THE SCENE FREE WEEKLY DOWNLOAD FOR YOUR LESSON DAILY DEVOTIONS. FALL 2017 September, October, November TEACHER. FEATURED IN ENCOUNTER The Magazine

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1 FALL 2017 September, October, November TEACHER TM THE SCENE FREE WEEKLY DOWNLOAD FOR YOUR LESSON DAILY DEVOTIONS FEATURED IN ENCOUNTER The Magazine Available Separately

2 Fall 2017 Contents AaAaA Unit 1 Preparing for the Future Lesson writers: Alex Lozada, Kelly Carr, Jim Eichenberger September 3 Lesson 1 Seeing the Big Picture John 6:25-29; 1 John 2: September 10 Lesson 2 Knowing God s Will Psalm 119: September 17 Lesson 3 Making Wise Choices Psalm 37:4; Proverbs 15:22; Romans 12:6-8; Colossians 3: Unit 2 Challenges to a Biblical Faith Lesson writers: Alex Lozada, Kelly Carr, Jim Eichenberger September 24 Lesson 4 God and His Message (The Challenge of Mormonism) Deuteronomy 4:1, 2; 1 Chronicles 17:20; Proverbs 30:6; 1 Corinthians 8: October 1 Lesson 5 God and Truth (The Challenge of Jehovah s Witnesses) John 10:30-33, 37, 38; Matthew 24:36-42; Luke 16: October 8 Lesson 6 God and Justice (The Challenge of Islam) Psalm 22:27-29; Micah 6:6-8; John 12: October 15 Lesson 7 God and Nature (The Challenge of Wicca) Psalm 8:4-8; Acts 17:24, 25; Romans 8: September, October, November Unit 3 Famous Women of the Bible Lesson writers: Jenna Lusby, Kelly Carr, Jim Eichenberger October 22 Lesson 8 The Price of Power (Esther) Esther 2:17; 3:13, 14; 4:13-16; 8:3, October 29 Lesson 9 Lessons in Leadership (Deborah) Judges 4: November 5 Lesson 10 Man s Trash, God s Treasure (Rahab) Joshua 2:1-4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 17, 18, Unit 4 Authority Lesson writers: Jenna Lusby, Kelly Carr, Jim Eichenberger November 12 Lesson 11 The Final Word on Authority Deuteronomy 1:3, 9-17; Proverbs 22:15; 1 Timothy 2: November 19 Lesson 12 Rebel or Respect? 1 Peter 2:13-23; Proverbs 19: November 26 Lesson 13 Now What? Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 1 Peter 5:1-3; 2 Samuel 23:3, High School Resources Get more out of each session with: 4 lesson-related audio skits 2 interactive games to introduce your study 6 videos 13 memory verse quizzes in digital format 6 full-color posters and a sheet of reproducibles ENCOUNTER The Magazine Each week you ll find stories, quizzes, interviews, and more to help your students deal with issues that affect their lives poetry, testimonies, and art created by teens challenging daily devotions so that your students can encounter God s best for their lives High School Teacher is published quarterly by Standard Publishing, Copyright by Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Volume 47 Number 1 Laura Derico, editor. David C Cook Creative Services, design and production. Scott Ryan, cover design. Andrew Quach, interior design. Stockbyte, cover photo.

3 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK LESSON PREPARATION: 1 Read the lesson Scripture. Review the Life Focus. This is the main theme of the lesson. 2 3 Look at the goals for the lesson steps. These provide a four-step road map for your lesson. Study the Scripture commentary in Encountering God s Word. Take special note of the points of the lesson. You will need to stress these in the last three steps of your lesson presentation. 4 High School Teacher 1

4 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK LESSON PRESENTATION: 5 Choose which option to use. Each lesson step has two or three activity choices. CHOOSE ONLY ONE for each step. Each option will appeal to a different learning style. Pick the ONE option type that will work best for you. 6 7 Items you will need from High School Student, High School Resources, ENCOUNTER The Magazine, or online are pictured in the margin. As you present the lesson, keep in mind the goal of each activity and the transition statement ending each activity. 8 2 High School Teacher

