THE ROAD TO JOY

memory verse for this unit

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV*).

objectives of this unit

This unit will help your preadolescents:• Understand that the Beatitudes are to be lived here and now and especially what it means to be “poor in spirit” and “meek”• Understand the concepts and meaning of “mourning” (feeling pain) and “hungering and thirsting for righteousness,” according to the Beatitudes because God promises that they will be blessed• Recognize the importance of being “merciful” and seek to achieve peace among those around them• Understand their commitment to God and recognize the place he must occupy in their lives• Understand that Christians should not be surprised if we’re persecuted, and it is a privilege to suffer for Jesus and in turn, God will sustain us with his presence and promises.

the reason we teach this unit

In today’s world, many would say that happiness is having what they want, when they want it. Many advertisers appeal to this feeling in preadolescents, making them feel unhappy if they’re deprived of everything that society imposes on them. They may very easily be convinced that happiness is found in material possessions. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches what the true source of joy is. By studying the beatitudes, our preadolescents will learn to live a lifestyle that is contrary to such cultures. It is important that they examine their motivations and desires, and that they know how God wants them to live in a consumeristic world, which seeks pleasure that will never make them truly satisfied.