Use this Children’s Sermon message and Sunday School lesson to teach kids how “peace” is a Fruit of the Spirit. We have just shared some new Bible crafts on Patience to accompany this lesson pan. You may also enjoy our comprehensive 9-Week Curriculum on the Fruit of the Spirit for Kids.
Be Patient! The Fruit of the Spirit Part 4: Patience Children’s Sermon Lesson
Main Objective: Patience does not come easy to any of us, especially young children. Yet it’s an important quality to coach and instill. Although we wish for instant gratification and don’t like being told to wait, it’s a part of life, and part of the fruit of the spirit! God calls us to be patient with one another and to wait on Him. This message defines and describes patience, why it’s important, and how we can have it. The Biblical example of Abraham and Sarah reminds us that we sometimes have to wait on God’s promises, but they never fail!
Law/Gospel Theme: The greatest example of Biblical patience we see is from God Himself. We sin and make mistakes over and over again, but He is faithful and looks beyond our faults. Throughout Scripture, we see the people of God reject and abandon Him, but He never gives up on them. Because of His constant patience and love, we should extend that loving patience to people around us.
Note: This is the fourth in a series of lessons on the fruit of the spirit. The focus this week is on patience, with an emphasis on the Psalms and the story of Abraham and Sarah.
Optional Materials: An item that needs to be cooked to enjoy (brownie mix, cookie dough, frozen pizza, etc.)
Bible Passage: Psalm 40:1, Psalm 103:8, Genesis 18:9-15
Message: Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs.
Greet children, and talk about an item that requires patience to prepare. The example specified here is a can of biscuits, but there are many possibilities. Just make sure it’s something that takes a little bit of time and attention.
Hello, children of God!
Do you ever get hungry for a particular thing, and just really want to have it? Sometimes that happens to me. In fact, today I was thinking about how nice it would be to have some delicious biscuits, all hot and fluffy, with some butter and jam maybe. Interesting, though…I got this can of biscuits (hold up biscuits), and it turns out you can’t just pop this open and have instant biscuits. In fact, there is a whole list of instructions I have to follow before I can actually eat them! Let’s see, first I have to preheat the oven, which I know will take a couple of minutes. Then I have to get this can open, and that alone can be kind of terrifying, if you ask me. Then I put the biscuits on a pan, and I have to wait– hang on, it says here they take 11-13 minutes! But I know that even then I can’t just eat them, because they’ll be too hot. I also know I can’t eat them raw, because that would probably not taste good or be good for me. Hmm, it doesn’t look like there’s a microwave version of these directions. I guess I’ll just have to be patient. That is not always easy!
Have you ever had to have patience? Maybe you wanted to know when dinner would be ready, or when it would be your turn for something, or when Christmas would get here, and your parents told you that you had to be patient. It can be tough! Just what does patience mean, though? One way to think of it is waiting with contentment. There are a lot of things in life that we might look forward to or want to happen, and it isn’t too fun to wait. We might get grumpy or angry about it, but if we’re patient, we can wait with calm and peace, trusting that the things we want will happen, even if it takes longer than we’d prefer.
Why is it important to be patient? Well, partly because we find ourselves waiting in a lot of situations. Even though these days when we can have many things right away, there’s still a lot that takes time, including tasks and events that are worthwhile. Good things take effort and patience. When we’re patient, it also shows others that we care about them and value their time. Sometimes we have to be patient with other people. There are even times when we might have to be patient with God. We know that He has good things in store for us, but His timing is not always the same as ours, and it can be challenging to wait on Him.
This reminds me of some people in the Bible named Abraham and Sarah. They were old, and although they wanted children, they had never been able to have them. Well, God promised Abraham that He would have a son, and in fact have more descendants than He could count! That sounded like a wonderful thing…but it didn’t happen right away. It didn’t happen in the next couple of years. In fact, from the time of God’s promise until it came true, it took twenty-five years! Imagine that. I have a hard time waiting 25 minutes on a frozen pizza…Abraham and Sarah probably felt impatient. Actually, they did try to take matters into their own hands, and it did not work out well for them. But finally, after all of that waiting, their son was born, Isaac (which means “laughter,” because Sarah laughed at hearing that she would be a mother). Isaac’s grandsons were the tribes of Israel, and from that line eventually came Jesus, the Messiah. So God kept His promise to Abraham in amazing and powerful ways, although it might have seemed to take a long time. We know that we can trust in God and count on His promises.
But how do we have patience, especially when things seem to take forever? We rely on God’s word and faithfulness, knowing that He is near us and with us. His presence can bring us calm and patience, even during challenging waits. We can ask Him for help to be patient. Now, some people say that’s a dangerous prayer, because God will test our patience. But He will also be with us and help us to endure those tests. And it’s also important to remember that God Himself is patient. He is “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,” as the Psalms say. He has patience with us when we make mistakes again and again. With that in mind, we ought to pass that patience, love, and care onto those around us. It’s not always easy, but it’s an important and powerful way to show others the fruit of the Spirit and how much God loves us!
Why don’t we say a prayer now, and ask God to help us have patience in all situations?
Prayer:
(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for being patient with us.
