Opening

• ON LOAN
  MATERIALS:
  Bucket, Assorted tools
  DURATION:
  Approximately 10 minutes
  WHAT YOU WILL SAY:
  Suppose there was a young man who wanted to build a tree house. This young man’s grandfather owned a construction company as well as
  just about every kind of tool you could imagine. (Take the tools out of the bucket and show them to the students.)The grandfather discovered that his grandson wanted to build a tree house, but the young man did not have any of the required tools to accomplish such a task. The grandfather graciously loaned the boy the tools to construct the tree house.The grandfather noticed that his grandson was uneducated with the
  skills of carpentry and that he encountered many problems while trying to build his tree house. It was rather a slow time in the construction
  business, so the grandfather loaned his grandson one of his carpenters. The carpenter taught the boy some basic carpentry skills and began to
  help him build the tree house. Before the tree house was completed, the grandfather got a large construction job. The grandfather needed every tool he owned to complete the job and reclaimed the tools he had loaned his grandson.(Place the tools back in the bucket). The grandfather also had to call thecarpenter back to work.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. Should the grandson be angry that the grandfather reclaimed what was loaned? (No, the items were only a loan.)
  2. How should the grandson feel towards his grandfather? (Allow for discussion.)
  3. Should the young man lose all interest in the tree house because he no longer has tools? (Allow for discussion.)
  Do you realize that everything we have is on loan from God? God richly blesses us with many things that make our lives better. We should never
  be mad at God if He reclaims the things He has loaned us, but rather realize that our true contentment comes from having a loving relationship with God.

Bible Story

• • ➢ Our Bible story today is about a man named Job who honored God and avoided evil. God considered Job an upright servant, but Satan argued that Job only served God because of the comforts the Lord provided. So begins the testing of Job.➢ Read this passage to the children with feeling. 

  • If possible, use slightly different voices for the characters.
    ➢ Job was considered a great man with godly character.
    ➢ Satan accused Job of serving God only because of God’s blessings
    ➢ God gave Satan permission to attack Job’s family and possessions
    ➢ Job lost his children, servants, and possessions. Job lost everything! God gave Job inner strength to accept the problems he was facing. Do you have problems? God is in control of your life, too. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, accept problems as part of God’s plan to show His strength in you. He will be with you and give you inner strength, or grace, to go through hard times. God often allows problems so that we can depend on His strength and not our own. But when God chooses not to remove a problem, He promises to give us grace (His divine help) to continually trust Him. When others see the special strength God gives, they will praise Him. God is working in your life even when you face difficult problems or disappointments.
    ➢ Job felt deep sadness and hurt, but he turned to God in worship, not anger. When we face trials, God wants us to turn to Him in worship,
    rather than turning away from Him in anger. It is easy to blame God or others, but God wants us to trust Him and look for the lessons He is
    trying to teach us.
    ➢ Job showed the proper reaction to his sufferings when he accepted his
    trials and praised God instead of cursing Him. He realized that everything
    he had came from the Lord; good things and hard problems alike. His attitude was praise.

  •  

Questions

1. Why was God pleased with Job? (Job was a blameless servant, who honored God and hated evil.)
2. Who accused Job of serving God because of the blessings the Lord provided? (Satan.)
3. Satan asked God for permission to do something, what was it? (Strike or destroy everything that Job possessed.)
4. What did Satan hope to gain by destroying Job’s wealth and family? (The devil wanted Job to curse God.)
5. If we don’t complain when God gives us good things, should we be angry when He allows them to be taken away? (Allow for discussion.
No, we should be thankful that the Lord blesses us at all. We should take comfort in knowing that He will see us through our times of suffering.)
6. Did Job fall into Satan’s trap and curse God? (No, even though Job lost his wealth, sons, and daughters, he did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.)

Carry over Activity
Use a box to make an “Acceptance Box.” Cut a slit in the lid and write on the outside of the box, “I accept God’s work in my life through this problem.” Give every child a slip of paper. Have children write on their paper a problem they are facing without identifying who they are. Let each one put the paper into the box. Spend time in prayer, allowing the children to pray for one another.