5 UNIT 1 UNIT Preparing for the Future GOAL: Students will understand how to apply biblical principles in making life decisions. The science fiction film Plan 9 from Outer Space is generally agreed to be one of the most unintentionally funny movies of all time. The film opens with a newscaster intoning gravely, We are all interested in the future, for that is where we will spend the rest of our lives. Although ludicrous by overstatement, the words are true. Teens especially have a great deal of interest in their immediate futures. Right now they are being called on to think about the remainder of their lives: Where will I go to college? What career should I pursue? How do I go about finding a suitable spouse? How can I build a stable family? This unit will help your student develop biblical perspectives concerning life decisions. You can help your students approach the remainder of their lives more confidently with these three lessons. LESSON 1 Seeing the Big Picture helps students understand that they need to approach the future with a grasp of what God wants to accomplish in their lives. Life is more than gathering wealth and experiencing pleasure. It is, in the words of Jesus, the process of working for food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27). LESSON 2 Knowing God s Will turns students to the resource where we learn of God s will the Bible. Finding God s will is not a matter of intuition, esoteric visions, or modern-day prophets. Rather, students will learn God s will by studying the Word of God and applying it to their lives. LESSON 3 Making Wise Choices gives practical advice for decision-making. Key Scriptures are used to develop three questions that need to be asked when making life choices. WEBSITES n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n myfuture.com Although it is designed to help students think of a military career, this site is filled with short articles and quizzes that will help students consider issues they will face as they make major life decisions. mappingyourfuture.org Designed for the college-bound student, this site gives advice on college and career choices with simple, age-appropriate lists. powertochange.com This site is loaded with testimonies of ordinary people who trusted Jesus with their futures and how that trust was rewarded. High School Teacher, Unit 1 3

6 What Is How would you like to be able to begin your Bible lesson by discussing something that is on your students minds today? The Scene allows you to do just that!... IT S RELEVANT! The Scene is a current events discussion activity based on recent headlines or topics in the news. Each week a new article is written and posted on our website.... IT S EASY! Follow the simple instructions under The Scene heading in each lesson to download a free introduction activity each week.... IT S ATTENTION-GRABBING! The Scene may deal with national or international affairs, entertainment, sports, science, or even an unusual or humorous news story from the current week. The Scene is always different but never boring!... IT S FREE! Print this one-page activity and make as many copies as you need for your class. There is no charge for downloading The Scene.... IT S FLEXIBLE! Should you wish to use one of our other introductory activities, no problem! Why not The Scene to your students in the week to get them prepared for this Sunday s Bible lesson? HighSchool Teacher-Body-DMLD.indd 4 High School Teacher, Encounter Curriculum Permission granted to copy for ministry purposes only not for resale. 2/28/17 4:10 PM

7 Seeing the Big Picture Lesson 1 Unit One: Preparing for the Future Scripture: John 6:25-29; 1 John 2:15-17 Life Focus: People of faith try to view the future through God s eyes. Today s Challenge Let s talk about what really matters. By examining a story in the life of Jesus, you can learn how to live a focused, Godcentered life. Step 1 Setting the Stage Recall a time that you made a mistake because you did not see the big picture. Step 2 Searching the Word Explain the biblical principles that drive the way people of faith approach life. Step 3 Making It Real Contrast the actions of a person of faith with others when making specific decisions about the future. Step 4 Living It Out Rethink a personal life goal from a faith perspective. An Ineffective Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. In the middle of the night, Holmes awoke and nudged his friend. Watson, look up and tell me what you see. Watson replied, I see millions and millions of stars. What does that tell you? asked Holmes. Watson pondered for a minute. Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Chronologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we seem small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you? Holmes was silent for a minute, then said, Watson, it tells me that someone has stolen our tent. It is easy for anyone to get lost in surface facts and miss the big picture. When some of Jesus followers missed the point of His ministry, Jesus spoke of three ways His followers should look at life. We must be alert, anticipating, and aided. Continued on next page. Hide It in Your Heart Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. John 6:27 For a presession or take-home activity, lead kids in memorizing this key verse, using the puzzle found on your High School Resources CD. John 6: When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, Rabbi, when did you get here? 26 Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. 28 Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? 29 Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. 1 John 2: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. High School Teacher, Encounter Curriculum. Permission granted to photocopy for ministry purposes only not for resale. High School Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 1 5

