To begin the session:
Download the “Determining Value” activity here. Make a copy for each group of three to five class members.
Begin class by dividing the class into groups of three to five members each. Give each group a copy of the activity page and five minutes to select one item from each lot that would have the greatest total value. Determine the winning group with this list of values from Goodwill Industries:
LOT 1: Desktop Computer ($150), Dining Room Set ($75), Standard Sofa ($75), Patio Set ($50), Dresser ($25), Recliner ($20)
LOT 2: Business Suit ($12), Bike ($10), Coat/Jacket ($8), Small Appliance ($8), 6 Piece Dish Set ($6)
LOT 3: Stereo ($10), Computer Desk ($10), Microwave ($10), Dress ($7), Shoes ($6), Jeans ($6)
LOT 4: Framed Art Work ($4), Figurine ($3), Video Game ($3), Pot/Pan ($2), DVD/CD ($2), Book ($1)
Lead into Bible study by saying: “When estimating the value of donated items, we need to guess how much others might pay for them. When it comes to human beings, however, our worth has been set by God in creation, not by an estimated market value.”
To encourage personal application:
Work with the class to brainstorm a list of controversial social issues of the day. This list would probably include: social justice, abortion, caring for the disabled, drug abuse, homelessness, etc.
When a list has been compiled, discuss how our thinking about the issue would change if our first consideration would be that each person is a creation in God’s own image.