Are you looking to enhance your relationships and become a more gracious friend? The 8 Beatitudes, as the Bible outlines, offer a transformative guide to life. These eight blessings, spoken by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount, provide valuable insights into how we live when the fruit of the Spirit is cultivated through us. Learning to embody the Beatitudes can deepen our connections, foster understanding, and bring positivity into our friendships. Just listen to how a little pot explains the 8 Beatitudes.

Read more: What is the 8 Beatitudes: Become a more gracious friend.

Welcome to Little Pot‘s fruit-bearing journey. Little Pot is a character in the children’s books about the potter and the different vessels he creates. It is a vessel that holds many different items for the potter. As it does, it tries to discover its purpose. Eventually, Little Pot learns it is a fruit pot, and the potter can grow his fruit inside it. Therefore, Little Pot is a fruit-bearing vessel created by the potter. Likewise, Little Pot’s process to grow strawberries mirrors how our creator grows the fruit of the Spirit through us. You can sign up to learn more about that process here:

A part of the process includes pollination. That sometimes happens with the help of bees. That’s why Little Pot refers to the 8 Beatitude blessings as “Bee Attitudes.” Alongside Little Pot, we explore these attitudes, examine their meanings, and discuss practical ways to integrate them into different subjects using children’s books. Let’s join in and learn a lot from Little Pot as we explore the 5th Beatitude:

“Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy. “

Matthew 5:7

What is the 8 Beatitudes

Likewise, the eight lessons full of Beatitude activities are listed below. Click on each to read that specific lesson.

• Lesson 1: (Matt. 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit -Be 🐝 Humble; depend on God.
• Lesson 2: (Matt. 5:4) Blessed are those who mourn -Be 🐝 Sorry for your sin.
• Lesson 3: (Matt. 5:5) Blessed are the meek. -Be 🐝 obedient all the time
• Lesson 4: (Matt. 5:6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. -Be 🐝 eager; God will win.
• Lesson 5: (Matt. 5:7) Blessed are the merciful. -Be 🐝 a friend to everyone.
• Lesson 6: (Matt. 5:8) Blessed are the pure in heart. -Be 🐝 without sin and stay pure.
• Lesson 7: (Matt. 5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers. -Be 🐝 the one for peace and fun.
• Lesson 8: (Matt. 5:10) Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness. -Be 🐝 bold and brave for God.

Go here if you haven’t read Little Pot’s introduction to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.

Blessed are the Merciful

In the fifth Beatitude, Jesus says we are blessed if we show mercy to others. Students will learn the attitude of a gracious and compassionate friend. Because Jesus loves everyone, it is important that we see others with the love and compassion of Christ. The following activities will be based on the children’s book: My Life as a Smashed Burrito by Bill Myers.

Lesson 4: Bee 🐝 a Friend to Everyone.

Introduction: Read “My Life as a Smashed Burrito” with your students. This book is a part of the hilarious series by Bill Myers and is new once again. After reading or listening to the book, discuss why it was difficult for Wally and Gary to be friends. What things happened to help Wally change his feelings towards Gary? Think of someone you have difficulty being friendly to. What about them makes it hard? What could you do to show love to them? Pray and ask God to see them and love them as He does.

Bible Integration:

God tells us to love our enemies.

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Matthew 5:43-44

Language Arts Integration

Create “Burrito Book Reports.” Have students recall and write events from a story. Write each event on separate pieces of colored paper. Each paper should represent an ingredient inside a burrito, such as lettuce, beans, chicken, etc. Then wrap the events in a large, burrito-shaped, manila sheet of paper. Label the burrito with the book’s title and the child’s name. Display the burritos. Then, unwrap each as you share them with others.

Reading

Have students practice reading passages from the book aloud with expression. After each chapter, have students summarize what they have read or heard.

Writing Integration

Students will write a story with two endings. In the book, Dale explains that choosing the right friends can lead to good things. But choosing the wrong friends can lead to bad things. Allow them to have both options and two endings in their stories.

Math Integration

Just as Wall Street kept score for Wally and Gary, give points to children as they do nice things for their peers. Using the points, create a simple chart. Add and compare the results. Use decimals and fractions as Wall Street does to make the skill more difficult.

Science/Physical Education Integration

Gary and Wally had trouble maneuvering their canoe. Discuss with the children how paddling in opposite directions causes friction, but paddling in the same direction together causes motion. Demonstrate it with pairs of children sitting on rolling chairs, using brooms for paddles.

Geography Integration

Using descriptions of the camp form inside the book, students should create a map labeling the essential places, such as Gary’s cabin, Wally’s cabin, the river, the latrines, the toxic waste site, and the hole Dale falls in.

A song to explain what the 8 Beatitudes are.

We’ve created a song to help us remember and learn the 8 Beatitudes. You can download a free copy of the song. Each line matches a Beatitude within the Biblical text. You will also be added to our Fruitful Friday email list so you can continue to … “Learn a lot from Little Pot!”

Bee Attitudes to Grow the Fruit of the Spirit

Being a gracious friend to everyone happens when we allow God to produce the fruit of the Spirit through our lives. Little Pot’s fruit-bearing cycle explains more. Add your first name and email below, and we’ll send you the seven steps to growing the fruit of the Spirit. You will also be added to our Fruitful Friday email list so you can continue to … “Learn a lot from Little Pot!”

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