Seasons Change but God Never Changes (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11) Lesson

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This is a free Bible lesson for children teaching them about the changing seasons of life and the unchanging character of God. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, students will identify time periods of life and how they can navigate through them.  We’ve included our popular Fall coloring page in the download below.

autumn fall coloring page - printable pdf
Click above for the image or download the printable PDF version

Fall Sunday School Lesson for Children

Bible Story: Changing Seasons and Our Unchanging God
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
Target Age Group: 1st – 5th grade
Time: 45-60 Minutes
Learning Context: Children’s Church or Sunday School

Supplies: Bibles, Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 on display, 2 whiteboards/chalkboards, dry erase markers/chalk, crayons or colored pencils, 11 by 17 pieces of white paper, index cards with the seasons of life listed on them (from Ecclesiastes 3), optional costume idea

Printable Daylight Savings Time Coloring Page
Time may change – but our Eternal God will never change.
  • God Made the Seasons Coloring pages – These free printable coloring sheets are made for each of the four seasons. They help kids remember that God is the maker of weather patterns and seasonal climate.
  • Time Change Clocks Coloring Page – This is a handy print-out for Sunday School on time-change week if you observe Daylight Savings Time. Use it as an arrival activity when kids come in late.
  • Autumn Fall Coloring Page – We’ve included this printable with complete lesson plan above.

Optional Game Idea: If weather permits, or you have an appropriate room in your church, you can try our Drip-Drip-Drop game idea. You could relate this back to the ideas of changing seasons and talk about the glory of God displayed in the rain.

Optional Costume Idea: Dress in accordance with your region’s current season.  A fall outfit could include overalls, a farmer’s hat, and a flannel shirt.  A winter outfit could include a heavy winter jacket, ski pants, boots, scarf, mittens, and wool hat.  A spring or rainy season outfit could include a rain coat, boots, an umbrella, a hat or gardening clothes.  A summer outfit could include sunglasses, a hat, flip flops, a t-shirt, and shorts.

Bible Lesson Plan – Seasons Change

Introduction: As the students arrive, say: Welcome!  Welcome to_____________ (your region’s current season).

As a weather reporter may announce, say: Today’s current conditions call for a temperature of _____ degrees, with partly ______ skies, and a wind coming from the east at ____ mph.  With weather conditions like these, we better plan accordingly and __________________.  (List a number of appropriate seasonal activities such as taking a hayride, raking leaves, shoveling snow, building a snowman, planting some flowers, splashing in puddles, going swimming, or building a sandcastle at the beach.)

Express your like or dislike for the weather in this particular season and explain why.  Ask the students: What is your all-time favorite season and why?  What is your least favorite season and why?  Allow for multiple students to answer.

Sometimes I wonder why God ever created _________ (your least favorite season.) Wouldn’t we all be better off without all this __________?  (snow, freezing rain, heat, humidity, rain, etc.) Please tell me that some of you agree with me!

But God said that He created every season for a purpose.  So, yes!  Even ______ (your least favorite season) has its purpose.  Not only do seasons have their purpose, but times of our lives have a purpose too.  That means that there will be times when we will laugh, dance, keep, love others, be loved, and have peace.  There will also be times when we will cry, mourn and grieve, give up, fix something that is broken, and have to deal with war.

Maybe you’re in a fun season of life right now.  You are happy and your family is great and your friends just traded silly bands with you and you are doing well in school and you had cinnamon rolls for breakfast!  (What could be better?)

But maybe you’re in a sad season of life right now.  Maybe someone you love has died recently.  Maybe you are trying hard in school and your grades aren’t getting better.  Maybe your parents are fighting a lot and you think you may have to move to some place new.   Maybe your friends haven’t really been friends.

What I want you to know today is that seasons will change.  Bad times and good times will come and go.  You will change.  Your friends and family members will change.  Your home, school, or church may even change.  And your hair, that will probably change too!  (You should see what I looked like in 5th grade!)

But you have to know that God will never change.  If you have a relationship with Him, He will never leave you.  He will always be there to help you through.  God says that He has made everything beautiful in its time.  That means that He can take even the worst seasons of life and turn them into something more beautiful than we could ever have imagined.  Our God is incredible!

