Puberty

Objective:  

• This lesson is meant to precede the school presentation to the children about  puberty.
• The idea is to complete the truth for the children by teaching them that  God is involved in their development.
• He develops their bodies and souls ONLY to  live in purity and godliness and glorify His name.  

 Memory Verse  

“So, God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male  and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

 Lesson Outline:

 First Session:

Using the creation story to illustrate that God is in charge of their development.  

• Today, we are going to begin by reading about the creation of Adam and Eve. We’ll  see that God created us humans in His own image. He used His own hands and  fashioned our bodies out of dust then breathed into us. “And the LORD God formed  man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and  man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7  After God had already created light and separated it from darkness, then formed  the heavens, the seas, the sun, the moon, and the stars; He created the plants and  trees to cover the earth. He then created all living beings, such as birds, fish and all types of animals. God’s last creation was Man. Let’s read Genesis 1:24-29.
• This  passage shows us that Man was created in God’s image and in His likeness. Next, let’s  look at Genesis 2:7-9. In these verses, we see that God made Adam out of the ground  and literally breathed life into him. All that God had created was good. But God noticed  that Adam did not have a companion. In Genesis 2:21-25, we read about the creation  of Eve who came from Adam’s rib. In Genesis 3, we see that Adam and Eve disobeyed  God and ate from the fruit of the tree, which God commanded them not to eat from.  
• As a result, in verse 7, the Bible says, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened,  and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made  themselves coverings”.  Before Adam and Eve sinned, they were not ashamed of their nakedness. They were  pure in heart and mind; their eyes also were pure and they respected each other’s  bodies. The Bible tells us that God would walk in the garden and would talk to Adam  and Eve.
• This shows us that they also had a very close relationship with God. But after  they sinned, they felt ashamed and hid from God. They also made clothing to cover  their bodies. And they did not have the same type of relationship anymore.
• This is how  things have been since sin entered the world. Through our Lord Jesus, we are able to  remain pure in heart, mind, and eyes.  From reading about the creation story, we notice that God is the one who is in  charge of creating things. He is also in charge of developing all things that He created.  Also notice that as opposed to everything else, He created us humans by His own hand,  He fashioned our bodies and souls to be in His likeness and image. He is also the one  that develops our bodies during puberty.  
• Puberty is that specific age where God decides that your body and mind will start  to develop and start maturing until you are transformed from being a child to a fully  blossomed adult.  When you will take this lesson of puberty and physical development of your body  in school, you may not hear anything about God, the creator of your body! Isn’t that  weird?  Let me ask you this question.
• If you prepared the greatest project for school, is it  right that someone takes it and presents it the whole school as if it was his own and  not attributing it to you? Of course not! That would be wrong and unfair.  Let me ask you a follow-up question. What if after making your project you  developed and updated it for a very good purpose like helping people and making  everyone happy. Then someone took it and started to use this developed updated  version for an evil purpose, what do you think of that? Of course, that would be sinful  and evil.
• The same applies to your body that God will be actively working in developing  it during puberty and the years of adolescence, for glorifying Him by good deeds. But  Satan will try to convince you that he is the one working in it. Please be reminded and  alert of the fact that Satan is a liar and a murderer. (John 8: 44).
• Our bodies are godly and holy, in fact, we were created in the image of God Himself.  As Christ-followers, we are the children of light and we are pure. Satan tries his best  to get us in trouble by tempting us as he did with Adam and Eve. He wants us to  disobey God. He often uses the media, classmates or anyone else to take our purity  away with ungodly thoughts and actions. He often tells us things like “It’s not a big  deal – everyone else is doing it”. Or “I have to do this if I want to be popular”. Satan’s  goal is to make you forget that your body is God’s creation and to make you think that  it has nothing to do with God. Then he will invite you to use it to destroy yourself and  others. But we need to fight back and hold tight to our purity.  How can we do that? We need to be prepared!  
• Let’s find out how to be prepared. First, I want to ask you some questions. Can a  soldier fight in a war without his weapon? No. Can a teacher teach in class without  having knowledge? No. And can a fisherman catch fish without a rod or net? Of course  not.
• So, for us to be prepared, we need two things:
  • A spiritual plan
  • An educational plan.  
• First, let’s talk about having a spiritual plan. Ephesians 6:10-13 talks about the  armor of God. We are to put on not just part of the armor, but the whole armor of God.  That armor will allow us to stand up to Satan and the temptations he throws at us.  Like we said before, Satan uses all sorts of tricks to get us to sin. His goal is to cause  us to sin and then to be so discouraged that we give up trying to be pure. But we know  that if we are truly sorry for our actions, we can pray and ask God to forgive us. If we  repent, God is merciful and loving and grants us forgiveness.  
• So, our spiritual plan is to put on the armor of God so we can be protected against  Satan’s attacks. What about the educational plan? Knowledge gives us power. And 1  Corinthians 2:16 says that we have the mind of Christ.  
• We need to fill our minds with God’s word, which helps us know the difference  between right and wrong. During this phase of your life, we as Sunday school servants  know that you are growing and changing, and we want to help you through these  changes. As we said before, puberty can be a bit confusing if you don’t know what to  expect. So, you need to have the right information. But you also need to realize that  not everyone has the correct information. Your parents and Sunday school servants  are good people to ask if you have questions. Your school friends are probably not an  accurate source for correct information. Please remember that you can come to us with  questions and we will do our best to help guide you.  
• So, at this time of your life, you’re considered “a tween”. You’re no longer a kid,  but you’re not quite an adult yet. You’re in between stages and your body is starting  to go through many changes. In the next few years, you’ll be making lots of tough  choices, which can affect you in many ways.
• The good news is that all these changes you are going through are normal and  handled by God’s own hidden hands. Not only that, but these are among the healthiest  years of your life. It’s important to remember that God is in charge of all the changes  you are going through. This includes how your mind is growing, how your body is  changing and how your feelings might be different than before.  The best news is that even though you are changing, you are still YOU. Puberty and  adolescence are normal stages of life that every child goes through. God created your  body to work according to His plan. Your growing and changing body might be a  mystery to you, but not to God, He designed it very carefully. We, humans, are the  most amazing creation of God, and the Bible tells us that we were wonderfully made  according to His likeness and image. 

