We Are Salt and Light
Matthew 5:13-16
September
20
service 1
BIG IDEA: We show God’s love to the world by the kind things we do.
QUESTION: How will people know that Jesus loves them?
ANSWER: Through the extreme kindness of Christ-followers.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR STUDENTS
Third- and fourth-graders are beginning to demonstrate their independence. They don’t want to be copycats; they want to have their own identities. So it may be hard for them to understand why they need to be like
Jesus. Use this lesson to help them understand that although God made each one of them unique, He does want
them to help others see Jesus by being more like Him. Help them see that being like Jesus is a good thing.
Kids can still have their own unique personalities, likes, and dislikes while showing Christ-like kindness,
compassion, and love to others.
Fifth-graders are just beginning the process of personalizing their faith and differentiating it from their
parents’ faith. They’re beginning to understand metaphors for the Christian life such as “light” and “salt.”
They’re also beginning to discover ways to articulate their own beliefs. Use this lesson to help them know that
they have power to help others see Jesus.
PREPARING YOUR HEART
Salt was incredibly valuable in Bible times. With no means of refrigeration, people used it as the main way
to keep meat and other foods fresh. In the same way, we should act as a preservative—being examples of
purity in a decaying world, preventing decay by our presence.
Salt enhances whatever it’s added to. Just as salt enhances and changes the flavor of food, Christians are
to change the flavor of whatever environment we find ourselves in. Instead of being influenced by our culture,
we are to influence our culture for good. We can bring out the best in our culture, just as salt brings out the
best flavor of food.
Light drives out darkness. Just as the light of the sun overcomes the darkness of night,
we can be the light that overcomes the darkness of sin around us.
Because Jesus adds salt and light to your life, you have the ability to flavor and
illuminate your circles of influence for Jesus. How is your life like spice? What light
have you shone into your relationships lately? Sit silently before God. Ask Him
to give you the names of two people with whom you can start being “salt and
light.” Now make a plan with God to start building salt and light into that
friendship.
Science Stations
Some students may have difficulty understanding symbolism in this lesson because they tend to be very literal thinkers. If you
tell these children to be salt and light, in their minds they will see themselves as saltshakers and flashlights. That is why, we want
to start the lesson with some fun activities that allow kids to explore salt and light. Hopefully, these experiments will prepare their
minds to understand what it means for God’s children to be salt and light.
As kids arrive, warmly greet them with enthusiastic high fives and invite them to start working at one of the stations. There
should be plenty of time for most of the kids to visit at least two stations. Please make sure to have one adult in charge of each
station. If you need extra help for this activity, contact some of the parents and ask them to help you with running the stations.
Simple Electric Circuits
Supplies: circuit base, 3 AA batteries, battery holder, 4 connectors with alligator clips, various objects
The Simple Electric Circuit will help your students to learn the basic concepts of electricity and electrical circuits. As they
explore the light circuit powered by a battery and controlled by a switch they will discover that Jesus is the battery (the source
of real power) and if we want our lives to shine we need to stay connected to Jesus (through faith and obedience).
Gather your students around the simple electric circuit set (disassembled). Ask them to identify its various parts:
 Power source (batteries)
 Connectors/conductors (wires)
 Load (light bulb)
 Switch (control)
Together construct the circuit. Each class will have two sets. Make sure kids are actively involved.
Test your circuit. Insert the batteries and close the switch. The light bulb must light up. If it does not, check all the contacts
and try again. You may also need to check the batteries and the light bulb to make sure they’re properly installed.
Ask: Why does this light shine? Because it’s connected to the battery. What if the connection is broken? (open up the
switch) The light won’t shine. The power is still there, but the connection is broken. Experiment with various items like
rubber band, coin, LEGO block, crayon, paper clip, dollar bill, etc. to discover which materials conduct electricity and which don’t.
You can have kids make predictions, before closing the circuit.
Mysterious Salt
Supplies: ice cubes, thread, scissors, saltshaker full of salt, cup of water
Welcome kids warmly as they arrive to your table, and ask them how their week went.
Say: I have a challenge for you: Try to lift an ice cube with a piece of thread. Give each child an ice cube and a 12-inch
length of thread. Give kids one to two minutes to try lifting the ice cubes with the thread.
Say: Now I’ll show you how I can lift an ice cube with thread. Dip one end of your thread into a cup of water to wet it, and
then coil that end on a flat section of your ice cube. Lay the other end of thread off to the side. Shake salt from a shaker onto the
coiled part of the thread. Wait about one minute. While you wait, ask kids what they think will happen. After a minute, gently lift the
dry, uncoiled portion of the thread until your ice cube is suspended in the air by the coiled portion of the string that is stuck to
the ice. Lead kids in this discussion.
