Joseph Bible Lesson for Kids: Trusting God Through Hard Times
LESSON OVERVIEW
Theme: Trusting God Through Difficult Times
Big Truth: Even when life is hard, God has a good plan for you.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 37: 39–45
Pillar Focus: Presence — Learning to experience God’s goodness and faithfulness especially in challenging moments.
1) INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever gone through a tough day? Maybe you felt left out, sad, or worried about something? Life can sometimes feel hard and confusing, but God’s story about Joseph teaches us something very important: even when times are difficult, God is working behind the scenes with a wonderful plan for your life.
Joseph’s life was full of surprises: from a colorful coat given by his dad, to being sold into slavery, facing prison, and then rising to be a powerful leader in Egypt. Throughout all these highs and lows, Joseph trusted that God was in charge. Today, we will learn how Joseph’s story shows us that God’s plans are always good, even when we don’t understand them right away.
2) GAME: COLORFUL COAT JOURNEY
Materials:
Printouts or paper cutouts of items from Joseph’s story (e.g., colorful coat, well, prison bars, Egyptian crown)
A large board or wall space for a timeline
Tape or sticky tack
Instructions:
As you tell Joseph’s story, invite children to come up and place the story pictures on the timeline in the correct order.
Pause to ask questions related to each stage (e.g., “How do you think Joseph felt when his brothers gave him the coat?” or “What might Joseph have thought in prison?”).
Celebrate as the timeline builds, showing the journey from hardship to God’s blessings.
Say this:
Joseph’s life had many ups and downs—just like our own lives sometimes do! By putting these pictures on the timeline, we see how God was with Joseph the whole time. His coat had many colors, and his story had many parts, but God’s plan was always good.
3) PRAISE & WORSHIP:
Instructions: Kids! It’s time to worship and today we are going to worship Jesus because God’s plan is always good!
PS.Sing energetic worship songs that help kids celebrate trusting God no matter what:
“Even When It’s Hard” — Hillsong Kids
“You Are Not Alone” — Elevation Kids
“God Will Make a Way” — Housefires Kids
“Good Plans” — Gateway Kids Worship
“Trust in You” — Planetshakers Kids
Encourage jumping, clapping, and open arms expressing trust and joy in God’s plans.
Leader Tip: Pay attention to how your kids are engaging with Jesus during worship. Especially with a bible story like this, some kids might not feel like God’s plan is always good (depending on their circumstances) or even believe that. Cover them in prayer during this time!
4) BIBLE STORY SERMON WITH PROPS: JOSPEH’S JOURNEY OF TRUST
Props Needed
Coat of Many Colors (or a brightly colored scarf)
Small box or container (to represent the well)
Toy money or small bag (to represent being sold as a slave)
Crown or Pharaoh-style headpiece (optional, for when Joseph helps Pharaoh)
Bag of grain, beans, or rice (to represent saving food during the famine)
Paper “coats” and markers/crayons (for closing activity
Introduction (Interactive)
(Hold up the coat of many colors.)
Hey kids! Look at this beautiful coat! Who would love to get a coat like this?” (Pause for answers.)
This coat reminds me of a man named Joseph from the Bible. Joseph was one of twelve brothers, but his father Jacob loved him the most. To show it, Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors—just like this one!”
Now imagine this: You get a gift like this, but instead of being happy, your brothers feel jealous. How would that make you feel?” (Pause for responses.)
Body of the Sermon (Interactive Storytelling with Props)
(Hold the coat.)
Joseph’s brothers were very jealous. They didn’t like that Joseph had this beautiful coat and that he shared dreams showing he would one day be very important. So, they did something really mean—they threw Joseph into a deep well.” (Show the box or container.)
Can you imagine being stuck in a dark, scary place? Joseph must have felt lonely, scared, and maybe even sad. Has anyone here ever been treated unfairly? How did it feel? (Pause for responses.)
“But even when life was really hard, Joseph didn’t stop trusting God. He believed God had a plan.”
(Hold the toy money or bag.)
Then, Joseph was sold as a slave and taken far away to Egypt. That’s like being sent to a place you’ve never been, far from home and family. But God was with Joseph, helping him succeed wherever he went—even in hard situations!”
(Hold the crown or Pharaoh headpiece.)
Later, Joseph was put in prison for something he didn’t even do! But even there, he kept trusting God. He used the gifts God gave him—like understanding dreams—to help others. Eventually, Joseph helped save a whole country from a terrible famine!
(Hold the bag of grain or beans.)
After many years, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food. They didn’t recognize Joseph, but he knew them. And here’s the amazing part: Instead of being angry, Joseph forgave them. He said, ‘God sent me here ahead of you to save lives.’ Even though Joseph suffered, God’s plan was good, and Joseph trusted Him.
“Why do you think Joseph forgave his brothers? And how can we trust God when things feel unfair or hard?” (Encourage responses.)
Closing
(Hold the coat again.)
Joseph’s story shows us something very important: Even when life is hard, God has a good plan for you. Trusting God doesn’t always make problems disappear, but it gives us the strength to keep going, to do what is right, and to use the gifts God gave us to help others.”
Big Truth for the Kids (repeat after me, Kids!):
God is always with you, even in hard times.
Trusting God helps you stay strong and kind.
God can turn even sad or unfair things into something good.
Let’s remember Joseph’s story every time we face something hard. And just like Joseph, we can trust that God has a plan for our lives—even when we can’t see it yet!
5) HOLY SPIRIT ACTIVATION: COLORFUL COAT CRAFT - TRUSTING GOD IN EVERY COLOR
Materials:
Paper “coat” templates or blank T-shirt-shaped papers
Markers, crayons, colored paper, glitter, stickers
Glue and scissors
Instructions:
Give each child a blank coat or T-shirt outline.
Invite them to decorate the coat with bright colors and symbols that represent times when trusting God is hard or easy (for example, hearts for love, stars for hope, rain for hard times).
As they decorate, encourage them to think about the different “colors” of their lives—joyous times, sad times, exciting times—and how God is with them in all of these moments.
Each child can write or dictate a short promise from God on their coat, such as “God is with me” or “God has a plan.”
Say this:
Just like Joseph’s coat was colorful and special, your life is full of all kinds of moments. Some days are bright and happy, and sometimes things feel hard. But God is with you in every color. He loves you and has a good plan, no matter what!
6) SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:
What was one hard thing Joseph went through?
How did Joseph keep trusting God when things went wrong?
Can you think of a hard time when God helped you?
Why is trusting God important, even when life is confusing?
How can we show others that God’s plan is good!
Encourage kids to share about times they’ve experienced both joys and challenges and how God helped them.
7) PRAYER
Dear God, thank You that Joseph’s story reminds us You are with us in every moment—good or hard. Help us trust You no matter what happens. Thank You for Your good plans for our lives. Help us be brave and faithful, just like Joseph. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
8) FINAL THOUGHT FOR PARENTS AND LEADERS
Joseph’s story is a beautiful reminder that God’s presence is with us in every season of life—especially the tough ones. Encourage families to display their children’s Colorful Coat crafts as a reminder that God’s plans are full of color, hope, and purpose. Reinforce that faith grows as we trust God even when we can’t see the full picture.