My friend who has been working with four-year-olds shared this in her newsletter yesterday and has given me permission to share it with you. Children that age love rhyme and as you know, some jingles continue to come to mind years after we learned it. Praying it is so with this song/rhyme!

I don’t know about you but I can emphasize with Peter. So often we speak before we think, we act on emotions and we want to be so close to the Lord that we desire to walk on water with Him. And then in a moment of distress, we forget all He has done and say or try to do something in our own strength and we fail. The good news is that through the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and cast into the sea – as far as the east is from the west. Peter denied He knew Jesus; just as Jesus had said. When the cock crowed, he had denied Jesus three times. At that very moment, he looked up and Jesus was looking at him. Looking into the Lord’s eyes, Peter realized what he had done, then went out and wept bitterly. I love reading Mark 16:7 “But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter, that He goeth before you into Galilee, there ye shall see Him, as He said unto you.” Jesus was specific that Peter should know that He had risen from the dead and in including him, Peter knew that he was forgiven.  kp

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Okay, time to take a break and have some fun! Grab some four-year olds and let’s go!

First you’ll need to give some very detailed instructions, of course. Then give each of them either a set of lummi sticks or a triangle. (We’re talking musical instruments here.) No need to fret if they don’t get the instrument they want, they will be taking turns with them.

Now you need to learn the beat. Since you probably don’t have sticks and a triangle handy at the moment, you can use your hands. Slap your palms on the table (or on your thighs) twice to represent the lummi sticks, then snap your fingers once to represent the triangle. Ready? Let’s go! Slap, slap, snap. Slap, slap, snap. Slap, slap, snap. Slap, slap, snap.

Got it?

Good.

Now we need to add some words. Don’t sing them, say them. The more expressive, the better. Slap, slap, snap 3 or 4 times in between the verses. Here we go! Get your beat going first and . . .

Listen to the story of a man named Peter
Whom one day God called to be a great leader

Jesus found him fishing out at the lake
“Come with me, Peter, we’ve a journey to take!”

A journey of faith was what was in store
It would take much longer than a 3 hour tour

They walked and they talked along the dusty roads
Sometimes they were noisy, sometimes quiet as the toads

Peter saw Jesus heal the sick and lame
He saw Jesus help everyone who came

The blind, the deaf, and those who couldn’t speak
The poor, the needy, the lowly, and the meek

Jesus loved them all and helped them everyone
And then Peter knew the Son of God had come

Peter made a promise to never run away
No matter what happened, with Jesus he would stay

But then the crowds and soldiers gave him such a fright
That Peter lost his courage and ran out in the night

Peter was so sorry for the words he’d spoken
He cried and felt so sad, his heart was almost broken

Peter wanted to see Jesus, look him in the eyes
To tell Him that he loved Him and to apologize

After Jesus died and came to life again
Peter was relieved Jesus forgave him of his sin

Peter knew that Jesus knows all things
Peter told others of the joy Jesus brings!

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