 Why do you think the salt made the ice stick to the thread?
 What kinds of things do people use salt for?
 What’s so amazing about salt?
Say: The salt made the ice cube temporarily melt, and then it froze again. That made the thread freeze to the ice cube.
The salt changed the ice and the thread so that they would stick together. Then I could lift the ice cube with the thread!
Salt is very powerful. It changes the things it touches. Today we’re going to learn that Jesus wants us to be like salt.
We can be “salt” to other people by being like Jesus to them. When people learn about Jesus, that can change their
lives, just as the salt changed the ice and thread in our experiment.
Salt and Light
Supplies: “Five Minute Game” video, “Salt and Light” poster, markers
Display “Salt and Light” poster with one half depicting a saltshaker and the other half a desk lamp. Ask kids to give you as
many qualities and uses of the salt and light as they possibly can. Write their answers in the appropriate column.
After the students exhausted their ideas, ask everyone to turn to Matthew 5. Say: Last Sunday we looked at Jesus’ Sermon
on the Mount. And learned what is truly important to God. Can you remember some of the qualities that Jesus highlighted
and the rewards that He promised? Allow kids time to answer. Divide kids into two teams. Play the “Five Minute Game” video
which contains multiple-choice questions based on the Beatitudes. Have each team shout the letter of their answer before the
time runs out. Whoever shouts the correct letter first, gets a point.
Today we will look at another important part of Jesus’ sermon. Have a volunteer read verses 13 through 16. Ask: Based
on what we’ve just learned about the salt and the light, what does it mean for Christians to be the salt of the earth and
the light of the world? What did Jesus mean when He called us salt and light? Allow answers.
Here are some points you might want to touch on in every category.
SALT. One characteristic of salt is that it’s distinctive. If Christians are to be salt, it’s important that our words, attitudes, and
actions be distinctive from everyone else’s. The people of God are meant to stand out in the crowd, because we are set apart for
God. No one will notice us if we live selfish lives like the rest of the world. If we live holy, joyful, generous, humble, and merciful
lives for Christ, and if we speak of Christ, we will be different from the people around us. We will be like salt on bland food.
Another characteristic of salt is that it enhances whatever it’s added to. Just as salt enhances and changes the flavor of food,
Christians are to change the flavor of whatever environment we find ourselves in. Instead of being influenced by our culture, we
are to influence our culture for good. We can bring out the best in the people around us, just as salt brings out the best flavor of
food.
Salt is also a preservative; it prevents food from spoiling. In Jesus’ day, with no means of refrigeration, people used it as the
main way to keep meat and other foods fresh. In the same way, we should act as a preservative—examples of purity in a decaying
world, arresting decay by our presence.
In addition, salt melts ice. As salt of the earth, Christians can help melt the cold resistance of those who haven’t embraced
Jesus and cause their hearts to be more open to Him.
Extra qualities:
 Salt has medicinal benefits. It functions as an antiseptic and brings about healing. As followers of Jesus, we have a
message and a love that can heal people’s souls and help them get right with God.
 Salt makes people thirsty. We should live in such a way that people watching us would want Jesus—the Living Water.
LIGHT. Light drives out darkness. As the light of the sun overcomes the darkness of night, we can be the light that overcomes
the darkness of the sin around us.
In biblical times, the light from a city drew people from the frightening dangers of the wilderness to safety within the city’s
walls. As we hold our light higher for Jesus, more and more people will see it and will run to Him for eternal life.
Light also exposes the true state of things. For example, your bedroom might look clean and tidy until you turn on the light and
then it becomes clear how many things are out of place. Through their words and actions, Christians help other people see their
hidden sins and realize how wrong their actions or attitudes are.
The light of the sun kills harmful bacteria in drinking water and provides people with the valuable vitamin D. Christians bring
hope, comfort and encouragement wherever they are.
The light of a city on a hill cannot be hidden, but an individual’s light can. If we want to, we can hide our light with some kind of
covering, something that doesn’t allow the light of Jesus within us to shine. But we are called to let that light shine so that everyone around us can see it.
As people around us are drawn to the light we reflect, we must direct them to the source of that light: Jesus, the inextinguishable light of the world!
Let It Shine!
