BELIEVE
WELCOME TO WEEK 2
Do you obey your parents 100% of the time? Do you want to obey your parents all the time? It’s good to trust your parents and know that they want what is best for you. When we trust our parents it makes it easier to obey them. We can feel the same way about God. When we trust that God wants what is best for us, it is easier to obey Him, even when we don’t understand. This week we will see a woman who does just that; trusts and obeys!
BIBLE STORY
Sit in this chair.—— Did you have faith the chair would hold you?
Pour water in this cup.——Did you have faith the cup would hold the water?
Catch this ball.——Did you have faith I would’t throw the ball in your face?
Open this locked door.—— Did you have faith the lock would keep the door shut?
There are lots of things we put our faith in. Faith is trusting in something or someone even when we can not see the proof or end result. Although we may have some sort of faith in little things every day, God is the only one that deserves our faith because He will never fail. We can always count on Him to come through because sometimes our chairs do break and our locks don’t always keep the door closed. God will never fail, He will never stop working, and He never slumbers nor sleeps. This week we will see how a woman had faith to believe the words Elisha shared with her were from God. She trusted God’s words and obeyed them and it saved here family. Let’s read the story to find out what she did that showed great faith.
Let’s read the Bible story for the week II Kings 4:1-7
What fit the widows husband do for a living previously? ( he was a prophet)
What was wrong with the widow? (Her husband was dead and his collectors are coming after her for their money)
What did Elisha tell her to do? (Borrow oil jars from neighbors and friends then fill them with oil)
When she filled the last jar in her home with oil, what happened to the oil? (It stopped flowing)
What did Elisha tell her to do with the oil? (go sell the jars of oil to pay off the debt)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
Set up cups, jars and/or vases around the room or space. Place these faith statements inside each container. Have your child find the jars and search inside for each faith statement and read it aloud. Which faith statement meant the most to you? We can have faith in God and trust that He will provide and care for us even when our need is great. God’s answer may not always be what we want but He will provide what He knows is best. We can have faith and trust God just as the widow trusted God to provide for her families great need.
Materials: printed faith statements, scissors, jars/containers
Alternate
The widow listened and obeyed God through the voice of Elijah, and we are called to obey our dad, mom and God too! When we practice obeying our Dad and mom, we can be ready to obey God when He calls us. Let’s practice obeying right now. Print and cut out the list of commands, place them in a bowl to pull out and then have your child obey them. Praise their obedience and extra praise if they obey immediately. Reinforce how it is important to obey your parents just as we are to obey God.
Materials: printed commands
Independent activity:
Our parents often ask us to have faith in them, to believe and obey them, because they have seen things we have not seen. They know some things are good or bad for us because they have experienced it, watched someone else experience it or have seen it with their own eyes. Our experience helps us share our faith with others. We can share who God is with others who have less experience by sharing our experience or testimony with them. Listen to the following statements and think about if you’ve experience it, seen someone else experience it, or seen a first hand experience. Share your experience with others to help them have faith and trust the statement is true.
Smoking causes cancer
Stealing causes pain to others
Eating too much sugar causes health problems
Not drinking enough water can make you sick
Its not good to watch too much TV
Materials:
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Complete this spin wheel of the widow pouring oil into her jars.
Materials: printed wheel spinner, crayons, scissors
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Read or listen to Colossians 1:3-14
This verse is a letter written from Paul and Timothy to a group of believers who learned about Christ from another believer. Although these believers never witnessed Jesus and His miracles they came to faith from the word and testimony of other believers. They were able to witness the faith and life of those who believed and that encouraged them to have faith as well, in something they had never witnessed. We can be witnesses in the same way, our lives and faith is a testimony of Jesus in our lives. Our faith can help others grow in their faith.
How did the widow show faith in God?
Was her husband a believer in God?
Did her husbands faith help her have faith as well?
In what way did the widow physically demonstrate her faith?
Did Elisha solve her problem by fixing the problem for her or handing her thee money she needed?
How does this story help us continue to demonstrate our faith with actions and not just words?
How do faith and obedience go hand in hand?
Practical Application at Home
Paul prayed for his new friends with new faith. He knew that it can be hard to keep the faith and not become discouraged. We can help others, whether their faith is new or old, by continuing to pray for them. We can pray they stay encouraged and strong in their faith. We can ask for God to help us as well. We can live a life that demonstrates our faith in God by dedicating our lives and choices to Him daily. In Colossians 1:10 Paul prays the believers are filled with God’s Spirit so they may live lives worthy of the Lord. Their lives would then be a demonstration of the presence of God’s Spirit because they would live in a way that pleases God in every way, they would do good works and grow in the knowledge of God.
We can think of ways our lives are a demonstration of God’s Spirit in us by how we live our lives. Complete the following handout and write ways to please God in every way, do good works, and grow in knowledge of God.
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?