Change: Pursuing the Better (Grade 9 – June)

Lesson name: "Here you go?! – The child grows and changes".
General aim: Pursuit of what is better; mastering personal change.
Core Bible verses guiding the session:
- Romans 12 : 2 – “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind …”.
- John 10 : 10 – “I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.”
Additional scriptural passages used during the lesson: Romans 12; James 1 : 18; Acts 29 : 8; Acts 23 : 7.
Main teaching pillars announced in the outline:
• Meaning of change
• Steps toward change
• Biblical / historical characters who changed
• Witness from Church history

Activity 1 – “Write your name with both hands”
• Each student writes their name three times with the dominant (right) hand, then 3× with the non-dominant (left) hand.
• Expected reaction: surprise and difficulty.
• Repetition: do the left-hand sequence two additional times, noticing that the task becomes easier and neater.
• Key takeaway: change initially feels awkward but repetition (self-discipline) makes new behaviour natural and even superior.
Activity 2 – “Good & bad traits cards”
• Every student receives six blank cards.
– On three separate cards they write one negative trait each (e.g., lying, laziness, swearing, jealousy, violence).
– Throw those cards into a “bad-traits box”.
• On three more cards they write positive traits (e.g., love, peace, service, joy) and place them in a “good-traits box”.
• Leader draws random cards from each box, reads them aloud, and moderates discussion:
– What do we need to KEEP a good trait alive?
– How can we REMOVE a bad trait?
Activity 3 – “Clay (play-dough) transformation”
• Distribute dark-coloured modelling clay.
• Invite students to shape anything they can imagine; moulds are allowed.
• Optional competition: fastest sculptor, or most beautiful figure.
• Discussion prompts:
– "What did the clay look like before?"
– "What value does it have after shaping?"
• Lesson: change turns something seemingly useless into something meaningful; same logic applies to people.

Everyday illustration: newspaper headline about the Egyptian 25-January Revolution labelled as “a revolution of change”. Students brainstorm what “change” meant in that context (e.g., ending injustice, fixing economy, renewing society).
Modern political example: Barack Obama’s presidential campaign built on the word “Change”.
• Slogan: “Yes we can!”
• Utilised social media (approx. 700 000 Facebook supporters & 129 000 mobile contacts) to mobilise youth.
• Distinction drawn: Obama’s change = temporal, socio-economic.
– True Christian change = deeper, eternal, both present & everlasting.
Corporate fable – “The person hindering your progress has died”:
• Employees invited to view the deceased; inside the coffin is a mirror.
• Moral: the only person who can block your growth is YOU.
Summarised definitions gathered from discussion:
• Change = moving from one state to a distinctly different one.
• Replacing a negative habit/trait by a positive alternative.
• Management science: “introducing an improvement so the person performs better toward goals”.
• Christian theology: putting off the “old man”, renewing mind & heart (Greek metanoia = change + mind); true repentance is an intellectual decision about the danger of separation from God.

(The manual numbers the steps 1, 2, 3, 5; step 4 is presumably merged into others.)

Change originates in the heart (Proverbs 4 : 23).
Out of the heart proceed actions & words (Matthew 15 : 18-20; 12 : 34-37).
Anchor verse of capability: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4 : 13).
God’s faithfulness in temptation (1 Corinthians 10 : 13) – always a “way of escape”.
Warning: Satan whispers “you cannot change” or “it is too late”, implicitly denying God’s power.
Remedy: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37 : 5-6).
Other supporting promises:
• Ephesians 6 : 10 – Be strong in the Lord.
• Ephesians 3 : 20-21 – God can do exceedingly abundantly.
• 2 Corinthians 9 : 8 – God able to make all grace abound.

Joshua 1 : 8 – Constant meditation ensures success.
Psalm 1 : 2-3 – Delighting in the Law makes one a fruitful tree.
Psalm 119 : 11 – Hiding the word prevents sinning.
Deuteronomy 6 : 6-9 – Command to recite, teach, bind Scripture.
Jesus under temptation (Matthew 4): victory by quoting Scripture.
Practical advice: memorize verses on God’s love, help, and on people who experienced transformation.

Illustration drawn from left-hand writing exercise: repetition breeds naturalness.

Classroom workshop:
• Students split into teams; each team drafts a plan for building a house.
• Required sub-teams: construction crew, procurement unit, hospitality/logistics, etc.
• Purpose: highlight logical, step-wise, scientific thinking even for personal change.
Parallel to real life:
• No building starts without feasibility study and time plan.
• Similarly, personal growth needs clear milestones, deadlines, resources, accountability.
Spiritual parallel: sin → repentance; plan should include confession, spiritual habits, accountability partner, measurable goals.

Though not enumerated in the current excerpt, the outline promised examples from Scripture & church history; facilitator expected to supply stories such as:
• Saul → Paul (Acts 9)
• Zacchaeus (Luke 19)
• St. Augustine, St. Moses the Black, etc.

Human freedom & responsibility: You alone decide to remove self-imposed limits.
Divine grace & human cooperation: synergy between God’s enabling power and personal discipline.
Social ripple effect: personal change catalyses family, church, and national renewal (echoing revolution & Obama examples).

Obama campaign digital reach: $700\,000$ Facebook supporters and $129\,000$ mobile subscribers used as case study.

Builds on earlier lessons about repentance, virtues, and disciplines (Grade 9 catechetical programme, June unit).
Reinforces foundational principle: sanctification is lifelong and intentional.