Supplies: masking tape, a tub with 26 game cards, empty tub, Bibles, cardboard box, flashlight—bring from home
“Real Life Situations” posters, lightbulb cutouts, pencils
Divide kids into two teams (not necessarily even) and have each team form a single file behind the starting line. Place an
empty tub on the starting line by each team. Place the tub with cards against the opposite wall.
When you say “go,” the first players from each team will run to their bin and pick up one card. If the card has a picture of
something that shines (Christmas tree, traffic light, candle, etc.) they need to bring it back and place it inside their team’s tub.
If the chosen card doesn’t have an image of something that shines, they need to toss it away and return to their team to tag the
next player. The team that collects all 10 “shining” cards first is the winner.
After the game, when everyone is seated, display a flashlight. Turn it on and talk about several situations where we would
rely on flashlights. Without turning the flashlight off, place it in the cardboard box and close all the flaps. Ask: Is the flashlight
useful in the box? Have someone read aloud Matthew 5:14-16.
What does it mean to hide our light or as Jesus said “put it under a bowl”? What are ways we can be the light of the
world for Jesus? What are some things that can dim or hide our light? Allow answers.
Say: Jesus doesn’t want our love for Him to stay hidden. He wants us to shine our light for Him. Jesus taught us that
the only way this world will believe in God’s love is because of the kind actions of His children.
There are many ways we can be salt and light and help others see God’s love. Let’s identify some of those ways.
Have the students form several groups of 3-5 people. Give each group a poster with a real-life situation. Explain that they have
five minutes to discuss the situation within the group and determine what it would mean to be the salt and the light in its context.
After the time is up, give each group time to share their findings.
After each team has had time to share, ask a volunteer to read Matthew 5:13-14 again. Say: Did you notice the phrase at
the beginning of this verse? Jesus doesn’t say, “You must become” or “You should be.” He says, “You are the salt.”
In verse 14, Jesus says again, “You are the light.”
We don’t have to try to be salt and light. When we have a relationship with Jesus, we‘re already salt and light!
Check it out. You—not just the person next to you, not just your friend, but YOU—are a light. God made you to be a light
in this world. God made you to shine brightly. And as we all well know, light isn’t very useful when it’s hiding in a box.
You see, boxes close things up. They seal things off. Sure, they protect what’s valuable, but you can’t see what’s
inside. Even at stores, boxes may have pictures and words on the outside to tell you what’s inside the box, but you never
really, truly, know what’s inside unless you … what? Exactly, unless you open it and let whatever is INSIDE the box OUT.
The same goes for you. God has not made anyone here to think, act, live, breathe, or dream inside a box.
Salt is only useful when it’s out of a saltshaker, when it’s touching food. And light is only helpful when it’s exposed
and open, not when it’s hidden. Jesus makes it clear that His followers shouldn’t hide their light from those who need
to see it. Although it’s comfortable for Christians to stick to themselves and hide their light from the rest of the world,
that’s not what Jesus asked of us. He’s honored and glorified when we shine for Him.
Jesus wants us to let our light shine in front of everyone. But what does that mean for each of us? Sharing the light
of Jesus with the world can look like a lot of different things. It might mean showing kindness to a friend or helping our
brothers and sisters with chores. It definitely means sharing Jesus’ love and truth with those who don’t know Him and
helping the poor and needy. Invite your kids to share what they think it might mean to shine their lights for Jesus. Encourage
them to share times they were able to shine for Jesus. This would also be a great opportunity for you to share an example from
your own life.
Give each student a lightbulb cutout and a pencil. Have kids spend a minute or two thinking about people in their life who can
use some kindness. Say: On the lightbulb write one way you’re going to try to let your light shine next week. Be specific.
Don’t just write “I’ll be kind to others.” Instead, list who you’ll be kind to, when you’ll do it, and what you’ll do. For example,
you might write, “On Monday, I’ll read a book to my younger sister” or “I’ll give the best dessert in the cafeteria to the
new boy in my class.” Give kids time to write their commitments. Finish by praying a blessing over the students and challenging
them to let their light shine.
Power Up! /anytime game
Supplies: lightbulbs cutouts (2)
Divide your class into two even teams. Have each team stand on the opposite sides of the classroom (lengthwise).
Have one player from each team take a lightbulb cutout and walk to the opposite wall.
Explain that when you say “power up!” each team will have to build a power-line from the wall where they’re standing to their
person holding the lightbulb on the opposite end.
The power-line will stretch across the floor and can be made of shoes, clothes, shoestrings and anything kids can find. The
team that connects their wall with their lightbulb first, is the winner. (Before announcing the winner make sure that the powerline is uninterrupted.)
