leader s guide for high school students Forward readers old testament GOD S BIGGER STORY teaching guide a curriculum for every generation
TEACHING GUIDE Volume 12, No. 4 Faith, Meet Culture (Special Topic: Cultural Issues) John 18:37-38; 14:6; 17:17... 6 Absolute or Relative? John 15:18-27; 17:15-19; 2 Peter 1:3-4... 13 In the World, Not of It Acts 10:1-48... 20 The Unlimited, Global Gospel Romans 12:14-21; Matthew 18:15-17... 27 When People Drive You Crazy God s Bigger Story (Old Testament) Genesis 27:1-46... 34 By the Grace of God Genesis 28:1-22... 41 Never Alone Genesis 35:1-29... 48 Return to Bethel Genesis 37:1-36; 39:1-5... 55 Always Behind the Scenes Genesis 45:1-28... 62 In Good Hands Stand Up, Speak Out (New Testament) Acts 6:8-15; 7:51-60... 69 Worth Dying For Acts 9:1-43... 76 Total Transformation Acts 13:1-52... 83 Armed and Ready Acts 15:1-35... 90 Faith Is All You Need
Welcome to Forward Teaching Guide! Forward Teaching Guide is a Bible study curriculum for high school students with the goal of helping them know God through the study of His Word. Forward is part of the D6 family of Sunday School/Bible study curriculum for all ages. D6 curriculum provides a six-year study of the story of the Bible, helping lead the entire family to interact around the same biblical theme each week. For a decade now, Forward Teaching Guide and its companion publications, Forward Teaching Essentials, Forward student magazine, and Home Connection, have been the arm of D6 curriculum for high school students. However, you hold in your hands a new generation of Forward Teaching Guide! If you re a veteran of Forward Teaching Guide, you ll find a lot of familiar features in the pages ahead, but you ll also find some great new stuff. What s New? More Variety! Every quarter now includes three units, most often consisting of one Old Testament study, one New Testament study, and one topical study. Each unit is four or five weeks in length. A New Layout! Instead of being saved until the end of the lesson, Explore and Apply sections have been dispersed throughout the lesson where they most naturally fit. More Apologetics! Teachers and learners alike will find more tools to help them explain and defend key Christian doctrines. Lesson Objectives! It s hard to know if you ve hit THE TARGET when you re not sure what you re aiming at. That s why every lesson now includes three objectives that identify the lesson s threefold target: 1. Know the biblical knowledge you want to impart to your group 2. Think a biblical worldview you hope your students will adopt 3. Do the practical understanding of how to apply biblical truth to daily life Timeline! Many lessons include a graphic that helps you understand the period of history (both biblical and secular) in which the lesson is set. This is a good reminder that the Bible is not a book of stories or fables, but rather an accurate historical record. Teaching Tips! Teacher training in bite-sized nuggets now help you make your lessons more interesting and effective. 2
D6 Doorposts! Each lesson will address key principles that frame a biblical worldview. The Doorposts will help you identify how the passage being studied supports a biblical worldview so you will be able to reinforce these foundational concepts. D6 Digital! For the first time, D6 curriculum is available in a digital format! Now you can study from your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Go to randallhouse.com or call 800.877.7030 for more information. Despite the many exciting changes to Forward Teaching Guide, the curriculum continues to be built around the CLEAR Learning System, which uses five important steps to help students participate in every lesson. These five steps are: Connect This opening activity helps capture the learners attention and answers the question, Where is this lesson going? Two options are provided so teachers can choose the activity that best fits their students and their classroom setting. Learn What does the Bible say? The Learn section answers this question by digging into the biblical text and explaining it in ways both teachers and students can understand. Explore When a verse or element of the lesson needs further explanation, Explore helps the teacher dig a bit deeper. These callouts address issues like cultural background, historical context, theological importance, or other complementary biblical teachings. Apply How does this impact me? This is the question most teens want to know when learning something new. Apply helps learners see how the biblical truths they have just heard fit into life in the twenty-first century. Each Apply section begins with at least two thought-provoking questions that are meant to help you spark a meaningful discussion with your students. Respond The final section in each lesson answers the question, What now? After learning biblical truths and how those truths apply to life, students still need to know how to take practical action. Respond encourages learners to take practical steps to daily apply the biblical principles they have learned. This is the perfect lead-in to each week s daily devotions in Forward magazine. These weekly, six-day Bible studies reinforce the theme teens studied on Sunday, allowing God to continue speaking to them from His Word each day. 3
