Ministry-To-Children.com » Father’s Day Ideas

“How To Honor Your Father” Bible Lesson

Tony Kummer — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:07:03 +0000

This Bible lesson plan about honoring your father follows our new hassle-free format. The basic version makes it easy to teach with very little preparation or outside materials. We’ve also suggested more activities so you can expand the lesson to best fit your ministry setting.

Lesson Title: How To Honor Your Father
Bible Reference: Exodus 20:12, The Fifth Commandment
Printer Friendly: Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson.
Target Age Group: Age 4 – 12
Learning Context: Sunday School or Kids Church
Target Time Frame: 30 minutes

Memory Verse: “Honor your father and mother.” Exodus 20:12a

Gospel Connection: Like all the commandments, only Jesus lived in perfect obedience. As children learn about God’s standard of righteousness, the Holy Spirit will often convince them of their own sin. At those moments the answer is not “obey better” but look to Jesus. We can trust in his righteousness to cover our shortfall. Only his grace can transform our natural rebellious hearts to rightly honor our earthly and heavenly Father.

Learning Aim: After this lesson, children will verbally identify one specific ways they can show honor to their fathers (or primary caregiver.) Look for the Learning Outcome Test section in our Basic Teaching Plan below.

Target Age: Our super simple lesson plans are broadly graded and easy to adapt for a variety of children’s ministry settings. Look for specific adaptations within the Basic Teaching Plan below.

Basic Supply List:

A marker board or piece of paper attached to the wall to display the word “HONOR.” This is used in the Lesson Introduction below.
(Optional) Collect a series of hats or props to be used in the Role Playing Honor activity below. The children who volunteer to play each role will wear the hat as you explain the meaning of honor related to their character. Suggested props: Soldier’s hat, pastor’s neck-tie & Bible, school teacher’s sweater-vest & chalk, judge’s robe & gavel, a ball-cap for a school friend.
(Optional) Instead of the list above, you could simply write the words for each character (or print a picture from the Internet) on a piece of paper and ask the child to hold it in the Role Playing Honor activity below.
Think ahead a time when you did not honor your father as a child. You will need to briefly share this story during the Gospel Application part of the lesson plan.
The optional activities at the end of this lesson may require additional supplies. Carefully read the directions while preparing your lesson.

Other Notes: In the teaching plan below the words in italics are meant to be read aloud. The regular text is simply directions for the teacher.

Be sensitive to children who do not have a father in their home. In such cases you can often substitute grandfather during the activity Discerning Honor below. If this is a challenge in your ministry you could simply refer to parents. We suggest your read our article about Father’s Day and Children who have lost their Dad .

> > > > Basic Teaching Plan < < < <

Lesson Introduction: Display the word “HONOR” in your teaching area. Ask for several volunteers to suggest what that word means. Listen to carefully to their ideas and affirm their efforts by saying, “That’s a good suggestion, who else wants to try…”

Role Playing Honor: After a few minutes, explain to the kids that you will work together to discover what the word “HONOR” means. Ask for several volunteers to act out the following roles. As each child comes forward read the following text explain the meaning of honor. This is where the optional props are used. (allow for response)

Soldier: When an army soldier comes into a room what hand signal do people sometimes make? (allow for response) Let’s all stand and salute this soldier. This salute is a way to show honor and means that we know that soldiers are important people who risk their lives to keep us safe.
Pastor: When a pastor begins to pray what do people normally do with their hands and eyes?(allow for response) Let’s all close our eyes & fold our hands like this pastor is leading us in a prayer. Our folded hands and bowed eyes show respect for the pastor & for God during prayer. This is like saying with our body that our pastor is an important person who helps use to know God better.
Teacher: What are you supposed to do in your classroom to answer a question your teacher asks? (allow for response) Let’s all raise our hands together like we have an answer for this teacher. When children raise their hands this shows honor for the teacher because they have an important job helping you to learn.
Judges: What do people in a courtroom do when a judge walks into the room? (allow for response) Let’s all rise to show the importance of this judge. This standing up lets everyone know that judges have important work helping the world to be a more fair place.
Friend School: What do you do with your hand when you see your friend across the park. (allow for response) Let’s all wave to our friend together. When we wave our hand it shows that we’re happy to see our friend. It means our friend is important because we like to be around them.

Thank the volunteers for helping act out the characters and allow them to return to their seats.

Defining Honor: Explain to the children in your own words how honor means acting out that someone else is important. It starts with an attitude but it’s also something that comes out in the way we behave around toward that person.

Reciting the Bible Verse: Read the following Bible verse to the children and ask them to repeat it as a group afterward. “Honor your father and mother.” Exodus 20:12

(Optional) We have suggestions for memorizing this verse in the optional activities below.

Discerning Honor: Ask the children to respond to the following statements. If they sound like good ways to show honor they should stand and salute the teacher. If they are not good ways to show honor the children should remain seated. You may want to create a few of your own statements.

