Each year, me and the Lord of the Dance update this page of Lent & Holy Week lesson starters for our software customers. It has gotten QUITE HUGE, so I apologize in advance for abusing your scroll finger. Another resource to consult is my New Testament Story ↔ Software Cross Reference for a listing of specific Jesus stories found in various software programs.
This list of suggestions may include references to CDs that have gone out of print, but I continue to mention them for those who still own them. I also have special Advent and Pentecost lesson pages. Questions? Suggestions? Email neil@sundaysoftware.com
<>< Neil MacQueen, Sunday Software
In no particular order…
The Festival of Purim
Purim is the last party before the Passover season and is something of a Jewish Fat Tuesday and Halloween.
- 2013: February 23-24
- 2014: March 15-16
- 2015: March 4-5
PURIM has been described as “the Hebrew Mardi Gras” and “The Jewish Halloween.” Among other themes, Purim celebrates God’s saving acts. Many synagogues hold big parties or carnivals at this time. Celebrating the victory of Mordecai and Esther over Haman and King Xerxes, celebrants dress up in costume and re-enact the story, shouting “boo” whenever Haman’s name is mentioned. Buffoonery and joking are accepted practice during this festival to mock Haman and all those who would oppose God’s will.
Our Awesome Bible Stories CD has a GREAT Story of Esther section in it, complete with a button your kids can click to BOO HAMAN every time they hear his story. The CD also has a videoclip of a typical Purim celebration and carnival in a US synagogue.
Ash Wednesday and Lenten Memory Verses
I’ve done this several times: You pick out a key verse from the Ash Wed or Lenten lectionary readings, and treat them as memory verses in the computer lab. You can also create your own list of key Lenten verses for the kids to learn. Using various software, you can then study these in a special Lent computer lab lesson, or tackle them at the END of another lesson. Cal and Marty’s Scripture Memory Game CD is often used, but you can use other software as well.
Click the toggle below to open my lesson ideas for several good Lenten verses. You could pick one, or do them all over Lent, or add your own. Psalm 51:10, Mark 8:31, 2 Corinthians 5
Mark 8:31
Mark 8:31 is a wonderful MEMORY VERSE that’s a PUZZLER question too. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
The Lesson Idea: After reading and discussing these verses, have the kids INPUT THEM into Cal & Marty’s Scripture Memory Game’s VERSE EDITOR. DO NOT do it for them! Typing verses into the editor is part of their memorization process, and they like to do it!
After they create the memory verse in the Cal & Marty game, they have the option to create a three question QUIZ that goes with the verse. GIVE THEM the questions they are to use, but have THEM create the possible answers. After everyone has created their memory verse and quiz, switch computers so the kids can play the verse & quiz made others.
Sample Cal & Marty quiz questions:
What does it mean to “take up your cross and follow” Jesus?
How are you denying yourself this Lent? What part of your life do you think God wants you to get rid of?
2 Cor 5:20
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”
We used Cal & Marty Scripture Memory Game CD, had the kids add a quiz about the verse and then switch computers and play each other’s Cal scramble and quiz game. Spent a lot of time unpacking the word “ambassador” too and coming up with “What Would Ambassador Do” answers to scenarios kids face in their lives.
Psalm 51:10
In 2013 the lectionary has Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me”, which is another great memory verse. Did you know they (used to) put ASH IN SOAP? Sounds like a soap-making project to me!
Teach Philippians 2:5-11 ….Paul’s understanding of the Cross
“…he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross…”
These verses are “the Gospel in miniature”. They explain the cross and exemplary Christ’s humility. And they are often referenced during the Lenten season.
Here are the verses I put in the Philippians 2:5-11 set:
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited
but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 Memory Verse Teaching Notes:
1) There are several different interesting translations of this verse. Probably the most important variant is found in verse 6. NRSV uses the word “exploited” where other translations use the word “grasped” or “held on to.” Lots of discussion fodder there! You will see that I have put some questions about the verses in the “comments” section of each verse used in the game.For pre-teens and teens, consider having DIFFERENT translations at your different computers, then switch computer for kids to play each other’s memory verse.
2) Ideally, you would have your students do the typing of the memory verse into the Cal & Marty Scripture Memory Game verse editor. Why? Because typing is part of the memory work. Have one type while another reads and checks the spelling of the typist. It should take them about 15 minutes to put this verse set in through the editor. More if they also choose to add comments and quiz questions to each verse.
Depending on time you have and/or the age of your students, you might just do verses 5-9.
