Elijah and the Widow Sunday School Lesson
Elijah and the Widow Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
God wants us to follow his direction.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn why they need to follow God’s lead.
KEY PASSAGE:
1 Kings 17:7-24, Elijah and the Widow
MEMORY VERSE:
“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”-Hebrews 3:4 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
If you want your finished project to look the way it does on the box, you had better follow the directions. Kids will learn that in our lives we need to follow God's directions.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Give us direction so that we may live a life that brings glory to your name.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”-Hebrews 3:4 (NIV)
“Every house is built by someone. But God is the builder of everything.”-Hebrews 3:4 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Have the kids read the verse together. Read it normally, then in a whisper, then really, really loud!
SMALL GROUP:
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SKIT
IT’S NOT WHAT WE WANTED
ITEM NEEDED:
A space helmet
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
2M/1F
CHARACTERS:
Benny- A guy wearing a space helmet
Nathan- A husband
Morena- A wife
Nathan enters with Morena from stage left. He is holding his hands over her eyes.
NATHAN: We’re almost there.
MORENA: Can I peek now?
NATHAN: Please don’t peek!
MORENA: This is so exciting! Our first Lego home!
NATHAN: I know! Now that we have a home, everything is going to be awesome!
MORENA: Can I look now?
NATHAN: Okay, here it is!
Nathan removes his hand. Morena’s mouth opens as she looks off stage right.
NATHAN: What do you think?
MORENA: What do I think? What do you think? Look at it!
Nathan looks off stage right.
NATHAN: Hey, wait a minute!
MORENA: This is not awesome!
NATHAN: No, it is NOT awesome!
MORENA: Where’s our dream home, honey?
NATHAN: I don’t understand it. I gave the builder the directions.
MORENA: So where is our house?
Benny enters from stage right wearing a space helmet.
BENNY: Hey guys! Isn’t this awesome?
MORENA: It is not awesome!
NATHAN: Benny, I hired you to make us a house! I gave you directions! What is this?
BENNY: It’s a space ship!
Morena starts to cry comically.
NATHAN: We didn’t want a space ship! We wanted a house! A house with two stories and a back patio area and flower beds under the windows!
BENNY: Wouldn’t you rather have a space ship?
NATHAN: No, I do not want a space ship! My wife does not want a space ship!
BENNY: Gee, I’m so sorry. I thought you might like the space ship.
NATHAN: We wanted a house. We gave you directions to make a house. Why didn’t you just make a house?
BENNY: I don’t know. I guess I’m not good at following directions.
NATHAN: Benny, you gotta learn to follow directions if you want to be a home builder. Come on, Morena, we’re leaving.
MORENA: This is not awesome!
NATHAN: No, it is not awesome.
BENNY: What do you mean it’s not awesome! It’s a space ship! Space ship!!
Nathan and Morena exit.
BENNY: Aw man. Does anybody wanna buy a space ship? Space ship!
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
A bag of seeds, potting soil, water, and a cup
Has anyone here had any experience planting seeds? Can someone tell me what I need to do with these four things in order to plant a seed that will grow?
Have one of the kids give you directions. Put the soil in the cup, plant the seed, then water it. Have one of the other kids follow the steps as they are laid out and plant the seed.
What would happen if we added the water without the soil? What would happen if we poured the water outside the cup instead of inside the cup?
Often in life, we have to follow directions. We have to do things in a specific order if we want to be successful. That goes for planting. That goes for learning in school. That goes for serving the Lord.
God gave us a book of directions, the Bible. If we follow God’s plan for our lives, he will make us successful. God will lead us down the road he has prepared for us, and he will use us to do great things in his name.
Don’t neglect the directions. Read the Bible. Learn God’s plan for living and follow it. God will bless you greatly when you live life his way.
LARGE GROUP GAME
BUILD IT!
ITEM NEEDED:
A small Lego kit
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose one player for this game. Have him sit at a table. Start a clock, and hand the Lego set to the player. Player has 60 seconds to assemble the Lego kit by following the directions inside. If the player can finish in 60 seconds or less, he gets to keep the Legos.
VARIATION:
Do a few test runs with the Lego kit. If you find 90 seconds or 2 minutes are needed, then give the kid extended time. Use larger Legos or DUPLO for younger kids.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
God will bless us when we live life by following his directions.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
God wants us to follow his direction.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn why they need to follow God’s lead.
KEY PASSAGE:
1 Kings 17:7-24, Elijah and the Widow
INTRO
How many of you guys like to build things? How many fans of Lego or Mega Blocks do we have here this morning?
