Middle School Seventh Grade LYF Group Curriculum › docs › students › ms › 7-Grade... ·...

Middle School Seventh Grade LYF Group Curriculum NAME ___________________________

Yellow = Receiving

and living out the Light of Truth

Session 1/Introduction to the RYO Life, Part 1

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GAME: The RYO Path

1. For this game, you’ll work together to move a ping pong ball along a path on your table that crosses the Red sheet, the Yellow sheet, and the Orange sheet of paper in

correct order. You can only move the ping pong ball by blowing on it. Careful, as you

want to work together – not against each other!

2. One person places the ball on one end of the table along the edge. Then they blow on the ping pong ball to direct it toward the RED sheet of paper.

3. Teammates then blow the ball to direct it to follow the correct path: RED, then YELLOW, then ORANGE.

4. If the ball doesn’t go exactly from Red, to Yellow, to Orange (or falls off the table), start over.

5. During a turn, you cannot touch the ball or the paper, and you must start the ball on the edge of the table.

6. When you succeed, start over. You just got one point! Keep track of how many points your team gets!

get ‘em talking

Welcome to the RYO Life! “RYO” stands for 3 colors: Red, Yellow, Orange. Each color represents a core value of LYF Middle School. If you “travel on the path” of these 3 values, you will be a fully-committed follower of Jesus! If you’re missing one of these colors in your life, you’re missing out on the abundant life God has designed for you!

Before we discuss what the first color means, here are a few questions to discuss:

1. Who is one of the strongest followers of Jesus that you know?

2. How do you know they’re strong? What makes them different from others?

Chances are, everything you just described fall under one of the 3 RYO colors! These first two sessions will give you a taste of what RYO is all about. Once we finish the study, we pray you’ll desire to grow in all 3 areas! Now let’s discuss what Red means!

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What is Red? Embracing the ___________________________________!

Red is ____________________________ the Love of Christ through ______________ (Eph. 2:8-9; Jn. 3:16)

Believing His love was fully given when He died on the cross to take my punishment.

Trusting that the blood of Jesus to rescue me from the eternal wrath I deserved.

Knowing that being a Christian is not a one-time event; it’s a lifelong, loving relationship with Jesus.

Red is ______________________________ the Love of Christ through ______________ (Matt. 22:37-39; Rom. 12:1)

Worshiping Him the way He deserves, through passionately singing praises to Him.

Worshiping Him when the music stops, through prayer and reflecting on Him.

Worshiping Him through my lifestyle, by “offering my body as a living sacrifice.”

Red is ________________ the Love of Christ through ____________________________ (Eph. 2:10; Matt. 22:40)

Allowing Christ-centered people to love me, letting down my walls.

Breaking through the walls of cliques, social status, race, and beliefs.

Building a safe place for all people to be accepted and loved, without exception.

Discuss: Which of the 3 areas of Red are you already strong? What areas need growth?

get ‘em committing

Pick the Next Step(s) that will be challenging for you. Don’t pick it unless you are truly committed to it! Write your Next Step in your LYF Group Journal.

What Next Step does God want you to take when it comes to the Love of Christ? a. Receiving the Love of Christ into your life for the first time (salvation). b. Responding to the Love of Christ by worshiping Him, praying to Him, or living for Him. c. Sharing the Love of Christ by building stronger Christian friendships. d. Something else?

get ‘em sharing

Get into groups of 2-3 kids (if the group is bigger than 3 kids), sit in a circle.

Take out your LYF Group Journal, open to your prayer list.

Discuss how God impacted you during tonight’s message: what challenged, inspired, or encouraged you?

Discuss how God impacted you during the LYF Group study: what challenged, inspired, or encouraged you?

Review past prayer requests – any answers? Take new prayer requests.

Accountability: discuss how things are REALLY going with God. o What relationship(s) can I pray for? o What do YOU need to do to make that relationship better? o How is your personal prayer time doing? o What have you been studying in the Bible on your own? o What did you learn and apply to your life? o What sin(s) or struggles can I pray for? o Who have you shared Christ with recently? How did it go?

Pray for the person to your right - include any commitments made that night, as well as what was shared during the accountability time.

Session 2/Introduction to the RYO Life, Part 2

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GAME: The RYO Path

7. See instructions from last week.

get ‘em talking

Last week we reviewed the first color of the RYO Life – Red. Who remembers what Red represents? What three ways do we experience Red?

Before we discuss what the next two colors mean, here are a few questions to discuss:

3. Who knows what Yellow stands for? Who knows what Orange stands for?

Now let’s discuss in greater detail what Yellow and Orange mean!

get ‘em learning

What is Yellow? Embracing the ___________________________ – God’s Word!

Yellow is _____________________ the Light of Truth through ____________________ (Ps. 119:104-105; Heb. 4:12)

Realizing I won’t really know myself unless I know God’s Word.

Understanding that reading the Bible is not enough to know God’s Word; I must study it to know it.

Committing to regularly study the Bible in a way that leads to life change.

Yellow is __________________________ the Light of Truth through _______________ (Jam. 1:22-25)

Remembering God’s Word after I receive it, not forgetting what needs to change.

Responding to God’s Word, obeying what I’ve been called to do (or stop doing).

Rejoicing that God’s Word is like a strong fence: keeping the bad out and good in.

Yellow is ____________ the Light of Truth through _____________________________ (1 Jn. 1:5-10)

Allowing Christ-centered adults to mentor me, guiding me out of shadows, and into the Light.

Sharing the truth with accountability partners; killing shame, pride, fear and comfort.

Mentoring someone younger than me to walk in the Light of Truth.

What is Orange? Sharing the ________ and the __________ with the _________!

Orange is ______________________ for the Lost to be saved (Matt. 9:35-38; Eph. 6:19)

Praying for hearts to be softened to the Love of Christ and the Light of Truth.

Praying for timing, wisdom, courage & ability to share the Love of Christ & the Light of Truth.

Praying for people to respond by faith to the Love of Christ & the Light of Truth.

Orange is sharing the ________________________________________ with the Lost (Lk. 15:1-7; 1 Cor. 9:19)

Befriending & caring for people who are lost, regardless of their beliefs or lifestyle.

Showing the lost the Love of Christ through by my words, actions, and attitude.

Loving the lost – not to merely convert them, but to value them as lost sheep.

Orange is sharing the __________________________________________ with the Lost (Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Pet. 3:15)

Looking for strategic opportunities (“on ramps”) to share the Light of Truth.

Asking key questions that lead to deeper conversations about God.

Preparing to “give an answer for the hope that I have.”

Discuss:

1. Which of the 3 areas of Yellow are you already strong? What areas need growth? 2. Which of the 3 areas of Orange are you already strong? What areas need growth?



What Next Step does God want you to take when it comes to the Light of Truth? e. Receive the Light of Truth through regular, personal Bible study. f. Respond to the Light of Truth by joyfully obeying God’s teaching in the Bible. g. Share the Light of Truth by being honest about your life with a trusted friend. h. Something else?

What Next Step does God want you to take when it comes to “Being Orange?” a. Start praying for the lost people in your life to be saved. b. Start loving lost people (befriending them with a deeper Love of Christ). c. Share the Light of Truth with lost people (presenting the Gospel message). d. Something else?

get ‘em sharing Use the accountability partner guide.

Session 3/Receiving Yellow: Why study the Bible?

get ‘em going

GAME: Study Hall

1. For this game, you’re going to compete with each other to see who can remember the most from seeing a picture for 30 seconds!

