4 WAY VOLLEYBALL
Submitted by Jason Folkmann
Set Up: Arrange four volleyball nets in a plus sign configuration, and have a team in each quadrant. You then get as big of a ball as you can, and have one side serve to another.
Objective: The teams try and keep the ball from touching the ground by hitting it to the other quadrants.
Rules: Each side can have as many hits as needed to get the ball out of their quadrant. If it does fall in their quadrant, they get a point and the team with the least amount of points wins!
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BLIND TRUST SCAVENGER HUNT
Submitted by Robert Pope
Here’s a free “just for fun” youth group game that encourages students to work together. They will have a blast as they complete each portion of the scavenger hunt.
This game is a great addition to any lesson.
Enjoy!
- Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth - Games
Looking for youth group lessons or Bible lessons for kids? Shop our selection of youth & children’s ministry curriculum:
BLIND TRUST SCAVENGER HUNT
SUPPLIES
One of each of these items for each team:
- Blindfolds
- Pen
- Plastic cup
- Plastic spoon
- A Paper flower
- Piece of paper
- Bible
- A penny
- Paper clip
GAME PREP
Before students arrive, place the items (listed above) all over your youth space.
Divide the group of students into teams of two.
Give each team a blindfold.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
One person will be blindfolded and collect all of the items for their team.
The other person can see but can’t touch anything.
They must guide their teammate throughout the game.
After each team has collected their items, the blindfolded person will use the piece of paper and pen to draw a picture of any of the items they collected.
Then, the blindfolded person will open the Bible and point to a random verse.
The other person will read the verse out loud.
The non-blindfolded person will write the reference down under the picture drawn on the piece of paper.
The teams will continue drawing, choosing Bible verses, and writing down the reference until all of the items have been drawn.
After the game, have each team share one of their random Bible verses and read it out loud.
End game.
IDENTITY IN CHRIST - ESCAPE ROOM EVENT
Escape Rooms have grown in popularity over the last few years.
Here, on our main website, is an Escape Room event that’s a great discussion starter on the topic of “Identity in Christ.”
Your students will have fun while learning that they’re wonderfully made, dearly loved, and precious in God’s sight.
Enjoy!
Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth
CUPS UP, CUPS DOWN
YOUTH GROUP GAME: CUPS UP, CUPS DOWN
Here's a great "just for fun" game for your youth group. It's really quick and easy to setup, and tons of fun.
The game, submitted by Pam Zimmerman, is called: Cups Up, Cups Down.
Place cups in the middle of the room, put half of them upside down and the other half the right way up.
Divide the group into 2 teams and give each team a name (ex: ups or downs). The 'up' team needs to turn as many cups up the right way as possible, and the 'down' team needs to flip them upside down. We did guys versus girls.
When the allocated time limit is over, count all the cups and whichever team has the most turned up their way wins.
Optional: For easy setup, give students the cups beforehand & have them layout the cups on the floor.
Hope your students enjoy it!
Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth - Games
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YOUTH GROUP GAME ON STRESS & OVERWHELM
As noted here, today's youth are expected to be bigger, stronger, faster, smarter, better rehearsed, and more trained than ever before.
I am the parent of three busy teenagers. In addition to a demanding academic load, they're each juggling at least one other activity. Ethan, who is a senior, has to juggle preparing for college and is on the soccer team. Emma is on the cross country team. Joey is on the basketball team, works at Jimmy Johns, and does strength training 3-5 days a week.
So, I know first hand that today's youth are busy, overcommitted, overworked, and under slept.
And that's a recipe for stress, anxiety and overwhelm.
SUPPLIES AND SETUP
- Paper plate for each student
- Pen for each student
- Set up a table in the room with Post-it notes (broken into small stacks) and pens.
Set up a table in the room with Post-it notes (broken into small stacks) and pens.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
I want you to pick out the most stressful day over the past few weeks that you’ve had.
Can you think of one? Yup, I can too.
Now, here is what I want you to do: (Give each person a paper plate and a pencil/pen).
On this paper plate, draw a clock face, and no, not a digital one.
Then, once you’ve drawn the clock, I want you to fill in what you did for each hour of that most stressful day that you thought of just a minute ago.
