SERIES DESCRIPTION
God is patient. Why? Well, because God is in control and He knows how the story ends. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we know how the story ends, too. Because of Jesus, WE CAN WAIT. We can trust that God is in control. We can have hope that things will work out in the end. And we can be patient because we know all that God has done.
Patience is a reflection of the character of God.
April Curriculum:
EASTER (March 31/April 1)
Mapped Out
Bible Story: Mapped Out (Easter Story) • The Bible
Bottom Line: Jesus is alive!
Key Question: How do you celebrate Easter?
Memory Verse: “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27:14, NIrV
Life App: Patience—Waiting until later for what you want now
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: How do you celebrate Easter? When was the last time you went big and celebrated something? A birthday? Definitely Christmas. But how do we celebrate the reason we can celebrate at all? Jesus is alive! We want kids to figure out some ways they can go big and celebrate Easter with their family and friends!
We start the month with The Bible. No, that wasn’t a typo. Think about it, in some ways the entire Bible is lesson in patience. Not because it takes so long to read from cover to cover, but because often people are seen waiting . . . for God to speak, for the rescuer to arrive. That’s why we kick off April with the Easter story and the story of the Bible that introduces us to Jesus—His life, death, and most importantly His resurrection. A fitting way to celebrate that Jesus is alive!
Bottom Line: Jesus is alive! God sent Jesus to rescue us from the consequences of our sin. This week, we want to be sure that every child leaves knowing how much God loves them and made a way for them to have a relationship with Him forever.
Worship Videos
Week Two (April 8)
Baby on Board
Bible Story: Baby on Board (Hannah Prays for a Baby) * 1 Samuel 1:6–2:1
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, talk to God about it.
Key Question: When is it hard to have patience?
Memory Verse: “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27:14, (NIrV)
Life App: Patience—Waiting until later for what you want now
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: When is it hard to have patience? Often kids don’t plan on being impatient; they just find themselves in situations where their patience is tried. As we get older though, we’re able to understand the sorts of moments where we might find ourselves needing a good dose of patience. We hope that kids start to discover the times they might need patience and figure out what God can help them do about it.
For our first week focused on patience, we look to 1 Samuel 1:6–2:1 where we discover the story of Hannah. She had waited years for a child. Rather than become frustrated and angry toward God, she prays and tells Him all about it. When God answers her prayer, she gives her son back to God. He honored her waiting and blessed her with even more children.
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, talk to God about it. It’s important for us all to remember that talking to God about waiting will help us stay patient through whatever circumstance we might face. He may not change our circumstance, but He’ll give the strength to keep waiting well.
Worship Videos
Week Three (April 15)
Are We There Yet?
Bible Story: Are We There Yet? (A Patience Proverb) * Proverbs 14:29
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, keep your cool.
Key Question: What do you do when it’s hard to wait?
Memory Verse: “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27:14, NIrV
Life App: Patience—Waiting until later for what you want now
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: What do you do when it’s hard to wait? Having a plan for your impatience is important. Rather than just letting your frustration get to you, you can know the steps you can take to make sure that you don’t lose your cool. We want kids to discover how they can make patience a priority.
There’s an important patience principle King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 14:29.Anyone who is patient has great understanding. But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish they are (NIrV). How we respond to waiting shows others our character. Getting frustrated and angry doesn’t make the wait any less; it just makes us look foolish.
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, keep your cool. Sometimes when you’re waiting, becoming angry and frustrated with others is the first thing that pops into our minds. But when it comes to waiting, often there’s very little we can do to make the wait any less. While you’re waiting, don’t make yourself look foolish by taking it out on the people around you.
Worship Videos
Week Four (April 22)
Watch for Livestock
Bible Story: Watch for Livestock (Golden Calf) * Exodus 32:1-35
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, think about what’s true.
Key Question: What can you think about when it’s hard to wait?
Memory Verse: “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27:14, NIrV
Life App: Patience—Waiting until later for what you want now
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: What can you think about when it’s hard to wait? When we’re waiting, we often think about what we don’t have, what we’re waiting for, how long it’s taking . . . anything besides what we should be considering—that we can trust God no matter what. Even in their waiting, we hope that kids can understand how they can think about what’s true.
In week four of April, we head to Exodus 32:1–35 where we find the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai. Instead of obeying God and waiting for Moses to come down off the mountain, the entire nation of Israel grew impatient. They built a golden calf and began to worship it instead of worshiping God. Their lack of patience had some severe consequences.
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, think about what’s true. It’s easier to wait when you remember all the times God has helped you before. You can trust Him, knowing that He’ll help you wait.
Worship Videos
Week Five (April 29)
Souped Up
Bible Story: Souped Up (Esau’s Impatience) * Genesis 25:24-34
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, think twice.
Key Question: What could you miss out on by not waiting?
Memory Verse: “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27:14, NIrV
Life App: Patience—Waiting until later for what you want now
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: What could you miss out on by not waiting? God wants His best for us. Sometimes when we’re waiting, we rush to what we can get now instead of what is best. We hope that kids can discover that waiting for God’s best is the wisest choice they can make. We don’t want kids to miss out on something God has planned for their life because they weren’t patient.
We’ll finish out the month with one of the best examples of what happens when you’re not patient; you lose something of value. In Genesis 25:24-34, we discover the story of Esau sacrificing his birthright for a bowl of stew. Because Esau was impatient, he lost something he could never get back.
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, think twice. Don’t let your lack of patience cause you to make a decision you’ll regret. Think twice about what really matters. Ask God to help you wait patiently for what matters most.