What do we believe?
key words
biblical reference
1 John 2:18-27; 4:1-6; 2 John 9.
lesson objective
To analyze and understand that the biblical doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ is the only truth.
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
Your students are discovering the diversity of ideas and thoughts that exist in the world. Whether at school, among friends or neighbors you will find that not everyone thinks the same way. Our students are bombarded by philosophies, ideologies and currents of thought that seek to distance them from the biblical truth. This is confusing their mind with ideas that are not helpful for their spiritual growth.
However, the Bible establishes the importance of recognizing the truth. In today’s passage, John tells the Christians what to do with a group of false teachers and their wrong doctrines.
We know that young people are curious by nature. In their search for answers, they want to experiment and inquire for themselves. For that reason, it is important that, through this lesson, they learn that the Bible tells us the truth, and that all new ideologies and doctrines must be analyzed in light of the Bible’s teachings.
It is likely that your students will have more questions than usual in this lesson. That is why we suggest that you prepare yourself to respond with clarity and, above all, with divine wisdom.
biblical commentary
Read 1 John 2:18-27 and 4:1-6. John knew that false teachers tried to introduce false doctrines into the church of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he warned Christians to be careful and stay away from these misconceptions. Many of those false teachers incorporated elements of the gospel into pagan beliefs or Jewish traditions. They often denied the total humanity or total deity of Christ, preaching other kinds of teachings that confused believers.
John gave advice to the early Christians, which are still valid for us. It is unfortunate that in our society, truth is a concept in disuse. In favor of the revolution of thought and the establishment of new ideologies, truth is distorted and altered to make it false. There are hundreds of sects that teach improbable concepts about Christ and salvation. That is why John also encourages us to seek the truth and get away from false doctrines.
The apostle tells us that we must “prove” those teachings in light of the Word of God. Any group, individual or movement that denies that Jesus is the Christ is wrong.
In 1 John 2:22-23, the writer clearly points out that whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ also denies the Father. John assures that the Father and the Son are one, and one cannot be denied without denying the other.
Christians must stand firm in their faith, regardless of the currents and doctrines that govern this world. That is why it is very important that through this lesson, your students learn that the only truth is in Christ and in his Word.
introduce the lesson
True or false
Divide the group into two teams. As you read the following statements, your students should decide if they are true or false. Tell them that those who believe they are true must stand up, and those who think they are false stay sitting.
The sleepiest animal is the koala, which sleeps 22 hours a day. (True)
Scientists used the hippopotamus to do research, searching for the cure of leprosy. Infected hippos produce a substance known as lepromin that helps the patient in his recovery. (False)
The human skeleton is made up of 205 or 206 bones, according to the coccyx of each. More than half of them are in the hands and feet: 27 in each hand and 26 in each foot (106 in total). (True)
Mosquitoes have 47 teeth. (True)
A person’s heart is the size of an apple. (False)
The largest crustacean in the world is the giant crab of Japan. Even though its body measures only 33 cm. its legs exceed five meters. (True)
The American continent is the most populated of all. (False)
The Caspian Sea, the Dead Sea and the Aral Sea are not seas, but lakes. In fact, the Caspian is the largest surface area lake in the world. (True)
In Antarctica, there is a great variety of birds and wild flowers. (False)
On April 23, International Book Day is celebrated, because on that day, in the year 1616, two most famous writers of all time died Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and William Shakespeare. (True)
After finishing the game, ask them: “How can you know if someone is telling you the truth?” Allow them to respond, and then ask, “How do you feel when you are not sure about something? How do you feel when you realize that someone lied to you and you thought they told you the truth?” Listen to the answers. Then, tell them that in today’s story we will learn what John said to some people who doubted the truth of Christ.
Different beliefs
Have students sit in a semicircle in front of the board, and ask them if they know what a “sect” is. Write the answers on the board, and explain that a sect is a religious group that has different beliefs than those that have been accepted through history. In general, sects grow because they have a leader with convincing power, but their beliefs are wrong.
Briefly explain the tragic end of some sects, such as the Davidics, led by David Koresh, who died in Waco, Texas.
Talk with them about the importance of choosing the right beliefs. God gave us the ability to choose freely. However, we must bear in mind that we are responsible for the decisions we make.
teach the lesson
We suggest that you seek the help of a young man from your congregation to present the role of John. Provide him in advance with the study material, and ask him to tell your students what John told the Christians in his letters in 1 John 2:18-27; 4:1-6, 11-15 and 2 John 9.
Have a table and chair to represent the place where John wrote. Explain to the class that they will receive a visit from a special person who will teach them what to do when confronted with false cults and doctrines.
connect the lesson
What do I believe?
Have the students find the Student Activity Sheet #344-A and #344-B. They are to read the beliefs of the different religious groups, and put an X next to those that do not agree with God’s Word.
In this activity, your students will see examples about the beliefs of some sects. Remember that the central point of this activity is not to criticize others for what they believe, but rather that preadolescents understand the importance of testing every teaching in light of the Word of God. In this way they can defend themselves against false doctrines and, with the help of the Lord, perhaps they can convince those who live in error.
This being the last lesson of the unit, recognize the effort of the students who learned the memory verse and other biblical passages. If possible, reward them with a treat or a bookmark for their Bible.
practice the memory verse
Tell the children 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, ask the children to say the verse and repeat it two or three times so they will not forget it.
wrap-up
Pray
At the conclusion of this session, invite your students to confirm their faith in Jesus. Pray with each one according to his/ her needs.
Encourage
Encourage them to study the Word of God to learn from it, but also to have solid arguments in defending their faith. Motivate them to stay firm and not give in to the pressure of people who want to confuse them.
Invite
Encourage the group to continue attending the sessions, and mention the theme of the next unit. Remind them that this is a good time to invite new people to the group.
* 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.™