(Give students 5-10 minutes to complete the activity)
Now, get in groups of 2-3 people and choose one of your clocks to act out in less than 25 seconds – being sure to act out every single activity that was listed.
I will give you 5 minutes to work on your stressful day reenactment.
(Gather the groups together and tell the group to be sure to try to guess as many activities in each groups’ day as possible.)
This should lead to everyone being stressed out!
INTRO - LESSON ON STRESS AND OVERWHELM
Raise your hand if you are now officially stressed out.
Let’s face it: The stress that you face each day is real, isn’t it?
(Tell a personal story from when you were a teenager – how the stress, pace and technology (or lack thereof) made life very different.)
But, things today are different.
The pace is different.
How many times this week have you felt stressed, overloaded, or overwhelmed?
Your schedules are crazy.
The stress is real.
How in the world could you add one more thing to your schedule?
And yet, how many of you listed time alone with God as one of the activities on your calendar?
Here’s the thing: God doesn’t want you to feel guilty if he wasn’t on your schedule.
He wants to offer you rest and peace.
And believe it or not, spending time with God, or as some people call it, a ‘quiet time’ is probably the only thing in this life that can help with the stress and pressure that we all feel.
Read James 4: 8-10.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
END INTRO
Note: Use this Bible passage and intro to set up a lesson of your own.
P.S. – Don’t miss the HOLIDAY YOUTH BUNDLE, which ends tomorrow night (Thursday, November 21). Save 62% on $184 worth of NEW youth ministry lessons and games for the holidays and beyond. Includes 12 new Christmas games, new Christmas series, and a total of 6 new releases:
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON APPRECIATION
Here's a free youth ministry game that includes a quick lesson on "Appreciation" based on Philippians 1:4-5 (NLT).
The main point of this lesson is: Appreciate all of the blessings in your life and everything God has done for you.
Have fun :)
- Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth - Games
P.S. This is one of the 20 Fall Games we just released. Use these games, which all include a Biblical lesson, to add little more awesomeness to your Fall and Thanksgiving programming.
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON APPRECIATION
Bible: Philippians 1:4-5 (NLT)
SUPPLIES
- 4 brooms (two per team)
- 1 rubber ball per team (racquetball-sized is good)
GAME PREP
For this game you will divide students into two even teams.
Next, have teams form single file lines, with an arms-length distance between each person in front of them.
The last two people in each team’s line will step off, one to each side.
Each will be given a broom and one person on each team will be given a ball, to be placed on the ground.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Say: This will be a game of skill and concentration.
The teammates with a broom will have a ball in front of one of them.
When I say GO, the teammate with the ball will use the broom to sweep the ball across the floor to the teammate on the other side in a zig-zag pattern between the legs of their teammates in line.
They will continue that pattern, moving the ball across the floor and down the line of people until they reach the end.
Once they get to the end they must return the same way until they reach the beginning of the line, where they will pass off the brooms and replace the next two in line.
The next two will continue the same sweeping pattern until all the people in the line have had a chance and have completed the line.
The first team to complete the game wins.
TEACH
Say: That game was a great combination of teamwork and a little skill, wasn’t it?
It also gave each of you a chance to appreciate some of the effort that others gave on behalf of the team.
At home, many of us do chores around the house to help out.
Some of you may even sweep the floor, right?
When we go to school or church or somewhere else, we would notice if the floor was dirty or there was trash all over the place, wouldn’t we?
But we often don’t appreciate the work and chores that have been done until someone is not doing it.
Parents often do chores too, although sometimes we don’t always see them or even know about them.
They just get done.
Even though we may not always say it to them—and we should—we do appreciate their hard work.
Appreciation and gratitude go right alongside each other.
Remember the first time you bought something at the store with your own money that you had earned?
Maybe it didn’t cost a lot, but to you it was important because you earned it.
But sometimes, children go to their parents wanting something. The child says “…and it’s only $_____”
Parents can have a hard time with is when their child comes to them and wants them to buy some particular thing, especially when it doesn’t appear that the child appreciates them.
Ask: What are some ways that you show appreciation to others?
Allow for a few responses from students.
Preaching the Gospel may not seem like a very difficult job, but for the Apostle Paul, it was both rewarding and challenging.
Because of those challenges, he appreciated the support and prayers of the churches he had helped to start.
