2026-11-29 Jesus is Patient with Sinners
Introduction
In this lesson, children will learn that Jesus is patient with sinners. Right after Jesus told His friends, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends," He also told them, "You will all fall away." Peter was sure that would never happen: "Even though they all fall away, I will not!" But Jesus knows how weak and afraid sinners' hearts are. In the garden, while Jesus prayed in deep sadness, His friends fell asleep. When the soldiers came to arrest Him, they all left Him and ran away. And Peter said three times, "I do not know this man." Jesus' friends did not deserve His love. Yet Jesus did not give up on them. He kept going toward the cross to die for them anyway. Jesus loves us not because we loved Him first, but because He is love: "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
Teachers: Before class, arrange with an adult helper or a confident older child (not a sensitive one) for the "lost markers" demonstration. Tell them exactly what you will say and how they should answer. Keep the pretend anger short, and as soon as it ends, say clearly to everyone that you were only pretending and thank your helper. When telling the story, keep the arrest simple: men came with swords and clubs and took Jesus away. There is no need to describe violence. Luke 22:44 says Jesus' sweat became like great drops of blood; for this age group, say only that Jesus was very, very sad and troubled and prayed very hard.
Main Ideas:
- Jesus Knows Our Hearts: Jesus knows that sinners' hearts are weak and afraid, even the hearts of His friends.
- Sinners Do Not Deserve Jesus' Love: Jesus' friends fell asleep, ran away, and said they didn't know Him.
- Jesus Is Patient: Because He is God, Jesus kept loving His friends and did not give up on them. He went to the cross for them anyway.
- Jesus' Friends Turn Back to Him: When Jesus' friends sin, they feel sorry, tell Jesus, and He forgives them (1 John 1:9).
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?
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,
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.
"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
John 15:13
[Jesus said,] "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
Bible Story (10 min)
Introduction: The Lost Markers (2 min)
Props Needed:
- A whiteboard (or large paper) with last week's verse written with one word missing: [Jesus said,] "Greater ______ has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
- A marker
- Arranged beforehand: an adult helper or confident older child for the pretend scene
(Call your arranged helper to the front. Point to the whiteboard.)
Teacher: "Before church, I gave [name] a brand-new set of colourful markers so they could fill in the missing word on our verse. Okay, [name], go ahead! Where are the markers?"
(Helper shrugs: "I don't know. I think I lost them.")
Teacher: (in a pretend-grumpy voice) "LOST them? I just gave them to you! They were brand new! Nobody had even used them! You can't be trusted. I'm not going to be your friend anymore!"
(Stop. Smile. Put your arm around the helper.)
Teacher: "Everybody, we were only pretending! Thank you, [name], for helping. You can sit down." (Helper sits.) "Now tell me: was I kind and loving?"
Interaction: "Thumbs up or thumbs down?" (Thumbs down.)
Teacher: "Do people sometimes lose things by mistake? Yes! Was I quick to get angry? Yes! Was I patient? No! Being patient means waiting calmly and not getting angry quickly, even when someone makes a mistake."
Teacher: "We are all sinners, so sometimes we are NOT patient with each other. But Jesus is not like that. Last week, Jesus told His friends He loved them so much He would die for them." (Hand the marker to a child and let them write "love" in the blank, helping as needed.) "But then His friends did some very wrong things. Do you think Jesus said, 'I'm not your friend anymore'? Let's find out."
Story Telling: Jesus' Friends Fail, but Jesus Doesn't Give Up (8 min)
Props / Visuals Suggested:
- Sleeping Disciples visual (32A)
- Darkened Heart and Red Heart from past lessons
- Savior and Friend visual (31C) from last week
- Bible
- Optional: a picture of a rooster
Part 1: Peter's Big Promise (2 mins)
(Open the Bible to Mark 14.)
Teacher: "After the special supper, Jesus told His friends something sad: 'You will all fall away.' That means, 'You are all going to leave Me.'"
Teacher: "Peter jumped up and said, 'Even though they all fall away, I will not! Even if I have to die with You, I will never say I don't know You!'"
Interaction: "Everyone, stand up tall, put your hands on your hips, and say like Peter: 'Not me! I will never leave You!'"
Teacher: "But Jesus is God. He knows everything, even what is inside our hearts. Jesus said, 'Peter, tonight, before the rooster crows two times, you will say three times that you don't know Me.'"
Interaction: "Hold up three fingers. Now sit down."
Part 2: Sleepy Friends (2 mins)
(Show the Sleeping Disciples visual.)
