Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton All Rights Reserved. Gentleness Lesson 2 of 4 Gentleness Rejects Violence (Gentleness understands the destructive nature of violence and rejects it in both physical and verbal forms.) Scripture: And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men. II Timothy 2:24 Preparation Print on cardstock one copy each of the illustration pages. Print one copy of the age-appropriate assignment for each child involved. NOTE: Violence is a word that every child needs to understand and they are capable of doing so as young as age three. Don t under-estimate their ability. Help them understand that it refers to the exertion of physical force that can injure or abuse. Give them illustrations such as the violence of a storm that tears apart a house; the violence of a fist fight that bruises bodies; the violence of a forest fire that destroys animals homes; or the violence of loud arguments that become frightening. Introduction Say: Tell me, Character Builders, what character trait we re adding to your character wall this month. Yes. We re learning about gentleness this month. What is the first thing we learned about gentleness? Hold up the pictures from Lesson #1. Have listeners read the captions of each. Say: Today we re going to learn a word you may not know violence. Violence is something others can do to hurt you. Violence is something you can do to hurt others. (Give illustrations.) As you listen to today s story, see if you can hear violence. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners culture and ages. Fight! Fight! Fight! Jayden joined the crowd of boys and girls, jumping and shouting. Fight! Fight! Fight! Isabella appeared beside him. Who s fighting? Display picture of two boys fighting as you continue. Two big guys, Jayden said. They aren t in our class. Settling an argument, I guess! One fighter s fist hit the other and blood flew. How can you watch such violence? Isabella asked. You think this is violence? Jayden laughed. You should see what my dad and I watch on TV! Isabella shook her head. She d never fight to settle an argument. She turned and went to help in the preschool. As she opened the door to the colorful classroom, screams filled her ears. Oh no. More fighting, she said to herself. Quickly, she followed the screams and found Josh sitting beside Tilly. Tilly was doing the screaming. Display picture of preschoolers as you continue. What made Tilly cry? Isabella asked Josh. Nothing. She s a baby, Josh said. Isabella turned to the little girl. Tilly, what s wrong? Why are you crying? He pinched me, Tilly sobbed. He wanted my toy, but I said no. Then he pinched me. Hard! Josh, pinching is violence. Pinching hurts, said Isabella. Here. Let me show you. Let me pinch you.
Josh jumped up. No! he said, and he ran to the big blue toy box in the corner. Isabella wiped Tilly s nose, hugged her, and went to talk to the teacher. They need to settle arguments without violence, the teacher said. Maybe you can think of a way to teach them that. Isabella was about to answer when William began screaming because Jack was hitting him. Then two girls started screaming and pulling each other s hair. Another girl pushed a baby boy. At that point, Isabella herself screamed. Stop it! All of you stop it! The room became very quiet. Even the teacher stopped talking. Isabella s face turned red. You have to say no to hurting others, she said. You have to show gentleness. Gentleness says no to hurting others. The children stared at Isabella. I think, she went on, you can play without fighting. If you disagree about something, talk but please don t fight. Fighting is violence. Reject violence. I mean, say no to violence. The teacher came to her rescue and explained in easier words. While the teacher talked, Isabella got snacks ready. When the teacher finished, the children sat down at the little red tables. Isabella gave each a snack. They didn t fight at all over their snacks. They finished them and went back to play. They all said no to violence. After dinner that evening, when Dad reminded Isabella to do her homework, little brother Deniel jumped up. Me first on the computer! he shouted. He raced away to the family room. No! Isabella ran after him. You just want to play games. Get away! I have to do my homework. No! No! No! screamed Deniel. I have homework, too. He slid into the chair and grabbed the mouse. Give me that! Isabella snatched it from him. Get out of that chair right now! Isabella doubled her fists. I CAN make you go, she said. She swung, but stopped just before her fist hit Deniel. He was ready to cry. She thought about all the fighting she had seen that day. She heard a voice say, Gentleness says no to violence. Quietly, Isabella sat down beside Deniel. Display picture of children at the computer as you complete the story. I ll help you with your homework first. Then you can go and play while I do my homework. Deniel grinned. Okay, he said. Isabella helped him then. It was easy stuff. She herself could have done it in two minutes, but Deniel had to work hard at it. As he worked, Isabella made up a little tune. She began to sing softly, Just say no to violence. That s the excellent way. Just say no to violence. Make arguments go away. Bible Story: Pharisees Looking for a Fight John 8:1-11 We read in the Bible about some men who did not want to show gentleness. Like most bullies, they spent a lot of time making trouble for people. Who were they? They were scribes and Pharisees. Scribes were men who wrote copies of God s law. Pharisees were men who thought they kept all of God s law, but they changed its meaning. The scribes and Pharisees did not like Jesus. They were always trying to trick Jesus with their questions. Well, one morning, they tried to cause big trouble! Close your eyes and imagine the story as I tell it. It s early in the morning. Jesus has just arrived at the temple. People are crowding around to hear Him teach. Suddenly, a group of scribes and Pharisees push their way through the crowd. Look! They are dragging a woman with them. She doesn t want to come, but they are pushing and pulling her toward Jesus. As Jesus looks toward the commotion, they shove the woman right in front of Him. Master, they say with noses high in the air. This woman gave her heart to another man even though she already has a husband. When Moses wrote the law, he said we should stone a woman like that. What do you say?
