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U S E R A G R E E M E N T

T H E P E O P L E T H A T M A K E X P 3 M I D D L E S C H O O L

W W W . X P 3 M S . C O M

S E S S I O N T W O

This Session Guide is designed to give you a quick overview of everything you’ll need to make this session happen,

from start to finish.

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

SESSIONGUIDE

Chief Executive Officer Reggie Joiner

Creative DirectorElle Campbell

XP3 MS Team Sarah Bragg Kenny CampbellJosh LammTom Shefchunas

Contributing WritersGina Abbas

Illustrator Brandon Earnhart

Graphics & VideoBen GrantBeth HelmerDonny JoinerAnthony Young

Orange Specialist Ben Nunes

Technical & Web Support Hadley Brandt

Chief Operating Officer Reggie Goodin

CLOSE

S E S S I O N T W O | R E M O V E

P R E L U D ESetting the tone for the experience.

BACKGROUND PLAYLISTOur suggested background playlists for each series are also available on Spotify.

• “Made for You” by Alexander Cardinale (from Made for You)

• “Brother – feat. Gavin DeGraw” by NEEDTOBREATHE (from Brother)

• “The Moment” by Tame Impala (from Currents)• “A Perfect End” by Atlas Genius (from A Perfect End)• “Drag Me Down” by One Direction (from Drag Me

Down)• “My Love” by Circa Waves (from My Love)• “Expensive” by Tori Kelly (from Unbreakable Smile)• “Your Type” by Carly Rae Jespen (from Your Type)• “Unbelievable” by Owl City (from Mobile Orchestra)• “Sun Goes Down” by David Guetta (from Listen)

S O C I A LProviding time for fun interaction.

For this session, we recommend the game Jenga Me Crazy from the XP3 Middle School Games Library. Since you’ll be talking about things that distract you from getting close to God, we thought a game involving lots of distractions would be appropriate.

S E S S I O N S U M M A R Y

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

If you’ve ever gone to a concert or game or movie premiere, you probably know what it’s like to be blocked by a barrier—a barrier designed to keep you away from a certain athlete or celebrity or actor. Ropes, walls, gates, security guards… they’re all barriers to make sure you keep your distance. But barriers don’t just exist in concerts or sporting arenas for the safety of superstars. They can exist in your life and relationships as well. Sometimes there are invisible barriers that create distance between you and other people, or even between you and God. Sometimes we’re not sure how those barriers got there. Especially the barriers that keep us from God. Often, we don’t know how to get rid of them. And while, sometimes, it seems like those barriers might be permanent, God seems to be telling us something different. As we’ll see in this session, if we want to get close to God, we might just discover that it’s simpler than we may have thought to remove the barriers that keep us from Him.

B O T T O M L I N E To get close to God, remove the barriers.

SESSION GUIDE 2

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

T R A N S I T I O N SMoving smoothly from one thing to another.

SCREEN GRAPHICSDisplay the Main Slide image or Loop video from this series (found in your Graphic Support folder) on your screen throughout your program.

BUMPER VIDEO Use the Bumper video for this series to transition into your teaching time.

W O R S H I PInviting people to respond to God.

Choose 2-3 songs from our recommended Set List:• This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham (from The

Ascension) • One Thing Remains (featuring Kristian Stanfill) by

Passion (from White Flag) • Close by Steve Fee (from North Point Inside Out: Hear

(Live)) • Sons and Daughters by Brett Stanfill (from North Point

Inside Out: Hear (Live))

TEACHING SCRIPTYou’ll find the Teaching Outline and Teaching Script for this session in your Session 2 folder.

INTERACTIVEIn this session, you’ll use an Activity (a game) and a Prop (a special VIP seating section for your game winners) to help your students think about the barriers that prevent them from getting close to God.

TEACHING VIDEOThe Teaching Video for Session 2 can take the place of a live communicator, but it will not cover the Interactive, so you’ll still want to plan for that.

TEACHING AUDIOThe Teaching Audio of this session can be found in the Session 2 folder.

STUDENT NOTE PAGEThe Student Note Page for Session 2 features a space for your students to reflect on the things that keep them from getting close.

S T O R YCommunicating God’s truth in engaging ways.

Use the SGL Email for Session 2 to tell your small group leaders what they need to know, and what they need to do, to prepare this week. Don’t forget to attach the Small Group Guide, and print enough copies for all of your small group leaders.

Don’t forget to follow up with your SGLs this week to see how their XP went over!

G R O U P SCreating a safe place to connect.

Use the Social Media Plan for this Series to stay in touch with parents and students during the week.

