Sr High Parent’s Update – May 22nd
Navigate – Week 2
May 22 2013
Leaders,
If you are going to go on a trip, you must choose a destination and figure out how to get there. You must follow a map or a GPS or someone in order to Navigate your way to that destination. Scripture calls us to look to God as that way to navigate through life. Rather that following the crowd we need to follow God and understand that God will lead you places that the crowds won’t. Let’s take a look at what it means to pursue relationship with God and navigate our way through life.
Goals…
- To get to know your group and build relationships
- To understand that we need help to navigate through life
- To remember that God wants to have relationship with us
Conversation Starters…
- High’s and lows
- Would you rather … Always have a runny nose or the hiccups?
Dig a Little Deeper…
- Is there anything that stuck out to you from the message tonight?
- What would your life look like if God was your “GPS” to navigate through life?
- What does it mean that … “God will lead you places that the crowd will not?”
- Talk through the differences of these 2 statements …
“Relationship with God is something you do”
“Relationship with God is a part of who you are”
- What does it mean that your relationship with God goes through stages?
- Have you ever seen your relationship with God go through stages?
- Talk about the different stages that you have gone through in your relationship with God
- What are some practical ways that God helps us to Navigate through life?
- What are some things that you can do to develop your relationship with God?
Personal…
- You could share about a time in your life where God helped you navigate through a situation
- You could share something tough that you have had to navigate through
Applications…
- Pray with your students
- Challenge them to pursue relationship with God
Key Scriptures …
Hebrews 12:2
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Deut 31:8
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Jesus – Luke 6:12
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Disciples – Mark 8:34
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
Moses – Exodus 33:11
“The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”
Israelites – Exodus 13:21
“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.”
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Sr High Parent’s Update – May 15th
Navigate – Week 1
May 15 2013
Leaders,
Everyday we are forced to navigate through the challenges and opportunities that life brings our way. As we navigate through this mess, we need to follow Paul’s teaching and “Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (I Corinthians 9:24) We must keep our focus and attention on God in order to Navigate through the mess. There is constant temptation for us to put our focus and attention on the things of this world, but that will get us in a lot of trouble.
Goals…
- To get to know your group and build relationships
- To understand the mess that we need to navigate through
- To remember that God is the only “prize” that we should pursue
Conversation Starters…
- High’s and lows
- Would you rather … live in a world with no problems OR live in a world where you rule?
Dig a Little Deeper…
- Is there anything that stuck out to you from the message tonight?
- What are some of the big things that you need to navigate through?
- Is there anything specific that you are navigating through right now that you want to talk about?
- What does it mean to see God as the “prize?”
- What are some things that we can do to pursue God?
- Why is it good to keep your eye on the goal?
- What are some other things that you are tempted to pursue as the “prize?”
- How could pursuing these things get you in trouble?
- Do you find it easy or difficult to put your hope and faith in God?
- Do you think it is worth it to take that step of faith?
Personal…
- You could share about a time in your life when you put God first
- You could share some of the things that you have to navigate through
Applications…
- Pray with your students
- Challenge them to make put God first
Key Scriptures …
1 Corinthians 9:24
“Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
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Sr. High Parent’s Update – May 8th
Static – Week 4
May 8 2013
Leaders,
Life is busy and there are always so many things going on that grab for our attention. There are friends and family who we want to be with. There is school and studying that take up so much time. There are so many fun things going on around us to get involved in. In the midst of all of this, God has called us to filter through the noise and focus on Him and give Him our praise and worship. As we make the choice to focus on God above all things, the greatness of God drowns out the noise going on around us.
Goals…
- To get to know your group and build relationships
- To talk about worship
- To encourage the students to filter through the noise to hear truth
Conversation Starters…
- High’s and lows
- Would you rather … free starbucks for a year or free itunes for life?
Dig a Little Deeper…
- Is there anything that stuck out to you from the worship experience tonight?
- Why do you think some people raise their hands during worship?
- Why do you think that some people close their eyes during worship?
- Why do you think that God wants us to worship Him?
- What do you find difficult about singing and worshipping God?
- What do you love about worshipping God?
- What do you think it means to be genuine in your worship?
- What are other ways that we can worship God?
- Share something with the group that you learned tonight about worship
Personal…
- You could share about a time in your life when worship was helpful for you
- You could share some of the struggles you have faced in worship
Applications…
- Pray with your students
- Challenge them to make the best of the opportunities that they have in the future to worship
Key Scriptures …
Hebrews 13:15
Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
James 5:13
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Psalm 95:1-2
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
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Sr. High Parent’s Update – April 24th
Static – Week 2
April 24 2013
Leaders,
The reality is that friendships are super important. It is important in scripture and it is important in society today and especially for teenagers; they value friendships a lot. Each of us must recognize that we need to choose our friendships carefully because each friendship has an effect on us either positive or negative. It is important for each of us to choose carefully a few people who are willing to walk close with us and to help us move towards a healthy relationship with God.
