Jesus Said Lessons on the Sermon on the Mount

Transcription

1 Young Teen (Junior High) Teacher Jesus Said Lessons on the Sermon on the Mount Spring Quarter, 2018 Quarterly Objective: Young teens will recognize the power in the words of Jesus and apply them to their lives. March 4 A Flavor Enhancer or a Grass Killer? Judges 9:45; Matthew 5:13; Colossians 4:6 March 11 A Beacon or a Firefly? Matthew 5:14-16; 2 Corinthians 3:18 March 18 Mark It Fulfilled! Matthew 5:17-19; Colossians 2:14 March 25 Heart Trouble Matthew 5:21-28 April 1 Revenge Victory Without Honor Matthew 5:38-42; Romans 12:19 April 8 Playing to the Grandstand Matthew 6:1-4; 1 Peter 2:12 April 15 The Model Prayer Matthew 6:5-13; Luke 11:1-4 April 22 To Get Even Forgive Matthew 6:14, 15 April 29 I Will Take Care of You! Matthew 6:25-34 May 6 Marriage: A Lifetime Commitment Genesis 2:24; Matthew 5:31, 32; 19:5, 6 May 13 The Golden Rule Matthew 7:7-12; Luke 6:31 May 20 Walk the Walk If You Talk the Talk! Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46; Colossians 3:6 May 27 My House Will Stand! Matthew 7:24-27 Young Teen Teacher produced by Volume 21, No. 2, Spring Quarter, 2018 Writer: Weeks DuBose Editor in Chief: Kyle Elkins, kyle.elkins@bogardstore.org Business Manager: Wayne Sewell, wayne.sewell@bogardstore.org 2018, Bogard Press, 4605 N. State Line Ave. Texarkana, TX

2 Learning to use the materials... STEP ONE: Familiarize yourself with the Quarterly Theme. This quarter s lessons are from the Sermon on the Mount and should help students recognize the power of the words of Jesus and how they apply to their lives. STEP TWO: Read and study the Lesson Strategy. The lessons this quarter are not divided into units. Each lesson examines a specific teaching Jesus presented in His Sermon on the Mount. STEP THREE: Develop an understanding of the teacher s guide. The Young Teen (Junior High) Teacher is designed to help you develop, follow and apply a fourstep active learning procedure that should lead your students to focus on the subject, examine the Scriptures relating to the subject, define the subject s meaning and apply the subject to their lives. The sidebar in the Lesson Strategy contains a list of the materials you will need for each lesson and an outline of the lesson presentation. The material in the Lesson Strategy contains suggestions about how to use the student leaflets and provides the answers to questions in the leaflets. There is also supplemental material to help you present the lesson. STEP FOUR: Plan for student involvement. Each lesson also includes activities designed to introduce the lesson or to illustrate a particular principle uncovered in the lesson discussion. There are questions in each lesson that require more than a simple yes or no answer. These questions require students to think before giving a reply. STEP FIVE: Check out the student s leaflet. Each student receives a four-page, full-color leaflet for each lesson. The Young Teen (Junior High) Leaflet contains a scriptural application of each lesson in addition to stories, facts and illustrations that help students apply the lesson to their lives. STEP SIX: Examine the visuals. To help with your lesson presentations, the Young Teen (Junior High) Visuals contain a quarterly theme poster and a poster for each lesson. The visuals also contain photomasters which may be used as transparencies or handouts and two pages of instructions explaining how to use the visuals. 2