If you haven’t already, be sure to send parents their Parent Cue!

H O M EPrompting action beyond the experience.

INTROComplete the Interactive. We

might want to get close to God but,

sometimes, there are barriers that keep us at a distance. Tell a

personal story.

TENSIONThere are a lot of things that keep

us from God. Sometimes it’s bad

choices, fear, or distractions.

TRUTHRomans 5:1-2

reminds us that, because of Jesus,

we can have peace with God. We just need to choose forgiveness and

repentance.

APPLICATION Identify the barriers

that are keeping you from God. Remember He’s not mad at you. Then bring them

to Him and ask His forgiveness.

LANDINGGod wants to be

close to you. He is close to you. You

just need to remove the barriers that are keeping you from

getting closer Him.

TEACHING OUTLINE

C L O S E | S E S S I O N T W O | R E M O V E

S C R I P T U R E

S E S S I O N S U M M A R Y

Q U E S T I O N

A N G L E O F S C R I P T U R E

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith

into this grace in which we now stand.” ROMANS 5:1-2 (NIV)

This week, we’re going to continue talking about what it means to get closer to God by talking about barriers.

Because, sometimes, it feels like there are obstacles between us and God that we can’t overcome. But according to Romans 5, Jesus has removed every

barrier so that we can stand close to Him, in grace.

WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS THAT ARE KEEPING ME FROM GETTING CLOSE TO GOD?

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

B O T T O M L I N E

TO GET CLOSE TO GOD, REMOVE THE BARRIERS.

TEACHING SCRIPT

R E M O V E

I N T R O D U C T I O N

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Last week we started a new series where we’re talking about getting close to God. We used a visual of a campfire to help us see that if we want to be close to God, then we need to move towards Him. Just like a big, bright, warm, welcoming campfire, God never moves. So if we feel far away from Him, it’s probably because we’re the ones who are keeping our distance. If we want to get close to God, all we need to do is to move closer.

B O T T O M L I N E

TO GET CLOSE TO GOD, REMOVE THE BARRIERS.

INTERACTIVE: The VIP ListSee the Interactive for detailed instructions.

5 M I N U T E S

But that’s not always easy, is it? Sometimes things get in the way. Sometimes, on our way towards God, there are barriers.

TELL A PERSONAL STORY: Tell a personal story that illustrates the following ideas...

• Talk about a time you (or a friend, or a baby, or your pet dog) really wanted access to someone or something, but a barrier kept you from getting close to it.

• Keep it short and make it funny. • The goal here is to help your students loosen up and

to set up the idea of barriers in a way that is fun and relatable.

Or imagine you’re at a huge concert, or a movie premiere, or a big game to see your favorite band or actor or athlete. Think about how badly you’d want to meet them, or touch

their hand, or give them a fist bump, or maybe even get a hug and take a picture together. But chances are, there would be some pretty major barriers between you and your favorite celebrity. There would probably be gates, ropes, walls, and scary security guards making sure you kept your distance. Imagine how frustrating it would feel to be so close to your celebrity hero, but still so far away from any actual interactions with them. You’d be stuck behind a barrier, unable to actually have a conversation with the super star you are just dying to get a selfie with.

Sure, those barriers holding you back are important because you might actually be a crazy person…but probably not. No matter how much you love Taylor Swift, chances are, you are not going to be able to just walk backstage and share a Frappuccino with her. Barriers are there to keep you at a distance.

TEACHING SCRIPT 2

T R U T H

This series is all about how to experience a closer relationship with God, how to lean into God’s presence and reconnect with Him. And barriers can make connecting difficult. Removing barriers means you first need to put to into words what it is that’s getting in the way.

It’s kind of like admitting something you’ve done wrong to someone that you love. Maybe you posted something you know you shouldn’t have. Or lied about something huge. When you told your mom or dad or friend or teacher or whomever you wronged, you started feeling so much better, right? You finally got it off your chest! When you are honest about your mess-ups, it doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences, but it does mean things will get better. The same is true with God. Check out what a guy named Paul says about this in a letter called Romans.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. (Romans 5:1-2 NIV)

What this means, is because of Jesus, we can have peace

with God. We don’t need to have fear when it comes to admitting the barriers that we’ve put up, because, thanks to Jesus, we have peace with God! We stand in grace. Grace means that God has given us more than we deserve. He gives us His love, His friendship, His forgiveness, His presence. God’s attitude toward you is an attitude of grace. So stand in grace, like Paul said, and don’t be afraid to acknowledge or admit to whatever is getting in the way of your relationship with God. Do you know what brings closeness to God? Forgiveness. Ask God for forgiveness, and ask for His help.

