Lesson 7: Sermon on the Mount: Worry

Leader Guide for One Room

Classroom: LCC WEB

Matthew 6:19-34

08/02/2020

Kids sing songs of praise to God.

Kids watch a video and discuss the Bible point.

Kids see the difference between hoarding and trusting.

Kids try to solve a sequence puzzle.

Kids make boards to turn their worries into trust.

Kids make a display of things God has provided.

Music Video

[10 min]

I'm Trusting You

Supplies

• “I'm Trusting You” (watch or download here)
• “No Matter How I Feel” (watch or download here)
• “I Believe” (John 1:12) (watch or download here)

Tip

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or just purchase this quarter’s DVD here.

Sing Songs to God

            Sing the three songs in any order.

Talk-About Video

[10 min]

Shiloh's Story

Supplies

• “Shiloh’s Story” teaching video (watch or download here)

Tip

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or just purchase this quarter’s DVD here.

Discuss and Watch “Shiloh’s Story”

            Say: Jesus said that God takes care of us, so we don’t need to worry.

            Ask: • What are some things you worry about?

            Say: Let’s watch a video about a girl who was a little worried about starting at a new school.

            Watch “Shiloh’s Story.”

            Ask: • Tell about a time you felt like Shiloh. Share your own story first.

            • How did you see that God took care of Shiloh?

            • How have you seen God take care of you when you were worried?

            Say: God takes care of us, just like he took care of Shiloh. Shiloh was worried about starting at a new school, but she made friends right away! Abby and Owen helped her fit in and get used to her new school. When you’re worried, remember how God takes care of us.

Core Bible Discovery

[20 min]

Sermon on the Mount: Worry (Matthew 6:19-34)

Supplies

• Bible
• pompoms or other small, cheap item (around 20 per child)
• snack (1 per child)
• a variety of flowers (real or fake)
• whiteboard or poster board with markers
• paper
• pens

Easy Prep

• Set out a snack where kids can see it but won’t take it yet.
• Scatter pompoms all around the room.

Hoard Pompoms

            Say: Today we’re learning that God takes care of us. But sometimes we get greedy. We want to take care of ourselves by collecting as much money and stuff as possible. Let’s try that with a game. Check out the pompoms all over the floor. Imagine they’re really awesome prizes.

            Ask: • What do you wish the pompoms were?

            Say: From now on, that’s what the pompoms are! Get as many as you can. You can even take other people’s, but try not to let anyone steal yours. You want to have as many as possible when I call time!

            Allow time for kids to collect the pompoms. Even after all the pompoms have been collected from the floor, allow more time for kids to hoard or try to steal pompoms. Then tell kids the game is over so they can’t try to take any more.

            Ask: • What feelings did you have as you tried to collect and guard your treasure?

• What did you do to make sure no one took yours? to get more for yourself?

            Say: In this game, your focus was on getting as much as possible. But it sounds like that added more and more stress to your life! You had to focus on taking as much as you could and worry about your treasures being taken away. Listen to what Jesus said about that.

           Read Matthew 6:19-21.

           Say: This game is over, and no one gets to keep their treasure.

           Collect kids’ pompoms.

           Ask: • How are things different now compared to when you first walked into the room? What difference did all your hoarding make?

            Say: This game was just for fun, and you knew it. Even then, some of you were pretty protective of your pompoms! But when it comes to being greedy about money, that’s not just a game people play. When people are too focused on storing up treasures on earth, it consumes their minds. And in the end, all their treasures are gone.

           But we don’t need to worry about hoarding treasures and money, because God takes care of us. In fact, while you were busy hoarding all those silly pompoms, I had another treasure all ready for you. Did you spot it? If no one mentions it, point out the snacks. Let each child take a snack.

Eat a Snack

            Say: As you eat your snack, let’s hear what Jesus said about worrying about getting enough food to eat.

            Read Matthew 6:25-27.

            Ask: • Have you ever tried to hoard food like you hoarded the pompoms? Talk about that. Start by sharing your own story, like being greedy with Halloween candy or candy thrown at a parade or being unwilling to share even when you had plenty of food.

           If you find out there’s a child whose family is struggling to afford food, talk to your children’s pastor to learn what church or community resources you could offer to help that family.

           Ask: • What are some of your favorite foods God provides for you?

           Say: God takes care of us. We may not get everything we want, but we will get what we need. And food isn’t the only thing we need. Let’s find out what else Jesus said we don’t need to worry about.

Examine a Flower

            Read Matthew 6:28-32.

            Ask: • How did you decide what to wear today?

            Say: We need clothes. And God takes care of us by providing clothes! Jesus said we can trust God to provide clothes because he dresses the flowers so well.

            Have kids pass around the flowers and make observations about how they are “clothed.”

            Draw two columns on the whiteboard or poster board. Have kids name things God provides for plants, and list them on the left side. Then on the right side, have kids list things God provides for humans.

            Ask: • After looking at how God created and cares for flowers, how does that help you trust him for your needs?

            Say: God takes care of us. We can look at flowers as a reminder that if God makes them blossom and grow, he’ll take care of us, too.

Crumple Worries

            Say: It’s easy to be overcome with our worries when we’re focused on taking care of ourselves. But God takes care of us. We don’t need to worry about making sure we have enough for ourselves, because that’s God’s job. God’s job is to provide for you and take care of you. Your job is this:

            Read Matthew 6:33.

            Say: So let’s give our worries to God.

            Give each child a piece of paper and a pen. Have kids list or draw things they’re worried about now or that they often worry about. Kids won’t let anyone else see their lists. Then have them crumple their papers and throw them away as you read Matthew 6:34.

