Nahum– Book of God’s patience
Even God’s patience has limits He doesn’t allow sin to go on forever.
Key Point – God is patient but don’t push it!
Memory Verse – Romans 6:1 So do you think we should continue sinning so that God will give us even more grace? No!
Object lesson – God loves us no matter what but if we keep sinning we will stop loving him. MC tells a team member to come up front, the team member starts walking the opposite direction eventually walking out of the room. Explain how God is calling us to himself but it is sin that keeps us away. How if we don’t get rid of sin we will push God further and further from our lives. God is patient but don’t push it!
Skit – A character comes out thinks that he can do what ever he wants and God will forgive – because God is merciful and full of patience MC explains that God is merciful but we are judged by what we do and do not do. Character says that God has to forgive us it says in the Bible that God is full of grace. MC explains that God is full of grace that it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. God is patient but don’t push it!
Bible Story – Nineveh part 2 – God’s patents for Nineveh runs out and the city is judged. Explain how God gave Nineveh a chance they responded right God forgave them but then they when back to what they were doing and that made God made. Because God is full of grace he forgave them but they pushed his grace to far and in the book of Nahum Nineveh is punished for disobeying God.
Object lesson – The more we sin the harder our heart gets – show how a cupcake can go from soft to hard if left uncovered. – Before the lesson make sure you leave a cupcake out for a few days so that it is nice and hard but still looks exactly like another cupcake you have a fresh cupcake. Have two kids come up give them a choice one will be soft the other hard. Explain how if we keep sinning our heart gets hard just like this cupcake.
Puppet – Comes up and explains that he feels bad because he got mad at his sister he wished he had patience like God because he patience never ends. MC explains that God is very patient but if we want something and kept asking long enough the Bible says there is an end to God’s patience.
Small Group
Key Point – God is patient but don’t push it!
Memory Verse – Romans 6:1 So do you think we should continue sinning so that God will give us even more grace? No!
Activity –
Have two kids volunteer; instruct one to tap the other on the shoulder with their finger over and over. Have the child whose shoulder is being tapped ask Child #1 to stop. Child #1 says he’s sorry and does stop for a second but then starts tapping again. Have the kids repeat this process a few times. Finally have them stop and sit down ask the kids if the child who was tapping was really sorry. Ask why they think that he wasn’t really sorry even though he said he wasn’t. Explain how our actions show if we are really sorry. Explain that God is a forgiving God but there is a limit a point at which there is no forgiveness left for us if we continue to disobey.
Questions
What is sin?
How does it affect you? Us?
What is forgiveness?
Does the Lord like sin?
What does Nahum do/say to the Ninevites?
Did God forgive them?
What does it mean to repent?
What does it mean to disobey?
How many times are we supposed to forgive other?
When we disobey god, will his grace eventually end?