Before class, printout a copy of the letter worksheet template for each student. If your class is meeting online, email the template for families to print ahead of time. Invite students to bring supplies with them to class. 

A plane crash-landing is not a good thing. But something good can come out of it: in the case of the flight we discussed earlier, all the passengers walked away from an accident that could have killed them all! 

Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery was not a good thing either. But something good came out of it—God gave Joseph a place in Pharaoh’s palace, then used Joseph to save thousands of lives! 

Because God is in control, the same thing can happen in our lives. When bad things happen, God can bring good things out of them!

Distribute supplies (or invite students to have them ready at home). Because God is in control, He’s able to take a negative event and turn it into something positive. In fact, today’s memory verse promises that if we’re followers of Jesus, that’s exactly what He’ll do!

But that’s a hard truth to remember when we’re hurting. Today, let’s write ourselves a short letter. It will serve as a reminder that we’ve seen God bring good things out of bad things in the past. It will also help remind us that God can do the same thing in the future!

Draw your students’ attention to the letter worksheet (whether a physical copy or screenshared version). Point out where they should complete the worksheet by filling in personal information. 

First, think about a time when something bad happened to you. Write about that in the first blank area in the letter. Now, remember how God brought good stuff out of the bad stuff, and write that in the second blank area of your letter.

Finally, think about something you’re worried about now—something that might result in a negative outcome. Write that thought in the third designated area of your letter. 

God is in control! That’s how He can use even horrible events to do something good. That’s a hard thing to remember sometimes. This week read over your letter each morning as a reminder. After you read, ask God to help you trust Him to bring good out of your worries. 

If time allows, ask: 

• We all just wrote down a situation in our letters where we need to trust God to bring about something good. Would anyone like to share what you wrote in the third blank? (Talk about what you wrote down first, then invite [do not force] any willing volunteers to join in. Pray for each student who shares, asking God to help his/her trust that He will bring good out of his/her bad situation.) 

Not everything in life turns out the way we’re hoping. The passengers on the flight we talked about earlier certainly weren’t hoping to crash. Joseph wasn’t hoping to be sold into slavery. But God can bring good things out of events that seem to be disasters. This week, trust that He’ll do that in your life! Encourage your students to write similar letters this week when unexpected incidents arise that require them to trust that God is in control. 

Close in prayer.