Job was a man of immense personal faith and integrity, but how did his actions help his family? In “The Story of Job for Kids,” children will make the connection that individual obedience to God reaps outward blessings that positively affect their families. Everything we do affects others, and that includes obedience too!
TARGET AGES: 10-14
OBJECTIVE: To help the children understand that God had a special plan for Job’s family and he has a special plan for our families too!
MAIN IDEA: Job was a devoted follower of God, but he faced hard trials. Job remained faithful to God even when his friends and wife gave bad advice, and his family was ultimately blessed because of his obedience.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGES: Job 1:1-3, 1:6-12, 1:13-22, 2:7-13, 4:7-8, 8:3-4 & 20,11:4-6, 13:1-5, 38:1-4, 40:1-5, 42:7 & 10-17
MATERIAL(S): 10-12 index cards, marker
Introduction (5 minutes)
OPENING PRAYER: “God, we are amazed that you use us to bring hope to a broken world. Help us learn from Job and be encouraged to follow his example of obedience and perseverance through hard trials. Amen.”
ICEBREAKER REVIEW: Say, “Last week we learned about Solomon: David’s son who became king and built the temple.” Remind the children that Solomon was known for his wisdom, but the love for his wives (and concubines) caused him to stray from God. Help the class understand that lifelong obedience to God will lead to better results as God uses our families.
Lesson (20 minutes)
- Comment that today we will learn about Job’s life and then read Job 1:1-3. Ask, “Was Job living in obedience to God? How do we know?” Then read Satan’s plan against Job in Job 1:6-12. Ask, “What do you find interesting about this passage?” Explain that God allowed Satan to mistreat Job even though he was “blameless and upright.” Ask, “So, when people have hard times in their lives, does it necessarily mean that God is upset or angry with them?” Allow time to discuss the scripture and help the class come to the conclusion that trials and struggles are not always a sign of someone’s disobedience.
- Next, discover what happened to Job by reading Job 1:13-19. Ask, “How would you feel if you had lost everything you have? Do you think Job shared some of these emotions?” Read Job’s reaction in Job 1:20-22. Explain that even though Job faced extreme hardships he did not sin against God, and he set a wonderful example for his family (and for us) that experiencing difficulties is not an excuse to sin.
- Then explain that Job’s wife and friends didn’t give him good advice concerning his trouble. Read Job 2:7-13, 4:7-8 (Eliphaz’s accusation), 8:3-4, 20 (Bildad’s accusation), and 11:4-6 (Zophar’s accusation). Ask, “How would you feel if the people closest to you accused you of things that weren’t true? How would you respond?” Read Job’s responses in Job 13:1-5. Help the children understand that being a true Christ-follower means doing what is right even when others make false accusations. Then read Job 38:1-4 & 40:1-5 to see how God responded. Lastly, read about Job’s response to God and the results of his obedience and humility in Job 42:7 & 10-17. Say, “Job stayed true to his faith and God blessed his entire family. Let’s never forget that our obedience to God will positively affect our families!”
“Backwards Verses” Activity (15 minutes)
Carefully write some familiar memory verses in reverse order on the index cards. Some examples are included below:
Matthew 22:39 – “Yourself as neighbor your love.”
(Love your neighbor as yourself.)
Proverbs 3:5 – “Understanding own your on not lean and heart your all with Lord the in trust.”
(Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.)
Psalm 119:105 – “Path my on light a, feet my for lamp a is word your.”
(Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.)
Pass out the index cards and have the children take turns reading their card(s). Ask if anyone can recognize each verse and quote it correctly. Then demonstrate how to read the verses the correct way by starting at the end. Ask, “Why was it hard to read and understand the verses? Should we let struggles prevent us from obeying God’s word? Job is a great example of persevering even when things don’t seem right. Remember to trust God and continue obeying him even when things are hard.”
Conclusion (5 minutes)
RECAP: Job didn’t allow struggles to keep him from obeying God. When we remember his example, and choose to persevere through trials, we will have a positive impact on our families.
CLOSING PRAYER: “Lord, help us rely on you when struggles come our way. Give us strength and peace as we serve you. Amen.”