The children will learn that God actively protects and guards them from evil.
by Leah Pittsinger
TOPICS
Fear, God's Protection
AS KIDS ARRIVE (7 minutes)
Mighty Fortress Maze (Activity) Click here
OPENING PRAYER AND PRAISE (5 minutes)
Further info? Click here
MEMORY WORK (12 minutes)
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
Write each word of the verse on an index card. Then shuffle the words, face-up, on a table. Next, write the verse on the board and read it to the class. Then ask for volunteers to “race” one at a time and put the words in the correct order. Time each volunteer as he or she works on the verses. You may consider asking each volunteer to read the verses out loud as part of his or her time. Continue this activity as time allows or until each child has had a chance to practice memorizing the verses.
SCRIPTURE READING AND DISCUSSION (15 minutes)
Introduction:
Today we are going to discuss God’s protection. But first, what are some earthly objects that protect us from harm (shields, structures, other people, etc)? We certainly understand the need for physical protection from things such as the weather, sickness, and even invading armies. But how is our need for physical protection related to our even greater need for spiritual protection? Today we will learn how, and why, God protects us from Satan and the evil of this world.
Read Psalm 91:1-8 (God is our Protector.)
Discussion Questions:
1. What does God’s “shadow” give us? (Shelter and rest.)
2. Do we need to be near or far from God to be in His shadow? (Near.)
3. How do we stay near to Him? (Through obedience, prayer, studying His word, etc.)
4. How does God “shelter,” or protect us, from evil? (He saves us from Satan’s deliberate attacks, death, our fears, sickness, punishment, etc.)
5. What animal is used to compare God’s protection? (A bird, verse 4 – “He will cover you with His feathers.”)
6. How is this an accurate description of God’s desire to protect us? (Because a mother bird will use her wings to shield her young from danger.)
7. So, how is God a Mighty Fortress for us? (Because when we know God and draw near to Him, He will protect us like a fortress protects the people inside.)
8. Why does He protect us? (Because of His great love!)
Conclusion: The Bible teaches us that drawing near to God will result in His perfect protection. God acts as a Mighty Fortress, or shield, between us and evil. And when we trust in God’s protection, we don’t have to fear what could happen to us. As children of God who have accepted His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, we can be assured of His ability to protect us from harm.
CLASS EXERCISE (10-15 minutes)
Our Mighty Fortress (Activity) Click here
ALTERNATE CLASS EXERCISE (10 minutes)
Shadow Art (Activity) Click here
APPLICATION (5 minutes)
Gather various materials inside a box that could be used for crafts (such as sticks, small rocks, feathers, cotton balls, etc). Pull out each item and ask the class to list reasons why the items would be either good or bad for building a fortress (hard/soft surface, strong/weak, etc). Remind the class that God is stronger than anything else in the entire universe, so we never have to wonder if He is truly able to protect us from evil. Instead, we can find peace through our understanding of God’s perfect ability to guard us from harm.
NEXT WEEK
Come back next week for another lesson on Psalm 91
TAKE HOME PAGE
Give one copy to each child at the end of the class to take home. Click here for NIV or KJV [PDF]