This lesson teaches children that God sees how people treat the poor and that he always invites them to come back to him. It is built for children about 5 to 11 and takes 20 to 30 minutes, with a short story, a memory verse, a few Bible passages to read together, and a simple activity.
Big Idea
God notices when people are unfair to others, and he always asks his people to turn back to him and do what is right.
Memory Verse
Amos 4:12
“Therefore thus will I do to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel.
(WEB)
Teach the children to stand tall with both hands on their hips, then slowly turn around in a full circle as they say the words. Turning around is a fun way to remember that God wants his people to turn back to him.
The Story: Amos 4 for Kids
Long ago, God sent a shepherd named Amos to speak to the people of Israel. Amos was not a king or a priest. He lived in the countryside and looked after sheep and fig trees. But God gave him a message, and Amos had to deliver it to the people who lived in the rich cities of Samaria.
In those cities, some wealthy women were treating poor and needy people badly. They pushed the poor aside and cared only about their own comfort. They even told their husbands to bring them drinks so they could enjoy themselves. God was not happy. He said, “Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan,” which was Amos’s way of calling these women out for their selfishness.
God wanted the people to understand something important. He had been trying to get their attention for a long time. He sent hunger to their land, and the rain stopped in some places but not others. Crops were ruined by blight and locusts. Still, the people did not come back to him. Each time, God said, “Yet you have not returned to me.”
God is patient, but he is also fair. He reminded the people that he is the Lord of all creation, the one who forms the mountains and makes the morning. He told them to get ready to meet their God. Even so, his greatest wish was that they would turn back to him while there was still time. That is the heart of this chapter.
Read It Together
Amos 4:1
Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, “Bring us drinks!”
(WEB)
Point out that Amos was speaking to rich people who were hurting the poor. Ask the children to notice the word “oppress,” and explain that it means treating someone unfairly and using your power to push them down.
Amos 4:6-8
6 “I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says the LORD. 7 “I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One place was rained on, and the piece where it didn’t rain withered. 8 So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water, and were not satisfied: yet you haven’t returned to me,” says the LORD.
(WEB)
Show the children how God kept sending hard times to get the people’s attention, and each time he said they had not returned to him. Explain that God does not give up on his people, and that his patience is a kind of love.
Amos 4:13
For, behold, he who forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought; who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth: The LORD, the God of Armies, is his name.”
(WEB)
Point out that God is the one who makes the mountains, the wind, and the morning. Help the children see that the powerful God who made everything is also the God who cares about each person in their town.
Talk About It
- How do you think the poor people in the story felt when the rich women ignored them?
- What are some ways we can be kind to people who have less than we do?
- Why do you think God kept sending problems to the people instead of giving up on them?
- What does it mean to turn back to God, and what might that look like in your everyday life?
- Who is someone in your family or class who might need a helping hand this week?
Activity Ideas
Turning Back Paper Chain
You will need strips of colored paper, markers, and tape or glue. Have each child write one way they can show kindness to someone on each strip, such as sharing a snack or helping clean up. Link the strips into a chain and hang it somewhere the children can see it, reminding them that turning toward God means doing what is good.
Turn Around Game
You will need an open space and a timer or a clock with a second hand. Call out “Turn back!” and have the children spin around once, then freeze. Play a few rounds, making it a little faster each time. Talk about how turning back to God is a choice we make again and again, and that God is always waiting for us to come back.
Take-Home Kindness Card
You will need index cards, crayons, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a picture of someone they could help this week, then write or dictate one act of kindness they plan to do. Encourage them to show the card to a parent or friend and to carry out the plan before next Sunday.
Teacher Notes
Amos speaks to a community where the wealthy were enriching themselves at the expense of the poor, and where religious activity continued alongside injustice. For adults, the chapter shows that God takes injustice seriously and that outward worship does not replace caring for the needy. It also shows God’s persistent call to return to him, even after repeated warnings.
Avoid overstating the idea of God sending disasters as punishment to children. Keep the focus on God’s patience, his love for justice, and his invitation to return, rather than suggesting that every hard event is a direct message from God to a particular person.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you for seeing everything and caring about every person. Help us be fair and kind to others, especially those who need help. When we make mistakes, help us turn back to you. We love you and trust you. Amen.
