Season of Wonder: Fear

Ask everyone what makes them afraid. Was anyone afraid in the Christmas story? Make a list of people who might have been afraid and what made them fearful.

Fear

Read: An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Luke 2: 9-10

Ask: Why were the shepherds afraid? Why did the angels tell them not to be afraid? What was the good news? Do you think that being afraid ever keeps you from hearing good news?

Pray: Lord, when we are afraid help us to trust you. Help us to remember that you love us and you have said that perfect love casts out fear. Help us not to miss you working around us because we are afraid.

Other things to do:

*Paint rocks (small box or other small object) and put the words “Fear not” on it. Place it somewhere as a reminder such as beside the bed if a child is scared at night.

*Act out the angel coming to the shepherds. Take turns being the angel. Be overly dramatic with “Do not be afraid.”

*Pray specifically for each person’s fears. In the next few weeks, continue to pray for one another to “do not be afraid” but to remember that God loves them and is there.

Object Lesson: The Lion of Judah is powerful to help us.

 

Supplies: Legos (or other building materials), cardboard

Preparation: Cut a cardboard square for each team to build a tower on.

 

Divide the kids into teams. Each team builds the highest tower possible without falling down. Once the towers are made, the teams should move their piece of cardboard back and forth gently shaking the tower. Will it withstand being shaken?

 

Sometime in life we are “shaken.” Things happen that we do not expect. Sometimes those things are big things and sometimes they are small things. Can you think of some things that have shaken you? (Give the kids an opportunity to answer. You might have to give them some direction: going to a new school, a younger sibling tearing up a favorite toy, a pet dying.)

 

Some things that shake us are things that we can get over quickly. Other things change our lives so it is harder to deal with them.

 

Whenever our lives are shaken, we can remember that Jesus, as the Lion of Judah, is powerful. He has the power to help us through whatever situation we may be in. He might not “fix” things the way we want them fixed, however, He will help us overcome fear and anxiety and sadness. When we are shaken, we can ask Him to help us and He will. He might bring a friend to help us feel better. He might remind us of how much He loves us. He will be with us through whatever hard things there are and will never leave us. When we are sad, He knows and cares about us. We can trust Jesus, the Lion of Judah, to powerfully help us overcome our problems and to conquer any fears we have with them.

 

“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5

 

This object lesson is an excerpt from our curriculum on the names of Jesus found in Revelation, Imagination Factory: Soaring Structures.

 

 

Five Ways to Help Preschoolers Deal with Fear At Night

1. Learn the Bible verse “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3   Repeat it each day. Pray at night having your child repeat after you: Jesus, When I am afraid, I will trust you. Amen.
2. Read Llama, llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney. The llama in this book epitomizes the fear a child feels at night. The book will help preschoolers put into words what they feel.

I wish this book was around when my kids were preschoolers. The emotions the llama feel are so spot on. I love the sequence of events that take place as the little llama’s fear increases.

3. Make a “I’m not alone” pillowcase together. Start off with an inexpensive plain white or tan pillowcase. Decorate it using permanent markers or fabric paint. Draw pictures of the family on the pillowcase or anything that helps the preschooler feel calm. Write the verse Psalm 56:3 on the pillowcase and point to the verse each night to remind the child.

4. Read from a Bible Story book about Jesus calming the storm at night (Mark 4:35-40.)  Act out the story with your child. Draw a picture of the storm and Jesus in the boat with the disciples. Put the picture in the child’s room as a reminder that Jesus protected the disciples during the storm and calmed the wind and the waves.

5. During the day, role play going to bed. Act out different situations and how to handle them when the child is scared.
Above all, be patient. This won’t last forever. It might seem like it will, but it won’t. Hugs, verbal reassurances and listening to the child’s concerns will go a long way in helping them deal with fear.
And truthfully. . . most of my kids went through a period of time where we had a sleeping bag in our room on the floor. They would crawl in when they needed reassurance. This period never lasted long and kept us from some sleepless nights.