The main thing is for the children to recognize that their differences make them special! Have them use their imagination to create something 'special!' Give each child a ball of playdough or clay. (Ex: Do you have blonde hair? Do you have brown eyes? Do you play baseball? Do you have two arms?) Activity 2 Activity 1Īs you call out various descriptions, children stand up and say 'I am Special!' if that describes them. God says we are special because we are made by Him. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.' In Ephesians 2:10, Paul says we are God's 'handiwork' or 'masterpiece.' 'I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made The Psalmist in Psalm 139 talks about how very special we are to God and how He sees us. We can't control what others may say about us or to us, but we can control how we let these affect us. In the book, Eli represents God while Punchinello represents us. Even if we say 'we were just joking,' our words can harm. We should think before we speak and consider how our words may affect others. What type things would you consider to be 'gray dots'? Let's think of things we could say that would 'build others up.' Our words should not be just empty compliments though they should be sincere. The Bible tells us we should use our words to build others up and encourage them.Įphesians 4:29 says - 'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.'

How does it feel when others criticize or make fun of us? How does it make us feel when others give us compliments? What did the gold star stickers represent? (compliments) What about the gray dot stickers? (criticism)

You are special by max lucado