Responsibility: Home & School

OBJECTIVE

By the end of the module, children will be able to love being holy and practice their sense of listening to recognize the voice of our Shepherd, The Lord, Jesus Christ. By the end of this lesson, children will be able to gain a sense of responsibility toward home and school.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 7 Minutes

Please review the previous week's lesson. (5 minutes)

Opening Game

Let's play a game where you all have to work together. This game can work for Zoom or in-person class. Have the children stand up (zoom) or line up facing you (in-person). Give them a series of actions to complete together. They should try to complete the actions at the same time like they are just one body. For example, 1. Raise Hands, 2. Stomp Feet, 3. Clap, 4. Touch Toes. Tell the class that you are pretending to be one body and that everyone has to do the motions at the same time. For variation, have a child or two lead the game.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 7 Minutes

Matthew 25: 14 - 30 The Parable of the Talents

Memory Verse - "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 20 Minutes

How does the game connect to the lesson?

Emphasize how everyone worked together during the game just like how family members should work together in harmony and according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How does the parable of the talents relate to me?

Each one of us has a gift. Our Lord Jesus is gracious. He gives each one of us a talent or a gift according to our abilities. As we read, it is His will for us to use those gifts. The gift we will talk about today is responsibility: responsibility toward home and school.

How can I be responsible when I am just 10/11 years old?

When you were a baby, you weren't responsible for anything When you got a little older, things started changing a bit for you. Now that you're in school, you have a lot more responsibility Part of what it means to grow up is to take responsibility for what you do. God is good that he gives responsibilities according to one's own ability.

What does responsibility mean to you?

Complete the T-chart for class discussion. For in-person class, print out the attachment and fill it out as a whole group. For Zoom, use the whiteboard feature and create a T-chart.

Obstacles we face

Discuss how to overcome the obstacles. Show understanding of what children feel or experience. Do not undermine what they share.

Often we get distracted by electronic devices and games.
Sometimes we lack motivation.
Other times, we copy our friends' poor choices.
Another Obstacle we might face is feeling of "entitlement". Example, "Oh I don't have to do this." or "My parents do that already."...etc. What is the opposite of "entitled"? "Humble". Did you know that the word "entitled" is not found in the bible. On the other hand, the word "humble" is mentioned 81 times. If your time allows, you can search the words using NKJV on www.biblegateway.com. This means that God wants us to humble ourselves and accept responsibility with a humble heart.

How did Joseph face his own obstacles and showed responsibility?

In Genesis 39:1-6, we find Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and sold him as a slave.
Joseph ended up working in the foreign country of Egypt for Potiphar, who was the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. Considering his situation, don't you think he had every excuse to slack off? However, he was honest and took his responsibilities with humbleness. Therefore, God watched over him and gave him success in all he did. Not only that, but the Bible tells us that Joseph found favor in Potiphar's eyes and Potiphar made Joseph his attendant, putting Joseph in charge of everything in his household. Potiphar himself said that with Joseph in charge he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Potiphar relied on Joseph hundred percent. In your opinion, how many reminders did Joseph get from Potiphar to do his responsibilities on time? Zero reminders. Do we need reminders to do our part? We shouldn't; otherwise, we will not be considered reliable.

To be responsible means to be reliable. What does reliable mean?

It means to rely on someone. To rely on someone means that you depend on them to do what you ask them to do and not to look over their shoulders. Evidently, Joseph took his responsibilities seriously and proved to be a reliable worker. If Potiphar had found Joseph to be an unwilling or unreliable worker, he would not have trusted him with so much responsibility. Same applies to our lives. The more we prove for our parents and teachers that we are responsible, the more they trust us on bigger things.

Ask the children these questions and redirect as needed. They can put thumbs up or down. Modify as needed.

True or False?

Waking you up for school every morning is your parents responsibility.
Writing down your homework in class is your teacher's responsibility.
Fixing your bed is your responsibility
Washing or putting your plate in the dishwasher or sink after you eat is your responsibility.
Cooking is your parents responsibility.
Grocery shopping is your parents responsibility.
Cleaning your room is your responsibility.
Reminders are your parents responsibility.
If your sibling is not doing his/her part, then you shouldn't, too.
You should thank our Lord Jesus for giving you a responsibility.
Responsibility is not a talent.

We need to be up to the responsibility at hand whether in home or school. We need to be honest and invest our talents that God handed us. The Lord Jesus granted us many blessings and privileges. Having many sets of clothes is a privilege. Keeping clothing tidy by putting it in laundry hampers, hanging clothes folding laundry, and putting laundry away are our responsibility. However, failing to take responsibility will result in disobeying God and that may cause some logical consequences such as being late for school for not finding a piece of cloth.

Do not forget that there are endless blessings that come with following our Lord Jesus' word. Do you remember any of Joseph's blessings that God rewarded him with?

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 7 Minutes

How might things have been different if Joseph had been a lazy or unreliable worker?
How to overcome the obstacles we encounter and take our responsibilities seriously?
What did the third servant do with his money? Why do you think he did this?
How did the master feel about him?
What can you do to take responsibility at home?
What can you do to take responsibility at school?
What if your sibling refuses to be responsible and his/her responsibilities are all falling back on you?

LIFE APPLICATION - 8 Minutes

Train our ears to discern when the Holy Spirit in us is speaking to us and asking us to be responsible. Slow down, listen carefully , refer to the words of the Holy Spirit in the scripture, and pray to the Lord Jesus to give us strength to listen to His word. Do not wait for your parents or teachers to ask you to do something. Prove to them that you are a reliable person. Remember they are the authority figures The Lord Jesus put in your life to guide you to do according to His will. Remember, "Be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16.
Start by choosing one responsibility at home and one at school. Start making a difference and step up. When you become good at those two, start choosing a different one, and so on.
Limit your time on electronics to make time to carry your responsibilities on time.
Focus on the word of God and not on your siblings or your friends. Your talents are not the same.

ACTIVITY - 15 Minutes (embedded)

The activities of this lesson are: a physical game in the introduction and a T-chart discussion embedded in the content of the lesson. Please check the attachment below for the T-chart.

SERVANT RESOURCES

Matthew 25: 14 - 30
1 Peter 4:10
Genesis 39:1-6
1 Peter 1:16

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Children thrive on praise so while encouraging them to be responsible, shower the child with honest praise for the little things.

Pray together and ask The Lord, Jesus Christ to give you wisdom to identify your talents, use them wisely to honor His Name, and give you strength to make the right choice at the right time.