8 Encountering God s Word ALERT John 6:25, 26 Earlier in this crucial sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus performed two of His most famous miracles. After feeding the 5,000, Jesus joined His disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee by walking on water. The next morning, the crowds Jesus had fed realized that He and His disciples had left. They too crossed the sea in search of this charismatic leader who could satisfy their appetites. Yet they did not understand the greatness of the works Jesus had just performed. Finding Jesus in People of faith Capernaum, these clueless are aware of how followers were obviously God is at work in confused when they found their lives. Jesus had arrived before them (John 6:22-25). Jesus responded that both the miraculous nature of His arrival and of their meal the day before had escaped them (v. 26). While His miracles should have given the crowds an understanding that Jesus was sent to bring the salvation of Jehovah, they saw Him only as a clever and convenient seaside vendor! Even today some people come to church because of temporal bread. They enjoy exciting programs or acts of benevolence that make their lives easier. But they miss the miraculous mission that is the purpose of Christ s church. In order to see the big picture, we must understand how God wishes to work in our lives. ANTICIPATING John 6:27a; 1 John 2:17 Jesus attempted to refocus the vision of those who approached Him. He did this by encouraging them not to work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you (John 6:27). This pointed to the ultimate goal of His ministry. John certainly reflected on this incident when he later wrote, The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:17). While easing physical hunger and mitigating People of faith human suffering are noble keep the ultimate works, the work of Jesus goal in sight. was to go far beyond a Band-Aid approach to human need. He did not come simply to treat symptoms of want. He came to cure it totally and eternally! It is easy to be blinded to the big picture when we are distracted from God s ultimate desire for us. We may pray for more material goods because they will make life easier. We may pray for escape from a difficult situation because we do not want to endure the temporary pain. God may and often does answer such prayers, but let us not miss the point. God s ultimate goal for us is not temporary comfort, but maturity. He is preparing us to live eternally with Him. AIDED John 6:27b-29; 1 John 2:15-17 The people s question to Jesus showed that they still did not understand the situation. They paid lip service to heeding God, but they believed that they themselves were capable of doing the works God requires (John 6:28). Contrast the attitude of this crowd with the one on the Day of Pentecost that was cut to the heart and asked, What shall we do? (Acts 2:37). Jesus emphasizes that right action, the work of God, is founded on right attitude, belief in Him (John 6:29). We cannot reach the ultimate goal of eternal life without faith in the one whom God sent and approved. Faith begins by recognizing that God People of faith worked through Jesus life, seek God s help in death, and resurrection achieving His goals. to offer us eternal life. After we have embraced the gift, we must continue to seek God s help in leaving behind sinful desires and actions and in becoming more like Jesus. It is possible to be very religious and still love the world and miss the love for the Father (1 John 2:15). Religion can be just another way of fulfilling selfish desires and boasting of personal goodness. The true giants of the faith throughout history have recognized that they have nothing to offer God, but He has everything to offer human beings. Let us not make the same mistakes as those followers by the sea. In order to understand the big picture of what God has for us, we must notice when He is working miraculously among us. We must understand what end He wishes to accomplish for us. We must call on Him in faith to complete that work in us. Elementary, dear Watson! High School Teacher, Encounter Curriculum. Permission granted to photocopy for ministry purposes only not for resale HighSchool Teacher-Body-DMLD.indd 6 Seeing the Big Picture, Lesson 1 2/28/17 4:10 PM

