EXODUS: WHEN GOD S ON YOUR SIDE 1. LEADER PREPARATION

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1 EXODUS: WHEN GOD S ON YOUR SIDE Week 2: Looking Back (Remembering God s Deliverance) This includes: 1. Leader Preparation 2. Lesson Guide 1. LEADER PREPARATION LESSON OVERVIEW Teenagers benefit from taking time to stop and reflect on what God has done in their lives. Life can be so fast-paced, and if we don t make time to stop and reflect on God s presence in our lives, we can overlook times when God has dynamically worked in and through us. This lesson will help your students think about their relationship with God in terms of how God has dynamically interacted with them, and they ll have the opportunity to take the time to worship him in response. LESSON OBJECTIVES 1. WHAT: It s important for Christ-followers to remember times when God has worked in our lives. 2. WHY: Remembering how God has been with us on our journey adds a depth to our relationship with God. 3. HOW: Students will be challenged to remember specific times when God worked in their lives and to express thanks and praise to God for those times. PRIMARY SCRIPTURE Exodus 13:3-10 SECONDARY SCRIPTURES Psalm 40:5; Luke 1:39-55; and Romans 8:28 TEACHING PREP The short overview below is designed to help you prepare for your lesson. While you may not want to convey this information word-for-word with your teenagers, you ll definitely want to refer to it as you lead. Read Exodus 13:3-10.

2 This passage comes as the Hebrews are on the cusp of their exodus from Egypt. God had sent a series of plagues against the Egyptians, and the Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Hebrews leave. God had come to Moses and had given him the specific instructions we see in this passage instructions for the observance of the Passover Feast, a special time of remembrance for the Israelites. This feast would remind future generations that God had heard the cries of his people and, because of the covenant promise with them, redeemed them from slavery in Egypt and established them as a nation. This has meaningful ramifications for us, as Christ was sent through the Jews to redeem all humanity from sin. This passage reminds us of a powerful truth. As Christ-followers, we can be assured that God actively intervenes in our lives. First and foremost, we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has miraculously intervened on our behalf to offer the gift of salvation. Christ s intervention on the cross and the subsequent forgiveness available to us is something we should always remember. But we also can look at our lives and see times when God has moved powerfully to work for our good and his glory. The heart of this passage is a call to remember these times and to praise God accordingly. As your students grow in their faith, they will experience times when God works in and through their lives in significant ways. Maybe it happens through circumstances, opportunities, interactions with others, or a personal exchange with God s Spirit. Scripture reveals again and again that the proper response to these interactions with God is to acknowledge them and to worship God for them. Remembering God s intervention in our lives is a vital part of our spiritual journey. THE BEFORE & AFTER [optional] Text Message Questions We ve provided a couple of different text message questions to send out to your students prior to your meeting. Feel free to use one or both of the questions below. As with the rest of the curriculum, edit these questions to fit the needs of your ministry. What has God done in your life that you are thankful for? We d love to hear about it in small group tonight! How s your memory? Find out tonight at small group.

3 Parent We ve provided you with an below that you can send to your parents following the lesson. Our hope is to encourage parents to continue the conversation at home. Feel free to edit and customize the to fit your ministry needs. Dear parents, This week, students in our small groups spent time recalling moments when God has worked in their lives. We were studying the second lesson in our series from the book of Exodus, a lesson that looked at how the Israelites made it a point to remember God s hand in delivering them from slavery in Egypt. They praised God because of this intervention in their lives. We challenged our students to follow that pattern and praise God for how he has worked in their lives, too. Sometime this week, as you go throughout your routine, consider taking time to ask these or similar questions to generate some discussion with your teenager: Why is it important to remember meaningful times in the past including times God has worked in and through our lives? When has our family seen God s hand working in our lives? What were the circumstances? What were the results? What can we do as a family to express our thanks to God for working in our lives? Thank you for your continued prayers for our ministry. As always, if we can help you and your family in any way, please let me know. Have a great week!

4 EXODUS: WHEN GOD S ON YOUR SIDE Week 2: Looking Back (Remembering God s Deliverance) 2. LEsson guide GETTING THINGS STARTED [optional] Before your meeting, send a text message or to your students asking them to come ready to share a favorite childhood memory, and encourage them to bring a specific item connected to that memory. Be prepared to share, too, including an item associated with your event or experience. Welcome your students and invite them into your meeting area. Open in prayer, and then jump into the activity below: Go around the group and invite students to share their favorite childhood memories along with any items they ve brought that are connected to those memories. After everyone has had the chance to share, Why are these memories so significant? What emotions do you feel when you recall these memories? Why is it important for us to remember significant moments in our lives? What might we lose if we don t? SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Believe it or not, the theme of remembering is prominent in Scripture and in the Old Testament, the word in Hebrew actually suggests active engagement by reliving and participating in that memory again and again. Throughout the Bible, we read about people who stopped and made a point of remembering times when God had been faithful to them. Today we re going to look at one of those moments and why this type of reflection remains important to us today. If you came up with an opening activity, movie clip, or game that worked well with your group, and you d like to share it with other youth workers, please us at ideas@simplyyouthministry.com.