Read Philippians 1:4-5.
Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.
When we show appreciation to others, it demonstrates that we not only value their time and friendship, but we also show them that we would do the same for them.
Paul appreciated the Philippian church because the people partnered with him from the beginning.
Appreciation is recognizing and enjoying the good qualities of someone or something, and Paul certainly was appreciative.
I asked you a couple of minutes ago about some ways that you show appreciation to others, but I want you to take a moment and think about who you appreciate most and why.
Many of you will think of your parents or other family members.
We appreciate them because we know they care for us and want the best for us.
One of the best ways to show others we appreciate them is to pray for them as Paul prayed for the churches he ministered to.
He prayed for their needs and for the future.
Another great way to show someone that you appreciate them is to tell them.
Not just a generic “I appreciate you,” but to let them know what it is specifically that you appreciate about them.
Last, but not least, God.
Tell God how much you appreciate all of the blessings in your life and everything He has done for you.
Always remember to show appreciation.
End lesson.
P.S. This is one of the 20 Fall Games we just released. Use these games, which all include a Biblical lesson, to add little more awesomeness to your Fall and Thanksgiving programming.
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON LOVING OTHERS
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON LOVING OTHERS
Bible: Romans 13:8
Bottom Line: When we love others, God’s love is shown through us.
SUPPLIES
- Paper (one per person)
- Pen (one per person)
- 4 containers (one per team)
GAME PREP
Divide students into four teams of equal size.
Choose a leader from each team to stand at the front of his or her team.
Before beginning the game, have each student (not a team leader) write down one of his or her favorite things (food, activity, place, or movie).
Collect all the papers and place them into the corresponding team’s container.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Say: Let’s talk about some things that you love.
Each person on your team has been given a piece of paper and asked to write down one favorite thing.
It can be a food, or movie, place, or activity.
Next, collect the from each student and put into their team’s container (bowl, hat, bucket, etc.)
For each round, without looking, I will draw one piece of paper from each of the team’s containers.
I will read each of the four objects, one from each team.
Then, I will ask each team leader, which of those four objects he/she LOVES more than the other three items.
If the team leader chooses an answer that came from his or her own team, then that team receives three points.
If one of the other three team leaders chooses the correct answer from another team, his or her team will receive one point.
If the team leader chooses an answer from the incorrect team, that team receives no points.
The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
The key to winning is for students to write down things that their team leader would like, so that their team leader will choose their answers.
For instance, if the team leader loves Star Wars, the team member might write down “Darth Vader.”
TEACH
Say: Let’s admit it right now. It’s a lot easier to love “things” than it is to love people.
Loving other people can be hard.
It’s pretty easy to love our family, our friends, and people at church.
But what about loving people that we don’t know?
First of all, why would we even want to do that?
And second, why does it even matter?
Believe it or not, people had a hard time loving other people even back in the Apostle Paul’s day.
Let’s read what the Apostle Paul wrote about to the church in Rome:
Read Romans 13:8.
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
Ask: How many of you have ever borrowed something from one of the people in here?
Did you return it or pay it back?
Allow a few responses from students after each question.
Paul says here that we are obligated, as Christians, to love one another.
He didn’t say we should love one another or that it would be a good idea to love one another.
He said we are obligated to love one another.
And he didn’t say to just tolerate one another.
Loving others is a different story.
In Luke chapter 10, Jesus tells a religious lawyer that he should not only love God with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind, but also that he should love his neighbor.
The man, being a lawyer, wanted clarification.
He asked Jesus directly, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied by relating the story of The Good Samaritan.
Samaritans were considered outcasts in Jewish society, and to associate with them, much less “love” them, would have been unheard of.
According to Jesus, loving other people is one of the most important things that sets Jesus’ followers apart from those that don’t know Him.
Think about that student you know who is always picked on and made fun of because they act differently or maybe don’t like the things that you do.
Just like the church in Rome that Paul was writing to, it is our obligation to love others in the same way that Jesus Christ loved us.
Paul also famously said, “…while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
What greater love is there than that?
When we love others, the love that God showed us in sending Jesus to Earth is shown through our lives.
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON PRAYER
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON PRAYER
Bible: James 5:16
Bottom Line: Prayer is two-way communication with God, not a monologue.
