YEA Lesson Library
Not So Cool
About This Lesson
This lesson discusses the moral evils of our world, using Sodom as a springboard. Then it encourages the student to follow God and apply God’s ways to overcome the evils of this world.
Warning: Discussion about sodomy, homosexuality, bestiality, rape, and sex.
Scriptures
Genesis 19:1-29
Exodus 22:19
Leviticus 18:22-23
Deuteronomy 23:17
Proverbs 13:15
Romans 1:24-27
1 Corinthians 6:9
1 Timothy 1:9-10
Words to Know
SODOMY - to copulate or have sex with a person of the same sex
DEVIANT - departing from usual or accepted standards, especially in social or sexual behavior
The Lesson
A young Hispanic gang member kidnaped a young boy, took him to an isolated area, and sodomized him at gun point. With the jury in the courtroom during his trial, the accused stole his own attorney's cell phone to call other gang members to harm jury members. After a guilty plea, the Judge increased the recommended sentence from 40 to 50 years in prison, plus a $10,000 fine, because of his defiant behavior. This convicted gang member may learn that his crime was Not So Cool as he spends 50 hot summers in a Texas prison without any air conditioning.
There is a Bible story that is similar to this. Homosexuality was prevalent in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah after the Flood. We will learn in today's lesson that sex acts between the same sex came to be known as sodomy. Sodomites were male temple prostitutes.
Lot was Abraham's nephew and probably a city council member of Sodom. The city gateway served as the administrative and judicial center where legal matters were discussed.
One evening two angels arrived at the city gate where Lot was sitting. He stood up and welcomed them. He invited them to his house as overnight guests. After much urging, they went home with Lot.
After Lot's family and guests ate a feast Mrs. Lot had prepared with unleavened bread, they were ready to call it a day and go to bed. But suddenly they heard a bunch of men outside the house. Lot stepped outside to talk to them and shut the door behind him. Young and old Sodomites from all over the city surrounded the house. They started shouting to Lot, "Bring out those men to us so we can rape them." Lot told them to leave those men alone - they were in his house and he was going to protect them. He begged them not to do such a wicked thing.
That wasn't good enough for this deviant gang. So they asked Lot, "Who do you think you are? We let this fellow settle among us and now he tries to tell us what to do! We'll deal with you far worse than with those other men.”
They were saying that Lot came there as an alien, and now he had set himself up as a judge. They lunged at Lot and began breaking down the door. This was really a heated situation. The two angels reached out and pulled Lot into the house, bolted the door, and temporarily blinded the men so they couldn't find the door.
Again, enough was enough with God. He was ready to destroy Sodom because it had become so evil. The two angels asked Lot about his relatives so they could be saved from this destruction. "Get them out of this place - sons-in law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. For we will destroy the city completely. The stench of the place has reached to heaven and God has sent us to destroy it."
"So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, 'Quick, get out of the city, for the Lord is going to destroy it'" But the young men looked at him as though he had lost his senses. These men had gradually begun to accept this deviant behavior as normal and didn't see why Lot was so excited about it. Their accepting it was to their own peril.
"At dawn the next morning the angels became urgent. 'Hurry,' they said toLot, 'take your wife and your two daughters who are here and get out while you can, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city.”
Even Lot hesitated. This was his home. The angels realized the urgency of the hour and they grabbed Lot, his wife, and two daughters’ hands, and led them safely out of the city. God was merciful to Lot and his family when they originally hesitated to obey Him. But their window of opportunity was running out on them. One of the angels said, "Flee for your lives and don't look back and don't stop anywhere in the plains! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"
"But Lot said to them, 'No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and l'll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it - it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared.' Lot was granted this request. By the time he reached Zoar, burning sulfur was coming down from God out of heaven like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. "But Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt."
What a lesson! God delivered Lot, his wife and two daughters. Curiosity got the best of Mrs. Lot and she wanted to look at Sodom and Gomorrah one more time even though God had warned her not to do it. So she turned into a pillar of salt. We must never look longingly back on sin. The marriage relationship is ordained by God from creation to be right, beautiful, fulfilling, and to protect the family. Any thing or relationship that cheapens, diminishes, injures, or destroys that wonderful relationship is wrong! Sex is ordained in marriage by God to be between one man and one woman for life. God designed the bodies of every living creature to require a male and a female to reproduce itself. Two men or two women cannot reproduce themselves. The Word of God prohibits sex between two men or two women. Your Bible says, "Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin' (Leviticus 18:22 TLB).
Student Prayer
Awesome Father,
We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Your plan is past understanding. But you have shown us right and wrong and given us every good thing. Help us always to walk in the way of your law and to do what is right.
It's in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday: Genesis 19:5-8
Monday: Exodus 22:19
Tuesday: Leviticus 18:22-23
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 23:17
Thursday: Romans 1:24-27
Friday: 1 Timothy 1:9-10
Saturday: 1 Corinthians 6:9
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to
1. Explain that God ordained sex to be in marriage between one man and one woman for life.
2. Define the moral evils found in their lesson and find a Bible solution to them.
3. Give a definition to natural evil.
4. Describe how "the way of the transgressor is hard."
Topics & Themes
Consequence of Sin
Evil
Homosexuality
Lot
Obedience
Salt
Sin
Sodom/Gomorrah
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students' and teacher's books, attendance and memory verse charts, songbook, CD or cassette tape, music player, newsprint, markers, at least ten sheets of paper, Scotch tape
How to Teach This Lesson
After opening the class with prayer, begin by asking the students to give every form of evil that was mentioned in their lesson. They may use their books to do this. As they give them write them randomly across the newsprint. These should include such things as: gangs, kidnaping, sodomy, stealing, defiant behavior, prostitution, rape, violence, breaking down the door, gay marriage, etc.
