The Patience of a Father

Transcription

1 Lesson c ---. The Patience of a Father Bible Verse [Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Bible Story Reference Luke 15:11-31 Teacher s Devotional Most of us can reflect on our lives and say we have a mea sure of love, joy and/or peace. We feel good when we recognize moments in our lives when we experience those wonderful fruits of God s Spirit. But the fruit of patience can certainly seem harder to come by in our hurried society. Our efforts to maintain tight schedules often leave us drumming our fingers on the steering wheel, muttering under our breath (or some times out loud), urging family members to hurry up or complaining about everyone else who seems to be moving at too slow a pace. Patience at such times is a marvelous gift of God, one that can grow in abundance within us. Look at the father in Jesus story. He didn t run after his son, trying to fix this horrendous problem. He didn t push and prod his son to straighten up and act like a responsible adult. He simply waited and watched. God (who is, of course, the Father the story portrays) has never been impatient, late or flustered, His patience with each of us continues in spite of our repeated failures and rebellions. Not only is He patient with us, but His Spirit also gives us patience. Our students also struggle with impatience. They live in the immediate moment, expecting instant gratification Trying to wait for anything is often painfully difficult Before you teach this lesson, pray for yourself and for the chldren you teach, asking God s help to learn patience, to always persevere and to trust that He is truly in control of all our times. 69

2 LessonS Luke 15:11-31 Bible Story Center Patience poster from Poster Pack, cup (2 oz.) play for each student. dough Tell the Story Follow along with me to make some of the things we ll hear about in our story. When have you to wait for something for a very long time Was it easy or hard? had Today we ll who to wait a LONG time. had hear about a man 1. Roll your a ball. Once jesus was having dinner with some people who didn t obey God. This made some OTHER people angry at Jesus. They said Jesus should not be friendly to these people, and they called the people sinners. So Jesus told a story to help everyone understand how much love God has and how patient He is, even when people do wrong things. dough into Once there was a man who owned a big farm, This man had two sons he loved very much. The father planned to divide his money between his sons when they were older, according to the custom of land. But the son didn t want to WAIT for his share of the money. He just wouldn t be patient! that that want my money NOW, Dad, the younger I younger son said He wanted to take the money and leave home, He wanted to do whatever he wanted, even if it was wrong. 2. Pinch of ball father gave the son his part of the money. The son told his dad good-bye, took his bag of money and headed down the road to a faraway city. The father t pave been ry sad He loved son and would miss him younger nu the top the younger to make a money bag. The When the son to the big city, he spent his money VERY foolishly. He didn t think when his money ran out. Instead, he spent money on wild parties and fancy food and else he could think of be fun. He had lots of friends-- mainly because they enjoyed the parties he paid for! happen that rnght younger got hs about what would arything

3 One day the younger son picked up his money bag. He shook it. There was no jingling of coins It was EMPTY! 3. Flatten the money bag. Now that he had no money, he knew his friends wouldn t come to see him anymore. He was all alone and in BIG trouble. He had no money to buy food or to pay for a place to live. He felt awful! On top of that, food was hard to get and jobs were scarce! So he looked for a job and finally found one. 4. Now make a pig. The only job he could find was taking care of pigs! And he was so HUNGRY all of the time, he began to wish he could eat the food the pigs ate! One morning the younger son thought, I am starving to death. But the people who work for my father have plenty of food to eat, I m going home. I ll tell my father I was wrong. Il/tell him I don t deserve to be his son anymore. But 171 ask if I can be a servant. Back on the farm, the father still missed his younger son very much. Day after day, the father patiently looked down the road, hoping to see his son. FINALLY, one day he saw his son walking down the road! The father was so excited that he ran to meet him! He hugged him and kissed him. 5. Shape a ring around your finger. When they got to the house, the father told his servants to bring his son new clothes and sandals and a beautiful ring of his own. Then the father had a BIG party to celebrate! Even though the son had done wrong things, his father was patient with him. He waited for him to come home. He had forgiven his son and was GLAD to see him! Jesus told this story because He wanted people to know that God is like that father. God is patient and wise and lov ing Even when we do wrong, like the son, God still waits for us to realize we are wrong. And when we admit to Him 1 that we have done wrong, He will forgive us 4 **X S S O * 55555S*ee 555e Focus on the Fruit Why did Jesus want people to understand that God is patient with us when we do wrong? (Because we all do wrong things and need God s forgiveness.) How did the younger son show he was not patient? (He had to have his money right away.) How did the father show he was patient? Waited for his son to come home Welcomed and ft rgave his son when he came home) Sometimes we don t want to wait for something. But even when it s hard to be patient, God s patience with us helps us know how to be patient with others. ho the PaPen poster Patience is the fruit of His Spirit!

