MATERIALS:
Before class print the Bible Verse Card X 6. “Faithfulness” Unfaithfulness” fliers. Photocopy girl and boy badges. Fruit Review Cards X3. Football cards and flier. Crayons. Print enough I WILL BE FAITHFUL button for each child, markers, pins. Paper pins, small pieces of paper, pencils. Football poster, scarf or picture of a footballer. Glass. Water. Print Music Song Sheet found in Visual Aid Manual. Bananas if in season.

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON:
Get all children to colour the Bible Verse Cards, 2 posters Fruit Review cards & Football badges prior to the lesson.

1. OPENING GAMES: (10 minutes)
“I WILL BE FAITHFUL” BUTTON ACTIVITY:
Give each child a circle made out of colored paper. Tell them to write the words ‘I WILL BE FAITHFUL’ on the button and pin on their shirt or dress. Colored markers and stickers could be used to make the button more exciting to wear!

2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes)
Split the group into smaller groups of equal size and age. Let’s have a relay race. The first child runs across the finish line and shouts “MY GOD IS FAITHFUL.” and runs back to the team, who shout “OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL.” This is repeated until every child has run to the finish line and back.

3. ACTIVE PRAISE CHORUS: (10 minutes)
Never give up (Use music video and lyrics in Visual Aid Manual)

The rain may be falling (wiggle fingers down like rain) and lightning fills the sky (zig zag lightning flashes)
But the sun is rising (clenched fist by side, rising with outstretched fingers) God is on my side (clench both fists)
The wind may blow around me (sway around) and thunder may go BOOM
The clouds are disappearing Your light is shining through (raise both hands to praise God)

Chorus
Never give up (Shake hands and head) ‘cause He's always there (Point to Heaven)
Never give up anytime, (Shake hands and head) anywhere (Shake hands and head)
Never give up (Shake hands and head) ‘cause He's always there (Point to Heaven)
Remember God is always by your side. (Clench both fists by your side and stand to attention)

4. INTIMATE WORSHIP: (5 minutes)
Great is your Faithfulness (See Music Song Sheet in Visual Aid Manual)

Prayer: Almighty God great is your faithfulness. For great is Your love toward us, Your faithfulness endures forever. Open our hearts to this teaching so that we will become faithful followers of Jesus.

5. TEACHING:
a. “Back Track” (5 minutes)
Last week we learnt that "Goodness is doing the right thing for the right reason." Kindness is more about our attitude and goodness is more about the things we do for others. Can someone testify any ‘good things that you did this week at home.

Optional: Sing Children’s songs of Goodness
(Use Music video and lyrics in Visual Aid Manual)

(Use the Fruit Review Cards to test how well the children remember the Memory Verses. Make it into a game. Have some little rewards for the children.)

b. Sword Play (5minutes)
Ready…Swords up… Exodus 34:6b… CHARGE!
“The LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness”. (Exodus 34:6b)

(Use the Bible Verse Cards as visual aids.)

c. Teach the Lesson (15 minutes)
DO: Set out all of the Football posters etc before your students arrive plus the Fruit Review cards.
ASK: How many of you have a favourite football team? How do you support your team? (Cheer them on)
What happens when our team loses? (We are sad)
Do we start cheering for the other side? (NO)
Why not? (We are faithful to our team.)
SAY: No matter what, we will always support our team. We are loyal to them. We believe in them. We cheer for them when they win and when they lose! We are faithful in our support of them.
ASK: Can you find a Fruit of the Spirit listed on the Fruit Review Card that describes our loyalty to our team? (Point it out if they do not make the connection.) Can anyone describe faithfulness?
SAY: Faithfulness is a lot like loyalty…but goes much deeper. If the Bible tells us we are to be faithful, we should search to discover what that means! How can we discover more about faithfulness? By looking in God’s Word! Let’s go to His Word now and see what He will reveal to us about faithfulness.
King David says in Psalm 86:15, “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
God abounds with faithfulness! This means it overflows from Him.
(Demonstration by pouring water into a glass and allowing it to overflow.)

In the Bible, there is a story about a very old man who had faithfully served God all of his life. His name was Simeon and he was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Christ, the promised Messiah. Some time after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to dedicate him to God. Simeon was in the temple. As soon as Simeon saw the baby, he knew that Jesus was the Christ and that God had kept his promise that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. God is faithful to his promises, 100%!

The Bible tells us in many verses to be faithful to our God. One of the main ways the Fruit of Faithfulness is displayed in our lives as believers is by our faithfulness to Him. So how do we show faithfulness to God? (Worshipping Him, obeying His Word, knowing His Word, praying to Him, etc.)

When you make a new friend, you have to spend time and energy making the friendship grow. You have to cultivate a friendship, like you would cultivate a plant. Watering and nurturing the friendship similar to a plant.

We are to cultivate faithfulness within ourselves. This means intentionally being faithful to our family, friends, and to God. This also means praying for faithfulness to overflow in your heart, studying faithfulness in Scripture, and get to know our faithful God who is our only perfect example!

Imagine a young girl stops talking to her best friend. She stops spending time with her. At school, she talks badly and lies about her friend whom she used to love. She ignores her, betrays her, and is completely unfaithful to her. What would you do if this were your friend? (Allow time for discussion.)

Read Romans 3: 3-4 - What is God’s response to us when we are unfaithful? (He is still faithful!) No matter what we do, our God will always be faithful to us as His people, just as we would never stop supporting our home team. He will always keep His Word; His promises will never be broken. If we are to follow God’s example of faithfulness, how should we respond to an unfaithful friend? (Continue to be loyal, kind and faithful to them.)

Object Lesson:
Tape a large sign that say “Faithfulness” and one that says “Unfaithfulness” to the wall; get the children to come up and describe a faithful person and an unfaithful person writing them out on a piece of paper/
(For example: keeps their word or breaks a promise, worships God daily or never)

SUPER FRUIT: BANNANN (BANANA) TEACHING
Photocopy the ‘Bannann Handout’ one for each family. Teaching about the nutritional and medicinal qualities of the fruit. A sapling, God willing will be supplied to each school, church or orphanage utilizing this curriculum.

6. APPLICATION / ENCOUNTERING GOD: Refer to our Encountering God Handbook for ideas for this important section of the session. Experience the Holy Spirit Learning Centers creating a Spiritual atmosphere.

I want everyone to close their eyes and think about the words we just read. Which column describes you? Are you faithful to your family, your friends? Or are you unfaithful? (Be silent for 20 seconds or more.) Okay. Open your eyes. Even if your life is now showing you to be an unfaithful person, you have great hope! Christ died so that we may know God. As we know God more and more, we are able to become more like Him. We begin to display the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Keep spending time with our faithful God! He will change you and form you into a person of great faithfulness to Him and faithfulness to others! And no matter how unfaithful we are to God, His faithfulness towards you will never ever change. Everything He says, He will do. Every promise He makes, He will keep.

CLOSING PRAYER: Heavenly Father help us to cultivate faithfulness within ourselves. Help us to intentionally be faithful to our family, friends, and to You, May faithfulness overflow in our heart, help us to be faithful in studying the Scripture, faithful in praying and worshiping, help us to be faithful to our church family and not forsake witnessing. At the end may we be worthy to be called ‘a good and faithful servant’ Amen.