Theme:  Resourcefulness

Everyone wanted to see Jesus! There were lots and lots and lots of people around the house.

At the edge of the crowd was a man who could not walk. He was lying on a stretcher.
His friends had taken him to see Jesus.

They looked and looked and looked around. There were SO many people! HOW were they going to get their friend close to Jesus?

Suddenly one of them had an idea! They got their heads together in a huddle and talked.

Finally one said: “Okay! Let’s try it!”

They climbed up steps on the outside of the house, carefully removed tiles from the roof, gently placed the paralyzed man on a mat, attached ropes to the mat, and lowered him down through the roof into the house where Jesus was standing.

Jesus said to the paralyzed man: “Get up. Take your mat and go home.”

The man was so excited that Jesus had healed him! He got up and all the way home he said: “Glory to God. I’m healed. Glory to God!”

Discussion Questions:

1.  What does resourcefulness mean and in what ways were the four friends resourceful?  (Resourcefulness is thinking up a solution to a difficult situation; marching to the beat of a different drum when necessary.)

2.  What happened as a result of the friends being persistent and creative with this unusual challenge?

3.  Share a time when you were resourceful recently to solve a problem.

Action Step:  Decide upon a project such as giving money for missions or helping a needy family.  Brainstorm a creative plan for being resourceful to earn the needed funds.

Bible Verse:  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10, NIV).

SONG:  “Different Drum” (Get on Board album)