Giving your Father (or mother) a hug when he comes home from work. (YES)
Asking your Dad to play with you. (YES)
Getting upset if your Dad says he does not have time right now. (NO)
Asking your Father to pray with you at bedtime. (YES)
Pouting when your Father asks you to do your chores. (NO)
Arguing with your Dad when it’s time for you to do homework. (NO)

Say: In each of these, it’s important to act in ways that shows your Father is an important person. That’s what it means to honor your Father.

Gospel Application: Share a personal story of a time when you did not show honor to your Father. Talk about how that was breaking God’s law and you needed Jesus to forgive that sin. Explain that Jesus had a father while he was on Earth too named Joseph. We know that Jesus was the only child to every perfectly obey his father. So Jesus can forgive our sin and help us become better children to our father.

Learning Outcome Test: Ask each child to silently think of one specific way they can show more honor to their father. As time allows, have them share their answer in smaller groups with your adult leaders.

Close this part of the lesson in prayer . . . .

We need your help! All the Bible materials on our website are open for improvement. Often our best ideas come from readers just like you. Simply leave a comment below with any corrections to this lesson or more suggestions that will help other readers.

> > > > Optional Activities < < < <

Coloring Pages: Our website hosts a variety of coloring pages for Father’s Day. These are all 100% free to use in your church, home, or school. The children can complete these and offer them as gifts after the church service.

Craft Ideas: We have listed and linked to several father’s day crafts. Any of these would be an appropriate addition to this lesson plan.

Father Says Game: Instead of Simon Says, you could play Father Says. You could substitute acting out realistic directions rather than the typical silly commands. Some examples would be:

Father says clean your room (pretend to clean)
Father says go to bed (lay down and pretend to fall asleep)
Father says do your homework (pretend to do homework)
Father says help your mother (act like they are helping mom with something)
Father says stand up straight (practice good posture)
Father says eat your pizza (pretend to eat)
Father says brush your teeth (pretend to brush teeth)

Dads Deserve Honor: Revisit the characters used in the Role Play Honor game above. For each one ask the children to describe how their father plays a similar role in their family. For example, dad keeps the home safe like a soldier keeps the country safe. Ask the children to act out different situations where the father would be like these characters.

Bible Memory: Use any of our creative methods to help the children memorize the short Bible verse from this lesson plan.

Poem Recital: Lead the children to rehearse and briefly perform this poem for the fathers in your church during the worship service.

Prodigal Son Video: Watch this short video clip that tells the story of the prodigal son. Discuss with the children how the boys behavior failed to show honor to the father. You could also explain how the father continued to love his son, even when he was very wicked. This could lead into a whole new Gospel application.

Father’s in the Bible: Ask the children to look up Bible stories about fathers in the the scriptures. For each of these you could discuss the different ways the children showed honor to their Father. This activity is better suited for older children. Know your students and use your best judgment.

Luke 15:11-32 “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”
Genesis 47:1-11 “Joseph provides for his aged Father”
Genesis 22:1-19 “Abraham almost sacrifices Isaac”

Christian Poem for Father’s Day

Guest Writer — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:33:06 +0000

FOR YOU ON FATHER’S DAY

by Deirdre Banda

For you on father’s day what ever you celebrate
Fathers have been here in times and seasons
For you on Father’s Day that’s really great
To remember you not just on this day but every day
It’s father Day today for all fathers who have been
Here and gone Your memories live on
Fathers enjoy your children, draw them near
Closer to you inside the heart
Because they may think of you today
Pick up the phone, and dial and say!
Write a letter. You may be surprised with the reply
A very special love for you
Joyful Father’s Day

Just for you
With all the grace of God’s life to us
Can bring on your special day
Father’s Day is the time for thoughts of quiet reflection
Memories of the year have gone by
A Welcome smile
Father’s Day is the perfect time to receive God’s grace
Ahead for the new day
And may a wonderful beginning and joy God brings aloud
Thank you God for all fathers
Remember God our Father in Heaven and Earth

Happy Father’s Day

©By Deirdre Banda

This Father’s Day poem was submitted by one of our readers. You are welcome to print it for use privately or in your church. We ask that it not be reproduced for any commercial venture without her consent.

Father’s Day Coloring Sheets (with Diversity)

Mandy Groce — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:55:06 +0000

These two new Father’s Day coloring sheets are perfect for churches with more diversity. Simply click on the preview images above to download either one as a printable PDF file.

Download the father & son camping sheet as pdf or jpeg
Download the tree coloring sheet as pdf or jpeg

If you enjoy these resources, please leave a comment below to thank Mandy for her work. We love to hear how they are used in your church, home, or school.

“I Love You Daddy” Coloring Pages

Carlos Bautista — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:57:35 +0000

Here are three new coloring pages for Father’s Day. Simply click on the preview images below to download each as a printable PDF file. Many churches are using these are Father’s Day cards from their children. Please leave us a comment and share how you’ll use them.

Click above to download

The first two pictures also include a simple activity. Children can write out reasons why they love their daddy. Preschoolers may need assistance, but older elementary children should be able to complete the worksheet on their own.

These coloring sheets could be used at home with your children or in your Sunday School. For more like this, be sure to browse all our free Father’s Day Coloring pages. You can also print out our Sunday School lesson for Father’s Day.

