2025-05-11 Patient
Before Service
Ensure parents take their child to the restroom before bringing them to the children's area and use the QR code to sign in their child before the service.
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!”
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7,
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.
"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
Romans 1:18a —‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.’
“For the wrath of God”
(Make an angry face, then point upward to “God.”)
(Wrath = pretend to stomp your foot once.)
“is revealed”
(Open your hands like you’re pulling a curtain apart to “reveal” something.)
“from heaven”
(Point both hands up to the sky.)
“against all ungodliness”
(Shake your finger “no” and make a sad face.)
“and unrighteousness of men.”
(Cross your arms in front of your chest like an X for “wrong” / “sinful.”)
Bible Story (10 min): God is Patient
Introduction (1 min)
(Hold up a timer and speak with excitement and curiosity.)
Boys and girls, look what I have here—a timer! I’m going to set it for just one minute. Now tell me: do you think one minute is a long time or a short time?
(Let them answer—some will say short, some might say long.)
“Let’s do a challenge! When I say ‘Go,’ everyone must sit completely still—no talking, no moving, no giggling, not even a wiggle! Let’s see if we can all be patient for one whole minute. If we can, we’ll get a surprise at the end of class!”
(Start the timer and quietly encourage them as needed. When the timer goes off…)
Time’s up! Wow, was that easy or hard? Raise your hand if you wanted to move or talk during that minute.
(Smile and engage briefly.)
Sometimes it’s hard to wait. We like things fast—fast food, fast games, fast answers. But today we’re going to learn that God is different. He is patient. That means He doesn’t get angry quickly. He gives people lots of time to turn to Him.
(Transition smoothly.)
Let’s hear a true story from the Bible about a man named Noah and how God showed amazing patience—even when people kept doing wrong things.
Story Telling (5 min) - God Is Patient!
(Use props or visuals like toy animals, ark picture, and water in a clear container if possible.)
A long time ago, the world was filled with people—just like today. But there was a problem. Most of those people didn’t love God. In fact, they didn’t even care about Him at all.
(Hold up your Bible.)
Let’s listen to what the Bible says in Genesis 6:5:
‘The Lord saw how bad people had become on earth. Every thought in their hearts was only evil all the time.’
That’s really sad, isn’t it?
(Make a sad face, shake head.)
God is perfect and holy. He can’t ignore sin. He was very angry at how people were acting.
(Hold up the whip or use an angry face emoji on a card.)
Last week, we learned that God is wrathful—He has righteous anger against sin. And He was going to send a big flood to clean the earth.
(Hold up a picture of water or a pitcher.)
BUT! Before the flood, God chose one man—Noah—who loved and obeyed God. God told Noah to build a big boat called an ark to save his family and two of every kind of animal.
(Show ark visual or toy.)
Now, here’s the part I want you to really hear: Did God send the flood right away?
(Let kids answer: “No!”)
That’s right. God waited… and waited… and waited over 100 years!
Can you imagine waiting that long?
(Count slowly on fingers: 1, 2, 3… then jump to 100 and act amazed.)
While Noah built the ark, the people had lots of time. Time to think. Time to listen. Time to repent—that means to turn away from sin and follow God. But did they do it?
(Shake head.)
No. They just laughed at Noah. They ignored God. And when the flood finally came… it was too late.
(Pause and let the seriousness settle.)
But Noah and his family? They were saved—because they trusted God.
(Show the ark with animals safely inside.)
Why did God wait so long to send the flood? Because He is patient.
God doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. He gives people time to turn back to Him.
(Read aloud 2 Peter 3:9 slowly and clearly.)
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)
(Sit with the children in a circle or relaxed posture.)
Let’s think about what we just heard. The people in Noah’s time were doing lots of bad things. But did God punish them right away?
(Let them answer: “No.”)
Right! God waited over 100 years. That’s a very long time. Why?
(Hold up a visual or simply say with emphasis.)
Because God is patient. He was giving them time to repent, to turn away from their sin and trust Him.
Ask a few gentle, reflective questions:
“Why is it good that God is patient?”
(Expected answer: He gives us time to say sorry, to trust Jesus, and to change.)
“Have you ever done something wrong this week, but still got to play, eat yummy food, or spend time with family?”
That’s God being patient with you. He doesn’t give you what you deserve right away—He gives you time.
“What should we do with that time?”
(Guide them to say: say sorry to God, ask for forgiveness, trust in Jesus.)
(Bring it together with this summary.)
God is not like us. We get mad quickly when things go wrong. But God is slow to get angry. His patience is not a reason to keep doing bad things—it’s a chance to turn to Him.
(End with a brief prayer if desired.)
Let’s thank God for being patient with us.
Memorizing Verse: 2 Peter 3:9
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
“Now let’s learn a very special Bible verse that tells us what God is like. Listen carefully as I read it.”
(Read slowly and clearly, pointing to the words if displayed):
💡 Break It Down & Explain
Let’s say it together—repeat after me!
(Say in short phrases and have kids echo):
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,”
“as some understand slowness.”
“Instead he is patient with you,"
"not wanting anyone to perish”
“but everyone to come to repentance.”
(Say it again a little faster as a group.)
Now let’s talk about what this means.
“Patient” means God waits. He doesn’t rush to get angry.
“Not wanting anyone to perish” means God doesn’t want people to be destroyed for their sin.
“To come to repentance” means to say sorry to God, stop doing wrong, and trust in Jesus.
Craft & Game (10 mins)
Craft (5 min)
Download and print worksheet here for children.
(Hold up a large printed letter “P” and say cheerfully):
Now we’re going to do a fun craft to help us remember that God is patient. ‘P’ stands for Patient!
(Hand out a copy of the large ‘P’ on paper to each child, along with crayons, markers, or stickers.)
I want you to draw a picture inside or around the ‘P’ that reminds you of today’s story. Maybe Noah’s ark, rain, animals, or even a big clock showing a long wait.
(While kids draw, walk around and chat with them individually, prompting reflection)
“What are you drawing?”
“How did God show patience in Noah’s time?”
“How does God show patience with us today?”
(After 4–5 minutes, invite kids to share their art aloud if time allows.)
These are beautiful! Each ‘P’ reminds us that God gives us time to turn to Him.
Game (5 min)
Setup (before class):
-
Print and hide 4 visuals or images: Starting Ark, Noah, Loading Ark, Flood.
-
Prepare a timeline on the wall or floor with tape or string.
-
Have a pitcher of water and shallow basin for the “flood.”
(Gather the group and explain):
Let’s play a game called the Ark Race! Just like in our story, time is ticking before the flood comes!”
I’ve hidden 4 pictures around the room. When I say GO, your job is to find them and stick them in the right order on the timeline before the timer runs out.
(Secretly set a timer—start with 1 minute.)
Ready? GO!
(Once the time runs out, whether successful or not, pretend to pour “flood” water into a basin. Celebrate effort and restart the game using shorter or longer time limits.)
After the Game:
Did you know how much time you had before the flood came? No! And that’s just like real life—we don’t know how long God’s patience will last.
That’s why the Bible says we should turn to Him now, while there’s still time. God is patient, but His patience is not forever.
Response Song
Closing Prayer & Snack Time (10 mins)
Dear God,
Thank You for teaching us today that You are perfectly good and right.
Thank You for showing us that You are angry at sin, but that You also love us so much.
Thank You for sending Jesus to be our safe place, our Refuge.
Help us to love You more than anything else.
Help us to run to Jesus and trust in Him every day.
Now, let us thank You for the snack we’re about to enjoy.
We fold our hands.
We bow our heads.
We thank You, God,
for this daily bread.
Amen.