They want violence, AND they want Jesus to make a mistake so they can find fault with Him. Jesus acts as though He isn t listening to them. Look! Display the illustration of a man writing on the ground. He s writing something in the dirt with His finger. Everyone s trying to see what He s writing. The scribes and Pharisees get angry. They begin asking Jesus again, What should we do with her? Finally, Jesus lifts himself up and looks at the men. Whichever one of you has no sin, He says, may throw the first stone at her. Jesus is stooping and writing on the ground again, but look! Look at the scribes and Pharisees! They look guilty. They know they all have sin in their hearts. Will they throw stones? No! There they go! They are pushing through the crowd and hurrying away. Now Jesus and the woman are alone in the middle of the people. Jesus is lifting Himself up again. Listen to what He says. Woman, where are the men that were accusing you? Didn t any of them throw a stone at you? The woman is watching, wondering what Jesus will do to her. No man did, Lord, she says. Jesus looks at her with gentleness. I will not throw stones either. Go home, and don t sin anymore. Now open your eyes. Think about what Jesus did for that woman. Jesus said no to violence. He knew the scribes and Pharisees had sin in their hearts. They could not stone the woman. Jesus did not have sin in His heart. He could have stoned the woman, but instead He forgave her and told her not to sin anymore. Jesus said no to the violence of throwing stones at the woman. Our Bible memory verse says, And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men. When we strive, we struggle. We may fight. God says we must not strive, but be gentle to everyone. Apply the two stories in age-appropriate words. Hold up the picture of the boys fighting, and read: Gentleness Rejects Violence. The big boys had an argument. Does it matter what the argument was? Is violence a bad way to settle some arguments but a good way to settle others? Violence is always a bad way to settle arguments. When you yell Fight! you encourage others to use violence. Violence hurts. It is not good to encourage others to use violence. Hold up the picture of the preschoolers, and read: Gentleness Rejects Violence. Some people hide their violence. Sometimes they use just a bit of violence to get their way like pinching. No one sees them, so they think it s okay. It is never okay to use violence in any way, even if it seems like small violence. Hold up the picture of the children at the computer, and read: Gentleness Rejects Violence. When Isabella settled her argument with Deniel, she almost used violence. Then she rejected violence. She showed gentleness instead. That means she said no to violence. You show gentleness when you say no to all violence. Hold up the illustration of a man writing on the ground, and read: Gentleness Rejects Violence. Jesus did not strive with the woman. He did not struggle with her, or fight her. He said no to violence. He rejected violence. Jesus used a gentle way to tell the woman that she had sinned. He did not stone her. He gently told her to go home and stop sinning. If we catch someone doing something that we know is a sin, how should we treat that person? Should we yell at them as the scribes and Pharisees did to the woman? Should we fight with them, as the Pharisees were ready to do? Should we show violence or gentleness? We are to be like Jesus. We must not strive. We must not struggle and fight. Instead, God says that we are to be gentle to everyone. Close by handing out assignment sheets.
First and Last Name: Tyrone and Denzel had an argument. They argued over whether to play basketball or football. They started by talking nicely. Then they began yelling. One yelled football! The other yelled basketball! They stood up and pushed each other. Then Tyrone started hitting Denzel. Did Tyrone say no to violence? Isabella and Deniel had an argument. They argued over who should use the computer. Isabella said she had homework. Deniel said he had homework. Each wanted to use the computer first. Isabella started to hit Deniel and then she stopped. She did not hit him. Instead, she helped him with his homework. Did Isabella say no to violence? Josh and Tilly had an argument. They argued about who should play with the toy. Tilly had the toy first. Josh wanted the toy. Tilly would not give him the toy. Josh did not get a different toy. He still wanted Tilly s toy. Josh pinched Tilly very hard. Josh made Tilly cry. Did Josh say no to violence? Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Gentleness #2 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and Last Name: Tell a parent about the scribes and Pharisees bringing the woman to Jesus. 1. Who wanted to show violence to the woman who sinned? 2. Who wanted to show gentleness to the woman who sinned? Copy your Bible memory verse below. You may ask for help. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men. II Timothy 2:24 Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Gentleness #2 Ages 3 to 7 For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and Last Name: Use the pictures on the left as help. Think about the story. The boys and girls in the story argued. They settled their arguments with violence. Write about a time when you argued with someone. Tell how you might have used violence to settle the argument. Then tell how you might have settled the argument without violence. Which did you do? Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Gentleness #2 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
Look at the picture to the left. Think about the Bible story that goes with this picture. Think about who wanted to show violence to the woman who had sinned. Think about who rejected violence and showed gentleness to the woman who had sinned. Talk to a parent about the Bible story and about your Bible memory verse. How do the two go together? Write your Bible memory verse below just as it is in the Bible. Then write it again, but put your name in the verse this time. Learn the verse so that you can say it every time without any help. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Gentleness #2 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com