Middle School Talksheets: 50 Ready-to-Use Discussions on the Life of Christ
112
Middle School Talksheets: 50 Ready-to-Use Discussions on the Life of Christ
112Paperback
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780310285533 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Zondervan |
| Publication date: | 12/28/2008 |
| Series: | TalkSheets |
| Pages: | 112 |
| Sales rank: | 840,972 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Middle School Talksheets
50 Ready-to-Use Discussions on the Life of Christ
By Terry Linhart
Zondervan
Copyright © 2009
Terry Linhart
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-28553-3
Chapter One PREDICTING AND EXPECTING The prophecies of the Messiah (various Old Testament Scriptures)
1. Imagine your neighborhood or city 100 years from now. Make some predictions about what the following will be like:
Clothes Cars/Traveling
Church School
Computers Space Travel
2. What's the difference between a prediction and a prophecy? Team up with three others and have one person read 2 Peter 1:20-21 from the Bible. As a group, write a sentence that explains what prophecy is.
How is this different from a prediction?
3. There were many prophecies written about Jesus hundreds of years before he was born. Which of the following are the most amazing prophecies that were fulfilled (came true)? Put an "X" next to your top three.
___ His name would be Immanuel.
___ Many babies in his town would be killed.
___ He would enter Jerusalem on a donkey.
___ He'd die on a cross between two thieves.
___ He'd be born in Bethlehem.
___ He'd be rejected by his own people.
___ He'd be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.
___ He'd rise from the dead.
4. The people in Israel expected the Messiah because they knew of the prophecies in the Old Testament. Get in groups of three or four, look up the following verses, and write down an answer to each question.
Deuteronomy 18:18-Where would the Messiah come from?
Micah 5:2-Where would the Messiah be born?
John 1:45-How did Philip describe who Jesus was?
Acts 3:18, 22-What did Peter say about Jesus?
5. Rate yourself on the following line.
THIS WEEK
Most middle schoolers are probably unfamiliar with Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah. This session exposes students to these key passages of Scripture, shows how the prophecies were fulfilled in the life of Christ, and prompts students to think about the role of Scripture in their lives.
OPENER
Before the meeting, write six questions on a sheet of paper. Make enough copies for everyone. You can make up your own questions or use these six:
1. What will you have for dinner tomorrow?
2. What will the weather be like a week from today? (Be specific with temperature, wind, etc.)
3. What grade will you get on your next test at school?
4. Who will win the next Super Bowl?
5. In 10 years, what will you be doing?
6. In 20 years, what will be a common electronic device that everyone will own? Be creative.
Tell students you're going to have a prediction contest to find out who the best "prophet" is. Pass out the slips of paper and pencils. Play some upbeat background music while students are answering their questions. Have a few students share their answers to questions 5 and 6, making sure you get a wide range of volunteers. Have students put their names on their slips of paper and give them to you. Tell them you'll give prizes to those who gave correct answers for questions 1 through 4, and give those students prizes later. Make sure to follow up on each of these.
DISCUSSION
1. Have your students share some of their predictions.
2. Prophecy comes from God; predictions come from people. The Bible writers were careful to describe a true prophet of God (Deuteronomy 18:22; 2 Chronicles 36:15). Talk through your students' answers and make sure your students understand.
3. Hundreds of years passed between the time these prophecies were written and when they were fulfilled. That's a long time! Though people were very familiar with Old Testament prophecy, do you think it would've been easy or difficult for them to recognize that these were being fulfilled in Jesus' life? Some were able to see these events as the fulfillment of Scripture, but others weren't able to do it. Why do some people today have trouble believing the Bible to be true?
4. This will take some time, but it will help middle schoolers encounter two prophecies and the responses of some of the disciples as they saw events unfolding in Jesus' life. Peter's summary in Acts 3 happened soon after the resurrection. You may want to write on the board four or five key points from his talk that summarize what he said about Jesus and the gospel.
5. The issue for us is the same as the one faced by those during the time of Christ-we need to be familiar with God's Word, the Bible, to be able to recognize when God is at work in people's lives. In what ways does understanding the Bible help us? In what ways has the Bible helped you? This last one may be difficult for some to answer, but a few students might have some helpful, even amazing answers.
CLOSE
Close by summarizing how prophecy, which was written hundreds of years before Christ was born, was fulfilled. Fulfilled prophecy in the Bible reminds us of its authority in our lives, even though some may choose to ignore it. Following Jesus means we should understand his life and teachings as revealed in the Bible. What commitments can we make to learn more about Jesus and allow him to lead our lives?
MORE
The Bible can be intimidating for many adults, let alone middle school students. For some the Bible may seem confusing at times, and for others, Bible reading may seem irrelevant to their lives. A youth group can be a great support to introducing students to the Bible. You may want to develop a Bible-reading club in which students encourage each other and discuss their readings with each other online or in informal small groups.
