YEA Lesson Library
Salt and Light
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches the students to be salt and light in the world, positively impacting those around them for God.
Scriptures
Psalm 18:28
Psalm 27:1-14
Psalm 46:1
Proverbs 4:19
Matthew 5:14-16
Mark 9:38-50
Luke 14:34-35
John 1:1-14
John 3:19-20
John 8:12-19
Ephesians 5:1-14
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
1 Peter 2:9
Words to Know
PASSAGEWAY - a narrow way for passing from one place to another
SPELUNKER - someone who explores caves
UNAPPETIZING - does not stimulate you to eat
The Lesson
Do you know what a spelunker is? He is someone who explores caves. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it. Would you like to be one? Imagine being the first person to discover a cave or new passageway inside a cave. What secrets does it hold? Was it an outlaw hideout?
Mammoth Cave, in central Kentucky, is the world’s longest cave. Something necessary for every spelunker is light! Imagine feeling your way along wet, slippery rocks in complete darkness. All of a sudden you tumble down, down, into a lower passageway. What dangers lie ahead? Which way should you go? Without a light you would be lost and without hope.
Listen to this! God says, “But the way of those who do what is wrong is like deep darkness. They don’t know what makes them trip and fall (Proverbs 4:19 NIrV). Does that mean they are always in the dark? No, it means they are missing a different kind of light – the light of Jesus Christ.
John said, “The true light that gives light to every man is coming into the world” (John 1:9 NIrV). Peter said, “He brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9 NIrV). They were both speaking of Jesus! If you follow Him, you will not walk in darkness. But, what does that mean?
Spelunkers need a light to see which way to go, and where the dangers are in a cave. With Jesus in your life you will never have to face troubles alone (Psalm 46:1). He is a Friend who is always with you. He will help you make wise decisions and avoid dangers.
Not only is Jesus the light of the world, He says that you should also be a light to others. But, how can you be a light?
For a lamp or light bulb to work, it must be plugged into a power source called electricity. If it isn’t plugged in, there is no power – no light. And for our light to shine in this dark world, we also need a power source. The greatest power source in the universe is Jesus Christ! He gives us His power through His Spirit.
After His resurrection, Jesus said He would give His disciples the gift and power of His Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit makes our lives like a light shining in a dark room or cave. God expects those receiving this gift to be examples for Him.
Everything you do has an impact on someone. It may be a little brother, a friend at school, a neighbor, or even your parents or grandparents. People are watching and listening to what you do and say. They hear if you use bad language. They find out if you take something that doesn’t belong to you. They see if you are kind, loving, and forgiving. So, start cleaning up your act! Ask, “What would Jesus do?”
Jesus also said you are the world’s seasoning – you are like salt. Salt adds flavor to food, makes it taste better. If you ate mashed potatoes without salt in them, you would probably ask, “What’s wrong with these potatoes?” They would be tasteless, unappetizing.
You and I are to do the same thing in the world as salt does for mashed potatoes. Christians add flavor by their actions. Kind and loving actions are like salt in mashed potatoes. A good attitude and helpful actions add more salt to flavor the world. Obeying the Golden Rule and doing good to others can make the world a better place to live.
Jesus shares His light with you. He expects you to share it with others and to add flavor to the world. Don’t be pushy. But when people ask why you don’t celebrate Christmas or Halloween, tell them what you believe. When they ask, tell them why you go to the Feast – you are obeying God’s commands.
But Wait! Will they ask you questions about God if you’re not living by God’s standards, if your light is not shining for God? Probably not. They will remain in darkness without a shining light. Letting your light shine before men is an important job to do. Flavor the world with your kindness and light it up with your good deeds.
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please guide us in being salt and light to those around us. Help us to really act like your children in this world.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - John 8:12-19
Monday - Psalm 27:1-14
Tuesday - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Wednesday - John 1:1-14
Thursday - Mark 9:38-50
Friday - Luke 14:34-35
Saturday - Ephesians 5:1-14
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Explain what light and salt have to do with being a Christian.