3 THE MAKING OF A MEMORABLE TEACHER Do you remember your junior high Sunday School teacher? Was that teacher instrumental in helping you discover God s plan for your life, or was he the cause of your loss of interest in Sunday School? If you want to be remembered in a positive way, perhaps you should assess what factors will help to mold you into a memorable Sunday School teacher. Consider the following. An effective, memorable teacher should be 1. Prayerful. No one can be effective in any ministry if he has a weak prayer life. Spending time talking to God and listening for His responses is a primary factor in being an effective teacher. 2. Studious. This includes more than the teaching material provided for you. This material is intended to supplement your own study of the Bible. An effective teacher will arrange time for systematic Bible study. 3. Concerned. The quality of loving concern for the spiritual well-being of your students communicates itself to students in a positive way. Most students can detect sincerity or the lack of it in a teacher. 4. Contemporary. A teacher of young teens should be aware of the things that are going on in their lives today. Few things turn teens off more than for a teacher to attempt to talk to them by using language, expressions and illustrations that are outdated and considered uncool. Teen likes, dislikes, language and music are like computers what is in use today will be outdated tomorrow. An effective teacher makes every effort to be contemporary. SOME THINGS A TEACHER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HIS STUDENTS Once, the youth of America had to deal only with dysfunctional families, low self-esteem, loneliness and other personal and relationship-oriented problems. Those problems were bad enough. Now with the added threat of drug abuse, promiscuous sexual behavior, abortions, AIDS, drive-by shootings and the epidemic of school and church shootings, the problems young teens face seem almost insurmountable. No wonder lawlessness among teens is statistically staggering. Not only do young teens face oppressing external problems but also they must contend with problems caused by a changing internal physiology. Which of the following items do you think best describes a young teen? A traffic signal on yellow A winding road with no end in sight A computer An erupting volcano A Halloween mask A purring kitten Before you struggle too long with this question, you should know that there are no wrong answers. All the above statements fit the description of boys and girls who have reached a very interesting and confusing age the age of adolescence. 3

4 CONSIDER YOUR STUDENTS POINTS OF VIEW Young teens are unique. They are not adults, and, in the strictest sense of the word, they are not children either. Many of them still have friends in the elementary grades, and older teens have difficulty accepting them into their friendship circle. So it should not surprise you to find that some adolescents are apprehensive about moving up to an older age-group. Young teens also have special spiritual needs. They are prime candidates for the temptation of experimentation. Re gard less of whether it has to do with the clothes they wear, the kind of music they like, drugs, sex or alcohol, young teens will be tempted to experiment with it. Therefore, the need for proper biblical guidance is essential. Young teens should be taught that even though the Bible does not always address specific sins, the principles that govern godly living are in God s Word. Today s young teens have never lived in a society without television, computers or the space program. Through the Internet, most of them have access to more information with which to do their homework than their grandfathers had in their lifetime. Still, they have a lot of questions about themselves, their faith, their worth and their future. As their teacher, you have the opportunity to give them the correct answers. Many individuals start becoming skeptics during adolescence. Young teens urgently need to be introduced to the gospel. Never miss an opportunity to share the plan of salvation with them. HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS PLAIN AND SIMPLE (A simple presentation of the gospel) God, the Creator of all, is not angry with you. God is holy, and even though He hates all sin, He offers forgiveness because He loves the sinner (Romans 5:8). God has invited you to join His family and live forever with Him. His Son, Jesus Christ, personally brought your invitation to earth (Luke 19:10). You have a choice. You must either accept or reject this heavenly invitation. To accept it, you must repent of your sins and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You reject the invitation by ignoring it and doing nothing (John 3:18). When you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you become a new creature on the inside. You become a child of God (John 1:12). God has something wonderful planned for you. He proved He can be trusted by dying as your substitute and suffering what you deserve because of your sins (John 3:16). Jesus Christ did die and was buried but He rose from the dead and is alive today. One day He will return to rule over all the earth. If you are not saved, repent of your sins and receive Jesus now. Call on Him and invite Him to be your Lord forever (Romans 10:13). 4

5 FOUR-STEP LESSON STRATEGY FOCUS Capture the learners attention by using an appropriate motivational activity or an exercise that encourages them to think. EXAMINE Introduce the biblical text and encourage the learners to discover what the Scripture says by analyzing it, investigating it and then comparing it to other passages. DEFINE Explain the meaning of difficult words and phrases and clarify them through the use of hands-on projects and exercises. APPLY Illustrate and reinforce the lesson with concrete examples and lead them to use a lesson s biblical principle in everyday situations. 5

6 QUARTERLY REVIEW Jesus Said Lessons on the Sermon on the Mount is this quarter s theme. The object of this quarter s study is to help young teens recognize the power in the words of Jesus and to suggest ways young people can apply them to their lives. Students will examine how the words of Jesus spoken two thousand years ago apply to situations faced by teens in the twenty-first century. What did Jesus mean when He said, Ye are the salt of the earth? How can young Christians let their lights shine before men? How would Jesus have us to pray? These are just some of the lessons in this quarter that should help young Christians deal with a number of situations and problems internal and external that they will face throughout their lives. LESSON OBJECTIVES The lessons are not divided into units in this quarter. Instead, there are six pages of additional information for the teacher included in the manual. Lesson 1 shows the similarity between the functions of salt and the good influence of a child of God. Lesson 2 discusses the ways a Christian can reflect the light of Jesus Christ. Lesson 3 examines the importance of the Law before it was fulfilled in Christ. Lesson 4 discusses sins that are committed in the heart. Lesson 5 warns us to leave retaliation to God. Lesson 6 teaches us to guard against unacceptable works. Lesson 7 examines how Jesus would have us to pray. Lesson 8 discusses how an unforgiving spirit harms us. Lesson 9 assures the young teen that God provides for those who trust Him. Lesson 10 reminds young teens that marriage is a lifetime commitment. Lesson 11 is an examination of the Golden Rule. Lesson 12 encourages believers to make a commitment to be true to their Christian profession. Lesson 13 encourages young teens to build their lives on the right foundation. 6

