"That's it, isn't it? That's the big surprise," said the man excitedly as he watched his friend stitching his bed. "You're sowing those straps on my bed so that I can go everywhere with you. That's the surprise, isn't it?" The man wanted to jump up from the floor where he lay and hug his friend but his paralysed body wouldn't let him.
"No," said his friend laughing. "This isn't it. It's much better than this. Just you wait and see." He started to hook twine through the straps he had sown in each of the four corners.
At that moment, three other men arrived. They saw the bed and nodded in agreement. "That'll do it," they said.
"What?" said the paralysed man, nearly bursting with excitement. "Do what? What will it do? Please tell me what the surprise is."
"You'll see," said the three as they picked the man off the floor and laid him carefully down on his bed. Each of the four friends took hold of a length of twine, and, facing forward, they hooked it over their shoulder, lifting the bed.
On the count of three, they sped from the house into the dusty town. At great speed, they darted down narrow streets past deserted houses. Without so much as slowing up for the corners, they skidded round each bend.
"Wow!" shouted the man. "This is it! This is the big surprise - a crazy, death defying ride through the streets of Capernaum. This is a great surprise!"
"No!" shouted the men. "This isn't it. The surprise is much better than this."
Soon they arrived outside a building by the lake of Galilee. It was crowded about with people. There was no way through the front door. The four friends looked dejected at the thought of not being able to get inside. Then one of them had a great idea. "The roof," he said and the others agreed.
"What are you doing?" said the man as they hauled him up onto the flat roof of the crowded building.
"You'll see!" they said as they frantically removed the slates from the roof and dug a big hole to lower him through.
"Is this it? Is this the big surprise?" said the man a little concerned now. "I think I'd rather go on another race through the streets if it's all the same to you."
"No!" said his friends as they started to lower him down through the hole. "You'll see."
The paralysed man lay stiffly in the middle of his bed as his four friends lowered him into the building. They set him down right in front of a man who smiled down at him.
"So that's the big surprise!" thought the paralysed man. "Wow! My friends must have so much faith. This really is the best surprise ever," and he looked up into the Face of Jesus.
THINK!
What sort of surprises do like best?
Have you ever helped a friend less fortunate than yourself?
Do you think Jesus was happy even though the friends broke the roof?
REMEMBER
A friend is always worth the effort!
A VERSE TO LEARN
"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matthew 22:39b).
LET'S PRAY
****************************************************
Dear Lord, please help me to help others.
Please teach me to know that it makes You happy
when I give my time so that other people benefit.
Thank You for the help You give me.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
****************************************************
CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Luke, chapter 5, verses 17-26
JUST FOR FUN
Down Through the Roof Crossword Puzzle
Down Through the Roof Jigsaw Puzzle
Down Through the Roof 10-Pack (Pencil Fun Books)
Down Through the Roof Word Scramble
Jesus Miracles & Messages (5-Minute Sunday School Activities)
Miracle Puzzlers : 28 Word Puzzles Based On Jesus Miracles
Amazing Bible Mazes
Word Search
Best Book of Bible Activities
Encyclopedia Of Bible Games For Childrens Ministry
The Humongous Book of Games for Children's Ministry
Memory Verse Games for Kids (Take Me Through the Bible Series)
Big Book Of Bible Puzzles (Reproducible)
Bible Puzzles: Word Search
Big Book Of Bible Story Activity Pages V1 (Gospel Light Big Books)
More Bible Time with Kids
Christian and educational toys
Children's Activity Books
Children's Puzzles
Crossword Books
Sticker Books
Down Through the Roof
Action Bible Songs (Cedarmont Kids)
Bible Songs on CD
100 Singalong Songs For Kids (Cedarmont)
25 Favorite Sunday School Songs (includes Fishers of Men) (Veggie Tales)
Children's Music
Color the Bible Verse
Jesus Healing a Lame Man
Miracles of Jesus (Bible Colour and Learn)
The Miracles of Jesus (Stained Glass Coloring Book)
New Testament Bible Story Cards Coloring Book
Bible Story Coloring Pages #2 (Reproducible)
My Bible Coloring Book (Shirley Dobson)
Children's Coloring Books
Smart Coloring Books
Down Through the Roof (Arch Books) (Spanish)
Four Faithful Friends (Happy Day Books Bible Stories)
If Jesus Came to Visit Me
Jesus, Miracle Worker (Bible Alive)
Parables and Miracles of Jesus
The Broken Roof
The Ministry of Jesus Christ (listen and read online)
God Gives You Friends (Boz)
365 Read-Aloud Bedtime Bible Stories (Barbour Publishing)
Awesome Book of Bible Stories for Kids
Pilgrim's Progress for Kids
365 Activities For Kids:
A Bible Story And Activity For Each Day Of The Year
100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs w/2 CD
Baby's First Bible
Beginner's Bible
Bible In Pictures For Toddlers
Bible stories
Early Reader's Bible
Five Minute Devotions for Children (ages 4-8)
Little Hands Story Bible
The Children's Illustrated Bible
The Preschoolers Bible
Toddlers Bible
Pilgrim's Progress for Kids
Children's Books
Spanish Children's Books
The Picture Bible (my children's favorite!)