SUPPLIES
- 2 Different brands of bottled water
- 2 Cones
- Masking tape
GAME PREP
Use masking tape to create a 3 ft. X 3 ft. (or larger) Tic-Tac-Toe board on the floor.
Place two cones about 6 ft. away from the Tic-Tac-Toe board and assign each team to a cone.
Divide your group into two equal teams.
You will need one brand of water bottle for each team.
Give each student a water bottle from their team’s brand.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Say: For our game today, you have been given a water bottle.
You may drink as much of your water as you need for it to flip the way you want during our game.
When I say GO, one person from each team will walk up to their team’s cone and flip their water bottle into one of the nine spaces on the Tic-Tac-Toe board.
You only get one flip per turn, so flip wisely.
If your bottle lands upright, either right side up or upside down, your team's bottle wins the space, and that student leaves the bottle in its place and steps to the side.
If your team’s bottle does not land upright, you will retrieve your bottle from the board and go to the back of the line quickly so the next team member may go.
The first team to get three in a row up and down, across, or diagonally, wins.
You can also use your turn to take over a space that the other team has filled.
If you can knock the other’s team’s bottle over, while at the same time, leaving your bottle upright in the space, your team will win that space.
TEACH
Say: Raise your hand if at any point you were praying that your bottle would land straight up.
Prayer is really interesting because people in many religions and cultures pray.
That’s not what makes it interesting, but as a Christian, we know that God hears our prayers.
Other religions don’t have that assurance.
They hope that someone hears them, but they have no guarantees about it.
Ask: What makes the prayers of a Christian different?
Allow a few responses from students.
For those religions that don’t follow Christ, prayer is often a tool that calms their inner self and brings them into quiet meditation.
For a Christian, prayer is something that changes our hearts and minds to align with the thoughts and desires of God.
So, what do we need to know about prayer?
First, we need to understand that prayer is simply communicating with God.
We don’t have to say some set of phrases in Old English for God to hear us because He is always listening.
Another part of prayer and one that we often overlook is listening when God speaks to us.
There are times when our parents, and even our friends, are talking to us and we hear them, but we are not listening because maybe we were too busy talking first.
Or sometimes we weren’t paying attention.
Ask: How would you feel if God didn’t pay attention to us when we were talking with Him?
Allow a few responses from students.
We pray for lots of different things: good grades, a victory for your school team, and family and friends.
Here’s what happens when we pray to God.
Read James 5:16.
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
What do you think would happen, if you went to a restaurant, walked in the door, sat down at a table and didn’t talk to anyone?
Would food magically appear?
You see, unless you talk to someone from the restaurant who can take your order, the food won’t come.
The restaurant has the ability and capability and willingness to bring what you need, but without communicating that, it won’t happen.
God desires that we pray to him, not so that we can get stuff from Him, but so that our relationship with Him would grow into a more mature fellowship.
And if prayer indeed does produce wonderful results, as it says in James, why wouldn’t we want to pray at all times?
Today, I want you to remember that prayer is two-way communication between you and the Creator of the Universe.
It’s not a monologue of wants, requests, and demands that we give to God.
Open your heart and ears to hear what God has to say to you.
What happens in times of prayer has the potential to change the entire course of your life as you seek open communication with God.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS GAME
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON TEMPTATION
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON TEMPTATION
Bible: Hebrews 3:12 (The Passion Translation)
Bottom Line: We can encourage each other in the faith as we fight against temptation.
SUPPLIES
- Pool noodle
- Vegetable oil
- Pack of baby wipes
- Bandana
- Painter’s tape
- 3 orange cones
GAME PREP
This game uses vegetable oil, which can leave stains on the carpet.
You can either place a tarp on the floor before the game beings, play the game outdoors, or risk it and clean up after the game is over.
Use two orange cones to mark a starting point for each team.
Use the painter’s tape to create a long line on the floor about 10-feet in front of the cones.
Place the remaining orange cone in the middle of the tape line.
Tie the bandana around the middle of the pool noodle – leave it dangling from the pool noodle.
Cover the entire pool noodle with vegetable oil – this will make it slippery to hold.
