Use Words if Necessary
It's Your Move
Work Zone and High Way
Introduce the session: Tonight's lesson is "Use Words if Necessary".
Ask:
What do you think the title of this lesson means?
(Get only a few answers.)
Say: Here is a little game that illustrates "Use Words if Necessary". I want you to follow what I say here. Hold your hands up in front of you.......now when I say go - clap them together......Let's Start.......ONE ........ TWO ........ THREE (you clap your hands together)........GO.
The youth will clap their hands together when you do - not when you say GO. Point out to them that they followed what you did. They did not follow what you said! Its human nature to follow what your friends, pastors, leaders, parents DO more than what they say. That's why your actions are so much more important than talking.
Break into Journey Groups
Which Way Are You Moving?
Work Zone & High Way
Cake
Needed: a couple 6 packs of cupcakes- 6 for Work Zone & 6 for High Way
Hold the plate of unwrapped cupcakes in front of the youth.
Say: Who would like one of these!
Choose someone that says yes and throw the cupcake hard at him or her.
Then offer a second cupcake. This time walk the plate to them and let them pick one up. Set the rest aside for now.
Say: The difference between the two cup cakes was the way it was served. Like the cup cakes, the way we present our selves to others is important. We may be a fine cupcakes but if some one sees just one that's hard to handle then the rest seem a little more risky as well. It matters how we dress and what we say and how honest we are because we are serving up the youth group at all times, even when we don't think about it.
Ask:
What are some things that you can think of that might harm the image of the youth group?
What will we need to do to help the image of the youth group?
How long will we need to "serve up the youth group" in a Christian manner?
How is understanding perception one step closer to God?
Moving In
Work Zone
Puzzlers
Needed: Duct tape for blindfolds and two puzzles of 30 or fewer pieces.
Form two teams in different areas of the room and have each team select two members to be blindfolded. They'll be the "Puzzlers." Place a square of duct tape over each closed eye (no cheating here). Then have teams pour out their puzzle pieces, mix them together, and lay them all face up.
On "go," have the nonblindfolded team members tell the Puzzlers where to place the pieces. Only Puzzlers can touch the pieces. The other team members can give any directions as loudly as they want. The first team to assemble its puzzle wins
Afterward (Stay in small groups) ask:
What was necessary for a team to do well in this activity?
How did you work together to achieve your goal?
What snags did you run into?
Read aloud Ephesians 4:11-16 (Scripture sheet)
Eph 4:11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;
Eph 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.
Eph 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Eph 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love.
Ask:
What did Paul want to happen when the body of Christ works together?
Who's supposed to be involved in this?
How important is each individual part?
How does the whole body appear if one part is out of control?
Moving In
High Way
Mannequin
Needed: One cupcake from earlier, 4 duct tape eye patches
Do this first: Ask for one volunteer to be a frozen "mannequin". Stand this mannequin next to the wall in a pose as if he or she is a baby waiting to be fed with his or her mouth open.
Next: Get a second mannequin then blindfold him of her with two duct tape patches over his or her closed eyes. Place a cup cake in the second mannequin's hand and tell him or her to freeze at least 6 feet from the other one.
Third: Ask for another volunteer. Blindfold him or her at least 6 feet from the mannequin with the cup cake and get ready for fun.
Say: Your job is to guide these young Christians in a task; the mannequin on the wall will eat the cup cake from the mannequin holding it. The catch is you are guiding the blindfolded Christian to move the mannequin one movement at a time. For example; move the right leg one step, then the left leg one step, lift the arm to a good height and so on. Oh, and one more thing, these Christians can't talk. Go!
After the feast ask:
What was necessary for you to do well in this activity?
How did you work together to achieve your goal?
What snags did you run into?
Read aloud Ephesians 4:11-16 (Scripture sheet)
Ask:
What did Paul want to happen when the body of Christ works together?
Who's supposed to be involved in this?
How important is each individual part?
How does the whole body appear if one part is out of control?
Is image important in everyday life? Why?
If the right leg of our moving mannequin wanted to go forward and the left leg wanted to stand still how hard would it be to eat the cupcake?
