You’ve Gotta Want It!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

 Props: big bag of potato chips, other junk food, nice place setting

             Everyone gets hungry.  It’s part of being human.  And everyone eats, but not everyone eats the same thing.  There are different ways to satisfy your hunger. 

            Some people like to fill up on junk food.  How many of you are part of that crowd?  They sit down to a bag of potato chips and a can of soda for dinner.  Then they might even have a chocolate bar for desert. (Have a helper demonstate by gorging himself on the junk food).  But after awhile, people who eat like that get stomachaches. (Have helper hold stomach and exit platform).  And if they keep it up, they might even die. Our bodies were meant to live on healthy food.

            Some people do eat healthy.  They eat a little bit of meat, some breads, and lots of fruits and vegetables every day.  They even drink their milk (it does a body good). (Have a helper demonstrate).  This kind of diet will keep a person healthy.  (Helper exits, flexing muscles).

            We all get hungry for other things, too.  Everyone wants and needs love, just like we all want and need food.  Some people fall in love with money, with sports, with popularity, with music, and with many other things.  But trying to live off of those things is like trying to live off of potato chips and soda.  After awhile, you’ll get sick if all you do is try to make more money and watch more games and find more friends.  What everyone really needs is God.  Not everyone wants God because they think it’s no fun living for Him just like it’s no fun eating vegetables.  But God’s not like that.  He’ll keep you alive and give you a better life than you could ever imagine.  A life without problems? No.  But He will give you a life full of love.  Do you want His love badly enough to chase after Him?  Have you gotten sick of everything else and are you ready to go for what’s real?  If you are, get ready for the chase of a lifetime as we chase after God.

Keep Your Eye on the Prize

“Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right.
      The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

“Blessed are you when people make fun of you and hurt you because of me. You are also blessed when they tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. Be joyful and glad. Your reward in heaven is great. In the same way, people hurt the prophets who lived long ago.”

Matthew 5:10-12 (NIRV)

Prop: trophy

Have a volunteer pretend to be in a marathon and run in place while you speak. 

Read the scripture above. 

There are many different ways people may mistreat you when you choose to follow the Lord.  Remember Daniel and how he was thrown into a den of lions because he refused to stop praying to and worshiping God.  In the scriptures I just read, Jesus taught us that as his followers we may be made fun of, treated badly, or even hurt.  Not everyone loves the Lord like we do and so they may want to hurt us because we love and serve God.  But there is a wonderful promise that comes with Jesus’ warning: Jesus said you would be blessed if you are treated badly for Him.  Hard times may come (and probably will!), but if you hang in there with the Lord, you will receive a great reward in heaven. 

I’m sure most of you have watched a race.  Your life in God is like a race: it can get very long and hard at times.  The runners get tired, hot and thirsty and there are moments when they want to quit.  When you face hard times in your “race” for the Lord, there are moments when you may want to quit.  Maybe someone makes fun of you for reading the Bible or going to church.  Or maybe some of your friends don’t understand why you don’t watch certain shows on TV or listen to music that doesn’t glorify God.  Many of you probably have family members who don’t love God like you do, and they might give you a hard time for being a Christian.  In those times, it can get hard to keep going.  Maybe you’ve been tempted to quit and just be like everyone else.  You may feel like a runner who’s in a long, hard race.

What keeps a runner going when it’s hard?  Many times, it’s the prize at the end.  (Display trophy).  This runner isn’t just breaking in his new tennis shoes.  He wants to win the prize.  And when the going gets tough and his legs feel like noodles, he’s going to keep going because he knows the prize is ahead. 

Jesus promised that there is a prize for you in heaven if you keep going in the hard times.  If you keep living for Him—even when no one else does—He will reward you greatly.  When everyone else makes fun of you for doing what is right, think about the day you meet Jesus and he looks you in the eye and says, “Good job.”  When you are called bad names because you are a Christian, think about all the incredible, wonderful things in heaven just waiting for you.  Keep going, knowing that God has great things for you. 

And remember, you will be blessed if you live for God, even in the hard times.

Honored

Blessed are the peacemakers,
      for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

Prop: picture of house and family

We’re almost done with our series of lessons on the beatitudes.  So I have a question that you should know the answer to by now.  What does the word “beatitudes” mean?  (Allow for response).  “Beatitudes” is just a fancy word for “blessings.”  Jesus taught us how we can be blessed by God.  If you obey Jesus’ teachings, you will be blessed by God.  Through the past few weeks, we’ve told you that to be blessed means to be rewarded, to be given what you don’t deserve, to be given more than you could dream of, to be fully satisfied, to be shown mercy, and to be privileged.  WOW!  Is there anyone who wouldn’t want all of that? 