2. When the leader says GO, turn the picture over and study it for 30 seconds. 3. Try to remember everything in the picture. You may not take notes. 4. When the time is up, everyone crumples their picture into a ball. 5. The Leader reads the 10 questions. Give 10 seconds to answer each question. 6. Once all 10 questions are asked, the Leader then reads the answers.

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Tonight we’re talking about why it’s so important to open up the Bible on a regular basis. It’s hard! Many times, it feels like we’re staring at the pages of the Bible, trying to get something out of the experience. But it often feels more like we’re playing tonight’s game: staring at a random picture, trying to cram stuff into our heads!

If you’ve heard Mark say this before, complete this phrase: “Never read the Bible… (Study it!)” We all know we’re supposed to study the Bible. It’s just something that Christians do. But what’s the big deal? Why is it so important to receive God’s Word, respond to God’s Word, and share God’s Word?

Before we discuss why Bible study is so important, here are some questions to discuss:

1. How much time do you usually spend studying the Bible on your own? 2. What are some reasons why you enjoy studying the Bible – if any? 3. What are some reasons why you don’t study the Bible more? 4. Do you agree with this statement: You cannot really know God unless you really

know God’s Word. If that’s true, do you really know God? Why or why not?

Tonight’s goal is to inspire us to study the Bible much more than we currently do! Let’s leave here with a deeper passion for Bible study, having the Light of Truth shine brighter in us! Open God’s Word and see why we should study it in the first place!

get ‘em learning

We Study the Bible to _____________________

To know God’s attributes (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

God’s character (what He’s like), and God’s qualities (what He does).

To know God’s ways (Psalm 119:9-11)

What God is for, and what God is against.

To know God’s promises (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

Blessings to those who obey Him, and judgment to those who disobey Him.

We Study the Bible to _______________________________________________

To know our role in the battle (1 Peter 2:9)

Who we were without Christ, who we are in Christ, and what our purpose is for Christ.

To know the Enemy’s role in the battle (Ephesians 6:11-12)

How the Enemy thinks & attacks, and how he is defeated.

We Study the Bible to __________________________________________

To know right from wrong (2 Timothy 3:16)

In thinking, speaking, and acting correctly.

To know wisdom from foolishness (Psalm 19:7-8)

In dealing with relationships & possessions, and in choosing between good options.

To know freedom from slavery (Romans 6:17-18)

From destructive thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and actions.

Discuss: 1. What are your top 3 favorite things about God? What is something about God that

confuses or frustrates you? Do you think God is easy to know, or hard to know? Why? 2. How often do you think about spiritual warfare? Describe a time when you sensed

the Enemy’s influence in your life. How did you overcome it? 3. Why do we often resist knowing & doing God’s best, as described in the Bible? What’s

a recent example of you using the Bible to know and do God’s best for your life?



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? i. Joyfully study the Bible for 10 more minutes each day. j. Memorize a Bible verse each day about areas you tend to struggle. k. Use what you study each day in a conversation with an unbeliever. l. Something else?


Session 4/Receiving Yellow: Can we trust the Bible?

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GAME: Is it in the Bible? 1. For this game, you’re going to compete with each other to see who knows which

phrases have their roots in the Bible, and which phrases come from somewhere else. 2. The leader will read each sentence or phrase: 3. The students will write YES (if it IS in the Bible) or NO (if it ISN’T in the Bible). 4. At the end, the leader will give the answers.

get ‘em talking

Tonight we’ll discuss why we can trust the Bible. This is so important! If it’s not reliable, our faith is also unreliable. Why? All of what Christians believe is found in the pages of Scripture. However, if it is reliable, we all must adjust our faith to what the Bible teaches.

How can we be sure we’re right, and not the other “holy books”? What separates the Bible from the Book of Mormon (Mormonism), the Talmud (Judaism), the Quran (Islam), and others? Before we see if the Bible is reliable, here are some discussion questions:

5. If you discovered flaws in the Bible, would you be a Christian? Why or why not? 6. If someone were to ask you to prove to them that the Bible was true, what is one

piece of evidence you would give them?

Ironically, tonight’s study on the Bible’s reliability won’t have Bible verses to look up. Instead, our time will be spent discussing the evidence given for the Bible’s reliability, using the acronym F.A.C.E.S.

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How we know the Bible is trustworthy: F_________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ Hundreds of prophecies about key historical events are fulfilled with 100% accuracy!

Out of the 48 major prophecies just about Jesus (not including 300 other ones), every one of them was fulfilled in his lifetime! They were all written at least 500 years before his birth. That is mathematically impossible to randomly accomplish.

How we know the Bible is trustworthy: A________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ None of the thousands of archaeological findings has ever overturned a Biblical fact.

Archaeologists actually use the Bible as a “map” for clues to find new sites to explore.

How we know the Bible is trustworthy: C_________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ The Bible is a collection of 66 documents, written on 3 continents, in 3 different

languages, over 1500 years by 40 different authors (most of whom never met).

Yet they never disagree with each other over complicated debates like: how the universe came into existence, the description of God, why people exist, our purpose in life, why there is evil and suffering, and what happens after death.

How we know the Bible is trustworthy: E_________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ The non-Biblical writings during the eras the Bible was written never contradict

what is in the Bible. In fact, they only reinforce what we believe!

Josephus, a non-Christian historian who wrote a generation after Jesus’ life, wrote: At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good, and (he)

was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations

became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified to die. And those who had become

his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them

three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive.

How we know the Bible is trustworthy: S_________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ Even though the Bible isn’t intended to be a science textbook, it amazingly never

contradicts what we know today to be true about the universe – facts the ancient authors could never have known without the aid of a telescope or satellite.

The main disagreements between Biblical science and today’s secular scientists revolve around philosophy and theory, not scientific facts: who created it all, why it happened, and how it happened.

NOTE: this study doesn’t even include ALL of the reasons why the Bible is true! All 25,000 manuscripts of the New Testament reinforce the original accuracy.

The Bible is full of negative accounts if its flawed heroes. A fairy tale wouldn’t do this!

The early Church willingly endured torture & death for what they knew to be true. They wouldn’t die for what they knew was a lie! The Church actually grew through it!

The Bible has dramatically changed lives for the good. People who live according to the Bible’s teaching are changing the world – even today!

Discuss:

Why is it important that Biblical prophecy is fulfilled 100% accurately? What would

you believe about the Bible if even one of the prophecies didn’t come true?

Why does it matter than non-Christians confirmed what that Bible taught?

Weigh the evidence for the Bible’s reliability versus the views you hear sometimes at school or in the media. Which is more convincing? Why?



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? m. Have a new love for the Bible, seeing it as a reliable book to live by. n. Study more this week about the reliability of Scripture (carm.org; gotquestions.org)o. Use what you learned today in a conversation with an unbeliever. p. Something else?


Session 5/Receiving Yellow: Old Testament (Part 1)

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GAME: Are they in the Bible? 2. For this game, you’re going to compete in teams of two players to see who can

name the most people mentioned in the Old Testament! 3. Each team gets 2 minutes to write down all the names of characters in the Old

Testament. No cheating! You can’t use your Bibles! 4. At the end, the first group will read their list. 5. If any group(s) also has that name written down, the name gets eliminated! It

doesn’t count! So be sure to pick names most people might forget or not know! 6. Continue until all the groups have read their list. The team with the most

remaining names wins!

get ‘em talking

Tonight we’re starting a FAST journey through the entire Bible! The goal is for each of us to understand how and why the Bible is divided into many sections, and how each division works perfectly together to communicate exactly one amazing message! We want you to understand this to help you study the Bible better. This will help you easily answer many questions that may come up when you study the Bible.