Please help us to be patient with one another
And to wait patiently on your timing in our lives.
Thank you for being with us.
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
Bible Verses/story to Reference:
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. -Psalm 40:1
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
-Psalm 103:8
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” -Genesis 18:9-15
The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace! Sunday School Lesson on Peace and the Calming of the Storm
Lesson focus: This lesson focuses on the definition and meaning of peace, and how we can find peace in God’s presence. The peace that comes as part of the fruit of the spirit is a calm that can pervade beyond all circumstances and frustrations. We can experience this when we trust in God and His control.
This lesson is the third in a nine-week series on the Fruit of the Spirit. To examine an example of peace, this lesson focuses on the account of Jesus calming the storm, and how He can calm our hearts, as well. Other peace passages are explored to remind children that God gives us peace.
Passage: Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6-7; Mark 4:35-41
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade
Optional Materials Needed: Water, jar or bottle, paper plates, pipe cleaners, markers or crayons, decorative supplies, pictures, ping-pong balls.
Lesson Opening: This lesson focuses on peace, and how we can have and share peace. One story focused on to exemplify peace is that of Jesus calming the storm. Kick off the time with some exercises focused on peace, or even on storms. Here are some activities to get kids thinking…(select the best ones for your audience and age group):
- Demonstrate how God’s peace guards our hearts and minds with an illustration exercise: invite students to write out worries on pieces of paper or ping-pong balls. Have one student stand in front of several others, and try to fight off the balls/papers as students throw them. It’s not easy! Then have an adult stand between the student and the “attackers.” Explain that, just as the adult protected the student, the peace of Christ protects us.
- Storm simulation: make a “storm bottle” by taping together two 2-liter bottles partially filled with liquid, and swirling around for a “tornado” effect. For a more simple version, simply shake a jar or bottle full of colored water.
- “Storm and Stop” Exercise: Have students make as much noise and chaos as possible for a timed period, and then have a signal for them to cease the noise and “calm the storm.” Challenge children to see how quickly they can settle down when asked (as Jesus calmed the weather).
- Listen to soothing sounds or calming music. Invite students to share other things that they might associate with feeling at peace.
- “Pass peace along”: Help students practice the art of a good handshake (not as common now as you might think!). Encourage them to look each other in the eye and give a firm (but not death grip) handshake and cheerful greeting, with words like “peace be with you!”
Bible Lesson: Begin the lesson with some general verses and discussion on peace and how it is one part of the Holy Spirit fruit you have been learning about. Then look at the account of Jesus stilling the storm. It might be fun to have students act that part out while the passage is read.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,because he trusts in you. -Isaiah 26:3
This is a comforting passage from the prophet Isaiah. It reminds us that God promises to give us not only peace, but “perfect peace.” How do we gain that? By trusting in the Lord and keeping our minds fixed on Him. It might seem easier said than done, but focusing on God, rather than our worries and sorrows, brings a sense of calm.
Ask: When do you feel anxious, or the most “un-peaceful”? What might bring you peace in those times?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
These verses are a wonderful reminder to us that God’s peace is even greater than we can imagine or try to come up with on our own. This passage urges us not to be anxious, but instead to offer prayers, with thanksgiving, to God. In return, we are assured that God’s peace, beyond understanding, will guard our hearts and minds. That peace will be a shield that protects us from worries or thoughts that might threaten us. What a comfort!
Dive into the story (this is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but here we’ll highlight the Mark version. All of them are pretty similar). Explain that Jesus had been teaching and preaching, and then decided to go across the Sea of Galilee with the disciples.
On that day, when evening had come, he (Jesus) said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. -Mark 4:35-37
A storm came up while they were crossing the sea, so intense that water was coming into the boat. Despite the fact that several of the disciples were experienced fishermen, this was a scary storm. They thought the worst might happen. And where was Jesus? Asleep! He must have been pretty tired to sleep in the middle of a huge storm.
Ask: What makes you feel scared or “stormy” inside? Have you ever been in a big storm and been worried?
And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” -Mark 4:38-41
The disciples cried out to Jesus, not begging to be saved, but asking if He cared that they were drowning. Jesus was not afraid, though. He scolded the weather and told the wind and the waves to be still. And just like that, the storm stopped! It didn’t gradually die down, but ended completely. This probably should have brought the disciples peace, but they were even more scared! This fear, though, was from respect of who Jesus was and what He was capable of doing. Even nature had to obey Him! This was yet another amazing miracle that they were able to witness Jesus doing, and probably remained especially significant in their minds, since it saved their lives!
Ask: Have you ever felt calm, even in a hard situation?
If Jesus is capable of calming stormy weather, He can calm our hearts and minds, too. Nothing is impossible with God. We can bring Him our anxieties, and we can even cry out to Him like the disciples did, knowing that He does care and He wants us to look to Him for strength. Encourage students to keep their minds and hearts fixed on Him.
Review questions about the story:
- What did Jesus say to the storm?
- What happened when Jesus talked to the storm?
- How did the disciples react when the storm calmed?
- Where was Jesus during the storm?
Close with prayer, thanking God for giving us His peace, and asking Him to continue wrapping us in His loving arms.
