Subject To Change: Part 3

BOTTOM LINE: God can change the way you see change.

SCRIPTURE: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing (James 1:2-4 NLT).

GOAL OF SMALL GROUP: To help students understand that change can be good and God can use it to grow us.

THINK ABOUT THIS: Leaders—until high school, students typically wait on adults to assign challenges or positive changes for them. This is the first time they’ve really had the freedom and ability to challenge themselves to do something new. So they may need your encouragement and guidance as they decide who they are, what they want for themselves, and how they can accomplish it.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust the questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever challenged yourself to do?

2.What makes personal change so difficult?

3.What’s something you’ve been meaning to change, but haven’t gotten around to?

4.Why do you think most people resist change even when it’s good?

5.Which of the following typically keep you from making a change?

• a.You’re afraid to fail.
• b.You’re afraid to stand out.
• c.You don’t want to seem judgmental.
• d.It seems overwhelming.

6.What’s one benefit of challenging yourself to change, even if you fail?

7.What’s one area of your life where you feel like God might be challenging you in order to grow you?

TRY THIS

Leaders—using the provided note cards and pens, ask your students to identify an area of their lives where they want to choose to make a change and write that on one side of their note card. On the flip side of the card, have students write down one step they can take toward making that change happen in their lives this week.

Subject to Change Part 2

BOTTOM LINE: No matter what, God is with you.

SCRIPTURE

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, youwill not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT).

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b NLT).

GOAL OF SMALL GROUP: To help students realize that God is with them no matter what changes they’re facing.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Leaders—because independence is the number one motivation at this phase, students will often feel that they have to face tough times alone to be a “real adult.” Use this as an opportunity to remind them that they are never truly alone. God is walking with them and so are you.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust the questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways have you experienced changes in your life that don’t meet your expectations?

2. How did those changes make you feel?

3. How do you typically cope when unexpected changes come your way?

4. What do you think it means when people say, “God is with you?”

5. Jesus once promised that in this world you will have trouble. How does knowing that God is with you change the 

way you face RIP moments or troubles?

6. What’s one thing you can do to remind yourself of what’s true about God?

7. What would be different about your life if you lived as if you believe what God says about you is true?

TRY THIS

Leaders—as a group, pick one thing you all can remember when you face RIP moments or times of trouble. It could be 

a verse, a saying, or just something that’s true about God. Once you’ve landed on something, send it out in a group text.

Subject to Change - Week 1

BOTTOM LINE

Life changes. God doesn’t.

SCRIPTURE

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 NLT).

GOAL OF SMALL GROUP

To help students realize that their changing circumstances are not a reflection of God’s character.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Leaders—at this phase, students’ brains are developing in a way where they are primarily thinking with their amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for the fight- or-flight response). That means when change causes anxiety, they may have a tendency to catastrophize the change and assume the worst. That’s why your role is key. As an adult, you can help them think through logical and positive outcomes to the changes they may be facing.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust the questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all
of them.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.     Good or bad, what’s one way your life has changed over the past year?

2.     Why do you think we’re tempted to avoid change, even when it’s potentially good?

3.     How does it make you feel to know that even when your circumstances change, God doesn’t change?

4.     Describe a time of change when God came through for you or someone you know.

5.     When facing change, how is it helpful to remember that God is the same today as He was back then?

6.     Think of someone you know who might be going through a time of change. How can you remind them (without diminishing what they’re facing) that despite the change, God doesn’t change?

TRY THIS

Leaders ask your students to identify and write down a change that’s happening to them on one side of their note card. On the flip side of the card, have students write down a reaction they’d like to have toward that change in their lives this week.

StudentLife Update: In the Pit! April 19

Lots has happened this week in the life of our students. An announcement on Beach Week and school being called off for the year.

We encourage students to check out this week's message at 5 PM and small group at 5:30 PM. We will talk about how it feels when your life seems to have you stuck with no way out and asks the question "Where is God?" in these times.

Our message this weekend is called In The Pit!

Leader Questions

1. What circumstances have you questioning, “Where is God?”

2. As you consider the story, Joseph was having a pretty good life until he found himself in the pit, in what ways have you found yourself in a pit?

3. Joseph’s brothers were angry and jealous because they thought it was unfair that Joseph was the favorite. This caused them to justify doing things that were not right. Is there unfairness happening in your life? How are you handling it?

4. Who do you most relate to in the story? Why?

5. The story doesn’t end with Joseph in the pit. How can we have hope in God’s goodness?

6. Joseph’s story foreshadows the story of Jesus. He was laid in a pit (tomb) but was resurrected three days later. How can we celebrate resurrection in spite of our current situation?

Happy Easter Week 2 - April 5

View the message on IGTV or Facebook Live on Sunday at 5 PM

ZOOM Small Group Meetings to follow at 5:30 PM!
All groups will go to one room, and then go to breakout rooms within the meeting. 
Meeting ID: 307 832 818 Password: 931572

BOTTOM LINE: Easter means new life is possible.

SCRIPTURE: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23 NLT).

GOAL OF SMALL GROUP: To help students to know that sin leads to death in one way or another, but there is always hope for new life.


NEXT WEEK: Student Life Zoom hangouts (Corn-Teen Coffee Hour) will return Monday-Thursday 1-2 PM Meeting ID: 285 601 371

Small Group Discussion Guide

Parent Cue

Happy Easter Week 1 - March 29

View the message on IGTV or Facebook Live 
on Sunday at 5 PM

ZOOM Small Group Meetings to follow!
(info coming soon)

Bottom Line: Easter means fear isn’t final.

Teaching Goal: To help students realize that Jesus’ victory over death can help 

them move forward through any fear they may face.

Scripture:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54b-55 NLT).

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you (Romans 8:11 NLT).

Devotional Guide

Parent Cue

Small Group Leader Guide

Anxiety

These resources accompany the lesson for students:

I Have Questions / What do we do about anxiety?

"Anxiety isn't a new problem. It is a human problem. So even though it feels intensely personal, and it makes you feel like no one else gets what you’re experiencing, you can rest assured you aren’t the first, you won’t be the last, and you aren’t alone."

Our students face a lot of uncertainty. This week, they have experienced life-altering changes. Changes in our ministry, have left students feeling confused, sad, or upset. Changes in our current health crisis have impacted their education, social life, and sense of normalcy and safety. What do we do when circumstances seem overwhelming?

When life seems beyond our control, the one thing we can change is what we do with—and how we respond to—the stress and anxiety that life brings. We can bring it to God.

We can acknowledge what we are feeling. We can name it.
We can name why it bothers us.
And we can shift our focus to something else that is a reality—God’s role in it.

Think of it this way: When we’re stressed or anxious, it can be helpful to name WHAT, WHY

and WHO.

• We can name the WHAT (our anxious feelings).
• We can name the WHY (why we are bothered by it).
• And then we can shift our focus and name WHO God is.

BOTTOM LINE

There are tools to take on anxiety.

SCRIPTURE

Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies

are in hot pursuit; all day long they press

their attack. My adversaries pursue me all

day long (Psalm 56:1-2a NIV).

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In

God, whose word I praise—in God I trust

and am not afraid. What can mere mortals

do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4 NIV).

Student Resources

• Devotional Guide

Parent Resources

• Parent Cue
• Anxiety Conversation Guide
• 5 Simple Strategies to Help Teens Cope with Anxiety