When Paul was in prison, he must have felt discouraged. He was likely unsure of how things would turn out.
Then, the Lord “stood by Paul.” He offered Paul hope by assuring Him that this was not the end. “Be of good cheer,” He said, “for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.”
We also have many reasons to feel discouraged and to wonder how things will turn out. It’s quite easy to lose hope. But in spite of our trials, our worries, and our adversity, the Lord also stands by each one of us!
If we are striving to follow Him, and if we have faith in Him, we have all the reason we need to “be of good cheer!”
LESSON BUNDLE DOWNLOADS:
➤ L E S S O N
Open the lesson with a song and a prayer.
🎶 O P E N I N G S O N G : "My Heavenly Father Loves Me"
➤ P R E P A R A T I O N
You will need several pairs of clean socks. Separate them so that they are not folded or paired, and place them in a bin or basket.
➤ I N T R O D U C T I O N
Mix up the unpaired socks and scatter them all around the room. Invite the children to work together to pair and fold all of the socks, but tell them they must whine and complain the whole time! They must pretend that they are the grumpiest, most unhappy children in the world while they are folding the socks!
Once the task is complete, unfold the socks and mix them up again. Scatter them around the room once more. Invite the children to work together again to pair and fold all of the socks, but this time they must do it with great joy! They must pretend to be the happiest and most cheerful kids in the world while they fold the socks!
After you have completed the activity, invite the children to return to their seats and explain the following:
The socks represent the hard things that we face in our lives. Sometimes bad things happen. Sometimes things don’t go right. Sometimes there is work to do. But because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, we know that everything will work out in the end! If we have faith in Jesus Christ, our hearts can be filled with hope and we can be of good cheer every day!
🎥 V I D E O : "Be of Good Cheer | Animated Scripture Lesson for Kids"
“Now we are going to watch a video about a raccoon who was feeling sad. A squirrel wants to help! Let’s watch and see what the squirrel does to help the raccoon cheer up!”
Discuss the following questions after watching the video:
1) What did the squirrel do to help the raccoon cheer up? (The squirrel gave things to the raccoon: some flowers, a guitar, a rock, a log, and a robot!)
2) Why did the squirrel want to help the raccoon cheer up? (Because she cared about the raccoon!)
3) Do you think Jesus wants to help us when we are having a hard time and cheer us up when we feel sad? (Yes!)
4) Why? (Because He loves us and cares about us!)
➤ S C R I P T U R E
Read the following scriptures and discuss the questions that follow.
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
1) Where was Paul when this happened? (Paul was trying to teach the gospel to others, but he was taken away and put into prison.)
2) What do you think Paul was feeling when he was in prison? (He might have been worried about what would happen to him.)
3) What did Jesus do? (He visited Paul and helped him cheer up! He told Paul not to worry, and that he would be okay. Paul would be able to keep teaching about the gospel in Rome!)
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
1) Who is speaking in this verse? (Jesus is speaking to His disciples. They were feeling sad and scared because Jesus was going to leave them soon.)
2) What did Jesus do? (He didn’t want them to worry. He wanted them to feel peace. He told them to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world!)
3) How do you think Jesus wants us to treat others when they are worried or sad? (He would want us to try to show love and kindness, and to try to help them be of good cheer!)
And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you;
1) Who is speaking in this verse? (Jesus Christ is speaking!)
2) Who are the little children in this verse? (The little children represent all of us! We are all the children of Heavenly Father!)
3) What does it mean to forsake someone? (Forsaking means forgetting about someone.)
4) Has Jesus forgotten about us? (No! He has not forgotten about us, and if we have faith in Him, we can be of good cheer! He will keep all of His promises!)
➤ C O L O R I N G P A G E S
Pass out a coloring page, one to each child. Invite the children to color the scene from the video and to draw some gifts next to the raccoon to try to cheer him up! Use this time to talk about the hope we have in Jesus Christ, and how much the Lord loves and cares for us. We can rejoice and be of good cheer because He has overcome the world!
➤ T E S T I M O N Y
Bear testimony of the truths found in the scriptures.
Positive Media: Another reason to be of good cheer!
Most of the stuff that passes for "entertainment" these days tends to fill our minds with false ideas and to remove any notion of good moral values. Sometimes it is subtle. Sometimes it is quite direct.
The good news: We have reached a breaking point. The pendulum is finally swinging back the other way, and alternative options are springing up everywhere!
One of the leaders in providing inspiring and uplifting content: Living Scriptures Streaming!
Give it a try and see what you (and your kids) think!
