The students will be able to explain that honoring others before ourselves is what God expects of His followers. They will be able to relate what pride is and some ways that it might be evidenced. They will realize that God's Word warns us against being proud.
Introduction: Reproduce and mount a set of the proud and humble faces as described under Preschool Suggestions. (The patterns for these faces are provided.) Ask your students to describe what kind of person each of these faces represents. Which kind of person do they like to be around? Tell them that in our Bible story today Jesus told which kind of person He wants us to be.
Climax: God wants us to be humble, to put others first and not to exalt ourselves.
Conclusion: Pride is something to be guarded against. Place-seeking and doing alms to be seen of men was denounced by the Lord.
Response: The students can explain that God expects us to honor others before ourselves. They will be able to tell what pride is and ways it is evidenced. They will realize that God's Word warns us about being proud.
In James 4:6 we read, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." God hates pride. According to many theologians, that is what caused Satan to be cast out of Heaven. Satan appealed to Eve's ego when he told her that the forbidden fruit on the tree in the midst of the Garden would make her wise (Genesis 3:6). The idea so tempted Eve that she disobeyed God and ate of the fruit. From that time on, pride has been found in the hearts of mankind and unless repented of, will bring certain judgment.
There are examples in the Old Testament of those whose pride brought them to destruction. Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice ... ?" (Exodus 5:2). Pharaoh's pride brought about the ruin of the country of Egypt as well as judgment on Pharaoh himself. Absalom, the son of David, became proud and sought to take the kingdom from his father. When his army was engaged in battle with the army of David, Absalom's army was defeated. Absalom rode upon a mule which carried him under a tree. The hair of his head caught on a branch and he was left hanging. David's captain of the host found out about it and came there and slew him. Haman, who was next to King Ahasuerus, was another very proud man. Because Mordecai would not bow to him, Haman planned to destroy all the Jews and hang Mordecai on a gallows. The Jews were spared and Haman was hung on his own gallows. Nebuchadnezzar also learned that God is able to abase those who walk pridefully. He said, "Is not this great Babylon that I have builded?" But the same hour God took his reason from him and he became like an animal and ate grass like an ox. Fortunately, he was able to learn from this lesson, and after seven years his sanity returned and he praised the God of Heaven.
Have a skit showing children in line for lunch. One child keeps elbowing to the front of the line, using different excuses. He claims to be taller, bigger, smarter, better dressed, have better grades, is a better catcher, etc. Finally he gets to the front of the line, but the teacher has him hold the door for the rest so he is last after all!
Discuss opposites with the children, using enlargements of the patterns given for opposites flash cards under In-Class Activities. Show them one picture and have them guess what the opposite will be. After showing the proud/humble pictures, discuss situations which might show if a person is proud or humble.
Make two hearts which open up like pockets. Write HUMBLE on one heart and PROUD on the other. Write words on pieces of paper which apply to each type and put into appropriate hearts. Cut out some sin-spot pieces of paper and put into the proud heart. Put a picture of Jesus into the humble heart. Show the hearts to the children and, one at a time, take out the slips of paper and read something about that type of person. Last of all show the sin-spots and Jesus, to show children why each heart is different.