During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Before class, clear your teaching space and place the sets of adult-sized clothes in piles at one end. Each pile will have 5 items in it.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it wecurse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
James 3:9–10
In the book of James, our tongues are compared to the small rudder of a large ship. It is a small part of our bodies, yet it steers our whole lives. Our tongues are also compared to a fire! The words we say have the power to kill or to give life. One hurtful word can cause a lifetime of emotional pain. Yet a single kind word can bring someone life and healing.
Pay attention to your words this week. How often do you tear others down with your words? How often do you build them up? At the end of each day write down what you noticed. If you discover that some of your words bring death rather than life, ask God to help you change. If you discover than your words bring life to yourself and others, praise God for the good work He is doing in you. Continue to clothe yourself in kindness and speak words of life!
Let your children’s families know that this week the children will learn about being kind with their words. Encourage them to take turns saying kind things to one another.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
As your children come to class today, greet each one by name and with a smile. Your personal attention tells each child that he or she is valued.
Give 2 or 3 children the opportunity to briefly share what they did during the past week to fill up someone’s kindness basket. Thank them for sharing.
We are going to start class with a relay race.
Divide the children into 2 or more equal teams. There should be 1 set of clothes for each team. Assign each team a pile of clothes, and have the teams line up across the room from their piles.
Explain that on your signal, the first person from each team will run to her team’s pile of clothes, put them on, do 5 jumping jacks, take the clothes off, run back to her team, and tag the next person in line. That person will then do the same thing. The first team to have all its members complete the
steps wins.
The game should continue until every child has had a turn, even if a team has already won. When all the teams have finished, have the children sit down.
In the relay game we just played, you clothed yourself with someone else’s clothes. Let’s read a Bible verse that talks about something we can clothe ourselves with:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12
According to this verse, what should we clothe ourselves with?
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
What do you think it means to clothe yourself with kindness?
Allow 3–4 children to share their ideas.
Usually when we put on clean clothes, we first take off our dirty clothes. Similarly, when we clothe ourselves with kindness (and the other good characteristics listed in the verse), we must first take off our selfish and bad actions. This week we will learn that one way we can clothe ourselves with kindness is by being kind with our words.
Optional: If you are using The Action Bible, allow your children to read the story on pages 406–409.
Optional: If possible, share the images from The Action Bible.
The Bible tells the story of an important soldier who was helped by the prophet Elisha and God. But there is another character in the story—a young girl. She did something kind for the important soldier. The Bible does not tell us her name or give us much information about her. Yet without her kindness, this important soldier would not have been healed.
We know the girl was a slave in the land of Aram. She had been taken captive from Israel. It is possible her parents were dead, perhaps killed by the soldiers who took her away to this foreign land.
How do you think this young girl felt about the people of Aram?
She became a servant in the home of Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram. Naaman had won many battles for his king and was highly regarded. The slave girl worked for his wife.
Even though Naaman was a great soldier, he had the terrible disease of leprosy. Leprosy is a disease that causes very bad skin sores. Many people were afraid of those with leprosy. Today there are medicines that can treat leprosy.
However, when Naaman lived, people did not know how to treat it. Can you imagine how this great man felt? His disease could stop him from being the mighty soldier under the king.
The young slave girl could have kept quiet. She may have thought that Naaman deserved to have leprosy because he was an enemy of her people. She could have said nothing, but that is not what she chose to do! She chose to show kindness to Naaman by telling his wife what she knew. The girl said to Naaman’s wife, “If only my master Naaman would see the prophet who is in my country. He would cure Naaman of his leprosy.”
Normally Naaman would not seek help from an enemy country, but he probably felt that he had no other choice. The young girl’s suggestion was the only hope he had. So Naaman went to see the prophet Elisha.
What do you think Naaman was thinking or feeling as he went to see the prophet Elisha?
Naaman’s story has a happy ending. Elisha sent a messenger to tell Naaman that he had to wash 7 times in the Jordan River to be cured. Naaman was very angry that Elisha had not come to talk personally with him. Naaman was an important man who was used to people giving him attention. He did not think much of the prophet’s instructions.
He said, “I thought that he would come out and call on the name of his God, wave his hand over my illness, and cure me of leprosy. The rivers in my country are better than the Jordan River. Can’t I wash in them and be cured?” He turned away in a rage.
One of his servants said, “But Naaman, think about it. If Elisha had asked you to do something hard, you would have done it eagerly. Why not do the easy thing? Do not let your pride stand in the way of a possible cure.”
Naaman took this advice. After he had washed himself 7 times in the Jordan River, he came out healed from leprosy. In fact, his skin looked like that of a young boy. God had cured Naaman of the disease. He then returned to his home and family.
The Bible does not tell us, but what do you think Naaman might have said to the slave girl when he returned home?
This girl did something kind. If you had been in her situation, what do you think you would have done?
Share a time when you used words to show kindness and help someone, maybe when you did not feel like being kind.
Explain that you will read 2 situations. After each, children will discuss how they could be kind with their words in that situation.
Our words are powerful! The servant girl in our Bible story used her words to help Naaman. She could have remained silent, but she did not. Listen to these 2 Bible verses about the words we say:
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Kind words are like honey. They are sweet to the spirit and bring healing to the body.
Proverbs 16:24, NIrV
Our words have the power to kill and to give life. One hurtful word can cause years of emotional pain. But a kind word is like honey—it brings life and healing!
Divide the children into 2 equal groups. Have the first group stand in a circle, facing out. The other group will stand in a circle around the first group, facing the children in the inside circle. Now the 2 circles are facing each other.
Let’s practice showing kindness by saying kind words to one another. The children on the outside will walk in a circle around the children on the inside. When I clap my hands, everyone will stop walking and face the person in the inside circle. At that time the 2 people facing each other will say kind words about each other. For example, someone could say that your smile is beautiful or you are a great football player.
After the kind words are shared, I will say, “Walk!” and this time those in the inside circle will walk around until I clap my hands. You will then have different partners. Again, each child will share something that is kind about the other.
Do this several times so each child has the opportunity to tell several different children kind things about them. Then gather them together.
Remember this activity throughout the week. Look for opportunities to speak kind, life-giving words to the people in your life. It might feel strange or awkward at first, but your kind words will bring life and joy to someone else, just as they did in our activity.
Optional: If you are using Student Pages, there is space for children to plan how they will clothe themselves with kindness this week.
Close class by speaking this blessing from Colossians 3:12 over the children.
Blessing: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May God help you to be kind with your words!
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.