Week 1 – Rearview Mirror: Where have I come from?

Oftentimes, our churches youth ministry tries to streamline what the Senior Pastor is teaching into something geared towards students.  It is good for parents and students to be able to have conversations together about faith, so this is one way we encourage that!  Our Senior Pastor threw out the idea this past fall about doing a series on mapping out your life.  As he pitched it to our staff, it seemed like it would cover topics that any person would need to dive into for their faith.  This is the youth edition version of that.

Week one focuses on the rearview mirror and helping students understand where they have come from and what exactly God was “up to” in their past!

1. Begin with highs and lows of the week (everyone should share 1 of each).

2. When you look at a map what excites you about it?

3. If God were to look at your life like a map, what do you think would excite God about it?

4. Read Ephesians 3:20 out of the NLT:Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

5. What is God capable of?

6. What prevents possibilities? (Example: Lack of trust, fear, conflict, no commitment, low standards, ego, pride)

7. What are the things that make up your memories? (Example: Family, friends, school, success, failures, culture)

8. What have been some of your responses to those memories? (Example: Pride, suppression, confession, learning, forgiveness, celebration)

9. ACTIVITY:

a. Give each person a white sheet of paper and a pen/marker

b. Students should write on sticky notes any major life events that shaped them.  Attach these to the white paper in chronological order.

               i. Example: Lead in the play in 1st grade, my parents’ divorce, 1st girlfriend etc

c. Students should then underline any events that were painful.

d. Students should star their top 3 life events

               i. These are the things that happened that “after this…everything changed”

e. On the 3 starred sticky notes have them put a blue sticky note on top of it

               i. Write on the blue sticky note what God taught them through that experience

1. Example- that I don’t need to fear, I am not alone, etc

f. Ask for a few people to share about their blue sticky notes… testimony of what happened and what God did.

Conclude by reminding students that God is always at work, and this is an easy way to focus your thoughts and see God’s fingerprints.  This also helps students learn how to share their faith!