2025-04-13 Righteous

Praise and Worship (15 mins)

Parents: The parent and child scheduled for this week will lead us in singing on Sunday. Please take time to practice the songs together at home, helping your child feel confident and joyful as they prepare to lead.

Prayer and Offering (5 mins)

Parents: Please encourage your children to bring an offering to church. You may help your child prepare by setting aside a coin for them to bring on Sunday. This is a great opportunity to teach them about giving to God with a thankful heart and trusting Him to provide.

What is Offering?

Offering is when we give something to God to show our love and thankfulness. In church, we often give money as an offering, but we can also give our time, talents, and kindness to God and others.

Why Do We Make an Offering?

1️⃣ To Thank God – Everything we have comes from God! Giving back is a way to say, “Thank You, God!”
2️⃣ To Trust God – When we give, we show that we trust God to take care of us.
3️⃣ To Help Others – Offerings help the church teach about Jesus, help people in need, and share God’s love.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7,
"God loves a cheerful giver!" That means God is happy when we give with a joyful heart!

Prayer for Offering

Dear God, thank You for giving us everything we need. We want to give back to You with joyful hearts. Please use our offering to help others and share Your love. Help us to always trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Review Verse from Last Week

“Do not worship”
Cross both arms in an “X” in front of your chest (like saying “no!”)

“any other god,”
Point around to pretend there are many things/people in a circle.

“for the LORD,”
Point up with both hands.

“whose name is Jealous,”
Touch your chest (like saying “My name is…”) then make a serious face and pretend to guard your heart with both arms.

“is a jealous God.”
Hold one fist tightly to your chest and the other in the air (like strong and protective), then point up again.

Bible Story (10 min): God is Righteous

Introduction (1 min)

(Hold up a small pail of pretend garbage.)

Wow! Look at this treasure I found! It’s smelly, mushy, messy… GARBAGE!

(Sniff it and smile with great joy.)

Don’t you just love the way it smells? I think I’m going to hug it and keep it forever!

(Hug it tight with excitement.)

I want to carry it with me wherever I go!

(Pause and look around.)

Wait… you’re saying this garbage isn’t something I should love? Why not?

What’s wrong with hugging garbage?

(Let kids respond.)

You’re right. It’s silly—even wrong—to treat garbage like it’s something special or valuable.

(Hold up a stuffed puppy or picture of a puppy.)

What about this? A cute, fluffy puppy! Would it make more sense to love a puppy more than garbage?

(Let kids respond.)

Yes! A puppy is way more valuable than garbage.

(Now hold up a baby doll or picture of a baby.)

Now imagine your baby brother or sister fell down and is crying…

At the same time, your puppy is barking outside, wanting to come in.

Who should you help first?

[Let kids respond.]

Right! You help your brother or sister first—because people are even more important than puppies.

So… if garbage is less valuable than a puppy, and a puppy is less valuable than a person…

What do you think is the most valuable of all?

[Let kids respond: “God!”]

Yes! God is the most valuable of all.

And because God always treasures what is most valuable—Himself—He always does what is right.

That’s called being Righteous. And that’s what we’re learning about today!

Story Telling (5 min) - God Is Righteous!

[Optional props: A small rock and a piece of bread.]

[Display Jesus in the wilderness slide]

Let’s hear a true story from the Bible about someone who always did what was right—Jesus.

A long time ago, after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him out into the wilderness.

The wilderness was a dry, empty place with no homes, no people, and no food.

Jesus stayed there for forty days. That’s more than five weeks! And during that time, He didn’t eat anything. He was very, very hungry.

[Hold up the rock.]

Now imagine this rock right here. It looks hard and gray. But guess what?

Someone came to Jesus and said,

“If you are really the Son of God, turn this stone into bread.”

[Hold up the bread.]

Mmm… can you imagine how good this bread would smell and taste if you hadn’t eaten for 40 days?

But do you know who said that to Jesus? It was Satan, the enemy of God.

Satan wanted Jesus to stop trusting God and do something wrong—something that seemed okay, but would be disobedient.

