God’s Perfect Power

Middle School

Lesson 11
Fall 2025
By: RLD Editorial Team
November 16, 2025

Lesson Focus:

When we are weak, God’s power is perfect.

Bible Basis:

Judges 6:11-15; 7:3-7, 21-22

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Soft foam balls or beanbags for juggling (6-8)

Step 4:

Door hanger templates printed on cardstock (1 sheet per every 2 students; template found here)
Markers
Scissors
Optional: Washi tape; colored markers; glue

Summary & Links:

To see how God works through our weaknesses and understand that His power is perfect, students will watch a video clip about a young Christian author who’s allowed God to redeem her struggles.

Memory Verse:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”
—2 Corinthians 12:9

ECHOES: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
—1 Corinthians 1:27

To see how God works through our weaknesses and understand that His power is perfect, students will watch a video clip about a young Christian author who’s allowed God to redeem her struggles.

Materials Needed:

Soft foam balls or beanbags for juggling (6-8)

Have student volunteers attempt to juggle the 6 to 8 soft foam balls or beanbags upon entering your class. Clear a small space so students can juggle and others can watch. Encourage students to see if they are successful jugglers. Most students will be able to juggle a few times or a few balls or beanbags, but it will be difficult for most students to get the balance between tossing and adding more to the juggling process. Let students have fun with this as long as time and interest allow. Regroup. (If your class is meeting online, you can invite students to bring soft balls and beanbags to class and do demonstrations for their classmates over video. Or, you can do a demonstration for the class.)

You may say juggling is a strength of yours, not a weakness, but if that’s true, you are probably in the minority. Unless you have practiced juggling in the past, it is not something that comes easily for most people on the first try.

Ashley Hetherington is a Christian content creator and author. After her parents got divorced, she experienced a lot of pain and began seeking ways to heal from the hurt.

Let’s watch and see how Sadie was able to walk through her struggles and turn them into strength and a way to help others.

Share this video with your students [4:52; start at 1:!5; stop at 3:57]: I followed God for 5 years…and this is what happened.

What impressed you most about Ashley? (Answers will vary. Some students may notice that Ashley seems like a strong person, she’s allowed God to use even the hard things in her life, and she wants to be a voice of truth for others.)
How has God redeemed Ashley’s previous struggles with grieving her parents’ divorce, navigating depression, and trying to find healing in the wrong places as she moves forward in her life and ministry? (Ashley can set a positive example for her readers and members of her ministry. She can be a positive role model for young people who want to know what it looks like to heal and pursue God when they’ve encountered challenging circumstances.)
How does Ashley motivate you to invite God to redeem struggles or weaknesses you may have? (Answers will vary.)

Today we’ll meet a fearful man named Gideon who was chosen to lead the Israelite troops. Let’s see how this weakness of fear becomes a strength for Gideon as we study his story.

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.

Materials Needed:

Door hanger templates printed on cardstock (1 sheet per every 2 students; template found here)
Markers
Scissors
Optional: Washi tape; colored markers; glue

If your class is meeting online, email the template for students to print ahead of time and bring to class with markers and scissors.

Before class, print out enough door hanger templates on cardstock so that each of your students has a door hanger (two door hanger patterns appear on each sheet; template found here.) Cut the template in half so that each student can start cutting out their individual door hanger right away. NOTE: If you want these to be sturdier, provide two per student and have them glue them together.

Gideon had some weaknesses and insufficiencies. When the angel of the Lord came to him, Gideon complained that he was from the weakest clan and was the least in his family. That didn’t stop the angel of the Lord from tasking Gideon with leading Israel out of Midian’s hand.

Have you ever been asked to do something either by a parent or guardian, a teacher, a choir or band teacher, or a coach and the first words out of your mouth were, “but I can’t! I’m not able. I’m not qualified.” It’s an easy answer, and we just saw Gideon give it, but it didn’t stop Gideon from being asked to do something hard, and it probably won’t work for you either. If you are capable of something, then the person who asks you to do it probably has more faith in you than you have in yourself! They KNOW you can do what they are asking of you and they are challenging you to do MORE!

Ask:

Why do you think God whittled Gideon’s army down from 32,000 men to just 300 men? (God wanted to show Gideon that power is more than size or bravery. God turned the Midianites against one another and they killed each other so Gideon’s army didn’t have to do much. The army was defeated by God’s strength alone.)

Distribute supplies (or invite students to have them ready at home). Invite students to find a spot where they can spend some time thinking and writing their responses to the following questions:

Is there something you are fearful of that you need to do this week? Why are you fearful? What do you think you can accomplish with God’s help? (Examples will vary. Provide adequate time for each student to answer these questions.)
How might we be able to trust God’s strength in our weaknesses this week? (Have volunteers who wish to share their answers with the large group to do so here.)

Have your students cut out their door hanger and write the following words on it:

WHEN I’M WEAK
GOD’S POWER
IS
PERFECT

If you provided washi tape and colored markers, they may want more time to add some flair to their hanger.

Encourage students to put this door hanger somewhere where they will see it this week. For example, in their room, on their dresser, on a bathroom doorknob, or in a school locker.

Being reminded of God’s power can help us when we feel most weak. Use this reminder this week to help you trust in Him.

Close in prayer asking for God’s perfect power to reach down and help each of us in our weaknesses this week as we face them. God can use things that we may not think He will or can use. Our weaknesses can become our biggest strengths in God’s perfect power.

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School