For younger children, you can edit/shorten the Philippians 2:5-11 verses to something like:
- Think like Jesus
- Become a servant
- Be obedient, even to death
- Confess Jesus Christ is Lord
Even non-readers can unscramble these short verse if you’re there to pronounce the words for them.
Philippians 2: The HOW FEW CAN YOU DO? game
Split into teams and discuss the whole passage. Go over vocab. Explain that this is Paul writing to the churches. Then, have the teams use Let’s Talk CD’s “Talk Now” module to create a character and type in their condensed verses –which their onscreen character will speak aloud for the class in Rounds One and Two. (They can also do it on paper or whiteboard, –but it’s not as much fun! Let’s Talk is the software that speak aloud whatever the kids type.
Round One: Have them condense the passage IN HALF. This will give them practice for round two. Teacher: compare & contrast what the teams keep/eliminate.
Round Two: See who can come up with the SHORTEST version that still makes sense and captures the essential ideas.
Rule: They can only use words that are found in the verses.
Lesson Conclusion: There are two possible directions you can go to condense this passage. One is “about Jesus”, but the second is “about us”. In other words, the passage is about JESUS humbling himself. Or, it’s about US doing things to confess Jesus as Lord. –Thinking like Jesus, serving like Jesus, being obedient like Jesus (taking up our own cross, so to speak).
√ This technique works for all sorts of long passages and stories, and gives the teacher a lot of things to talk about with the kids.
How Well Do You Know the Story of Holy Week?
Download my free Holy Week Quiz question set for use with Fall of Jericho CD. This simple text file was created in the Fall of Jericho game’s Question editor. You can open it up and edit or expand it (it has 22 questions). Click this link to download the jericho-easter.zip file or look for it in the Jericho page DOC BOX. Unzip the file and copy the jericho-easter.txt file into the same folder where you have installed the Fall of Jericho game and Question Editor
TIP: You might play this BEFORE Holy Week so you know what parts your lessons need to emphasize.
How Well Do You Know the Story of the Last Supper?
Jesus in Space CD’s Last Supper lesson on the Planet Whammo is essentially a QUIZ about the story order. There are a surprising number of pieces to it. The robots try to get it straight, but Lt. Stu must also decide if the robots are wrong. If either gets it wrong you find out why they call it the planet “Whammo” !
A Map Lesson of Holy Week…
Maps are a great way to do that. Click open the toggle below to see a screenshot of the “Last Two Days of Jesus in Jerusalem” from the Life of Christ CD you can save and use with your kids. I’ve blanked out the location names. Kids have to fill them back in as they take the map tour in the program. RIGHT click my map graphic and SAVE to your computer for printing.
“Last Two Days of Jesus in Jerusalem” lesson detail to get you started:
1. Go to the Professor’s Bookshelf in the Life of Christ CD and click the “Practice” book. Click on the “Tour…Passion Week in Jerusalem.” This is a narrated map of Jerusalem that traces Jesus’ last days with eight audio clips to hear.
2. Click and hear the events in the order you believe they happened. Fill in the location names on your map as you move through the events of Jesus’ last days. Then trace his route through the city on your map just as the program traces it. It get’s a little complicated between Pilate and Herod. See if you can figure it out!
3. When finished with the tour, answer the questions below.
a. What one word might describe Jesus’ emotions at each location? Think about what was happening to him at each spot and list that one word next to each location.
b. How would you describe the Disciple’s behavior in the last days of Jesus’ life?
c. Why did they act like that?
d. What motivated the leaders and priests to want to get rid of Jesus?
e. What do these events say about the courage and power of Jesus?
Holy Week Sequence Lesson Ideas for Non-Readers
Developmentally speaking, the little dudes don’t conceptually understand maps the way older kids and adults do. But they CAN trace a map and REMEMBER what happened where, –which is all we’re really looking for, even if they don’t understand that the map is a 2d representation of a real place.
Holy Week Sequence Lesson Ideas for Non-Readers
Developmentally speaking, the little dudes don’t conceptually understand maps the way older kids and adults do. But they CAN trace a map and REMEMBER what happened where, –which is all we’re really looking for, even if they don’t understand that the map is a 2d representation of a real place.
They can also understand the FEELINGS at each location (what was Jesus feeling at Caiaphas’ house?). So after using Play & Learn Children’s Bible CD -which has several Holy Week short stories in it, I have them DRAW MEMORY FLASH CARDS of the various events, then play a sequencing game with their pictures (really kind of like a picture puzzle). Those Flash Cards can include drawings of bread, cup, dinner, lamb, garden, prayer, –to help them sequence the PROPS of the events. And as you play the game… You can discuss each one, reinforce each one.
