Be different from the world
Children's Activity
Object:
What does it mean to be different from the world? Jesus spent most of his ministry trying to explain what it means. Some people understood him, but some people just never "got it." In the lesson today we see that even James and John, two of Jesus' closest friends, still had trouble living into the message that Jesus brought to the world. How are we supposed to treat those around us? How do we react when someone hurts us? The example that Jesus set is radically different from what we usually see in the world around us.
To spend some time thinking about today's lesson, do some artwork with your children. You can make a collage from magazine photos or just draw some pictures with crayons. Create two different pieces of art. For the first one, fill your paper with images of the world Christ wants us to have. Fill it with beautiful things -- things full of love, happiness, peace, and joy. This is the world Christ wants us to know. Fill the other paper with images of the way you see the world as it is right now.
Are there similarities between the two papers? In what ways are they different? Are there things we can do to help Christ's vision be real in our world?
It can be very hard to be the way Christ wants us to be. It's really hard to be patient, kind, and forgiving. It's hard to be loving all the time. If being like him were easy, surely the disciples would have gotten it -- they walked and talked with him! We still must keep striving, though. The message of Jesus Christ is just as important today as it was 2,000 years ago. Sometimes it seems we need that message now more than ever.
To spend some time thinking about today's lesson, do some artwork with your children. You can make a collage from magazine photos or just draw some pictures with crayons. Create two different pieces of art. For the first one, fill your paper with images of the world Christ wants us to have. Fill it with beautiful things -- things full of love, happiness, peace, and joy. This is the world Christ wants us to know. Fill the other paper with images of the way you see the world as it is right now.
Are there similarities between the two papers? In what ways are they different? Are there things we can do to help Christ's vision be real in our world?
It can be very hard to be the way Christ wants us to be. It's really hard to be patient, kind, and forgiving. It's hard to be loving all the time. If being like him were easy, surely the disciples would have gotten it -- they walked and talked with him! We still must keep striving, though. The message of Jesus Christ is just as important today as it was 2,000 years ago. Sometimes it seems we need that message now more than ever.