Our first section will be committed to understanding the Old Testament. Before we

begin, here are some discussion questions:

7. How many can you recite from memory the books of the Old Testament in order? 8. On a scale of 1-10, how well do you know and understand the teachings and

stories from the Old Testament. Why is that true for you?

The word “testament” means covenant, which is an unbreakable promise – like a sworn contract. The Old Testament deals primarily with the “covenant” relationship between God and the nation of Israel.

But it also points to the new unbreakable promise, fulfilled by the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ! We can’t fully understand and appreciate this new promise until we understand the old promise.

Next week we’ll study the last two parts of the Old Testament. Today we’ll cover the first two parts of the Old Testament: The Books of the Law and The Books of History. Let’s get learning!

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Part 1: The Books of ______________ (or “Pentateuch”) Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Purpose: Deals with the creation of Israel and God establishing a covenant relationship with Israel. Laws are written to help Israel obey and worship God.

People: Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Lot, Melchizedek, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua

Key highlights: Creation, the Fall, the Tower of Babel, the Flood and Noah’s ark, Abraham’s calling by God, the plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments, the Ark of the Covenant, the miracle of manna while wandering in the wilderness.

Point: We cannot perfectly keep God’s _____________________, so we need a

______________________________________________.

Summary Text: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Part 2: The Books of ___________________ Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st & 2nd Kings, 1st & 2nd Chronicles, Ezra,

Nehemiah, Esther

Purpose: Records Israel's history, its victories and successes along with its defeats and failures. Warriors and kings rule Israel.

People: Joshua, Gideon, Samson, Ruth, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Key highlights: miraculous parting of the Jordan River, conquest of the Promised Land (including the Battle of Jericho), David & Goliath, David becomes King

Point: When we follow _________ leadership, we will be _____________________.

When we follow _________ leadership, we will have _______________.

Summary Text: 1 Samuel 8:4-9

Discuss:

Imagine living during this time in history. What differences would there be with your worship of God?

Who are some of your favorite characters from the Book of the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy) or the Books of History? Why?

What are some of your favorite stories from these books? Why?

Why are these books still important for Christians to study today? What can we learn from them that helps our walk with God?



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? q. Stop trying to earn God’s approval through obedience. Trust in the perfect sacrifice. r. Start studying one of the books we just covered. (Which one?)s. Start trusting in God’s leadership more and more, even if it means sharing Christ. t. Something else?


Session 6/Receiving Yellow: Old Testament (Part 2)

get ‘em going (5:30-5:45pm)

GAME: Are they in the Bible? 7. For this game, you’re going to compete in teams of two players to see who can

name the most places mentioned in the Old Testament! 8. Each team gets 2 minutes to write down all the names of cities and nations in the

Old Testament. No cheating! You can’t use your Bibles! 9. At the end, the first group will read their list. 10. If any group(s) also has that name written down, the name gets eliminated! It



get ‘em talking (5:45-5:55pm)

We’re continuing our FAST journey through the entire Bible! The goal is for each of us to understand how and why the Bible is divided into many sections, and how each division works perfectly together to communicate exactly one amazing message! We want you to understand this to help you study the Bible better. This will help you easily answer many questions that may come up when you study the Bible.

Our first section will be committed to understanding the Old Testament. We started last week, and we’re finishing today with learning about Poetry & Wisdom, and The Prophets. Before we begin, here are some discussion questions:

9. Do you believe everything written in the Bible is supposed to be taken literally? Why or why not?

10. What are some common examples of symbolic phrases we use today? Why do people use symbolic language?

These next two sections of the Old Testament have amazing literal truths wrapped in a lot of symbolic language. While it can sometimes be a mystery as to what we should take literally versus what we should take symbolically, we can still gain so much from these books of the Bible!

get ‘em learning (5:55-6:20pm)

Part 3: The Books of _________________________________________________ Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Solomon)

Purpose: gives us a more intimate look at God's relationship with Israel and His passion for Israel to worship and obey Him.

People: Job, David, Solomon

Key highlights: Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my Shepherd…”), Psalm 51 (David’s confession), Proverbs 31 (A Godly Woman)

Point: ______________________ God and following His ________________ will

lead to ______________________.

Summary Text: Proverbs 3:13-18

Part 4: The Books of _______________________________ Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,

Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Purpose: God's call to Israel to repent from its idolatry and unfaithfulness and to return to a relationship of obedience and faithfulness to God.

People (besides the prophets): King Nebuchadnezzar, King Darius

Key highlights: Isaiah 53 (the Suffering Servant); Daniel 3 (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego); Daniel 6 (the lion’s den); Jonah and the “Great Fish.”

Point: ___________________ leads to ____________________________ from God.

_________________________ leads to ____________________________ from God.

Summary Text: Ezekiel 18:30-32

Discuss:

Do you prefer to read from historical books with stories, or from more poetic books like Psalms and Proverbs? Why?

When you hear that a book of the Bible is a “prophetic” book, what do many people assume it’s all about? While much of these books do that, they also speak a lot about repentance. Put yourself in the Israelites’ shoes. If a prophet told you to quit sinning, would you? Why or why not?

Why are these books still important for Christians to study today? What can we learn from them that helps our walk with God?

get ‘em committing (6:20-6:25pm)


What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? u. Study a Psalm a day for the rest of the school year. v. Study a Proverb a day for the rest of the school year. (You’ll have to repeat them.) w. Study all the prophetic books for the rest of the school year. x. Something else?


Session 7/Receiving Yellow: The Gospels (Part 1)

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GAME: Is it in the Bible? 12. For this game, you’re going to compete in teams of two players to see who can

name the most people mentioned in the Gospels! 13. Each team gets 2 minutes to write down all the names of characters in the books of

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. No cheating! You can’t use your Bibles! 14. At the end, the first group will read their list. 15. If any group(s) also has that name written down, the name gets eliminated! It



get ‘em talking

We’re continuing our FAST journey through the entire Bible! The goal is for each of us to understand how and why the Bible is divided into many sections, and how each division works perfectly together to communicate exactly one amazing message!

The past two sessions, we saw how the Old Testament (“Covenant,” or an unbreakable promise) all pointed to JESUS. The first five books (the Law) showed us our need for a perfect SACRIFICE. The next set of books (History) showed us our need for a perfect KING of kings. The third group (Poetry) showed us our need for a wise TEACHER to guide us through life. The final set of books (Prophets) showed us our need for repentance and obedience to the coming MESSIAH.

Over the next two sessions, we’ll cover the Gospels. These are the four books that record the life of the One to whom the Old Testament kept pointing: Jesus Christ. Before we begin, here are some discussion questions:

11. As a group, how many of the twelve apostles can you name? 12. Why do you think there four different books in the Bible about the same person?

Each of the four Gospels was written to a unique group of people, and for a unique purpose. We’re going to learn about the differences in each Gospel. This will help us appreciate why they were written, as well as learn how to study each book more effectively in the future.

get ‘em learning

Matthew: written to a _________________ audience Matthew was an apostle, and an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry.

His focus was on convincing people with Jewish backgrounds that Jesus really was the promised Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.

As a result, Matthew used the most Old Testament quotations about the prophecy of the Jewish Messiah – over 60! He also had the most detailed genealogy connected to Abraham and King David, which would have mattered to a Jewish reader.

He even used many terms and ideas that only Jews would have understood without bothering to explain them.

Key highlights: Jesus’ birth; Jesus’ baptism; the Temptation in the Wilderness; the Sermon on the Mount; many parables and teachings, including the Golden Rule; Jesus’ arrest, torture, crucifixion, and resurrection; the Great Commission.

Point: Jesus _____________________ all ___________________________________

to surely be the promised ___________________.

Summary Text: Matthew 5:17.

Mark: written to a _______________ audience Mark was not an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry, but relied on the apostle Peter for

his information.

