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.
Unit Introduction
The next 4 lessons address the topics of human sexuality and healing from sexual abuse. Though the students have discussed sexual purity in class, it is important to make the distinction that purity relates to our own sexual choices and abuse involves sexual decisions made for us by someone else.
Providing teens with accurate information about the body helps them learn to respect their own and others’ bodies. Understanding their bodies can also help them to develop a healthy body image. Body education also helps teens recognize when someone else is violating them. These lessons encourage teens to share their concerns and fears with you or another trusted adult.
It can be uncomfortable to talk about the body and sexual issues, so it is very important to create a safe environment. Encourage healthy curiosity and respect for the body. Do not act shocked or surprised by anything they share. Encourage the students to behave respectfully and not to judge or blame. Try to respond openly and honestly. Seek help from a pastor or counsellor if you need more information.
IMPORTANT! If a teen shares an experience with abuse, it is important that you:
If a teen shares that he or she or someone he or she knows is being abused, listen carefully. Reassure him or her that what happened was not his or her fault. This is a very important message. Repeat it often! Many young people blame themselves for being hurt or abused. Help your teens to understand that talking about their hurts can help them to heal. They can also pray about their pain, as God is the greatest source of comfort and healing.
Do what you can to get help for the teen. Be sure to inform those in authority over you. Unfortunately, in some places sexual abuse is not considered wrong. In some places the teen may be blamed for the abuse. Whatever you do, be careful that you do not further endanger the teen. If it is appropriate and safe for the teen, inform the appropriate authorities.
Remind all students that if something private is shared in class, they should never tease the student or talk about it outside of class.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Psalm 139:14–15
When we are healthy, we often forget to praise God for giving us such miraculous human bodies. At this very moment, millions of parts are working together so we can breathe, move, think, and talk. Our bodies are God’s masterpiece. Yet sometimes through our own choices or the choices of others, we are hurt. God wants us to learn that it is okay to protect our bodies from dishonouring touch. And if we have been hurt through dishonouring touch, He wants to heal us. He cares that much for us!
As you teach your students to care for their bodies, remember that each of you is a miraculous creation of your amazing Creator. Spend some time worshipping God through your body. Kneel in humility and reverence. Stand with your arms raised in victory. Sit with your hands in front of you, ready to receive from your loving heavenly Father. Thank Him for your amazing body, which is beautiful—just the way He created it.
Encourage the students to share what they learned about honouring and dishonouring touch with their family members. Remind them to share only in safe situations.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome your students by name. Ask each student about the best and worst parts of his or her week. You want to create an open and trusting atmosphere, which is particularly important as you discuss the difficult topics in this unit.
Did you know that your eye can see about 10 million different shades of colour? Did you know that if you placed all your blood vessels end to end, they would wrap around the earth more than 2 times? Did you know that your nose can remember 50,000 different scents? God created your body in such an amazing way. Each part works together so you can breathe, eat, smell, hear, think, walk, and talk.
Though your body looks the same on the left side as it does on the right side, both sides are different. Your brain has 2 halves. The left side controls the right side of your body. It also controls your logic, such as your understanding of math, language, and science. The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. It also controls your creative processes, such artistic abilities and the way you see things.
Each of us has a side of our body that is dominant, which means it is the side we use the most. Let’s take a test to see which side of your body is dominant.
Allow a minute or so for the students to do each of the exercises below.
Optional Supplies:
End of Option
Have the students sit down for the lesson.
Most people will have the same response to all 3 of these examples. Whichever side you used first is usually the dominant side of your body.
Most people—about 90 percent—are right dominant. That means they use their right hands for most tasks, especially writing. Less than 10 percent of people are left dominant, which means they use their left hands most often. Some people are ambidextrous, which means they can use both hands equally well.
Even if you use 1 side of your body more than the other, your body could not function without both sides of your brain. Because both sides of your brain perform different functions, each side can become specialized to perform its tasks better. This helps you to think faster and solve problems better.
This is just 1 example of the amazing way God made your body. He created you to have a heart that beats without you having to think about it—and you could not live without it. He created your lungs to put oxygen into your blood, where it is circulated around your body—and you could not live without it. He gave you a digestive system to turn your food into energy for your body—and you could not live without it. He made our bodies so that every single part works together with the other parts to keep us alive. Our bodies are wonderful.
Let’s read a Bible verse about how God made our bodies.
Have one of your students read Psalm 139:14–15 aloud from the Bible.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Psalm 139:14–15
Allow students to share their thoughts.
There are some things about your body that are the same as everyone else’s, such as the way your heart and lungs work. But there are some things about your body that are different, such as how tall you are and the way you smile. God made human bodies in different colours, shapes, and sizes, so no one in the world is exactly like you. God carefully crafted every detail of your body. He knew everything about you before you were even born!
Even though all bodies are supposed to function in the same way, some bodies have injuries or disabilities. When people have disabilities in part of their bodies, God often helps them to become stronger in other parts. For example, people who are blind often have very good hearing and can hear things that the rest of us do not.
