Joyful Moments in Christ

Trusting the Father Who Provides

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 that because God is our loving Father who cares for all creation, we can stop worrying about our needs and focus on his Kingdom.

Lesson Objectives

1. Students will learn that God is the provider for all living things, including birds, flowers, and people.
2. Students will understand that worrying does not help us, but trusting God brings peace.
3. Students will recognize that our hearts should be set on the treasures of God’s Kingdom rather than on earthly things.

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 Caregiver’s Mystery Box

1. Place several items in a box that represent things we need to survive, such as a piece of bread, a bottle of water, and a warm hat.
2. Ask for a volunteer to reach in and pull out one item at a time.
3. For each item, ask the class: Who provides this for us?
4. Most children will say their parents. Explain that just as parents provide for their children, we have a heavenly Father who provides for everything.

This activity helps introduce the concept of God as a caring Father who knows exactly what his children need.

Bible Reading

Ask the class to read Luke 12:22-34 aloud together or have one person read it.

• Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 12:22-34 (ERV)
• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 12:22-34 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 12:22-34 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 12:22-34 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 12:22-34 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 12:22-34 (ESV)

Additional Reading: Choosing the Right Bible Translation

Suggested prompts:

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

1. Notice how Jesus tells us that life is about more than just food and clothes.
2. Look at the birds and think about how they find food without having a grocery store.
3. Watch what happens in the description of the wildflowers and how beautiful God makes them.
4. Pay attention to what Jesus says about the Father knowing what you need.
5. Think about what it means to have a heart that is focused on treasure in heaven.

Teacher Background Notes

1. Jesus is speaking to his disciples in the context of a large crowd, teaching them the posture of a heart that belongs to the Kingdom of God.
2. The mention of King Solomon reminds the listeners of the most glorious and wealthy era of Israel’s history, and yet Jesus says a simple flower is more beautiful because of God’s design.
3. Crows or ravens were considered unclean birds in the law, but Jesus emphasizes that God still feeds them, which shows his great mercy.
4. The phrase “little flock” is an image of protection and tenderness, showing that the church is under the care of the Good Shepherd.
5. To seek the Kingdom means to prioritize the reign of God in our hearts and the world over our own personal comfort.

Theological Insights

1. God is the sovereign creator and sustainer of the universe, and nothing happens outside of his care.
2. Because of the fall, humans are prone to worry, but faith in God’s promises is the cure for a worried heart.
3. God’s care for us is not based on our work or effort, just as flowers do not work for their beauty, but on his grace.
4. Treasure in heaven refers to the lasting rewards of knowing God and serving him, which can never be stolen or destroyed.
5. Our desires and our treasures are linked; when we value God most, our hearts will naturally follow him.

Discussion Questions

Understanding the Text

1. What are the two main things in nature Jesus used to show God’s care?
2. Why does Jesus say that worrying is a waste of time?
3. What does God promise to do if we put his Kingdom first?
4. What happens to treasure that is kept in heaven compared to treasure kept on earth?

Personal Reflection and Application

1. What is something you find yourself worrying about on a normal day?
2. How does it change your feelings to know that God thinks you are more valuable than the birds?
3. What is one way you can show you trust God this week when you start to feel nervous?
4. How can we spend our time or money to build up treasure in heaven instead of just buying things for ourselves?

Suggested Activities

Bird and Flower Nature Walk

1. Take the students outside or to a window to look for plants or animals.
2. Every time they see a bird, a flower, or something that catches their eyes, have them say, God cares for that.
3. Come back together and remind them that God cares even more for them.

This activity helps the students see the evidence of God’s care in the world around them.

The Treasure Map to Heaven

1. Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to draw a map.
2. Instead of a gold chest, have them draw things like kindness, prayer, or sharing the Bible as the treasure.
3. Have them draw paths showing how they can reach those treasures by helping others.

This activity helps students visualize what it means to store up treasure in heaven.

Worry Balloons

1. Give each student a balloon and a marker.
2. Have them write one thing they worry about on the balloon.
3. Let the students release the balloons or pop them as a sign of giving those worries to God.

This activity illustrates the act of letting go of anxiety and trusting in God’s provision.

Memory Verse

Closing Prayer

Father,
Thank you for being a kind and loving provider for us. Help us to stop worrying about our needs and to trust that you will always take care of us. Teach us to love your kingdom more than anything else.
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 12:22-34 here:

• ELL Bible Study: Luke 12:22-34 — Trusting God Instead of Worry

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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.