Name It & Claim It /anytime game
Supplies: “Light” cards
Divide your class into two teams. The teams don’t have to be even.
Place the cards face down. Call one player from each team to come forward and stand facing you. Explain that you are going
to show them a card. If the card has something that shines (gives light), they need to shout its name. Whoever shouts the correct
answer, brings a point to their team. However, if you show a card with something that doesn’t produce the light and they make a
sound, their team loses point.
“Light” cards include lighthouse, stars, lightbulb, burning match, police car, light post, firefly, candle, traffic light and more.
How Much Salt Could You Earn In a Day?
More than two thousand years ago, salt was rare and very expensive. The ancient Romans valued salt because it is a mineral
our bodies need and it seasons food, and also because salt could preserve food so it could last a long time. Since at that time
there were no refrigerators, salt was the best way to keep food from getting spoiled. Sal is the Latin word for salt and Roman
soldiers were paid a salarium, which means they were given money to be able to buy salt. From salarium we get the word used
for payment for work in modern times. Even though we don’t spend all of it on salt, it’s still called our salary.
Salt is something all humans need for their bodies. When Jesus says to God’s people, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew
5:13), he means that everyone’s heart needs to hear about Jesus, and we can be the ones to tell our friends and neighbors about
him. When we do, we will be preserving their souls and helping their happiness last a long time–forever.
FUN FACTS
 There are about 1,000 grains in a pinch of salt. There are 100,000 in a tablespoon—and to fill up a bathtub with salt, it
would take 1 billion grains.
 Salt is used to produce chemicals that make soap and glass.
 Pure water freezes at 32°F. If you add salt to the water it lowers the freezing point, so the water will freeze at temperatures below zero.
 Half of all salt is mined; the other half is harvested from the sea.
 If all of the oceans’ salt content could be collected and dried out, it would cover all of Earth’s continents in five feet of sodium.
 Salt in the ocean comes from eroding rocks on land.
 In Bolivia there is a hotel (The Palacio de Sal) which is made almost entirely of salt.
Raise the Light /anytime game
Supplies: 15 plastic cups (2 sets), 2 battery-operated tea lights, masking tape to mark the starting line
Divide your class into two even teams (they don’t have to be even).
Have each team form a single file behind the starting line.
Show the students a tea light and toggle its switch so the “flame” lights up.
Give the first player on each team a stack of 15 cups. Place a tea light inside the top cup.
The aim of this game is to be the first team to build the tower (each player places only one cup from the stack and then takes
the rest to the next player) and place the tea light at the very top as a symbol of our lives shining brightly for God.
The tower will have the following tiers: 5 cups at the bottom, followed by 4 cups, by 3, by 2, by 1, by tea light.
Say: The Bible says that people who don’t know Jesus are living in darkness. Jesus is the light of the world. And He
said that we are the light of the world, too. That means that Jesus lives in us, and we show His light to the rest of the
world through kindness and generosity.
What we do every day affects the rest of the world. People look to us to be examples of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. When we put God first and genuinely care for others, people will see our actions and will want to serve our
God too. We are the light of the world and we shouldn’t hide. Instead, we should shine so the rest of the world can see us
and the God we serve.
Pass the Salt /review game
Supplies: salt shaker, music video (on your TV/computer)
Have everyone sit in a circle. Play the music and have the students pass the salt shaker in a clockwise direction. When the
music stops, whoever is holding the salt shaker gets to answer a question from the list below:
 What is the section of Scripture called from Matthew chapters 5 through 7?
 Why is it called the Sermon on the Mount?
 What are two things Jesus said every Christian is like?
 Name at least two things that salt is good for.
 Name at least two things that light is good for.
 How are Christians like the salt? There are many people that have a life that is has no flavor, just like food without salt. They don’t feel loved and they don’t experience joy. But Jesus said that because of our joy that comes from
being a part of God’s family, others can experience the joy that God brings too. It’s like adding salt to people’s lives.
 What makes us lose our saltiness? Letting the world influence us; acting in ungodly ways.
 How are Christians like the light?
 What do you think would happen to the world if we stop acting as salt and light?
 What are some ways we hide our light? Going along with the crowd, even when we know that God wouldn’t
approve; letting sin dim our light; pretending that we are not Christians (blending in); being quiet when we should
speak up about Jesus; ignoring the needs of others.
 Salt makes people thirsty. Who do you know, who makes you want to love Jesus more? Has your life ever
created spiritual thirst in someone else? Has anyone admired your godly attitudes and asked you about
why you’re so nice?
