2025-06-01 Merciful
Introduction
As we prepare to teach this lesson, let’s pause and reflect on the incredible mercy of God. Even though we sin against Him daily, God extends kindness and compassion to undeserving sinners like us. His mercy isn't just a feeling—it's active love reaching out to restore broken relationships.
Today’s lesson shows children that God doesn't give us what we deserve for our sin. Instead, He offers forgiveness and welcomes us back with open arms. We'll use Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son to illustrate how a father's merciful love mirrors God's heart toward us when we stray.
Our goal is to help children understand that God's mercy isn't earned—it's a gift. We want them to grasp that even when they disobey and make poor choices, God is still waiting with arms wide open, ready to forgive when they turn back to Him with sincere hearts.
As you teach, pray that each child will recognize their need for God's mercy. May they see themselves in the story of the prodigal son and understand that God is a loving Father who runs to meet His wayward children with compassion and forgiveness.
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
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.'
“The Lord is not slow”
(Point upward to represent "the Lord" and shake head "no" for "not slow")
“in keeping his promise”
(Cross hands over heart to represent "keeping promise")
“as some understand slowness”
(Tap head for "understand" and move hands slowly for "slowness")
“Instead he is patient with you”
(Fold hands together calmly to show "patience" and point to others for "with you")
“not wanting anyone to perish”
(Shake head "no" and look sad for "not wanting" and "perish")
“but everyone to come to repentance.”
(Open arms wide for "everyone" and make turning motion with hands for "repentance")
Supplies Needed
- Bible - Open to Luke 15:11-20
- Bag of money (play money or a small pouch with coins)
- Picture of pigs (printed or drawn)
- Visual aids - Three simple picture cards showing:
- Son 1: Son asking for inheritance
- Son 2: Son in poverty with pigs
- Son 3: Father welcoming son home
- Letter M visual - Large letter "M" for "Merciful"
- Memory Verse - Psalm 145:8 written on a slide or posterboard
- Craft supplies - "M" worksheets, crayons, markers
- Game materials - Printed pictures of the prodigal son story sequence, tape
Additional Scripture References
- Psalm 145:8-9 (NIV) - "The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."
- Titus 3:5a (NIV) - "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."
- 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."
- Romans 2:4 (NIV) - "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?"
Bible Story (10 min): God is Merciful
Introduction (1 min)
(Hold up a small bag of coins or play money and speak with enthusiasm.)
Boys and girls, look what I have here—a bag of money! Imagine if your dad or mom gave you all this money. What would you do with it? Would you save it? Buy something nice? Share with others?
(Let them answer briefly.)
Today we're going to hear a story Jesus told about a son who asked his father for money. But instead of using it wisely, he made some very bad choices. And yet, something amazing happened when he returned home! This story will teach us about a special word that describes what God is like: MERCIFUL.
Story Telling (5 min) - The Prodigal Son
(Use props if possible: a bag of play money, a picture of pigs, and consider having three simple picture cards representing the three stages of the son's journey.)
Jesus told a story about a father who had two sons. One day, the younger son came to his father with a very disrespectful request.
(Hold up your Bible and read from Luke 15:11-12.)
"Jesus continued: 'There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, "Father, give me my share of the estate." So he divided his property between them.'"
(Show the bag of money.)
Oh my! The son was not being nice at all! He was saying, "Dad, I want my money right now, I don't want to wait!" But guess what? The father still gave him the money, even though the son was not being a good son.
Soon after, the son packed up all his things and went far, far away from home.
(Read from Luke 15:13-14. If possible, have a small garbage can or wastebasket handy.)
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need."
The son spent all his father's money on silly things! He bought toys and treats that didn't last long. It was like taking his father's money and just throwing it in the trash!
(Place money near or in the garbage can as a visual)
And then, there was no food to eat where he lived. The son got very, very hungry. He made bad choices, and now he was very sad.
(Show the picture of pigs and read Luke 15:15-16.)
"So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything."
Can you imagine being so hungry that you want to eat the same food that pigs eat? Eww! The son made some really bad choices, and now he had to take care of stinky pigs and had no food to eat.
(Read Luke 15:17-19.)
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.'"
The son started thinking: "My dad's workers have food to eat, but I'm so hungry! I need to go home and tell my dad I'm sorry. I was a bad son. Maybe he'll let me be his worker."
(Read Luke 15:20 with excitement and emotion.)
"So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."
What did the father do? Did he yell at his son? Did he punish him? No! The father RAN to his son, HUGGED him, and KISSED him! The father was so happy to see his son, even though the son had done terrible things!
Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)
(Sit with the children in a circle or relaxed posture.)
In this story, the son did a lot of bad things, didn't he? He was not nice to his dad, he wasted all the money, and he made many bad choices. He should have been in big trouble! But instead of punishing him, the father showed him something special: MERCY.
Mercy means being kind to someone even when they've been bad. The father showed mercy to his son by giving him a big hug and welcoming him home, even though the son did wrong things.
