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SUNDAY JULY 12TH
ELEMENTARY 
Bible Passage: Zephaniah
Memory Verse: Zephaniah 3:17
Bible Truth: 
God cannot ignore our sin, but He will forgive us when we repent.

Lesson Introduction:
What is sin? Who sins? Does sin cost anything or have any consequences? Can sin be forgiven? How? We’ll be talking about Zephaniah today. God used Zephaniah to share a critical message with people. The message he shared is still important.



This is a picture of the “Warrior Frieze.” A frieze is a painting or sculpture that is long and narrow. A frieze will usually tell a story. It is believed that this particular frieze was in the palace of King Darius who ruled during the time of Zephaniah’s prophecies. Our object is a warrior. In the Book of Zephaniah God is described as a mighty warrior who saves. Let’s learn more!




Watch Joel’s video, and then continue below!


Discuss these questions together as a family:


What was wrong with Joel’s toy, oven, and knee in today’s video?
How did Joel try to fix everything? Did it work? 
What has broken our relationship with God? Who can fix it? (Only Jesus!)

In the last few weeks, we’ve learned how Ezra helped restore the temple, Nehemiah helped restore the city walls, and Habakkuk learned to trust God’s justice and mercy. 
Today, we’re going to talk about sin. Zephaniah was warned that God would judge sin. It can be scary to think of God being angry about our sin, but it is an important thing to understand. God is perfectly just. That means He must punish all sin. Zephaniah wanted everyone to know that so they would repent and follow God. That’s what we’ll be talking about today. Find the book of Zephaniah with your child and have them read Zephaniah 1:3 and 3:2 as they are able. How were the people of Judah acting?” (They were not obeying God. They were sinning. They did not trust God.) What did God want to do to the people? (To destroy the people and animals of the earth) Sin does not make God happy. When we do not obey God, we sin. God cannot ignore our sin, but He will forgive us when we repent. Help your kids recognize that sin is not an accident or mistake. It is disobedience. Read Zephaniah 2:3 together. What did God ask the people to do? (To seek the Lord and carry out His commands) God wants us to follow Him. Our sin separates us from God. When we trust Jesus to forgive us for our sins, we can celebrate because our punishment of death will be removed. We will then be able to live with God forever.




Use these questions for more Bible study together as a family!

  1. Who was the king when Zephaniah was a prophet? (Josiah, Zephaniah 1:1)
  2. What special day did Zephaniah prophesy about? (The day of the Lord, Zephaniah 1:14)
  3. Who did Zephaniah tell the people to seek? (The Lord, Zephaniah 2:3)
  4. What other two things did Zephaniah tell the people to seek in Zephaniah 2:3? (Righteousness and humility, Zephaniah 2:3)
  5. Name an nation or place that will be punished for their sin on the day of the Lord. (Possible Answers: Moab, Cush, Nineveh, Gaza, Ashkelon, Canaan, Assyria; Zephaniah 2:4-13)
  6. Were the priests, judges, and officials of Judah honoring God with their actions? (No, Zephaniah 3:3-4)
  7. Zephaniah said that God was a mighty one (a warrior) who does what? (He saves, Zephaniah 3:17)
  8. Finish this statement from Zephaniah: God will ___________ in you. (Delight, Zephaniah 3:17)
  9. What did God promise He would do for the people one day after they had been judged for their sin? (He would bring them back together, Zephaniah 3:20)
  10. Fill in the blanks of today's Text Truth: Our _______ God cannot ignore our sin, but He will ________ us and restore us when we _____________. (Holy, forgive, repent)


PRE-K
Use the bible story picture to engage your child as you tell them the story of Zephaniah

BIBLE STORY NUGGETS

Focus in on these Bible Story Nuggets as you are telling the story:

Zephaniah loved God.

God told Zephaniah to tell people about Him.

Zephaniah told the people to obey and love God.


BIBLE STORY QUESTIONS


  1. Were the people obeying God?
  2. What did Zephaniah tell the people they should do?