Joyful Moments in Christ

Trusting the God Who Cares for You

This Sunday School lesson is intended for upper elementary students. All lessons on this website are protected by copyright, but you can use them for free in small groups or Sunday School classes. You may share a link to this page, but please do not copy these pages and put them on other websites.

The Big Idea

Jesus teaches us that since God knows us perfectly and cares for even the smallest birds, we can trust him to protect us and help us speak the truth without fear.

Lesson Objectives

1. Students will learn that God sees everything we do and that we should live honestly instead of pretending to be someone else.
2. Students will understand that God has power over all things and that his great love for us takes away our fear of other people.
3. Students will recognize that the Holy Spirit is a helper who gives us the right words to say when we are nervous or afraid to talk about Jesus.

Class Setting Notes

1. Recommended for upper elementary Sunday School.
2. Lesson length: 45 to 60 minutes. Can be shortened or extended based on activities selected.

Opening Activity: The Valuable Sparrow

1. Bring a small, common item like a button or a tiny paper bird and show it to the class. Here are some instructions for how to make a paper crane.
2. Ask the students how much they think a button or a tiny paper bird is worth. (A button can be bought for less than a dollar and a piece of paper is just a few cents.)
3. Tell the students that in the time of Jesus, five small birds were sold for just two pennies. (After inflation, this is likely to be around $10 for 5 birds, or $2 each.)
4. Explain that even though buttons and birds seem very small and cheap to people, God never forgets even one of them.

This activity helps introduce the theme of God’s great care for his creation and how much more valuable we are to him.

Bible Reading

Ask the class to read Luke 12:1-12 aloud together or have one person read it.

• Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 12:1-12 (ERV)
• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 12:1-12 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 12:1-12 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 12:1-12 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 12:1-12 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 12:1-12 (ESV)

Additional Reading: Choosing the Right Bible Translation

Suggested prompts:

As the class reads aloud, consider asking some of these prompts:

1. Notice how many people were crowding around Jesus as he began to speak.
2. Think about what Jesus meant when he told his followers to be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees.
3. Listen for what happens to secrets that people try to keep in the dark.
4. Pay attention to the special detail God knows about your head.
5. Watch what happens when Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will help his followers speak.

Teacher Background Notes

1. The Pharisees often focused on outward rules to look holy, but Jesus called this hypocrisy because their hearts were not focused on God.
2. Jesus used the word yeast to show how hypocrisy can start small but grow until it affects everything a person does.
3. In the ancient world, sparrows were one of the cheapest foods sold in the market, yet Jesus uses them to show that nothing is too small for God to notice.
4. To fear God does not mean being terrified of a bully, but having a deep respect and awe for the one who created and rules over everything.
5. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to his disciples to show that God provides the strength and wisdom we lack when we face difficult times.

Theological Insights

1. God is all-knowing, which means he sees our private thoughts and our public actions; he wants us to be the same people in secret as we are in public.
2. Because God is our creator and judge, we should care more about what he thinks of us than what people think of us.
3. Every human being is created in the image of God and is deeply loved by him, which gives us great worth.
4. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who works in the hearts of believers to give them courage and truth.
5. Jesus is our advocate who stands before God and the angels on behalf of everyone who trusts in him.

Discussion Questions

Understanding the Text

1. Why did Jesus warn his disciples to be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees?
2. What did Jesus say would happen to things that are whispered in private rooms?
3. How many sparrows did Jesus say were sold for two pennies?
4. What does the Holy Spirit do when believers are brought before leaders or rulers?

Personal Reflection and Application

1. When you feel scared or worried, how does it help to remember that God knows even the number of hairs on your head?
2. Why is it hard to be honest about our mistakes instead of trying to hide them like the Pharisees did?
3. How does knowing that you are worth more than many sparrows change the way you think about yourself?
4. Can you think of a time when you wanted to tell someone about Jesus but felt nervous? How could the Holy Spirit help you in that moment?

Suggested Activities

The Numbered Hair Challenge

1. Give each student a piece of paper and a marker.
2. Ask them to try to draw 100 tiny dots or lines on the paper to represent hairs.
3. While they work, explain that God knows the exact number of hairs on everyone’s head without even having to count.

This activity helps students understand that God’s knowledge is much bigger and more detailed than ours.

Housetop Announcements

1. Give students a megaphone made out of a rolled up piece of cardstock.
2. Ask them to write a “secret” good thing God has done for them on the inside of the megaphone.
3. Let them take turns “announcing” these good things to the class.

This activity helps illustrate the verse about whispers being shouted from the housetops and encourages sharing God’s work.

Paper Bird Care

1. Have students fold a simple paper bird (origami) or color a picture of a sparrow. Here are some instructions for how to make a paper crane.
2. On the wings, have them write “God remembers me.”
3. Ask them to keep the bird in their pocket or Bible this week as a reminder of God’s care.

This activity provides a physical reminder that they are never forgotten by God.

Memory Verse

Closing Prayer

Father,
Thank you for loving us so much that you know everything about us. Please help us to live honest lives and to trust that you will always care for us and give us the words to say.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The ESL Version

I also create materials for adult English Language Learners (ELLs) and ESL students. You can find my ELL Bible Study based on Luke 12:1-12 here:

• ELL Bible Study: Luke 12:1-12 — Do Not Be Afraid

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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.