Elementary Level, Block 8—Ezra / Nehemiah / Esther
Week 77
Nehemiah—Aggressive in Volunteering Himself to Help
Point to Emphasize: We can volunteer to help others.
Reference Reading: Nehemiah 2:1-8
Memory Verse: Even a child makes himself known by his deeds, / Whether his work is pure and whether it is upright. (Proverbs 20:11)
Story Sample
Last week, we heard about someone in the Bible called Nehemiah. Who remembers who he was? Right! He was the cupbearer for the king. He was always a pleasant person, and the king knew this very well. But one day, Nehemiah had a sad face because of the terrible news of what was happening to the children of Israel. Deep inside he knew he needed to help. Today we will see HOW he helped. You see, there are different ways of helping. You can help, because someone tells you to do it, you can help because someone asks you to do it, or you can help because you volunteer to do it.
Nehemiah, being so interested in God’s building, took this opportunity to speak boldly to the king. He told the king that the city where his family was from had been destroyed. He told him that Jerusalem lay in waste, and its gates were consumed with fire. The king asked Nehemiah, “What do you want?” Before he answered the king, Nehemiah prayed silently to the God of heaven, and then he said to the king, “Send me to Judah to the city…that I may rebuild it.”
Nehemiah volunteered to do this hard work! He was bold and aggressive, putting all his energy into doing something in Jerusalem. No one else had done anything about the broken-down wall, but Nehemiah asked the king if HE could go do something about it. Nehemiah was willing to go and rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah saw a need and volunteered to do it without being asked.
Sometimes a person asks for volunteers to help with something. We raise our hands if we are willing to do it. It is good to volunteer in this way, but it is even better to volunteer without being asked. When mom or dad comes home with the shopping bags, do you say, “What did you buy for me?” Or do you say, “Can I help you carry those bags?” We can volunteer to help our parents carry the bags inside and put the items away. We can ask to help our parents before they ask us. This makes our parents very happy.
One day my dad was cooking dinner in the kitchen. I noticed that there were no knives, forks, or plates on the table yet, so I asked my dad, “Can I set the table for you?” He was so happy that I had volunteered to help him! [Storyteller, insert a personal example of when you volunteered to do something without being asked.]
Do you volunteer to do anything at home or at school? [Help the children identify some tasks: take out the trash, set/clear the dinner table, tidy up toys when you know others are coming over…] I’m sure that your parents and teachers are very happy when you volunteer to help without being asked. They respect that you are bold and aggressive to step in and help!
Nehemiah volunteered to go to Jerusalem and repair the city wall. No one asked him to do it, but he wanted to go. The king not only granted Nehemiah permission to go to Jerusalem, but also gave him wood to use for building the gates of the city. Nehemiah knew that God had helped him get everything he needed. This week, let’s look for ways to volunteer to help others.