Teachers in preschool Sunday school and children’s church do far more than provide our children a safe place to play while we learn and worship. They also teach. Under the teachers’ care, our children learn that God created the world and is watching over them. They learn the church is where they are loved. They also learn the importance of good relationships.

One minute, two children will be sitting next to one another, happily playing with their toys. In the next minute, one of them will try to take the other one’s toy away. If she does not get her way, she is fully prepared to escalate the tug-of-war into an all-out battle. Our teachers use that moment to teach important lessons about sharing, how to be kind to one another, and proper ways to resolve differences.

One minute, two children will be sitting next to one another, happily playing with their toys. In the next minute, one of them will try to take the other one’s toy away.”

Children surely need to learn these lessons, but they are not alone. Adults could use the same lessons our preschool and children’s teachers are teaching every week. James showed us that fights and quarrels are deeply rooted in our sinful human nature.