Teacher: "It was dark night. Jesus and His friends went to a garden so Jesus could pray. Jesus knew that very soon He would die on the cross. It would be very hard and painful. Jesus was very, very sad and troubled. But He prayed to His Father, 'Not what I want, but what You want.' Even when it was hard, Jesus obeyed."
Interaction: "Fold your hands and bow your head, like Jesus praying."
Teacher: "Jesus asked His friends, 'Stay awake and pray.' But what do you think they did?"
Interaction: "Everyone, put your head on your hands and pretend to snore: zzzzz!"
Teacher: "They fell asleep! Jesus woke them up. And then... they fell asleep AGAIN! And again!" (Snore again.) "Were they being good friends?"
Teacher Key: No. But Jesus didn't shout, "I'm not your friend anymore!" He said, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Jesus knew their hearts were weak, and He was patient with them.
Part 3: Everyone Runs Away (2 mins)
Teacher: "Suddenly, there were footsteps in the dark. A big crowd of men came with swords and clubs. They grabbed Jesus to take Him away. And what did His friends do? The Bible says, 'And they all left him and fled.'"
Interaction: "Run in place really fast! Now hide your eyes."
Teacher: "Then Peter followed far behind. He sat by a fire to get warm. A servant girl looked at him and said, 'You were with Jesus!' And Peter said, 'No, I wasn't!' Then the girl told the people standing around, 'He's one of them!' 'No!' A third time, the people said, 'You ARE one of them!' And Peter said, 'I do not know this man of whom you speak.'"
Interaction: "Count on your fingers with me: one 'No!', two 'No!', three 'No!'"
Teacher: "Right then, the rooster crowed." (Cock-a-doodle-doo!) "Peter remembered what Jesus had said. And Peter broke down and cried."
(Hold up the Darkened Heart.)
Teacher: "Peter's heart was weak and afraid. All of Jesus' friends left Him when things got hard. Our hearts are weak and afraid too."
Part 4: Jesus Doesn't Give Up (2 mins)
Teacher: "What do you think Jesus would do now? Could He say, 'Forget them! Look how they treated Me! They don't deserve My love!'?"
(Wait for answers.)
Teacher: "They DIDN'T deserve His love. But Jesus didn't give up on His friends. He kept on going, all the way to the cross, to die for them anyway. That is how patient Jesus is!"
(Swap the Darkened Heart for the Red Heart, and hold up the Savior and Friend visual.)
Teacher: "Jesus didn't love His friends because they loved Him so well. He loved them because He IS love. The Bible says, 'In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son.' Jesus never gives up on His friends."
Interaction: "Wrap your arms around yourself and hold on tight. Say with me: 'Jesus never lets go!'"
Review with Actions
Teacher: "Let's remember it with actions!"
- Teacher: "Peter promised, 'I will never leave You!'" (Hands on hips, stand tall.)
- Teacher: "Jesus prayed in the garden." (Fold hands, bow head.)
- Teacher: "His friends fell asleep." (Head on hands: "zzzzz.")
- Teacher: "They all ran away." (Run in place.)
- Teacher: "Peter said 'No' three times." (Hold up three fingers.)
- Teacher: "The rooster crowed." ("Cock-a-doodle-doo!")
- Teacher: "Jesus is patient. He never gives up." (Hug yourself tight.)
Teacher: "Now faster!"
- "Promise!" (Hands on hips.)
- "Pray!" (Fold hands.)
- "Sleep!" (Zzzzz.)
- "Run!" (Run in place.)
- "Three!" (Three fingers.)
- "Rooster!" (Cock-a-doodle-doo!)
- "Patient!" (Hug.)
Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)
(Gather children close for reflection.)
Discussion Questions:
Teacher: "Let's think about what we learned today."
Question: "When I pretended to be grumpy about the lost markers, was I being patient? What does patient mean?"
Teacher Key: No. Being patient means not getting angry quickly, and staying kind even when someone makes a mistake. Jesus is perfectly patient.
Question: "What did Jesus' friends do that was wrong?"
Teacher Key: They fell asleep when Jesus asked them to pray, they all ran away when Jesus was arrested, and Peter said three times that he didn't know Jesus.
Question: "Did Jesus stop loving them? What did He do?"
Teacher Key: No! Jesus kept loving them and went to the cross to die for them anyway. Jesus never gives up on His friends.
Question: "What did Peter do when he heard the rooster?"
Teacher Key: He cried. He was very sorry. Jesus' true friends feel sad when they sin against Him and they turn back to Him.
Question: "What should we do when we sin?"
Teacher Key: Tell Jesus we are sorry and ask Him to forgive us. The Bible promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9).
Question: "Why is it good that God is patient with people who don't trust Jesus yet?"
