Lesson Set

You Are What You Think

Workshop Overview:

• Faith Quest Cinema
  Garbage In – Garbage Out
  Objective: The children will explore the effect that TV shows and movies can have on their own behavior. Uses DVD - Adventures in Odyssey “A Stranger Among Us."
• Mary and Martha’s Kitchen
  You Are What You Eat
  Objective: To explore the evidence that a healthy body also makes a healthy mind and that people can see when a person is healthy in mind, body and spirit.
• Miracles of Science Laboratory
  Change of Heart
  Objective: To show the children, through an experiment, that with the help of God, focusing on “pure and right” things can make a “pure and right” heart and mind.
• Creation Station
  Create In Me A Clean Heart
  Objective: For the children to explore, through art, how they would look if they kept Philippians 4:8-9.

Scripture Reference:

Philippians 4:8-9: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me…and the God of peace will be with you.”

Background Information – You Are What You Think

In this unit, we are going to focus on the harm that can come our way when we allow ourselves to come into contact with things that are not “true and honorable and right” (Philippians 4:8). A popular way of stating this harm is “garbage in, garbage out”. In other words if we put into our minds on a regular basis things that are evil, immoral or just plain gross, we will eventually begin to live out some of these influences on us. These things will begin to seem “not so bad” especially in comparison to things that may seem worse. Paul warns against allowing anything to draw us away from God – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me – put it into practice, And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9) Why is it so important to keep pure thoughts?

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 that our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell within. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”

How can we, who are sinful by nature, hope to be a temple fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Philippians 4:8-9 is key to this issue. Keep your thoughts on good things. Keep away from things that are not pure, praiseworthy, right, etc. Jesus spoke about this when the Pharisees took Jesus to task because his disciples had ignored the tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they ate. Jesus replied, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean’…. For the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean’.” Matthew 15:10-11;18-20.

“There is still another huge lesson here. How we use the dynamic power of our thinking determines whether it is “Christian” or not. Almost our total culture reflects a perversion of this power. The “power of positive thinking” is the biggest tool suggested to make us millionaires, to turn us into serf-serving people bent on satisfying all our desires. Thus we have a consumer economy of indulgence and waste. It is not arrogant, I think, for Paul, as he calls people to meditate on the great virtues, to add, “the things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – put them into practice, and the God of peace will be with you” (v. 9). You cannot separate what Paul said from the style of his life and his passionate commitment to Christ as Lord of his life.” (Taken from the book "The New Interpreters Bible Vol. 11, Abingdon Press, copyright 2000)

It has been clearly documented that TV, music, movies and computer games have direct influence on our children’s behavior along with peer pressure. Much of what is available does not reinforce, reflect or even promote our Christian beliefs. Yet these influences continue to be promoted by our culture. It is difficult to do as Philippians 4:8-9 encourages us to do. What should we do when we see or hear things that are not right or true or praiseworthy? What do we want our children to do?

In this unit, emphasis is put on saying no to bad influences, turning off the TV, refusing to go to certain movies. And encouraging reading the Bible and devotionals, prayer, reading books that are not scary or gross, being kind, and loving one another. We need to help our children see themselves as a temple that needs to be fit to house the Spirit of God. It is a lifelong work but the rewards are well worth the effort.

You Are What You Think

Cinema Workshop

Garbage In – Garbage Out

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will explore the effect that TV shows and movies can have on their own behavior.

Memory Verse:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me…and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9

What should the children be able to do at the end of the lesson?
The children should be able to give examples of things they should avoid in order to help them keep pure thoughts. They should also be able to give examples of things to think about that are in keeping with the memory verse. At the end of the unit they should be able to recite the memory verse.

Materials:

• Bibles
• Newsprint
• Video – Adventures in Odyssey “A Stranger Among Us” (approx. 30 minutes)
• Journals for 3rd – 5th grade
• Popcorn, bowls, napkins, cups, (Juice optional)

Preparation:

1. Read “Background Information – You Are What You Think”.
2. Read and familiarize yourself with the lesson and memory verse.
3. If possible, watch the video in advance.
4. Make sure that you arrive early enough to make the microwave popcorn before class.

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Welcome the children to Faith Quest Cinema.

While you wait for the children to arrive, have them work on their memory verse by reading and/or writing it down. The older children can write it in their journals. If they have already learned the memory verse, they can help others or they can write what it means to them in their journals or discuss it with others.

Make the popcorn.

Take Attendance.

The Memory Verse.
Ask for a volunteer to read the memory verse (or read it aloud yourself) Philippians 4:8-9. Ask the children to help you make a list on newsprint of what things are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise. You may need to explain what some of these words mean to the younger children. Don’t spend too much time on this. The video is 30 minutes and the Life Application is important to do.

