Year A. 4th Term. Lesson 7. The Bible says...Celebrities say...

Scripture: for teacher background: Job 1 & 2; Col 1:16; Heb 1:3; Rev 1:5; Mark 2: 7-10; James 4:8; Acts 17: 25

 Making contact:

Ask the class to tell you who their favourite star is, detailing what they like most about this person. 

Ask the kids if they know anything about Hollywood. 

Then, ask the kids if they dream about being famous sometimes and give them an opportunity to express how they think their lives would be.

 Exploration:

The following has been adapted from John Piper’s book of daily devotions Taste and See (Multnomer Publishers, Inc 2005)

Once upon a time in North Carolina, a famous rock star named Roxy became pregnant and got very excited because she knew that she was going to have a baby. 

She started to prepare a nursery where the baby would sleep, painted it and filled it with toys and baby clothes.

 Unfortunately however, she didn’t have a successful pregnancy and the baby died. 

Soon reporters and photographers came to her house to ask her all sorts of questions about how the unborn baby died.

 One of the journalists asked her if it was maybe in God’s will for her to miscarry. 

She answered, “If it was then I want to beat God up because I’m not interested in “thy will be done”. As a mother of this child I wanted my will, not thy will”

When Job lost his 10 children by a windstorm that crushed them to death he reacted differently. 

The Bible says that Job tore his clothes in grief, shaved his head and threw himself face downward in the ground to worship.

He said, “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave and now He has taken away. May His name be praised.” (Job1: 20-21) 

When Job’s wife lost patience with God, Job told her, “When God sends us something good we welcome it. How can we complain when He sends us trouble?” (Job 2:10) 

The Bible tells us “in spite of everything he suffered, Job said nothing against God” Job 2:10

Because they are rich and famous, many celebrities don’t regard that God is sovereign (which means He rules everything by Himself). 

They don’t consider that every breath we/they take, their talent, their looks and their money is given because of God’s grace.

 They think that they have nothing to benefit from serving, worshiping and praying to God. 

They are lost in their self-centredness and so very empty without God. 

Many celebrities end up on drugs and messing up their lives. They have so much money that they don’t know what to do with it.

 How wonderful when we hear about somebody famous who instead of just enjoying his or her fame, actually uses it to make the world better. 

Which famous people are Christians and not ashamed? Which famous actors refuse to act in films that do not honour God?

Which actors refuse to blaspheme using God;s name and Jesus name?

Some film stars are following cult religions that are wrong. Some blaspheme all the time and are always in roles that are immoral. 

But some film stars are helping with the AIDS epidemic.

Some have adopted children who are orphans from war torn countries. Mel Gibson funded the making of The Passion of the Christ movie. 

There is a housing programme in South Africa started by an ex American president, Jimmy Carter, called Habitat for Humanity.

It is not good to make the aim of your life to be famous, but if you happen to be blessed in that way then use it for God.

Application

The Bible tells us that we have plenty to benefit from serving, worshiping and praying to God:

1. He is the reason you exist. “By Him all things were created” Col 1:16
2. He keeps you existing. “He…upholds all things by the power of His word” Heb 1:3
3. He decides your purpose on earth and makes you serve His plans. “All things have been created …for Him” (Col 1:16)
4. He is in charge of all the authorities that seem so important on earth. “Jesus Christ … is… the ruler of the kings of the earth” Rev 1:5
5. He alone has the authority to forgive sins “Who can forgive sins but God alone?... the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” Mark 2: 7-10
6. It is wisdom to love God “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” James 4:8

Challenge to Mission

Many of us want to be rich and famous but what would we do with this fame? 

What is our motive? Is it selfish? 

Would we use it to give God glory? 

Could we use it to help those who were not as fortunate as ourselves? 

It’s important to remember that being a celebrity is not more important than loving our God, so we should share this message with our friends who also want to be stars.

The best thing in the world to do is to make Jesus famous. After all HE is the King of kings! You might not become a film star, but you can shine like a star as you tell people about Jesus.

Consolidation

Either cut pictures out of a magazine/newspaper or make a list of celebrities that are doing good works in the world i.e. funding charities, building schools etc

On the worksheet it shows that Jesus is Lord even if the celebrities are rising high.

The children must fill in who they think is Lord of their lives. They must write their answer on the throne picture.

Memory Verse

“You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky as you offer them the message of life.” Philippians 2:15,16