8. The Makings Of A Hero
Aim
To teach young people that God does not see people as today’s world does. To show the difference between being famous and being a hero- that fame and fortune does not equal greatness. In fact, standing up for justice, having courage and living for Jesus is what defines greatness.
Preparation
Bible, white board and markers, ball of string, name tags, slideshow from www.ijmuk.org under the Youth Resources link
Main Bulk of Meeting
Heroes Today
Begin by playing the game “Who’s Who?” (described below) Next show the first minute and 50 seconds of the clip from Michael Jackson’s memorial: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIOq0yW-97g&feature=related).
Explain: Michael Jackson was known and loved by millions of people throughout the entire world.
Ask: What made him such an icon? Next, show the youth pictures of some of the world’s most famous icons.
Have the students answer this series of questions as you scroll through each picture.
- What makes this person so famous?
- What message is being told from the products they create? (their songs, films, politics, etc)
- From the image they portray, what are some of their character traits?
- How does this person’s image make me feel? (Inspired? Proud? Embarrassed? Angry?)
- Do you think some people consider them a hero?
Next have the youth come up with heroes from the Bible. Write these names on the board and talk about why they could be considered heroes. After hearing the answers from the youth, have them think about these examples: A list of well known ‘heroes’ includes Esther, Gideon, and the Good Samaritan. A few lesser known examples include Stephen, who made it his goal to ensure the widows were taken care of (Acts 6:1-6), the valid mother of the baby standing before Solomon (1 Kings 3:16-27), and the boy who gave his fish and bread to Jesus (John 6:1-14).
Ask:
- What makes the list of well known ‘heroes’ so famous? Give a short explanation of each person and why they could be deemed heroic.
- Which qualities does the Bible ascribe to heroes? In groups look up these verses and read aloud:
- Luke 9:46-48 (the least is the greatest, humility- loving others first)
- Matthew 6:19-21 (don’t store up treasures on earth, living with eternal perspective, giving)
- Matthew 16:22-26 (giving life up to find true life, not living with selfish ambition)
- Matthew 20:26-28 (servant leadership, servant hearted)
Explain: Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of these, we have done it for Him. What He meant was that whatever we do for the poor, for the oppressed, for the sad and oppressed, it is like we have done it for Him. The world sees fortune, professional success, and physical appearance as what defines a hero. But Jesus looks at the heart. He sees those who are humble and raises them. He is not concerned with titles or educational status or money. Instead He is moved with love when He sees His people seeking justice, remembering the poor and noticing the widows. It is these people Jesus calls heroic.
Pray: Have the youth gather in small circles for a time of prayer. Ask the Lord to show you and your youth the ways in which you can live a more ‘heroic’ lifestyle. Is it simply spending time with the international student in your class who speaks only a little English? Is it giving your coat to the homeless person you pass on the street? Or maybe it’s making a commitment to only buy fair trade chocolate? Whatever it is, He will show you and give you the courage to be a real hero.
Hands On
Game: “Who’s Who”
The game's object is to guess what celebrity name is written on the sticker on your back. You ask other guests yes or no questions about your celebrity.
Purchase a pack of "Hello, my name is ____" sticker nametags and write the name of a popular, mainstream celebrity in the blank. Place the sticker on guest's back as they arrive. Don't let them see who is on their sticker but simply explain the rules of the game and set your guests free.
Give the group 15 minutes to find out which celebrity they have stuck on their back and encourage mingling by introducing groups of people to each other. The first person to guess their celebrity wins a prize. (check out www.ijmuk.org for cool t-shirts, books and DVDs!)
Game: Talents
Sit in a circle. One person starts by giving the string to someone else and saying a gift or talent that they see in that person, this continues from person to person (as it goes from each you stay holding on to the string) to eventually create a spiders web effect. Hopefully this will bring encouragement to everyone involved as well as making people aware of their giftings. Also the strength of the web represents the strength of different skills working together.
Story
See case study: 'Conviction secured against rapist in Bolivia'
Questions
- Who are the heroes of this story? (Luti, her parents, IJM lawyers, the social worker)
- What makes them heroic?
- Are they people most of the world would deem heroic?
- What does this story tell you about justice? (when you seek it, it’s found; even if it takes longer than desired.)
