Bible Truth
God uses hard times to help us grow.
Bible Verse
The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. Romans 5:4 (New International Reader’s Version)
Review
Last week we learned that God has plans for us and wants the best for us.
Focus
Our person of the week is Rachel. Just like Hagar she got caught in a tough situation because of someone else’s bad choices.
Have you ever been in a situation that you thought was unfair? Maybe you were playing a game with someone who cheated. How did it make you feel? What did you do? When I was in high school the teacher accused my class of destroying a poster. Both the teacher and principal talked to my class, but no one knew anything about it. The teacher decided that everyone in band stay after school until someone admitted to it. On the second day, we were told that if someone didn’t confess by the next day, we would all go to in-school suspension. (That is like an all-day time-out.). The teacher also said I either did it or who did. I was upset because, I had been punished for something I didn’t do and said some very disrespectful things. In the end, someone from another class confessed to destroying the poster. I learned two important lessons:
- Character is important. Several other teachers spoke up for me and believed that I wasn’t involved. Simply because of my behavior.
- It is never okay to be disrespectful to others even if they are unfair or unkind.
In this week’s episode we learn about Rachel, Jacob, and her sister Leah. They get stuck in a bad situation because their dad Laban broke his promise and tricked them.
Get Into It:
Read pages 83-85 in the Action Bible.
Watch Jacob & Rachel.
Keywords
Strength
Strength means someone, or something is strong. They can lift heavy things or open a jar. Strength can also mean that someone is able to handle hard times or do hard things even if they are scared. We know that God will never leave us and helps us through hard times.
Character
Character is who you are when nobody is looking. It includes your attitude what you think, say, and do. Part of growing up is learning to be responsible for actions and make good choices even when it is hard. It means doing the right thing even when no one is looking.
Hope
In the Bible hope is assurance that God will keep his promises. It means He will never ever leave us, even when we feel alone. Hope means just like Hagar; we can call on God when we don’t know what to do. It also means that God rejoices with us during the good times. H
Think About It
- Think about a time when you were treated unfairly. What did you do? How did you feel? What did you say?
- Who is the strongest person you know? Why?
- Is there someone you look up to? Maybe someone you want to be like when you grow up? Why?
- We all have hard times. Jesus faced many difficulties while he was here on Earth. God sees our hearts. He wants to help us grow closer to him. He wants to help us learn to do the right thing. The more we allow God to strengthen our faith the closer we become to him and can trust him in the hard times. What are some ways you can ask God to help you change your attitude toward hard times?
You can read more about Rachel, Jacob and Lean on pages 72-92 of the Action Bible.
Sing It
Our song of the week is I Sing the Mighty Power of God performed by LifeTree Kids.
It is an updated version of the hymn I Sing of the Almighty God by Isaac Watts. As a young child Isaac was musically gifted. He began composing music at the age of 7. At 16 he went to London to study music.
Have a blessed week.
Dee