Use this teaching story to supplement any children’s Bible lesson about trusting God. It could also work as a standalone activity in your Sunday School class. It will help kids flesh out biblical principles in real life. At the end of this page I’ve listed bible topics and verses related to this story.
Everyday stories, like this one, can be used in conjunction with a Bible lesson to help children understand what a specific principle might look like and how it might be experienced and translated into everyday life… taking an abstract concept and giving them a concrete example. Being animated, using props, adjusting the length to fit the audience, and having children respond throughout the story will keep their interest and hopefully further their understanding and interest of important Biblical concepts.
Hannah’s Bike Ride
It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday. Hannah and her brother, Joey, ate lunch quickly because their parents had promised to take them on a bike ride that afternoon. Hannah had been riding without her training wheels for a couple of days and was excited to go on a real bike ride like her big brother. She felt like such a big kid when she zoomed around on her bike with no training wheels.
Hannah ran into the garage and put on her bike helmet. She waited for what felt like forever for the rest of her family to come out to get their bikes. Finally everyone was ready and Hannah’s family started off on their ride. They rode around their neighborhood and were having a great time. Smiling and laughing, Hannah was doing a great job! She was following her dad and had no trouble pedaling her bike up the the small hills they rode on. She was having a blast!
The family began to turn the corner and head for home. As soon as she was around the corner, Hannah used her brakes and then put her feet on the ground, stopping her bike as fast as she could. She looked in front of her and saw that she was at the top of a hill… a long hill that looked like it went on forever! Her eyes got huge and she began to feel very small. Hannah’s mom, dad and Joey kept riding and were halfway down the hill before her mom noticed she wasn’t with them anymore.
Hannah’s mom rode back up the hill to Hannah and stopped alongside her.
“What’s wrong Hannah?” her mom asked.
“I’m not going down that hill. I think I want to walk my bike down,” Hannah sad. Her eyes were filling up with tears and her hands started shaking a little bit. She was scared.
“But Hannah you know how to ride and you know how to use your brakes. You’ll be fine!” her mom said.
Hannah sat on her bike and shook her head. There was no way she was going to go down that hill riding her bike.
Hannah’s dad rode back up the hill and joined Hannah and her mom. He saw the tears in Hannah’s eyes and he could tell that she was scared. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“That hill is too steep, Daddy. I don’t want to go down it,” Hannah said.
“But Hannah, you are doing so well on your bike. We’re almost home. I know you can do it! Just use your brakes like I taught you,” Hannah’s dad said.
Tears started rolling down Hannah’s face. What if she went too fast? She thought. What if she crashed because she couldn’t brake and stop her bike? She felt like she was too scared to move.
Hannah’s mom got off of her bike and came and stood next to Hannah. “Hannah, we know that you can do this. We wouldn’t make you do something that you weren’t ready to do. How about I stand next to you and keep my hand on the seat of your bike? I won’t let you fall.”
Hannah’s hands were still shaking, tears were still in her eyes, and she was still scared. “But,” she thought, “I know that my mom won’t let me fall. She is bigger and stronger than me and I know she doesn’t want me to get hurt. ”
Hannah’s mom knelt beside Hannah and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. “You know that I love you and that you can trust me Hannah. How about we ride down to that tree and stop?” She pointed to a tree a little ways away.
Hannah looked at her mom, then she looked at the tree. She was still scared, but she trusted her mom and after a minute Hannah nodded her head.
Hannah’s mom put her hand on the bike seat. Hannah put her feet on the pedals and started down the hill. She wobbled a little as she pedaled, but after a few seconds she was by to the tree her mom had pointed at. She braked just like her dad had taught her and stopped right next to it. Hannah could hear her dad cheering from the top of the hill and Joey cheering from the bottom of the hill. She had done it!
“Hannah I am so proud of you!” said her mom. “You trusted me and knew that I wouldn’t let you fall. Let’s see if we can make it the rest of the way down the hill together.” Hannah smiled up at her mom; she wasn’t crying or shaking anymore. In fact, she was starting to have fun again!
Hannah made it down the hill and even did part of it without her mom running beside her. A few minutes later they were back home. The family sat down under a shade tree in their front yard and Hannah’s mom brought out some popsicles for everyone.
While Hannah and her family ate the ice-cold popsicles, they talked about their bike ride and how Hannah had made it down the hill. While Hannah was talking about how scared she had been, her dad said, “Hannah, what happened today reminds me of how the Bible tells us we are supposed to trust and love Jesus. You had to trust your mom and you could do that because you love her. Even though you were afraid, you knew she wasn’t going to let you get hurt and that she wouldn’t make you do something you weren’t ready to do.
“Jesus wants us to show Him how much we love Him by choosing to obey Him even when we are afraid. Just like when you chose to show your mom you loved her and trusted her by riding down the hill. There is a verse in Psalms that says that if we believe in God He will hold our hand so that we won’t fall, (Ps. 37:23-24). Another verse in Joshua says that we don’t need to be afraid because God is with us wherever we go, (Josh. 1:9). He will help us to do whatever he is asking us to do.”
Joey giggled and said, “So it’s kind of like Jesus is running alongside us and holding the seat of our bikes as we ride along and live our lives?”
“That’s one way to think of it Joey,” said their mom. “There are other verses in the Bible that says that God will never leave us or give up on us. (Duet. 31, Heb 13) But it also means that when we are scared and don’t want to do something we need to do, that we need to show Jesus we love Him by trusting that He is there with us and doing what He wants us to do.”
“Alright, who wants another popsicle?” their dad said. “Me, Me, Me!!” shouted Hannah and Joey.
SUGGESTED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
Review how Hannah was able to make it down the hill on her bike. (She could trust her mom because she loved her mom.)
Discuss how Hannah was trusting her mom with a small part of the hill at first, she eventually was able to trust her with more of the hill. The more we trust Jesus with the little things, it is easier to trust Him with the big things.
Have the children come up with both small and big situations in which they can love Jesus even when they are afraid.
If appropriate, acknowledge that bad things to happen, our trust is not in circumstances to be perfect, but in Jesus who loves us and knows what is best for our lives and for His will.
RELATED BIBLE STORIES:
Peter- denied Christ three times in the courtyard and learned to trust through failing to trust
Daniel- exemplified his unwavering trust in God facing the fiery furnace and then the lion’s den
Mark 12:30- Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.
Psalm 37:23-24- The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Proverbs 3:5-6- Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Josh. 1:9- This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Duet. 31:6- So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.
Heb 13:5-6- For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”