Father’s Day Bible Verses for Cards & Letters

Mimi Bullock — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:36:01 +0000

There is no greater source of inspiration than the Bible. More songs, psalms and memorable quotes are found in its pages than in any other book in the world. What better source for finding Father’s Day quotes for cards and letters? Rely on the Bible to bring you truly memorable, meaningful lines for your Sunday School class or yourself to use. Include these verses in paper or e-cards this Father’s Day.

You might also like our printable Father’s Day Cards for children to color and give to dad.

I’ve included both the NIV and King James Version of each Father’s Day Bible verse. Click here to add your favorite verse to this list.

Malachi 4:6

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (NIV)

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (KJV)

Psalm 44:1

“We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.” (NIV)

“We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, [what] work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.” (KJV)

Proverbs 23:24

“The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.” (NIV)

“The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.” (KJV)

Psalm 103:13

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” (NIV)

“Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” (KJV)

Proverbs 22:6

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (NIV)

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (KJV)

Proverbs 20:7

“The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.” (NIV)

“The just [man] walketh in his integrity: his children [are] blessed after him.” (KJV)

Biblical Parenting: 10 Tips for Fathers

Wayne Stocks — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:21:42 +0000

Several weeks ago at my church, my eyes were opened to a biblical passage. It is one that I have read many times, but this particular sermon would cause me to view it in a whole new way. What I had previously read as a general reprimand to a wayward church now appeared as a model for parenting. With Father’s Day fast approaching, I think this is an important verse for Dad’s to study. That passage in question is from 1 Corinthians 4:14-21 and was written by Paul to the church in Corinth:

“I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” [1 Corinthians 4:14-21 ESV]

The passage was written by Paul in the context of correcting the church at Corinth as was the entire book of 1 Corinthians. However, viewed in the light of Paul’s statement that, “I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” we can also view this passage as a biblical model of what fatherly confrontation, correction and discipleship should look like. Before I work through the meat of this verse, and what it means to effective parenting, I would like to thank my Pastor Steve Benninger for his insights into this passage which opened my eyes to it’s application to parenting in the first place and also for his faithfulness in preaching the Word of God. For purposes of this article, I have adhered to Pastor Steve’s original exposition and added my own additional detail and thoughts for each point.

So, what does this passage teach us about how to parent, specifically father, our children? What is this biblical model? Pastor Steve identified 10 keys from this passage which I would like to expand upon:

1. Affirm Your Love

Paul writes that the purpose of this passage was to admonish his readers as beloved children. Any correction or guidance that we give to our kids must be done from a position of, and rooted in, unconditional love. We must never correct out of anger or a selfish desire that our kids would act a certain way to make our lives easy. The purposes of biblical correction is not to change behavior but to disciple our kids to become more like Jesus. A key part of this pursuit is your kids knowing that you love – not because of what they have or haven’t done, but because they are your kids.

Your child’s realization of your love for them is not something that just happens on its own. You must be intentional and work at it to make certain that your kids know that you love them. Tell them you love them on a daily basis. Show them how you love them through both your words and your actions. If your kids do not know and accept that you love them unconditionally, then any effort on your part to correct them will be met with suspicion and ultimately failure.

Unconditional love is not based on your kids performance or abilities. Unconditional love manifests itself regardless of what your kids have or have not done. Unconditional love must be consistently professed and demonstrated to your kids in both good times and bad. Unconditional love should exist and be demonstrated regardless of how you feel. Biblical love is not a feeling, it is a choice! Any discipline or correction that you dole out as a parent must be rooted not in your own selfish desires but in a deep rooted and unconditional love for your kids.

2. Avoid Shaming Your Kids

Paul begins this passage with an explanation that his purpose was not to “write these things to make you ashamed.” Paul did not wish to shame the Corinthians, but to help them see that they were living in a way contrary to God’s will. Likewise, shame has no place in biblical correction as a parent. Your goal as a parent when it comes to correcting your children is to lead them into a life consistent with God’s will for them. Consequences, especially consequences which flow naturally from the action in question, are effective means of accomplishing this. Shame is based in fear. The Bible tells us that “There is no fear in love.” [1 John 4:18 ESV]. Accordingly, shame should not play any part in correction which must be based in love. Not only is shame unbiblical, it is also ineffective. Although you might see short term behavioral changes when you shame your kids, there will be no long lasting internal transformation.

3. Give Warnings

Paul indicated that he was writing to the Corinthians “to admonish” them as his beloved children. To admonish means to “reprove gently but earnestly” or “to counsel against something to be avoided” or “to remind of something forgotten or disregarded, as an obligation or a responsibility.” Paul was not writing to bring down the hammer, but to warn the Corinthians of what would happen if they continued in the current course of action.

As fathers, we must do the same thing with our kids. By warning, or admonishing, I do not mean that we should give them the classic, “If you do that again you’ll lose such and such until kingdom come.” These threats tend to be hollow and effective. The idea of admonishing or warning or to alert kids of the consequences of their actions. To the extent that those consequences flow naturally from the action in question, our role as fathers is to alert our kids to those consequences. Obviously, one of our roles as parents is also to impose consequences where needed, and we should warn our kids that these are coming as well. Any consequences which you impose should be made clear before the action and must be followed through on. Warnings serve to help steer our kids in the right direction.

