A different life
key words
biblical reference
Mark 9:38-40; 10:35-43; Luke 9:51-56; John 19:25-27; 20:1-9; Romans 12:2; 1 John 1:7.
lesson objective
To learn that God has the power to transform lives.
memory verse
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
During this stage of their development, preadolescents face a series of significant changes in their lives. They leave childhood behind and begin adolescence. Their body and their emotions change. Their perspective on the world and the way they relate to others is also different.
But the most important thing is that these changes have an impact on their spiritual life. It is during this period that they begin to question their faith. They no longer believe only because the teacher says so. Now they want to check out for themselves the legitimacy of the Bible, looking for specific examples of a genuine Christian life.
Therefore, it is very important that as a teacher you are not only a “source of knowledge”, but also that you also encourage your students to reflect and analyze things in light of the Word of God. What your students learn in class will be significant only if they actively participate- by reading the Word, talking and praying- and, above all, by applying the biblical principles in their daily lives.
biblical commentary
In this lesson several biblical passages were put together to make a small biography of the apostle John.
He was one of the privileged men who walked near Jesus and met him in person. Jesus asked him to be his disciple, and he formed part of Jesus’ inner circle. Commentators know him as “the beloved disciple.” He witnessed the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter. He was close to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was also present at the crucifixion and received the task of taking care of Mary, the mother of his teacher. In addition, he was the first disciple who understood the meaning of the empty tomb.
After Jesus’ ascension, John became one of the important leaders of the Church, and he wrote letters to encourage and comfort the new Christians. Three of those letters are in the New Testament.
Later, John was exiled to a rocky island, called Patmos. There he lived as a prisoner, doing jobs in the field. It was in that place that he received an amazing vision of Jesus Christ as the eternal Lord of all time.
The Revelation was the message of strength and security that God gave to his people about 90 AD, when they suffered intense persecution for refusing to worship the Roman gods. Not only that, but it is a letter of encouragement for us as well.
However, John was not perfect when Jesus chose him as his disciple. He was known as one of “the sons of thunder,” and his character needed to be molded. Through this lesson, the Lord reminds us that he can use imperfect people and transform them by his grace.
introduce the lesson
Who is it?
Hand out paper and pencils so your students can write a short biography of a familiar character. Ask some volunteers to read what they wrote so that the group can guess who the description refers to.
Point out that today’s lesson is about a man who wrote about the life of Jesus.
teach the lesson
Considering that preadolescents have some difficulty participating, we suggest this activity so that they not only receive knowledge, but they are the ones who discover the biblical truths by reading their Bible.
Divide the group in two investigative teams. The first group must read the passages about the life of John as a “son of thunder” (Mark 9:38-40 and 10:35-43 and Luke 9:51-56) and write down the results on one side of the board. The second group should read the passages of John’s life as a disciple of Jesus (John 19:25-27 and 20:1-9) and write their notes on the other side. Then, both teams should compare the results and write them on Student Activity Sheet #341-A. Emphasize the change that John made when he met Christ.
connect the lesson
Evidence of change
Have then turn to Student Activity Sheet #341-B and #341-C to read and analyze the biblical passages. Then, give them time to write down the changes in John’s life.
Talk about how John’s writings show the change in his life. Then, reflect on the evidence of change that must be present in the lives of those who know Christ. Then let them write examples of young people who have a problem similar to the one John had.
Special report all about John
Direct your students’ attention to Student Activity Sheet #341-D, and divide the group into pairs.
Assign each pair one of the five cards that describe John and have them study it for a few minutes.
Explain that they should pretend to be television anchors for a program called “Awesome people and events”. Therefore, they should prepare a special report for a documentary about the life of John, using the information on the cards as the basis of information.
Have some props that they can use to stage this activity, for example, costumes, a microphone, etc.
wrap-up
Pray
Gather your students to pray and intercede for their needs. Remind them that in the same way that God changed John’s life, he can also change their lives.
Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. As he leads you, invite them to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Lead them in the prayer of salvation. Also, pray for the needs of the group.
Encourage
Remember during the week to disciple the students who accepted Christ, and encourage them to continue fellowshipping with other Christians.
Invite
Tell the group something of interest about the next session. Remind them to welcome visitors. Say goodbye by repeating the memory verse several times with the group.
Memory Verse
Tell them the memory verse: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NIV). Then, have the children repeat it with you phrase by phrase. For example: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,” “we have fellowship with one another," and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NIV).
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™