This is a simple lesson plan for children’s church. It could be modified with more learning activities and expanded into a full Sunday School Lesson.
Main Idea: We can choose to rejoice in whatever kind of day God gives us.
Required Supplies: Marker board (or poster board) to display the Bible verse on the wall. Soft plastic balls and a dish tub for the review game. Other supplies may be needed for optional activities at the end of this lesson.
Optional Supplies: Print out our free coloring page based on this same Bible verse. Four balloons for a scripture memory game.
Scripture: Psalm 118:24
Teaching Setting: Children’s Church
Target Age: Kindergarten – 3rd Grade (age 5 -9 )
Estimated Time: 15 – 25 minutes
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Opening Question: Ask the children what kinds of days they can name. We allowed volunteers to raise their hand and make suggestions. After a few minutes they will name off birthdays, school days, snowy days, and any other variation. Encourage children to take turns as you affirm their answers. we had them raise hands and only talk on their turn. You can respond briefly to each suggestion by saying things like, “Oh, I love birthdays.” The goal is to get as many children involved.
If the children don’t suggest negative days, you will want to introduce that concept. You might say, “Did anyone think about sick days? Those aren’t so fun. We sometimes have thunderstorm days around here too, those can be a little scary.” Then redirect to a few positive days before moving on to the next section.
Introduce the Bible Verse: Point out Psalm 118:24 displayed on the wall. Ask the children to point one finger to the ear they will use to listen while your read. Try to get everyone involved in this simple gesture to make sure they are ready to listen. Then read aloud this same verse from your Bible.
Psalm 118:24 – This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Explain: Use the following discussion questions to help the children better understand the verse your just read. This is a quick section and the children should be able to call out answers. The answers are in italics below, feel free to elaborate in your own words but don’t get bogged down in lecture mode.
- Can someone tell me who made today? A: God made today
- What about yesterday, who made yesterday? A: God made yesterday too
- What about tomorrow? A: God will make tomorrow
- Who makes those birthdays? A: God does
- Who make those …. (use some of the answers the children offered above)
- What about sad days, does God even make those days? A: Yes, God makes everyday
Review the Verse: Ask the children to say the Bible verse together as a group. You can read a line and then have the children repeat it back. The goal here is to simply review the verse and re-engage the group before moving on to more discussion.
Explain: Call on one specific child as you talk about the second half of the verse. You should choose an older child who will be comfortable answering for the whole group. For example, “Chloe, let me ask you something else about this verse.”
- If God’s job is to make the days we live in, what does this Bible verse say we should do with those days? A: Rejoice & be glad
- So, what should we do on _____ days. (use the examples the kids suggested above) A: Rejoice & be glad
- Is it hard to rejoice and be glad to good days like birthdays? A: No, that’s easy
- What about sick days, is it easy to be happy on sick days? A: No, not usually
- How can we get help to rejoice when we are having a sad day? A: Pray & God can help
Review the Verse: Repeat the verse again as a whole group. This repetition is an important step to help the children memorize & stay focused on the main idea of the lesson.
Application: Underline the part of the verse that says, “Let us.” Tell the children this is a very important part of the verse. The words let us (not lettuce) leave the door open for use to make a good or bad choice. This verse gives us hope that we can find joy in whatever day God has made, but it’s our joy to decide to be glad. This can be very hard, but God wants us to find our joy in Him. If Jesus is our greatest treasure then we can find good reasons to smile even on sad days.
Ask the children to respond to each of the following statements. If the person is choosing to rejoice them the children should all make a happy face. If the person in the example is not choosing to rejoice they should make a sad face. For the negative examples below, ask for a child to offer a better solution.
- Your family goes out to lunch after church, but it’s not your favorite place. You decide to rejoice and have a good attitude. After all, God is providing food and time for your family to all be together. HAPPY FACE
- It game day for soccer, but it rains too much and the game is cancelled. You get really angry and refuse to come out of your room. You even yelled at your mom because you were so grouchy. SAD FACE
- You get really sick and have to miss school. You feel sad and yucky. You decide to rejoice and ask God to make you glad. You are thankful for parents and doctors who help you. HAPPY FACE
- Insert your own examples here. Try to connect the situation back with the idea that we can choose to rejoice no matter what kind of day God gives us.
Game Idea: Review the Bible verse with this simple ball toss. Have volunteers recite the verse from memory or by looking at the display on the wall. Then they get to toss three balls into the plastic tub. To make things interesting, add a partner who will lay down on the floor between them and the tub. Be sure the balls are very soft plastic and will not be a safety concern. See the video below for an example.
This was so helpful. Really gave a clear understanding of this verse. My favorite part was breaking down how important the words Let us are in this verse.