Forward in Christ Sure Footing for Walking with Jesus I. Goal to equip young believers with the principles and tools they need to thrive in Christ for a lifetime. II. III. IV. Length Nine or ten meetings that can occur once a week, or even more frequently if during the summer following a camp trip. Some of the themes and applications will continue for multiple weeks. Periodic refresher sessions can be offered at key junctures during the year. Format Fellowship Learning, with the new believers and some mature Campaigners together. A trained leader facilitates discussion on each of the core topics. Probably an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes each in length. Flow of the meetings: a. Follow up from previous week - The leader (or a mature Campaigner) asks the group to share how their applications went during the past week and what they learned in the process. This time should not be rushed. b. Introduction of new theme - One of the mature Campaigners briefly shares their journey so far with the theme for the week. c. Topic of the Week -Leader introduces the topic for this week. Leads inductive Bible study with good open-ended questions. d. Application - Challenge kids to write down a clear, measurable application to work on this week. e. Prayer Partners - A leader or mature Campaigner assigns prayer partners who commit not only to pray for their friend each day, but check in a few times to hear how their application is going. In other words, they commit to the success of their partner. V. Content (see below) VI. Measurable outcomes and completion assignments Complete 8 topical studies on their new identity in Christ Build a personal prayer strategy As a group, complete an 8-day quiet time experiment (if one misses they all must start over!) Prepare their testimony and share it with at least one person their leader deems appropriate Participate regularly in Campaigners Pray for a group of friends to invite to club Select a Bible study method and progress through one of the four gospels journaling encouraged Find a church to attend regularly CONTENT 1. Our new identity (possibly two meetings) Jesus in the center of all we are and do Gospel Story Mt 4:18-22. Over 80 times in the gospels Jesus said Follow Me. What does it mean to follow Him? How did these young disciples decision to follow Jesus change their lives, and the world? Compare our relationship with Jesus to branches connected to a vine. What do branches need from the vine to be healthy? What are they supposed to do (bear fruit)? What does this look like spiritually? All the resources of the Vine are at your disposal to succeed how does that encourage you? What has changed? Count the costs of following Jesus. Be sure they understand what they are getting into. How to be a Christian at home and with friends you are now the fragrance of Christ!
How to incorporate Jesus throughout our day (why we re going to memorize scripture) Celebrate why this decision is so worth it and such a gift! (Jn 10:10) Jn 15:1-17 Mt 16:24-27 1 John 3:1-3 Gal 2:20, 2 Cor 5:17, Lk 9:23 2 Cor 2:15-16 Object Lessons/Illustrations: (suggested to just choose one) Vine and branch (picture or actual) Show a deed to a piece of property. Record the transfer of their lives from their control over to Christ s Fake ID we ARE children of God. Living any other way is like passing around a fake ID. Do a Trust Walk, where kids take turns being led around blindfolded by a partner. They learn about having to trust the person they follow. Take the first step in helping them come to know their testimony by asking them to answer one question - what was it about Jesus that attracted me to start a relationship with Him? Write out the key points of the gospel message so they can articulate what Jesus did for them Memorize Jn 15:5. See how remembering he is the vine and we are branches impacts our perspective 2. Your New Family Member the Holy Spirit Gospel Story Luke 5:36-39 parable of the wineskins. What is this parable saying to us about becoming a new creation? What is the new wine Jesus wants to pour into us? (the Holy Spirit, and an entirely different view of life) The Holy Spirit is only given to those whose hearts have been cleansed and have become a new creation. What is the Spirit s role in helping us live for Christ? (our sanctification growing into the image of Jesus) What specific functions does the Spirit fulfill? There's a world of difference between trying to live your life for God and letting God live His life through you (Mike Terranova). Jn 14:15-17; 25-27 Gal 5:22-23 3. Learn to connect with the Lord personally Part 1, through His Word Gospel Story Mt 4:1-11. What weapon(s) did Jesus use to counter the lies of the devil in the wilderness (God s Word) What is God s Word? How much can it be trusted? What functions can the Scriptures play in our lives? (2 Ti 3:16) How should we responsibly handle God s Word? (take advantage of this gift each day)
