Too many kids today are growing up without a positive example of a “loving father.” That’s why it’s so important to teach about the Goodness of God our Father. This lesson was first designed for Father’s Day, but it can also be used anytime to teach about the character of our LORD. The format of this lesson is to be used in a Sunday School or Children’s Church setting.
Objective: To help children gain and understanding that God is their good Father.
Targeted Age group: This lesson was designed for elementary students
Game: My Dad Is: have the kids sit in a circle; to begin the game the first person needs to say, “my dad is…” and give a describing word of their dad. The next person needs to say, “my dad is…” and then give the first persons describing word and a describing word of their own. This is a memory game. The kids keep going around the circle until somebody forgets one of the describing word.
Memory Verse: At this point the kids can recite the previous week’s memory verse. Give them this new verse to take home and memorize for next week, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him,” (Psalm 103:13, ESV)
Worship: (Please note: if you do not have a version of these songs you can find them on YouTube)
- He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
- God with Us
- Every Move I Make
Prayer: Dear LORD, thank you so much for our dads as we celebrate Father’s Day with them today. LORD, you are good, you are awesome, and you are lovely. We thank you for loving us so much. Prepare our hearts as we get ready to learn about you today. Thank you for being our good Father; we love you. Amen!
Story Reinforcement: To invite the kids to fallow along with the lesson ask them to say the fallowing within the story.
- When the leader says, “God,” the children say, “Our good Father.”
- When the leader says, “Jesus,” the children say, “who loves us.”
- When the leader says, “soldiers,” the children say, “grrrr.”
Story: Have any of you ever done anything bad? (give them time to answer). Have any of you ever yelled at your siblings? Taken cookies without asking? Disobeyed your mom or dad? (give them time to answer). I have a certainly done things that are bad, and when we do things that are bad in breaks God’s, (children: our good Father’s), heart. God, (children: our good Father), doesn’t like having a broken heart, and so He came up with a plan to forgive us.
God, (children: our good Father), sent His Only Son, Jesus, (children: who loves us), to earth to save us from our badness; we call our badness sin. Jesus, (children: who loves us), came to earth as a baby and Jesus, (children: who loves us), never sinned once! Isn’t that amazing! However, there were people who were upset with Jesus, (children: who loves us), the reason they were upset was because they believe that Jesus, (children: who loves us), wasn’t actually the Son of God, (children: our good Father). These people had the soldiers, (children: grrrr), arrest Jesus, (children: who loves us). The soldiers, (children: grrrr), were unkind to Jesus, (children: who loves us), they made Jesus, (children: who loves us), carry a cross up a hill. The soldiers, (children: grrrr), were going to hang Jesus, (children: who loves us), on the cross. When they reached the top of the hill the soldiers, (children: grrrr), nailed Jesus, (children: who loves us), to the cross. As Jesus, (children: who loves us), took His last breath He said, “Father, forgive them.” After Jesus, (children: who loves us), passed away His body was placed into a tomb. BUT, this is not the end of the story!
Three whole days and three whole nights went by, Jesus’ (children: who loves us), friends were very sad. Some of Jesus’ (children: who loves us), friends went to the tomb, but Jesus (children: who loves us), was not there! Instead Jesus’ (children: who loves us), friends saw an angel. The angel explained that Jesus, (children: who loves us), had risen from the dead!
This was God’s, (children: our good Father’s), rescue plan! God, (children: our good Father), had sent Jesus, (children: who loves us), to pay for our sins by giving up His life. Jesus, (children: who loves us), defeated death by coming back to life! Now all we need to do is believe in Jesus, (children: who loves us), and ask for Him to forgive our sins and we will be saved!
The Bible says,
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, (Romans 10:9, ESV).
Questions:
- How did God save us? (Answer: by sending His only Son to die for our sin).
- What do we need to do to be saved? (Answer: believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive our sin).
- How does this story help you to realize how much God loves you?
Application: God loves you SO much that He was willing to let his Son die for your sin. It was because Jesus died and rose from the dead that you are forgiven. In response we should believe in Jesus with all of our hearts and ask Him to forgive us when we do something wrong.
Craft: Give each of the children a white mug and sharpies (permanent markers). Have the kids design a mug to give to their dads as a Father’s Day gift.
Snack Suggestion: ‘Dad’s cookies,’ and juice.
Amazing, very helpful
Thank you so very much. I did not grow up with a Father in the home and I was assigned to teach my class on Father’s Day. I thank my Heavenly Father that led me to your website. I love the way your lesson covers students that have loving Fathers and those who do not. Again thank you for saving this first year teacher.
Very blessed and Very helpful!
Thank you so much.