4.8
date: Bible Passage: Philippians 3—4
(Letter to the Philippians)
God Is Contentment
REMEMBER VERSE
Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God,
who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 5:5
© 2015 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church
and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.
4.8
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Tru Mission Statement
Tru helps kids and their families connect to God, find their place in His big story,
and respond to Him through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Lesson Path: Seeing the Mission Statement in a Tru Lesson
Connecting leaders to God ...
Connects kids and their families to God …
Inspire, Equip, and Support
… His big story …
… And invites them to respond to Him …
Celebrate
… Through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Bless
HomeFront Weekly
Anticipate
Respond
Navigating Lesson 4.8
Below you will find additional information to enhance lesson sections as needed.
Anticipate
Letters (for Older Kids)
To make this activity more creative, have the children create wax seals using a crayon, a
candle, and a coin. Have a leader hold a peeled crayon over the candle flame until the end
begins to melt. Then dab the wax onto an envelope. Have the child push a coin into the wax
while it’s still warm to make an imprint.
Celebrate
Storytelling Video
A storytelling video is available for this lesson. Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users may
access the video in the Resource Files.
Respond
Books of Thankfulness
If you don’t want to use playing cards for this activity, use three- by five-inch index cards. To
save time with this activity, consider punching holes in the cards ahead of time or cutting
out the rectangles of paper—especially for younger kids.
Small Group Enhancement
“Finish the Sentence” activities are available for this lesson. Premium, Unlimited, and
Combo users may access these activities in the Resource Files.
Bless
HomeFront Magazine: A Spiritual Parenting Resource
This magazine gives families ideas for creating fun, spiritually forming times in their homes—setting aside a
sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! To provide printed copies of the new issue
when it becomes available each month, order print subscriptions at www.HomeFrontMag.com or download it.
Families may also visit the website to have each month’s issue emailed directly to their inboxes and they may
access each issue through apps for iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
© 2015 David C Cook
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Anticipate//
Option 1: Chariots
4.8
SMALL
Group
SECTION
5–10 min.
Option 2: Letters
(for Younger Kids)
(for Older Kids)
When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, chariot riders delivered
the official Roman mail. Let the kids have fun pretending to be
chariot riders as they race to collect and deliver “mail.”
In the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians, he encouraged the
people to know God more and to find contentment in Him. With
this activity, the children will create their own letters to send to
friends or family members.
SUPPLIES
• beach towels (1 for every 3 kids)
• envelopes (4 for every 3 children)
• marker
• Chariot Rider image (see Resource Files)
• items to use in an obstacle course (suggestions: boxes,
furniture, masking or painter’s tape)
• optional: stopwatch
PREPARE AHEAD
Print the Chariot Rider image. Number the envelopes one
through four, making one set of four envelopes for every three
kids.
SET UP
Place the envelopes around the room. Create a simple obstacle
course; allow enough space for the kids to move through it while
stretching out the towels. Place the towels at the beginning of
the course.
ENGAGE
Show the children the Chariot Rider image. Explain that the
Romans used chariot riders to carry mail throughout the Roman
Empire. Then divide the kids into teams of three and give each
team a blanket or towel. Encourage each team to form a chariot
by having one child hold one end of the towel—the back of the
“chariot”—and the other two kids hold the other end—the front
of the chariot. One at a time, invite each chariot to go through
the obstacle course and find a set of four numbered envelopes.
When they find all four envelopes, they can give them to you.
Sometimes Paul “mailed” his letters by having friends pass
them to one another as they traveled around the area. How long
do you think it might have taken for one of Paul’s letters to reach
the people he was writing to? Do you get letters in the mail from
anyone? If so, who, and what are the letters about?
Optional: Time the teams as they go through the obstacle
course and see who gets through it the fastest.
© 2015 David C Cook
SUPPLIES
• paper (2 sheets per child)
• envelopes (1 per child)
• rubber stamps (1 for every 5–6 children)
• ink pads (1 for every 5–6 children)
• pens
• Letter Facts (see Resource Files)
• optional: empty glass bottles with lids or stoppers (1 per child),
large tub or plastic bin of water
PREPARE AHEAD
Print a few copies of the Letter Facts.
SET UP
Set out the Letter Facts along with the rest of the supplies.
ENGAGE
The New Testament includes many letters Paul wrote—
some from prison—and sent to the first churches. The
letters traveled hundreds of miles to reach these churches!
They’re beautiful letters, and we’re blessed today to be able
to read them in our Bibles.
Have the children sit in groups to read the Letter Facts aloud.