Learning Activities (for Children’s Church or Sunday School)

Learning Activity #1:  A Time for the Word

Have the students open their Bibles to Ecclesiastes 3.  In the event that they do not have Bibles with them, have verses 1-11 written for display.  Have them wiggle their ears to listen for all of the seasons that God said we’ll have in our lives.  The clue words to listen for are, “a time to…”  Challenge them as a group to remember 10 of them.

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, emphasizing each season.  Once finished, hide the verses from eyesight and have students raise their hands to brainstorm as many seasons as they heard.  Compile a list of seasons on a chalkboard/whiteboard.  The heading should be, “A time to…”  As you write student responses, help to explain the verses.  (Does God really want us to kill?  What does mend mean?  Why does it say that there is a time to hate?)   Celebrate however many seasons the students remembered.  Read it a second time to listen for additional seasons.

Learning Activity #2: Guess the Season Pictionary

Prior to class, write each “season of life” on an index card.  There should be 28 if you do all of them, but try to select simple seasons to illustrate.  Some examples include:  a time to be born, a time to plant, a time to tear down, a time to weep, a time to love, a time for peace, etc.

  1. Play the traditional game of Pictionary with the students.  Begin by drawing a “season of life” yourself for them to guess as an example.
  2. Divide the students into two teams, each with their own separate chalkboard/whiteboard and writing implement.  (Teams should be seated in such a manner that they cannot see the other team’s illustrations.)
  3. Invite two volunteers to come forward from each team.  Show them the index card.  Have them begin depicting this season for their own team members.
  4. The first team to guess correctly must then say, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”  They will then receive a point.
  5. Continue playing until each team member has the chance to draw an illustration.  The team with the most points wins.  If time remains, play through twice.

Learning Activity #3:  Four Seasons Art

  1. Divide an 11 by 17 piece of white paper into four panels with folds.
  2. Invite the students to depict pictures of fall, winter, spring, and summer on each of the four panels utilizing crayons or colored pencils.  Have an example that serves as a model.   For older students, other seasons of life, highlighted in Ecclesiastes 3, can be illustrated.
  3. For extra credit, have them write Ecclesiastes 3:11 on their papers.

Close the lesson in prayer, thanking God for the seasons in our lives and asking God to help us get through the good times and the bad times with His strength.  Make sure that the students know that if they ever need to talk, you are always there to listen. Need More Help? Browse our creation coloring pages or find children’s worship music for your ministry.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 English Standard Version (ESV)

A Time for Everything

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

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9 thoughts on “Seasons Change but God Never Changes (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11) Lesson”

  1. I cannot offer my thanks to you enough for this lesson. Our church is in the process of closing, and this word from God is just what our kids needed to hear. God’s timing is perfect and finding this lesson was no mistake. I adapted it to the time we had with the kids, and I think it gave both adults and kids the reassurance they need to move forward in faith. Please keep up the great work!
    With abundant gratitude and blessing …

    Reply
  2. I am so happy to find your web page! My small church must combine age groups, augment lesson plans, and re-use curricula. This ‘Changing Seasons and an Unchanging God’ lesson is a prayer answered!

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  3. I cannot thank you enough. To think you do all this at no cost to us so that we are able to share the gospel with children. I pray you are richly blessed for all you do for the kingdom! This is a blessing to all I teach on Wednesday nights and it’s something that is so easily comprehensible to me and to the kids! Thanks!!

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  4. I teach once a month in our toddlers class and I utilize your lessons, crafts and color sheets every time. I REALLY appreciate all of your wonderful and creative lessons!! God bless you for making this available!! Thank you to all who contribute their gifts and talents.

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  5. Thank you so much, we used to have a Friday activities beside Sunday school, on Friday we need to give them lesson but with different way like game or activities
    We did that lesson last Friday, they loved it specially with the game and they didn’t want me to finish it, thank you so much
    May God bless your service

    Reply
  6. Amazing ministry that you have! I teach a combined Wednesday night Bible study ages 3-11 and this lesson is adaptable for all of them. Thanks so much for offering this free of charge and helping fellow laborers spread the gospel through your gifts and talents.

    Reply

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