Heroes of the Faith, Part 3Sýnishorn

Don't Keep Anything

Bible Story: Achan - Joshua 7:16-23, Hebrews 11:30

Theme Verse: 1 John 1:9

Last lesson, Joshua and the Israelites took Jericho. God told them that everything in that first city belonged to Him, that they were to burn it and keep nothing for themselves. The plunder from the remaining cities was for Israel. In our lives, the first of everything belongs to God, and we are to give it to God.

Joshua and the Israelites thought it would be easy to take the next city called Ai. It was small compared to the battles that the Israelites had already won. God gives us the Holy Spirit inside of us to help us have victory over our sin and to do good things for God, like being kind to our parents. With God’s help, it might even seem easy.

The Israelites sent only some people against the city, but this time they were easily defeated! Joshua cried to God, “Why are you not with us anymore? The people in this land will kill us all, and no one will think You are a great God!” God told him to stand up and stop whining, that they had lost because someone had kept some plunder from Jericho, disobeying and lying to God and hiding it.

Suppose you lie to your parents one day. You may be able to hide something from your parents, teachers, and friends, but God sees and knows everything. A few days later you realize that it is much harder to be kind to your parents, and you cry and cry to God, asking Him why He is not with you. Instead, do what Joshua did and ask God if you have done wrong. When you do, God is quick to help you because He loves you and wants what’s best for you. Just like God cared more about what Israel did than what the neighboring nations thought, He cares more about your heart than an appearance of perfect victory.

The Bible says that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us from our sin. (1 John 1:9) When God shows you what you did wrong, go back and fix it right away. If you lied to your parents, tell them the truth. If you stole something, return it. If you were mean to someone, apologize to them. If you took something that belongs to God, give it back. The quicker you repent, the sooner God will help you move forward and have victory.

God showed Israel that a man named Achan was the one who sinned. They found a cloak, silver coins, and gold bar from Jericho buried in his tent. They took him and his things and destroyed them. Then, when they went back to attack Ai, God helped them get the victory.

I choose not to try to keep or hide anything from God and to repent when I have done wrong.

Questions:

1. What things are hidden in the past that God knows about?

2. Are there second chances with God?

3. It is my life, my time, and my money, right?

Application to Life:

Your assignment this week is to write about something you are hiding from God and from others and why you are hiding it. Then think about how that is affecting you. It hurts your fellowship with God, and that is not good. But, just like at Ai, it hurts your class and the people you are following Jesus with. For some reason they might not be able to figure out. They are not as effective, not as happy, or not as friendly as a group as they would like to be. You know what to do. Confess that sin to Jesus and to your parents or a trusted teacher or pastor. Ask God for forgiveness, and watch for the difference His forgiveness makes.

Want More?

This reading plan is taken from Equip & Grow's children’s curriculum. Enjoy this plan at home, and then do the full curriculum at church with student books, games, crafts, songs, decorations, and more!

https://www.childrenareimportant.com/heroes/