‘I Care By Standing Up’ Emoji Childrens Lesson

BIG IDEA: I CAN STAND UP FOR OTHERS

AIM: The ‘I Care By Standing Up’ Emoji Childrens Lesson

Intro Video: Play the ‘Smiler “I’m so Angry” movie clip’ and ask the children what happens when someone is angry. What does their face look like? Their eyes? What do they do with their hands and their feet?

Intro Talk: We don’t always have to be angry to stand up for something or somebody. To Stand up for someone or something means to show others that we care and that we won’t ignore a situation. To stand up for someone or something means to defend them.

SONG IDEAS:

1. ‘God Cares’ by Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS
2. ‘My God’ by Go Fish Guys

GAME IDEAS:

1. Squeeze! When the leader says ‘squeeze’ each team lined up must squeeze the hand of the person next to them. The last person to be squeezed can grab the plastic bottle.
2. Balloon Stomp. Children try and stomp out balloons around the room. Inside some of the balloons are anger emojis that you prepared on pieces of paper and folded up and put inside. The child with the most emojis at the end is the winner.
3. Knock the Can. Choose a couple of volunteers. Make sure you have enough empty cans (washed and clean) and bean bags to throw. Children can take turns to throw the bean bags and knock over the cans.

BIG VERSE: Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7.

 

SET the Scene:

Read John 2:13-22. 

VIDEO IDEAS:

1. ‘Clearing the Temple’ by Saddleback Kids
2. ‘Jesus Cleanses the Temple’ – Lego version

 

SPOT the Simple Meaning:

1) WHEN WE CARE SOMETIMES WE GET ANGRY

 We all get angry from time to time. You could do this science experiment to show what happens. Talk about a time when you got angry. Explain the events that led up to this point. As you explain each event (how you got up late or missed breakfast or had a run in with a friend) add the ingredients. Then stop before adding the vinegar. Talk about what happened when you got angry. Add the vinegar and explain that just as the vinegar made the cup overflow with foam, our anger can sometimes overpower us.

Say: We all get angry! Even me! Sometimes we get angry when we care about something. We care so much that our feelings get too much and they overflow! This might show up in tears, crossing our arms or stomping our feet or maybe we don’t want to talk because we feel so sad or angry. Everyone gets angry from time to time.

Getting angry isn’t a problem and it isn’t a sin. The most important thing is that we use and react to our anger well. Everyone gets angry but not everyone hurts people when they are angry. We must be careful what we do when we are angry. The bible tells us to be slow to get angry (James 1:19). We are also told that we are not to sin in our anger. Ephesians 4:26 (ICB) says “When you are angry, do not sin. And do not go on being angry all day.”

 

2) JESUS STOOD UP FOR OTHERS

Draw a picture of Jesus on a big board. Ask the children what feelings they think Jesus would have felt when he was on the earth. Remind them that he was fully God and fully man. See what answers they come up with and label them on the board. Feelings are healthy and its good to show and tell people about how we feel. One of the feelings that Jesus felt was anger. We love this ‘Wrap Up- Jesus Cleanses the Temple’ video by FootHill Kids!

Say: Do you know what other feelings Jesus felt? [Get some feedback] Yes! Jesus got angry! Jesus got angry when he saw all the merchants in the temple. The merchants were people that sold things. In the time of Jesus the people would need to sacrifice something to get right with God. The bible says that when we sin blood needs to be shed. (Hebrews 9:22)  So the people would need to kill an animal when they sinned.

People would buy animals so that they could be sacrificed to God. Poor people would buy pigeons and rich people might buy a goat or a lamb as these were more expensive. When Jesus went into the temple he saw the merchants selling the animals at very high prices. It wasn’t fair! They needed the animals – the merchants were making them pay more than they needed to. Imagine if I tried to sell you a piece of bread for $100 because you were so hungry. Would that be fair? [Get feedback] No. Jesus knew it was not fair so he stood up for the people.

Jesus Cares:

Pass round paper and tell the children that they are to draw Jesus in the temple. Do not give them any pens. When the children ask for a pen or pencil tell them that it will cost them $50. Tell them they each must take a picture home with them. [Depending on your group, make sure you are sensitive to your children – some children might feel upset at this treatment. Discern if this is an appropriate exercise.] 

