MY STORY. WINTER December, January, February STUDENT YOUNG TEEN RESOURCES: TEEN TESTIMONIES FEATURED IN ENCOUNTER The Magazine

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1 WINTER December, January, February STUDENT TM YOUNG TEEN RESOURCES: VIDEO CLIPS, DIGITAL GAMES, SKITS, POSTERS, AND MORE! Available Separately MY STORY TEEN TESTIMONIES FEATURED IN ENCOUNTER The Magazine Available Separately

2 Lesson a 11 No One Knows Like Jesus 3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: It is not lawful for you to have her. 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet. 6 On Herod s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. 13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:

3 You May Be Having the Worst Day of Your Life If: You listen to your voice mail and it tells you it s none of your business. You wake up and your braces are stuck together. You are told the picture on your student ID looks just like you. Cafeteria food starts to taste good. You put both contact lenses in the same eye. The bird singing outside your bedroom window is a vulture. Your parents approve of the person you think is the coolest person you know. Your doctor tells you that you are allergic to chocolate, pizza, and ice cream. Everyone is laughing but you. Your twin brother forgets your birthday. 44 Lesson 11

4 Our Our Suffering Savior Unfair Jesus suffered a loss due to injustice. Sometimes we suffer the consequences of our own bad choices. Sometimes we suffer the consequences of the sins of others. Give an example of each from your own life. Why did John the Baptist suffer? (Matthew 14:3-11). List some of the sins of Herod that led to John s execution. What was Jesus connection to John (Luke 1:36)? How would you have felt in Jesus situation? Unbearable Jesus momentarily withdrew from activity due to His pain. Which of these describes the way you usually handle suffering: ignoring it, taking it out on others, whining about it? Name some results of your chosen approach. How did Jesus handle the pain of John s death? (Matthew 14:12, 13a). How was this approach similar to how He handled suffering in Matthew 26:36-39? How is this approach more effective than the ways we usually handle pain? Understanding The experience of suffering led Jesus to react compassionately to others in pain. Agree or disagree: When I am going through a hard time, I tend to ignore the problems of others. Explain how Jesus might respond to that statement (Matthew 14:13b, 14). Read Hebrews 2:10, 11, 18; 4:15, 16. Why is it important for us to know that Jesus suffered like we do? Lesson 11 45

5 How can I go on living? We often feel that we are all alone when we face hardships. Look at the list below and find two or three things that you might be thinking now. Look up the corresponding Scripture verses and try to commit them to memory this week. Photo by istockphoto If you are thinking: Memorize: It s impossible... Luke 18:27 I m too tired... Matthew 11:28-30 Nobody loves me... John 3:16; 13:34 I can t go on... 2 Corinthians 12:9 I can t figure things out... Proverbs 3:5, 6 I can t forgive myself... 1 John 1:9 I can t do it... Philippians 4:13 I m not able... 2 Corinthians 9:8 It s not worth it... Romans 8:28 I can t manage... Philippians 4:9 I m afraid... 2 Timothy 1:7 I m worried... 1 Peter 5:7 I don t have enough faith... Romans 12:3 I m not smart enough... James 1:5 I feel alone... Psalm 23:4 46 Lesson 11