You Do IT!
It's Your Move
Work Zone and High Way
Pass out cards that say, "You're in Charge" during common meal. We get tables and chairs back, yea!
The gathering will take place when the Youth figure out its time to start.
Sponsors will get one "Yes" & "No card printed on both sides. If someone asks about the lesson or has a question about what's going on, only the card can be used. Extra lesson booklets are available for any youth that want to lead.
Which Way Are We Moving
Work Zone & High Way
Large Group Game: Larry, Curly & Moe
Divide into two groups by alphabetical first names, half of the large group to each circle. Have each youth and sponsors get a chair, one less than people.
Explain: We are playing a name game called Larry, Curley or Moe. IT is in the center of the circle and points to someone seated saying Larry, Curley or Moe. If IT says "Moe" the person pointed to must stand and say his or her name, then sit. If IT says "Larry" the person pointed to remains seated and says the person on his or her lefts name, the person on the left must stand then sit. If IT says "Curley" it's the person on the right that is the key. If someone fails to stand at the right time or can't quickly remember a name, then they become IT. TIP: The person pointed to always says a name.
Why Play?
Say: The Three Stooges were willing to do things no one in their right mind would do. That's what made them so popular. Unlike us, though, they were acting goofy because it was their profession. Sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances in real life where we do things we normally wouldn't. We have many opportunities to go along with the crowd. Tonight we are going to look at some of the choices we make and weather they are things we would normally do.
Split into groups, Work Zone in Fellowship Hall, High Way in the Youth Ctr.
Congratulations Youth Leader
TIP: If you are reading this you are trying to lead your peers. Don't give up. Share the responsibility have a partner read ahead while you are leading -then switch. Do only your groups stuff. Watch for "WORK ZONE" or "HIGH WAY" heading to keep on track.
Moving in
Work Zone
Game
Needed: Cotton balls, two containers, petroleum jelly, napkins, M&Ms
Ahead of Time: Set up two long team tables at least 10 feet apart. Spread cotton balls around on one end of each the table and place a container on the other end.
Divide into two teams. Explain that the teams are going to compete to see who can move the most cotton ball from one table to the other. The catch, contestants cannot use any body part except their noses to pick up and move the cotton balls!
To begin the race smear petroleum jelly on the noses of each youth. Each team must attempt to move a cotton ball to the container at the other end of the table. His or her turn is over only after successfully moving one cotton ball to the team container. Then the next team member takes a turn. The first team done gets a bag of M&M prize.
Transition to the next step.
Ask: Did you feel foolish trying to move the cotton ball with petroleum jelly all over your noses?
Explain: We all put ourselves in foolish situations once in a while. Sometimes that's OK, but sometimes it can be really dangerous or distracting- especially when it comes to giving in to temptation.
Moving in
High Way
Have two students read one each of the "Darwin Awards" stories (hand out).
Jumping Jack Cash
The Grand Canyon in Arizona has protective fencing around some of its more precarious drop offs. Just beyond the fences in some spots are flat top spires that tourists often toss coins to for luck, like a dry wishing well. Quite a few coins pile up on the surfaces, while others fall to the valley floor far below. One entrepreneur climbed over the fence with a bag, and leapt to one of the precarious, coin-covered perches. He filled the bag with booty, and then tried to leap back to the fence with the coins. But the heavy bag affected his jump, and several of his buddies were treated to a view of his plunge to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He did not survive to harvest the piles of coins that had suffered his same fate.
Dead Spitter
A 25-year-old soldier died of injuries sustained from a 3-story fall, precipitated by his attempt to spit farther than his buddy. His plan was to hurl himself towards a metal guardrail, in order to add momentum to his long distance spit attempt. In a tragic miscalculation, his momentum carried him right over the railing, sending him plummeting 24 feet to the concrete below.
Discuss: What made these people do such foolish things?
Alcohol, greed, competitiveness, pride, etc.
What's the most foolish thing you've ever done?
Be prepared to share first to get their minds rolling!
Explain: As we'll see tonight, lots of times we're more likely to do foolish things because we put ourselves in foolish situations. We're going to talk about how to steer clear of trouble and avoid doing things we'll later regret.
Moving up
Work Zone
Read the following story:
Pat decided to lose some weight, and the diet was to begin immediately. The first day was really hard, especially during lunchtime when it seemed that everyone was enjoying huge sandwiches, chips and cookies-and all Pat had was a plain salad.
One afternoon, three days into the diet, Pat got on a bike and peddled over to the mall right past the ice cream parlor. Ooh, it smelled so good! Pat stopped, turned around, marched right in and ordered a banana split. The clerk brought the banana split to Pat's table, and Pat picked up the spoon and&ldots;
Discus: What do you think happened next? Did Pat eat the ice cream or stick to the diet?
Explain: It was a really bad idea for Pat to go into the ice cream parlor; it was probably not even a good idea for Pat to bike past the ice cream parlor so that temptation was so close. If Pat really wanted to stick to the diet, avoidance altogether could have helped.
Discuss: Some people are literally addicted to food. What other things can people be addicted to? (alcohol, work, gambling, TV, video games, etc.)
How can an addict kick his or her habit? (Say away from situations that would be tempting, get help from others to not give in.)
Ask for a volunteer to read: Proverbs 26:11 - Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool that repeats his folly.
Explain: Pretty gross, isn't it? It's true, though- someone who's addicted to something will have a really hard time staying away from his or her addiction.
Ask for another volunteer to read: 1Peter 2:11 - Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul.
What do you think "aliens and exiles" in this passage means? (The ones on the outside trying to fit in.)
What do you think "passions of the flesh" means? (Temptations to "have", "keep up with the Jones.")
Explain: Instead of putting ourselves in situations where we might be tempted, we should avoid them and turn our focus to God and His will to be with us resisting temptation to sin.
