Sunday 7 March
Key Question
The Story
Use this guide to help your family learn how
God can help us to be patient.
First, watch this video
Then, follow up with the fun activities below!
Bible Story
Simeon Waits for the Messiah
Luke 2:25-35
Activity – Hold It!
What you need
Paper plate (or sheet of paper cut into a circle) and a marker
What You Do
Ask your child to draw Simeon’s face on one side of a paper plate, showing his expression as he waited for the Messiah to come. On the other side of the plate, tell them to draw what they think Simeon’s expression looked like when he saw little Jesus for the first time.
Challenge your child to hold their paper plate straight out in front of them, with the “waiting face” toward you, as you read Luke 2:25-35 out loud. When they hear something in the story that is evidence that God was with Simeon as he waited for the Savior, they should wave their plate but not lower their arms. Then, when Simeon sees Jesus for the first time, they should flip their plate so that the “reaction face” is toward you.
Tell your child that they can lower their arms when they hear you say “THE END” after you finish reading the passage. Ask, “When your arms started to get tired and you wanted to put your plate down, what helped you hang in there?”
Talk about the Bible Story
Who was already waiting for Jesus when Mary and Joseph left for Jerusalem? (Simeon)
What promise did God give Simeon? (that Simeon would see the Messiah before he died)
How long did Simeon have to wait to meet the Messiah? (We don’t know the exact answer, but it was a long time.)
How do you think Simeon was able to show such great patience? (Let your child answer with their own ideas. Prompt them if you need to by asking, “How did he know for sure that he would see the Messiah?” or, “What did he know was coming his way?”)
In a frustrating situation, how can you tell when you’re about to lose your patience?
What can you do to avoid losing your cool when it’s not easy to be patient, or when waiting feels like forever?
Parents, share a situation you experience regularly where you have a hard time waiting.
Prayer
Use this prayer as a guide, either after your discussion or right before bed tonight:
“God, we’ve learned a lot about patience today. Now it’s time to put what we’ve learned into practice. Give us the strength to wait the way Simeon did, and to know that You are always with us. We know that to have patience, we also need to have faith. So help us trust You as we wait. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”