This story helps us understand that God is merciful. We all do wrong things sometimes that make God sad. The Bible calls these wrong things "sin." When we do wrong things, we should get in trouble. But God is merciful—He is kind to us even when we do bad things.
The most important thing to remember is that God's mercy is a gift. We can't earn God's mercy by being extra good or doing lots of good things. The son couldn't earn his father's love back—the father just gave it freely because he loved his son so much. God gives us mercy because He loves us, not because we've been good enough.
Ask a few gentle, reflective questions:
- How do you think the son felt when his father welcomed him home with a hug instead of a punishment?
- Can you think of a time when you did something wrong but someone showed you mercy (they were kind to you instead of punishing you)?
- How does it make you feel to know that God is merciful and loves you even when you make mistakes?
(Bring it together with this summary.)
God's mercy is like the best present ever! He gives us kindness and says "I forgive you" even when we mess up. The most amazing way God shows His mercy is by sending Jesus to take our punishment so we can be in God's family. Just like the father in our story ran to give his son a big hug, God wants to give us a big hug when we say we're sorry for the wrong things we do.
Did you know that God shows mercy to everyone every day, even people who don't know Him? The Bible says in Psalm 145:9, "The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."
How does God show mercy to everyone? Let's think about some ways:
- He gives us sunshine to play in
- He sends rain to make flowers grow
- He gives us yummy food to eat
- He gives us families and friends who love us
- He makes pretty things for us to see
All these good things are gifts from God because He is merciful and kind! He loves taking care of us because He loves us so much.
Memorizing Verse: Psalm 145:8
Psalm 145:8 (NIV)
"The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love."
"Now let's learn a special Bible verse that tells us what God is like. Listen carefully as I say 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" (point up)
- "is gracious and compassionate" (open hands like giving a gift)
- "slow to anger" (shake head slowly)
- "and rich in love." (cross arms over chest)
(Say it again a little faster as a group.)
Now let's talk about what this means.
- "Gracious" means God gives us good things as presents.
- "Compassionate" means God feels sad when we're sad and wants to help us.
- "Slow to anger" means God doesn't get mad quickly when we make mistakes.
- "Rich in love" means God has so much love for us - it never runs out!
Craft & Game (10 mins)
Craft (5 min)
Download and print worksheet here for children.
(Hold up a large printed letter "M" and say cheerfully):
Now we're going to do a fun craft to help us remember that God is merciful. 'M' stands for Merciful!
(Hand out a copy of the large 'M' on paper to each child, along with crayons, markers, or stickers.)
I want you to draw a picture inside or around the 'M' that reminds you of today's story. You could draw the father hugging his son, or anything else that helps you remember God's mercy.
(While kids draw, walk around and chat with them individually, prompting reflection)
- What was your favorite part of today's story?
- How does it feel to know that God loves you even when you make mistakes?
- Who could you be kind to this week, even if they aren't nice to you?
- Have you ever done something wrong and had to say sorry?
- Can you think of a time when someone was nice to you even when you weren't being good? How did that make you feel?
(After 4–5 minutes, invite kids to share their art aloud if time allows.)
These are beautiful! Each 'M' reminds us that God gives mercy to people who don't deserve it.
Game (5 min)
Setup (before class):
- Print out or draw simple pictures showing the prodigal son's journey: 1) Asking for money, 2) Wasting money, 3) With pigs, 4) Coming home, 5) Father hugging son
- Mix up the pictures
- Bring tape or sticky tack
(Gather the group and explain):
Let's play a game called The Son's Big Journey! I have pictures from our story all mixed up. When I say GO, your job is to work together and put them in the right order - like making a story train!
After we get them in order, we'll find the part where someone shows kindness!
(Let children arrange the pictures in sequence.)
Great job! Now, point to the picture where you see someone being kind even when they didn't have to be. That's right—when the father gives his son a big hug, that's showing mercy! God is like that father - He's always ready to welcome us with open arms when we come back to Him.
Response Song
Optional Activity: Memory Verse Sun-Catcher
Materials needed (if time allows):
- Printed copies of Psalm 145:8 on translucent or tracing paper (one per child)
- Colored markers
- String (optional for hanging)
If we have some extra time, we're going to make a special sun-catcher with our memory verse! When you hang it in a window at home, the sunlight will shine through it like God's love shines on us every day.
I'll give each of you a special paper with our Bible verse. You can color it with bright, happy colors. Then you can take it home and hang it in a window to remember that God is kind and merciful!
Closing Prayer & Snack Time (10 mins)
Dear God,
Thank You for being so merciful to us.
Thank You for loving us even when we don't deserve it.
Thank You for all the ways You show us mercy every day—
The food we eat, the sun that shines, the air we breathe.
Thank You for sending Jesus to show us what Your mercy looks like.
Thank You that we don't have to earn Your love—it's a gift!
Help us to show mercy to others just like You show mercy to us.
Help us to remember that we need Your mercy 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.