This teaching guide works in conjunction with Forward student magazine, a publication that helps high school teens study God s Word on their own. Forward includes timely articles that seek to reach students where they are in life. The magazine also features 13 weeks of daily Bible studies, which help reinforce the themes of the lessons they learn each Sunday. Like Forward Teaching Guide, Forward magazine has undergone several exciting changes, including practical applications added to each daily devotion. Every student in your class needs his or her own copy of Forward student magazine to read and study throughout the quarter. Forward Teaching Essentials is a collection of posters, reproducible handouts, thought-provoking questions for in-class discussion, and other resources to enhance the lessons provided in this teaching guide. These tools will help make your class time more interesting and effective. (Each packet of teaching essentials comes with a copy of Forward Teaching Guide.) All of the Forward products can be ordered online at D6curriculum.com. Or, you can order them by calling 1-800-877-7030. We also welcome your comments and suggestions at this number or at our address: Forward Staff - P.O. Box 17306, Nashville, TN 37217 Email: forward@d6family.com LEADING STUDENTS TO CHRIST Christianity is about more than going to church and obeying your parents. Being a Christian is about having a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Your greatest privilege as a teacher may be leading students to a relationship with Christ. As you work toward this goal, keep the following in mind: Following Christ is about more than a mere decision; it is about a lifelong relationship. Aim for long-term faith, not momentary emotion. Salvation is a supernatural process. People can be arm-twisted into buying a product, but they have to come to Christ of their own free will. Don t confuse sanctification with salvation. Holiness follows salvation; it doesn t precede it. Don t try to impose Christian expectations on students who don t know Christ. Being born again is not complicated. Here s a simple way to explain it: ACKNOWLEDGE your sinfulness and your need for a Savior (Romans 3:10, 23). TRUST in Christ s sacrifice for your sins and His resurrection (Romans 10:9-10). SURRENDER your life to God s transforming power (Romans 12:1-2). Most of all, remember that your job is to tell the truth in a way students can understand, answer their questions, and give them an opportunity to respond. 4
IN THIS TEACHING GUIDE Faith, Meet Culture Special Topic Curveballs, hiccups, wrenches, hurdles whatever you want to call them, they re life s little surprises. They take our carefully crafted plans and turn them on their heads. You know the feeling. You re all settled in to watch the baseball game, but then it s canceled due to rain. You get your heart set on Chick-fil-A, but then you remember it s Sunday and they re closed. As believers, we re surrounded by one giant curveball. It s called culture. No matter how eager we are to be a light for Christ or how prepared we feel to share our faith, something happens that reminds us we live in a world full of people who don t share the same passions. Fortunately, God s Word provides us with advice for responding to hiccups like problem people, racism, and unbiblical worldviews. In this unit, you ll learn how to make sure your faith wins out when it collides with culture. God s Bigger Story Old Testament To be continued... How often have we read those words in the back of a book or on a screen at the end of a TV episode? It can be exciting (and a bit of a relief) to know the story s not over yet. No matter what you are facing, there s something God wants you to know: your story is not over yet. God s story is so much bigger than we could ever know. This month you ll learn how Joseph faced some of the worst circumstances imaginable but trusted all the while that God was working behind the scenes. You ll read about God s promises to Jacob and will see how, thanks to Jesus, we get to take part in those very promises today. God s story is the grandest one of all, and the best part is He wants you to be part of it. Stand Up, Speak Out New Testament What would you give anything for right now? A juicy burger? A Snickers? A nap? It s amazing how the smallest things can brighten our day. What s even more amazing is that the one thing more powerful, more life changing, and more satisfying than anything on earth is something the majority of the world chooses not to accept. The gospel, the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, is our most valuable possession. Stephen died for it. Paul was forever changed by it. The earliest Christians sent out missionaries to proclaim it. And yet, many of the people around us are missing out on it altogether. This month, as you read about these believers in the early church, be challenged. Find the boldness to stand up and speak out about this most priceless treasure known as the gospel. 5