Divide students into two teams of equal size and have them form lines behind their team’s cone.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Say: This game is a fun twist on the traditional game, “tug-of-war.”
You have played it before, but I promise you have never played it this way.
Our “rope” will be this pool noodle – it’s a little bit easier on your hands than a rope, but we don’t want to make it too easy for our game.
So, we have covered the pool noodle in vegetable oil to make it a little difficult to handle.
Our group has been divided into two teams.
When I say GO, the first person in each team’s line will run down to the cone and grab one end of the pool noodle.
If you reach the pool noodle before the other team, you can grab it, pull it to your team's side, and that round is over.
The winner of that round will run back to their team and get in line again.
The person from the other team who didn’t reach the pool noodle in time is out of the game and they will go sit down.
If both players run down and grab the pool noodle at the same time, then tug-of-war will begin.
The first person to pull the bandana on the pool noodle over the cone and to their team’s side – wins that round.
The winning team member will go back to their team, and the losing team member will go sit down.
The game is over when there are no players left on one team.
The team with remaining players wins the game.
For each round, I will say GO, so both teams have the same gameplay advantage.
After the game, allow students a minute to clean their oily hands with baby wipes.
TEACH
Say: Tug-of-war is a game that’s been around for hundreds of years.
From 1900-1920, tug-of-war was part of the Olympic Games.
Believe it or not, it was at the center of controversy at the 1908 Olympics.
Great Britain found a way to give their team an advantage – their team wore enormous, heavy shoes.
In fact, their shoes weighed so much that they could hardly lift their feet from the ground.
In this particular match, they were competing against the United States who protested the unfair advantage.
When the Olympic Committee allowed Great Britain’s team to compete anyway, the United States team withdrew from the competition.
They recognized that it would have been too difficult to win, so they didn’t even try.
The game of tug-of-war is an excellent example of what temptation looks like in our lives.
This struggle exists for every person that has ever walked on planet earth.
Temptation is the desire to do something, especially something that is wrong.
As a follower of Jesus, you have the desire to do what God wants you to do, but the desire to do wrong never entirely goes away.
So, that’s what produces the tug-of-war in our hearts.
Read Hebrews 3:12.
So search your hearts every day, my brothers and sisters, and make sure that none of you has evil or unbelief hiding within you.
For it will lead you astray, and make you unresponsive to the living God.
This verse encourages us to be aware of the tug-of-war that happens in our soul.
And not only to be aware that it's there but to ask God to reveal these struggles to you.
If not dealt with, your sinful nature will lead you away from God.
Ask: So, how are you aware of what is happening in your heart?
How do you know if you are close to God or close to giving in to temptation?
Allow a few responses from students.
One of the keys to being aware of what’s going on in your heart is to know what to do when you are tempted, and even what to do when you give into temptation.
That’s when one of the greatest gifts God has given to help us in our faith comes into play – each other.
Not only do we need others, but we need others to encourage us every day.
Why? Because temptation is tough and it’s even tougher if you try to face it alone – without God’s help and without each other.
The Christian life is not a quick walk in the park.
It is a long-distance marathon, and we need each other to go the distance.
So, we are called to encourage one another daily so that when we are tempted to sin, we aren’t struggling alone.
Think back to the story of Great Britain… in their game of tug-of-war, they came up with a plan that gave them an advantage – heavy shoes.
In the tug-of-war in your soul, your “heavy shoes” are God and the encouragement of others.
With this advantage, when you are tempted, you will be able to overcome and win.
Temptation will never go away, but it is awesome to know that when we are tempted, God will never leave you and neither should those who love and encourage you in the faith.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS GAME
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON CHOICES
Bible: Proverbs 2:11
Bottom Line: God can give you discretion, wisdom, and understanding to make the right choices.
SUPPLIES
- List of “Would You Rather?” Questions
- Index cards (one per student)
- Sharpie
- 2 Pieces of poster board
GAME PREP
Use the Sharpie to write the word “SAFE” in large letters on each index card.
Give each student an index card to use during the game.
On one poster board, write the letter “A.”
On the other poster board, write the letter “B.”
Choose a space where all of the students can stand throughout the game.
Make sure there is also enough space for students to sit down when they are out of the game.