7 THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING Do not mistake talking for teaching. Teaching is not merely sharing information with a group of students. Teaching implies learning; learning is more than retaining information. True learning is making practical use of the information one receives. A teacher gives information to his students, but he must also show them by practical example how to put this information to use. Only when your students leave your class having learned something can you say you really taught a lesson. Teaching young teens offers a number of challenges. The dedicated, effective teacher will accept these challenges as opportunities to affect young people in ways that will change their lives forever. Challenge Number One Understanding Your Students A young teen is changing mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Mentally, a junior high student is capable of remarkable intellectual development. He has an intense curiosity and prefers active learning experiences to passive ones. He usually is eager to learn something he considers useful. Mentally, a junior high teen is at risk because he faces major value decisions that have lifelong consequences. Emotionally, a junior high student is often unsettled, and his behavior is inconsistent and erratic. One moment he may manifest a feeling of superiority, and the next moment he may feel insecure. He looks to his friends to provide standards and models for his behavior. His diversified range of emotions often will lead him to test the limits of acceptable behavior. Physically, a junior high student develops very rapidly in size, weight and muscular strength. This rapid development causes him to lack coordination and makes him appear to be awkward. Spiritually, a junior high student is in the process of developing an adult faith. He is concerned about his relationship with God, with Christ and with His church and is willing to talk about spiritual matters. However, his interest primarily is in how religion applies to situations he faces every day. When it comes to maturity, development, popularity and spiritual interest, young teens are all over the chart. There is no such thing as a typical teenager. The same is true when it comes to determining what will perk the interest of young teens the most. Every teen is different, so plan your lesson presentations to include activities that target the following three categories of students: 1. YOUNG TEENS WHO ARE UNCHURCHED OR DISINTERESTED 2. YOUNG TEENS WHO ARE MODERATELY INTERESTED IN SPIRITUAL MATTERS 3. YOUNG TEENS WHO WILLINGLY ACCEPT SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES Examine your lessons, evaluate the activities and decide which ones are best suited for your students. No one else can tell you what method will interest your students. When you encounter material that contains suggested activities, use them only if you feel they are suited for your students. Learn to adapt suggestions to fit the needs of your students. 7

8 Challenge Number Two Teaching from the Known to the Unknown The challenge of teaching involves leading students from what they know to understanding what they at the present do not know. Many biblical teachings are abstract principles and are not readily understood even by the most mature mind. However, the things God wants His people to know can be learned. Some doctrines are simple truths that a child can understand. They are like drops of dew on a leaf that sparkle and gleam in the sunlight. Other teachings are rich gems of truths that are like precious diamonds and are buried deep in God s Word. Like the diamond, they must be laboriously brought to the surface. An effective teacher s challenge is not simply to bring gems of truth to the students but to show his students how to dig the truths out for themselves and then to teach them how to apply those truths. An additional challenge of teaching young teens is dealing with the complexity of the age-group itself. Teachers of young people between the ages of twelve and sixteen deal with an interesting group of young people. They are no longer children; neither are they fully-developed teens, and they certainly are not adults. These young people are struggling through those between years called adolescence. This period of life is extremely difficult for parents as well as teens. Teens feelings fluctuate continually and physical features change rapidly, often leaving the young person discouraged and confused one moment and on an emotional high the next. No wonder someone referred to adolescence as the flu of life. America s young people are in crisis. Many of them face crises with which most adults would find it difficult to deal. Over a period of a decade, the situation could only have gotten worse. Another sobering fact is that research shows teens from Bible-centered churches are not immune to these problems. To help teachers meet the needs of young teens of the present generation, youth leaders and experts in the field of Christian education have identified the most basic problems faced by today s youth. These problems include: Emotional issues Moral issues Physical and mental abuse Drug addiction Finding God s will Choosing a career Young teens in this generation are living in a time when the traditional principles of right and wrong, once considered fundamental to a civilized society, are challenged on every hand. One can quickly see why they need discipline and guidance from mature Christian adults, and why Christian teachers are challenged to supply additional stability to young teens whose lives are in a state of transition. 8