There’s a word you’ll hear a lot the more you spend time in the Bible: repentance. Repentance sounds like a scary Bible word, but really all it means is being truly sorry for something you’ve done and wanting to make it right. Romans 2:4 reminds us that God’s kindness leads to repentance. Have you ever thought of God that way, as kind? You should! God is kind. He loves you. He wants a relationship with you. He cares about the decisions you make. Doesn’t that kindness make you want to know Him? Doesn’t it make you want to be close to Him? Doesn’t it make you want to remove the barriers that keep you from being close to Him?

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

But barriers don’t just exist in concerts or sporting arenas for the safety of superstars. They can exist in your life and relationships as well, right? Sometimes there are invisible barriers that create distance between you and other people. They come between you and keep you from getting close. Maybe you had a fight with someone, and you’re still angry about it. Maybe you really embarrassed yourself in front of your crush, and now you avoid them. Maybe you hurt someone’s feelings, and they haven’t forgiven you yet. There may not be a physical barrier, but there is something that keeps you apart.

And it can happen between you and God, too. Maybe you realized that last week when we talked about getting close to God. It’s easy to say we want to get close to God. Sometimes it’s even easy to take a step or two in His direction. But sometimes, as we try to move closer to God, we find that there is something, a barrier, that continues to hold us back.

Maybe it’s your bad choices, the things you do in secret, that you post or text about or hide from your parents. When we mess up, our guilt can become a barrier between us and God. We worry that He’s angry. We can’t bring ourselves to face Him.

Maybe it’s fear. Maybe you’re afraid that you’ll come to God, but He won’t answer. Maybe you’re afraid He doesn’t really love you.

Or maybe it’s simply distractions that are a barriers. Maybe you want to get close to Him, but you always feel so distracted by homework, or friends, or your phone.

Whatever those barriers are for you, what do you do? How do you get past them? If you want to get close to God, you’re going to need to remove whatever is getting in the way of your relationship with Him.

T E N S I O N

1 0 M I N U T E S

TEACHING SCRIPT 3

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

A P P L I C A T I O N

So what is standing in the way of your relationship with God? What are the barriers you need to remove to get close to God? Is it a bad decision you’ve made? Is it fear? Is it being too distracted to spend time with Him?

First, remember that God’s not mad at you. He’s kind. He wants to be close to you. Then repent. Tell God what those barriers are that are keeping you from Him, and ask for forgiveness. Talk to God about it. Thank Him for His kindness that leads you to getting things right with Him. He’s

listening. Every day you have the opportunity to make things right, to be close to Him.

Sometimes, however, the barriers between you and God are heavy. Sometimes they’re hard to move on your own. If that’s how you feel today, ask someone close to you to help you get rid of those barriers that keep appearing and reappearing in your relationship with God, like your small group or your small group leader.

1 5 M I N U T E S

T R A N S I T I O N I N T O S M A L L G R O U P S

S T O P

Today, I want you to continue thinking about the barriers between you and God as you to go small group. And I want you to remember that God wants to be close to you. His character is to accept you and to love you, even when you mess up. His presence is there even when you don’t feel Him. His kindness will prompt you to remove anything that is

getting in the way of His best for your life. And I want you to remember that God is close.

As you go to small groups, think about this question: What are the barriers that are keeping me from being close to God?

L A N D I N G

INTERACTIVE

T H E V I P L I S T | A C T I V I T Y

First, choose a game that you know well and that can be played fairly quickly. The game doesn’t really matter, so choose a game with minimal set-up and that results in 1-4 clear winners, who will get to sit in the VIP section.

If the game you choose ends in just one winner, allow that middle schooler to choose a few friends to sit with them in the VIP section.

Before your weekly environment begins, set up your VIP section. You’ll want to create an area that students will want

to sit in. Maybe there’s a couch. Maybe it’s on your stage. Maybe it’s elevated somehow. Maybe a waiter comes by and serves them special snacks or drinks. Feel free to get creative.

The most important part of this Interactive, though, is this: the barriers. Be sure to erect some sort of barrier between the VIP section and the rest of your students if you want this visual to work.

T H E H O W - T O

O V E R V I E W

This Interactive is designed to help students begin to think about the barriers that keep us from feeling close to God...in a fun way. It can be done with any game that ends with a clear winner. The point isn’t the game. The point is the VIP seating area, separated by barriers from the rest of your students.

