Dear Parent,

The goal of this week’s lesson is to help your child in their daily communications.  With constantly streaming 

tecnology and life's quickened pace, time is short.  Its byproduct can be seen in our language and communication.  Words are abrupt, to the point, and frequently hurtful.  If we remind your child to be "clean", kind, and Jesus-like in conversation, his/her day will be better, interactions will be more benign, and Jesus' light will be even more apparent.  So, have fun getting your hands dirty while you help your child's mouth get even "cleaner".  Godspeed!

 

Materials Needed: Bowls, spoon, dirt, water

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Bible Scripture: Matthew 15:10-11, 18

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean’, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean’...the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’.

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Today's Script:

Has anyone ever said something to you that hurt your feelings?

(Let your child answer.)

Has anyone ever called you a mean name or said something not nice to you?

(Let your child answer.)

I wish that hadn’t happened to you, but, when we think about it, maybe that experience will help YOU keep “clean”.

Yes, you heard me! I said “clean”, and I was talking about words instead of dirt!

Can we play with some dirt today while we talk about “cleanliness”?

(Let your child answer. Then, together, get the dirt with bowls and spoons.)

If this dirt was on our kitchen floor, it would make the room look dirty. And, if that was the case, the dirty floor would not be the dirtiest thing I’ve come across.

Now, let’s pour some water in our dirt to make it mud!

Next, we can put our hands in the mud and make our hands muddy. I like how it squishes in my fingers.

(As you play with the mud, continue with the script.)

Even this mud is not the dirtiest thing I’ve come across.

When someone says hurtful words, THAT'S the dirtiest thing I've come across.

It’s the things that come OUT OF OUR MOUTHS that can make us "unclean".

The words that come out of our mouths originally started in our minds and in our hearts. If our minds and hearts are clean and close to Jesus, then good and positive words are what come from our mouths.

BUT, if our minds and hearts are unclean, angry, hurting or simply far from Jesus, then bad and negative words could  come from our mouths. Those "unclean" words can be hurtful towards people around us and towards God.

Keep in mind, it is not our job to decide who is clean and unclean.  We can leave that to God.  But, we can and should be careful with how WE speak, right?

Wow, today’s lesson even makes ME want to be more careful about what comes out of MY mouth. What about you?

My words represent my heart, and my heart belongs to Jesus! So, when I speak, I should say things that will help people, lift others up, and shine Jesus’ light.

Your words represent your heart, and your heart belongs to Jesus! So, when you speak, you should say things that will help people, lift others up, and shine Jesus’ light.

Let’s make some more mud while we think of examples of "unclean" and "clean".

If someone at school or on the playground says something not nice to you, should unclean or unkind words come out of your mouth in response to that person? No.

You can say, “no, thank you” and walk away. You can say, “no thank you" and give that person a compliment.  For example you could say, "no, thank you, but I do like your shirt!” That is, if you like that person’s shirt, of course.

 

Then, you are taking a messy situation and keeping yourself clean with your words.

If someone honks a car horn at me while I’m driving, do you know what I am going to do? I am going to take a deep breath and say a prayer for that person. I am going to pray that person gets where he/she is going safely and that he/she feels God’s love while traveling.

 

Then, I am taking a messy situation and keeping myself clean with my words.

Do you know what would be great?  Maybe the people we encounter will want to be “clean” the next chance they get as well.

Can you think of more examples in which something could say something not nice and something clean we can say in response? I hope so! Because I want to keep playing in this “clean mud”!

(Play together. Reiterate the lesson. Have fun and Godspeed.)