Teach the Vocabulary of Holy Week
One year I created a list of the names, vocab, and strange place names found in the Holy Week stories of all four Gospel’s. This comprehensive list should be taught through games, quizzes and puzzles to improve student’s familiarity and comprehension of these important stories.
Holy Week Vocab List
Stories are stickier and more quickly learned when they’re less confusing to read and hear. Yet, the Holy Week stories are full of new names, strange place names, and challenging vocabulary words. To improve familiarity, recall, and comprehension of these important stories, each year many of us in Sunday School create quizzes, wordsearches and crossword puzzles. In the computer lab, that means using programs like Fall of Jericho or Bible Grand Slam CDs, which many of our customers already own. Or Bible Crosswords/Wordsearch CDs (now out of print). The thing I like about this list, is that in learning it, –it opens up all sorts of opportunities to dive into the story.
I’ve gone through all four Gospels in the NIV version to create the following list and you’re welcome to copy it with your mouse and use it to create your own puzzles, quizzes and questions. <>< Neil
List of Key Words Found in the Events of Holy Week:
Luke 22, 23, 24
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Unleavened Bread
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Passover
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Chief Priests
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Judas Iscariot
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Mount of Olives (elsewhere called Gethsemane)
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temptation
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betray
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Temple guards (those who came to arrest Jesus)
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Servant of the High Priest
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High Priest (elsewhere named as Caiaphas)
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Prophesy! (what the guards shouted at Jesus)
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Pilate (Roman Governor)
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Herod (Jewish King)
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Barabbas (rebel for whom the crowds chanted and won his release)
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Simon of Cyrene (man compelled to carry cross)
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Golgotha (place of the skull)
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criminals
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Joseph of Arimathea
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Sabbath
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Spices and Perfume
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Mary Magdalene
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Joanna
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Emmaus
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Cleopas (named disciple who met resurrected Jesus on road)
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Bethany (where Jesus and Cleopas shared bread)
John 18, 19, 20
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Kidron Valley (valley disciples crossed to get to Gethsemane)
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Annas (Father in law of Caiaphas)
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Caiaphas (elsewhere named the “high priest”)
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Courtyard (of the High Priest…where Peter denied Jesus)
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What is truth (what Pilate asked Jesus during trial)
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King of the Jews
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hyssop (reed used to give Jesus wine on cross)
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Nicodemus (named as one who helped Joseph of Arimathea wrap and bury Jesus)
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Rabboni! (what Mary Magdalene called the risen Lord)
Mark 14-16
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Upper room
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Temple courts (where Jesus said to Judas he had been teaching)
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Day of Preparation (the day/Friday afternoon before Sabbath when they crucified Jesus)
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Centurion (Roman officer at the cross who proclaimed Jesus the Son of God)
This list created by Neil MacQueen for Sunday Software, www.sundaysoftware.com
Matthew 26, 27, 28
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Hosanna
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Bethany (where Jesus found a donkey to ride into Jerusalem)
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Gethsemane
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Sanhedrin (otherwise called the “Chief Priests” or “council” in other Gospels)
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Field of Blood (where Judas hung himself)
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Blood money (what the priest called the coins thrown by Judas)
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Potter’s field (where Judas was buried)
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Praetorium (Matt 27: 27, where Jesus was beaten by soldiers)
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Casting lots (to divide robe)
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“Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani” (“my God, my God, why have you forsaken me” Ps 22)
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Elijah (what the crowd said when they heard Jesus quoting Ps 22)
Note: Several of these words appear in more than one Gospel, and thus, are only listed once here.
Link to Fall of Jericho quiz making game
Create multiple choice question sets and race to Jericho!
Ilumina Bible software’s Narrated Holy Week Animations.
Ilumina Bible DVD is out of print, but if you own it, it has a WEALTH of narrated animations centered around Jesus’ ministry and Holy Week. If you own it, you could combine it with your Life of Christ CD lessons.
Toggle this open to see the list and some suggestions.
