BLESSED 2: What it is

Maybe we get that our “stuff” isn’t what determines God’s blessing in our life. And maybe we even understand that what God is doing in us and through us is more important than any “thing.” But what about the idea that God’s most extravagant blessings can be found in the ordinary, everyday—and maybe even the annoying—people that we find ourselves surrounded by? What if we counted our blessings not by “what” we have but by “who” we have; by those ordinary and extraordinary relationships that God weaves into our lives? We just might find that we are more blessed than we ever imagined!

This week, Mike Couvion used Acts 2:42-47 to describe the importance of relationships. He also used the Cheers theme to reinforce his point. If possible, play the Cheers theme and ask the following as an icebreaker:

Is there a team, club, class or group of people "where everybody knows your name"? What qualities made this group a true community?

Depending on what’s going on in your student’s lives, they may either love or hate this idea that relationships are life’s greatest riches. That is the beauty of small group—there’s no one-size fits all question (or answer) for all of your students. So, take some time before small group to pick and choose the questions that would be best for your group. You may even want to think of an example from your own life to illustrate a time when a particular relationship became your greatest asset.

Bottom Line: Life’s greatest riches are found when we begin to view everything in life as an excuse for relationships.

Scripture References: Philippians 1:3-5, Philippians 1:7; Philippians 4:1

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

1. Considering what we just heard about what a blessing it is to have Christ-centered relationships with all people, what were some things that came to your mind as you compared that to your own relationships?

2. Do you think the relationships you have are perfectly good the way they are? If not, what would you want to change? How might you be able to do that?

3. Why do you think we should aim to find depth in our relationships with others?

4. Why do you find this particularly challenging at times? How do you think we can help each other work past these difficulties?

5.     Do you think the way you treat the people around you has an effect on how they feel—not only about you but about themselves? Why or why not?

6. Is there a particular relationship you have now or have had in the past that was incredibly good? What made it so valuable to you?

7. As part of the body of Christ, how do you think we are supposed to approach relationships of any kind, not just the ones we have with other Christians?

8. Think of one individual in your family or your community that you have spent very little time getting to know or become closer with. Go ahead and actually picture them in your mind. Without giving names, how you do think you could approach this relationship differently so that is better reflects what Paul had in mind?

9. Where do you feel like you are doing well in viewing community as your greatest blessing? Where do you feel like you could do better?

10. How has what we discussed tonight reshaped your understanding of blessings?

NEXT STEP: This week, send your students a text asking them to think of one person in their life that they can share last week’s chosen Beatitude with—whether by simply talking about it with that person or actually putting that Beatitude into action. For example, if they choose “Merciful,” encourage them to show kindness or forgiveness to their chosen person.

Announcements: This week's Shift will a movie night showing Ghostbusters! See you there!

BLESSED SESSION 1: What It Isn’t

At SHIFT this week, we discussed the concept of being blessed by comparing our typical impressions of blessing with the beatitudes in Matthew 5. Here are some questions we asked for each group of "Blessed" individuals:

Poor - Am I completely and utterly dependent on God?

Mourn - Am I broken-hearted over the damage that sin does in our lives?

Humble - Am I relying on God’s strength or my own?

Hunger and thirst for justice - Is pleasing God my greatest desire?

Merciful - Am I showing love, kindness, and forgiveness to those around me?

Pure hearts - Are my motives clean and innocent?

Work for peace - Am I actively reconciling people to God and to each other?

Persecuted - Am I making a difference to the point that there is push back?

REMEMBER: There is no SHIFT this week due to Pumpkin Fest. If you wish to cancel, serve in East St. Louis or do a fellowship night either this Wednesday or the next, do the lesson on the opposite week!

High School Small Group Dialog

Bottom Line: Being blessed is not about the price of our belongings, but the person we are becoming. Scripture References: Matthew 5:3-10

Fun Icebreaker: If you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be and why?

Serious Icebreaker: Have students finish the statement "I know I am blessed because..."

1. What first comes to mind when you hear the term “blessed”? What kind of situations or conversations do you associate with it?

2. Why do you think people associate wealth or prosperity with blessing?

3. Is it difficult for you to understand that blessing and prosperity are not entirely linked? If so, what makes that hard for you?

4. Looking at Matthew 5:3-10, what is the most challenging piece of this verse for you?

5. What kind of experiences have you had or see other people experiencing where they have been humbled, are hungry, poor, or mourning? How can we see these experiences as blessings?

