The Rest is Still Unwritten - May 24 & 25

Bottom Line: The rest is still unwritten

Core Scripture: Jeremiah 31:1-6

Memory Verse:

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV) “However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Small Group Questions:

1. What kind of legacy did the Israelites have when Jeremiah began to give this prophecy? Was it a positive or negative legacy?

2. What hope did God give the Israelites through Jeremiah? How did God show them that the rest was still unwritten? How did He promise to help them rewrite their stories?

3. How does God give us hope that the rest is still unwritten in our stories? Do you feel this hope in your life? Why or why not?

4. Why do we need to confess and admit where we are in our stories to begin a rewrite? What does it look like for us to do this in our everyday lives? How does God help us do this?

5. Why do we need to repent and turn our stories to begin a rewrite? What does it look like for us to do this in our everyday lives? How does God help us do this?

[A LITTLE MORE…]

Give each student a piece of paper and something to write with. First, ask the students to write, draw, or illustrate where their stories and their legacies are right now. This is the process of confession, of being honest about where we are and where we are not – that we talked about during the lesson. Then ask the students to take a few minutes to imagine how they can begin to rewrite their stories starting today. This is the process of beginning to turn our stories, which we can also call repentance. After your students have had time to do this, ask them to pray for each other as they seek to begin to write the rest of their stories with God’s help. Make sure every student is prayed for by name during this time, either by another student or by a leader.

Legacy Week #3 - Don't Stop Writing

Core Scripture: 2 Chronicles 24:1-25

Memory Verse:

Proverbs 3:1 “Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you; take to heart my commands. They’ll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well.”

Bottom Line: Forgetting God leads to faltering

Questions

1. What did the beginning of Joash’s story look like? Who helped him write his story at that point? How did Jehoiada serve as Joash’s mentor?

2. What happened to Joash after Jehoiada died? How was this a picture of forgetting? How was this a picture of faltering?

3. What happened to Joash as the result of his faltering? What happened to the nation of Judah? What kind of legacy did Joash end up leaving?

4. What are some of the ways you have forgotten your legacy in your life? How has that led to faltering in your life?

5. What are some of the ways that you can remember God’s story? What are some of the ways that you can remember that you are writing a legacy? How can a mentor help you do this?

[a little more…]

Encourage your students to find a mentor that will help them to remember God’s story and remember that they are writing a story that will create a legacy now and later. First, ask the students if any of them have such mentors in their lives. If so, ask those students to share about how they found these mentors and how these mentors help them. Afterward, say a prayer asking God to help your students find mentors. Then have a few minutes of silence so your students can write down the names of potential mentors or perhaps even write a note asking someone to become a mentor.

Writing Your Story - May 10 & 11, 2008

Core Scriptures: Nehemiah 13:1-31

Memory Verse:
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Bottom Line: Care enough to compose your story.

Questions

1. What kind of story had Nehemiah been composing prior to this passage? What happened to that story? Did Nehemiah destroy his own story, or did other people? Explain your answer.

2. What did Nehemiah do when he saw what the Israelites were doing? How did his actions show that he cared about his story and his legacy?

3. How did Nehemiah act to compose his story? How did Nehemiah’s actions show that he knew God and God’s commands? Do you think these actions were easy for him? Explain your answer.

4. How can you act to compose your story today? What are some of the actions that you think you should take? What would it look like for you to take these actions? What do you think will happen if you take them?

5. How can you run these potential actions through the filter of what you know about God? How can this group help you evaluate these potential actions so that they honor God and the legacy He wants you to have now and later?

[a little more…]

Bring in a spool of yarn and cut off a six-inch piece of yarn for each student. Hand out a piece of yarn to each student and have the students tie the yarn around one finger. As they do, tell them that people have traditionally tied a piece of string around their fingers to help them remember something. Then remind your students of Nehemiah’s prayer in this passage – “remember me for this, O my God.” Tell the students that this piece of string is a symbol to remind them that God remembers them and joins them as they compose their stories. Then close your group time with a prayer thanking God for how He remembers us and joins with us as we compose our stories. In this prayer, ask God to continue to remember you and your students, just as Nehemiah asked God to do.

Everybody Leaves a Legacy - May 3 & 4, 2008

Core Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-40

Questions:

1. What is a legacy? How would you define this? How is legacy a way that we live beyond our lives?

2. How does a legacy affect people later? What choices help us leave this kind of legacy?

3. How does a legacy affect people now? What choices help us leave this kind of legacy?

4. How did the people listed in Hebrews 11 leave a legacy? What are some of the Wise Choices that they made that helped to write their legacies?

5. What Wise Choices can you make right now that will help determine your legacy? What are some of the things that make it hard to make these choices? How can this group help to encourage you to make these choices?

A little something extra:

Bring in copies of current periodicals such as Time, Newsweek, USA Today, and your local newspaper. Divide your students into as many groups as you have publications and ask each group to find examples in the periodical of someone who is leaving a legacy (either positive or negative) that is either affecting people now or will affect people in the future (or both). After a few minutes, bring the students back together and have each group share the legacy it found. After students describe each legacy, talk for a moment about the choices that person made to create this legacy and whether those choices are wise.

Encourage your students to go home this week and take the time to write out what they what their legacy to be. Then, encourage them to be proactive this week in making choices that will allow their legacy to become a reality now.