BIBLE LESSONSet up a game of musical chairs to start class. Twist—all the Today we are going to be talking about anger and self-control and how Moses dealt with those two things. Anger demands a bad reaction from us, and it can cost us greatly.

Have you ever been so angry you could just throw something as hard as you could? Well, I know of a guy in the Bible who felt the same way. Let’s read about him.

Read Exodus 32:19

Moses was angry because God delivered these people, and as soon as they got the chance, they were turning their backs on God and breaking His commands. As God says, they were very corrupt people.

Now, we all have experienced anger. Some people struggle with it more than others, but we all have at some point in our life. Moses experienced it quite a few times. In Numbers 20: 9-11, God gave Moses specific instructions, but Moses lost his temper and did not follow His instructions and because of that they could not enter the promised land. Now, it is hard to blame Moses for getting angry. The people were never grateful, and they were always finding something to complain about. However, he did not trust God enough. That is what anger does. It clouds our thoughts and makes us question and not fully trust God like He has called us to do.

Going back to Exodus 32:19, we see Moses loses his temper again. He breaks the covenant law tablets (the ten commandments). In verse 16, it says they were “the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.”

His anger was so consuming that he broke tablets that God wrote on. That is insane.

Moses’ outburst of anger is after he told God to hold back His anger on the Israelites. He told God to hold back His wrath, but the second Moses sees them worshipping the golden calf, he reacts out of anger and breaks the tablets.

So, it’s become pretty obvious that Moses struggled with anger and not having self-control. Can you blame him? How do you think he should have responded?

Self-control is very important. Moses could have had more self-control, and certain things would not have happened. It is the same way in our lives. We can give in to our anger and react, or we can practice self-control and trust that God knows and always has the best plan. We gain self-control by asking God for it. By reading His word, by constantly praying that you respond to how the Holy Spirit would respond and not how our flesh would.

Proverbs 25:28 tells us who we are without self-control.

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

Now, it is okay to be angry, but do not allow your anger to lead you into sin. Do not allow your anger to lead you to hurt others because you do not have self-control. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. God gives us time to sit in our anger to see the truth in a situation, but let’s not take that lightly and not resolve our anger.

WK 4ANGER DEMANDS A BAD REACTION

PURPOSE

Today we are telling the kids how anger always wants a bad reaction from us. Anger clouds our judgment and can lead us to sin. We will be talking about self-control and why it is so important to have.

MEMORY

VERSE

Romans 8:3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.

BIBLE FOCUS

Exodus 32:19Numbers 20:9-11Proverbs 25:28Ephesians 4:26James 1:20

Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”

James 1:20 “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

As hard as it is to let go of our anger, remember that giving in to our anger produces nothing good.

The next time you get angry because your younger or older sibling took your favorite toy or shirt, remember that anger does not produce the righteousness of God. It can and will lead you to sin. Be slow to anger. Ask God to fill you with peace and self-control every time you sense that you are struggling with anger towards someone.

REVIEW QUESTIONSDo you think you struggle with anger more than most?

Do you like to be angry?

When was the last time you got angry?

Do you let the sun go down on your anger?

How much self-control do you have?

Do you want to get better with controlling your anger by

having more self-control?

How do you think you can gain more self-control?

OBJECT LESSONBAKING SODA OBJECT LESSON

You’ll need: Clear glass, liquid dishwashing detergent, 2 tbsp of baking soda, vinegar, food coloring, and baking pan

Place the baking pan on the table to catch anything that overflows. Place the glass in the center of the pan and fill it nearly full with warm/hot water. If you like, drip two drops of food coloring in the water. Now add three to four drops of liquid detergent. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Here comes the fun part—pour in the vinegar! You’ll see it bubble up!

Explain: We are like the water. The baking soda is like our anger. The vinegar is our self-control. If we do not get self-control working properly, it will cause us to do the wrong thing.

WRITTEN ACTIVITY

WK 4ANGER DEMANDS A BAD REACTION

PURPOSE

Today we are telling the kids how anger always wants a bad reaction from us. Anger clouds our judgment and can lead us to sin. We will be talking about self-control and why it is so important to have.

MEMORY

VERSE

Romans 8:3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.

BIBLE FOCUS

Exodus 32:19Numbers 20:9-11Proverbs 25:28Ephesians 4:26James 1:20