Copyright 2014 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton All Rights Reserved. Patience Lesson 3 of 4 Patience Never Rips Off Time Tags (Patience chooses to wait until the right time arrives.) Scripture: Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him... Psalm 37:7 Preparation Print on cardstock one copy each of pages 5, 6 and 7. Print one copy of the age-appropriate activity sheet for each child. Read the story to prepare. Nest 4 boxes inside one another, attaching time tags to illustrate the story. Review Begin by showing the character wall. Say: Remember that we re putting a big block of patience in your character wall this month! Hold up the pictures from Lessons #1 and #2, reading the captions. Say: We learned first that patience stays cool. You can choose to get hot, angry, and bothered, but you choose to stay cool instead. Second, we learned that patience waits calmly. Patience refuses to push others to hurry just so self is happier. You could choose to get upset when you have to wait, but you choose to wait calmly instead. Introducing New Lesson Say: Today we re going to learn something about patience that might seem funny. Say: See this big box? Watch this box, and listen for the word tag in our story. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners adapting to their age and culture. That huge box is for me, said Billy. He pressed his nose against the window, watching Dad unload the car. Dave pretended he wasn t interested. Kids, he said, cutting out a shiny gold Christmas star. Wow! That one looks heavy! Emma squealed from the window seat. It just had to be a computer for Dave! When Dad and Mom go out again, we ll find their gift-hiding place, he whispered. They hide the gifts when they bring them home, and I know their hiding place. The next morning, Dad and Mom called all three children to the kitchen. We ll be out for about two hours, Dad told them. Dave s in charge but remember, no hunting for gifts while we re gone! We won t hunt, Dave said. He wouldn t have to hunt. He knew the gifts were hidden in the closet. The minute the car left, he called his Billy and Emma, raced to the closet, and opened the door. A big sign greeted him. Wait Until Christmas! its big green letters said. Dave read it aloud, and laughed. They ll never know, he said. Together, they pushed the sign and Dad s shirts aside. A second sign warned in big red letters, Wait until Christmas!
Billy stopped. We re going to get in trouble, Dave. I m going to see what s here. Dave reached for a small blue box. A tag on it read: Wait until Christmas! Dave shook the box, put it back, and reached for a bigger box. A bigger tag told him, Wait until Christmas! As Dave read each tag, Emma took another step away from him. Billy stood still, hands in pockets. Hey, I see that really big box at the back! Dave said. Help me pull it out, Billy. Billy helped only a little so he could blame Dave later. Slowly, the heavy box came out. (Show your big box.) I m sure it s my computer! Dave said. (Illustrate the following with your nested boxes and time tags.) There s a tag on it, Dave, Emma said. What does it say? Dave snorted. Wait until Christmas, he said in a silly, sing-song voice. He ripped off the time tag, but carefully so the box wouldn t look as though it had been opened. When the lid popped up, Dave pulled paper from the box. Then he stopped. Billy leaned forward to see what was inside. Another box and another time tag! Wait until... Billy began to read. Aw, I can read. I m not going to wait until, Dave said. He ripped off the time tag. He opened the second box, and saw a third box with another time tag. With a growl, he ripped off the third time tag and threw it aside. He wasn t as careful when he opened the third box and took out a smaller, fourth box with another time tag. Dave ripped off the time tag, and opened the fourth box. Dad s old tools! he growled. Old, heavy tools to make me think I d found that big gift. Dad will know I was hunting when he sees this. Help me clean up this mess, he said, but the only answer was the sound of Emma and Billy running to their rooms. When Dad and Mom came home, all three children were sitting on the couch by the Christmas tree. They were sure Dad would check the boxes when he hung up his coat, but he didn t say anything. Instead, he brought out three brightly-wrapped gifts. Each one wore a tag that read, Wait until Christmas. Dad piled the gifts in front of the couch and sat down to open the mail. Dave, Billy, and Emma stared gloomily at the gifts. Display the Page 5 picture as you finish the story.) Mom came in to see the mail. As she passed Dad s chair, she pulled something from his shirt pocket. Those were on the closet floor, Dad told her. You must have dropped them. Emma spoke quickly. Dave ripped the time tags off the boxes, she said. Billy and I only watched. Dave glared at her, but he had to answer Dad s questions. Soon, he had told the whole story. Dad looked around at each one. Time tags test patience, he told them. A time tag says wait until even if it doesn t use those exact words. It might say Do not open until or Open only on your birthday. You can t always see time tags. Sometimes, we just tell you to wait until. Our words make a time tag in your mind. Wait until your homework is done to call a friend. Wait until it s your turn at a game. Wait until you re older. Patience waits until the right time. Patience never rips off time tags. Bible Story: David Waited Until God s Time to Become King I Samuel 16: 1-13; II Samuel 2:1-5 Do you know who King Saul was? He was the first King in Israel. He was not a good king, though. He disobeyed God in many ways. He behaved so badly that God punished him. God told his prophet Samuel that He was taking the kingdom away from Saul. Samuel was told to go to Bethlehem to find the new king God had chosen. The new king would be one of Jesse s eight sons. Which one would it be? God did not say. Samuel had to wait until he met Jesse s sons for God to show him. So off he went to Bethlehem to visit Jesse.
