God Knows Our Needs

Let’s get up and dance with your kids in praise! Play some worship music in your home, have fun with it! Raise your hands, jump, close your eyes – enjoy a time of worship as a family. To get you into a groove, here are some songs to choose from:

Super Wonderful - by Yancy https://youtu.be/JhqmIVZTN4I
Brave - by Saddleback Kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_LQ8pytZJU

Bible Passage: Genesis 8:1-14, The Waiting

God Knows Our Needs
Lesson: I can trust God and put my hope in Him because God knows what I need

Today’s story comes to us from the Bible. (Hold up a Bible.)
The Bible is God’s word to us, so we know that everything it says is true. (Open the Bible and set it down in front of you as you give the lesson.)

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son – Jesus.

Last week, we learned that we can trust God because He is powerful. God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights, but He kept Noah and his family and all the animals aboard the ark safe. The rain stopped after 40 days, but the ground was still covered in water. It was 150 days before it was safe to leave the ark. Noah trusted God would provide for their needs. He sent out three birds to see if the ground was dry. The first one came back. The second one came back. But when the third bird did not return, Noah knew God had provided the dry land they needed. God knows what our needs are before we ask. We can trust Him because He knows what we need.

Simple Prayer:
Dear God, Thank you for meeting our needs. Amen

Discussion Questions:
Wiggle Tamer: Have the kids stand up. Tell them to walk around in a circle like elephants. Then walk like tigers. Then slither like snakes. Then walk like their favorite animal.

Small Group Memory Verse: Tell the kids, “We are going to practice saying the verse together. When I say, ‘But I trust in you, Lord,’ you say, ‘I say, “You are my God.”’” Go around the group and ask each kid to repeat back to you. Teacher: “But I trust in you, Lord.” Students: “I say, ‘You are my God.’”

Questions: Why didn’t Noah leave the ark right after the rain stopped?
How did Noah test to see if the ground was dry?
What did it mean when the last bird did not come back?
How do we know we can trust God to meet our needs?

Game: Ask the kids what kinds of birds they can imitate.

Make this week’s lesson real:
Eating: During your mealtime prayer, thank God for providing your food, and for meeting all your other needs.

Playtime: Play animals with the kids this week. Imagine together what it must have been like living on a boat with all those animals for six whole months!

Snuggling: Cuddle up with your little ones. Tell them you love them and will always do your best to provide for them. Remind them that you trust God to take care of your whole family. Go over the memory verse together as well. See if they can say it without you saying it first: “But I trust in you, Lord. I say, ‘You are my God.’” Psalm 31:14 (NIrV)

Activity: A puppy or kitten stuffed animal

Bring out the stuffed animal for the kids to pet. Ask the kids what needs a real puppy has, and how we provide for them. Then say, “Just as we know what a puppy needs, God knows what each of us needs. We can trust God to meet those needs just like a puppy trusts his owner.” An alternate activity would be to take a walk outside on the church grounds, and look for birds. How many can you spot nearby? Ask the kids to identify all the things birds need every day to survive, and ask them how God provides those needs for them.”