WELCOME TO WEEK 3

God sends prophets to tell His people important messages. Sometimes the message was good news, but other times they were words of serious warning. God gave Zephaniah a warning to share so that God’s people could be ready and focused on Him. They were going to have difficult times, but God wasn’t going anywhere.

Zephaniah 1:7,12-18, 3:14-17

BIBLE STORY

Sometimes we have to do things that are hard. Listen to the following activities and see if you can do some of these tough things. 

-do a handstand

-do a pushup with 1 hand

-jump rope on one foot

-reach your foot to your head

-reach your foot to the back of your head

-froggy jump across the room

-crab walk across the room

-do the splits

-do a backbend

Were you able to do all of those things? Was it easy or hard to do them. We sometimes have hard things to do or life gets hard, but even in those times we can count on God to be there with us. God does not take away the difficult situation, but He wants us to trust Him. Zephaniah was a prophet that had to share difficult news with God’s people. At that time the people were living for themselves and not putting God first. They served the things they had and put them before God. 

Read or listen to Zephaniah 1:7,12-18, 3:14-17

What day did Zephaniah say was near? (The day of the Lord)

What was God searching Jerusalem for? (Those he would punish who are complacent)

What would the Israelites lose? (Their wealth and houses)

What would happen in His jealousy?

Why should the daughter of Jerusalem rejoice? (The Lord has taken away their punishment)

Why did they have no need to fear? (The Lord God is with them and saves them)

What would God do since he no longer rebukes Israel? (Rejoice over them in singing)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

There are things in our life that are tough and difficult for us to get through. Listen to the following scenarios and decide if it is a difficult scenario or an easy situation.

Waiting in line 2 hours for a roller coaster ride

Losing your parents at an amusement park

Giving a speech in front of your entire school

Helping a friend with their homework

Completing a 25 page report for school

Losing a pet

Moving to a new neighborhood

Losing a card game

Performing at a large symphony hall

Getting a new teacher mid-year

Standing up to a school bully

Materials:

Alternate

God wants to rejoice over us with singing. God delights when we are following him and keeping Him first above the things He has provided for us. We do not need to fear God’s punishment when we have a relationship with Him and follow His plan for us. Set up two stations or areas with one that says “serving God” and one that says “serving self”. Read out the following scenarios and have your student stand at the station that best describes the actions being described. Deciding if the actions are serving God or serving self.

Materials: printed scenarios or device for viewing, area with 2 stations labeled with sheet of paper

Independent activity:

The Israelites were serving idols, which is anything we put above or in place of God. They were not putting God first but seeking after other things instead of God’s plan for them. Today, we can ask God to help us put Him above the things in our lives we may love or like, let’s plan to always keep God above those things. Create a statement poster that can be hung up to remind students of their commitment to God. On a large sheet of construction paper, write the following statement and then decorate the poster Complete the following statement.

Help me to want God over wanting my_______. Help me to serve God over serving ________. Help me to seek God over seeking for _________.

Materials: large construction paper, crayons, various art supplies

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Coloring page

Materials:printed coloring sheet, crayons or other coloring utensils

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

What does God want from us?

Does God want us to be complacent in our worship to him?

How can we show God we love and serve Him?

Who needs to fear the Day of the Lord?

Do we have to fear the wrath of God?

How is God’s wrath poured out on the wicked, good news for us?

Practical Application at Home

We can seek God and seek to serve Him in our daily lives. We can trust that what God has for us is better than what we have for ourselves. Even though our life sometimes gets tough we can count of God to have a plan for our lives and keep His people close to Him. We can continue to serve and trust Him and we do not need to fear the difficult times ahead.

As I seek to serve God I can serve others by….

As I seek to worship God, I can worship Him through my…

As I seek to do what is right, I can choose to…

This week, look for ways to live out these action statements. Actively find ways to serve, worships, and do what is right in the ways you described above. 

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Take this season to make a list of the things you are thankful for, and then find ways to share those blessings with others so they can be thankful for them as well.