T H E S E T - U P

WHAT YOU’LL NEED• A special roped-off seating area (a comfy couch with

stanchions or other form of barrier surrounding it)• A game of your choice (perhaps something from the XP3

Middle School Games Library?)• OPTIONAL: special snacks, drinks, or maybe even a

waiter, for your VIP winners

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

IF USING THE TEACHING VIDEO...

The video for this session will not cover the Interactive

for you. We recommend doing this Interactive at the very beginning of your large group teaching time, before you play the video.

REMOVE

C L O S E : S E S S I O N T W O

S C R I P T U R E : “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” ROMANS 5:1-2 (NIV)

G O A L O F S M A L L G R O U P : To encourage students to uncover and remove the barriers that keep them from getting close to God. To do this, create meaningful conversation. This guide is a suggestion, not a formula. Adjust the questions and activities as needed, and don’t feel like you need to do, or ask, everything you see here.

When it comes to the barriers that keep us from getting close to God, the barriers your middle schoolers have to deal with are probably pretty similar to the barriers that you have to deal with. For all of us, those barriers usually show up in our bad choices, our fears, or our distractions. So connect with your middle schoolers over what you’ve got in common in that area. Share some of your own barriers and how you’ve deal with them. Be real. Be transparent. Be authentic. Because it’s really important for your middle schoolers to see a real, live person that is still growing, learning, and trying to live out authentic faith.

J U S T F O R F U N

If you could get the VIP treatment at any concert, event, or celebrity meet-and-greet, what would it be?

T H I N K A B O U T T H I S

“We all love feeling like we’re ‘on the inside,’ and we all hate feeling like we’re being excluded, maybe by a wall or barrier. Can someone tell us what that has to do with what we talked about today?”

D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S

• Talk about a time you really wanted to get access to something, but you were being blocked by a barrier. How does it feel to be kept from somewhere you really want to be?

• Talk about a time when you’ve felt like something was preventing you from getting close to God.

• How can our bad choices prevent us from getting closer to God?• How can our fears prevent us from getting close to God?• What are some distractions you face that prevent you from getting close

to God?• Give an example of what it means to ask God’s forgiveness and repent.• What is one barrier you need to remove this week in order to get closer

to God?

Distractions are probably one of the simplest barriers between us and God for a middle schooler to understand and talk about. With that in mind, use a board or scraps of paper to listing all of the things that tend to distract your group from getting closer to God. Then challenge each of your few to choose one of those distractions and

to give that thing up for one day this week, in exchange for spending more time with God.

S AY T H I S

T R Y T H I S

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

B O T T O M L I N E

TO GET CLOSE TO GOD, REMOVE THE BARRIERS.

Hi everyone – We’re in the second week of Close. We get to talk about how our lives have enormous potential when we stay close to the source of life but sometimes barriers get in the way. As you approach this week, think about what it feels like to be connected – and disconnected – from the source of life. Have a great week!

SERIES PREVIEWhttps://vimeo.com/XP3MS/Close

SESSION 2 SUMMARY: Remove [Insert Date]If you’ve ever gone to a concert or game or movie premiere, you probably know what it’s like to be blocked by a barrier—a barrier designed to keep you away from a certain athlete or celebrity or actor. Ropes, walls, gates, security guards… they’re all barriers to make sure you keep your distance. But barriers don’t just exist in concerts or sporting arenas for the safety of superstars. They can exist in your life and relationships as well. Sometimes there are invisible barriers that create distance between you and other people, or even between you and God. Sometimes we’re not sure how those barriers got there. Especially the barriers that keep us from God. Often, we don’t know how to get rid of them.

And while, sometimes, it seems like those barriers might be permanent, God seems to be telling us something different. As we’ll see in this session, if we want to get close to God, we might just discover that it’s simpler than we may have thought to remove the barriers that keep us from Him.

BOTTOM LINETo get close to God, remove the barriers.

THE GOAL OF SMALL GROUPTo encourage students to uncover and remove the barriers that keep them from getting close to God.

STORIESAnytime you have a win with your small group, not only would we love to hear it, but you can also share it with an online community of small group leaders – leaders who do what you do every week – at leadsmall.org. Just click here: http://leadsmall.org/submit/?age_group=56

Be sure to include important ministry dates, announcements, and events. And don’t forget to attach your Small Group Guide for this session.

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

SGL EMAIL

C L O S E : S E S S I O N T W O

Remember to email your leaders every week with the small group questions attached. This will allow your leaders to review the material before they sit down to lead discussion. Be mindful to encourage your leaders, celebrate their successes, and thank them for being committed.

Copy and paste the following into an email to your small group leaders...