Week 6 Lesson

Summary of Youth Group on 10/19/08
Junior and Senior High
Games:
1. How Clowns Do It: Used painter’s tape and hula hoops to create boundaries. Divided the group into two teams. Each team tried to get their entire group inside the taped area or the hula hoops. For both Junior and Senior high, all groups were able to get their team inside the taped areas (4 of them). When it came to the hula hoops, there were definite winners in the junior high and senior high. Point: rely on each other. Team work to accomplish the task.
2. Why and Because: Each person was given two blank index cards and a pencil. On the first index card they wrote a ‘why’ question and on the second they wrote a ‘because’ answer. We collected the question and answer cards. Selected volunteers to read questions and answers out loud. Point: fun and at the end I used it to segue into the lesson saying that sometimes we don’t always know the answer to the ‘why’ questions. For instance, why do bad things happen to good people? Why do we go through life’s storms? What purpose do they have?

Lesson:
Scripture – Matthew 7:24-29 The Wise and Foolish Builders
1. Began with a personal story. Took a CPR class recently as an annual requirement for work. It reminded me of an incident that happened three months ago. My cousin Mitch was boating off the coast of Wilmington with his wife and her two kids, Lucian (16) and Sarah (12). Everything was great until Mitch noticed storm clouds moving their way. They sought shelter at a nearby island. They were underneath an actual outdoor shelter when lightning struck. Mitch noticed Lucian was unconscious and began CPR once he couldn’t get him to respond. As he gave CPR he tried to get his wife, Toni, to call 9-1-1, but she couldn’t. He finally noticed she was unconscious too. So he asked Sarah to get his cell phone and call 9-1-1 while he performed CPR on two victims. Toni made it, but Lucian didn’t. He was pronounced dead before he reached the hospital. Why did this happen? Where is God?
2. We watched the NOOMA video, Rain.
3. I threw out the hypothesis that there may be some of you who are going through one of life’s storms today. Examples: not meeting expectations of others, someone has hurt you, someone close to you may be ill, dying or has died recently; peer pressure is too much. There is one place you can turn: God.
4. Conclusion: It’s during the times when we’re hurting the most that God holds us close to him.

Reflection: I’m not sure if I went over the top. I was definitely very emotional telling my story and relating to the kids.