SERIES DESCRIPTION
God was kind to us even when we didn’t deserve it. Because of His love for us, we can be kind to everyone. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. And when you show kindness to others, you give them a glimpse into the heart of God, and how much God loves them. Kindness should be a characteristic of people who follow Jesus. Not only did Jesus model kindness, but He also commanded it. He taught us to treat others the way we want to be treated.
February Curriculum:
Week One (February 7)
Humble and Kind
Today’s Bible Story: Humble and Kind (God Was Kind to Us) • Ephesians 4:32
Today’s Key Question: What does kindness look like?
Today’s Bottom Line: Be kind to others because God is kind to you.
Monthly Memory Verse: You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Colossians 3:12 (NIrV)
Monthly Life App: Kindness—Showing others they are valuable by how you treat them
Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Key Question: What does kindness look like? In some ways, kindness can feel subjective. What one person sees as an act of kindness another might see as an obligation. That’s why we start our preteens with a conversation about kindness. When you can identify what kindness can look like, you start to see all the ways you can show God’s kindness to others.
We kick off the month of February with something Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32. Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done, (NIrV). Even when we were separated from God, He showed us kindness through sending Jesus to rescue us and model what kindness can look like in our lives.
Bottom Line: Be kind to others because God is kind to you. As we follow Jesus and look for ways to reflect His love to the people around us, kindness is one of the easiest ways to do that. God was so incredibly kind to us, that we can help but to be kind to the people we meet.
K3 Worship
The Best is Yet to Come
Good Grace
Preteen Worship Files
Week Two (February 14)
Family Ties
Today’s Bible Story: Family Ties (Ruth and Boaz) • Ruth
Today’s Key Question: When is it hard to be kind?
Today’s Bottom Line: Be kind to your family and friends.
Monthly Memory Verse: You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Colossians 3:12 (NIrV)
Monthly Life App: Kindness—Showing others they are valuable by how you treat them
Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Key Question: When is it hard to be kind? If kindness is something that we know should be a part of our lives, why do we find it difficult to show kindness to others? Often, we find it’s easier to show kindness to strangers than those who are closest to us. We hope through this question and the discussion that will happen; preteens will start to understand how they can make sure they show kindness to the people they love.
In week two, we head to Ruth 1 and 2, where we find Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Their husbands have died, and Ruth has the opportunity to return home to her family. Instead, she chooses to show kindness to Naomi and stay with her. Ruth’s kindness doesn’t go unnoticed. Boaz sees how Ruth is treating Naomi and offers kindness to Ruth, changing her life in a huge way.
Bottom Line: Be kind to your family and friends. When it comes to our family and friends, we can often find ourselves taking them for granted. We hope through the story of Ruth, kids will learn to show kindness to the people who care about them the most.
K3 Worship
Through It All
There's Nothing That Our God Can't Do
Preteen Worship Files
Week Three (February 21)
One More Time
Today’s Bible Story: One More Time (Go the Extra Mile) • Matthew 5:41
Today’s Key Question: Have you ever received unexpected kindness?
Today’s Bottom Line: Be kinder than you have to be.
Monthly Memory Verse: You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Colossians 3:12 (NIrV)
Monthly Life App: Kindness—Showing others they are valuable by how you treat them
Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Key Question: Have you ever received unexpected kindness? February is Random Acts of Kindness month. It makes sense. After all, often the best kindness is the kindness that feels completely random. We pray that this question will help kids discover how they feel when someone surprises them with kindness. And when that happens, we hope to guide them to figure out the unexpected ways they can show kindness to people in their lives.
For week three, we head to Matthew 5:41. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught, Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with them, (NIrV). To us that might sound strange, but to those listening—not so much. Roman soldiers could force them to carry their pack for a full mile. Jesus reminds His followers to go above and beyond in how they respond to others.
Bottom Line: Be kinder than you have to be. Often kindness can feel like an obligation. Because of that, we tend to do the bear minimum when it comes to showing kindness. What if we helped kids look at it differently? What if helped them see that kindness can be extravagant and unexpected. It’s that sort of kindness that can change people’s hearts and show them how much God loves them.
K3 Worship
The Best Is Yet To Come
Graves Into Gardens
Preteen Worship Files
Week Four (February 28)
Hey Brother
Today’s Bible Story: Hey Brother (Good Samaritan) • Luke 10:25-37
Today’s Key Question: How can you be kind to people who are different from you?
Today’s Bottom Line: Be kind to people who are different from you.
Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Monthly Memory Verse: You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Colossians 3:12 (NIrV)
Monthly Life App: Kindness—Showing others they are valuable by how you treat them
Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Key Question: How can you be kind to people who are different from you? There are times when we face people who we feel don’t deserve our kindness. Most likely, preteens could list out the people who they don’t get along with or people that are different from them. They may even be able to make excuses as to why those people don’t deserve their kindness. But Jesus tells us to love our enemies and show kindness to everyone. Through this question, we hope kids start to discover how they can show kindness to all sorts of people they meet.
We finish the month with a familiar parable found in Luke 10:25-37. When the religious leaders tried to make themselves look good, they try and trick Jesus with a question. If we’re supposed to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, who exactly is our neighbor? Jesus answers with the parable of The Good Samaritan. Jesus used this story to completely change how people who follow Him should look at showing kindness to others— it’s not just for people we know or like, but for everyone we meet.
Bottom Line: Be kind to people who are different from you. Everyone is deserving of our kindness, whether they look like us or not. We hope kids learn from a young age, that God’s love is for everyone. We can’t hold back kindness from others just because they might look or act different from us. Jesus modeled a love and kindness that included everyone. We should do that same.