Copyright 2016. This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you. God s Bigger Story Old Testament Always Behind the Scenes 4 Lesson STUDY TEXT Genesis 37:1-36; 39:1-5 DAILY BIBLE READINGS M 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 T Ephesians 6:5-9 W Colossians 3:18-21 T 1 Peter 1:3-9 F 1 Peter 2:11-21 THEME God Is in Control ESSENTIALS FWTE 2-13a (handout) FWTE 2-13b (teacher-only) FWTE 2-14 (handout) FWTE 2-15 (handout) THE TARGET KNOW: Joseph faced death at the hands of his brothers and oppression as a slave in Egypt, but God spared his life and provided him favor and position with his master. THINK: Be aware this world is full of danger and disappointment, but for those God calls His children, He can use any situation for His purposes. DO: Be confident and endure hardship with hope because God is in control. 55
C NNECT Capture attention with one of these options. We Are Family Use the following questions to begin a discussion about families: What are some traditions your family observes? What is one reason someone might call your family quirky or dysfunctional? What is one of your favorite things about your family? Begin your time of teaching by saying, God created families. No family is perfect, but God can move in any family, no matter their quirks or shortcomings. Today we ll see how God loved Joseph s family and was at work in it. Even the jealousy and sins of Joseph s brothers couldn t keep God from carrying out His plan. FWTE 2-13a Look for the Hand Distribute copies of FWTE 2-13a ( Hand Search ) and allow time for students to try to find the handprint that is not like the others. After revealing the correct answer (see FWTE 2-13b), transition to Learn: Today we ll learn about some of the hardships Joseph faced. We ll see, though, that God s hand was guiding Joseph s life every step of the way. We ll talk about what it means to look for God s hand at work in our lives. FWTE 2-13b LE RN God Was at Work in Joseph s Family Genesis 37:1-11 Jacob and his 12 sons settled in the land of Canaan, where Jacob s father Isaac had dwelled. At the beginning of Genesis 37, Joseph, one of the two sons born to Jacob and his wife Rachel, was 17 years old. Joseph was often in the pasture with his brothers, tending to the flock, so he was able to observe how they lived. When he spoke with his father, he gave Jacob a negative report about his brother s actions. This indicates Joseph was more righteous than they were. For this reason, and possibly due to other factors, Jacob loved Joseph more than all of his other sons. Like his parents Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob played favorites. He even made Joseph a coat (robe) of many colors. Jacob s preferential treatment toward Joseph caused Joseph s brothers to hate him (verses 1-4). 56
One day, Joseph had a dream that he and his brothers were all in a field, binding sheaves together. His sheaf stood straight up, while his brothers sheaves gathered around his and bowed down to it. When Joseph told his brothers about the dream, they became angry because they interpreted the dream to mean Joseph would rule over them. They hated him even more after that (verses 5-8). In another dream, which Joseph also told to his brothers, the sun, the moon, and 11 stars were bowing down to him. Even Jacob was surprised by this dream because it conveyed the notion that Jacob and the rest of Joseph s family would bow down before Joseph. As Joseph grew older, Jacob always remembered this dream and its interpretation (verses 9-11). God established two institutions to make disciples and transfer the faith: the home and the church. Joseph s report to Jacob concerning his brothers behavior indicates Jacob had taught his children the importance of obeying God. APP Y How does this impact me? No matter what our family is like, God loves it, is in control, and can work in the midst of it. Ask this: Who are some families in the media that are positive examples? Who are some negative examples? In what ways have you seen God move in a family that was less than perfect? Why is it comforting to know God can fulfill His will despite our imperfections? TEACHING TIP A good object lesson might be to talk about someone your group knows whose family is not exactly traditional, but who is living strongly and passionately for Christ. Show how God is using this person s family in spite of its not-sotraditional structure. You might even invite the person to share his or her testimony. At first glance, Joseph s family situation might look messy to us. He had 11 brothers and one sister from four different women. His dad played favorites. His brothers despised him. And yet, even then God was moving in their lives. Joseph s dreams were God s way of showing him the future He had planned for Joseph. God s bigger story would provide protection for Joseph s family and eventually would culminate in the birth of Christ the Savior. 57
