Big Idea: God has a purpose for my life and wants me to do something good through me.
Bible Basis: The book of Esther
Key Verse: “God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13 (NIrV)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord, open now my heart to hear, And through your Word to me draw near. Let me your Word ever pure retain; Let me your child and heir remain. All this I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN
Simply ask your child to share one good thing that happened today or this week (thumbs up) and one not-so-good thing (thumbs down). This is a great way to share celebrations and struggles with one another.
BIBLE LESSON VIDEO
ASK THESE QUESTIONS
For younger kids:
What was your favorite part of this story? Why?
For what purpose or reason do you think God made Esther the queen?
For older kids:
What do you think would have happened to the Israelites if Esther wasn’t the queen?
God had a purpose for Esther’s life. Do you think He has a purpose for your life too? Why or why not?
REFLECT AND RESPOND
After the video, have your child pick one or more of the prompts on the GO! Home Guide.
Prayer Station prompt: Write a prayer to God. Ask Him to help you show love and share the good news of Jesus with the world around you.
Journal Station prompt: What do you think God’s purpose for your life might be? In other words, what are some ways God can use you to do good in the world? Write about it.
Bible Station prompt: Read it for yourself: Esther 5:1–8. Draw a picture of the story or write to God your favorite part of the story. Tell Him why you like it.
Art Station prompt: God has a purpose for your life: to tell others about Jesus. Draw a picture of yourself telling a friend about Jesus.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
+ Beat That (Application Activity)
- Say: It’s not just by dumb luck that you are here. God has placed you in the world for a purpose. He wants to use you to do something good. We’re going to play a game right now that will help us think about some of the good things that God might want to do through us.
- Directions: Choose a kid to go first and hand them 3 dice. Tell the kid to roll the dice and place them in order to form the highest possible number. For example, if they roll a 1, 4, and 3, the highest possible number is 431. Next, have the roller hand the dice to the next kid and say “Beat that!” Continue the round until every kid has rolled the dice and a winner has been determined. At the end of each round, ask the kids the question below. Allow the winner of the round to answer first followed by the other kids. Each round will challenge the kids to think through how God might use them for a good purpose in a different location or context. After 5 rounds, remove the dice and discuss the remaining questions:
- Question: What are some of the good things that God might use you to do at your… Round 1: School; Round 2: Church; Round 3: Home; Round 4: Neighborhood; Round 5: Sports team
- Question: In the dice game that we played, the winner was decided by pure luck or chance. How is that different from the way that Esther became queen? (Answer: It wasn’t by luck that Esther became queen. God chose Esther to be queen so that she could save His people.)
- Question: God used Esther to save His people and He wants to save people through us too. One purpose that God has for all of us is to tell others about Jesus so they can be saved from sin. Who has God placed in your life that you can tell about Jesus?
+ Bible Bit Mix-Up (Bible Memorization Activity)
- Directions: Give each kid in your group a “Bible Bit” card. Each “Bible Bit” card has just one bit of the Bible verse on it. For Younger Kids, the cards will have numbers in the corner to help with the ordering. This week's Bible Verse: “God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13. For round 1: Have the children arrange the “Bible Bits” in the correct order on the floor. Children can only touch their own card. If someone touches a card other than their own, all the cards must be picked up and the round begins again. When they have completed each round successfully, gather the cards up and have the group recite the verse from memory. For round 2: Redistribute the cards to the children making sure they have different cards this time. Children must repeat the instructions for round 1, but without talking this time. For round 3: Repeat the above instructions, but children may neither talk, nor use their hands. For round 4: Repeat the above instructions, but children may not talk, use their hands, nor smile. (You’d be surprised how hard it is not to smile when you’re trying not to smile.) If anyone smiles, the cards are picked back up and the round begins again.
- Question: Before today, had you ever thought about God’s purpose or reason for your life?
- Question: How does it make you feel to know God has a good purpose for your life?
+ Beach Ball Prayers (Prayer Activity)
- Directions: Have the kids in your group sit in a circle. Tell the kids to pay attention to all of the prayer requests, but especially to the request of the kid who they throw the ball to. Begin by throwing the beach ball to a kid across the circle from you. When the kid catches the ball, have them look to see what color their right thumb is touching. Depending on the color, encourage the kid to share one of the following: Yellow: What are you thankful to God for? Red: What is something you are sorry for? Blue: Does someone you know need prayer? What for? White: What is something you need God’s help with? Other: What is a reason you can praise God? When the first kid is finished sharing, have them toss the ball to another kid across the circle and repeat. Continue until everyone has had a chance to share. Encourage the kids to remember the requests of the kid they threw the ball to and to pray for them throughout the week. Finally, open the kids in prayer. Allow anyone who would like to pray for themselves or someone else in the group to do so.
(Due to copyright restrictions, the printable materials described in the activities above are only available to those who have registered for Our Savior’s Kids. To register your child(ren), click the button below)
CLOSING PRAYER
Dear God, Thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior and forgiving all my sins. Help me to show love to those around me and to be bold in telling others about you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
DURING THE WEEK
Read in the Bible the story that was the basis for this week’s lesson:
The Book of Esther
Do more of the activities list above with your child.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LESSON?
Leave them in the comments below!