In this lesson, children learn that God sees how we treat others, especially people who are hurting, and that He cares about fairness and kindness. This lesson suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God notices when people are careless about others who are hurting, and He wants us to care about them too.
Memory Verse
Amos 5:24
But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out in front of you, palms up, then slowly turn them over and let them roll down to your sides like water running. As you do it, say the verse together, and let your hands show how justice should flow like a river.
The Story: Amos 6 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 took care of sheep and grew fig trees, but God gave him a message for the people who lived in the fancy cities of Samaria and Zion. Amos warned them that trouble was coming.
The rich people in those cities had beautiful houses and soft beds made of ivory. They ate the best lambs and calves at their feasts. They played music, drank wine from big bowls, and rubbed fine oils on their skin. They had plenty of everything they wanted. But they did not think about the poor families who were suffering all around them.
God was not pleased. He said that the proud people were not even sad about the pain of their own nation. Because they had stopped caring, God told them that the great houses would be broken into pieces. Those who had enjoyed the most would be the first to be taken away from their homes.
Amos used a picture to help the people understand. He said that horses do not run on rocky cliffs and oxen do not plow there. In the same way, the people had turned what was fair and right into something bitter and harmful. They were like a farmer who ruins his own field. A teacher might say it this way: the people had made something good go sour, just like sweet fruit turned bitter.
The people thought they were strong because of their own power. They bragged that they had made themselves great by their own strength. But God reminded them that He was the one who would raise up a nation against them, and their lives would be changed forever. The story ends with a clear warning: God is watching how we treat others, and He takes it seriously.
Read It Together
Amos 6:1
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!
(WEB)
Point out the word “woe,” which means a serious warning. Ask the children why the people were in trouble even though they felt safe and comfortable in their cities.
Amos 6:4-6
4 Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the middle of the stall; 5 who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David; 6 who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
(WEB)
Show how the people enjoyed fine food, music, and oils while ignoring those who were hurting. Ask the children what it looks like today to enjoy good things without thinking about others who need help.
Amos 6:12
Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness…
(WEB)
Explain that turning justice into poison means making what is fair and right become harmful. Use a simple example like a cup of sweet juice that turns sour and ask how people can sometimes do the same with kindness and fairness.
Talk About It
- What did the rich people in the story spend their time doing, and what did they forget to think about?
- How do you think the poor families in the city felt while the rich people were feasting and singing?
- What is one way you can notice when someone near you is sad or in need?
- Why do you think God cares so much about how we treat people who are hurting?
- What is one thing you can do this week to be fair and kind to someone who is having a hard time?
Activity Ideas
Caring Hearts Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Ask each child to draw a picture of someone who might need help, like a neighbor, a classmate, or a family in need. On the back, have them write or draw one way they could help that person. Hang the pictures on the wall as a reminder that God wants us to notice others.
Follow the Leader Kindness Game
You will need a small object, like a block or a soft ball, and an open space to move around. Have children stand in a circle. One child passes the object to the next person and says a kind thing that person could do for someone else. Keep going around the circle so every child gets a turn to speak and to pass the object along.
Kindness Jar at Home
You will need an empty jar, paper, and a pen. Write “Kindness Jar” on the jar and place slips of paper beside it. Each day, the family writes one caring act they did or saw on a slip and drops it in the jar. At the end of the week, read the slips together and thank God for helping you notice and care for others.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Amos 6 is a strong reminder that comfort and security can make us forget those who are suffering. The prophet does not condemn enjoyment itself but the indifference that lets people ignore injustice. The passage calls believers to examine whether their prosperity makes them more compassionate or more blind to the needs around them.
Be careful not to overstate the details of the historical events with children. Keep the focus on the simple truth that God cares about how people treat one another. Avoid making the story into a fear-based lesson about punishment, and emphasize that God invites us to be fair, kind, and attentive.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, help us notice when others are hurting, and help us care about them the way You do. Teach us to be fair and kind in everything we say and do. Thank You for watching over us and loving us. Amen.
