The Florescent Yellow Bib It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way Eat - sign up for Chicken Noodle then make announcements and introduce the session. Needed: Parable of the Talents Mat 25:14-29 "For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not scattered? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Read the parable and then read: The Florescent Yellow Bib Let me try and explain this to you in a modern parable. Let's say Christ opens a God-Mart where people can come and find anything they want. God creates people to run the store and in order to make everyone feel they have a purpose He creates them with different abilities so that they will need each other to make their work easier and more enjoyable. Some are managers; some are checkers, greeters, stockers, and parking lot cart retrievers. Everything is running smooth; the store is making its employees and customers happy. Christ calls in the store manager and compliments her on the use of her abilities to manage and tell her that God is as proud as can be. He calls in a checker and is impressed by his ability to make the customers feel good about their purchases while enjoying his (His) work. Finally he calls in a few parking lot attendants and discovers that one He had called is not there. Christ sends others to bring the missing attendant to Him. When the missing attendant finally arrived God asked why the attendant didn't come with the rest. The attendant replies, "I'm afraid of You and I was busy keeping this florescent yellow bib clean." God was not pleased and said to the attendant, "You have not used what I have given you to help others. You have simply wasted your time at my store and hid from Me knowing that I would not be happy with your lack of effort. You have assumed that the florescent yellow bib is what I care for most when really the service of My customers is your focus. You're Fired!" Then God took the florescent yellow bib and gave it back to the store manager entrusting her to make the most of it.   Split into Journey Groups   Which Way Are You Moving? Work Zone Split into smaller groups Say: In life, we don't all have the same advantages and challenges. Each of us is created differently and faces a different set of circumstances. But we all have something to offer other people. When we share the unique blessings God has given us instead of living only for ourselves, we help make life better for others. Ask:     What are some different situations people might be born into?     Who are some people who have overcome adversity to accomplish something great?     How is God able to use someone from any situation to accomplish his will? Say: Today we are talking about The Parable of Talents and to help us further understand we also need to remember the Parable of the Feeding of the Five Thousand where Jesus used one boy's contribution of two fish and five loaves to feed five thousand men and probably at least that many women and children. Jesus distributed bread and fish among the people and it became an endless supply. God took what the boy offered and blessed thousands of people through the boy's act of generosity. Ask:     How would this account have been different if the boy decided to keep his food?     What was the boy's "Talent"?     Why did God make more than enough food?     What sorts of things do people often hope to achieve in their lifetimes?     What kind of selfish goals do we often set?     How can a life offered to God bless many people? Say: If God can make so much out of a couple of fish and few loaves of bread, there is no limit to what he can accomplish through the life of a person dedicated to His service. Many people live for success and many accomplish their goals. But these achievements are small compared to all God could do through their lives if they lived unselfishly. When the boy offered his food to Jesus, he still got to eat. And he enjoyed added blessings-he became a hero who is still remembered in Scripture to this day. He felt the gratitude of those he helped feed, the privilege of being used by God, and the excitement of watching a real miracle.   Which Way Are You Moving? High Way  Ask:     Wasn't the one-talent servant short-changed?     What is a successful steward?     What makes the unprofitable servant? Say: How often have you wished for the talent enjoyed by others! You marvel at all they can do. You think of the fun and satisfaction they derive from their abilities. You might even covet the attention and acclaim, the admiration and recognition they receive. And you might possibly wistfully (even enviously) imagine how wonderful life would be . . . if only you had the gifts they have. I wonder if the one-talent servant felt that way. Here's what I think; the one-talent servant got more than he deserved (just like the other two servants)! What he had entrusted to him he received only because of the generosity and trust of the master. So, was he short-changed? Of course not! He was given the opportunity of his lifetime. The one-talent servant (or even the multi-talent servant) who frets about and covets the talents of others neglects his own talent(s)! Furthermore, the person who focuses on the "benefits" of any given talent has utterly missed the point of the talent in the first place! He has forgotten that talents are to be exercised in the best interests of the Master. The Lord did not dispense the talents intending that the receiver use them selfishly!   Moving In  Work Zone & High Way  Work Zone stay split into smaller groups Say: God gives various talents and gifts to each of us, we should not be afraid to use them, but not for amusements or selfish gratification, but for blessing others in our work. Some of the youth before you have worked hard never giving up, and they are now making their mark, and are sharing their faith and talents for God. On Worship Caravan we often hear people talk about talents and ability as though God had given some youth special gifts; I don't think so. It is the use we make of the talents given us, that makes us strong. There are many who might be well qualified to do the work of the Lord, who fail to improve upon the ability God has given them. Money is not given to you for your own pleasure. As faithful stewards we are to use it for the honor and glory of God. . . . All we possess is the Lord's, and we are accountable to Him for the use we make of it. God has a great work to be done in a short time. He has committed to youth talents of intellect, time, and means, and He holds you responsible for the use you make of these good gifts." Ask:      What are some talents entrusted more to the young than to others?     