The parable of the wise man building his house on a rock and the foolish man building his house on the sand is appealing to preschoolers because of the visible and shocking results of the mens' choices.
The Setup for a Christian Preschool Lesson
Bring a bowl of sand and a fairly good-sized rock to show your preschoolers. Pass around the rock.
How does this rock feel? (Heavy, hard) Can you think of any way that it could be broken? (Hammer, throwing it at the ground) Someone might be able to break this rock, but it would be difficult.
Hold the bowl of sand and allow the children to come and touch it.
How does the sand feel? (Soft, tiny pieces) What happens when you push on the sand? (It moves, I make a hole) Sand is not sturdy and strong like a rock is. Some men in our story today found out about that the hard way!
Tell the Story About Trusting God
Following is an example of how to adapt Matthew 7:24-27. Alternatively, Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen wrote and illustrated a delightful picture book called Stories That Jesus Told, which contains another version of this story.
"There was once a man who wanted to build a house. He found a very big and sturdy rock. It was flat and strong. It looked like a good place to build, and so he began. He worked hard until his house was finished.
"There was another man who also wanted to build a house. He liked the ocean and so he decided to build his house on the sand, right on the beach. He worked hard too, until his house was built.
"One day a storm came up. The wind blew and the rain came down. The house on the rock stood firm, it did not move. But the house on the sand started to wiggle. The rain started to wash the sand right out from under it. It wiggled, then shuddered and then shook. Finally, the house on the sand fell – CRASH!"
Make the Connection to Jesus
Jesus said, ""Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
It is important to listen to Jesus and do what he says. When we obey Jesus we will do things right. The man who built his house on the big, sturdy rock did the right thing. The rock was too hard to move or break. We can trust Jesus to always tell us the right way to do things.
Sing a Song and Make a Craft
Sing "The Wise Man Built His House" (lyrics can be found here).
Draw the outline of a house sitting on a rock for each child. Offer craft sticks or twigs and glue and allow the children to "build" a house on the solid rock of Jesus.
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