Use this children’s Sunday School lesson about the third Beatitude to teach kids to be humble in Christ.
Needed: Bibles, soft balls or paper wads
Intro Game: Catch It!
Divide students into two teams for a game of dodgeball. You can use soft balls or paper wads. One team can only play defense, and the other can only play offense.
Team A throws the balls to get Team B out. Team B can only catch the balls to get Team A out. After Team B catches a ball, they roll it back to Team A.
See which team wins. Then, switch roles.
Afterward, explain that the team who was only defending was being “meek” because they didn’t try to throw balls at the other team.
Lesson
Brag about everything you can for a few moments.
Ask, How did you like it when I was doing all that bragging?
Have you ever known someone who bragged all the time?
Do you think God wants us to brag?
(Read Matthew 5:5.)
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
What does it mean to be “meek”?
To be meek means to be humble, to not brag, to not fight with other people. Jesus says that if we will be like that, if we will be meek, He will give us the earth, the whole world, when He comes back.
Why do you think God doesn’t want us to brag?
Bragging makes other people feel bad. Also, we shouldn’t be making ourselves sound great. We should be making God sound great. The Bible says that if we want to brag, we should brag about how good God is.
Jesus Himself was meek when the people put Him to death. He didn’t fight back when the guards arrested Him. He didn’t argue or fight when He was on trial. He didn’t even say something mean when they beat Him and hung Him on the cross.
Jesus was meek and God raised Him from the dead. If we will be meek, Jesus will come back and will give us control of the Earth.
Activity: Acting It Out
Divide students into groups of two or three. Have each group decide on and act out a conversation in which someone gives credit to God for something instead of bragging. Suggestions include doing well on a test, winning an award, getting better after a sickness or injury, playing a sport well, being good-looking, having money, etc.
Game: Catch It!
Play the intro game again, reminding students when they play defense only, they’re practicing being meek.
Closing Prayer
Lord, help us to be meek like You were. Help us not to brag or fight but to be humble and to give You all the credit. Amen.
You can also find this lesson for Kindle or in print in my book, Jesus Teaches on the Mountain.