DOXCOV ACADEMYSubject: Christian Religious Studies (CRS) Class: Nursery Three (Ages 4–5) Theme: Christian Living and Character Development Curriculum: Nigerian Hybrid (Integrating Nigerian Values and Global Best Practices)
Imagine that inside your chest, you have a beautiful garden. When we choose to follow Jesus, our garden is filled with bright, colorful flowers and sweet, juicy fruits like love, joy, and peace. This is how God wants our hearts to look!
However, sometimes we might feel like doing things that are not kind. These wrong actions are like "weeds" in our garden. Weeds are messy, they poke us, and they stop the beautiful flowers from growing. To keep our heart gardens beautiful for Jesus, we must learn which things are "weeds" so we can stop them from growing. Just like a traffic light tells a car to STOP at a red light, God’s Word tells us to STOP when we are about to do something wrong.
A Christian is a follower of Jesus. One of the biggest names for Jesus is the "Prince of Peace." This means Jesus loves it when we are calm and kind. Our hands and feet were given to us by God to do good things, like hugging our parents, building with blocks, or helping a friend get up when they fall.
When we are angry because a friend took our toy, we might feel like hitting or biting. But a Christian should not use their body to hurt others. Every person you see was made by God and is very special to Him. When we hurt a friend, we are hurting someone God loves. Instead of using "hitting hands," we should use our "mighty words" to say, "I am sad because you took my toy," or go and ask a teacher for help.
Sometimes we see something very pretty, like a shiny toy car or a tasty biscuit, that belongs to someone else. We might think, "I want that! I will take it while no one is looking." But taking something that does not belong to you is called stealing, and a Christian should not do it.
Even if it is just a small pencil or a single sweet, taking it makes the other person feel very sad and worried. It also means people cannot trust us. God wants us to be happy with the things He has given us. If you really want to play with something, the right thing to do is to ask politely: "Please, may I play with this?" If they say "No," we must be patient and wait our turn.
Lying is when we say something happened when it really didn't. For example, if you accidentally spill water on the floor and say, "The dog did it," even though you know you did it, that is a lie. A Christian should not tell lies because God is the Truth.
Think of the truth like bright sunshine and a lie like a dark, heavy cloud. When we tell the truth, our hearts feel light and happy. Even if we are a little bit scared that we might get in trouble for a mistake, telling the truth shows that we are brave and honest. Parents and teachers are always much happier when children tell the truth because it helps them trust you more.
Our mouths were made for two wonderful things: speaking kind words and singing praises to God! A Christian should not use "ouchy" words. These are mean words that make people feel small, sad, or ashamed. This includes calling people names, saying "I hate you," or shouting rudely at our elders (mummies, daddies, and teachers).
In Nigeria, we value respect very much. We respect our elders and our friends. Using bad words is not the way Jesus wants us to talk. Instead of "ouchy" words, we should use "honey words"—words that are sweet, helpful, and make people smile.
Scenario 1: The Playground Tussle
Scenario 2: The Found Money
Scenario 3: The Messy Room
When you feel like doing something you shouldn't, follow these three steps:
Objective: To practice choosing "flowers" (good actions) over "weeds" (wrong actions).
Materials Needed:
Procedure:
To see if the student understands, try these activities:
Being a Christian means trying our best to live like Jesus. When we avoid fighting, stealing, lying, and mean words, our "heart garden" stays beautiful and our light shines brightly for everyone to see!
Closing Prayer: "Dear God, help my hands to be kind, my mouth to speak the truth, and my heart to love everyone. Thank You for showing me the right way to live. Amen."