Place the “A” poster board on the left side and the “B” on the right side of the room.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Say: Today, we’re going to play our own version of the game “Would You Rather?”
Each of you have received an index card with the word “SAFE” written on it.
I want you to hold onto that card, and I will tell you what to do with it in a minute.
I have a list of Would You Rather? Questions.
Every time I read a question, I will give you an "A" answer and a "B" answer.
When I finish, you will choose your answer and stand near the poster board of the answer you have chosen.
Next, I will let you know the predetermined correct answer.
Now, you might not agree that the answer is correct, but that’s what has been decided before you arrived here today.
If you answered incorrectly, you are out, and you will sit down unless you decide to use your "SAFE" card.
If you want to stay in the game, you will bring your SAFE card to me and remain in the game.
You should consider how many people are left in the game before you use your card and decide if it’s worth using it.
The last person standing is the winner.
You can play multiple rounds based on how many questions you have left at the end of each round.
The correct answer will be underlined for each question.
WOULD YOU RATHER? QUESTIONS
- Would you rather (A) have super sensitive hearing or (B) super sensitive taste?
- Would you rather (A) be too hot or (B) too cold?
- Would you rather (A) be a deep-sea diver or (B) an astronaut?
- Would you rather (A) be able to fly or (B) be invisible?
- Would you rather (A) live in a giant desert or (B) in a giant dessert?
- Would you rather (A) have no eyebrows or (B) only have one eyebrow?
- Would you rather (A) have a dog that could hum or (B) a cat who could whistle?
- Would you rather (A) spend the rest of your life being itchy or (B) being tickled?
- Would you rather (A) be able to change the past or (B) see into the future?
- Would you rather (A) live without music or (B) without tv?
- Would you rather (A) eat tacos or (B) pizza?
- Would you rather (A) get up early or (B) stay up late?
- Would you rather (A) be able to jump incredibly high or (B) run incredibly fast?
- Would you rather (A) have many good friends or (B) one very best friend?
- Would you rather (A) have adventure or (B) relaxation?
- Would you rather (A) have fame or (B) wisdom?
- Would you rather (A) be without your phone for a week or (B) without internet?
- Would you rather (A) be Batman or (B) Superman?
- Would you rather (A) be the youngest or (B) the oldest sibling?
- Would you rather (A) be too busy or (B) be bored?
- Would you rather (A) read a good book or (B) watch a good movie?
- Would you rather (A) be a kid your whole life or (B) be an adult your whole life?
- Would you rather (A) be 4’5’ or (B) 7’8”?
- Would you rather (A) be a villain or (B) a hero in a movie?
- Would you rather (A) play the piano or (B) the trombone?
- Would you rather (A) be born with a giraffe neck or (B) a unicorn horn?
- Would you rather (A) live in the country or (B) live in the city?
- Would you rather (A) be a huge mouse or (B) a tiny elephant?
- Would you rather (A) live on Mars or (B) live on the moon?
- Would you rather (A) spend a day at the beach or (B) a day in the mountains?
TEACH
Say: There were so many choices in the game we just played.
You might not have agreed with what I considered the correct answer, but the point of our game was to demonstrate how the choices you make affect your life.
You make over 35,000 choices every day… that’s insane!
Researchers at Cornell University have discovered that you make about 226 decisions each day on food alone.
Choices always result in consequences… whether good or bad.
Some of the choices we make daily affect whether or not we are safe.
Think about this…
You wear a seat belt when you ride in a car.
You put on a helmet when you ride a bike to protect your head.
At school, you practice fire drills to ensure you and your classmates know what to do… just in case.
Fast-food workers wear gloves and continuously wash their hands to keep from spreading food diseases… well, at least we hope they do those things.
When you stop and think about it, safety measures are all around us.
Over time, we have learned that wearing a bike helmet reduces your chance of a head injury by 50%.
People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash.
And washing your hands alone doesn’t keep food safe.
Wearing gloves when handling food drastically reduces the chance of spreading germs – it makes a difference.
But here’s the thing, you don’t have to do the things I just mentioned.
Some of them, you’re supposed to do them, but the choices you make are always up to you.
You see, having knowledge and understanding isn’t enough; you have to use the knowledge you have to make the right choices.
Read Proverbs 2:11-12.
Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.
