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Session 5 - FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - PATIENCE

Download 'Super Fruit Series Session #5

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - PATIENCE This week we’re going to learn that patience is modelled by our God, is made possible through Christ, and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

MATERIALS:
Before class print out the Review Game Cards, fold and glue them so the verse is at back of the card. . Photocopy the Bible Verse Card, crayons. Oranges/apples and a knife. Paper and marker, or chalk for chalkboard. Guava and Super Fruit handout one for each family. Take Home Truth and Activity Booklets.

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON
Get 4 children to colour the Review Cards and the Bible Verse Card prior to the lesson.

1. GAMES: (10 minutes)
Review Card Game

In class hold up the cards one by one and review each fruit and the Bible verse that goes along with the fruit. Give treats to any child that can remember all the verses. Optional: Download 'Fruit of the Spirit' Review Card Visual Aid

2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes)
In this game, one person plays the "traffic signal" and the rest try to touch him or her. At the start, all the children form a line about 15 feet away from the child acting as the “traffic signal.” The “traffic signal” faces away from the line of kids and says "green light.” At this point the kids are allowed to move towards the traffic signal child. At any point, the traffic signal may say "red light!" and turn around. The children must freeze in whatever position they are in. If any of the kids are caught moving after this has occurred, they are out. The children are kept waiting in this position for a while then play resumes when the stop light turns back around and says "green light.” The first player to touch the traffic signal wins the game and earns the right to be traffic signal for the next game.

5. TEACHING

a. “Back Track” Review
Remember last week you to learnt about the third fruit which was? (Peace) True peace comes when we remember that God is on our team.
What robs you of peace? (Worry) When we’re worried we’re thinking about ourselves and the problem we’re having. To stop worrying, we need to get our eyes off ourselves and to remember that God has everything under control.
What is another big peace robber? (Fear)

c. Teach the Lesson (15 minutes)

DOWNLOAD Super Fruits Lesson #5 Visual Aids

Object Lesson: Have a few oranges to pass out.. Take out a knife and slowly, slowly begin to slice up the oranges. Take your time! Lots of time! When you notice them becoming impatient, ask: “Can anyone tell me what patience is?” (Allow time for response and different ideas.) The dictionary tells us patience is the bearing of pain, misfortune, or annoyance without anger, irritation, or complaint. So patience is going through something very hard, or just something very annoying, without getting angry or complaining. “What is the opposite of patience?” (Impatience!) Did it make you irritated when I was taking so much time to pass out the orange slices to you? What are some things you go through each day that make you impatient? (Write their thoughts on the chalk board or paper provided)

Each day we will face situations that test our patience. These can be small things, like someone taking their time when you are in a hurry or very big things, like waiting on God to heal a family member. As we learn to be patient in the small things, God will prepare us to go through the bigger things.

As our Memory verse tells us there are no shortcuts with growing crops, no amount of yelling will make your Moringa tree grow any quicker! . In the same way a farmer can’t do a thing to hurry his crops up.

In ancient Palestine, the farmer counted on the rains around the end of October to soften up the land so he could begin his ploughing and planting. Then in March or April, when the plants began to ripen, the massive spring rains would come, assuring a successful harvest. In this process, the farmer had to wait….patiently. Panicking wouldn’t help. Crying wouldn’t help. Yelling at friends and family wouldn’t make it come quicker. Questioning God’s love along the way couldn’t even squeeze one drop out of the sky. All the farmer could do was wait, pray, and trust – i.e. be patient.

Knowing that the rain will come, the farmer realizes that he may as well wait for it joyfully and peacefully with a smile on his face. All fruits of the Spirit.

When we are struggling to be patient with another person, we should remember God’s patience toward us. Do you think God has a short fuse? (No) No, our God is very patient. In the Bible, it says that love is patient and kind. God is love and he is very patient. And this is what Nehemiah 9:17 says, “You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry. God is slow to anger. God has a very long fuse. Thank Him for that right now!

The question isn’t how much longer must we wait? The question is how should we wait? The answer: PATIENTLY. Because God says that “Good Things Come to Those Who Wait…Patiently.”

King David said in Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.” Trust that the God who works all things out for your good will guide your life along the path it’s supposed to go, yes, but also at the pace it’s supposed to go.

You ought to be patient with your family Has your mom or dad ever frustrated you? Maybe she's cranky in the morning; maybe he's a grouch when he gets home from work. Parents can be that way. The Bible assumes the same thing. It warns parents to not "provoke [their] children to wrath". Why? Because we're liable to do just that. When your parents are having "one of those days"-you need to be patient with them. Don't argue with them or sulk; be as quiet and sweet as you can and wait for the mood to change.

Your friends can get on your nerves. The more time you spend with them, the more likely they'll annoy you. How do you avoid this? How do you stay good friends with your friends? By being patient. Strangers can also be very annoying. You're in a hurry and they won't get out of the way.

Enemies can make you mad. They bully you, or lie about you, or do other bad things to hurt you. You need to be patient with all these people. Do you know why? Because Jesus Christ was! And He's your example. His parents embarrassed Him; His brothers hated Him; His friends disappointed Him; His enemies persecuted Him. But He bore patiently with them all.

6. APPLICATION / ENCOUNTERING GOD
Encourage the children to come and sit quietly and patiently in the presence of God, waiting on Him.

CLOSING PRAYER

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A DROP OF HOPE

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