9 Challenge Number Three Presenting True-to-the-Bible Lessons Teachers have the responsibility of presenting biblical lessons. Never forget that understanding biblical truths is dependent upon the aid of the Holy Spirit. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, an effective teacher can: understand and practice Scripture passages. discover the students needs as they relate to the passages. select appropriate ways to involve students in the lesson. lead students to apply biblical principles in an everyday setting. Likewise, the Holy Spirit aids the students to: receive the truths they study. understand the Scripture passages. see specific ways the Bible applies to them. have the strength and courage to apply biblical principles to their lives. Challenge Number Four Presenting Effective Lessons Ten Characteristics of an Effective Lesson 1. Conviction: The truths you intend to teach should matter to you. If they do not, they will not matter to your students. 2. Specific application: Suggest specifically how your students may apply the lesson to their lives during the week. Young teens are not interested in information that does not relate to their lives. 3. Fun: Because a lesson is informative and life-changing does not mean that it has to be dull. Make it fun. Create opportunities for your students to laugh. 4. Personal: Your lesson should reach your students where they live. Be open about yourself. 5. Involved: When you are talking about the lesson, teens may or may not be paying attention. When they are talking about the lesson, you can be sure they are interested. 6. Prepared: You do not have to be a theology professor. However, you do need to have a basic understanding of what the lesson is about. You should be prepared enough to present the lesson with confidence. 7. Informed: Come to class with new information about the lesson that is not evident from casual reading of the text. 8. Introduction: The first few minutes of the lesson are critical. Do not just get their attention grab it! 9. Inspired: Challenge them by modeling the lesson you teach. 9

10 10. Focused: Limit yourself to one or two major points you plan to emphasize throughout the lesson. Your lesson has a theme a big idea on which you should focus. Challenge Number Five Presenting Something To Remember For years Sunday School classes have been primarily content-oriented events. Students were encouraged to read what the writer wrote about the subject. This approach to teaching disregarded two other important elements of effective learning activity and experience. This one-sided approach has given the Sunday School a reputation of being a boring, unfriendly place where young people receive information but little else. A good lesson must have good biblically centered content that enables your students to explore what they believe and then will lead them to discover why they believe it. However, many teachers who are provided with good content are ineffective because they proceed directly to lecture and fail to incorporate action into their lessons. Object lessons, role plays, discussions, even debates keep students interested and will help them remember. The third element of effective teaching is experiencing the lesson. If you remember, this is the way Jesus taught. He made statements and they asked questions. He gave illustrations and they learned. Then He would tell them to go and put what they learned into practice. Do not simply leave your students with a stated principle. Suggest ways they can put that principle into practice during the coming week. Give them something to remember about the lesson. Challenge Number Six Apply the Lesson Through Experience Some boast that they learned the lessons of life through experience. But is it the best way to learn? Learning by experience is risky business for several reasons. Some will miss the point of a particular experience. Experience is a risky teacher because an important learning experience may go over the heads of some. Others may interpret the experience incorrectly and will not apply the lesson to their lives. Certainly, some of life s most profound lessons are learned through experience, but usually lives are changed because a teacher accepted the challenge to show these individuals how to apply the lessons that experience taught them. 10

