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.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
Your convictions matter, not just to you but to other people. They are like iron sharpening iron. Each person’s convictions affect many others. Think again about Abraham and all the people whose lives were impacted by Abraham’s conviction and actions. The impact of Abraham’s conviction, faith, and obedience to God is far-reaching.
Look back at the list of personal convictions you wrote last week, or write a new list now: What do you believe so strongly about God that it affects your life every day? Ask yourself: Who is affected by these convictions? Then spend time praying for every person you name.
Let the families of your students know that the children are learning more about conviction this week. Encourage them to ask their child what one of her convictions is and who else is affected by it.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet your children warmly as they arrive. Talk with them and show interest in their lives.
In our last lesson we talked about conviction.
Allow 1–2 children to share their ideas.
When we have conviction, we hold so firmly to a value or belief that it influences our attitudes and actions. We also learned about a man in the Bible named Abraham who had faith that God would do what He had promised.
Pick one of the children to come up front and tell the story. When the child has finished, ask other volunteers to fill in the story details that the storyteller may have missed.
Review these points if the children do not remember the story well:
A strong faith in God helped Abraham do an extraordinary thing. Do you think strong convictions can help ordinary people like you and me do extraordinary things? Explain.
Other people noticed Abraham’s strong convictions and faith in God. Even today he is a strong example to Christians of the character quality of conviction. Listen to these words that the writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews wrote about 2,000 years after Abraham lived.
Read Hebrews 11:8–9, 11–12 directly from the Bible.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful when had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
Hebrews 11:8–9, 11–12
Abraham’s strong convictions and faith affected many other people, even down through many generations. Now we will talk about other people who have strong convictions. To do this, get into groups of 3.
Give the children a minute to get into groups.
I will say a strong conviction that some people might have. In your group, name a person you know who has that conviction and share why you picked that person. You may not have a person for each conviction. If needed, you may use the same person’s name more than once, but try to think of different people.
Conviction: This person’s strong conviction is that every child should be safe.
Give an example for the children by sharing someone you know who fits this conviction. Then give groups about 1 minute to discuss.
Conviction: This person’s strong conviction is that every child should receive an education.
Give children about 1 minute to discuss with their groups.
Conviction: This person’s strong conviction is that Jesus loves everyone, and she wants everyone to know this.
Give children about 1 minute to discuss with their groups.
Conviction: This person’s strong conviction is that people should work hard at difficult tasks, and God will help them.
Give children about 1 minute to discuss with their groups.
Conviction: This person’s strong conviction is that it is important to keep his promises.
Give children about 1 minute to discuss with their groups.
Each person you named has strong convictions. Those convictions do not affect just that person’s life. They also affect others.
Children might suggest things such as: Others learn by their examples, they encourage others, the results of the convictions provide things such as safety or education for others.
Bring the children back together and have them sit in their groups.
I will share some stories about how animals’ instincts influence their actions, much like our convictions influence us.
Eagles nest in tall trees or on the sides of cliffs. When they want to catch food to eat, they stand on the edge of their nests, open their wings, and jump into the air. Their strong wings catch the wind and they can soar in the sky and look for food.
Some mother frogs put their babies in holes at the tops of tall trees. Each baby will be in a different tree. The mother will climb each tree every day to get food its babies. These frog mothers may do this every day for weeks!
When leopards hunt, they crouch down, so their bellies are close to the ground. This helps them sneak up on their prey without being seen. If a leopard is not hunting, it may walk among other animals and flick its tail to let them know they do not need to be scared.
These animals act on instincts—God-given ways they know to act. Here are 3 instincts that influence the animals’ actions:
Instinct 1: Eagles know that they can soar into the wind, so it is safe for them to jump out of their nests and into the air.
Instinct 2: Mother frogs know how to hide and feed their babies to keep them safe and alive.
Instinct 3: Leopards communicate with other animals, letting them know when they are hunting and when they are not.
Animal instincts are similar to people’s convictions. They both influence actions, and for people, they also influence our thoughts. However, unlike instincts, people have choices about living by their convictions.
God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us know what is right and wrong. As we grow closer to God through reading the Bible, praying, and spending time with Him, our convictions and our faith grow stronger, just like Abraham’s did.