Today, families come in all shapes and sizes, not just in their makeup, but also in their functionality. Some are made up of strong Christians, while others are resistant to anything having to do with Christ. Some are close-knit, and some always seem to be at each other s throats. Whatever the case, God loves and cherishes every family and wants them for His own. He is able to use the families we might call dysfunctional. He moves among non-traditional families to bring about His will. Unlike Joseph s brothers, we should always do what is in our power to be at peace with our family members (Romans 12:18), but beyond that, we can trust that even when life feels messy, God is in control and can accomplish His will. God Was in Control When Joseph Faced Trouble Genesis 37:12-35 One day, while Joseph s brothers were caring for their father s flocks, Jacob told Joseph to go to them and report back on how they were doing. As Joseph approached his brothers in the pasture, they saw him from a distance and plotted against him. They planned to kill him and then throw him into a pit. They planned to explain to their father that an animal had attacked Joseph and killed him. Reuben, the oldest brother, spoke up in defense of Joseph. Instead of killing their brother, Reuben asked that they place him in the pit alive. In the end, that s what the brothers did. They removed Joseph s colorful robe and threw him into an empty pit with no water (verses 12-24). While the brothers were eating, they saw a group of Ishmaelites on their way from Gilead to Egypt. The men were Midianite traders, carrying goods for sale. Judah got the idea to sell Joseph to these traders. He knew it would be wrong for them to kill their own brother, so in his mind this was a good alternative. The brothers agreed, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver. From there, Joseph was taken to Egypt (verses 25-28). When Reuben, who had not been with his brothers at the time, returned and found out what had happened, he tore his clothes, an outward sign of mourning and anguish. He asked, What now? indicating he was concerned about how their father would take this news. In order to appear innocent before their father, the brothers slaughtered a goat and wiped its blood on Joseph s coat. They sent the coat to their father and claimed they had found it in that state. Jacob identified the coat as Joseph s, and just as the brothers had hoped, Jacob concluded that an animal had killed his son. He mourned the death of his son for many days. He was so distraught he refused to let his family members comfort him (verses 29-35). 58
EXPL RE Joseph is known as a type of Christ. Like a handful of other Old Testament characters, Joseph behaved in a way that reflected Jesus character and actions in the New Testament. Sometimes, types of Christ clearly foreshadowed Christ, while at other times they merely shared subtle similarities. In Joseph s case, we see several marked similarities: Joseph was hated by his brothers. Christ was hated by His own (John 15:25). Joseph s brothers conspired against him. The Jews of Jesus day conspired against Jesus (Mark 11:18; John 7:1). Joseph was stripped of his coat. Jesus was stripped of His clothing (Matthew 27:28). Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver. Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15). APP Y How does this impact me? When facing troubles or hardship, we should look for God s hand and trust that He is at work. Ask this: Why is it sometimes difficult to trust God when times are hard? When have you seen God s hand at work in a time of difficulty? What do you think it means to look for God s hand in times of trouble? How might this help us trust God more? It is not easy to find God s hand of blessing in the midst of troubled times. When nothing seems to be going our way, it s hard to see how God is working. Joseph might have wondered where God was while he was being thrown in a pit and sold as a slave. However, we can see God in the small details. We see how Reuben s conscience kept Joseph from being killed, and we see how the Ishmaelites came at just the right time for Judah to suggest sending Joseph to Egypt, where he eventually would save an entire nation from hunger. Most of us can look back at past times of trouble and see God s fingerprints in those situations. We recognize He never stopped being faithful. For that reason, we know we can trust Him to work in any situation, no matter how difficult it appears from our point of view. To have this kind of trust takes effort on our part. It requires us to look for how God is moving 59
