Sermon on the Mount:

Doing Good Privately/Let Your Yea be Yea

To Remember: We don't serve God to show off; we do what we say

Vocabulary

• Privately: secretly, with no one watching

Lesson - Matt 5:33-37; Matt 6:1-4, 16-18

Why do we do things that are good? (discuss: to please God, because it is right, to make
others happy) Is it possible to do a good thing in a bad way? Yes, it is. Sometimes people
do good things just to gain popularity or to look good in front of others. Has anyone ever
seen someone do that in school - helped the teacher only to look important in front of
their friends? Jesus said that if we that, we will not be pleasing to God. We must not be
good just to show off. Jesus said that if we do good and no one knows about it, God will
reward us Himself. Isn't it better to please God than to please men?

So how does one do good secretly? You can do a chore without announcing to everyone
that you did it. You can send an unsigned note to cheer someone up. Adults can donate
money to people or causes without signing their name. Sometimes people will find out,
and that's ok. The point is that you help people without caring whether anyone else
knows you did it. God knows, and He will be pleased.

True or False

1. God knows everything we do. T

2. We should think more about others than about ourselves. T
3. Jesus said He would reward those who help others secretly. T
4. All good works can be done secretly. F
5. I will know every good work that others do. F

Sing: I want to be a worker for the Lord

Discussion: Have you ever heard someone say, "Cross my heart and hope to die." What
are they doing? They are promising to do something. They are swearing they will do it.
Often, people who swear to do things are known for not fulfilling their promises. They
have to swear to make people believe them.

Jesus said that we should be known as people who always do what we say we'll do.
Others should not need to hear us swear to believe us. We should be dependable. This
means we should not promise things we either don't intend, or are not certain we can
finish. Be careful what you say you will do, and do what you say. why do we believe
anyone who swears? Are they really saying they hope to die? Of course not. Most people
swear by things they can not control, which is useless to begin with.

Activities

• Memory Work
• Puzzle: Print out picture of boy praying and cut into a puzzle for students.
• Fishing
1. Name one thing the Pharisees did to be seen of men. (prayed, fasted, gave
alms)
2. Where should the Pharisees have been praying? (in closet)
3. What was the Pharisee's reward? (praise from men)
4. Name something we can do for others secretly. (chores, send notes or
flowers, donate)
5. What did Jesus say we should swear by? (nothing)
6. Someone is dependable when they...? (do what they promise)
7. What kinds of things did the Pharisees swear by? (heaven, earth, altar,
hair, etc)
8. Why is swearing useless? (we can only control our behavior, not heaven,
earth etc.)
9. T or F: We should be very careful about making promises. (True)