There’s another blessing we will learn about today.  Jesus promised that if you are a peacemaker, you will be given a place of honor in God’s family as His child.  If you think about that, it means you have a place in God’s home.  You get to live with Him forever.  And it also means that as His child, everything He has belongs to you.  All His power, all His riches, all His blessings belong to you!  Remember, though, that these things are promised to those who bring peace. 

As you listen to today’s lesson, think about ways you can bring peace into your family, your friendships and into the lives of others.

Help, Don’t Hurt

Blessed are the meek,
      for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5 (NIV)

Props:  hammer, a few small wooden strips, nails

            God has given each one of you strengths.  Some of you are great athletes, others are talented in art.  Some of you can make straight As without even studying much, others are very outgoing and are good at making lots of friends.  Each of you has special gifts and talents that God has given you.  Today’s lesson is about being strong in God and gentle with others.  You see, you have a choice to make.  You can use your talents and your strengths for God or you can use them for yourself. 

            Let’s use this hammer for an example.  This hammer is a strong tool.  But I get to choose how to use it.  (Begin hammering the wooden strips together).  I can choose to use this hammer to build.  I can build things for my family, to help them.  Or I can build something to be used in the church.  I could also build something to help people in the community.  I can choose to use this hammer to build something great.  I could also use this hammer to hurt or destroy things.  (Prop up a strip of wood and hit it with the hammer so as to break it).  If I hit these wooden strips with this hammer hard enough, they would break apart.  This hammer could be used to break lots of things and to do a lot of damage. 

            In your life, the talents that God has given you are the tools that you have.  You can allow Him to use those talents to help people, or you can use them to hurt people.  The choice is yours.  God will bless you if you give the gifts He has given you right back to Him.  Let Him use them.    

Fire on Fire?

Blessed are the peacemakers,
      for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

A soft (gentle) answer turns away wrath.  Proverbs 15:1

Props: box of matches, bucket of water

Preparation: If possible, plan to start a small contained fire during the lesson (Light a small piece of paper on fire inside a pan, for example).

When 2 people disagree, they sometimes take it a step further and begin to argue.  Then they take it one step up and begin to fight.  How many of you have ever had friends begin to fight? (Allow for response).  It’s tempting to step in and “take sides,” joining in the argument.  But we are called to be peacemakers, helping to bring peace to those who fight.  Fighting, arguing and disagreements are like fires that spread quickly and cause damage. 

(Display water and matches).  You can step in and be like water or fuel to the fire of disagreements.  If a fire started in this room, which would help to put it out—matches or water?  (Allow for response).  Water, of course.  Some people step in and add fuel to the fire by gossiping, spreading rumors, arguing, etc.   That only makes things worse.  But when you are a peacemaker, you are like water to the fire.  You stop the argument in its tracks and don’t let it grow anymore.  (Display water—or pour water on the fire if there is a real fire—as you give examples of what it means to be a peacemaker).  Being a peacemaker can mean refusing to spread gossip.  It can mean walking away when someone picks on you, or not talking back when someone calls you a name.  God may call you to be like Abram, and allow someone else to have what’s better so that there isn’t an argument.  But know this: when you choose to be a peacemaker in your own relationships or between others, God will bless you and give you a place of honor in His family.  Choose to be a peacemaker!

Don’t Get Bound by Sin

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Matthew 5:8

Props: rope (several feet long) with a large loop that can be tightened

 Place rope on the floor and stand inside the loop as you begin the lesson.  Arrange ahead of time for a helper to stand beside you.  Step outside the loop and gradually lure him in (corresponding with the lesson), then lift the loop up around his waist, tightening it more and more as you teach.  

             One of the reasons people get trapped in sin is that it usually doesn’t start out looking so bad.  The devil will try to get you to start small.  (Begin luring helper inside the loop).  He’ll say something like, “Oh, come on.  You can watch this show.  It only has a few bad words in it.”  So let’s see what happens to our friend here.  He starts out by watching a show on TV that he knows isn’t “really bad.”  It’s only got a few bad words.  (Lift loop around helper’s waist).  Then a while later, one of his friends invites him over.  Everyone’s watching this great new movie.  This one has even more bad language, and all the guys in the movie are beating each other up and shooting at each other.  He doesn’t think he should watch it, but everyone else is, and he doesn’t think it’ll hurt to do it just one time. 

            Remember!  God wants you to live a life of purity, free from sin.  It’s the only way you can fulfill your destiny for Him.  God has great plans for you; you must learn to run from temptation if you’re going to see your dreams come true. 

            A few more weeks go by, and this time he stays up late on a Friday night.  His parents told him he wasn’t allowed to watch TV after they go to bed, but he’s bored and he doesn’t see how watching TV late at night can hurt anything.  He starts flipping through the channels and sees and hears all kinds of bad things.  But no one else is awake to see him watching.  He decides to just keep watching for a little while.  (Tighten loop around his waist).   Soon he finds himself watching late-night TV and bad movies constantly.  (Continue tightening loop as far as you can, then wind the remainder of rope around his arms).  This is exactly the way the devil likes to trap people.  He always starts out with the “little” things until he has control.  He robs people of their destiny by trapping them in sin. 

