If your class is meeting online, invite students to bring supplies to class.

Considering how to resolve a war is an extreme example of how things can become complicated when people play favorites. In real life, playing favorites can still be dangerous. If we treat someone as more important than others, they may start to act prideful or controlling. If we treat someone as less important, they may become weak or helpless.

• Why do you think people start to live up to the way they’re treated by others? For example, if someone is treated as weak or helpless, why might they actually become weak or helpless? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

The best solution is for us to treat everyone like they’re equal. But of course, that’s easier said than done. There’s something about human beings that makes us want to classify people—and of course, to ultimately decide we’re better than them.

Distribute supplies (or invite students to have them ready at home). Today, let’s make a plan for how you’re going to treat someone as an equal this week. But here’s the hard part—I want you to choose someone you’ve treated poorly in the past.

First, think of a person that you’ve treated as worse than you this week. It’s hard for us to admit it, but we’ve all done it. Maybe it was a homeless guy asking for money. Maybe it was an annoying kid at school you wish would leave you alone. Maybe it was your mom or dad, and you decided to treat them poorly because they wouldn’t give you what you wanted. Have your teens decide on a person and write that person’s initials really big on the left side of your paper.

Now, write your initials on the right side of the paper, and draw an equal sign between them. That’s a reminder that this person isn’t less of a human being than you—you’re both equal because you were made by God. As an encouragement, be sure your teens know that you are completing the same assignment.

Finally, add one more thing to the paper. Write down something you can do to show this person that you regard them as equal. It could be anything from giving a compliment to hanging out with them to helping them solve a problem. Give your students a minute or two to decide upon an “equality action” and write it down.

• Would anyone be willing to share what you’re planning to do to demonstrate you’re equal to the person you selected? (Encourage, but don’t require, your students to talk briefly about their plans. Read what you wrote on your own equality plan to let students know this is a safe place to share.)

This week, go out of your way to treat the person you wrote down as an equal! For starters, be sure to perform the act of kindness you wrote down. When you play favorites, you can do serious harm to people. Use your actions to prove that when you treat others as equals, you can do serious good!

Close in prayer.