Bible Reference:
“Be ye angry, and sin not:” let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” Eph. 4:26, KJV
Printable Bible Verse Cards
Print out the cards onto card stock, write the Bible verse on the cards and make copies.
KJV Cards Pattern or NIV Cards Pattern
The children can also make file boxes for their cards.
Teaching Concept:
In this lesson, children learn that anger is an emotion that everyone experiences. It is not a sin to be angry, but it is a sin to use your anger to hurt others, yourself, or to destroy things.
Early Arrivals Activity
1. Mad Monsters Bible Verse Coloring Sheet
1. Before class print out the coloring sheets and make copies.
2. In class, give your children coloring sheets and crayons or colored pencils. As they work, ask them why they think the mad monsters are angry. Ask your students if they ever get mad and why they might get mad.
If you don’t have a lot of students, you can use the black and white Mad Monster Posters below. Have your children color them and then use them during the lesson.
2. Make a Mad-O-Meter
What you will need:
Card Stock (Heavy Paper)
Brass Brads
Hole Punch
Preparation:
1. Before class print out the pattern onto card stock (Heavy Paper).
Color Pattern – KJV Pattern or NIV Pattern
Black and White Pattern – KJV Pattern or NIV Pattern
2. Cut pointers from another piece of card stock and punch holes at the ends.
3. In class have your children color the Mad-O-Meters.
4. Punch a hole in the center of the Mad-O-Meters and attach the pointers with brass brads.
5. Instruct your children to take the Mad-O-Meters home and use them when they get angry to help them remember not to sin when they are angry. Tell them to try to find solutions to their problems before the meter reaches Mega Mad.
3. Growing Mad Monster Craft
Children use this Growing Mad Monster to help them control their anger before it controls them.
What you will need:
Plaster Container or Can – The container pictured is a red Hills Brother’s Cappuccino container.
Red Paint (Optional) and Red Paper
Large Wiggle Eyes
Liquid Chalk Markers or Permanent Markers
Glue and/or Tape
Scissors
Fast Growing Seeds Such as Beans, Sprouting Seeds, Clover, Grass, etc.
Soil
How to Make:
1. Before class print out the arm patterns onto red paper or card stock and cut them out.
If you are using a can or other container, you can tape red paper onto the can or spray paint them red before class. Or just leave them their original color. Use paper that matches the container color for the arms.
2. Print out the back labels and cut them apart.
The labels read, “If you feel like your mad monster is beginning to control you, take charge before it does. Use this Growing Mad Monster to redirect your anger by styling its hair. Once you have calmed down talk about why you were angry and try to resolve the conflict in a calm manner.
3. In class have your children draw a mad face on the container using the chalk markers or permanent markers, glue on wiggle eyes, and tape the arms to the sides of the container.
4. When they are done have them fill the container with dirt and add seeds or a plant.
5. Instruct them to take the Growing Mad Monster home and use it when they feel like they might lose control of their anger.
4 . Other Words for Anger (Older Children)
As your children arrive have them help each other think of words or phrases that describe an angry person or synonyms for anger such as: bent, boiling, crazed, demented, fierce, frenetic, frenzied, fuming, incensed, inflamed, infuriated, furious, irate, livid, mad, rabid, raging, enraged, riled, smoking mad, steamed, upset, vehement, violent, wrathful, bent out of shape, hot-headed, provoked, out of control.
There are many idioms that relate to anger: Blood boiling mad, ruffled feathers, fly off the handle, foaming at the mouth, knickers in a twist, going off the deep end, going through the roof, hot under the collar, kick yourself, steamed up, seeing red, rant and rave, short fuse, about to explode, blow a fuse, blow your top, up in arms and seeing red.
You can also ask your students if they can figure out what the idioms are describing. Read one idiom and let your children guess, then read another, keep reading one idiom at a time until someone answers correctly. Talk about the idioms. Ask your students why they think the idiom is used to describe someone who is angry.
5. Mad Monster Posters
Print these posters before class and use them with the lesson.
Colored Posters:
It’s Not Fair Fergus, Hungry Hank, “I Don’t Wanna” Walter, Owie Howie, Frustrated Fred, Gimme Jimmy, and Jealous Jill.
Black & White Posters:
It’s Not Fair Fergus, Hungry Hank, “I Don’t Wanna” Walter, Owie Howie, Frustrated Fred, Gimme Jimmy, and Jealous Jill.
The Lesson
What does an angry person look like? (Have your children pose as an angry person. A child may pretend to be: shouting, pointing his finger, clenching his teeth, making his hands into fists, stomping his feet, tensing up, yelling, crying, kicking something, hitting something, rolling on the floor, frowning or punching.)
Is it a sin to be angry? (Let your children respond without giving your opinion.)
No, it isn’t a sin to be angry or mad. Did you know that even Jesus got mad? (Open your Bible and read Matthew 21:12-13)
One day as Jesus entered the temple of God he saw something that made him very angry. The people there were selling animals at high prices so that others could sacrifice them to God. They were more concerned about making money than worshipping God. Jesus was so angry at these people that he overturned all their tables and chairs. He said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
Jesus was angry and he did something about it. Being angry is not a sin, but if you use your anger to hurt someone, yourself, or destroy something, you are sinning. Jesus was angry, but he didn’t sin. He stopped the men who were doing wrong, but he didn’t sin doing it. He didn’t yell or say bad words. He didn’t hurt anyone, and he didn’t complain and pout about it.
