Writer: Sean Sweet Project Supervisor: Nick Diliberto Video: Santos Productions Graphic Design: Creative Juice Graphic Design Editor: Tom Helm

Transcription

1 EPIC FAIL LESSON 5 Writer: Sean Sweet Project Supervisor: Nick Diliberto Video: Santos Productions Graphic Design: Creative Juice Graphic Design Editor: Tom Helm 2012 Copyright PreteenMinistry.net 1

2 EPIC Fail Lesson 5: Mighty Warrior Bible: Judges 6 7; John 16:33 OPENING WORSHIP We suggest the following opening worship songs: I Wanna Dance - Deluge Blessed Be the Name Matt Redman SUPPLIES: Poster boards and gel pens (I suggest using black poster board) On the top of the poster boards write: Things that make me feel weak or powerless. (Another option is to distribute sticky notes and have the preteens write a time they feel weak or powerless on these and turn them in anonymously. You can then stick these on the poster boards when they are at small group time.). LARGE GROUP OPENING (10 MINUTES) Note: By this point in the series, your students may be ing or bringing pictures to you that you can use as an opening Epic Fail picture to open your lesson with, or you may have one that you ve discovered that you d like to share with your group. If not, you could show the four that were used in the previous lessons and have the students vote on their favorite, and reveal the winner next week during the final week of the series. [Slide 1 Epic Fail Cover] During the past 4 weeks, we ve looked at how we, as human beings, fail in different ways. We sin, which is failure, AND we mess up at things as we discover who we are and who we are NOT. HOWEVER, we ve also seen something else over the past 4 weeks: God can use our failures to show the world how awesome He is. We are forgiven of our failures because of how awesome God is. We are MORE THAN CONQUERORS because we are on our awesome God s team! Today, we are going to start off a little differently. The last few weeks, we ve played games at the beginning of our services and had some silliness with our small groups at the beginning, but today I want us to start off a little more seriously. It s occurred to me that some of you have been here over the past few weeks, hearing things like God can use your weaknesses to show His Greatness and You are MORE THAN A CONQUEROR and you just aren t feeling it Copyright PreteenMinistry.net 2

3 Some of you have some real serious challenges in your life, areas that you feel very weak when you think about facing them. I can think of times in my life when I ve felt small and somewhat powerless. Most people can. Let me give you some examples on the screen of times when people can feel weak or powerless. [Slide 2 - Challenges] (A scary situation, being bullied, friends fighting, parents getting a divorce, getting an F in math, I can t stop sinning, I m very lonely) (Read these examples, commenting on any that are challenges for you personally.) Teacher: But how about you guys? What are some of the big challenges that you face in your life? Things that can make you feel small or powerless? Or maybe things that you think make other kids your age feel small or powerless? Around the room, you see poster boards (I suggest using black poster board and gel pens it makes for a really cool effect and somehow draws the preteens in more. The more of these you can have the better so that kids feel a little more privacy as they are writing on them. At the top of the poster boards write: Things that make me feel weak or powerless. Another option is to distribute sticky notes and have the preteens write a time they feel weak or powerless on these and turn them in anonymously. You can then stick these on the poster boards when they are at small group time.). Take a few minutes as a song plays to go up to one of the boards and write down some of the things that you ve faced or are facing in your life that make you feel weak or powerless. And if you can t think of any, write something that you think would be a challenge for other kids your age. When you re done, you ll head to your small groups to discuss what you wrote and why, but you only have to share what you are comfortable sharing. (Play Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North) [Slide 3 Epic Fail Cover] 2012 Copyright PreteenMinistry.net 3