4. Establish Your Authority

Paul reminded the Corinthians that “though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers” and used this to establish his authority to correct the recipients of his letter. When it comes to parenting, our authority comes directly from God. He has given us the stewardship over, and responsibility for, his children. With that responsibility, he has given parents authority over their children [Exodus 20:12 ESV]. As parents, it is beneficial to help our kids understand God has given us both authority over them and responsibility for them. As agents of God, we must exercise that authority consistent with God’s will. By explaining to our kids that we are acting under the authority of God, we also set an example for them of submitting to our authority.

When we step outside the authority and will of God in parenting, we ultimately teach our kids that they should defy authority as well. We establish our authority based on the Word of God, but we must also demonstrate our adherence to God’s Word in other aspects of our life. We can’t, for example, tell our kids that they must submit to our authority because it is given by God on the one hand, and on the other hand disregard God’s authority in our own lives.

5. Press the Gospel in Deep

Paul became a father “through the gospel,” and as earthly fathers, one of principle goals in life should be to also fill the role of spiritual father in our children’s lives “through the Gospel.” In order to do this, the gospel must be the center point in our lives and out families. We must strive to make it central in the lives of our children as well.

The gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ, and that Good News is recorded in God’s Word – the Bible. In all that we do, we must instill a biblical worldview in our kids. We must teach them, and demonstrate for them, that the Bible holds the answers and guidance for all of lives questions. We must make our choices based on the Bible and show them how to do the same.

The cross itself must be central in our lives and our families. This means far more than just wearing it around our necks or hanging it on the family room wall. We must rejoice in the cross of Christ. We must take our sin to the cross of Christ, and we must praise God for the cross. Our children must know, at their very core, that Christ died not just for all sin, but for their individual sins. They must understand that God wants to change them from the inside out by the power of the cross. They must realize that their sins are washed white as snow by Christ’s blood shed on the cross. Yes, in order to confront and correct our children, we must remind them 1) that they are forgiven by God and 2) the price that he paid to wash those sins away.

6. Urge Your Kids to Imitate You

Paul was not shy about encouraging the Corinthians to be imitators of him. Later in this same book (1 Corinthians 11:1), Paul would expand on this thought as he encouraged the Corinthians to “be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Paul was not exalting himself but merely stating that he purposefully led his life in such a way that others could imitate him in following Christ.

As fathers, this must be our goal as well. We must lead lives worth imitating and then encourage our kids to do just that. Kids will learn what they live. If a father insists that his child does not lie than turns around and cheats on his income taxes, his children will not learn from his father’s words but by his actions. Setting an example includes two distinct aspects. First, we must aspire to live a godly life worthy of following. We have to set the tone and example for our family. In order to do this, we must rely on the power and providence of God. Secondly, we must accept that, this side of heaven, none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes, and it is important that we be willing to admit those mistakes to our kids. We should not be under any delusion that our kids think we are perfect in the first place. After about the age of 7 or 8, that phase of life is long gone. Our kids know that we are far from perfect. We must be honest with them and talk about our mistakes. This transparency teaches them that it is OK to make mistakes. The important thing is how we handle those mistakes. We model for them honesty, transparency, and taking our sins to the cross of Christ. We also give our kids a chance to learn from our mistakes and, hopefully, to avoid them.

7. Make it a Team Effort

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.” What can this possibly mean in terms of raising kids? Paul needed help. He could not be everything the Corinthians needed, and he sent Timothy to them to reinforce what he had already taught. Likewise, as parents we should get other adults involved in the lives of our children who will reinforce what we are already teaching them.

Most parents have experienced that moment when another adult says something to their child, and the child just seem to get it. Never mind that we have been saying the same thing for years. There’s just something about hearing it from another adult that makes it understandable and more palatable to our kids. I remember when I started coaching my oldest son’s coach-pitch baseball team. One of the other fathers from the team was helping me, and we agreed between us that I would correct his son and he would do the same for mine. Both kids took the correction and advice much better coming from another adult than they would have coming from their Dad. The system worked well for the summer, and I missed him the next year when his son wasn’t on my team.

It is important to find other adults that you trust to speak into the lives of your children. Needless to say, since our principle goal as parents is to instill a biblical worldview into our children, we must take care to find adults that will speak that same worldview to our kids. We must find people we trust that we can surround our kids with to reinforce what we have already been teaching them. This is one of the reason that it is important to live our lives amongst a strong Christian community. Things like Bible studies and small groups are a great way to expose your kids to other adults.

8. Stay Involved

Paul writes to the Corinthians that “…I will come to you soon.” As parents, we must intentionally stay involved in the lives of our children. Some parents, especially Dads, faced with daunting to do lists, lack of understanding and an increasing sense of failure in parenting simply decide to check out of their kids’ lives. I think this is particularly true as kids grow older and move into the teen years. This is the worst thing you could possibly do both to yourself and to your kids.

