Love Who?

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School

Lesson 13
Summer 2020
By: RLD Editorial Team
August 30, 2020

Lesson Focus:

Be a neighbor to whoever needs one.

Bible Basis:

Luke 10:29-37

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Internet access

Step 4:

Pieces of paper or index cards (1 per student)
Pens/pencils or markers

Summary & Links:

Students will watch a video about cleaning up Beirut after the recent explosion and discuss how it relates to being a neighbor to others.

Memory Verse:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
—Luke 10:27b

Step 1:

Students will watch a video about cleaning up Beirut after the recent explosion and discuss how it relates to being a neighbor to others.

Materials Needed:

Internet access

As the students enter, ask them to share a about a time when someone helped them in a big way. Share one of your own memories as well!

When other people help or serve us, it shows that they love and care about us.

The city of Beirut (bay-root), in the country of Lebanon, was recently affected by a large explosion. Many people lost their homes, thousands of people were injured, and some people even lost their loved ones in this disaster.

Watch this recent news story about people loving others through serving them:

Play the video for the class [0:00-0:45]:
Deadly explosion in Beirut: How to help to the victims in Lebanon

What were some of the ways you saw people serving others in this video? (Sweeping, cleaning the streets, clearing the rubble, etc.)
What do you think people could have used as excuses to not clean up the rubble? (Some of them may have lost homes or family members, etc.)

We can start thinking about our neighbors, whoever they might be. Jesus has a lot to say about how to treat others, especially those who are different from us, but who does that include exactly? Let’s check it out.

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.

Step 4:

Materials Needed:

Pieces of paper or index cards (1 per student)
Pens/pencils or markers

If you are doing class online, invite students to get a piece of paper and a writing utensil (or even the “notes” section of a phone or device) to use at home.

Read the memory verse (Luke 10:27b) together with your students. If you are meeting in a physical classroom, ask them to get in pairs and complete this sentence: “One way I would appreciate being loved by my neighbors is ________.” If you are meeting online, have them take turns completing the sentence in your virtual class.

If they’re having trouble getting started, you could suggest things like “them bringing me cookies” or “playing basketball with me in the driveway” or “inviting me over to play video games,” etc.

What are some of the things you came up with for how you’d like to be treated? (Accept all reasonable answers.)
Of those ideas, what are some that YOU could offer to your neighbors, near or far? (Accept all reasonable answers.)
What are some other ways you could love your neighbors? (Accept all reasonable answers. Encourage your students to consider their neighbors near AND far. Invite them to think of ways they can love that are simple and small or more complex.)

This week, your challenge is to love a neighbor each day. This could be a neighbor near or a neighbor around the world.

Make sure each student has a piece of paper and a writing utensil, whether you are meeting in person or online. Ask them to write their name at the top of the page. Then, ask them write numbers 1-7 below their name (as though to make a list).

Then, invite students to take a moment and write one neighborly act next to each number—one for each day this week. Challenge them to have some acts be for neighbors near, such as mowing the lawn for an elderly person down the street, and some for neighbors far, like writing a thank-you card to a member of the military or praying for persecuted Christians. Each day, they can complete a neighborly act and draw a smiley face next to that item on the list. Next week, ask them to share about some of the neighborly acts they completed.

End in prayer, asking God to help us see all people as our neighbors and for the courage to follow through with loving our neighbors.

Spread the word

About

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”.

Connect With Us

Search Lessons

Disclaimer of Third Party Content

In some lessons, we may provide you with suggestions of third party content or provide links to third party websites that may align with the lesson topic. At the time a lesson is written, our editors carefully review the cited third party content and websites. However, we do not own or control the third party content or websites and they may change over time including, for example, the addition of advertisements, suggested content, pop-ups, etc on a website page that may not be appropriate for children or classroom use. We take no responsibility for such third party content or websites or for your use of them, including your use of them in a lesson. Please review each cited content or website carefully before utilizing in a lesson.

| Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Cookie Policy