Captain America – Character Lesson (Freebie)

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Use this preteen Bible lesson to teach students about character using a clip from the movie, Captain America. Use it for your preteens or tweens in Sunday school, midweek service or weekend service.

Topic: Character
Movie: Captain America: The First Avenger
Bible: Luke 6:43-49

OPENING ACTIVITY: Charades

Before the activity, make a list of occupations.

Be sure to choose some common occupations and some more adventurous occupations.

Some examples that you might choose are: painter, cook, racecar driver, hunter, pastor, teacher, nurse, scuba diver, golfer, and aerobics instructor.

Select a preteen to begin the game of charades by selecting an occupation.

Explain that they must perform the actions of their selected occupation without using words.

The other preteens will guess what occupation the actions represent.

The preteen with the correct guess selects the next occupation and the game continues.

After the activity, say: Have any of you ever played charades before?

The whole came is played without using words, which can be rather difficult.

This game is fun, but it is also really similar to real life.

We learn a lot about other people when we watch their actions.

Actions show us the character, the inside, of a person.

We’re going to watch a clip from the movie Captain America.

In this clip, Dr. Abraham and Colonel Phillips are trying to decide the best candidate for a special military experiment.

Colonel Phillips wants a big, strong soldier, but Dr. Abraham is looking for something different.

Let’s watch the clip and see who they decide to choose for the experiment.

[Play Movie Clip]

Start @ 23:07—Dr. Abraham and Colonel Phillips are standing at the truck and discussing the special project.

Stop @ 24:19—Scene ends after Steve Rogers (Captain America) dives on a grenade. Colonel Phillips says, “He’s still skinny,” and Dr. Abraham smiles at Rogers.

Clip Description: Dr. Abraham is grooming Steve Rogers for a special military experiment.

Dr. Abraham has a serum to make a super soldier, but it must be the right person—a good person.

Colonel Phillips attempts to prove that another soldier has more strength and courage by throwing a dummy grenade into their formation.

Everyone runs except for Steve Rogers. He dives on the grenade to save others.

This action reveals his character.

After the clip, say: Dr. Abraham has a special serum that will turn that person into a super soldier.

He is looking for the perfect person to be a part of his experiment.

The only thing is that it needs to be a good person.

Dr. Abraham believes Steve Rogers is a good person, but his actions in this clip prove it.

When the grenade hits the ground, everyone runs except Steve.

He dives on the grenade to save others.

He was willing to give up his life to save the lives of others.

His actions revealed his character.

Just like Steve Rogers, our actions reveal our character.

What happens on the outside shows what we have on the inside.

So, what do your actions say about you?

If we are followers of Christ, then our actions should show that to be true.

Let’s look at what Jesus has to say on this subject. Open your Bibles to Luke 6.

Read Luke 6:43-49.

Jesus uses the image of a fruit tree to show what we’ve been talking about today.

He says that a bad tree will not produce good fruit, and a good tree will not produce bad fruit.

Jesus is saying that our actions, or fruit, will be very closely related to who we are on the inside.

If we have His Word in our hearts, then it will guide our actions and thoughts.

If we have stored selfish things or evil things in our hearts, then those things will unfortunately guide our actions.

As Christians, people should be able to detect our faith by our actions.

This means that we need to hear the teachings of Jesus and do them! In the last part of this passage, Jesus compares this to building a house.

Jesus says that those who hear His teaching and don’t do it are like those that build a house on sand.

You can imagine what kind of house that would be.

Have you ever built a sand castle at the beach and then watched the waves destroy it?

It will never last because it has no foundation.

In the same way, if we don’t use the Bible as our guide for living, we are like a house without a foundation that will be destroyed.

Jesus says those that hear His teaching and apply it to their lives are like houses that are built with deep foundations.

They will stand firm and not be destroyed.

Jesus wanted his audience (and us) to understand how we are to live.

He wants us to live in a way that agrees with His teachings, the Bible.

When we live in obedience to the Bible, others are able to se Jesus in us and know more about Him.

Our actions are showing that we belong to Him.

Let’s move to small groups to talk more about how our actions can point others to Jesus.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

How do you know the difference between an orange tree and an apple tree?

How is this similar to our actions showing who we are on the inside?

What are some actions that you would consider “Christ-like”?

What are some actions that might confuse others about your faith? (not Christ-like)

How do we know the way God wants us to act? What resource has He given us?

Think of a person that you would say is a strong Christian. Explain what it is about them and their actions that make you think that way about them.

Make a list of the Christ-like qualities you want to display in your school, home, or extra curriculum activities. Keep the list to remind you who God has called you to be.

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