Items Needed:
- Blender and all kinds of nasty ingredients
- Chef’s hat, apron, etc.
Introduction:There is nothing wrong with anger; in fact all of us become angry, even Jesus did. The problem we face is that many of us have no idea how to deal with our anger. And because we don’t know how to respond to our anger correctly our feelings turn into actions we regret. Whether it’s a harsh word, an inappropriate comment, or a swift kick in the rear, we need to learn how to deal with our anger in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.
Key Verses:
Romans 13:8 – “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”
Also: Matthew 5:23 – Matt 5:21 – 44
The Blender:
- First ingredient – milk
Step one in the stage of anger is that we turn sour.
There’s nothing wrong with milk. It’s good for your teeth and bones and helps you grow… but when you leave milk out for even a short period of time it becomes really nasty. The first ingredient in our anger is when we don’t deal with something, and it turns sour. Many of us have had something happen to us before that bothers us. Maybe it just bothers us a little bit, but it bothers us enough that if we don’t deal with it… it turns sour. If something causes us to be angry and we just ignore it and leave it there, it can become sour. Just like if you choose to leave the milk setting on the counter instead of putting it where it belongs. Ignoring the milk on the counter doesn’t help—and ignoring anger doesn’t help. If you allow yourself to sit out, you’ll turn a little sour.
- Second ingredient – relish, mustard, ketchup (something that changes the color of the milk)
Step two in the stage of anger is that we carry our anger with us.
No matter how hard we try to hide it (this anger that’s deep in our heart), it comes out under certain circumstances. When mom or dad ask me to clean my room, when my teacher assigns a ridiculously huge project, or when a friend treats you unfairly. You try to hide it but the real colors show up.
- Third ingredient – corn syrup (something that is clear but tastes terrible)
Step three in the stage of anger is that you can’t see it anymore.
Out of our heart the mouth speaks. Sometimes we bury things deep in our heart and we begin responding to everything around us with anger and we don’t even realize why. We begin to want revenge and we begin to lash out at people that we aren’t even angry at. This anger begins to control us even when we don’t always recognize who we are angry at. There is just this nasty piece of our heart that is beneath the surface that shows up at the worst times.
- Fourth ingredient – vinegar, dog food, fish (something that smells up the room)
Step four in the stage of anger is contempt.
Contempt is simply hate, it is to disregard an individual and see them as a lesser or as a de-valued part of society. The problem is that we were all created to belong. God made us to live in community with each other and when we reject each other, we reject the Lord’s plan for the world.
Options: We did this as a stand-alone message that was not a part of a series. We showed clips of Emerril and Iron Chef as the kids entered the room. We set up the room like a kitchen and wore aprons and chef hats.
Wrap Up:At the end of the night we encouraged the kids to find their way out of anger by following their GPS.
GPS stands for: Go to the person at whom you are angry, be honest, and confess your anger – Pray for the Lord’s forgiveness and ask Him to reveal the parts of your heart that have the ingredients of anger – Seek forgiveness from the person at whom you have been angry.
Written by Ben Hardman
