Day 4: A New Kind of Leader (Servant vs. Tyrant)

Theobot was learning that the leader of God's Kin-dom was very different from Pharaoh. Pharaoh sat on a throne and gave orders. He shouted, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him...?" (Exodus 5:2). He was a tyrant who cared only about his own power.

Then Theobot read about Jesus. On the night before he died, Jesus, the true king, did something shocking. He knelt down and washed his disciples' feet, a job for the lowest servant (John 13:12–17). He taught them, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:26).

Theobot's circuits buzzed. In God's Kin-dom, a true leader isn't a boss; a true leader is a servant.

Key Question: What kind of leaders do we follow—and what kind will we be?

Challenge 1: Theobot the Tyrant

Let's program Theobot to act like Pharaoh, a tyrant leader.

  1. Place several smaller objects (like blocks or bottle caps) on the table. These are her "subjects."
  2. Program Theobot to move around the objects in a commanding way. She should circle them, keeping them "in line."
  3. Make her lights a single, harsh color, like a bright, glaring white.
  4. Have her make a loud, bossy, buzzing sound.
  5. Use the print block to display "OBEY ME" on her LED screen.

Challenge 2: Theobot the Servant

Now, Theobot will model the servant leadership of Jesus.

  1. Reset the objects on the table.
  2. Program Theobot to approach one of the objects slowly and gently.
  3. Have Theobot perform an act of service. For example, she could gently nudge the object to a "better" spot (like inside a circle you draw). Or she could "bow" to the object by moving forward and backward slightly. She also has an accelerometer, so you could experiment with getting her beak light to turn green if you manually make her bow.
  4. Change her lights to a warm and gentle color, like yellow or orange.
  5. Have her play a soft, humming sound.
  6. Use the print block to display a heart (<3) or the word "SERVE" on her LED screen. Theobot is showing that true greatness comes from serving others.