This lesson teaches children that God wants us to obey Him with our whole heart, not just when it is easy or when we feel like it. It is designed for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God wants us to love and obey Him with all of our heart. Doing what looks right on the outside is not enough if our heart is not really following Him.
Memory Verse
2 Chronicles 25:2
He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, but not with a perfect heart.
(WEB)
Teach the children to stand tall, place a hand on their heart, and then point up toward the ceiling as they say the verse together. Repeat it three times, slowly, then three times faster. The motions connect the words to the heart and to God.
The Story: 2 Chronicles 25 for Kids
A young king named Amaziah began to rule in Jerusalem when he was twenty-five years old. He was a king of Judah, and his mother was named Jehoaddan. Amaziah did many things that pleased the LORD. But he did not always love God with his whole heart, and that made a difference in how he lived.
Amaziah had to decide what to do about the servants who had hurt his father, the old king. He could have punished their children too, but he did not. He followed God’s rule that each person is responsible for his own wrongdoing. He showed that he wanted to be fair and to do what God asked.
Next, Amaziah gathered a large army of men from Judah and Benjamin. He also paid one hundred talents of silver to hire soldiers from Israel. Then a man of God came to him and said, “Do not let the soldiers of Israel go with you, because the LORD is not with them.” The man of God told the king that God could help him win without those extra soldiers.
Amaziah wondered what would happen to the money he had already paid. The man of God said, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.” So Amaziah sent the Israelite soldiers home, and he went to fight with the men of Judah. God helped Amaziah win the battle against the people of Seir.
But Amaziah made a bad choice after the battle. He brought home the gods of the people he had defeated, bowed down to them, and burned incense to them. God was angry. He sent a prophet to ask the king why he trusted gods that could not even save their own people. Amaziah did not listen, and his choices led to a sad ending for him.
Read It Together
2 Chronicles 25:9-10
9 Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.” 10 Then Amaziah separated them, the army that had come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again. Therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger.
(WEB)
Point out that God’s man reminded the king that the LORD is able to give much more than money. Explain that God’s promises are bigger than anything we might lose or give up to obey Him. Encourage the children to trust God when obeying Him costs something.
2 Chronicles 25:14-15
14 Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them. 15 Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of your hand?”
(WEB)
Point out that Amaziah took the gods of the defeated people and started worshiping them. Explain that God is the only true God and that He is not pleased when we trust other things more than Him. Remind children that God still speaks to us through His Word when we are tempted to turn away.
Talk About It
- What is one thing Amaziah did that pleased the LORD, and what is one thing he did that did not?
- Why do you think God cares about our hearts and not just what we do on the outside?
- When the man of God told the king to trust God instead of the silver, what would you have done in that moment?
- How can we tell when we are starting to trust something other than God, like a toy, a friend’s opinion, or our own plans?
- What can you do this week to love God with your whole heart at home or at school?
Activity Ideas
Heart Drawing Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child trace a large heart on the paper and cut it out. Ask them to draw or write one way they can love God this week inside the heart. Hang the hearts on the wall as a reminder that God wants our whole heart.
Follow the Leader Game
You will need an open space and a few chairs. Have one child be the king and lead the group in simple movements, like clapping or stomping. Then have the leader do a movement that is not from God, and let the group decide whether to follow it. Talk about how we should follow God’s way, even when others try to lead us somewhere else.
Take-Home Reminder Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and a marker. Write the words “Love God with my whole heart” on each card and let the children decorate it. Ask them to place the card by their bed or on the refrigerator. Encourage the family to read the card together each evening and talk about one way they showed love to God that day.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that outward religious activity does not replace a heart that is fully devoted to God. Amaziah obeyed in some ways but later turned to idols, which reveals that divided loyalty leads to spiritual danger. The chapter also shows that God is faithful to warn His people through prophets, and that He is able to provide far more than human plans can secure.
With children, avoid suggesting that God always rewards obedience with immediate victory or wealth, or that bad things happen only to bad people. Instead, focus on God’s character: He is faithful, He speaks truth, and He is worth trusting with our whole heart.
A Prayer to Close
Father, we want to love You with all of our hearts. Help us to do what is right, even when it is hard, and help us never to trust other things more than You. Thank You for speaking to us through Your Word. Help us to listen and follow You every day. Amen.
