Before You Teach
A prep snapshot before the full lesson flow.
Hosea and Joel were prophets who warned God's people when they had turned away from Him. The Lord compared His covenant with Israel to a marriage. Israel had not been loyal, and still the Lord kept inviting them to come back. Joel taught the same thing: the Lord is "gracious and merciful" and wants His people to turn to Him with their whole hearts.
The Lord asked Hosea to marry a woman named Gomer. Gomer was not loyal to Hosea and left him. The Lord then told Hosea to bring her back and love her anyway, and Hosea paid to bring her home (Hosea 3). The Lord used Hosea's family to show how He felt about Israel. Israel had left Him to worship idols, and He still wanted them back. At the end of the book the Lord promises, "I will love them freely" (Hosea 14:4). Joel lived through a time when locusts ate all the crops. He told the people to fast, pray, and turn to the Lord with their hearts, and he promised that one day the Lord would "pour out my spirit upon all flesh" (Joel 2:28).
Children ages 8-10 know what it feels like when a friend breaks a promise, and what it feels like to break one themselves. This week shows them that when they make a wrong choice, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do not give up on them. They can always turn back, say sorry, and try again, at home, at school, and with friends.
Full Lesson Flow
Use the sections below as a menu. Swap cards and activities to keep the class interactive.
Activity options
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Ask: "Imagine a friend promised to sit with you at lunch, then sat with someone else and laughed at you. Next week that friend says sorry. Would you let them be your friend again?" Let a few children answer honestly. Then say: "This week a prophet named Hosea tells us what the Lord does when His people break their promises to Him. Listen for His answer."
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Ask: "Imagine a friend promised to sit with you at lunch, then sat with someone else and laughed at you. Next week that friend says sorry. Would you let them be your friend again?" Let a few children answer honestly. Then say: "This week a prophet named Hosea tells us what the Lord does when His people break their promises to Him. Listen for His answer."
Hold up a paper heart with a small tear in it. Ask: "If someone gave you a torn heart, would you throw it away or fix it?" Tape it together in front of them. Say: "The Lord's people hurt His heart by leaving Him. Let's see what He did."
Paths
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Explain the setting first: Israel had worshipped idols and forgotten the Lord. Hosea told them to pray and ask the Lord to take away their sins. Then the Lord answered. Have a child read:
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.
Explain the words. "Backsliding" means sliding backward, away from God, like walking back down a path you were climbing. "Freely" means His love is a gift. Israel did not earn it, and He gave it anyway. So when we slide back, He wants to help us climb again.
Second beat (3 minutes): Joel said something similar. Read together:
Turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. (Joel 2:13)
Questions:
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Explain the setting first: Israel had worshipped idols and forgotten the Lord. Hosea told them to pray and ask the Lord to take away their sins. Then the Lord answered. Have a child read:
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.
Explain the words. "Backsliding" means sliding backward, away from God, like walking back down a path you were climbing. "Freely" means His love is a gift. Israel did not earn it, and He gave it anyway. So when we slide back, He wants to help us climb again.
Second beat (3 minutes): Joel said something similar. Read together:
Turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. (Joel 2:13)
Questions:
Treasure hunt: have partners find words that describe Jesus Christ. They will find "no saviour beside me" (Hosea 13:4) and "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death" (Hosea 13:14). Explain that "redeem" means to pay to bring someone back, the same thing Hosea did for Gomer. Jesus Christ redeems us through His Atonement and Resurrection.
Principle 1 (default): The Lord always invites me to come back. When we make a wrong choice, Heavenly Father does not stop loving us. Because Jesus Christ can heal our mistakes, we can say sorry, change, and come back, the way a friend comes back after a fight.
Principle 2: The Lord wants my heart, not just my actions. In Joel's day, people tore their clothes to show they were sorry. Joel said, "Rend your heart, and not your garments" (Joel 2:13). Saying "sorry" with a grumpy face is not the same as really being sorry. The Lord cares most about what is inside.
Principle 3: The Holy Ghost can guide me. Joel promised the Lord would "pour out my spirit upon all flesh" (Joel 2:28), and that includes "your sons and your daughters." Children can feel the Holy Ghost help them choose the right, at school and at home.
Activity options
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Type: Physical activity
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Type: Physical activity
Type: Object lesson
Type: Creative expression
Idea A (default): Ask: "What is one thing you could say sorry for this week, to a parent, a brother or sister, or a friend?" Remind them that saying sorry with their heart is what Joel taught.
Idea B: If someone says sorry to you this week, invite them back the way the Lord invites us back.
Ask: "How do you feel knowing Jesus always wants you to come back to Him?" Let one or two children answer. Then share in a few sentences what you know about the Savior's love.
Tonight, read Hosea 14:4 with your family. Tell them about the Way Back Game, and share one way you will turn toward Jesus this week.
Keep the Gomer story short and gentle: she left her husband, and he brought her back. If you are late, skip to the activity you picked.