Men of Valor (2) - Loyalty
Notes
Transcript
Game for Loyalty: Word Association
Game for Loyalty: Word Association
Words and Opposites
Loyal
________
Disloyal
Prepare a simple chart that shows the word and its opposite
Explain that you are going to tell a little story about several different people and you want the child to point to the word on the chart that describes how the person is acting or behaving.
Janet’s school class planned to have a car wash in the school parking lot to raise money. Those who could were asked to come and help, but no one had to come. Janet came and brought some towels and a bucket. (Loyal — to her school.)
Tammy was with two girls on the bus one day when one of the girls said some bad things that weren’t true about Tammy’s best friend, Jill. Tammy didn’t say anything. (Disloyal – to her friend.)
Jason’s little brother had a Little League game one night. Jason had a lot of homework, but he worked hard at it until game time and then went to cheer for his brother. (Loyal – to his brother.)
Alice always thought about the Pledge of Allegiance when her class said it. She felt proud to be an American. (Loyal – to her country.)
OPENING GAME: GLADIATOR BALLOON BATTLE
Have each student choose a partner.
Designate an area, with clear boundaries, where the students can run in pairs.
Have each pair tie the middle of their legs together.
Then give each person 6 balloons to blow up and tie onto a long string which they will tie to their other ankle.
The balloons should be spaced a few inches apart on the string.
The idea is that they are like the balloons on the game “Mario Cart” that trail behind the car.
Say: This game will test your loyalty to your partner.
Here’s why: the person who ends up with the most balloons still attached and blown up on their ankle, wins!
But, remember you are tied to your partner who will also try to have balloons still ‘alive’ by the end of the game.
Your string of balloons must always be on the ground.
They can’t hold onto the string or try to hide a balloon in some way.
When your balloons and your partner’s balloons are all popped, you are out.
When I say GO, the battle will begin.
The last pair with balloons still blown up and attached to their legs will win.
May the best pair win!
After the game, ask:
What was the ‘winning strategy’ that you found while playing this game? (For example, was it better to watch out for your own balloons? Did the winning team work together or look out for themselves?)
How tempting was it to pop your partner’s balloons?
What role did loyalty play in this game?
Principle of Loyalty: Men are Loyal to their family, friends, and God.
Gentlemen’s Behavior: Pulling out the chair for a woman…
The reason that we pull out the chair for women is a courtesy that stems from the fact that women many years ago wore dresses that were elaborate and restrictive (They couldn’t move around really easy.) So it became common for men to pull out their chair to help them move around easier.
Gentlemen‘s Behavior: Shaking Hands
The traditional greeting as we know it today is believed to have come from when people used to use swords for fighting. ... Shaking hands, which is traditionally done with your right hand, became a friendly greeting because it was proof that you came in peace and weren't holding a weapon.
Scripture Memory: Proverbs 18:24
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:
And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Lesson:
Metaphor of Constructing a Building
This can help children understand that “doing one’s part” is a key part of loyalty. Ask children to imagine that there were 100 people who wanted to build a brick wall and that the wall would need 10,000 bricks. How many bricks would each person have to put up if they all helped? (100) How many bricks would each person have to put up if only 10 helped? (1,000) Make the point that when people are loyal, everything is more pleasant and more fair.
Bottom Line: God is loyal to us and wants us to be loyal to others.
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:
And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Friendship.
How important is loyalty to you with your friends?
Read Proverbs 3:3-6.
Let’s add a twist to this loyalty scenario: How loyal is God to you?
Think through your life and all of the times and the ways that God has been there for you whether you realized it or not.
Share examples in your own life in which you were not loyal to God.
For example: You made decisions based on what you wanted, rather than what God wanted, but he forgave and loved you regardless.
Some of you may not have a story about how God has been loyal to you, or maybe you haven’t really ever thought about it, but God is the one person who will always be loyal to you.
There is nothing that you could ever do that would make God turn away from you or stop loving you.
Just think about all of the stories in the Bible of people who turned away from God and yet God never gave up on them: David, Moses, Paul.
Can you think of others?
We can know what loyalty is because of the loyalty that God shows to us.
God is the one you can always trust will be there… having your back.
So here is tough question: How loyal are you to God?
Think about Jesus.
There wasn’t a single one of his friends who didn’t turn on him.
Sure, when times were good, they were there along with the crowds of people cheering.
But fast forward just a few days and even Peter, who said that he would die for Jesus, was denying that he even knew Jesus.
How would that have made you feel?
In Jesus’ situation, he was put on trial for his life and his friend is saying not once, but three times, that he doesn’t know him.
Or what about Judas, another one of Jesus’ closest friends who basically sold Jesus out for silver.
Yet, what did Jesus do?
Did he turn his back on those who betrayed him?
No, and he will never turn his back on you no matter how many times you deny him with your actions or with your words.
That is the love of God.
And here is the amazing thing that happens as you grow to love God more, his ways become your ways.
As you seek to live more and more like Christ, you become more like him.
And loyalty is one thing that is reflected in your life, not only with your friends but with God.
So what would it look like to be loyal to God in your life?
Are there times that you are acting like Peter and choosing not to be loyal to God?
Maybe it’s when you are with friends and you don’t want them to think you aren’t cool, so you go along with them and say things that you would never have otherwise say.
Or maybe you don’t want everyone to know that you go to church or that you love God.
Maybe you distance yourself from a friend, based on what other people think of them… maybe without your friend knowing… but you know.
See, you can fool others.
You can even try to fool yourself.
But who is the one who will know?
God knows.
And you know.
So, why not live boldly?!
Live loyally to your friends.
Even if it means others laugh.
Even if it means that you lose some friends… but think of those loyal friends that you gain!
And in the end, when you live like that, you are showing loyalty to God and honoring him.
Our Scripture says to show yourself friendly - The same way Jesus showed you the love of a brother by sticking it out with you.
Close in prayer.
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:
And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.