Leader Guide
Bible Study
- Bibles or the Superbook Bible App
- Optional: music player—mobile device or CD player, etc.
- Optional: worship music that your children may be familiar with, such as : “He Has a Plan,” sung during Large Group; or “The Salvation Poem”
If you plan to have a time of worship at the end of the activity, cue up the music in advance and familiarize yourself with the player’s controls to start and stop the music.
Most of the verses are very short and children should be able to find and read them quickly. You may choose to have children race to see who can find each verse the fastest. If time is short, you may read the verses aloud as children follow.
I’d like to ask you a very important question; please think about it for a moment before you answer. When should we praise, worship and thank God? Allow children a few moments to think. Okay, raise your hands to share your thoughts.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Let’s consider your answers as we read some verses in the Bible together.
Have children look up and read Philippians 4:4:
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Have children look up and read 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18:
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying.18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
What is the first word in both of the passages we read? Always.
Yes, we are always to rejoice, always to have an attitude of prayer, and always to be thankful!
In verse 18, does it say to be thankful only when good things happen? No, in all circumstances.
Yes, it says to be thankful IN all circumstances. This doesn’t mean we must be thankful FOR all circumstances. For example, if something bad happens, we don’t have to be thankful for that—but we can be thankful that God is with us to help us find His peace and comfort in the midst of such a loss.
Job wasn’t thankful that he lost all of his fortune and family. Yet, despite all of the horrible tragedies that occurred, Job was still thankful that God is God, and that Job was His servant! Let’s read verse 18 again, out loud this time.
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
God’s will is for all who follow Christ to always rejoice and be thankful!
Have children look up and read Job 1:20–21:
20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”
Job had just lost his possessions and children. He was overwhelmed with grief, then in verse 20, he fell to the ground and blamed God—right? No - Job worshiped God!
In verse 21 Job said he had nothing when he was born, and he could take nothing with him when he leaves Earth. God gave him all he had. Now, after saying this, Job finally blamed God, right? No - he praised God!
What we have or don’t have should not affect our praise, worship and thankfulness to God. Our worship should not be based on how we feel or how well things are going for us at the time. Yes, we should praise and thank God for all of His wonderful blessings, but even in the midst of all Job’s grief, he blessed God’s name. Why?
God never changes. He is always with us, He always loves us, and He always cares for us. No matter what problems we may face, God is worthy to be worshiped and praised for being God! So, when should we praise, worship and thank God? Always! In all things, at all times!
Optional: play the worship music you selected and lead children in a time of praise, worship and thanksgiving. Encourage them to participate, regardless of their present circumstances.