Moral vs natural evil
Explain that our world is plagued by both moral evil and natural evil. Natural evil means adversity. Earthquakes, tornadoes, environmental disasters, and death are natural evils or adversities. Moral evils are what we've put on the newsprint. These are things that we have a choice as to whether they happen or don't. Use the Bible as your primary source of discussing these things. Ask: What are people today doing to overcome these evils? What are you doing? How would you say that the battle against evil is going?
Activity
Divide the class into groups of threes and give every student one or more pieces of paper and a marker. Assign each group to I) read Romans 12:17-21; 2) Brainstorm what they find in these scriptures that reveal God's plan for overcoming evil and how they think it works; 3) Come up with specific ways that a Christian can work toward defeating this evil; and 4) Write a specific way of defeating every evil listed on the newsprint on the pieces of paper you were given. Take it to the newsprint pad, read, and cover (tape over) one of the evils with a Bible way of overcoming it.
Debrief
How did you feel about the evils you discovered in your lesson? How do you feel about the crime the young Hispanic committed? How do you feel about his sentence? What do you think his days will be like in prison? Ask one of the students to read aloud Proverbs 13:15. How do you feel about the victim? What kinds of things do you think he has suffered? How do you feel about God destroying Sodom and Gomorrah for its evils? What does it mean to you to know these kinds of evil are in your world? Why did God allow our world to become so evil? Ask a student to read aloud Romans 1:21-32 from The Living Bible. What do you see happening to our world for the evils that it is doing? How do these evils impact your daily life? What do you think 1) our nation can do about evil? 2) What can our church do about evil? 3) What should the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have done to prevent God's wrath from descending from heaven?4) What are you going to do about it?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Ask for a volunteer to read their letter to the prisoner. If they hesitate, read your letter and ask: What things did you tell the prisoner that I didn't mention? In what ways will the Hispanic gang member have to change his attitude and actions if he hopes to get early parol?
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight
Read your memory verse. In the KJV, it’s a little hard to comprehend what exactly is being said. Look up this verse, Proverbs 13:15, in at least five different translations. Now write a paragraph explaining what the verse is saying. Then think of a present-day example of Proverbs 13:15.
Where in the World? Sodom, Gomorrah, Zoar
Find an outline map of Israel during the time of Abraham. Make a copy to put into your Bible notebook. But first, label Sodom, Gomorrah, and Zoar. You may also wish to find an elevation map of Israel. Why? Because Lot chose to live in the cities on the plain. Abraham chose the hilly regions. Using an elevation map, you’ll be able to understand the topography of Israel and where each man (and his family) lived.
They Did What Back Then? An Angelic Rescue
Because Lot was important to Abraham, and because Abraham was a friend of God, the angels grabbed Lot, his wife, and his two daughters and made them leave Sodom prior to its destruction. They were rescued by angels! There’s another fascinating story about a rescue by angels in 2 Kings 6:15-18. Or what about Daniel 2? God can send angels to rescue us, when it looks absolutely impossible for us to escape.
Look up an old song: Amy Grant’s “Angels.” Read the lyrics. Then write about this topic. Think about a reckless car running out of gas before it runs your way. If you are important to God, then He can protect you from any danger. So the question is, do you have a relationship with God? And do you trust Him?
Making It Mine: An Angelic Rescue
Because Lot was important to Abraham, and because Abraham was a friend of God, the angels grabbed Lot, his wife, and his two daughters and made them leave Sodom prior to its destruction. They were out. They were safe. But Lot’s wife wanted to go back. Her desire for what God was destroying resulted in immediate death. So . . . God may rescue you from a bad decision. But He not going to force you to desire Him. There are consequences to not choosing God’s ways in your life. And God won’t prevent you from walking away if you want to. If you are totally set on being foolish, He will help you. Read Romans 1:20-31. Then write about this topic in your Bible notebook.
Worldview Collisions: Marriage
A secular worldview says that each individual gets to decide what is right. In other words, if it feels right to you, do it. But a Biblical worldview says that God has the right to tell us how to live. After all, He’s the One who created the world; He get to tell us how to exist in it. One of God’s laws, specifically, is marriage. God says marriage is between one man and one woman for life. Some secular worldviews say that marriage can be between two men or two women, or between a woman and her cat. Some worldviews say that divorce is okay if the wife doesn’t cook your meal the way you like it.
Write this worldview collision in your Bible notebook. Then write your thoughts about it.
Questions
As you’re working through the YEA lesson, Daily Devotionals, doing the activity, or reading the Bible, be sure to write down any questions you have. That way you’ll remember to ask someone. Also remember to share the really interesting things you’re learning with family and friends.
Song
“It's a Happy Day” is on page 47 of The Group Songbook. Rationale for song choice: The last line of the song is “Livin’ each day by the promises in God’s Word.” If we do that, it will indeed be a happy day - in contrast to the suffering we will face if we don’t follow God.
Closing Prayer
Have the students form a circle and join hands. Ask each student to pick one of the evils that was written on the board and tell what covers that evil. Ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer thanking God for showing us why sex was created and to help us to never misuse it or disrespect the gift God designed.
Printable Pages