Dig:

Show the video.
Tell the children they are going to watch a mystery that shows what happens to some kids who decide to think about scary things instead. Pass out the popcorn and watch the video.

Life Application.
On another piece of newsprint, have the children help you make a list of things that give them bad thoughts that might tempt them to do things they shouldn’t. Talk about the idea of garbage in – garbage out.

In the video, watching a scary movie made the kids disobey Mr. Whittaker’s instructions to help stranded travelers. Mr. Smith might have died as a result of their fear and distrust.

Ask the children what they can do when they are confronted with things that make them think bad thoughts. Examples: Pray, walk away from what ever it is, read the Bible or other good books, help someone, sing praise songs, etc.

Reflection:

Close with prayer.
Use this or your own prayer like it: Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to do as Paul writes in Philippians. Help us to think good thoughts always. Give us the strength and courage to turn away from things that displease you and to follow the ways of your son, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, Amen.

You Are What You Think

Kitchen Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

To explore the evidence that a healthy body also makes a healthy mind and that people can see when a person is healthy in mind and body.

Memory Verse:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me…and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9

What should the children be able to do at the end of the workshop?
The children should be able to describe how healthy eating can help them follow Philippians 4:8-9. They should also be able to explain how other people can tell when they follow Philippians 4:8-9. At the end of the unit they should be able to recite the memory verse.

Materials:

• Bibles
• “Good Fruit, Fruit Salad” recipe from Incredible, Edible Bible Fun by Nanette Goings
• lemon flavored drink mix
• Lemon-lime sparkling water
• A variety of fruit: grapes, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, marachino cherries or mandarin orange slices
• Utensils: Knife
• Mixing Bowl
• Measuring cups
• Paper cups, spoons, napkins
• One good banana, one brown banana (refrigerated until peel turns brown)
• Food pyramid poster

Preparation:

1. Read “Background Information – You Are What You Think”.
2. Read and familiarize yourself with the lesson and the recipe.

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Welcome the Children to Mary and Martha’s Kitchen.

While you wait for the children to arrive, have them work on their memory verse by reading and/or writing it down. The older children can write it in their journals.

If they have already learned the memory verse, they can help others or they can write what it means to them in their journals or discuss it with others.

Discuss what the children think the verse means. Get specific examples.

Take Attendance.

The Bible Story.

Dig:

Tell the children that today they are going to make a ‘Good Fruit’ fruit salad. But before they go to the kitchen they are going to spend a little time discussing the importance of a healthy body.

Show the children the food pyramid poster. Review the poster briefly. Ask the children what they think will happen to their bodies if they do not eat the right food. Some answers: get sick; die; tired all the time; can’t think or understand what is being said; nails that split and break; dull hair; pale gray skin; too fat puts a strain on your heart, bones, liver etc.; forgetfulness; affect your teeth and gums; brittle bones; etc., all kinds of problems.

Ask the children if they think people make their best decisions when they are sick or healthy. (healthy because they think better) Would people follow Philippians 4:8-9 better when they are sick or healthy? Healthy!

Read 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Tell them that this was written by the Apostle Paul. Paul claimed that since the Holy Spirit dwells within us when we believe and follow Jesus, that that made our body a temple for the Holy Spirit. Ask the children which would give God more pleasure – a broken temple or a strong temple. Tell them that God wants us to choose to have strong healthy bodies and strong healthy minds.

The Kitchen. (Taken from Incredible, Edible Bible Fun by Nanette Goings)

• Go to the kitchen. Set out the ingredients and the utensils.
• Before you start to prepare the salad, gather the children around and ask, “What does it mean to be a good example for someone?” Get some answers.
• Ask, “Who are some people you know who set a good example?
• Say, Jesus told many stories, or parables, using everyday, common items. If Jesus were telling a story to our class today, He might just use these two bananas to tell a parable.” Hold up the yellow and brown bananas. Ask, “Which one of these bananas would you like to eat? Why?
• Say, Jesus told a story to people about good and bad fruit. He taught that a good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit. Jesus wanted us to know that people who are truly good bring good things out of their hearts to share with others. By our good examples, we show Jesus to other people.
• Peel the skin from the brown banana to show a healthy fruit. Give a piece of the healthy fruit to each child. Then say, “When we think about good things, true things, right things, we can change on the inside and become His good fruit too.!
• Say, “Let’s make ‘Good Fruit’ fruit salad to remind us to keep our minds on good, healthy things and to eat good healthy things so we can be a good example for others.”
• Follow the directions on the recipe card and enjoy.

Life Application.

• When everyone has finished, ask for a volunteer to read Luke 6:43-45.
• Ask the following questions and get some discussion going.
• What does it mean to be “good fruit” for Jesus?
• Why is it important to be a good example?
• What can you do today to be a good example to someone?

