PATIENCE - Champions by the Fruit of the SpiritSample

Patience vs. Impatience

Bible story: The golden calf Exodus 32

Theme Verse: Colossians 1:11

Today's Bible story is about the Israelites and their lack of patience. It was only three months prior (Ex 19:1) that they were saved from the plagues, saved from slavery in Egypt, and received God’s protection by pillars of both fire and cloud. God saved them again in the crossing of the red sea, giving them miracles of water in the desert, and bread and meat falling from heaven every day to feed them! (Ex 16:1) God called Moses to the mountain where he was for a long time (40 days, Ex 24:18). The people asked Aaron to make them a god. Aaron had them gather their gold and formed a calf, and they worshiped it with a festival, eating, and dancing. God saw their sin and told Moses to hurry down the mountain. Both God and Moses became angry and punished the people for their disobedience and impatience.

God speaks to us like He did with His people back then. He gives us promises and direction for our lives. He may call you into missions, or give you a passion for something you will be able to do in the future. He may ask you to be a teacher, a pastor, or a doctor. Sometimes, God calls or assigns us years before it happens. This is when we need patience. We know God has called us, even though others cannot see it. It is hard to be overlooked and treated as though we have nothing to offer. Perhaps you feel that God said He was going to heal you, and you are still sick. God is not limited by time like us. God has always existed, and will continue existing for eternity. We have mortal bodies right now and feel the clock ticking. For the Israelites, the month that Moses was on the mountain was long and they grew impatient.

Instead of waiting for the God who had just saved them multiple times, they made another god. We can also be tempted to fulfill God's promises by organizing things ourselves, trying to make it happen on our own. That is not God’s blessing. The blessing from God comes when we are patient and trust Him to do His work in His timing. How did the Israelites actually forget all those amazing miracles that God had recently performed? We know exactly how they forgot because we also forget what God has done in our lives as well!

Patience is an important fruit of the Spirit. With it, we can become powerful men and women of God. However, without patience, we will be like babies, tossed around from one month to the next. Patience will help you no longer be like a baby!

Questions:

1. How does God speak to us? What was the last thing He said to you?

2. What things can we do so we don’t forget the miracles of God as quickly as the Israelites did in today's story?

3. What does eternity mean? How is it possible that we will live forever?

Life Application:

Write in the dirt something God has done for you in the past, then mark that spot with a rock. Do one at church, each student making their own special spot, and do another at home during the week. After you have marked your spot with a rock, share with someone else what God did.