This lesson teaches children that faith means trusting God even when we cannot see what he is doing yet. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, with time for a short activity at the end.
Big Idea
God’s friends trust him, even when they cannot see the whole plan. Faith means believing God keeps his promises, even before we see them come true.
Memory Verse
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands out flat, palms up, as if carrying something invisible. Then have them lift their hands up toward the ceiling as they say the words together. Repeat it three times, with the motions getting bigger each time.
The Story: Hebrews 11 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people lived by trusting him. A man named Noah heard God say that a great flood was coming, and no one had ever seen rain fall like that before. Noah did not know what a flood would look like, but he trusted God. He built a big boat, year after year, while people laughed at him. When the rain came, his family was safe inside.
God also called a man named Abraham to leave his home and go to a land God would show him. Abraham did not know where he was going. He packed up his family and walked anyway, because he trusted the God who called him. Later, when God promised him a son, Abraham and his wife Sarah were already very old. God kept his word, and their son Isaac was born.
Moses was another friend of God. When Pharaoh was cruel to God’s people, Moses chose to stand with them instead of living in luxury. He trusted God to lead them out of Egypt. When the sea stood in their way, God made a path through the water so they could walk across on dry ground.
Many more people in this chapter trusted God, even when things were hard. Some were thrown in prison, and some were hurt for their faith. Yet they held on to God’s promises. Their story tells us that God is faithful, and that he has something good planned for us too.
Read It Together
Hebrews 11:6
Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
(WEB)
Point out that pleasing God starts with believing he is real and that he rewards those who seek him. Ask the children what it means to seek someone, and how they can look for God every day.
Hebrews 11:8
By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.
(WEB)
Show the children that Abraham obeyed even though he did not know the destination. Explain that trusting God means we can follow him one step at a time, even when we cannot see the whole road.
Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
(WEB)
Point out that these people lived on earth but looked forward to God’s better home. Help the children understand that God’s promises are bigger than anything we can see right now.
Talk About It
- What is one thing you have trusted God with this week, and how did it feel?
- Why do you think Noah kept building the boat even when people laughed at him?
- How would you have felt walking somewhere without knowing where you were going, like Abraham?
- What is something you cannot see but still know is real, like the wind or God’s love?
- When something scary happens, what is one way you can remember that God is with you?
Activity Ideas
Faith Boat Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a boat on the paper, then add a few things they would bring if God asked them to build a boat. Let them talk about one way they trust God, and write that word on the boat. Hang the drawings where everyone can see them.
Follow the Leader Walk
You will need a blindfold or a scarf and an open space. Have one child wear the blindfold while another gently guides them by the hand from one end of the room to the other. Explain that the blindfolded child is trusting the guide, just as Abraham trusted God. Switch roles so everyone gets a turn.
Faith Reminder Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and crayons. Have each child write or draw one thing they are trusting God for, and decorate the card with bright colors. Encourage them to take the card home and place it on their pillow or by the front door. Ask them to read it aloud at bedtime for a week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter describes faith as confident trust in God’s promises, even when the promises are not yet visible. The people listed were not perfect, but they kept looking toward God’s faithfulness across their whole lives. The chapter points forward to a better home and a greater hope that God has prepared.
When teaching children, avoid promising that trusting God will always bring an easy or immediate outcome. Some faithful people in this chapter suffered greatly, and children should understand that God’s care is real even in hard seasons.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you for being faithful to your promises. Help us trust you even when we cannot see what you are doing. Make us brave like Noah and Abraham, and teach us to walk with you one step at a time. We love you. Amen.