Ilumina Bible DVD has numerous dramatically narrated animations of the events of Holy Week:
(now out of print, but many of our customers still have it)
- Jesus Shares the Last Supper
- Jesus is Placed on the Cross
- Jesus Dies on the Cross (Mark)
- Jesus Dies on the Cross (Luke)
- Jesus Rises from the Dead (angels roll away the stone)
- Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene
These match up to Life of Christ CD’s lessons 31, 33, 34,35. The animations could be viewed after that interactive lesson in Life of Christ CD. You could create a worksheet with questions to answer following the viewing of one of the animations. Learn more about Ilumina at www.sundaysoftware.com/ilumina
Note: Ilumina’s depiction of Jesus on the cross shows him with quite a bit of blood. Might be a bit graphically intense for younger children. Each animation lasts about two minutes.
Holy Week Events found in The Play and Learn Children’s Bible CD
–a CD for preschoolers and non-readers
- Last Supper
- Jesus Dies on the Cross
- Some Women Visit Jesus’ Tomb
- Jesus Goes Back to Heaven
The Last Seven Words of Christ
The 7 Last Words teach children the extreme grace and obedience of Jesus at the most profound moment in all of history, and most difficult moments of his life. See my lesson notes here for how to teach them in the lab…
Teach “Christ’s 7 Last Words on the Cross”
with either Crosswords and WordSearch CDs (now out of print), or Cal & Marty’s Scripture Memory Game CD.
1) “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
2) “This day you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
3) “Woman, behold your son.” (John 19:26-27)
4) “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46)
5) “I thirst.” (John 19:28)
6) “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
7) “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
The 7 Last Words teach children the extreme grace and obedience of Jesus at the most profound moment in all of history, and most difficult moments of his life. They are especially personal words which further reveal the love and humanity of Christ.
This is a good lesson for that “special Sunday” or an upcoming Wednesday Night program. It also makes for a good special lesson for teens coming into the lab.
Older Children and teens should TYPE IN these verses to the Crosswords/Wordsearch game or Cal & Marty verse editor. They enjoy “programming” the game and the typing begins the memorization process.
Early Readers can easily learn the Last 7 Words in a Word Search or Scripture Memory Game. While they may not be able to “read” these short verses, then can identify key words by the SIGHT AND SHAPE of the words.
You can also put the 7 Last Words into “new words” or “with explanation” usingLet’s Talk CD …the program which “speaks aloud” whatever the kids type through their onscreen animated character.
Let’s Talk Lesson Example: After Bible study, the teacher invites the kids to turn on the Lesson Builder Module in Let’s Talk and create a brief “introduction” to one of the “last words” –typing the last words, and explaining what they mean to the student, what they say about Jesus, what they tell us about the cross. Then the Lesson Builder Module invites them to add 3 quiz questions and 3 discussion questions. When they’re done, have the kids SWITCH to another computer workstation to view each other’s presentations.
Example quiz questions: In which Gospel do you find this “last word”? Luke, John or Matthew? Who does Jesus seem to be saying these last words to?
Example of a discussion question: What do you think Jesus is feeling at the moment he says the words, “It is finished”. Happy? Sad? or what?
Depending on your number of computers/stations or amount of time, you may have already created some “Last Word” presentations in advance. For example, if you only have 3 computers and are short on time, you could pick 4 of the Last Words and do them yourself ahead of time, and just have the kids at the 3 computers make presentations for the other 3 Last Words.
Or, you could have your teens come in one week and MAKE the 7 Last Word Presentation/quizzes in Let’s Talk for the younger grades.
List of Life of Christ CD’s Holy Week lessons
Toggle this open to see the list lessons and some ideas…
List of Holy Week Presentations in the LIFE OF CHRIST CD
Most of our customers have the Life of Christ CD which has MANY Holy Week story presentations in it. We have also created a new program to follow-up these presentations in Life of Christ. I first thought up Let’s Talk CD after using Life of Christ for many years wishing I had a “dig deeper/reflection” program that would come after we viewed a presentation in Life of Christ CD. See some great lesson examples of that below.
27. Mary Prepares Jesus Body for Burial –with perfume (Matthew 26:6-13)
Mary believed Jesus when he said he would be crucified and wanted to show she loved him. What can you do to show your love for Jesus?
28. The Plot to Catch and Kill Jesus (Matthew 26:1-16)
Why the Jews and Caiaphas plotted to get rid of Jesus. Has jealousy ever made you say something that hurt others?
29. A Grand Entry Into Jerusalem –Palm Sunday (Luke 19:28-46)
The prophetic prediction behind the act. Jesus sobs over Jerusalem (and why). Do you honor Jesus as your king? If so, how?