Salt Tasting /lesson opening idea
Supplies: saltshaker
Say: I'm going to pass around this saltshaker, and I'd like you to pour just a few grains into your hand to look at. Pass
around the saltshaker. Those grains in your hand may not seem like a lot, but they sure help to flavor our food. Today's
Bible lesson will tell us how important salt is and how we can act like salt to spread God's message to our friends and
family. Discuss:
 What's your favorite salty snack?
 How different does food taste after you've added salt to it?
 What are some ways you can be like seasoning, making people’s lives more tasteful?
Activity Pages
Supplies: “Concealed Colors” activity page, “Secret Message” activity page, pencils, prizes
You can use these challenging activity pages in the beginning of the class, as a part of your gathering activities, or to keep
kids busy in the transition between the 1st and the 2nd services. You might want to offer prizes to the first five students who
complete the “Concealed Colors” activity. Remind the kids NOT to conceal their light!
Give kids each a pencil and a copy of the “Concealed Colors” Activity Page. Invite them to find the name of a color hidden in
each sentence. Explain that in order to identify the colors, they will have to disregard word spacing, periods, and commas. Show
them the following examples at the top of their Activity Page:
Newspaper editors decided to go on strike. (Red)
The cab lacked proper brakes to stop at the intersection. (Black)
1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________
4. _______________
5. ________________
6. _______________
7. _______________
8. _______________
9. _______________
10. _______________
A big, old, hungry dog appeared at our door every morning.
The cop persuaded him not to create a disturbance.
The Brazilian student Paulo lives around the corner from us.
You shouldn’t let an upstart like him bother you.
He let out a big yell, owing to the injuries he received when he fell.
La Jolla venders decided to cut their prices in half.
Long rayon fabrics were loaded on the truck.
The Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli lacked the requisite documents to enter the U.S.
You shouldn’t sell this fossil very cheaply because it is a rare specimen.
The new law hit everybody’s pocketbook pretty hard.
Answers:
1. Gold
6. Lavender
2. Copper
7. Gray
3. Olive
8. Lilac
4. Tan
9. Silver
5. Yellow
10. White
Say: That wasn’t as easy as it seemed. If I didn’t already know there were names of colors hidden in those sentences,
I’d never have noticed. Good thing I had the answers! Hidden words make for a fun game, but apart from word games
and stuff like spiders, some things should never be hidden.
If you know Jesus, you have the privilege and responsibility to light up your part of the world. That means where you
go to school, where you hang out with friends, at home, wherever you go.
Circle Time /optional
Supplies: Rubber chicken
Take this time to get to know the kids in your class and also give them a chance to learn more about their peers. This time will
be important for kids to get to know you, as well as for you to know them.
Ask everyone to get into a circle. Explain to the children that everyone will get a chance to pass around the toy and get to
know each other a little better. If you’d like, your group can decide on a name for your chicken! There will be a Connect Question
that you’ll ask the kids each Sunday. Pass the rubber chicken around the group and have each person answer the question.
Today’s question is about kindness: What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
If you have time, you can follow up this question with:
 Who did it for you and why?
 How did it make you feel?
 What is something really nice that you’ve done for someone else?
After everyone answers the Connect Question, you can also ask them to share highs and lows. Explain that “highs” are
things that they’re excited about in their life right now. “Lows” are the difficult things they’re experiencing. This is a gr eat
way for you to learn ways to pray for your kids. Don’t be afraid to take every opportunity to pray with them. If a child
shares a “low” that needs prayer, take a moment to stop and pray as a group.
Videos
BIBLE THEATER—SALT AND LIGHT (length: 3 min. 51 sec.)
This short and colorful video illustrates Jesus’ teaching about the salt and the light. Ideal for first through fourth graders.
DOUGLAS TALKS LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE (length: 5 min. 57 sec.)
Douglas can't light up like a lightning bug, but he learns what it really means to let his light shine.
Douglas is a puppet but it doesn’t mean that older kids won’t like him. Check the video out and decide if it would be a good
fit for your class.
SALT AND LIGHT—SPOKEN WORD (length: 3 min. 08 sec.)
This video reminds Christians who they are and challenges them to live as salt and light. This is definitely for 5th graders. This
video can generate a good discussion about what it means for us to live as salt and light.
MUSIC VIDEOS
Inside the SEPTEMBER 20 folder on your TV/computer you’ll also find a MUSIC VIDEOS folder filled with songs about shining for
Jesus. Use these music videos to create a fun ambience for when the children come into the classroom.