Quick break

• Let’s review some of the physical  changes you might be going through.  
• During puberty, you should expect to  grow in your height and weight.
• The  skin on your face may change and not  be as clear as before.
• You might be  extra tired and feel like you need to  sleep more.
• You also might be  hungrier than before. From His great  love and care, God has prepared a specific hormone (a chemical in your body) called  Estrogen, which is responsible for your growth as a girl to be a young lady and blossom  to be a fully mature adult in the near future.  
• These specific body changes are the following:  
  • 1. Breast development begins between 8 and 13 years of age and continues  through puberty.  
  • 2. The growth of pubic hair starts between 8 and14 years of age and  continues through puberty, the hair becomes darker and coarser and grows  like an inverted triangle.  
  • 3. Growth spurt and weight gain are perfectly normal. Without gaining  this weight, you cannot grow taller and develop the female body.  
  • 4. Underarm hair begins to grow about 2 years after pubic hair shows up.
  • 5.Development of sweat glands which increases sweating. (This requires frequent baths and attention to personal hygiene
  • 6. Acne: Small pimples may appear in the face due to clogging of sweat gland, this needs face washing with lukewarm water twice daily. Avoid touching them to avoid infection.
  • 7. Menstruation: Two years or so after your breasts start to probably get your first period that usually lasts about 2-8 days and comes every 21 to 35 days. A 28-day cycle is common however;, it takes a while before your periods are regular.
    • This is briefly how it workS: Each month, the lining of your uterus thickens with blood, that lining sheds off every month and blood comes out of your private parts. Please don't be scared, this is perfectly normal and all women you know have gone through it safely. Only 2-3 tablespoons of blood are released during your period, but it can seem like a lot more. You have to use special pads during this time; your mom or female servant can help you choose the most suitable brand for your body. Don't worry, all the girls your age and up will be using them! Remember, personal hygiene is extremely important.
  • 8. Vaginal discharge: You may notice white, sticky stuff in your underpants. That's the fluid that keeps your private parts moist and clean. Vaginal discharge may become thicker and stickier at some points during your menstrual cycle. It has a slight odor, but most people can't smell it. Bathing regularly with soap can help reduce the odor. If your private parts become itchy or the discharge has a strong odor or is dark yellow or greenish, you may have an infection and you need to see your doctor.

Quick break!

Remember these very important points about your physical development:

1. Each one of you will go through these changes at different times and rates So, don't worry if you are growing quicker or slower than others. God's timing for you is perfect.
2. These changes are performed by God's blessing and hidden hand that works inside of your body.
   
3. It is for a great cause, and that is, developing you as His mature young man/lady representing Him amongst other humans that may not know Him.
4. Therefore, these changes are very holy and are preparing you to be God’s  Holy man/lady in the near future.
5. These changes should not be a subject for worldly exploration or ungodly  discussions.
6. Be specifically careful from watching any ungodly videos or images that can  destroy God’s beautiful image in your mind. 
7. Be very careful not to engage in any inappropriate exploratory touching  whether of your own private organs or those of others that can turn into  ungodly habits.
8. If you by any chance fall into any of the above-mentioned ungodly habits,  please consult with your father of confession as early as possible to help you  get rid of them through the grace of God.  

Conclusion  

• Today, we reviewed how God created everything, and that He created the first  humans with His own hands at His likeness and image. Today, He is about to work in  your holy body and develop it to become a blossomed adult to glorify His name. It is  our duty to keep our bodies pure for Him.  After Adam and Eve sinned, all people had to deal with temptation. We must  consciously work hard to keep ourselves pure. We can keep our bodies pure by being  prepared.
•  This includes putting on the armor of God and having the mind of Christ. We can  stay on course by keeping God’s commandments and staying away from people,  things, places or situations that tempt us  
• Remember, knowledge is power, so reach out to trusted adults, such as your father  of confession, parents, and Sunday school teachers about any questions you may have.  
• That is why we had you and your parents here today. Don’t be afraid to ask any  questions that you may have and we will answer them with the truth of God. We want  you to be informed with correct information so that you have an understanding and  are not confused.  
• Please do not rely on the TV, movies, the Internet or magazines for information.  
• Remember, all the changes you are going through are normal and you are not  alone. God loves you and has a special plan just for you.