THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: KINDNESS
Galatians 5:22-23 / Ps 145:17 / Ps 116:5-8 / / Is 54:10 / Mt 14:14 / Mt 9:36 / Mk 8:2 /
Numbers 6:24,25 / Zechariah 7:9 / Eph 4:32
DECLARE THE WORD OF GOD AT THE CLASSROOM DOOR:
- The Word of God says GOD IS KIND! (Psalm 145:17)
- Think of one way that God has shown us KINDNESS? Give thank to Him!
- Let’s clap each word and declare together, “GOD IS KIND!”
WORKTABLES: PDF
- Printing Text: GOD IS KIND… KINDNESS
- Finger Prints: Edible Fruit GRAPES
- Review Grapes Fact Sheet PDF
- Visuals: Real grapes, grape juice, napkins, paper cups
- Grape juice Taste Test Tally (like/dislike). Give thanks to God for grapes!
- Plant some grape seeds in a small pot and observe over the next few months.
- Add some grapes to our sealed jar. Observe decomposition over time.
- “Now, let’s go to the carpet and learn about another kind of fruit: KINDNESS!
SONGS:
- Call to Worship: I Hear the Blowing of the Shofar Calling me to Worship God!
- Fruit of the Spirit Song: Christ the Vine…KIND with the camel puppet (songsheet)
- Chorus to Fruits of the Spirit by Wesley’s Wuppets
LESSON VISUALS:
- FRUIT TREE poster
- basket of plastic fruits; jar of rotting fruit
LESSON:
- God is KIND AND TENDERHEARTED towards us. He forgives our mistakes. He died to save us from sin and death. He heals our sickness. He cares for us like a shepherd. He feeds, protects, and guides His sheep.
- In the Bible, a man name Joseph was kind to his brothers even after they had been mean to him (briefly refer to story in classroom bible)
- Ephesians 4:32 says that we should be kind to each other. Let’s memorize that verse togetherby learning this song: BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER
- Kindness is a good fruit that grows inside us with God’s help
- Read the booklet: Fruit of the Spirit… KINDNESS by LDFischer PDF
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS:
- WORSHIP (statements about God’s character): GOD IS KIND
- THANKSGIVING: Remember His KIND deeds to each of us personally. Name one kind thing that God has done for you.Give Him thanks.
- CONFESSION: Think of a time when you were mean to someone. Ask Jesus to help you be kind next time.
- INVITE CHILDREN TO STAND FOR A BLESSING: Numbers 6:24,25 “I pray that the LORD will bless and protect you, and that He will show you mercy and kindness.”
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 KINDNESS 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 to the BOOK NOOK where they may quietly read until parent/guardians arrive.
OVERTIME ACTIVITY: However, should the service extend beyond the normal dismissal time, there are some circle games that can be played (Marbles, Bean Bag Toss, Doggie’s Bone etc). These games are located under the TV stand. Students do not return to centers once they have been cleaned.
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