It's All Bla Bla Bla,  Unless You're the  Black Sheep It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way Set Up: Set up the media projector ahead of time and prepare a PP Show. Move to Fellowship Hall and gather at the stage area (use the portable P.A.), welcome, and introduction of guests, make announcements. Introduce the session: Tonight's lesson is titled "It's All Bla, Bla Unless You're the Black Sheep". Ask: What do you think the title of this lesson means? (Only get a few answers.)       Which Way Are You Moving? Work Zone & High Way "Photo Contest"  Divide the group into two even teams. Show the power point presentation of photos from the past. Expand the photos, at first, to an unrecognizable state, then, gradually bring more of them on to the screen. The first team to guess whom it is wins that round. Now the twist, play this like the game show, "Name That Tune." Each team tells one thing they think the title means. The sponsors then decide which team has the most important statement about the title. The winning statement's team wins the chance to guess how many clicks it will take to figure out what is in the photo. The opposing team then has one chance to steal and guess it in fewer clicks. The winners get 100 points for the first three rounds. The fourth round is worth 300 points. The fifth round is the final and is worth a cool 500 points. In the event of a missed guess, play trades sides per click until the photo is correctly identified.   Continue the competition with more power point slides, this time it is individual effort. Hand everyone a note card. They are to identify the phrases on the screen by writing what it really means on their card. Instruct the youth to only write down the ones they know, write "PASS" if you do not get it before the next slide. Each slide will be up for only thirty seconds. The winner(s) will be the ones with the most correct answers by the end of the round   Break into Journey Groups   Moving In  Work Zone & High Way   Needed: Bla Bla game sheet and cards Say: Everyone sees things in different ways. Things that we know - are not what they seem. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to point out a meaning. Our task is to look at what is presented and decide what is real. Ask: Which was easier to win, when you were playing as a team or playing as an individual? Say: We're going to play a team game called Blab Blab. Just so you can see how differently everyone see/hears things.   Play The Game  Divide into two teams. Each team tries to figure out what the other team is trying to communicate.  Use a sponsor for a timekeeper.  Give each team 30 seconds to figure out the other teams "words". Blab Blab Blab  Team 1                                          Team 2 Pea Cub Who Icy Hue                    The Yet His Burger Dress Peek-a-boo! I see you                    The Gettysburg Address   Ape Peep Pulp Her Sun                  Cow Channel Huffs Eats A people person                            Couch and a loveseat   Sew Whirly Inn Thumb Warning      Bees Urine Call Lug Inn So early in the morning                    Be sure and call again   Dare Saw Weigh Such Ants              Knoll Heft Earn There's Always a chance                  No left turn   Thin Hey Muff Thick Aim                Abe An An Appeal The name of the game                      A banana peel   Us Hope Rye Yet Detest               End Us Trees Tanned Herds A sobriety test                            Industry standards   Allow Seep Hey Inch Hob             Hi Ankle Less Drawl A lousy paying job                        High in Colesterol   Alter Reigned Hires                     Wide Hidden Juke All All-terrain tires                          Why didn't you call? After the Game Say: The Blab Blab game shows just how hard it can be to understand/communicate with each other.  Jesus used "parables" to make us think. He used the everyday situations to reveal how God wants us all to act. Sometime it takes repeating the same thing, just a mix of words, over and over again before we REALLY hear what is being said.   Moving Up Work Zone and High Way Letter to Myself Supplies: Handout, pencils, and envelopes Use the "Letter to Myself" handout to inspire interesting and fun discussions about being a black sheep. Pass out the handout and give everyone a few minutes to come up with some answers. Then seal the envelopes and collect them. Use a blank one to discuss some of the answers. Letter to Myself Your Name __________________ Today's Date _________ Why are teenagers typically described as being unable to get along with their families? Is that a fair description? Why or why not?   What three things would you put in a time capsule that your descendants would dig up in 100 years?   Finish this sentence: "One thing I want to do before I die is..." How can you make that "one thing" happen?   What's something you'd never do, even if someone offered you $1 million to do it?   Describe a time you felt God was at work in your life. Next, describe a time God felt far away. What made the difference?   How would you describe Jesus to a person who's never heard of Him?   What's the hardest thing about following Jesus every day?   Finish this sentence: "The one question people ask about Christianity that I don't have an answer for is..." Explain.   