Song Links:
I’m Trusting You
The Work of His Hands
Lesson Video:
Talk About it Video
Discuss and Watch “Something’s Fishy”
Say: We’re learning that God is our provider. He took just a few loaves of bread and some fish and made enough to feed 5,000 men—plus women and children!
Ask: • What’s a food you wish God would multiply for you? Say: Let’s see what happens when our friend Awesome Andy tries to multiply food.
Ask: • What was wrong with Andy’s plan to duplicate food?
• Genesis told Andy to focus more on the provider, not multiplying our own food. How can you focus on God as your provider?
Say: God is our provider. He’ll take care of our needs, so we don’t have to try to multiply cookies ourselves! We can trust God to provide for us.
Watch Video: Something Fishy
Digging Deeper, for Grade 3+
Supplies
-Bibles*
-individually wrapped candy (a few pieces per child)
Set It Up
Say: We’re learning that God is our provider. But sometimes it doesn’t feel like that.
Ask: • Have you ever prayed for something and God didn’t do what you asked? Talk about that. Share your own example first.
Say: Hmm…so God is our provider, but there’ve been times we’ve prayed for really significant things and God didn’t provide. How can we see God providing when it doesn’t seem like he is? Let’s dig in to that.
Dig Deeper
Form two groups. Have Group 1 read Acts 28:3-5 and Group 2 read 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, starting with the second half of verse 7. Then ask each group to answer these questions for everyone.
Ask: • What was Paul’s need in this passage?
• Did God provide for that need? Explain.
• Why do you think God provided healing from Paul’s snakebite but didn’t deliver him from the thorn in his flesh?
• What did God provide instead of removing Paul’s thorn?
Say: Even though God didn’t provide healing from Paul’s thorn like he did from the snakebite, he provided something else: strength. We don’t know why God sometimes says yes and sometimes says no, but even when he says no, we can look for what he is providing. Let’s look at a true story of a woman in modern times who did that.
Read kids the following true story about a homeless woman.
Say: Laura was homeless. She was living on the streets, just trying to stay warm. She had a backpack full of warm clothes and camping gear, but it got stolen. Someone stopped and gave her a gift card for fast food and some Hot Hands, which warm up when you crack them to keep you warm.
Laura said, “Wow, God is taking care of me. My backpack was stolen so I don’t have much, but someone else gave me a blanket, and now you’ve given me a gift card and some Hot Hands. God is taking care of me.”
Laura could count on one hand everything she had. But even then, Laura saw how God provided for her.
Ask: • What can you learn from Laura?
Say: When we have a lot, sometimes we forget to be thankful for it. Laura thanked God for providing a blanket. But if you live in a warm house with lots of blankets, maybe you’ve never even thought of that as something God provided for you. Let me show you what I mean.
Give big handfuls of candy to about one-third of the kids in your class, and tell them to wait to eat it. Don’t give any candy to the remaining kids.
Say: Some of you have a lot of candy, and some of you don’t have any. Now watch what happens when I change that.
Give one piece of candy to each of the kids who don’t have any, and take a couple of pieces away from the kids with the piles.
Ask: • How do you feel about the candy you have now?
• Why do you think you feel that way?
Say: When we have a lot, it can be easier to focus on what we’ve lost. But when you didn’t have any candy, you could be more like Laura. You went from no pieces to one piece of candy, so you were probably more thankful for it.
Allow kids to eat their candy.
Say: As you eat your candy, I have a question I want you to think about silently.
Ask: • What if you only had today what you thanked God for yesterday?
Allow a minute for kids to think, and then ask them to answer this question.
Ask: • How did that question challenge you?Say: God is our provider when we have a lot, and God is our provider when we have only three things, like Laura. When it feels like God isn’t providing what we need or want, we can look for the things he is providing, like strength to get through.