Goals…
- To get to know your group and build relationships
- To recognise the impact that friends have on us
- To encourage the students to choose their friends wisely
Conversation Starters…
- High’s and lows
- What station was the most fun for you?
Dig a Little Deeper…
- Is there anything that stuck out to you from the message tonight?
- Can you think of a friend who has a positive influence on your life?
- Can you think of a friend who has a negative influence on your life?
- “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”
- Do you agree with this statement?
- Why do you agree or disagree?
- Thinking of the chair illustration …
- Would you say that you have more people pulling you down?
- Would you say that you have more people pulling you up?
- Are there people in your life that you are walking alongside with?
- Why do you think it is important to be a part of a small group throughout your life?
Personal…
- You could share about a time in your life when friends were there for you
- You could share about a time in your life when friends led you down the wrong path
- You could share some personal experience to explain why choosing the right friends is super important
Applications…
- Pray with your students
- What changes could you make moving forward?
Key Scriptures …
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity
A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Matt 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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Sr. High parents update – Apr 17th
Static – Week 1
April 17 2013
Leaders,
In order to filter through the noise and hear from God we must first understand what to listen for. Tonight we are going to focus on how to study and interpret God’s word. Not simply stating the fact that bible reading and study is important, but actually going through some scriptures and breaking them down. We are going to look at the classic story of Jericho. Hopefully by the end of tonight, we will all have a better grasp on how to study scripture and filter through the noise to hear God’s truth.
Goals…
- To get to know your group and build relationships
- To recognise the importance of bible study
- To talk through the “how to” of studying scripture
Conversation Starters…
- High’s and lows
- Do you think you could break that tv with a bat … AKA is Kevin a wimp?
Dig a Little Deeper…
- Is there anything that stuck out to you from the message tonight?
- What are some things that would be considered “noise” in teenager’s lives?
- What would you say is one of the loudest “noises” in your life?
- Is scripture reading an easy thing or a tough thing for you?
- What is the difference between something being “TAUGHT” and “CAUGHT?”
- What are some reasons why a commitment to daily bible reading will change your life?
- Why is daily bible reading simple and yet difficult?
- Have you tried reading your bible and found it to be tough?
- Why was it tough?
- What do you need to do to overcome those challenges
Personal…
- You could share about a time in your life when reading your bible had an effect on you
- You could share about a time in your life when reading your bible was tough or challenging
- You could share some practical things that helps you focus on reading your bible
Applications…
- Pray with your students
- Do you want to make a commitment to daily Bible reading?
Key Scriptures …
Joshua 6:1-21
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Sr High Parent’s Update – April 10th
Servant Leader
April 10 2013
Leaders,
Tonight we had the chance to hear from the team that went down to Sanctuary Toronto during March break. If you have had the chance to go on a trip or visit or even hang out with someone who went, you would quickly realize the huge impact that these trips have on people. One thing that I notice about these trips is the immense amount of time that the youth spend serving Sanctuary and the people involved. This is the type of leadership that Christ modeled to us. Tonight’s questions come out of a book that I have read and studied called “The Servant Leader – Transforming your Heart, Head, Hands and Habits” By Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.
Goals…
- To get to know your group and build relationships
- To better understand why Christ was a servant Leader
- To talk about what the other students learned from their trip
Conversation Starters…
- High’s and lows
- Who has been on a missions trip before?
Dig a Little Deeper…
- Were there any stories that stuck out to you from tonight?
- What do you find interesting about the sanctuary trips?
- What do you think it means to be a servant leader?
- How did Christ model this concept of being a servant leader to us?
- Why do you think God calls us to lead and live our lives this way?
- What do you think it means to have the HEART of a servant leader?
- Raising up the next generation of leaders
- Life is about what you give and not what you get
- What do you think it means to have the HEAD of a servant leader?
- To gain an understanding of Jesus’ leadership model
- What do you think it means to have the HANDS of a servant leader?
- To actually follow through on what you have learned and live it out
- What do you think it means to have the HABITS of a servant leader?
- Before something can become a habit, it must be first practiced as a discipline
- Understand and live out the habits that Jesus had when He walked the earth
Personal…
- You could share about a time when you went on a trip and what that meant to you
- You could talk about what is fulfilling and challenging to you personally about serving
Applications…
- Think of one thing you could do to serve someone that you are in relationship with and be a servant leader
Key Scriptures …
Matt 23:11-12
11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Matt 20:25-28
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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