Eagles, frogs and leopards do not have convictions in the same way people do, but they follow their instincts in how they act. When we follow Christian convictions, we honor God. Good, strong convictions help you make the wise decisions about your actions and thoughts.
Divide children into groups of 3 to discuss the following question.
Give children a couple of minutes to discuss their thoughts with their groups. If the children struggle to think of examples, suggest these ideas: I have the conviction that lying is wrong and ends up hurting myself and others, so I tell the truth. I have the conviction that babies are a special gift from God, so I treat them carefully and kindly. I have the conviction that it is important to respect people in authority, so I listen well to my teacher.
You act on convictions that you believe in, convictions that God gives you. Unlike animals, you can choose whether or not to do something that pleases God! As a small group, you will create a skit that shows one of the personal convictions you just discussed.
Children should remain in the same groups. Ask them to choose 1 of the convictions they just discussed and think about a situation where they would do or not do something because of this conviction. For example, they might choose the conviction that cheating is wrong. Or they might choose the conviction to be kind to people even when others are not. Their group will create a short skit that shows that conviction. Give the groups about 5 minutes to plan their skits, then choose 1–2 groups to act out their skits for the class.
Optional Supplies:
Instead of creating a skit, the children create a big Convictions poster that illustrates things they strongly believe.
Give each child a piece of paper and some colored pencils to share. Ask the children to draw one of their strong convictions. For example, one child might draw a picture of himself/herself paying for a sweet instead of stealing it. Each child should put her name on the drawing. When the children finish drawing, tape all the papers together and hang the large art project on the wall. Or line up the drawings side by side on the floor to form a large picture. Print the words, “God Gives Me These Convictions” on a separate sheet of paper and tape or place it at the top of the poster.
Have the children stand and clap for themselves for their good work and creativity.
Have the class sit down near you.
At the start of class, you shared the names of people you know who have strong convictions, or beliefs, that influence their actions and attitudes. A person’s convictions affect other people. We notice this truth in the story of Abraham and when we learned about animal instincts.
Call on 1 child to give an answer for each animal. They may mention the eagle, the baby frogs, or the leopard’s prey.
Allow 2–3 children to share their thoughts. They may suggest that Isaac and Sarah were impacted by Abraham’s conviction and faith. Also explain that all Christians are impacted by Abraham’s conviction. Through faith in Jesus, all Christians are a part of Abraham’s family. We are the descendants God talked about when He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations.
As we saw with Abraham and the animals, our convictions also affect other people. When we hold firmly to the convictions that the Holy Spirit gives us, we impact other people in positive ways. Listen to this verse from Proverbs:
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
This means that your convictions can affect someone else in a way that makes him sharper, better, and stronger in his own convictions.
Have children remain seated as you lead them through this response activity.
Think about one conviction you hold firmly or one conviction you want to act on more. For example, you believe all people are made in God’s image and are important. Or maybe you believe stealing is wrong.
Give children time to think quietly.
Now place a hand out in front of you and imagine that you are holding that important conviction in it. Close your fist to represent your desire to hold on to that conviction firmly. Then place your other hand out in front of you with your palm open. Your open hand represents your desire for other people to be blessed through your conviction. Think about the people who will be affected by your conviction. For example, if your conviction is that all people are important, then maybe you will stop saying mean things to another child at school. That child will be affected by your conviction.
Give children time to think quietly. Encourage them to keep 1 palm curled in a fist to represent holding firmly to their conviction and the other palm open to represent their desire for others to be affected by their conviction in a positive way. Then lead them in a guided prayer. Explain that you will pray a few words and pause for them to fill in the blank as they silently talk to God.
God, please help me hold firmly to the conviction that _____________________.
Pause.
Please bless others through my conviction, actions, and attitudes. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, the children can draw their strong conviction on them.
Close class by praying this blessing, based on 2 Peter 1:5–6 and Proverbs 27:17:
Blessing: May God fill you with His strength and wisdom as you make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; so that you can be like iron sharpening iron for others.
Lead the children in singing “Blessed Be Your Name.” They should be familiar with the words now.
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.