6. Knowing that material prosperity—or having an abundance of good in one’s life–is not necessarily what the Lord would have us seek in order to be “blessed,” how can we transform the way we look at our own lives and the things we desire to align with Jesus’ vision of blessing?

7. If you had to redefine the word blessing now, how would you describe it?

NEXT STEP: This week, email or Facebook message your students and ask them to choose one of the 8 Beatitudes that you talked about in small group. Ask them to focus on incorporating whichever they choose into their life this week. Be sure to include the 8 Beatitudes in whatever form of communication you choose.

This week, spend some time taking inventory of your attitudes and character. While many of your students have probably heard the Beatitudes over and over, we want to help them take their head knowledge and allow it to settle into their hearts. You may want to go through the list of Beatitudes ahead of time and choose a few you’d like to focus on.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

Announcements:

• Pumpkin Fest this weekend! NO SHIFT
• Oct 20-Guys Camp Out: Sign up soon!
• Oct 27-Beauty Lunch with Mrs Missouri
• Big Stuf camp registration will be available very soon!!!

High School Small Group: October 3

On our off weeks, I want to provide lessons on the spiritual disciplines. The first is on prayer. This will lead into our next series called BLESSED. Let me know if you have questions on this topic:

GIMME: A Lesson on Prayer

(Taken from the RETHINKING YOUTH MINISTRY blog by Brian Kirk)

FOCUS: To help students examine their understanding of prayer as a spiritual practice.

OPENING UP: Invite the group to pray with you and say:

“Dear God, we come before you and give thanks for everything we have. We ask that you continue to bless us. Give us the things that we need and the things that we want. Help us get the best MP3 players, the best video game systems, the coolest clothes, the hottest sports car. Help us make good grades on all our tests and homework, and help us to win and be number one at whatever we try. Most especially, bless our country so that we continue to be more powerful and more wealthy than any other country in the world. Thanks God. Amen.”

Ask: If you heard this prayer in a worship service, how do you think you would react/feel? How is this prayer different/same as your idea of prayer?

REFLECTION: Go around the circle and invite each person to finish the phrase “Prayer is...” with one word. Do this three times, encouraging them to use a different word each time. Encourage them to consider action words, descriptive words, symbols, emotions, etc. Keep a written list of their responses.

Alternative: Pass out a handout with a variety of images on it related to prayer. The images might include folded hands, a person singing, someone walking in the woods, a lit candle, worshippers holding hands in a circle. Invite youth to share which pictures say something to them about how they understand prayer.

DIGGING INTO THE TEXT: Read Matthew 6: 5-17 together. Ask: How could the text help shape our prayer practice? How might we pray differently than we do now in church/in private?

Read Luke 18: 9-14 (The Pharisee & the Tax Collector). Ask: How do you think the Pharisee would define prayer? How do you think the tax collector would define prayer?

Read Luke 5:16. Ask: What do you think about Jesus' practice of praying alone? What do you imagine he prayed about? What does your own prayer practice look like or what would you like it to look like?

BRINGING TOGETHER SCRIPTURE & OUR STORY: Pose "The Big Question": Do you think God answers prayer? If so, how? What does a prayer sound like if it's not about asking for stuff? What part, if any, do we play in helping God to answer prayers (or own or those of others)?

Encourage the group to reflect on the different ideas and images of prayer that you have discussed. Invite them to create (perhaps in silence, as an act of prayer) a group mural that illustrates, without words, different ways of understanding prayer.

TAKING ACTION: Invite youth to take up a prayer practice in the coming weeks that involves "emptying" oneself of those me-centered desires and distractions that get in the way of a more meaningful prayer practice. Encourage students, like Jesus, to find a "secluded place" to pray, whether that be in their bedroom or outside in the woods or locked in the bathroom! Invite youth to use a prayer box or bowl as a way to begin their time of person prayer. This vessel could be used in two ways. One:place into the receptacle things or symbols of things that might distract you in your time of prayer or draw you into yourself instead of into God. These might include a cell phone, watch, TV remote, homework, money, etc. Two: place into the receptacle slips of paper on which you have written the names of people or places for which you want to focus your prayer time.

Perhaps commit as a group to pray each day for one week at a certain time and for a certain number of minutes. Then, report back to one another about your experiences.

Announcements:

• Six Flags is CANCELLED
• Oct 9 East St Louis Serve
• Oct 14 Pumpkin Fest
• Oct 20 Guys Camp Out
• Oct 27 Beauty: Lunch with Mrs. Missouri