Teacher Key: God's patience gives people time to turn from their sin and trust in Jesus (Romans 2:4). We can pray for people we know who don't trust Jesus yet.
Teacher: "This week, when you do something wrong, don't hide it. Tell Jesus you're sorry, and tell your mom or dad too. And think of one person you can pray for who doesn't know Jesus yet."
Closing Thought & Prayer
Teacher: "Jesus' friends fell asleep, ran away, and said they didn't know Him. They didn't deserve His love. We don't deserve it either. But Jesus is patient with weak and afraid sinners. He kept going to the cross to take the punishment for sin, so that everyone who trusts in Him can be forgiven. Jesus never gives up on His friends. What a Savior!"
(Fold hands and bow heads.)
Prayer: "Dear Jesus, our hearts are weak and afraid, just like Your friends' hearts. We don't always love You or obey You. Thank You that You are patient with sinners and that You love us even though we don't deserve it. Help us to tell You when we sin and to turn back to You. Please help the people we know who don't trust You yet to come to You. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Memorizing Verse: 1 John 4:10
1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Hand Gestures:
- "In this is love,": Make a heart with your hands.
- "not that we have loved God": Point to yourself, then shake your finger "no."
- "but that he loved us": Point up, then hug yourself.
- "and sent his Son": Point up, then bring your hand down to the ground (sent down to us).
- "to be the propitiation": Hold your arms out wide like a cross, then pull your hands in to your chest, like catching and taking something in.
- "for our sins.": Point to your heart.
Teacher Tip: Propitiation is a big word. Say it slowly together in syllables: pro-pi-ti-a-tion. Explain: God is rightly angry at sin. Jesus took God's anger at sin on Himself on the cross, like soaking it all up, so that God forgives those who trust in Jesus and is no longer angry with them. Then repeat the first half ("not that we loved God, but that He loved us") as call-and-response, because that is the heart of today's lesson.
Craft & Game (10 mins)
Game: Act Out the Garden Story
Adapted from the source lesson's optional activity. Children act out the story, then "Jesus" goes looking for His friends who ran away.
⏰ Time: 5 minutes
👧 Age Group: 4-6 years
🧩 Lesson Connection: Jesus' friends ran away, but Jesus was patient and did not give up on them.
🪜 Setup & Materials Needed:
- Open space with a few safe hiding spots (behind chairs, a table, a curtain)
- Optional: the Red Heart for the child playing Jesus to hold
🎲 How to Play:
Step 1: Choose one child to be "Jesus." Lead everyone on a slow walk around the room: "We're walking to the garden in the dark."
Step 2: "Jesus" kneels to pray. Everyone else closes their eyes, rests their head on their hands, and pretends to sleep. "Jesus" taps them: "Wake up!" Everyone falls asleep again.
Step 3: The teacher says, "The crowd came for Jesus," and gently leads "Jesus" by the hand to one side. Then say: "And they all left Him and fled!" Everyone tiptoes quickly and hides.
Step 4: "Jesus" goes around and finds each hiding friend, says "I still love you!" and brings them back to the circle.
Step 5: When everyone is back, say: "Jesus' friends ran away, but Jesus never gave up on them. Jesus is patient with sinners." Play again with a new "Jesus" if time allows, then say 1 John 4:10 together with the hand gestures.
Craft: 1 John 4:10 Starry Night Puzzle
Adapted from the source lesson's workbook page and Bible memory puzzle. Children decorate a night-time picture of the sleeping disciples with the memory verse, then cut it into a puzzle to take home.
Materials: 1 John 4:10 Puzzle Handout (OA-32), or cardstock printed with the verse and a simple night scene (one per child), markers or crayons, star stickers or glitter glue (optional), child-safe scissors, a zip-top bag for each child. Draw 4-6 large puzzle lines on each sheet beforehand for younger children.
The Activity:
- Step 1: Children colour the night picture. Add star stickers or glitter glue to make the sky sparkle. "It was dark night when Jesus prayed and His friends fell asleep."
- Step 2: Read the verse together while they work: "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us..."
- Step 3: Children cut along the puzzle lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
- Step 4: Mix up the pieces and let each child put their puzzle back together while saying the verse.
- Take Home: Put the pieces in a zip-top bag. Children put the puzzle together with their family this week and explain: "Jesus' friends ran away, but Jesus didn't give up on them. Jesus is patient with sinners."
Response Song
Closing Prayer & Snack Time (10 mins)
"Dear Jesus, thank You for being so patient with us. Even when Your friends fell asleep, ran away, and said they didn't know You, You kept loving them. Thank You that You love us not because we loved You first, but because You are love. Help us to love You and to come back to You when we sin. In Jesus' name, Amen."
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.