‘Peace’ Fruit of the Spirit Childrens Lesson

BIG IDEA: I CAN HAVE PEACE

AIM: The ‘Peace’ Fruit of the Spirit Childrens Lesson helps children to see that they can have peace through the Holy Spirit, even in the toughest times.

INTRO QUESTION: Would you rather eat a piece of cake or a piece of pizza?

GAME IDEAS:

1. Peas, Piece or Peace. (widescreen) Children must work out if the item on the screen is a pea, a piece of something or something peaceful. You can speed the game up to make it more difficult. If the child gets it wrong they lose. If they can make it to the end they win. They should use hand motions to make their answer more obvious – hand to mouth for peas, pinching fingers for piece and two fingers in peace sign for peace.
2. Peace or Chaos.(widescreen) Children get a glimpse of the image and must guess if it is peaceful or chaotic.
3. Let’s Get Fruity. (regular/widescreen) Spray different fruit body sprays into the air and see how many your kids can guess correctly.

BIG VERSE: …the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control… Galatians 6:22-23.

(regular/widescreen)

Download Bible Cards.

SET the Scene:

Read Daniel 3. 

Remind the children that today we are thinking about the fruit of the Spirit that is peace. You can explain that peace is when we feel calm and collected and are not stressed or worried or anxious. Our three men in the story today were full of God’s peace even when their lives were threatened. They knew that God was with them whether they lived or died.

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1. Who would not bow down?
2. What happened to these three men?
3. Who showed up in the fire?
4. What did King Nebuchadnezzar do?

SPOT the Simple Meaning:

1) HE IS THE GOD OF PEACE

You will need the peace signs and some very peaceful looking scenes.

Say: We have an incredible Father God who has so much peace to pour upon us. In fact, the Bible tells us that He is the God of Peace! Do you know what peace means? [Get feedback] What does this sign mean? [show the peace signs] That’s right. The world tells us that peace is when we have no disturbances and everything is calm. When there is no war and everyone is friends. Of course, that can be what peace is like. Yet God is the God of peace because He gives us peace when everything is hectic and crazy. This is an inner peace, an inner calm.

God’s peace is different to the kind the world knows, because we can have God’s peace anytime, anywhere. In fact, the Bible tells us that His peace passes all understanding. That means that sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. That’s exactly what it was like for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These men should have been scared for their lives. They were standing up to the king – the one who would throw them into a massive fire. Yet they knew that God was with them. They told the king in verses 17-18 of Daniel 3:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

These three men had the peace of God. They knew that even if they died, they would still be with God and God would look after them no matter what. Do you have that kind of peace? [Get feedback] Do you want that kind of peace? [Get feedback]

2) I CAN HAVE GOD’S PEACE

You will need photos of a parent and children (could be your own and you could talk in the first person) or use a doll to act as a baby.

Say: You know children are at peace when their parents are at peace. If there was a fire all around them, but their parent was there holding them, then they would be at peace because they are with their parent.  Parents are supposed to look after their children, protect them, do what’s best for them and as a baby they fully rely on their parents.  They do not worry about if or when they will be fed, they do not worry how they will get dressed today…they just relies on their parents to sort out all that…and even in a fire or in the middle of some kind of trouble, if their parent was there, they would be at peace.  This is how God wants us to be.  He is like our parent who is there for us, wanting to look after and protect us and give us peace.  He doesn’t want us to worry but to have peace knowing He is with us, even in trouble, and He can help us.  So we need to learn to rely on Him like babies rely on their parents! Peace is being calm and not worried or stressed, even in crazy situations…and because we rely on and trust God! We can have God’s peace just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did. We can know that God will protect us, just as they did.

 

3) EVEN IN THE TOUGHEST TIMES

You will need a leader to share about a time when they knew God’s peace at a difficult time in their life.

Say: Sometimes life gets scary and sad things happen. Yet God’s Holy Spirit is always with us and He wants to give us peace – even in the toughest times. John 16:33 says “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” You see, Jesus knew that we would face tough times. Yet He reminds us that He has overcome the world – He died and rose again so that we might know God and be His friend. So that we might always have God’s peace in our lives and forever with Him.

Jesus knew what it meant to be in a tough situation. When he was on the cross He had God’s peace with Him. He shows us what it means to be people that have God’s peace and those that bring God’s peace to others. We can have God’s peace even in tough times when we ask the Holy Spirit to help us. Do you need His peace today? Let’s pray!

Pray: Father God thank You that You give us Your peace. Help us to be full of peace even in tough times. Let us know that You are with us and that we can face whatever comes our way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

SEARCH the Scriptures:

You will need the Peace Keeper printable. Circle all the people on the printable that experienced God’s peace. Draw them in the boxes provided.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What happens when we don’t have peace?
2. What would be different in this story if the men had had no peace?
3. How does God give us His peace?
4. Have you ever had God’s peace in a difficult situation?

 

SENSE How You Feel:

Encourage the children to do one of the activities below as they think about the question:

How would it feel knowing God was with you in the furnace?

1. Make the fiery furnace craft by using the Fiery Furnace and flashlight printables.
2. Sensory: You could use some hot water bottles (make sure they are not too hot!) for the children to hold as they think about how hot the flames would have been.
3. Build: the fiery furnace out of Lego or other construction toys.
4. Mould: the fiery furnace out of playdough or clay.
5. Fill in/Color the activity booklets for 5-7s and 8-11s.

 

SEEK God:

You will need some stones or pebbles for each child to take if they would like.

Invite the Holy Spirit to bring His peace to everyone today. Ask the children to sit or lie down somewhere in the room. Tell them to lie their hands flat and open as a reminder that we don’t need to tighten our fists in fear or stress with God when we have His peace. Ask them to unfold their arms and lie them open as a reminder that we can have open arms and don’t need to fold them in anger or upset when we have God’s peace. Ask the children to give their sad, anxious or fearful thoughts to God today as we don’t need to hold onto them when we have God’s peace. Then pray.

If any of the children are struggling to let go of any of their thoughts you could invite them to come to take a pebble or stone and hold them, then let go as a reminder that God wants to take away whatever is heavy on their heart. Then pray for them individually one-on-one or as a group.