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students’ and Teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, CD, CD player, songbook, kid’s pool or large tub, water, small plastic boats, string
Preparation
Since this is the first lesson in the second Junior’s book, build on what was taught in the first book. Remember that your students are accustomed to a very visual world. Posters, pictures, and other visual things can increase the effectiveness of each lesson.
Start with new charts that you prepare before class for keeping track of the students’ attendance and memory work. See Preparation in lesson one of Junior book one if you don’t know how to make these charts.
Read all lesson Scriptures, the Students’ lesson, and the lesson in the Parent/Teacher’s guide. Also work the activity in the Students’ book for this lesson. This activity is a good Bible study for students to discover from their own Bibles how reliable God is in helping His friends. The way kids view God is critical to the way they respond to Him. Our children need a clear understanding of the fundamentals of God’s nature and character. Teach this lesson in a way that each student has a clear picture of God being all powerful, easily accessible, and their best Friend.
Assign the books of the Bible to be learned by the end of this book (ten weeks from now). There should be an award for those who show enough love for God to put forth the effort to learn all the books of the Bible.
How to Teach This Lesson
Open the class with prayer and then follow the lesson plan below.
Storms and Earthquakes - Let students discuss storms or earthquakes they have experienced. Ask: Were you scared? What did you do? (Juniors may be reluctant to admit to being scared. Let them know that even adults are afraid at times.) Encourage them to think about and acknowledge how God protected them at this time. The children’s faith could be strengthened by telling about a time when God protected you and/or your family.
Disciples Afraid - Review the story of Jesus and the disciples in the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Ask: Why do you think the disciples were afraid, even though Jesus was in the boat with them? Lead them to discuss the dangers of the storm, and how the disciples’ fear of those dangers was only natural. Ask: How do you think the disciples must have felt when Jesus said, “O you men of little faith!”? Jesus was scolding them because they didn’t trust Him. Ask: How would you feel if Jesus had said that to you?
We know that Jesus was there, physically, in the boat with the disciples. But, He is no longer here on earth. Ask: How do we know He can help us when we are in trouble? Have one of the students read Psalm 46:1 aloud.
Take Shelter! - When the warning siren sounds and the newscaster tells us to take shelter because a tornado is approaching, does God expect us to have faith and do nothing? Ask one of the students to read James 2:17,18. Ask: How do you show that you have faith? Explain that God would expect us to take shelter when there is an approaching hurricane or tornado. Explain how Satan tried to get Jesus to do a foolish thing in Matthew 4:5-7. Jesus told Satan, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” We can’t expect God to protect us if we do foolish things.
Friends of Jesus - Ask: What did Jesus call His disciples in John 15:15? Friendships carry a certain responsibility. What responsibility do you have toward Jesus since He is your Friend? Does it make you feel secure to know that Jesus has power to calm the storm, and He wants to be your Friend?
Review Questions
Use the questions from the Activity in the Students’ book to review this lesson. Invite students to do the review for you by asking for volunteers to pick one of the questions to ask the class. As each question is asked, have the student who answers the question also read the applicable Scripture.
Teacher-Directed Activity
Place a sheet of plastic on the floor under the kid’s pool or tub, and put enough water in it for the boats to float and to make good waves. Give each student a small plastic boat and a string if they want it. Invite each child to put his boat in the water at the edge of the tub. Each is to get his boat to the other side of the pool any way he can without directly touching it. Creative methods can be used, including blowing on it or even tying the string to it. The boats must remain in the water at all times and they must not touch them. Give them a set time (maybe two minutes) to accomplish this. As they maneuver their boats across the pool, make waves by stirring the water with your hands. The whirlpool effect will make their task even harder.
Then, ask: How did you feel when the waves got much higher than the boats? How many boats turned over? Do you think the disciples worried about their boat turning over? What did you trust in to get your boat to the other side? Did you put your trust in something that worked?
Do you think the disciples would have been in a lot of trouble trying to cross the Sea of Galilee in a storm if Jesus hadn’t calmed the sea? What does this activity teach you about how helpless we are without Jesus’ help?