We must stay involved in our kids lives. What do they like? What don’t they like? How are they doing in school? Who are their friends? What are their dreams? How is their relationship with God? These are all critical questions, and in order to stay involved, we must stay on top of these and other aspects of our kids’ lives. In order to do this, we must invest the time it takes in building relationships with our kids. Our society has fallen victim to what I believe is a lie directly from Satan that says quality time is better than quantity time. We convince ourselves that it is not the amount of time that we spend but the quality of that time. If we turn off our blackberry for a couple of hours, we reason, that should take care of spending time with our kids at least for a week or so!

In order to know our kids, and stay involved, we must have both quality and quantity time. Indeed, if you ask kids about their regrets as they get older, few will say they wish the time they had spent with their dads had been “better” time. Thousands upon thousands, though, will tell you they wish they had spent MORE time with their Dads. If you are a father, put in the time and the effort to know your kids. If God knows every hair on your head, the least you can do is know who your kids’ friends are!

9. Give Choices

Paul asked the Corinthians, “What do you wish?” He gave them a choice. As fathers, we should do the same with our children. In small things and big things we should present our children with choices and let them decide. More importantly though, we must equip them to live with the consequences of those choices. Most parents want their kids to grow up to be leaders and not followers. Part of being a leader is the ability to make a choice and deal with the consequences thereof. If we do not allow our children to practice that skill when they are young, they will be ill equipped to handle choices as an adult.

My son rarely buys anything without experiencing some degree of buyer’s remorse afterwards. As soon as we let him buy something, he always wonders whether he should have saved his money, or worse yet, he finds something shortly after the purchase that he wishes he had saved his money for. From time to time, these episodes result in tears and a lament that would rip your heart apart as a parent. However, in those moments, we must force ourselves to let him live with his choices. If we give in and purchase the second item for him to heal the pain and stop the tears, he never learns how to take ownership of his choices and accept responsibility for them. If we don’t give kids choices, and allow them to live with both the positive and negative consequences of those choices, they will not learn how to be responsible.

10. Customize Your Approach

Paul said to the Corinthians, “Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” Some who read that letter needed Paul to come with a spirit of love and likely reacted to Paul’s written correction positively in order to ensure that he would come in gentleness. Others, no doubt, needed the stern rod of Paul before they were willing to submit to his authority. In a similar way, we must tailor our approach to correction and discipleship for each of our individual children.

I tell people all of the time that one of the things that has amazed me so much as a parent is how each of my kids can be so alike in some respects that they seem like twins and so different in other respects that it seem impossible that they share the same DNA. If you’re a parent, it will not surprise you to find out that each of your kids is different. They are unique creations of God, and it is naive of us to think that correction and discipleship will look the same for each child. What may be the best approach for one child may be the worse possible choice for another. We must customize our approach based on the personality, experience and emotional needs of each child. Of course, this entails knowing them and not checking out of their lives as we discussed earlier. Furthermore, children change over time as they mature and get older. We must customize our approach not only for each child but also for the same child based on their age and maturity level. In order to accomplish this, we must become a student of our kids. Watch them, talk to them, study them, and then spend some time intentionally coming up with a plan for the best approach for each child when it comes to correcting and discipleship.

As we raise our kids to know and follow Jesus Christ, these ten principles laid out by Paul in a letter to a church in Corinth almost 2,000 years ago will serve as guidelines. As we move towards Father’s day, examine your own life and your relationship with your kids. Which of these areas do you excel in? What are the areas where you can use a little more work when it comes to relating to your kids? How can you improve in those areas? Make a list and take it to God in prayer. He is the ultimate father, and his desire is that you would be a good father as well. Happy Father’s Day!

In addition to writing for Ministry-to-Children.com, I also have my own little blog. For more articles like this, and articles on children’s ministry, please check out Dad in the Middle and let me know what you think.

Father Of Compassion: Sunday School Lesson

Kristin Charles — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:46:47 +0000

This is a free Bible lesson for children teaching them about their Heavenly Father, the Father of Compassion. It was first prepared for a Children’s Church setting but would work well as a Sunday School lesson also. Through a study of Psalm 103, the children will discover that God’s love is evident through His deeds over the course of history. They will illustrate His compassion through artwork, act out His compassion through a game of charades, and demonstrate His compassion by encouraging others. For more ideas see our Father’s Day crafts or Coloring pages.

Bible Passage: Psalm 103: 1-19
Bible Story Title: Father of Compassion
Target Age Group: 1^st- 6^th grade
Target Time Frame: 45 minutes – 1 hour
Original Teaching Context: Children’s Church

Supply List: Bible, chalkboard/whiteboard, red and white construction paper hearts, markers/crayons/colored pencils, compassion art example, sticky-notes (five or more) in envelopes (one envelope for each child)

Tell the students: Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday June 20^th. Father’s Day is a day set aside to honor our Dads. In Ephesians 6: 1-3 it says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise— ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’”

It is very important to honor your parents. To honor them means to love and respect them. For some of us, that’s easy. Our Dads are great examples of Jesus. However, sometimes it may be hard. Maybe we have never met our Dad or our Dad left our family. Or maybe our Dads have done wrong things and it’s hard to respect them. No matter what, Dads are not perfect because of sin. Even some famous Bible Dads made some very bad choices that hurt others.

