Lesson 2: The unfair judge.
Passage: Luke 18:1-8 - Jesus told a parable about a persistent widow who kept asking an unjust judge for justice until he finally granted her request. He used this story to teach his followers to always pray and not give up, assuring them that God, who is just and loving, will surely answer them.
Big Idea: Pray without giving up.
For Teachers:
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug and introduce yourself.
Warm Up Activity: Silly Walk Challenge — Activity Leader
The kids will begin by forming a circle. They go around the circle taking turns being in charge of the silly walk/movement. One kid will lead while the others copy their movement.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are going to be learning about another one of Jesus' stories, which teach us something important about God. Today's story is about a woman who went to a judge to ask for help because she was being treated unfairly.
Let's watch our video to find out more…
Play Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Has there ever been a time when you were treated unfairly? What happened? Who did you go to for help?
What did the judge in the story do when the woman asked for help?
What did the woman do so the judge would listen to her?
Do you think God like the judge in the story or does God listen to us when we ask for help?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you that you are a good God who listens to us when we ask for help. Even when we don’t get an answer right away, help us to always pray without giving up. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: Prayer Coloring Booklet — Activity Leader
Draw and color the activity card based on the story of the persistent widow.
If children are not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children in a circle on the circle time rug and wait for other children to arrive.
Warm Up Activity: Cross the Room Challenge— Activity Leader
Give the kids instructions for different ways to cross the room. You can start with silly walks then increase the challenge (ie. walking backwards, crab walk, balancing something on their head) to convey the message of the importance of persistence.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are going to be continuing our series on the stories of Jesus, which Jesus told to teach his followers something important about God or faith. Today's story is all about a poor woman who was being treated unfairly, and so she went to a judge to ask for help.
Let's watch our video to find out more…
Play Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Do you know what a judge is? What makes a good or bad judge?
Did the judge in the story listen to the woman who needed help? What did she do about it?
Do you think that God is like the judge in the story? Why or why not?
What does this story teach us about prayer? What does Jesus tell us to do when we pray and don’t get an answer right away?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you for the story we learned today about the woman and the unjust judge. Thank you that you are a God who listens to us when we pray because you care about us. Please teach us to always pray and never give up. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: Prayer Coloring Booklet — Activity Leader
Draw and color the activity card based on the story of the persistent widow.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the students sit in the pillow area and introduce yourself.
Warm Up Activity: Persistence Mad Libs — Activity Leader
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we are continuing our series on the Parables of Jesus. Last week we learned that parables are stories that have a deeper meaning or a message that we can learn from.
Today's story is all about a poor woman who was being treated unfairly and went to a judge to ask for help.
Read: Luke 18:1-8
Let's watch our video to find out more…
Play Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Has there ever been a time when you were being treated unfairly? What did you do about it?
What would you do if you tried to ask for help and you were just ignored by the person who was supposed to help you?
What did the woman in the story do when the judge wouldn't listen to her? What happened next?
Do you think that God is like the judge in the story or different? How so?
Why do you think God wants us to not give up praying, even if we don’t get an answer right away?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
Dear God, thank you that you are a good God who cares about us and listens to us when we pray. Even when we don’t get an answer right away, we know that you are listening, and that you want us to be persistent in our prayers. Help us to trust you and to pray without giving up. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity: Prayer Coloring Booklet — Activity Leader
Draw and color the activity card based on the story of the persistent widow.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
Who did the woman go to when she needed help?
When you need something, do you sometimes have to ask more than once so someone will listen?
Do you think that God listens to us when we pray?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What happened when the woman asked the judge for help?
Do you think God is like the judge in the story or different? How so?
What does this story teach us about how God wants us to pray?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What was the judge like in the story? What did the woman do to make sure that he listened to her and gave her justice?
Do you think God is like the judge in the story or different? How so?
What does Jesus’ story teach us about prayer?
