Jeremiah 8 teaches children that God wants His people to turn back to Him when they have done wrong, and that He is sad when they don’t. This lesson is designed for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
When we do wrong, God is always ready for us to turn around and come back to Him. He wants us home.
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 8:4
“Moreover you shall tell them, ‘The LORD says: “‘Do men fall, and not rise up again? Does one turn away, and not return?
(WEB)
Have children stand up and make a big U-turn with their arms, turning all the way around in place. As you say the verse together, pretend to walk back toward someone who is waiting with open arms.
The Story: Jeremiah 8 for Kids
God sent a prophet named Jeremiah to speak to the people of Jerusalem. Jeremiah was God’s messenger, and he had a hard job. He had to tell the people that they had been doing wrong things and turning away from God. The people had worshiped idols made of wood and stone, and they had forgotten about the true God who loved them.
God looked at His people and asked them a simple question. He asked whether people who fall down always stay down, and whether someone who walks the wrong way never turns back. Of course, we all know that people can get up and turn around. But the people of Jerusalem would not turn back to God. They held tightly to lies and refused to say they were sorry.
God even noticed the birds. The stork, the dove, and the swallow all know when it is time to fly home for the season. But God’s people did not know the rules of the Lord, the way He wanted them to live. Jeremiah said that God’s heart was hurting for His people, like a parent whose child has gone far away.
Jeremiah wanted to help. He asked a question that many people ask when they are hurting. Is there any medicine for this hurt? Is there any doctor who can make things better? The answer is that God Himself is the one who can heal His people, if they will come back to Him.
Read It Together
Jeremiah 8:6
I listened and heard, but they didn’t say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.
(WEB)
Point out that God looked for people who would say they were sorry, and He noticed when they did not. Ask children to think about a time they had to say sorry, and how it felt to make things right again.
Jeremiah 8:7
Yes, the stork in the sky knows her appointed times. The turtledove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people don’t know the LORD’s law.
(WEB)
Show children that God made the birds to know exactly when to come home, and He made people to know Him too. Explain that God’s people were supposed to know His ways just as the birds know their seasons.
Jeremiah 8:22
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then isn’t the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
(WEB)
Tell children that God is the great Healer who can make our hearts well. Ask them what kinds of hurts God can heal, whether they are hurts in our bodies or hurts in our hearts.
Talk About It
- What do you think it means to turn back to God?
- How do you feel when someone you love does something wrong, and then comes back to say sorry?
- Why do you think the people of Jerusalem would not admit they had done wrong?
- What is something God could help you with today?
- How can you tell that God loves you even when you make mistakes?
Activity Ideas
Bird Home Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a bird flying toward a little house or nest. Write or draw one way they can come back to God, like saying sorry or asking for help. Let them color the picture and take it home to remind them that God is always waiting for them.
Turn Around Game
You will need an open space and a bell or clapping hands. Have children walk around the room in different directions. When you clap, they must turn all the way around and walk back toward the center. Explain that this is what turning back to God looks like. Play a few rounds and talk about how easy it is to change direction.
Take-Home Heart Card
You will need cardstock, glue, and a red heart cut from paper for each child. Have children glue the heart onto the card and write or draw a simple promise to come back to God when they make mistakes. Encourage them to put the card somewhere they will see it each day, like on their bedroom mirror or in their lunchbox.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s heart longs for His people to return to Him after they have wandered away. Jeremiah grieved over Israel’s stubborn refusal to repent, and God’s question about whether people who fall can get up again points to His desire for restoration. The chapter ends with a deep question about healing, which adults can take as an invitation to trust God as the source of true healing.
Be careful not to overstate the judgment in this chapter when teaching children. Keep the focus on God’s love and His open invitation to come home, rather than on the frightening images of destruction and serpents. Children should walk away feeling that God is kind and ready to welcome them, not afraid of Him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You always want us to come back to You when we make mistakes. Help us to turn around quickly and say we are sorry. Thank You for healing our hearts and for loving us every single day. We love You, Lord. Amen.