11 Challenge Number Seven Encouraging Participation Why can young teens sing along with almost every song they hear on the radio and never miss a word but cannot remember the names of the twelve apostles? A Sunday School teacher asked his class if they could tell him something about Ruth. One student replied, Wasn t he the man who hit a bunch of home runs or something? One of the most frequent complaints young teens have about Sunday School is that it is boring. The primary goal of a Sunday School teacher is not simply to have fun but to help students apply biblical concepts to their everyday lives. However, there is no reason learning should be boring. Class time becomes more interesting when the teacher allows the students to be part of the learning process. Your challenge is to do something more than lecture the students. Each lesson contains activities and discussion questions that will allow the students to take part in the learning process. Use them. If they do not suit your lesson plan, be creative and adapt them. Challenge Number Eight Knowing the Needs of Your Students How well do you know your students? You know their names; you probably know their addresses and telephone numbers, but do you know them personally? If you want to be an effective teacher, there is no substitute for acquiring knowledge about specific needs your students may have, what they are good at doing and what really interests them. A way to help you get to know your students better is by compiling a teacher s journal that contains all the information you need about members of your class. Here is how to make one. Use a three-ring binder. Obtain a picture of each member of your class by taking a polaroid snapshot of each student or by asking for a school picture. Assign a page in the binder to each student and paste the student s picture in the top corner. On the page include the student s full name, address, phone number, age and birthday. You could consider taking a city map and enlarging the area where a student lives, making it easier for you to find his house. Make notes about the students hobbies, what they do for relaxation, even noting their favorite foods. Since this journal is for your private use, jot down the spiritual needs of your students as well. Keep the journal close by and leaf through the pages as you prepare the lesson each week. This will help you structure your lesson to meet their individual needs. 11

12 Challenge Number Nine Affecting Change in a Student s Life There are two aspects to the educational process teaching and learning. For teaching to take place, you must make provisions and give encouragement that will stimulate effective learning. The results of true learning are a growth in information and a change in the attitude and the behavior of an individual. Any teacher who wishes to achieve these changes in his students should apply the following principles. One, teach students to accept the Bible as their absolute authority. In a day when the moral standards are very low, and when there are fewer and fewer absolutes, it is a Sunday School teacher s responsibility to teach young teens that the Bible is the final authority for belief and practice. Two, teach young teens to apply the Bible to their needs and experiences. The Bible is as up-to-date as the morning newspaper. A teacher s job is to show how biblical principles meet the needs of young teens. Three, act on the fact that teens respond best to subjects and situations that interest them. Young teens who attend Sunday School are in class voluntarily. They are not likely to continue attending if they are not interested in the subjects and situations the teachers discuss. Four, learn how to involve students in the lesson. If a person hears, he may forget. If he hears and sees, he may remember. If he becomes involved, he will understand. Five, make learning an enjoyable experience. One particularly damaging mistake committed by a teacher is to bore a student with the Bible. God s Word should be presented as a treat, not as a dose of bitter medicine. Six, depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Students cannot learn biblical truths without the Holy Spirit s working in the teacher as well as in the students. Remember, learning is not merely acquiring more information. Learning is applying what one already knows to everyday situations. A teacher s goal should not be to have students follow a particular course of action because he tells them to. His goal should be to lead students to deal with their circumstances using the biblical principles he has taught them. 12

13 LESSON 1 March 4, 2018 Young Teens (Junior High) Teacher A Flavor Enhancer or a Grass Killer? u Quarterly Theme: Jesus Said Lessons on the Sermon on the Mount u Quarterly Objective: Young teens will recognize the power in the words of Jesus and apply them to their lives. u Lesson Theme: Living lives that are flavored with the zest of Christian principles u Lesson Objective: Young teens will show the similarities between the function of salt and the good influence of a child of God. u Bible Principle: The dedicated life of a child of God will have a positive influence on others. u Bible Text: Judges 9:45; Matthew 5:13; Colossians 4:6. o Life Application: I will help those around me by applying Christ s words to my daily life. Vocabulary Builder Condiment: a seasoning for food such as salt, pepper or various spices Insipid: lacking flavor or zest; lacking excitement or interest Toxic: harmful, deadly; poisonous Enhance: to increase or make greater in value, cost, beauty or taste YE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH H EL P F O R T H E T E A C H ER In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described godly qualities that should be possessed by a local church. Since a church is made up of individuals, Jesus statement ye are the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13) refers also to the individual members of a local New Testament church. Jesus statement about salt does not merely remind us of the character of children of God, but it also suggests the nature of the world in which Christians live. The earth of which Jesus spoke refers to mankind. Jesus pointed out that human society needs something to protect it from spoiling. Jesus analogy teaches that, as salt provides the necessary ingredients to preserve life and to prevent decay, Christians are the ingredients necessary to keep human society from decaying. However, Christians can lose their effectiveness and become like salt that no longer flavors or preserves food; they are good for nothing more than to be thrown out or used as a weed killer. Important Information About Salt Common table salt is a combination of two highly toxic elements sodium and chloride. Sodium is a soft, malleable, metallic element that is toxic and reacts explosively with water. Important sodium compounds include sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, baking soda, sodium phosphate and sodium hydroxide. Chloride is a binary form of chlorine, which is an extremely toxic, irritating, gaseous compound. Chlorine compounds of commercial importance include hydrochloric acid, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and bleaching powder. By themselves sodium and chloride are toxic, but properly combined they form an element that, in the proper proportion, is essential to sustain life. Considered necessary for survival, salt was one of the most important staples of any economy in ancient times. Salt was so valuable in New Testament times that it was often used as wages to pay Roman soldiers. 13

