Series Overview
Waiting is a part of life. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait on our own. Through the Holy Spirit, God can help us experience the patience we need to wait well. After all, God is patient with us. God is in control and knows what’s best for us. Even though God’s people had been waiting for years for the promised Savior, at just the right time, God sent Jesus. Because we’re created in God’s image, we can reflect God’s patience in our lives. We can be patient when we remember what God has done. We can lean on God’s Holy Spirit to give us the strength we need to trust God and show patience with the difficult circumstances in our lives.
Memory Verse
“Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lost hope. Wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:14, NIRV
Week One (April 7)
The Waiting
Bible Story: A Patience Proverb | Proverbs 14:29
Bottom Line: Waiting can make you wise.
Virtue: Patience – Waiting until later for what you want now
We kickoff the month with a patience proverb found in Proverbs 14:29: “Anyone who is patient has great understanding. But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish they are.” When it comes to waiting, we have a choice. We can either lose our patience and get upset, or we can choose to keep our cool and think about what we can learn through our waiting. We can trust that God will help us wait well.
There are lots of times in life when we have to wait. Kids have to wait
in lines, for school to let out, or to take their turn on the playground. In some situations, it can be more difficult to wait than in others. We pray that kids will remember that the times when we have to wait can become opportunities for us to trust God and grow in wisdom.
Week Two (April 14)
Can’t Hardly Wait
Bible Story: Esau’s Impatience | Genesis 25:24-34
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, think twice.
Virtue: Patience – Waiting until later for what you want now
For Week Two, we turn to Genesis 25:24-34, where we find one of the best examples of what happens when someone is not patient—the story of Esau. After a hunting trip, Esau was exhausted and hungry! And wouldn’t you know, his brother Jacob had a pot of stew cooking on the fire. Jacob took advantage of this situation and offered a bowl in exchange for Esau’s inheritance. Turns out, Esau couldn’t resist. He lost something extremely valuable, all because he was impatient.
Through the story of Esau, we pray that kids will discover why it’s important to have patience and wait. We will face moments when we want to rush and take the first choice that comes our way, but that might not be God’s best for us. We pray that kids will discover that when they wait, they can experience something even better than they can imagine.
Week Three (April 21)
I Keep Forgettin’
Bible Story: Golden Calf | Exodus 32:1-35
Bottom Line: When you have to wait, remember what’s true
Virtue: Patience – Waiting until later for what you want now
For Week Three, we head to Exodus 32:1-35. Moses met with God on Mount Sinai. He left his brother Aaron and the rest of the Israelites to wait. Rather than waiting patiently for Moses to return, the entire nation of Israel rebelled. They built a golden calf and began to worship it instead of worshipping God. If only they had remembered how God rescued them from Egypt and trusted God while they waited!
We can’t avoid having to wait, but we can choose how we respond. A good way to discover patience is to think about what’s true about God: God loves us and knows what’s best for us. God cares for us and is with
us. We can trust God no matter what. We pray that kids remember what’s true about God when they have to wait.
Week Four (April 28)
I’m With You
Bible Story: Simon Waits for the Messiah | Luke 2:25-25
Bottom Line: God is with you while you wait
Virtue: Patience – Waiting until later for what you want now
We finish the month with a story found in Luke 2:25-35. God’s people had been waiting for hundreds of years for the Savior. God promised Simeon that he’d get to see the Messiah before he died. We believe that Simeon waited a long time. But finally, when Mary and Joseph came to the temple with Baby Jesus, Simeon finally saw what he’d been waiting for.
We might have to wait for something small, like in a line at the ice cream stand… or we might have to wait for something big, like for a parent to get a new job. While it’s true that patience is harder in some situations than others, we pray that kids will remember that they don’t have to wait on their own. They can trust that God is with them while they wait.