Moving On Work Zone  In the Dark Set up: Ahead of time take some string into the unfinished basement and tunnel. Tie a course around the area from one end to the next. Play the game: Each sponsor has a flashlight. Take all the youth into the basement with the lights out and close the door. Have everyone stand still and direct two at a time to the string. Tell them to follow it to the other end (Have a Sponsor at each end and someone roaming to help the lost or loony.) Get everyone from one end to the other. Then each of the sponsors will walk behind one youth at a time with a hand on his or her shoulder back to the starting point using a flashlight only when asked. Stay in the dark basement and divide into two groups for a discussion. Using the flashlights get as far away from each other as possible. Say: At West Heights we want you to stand out, be a black sheep, and make your own choices. We want to be the guides behind you. You get to make your own choices and even make mistakes experiencing the unknown. If you aren't paying attention and get lost, your guide could help you find the way. Sometimes your journey will be hard. There will be shouting to contend with and maybe someone who simple doesn't want to listen. We don't want you to go alone and we aren't going to show you the way. But, if you listen and ask for direction along the way, you'll have help on your journey. Ask:     What is the importance of the way we would let you experience the darkness?     With a string or a guide, everyone will make it through the darkness. How could making your own choices give you a feeling of security?     Does patience play a part in either journey?       By hanging on to the string, we are sure we know the way even before we begin the journey. Who could be in charge of laying out a metaphoric string for us?     When we were children the natural thing to do was to display our emotions to satisfy our needs. As we grow we learn to control our emotions. Which is easier, reacting to our emotions or controlling them with faith and patience?      Moving On High Way  Read: A few years ago we built maize in the tunnel. It was difficult to walk through in the dark. Imagine traveling through that maize clipped to a "Life Line" that showed you the way through and was your only guidance.  I'm sure every one would have had no trouble getting from one end to the other. If you did what everyone else was doing, you'd get right through but you probably wouldn't remember much about the journey. At West Heights we want you to stand out, be a black sheep, and make your own choices. We want to be the guides behind you. You get to make your own choices and even make mistakes experiencing the unknown. If you aren't paying attention and get lost, a guide could call out to you and help you find the way. Sometimes it will be hard. There will be shouting to contend with and maybe someone who simple doesn't want to listen. We don't want you to go alone and we aren't going to show you the way. But, if you listen and ask for direction along the way, you'll get through the maize. Ask:     What is the importance of the way we would let you experience the Maze?     With a string or a guide, everyone will make it through the maze. How could making your own choices give you a feeling of security?    Does patience play a part in either journey?       By hanging on to the string, we are sure we know the way even before we begin the journey. Who is in charge of laying out the string for us?     When we were children the natural thing to do was to display our emotions to satisfy our needs. As we grew we learned to control our emotions. Which is easier, reacting to our emotions or controlling them with faith and patience?      Moving Out Work Zone  Blind Clumps Set up: Clear a playing area in the dark basement Come back together as a large group in the dark. Tell the youth you are going to play Blind clumps. (Have one sponsor man the lights) Begin with the lights on so everyone gets an idea of the dangers and people around them.  Then turn the lights off and have everyone move around. Then call out a number to form a clump. The youth then quickly form groups in the dark. Wait a few second then turn on the lights to see who's Correctly clumped. Anyone not in a good clump has to stand on the wall till the end of the game. Play till only two winners remain.  Play till 6:50 -ish and change the game a little if needed, i.e. crawling only, if you're out you're a sitting obstacle, have one youth be a secret temptation and if they end up in that clump they're all dead. The high school will join you for closing.    Moving Out  High Way  Say: Imagine yourself watching a paid TV program. The people in the show are so convincing and seem so sincere. They deliver a message showing you why you must have the product they ultimately will tell you about. They answer all the questions before you can ponder them. They tell you there is a money back guarantee and you will be taking no risk. Experience tells you "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is." Yet, every time they broadcast their message hundreds of thousands take the bait. Even though they may know better. They are hoping for an easier way to get what they want. The best way to purchase an important item is to look at it in person, try it out, ask questions, research the options, and then after applying your complete thought process you can make a decision. If you are an advertiser, you know that an emotional sale is appealing to everyone and will move product simply because of the instincts we all have. Ask:     "Fear" and "Want" are the targets for sales, while "Faith" and Need" are a higher measure thought. What are the differences between Fear and Faith? Want and Need?      If you are talking to your neighbor while someone is trying to share a point, are you a "black sheep" or just another white sheep?     Is it harder to listen to others and participate on one subject or talk about whatever comes to your mind to your neighbor?     Which activity - listening or talking - is a "black sheep" way?     Why should we have to work to get closer to God?  Join "Work Zone" in the unfinished basement for closing   Closing Work Zone & High Way After everyone gets in - Lights Out Try to use one candle in the center of a closing circle. Ask:     What did you learn tonight?     What does "It's All Bla Bla, Bla Unless You're The Black Sheep" Mean? Your challenge this week is to listen and try to be a Black Sheep for Christ. Do what Luke 6:38 says: give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."   Pastor Prayer  Sanctuary (in the dark) UMYF Benediction