After viewing this lesson in Life of Christ CD, turn on your Let’s Talk CD. Imagine what various people were saying that day as Jesus rode into town. Assign different roles/points of view to students and have them CREATE THESE
VOICES/opinions in Let’s Talk –which animated characters will speak aloud. Children there that day, old people, priests, romans, soldiers, sinners. What did they shout? What were they thinking to themselves? What questions would they have wanted to ask? What was Jesus thinking? What would the STONES have shouted, had everyone been silenced?
30. Disruption at the Temple (Matthew 21:12-17)
Why people needed their money changed. People misusing the Temple. Children sang praises. When and how do you praise the Lord?
Use Let’s Talk CD after this Life of Christ lesson to give voice to the people in the crowd. What was their reaction to Jesus? Where would Jesus go today to “disrupt the temple”? Create this new place in Let’s Talk’s “Conversation Now” instant messaging module –having students create dialog between Jesus and a person in that “place today.”
31. New Meaning to the Passover Meal (Luke 22:14-23)
An good presentation on the history and practice of the Passover meal and how Jesus redefined it. Have you ever taken Communion to remember Jesus’ death?
Raphael in Pathways Through Jerusalem discusses the events of that evening. Play and Learn Children’s Bible CD has a “Last Supper” story for non-readers/early readers. You could use Fall of Jericho Quiz game CD to follow up any of these programs on the Last Supper. Create a question set about YOUR church’s particular Communion Liturgy, the words/phrases you use, what happens when, what we do and what we don’t do.
NOTE: “Jesus in Space“ covers the Lord’s Supper & Foot Washing as a full interactive animated lesson.
32. Jesus is Arrested, Tried, and Tortured (Luke 22:47-23:45)
Jesus, the crowds, the priests, the soldiers, and Pilate. Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do?
Gethsemane is featured in Footsteps of Jesus CD and both Helena’s and Raphael’s Pathways Through Jerusalem CD tours. King Herod tours the reconstruction of Caiaphas’ house (the Palatial Mansion section) in Pathways Through Jerusalem. King Herod’s Tour in Pathways Through Jerusalem shows the Lithos Stratos pavement where Jesus was scourged. Use Let’s Talk CD as a follow-up to this lesson. Have students create a ‘speech’ by the different characters as to what they saw and why they wanted Jesus out of the way. Use Let’s Talk to create a defense. The “Conversation Now” module in Let’s Talk is like an “instant messaging program” in which two antagonists can argue about the events and reasons.
Related: See Neil’s “Last 7 Words of Christ” lesson idea here on this page.
Hosanna Hey!
Jesus Christ Superstar, the movie, has a great scene and song of the entry into Jerusalem. Print my free Teaching Outline to Jesus Christ Superstar at www.sundaysoftware.com/superstar.htm
Soldiers at the Cross
Doubting Thomas
Peter’s Denial
Toggle this open for my lesson notes on them…
 Notes About Using Let’s Talk CD for Lent/Holy Week stories/subjects…As you can see in the ideas on this page, Let’s Talk CD is extremely handy for creating/voicing responses to questions, putting words in characters’ mouths, and helping the kids voice reflections. This is exactly why I built it. I wanted a response/reflection tool to follow up other software with. So…. |
Imagine for example, the Roman Soldiers at the Cross trying to make sense out of what they were seeing and hearing. Using the “Conversation Now” module, you could have two soldiers arguing about what they should do. One is a “secret” Christian. Or for a more directed approach…. YOU the TEACHER be the “Nasty Soldier” who just wants to get this business over with, and voice several statements/questions to the kids seated at their Let’s Talk screens, and have them “answer you” using the Talk Now module. Example: “Tell me why I shouldn’t crucify this man?”There’s a new Lesson Outline for Doubting Thomas over in the Let’s Talk Lesson Ideas webpage
In 2007 my class studied Peter’s Denial and used Let’s Talk CD to compose “What Peter SHOULD have said to the people in the courtyard… instead of wimping out.” To start off, I the teacher took the role of the PROTAGONIST. I stood in the middle of the room and accused Peter of being a disciple -to which the kids had to respond through their Let’s Talk onscreen character –as if Peter had defended himself instead of denying Jesus. “Why shouldn’t I turn you in too!” Third graders can easily use it, but even non-readers love using it IF they have someone helping them type their responses. They love hearing the computer speak to them. Let’s Talk can be use for any subject, and has several different WAYS it can be used, including building lessons that speak aloud, only simulating “instant messaging” on your computer.
Let’s Talk can be used in SO many ways. I hope you enjoy these lesson starters.
<>< Neil