4 Fruitful Lives Object Talk Bible Verse [Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, aivvays perseveres. 1 Corinthians 1 3:7 Bible with bookmark at 1 13:7, newspaper. Corinthians 1. Give each student a sheet of news paper. What can you do with a newspaper? Students demonstrate ideas. In China, some people used newspapers in an unusual way. God shows patience by forgiving us and loving us, even when we don t deserve it. When we realize Gods patience with us, it helps us be patient with others. Let s find out how some people showed patience. 2. Pastor Li was the leader of a church in China that met in a house. It was against the law for this church to meet and for Pastor Li to preach about Jesus. But he didn t stop. Because of his preaching, Pastor Li was arrested and severely beaten many times. One day the police came to the church meeting and not only took every Bible they found, but they also took all the chairs! Still, the people didn t give up meeting together. They patiently folded up newspapers to sit on instead of chairs and kept right on meeting together and worshiping God. (Optional: Students fold newspapers, place them on the floor and sit on them.) The people even prayed for the police and thanked God for the oppor tunity to talk about Jesus. Conclude Read 1 Corinthians 1 3:7 aloud. What word in this verse means the same thing as patient? ( Perseveres. ) To persevere means to keep on doing something, even when it s hard, When we remember God s patience toward us, it helps us keep on showing patience to others. Pray, thanking God for His patience and asking His help in showing patience toward others. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Discussion Questions 1 How did Pastor Li and the people in his church show patience CFhe\ lept on oa ship mg God and praying for others, even when the police made it hard.) 2 When is a time you need to keep on showing patience toward others? (When others make fu not me. When othe, s don t keep their promises) 3. What can help you show patience when its hard? (Remembernq God s o o for me.)

5 Active Game Center: Verse Bowl Bible, Post-it Notes, marker, 1 0 empty plastic soda or water bottles, paper, photocopier, pencils, tennis ball, Prepare the Game Print the words and reference of 1 Corinthians 1 3:7 on Post-it Notes, one word on each note Stick each note on a plastic bottle, Also print the words and reference of 1 Corinthians 1 3:7 on a sheet of paper. Photocopy one verse paper for each student. Set plastic bottles n a bowling-pin formation on one side of the playing area, Lead the Game 1. Give each student a verse paper and a pencil. Ask a volunteer to read the verse aloud. Students line up about 7 feet (2,1 m) from the verse bottles, 2. The first student in line rolls the tennis ball at the bottles. Student takes verse paper and pencil over to bottles and reads words on the knocked-over bottles. Student crosses off those words on the verse paper, returns bottles to original positions and goes to the end of the line, Next student in line repeats action, Play continues until all students have crossed off all words on their papers The students who finish first may assist the other stu dents by reading words on bottles and setting them back in place. Options 1 Adjust distance from which students bowl according to their skill levels, 2 Create one bowhng area for every 10 students Godc patience with us shows us how to be patient with others, Let s play a game to find out a little more about patience. 898*8999* DiSCUSSIOfl Questions 1. When did you have to be patient in this game? (Waiting for your turn, Waiting for others to finish crossing off words,) Which word in our verse is most like the word patience? ( Perseveres ) Perseverance means continuing to do something even when it is hard and patience means waiting without comp1aining 2. How does God show patience toward us? (He forgives us when we re sorry He takes care of us, even when we don t thank Him) 3 When are some times you can be patient with your family With your classmates?