His focus was on convincing persecuted Christians that their faith was not in vain.

Mark is a fast-moving book with a lot of action words like immediately & suddenly.

He wrote much more about what Jesus did than what Jesus taught. As a result, there are many more miracles than parables described in this book.

Mark’s audience mostly lived away from Israel, so he had to describe locations and Jewish terms.

Key highlights: Jesus’ baptism; Jesus’ miracles; the Transfiguration; Jesus’ arrest, torture, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Point: Jesus ________________________ for you & ________________ you, so you

may ____________ for Him & _____________ others.

Summary Text: Mark 10:45

Discuss:

Imagine being one of the Gospel writers. What area of Jesus’ life would you focus on the most: His teachings, His miracles, His personal life, or something else? Why?

What is one of your favorite stories about Jesus from the Gospels? (Help them think through Jesus’ experiences with people, or things Jesus did (birth, temptation, death, rising, etc.) Why is that meaningful for you?

Why is the Gospel of Matthew so important for Christians to study today?

Why is the Gospel of Mark so important for Christians to study today?



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? y. Study Matthew or Mark for the rest of the school year. z. Regularly share with a believer what you’ve been studying. aa. Regularly share with a nonbeliever what you’ve been studying. bb. Something else?


Session 8/Receiving Yellow: The Gospels (Part 2)

get ‘em going


name the most places mentioned in the Gospels! 18. Each team gets 2 minutes to write down all the names of cities, regions, and

countries in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. No cheating! You can’t use your Bibles!

19. At the end, the first group will read their list. 20. If any group(s) also has that name written down, the name gets eliminated! It



get ‘em talking

We’re continuing our FAST journey through the entire Bible! The goal is for each of us to understand how and why the Bible is divided into many sections, and how each division works perfectly together to communicate exactly one amazing message!

Right now we’re talking about the Gospels accounts of Jesus. Each of the four Gospels was written to a unique group of people, and for a unique purpose. We’ve been learning about the differences in each Gospel. This will help us appreciate why they were written, as well as learn how to study each book more effectively in the future.

The last session covered the first two Gospel accounts: Matthew and Mark. Today we’ll look at the other two books: Luke and John. Before we begin, here are some discussion questions:

13. If the Gospels were never written, or you were never able to read them, would you still believe in Jesus? Why or why not?

14. If a nonbeliever asked you the reasons why you trust in Jesus as your Savior and God, what would you tell them?

get ‘em learning

Luke: written to a _____________ audience

Luke was not an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry, but relied on his careful research of eyewitnesses.

Luke was a doctor, and was very detailed in his research and description of events.

Often called “the most beautiful book ever written,” as Luke carefully wrote with great skill. He includes unique details that the other Gospel accounts leave out.

Key highlights: unique stories and teaching, including the greatest details into Jesus’ birth, childhood; the Good Samaritan; the Prodigal Son; the Road to Emmaus.

Point: Jesus had compassion on the “_____________________________________,” so we should too.

Summary Text: Luke 1:1-4; Luke 4:18-21

John: written to a _________________________________________ audience

John is the most unique of the four Gospel accounts.

John doesn’t do a step-by-step story like the other Gospel writers.

He spends much of his book writing about theological beliefs regarding Jesus’ deity, combatting false teaching that was spreading among the 2nd-generation Christians.

His biggest battle was against Gnostics, who didn’t believe that Jesus was both “fully man” and “fully God.” Gnostics believed that anything physical was evil, so Jesus could not be both God and human.

Key highlights: unique stories and teaching, including turning water into wine; the story of Nicodemus (being “born again” and John 3:16); the Samaritan woman at the well; rescuing the adulterous woman from being stoned; raising Lazarus from the dead; washing the disciples’ feet; doubting Thomas.

Point: Jesus is fully God and fully man, making him the perfect “________________

_______________________” sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Summary Text: John 20:31

Discuss:

Who is someone you know who doesn’t believe in Jesus because they don’t have enough proof to believe? How can the Gospel of Luke, with its attention to detailed evidence, be a great resource for people like them?

Who is someone you know who doesn’t believe in Jesus because they believe a different religion? How can the Gospel of John, with its focus on Christian beliefs, be a great resource for people like them?

What’s your favorite unique story or teaching from Luke? Why?

What’s your favorite unique story or teaching from John? Why?

Why is the Gospel of Luke so important for Christians to study today?

Why is the Gospel of John so important for Christians to study today?



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? cc. Study Luke or John for the rest of the school year. dd. Regularly share with a believer what you’ve been studying. ee. Regularly share with a nonbeliever what you’ve been studying. ff. Something else?


Session 9/Receiving Yellow: The Letters (Part 1)

get ‘em going


name the most people mentioned in the New Testament letters! 23. Each team gets 2 minutes to write down all the names of characters in the books of

Acts-Revelation. No cheating! You can’t use your Bibles! 24. At the end, the first group will read their list. 25. If any group(s) also has that name written down, the name gets eliminated! It



get ‘em talking

We’re nearing the end of our FAST journey through the entire Bible! The goal is for each of us to understand how and why the Bible is divided into many sections, and how each division works perfectly together to communicate exactly one amazing message!

So far, we’ve studied the Old Testament and the Gospels. This next session focuses on the books written after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. We’re talking about the Letters to the newborn Church. Each of these letters was written for a specific purpose and focus, all with the aim of helping Christians follow Jesus fully.

Most of this section involves the Letters, or Epistles. The two exceptions are The Book of Acts, which is the historical account of the early Church, and The Revelation of John, which is a prophetic book about God’s future battle and victory over Satan and his allies.

These books were written to different communities during the early stages of the Church, mostly focusing on (a) what Christians believe about Jesus, and (b) how to live as a result of this belief. While each book was targeting their audience’s needs, the teaching is amazingly applicable thousands of years later! But before we begin this study, here are some discussion questions:

15. On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you in studying the Bible on your own? Why is that?

16. Who is someone you know who studies the Bible very well? What makes them different from you?

Next session, we’re going to expand on these two broad themes of (a) Christian beliefs and (b) our response to beliefs. The goal is that, when you finish, you’ll have a strong desire to study both types of teaching! We want you digging deeper on your own!

But before we approach those two areas, we’ll discuss basic tips in studying the Letters in this session. We want to equip you study them accurately and effectively!

get ‘em learning

Study: what should we _____ when studying the Letters?

Determine the _________________. Who is writing this? What unique background does this author bring to his writing? What similarities or differences do you have with this author?

Determine the _________________________________. To whom is this written? Where did they live? What circumstances was this community experiencing? What is unique about this community from other first-century Christians? What similarities and differences did this audience have in common with us today?

Determine the __________________. What situation was the author trying to address? What ideas, phrases, or words are repeated throughout the book?

Determine the _______________________________. How can these writings apply to your life? What needs to adjust in your life to match what you’re being taught?

Summary Text: 2 Timothy 2:15

Discuss:

Instead of discussion questions, we’re going to practice studying a passage from one of the Epistles. Open up to Romans 1:1-10.

Have one person read aloud, slowly, while the others look for clues to answer each area. Go through each of the four steps to studying an Epistle (above).



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? gg. Study an Epistle for the rest of the school year. hh. Regularly share with a believer what you’ve been studying. ii. Regularly share with a nonbeliever what you’ve been studying. jj. Something else?