Then invite the kids to use the supplies to write real or imaginary
letters to friends or family members—or even people who might
have lived during Paul’s time. When they’re done, they can put
their letters in the envelopes and decorate the envelopes with
stamps. As a group, discuss:
How do you think it would feel to only be able to
communicate with friends and family who live far away by
writing letters on paper and waiting months for them to be
delivered?
Optional: Instead of putting their letters in the envelopes, have
kids roll up their letters, put them in the bottles, and float them in
the tub or bin of water.
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Celebrate//
LARGE
Group
SECTION
35–55 min.
Ponder Point: God Is Contentment
Welcome &
Traditions//
• Take five minutes to open your CELEBRATE time by engaging in Welcome and Traditions.
• Quarterly Tradition (optional): Echoes: Divide the children into four groups. Have the groups stand next to
each other in order. Then call out a word or phrase. Group one will repeat the word or phrase, followed by
group two, then, three, then four, to create an echo—somewhat like a verbal “wave.” Repeat with a new word or
phrase. As time permits, play more rounds with kids echoing quietly, loudly, in slow motion, with accents, etc.
Remember
Verse//
• This week’s Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that’s highlighted in today’s portion of The
Big God Story.
Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God,
who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to
come. 2 Corinthians 5:5
Connect//
Invite the children to ask one another the following question or one of your own. Encourage them to ask
someone they may not know. After a minute or two, ask several children to tell the group their friends’ answers.
(For Connect Question and Connect Activity slides, see Resource Files.)
Question
What would your perfect day be like?
Activity: Emotional Movement
ENGAGE
Invite the children to move around in the room in a happy way (for example, by skipping). They should use their
bodies, not their voices. Then quickly flick the lights off and on. At that signal, have the kids pair up and ask one
another the CONNECT question. Announce that when they’re done, they can move around the room again,
this time in a way corresponding with another emotion that you’ve chosen (suggestions: sad, angry, excited,
or nervous). When you flick the lights again, they can ask someone else the question. Repeat, changing the
emotion each time.
Find more details for each section in the How It Works document in the Supporting Lesson Resources section of the My Lessons page at tru.davidccook.com.
© 2015 David C Cook
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4.8
Ponder Point: God Is Contentment
The Big God
Story//
SUPPLIES
• Bibles (1 per leader and 1 per child)
• Timeline slide and animation (see Resource Files)
• gift box with lid
• large gift tag
• marker
• envelopes (5, standard business size)
• Open When labels (see Resource Files)
• scissors
• glue or tape
• Philippians Verses cards (see Resource Files)
• card stock (1 sheet, light-colored)
• video: Time Passing (see Resource Files)
• slide: Paul Handcuffed (see Resource Files)
PREPARE AHEAD
Print the Open When labels on regular paper and Philippians Verses cards on card stock. Cut apart the labels and
verses. Glue the labels to the front of the envelopes. Place each verse in its corresponding envelope. Write “The
Secret of Contentment” on the gift tag and attach to the gift box.
SET UP
Place the envelopes in the gift box in order.
Worship
Response//
SUPPLIES
• scrapbook paper (1 [6” x 6”] square per child, various colors and designs)
• pencils or pens
• twine (about 8” per child, in 1 long piece)
• scissors
• staplers (1 for every 5–6 children)
• upbeat worship music (suggestion: “Celebrate,” TruWorship Sincerely Yours)
SET UP
Hang the twine near the front of your room at a height the kids can reach. Place the staplers near the twine, and
station a couple of leaders nearby to help kids staple their scrapbook triangles to the twine.
Find more details for each section in the How It Works document in the Supporting Lesson Resources section of the My Lessons page at tru.davidccook.com.
© 2015 David C Cook
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4.8
The Big God Story
Bible Passage: Philippians 3—4
Storytelling Technique: Props and Participation
ENGAGE
Storyteller enters with gift box. I have a special gift with me today. What do you think is inside? Allow kids to guess. Good guesses.
The answer is here on the tag. It says “The Secret of Contentment.” What does contentment mean? Allow answers. Great thoughts!
Contentment means being okay with what you have and trusting that God is taking care of you, no matter what.
I know what might help! There’s a book in the Bible that talks about contentment. We could look at it together! First, let’s
pause and ask God to teach us today. Set aside gift box. Lead kids in Prayer of Release.
Who remembers what book in the Bible we looked at last week? Allow responses. Who wrote that book? Allow responses. Yes,
Paul. It was actually a letter to the people of Galatia. Paul wrote many letters. Let’s open our Bibles to the book of Philippians.
Help kids locate passage. Philippians is a letter from Paul to the church in Philippi. God directed Paul and his friends to share the
good news of Jesus there. We heard a few weeks ago about how Paul helped start a church there.
