Patience • Waiting Until Later for What You Want Now
March 2021 • Week 3
Today's Bible story: Can't Hardly Wait (Esau's Impatience) • Genesis 25:24-34
Monthly memory verse: Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don't lose hope. Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (NIrV)
Life Application: Patience-Waiting until later for what you want now
Suggested songs: "King of My Heart", "Yes and Amen" and "Oceans"
Praise & Pray: Sing along with the provided worship videos and pray. Access Songs Here.
What you might pray: "Dear God, we need Your help. Waiting isn't always easy, but we know the benefits of waiting on You are much better than the consequences of losing our cool. Let us learn a lesson from Esau's foolish and impatient choice. When we think we can't wait, help us stop and remember what it might cost us if we don't listen and follow You. In Jesus' name, amen."
Read God's Word together: Genesis 25:24-34 (Need a kid-friendly Bible? Check out our suggestions.)
Family Devotional & Discussion
What you do: Watch the complementary video together as a family and discuss today's question.
What you discuss: "Esau was impatient. Being impatient can really cost us. When we are not patient we rush into things without thinking about the consequences. We can avoid a lot of problems if we just pause and think before we act. There is a lot we can miss out on when we are not willing to wait. What could you miss out on by not waiting?"
Bible Story Review
What you need: Bible
What you do: Hand out Bibles and ask kids / family members to open to Genesis 25:24-34 and read together.
What you say and questions to ask:
- In the Bible story today, there were two brothers. What were their names? (Jacob and Esau)
- Jacob and Esau were brothers who didn't make very good choices. Jacob was making stew one day while Esau was hunting. Esau got hungry and wanted some of the stew. What was Jacob's choice? (have the children talk to their neighbor about what happened next - then talk with the group)
- Jacob decided to ask for Esau's birthright for a bowl of stew. Did Esau agree? (Yes, he did-probably not the best choice. He sold his inheritance for a bowl of stew.)
- Then Jacob did something else. Who remembers what it is? (He tricked his father so that he would get the blessing.)
- What are some things kids your age are willing to give up or compromise in order to get what they want instead of waiting?
- What are some reasons God might want us to wait for something instead of giving us everything when we think we should have it?
- In what ways can you relate to Esau? How about Jacob?
- How does patience-waiting until later for what you want now-show trust in God?
- What are some situations you really want to do better at when it comes to waiting with a good attitude?
- What could you miss out on by not waiting in the situations you just named?
- We will all face BIG, LONG WAITS as well as SMALL, SHORT WAITS. Both require patience. Name some situations kids your age feel are huge and hard to wait for.
- What are some that are smaller but seem just as hard?
- What would you tell someone who wants to wait wisely in both the big and small situations?
Pray and bless your family
What you need: No supplies needed
What you do: Ask for prayer requests
What you might pray: "Dear Jesus, we know that our hope is found in You no matter what we are praying and waiting for. Thank You for reminding us that even though waiting isn't fun and can be super tough at times, [Bottom Line] if you don't wait, it could cost you. We totally trust that You have our best interest in mind, Jesus. Even when we can't see it and doubt Your perfect plan, we will choose patience and wait on You! Help us cling to You in our waiting this week, whether big or small. We love You. Pray for prayer requests. In Jesus' name we pray, amen!"
Additional Activities
What you need: Bibles, Spoon Drop Story Activity Page (DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE)
What you do: Pass out Bibles. Help kids open to Genesis 25:24-34.
- Read Genesis 25:24-34 aloud asking family members / kids to follow along.
- Once you finish reading the passage ask everyone to close their Bible.
- Explain that you'll read a version of Genesis 25:24-34 that contains mistakes.
- As soon as someone hears one of the mistakes, they should jump up and stand.
- The goal is to be the first one to jump up
- Read the "Spoon Drop Story" from the Activity Page.
- The mistakes are in bold, but read them as casually as you read the rest of the story. If you get to the next sentence and no one has noticed the mistake, pause and wait for them to think about what you just said.
- Discuss the story with the kids, using some of the questions below.
- What are some things kids your age are willing to give up or compromise in order to get what they want instead of waiting?
- What are some reasons God might want us to wait for something instead of giving us everything when we think we should have it?
- In what ways can you relate to Esau? How about Jacob?
- How does patience-waiting until later for what you want now-show trust in God?
- Challenge kids to consider the cost of forcing our will to get what we want. Remind them that God's timing is always best and that by following Him we allow Him to lead us through His plan for our lives.
- Why do you think waiting is SO hard for everybody, adults included?
- What are some situations you really want to do better at when it comes to waiting with a good attitude?
What you say: "Sometimes it's hard to wait, but [Bottom Line] if you don't wait, it could cost you. Sometimes you'll miss out on small things, like cookies. But sometimes it could be something bigger, like losing privileges at home because you lost your cool." [Make it Personal] (Tell the group about a time you had to wait for something you really wanted and explain why the wait was worth it. Or tell kids a story about when you didn't wait patiently, and it cost you something.) Let us learn a lesson from Esau's foolish and impatient choice. When we think we can't wait, help us stop and remember what it might cost us if we don't listen and follow God.
What you need: "Take Your Pick" Activity Page (DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE), brown paper bag or opaque bag.
What you do: Put the cards from the "Take Your Pick" Activity Page in the bag and shake them up.
- Invite a family member to reach into the bag, choose a card, then read the card aloud.
- As a group, come up with an impatient response.
- After the kids have shared an impatient response, ask "What could this response cost you?"
- As a group, come up with a better, patient response.
- After the kids have shared a patient response, ask "Why would this response be better?"
What you say: "Goodness! Those impatient responses could really cause us all a lot of trouble-just like it did for Esau! Patience means that we wait for what's best. It's not settling for a quick fix. [Bottom Line] If you don't wait, it could cost you. I bet Esau wished he would've had more patience! I'm thankful we have the Bible to help us know the wise way to live!"