14 TEACHING TIP How important is salt? For life to exist, an exact percentage of it must always be present in the bloodstream. Any great deviation from this amount can result in sickness and even death. Matthew 5:13 teaches three important truths about the striking likeness between Christians and salt. 1. Like salt, Christians should be a productive and preservative force in the world. Our influence should restrain the movement toward moral, spiritual and political decay. 2. Like salt, Christians should show how tasteless and insipid life without Christ really is by living out the principles of Christ in our lives. 3. Like salt, Christians should live so that they create a thirst for Christ and a thirst for something the world cannot supply. Every believer should check to see whether he has allowed conditions to develop in his life that would ruin his ability to create a thirst for the Lord. Surely, Jesus had these things in mind when He said to His church, Ye are the salt of the earth. USE OF SALT DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE The Bible states that good salt is used to: 1. Prevent decay (Luke 14:34, 35). 2. Enhance flavor (Job 6:6; Col. 4:6). 3. Kill vegetation (Judges 9:45). 4. Bind covenants and mix with sacrifices (Lev. 2:13; Num. 18:19). 5. Promote peace (Mark 9:50). WE MUST GET OUT OF OUR SALTSHAKERS! Salt has the ability to change whatever it comes in contact with. Salt can season food, heal wounds and prevent decay. But regardless of its quality, salt will never season, heal or preserve if it remains in its shaker. By the same token, the most active and sincere children of God cannot perform the functions of salt if they are isolated from the world. If Christians stay in their saltshakers, they will not have an effect on a corrupt and dying world. Christians have a wonderful privilege to be the salt this world needs to sustain life. But to preserve, flavor or create a thirst, we must go into the world. We cannot affect what we do not touch. WARNING OF A DANGER Salt can become worthless and good for nothing (Matt. 5:13). How? When salt is mixed with other substances from the earth, it becomes contaminated. In Bible times, salt from the Dead Sea, when mixed with sufficient quantities of gypsum, would become alkaline and lose its salty character its savor. This contamination rendered the salt useless. When Christians are contaminated by the world and its distorted value system, they lose their Christlike character, or their saltiness. Applying the Lesson Because of the natural condition of man and the effect of Satan s influence, if it were not for the salty presence of Christians, the world would become rotten and perish. Christians not only help preserve the human race, but they also, as seasoning agents in a bland world, add flavor and zest to life. As salt creates a thirst for water, Christians should create a thirst for Jesus. By fellowshipping with Christ, by dying to self, by living by faith and by making fellowship with God their goal, Christians maintain their salty qualities. Believers are not left here on this earth for their own comfort or to pursue their own interests. Quite the contrary, God has a divine purpose for them. They are to be the salt of the earth that will preserve, heal and flavor society. q Devotional: Add a Pinch of Salt! Mark 9:50. Jesus used salt to remind us of three characteristics that should be found in His people. Salt is a preservative and reminds us that believers possess a quality that keeps the world from rotting in sin. Salt enhances flavor. Christians, by their Christlike lives, add flavor to life. Salt creates a thirst. Christians should make the world thirsty for the knowledge of Christ. But salt that loses its ability to do these things is worthless. When we lose the ability to do these things, we become useless to the cause of Christ. 14

