Leader Guide

Teaching

Let’s read what the Bible tells us about Noah. Read Genesis 6:5–9 (cev):

The Lord saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil. He was very sorry that He had made them, and He said, “I’ll destroy every living creature on earth! I’ll wipe out people, animals, birds, and reptiles. I’m sorry I ever made them.” But the Lord was pleased with Noah, and this is the story about him. Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God.

Noah lived right and obeyed God—and God was pleased! So let’s discuss how we can live right and please God, too. Our SuperVerse says we can’t please God without what? Faith!

Good! First we must believe God is real and that comes only by faith. The next step of faith is to believe in His Son, Jesus, who died on the cross so we can be forgiven for our sins and be pleasing or upright in God’s eyes. This is the only way God provided for us to have a relationship with Him!

Read Romans 3:22:

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

There are many examples in the Bible of people who disobeyed God and attempted to please God or come to Him in their own way. This was not pleasing or acceptable to Him! There is no other way to please God but through Jesus. Think of it like this; Jesus is our foundation to building a life that pleases God.

Hold up a block and place it on the table or floor. The foundation is the first level of a building. What happens if you build on a crooked foundation?

The foundation must be level, true and accurate, or the whole building may be crooked and collapse. In our Christian faith walk, Jesus must be in place so our lives can be upright, accurate and true to be acceptable and please God.

Read 1 Corinthians 3:11 (cev):

Because Christ is the only foundation.

Every good work we do must be built on our foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, so we can be pleasing to God. Our good works are not the foundation itself—Jesus is the foundation—but we do good works in thanksgiving for all He has done for us. Stack other blocks on top as you talk.

The next step in living our lives to please God is to follow Jesus’ example. Choose a volunteer, have them face you and imitate or mirror motions that you do.

Just like volunteer's name imitated my movements, we must imitate Christ’s life of love and obedience on Earth. Jesus lived a blameless life on Earth that pleased God. He became the perfect sacrifice to pay the price for our sins. Jesus paid the price; He set us free so we can live a life pleasing to God! 

Read Ephesians 5:1–2:

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Optional: read 1 John 2:6:

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

Tell children that you would like to end the teaching about living to please God with a prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for other believers. Have them close their eyes and pray silently as you read Colossians 1:9–10:

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

It is time now for our Discipleship Challenge where we will grow by learning God’s promises! 

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give a Rainbow Promises Pattern to any children not present for the first lesson on Noah, and explain how to make it at home. Allow children who learned the first promise from last lesson’s challenge to share with the class what the promise is, and what it means to them. Challenge everyone to learn the second promise and think about what the scripture means in their lives. They will be given a chance to share that promise during the next lesson.