4 SMALL GROUP OPENING (8 MINUTES) Welcome your group back and welcome new students. Share one of the things in your life that make you feel small or powerless (remember to be age-appropriate). Try to choose something that made you feel weak or small, or that you think a preteen would feel powerless if facing. A current example might be more powerful than one from when you were a preteen, as long as it s appropriate and preteens can relate to it in some way. Then ask: Who would be willing to share something that they thought of or something they wrote on the poster boards? As your group shares, listen and then finish your time together by saying: In our large group time, we re going to hear about a guy that felt very small and weak. He has some huge challenges in his life. But I want you to pay attention to the name that God calls this guy. After the video, (the large group teacher) is going to ask you what name God called this guy! LARGE GROUP (25 MINUTES) VIDEO (12 MINUTES) TEACH Say: The story of Gideon is found in the book of Judges. It starts in Chapter 6 of Judges with the angel of the LORD coming and speaking those powerful words to Gideon. What does God call Gideon? (A Mighty Warrior) In Chapter 6, Verse 12, in the book of Judges, the angel of the LORD says to Gideon: THE LORD IS WITH YOU, MIGHTY WARRIOR! in Verse 12. It takes Gideon a little while to understand that it s true. That because God is with him, he IS a mighty warrior! But by Chapter 7 of Judges, we see Gideon relying more and more on God. Let me tell you what happened next: OPTION 1: Small Group Teaching Read Judges 7:1-22a and then have a discussion about what they read. You can use these questions to guide the discussions: 1. Read Judges 7:2. Do you think it s unusual for God to say that an army is too big to win a battle? Why does God tells Gideon that his army is TOO BIG? 2. How could 300 in Gideon s army defeat the gigantic Midianite army? 3. Do you think Gideon s army would have been successful if Gideon was not obedient to God s instructions? Why or why not? 4. How do Jesus words in John 16:33 relate to Gideon s story? 5. Thinking back on the challenges that we talked about earlier, what do you understand after today s message? 2012 Copyright PreteenMinistry.net 4

5 OPTION 2: Large Group Teaching Teacher: Gideon had gathered 32,000 men to fight with him as he attacked the Midianites. But God speaks to Gideon and says, You have TOO MANY MEN! Hold up. Did I say that right? Too many men? Is it possible for his army to be too big? Let me read that again from the Bible (Read Judges 7:2). Oh I get it...god doesn t want the Israelites to get the credit for the win. It s not by the Israelite s strength that they are going to win the battle; it s by God s strength alone that they will have victory! So, God gives Gideon instructions to narrow his army down and narrow it down again until there were just 300 in Gideon s army! Three hundred Israelites against a GIGANTIC Midianite army. How GIGANTIC was it? Well, the Bible says that the Midianite s camels could no more be counted than the sands on the seashore! This was a HUGE army that Gideon plus 300 men were about to defeat. Now, you tell me, how could 300 in Gideon s army defeat a gigantic Midianite army? (Wait for response. Hopefully, something like, because God was with them and He s more powerful than a million-bajillion soldiers. ) Gideon s small, puny, weak army was able to face and defeat ANY challenge, no matter how big. Gideon was a mighty warrior, because he was obedient to God, and GOD WAS WITH HIM! Listen to how Gideon ended up defeating the army. (READ JUDGES 7:16-22a and stop with turn on each other with their swords. ) Friends, you and I, if we are obedient to God, can face any challenge! Do you remember this list of challenges I put on the screen earlier [SLIDE CHALLENGES]? Look at this list. Is there anything more powerful than God on this slide? (NO) These challenges may be bigger than us, but GOD is bigger than these challenges, and He is with us! Listen to what Jesus said in John 16:33: [SLIDE John 16:33] I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Let me read that verse to you a little differently. Today, we have shown you some things so that in Jesus you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. In this world you will have (read examples from the posters that the kids wrote earlier, In this world, you will have bullies. In this world, you will have big brothers that beat you up. ). But be encouraged! JESUS has overcome the world! You, my friends, will NOT be EPIC FAILURES! The Lord is With You, Mighty Warriors! Repeat after me in prayer: God, help me to see that you ARE with me. Be my strength so that I can be a mighty warrior! God, help me to face any challenge in my life knowing that you are giving me strength to face it, knowing that you have overcome the world, knowing that I will overcome my challenges when I am obedient to you, and when I go in the strength that I have. AMEN! 2012 Copyright PreteenMinistry.net 5

6 Let s worship our Mighty God! And as we do, some of the leaders are going to be standing in the back of the room. They would LOVE to pray with you about any challenges that you are facing in your life! If you would like to have somebody pray with you, head on back. We re not going to embarrass you or anything we just want to stand beside you as you face whatever challenges are in your life! CLOSING WORSHIP (10 MINUTES) Here are some song suggestions to choose from that would fit the worship time for this message. Our God (is Greater) Tomlin The One Who Saves Hillsong Rescue Eddie James Still Hillsong Mighty to Save Laura Story My Savior, My God Aaron Shust Note: Give several invitations to students to pray in different ways: You could invite a student to come to the front and pray during worship. Students can pray for somebody next to them. You could ask for a show of hands of who needs God s strength to face something in their lives and have leaders go to those students and pray for them. CLOSING (2 MINUTES) Teacher: I m looking forward to next week, our last lesson in the Epic Fail series! Next week, when you come in, look at these challenge posters that we created tonight! You ll notice something very different about them! I ll see you soon, my friends! The Lord is with you, MIGHTY WARRIORS! 2012 Copyright PreteenMinistry.net 6