9 Life Focus: People of faith try to view the future through God s eyes. Use ONE of the following activities to help your students recall a time that they made a mistake because they did not see the big picture. QUICK STEP Top Mistakes Turn with your students to page 4 in the student book. Or you may use the CD to make this same activity interactive. Read together the list of top mistakes people make while working out at the gym, put together by the American Council on Exercise. Then ask: Have you ever made any of these mistakes while exercising? If so, which ones? Why do you think people make these mistakes so often? Let students offer a few answers, and then say: Perhaps the main reason people make these mistakes is that they don t see the big picture. They don t understand why each of these small steps that may seem inconvenient are important for their overall health. Lead into Bible study by saying: It s easy for anyone to miss the big picture. When some of Jesus followers missed the point of His ministry, Jesus taught them three ways that people of faith should look at life. Setting the Stage Step 1 Time 10 minutes discussion High School Student (or High School Resources CD, audiovisual equipment) Foot in Mouth Before class, think about a time you made a mistake because you did not see the big picture; be prepared to share the story with your students. As students are arriving, write the following words and phrases on the board: in school, at work, while driving, when playing sports, when shopping. Gather your students in a circle and ask: What does it mean to put your foot in your mouth? Hold up the sock. This is to help us consider times when we ve said or done something that ended up in a big mistake. As we pass this sock around, tell about a time you made a mistake because you didn t see the big picture. Use one of the settings from the board to help you consider places where this mistake might have happened. Begin with your own story and then pass the sock. After everyone has had a chance to share, lead into Bible study by saying: It s easy for us to put a foot in the mouth and mess up when we can t see the big picture. When some of Jesus followers missed the point of His ministry, Jesus taught them three ways that people of faith should look at life. Time object lesson 10 minutes whiteboard, dry-erase marker, 1 sock The Scene For an opening activity based on a current news headline, download The Scene online. Go to and click on The Scene to access a free article with discussion questions to begin this week s lesson. news High School Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 1 7

10 Step 2 Time 15 minutes High School Student, pens, Bibles Searching the Word research Life Focus: People of faith try to view the future through God s eyes. Use ONE of the following activities to help your students explain the biblical principles that drive the way people of faith approach life. QUICK STEP FDA Inspection Divide the class into groups of three to five students. Turn with the groups to page 5 in their student books. Each group should read the cited Scripture passages and complete the FDA (Faithful Disciples Association) inspection that is outlined there. As groups work, move among them, helping them with their research as necessary. Refer to the commentary from Encountering God s Word and these suggested responses to help you: Did they recognize God at work? The fact that they were surprised that Jesus had suddenly arrived showed that they had not heard about Jesus walking on water (John 6:16-24). They also seemed not to understand the power demonstrated by feeding the 5,000 (vv. 1-15). Were they focusing on the ultimate goal (eternal life)? Jesus indicated that they were only interested in another meal, not eternal life. Did they seek God s help? They thought that they could earn God s approval by their works. Jesus spoke of pleasing God through faith and trust in the Son of Man. Have groups share their research with the class. Comment as necessary to make sure all points are made clearly and correctly. Lead into the next lesson step by saying: Unlike those by the sea, we Christians must take notice of when God is working miraculously among us, understand what end He wishes to accomplish through us, and call on Him in faith to complete that work in us. Let s apply these principles to decisions about the future. Time 20 minutes Bibles drama Point/Counterpoint Divide the class into two groups the disciples of Jesus and the crowd. Have them each read John 6:10-29 with their characters and these questions in mind: What s Jesus doing in your life? What is the greatest goal Jesus can accomplish in your life? How does one go about leading a life that pleases God? After students discuss these questions in their groups, interview them by asking those questions. Have them remain in character. First pose the question to the crowd, and then let the disciples respond. Lead into the next portion of the lesson by saying: Note the difference between how disciples of Jesus and the crowd answered these questions. Believers are more aware of the spiritual work being done by Jesus on their behalf. They look forward to eternal life, not just their next meal. They also know that they must trust in Jesus to help them please God. Let s look at the difference these distinctions make in our world today. 8 Seeing the Big Picture, Lesson 1

