Simon Says It's Your Move Road Work and Trek Groups Gather in the gym. Welcome, & introductions Ask for someone to make the announcements. (See if anyone knows what's going on?) · Caravan Report · One Great Day Report Take a few minutes to pray silently. Offer a prayer then anyone that wants to can add, the leader finishes. Which Way Are We Moving Work Zone  & High Way Simon Says Needed: pencils and paper for each participant Purpose: To see how well people listen to directions. It demonstrates that hearing and listening is not the same thing. One can hear but not really capture the meaning a person is trying to communicate. Give every person a sheet of paper and pencil. Tell them they will receive some simple directions they should follow by using the sheet of paper. They will be stated only once, and in a quick and clear manner. Participants must follow directions without any questions and not repeat any directions. Read these directions, once loudly and clearly, but quickly. · On top of the left hand side write the country's name where you live. · Along the right hand side write the name of the state you live in. · Draw a line from the top right corner to the bottom left hand corner. · Draw a line from the center of the top to the center of the bottom. · Fold your paper along the centerline with the left side over the right. · Now draw a diagonal line from the top left corner to the bottom right corner and write your first name three times on the diagonal line. · Fold your paper into thirds and hand it to the person to your right. After you have read the directions to the groups, and they have followed them, have everyone open the sheet they end up with and ask them to raise their hands if they think it is correct. You don't need to keep score, but usually only 25 percent of participants will do everything correctly. Break into Journey Groups Moving In Work Zone & High Way Start a discussion based on the large group activity:  · Why do you think so many people didn't do the exercise correctly? · Would anyone have done better if this were an important group task or item of personal interest? · What would have happened if it had been? Use the exercise to lead into a discussion about hearing versus listening, and what it means to your group. Moving on Work Zone & High Way How Do You Listen? Say: For the following exercise, do not try to second-guess the intent. Answer with yes or no, according to your usual behavior. For each "yes" keep score with you fingers. The answers you give will help you discover where you may have developed listening habits that keep you from being a good listener. · Science says you think four times faster than a person usually talks. Do you use this excess time to turn your thoughts elsewhere while you're keeping general track of a conversation? · When somebody is talking to you, do you try to make him or her think that you are paying attention when you are not? · When you are listening to someone, are you easily distracted by outside sights and sounds? · When you are puzzled or annoyed by what someone says, do you try to get the question straightened out immediately...either in your own mind or by interrupting the speaker? · Do certain words, phrases, or ideas make you prejudiced against the speaker so that you cannot listen objectively to what is being said? · Do you listen primarily for facts, rather than ideas, when someone is speaking? · If you feel that it would take too much time and effort to understand something, do you go out of your way to avoid hearing about it? · If you want to remember what someone is saying, do you think it is a good idea to write it down as he or she goes along? · Do you deliberately turn your thoughts to other subjects when you believe a speaker will have nothing interesting to say? · Can you tell by a person's appearance and delivery that he or she won't have anything worthwhile to say? If you have answered no to every question, you are a rare individual -- the perfect listener. Each yes shows a listening habit to change if you want to improve your communication. Moving on Work Zone  Needed: Index Cards and pencils. Prizes! Say: Listen closely, If you don't get it the first time you will need to sit against the wall by yourself for the rest of this activity. Hand out a card and pencil to everyone, then Say: Do this by yourself, do not get help or share with anyone. Write five little known facts about yourself on the card then sign your name. Hand your card to me when you are finished. After everyone has turned in a card, divide into even teams (Try blonds vs brunets, or white shirts vs all others). Have each team form a line one behind the other on opposite sides of the room. Say: Each team is to play against the other. The object of the game is to guess who the person on the card is by only the facts listed. The first team to answer correctly wins the point/card. Only one person is allowed to be the team spokesman and only he or she will be recognized. If you know the answer tag the person in line next to you closest to the spokesman, only when successive tags reach the spokesman will the team leader recognize the one that thinks they know. After each correct answer the team leader goes to the back of the line and next in line becomes the spokesman. Play the Game!     Moving on High Way Needed: Handout Look a little deeper at HOW YOU LISTEN&ldots; Moving out Work Zone & High Way Explain: We can be judges here on earth but we will always answer to a higher court. When the actions of others are beyond our control we are limited in our capacity to change them. We can only explain ourselves to others and hope that they will see a benefit in living life as a Christian. If they choose not to at the present time, that should be okay. We will do what we can for them and continue on our journey. Christ came lived amongst the people, but not as the people lived. Some saw the truth in His life and decided to follow. Some chose to ignore His message and went their own way. The beauty of His teaching was always there ready for anyone who would listen; they needed only to choose to do so. We wanted to address two questions here tonight. The answer could be found in Luke 10:25-29. Read: Luk 10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Luk 10:26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" Luk 10:27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Luk 10:28 And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." Luk 10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In this passage I found the answer to my questions. The questions were: What makes a "good" youth group great? And, How do I get the youth to be quiet and listen? · Given the lesson tonight and the scripture I just read, what do you think the answers are? · What are the actions and consequences expressed in this scripture? · Do you have enough time to listen to others? · Do you have enough time to listen to God? · Give an example of how you can show this week that you are listening for God. Come back together in the FLC Closing Road Work & Trek God will never force you to listen.  If you want to listen, you have to know you are not paying attention. You've got to know that you're not listening for that still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  God is always calling your name.  He left His home in heaven to come down to earth and live as humans, challenging them to listen to Him. Prayer and Concerns