6 Art Center: To the Point Paper, markers in a variety of colors. Students make a simple line drawing of a nature scene or object and then color their pictures by filling in the shapes with dots, not strokes. Some famous artists have painted large pictures with small dots of color like these. Why would this be a hard way to make a big picture? What would happen if the artist got tired and left one section with fewer dots? No dots at all? It takes a lot of patience to paint pictures this way. What are some things you do that take patience? (Practice the piano. Clean my room, Do math problems. Rake leaves.) It also takes a lot of patience to get along with others. When we re patient with others, we re showing them God s love, God s love is always patient and kind, He will help us show that same patience and kind ness to others, Ask the Discussion Questions below as students continue to work, Because God shows patience with us, we can be patient with others, Artists work patiently to make their pictures the very best they can. Let practice a technique that some artists use, Options 1, Younger students may fifl in the coloring page sug gested in the Bible Verse Coloring Center for this lesson, 2, Use tempera paint and paintbrushes or chalk dipped in water nstead of markers 3. Purchase mnistampers for students to use in filling in pictures. DlsCUsslOfl Questions 1 What are some ways we read in the Bible that God showed His patience and kind ness? (Saved Noah s family in the ark. Rescued Israelites from slavery in Egypt) 2. When has someone been patient with you? 3 When is it hard for you to be patient? What are some ways you could show patience with others? (Not yelling back when someone starts yelling at you Waiting to take a turn without complaining Praying every day for a friend who is sick, even if he or she doesn t get well right away)

7 Worship Center Bible Verse [Love] always protects, always tru3b, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 1 3:7 Bible, God s Kids Grow cassette/cd or music video and player, Patient Father word chart (p. 479 in this book), large sheet of paper on which you have printed 1 Corinthians 1 3.7, masking tape. Sing to God Play Patient Father, encouraging students to sing along with the music, According to this song, what has no end? (God s mercy.) What can we know about God from this song? (God keeps His promises God always for gives us when we ask.) Hear and Say God s Word We learn to be patient with others because of the great patience and love God has shown us. As we worship God together, Iet thank for His Display paper on which you have printed 1 Corinthians 1 3:7, Have a volunteer read the verse aloud. What four things does this verse tell us love will always do? (Protect, trust, hope, persevere.) What does the word persevere mean? (To keep on trying even when things are hard.) Lead students in saying the verse: all boys say the first word, all girls say the second, boys say the third and so on, Have students repeat the verse in this manner several times, alternating which group says the first word Pray to God Play Patient Father song again. Students listen to song and silently thank God for His mercy. Conclude silent prayer time by thanking God aloud for His patience and the gift of salvation The greatest way God showed His love to people was when He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and come back to life God patiently waits for us to believe in Him and ask forgiveness for sine. Arrange to meet after the session or at another convenient time with students nterested in knowing more about becoming a mem ber of God s family (see Leading a Child to Christ article on p. 36) Options I Sing Galatians and or Just Like You (p 461 and or p 477 in this book) with students. 2 Ask older students to find and read aloud these verses about patiene Proverbs Ecclesiastes 79, Romans Corinthians 134 (olossians 3 12

8 Bible Verse Coloring Center Crayons or markers, a copy of page 1 33 or 1 34 from Bible Verse Coloring Pages 2 for each student. Read 1 Corinthians 1 3:7. Why might the children in this picture need patience? How can they be patient with each other? Students color picture. Option Students add details (trees, flowers, animals, etc.) to the picture. Service Project Center needed for Thank-You Nameplates (p. 60 from The Big Book of Service Projects). Students complete Thank-You Nameplates as directed in The Big Book of Service Projects. When are some times you have to be patient with people in your family? How do you think FOR YOU NGER C[flLDREN remembering things you appreciate about people in your family can help you be patient with them? : Discipleship Activity Center Discussion Cards for Psalm 51:1-4,10-12 (pp from The Big Book of Chrictian Growth), materials needed for Cirde jump-up s or Guest Talk (p. 1 3 or p. 44 from The Big Book of Christian Growth). FOR OLDER ch1l0 Today we re going to play a game to talk about Psalm 51 and learn about God s forgiveness. God s patience and forgiveness show us how to be patient with oth ers. Students complete activity as directed in The Big Book of Christian Growth.