Do your own reasons keep you from showing others that you are a smooth moving Christian? Explain.
Moving Up
Work Zone and High Way
Work Zone - stay in small groups
Watermelon Seed
Read: There once was a farmer strong in his faith. Each day at the evening meal the Bible, or another book of scripture was on the table. He would read a chapter aloud and then lead a discussion. One day as his sons assembled for the meal, there was no book of scripture but a single watermelon seed. He appeared not to notice the missing book but talked about throwing cupcakes at his buddies to make a point about the way they were behaving in public. His sons soon found out about "good impressions" and joined in on a lively discussion.
Then very carefully he picked up the watermelon seed and held it so his sons could all see it. "Boys," he said, still studying the seed. "Do you believe that there is the possibility of several watermelons here in my hand?" Having just been talking about appearances the boys carefully agreed there was. "Do you believe that I have the beginnings of a whole wagon load of watermelons here?" One of the older brothers said that he couldn't say that, but he'd like to plant the watermelon seed and see. They all agreed with him. "Boys," the farmer said with a twinkle in his eyes, "you have the right idea. You have faith that watermelons will come from this seed but with out your work of planting and caring for this seed you will never know for sure.
(Pause for a few seconds)
In James 2:17 it says, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being alone."
Ask:
Do you think that saying you are Christian in the body of Christ is good enough?
Do you think the way people think about you is an issue?
If you don't care about what people think, is it because you are a loving, caring person? Explain.
Should you try to be a visible Christian person or just keep it to your self?
What is the "Work" that needs to be done in order to grow?
Moving On
Work Zone & High Way
List five things that are not "Churchy" things to do. Discuss each one as you list it.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
List five things that are good for your Christian image. Discuss each one as you list it.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Moving Out
Work Zone
Active Actions (Small Groups)
Have everyone form a line from one side of the room to the other. Descried the line as follows: one end of the line is "Often" and the other end is "Never." Ask youth to move to where they believe they are in the room in response to each question. (Give the remaining cupcakes at the end for good behavior)
Ask:
I feel pressured to do what others are doing in order to be accepted.
I prefer to be a leader in all that I do.
It is easy for me to live out my Christian faith when I am with my friends.
When I disagree with someone I usually do everything I can to keep him or her away from my group.
I feel pressure to dress a certain way at school.
I show my Christianity by respecting and including others.
I feel like I fit in with a different group at school than youth group.
Moving Out
High Way
Inactive Actions
Say: You are going to get to do some work for this next discussion. Don't worry you'll barley need to lift a finger or two. For an "Often" response lift 5 fingers and for a "Never" response lift one, anything in between can be 2,3 or 4. Be careful which finger you lift; protect your Christian image!
Ask:
I feel pressured to do what others are doing in order to be accepted.
It is easy for me to live out my Christian faith when I am with my friends.
When I disagree with someone I usually do everything I can to keep him or her away from my group.
I feel pressure to dress a certain way at school.
I show my Christianity by respecting and including others.
I feel like I fit in with a different group at school than youth group
Say: God's Word helps us understand and live our lives as examples:
(Read Slowly)
James 4:1-10 (Be in the world, but not of the world.)
Romans 12:1-2 ("Do not be conformed to this world&ldots;")
Matthew 20:26-28 ("&ldots;whoever wishes to be great&ldots;")
Matthew 5:39-44 (Turn the other cheek.)
Proverbs 17:9 (Don't dwell on someone's faults or sins.)
James 3:1-12 (Watch your tongue.)
Ephesians 4:25-32 (How we should act.)
(Give the remaining cupcakes at the end for good behavior)
Closing
Work Zone & High Way
Gather in Fellowship Hall
Finish the way you began, this time your youth will be wiser.
Say: Here is a little game that illustrates "Use Words if Necessary". I want you to follow what I say here. Hold your hands up in front of you.......now when I say go - clap them together......Let's Start.......ONE ........ TWO ........ THREE (you clap your hands together)........GO.
Ask: What did you learn tonight?
Your challenge this week is to let your actions speak louder than words, Love, respect, and nourish each other and be "churchy" enough to show a visible difference in your lives!
UMYF Benediction
