WELCOME TO LESSON 4: GOD’S LAWS KEEP US SAFE
‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us that life was created for happiness, not for sorrow, for pleasure, not for grief. It is through following God’s loving guidance and living according to His teachings that we find true happiness – a happiness that will last forever.
O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord
MEANING OF WORDS
- Unite = bring together
- Commandments = binding instructions
- Endeavor = undertaking
- Service = The act of following God’s law
How do laws:
- Keep us safe?
- Keep people happy
- Keep us content?
What are some of the laws you know?
What would happen if you break that law?
‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us that life was created for happiness, not for sorrow, for pleasure, not for grief. It is through following God’s loving guidance and living according to His teachings that we find true happiness – a happiness that will last forever.
Would Anyone Like To Say A Prayer?
Send A Postcard
All of humanity has been created out of God’s love for His creation, and we are constantly nurtured and protected by His love. If for even a moment we did not receive the blessings of God, we would be lost. God’s love is like a fortress. A fortress is a mighty building with strong, thick walls that nothing can break through. When we are inside a fortress, we are safe from harm. Protected and nurtured in the fortress of the love of God, we try our best to do what is pleasing to Him and allow our hearts to be filled with the sweetness of His love.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us that life was created for happiness, not for sorrow, for pleasure, not for grief. It is through following God’s guidance and living according to His teachings that we find true happiness, a happiness that will last forever. Otherwise, we will assuredly be weighed down by sorrow and trouble. One of the ways we know what God wants of us is by looking to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s example, for He reflects perfectly all of God’s teachings. To help us remember that it is God’s love that always keeps us safe and happy, let us memorize the following quotation of Bahá’u’lláh:
O Son of Being! My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish
Bahá’u’lláh
MEANING OF WORDS
- To protect themselves from their enemies, the people built a large wall around the town. The town was made into a stronghold.
- The farmer put his chickens in a coop to keep them safe from the foxes. The coop served as a stronghold for the chickens.
Safe and Secure
- The sheep got lost in the brush, and Marie had to find them so that the wild dogs would not get them. Now the sheep are back in the corral, safe and secure.
- Billy got separated from his mother in the marketplace. He was afraid when he saw he was alone. But then he spotted her through the crowd and ran over to her. He was glad to be back with his mother, safe and secure.
Perish
- The village had seen little rain for many months, and everyone feared that the crops would perish without water.
- After leaves fall off a tree, they gradually crumble and disappear into the soil. The leaves perish.
AIDS FOR MEMORIZATION
“Rely Upon God” by Sabria, Efe, Rafael & Maarten
My Love Is My Stronghold Sung By Yosi Mesbah
THE WISE MINISTER
This is a story about a king and a minister which will help us to remember that, surrounded by the love of God and grateful for
His protection, we always want to do what is pleasing to Him.
The king tells his minister that he heard that cabbage is bad for you,
to which the minister replies, he’ll immediately tell the cook to not serve it anymore.
A short while later, the king eats some cabbage and finds it most pleasing, telling his minister so.
The minister immediately says he’ll inform the cook to cook it often now.
The kings asks him what he’ll tell the cooks when they ask why he changed his mind about cabbage?
Minister: “I will tell the cook that I am the servant of the king, not the servant of the cabbage. What is pleasing in Your sight is pleasing in mine.”
By carrying out the following activities with the children, you can encourage them in their efforts to develop skills and abilities related to creative drama:
Begin by asking your students to stand in their imaginary squares. Once they are in position, have them each walk along the border of his or her own square, as they have done before. Now have the children do the stretching exercise described in Lesson 2.
For this next exercise, the children will work outside their imaginary squares.
Explain to them that they are to walk around randomly, as they did in the last class. This time, however, they should make broad sweeping motions with their arms and large flowing movements, high and low, with their bodies. They should move freely, but be careful not to bump into one another.
When you say “Freeze”, they should instantly stand still in whatever position they find themselves. Then you will ask one of them, “What are you doing?” The child should think about the position in which he or she is frozen and give an answer that corresponds to the position, for example, “I’m painting a fence,” or “I’m picking apples.”
Repeat this exercise several times, making sure every child is given at least one opportunity to say what he or she is doing.
The above exercise, like the one in the preceding lesson, will have given the youngsters experience in moving around together in a large space. The next exercise is intended to build on some of the concepts presented in today’s lesson.
Think of several simple scenarios, each of which involves two or three children, for example one child falls down while two others are passing by. Have the children enact the scenario up to that point and then say “Freeze”. Then tell the children to end the scene in a way that they think would be pleasing to God.
Drama
Enact the lesson’s story of the ‘King and his minister’
THE PEACE HOUSE: AUSTRALIAN PEACE PACK
Based on the Quote “O Son of Being! My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish” create a stronghold
Make a 3d paper castle/fortress and attach the quote to the castle.
ITEMS FOR SIMPLE LAPBOOK OUTSIDE
This folder will be used for lessons 4 to 6.
Front of lapbook:
NAME, LESSON GRADE, ETC DOWNLOAD HERE
Based on God’s Laws keep us safe: This translates into safe = stronghold = castle. The castle opens up and other things like the prayer etc was stuck inside.
Castle to print and cut out here
INSIDE
PRAYER: MEMORIZATION FLASHCARDS WITH POCKET
QUOTE:
CASTLE/ STRONGHOLD WITH QUOTE UNDER DRAWBRIDGE This can be used as a lapbook on its own or attache to the inside center portion and white information inside.
Quotes based on love and humility
Bahá’u’lláh
“O Friend! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love . . .”
Bahá’u’lláh
“O Son of Man! Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously visit thee.”