A fun game to play with some adult leaders is The Swami. One person says he or she can predict the answer to a question that's inside a sealed envelope. Present the envelope to this person. As the Swami holds it to her head, she gives the answer. She then opens the envelope while repeating the answer, and then reads the question inside. Get a group of riddles off the Internet or from a book, pick the five funniest, and use those as your questions. If you play up the dramatic aspects, this can be a lot of fun. Transition out of this by telling students that, though we laugh at this and know it isn't real, some people today put a lot of faith in people who make predictions.
Chapter Two THE PRAYER OF A TEENAGER Mary's prayer (Luke 1:26-38; 46-55)
1. When do you pray the best? You know, those times when you pray as if you already know God is listening. Put a "B" (for Best) beside all that apply below. Then go back through the list below and put an "X" beside those times when you don't pray much at all.
____ When I'm hurting
____ When things are going well
____ With friends
____ In the summer
____ During school
____ With my family
____ On vacation
____ At church
____ Before big events
____ When I need help
____ When I'm joyful
____ For schoolwork
____ When I'm confident
____ When I'm fearful
____ Some other time
2. Do you-or does someone in your family-have a regular prayer that's always prayed at meals or at night? If so, write down a few phrases you remember from that prayer:
3. In her prayer, Mary makes some statements about God. Finish each sentence to summarize what Mary meant.
Verse 50-"His mercy extends to those who fear him." God is _______________________.
Verse 51-"He has performed mighty deeds with his arm." God is _______________________.
Verse 52-"He has brought down rulers from their thrones." God is _______________________.
Verse 53-"He has filled the hungry with good things." God is _______________________.
4. Mary's response to the angel was simply, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me according to your word." Put a checkmark next to the phrase that describes why Mary responded like this:
___ Mary had great trust in God and knew he could do this.
___ Mary had a faith that allowed her to know this was from God.
___ Mary obeyed because she knew this was for real.
___ Mary had a rich prayer life that kept her close to God.
5. Write down the last three times that you've prayed and what you prayed about.
WHEN I PRAYED WHAT I PRAYED ABOUT
1.
2.
3.
THIS WEEK
Middle school is a time when students can begin to think about prayer and their own practice of it. In fact, some middle schoolers can have well-developed prayer patterns and may not even know it! One of the most beautiful prayers in all of Scripture is the prayer of a teenager, Mary. This TalkSheet exposes students to that prayer and to Mary the teenager, and offers them an opportunity to develop their prayer lives.
OPENER
Before your meeting, copy and enlarge Luke 1:26-38-one for every five students. Cut the verses into strips and put each set into a separate envelope. Keep a bag of candy on hand as a small prize.
Tell students to get in groups of five to six and hand out the envelopes to each group. Each group has the story of the angel visiting Mary, and they need to put the verses in order. The first group to do so will win a fabulous prize (that they will share with everyone else). You may need multiple adult judges available to review the groups' efforts and award a winner. Give the bag of candy to the winning group and encourage them to share!
When finished, read Mary's prayer in Luke 1:46-55 while the students change their posture (from sitting to standing, or from standing to sitting) whenever you read something Mary says about what God has done. After you're finished, ask students how many times they moved during the prayer. (The answer should be eight.)
DISCUSSION
1. Read through each of these, asking for raised hands if someone put a "B" next to one and then an "X." Ask them to raise their hands (instead of commenting) so they all can visually contribute to the discussion. Note any relationship between the times when they don't pray much versus when they pray best. Discuss these with students if desired.
2. Is it okay to say the same memorized prayer before each meal, or should people make up a new one spontaneously each time?
3. Note that Mary was strong in her faith in God. This can be seen in her prayer. She shows her knowledge of the Old Testament and of how the Messiah would establish his kingdom on earth. Do any Bible verses affect how your students pray? How did your students learn what to say when they pray?
4. Sometimes it's difficult to trust that God can do big things. Mary knew what God was capable of doing-challenging the rulers of the world and lifting up those who were poor but who trusted in him. Ask students why they think Mary trusted the angel. How would you have responded? Why?
5. Mary's prayer was focused on what God had done and was going to do. Most of our prayers are focused on what we want and on ourselves. One of the truths about prayer is that it can be a meaningful time to experience God's prompting in our hearts-a two-way conversation between friends. Mary's focus on what God is doing is a great example for us in our prayer time-that God wants to work in and through our lives as we spend time with him and allow him to guide us.
CLOSE
Mary's prayer reveals much about her knowledge of the Bible, her awareness of who God is, and her willingness to obey him. Give students time to write out a five-sentence prayer to God on the back of their TalkSheets. Imagine God has just reminded them of who he is in the world and in their lives. What do they need to say to God that they haven't said in a while? Reassure them that no one will read these except them and God. Encourage students to spread out around the room and have music (without words) ready to play in the background. At the end, have students read their prayers silently to God. Close with a prayer for students to reflect the goodness of God and the hope of Jesus Christ in their lives this week.
