Scripture: for teacher background: 2 Cor 6:14-18; 2 Cor 7:1; Romans 8:5-6 Romans 12:1,2 Romans 13:8-14; 1 Cor 10:31; 1 John 2:15-17
Making
contact:
Prepare a puppet show about peer pressure.
Use a pair of old socks and draw faces on them making sure that the 2
characters look quite different.
The 2 characters (please give them names) will
be used to demonstrate how 2 school kids can talk each other into bad
situations.
If you can give the puppets extra features by giving them hair made
of wool or a school tie it would be even better.
Bring the 2 characters to
class and once the class is seated begin a performance that shows how one of
the school kids (puppet 1) is plotting to steal sweets from the tuck-shop after
school.
The second school child (puppet 2) knows it’s wrong to steal but
listens to the plan to the end.
At the end puppet 2 says he doesn’t think it’s
a good idea but puppet 1 says, “I’ll give you more of my share of the sweets if
you help me” so puppet 2 agrees.
Exploration:
Peer pressure is
getting more and more common because school kids don’t believe that they can be
affected by it. The term “peer pressure” has been thrown around so much that
even though most kids know what it means; few can recognise it happening to
them.
Peer pressure
doesn’t always have to be harsh, or painful or forceful.
Most of the time, all
it takes is gentle persuasion and the power of suggestion to get you to do
things/follow ideas you didn’t even come up with.
Many people, even adults
become victims of peer pressure when they become people pleasers instead of God
pleasers.
We must always remember that we are responsible for our own
actions at all times so we should do our best to choose the best choices.
The Bible says,
“All these [God’s] promises are made to us [believers]. So then let us
purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be
completely holy by living in awe of God” 2 Cor 7:1
This means, that
God has the best in store for us – much better than anything our friends on
earth can offer us which means it’s better to walk away from doing things your
heart warns you against.
If we know what
we believe and why we believe it then it is easier not to give in to peer
pressure.
If we are vague and sometimes believe that stealing is wrong, but we
think our parents just say that because they are old fashioned, then like the
puppet in the beginning, we will give in and do what the others are doing.
If
we have strong faith and strong beliefs and we know that God said don’t steal
and we even know where in the Bible it says that, and if we know that Jesus is
with us all the time and helping us when we are tempted then we will be so
strong in the face of peer pressure.
Application
The Bible
teaches us that the best way to keep out of peer pressure is to keep your eye
focused on God and His goodness.
The Bible also
says, “Do not try to work as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done.
How can right and wrong be partners? …What does a believer have in
common with an unbeliever?” 2 Cor 6:
14,15
This means that
if we have friends that want us to team up with them when they do things that
don’t please God – we should reconsider whether or not this person is a true
friend.
Challenge to Mission
Even if you are
the only one – always stand up to what is right.
Consolidation
There is a
picture of a sculpturer chipping away at a piece of stone.
What and who is
moulding the children? Let them think about that.
There is also a picture of
ducks in a row all going the same way, but one duck is thinking about decisions
and is brave enough to go the right way even if he is the only way.
There is a
list of questions for the children to fill in having to think about some
issues.
Memory
Verse
“To be
controlled by human nature results in death, to be controlled by the Spirit
results in life and peace” Romans 8:6
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