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.
“I know the plans I have for you,” announces the Lord. “I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you.
I will give you hope for the years to come. Then you will call out to me. You will come and pray to me. And I will listen to you.
When you look for me with all your heart, you will find me.”
Jeremiah 29:11–13
In difficult times, we often read the first part of this passage and rejoice in the hope it promises. God has plans for us! He wants good things for us—now and in the future. He will give us hope! This reassurance can help us when we are walking through difficult times. However, we often overlook the amazing promise of the second part: that God listens when we call out to Him. God spoke these words to the people of Judah who disobeyed Him and turned their backs on Him. But still He promised to listen when they called. The same is true for all of us. We worship a God who loves us so much that He found a way to bring us back to Him. This is our hope!
Are you struggling through difficult times? Call out to God. He will listen. Are you hurting or alone? Pray to Him. In your times of pain, He is there. In your times of fear, He is listening. In your times of sorrow and loneliness, He cares. Do not lose hope. Instead, find your hope in the source of all hope! When you look for God with all of your heart, you will find Him. He is right where He has always been—walking alongside of you.
Encourage families to talk about a time when they did not have hope. Ask them to share what good things led them out of the situation.
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. Invite them to share a funny joke or story with you. This will show the children that you care about them and what they say. It will also make your class a place of joy and hope!
Use a hand signal to quiet the children. Have them sit in a circle to begin class.
Optional: If you have more than 1 ball or soft object, divide the class into smaller circles of 10–15 students so that more children can participate in the game.
Let’s start with a fun game. I will give 1 child in each circle a ball. You all will pass it around the circle. You can pass it to anyone you want to. As you pass the ball, say something funny. You can tell a quick joke, make a funny face, or say some silly words. Just make sure whatever you say is not rude and will not hurt someone’s feelings. Be careful not to drop the ball when you are laughing!
Hand the ball to a child. Allow the children to pass the ball for 2–3 minutes. If you are using the ball, the children can roll or pass it to another child. If you are using the soft object, the children can throw the object to someone else or pass it to the person next to them. Hold the ball while you ask the following question.
Were you excited to have someone pass the ball to you? Why or why not?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
If you like being funny and telling jokes, you probably wanted someone to pass you the ball. If you do not like this or do not like speaking in front of lots of people, you might not have wanted the ball.
That was a fun game! Let’s play it again. But this time, when you get the ball, you will tell about something sad or difficult. For example, you could talk about someone who has died, a fear you have, or something that made you angry.
Give the ball to a different child. Allow the children to pass the ball around the circle. If someone drops it, encourage him by saying something such as “That was a good try!” Allow the children to play for 2–3 minutes. Then put the ball aside.
Allow 2–3 children to respond to the following questions.
Were you excited to have someone pass the ball to you this time?
Why or why not?
Was this different than the way you felt the first time we played the game?
If so, why?
This game can help us to understand hope. The first time we played the game, you probably hoped you would get the ball. You wanted to laugh and make everyone else laugh. But the second time, you probably hoped that you would not get the ball. It is not fun to say something sad.
Sad and difficult situations can cause us to lose hope. But hope can help us when we experience difficult situations. Let’s talk more about how hope can help us when things are not going well.
The last time we met, I told you that hope means wanting something good in the future. When you hope for something, you want it to happen but you are not sure it will happen. As we learned in our last lesson, true hope comes from our trust in God and believing that He will do what He has promised.
It is easy to have hope when our lives are going well. But it can be hard to have hope when something scary, sad, or horrible happens. We may get angry about our situations. We may also be disappointed that the thing we wanted to happen did not happen. We may lose hope when something difficult happens. The Bible tells us the true story of someone who had a lot of hope, even though he faced many difficult situations. His name was Jeremiah.
Put your hands together with your palms touching. This is a prayer position.
Put your hands together and hold them out in front of you, as though you are praying. Wait until all of the children have done this. As you read the story, each time you see the word “motion” do the praying motion. If you are using the images from The Action Bible, show them to the students as you tell the story.
In a moment, I will tell you the true story from the Bible about a man named Jeremiah. Every time I say something God did to help Jeremiah, put your hands together as though you are praying (motion). Let’s listen to Jeremiah’s true story.
When Jeremiah was young, he received a message from God. Listen to what God told Jeremiah:
Read this verse directly from your Bible.
Before I formed you in your mother’s body I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5
What did God say to Jeremiah?
Show the Action Bible picture to the class if possible.
God told Jeremiah that he had been chosen before he was born to be a prophet.