2. Give ways they can flavor the world and bring light to it.
3. Describe how they can apply being light and salt in their own lives.
Topics & Themes
Attitude
Golden Rule
Helping Others
Holy Conduct
Holy Spirit
Jesus, His Ministry
Light
Jesus, Our Friend
Jesus Sets Example
Kindness
Light
Salt
Sharing the Gospel
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students’ and teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse chart, stickers, cassette tape or CD and music player, empty yogurt cups, wax, wicks, ice hot pot or something to melt the wax, prism, blindfold
Preparation
Begin this new book by setting challenging and realistic student goals – goals that will help them Dare To Be Different. Realistic goals for Juniors can be such things as reading a chapter in the Bible daily (in addition to their daily devotional), sending at least one card each week to encourage someone (help them find addresses) or help a younger Sabbath School class once a month – be a Sabbath buddy for a younger child in church. Allow students as much input as possible and build on their talents.
Assign 1 Corinthians 13 for the students to memorize and recite at the end of this book.
Before you come to class make enough mashed potatoes for each child to have a taste (Do not add any seasoning.). Collect empty yogurt cups, or other small disposable cups. Melt a small amount of paraffin wax in the bottom of the cups and insert a wick. Allow the wax to melt while teaching the lesson.
How to Teach This Lesson
Total Darkness - Explain that in the deep recesses of caves light cannot penetrate. Without the use of lanterns, candles or electricity it would be impossible to see even your hand in front of your face. Without a light source, early cave explorers, spelunkers, would have been lost or even injured or killed because they couldn’t see the dangers that lie along the pathway. Ask: What are some things that might be dangerous inside a cave? (Rocks, holes, water, stalactites, animals, etc.)
Demonstrate the necessity of light by blindfolding one of the students and asking him to walk from one side of the room to the other without bumping into anything. (Make sure there are some obstacles in their pathway, but don’t allow them to stumble or get hurt.)
Our Light Source - Have someone read Proverbs 4:19. Those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior are missing a different kind of light. Read John 1:9. Ask: What is the light referred to in this passage? Peter says that “He brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9 NIrV). So, being without Christ in your lives is like walking through life with a blindfold on – bumping into things and not being aware of the dangers. But, when Christ comes in, you no longer walk in darkness. You have a Friend who lights your pathway. He will be with you and help you through the dangers and difficulties.
Our Power Source - A lamp or light bulb must be plugged into a power source – electricity. It will not shine if there is no power. Explain the purpose of God’s Holy Spirit (John 1:4-8). The Holy Spirit is the power source for Christians. Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit carries the responsibility to be a witness and light. It enables us to shine as a witness for God. Be sure you are plugged in!
People are Watching - Everything you do has an impact on others. Ask: What will people think if they hear you using bad language – will they think you are a Christian? What if someone sees you steal something – will they think you love God? But, if they see your attitude is kind, forgiving and loving what will your example be? The first place to begin to let your light shine is to clean up your act! Ask, “What would Jesus do?”
Are You Salty? - Salt adds flavor to food. It also preserves it. Long ago, salt was very expensive. It was sometimes used in place of money to buy things. It was precious. Allow each student to taste the mashed potatoes to which no seasoning has been added. Ask for their reactions. (Not much taste! Yuck! No thanks!) Jesus wants you to be like salt – to add flavor and preserve the world around you. Your kind actions will be like salt in the mashed potatoes. Ask: What else can you do to add flavor to this world?
How To Be Salt and Light - How can you be an example or a witness? You don’t need to push your way into a situation. Your kind and loving actions will lead people to ask questions. When you keep the Feast people will want to know why. You will have the opportunity to tell them you are obeying God’s commands. When you invite someone to Sabbath School you are being a witness. Ask: What other things can you do to be a witness?
Prism - Hold a prism up to a window and let the light shine through, creating a rainbow on the wall. The light coming into the prism is refracted, or bent at different angles. As it exits the prism shows up in the colors of a rainbow. As the light of Jesus shines through our lives, it will reflect in different ways, too. Being kind may come easier to some than to others. Talking to friends about Jesus may be hard for you, but you may be able to send an encouraging card to someone who is sick. Jesus’ light will have different results in others’ lives, too.
God has given you a very important job to do! “Let your light shine before men.” Flavor the world with your kindness and light it up with your good deeds. Plug into the Power Source!
Review Questions
Questions are scattered throughout the lesson. If you desire, these can be asked again as a review.