Session 10/Receiving Yellow: The Letters (Part 2)

get ‘em going


name the most places mentioned in the New Testament letters! 28. Each team gets 2 minutes to write down all the names of cities, regions, or nations

in the books of Acts-Revelation. No cheating! You can’t use your Bibles! 29. At the end, the first group will read their list. 30. If any group(s) also has that name written down, the name gets eliminated! It



get ‘em talking

We’re finishing our FAST journey through the entire Bible! The goal is for each of us to understand how and why the Bible is divided into many sections, and how each division works perfectly together to communicate exactly one amazing message!

Last session we learned how to study the Epistles, or letters written after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Each of these letters was written for a specific purpose and focus, all with the aim of helping Christians follow Jesus fully.

Today we’re going to expand on the two broad themes of each Epistle: (a) Christian beliefs and (b) our response to beliefs. The goal is that, when you finish, you’ll have a strong desire to study both types of teaching!

Before we begin this study, here are some discussion questions:

17. If you had to write a letter in the New Testament, what would you emphasize the most about following Jesus: what to believe, or how to act? Why?

18. Do you personally prefer to do a Bible study about what to believe about Christianity, or how to behave as a Christian? Why?

get ‘em learning

Theology: what do the Letters teach us to ___________________?

Who Jesus is:

o ______________________

o ________ of God

o _________________ of the world

o ____________ of kings

Who the Holy Spirit is:

o ______________________

o ______________________

o Giver of spiritual ___________

What it means to be saved by Jesus:

o by ______________ alone o through _____________ alone

What our identity is in Christ:

o ____________________ by the Father

o _____________________ of all wrongdoing

o set free from the power of ________

and ________________

o ______________________________ by God

What will occur in the afterlife and during the End Times:

o God _______!

o We live _________________ and

_____________ with Christ!

Summary Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-15

Obedience: what do the Letters teach us to ______?

How to function as a Christian community:

o church ________________

______________________

o church __________________

o church ________________________

What bad things to stop doing:

o hurting ____________

o hurting _______________

o false _________________

What good things to start (or continue) doing:

o showing ______________________________to the hurting and forgotten

o sharing the __________ and the _____________ with the ___________

Summary Text: 2 Timothy 3:16

Discuss:

Which of the five theological areas excites you the most, where you’d want to study it? Why?

Which of the three areas of obedience excites you the most, where you’d want to study it? Why?



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? kk. Begin regularly studying the Bible on your own. ll. Begin a regular Bible study with another Christian friend. mm. Begin a regular Bible study with a nonbelieving friend. nn. Something else?


Session 11/Receiving Yellow: Sword Method Training

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GAME: Sword Drill

32. For this game, you’re going to compete in four equal teams, seeing who can look up the verses the fastest!

33. Each group will be given a list of Bible verses to look up. 34. When the Leader says “Go,” flip over the list and begin looking up the verses. 35. No cheating! You must use an “old school” Bible made out of paper! 36. When your team finds the verse, write down the first 3 words of the verse. 37. You may “divide and conquer” by having some look up verses and others write

down the words. 38. At 5:45, the leader will stop the game, and determine the winner.

get ‘em talking

Tonight we’re going to teach you cool way to study the Bible. Sometimes our Bible study habits can feel like that game. We randomly open the Bible, maybe scribble down a few notes, and then move on to the next passage to conquer! Obviously this method of Bible study very rarely leads to any spiritual growth!

There are many good ways to study the Bible (and not “read the Bible!”) that do lead to spiritual growth. One of the simplest and most effective ways to study the Bible is called the Sword Method. Tonight’s material will focus on how to use this method. Next week, we’ll take time to practice it together!

Before we begin training how to do the Sword Method Bible Study, here are some

discussion questions:

19. On a scale of 1-10, how good are you at studying your Bible consistently? 20. On a scale of 1-10, how regularly does your typical Bible study change your life? 21. When you study the Bible on your own, what’s your normal routine? How do you

decide what to study? Do you write stuff down? If so, what do you write? 22. Be honest: if you were given an easy and effective way to study the Bible and apply

it to your life, would you use it? Why or why not?

On the next page is the five-step process to the Sword Method, with an explanation of each step. Today we’ll learn this process, and next week we’ll actually practice this in our group!

get ‘em learning

1. What does the Bible say about _______? What does it say about God’s nature?

What does it say about God’s values?

What does it say about God’s promises?

2. What does the Bible say about ________? What does it say about humanity’s nature?

What does it say about humanity’s relationship to God?

What does it say about humanity’s role and purpose in God’s creation?

3. Is there an ______________ to ____________? Who is doing something right in this passage? What did they do?

Who is doing something wrong in this passage? What did they do?

How does my life compare to this example?

4. Is there a ______________ to _________? What is this passage telling me to stop doing?

What is this passage telling me to start doing, or to continue doing?

What is this passage telling me to believe?

5. Now what do I ______? Don’t close the Bible until there is a clear next step!

Write a prayer to God.

Describe how you were encouraged, challenged, or taught by Him.

Commit to God any area where you see you need to repent or change.

Text: James 1:22-25

Discuss:

Why is Step 1 important? Read Col. 1:6. What do we learn about God?

Why is Step 2 important? Read Eph. 2:1-3. What do we learn about people?

Why is Step 3 important? Read Phil. 3:12-14. What example did we learn to follow?

Why is Step 4 important? Read Phil. 2:1-4. What command did we learn to obey?

Why is Step 5 important? What often prevents us from doing this step?



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? oo. Practice the Sword Method at home this week by yourself. pp. Practice the Sword Method at home this week with a family member. qq. Practice the Sword Method at school this week with a friend. rr. Something else?


Session 12/Receiving Yellow: Sword Method Practice

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GAME: Literal Christmas Caroling 1. Today we’re going to try to figure out the titles to Christmas carols, reading the

literal explanation of each title. 2. Example: “expectation of arrival to populated area, by mythical, male gift-giver”

would of course be…. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town! 3. You’ll solve 12 songs. Draw a line from the description to the matching title. 4. Play until 5:40, review answers.

get ‘em talking

During that game, some of those titles were confusing! But if you were to play the same game every Sunday night for the rest of the year, you’d eventually have no difficulty getting the answers right!

That’s how it is with studying the Bible. The more you practice studying it, the easier it becomes. After a while, studying the Bible becomes second nature! Does that mean you’ll be able to understanding everything perfectly, or that all the mystery of God’s Word will disappear? No! But you will be better prepared to wrestle with those hard truths as the come along.

Before we continue training how to do the Sword Method Bible Study, here are some

discussion questions:

23. Without looking at notes, can you remember the five parts of the Sword Method? 24. Did you try using the Sword Method since the last LYF Group? If so, how did it go?

If not, why didn’t you try it? 25. What problems do you have with the Sword Method? What are some things that

are hard for you to understand or do? Why is that?

get ‘em learning

This study is 100% focused on doing the Sword Method, helping you gain confidence in your personal Bible study. The goal: to become a “self-feeder” who doesn’t rely only on church teachers and preachers, or on devotional materials. God has something He specifically wants to tell you! Do each study with great anticipation and expectation!

We’ll be studying Galatians 5:13-26. Here are a few pointers to get the most out of any study, which you should practice today:

To begin, read it all in one sitting, to get a general idea what the passage is about.

If you’re confused, or it seems like you’re missing something, here are some pointers: o Read a paragraph or two before your section to get a better idea where the

author was going. o Figure out the context (or setting) of the book: Who wrote it, and what was his

background? Who was it written to? What were they like? What situation was

he addressing? To research, many Study Bibles have an introduction before each book. You can also use online helps, such as: gty.org/resources/bible-introductions blueletterbible.org/study/intros/esv_intros.cfm

biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible

Then read it again, slowly. Consider even stopping after each sentence.

When a word or phrase fits one of the four areas (if any), write it in that section.