However, there is one Dad who is perfect. He is our Heavenly Father. He was the Dad of Jesus, but He is our Dad too. 2 Corinthians 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion…” Who is this Father? Let’s see!

Learning Activity #1 “Compassion Action”: Have students listen for what God has done to show His love. Read Psalm 103 in sections (verses 1-6, verses 7-12, and verses 13-19). Use your voice to highlight God’s specific deeds. Compile the list on a chalkboard/whiteboard after each section is read, briefly explaining each one. Here is a reference for you:

(Verses 1-6) He has forgiven our sins.
He has healed diseases.
He has redeemed our lives (saved us!)
He has crowned us with love and compassion.
He has satisfied our desires with good things.
He is righteous.
He gives justice to the oppressed.

(Verses 7-12) He has led people throughout history.
He shows compassion and grace.
He is slow to anger.
He is love.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve.

(Verses 13-19) He has compassion on his children.
He made us.
He is forever.
His love is always with those who fear him.
His kingdom rules over all.

Learning Activity #2 “Compassion Art”: Emphasize that what God has done for us throughout history shows His love. Distribute red and white paper hearts and crayons/markers/colored pencils. Have the students choose one of God’s deeds to illustrate. (Have an example of your own on hand.) Have them write the phrase on the bottom of the paper and draw the picture on the top.

Bulletin Board Idea: Collect student drawings for a bulletin board entitled, “Father of Compassion.” Place the drawings in a heart shape on black or pink background paper.

Learning Activity #3 “Compassion Charades”: Divide the students into groups of three or four. Have each group choose one of God’s deeds (or assign them.) Give them 3-5 minutes to come up with a charade that acts out the specific deed. Provide an example of your own. Have them act out the deed for the group to guess.

Say: God shows His love for us through the things that He does. Another word for love is compassion. Compassion is Love in Action. It means to know that someone is sad and hurting and to do something about it. Our Heavenly Father is a Father of Compassion. He knows that this world is hard… filled with diseases, sickness, sin, injustice, loneliness, and fear. But, as we learned today, He has showed His love through the things that He does. Have you accepted His love? Have you grown more like His love? Have you let Him love through you?

Learning Activity #4 “Kids of Compassion”: As a class, brainstorm ways that God can show His love through us (doing chores without complaining, helping a younger sibling, visiting someone who is ill, praying for people, etc.)

Tell them that one way to show love in action is through an encouraging note. Distribute 5 (or more) blank sticky notes to each child in an envelope. On each post-it, have them write an encouraging note to a friend, parent, pastor, sibling, whomever. Give them examples like “Dad: I love how you make me laugh,” or “Mom: I love spending time with you” or “Sibling: You are really good at baseball.”

For younger students who cannot write yet, have them draw a picture and dictate to you their notes.

If your prep time allows: Personalize the envelopes with each student’s name and a sticky note that encourages them individually. Watch for their smiles!

Close in prayer: Thank God that He is a Father of Compassion and pray that each individual knows and demonstrates His love.

Our Father’s Wisdom (Children’s Bible Lesson)

Amy Brown — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:40:20 +0000

This lesson is intended for use on Father’s Day weekend. It focuses on the book of Proverbs and how children should listen to their fathers as a source of wisdom in their lives. It was prepared with children’s church in mind, but could be modified for Sunday School or other ministry settings. Be sure to check out our free coloring sheets about Fathers and Father’s Day craft ideas.

Bible Passage: Proverbs 1:8-9
Bible Story Title: Our Father’s Wisdom
Target Age Group: 3^rd-6^th graders
Target Time Frame:20 minutes
Original Teaching Context: Children’s Church or Sunday School
Printer Friendly Bible Lesson: Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan
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Learning Objective: The children will learn about wisdom and how their fathers are a source of wisdom for them.

Materials Needed: Maybe some props for use during the “hook” depending on what situation you choose to act out.

Hook:

The teacher asks the rhetorical question, “What is wisdom?”
The teacher then acts out or pantomimes an age appropriate dangerous situation, such as touching a hot stove, crossing a street without looking, or riding their bike without a helmet. Then asks, “Would this be wise?”
“So, what is wisdom?” The teacher then asks for input from the children.
“Wisdom is knowing how to live life the right way. Sometimes another word for wisdom can be knowledge because when you are wise you know how to live life the way God would want you to live.”

Look:

“Let’s look in at what the Bible says about wisdom. Open your Bibles to Proverbs 1:8-9.”
Read aloud the Bible passage.

Book:

“Verse eight tells us to hear your father’s instruction. What is instruction?” Take input from the children.
“What does ‘forsake not’ mean when talking about our mother’s teaching?” Take input from the children.
“So, in Proverbs 1:8-9, God is telling us to listen and remember what our parents teach us.”
“Verse nine says they are a graceful wreath and ornaments about your neck. Who are ‘they’ in this verse? ‘They’ are your parent’s instruction and teaching.”
“The graceful wreath and ornaments about your neck means being wise will bring you honor as you live a wise life following the teaching and instruction of your parents.”

