Scripture: Jeremiah
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn God expects us to repent when we sin.
- Students will learn God is just and He will eventually punish the wicked.
- Students will learn God will restore His people to Him.
Guided Question: How can we do the good works God has planned for us?
Materials: Service Challenge cards, pens
Procedure: Tell students the story of Jeremiah. Point some of the things Jeremiah did that might be considered “good works”. Point out to students Jeremiah 1:5. Then read to them Ephesians 1:4. Have older students compare the two verses – noting that while some people might claim the verse in Jeremiah was just for him, the verse in Ephesians makes it clear God has good works planned for all of His people.
Ask students to think of as many good works they are able to do now as they can. You may want to divide older students into groups of two or three and see how many ideas each group can generate. With younger children, It may be necessary to give them a few ideas to get them started.
Give each student a Serving Challenge card. Have students decide a certain number of service challenges they want to try and complete before the next class. They should list each act of service on the card with a place to put a check mark when they complete an item. Students can all try to complete the same challenges or each student can choose their own. Younger children may want to draw pictures to illustrate what they want to do instead of writing words. (You may want to add words to help parents!)
After the cards are completed, talk for a few minutes about why God wants us to serve others and what our attitudes should be when we serve. The attached sheet should give you some ideas to share with students.
NOTE: If time allows, you may want to do something together to serve someone during class.