During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Before class, think of a melody you can use to sing the song in the Responding section. You can use a familiar song or make up your own.
Lord, you are great and powerful. Glory, majesty and beauty belong to you. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. Lord, the kingdom belongs to you. You are honored as the one who rules over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11
Nothing can compare with God’s power. The power of God’s voice spoke all of creation into being. God has the power to part the waters of seas and send down bolts of lightning. He is almighty and everlasting, and we can never fully understand His power.
Thinking about God’s power can be very humbling. When you think of God’s power, do you humbly bow down? Do you feel like singing His praises? Perhaps you tremble at the thought of God’s power. Though His power is limitless, so is His love. Do you ever become so overwhelmed by all of the things you need to do that you wonder how you will get through the day? Be encouraged to turn these thoughts to God and praise Him for loving you and having authority over your life. Honour Him and know that He has the power over your life because you belong to Him.
Encourage families to look for something that is big or powerful and talk about what makes it big or powerful. If possible, ask them to praise God for being bigger and more powerful than anything in His creation.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the children as they come to class. Ask each child to find a partner to talk to about what God created.
God created many big and powerful things! Some of these things are both big and powerful, while others are either big or powerful. Let’s do something fun to help us think about some of the big and powerful things God created.
Choose 1 side of the space to represent things that are powerful and 1 to represent things that are big. Point to each side of the space as you read the directions that follow.
I will call out something that is big or powerful. If I say something that is big, you will go to this side of the space. If I say something that is powerful, you will go to this side of the space. Ready?
Teacher Tip: If the items on this list are not parts of creation that the children you teach would be familiar with, please replace them with more appropriate parts of creation that demonstrate God’s power.
While all of these things we see in the world God created are big and powerful, God is bigger and more powerful than all of His creation! Today we will learn more about God’s power.
God is truly powerful! Listen to what the Bible says about God’s power.
If possible, read this verse directly from your Bible.
Lord, you are great and powerful. Glory, majesty and beauty belong to you. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. Lord, the kingdom belongs to you. You are honored as the one who rules over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11
Let’s focus for a moment on 1 part of God’s creation—the sky. We know that God created the sky because the book of Genesis tells us that He did. The sky is very big!
If we look outside at the sky, what might we see other than blue sky?
We might see clouds, rain, snow, the sun, or lightning.
God created many amazing things we see when we look at the sky! Close your eyes as I read from the Bible about the voice of God coming from the sky. Try to imagine what the things I am describing would look and sound like.
He sends his lightning across the sky. It reaches from one end of the earth to the other. Next comes the sound of his roaring thunder. He thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice fills the air, he doesn’t hold anything back. God’s voice thunders in wonderful ways. We’ll never understand the great things he does.
Job 37:3–5
You may open your eyes. Think about what it is like during a thunderstorm. What do you see in the sky? What sounds do you hear? How does your skin feel?
Talk about the dark clouds and flashing lightning you might see in a storm. Describe the loud sound of thunder and the moisture in the air.
Powerful thunderstorms are amazing and sometimes a bit scary. God’s power is even greater than a thunderstorm! In fact, He controls everything in heaven and on earth. He is that powerful!
The Bible describes God’s voice as sounding like thunder many times. In the true story from the Bible about Job, God speaks to Job out of a storm. Listen to what God said.
Who is wise enough to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens? I tip them over when the ground becomes hard. I do it when the dirt sticks together.
Job 38:37–38
These verses help us to understand God’s power. If we think of God in heaven, among the clouds and beyond, we can imagine Him tipping over a giant jar of water resting on the clouds. God is so big and so powerful that we as people have difficulty understanding Him. When we understand that God commands the clouds and the rain, we can see that everything on heaven and earth is in His control.
Although God is bigger and more powerful than all of creation, He uses His power to serve the needs of His creation. From the same mighty clouds God uses to send down lightning, He also provides for us.
Have you ever thought about what this rain does for plants, animals, and people? Listen to what the Bible says about the rain.
The rain he sends makes things grow for the nations. He provides them with plenty of food.
Job 36:31
What does the rain do for us?
It makes things grow so that we have food to eat.
God provides what we need in order to live. We need water to drink, but we also need it to make plants grow so that we can eat them and so that the animals we eat can have food. God, who created the entire universe, also created each one of us. He provides what we need, and He cares about us.
How does it make you feel to know that our powerful God cares for you?
Allow 2–3 children to respond. Possible answers include: safe, protected, and happy.
It is truly amazing to think that God, who created everything big and small, cares for each of us. Let’s praise God with a song about His power!
Before beginning this activity, think of a melody to use with the words “God, You are bigger than” and the words “God, You are more powerful than.” You can use a familiar song or make up your own. You will use this melody at the end of the activity.
Let’s use what we learned about God’s power to create a song of praise to sing to Him. Think of a way to complete this sentence: God is bigger than _________.
Give the children about 30 seconds to think. Then ask them to raise their hands if they want to share their answers with the class. Allow 3–4 children to respond. Ask these children to remember their answers, and invite them to stand to the left of you.
Now, we will sing these words together: “God, You are in control. Honour and glory belong to You.”
Ask the children to repeat the words with you. Then sing with the children: “God, You are in control. Honour and glory belong to You.”
We are almost done creating our song. Think of a way to complete this sentence: God is more powerful than _______.
Give the children about 30 seconds to think. Then ask them to raise their hands if they want to share their answers with the class. Allow 3–4 children to respond. Ask these children to remember their answers, and invite them to stand to the right of you.
Let’s use the ideas we have gathered about how big and powerful God is to create our song. Everyone in the class will sing, “God, You are bigger than” and pause.
Sing the words, “God, You are bigger than” with the melody you created.
When you pause, one of the children standing with me will say what God is bigger than. Try this with me.
The children will sing, “God, You are bigger than” with you and pause. Then you will sing, “All of creation.” Continue singing the words, “God, You are bigger than” with the children. Each time you sing this, pause and indicate one of the children to your left. Continue doing this until all of the children to your left have said their ideas.
Now we will do the same thing with the words “God, You are more powerful than.”
Start by singing the words, “God, You are more powerful than” 2 times to allow the children to hear the melody. Then indicate one of the children to your right to allow him to share his idea. Sing until all of the children on your right have shared their ideas. Then, end the song by singing or saying, “You are amazing and wonderful!” Thank your volunteers and allow them to join the rest of the class.
Optional: If you are using Student Pages, give the children crayons and allow 2–3 minutes for them to draw or write their responses.
God is more powerful than anything He created! Even though He is powerful, He loves each one of us and cares for us. Our memory verse reminds us about who God is.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord God. “I am the God who is, and who was, and who will come. I am the Mighty One.”
Revelation 1:8
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End—Look up at the sky. Extend 1 arm out to that side as you say, “Alpha,” and extend the other arm to the other side as you say, “Omega.”
I am the Mighty One—Extend your arms out to each side. Curve your arms at your elbows and pretend to show your muscles.
End class by saying this blessing, based on 1 Chronicles 29:11, over the children.
Blessing: May you praise God for His power. May you recognize that everything belongs to Him. May you honour Him today and always.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
