PREPARE WEEK
THE INVISIBLE MADE VISIBLE
LEADER PREPARATION
Lesson Summary:
Note: These lessons are designed to be 30 minutes long. If your club time is shorter than this, we encourage you to be prayerful about parts of this lesson to put more or less emphasis on. If limited on time, we urge you to prioritize Tool Time and summarize Dig In, as Tool Time is what prepares you for sharing the Gospel. As always, let the Holy Spirit guide your leadership.
Main Point
In Jesus, we can see God and His character lived out in His life and teachings. When we look at Jesus, we see the Father’s heart reaching out to us in love and mercy.
Team Roles
Host: This Student Leader will lead the Start Up section of the lesson, helping create a fun environment, making everyone feel welcome and included.
Speaker: This student leader will guide the group in growing deeper in their faith by reading and reflecting on passages of scripture. They will then connect the content to the group’s daily lives by asking practical questions and leading the conversation.
Other Roles: Promo, Welcome, and Follow Up.
(7 minutes)
Welcome everyone and be sure to get the names of any new friends.
Icebreaker Game: Plot Twist
Materials Needed: Story Script/Pen
Explain to the group that you will be reading them a short story, but you do not have all the details. The group’s job will be to fill in the empty spaces with the most random answers they can think of. Each time you reach an empty space in the story script, call on a volunteer to fill in the details and write the answer on the script. Read the completed story script aloud at the end of the game time.
Story Script:
One day a boy was walking his pet ________ down the
street. He was trying to hold back tears because _________. But all of a sudden, a giant _________ appeared offering him three wishes. The boy’s first wish was for a _________
The boy’s second wish was for ___________. But before he could finish the third wish, the boy saw a tiny ___________ in the sky. The boy smiled and said, “I don’t need a third wish because ___________.”
DIG IN
(5 minutes)
Ask: Before we get started, I’m curious to hear from you. What do you think are the elements that make a story interesting and fun? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Say: This story certainly took some unusual turns! I think we all agree that what made it fun was that so much of it was unexpected. Today, we’re continuing to look at all the unexpectedness around Jesus’ arrival on earth – specifically, how He unexpectedly revealed God the Father to a world who had forgotten Him. Check out what the New Testament says about Jesus:
Read Scripture: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth… He is before all things, and in him all things hold together…For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. (Colossians 1:15-19)
Say: Catch what this is saying: The invisible, infinite God who created the universe took on a visible and finite form in Jesus so that we could know Him. In other words, if you want to know what God is like, you have to look at Jesus. And what do we find when we look at Jesus? Listen to how He described Himself:
Read Scripture: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Say: This is the God we find revealed in Jesus: gentle and humble in heart. Instead of yelling at us to try harder, He offers us rest. Instead of listing all the reasons why we’re unworthy, He offers us guidance. To everyone who is confused and broken, He invites us to come and learn from Him.
Ask: What is your favorite story about Jesus from the Gospels? In that story, what do Jesus’ words and actions tell you about the character of God? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Say: So many of the stories about Jesus show Him doing totally unexpected things. He hung out with sinners and outcasts; He touched people who were considered unclean; He valued women as His followers and friends; He ministered to Gentiles; He wept; He showed compassion; He gave forgiveness. In all of this, He was revealing the heart of the Father.
TOOL TIME
(18 Minutes)
Say: So the big question is SO WHAT? Why does it matter that Jesus is the one, true image of the invisible God? (Let students think about this for just a moment.)
Say: Well, for starters it matters because there’s a lot of confusion out there about who God is. Some people think of God as:
- a genie who exists to grant their wishes
- distant and unconcerned about the world – and therefore unconcerned with how I live my life.
- a cruel judge who counts their mistakes and punishes them.
- a good vibe or positive force.
- unknowable.
If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes we buy into these false versions of God because they’re more convenient for us. After all, if God’s just a genie, or if He’s unknowable, then He has no claim over my life. Against all of these misconceptions, Jesus shows us who God truly is – and who He isn’t.
Ask: What are some things you hear people say about God that don’t line up with what Jesus revealed? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Ask: Can you identify any false ideas about God in your own mind? Where do you think they came from? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Say: In Jesus, we see the true God. He has come near to us and desires to be with us; He is a just judge, but He is also full of mercy; He calls us to lay down our life and follow Him, but He also promises to give us true life in return. Our main point reminds us of this: When we look at Jesus, we see the Father’s heart reaching out in love and mercy toward us.
Ask: What is one key takeaway from this message that can help you to share the gospel with someone you know? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Every Prepare Week it is our goal to make sure you leave here ready and prepared to share the Gospel with everyone you meet. Tools are a great way to help guide us and give us practice for sharing our stories and who God is. Take a moment and look over the My Faith Story sheet.
Though this tool may be very familiar to some of you already, I want to challenge you to take a step further while working through it. Today we talked about who God really is. We talked about how Jesus came and showed us the true character of God, contrary to some other false beliefs that the world may tell us.
As you reflect about your story of who you were before and after God, reflect on the way your perception of Him may have changed once you really knew and accepted Him into your life. Think and write about how Jesus came in and showed you the truth about Him and His love for you. Maybe you are still learning about who God truly is in your life, reflect on this as you are writing out your story. (Be sure to allow time for students to work on their stories and have them practice/share with friends or the group.)
Closing: Pass out invite cards. End your time together with prayer.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Say: Remember that next week is INVITE Week, and, while we want our friends to be able to come any week, next week we will be sharing the gospel in a clear way and will give everyone an opportunity to make a decision to follow Jesus!
