FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT GOODNESS

Galatians 5:22-23 / Genesis 1 / 1Chronicles 16;34 / Ps 25:8 / Ps 145:7,9 / Ps 33:5 / Ps 107:8,9 / Jeremiah 29:11 / Ps 11

DECLARE THE WORD OF GOD AT THE CLASSROOM DOOR:

• Psalms 119:68 says, YOU ARE GOOD, AND YOU DO WHAT IS GOOD.
• Think of one way that God has been good to us?  Give thank to Him!
• Let’s clap each word and declare together: GOD IS GOOD!

WORKTABLES: PDF

• Printing Text: GOD IS GOOD… GOODNESS
• Drawing: Edible Fruit/ COCONUT
• Refer to Coconut Guide 
• Equipment: cutting board, hammer, screwdriver, small towel, coconut, clear measuring cup, paper cups, napkins
• Open the coconut
• Let the kids describe the coconut parts (see, touch, taste).
• Pass around coconut milk samples for those who would like to try it.  Do the Taste Test Tally (likes / dislikes)
• Give thanks to God for sweet and delicious coconuts!
• “Now let’s go to the carpet and learn about a SPIRITUAL FRUIT called GOODNESS” 

SONGS:

• I Hear the Blowing of the Shofar Calling me to Worship God!
• Christ the Vine…GOODNESS! (with Mr Fox); song sheet
• CHORUS ONLY from THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT by Wesley’s Wuppets

LESSON VISUALS:

• FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT poster
• Basket of plastic fruits; Jar of rotting fruit
• FLASHCARDS: Good vs Bad/Evil 

LESSON: 

• God is  We see God’s goodness in creation (Genesis 1 “He saw that it was good”). We see God’s goodnessin His laws (Romans 7:12 “right and good”).  We see God’s goodness in His will towards us (Jer 29:11 “plans for good not for evil”).
• What does goodness look like?  Goodness is kind, safe, pleasant, fair, comforting, polite, perfect, virtuous, healthy… (see Websters 1828 bible based dictionary)
• In the Bible, God told Adam and Eve that they could eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except the one in the middle of the garden.  The one in the middle of the garden was not good for them.  If they ate it they would die.  But all the other trees grew good fruit that was pleasant and would bring them health and life.  You know how that story goes.  They disobeyed God’s command, ate the fruit He told them not to eat, they had to leave the garden and they grew old and died.  God wanted good things for them.  But the sneaky snake wanted them to disobey and die.
• GOODNESS is a spiritual fruit that grows inside us with God’s help.
• Read the booklet, The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness by LDFischer PDF
• Sort the Good vs Evil Flashcards 

PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: PDF

• WORSHIP (statements about God’s character): GOD IS GOOD
• THANKSGIVING: Remember His GOOD deeds to each of us personally.  Name one good thing that God has done for you.  Give Him thanks.
• CONFESSION: Think of a time when you made a bad choice.  Ask God to forgive you and help you make the right choice next time.
• INVITE CHILDREN TO STAND FOR A BLESSING: 1 Thessalonians 5:15  Jesus, help us to “always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.” 

FREE PLAY: Before you hand out play cards, show the students the FREE PLAY TIMER.  Tell them when it rings, they will have 1 more minute to play then everyone will STOP PLAYING and clean up the centers. 

• During Free Play, call the children one at a time to work on the art project: Add GOODNESS to the Fruit Trees.

CLEAN-UP: Students tidy up the centers where they were playing when the bell rang. Teachers oversee this activity.  Students learn to sort and return items to their proper place. In so doing, they are learning to take care of the classroom.  It also helps them be prepared for dismissal. Once the centers are tidy, student move back to the circle to quietly look at books until parents/guardians arrive.

DISMISSAL:

• Call the students one at a time when parent/guardian arrives.  Prompt other students to call out “GOODBYE (student’s name)”
• Student returns PLAY CARD to the tray
• Student checks mailbox for take-home papers
• Student selects a snack from the table in the hallway

CLOSING DOWN THE CLASSROOM: PDF

• Wash brushes and close paint jars
• Turn off battery operated keyboard
• Stack chairs and carpet mats
• Vacuum area rug (rechargeable vacuum plugged into corner outlet)
• Turn off heat and lights
• Place garbage can outside classroom door
• Return teaching materials to packet