W E E K 8

NOTHING
LESS THAN
GOD’S BEST
ESTIMATED TIME
1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

RESOURCES
›› Blank sheets of paper.
›› Several pairs of scissors.
›› Glue sticks or equivalent.
›› Different colored markers.
›› iPad/computer and projector.
›› Slides and video testimony (see extra material).
›› A good amount of paper of different colors, sizes and textures.
TEA CH ER S ’ G U ID E

42
 CONNECT 25 MINUTES

AIMS ›› Give each of the students in both groups a

blank piece of paper and ask them to write
›› To see ourselves as children of God.
down at least two positive characteristics they
have as either parents or sons and daughters.
OBJECTIVES These could be the characteristics that have
›› To distinguish which attributes are associated most marked them in their roles.
with parents and children.
›› Give the students just 5 minutes to write their
›› To understand that we have the right to be lists.
children of God because we have decided to
›› Bring the students back together and share a
believe in Jesus.
little of your own personal experience about
›› To memorize Romans 8:15. what it means to be a son or daughter. Also
speak about your experience as a parent
(if you are one) or mention what it is about
WELCOME your father or mother that has impacted you
10 MINUTES positively.

›› Allow the students to come in and sit down. ›› Connect the activity to this week’s theme,
explaining that we have all been called
›› Revise the most relevant points from last
children of God because we have decided to
week’s class (Your Decisions Define You). Ask
follow Jesus.
the students how they got on during the week
- you could review the various activities you
set them last week or you could simply give
them the opportunity to share their thoughts. ACTIVITY 2
10 MINUTES

›› Organize the students into groups of 4 or 5.

ACTIVITY 1 ›› Ask the groups to write a song, using Romans
5 MINUTES 8:15.
›› Invite those who are parents to move toward ›› Encourage them to take a video of their song
one side of the classroom. (Only use this on a cell phone. Then ask them to send you
L IF EC L AS S

activity if you are aware of the demographics the video.

of your class, and are sure it will work).
›› Choose the song you like the best and show it
›› Ask those who are not yet parents to stand at the end of the class. 43
on the other side.
 CONCEIVE
AIMS
›› To understand that God has accepted us and
adopted us as His children.
›› To overcome the barriers and arguments we
might face as we try to see ourselves as we
really are - as children of God; to feel that we
have the right to come close to Him, to know
Him and to ask Him for what we need.
OBJECTIVES
›› To identify the things that could stop us from
confidently coming to God to ask Him to
meet our needs.
›› To understand that God wants to bless us
and that His will is always good, pleasing and
perfect.
ACTIVITY 1
7 MINUTES
Show this week’s video testimony.
TEA CH ER S ’ G U ID E
44
30 MINUTES
ACTIVITY 2
20 MINUTES
Note: Prepare in prayer: ask the Lord to anoint
the lesson and enable you to share the message
in a real and relevant way. Use our suggested
points and add your own personal testimonies.
Remember not to spend more than 20 minutes
speaking.
›› Say a short prayer to begin.
›› Use the following outline and the student’s
book to explain this week’s message.
INTRODUCTION
Nothing Less Than God’s Best
›› Read Romans 8:15-17 aloud.
›› Just as a father adopts a child in the natural,
God adopts us as His children when we decide
to accept Jesus into our hearts. This makes us
heirs of His kingdom, His promises, and all the
blessings He has prepared for us.
›› Abba is the Aramaic word for Daddy. This is GOD’S WILL FOR HIS CHILDREN
the most affectionate term a child could use
to address their father.

TOPIC CONTENT
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK GOD

›› God has plans to prosper us and not to harm

us (Jeremiah 29:11) and His will is good,
pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2). We can
therefore trust that He wants to bless us and
prosper us in everything we do.
›› To be able to receive all His blessings, we need
›› Refer to the introductory video, emphasizing to learn how to behave as His children - to act
how Sara received her inheritance from her in accordance with the Spirit and not with the
father (an inheritance of faith and ministry) fleshly nature. (For more information, see day
and how she learned to be a daughter, and 45 in the student book).
more specifically TO ASK.
›› When we decide to follow Jesus, God fills
›› Share a personal testimony about how you
us with spiritual, intellectual and physical
have been able to conquer something you
strength. He perfects our weaknesses and
longed for through faith. The purpose of this
guides us to make right decisions so that we
teaching is to show the students that they
can become more than conquerors.
can have a direct and personal relationship
with their heavenly Father.

WHEN GOD WHEN GOD

adopts us, we receive adopts us, we become
His heart and His heirs of His riches and
character. privileges.

L IF EC L AS S

45
 CREATE 15 MINUTES
AIMS
›› To determine to change bad attitudes,
thoughts and actions whenever necessary.
›› To carefully evaluate each of our attitudes,
thoughts and actions before they take root,
according to the criteria we will explore in the
activity (good, pleasing and perfect).
OBJECTIVES
›› To identify what kinds of thoughts, attitudes
and actions we allow in our daily lives.
›› To understand that everything we do should
be good, pleasing and perfect, just like the
character and will of God.
ACTIVITY 1
10 MINUTES
›› Divide the students into groups of four.
›› Divide the colored sheets, scissors, markers
and glue sticks between the groups.
›› Ask the students to use the materials to create
a “scanner” that can analyze the thoughts,
attitudes and actions of the children of God.
›› The scanner should have three “gauges”: one
should measure how good a thought, attitude
or action of a child of God is; another should
TEA CH ER S ’ G U ID E
measure how pleasing these things are; and
the last should indicate if these are perfect in
the sight of God or not.
›› If any of these things (thoughts, attitudes or
46 actions) are not good, pleasing and perfect,
they do not come from God.
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
5 MINUTES
›› Encourage the students to go back over their
notes from today’s lesson.
›› Set them the challenge of reading their
student book every day and completing the
exercises.
›› Encourage them to think about which activity
they enjoy most as they read through the
book during the week so that they can share
their thoughts in the following class.
›› The students should declare in faith every
morning: “Thank You Father, because I will see
Your good, pleasing and perfect will fulfilled
in my life today.”
›› This week, the students should use the filter
of the Word of God to evaluate every one of
their words, thoughts, attitudes and actions.
Next session, they should briefly describe
how they got on.
PRAYER
5 MINUTES
Lead the students in prayer so that they can:
›› Seek the revelation of the Father’s heart.
›› Feel loved as children of God.
›› Act in accordance with the will of God (which
is good, pleasing and perfect).
Note: If necessary, take some extra time to
pray for your students and minister to them.
Be careful not to run over the allocated time of
each class.