YEA Lesson Library
Dim Bulbs, Bright Lights
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches the importance of having a positive attitude so that you can let your light shine to people around you, even in the midst of your suffering.
Scriptures
Proverbs 4:18-20
Proverbs 24:10
Daniel 12:2-3
Matthew 5:13-16
Matthew 5:16
1 Corinthians 16:13
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
Philippians 2:13-16
Hebrews 5:7-8
1 John 1:5-7
Words to Know
UNIQUE - one of a kind, no one else like you
OBNOXIOUS - highly objectionable and offensive
The Lesson
Brent looked out the window of his room as he thought about his life. The whole world seemed to be crumbling around him. His seventh grade report card showed two failing grades. Now Brent was grounded for a month. He tried out for the Martin Luther King Middle School basketball team and didn’t make it. The kid next door ran over Brent’s cat with his roller blades and it died.
Brent’s Mom and Dad were rarely home until really late. Because of Grandpa’s terminal cancer, both of his parents were trying to spend as much time with him as they could. Grandma needed a lot of help and support, especially with Grandpa’s illness.
Even the news on TV is all bad – grass fires in California, floods in Texas, droughts in Oklahoma, fighting in the Middle East. Dad said the bottom dropped out of the stock market last week and he lost a bundle of money. Could life be worse?
Brent made his way to a small chapel near his home. He was alone as he began to pray out loud. “God, you created this world. If I may say so, it’s a real mess. What could you have been thinking about to allow grass fires, floods, droughts, fighting, crime, and wars? Oh yes, you even let me fail two classes. Grandpa is in so much pain. Couldn’t you have done a better job? Wouldn’t things be better if you hadn’t started this whole mess? I’m only a teenager, but I could make a better world than this.”
Depressed and sad, Brent sat down on one of the pews and started having a real pity party. As he raised his head in frustration the sun shone through a window. It was almost as though a voice said, “You’ve got it Brent. You can make a better world than this. Now go out and do it.” Brent came to see that day, that a pity party wasn’t the answer to his problems. He came to see what Christ taught us to do in Matthew 5:13- 16. “You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? And you yourselves will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worth- less. You are the world’s light – a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father” (TLB).
Brent saw how easy it is to identify all the problems around him. It’s equally as easy to wonder why God doesn’t say “presto” and make all the problems in the world go away. Why does God allow us to have problems? Why isn’t life just one great blast from the day we’re born until we die? Think about it. What kind of person would you be if everything in life went your way?
Have you ever known a child whose parents gave her everything she wanted and never disciplined her? Do you really want to be like her? Was she spoiled, obnoxious, selfish, demanding, etc.? Is that the kind of person you want to be? Is that the kind of person God wants you to be?
Does being born rich and having a trouble-free life guarantee that your light will burn brightly and you’ll be successful? “Seventy-five percent of the three hundred world-class leaders in 1994 were raised in poverty, had been abused as children, or had some serious physical disability.” (Over the Top, by Zig Ziglar, page 2). Being a bright light and being successful in this life doesn’t depend on everything going right all the time.
What separates the dim bulbs from the bright lights? Everything begins with attitude! It says in Proverbs 24:10 that “If you faint in a time of adversity your strength is small.” You are like a dim bulb if you can’t weather a few trials. Bright lights keep their eyes open for spiritual danger; they stand true to God; they act like a man or woman; they’re strong and do everything with kindness and love (1 Corinthians 16:13).
God has something really great waiting for us. When we react positively to a problem it’s like an athlete lifting weights to build muscle – we become stronger. Jesus was faced with problems just like we are. “And even though Jesus was God’s Son, he had to learn from experience what it was like to obey, when obeying meant suffering” (Hebrews 5:8 TLB).
God placed Brent, and He placed you on this earth to season it, to be a light even in bad times. Neither Brent, nor you, were born to be a dim bulb. You were put on this earth to make your home, school, and town a better place to live. Brent began to see that it comes down to his own attitude. He saw that he couldn’t control many of the circumstances around him, but he had choices. He could control his attitude and the choices he made.
God put you on this earth, at this particular time, to be a bright light – a winner! He has given you gifts, and the power through His Holy Spirit, to make a difference in the world you are in. Then what are you going to do about it? Every day you have a choice. Will you have the right attitude and trust God to see you through good times and bad times? Will you choose to make the world around you a better place? Will your light shine brightly so others can see God’s love in you? You are unique. You have something special to offer the world. And you can make this world a better place. Now go out and do it! Be a bright light!
Student Prayer
Great Father in Heaven,
Thank you for showing me how important my attitude is. I don’t want to be a dim bulb. Please be with me daily as I try to let my light shine brightly in my home, school and town. Help me to see things that I can do to brighten my light.
It’s in Jesus’ name I ask these things.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Proverbs 24:10
Monday - Hebrews 5:7-8
Tuesday - 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
Wednesday - 1 John 1:5-7
Thursday - Philippians 2:13-16
Friday - Proverbs 4:18-20
Saturday - Daniel 12:2-3
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explain that Christians are to be a light to the world.
2. State that many leaders were born into poverty, were abused or had disabilities.
3. Compare attitude, and the choices they make with the way life treats them.
4. Discuss that Jesus Christ also learned from the things He suffered.
Topics & Themes
Attitude
God’s Omnipotence
God’s Plan
Letting Your Light Shine
Obedience
Suffering
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students and teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, stickers, paper, pens or pencils, songbook, CD/cassette tape, music player
How to Teach This Lesson
Begin the class by asking for volunteers to tell about the last party they went to. As they tell their stories, make note of what seemed to make their party a blast or a bust. By sequentially following the questions laid out below, you should be able to complete each section of the lesson and ensure the objectives are met.