MORE
Consider organizing a prayer emphasis for your youth group over a period of time. Can you organize your group to pray for 24 hours straight? Divide the 24 hours into equal time slots and have them sign up for a time slot. You can host it at your church or building or have students pray at home. If possible, it's best to have it happen at a single location. Some youth groups have held a prayer chain for one week, and other churches have done it for a whole year. You may want to consider a prayer room for the experience where students can write prayers and post them on the wall and read the Bible and prayerful devotional readings. Decorate the room, add some candles, and be creative in putting a vibrant visual emphasis on prayer.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Middle School Talksheets by Terry Linhart Copyright © 2009 by Terry Linhart. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents The Hows and Whats of TalkSheets....................51. Predicting and Expecting-The prophecies of the Messiah (various Old Testament Scriptures)....................11
2. The Prayer of a Teenager-Mary's prayer (Luke 1:26-38, 46-55)....................13
3. Coming to Life-The birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-17)....................15
4. The 12-Year-Old Teacher-Jesus visits the temple (Luke 2:41-52)....................17
5. This Is God's Son-The baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:4-13)....................19
6. The Devil in the Desert-The temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11)....................21
7. Leaving the Nets-The calling of the disciples (Mark 1:14-20)....................23
8. Water into Wine-The first miracle at Cana (John 2:1-11)....................25
9. Jesus and Anger-The temple is cleansed (John 2:13-17)....................27
10. Midnight Meeting-Nicodemus visits Jesus (John 3:1-21; 7:50-51; 19:38-40)....................29
11. Crossing Barriers-Jesus with the woman at the well (John 4:1-42)....................31
12. Hometown Prophet-Jesus rejected by those who knew him the longest (Mark 6:1-6)....................33
13. Follow the Leader-The disciples (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:12-16)....................35
14. Carrying Friends to Jesus-The man let down through the roof (Luke 5:17-26)....................37
15. Get Up and Walk-The man at the pool healed (John 5:1-15)....................39
16. You're Beautiful-The Sermon on the Mount 1 (Matthew 5:1-12)....................41
17. Being Spiritual-The Sermon on the Mount 2 (Matthew6:1-24)....................43
18. The Treasure Hunt-The Sermon on the Mount 3 (Matthew 6: 19-21, 24, 33; Luke 12:6-7)....................45
19. Trust-The Sermon on the Mount 4 (Matthew 6:25-34)....................47
20. Forgiveness at the Master's Feet-The Pharisee and the woman anointing Jesus (Luke 7:36-50)....................49
21. Be Careful What You Say-Jesus warns the Pharisees (Matthew 12:35-37)....................51
22. Good Deeds from an Unlikely Source- The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)....................53
23. Looking Good on the Outside-The six woes (Luke 11:39-52)....................55
24. Mustard Seed Kingdom: Small to Great-Thinking about the kingdom of God (Mark 4:26-32)....................57
25. Jesus Provides-The feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:5-15)....................59
26. Do You Believe in Miracles?-Jesus, the healer (Matthew 15:29-31; Mark 8:22-26)....................61
27. Stepping Out of the Boat-Jesus and Peter walk on the water (Matthew 14:22-36)....................63
28. I Am-The seven "I Am" statements of Jesus (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7-9, 11-14; 11:25-26; 14:6; 15:1, 5)....................65
29. "You Are the Christ!"-Peter's confession (Matthew 16:13-19)....................67
30. Mountaintop Surprise-The transfiguration (Mark 9:2-10)....................69
31. Forgive? Forget It!-The unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35)....................71
32. The First Short-Term Missions Trip-The 72 are sent out and return (Luke 10:1-9, 17-20)....................73
33. Who Is the Accuser?-Jesus rescues the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)....................75
34. Thanking Christ-The 10 lepers (Luke 17:11-19)....................77
35. Unwrapping the Dead-Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave (John 11:1-6, 17-44)....................79
36. Under God's Care-Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Luke 15:1-7; John 10:10-11)....................81
37. At the End of the Road-The lost son (Luke 15:11-32)....................83
38. What It Really Means to Be Rich-The rich young man (Matthew 19:16-24)....................85
39. No Fair!-The workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)....................87
40. Being Great, Part 1-James and John (Mark 10:35-45)....................89
41. Being Great, Part 2-The 10 talents (Matthew 25:14-30)....................91
42. The Messiah Comes to Jerusalem-The triumphal entry of Jesus (Matthew 21:1-11)....................93
43. The Last Supper-Jesus prepares the disciples for his death (Matthew 26:17-30)....................95
44. This Job Stinks!-Jesus models how to serve (John 13:1-17)....................97
45. The True Vine-Being Connected to Jesus (John 15:1-11)....................99
46. A Prayer for All Times-The high priestly prayer of Jesus (John 17:1-8, 13-19, 20-26)....................101
47. Unjustly Accused-The arrest and trial of Jesus (Luke 22:47-23:5)....................103
48. The Ultimate Sacrifice-The death of Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:27-58)....................105
49. He's Alive!-The resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 28:1-4; Luke 24:1-12, 24:13-35; John 20:10-29; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11)....................107
50. "Do You Love Me?"-Peter's denial and restoration (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-74; John 21:15-19)....................109
BONUS SESSION (a hidden track!): He's Coming Back!-The ascension and return of Jesus (Matthew 24:36 - 25:13)....................111