Reflection:

Close with prayer.

Dear God, Help us to be your good fruit and share that fruit with others. Help us to think of things that are true, and right and good. Help us to turn away from things that would harm us and help us turn to things that keep us healthy in mind, body and spirit. Amen

Clean Up.
 Have the children help clean up the kitchen and put things away.
 Sign postcards for absent children.

‘Good Fruit’ Fruit Salad
Ingredients: lemon flavored drink mix
Lemon-lime sparkling water
A variety of fruit: grapes, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, marachino cherries or mandarin orange slices
Utensils: Knife
Mixing Bowl
Measuring cups
8 oz. paper cups, spoons, napkins

What to do:
Cut up fruit into bite size pieces. Fill each 8 oz. Paper cup halfway with fruit. Sprinkle a spoonful of lemon-flavored drink mix over the fuit. Pour 1/8 cup of lemon-lime sparkling water over the fruit. Watch your ‘Good Fruit’ fruit salad bubble with joy; then enjoy its wonderful flavor!

From Group Publishing, Inc.’s Incredible Edible bible Fun; Copyright 1997 Nanette Goings

You Art What You Think

Miracles of Science Laboratory

Change of Heart

Summary of Lesson Objectives:

To show the children, through an experiment, that with the help of God, focusing on “pure and right” things can make a “pure and right” heart and mind.

Memory Verse:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me…and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9

What should the children be able to do at the end of the workshop?
They should be able to describe how God can work to give them a “pure and right” heart and mind. At the end of the unit they should be able to recite the memory verse.

Materials:

• Bibles
• Newsprint
• Newspaper/drop cloth
• 2-3 porous rocks
• 5-6 pieces of charcoal
• Measuring cup, baking pan with sides
• Ammonia, salt, liquid bluing, food coloring
• Mixing bowl, metal spoon, container of water
• Amazing Science Devotions for Children’s Ministry from Group Publications
• Journals for 3rd-5th grades
• Paint shirts
• Evangecube and prayer sheet
• Drawing paper, markers, pencils

Preparation:

1. Read “Background Information – You Are What You Think”.
2. Read and familiarize yourself with the lesson and the experiment. (You may want to try the experiment at home.)

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Welcome the children to the “Miracles of Science Laboratory”.
While you wait for the children to arrive, have them work on their memory verse by reading and/or writing it down. The older children can write it in their journals. If they have already learned the memory verse, they can help others or they can write what it means to them in their journals or discuss it with others.

Take Attendance.

The Memory Verse.
Ask for a volunteer to read the memory verse (or read it aloud yourself) Philippians 4:8-9. Ask the children to help you make a list on newsprint of what things are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise. You may need to explain what some of these words mean to the younger children.Then make a list of things that are not true, honorable, right, pure lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise.

Ask the children to tell you what they think would happen to their thoughts and/or feelings if they spent a lot of their time thinking of the things on the “true” list. Write them down. Then ask the children to tell you what they think would happen to their thoughts and/or feelings if they spent a lot of their time thinking of the things on the “not true” list. Write them down.

Which do they think they would prefer to have happen to them? Why? Let each child answer.

Dig:

The Experiment.

Tell the children that they are going to do an experiment that will show them how God can help them have “pure and right” minds and hearts. Explain that many people use the term ‘heart’ to describe the character or feelings that others display.

Spread the newspaper or drop cloth over a table or on the floor. Place the rocks, charcoal, measuring cup, ammonia, salt, liquid bluing, food coloring, baking pan, bowl and spoon on the newspaper.

Hold up a rock and say, “These rocks are to remind us that when we fill our brains with bad thoughts and ideas, they can turn hard and cold and mean. Ask the children to name something that could turn their brains hard and cold and mean. Have a child put the rocks in the baking pan.

Hold up the charcoal and say, “This charcoal reminds us that when our minds are hard and cold and mean it can turn our hearts hard and cold and black. Have another child put the charcoal in the baking pan with the rocks.

Say, “These rocks and charcoal are not very pretty to look at and neither is the behavior of people who have minds and hearts like this.”

Hold up the ammonia and say, “This ammonia reminds of God’s power because it has such a powerful smell. Measure ¼ cup of ammonia and pour it into the mixing bowl.

Hold up the salt and say, “What do you think this salt reminds us of? Salt is often used to protect food from going bad and spoiling. The salt will remind us of God’s protection from evil. Have a volunteer measure ¼ cup of salt and pour it into the mixing bowl.

Hold up the liquid bluing and say, “This is liquid bluing. What else is true-blue? Get some answers like: the sky, friends, the ocean, etc. “The bluing will remind us of God’s love because God is a true-blue friend. Have a volunteer measure out ¼ cup of bluing and add to the mixing bowl.

