**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net
I recently took my two boys to see the movie, The Avengers. We loved it! In the movie Thor, Black Widow, the Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain America and Iron Man team up to stop the evil Loki from destroying the world. The Avengers is #1 at box office right now and you can bet that many of the preteens in your group will be going to see it. Why not use it as an opportunity to point kids to Jesus?
Here are some ideas and themes from the movie that you can use to teach preteens about God and Jesus. Use as a guide, insert into an upcoming lesson or as inspiration to write your own lesson.
BOLDNESS
The Avengers all are given special powers. The Hulk & Captain America are strong & powerful; Iron Man can fly and Hawkeye can shoot arrows that blow up things.
When it comes to following Jesus, we need power beyond ourselves. Like superheroes, we are given a special power from God. We may not be able to fly or have super human strength. But God does give us boldness to follow Jesus. Jesus calls us to forgive and forget rather than getting revenge. He wants us to invite our friends to church who aren’t Christ followers. Jesus wants us to do the right thing even when everyone around us isn’t. Living our lives the way Jesus teaches in the Bible takes boldness. And we can’t just choose to be bold. We can’t muster up courage on our own. But we can rely on God’s power to give us boldness.
SERVICE
The Avengers took risks in order to serve the human race. They risked their lives time and time again, with nothing to gain for themselves. They also served each other. Black Widow was looking out for Hawkeye when he turned evil. As a result, he had the opportunity to help defeat Loki and his Alien team. Thor was looking out for his brother Loki, trying to convince him to stop his evil plot.
We might not be superheroes, but we do have opportunities everyday to serve others. Maybe the new kid at school needs a friend or the bully needs some compassion extended to him. If we pay attention, God will show us ways to serve others in our everyday lives. As we do this, we can even imagine that we are a superhero serving mankind!
TEAMWORK
At first, The Avengers had a difficult time working together. They were arguing and fighting each other. But eventually they pulled together, therefore being more effective fighting evil. In one scene, Iron Man & Captain America helped repair the engine of a flying aircraft carrier. They needed each other, not being able to accomplish the task alone.
In life, teamwork is important. When playing baseball, basketball, football or any other sport – teamwork is the key to success. In the church, teamwork is necessary as well. God gives everyone special talents, gifts and abilities that work together to reach the world and point people to Jesus.
Nick Diliberto is the creator of PreteenMinistry.net, which provides creative curriculum and resources for preteen ministry. He is also the preteen columnist for Children’s Ministry Magazine and Children’s Pastor at Seven San Diego Church.