(5 minutes) 4 1. Help your kids learn the order of the books in the Bible by playing Ball Toss. Use the first 18 books of the New Testament for this lesson. 2. Students discover today’s Bible verse as they complete “Take Heart” puzzle. CD-ROM Lesson Extras! Distribute Lesson 9 Family Fridge Fun papers as students leave. Invite volunteers to tell prayer requests as you write them on the whiteboard. Then pray with students about the needs and concerns they mention. Prayer Spring • Lesson 9 6. 5. 8. 7. Gospel ission to Light. Perm photocop y granted aser only. al purch to origin 7. 4. 1. 10. 8. 10 4 5. 2. 7 .” 9. 6. 3. at the © 2013 Teacher es 3 & 4 Guide Grad does no t look at the thing outwar s man loo d appear __ __ __ ks at. Ma ance, bu t __ __ __ n looks __ __ 1 2 2 5 __ __ 7 9 __ __ __ 3 __ __ __ __ 6 10 7 1 2 __ __ __ 7 9 4 6 __ __ 8 9 6 “The Lo rd 10. 9. 1. p a i l 2. 3. 4. eart 1 Samuel 16:7 Find out wha Spring it is in the t God sees • Lesson 9 • Puz when He zle bottom blanks. Then write the looks at you and of the page. circled letter in me! Identify eac each num h bered wo picture below, and rd in the matchin write what g blanks at the Take H Ask students to think of a person they think God wants them to accept and be kind to. Pray together, asking God to give students opportunities to love and care for the people they thought of. Prayer Tip We can show our love for God by accepting others. Big Idea Identify people we need to accept because God accepts them. Action Plan We can show our love for God by accepting others. Big Idea “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 Bible Verse When Jesus forgave the sinful woman who poured perfume on His feet, He showed that He is truly God, since only God Himself can forgive sins. The religious leaders considered Jesus’ actions blasphemous. But Jesus did not try to prove anything to the religious leaders. He steadily carried on as “a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners’” (Luke 7:34), loving people in need and proclaiming the good news of God’s salvation. Connecting You to Jesus Editor Becky English Once we receive God’s love, He wants us to pass it on! If God has accepted us, shouldn’t we share His love with others who have doubts and fears and needs? Since Jesus has loved me, I pray that I will notice people’s HEARTS and will extend God’s love and acceptance toward them. I finally broke out of this mind-set when I got to know some Christians who were full of freedom and joy. They laughed a lot and genuinely enjoyed serving and worshiping the Lord. And I discovered Romans 2:4, which says that “God’s kindness leads [us] toward repentance.” I started to realize that God was kind and gentle and that He accepted me! I just needed to believe it—and be glad! When I was younger, I had a hard time receiving God’s forgiveness. I knew that God had forgiven my sins, but I was hesitant to fully rejoice in God’s forgiveness and grace. Dear Teacher, Luke 7:36-50 Younger Elementary Small Group Guide Uninvited Dinner Guest Spring • Lesson 9 Big Idea Action Plan Spring • Lesson 9 We can show our love for God by accepting others. Identify people we need to accept because God accepts them. (5 minutes) TIP Review Welcome your group and ask the following questions to review large-group activities. As your students arrive for large-group time, greet them and ask, What is a rule your family has when you eat? • • What are some things that kids notice about other kids at school? When have you seen kids your age picked on because of what they wear or what they look like? (10 minutes) In middle of whiteboard, draw an outline of a person. When we look at people, what are some things we often notice about them? (Clothes, skin color, height, etc.) Write students’ answers around outline of person. Good answers! Now what are things that GOD notices about people? (Attitudes, feelings, needs, problems, etc.) Write students’ answers inside outline of person. That’s right! Our verse today, 1 Samuel 16:7, tells us that when God looks at people, He notices what’s inside a person, not just what’s on the outside. Whiteboard Time There is so much more to everyone than what we see on the outside. Sometimes it can be hard to accept others. Let’s try to be more like Jesus and show His love by accepting everyone. 2 Kid Talk Cards (5 minutes) Distribute Lesson 9 Kid Talk Cards and read Bible verse on Side 1 aloud. Students use the grid to find out how Jesus loved the woman in today’s Bible story and how the woman felt about Jesus. •• How were Simon and the woman different? What did Jesus want Simon to learn from His story? (That God loves and accepts anyone who comes to Him and is sorry for his or her sins. That we should look at people’s hearts— the part of them that thinks and feels.) Talk with interested students about becoming members of God’s family (see “Connecting Kids to Jesus” article on CD-ROM). Spring • Lesson 9 Students look at Side 2 of Kid Talk Cards. Students complete the word search to discover different kinds of people they can accept and share God’s love with. 3 Point to photo of pizza box. Sometimes, when people get together to have fun, they order pizza! A pizza box can make us think of fun times with family or friends when we feel accepted and included. Who are some people that you might need God’s help to accept? (Someone who has hurt me. A new kid in class. Someone who is different from me. Someone who has done something wrong.) Why do you think it is easy for us to accept some people but not others? What are some good ways to show love and acceptance to others? (Be kind to someone who is different from me. Say “Hi!” to a new kid.) • • •• © 2013 Gospel Light. Permission to photocopy granted to original purchaser only. Younger Elementary Small Group Guide