Teaching

What is our SuperTruth? “I will be prepared and ready for challenges.”

I will hold up an item and you guess what I could be preparing for.

Hold up each item and discuss why you might need it.

1. Umbrella. Rainy weather.

2. Sunglasses and/or sunscreen. Bright sun.

3. School textbook. Taking a quiz or test at school.

4. Sewing kit, tool kit, first aid kit, or other items. Being prepared for various emergencies.

Very good! In our lives, we will face some challenges that can be handled easily. We may think, “I’ve got this!” However, other challenges will come up that are much bigger and more important—and we need to be ready.

Nehemiah knew that he faced a big challenge; much larger than he was! Why was it so important to Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem? It was his homeland and his people were suffering. His brother Hanani, who brought the message, lived in Jerusalem. He knew God’s promise about returning His people to their home. His ancestors were buried there. Nehemiah served God and wanted to do His will.

Nehemiah had an important job of authority and honor in the king’s palace. Even so, he willingly stepped down from his position with the king to do a very difficult and dangerous task for God. However, he would not attempt to do it without knowing God’s plan and timing. He needed to prepare for the challenge!

Sometimes when people are upset about something, they rush off to fix it on their own. They don’t think it through or plan ahead; they simply react and are driven by their emotions. Oftentimes, that can make things even worse! As much as Nehemiah’s heart ached to help his people, he took the time to prepare for the challenge. He gave God time to speak to his heart and reveal His plan to him. He also waited for God to work in the king’s heart. (See Nehemiah 1:10.)

Why was it such a big deal for Nehemiah to ask the king for permission to go rebuild the wall in Jerusalem? One reason is that the Jewish people had started to rebuild the city before. (See Ezra 4:1–23.) The king of Persia had issued orders to stop all construction in Jerusalem! He saw this as rebellion against his authority, so the Jews were forced to stop building.

The Persians were known for not reversing their laws. Perhaps you remember the stories of Esther and Daniel in the Bible. They both served under Persian kings who were tricked into signing bad laws that could not be changed—yet God spared their lives. (See Daniel 6, Esther 8.)

Now Nehemiah was about to ask the king to reverse his own law. This was a challenge too big for Nehemiah to overcome without God’s help. And God answer Nehemiah’s prayers! The king gave him permission to rebuild the city walls. The king even wrote letters to ensure safe travel for his trip and provided supplies. (See Nehemiah 2:7–8.) Nehemiah said that the gracious hand of God was upon him. Nehemiah was ready for the challenge!

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, what did he do to prepare before he started to work? He inspected the walls.

He inspected the walls and prepared a plan to organize the people and the project. As work progressed, Nehemiah faced many other challenges from enemies who mocked him and tried to stop his work. Nehemiah continued to pray so he was ready for their attacks, traps and tricks.

Our SuperVerse tells us how Nehemiah prepared his workers for an attack. Let’s say it together. Nehemiah 4:17:

The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.

Nehemiah gave the people weapons to carry as they worked. He also assigned guards to watch over them. Nehemiah made sure everyone was alert and ready!

Optional: read Nehemiah 4:23:

During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.

Nehemiah was so serious about being prepared that he stayed dressed and ready for battle at all times!

Like Nehemiah, we want to be ready for anything. Earlier, I held up some items for you to guess what they might prepare us for. I have one more to show you. Hold up the Bible.

What challenges can the Bible prepare us for—and give us the victory over? Struggles with sin and temptation, the tricks and traps of the devil. Discerning truth vs. false teaching, fear and anxiety, physical challenges like sickness. Adversity, obstacles, suffering, and trials we face in life. Any challenge that we face physically, mentally or spiritually.

The most important thing we can do to be ready for anything is to spend time with God by reading His Word and praying. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:13–14:

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

Speaking of standing firm in faith, let’s discuss our Discipleship Challenge!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give a Faith Wall and Stones Pattern to children who missed the previous lesson so they may assemble their crafts at home.

Our Discipleship Challenge is about building up our faith in God! Why is it important to build rock-solid faith? To stand against attacks and temptations of the enemy. To be ready for any challenges that come our way. To grow closer to God and learn more about Him. The more we know, the more we can trust Him in new ways.

Who can fill in the blanks of the Discipleship verse for Lesson 1? 2 Timothy 2:19:

God’s ____stands _____ like a foundation _____. Truth, firm, stone.

Where do we find God’s truth? In the Bible. The Holy Spirit also speaks truth to our hearts.

Why is it important to have our spiritual foundation built only on God’s truth? So we don’t stray from His truth. So we are not led astray by other doctrines or false teachings. Only faith in Jesus can save us — there is no other way to God.

The Discipleship Challenge is to fill in the blanks for Matthew 7:24, the next verse on the craft, then discuss the questions on the back at home.