Tech: Cue Time Passing video. Time passed, and hard things started happening to the people in Philippi because of their faith
in Jesus. Paul wanted the Philippians to understand that God is contentment. What does contentment mean? Allow responses;
review definition. As followers of God, we can have contentment. We can be filled with the hope, joy, peace, and love that comes
from the Holy Spirit. Paul knew this—he actually wrote about contentment while in prison, handcuffed to a guard! Tech: Cue
Paul Handcuffed slide. He was in prison for preaching about Jesus, waiting to go on trial.
Paul understood that life doesn’t always go the way we want. Look at Paul’s life: He went from being really important and
respected to being disliked and thrown in jail. He lost everything. Do you think Paul got angry about this? Allow answers. Have
kids turn to Philippians 3:8 and follow along as you read. Wow! All Paul wanted in life was to know Jesus. Nothing else mattered to
him. Let’s hear more about this. Volunteer reads Philippians 4:12. In every kind of situation, Paul knew that God is contentment.
Ask all the kids to stand up. Okay, sit down if you’ve never ever felt scared. Pause. Sit down if you’ve never ever felt hurt. Pause.
Sit down if you’ve never ever felt sad. Pause. Ask kids to look around and then all sit down. We all live in a broken world where
sometimes kids are mean to us, friends move away, people fight, and loved ones die. Even when everything seems to be going
wrong, God is contentment. He loves us and understands what it’s like to hurt. He can comfort us.
Pick up gift box and open it. In this box I have some of the secrets Paul shares with the Philippians to help them understand
that God is contentment. Invite volunteer to come up front and read the first “letter”: “Open when you feel sad.” Volunteer reads front of
envelope and then reads verse inside. Have kids follow along in Philippians 4:4. Paul told the Philippians to rejoice always. In fact, he
repeated the word rejoice over and over in his letter to the Philippians. What does rejoice mean? Allow answers. Yes, it means to
have joy. Are we supposed to ignore our feelings and pretend to be happy? Allow answers. No! Paul is saying that because God
is contentment, we can rejoice that He will comfort us in hard times. We rejoice in who God is and how He cares for us. What
are some truths about God that you’re thankful for? Shout them out as we rejoice together! Direct kids to shout out who God is
(examples: “God, You are loving!” “God, You are faithful!”).
Invite another volunteer to come up and read second letter: “Open when you feel worried.” Volunteer reads front of envelope and verse
inside. Have kids follow along in Philippians 4:6–7. Invite children to place their fingers on the word peace in their Bibles. How can we
experience God’s peace? Pause for answers. One way is to pray. Invite children to place their fingers on the word prayer. When we
© 2015 David C Cook
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pray, we can tell God about our fears, our worries, and our hurts. As we talk with Him, we can trust that He will listen to us and
that He is big enough to take care of us in our struggles. As we trust Him with our worries, God gives us peace in the hard
times. He is contentment.
Invite another volunteer to read third letter: “Open when you feel grumpy.” Volunteer reads envelope and verse as kids follow along in
Philippians 4:8. When we focus on what we don’t have, we can get stuck in being upset or grumpy all the time. God helps us see
a little of His glory—how amazing He is—all around us. When we’re hurt or sad and we pause to count God’s blessings and
think about the beauty all around us, we’re reminded of what is true and beautiful. We can stop thinking of ourselves and start
praising God, because God is contentment.
Invite another volunteer to read fourth letter: “Open when you feel weak.” Volunteer reads envelope and verse as kids follow along in
Philippians 4:13. We can trust that God will be our strength in every situation. When hard things happen, things we can’t handle
on our own, God will give us the help we need to keep going.
Invite a final volunteer to open the last letter: “Open when you feel hopeless.” Volunteer reads envelope and verse as kids follow along in
Philippians 4:19. We can be content because God gives us, His children, all that we need. He cares about us and will take care
of us.
When things get hard at school or at home, God can be your reason to rejoice. When things don’t happen the way you think
they should, God can give you the strength to keep going. God is contentment, and He will care for us in the good times and
the bad. Share a personal story of a time you experienced God’s contentment in your circumstances.
Worship Response
ENGAGE
Isn’t it amazing that even in our hardest times, God helps us to rejoice and find contentment in Him? He loves us and promises
to always take care of us.
© 2015 David C Cook
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Today we’re going to celebrate how God gives us everything we need. What need do you have today? Maybe you’re worried
about something at school or at home. Maybe you’re having trouble with a friend or family member. Talk to God about those
things. Maybe you know of a friend who’s struggling; you can pray for that person. Take a few minutes to talk with God. He
cares! Allow children time to talk with God silently.
