To Remember: We all have different jobs, and together we do them all

Vocabulary

• member: part of a group, one of many

Lesson

1 Corinthians 12:14-18 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the   body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God has arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

When a band plays, does everyone play the same instrument? No. Different people play different instruments as well as different notes at different times to create a beautiful song. The children of God are like a band. We all have different parts to play in order to accomplish our goal. Nobody here plays a solo.

Paul compared the church to a body. If you had feet but no hands, would you have a whole body? No. Could your feet say they don't need your hands? No. How would you wash them or tie your shoelaces? But your hands aren't better than your feet. Your hands can't get anywhere unless your feet take them there. They need each other to be a fully functioning body.

The church is like a body. Not all the people do the same thing, but all are necessary. If one person refuses to do their part, it hurts the whole body. We all have a part to play that contributes to the work God wants us all to accomplish together. 

Discussion: 1) List various abilities we have and things we can accomplish, 2) identify roles that various people in the church fill. Have students think which roles their talents may lead them to fill in the future.

Craft: Make a homemade band. Give each student something different to play. Have them show that each piece is different, but still part of the band. Possible instruments include: spoons, two sticks to tap together, a drum made from a cool whip type bowl, a bottle to blow over, a play flute or recorder, anything that makes noise. For older kids, have them make their own.

Sing:I want to be a worker for the Lord

True or False

1. We all have a job to do.             T

2. We don't need anyone else.             F

3. We should care about each other's problems.               T

4. Some church members are more important than others.               F

Activity: Three legged obstacle course (or some other activity where students have to work together to accomplish a task.)

Memory Work:

I Corinthians 12:26 "If one member suffers, all suffer with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it."

I Corinthians 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it."

Review Questions for gameboard

 linguistic questions

1. Recite memory verse.

2. What is a member?

3. Make three words from the word "talent".

  activity questions

1. Have students do something with one hand: like tie their shoe, tie a bow or braid their hair.

2. If a body was made all of arms, what would it not be able to do? use illustration

3. Assemble a small puzzle without the picture showing.

  emotion questions

1. How do you feel when others look down on you?

2. How do you feel when you've accomplished something?

3. How should you feel when a fellow member is happy?

application questions

1. Should we treat any church member as better than others?

2. Name two jobs you have now in the body of Christ.

3. Are we each expected to do everything?

fact questions

1. What is the body of Christ?

2. What kinds of roles (jobs) are in the church?

3. What parts of your body are affected when you have a cold? (discuss how illness in one member affects the others)

review questions

1. Who is the head of the body?

2. Can we be a "church" all by ourselves?

3. Name something the apostles did that Jesus didn't do. (baptized others, traveled beyond Palestine, wrote letters)