Skip to main content

Gentleness: Turning the Other Cheek


Circle Time: 
Read and discuss Matthew 5:38-42. This is a mix of The Message and NIV. 
"Here's a saying that deserves a second look. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: Don't hit back at all. If someone hits you on your right cheek, turn and give them your left too. If someone asks for the shirt off your back, hand over your coat as well." 
  • If someone hits you should you hit back? No
  • What should you do? Get a grown up to help, ask Jesus to help you treat them gently
  • If we feel angry, how should we react? Should we hit, or scream, or call names? No, we should stop, take a deep breath, and think about how God would want us to react. 
An example of a healthy coping strategy I like to use with little ones is "sponge breathing". Hold your arms straight out and squeeze your hands into tight fists, like you're squeezing out a sponge while taking in a big deep breath. Let it out slowly, while pantomiming the water gently trickling down. 

Prayer: 
Dear God,
Thank you for being gentle with me even when I don't deserve it. Thank you for your love, help me show love to others even when I feel angry. I love you so much Jesus!
Amen

Object Talk: 
Gather some objects that are precious and fragile and put them in a box or bag. Introduce it as your "Gentle Bag". Talk about each item, why it's important to you, and why it's important to be gentle with it. Some examples of objects are figurines, dried flowers, or family pictures. Talk about how these things are easily hurt or broken, but have value.

 "Our friends and family can easily be hurt by the things we say and do, but those people have value to us and it's important to treat them gently. Even people who are mean to us, or maybe we don't like, they have value too and our words and actions can hurt them too. Everyone is special to God like these things are special to me. We should treat people gently too." 

Bible Story: 
 The story of David sparing Saul's life in the wilderness can be found in 1 Samuel 24 and is a great example of  not reacting in anger. Although David had plenty of reason to be really angry with Saul, he chose not to give in to his anger. You can read it straight from the Bible, I recommend the ERV or Message versions for kids since they use more simplified language. Or if you prefer a more visual approach, here's an animated video: David Spares Saul's Life (Psst! Here's a supplemental video about dealing with anger you can use if you need to fill more time: Daniel Tiger - Katerina Gets Mad)

Craft: 
Provide sheets of colorful patterned paper and encourage your group to rip them up. Glue them to a separate sheet, where you've written a reminder of what they learned. I got this idea from Flame: Creative Kid Ministry. Check out their blog post for this and other ideas for this Bible story. 



Take Home Card: 
A card with information about this week's lesson for parents.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Bible Verse:  And my God will meet all your needs  according to the riches of his glory  in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 Object Lesson: Adapted from here.  "How many corners does this piece of paper have?  Four.  But what if I want to give someone a corner? Cut off a corner of the paper, and hand it to a child.  N ow that I’ve given a corner away, how many corners do I have?   I have five.   You see, the more times Jesus divided the bread and fish, the more he had to give away."  Have the children count the corners on the cut-off piece they each have.   Not only that, the people had more than enough.   Encourage the kids to each cut off more corners, each time counting the multiplying corners. Bible Lesson:  Adapted from  here.  I brought Swedish Fish candies and crackers to represent the loaves and fish for the kids to enjoy while they listen.  People followed Jesus and his disciples ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gideon - The Lord Is With You

Circle Time:  Our memory verse this week is Deuteronomy 31:8, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." Discuss scenarios that might be scary, and how you would feel better if someone went first. Talk with you children about how the Lord is always with them, even in overwhelming situations.  Prayer:  Dear God, thank you for your promises to go before me, and always be with me. I know you'll never leave me, and I don't have to be afraid. Help me to always trust in you. Amen.  Object Lesson:  Pass around a few acorns and encourage your kids to share their observations. Acorns may be small, but they can grow up tall into a tree. They may not look like much, but God created them to do something amazing. God can do a lot with a little.  Bible Story:  Video:  VeggieTales - Gideon Tuba Warrior When Israel planted its crops, Midian would inv...
Post a Comment
Read more

God is Faithful

Object Lesson:  God Is Our Rock! I did this lesson around back to school season, where a lot of things may be changing or scary for a kid. This lesson is a good reminder that no matter how much things are changing, God is always constant. Give each child a river rock or pebble. You can find these in your hardware store's lawn care department. Ask them to describe it: How does it feel? Is it soft or hard? Is it crumbly or solid? Do you think you could break it if you tried? If you built a house out of rocks like this, would it last a long time or be easy to break? If a storm came, would it blow them away? Let the children play with a container of sand. I used kinetic beach sand which you can find in toy stores or online, but regular old sand works too. Ask them similar questions about the sand, and explain that God is like the rock. No matter what happens, storms or calm weather, good times or bad, Jesus loves us and cares for us. He will always be with us, even when we are...
Post a Comment
Read more