Optional: Before class, purchase a roll of mirror crafting tape (available at discount department stores). Provide a piece of 4in x 4in cardboard or poster board and strips of the tape for each student so that they can craft their own mirror to hang in their room or locker as a reminder of today’s lesson.

• How do you feel when you look in a mirror, and consider your outward appearance and who you know yourself to be on inside? (Do not force anyone to respond to this question. Students may be shy to share so you might prompt them with your own answers. Accept all reasonable answers. Some may not have given this much thought; others will share times of feeling confident, happy, proud, or attractive; others may share times they have felt badly about themselves or been self-critical.)
• When is it easiest and hardest to love yourself? (Accept all reasonable answers. We may find it easy to love ourselves when we feel good about our behavior or appearance, or when others validate those things in us. We may be hard on ourselves when we are frustrated, struggling, not meeting our own expectations, or when hearing negativity about ourselves from others.)
• What do you think God sees when He looks at you? (This is the most important view of all. Encourage answers that echo today’s lesson theme and verse—that God loves us, created us in His image, and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Accept that some students may doubt this or fear that God is critical of them; but assure them that God’s love is unconditional.)

If you opt to have students make their own mirror out of mirror crafting tape, distribute those supplies now. Allow each student to cut enough of the mirror tape to cover their 4in x 4in piece of cardboard. You might want to have them write today’s memory verse on the mirror with fine-tipped permanent marker. They can use these to complete this activity.

If you opt not to have students make a mirror, simply have your students find a quiet space for reflection. Remind students that they are God’s creation, completely loved by God exactly as they are. Remind students that we were made in God’s image and each of us is a reflection of God in the world. Instruct students to enter a time of contemplation, considering how God sees them. Have them write or draw a picture of themselves as they believe God sees them. Prompt them to understand that they can include physical traits, aspects of their personality or skills, or broader ideas of being loved, known, and valued by God. Leave a few minutes to chat about this time of reflection—whether the exercise was easy, fun, challenging, encouraging, insightful, etc. Let anyone who wants to share their words or pictures do so. Encourage students to keep their mirrors and the writing or pictures they made as a reminder that God made them, knows them, and loves them so much.                  

Close in prayer.