He wanted Jesus to use His power to take care of Himself instead of waiting for God’s plan.

Do you think Jesus did it?

No! Jesus knew it would be wrong to treasure food more than God.

He remembered what God had said in the Bible:

“People don’t live just by bread, but by every word that comes from God.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

So Jesus did the right thing. He said No to Satan.

But Satan didn’t give up. He tried again.

He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world—all the people and cities and countries.

And he said, “If you bow down and worship me, I will give you all of this.”

Do you think Jesus did it?

(Display the 10 commandments slide)

No! Jesus remembered God’s rule:

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” (From the Ten Commandments)

Jesus did the right thing again. He said No to Satan.

Then Satan tried one more time. He took Jesus to the top of the temple and said,

“If you really are God’s Son, jump off! The Bible says God’s angels will catch you.”

But Jesus knew that twisting God’s words and doing something dangerous to “test” God was not right.

He said,

“Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Jesus said No a third time. He never sinned. He never said or did the wrong thing.

He is righteous.

Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)

Let’s take a moment to think about what we just learned from Jesus’ time in the wilderness.

Jesus was very hungry. He could’ve turned stones into bread.

He could’ve worshiped Satan and gotten power.

He could’ve jumped off the temple and expected angels to catch Him.

But He didn’t do any of those things.

He always chose what was right.

Why? Because Jesus treasures God more than anything else.

And because of that, He always obeyed God’s rules.

That’s what it means to be righteous—to always do what is right.

Only God is always righteous. And Jesus, God’s Son, is perfectly righteous too.

Let’s talk about it together:

1. Who is always right?

[Let the kids respond.]

That’s right—God! Everything He thinks, says, and does is right.

2. Did Jesus ever do anything wrong, even when He was hungry or tempted?

[Let the kids respond.]

No, never. Jesus always obeyed God. He is perfectly righteous.

3. Do we always do what’s right?

[Pause for honest answers—expect “no.”]

Right. Sometimes we say mean things, disobey our parents, or do things we shouldn’t.

The Bible says,

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

But here’s the good news—Jesus never sinned. And because He is perfectly righteous, He can help us.

When we trust in Jesus, He can forgive our wrongs and help us love what is right, just like He does.

Let’s remember today’s main idea together:

God is righteous. Everything He thinks, says, and does is right.

And Jesus, God’s Son, is righteous too.

Memorizing Verse: Psalm 119:137

Let’s learn today’s Bible verse together! We’re going to say it slowly and add some hand motions to help us remember it.

(Say and do each line, then have the kids repeat it with you. Repeat until they begin to memorize.)

Verse

Psalm 119:137 – “Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules.” (NIV)

“Righteous…”

✋👉 Raise one fist high in the air with strength and confidence.

(Say: “Righteous” means God always does what is right!)

“…are you…”

👉 Point up to the sky.

(We’re talking about God.)

“…O LORD…”

🙏 Make an “L” shape with your right hand and draw it across your chest like a sash (like royalty).

(The “LORD” is our King—He is in charge!)

“…and right…”

👍 Hold a big thumbs up.

(God’s ways are always right—thumbs up!)

“…are your rules.”

📖 Place both hands together like an open book.

(God’s rules are found in the Bible.)

Now try it a few times together

1. Say it slowly once with motions.
2. Say it again a little faster.
3. Try it one more time with no words—just motions—and have them guess the line!
4. Say the full verse again with confidence!

That was awesome! God is righteous—everything He thinks, says, and does is always right. And His rules are right too. Let’s remember this verse in our hearts this week!

Craft & Game (10 mins)

Craft (5 min) -  “R is for Righteous” Puzzle and Colouring Activity

Materials Needed:

• Printed Psalm 119:137 Puzzle (cut into pieces or let kids cut)

• A large letter “R” on paper

• Glue sticks or tape

• Crayons or markers
  

Let’s work on a fun craft that reminds us of what we learned today:

God is righteous! That means everything He thinks, says, and does is always right.

(Hold up a large letter “R”.)

You each have a page with a big letter “R”. What does “R” stand for?

(Let kids say: “Righteous!”)

