Lesson cont...

PRAYER: Pray our hearts will be tender and pure and, when we sin, we will have a heart like David's and repent with our whole heart.

LESSON POINTS:

• When Jeremiah, the prophet of God, wrote the book of Lamentations, it was at the saddest time ever for a child of God. "Lamentations" mean grief, sorrow, and extreme sadness. God had allowed the Babylonians to come into Jerusalem, the city of David, and totally destroy it. The Babylonians were ruthless soldiers and were not careful about anything. They wrecked the temple, and took all of the gold and precious things back to Babylon. They set the city on fire. They killed so many people and truly did not care if the person was old, young, man or woman or child. It was a terrible, terrible time for the Jews.

• Why had all of these dreadful things happened to God's people? It was because of their disobedience to God. God is a patient God, but, after warning His people for so long, His patience finally wore out. He had warned the people through Moses, through Joshua, through the judges, and through the prophets, to return to Him and serve Him only, but they did not listen all of those years. God finally said that he had had enough of their sin, their idols, their selfishness, and their lack of love for Him. He allowed a nation from the north, the Babylonians to come and ravage the city and take away the captives as their slaves to their city of Babylon.

• Jeremiah had lived through all of this destruction. He spent his whole life warning the people of Judah to turn from their evil ways and return to God. But, the people would not repent and stop doing their wicked deeds. Jeremiah saw the city destroyed and, when he wrote his book, he wrote like someone had died and he was attending a funeral, but it wasn't someone, it was the city of Jerusalem and God's people. It was so very, very sad.

• Some people call this book of Lamentations, the "Weeping Song." Jeremiah cried over the destruction of Jerusalem, but also over the disobedient people and their stubbornness to do wickedness.

Directions

1. For directions with pictures click here.

Directions

1. Hand out construction paper.

2. Write "The Tears Of The Weeping Prophet, JEREMIAH" and "Lamentations 1-5" at the top of the paper.

3. Write "(Why Jeremiah Cried Over Jerusalem)" at the bottom of the paper.

4. Hand out blue paper.

5. Fold blue paper twice, so that seven or eight 'tears' can be cut out of paper.

6. Write on each tear at a time:

   • "Jeremiah's friends had become enemies. 1:2"

   • "The beauty of Jerusalem departed. 1:6"

   • "Jerusalem sinned a terrible sin. 1:8"

   • "Jerusalem had no comforter. 1:9"

   • "God was far from His people. 1:16"

   • "Jerusalem's enemies were glad. 1:21"

   • "Jeremiah's heart was faint. 1:22"

7. Glue 'tears" on tan paper.

8. Color.

Directions

1. Form groups of four. Give each group a bag of Hershey’s Kisses. Say: Your group can eat as many Hershey’s Kisses as you want — as long as you don’t use your hands to unwrap them.

2. Allow time. While this is a near-impossible task, applaud your kids’ creativity and efforts.

3. Afterward, ask: Would you say this was an impossible task? Why or why not?

4. Read aloud Matthew 19:26.

5. Ask: What are things that are impossible for us to do that God can do? Is there anything that is impossible for God to do? Why or why not? What’s something you’re facing that seems impossible? What do you think Jesus would have you do about that “impossible” thing?

Directions

1. Form groups of three. Have one person in each group close his or her eyes. Have the other two take the person at least 20 feet away from their group.

2. Say: You have one minute to get back to your seat with your eyes closed. Your friends in your group will guide you, but listen well.

3. The “blind” people can’t be led by the hand; they must follow only their group members’ instructions.

4. Play three times to let each group member have a turn being the blind one. Then ask: How easy or difficult was it to listen to your group members’ voices? How did other people’s instructions affect you? What techniques did you use to listen well?

5. Say: Listen to this story about a little boy who learned to listen well-and heard God’s voice.

6. Read aloud 1 Samuel 3:1-11.

7. Ask: Think of the techniques we used in our game to listen well. How can we use some of those same techniques to listen well to God?