If you’re short on prep time or just looking for some extra guidance, our weekly Leader Training is designed to help you lead your students through the week’s lesson.
This is the Leader Training for Session 12 of our Fall 2022 study on Amos, Hosea, Jonah, and Micah (suggested use date: November 20, 2022).
You can also download this week’s leader training in PDF format here.
Session 12: A Fresh Start
Key Text: Micah 4:6-8; 5:1-9
Central Truth:
Human motives and wisdom are unreliable, so our only real hope of truly getting along with each other is to follow God’s wisdom, obeying Him and serving His purposes. When we do, we let go of our need to compete with each other. When we obey God, we can experience true peace and security.
Key Question:
How would Jesus be a different kind of King than the human kings who had been ruling God’s people?
The human kings who had been ruling God’s people were just that—human. They were limited in perspective, power, and wisdom, and no matter how badly they may have wanted to please God, they were just as vulnerable to pride as anyone else. Human pride is always at war with God’s ultimate purpose—His glory—so these kings inevitably did things that compromised the relationship between God and His people.
Jesus is different. Being God, Jesus is not limited in perspective, power, or wisdom. Even when He walked the earth, Jesus was not vulnerable to pride, but prioritized God’s glory over everything else (see John 17:4). Jesus is the perfect King and has only ever improved the relationship between God and humankind.
Keep in Mind:
— Life can be heavy. Everywhere your students look, someone is suffering the effects of either their own sin, someone else’s sin, or this broken world we live in. Your students are probably tired of living in “unprecedented times” and hearing about how much simpler life was “back in the day.”
— Instead of pointing out what they already know, encourage them to focus on Jesus and the hope He provides. Remind them that if they have put their faith in Jesus, this world is not their home (see Heb. 13:14). If they don’t feel comfortable here, that’s only to be expected. Challenge them to make the most of their time here by sharing the hope of Jesus with others. Jesus can do for this world what we cannot.
Application
What do we need to do to be included among the redeemed people of God and experience His restoration?
The Win:
FOR THE STUDENT: Students should be encouraged that those who put their faith in Jesus have an eternity of hope, peace, joy, and light to look forward to. Students should experience a sense of urgency to share the gospel of Jesus with people who don’t know Him and to encourage those who do know Him to share, as well.
FOR THE LEADER: Communicate the gospel of Jesus as clearly as possible. Invite students to put their faith in Him, and help them do it. Help students see that no matter what is going on right now, life will get much better for those who put their faith in Jesus—if not on earth, then in Heaven.
Additional Helps:
Youth ministry can be lonely work. Collaborate in a caring online community with hundreds of other youth ministers like you—join Youth Ministry Booster!
We believe that parents are called to be the primary disciplers of their children—but those parents need discipling, too! Subscribe to Parent Partner and get invaluable tools for serving the parents in your church and equipping them to disciple their students at home.
Listen to the weekly Lifeway Student Ministry Podcast for fresh perspectives on student ministry in today’s world. Hosted by Ben Trueblood, Director of Student Ministry at Lifeway, and produced by Nathan Howard, Project Coordinator for Lifeway Students.
Read our guide to creating a safer, more engaging environment for online Bible study.
Watch replays of our webinars for group leaders and teachers, hosted by Ken Braddy, Lifeway’s Director of Sunday School. These webinars are designed to help leaders build their confidence, strengthen their groups, and enhance their Bible studies.