Week 3 – “Books, Chapters, Verses”

Summary
Verse
Movement
Lesson
Small Groups
Closer Game

Summary

Kids discover that Bible references—book, chapter, and verse—work like an address to help us find the exact words God gave us. They learn what the big and small numbers mean and practice locating verses together so they can confidently use their own Bibles.

Verse

Psalm 119:105 — “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Action motions:
  • “Lamp to my feet” – pretend to hold a lantern low.
  • “Light to my path” – sweep your hand forward to “light” the way ahead.

Use the verse to remind them that the Bible shows us where to go and how to live

Movement: “Old or New?”

Set-up: 
  • Create a large poster showing a sample verse reference, like Genesis 1:1, with the big “1” (chapter) and small “1” (verse) written clearly.

How to play:
  1. When you point to the book name, kids shout “BOOK!” and pat their heads.
  2. When you point to the big number, everyone jumps once (“BIG number!”).
  3. When you point to the small number, everyone crouches down low (“LITTLE number!”).
  4. Repeat different examples (e.g., “John 3:16,” “Psalm 100:4,” “Mark 1:35”) until everyone gets the pattern.

Variation: 
  • Play music between rounds—when the music stops, show a new verse and watch them move to match.

Teaching tie-in: 
  • “When you learn how to read these, you can find any verse in the Bible on your own—like finding a house with its address!”

Lesson

Demonstrate step-by-step:
  1. Find the book: Use the table of contents to find the book name.
  2. Find the (big) chapter number: Look for the big, bold number in the text.
  3. Find the (small) verse number: Move through the text until you see the small number.

Analogy: 
Compare it to mailing a letter—
  • Book = City
  • Chapter = Street
  • Verse = House number

Visual aid: 
  • Draw a “Bible address” on the board showing the parts in color—blue for Book, red for Chapter, green for Verse.

Group reading: 
  • Have everyone find “Genesis 1:1” together. Read it aloud, then try one more (like “John 3:16”).
Object lesson idea:
Hand a child a “Bible address card” (e.g., Psalm 23:1) and ask, “Can you find this address in your Bible home?”

Small Groups: “Find It Together”

Supplies:
  • Each child needs a Bible (same or similar translation helps).

Activity:
  1. Practice finding three short, familiar verses (like Genesis 1:1, Psalm 100:4, and John 3:16).
  2. Have them read aloud one at a time and mark it with a sticky note or highlighter tab.
  3. Younger kids can work in pairs—one finds the book, the other the chapter/verse.

Optional worksheet: A “Find the Address” sheet showing how to break a reference into parts and arrows pointing from each bit to the right spot on a mini Bible page illustration.

Closer Game: “Bible Drill—Ready, Set, Find!”

Set-up: 
  • Give each pair or small group a Bible.

How to play:
  • Kids hold Bibles closed in their laps.
  • You call out a verse (e.g., “Matthew 5:14”).
  • They open and race to find it. When they have it, they stand quietly.
  • First few to find it correctly read it aloud.

Variation:
  • Use color-coded rounds—green (easy), yellow (medium), red (challenge).

Play “teacher vs. kids”: 
  • sSee if the whole group can beat you finding the verse.

Encourage respect: 
  • Remind them it’s fun competition, but the goal is learning how to find God’s Word quickly and carefully.
Optional closer devotion:
  • Hold up your Bible by a flashlight and say, “Just like a flashlight helps us see in the dark, God’s Word helps us see what’s right. Every verse you find is another step on His path of light.” Then close in a short prayer: “God, thank You for giving us Your Word to guide our steps.”