Moving up
High Way
Play "Honey If You Love Me!"
Have the large group stay in their seats. One person is IT in the middle of the circle and tries to get someone on the outside of the circle to smile by asking; "Honey, if you love me, smile" The IT can only say this phrase and may not physically touch anyone else. The one being asked must keep a straight face and reply only; "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile." IT must try another person after the reply. Play 2-3 min.
Play the game again this time allow moderate touching No sitting on anyone. Play 2-3 min.
Find a good reader or two and read all of Genesis 39.
Ask:
Why wouldn't Joseph give in to his master's wife? (Because he knew it would be a sin against God and against his boss.)
What was Joseph's strategy to resist the pressure placed upon him by Polisher's wife? (He refused to even be near her.)
Was it a good strategy? (It worked as long as he wasn't near her.)
Why did Polisher's wife claim that Joseph attacked her? (She was angry that she didn't get what she wanted.)
Explain: Temptation is a tricky thing. In the game "Honey If You Love Me", only those who had very good control over his or her emotions was successful.
Ask:
Do you think younger youth have a harder time not smiling in the game? Why? (They would have a harder time. They haven't had the experience to be able to ignore the temptation.)
Explain: Joseph had many down turns in his life, but he kept his faith. Even when it looked like Joseph had hit rock bottom, God still gave him strength to triumph. God honored Joseph's obedience to Him-maybe not in Joseph's preferred time, but in God's own perfect timing.
Moving on
Road Work
Needed: Lots of M&Ms
Give each youth 10 M&Ms. No eating the candy yet! Explain that the group is going to play "I Never."
Here's how to play: Students take turns, working their way around to everyone, saying something they've never done or someplace they've never been. (i.e. I've never shaved my legs.") The statement may not be duplicated by anyone else after it is said once. Anyone in the group who has done that thing or been to that place must give one piece of candy to the student who hasn't. Allow each youth to play.
Discuss: When someone has done something, he or she has gained experience. Is it better at your school to be experienced of inexperienced? (Be ready, this one could lead to giggles over sex-keep the situation under control.)
In what situations would it be good to be able to say "I never did that"? (Cheating, drinking, drugs, sex, stealing, etc.)
How can you know which situations we should avoid? (The Bible gives guidelines; parents teachers, and others in authority set rules to follow and advise us; more mature Christians can give good advice; seeing how certain behaviors destroy lives.)
Moving on
High Way
First -Read the situation hand out "Amanda,"
Then -Divide into as many smaller groups as there are sponsors to discuss what Amanda should do.
Amanda
Amanda was 15 years old. She was an active member of the church youth group. Since Amanda's boyfriend, Nate, was 16 and not a churchgoer, Amanda's parents weren't thrilled with their relationship. Because they trusted Amanda, they gave in and allowed her to see Nate- but only if they went out with a group of people.
One Friday night Amanda and Nate made arrangements to meet at the movies with a group of friends. Nate's parents had let him borrow the car, and after the movie, Nate invited Amanda to go cruising. Her parents were expecting her to go out for pizza with the group after the movie, but she agreed to go with Nate anyway, reasoning that they would wind up at the pizza parlor after they drove around a little.
Nate drove around and they eventually wound up in the park. Nate turned off the car and leaned over to kiss Amanda. He whispered, "Why don't we get in the back seat where we'll be more comfortable?"
Discuss: Nate was putting the pressure on Amanda but what mistake did Amanda make in this situation? (She was wrong to go cruising with Nate when she knew her parents expected her to stay with the group; she was wrong to disobey her parents. She let herself get into a pressure situation.)
Go through the list of peer pressure situations from the previous weeks lesson and have the youth vote by a show of hands "Pressure Possible" and "No pressure."
Pressure Situations Pressure Possible No Pressure
Sleeping in class
Underclassmen going out to lunch
Choice of doing home work or hanging with friends
Talking out of turn during Youth
Cheating
Skipping chores/practice
Excluding someone
Following the rules
Missing curfew
Skipping school
Taking drugs
Talking on the phone
Stealing food in the school lunch room
Speeding when driving
Explain: Christians are not safe from temptation or peer pressure just because they hang out with a "safe" crowd. What's important is to think about the situations we place ourselves in and be aware of our vulnerability to temptations.
Moving out
Work Zone & High Way
Stay in Work Zone & High Way groups and sum up the lesson.
Quick Questions
Read: Mark 6:21-28 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. For when Hero'di-as' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it." And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer." And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
Say: OK, gross! And Bad! Now, before King Herod did the awful thing you just heard about, he felt distressed. In other words, he didn't actually want to follow through on what was asked of him - but he did it anyway!
Why did he do it?
He wanted to gross out his guests.
His guests were getting boarded and he wanted to liven up his party.
He didn't want to look lame in front of his guests.
Explain: The things we say or promise to do can get us into trouble! Herod chose to do the wrong thing because he swore a promise in front of a crowd of important people he wanted to impress.
In the same way, we sometimes talk our way into bad situations - especially when we are talking to people we are trying to impress.
What are two ways you can keep yourself from talking your way into bad situations? (Try to get the group to quickly agree on two ways and promise to try them this next week.)
Return to Fellowship Hall
Prayer and Concerns
Road Work & Trek
Needed: candle and matches.
Sit in a big circle. Dim the lights. Whoever is leading begins an affirmation by holding the candle and saying "Resist Temptation" then passing the candle to the right. Continue around until all have participated. Then place the candle in the center of the circle.
End with everyone join in singing "Sanctuary"
Stand join hands, right over left, and say the UMYF benediction.
Looking Ahead
C-van Theme Dinner/Confirmation - W.O.F. - Rib Sale - Sr Breakfast,
