Aim to understand that all people are in the midway position between God and Satan
Aims
*To understand that all people are in the midway position between God and Satan
* to learn how we can come closer to God by making good conditions
Materials
* Bible passages – Matt 18:21-35 (The Unforgiving Servant), Matthew 7: 1-5 (Don’t judge)
* Children’s worksheet
* Pictures cards showing original and fallen nature
Lesson Outline
1. Two Natures
2. The Midway Position
3. Good and Bad Conditions
4. God’s word
5. Activities – worksheet, memory game, snakes & ladders, act out story
6. Conclusion
7. Prayer
1) Two Natures
Review the last lesson – Results of the Fall
* Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, we have developed two opposing natures within ourselves; an unselfish original nature from God and a selfish fallen nature from Satan.
* St. Paul wrote about our two natures in the Bible
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and God’s spirit dwells in you.” 1 Corinthians Ch.3 v.16
“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do.” Romans Ch.7 v.19
2) The Midway Position
The problem is that we are changeable. Sometimes we are closer to God and follow our original nature and sometimes we are closer to Satan and follow our fallen nature. We are in the midway position. When we are unselfish we make good conditions and come closer to God. When we are selfish we make bad conditions and come closer to Satan.
Good conditions are any unselfish thoughts, words, or actions for the sake of others by giving of oneself.
Bad conditions are any selfish thoughts, words, or actions for the benefit of ourself at the expense of others
3) Good and Bad Conditions
Make a list of good and bad conditions that the children make in their daily lives. Show the pictures to give ideas and ask for their suggestions Pictures of good and bad behaviour of children
1. Helping at home refusing to help
2. Talking respectfully to parents shouting at them
3. giving your seat up to older people not giving your seat
4. Doing a test honestly cheating
5. Accepting responsibility for accidents lying and blaming others and telling the truth
6. Talking respectfully to siblings calling names, swearing
7. Putting toys away leaving toys out
8. Including everyone in a game leave someone out
9. Not taking cookies for yourself greedily taking cookies without asking
10.Sharing with others being selfish
Other examples
11. Working hard being lazy
12. Going to Sunday School every week going to Sunday School only when you feel like it
13. Praying everyday never praying
14. Saying kind things about other people saying bad things about other people
15. Being humble when you win boasting about yourself when you win
16. Serve others first take something first without asking
One of the most important conditions is to study God’s word regularly. It teaches us to be unselfish and to live for others. That’s why we have Sunday school and Sunday service each week. That’s why we have Hoon Duk Hae – the daily reading of God’s word. If we don’t study God’s word, we can become more and more self-centered, because we only see from our point of view, not God’s. It is very easy to think about ourselves first. It more takes effort to think of others and sacrifice ourselves to benefit them.
4) God’s word
Jesus taught God’s word through stories called parables.
a) The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt 18:21-35)
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. Who made good conditions in the story?
– the servant humbly asked the king to be patient
– the king was moved in his heart, forgave his servant and cancelled the debt
Who made bad conditions?
– the servant refused to cancel his own servant’s debt and put him in prison
– He only accused him and showed no forgiveness
Jesus also spoke about what we should do when we see others doing wrong
b) Judging Others – Matthew 7: 1-5
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your
brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let
me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite,
first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your
brother’s eye. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
What is a good condition when we see other people doing wrong?
Don’t judge others. See our own faults, and get rid of them first. Then you might see clearly to help someone to see their faults. This brings us closer to God
What is a bad condition?
Only seeing others faults and judging them is a bad condition that brings us closer to Satan.
5) Activities
* ORIGINAL NATURE
6) Conclusion
* Complete the worksheet
* Play the memory game using the picture cards
* Play a modified version of snakes and ladders. You go up a ladder, when you do something good. And go down a snake when you do something wrong.
* Act out the parable of the unforgiving servant
Review the aims of the lesson
*To understand that all people are in the midway position between God and Satan
* to learn about the good and bad conditions we make in our daily life
7) End with a prayer