Next, review your notes. What repeated patterns were there? What themes came up? What was surprising or challenging? How did you feel after reading it?

After looking at the notes, write down any next step(s) you think God wants you to take to apply His Word to your life.

Let’s try it! First read through Galatians 5:13-26 as a group. Have one person read out loud slowly, and the others follow along, taking notes.

What does Galatians 5:13-26 say about God’s ______________, _______________, or

____________________?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What does it say about our ________________, our relationship to ________, or our

__________ and __________________?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What ________ example is there to ______________, or what ________ example is

there to _____________?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What teaching is there to ___________ – where we are to stop something, start or continue something, or believe something?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Now what do I do ___________________________? What is God calling me to say, do, feel, or think? How is He asking me to repent? (Write a prayer to God.)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What Next Step(s) does God want you to take when it comes to studying the Bible? ss. Do the Sword Method on my own every day at home for the next 7 days. tt. Do the Sword Method on my own every day at home for the next 21 days. uu. Do the Sword Method with a nonbeliever I know. vv. Something else?


Session 13/Responding Yellow: Remember Forever

get ‘em going (5:30-5:45pm)

GAME: Photographic Memory Today we’re talking about how to make the stuff you learn “stick” for the rest of

your life.

Everyone has a different ability to remember things. Today, one of the leaders is going to show how strong their memory is!

get ‘em talking

Sometimes it feels like supernatural powers are needed to remember stuff. But it seems that we’d remember the things that are the most important to us! It’s amazing how quickly we forget the most important information we ever receive: God’s Word!

Before we go further, here are some questions to discuss:

1. As a group, can you remember what the main points were from the sermon TWO Sundays ago? (No cheating with notes!)

2. About how many Bible verses do you have memorized? Is memorizing Bible verses easy or hard for you? Why?

3. How frequently do you study the Bible or hear a message preached, decide to actually do what the Bible taught you that day, and then continue to live differently long after you heard this truth? Why is that?

Today we’ll learn the first strategy in Responding to Yellow, applying the Light of Truth for the rest of your life! How can we make it stick? How can we remember forever what God has taught us from His Word in a sermon, small group, or personal Bible study? A great strategy to make Yellow stick is the RE Study Method: REmove, REspond, REpeat, REmind. We’ll go over each area today!

get ‘em learning

REmove (Mark 4:13-20)

Remove any ________________ that may prevent you from hearing & responding to

God’s Word. Some obstacles may be physical (electronics, friends, bad location, etc.). Other obstacles may be internal (bad attitude, pride, stress from life events, etc.).

Take time to ________ before you study or hear a message. Simply ask God to REmove anything that may get in the way of Him having your full attention.

Go into any “Yellow” time with __________! Assume that God has something for you that will change your life for good! Get ready to receive it!

REspond (James 1:22)

Respond with _______________. Be honest with yourself about your current reality.

Admit that – just like everyone else – you are always a “work in progress” who

needs to change.

Respond with ____________. Understand that you cannot change yourself. You must trust God to change you. Don’t assume something is “too hard to change.”

Respond with ________. Believe that your life will be better if it matches God’s plans.

REpeat (Proverbs 27:17)

Repeat with a ____________ how you responded. Share with a trustworthy person what God did in your life. They can encourage you in this change.

Repeat with a ____________ how you responded. Share with a Godly adult (ideally a parent or “parent figure”) what God did in your life. They can provide wisdom and hold you accountable.

Repeat with the ______________ how you responded. This can serve as fuel for their “ministry engine”, knowing they are making a difference in someone’s life!

REmind (Deuteronomy 11:18-19)

Place “_____________________” (notes, symbols, alarms, etc.) throughout your daily routine.

When you see the Stop Sign, ______________ about how you’re doing with your change.

Make any necessary __________________________________ to get back on track.

Discuss:

When you study the Bible or hear a sermon, what distractions tend to come up? What

attitude do you usually have before studying the Bible or hearing a message? Why?

Why can people be dishonest about their current reality? Which reason(s) do you struggle with? Have you ever had a sin that you felt was “too hard to change” in your

life? Why or why not? Do you generally repent with joy, or another emotion? Why?

Who do you share the most of your “true” self? What mentor(s) do you have in your

life? Do you share with these people what God’s doing in your life? Why or why not?

What “stop signs” tend to work best for you to be reminded of things? Why?



What is one Next Step you think God wants you to take when it comes to remembering forever what God teaches you?

ww. Start taking my “Yellow Times” more seriously, preparing myself ahead of time to hear and respond to God’s Word.

xx. Start being honest with myself and others when it comes to my spiritual walk, sharing what God’s really doing in my life.

yy. Start strategically placing reminders (“Stop Signs”) of what God is doing in my life, and using them to keep me focused on these changes.

zz. Something else?


Session 14/Responding Yellow: Obey for Good

get ‘em going

GAME: Simon Says Today we’re playing the old game, Simon Says.

We’ll play until 5:45!

get ‘em talking

Obedience is one of the hardest things for people to do. Even when we’re trying to obey (like this last game), we can still easily go the wrong way.


4. Why can it be so hard to obey authorities in our lives (parents, teachers, coaches, laws, etc.)?

5. What can motivate people to obey these authorities? 6. When it comes to obeying the Ten Commandments, which one(s) do you tend to

get wrong more than others. Why is that?

Last session, we learned the first strategy in “Responding to Yellow” – Remember Forever. We REmove obstacles that distract us from God’s Word, we REspond when we hear God’s Word, we REpeat to others how we responded, and we REmind ourselves in creative ways so we don’t forget!

Tonight’s strategy in Responding to Yellow: Obey for Good. We’re going to talk about our motivation for obeying God’s Word. What is our “fuel” to do good? What good reasons should we do what God says? What good benefits come out of obedience?

There are three motivating reasons to Obey for Good: to receive guaranteed blessings, to be spared guaranteed consequences, and to glorify God in this world. We’ll unpack each of these three good motivators during this study!

get ‘em learning

Good Reason to Obey #1: to receive guaranteed __________________

Blessings on __________. (James 1:25)

Blessings in the _______________________. (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

Good Reason to Obey #2: to avoid guaranteed ____________________________

Consequences on ____________. (2 Chronicles 24:20)

Consequences in the ______________________. (Galatians 6:7-8)

Good Reason to Obey #3: to ______________ God

Your obedience to God is a _____________ in dark places, leading “sinners” to glorify God. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Discuss:

What are earthly blessings that God guarantees us when we obey His commands?

What spiritual blessing come from obeying God?

What are some earthly consequences that God guarantees us when we reject His commands?

What are spiritual consequences from disobeying God?

How does God get glorified when we obey Him?

Which of these reasons inspires you the most to obey God? Why?

If these are such good reasons to follow God’s ways, what sometimes stops you from obeying Him?

What can you do to remind yourself of the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience?



What is one Next Step you think God wants you to take when it comes to obeying for good?

aaa. Start obeying God in ways I know I’m regularly sinning against Him. bbb. Start praying for God to reveal to me areas in my life, where I unknowingly sin

against Him. Repent when He tells me something. ccc. See my obedience as God’s billboard to the lost. Take obeying God more

seriously – especially in “dark places” – because I can be a better missionary. ddd. Something else?


Session 15/Responding Yellow: Rejoice for Restrictions

get ‘em going

GAME: Mennonite Manners Place the pen in the middle of the playing area. Players each roll the dice in turn

until someone rolls a six. (Have the youngest go first; go clockwise.)

That player takes the pen and begins writing the numbers 1-100 as fast as they can.

The other players continue rolling the dice in turn.

When someone else gets a six they gently grab the pen from the player currently writing and start writing 1-100 on their own sheet.