If you’re a building block fan, you’re in luck, because for the next four weeks, we’re going to be talking all about your favorite thing!
Legos are one of the most popular toys in the world. Legos, Mega Blocks, and other building blocks are incredibly flexible toys. You can use them to build just about anything you can imagine. You can make cars, rockets, boats, houses, skyscrapers, animals, monsters, and everyone’s favorite - space ships!
Sometimes it’s fun to freestyle and build whatever your imagination can dream up, but there are times when it’s helpful to have some direction. For example, how many of you have ever received a Star Wars Lego kit? Or maybe a Super Heroes kit? Those kits come with specific parts made for a specific purpose. Kids and adults buy those sets because they want to make something specific, like a Millennium Falcon or a Batmobile. You can play around with the kits and build just about anything you can dream up, but if you want to build that Millennium Falcon or that Batmobile, the best way to do it is to follow directions.
Following directions is crucial to living for God. God made each one of us with a specific purpose in mind, just like those special Lego kits. Only you can fulfill that purpose, and the only way you can make it happen is to follow God’s direction.
Today we’re going to look at a passage from the Old Testament. In this story, a man and a woman are both asked to follow directions. The directions given to them seem foolish at first, especially to the woman, but when they follow the directions, we see how God blesses them both.
READ 1 KINGS 17:7-24
MAIN POINT
Elijah was a prophet. Elijah was in need of a place to stay and food to eat. God told him to find a poor widow who had almost nothing and ask her for food. Sounds foolish, I know, but it’s God’s direction.
The woman probably thought Elijah was crazy, asking her to sacrifice some of her food for him, but just as Elijah found God’s directions to be good, the woman found them to be good as well. She kept on making food for her, her son, and Elijah, and her food never ran out.
Then tragedy struck. The woman’s son dies, and the woman questions whether or not God really loves her. But God gives Elijah the power to raise the woman’s son from the dead.
Had Elijah not obeyed God, he would have gone without food. Had the woman not obeyed Elijah, she’d have run out of food. She would also have lost her son forever. God blessed the prophet and the woman for following his directions and for showing us the way to live.
DRIVE IT HOME
God has a plan for each and every one of you. You are as unique and special as the pieces created in each custom Lego set. You were designed to fulfill a plan that God has laid out for you. It’s up to us to follow directions.
We can start following directions by following the Bible. God gave us the Bible to teach us who he is and how we should live. Through the Bible we learn to love others. We learn what sin is so we can avoid temptation. We learn how to live a life that pleases God.
We gain further direction when we pray. When we take our problems, our hopes, and our requests to God, he not only hears us, he answers us. God will open doors that need opening. He will close other doors to keep us from going the wrong way.
God has big plans for you. Some of you in here may one day be full-time ministers or even mission workers. Some of you in here have a simpler plan. It may be as simple as being a friend to a new kid who moves into the house down the street. Whatever God’s plan is, follow his lead. Big or small, obey God and follow his direction.
God blessed the prophet who obeyed him. He blessed the woman who obeyed the prophet. He will bless us when we obey his direction and do the work he gives us to do.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Give us direction so that we may live a life that brings glory to your name.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER
What’s the biggest Lego project you have built?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Hebrews 3:4
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Who can walk like a Lego person? See who does the best walking impression of a Lego person.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 1 Kings 17:7-24
What did God tell Elisha to do?
How much food did the woman have left when Elisha came to her?
What did Elisha tell the woman to do?
What happened when the woman obeyed Elisha?
How did God bless Elisha and the woman for their obedience?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for creating us the way you did. Show us the way to live so we can fulfill the plans you have for us.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER
What’s the biggest Lego project you have built?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Hebrews 3:4
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY
Have the kids act out today’s story, but have them move and act like Lego people.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read 1 Kings 17:7-24
What did God tell Elijah to do?
What did Elijah tell the woman to do?
How did God bless Elijah and the woman for their obedience?
What directions has God given us to follow?
Why is it important to follow God’s directions?
SIMPLE PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for creating us the way you did. Show us the way to live so we can fulfill the plans you have for us.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Elijah and the Widow Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link).
Here's a video from Dave Diack that you might find helpful to go along with your Sunday School Lesson on Elijah and the Widow.
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching an Elijah and the Widow Sunday School Lesson:
Elijah and the Widow Sunday School Lesson for children
"Elijah Helps a Widow" Preschool Bible Lesson (1 Kings 17:7-24)
Elijah and the Widow Crafts for Sunday School - Danielle's Place