Joyful Moments in Christ

A Clean Heart for God

This Sunday School lesson is intended for upper elementary students. All lessons on this website are protected by copyright, but you can use them for free in small groups or Sunday School classes. You may share a link to this page, but please do not copy these pages and put them on other websites.

The Big Idea

Jesus teaches us that God cares more about the love and honesty in our hearts than just following outward rules to look good.

Lesson Objectives

1. Students will learn that God sees the inside of our hearts and knows our true thoughts.
2. Students will understand that true worship involves loving others and being fair.
3. Students will recognize that we should help others know God rather than making it difficult for them.

Class Setting Notes

1. Recommended for upper elementary Sunday School.
2. Lesson length: 45 to 60 minutes. Can be shortened or extended based on activities selected.

Opening Activity: The Shiny Apple

1. Bring an apple that looks perfect and shiny on the outside but has a bruised or rotten spot hidden on the back or inside.
2. Show the class the shiny side and ask them if they would like to eat it.
3. Turn the apple around or cut it open to show the part that is not good.
4. Explain that sometimes we try to make our lives look perfect like the shiny side of the apple, but God sees what is happening on the inside.

This activity helps introduce the concept that our inner character is more important than our outward appearance.

Bible Reading

Ask the class to read Luke 11:37-54 aloud together or have one person read it.

• Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 11:37-54 (ERV)
• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 11:37-54 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 11:37-54 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 11:37-54 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 11:37-54 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 11:37-54 (ESV)

Additional Reading: Choosing the Right Bible Translation

Suggested prompts:

As the class reads aloud, consider asking some of these prompts:

1. Notice why the Pharisee was surprised when Jesus sat down to eat.
2. Pay attention to what Jesus says about the inside of the cup and the plate.
3. Think about why it is wrong to care more about small plants, like mint, than about justice and love.
4. Watch what happens when the teachers of the law realize Jesus is talking to them too.
5. Listen for the warning Jesus gives to people who stop others from learning about God.

Teacher Background Notes

1. Pharisees were Jewish religious leaders who were very strict about following hundreds of small rules, often forgetting the main point of God’s law which is love.
2. Washing hands before a meal was not just for hygiene in this story; it was a religious ritual they believed made them holier than others.
3. Justice and the love of God are central themes in the Bible, showing that our relationship with God must result in treating our neighbors fairly.
4. Mentioning Abel and Zechariah covers the span of the Old Testament martyrs, showing that God holds people accountable for how they treat his messengers.
5. The key to knowledge that Jesus mentioned represents the right understanding of the Bible that should lead people to him.

Theological Insights

1. True holiness is a matter of the heart and is a gift from God, not something we can earn by just acting a certain way.
2. God is the creator of both the outside and the inside, so he has the right to judge our secret thoughts and motives.
3. Religion becomes a burden when it is only about rules; Jesus came to set us free so we can serve God with joy.
4. Being a witness for God means showing his grace and helping others see the path to heaven clearly.

Discussion Questions

Understanding the Text

1. Why did Jesus say the Pharisees were like hidden graves that people walk over?
2. What did the teachers of the law do that made life difficult for other people?
3. What did Jesus say the Pharisees liked to have when they were in the marketplace or the synagogue?
4. How did the religious leaders react when Jesus finished speaking to them?

Personal Reflection and Application

1. Why is it sometimes tempting to act like a better person than we really are when we are at church?
2. What are some ways we can practice justice and fairness at school or on the playground this week?
3. How can we make sure we are helping our friends learn about God instead of making it seem boring or hard?
4. When we realize our hearts are not clean, what does God want us to do?

Suggested Activities

Inside and Out Cups

1. Give each student a paper cup.
2. Have them decorate the outside with things they want people to see, like being helpful or smiling.
3. On the inside of the cup, have them write a prayer asking God to help them with a hidden struggle or to fill them with his love. If the cups are small, consider writing a prayer on a small piece of paper and gluing it to the inside of the cup.

This activity helps students remember that God sees both sides of our lives.

The Burden Race

1. Have students try to walk across the room while carrying many heavy books or backpacks.
2. Have another student come and help them carry the load to make it easier.
3. Talk about how Jesus wants us to help people carry their burdens rather than giving them more rules.

This activity demonstrates how the religious leaders failed to help others and how we can be different.

The Key of Knowledge Craft

1. Give each student a cardstock key to cut out and decorate.
2. On the key, have them write a Bible verse that helps them know who Jesus is.
3. Discuss how we can use what we know about the Bible to open the door for others to meet Jesus.

This activity helps students see themselves as helpers who share the truth of God.

Memory Verse

Closing Prayer

Father,
Please forgive us for the times we care more about what people think than what you see in our hearts. Help us to love you truly and to be kind and fair to everyone we meet.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The ESL Version

I also create materials for adult English Language Learners (ELLs) and ESL students. You can find my ELL Bible Study based on Luke 11:37-54 here:

• ELL Bible Study: Luke 11:37-54 — Jesus Corrects the Pharisees

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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.