Hosea Lesson

10:00-10:15 - Get to know new kids, entertain early arrivals until lesson begins

Lesson Introduction

Recommended Start Time: 10:15AM - 10:35AM

Key Verse: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” Deuteronomy 7:9

Teaching Passage: the story of Hosea as a picture of God’s faithfulness to unfaithful people- Hosea

Supporting Texts: Deuteronomy 7:9, 32:4, Psalm 25:10, Psalm 33:4

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Lesson continued...

TEACH- GOD IS FAITHFUL: Start out by reading this week’s memory verse (Deuteronomy 7:9) and then asking if anyone in the group can define the word faithful. Explain that when we say God is faithful that means that God keeps His promises and always does what He says He will do. Ask a couple of kids to come up and act out what being faithful might look like (or what being unfaithful- not keeping promises may look like.

After the skit, explain that you want to tell them a story from the Bible that explains God’s faithfulness.

Tell the story of Hosea in your own words using the following outline:

Hosea was a prophet of God during a time when the people of Israel were particularly unfaithful to God.
God had continued to be faithful to His people (as He always is), but His people weren’t being faithful to Him~ they were worshipping false gods and turning their back on God.
In order to teach the people of Israel about God’s faithfulness and their unfaithfulness, God told Hosea to marry a woman named Gomer who wouldn’t be faithful to him~ someone who wouldn’t keep her marriage promises to him and would leave him to love another man.
God told Hosea that every time his wife left him and broke her promises to him that he should take her back and forgive her.
God wanted Hosea & Gomer’s marriage to be a picture of God’s love for His people. God wanted the people to see that even when they are unfaithful and follow other gods that He is always faithful.
Over and over in the book of Hosea, God sends Hosea to the people of Israel to tell them to repent of their unfaithfulness and come back to Him. Then, He tells Hosea to tell the people that He will punish their unfaithfulness, but that He will still be faithful to His promise to rescue His people and will forgive them when they repent.

Activities

Craft 1 - BEE Faithful

Time: 10-20 minutes

Materials needed from the cart:

Crafting Paper
Glue
Scissors
Googly Eyes
Straw
Color Pens

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Directions

For step by step directions with pictures click here to visit the site.

Craft 2 - Forgiven Craft

Time: 10-20 minutes

Materials needed from the cart:

White paper
Crayons, markers, or watercolor
Scissors

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Directions

For directions with pictures click here to visit the website.

Game 1 - Faithful Dog

Time: 10-15 minutes

Materials needed from the cart:

A ball or object to represent the "bone"

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Directions

Divide players into two equal teams*.
Assign numbers to the players of each team. For example, if each team has 5 players, they should be numbered 1 to 5.
The players must remember their assigned number.
Each team stands in a straight line at opposing ends of the playing area.
This is each team’s “dog house”.
The players should be facing each other in 2 parallel lines.
Place the “bone” in the middle of the playing area.
The teams should be the same distance away from the “bone”.
The game master starts the game by calling one number.
The players with that assigned number (one from each team) must quickly run to try to grab the bone and run back to their “dog house” without getting tagged by the opponent. Only players holding the “bone” can be tagged.
If both players are not confident of making it back without getting tagged, they can stay in the middle of the field to guard the “bone” from their opponent.
The game master then calls another number, so two additional players can run forward to join in the attempt.
If no player is making any moves on the “bone”, the game master can call more numbers.
The game master can also call back some players if the playing area gets too crowded.
The team that successfully brings the “bone” back to the “dog house” without getting tagged scores one point. If a player gets tagged in an attempt, the opponent scores a point.
The “bone” is then returned to the middle of the playing area for the next round.
* Ideally, each team has about 4 to 10 people. If you have more than 20 players, you may divide into more teams, but only two teams will play against each other at any one time. If you have 3 teams, play Team 1 vs Team 2, Team 2 vs Team 3, and Team 3 vs Team 1. Total up the scores to see which team wins. If you have 4 or more teams, you can follow the same system or use any tournament formats that you like.

