Minor Prophets Lead to Great Treasure! 

Using a mining theme, kids will explore the minor prophets who wrote during a time of great upheaval and turmoil in Israel. Over the next 12 weeks, dig a little deeper and embrace the prospect of finding some real diamonds in the rough.

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Miner Profits Children's Ministry Curriculum Lesson Overview

Lessons 1-4: The God Who Sees Us

Memory Verse: “After that, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will have dreams. Your young men will have visions.” – Joel 2:28 (NIRV)
 

Hosea – Taken For Granite
Scripture: Hosea 11:1-7, God's Love and Israel's Unfaithfulness
Granite is a solid rock created from lava. Hosea loved his wife, Gomer, but Gomer was not faithful to Hosea. God used Hosea's marriage to teach Israel about their unfaithfulness. God desires that we have a relationship with him that is solid as a rock.  
Objective: Kids will learn “God’s love for me is solid as a rock.”  

Joel – Hit the Mother Lode
Scripture: Joel 2:25-32, The Day of the Lord
For a minor, hitting the mother lode, means finding the source of the richest minerals. The prophet tells us about the Day of the Lord, when the people will commit themselves to God and he will bless them with His Spirit. When we commit to fully trusting God, we find that we have hit the spiritual mother lode.
Objective: Kids will learn “Just like looking for treasure, we have to seek God through prayer and studying His Word.”

Amos – A Clean Slate
Scripture: Amos 9:11-15, Israel's Restoration
Slate is a hard but brittle rock. The phrase “a clean slate” means to start over without remembering the problems of the past. The people of Amos' day were sinful and corrupt, but God spoke through Amos about a day to come when Israel would be restored and the people would be given a clean slate.
Objective: Kids will learn “God offers a clean slate to those who seek his forgiveness.”

Obadiah – Stake One's Claim
Scripture: Obadiah 1:12-15, Do Not Gloat
When a miner says they have the right to work in a certain mine, they are staking their claim. Sometimes, we claim to be better than others, but Obadiah warns us of the dangers of that. Gloating makes us look petty and small; we find we're not nearly as great as we may claim.
Objective: Kids will learn “I will not think of myself as better than others; I will treat others with respect.”

Lessons 5-8: The God Who Saves Us

Memory Verse: “The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice. You must love to show mercy. And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God.” – Micah 6:8 (NIRV)
 
 

Jonah – Cave In
Scripture: Jonah 1-2, Jonah Runs From God
The last thing we want when we are mining is to experience a cave in. But just like a miner who ignores the warning signs, when we are disobeying God – the way Jonah did – it will only be a matter of time before we will experience the consequences of our actions.
Objective: Kids will learn “Disobeying God always has consequences.”  

Micah – Dig a Little Deeper
Scripture: Micah 6:1-8, Walk Humbly With God
Sometimes the treasure is missed because the miner failed to dig deep enough. The people of Micah's time were quick to offer sacrifices to God, but their hearts were not in the right place. God wants us to dig a little deeper and worship him with our hearts, not just our actions. 
Objective: Kids will learn “God desires our love, not just our obedience.”

Nahum – A Nugget of Hope
Scripture: Nahum 1:1-7, The Lord's Anger
A nugget is just a small piece of a metal or gemstone, but that little nugget could be worth a lot. In the book of Nahum, God had some angry words for the people of Nineveh. But we are still left with a nugget of hope: God is still good and He is there for those who put their trust in Him.
Objective: Kids will learn “I can always call out to God when I’m in trouble and He will hear me.”

Habakkuk – Diamond in the Rough
Scripture: Habakkuk 3:13-19, Habakkuk's Prayer
Among the stone and dirt and roughness of the cave, the miner finally finds a diamond of great worth. Like many of the prophets, Habakkuk speaks about Israel's sinfulness and the consequences of such behavior. But Habakkuk also gives us a diamond – the reminder that in all situations and on all occasions God is worthy of praise and worship.
Objective: Kids will learn “Even when life is rough, God is worthy of my praise.”

