TRUST
WELCOME TO WEEK 1
Welcome to week 1! This week we will learn to trust God just as Jesus did.
BIBLE STORY
We are going to play a game that will require you to trust me. Blindfold your child and tell them you will feed them several items. Tell them the items you will feed them right before you put it in their mouth (apple sauce, yogurt, crackers, etc). Ask Did you trust that I would feed you what I said I was going to feed you? Did you have to trust or have faith that I would never try to hurt or mislead you? This week we are learning that Jesus trusted God, and God wants us to trust him too.
Materials: Various food items on hand (i.e applesauce, yogurt, crackers ect), blindfold
Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Matthew 26:36-46
Where did Jesus take the disciples to pray? (The Garden of Gethsemane)
What did he ask the disciples to do while he prayed? (Pray for him)
What did the disciples do? (They fell asleep)
What did Jesus pray to God for? (For this cup of death to pass over him)
How do you know Jesus trusted God? (He said He would do God’s will not his own)
Although Jesus knew this difficult death was going to happen He also knew that God was in control. He knew God had a plan and Jesus trusted God’s plan to be what was best.
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
God is trustworthy. He is our provider and our creator. The plans he has for us are far better than the plans we can make for ourselves. When you are the creator of something you know how it works and what its purpose is better than anyone else, because you are the one who created it. Make up a game to play with your family. Explain the rules and instructions to your family. Then play the game together. Now think about how the game went. Did people have questions? Who had the answers? You did! You knew how you wanted the game to be played and how to win because you were it’s creator. God is our creator. Who else can know what’s best for us besides the One who designed us and knows our beginning and end. We can trust his plan.
Activity
Look up the following scriptures about trusting God. Match them with their verse.
Materials: pencil, printed trust paper
Alternative:
Pretend you are one of the disciples that went to the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. Have another person pretend they are a reporter wanting to find out more about what happened in the night Jesus was arrested. Have the interviewer ask the disciple questions about that night. Have each character dress up and use props to reenact the scene. If more characters are needed for additional children pretend some children are other disciples, a soldier that arrested Jesus, or Judas. Give children time to prepare their skit, props and questions for the interview. Record the skit and allow children time to watch it.
Materials: Clothes to create costumes, pen/pencil, paper
Create:
Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. We often spend time in a garden or park to enjoy the nature God gives us. Design your own garden, whether its a garden for your backyard or a garden for a large park. Use graph paper if available to draw where you would place trees and flowers, park benches, walkways, walking trails etc. Use a key to show what each picture represents. Alternative option: use cut-out pictures of flowers and trees from magazines to create a picture garden. Here are a few links for examples: example 1, Example 2, Example 3
Materials: Graph paper (optional), pencil, straight edge, example pictures
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Draw or paint a picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane with his heart overflowing with sorrow.
CRAFT 2
Coloring Page
Materials: Printed coloring page
FOLLOW-UP
Jesus went to pray at the Garden of Gethsemane. The Blue Letter Bible shows Gethsemane to mean “an oil press”. Watch this video on how they press olives to make olive oil. Here is an Additional video of making olive oil. Just as the olives are pressed to produce olive oil, Jesus felt pressed while he prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane. Read Isaiah 53:5, it says that Jesus was crushed for our iniquities. Although Jesus was feeling pressed, He trusted that God was going to make something beautiful from it. He prayed 3 times for God to take this from him but each time he said “Yet not as I will, but as you will”.
What caused him to be able to go through such pain and suffering for us? He loved us and He trusted God. Psalm 28:7 says ‘the Lord is our strength and shield, my heart trusts in him and he helps me’. Jesus knew that God would be his strength and He trusted God’s plan. Can you trust God’s plan for your life? Can you let him be your strength and your shield? Will you allow him to protect and guide you even when the way seems hard or even impossible?
Practical Application at Home
Sometimes God asks us to do hard things and trust that He is in control and wants what is best for us. What are some hard things God might be asking of you? Designate 2 areas in your room one for being hard and one for being easy. Listen to each of these statements. If you think it is something easy God is asking of you, move to the designated area for “easy”. If you think it is something hard God is asking of you, move to the designated “hard” area.
Sharing your toys with your siblings
Enjoy time with your family
Love your mom and dad
Tell the truth, always
Keep your room clean
Be nice to a kid others are mean to
Eat all your vegetables
Obey your mom and dad
Work hard in school
Obey your teachers
Read your bible
Pray
Give your offering
Share your last _____ with someone
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Go to a park and spend time in worship and prayer. Ask God to show you ways to trust him and listen to his voice.