GOD’S LOVE

Prepare Week

Student Leader Roles:

• Promo – Promote the Club through social media, announcements, and any other outlets the school allows.
• Welcome – Stand at the door and welcome students to the Club as they arrive. Be sure to connect any new students to the Club and leadership so they feel like they have a place.
• Host – Start the Club with the Welcome, Prayer, Game (if applicable), and Memory Verse.
• Speaker – Lead the Club through Tool Time, and Dig In, using the EPIC Guide, and any supporting materials.
• Follow-up – Follow up with new (or newer) students, and students who accepted Christ for the first time or want to know more. This role requires follow-up every week, not just after INVITE Weeks.

Welcome: Welcome to First Priority! We are so glad that you have chosen to join us today! Our focus this month is “God’s Love.” Today is PREPARE Week where we will be preparing to share our stories and the Gospel of Jesus with others. Before diving in, we want to see what the Bible has to say about God’s love.

Let’s start today’s Club with prayer.

Opening Prayer: God, thank you for another great week that we get to be here at First Priority! I am thankful for those who are here today and thankful for your love for each of us! Thank you for the privilege of prayer. I pray that we would be faithful to pray for our friends to know you. Give us the strength to speak out. In Jesus name, Amen.

Game – Optional (if time allows): Choose a game, video, or icebreaker. Select one that fits your group’s needs best! Click here to see the list of games available.

MEMORY VERSE:John 3:16 (NIV) –“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Let’s spend some time preparing to do our part to reach our campus for Christ.

Learning to share your Story: Use the My Faith Story Sheet.

Leader Tip: Have Student Leaders hand out the My Faith Story Sheet.

Sharing your story can be very simple! Using the My Faith Story Sheet, it guides you to focus on three parts: your life before Christ, how you encountered Jesus, and your life since knowing Him.

Start with what life was like without Christ—your struggles or things that you felt were missing. Then, talk about the moment Jesus became real to you—through an event, a person, or a realization. Finally, share how He’s transformed your life—how faith gives you hope and direction now.

Today, let’s kick things off by exploring the first part: What life was like without Jesus?

At the top of the page, you’ll see a list of suggested words that can serve as your ‘keyword’ to describe your life before you met Jesus. You might find one that perfectly fits, or you might not see one that describes you. If not, don’t worry! you can pick a different word.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be super dramatic or negative. It could even be a simple phrase like ‘churchgoer’ or ‘good person’. The idea is to find a word or phrase that accurately describes you before you met Jesus.

Now, let’s move on to Section 2 on the worksheet, where you’ll be asked to ‘set up the background’. This is where you can start explaining how the word or phrase you chose relates to you. For instance, if you picked the word ‘rejected’, describe how you felt rejected, who rejected you, and what you tried to do to feel accepted.

Remember, your story is powerful. Take some time to pray, choose a keyword, and then write down how it once described you. Then share it with someone here—it might be exactly what they need to hear!

Leader Tip: Give students time to work on and discuss their stories and have Student Leaders help those who may be new to this. Encourage students to practice sharing their stories with a friend during the Club. If time is limited, make sure students finish writing out their stories at home.

You might not see it this way now, but your story has the power to provide comfort and strength to people who need hope. The book of Psalms is filled with reassurance that God is in control even today. Let’s take a look.

Psalm 18:2 (NIV) – “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

As students, we often face various challenges and struggles that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and drained. In moments of difficulty, it is essential to remember that we have a heavenly Father whose love serves as a constant source of comfort and strength. God’s love is a safe place where we can go for comfort and find strength because He always cares for us.

In Psalm 18:2, King David beautifully expresses his reliance on God’s love and protection. He refers to the Lord as his rock, fortress, and deliverer. This imagery reminds us that God’s love is solid and unchanging, providing a firm foundation amidst the uncertainties of life. When we face adversity, we can seek shelter in God, knowing that He is our refuge and strength.

God’s love brings comfort in the midst of trials. It assures us that we are not alone, and we can cast our anxieties upon Him because He cares for us according to 1 Peter 5:7. When we feel overwhelmed, we can find rest in God’s loving arms, knowing that He will carry our burdens and provide the peace that surpasses all understanding.

If time allows, read Philippians 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:7 to dive deeper into the above section.

Additionally, God’s love empowers us to face challenges with renewed strength. The Apostle Paul affirms this in Philippians 4:13 (NIV), saying, “I can do all this through him [Christ] who gives me strength.” When we embrace God’s love, we tap into a divine source of strength that enables us to overcome obstacles and accomplish what may seem impossible.

Leader Tip: Break into small groups or have a large group discussion based on Club size. Give students 1-2 minutes per question based on club time.

Discussion Questions:

• How does recognizing God’s love as a source of comfort impact the way we handle difficulties in our lives?
• In what ways can we actively turn to God’s love for help during challenging seasons?
• How can we remind ourselves daily of God’s love and draw strength from it as we navigate the demands of being a student?
• How does this insight from scripture give insight to your testimony? Consider writing more of your story based on this information.

Invite Cards: Have Student Leaders pass out Invite Cards to students.

Before we leave the Club, we’re going to take a moment to fill out the Invite Cards we provided. Make sure to write down all the details clearly so they’re ready to hand out. Once you’re done, use them to invite your friends and classmates to join us next time!

Leader Tip: Give students a moment to fill out Invite Cards and ask any questions.

Take 2-3 minutes to allow students to share different prayer requests and pray for the needs of the students.

Spend a few minutes praying for next week. Pray specifically for students’ lives to be forever changed by the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Let’s close in prayer.

Closing prayer suggestion: Father, we are so grateful for the time we’ve had together today. Help us to live boldly for you this week, sharing your love with everyone we meet. We pray for our friends who don’t yet know you—may they see your light in us and be drawn to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Homework: Keep writing your Faith Story using the Faith Story Sheet. We will continue to come back to this sheet all year to help each of us figure out what God has done in our lives – both when we first came to Jesus and when we have walked through the hard moments of life. We all have lots of stories of God moving in our lives, we just don’t remember them well because we haven’t written them down yet. This is the start of writing down our stories and allowing God to use them. If a story comes to mind, begin writing and talk to the Club leadership about being one of the first ones to share at next month’s PREPARE week.

Announcement suggestions:

• Share upcoming club events or special activities.
• Remind everyone about upcoming school breaks or schedule changes.

Leader Notes:

• Remember to file the report on this week’s Club numbers!
• Prepare for INVITE Week! Review the leader roles and keep everyone on the same page. Use the as an opportunity to recruit new leaders!

Club Coach Tip: Next month’s PREPARE Week will include an option for up to two students to share their Faith Stories. As students use the Faith Story sheet to write their testimonies, watch for those who may be ready to share and coach them outside of the Club to help them prepare.