PREPARE WEEK
OUR HOPE IN THE RESURRECTION
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.
In the resurrected Jesus, God restores his intended relationship with us. God once again makes His home with us. We can find hope in this because we know that this life we live today is not the end. We will one day live with God in eternity forever. This hope can help us remain strong in our faith, even in the midst of difficult times.
Main Point
Our ultimate hope with Jesus’ resurrection is that God will make His home with us.
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.
Scripture References
Materials Needed
- Paper Plates
- Markers
- Invite Cards
- Testimony Guides
(7 minutes)
Welcome everyone and be sure to get the names of any new friends.
Icebreaker Game: Home Sweet Home
Supplies Needed: Paper Plates, Markers
Hand out a paper plate and a marker to each student in the group. Ask the students to write their names on the bottom of the plates and then place them on their heads with the top side facing up. Explain how they will have 30 seconds to draw where they live on their plates while keeping them on their heads.
Once the time has passed, instruct the group to place their plates behind their backs without looking at them. Gather up the plates, shuffle them like a deck of cards, and then scatter them on the floor. Ask the group to try and find their own drawings, checking the backs to see if they were correct. The game concludes once everyone has found their drawings.
DIG IN
(5 minutes)
Ask: Before we get started, we want to hear from you. How easily did you recognize your drawing? What made it easier? What made it harder? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Say: It was so fun to see how quickly we could find our own drawings. Even though we are the ones who did the drawing, and it was something very familiar, some of us really struggled!
Today we’re going to talk about how our concept of home has been influenced by our circumstances and our humanity. We’ll dig deeper into the truth that our home, our true home, is in eternal relationship with God. Think about when you try to look at yourself through a cracked phone screen or a foggy bathroom mirror that is full of imperfections. You can probably see your outline, but so much of the detail is missing. Paul uses this analogy as he is describing our ultimate hope, eternal life with God.
Read Scripture: For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Ask: Share about a time when you were attempting to describe something, but you just couldn’t find the right words to say. What made it so difficult? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Say: We are very familiar with the setting for our lives. You know your neighborhood, what your way to school looks like. Mountains, forests, deserts, oceans, lakes, and even cities are common. Even when a friend describes a place you have never been, you know all the parts, so you have a pretty good idea of what it’s like.
But what about when we try to think of what the Bible calls God’s new creation? The Bible says that there will be a time when we will be ushered into a setting so extraordinary that it defies any description the world may be able to give.
Read Scripture: Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
Ask: How thrilling is it to think about that moment when we are changed into what we will be for eternity? Just like our drawing of home or how we look on a cracked phone screen, right now we only have bits and pieces of who we are. In a moment, we will be complete. In the twinkling of an eye, our setting will change to something that is indescribable.
Say: Every time you have thought, “This isn’t right!” or mourned the impact of hatred, you have confirmed that you were created for something different. There is something within us that knows there is more. As a follower of Jesus, you can experience a resurrected life now and for eternity.
TOOL TIME
(18 Minutes)
Ask: So the big question is SO WHAT? How does the hope of a new creation impact the way I share Jesus with my friends? (Let students think about this for just a moment.)
Say: Just like we use familiar references when we are telling a story so people can understand, John uses familiar concepts to describe what must have been an incredible image.
Read Scripture: I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:2-4)
Say: In the beginning was the garden where God and the first humans enjoyed a relationship that was full and complete. Their capacity for beauty, love, and relationship was fulfilled. Not only was their friendship with God complete, but the setting was indescribably beautiful.
Then evil entered the garden and changed everything. Our relationship with God was broken, and we were driven out of the beauty of the garden by our disobedience. Every day we experience a version of homesickness as we long to return to that perfect world.
But God always planned to restore not just our relationship with Him but also the setting. The hope that followers of Jesus can have is beyond our description. Think of every piece of art, music, or literature that has stirred your heart with beauty.
Now consider that no matter how deep your reaction, all of these are just small hints of what you will experience for eternity.
Read Scripture: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5)
Say: When you walk into a familiar place with people you love, there’s an almost physical easing of tension. We even talk about places or relationships where we feel “at home” and can be ourselves. Just imagine what it will be like to be completely the way we were intended to be! No more striving, no more aching, no more sorrow or shame! The curse will be lifted, and we will finally and completely be home!
You are surrounded by people who are still living in the middle, but you hold the truth that can transform their lives. Your friends are dying to know that there is a reason for hope, that there is an answer to their shame. Every day, you see the devastation evil brings like hatred, isolation, rejection, sickness, and even death. With your words and actions, you can bring the light of Jesus into this darkness.
Sharing this news can be scary! We may feel like we aren’t prepared or equipped. But that’s why we practice our stories and use tools during clubs to help us be ready for a chance to share this hope with others! All year we have been using the My Faith Story sheet to help us prepare to share the Gospel.
If you are new to club or haven’t had a chance to use this tool yet, I invite you to take some time to walk through each step. Write out your story, explore who you are and who God made you to be. Share how God has changed your life. Maybe you have been using the My Faith story sheet all semester and are already familiar with it. I challenge you to take the time and think about who you were before Christ changed your life.
Think about who you were before you knew there is hope and a perfect home for us with God in heaven. What are some words you needed to hear during that time? Write down something that you wish you could tell yourself then, and challenge yourself to share that same encouragement and truth with someone this week who may need it. (Be sure to allow time for students to work on their stories and have them practice/share with friends or the group.)
You can share the truth that God offers each of us a chance to have a resurrection life both now and forever. Our ultimate hope with Jesus’ resurrection is that God will make his home with us.
In Jesus, God offers freedom from sin, a life overflowing with purpose, and the promise that everything will be turned right-side up in the end.
Think about the students you can invite who need to learn how to live the resurrection life Jesus offers.
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!
