God Turns Our Anger Into Joy

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:

Made In Your Image - by Hillsong Kids https://youtu.be/8AC-KtJriw4
One Way - by Hillsong Kids https://youtu.be/j6lrgIITgIk

God Turns Our Anger Into Joy

Lesson: God can turn my mad to glad.
Bible Passage: Exodus 17:1-7, Water From the Rock

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.)

The Bible tells us that God turns our anger into joy. God can turn my mad to glad.

The people of God were in the desert, on their way to the land that God had promised them. It is hard to find water in the desert, and there was no water anywhere. The people were thirsty. They started to get mad and complain.

God loves us. God loved his people and took care of them, even in the desert where there was no water to drink. God told Moses, the leader, to walk up to this large rock. Moses had a staff with him – a staff is like a big stick or a tall cane. God told Moses to hit the rock with his staff.

When Moses hit the rock with his staff, water came rushing out of the rock. Lots and lots of water. Enough water for everyone to drink.

God took away the people’s thirst. God took away their anger, and replaced it with joy. They were mad, but God turned their mad into glad.

Sometimes I get mad. I bet there are times when you get mad too. But no matter how mad we get, we can remember to ask God for help. He can turn my anger to joy. He can turn my mad to glad.

Simple Prayer:
Dear God, You can turn our mad to glad. Help us to have your joy. Amen

Discussion Questions:
Wiggle Tamer: Play a few rounds of Simon Says but call it Moses Says. Remind kids that Moses was the leader of God’s people. They followed what Moses said. Moses followed what God said.

Small Group Memory Verse: Have kids say the verse together in a variety of positions: standing, sitting, bowing, standing on one foot, jumping, etc.

Questions: Why were the people in the desert mad? What did God tell Moses to do? What happened when Moses hit the rock with his staff? When I ask God for help, he will turn my mad into ___________.

Game: Rock, River. When you call out “River” kids can flow (run, walk, jump) throughout the space as they please. When you call out “Rock” kids must freeze in place.

Make this week’s lesson real:
At Dinner: Before your evening meal, read the story of how God provided water to the people in the desert in Exodus 17:1-7. As you enjoy your meal, talk about how angry it must have made the people to have no water to drink. Talk about the miraculous way God provided water, turning their anger into joy.

Playing: While playing with siblings or friends, tempers are bound to flair up at some point. Take the opportunity to talk about anger, and whether God wants us to stay mad or if he wants to turn that mad into glad. Work with the kids toward reconciliation and joy.

Bedtime: Snuggle up together and read the memory verse together: “I will be glad and full of joy because of you.” Psalm 9:2a (NIrV). Talk about how when we are angry, God can turn our mad to glad.

Arts & Craft:

Items Needed: Yellow construction paper, crayons or markers, copper brads

Advanced Preparation: Cut construction paper into 5” circles – enough so that each kids has two. For half of the circles, cut out a 3”x11⁄2” square between the center and the bottom edge of the circle. Join two circles – one cut and one full – together with a brad through the center.

Directions: Give each kid a joined yellow circle, with the cut circle on top. Above the cut portion, have kids draw a pair of eyes. In the opening, have kids draw an “angry” mouth. Help kids to rotate the bottom circle a quarter turn so that the mouth disappears. Have kids draw a smiling mouth. Rotate two more times – each time, letting the kids draw whatever mouth they wish.

Use a completed face, to show that although we might be really mad, in a moment God can turn our mad into glad.