Green With Envy


Scripture: 1 Samuel 18-19

Learning Objectives:

  • Students will learn jealousy and envy will cause us to sin.
  • Students will learn true friends will help protect us from evil.
  • Students will learn bad things can happen even to people who obey God, but that does not mean God is not with them.
  • Students will learn how to distinguish between the words/actions of greediness vs. gratitude.

Guiding Question: Why does God want us to be content and show gratefulness?

Materials: Large white construction paper (or small white poster), markers (make sure to include green and red), crayons, pens

Procedure: Review the story of Saul and David from the scriptures above. Highlight that jealousy and envy will lead to sin and turning away from God/how He wants us to treat others. Explain that Saul got caught up in greediness and envy and gave himself over to sinful ways. God knows acting like Saul can lead down a bad path which is why He wants us to be content and show gratefulness. Being content and grateful can show God to others and help you live a more godly life.

Give each student (or partner pair if you choose) a large white sheet of construction paper/white poster and materials to draw and write with. Make sure each student or pair has a red and green marker. On one half of the paper, have the student draw a green outline of a heart and fill the heart with words and pictures of things an envious or jealous person thinks, says and does. Then on the other half, have the student draw the outline of a red heart and fill with words and pictures of what a person with a content and grateful heart thinks, says and does. Have the students write at the top of their paper “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. – 1 Corinthians 13:4” Talk to the students about how they can apply the actions/word of a content and grateful person in their own lives.

Additional Questions: How can students imitate what is looks like to be content and grateful?
Supplemental Activity: Give 2-3 students fancy clothing, jewelry, electronics, play money, food/desserts that the other students may get jealous of. (These items can just be pretend items or toy jewelry) Ask the students how they would feel is they knew someone that had all of these things or if they saw someone who had all of these things. Would they be envious? Would it be easy to forget about how God has blessed them? Have the students create a list of blessings in their life (make sure students include basic needs, reminding them not everyone has those).

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