1. Tech Que: “Hide n Seek” Title Graphic

2. Those are some incredible ideas
Those are some incredible ideas! This week, remember that Jesus is calling you to follow Him. Even though you might be a regular old kid, Jesus thinks your special! He wants YOU to follow Him in big and bold ways! Let’s thank Jesus right now for wanting ordinary people like us to follow Him.

3. Oh yeah—there it is! Now I just need to choose the fastest route to get to my Bible. (Look around the room at your possible options.) Hmm…I think I’ve got it! (Skirt around the very outer edge of the room to get to your Bible. Appear like you’re trying to keep maximum distance from the kids. For comedic affect, you may want to climb over and around things. Once you retrieve your Bible, return via the same route.)

4. What did you think of my route. Was it the fastest. (Kids respond
What did you think of my route? Was it the fastest? (Kids respond.) No way! What do you think would have been a faster route? (Take answer.) That’s right—it would have been faster if I had traveled straight through the middle of the room.

5. In today’s Bible story, the Jewish people were doing something similar
In today’s Bible story, the Jewish people were doing something similar. You see, whenever the Jews traveled to Galilee, they never took the straight route because it went through a place called Samaria. The Jews didn’t like the Samaritans, so they took the long route to avoid them. Not Jesus, though. In today’s Bible story, Jesus did something that seemed crazy at the time—He walked straight through the middle of Samaria. Let’s find our first hidden story object to see what happened.

6. Tech Que: “The Big Bible Story” Graphic Ahead of time, hide the story pictures/props around the room. For the sake of time and group management, try to hide them in places that are at least partially visible from the seating area so that kids don’t have to get up and search around the room. Hide them in somewhat challenging, but not impossible, locations.

7. To get our story started for today, I need for you to find a walking stick. (Retrieve the walking stick once it’s found.) One day, Jesus and His disciples were walking through Samaria to Galilee. And even though it was the fast route, it was a long walk! (Walk in place.) They walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. (Drag it out a bit. Act exhausted.)

8. Finally, Jesus and His disciples got tired
Finally, Jesus and His disciples got tired. Show me what you look like when you’re tired. (Kids look tired.) That’s pretty good, but they were even more tired than that. Show me what you look like when you’re super tired. (Kids look super tired.) That’s more like it! Jesus was super tired from walking, so He sat down by a well with water in it.

9. Now I need you to find a glass of water
Now I need you to find a glass of water. (Retrieve the glass of water once it’s found.) There was a woman from Samaria by the well. Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink of water from the well?” The Samaritan woman was shocked. Normally, the Jews wouldn’t even talk to the Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus said to her, “If you knew who I was, you would have asked me to give you living water.”

10. Now I need you to find a bucket. (Retrieve the bucket once it’s found
Now I need you to find a bucket. (Retrieve the bucket once it’s found.) The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “You don’t have a bucket to lower down and get water. The well is really deep. How are you going to get this living water?” She didn’t realize that the living water Jesus talked about wasn’t really water at all. The living water was God’s Holy Spirit and she didn’t need a bucket to get it. Jesus told her, “Everyone who drinks the water from this well will be thirsty again. But anyone who drinks the living water will never be thirsty.” The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “Sir, please give me this living water.”

11. Now I need you to find a wedding ring
Now I need you to find a wedding ring. (If you are married, casually place your hand in a way that displays your ring. Otherwise, retrieve the ring once it’s found.) Jesus told the woman to go get her husband and come back. But the woman said, “I don’t have a husband.” Jesus answered, “You’re right. You have had 5 husbands. And the man you live with now is not your husband.” The woman was a little bit embarrassed because it was true. But she was also amazed that Jesus knew this about her because they had just met! The Samaritan woman was sure that Jesus was a prophet—someone who had special knowledge from God. But Jesus told her that He was more than a prophet. He told her that He was the Messiah, the Savior of the world!

12. Tech Que: “Big Bible Story Questions” Graphic At the end of the Bible story, have the kids turn briefly to their small groups and discuss the following questions: For Younger Kids: What did you like best about this story? Why do you think the Samaritan woman was so surprised that Jesus talked to her? After a few minutes, draw their attention back to the teaching area. You may want to ask the kids for some of their answers to hear what they were thinking.

13. Tech Que: “Hide n Seek” Title Graphic In our story for today, the Samaritan woman was from a group of people that most Jews didn’t like. More than that, she had messed up big time! She had had five different husbands and the man she was living with now was not her husband. But Jesus still loved her. That’s because Jesus loves us no matter who we are or what we do. Let me show you what I’m talking about.

14. Ahead of time, put a paper pad in the teaching area or tape a poster board or large piece of paper on a wall. Draw a person on the paper in black marker.

15. Take a look at this person. He’s not perfect
Take a look at this person. He’s not perfect. In fact, just like the rest of us, he makes a lot of bad choices. What kind of sins or bad choices do a lot of kids your age make? (Take answers. Write them in red marker on the drawing of the person.) When we look at people, sometimes we see all of the bad choices they make, but that’s not what Jesus sees. Jesus is the Messiah—the Savior of the world. When Jesus died for us on the cross, His blood covered all of our sins.

16. (Tape a large piece of red cellophane over the drawing
(Tape a large piece of red cellophane over the drawing. The person will show through, but the sins written in red will disappear.) Look at how the sins disappeared. If you love and follow Jesus, He sees you the way God made you, He doesn’t see all of the bad things you’ve done.

17. Jesus loves us no matter who we are or what we do
Jesus loves us no matter who we are or what we do. It doesn’t matter if you are black, or white, or Hispanic, or Asian. It doesn’t matter if you’ve made the biggest mistake in the world. Just like the Samaritan woman, Jesus loves you SO much! In fact, that’s what our Bible verse for today tells us. Let’s take a look. (Encourage kids to open their Bibles to Romans 5:8. Be prepared to give younger kids more time and assistance in finding the verse. When ready, choose a kid to read it aloud or read it aloud yourself while the kids follow along.)

18. Tech Que: “But here is how God has shown his love for us
Tech Que: “But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 It’s not because we’re perfect that Jesus loves us. It’s because Jesus loves us that we are perfect in His eyes. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, Jesus loves you and died for you so that you could have the living water. In other words, He died so that you could live with Him forever in Heaven. Let’s say a prayer and thank Him for loving us so much!

19. Tech Que: “Hide n Seek” Title Graphic