2026-02-08 God Promises to Remove the Sin of His People
Introduction
This week’s lesson teaches children that God’s people are helpless to fix their sinful hearts, but God lovingly promises to remove sin and give them new hearts that can love and trust Him.
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.
Suggested Songs:
- Lord I Life Your Name on High
-
Jesus Loves Me
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?
To Thank God – Everything we have comes from God! Giving back is a way to say, "Thank You, God!"
To Trust God – When we give, we show that we trust God to take care of us.
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
Before we start today, let’s remember what we learned last week.
Last week, we learned about the Ten Commandments. Why did God give His people these rules?
(Pause for responses.)
God gave His commands so His people would know what is right and how to live in a way that pleases Him. We also learned that God’s commands are holy, righteous, and good.
After the Israelites heard God’s rules, they said they would obey them. But we ended with an important question: is it easy for people to obey all of God’s commands all the time?
(Pause for responses.)
Today, we’re going to find out why obeying God’s perfect rules is so hard—and why God’s people need more than rules. They need new hearts.
Bible Story (10 min)
Introduction (2 min)
Teacher:
“Good morning, everyone! I’m so happy to see you today.”(Pause.)
Teacher:
“I want to ask you something. Have you ever done something wrong—and afterward you felt really bad inside?”(Allow a few responses.)
Teacher:
“Sometimes when we sin, it doesn’t just affect what we did. It makes our hearts feel heavy and dirty.”(Place hand over heart.)
Teacher:
“Today, we’re going to learn about someone in the Bible who felt that way too. And we’re going to learn something amazing about God—God promises to remove the sin of His people.”
Story Telling (5 min)
Props / Visuals Suggested:
- Staff
- Harp
- Sling
- Crown
- Dark heart picture
- Tears picture
- Red heart
- Gift box with promise card
Teacher:
“I have some pictures to show you. Each picture tells us about a man in the Bible.”
(Hold up staff.) “A shepherd uses a staff to guide and protect sheep. When this man was a boy, he took care of his father’s sheep. When a lion and a bear tried to attack the sheep, he trusted God and fought them off.”
(Hold up harp.) “This man also wrote songs to God called psalms. Many of those songs are in our Bible. He loved God and sang to Him.”
(Hold up sling.) “Does anyone remember when this man used a sling?”
(Expected response: David and Goliath.)
“Yes! Goliath was a giant who made fun of God and God’s people. This man trusted God, and God gave him victory.”
(Hold up crown.) “Later, God made this man king over Israel. He became Israel’s greatest king.”
“Who do you think this man is?” (Expected response: David.)
“That’s right—David. David was a great shepherd, a great musician, a great soldier, and a great king.”
“But David had a big problem.”
(Hold up dark heart.) “David was a sinner. David wanted something that did not belong to him—another man’s wife. And to hide his sin, David had that man killed.”
“David broke God’s holy, righteous, and good commandments. David felt very guilty. His heart was weighed down by sin.”
(Hold up tears.) “David knew something very important. He knew he could not fix his own heart. He knew that even though God’s commands were good, his sinful heart did not always obey them.”
“So David cried out to God. He asked God to wash him and clean his heart.”
“Do you think God listened to David?” (Expected response: Yes.)
“Yes. God is pleased when sinners cry to Him for help.”
(Tape red heart over the dark heart.) “God covered David’s sin. But David knew something else—his heart needed more than covering. His heart needed to be changed.”
(Hold up gift box.) “God made a promise to David and to His people.”
(Open box and read.) “‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.’”
“God promises to remove the sin of His people and give them new hearts so they can enjoy Him forever.”
Wrap-up & Discussion (3 min)
(Gather children close for reflection.)
Discussion Questions:
Question 1: “We heard about many great things David did today. What are some of the jobs or roles David had in his life?”
(Wait for responses.)
Expected Responses:
Shepherd, musician, soldier, kingTeacher Follow-up:
“David really did many great things. People might think David was special because he was so talented and brave. But the Bible wants us to see something even more important about David.”
Question 2: “The Bible also showed us something hard about David. What wrong thing did David do that showed his heart was sinful?”
(Wait for responses.)
Expected Responses:
He wanted another man’s wife, he had the man killed, he disobeyed GodTeacher Follow-up:
“David didn’t just make a small mistake. He broke God’s holy and good commands. This helps us understand that even people who look great on the outside still have sinful hearts.”
Question 3: “When David realized how sinful his heart was, what did he do?”
(Wait for responses.)
Expected Responses:
He cried, he prayed, he asked God for helpTeacher Follow-up:
“David did not try to pretend his sin wasn’t a big deal. He didn’t try to fix his heart by doing more good things. David knew he was helpless and needed God’s mercy.”
Question 4: “God made a promise to David and to His people. What did God promise to do for their hearts?”
(Wait for responses.)
Expected Responses:
Give a new heart, remove the heart of stone, give a heart of fleshTeacher Follow-up:
“God promises to remove sinful hearts and give new hearts that can love Him. This is something only God can do.”
Closing Prayer for Bible Story
(Invite children to bow their heads and fold their hands.)
Teacher leads prayer:
“Dear God,
Thank You for showing us that we cannot fix our own hearts. Help us turn to you when we sin. Thank You for loving us and promising to remove sin and give new hearts.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Memory Verse: Romans 7:12
Ezekiel 36:26a
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you…"
Teacher:
“God made a promise, and this verse tells us what it is. Let’s learn it with actions.”
• ‘I will give you’ – extend hands like giving a gift
• ‘a new heart’ – make a heart shape with hands
• ‘and put a new spirit in you’ – point upward, then to chest“Let’s say it together slowly.”
“Now let’s say it louder!”
“God always keeps His promises.”
Activity (10 mins)
Craft
Materials Needed:
-
• Paper heart (dark on one side, clean on the other)
• Crayons/markers
• Stickers
Teacher:
“We’re going to make a heart craft to remind us of God’s mercy.”
“On the dark side, you can color or draw scribbles. This reminds us that we all sin.”
“Now flip it over. This clean heart reminds us that God gives new hearts!”
“You can decorate this side to show joy and thankfulness.”
Response Song
"Before we close, let's sing a song to help us remember what we learned today! This song is about faith and trusting God."
Snack Time (10 mins)
Snack Prayer
(After the closing prayer, prepare for snack time. Have children stay seated or move to snack tables. Before eating, lead them in the snack prayer.)
Teacher: "Before we eat, let's thank God for our snack."
"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."
During Snack Time
Conversation Starters for Snack Time:
While children are eating, you can ask these casual questions to reinforce the lesson:
Free Time & Children Pickup (15 mins)
Activity Suggestions:
- Free play with toys or blocks
- Review memory verses one more time with interested children
- Quiet reading of Bible story books
- Simple puzzles or games
- Drawing pictures of today's story
Parent Communication:
As parents arrive to pick up their children, briefly share one highlight from today's lesson. For example: "Today we learned about the 10 Commandments today. Because God is holy, righteous, and good, His commandments are also holy, righteous, and good." Encourage parents to review the memory verses at home and discuss what it means to have faith in God.