In some translations of that verse, instead of “wise choices,” they use the word “discretion.”
Discretion is having good judgment that causes you to think about the choices you are making… and then, choose the right thing to do.
Discretion knows what to do, when to do it, and how to do it when situations come your way.
Here’s an example of how “wise choices” or “discretion” will watch over you.
Your math teacher hands you a test she has just graded.
You realize that you scored 5 points higher than what is written on your test.
So, you get up, walk to the front of the classroom and tell the teacher that they don’t know what they’re doing.
That would be an example of the wrong choice.
Using discretion would encourage you to try a different way.
Your teacher hands you the test, you realize the mistake, and decide to talk to her privately after class.
Your teacher apologizes, and you express that you are happy that your score was a little better.
The first choice would get you in trouble… in fact, it could go badly for you.
The second choice demonstrates that you know how to think about a situation instead of just reacting.
And because you have chosen the right response, you are saved from detention, suspension, getting in trouble with your parents, and embarrassing yourself.
Discretion has protected you from a negative outcome and harmful consequences.
We need discretion to help us make the right choices every day.
Think about how many times you have the opportunity to make the right or wrong choices.
Someone says something on social media that makes you mad – how do you respond?
You can either lie to your parents about something or tell the truth and get in trouble – which choice honors God?
Your siblings bother you constantly – do you let it bother you or just ignore them?
You can buy something insignificant and use all of your money or save it and get what you really want later – is it worth it to sacrifice now for what you can have later?
It isn’t easy to make the right choices.
Otherwise, the Scripture we read wouldn’t be in the Bible.
God wants us to choose the things He would choose.
So, if we ask for His wisdom and understanding and then trust what He tells us to do, we will make the right choices and be protected from the consequences of making bad choices.
Begin each day by praying that God will give you discretion, wisdom, and understanding to make the right choices.
YOUTH GROUP GAME FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL
YOUTH GROUP GAME FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL
Bible: Psalm 121:8 (NLT)
Bottom Line: God is with you wherever you go.
SUPPLIES
· Backpacks (one per team)
· Juice boxes (one per student)
· Orange cones
· Garbage can
GAME PREP
This game requires a large amount of space and can be played in or outdoors.
Divide students into two teams of equal size.
If you have more than twenty students, create teams of ten or less, and make as many as you can.
Give each team an empty backpack.
After determining the number of students on each team, place one juice box for each person on the team inside each backpack.
Use cones to designate a start and finish line.
From the start to the finish line should be twice the length of a team if they were laying on the floor, side-by-side, in plank position.
Place a garbage can at the finish line.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Say: It’s time to go back to school… not right now, but we’re going to play a game to get us ready.
A backpack is vital to your daily school life.
Without it, you become that person stumbling down the hallway dropping their books everywhere.
So, in this game, your team's backpack is essential.
When I say, GO, everyone on your team will lay down in plank position, side by side, except for the person at the end of your team’s line.
The first person in line on each team should be laying on the start line.
There should be no space in between each person on your team – you have to squeeze next to each other.
The person at the end of your team’s line will grab your team’s backpack, run to the front of their team’s line, open the backpack, and pull out a juice box.
They will drink the juice box as fast as they can, put their backpack on again, and dump the empty juice box in the garbage can at the finish line.
Then, they will run back to their team, lay down in plank position, take off the backpack and pass it from one person to the next down the line (while everyone remains in plank position).
When the last person in line receives the backpack, they will run to the front of the line and the relay race.
The first team to cross the finish line with their team’s backpack – wins!
If a team finishes all of their juice boxes and still hasn’t reached the finish line, have them continue the relay race with just the backpack.
TEACH
Say: During a typical school day, your backpack goes with you wherever you go.
If you lay it down and can’t find it for even just a few minutes, it’s instant panic – there goes your phone, books, homework, lunch… everything.
When you find it again – instant relief!
Maybe you have never thought about how important your backpack is, but it is the carrier of everything you need to be successful in school.
Your relationship with God and His presence in your life is a million times more vital to your daily life than your backpack, but sometimes we forget that God is with us… all the time, everywhere we go.
Read Psalm 121:8.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
This chapter in the Book of Psalms is known as "the traveler's psalm."
