The goal in this exercise is to show a mirrored relationship. Make several teams of two

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1 Reminders: Martian Child: Loving with Purpose If you are going to use a movie clip, ALWAYS PREVIEW IT! No exceptions! You are responsible for what you show your group! Our writers will always try to provide clean clips and warn you of nearby questionable words or content, but all art forms are subjective. Only you can determine what to show your group. Number one rule: watch it first. Please read the Terms of Use at the end of this lesson for important licensing and copyright information.

2 Goal: To embrace the pure and unconditional love God has for us. Setting the Stage: The goal in this exercise is to show a mirrored relationship. Make several teams of two people each. One team goes at a time. Give each team a different task to act out as mimes. (Examples are doing house chores, mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, etc.) One member will act out the task while the other tries to precisely mimic his or her actions. Reward the team whose mimicker most accurately mirrors his or her teammate. Next, do the same thing, but blindfold the one who is mirroring actions. Let your students attempt to do this exercise for a few minutes and then debrief both portions of the mirror activity. Later in the lesson, refer back to this exercise to help better illustrate a reflection. It is difficult (or impossible) for us to accurately mirror someone unless we are able to see him or her. For us to mirror God s love, we must know Him and study His actions. Martian Child Overview: Martian Child is a touching story about a recently widowed science fiction writer who forms a unique family with an orphaned boy he adopts who claims to be on a mission from Mars. The father, David (played by John Cusack), decides to take a risk by truly caring for Dennis (Bobby Coleman), this extraordinary child who spent most of his days at the orphanage in a box and who never goes anywhere without his gravity-defying weight belt. After a series of strange events, David is led to believe that Dennis s outrageous claims may be true. As David learns to be a new father with the advice and help of his sister Liz (Joan Cusack) and his close friend Harlee (Amanda Peet), Dennis

3 gradually opens up and, amidst strange and emotionally dangerous situations, learns what love from a parent really is. IMPORTANT NOTE: Martian Child is rated PG for thematic elements and mild language. Leaders should preview clips prior to showing them to the group. Also, it would be helpful if the leader has seen the entire movie. Scripture: Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:16 Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we still sinners, Christ died for us. Paul knew this better than most. His realization of God s love continued to motivate him to love others. Authentic Christianity is grounded on this concept. We are to love love God and love others. We try to do this unconditionally. In 1 John 4:16, we read, And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In today s clip, David showed a great love for Dennis, even when it didn t make sense to anyone else. Even in the hardest of times, this love didn t change. God loves us the same way. This unconditional love causes us to love others in much the same way as we rely on and press into the love God has for us. Movie Clip: Giant Red Flag DVD Time: Start the clip about one-fourth of the way through chapter three (time: 11:44) as kids play soccer. End the clip about halfway through chapter three (time: 12:51) after David says, but how do you argue with the logic of loving one that s already here?

4 Introduction to Clip David and his sister Liz are discussing the implications of adopting a Martian child. Liz warns David, A kid who sits in a box all day is a giant red flag. She compares adopting Dennis to buying a used car with a huge oil spot underneath it. Her next and final warning is that kids demand so much time and attention that your personal goals and your comfortable way of life are abruptly taken away. David responds that none of that matters; he wants to do something meaningful. Bringing a kid into this world is dangerous, but David points out that you can t argue with the logic of loving one that is already here. What Did You See? After viewing the clip, ask the group these questions: What spiritual elements did you see? Which words, phrases, or images were the most powerful to you? Why? Why does David want to adopt a child? What do you think about Liz s comments about kids? Why does Liz see the kid in a box as a red flag? Why does Liz s red flag look like a green light for David? What are Liz s motives in her response? Do you agree more with David or Liz? Why? What do you observe about David s character in this clip? What Did You Read? After reading the scriptures for today, ask the following questions: What are the key elements in these scriptures?

5 These scriptures talk a lot about being loved and receiving God s love for us. How do you feel when you read these passages about love? How has God shown His love to you? Share specifics if possible. According to Romans 5:8, when does God love us? How does that make you feel? What is the average person s reaction to unconditional love? In 1 John 4:16, Paul tells us that those who remain in love remain in God since He is love. What does it mean to remain in love? How does this feel or look to you? How can you, as teenagers, learn to remain in God s love? What are steps you can take this week to move toward this important goal? When do you find yourself most wrapped up in God s love? Is it in the good times or bad? The busy times or the still? The alone times or when you re surrounded by a crowd? Why? In your experiences, does God s love seem unconditional? Why or why not? What Does It All Mean? Tie the movie clip and scriptures together by asking the following questions: Does God choose to be our adopted Father even with all of our problems? Explain your answer. In your life, where do you see the unconditional and sacrificial love that God has given us? Why would God love us despite all of our red flags? What do you think is the proper response to His love? Are there any relationships where you ve experienced unconditional love in your own personal life? If so, please share about them.

6 If you have experienced this kind of love, what difference has it made in your life? If you have been given unconditional love, how should you respond? How can we show unconditional love to others? Who has God put in your life for this purpose? Creative Activity: Ask your students to express the love of God by creating something to give as a gift. This gift should mirror the love He has shown you. Have a number of materials available (clay, construction paper, scissors, glue, old magazines, markers, etc.). Students can use these items to construct a representation of God s love. This gift should be given to someone who needs to see the love of God. When it is given, students will be able to explain how God has worked in their lives, and the love that has been shown to them. This activity can serve as a ministry opportunity that will have a significant impact on the lives of your students as well as the individuals they choose to bless. Pray over your students and their gifts before you end your meeting. TERMS OF USE: In producing this teaching material, Barefoot Ministries references the use of movie clips as suggestions for teaching Christian principles in home small groups. The use of movie clips is a suggestion only, and alternatively the movie content could be discussed verbally, without showing any movie clips. Special permission must be granted for any public performance of copyrighted material, including church use. Legal use of and licensing of suggested material under copyright is the responsibility of the local user and/or the local church. Barefoot Ministries is not responsible for the licensing or use of any media suggested in this material. Barefoot Ministries advises that any church or individual secure proper licensing before any public showing of any part of any motion picture, or recorded copyright media. You can secure a Church Video License and/or find out more information about public viewing of copyrighted media by contacting Christian Video Licensing International at or calling CVLI.