Paul wrote, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry”. He didn’t say, “Do not get angry!” He said, “When you are angry, do not sin.” It is okay to be angry. Anger is an emotion or feeling like happiness, sadness, and excitement. Anger tells you something is wrong. You need to deal with whatever is making you angry. Anger can be very hard to control. Sometimes it is like a monster taking over your body. But you can learn to control your feelings and use your anger to make things better.
Let’s take a look at some of the mad monsters that can take over your life if you let them get out of control. (Read the descriptions on each poster and then use the discussions below.
1. Jealous Jill
1. Everyone has feelings of jealousy because we all like to get attention and feel like we are good at something. You may get angry at yourself because you aren’t as smart, talented, or pretty as someone else, but God doesn’t want you to feel this way. When you realize that God created you just the way he wanted you to be, and he has a special plan for you, you can stop being jealous and mad.
2. Control It! If you have a hard time controlling jealousy here are some things you can do:
3. Write ten good things about yourself.
4. Realize God loves you the way you are and has a special plan for you. Realize that your parents love you very much even if they can’t give you all the attention.
5. Do something good to help someone else and you will feel better about yourself.
6. Talk to your parents if you feel jealous of your brothers or sisters. Tell them how you feel and let them know if they can do anything to help.
7. Read Psalm 139:14, Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10
2. “I Don’t Wanna!” Walter
Have you ever said, “I don’t wanna!”? It seems like parents, teachers, and other adults have so many rules and demands: go to bed, take a bath, do your homework, be quiet, don’t pick on your brother, wash your hands, do your chores, walk the dog, feed the dog. Most of these things aren’t very fun but have to be done. So how do we stop from saying or feeling like we don’t want to do what we are asked to do?
1. Understand that your parents and other adults make rules to keep you safe and healthy.
2. Understand that if you do what you are told to do the first time and do it quickly, you will have more time to do what you want.
3. Talk to your parents about your feelings. Read Eph. 6:1-3.
3. Owie Howie
1. Control it!
2. Use a substitute word or words. Jesus told us not to use swearing or cursing words to demean another person.
3. Read the following verses – Matthew 5:21-22 Luke 6:27-28, Ephesians 4:29-30, and Matthew 15:10, Philippians 4:8-9.
4. Gimme Jimmy
1. Control it!
2. Understand that it is not good to get everything you want, and things do not make you happy.
3. Everything is not good for you. Too many sweets make you overweight and unhealthy. If you really want something you can’t have, instead of whining and complaining, try to find a way to earn money to buy it.
4. Read the following verses: Proverbs 28:25, Hebrews 13:5, and Matthew 6:33
5. Hungry Hank
1. Control it!
2. Eat a light snack.
3. Get up and move around a little. Make sure you eat a good meal instead of junk food.
6. It’s Not Fair! Fergus
1. Control it!
2. Talk to your parents or adult about your feelings.
3. Know that God is in control even when things seem out of control.
4. Find out some things you can do to make this world better. Spread a little happiness.
5. Instead of worrying about yourself find someone you can help. It will make you feel better about yourself.
6. Learn to laugh at yourself because no one is perfect. Concentrate on what is good about you.
7. Read the following verses: Romans 8:28, Joshua 1:9, Matthew 6:34, Isaiah 41:10, and Philippians 4:6.
7. Frustrated Fred
1. Control it!
2 Take a break when you start to feel frustrated.
3. Do something else for a while and then come back and try again.
4. Ask for help after you have given your best. Ask yourself if you can do it another way. Try to come up with a better way of doing what you are doing.
5. Avoid the frustrating situation.
6. Find something safe to take out your frustration.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us to follow Jesus’ example when he was angry. Help us to use our anger in a positive way. Help us not to do bad things when we are angry. Forgive us when we lose control. Help us to forgive others when they get angry and say mean things to us. Amen
Activities
1. Sing “If You’re Angry and You Know It.”
http://www.songsforteaching.com/jackhartmann/ifyoureangryandyouknowit.htm
2. Play Mad Monster Game
Before class print out the Mad Monsters Game.
Directions are included in the printout.
3. Eph 4:26 Bible Verse Activity Sheet
Children try to guess the letters that spell out the Bible verse before the sun goes down. Each time they guess a letter that isn’t used in the verse, the sun strip is moved down one space. If the sun goes down before they finish the complete sentence, they lose.
1. Print out the activity sheets and the sun strips. Print out two activity sheets for every one sun strip page.
2. Cut the sun strips apart.
3. In class put your children into groups of two and hand out one of the activity sheets and one sun strip to each group.
4. Tell your groups to pick one child to be the guesser and one to be the person who writes the letters that are guessed.
5. When the guesser has guessed all the words, tell your children that they should look up the verse in their Bibles to confirm that the Bible verse is correct, and to read the rest of the verse to answer the question at the bottom of the activity sheet.
4. Fanfolded Bible Verse Review and Craft
What you will need:
White Paper
Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils
Scissors
Ruler
How to Make:
1. Before class print out the patterns and make copies
2. Cut around the edge of the patterns.
3. Use a scoring tool and ruler to score the dotted lines on the pattern to make it easier to fold. If you don’t have a scoring tool, you can just use something with a thin blunt edge such as a dinner knife.
4. In class have your children fanfold the patterns starting by folding the bottom or top edge back and then folding in the opposite directions each time they fold on a dotted line.
Copyright
Copyright © 2015, Digital by Design, Inc.
Danielle’s Place of Crafts and Activities
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information or storage retrieval system, except for local church or school use only. This copyright notice must be included in all copies. Requests for permission to copy this material for any other uses should be addressed to Carolyn Warvel, 588 Duran Street, Henderson, NV 89015 or e-mail me at