God made Jeremiah a prophet to the nations! Do you know what that is? A prophet is someone who shares God’s messages with others. Jeremiah had very important work to do for God (motion)!
How do you think Jeremiah felt about doing this important work?
Have each child turn to another child near her and share her answer. Then allow 2–3 children to share their answers with the whole group.
Jeremiah was afraid. He told God he was too young to speak to others. Listen to what God said to Jeremiah:
“Do not be afraid of the people I send you to. I am with you. I will save you,” announces the Lord.
Jeremiah 1:8
Do the praying motion.
God did not leave Jeremiah to do this important work by himself. God promised to be with Jeremiah and to save him. God gave Jeremiah strength, and He gave Jeremiah the right words to say (motion).
God was with Jeremiah, but Jeremiah’s work was very hard. Jeremiah shared a lot of bad news with the people of Judah. The people did not obey God. They worshipped idols instead of worshipping God. God told Jeremiah to tell the people that bad things would happen because they did not obey. Jeremiah shared this message with the people, but they did not listen. So Jeremiah shared God’s messages with the people many times.
Optional: If you are using The Action Bible, read page 451 to the children.
How do you think Jeremiah felt when the people did not listen to God’s messages?
Have each child turn to another child near him and share his answer. Then allow 2–3 children to share their answers with the whole group.
The Bible tells us that Jeremiah became discouraged. He wondered if the people would ever listen to God. The people grew angry with Jeremiah. Jeremiah was beaten and mocked. He was arrested and put into prison. He was put into an empty well and left without food to eat. But each time, Jeremiah asked God for help, and God saved Jeremiah. God did what He had promised to do (motion).
Jeremiah did not share only bad news with the people. He also shared messages of hope. Though the people would be punished for their disobedience, God promised that He would protect them from their enemies and give them peace. He would take away their fears. He would be with them (motion).
God promised to be with Jeremiah, and He was. God always does what He promises. Listen to what the Bible tells us about hope in God:
Our hope is certain. It is something for the soul to hold on to. It is strong and secure.
Hebrews 6:19
How does it make you feel to know that hope in God is strong and secure?
Have each child turn to another child near her and share her answer. Then allow 2–3 children to share their answers with the whole group.
Jeremiah knew that he could ask God for help. He knew that he could find hope in God and that it would be strong and secure. Listen to something else God told Jeremiah.
“I know the plans I have for you,” announces the Lord. “I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come.”
Jeremiah 29:11
God promised to give hope to Jeremiah and all of His people! He will give you hope if you trust in Him!
The last time we met, we discovered that we can learn from our mistakes and poor choices and become more hopeful. Another way we can grow in hope is to ask for help. When Jeremiah felt sad, he asked God for help. When he felt discouraged, he asked God for help. Each time he asked, God helped Jeremiah and gave him hope.
In addition to asking God for help, you can also ask a safe person to help you. This may be a teacher, a pastor, or a family member. Turn to someone near you and share the name of 1 person you can ask for help when you need it.
Turn to another person and share the name of another person you can ask for help when you need it.
Now that you know who you can ask for help, let’s learn how to ask for help. Asking for help takes practice. Here are some ideas to help you when you ask for help:
Help the children to find partners for the next activity.
Let’s practice asking for help and helping others. I will read a situation. You will turn to your partner and ask for help as though you were in that situation. Be sure to think about who you can ask and tell the person exactly what you need help with. Let’s do this together. Listen to this situation.
Situation 1: Your grandmother needs food from the market, but you cannot get it for her.
Give the children 1 minute to act out what they would do with their partners. Then ask the children to listen to the next situation.
Situation 2: I am lost, and I am far from home.
Allow 30 seconds for the children to answer each of these questions.
Give the children 1–2 minutes to act out what they would do in this situation.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, give the children crayons and read the directions for the activity. Provide help to children who ask for it.
You all thought of some good ways to solve the problems! When you solve problems, you depend on God and the gifts He has given you. Asking for help from God and others can help you solve problems and help you grow in hope! As our memory verse this week reminds us, we can be full of hope in knowing that God is always with us.
Our memory verse today reminds us that God is always with us, even when we feel uncertain.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
I know that the Lord is always with me. Because he is at my right hand, I will always be secure. So my heart is glad and joy is on my tongue. My whole body will be full of hope.
Acts 2:25–26
Repeat the motions with the words 3 times. Then end class by saying this blessing, based on Jeremiah 1:5, over the children.
Blessing: May you know that you are chosen and loved by God. May you find your hope in Him as you do the important work He has called you to do.
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.