Took:

“Why should we listen and remember what our parents teach us?”
Take some input from the children.
“In Deuteronomy 6:5-7 it says.” Read it out loud.
“In Deuteronomy, God commands your parents to always be teaching you when sitting in your house, when going on a walk, when going to bed at night, and when you wake up in the morning. In Proverbs, God tells children to listen to the teaching of their parents.”
“God tells us that when we listen to our parents and remember what they have taught us, we will become wise.”
“Today is Father’s Day and we need to remember that God gave us a gift when He chose who would be our father here on earth. God wants us to listen to our fathers. Today you can give a gift to your father by listening to him and the wisdom he has to share with you.”

Tips:

Some other dangerous situations to use during the “hook” could be sticking a paperclip in an electrical outlet, talking to a stranger, or taking candy from a stranger. If possible include some of the children in your pantomime. They would love to participate and children love seeing their friends perform!
If you want to have a deeper or longer teaching time for older children, include Proverbs 1:7 also. With this verse you can discuss how fearing the Lord is where wisdom begins. Teach the children how we cannot be wise until we first know Christ and fear the Lord.

A Perfect Father’s Day (Children’s Bible Lesson)

Nicole VanderMeulen — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:32:32 +0000

This lesson would work for a children’s sermon or message, Sunday School or Children’s Church. Length could be anywhere from 10-60 minutes, depending upon the activities used. You might also like our Father’s Day coloring pages and craft ideas for Father’s Day.

By contributing writer, Nicole VanderMeulen, Children’s Ministry Coordinator at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Renton, Washington.

Learning Objectives:

Children will consider the great sacrifice God made for us, how he loves each of us unconditionally and how we can attempt to love others in this same way after listening to a children’s book about a father who puts his daughter’s pleasure before his own on Father’s Day.

Target Age Group: Children age 3-12 years

Bible Story: John 3:16

Explanation: On Sunday, June 20, many people will celebrate Father’s Day. Through the use of a children’s picture book, this lesson helps connect the celebration of Father’s Day and the love we may receive from our birth fathers to the unconditional and sacrificial love we all receive from God our father. The use of this delightful story about how a little girl honors her dad on Father’s Day helps children to consider God’s sacrifice of his son for our sins in a very age appropriate and easy to comprehend kind of way.

Items Needed:

Bible/Children’s Bible
“A Perfect Father’s Day” by Eve Bunting

Optional Supplies:

popsicles
paper, scissors, crayons/markers
sidewalk chalk
large banner paper

Ask the children what is special about the day (Father’s Day). Tell them that you have a special Father’s Day story to share with them and read “A Perfect Father’s Day” by Eve Bunting . Be sure to read in an engaging voice and show all of the pictures. Stop every so often to discuss what you are reading with the group. Susie, the little girl in the story, takes her Dad out for the “perfect” Father’s Day, but they actually do all of HER favorite things, like visiting the duck pond and playing on the monkey bars. Ask your students what they think about this. Is this the perfect day for Susie or for her Dad? Why does Susie’s father do what she wants to do when it’s supposed to be his special day?

After you have read and discussed the storybook, share John 3:16 from a Bible. Remind the children how Susie’s Dad made some sacrifices for her on Father’s Day. Ask the children if they know what huge, unbelievable sacrifice God gave for all of us (giving his son Jesus to die for our sins). Discuss how whether we have a loving, involved birth father in our lives or not we all have the perfect, loving, giving father in God. Both our Father God and many of our birth fathers make sacrifices to love us unconditionally. How do you think we should love others in return? What does that kind of love look like? Can you think of some examples of sacrificial and unconditional love?

If you would like to extend the lesson beyond a children’s sermon or short Children’s Church lesson, consider adding one or more of the following activities:

Snack –Have POP-sicles for a snack! Get it… father, dad, pop?!!?!? Hint: The “otter pop” kind of popsicles frozen in the plastic sleeves are much less messy than traditional ones on a stick!

Crafts

-Make Coupons for Dad (or other male role model!). Our Fathers make sacrifices for us, now what can we do for them? Help the children to make coupons for their Dads using paper, scissors, and markers or crayons that entitle them to gifts like one free carwash, a hug, taking out the trash, walking the dog, control of the TV remote, etc.

-Design Father’s Day cards or simple gifts. MANY free ideas are available online. One great resource is the Family Fun website.

-Use sidewalk chalk outdoors or markers and large banner paper inside to make a special Father’s Day greeting for the Dad’s at your church.

Consider closing with a “repeat after me prayer”. Pause between every few words, allowing the children to echo what you have said. Dear God/Thank you/for being our Father/and for/all of our other Father’s./Help us to/love each other/like you love us. /Amen.

Father’s Day Sunday School Lesson

Kelly Henderson — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 04:33:36 +0000

This is a lesson idea to use as a guide for Father’s Day. It can be adapted for younger students. If it were used in Children’s Church an additional idea could be to have students learn the responsibility of what God expects from children. A Bible Sword Drill game could be played using verses such as Proverbs 4:1, Proverbs 6:20, Proverbs 13:1, Proverbs 15:20, Proverbs 23:22, Colossians 3:20, Ephesians 6:1, Exodus 20:12 etc. Be sure to check out our father’s day craft and coloring sheets.

