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 and Student Page, 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.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
Jeremiah 17:7, NIV
True confidence comes from God. When we know and believe God created us with purpose and that He gives us the skills and abilities we need to carry out His plan, we are confident. God values us and loves us. We are who God created us to be.
What skill or ability do you have that gives you the most confidence? Praise God for His abundant blessings and ask Him to guide you as you use this gift for His glory. In what area of your life do you lack confidence? Ask God to replace your lack of confidence with confidence in Him and who He has created you to be. It is only then that you will experience true confidence and the beautiful blessings He has planned for you.
Encourage families to talk to their children about the things they are good at doing. Recommend that each family member name 1 thing another family member does well. If possible, have them take a moment to thank God for the plans He has for each family member.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the children as they arrive. Ask them to tell you about something they do well. If any of the children have difficulty thinking of something they are good at doing, make some suggestions that most children might be good at, such as helping others, being a good friend, or remembering things. When you are ready to begin class, have the children sit in their usual places and share the things they are good at doing with another child sitting near them.
Today we will talk about confidence. When you know who you are and believe you are valuable, you are confident. God created us and loves us. Knowing this can give us confidence. When I asked you to share something that you were good at doing, you thought of an ability you have or something about you that makes you feel valuable. That is confidence!
Let’s do some activities to learn more about confidence. I will give you some instructions. As you follow the instructions, think about the way you feel about that activity. Are you confident that you can do it? Or are you worried you will not do it well? You do not need to answer out loud. Just think about your answer.
Have the children stand. Read the first instruction on the list and pause to allow the children to do it. Then read the next instruction. Continue until you have read all of the instructions on the list.
After you have read all of the instructions, have the children sit down in their usual places. Allow 2–3 children to respond to each of the following questions:
Some of the instructions I gave were probably things you do well, so you had confidence that you could do them. Some of them were probably more difficult for you, so you did not have confidence. It is okay that we cannot do some things. We still have many valuable things we can do.
Let’s do those same things again. Do you think you will have more confidence this time?
Repeat the instructions on the list and pause between the items for the children to follow the instructions. Then have them sit down. Allow 2–3 children to respond to each of the following questions:
This time, some of the instructions might have been easier for you to follow because you knew what I would ask or because you had already done them well the first time. This gave you confidence that you could do them again.
Confidence is important. It helps us to get along well with others, find solutions when we face problems, and live healthier and happier lives. Our confidence is even stronger when we remember that God created us and that we are valuable to Him. Let’s learn more about confidence.
Optional: If possible, share the image from The Action Bible.
As most of you already know, Moses led God’s people—the Israelites—for many years. When the time came for Moses to name a new leader, Joshua was chosen.
How do you think Joshua felt about becoming the leader of the Israelites?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
The Bible does not tell us how Joshua felt, but it does tell us that Joshua had many reasons to have confidence in his abilities as a leader. Remember, when you know who you are and believe you are valuable, you are confident.
Joshua could be confident because Moses had taught him many good things that would help Joshua lead the Israelites. Joshua had learned many things from Moses, beginning when he was a young man. Moses taught Joshua to be truthful and to trust in God. He became a wise warrior and learned to listen to the advice of others. Joshua’s confidence came from God.
Joshua began leading the Israelites as they were about to enter into the land God had promised to them. This would not be easy. They had to fight an important battle in order to take the land for God and His people. Joshua may have been worried he would not be able to lead the people at this important time. He may have even been afraid of what would happen. But God had a plan to encourage Joshua. Listen to what Moses said to Joshua when he chose Joshua to lead the Israelites.
If possible, read these verses directly from your Bible.
Be strong and brave. You must go with these people. They are going into the land the Lord promised to give to their people of long ago. You must divide it up among them. They will each receive their share. The Lord himself will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will never leave you. He’ll never desert you. So don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope.
Deuteronomy 31:7–8
How do you think Joshua felt after he received this message from Moses?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
Model a pose that shows strength and confidence such as standing tall and hold your head up. Ask the children to create their own poses that show strength and confidence. Explain that they will be asked to stand in their “confident poses” throughout the lesson.
If Joshua was worried or afraid, this message may have given him confidence. Moses helped Joshua to understand that he was valuable. He had an important job to do, and God would be with him. Knowing that he was important to Moses and to the Israelites probably helped Joshua to grow in confidence. It is important for us to have people in our lives who care about us and who believe that we can do things well. This gives us confidence, too.
Have the children sit down in their usual places.
Is there someone you know who helps you to have confidence? What does that person do to help you to have confidence?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
Not long after this, Joshua received a message from God. Listen to what God told Joshua.
Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go.
Joshua 1:9
How do you think Joshua felt after receiving this message from God?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
Have the children stand in their “confident poses.” Have them sit down.
If Joshua was still worried or afraid, this message may have given him even more confidence. Not only was he valuable to Moses and the Israelites, he was also valuable to God. God told Joshua to be strong and brave and promised many times to stay with Joshua. In fact, this message is so important that what God said is repeated in the Bible 7 times!
Have the children stand in their “confident poses.” Then have them sit down.
Why do you think this message is in the Bible so many times?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
The message that God was with Joshua may have helped him feel confident because he knew he was valuable to God. Knowing God was with Joshua may have helped him feel confident. This may have helped Joshua feel confident that he could do what God was asking him to do.
Just as Joshua was good at leading the Israelites, we are all good at doing certain things. God gave each of us skills and talents, and He has great plans for each of us to use those skills and talents for Him. We can be confident knowing God has plans for us.
We can also have confidence because we are valuable to God and He is always with us. Listen to something the Bible tells us about this:
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
Jeremiah 17:7, NIV
Have the children stand in their “confident poses.” Then have them sit down.
We can all have confidence in God. This does not mean that we will never lack confidence. It does not mean that we will not make mistakes. It does not mean that everything will always work out the way we want it to. But it does mean that when we trust in God and who He made us to be, we will feel confident in ways that can only come from God. We will be able to overcome our doubts and our fears because we believe what God says about us. That is true confidence!
You can have true confidence because God made you and He has a plan for you!
In a moment, I will read some statements. As I read each one, stand if you believe the statement is true about you. As you stand, do your “confident poses.”
Read the statements below and pause after each for the children to stand in their “confident poses.” Have the children sit down before you say the next statement.
Some of you may have stood for all of those statements. That is okay because they are all true for each of you. You can have confidence because God made you and you have great value. You can have confidence because God loves you. You can have confidence because God is powerful and He is always by your side. You can have confidence because God never changes and you can trust Him. That is a lot of confidence!
Choose 1 statement you feel is true for you. The statements are:
Think of a reason why you feel this is true of you. For example, I might know I am never alone because God explains many times in the Bible that He is always with us. Take a moment to think of a reason you know you are valuable, loved, protected, or never alone. For example, I know I am valued by God because it says in the book of Genesis that He created me in His image and likeness.
Allow 30 seconds for the children to think about their reasons. Then ask the children to find partners.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, give the children crayons and allow 2–3 minutes for them to draw a reason they are confident.
Turn to your partner and tell him 1 statement you believe is true of you. Why does this give you confidence?
Give the children 1–2 minutes to talk to their partners.
We can be confident because God created each of us with value and purpose. When we trust God’s plan for our lives, we can have confidence in ourselves. Today’s memory verse reminds us of this.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
Jeremiah 17:7, NIV
Repeat the verse and actions 3 times. Then end class by saying this blessing, based on Jeremiah 17:7, over the class.
Blessing: May you always have the confidence that comes from loving and trusting in God. May you see His blessings in your life as you place your confidence in Him.
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.