Tools for getting started Read through a paragraph or chapter in the gospel of Mark each day asking these questions: 1. What did Jesus think or feel? 2. What did Jesus say? 3. What did Jesus do? 4. As a follower of Jesus, what will I think, feel, say or do today to be more like Him? Discuss the value of journaling on what we read Joshua 1:8 2 Ti 3:16 Prov 30:5 Ps 119:105 Object lessons/illustrations: Hold up a love letter from old girl or boy friend. What words describe it? Can we apply some of these to Jesus s love letter to us? A juicy steak God s Word nourishes us like nothing else! Take group outside in the dark and use a flashlight to light their path. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet Like our Constitution, the Bible shows us who we are and offers us guidelines to help us stay on the course God has for us. Complete an 8-day quiet time experiment with their group of friends (if one misses they all must start over!) Memorize 2 Ti 3:16 Journal on what they learn Journals can take many forms, but the ultimate aim is to express feelings and key lessons the Lord is revealing. Noting a few thoughts either at the beginning or end of the day can help the new believer see how the Lord is transforming them. Some fun journaling tips include: o Draw a picture depicting a verse that stood out to you o What are two things you learn about Jesus in this passage? o Where did you see yourself in this passage? o Is there a promise for you to claim or an example for you to follow? 4. Learn to connect with the Lord Personally Part 2, through prayer Gospel Story Mk 1:35-38 Why did Jesus need to pray? Why do we? How do you think prayer directed Jesus steps in this instance? Prayer is two-way communication between us and God - listening as well as talking Learn ACTS prayers (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) Regularly practice confession and repentance (be sure you assure them of forgiveness afterwards!) Reinforce the idea that their lives are a witness and bear responsibility for sharing with others. We must pray for those in our circle of influence to know and grow in the Lord. Build a prayer strategy for each day of the week that includes o Praying for a group of friends to invite to club and/or share Christ with o Family o Personal and spiritual goals
o Needs of friends Object lessons/illustrations: Have each kid find a partner and go for a walk for four minutes. Each one takes 2 minutes to talk about whatever is on their mind, then they switch. This is how God desires us to walk with Him in honest, heartfelt dialogue. Lead them in a prayer of confession and then assure them of pardon. You might have them write their sins on a slip of paper then burn them together. 98 Jn 15:7 Is 43:10 Phil 4:6-7 Mt 6:9-13 Write out the Lord s prayer in their own words. Pray ACTS each day for a week Memorize Jn 15:7 Take first steps to build a personal prayer strategy for each day of the week. Who and what should be included? Record answered prayers in journal 5. Develop Kingdom Vision our witness and impact Gospel story Matthew 4:18-22 What did Jesus invite these disciples to do? What does it mean to be a fisher of men? What was necessary for them to effectively live out this calling? (to follow Jesus and remain close to Him) Ask how they think the Lord intends to fulfill His will for all mankind. What is his method for pulling this off? (we are his hands and his feet) The Lord has gifted us for service, and He desires to use us where we are, not where we are not. He can start using us right now as we begin to mature. How much of a priority should our witness to others be? Hold up pictures of famous, respected people (great athlete, billionaire, president, etc.) Ask which of their accomplishments are of eternal value. Assure the kids their influence will far surpass any of these if they remain true to Christ. Use black paper to simulate blinders like a race horse wears. They limit how much of the horizon we can see. Take them off and see how their view (and the world) is expanded. Acts 1:8 Rom 1:16 1 Cor 12:27 Mt 28:19-20
Prepare their testimony (and share it with at least one person) Answer each of these questions in about a minute: 1. What was I like before I met Jesus? 2. What was it about Jesus that drew you to follow Him? 3. How is my life different as a result of committing my life to Jesus? Have them add Kingdom-minded prayers to their prayer strategies, including a list of people they are seeking to influence for Christ Memorize Acts 1:8 6. Our Need for Fellowship Gospel Story John 21:1-14 (set the scene by sharing Peter s denial of knowing Jesus) What do you think Peter was feeling when he said he wanted to go fishing? Why do you think the other disciples said they would go with him? What words would you use to characterize the interactions of the disciples throughout this story? The importance of regular participation in Campaigners The short and long-term value of fellowship Taking ownership of someone else s spiritual thriving The importance of a church home long-term Video of great team sporting event (like Miracle on Ice) Following Jesus is the ultimate team sport, because every member is critically important for the success of the whole. Play Human Knot where the group circles up and all grab hands in the middle. Then they must work together to untangle themselves without letting go of either hand. Talk about the qualities of a solid family. This is what the Lord intends for His church. Heb 10:24-25 1 Cor 12:24-27 Mt 18:20 1 Sa 18:3-4 Assign prayer partners for the week. Have them report next time on how it felt to have someone walking with them in their concerns Memorize Heb 10:24 Invite someone from the group they normally don t hang out with to do something Go church crashing for the next few weeks at least (sign up as teams to visit churches; but only if they don t have a family church home) 7. Our Part in the Relationship; Obedience Gospel Story Luke 6:46-49 What were the differences between the two builders? What is the key for insuring our lives are built on a firm foundation? (put into practice the Word of God) Jesus did all the work to bring us to Himself. Our role is to participate with Him in the process of sanctification (becoming like Him). One way we participate is by committing to live obediently to what He says.
