Lesson For This Week
Message: Count your blessings in times of trial.
Scripture: Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (NIV)
There’s an old saying, “Look on the bright side.” It means that when bad things happen you should look to see whatever good might come out of it. Let me give you an example.
Bob came home from work one day and discovered that his house was on fire. The Fire Department came and worked for hours trying to put the fire out, but it was too late. Bob’s house and everything in it was completely destroyed by the fire. Everything he owned was burned up.
It just so happened that there was a TV reporter there. He went over to Bob and said, “How do you feel?”
(Ask the children how they would feel if they had lost everything they owned in a fire.)
Well, Bob said something that really surprised the reporter. He said, “I feel blessed.”
The reporter said, “You feel blessed? Why?”
Bob said, “Well, even while my house was still burning there were so many friends and neighbors – and even strangers – who came by to comfort me and offer me help that I can’t help but feel blessed.”
Would you say that Bob was looking on the bright side? I think so, too.
Let me read you what it says in the book of Romans. It says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” It doesn’t mean that all things are good. Some things are pretty bad! But when something bad happens God can use it to make something good come out of it.
It was a pretty bad thing when Bob lost everything he owned in a fire. But God blessed him with lots of people who came to help him. And just as Bob looked on the bright side, we should look on the bright side, too.
Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we know that sometimes we’re going to have trials. But when they do happen, help us to remember to count our blessings and to look on the bright side. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
From www.ChildrensSermonsOnline.net
© Copyright 2015 by Steven Rudolph
Activities To Do After The Lesson
Option 1:
Put the bag of popcorn in the microwave and start the 2 minute or so process of popping the corn. POPCORN is considered a classic snack. Just hearing it POP in the microwave brings on anticipation of something good, an excellent example from God’s Word.
Show a handful of UNPOPPED POPCORN.
Say, “Did you know that popcorn makes the perfect tool to teach us a lesson from the Bible? Would any of you like to chew on a handful of POPCORN before its popped? Of course not!
We know if we ‘put the heat’ to the POPCORN we can be sure we will have something delicious in no time! We are a lot like this tiny little piece of dried corn. GOD knows that inside of each of us there is the potential to become something much better. But to reach that BETTER potential there is a process to bring it about. God works on us much like POPCORN. HE will ‘turn up the heat’ in our lives. Situations POP up with which we are uncomfortable, and unfortunately things just POP up, one thing after another. POP! POP! POP!
BUT, don’t we learn from the situations that unexpectedly POPPED up? We SHOULD! We need to LOOK for GOD in all the things that happen in our lives. HE is most likely teaching us to trust in him, to become a better person. We can give GOD the glory for teaching us through difficult times that POP up!
MMM . . . our POPCORN is done now! Doesn’t it smell wonderful? Most likely someone wants a taste. Don’t you LOVE how POPPING just one bag of POPCORN has filled the entire room with its aroma? This is just another reminder of TRUTH from GOD. Did you know that GOD wants us to be the aroma of Christ! It even says in HIS WORD, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” 2 Corinthians 2:15.
Option 2:
How many of you like to eat cake?
Why? (Possible answers may include: it’s sweet, tastes good, etc.)
Do any of you know what things go into a cake? [Give time for them to guess.]
Then all these things must be good – right?
Would you ever consider eating the ingredients of a cake separately?
A spoon of flour?
A raw egg?
A little oil? [Allow children to taste a little flour, oil or cocoa. Of course…not the raw egg; we sure don’t want someone to possibly get sick!]
How did each taste? …Yuk!
Of course there is the sugar too – yum!
Let each taste a bit of sugar; it will help get the “yucky” taste out.
Show them the already baked cake or cupcakes.
Life can be a lot like a cake! Separately there are some bitter times, some raw, hurtful times, and some dry, bland times.
Help them think of some “not-so-good” or tough times they have experienced or others may have experienced. Depending on the ages, it may be anything from a skinned knee to the loss of a loved one. Share something from your own life too. Remember your life is a wonderful living example for them!
But there are also the good times! Take a few minutes and have them think of some “good times” – birthday celebrations, new baby brother or sister, a vacation, a good meal, etc.
Some of the cake ingredients by themselves didn’t taste very good, but when everything is mixed together we have a delicious cake to eat!
God is able to blend the good and the bad experiences in our lives together for our good. All together they create a life that is meaningful, useful, and tasty!
Romans 8:28 is a beautiful promise: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His good purpose.”
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