5 TEACHING GUIDE The goal of the Teaching Points is to help students capture the essence of each lesson with more discussion and less lecture-style teaching. The main points we have chosen here are (1) When God intervenes, it is a memorable moment, (2) When God intervenes, we ought to respond with worship, and (3) Remembering God s work in the past gives us strength for the future. Remember: All throughout these lessons, it s up to you to choose (1) how many questions you use, and (2) the wording of the main points keep ours, or change the wording to make it clearer for your audience. Read Exodus 13:3-10 together as a group. Consider allowing one or more of the teenagers to read the text. SAY SOMETHING LIKE: This week s passage comes as Moses and the Israelites were in the process of leaving Egypt. Let s spend a few minutes discussing some truths and ideas from these verses especially about the importance of remembering the ways God works in our lives. 1. When God intervenes, it is a memorable moment What s the most incredible, amazing thing you ve seen God do in your life or in the life of someone you know? God does work in our lives, yet we sometimes have a hard time seeing or remembering it why? What if God didn t work in our lives? What would that say about God s character? In verse 4, Moses tells the people they ought to celebrate this moment because it was the day they were set free. What are some God-honoring moments or experiences in our lives that are worth celebrating year after year and why? SAY SOMETHING LIKE: God cares deeply about us. God works in our lives in ways that bring about good for us and bring glory to him. That s how God has always worked in the lives of those who believe in him, and it is the way God will always

6 work. We can count on God s hand working in our lives, and when that happens, it s a moment worth remembering. 2. When God intervenes, we ought to respond with worship When someone says it s time to worship God because of things he has done, what does that phrase mean to you? Describe the status of your praise life. Are you in the habit of offering praise to God for who he is? If so, what are some ways you praise and worship God? If not, why not? In this passage, Moses tells the people they ought to worship God and celebrate their deliverance through an annual feast. What are some other ways we might worship and celebrate God s work in our lives? What can keep you from consistently praising God the way you would like to? If we stop worshipping God for working in our lives, will God stop working in our lives? Why or why not? SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Praising and worshipping God is the right response for who God is and all God has done for us. It simply ought to be our natural reaction to God s blessings, answers to prayer, interventions, and works in our lives. It doesn t have to be fancy, or public, or formal but it can be, if that s the most powerful expression of our gratitude and love for God. Our worship ought to be personal and heartfelt, a deep thank you for the times God has worked in and through our lives. 3. Remembering God s work in the past gives us strength for the future Think of a childhood memory that continues to inspire, excite, or motivate you today. Why is it so powerful? Why does it still have that effect on you? God called the Israelites to remember his faithfulness to them. How and why would this provide strength for them in the future? How might an attitude of gratitude toward God help us on our spiritual journey? SAY SOMETHING LIKE: It s so vital that we remember who God is and what God has done for us. This attitude of gratitude gives us a healthy perspective as we

7 face challenges in the future. When we remember all the things God has done in the past, we can experience greater faith and confidence in God s ability to help us in the future. God is constantly doing things in and through our lives, and remembering this truth is key to a vibrant personal relationship with God. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION [optional] Read Luke 1: God was doing something amazing in Mary s life. How would you describe her response, and what can we learn from that response? When we are able to see God s work in our lives, what does that reveal about our relationship with God? When we can t see God s work, what does that reveal? Read Romans 8:28. Do you think the words of this verse are more powerful to you when things are going well in life or when you re facing problems? Why? APPLICATION Ask for a student volunteer to read Psalm 40:5. Then SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Find a quiet place where you can be alone for a few minutes, and make a list of times when God has intervened or worked in your life. Once you ve created your list, think about how it feels to see all the times God has been present in your life and how this can encourage you in the future. After a few minutes, bring your students back together. How can you begin or continue to look for evidence of God s work in your life? God instructed Moses to remind the people to celebrate all that God had done for them. What are some ways we can practically celebrate God s work in our lives? Let s brainstorm some ideas.

8 Thinking about the list we just came up with, which ones do you already do? Which ones are new ways in which you might show praise to God? SUMMARY End your lesson here. Provide your teenagers with a quick summary or take-home challenge based on (1) the content of this lesson, (2) the dialogue that took place during the lesson, (3) your understanding of the issues and struggles your teenagers are facing, and (4) the big picture of your youth ministry and what your leadership team wants accomplished with the teaching and discussion time. FOR KEEPS [MEMORY VERSE] Encourage and/or challenge your teenagers to memorize the verse below. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28).