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4.8
Paul tells us to present our prayer requests to God with thanksgiving, so today we’re going to celebrate as we bring our
prayers to God. We can trust God to answer our prayers and give us His peace.
Pass out the scrapbook paper and pencils or pens. On the blank side of the paper, you can write or draw the need you want to
bring to God. Then you can fold your paper in half, colored side out, to make a triangle. When you’re ready, you can bring your
triangle to the front, where a leader will help you staple it to some twine. Together the triangles will become flags of celebration!
When we see this colorful banner of prayers, we can thank God for being contentment, and for giving us contentment, peace,
and joy, no matter the situation.
Tech: Cue music. Allow children time to write prayers and bring them forward to form the banner.
© 2015 David C Cook
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Respond//
Reflect: God Is Contentment
Even though Paul had lost everything, he still rejoiced in
God. Because God is contentment, we can look beyond our
troubles and find God’s peace and joy. Encourage the kids to
open their Bibles and read the suggested passages.
Questions for Younger Kids
• Where was Paul when he wrote the letter to the
Philippians? Philippians 1:12–14
• What does contentment mean?
• How could Paul be content even when things were hard?
Philippians 4:13
• What are some things we can rejoice about?
• What are some things we know to be true about God?
• Do you have any prayer requests? What are they?
Questions for Older Kids
• Where was Paul when he wrote the letter to the
Philippians? Philippians 1:12–14
• What does contentment mean?
• How is God contentment?
• How could Paul rejoice even after losing everything?
Philippians 3:8
• How do you think it might change your life if you chose to
rejoice in hard circumstances?
• What are some prayer requests you have?
Create: Books of Thankfulness
SUPPLIES
• Book of Thankfulness Example image (see Resource Files)
• Philippians 4:8 cards (see Resource Files)
• decks of playing cards (1 for every 2 children)
• single-hole punch (1 for every 2–3 children)
• book rings (1 per child, 1”–1½” size)
• paper (3–4 sheets for every 2 children)
• scissors (1 pair for every 2–3 children)
• glue sticks (1 per child)
• markers
• optional: index cards (about 26 per child)
PREPARE AHEAD
Print the Philippians 4:8 cards, making one card for each child.
Cut apart the cards. Separate each deck of cards into sets of 26
cards.
© 2015 David C Cook
4.8
SMALL
Group
SECTION
15–20 min.
SET UP
Place the single-hole punches and book rings at one table and the
Philippians 4:8 cards, paper, scissors, and glue sticks at another.
ENGAGE
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells the believers to
rejoice and encourages them to think about what is true,
right, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise. When we stop to
notice how God is working each day, we see His goodness
everywhere—His beauty in the colors of a sunset, His
power in an ocean wave, His love through the kindness of
a friend.
Today you’ll each create a book of thankfulness to help
you learn to see how God cares for you and gives you
peace and joy each day. Your book will have 25 pages, and
each day you can write something praiseworthy on one of
the pages. As you fill in the pages in the coming weeks,
may God’s contentment become more and more a part of
your life.
Give each child half a deck of cards (26 cards). Direct the
kids to start at one of the two tables: punching holes or cutting
and gluing paper. At the punching holes table, the kids can use
the hole punches to punch a single hole in the top left corner
of each playing card. (By placing a new card under one that
has already been punched, children can more easily line up the
holes.) When they’ve punched holes in all the cards, they can use
a book ring to keep all the cards together as a “book.”
At the cutting paper station, the children can glue a Philippians
4:8 card to the top card of the stack. Then they can cut 25
rectangles from the paper by folding each sheet in half four
times and cutting along the fold lines. Finally, they can glue
a rectangle to each card. Suggest they write something
praiseworthy, or something they’re thankful for, on the first blank
“page” to get started. As the kids work, invite them to discuss:
• How can thankfulness lead us to contentment?
• What could you do if one day you struggled to find
something praiseworthy?
• How can you use this book after it’s completely filled out?
• What’s one thing you can praise God for today?
Have the kids take their books home and fill in the pages in
the coming days. Check in with them next week to see how this
is going.
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Bless//
4.8
SMALL
Group
SECTION
5 min.
Invite the kids to stand, kneel, or sit in a posture of praise. Suggest they raise their hands to heaven or bow low on the ground. Then
open a Bible and read Psalm 103:1–5:
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his
benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with
love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
End your time together with the following blessing.
May you know the One who satisfies. May His praise be always on your lips. May He give you contentment even on the
hardest days.
WEEKLY
Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week’s lesson! This preteaching tool
for parents encourages families to spend time in God’s Word together before children arrive
at church.
© 2015 David C Cook
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