VERSE: 2 Thessalonians 3:13
MEMORY VERSE: 2 Thessalonians 3:13 "...be not weary in well doing."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Galatians. To help students remember the next book of the New Testament, write "Galatians" on small strips of paper and hand out one strip to each student to take home and memorize. By memorizing a book a week, eventually the Bible student will achieve the goal of memorizing all 66 books of the Bible. Becoming familiar with the names of the Bible books and knowing which testament (Old Testament or New Testament) the book is in will enable the student to look up Bible verses quickly and efficiently.
PRAYER: May we all strive to do well in God's sight and not be afraid to do good to our neighbors, friends, and even enemies each and every day as Jesus did.
SPECIAL SONG: Be Patient And Kind (see April 2014 - Lesson Title-Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him on this blog. Click on orange icon to hear song.)
VISUAL AID: Photos of those in the congregation and/or in the classroom. As an example, write a letter of a couple of lines on the white or chalk board.
LESSON POINTS:
- Those who try and obey God in everything they do are also ones who want the best for others. It doesn't matter who that "other person" is. It may be a friend or a good neighbor who lives next door, but it may also be someone who is unkind to us. While we do not want to share in others' unkindness, we always want to be kind to everyone. Every person is valuable to the Lord and we need to always treat them with politeness, gentleness, and kindness. We find in Romans 12:14 that we are to bless those who persecute us--or treat us with unkindness.
- The Bible verse states "...be not weary..." We do good things as often as we can and we should never grow tired of doing good. We don't proclaim the good things we do for all to see; we do good like Jesus did--quietly, not to build ourselves up, but to glorify God. God knows what we do and what our intentions are.
- What are some ways in which we can "be good" to others?
- If someone who we know is sick, we can write letters or draw pictures of happy scenes and send them to those who are feeling poorly. Maybe we can take them a little food like soup and crackers. Think about how we feel when we are sick and do those helpful things that make us feel better. At times, it might be washing dishes, mowing a lawn, etc.
- When someone is sad, we do not always need to do anything. Just by sitting beside them, we let the one who is sad know that they are not alone and that they have a friend. Doing good does not always cost money; sometimes it only costs time.
- There are many things we can do for others. (Ask the students for their ideas.)
- Read Isaiah 55:8. God's ways are higher than our ways, meaning that His ways are better than our ways. Sometimes people want to "get even" or "treat them they way they treat us," but that has never been God's way. Read Romans 12:17-21.
ACTIVITY: Helping Others
Materials Needed: Addresses of those in need of an encouraging word, white paper, envelopes, stickers, pencils, crayons, markers, stamps.
- Hand out white paper.
- Depending on the age and skills of the student, have them draw a picture or write a note to someone who would appreciate an encouraging letter.
- Check each 'letter,' making certain the contents are appropriate and the student has signed their letter.
- If possible, let the student address the envelope in their own handwriting.
- The return address could be the Bible teacher's address.
- Lick the envelope carefully.
- Place stamp in appropriate place.
- Bible teacher then mails the treasured letters the next morning.
- Hopefully, those receiving the letters will thank the students for their thoughtfulness which will motivate the students to write more on their own.