Game 2 - Faithful Race

Time: 10-15 minutes

Materials needed from the cart:

Pack of Styrofoam Plates
A Cone (or some form of “marker”) •
Sharpie (any color) •
List of Actions

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Directions

TITLE OF GAME: FAITHFULNESS Bible: Psalm 119:90 (NLT)
GAME PREP Number two sets of four Styrofoam plates by using a Sharpie to write a number on each: 1-2-3 4. Hold on to the plates until the game begins. Divide students into two teams of equal size and ask them to form single file lines. You will need a designated space to use throughout the game. Designate a starting place where all the teams will line up. Then, choose a place about 10-feet in front of the starting point and use the cone to mark it.
LIST OF ACTIONS • Hop like a bunny. • Jump on one foot. • Skip! • Make a super silly face. • Walk slowly. • Do jumping jacks across the plates. • Clap your hands really fast. • Walk like a spider. • Slither like a snake. • Walk like a chicken.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME Say: When I look around this room, I see a group of really talented kids! Each of you has things you’re really good at, and probably some things you aren’t as good at—we all do! Copyright - Ministry to Youth, Kids Curriculum 2 We’re going to play a game that highlights some of your talents. When I say, “Go,” I will hand a set of 4 plates to the student at the front of each team’s line. That person will toss the plates, one at a time, onto the ground trying to create a path from the place they are standing to the cone. Next, you will follow your plate path to the cone, tag the cone, and then quickly pick up the plates and take them back to your team. Now, it would be really easy if I just had you walk across the plates and bring them back to the next person in line, but that’s not what we’re going to do. I have a list of actions that I will read before each person takes their turn. For example, I might say, “Hop like a frog.” So, when you receive the stack of plates, you will toss them down and then hop like a frog across the plates to the other side. Here’s a twist—if you don’t lay the plates down in the correct number order, you will still have to numerically follow the plate path. That might mean your winding path will take you a little longer to get to the cone. The first team to have all of their teammates finish the race is the winner!
TEACH Say: I knew all of you were really talented. That was a lot of fun to watch! It might have been difficult to perform some of those actions, but if you practiced, you might get better at it. It takes faithfulness and dedication to get better at something. And that’s what we’re going to talk about for a minute—what it means to be faithful. Say: When your grandparents and great grandparents were young, there was something called, “customer loyalty.” If they liked shopping at a store and had a good experience there, they would be loyal to buying things from that store—and only that store. Copyright - Ministry to Youth, Kids Curriculum 3 Why? Because the way they showed they were happy with the store was by giving them all of their business. In our time, customer loyalty is almost non-existent. We go wherever we can get the best deals. Suppose you have a favorite video game store, but you can order the same games off of Amazon at a much cheaper price. Which will you choose? You’d probably buy it from Amazon! This feeling has even come into our churches. If another church has cooler activities and better stuff for families and kids, people will go to the other church. People just aren’t as loyal anymore. Here’s another word that is similar that I want us to talk about: Faithfulness. Faithfulness is similar to loyalty, but it’s a little different. Ask: What do you think it means to be “faithful” in something? Allow a few responses from students. Read Psalm 119:90. Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Along with all of the other things we know about God—He’s kind, gentle, patient, loving, and the list goes on—He is also faithful to us. This Bible verse says that God’s faithfulness extends to EVERY generation. When we read about the amazing things God did in the Old Testament, we might think, “I wish God still did those things.” But, He is just as faithful now as He was back then. And He will be faithful to everyone who comes after us—to EVERY generation. The end of that verse says that God’s faithfulness is as enduring as the earth. Copyright - Ministry to Youth, Kids Curriculum 4 The earth has been around for quite a while, and the human race needs the earth in order for us to keep existing. God’s faithfulness has never changed. He is always loyal to us and we can depend on Him. In the Bible, we read that God will never leave us no matter what. That promise may be thousands of years old, but because God is faithful, we know He still feels that way. The Bible also says that God loves us—He always has and He always will. We can believe that because He is faithful to His Word. In our world, people may not be loyal and faithful, but God isn’t just any other person. He is the Creator of the entire universe and He will be faithful until the end of time

Activity 1 - Dance It Out

Once you're through the lesson/games use these to fill any remaining time, or the ideas listed below

Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):

Christian just dance videos below
If they don't want to play the Christian Just Dance game they can play follow the leader.

Wrap It Up!

**Snacks can be given at this time, if needed**

Come together and sit in a circle to talk about what they learned today. Ask them the same questions that you asked at the beginning of the day. How are their answers different now that they know more? Talk about what they can go home and tell their family. This is also a time they can update their journals (big kids only) or color the pictures (littles).
Ask if anyone has a prayer request/praise report. Pray over requests.
Worship time - Have the kids go find a spot to themselves and have some time with God (play the song below for around 3/5 minutes).

Worship

Energy Release!

Last Minute Filler Ideas

Have them gather around the table and draw a picture or write a letter to their families about what they learned today.
Play a game of some sort. (If you have the hula hoops, have them join hands in a circle and pass the hula hoop around the circle without breaking their hands)

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