LESSON 1: GOD IS A MIGHTY FORTRESS

 TOPICS: Fear, God's Protection

 AS KIDS ARRIVE (5 minutes): Mighty Fortress Maze (Maze Activity)

1. MEMORY WORK (10 minutes)

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

2. SCRIPTURE READING AND DISCUSSION (15 minutes)

Introduction:
Today we are going to discuss God’s protection. But first, what are some earthly objects that protect us from
harm (shields, structures, other people, etc)? We certainly understand the need for physical protection from
things such as the weather, sickness, and even invading armies. But how is our need for physical protection
related to our even greater need for spiritual protection? Today we will learn how, and why, God protects us
from Satan and the evil of this world.

3. Read Psalm 91:1-8 (God is our Protector)

1
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a] 5
You will not fear the terror of night,
2
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my nor the arrow that flies by day,
fortress, 6
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
my God, in whom I trust.” nor the plague that destroys at midday.
3
Surely he will save you 7
A thousand may fall at your side,
from the fowler’s snare ten thousand at your right hand,
and from the deadly pestilence. but it will not come near you.
4
He will cover you with his feathers, 8
You will only observe with your eyes
and under his wings you will find refuge; and see the punishment of the wicked.

4. Discussion Questions:
1. What does God’s “shadow” give us? (Shelter and rest.)
2. Do we need to be near or far from God to be in His shadow? (Near.)
3. How do we stay near to Him? (Through obedience, prayer, studying His word, etc.)
4. How does God “shelter,” or protect us, from evil? (He saves us from Satan’s deliberate attacks, death, our
fears, sickness, punishment, etc.)
5. What animal is used to compare God’s protection? (A bird, verse 4 – “He will cover you with His feathers.”)
6. How is this an accurate description of God’s desire to protect us? (Because a mother bird will use her wings to
shield her young from danger.)
7. So, how is God a Mighty Fortress for us? (Because when we know God and draw near to Him, He will protect
us like a fortress protects the people inside.)
8. Why does He protect us? (Because of His great love!)

Conclusion: The Bible teaches us that drawing near to God will result in His perfect protection. God acts as a
Mighty Fortress, or shield, between us and evil. And when we trust in God’s protection, we don’t have to fear what
could happen to us. As children of God who have accepted His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, we can be
assured of His ability to protect us from harm.

CLASS EXERCISE (10-15 minutes)

Our Mighty Fortress (Coloring Activity)