            Don’t let the devil trap you.  Run away from temptation.

Boomerang!

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 (NIV)

Prop: boomerang

Beatitudes is a big word that means (pause and allow for response)…blessings. In the other lessons about the beatitudes, you’ve learned that you will be blessed if you understand that you need God, if you are sorry for the bad things you’ve done, if you are strong in God and gentle with others and if you want all that God has for you. God will bless those who obey Him.

Today’s lesson will show you that you will be blessed if you show kindness and forgive others. God’s blessings come to those who are kind to others; God will be kind to them. If you forgive others, God will forgive you when you ask Him. If you show kindness to others, God will show kindness to you.

(Display boomerang). Who knows what this is? (Allow for response). A boomerang is a special kind of toy that Australians used to use for hunting. They liked using it because it came back to them if they missed their target. We like playing with boomerangs today because it’s fun having something you throw far away come back to you.

A boomerang is not the only thing that you can send out and have return to you. The things you do and say, whether good or bad, will come back to you. Good deeds will be returned to you and kind words, also. You will be blessed if you show kindness and forgive others. God will be kind and forgiving to you if you are kind and forgiving to others.

Send out acts of kindness and mercy and, like a boomerang, they will come back to you.

Be a Bandage

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

Props: Several large bandages labeled with the following: kind words, prayer, friendship, listening, God’s Word

Call forward a volunteer to act as a “hurt person.”

Why is fighting so wrong? (Allow for response). If you’re fighting, it will hurt you and the one you’re fighting with. Yet so many people choose to pick fights and join arguments.
God has called you to be a peacemaker. Matthew 5:9 says, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” All around you are people who are arguing and fighting. And if they’re fighting, that means they’re hurt, even if they don’t know or admit it. You may not see cuts and bruises on them, but many people are hurt on the inside. Since you are called to be a peacemaker, you are called to bring God’s healing to people when they are hurt.
How can you bring healing to someone who has been hurt by all the arguing and fighting in their world? (Allow for response and help guide the kids if necessary. Place the bandages on the volunteer as each one is mentioned). You can be a friend to someone whom everyone else makes fun of. You can choose not to listen when you hear gossip about someone, and you can definitely choose not to repeat gossip. That will help bring healing to someone who’s talked about. The Bible says, “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” (Proverbs 17:9) You can say kind words and decide to always tell the truth. Proverbs 10:12 says “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.”
You can pray for those who have been hurt and tell them about God’s peace. 1 Peter 4:8 says “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
When you are a peacemaker, you bring healing to others and you will be blessed!

Always Hungry

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

Props: picture of dish of food

Matthew 5:3 says, “God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.” So far, you’ve learned that you need to be open to what God has for you and that you need to let go of things that will keep you from getting blessed. There’s something else you need to know: you need to stay hungry for God’s blessings, for what is good. (Hold up picture of dish). Would this dish be enough to feed you for the rest of your life? (Allow for response). Of course not! But it should feed you for 10 years, though. Maybe not. How about a month? A week? A day? Maybe, but probably not even enough for a day. You need to eat more than once a day in order to get enough food to stay healthy.
If we’re hungry for what God has for us, He will bless us and fill us up. But that doesn’t mean that we can come to church once in our lives and get all we need. Even coming once a week isn’t enough. We need to talk to God every day in prayer and read the Bible to get all that God has for us. We need to do everything we can to get closer to Him. You will be blessed if you want all that God has for you. Don’t be satisfied with just getting a little: Get all you can!

**Teacher’s note: this lesson refers to two other lessons: “Open Up” and “Let Go of the Junk.” These three can be presented as a complete lesson centered around Matthew 5:6.

Admit Your Mistakes

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

Props: baking ingredients and utensils, chewing gum

Begin with a skit in which a little boy tries to “help” his mother by baking a cake for the company that is coming. She leaves him to bake the cake. In the process, he makes a number of errors such as dropping part of the egg shell in the batter and accidentally dropping his chewing gum into the batter, which he finds impossible to remove. Instead of admitting his mistakes, he bakes the cake and tries to cover the errors with the frosting. The company arrives, finds the “additions” to the cake, and leaves disgusted.

Some people act like this little boy when they make a mistake. Instead of admitting to God that they are wrong, and allowing Him to help, they try to cover up and hide their mistakes. If you will come to God when you make a mistake and ask Him to forgive and help you, He will. But if you try to hide your mistakes, one day it will be too late. Remember, you will be blessed if you are sorry for the bad things you’ve done. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

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