Draw 50 People from the Bible
Bible Crafts & More (Ages 6-8)
Bible Crafts On A Shoestring Budget (Ages 5-10)
Big Book of Bible Crafts (Ages 3-12)
Encyclopedia Of Bible Crafts For Preschoolers
Praise God With...Craft Series
Praise God with a Paper Plate (PreK-Grade 2)
Really Big Book Of Cool Crafts For Kids w/CD-Ages 4-12 (Reproducible)
Children's Crafts & Hobbies
Bible Comes Alive Series CD Album 4 (Your Story Hour)
Miracles of Jesus (Bible Animated Classics)
Miracles of Jesus (Greatest Heroes & Legends)
Miracles of Jesus
The Miracles of Jesus DVD (Hanna Barbera)
The Story of Jesus for Children
You Are Special by Max Lucado
Story of Jesus for Kids (Casscom Media)
God's Story from Creation to Eternity (listen & watch online)
Children's DVDs
TEACHER'S RESOURCES
All the Miracles of the Bible
Exploring the Miracles & Parables (Scripture Pictures)
Bible Memory Games (Creative Bible Activities for Children)
Bible Story Coloring Pages (Reproducible)
30 New Testament QuickSkits for Kids
801 Questions Kids Ask About God (Focus on the Family)
Absentee Postcards
African American Resources
Almost Every Answer for Practically Any Teacher (Bruce Wilkinson)
Bible Crafts and Activities for Any Story
Big Book of Bible Games (Gospel Light)
Bulletin Board helps
Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul
Children's Church Resources
Children's Sermon
Church Nanny Sos: Teaching Discipline Essentials for Preschool Ministry Volunteers
Church Supplies
Closing Prayer
Edible Object Talks That Teach About Jesus (Edible Object Talks)
52 Games That Teach The Bible
Flannel Graph Story Sets to Purchase
Free educational videos
God's Servants Teach Me (Instant Bible Lessons)
God's Wisdom for Little Boys: Character-Building Fun from Proverbs
Help! I'm a Sunday School Teacher (Focus on the Family)
Hermie Scripture Memory
How To Lead a Child To Christ
King James Version Award Bibles
Leading Little Ones to God: A Child's Book of Bible Teachings
Lord Teach Me To Pray For Kids (Kay Arthur)
Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours
Memory Verse Ideas
Memory Verse Resources
Object Talks
Opening Prayer
Parenting
Power Point Presentations of Various Bible Stories
Pray & Play Bible for Young Children
Puppet Scripts
Resources for Teachers
Seven Laws of the Learner (Bruce Wilkinson)
Spanish Resources
Sunday School Attendance Boosters: 165 Fresh Ideas
Sunday school resources
Talking to God (Instant Bible Lessons)
Teachers' Reproducible Classroom Pages
Teaching children
Teaching Children Memory Verses Ages 4-5
Teaching Children To Pray Ages 4-5
Teaching to Change Lives (by Howard Hendrickss)
The Big Book of Bible Skits
Things To Make Craft Activities
20 Bible Verses Every Child Should Know /CD (Heritage Builders)
Vacation Bible School
What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know
(by Elmer Towns)
BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE
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