            Pray: God, thank you that you take care of us. Help us not let worries or greed control us. Help us trust you to take care of us, and help us seek your kingdom and live righteously. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Object Lesson

[10 min]

What’s Next?

Supplies

• “What’s Next?” handout (1 per child, plus 1 for you) (download here)
• pens
• paper

Figure Out What’s Next in a Sequence

            Say: We’re digging into how God takes care of us so we don’t need to worry. It still can be hard not worry, and all of us do sometimes. One worry we all have sometimes is the worry about what comes next. Let’s talk about this some more as we try to solve a puzzle by figuring out what’s next.    

• Have preschoolers pair up with older kids.
• Give each pair a “What’s Next?” handout and a pen.
• Allow a couple of minutes for everyone to work on the puzzle and try to sort out what comes next in the sequence at the bottom of the drawing. Welcome working together. This should be a big challenge for preschoolers and older kids.
• Give each person a blank piece of paper, and announce that it’s part of getting to the answer. Then allow everyone to work for a few more minutes at trying to solve the puzzle.
• Call attention back to yourself, and hold up a copy of the handout.
• Use a blank piece of paper and lay it over the drawing so it covers the left side of the figures in the drawing and splits the drawing in half lengthwise. This will reveal that the sequence is actually a sequence of numbers, not shapes!
• Have older partners do the same and help their younger partners read and count the numbers, asking the preschoolers what number comes next: eight.
• Older kids can then draw the number eight with its mirror image.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What was difficult about solving what came next in the puzzle?

            • What are some worries you have about the future? Share your own example first, such as worrying about a big test you have to take this week or worrying about what will happen to a friendship after a friend moves aw­­ay.

            Say: With the puzzle, the blank paper was a key to helping us solve the problem and getting to an answer. In real life, our key to finding some answers and putting our worry to rest is talking with God in prayer. God has all the answers we could ever need, and God takes care of us no matter what so we don’t need to worry.  

Craft

[20 min]

Worry Boards

Supplies

• foam board or cardboard (one 6½ x 8½ piece per child)
• colorful duct tape
• yarn
• scissors
• hole punches
• “Worry Board” handout (1 per child) (download here)
• pens
• heart stickers (4 per preschooler)
• card stock
• crayons

Easy Prep

• Make a sample of each craft to show kids. Write a worry on the blank side of 1 tag.
• Cut card stock into quarters, 1 piece per preschooler.

Make A Worry Board

            Show kids the sample craft you made with all the blank sides facing out, including your worry. Turn the worry around to show how when you pray about your worry, you can remember that God takes care of you. Give each child a piece of foam board or cardboard and a handout. Set out the remaining supplies to share, and have kids follow these directions to make worry boards.

• Cover one side of your board in colorful duct tape. (Preschoolers will need help ripping short pieces of tape, but they can decorate their boards themselves.)
• Cut 12 pieces of yarn long enough to hang down your board, and tape them all to the back of the board so they hang over the top. (Preschoolers only need four pieces, which older kids can help them cut.)
• Cut out the tags on the handout, and punch a hole in the top of each one. (Preschoolers will just punch holes in their four blank pieces of card stock and stick a heart sticker on one side of each piece.)
• Thread a piece of yarn through each hole, pulling some pieces short and leaving others long so they hang at different levels on the board. (Older kids can help preschoolers with this step.)
• Tie or tape the yarn to itself so it holds the tags. (Older kids can help preschoolers with this step.)

Write a Worry

            Say: You can use your worry board when you need to talk to God. Start with the blank side of each tag facing you. Whenever you have a worry, you can write it on a tag, pray about it, and then flip the tag around so you see that God takes care of you. Pretty soon, all your worries will show how much God takes care of you! Let’s start now.

• Have each child write one worry on a tag. (Preschoolers can draw a worry instead—don’t worry if you can’t identify the drawing!)
• Allow time for silent prayer.
• When kids have finished praying, they can turn the tag around to see the message or the heart reminder that God loves them and takes care of them.

Talk About It

            Ask: • If you’re willing, share about the worry you wrote or drew. Start by explaining more about what you wrote.

            • When you think about that worry, how does it help to know God takes care of you?

            Say: It’s natural to worry about things. But worrying doesn’t help us at all! Instead we can talk with God when we’re worried and watch for ways God takes care of us. Try it! Whenever you have a worry, write or draw about it and then flip the tag around to remind you that God loves you and takes care of you.

            Have kids take their worry boards home and use them to talk with God about their worries.

Life Application Wrap-Up

[5 min]

Giving Heart Offering

Supplies

• sticky notes
• pens
• timer (optional)

Pray for Giving Hearts

            Say: God takes care of us! Let’s thank him by thinking of as many things as we can that God has provided for us.

• Form pairs so kids who can’t write have partners who can.
• Set out sticky notes.
• Tell kids they have two minutes to put as many sticky notes on the wall as they can (working as a group), with each sticky note naming something they want to thank God for providing. Writing partners will write their own ideas and those of their partners.
• After two minutes (you can either time this or just estimate), count down from 10 and then call time.
• Say: Wow! God has provided so much! I can see so many ways God takes care of us! Let’s thank him for that.
• Pray: God, we’re thankful that you’ve provided so much for us. We want to focus on what you have given us instead of worrying about things we don’t have. Help us not worry but instead trust you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• Thank kids for coming, and encourage them to come back next week.

Epic Teachings of the Bible, Lesson 7: Sermon on the Mount: Worry, Design and base content Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc. Licensed for use with 1-20 students. Permission to reproduce granted for local church use only.