Lessons 9-12: The God Who Shares With Us

Memory Verse: “City of Zion, be full of joy! People of Jerusalem, shout! See, your king comes to you. He always does what is right. He has won the victory. He is humble and riding on a donkey. He is sitting on a donkey’s colt.” – Zechariah 9:9 (NIRV)
 

Zephaniah – Shaken to the Core
Scripture: Zephaniah 1:14-18, The Great Day of the Lord
Core is a long piece of rock that is drilled during diamond mining. God's words to Zephaniah about the Great Day of the Lord can shake us to our cores, but they remind us that we cannot put our faith in anything in this world. We must put our trust in God. 
Objective: Kids will learn “God is the only one who will never fail and he is worthy of my trust.”  

Haggai – Abandoned Mine
Scripture: Haggai 1:1-8, A Call to Build God's House
In Haggai's time, the people were focused on their own desires and had abandoned putting God first. That was about as successful as mining in an abandoned mine that has no treasure left. We should put God first, knowing that He will provide everything we need.
Objective: Kids will learn “I will not give God my leftovers, I will give Him my best.”

Zechariah – Think Outside the Bauxite
Scripture: Zechariah 9:9-10, The Coming King
Bauxite is a rock made up of aluminum and other minerals and can range from very soft to very hard depending on the makeup of those elements. The prophets had spoken to the people about their sinfulness and God's justice. In Zechariah, we see another element at work: a coming king. Hundreds of  years before Jesus' birth, the prophets predicted His arrival. They encouraged the people to think outside the box and look forward to the coming Messiah. 
Objective: Kids will learn “God is mighty, powerful, and unbreakable, but also gentle, loving and kind.”

Malachi – A Great Yield
Scripture: Malachi 3:6-7, Return To God
Every miner is hoping for a great yield of minerals and gems. God calls us to have “a great yield,” as well. We are to yield our selfishness and sin, our dreams and desires to God, who never changes. If we yield our will to Him, He will give us a great yield of spiritual treasure. 
Objective: Kids will learn “there is no greater treasure than putting my faith in Jesus.”

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ABOUT THIS CURRICULUM:

• Perfect for kids ages 6-12
• 12-weeks
• Includes large group and small group resources
• This curriculum is an instant download
  
• Download a free sample here

EACH LESSON INCLUDES:

• Make It Stick! Parent Sheet - so you can let mom and dad know what kids are learning each week and look like a rockstar teacher who's thought of everything.
• Memory Verse - so that you can make sure kids are getting Scripture in their minds and hearts every single week and you can feel like each lesson was a success even when it seems like 90% of your lesson time is spent saying things like "calm down", "let's be quiet", "hands to yourself!"
• Skit or Puppet Show - so you have a way to easily connect the lesson with your hands-on and visual learners. No drama team? No problem! Just hand the script to the kids. They'll have a blast and think you're the coolest.
• Craft Activity - so you can give kids a physical reminder of the Bible lesson (and give yourself an activity to keep them busy until mom and dad come back!)
• Game - so kids don't leave and say church was BORING! Games are so important to help keep kids engaged. Our large group games always include a "What's The Point" section to help you connect the game to the lesson.
• Large Group Lesson - so you can present the Bible story in a clear and fun way, which means now you can enjoy Saturday nights instead of stressing over putting a lesson together!
• Small-Group Discussion - so you can find out who was paying attention and who was talking to their neighbor.  Just kidding, this is a great way for you to build deeper relationships with your kiddos after each lesson, which means you're going to care about them so much you'll cry like a baby when they graduate and go to middle school :(
• More! - Yes, there is even more than all of that so that you can easily put together the perfect lesson for your ministry each weekend, which means no more agonizing over how to adjust complicated lesson plans. 

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Guaranteed to Be Awesome!