Why did you go to this party? To have a good time, to be with friends, etc. Would someone who has given a party tell us why you threw it? To have a good time, to celebrate a birthday or other events.
How many of you have had a pity party where you sat around and mopped about how bad things were? Did you have a good time? Was this a celebration? Were you sharing with friends? How would you describe the results of a pity party? It’s sad, nonproductive, a real looser and a waste of time.
What are some of the things that bring on depression? Having to do chores, making a low grade on a test, not getting to do something they want to do, being grounded for a week, snubbed by a friend.
Who benefits from a pity party? No one. How do you go from being a dim bulb to becoming a bright light? Making the choice to have a positive attitude, becoming proactive and channeling energies into being a light by thinking of others and serving them. Then would you conclude that a pity party is nonproductive, a waste of time and a real looser?
In your lesson, what did Brent decided to do about being a dim bulb? He saw that he was responsible for changing his world. What would you call that? Becoming proactive and turning into a bright light.
Do you remember how many world leaders were born in poverty and maybe abused or disabled as shown in a recent survey? 300. Would you say they had a bad start in life? What made the difference in them and a lot of people who are on welfare? They chose to be proactive and be everything in this life that they could be. Then would you say it was the choices they made that made the difference in their wealth and position in life? What effect does your attitude have on your future? It can make the difference between wealth or poverty, the job they hold and whether they make it into the Kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ lived a perfect life. He is our soon coming King. Was He exempt from suffering? How did He learn obedience? From the things He suffered.
How can you season the world and make it a better place to live? By letting your good deeds shine for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father. What specific things can you do to be a bright light rather than being a dim bulb? Have a positive attitude, be proactive in caring for and serving others, every day set a goal to be a bright light to at least one person.
Teacher-Directed Activity
Before class, write the following statements on three different pieces of paper: 1) Mom is always saying empty the dishwasher, fold the laundry, get the hair out of your eyes and whatever. She makes me feel hopeless. What should this teenager do to make his or her home life better? 2) People commonly describe happiness by looking at physical things or circumstances. How can you find happiness? 3) An alien has landed in the parking lot. He knows nothing about your religion or the Christian faith. How can you be a light to this alien? Divide the class into three groups giving each group one of the above statements. Allow a few minutes for the groups to brainstorm their questions. Then have them give the answers. Read aloud Matthew 5:13-16.
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight
Write and/or offer a prayer which personalizes the memory verse. For example, insert specific names for the word “men” and specific deeds for “good deeds.” Remember the purpose of letting your light shine is to bring praise to your Father in heaven!
Where in the World?
There are many opportunities to be a bright light to the community in which you live. If you have never been involved in service work, now would be a good time to look into the many areas available in your community. Begin with your local chamber of commerce, or check volunteer websites.
They Did What Back Then?
Joseph was the favored son of Jacob. Bestowing a many-colored coat on Joseph brought about envy and jealousy among his older brothers. Imagine how Joseph felt when he suddenly found himself at the bottom of a deep well at the hands of his own brothers! He surely could have had a pity party, but his troubles were only beginning. Do you know the rest of the story? If you do, share it with your class or family. If you want to know how Joseph kept his light burning brightly, start reading in Genesis 37.
Making It Mine
Work your way through Scripture references, as you think of Scriptures that apply.
1. Are you on this earth to glorify yourself or God?
2. What does it mean to glorify?
3. How do you glorify God?
4. Does it bring more glory to God when you praise Him when things are going well or when things are rough?
5. Read Philippians 4:4-9. The Apostle Paul wrote about attitude to the Philippians, but it applies today: rejoice! Be anxious for nothing! With thanksgiving present your requests to God! What does Paul say will happen as you pray with thanksgiving?
6. Read 1 Peter 1:6-7. Peter writes that we will suffer. What is our attitude to be? Why? Who gets the glory and honor?
7. Which is a greater light: the one who praises God despite suffering or the one who praises God when things are going well? Be a bright light!
Worldview Collision
Some religious (and irreligious) worldviews say that if you are pleasing your god, everything will go well for you. You will have money to burn. You will be beautiful or handsome—so much that you never have to worry about dates. You will be healthy—in fact, you’ll be the star of the team. If you are pleasing God, you will never suffer.
It is true that if you are a child of God going the wrong way, He will discipline you. But it is false to say that if you are going the right way, you won’t suffer. A biblical worldview rests in God’s promise that if we serve Him and love Him with our whole heart, things will ultimately work for our good. But you don’t have to look very far to disprove the false worldview stated above. Jesus was perfect; He never sinned. But it was the Father’s plan to allow Jesus to suffer a terrible death, that you and I might live forever. Further- more, Jesus told His disciples that they would have trouble in this world (John 16:33). They would be persecuted (John 15:18-20), just as Jesus was persecuted.
Don’t buy into a false worldview that says you won’t suffer if you are doing what God wants. It’s not true. But if you believe it, it can shake your faith, causing you to doubt that what you are doing is right. If you know ahead of time that things are not going to be easy when you follow God, you are better prepared mentally and spiritually to withstand the schemes of the devil to discourage you from being a light to a darkened world.
Song
“Give Me Oil in My Lamp” is on page 59 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Have the students form a circle and hold hands. Ask one of the students to lead in prayer asking that God will show them how to daily be a bright light and change the world they live in.
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