and to remember His point of view is much larger than ours. It means trusting that He will one day make clear the reason for our sufferings. Ask your students to describe some of the difficulties faced by the following three people: David, Paul, and Jesus. Then, ask students to read aloud the following three passages: Psalm 119:71; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; and Luke 22:41-42. Each verse includes a quote from one of these men regarding their trials. From these Scriptures, we see these men remembered God was in control, despite the difficulties they faced. Talk briefly about how we can have this same perspective when life is hard. God Blessed Joseph in Whatever Role He Filled Genesis 37:36; 39:1-5 The Ishmaelites who had purchased Joseph took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh (Genesis 37:36; 39:1). All the while, the Lord was with Joseph. He orchestrated events that led to Joseph s becoming a successful man in the house of Potiphar. Potiphar saw that the Lord s favor was on Joseph and that Joseph was successful in everything he did; therefore, Potiphar placed Joseph in charge of his house and everything he owned. The Lord blessed the house of Potiphar for the sake of Joseph (39:2-5). Bad things happen because the world is a sinful place. Joseph s circumstances were a result of his brothers sins, not an oversight on God s part. God was active in Joseph s life the entire time. APP Y How does this impact me? When we strive to do everything we do as for the Lord, we can trust Him to use our work for His glory. Ask this: How did God use Joseph s life in ways He might not have been able to if Joseph had been disobedient? The Bible tells us to do everything for God s glory. What do you think that means? What do you think God can do through us when we honestly and diligently try to bring Him glory with our lives? Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. When Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 10:31), he left nothing out. He left no room for interpretation or loopholes. No matter what we do, we are to do it with God s kingdom in mind. Above all else, we are to magnify 60
God s name. Every situation is an opportunity to give God glory and make His name known. We simply have to be alert, always looking for chances to be part of God s story. Distribute copies of FWTE 2-14 ( It s All for You ). The handout lists situations your students have probably faced at one time or another. Ask the students to describe what it would look like to respond to these situations with God as their focus. In what ways could they seek the Lord s glory? Remind them that simply obeying God s Word can often make an impact. After all, Joseph was given his esteemed FWTE 2-14 position simply because Potiphar could see the Lord in his life. RESP ND What now? Look for God Joseph faced a number of difficulties in life, but he always appeared to have a positive outlook on what God was doing. At one point he even said while other people intended to harm him, God had brought about good from those things and used them for His glory (Genesis 50:20). How was he able to keep this kind of perspective? Because he never doubted God was with him. At some points it might have been more difficult to see God s hand, but Joseph never stopped looking for it. Ask your students to share ways in which they know God is present and active in their lives. In what ways have they seen His hand? They can use the categories on FWTE 2-15 ( Look Up ) for ideas. Besides the ways your students have seen God work, also discuss ways we can look for God when we are facing hardships and are FWTE 2-15 struggling to trust Him. Encourage your students to look for God s presence and work this week. Remind them He is always in control. Look for Opportunities If God can use any situation for His glory and our good, then we should actively look for ways we can be of use to Him every day, no matter the situation. That means doing nothing halfway, but rather doing everything with hearts that are fully motivated and surrendered to God. It means focusing on His bigger picture rather than our own narrow point of view. If they are willing, allow students to share one way they will take advantage of an opportunity to give God glory this week, whether it s in their attitude, their worship, a conversation with someone, or something else. 61