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THIS WEEK’S PASSAGE: Matthew 5:13-16
PREPARATION: You will need a blindfold, tables, chairs, two sheets of flip chart paper (one with ‘Love God’ written on it, one with ‘Love others’ on it), enough sheets of A4 paper with Ephesians 3:9-10 written across the top for everyone in your group, post-it notes and pens.
ILLUSTRATION
10 mins
Pick a pair of friends from the group and explain that you are going to blindfold one of them to go around an obstacle course. Once the person is blindfolded, get two (trustworthy) members of the group to create a simple obstacle course. Point to different members of the group and ask them to give the first lot of instructions. Allow this to go a little crazy as long as the person with the blindfold is fine! Then stop the exercise and ask the volunteer (still blindfolded) how they felt. Then quietly ask their friend to stand a little closer and direct them through while the group stays silent. Ask them how they felt when that person directed them.
Say: When wondering about our future or what our calling is in life it can feel a little unknown or overwhelming. Some of you may know exactly what you want to do with your life and some of you may not have a clue. When we think about God’s calling on our life we want it to be a quick download where we get the information and go, but often God invites us to go on a journey of trust with him and reveals things on the way. When wondering about our future we need to make a decision to journey with God, invest in our relationship with him and do the journey with all the different obstacles with him.
CALLED TO BE DIFFERENT
5 mins
Say: There are two important points to think about when looking at calling: who is God calling us to be and what is God calling us to do. If you look through the leaders in the Bible, it was not their credentials that made God use them, it was who they were: their character. Even then they were not perfect; by God’s grace he still used them to change the course of history. We often wait for God to show us in flashing lights what he wants us to do next when he is calling us to be followers of Jesus in our schools, families and friendships - right where we are now!
In small groups, ask the young people to read Matthew 5:13-16 and discuss these questions: what stands out to you from this passage? What is Jesus getting at? What might that look like? Then ask them to read Galatians 5:22 and list the fruit of the spirit. Then get the groups to talk about what they think they mean and what it might look like to show other people the fruit in our everyday lives.
Say: It starts with our relationship with God and being connected with him, walking through life with him and then seeing him grow these things in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
CALLED TO LOVE
5 mins
Stick the ‘Love God’ and ‘Love others’ sheets on opposite sides of the room and put pens around them. Read Matthew 37:40 as a group and say: if you are unsure of what your calling is, then this is all of our base line. This challenge never goes away. This is a journey that we go on as we go through life that we are called to live out now. What does that look like for you? Ask them to write down on each sheet what it practically means for them to love God and love others.
KEY POINT
Whatever God is calling us to do, these two priorities, to love God and love others, must be central. As well as the day-by-day decision we make to love God and others, these two principles can be used to discern where we feel we might be called to: how can I love God and others through this?
CALLED FOR HIS PLANS
10 mins
If they have phones on them get them to take a selfie of themselves. If not they can draw themselves – a stick man will do! On the paper with the Ephesians verse at the top get them to write down or draw: their hobbies, the things they love to do, anything they do at school that they enjoy and any thoughts or ideas about what they might want to do or what they feel God might be calling them to do in the future and why.
In small groups share your lists and be ready to ask questions about why they enjoy certain things, then say: God made us. He gave us passions and fun and friends and skills and it’s in these areas that God calls us to be salt and light, to live out the fruit of the spirit.
WHAT DO OTHERS SEE IN ME?
10 mins
Say: Very often we might not know what gifts God has given us and we need someone to point them out. Put a post-it note on the back of everyone and get them to walk around and write encouraging things about that person’s character or personality. Be very clear that this is not the time for sarcasm, banter or even a chance to tell someone they are good looking!
RECAP
10 mins
Say: God is always speaking to us and growing who we are called to be. He will take us on a journey to discover what that is to do. Will you take the first steps with him today?
Allow space for the Holy Spirit to highlight different things from the session. Encourage the young people to look at their post-it notes and look at the ‘Love God / Love others’ that will be up in the room.
Pray to close: Holy Spirit we choose to take the first steps today with you to go on a journey to discover who you are calling us to be and what you are calling us to do. We pray you would use us, show us and lead us forward into our future. Amen.
If you want to do a follow up session then think about doing an ‘audience with…’ Get people from your church who are passionate Christians living out their faith in different areas of society to share how they discerned their calling, what God has shown them and what it’s like to be a Christian in that context. Try to get a varied group from politics, Church, education, family, media etc.