Say: It doesn’t feel good when people treat you badly does it? The merchants were taking advantage of the poor and using it for their own gain. Jesus cares for others and so he couldn’t stand there and do nothing. Proverbs 31:8-9 says “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Defend the rights of all those who have nothing. Speak up and judge fairly. Defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Jesus cared about the poor and he didn’t want them to be treated badly.

John 2:15-16 says:

Jesus made a whip out of cords. Then he forced all these men, with the sheep and cattle, to leave the Temple. He turned over the tables and scattered the money of the men who were exchanging it. Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place for buying and selling!”

Jesus stood up for the people. He knew that the merchants were treating them badly and it wasn’t fair. He made a whip, turned over the tables, and scattered their money. Yet Jesus did not hurt anyone. His anger did not hurt people. He simply showed them that what they were doing was wrong. He stood up to the merchants and stood up for what was right.

 

3) WE CAN STAND UP FOR OTHERS

Stand Up If Activity. Children stand up when you call out a sentence that they agree with. Such as ‘Stand up if you don’t like baked beans. Stand up if you don’t like it when people steal. Stand up if you care about old people.’ Each time children should sit down after the question. There is no winner to this game, but children can count all the things that they care about by how many times they stood up. Make sure you choose statements that show children what they care for and what they are for and against.  

Say: Perhaps you feel angry or sad by what is happening in different places in the world. When we care about a situation or person we want to do something about it or for them. We can stand up for others just like Jesus did! When we know someone is being treated unfairly or is unheard, we can stand up and take action!

What can I do?

Jesus turned over the tables to show people that he cared. Why? He needed to do something to show people it was important.

Some of the things that we can do to stand up and take action include:

1. Writing letters: Perhaps there is someone we need to write a letter to. People write letters to help Christians that are in prison for following Jesus. Sometimes people are released from prison because there have been so many letters saying it is not fair!
2. Spread the word: Maybe you can tell someone or a few people- a teacher or parent that can help you stand up for someone or something.
3. Raising money: Perhaps we can raise money for people that are treated badly or do not get much help in our society. What could you do to raise money? A bake sale? A sponsored silence or run?

What ideas do you have?

 

Discussion Questions:

a) Josh is being bullied for being small. He can’t stand up to the bullies because they are too big and push him around. What do you do?

b) A lady does a presentation at your school about how children in Africa are starving. She has an orphanage that gives a home to children in Africa. Everyone in your class laughs and doesn’t want to help. What do you do?

c) There is a new child at your kids group on Sunday morning. They are really shy and don’t say anything for the whole session. What do you do?

 

SEARCH the Scriptures:

Screw up lots of pieces of paper and pile them up. On some of the papers add the word or a bible image of each of the characters below. Duplicates are fine. Choose a couple of volunteers and see how many the children can find and put in a bucket. To make it more difficult blindfold them. See which child found the most characters and then discuss why each character stood up and made a difference and who for.

Say: Not everyone got angry when they cared about something and stood up for it or the people. These people all cared. Do you think they got angry?

Nehemiah: Nehemiah stood up for the people of Jerusalem when he went to the city to rebuild it.

Esther: Esther became Queen but fasted and prayed so that her people would not be killed.

David: The boy David stood up to Goliath so that his people would not be killed by the giant.

Barnabas: stood up for Paul when others turned against him. Barnabas made sure everyone knew that Paul followed Jesus.

Gideon: stood up for his people who were being attacked by the Midianites.

 

SENSE How You Feel:

The activities below are great for doing whilst you discuss.

1. Create the emoji corner bookmarks. 
2. Make the emoji mini notebooks
3. Practice drawing anger emojis

Discussion Questions:

1. What does standing up for others mean?
2. How did Jesus stand up for others?
3. When you stand up for somebody do you always get angry?
4. Can you stand up for somebody without getting angry?

 

SEEK God:

Who is God calling you to stand up for today?

Is someone being bullied? Do you want to stand up for the poor? the hurt? those that are suffering or sick? Do you want to stand up for those that are disabled or can’t speak?

Prayer Stations:

1. Use a globe or map to put stickers on the areas that you are praying for.
2. Use an emoji squeezy ball to pass around and squeeze as you pray for those that God has asked you to care for.