Continue until someone gets to 100, or stop at 5:47 and declare the winner (whichever comes first). Numbers may be checked for legibility.

get ‘em talking

It’s one thing to obey God’s commands. It’s quite another thing to like and appreciate God’s commands. Our attitude toward obedience can often be terrible, even when we do the right thing. Before we go further, here are some questions to discuss:

7. Describe a time recently when you obeyed your parents, even when you didn’t want to. Why did you obey?

8. Does it matter if we do the right thing, but are miserable doing it? Why or why not?

Last week, we learned the second strategy in Responding to Yellow: Obey for Good. We talked about the fuel for obedience – the benefits of obeying God. We obey to receive God’s blessings on earth and in the afterlife, we obey to avoid the consequences on earth and in the afterlife, and (most importantly) we obey to glorify God to unbelievers.

Tonight’s strategy in Responding to Yellow: Rejoice for restrictions. We’re going to talk about our attitude toward obeying God’s Word. How do we feel about doing good, when others around us seem to be perfectly happy disobeying God?

Jesus said, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10, NIV). Proverbs says, Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death (Prov. 19:16, NLT).

When we Respond to Yellow (following God’s commands), we’re not just making God happy and the people in our lives happy. We (eventually) make ourselves happy! In the moment, obeying God can feel like it’s restricting our happiness. But, as we’ll discuss during this study, we can rejoice in these restrictions because they provide wisdom, protect us from harm, and – most surprisingly – give us freedom!

get ‘em learning

1. Rejoice for restrictions: God’s commands give us ________________. (Proverbs 2:1-6)

When we obey God’s commands, we follow His path for a _______________

___________.

2. Rejoice for restrictions: God’s commands give us _____________________. (Proverbs 2:9-11)

When we obey God’s commands, we avoid the earthly consequences of _____.

3. Rejoice for restrictions: God’s commands give us _______________. (James 1:25) When we obey God’s commands, we are __________ to live without the

weight of guilt, fear, or regret.

Discuss:

What are some examples of how God has given you a “better life” of wisdom because you follow His commands?

How wise would your choices be if you completely ignored the Bible’s teachings? Why?

What are some earthly consequences people may face because they disobey God’s commands?

What is a recent example of a time you avoided a consequence because you chose to obey God’s ways?

When were you the “best at” obeying to God? Do you remember the freedom you had from guilt, fear, and regret?

Why is the desire to be a “slave to sin” sometimes more powerful than the desire to be free in Christ?

How would you describe yourself now: a slave to sin, or free in Christ? Why?



What is one Next Step you think God wants you to take when it comes to rejoicing for restrictions?

eee. Rejoice in God’s wisdom for me, and see obedience as a pathway to blessing. I’ve been straying from His path recently.

fff. Rejoice in God’s protection for me. When tempted to sin, I’ll remember that the “fence” of God’s commands is there for my safety.

ggg. Rejoice in God’s freedom for me. When tempted to sin, I’ll remember that the short-term pleasure is not worth the slavery of guilt, fear, or regret that comes with it!

hhh. Something else?


Session 16/Responding Yellow: When the Bible is Silent

get ‘em going

GAME: Decisions, Decisions… This group of 8 is in an air-raid shelter. An atomic bomb is about to fall. The shelter

only has enough air and food supply for 5 people. Three members must leave the shelter so the other five can survive.

Each individual gets exactly 15 seconds to explain to the group why they should stay in the shelter. (The Leader will time them.)

After hearing each case, the entire group (including the observers not playing) will vote on their “Top 5” to stay:

DOCTOR TEACHER

PASTOR JUDGE

FARMER SCIENTIST

CARPENTER ARTIST

The leader will tally the votes for each, and determine who stays!

get ‘em talking

That was tough! Did anyone make their decisions based on a Bible verse? Probably not! There are many times in life when the Bible doesn’t clearly say what to do – or what not to do. What do we do then? Just guess? Just do whatever we want? Today’s study will help you “Respond to Yellow” when “Yellow” seems hard to identify! Before we continue, here are some questions to discuss:

9. Describe a time today when you chose to do something that the Bible didn’t clearly tell you to do, but you don’t think it’s a sin. How did you know for sure that it wasn’t a sin?

10. What are some important choices people routinely make that the Bible is silent on?

get ‘em learning

The Apostle Paul ran into a very important battle that needed to be handled in his day: should Christians eat meat sacrificed to false gods? Believe it or not, the Bible never spoke about this issue. So what did he do? He laid out three wise principles that we can apply to any tough choice we’re making when we don’t have a clear answer from the Light of Truth:

1. Don’t do it if it isn’t good for ______. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

If it harms you physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or relationally, don’t do it!

2. Don’t do it if it isn’t good for ___________. (1 Corinthians 10:24)

If it harms other people physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or relationally, don’t do it!

3. Don’t do it if it isn’t good for _______________________________________. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

If it would harm your witness with others, and give them a negative view of God, don’t do it!

Discuss:

What are some “Biblically silent” decisions teens make today that may harm themselves? Which of these areas are you trying to make better choices?

What are some “Biblically silent” decisions teens make today that may harm others? Which of these areas are you trying to make better choices?

What are some “Biblically silent” decisions teens make today that may harm God’s reputation? Which of these areas are you trying to make better choices?


What is one Next Step you think God wants you to take when it comes to making “Biblically Silent” decisions?

iii. Make better choices that affect me by: _____________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

jjj. Make better choices that affect others by: ___________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

kkk. Make better choices that affect God’s reputation by:

__________________________

________________________________________________________________________

lll. Something else?


Session 17/Sharing Yellow: Why Share Yellow with Others?

get ‘em going

GAME: Two Truths and a Lie Think of 3 statements about yourself with your circle. One of them must be false.

Share all 3 statements in the group. You can say the false statement in any order.

The group votes on which one was the lie. After they vote, reveal the correct answer. The player gets a point for every incorrect guess!

get ‘em talking

Sharing the truth with each other is no game! It can be really hard sometimes to be honest – especially when we don’t trust that our honesty will be received well. Before we go further, here are some questions to discuss:

11. What are some reasons why people can be reluctant to share the truth about their lives with others? Which of these do you tend to experience the most?

12. Who knows the most about your inner self? On a scale of 1-10, how well do they know you? Can you share everything with them? Why or why not?

get ‘em learning

There are three key relationships of sharing the Light of Truth in Biblical relationships: peer to peer (accountability), being mentored, and mentoring. But why are these relationships so important that we’d invest an entire month on them?

King Solomon was considered the wisest man who ever lived. In one of his books in the Bible, he explained why Godly companionship is so important. Let’s break this passage down to see why “Sharing Yellow” is vital to any Christ follower.

1. Sharing Yellow _______________________ us. It helps us __________ against the Darkness. (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

When we _____________ the Light of Truth with other believers, God’s Kingdom

work ___________, overcoming the Darkness! Godly friends____________________

each other with the _________________ of our labor. As iron sharpens iron, so one

person sharpens another. (Pr. 27:17)

2. Sharing Yellow ________________________ us. It helps _________________ us in the Darkness. (Ecclesiastes 4:10-11)

When we’re _________________________ to walk in the Darkness – believing Satan’s lies, feeling hopeless, or giving up following Christ entirely – Godly friends

_________________________ each other with the Light of Truth. They help us up and keep us warm in a world that’s cold to the Gospel.

3. Sharing Yellow _______________ us. It helps us powerfully _____________ the Darkness. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

When we’re ___________________________ by Satan, Godly friends ___________ each other with God’s Word as our weapon. When we fight back against Satan’s attacks, we must be armed with the Light of Truth – the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:17)

Discuss:

Which of these 3 values of Sharing Yellow have you done for someone else this past

school year? Describe to the group what happened, without naming names.