Bible Story: Special Father’s Day Lesson Plan
Scripture: Selected Scriptures
Target Age Group: Age 9 – 11 (U.S. 3rd – 5th Grade)
Learning Context: Sunday School
Target Time Frame: 60 minutes
Printer Friendly Bible Lesson: Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan
You Can Help: We welcome your feedback and suggestions to improve this children’s Bible lesson. Others will benefit from your ideas. Click here to respond

Supply List: If using the Family Fun idea the supplies are listed on that site.

Active Option: Play Father Abraham had many sons with the motions.

Learning Goal: For some children Father’s Day may be a difficult holiday to celebrate. For the students who have a healthy family life, Father’s Day is an opportunity for them to thank God for their dads. They can honor their dads by sharing their love and appreciation. This lesson was created to encourage those students who may not have ever experienced a good example of a father figure. The lesson helps students to see that where earthly fathers have failed them, God our heavenly Father never fails. If students do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ they will be introduced to the Good News that Jesus died on the cross for his/her sins and was raised from the dead.

Craft Idea: Family Fun Father’s Day card idea.

Memory Verse: (After the lesson introduce the Memory Verse.) “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

How many times did you hear the word comfort? (4) Do you need comfort today? God is the Father of all compassion and the God of all comfort. Talk to Him and tell Him what is troubling you. He can comfort you in ways that no one on this earth can. Are you enjoying a peaceful life? As you pray each day ask God to help you see others that need His comfort. You can share God’s comfort with those who really need it.

Bible Lesson:

(Give Bibles to students who need one. If you have visuals for the gospel message you can use them as you share it in the lesson.)

When these words are spoken Daddy, Dad, Pa, or Papa what comes to mind? (Father) By God’s perfect design the first family began when He created the first man named Adam and the first woman Eve. (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:7-8, 15-25) This couple became the very first Dad and Mom in God’s creation. (Genesis 4:1-2)

Adam and Eve began the history of mankind as the first parents. They were given one rule to follow as they lived in the beautiful garden called Eden. Who remembers that one rule? (Not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Genesis 2:16-17) Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s one rule and as a result sin entered God’s perfect world. Every person who has been born after Adam and Eve are born with sin in their heart. That sin keeps men, women, boys and girls from living a life that pleases God. As a result sin has affected God’s perfect design for what He created families to look like.

The Bible is filled with a history of fathers. (Depending on the exposure of Scripture of your students you could ask for examples of good fathers and fathers who were not a good example.) Some of these men were good examples as Dads. Some of these men were not good examples of fathers. The same is true today. We know men who are good fathers to their children. We may or may not know men personally who are not good fathers to their children. If we don’t know about these men personally we can read about them in the newspaper or see them on the news. Some children have never met their fathers or they have lost their father through death. Sometimes they no longer live in the same house with the rest of the family because of a divorce. Some dads are not always at home because they bravely serve our country and go to other countries to protect our freedom for long periods of time.

God’s perfect plan for a family is for a child to have loving fathers and mothers who take care of their children. Parents are supposed to teach children how to love God and live a life that pleases Him. Unfortunately in this world of sinful people families don’t always look like God’s Biblical plan.

If we have good fathers we need to praise God and thank Him for our fathers. We need to show our thanks and appreciation for our dads and let them know we love them.

What do we do if we have a father who doesn’t look like the kind of father that God desires us to have? What do we do if we don’t have an earthly father at all? The best place we can go for the answers is God’s Word.

Let’s turn in our Bibles to Psalm 10:14 “But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.” If a child has no earthly father he/she can trust that God will help them.

God knows every need we have and cares for us. Let’s turn over to Psalm 103:13-14 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers we are dust.” A human father who is not controlled by sin loves his children and has compassion on them. If an imperfect earthly father can have love and compassion for his children, how much more does God the perfect Heavenly Father have for His Children?

In Isaiah 64:8 it says, “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.” God has created each man, woman, boy and girl to have a relationship with Him. He desires to be our Father. The sin problem we inherited from Adam and Eve keeps us from that relationship with Him. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, (Jesus) that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) You and I can have a relationship with God the Father by believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again. Once a person believes by faith that Jesus paid the price for his/her sins he/she becomes a child of God.

As a child of God every person has an Everlasting Father. Read Isaiah 9:6. He never leaves or forsakes His children (Hebrews 13:5) Having an Everlasting Father gives us comfort because we can know that no matter what happens in our lives we can trust God to take care of us as a loving Father would.

The last Scripture we are going to turn to today is found in Acts 17:26-27 “From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”

Each one of us in this class today has different experiences with our families. As we mentioned before if you have been blessed with a godly father and mother praise God and thank Him for that gift. God will help you to develop into the man or woman He desires you to be through their example. Keep your eyes on Jesus and walk with Him every day so you will not live a life controlled by sin. If your experience with family has been difficult you can find peace and comfort from God the Father. If you have never placed your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins today is the day you can begin a relationship with God the Father. We are here to show you from the Bible how you can be saved. Please talk to us and we will gladly share with you. You can celebrate Father’s Day knowing that you have become a child of God the Father.

Close in prayer.