Teacher-Directed Activity
Give each child a cup in which a wick has been inserted in a small amount of wax. Allow them to put ice into the cup. (Different sized cubes will have different results.) Caution: Carefully pour hot wax into each cup. The ice will melt as the wax cools and hardens, forming a candle that resembles Swiss cheese. Pour off the water. The candle will be a reminder that they are to be a light to those around them.
REACH Activity
Word Study: Phos (foce)
Matthew 5:14 starts with “You are the light of the world. . .” This word “light” comes from the Greek word “phos,” which comes from an obsolete Greek word “phao,” which means to shine or to make manifest, especially by rays. It is luminousness in the widest application! It can be natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative.
* Word Study notes are taken from Spiros Zodhiates’ Hebrew-Greek KJV Key Word Study Bible and Lexicon.
Did You Know?
In Jesus’ day, people used small clay lamps that burned olive oil drawn up by a wick. The common New Testament mention of lamps is in connection with their household usage. Because they gave off only modest light, they were strategically positioned for maximum benefit. Such lamps were generally placed on a “lampstand,” often a niche built into the wall. Since such lamps contained only a few spoonfuls of oil, a reserve supply would have been a necessity. (Source: NIV Archaeological Study Bible, p. 1565.)
Music Notes: Let The Lower Lights Be Burning
This hymn is found on page 142 of the CEM Hymnal. The words and music were written by Phillip P. Bliss. The lower lights surrounding a lighthouse guide boats in the harbor away from the treacherous rocks and into the channel. Phillip Bliss was inspired by this analogy as he listened to D. L. Moody talking about a pilot during a storm.
“Brethren, the Master will take care of the great lighthouse. Let us keep the lower lights burning,” Moody said. Bliss immediately put this challenging thought into a hymn. Amazingly, he often completed the words and music to a hymn in one sitting!
Bliss first met Moody in Chicago in 1869 and soon joined him and his music associate, Ira Sankey, in their evangelistic campaigns. Bliss composed many gospel hymns before he died in 1876. Among Bliss’ hymns are “Jesus Loves Even Me,” “Hallelujah! What a Savior!” and “Wonderful Words of Life.” (Source: Amazing Grace, Osbeck, K., p. 95.)
Journal Jot
You may be able to shine God’s light to someone, much like a lighthouse keeps a pilot from crashing on the rocks. Or you may be a small household lamp, which has just a little light. Both are necessary. Both are important. Every day people watch you to see what light you are shining. Do you bring glory and honor to God? Or do your actions reflect badly on the name “Christian”? Write a prayer to God about this—either asking for forgiveness for not shining brightly, or asking for wisdom and courage to shine for His glory.
Back to the Bible
It is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine that in the days before Jesus Christ was born that a lighthouse stood approximately 377-492 feet above the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. In fact, this building, Pharos of Alexandria, was designed by Sostratus of Cnidus and built between 285-247 BC on the island of Pharos in Alexandria. It was identified as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by Antipater of Sidon. Originally the building was used as a marker or navigational landmark for ships, but around the first century AD began its use as a lighthouse. To produce light, it required fire and reflective mirrors. Someone had to make a commitment to keep the light burning in those days. (Source: en.wikipedia.org.)
Remember that your light will bring people towards you. Even today, keeping a light burning can be a matter of life and death.
In your Bible notebook write the answers to the following questions. Use any Bible reference books.
1. During the reign of which kingdom or empire was Pharos built?
2. Compare the name “pharos” with the Word Study: phos.
3. How were mirrors made in biblical days?
4. What materials were used to build or make a fire in biblical days?
Just Toolin’ Around
In your Bible notebook draw a map of Egypt and label Alexandria. Use Bible reference books to find out more about historical and present-day Alexandria and write it in your Bible notebook, too.
Stretch It Out
Research the Pharos Lighthouse. Using materials of your choice, construct a model of the lighthouse and present it to your family or Sabbath School class.
Questions?
Remember to write any questions that you have in your journal. That way you will remember to ask your parents, teacher, or minister.
Song
“Jesus Bids Us Shine” is on page 37 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead in prayer, thanking God for sending His Son and giving us the Light of the world. Ask for God’s guidance in being light and salt in our everyday lives.
Printable Pages