How can these specific talents best be used for Christ?     What talents do you have that can help others and what's stopping you?     Do you think you have undiscovered talents?     What can you do to improve our talents?     How can West Heights contribute to the development of our youth, and how can the church in turn be blessed?     What could you personally be considering more seriously about those talents entrusted to me?     Moving On Work Zone and High Way Blind Square Say: We are going to play a game but before we do I'll ask you a few questions. Here's how to play. Everyone gets two pieces of tape over their eyes so that they are taped shut. Then you'll be given a piece of string to make into a square on the floor. Ask:     How will the use of talents be necessary for this game?     What would someone be doing if they were acting as if they had received only one talent?     What can be learned from the game? Play the game  (Watch for leaders, followers, piece makers, etc)   Moving Out Work Zone Grab It! Divide into two teams. Put them into two lines parallel and next to one another (about 3 feet apart) sitting down and holding hands. At the back of the line put a bucket of water with a bar of soap in it between the two lines. If this is on carpet, put a layer of towels down - the water tends to splash, then drip. Stand at the head of the lines with a quarter in your hand. Instruct them that you are going to flip the quarter so only the first person in line can see the results. They are not to yell out how the quarter landed or even look back at their team. If the quarter lands on heads the persons in front are to squeeze the person's hand they are holding. The rest of the line is to squeeze their person's hand if their other hand is squeezed so that they can communicate to the last person in the line that the quarter is indeed heads not tails. If the last person in line has their hand squeezed then they are to try to grab the soap out of the bucket before the last person on the other team does. The person successful in retrieving the soap gets to go to the front of the line. The problem arrives however when the message is wrongly communicated to the person in back and they grab the soap only to find out that the quarter was actually tails. At that point the person in front must go to the back of the line. The first team to get their entire team forward in line (back person to front- not front to back) wins.   Moving Out High Way Desert Survivor Needed: Desert talent cards; make at least 2 of each from the list below. Pass one card out to each person in the group.     Map of desert     Salt tablets     Parachute     Rain coats              Mirror     Compass      Book (edible plants of the desert)         Flashlight     Hunting knife     Pistol (loaded)         Canteen of water     You have a broken leg and just won the worlds strongest man competition     You have been blinded but discover you hearing aid can pick up radio distress calls     You are unconscious but have desert survival training     You are a crisis facilitator Say: You have been a passenger on a plane that has crashed in the desert. The pilot and copilot have been killed and the only survivors are the people in your group. On the cards you have been given are the only talents or unrealized talents/limitations you have from the plane before it burned up. First go around the group and describe the survival uses, usually more than one, for your "Talent". Then devise a plan for how you can use you resources to rescue the whole group. Start by deciding what things must be done in order of importance for survival. THE POINT: as your group starts to discuss, they'll find out that the priorities vary depending on the GOAL, or PURPOSE they come up with. For example if the biggest issue is, are they going to stay by the plane or leave? If they are going to stay, then the compass and map aren't much of a priority. They'll need to establish the frame in which every other decision is made or discussion is useless. Point out the use of talents and how their priority changes, how with out one or if one is not used it makes the whole job harder. If some one is not participating (Other than the unconscious one) point out that they are not using his or her talent, make a "talent" point when ever possible.   Return to the Family Life Center   Closing Work Zone & High Way Ask: What did you learn tonight? Say: How will your life be changed if you offer your time, talents, and resources to the Lord? Here's your challenge!  With all that you've learned tonight about the Parable of the Talents, take $10 and double it, triple it, quadruple it, whatever you want. It doesn't matter what you do, baby sit, shovel driveways, beg, or sell homemade cookies, anything to double the ten dollars or better.  Through this parable Jesus expresses that we must use our talents or risk losing them. Are you up to it?   Prayer  Invite the youth to join hands and offer a prayer.  Dear God, we know that our talents, however few, are to be put to use. We will not question how much we have received but will do with what we have. We know that many whom God has qualified to do excellent work accomplish very little, because they attempt little. Thousands pass through life as if they had no definite object for which to live, no standard to reach. We will not feel that because we are not connected with some directly religious work that our lives are useless; that we are doing nothing for the advancement of God's kingdom. If our work is that which someone must do, we should not accuse ourselves of uselessness in the great household of God. We know that the humblest duties are not to be ignored. Any honest work is a blessing, and faithfulness in it may lead to higher possibilities for Your kingdom.  In Christ name we pray, Amen.   Please cross your arms and join me in the UMYF Benediction.