11 Life Focus: People of faith try to view the future through God s eyes. Use ONE of the following activities to help your students contrast the actions of a person of faith with others when making specific decisions about the future. QUICK STEP Faith Ads Allow your students to work in small groups, and distribute paper and drawing supplies to each. Groups will be coming up with their own advertisement promoting faith or a pretend product about faith. Groups should come up with a product name and logo and then draw an ad that could be printed on a billboard or in a magazine. The ad should include what the faith product can do to help people making decisions about their futures. Base these ideas on the three main points of today s lesson. (Write those on the board for your students reference.) Here is an example: Product title: Faith Vision Product description: a new type of sunglasses Ad text: Faith Vision keeps your eyes on the prize. Pick up a pair today, and you ll find yourself seeing God in a whole new light! Your eyes will be opened to all the ways He is working in your life. After some time, allow each group to share its ad. Congratulate their creativity. Then lead into the final lesson step by saying: Let s think about some future goals you have in life. How can you approach those goals with an attitude of faith? Making It Real Step 3 Time 20 minutes art card stock (or construction paper), pencils, pens, markers, whiteboard, dry-erase marker Expiration Date Divide your class into four groups and have them turn to page 6 in their student books. Assign each group one of the case studies. Groups should consider how the people in their case studies will make their decisions, and the results of those decisions: What decisions would produce food that spoils (John 6:27)? What decisions would produce food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27)? Write today s main points from Encountering God s Word on the board for their reference. As they work, move among them, aiding the discussion as necessary. After some time, allow groups to report. Help them clarify their points by referring to the main points of Encountering God s Word. Lead into the final lesson step by saying: As people of faith, we need to look to the future and keep in mind the big picture of what God wants. Let s think about some goals you have for your future and how you can approach those with an attitude of faith. Time report 20 minutes High School Student, whiteboard, dryerase marker High School Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 1 9

12 Step 4 Time 5 minutes none Living It Out prayer Life Focus: People of faith try to view the future through God s eyes. Use ONE of the following activities to help your students rethink a personal life goal from a faith perspective. QUICK STEP Ready... Aim... Pray Begin by saying: Life goals are those crucial things that you want. For some of you it might be marriage and a happy family, a good job, or living in a particular place. You might desire personal fulfillment, fame, or fun. You may not be consciously thinking about life goals now, but you are making choices each week that move toward them, even if you don t realize it. Personal life goals need to line up with the ultimate goal of life growing in a relationship with Jesus. Know that God might have different specific goals for your life than you do. Though it s hard, remember to be flexible. Place your future in His hands; He will work your life out in ways you may never have imagined. During this prayer time, close your eyes, and imagine something at which you aim: a basketball hoop, a hockey or soccer net, a dart board, a bull s-eye, etc. Picture yourself aiming or shooting at the target. As we pray about our life goals (which we want to line up with Jesus plans for us), picture Him coaching you and helping you aim. Lead students in guided prayer, mentioning some life goals aloud and aiming for the ultimate goal of growing with Jesus. Distribute ENCOUNTER The Magazine. Time self-evaluation 5 minutes copies of High School Resources Sheet 7A, pens On Target Before class, copy Sheet 7A to make one for each student. Distribute the copies and say: Let s consider some goals you have in life. They might be to go to college, find a good job, get married, have kids, etc. Write some goals on the different rings of the target. After a few minutes, allow students to share their goals. Then say: Notice the bull s-eye contains a cross. It is a reminder that no matter what other goals you have in life, the ultimate goal is a growing relationship with Jesus. Working toward that will allow the other parts of life to fall into place just as God plans for you. And God might have different goals for your life than you do. Though it s hard, remember to be flexible. If your desire is to grow in God as your first priority, place your future in His hands; He will work your life out in ways you may never have imagined. Encourage your students to keep their targets with them as a reminder of the big picture. Close with prayer, asking God to help your students place their futures in His hands. Distribute ENCOUNTER The Magazine. Here s what s in ENCOUNTER The Magazine this week: Learn to see the big picture No Limits: Cars and faith Lessons from cooking camp 10 Seeing the Big Picture, Lesson 1

13 What Is Viewing the latest news through the lens of Scripture How would you like to be able to begin your Bible lesson by discussing something that is on your students minds today? The Scene allows you to do just that! IT S RELEVANT The Scene is a current events discussion activity based on this week s headlines. Each week a new article is written and posted on our website. IT S EASY Log on to Click on the tab for The Scene and follow the instructions to download a free lesson introduction activity each week. IT S ATTENTION-GRABBING The Scene may deal with national or international affairs, entertainment, sports, science, or even an unusual or humorous news story from the current week. The Scene is always different but never boring! IT S FREE Print this one-page activity and make as many copies as you need for your class. There is no charge for downloading The Scene. IT S FLEXIBLE Should you wish to use one of our other Setting the Stage lesson introductions, no problem! Why not The Scene to your students midweek to get them prepared for the upcoming Sunday s Bible lesson?

14 HS High School Teacher Guide No ISBN