Stand-Alone Righteousness

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School

Lesson 6
Spring 2021
By: RLD Editorial Team
April 25, 2021

Lesson Focus:

Standing for God sometimes means standing alone.

Bible Basis:

Amos 1:1; 7:10-17

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

None

Step 4:

Index cards
Pens/pencils

Summary & Links:

Students will see that standing up for God may mean standing alone.

Memory Verse:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”
—Matthew 5:11-12a

Students will see that standing up for God may mean standing alone.

Materials Needed:

None

Welcome students as they come to class. When you’re ready to begin teaching, mention that in the context of today’s lesson, standing alone isn’t about being lonely, but it is about doing right even if you are the only one doing so.

How many of you have ever been in trouble because you’ve done the right thing? (Have a show of hands. If there are many hands, call on volunteers to share their experience. If there are no volunteers, share your own story.)
Do you find that you or students you know sometimes are punished for doing what seems to be right? Why do you think this might happen? (Just like with a zero tolerance policy in order to protect the entire student body, schools sometimes do something that seems like the wrong student is punished in situations like these.)

It isn’t easy to do the right thing—especially if, instead of being rewarded for it, we find ourselves standing alone. Imagine standing up for someone who is bullied—only to find that students begin teasing you for standing up.

Do you think you would take a stand for the right thing if you saw injustice happening, even if no one else stood with you? Why or why not? (Accept all reasonable answers.)
What are some examples of things you can take a stand against, even if you stand alone? (Answers may include standing against bullying, hate, racism, etc.)

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy and sometimes even includes what seems to be unfair punishment. Today’s lesson is about a man, Amos, who was standing for God even if it meant he stood alone. Let’s look further at what Amos did and see how his actions can influence us to stand for God.

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
Pens/pencils

Amos wasn’t a professional prophet; rather, he was a shepherd who obeyed God’s instruction to share a prophecy of gloom and doom with Uzziah (who was king of Judah) and Jeroboam (son of Jehoash, a king of Israel).

Amos could’ve stayed where he was tending sheep rather than following God’s instructions to share a vision God gave him with those who needed to hear it.

It isn’t easy to stand for God, especially alone. That’s what Amos did in obedience to God. Have a volunteer read today’s memory verse: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11, 12a). These words are Jesus’ actual words and help us see why we should stand for God.

It isn’t easy to have people insult us—especially if they are insulting us for following God. We may not have experienced persecution for our faith, but many people around the world face death every day because of their faith in Christ. We need to always remember these brothers and sisters in Christ with prayer. You may have experienced a person saying something evil (or mean) against you because you’re a Christian. It isn’t easy and you may feel alone, but our memory verse comes with a promise and actions to take as a result—rejoice and be glad! Great is your reward in heaven.

We are never truly alone. Even Amos wasn’t alone although he may have felt alone at times. God promises to always be with us. Hebrews 13:5b says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Hand out index cards and pencils to each student. (If your class is meeting online, invite students to have those items ready.) Ask each person in the class to write a sentence of encouragement for a person they will interact with this week. They may want to use a sentiment about never being truly alone. When they have completed their encouragement notes, encourage students to give it to that person this week.

Encourage students to remember this week that standing for God sometimes means standing alone, but that there are people with whom they can talk if they feel discouraged. Remind your students that they can be that person to each other in this group.

Close in prayer.

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David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School