Controversial Topics Racism

Apr 1, 2013 | Year 3

Controversial Topics

 Racism

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Goals

1. Educate students on the sinfulness of racism
2. Encourage students to commit to living a life of love and acceptance of all people

Topics

Compassion, Iniquity, Morals, Outreach, Prejudice, Worldliness

Scripture Memorization

Galatians 3:28

OPENING PRAYER (5 to 10 minutes)

GROUP BUILDING (5 minutes)

The Hot Button (Game) Click here

GETTING STARTED (10 minutes)

Racist Inclinations
• Everyone stand up
• Take a good look at yourself. I’m going to ask you to do certain things based on your personal appearance. Study hard and then listen up.
• If you are wearing pants (jeans, khakis, anything with two leg holes) go over against the wall. If you’re wearing a skirt, dress, etc., go over in the welcome area. You two groups will never meet again. You have to stay arms-length apart at all times from the other type of person no matter what I say from here on out.
• Alright, now, within those groups, listen up, f you have dark brown or black hair, go over by the double doors. Remember, if you have pants you can’t come within arms length of people with a skirt or dress and vice versa.
• Okay, if you have light brown or blond or red hair come up by the stage, but remember, you can’t get close to someone wearing something different on their legs. And from now on, you can’t get close to someone with a different hair color, either
• Okay, if you have pants on and dark brown hair and brown eyes, come to the middle of the floor here. The rest of you stay where you are, but don’t go near someone with a skirt if you have pants or pants if you have a skirt.
• Continue making separations until people are pretty well spread out.
• Okay, last one, if you are a Christian, a believer in Christ, then you can go have a seat, but you cannot get close to anyone unless they fit your profile. Go ahead and grab a seat

The Point: If there is any inclination in your heart of racism, you need to realize that you are splitting up the body of Christ

 

DIGGING IN (30 minutes)

Discussion Questions:
1. How many people did you end up being able to be close to?
2. Each time a quality was listed and you had to subdivide more, how did you feel?
3. How is that like what goes on everyday at school and church and in society in general?
4. Do you feel like the church is in anyway discriminating against a certain group of people?

Okay, guys, we’re going to get down to it here. But before we dig in more, let me say some things…
• racism is not just a black and white issue
• racism is like an infection, you don’t know it’s there until it’s too late
• racism is expressly forbidden in Scripture for all Christians

Have some students read each Scripture and, after they are read, ask the accompanying questions.


Read Galatians 3:26-29
Jews and Gentiles were different races. Gentiles were looked down by Jews simply because they weren’t Jews. When the church began, a lot of Jews converted. When the Gentiles heard the gospel and started converting, it caused great division in the church.

Discussion Questions:
1. What does this passage say about racism?
2. Do you see this type of behaviour in the church today?
Read Acts 10:27-35

Discussion Questions:
1. How is the church hurt when people show favoritism based on race?
2. Have you ever seen or experienced this hurt personally?
Read Romans 10:11-13

Discussion Questions:
1. What does it say is the difference between Jew and Gentile?
2. This passage is about salvation, but racism comes up. How can racism be an obstacle in regards to salvation?

MAKING IT REAL (10 minutes)

Discussion Questions:
1. How is what we’ve studied today like modern-day racism? How is it different?
2. How many feel like racism is something you deal with often? On what level? Where?
3. What should we as Christians do about it?

As Christians, we should be color blind, because Christ is the Savior of all. To live with hate or show favoritism based on ethnicity is simply wrong, it is a sin, and you need to think about your life and how it intersects with this whole idea.

Let’s read Galatians 3:28 again. We need to commit this one to memory. We’re not separated by race here. We are one, regardless of ethnicity.

Let’s pray that God will help us understand and live out this difficult truth.