Faith That Needs God

## 1. What went wrong when the disciples tried to help the boy? > 'And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.' — Matthew 17:16

Ask: The boy's dad asked Jesus' friends to heal his son, but they couldn't do it. Why not?

Expected answers: They didn't have enough faith / they were trusting themselves instead of God / they forgot to pray and depend on God.

Redirect: If a child says the demon was too strong, say — 'The demon was strong, but Jesus showed He is stronger. The problem was the disciples' faith. Let's look at what Jesus said about that.'

Time: 3-4 minutes

## 2. What is faith like a mustard seed? > 'If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move.' — Matthew 17:20

Ask: Jesus said even tiny faith can move a mountain. Does that mean we are super strong? Or does it mean God is super strong?

Expected answers: God is super strong / the power comes from God, not us / we need to trust God, not ourselves.

Redirect: If a child says they could move a real mountain, say — 'Jesus was using a picture to show us something. The point is that when we trust God, He does what seems impossible. The power is His, not ours.'

Time: 3-4 minutes

## 3. How can we grow our faith? > 'Our faith is grounded not in ourselves... it grows in our reliance upon God.'

Ask: The sermon said we grow our faith by praying, reading the Bible, and being with other Christians. Which one can you do this week?

Expected answers: Pray before bed / read a Bible story / come to church / talk to a Christian friend or family member.

Redirect: If a child gives a vague answer like 'be good,' say — 'Being good is great, but Jesus said faith grows when we depend on God. Can you think of a way to spend time with God this week?'

Time: 3-4 minutes

Activity: Draw Your Mustard-Seed Faith

What to do: Give each child paper and crayons. Ask them to draw a tiny mustard seed, then draw something big that seems hard or scary (like a mountain, a test at school, or a problem). Then draw Jesus next to it, big and strong.

Why: This helps them see that small faith in a big God is enough because the power is God's, not ours.

Leader tip: Encourage kids to share their pictures. Ask: 'Who is really doing the hard thing in your picture?' Remind them: when we trust Jesus, He has the power.

Time: 5-6 minutes

Total time estimate: 15-20 minutes