Locations & Times

SUPPLIES: small basket, group set of toy plastic pieces of bread, a hand mirror, group set of toy plastic fish

OR

PDF: Story Pictures

NOTES

• If you don’t have supplies for See and Share, then use the story picture PDFs.
• Take items out one at a time and hold them up for your child to see (or swipe through PDFs on your phone).
• Read each section and do the actions.

1. Mirror: Jesus told all the people that he loved them. Jesus loves you, too. (Hold up mirror to every child and say, “Jesus loves child’s name.”)
   
   
2. Hungry Tummy: The people Jesus was teaching got hungry. Can you growl like your tummy is growling? (Kids growl.) Can you rub your tummy and say, “I’m hungry!” (Kids rub tummies.)
   
   
3. Lunch Basket: (Hold out basket.) Jesus’ friends didn’t have any food, but one little boy shared his lunch with Jesus.
   
   
4. Toy Bread: (Pass out toy bread.) The little boy had bread in his lunch. Can you pretend to share your lunch with Jesus and put your bread in this lunch basket? (Allow kids to take turns putting their toy bread in the basket.)
   
   
5. Fish: (Pass out fish.) The little boy also had two fish in his lunch. Can you pretend to share your lunch with Jesus and put your fish in this lunch basket? (Allow kids to take turns putting their toy fish in the basket.)

Read John 6:1-15

Jesus tested the faith of his disciples in this story. Philip and Andrew had witnessed Jesus perform his first miracle turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. (John 2:1-11) But at this moment, the problem of feeding thousands of people with no food eclipsed what they knew of Jesus as a miracle worker. Their suggested solutions focused on work and money rather than Jesus’ power.

Did they forget who Jesus was? Perhaps it would have been wrong for any of the disciples to suggest to Jesus how to solve the problem miraculously. After all, one of Jesus’ temptations in the desert came from Satan, who told him to make the rocks into bread.

In addition to that, Jesus was exhausted at this point in his ministry. He had been busy healing crowds and teaching. Maybe his disciples just wanted the people to go away so their master could rest. But Jesus had compassion on the hungry crowds. He wanted to feed them physically like he had just fed them spiritually with his teaching. 

Remembering to take both our physical and our spiritual needs to Jesus is important. In addition, having compassion, even in the midst of exhaustion, is for sure a Jesus quality. Kids in particular can exhaust us quickly and easily. But we have to see like Jesus did and continue to feel compassion for kids who demand so much from us—hungry kids, kids who want to know more, kids who are not listening or following rules.

How did Jesus do it? At the end of a long, long day, Jesus did not draw his strength from just working more or trying harder. No. He performed a miracle. He relied on supernatural strength and supernatural compassion. That’s exactly why our faith in him is so critical. On our own strength, we would send the people away to find their own food. But with God’s strength? Miracles.

What’s one way you can more fully rely on God’s strength in your life?

What physical and spiritual needs are you bringing to Jesus right now?