St. Peter's UCC in Owensville, Missouri

Naaman Follows Directions

Theme: Just follow God’s plan.
Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1-14
Get Ready: Click here to get your complete supply list for this lesson.

The Children’s Sermon:
You’ll Need:
● A box of instant pudding
Do This:
SAY: One day last week, I wanted a snack. I looked in the cookie jar...empty! I
looked in the freezer for some ice cream...nothing there either. I looked
everywhere, but all I could find was a box of chocolate instant pudding mix. I'm not
much of a cook, so I wasn't sure I could make pudding. I looked at the directions on
the box and this is what it said: (Say slowly and with emphasis so kids can recall
later.) (1) Beat the pudding mix into two cups of cold milk for two minutes. (2) Pour
the mixture into small individual serving dishes. The pudding will be ready to eat in
five minutes.
How simple! You don't even have to cook it. Anyone could do that, couldn't they?
Well, I did it and the pudding was delicious. Who remembers what the two
directions were? (Allow kids to answer.)
Those directions were pretty simple. There are many things in life that are simple.
We just have to learn to follow the directions. In our Bible lesson today, we’ll hear
about a man named Naaman who learned that even serious situations can
sometimes have a simple solution.
Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria. Because he’d won
many battles for his country, Naaman was famous. You might think he had
everything he wanted, but he had a serious problem. Naaman had a disease called
leprosy. Thankfully, one of his servants suggested he go see a prophet, which is a
religious leader. She said the prophet could heal his leprosy.
So Naaman’s king sent him with a letter to the prophet’s king, the king of Israel, to
ask for help. The king of Israel didn’t know what to do, but the prophet Elisha
heard about the letter, and he said he could heal Naaman.
So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's
house. Elisha sent a messenger out to him: "Go wash yourself seven times in the
Jordan River to be healed."
That sounds simple. When have you followed such simple steps to instantly get
over a sickness? (Pause for kids to respond.)
It sounds simple, but Naaman was mad that Elisha didn’t even come out to meet
him. He thought Elisha would wave his hand over him and he’d be better. So
Naaman refused to do what Elisha said. Thankfully, Naaman’s officers convinced
him to do what Elisha said. He dipped down into the Jordan River seven times, and
then he was completely healed!
We often face problems in our life. Sometimes we’re willing to try almost anything,
except what God's Word tells us to do. God's Word has the solution to all of life's
problems if we will just follow the directions.
PRAY: Dear God, when we face life's problems, help us to be willing to follow the
directions You’ve given us in the Bible. In Jesus' name, amen.

Kids TV News Report: Naaman Healed
You’ll Need:
● “Kids TV News Report: Naaman Healed” video lesson
● Something to play the video

Do This:
Show them the video.
ASK:
● What is something new you learned about leprosy?
● How do you think Naaman felt having leprosy?
● How do you think you’d feel?
● How well do you do following instructions at home? At school?
● Tell about something you do where you follow instructions closely.

Pudding Treats
You’ll Need:
● Pudding cups - one per child
● Toppings (such as small candies, whipped cream, and cherries)
● Spoons - one per child
● Napkins
● Individually wrapped candy
Do This:
Follow these steps to make pudding treats for snack:
● Give each child a pudding cup and a spoon.
● Invite kids to add whatever toppings they would like to their pudding cups.
● Explain that they must not eat any part of their snacks until you give them the
word to eat.
● Wait for all children to make their pudding cups and respond very slowly with
the command to eat their snacks. (You want to make it very difficult for kids to
wait and eat.)
● Enjoy.
ASK:
● What was it like to follow the directions to wait?
● Why are God’s directions good even if they involve waiting?
SAY: My instructions to wait until you were given the word to eat could have been
hard for you if you were hungry or if you couldn’t wait to eat those candies.
Following directions was important. Because if you did follow my instructions, you
get a piece of candy to take home with you. (Give out the candy.) It was worth it to
follow my instructions, wasn’t it? And it’s worth it to follow God’s plan always.

Prayers for Healing
You’ll Need:
● A large sheet of paper
● Markers
Get Ready: Before class, gather the names of people in your church who are sick
and in need of prayer. Write their names far apart on a large sheet of butcher paper.
Do This:
● Explain to the kids that the names on the butcher paper are names of people in
their church who are sick.
● Invite kids to go place a hand on a name and pray for that person.
● After they pray, instruct kids to trace their handprint near that person’s name
on the paper.
PRAY: Dear God, we pray for all of those we know and love who are sick and in
need of Your healing. We ask You to be a comfort and a peace to them, and make
them better for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Complete Supply List:
● A box of instant pudding
● “Kids TV News Report: Naaman Healed” video lesson
● Something to play the video
● Pudding cups - one per child
● Toppings (such as small candies, whipped cream, and cherries)
● Spoons - one per child
● Napkins
● Individually wrapped candy
● Large sheets of paper - one per child
● Markers
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