‘God is Everywhere, all the Time’ Children’s Lesson

BIG IDEA: GOD IS EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME

AIM: This lesson helps children to understand that God is everywhere, all the time and that is why He can always be with them.

 

SONG and BIBLE STORY VIDEO IDEAS available via our dedicated Pinterest Board.

 

GAME IDEAS:

HIDE AND SEEK – 5 mins

Description: One on one game

Supplies: (regular/widescreen) A large space

Details: Children run and hide whilst one player must try to find everyone that is hidden. They must count to 100 before going to find the children. The last person to be found is the winner.

 

HOT AND COLD –  5 MINS

Description: One on one game

Supplies: (regular/widescreen) blindfold

Details: One child runs and hides whilst another player must be blindfolded and try to find the one that is hidden. All the other children can watch where the first child is hidden. The children shout out ‘hot’, or ‘hotter’ if the blindfolded child is getting closer to the hidden child. They shout ‘cold’ or ‘colder’ if the blindfolded child is getting further away from the hidden child. When the child is found, someone else is chosen to be the hidden and blindfolded children and the game starts again.

 

WHERE ARE YOU? – 10 MINS

Description: Guessing game

Supplies: (regular/widescreen) No supplies needed (alternatively use markers and paper if doing Pictionary style)

Details: One child explains a place that they can see in their mind. They can give details of the buildings, the people, the landscape, anything they may eat there… etc. They must not give the name of the place or places that are close to it, away. The first child to guess the place is the winner and must choose a place for others to guess. 

Alternatively use markers and paper for children to draw the place, or actions and movement for them to mime the place.

 

BIG VERSE: Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. Jeremiah 23:24.

(regular/widescreen) Download the Bible cards here (PDF)

SET THE SCENE: 10-15 MINS

Description: Story time

Supplies: Bible or try one of the Bible videos listed on our Pinterest Board.

Details: Read Psalm 139:1-18 then ask a few of the review questions below:

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1. Where does the Psalmist (David) think God is?
2. What does David believe God knows?
3. Why does David praise God?
4. How many thoughts does David think God has?

SPOT THE SIMPLE MEANING:

1) GOD IS EVERYWHERE –  5 MINS

Description: Object Lesson 1

Supplies: Skit. One leader asks another leader to do 5 jobs at once, (pick up the activity sheets, tell the children the set of instructions, clear up the game activities, take a child to the toilet and put the next slide on the projector/TV). The other leader gets frustrated and says “I can’t be everywhere at once, you know!”

Details: 

Say: You know, the amazing thing is, God can be everywhere at once! In fact, He is! He can be with the people in Africa, Asia, and the world all whilst He’s with us here in ____. 

God can do all that because He created everything! He is Spirit and His Spirit can be everywhere at once. Isn’t that amazing?! That’s why Psalm 139 shows us that there is nowhere we can go to escape God – He is everywhere! And that’s what our Big Verse reminds us today, that God is everywhere at once!

 

2) ALL THE TIME – 5 MINS

Description: Object Lesson 2

Supplies: stop clock on the screen, counting down two minutes

Details: 

Say: I’ve only got two minutes to tell you this, but God is everywhere, all the time! In fact, He created time, so time does not control Him. I only have two minutes here, so I’m talking as fast as I can… but God has all the time in the world. He can do anything with time. Time is in His hands. 

So if you’re ever wondering how God can do so much in just a small amount of time… just remember that He created everything – including time. That’s why He can be everywhere, all the time. He can do millions of things at once because He is God! He’s not like you or me… He is completely different! Isaiah 57:15 says He lives forever, and Isaiah 55:8 reminds us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways… they are much better! 2 Peter 3:8 tells us that, to God, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. 

God is the Alpha and Omega which means He is the beginning and the end of everything. He helps us in our own timeline, yet He is not controlled by time. Wow! Thank you God that you are SO amazing!

 

3) GOD IS ALWAYS WITH ME –  5 MINS

Description: Object Lesson 3

Supplies: a bracelet or watch that you (or someone else) always wear.

Details: 

Say: Some people have a piece of jewellery or a watch that they always wear. Do you know someone like that? [Get feedback] That piece of jewellery has been with them ever since they started wearing it. Amazing! That means it goes everywhere with them – it is always with them. 

Did you know that God is always with you, He will never leave you or abandon you?! The Bible tells us that in Hebrews ____

God is even better than a watch or a piece of jewellery because He is alive! He is big, strong, caring, loving, a friend – He can talk to you and you can have a conversation with him. Those watches and jewellery had to be bought and worn, they weren’t there when the wearer was born. Yet God is with us all the time. The Bible says He knit us together in our mother’s wombs. He was there even before we were born! He has always existed and that’s why He can and will always be with us! He is incredible!

Psalm 139 reminds us that there is nowhere that we can go without God being there. We can never escape Him, because we can never escape His love for us. 

So if you’re ever feeling alone or lonely, just remember that you can reach out to God and talk to Him. He is always there and He is always ready to listen.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES:

TOP SECRET: WHERE IS GOD? –  10 MINS

Description: Group activity 

Supplies: Corkboard, pins or tape, red yarn/wool, God and Psalms printed, images of different situations (using newspaper cutting might make this activity more current.) 

Details: Set up a Detectives board full of pictures of happy times, sad times and everything in between. Place some of the Bible verses from Psalm 139 around the board. Have the word ‘God’ in large on the board also. Explain to the children that you are going to detect where God is in these situations. Use the wool/yarn and tape or pin down the wool/yarn from the ‘God’ word and the Psalm verses to the images. What does the board look like in the end? 

[You should have a board that is full of red yarn/wool because God is in all situations – even the difficult/sad and tough ones!]

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Where do you see/feel God is in this picture?
2. How do you know God is there?
3. How can we remember God is in these situations?

SENSE HOW YOU FEEL – 10 MINS EACH OR IN TANDEM/ROTATION

 

Encourage the children to think about the questions above as they do one of the activities:

 

Description: World Craft Mobile.

Supplies: World Craft Template (PDF), markers, thread, scissors, tape and straws.

Details: Color and cut out the World Craft Template. Attach thread to the world on two sides and tie or tape to the straw. Do the same with the ‘God is Everywhere, all the time’ ring and place around the world and attach to the straw. Hang your mobile with thread from the straw.

 

Description: Moulding activity.

Supplies: Playdough or clay.

Details: Mould a world or your favourite place out of playdoukh or clay.

 

Description: Building activity.

Supplies: Lego or construction toys.

Details: Build your favourite place out of Lego or construction toys.

 

Description: Sensory activity.

Supplies: Photos of different places around the world, a map, a globe

Details: Look at the photos, map and globe and talk about where you have been or would like to go. Think about how God is everywhere, all the time.

 

Description: Activity Booklets.

Supplies: 5-7s (PDF) and 8-11s (PDF) booklets, markers.

Details: Fill in or color the 5-7s and 8-11s booklets

SEEK GOD:  5 MINS

Description: Prayer activity

Supplies: Images of places around the world, newspapers, markers, map or globe. Post it notes to stick on prayers.

Details: Encourage the children to pray for people they know or events that have happened all around the world. They can stick post it notes on the map or globe and look in newspapers for ideas of what to pray. Take a few minutes to give children the chance to think and pray. Then pray to end.

 

Say: Thank You God that You are everywhere and that You care about all the people of the world. Thank You that You are with me wherever I go and You are all around the world, all the time. Amen.