Acts of Kindness

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School

Lesson 10
Winter 2023-24
By: RLD Editorial Team
February 04, 2024

Lesson Focus:

Encourage each other with acts of kindness.

Bible Basis:

Philippians 2:19-25; 4:18; 2 Timothy 4:9, 13

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Internet access
Index cards (1 per student)
Pens/pencils (1 per student)

Step 4:

Index cards (1 per student)
Pens/pencils (1 per student)

Summary & Links:

Students will look at teens who are involved in a kindness club and consider how they, too, can encourage others with acts of kindness.

Memory Verse:

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
—1 John 3:18

Students will look at teens who are involved in a kindness club and consider how they, too, can encourage others with acts of kindness.

Materials Needed:

Internet access
Index cards (1 per student)
Pens/pencils (1 per student)

Acts of kindness may sometimes seem small but can make big, positive impact in other people’s lives. Let’s take a look at a group of students trying to make a difference in their school—one act of kindness at a time.

Display the following video for your students [2:55; start at 0:10; stop at 2:35]:
‘Kindness Club’ is taking over at a Valley elementary school

How do you the think the recipients of these acts of kindness felt? (Encouraged, happy, pleasantly surprised, etc.)

While most of the acts of kindness featured in the video were focused on actions, our words are also a fantastic way to love others. Today, as an act of kindness and encouragement, we are writing notes of encouragement to each other! Distribute supplies to your students. If your class is meeting online, invite your students to bring supplies with them to class and have them ready now.

If your class is meeting in person, tell students they will write an encouraging note for the person sitting directly to the left. If your class is meeting online, you can reference the attendance sheet and have students write a note to the person alphabetically before or after them on the list.

Give students encouragement as they write. If someone has chosen the name of a person they do not know, remind them that they can write that they are glad that person came to class today and can emphasize how much God loves them. After all students have finished, encourage them to deliver their notes. (If your class is meeting online, students can take a picture of the note and send it to the person. Or, they can hold the note in front of the camera so the other student can read it). Have all the students read their kind notes to themselves.

Discuss as a large group how receiving notes of kindness from their peers made them feel. Invite volunteers to share. If someone wants to talk about what was on their note, that’s great, but don’t force students to share if they aren’t comfortable.

Going out of our way to acknowledge someone with kindness can turn a person’s day around. Everyone wants to be treated kindly and doing so is a simple way to make a difference! Being kind should be more than just a random thing…it should be intentional! That’s what today’s lesson is all about.

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.

Materials Needed:

Index cards (1 per student)
Pens/pencils (1 per student)

If your class is meeting online, invite your students to bring supplies with them to class.

Paul understood the value of acts of kindness. He realized how much he valued Timothy and how much Timothy was a help to others. Paul also relied on others to bring him his cloak and his scrolls and parchments which were obviously important items for him. Paul was confident in Timothy’s ability to help him and others. Paul also was thankful for the gifts that Epaphroditus sent to him and noted that they were also gifts that pleased God.

Some of the things Paul was thankful for may seem unimportant, but to him they were priceless acts of kindness.

Have a volunteer read 1 John 3:18: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” Although kind words are good, kind actions are even better. Encourage students to put this verse into action this week.

Read the following quotes to your students and encourage them to think about their meaning:

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” (Mark Twain)
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop)
“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” (Scott Adams)
“Kind words and actions can seem so small, but their effects are truly endless.” (Author Unknown)

Saturday, February 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. Have students find a partner and talk about something tangible that they can do this week or on National Acts of Kindness Day. For example: helping a neighbor shovel snow, being a big brother or big sister to a child in need, or helping a teacher in her room after school, etc.

Distribute supplies (or invite students to have them ready at home). Have your students create a Random Acts of Kindness list where they can keep track of ideas for acts of kindness. Challenge students to do at least one item on their list in celebration of National Random Acts of Kindness Day.

Close in prayer asking for God to help students to see the needs around them and to act kindly.

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David C Cook is a nonprofit organization dedicated to publishing and distributing leadership and discipleship resources to help Christians all over the world grow in their faith and pass it on to the next generation. We call this “DiscipleShaping”.

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David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School

Acts of Kindness

Lesson Focus:

Bible Basis:

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Step 4:

Summary & Links:

Memory Verse:

Step 1:

Materials Needed:

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

Step 4:

Materials Needed:

Spread the word

About

Connect With Us

Search Lessons

Disclaimer of Third Party Content