In your Bible, there might be a title above this chapter that says “a song of ascents” which means “a song for a journey to a higher place.”
Most travel in Bible times was on foot, and people would often walk up to 20 miles a day while on a journey.
The roads were dangerous - you could have been robbed, beaten, or even killed while traveling alone or with your family.
How comforting it would be during those times to know that God is watching over you now and forever.
Life is a journey.
From the time you enter Kindergarten until you graduate, you will spend at least 2,340 days in school.
So, right now, a large part of your "journey" is happening at school, but you are not on the journey alone because God is with you.
God isn't up in Heaven, withdrawn from your life. He is right there with you.
So, knowing God is with you should take away your fears and give you faith to be strong and courageous in how you represent God to those around you.
You might lose your backpack throughout the day, but you never have to wonder where God is because He is with you.
As you walk through your school’s doors every day, remember that you’re never alone.
When you pick up your backpack, let that remind you that you carry God with you everywhere you go.
And as you journey throughout your school day, you can be bold and have faith because God is watching out for you.
God is with you wherever you go.
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON RESPECT
YOUTH GROUP GAME ON RESPECT
Bible: 1 John 4:20
Bottom Line: When we respect each other, we honor the One who created us.
SUPPLIES
· Pack of gum
· A few pieces of paper
· Clipboard with paper and pen
GAME PREP
This game requires few supplies and no prep.
Divide students into two teams of equal size and have each team form a huddle.
Give a leader a clipboard with paper and pen to keep score throughout the game.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Say: Raise your hand if you are the best!
Best at what? We are about to find out!
In my hand, I have a list of categories.
When I read one, you will choose one person from your team that you believe would be the best or someone who could win that category.
For example - The tallest person.
You would choose the tallest person on your team to come forward and be measured against the tallest person from the other team.
At the end of the game, the team that has earned the most points wins!
So, let’s get started.
LIST OF CATEGORIES
· The smallest shoe size
· The fastest runner
· The highest jumper
· The largest chewing gum bubble
· The tallest pinky finger
· The farthest length to throw a paper airplane
· The longest stare in a staring contest
· The shortest hair
· Wearing the most colors
· The most pictures on their cell phone
· The fastest talker (have them say their name three times)
Tally the points and declare one team as the winner.
TEACH
Say: When you know someone is really good at something, do you automatically show them respect based on what they can do?
For example, do people respect Lebron James because he’s a great basketball player or because of his admirable character?
Allow a few responses.
Do you respect the person in our game who had the longest pinky finger? Why or why not?
Allow a few more responses.
If I asked you to name people in our community who deserve respect, you most likely would mention those in authority, like: police officers, firefighters, politicians, teachers, a boss, and pastors.
We also know that it’s expected that you should respect parents and elders (people who are older than you.)
Some might say, “I show respect to people who show me respect.”
Raise your hand if you have ever said that before.
But when we take a look at what God says about treating others with respect, we learn that God wants everyone to treat each other with respect… no matter who they are.
None of us are perfect.
If respect is based on whether or not we deserve it, that might change from day to day or even from hour to hour based on the decisions we make.
Some of our actions might be respectable, and some of them are not.
So, what if we respect each other simply based on the fact that we were all created by the same Creator, who made us in His own image?
When we respect each other, we honor God.
Read: 1 John 4:20.
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
Ask: How are “love” and “respect” similar in meaning?
Allow a few responses from students.
So, now the question is… can you love someone without respecting them?
Or can you respect someone that you don’t love?
Dave Willis said, “Show respect even to people who don’t deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours.”
The way we treat others is an outward reflection of what is in our heart.
When God’s love fills your life, you can’t help but love others and put their needs above your own, even if they don’t deserve it.
If you are filled with pride and selfishness, you might believe that people have to prove themselves for you to respect them.
That would mean you are the judge of whether or not someone has demonstrated the qualities of a person who should be respected.
I want to wrap this up by asking you to look around the room.
Do you see someone who has hurt you?
Are you sitting beside your best friend?
Is it possible for you to treat both of those people like God treats each of us?
Yes. You can love others the way God loves us.
He sees us as His creation, and He cares about us.
Ask God to help you see others the same way He sees them.
He can give you unconditional love and respect for others that flows out of your life, and honors Him.
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