WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Elementary (Y1)

Jesus loves us and he also loves our enemies! What does that mean for us? How should we treat our enemies? This week we will see what God says about how we should treat those who treat us with unkindness.

Matthew 5:40-48; Romans 12:20-21

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

SONG OF THE WEEK

BIBLE STORY

Make lemon water by squeezing lemon juice into a glass of water. Take a sip. What does the water taste like? Sometimes there are people around us that make life hard for us, or bitter just like the lemon water. We want to enjoy school, church, and our friends but sometimes other people get in the way of us enjoying it with their bitter behavior. The bible tells us what we should do with people we may consider to be our enemies who leave a bitter taste.

Materials: Lemon, water, drinking cup, spoon, sugar

Read or listen to Matthew 5:40-48

If someone asks you for your shirt, what else should you hand over as well? (your coat)
If someone asks you to walk one mile with them, how many miles should you go with them? (2 miles)
What are the 2 things Jesus said we should do to our enemies? (love and pray for them)
God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. What do you think that means? (God provides for everyone)
What does God say the pagans do? (love those who love them, greet only their own people.)
If we are not pagan but believe in God, how should our actions be different from theirs? (It should reflect God’s love, which he shows to the evil and the good, the righteous and unrighteous).
How can you reflect God’s love to your personal enemies, or the people who are unkind to you?
How does knowing God cares for the unrighteous make you feel?
Do you sometimes make mistakes and do things that are unrighteous? How does God feel about you in those moments? (God loves me even when I do the wrong thing)

God loves us even when we do wrong things, that helps us see that God’s love is not conditional. He loves me when I am wrong or bad and he also loves those who are unkind to you. That means, if God loves my enemies he wants me to show love towards them as well. The lemon water that was bitter was missing something to make it lemonade. Now add a teaspoon or two of sugar to your lemon water and taste it. Your lemon water was missing sugar to make it taste sweet and enjoyable. God calls us to be the sugar in our enemies’ lives to help sweeten them up!

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Label 3 small bowls or containers with family, friends and enemies. Place the family and friends bowl closer to the start mark. Place the enemy bowl farther away. Using a beanbag have the child stand at a starting point and try to throw the bean bag into each one of the bowls. Which bowl was easiest to get the beanbag into? Which bowl was the hardest. Loving others can be similar to this beanbag toss game. The people who are closest to us tend to be easier to love like our family and close friends. But it can be difficult to love our enemies because they are not showing kindness us. God loves our enemies just as much as he loves you and me, so we should love them as well, even when its hard!

Materials: 3 bowls/containers, bean bag/small ball, labels: family, friends, enemies

ALTERNATIVE:

Play this game of memory. Match the cards that describe how we should treat others with love even when they are treating us in an opposite way.

Materials: memory

CREATE:

Create a plan of action for the next time you encounter an enemy. Read or listen to the following verses. On a separate piece of paper make a 3 column chart. On the first column write examples of when you’ve had an enemy be unkind to you. On the next column write one of the following verses that could help you in that situation. In the third column write your plan of action to show love the next time you are faced with that problem.

Matthew 5:16. 1 Peter 2:12. Galations 5:22. Romans 12:20. Luke 6:35. Romans 12:20

Materials: 3 column chart, bible, pencil/pen

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make a Love Mobile. Using white paper cut out a circle and write the following scripture “ Love on another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34“. On small cut out hearts write the names of people you love and need to love even if they are not kind to you. Use this mobile and people listed to pray for them throughout the week.

Materials: Coloring sheet printout, Crayons or Markers

Craft 1

CRAFT 2

Coloring Page

CRAFT 2

Materials: Coloring sheet printout, Crayons or Markers

FOLLOW-UP

Jesus said that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, or continuously mistreat us. What does it mean to love your enemies?

Take 5 pieces of black paper, write 5 ways that you show kindness, then crumble up the paper into a ball. Place one black paper ball on top of your head and walk from one side of the room to the other. As you walk have a partner add a ball to your head and see if you can carry all 5 balls across the room.

Read Romans 12:20-21

The bible says we are to heap live coals on the heads of our enemies through our acts of love for them. We may tend to think of putting coals on our enemies heads as a way for revenge and to hurt them but actually the term “Burning or live coal” is a proverbial expression. It means when you show kindness to your enemy it makes them think about all the wrong things they have done to you. Those thoughts begin to weigh heavy on their minds and it burns in their head, like hot coals. It then makes them more open to repent of their wrongs toward you because your kind acts have made them think differently. Think of how hard it is to be unkind to someone who is smiling and offering you help. Their kindness only magnifies your unkindness.

Look back at what you wrote as your 5 ways to show kindness. Try to add a few more acts of kindness to your list and then use them this week when someone is being unkind to you. If you notice a change in your enemy, write it on the back side of your black paper balls. Pray for God to remind you to show love to your enemies when you are in the moment and tempted to respond with unkindness.

Materials: black construction Paper (5 sheets or more), pen/pencil

Practical Application at Home

Find practical ways to show love to your family at home, your teachers and classmates at school.

—Write a note to say you are thinking of them or are praying for them.
—Say a prayer for a friend, even if you don’t know their prayer request.
—Give a friend a high 5 when they have done a good job.
—Share your favorite toy with a sibling.