Let’s start by decorating the “R” with colors! You can also colour the sun rays to make it bright and cheerful — because God’s righteousness is something to celebrate!

(Give them 2–3 minutes to colour. Walk around and encourage them.)

Top box: “Everything God SAYS is Right”

Point to the picture that shows a Bible.

That’s where God speaks to us.

Let’s glue the Bible picture into that first box — because everything God says is right!

Middle box: “All of God’s RULES are Right”

God gives us good rules to follow — like the Ten Commandments.

Let’s find the Ten Commandments picture and glue it into this box — because God’s rules are always right!

Bottom two boxes: “Everything God DOES is Right”

There are two spaces here — one for the Flood and one for the Parting of the Sea.

• The Flood shows that God was right to judge sin in Noah’s time.
• The Parting of the Sea shows that God was right to save His people from Egypt.

Let’s find both of those pictures and glue them in the correct spots.

God’s actions — even hard ones and amazing ones — are always right!

Wrap Up

Hold up your finished page. Look at what you made!

This page tells us:

• Everything God says is right (Bible)

• All of God’s rules are right (Ten Commandments)

• Everything God does is right (Flood and Parting the Sea)

That’s what it means when we say:

God is Righteous!

You can take this home and tell someone what each picture means!

Game (5 min) - Right or Wrong Relay

Objective: Help children apply what they’ve learned about God’s righteousness by sorting simple actions as either right or wrong, using movement and group discussion.

Supplies:

• “Right” and “Wrong” signs (tape these on opposite walls or ends of the room)
• Pre-made scenario cards with short examples of actions (see examples below)
• A bag or box to draw cards from

Optional: Use the Ten Commandments visual to point kids back to God’s rules if they need help deciding.

Game Setup:

• Place the “RIGHT” sign on one side of the room and the “WRONG” sign on the opposite side.
• Have the kids sit in the middle, facing you.

Alright! We’re going to play a game called Right or Wrong to help us remember that God is righteous, and His rules are always right!

Here’s how we play:

• I will pick a card from this bag.
• Each card describes something someone might say or do.
• After I read the card, you get to decide: Is it RIGHT or is it WRONG?
• When I say “Go!”, run to the sign that you think is correct!
  
  

Let’s try one together!

(Pull a sample card and read aloud):

Sharing your toys with your little brother.

What do you think—right or wrong?

(Let kids answer. Then say:)

Go!

(Let them run to the sign they choose. Pause and affirm.)

Yes! That’s right, because God wants us to be kind and share. That follows His rule to love others.

Now let’s keep going!

(One at a time, draw a card and read it aloud. Wait for their response, then say “Go!” and let them run to the correct sign.)

Scenario Cards:

• “Telling the truth, even when it’s hard” ✅
• “Taking a toy without asking” ❌
• “Helping your mom clean up after dinner” ✅
• “Saying mean words when you’re angry” ❌
• “Obeying your parents the first time they ask” ✅
• “Ignoring someone who’s sad” ❌
• “Praying to God before you go to sleep” ✅
• “Lying so you don’t get in trouble” ❌

Wow! You did a great job thinking about what’s right and wrong.

Let’s remember: We don’t decide what’s right or wrong—God does. And because God is righteous, His rules help us know how to live in a way that’s good, loving, and right.

When we follow God’s rules, we’re treasuring what He says is most valuable—Himself and His truth.

Response Song

Closing Prayer, Announcement, Birthdays & Snack Time (10 mins)

Dear God,
Thank You for showing us today that You are the greatest and You deserve to be first in our hearts.
Help us not to put anything—like toys, games, or even people—before You.
We want to love You more than anything else.
Please help us remember that You are a jealous God, and that’s a good thing—because it means You love us and want what’s best for us.
Thank You for always being with us.
We love You, Lord.

In Jesus’ name we pray, let's all say together
Amen.

Snack Prayer

God... is First! Let us thank Him for the snack right now.

We fold our hands.
We bow our heads.
We thank you, God,
For this daily bread.
Amen

Free Time & Children Pickup (15 mins)