REACH Activity
Word Study: Ahav
Proverbs 18:24 says, “. . . there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” The word for “friend” in this verse is “ahav,” meaning to love, desire, delight, like, be fond of. It denotes a strong emotional attachment for, or to be in the presence of, the object of love. We are instructed, above all else, to ahav (love) God more than anything or anyone else (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Did You Know?
Crossing the Sea of Galilee after dark was common for fishermen who used trammel nets through the night. The sea’s setting results in sudden violent storms that produce waves of seven feet or higher. This must have been a powerful storm for these seasoned fishermen to be so afraid (Matthew 8:23-27). (Source: NIV Archaeological Study Bible, p. 1571.)
Music Notes: What a Friend We Have in Jesus
This hymn is found on page 66 of the CEM Hymnal. It was written by Joseph Scriven who lived from 1819 to 1886. He was born into a wealthy family in Ireland, and had the blessings of education, a close family, and a pleasant life. However, the night before his wedding, his fiancee drowned. Scriven found comfort and solace in the true Friend, Jesus Christ, during this very trying time. It changed his life. He decided to be that kind of friend and helper to people who needed him. He moved to Port Hope, Canada, where he devoted his time to helping others: Giving away his clothing and possessions and often working without pay for anyone who needed him. He became known as “the Good Samaritan of Port Hope.” When Scriven’s mother in Ireland became ill, he penned the words to this hymn—to send in a letter to comfort her. Later, when Scriven became ill, a friend came to visit and saw the words on a piece of paper nearby the bed. Upon reading the lines, the friend asked, “Who wrote these beautiful words?” Scriven’s reply was, “The Lord and I did it between us.”
The encouraging words of the Bible exhort us, as this hymn does, to seek God for solace, comfort, help, and guidance. Write these Scripture references in your Bible notebook. Plan to look them up the next time you send encouragement: 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7; Hebrews 4:16; Matthew 6:8; 1 John 5:14-15; Isaiah 30:19; Psalm 6:9; John 15:13-16.
Journal Jot
Complete the activity in your YEA book. Then read the Word Study section above. Knowing that the Creator of the universe is your Friend and loves you better than a brother is the kind of encouragement you need when facing the storms of life. In your Bible journal, write down how this activity and the word study made you feel. Then write a prayer of thanksgiving to God for this love!
Back to the Bible
Proverbs 17:17a says: “A friend loves at all times. . .” (NIV). A friend is someone who “loves” you (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Jesus Christ will always be our Best Friend; however, we have been given the blessing of earthly friends. It is not always easy to have or make friends. But if we use Scripture to teach and guide us, we will have godly, trusting, and faithful friends. Proverbs 17 says a friend loves at “all times.” A “true” friend sticks with you in all situations, good and bad. They are not fair-weather friends who abandon you when the seas of friendship get rough. Sometimes life is difficult. You want a friend in both clear and stormy skies. A loyal friend knows that Jesus will be the source of your comfort and encouragement, and will guide you to seek Him for help. Pray that Jesus will send you a friend that loves at all times.
Just Toolin’ Around
1. Use a dictionary to find the root meaning of the word “seismologist.” Which word or phrase in the lesson Scriptures is related to this word?
2. Use Bible reference books to research materials that were used for boat construction as well
as how they were designed and built. How do you think most boats withstood stormy weather? Present the information as if you were the boat builder. Use pictures or materials to show an example of the boat.
Stretch It Out
Ask an experienced fisherman to make a presentation of popular local and regional fishing areas, fishing equipment (including the type of boats available), basic how-to-fish instructions, and boat safety. (Be sure to explain to him the lesson and why his information will be important to the Sabbath School class.) To make the best use of his time, prepare a set of questions prior to his visit. Take pictures during the presentation. Send him a thank you note afterwards, including a picture that was taken during his visit. If you have done any fishing since his presentation, be sure to share the experience with him!
Questions?
Remember to write any questions that you have in your journal. That way you will remember to ask you parents, teacher, or minister.
Song
“Everybody Ought to Know” is on page 8 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Invite one of the students to lead in prayer, thanking God that He is all powerful and the best Friend they can have.
Printable Pages