Which of these three values to have you personally experienced from someone else this past year? Describe to the group what happened.

Which of these three values have you felt were absent in your life this year? Why do you think that’s true, or why do you think that never happened?


What is one Next Step you think God wants you to take when it comes to Sharing the Light of Truth with other Christ followers?

mmm. Quit trying to serve God alone at my church, school, or neighborhood. I need to join a team that can equip me to serve God’s Kingdom better!

nnn. Quit trying to get through life’s struggles alone. I need to open up to people to help “pick me up” when I’m falling in my faith.

ooo. Quit trying to battle Satan alone. I need to surround myself with Godly friends who can speak the Light of Truth into my life as I fight him.

ppp. Something else?


Session 18/Sharing Yellow: Accountability

get ‘em going

GAME: The Struggle Is Real When the Leader says Go, turn to over your game sheet.

You’re going to match the fear with the scientific word for it.

Get as many correct as you can in 60 seconds!

get ‘em talking

We all have struggles. But we usually don’t want to name them out loud to other people. Today, we hope to change this! Before we go further, here are some questions to discuss:

13. What are some common mistakes people make when sharing personal problems? 14. Which of these mistakes have you made in the past? What happened as a result?

get ‘em learning

Last week we talked about the importance of sharing the Light of Truth with other believers. This week, we’ll address the first of three kinds of Biblical relationships: peer to peer. This is all about accountability. How do we do this effectively? Let’s find out!

1. Accountability begins with a commitment of _____________. (1 Samuel 18:3)

Be __________ – trust only someone who is trustworthy.

Be _______________________________ – don’t gossip.

Be _______________ – without complete honesty, you’re both wasting your time.

2. Accountability is fed with selfless __________. (Philippians 2:1-4)

Both sides must genuinely care about the other person’s best _________________.

Both sides must be _________ to be honest – be grace-filled!

Both sides must be willing to say the hard ___________.

3. Accountability grows with _________.

Be ___________________________ – regularly meet together to discuss life.

Be _______________________ – the longer you stay together, the better your relationship.

Discuss:

Which of these three descriptions of accountability comes most naturally for you: o being trusting and trustworthy o being caring and safe o being consistent with time?

Which one(s) are the most difficult for you? Why is that true?

What are some benefits you experienced from having an accountability partner this year? What would you tell a kid who doesn’t have an accountability partner?

How will you continue this relationship after LYF Groups finish? What’s your plan?


What is one Next Step you think God wants you to take when it comes to Sharing the Light of Truth with other Christ followers?

qqq. Be more trusting or more trustworthy with my accountability partner. rrr. Be more caring toward my accountability partner. sss. Be more faithful with my accountability partner. ttt. Something else?


Session 19/Sharing Yellow: Mentoring

get ‘em going

GAME: Tour Guide We’re going to have the seeing partners guide their blindfolded partners around a

course through the room. They guides must lead exactly down the path I take them.

The guide may never touch their partner. All they can do is give verbal instructions.

get ‘em talking

Last week we talked about the importance of sharing the Light of Truth with other believers in accountability. This week, we’ll talk about the other two relationships involved in “Sharing Yellow” – spiritual mentors and mentees!


15. What is mentoring? Let’s come up with a definition we can use. 16. How was the game we just played like mentoring? 17. What can we learn about mentoring from this game?

Mentoring is an extremely important part of Sharing the Light of Truth with each other. We need to have people speaking into our lives, guiding us in our walk with Christ. And we need to do the same for those who are younger than us! Today we’ll see why these two areas of mentoring matter.

get ‘em learning

1. Every Christ-follower ____________________ from mentors. (Proverbs 1:8-9; 1 Corinthians 4:16-17)

Mentors give us _______________ that will _____________ us for a lifetime.

Mentors give us a ______________ of Christ to _____________________.

2. Every Christ-follower is ___________________ to mentor. (Psalm 145:4; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Titus 2:3-5)

We are called to faithfully ______________ the Gospel to those who are

_____________________ than us.

We are called to live as an ____________________ of Christ to those who

_______________ us.

Discuss:

In your opinion, what is required to be a good spiritual mentor?

Who are the adults who guide you spiritually? Who is the most influential mentor you have right now? What have they taught you recently that impacted your life?

Are you currently mentoring someone younger than you? If so, how is it going? If not, why aren’t you?


What is one Next Step you think God wants you to take when it comes to Sharing the Light of Truth in a mentoring relationship?

uuu. Get connected with a Godly spiritual mentor: ________________________________

vvv. Get connected with someone that I can mentor: _____________________________

www. Be more consistent in meeting with my mentor or mentee.

xxx. Something else?


Session 20/YELLOW Testimonies and Commitments

get ‘em going

GAME: End of the Road Today we come to the “end of the road” with this year’s study. Speaking of roads…

Both teams will compete a in a race to complete the puzzle on the table first!

When the Leader says GO, both teams will flip over their puzzle pieces. It’s a map of Fort Bend County. Work together to get the pieces in the right spots.

get ‘em talking

We’re done! Great job sticking with being a part of LYF Groups this year! It took a lot of time and energy, but we hope it was more than worth it! Before we go further, here are some questions to discuss:

1. What did you assume LYF Groups would be like this year when you started? How did LYF Groups end up being different than you expected?

2. What memories or moments stand out this year as things you’ll remember the rest of your lives? It could be a game, a discussion time, a Biblical point, or a time with your accountability partner. Share together as a group the highlights from this year.

Today we’ll briefly recap what this study taught us, and share any commitments we sense God is calling us to make regarding BEING YELLOW: Receiving, Responding to, and Sharing the Light of Truth.

get ‘em learning

BEING YELLOW means _________________________ the Light of Truth. We learned that we receive the Light of Truth to know God, to know God’s battle,

and to know God’s best.

We learned that we can trust the Light of Truth because of “FACES”: Fulfilled prophecy, Archaeological evidence, Consistency within itself, Extrabiblical writings, and Scientific Accuracy and Foresight.

We learned that the Old Testament points toward our need for a Savior and Heavenly King.

We learned that the Gospels fulfilled our need for a Savior and Heavenly King.

We learned that the Letters (or Epistles) help teach Christians their beliefs, and help teach them how to act on those beliefs.

We learned and practiced the Sword Method for studying the Bible.

Discuss: Which of these truths was the most significant for you to study? Why?

BEING YELLOW means _______________________________ the Light of Truth. We learned strategies to help us “remember forever” the truths God shows us in

His word.

We learned that obedience to God’s truth leads to blessing, and disobedience leads to consequences.

We learned that God’s restrictions serve as a fence for our own benefit, to keep the good stuff in and the bad stuff out.

We learned a basic plan for when it seems the Bible is “silent” on an issue we are facing.


BEING YELLOW means ___________________ the Light of Truth. We learned that sharing Yellow – speaking truth into each others’ lives – is

extremely important to every Christian relationship.

We learned how to have a healthy accountability relationship where we can be honest about our lives.

We learned how each Christian is called to mentor others, and how each Christian greatly benefits from being mentored.



Instead of choosing a Next Step, you’re going to write below the decisions you want to make regarding BEING YELLOW for the rest of your life. What are some “big ideas” about the Light of Truth that God has shown you that will redirect your life forever? Spend some time in prayer, and then journal below what God is telling you.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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Middle School Seventh Grade LYF Group Curriculum › docs › students › ms › 7-Grade... ·...

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Transcript of Middle School Seventh Grade LYF Group Curriculum › docs › students › ms › 7-Grade... ·...