Hold up the food coloring and say, “This food coloring will remind us of beautiful, pure, praise worthy things to think about.” Have a volunteer squirt several drops of food coloring into the mixing bowl. Then have another volunteer carefully mix the ingredients together.

Say, “What do you think will happen when God’s power, God’s protection, God’s love and our good thoughts are poured over our brains and hearts? Let’s find out!” Have another volunteer carefully pour the mixture over the rocks and charcoal in the baking pan. Watch what happens.

Ask,

• What do you see happening to the rocks and charcoal?
• How would you describe what grew out of the rocks and charcoal?

Explain. The mixture of ingredients combined with the charcoal created a chemical reaction and made energy. The charcoal is made out of a substance called carbon. The energy from the chemical reaction makes carbon change shapes. The shape of the carbon is now in is called a crystal.

Ask,

• What does this experiment tell you about what God can do with your hard, cold and black heart? It’s beautiful isn’t it?
• Do you think that people’s hearts change as fast as the carbon crystallized? (No, it usually takes time and practice to change a black heart. This could be a good discussion too.)
  

Say, “When we decide to take Jesus into our hearts, God’s power, protection and love will change us. But we have to take Jesus’ ways into our heart and mind too. Together these ingredients can change what we think about and how much we care about God and others.”

Life Application.
Have the children draw pictures or write stories about what their lives would be like if they thought only good thoughts. Ask if any of the children want to ask Jesus into their hearts. If they do, use the ‘Evangecube prayer’. Make sure you tell their parents and Barry about their choice.

Reflection:

Close with a prayer like: Dear Father, Thank you for your power, protection and love. Help us to think about what is true and honorable and right. Help us to think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Help us to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Help us to put into practice all we have learned so that You will be with us always. Amen

You Are What You Think

Creation Station

Create In Me A Clean Heart

Summary of Lesson Activities:

For the children to explore, through art, how they would look if they kept Philippians 4:8-9.

Memory Verse:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me…and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9

What should the children be able to do at the end of the workshop?
The children should be able to describe how keeping true, right, pure, etc. thoughts affects their appearance and their attitude. At the end of the unit they should be able to recite the memory verse.

Materials:

• Bibles
• Newsprint
• Black Scratch Art Paper and scratching tools
• Large roll of white paper
• Markers, fabric pieces, yarn
• Newspaper/drop cloths
• Scissors
• Heart, eye and brain templates or stencils

Preparation:

1. Read “Background Information – You Are What You Think”.
2. Read and familiarize yourself with the lesson and the craft.

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Welcome the Children to Creation Station.
While you wait for everyone to arrive, have the children work on their memory verse. The older children can write in their journals.If they have learned the memory verse, they can talk about or draw pictures of the things they thought about during the week.

Take Attendance.

The Memory Verse.
Ask for a volunteer to read or recite the memory verse. Have the children share some of the good things they thought about or did during the week. Could they tell any difference in how they felt when they were doing or thinking those things? You might want to list these on newsprint.

Dig:

The Craft.
This craft should take most of the class time. Have fun with it but keep in mind that this picture of themselves is something they would want to achieve.

Have the children take turns lying down on long sheets of white paper off the role. Help them draw around their bodies so they are left with life size outlines of themselves.

Give each child a sheet of black scratch art paper and the stencils to share. They should be able to fit a heart, 2 eyes and the brain on one sheet of paper. Have them trace around the templates and cut them out.

Once the heart, eyes and brain are cut out, they can start scratching away at the paper to reveal colors below the black. They should draw pictures of things that are right, true and praiseworthy. The eyes should show things that they could look at, the brain should show things that they could think about and the heart should show things that they can do.

After they are done with the heart, eyes and brain, they should glue them in place on their body outlines. Then they can fill in the outlines as they would look if they were seeing, thinking or doing true, right and praiseworthy things. Help them by asking questions like: “Do you think you would be smiling or frowning? Would you have anything in your hands? Would you be dirty or clean? Etc.

Make sure that their names are on their pictures. Keep them for display. They can take them home later.

Life Application.
Talk about the pictures. Discuss how those pictures make them feel. How do the thoughts, etc. that they drew make them feel? Do they think they would like to be like their pictures? How can they make Philippians 4:8-9 real?

Reflection:

Close with prayer like: Dear Father, Thank you for Your power to change us. Help us to think about what is true and honorable and right. Help us to think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Help us to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Help us to put into practice all we have learned so that You will be with us always. Amen

Clean up.
Have the children help clean up the room. Pick up scraps of paper, etc.
Sign post cards for absent children.

Submitted by First Presbyterian Church of Chippewa Falls, WI.

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