Reading: John 20:19-31
You can watch the story here:
Theme Discussion
After Jesus came back, he visited most of his disciples and they saw him and spoke with him. Thomas, however, missed out, so when he heard what had happened, he didn’t believe it. He needed to have an experience with Jesus himself to help him believe, and Jesus gave that to him. He met with Thomas, spoke with him, and even offered to let Thomas touch his wounds. Jesus accepted Thomas just as he was—full of questions and doubts—and helped him reach a place of understanding and belief. Sometimes, in order to understand the world around us, it helps to ask questions and explore. Similar to Thomas, we can learn through our senses, our questions, and our interactions.
I wonder…
When do you think it is ok to ask questions? Are there times when it is not ok?
Do you think you need to experience someone actually “in-person” to believe they are alive?
What are some other ways you might “experience” someone? In a book, through a story someone tells you? Through pictures or videos? Through things they have written?
How do you think we can experience Jesus in our world today?
Response Activity Ideas
Questions Bookmark
Materials: colouring tools, ribbon/yarn, cardstock
What words do we use to ask questions? Make a list of as many as you can! Try to think of an example of a question about God, Jesus, or the Bible that starts with those words. You could try to find answers to these questions, but it’s also okay to just have things we’re wondering about.
Cut out the cardstock to make a bookmark. Decorate it with the question words you came up with, and add ribbon/yarn at the top and any other special decorations. When you use the bookmark, stop and wonder about what you’ve read!
Games
As you play, think about and discuss why we do or don’t believe what we are hearing and seeing. What information are we using to create our opinions? Think critically about your responses.
Two Truths and a Whopper
Have a parent or other adult come up with 3 statements about themselves, 2 of which are true, 1 of which is made up, and share them with you in any order (Ex: I went to school in Spain, I have slept in an igloo, and I got to feed penguins). The more unique or surprising the facts, the better! Try to guess the “doubtful” fact - Which of those things do you doubt is true?
“I Doubt It” (aka Cheat) – A card game for 3 or more people
Play with a regular deck of cards with jokers removed. Deal the cards out evenly. If there are remainders, place them face down in the center of the table as the beginning of the discard pile.
Play begins with the player to the left of the dealer. They place the Aces from their hand facedown on the discard pile and announces their play to the table: e.g.“One Ace” or “Two Aces.” If the player does not have any Aces, or wishes to get rid of more than one card, they may bluff and play non-Ace cards. The next player plays 2s, the next player plays 3s, and so on. If a player doesn’t believe an announcement, they can call out, “I doubt it!” The person who played the cards must turn them over and show the challenger whether they are bluffing or not. A player who is caught bluffing must pick up the entire discard pile and add it to their hand. If a challenged player is not bluffing, then the challenger must pick up the discard pile. When the rank to play reaches Kings, it then goes back to Aces and the numbers start again.
The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
(Source: https://www.considerable.com/entertainment/card-games/how-to-play-cheat/)
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