15 Lesson Strategy FOCUS + Before class, put up Theme Poster and Lesson 1 Poster. + Decorate the room with pictures of different kinds of condiments and spices. + Hand out 3" x 5" index cards to each student as he comes into the room. When you are ready to begin the class ask: What is the purpose of spices and condiments? (The answer: to add flavor to food; to make it taste better.) + Explain that, even though many heard Him speak, Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount to the first church. In that message, He called the first church and its individual members the salt of the earth. Jesus said that in a way Christians are like a condiment. + Have each student write on his card what spice or condiment describes his Christian character at the present time and tell why. Have students share their answers with the class. Ask: If you are not satisfied with the answer you had to give, what spice or condiment do you wish you could list? Explain that Jesus used several names to describe His people. Each title emphasized a specific characteristic. To what characteristic did Jesus refer when He called His followers: sheep (defenseless, needing a leader) little children (personal relationship, immature, able to be instructed) + This lesson examines what Jesus meant when He called His people the salt of the earth.. Supplies you will need for this lesson: 4 Theme Poster 4 Lesson 1 Poster 4 3" x 5" index cards and pencils 4 student leaflets 4 copies of Photomasters 1-1 and 1-2 Focus (10 Minutes) Put Theme Poster and Lesson 1 Poster in prominent position. Give each student a 3" x 5" index card and a pencil. Conduct the activity described in the Lesson Strategy. Have students share their answers with the class and tell why that particular spice or condiment describes their Christian character. Use suggestions in the Lesson Strategy to further introduce the lesson. EXAMINE + Student leaflet, page 1. Jesus called believers sheep and little children because of certain characteristics they possessed. He also referred to them as salt for the same reason. + Salt is a flavor enhancer. That means it improves the taste of food. Salt can also kill grass and weeds. + Ask students to name ways in which Christians are the salt of the earth. Christians help to preserve the human race against the decreasing morality that is the result of sin. Christians create a thirst for Christ and His kingdom. Christians add flavor to an otherwise bland and tasteless existence. + In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus apparently had in mind specifically salt s worth as a flavor enhancer. + In a society where salt was so valuable that it was used as wages to pay soldiers, few things were considered more intolerable than contaminated salt salt that had lost its usefulness. + Photomaster 1-1. Students should be given time to think about how they will finish the incomplete sentence. The answers will be varied, but the most common reason is number 7. Have students tell why they chose to finish the sentence the way they did. Examine (15 Minutes) Hand out student leaflets. Student leaflet, page 1. State why Jesus called His followers sheep, children and salt. Ask students to name ways in which Christians are the salt of the earth. Hand out copies of Photomaster

16 Student leaflet, page 2. Ask students the questions in the first column. Explain the meaning of the two phrases. To whom did Jesus address the Sermon on the Mount? Read the second column on page 2 and help students determine the answer to the question. Student leaflet, page 3. Read the article Ugggh! It Needs Salt. Complete the exercise at the bottom of the page. + Student leaflet, page 2. The first column begins with two phrases. Probably, most young teens have heard them before. Ask how many knew the first one came from the Bible. The second saying refers to a time when soldiers were paid their wages in salt. A lazy soldier was not worth his salt. When are Christians not worth their salt? Answer: When they fail to demonstrate in their lives the characteristics that make them the salt of the earth. + To Whom Was He Speaking? Jesus addressed the Sermon on the Mount to the first church. Since a local church is made up of individuals, Christ s designation applies to each member as well. + The second column on page 2 contains information for the student about salt. There are more facts about salt in the information for the teacher section. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. When sodium is applied to chloride, salt is produced. When God s grace and mercy are applied to a repentant sinner, a new creature is produced. + Student leaflet, page 3. The story on page 3 discusses the uselessness of fake salt and compares it to fake Christians. Ask students how they would identify fake Christians. Have students share their answers to the question at the bottom of the page. Ask them the reasons for their answers. Define (10 Minutes) DEFINE Vocabulary Builder Condiment: a seasoning for food, such as salt, pepper or various spices Insipid: lacking flavor or zest; lack ing excitement or interest Toxic: harmful, deadly; poisonous Enhance: to increase or make greater in value, cost, beauty or taste + The three words in the Vocabulary Builder are simple words used to describe the character of salt. Salt is one of a number of condiments used to flavor food. Insipid describes the bland and tasteless flavor of food without salt. The two ingredients of salt sodium and chloride by themselves are toxic. Enhance means to increase the flavor of a food and is one of the purposes for which salt is used. Apply (10 Minutes) APPLY Photomaster 1-2. Complete the exercise. Student leaflet, page 4. Read all the articles in both columns and answer the questions. If time permits, share some of the answers. Use information in Help for the Teacher section to help with the closing and application of the lesson. + Have students spend some time filling out Photomaster Have students share what characteristics make each of them qualified to be called salt. + Student leaflet, page 4. Read the article Salty Christians and then answer the three questions. + The first two articles in column two compare salt that is no longer of use to Christians who are living their lives for Satan. The last article points out that Paul s greatest fear was that after he had preached to hundreds of people, he would become a castaway. + Use information in the Help for the Teacher section to close the lesson. 16