Our Focus Today Helping children understand that trusting God means relying on Him, even when life doesn’t make sense.
Key Truth Trusting God means putting our faith into action.
Bible Passage Romans 5:6–8
Memory Verse “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly… But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6, 8 (NIV)
At A Glance
Approximate Lesson Time: 45–60 minutes Welcome, Snack & Lesson Activity • 10–15 minutes Gather Around God’s Word • 10–15 minutes Read the Story • 10–15 minutes Truth in Action • 5–10 minutes Open Your Bible • 10–15 minutes Closing Prayer & Clean-Up • 2–3 minutes
Leader Encouragement
Trust grows one step at a time. The same is true for children…and for us. As you lead today, remember that God doesn’t ask us to have all the answers. He simply asks us to trust Him. Your willingness to faithfully point children to Jesus is an act of trust, too.
The story God is writing in a child’s heart is always bigger than the lesson on the page.
Leader Preparation
Lesson Supplies Study books Pens Highlighters Fabric strips Flip-flops
Prep Ahead Highlight today’s Bible passage in your Bible. Gather the supplies for today’s Truth in Action. Set out the lesson activity supplies for each group. A completed sample of today’s lesson activity.
Volunteer Roles
Lead Teacher Welcome the group and guide each part of the lesson. Read the Bible passage and story aloud. Lead the Truth in Action, discussion, and closing prayer.
Small Group Leaders Welcome children and encourage conversation. Support children throughout the lesson. Answer questions, encourage participation, and offer extra help as needed.
Floater Welcome families and direct children to their groups. Help with transitions and assist wherever needed throughout the lesson.
Leading the Lesson
Welcome, Snack & Lesson Activity
Time: 10–15 minutes Welcome children, help them get settled, and enjoy the time together as they complete today’s lesson activity.
Instructions Welcome children as they arrive. Invite them to begin today’s lesson activity. Encourage conversation while everyone enjoys a snack. As children finish, encourage them to continue chatting with their group until it’s time to begin.
Conversation Starters When is it easy to trust someone? When is it harder to trust someone? Can you think of a time when someone kept a promise to you?
Gather Around God’s Word
Time: 10–15 minutes
Transition Give children a two-minute warning before beginning. Invite everyone to simply set aside today’s lesson activity and grab only their study book, Bible, and pen. There is no need to clean everything up. Children can return to the activity later if time allows or take home any remaining supplies to finish.
Opening Prayer Begin with a simple prayer, inviting God to prepare hearts and minds to learn from His Word.
Bible Reading
Read Romans 5:6–8 directly from your Bible.
Connect today’s Bible passage to the story by explaining that God proved His love for us through Jesus. Because He always keeps His promises, we can trust Him with every part of our lives.
Read the Story
Today’s Stair-Step Reading
Lesson 3 Re-read Lessons 1–2, then continue directly into Lesson 3.
Read the story aloud while children follow along.
Engage Children By… -Announcing page turns for younger readers. -Reading speech bubbles together. -Asking observation questions. -Pointing out humorous moments. -Inviting predictions as the story unfolds.
Let’s Begin “Last lesson we learned that knowing what’s right and choosing what’s right aren’t always the same thing. God knows that trusting Him isn’t always easy, so He fills His Word with truth to help us.”
Read Proverbs 16:20 aloud. “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”
Hold up the knife. “Let’s pretend this knife represents God. He is strong, powerful, and able to do anything.”
Slice through the folded newspaper. “That shows us just how powerful this knife is.”
Hold up the potato. “Let’s pretend this potato represents a hard decision or something difficult we’re facing.”
“Could this knife cut through the potato?“ Allow children to respond.
Wrap the newspaper around the potato. “Now imagine this newspaper is you. God invites us to wrap our hearts around Him and trust Him as He walks with us through hard things.” Slice through the potato. Carefully remove the newspaper. Show that it remained unharmed.
“The knife cut through the potato, but the newspaper stayed safe. Trusting God doesn’t mean hard things disappear it means we’re never facing them alone.”
“Why do you think God wants us to trust Him?” Encourage answers such as: telling the truth. standing up for a friend, obeying parents, choosing kindness, and following God’s Word even when it’s difficult.
Wrap Up “Trust grows one choice at a time. When we choose God’s way we’re putting our faith into action.”
Open Your Bible
Time: 10–15 minutes
Activity 1 Complete Activity 1.
Invite children to look up the first Bible verse together before completing the activity. Encourage small groups to discuss their answers before sharing with everyone.
Activity 2 Complete Activity 2. Refer back to the verses from Activity 1.
Depending on the age of your group, children may work individually, with a partner, or in small groups before coming back together to discuss what they learned.
Ask What did today’s verses teach us about trusting God? Why can we trust God even when life is hard? What is one small way you can put your faith into action this week?
Closing Prayer
Pray the prayer at the end of Lesson 3.
Clean-Up
Invite children to: -Organize their supplies. -Throw away trash. -Help tidy their small group area. -Continue working on today’s lesson activity if time remains or take home any remaining supplies to finish later.
The good way is not necessarily the quickest way or the easiest or even the safest. Its goodness is that it gets you there and does itswork in you as you go. -Mark Buchanan