God also made males and females different. As we talk about some of these differences, you may hear facts you already know and facts that are new to you. We will talk as though we are scientists or doctors. We will refer to body parts by their scientific names. This is one way we can show respect for each other and for our amazing bodies.
Males and females have different parts between their legs called genitals. These body parts were made by God and have very special functions. For example, male genitals make hormones to help boys grow into men. They produce sperm, which is necessary for making babies. Female genitals make hormones to help girls grow into women. They produce eggs, which are also necessary for making babies. When the male’s sperm joins with the female’s egg, a baby begins to grow inside the woman.
The egg and the sperm are joined through sexual intercourse. God gave humans this special gift so they can show their love for each other and have babies. But God intended for people to have sexual intercourse only within marriage. God gave sexual intercourse as a gift to create children, to bring pleasure, and to help the husband and wife grow closer together.
These parts of our bodies are private. God does not intend for these private parts to be shared with others unless it is within marriage, as part of a medical exam, or for some other honourable purpose. Private parts are the parts of your body that are covered by a bathing suit.
Sometimes people misuse God’s gift of sexual intercourse. They choose to have sexual intercourse with people other than their spouses. As we discussed in the purity lessons, these kinds of choices do not honour God, and they do not allow us to honour ourselves.
Other people misuse sexual intercourse to hurt or control another person, such as in situations of rape or abuse. These wrong acts do not honour God’s intended purpose. They do not honour God, and they do not honour others. They do not honour our bodies, God’s amazing creations.
This is what the Bible says about honouring your body:
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20
Your whole body belongs to you and to God. People who touch you in ways that show respect and kindness are giving you honourable touch. This might be a hug from a friend or a handshake from a pastor at church. It could be your mother rubbing your feet when they hurt or your little sister leaning her head against you as she sleeps. Honourable touch makes you feel cared for and safe.
Sometimes people touch you in ways that make you feel unsafe, as though something is wrong. These are dishonourable touches. They may touch parts of your body that are private, such as your genitals, your chest, your buttocks, or your mouth. This could be a kiss on the mouth from an older neighbour or someone your own age or a pat on the buttocks from a person at a football game. It might be someone touching your genitals when he thought you were sleeping or someone having sex with you without your permission.
No one should touch you without your permission or in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable. If someone does, if possible, tell that person to stop. You can also tell a trusted adult what happened so she can help you.
Other dishonouring touch could include making you look at pornography or taking pictures or videos of you when you are naked or during sexual acts. Pornography is sexual writing, photos, or videos intended to arouse someone sexually. It is dishonouring to watch pornography or to allow inappropriate photos or videos to be taken of you. In the same way that other people should not touch you without your permission, you should not touch other people without their permission. Dishonouring touch could also include forcing you to touch their private parts with your hands, mouth, or other body parts.
Let’s do an activity now to help us better understand honouring and dishonouring touch. Imagine there is a line dividing the centre of our area. One side of our area represents “honouring touch.” The other side represents “dishonouring touch.”
Show students where the imaginary line is located. Point out the “honouring touch” and “dishonouring touch” sides of your area. Have all the students stand on the imaginary line.
I will read some situations to you. If you think the situation shows honouring touch that is healthy, good for you, and pleasing to God, stand on the “honouring touch” side. If you think the situation shows dishonouring touch that hurts you and does not reflect your value to God, stand on the “dishonouring touch” side.
If students feel comfortable, call on 1–2 each time to explain why they think each situation shows honouring or dishonouring touch.
Ask the students to sit down.
Let’s read some more verses about God’s thoughts about honouring and dishonouring touch.
Have a student read 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7 aloud from the Bible.
Show the Memory Verse poster if you are using it.
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-6
Students may answer that we should learn to control them in honourable ways.
Students may answer that we should not treat each other in a dishonourable way or do wrong or take advantage of another person.
Talking about honouring and dishonouring touch may have brought up lots of different emotions for everyone. Everyone stand in a circle. We will now share a 1 word emotion that we felt during this lesson. Remember that this is a safe space. What is shared here should not be talked about outside of class.
Explain that when you toss the stone or ball to someone, that person will use 1 word to describe an emotion this lesson has made them feel—for example, shy, embarrassed, curious, angry, etc. Let the students know that it is okay to say, “Pass” if they are uncomfortable sharing their emotions with everyone. You should begin by sharing an emotion that you felt teaching the lesson. After everyone has had an opportunity to share, continue the lesson.
Thank you for courageously sharing your emotions. There are a lot of different emotions that came up in this lesson. The next few lessons we will talk more about this topic and practical ways God wants to help us. Remember that if you want to talk with me privately, I am available after class.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, the teens can write their emotional responses on their pages.
Have your students remain standing as you close your time. Encourage them to hold their hands out in front of them as a symbol of receiving God’s blessing and love in their lives. Pray this blessing based on 1 Thessalonians 4:3–6.
Blessing: May you know that God has created you marvellously to be set apart for Him. May you honour Him in your body and in your relationships with others. Know that He loves you deeply!
Lead the teens 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.