Teach the joy and freedom found in obedience Discuss the implications and witness to others our obedience, or disobedience brings What does it mean that Jesus is Lord of our life? (Lk 6:46) Role play a child touching a stove while his mother tells him not to. Discuss our sinful nature and the consequences when we disobey the Lord. Discuss why enlisted men take orders from their commander. Why is this good and necessary? Jn 14:21 1 John 3:5-6, 9-10 1 Cor 10:13 For one week, they are to resist a temptation with which they struggle and journal and how it felt to overcome it Choose a memory verse if so desired Have their prayer partner both pray, and hold them accountable to this commitment 8. Putting Others First the role of a servant. Gospel Story Luke 10:25-37, Parable of the Good Samaritan The expert in the law reiterates for us our purpose in life what is it? (vs 27) In what specific ways did the Samaritan show love to his neighbor? What are some practical ways we can serve our neighbors? Where do we experience more fulfillment when people serve us, or when we bless someone else? What are the benefits of serving others? Why do you think Jesus asks us to put others before ourselves? Before the meeting, pick out a gift a group member would enjoy receiving. Give them the gift in front of the group. Now, have the kid share how they feel receiving the gift, and you share how you felt giving it to them. Both win! But it doesn t happen without someone putting others before themselves. End Campaigners 30 minutes early. Then, disperse through the host family s home and clean it: vacuum, clean bathrooms, and dust. Take 5 minutes to process how it felt to serve the family this way. Scripture: Mk 10:45 2 Cor 4:5 Phil 2:3-5 Write down a person to serve and how they will do so this week. Have prayer partner pray for this project. Report next week how it went. Or, Plan a service event the group does together Choose a memory verse
9. When is the best time to fully devote ourselves to following Jesus? The answer is NOW and ALWAYS! Gospel Story Luke 14:16-24, parable of the Great Banquet If God, with unlimited resources, were hosting a great banquet, what do you imagine it would be like? Why do you think the guests would hesitate to come? Why might you? What were some of the excuses they treated as more important than God s invitation? List real excuses that might come before our walk with Jesus. Decide now how to deal with these. Remind of the importance of putting the scriptures into practice daily Inspire to put Christ first now. There are only costs, not benefits to waiting Review key lessons from this course Following Jesus is what we were made to do! That is our purpose, to love God and love others. Put a delicious dessert in center of the room that was made specially for them. Pass out forks/spoons and prepare to eat. Now tell them they can t eat it right now but must wait till a time in the future. How does that feel? Why would we do that? Similarly, what possible benefit to ourselves or others is waiting to follow Jesus wholeheartedly? Place a large box upfront and put in it items of importance to most teens a ball, a diploma, a love letter, phone, money, beer, a friend, etc. Then ask which of these can give them purpose in life or lead them to eternal life. Instead, put Christ in the center and all these things will be given you as well (Mt 6:33). Help them unpack what this verse means. Scripture: Lk 9:57-62. Eph 5:15-16 Mt 6:33 Commit to walk together with a brother or sister who will remind you to keep Christ central in all aspects of your life. Assign prayer partners for the next month. Review all memory verses, or add another.