Time
10 minutes
Description
This object lesson helps children understand that it’s not the outside that is most important; it’s the inside. God looks at their heart and sees the best in them.
Materials
- Several uncut fruits that are ugly on the outside. (Some fruits that would work would be: ugli fruit, rambuttan, dragon fruit, passion fruit, jackfruit, durian.)
- Several of the same fruits cut for you to taste
- Enough pieces of the cut fruits for all the kids to have a piece
- If you can’t find a fruit ugly enough, feel free to use the slide show I prepared for this lesson. (It’s on the Lesson and Material Downloads page.) It has my daughter trying a piece of rambuttan, a fruit common in south and southeast Asia. (It’s quite tasty and makes a nice piece of perishable jewelry, as you’ll see in the slideshow.)
Preparation
- Cut up fruit – have pieces available for you and pieces available for all the kids.
- Practice script.
Procedure
Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):
- (Hold up one of the ugly fruits and say…) ”Anyone interested in eating something like this?”
- “Looks pretty nasty, doesn’t it?”
- “Okay, so it’s not the prettiest fruit out there, but have you ever tasted it?” (Eat a piece.)
- “Mmmmmm…. That’s really sweet!”
- “I bet some of you would like a piece, huh?” (Have someone pass out fruit pieces.)
- “Now, how can something that’s so good on the inside be so ugly on the outside?”
- “I think there is a lesson for us here.”
- “Just because something – or someone – isn’t beautiful on the outside doesn’t mean they can’t be wonderful on the inside.”
- “It’s hard to see inside someone, isn’t it?”
- “But you know who can always see the wonderful things inside us?” (Listen for responses.)
- “Right, Jesus!”
- “He sees the best in you!”
- “So even if some people have told you that you are an ‘ugly fruit,’ remember that Jesus can always see what’s good inside of you!”
- “It’s ‘Rhyme Time! Here’s our rhyme for today’s lesson:” (Post this on a poster or project it using an overhead or LCD projector, and have the kids repeat it after you several times to reinforce the lesson.)
He loves me like I am today
And sees what others cannot see.
While others only see my faults,
Jesus sees the best in me!
Teach Them 