When Samuel arrived, he told Jesse what God wanted him to do. Jesse was pleased that God had chosen one of his boys. He called his oldest son Eliab, and Samuel was sure he would be the one, but God said, I have rejected him. Samuel had to wait until God said yes, so he asked for the next son, but #2 wait until; #3 wait until; #4 wait until; #5 wait until; #6 wait until; #7 wait until God says yes. God has not chosen any of these, Samuel told Jesse. Are these all of your children? There s still my youngest son, said Jesse. He s out taking care of the sheep. Send someone to get him, said Samuel. Quickly, Jesse sent for his youngest David. Samuel saw right away that that the teenager was handsome and healthy. As Samuel looked, God said, Stand up and anoint him. He s the one. Display the Page 6 illustration as you finish telling the story. Samuel did as God said but NOW it was David s turn to wait until. Young David had been anointed to become king, but he had to wait until Saul was dead and Saul was very much alive! The Bible shows us that David waited patiently for God to make him the king. David waited patiently for God when the king invited him to play the harp and carry his armor. David waited patiently for God when the king tried to spear him. David waited patiently for God when the king chased him into the desert. David waited patiently for God as he hid from the king in desert caves. One day, the king went alone into a cave where David was hiding! The king used the dark cave as a toilet, and David was so close he could have killed King Saul and become the new king that day but he waited patiently for God. One night, David and one of the men hiding with him walked quietly into the king s war camp. The soldiers were sleeping so soundly that David walked right over to where Saul slept. Saul s spear was stuck in the ground right beside his head. David could have killed King Saul and become the new king that very night but he waited patiently for God. David knew that God was in charge. He was willing to wait until God said yes to become the king. God did say yes when God knew the time was right God caused Saul to be killed in w war. God caused David to become Israel s new king but that was 15 to 20 years after Samuel anointed him! Apply the 2 stories in age-appropriate words. Hold up the Page 5 picture, reading, Patience Never Rips Off Time Tags. You show patience when you wait until the right time for things. You do not push to do things before it s time. In our first story, the children found real time tags, but they did not all exercise patience. A boy or girl who shows patience never rips off time tags. He or she waits until the right time comes. If a coach says you must wait until you hit the ball 5 times before you get an award, the coach makes a time tag. Patience doesn t tear off the time tag and demand the award before you hit the ball 5 times. If a teacher says you must wait until the end of the day to get a treat, the teacher makes a time tag. Patience never rips off the time tag and beg for the treat before the end of the day. If a parent says you must wait until another day to buy candy, the parent makes a time tag. Patience doesn t yank off the time tag and throw a temper tantrum to buy the candy right away. If the law says you must wait until you are 15 years old to get a learner s driving license, the law makes a time tag. Patience doesn t snatch off the time tag, complain, and drive without a learner s permit. Patience doesn t demand, beg, throw temper tantrums, or complain. Patience waits until the right time.
Hold up the Page 6 illustration, reading, Patience Waits Until. You show patience when you wait until God s time for things. God is OUR king. God makes the rules. God is in charge of everyone and everything. God does what He knows is best. We must wait until His time for the things we want. When you pray to God, you ask Him to do things for you or you ask Him to give something to you. You must not demand, though. You must not get angry if God doesn t do what you want or doesn t do it right away. You must not throw a temper tantrum if God doesn t give what you want when you want it. You must ask politely and then wait until God does what is best. We should all work to show patience. We should remember how David waited until God was ready to make him king. David could have taken things into his own hands. He could have killed Saul there in the cave and he would have become king sooner. He could have killed Saul while he was sleeping that night and he would have become king sooner. David refused to rip off the time tag. He exercised patience instead. Hold up the Page 7 Bible verse. Our Bible memory verse this week is short. It s just part of a verse, but it s a very important part. Read it with me. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him... Psalm 37:7 When you rest in what someone, it means you re happy to let them tell you what to do. Go wants you to be happy to have Him making the rules, and wait patiently for Him to do what is best for you. Close by handing out assignment sheets.
Patience Waits Until
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7
First and Last Name: I show patience when I refuse to rip off time tags. Manolo, Fortunato, and Tonio stared at the pile of gifts. Dad said they were not to touch them. They were to wait until Grandma and Granddad came. Let s shake the boxes, Tonio said. Then we can guess what they are. The others grinned, but no one did it. They chose to wait until Grandma and Granddad came. Did the three children show patience? NO YES Em woke up very early. Mother and Father were sleeping. On tiptoe, Em went to wake up James. Let s look at the gifts, she whispered. James and Em hurried to the living room. Let s each open just one, James whispered. We re supposed to wait until Christmas, Em said, but in a minute, they had opened two gifts. Did James and Em show patience? NO YES Today was the triplets birthday party. Mom baked a chocolate cake. When they wanted a taste, though, Mom shook her head. You must wait until the party, she told them. The twins waited and waited. Then Timmy said, I can t wait until the party! Let s take just a teeny taste of the frosting. One bite led to two, and then Mother and Dad came up behind them. Did the triplets show patience? NO YES Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Patience #3 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2014 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
Color the words below. Learn your Bible verse so well that you can say it without help. Write your name neatly on the line below. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Patience #3 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2014 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and Last Name: I show patience when I refuse to rip off time tags. Patience waits until God s time. Explain those two sentences. Then write a story about a time when you need to show patience. You may use the back of this page. Do the crossword puzzle and write your name on the back. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2014 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Patience #3 Ages 7 and up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
ACROSS 4. How tall a person is from head to foot; the distance from the bottom to the top of an object 5. Energy, might, force, or strength 7. The way that some person or thing looks on the outside, rather than the truth of what is inside 8. pouring olive oil on a person s head to set him apart for God 9. Name of the prophet God used to visit Jesse and find the son God chose for Israel s new king DOWN 1. Position of any man who became ruler of a country in Bible times 2. Male siblings; two or more males who share the same parents with one another 3. A blood-pumping organ of the body; the center of a person s emotions or feelings 4. The number of sons God gave Jesse, not counting David 6. Name of the one God chose to replace King Saul in Israel Use only words from the box below to solve the puzzle. Samuel appearance David seven king heart power height anoint brothers Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2014 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Patience #3 Ages 7 and up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com