What’s Your Motive?

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School

Lesson 10
Spring 2023
By: RLD Editorial Team
May 28, 2023

Lesson Focus:

What’s your motive?

Bible Basis:

Acts 8:5-25

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Internet access

Step 4:

Internet access
Paper
Drawing supplies (pens/pencils, markers, colored pencils, crayons)

Summary & Links:

Students will watch a video about bad motivations for kind actions as they explore motivation behind doing things for others.

Memory Verse:

You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives.
—James 4:2b-3a

Students will watch a video about bad motivations for kind actions as they explore motivation behind doing things for others.

Materials Needed:

Internet access

Welcome your students and check in on their week. Begin the class by asking everyone to share one thing they did for someone else this week.

Why did you do that nice thing? (Answers will vary. Maybe their parents forced them to. Maybe they just wanted to. Maybe they feel like they were supposed to. Maybe they hoped they would get paid.)
What are some good reasons to do nice things for others? (I’m honoring my parents, God wants me to, it helps others, to show Jesus’ love to others, etc.)
Are there bad reasons to do good things? What are they? (Secretly hoping they will do something nice for me, I’ll get something out of it, I have to, etc.)

Let’s watch a video of something psychologists describe as “love bombing”—using nice gestures or behaviors for the wrong reasons.

Share this short video:
Love Bombing: The Manipulative Tactic You Need To Know About | Jonathan Evans

Love bombing is most commonly seen in the beginning of romantic relationships. One person might be especially affectionate or do grand romantic gestures to make the other person like them. While it’s good to be kind and affectionate to the people in our lives, motivations matter. We can do nice and loving things for the people in our lives because we love and care about them, rather than because we’re trying to trick people into liking us.

Do you think it’s also important to have the right motivations for how we love and serve God? Why or why not? (Answers will vary. Some students will say our motivation doesn’t matter as long as we’re doing good things for God. Others may point out that God knows and examines our hearts along with our actions.)

Sometimes our motives are good, other times they’re not. Sometimes other people know or can guess our motives, other times only God knows. We’re not the only ones. Our Bible story today teaches us about someone who had bad motives. Let’s see what the Bible has to say about acting with bad motives.

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:

Internet access
Paper
Drawing supplies (pens/pencils, markers, colored pencils, crayons)

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

Ask someone to read today’s memory verse. Our verse reminds us that God cares not only about what we do, but about why we do it. Our “why,” or motive, is important.

Today we talked about the importance of examining our motives. While we want to do the right things, we also want to do them for the right reasons.

What are some examples of wrong motives that could drive us to live for God and serve others? (Accept all reasonable responses.)
What are examples of good motives for loving God and serving others? (Accept all reasonable responses.)

On top of the motivation to do good and help others, as Christians, our motives must ultimately be God’s glory. We help others for God’s glory. We go to church for God’s glory. Focusing on God’s glory can help you stay motivated to help others.

Distribute supplies (or invite students to have supplies ready at home). Ask them to draw or write a way they commit to help others this week, for God’s glory. Ask them to include somewhere on their paper a reminder that our motive should always be God’s glory. This could be as simple as writing it somewhere on the sheet or as creative as your students like.

If your class is meeting online, ask your students to snap a picture of their drawing and send it to you so you can share them with the whole class. Ask your class to keep their drawings visible this week as a reminder of their commitment to let God’s glory motivate all they do.

End in prayer, asking for God to renew your hearts and minds and motives so that each of you can do good, for God’s glory.

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David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School